Conducts Ravel & Schubert

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 9 in C major ("The Great"), D. 944
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler

2. Daphnis et Chloé, suite No. 2 for orchestra
Composed by Maurice Ravel
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler

Tracks:

I. Adagio-Allegro
II. Andante
III. Presto
I. Adagio-Allegro Molto
II. Largo
III. Scherzo: Molto Vivace
IV. Allegro Con Fuoco

Tracks:

The High Castle
The Moldau
Sarka
From Bohemia's Meadows And Forests
Tabor
Blanik

Tracks:

Promenade
Gnomus
Promenade
Il Vecchio Castello
Promenade
Tuileries
Bydlo
Promenade
Ballet Des Poussins Dans Leurs Coques
Samuel Goldenberg Und Schmuyle
Limoges-Le Marche
Catacombae (Sepulchrum Romanum)
Cum Mortuis In Lingua Mortua
La Cabane Sur Des Pattes De Poule
La Grande Porte De Kiev
I. Andante Tranquillo - Irwin Fischer
II. Allegro - Irwin Fischer
III. Adagio - Irwin Fischer
IV. Allegro Molto - Irwin Fischer

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Turandot: Scherzo
III. Andantino
IV. Marsch
I. Premonitions
II. Yesteryears
III. Summer Morning By A Lake
IV. Peripetia
V. The Obbligato Recitative
Variations On A Hungarian Folksong 'The Peacock' - Antal Dorati
Suite From 'The Miraculous Mandarin' - Antal Dorati

Customer Reviews:

The Mussorgsky is a Delight .......2006-10-26

I am not an "audio expert", but I do know what I like. And I love this CD. I heard this recording of Mussorgksy's "Pictures From an Exhibition" on an NPR program from The Chicago Symphony. I was very taken with the clarity of sound. I searched for the recording through Amazon and I am absolutely delighted. It is a four dsic set, but I haven't gone on to the other recordings (yet) becasue I keep re-playing this lovely piece. I hope you enjoy it.

A nice collection of performances, but mixed sonics from 50 years ago.......2006-06-01

Audiophiles adore the Mercury Living Presence series issued throughout the early Fifties and Sixties, but for those of us who aren't specialty collectors, it's pretty clear that not evreything on MLP is a gem. This valuable colleciton (mono only) from the doomed tenure of Rafael Kubelik with the Chicago Sym.--he lasted only a few years before the local critic's stinging rebukes sent Kubelik packing in favor of Fritz Reiner--deserves detailed appraisal.

CD 1: Kubelik was a lively, stylish Mozartean, and this 1953 Sym. #38 is quite lovely. It's more streamlined than Walter's recordings of the "Prague," but cut form the same affectionate cloth. The recording, however, is thin and shrill. I found it uncomfortable to listen to except at low volume.

Kubelik recorded Dvorak's "New World" musltiple times; this Chicago reading dates from 1951 and is caught in sharp mono sonics with a bit too much stinging treble for my ears. Even so, there are those who think this lively, rather lean performance is one of Kubelik's best. I'm not sure that it's so special that one should do without stereo, but the choice is personal. The CSO plays superbly, and the general contour of the interpretation is straightforward.

CD 2 is entirely given over to Smetana's Ma Vlast, another Kubelik specialty that he recorded multiple times. This 1952 recording sounds identical to the Dvorak on CD 1--a deep soundstage with lots of dynamic range. The interpretation is essentially moderate and unexaggerated. It's certainly stylish and has real sweep, too. In terms of dramatic impact CD 2 is far ahead of CD 1.

