Bartok & Ravel

On this CD:

1. String Quartet in F major
Composed by Maurice Ravel
Performed by Cavani Quartet, Erika Eckert, Annie Fullard, Merry Peckham, Susan Waterbury

2. String Quartet, No. 4 in C Major, Sz. 91, BB 93
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Cavani Quartet, Erika Eckert, Annie Fullard, Merry Peckham, Susan Waterbury

Bartok & Ravel, Music, Merry Peckham, Bela Bartok, Maurice Ravel, Cavani Quartet, Erika Eckert, Annie Fullard, Susan Waterbury, Chamber, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Quartet for Four String Instruments

Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Hungarian Sketches
Average customer rating:

5 stars if it weren't for Solti

Essential Recordings

Only Boulez/Chicago gets 5 Stars

Reiner Is Great In The Music Of Bela Bartok, RCA Deserves Praise For The Sound

Too much hissing

Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Hungarian Sketches

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003FEJ
Release Date: 1993-08-10

Tracks:

Concerto For Orchestra: Introduzione: Andante non troppo; Allegra vivace
Concerto For Orchestra: Giuoco delle coppie: Allegretto scherzando
Concerto For Orchestra: Elegia: Andante non troppo
Concerto For Orchestra: Intermezzo interrotto: Allegretto
Concerto For Orchestra: Finale: Pesante; Presto
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: Andante tranquillo
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: Allegro
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: Adagio
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: Allegro molto
Hungarian Sketches: An Evening In The Village
Hungarian Sketches: Bear Dance
Hungarian Sketches: Melody
Hungarian Sketches: Slighty Tipsy
Hungarian Sketches: Swineherd's Dance

Amazon.com essential recording

Since its release on LP in the mid-1950s, Fritz Reiner's rendition of the Concerto for Orchestra has stood as the standard against which all other recordings of the work are measured. Even after all these years, the recording remains just as convincing and authoritative. Reiner's superb control of his orchestra and of Bartók's rhythms and textures is still unsurpassed, even by dozens of subsequent conductors in the digital age. Likewise, the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta shows just what an incredible ensemble the Chicago Symphony was under Reiner's direction. This umpteenth reissue, in RCA's Living Stereo series, promises to be the one to have, its sonics noticeably improved over the earlier CD release in 1989. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

5 stars if it weren't for Solti.......2007-06-06

First of all let me say that if you are unfamiliar with Concerto for Orchestra you will not be dissapointed with this recording. The interpretation is lively and dynamic with the understanding and pathos that is needed for a well rounded interpretation. The only reason I give it 4 stars is because I am familiar with the recording of the Chicago Symphony under Solti. The Solti recording of the next generation Chicago Symphony has the same dynamism and drama but has much greater nuance. Solti simply makes music come to life in certain phrases that is seemingly overlooked by Reiner. However this recording is usually available at cheaper prices (especially used).

Essential Recordings.......2007-03-27

Fritz Reiner was the driving force behind Bela Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. Reiner and Bartok had been friends for over 40 years having met as piano students at the Budapest Academy. The composer had been in the United States since 1940 and the separation from his beloved Hungary combined with his ill health made the transition unhappy and he had no will to compose. Agatha Fassett's book Bela Bartok: The American Years recounts the composer's life during this time and, since Ms. Fassett knew Bartok's wife, her portrait of the composer is first hand. Maestro Reiner convinced Serge Koussevitsky in 1943 to commission the work and conducted the premiere in December of that year. The Concerto for Orchestra became Bartok's most popular work.

This recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was made in 1955 and I do not think that a finer one has been recorded. The details of Bartok's score come through and the balance is perfect, allowing us a true live performance and the quality of the recording really comes through during quieter moments. Reiner's intimate knowledge of the score and his control are apparent in this recording. This is also true for the recording of Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta and Hungarian Sketches from 1958. Both works are beautifully played with great precision that lacks nothing for the feel of the music. The Hungarian Sketches are marvelously stylish, bringing out the nature of the music.

These recordings are essential and have certainly lost nothing since they were made in the 1950's. Rather than have any distortions the transfer to CD has been carried out with great success so the original sound is even better.

Only Boulez/Chicago gets 5 Stars.......2006-09-17

Sorry Reiner fans.
3 things I do not like about this recording that keeps it at a 4 star level.
First i do not like "iron rod" style conducting. Musicality is thrown out to justify percision and disipline. I do not like Reiner's style
Secondly is the record quality is poor, especially compared to Boulez/DG
Third is the screechy instruments tonality in some of Reiner's band winds.
For Bartok I look to Boulez/Chicaho, Skrowaczewski/Minnesota and Dorati/Detroit. Ivan Fischer has also done some nice recordings on Philips, but NOT his CfO, which is a dud. I also have issues with Boulez's CfO with the New York.

