Liszt: Faust Symphony

On this CD:

1. Faust Symphony (I & II), for orchestra or soloist, male chorus, & orchestra, S. 108 (LW G12)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Christian Elsner
Conducted by Thomas Dausgaard

Liszt: Faust Symphony, Music, Franz Liszt, Thomas Dausgaard, Danmarks Radiosymfoniorkester, Christian Elsner, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Orchestral & Symphonic, Romantic Symphony, Symphonic

Liszt: Faust-Symphony / Bernstein, Riegel, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Average customer rating:

A dramatic triumph

Bernstein works his magic--lead turns into gold

Grand Faust

Heroic

Liszt: Faust-Symphony / Bernstein, Riegel, Boston Symphony Orchestra

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Liszt: Dante Symphony

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Bernstein Century - Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, etc.

Liszt: 10 Hungarian Rhapsodies

ASIN: B000001GQZ
Release Date: 1996-08-13

Tracks:

A Faust Symphony: Faust
A Faust Symphony: Gretchen
A Faust Symphony: Mephistopheles

Customer Reviews:

A dramatic triumph.......2006-12-04

Liszt's "Faust" Symphony is his greatest symphonic masterpiece. It is too little known for a work which is one of the high points of the romantic genre. It was a great revelation when I first heard it, and continuing familiarity has only increased my respect. The symphony ranges from heartrending lyrical beauty to spine-tingling dramatic force. The theme which binds all three movements is a powerful and simple motif focussed on the motivating force of human will. The choral section which comprises the finale sets an excerpt from Goethe's Faust - and it is fascinating to compare the way Liszt has treated the words set later by Mahler in his 8th Symphony. In this recording Bernstein gives his all, winning a fully committed performance from the Boston Symphony. Every classical music collection should have this wholly satisfying work - a dramatic triumph.

Bernstein works his magic--lead turns into gold.......2005-11-05

This 1976 performance from Symphony Hall in Bosotn won the Grand Prix du Disque two years later, and one immediately hears why. Liszt's Faust Symphony is vulgarity masquerading as high art, and Bernstein had a gift for taking leaden works of banality (e.g., Shostakovich's Seventh Sym.) and turning them to gold. He accomplishes this by slowing down a great deal--at 77 min. his reading is almost 10 min. slower than either Rattle's or Chailly's--so that a sense of mystery can develop.

In the faster, more bombastic parts Bernstein is sitll comparatively slow, but as the opening to "Mephistopheles" shows, he knows how to add the zing of eeriness in string slides (a la Berlioz in the Witches Sabbath finale of the Symphonie Fantastique). Perhaps the "Gretchen" scond movement is not as tender or played with as much finesse as one hears from Rattle and Chailly. Bernstein's slow tempo is just a bit too lingering here.

DG's close-up sonics can't rival EMI's digital sound for Rattle or Decca's for Chailly, but it's quite good anyway. Rattle and Chailly share the besetting sin of being too restrained at exactly those moments when Bernstein knows how to titillate and excite us. This is a clear first choice for a Faust Symphony in modern sound. (It's also better in sound and execution than Bernstein's earlier Sony recording from New York.)

Grand Faust.......2005-05-09

This must qualify amongst the better recordings avaliable of any orchestral work by Liszt. Bernstein gives an exhuberant, powerful performance, extracting from his Boston players matching prowess. The recording quality serves the approach well, taking full advantage of the superior accoustics of the venue (Symphony Hall, Boston) in a very realistic perspective; you'll hear the BSO grimace, explode in anger, whisper lyrically and change abruptly from one mood to another, in a recording with a very wide recording range that serves this score of extremes very fittingly. Bernstein excelled in this kind of repertoire, he was especially gifted to conduct these romantinc works that explored the full range of emotional writing as well as that of the orchestral capabilities of the day. Liszt's harmonical experimenting and programmatical proposals played a key role in what came after him (Wagner, Mahler) and Bernstein always approached his works with that special quality in mind. So, if you agree with this attitude, you'll like this Faust Symphony, excellently remastered by DG for their "Originals" series.