CD 3: Curiously, there are audiophile purists who insist that the Golden Age of 50's mono produced better sound than any current digital recording. If that's a viable position (few outside the cult agree), the works on this CD are prime evidence. Kubelik's Pictures at an Exhibition and Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta were recorded in the spring of 1951. They are vivid and colorful, with tangy wind choirs and plenty of dynamic impact. Kubelik proves a restless, almost nervous interpreter of the Mussorgsky, which refreshes this warhose. Neither the recording nor the CSO's playing really matches the later, legendary RCA performance under Reiner, but Kubelik's reading has more sinew and rhythmic spring to it. He brings the same qualities to the Bartok, which gets a wiry "modernist" interpretation that's very appealing, less offical-sounding than the famous Reiner account.

CD 4: At the start of this CD we are back to the thin sound of CD 1 (both were recorded in 1953 with the same Telefunken 201 micropone). For some reason, however, this disc can be played at louder volume without treble sting. Kubelik's Hindemith Symphonic Meatmorphoses is lean and propulsive. This is a refreshing take, but without gorgeous stereo sound the coloristic aspects of this showpiece can't be fully apreciated.

Being too much of a modernist was a prime factor in getting Kubelik fired, which is all the more unfair because his Schoenberg Five Pieces for Orchestra is a standout, almost the performance of a lifetime. I hope somebody in the conservative Chicago audience appreciated how seductive and witty this performance was; if Schoenerg's masterpiece has ever sounded more like Daphnis and Chloe, I don't know when.

The last two works were recorded in 1954, at the tail end of Kubelik's stay, and the sound remains a bit shrieky. But his itnerpretations of Kodaly's Peacock Variations and Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin Suite are excellent, full of energy and fierceness in the Bartok, making it as scary as the composer intended. Playing the shrill mono recording at full volume is impossibly masochistic on the ears, but the reading is terrific.

Chicago was lucky--they exchanged a near-great conductor for a great one. Mercury, however, lost the best conductor it would ever have, moving on to Dorati and Paray and even more audiophile cult delights.

Kubelik's Classic MLP Recordings Are Back!.......2005-09-14

Those familiar with my reviews on Amazon know of my great love for the Mercury Living Presence series. Equally great is my disgust that so many of these brilliant recordings have been deleted in the last few years! Thankfully, some of these legendary performances are resurfacing, and while the single disc titles are unfortunately listed at full-price, it is wonderful to see the various multi-disc sets basically being sold at budget line. With this 4CD reissue, Rafael Kubelik's legendary recordings with the Chicago Symphony are restored to the catalog, as only his 1952 rendition of Smetana's "Ma Vlast" was currently in print. (Please note that the performances of Kodaly's "Peacock Variations" and Bartok's "Miraculous Mandarin" Suite are with Antal Dorati leading the same orchestra.) To illustrate how prized these recordings are by collectors, the extremely rare original CD issue coupling the Moussorgsky/Ravel "Pictures at an Exhibition" with Bartok's "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta" has been known to fetch twice the price of this new set in the Amazon Marketplace! Buying this collection for the Pictures performance alone is worthwhile, as it was the recording that led a critic to coin the phrase "Living Presence," from which the Mercury named its series. Of course getting memorable accounts of Dvorak's 9th and Mozart's 38th Symphonies, Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis" and Schoenberg's Five Pieces, Op. 16 is just icing on the cake. Once again, Mercury Living Presence lives!

Stokowski Conducts Klemperer, Vaughan Williams, Ravel, Brahms, Novácek

Average customer rating:

The most exciting live Brahms 4 EVER!!

Stokowski Conducts Klemperer, Vaughan Williams, Ravel, Brahms, Novácek

Manufacturer: BBC Legends
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Brahms: Serenade No. 1; Dawson; Negro Folk Symphony
Walton: Partita for Orchestra; Debussy: La Mer; Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3; Etc.
Arturo Toscanini: The Complete Philadelphia Orchestra Recordings 1941-42

ASIN: B000MQCA1E
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

Merry Waltz
Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
I Prelude A La Nuit
II Malaguena
III Habanera
IV Feria
I Allegro Non Troppo
II Andante Moderato
III Allegro Giocoso-Poco Meno Presto-Tempo I
IV Allegro Energico E Passionato-Piu Allegro
Perpetuum Mobile, Op.5 No.4

