Choral Music of Morton Feldman & Stefan Wolpe

On this CD:

1. Two Chinese Epitaphs, for chorus & percussion, Op.25
Composed by Stefan Wolpe
Performed by Thomas Kolor
Conducted by Harold Chaney

2. Christian Wolff in Cambridge, for chorus
Composed by Morton Feldman

Conducted by Harold Chaney

3. For Stefan Wolpe, for chorus & 2 vibraphones
Composed by Morton Feldman
Performed by Thomas Kolor
Conducted by Harold Chaney

4. Four Pieces for Mixed Chorus (aka "Three Pieces for Mixed Chorus"), for unaccompanied chorus
Composed by Stefan Wolpe

Conducted by Harold Chaney

5. Chorus and Instruments II, for chorus, chimes & tuba
Composed by Morton Feldman
Performed by Thomas Kolor
Conducted by Harold Chaney

Choral Music of Morton Feldman & Stefan Wolpe, Music, Morton Feldman, Stefan Wolpe, Harold Chaney, Benjamin Ramirez, Thomas Kolor, Chamber Music & Recitals, Choral, Classical, Miscellaneous Sacred Choral Music, Secular Choral Music, Secular Choral Music a capella, Secular Choral Music with Chamber Ensemble
Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel; Why Patterns?
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Pioneering Minimalism
  • Stark and Eerie
  • My introduction to Morton Feldman
  • not quite soporific
  • Ambient Beauty
 Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel; Why Patterns?

Manufacturer: New Albion Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Morton Feldman: Piano and String Quartet / Aki Takahashi, Kronos Quartet
  2. Give My Regards to Eighth Street: Collected Writings of Morton Feldman
  3. Feldman: Crippled Symmetry
  4. Morton Feldman: For Samuel Beckett
  5. Morton Feldman: Triadic Memories

ASIN: B000000R2Z
Release Date: 1992-09-24

Tracks:

  1. Rohtko Chapel 1
  2. Rothko Chapel 2
  3. Rothko Chapel 3
  4. Rothko Chapel 4
  5. Rothko Chapel 5
  6. Why Patterns?

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Pioneering Minimalism.......2006-06-16

Listening to Feldman's music today, it can sound dated and derivative- if only because so many have followed him down that road since. We've heard a lot of this sort of minimalist tone poem from numerous hacks and sci-fi film composers. (I'm sure John Williams keeps a stack of Feldman CDs handy when he writes incidental music for the Star Wars films.) But Feldman can still sound fresh; unlike the hacks, he is fully capable of composing melodies that linger on in the mind long after the piece ends. He's rather stingy with them, but that only makes them even more welcome when- as in the final movement of "Rothko Chapel"- they finally appear.

This, along with "The Viola in My Life", represents the most accessible part of Feldman's work, and probably (I would argue) the part most likely to still be played long after a lot of the boring and overly pretentious work of the 20th century has been condemned to the dustbin. I doubt Feldman will ever rival the great melodic works of the 18th and 19th Century masters- or modernists like Lygeti- for lasting appeal, but I think that he will always have a place in the canon.

5 out of 5 stars Stark and Eerie.......2004-07-26

A repetitive chorus of female voices, moaning, wailing, like a train heard passing from nowhere to nowhere at three in the morning, this is the coldest offering to the ear I've ever heard. And yet, somehow, it fits both Rothko's work and the manner of his death. After the Zen no-mind of the first four tracks, Feldman embraces his listeners and--by proxy--Rothko's spirit--in the 5th track, which offers us a "warm" and charming cello motif, that the composer, in his collected writings, tells us he composed at age 15. Rothko Chapel is then, a radical listening experience of "outside" (as in interstellar space), and "inside" (as in some catchy riff lifted from Dvorak's "American").

"Why Patterns" is more familiar Feldman territory: think aural disjunction, fragmentation, etc.

Exciting, challenging, memorable--these are the three key words I would apply to this CD.

5 out of 5 stars My introduction to Morton Feldman.......2004-06-30

A friend of mine said I should check out Rothko Chapel. He said when he was in college he would go out and play golf and bake in the sun while listening to Rothko Chapel. After hearing this I went right out and got a cd of it. I haven't played golf to it but it's still one of my favorite pieces of music.

4 out of 5 stars not quite soporific.......2003-03-22

Most of the music on this cd is very very sparing -- long tones with real silence between notes. But Morty Feldman also flirts with the baroque in these meticulously composed & arranged, textured pieces. Just don't try to use this music to wake you up. Nor to try to fall asleep to.

5 out of 5 stars Ambient Beauty.......2002-07-31

Morton Feldman may have been the prototypical minimalist. His music, though varied in effect, tends to consist of very soft, discrete sounds which slowly morph from pattern to pattern. Though his music falls into periods, roughly divided by notational practice (early music uses primarily graphic scores and aleatoric procedures, later scores tend toward more precise notation, though the rhythms still remain approximate), the effect of his output is remarkably the same throughout his life. It is intellectually challenging, beautiful ambient music.

Rothko Chapel, written to be played in the famous Houston space, is a wonderful piece, one that should win new converts to the Feldman cause. It isn't daunting in length, like many later Feldman pieces, yet it retains the sonic beauty and delicacy of instrumental color that makes Feldman unique. The piece is also remarkably tonal, unlike many other Feldman works. The gorgeous hushed soprano solo sounds like a distant call to prayer. Feldman talks in the liner notes of the influence of Hebrew cantilation and you can hear it, although it is much more distant than most cantilation. This work is an example of the best kind of ambient music. It is endlessly fascinating, and yet seems to have a physical presence that does not depend on your concentration. You can listen intently or just let the sound wash over you.

