Concerto Recordings

On this CD:

1. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra with Joseph Szigeti
Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

2. Concerto for violin & orchestra in D minor, D 45
Composed by Giuseppe Tartini
Performed by Joseph Szigeti
Conducted by Walter Goehr

3. Harpsichord Concerto No. 1 in D minor (or for 2 oboes & organ or for violin) BWV 1052 for violin
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by New Friends of Music Orchestra with Joseph Szigeti
Conducted by Fritz Stiedry

Tracks:

Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: I Allegro
Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: II Largo
Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: III Rondo alla polacca
Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: I Allegro
Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: II Andante
Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: III Vivace non troppo

Amazon.com

Among the concertos of Beethoven and Brahms, these two have always been stepchildren. One reason is their extreme difficulty; both composers were pianists, so Beethoven wrote an idiomatic part only for the piano. Brahms's friend Joseph Joachim offered advice for the violin concerto, but not for the Double Concerto, which was written as a peace offering after a falling-out. The Beethoven Triple Concerto demands utmost virtuosity, as well as intimate teamwork among the soloists, and that is exactly what these three supreme masters of their instruments bring to it. Free--indeed unaware--of technical problems, they give it a joyful, sparkling lightness. The piano ripples, the cello sings gorgeously, the violin soars ecstatically, the tone is intoxicatingly beautiful. The Finale is wistful, charming, lyrical, gently humorous; the ending is a big joke, with the cello and piano rumbling in the bass, while the violin whistles forlornly in the dark until they all join together. The Brahms is grand, majestic, dreamy, radiant, triumphant; the slow movement warm as dark velvet, the Finale genial and relaxed. Though the orchestra never covers the soloists, it explodes in the tutti passages, especially in the Beethoven, so you might keep a finger on the volume control. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

There can't be any better!.......2007-05-17

It is not for the names only.
I think it is a performance as Beethoven probably had in mind.

Wonderful smooth rendition.......2007-04-26

There is something magical about this recording. It is difficult to describe the smooth full sound that this recording presents. I own other recordings of the Brahms and the Beethoven and at first thought it a little extravagent to own another but I am very pleased I bought it.

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter.......2007-01-18

I knew this recording and I received what I was expecting. Delivery and condition was great. Thanks.

Beethoven? Brahms? Karajan? Oistrakh? Richter? Rostropovich? Szell? On One CD? Talk About Star Power!.......2006-09-09

All those big names wouldn't mean a thing if the performances themselves were throw aways or showed little commitment, but that's hardly the case, this is probably the finest recordings of both works. Karajan and Richter for one had some rocky interpretative relations in their recording of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto on DG. That was not a great record, where both musical giants pull and push to try and get their way. So yes, in some ways this Beethoven Triple Concerto presents even more challenges because there are four minds, four egos pitted together in one piece of music and that's not counting the greatest ego, Beethoven himself! Luckily everyone melds beautifully together, the three Russian masters are at their best, with Rostropovich a stand out and shining brightly. Meanwhile Karajan, the Austrian master conductor gives them his usual, grand, lush orchestral backdrop via the Berlin Philharmonic. This is warm-hearted, generous music-making between four fearsomely talented musicians.

The Brahms Double Concerto is just as fine, now we have the two string instrumentalists side by side. Oistrakh and Rostropovich communicate wonderfully together in this major Brahms piece. Szell backs them up every step of the way with his precise yet passionate conducting of the Cleveland Orchestra. The EMI recording sounds very good too in both works and the price is quite nice. An outstanding bargain.

Glorious.......2006-01-30

The unbroken tradition of Russian string playing is well-represented on this disc. The Double Concerto is especially wonderful, even rapturous. The two players are beautifully meshed, and Szell and the Cleveland sound warm and emotive, which they sometimes did not, on records and "live". The sessions they recorded for EMI (including a wonderful Dvorak Eighth, far surpassing their recoridng for Masterworks), captured something that often was not well projected.

The remastering captures this warmth, with more brightness than my LP copy of the Brahms ever had, at least after the initial playings.

Christopher Parkening - The Great Recordings ~ By America's Preeminent Guitar Virtuoso

Average customer rating:

Excellent recording
Highly Recommended!
Amazing
A gentleman musical agreement!
Extreme virtuosity

Christopher Parkening - The Great Recordings ~ By America's Preeminent Guitar Virtuoso
Johann Sebastian Bach , François Couperin , Gabriel Fauré , Isaac Albeniz , Anonymous , Francisco Tarrega (y Eixea) , Silvius Leopold Weiss , Claude Debussy , Maurice Ravel , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Gordon Young , Georg Philipp Telemann , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Manuel de Falla , Manuel Ponce , Enrique Granados , Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco , Andrew York , Fernando Sor , Gaspar Sanz , Joaquin Rodrigo , and Christopher Parkening
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Christopher Parkening plays Bach
Simple Gifts: Christopher Parkening
In the Spanish Style / Christopher Parkening
The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method - Volume 2: Guitar Technique
Christopher Parkening - A Tribute to Segovia

ASIN: B000002RTR
Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

Fugue From Violin Sonata No. 1, BWV 1001 - J S Bach
Estudio brillante
Etude No. 1 In E Minor
Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Leyenda
Romance
Rumores de la Caleta
Capricho Arabe
Cantata 147: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 1
Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 6
Cantata 140: Sleepers Awake
Prelude, Fugue, And Allegro: Allegro
Cantata 208: Sheep May Safely Graze
Les Barricades mysterieuses
Preambulo & Allegro vivo: Preambulo And Allegro vivo
Passacaglia
The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Gymnopedie No. 1
Empress Of The Pagodas
Afro-Cuban Lullaby

Tracks:

Fourth Lute Suite: Praludium
Fairest Lord Jesus
Praise Ye The Lord, K. 339
Simple Gifts
Hymn Of Christian Joy
Cantata 29: We Thank Thee, Lord
Cantata 156: Arioso
Cantata 99: What God Hath Done
Canon
Dolly Suite: Berceuse
La Vida breve: Spanish Dance No. 1
Terezinha De Jesus
Prelude (In The Baroque Style)
Goyescas: Intermezzo
Prelude & Fugue No. 4 In E: Fugue
Evening Dance
Variations On A Theme Of Mozart
Canarlos
La Maja de Goya
El Noi de la Mare
Concierto de Aranjuez: Adagio - J. Rodrigo

Customer Reviews:

Excellent recording.......2007-05-12

If you are a fan of classical guitar than this is a must own set. I enjoy every moment.

