Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsky and Bruch

On this CD:

1. Cello Concerto No. 1, in A minor, Op. 33
Composed by Camille Saint-Saens
Performed by Pieter Wispelwey

2. Andante cantabile (arr. of 2nd mvt. from String Quartet No.1), for cello and string orchestra in D major
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Pieter Wispelwey

3. Variations on a Rococo Theme, for cello & orchestra (or cello & piano) in A major, Op. 33
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Pieter Wispelwey

4. Kol Nidrei, for cello & orchestra, Op. 47
Composed by Max Bruch
Performed by Pieter Wispelwey

Tracks:

Intro And Rondo: Capriccioso
Andante Cantabile
Vars On A Rococo Theme in A, Op.33: Intro: Moderato Quasi Andante
Vars On A Rococo Theme in A, Op.33: Tema: Moderato Semplice
Vars On A Rococo Theme in A, Op.33: Var I: Tempo Del Tema
Vars On A Rococo Theme in A, Op.33: Var II: Tempo Del Tema
Vars On A Rococo Theme in A, Op.33: Var III: Andante Sostenuto
Vars On A Rococo Theme in A, Op.33: Var IV: Andante Grazioso
Vars On A Rococo Theme in A, Op.33: Var V: Allegro Moderato
Vars On A Rococo Theme in A, Op.33: Var VI: Andante
Vars On A Rococo Theme in A, Op.33: Var VII And Coda: Allegro Vivo
Canzone, Op.55: Andante, Un Poco Sostenuto
Thais: Meditation: Andante Religioso
Rhap In Blue

Customer Reviews:

splendid, except for final track.......2007-05-05

Young Sergei does a wonderful job with these transcriptions. The playing is masterful, nuanced and vibrant. The only fly in the ointment is the Gershwin. The orchestra just doesn't get Gershwin. Legatos in place of staccatos and too even triplets-the unAmericanness of the piece is jarring. Do we play Shosti as badly? Perhaps it is impossible to capture the music unless you have a feel for the culture from which it sprang. Anyway, the CD is a treasure as long as you stick to the other work.

Sergei Nakariakov-No Limit.......2007-01-04

I can strongly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys
the trumpet and flugelhorn,this is an incredible performance
by this young musician.Most of the music will be recognised
as cello pieces,but if anything they sound better on the
instruments used.even if you are not a fan of trumpet/flugelhorn
please listen to this amazing CD.

best classical trumpet CD ever.......2005-05-16

I am professional Jazz trumpet player, and this is the most amazing trumpet playing I have ever heard. If anyone has any aspirations as a trumpet player,(whether classical or jazz), you need to own this CD. Sergei Nakariakov's flugelhorn playing has one of the most beautiful and musical sounds I have ever heard,

"No Limit" - Sergei Nakariakov.......2004-08-09

What an appropriate title! This really is young Russian trumpet virtuoso Sergei Nakriakov at his best, and this is probably his best album. The intro and rondo capriccioso is my favorite piece of music from Sergei's repertoire, and is played with incredible speed, ednurance, and extremely vibrant tone quality. This is more impressive than the original piece, which was written for cello. The andante cantabile is also a beautiful piece, played with passion and wonderful warmth and expression. The theme and variations by Tchaikovsky that make up the majority of the album are very impressive as you can hear how Nakariakov's low register proves that it is possible to sound like a trombone for long periods of time on a flugelhorn. The other really nice piece on this album is "Rhpsody in Blue", a classic by Gershwin orginially written for jazz piano, but here for trumpet with an orchestra. This piece is the only jazz piece Nakariakov plays, and as I am a huge jazz fan, I would like to see what else he could do with standard jazz themes. Besides, "Rhapsody in Blue" is more of a combination of jazz and contemporary classical music. Anyway, this is definitely one of the best albums of Nakariakov's, and if I had to pick one album of his, this would be it. I recommend this album to anyone interested in classical or jazz, and a must for all trumpet players. Trust me, it's well worth your money!

How Spectacular!!!.......2003-06-27

The reason why I decided to purchase this CD is because I liked Saint-Saens'Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso so much, and I wondered what kind of effect a trumpeter could offer when playing the same piece that was originally designed for violin. When I hurriedly put the CD in my CD walkman and at the moment when the trumpet's sound flowed into my ears, I was startled by the tone that a trumpet could offer! THis new version has offered a whole new different interpretation to this piece of work. I was and am still surprised by the fact that a sophisticated violin music can be played as good as, and even better, on a trumpet. Nakariakov's technique is undoubtedly superb, which makes me feel symphathetic to the the fact that he is not well-known. I highly recommend this CD not only because of the first track but also for the spectacularity of all other tracks.

Han-Na Chang ~ Debut Recording - Tchaikovsky · Saint-Saëns · Fauré · Bruch / LSO · Rostropovich

Average customer rating:

Wonderful playing
Unbelievable
Gorgeous
Beautiful and mature performances from a gifted prodigy.
excellent

Han-Na Chang ~ Debut Recording - Tchaikovsky · Saint-Saëns · Fauré · Bruch / LSO · Rostropovich
Camille Saint-Saëns , Max Bruch , Gabriel Fauré , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Mstislav Rostropovich , Han-Na Chang , and London Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Han-Na Chang - The Swan
Sinfonia Concertante
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1; Cello Sonata
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Romance

ASIN: B000002RWD
Release Date: 1996-10-22

Tracks:

Variatons On A Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Moderato quadi Andante - Thema : Moderato semplice
Variatons On A Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Variation 1 : Tempo della Tema
Variatons On A Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Variation 2 : Tempo della Tema
Variatons On A Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Variation 3 : Andante sostenuto
Variatons On A Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Variation 4 : Andante grazioso - Un poco animato
Variatons On A Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Variation 5 : Allegro moderato - (Cadenza)
Variatons On A Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Variation 6: Andante
Variatons On A Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Variation 7 & Coda : Allegro vivo
Elegie, Op. 24
Cello Concerto No.1 In A Minor, Op. 33: I. Allegro non troppo
Cello Concerto No.1 In A Minor, Op. 33: II: Allegretto con moto
Cello Concerto No.1 In A Minor, Op. 33: III. (Tempo primo)
Kol Nidrei, Op. 47 : Adagio ma non troppo - Un poco piu animato

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful playing.......2007-02-07

Han-Na Chang plays all of these pieces so beautifully. Her sound is so lovely it's practically painful. It's wonderfully played, both beautiful and nice sounding all at once. While every piece on this CD is spectacular, Kol Nidrei by Bruch is my favorite, because Chang gets the sound across so beautifully in that piece. Every other song (the concerto, the variations, etc.) is just as amazing, but of them all, Chang's playing of the Bruch is my favorite.

It's a great CD, played by an amazing young artist whose talent cannot be argued with. Chang is an extremely talented cellist, and this CD shows it off with a group of superbly played music. I recommend this whole-heartedly.

Unbelievable.......2003-12-23

This is an unbelievable CD. The Faure, Tchaikovsky, and the Bruch are some of the best recordings out there. The Saint-Saens has some really good qualities, but it is not as good as Ma's or Rostroprovich's recordings of the peice. Chang shows great maturity in these recordings. She displays unbelievable technique and musicality. She is to be commended for this great performance. I recommend this performance to everyone. My favorite is the Faure because of the infallible tone that Chang possesess. The Faure is the best recoding that I have ever heard. I have heard the Faure played and played the Faure nemerous amounts of time and I have never heard a performance as goog as this. I am a doublebass player, and I can appreciate the musical difficulty of this piece. This is an Unbelievable CD.

Gorgeous.......2003-05-12

This piece is so beautiful, I'm amazed that it has so little recognition. And with a cellist that has an almost inconcievable talent, I hope that it does get heard. The 6th Variation brings me to tears everytime that I hear it. This is one of Tchaikovsky's best pieces, and by far the best performence of it!