Inclusion of Why Patterns? was a good idea. This work is much more typical of Feldman's style. Written for the combination of flute, glockenspiel and piano, the almost 30 minute work is a slow spinning out of subtley dissonant patterns, all at extremely quiet volume levels. The work doesn't seem to start or stop. It's as if we are dropping in on an eternal piece of music, hanging around a while and then leaving again.

As one other reviewer stated, it would be nice to have another version of Rothko Chapel available. With a composer like Feldman, alternative versions can really proove useful. So much of his music depends on chance and the sensitivity of his performers that comparisions are more important than with more standard music. The sound on this CD is wonderful. Thank you New Albion! This is my favorite Feldman CD by far!
American Elegies
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • My intro to 20th century music....
  • A Collection of Music Apropos of our Time
  • Pleasant, But Uneven
  • Not the best Ives
  • Might as well be in a cemetery~!
 American Elegies

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by AdamsAll Works by Adams | Adams, John | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Ives, CharlesIves, Charles | ( I ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Ives, Charles | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
OratoriosOratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Minimal TechnoMinimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Kingdom Come; Hymnodic Delays; Fog Tropes II for String Quartet and Tap
  2. Ingram Marshall: Savage Altars
  3. Fog Tropes/Gradual Requiem
  4. Dark Waters
  5. Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel; Why Patterns?

ASIN: B000005J0I
Release Date: 1991-03-05

Tracks:

  1. The Unanswered Question
  2. Five Songs: Thoreau
  3. Five Songs: Down East
  4. Five Songs: Cradle Song
  5. Five Songs: At The River
  6. Five Songs: Serenity
  7. Fog Tropes
  8. Madame Press Died Last Week at Ninety - Morton Feldman
  9. Eros Piano
  10. Elegy In Memory Of Maurice Ravel

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars My intro to 20th century music...........2005-11-16

When I was in Dr. Knowles music appreciation class in college, I questioned the validity of modern 'art' music, because I didn't understand it (then). Silly me. He recommended John Adams. The local music store, which was stocked heavily with rap and techno and the like, was very limited in their classical selections. This was the only one they had, so I took a chance and bought it. Talk about opening my eyes (and ears).... the vocal works are absolutely mind blowing. Fog Tropes was a little creepy, but it definitely grew on me. You can call this my gateway CD, because I've been searching out 20th century since then. Thanks Dr. Knowles. :)

5 out of 5 stars A Collection of Music Apropos of our Time.......2003-04-18

With this country once again stunned by a yet another war, we find ourselves in a place where solace and nurturing are necessary and deeply needed. This collection of American composers' works that span a century has been lovingly assembled by John Adams and is performed by the usually conductorless Orchestra of St Lukes here under Adams' direction. The disc opens with the hauntingly beautiful Charles Ives' THE UNANSWERED QUESTION and proceeds with five of his best loved songs for voice and small orchestra performed with subtle clarity and undersatement by Dawn Upshaw in tandem with the orchestra. The last of these songs 'Serenity' blooms into the Ingram Marshall moody and exspansive exploration of fog and foghorns in FOG TROPES. Morton Feldman's quietly simple elegy for his piano teacher 'MADAME PRESS DIED LAST WEEK AT NINETY' is followed with John Adams own 'EROS PIANO', a work written as a memoriam/elegy at the death of Morton Feldman. The disc closes with David Diamond's plangent orchestral work 'ELEGY IN MEMORY OF MAURICE RAVEL'. Only on a CD could such programming exist and we are indebted to John Adams for creating this tenderly profound concert which, though recorded in 1989, seems immensely suitable for listening to today.

4 out of 5 stars Pleasant, But Uneven.......2001-01-18

The major work on this CD in terms of length is John Adams' Eros Piano, approximately 15 minutes. As a solo piano work, it is somewhat more purcussive than his orchestral compositions, but, nonetheless, well worth the listen.

The five Charles Ives songs sung by Dawn Upshaw are a treat, as she brings fine musicianship to anything she approaches. The works by Feldman and Diamond are interesting, new experiences, but I find that I will have to expend considerable effort to be able to come to terms with and appreciate the work by Marshall.

3 out of 5 stars Not the best Ives.......2000-01-31

If you want to find out about Charles Ives this isn't the best CD to start out with. Try, "Charles Ives: Quarta sinfonia" or a recording of "The Unanswered Question" these are the works that caused me to fall in love with Ives and only then did his songs make any sense.

5 out of 5 stars Might as well be in a cemetery~!.......1998-10-24

This CD is GREAT. It's moody, almost creepy, but never boring. It would be the perfect music for Halloween or to listen while taking a stroll in the cemetery. I've played it a number of times over the years, and I never get tired of listening to it. Adams and Ives are wonderful composers!
25 Years: Retrospective
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A worthwhile investment
  • Excelent compilation!
  • Amazingly Now Retrospective
  • How Could You Not Listen?
  • Good for help to know up-to-date contemporaly music
 25 Years: Retrospective
Suzanne Elder , Paul Hillier , David Krakauer , John Adams , Franguiz Ali-Zadeh , Ken Benshoof , George Crumb , Morton Feldman , Philip Glass , Osvaldo Golijov , Henryk Gorecki , Sofiya Gubaydulina , Arvo Part , P. Q. Phan , Astor Piazzolla , Steve Reich , Terry Riley , Alfred Schnittke , Peter Sculthorpe , Kevin Volans , Aki Takahashi , Ellen L. Hargis , Neal Rogers , and Kronos Quartet
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by AdamsAll Works by Adams | Adams, John | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Gubaidulina, SofiaGubaidulina, Sofia | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Górecki, Henryk MikolajGórecki, Henryk Mikolaj | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by GlassAll Works by Glass | Glass, Philip | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Piazzolla, AstorPiazzolla, Astor | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by PartAll Works by Part | Part, Arvo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Reich, SteveReich, Steve | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Riley, TerryRiley, Terry | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. The John Adams Earbox: A 10-CD Retrospective
  2. Three Tales (CD & DVD)
  3. Schnittke: Complete String Quartets
  4. Alban Berg: Lyric Suite
  5. Henryk Gorecki: String Quartet No. 3...songs are sung