Reiner Is Great In The Music Of Bela Bartok, RCA Deserves Praise For The Sound.......2006-09-09

Just a mention that this is a review of the RCA 'Living Stereo' release, not the later SACD compatible version. RCA was famous for it's ground-breaking work in the mid-to-late fifties when it came to vivid, immersive stereo sound and it's reputation lives to this day. I'm not sure if the reviewer below is experienced in vintage classical recordings predating the digital era. Yes, they contain some tape hiss but it's really insignificant to what value the performances themselves have and the soundstage is very vibrant. I have personally listened to recordings from Solti on DECCA, Jansons on EMI and Fischer on Philips in these fine works by Bartok and none have come close to the passionate intensity of the interpretations or the wonderful recorded sound that these Reiner versions capture.

Reiner's account of the Concerto for Orchestra, one of the most famous 20th-century orchestral works, is on everyone's list as truly exceptional. The Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta receives just the kind of wicked, eerie, powerhouse performance that will make you a fan of Bartok for life and this piece in particular.

If you're going to own one Bela Bartok CD, this is one of the best choices on the market today. After you've ingrained this music into your mind, time for the Miraculous Mandarin, the Piano Concertos and the String Quartets to follow.

Too much hissing.......2006-08-24

After reading so many positive reviews, I was very exited when I recieved this cd in the mail. I popped it in my bose wave radio, turned it up to 85, and listened to the most annoying hissing sound I've ever heard coming from my system. I regret purchasing this cd.

György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard

Average customer rating:

A nice mico-view of Ligeti's work
Very Nice Piano Studies. Not the best Ligeti
Perfect Ligeti.
good cd
Ligeti on cd, hooray

György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Ligeti Project II: Lontano / Atmosphères / Apparitions / San Francisco Polyphony / Concert Românesc - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Jonathan Nott

ASIN: B0000029P0
Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

Piano Etudes (Book One): I. De'sordre - Molto vivace, vigoroso, molto ritmico
Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Cordes a' vide - Andantino con moto, molto tenero
Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Touches bloque'es - Presto possibile, sempre molto ritmico
Piano Etudes (Book One): IV. Fanfares - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, con allegria e slancio
Piano Etudes (Book One): V. Arc-en-ciel - Andante molto rubato, con eleganza, with swing
Piano Etudes (Book One): VI. Automne a' Varsovie - Presto cantabile, molto ritmico e flessibile
Piano Etudes (Book Two): VII. Galamb borong - Vivacissimo luminoso, legato possibile
Piano Etudes (Book Two): VIII. Fe'm - Vivace risoluto, con vigore
Piano Etudes (Book Two): IX. Vertige - Prestissimo sempre molto legato, sehr gleichmassig
Piano Etudes (Book Two): X. Der Zauberlehrling - Prestissimo, staccatissimo, leggierissimo
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XI. En suspens - Andante con moto, (avec l`e'le'gance du swing)
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XII. Entrelacs - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, sempre legato, con delicatezza
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIII. L'escalier du diable - Presto legato ma leggiero
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIV. Coloana infinita' - Presto possibile, tempestoso con fuoco
Musica ricercata: I. Sosenuto - Misurato - Prestissimo
Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale
Musica ricercata: III. Allegro con spirito
Musica ricercata: IV. Tempo de Valse (poco vivace - a' l'orgue de Barbarie)
Musica ricercata: V. Rubato. Lamentoso
Musica ricercata: VI. Allegro molto capriccioso
Musica ricercata: VII. Cantabile, molto legato
Musica ricercata: VIII. Vivace. Energico
Musica ricercata: IX. Adagio. Mesto - Allegro maestoso
Musica ricercata: X. Vivace. Capriccioso
Musica ricercata: XI. Andante misurato e tranquillo
Piano Etudes (From Book Three): XV. White on White

Customer Reviews:

A nice mico-view of Ligeti's work.......2007-03-11

In the notes that accompany this CD, Ligeti explains that his piano compositions are the way he made up for his inadequacies as a player. It's hard to argue that he didn't reach his goal. These superbly-performed pieces provide a clear view of many aspects of Ligeti's work--his humor, his lyricism, his ear, and sometimes his little obsessions.

The most obvious technical requirement of this music is touch. In some of the etudes, complex voicings are required at very low dynamic levels. In others, the ability to bring out multiple voices is paramount. Aimard is perfect. His technique is so assured that we can easily get to the music and not be sidetracked by prowess.