Heroic.......2000-04-26

I assume since Bernstein made two commercial recordings of this work that it held some special meaning for him. This later version benefits from slightly better sound quality and a more mature interpretation, even though his earlier account with the New York Philharmonic on Sony is also very good. There is some really involving music here, probably some of the best Liszt ever wrote and Bernstein and the BSO take every opportunity to reveal the detail in the score. The sound from Symphony Hall in Boston is very satisfying and this version has been improved by the remastering of the original source tapes to be reissued by DG. It is certainly one of the finest recorded versions of this work.

Carmina Burana & Great Classical Marches (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Carmina Burana...

Carmina Burana & Great Classical Marches (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Carmina Burana
Orff: Carmina Burana

ASIN: B00000IGUO
Release Date: 2000-12-06

Tracks:

Fortuna Imperatix Mundi: O Fortuna - Carl Orff
Fortuna Imperatix Mundi: Fortune plango vulnera - Carl Orff
I Primo Vere: Veris leta facies - Carl Orff
I Primo Vere: Omnia Sol temperat - Carl Orff
I Primo Vere: Ecce gratum - Carl Orff
I Primo Vere: Uf dem Anger - Dance - Carl Orff
I Primo Vere: Floret silva - Carl Orff
I Primo Vere: Chramer, gip die varwe mir - Carl Orff
I Primo Vere: Reie - Swaz hie gat umbe - Carl Orff
I Primo Vere: Were diu werlt alle min - Carl Orff
II In Taberna: Estuans interius - Carl Orff
II In Taberna: Olim lacus colueram - Carl Orff
II In Taberna: Ego sum abbas - Carl Orff
II In Taberna: In taberna quando sumus - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: Amor volat undique - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: Dies, nox et omnia - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: Stetit puella - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: Circa mea pectora - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: Si puer cum puellula - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: Veni, veni, venias - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: In trutina - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: Tempus est iocundum - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: Dulcissime - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: Ave formosissima - Carl Orff
III Cour d'amours: O Fortuna - Carl Orff

Tracks:

Pomp And Circumstance, Op. 39: Military March No. 1 - Various Artists
Marche Slave, Op. 31 - Various Artists
Marche Hongroise (R koczy-Marsch) 'La Damnation de Faust' - Various Artists
March from Fidelio - Various Artists
Borussia. Tempo de Marcia Trionfale - Various Artists
Coronation March - Various Artists
Pas de Guerriers, Evolution d'Infanterie et Cavalerie - Various Artists
Bombardon-Marsch - Various Artists
R koczy-Marsch - Various Artists
Joyeuse Marche - Various Artists
Hungarian State Orchestra: Festive March For The Goethe Centenary - Various Artists

Customer Reviews:

Carmina Burana..........2006-12-21

It's a decent box set for the price. I'm glad that I finally found a version of Carmina Burana that sounds decent...Four stars...

Average customer rating:

Major Orchestras, Major Conductor, Major Power!
Thunder and Lightning
Wonderful
Big, Beautiful Music!
Solti at his best!!

Thunder & Lightning

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Thunderous Classics
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Time Life Presents: Classical Thunder
Holst: The Planets/John Williams: Star Wars/Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Simply the Best Classical Anthems

ASIN: B00000DLUS
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Tracks:

William Tell Overture: Galop - Georg Solti
Ga Parisienne: Cancans 1 & 2 - Georg Solti
La Gioconda: Dance of the Hours - Georg Solti
Russlan And Ludmilla: Overture - Georg Solti
Die Walkide of the Valkyries - Georg Solti
Carmen: Prelude, Act I (March of the Toreadors) - Georg Solti
1812 Overture: Finale - Georg Solti
Les Preludes: Finale - Georg Solti
Symphony No. 6 in F: 'Pastoral' - Storm - Georg Solti
Aida: Triumphal Chorus & Grand March - Georg Solti
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III - Georg Solti
Prince Igor: Polovtsian dances - Georg Solti
Requiem: Dies irae - Georg Solti
Requiem: Tuba mirum - Georg Solti
Symphonie Fantastique: March to the Scaffold - Georg Solti
Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasia: Montagues and Capulets, Love Theme and Finale - Georg Solti
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Hut on Hens' Legs - Georg Solti
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Great Gate of Kiev - Georg Solti

Tracks:

Also sprach Zarathustra: Sunrise - Solti
The Planets: Mars - Solti
Romeo And Juliet Ballet Suit: Dance of the Knights - Solti
Symphony No. 4 In F Minor: IV. Allegro con fuco - Solti
A Night On The Bare Mountain - Solti
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D - Solti
Damnation Of Faust: Hungarian March - Solti
Tannhauser: Fest March (Entrance of the Guests) - Solti
Enigma Variations: Troyte (Variation No. 7) - Solti
Enigma Variations: E.D.U. (Variation No. 14) - Solti
Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus - Solti
Bolero: Conclusion - Solti
Symphony No. 9: Ode To Joy - Solti
The Twilight Of The Gods: The Immolation Of The Gods - Solti

Customer Reviews:

Major Orchestras, Major Conductor, Major Power!.......2004-06-16

I own multiple recordings of most of the works on Georg Solti's Thunder & Lightning, but I always hold this collection as my reference. Not only with his beloved Chicago Symphony Orchestra, but several other world class ensembles, the Maestro shows his monumental interperative talents to make old warhorses sound as if we've never heard them before. He could inspire an orchestra to "open the heavens or open a flower" with his baton. His presence is missed, but his work is forever.

Thunder and Lightning.......2004-02-22

If you wish to relax using this CD set after work, you are buying the wrong album. But, if you MUST drive between one and six in the morning, this set, by repeating all just once, can keep you awake on the road, however boring it is. Trust me, TRUST SOLTI!

Wonderful.......2002-05-23

Solti shows here why he is one of the best interpreters of classical music. while conducting Wagner is his best work, here he shows that he can interpret well just about any composer. also, in this 2-disc set, there is a nice wide range of music, so for those who are just getting into classical music, this is a good place to start.

Big, Beautiful Music!.......1999-05-17

This collection is great fun. I can't imagine a better way to drive home from work on a Fri afternoon than listening to Solti's "Thunder and Lightning" LOUD on an excellent car stereo. Order and ENJOY!!:)

Solti at his best!!.......1999-05-13

A wonderful collection of Solti's intensity and drive in this music. He is at his best here and how nice to hear a variety of orchestras. Good "sampler" for future purchases.

Average customer rating:

From a music lover, not a critic
Masur - Champion of Liszt

Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Liszt: Piano Works

ASIN: B0000BWTKK
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

No.1 Ce Qu'On Entend Sur La Montagne After Hugo, S95
No.2 Tasso: Lamento E Trionfo After Byron, S96
No.3 Les Preludes After Lamartine, S97
No.4 Orpheus, S98

Tracks:

No.5 Prometheus, S99
No.6 Mazeppa After Hugo, S100
No.7 Festklange, S101
No.8 Heroide Funebre, S102
Mephisto Waltz No.2, S111

Tracks:

No.9 Hungaria, S103
No.10 Hamlet After Shakespeare, S104
No.11 Hunnenschlacht After Kaulbach, S105
No.12 Die Ideale After Schiller, S106

Tracks:

Die Wiege
Der Kampf Um's Dasein
Zum Grabe (Die Wiege Des Zukunftigen Lebens)
I: Faust
II: Gretchen
III: Mephistopheles Schlusschor/Final Chorus/Choeur Final: Alles Vergangliche Ist Nur Ein Gleichnis

Tracks:

I: Der Nachtliche Zug
II: Der Tanz In Der Dorfschenke (Mephisto Waltz No.1)
I: Inferno
II: Purgatorio

Tracks:

Allegro Maestoso
Quasi Adagio
Allegretto Vivace - Allegro Animato
Allegro Marziale Animato
Adagio Sostenuto Assai
Allegro Agitato Assai
Allegro Moderato
Allegro Deciso
Marziale Un Poco Meno Allegro
Allegro Animato
Schubert: Wanderer-Fantasie, D760, S366
Weber: Polonaise Brillante 'L'Hilarite', J268, S367

Tracks:

Fantasie Uber Ungarische Volksmelodien, S123
Fantasie Uber Motive Aus Beethovens 'Ruinen Von Athen', S122
Grande Fantaisie Symphonique Sur Des Themes De 'Lelio' De Berlioz, S120
Malediction, S121
Totentanz, Paraphrase Uber 'Dies Irae', S126

Customer Reviews:

From a music lover, not a critic.......2007-04-10

Many of these performances are new to me. That is the beauty of being 59 years old and still learning. My knowledge of classical music is based on what moves me. While others talk about all the other versions and other conductors, I just want to let other people know that these recordings give me great pleasure. While some may find Michel Beroff to be less than adequate, I enjoy his renditions of the piano concertos. I have heard other renditions and find that they all have their places. These concertos move me a great deal. That is my only criteria.

