Wagner: Preludes

On this CD:

1. Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, for orchestra Overture
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Wyn Morris

2. Tannhäuser, opera, WWV 70 Overture
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Wyn Morris

3. Die Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), opera, WWV 86d Siegfried's Journey Down The Rhine
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Wyn Morris

4. Tristan und Isolde, opera, WWV 90 Prelude und Liebestod
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Wyn Morris

Tracks:

Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Piano Concerto In A Major, K 488: Adagio - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Flute Concerto In D Major, K 314: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Symphony No. 40 in G minor: Molto allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Clarinet Concerto KV 622: Adagio - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Serenade, K 375: Menuetto - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Turkish March - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Violin Concerto, K 216: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Divertimento, K 334: Menuetto - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Horn Concerto, K 447: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Cassation, K 99: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Tracks:

Overture No. 4 In Major: Rejouissance - J.S.Bach
Overture No. 3 In D Major: Air - J.S.Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 In F Major: I. Allegro - J.S.Bach
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - J.S.Bach
Overture No. 2 In B Minor: Menuet & Badinerie - J.S.Bach
Prelude In C Major - J.S.Bach
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor - J.S.Bach
Prelude In C Minor - J.S.Bach
Overture No. 1 In C Major: Passepied - J.S.Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 In F Major: II. Adagio - J.S.Bach
Kommst du nun, Jesu vom Himmel herunter, Chorale - J.S.Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major: II. Allegro - J.S.Bach
Violin Concerto In E Major: I. Adagio - J.S.Bach
St. Matthew Passion: Finale Chorus: 'Wir setzen uns mit Tranen nieder' - J.S.Bach

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5: Allegro con brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Fur Elise - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Violin Romance No. 2 - Ludwig Van Beethoven
'Moonlight' Sonata: Adagio sostenuto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Minuet - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 In F Major: Allegretto scherzando - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Coriolan: Overture - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 2: Adagio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 In C Minor: Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Egmont: Overture - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

Die Fledermaus: Die Fledermaus (Excerpts) - Johann Strauss
Wine, Woman And Song - Johann Strauss
Tritsch Tratsch Polka - Johann Strauss
The Blue Danube - Johann Strauss
The Gypsy Baron: Introduction - Johann Strauss
Annen Polka - Johann Strauss
Vienna Blood - Johann Strauss
The Gypsy Baron: Einzugsmarsch - Johann Strauss

Tracks:

Tannhauser: Overture - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Dance Of The Prentices - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude Act 3 - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Aufzug der Meistersinger - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
Der fliegende Hollander: Overture - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
Lohengrin: Prelude - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude And Liebestod - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
Tannhauser: Arrival Of The Guests At Wartburg - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1: Allegro non troppo - Peter Tchaikovsky
String Serenade: Waltz - Peter Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto: Andante - Peter Tchaikovsky
The Sleeping Beauty: Introduction - Peter Tchaikovsky
The Sleeping Beauty: Pas d'action - Adagio - Peter Tchaikovsky
The Sleeping Beauty: Waltz - Peter Tchaikovsky
Capriccio italien Op. 45 - Peter Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake: Ballet Suite: Scene No. 10 - Peter Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake: Ballet Suite: Waltz - Peter Tchaikovsky
Eugene Onegin: Polonaise - Peter Tchaikovsky

Tracks:

The 4 Seasons: Concerto No. 1 In E Major: Spring - VIVALDI, Antonio
Siciliano - VIVALDI, Antonio
Concerto In D Minor:: (Allegro Assai) Cologne Concerto - VIVALDI, Antonio
The 4 Seasons: Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: Summer - VIVALDI, Antonio
Oboe Sonata In B Flat Major, RV 34: Adagio - Allegro - Largo - Allegro - VIVALDI, Antonio
The 4 Seasons: Concerto No. 3 In F Major: Autumn - VIVALDI, Antonio
Oboe Concerto: Allegro non tasto - Largo - Allegro non molto - VIVALDI, Antonio
Concerto In D Minor: (Largo e spiccato) Cologne Concerto - VIVALDI, Antonio
The 4 Seasons: Concerto No. 4 In F Minor: Winter - VIVALDI, Antonio

Tracks:

Scherzo No 1 In B Minor, Op. 20 - Frederic Chopin_
Three Nocturnes, Op. 9: No 3 In B Major - Frederic Chopin_
Twelve Etudes, Op. 10: No 5 In G Flat Major - Frederic Chopin_
Twelve Etudes, Op. 25: No 10 In B Minor - Frederic Chopin_
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 13 In F Sharp Major - Frederic Chopin_
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 14 In E Flat Minor - Frederic Chopin_
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 15 In D Flat Major 'Raindrops' - Frederic Chopin_
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 16 In B Flat Minor - Frederic Chopin_
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 17 In A Flat Major - Frederic Chopin_
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 18 In F Minor - Frederic Chopin_
Scherzo No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 31 - Frederic Chopin_
Waltz In E Flat Major, Op. 18 - Frederic Chopin_
Nocturne In C Sharp Minor, Op. Posth. - Frederic Chopin_
Four Mazurkas, Op. 24: No. 3 In A Flat Major - Frederic Chopin_
Four Mazurkas, Op. 24: No. 4 In B Flat Minor - Frederic Chopin_

Tracks:

Ave Maria - Franz Schubert
Impromptu In E Flat Major - Franz Schubert
Standchen - Franz Schubert
Trout Quintet: Tema con variazioni - Franz Schubert
'Rosamunde': Entr'acte No. 1 - Franz Schubert
Moment Musical In A Flat Major - Franz Schubert
'Rosamunde': Entr'acte No. 2 - Franz Schubert
Moment Musical No. 3 In F Minor - Franz Schubert
'Rosamunde': Ballet Music No.2 - Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished': Allegro moderato - Franz Schubert

Tracks:

Nabucco: Overture - Verdi, Giuseppe
Nabucco: Va pensiero, sull'ali dorate - Verdi, Giuseppe
Aida: Prelude - Verdi, Giuseppe
II Trovatore: Verdi! le fosche notturne (Gypsies' Chorus) - Verdi, Giuseppe
II Trovatore: Or co' daddi, ma fra poco (Soldiers' Chorus) - Verdi, Giuseppe
Aroldo: Overture - Verdi, Giuseppe
La Traviata: Prelude - Verdi, Giuseppe
La Traviata: Noi siamo zingarelle - Verdi, Giuseppe
La Traviata:: Libiamo ne' lieti calici - Verdi, Giuseppe
La Traviata: Di Madride noi siam mattadori - Verdi, Giuseppe
La forza del destino: Overture - Verdi, Giuseppe

Customer Reviews:

masters of classical music.......2007-03-26

A nice collection for the classical listener. Great variety of composers and the music quality of the cds are very good.

A good basic collection.......2006-11-10

With selections from numerous composers, it is an easy way to familiarize oneself with some of the most popular classical works and excerpts. A pleasant listen for the initiated too.

An excellent introduction to classical music.......2006-10-18

This is an excellent introduction to classical music. Well performed and presented.

Very Beautiful!!!!!1.......2006-10-05

If you are a fan of classical music then you better get this set. Not only is it very cheap, 10 Discs for about 2$ per disk. Now where are you gonna find a deal like this. I actually found mine chaper, $20.00 even and the music is outstanding. If you had a very bad day and very stressed out, just put in one of these cds, lay down, dim down the lights and just relax. It really helped me out.

Still Stuck on Beethoven.......2006-08-22

I just recently started listening to classical music so I'm certainly not one to compare or critique the quality of this set. However, I do have a few comments...

My interest started in this genre of music because I'm researching my ancestry in Prussia and this is the music of those times. Never mind my ancestors were poor peasants who probably never got the chance to hear such wonderful music... when listening to these CDs, I'm taken back in time... to a royal court in Europe... to another place in time. The music is inspiring, relaxing, invigorating.

I have yet to listen to all the CD's in the set. I'm stuck on Beethoven! Wasn't he AWESOME!?!

I think this set is a wonderful introduction to classical music!!!!!

Average customer rating:

A well-kept secret
Essential Wagner
Excellent Wagner from a surprising source ... or maybe not!
Go For Boult
Memorable and dramatic- A must have for Wagner fans

Wagner: Overtures & Preludes

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde/Parsifal/Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg/Lohengrin/Tannhäuser
The Best Of Wagner
Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words
Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection
Wagner: Orchestral Favourites

ASIN: B000002S08
Release Date: 1992-09-29

Tracks:

Tannher: Overture
Tannher: Grand March
Der Fliegende Holler: Overture
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 1
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 3
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Overture
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 3
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1

Tracks:

Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 3
Parsifal: Prelude to Act 1
Parsifal: Act 1 Transformation scene
Parsifal: Prelude to Act 3
Parsifal: Good Friday Music
Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods
Die Walkure: Ride of the Walkyries
Siegfried: Forest murmurs
Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral March

Customer Reviews:

A well-kept secret.......2007-05-18

Everyone wants to have a crack at the "bleeding chunks" eventually, and while I love the flashier Stoky and Furtwangler approach, I wouldn't want to be without the Boult. He's a great Wagnerian, strange as it may seem. Who could blame him for not wanting to go down in history merely as the finest Holstian? As long as this stays in print, Ormandy will still be considered the least sexy conductor. (I heard CBS researchers found an Ormandy fan once!)

Essential Wagner.......2006-06-17

As a child, this set was my first experience of Wagner's music, and it made quite an impression on me. However, as I grew older and began to collect the full operas I felt I could surely do better than Adrian Boult and the British for a collection of the preludes, overtures, and orchestral music from the operas. I was wrong. I have yet to here any recordings that can match the power and intensity as demonstrated in these discs from Boult and the LSO (and LPO). The Meistersinger prelude alone is worth the price, and the only version of the prelude to Tristan which outdoes the one here is Bohm's live 1966 Tristan. The Solti, Karajan, and Klemperer highlight discs have their moments (and truthfully, I do prefer Solti and Karajan for the "Ring" highlights), but their contributions are greatest in the full operas, and overall, they simply can't muster the power and intensity that Boult brings to these preludes, overtures, etc.

Even if you have other compilations of Wagner's music in "bleeding chunks", I can assure you they don't come close to this one; and with two discs (the second containing mostly music from Parsifal and the "Ring") at 14 bucks, there is absolutely no excuse not to have this essential recording. So go ahead and buy this disc, never buy another Wagner compilation again, and with the money you save get started on the more important task at hand: the full operas.

Excellent Wagner from a surprising source ... or maybe not!.......2004-09-27

Does Sir Adrian Boult conjure up of images of Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughn Williams, but not Wagner? You're not alone! Nevertheless, this is a double CD set not to be missed! Many years ago, I was listening to a classical radio music station in NYC that was playing the music of Wagner. The performance was so good, that I wouldn't leave the radio until I found out the name of the conductor. When the announcer said the conductor was Sir Adrian Boult, I was quite surprised. I had recordings of English music from Sir Adrian on Angel/EMI, but I never associated that conductor with Wagner. Having been blessed with a friend who had knowledge of classical music way beyond his years, I gave him a call to find out more about the recording. He told me that, Boult had solid expertise in the area of Germanic music, but, in England, had been overshadowed in that repertoire by Otto Klemperer. He told me not to be surprised about Boult's very fine Wagner, it was an excellent recording to purchase and, indeed, search out Sir Adrian's wonderful performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (now available on Vanguard). Fast-forward many years and I find myself browsing through Amazon for a recording of Wagner's Overtures and Preludes. Like everyone else I know, I foolishly jettisoned my LPs in the 1990s and have been "back-filling" ever since. Well, I was able to obtain this splendid set for less than $7 per CD! There are a total of 18 selections covering most of Wagner's operas including five excerpts from the Ring Cycle. The performances are excellent coming from no less than three British orchestras, and the sound is top-shelf EMI. Sir Adrian's pacing is measured and his vision is broad and sensitive, highlighting the beauty and grandeur --rather than just the fire-- of this glorious music. I heartily recommend this two-CD set, and at this price, I think it's a steal.

Go For Boult.......2003-07-08

Sir Adrian Boult is best known for his recordings of the British repertoire, and his performances, particularly of Holst's "The Planets" and Elgar's Symphonies and Orchestral Works, are legendary. But Boult was also an excellent conductor of Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner, and this 2-CD set collects the Overtures and Preludes of the latter German titan. These stereo recordings from the early to mid-1970s with the New Philharmonia Orchestra, and London Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras are truly first rate. EMI's set compares nicely in terms of price, quality and musical offerings with competing sets by DG (Bohm, Kubelik, et al) and Sony (Ormandy & Szell). You might have reservations about getting German music conducted by a Brit, but you really can't go wrong with Boult.

Memorable and dramatic- A must have for Wagner fans.......2000-03-20

I bought this cd for the following reasons: 1 I'm a Wagner fan, 2 the cover looks exquisite and 3 I wanted to hear a "prelude" since it sounds fancy and never heard one. The result is great cd. The Tannhauser overture, Tristan and Isolde prelude and Lohengrin Prelude to act 3 are all very excellent. Excerpts from the Ring of the Nibelunge aren't as good as I had anticipated but are still enjoyable. The music speaks the tales of Wagner's operas. Just hear it, as slow and irksome as they maybe, these preludes make you feel the tragic love of Tristan and Isolde, the epic odyssey of Lohengrin and the holy, heavenly spirit in Parsifal as he discovers the Holy Grail. Buy this CD and you won't regret it. Except that one bit from Gotterdammerung, Siegfried's Funeral March. It does'nt quite have the feel of grand disaster as it did in John Boorman's film Excalibur. If you're hoping to find that version(which is better) stick with the Classics Go To The Movies Vol 2 cd. But all the other pieces on this CD are excellent. Go and buy this CD- now !

Average customer rating:

Excellent
The Only Truly Memorable Tracks On This 2 Disc Album Are Jochum's Parsifal Pieces
A Thing of Beauty
It's OK
Falls short of being great.

Wagner: Overture & Preludes

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection
The Best Of Wagner
Wagner without Words
Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture/ Marche Slave

ASIN: B000001GLB
Release Date: 1995-02-14

Tracks:

Rienzi: Overture
Overture
Overture
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act I
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act I
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act III
Die Walkure: The Ride of the Valkyries

Tracks:

TRISTAN & ISOLDE - Prelude to Act I
TRISTAN & ISOLDE - Introduction to Act III (Massig Langsam)
TRISTAN & ISOLDE - Liebestodt
SIEGFRIED - Siegfried-Idyll
GOTTERDAMMERUNG - Orchestral Interlude: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
PARSIFAL
PARSIFAL - Good Friday Music

Amazon.com

This is a dazzling collection of nonvocal excerpts from Wagner's operas, from the peace and loveliness of Rafael Kubelik's Siegfried Idyll to the passionate, disturbed Prelude to the first act of Tristan, led by Karl Bohm, and the wild Ride of the Valkyries, with Herbert von Karajan in a particularly rambunctious mood. Other highlights in the two and a half hours of music are transcendent readings of two Parsifal excerpts by Eugen Jochum and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra and a Flying Dutchman set. But couldn't DG have tried to include some information about anything in their teeny paper insert? --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-02-13

I grew up listening to all kinds of music. I must say that listiening to this CD is a wonderful change to today's music. It is relaxing and soothing.

The Only Truly Memorable Tracks On This 2 Disc Album Are Jochum's Parsifal Pieces.......2006-11-06

Many reviewers are stating that this is some sort of great introduction to Wagner, when I think they are not aware of many other terrific orchestral Wagner CDs. EMI has recently released an outstanding CD by Karajan of various Wagner preludes and overtures from the non "Ring" operas. That CD is part of EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" catalogue and it's also available in the "Karajan Collection". Two different pressings, exact same thing.

To get some juicy "Ring" selections, you should investigate George Szell's oustanding CD on Sony Essential Classics which is uniquely captivating as far as orchestral excerpts from the Ring operas go.

Getting back to this DG Double, here is my rundown of all the tracks. The Rienzi Overture is done well by Karl Bohm but it's nothing remarkable. The Flying Duthchman also conducted by Bohm is played with gusto, pretty good. The Tannhauser Overture is an extremely dull run-through by Otto Gerdes, what a nightmare! Listen to Solti instead to get the full power of this terrific piece! The Lohengrin preludes by Kubelik lack the dreamy mysticism and rich power of Karajan's versions on EMI. The preludes to Die Meistersinger are played by Bohm and Jochum, Bohm is too relaxed and slow in the prelude to Act 1 but Jochum finds more life in the prelude to act 3. The ultra-famous "Ride of the Valkyries" is played by Karajan, an excerpt from his complete set of the Ring and yes the soprano soloists are on display here. It's a good account but hardly matches the excitement of Solti's version from his complete Ring recording.

The second CD opens up with powerful excerpts from Tristan and Isolde played by Bohm, the prelude and Act 3 intro are taken from his famous Bayreuth set with Birgit Nilsson. Nilsson however is not represented in the final Liebestod, instead a later, not very passionate Bohm recording is tacked on. The Siegfried Idyll is conducted by Kubelik and is not very memorable, certainly lacking the romantic abandon of the famous Karajan versions. Siegfried's Rhine Journey from Gotterdammerung is led by Karajan and sounds great.

Finally we get to the best part of this 2CD package, Eugen Jochum's performances of the Prelude and Good Friday Music from Wagner's final masterpiece, Parsifal. Both sound highly involved and deeply spiritual, the sound is great for something that was recorded way back in 1957. The brass get a bit edgy but it's not much of a worry, the readings are exceptional.

If you're a Wagner newbie, this 2CD set might satisfy you but I recommend you go and buy that EMI Karajan CD and the Ring excerpts by Szell, listen to those and you'll be well on your way to tackling a full opera. The most accessible opera to start with is Lohengrin.

A Thing of Beauty.......2006-06-17

I am not overly fond of opera but there are exceptions. This album is such an exception. I suppose that is because there is little to be heard in the way of singing on it. I like it for the instrumental passages and they are wonderful.

As the title suggests, these are primarily overtures and preludes. They are not as bombastic as Wagner is wont to be but they are very strong. They are evocative of beauty and majesty. It is good orchestral music.

The performances included are all from Germanic orchestras. This music is a part of the culture and it is well done. If I have one complaint, it is a minor one. The pianissimo passages are sometimes so soft as to not be present. They are...understated in the extreme.

All in all, this is a quality recording capable of producing hours of enjoyment from its two disks.

It's OK.......2006-03-20

I judge this CD for it's sound quality - very good. The Wagner's music it's not really my type of music, therefore I can't say it's a poor CD. If the music is just OK is not the CD's fault. Simply my taste doesn't match Wagner's music.

Falls short of being great........2006-02-01

I'm surprised that all of the other reviewers neglected to mention the shortcomings of this set. Without Siegfried's Funeral March from Die Gotterdammerung and coupled with the fact that the liner notes stink, this is well deserving of 2 stars, but I was generous. Get the EMI set "Orchestral Music" with Szell conducting which has everything that this collection has plus Siegfried's Funeral March, good liner notes and extra selections.

Average customer rating:

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

Thunder & Lightning

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Thunderous Classics
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Simply the Best Classical Anthems

ASIN: B00000DLUS
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wagner: Preludes and Overtures; Orchestral Works

Average customer rating:

Very fine of orchestral highlights and rarities

Wagner: Preludes and Overtures; Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005UVAN
Release Date: 2005-07-14

Tracks:

Overture - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
Act I: Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
Act III: Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
Siegfried-Idyll - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
Act I: Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
Act III: Prelude - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
Dance Of The Apprentices - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France
Finale - Orchestre Phillharmonique De Radio France

Tracks:

Kaisermarsch - London Symphony Orchestra
Eine Faust-Ouverture - London Symphony Orchestra
Huldigungsmarsch - London Symphony Orchestra
Overture - London Symphony Orchestra
Grosser Festmarsch (Centennial March), For The Centenary Of Indpendence Of USA. - London Symphony Orchestra
Overture - London Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Very fine of orchestral highlights and rarities .......2004-08-10

This set, with Marek Janowski, offers the best disk of Wagner's early overtures and later occasional pieces that I know of, as well as a well-played disk of better-known "bleeding chunks" from the operas.

Disk One, with the French Radio Phil, offers mainstream Wagner excerpts: the _Tannhäuser_ overture, the _Tristan_ prelude, the preludes to _Lohengrin_ Acts I and III, the _Siegfried Idyll_ and the _Meistersinger_ overture, with orchestral selections from Act III. All of this is very well played, and towards the top third, let's say, of a very crowded and competitive field. That makes them very good indeed.

But disk 2, with the London Symphony Orchestra, offers some less common pieces, perhaps more enticing to the serious Wagnerian: the _Kaisermarsch_, the _Faust Overture_, the _Huldigungsmarsch_, the _Die Feen_ overture, the _American Centennial March_ and the _Das Liebesverbot_ overture.

The Janowski/LSO disk offers easily the best playing of most of this music that I've ever heard. The _Faust_ overture in particular shines, as perhaps the earliest piece of great music that Wagner wrote. As is often the case with early Wagner, it sounds a bit like unknown Beethoven, with additional orchestral flavouring from Weber, but for the first time you hear a new voice: Wagner's own. This comes in the form of a new richness and darkness in orchestration (though the version played here includes revised orchestration by the mature Wagner), plus a real and effective dramatic instinct, allied with strong and distinctive themes. Wagner said the _Faust_ overture is the piece with which he "became Wagner", and he is surely right.

Janowski even manages to convince me that there's some merit in the _American Centennial_ march, probably the worst music written by the mature Wagner, despite, as Cosima's _Diaries_ show, his sincere admiration for America. I've heard this piece in three other performances, in each of which it struck me as banal, emptily noisy, and interminable. But the London SO under Janowski work a miracle in finding some forward propulsion and argument, some contrasts of light and shade, and making the piece come quite close to working. It's only a small miracle, because even when brilliantly played this still isn't great music. But if you have to hear the American Centennial March_ at all, this is certainly the version to hear.

The _Kaisermarsch_ is perhaps beyond rescue, but again, Janowski offers as good and as committed a performance of this piece as one is ever likely to hear. He also offers the best _Huldigungsmarsch_ I know of, and excellent accounts of the _Die Feen_ and _Das Liebesverbot_ overtures. Though the very best performances of these operatic overtures that I've heard are the versions that open the Sawallisch complete sets of these two operas.

For very good versions of familiar orchestral excerpts from the mature operas, plus outstanding performances of some Wagner rarities, this disk is strongly recommended.

Cheers!

Laon

Average customer rating:

Great Music
A must buy for Patrick O'Hearn fans!
not what I expected
from Solo Piano Publications

A Different Prelude

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Compilations | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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Similar Items:

Different Mozart
Adagio: A Windham Hill Collection
The Bach Variations: A Windham Hill Sampler
The Impressionists: A Windham Hill Sampler
Windham Hill: Romantics - Romantic Music of the 19th Century

ASIN: B00004WF5Q
Release Date: 2000-08-08

Tracks:

Prelude From Cello Suite No.1
Prelude From Tristan And Isolde
Prelude No. 6 In B Minor
Prelude No. 2
Prelude In C From The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
Prelude No. 20 In C Minor
Prelude No. 19 From The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
Prelude In C Sharp Minor
Prelude No. 4 In E Minor
Prelude No. 8 - The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Prelude Of The Heroic Gate Of Heaven

Amazon.com

As this disc's title suggests, none of the contemporary instrumental artists assembled for this project plays it straight with their selected classical selections, yet their imaginative efforts yield a respectful, tuneful, and peaceful retooling of works by Bach and Chopin (three each), plus pieces by Wagner, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and Satie. Bassist-keyboardist Patrick O'Hearn takes the repeating cello passages from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 and layers them atop a shimmering, softly pulsing electronic landscape. Violinist Charlie Bisharat, accompanied by guitarist Wayne Johnson, introduces flamenco-like brushstrokes to Chopin's Prelude No. 6 in B Minor. Pianist-keyboardist Philippe Saisse adds a jazz twist to a lovely, beguiling interpretation of Bach (No. 1 in C Minor). Trumpeter Chris Botti takes a George Gershwin composition (Prelude No. 2) and expresses it as a smoky, sultry mood piece. Dawn Atkinson, who produced A Different Mozart and has overseen many past Windham Hill compilations, also produces this project involving, among others, Windham Hill alumni. She debuts as an artist as well, putting an angelic, keyboard-based spin on Chopin's Prelude No. 20 in C Minor. A nice package. --Terry Wood

Customer Reviews:

Great Music.......2002-08-24

This CD is not exactly what I had in mind when I made the order, but it is definitely not a disappointment. I am enjoying it immensely. I highly recommend this CD and am looking for more like it.

A must buy for Patrick O'Hearn fans!.......2001-09-26

The breathtakingly hopeful and modern renditions of such powerful classics on this CD has really inspired me!

Bach's cello solos no. 1 is some of the most *haunting* melody ever written. Somehow, Patrick O'Hearn's beautiful rhythm manages to bring a hopeful beat to this piece, and the result is an excellent modern tribute that exemplifies "anticipation" more than anything. The cello notes in the original are long and drawn out, almost reaching for you, but O'Hearn's rendition has shortened the draw ever so slightly, giving the feeling of a speaker anxious to get the words out, nearly out of breath with anticipation to deliver a message. This beautiful piece captures the inescapably haunting feeling of the original and does it justice while bringing it to a new dawn of modern flavor. For those who love both Patrick O'Hearn and this particular piece, you just have to add this piece to your collection!

The second track manages something of the same with the Wagner piece. It lets go of much of the inherent power in the original, sacrificing it for a hopeful turn like the first track. It's an interesting exploration.

Track 8 is a Spanish classical guitar rendition of a Rachmaninoff piece that will captivate you and keep you riveted, waiting to hear where it goes next. It loses nothing of the incredible romance and nostalgia of Rachmaninoff. Indeed, it gains much in the way of a "nighttime" sort of feeling with the Spanish flavor of the guitar. Exquisite.

After even one listen, this CD has become one of my favorites. It's incredible!

not what I expected.......2001-09-20

Bought this under the mistaken identity of another musician, who isn't even featured. Definitely not impressed. A shallow and incomplete rendition of classical selections. The featured players are talented, no question. But if I wanted a traditional intrepretation, there are better. Something more radical, please.
Ronaldo El Malo

from Solo Piano Publications.......2000-08-08

"A Different Prelude" is a follow-up to the incredible "A Different Mozart", which was released in 1996 on Imaginary Road Records. With Dawn Atkinson once again at the helm as producer, this new release is equally exciting. With selections by composers such Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Gershwin, and Satie, the range is broad and the styles of the various artists are diverse, but this album holds together as a seamless and fascinating mix!

The album opens with Patrick O'Hearn playing the Bach Cello Suite #1. The melody is true to the original, with the addition of a catchy rhythm track and ambient electronic sounds in the background. That the piece is immediately recognizable in a new setting indicates just how timeless this music is. Violinist Charlie Bisharat is one of my all-time favorite musicians, and he gives the Chopin Prelude #6 in B minor a surprising Latin flavor with his violin accompanied by Spanish guitar and light percussion - a very refreshing interpretation of this haunting piece! Trumpeter Chris Botti jazzes things up with a great, slinky version of Gershwin's Prelude #2. One of the highlights is Dawn Atkinson's debut as a recording artist playing Chopin's Prelude #20 in C minor. A combination of piano, voice, and keyboards, this is a very stirring and evocative arrangement that brings it right into the present. I couldn't imagine Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C# minor as a guitar solo, but Steve Erquiaga more than pulls it off. Richard Schonherz gives Chopin's Prelude #4 in E minor a gentle percussion and synth accompaniment to the original piano solo. Clara Ponty plays Debussy's "Girl With the Flaxen Hair" with the grace and elegance of her former classical piano performing career. Tim Story closes the collection with a gorgeous version of Eric Satie's "Heroic Gate of Heaven".

Tracks:

Come Ready And See Me
Sweet Suffolk Owl
Waterbird
Anniversaries: For Craig Urquhart - Fred Weldy
On This Wondrous Sea
The Metropolitan Tower
The Strong House
Secret Words
Sugar In The Cane
Night Without Sleep
Fort Tryon Park: September
For My Daughter, Nina - Fred Weldy
Bee! I'm Expecting You
I Never Saw A Moor
Recuerdo
Social Note
Anniversaries: For William Kappel - Fred Weldy
Never More Will The Wind
Dream With Me
Prld I - Fred Weldy
Prld II - Fred Weldy
Prld III - Fred Weldy
Someone To Watch Over Me

Customer Reviews:

AMERICAN SONG RECITAL.......2000-02-17

AMERICAN SONG RECITAL

Channel Classics Records has taken a first-rate initiative in giving winners of important international music competitions the opportunity to record a CD in the "Winning Artists Series." This CD, with fairly unknown American songs, is part of the above series. Other than a piece by Hundley, the remaining 22 songs are based on texts by American writers.

Richard Hundley's songs are beautiful and his compositions true to the texts on which they are based. All the emotions found in the texts are expanded in the compositions to ensure that the story comes through clearly and is not lost in the music. Lori Laitman was specifically asked by Lauren Wagner to compose a song. She chose a text by Sara Teasdale and the CD is worth owning for this song alone: magnificent! Another "plus" to this production is that the source and full text of the songs are in the CD book.

In addition to songs, a number of piano solos have been recorded. Those of Leonard Bernstein are not very well known, but very much worth listening to. He composed these works for friends, relatives and colleagues. They are concise, very complete compositions.

The fact that Lauren Wagner won four important prizes in 1991 is also not surprising. This singer possesses incredible timbre, has a beautiful, controlled voice and sings with incredible ease. Her music is truly a pleasure to hear. Her accompanist Fred Weldy matches her level of skill easily. This CD is definitely a worthwhile addition to your collection.

Tracks:

Der fliegende Hollander
Tannhauser
Lohengrin: Act I
Lohengrin: Act III
Overtures And Preludes: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude - Liebestod

Amazon.com essential recording

Barenboim is an excellent Wagner conductor, and it's a pity his ongoing series of Wagner operas is often forced to make do with less than splendid voices. All the more reason, then, to enjoy this excellent disc of overtures and preludes, all of which are played to the hilt by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and recorded in sound of superb amplitude. There are many collections of this type available, many of them very fine, and even more of them very dull. Barenboim plays the music with the necessary flexibility of tempo, but at the same time never turns it into a lecture on Schopenhaurian philosophy. It's a good listen. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Not the best Wagner orchestral works available........2003-09-22

It would be an understatement to say that some tracks on this CD are performed better than others. Barenboim is inconsistant in his interpretations. His best recording is Die Meistersinger and it is quite good. He uses an acceptable pace and does not limit the orchestra's sound. Nor does he try and institute sudden tempo fluctuations that make absoulutely no sense whatsoever. The selections from Lohengrin are pretty good. The prelude to Act I is deliberate but convincing. It is not heavy handed and both Barenboim and the orchestra do manage to produce positive results. The prelude to Act III is driven and fast. The one negative aspect of the recording is that in one section the playing is incohesive and the orchestra does not sound together. Der fliegende Hollander is fair. Barenboim makes the mistake towards the end of the piece by using ritards and accelerandos that do not come off effectively. The beginning of the work is fine however. Tristan und Isolde is okay when the prelude is played but the Love Death is too constricted and lacks the passion needed to make it convincing. The orchestra's sound is very limited in scope. The turkey on this CD is the overture to Tannhauser. Barenboim takes the work at an agonizingly slow tempo and uses frazing that is underlined in blood. The orchestra is not permitted to bring out a powerful sound that is a necessity for this composition and at times they do not manage to stay together. This Tannhauser overture is to be avoided at all costs, even if it is the last recording available in the store.

Over the top, even for Wagner fans.......2003-07-13

Barenboim is not my favorite conductor and his ham-fisted attempts at producing a subtle atmosphere produces its fair share of cringes. The overture to "Tannhauser" (sorry, my keyboard has no umlaut), is rendered here without discernible emotion or feeling, the whole performance is maddeningly flat. Barenboim does a better job on the overture to "Der fliegende Hollander," (again, apologies for no umlaut) but the string section goes off on some shrill tangent halfway through the piece. It's a little like a cat stumbling over piano keys smeared with butter.

My most brutal criticism is reserved for the tepid, chilly and uninspiring "Liebestod." This is one of the most exquisite and exciting pieces of music ever produced, but one would scarcely know that listening to this version. I'd never thought it possible to nod off during the "Liebestod," but Barenboim actually achives this unenviable feat in this dismal recording.

Wagner fans will know this disc is a bomb, so I say this to the uninitiated: look elsewhere to hear Wagner's genius. This is like the Beatles being played on an organ grinder.

Competent...for casual listeners.......2003-04-01

Barenboim's interpretations are competent, but hardly touch the potential of this music, especially the Tannhauser and the Tristan.

The recording quality is average. Lacks detail and is often overwhelmed by boomy tympany; really a shame considering the richness of Wagner's use of horns.

If you're a casual Wagner listener, this recording is OK and may satisfy you. If you're a serious Wagner fan or audiophile, you'll probably be disappointed.

Caricature conducting.......2002-03-09

I love these pieces, but was very disappointed by the performances on this CD. The conductor seems to have no conception of subtlety. He excels at grossly exaggerated gestures--transitions are ham-fisted, fast tempi are blasted through full bore, slow tempi are dragged out painfully. Orchestral textures that are finely balanced in other renditions are a muddled blur in this recording, even at ultra slow tempo. Listen on headphones and hear someone (the conductor, presumably) grunting along with the melody line (Lohengrin, Act III prelude, Meistersinger). I would recommend other versions of this great music (i.e., Solti).

Superb playing.......2001-10-23

Having just read "Wagner Remembered" by Stewart Spencer, my first real contact with Richard Wagner, I felt compelled to at least listen to some of the music and with this CD I purchased my first listen at Wagner. Subsequently wanting to hear more than just the overtures I purchased the "Twightlight of the Gods" Cd (Apocalypse Now Helicopters on the cover-Orchestra and Conductor unidentified), so there is some basis for comparison. Had Richard Wagner listened to Twighlight of the Gods he would have thrown up, his systems would have been overcome. Questionable playing destroys even the best music. I mention this as a basis to compare The Chicago Sympony Orchestra on Richard Wagner, Overtures and Preludes. Without saying that somewhere it has been done better, it is difficult to imagine a rendition of this music more accurately in tune with what Wagner must have intended. There is a subtlety and scope to this recording, a beauty and breadth that makes one believe that you are looking through the mind of the composer. This is other than to say you would be unable to argue with tempo here or style there or other acquired tastes. Richard Wagner, for all his personal flaws, was one of the best composers. Use of Orchestra, imagination, emotion, melody and use of melody, etc. etc., existed in the mind of this man as in few others. CSO superbly conducted, give perfect playing and to this novice re Wagner do full justice to this great music.

Average customer rating:

A Great Wagner Orchestra

Wagner: Overtures & Preludes, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Richard Wagner: Overtures And Preludes
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Wagner - Parsifal / Levine, Weikl, Mazura, Metropolitan Opera

ASIN: B00002DEUM
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

Tannhauser: Prelude To Act III
Parsifal: Prelude
Parsifal: Good Friday Spell
Rienzi: Overture
Die Meistersinger: Prelude To Act III
Die Meistersinger: Prize-Song (For Horn)
Siegfried Idyll

Customer Reviews:

A Great Wagner Orchestra.......2002-08-27

What an orchestra! The CSO has the perfect sound for this type of music, and it doesn't hurt that Barenboim really knows what he's doing with Wagner's music. Every piece on this disc is played with great intensity and attention to detail. The sound is vivid as well, though it makes the high brass sound a little bright at times. Overall, this is well worth hearing. Just be sure to ignore the picture of Barenboim and that dumb hat...

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

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