Those who know Ligeti's music know how protean he could be. Like a good athlete, he was willing to take on enormous risks. Sometimes the result felt intellectualized and tiresome. But more often than not, the music soared. This is certainly true of the Etudes on this disk. They are studies in the truest sense of the word--one may focus on a particular set of intervals, another on a texture, yet another on a rhythm. Each one is fascinating and the collection holds together nicely. There are even hints of Nancarrow!

Ligeti himself felt ambiguously about the "Musica Ricercata", and it isn't hard to see why. The first piece is based on only two pitches (with octaves); the second on three and so on. It sort of proves a point, but what point? By the time you get to the fourth piece, it starts to get good, but the listener has to regain some flagging energy. The third piece is actually the basis of the opening of "6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet".

So while I have little quibbles, I still recommend this disk strongly. It's great music, beautifully played.

Very Nice Piano Studies. Not the best Ligeti.......2006-09-02

Volume 3 of the Gyorgy Ligeti Edition on Sony has gotten a boatload of very positive reviews, above, from people who probably know a lot more about music, especially piano music, than I do, but I maintain, from my position as a rank amateur who just happens to like listening to a wide range of classical music, that this disc is neither the very best piano music nor the most interesting Ligeti.

Don't get me wrong. I think almost all of the studies on these tracks are good, maybe even almost as good as Chopin and Liszt, but I don't think so. We don't hum Ligeti etudes the way some people hum Chopin etudes or dances for piano. And, a few of the passages sound like the scene from 'Ghostbusters' where Bill Murray tickles the very high keys on Sigourny Weaver's piano as they enter her apartment to track down some particularly awesome apparitions of Zuel (sic) and Gozer (sic sic).

If you are looking to touch only the high points of Ligeti's music and don't have the compulsioin to own everything, you can pass on these and not be missing too much of the good stuff. Check out his choral and a capella works for the really hot stuff.

Perfect Ligeti........2005-10-19

The own György Ligeti was asked about who was the pianist more complete in his piano works; he talked about Pierre-Laurent Aimard, whose a close relation with the XXth Century music is very well known (Boulez, Messiaen, Berg, Schönberg, Carter...) all around the world. He talked too about Volker Banfield, who has recorded some of the Etudes for Wergo, but not so good as Aimard recordings, in my opinion.

What we find in this CD, 3rd of an outstanding series, is the technical perfection made piano playing, in the hands of Aimard, who plays absolutely all the notes full of perfection, sense and correction, from the dynamic to the tempo, from the correct attack to the prodigious use of the pedal. If you are used to a romantic piano you can feel this versions a little cold or dry, but this is because Aimard goes directly to the heart of the XXth Century style of piano playing, in the line that comes from Schönberg-Berg-Webern and that goes in a different way of playing than the century before, so you can be lost in some sense about the way he understand the use of the piano, the playing, the technique, the echoes, the silences...

You'll find in this CD the Musica Ricercata, a work from Ligeti's first period, very easy to understand for those who are not used to listen this kind of "modern" music. It has many folk motives, used in a way very close to Bartók's style. One of this pieces (Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale) was taken by Stanley Kubrick for his last film Eyes Wide Shut, with an outstanding presence in the film associated to the worries and pressure over the main character; Ligeti says about this piece that it was a knife against the stalinist regime because of this style of music, sinister, innovative and forgiven in the communist Europe. The film's version is slower than this by Aimard, more "cinematographic" but slower than the score asks. Aimard's version in this piece and in the full pieces are outstanding.

The rest of the CD it's based on the Etudes, books I & II, both of them complete. Those are pieces much more modern than the Musica Ricercata, some of them, in the words of Ligeti with some links and inspiration on Nancarrow's works. We are listening in this case some of the most complex works for piano written in the XXth Century, and many of them authentic jewels of the genre. The Aimard versions for Sony are the better I know from the French pianist, who have recorded some of them in other CDs, like his great recording from de Carnagie Hall (Warner), but not so good like this outstanding CD.

So, if you are looking for perfection in Ligeti's piano music performances don't doubt about this CD; if you want to discover the piano of the XXth Century this could be a great door to go into, because of the music, because of the performing and because of a perfect recording and booklet.

good cd.......2005-08-23

This is a great cd if you are interested in piano music. I personally enjoyed "Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale", which was most famously used in the Kubrick film, Eyes Wide Shut. The rest of the cd is very enjoyable as well.

Ligeti on cd, hooray.......2005-08-01

We all owe Stanley Kubrick a big debt of gratitude for exposing us to Ligeti who, with Cage and Stockhausen among others, influenced the evolution of popular music while maintaining a continuum to our classical past.

The recording quality in this series is outstanding, and it is a delight to see the breadth of this series. Having many works of Ligeti from the Wergo vinyl catalog of the 70's, I selected the piano works for the fun of discovery.

