Edward Macdowell: Piano Music, Vol. 2

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
In this second volume of MacDowell piano music, Barbagallo plays the composer's first published works, opp. 1 and 2, which are pleasant salon music. The title of the Modern Suite seems inappropriate even for 1881; it sounds like music Mendelssohn could have written half a century earlier. The "Norse" Sonata is appropriately dedicated to Grieg, who provided most of its inspiration. As in volume 1, the strongest attraction is the committed, colorful playing of the late James Barbagallo, bronze-medallist at the 1982 Tchaikovsky Competition. He plays this music with such obvious dedication and affection that his performances overcome critical reservations about the music itself. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Crisantemi
Carmen: Micaela's Aria
Serendae For Strings In E Major, Op.22: II - Tempo Di Valse
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: Traumerei: No.7
Two Elegiac Melodies, Op.34: II - The Last Spring
Hassan: Serenade
Fantasia On 'Greensleves'
Londonderry Air
Elegie
Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op.42: Melodie In E-Flat Major, No. 3
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo
I Love You
Woodland Sketches, Op.51: To A Wild Rose, No. 1
Henry V: Touch Her Soft Lips And Part: No.2
Pavane For A Dead Princess
Prelude To Irmelin
Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini, Op.43: Variation XVIII: Andante Cantabile

Customer Reviews:

LOVE THIS CD !!!.......2007-03-11

I was looking for a recording of Londonderry Air performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandandy. After listening to several sample clips on this CD, I ordered it. The entire CD is beautiful and relaxing. It's become one of my favorites.

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Digging Deeper into the MacDowell Catalog
Only part of a wonderful series

Edward Macdowell: Piano Music, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Edward MacDowell: Piano Music, Vol. 3
MacDowell: Piano Music, Vol. 1
Edward MacDowell: Piano Music, Vol. 4
MacDowell: Suites Nos. 1 & 2, Hamlet & Ophelia / Ulster Orchestra, Yuasa
MacDowell: Piano Concertos

ASIN: B00000DHTI
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Tracks:

Praeludium: Largamente Con Energia
Presto: Scherzando - Vivace
Andantino Ed Allegretto: Con Tenerezza Serena. Piu Allegretto
Intermezzo: Con Leggerezza E Giocoso
Rhapsodie: In Ritmo Tenebre
Fugue: Allegro Risoluto
Amourette, Op. 1 (Not Fast, With Simplicity)
Capriciously, Yet Not Slow
Not Slow, Liltingly
In The Woods (Lightly, Almost Jauntily)
Siesta (Slowly, Swayingly)
To The Moonlight (With Breadth And Tenderness)
Silver Clouds (Smoothly, Placidly)
Flute Idyl (Lightly, Joyously)
The Bluebell (Lightly, Daintly)
Mesto, Ma Con Passione
Tristamente, Ma Con Tenerezza
Allegro Con Fuoco

Amazon.com

In this second volume of MacDowell piano music, Barbagallo plays the composer's first published works, opp. 1 and 2, which are pleasant salon music. The title of the Modern Suite seems inappropriate even for 1881; it sounds like music Mendelssohn could have written half a century earlier. The "Norse" Sonata is appropriately dedicated to Grieg, who provided most of its inspiration. As in volume 1, the strongest attraction is the committed, colorful playing of the late James Barbagallo, bronze-medallist at the 1982 Tchaikovsky Competition. He plays this music with such obvious dedication and affection that his performances overcome critical reservations about the music itself. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Digging Deeper into the MacDowell Catalog.......2000-06-29

Edward MacDowell is best known for his Piano Concertos and his short solo piece "To a Wild Rose". This collection provides an insight into some of his nearly-forgotten solo piano music, resurrected here by the late James Barbagallo, whose obvious enthusiasm for the music infuses each track with newfound vitality and energy. Recommended at full price...and at six bucks, why not?

Only part of a wonderful series.......1999-07-04

This is only the second volume in what is now a four volume series on Naxos label. The really good news is that these are from the same masters from which came the more expensive Marco Polo sets and here they are at half the price. No matter that our great American composer is more often than not indistinguishable from many European composers of his time. His "Woodland" pieces are marvelous little tone poems and no doubt he had New England scenery in mind when he composed them, regarless of the musical idiom in which he expressed himself. I urge you to collect all four CDs, all the more so because of Barbagallo's symphathy with the music he is playing. It would be a valuable experience to compare the selections on these discs with other Naxos releases that feature the work of more recent composers such as Siegmeister, whose pieces seem more cerebral and less heartfelt than do Macdowell's. But be sure to add these New England inspired pieces to your collection. And at these prices, you cannot afford not to (a cliche, but nevertheless true).