Beautiful and mature performances from a gifted prodigy........2002-07-13

The great cellist Rostropovich took a special interest in the exceptionally-gifted young cellist, Han-Na Chang, and conducts the accompaniment on her debut recording. Listening to this incredible young artist one can understand why Rostropovich regarded her as special. Personally, I've never heard a better performance of Tchaikovsky's Roccoco Variations and her performance of the Saint Saens Concerto can stand comparison with that by the incomperable Rostropovich. The performance of Bruch's Kol Nidrei is also quite beautiful. Chang is an exceptionally-gifted young artist whose performances have a maturity which belies her age. Highly recommended.

excellent.......2002-06-18

i love it!! i've listened to it so much. one can hardly believe that she is only 13 or so! it's amazing and also inspiring

Average customer rating:

I love this CD!
Simply Amazing
worth the money
Too much hype!
A deeply moving recording

Han-Na Chang - The Swan
Gabriel Fauré , Camille Saint-Saëns , Sergey Rachmaninov , Ottorino Respighi , Alexander Glazunov , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Antonin Dvorak , Yun Joon Kim , Max Bruch , Leonard Slatkin , Han-Na Chang , Aline Brewer , Daniel Pailthorpe , and Philharmonia Orchestra
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Romance
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Fire & Ice
Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1; Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1

ASIN: B00004YA0L
Release Date: 2001-01-09

Tracks:

Apres Un Reve, Op.7 No.1
Sicilienne, Op.78/80
Chant Du Menestrel, Op.71
Vocalise, Op.34 No.14
Adagio Con Variazioni
Le Cygne
Nocturne, Op.19 No.4
Klid, Op.68 No.5 B.182: Silent Woods
Korean Elegy
Ave Maria, Op.61

Amazon.com

With this recording of cello classics, young Han-Na Chang consolidates her reputation as a performer of remarkable maturity and technical accomplishment. The restrained tone of quiet elegy that she brings to these works is hypnotic, and her ability to find the center of a phrase and highlight it with simple clarity is a gift one would expect to find in a player with a few more years' experience. As if that weren't enough, her playing in the upper registers of the instrument also sings with a kind of vocal splendor that is simply gorgeous. For this collection, she has chosen some familiar and some not-so-familiar works, which have been adapted and orchestrated where necessary (with sensitive care) by Chris Hazell. Of the less familiar works, the Adagio con Variazioni by Respighi is a revelation and clearly deserves a firmer place in the repertory. If there is one quibble, it is that the elegiac, wistful mood of the collection varies little and doesn't show the full range of Chang's talent. But when the playing is as good as this, that is only a minor caveat against an otherwise great CD. --Warwick Thompson

Customer Reviews:

I love this CD!.......2003-10-20

Very beautiful, moving and soothing. Relaxing and nurturing. I like it b/c she brings humble and quiet serenity rather than trying to boast technical skills (which is considerable by the way).

Simply Amazing.......2003-04-30

This is an amazing recording! 'Tis so very beautiful. I can't stop listening to it. I recommend anyone who enjoys classical music to pick this up. Blimey, everyone should try it!!!!

worth the money.......2002-03-19

I bought this CD a year ago and still listen to it pretty often. Han-na is able to deliver her sensitive interpretation of the pieces because she has the matching skills. The phrasing and the dynamics throughout the performance is really quite impressive and each piece comes off beautifully. Almost half of the pieces are adpated or arranged for solo cello and the orchestra background, and though I usually have a suspicious attitude towards such stuffs, Han-na's pieces can almost pass. The listeners will almost believe the pieces were actually arranged for such combination (i.e.she's good). A few flaws: the mood of all the pieces is the same (calm, serene, soothing...) and her repertoire doesn't give Han-na much chance to boast other aspects of "virtuoso" playing (i.e.fast motions, more impetuous passages, etc). Although I would certainly listen to more of her previous and future stuffs to judge if she deserves to be labeled a genius, this CD is, at least, worth the money. You won't regret buying it.

Too much hype!.......2001-09-11

First off, let me start by saying that i am a young cellist who listens to a lot of recordings and i am normally very open minded as to hearing new artists and repetoire. I bought this cd a couple months ago hoping to hear this so called queen of the cello or so she has been hyped up to be. When i put in the disc and pressed play i was pretty dissapointed. Han-na's playing can be extremely boring. Don't get me wrong, her technique is flawless and the program on the cd is quite good (i have played many of these songs and it's all great music) but her musicality at this point is very inexperienced. I hate being the only reviewer to give less than five stars but i really don't thing she deserves it. Not for this disc. Give her time, i'm sure she'll grow to be a seasoned artist.

A deeply moving recording.......2001-08-30

I have been a fan of Han-Na Chang since her debut disc came out 5 years ago. Since then I have followed her career intently. I haven't been disappointed so far. She is a cellist of great sensitivity, and no less fire! If her first two discs were previews of things to come, this disc represents full maturity that is evident in Chang's playing. On first sight, this may look like a well-marketed, but just another encores CD. I also thought at first, 'why devote a whole disc to short encores? Surely she could have done something more substantial'. When I listened to it, my doubts vanished completely. Each note she plays, she plays with utter dedication. She really seems to love the music, and instead of just showing off her technique, she finds deep meaning of every piece, even the over-played 'The Swan'. My favourite pieces on the disc are Sicilienne by Fauré, Glazunov's Chant du ménestrel, Respighi's seldom heard Andante con variazioni, and Dvorak's Klid. But all the pieces here, chosen by Han-Na herself, are wonderful. She plays WITH the orchestra, answering them or making a statement to which then the orchestra gives a response. I have seldom heard the Phlharmonia Orchestra so inspired. No doubt Han-Na had something to do with it. Also, Leonard Slatkin conducts with sensitivity, and the sound is first class EMI sound.
Incidentally, this recording, rare for a recital disc of this genre, has been received with great enthusiasm from two of the world's fussiest classical review magazines: The Gramophone, and BBC Music magazine.
Listen to this yourself, and I guarantee you that by the end of this CD, you'll feel like you're on 7th Heaven. A gorgeous disc!

Average customer rating:

Adagio

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Après un rêve
Meditation
Gala Concert from St. Petersburg / Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Mischa Maisky, Victor Tretyakov, Elisso Virsaladze, Yuri Temirkanov, Nikolai Alekseev, St. Petersburg Philharmonic

ASIN: B000001GGO
Release Date: 1993-01-19

Tracks:

Le Cygne
Elegie op. 24
Adagio Con Variazioni
Klid
Chant Du Menestrel Op. 71
Nocturne Op. 19 No. 4
Kol Nidrei Op. 47
Romanze Fur Violoncello Und Orchester
Adagio Molto

Amazon.com

In this follow-up to his 1987 Meditation album, cello virtuoso Mischa Maisky returned to the studio--this time with a full orchestra--to perform more of the dreamiest, most beautiful classical melodies, arranged to highlight the cello's near-vocal expressiveness. Maisky obviously enjoys these pieces--by Dvorák, Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky, and others--and the recording brings out the full, burnished resonance of his priceless instrument. --David Vernier

Average customer rating:

Mostly Magnificent Menuhin, with a Few Reservations

The Violinist
Yehudi Menuhin , Johann Sebastian Bach , Bela Bartok , Ludwig van Beethoven , Alban Berg , Johannes Brahms , Max Bruch , Arcangelo Corelli , Edward Elgar , Franz Joseph Haydn , Edouard Lalo , Felix Mendelssohn , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Carl Nielsen , Niccolo Paganini , Camille Saint-Saens , Jean Sibelius , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Michael Tippett , Henri Vieuxtemps , Antonio Vivaldi , William Walton , Alberto Lysy , Anatole Fistoulari , Antal Dorati , Anthony Bernard , Gaston Poulet , John Pitchard , Mogens Woldike , Pierre Boulez , and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos
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Schubert: 8 Symphonies

ASIN: B0000BWTKJ
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Affettuoso
III. Allegro
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro Assai
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Assai
I. Vivace
II. Largo Ma Non Tanto
III. Allegro

Tracks:

Rhapsody No. 2 (Lassu [Moderato] - Friss [Allegro Moderato])
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Andante Tranquillo
III. Allegro Molto
I. Andante
I. Allegretto (Scherzando)
II. Allegro
II. Adagio

Tracks:

Romance No. 1 In G Major
I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo (Cadenza: Kreisler)
II. Larghetto
III. Rondo (Allegro) (Cadenza: Kreisler)
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio
III. Finale (Allegro Energico)

Tracks:

Romance No. 2 In F Major, Op. 50
I. Allegro Non Troppo (Cadenza: Kreisler)
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Giocoso, Ma Non Troppo Vivace - Poco Piu Presto
I. Allegro Molto Appassionato
II. Andante
III. Allegretto Non Troppo - Allegro Molto Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro Molto
I. Andante Tranquillo
II. Presto Capriccioso Alla Napolitana & Trio (Canzonetta)
III. Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro Moderato (Cadenza: Menuhin)
II. Adagio Molto
III. Finale (Presto) (Cadenza: Menuhin)
I. Allegro
II. Andante Cantabile
III. Rondo (Andante Grazioso - Allegro Ma Non Troppo)
I. Allegro Maestoso
II. Andante
III. Presto

Tracks:

I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Scherzando (Allegro Molto)
III. Intermezzo (Allegretto Non Troppo)
IV. Andante
V. Rondo (Allegro)
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Andantino Quasi Allegretto
III. Molto Moderato E Maestoso - Allegro Non Troppo
Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Havanaise, Op. 83

Tracks:

I. Allegro Maestoso (Cadenza: Emile Sauret)
II. Adagio Espressivo
III. Rondo (Allegro Spiritoso)
I. Andante - Moderato - Cadenza
II. Adagio Religioso
III. Scherzo (Vivace) & Trio
IV. Finale (Allegro)
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Cadenza
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro Con Fuoco

Tracks:

Serenade Melancolique
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio Di Molto
III. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
I. Praeludium (Largo)
I. Allegro Cavalleresco
II. Intermezzo (Poco Adagio)
II. Rondo (Allegretto Scherzando)

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Adagio
III. Presto
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Vivace - Allegro - Adagio - Vivace - Allegro - Largo Andante
II. Allegro
III. Grave - Andante Largo - Allegro
Fantasia Concertante On A Theme Of Corelli

Customer Reviews:

Mostly Magnificent Menuhin, with a Few Reservations.......2004-01-06

The recent trend toward classical box sets focusing on the performer instead of the composer (see my reviews of the various DG/Decca "Original Masters" sets) continues with EMI's new "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist." Sure EMI's past sets have showcased individual performances by Samson Francois, Eugen Jochum and Rudolf Kempe to name a few, but it was always under the heading of a given composer's works, and in the cases mentioned above, to Chopin's piano pieces, Bruckner's Symphonies and Strauss' Orchestral Works respectively. Therefore, this Menuhin collection is the first of EMI's "Budget Box Sets" to showcase a performer playing the works of a variety of composers.

As Menuhin was an EMI recording artist for an incredible 68 years (1931-99), his performances for the label number in the hundreds. With so much music from which to choose, this 10-disc set aims "to highlight some of those alternative versions, including recordings that have not been easily available since the days of LP and others that have never previously appeared on CD." Therefore, the obvious mainstream, easily attainable recordings are omitted here -- for example, the Beethoven/Mendelssohn VCs with Furtwangler, the Elgar VC with the composer conducting, and the Bruch/Mendelssohn VCs with Susskind and Kurtz.

However, a lot of this material has been on disc before on titles which the serious collector most likely already owns. Most of the Bach is currently available as part of the Bach "Budget Box Series" title. The Bruch, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Vivaldi VCs were all available in the now out-of-print 2CD EMI Seraphim series. The Elgar and the Walton are still available in the "British Composers" series. And perhaps most annoyingly, the previously unpublished Beethoven VC and Tchaikovsky "Serenade melancolique" (available as a single disc), and the Beethoven Romance No. 2 (available on an EMI Encore title) were both reissued just a few months back.

But let's focus on the positive, which are the other rare performances, the most significant being the never before reissued 1954 performance of Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4 with John Pritchard and the Philharmonia. Other elusive recordings include Viuextemps and Paganini VCs with Fistoulari, Lalo and Saint-Saens works with Goossens, and excellent Berg and Bartok accounts with Boulez. Though I'm delighted at their inclusion, of lesser importance is a 1965 Bartok VC No. 2 with Dorati -- his mono EMI with Furtwangler and an earlier account with Dorati on Mercury Living Presence are far superior. Also, neither the Sibelius (Boult, 1955) nor Nielsen (Woldike, 1952) Concertos are truly Menuhin's cups of tea.

My last complaint has to do with the packaging. I know I'm being rather trite but it seems that EMI has taken the "slim" out of slim, paper-sleeved box sets with their latest batch of releases. Both this title and the new box of Liszt Orchestral Works by Masur are noticeably thicker than previous EMI sets featuring a similar number of discs. A minor point, but us serious classical collectors need every centimeter of space on our increasingly crowded CD shelves, not to mention the amount of wasted packaging.

Overall though, despite the fact that "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist" is not as essential a reissue as its counterparts in the "Original Masters" series, it is a delightful set that most collectors will thoroughly enjoy.

The Most Relaxing Violin Music in the Universe

Average customer rating:

The Most Relaxing Violin Music in the Universe

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009JPVF6
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Tracks:

Meditation from Thais -- Massenet
Violin Concerto No. 3, Andantino quasi allegretto -- Saint-Saens
Violin Concerto, Blues-Moderato -- Ravel
Violin Concerto, II. Canzonetta-Andante -- Tchaikovsky
Violin Sonta, II. Andante. -- Faure
Violin Sonata, II. Andante -- Mendelssohn
Violin Sonata, II. Recitativo-Fantasia -- Franck
Violin Concerto, II. Adagio -- Brahms
Violin Concerto No. 3, II Adagio -- Mozart
Sonata for Violin and Piano, II. Internede-Fantastique et leger -- Debussy
Sonata in F for Violin and Piano, II. -- Dvorak

Tracks:

"Somewhere" from West Side Story -- Bernstein
Violin Concerto, II. Adagio -- Paganini
Violin Concerto in E Major, I. Allegro -- Bach
Vocalise -- Rachmaninov
Salut d'amour -- Elgar
Concerto NO. 5, II Largo -- Vivaldi
Romantic Pieces, IV. Larghetto -- Dvorak
Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord, I. Largo (alla Siciliano) -- Bach
Concerto No. 1, II. Adagio -- Bruch
Lalo: Symphonic Espagnole, IV. Andante -- Lalo
Sonata for Violin and Piano, II. Andantino tranquillo e dolce -- Szymanowski
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1, Adagio -- Saint-Saens

Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saëns, Bruch: Cello Works [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

Questions and reservations
Quite posibly the most beautiful recording I have ever heard
Beautiful music ... astounding technology
Excellent and warm recording of the Saint Saens concerto.

Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saëns, Bruch: Cello Works [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Channel Classics Nl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rhapsodies [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B00005K3PT
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Customer Reviews:

Questions and reservations.......2003-07-23

First, the performances. They're very good, without being the best. Wisplewey's tone, whilst strong and clean, is not as warm as Rostropovich in the Tchaikovsky (on DG with the Dvorak concerto) nor as affectionate as Ma in the Saint Saens. The orchestra is somewhat teutonic, too, rather than gallic, and this tells, particularly in the Saint Saens, which can take that treatment, but which does give up a bit more to a sympathetic (not necessarily French) orchestra and conductor. The Bruch is lovely, very songful, but the Tchaikovsky Andante, whilst affecting is also a bit affected, with an almost lugubrious tempo (but with dry sound).

Overall there's a feeling of both engagament and cleanness - hard to pull off, with some marvellous cello playing, but it still left me feeling a bit short changed for real warmth.

The recording too is a mixed bag. I rarely use balance controls (and never tone) but I found the cello too right-of-centre for me in the Saint Saens. The recording the Decca engineers gave Lynn Harrell in this piece in the early 80's was just about perfect (and still sounds great). Adjusting the balance to get the middle and upper registers focussed towards centre (I prefer solo cello just marginally to centre left, where it can contrast with the violins) meant, however, that the lower registers drifted away off left. Those middle and upper registers are marvellously caught, with some stratospheric higher notes, but I was a bit disconcerted by the lower registers, not just because of the leftward drift, but because the recording became bass heavy in the last three works (and yes, I know that all four were recorded in the same place on the same day, - i can't explain it other than that my ears getting run in.) It feels like the engineers confused reverberation with warmth, and the two aren't the same. Nonetheless, there are some breathtaking and always clear sounds from Wilspelwey's instrument.

Surprisingly, having said that about the cello sound, I found some bass orchestral passages muffled, and kept wishing the percussion would come out from behind the curtains. Even some upper register sounds were lost, e.g. from the harpist in the Bruch. Then again, the recording is absolutely breathtaking when woodwinds and violins combine, as in the Tchaikovsky, - with a lovely tone but with great clarity.

After several listens I still feel confused by both performance and sound. Maybe multi-channel rather than 2-channel will resolve some of the balance and reverberation issues but in the meantime I suspect I'll play the alternatives listed above more frequently than this one, impressive though it is.

Quite posibly the most beautiful recording I have ever heard.......2002-02-27

The title says it all! This is currently my favorite disk. The playing is flawless. The sound quality in multichannel SACD mode is out of this world. The disk is hybrid so you can listen in your truck. The music is timeless. I could go on and on.....just buy it and listen because words do not do it justice. You will not regret buying this SACD.

Beautiful music ... astounding technology.......2002-01-25

SACD is the wave of the future in music recordings ... period. Buy this recording, pop it in your SACD player and sit back as multichannel stereo flows forth. The quality of the sound, the quality of the particular production, the quality of the recording all are excellent. With this particular recording, it's as though you're sitting in the middle of the recording booth, right there with the performers as they make the music. The warmth and immediacy of the sound is simply incredible. SACD will also make traditional CDs come back to life. Now, if only ...would make SACDs easier to find on the Web site with a hot link as they've done with the competing, but inferior, DVD-Audio.

Excellent and warm recording of the Saint Saens concerto........2001-11-16

Excellent and warm recording of the Saint Saens concerto. Very well recorded with a warm but realistic sound of the cello. The Rococco variations are also excellent but not stellar. I would recommend this as the bst recording I have heard of the Saint Saens on SACD or CD (over readings by Du Pre, Starker and others).

Lost Feuermann: The Japanese Recordings 1934 & 1936

Average customer rating:

Get it for the Japanese Songs
You may as well have all the Feuermann available

Lost Feuermann: The Japanese Recordings 1934 & 1936

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

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000050XVY
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Tracks:

Valse Sentimentale, Op. 51 / 6
Spring Song, Op. 62 / 6
Prayer
Berceuse
Ziegunerleben, Op. 29/3
Serenade
Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still
The Swan
Gavotta E Allegro
Melody In F Major, Op. 3/I
Nocturne In E Flat
Kojo No Tsuki
Karatachi No Hana
Nabora
Ojoro Takashima
Ave Maria
Kol Nidrei, Op. 47
Concerto In D, II-III Movements Berlin Staatsoper, Frieder Weissman

Amazon.com

In 1942, just as Emanuel Feuermann was escaping the shadow of Pablo Casals, he died, the result of a botched routine surgery. He was only 39--Casals's age when he cut his first records in 1915. This irony was compounded in 1950, when the 76-year-old Casals decided to resume giving concerts after an 11-year retirement. He performed until he died at 97--more than 30 years after Feuermann. Casals and the cello are still almost synonymous in the public mind. But Feuermann, now largely forgotten, is actually the better cellist.

He was the first cellist to play with the ease of a great violinist. And no cellist since has matched, much less surpassed, his combination of precise intonation, depth and intensity of sound, clarity of articulation, and heart-piercing, but discerning, musicianship. Twelve performances on Music & Arts' Lost Feuermann reappear for the first time since their original 78 rpm release. That most of them are "lollipops" does not matter. Feuermann's natural command and faultless musicianship override any preconceptions about such popular works. Saint-Saens' "The Swan" and Bruch's "Kol Nidrei," as well as arrangements of Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat and the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria," are delivered in a manner that substitutes nobility of expression for the usual treacle. Feuermann's unusually fast vibrato never falters; moments of heightened expression are neither cluttered nor cheapened by self-indulgent portamenti. Yet emotional warmth and luscious tone are never sacrificed on the altar of clear-eyed discipline and innate good taste. Feuermann's cello never groaned; it always sang. --Stephen Wigler

Customer Reviews:

Get it for the Japanese Songs.......2003-03-13

The first part of the transfer of this CD is considerably worse than what we can get elsewhere. The transfer of the last part, the European recordings, is slightly poorer than what we can get say from Pearl.

The only exceptions are the Japanese songs in the middle: they are the jewels of this record. But they consist of at most 1/5 of the total length.

The length of time is perhaps not a very good yardsick for music or indeed for any art. All the more so when in Feuermann we have what Toscanini hailed as "the greatest cellist" and what Casals called the "greatest artist of the century". True in the full sense of their word. Furthermore, there seems nowhere we can get these wonderful Japanese songs.

But on the other end of the balance, the general public particularly those who would prefer good sound to good music, might well be disappointed especially by the first half of the record where the recording left so much to be desired.

You may as well have all the Feuermann available.......2002-07-14

Well, OK I don't have everything by Feuermann, either, but I took a chance on this disc. Oddly, the earlier items are in much better sound. Sadly, if this artist had lived a normal life span we would have the best 'cello recordings of much of the repertoire possible. As it is, we have to settle for what we can get. There are probably more important Feuermann discs that you should get first, but this one may not be available forever. It is more of what you expect from this great performer, but miniatures.

Average customer rating:

Maestro Gentile (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Past Perfect
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00006L6XW
Release Date: 2001-01-01

Average customer rating:

Fritz Kreisler would be pleased...

Conversations

Manufacturer: Atma Classique
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Trombone Concerti

ASIN: B0000CERJP
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Customer Reviews:

Fritz Kreisler would be pleased..........2004-04-29

Fritz Kreisler would be pleased to hear Alain Trudel play his "Schon Rosmarin" so gracefully on the trombone. Trudel is a marvelous trombone player. Only three of the selections on this disk were originally written for the trombone, but all are beautifully suited to Trudel's gorgeous trombone sound. Trudel is featured on two other recordings which are also treasures: "Trombone Concerti" (Naxos 8.553831) and "The Art of the Trombone: Works for Trombone and Organ" (Naxos 8.553716). I am a trombonist and I love my instrument. Those who are not trombonists will love it too if they listen to this record.

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