Those of you who enjoy this piano stuff should try to find Nina Deutsch's recording of Charles Ives: Solo Piano Music.

Average customer rating:

The Real Stuff
My Cup of Tea
Get it for the Copland

Collector's Edition

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000026F3
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Prelude, Fugue And Riffs
Con
Ebony Con: I. Allegro Moderato
Ebony Con: II. Andante
Ebony Con: III. Moderato; Con Moto
Derivations: I. Warm-Up
Derivations: II. Contrapuntal Blues
Derivations: III. Rag
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Contrast Mono: II. Piheno (Relaxation)
Contrast Mono: III. Sebes (Fast Dance)

Customer Reviews:

The Real Stuff.......2007-03-25

This disk collects Benny Goodman performances with the composers conducting, so it is historic and probably authoritative as to performance, but great to have Copland, Stravinsky, etc. themselves and Goodman in your collection. Nice performances, although sound varies with these vintage sessions.

My Cup of Tea.......2002-05-22

Goodman's performances of all the music on this disc are superb. He (along with violinist Joseph Szigeti) commissioned the Bartok score and, notwithstanding its age (mono/1940) there has never been a better recording than this one. The other performances are first-rate stereo recordings that appeared on a 1966 CBS/Columbia Lp titled "Meeting at the Summit." Morton Gould's music often sounds like watered-down Copland to my ears, but "Derivations" is a really strong piece and quite memorable. The Stravinsky is a true masterpiece that has never sounded better, and the same goes for Bernstein's powerfully imagined, joyous "Prelude, Fugue and Riffs." Having the composers conduct was an inspired idea (in the case of the Bartok, the composer accompanies at the piano); not at all gimmicky. It's amazing how well Goodman still played in the middle '60s. Although he gave solid performances well into the '70s, he was still at or near his peak when these recordings were made and the dead-on intonation and range of color in his playing is simply breathtaking. The other reviewer mostly likes the Copland score. It's nice, but the real show-stopper here is the Bernstein: 7 1/2 minutes of sheer big-band bravado. Not to be missed!

Get it for the Copland.......2001-10-10

Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto is one of the most magical pieces of music ever to come out of North America, and for me, this is *the* recording. Fifty years old, but as is so often the case, the original is the best - Mr Goodman's finest twenty minutes. Great value, too! The other pieces (by Bernstein, Stravinsky and Bartok) I can take or leave, but who knows, they might be your cup of tea.

Bartok: Violin Concertos, Viola Concerto, 6 Duo for 2 Violins, Violin Rhapsodies; Yehudi Menuhin

Average customer rating:

As good as it gets

Bartok: Violin Concertos, Viola Concerto, 6 Duo for 2 Violins, Violin Rhapsodies; Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin , Bela Bartok , Pierre Boulez , Antal Dorati , New Philharmonia Orchestra , and BBC Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Berg: Violin Concerto; Schoenberg: Piano Concerto; Violin Concerto

ASIN: B0000CE7FG
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

I: Andante Sostenuto
II: Allegro Giocoso
I: Moderato
II: Adagio Religioso
III: Allegro Vivace
I: Lassu: Moderato/II: Friss: Allegretto Moderato
I: Lassu: Moderato/II: Friss: Allegretto Moderato

Tracks:

I: Allegro Non Troppo
II: Andante Tranquillo
III: Allegro Molto
28. Sorrow
31. New Year's Greeting 4
33. Harvest Song
36. Bagpipes
41. Scherzo
42. Arabian Song
I: Tempo Di Ciaccona
II: Fuga: Risoluto, Non Troppo Vivo
III: Melodia: Adagio
IV: Presto

Customer Reviews:

As good as it gets.......2007-02-07

First you have to like Bartok. Not everyone enjoys the 20th century extention of classical music. If you do like Bartok and want to hear his violin compositions - then buy this CD and hear a true master at work.

Average customer rating:

excellent, all the way around
Beyond Interesting...
Worth adding if you already own other versions of Sacre
Speed performance
Buy it for Mussorgsky

Le Sacre du Printemps [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Horizons - Leif Ove Andsnes

ASIN: B000F39M9W
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Tracks:

A Night on the Bare Mountain - Original Version
Suite
Introduction
The Harbingers of Spring, Dance of the Adolescents
Mock Abduction
Spring Rounds
Games of the Rival Tribes
Procession of the Sage
The Sage
Dance of the Earth
Introduction
Mystical Circle of the Adolescents
Glorification of the Chosen One
Evocation of the Ancestors
Ritual of the Ancestors
Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)

Album Description

This is Esa-Pekka SalonenÂ's debut live recording from the Walt Disney Concert Hall and his first recording as the principal conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic on DG. The central piece, StravinskyÂ's Le Sacre du printemps was conducted by Salonen on the inaugural night of the Hall in 2003, a masterpiece that becomes something of a miracle within the outstanding acoustics of the Walt Disney Hall. This recording captures the energy, beauty and musical power of this extraordinary collaboration.