ASIN: B00000DD9B
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Tracks:

  1. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Judah to Ocean
  2. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Toot Nipple
  3. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Dogjam
  4. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Pavane: She's So Fine
  5. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Rag the Bone
  6. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Habanera
  7. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Stubble Crochet
  8. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Hammer & Chisel
  9. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Alligator Escalator
  10. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Standchen: The Little Serenade
  11. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Judah to Ocean (Reprise)
  12. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Fratres
  13. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Psalom
  14. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Summa
  15. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Missa Syllabica: Kyrie
  16. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Gloria
  17. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Credo
  18. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Sanctus
  19. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Agnus Dei
  20. John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Ite, missa est

Tracks:

  1. Traveling Music: 1. Gentle, easy
  2. Traveling Music: 2. Moderate
  3. Traveling Music: 3. Driving
  4. Song of Twenty Shadows
  5. Five Tango Sensations: Asleep
  6. Five Tango Sensations: Loving
  7. Five Tango Sensations: Anxiety
  8. Five Tango Sensations: Despertar
  9. Five Tango Sensations: Fear
  10. Five Tango Sensations: Four, for Tango

Tracks:

  1. Piano And String Quartet (1985) - Various Artists

Tracks:

  1. Quartet # 4 (Buczak, 1989): I
  2. Quartet # 4 (Buczak, 1989): II
  3. Quartet # 4 (Buczak, 1989): III
  4. Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): 1957 - Award Montage
  5. Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): November 25 - Ichigaya
  6. Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): 1934 - Grandmother and Kimitake
  7. Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): 192 - Body Building
  8. Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): Blood Oath
  9. Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): Mishima/Closing
  10. Company, Quartet #2 (1983): I
  11. Company, Quartet #2 (1983): II
  12. Company, Quartet #2 (1983): III
  13. Company, Quartet #2 (1983): IV
  14. Quartet #5 (1991): I
  15. Quartet #5 (1991): II
  16. Quartet #5 (1991): III
  17. Quartet #5 (1991): IV
  18. Quartet #5 (1991): V

Tracks:

  1. The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: Prelude: Calmo, sospeso
  2. The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: I. Agitato - Con fucco - Maestoso - Senza misura, oscilante
  3. The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: II. Teneramente - Ruvido - Presto
  4. The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: III. Calmo, sospeso - Allego pesante
  5. The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: Postlude: Lento, liberamente
  6. Quartet #4 (1993)
  7. Mugam Sayagi (1993)

Tracks:

  1. Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): I. Largo (Sostenuto - Mesto)
  2. Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): II. DecisoEnergico (Marcatissimo sempre)
  3. Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): III. Arioso: Adagio cantabile
  4. Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): IV. Allegro (Sempre con grande passione e molto marcato)
  5. Already It is Dusk (Quartet #1), Op.62 (1988)

Tracks:

  1. Different Trains: America Before The War
  2. Different Trains: Europe During The War
  3. Different Trains: America After The War
  4. Black Angels: I. Departure - 1. Thenody I: Night Of The Electric Insects - 2. Sounds Of Bones And Flutes - 3. Lost Bells - 4. Devil-Music - 5. Danse Macabre
  5. Black Angels: II. Absence - 6. Pavana Lachrymae - 7. Threnody II: Black Angels! - 8. Sarabanda de la Muerte Oscura - 9. Losts Bells (Echo)
  6. Black Angels: III. Return - 10. God Music - 11. Ancient Voices - 12. Ancient Voices (Echo) - 13. Thenody III: Night Of The Electric Insects

Tracks:

  1. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Introduction
  2. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Violin I
  3. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Where Was Wisdom When We Went West?
  4. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Viola
  5. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): March of the Old Timers Reefer Division
  6. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Violin II
  7. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Tuning to Rolling Thunder
  8. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): The Night Cry of Black Buffalo Woman
  9. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Cello
  10. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Gathering of the Spiral Clan
  11. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Captain Jack Has the Last Word
  12. Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): G Song
  13. Salome Dances for Peace (1985-86) - III. The Gift: Echoes of Primordial Tim
  14. Salome Dances for Peace (1985-86) - III. The Gift: Mongolian Winds
  15. V. Good Medicine: Good Medicine Dance

Tracks:

  1. Quartet No. 2 (1981): I. Moderato
  2. Quartet No. 2 (1981): II. Agitato
  3. Quartet No. 2 (1981): III. Mesto
  4. Quartet No. 2 (1981): IV. Moderato
  5. Quartet No. 4 (1989): I. Lento
  6. Quartet No. 4 (1989): II. Allegro
  7. Quartet No. 4 (1989): III. Lento
  8. Quartet No. 4 (1989): IV. Vivace
  9. Quartet No. 4 (1989): V. Lento
  10. Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief (1984-85)

Tracks:

  1. Jabiru Dreaming, Quartet #11 (1990): I. Deciso
  2. Jabiru Dreaming, Quartet #11 (1990): II. Amoroso
  3. Quartet #8 (1969): I. Con dolore
  4. Quartet #8 (1969): II. Risoluto; calmo
  5. Quartet #8 (1969): III. Con dolore
  6. Quartet #8 (1969): IV. Con precisione
  7. Quartet #8 (1969): V. Con dolore
  8. From Ubirr (1994)
  9. Tragedy at the Opera (1995)
  10. White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: First Dance
  11. White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Second Dance
  12. White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Third Dance
  13. White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Fourth Dance
  14. White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Fifth Dance