Customer Reviews:

The most exciting live Brahms 4 EVER!! .......2007-06-30

Let's face it, the main reason for buying this newly remastered of a previously released Stoky concert is the Brahms 4. If you own the old one, get rid of it, because the remastering on this one is far superior. I'll skip commenting on the other selections and go straight to the Brahms 4. Stoky, being a Brahms lover has many surviving recordings of the 4th Symphony. I am a frim believer that his studio recording of this same work is the GREATEST recording EVER of this symphony. That was recorded a few weeks after this concert. Having said that, there is a level of excitement here in the live performance that make it worth acquiring. The French Horns have a full forward sound through out that make the supporting melody and counter melodies exciting. There is a level of excitement that one rarely hears. Given this, there is really not that much difference between the studio recording and the live performance. Obviously the studio recording has better sound, but this one sounds pretty good. I wish the the opening of the 4th movement has the nice full bodied string sound that was captured in the studio though, but that's a tiny gripe. It's staggering to think that Stoky was 92 when he gave this, his last concert in Britain. It's worth acquiring just to hear the master conduct this exciting performance. Sure the live performance has a few slight passages, but no matter, the excitement of this performance is over whelmning. The speed of the coda in the first movement is taken at an incredibly quick pace and Stoky ignores the light breath pauses at the end to make it thrilling. I dare ANY condctor to match the intensity, brilliance and excitement of this incredible performance. If you love Stoky and Brahms this is the one to own! Rush out and order it now!

Paavo Järvi Conducts Ravel [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

Paavo Järvi Conducts Ravel [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3; Debussy: La Mer; Ibert: Escales [Hybrid SACD]
Mozart: Flute Concertos; Rondo; Andante [Includes the Bis 2005 Catalog] [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B0001BS3IO
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Average customer rating:

Not for your average CD player.
Stunning
Breathtaking sound in these classic performances
knock out dynamics!

Boulez Conducts Ravel [SACD]

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Boulez Conducts Ravel [SACD]
Great Orchestral Highlights from The Ring of the Nibelungs / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD)

ASIN: B00004T1EG
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Customer Reviews:

Not for your average CD player........2004-10-28

Today I learned that SACD means that the CD cannot be used in the CD drive of my computer at the office, which is where I had hoped to listen to this wonderful music. Nor will it play in my CD-clock/radio so I won't be waking up to the music either. Oh well, maybe I can sell it on e-bay...live and learn.

Stunning.......2004-03-06

I've been an audiophile for over 40 years.
Very few recordings rivet my attention.
This is one of them.

Breathtaking sound in these classic performances.......2002-01-28

As with other reissues in this series, Sony Classical engineers have worked wonders with the DSD transfer onto SACD of the original reel-to-reel master tapes. Columbia Masterworks LPs were notoriously poor, because they artificially boosted the mid-range to make the recordings sound better on mediocre equipment. This disfigured and masked the true audiophile qualities of the original recordings as realized in the studio. Later CD transfers rectified this problem but were subject to the sonic limitations of the medium. This SACD transfer sounds mind-bogglingly better than any CD version I have heard. It is incredibly realistic, allowing every texture of Ravel's complex and multifaced orchestral tapestries to be heard. Because of the vintage of these recordings (1970s), there is not even very much of a tape hiss. It is frankly hard to believe that these recordings are not contemporary, so good is the sound.

This well-filled disc contains most of the well-known orchestral works of Ravel in exemplary performances by Boulez and the New York Philharmonic (and, in one case, the Cleveland Orchestra). He has since re-recorded much of this repertoire digitally for Deutsche Grammophon, but these earlier performances are in no way inferior, indeed they are in some ways more vital and viscerally exciting. There is also the bonus of the wordless chorus in the second "Daphnis et Chloe" suite, usually included in performances of the complete ballet but often omitted in the suite.