To capture the full sound experience of this concert, DG delivers this recording on a hybrid SACD. This release is certain to be a superior musical experience if not the new reference recording of this classical music milestone. Other pieces on this release are MussorgskyÂ's Night on Bald Mountain and BartÃ³kÂ's Miraculous Mandarin SuiteÂ—works that benefit greatly from the superb acoustics at the Walt Disney Concert Hall as well as the highest possible recording sound quality.

Customer Reviews:

excellent, all the way around.......2007-06-03

These are fast, exciting, and superbly executed performances. They're also not lightweight, as there's plenty of brass and percussion in all of them. It's ridiculous to argue that the 1947 version of "Le Sacre" should be dismissed because it's easier to play. It's not easier to play. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding Stravinsky's revision, the 1947 version is a legitimate alternative to the orginal. The vast majority of listeners would never know the difference. Simply put, the '47 version is slightly leaner, with textures clarified a bit. Yes, there is some minor reduction in the orchestration. But one could just easily argue that the original version is over-orchestrated. Again, the differences are just not that noticeable. Personally, I prefer the revised version for the cleaner textures that the permit the rhythms to be more sharply etched - just slightly so. Either way, this is a great performance - one that comes closer to Stravinsky's incredibly fast metronome markings than most.

I also prefer the original version of "Night On Bare Mountain" to the well known Rimsky version. Here's a case where a later revision - Rimsky's complete rewrite of the original - truly makes the piece a completely different work. As unfamiliar as the original version is, it's clearly better. And yes, the Abbado recording may be just slightly better - but with emphasis placed on "slightly". This one is plenty exciting, and just as well detailed as the Abbado.

For me, the benchmark for any performance of Bartok's "Miraculous Mandarin" is the fast chase sequence (located at the end, in the truncated "suite" version). This one is very fast, and very exciting. You can also hear ALL of the numerous, short (and sometimes, ringing) strokes of the tam-tam; the large orchestral gong. That adds lots of color, as well as an Asiatic tinge to the chase. If you're interested in any or all of these works, you'd be hard-pressed to do better.

Beyond Interesting..........2007-04-13

This disc contains three of my favorite pieces of music, all extremely well played and in excellently recorded sound. That said, two of the pieces--The Rite and The Night--come in forms not usually heard. While one piece, in my personal judgement, suffers a bit (you can't really accuse Mussorgsky of pulling Stokowski's punches, since Mussorgsky wrote the piece, but that's what it feels like...) this disc makes for fun and adventurous listening.

Maestro Salonen is the man. Let's get that out up front. If he's not the greatest working conductor today then he's damn close.

Salonen and his forces get the job done here. So much is made of the fact that this thing was recorded at Disney's new music hall that one fears this music and the muscians who do such an excellent job playing it might get overlooked. That would be a shame.

While I slightly prefer Ivan Fischer's Mandarin, the one found here is great as well. Usually on discs with programs like this you expect at least one lemon. In this case, I had expected that the Bartok would suffer.

I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong.

This Rite of Spring stands with Stravinsky's own recording on CBS as one of my favorites. Yes, as other people have noted, this is the revised version. Still, this recording has all the thunder and emotion you could want from this piece.

I've already kind of shared my opinion on the Mussorgsky. Stokowski was a much better arranger than Mussorgsky was a composer. Still, the spark of life that Stoki drew out inhabits the original--and either way, listening for those differences keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This is fun music. This is a great disc. You should not hesitate to get a copy.

I give this disc my full recommendation.

Worth adding if you already own other versions of Sacre.......2007-04-13

Like some other reviewers, I was expecting to fall in love with Salonen's work (given how strong a performance he recently recorded of three major works by Hindemith, and the care he took with those, albeit recorded in a different concert hall with the LA Philharmonic). This version of Le Sacre does have its moments, but I find Gergiev's performance more compelling (notwithstanding the sometimes recessed sound of the eight French horns), and surely more dramatic. Sonically, there's enough bass drum content in this recording to probably inspire some low rider to tool around town in a lowered Chevy playing this CD loud enough to crack his own ribs, a result that's highly desirable in his value system. But the bass drum is more dramatic and even harrowing in Gergiev's recording, which is somewhat inexplicable yet nonetheless true. In any event, the hype over this recording is somewhat overstated: it is hardly revolutionary.

