The Warsaw Recordings

On this CD:

1. The House of Christmas, cantata for soprano, baritone,chorus & orchestra
Composed by Francis Judd Cooke
Performed by Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra with Dorota Radomska, Bodgan Sliva
Conducted by Jerzy Swoboda

2. Symphony 1994
Composed by Francis Judd Cooke
Performed by Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Jerzy Swoboda

3. Symphony 1990
Composed by Francis Judd Cooke
Performed by Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Jerzy Swoboda

4. Variations in G major, for orchestra
Composed by Francis Judd Cooke
Performed by Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Jerzy Swoboda

5. String quartet
Composed by Francis Judd Cooke
Performed by Moyzes Quartet

Tracks:

Pno Con in f,Op.21, Maestoso
Pno Con in f,Op.21, Larghetto
Pno Con in f,Op.21, Allegro vivace
Con in e,Op.11, Allegro maestoso
Con in e,Op.11, Romanze: Larghetto
Con in e,Op.11, Rondo: Vivace

Tracks:

Intro ''La ci darem la mano'',Op.2,Largo-Poco piu mosso
Theme ''La ci darem la mano'',Op.2,Allegretto
Var I ''La ci darem la mano'',Op.2,Brilliante
Var II ''La ci darem la mano'',Op.2,Veloce ma accuratamente
Var III ''La ci darem la mano'',Op.2
Var IV ''La ci darem la mano'',Op.2
Var V ''La ci darem la mano'',Op.2, Adagio-Alla Polacca
Fantasy On Polish Airs,Op.13
Rondo a la Krakowiak,Op.14
Rondo a la Krakowiak,Op.14, Andante spianato
Rondo a la Krakowiak,Op.14,Grand Polonaise

Customer Reviews:

POWER AND POETRY.......2001-12-19

When Garrick Ohlsson won top prize at the Chopin Competition (1970) in Warsaw (with, appropriately enough, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Witold Rowicki), he astounded the musical world in very much the same way Van Cliburn did when he seized the '57 Tchaikovsky award.

It is fitting, obviously, as part of his complete traversal of Chopin's piano works, that Mr. Ohlsson now return to the concertos, and to the other works for piano and orchestra--- and return he does with a wisdom and impressive emotional spectrum that raises these compositions to rarified heights.

Frankly, the set is self-recommending: Ohlsson establishes, especially in the concertos, an awesome balance between their masculine and feminine natures--- his piano centrally focused and magical, lushly supported, again, by the WPO, but this time under Kazimierz Kord. Now, however, over thirty years later, Ohlsson's maturity as a pianist adds a decided "gravitas" to his Chopin interpretations, as well as a shimmering spontaneity, a sense of abandon and cheekiness, an exquisitely rich, full-blooded romanticism, and a mercurial sparkle that, taken altogether, reveal him as one of our foremost and rewarding Chopinists.

This set is, strangely enough, quite essential not only for Ohlsson's phenomenal concerto performances, but for the other "less regarded" works, as well. Yes, without a doubt! To these well-worn ears, never has the Variations for Piano and Orchestra in B-flat, Op. 2 been more touchingly conceived, the Fantasia on Polish Airs, Op. 13 more spiritual in feeling, the Krakowiak, Op. 14 more overtly joyful, the Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise, Op. 22 such an exceptional revelation of divine melancholy in tandem with rousing exhuberance.

And what a glorious sound world the Arabesque engineers have given Ohlsson and the WPO! One feels surrounded by a comforting warmth, a musical security, a tangible "wholeness." Mr. Ohlsson's piano is always completely realistic, each note a gift, chordal work full and flush--- and the instrument placed nicely forward, yet well-integrated.

[Running time--- CD 1: 72:34 CD 2: 62:24]

Average customer rating:

Bacon's tribute to his lifelong friend and others

Bacon: Remembering Ansel Adams

Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Remembering Ansel Adams
SONATA FOR CELLO & PIANO: I. Gravely; Risoluto; Allegro
SONATA FOR CELLO & PIANO: II. Commodo
SONATA FOR CELLO & PIANO: III. Lento
SONATA FOR CELLO & PIANO: IV. Allegro, ma non troppo
Collected Short Piano Works: The Lobo Girl
Collected Short Piano Works: Nuka
Collected Short Piano Works: Flop - Eared Mule
Collected Short Piano Works: Maple - Sugaring
Collected Short Piano Works: Yemassee River
Collected Short Piano Works: Drip - Drop Rain
Collected Short Piano Works: Habanera
Collected Short Piano Works: Pigtown Fling
Tumbleweeds: Gualala River
Tumbleweeds: Sod Busters
Tumbleweeds: The Gillagaloo
Tumbleweeds: Little Boy Asleep
Tumbleweeds: The Oregon Trail
Tumbleweeds: Gospel Gulch
Tumbleweeds: Blue Grass
Tumbleweeds: Mexican Hat