Highly Recommended!.......2006-12-23

I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves music--period! Christopher Parkening is unquestionably one of the greatest classical guitarists of all-time. He embodies personal excellence like no other and is a brilliant artist. This CD is a must-have for any classical enthusiast. My favorite pieces include: Tárrega's "Recuerdos de la Alhambra," "Romance," Bach's "Prelude No. 6," and Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez." There are other versions of these pieces as well, but I always prefer Parkening's renditions, as they are oh so extraordinary--especially the recording of Aranjuez!! Other guitarists never seem to capture the essence of Rodrigo's musical masterpiece (e.g., Göran Söllescher in "Mad About Guitars"). But Parkening did! And the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was a perfect accompaniment.

This CD is definitely worth buying. Included is a CD booklet, which illustrates the history of Parkening's illustrious career, interesting tidbits about all 25 recorded pieces, and several photos of his early life to his "breathtaking performance" at Rodrigo's 90th birthday celebration at the Royal Festival Hall in London, 1992.

Amazing.......2006-05-08

I am not going to go into great detail. I am working on a degree in classical guitar and I can say this is something to strive for. His musical interpretation of the peices represented here are some of the best I've heard. His tone,color, and phrasing is incredible.

A gentleman musical agreement! .......2006-03-16

In guitar ` s playing there have been many renowned performers, gifted of exuberant technique. But curiously the Apollonian playing is not by itself strictly enough. The guitar is the instrument which is closer to heart as any other one. It demands from you passion and sentiment. There have been three well known guitarists, one of them from England and the other one from Spain and the third one from Japan whose sensibility was totally absent in their performances.

But fortunately for us, there have been notable interpreters that have been maintained a desired balance and contrast between brain and heart, achieving great distinction and total acknowledgement around the world. I would name seven primordial names along the instrument `s story. First of all: the mythic soloist Andres Segovia, Regino Sainz de la Maza, John Williams, Alirio Diaz, Manuel Berrueco, Siegfried Behrend and Christopher Parkening, among the most representative ones of a great list.

Christopher Parkening `s career has made a brilliant colorist, an impeccable and sensitive interpreter of this well reduced repertoire. His profound artistic conviction and convincing phrasing has been a perpetual motive of constant invitations and presentations around the world.

Extreme virtuosity.......2005-09-25

CP has become my chief inspiration to improve as a classical guitarist. His performances here are, without exception, phenomenal. He makes the most difficult pieces sound effortless. I prefer CP over John Williams because, while Williams is also unquestionably a master, he sounds a bit robotic to me at times. CP, on the other hand, never sacrifices musicality to precision. He sublimely maintains both.

Average customer rating:

badly remastered
Rachmaninov is the master
A Master of Musical Love
Classic Historic Rachmaninoff.

Rachmaninov: His Complete Recordings

Manufacturer: RCA
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Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: The Landowska Recordings
Brahms: Complete Piano Music
Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings
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Grieg: Complete Solo Piano Music

ASIN: B000A2AD2S
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Customer Reviews:

badly remastered.......2007-06-25

"The Complete Rachmaninoff', at 2-3 times the price is a better deal. This version is re-mastered in a way that reduces surface noise, but, at the same time, removes much of the pianists' tone quality that comes through so well on the original LP release, as well as the more expensive set. Also, this album is lacking the documentation of recording dates that the LP and 'The Complete Rachmaninoff' provide. For the neophyte, the re-mastering reduces the magic of Rachmaninoff's tone. I would expect the connoisseur to be even more disappointed. There are bargains out there, but for this album, you get what you pay for.

Rachmaninov is the master.......2007-05-15

Some people like the recordings and some dont, but as a fan of Rachmaninov it would be a shame not to own these recordings. To hear a master composer from history play his own works is not that common. Just put the cd in your player put your headphones on and watch the black and white images appear in your mind as though you were at a concert in the 1930's looking on at the man sitting at the piano carefully but with feeling pounding each note into the air of time. If you don't like the scratchy recordings then obviously you are a spoiled brat who doesnt appreciate fine art.

A Master of Musical Love.......2007-01-18

There have been other brilliant composers and genius pianists as Rachmaninoff lived and afterwards. Yet, in my opinion, he is the real central figure of his days and, as far as I can feel, what there is of most modern up to now in classical music. I do not think it exaggerated to say that, after all these decades, someone is still to pick up the torch from his hands at that level of inspiration, just as he picked it up from Tchaikovsky. It is true that a few of his compositions seem quirky and cerebral: but more than a few are the masterpieces. His second Concerto is the concert of the century. And where do we find, for instance, a match for his etude tableau 39/5 in one hundred years? Or a simply revolutionary piece as his prelude 32/12 is?

One could go on with a list of marvelous compositions either created or played by him and many reviewers already pointed so much of great in his recordings. So a good thing to do here is what a previous reviewer also did: to say something special about one favorite piece of the box-set. My forerunner pointed to Rach's rendering of Haendel's "Harmonious Blacksmith" and I agree with each word he wrote about it. Now I should like to declare my amazement about his version of "Leise flehen", initially a Swansong written by Schubert and later transcribed by Liszt.

Hopefully Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and other singers will not mind my saying this, but Rachmaninoff unveils and exposes such a treasure in this song that now its original lyrics only seem to obstruct the inestimable wealth in piano notes below them at all other known recordings: the piece is infinitely more beautiful when left to the pianist alone. Rach's playing is warm and generous, just like Schubert's creative Geist, and the result is light-years ahead of the usual rough, squared, catacomb mood with which people bring the composition along with singers.

Impossible not to love, but there is more to that. After listening so many times to this piece that never ceases to stun me, I came to conclude that in fact very few people could manage to play the `leise flehen' like this, even among good pianists. As expressed here, its notes speak to their listener in such frank, open, and direct way - like a true friend making an important confession - that only a man with Rachmaninoff's `heart of gold' could manage to convey its meaning.

Ahhh, maybe we're talking about technique... To have a most noble heart, then, is THE decisive technical prerequisite for communicating these notes, otherwise they will simply not come out at all.