I also regret to report that Salonen's performance of the original version of Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" does not compare to the premiere recording by Claudio Abbado, which still comes across as definitive interpretationally, in regard to balance, and with respect to sonic clarity. This is something of a surprise, given how little competition Salonen has to deal with in bringing this work to the public's attention. My complaint throughout most of my listening was "where are the details? everything sounds muddy compared to Abbado!" Maybe the engineers are still figuring out how to get clarity recording in this new hall -- they certainly haven't achieved it as yet.

The Bartok work is well-recorded, and although I own several other versions, this might end up being my go-to interpretation for the work: it is at least tied with the other top contenders (Abbado's on DG, and the Complete Bartok Edition version as well).

Speed performance.......2007-02-08

Good sound, but the fastest paced "Rite" I have ever heard. It loses the dramatic effect for me when a piece of music is played at such breakneck speed. Impressive musicians to keep up this speed of tempo.

Buy it for Mussorgsky.......2007-01-28

The hype surrounding this recording is somewhat unwarranted. The Walt Disney Concert Hall provides acoustics that are superior to those of any other venue, and this recording captures that sound wonderfully. The deep booming bass and superb dynamic contrasts are the uniquely pleasurable aspects of this recording. But great sound doesn't equal great performance. I've always been somewhat disappointed in the way Esa-Pekka conducts early 20th century music from Eastern Europe. Salonen always imbues these pieces with a kind of Boulezian gloss that obscures the primitivism that defines the music of Stravinsky, Bartok, and others of the "countryside to concert hall" school. What we're left with are perfectly performed versions of the Rite and the Miraculous Mandarin that lack the excitement and force found in other recordings. Despite the less than stellar sound, I'd take Dorati's version of the complete Miraculous Mandarin any day over this version. And we don't have to sacrifce sound for a great performance of the Rite, thanks to Valery Gergiev's magnificent recording that evokes all of the necessary primitivism in one of the most exciting performances on record. The Mussorgsky piece might be worth the price of admission, due to the relative obscurity of this version. But depending on how interested you are in hearing the original version of the piece, the price tag may still be too steep. I should add that since I've never heard another performance of this version, I can't honestly determine whether this is an excellent performance or just an average one. But if you're buying this for the Rite or the Miraculous Mandarin, I'd say look elsewhere. You can find better versions for less.

Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin; Hungarian Peasant Songs; Rumanian Folk Dances

Average customer rating:

A less horrific Miraculous Mandarin, along with many energetic dances
Savage Mandarin, Delightful Dances
Definitive "Miraculous Mandarin" and Other Great Bartok
Some Rarely Recorded Bartok and a Great Mandarin
Superb perfomances of rare Bartok and a great ballet

Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin; Hungarian Peasant Songs; Rumanian Folk Dances

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Zoltán Kodály: Háry János Suite / Dances of Galánta & Marosszék / Children's Choruses - Iván Fischer / Budapest Festival Orchestra
Béla Bartók: The 6 String Quartets - Takács Quartet
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Hungarian Sketches
Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies

ASIN: B0000060AV
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

Hungarian Peasant Songs, Sz. 100, BB 107: Ballad
Hungarian Peasant Songs, Sz. 100, BB 107: Hungarian Peasant Dances
Hungarian Sketches, Sz. 97, BB 103: 1. An Evening At The Villlage
Hungarian Sketches, Sz. 97, BB 103: 2. Bear Dance
Hungarian Sketches, Sz. 97, BB 103: 3. Melody
Hungarian Sketches, Sz. 97, BB 103: 4. Slightly Tipsy
Hungarian Sketches, Sz. 97, BB 103: 5. Swineherd's Dance
Roumanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68, BB 76: 1. Stick Dance (From Mezoszabad)
Roumanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68, BB 76: 2. Sash Dance (From Egres)
Roumanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68, BB 76: 3. In One Spot (From Egres)
Roumanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68, BB 76: 4. Horn Dance (From Bisztra)
Roumanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68, BB 76: 5. Roumanian Polka (From Belenyes)
Roumanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68, BB 76: 6. Fast Dance (From Belenyes)
Roumanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68, BB 76: 7. Fast Dance (From Nyagra)
Dances Of Transylvania, Sz. 96, BB 102B: 1. Allegretto
Dances Of Transylvania, Sz. 96, BB 102B: 2. Moderato
Dances Of Transylvania, Sz. 96, BB 102B: 3. Allegro vivace
Roumanian Dance, Sz. 47a, BB 61
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Allegro
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Moderato (First Decoy Game)
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: (Second Decoy Game)
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Sostenuto (Third Decoy Game)
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Maestoso
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Allegro
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Sempre vivo
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Adagio
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Agitato
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Molto moderato
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73, BB 82: Piu mosso

Customer Reviews:

A less horrific Miraculous Mandarin, along with many energetic dances.......2006-07-05

This CD contains a set of short Hungarian songs, but everything else is about the dance. Bartok was not just a collector of folk songs with Kodaly but an expert in dance traditions throughout the Balkans. He extended his curiosity into the Arab world of North Africa, as one can hear in the popular Dance Suite. Here we get 16 lesser-known dance collections from Romania, Transylvania, and Hungary, Mostly quite brief, they build from a fascinating palette of rhythms, each more exotically syncopated than the last. Fischer and his Budapest orchestra perform them with complete ease and native flavor.