Customer Reviews:

Bacon's tribute to his lifelong friend and others.......2004-04-30

"Remembering Ansel Adams" (1985) is Bacon's elegy for his friend. Bacon first met Adams in 1927 when both were aspiring concert pianists. And, yes, Ansel played the piano all his life -- he was quite good. Bacon turned toward composing. Adams turned toward photography. Both shared a love of nature and hiked together in the Sierras. They both became environmentalists. Bacon was visiting the Adams home the day Ansel died.

"Sonata for Cello & Piano" (1948) alternates between somber and lighter moods. At times lively, at times contemplative.

"Collected Sort Works" (1950-1965)

Tracks:

Symphony No.3 In E-flat Major 'Eroica': Allegro con brio
Symphony No.3 In E-flat Major 'Eroica': Marcia funebre. Adagio assai
Symphony No.3 In E-flat Major 'Eroica': Scherzo. Allegro vivace
Symphony No.3 In E-flat Major 'Eroica': Finale. Allegro molto
Symphony No.5 In C Minor: Allegro con brio
Symphony No.5 In C Minor: Andante con moto
Symphony No.5 In C Minor: Allegro
Symphony No.5 In C Minor: Allegro

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.3 In C Minor: Allegro con brio
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.3 In C Minor: Largo
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.3 In C Minor: Rondo. Allegro
Symphony No.7 In A Major: Poco sostenuto - Vivace
Symphony No.7 In A Major: Allegretto
Symphony No.7 In A Major: Presto
Symphony No.7 In A Major: Allegro con brio

Tracks:

Overture 'Leonore II', Op.72: Adagio - Allegro
Symphony No.9 In D Minor, Op.125: Allegro ma non troppo
Symphony No.9 In D Minor, Op.125: Molto vivace
Symphony No.9 In D Minor, Op.125: Adagio molto e cantabile
Symphony No.9 In D Minor, Op.125: Presto.Allegro assai
Symphony No.9 In D Minor, Op.125: Presto.Allegro assai

Tracks:

Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In D, Op.61: Allegro ma non troppo
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In D, Op.61: Larghetto
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In D, Op.61: Rondo.Allegro
Concerto For Piano And Orchesrta No.5 In E-flat Major 'Emperor': Allegro
Concerto For Piano And Orchesrta No.5 In E-flat Major 'Emperor': Adagio un poco moto
Concerto For Piano And Orchesrta No.5 In E-flat Major 'Emperor': Rondo.Allegro

Tracks:

'Coriolan', H.J. Von Collin's Tragedy: Overture - Allegro con brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
'Egmont': Overture - Sostenuto, ma non troppo - Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
'Lenore III': Overture - Adagio - Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Rondo a capriccio In G Major Op. 129 'The Rage Over The Lost Penny': Allegro vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.20 In D Minor, KV 466: Allegro. Cadence: Beethoven, WoO 58 No. 1 - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.20 In D Minor, KV 466: Romance - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.20 In D Minor, KV 466: Rondo. Allegro assai. Cadence: Beethoven, WoO 58 No. 2 - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

Violin Sonata No.5 In F Major 'Spring': Allegro
Violin Sonata No.5 In F Major 'Spring': Adagio molto espressivo
Violin Sonata No.5 In F Major 'Spring': Scherzo. Allegro molto
Violin Sonata No.5 In F Major 'Spring': Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo
Violin Sonata No.9 In A Major 'Kreutzer': Adagio sostenuto - Presto
Violin Sonata No.9 In A Major 'Kreutzer': Andante con variazioni I-IV
Violin Sonata No.9 In A Major 'Kreutzer': Finale. Presto
Andenken WoO 136 'Ich denke dein'
Der Wachtelschlag WoO 129 'Ach, mir schallt's dorten'
'In questa tomba oscura' WoO 133
'Ich liebe dich so wie du mich' (Zartliche Liebe) WoO 123
An die ferne Geliebte Op. 98

Customer Reviews:

A curiously uneven box set, but the best things are memorable.......2007-03-12

The reviewer below, who belongs to the small dedicated contingent of historical collectors here at Amazon, offers a run-down of this 6-CD set that's frequently at odds with what I hear. Since the DG complete Beethoven series was a major enterprise, I thought it worthwhile to give a different take on this hodge-podge of historical reissues.