Notes: Here are a few opinions about the pieces mentioned above; hopefully they will be helpful for persons who don't know Rachmaninoff's works and stimulating for those who already know them. 1) As far as I am aware, besides Rachmaninoff only Valentina Lisitsa recorded the Leise flehen in a solo version. It can be found in her 2005 DVD with the Swan Songs program. 2) The etude tableaux 39/5 is not in this box set; many performers have played it, but none as Van Cliburn, who simply operates a miracle in the CD "My Favorite Rachmaninoff". His playing and the vertigo sensation it leaves behind are so powerful that I am sometimes afraid to listen to him. 3) Horowitz, the wizard, masters the prelude 32/12 in his CD "Horowitz Plays Scriabin" and in his legendary 1986 Moscow recital; the prelude is also in Rach's box-set. 4) About the second concerto, there are so many recordings, most of which I have not heard; my favorite performer is Benno Moiseiwitsch, a sublime piano poet much admired by Rachmaninoff himself. None of the recordings I've heard of the concerto, including the two available by its own composer, reach the climax of its third movement as Moiseiwitsch does in a 1944 movie called "Battle for Music". It is only a short excerpt from one of his wartime presentations with the LSO, but long enough to show how it sounds when perfectly done. The excerpt is also in the movie "The Art of Piano", in which the entire footage involving Rachmaninoff and Moiseiwitsch is simply a gem (however much historically unprecise).

Classic Historic Rachmaninoff........2006-01-14

If you're a tad bit confused between this boxed set and "The Complete Recordings" boxed set from 1992, fear not. Both this and "The Complete Recordings" are exactly the same. The only difference is in the cover art and packaging. Also, the price of this recent reissue is half as much as the original edition. If you have the original edition, there's no need to buy it again. If you don't own this already, then this present edition is the one to get mainly because of its reduced price tag.
With this out of the way, onto the music itself:
The Rachmaninoff Complete recordings collection includes everything the great Russian composer/pianist recorded between the years 1919 and 1941. Besides recording historic versions of his own classic Piano Concertos, his "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paginini" as well as conducting his own Third Symphony and Isle of the Dead, Rachmaninoff also recorded arrangements of works by such great composers ranging from Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert to most importantly, Chopin. These recordings are also included in this mammoth set alongside more obscure works by Mussorgsky, Daquin, Henselt and Dohnanyi.
The sound quality varies throughout the set ranging from highly listenable to sounding as if it were transferred by placing a microphone directly into the horn of an old grammophone. Despite the variants of sound quality, one cannot deny that this music as well as these recordings are important and historic.
The CD booklet gives a brief insight to Rachmaninoff's history as a recording artist as well as a breakdown of the tracks themselves. The only major flaw with this present edition is the fact that there are no recording dates listed anywhere in the liner notes. Considering that these are historic recordings dating from the very birth of the recording age, it would've definitely been helpful to be able to identify the year in which each work included here was recorded. Considering that I do not own the original edition of this set, there's a good chance that the first edition included the dates of the recordings. Not so here though. This is the reason why this reviewer docked this set one star.
Apart from this, this present edition or Rachmaninoff's complete recordings is a must for the die-hard Rachmaninoff fan. You get to hear the genius at work not only with his own material but with works by others as well. There are also a few note worthy collaborations such as a full disc of duets with legendary violinist Fritz Kreisler, an appearance by mezzo soprano Naddejda Plevitskaya on the arrangement of the traditional tune "Powder and Paint" and a fabulous four-hand piano rendition of Rachmaninoff's own "Italian Polka" with his daughter Natalie as second pianist (which actually sounds like a homemade wax-cylinder recording).
With this said, if you can get around guessing when these recordings were made, this is some great and historic music from one of the very best composer/musicians of our time - the one and only, the great Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Accardo Plays Paganini: Complete Recordings

Average customer rating:

Love it!
Accardo Is As Great As The Greats! A True Virtuoso of Paganini! Epic Performances!
What a man! What a Violin! What an Artist!
Definitive Recordings of Paganini's Violin Music
Magnificent for collectors

Accardo Plays Paganini: Complete Recordings

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Paganini for Two / Gil Shaham, Goran Sollscher
The Best of Paganini
Mozart: The Violin Sonatas
Paganini: 24 Caprices

ASIN: B00004SA88
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No.1 In D major, Op.6: 1. Allegro maestoso
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No.1 In D major, Op.6: 2. Adagio
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No.1 In D major, Op.6: 3. Rondo. Allegro spirituoso
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No.2 In B Minor, Op.7 'La Campanella': 1. Allegro maestoso
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No.2 In B Minor, Op.7 'La Campanella': 2. Adagio
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No.2 In B Minor, Op.7 'La Campanella': 3. Rondo

Tracks:

Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 3 In E Major: 1. Introduzione. Andantino - Allegro marziale
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 3 In E Major: 2. Adagio. Cantabile spianato
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 3 In E Major: 3. Polacca. Andantino vivace
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 4 In D Minor: 1. Allegro maestoso
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 4 In D Minor: 2. Adagio flebile con sentimento - attacca
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 4 In D Minor: 3. Rondo galante. Andantino gaio

Tracks:

Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 5 In A Minor: 1. Allegro maestoso
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 5 In A Minor: 2. Andante, un poco sostenuto
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 5 In A Minor: 3. Finale: Rondo. Andantino quasi Allegretto
La primavera. Sonata For Violin And Orchestra In A Major: Andante sostenuto - Larghetto - Variazione - Allegro moderato - Tema - Variazioni I-IV - Finale
Maestosa sonata sentimentale: Introduzione. Maestoso - Recitativo - Allegro agitato - Tema. Larghetto cantabile - Variazioni I-IV - Coda

Tracks:

Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In E Minor, Op. post. (No. 6): 1. Risoluto
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In E Minor, Op. post. (No. 6): 2. Adagio
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In E Minor, Op. post. (No. 6): 3. Rondo ossia Polonese
Sonata con variazioni: Introduzione (Adagio) - Tema (Andante moderato) - Variazioni I & II (L'istesso tempo) - Variazioni III & IV (Piu mosso) - Variazione V (Tempo I) - Coda (Presto)
Non piu mesta accanto al fuoco: Introduzione (Adagio cantabile) - Tema (Moderato) - Variazioni I-IV - Finale (Allegro - Tempo del Tema - Piu presto)
Le streghe, Op. 8: Introduzione (Maestoso - Larghetto) - Tema (Andante) - Variazioni I-III - Finale (Allegretto)

Tracks:

24 Capricci per violino solo, Op. 1: Introduzione. Adagio - Larghetto - Andantino Variato - Variazioni I-III - Finale
24 Capricci per violino solo, Op. 1: Larghetto Cantabile - Recitativo (Con Grande Espressione) - Tema. Andantino - Variazioni I-III - Coda
24 Capricci per violino solo, Op. 1: Allegro Vivace
24 Capricci per violino solo, Op. 1: Introduzione (Cappricio) - Tema. Variazioni I-VII
24 Capricci per violino solo, Op. 1: Adagio - Allegro Molto
24 Capricci per violino solo, Op. 1: Tema. Andante Sostenuto. Variazioni I-VI