Masur - Champion of Liszt.......2003-12-19

Before he became the embattled leader of the New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur made a name for himself by making brilliant recordings with the Gewandhaus-Orchester Leipzig, these Liszt Orchestral Works foremost among them. It is delightful to have these recordings in print again, and for them all to be collected on seven discs in an inch-thick paper box set is even better. Masur's performances of the "Tone Poems" in particular rank among the best of all-time, along with Haitink and Golovanov in my opinion (see my review of the latter on his "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" title). Also included in this set are the works for Piano and Orchestra, and while Michel Beroff's renditions don't quite measure up to my favorite accounts by Arrau, Cliburn, Janis, Katchen, Richter or Zimerman, they are certainly first-rate. Oddly, my only complaint is that EMI seems to have taken the "slim" out of slim, paper-sleeved box sets with their latest batch of releases. Both this title and the new "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist" box are noticeably thicker than previous EMI sets featuring a similar number of discs. A minor point, but us serious classical collectors need every centimeter of space on our increasingly crowded CD shelves.

Liszt: Sonata in B minor; Deux Légendes; Gretchen

Average customer rating:

Liszt the demon, the abbe, the poet

Liszt: Sonata in B minor; Deux Légendes; Gretchen

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B000007N5W
Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

Lento Assai - Allegro Energico - Grandioso - Recitative - Andante Sostenuto - Quasi Adagio - Allegro Energico - Piu Mosso - Stretta Quasi Presto - Presto - Prestissimo - Andante Sostenuto - Allegro Moderato - Lento Assai
St. Francois D'Assise: La Predication Aux Oiseaux
St. Francois De Paule Marchant Sur Les Flots
Andante Soave, Quasi Lento

Customer Reviews:

Liszt the demon, the abbe, the poet.......2006-07-01

In Volume 8 of the Naxos Complete Piano Music of Liszt, the pianist Jeno Jando returns to record four top-notch compositions: the Sonata in B, the two Legends, and the piano transcription of the "Gretchen" movement from 'A Faust Symphony.' Although all of these compositions are excellent, the interpretations may not satisfy.

For those unfamiliar with the Sonata in B minor, this is not a bad interpretation to become acquainted with. Or let's just say, I've heard worse, much much worse. It seems every pianist in the world thinks the Sonata in B the end-all goal of his or her career as a concert pianist. Therefore, you can find dozens of recordings and so I must say that Jando's is not as superb or focused as others. I like his tempo (what annoys me most about Sonata interpretations is playing too fast). He takes his time but plays with aplomb and never shows signs of fatigue. But his phrasing and the tendency to render some bars in staccato (or choppy) detracts a little from the Romantic grandeur of the piece.

To those who never heard the Sonata, you must know that this is one of the greatest works in the Romantic period for piano. That's not just me saying that, but countless pianists and musicologists. It is indicative of Liszt's genius and his sheer ability to combine so many emotions in a single work. At one point he raises suspense, chills the heart, makes the piano sing a hmyn, and then at another he shreds through the piano like a soul possessed by the devil, pulling darkness and light from the piano strings at every turn. If you haven't heard the Sonata in B, definitely get this CD.

But you should also know that you can find better interpretations of this from Pollini, Arrau, Brendel or Watts. Jando does a decent job, though, and the performance certainly shouldn't *offend* any of the Sonata in B connoisseurs.

The two Legendes are exemplary works of music. I personally love them. The St Francis legend is divinely inspired, full of resplendent pianism, and gorgeous melodies. You can actually hear the birds and visualize St Francis "preaching" to them. Liszt shows his intimate understanding of the piano more ever than before with this one. I highly recommend Jando's delightful interpretation of this. The St Paola legend is an even better composition in my view. Liszt displays his ability to make the piano an instrument of magic, conjuring up musical depictions of sea waves and a mesmeric image of St Paola amazingly floating above sea. It's a glorious work full of drama and ecstatic piano bravura. Jando's interpretation is not the best I've heard, but Jando's enthusiasm makes the piece reverberate with power all the way through.

