Harpe & Divertissements

On this CD:

1. Variations for piano on a theme of Paganini
Composed by M. Mchedolov
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

2. La Chevre
Composed by Viorel Cosma
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

3. Harp Concerto in B flat major, Op.4/6 HWV 294
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

4. Misty
Composed by Erroll Garner
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

5. A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme), film score
Composed by Francis Lai
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

6. La Source for harp, Op 23
Composed by Albert Heinrich Zabel
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

7. Spanish Dances (12), in 4 volumes for piano (also arrangements), Op.37, H. 142 Danse Orientale, arr for harp
Composed by Enrique Granados
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

8. Impromptu
Composed by Reyngol'd Moritsevich Gliere
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

9. Duke
Composed by Bernard Andres
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

10. Pull Marine
Composed by S. Gainsbourg
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

11. Sonatas (6) for Harp No 6
Composed by Antonio Rosler Rossetti Rosety Rosetti
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

12. Danse des Sylphes
Composed by Felix Godefroid
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

13. Feelings
Composed by Morris Albert
Performed by Gaelle Vandernoot

Tracks:

Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 1. Rries, Passions (Largo - Allegro agitato ed appassinonato assai)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 2. Un bal (Valse: Allegro non troppo)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 3. Sc aux champs (Adagio)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 4. Marche au supplice (Allegretto non troppo)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 5. Songe d'une nuit du Sabbat (Larghetto - Allegro- Ronde du Sabbat: Poco menu mosso)
Tristia, Op 18 (excerpts): 3. Marche fune pour la derni sc d'Hamlet (Allegretto moderato)
La Damnation De Faust, Op. 24 (excerpts): Menuet des follets
La Damnation De Faust, Op. 24 (excerpts): Marche hongroise

Tracks:

Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 1. Le peur (Goethe, Duboys)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 2. Choeur d'ombres (Berlioz)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 3. Chanson de brigands (Berlioz)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 4. Chant de bonheur (Berlioz)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 5. La harpe ienne - Souvenirs
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 6. Fantasie sur la Temp de Shakespeare (Berlioz)
Grande Symphonie fune et triomphale, Op. 15: 1. Marche fune (Moderato un poco lento)
Grande Symphonie fune et triomphale, Op. 15: 2. Oraison fune (Adagio non tanto - Andantino un poco lento e sostenuto)
Grande Symphonie fune et triomphale, Op. 15: 3. Apothe (Allegro non troppo e pomposo)

Tracks:

Harold en Italie, Op.16: 1a. Harold aux montagnes (Adagio)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 1b. Harold aux montagnes (Allegro)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 2. Marche des prins (Allegretto)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 3. Snade (Allegro assai - Allegretto)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 4. Orgie de brigands (Allegro frenetico - Adagio - Allegro, Tempo I)
Les Troyens arthage: Prelude From: Les Troyens arthage: Part II, Act III
Les Troyens (Act IV): No. 29: Chasse royale et orage - Pantomime
Les Troyens (Act IV): No. 32: Marche pour l'entrde la reine; No. 33: Ballets
Les Troyens (Act IV): -A: Pas des Alm
Les Troyens (Act IV): -B: Danse des esclaves
Les Troyens (Act IV): - C: Pas d'esclaves nubiennes
Rrie et Caprice, Op.8

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Introduction
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Prologue: 'D'anciennes haines endormies'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Strophe 1: 'Premiers transports que nul n' oublie'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Strophe 2: 'Heureux enfants aux coers de flamme'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Rtatif et Scherzetto: 'Bientot de Romeo' - 'Mab! la messagere' - Bientot la mort est souveraine'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part II, Romseul - Tristesse - Concert eet bal
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part II, Grande f chez les Capulets
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part III, 'Ohe! Capulets! Bonsoir, bonsoir!'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part III, Sc d'amour