The Maiden's Prayer and Other Gems From an Old Piano Stool

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The Maiden's Prayer and Other Gems From an Old Piano Stool

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Maiden's Prayer: Leaves from Grandmother's Piano Album

ASIN: B00008ZZ3G
Release Date: 2003-07-08

Average customer rating:

Good ideas, but still lacking
Fantastic bargain at the price

Edward MacDowell: Piano Music, Vol. 4

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Edward MacDowell: Piano Music, Vol. 3
Edward Macdowell: Piano Music, Vol. 2
MacDowell: Piano Music, Vol. 1
MacDowell: Piano Concertos
Griffes: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 2

ASIN: B00000JMYL
Release Date: 1999-07-20

Tracks:

Etude de Concert, Op. 36: Allegro con fuoco
Second Modern Suite, Op. 14: Praeludium: Andante maestoso
Second Modern Suite, Op. 14: Fugato: Allegro molto
Second Modern Suite, Op. 14: Rhapsodie: Andante calmato
Second Modern Suite, Op. 14: Scherzino: Presto
Second Modern Suite, Op. 14: Marsche: Allegretto
Second Modern Suite, Op. 14: Phantasie - Tanz: Molto allegro, con fuoco
Serenata, Op. 16: Andante con moto
Two Fantasy Pieces, Op. 17: Erzahlung: Andantino
Two Fantasy Pieces, Op. 17: Hexentanz: Presto
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Hunting Song: Allegretto
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Alla Tarantella: Prestissimo
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Romance: Andantino
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Arabesque: Allegro scherzando
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: In The Forest: Allegretto con moto
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Dance Of The Gnomes: Prestissimo con fuoco
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Idyll: Allegretto
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Shadow Dance: Allegrissimo
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Intermezzo: Allegretto
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Melody: Andantino
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Scherzino: Allegro
Twelve Etudes, Op. 39: Hungarian: Presto con fuoco

Customer Reviews:

Good ideas, but still lacking.......2002-03-30

The piano music of MacDowell is some of the greatest ever written. Performance of his music requires deep interpretation, and Mr. Barbagallo unfortunately provides little. He treats the music rather gingerly, and doesn't give it the strength it needs. Interpretation notwithstanding, even the technique could be better. Take, for example, the 12th etude, "Hungarian." In the runs, there are many mistakes. I like the Naxos label, but I always find the volume level to be a little diminished, and the sound just isn't as "live" as other labels.

Fantastic bargain at the price.......1999-09-13

We all have heard of the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, NH; but how many of us have heard a good deal of MacDowell's music other than "To a Wild Rose" during music appreciation classes or possibly his "Indian Suite" back in the old LP days over the radio? Noted mostly for his piano music, MacDowell has left a legacy that is pretty much in the European tradition in which he studied but still a good deal of which was inspired by the sights and sounds of New England. Now that Naxos (the best of the budget records) has just issued its 4th volume in a series devoted to MacDowell's I think I should let you know something about what is now available for lovers of the piano and beautiful music in general. For lack of space, I will simply list what each volume contains: Vol. 1 (8. 55910): Woodland Sketches, Op. 51; Sea Pieces, Op. 55; Fireside Tales, Op. 61; New England Idylls, Op. 62. Vol. 2 (8.559011): First Modern Suite, Op. 10; In Lilting Rhythm, Op. 2; Six Idyls After Goethe, Op. 28; Sonata No. 3 "Norse," Op. 57. Vol. 3 (8.559019): Sonata No. 4 "Keltic," Op. 59; Forgotten Fairy Tales, Op. 4; Six Poems After Heine, Op. 31; Twelve Vituoso Studies, Op. 46. Vol. 4 (8.559030): Etude Concert, Op. 36; Second Modern Suite, Op. 14; Serenata, Op. 16; Two Fantasy Pieces, Op. 17; Twelve Etudes, Op. 39. Granted that some of these are familiar to piano teachers and advanced students and that not all that many match Chopin or Mendelssohn at their best (who does?), but MacDowell knew what he was about; and while he did not try for anything very very new, he began to compose in a voice of his own, especially in the late opus numbers. The pianist on these CDs is the noted James Barbagallo and all of these renderings are also available on Marco Polo label at twice the price! So Naxos is to be doubly thanked for making these sets available as part of their recent American Classics series. I suggest that more casual listeners start with Volume 1 with its 34 tracks of delightful short tone poems that start with the familiar "To a Wild Rose," take us through "A Deserted Farm" and "A Haunted House" right up to "In Deep Woods" and "The Joy of Autumn."

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AMY BEACH RE-DISCOVERED!

The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol.6

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Romantic Piano Concerto, Volume 4
The Romantic Piano Concerto, Volume 1
Early Romantic Piano Concerti
The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol.3

ASIN: B000001K3H
Release Date: 1992-11-04

Tracks:

I. Larghetto Calmato - Eugene List
II. Presto Giocoso - Eugene List
III. Largo: Molto Allegro - Eugene List
I. Allegro Moderato - Mary Louise Boehm
II. Scherzo: Vivace - Mary Louise Boehm
III. Largo - Mary Louise Boehm
IV. Allegro Con Scioltezza - Mary Louise Boehm

Tracks:

I. Allegro - Eugene List
II. Andante Con Moto - Eugene List
III. Allegro Agitato - Eugene List
I. Allegro Appassionato - Abbott Ruskin
II. Canzone: Moderato - Abbott Ruskin
III. Allegro Molto - Abbott Ruskin

Customer Reviews:

AMY BEACH RE-DISCOVERED!.......2000-01-22

I "discovered" Amy Marcy Cheney Beach's music quite by accident in graduate school, and an older professor dug in his piles of music and found ONE piece "Canticle of the Sun" - and I was bowled over by its power and unique-ness. I tried to order some anthems of hers for my choir, but all were out of print. Recently I discovered Ms. Block's book on the composer and read it - cover to cover. It stated at the end that her works were being revived! I looked on Amazon.com and found serveral CDs. I ordered them all. Her music is fabulous, accesible, virtuostic, well-written and a FRESH approach to late romantic - an approach I have not heard before and that I love. HIGHLY REOMMENDED. (Note to the woman who called this "outdated" - I feel no beautiful and artistic expression has any sort of DATE, and feel this to be a limited and perhaps academic point of view.)