Even without the fillers, however, the main work is superbly done. The Miraculous Mandarin ballet has been called Bartok's response to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. But superficial resemblances aside in terms of motor rhythms and dissonant harmonies, the Mandarin is a more shocking, horrific scenario, featuring sexual craving, torture, despair, and a suicide by hanging. Most condcutors set out to maximize the shock value of this often barbaric-sounding music, but Fischer is comparatively less aggressive. He loosens the tension a notch, letting the rhythms become more lilting--even comic in their macabre way--and asking the woodwinds to sing as much as screech. As a result, we don't feel quite so assaulted, and for me that led to more enjoyment. He is aided by exceptionally clear, natural sonics from Philips that convey the music with wonderful impact.

Savage Mandarin, Delightful Dances.......2006-01-27

I bought this recording based on hearings of some of Fischer's other recordings, primarily for the Miraculous Mandarin. I was not disappointed, but I was delightfully surprised at how much I enjoyed the other works which I had not heard previously. The recording quality and playing are first-rate, and Fischer's interpretation of the music is superb, easily the equal of Boulez and Dorati. I would recommend this version of the Mandarin as my first choice for someone seeking a recording of it.

Definitive "Miraculous Mandarin" and Other Great Bartok.......2001-05-02

Having just heard this recording in its entirety, I'm not surprised that Ivan Fischer is a sought after guest conductor for some of the world's great orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic. Here he conducts Bartok with much warmth and compassion. I thought Abbado's version of "Miraculous Mandarin" was superb until I heard Fischer's. Although the Budapest Festival Orchestra's level of playing isn't as refined as either the London Symphony Orchestra's or Berlin Philharmonic's, they perform Bartok's music with tremendous energy and compassion. It's a pleasure hearing rarely performed Bartok in conjunction with the entire score of "Miraculous Mandarin". If you want a first-rate introduction to Bartok's orchestral music, you should definitely acquire this fine CD.

Some Rarely Recorded Bartok and a Great Mandarin.......2001-01-06

Ivan Fischer is a Bartok expert in the tradition of Sir Georg Solti, Fritz Reiner and Antal Dorati. Like the former conductors, he has insights into the music of his countrymen that give his performances the force of authority. The recording of the Miraculous Mandarin was the initial offering by Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra and has been followed up with other equally significant recordings of Bartok and Kodaly.

With this recording, Fischer has given us some Bartok that is not recorded with much frequency, particularly the Hungarian Peasant Songs and the Dances of Transylvania. These short orchestral works were inspired from Bartok's folk song collecting trips. They are central to Bartok's development as a composer, and we are lucky that so many of these short pieces have been collected here.

The recording of the Miraculous Mandarin is superbly done, bringing out the hard edge of this ballet about a group of thugs who force a woman to lure their victims to them. Bartok found the scenario for this work printed in a magazine. The music has a hard edge to it, a gritty depiction of the events of the ballet. Bartok makes effective use of the orchestra in the hesitation of the girl, at first, to seduce men to be robbed. The mandarin's appearance, his pursuit of the girl and his eerie death are given force by the dissonant themes Bartok juxtaposes.

Ivan Fischer gives the score a great reading that will be almost impossible to beat. Even if you already have a copy of the Miraculous Mandarin you will also want to own this one.

Superb perfomances of rare Bartok and a great ballet.......2000-04-01

This Bartok album from conductor Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra is a real treat. It brings wonderful performances of Bartok not often recorded...even Boulez hasn't recorded some of these pieces in his Bartok survery.

In addition to the colorfully, zesty performances of these rare Bartok gems, this dics has (to my mind) the best performance of the Complete Mircaculous Mandarin Ballet out on CD. The orchestra and conduct go for color and refinement rather than sheer power. The opening bristles with excitement, and the chase shows the orchestra in fine form at a tempo that is daringly fast. In this case it works. It is clear that conductor and orchestra are very much home in these works of Bartok. For a complete Mandarin I would say that this is now first choice...even over the excellant Boulez version for DG. The playing in this ballet is some of the best I've heard (only the Berlin Philharmonic in their recording of the suite...not complete ballet...plays better).

