Romantic Piano Discoveries

On this CD:

1. Brilliant Fantasia for piano on Wallace's Maritana
Composed by Sydney Smith

2. Woodland Sketches for piano, Op. 51: No. 1, To a Wild Rose
Composed by Edward MacDowell

3. Salut d'amour for piano or orchestra, Op. 12
Composed by Edward Elgar

4. Le Jet D'Eau, for piano
Composed by Sydney Smith

5. Transcription for piano of Braga's La Serenata
Composed by Sydney Smith

6. Tarantelle Brillante, for piano
Composed by Sydney Smith

7. Humoresque No. 8 for piano in B flat minor, B. 187/8 (Op. 101/8)
Composed by Antonin Dvorak

8. Kinderszenen No. 7 ("Träumerei"), for piano, Op. 15/7
Composed by Robert Schumann

9. Morceau de Salon, for piano, No. 2, Variations on Balfe's When Other Lips from The Bohemian Girl, Op. 107/2
Composed by Charles Voss

10. The Lily of Killarney, opera Eily Mavourneen
Composed by Sir Julius Benedict

11. Mrs. Power (Carolan's Concerto)
Composed by Turlough O'Carolan

12. Lily of the Valley, for piano
Composed by Sydney Smith

13. The Old Refrain
Composed by Johann Brandl

14. Robin's Return, for piano
Composed by Fisher

15. Irish Confetti, rag for piano
Composed by George L. Cobb

Tracks:

Preludio A Orchestra - Riccardo Chailly
Scherzo - Riccardo Chailly
Manon Lescaut: Preludio Atto II - Riccardo Chailly
Cantata 'Cessato Il Suon Dell'armi' For Tenor Solo, Chorus & Orchestra - Romano Gandolfi
Scossa Elettrica Marcetta Brillante For Banda - Riccardo Chailly
Corazzata Sicilia Marcia D'Ordinanza On Themes From 'La Boheme' For Banda - Riccardo Chailly
Inno A Roma For Chorus, Organ & Orchestra - Romano Gandolfi
Ecce Sacerdos Magnus For A Cappella Chorus - Romano Gandolfi
Salve Regina For Soprano & Organ - Chiara Taigi
Adagetto, F Major - Riccardo Chailly
Requiem For Chorus, Solo Viola & Organ - Romano Gandolfi
Vexilla For Men's Chorus & Organ - Romano Gandolfi
Mottetto Per San Paolino For Baritone Solo, Chorus & Orchestra - Romano Gandolfi
Turandot: Finale Atto III - Carlo Bosi

Customer Reviews:

Great historical value.......2004-11-10

This is a very enjoyable and important collection of generally lesser known Puccini works. The conducting and performances are mostly excellent. For the historically curious, the liner notes provide chronological summaries of the the music, giving details of each piece. These notes would be much more useful if the recording actually followed the same sequence! For some strange reason, the compositions are programmed in random order, except for the first and the last. That puzzlement alone is my reason for four stars. Otherwise, wonderful.

Some inspiring moments........2004-05-10

To appreciate Puccini, the production notes tell us, you should know the full Puccini, and this compilation of never before heard and/or little known compositions cover the gamut, from orchestral works to choral pieces, to songs and band music, the latter of which I found least enjoyable, but still interesting. However, taken as a whole, this is a worthwhile addition to one's library. The orchestral pieces, perhaps, are the most enjoyable, reflecting my own bias for the rich sounds and emotional resonance that a full orchestra can emote. You will likely enjoy tracks 1-4. These can be enjoyed standing along as most orchestral works can. However, that is to take nothing away from the truly fine singing and orchestral work when combined in one package such as is done in track 4, where tenor Joseph Calleja, teams with the orchestra (Orchestra Sinfonica de Milano Giuseppe Verdi) ) and full chorus (the Coro de Milano Giuseppe Verdi) in "Cantata `Cessato il suon dell'armi". The result is a rousing blend of solo singing, clear performance and powerful interconnected accompaniment by chorus and orchestra. Some selections make you want to sit and listen and meditate as tracks 8 -12 with kudos to soprano Chiara Taiga in track 9, and the reverence displayed in the composition of track 10's "Adagetto", and very Verdi like Requiem connection in track 11's "Requiem"; other tracks make you feel like working around the house, or in my case, writing a review, with the cats outside and CD on full blast. The CD contains eight truly wonderful world premieres, including the Berio "Turandot" Finale (which I found annoying) and my favorite the moody, flowing "Adagetto". DECCA hit a home run with this one!