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Scherzo: La reine Mab ou la fdes songes
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Convoi fune de Juliette: 'Jetez des fleurs pour la vierge expiree!'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Romau tombeau des Capulets
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Finale. Choeurs et Rtatif du P Laurence: 'Quo! Romeo de retour!'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Finale. Air du P Laurence: 'Pauvres enfants que je pleure' - 'Mais notre sang rougit leur glaive'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Finale. Serment de rnciliation: 'Jurez donc'

Tracks:

Beatrice et Benedict
Benvenuto Cellini
Overtures: Le roi Lear, Op. 4
Les Francs - juges, Op. 3
Waverley, Op. 1
Le corsaire, Op. 21
Carnaval romain, Op. 9

Amazon.com

Berlioz was the first Romantic master of the orchestra. His music hasn't been surpassed in terms of sheer brilliance and accuracy of effect. This set includes all of the overtures, the Symphonie fantastique, Harold in Italy, the Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens, orchestral music from The Damnation of Faust and Romeo and Juliet, and the completely insane Grande Symphonie funebre et triumphale. Davis achieved his reputation as a conductor as a Berlioz specialist, and he proves an expert advocate on behalf of this stimulating, bizarre, and totally original genius. The recording quality, so critical in such colorful music, is also very good. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

I am in a Box with Berlioz Box Sets.......2004-02-22

First I ordered Hector Berlioz Complete Orchestral Works (Box Set) in a 6-CD set by Sir Colin Davis because orchestral is what I like best. That was in 2002. Now I have ordered The Berlioz Edition (Box Set)in a 24-CD Box Set by Sir Colin Davis because I like what I have heard of Berlioz by Davis. I will put this up for sale, and if it doesn't go I will consider putting The Berlioz Edition up for sale after I have heard it. As I said I am in a Box with Berlioz Box Sets and can't afford both.

A superb set, well worth the price!.......2002-08-16

For those of us who grew up in the 1950s and '60s, the music of Berlioz means Munch and Toscanini: Munch for his incendiary performances of "Symphonie Fantastique," "Romeo et Juliette," "Damnation of Faust," the Requiem and the overtures (among others), Toscanini primarily for his gorgeous reading of "Harold in Italy" but also for his versions of the Roman Carnival Overture and (for those who could find it) the "Romeo" with Gladys Swarthout. These readings had one thing going for them, which was a rhythmic impetus that made even the slow movements exciting. Unfortunately, for those of us who read scores, when we checked these versions against the music we found that Toscanini and Munch had fiddled a bit with tempi and bowing accents in an attempt to make the music more exciting. Is this so bad? Not necessarily, because these conductors had this music in their blood, they were presenting Berlioz as they had processed him over a lifetime of love, and so their fast tempi had little in common with the rattly, jangly readings often turned out by John Eliot Gardiner.

Sir Colin Davis was, and of this reading remains, the greatest Berlioz interpreter of the stereo/digital era. This is no mean feat when one realizes that he now has several competitors in the field, among them James Levine and Charles Dutoit, but in my view only the wonderful John Nelson (whose recordings of the Te Deum and "Nuits d'Ete" with Susan Graham are so wonderful) really comes close. And what makes Davis so great is that, like those legendary conductors of old, he really gets under the skin of Berlioz and makes him exciting while maintaining score tempi. Listen, for instance, to his "Symphonie Fantastique," still the benchmark modern recording after nearly 30 years. Davis also excels in his readings of the Overtures, music from "Les Troyens," and the Symphonie Funebre et Triomphale which grabs the listener and pulls him/her into its vortex of sound.

In the other two symphonies, "Harold in Italy" and "Romeo et Juliette," I sense a lapse of sorts: the slow music is conducted not necessarily too slowly, but with a certain Romantic mushiness bordering on easy listening. This, for me, robs the "Romeo alone" and "Scene d'amour" of its passion, though of course it is wonderful to hear the score in modern stereo instead of Munch's cramped mono, and for me Toscanini's second movement of "Harold," with its peculiar yet engaging walking gait, shall never be surpassed--and, unlike Munch, Toscanini somewhat transcended his mono sound because of the wonderful clarity and transparency of his orchestra. Nevertheless, if I were forced to I would live with this Davis set over my Munch and Toscanini recordings because of their overall warmth and excellent sound.