Amazon.com

Seems like only yesterday the Kronos Quartet stepped up their career as musical mavericks with a coveted, wide-open contract with Nonesuch Records. Now it's Nonesuch's turn to give Kronos the big-package nod, gathering key works recorded by the group--from younger composers and time-tested veterans alike--into this 10-CD box set. As one might expect, the set is stuffed with contrasts, from the first CD, with its 11-part, upstepping John Adams suite and then the far more solemn Missa Syllabica from Arvo Pärt. Nearly 20 of these pieces here were composed expressly for Kronos, pitched and sculpted for their easily-racked mixture of straightforward string quartet roles and intelligently restructured approaches to the even the simplest gestures. Perhaps most key here is George Crumb's Black Angels, in large part due to Crumb's role in inspiring David Harrington to form Kronos 25 years ago. Crumb's music spirals and chases through the air, engaging high pitches and fast pacings as if they were ends in themselves. Gone from this set are most of the short snippets that have filled some of Kronos's other fine single CD recordings. In abundance instead are some of the legendary works: Morton Feldman's long, endlessly patient Piano and String Quartet (with Aki Takahashi), Steve Reich's unnerving Different Trains, and Henryk Górecki's String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2. There are also some of the astounding Eastern European works from Night Prayers as well, including the stunning Quartet No. 4 from Sofia Gubaidulina. And of course there are the Kronos biggie pieces: Philip Glass's works fill one CD, and so do Terry Riley's. What's more, Riley's Cadenza on the Night Plain and "G Song" are presented here in entirely fresh, new recordings. What the listener gets is a huge block of music, full of shifting colors and textures but perfectly apt in giving a wide-angle vantage on what Kronos has done for contemporary music. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A worthwhile investment.......2003-10-06

It would be an understatement to say that this is a fabulous box set. All 10 CDs are packed with some fabulous music that beautifull highlights the first 25 years of the Kronos Quartet, and the booklet included provides a great history of the group as well as nice blurbs on the composers and their pieces.

Equally nice about the box set is the inclusion of multiple new recordings, thus making this a worthwhile investment for fans. The Peter Sculthorpe Quartets are a particularly nice addition, as are the added Piazzolla, Part, and Riley compositions.

Along with this, the "classic" Kronos recordings are all here: "Black Angels" "Different Trains" "Salome Dances for Peace" (well, exceprts), and Feldman's Piano and String Quartet. Of particular note, I think is the inclusion of Gubaidulina's Quartet No 4, a fabulous recording that is otherwise hidden in Kronos' recording "Night Prayers."

Yes, this is quite an investment, but I firmly believe that it's worth it - longtime fans and newcomers alike have a lot to gain from this collection.

4 out of 5 stars Excelent compilation!.......2001-09-09

I like more classic period, like Hayden, but Cronos does it very well, technicaly excelent. The ten sets are wonderful recordings and the selection is unique. It deserves the investment, If you buy it, youre going to have more than ten hours of joy.

5 out of 5 stars Amazingly Now Retrospective.......2001-06-26

Since their youthful start in the NW back in the 70's, Kronos has collaborated with, commissioned, or just played such a breadth of musicians it almost seems that breadth - and especially non western world culture - is their mission. But, while this conservatively and esthetically designed 25-yr-retrospective box (with its increasingly sophisticated photo-portraits) belies the pulsation of social angst and conscience that underlies the bulk of the inclusions, the latter concern, its vitality and relevance - and not some stylish chasing after cultural breadth - is what overtakes the listener/reader, rather soon. I say reader, since the booklet is very helpful, especially to the relative novice, and well balanced in its coverage of composers, historical contexts, performers, individual texts, etc.

There are probably more non contemporaries performed by the Quartet over the years than this selection would indicate. That undercuts their ties with the sense of revolution in music throughout the ages, but it leaves more time for the present: and that is where one expects the group wishes to be, is most contributory and challenged, and is best and most fairly judged. Highly recommended, both for those who know Kronos's work well and wish a handsome tribute on their shelf, and for those who do not but are open and ready to be affected, whether impacted esthetically, reminded socio-morally, or whatever combination of both befits.

5 out of 5 stars How Could You Not Listen?.......1998-12-19

My opinion pales when compared to this CD. Indeed the group's ingeniousness, its knowing and its balls are in full display here, hopefully to put to rest any lingering contention that there is little more to Kronos than form. To any person who accepts the merits of 20th-century music, this CD presents the genius of our culture and teaches that daring and ingenuity do not have to be sacrificed on the road to technical brilliance. My only regret is that the CD does not include Kronos's interpretation of Bartok. But, so what? Górecki's here, as are Part and Benshoof. Listen to this CD -- soar and struggle with it.

5 out of 5 stars Good for help to know up-to-date contemporaly music.......1998-11-28

The Kronos Quartet has released many albums. There let us see what the quartet has tried new titles and arrenges in each period. But this is the best set for understand the quartet as summary of thier works. The CDs are distributed by each composers and we can see thier identities easily.Unfortunately this dose not include all but be enough to see what the quartet has been.I hope that every classical music fans(not only contemporaly music fans) listen this CDs.
Hersch, Josquin, Rihm, Feldman
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Hersch, Josquin, Rihm, Feldman

    Manufacturer: Vanguard Classics
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Rihm, WolfgangRihm, Wolfgang | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    RequiemsRequiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ChansonsChansons | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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    1. Michael Hersch: Chamber Music

    ASIN: B0002MPQR8
    Release Date: 2004-09-21
    Morton Feldman: Orchestral Works & Chamber Music
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • I can't believe that guy said that
    • For insomniacs only
    		 Morton Feldman: Orchestral Works & Chamber Music
    Morton Feldman , Woodward , Saarbruck Rso , and Hans Zender
    Manufacturer: Col Legno
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    ClassicalClassical | Imports | Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Xenakis: Orchestral Works & Chamber Music
    2. Xenakis: Large Orchestra Works, Vol. 1
    3. Century Rolls

    ASIN: B00004WK5V
    Release Date: 2000-08-29

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars I can't believe that guy said that.......2005-06-22

    This CD is fantastic...Morton Feldman is one of the best composers of the 20th century. This CD presents a nice slice of his more easily digestable works (which means, works that are under 4 hours long). "Rothko Chapel" should be pop music.