Tracks:

24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Andante In E Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Moderato In B Minor
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Sostenuto - Presto - Sostenuto In E Minor
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Maestoso In C Minor
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Agitato In A Minor
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Lento In G Minor
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Posato In A Minor
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Maestoso In E Flat Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Allegretto In E Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Vivace In G Minor
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Andante - Presto - Tempo I In C Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Allegro In A Flat Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Allegro In B Flat Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Moderato In E Flat Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Posato In E Minor
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Presto In G Minor
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Sostenuto - Andante In E Flat Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Corrente - Allegro In C Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Lento - Allegro Assai In E Flat Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Allegretto In D Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Amoroso - Presto In A Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Marcato In F Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Posato In E Flat Major
24 Capricci Per Violino Solo Op. 1: Tema. Quasi Presto - Variazioni - Finale In A Minor

Customer Reviews:

Love it!.......2007-05-12

I really enjoy this CD set very much. Accardo is phenomenal in playing violin. I listen to thisevery morning and sometimes while I am cooking.

Accardo Is As Great As The Greats! A True Virtuoso of Paganini! Epic Performances!.......2005-10-13

Nicolo Paganini is primarily a virtuoso composer who did not compose anything other than for the violin in the early 19th century. He was a true prodigy of the instrument whose ferocious and innovative style of playing frightened many of the credulent folk into thinking he was the devil. With the increasing popularity of the waltz, he along with other romantics such as Beethoven completely revolutionized the concept of violin concertos that were still then mostly in the antiquated Roccoco menuet formulas of Mozart and Haydn. The caprices are more technical excercises for this new revolutionary style and are the cornerstones of all Romantic traditions of violin including the Romantic German and, to a much lesser extent, the Polish/Klezmer tradition of Joseph Joachim.

Salvatore Accardo is an accomplished violinist who performed many times with the most reputable groups such as I Musici di Roma and the English Chamber Orchestra. He was a long-time mentor of Anne-Sofie Mutter who performed with Karajan. Despite working often with various Baroque styles, Salvatore Accardo is primarily a specialist at Paganini and the Italian Romantic period and this is the main reason this recording is one of the best you can obtain for Paganini. Charles Dutoit is also an accomplished orchestral conductor and generally works very well with Rossini whose light romantic style in his operatic overtures have overlaps with the style in Paganini's contemporary symphonic arrangements for his violin concerti. Accardo and Dutoit were therefore a perfect match in performing Paganini and this ablum is a great example along with their other collaborations for the composer available on single CD. The music is light and joyful in its interpretation while many others tend to be heavy and sluggish. Accardo's performance is filled with vitality as he has complete mastery over the instrument and feels at ease in his performance without ever faltering. His performance brings out the fluidity and full range of Paganini's style very well. Salvatore Accardo's performance of the caprices is also legendary in which he performs all of the most difficult pieces briliantly without effort: they are truly divine in every respect!

Although it's extremely difficult to make a judgment call between these three undisputed virtuosos of the violin and Paganini, Perlman and Heifetz would not be my first choices because they are not really masters of the Italian Romantic style as that of the German/Polish/Klezmer traditions. However technical the differences might be, they do make a significant difference and so I prefer Accardo for Paganini as he is simply the foremost expert with this composer and the Italian Romantic style which Heifetz and Perlman are not. This album is a great buy where you can get all of Paganini's passionate violin concerti and caprices at a good price. There are really few if any performances equal to this one on the market other than those of Perlman and Heifetz. Such other performances, even by child prodigies, are simply beneath them in every respect to the point that they actually sound amateurish in comparison. No matter which of the three you choose, you can't really go wrong with any of them but I would really look no further than them as everything else is far beneath their legendary talents. Enjoy!

What a man! What a Violin! What an Artist!.......2002-04-06

Salvatore Accardo has played magnificently! I am not a classical music critic; I don't know what it really means to be a great violinist, but I certainly enjoy listening to every song in this 6 cd set. I am fifteen years old, but Paganini's music has a great impact on me. My mother bought me this album for Christmas, and I couldn't have received a more wonderful collection of music. I tend to have a preference for the first recording I ever hear of certain songs, and I have heard several of these songs performed by different artists. Let me tell you, these recordings are fantastic. My favorites are the 21st Caprice, the second movement of the 6th concerto, and the entire 4th concerto. Accardo's tone is rich and robust, and the orchestra behind him compliments him perfectly.
Utterly Satisfied,
Bobby

P.S. The title for my review was what Franz Liszt (classical pianist and composer) exclaimed when he heard Paganini perform.:)

Definitive Recordings of Paganini's Violin Music.......2001-10-16

Salvatore Accardo performs Paganini's scores with much elegant grace and warmth. Deutsche Grammophon has successfully assembled all of Accardo's recordings of Paganini's music. Undoubtedly, the highlights are Accardo's riveting accounts of Paganini's violin concerti. Charles Dutoit and the London Philharmonic Orchestra give splendid, warm performances of their own, without overwhelming Accardo's playing. Yet Accardo also shines in Paganini's solo works, such as the Caprices. This is absolutely an essential set of CDs for those who are unfamiliar with Paganini's music. Is it a surprise that these performances are still regarded as definitive in classical CD guides issued by Grammophone and Penguin?

Magnificent for collectors.......2001-02-01

This is a really masterpiece for collector. For the people that love the "virtuoso-violin", this is yours. If you are a fanatic of Paganini's music like me, this is your collection, because you will find the Maestosa sonata sentimentale, the Duo Merveille, "God save the King", in a perfect interpretation, only by Accardo, that are very difficult to find. The 6 Concertos, are amazing, if it is your first time hearing Paganini, you will find absolutely incredible, and remember, is only one violin performing those sounds. Double-Stops, Harmonics, Double-Harmonics, and the most colorful bowing performance. Paganini is very romantic and sentimental, the six, second movements are a jewel in your collection. I recomend you that adquire this for your personal collection, the case is beautiful, and the sound is powerful, like the recorders of the Deutsche Grammophon, Accardo plays Paganini transmiting to the listener the feeling of his performance. The 24 Caprices are interesting, and Accardo plays very clear, if you are playing the caprices, this is a good guide, please try to listen the sound of Accardo, you could find many tips in his performance. If you like the music in general, these concertos will give you a different vision and nature of the power of a violin with the London Philarmonic Orchesta. PROs - Excelent Violinist (Accardo), Excelent Presentation (CDs, book and case),Excelent Recorder, each CD has a number, the people take your time making this CD - Each Piece has a good explanation CONs - No are biography of Salvadore Accardo.