Average customer rating:

English Salon Music? Indeed, and Enjoyable Rarities
RARE SALON PIANO
RARE SALON MUSIC
Marvellous Salon Piano

Romantic Piano Discoveries

Manufacturer: Trigon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000007P2G
Release Date: 1997-05-05

Tracks:

Maritana: Brilliant Fantasia
To A Wild Rose, Op.51No. 1
Salut D'Amour, Op. 12
Le Jet D'Eau
La Serenata
Tarantelle Brillante
Humoresque, Op. 101 No. 8
Traumerei
The Bohemian Girl (Morceau De Salon, Op. 107 No. 2): Variations On 'Where Other Lips'
Lily Of Killarney: Eily Mavourneen
'Concerto'
Lily Oh The Valley
The Old Refrain
The Robins Return
Irish Confetti

Product Description

Romantic piano rarities. Includes Mr. Sheridan's own arrangemnets of "The Old Refrain", "Eily Mavourneen" (from the opera Lily of Killarney, by Jules Benedict, "When other lips" (from The Bohemian Girl) by Balfe, arranged by Charles Voss(1815-1882). Disc also includes world premier recordings of five piano pices by Sydney Smith(1839-1889).Trully a wonderfull collection or rare piano romance.

Customer Reviews:

English Salon Music? Indeed, and Enjoyable Rarities.......2007-04-14

This is an extremely unconventional piano recording, promoting English and Irish piano miniatures, mostly from the 19th century. With the exception of Schumann's beloved Traumerei, the Dvorak Humoresque and Elgar's Salut d'Amour, I've never even heard of the composers of some of the pieces here. Balfe, Voss, Braga, Wallace, O'Carolan? Who has heard of these guys? Sydney Smith, however, a 19th century English piano virtuoso who studied with Moscheles, is slightly more prominent. I've encountered some of his piano transcriptions before and was fairly receptive. On this recording, the Irish pianist J.J. Sheridan shares some absolutely obscure piano miniatures, and I have to say, most of these are superb pianistic desserts.

Sydney Smith's works are the most notable of these miscellaneous pieces. His "Brilliant Fantasia on Wallace's Maritana" opera exhibits facile ornamentation and a bel canto emphasis akin to the fantasies of Herz or Kalkbrenner. Smith's "Le Jet d'Eau" in particular, is a sparkling pleasure that employs a constant flow of Thalbergian arpeggios. The transcription of Braga's "La Serenata" is another gushing Chopinesque salon piece, brimming with tenderness and warmth; an agitated central section provides a brief but nice contrast. A more successful contrast, though, is Smith's exuberant "Tarantelle Brillante." In addition to the Maritana Fantasia, this is probably the most virtuosic work on this recording. But it seems like Sheridan is playing too slow; I think the music needs more energy and gusto. The last Smith piece, "Lily of the Valley," is lovely enough and possesses a tinge of Mozartian charm.

Other remarkable miniatures are the Balfe-Voss Variations, the Benedict-Sheridan and the piano arrangement of Elgar's "Salut d'Amour." Oddly, the Balfe-Voss is essentially a theme and one variation, but has plenty of filigree passages. Sheridan's transcription of Benedict's "Eily Mavourneen" shimmers with lyrical grace, while Elgar's Salut d'Amour is the most melodic of them all. The rest of the pieces on this disc are pleasant trifles. Saving a major negative comment for last, I should warn the reader that the sound of the piano is awful. The acoustics are so bad that the piano comes off as sounding like a midi file: bad recording devices and engineering are to blame.