Other highlights include excerpts from "Lelio" sung superbly by pre-leukemia Jose Carreras (listen to him ascend fearlessly to those high notes--he hasn't done that in nearly a quarter-century!), dramatically astute singing by Patricia Kerns and John Shirley-Quirk in "Romeo," and marvelous interpretations of the Overtures (oh, and you can forget "Rob Roy"...Berlioz decided after one performance that he would never publish it or even bother revising it, hence it is not here). I do question the omission of the Requiem and Te Deum (after all, they ARE "orchestral works"), but with so many riches at such a low price, who cares? Liner notes are sparse, and this is a slimline box which means paper sleeves and no jewel boxes, but so what? For this much Berlioz, so beautifully sung and conducted, the composer himself would gladly have plunked down ...

all the overtures *NOT*.......2001-05-04

This isn't a "complete" recording of Berlioz' orchestral music - what about the 'Rob Roy' overture? Granted it recycles some of Harold in Italy, but still...

A wonderful collection of Berlioz.......2000-08-15

This incredible six CD set features all of Hector Berlioz's purely orchestral music conducted by the great Sir Colin Davis, widely regarded as one of the greatest living Berlioz interpreters. In addition to favorites such as Symphonie fantastique, Harold en Italie and Romeo et Juliette, the set also includes the lesser known Lelio and several other works. The works were recorded between 1965 and 1980, and the sound is wonderful and rich. His interpretations are also lively and full of energy, especially in the overtures.

Customer Reviews:

The Ars subtileor rules........2006-11-21

Even though the title is a slight misnomer as more than half of the tracks are post-ars subtileor, this is an absolutely marvellous CD. Starting with Philipoctus de Caserta (ca.1370) and ending with Antoine Busnoys (d.1492), this CD surveys some of the best polyphonic secular and sacred music of the post-Ars nova Middle Ages.
The pieces are superbly performed by some of the very best early musicians of our day including the Orlando Consort, Ensemble organum and the Hilliard Ensemble. I highly recommend this CD for pleasure or instruction.
Dr. Joseph Baldassarre
Professor of Music History
Boise State University

Average customer rating:

Entertaining Dialogues
Dialogues With Double Bass
Jeremy McCoy: Dialogues With Double Bass

Dialogues With Double Bass

Manufacturer: Bridge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suites: Performed on Double Bass
Tarantella
London Double Bass Sound
Giovanni Bottesini: Double Bass Concerto
Bottesini;Music for Double Bass & Piano Vol.1

ASIN: B0007MSUMQ
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

Gioacchino Rossini: Duetto
Gioacchino Rossini: Duetto
Gioacchino Rossini: Duetto
John Patitucci: The Root
Georg Philipp Telemann: Sonata No. 2
Georg Philipp Telemann: Sonata No. 2
Georg Philipp Telemann: Sonata No. 2
Giovanni Bottesini: Gran Duetto No. 3
Giovanni Bottesini: Gran Duetto No. 3
Martin Dalby: MacPherson's Rant
Reinhold Gliere: Cradle Song
Edward Elgar: Duetto
John Patitucci: Grateful
Jean Francaix: Duo Baroque
Jean Francaix: Duo Baroque
Jean Francaix: Duo Baroque
Jean Francaix: Duo Baroque

Amazon.com

Destined by sheer size to hold up a whole orchestra, the double bass is rarely encountered in solo or chamber music. But on this record, Jeremy McCoy, Assistant Principal bassist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, proves that this mighty monster will let a great player perform fascinating technical feats and elicit sounds of astonishing beauty and variety. Collaborating with equally brilliant partners, he displays his instrument's infinite resources, as well as his own stunning virtuosity and stylistic versatility; the program--partly original, partly transcribed--ranges from Baroque, real and faux, to the present. Two charming Italian "Duettos" sound like parodies of grand opera: Bottesini's, himself a great bassist, for two basses, and Rossini's, for cello and, incredibly, a three-stringed bass. Both include singing slow movements, bouncy finales and dazzling pyrotechnics. Jazz bassist and composer John Patitucci contributes two pieces: one rhythmically spicy, one lyrical. A Telemann Canonic Sonata, familiar on flutes or violins, growls on bassoon and bass; Martin Dalby's Scottish-influenced "Rant" features sound effects for flute and bass. Duets by Gliére and Elgar, with viola and trombone respectively, are lovely. In Jean Francaix's brilliant "Duo Baroque," the bass and harp make fun of themselves and each other, but the joke goes on too long. This record will leave you smiling with admiration and delight. --Edith Eisler

Album Description

Jeremy McCoy's new album, "Dialogues with Double Bass" presents a wide-ranging look at the double bass repertoire. The album highlights two particular themes. The primary notion is highlighting the bass as an equal voice in instrumental duos that are diverse and interesting conversations. A second theme is found in the vocal quality of much of the music. Like Bottesini, one of history's most famous bass players, who earned his living playing in an opera orchestra, Jeremy McCoy is a seasoned member of New York City's Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (the orchestra's assistant principal bassist). The influence of great singing can be heard in McCoy's playing, in the way he shapes a phrase and in the varied tonal colors of his sound. McCoy's wide experience as a soloist, chamber player and orchestral musician, and the expressive range of his instrument, finds him right at home in this engaging collection of eloquent dialogues with the double bass.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining Dialogues.......2007-01-08

I enjoyed listening to "Dialogues with Double Bass" from beginning to end. I would recommend this excellent disk without any reservations!

The range of instrumental colors makes this a varied and interesting listening experience. This recording captures the fine details of the instruments without losing any warmth.

Communication between the players is excellent. McCoy's bass playing is superb, with great feel and great timing.

I have heard other fine recordings of the Rossini, but this one is my favorite. Kudos to Jeremy McCoy for showing the potential of the double bass in duet settings!

Dialogues With Double Bass.......2007-01-03

I bought this CD primarily for the recording of Elgar's Duet for Double bass and trombone. It contains a very wide variety of music, all of it good: however, because of the variety it is not often I feel like sitting down and listening to it in one sitting. It is more of a "dip into" CD.

Overall, tho, a very fine CD which shows off some of the textures available to the double bass.

Jeremy McCoy: Dialogues With Double Bass .......2006-10-25

This is a CD of duets with double bass in a classical music format. It is so refreshing that it does not sound confining like classical music can at times. I put it right up there with Yo-Yo Ma's Bach: The Cello Suites Inspired by Bach! Recording of instruments is clean, dynamic, yet highs and low in volumes are not so great that you are turning the volume up and down all the time. Five star on mi iPod!

Average customer rating:

Hands down, a winner!
Irresistible!

Rodrigo: Piano Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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Similar Items:

Rodrigo: Complete Orchestral Works 4
Complete Orchestral Works 1
Complete Orchestral Works 3
Joaquín Rodrigo: Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 5
Turina: Danza fantásticas

ASIN: B0006M4SR8
Release Date: 2005-01-18

Tracks:

In The Shadow Of The Crimson Tower
Caleseras
Fandango Del Ventorrillo
Plegaria De La Infanta De Castilla
Danza Valenciana
Pastoral
Nostalgic Prelude
Berceuse De Printemps
Berceuse D' Automne
Bagatela
El Vendedor De Chanquetes
Crepusculo Sobre El Guadalquivir
Seguidillas Del Diablo
Barquitos De Cadiz
Sounding Of Farewell
Spanish Serenade
Ballet Theme On A Young Girl's Name
Distant Sarabande
Diferencias Sobre 'El Canto Del Caballero'
Pavana
Pavana
Pavana
Fantasia In The Style Of Ludovico's Harp

Customer Reviews:

Hands down, a winner!.......2005-03-25

Spanish piano music has been a love of mine ever since I first heard Alicia de Larrocha play back in the early 1970s. Through her I discovered the gorgeous, colorful, sunny worlds of Albeniz, Granados, Falla, Turina, and some modern Spaniards such as Surinach and Montsalvatge. I don't think she ever recorded any works by Rodrigo however, and this present CD by Artur Pizarro on Naxos is a revelation, as all the music was unknown to me until now.

This is a generous recital, about 70 minutes with a wide variety of music, from simple and soulful, to brilliant evocations of guitars and castanets. Rodrigo was always partial to the music of the sixteenth century and there are some pieces here reflecting that era,beautiful madrigal-like textures or gently strumming harp-like pieces. Artur Pizarro plays it all with immense verve, color and fantasy. A wonderful pianist!

Once again, Naxos has a winner on its hands, particularly at the extremely modest price. You cannot lose.

I can see already that I will be giving this CD as a gift quite a few times.

Irresistible!.......2005-01-23

Most people know Joaquín Rodrigo for his several concertos for guitar, foremost of which is his 'Concierto de Aranjuez,' which has certainly made it into classical music's top 100. But how many people know that he was a virtuoso pianist and wrote reams of solo piano music? Artur Pizarro, a Leeds International Piano Competiton winner and a real force on the international piano scene (and who grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, only a few miles from where I'm sitting right now) is the perfect pianist to bring us this music. He was born in Spain and his primary teacher was the eminent Portuguese-American pianist, Sequeira Costa, who was also his step-father. He plays with éclat and is given sparkling, lifelike sound by his recording engineer. I have been really enjoying this CD of virtually unknown music by Rodrigo (labeled '1' on the booklet cover, so maybe there is a series in the offing) as I have the series of Rodrigo orchestral CDs also coming out in the Naxos 'Spanish Classics' series. Naxos is to be praised for bringing us this music as well as that by Granados, Albéniz and de Falla as well as lesser-known composers like Guridi, Arámbarra and Donostia. Frankly I think Spanish music in general is underrated because of its immediate appeal to all listeners, including those who are not terribly versed in classical music. One reason is that the Spanish have two major elements in their favor--their lovely melodic sense and the beguiling rhythms taken from their folk music. I, frankly, am a sucker for most Spanish music except, I fear, for that written for the solo guitar. Maybe that's one reason I so like these piano pieces; they borrow rhythms from the guitar but without what, for me, is the wearisome sound of the guitar. I am aware that I am in a tiny minority here, but it has made me something of an aficionado of Spanish piano music as a result.

None of the music recorded here is in the same class as that of Granados or Albéniz. But, that said, all of it is extraordinarily attractive. Spanish rhythms abound. The sultry languor of the Spanish atmosphere suffuses this music. Can anyone hear these pieces without having a sensuous thrill? I doubt it. Rodrigo, of course, is one of Spain's most talented melody writers. I can't think of a single piece of his that doesn't have a singable melody. This CD contains numbers of what the Germans call an 'Ohrwurm' ('Earworm'), those melodies that you can't get out of your mind's ear once you've heard them.

It is hard for me to pick any favorites from the 23 tracks on this disc. But I will admit I kept going back to hear 'Pastoral,' one of Rodrigo's earliest works (indeed it was written when he was still a student) which reminds me of some of the deliciously unpretentious piano pieces by Federico Mompou (whose music, by the way, has also been recorded by Jordi Masó on Naxos; but there's an even better recent CD played by Stephen Hough on Hyperion). This is what someone has called 'foreground background music,' meaning music that sounds unpretentious enough to be played more or less unheard in the background, but whose felicities keep commanding your attention. Another favorite is 'Air de ballet sur le nom d'une jeune fille' ('Ballet Theme on a Young Girl's Name') whose title lets you in on the fact that Rodrigo was enormously influenced by the French impressionists--one of his main teachers was Paul Dukas--and uses many of their harmonic devices in his own nonetheless totally Spanish music.

At this budget price and with these totally committed performances by Pizarro in music that irresistible, you simply can't go wrong here.

TT=69'27"

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

A tempting treasury, but only a few performances are great
Berlioz with immaginative variety

The Berlioz Experience

Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Grieg: Complete Music with Orchestra
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ASIN: B00008RWRJ
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Customer Reviews:

A tempting treasury, but only a few performances are great.......2007-02-03

Ten discs of Berlioz is a sumptuous offering, and temptingly cheap at Amazon Marketplace. DG has used this occasion to repackage some outstanding performances. At the top of the list goes James Levine's electrifying Requiem from Berlin, with playing and singing to match the conductor's inspiration. Also exciting--perhaps surprisingly so--is Abbado's Te Deum, which has rawer edges and sharper focus than Colin Davis's on Philips, long the standard version.

Dropping down a notch in quality, we have an elegantly played Romeo et Juliette by the Boston Symphony, superbly recorded, that has few rivals for refined virtuosity. But after a while Seiji Ozawa's approach seems to lack depth and meaning; he's skating over the surface of the musical drama, however brilliantly. Sharp and brilliant also describes Myung-Whun Chung's contribution, a Symponie fantastique, two overtures, and the Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens, all with his well-trained Bastille Opera orchestra. Chung is to the manner born in Berlioz, but so are greater conductors in these works, including Munch and Markevitch.

At about the same quality level I'd place the Mort de Cleopatre, a dullish early vocal scene sung with plushness by Jessye Norman, and Kiri Te Kanawa's Les Nuits d'Ete, which is ravishing in terms of sheer vocalism but otherwise vacant. Daniel Barenboim's slack conducting does the piece no favors, either, which holds true on a much larger scale for his Damnation of Faust. This is a typical Barenboim product, full of lush sounds, excellent singing, big-scale orchestral work, but leading to a meager artistic payoff. Barenboim's Faust isn't remotely competitive with Markevitch, Chung, Solti, Pretre, and others in this work. It's great to hear Domingo in the title role, but the conducting is so routine that I'm not sure the overall experience is worth it.

We get odds and ends of varying quality: the rarely recorded Tristia done superbly by Boulez, an uneven batch of songs that previously appeared in their own double-CD set (a chore to listen to in its entirety, despite the occasional gem), and a pedestrain Harold in Italy conducted by Lorin Maazel in Berlin, a performance that DG surely could have bettered by looking deeper into their vaults.

In all, I can't see investing in such an uneven collection except at super-budget price. If you do a little searching, all the best things here can be gotten separately, and the lesser recordings pale by comparison with classic Berlioz from Colin Davis, Charles Munch, and Igor Markevitch.

Berlioz with immaginative variety.......2003-10-30

This box makes a nice alternative to the Philips boxes under Colin Davis. Not to take anything away from Davis. His Berlioz cycle certainly ranks up there with the elite for recording achievements. But many will not want to invest in all 3 boxes, so Universal has brought us a great compilation of some of Berlioz' best works from a variety of performers with different styles.
The jewel has to be Ozawa's unsurpassed Romeo and Juliet. This 1976 studio recording had its birth at the Tanglewood Festival and features excellent soloists (Julia Hamari, Jose Van Dam, and Jean Dupouy), a very competent choir, and of course the reliable Boston SO. The recording is of outstanding quality. It seems cleaned up a little from what I remember of the CDs from the mid 80s; much more spacious, less muddy sounding. I especially like the chorus in the hushed night scene.
Barenboim's Damnaton is perdictably Furtwangler-like in tempo, and again features top notch singers in Fischer Dieskau, Jules Bastin, & Placido Domingo; Yvonne Minto is probably not in the same class with the others, but she's more than acceptable.
Levine directs a well recorded and balanced classical-sounding Requiem, and Abbado is more than competent in the Te Deum.
Chung's Fantastique is fun and enjoyable, if not first-class.
The rest of the works are very commendable, if not top-of-the-class.
In short, you can't go wrong for the price, and if you love Berlioz' Romeo, you've got to get this box just for the Ozawa gem.