Pierre Monteux Decca & Philips Recordings, 1956-1964

Average customer rating:

Innate Musicality
An easy way to get some of Monteux's greatest recordings in one box
More Magnificent Monteux, Lots of Duplication

Pierre Monteux Decca & Philips Recordings, 1956-1964

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000G6BJKS
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Tracks:

Ouverture: Grave - Allegro
Rondeau: Allegro
Sarabande
Bourrees I & II
Polonaise
Menuet
Badinerie
Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
I Allegro Aperto
II Andante Ma Non Troppo
III Allegro
I Adagio - Presto
II Andante
III Menuetto E Trio: Allegretto
IV Finale: Vivace

Tracks:

Tragic Overture
Academic Festival Overture, Op.80
I Allegro Non Troppo
II Adagio Non Troppo - L'istesso Tempo, Ma Grazioso
III Allegretto Grazioso (Quasi Andantino) - Presto Ma Non Assai
IV Allegro Con Spirito

Tracks:

Prelude A L'apres-Midi D'un Faune
Nuages
Fetes
I Gigues/II Iberia
Par Les Rues Et Par Les Chemins
Les Parfums De La Nuit
La Matin D'un Jour De Fete
III Rondes De Printemps
Le Cour De Lys
Danse Extatique Et Finale Du Ier Acte
La Passion
Le Bon Pasteur

Tracks:

Introduction
Dance Of The Firebird
Round Dance Of The Princesses
Infernal Dance Of King Kastchei
Berceuse
Finale
La Valse
Prelude
Danse Du Rouet Et Scene-Interlude
Pavane De La Belle Au Bois Dormant
Interlude
Les Entretiens De La Belle Et De La Bete
Interlude
Petit Poucet
Interlude
Laideronnette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes
Interlude
Apotheose: Le Jardin Feerique
Bolero

Tracks:

Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56A
Introduction
No.1:Marche/No.3:Pas De Six
Introduction
Variation IV:Fairy Of The Canaries
Variation V: Violente
No.6:Valse/No.8:Pas D'Action
A)Rose Adagio
C) Aurora's Variation
D) Coda
No.9: Finale
No.13:Farandole
No.17:Panorama
No.22:Polacca/No.23:Pas De Quatre
Intrada
Variation II: The Silver Fairy
Variation IV:The Diamond Fairy
Coda/No.25:Pas De Quatre
A) Adagio
Variation I:Cinderella And Prince Fortune
Variation II: The Bluebird And Princess Florine
Coda/No.26:Pas De Caractere
A) Red Riding Hood And The Wolf/No.28:Pas De Deux (Aurora And Desire)
B)Adagio
Coda/No.30:Finale
Mazurka
Apotheosis

Tracks:

I Allegretto
II Tempo Andante
III Vivacissimo
IV Finale: Allegro Moderato
Theme (Enigma): Andante
I C.A.E.:Andante
II H.D.S-P.:Allegro
III R.B.T.:Allegretto
IV W.M.B.:Allegro Di Molto
V R.P.A.:Moderato
VI Ysobel:Andantino
VII Troyte:Presto
VIII W.N.:Allegretto
IX Nimrod:Adagio
X Dorabella (Intermezzo):Allegretto
XI G.R.S.:Allegro Di Molto
XII B.G.N.:Andante
XIII *** (Romanza):Moderato
XIV E.D.U. (Finale):Allegro

Tracks:

Tableau I:Fete Populaire De La Semaine Grasse
Tableau II:Chez Petrouchka
Tableau III:Chez Le Maure
Tableau IV:Fete Populaire De La Semaine Grasse (Vers Le Soir)
Introduction
Les Augures Printaniers
Jeu Du Rapt-Ritual Of Abduction
Rondes Printanieres-Spring Rounds
Jeux Des Cites Rivales-Ritual Of The Rival Tribes
Cortege Du Sage-Procession Of The Sage
Danse De La Terre-Dance Of The Earth
Introduction
Cercles Mysterieux Des Adolescentes-Mystic Circles Of The Young Girls
Glorification De L'Elue-Glorification Of The Chosen One
Evocation Des Ancetres-Evocation Of The Ancestors
Action Rituelle Des Ancetres-Ritual Action Of The Ancestors
Danse Sacrale:L'Elue-Sacrificial Dance:The Chosen One

Customer Reviews:

Innate Musicality.......2007-06-02

Pierre Monteux belonged to a generation of conductors that prized musicality over careerism. Not that he didn't have an illustrious career: after all, he was the conductor chosen to premiere Stravinsky's *Rite of Spring* and subsequently directed and helped to build world-class orchestras here and abroad. But Monteux's first priority was to communicate -- with a geniality and effortlessness nearly unique among his peers -- both the letter and the spirit of the score. He was a great poet among conductors, and there are few even in his own generation who approached musicmaking with such exuberance.

The Decca compilation under review is a veritable treasure trove of Monteux's late work with three orchestras -- the LSO, the VPO and the Paris Conservatoire. Oddly it is his confederates from Paris who seem to let him down; the three Stravinsky Ballets featured here could use greater precision of execution as well as emotional vehemence. One might not have guessed from this somewhat etiolated *Rite of Spring* that Monteux was associated with this work, and with the composer, from the beginning of his career.

Apart from this caveat, however, there is some wonderful music-making here: including an exquisitely shaped Bach and Mozart (featuring the composer's son as the virtuosic flute soloist), an athletic Brahms Second and Haydn Variations, a uniquely poised, gallic account of Elgar's "Enigma Variations," and a generous sequence of excerpts (long unavailable) from *The Sleeping Beauty* (to remind us of Monteux's credentials as a ballet conductor). Best of all are the Debussy and Ravel items, with which one senses a total identification of conductor with composer. Not even Münch or Ansermet surpassed Monteux's accomplishment in "Impressionist" repertoire. Compared with Monteux, Münch seems hot-headed and Ansermet downright chilly.

A strong recommendation then, except for the Stravinsky (which Monteux recorded more sucessfully with other orchestras both earlier and later in his career -- perhaps Decca can be persuaded to give us those performances in any subsequent Monteux Anthology).

An easy way to get some of Monteux's greatest recordings in one box.......2007-04-23

He was great, lovable, and lived forever. Pierre Monteux left nothing but good memories behind (even if the BSO did walk out on him in the 20's in an unsuccessful attempt at a strike), and he spanned the very heart of the twentieth century, premiering The Rite of Spring in 1913 (he was already 38) and then surviving into the era of the Beatles before he died in 1964. Decca and Philips recorded him in his last decade when Monteux headed the London Sym., and he was not always at his best. Yet in this 7-CD box set there are many cherishable performances (as Mr. Richman points out, serious collectors will have to put up with considerable duplication of material already available on CD).