Bottom line: This music is intellectually light, not emotionally profound, and yet still endearing. There are a few of these miniatures which I feel deserve a higher popularity and a greater champion. While Sheridan's efforts to expose these unequivocally rare pieces to the light are appreciated, I think his interpretations are questionable. Maybe it's the weak piano sound that does Sheridan's execution's harm. Nevertheless, these pieces are delightful miniatures and if you've had your pianistic fill of meaty Beethoven or Liszt, treat yourself to this musical cheesecake.

RARE SALON PIANO.......2000-10-12

A really marvelous disc, The highlight for me was the marvelously impressionistic "Le Jet Deau" by Smith and the fantastic novelty piece "The Robin's Return" by Leander Fisher.

Wonderfull playing by J.J. Sheridan

RARE SALON MUSIC.......2000-03-24

I loved this cd. I loved the Sydney Smith transcriptions. Listen to Smith's arrangement of Wallace's "Maritana". It's great. All piano lovers should check this out, Great.

Marvellous Salon Piano.......1999-10-12

I loved this CD. It truly is a Romantic recording. I loved "Irish Confetti" The "opera" transcriptions were marvelous, beautifull melodies in great arrangements. This is truly a great find. Lets have Volume 2

Mendelssohn Discoveries: Rare Piano Works

Average customer rating:

Crystal clear recording and utterly sensitive and steady playing

Mendelssohn Discoveries: Rare Piano Works

Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Mendelssohn: Rarities [Italy]
Mendelssohn: Piano Works Vol. 1
Karl Czerny: The Art of Finger Dexterity, Op. 740
Haydn: Piano Sonatas
Horizons - Leif Ove Andsnes

ASIN: B000CC3RYC
Release Date: 2006-05-01

Tracks:

Fantasia In C Minor/D Major (1823) Adagio-Allegro
Fantasia In C Minor/D Major (1823) Adagio
Fantasia In C Minor/D Major (1823) Allegro-Presto
Capriccio In E Flat Major (Ca. 1823-24)
Ein Lied Ohne Worte In F Major (Ca.1841)
Adagio And Presto Agitato In B Flat Major (1833)
Lied In E Flat Major (1828)
Albumblatt "21.Mai" In A Major (1830)
Lied In A Major (1830)
Kleines Lied In A Major (1837)
Andante In D Major (Ca.1826)
Sonatina In E Major (1821)
Incidental Music To "Midsummer Nights Dream" Scherzo
Incidental Music To "Midsummer Nights Dream" Notturno
Incidental Music To "Midsummer Nights Dream" Wedding March

Album Description

The new Decca CD, Mendelssohn Discoveries, contains piano works by Felix Mendelssohn previously unrecorded. Most of these piano works were composed by Mendelssohn during blissful moments in his life - his honeymoon, during times of great financial security; for his sister Fanny's pregnancy and impending birth. No wonder that most newlyweds march down the aisle to Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March' from A Midsummer's Night Dream. One only has to take a deeper look at the composer to understand there was tension and suffering in his work as well. Roberto Prosseda, the Italian pianist featured on Mendelssohn Discoveries, sensed Mendelssohn's darker side. ''I think he suffered a lot behind this apparently quiet life,'' says Prosseda in a recent Wall Street Journal article. ''But he never wanted to show off suffering the way Chopin and Beethoven did, he always tried to keep a certain composure. So when the suffering comes out, it comes out even more dramatically.'' An example of this is the newly-discovered Fantasia in C Minor. Composed at the mere age of 13, Mendelssohn seems to express the intensity and complexity of a much older composer. Decca. 2005.

Album Details

Prosseda is a Musicologist as Well as a Renowned Pianist. For his Decca Records Debut, He Presents a Program of Previously Unrecorded Piano Pieces by Felix Mendelsohn Bartholdy. He Premiered These Pieces at a Concert in Milan in December 2004. Many of These Pieces Are Quiet Compositions, but Prosseda Contends that the Music Reveals a More Tortured Soul Lurking Between the Measures. Prosseda's Playing Concentrates on the True Nature and Intricasies of the Music that Reveals Further Depths of Mendelssohn's Personality that is Not Immediately Evident in his Other Better Known Works. Collectively, These Pieces Offer a Fascinating Perspective of the Man that While Shunned in Generations Following his Death Has Been Rediscovered and Studied Intently after the Fall of the Berlin Wall as a Bridge the Classic-romantic Divide, Evoking Visual Stimuli with his Music Previously Unnoticed.