Perhaps until the BPO makes a complete recording with Abbado or Rattle...this is the Mandarin to get I would say.

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

Introduction And Rondo Capriccioso For Violin And Orchestra - Itzhak Perlman
Violin Concerto No.2 In D Minor, Op.22: Romance (Andante) - Gil Shaham
Zigeunerweisen, Op.20 - Ruggiero Ricci
Violin Concerto No.2 In B Minor, Op.7: Rondo A La Clochete 'La Campanella' - Salvatore Accardo
Thais: Meditation - Joshua Bell
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Preludio - Nathan Milstein
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Gavote And Rondo - Gidon Kremer
The Four Seasons: Concerto No.2 In G Minor, RV 269 'Summer': Presto - Pinchas Zukerman
Sonata No.4 In G Minor, Op.1 'The Devil's Trill' - Gil Shaham
Violin Sonata No.3 In D, Op.9 No.3: Tambourin (Presto) - Henryk Szeryng
Minuet In G, WoO 10 No.2 - Arthur Grumiaux
Songs Without Words: Spring Song, Op.62 No.6 - Christian Ferras
24 Caprices For Solo Violin: Caprice No.9 In E Major - Shlomo Mintz
24 Caprices For Solo Violin: Caprice No.17 In E-Flat Major - Ruggiero Ricci
24 Caprices For Solo Violin: Caprice No.24 In A Minor 'Tema Quas' - Salvatore Accardo

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In D, Op.35: Canzonetta (Andante) - Nathan Milstein
Polonaise No.1 In D, Op.4 - Leila Josefowicz
Ave Maria, D 839 - Christian Ferras
Hungarian Dance No.1 In G Minor - Samuel Sanders
Humoresque, Op.101 No.7 - Arthur Grumiaux
The Legend Of Tsar Saltan: Flight Of The Bumblebee - Henryk Szeryng
Hebrew Melody, Op.33 - Ruggiero Ricci
Salut D'amour, Op.12 - Phillip Moll
Waltz 'La Plus Que Lente' - Henryk Szeryng
Three Old Viennese Dances: Liebesfreud - Joshua Bell
Three Old Viennese Dances: Liebesleid - Phillip Moll
Baal Shem: Nigun - Arthur Grumiaux
Berceuse, Op.16 - Anne-Sophie Mutter
Tzigane - Concert Rhapsody For Violin And Piano - Gerhard Oppitz
Danzas Espanola, Op.37: Andaluza (Dance No.5) - Arthur Grumiaux
Hora Staccato - Christian Ferras
Six Romanian Folk Dances, Op.Sz 56 - Henryk Szeryng

Customer Reviews:

Perfect.......2005-02-15

I love classical music but I dont own very much of it, so I thought I would start my collection with Masters of the Bow. What a beautiful selection it was. I just love the sound of a Violin, Joshua Bell is my favorite,I would love to hear more from him. This collection really helps you get to know the masters. Lovely Lovely!

Outstanding.......2004-08-17

I love the violin and this collection is one of my favorites. A great choice for someone like me who doesn't know enough about music and never knows what to buy. It has introduced me to some artists and pieces that I knew nothing about and will help me know what to look for in violin music in the future. This is my favorite but I would also recommend The Cello and Voice CDs in the "Masters of" series. I can't wait for more in this series.

Average customer rating:

Bartók: 6 String Quartets

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000LC4B34
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Tracks:

1. Lento-Attacca
2. Poco A Poco Accelerando All'Allegretto-Introduzione. Allegro-Attacca
3. Allegro Vivace
1. Prima Parte. Moderato-Attacca
2. Seconda Parte. Allegro-Attacca: Ricapitualazione Della Prima Parte. Moderato
3. Coda. Allegro Molto
1. Allegro
2. Adagio Molto
3. Scherzo. Alla Bulgarese
4. Andante
5. Finale. Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

1. Moderato
2. Allegro Molto Capriccioso
3. Lento
1. Allegro
2. Prestissimo, Con Sordino
3. Non Troppo Lento
4. Allegretto Pizzicato
5. Allegro Molto
1. Mesto-Piu Mosso, Pesante-Vivace
2. Mesto-Marcia
3. Mesto-Burletta
4. Mesto

Béla Bartók: The 6 String Quartets - Takács Quartet

Average customer rating:

go for Tokyo
Spectacular
Lacklustre insight ... airbrushed production.
The third way.
Finally, they get it

Béla Bartók: The 6 String Quartets - Takács Quartet
Edward Dusinberre , Andras Fejer , Karoly Schranz , Roger Tapping , and Takács Quartet
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000042GU