CD 1 begins with a romantic Bach Suite No. 2 that is nevertheless bright, airy, and vividly recorded. The same spirit imbues the Gluck Dance of the Blessed Spirits, but the Mozart Flute concerto #2 seems a trifle leaden. I found my attention wandering during this CD and would account only the Haydn Sym. 101 "The Clock" as first-rate Monteux--it's a warm, lyrical reading without a trace of stodginess.

CD 2 should be Exhibit A in any argument that a Frehnch conductor can do justice to Brahms. Actually, Monteux's reputation for Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky overshadowed his linfelong devotion to the German classical tradition. All three works here---the Tragic Over., Academic Festival Over., and Sym. #2--show that Monteux's Brahms was basically untroubled and sunny but never glib. You may miss Brahms's turmoil (and wonder how anyone could find less tragedy in the Tragic Over.), but the pastoral Sym. #2 was just th right choice for Monteux's style and has been a collector's staple for years. Like the Haydn, it has the benefit of the golden-voiced Vienna Phil., here sounding a little too casual, perhaps.

CD 3 plays to Monteux's great strength in French music of his own era, since he was, after all, a near-contemporary of Debussy. This all-Debussy CD with the London Sym. is self-recommending and well recorded, fuly up to today's standards. The Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun moves surprisingly swiftly, with no patience for fussy longueurs. The Trois Nocturnes are shorn of the third movement (no doubt someone was too cheap to pay for the women's chorus) and is again surprisingly direct. The primary work here are the Images. There are rival recordings (by Karajan and Levine, for example) that make more of the music's magical atmosphere and pinpoint virtuosity. by comparison Monteux is dramatic, direct, and without fuss. I am no admirere of Debussy in religious mode, but the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian Suite goes well.

CD 4 plays to strength again with Stravinsky and Ravel. These are also self-recommending recordings, but in truth the Firebird comes off a bit to relaxed compared to the composer's reading, and less virtuosic than we've become used to. I found my attention wandering, but I sat up for Monteux's all but definitive Ravel (Bolero, La Valse, Ma Mere l"oye), where everything seems jsut right, evoking the composer's magical abilities at orchestration while avoiding his neurotic and precious tendencies. Healthy Ravel from a conductor who seemed the picture of psychological health himself.

CD 5 takes us back to Brahms with a set of Haydn Variations, then on to Tchaikovsky with a generous suite from the Sleeping Beauty. These LSO recordings have been widely available. The Brahms fits Monteux's extrovert, cheeful style with this composer; I liked it very much. Having owned the Sleeping Beauty excerpts several times, I think it's a bit hampered by Philips' none-too-impressive sonics, and Monteux hasn't got anything special to say so far as I can hear. He's even a little peremptory at times and doesn't swell with romantic excess when the composer asks for that.

CD 6 begins with the Sibelius Sym. #2, another reminder that Monteux was wiling to go where few other French musicians followed. It would be hard to imagine a more un-Gallic composer, and one's reaction to Monteux's interpretation will depend upon expectations. It isn't grand like Karajan, sober like Colin Davis, or propulsive like Bernstein. I'll damn it with faint praise by saying that this reading is straightforward. But the filler, Elgar's Enigma Variations, is one of the miracles of Monteux's late career and one of his most illustrious readings. How an antiquated Frenchman managed to capture the Edwardian spirit of Elgar defies belief, but here it is, a committed, powerful, inspired performance in vintage Decca sound. The only gripe is that anyone who loves Monteux alreadyy owns it.

CD 7 should be a high point but is, frankly, unnecessary. Monteux had already had his say in Le Sacre and Petrushka with the BSO, and these latter-day London Sym. recordings don't really add anything new. Granted, he had not made Le Sacre in stereo before, so that may be a deciding factor for some. Certianly the playing comes off a bit too rough and ready, lacking the finesse of the Boston ensemble. Monteux is mostly vigorous enough, however, and his histroci association with Stravinsky may justify the inclusion of these two readings, which in all honesty exhibit Monteux's natural, lyrical way with the scores. No one on the podium today would have the nerve to be this romantic.

At bargain price, this is a great box set for anyone coming to Monteux for the first time; he really was a great conductor who continues to be undervalued. For those of us who have known him all our lives, I'm not so sure there is enough here to merit the outlay, but at the very least I was glad to renew acquaintance with a cherished old friend.

More Magnificent Monteux, Lots of Duplication.......2007-01-29

Like many of the recent "Original Masters" reissues, this 7CD set of music conducted by Pierre Monteux has been available since last July as an import, and now has finally been released in the U.S. As most of his discography has been readily available for years, serious collectors would probably have to question whether there were indeed enough unissued Monteux performances to comprise a set of this nature. And while there are many items contained on this set that have been reissued previously in the U.S. on CD (and lots more overseas), "Pierre Monteux: Decca & Philips Recordings 1956-1964" offers some real treasures. First the stateside duplicates -- the Ravel selections have appeared in the "Philips 50" series, Haydn's Symphony 101 and the Brahms Haydn Variations in the old "Classic Sound" series, and the Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty highlights in the "Great Conductors of the Century" series (see my reviews for the latter two items). Additionally, all of the Brahms on CD2, the Sibelius 2nd Symphony and Elgar Enigma Variations on CD6, and all of the Stravinsky scattered throughout the set, have been available as imports for years. Combine the aforementioned performances, and nearly five of the seven CDs here have been previously issued somewhere, despite the back cover's claim that so many items are receiving their "first international release." But those issues aside there are some magnificent performances here, including Monteux's first stereo "Rite of Spring" from the man who of course conducted the infamous premiere. Another treat was the Mozart Flute Concerto with Pierre's son Claude as soloist, and an entire CD of first rate stereo Debussy orchestral works. In all, this is another fine set in the "Original Masters" series, just be warned serious collectors that you likely already own much of this material.

Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967

Average customer rating:

A memento of a conductor lost in the golden age
Remembering Ansermet in style
Ansermet is Awesome, and...

Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000JU7N7Y
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Customer Reviews:

A memento of a conductor lost in the golden age.......2007-06-20

This 6-CD set gives uninitiated listeners a fair introduction to a conductor they never knew while he was alive or in his heyday. Ernest Anserment (1883-1969) was born in Switzerland and was a contemporary of both Furtwängler and Klemperer, although he was of a far different school of music than either German. Originally a mathematician, Ansermet founded Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Swiss Radio Orchestra) during World War I, toured with them worldwide after the war, and rose to prominence after World War II when he and the orchestra developed a recording contract with Decca Records.