CD 1. A wartime (i.e., Nazi) recording may still be distrasteful to some listeners. In any event this 1941 Schuricht/BPO "Eroica" is in reasonably good sound, cleaned up within an inch of its life, which took out too many high frequencies. Dullish sound suits a dullis reading, however. Why DG chose to spotlight this performance is a mystery. The rest of the disc is a miss as well, since Nikisch's 1913 Fifth Sym. is a mere curiosity, unlistenable by any standard except the archivist's.

CD 2. Annie Fischer is miked close and loud in the Third Piano Concerto, which otherwise has clear mono sound from 1957. Her warm-hearted interpretation is straightforward except for some niggling pauses and accents that sound odd. Fricsay offers nothing special in the accompaniment, either, but he comes to life in a Seventh Sym., with the BPO in stereo from 1960 that's nicely alert, although the Scherzo and finale feel somewhat too relaxed. I'm not sure I'd even call this a historical performance, but in any case its quality is high, if not outstanding. Many Sevenths earlier and later have more distinciton.

CD 3. Fritz Busch has such a small discography that the same things keep circulating; that's true of this concert reading of the Leonore Over. #2 with the provincial-sounding Danish Radio Sym. Orch., which comes in good, clear mono from 1950. It's a wonderfully musical, satisfying reading. From the same period and of equal quality comes a live Ninth Sym. that's conventional and yet full of Busch's commitment and integrity. If only the Danish musicians were equal to his inspiration. They lack power and virtuosity; as for the vocal soloists, all Danish as well, they hold their own without showing any great ability. Calling this performance great, as Mr. Lipscomb does, baffles me.

CD 4. Constant hiss and cramped, boxy acoustics from 1929 mark a drastic drop in recorded quality. I'm a fiarly qualified historical listener, but I've never heard of the soloist, Josef Wolsthal, or the conductor, Manfred Gurlitt. That's my loss, because both perform splendidly in an alert, fairly quick reading that finds the violin miked close enough to sound sweet and natural. Still, one would think that DG has greater examples in their vast vaults, in considerably better sound. I'll take Mr. Lipscomb's word for it that the 1936 "Emperor" is Wilhelm Kempff's earliest recording, but the notes say it's from the studio, not live. In any event, the sound, though hissy, is full enough to enjoy. I'm unfamiliar with Peter Rabe, who leads the Berlin Phil. here, but he's adequate. Kempff is fine although not inspired. By this point one has serious doubts about why these particular recordings have been chosen.

CD 5. Suddenly we burst upon greatness with Furtwangler's live 1943 Coriolan Over. in a searing reading that must be the greatest this work has ever had. The Nazis pioneered tape recording, and the sonics here are surprisingly good. They lapse back into murky mono for Furtwangler's Egmont Over., a studio version from 1933 that's worth hearing for its rock-ribbed nobility. Drop down another few notches in sound to Otto Klemperer's Leonore Over. #3 from 1927--one laments that this mesmerizing performance isn't more listenable. After a very fine "Rage Over a Lost Penny" from Kempff (1937) we get the Mozart piano concerto #20 in d minor, the excuse being that both cadenzas are by Beethoven. Sviataslav Richter is the pianist, and his conductor one Stanislav Wislocki with the scrappy Warsaw Phil. (stereo, 1959). Richter's committed Communism kept him from taking his pick of great Western orchestras during this time. Needless to say, his performance is veyr fine, but again I don't hear white-hot inspiration or much individuality for that matter.

CD 6. Now we leave orchestral music behind for the "Spring" and "Kreutzer" Sonatas by Schneiderhan (1952) and Kulenkampff (1935), respectively (both with Kempff). I've never joined the Schneiderhan cult, and his "Spring" sonata sounds merely straightforward. Kulenkampff, known to me only from a few recordings with Furtwangler, has more to say in the Kreutzer, which is in just as good sound form the Thirites as the preceding one. This is an outstanding Kreutzer by any standards, vying with the best for style and expressivity. The collection ends with the song cycle "An die ferne Geliebte" and four other songs from the famed baritone Heinrich Schusnus. Being from 1939, the sound is relatively natural and clear; in fact his voice is captured quite well. Most listeners will already know if they admire the Lieder style of the period, with its extremely free rhythms--free to the point of barely existing, in fact. Schusnus's singing is certainly old-fashined but not antique, and he is intensely involved in each song. Both accompanists are long forgotten and do only a serviceable job.