The last piece, a very contrasting musical work to the previous more louder virtuosic Sonata and Legends is a delicate and beautiful piano transcription of the "Gretchen" movement from Liszt's 'Faust Symphony.' Jando plays with an alluring manner, touching softly on these very intricate themes. On a first hearing the piece may not hold the listener captive. The piano is played so gently and with the work lasting almost 18 minutes, it takes some effort to recognize the subtle but lovely music. Jando's take on this work is better than Howard's. I also think the movement sounds better on the piano than from the orchestra, but that's just my opinion.

Bottom line: Naxos has another hit here with Jeno Jando's solid interpretations of the Legends and Gretchen. Novices to the Sonata in B minor are encouraged to buy this CD at such a low price. But for those already familiar and only interested in the Sonata in B, there are better recordings.

Average customer rating:

Very Enjoyable

Discover the Classics

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Popular History of the Catholic Church

ASIN: B00000G2P6
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

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Missa Papae Marcelli: Gloria
Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D: Air
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
Concerto for 2 Horns: Vivace
Rondeaux 1&2: La Timide
23rd Ordre Les Tricoteuses: The Knitters
Keyboard Sonata in D, L. 465: Allegro
Four Seasons - Spring - I: Allegro
Canon and Gigue: Canon
Canon and Gigue: Gigue
Best of Baroque Music: Adagio
Symphony No. 94 in G major: ('Surprise') - Andante
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro
Moonlight Sonata: Adagio sostenuto
Symphony No.5 in B flat major: Allegro

Tracks:

Berlioz: 4 Overtures: Rakoczy March
Waltz in D flat, Op. 64 No.1: Minute Waltz
Rigoletto (ACt III): La donna e mobile
Kinderszenen: Trerei
Piano Concerto No. 1: Allegro maestoso - Tempo giusto
Incidental Music to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Wedding March
Hungarian Dance No. 5
Nutcraker: Danse des mirlitons
Slavonic Dance, Op. 46 No. 1
Carmen: Seguidilla
Pizzicato Polka
Die Walkure: The Ride of Valkyries
Incidental Music to Peer Gynt: Morning
Suite Bergamasque: Clair de lune
Pomp & Circumstance March N1: Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1
Fanfare For The Common Man
Concierto de Aranjuez - Adagio
Lieutenant Kije: Troika
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna

Customer Reviews:

Very Enjoyable.......2007-04-06

The sound quality is excellent, easy to listen to. There is definitely a "lite" feel about the CD on the whole, pleasantly upbeat.

Average customer rating:

100 Golden Classics

Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000026EEJ
Release Date: 2000-06-20

Jascha Horenstein Conducts Bruckner/Liszt/Wagner

Average customer rating:

A sense of fresh discovery
In Distinguished Company!!!
Jascha Horenstein Anton Bruckner Symphony No.8 in D Minor

Jascha Horenstein Conducts Bruckner/Liszt/Wagner

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Horenstein conducts Mahler Symphony No. 1 & Bruckner Symphony No. 9

ASIN: B000001KC0
Release Date: 1992-11-04

Tracks:

A Faust Symphony: I. Faust
A Faust Symphony: II. Gretchen
A Faust Symphony: III. Mephisto; Choral Finale
A Faust Overture - Richard Wagner

Tracks:

Symphony No. 8 In C Minor (1890 Version): I. Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 8 In C Minor (1890 Version): II. Scherzo: Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 8 In C Minor (1890 Version): III. Adagio (Feierlich langsam; doch nicht schleppend)
Symphony No. 8 In C Minor (1890 Version): IV. Finale (Feierlich, nicht schnell)

Customer Reviews:

A sense of fresh discovery.......2006-04-25

The Vienna Pro Musica is actually the Vienna Symphony Orchestra using an assumed name for contractural reasons. Though their playing is not the plush upholstered artefact that the Philharmonics of Vienna and Berlin can produce they hold up very well in a performance that has the freshness of new discovery stamped on it. Nowak produced his critical edition of the 1890 score in 1955 and this is probably its first commercial recording. The rival Haas Bruckner Gesellschaft edition of 1939 has 60 bars more music (distributed between the last two movements) and handles several moments of linkage rather more smoothly, but it is not the music that Bruckner actually authorised - and indeed Haas has added 10 bars of a sort of pastiche of his own to sort out a connection problem in the last movement. The Haas restoration of some link passage from the abandoned 1887 version (rejected by Hermann Levi for performance)is supposed to produce an "ideal" version of the work. Personally I think this works very well, provided that you understand what it is you are listening to. Nowak's version, as recorded here by Horenstein, however more authentically reflects the score that Bruckner had published. There are many technical arguments and theories about this that need not worry the listener. If you are concerned get a recording of both versions! This Nowak edition disc is remarkably inexpensive and is a performance of utter integrity from start to finish. Horenstein's way with the first movement is swift and superbly connected-up. I know of no other with such a sense of inevitable "line" - though it might strike somebody used to an approach like Karajan's as extremely fast you soon get used to the speed and then start to marvel at the way it all hangs together. The scherzo is at just the right speed and the "earthy" sound of the orchestra suits the approach completely. The wonderful slow movement is grave and noble, building to the superbly cymbal-capped major climax with inexorable majesty. This is followed by another marvellously connected interpretation of the finale - a movement that can sound disjointed in other conductors' hands. The final coda of this symphony is one of the greatest moments in music, bringing all the major themes of all the movements together into a section of complete apotheosis. Horenstein is wonderful here.
Though the sound is a little boxy and in mono the ear soon adjusts and the disc is surprisingly well recorded for its age. The other works by Liszt and Wagner receive good performances and are worth having in themselves, but anybody wanting to hear a very enlightening interpretation by a conductor who was one of the first to programme Bruckner outside of German-speaking countries will not be disappointed by what they hear and will want to have this version on their shelves.

In Distinguished Company!!!.......2003-12-11

There are only two Bruckner 8th's worth owning! This one, and Furtwanglers 1944 recording with the Vienna Philharmonic on Music & Arts CD-764! On this VOX recording, Horenstein peforms the 1890 version of Bruckner's score!There is something haunting about the less than perfect sound of the Vienna Symphony. In addition, the reverberant mono sound obtained by the VOX engineers adds to the cataclysmic mystique of the music!In my opionion, Horenstein along with his mentor Wilhelm Furtwangler, are among a select few who interpret Bruckner the way Bruckner would himself!If you like Bruckner and decide to purchase a complete set, my only recommendation would be Jochum's EMI set. Remember, Bruckner was an organist, and he had pipe organ music in his blood when he composed his massive orchestral canon! Good Listening To You!!!

Jascha Horenstein Anton Bruckner Symphony No.8 in D Minor.......2001-05-19

Anton Bruckner was called as a "rustic genius." Indeed his symphony is "rustic" but yet has the most liberating effect of transcendence. The Coda of the fourth movement of the 8th evokes the feeling of flying and ascending up and up into the sky. It is the beauty in his music!!
The flow, subtlety, detail and structural consistency are crucial for the performance of his symphonies. The depth of his music can only be revealed via insight and intuition. Mere technical brilliance will not communicate the underlying message. Overtly aiming for the dramatic effect in the fashion of Beethoven by the dramatic change in the tempo will destroy the structure of Bruckner. Although it is monoral recording and fast in tempo as compared to the 1970 live BBC version, Horenstein shows superb dynamism, incredible structural stability and consistency throughout the performance. The powerful brass, sensual strings and delicate winds (i.e. flute) are the highlights of this performance. The performace reminds us of the conductors Wilhelm Furtwangler and Carl Schuricht.

Average customer rating:

Liszt program music
Marvellous Recording

Liszt: Préludes No3; Faust Symphony

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004TTIM
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

A Faust Symphony, S108: I. Faust - Seigfried Jerusalem
A Faust Symphony, S108: II. Gretchen - Seigfried Jerusalem
A Faust Symphony, S108: III. Mephistopheles & Final Chorus - Seigfried Jerusalem

Tracks:

Les Preludes, S97 - London Philharmonic Orchestra
Prometheus, S99 - London Philharmonic Orchestra
A Symphony To Dante's 'Divine Comedy', S109: I. Inferno - L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande
A Symphony To Dante's 'Divine Comedy', S109: II. Purgatorio - L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande
A Symphony To Dante's 'Divine Comedy', S109: Alternative Ending - Deuxieme Finale - Zweiter Schluss - L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande

Customer Reviews:

Liszt program music.......2005-11-13

On this disk are three separate orchestras under various conductors, all of famous symphonic works by Franz Liszt. The Faust Symphony from 1986, the symphonic poems from 1978 (analogue), and the Dante Symphony from 1982.