Customer Reviews:

Crystal clear recording and utterly sensitive and steady playing.......2007-02-20

This is one of the finest piano recordings to come out in recent years. The recording and piano quality, alone, is worth the price of the recording. It is one of those piano recordings in which the piano sound just floats beautifully upon a deep background of crystal clear silence.

Then there is the playing. Roberto Prosseda offers us an unassuming and deceptively simple virtuosity in his rendering of these rarely played (and never before recorded) works of Mendelssohn, shaping them all into the gems that they really are. His rhythm and tempo changes are solid and spot on, never rushing, never losing momentum, and his touch is always full of perfectly balanced voicings and subtle colorations that simply cannot be described. Perhaps it is fortunate that he plays three selections from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," as one can appreciate how his piano coloration perfectly reminds one of the original orchestration.

I don't know if this recording was ever nominated for a Grammy, but in today's world of neglected quality, I would not be surprised if it were not. And if not, it should have been, as the playing of Mr. Prosseda is as much of a discovery as the Mendelssohn gems themselves.

British Light Music, Vol. 6: Discoveries

Average customer rating:

British Light Music, Vol. 6: Discoveries

Manufacturer: White Line
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

British Light Music Discoveries, Vol. 4
British Light Music: Discoveries 5
British Light Music Discoveries
British Light Music World Premieres
British Light Music Discoveries 3

ASIN: B00025OHIO
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

March Past The Royal Air Force - Royal Ballet Sinfonia
Prologue - Michael Allen
Night Flight - Michael Allen
Remembrance - Michael Allen
Manhunt - Michael Allen
Spirit Of The Lake - Michael Allen
Londonderry Air - Royal Ballet Sinfonia
Rondo in A Flat - Alan MacLean
Overture 1912 - Royal Ballet Sinfonia
Tarka The Otter - City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Serenata: Mother And Child - City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Fallingwater - London Symphony Orchestra
Guggenheim NYC - London Symphony Orchestra
Solar Hemicycle - London Symphony Orchestra
Wingspread - London Symphony Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Discoveries

Manufacturer: Claves
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000J88I
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Average customer rating:

Dvorák Discoveries

Manufacturer: Music & Arts Program
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001OHG
Release Date: 1996-08-20

Tracks:

Oct-Ser, Op.22: I. Moderato - Robert Yamins/Scott Brubaker/Robert Wagner/Gerald Robbins/Richard Rood/Katsuko Esaki/Nardo Poy...
Oct-Ser, Op.22: II. Tempo Di Valse - Robert Yamins/Scott Brubaker/Robert Wagner/Gerald Robbins/Richard Rood/Katsuko Esaki/Nardo Poy...
Oct-Ser, Op.22: III. Scherzo. Vivace - Robert Yamins/Scott Brubaker/Robert Wagner/Gerald Robbins/Richard Rood/Katsuko Esaki/Nardo Poy...
Oct-Ser, Op.22: IV. Larghetto - Robert Yamins/Scott Brubaker/Robert Wagner/Gerald Robbins/Richard Rood/Katsuko Esaki/Nardo Poy...
Oct-Ser, Op.22: V. Finale. Allegro Vivace - Robert Yamins/Scott Brubaker/Robert Wagner/Gerald Robbins/Richard Rood/Katsuko Esaki/Nardo Poy...
Terzetto in C, Op.74: I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo (Played Without Pause) - Richard Rood/Katsuko Esaki/Nardo Poy
Terzetto in C, Op.74: II. Larghetto - Richard Rood/Katsuko Esaki/Nardo Poy
Terzetto in C, Op.74: III. Scherzo. Vivace - Richard Rood/Katsuko Esaki/Nardo Poy
Terzetto in C, Op.74: IV. Tema Con Var. Poco Adagio. Molto Allegro - Richard Rood/Katsuko Esaki/Nardo Poy
'Go Down, Moses' - Harmonie Ens/Steven Richman
'Old Folks At Home' - Harmonie Ens/Steven Richman