In sum, exceptional both in sound and performance quality, and recommended without reservation.

knock out dynamics!.......2001-12-19

behold! this SACD will knock your socks off with its dynamics.
if you like a good performance and a decent sound, this is the one. top recommendation!

Average customer rating:

Paavo Järvi Conducts Ravel

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Nielsen: Symphony No. 5
Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune; Nocturnes; La mer; Berceuse héroïque

ASIN: B0001BS3I4
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

Lever Du Jour (Daybreak)
Pantomime
Danse Generale (General Dance)
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
La Valse
Pavane De La Belle Au Bois Dormant
Petit Poucet
Laideronnette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes
Les Entretiens De La Belle Et De La Bete
Le Jardin Feerique
Bolero

Amazon.com

This gorgeously recorded disc might have been called "Ravel Favorites," and, indeed, it's a collection of some of the composer's most beloved works. The second Daphnis et Chloe Suite's performance is notable for the thrilling way in which it is focused towards the final dance. "Daybreak" is a bit understated, but its gentleness, we realize, is just right within the context of the build-up towards the finale. "La Valse" features lovely string playing without any annoying "schmaltzy" mannerisms, and the famous "Pavane" is warm and composed. "Bolero" has been led by other conductors with more of a maniacal upsurge; here it is only the last few minutes which are gripping. Perhaps Järvi should have taken the whole piece a bit more slowly? Five Nursery Songs from the Mother Goose Suite are a delight: childlike in their directness, each a magical little gem. In short, this collection is handsomely performed but a bit tame; a really good buy is the Dutoit set on Decca, which has all of these pieces and more. --Robert Levine

Paul Paray Conducts French Orchestral Music

Average customer rating:

A must have for lovers of French Orchestral music
Paray's MLP French Gems Are Back!,

Paul Paray Conducts French Orchestral Music

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Symphonie Fantastique

ASIN: B00035VV7S
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Customer Reviews:

A must have for lovers of French Orchestral music.......2006-04-29

Paul Paray is one of the best interpreters of French orchestral music whose stereo recordings are gathered together in this budget priced box, and offer terrific value to the consumer: great recordings/ performances AND sound, at a low price. First off, this item is highly recommended.

There may be some listeners who have favorite recordings of certain works in this set, such as the Saint Saens ORGAN Symphony, the Ravel TOMBEAU DE COUPERIN (Paray strikes me as rather too fast in the Forlane movement, and other parts), or CARMEN Suites. But it is great to have all this music in one set, and Paray is not inferior to anyone in this music. There are several rare works here, including Paray's own MASS. And there is Bizet's rarely heard LA PATRIE Overture, and Thomas Overtures to RAYMOND and MIGNON; Herold's ZAMPA; and Saint Saens' Bacchanale from SAMSON ET DALILA. The Detroit Symphony of the late 1950s/early 60s plays wonderfully, sounding as good as many more prestigious "big name" orchestras.

Of course other listeners have favorites and may not agree with my perception, but I enjoyed this set alot, and will continue to return to it in the future. That's saying alot for one who's a committed fan of Karl Bohm (1894-1981), Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985), Carl Schuricht (1880-1967) and Bruno Walter (1876-1962). The "French" sound and style Paray drew from the Detroit Symphony is much different from Bohm, Ormandy, Schuricht, or Walter, but is most enjoyable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Paray's MLP French Gems Are Back!, .......2005-06-07

Those familiar with my reviews on Amazon know my great love for the Mercury Living Presence series. Equally great is my disgust that so many of these brilliant recordings have been deleted in the last few years! Thankfully, some of these legendary performances are resurfacing as SACD hybrids. However, they are unfortunately now being sold at full-price, despite a competing Living Stereo hybrid series on RCA/BMG being available at midline. In spite of the added expense, I hope this MLP reissue trend will continue, and maybe we'll even see a few items receiving their CD debut in this series.