Liszt's Faust Symphony is really three character studies, from Goethe's drama of the same name, rather than a traditional symphony. The story is about Johann Faustus, a man who makes a pact with the devil in order to have all his desires satisfied, at the expense of his soul. Eventually Faust falls in love with Gretchen and their love saves his soul. The movements of the symphony portray the three characters mentioned: I. Faust, II. Gretchen, and III. Mephistopheles, with a coda adding organ, solo tenor, and men's chorus to the orchestra. The Faust movement could be a work in and of itself, totaling approximately 30 minutes, and encompassing a wide range of motives and emotions. One critic labeled the 5 motives as "passion, pride, longing, triumph, and love. The first theme is a craggy one with odd intervals (often called the first 12-note tone row) and the other themes are evocative of their titles. The music is an easy view of the influence of Liszt upon Richard Strauss; the imaginative thematic material and the dramatic program music and orchestrations are all very suggestive of what will become R. Strauss. The Gretchen movement shows Liszt as a master orchestrator and forward-looking composer. While the second movement is lyrical in nature, Liszt creates various chamber ensembles and keeps changing the instrumentation of those groupings. The best example is after the brief woodwind introduction, a solo viola and solo oboe have a duet with a sort of peasant dance feel, then in comes the solo clarinet, flute, and violin, and a new chamber ensemble take over. Very interesting music. The Mephistopheles movement is a scherzo, utilizing all of the themes from the previous movements, but casting a crooked view of those melodies. While Mephistopheles gets a creepy scherzo theme, he also revels in a triumphant theme as well as a dance-like 6/8 theme. It is a movement of masterful design and an interesting take on Mephistopheles. The work concludes on a positive note. The male chorus and tenor solo (here sung by Placido Domingo) comment on the lesson to be learned from the story. It gives a mysterious, yet glorious conclusion to this epic work. Faust Symphony, like Les Preludes, has a lot of inventive and memorable melodies. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti give a clean performance with few to no loose ends. First class performance.

The two symphonic poems Les Preludes and Prometheus have not had such impassioned performances such as this one of the London Philharmonic under Sir Georg Solti. The famous Les Preludes has such great motives of many moods: passion, pastoral, triumphant; and all so inventive. Solti perhaps takes the maestoso a bit too "Maestoso", but exhilarating nonetheless. Prometheus, lesser known, is also very fiery, with occasional instrumental recitatives of lyricism. The playing is excellent all around, and the music is captiviating.

Liszt's Dante Symphony, based on Dante's Divine Comedy, is played here under Jesus Lopez Cobos with the Orchestra de la Suisse Romande. In two movements (Inferno and Purgatorio), this is a work not nearly as popular or as fleshed out as the other works on this disk. Certainly not as thematic, but instead, Liszt creates musical depictions of the places described. The Inferno begins just that way, with wild playing by Cobos, and eventually descends into lyricism. Purgatorio begins off-kilter and unresolved with solos for harp, while the middle section is chorale-like. It ends with a view of heaven with the heavenly chorus singing a portion of the Magnificat. The forward looking harmonies make a dramatic and interesting depiction of heaven. Included is Liszt's alternate loud ending as well. While an aggressive interpretation, the brass cannot stand up to the other orchestras represented on this CD, with occasional tuning issues. Compare this Dante with the one offered on Teldec under Barenboim and the Berlin Philharmonic. That said, this is a fiery interpretation and the ending is particularly well played.

Three separate fiery performances of 4 Liszt symphonic works is hard to beat. Even with the Dante Symphony not attaining the heighest of heights, this disk is an excellent buy. Compare these works to those released on Teldec under Barenboim and the symphonic poems to that on Sony under Mehta and this 2 for 1 CD is a bargain.

Marvellous Recording.......2004-01-06

This was done during Solti's award-winning streak days. The celebrated Solti-CSO partnership at its best. The orchestra is thrilling in Liszt masterpiece. You haven't heard Faust Symphony if you haven't heard Solti.