    2 out of 5 stars For insomniacs only.......2001-11-23

    Can't sleep? Call Dr. Feldman! His medicine (in painless, easy-to-take CD form) will banish your anxieties and allow you to get the rest you need. It's more effective than counting sheep, and unlike sleeping pills, won't make you groggy all the time.
    Choral Music of Morton Feldman & Stefan Wolpe
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • A useful, varied mix of Wolpe and Feldman
    		 Choral Music of Morton Feldman & Stefan Wolpe

    Manufacturer: New World Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    OratoriosOratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    A CappellaA Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel; Why Patterns?

    ASIN: B00004Y9TA
    Release Date: 2000-10-17

    Tracks:

    1. Two Chinese Epitaphs, Op.25: I. Twelve Peasants - Chor Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch, New York City/Harold Chaney/Benjamin Ramirez/Thomas Kolor
    2. Two Chinese Epitaphs, Op.25: II. By A Handful Of Rice - Chor Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch, New York City/Harold Chaney/Benjamin Ramirez/Thomas Kolor
    3. Christian Wolff In Cambridge - Chor Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch, New York City/Harold Chaney
    4. Chor Instrs II - Chor Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch, New York City/Harold Chaney/Benjamin Ramirez/Thomas Kolor...
    5. Four Pieces For Mixed Chor: I. Psalm 122: I Was Glad When They Said To Me - Chor Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch, New York City/Harold Chaney
    6. Four Pieces For Mixed Chor: II. Piece By Gershon Shofman: Remove Your Shoes From Your Feet - Chor Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch, New York City/Harold Chaney
    7. Four Pieces For Mixed Chor: III. Isaiah 43: 18-21: Remember Ye Not The Former Things - Chor Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch, New York City/Harold Chaney
    8. Four Pieces For Mixed Chor: IV. Jeremiah 31: 6-12: Sing Aloud With Gladness For Jacob - Chor Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch, New York City/Harold Chaney
    9. For Stefan Wolpe - Chor Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch, New York City/Harold Chaney/Benjamin Ramirez/Thomas Kolor

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars A useful, varied mix of Wolpe and Feldman.......2004-01-16

    This disc collects together choral works by the German-American composer Stefan Wolpe and his most prominent pupil, the utterly different Morton Feldman. Despite their completely separate styles, the two had great respect for each other, a fact that is perhaps borne out by the final work on this disc being by Feldman and entitled For Stefan Wolpe.

    Wolpe's 1937 work Two Chinese Epitaphs is from his period of politically-committed socialist art. These two pieces, for chorus and drums, set protest poems decrying the atrocities committed against the powerless (the inlay writer makes the all-too-predictable comparison to Picasso's Guernica). The first piece is full of driving rhythms, dissonant and vigorous; the second is more consonant and subdued.

    The two short pieces by Morton Feldman make a dramatic contrast to the vigour and anger of the Wolpe. Christian Wolff in Cambridge, for a capella chorus and written in 1963, is nothing more than a three-minute sequence of chords. Chorus and Instruments II was written four years later, and adds tuba and chimes. It floats along in much the same way, though less consonantly.

    Returning to Wolpe, we hear his Four Pieces for Mixed Chorus. The tonal harmony of these pieces was related to the occasion for which it was written--a competition to write a work for an amateur Israeli choir--but the complexity of the writing meant it did not win the competition. This work strikes me as rather dry; despite some of its passing beauties I don't find it to represent Wolpe at his best.

    Feldman's For Stefan Wolpe was written in 1986, a year before the younger composer's death. At half an hour in duration, this work, for chorus and vibraphones, is one of the shorter of Feldman's late works. As with almost all late Feldman, the music is slow and quiet, and based on a number of short, gradually varying motifs that are repeated several times before moving onto the next. The work largely takes the form of a call-and-response structure between the chorus and vibraphones; though at the beginning of the work the choral parts are dominant, in the later stages of the work the vibraphone parts become gradually more extended.

    This is a good disc with an enjoyable variety of music--most of which is hard to come by on compact disc--on it. The Choir of Saint Ignatius of Antioch acquit themselves well under Harold Chaney, though I feel that Wolpe's Four Pieces needs the dynamism and technical assurance that a more big-name choir might bring. Nonetheless, this disc is well worth investigating if you're a fan of either composer.
    Wergo Collection 2: Music of Our Time
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Wergo Collection 2: Music of Our Time

      Manufacturer: Wergo
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      TriosTrios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      Cage, JohnCage, John | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      Gubaidulina, SofiaGubaidulina, Sofia | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by HindemithAll Works by Hindemith | Hindemith, Paul | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by NancarrowAll Works by Nancarrow | Nancarrow, Conlon | ( N ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      Ravel, MauriceRavel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by SchoenbergAll Works by Schoenberg | Schoenberg, Arnold | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by DebussyAll Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      EtudesEtudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      Character PiecesCharacter Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
      CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      OratoriosOratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      OratoriosOratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
      All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
      CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Etudes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
      All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Etudes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
      CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
      All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
      ASIN: B000005WAS
      Release Date: 1997-11-11

      Tracks:

      1. Nine Horses
      2. Study For Player Piano No. 3e
      3. Presence
      4. Etude Fur Orgel Nr. 2 Coulee
      5. Luba Orgonasova: Missa Da Requiem
      6. Klavierstucke
      7. The O'Hara Songs
      8. Jazz Study
      9. Le Petit Negre
      10. Morgenstern-Liederbuch
      11. Suite Dansante En Jazz
      12. Palillos Y Panderetas
      13. Jeux D'eau
      14. Serenade Pour Un Insecte
      15. Farbtonstucke
      16. Zehn Praludien Fur Violoncello Solo
      17. Klavierstucke
      18. Cantabile Per Archi
      19. Intervalles
      20. Das Unaufhorliche: Aber die Fortschritte
      21. Streichquartett Nr. 6 In Es: II.Lebhaft und sehr energisch
      Rückblick Moderne: 20th Century Orchestral Music
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • BUT WHY?
      • Great Recordings
      • A must for lovers of modern music
      		 Rückblick Moderne: 20th Century Orchestral Music

      Manufacturer: Col Legno
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      BalletsBallets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
      TriosTrios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by BergAll Works by Berg | Berg, Alban | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by BoulezAll Works by Boulez | Boulez, Pierre | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      Cage, JohnCage, John | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by CarterAll Works by Carter | Carter, Elliott | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by HartmannAll Works by Hartmann | Hartmann, Karl Amadeus | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by HolligerAll Works by Holliger | Holliger, Heinz | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      Ives, CharlesIves, Charles | ( I ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by MahlerAll Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by MessiaenAll Works by Messiaen | Messiaen, Olivier | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by NonoAll Works by Nono | Nono, Luigi | ( N ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      Ravel, MauriceRavel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      Rihm, WolfgangRihm, Wolfgang | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by SchnittkeAll Works by Schnittke | Schnittke, Alfred | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by SchoenbergAll Works by Schoenberg | Schoenberg, Arnold | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by StravinskyAll Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by ShostakovichAll Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by WebernAll Works by Webern | Webern, Anton von | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by DebussyAll Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by GlassAll Works by Glass | Glass, Philip | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      ConcertinosConcertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      Trio SonatasTrio Sonatas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      Tone PoemsTone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      Ballets & DancesBallets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Ives, Charles | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
      PercussionPercussion | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
      Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      ChorusesChoruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000038IDI
      Release Date: 1999-11-15

      Amazon.com

      It starts, appropriately enough, with Charles Ives's The Unanswered Question, which seems to hold its breath, and occasionally exhale in brief bursts of panic, as the new century unfolds. It ends with Dmitri Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony Op. 110a (based on his String Quartet No. 8), whose alternating sequences of anguish, alarm, and derision come as close as possible for absolute music to indicting its bloody history--eight CDs and over 30 works later.

      Rückblick Moderne: 20th Century Orchestral Music represents as fine a look back at musical modernism as you're likely to get. And in what a lavish package! A tall box holding two multi-CD jewel boxes and a beautifully printed booklet with photographs of modern and postmodern architecture and extensive liner notes (in German). Even the CDs themselves look handsome. All the more amazing when you realize that the entire set was digitally recorded live--with coughs, turning pages, chair creaks, and vivid sound--during one week in 1998 in Stuttgart (where, it seems, you have to travel nowadays even to hear about this kind of music), by such groups as the RSO Saarbrücken and the Bamberger Symphoniker, led by Dennis Russell Davies, Michael Gielen, Heinz Holliger, and other risk takers. Each CD has been programmed around a theme; for example, "Explosion/Implosion" (featuring Varèse and Mahler's tone poem Totenfeier, later becoming the first movement of his Second Symphony) and "Minimal Postludien," which includes (heads up, completists) Philip Glass's Echorus for two solo violins and string orchestra and Ligeti's Ramifications. Stravinsky, who, like Schoenberg and Cage, appears to cast a long shadow over this imposing collection, remains one of the highlights: a sharp, fiercely erotic performance of Le Sacre by Lothar Zagrosek and the Stattsorchester Stuttgart that helps remind us how much modern music has done, in the face of controversy and disaster, to ground us in our humanity. --Robert Burns Neveldine

      Customer Reviews:

      2 out of 5 stars BUT WHY?.......2002-05-15

      At eight cds, this could have been a hefty set of 20th century orchestral music. But somewhere along the line, around the beginning of planning the festival I'm guessing, something went horribly wrong. There were eight concerts, each with a theme. The pieces chosen have often only a tenuous connection with the theme, if any. There are no women composers. There are no composers from Romania. There are no composers from the Czech Republic. There are no composers from Poland. That means no Gubuidulina, no Ana-Marie Avram, no Joan Tower. That means no Dumitrescu or Janacek or Lutoslawski. Can you believe it? A collection of twentieth century orchestral music with no Lutoslawski? Verily it boggleth the mind.

      But so what? Are the pieces they did play well played? Well, sometimes. Gielen and Zender get predictably excellent results. But much of the rest sounds for all the world like first reads. Extremely sensitive and polished first reads to be sure, but no sense of piece qua piece, a thing with a shape from start to finish. (This is most apparent in the eccentric phrasing.) These are not the newer pieces, either, but Ives and Ravel and Bartok and Stravinsky. You know these people have played these pieces dozens of times. No excuse.

      It's hard to fault a company (Col legno) that puts out so many fine performances of the likes of Helmut Lachenmann, but in this venture I really think they dropped the ball.

      5 out of 5 stars Great Recordings.......2000-12-30

      I wish I could read in German! This is the only "flaw" of this edition, in my opinion: it seems to have a great booklet, but I can't read it. Otherwise, it is a great collection: excelent recordings, good choice of works. I find it an excelent intro to modern music.