These various performances of French Orchestral Music by the great Paul Paray have always been among my favorite MLP offerings. While three of these recordings continue to be available in their original CD incarnations -- the Ibert/Ravel, the Bizet Suites and Saint-Saens discs -- the remaining two discs of material have been out-of-print for some time. However, with this box set Paray's Lalo/Chausson and French Opera Highlights albums are now deservedly restored to the catalog. Even better is the fact that the four 5CD box sets being reissued have been reasonably priced, however they are not SACD Hybrids. This Paray set, and the ones of Dorati conducting Bartok and Tchaikovsky, and Hanson conducting a variety of American music, including his own compositions, have a total cost cheaper than the original single issue CDs! Once again, Mercury Living Presence lives!

Leonard Bernstein conducts Ravel - Bolero / Daphnis Et Chloe Suite 2

Average customer rating:

Leonard Bernstein conducts Ravel - Bolero / Daphnis Et Chloe Suite 2

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000025JD
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Günter Wand Conducts Debussy and Mussorgsky

Average customer rating:

A technically transparent interpretation...
Clear Picture

Günter Wand Conducts Debussy and Mussorgsky

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004SSDQ
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

The Court Of Lilies - NDR-Sinfonieorchester
Ecstatic Dance And Finale From The First Act - NDR-Sinfonieorchester
The Passion - NDR-Sinfonieorchester
The Good Shepherd - NDR-Sinfonieorchester
Promenade
Gnomus
Promenade
The Old Castle
Promenade
The Tuileries Garden
Bydlo
Promenade
Ballet Of The Unhatched Chicks
Samuel Goldenberg & Schmuyle
The Weekly Market Of Limoges
Catacombae, Sepulcrum Romanum
Con Mortuis In Lingua Mortua
The Hut On Fowl's Legs (Baba-Yaga)
The Great Gate Of Kiev

Customer Reviews:

A technically transparent interpretation..........2005-02-05

My main attraction to this issue was the inclusion of the rare
"Martyredom of Saint Sebastian" symphonic fragments. What I got was a lot more. The Germanic conductor Gunter Wand leads his Hamburg orchestra in detailed and vivid live performances. You don't get the sonic blockbuster approach on "Pictures". Wand conducts it as if he were performing Wagner, Bruckner, or Brahms. There is much attention to quality of sound and there is considerably less congestion in Ravel's orchestration usually found on the sonics at all cost versions. The "Martyredom" takes on an almost heavenly feel, though none of it's themes are really memorable. It is just a beautifully solemn piece. The program notes are more detailed than usual and state that these works have been life long favorites of Wand during his long low-keyed career. The Debussy piece dates back 1982 and the "Pictures" dates to 1999. Add a star if your in favor of totally live performances as the definitive way to go!

Clear Picture.......2000-06-16

Well defined sound stage for a Live performance, the Picture is clear but no loud as audiophile recording, u can hear every parts of his interpretation, you can hear a different Picture at the exhibition. I hope to Brucker Cycle can complete... very fine for most of Wand Live recording.

Lalo Schifrin Conducts Stravinsky, Schifrin and Ravel

Average customer rating:

I never knew a double bass could do that!

Lalo Schifrin Conducts Stravinsky, Schifrin and Ravel

Manufacturer: Aleph Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00002SWP4
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Tracks:

Petrouchka
I. Allegro Barocco
II. Adagio Pensieroso - Andantino
III. Allegro Giocoso
I. Pavane de la Belle au Bois Dormant
II. Petit Poucet
III. Laideronnette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes
IV. Les Entretiens De La Belle Et La Bete
V. Le Jardin Feerique

Customer Reviews:

I never knew a double bass could do that!.......2002-03-14

I never cared much for "Petrouchka," which is the only reason this didn't get five stars.

Lalo Schifrin has shown that he has a lot more in him than just "Mission Impossible." This doesn't sound at all like that. It's a remarkable piece, and one that shows off Gary Karr's virtuosity with the double bass.

Music Track:

Music Track

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