Sir Thomas Beecham Conducts Favourite Overtures, Volume II

On this CD:

1. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Overture
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

2. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Overture
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

3. Don Giovanni, opera, K. 527 Overture
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

4. Don Giovanni, opera, K. 527 Overture
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

5. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620 Overture
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

6. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620 Overture
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

7. Oberon, opera in 3 acts, J306 LX746 (CAX 8140/1)
Composed by Carl Maria von Weber
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

8. Der Freischütz, opera in 3 acts, J. 277 LX601 (CAX7892/3)
Composed by Carl Maria von Weber
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

9. Tragic Overture, in D minor, Op. 81
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

10. A Faust Overture, for orchestra in D minor, WWV 59 LX481/2 (CAX7508-10)
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

11. Le carnival romain, ouverture catactéristique (Roman Carnival Overture) for orchestra, H.95 (Op. 9)
Composed by Hector Berlioz
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

12. Overture to La scala di seta (The Silken Ladder)
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

Customer Reviews:

Substantial overtures from Beecham's peak period, but not in best sound.......2006-03-15

I get impatient with Beecham's fondness for snippets of music lasting less than 5 min. Here we move up to gobbets lasting about 8-12 min. This Dutton reissue consists of prewar London Phil. recordings between 1933 and 1940; as one would expect, the sound is variable. The opening Marriage of Figaro Over. from 1937 is shrill and nasty, but the next item, a Don Giovanni Over. from 1940, though cramped and not very colorful, is more listenable, and the third item, a Magtic Flute Over. from 1938, is best of all.

And so it goes through Weber, Brahms, Wagner, etc. Even after adjusting my ears, I wouldn't say that any of these recordings is a sensual pleasure, but they represent Beecham in good if not revelatory form. He avoidss the tendency prevalent in the 78 era to rush the music so that it can fit on a side--we get a realistic picture of his ideas about each work. Overall, I'd rank this colleciton somewhere in the middle of available Beecham reissues.

Music Track:

Music Track

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