Ansermet was most at home in coolorful scores, 20th century French music, in the works of his countrymen Honegger (born French but spent time in Zurich) and Frank Martin, and in the Russians Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. But, as represented here, his expertise began with Bach and went well into the 20th century.

Ansermet's strengths were clarity in execution and delivery, strict adherence to original scoring (he opposed Stravinsky's tendency to revise his own works), and a romantic bent that was in vogue in the postwar years. Stated another way, Anserment's work captured the essence of what today might be characterized as a "romantic period performance" style whose chief proponent may be Martin Perlman in Boston.

For me, Ansermet's conducting in the mainstream German classics was equally engaging. He was expert in capturing the full blown romance of Brahms, Beethoven and other romantics through the rigors of exposing every instrument in the orchestra and ensuring all contrapuntal lines could be heard. His Beethoven set included a dazzling performance of the Symphony No. 2 and a draft of the "Choral" symphony most collectors would enjoy today (it's still avaiable in Japan).

While recordings of Ansermet's Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky have rightly stayed in the catalog and been hailed by critics for decades, his greatest recording of romantic repertoire, in my opinion, is neither included in this box nor avaialable anywhere worldwide. That is his pairing of the Franck D Minor Symphony and the St. Saens "Organ" Symphony which Decca paired early in the CD era on a Weekends Classic recording. It has been out of print everywhere for some time and is a great loss for all of us.

Still today, I treasure Ansermet's box of Beethoven symphonies (also out of print everywehere; No. 4, is represented here) for its clarity, romance and elocution. I will never forget buying this box at my local LP store about 1972; what a revelation it was after exposure to the Beethoven of all the high cholesterol German romantics! Ansermet's combination of score adherence, clarity in orchestral detail, and blooming romance in interpretation led to my most satisfying performances of the most recorded symphonies in history during the period when the greatest conductors of the recording era were all represented in this repertoire.

The latter point is, I believe, the linchpin to Ansermet's career. I don't think there's any question that, if a conductor came along today with his combination of skills, sensitivity and technique, he or she would be regarded as a wunderkind combining the best traits of the current and bygone eras. In his lifetime, however, Ansermet was never regarded in this way. I think that's because he existed on a plane or two below all the acknowledged giants of the podium that were active or in their prime in his day.

While Ansermet was making the recordings in this box, Wilhelm Furtwangler was conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, dying, and being replaced by an up and coming German named Karajan that would go on the become the most recorded conductor in history. Klemperer was one of the giants in Germany with Bohm, Jochum and others sharing the spotlight. Among Europe's rising stars of the day were Colin Davis and Bernard Haitink, who had recently taken over for Beinum in Holland. Elsewhere, Leonard Bernstein was in the midst of his titanic career on the other side of the Atlantic and other American orchestral posts were manned by Ormandy, Szell, Solti, Mehta, Monteaux and another young, up and coming condcutor, Lorin Mazzel. Stokowski was in his prime making stereo recordings in this era, too.

This was the epoch of Ansermet's maturity. He was in the same position as a number of great conductors of his era such as Rudolf Kempe -- great men at the podium cast in the shadow of giants. While Ansermet was a member of the Decca stable, he nonetheless was cast in a secondary role as Decca also had new recordings by Solti and Maazel that were outselling anything Ansermet put forth. Simultanously, collectors could also find all the recordings of legendary conductors including Toscanini, Bruno Walter and Beecham. It was surely a crowded time in the record business and the most difficult time in history for a conductor to make his name.

In baseball terms, Ansermet had some of the affect of Sammy Sosa, whose 600 home runs came in the shadow of Mark McGwire's record-breaking season in 1998 and while Barry Bonds would first break the all-time single season record and, second, chase Hank Aaron's home run record. The metaphor may not be competely satisfactory for Ansermet was probably not the third greatest conducting home run hitter of his day.

But he was one of the great conductors with his own orchestra, a unique style, a broad repertoire, and a delivery mechanism underrated due to the shadow cast on him by other greats of the day. We are fortunate, living in the late digital era, to have this testament of his work before us. Now a new generation of listeners can hear what many did a half-century ago with new ears developed in the period performance practice era.

Of the contents of this set, my favorites are the Haydn Symphony 22, Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite, the orchestrated Schumann Carnaval (which I had never heard before), both Resphigi suites -- Pines of Rome and Rossiniana -- Honneger's Pacific 231 and Frank Martin's Concerto for 7 Wind Instruments, Timpani, Percussion and String Orchestra, an interesting, powerful and lively 20th century concerto. I agree with an earlier reviewer that said this set cherry picks certain pieces, teasing you with portions such as the Borodin Polovtsian Dances and Dukas La Peri selections. Still, there's enough here to satisfy both Ansermet enthusiasts and newcomers to the conductor.

Remembering Ansermet in style.......2007-03-01

Ernest Ansermet was one of Decca's most prolific artists, to whom they consigned dozens of Stravinsky works, the standard Russian repertoire, and all French music. We've been steadily getting reissues of this output, and here's the latest batch. Newcomers may be surprised at how good even the earliest sound is, but they should also expect less than virtuosic playing from the Suisse Romande orchestra; the lack in execution is made up for by the special tang of French winds and brass, a constant pleasure throughout.

CD 1: Ansermet conducted very good Bach and Brahms but is little known for that. Here we get a sampling of his skill in German music. The snippet of orchestral music from Bach's Cantata #31 is a prelude to a fresh, lively Haydn Sym. #22 "The Philosopher" (named for its sober opening Adagio) that's performed in the same gentle, loving style as Bruno Walter's Haydn. The same soft-grained approach applies to the Beethoven 4th Sym., but in this case the scrawniness of the string section compares badly with great German and American orchestras, and one also feels that Ansermet really should dig in more. But if you want a feminine reading of a symphony often called feminine by older critics, this is a fine one. This generous disc ends with three overtures many listeners won't already own: Weber's Ruler of the Spheres and Preciosa Over., plus the more familiar Mendelssohn Ruy Blas. The performances are lively to the point of brashness, and very enjoyable.