The World's Most Beautiful Melodies, Vol. 5

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The World's Most Beautiful Melodies, Vol. 5

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

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Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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More of the World's Most Beautiful Melodies
World's Most Beautiful Melodies, Vol. 1
Empire Of The Sun: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

ASIN: B000000A7M
Release Date: 1994-09-20

Tracks:

Meditation
Salut D'Amour
Suo Gan
Beau Soir
La Calinda
Pavane
I'll Walk Beside You
Clair De Lune
Exotica
On Wings Of Song
Largo 'Ombra Mai Fu'
Eriskay Love Lilt
Vissi D'Arte
To A Wild Rose
Sheep May Safely Graze
Adagio
Czardas

Pablo Casals: The Complete Acoustic Recordings Vol. 3: 1920 - 25

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Pablo Casals: The Complete Acoustic Recordings Vol. 3: 1920 - 25

Manufacturer: Biddulph Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Kathleen Mavourneen - Pablo Casals
Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms - Pablo Casals
Gavotte in D (Op.23) - Romano Romani
Salut D'amour - Romano Romani
Would God I Were The Tender Apple Blossom - Romano Romani
Romance in E flat
Ser Napoletana
To A Wild Rose
Oh, Dry Those Tears
Kol Nidre - Edouard Gendron
Op.20 No.1: Melodie Arabe - Edouard Gendron
Con in D: Adagio
Op.67 No.6: Ser
Sapphische Ode
Minuet
Melodie
Op.37 No.10: Autumn Song
Op.20 No.18: Berceuse
Adagio - Edouard Gendron
Goyescas: Intermezzo - Edouard Gendron

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Great sound, wonderful performances
A Must-Have for Cello Lovers

Encores and Transcriptions, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Encores and Transcriptions, Vol. 2
Schumann: Piano Concerto in Am Op54; Chopin: Concerto for piano in Fm

ASIN: B00008IHVO
Release Date: 2003-04-15

Customer Reviews:

Great sound, wonderful performances.......2004-12-20

The sound is quite good on this CD, considering when the recordings were made. The resoration was done well.

This is Casals playing some wonderful selections, so much more need not be said. The Kol Nidrei is especially good, and worth the very low price of this CD alone.

A Must-Have for Cello Lovers.......2003-05-12

Pablo Casals (1876-1973) is generally credited with having invented modern cello technique; further, he was easily the most famous solo cellist of the first half of the 20th century, with good reason. He had everything including flawless technique, impeccable musicianship, and a magnetic personality. His subtly varied vibrato, razor sharp attacks and intonation, musicianly phrasing and rhythmic verve make him instantly recognizable.

This CD is the first of two scheduled by Naxos to present encores and transcriptions; all on this disc date from the very earliest period of electrical recordings, those using an electrical microphone rather than the old recording horn technique. Made in the US for Victor and His Master's Voice, they are presented here in the order in which they were recorded, the first from within weeks after the electrical technique began being used in early 1925, a performance of the famous Hungarian cellist/composer David Popper's infectious 'Chanson villageois.' Since Amazon has not listed the CD's contents I will do so:

Hillemacher: Gavotte tendre
MacDowell: Romance, Op. 35
Debussy: Menuet, from the Petite Suite
Schubert: Moment musical, Op. 94
Schumann: Träumerei
Schumann: Abendlied, Op. 85, No. 12 (from a piano duet, not the famous song of the same name)
Fauré: Après un rêve
Wagner: Evening Star, from Tannhäuser
Wagner: Prize Song, from Die Meistersinger
Chopin: 'Raindrop' Prélude, Op. 28, No. 15
Chopin: Nocturne in E flat, Op. 9, No. 2
Godard: Berceuse, from Jocelyn
A. Rubinstein: Melody in F
Bach: Adagio, from Toccata in C major, BWV 564
Granados: Intermezzo, from Goyescas
Popper: Vito (Spanish Dance, Op. 54, No. 5)
Saint-Saëns: The Swan, from Carnival of the Animals
Bruch: Kol Nidrei

All are accompanied by Nikolai Mednikoff, piano, except the first band which is with Edouard Gendron, piano.

This disc is, of course, self-recommending to anyone who is interested in this marvelous cellist and this repertoire. The sound, restored from 78s by the formidably talented Mark Obert-Thorn, is spectacularly good. There is very little surface noise except on the very first, and oldest, recording.

Highly recommended.