      5 out of 5 stars A must for lovers of modern music.......2000-06-26

      This 8 CD collection contains a wonderfully diverse selection of works that trace the development of music through the century. This set contains music form the pivotal artists from the beginning of the century; Schoenberg, Webern, Berg, Stravinsky, Debussy, Bartok, Ives and Varese. Master from later in the century include; Messiaen, Carter, Boulez, Cage, Feldman, Kurtag, Schnittke, Glass, and Ligeti. From the late romanticism of Mahler, to the impressionism of Ravel and Debussy, the atonality of the Second Viennese, the neo-styles of Stravinsky, Kurtag, Schostakovich, and Schnittke, to the minimalism of Glass, this collection has it all. Also within this collection are some classic compositions by lesser known masters such as; Maderna, Nono, Kagel. Rihm, Zimmerman, Furrer, and Lachenmann to name a few. Dennis Russell Davies, Michael Gielen, Heinze Holliger, and Hans Zender conduct superb performances of most of these classics. There is much to cherich in this collection, and are many treasures to be discovered.
      Wergo Collection 2: Music of Our Time
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Wergo Collection 2: Music of Our Time

        Manufacturer: Wergo
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        TriosTrios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        Cage, JohnCage, John | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        Gubaidulina, SofiaGubaidulina, Sofia | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by HindemithAll Works by Hindemith | Hindemith, Paul | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by NancarrowAll Works by Nancarrow | Nancarrow, Conlon | ( N ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        Ravel, MauriceRavel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by SchoenbergAll Works by Schoenberg | Schoenberg, Arnold | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by DebussyAll Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        EtudesEtudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
        Character PiecesCharacter Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
        SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
        CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
        General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
        Vocal Jazz GeneralVocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        OratoriosOratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        OratoriosOratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B00000B7B6
        Release Date: 1997-01-01

        Tracks:

        1. Nine Horses
        2. Study For Player Piano No. 3e
        3. Presence
        4. Etude Fur Orgel Nr. 2 Coulee
        5. Luba Orgonasova: Missa Da Requiem
        6. Klavierstucke
        7. The O'Hara Songs
        8. Jazz Study
        9. Le Petit Negre
        10. Morgenstern-Liederbuch
        11. Suite Dansante En Jazz
        12. Palillos Y Panderetas
        13. Jeux D'eau
        14. Serenade Pour Un Insecte
        15. Farbtonstucke
        16. Zehn Praludien Fur Violoncello Solo
        17. Klavierstucke
        18. Cantabile Per Archi
        19. Intervalles
        20. Das Unaufhorliche: Aber die Fortschritte
        21. Streichquartett Nr. 6 In Es: II.Lebhaft und sehr energisch
        Bernstein Century - Music of Our Time / New York PO
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • A modernist snapshot from 40 years ago
        • A mostly excellent modernist mish-mash
        • The Classic Performance of "TPL" back in print 30 years late
        • Yuck!
        		 Bernstein Century - Music of Our Time / New York PO

        Manufacturer: Sony
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        Denisov, EdisonDenisov, Edison | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by FeldmanAll Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by MessiaenAll Works by Messiaen | Messiaen, Olivier | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by SchullerAll Works by Schuller | Schuller, Gunther | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        Classical MusicClassical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
        Opera & VocalOpera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
        Similar Items:
        1. Modern Masters
        2. Bernstein Century: Bernstein on Jazz - What is Jazz?
        3. Bernstein Century - Tchaikovsky: Symphony no 4, etc / New York PO
        4. American Masters: Harris, Thompson, Diamond
        5. Luciano Berio: Corale (Sequenza VIII), for Violin, 2 Horns & Strings / Chemins II (Sequenza VI) / Chemins IV (Sequenza VII) / Ritorno degli Snovidenia, for Cello & Small Orchestra / "Points on the Curve to Find...", for Piano & 22 Instrumentalists - Pierre Boulez

        ASIN: B00003WGO2
        Release Date: 2000-01-11

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars A modernist snapshot from 40 years ago.......2007-01-14

        When he was a few years into the conductorship of the NY Phil., Leonard Bernstein decided to educate his audience with a large dose of contemporary music. He had the clout and the charisma to carry it off--almost. Subscriptions faltered; audiences walked out in mid-performance. Today they wouldn't have, not in an era when tonality rules and the 'advanced' atonality of these old works has become passe. Proof of this lies in the fact that no one has recorded the Feldman, Denisov, and Schuller again. Liget's Atmospheres has survived, focourse, and he went on to join Messiaen in the pantheon of 20th-century masteres.

        As a snapshot of modernism this is an eye-opening CD; the program has been described in detail by two reviewers already. I will jsut add that I enjoyed Bernstein's typically emotional, romantic style, which creeps into Feldman's twitterings and Ligeti's fearsomely atonal sound blocks. Having premiered the Turangalila Sym. at Tanglewood when he was very young, Bernstein could have made a great recording of it. He dropped the work, however, so we have to settle for his wonderful, impassioned 1961 account of the Trois Petites Liturgies. It and the Ligeti are the lasting works, at least right now.

        4 out of 5 stars A mostly excellent modernist mish-mash.......2004-01-11

        This disc collects recordings of works by Ligeti, Feldman, Denisov and Schuller, recorded during Leonard Bernstein's brief flirtation with the avant-garde, and adds Bernstein's recording of Messiaen's Trois Petits Liturgies de la Présence Divine to fill the disc out to a packed 79 minutes. In some ways the disc is self-recommending, with no other recordings available of the Feldman, Denisov and Schuller pieces, but it does have some problems.

        The performance of Ligeti's famous Atmosphères illustrates this very well. Ligeti's work (famous ever since the appearance of 2001: A Space Odyssey) is a slowly changing mass of floating atonal colours and harmonies with no melodic or rhythmic material to speak of, and thus it is rather surprising that Bernstein chooses to conduct it as if it were Mahler. His very fast, hyper-Romantic rendition does shed different light on the work than the classic recordings under Claudio Abbado and Jonathan Nott, but to me it sounds fundamentally misconceived--certainly it misses out on much of the orchestral detail that is so clear in the best of the rival readings.

        Out of "Last Pieces" is Morton Feldman's second work for full orchestra (written in 1961 and not 1958 as the inlay claims). It's written in a graphical notation which gives basic details of what each instrumentalist has to play without exactly defining pitches, and will surprise those who know Feldman only from his later, slow, quiet works. Hyperactive, dense and full of detail, it's very much a work of its time, but still remains interesting today. I suspect the performance here is a little over-aggressive, but since this is the only recording this work has ever had, it remains a safe recommendation.

        The Four Improvisations by the Orchestra are very sixties, very dated, and sound pre-prepared to me. Edison Denisov's early Crescendo e Diminuendo is similarly weak, and certainly shouldn't be compared to his mature masterpieces. An increasingly frantic harpsichord solo is accompanied by string parts that sound influenced by the Darmstadt serialists, before the music fades back into silence.

        Distinctly superior is Gunther Schuller's orchestral triptych Triplum. Showing the dual influences of jazz and serialism, this is an ambitious, beefily orchestrated work. The first, moderately fast part is harmonically dense and gradually builds to an understated climax; the second part is faster, with vigorous rhythms and clearer textures. The slow finale brings melody to the forefront for the first time in the piece, with lyrical writing for the woodwind and solo strings against a floating tapestry of massed strings. The music gradually intensifies until it ends in a dramatic climax. This is a fine work, and its revival here is to be commended.

        At one time, Bernstein had quite a close connection to the music of Olivier Messiaen (indeed, he premiered Turangalila), and it's easy to see why: the religious ecstasy present in much of Messiaen must have appealed to him. The French composer's Trois Petites Liturgies de la Présence Divine is one of Messiaen's most ecstatic works: a triptych of religious settings for womens' chorus, strings, piano, ondes martenot and percussion (unfortunately, the words are not printed in the booklet that comes with the disc). These settings are typical of 1940s Messiaen in their musical language, which combines consonant modal harmony, complex ancient rhythms, sugar-candy Hollywood cadences and occasional dissonant outbursts. Bernstein matches the religious fervour of the work with a rapid, intense reading that brings out the music's ecstatic qualities, though occasionally at the cost of a sense of repose. In some ways, though, the real star of the recording is the pianist Paul Jacobs, whose phenomenal reading of the piano part has never been bettered. Lovers of this work will want to hear this recording, even though Bernstein's rather extreme interpretation may not appeal to all (for my part, I rate it very highly).

        This disc is well worth having, even though some of the recordings (particularly the Schuller) are starting to show their age. For those wanting the Feldman, the Schuller or (to a lesser extent) the Messiaen, it is a clear recommendation; those primarily in search of the Ligeti should acquire the second Ligeti Project volume instead.

        5 out of 5 stars The Classic Performance of "TPL" back in print 30 years late.......2000-07-06

        Leonard Bernstein was not exactly enthusiastic about the music of what 30 years ago was known as "avant garde" although he did eventually produce a rather stunning serial work in "The Dybbuk." His recorded legacy here is slight. Four of the five works on this disc were originally released together in the mid-sixties. "Atmospheres" (Gyorgi Ligeti) will be familiar from its use in "2001 -A Space Odyssey" and is a stunning piece in its own right. Morton Feldman (American) and Edison Denisov (Russian) will be largely unknown to most audiences - and the pieces herein recorded are not among the better examples of their music. Gunther Schuller, however, is a major figure both in the world of the concert hall and jazz - having long experimented with third stream among other things. His "Triplum" is a solid orchestral work in the later serial mode. The CD also boasts of several less than significant improvisations by the orchestra.

        However, what redeems this disc absolutely is the incredible performance of one of the truly great works of the 20th century: Trois Petites Liturgies de la Presence Divine (1944) by the late Olivier Messiaen. This work, scored for string orchestra, piano, ondes martenot and women's chorus is Messiaen par excellence. Being a profoundly religious man with a concommitantly deep mysticism Messiaen frequently expresses his complex poetic theology in a correspondingly complex musical language. Don't be fooled by it, though, for his very clear debt to Dukas (Sorcerer's Apprentice), who was his teacher, Ravel and Debussy is apparent in every bar. This is exquisitely gorgeous music played for all it's worth by the Philharmonic. Bernstein never made a better recording. It's refreshing to hear the vibraphone played the way it was intended: with the fan motors on (i.e. "Vibra-phone"). The ondes martenot is also excellently integrated into the ensemble and NOT (for once) played by Jeanne Loriod.

        The highest recommendation for this performance. Get it and forget the others. This should have been out thirty years ago. For shame on Sony and Columbia for keeping this one in the vault for too long! And why are those program notes so condescending and bereft of real information? Duck the liner notes and revel in the Messiaen (puns intended).

        1 out of 5 stars Yuck!.......2000-05-17

        Most of this music is totally unpalatable. Most of it sounds like the orchestra tuning up before a performance.

        I don't wish to slight Maestro Bernstein or the NYPO, which I'm sure perform the music quite well. The problem is the music itself - it's the type of 20TH century music that sounds like composers picked notes at random and made up a score.

        The final piece by Messiaen was a bit two atonal and "wierd" for me, even though I generally like Messiaen. The only piece I enjoyed was Ligetti's "Atmospheres" and the only reason why I liked that is because of its association with "2001: A Space Odyssey".

        Music Track:

        1. Christmas Album By American Composers
        2. Christmas Music From Medieval England
        3. Cinema Classics 1998
        4. Complete Organ Sonatas Gustav Merkel (Final Vol)
        5. Composers' Voice Highlights: Jeff Hamburg
        6. Couleurs d'Europe Centrale
        7. Devotional Christmas
        8. Eastman Americn Music Series, Vol. 5
        9. Ed Spanjaard Conducts Robert Heppener
        10. European Guild of Organists: L'heritage de l'orgue classique

        Music Track

        music track

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