CD 2: This disc is Russian and Finnish. For many French conductors Russian music comes as second nature, and this is true for Ansermet. His suite of Polovtsian Dances from Borodin's Prince Igor is light, fast, and pointed. Rendering a pops staple with such detailed delicacy really refreshes it; Ansermet's version is worthy to stand beside Beecham's minor classic. In the same vein is Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite, which as Mr. Richman points out, is different from the complete score performed by Ansermet on Decca's box set of his Stravinsky recordings. The stereo sound is rather narrow and thin, but this Pulcinella is a model of how to avoid heaviness and over-emphasis in this music. Nobody would expect the Sibelius Fourth to follow, nor is Ansermet noted for being a Sibelian. His reading is super-clear, lean, and light-textured. It works very well in this pastoral music, although for intensity and better execution one has to look elsewhere.

CD 3: From here on out the music is primarily French, the area of Ansermet's greatest renown. Decca has kindly provided some rarities to everybody but committed collectors. This disc starts out with pops chestnuts, however, including one excerpt each from Coppelia and Sylvia (why bother?) and then the more unusual Saint-Saens Chasseur Maudit tone poem. Given that the ballet snippets are sparkling, as always from this conductor, while the Saint-Saens lacks atmosphere and panache, the choice is dubious. After bits of Chabrier and Faure we arrive at a curiostiy, an orchestration under the title of Coquette (for ballet) of Schumann's Carnaval. Nobody plays these transcriptions anymore, but I msut confess to being delighted with this one, which is full of vivacity and sounds like Offenbach--you'd swear a can-can or two has been thrown in.

CD 4: When Faure's orchestral music gained a flurry of popularity in the Sixties, Ansermet led the way. This version of Masques et Bergamesques is all that anyone could desire. The mock-classic idiom isn't that far removed from Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin, music I usualy don't have much patience with--it sounds dainty and precious--but Ansermet's reading is winning in its directness. I was quite ready to leave wispy Gallic nostalgia behind, but next comes more of the same--Debussy's Petite Suite and other atmospheric bits from him. This disc was the first to lose my atention, even though on its own terms the musicmaking is expert, if not as charismatic as Beecham's way with trifles. The disc ends with a light, bright reading of Respighi's Fountains of Rome blessedly free of vulgarity.

CD 5: Honegger gained wide popularity with two religious oratorios, Joan of Arc at the Stake and this King David, even though both works have slipped out of the repertoire outside France. King David uses cinematic Orientalism and modal harmonies to describe ancient Jerusalem, a style that seems a bit cheap and slithery nowadays. But the combination of spoken narration, vocal soloists, and choruses, all in highly accessible music that never challenges the first-time listener, has its appeal. Ansermet's was one of the classic versions in stereo, and here it is, elegantly displaying Honegger's dramatic intentions. However, for me the total effect was like kindergarten Stravinsky.

CD 6: Dukas' admireres point to his opera La Peri as a minor masterpiece, and here we get a hint via the Fanfare and one dance, followed by a pops march from Rimsky's Dubinushka, a rare item for certain. More familiar is the suite of Rossini excerpts known as Rossiniana (antoher ballet), and I can't imagine anyone doing it with quite the same elegant polish of Ansermet. The recorded sound is extremely detailed in its transparency, which made it an early audiophile classic. Back to Stravinsky for a colorful but fairly leaden Scherzo a la russe, not a striking effort. But what follows is striking and perhaps the best thing in the set, Frank Martin's Concerto for 7 Wind Instruments, Percussion, and Strings, a nod to the orchestra's Swiss-ness. The playing is pointed and eager, and Ansermet conducts so well that the work is jsutified as being a minor masterpiece of Poulenc-inspired whimsical elegance.

What to say overall? This box set has no bad performances and many striking ones. I think judgment comes down to one's tastes in music. Mine don't tend toward ballet and French pops, or to Honegger's religious crossover style, so I'm not the best one to recommend what is in any case a very enjoyable listen from beginning to end.

Ansermet is Awesome, and..........2007-02-22

Generally I am a big fan of the Original Masters box sets, but with this latest collection Decca/UNI has gone too far. Don't get me wrong there are some wonderful rare recordings on "Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967" -- Haydn's 22nd Symphony, Beethoven's 4th, Sibelius' 4th, Respighi's Fountains of Rome, an entire CD of Honegger performances, and even Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite, a different version from the full account contained on Ansermet's Stravinsky box (see my review). But way too much of the rest of this set is just repackaged previously available material. In fairness much of it has been out of print, or only available in Japan, but that won't do much to satisfy the serious collectors to whom this series is aimed, and who have gone to great lengths to track down those previous CD incarnations. What makes matters worse is the sampling is so far and wide that not only is the sequencing haphazard, but it is infuriating for those of us that have purchased other Ansermet titles in the past. For example, reprised from his "Double Decca" Rimsky-Korsakov title we get one lousy four minute selection, "Dubinushka." Why bother to include it? Just go buy the two-fer!!! They mention Ansermet's pioneering stereo recording of "Antar" in the liner notes, so why not include that here instead. The only other way to currently get the "Antar" is with an often reissued account of Scheherazade as a Decca Legend import, which no one buys because it duplicates their collections. Another example is the Debussy Six Epigraphes, which was recently reissued on Testament -- why include it? For that matter why tack on Borodin's Polovtsian Dances when they are already on his great CD with Borodin's 2nd & 3rd Symphonies? Why include another four minute track -- Stravinsky's Scherzo a la Russe -- when it is on the aforementioned Stravinsky box? I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that the Delibes, Franck, Faure, Ravel, Martin and other Debussy selections have all been available elsewhere. Of course, since Decca/UNI has only picked a couple of tracks at most from those original titles, it's not like you can just discard or sell the old CDs you own, or burn the remaining selections you need. With so many other rare Ansermet recordings lingering in the vaults or only on expensive imports -- Beethoven, Berlioz, Bizet, Brahms, Lalo, Roussel, Schumann, etc. -- surely a more cohesive reissue strategy could have been applied by Decca/UNI. If you plan on eventually giving us the "Complete" Decca Ansermet recordings over time, through various OM volumes, all of my fussing is moot, however I seriously doubt that is in their marketing plans. Next time, instead of making us an expanded "Great Conductors of the Century" title or some sort of awkward "Greatest Hits" collection, concentrate on the rare performances that a connoisseur would want, and stick them all on one limited edition box, with fewer discs if necessary.

Great Recordings Of The Century - Elgar: Violin Concerto, 'Enigma' Variations / Elgar, Menuhin

Average customer rating:

Historical Document
Stunning
Simply Menuhin
5 stars, but not for the casual listener.
Exceptional historical document

Great Recordings Of The Century - Elgar: Violin Concerto, 'Enigma' Variations / Elgar, Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD