Grieg: Peer-Gynt-Suiten 1 & 2; Aus Holbergs Zeit

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This is a very convenient and reasonably priced collection of Grieg's best-known orchestral music. Well-recorded, it's played by one of the world's great orchestras under the direction of one of the world's best-known conductors. If that's all you need to know, and especially if you are planning to use this disc for background music, you can buy it with confidence. If you want incisive characterization of the music, though, you should probably look elsewhere. Karajan applies a uniformly lush sound to the music, smoothing off the rough edges and making everything sound nice. It's not all supposed to sound nice. In a more extensive selection of "Peer Gynt" music, Sir Thomas Beecham brings out more character in the music, as does Leonard Bernstein in the standard suites. "From Holberg's Time" has a deliberately antique, courtly element that vanishes under the Berlin's wall of sound. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra brings out this character more effectively. And if you want an even more extensive and reasonably priced Grieg orchestral collection, with a less fine orchestra but more character, try Abravanel/Utah on Vox. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Peer Gynt: 1. Morning Mood
Peer Gynt: 2. Aese's Death
Peer Gynt: 3. Anitra's Dance
Peer Gynt: 4. In The Halls Of The Mountain King
Peer Gynt: 1. The Abduction Of The Bride
Peer Gynt: 2. Arabian Dance
Peer Gynt: 3. Peer Gynt's Homecoming
Peer Gynt: 4. Solvejg's Song
Aus Holbergs Zeit: Praeludiom. Allegro vivace
Aus Holbergs Zeit: Sarabande. Andante
Aus Holbergs Zeit: Gavotte. Allegretto - Musette
Suite Op. 40: Air. Andante religioso
Aus Holbergs Zeit: Rigaudon. Allegro con brio
Sigurd Jorsalfar: Prelude To Act 2 (In The King's Hall)
Sigurd Jorsalfar: Intermezzo (Borghild's Dream)
Sigurd Jorsalfar: Homage March

Amazon.com

This is a very convenient and reasonably priced collection of Grieg's best-known orchestral music. Well-recorded, it's played by one of the world's great orchestras under the direction of one of the world's best-known conductors. If that's all you need to know, and especially if you are planning to use this disc for background music, you can buy it with confidence. If you want incisive characterization of the music, though, you should probably look elsewhere. Karajan applies a uniformly lush sound to the music, smoothing off the rough edges and making everything sound nice. It's not all supposed to sound nice. In a more extensive selection of "Peer Gynt" music, Sir Thomas Beecham brings out more character in the music, as does Leonard Bernstein in the standard suites. "From Holberg's Time" has a deliberately antique, courtly element that vanishes under the Berlin's wall of sound. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra brings out this character more effectively. And if you want an even more extensive and reasonably priced Grieg orchestral collection, with a less fine orchestra but more character, try Abravanel/Utah on Vox. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Excellent recording!.......2004-12-04

I saw the ballet of Peer Gynt earlier this year and afterwards fled to the nearest music store for a recording of the music. I picked up this copy because it was reasonably priced, and Deutsche Grammophon has a reputation for putting out quality CDs. I was not disappointed! Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic do a beautiful job of interpreting the two Peer Gynt Suites and the Holberg Suite as well.

Good Value for Grieg Selections.......2002-02-19

This is an admirable recording of Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 and No. 2, as well as "From Holberg's Time."

I would concur that at times this is too well polished, but for the value, this is a good work. I find the exceptional treatment of Grieg's Suite No. 1 to be by Neeme Jarvi conducting the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. The transition work of one of my favorite pieces, "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is very noticeably different interpretation than Karajan's.

More admirably is Karajan's leading the Berline Philharmoniker on the Holberg Suite. As well, outstanding playing of Grieg's "Three Pieces for Orchestra." Expecially fond of their rendition of Borghild's Dream.

Poor dynamics.......2001-09-15

I am a great fan of Edvard Grieg. I've even been to his birth place, Bergen, Norway. I was quite dissapointed with this cd. The musicians are very talented but the recording is not the best. The recording is clear but the dynamics are other than they should be. You will find the tension fails to correctly build. The pianisimo sections of the music are so soft that you either can't hear them or if you can, the following section will cause hearing loss.

almost five stars.......2001-07-11

I could not credit this cd with 5 stars due to the immature sound of the orchestra during "In the Hall of the Mountain King". It sounded like Karajan let the strings go too wildly. It did not sound together just rushed. And it was all kind of smeared together into one big sound. If it was not for this song this cd would have definately got five stars. The rest of the cd is performed remarkably well. I'm just glad karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic did't revisit that bad habit on the specific song I referred to.

Un Peer Gynt SUPER!!!!!!.......2000-09-26

Una super interpretacion del gran clasico de Edvard Grieg, especialmente en el 1er y 4to movimineto de la suite nro 1, el episodio de la mañana es aqui ejecutado con gran maestria por Galway un verdadero virtuoso de la flauta (escuchese la grabacion del concierto para flauta y arpa de Mozart con la misma orquesta y director del sello EMI es fantastico! ),el tiempo en " en la cueva del rey de la montaña " es simplemente el mas acertado de cuantos he escuchado, pura energia. Un CD altamente recomendado

Average customer rating:

4.5 stars -- just about perfect for its age
At last from the ashes of the past, emerged this sumptuous performance!
More Great Musik!

Grieg: Peer-Gynt-Suiten Nr. 1 und 2

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00083D4HU
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Customer Reviews:

4.5 stars -- just about perfect for its age.......2007-04-05

As the scant notes to this issue suggest, the young Otmar Suitner (born 1922 in Innsbruck, Austria) transcended the archtype 20th century postwar German conductor. He represents the model in terms of his repertory but he differs greatly from other conductors that matured behind the Iron Curtain. Instead of seeking Soviet glory, Socialist relism, or drama that would turn an apple to stone, Suitner's work was marked by a lightness that set him apart from the crowd.

I still enjoy his Berlin Classics recordings from the 1960s with the Stattskapelle Berlin, in particular his pairing of the Bizet & Weber Symphonies No. 1 and the Dvorak Symphonies 6 & 7. Suitner's approach is more idiomatic to the sunshine of Dvorak's 6th Symphony than the Brahmsian minor key drama of the Symphony 7, in my opinion.

He is temperamentally agreeable to the music on this CD -- Grieg's two "Peer Gynt" suites and some bombastic Lizst tone poems. The Grieg gets a lot of air time on public radio stations during the day. It is not a favorite of mine and these recordings are revelatory. They illuminate not just Grieg's story but the details of his orchestration within the confines of the 1952-53 mono recordings. The young Suitner was more pointed and theatrical here than I expected and the result is completely successful, assisted by outstanding playing from the Bamberg Symphony.

The performances of the two Lizst tone poems -- "Orpheus" and "Mazeppa" -- are somewhat less noteworthy. In "Orpheus" Suitner concentrates on beauty and musical values at the expense of the composer's mystic and visionary panorama. "Mazeppa" too is straightforward; Suitner's staunch direction is deliberately paced before he blazes forward from the coda. Neither of Lizst's tone poems is given much in the way of rubato or expressive gestures; Suitner sounds very East German here.

The mono sound circa 1952-56 is staggeringly successful. With exceptional clarity and pinpoint instrumental playing you'd think they spotlighted these recordings and remixed them. In addition I've not heard the Bamberg Symphony play so well. This is of special interest; some German orchestras had trouble rebuilding in the first decade after the war. You'd never know that listening to this.

Those that fancy historic recordings will find their curiosity sated and younger listeners will benefit from one of the lesser lights of the German podium's unusual management in "Peer Gynt". Unless you are an audiophile there is something here you've probably not heard before.

At last from the ashes of the past, emerged this sumptuous performance!.......2006-07-04

Ottmar Suitner and the Bamberg symphony achieved a special musical chemistry and recorded a true anthological document around this well known and celebrated incidental music of Peer Gynt, based on Henrik Ibsen.

The result was extremely worthy to mention. The strings sounded with dense expression and sublime persuasion, retaking the original essence of the score without sentimental concession or self indulgence.

A true gem to collect.

More Great Musik!.......2006-01-12

After criticizing a few of the new titles in DG's "Musik...Sprache der Welt" series in recent reviews, I will now lavish praise on some of the remaining ones. It is simply a treasure to have these recordings by conductor Otmar Suitner available on CD for the first time. Suitner's name might not be familiar (it wasn't to me as this is the first disc of his I own) and that is because he was based in East Germany for most of his career. But the performances captured here rival anything produced on the other side of the Berlin Wall at the time. The Grieg "Peer Gynt" Suites were made in 1952 (I) & 1953 (II), while the Liszt Tone Poems "Orpheus" and "Mazeppa" hail from 1956. All the recordings are in mono but the sound is so glorious and clear, you'd swear it was in stereo. This is another outstanding release in what is arguably the best historical series for its price on the classical market today.

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