How to sum up? I was surprised to find only two performances I would call great--Furtwangler's Coriolan and Kulenkampff's Kreutzer sonata--while most of the rest falls within the range of middling enjoyable. DG could have done much better. In the end I'm happy I bought this set for $30 in a used record shop.

A Prime Set For Beethoven Collectors.......2004-06-30

To my mind, this Volume 20 is by far the most interesting part of DG's complete Beethoven series. The transfers are excellent -in virtually every recording that has a CD competitor, the DG is markedly superior. Here is a brief summary of what is found in this 6-disc set.

CD 1. This 1941 Schuricht/BPO "Eroica" is a relatively straight and unaffected account, perhaps a bit lower key than his later studio reading with the Paris Conservatory (EMI) and his various live performances from the 50's and 60's. The 1913 acoustic 5th - the first recording - is with the famed Arthur Nikisch and the BPO. Needless to say, the sound is pretty bad (although this is by far the best transfer of it that I have heard). It's quite similar to Furtwangler's 1926 version (Koch Legacy).

CD 2. Annie Fischer's account of the 3rd Concerto (1957, with Fricsay) is one of the gems of this set: it's long been my favorite reading. By contrast, Fricsay's 7th (1960/BPO) has always struck me as rather heavy and pedantic. It's surely no competition for such readings as Furtwangler's, Weingartner's, or Konwitschny's. I wish DG had chosen instead the rare Rudolph Schulz-Dornburg/Berlin Radio c.1940 - a magnificent performance that ranks with the very best ever.

CD 3. The "live" Leonore Overture #2 here with Fritz Busch and the Danish State Radio (1950) gets off to a rather slow start, but in the final pages it really comes to life. Busch's "live" 1950 9th is one of the great "classical" readings, just behind the Weingartner and Schuricht accounts. My "romantic" favorites are 3 by Furtwangler (1942, 1951, 1954) and the 1950 Abendroth.

CD 4. One of the lesser discs here. The short-lived Josef Wolfsthal is accompanied (1929) by Manfred Gurlitt and the BPO in the Violin Concerto. Despite many beautiful moments, it simply is not in the same league as Joseph Szigeti (1932 with Bruno Walter) or the great 1941 "live" Adolf Busch/Fritz Busch NY Phil. (the latter is BADLY in need of a good CD transfer). The live Kempff Emperor Concerto from 1936 (with Peter Raabe/BPO) is the pianist's earliest recorded account: it is neither as fluent nor as well-accompanied as his 1953 reading with Paul van Kempen/BPO (from their complete concerto set on DG).

CD 5. Furtwangler's live 1943 Coriolan Overture here is THE performance of the work - no one else comes close to the fiery commitment on display here. The Egmont Overture (same forces in a 1933 studio recording) is my all-time favorite: it is only challenged by a rare LP with Fritz Busch and the LA Phil. I am not much of a Klemperer fan - this Leonore III (Berlin State Opera 1927) has had far more interesting readings by the likes of Furtwangler, Abendroth and Georgescu. Kempff's "Rage Over a Lost Penny" (1937) ranks with Schnabel and Ginsburg as one of the three finest-ever accounts. What is Richter, with Wislocki and the Warsaw Phil (1959), doing here in the Mozart Piano Concerto #20? The answer: Richter uses the cadenza written by Beethoven. It's a lovely reading, but I still prefer Yvonne Lefebure/Furtwangler (Ermitage) and various versions by Clara Haskil.

CD 6. These performances of the "Spring" and "Kreutzer" Sonatas by Schneiderhan (1952) and Kulenkampff (1935), respectively (both with Kempff), strike me as rather dutiful and uninspired. There are far more engaging readings of the "Spring" by Busch & Serkin, Szigeti/Schnabel, Goldberg/Kraus, and Taschner/Farnadi. For me, the great "Kreutzers" are those by Huberman/Friedman, Goldberg/Kraus, Busch/Serkin, Taschner/Gieseking, Szigeti/Bartok, and Martzy/Antonietti. The lieder offerings by Heinrich Schlusnus are superb - but I wish DG could have squeezed in the Gerhard Husch "An die ferne Geliebte" too!

This fine DG set's highlights are the Nikisch 5th, the Fischer 3rd Concerto, the Busch 9th, Furtwangler's Coriolan & Egmont, and the songs with Schlusnus. Don't let this one pass you by!

A Superb Collection.......2001-12-07

This CD Set, the last volume of Deutsche Grammophon's Beethoven Collection, is a compilation of significant historical recordings. If you are a casual listener, you may not like this, as the recordings have not been cleaned up to modern standards. However, if you want to hear how this music has been interpreted over the years, this is a real treasure.

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