Average customer rating:

Debussy: Danses; Harpe Chromatique

Manufacturer: Cypres
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000026BGX
Release Date: 1998-01-01

Milhaud: La création du mond; Le boeuf sur le toit; Concerto pour harpe

Average customer rating:

Suave but lackadaisical readings of saucy pieces
Eminently satisfying!
Still Searching for the Best

Milhaud: La création du mond; Le boeuf sur le toit; Concerto pour harpe

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005E8R
Release Date: 1993-02-09

Tracks:

Le Boeuf sur le toit, op. 58
La Crion du Monde, op. 81: Ouverture
La Crion du Monde, op. 81: 1. tableau
La Crion du Monde, op. 81: 2. tableau
La Crion du Monde, op. 81: 3. tableau
La Crion du Monde, op. 81: 4. tableau
La Crion du Monde, op. 81: 5. tableau
Concerto pour Harpe, op. 323: 1st Mouvement
Concerto pour Harpe, op. 323: 2nd Mouvement
Concerto pour Harpe, op. 323: 3rd Mouvement

Amazon.com

"The Creation of the World" is one of the first (and best) classical- jazz fusion pieces. The ballet was composed as a direct result of the composer's experience of Harlem nightclubs in the early years of this century, and for sheer audacity and authenticity, it has never really been surpassed, not even by composers like George Gerswhin. "Le Boeuf sur le Toit" (The Cow on the Roof), on the other hand, is a saucy evocation of the sites and sounds of Rio during Carnival season. It has become one of this very prolific composer's most popular pieces. The Harp Concerto is, as the title indicates, a purely abstract piece with a deeply felt slow movement and a zippy finale. These performances are crisp and alert. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Suave but lackadaisical readings of saucy pieces.......2006-06-03

David Hurwitz thinks that "boeuf" means cow and that Milhaud relished the "sites and sounds" of Brazil? Oh well. Kent Nagano has paired Milhaud's two most famous pieces--and almost the only ones that survive from this overly prolific composer, who looked like a dapper French Buddha.

Devoted as Nagano has been to the Gallic cause, he misfires in both works. "La Creation" is far too careful, and not nearly jazzy enough. "Boeuf" starts off in the right lively vein, but we quickly leave Rio behind and find ourselves in a stuffy ocncert hall. The charming but negligible Harp Concerto also gets a sweet, rather bland reading, but that's in the nature of the piece. (Anyone seeking a lively Boeuf sur le Toit should look to violinist Arnaud Capucon's quirky re-mix with rising conductor Daniel Harding.)

Eminently satisfying!.......2005-06-23

Superb performances (as you'd expect from Nagano) and recordings (as you'd expect from a fully digital, Erato release). This virtually hour-long edition is fully worthy of a place in the connoisseur's collection. Highly recommended!

Still Searching for the Best.......2000-05-31

I own this recording and Bernstein's version, but have been unable to find a reissue of Milhaud's own late 60s rendition on Nonesuch. It is by far the most energetic, impassioned version of the three. "La Boeuf" and "La Creation" are two of the "greatest hits" of 20th century composition and certainly are among my favorites. Go to the listing of this recording and listen to "La Creation" 1st tableau. Every time I hear this section, I can imagine myself in the back seat of a Paris taxi circa 1930 hurtling down the boulevarde in the rain. I always enjoy the ride. Give these tunes a listen and form your own impressions. I would give the Nonesuch recording five stars if I could find it on Amazon. In lieu of that gem, this recording is adequate. I prefer it to the Bernstein.

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Masters, Monsters & Mazes
Trefoil , Cuvelier , Machaut , Suzoy , and Taillander
Manufacturer: MSR Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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