Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
This fifth installment in Naxos’s Barber series is conducted by 2003 Gramophone Artist of the Year Marin Alsop. This disc features the richly romantic Knoxville: Summer of 1915, a ‘lyric rhapsody’ for soprano and orchestra, sung by Karina Gauvin, who has rapidly established a reputation for excellence internationally. Her charismatic performances fuse a brilliant voice, with an elegant style, and masterful interpretation. The Second Essay for Orchestra is widely regarded as the tightest, most incisive of the three compositions bearing this title; some even consider it a single movement symphony more than an essay—it is densely packed, and more happens in its scant ten minutes than in some works which sprawl for half an hour. The rarely-recorded Toccata Festiva for organ and orchestra which, with its fast, furious opening fanfare and virtuosic cadenza, is a veritable tour deforce for the soloist.

Tracks:

Hermit Songs, Op.29: At Saint Patrick's Purgatory
Hermit Songs, Op.29: Church Bell At Night
Hermit Songs, Op.29: Saint Ita's Vision
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Heavenly Banquet
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Crucifixion
Hermit Songs, Op.29: Sea-Snatch
Hermit Songs, Op.29: Promiscuity
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Monk And His Cat
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Praises Of God
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Desire For Hermitage
Sleep Now, Op. 10, No. 2
The Daises, Op. 2, No. 1
Nocturne, Op. 13, No. 4
Nuvoletta, Op. 25
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
Antony And Cleopatra: Give Me Some Music
Antony And Cleopatra: Give Me My Robe

Amazon.com

Early in her career, Leontyne Price formed an artistic liaison with Samuel Barber that resulted in his composing the female lead in Antony and Cleopatra for her. The disastrous premiere of that opera prevented Price from making a complete recording--a tragic loss in my opinion. She did record excerpts, however, and we at least have this disc to document these and the many other Barber works that she performed with incomparable artistry. Opera singing being what it is, Price didn't often have the chance to sing in English, so these performances are not only historically important, they are uniquely communicative as well. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-28

Samuel Barber(1910-1981), an American composer who studied piano, composition and singing at the prestigious Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Pa. His works adhered largely to a lyrical, Romantic style within a loosely Classical framework. He left a rich legacy of more than 100 songs(only 37 published) and 3 operas in addition to many instrumental works...
Only a few of Barber's song texts come from American sources; more often he chose the work of Irish or English writers. He was drawn to 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915', a reflection of the American poet James Agee, because for him it vividly evoked his own childhood. With hints of blues and gently shifting rhythms, "Knoxville" is a mature expression of Barber's artistry as a musical poet and a master of orchestral color.
"The Hermit Songs" were first performed by Leontyne Price, soprano, with the composer at the piano at the Library of Congress, Washington,D.C..pn October 30, 1953. They are a setting of anonymous Irish texts of the eighth to thirteenth centuries written by monks and scholars. They are small poems,thoughts or observations, some very short, and speak in straightforward, droll, and often surprisingly modern terms of the simple life these men led, close to nature, to animals and to God.
I think a brief quote from one of my favorite of these Hermit songs sums up the kind of prose contained in most all of them: from 'The Monk and his Cat' :Pangur, white Pangur, How happy we are Alone together, Scholar and cat. Each has his own work to do daily; for you it is hunting, for me study......'
The music on this disc is well executed, and if you are a Barber advocate, it's a great collection of his song material. I happen to like MOST of his music, but it's for me a 'mood ' thing. He was born very close to where I live, so I guess I feel a kinship of sorts. I do think that he is one of the 'greats' in contemporary music!

An American Voice of the Century.......2005-10-09

While there is no question that Leontyne's opulent voice - here young and lustrous in the "Hermit Songs" recital (1953!) would have been a magnet for any composer, her affinity for Barber is clear, and his for her. The studio recording of the "Hermit Songs" has a better acoustic, but this one is just as thrilling in interpretation, and a bit less studied - and it has the two James Joyce settings, as well.
The "Knoxville" is beautifully judged - soft and swinging to start, then opening up into the drama and poetry of the middle and late sections. The Eleanor Steber original commission will always set the standard, but Price expands it that much farther, with longer phrases, and an ineffable langour that both she and Steber identified as the "Southern" stamp on this music. It's universal, as far as I am concerned, but it exalts and breaks the heart at the same time. Agee and Barber drink from the same fountain here.
I have never heard the entire "Anthony & Cleopatra", again written for Price, so I can't judge the work as a whole, just these two numbers. I have a special affection for the first scene, however - "Give Me Some Music" shows Price, in her absolute vocal prime, complete mistress of color and mood, and the motive, "My man of men" reappears in her final, regal, death scene. When she sings "O happy horse/ who bears the weight of Antony!" - I swear, my hair curls, no matter how many times I hear it.
In short, gotta have it.

An Essential Barber Disc.......2002-03-13

What a fabulous collection of music by Samuel Barber. Leontyne Price is at her absolute best in the songs. The entire Hermit Songs are here with four others. These recordings are of particular interest since Ms. Price performs with Samuel Barber at the piano. It is interesting to compare these recordings to the latter ones sung by Cheyrl Studer with John Browning at the piano for tempo changes.

The recording of Knoxville: Summer of 1915 is arguable the best of those available. Ms. Price sings with great sensitivity and Thomas Schippers and the New Philharmonia provide excellent support. Ms. Price said that Knoxville reminded her of her own childhood, and her commitment to the music comes through. I have the recording of Knoxville sung by Eleanor Steber, who commissioned this work, but I have always regarded the Price recording as the one to have.

The two excerpts from Antony and Cleopatra are of great interest since Ms. Price sang the role of Cleopatra at the premiere in 1966. Her performance here, also conducted by Schippers, is wonderful. The transfer to CD of these recordings is excellent. Perhaps the only down side is that the Hermit Songs were performed before an audience so there is applause between each song. After a while, this becomes monotonous. This disc is a must for anyone interested in Barber's music, and in particular for Knoxville.

Price sings songs and arias written for her!!!.......2001-12-05

This CD on which Leontyne Price memorializes many of the songs and arias composed by Sam Barber with her in mind should be in every collection of those who appreciate Barber's vocal music and the magnificent voice of one of the world's greatest singers of the 20th century. The collaboration of Barber and Price on the "Hermit Songs" and others reveals the composer's affection for the singer and the singer's understanding of the dramatic intent of the word and music. Alone, Price's interpretation of "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" is worth the price of the CD; it is singularly exquisite and cannot be matched! Price brings unmatched beauty, power, and understanding to the arias from "Anthony and Cleopatra" -- an opera composed with her voice in mind. It is indeed sad that Price never recorded "Vanessa," nor the song cycle "Despite and Still," nor the hauntingly beautiful "Sure on this Shining Night." You will not be disappointed if you buy this CD.

Fab voice, OK music.......2001-08-07

What is it that everyone seems to adore about Samuel Barber's music for voice. The man clearly wrote some absolutely divine orchestral pieces, there's no disputing that. But his vocal work seems to be lackluster. Hermit Songs is an example of modern classical music at it's worst. Disjointed, unmelodic, and difficult to follow. Price who's diction is fabulous on the later Knoxville piece is mushy durin the Hermit Songs, her voice is young and fresh, but not particularly glorious. She does deserve praise however for her promotion of American Music

Knoxville 1915 is a much better piece than Hermit songs and has more lyrical moments, but it still sounds so modern. If it has just been an orchestral piece it might've been fabulous but that is unfortunately not the case. It's almost as if Barber wrote a piece for orchestra and wrote a seperate piece for voice and just joined them, whether they made sense together or not. Unlike Hermit Songs, Price's performance more than makes up for the lack of brilliance in the music. Her diction is amazingly clear, even Callas would be jealous and her voice soars, where the music allows her to at least.

Tracks:

Overture To 'The School for Scandal', Op.5
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915, Op.24
(First) Essay For Orchestra, Op.12
Second Essay, Op.17
Adagio For Strings, Op.11
Medea's Dance Of Vengence, Op.23A

Customer Reviews:

great album .......2006-02-12

great album to the previous reviews i cannot add anything that makes sense. I just like this music very much.

a great selection of Barber works.......2005-01-25

The diverse pieces on this CD give us a wonderful example of Samuel Barber's genius, and leaves no doubt as to his place in the hierarchy of American music, from the dramatic and theatrical opening and closing works, to the poignant, exquisite "Knoxville: Summer of 1915", to the much loved "Adagio for Strings", a composition even people who never listen to classical music are familiar with.
"The School for Scandal Overture" has always been a favorite of mine, and "Knoxville", so beautifully sung by soprano Sylvia McNair, uses the words of James Agee, that describes small town living in days gone by, in a profoundly touching way.

The "First Essay for Orchestra" was premiered along with "Adagio for Strings" by the grand maestro Arturo Toscanini in an NBC broadcast when Barber was only 28, and was the beginning of Barber's many huge successes, both critical and popular.
The "Second Essay" was written for Bruno Walter in 1942, and is much more abstract than the "First Essay", and is the least familiar piece on this CD for me, and the "Adagio for Strings" is given an appropriately delicate, somber performance, contrasted by "Medea's Dance of Vengeance", which builds to a fantastic rhythmic finale.

Barber's music stirs the emotions, enchants with his strong melodic lines, and always has that uniquely American "sound", music that could not have been composed anywhere but the U.S.A.
Yoel Levi and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra do justice to these terrific works, and Ms. McNair is perfect in "Knoxville", which is one of the signature pieces in her repertoire.
Recorded in 1991, the booklet insert has liner notes on Barber's life, the text of "Knoxville", a small bio of McNair, and full recording info. Total playing time is 65'29.

Pure Americana.......2002-02-06

This is a terrific collection of works by Barber. Like Copland, Barber's pieces evoke nostalgic images of America, but their overall character is delicate and pensive. The opening overture is as delightful as a summer picnic. It is a perfect lead-in to the soft reminiscences of Knoxville, poignantly rendered by Sylvia McNair. The outpouring of grief from the 1st Essay and the heartbreak of the Adagio are adroitly interrupted by the anger & agitation of the 2nd Essay. Medea's Dance is an appropriate farewell closer. All in all, a well programmed disc with 65 minutes of great music and Telarc's unmatched sonics. Easily recommended!

Awesome "Knoxville", AwFUL "Overture".......2002-01-21

I agree with earlier reviewers regarding this recording of "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" - one of Barber's most beautiful and hauntingly nostalgic works - is exceptional. Sylvia McNair is one of (if not THE) best interpreters of this piece that I've ever come across.

Awesome "Knoxville", AwFUL "Overture".......2002-01-21

Tracks:

Knoxville: Summer Of 1915, Op. 24
Dover Beach, Op. 3
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: I. At Saint Patrick's Purgatory
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: II. Church Bell At Night
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: III. St. Ita's Vision
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: IV. The Heavenly Banquet
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: V. The Crucifixion
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: VI. Sea-snatch
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: VII. Promiscuity
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: VIII. The Monk And His Cat
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: IX. The Praises of God
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: X. The Desire For Hermitage
Andromache's Farewell, Op. 39

Customer Reviews:

Real close but not quite..............2001-01-08

My first experience with Barber was Price's recording of "Knoxville", and it will always remain, for me, the definitive recording of that work. The version here is certainly good, but it misses the lyrical charm that Price brings to the piece. As far as I know, the Price version is out of print (along with, to my horror, her amazing work on Antony and Cleopatra, Barber's woefully underrated opera), but if you ever get the chance, track it down.

But Fischer-Dieskau sings "French toast"!.......2000-03-24

These are all essential recordings, of course, for the reasons other reviewers mention. I'll simply point out that this recording of Dover Beach (also available in other issues) with the Juilliard and F-D is the notorious one where he gets the words wrong. Instead of singing, "On the French coast the light gleams and is gone..." he gives it as "...French toast..." Of course, he delivers this beautifully.

Rocking gently, talking gently.......2000-03-04

Essential Barber. Steber's "Knoxville" is the earliest recording. She commissioned it, if I'm not mistaken. Her feeling for the text, her phrasing of it is remarkable. Her diction is perfect. The rest of this collection is an American treasure. Too bad it doesn't include Samuel Barber's recording of himself singing "Dover Beach", but barring that DFD's is the best on records. Leontyne Price's "Hermit Songs" are the classic recording. How could you go wrong?

Essential!.......1999-12-09

This fabulous collection is required listening for anyone who loves Barber's music and/or great singing. Naturally Leontyne Price is wonderful in the HERMIT SONGS, likewise Fischer-Dieskau in Dover Beach -- but don't overlook Steber's historic performance of KNOXVILLE, which she commissioned, nor Arroyo's dramatic tour-de-force in the powerful ANDROMACHE'S FAREWELL, a late work. The Samuel Barber Foundation website (samuelbarber.org) will soon be operating with news/reviews of new & reissued recordings of Barber's work.

Lyrical performances.......1999-07-16

This is a delightful recording! First, "Knoxville"'s lyrics are from "A Death In The Family", by James Agee -- one of the most evocative prose writers. Second, Barber's composition is wonderfully sympathetic with Agee's lyrics. Third, Ms Steber's dynamic voice alternately stands out from the orchestra, then melds into it, as the focus of the lyrics changes. (Listen to the way that the line "Now is the night one blue dew." flows from her voice to the woodwinds: dreamy.) The flip side is equally delightful, and on the whole probably a bit more light hearted (if not as introspective) as the first. I especially love the song "A Monk And His Cat": thanks to the magic of Mr. Barber and Ms. Price, a 12th(?) century monk, obviously besotted by his cat, speaks clearly to us all these centuries later. . . .and isn't it wonderful to hear the composer himself accompany Ms. Price? You will love this CD. (Report back here, if you're not satisfied.)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Material for Ms. Upshaw.
Keeps Getting Better
The Barber alone is worth five stars
Buy this disc...twice!
Dawn Upshaw, vocal actress extraordinaire

Knoxville Summer of 1915

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915/Dover Beach/Hermit Songs/Adromache's Farewell

ASIN: B000005IZ3
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
The Old Maid And the Thief: Act I, Scene 6: What A Curse For A Woman Is A Timid Man
Mirabai Songs: I. It's True, I Went To The Market
Mirabai Songs: II. All I Was Doing Was Breathing
Mirabai Songs: III. Why Mira Can't Go Back To Her Old House
Mirabai Songs: IV. Where Did You Go?
Mirabai Songs: V. The Clouds
Mirabai Songs: VI. Don't Go, Don't Go
The Rake's Progress: Act I, Scene 3: No Word From Tom

Amazon.com essential recording

Barber's Knoxville, Summer of 1915 is a setting of a lovely chunk of prose text by James Agee describing an evening from his childhood. An accomplished singer himself, Barber's vocal writing is expert, and this work must rank as one of the finest examples of the art of word-setting in any language. Barber perfectly captures the conversational quality of the text, while at the same time clothing the words in an atmosphere of gentle nostalgia. It's a masterpiece that Dawn Upshaw sings with keen insight and lovely tone. The remainder of the program is creatively chosen as well, making this one of the finest vocal recitals available by an American singer. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Material for Ms. Upshaw........2006-04-26

'Knoxville: Summer of 1915' is a performance of a selection of operatic pieces by Americans such as Samuel Barber or Europeans transplanted to the United States, such as Igor Stravinsky. Ms. Upshaw shines with material, which is good for her, since she is just slightly out of her league with the material covered by the likes of Renee Flemming on the operatic front and Ute Lemper and Lotte Lenya on the Euro/American popular musical stage.

Like any good sampler, this recording's strongest draw is the fact that it makes one interested in tracking down the complete works by Barber, Menotti, Harbison, and Stravinsky. And, while the package includes all lyrics, everything is in perfectly clear English. A perfect addition to other American classics such as 'Porgy and Bess'.

Keeps Getting Better.......2005-03-02

I have had this disc for years, and I'm more impressed with it as the years roll by. I bought it for Barber's "Knoxville, Summer of 1915" which is a glorious piece of music caught here in a luminous performance. I didn't initially warm up to the Harbison songs, but they have grown on me over the years to the point that I listen to them far more often than the Barber now. I think it just took me a while to absorb Harbison's style and understand how deftly and ingeniously he uses it to take the listener into Mirabai's world. Not to be missed!

The Barber alone is worth five stars.......2004-01-16

People are always saying that they find a particular piece of music is "haunting." For me Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" is such a work. Dawn Upshaw's reading of this great American masterwork is the best I have yet heard. She won her first Grammy Award for this recording - and deservedly so. If you're a fan of either Upshaw or Barber you'll want to add this beautiful CD to your collection.

Buy this disc...twice!.......2002-07-20

Extraordinary!! This has got to be the definitive Knoxville--rich, touching, elegant and as close to perfect as it can probably ever be. Upshaw has the perfect voice for this work, and she gives it all the loving attention that it requires. This is a performance of Knoxville that will make you weak in the knees. For the Knoxville alone, buy this disc....twice! There is, however, just a little bit of downside here. The other works on this disc just aren't very captivating.

Dawn Upshaw, vocal actress extraordinaire.......2002-01-01

This is the CD that made me fall in love with Dawn Upshaw's singing. I had heard her before and admired her work, but this disc made me a real fan. As it's one of her early recordings, her voice is somewhat "fuller" than on later work; she later started moving the voice "forward," simplifying the sound. Either way, her immense talent for communicating the essence of the text is the outstanding aspect of all her work. It's amazing how she can sound angry, desperate, hopeful, melancholic, all while producing a beautiful sound and tackling all the vocal challenges of the music she's singing. She inhabits the characters, the narrators, of each of the pieces on this disc, and makes it more than just a collection of songs or arias.

I want to make special mention of the Harbison _Mirabai Songs_, as it seems to have been maligned somewhat in other reviews here. This was the work that most kept me coming back to this disc when I first bought it. I think it is a masterpiece, and one of Harbison's best and most important works. (Apparently I'm not alone in my admiration of the piece, because I've heard it on a number of live concerts in recent years, so it seems to be having a successful performance life.) Harbison's song cycle is by turns exciting, sensual, driving, longing, beautiful. The orchestration for the small ensemble is masterful (as Harbison's efforts at scoring always are), and Upshaw expresses all of Mirabai's complex emotions enchantingly.

The _Rake's Progress_ aria also deserves individual comment. In this engrossing example of Stravinsky's neoclassical style, Upshaw assumes Anne's air of fierce determination, and brings the disc to an absolutely thrilling climax on a concluding high C.

Tracks:

Overture - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Andante - Robert McDuffie
Adagio For Strings - Leonard Slatkin
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915, Op.24 - Sylvia McNair
Canzone - Jon Kimura Parker
Agnus Dei (Based On Adagio For Strings) - Robert Shaw

Customer Reviews:

buy this for the choral adagio (Agnus Dei ).......2007-05-22

A strong CD offering. The choral version of adagio for
strings is by far the highlight. There are some other fine
tracks as well. The audio quality is fine, giving a good
value for my 10 bucks. Leonard Slatkin, is in his usual
fine form here, and gives an excellent performance of the
original adagio for strings. All the other tracks
are good as well. There is some very powerful music here.
I'm glad I bought this disc.

Since I already own several copies of Barber's Adagio.
I bought this for the choral version which in itself
was worth the purchase.

If you have only a casual interest in Classical Music,
you will almost certainly love the Adagio and Angnus Dei,
and you will at the very least find the other tracks interesting.

Previn: Honey and Rue; Barber: Knoxville; Gershwin: Porgy And Bess / Battle, Previn, et al

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Music, Rip-off price
Sublime!
An Impressive Song Cycle
A beautiful cycle for a beautiful voice

Previn: Honey and Rue; Barber: Knoxville; Gershwin: Porgy And Bess / Battle, Previn, et al

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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So Many Stars
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ASIN: B000001GIV
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

Honey And Rue: 1. First I'll Try Love
Honey And Rue: 2. Whose House Is This?
Honey And Rue: The Town Is Lit
Honey And Rue: 4. Do You Know Him?
Honey And Rue: 5.I Am Not Seaworthy
Honey And Rue: 6. Take My Mother Home
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
Porgy And Bess: 'I Loves You, Porgy'
'Summertime'

Amazon.com

Back at the beginning of the 1990s, with some help from Carnegie Hall, soprano Kathleen Battle commissioned André Previn and Toni Morrison to write a song cycle for her. The result was a set of six songs called Honey and Rue, referring to "the bitter and the sweet" that comes with life and love and is part of the African American experience. One of the songs, the last to be composed, is unaccompanied. The remaining five are scored for chamber orchestra and showcase Previn's chameleon-like abilities as an arranger--here capturing echoes of such European masters as Mahler and Berg, there a hint of Americana in the Copland-Bernstein vein, and elsewhere the engaging verve of jazz and the blues. Previn conducts his score with breezy authority, drawing spirited playing from the Orchestra of Saint Luke's, particularly in the jazzy third song ("The Town Is Lit") and the spiritual-like concluding number ("Take My Mother Home"). Battle sings expressively and with obvious commitment--both here and in the selections by Barber and Gershwin that fill out the disc--though not without her lately characteristic affectations. The recording makes her voice sound oddly reverberant, as though it had been subjected to the kind of processed engineering usually reserved for pop productions. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Music, Rip-off price.......2002-06-15

I love this disc. A wonderful singer performing wonderful music. The Morrison poems are hauntingly set by Previn, and the Barber gives Dawn Upshaw a run for her money, the Gershwin as near-perfect as one could hope for. But it's a total cheek to charge this kind of money for a 40 minute disc. In keeping with the American flavour of the disc, how about some orchstrated Barber songs or his opera arias? Copland? More Gershwin? Adams? Even some of Previn's other wonderful music could have notched this into 50 minutes. I feel ripped off.

Sublime!.......2001-08-13

The poetry The music The orchestra The singer

All in perfect equal parts that gives us a recording of 20th century music that sets the standard for sublime. Wonderfully recorded, and tailored.

A brilliant recording. A must buy.

An Impressive Song Cycle.......2001-06-17

"Honey and Rue" is a song cycle with lyrics written by Toni Morrison and music composed by Andre Previn, performed by Kathleen Battle and the Orchestra of St. Lukes with the composer at the helm. The work received its premiere at Carnegie Hall in 1992.

With such an all-star team behind it, it is no surprise that "Honey and Rue" is a great success. Morrison's lyrics present "images of yearning, satisfaction, resolution" and Previn's eclectic score combines early 20th century classical ideas with jazz and blues. As for Miss Battle, well I'm afraid that I'm an adoring fan and can't be relied upon. The disc is filled out with Barber's glorious "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" and two selections from "Porgy and Bess."

A beautiful cycle for a beautiful voice.......2000-06-20

This C.D. is a real gem. It stands as a testement to the sheer beauty and artistry that is Kathleen Battle as well as the genius of Andre Previn, author Toni Morrison and the various other American Composers and librettist featured on this disc. Kathleen Battle's voice is at it's silvery best, rich with emotiveness, expression and artistic grace. A wonderful blend of neo- classic, post-romantic and twentieth century music this is any music buffs forte, and worthy of being in any singers library.

Average customer rating:

A chance to boycott.
Nicely done all around, but the Knoxville isn't deeply felt
The Naxos series of Barber recordings continues virtuously
A Recording Which Gives Barber His Due
A Wonderful Disc

Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001N9ZF2
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Tracks:

Knoxville: Summer Of 1915, Op.24 - Karina Gauvin
Second Essay For Orchestra, Op.17
Third Essay For Orchestra, Op.47
Toccata Festiva, Op.36 - Thomas Trotter

Album Description

This fifth installment in Naxos's Barber series is conducted by 2003 Gramophone Artist of the Year Marin Alsop. This disc features the richly romantic Knoxville: Summer of 1915, a `lyric rhapsody' for soprano and orchestra, sung by Karina Gauvin, who has rapidly established a reputation for excellence internationally. Her charismatic performances fuse a brilliant voice, with an elegant style, and masterful interpretation. The Second Essay for Orchestra is widely regarded as the tightest, most incisive of the three compositions bearing this title; some even consider it a single movement symphony more than an essay—it is densely packed, and more happens in its scant ten minutes than in some works which sprawl for half an hour. The rarely-recorded Toccata Festiva for organ and orchestra which, with its fast, furious opening fanfare and virtuosic cadenza, is a veritable tour deforce for the soloist.

Customer Reviews:

A chance to boycott........2006-11-08

Why do you take the opportunity to boycott products and/or companies that advertise on right wing web sites. Laura Ingraham's web site led me here and now I can write a review for the product she is pushing.

Nicely done all around, but the Knoxville isn't deeply felt.......2006-06-30

It's daunting to record Barber's vocal masterpiece, 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915,' which has been superbly sung by no less than Eleasnor Steber, Leontyne Price, and Dawn Upsahw, all at the peak of their powers. Just below that peak we have redings by Sylvia McNair and Roberta Alexander. Knoxville is a work I cherish. It requires much: a luminous soprano voice, floating high notes that must appear effortless, and a deep feeling for James Agee's heartbreaking poetry, which fuses nostalgia and mysticism. In this case, Karina Gauvin has the right voice, but she tiptoes around the notes and is almost neutral in the text. Her best moments are inward, and there are quite a few of those, but she doesn't take us very far emotionally.

Marin Alsop is sympathetic to Barber's idiom, and his flowing lyricism seems well suited to a feminine perspective. Alsop is unusually soft and gentle in Knoxville. When she gets to the Second Essay, her small-scaled reading begins to lapse a bit rhythmically. The playing is lovely, but I don't hear a strong enough point of view. She is meticulous and cautious in the Third Essay. The performance that has real guts is the Toccata, one of Barber's least played pieces--orchestras don't seem to feature organ soloists anymore. But Poulenc had shown the way in modern organ concertos, and here Barber alternates his lush singing style--one of the themes even echos Knoxville--with free-form organ obligattos that Thomas Trotter plays thrillingly on an excelent instrument.

In the end, I wound up enjoying the least familiar work the most. Naxos provides wonderful sonics, and everyone is to be commended for doing Barber the service of letting us hear all his major works.

The Naxos series of Barber recordings continues virtuously.......2004-12-06

The idea of virtue, connoting an active quality of goodness, might seem oblique in connection with a music recording; but something very like virtue gathers as this regular, 16-bit CD spins merrily in my upsampled player.

Kudos to Ms. Galvin, a Canadian soprano of some reputation. I am sorry to say that I found her earlier recordings very fine, but less than consistent. One track seemed compelling to me, followed by a track or two that seemed competent and not much more. In this case of Barber's Knoxville, all hesitations and doubts must simply dissolve in the face of her superb vocalism, matched effortlessly to Barber's rather mystical setting of the famous Agee text. While the words tell us of a long-faded American tapestry of extended family, timeless childhood being, and the passing parade of changing civilization in the early twentieth century; Barber's genius is that he has the music make clear to us that this snapshot captures its time and place as variants of a universal human condition. I am reminded of the character's return to life's moments after having first settled into the empty grave's chairs playwright Thornton Wilder puts on one side of the stage, across from passing life as we typically live through it. It's all happening too fast, the character exclaims, bringing home to us the ineffable poignancy of our having lived so much that we cannot capture the first time around, nor recapture in memory or nostalgia or recollection. This music is dangerous repertoire, insofar as it asks us as audience members to remember that we do not live so long, nor so fully on this earth, regardless of how many years we do live. In less than expert hands, this piece can turn pale and maudlin, rather than - as here sung by Ms. Gauvin - poised and elegant and wise with melancholy acceptance.
Based on this CD, it is safe to conclude that Ms. Gauvin has matured into consistency of being in command of her considerable resources.

The remainder of the CD only makes inescapably clear how well the entire series is being steered and helmed by Marin Alsop. Typically, she has been offered the Bournemouth Symphony in England, by an orchestra administration who surely know a gifted conductor when they hear one, even if she is a woman. Thank you, Antonia Brico. (First woman to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic, among other things, in 1930's.) The late Walter Legge is supposed to have said that he knew he was hearing a great conductor when somebody could take a sixth rate orchestra and get them to play like a second rate band.

So far, none of the orchestras that have been privileged to play under Marin Alsop have been in the world's famous top ten; but when you hear these performances, you find yourself thinking that maybe a whole lot of very fine music is going on the world, aside from marketing cache or brand-name recognition. The Scottish RNO has been a good orchestra for some time now; so the Barber series has been continuing at a very high level, indeed, especially when you consider that Naxos is a budget label by design. Here we have absolutely nothing of the old 101 strings; or the east European radio orchestra scratch.

One is grateful to the series, if for nothing else than so eloquently demonstrating to us that there is more to the music of Samuel Barber than his reputation as a slightly dotty old-uncle of a past American master allows. To classify him as an American romantic composer is fine, so long as you know the difference between sappy-fizzy romantic bar drinks with parasols from Taiwan on top; and something else in American music which seems to be aging into a liquored-up strong finish with a rich, complex bouquet. Barber's harmonic and narrative directness capture something that we have come to recognize as a definitive dimension of our national identity in music. But the lyricism and the harmony are not sugar-intensive, in these performances. (Just right, this disc.)

Marin Alsop and the RNSO reminds us in the second and third essays for orchestra that Barber could and often did say more in ten or fifteen minutes, than some blustery composers seem to say in thirty or forty-five. There is an almost late-Sibelius concision of evolution at work here, with a surprising sense that tonality is not the placid glass surface that many who don't listen too closely might assume it to be.

Finally, we get the little-played Toccata for organ and orchestra, written to show off the Philadephia Orchestra's new organ, a gift of philanthropic Mary Zimbalist. If you like the organ mix with orchestra, this will tickly your fancy. It is played deftly and with musical imagination by Thomas Trotter in the lofts.

If you don't know Barber, this is a rewarding place to start. If you have been collecting the Barber Naxos series previously, then take heart, this one is another keeper. Five stars, not that distantly shining, almost right above us on a very, very clear night.

A Recording Which Gives Barber His Due.......2004-07-14

For about two months now, this recording of Barber's works has appeared every time I log on to Amazon.com suggesting I purchase it, so I decided to take a chance. As is so often the case with Naxos recordings, it was worth the gamble.

Most people who purchase the recording are more than likely purchasing it for the collections best known piece KNOXVILLE: SUMMER OF 1915. The work was commissioned by the soprano Eleanor Steber in the late 1940's, composed by one of the great contemporary composers of the time with words from the poem by James Agee, and premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra by the great Serge Koussevitzky. With such a background, could the work be anything but destined for greatness? As other reviewers have noted, the work is a favorite of sopranos such as Steber and Leontyne Price and there are other wonderful recordings of the work. While I agree that sopranos such as Price and Steber have masterfully performed and recorded the work, Karina Gauvin's performance is also worth noting. Perhaps because her voice is not as powerful as many of her predecessors, she is able to give the work a simpler rendition which would be in keeping with Knoxville, Tennessee in the early part of the last century. It is difficult to understand what she is singing at times, but the recording ahs the words in the liner notes, and the diction problems seem to fade with familiarity.

The SECOND ESSAY FOR ORCHESTRA, the THIRD ESSAY FOR ORCHESTRA, and the TOCCATA FESTIVA are lesser known Barber works but demonstrate his tremendous musical gifts. The SECOND ESSAY is a more traditionally composed piece, the THIRD is somewhat experimental. Thomas Trotter does a masterful job conducting the Royal Scottish Orchestra. The TOCCATA FESTIVA is a bold and exciting piece that would require a skilled orchestra and an organ virtuoso, and this recording contains both.

While nearly all Naxos recordings can be characterized by quality and price, this collection deserves a special place in its catalog.

A Wonderful Disc.......2004-06-17

Once again, Naxos has come up with a superb disc in their Samuel Barber series. I have heard several recordings of Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and this new one succeeds perfectly in capturing the lyricism and mood of the music. The soprano, Karina Gauvin, sings with great feeling, capturing every nuance of James Agee's words. Her voice reminds me of Eleanor Steber, who commissioned this piece, and with the beautiful singing and orchestral playing, this recording of Knoxville is one of the best available. For me, however, the very best Knoxville remains the Leontyne Price recording with Thomas Schippers. There is a hard-to-define quality in Ms. Price's voice that conveys the feeling that she has lived what she is singing about.

This CD also holds the Second and Third Essay for Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra beautifully plays both. The Second Essay was commissioned by Bruno Walter in 1942 and is, like his First Symphony, a compact work with enough musical ideas for a longer work. It is good to see the Third Essay, the least recorded of this form, coupled with the Second. The Third Essay, from 1976, is dominated by the opening theme imaginatively scored for percussion instruments. Like the earlier Essays, the third has an abundance of musical ides and moments of beautiful lyricism with an underlying melancholia. An even rarer work of Barber's in the Toccata Festiva for orchestra and organ, written when Mary Zimbalist, a wealthy patron of music, offered to buy a new pipe organ for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Barber was offered a commission by Eugene Ormandy for the Toccata. The work is a miniature concerto for organ with virtuoso playing required from the soloist. The orchestra has a magnificent accompanying role with music written not as a backdrop for the organ but with beautiful long passages that make it a partner in the performance.

Tracks:

Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Vater, Bist Du's? Through Zeige Dich, Vater!

Tracks:

Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
Ernani: Ernani, Involami
Song
Louise: Depuis Le Jour
Tosca: Vissi D'arte
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di
Standchen
Im Abendrot
Elfenlied
Freundliche Vision
Songs Of The Auvergne: Passo Pel Prat
Songs Of The Auvergne: Berceuse (Soun, Soun, Beni, Beni)
Songs Of The Auvergne: Fibilou Par Una Sera
The Telephone: Telephone Aria
Old American Songs: Long Time Ago
Old American Songs: Simple Gifts (Shaker Song)
Nancy Hanks
Whistle And I'll Come To You
Danny Boy

Customer Reviews:

The "Monster" Concert Live.......2000-03-28

Those of us who are Stebermaniacs know that the October,1958 Carnegie Hall concert preserved in this live recording captured Eleanor Steber at the height of her popularity and vocal artistry. In her autobiography, she admits that she planned the most spectacular program she could conceive, and she blows away the enthusiastic audience with her stamina, technique, versatility and emotion coupled with control and musicality. Every review of this concert I have ever read selects a different "high point;" the spectacular Strauss segment from "The Woman without a Shadow," "Qui la Voce" from I Puritani, the multiple aria encores, Barber's "Knoxville," the Berlioz song cycle: the sheer quantity of glorious singing makes this a collector's item. An additional bonus is a more subdued, but warm 1956 song recital containing selections never before available. The sonic values are excellent in the 1958 concert, a bit less so in the earlier concert. Nevertheless, these are treasures, especially in the light of the few Steber concert recordings in existence.

Average customer rating:

I judged this album for myself and enjoy it a lot.
Measha Maligned
Can't Take It Anymore
So Much to Apologize For
Doubled over in pain

So Much to Tell

Manufacturer: Cbc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Extase - Measha Brueggergosman
William Bolcom - Songs of Innocence and of Experience (William Blake) / Slatkin, University of Michigan School of Music
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B00068NVFC
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

Nature, The Gentlest Mother
There Came A Wind Like A Bugle
The World Feels Dusty
Heart, We Will Forget Him
Dear March, Come In!
Sleep Is Supposed To Be
Going To Heaven!
The Chariot
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
I. Un Poco Adagio
II. Andante Con Moto
III. Dance
Embraceable You
By Strauss
I've Got A Crush On You

Album Description

Critically acclaimed by the international press for her innate musicianship, radiant voice, and a sovereign stage presence far beyond her years, Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman is in great demand as a concert artist and opera singer. So much to tell, on the CBC Records label, is Ms. Brueggergosman's debut CD, accompaniment by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra conducted by the legendary Roy Goodman. The title of the CD, So much to tell, comes from the text of Dickenson's "Dear March, come in!" Just as Copland felt a connection to the poetry of Dickinson, so too did Samuel Barber have an affinity for the texts of James Agee, and far from simply writing "popular songs", George Gershwin's works contain a rich melodic and harmonic language. Two added bonuses include Barber's Serenade for Strings and a wonderful ghost track.

Customer Reviews:

I judged this album for myself and enjoy it a lot........2006-11-07

Too many haters reviewing this woman. I read all the reviews and then listened for myself after hearing Ms. Brueggergosman sing with the San Francisco Symphony live. I think she sounds lovely here too.

Measha Maligned.......2006-10-19

I bought this disc for a couple of reasons: I love the Barber songs, and I enjoy Copland a lot. Recordings of "Knoxville" aren't thick on the ground, so every new one demands attention. And then I read the reviews here.

Vocal collectors are often malicious in their criticism of artists they dislike (I have been known to speak colorfully of singers) but the complete unfairness of several of the "reviews" to be found here is really quite surprising. I don't think I can recall a single reference to vomit rising, let alone two in a single hit piece. So what's actually on this disc?

This is a beautifully produced, perfectly placed, intrinsically beautiful voice of considerable size and heft. It is lustrous and healthy. While it is characterful and has plenty of "face," it reminds this listener of the voice of the young Leontyne Price, whose recording of "Knoxville" with the composer is so justly famous. Ms. Brueggergosman is an excellent musician with an intelligent, unfussy way with the texts. The supporting artists are much more than adequate, and the recorded sound is fine.

I cannot claim to enjoy the Gershwin pieces, but since this material isn't of much interest to me--and since I have little experience of how its typically presented by a serious singer--I can't criticize these performances apart from saying they sound perfectly respectable. The Copland songs are radiantly lovely, certainly among the best recordings of these available. The "encore" spiritual is magnificent a capella singing, full of deep feeling and sincerity. This genre has been accepted for so long as American art song--at least since the time of Marian Anderson, followed by Price, Norman and so many, many other outstanding artists--to find it dismissed out of ignorance here is painful.

This young soprano should have a magnificent career. I look forward to hearing her for many years.

Can't Take It Anymore.......2006-01-19

My roomate has been playing this CD for 10 minutes, I just can't take it anymore. 2 words, this album stinks. Okay, that was three words, I normally do not lie, however this music is driving me to drink. I lie when I drink, just note that this review is the exception, it is the truth!

So Much to Apologize For.......2005-11-23

OK, I read the mixed reviews, and like others have noted I decided to pick up this CD based on the content (Hello, huge Barber fan over here). I am going to focus on reviewing the reviews, not the album, I believe the negative reviews summarize my feelings on this album and do not want to waste your time bringing up the downfalls of this album again.

Initially I thought that the negative reviews seemed contrived and sarcastic. Coupled with the fact that they were bunched up got me thinking that they were "plants" by rival artists. Then I bought the CD and have a completely different opinion, the good reviews are probably the plants.

The negative reviews are all posted on or near a Tuesday, much like this one. My theory is that when the record stores launch new CDs on Tuesdays (as they do every week) this CD ends up in the bargain bin and then in some poor person's living room.

Bottom line is pass this CD up, no matter what day of the week you happen to stroll by this in the bargain bin.

Doubled over in pain.......2005-11-23

Let me be honest I am anything but an opera afficianado but I do like good music. I bought this on a whim. When I got home I slipped into my basket chair and slipped on my bose headphones and turned up the music. That is when the unfortunate event occured. I doubled over in pain because of the horrendous singing. This proves once again that Canadas major export of lame a%$ singing needs to be shipped back over the border.

Barber: Knoxville-Summer of 1915; Copland: Eight Poems of Emily Dickenson

Average customer rating:

The Works of Two American Giants
A Sleeper

Barber: Knoxville-Summer of 1915; Copland: Eight Poems of Emily Dickenson

Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002RUU
Release Date: 1995-06-13

Tracks:

Quiet City for tpt, E hn and strs - Maurice Murphy/Christine Pendrill
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: I. Nature, the gentlest mother ('To David Diamond')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: II. There came a wind like a bugle ('To Elliott Cater')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: III. The world feels dusty ('To Alexei Haieff')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: IV. Heart, we will forget him ('To Marcelle De Manziarly')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: V. Dear March, come in! ('To Juan Orrego Salas')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: VI. Sleep is supposed to be ('To Irving Fine')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: VII. Going to Heaven ('To Lukas Foss')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: VIII. The Chariot ('To Arthur Berger')
Adagio For Strs, Op.11 - London SO/Thomas
From Four Songs, Op.13: I. Nocturne
From Four Songs, Op.13: III. Sure on this shining night
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915 ('In Memory Of My Father')

Customer Reviews:

The Works of Two American Giants.......2006-01-16

This very fine recording is one that has strangely disappeared from the available list of CDs and for those fortunate to find it will wonder, as I do, why it is no longer in ready circulation. The recital honors the parallel lives of Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990) and Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981) and with the selections included demonstrates that despite their stylistic differences, each of these composers cared deeply about communication.

And the communication could be in few finer hands than those of Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the London Symphony Orchestra and of Barbara Hendricks, whose voice in the song cycles was at its prime in 1995 when the recording was made. The recital opens with Copland's 'Quiet City' in as moody and atmospheric performance as any on record. Tilson Thomas does not rush this work but allows it to breathe. The first chair solo work by Trumpet Maurice Murphy and English Horn Christine Pendrill are particularly fine. Following a period of grateful silence thanks to the engineers, the next 'set' is Copland's setting of 'Eight Poems by Emily Dickinson'. Hendricks' voice is rich and pliant and the moods of the poems come across well. She often sacrifices enunciation for open vowel production, but it matters little: the poems are lovely.

Samuel Barber's often performed and used 'Adagio for Strings' follows in an oddly restrained reading by Tilson Thomas. The angst is still present but the spectacular power of the final ascending climax doesn't tear at the heart. But in many ways this straightforward reading makes the familiar piece more clearly a classic than an emotional button. Hendricks then collaborates with two of Barber's 'Four Songs', and her 'Sure on this shining night' is so focused and delicate that she surpasses most of her fellow colleague's versions. Likewise the final masterful 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915' is lyrical and finds all aspects of Agee's poetic story equally important. Tilson Thomas' support is some of the finest on this record.

Recommendation: look for this recording and buy when you find it. It is a treasure trove that desperately deserves re-mastering. Grady Harp, January 06

A Sleeper.......2003-09-26

This CD offers a creative approach in programming: a major orchestral and vocal work by each of two American major composers - Copland and Barber. While they were contemporaries whose music was deemed accessible, they were vastly different: Copland virtually invented an American sound, while Barber's was firmly rooted in European tradition. So this is an album of contrast and diversity. What is consistent is the excellence of the interpretaion and performance. While the orchestral works are very satisfying (but who can compete with Schippers 'Adagio'?), the real distinction is in the vocal contributions of Barbara Hendricks. The Dickenson poems are full of vitality as they should be. The Barber 'Nocturne'is particularly haunting. But the masterpiece is the 'Knoxville'; Leontyne Price is considered to 'own' this piece, and there are other hightly regarded performances, but this one gives them real competition. Much depends on voice preferences, but I don't think you can go wrong with this CD and I recommend it highly.

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