Improvisations for Piano

Track Listings

1. Summer Romance

2. Intermezzo

3. In the Beautiful Garden, Where the Foutains Touch the Sky

4. Serenade for Violin and Piano

5. Prelude in G

6. GB Major Improvisation

7. F Minor Improvisation

8. Impromptu in BB

9. G Minor Improvisation

10. E Major Improvisation

11. When Dolphin's Dance

12. F# Minor Improvisation

13. Minor Improvisation

14. C Major Improvisation

Amazon.com

Sàndor, still active at 90 as this reissue appears, was a student of Bartók and a preferred interpreter of his music. Since this set appeared on nine LPs in the early 1960s, it has been the standard for Bartók's piano music; in this fine-sounding reissue, it still is. Sàndor can hit hard enough for such virtuoso pieces as the Piano Sonata and "Out of Doors," but he also retains the romantic element heard in the composer's own playing which tempers the harsher qualities of the music. While this collection isn't quite as complete as advertised (some early, insignificant piano music by Bartók is omitted), it includes all of Bartók's significant piano music, including such relatively obscure gems as the Bagatelles, eight Improvisations, and many delectable folk arrangements which will appeal even to listeners who think Bartók is too challenging for them. Vox's recorded sound, superbly remastered, resists obsolescence as effectively as Sàndor's performances. Even with the inclusion of the early books of "Mikrokosmos," which will appeal mostly to piano students, this set is worth several times the asking price. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Microcosmos.......2007-03-08

Sándor was a champion not only of Bartók's music but also of Bartók's style of playing. He often complained that people were too quick to see Bartók as ultra-modern, and to fail to appreciate the rich seam of lyricism that also runs through his music.

The piano music is dominated by short pieces, many of them written for piano students, notably the collections "Microcosmos" and "For Children". These, together with suites of folk dance arrangements, make up the bulk of the solo piano output.

Sandór plays these short, and often simple pieces, with neither too much nor too little art. As a gifted teacher, he knew unerringly how much music each of these small vessels held. The result is beguiling - but be warned: no-one can listen to the 153 short pieces of Microcosmos end-to-end. This is an anthology to be dipped into, not swallowed whole.

The remastering is pretty successful (fortunately - some of Vox's CD reissues are plagued by severe deterioration of the original tapes). And it's for half nothing-what's not to like?

Great value with a few flaws.......2006-07-28

I am not a Bartok expert by any scale, but I do like the way these pieces, without exception, are played. There are, however, a couple of other problems.

As mentioned by an earlier reviewer, very few of the works are split into tracks - Mikrokosmos is divided into 7 for each of its six volumes, and to accomodate for a full CD. In these seven tracks there are 121 songs. I would have much preferred if the songs had been split into tracks. Almost the entire CD set is this way - Fifteen Hungarian Songs is one track, Fourteen Bagatelles, etc. It is very annoying when one wants to hear a particular song in those tracks and not the others.

Another detriment to the collection is the recording quality. It is decent most of the time, but in loud sections the piano buzzes. One might be able to ignore it, but I think that it detracts from the passion of the forte quite a bit.

Overall, for $18 it is pretty decent, but if you are like me and like to keep your music library neatly organized (and aren't extremely cheap), I would not recommend this set.

eeh, I guess I don't like Bartok that much.......2006-07-25

I like the fact that Bartok is into the folk tradition and all, but he just tends to forget the fact that melody has to be SOMEWHERE in the music. I'm all for creative expression when you're sitting alone at the piano, but abstract music should be reserved for performance art. I like playing some of your stuff Bela, but I just don't want to listen to you.

Best classical value out there.......2005-10-05

To put this set in perspective, for months I would go to my local Tower Records fishing for worthwhile classical CDs at least once a week. One of the discs that sat in the bins the longest was a single CD of Bartok piano music, played by Zoltan Kocsis. It was Volume 7 of a complete series. This CD listed for $17.99, and as long as I went to that Tower Records, it did not budge an inch, nor was its price amended.

Now, Kocsis is one of the greatest pianists alive, and if anyone is worthy of commanding a premium, it is him. And to be fair, that CD is going to be re-released on October 11 as part of a Collector's Edition - eight CDs, $63.97 MSRP. But it's already going up against this little gem, which contains five CDs with all of the truly great solo-piano works by an internationally recognized Bartok specialist for $21 - not much more than the cost of one CD from the other set. This kind of value is not to be taken lightly.

I came to this set with my impression of Sandor informed by his complete Prokofiev - ultra-hard, sometimes rhythmically slack, always melodically lacking in some way or another. But he held a very special feeling for Bartok, and saved his best playing for the great Hungarian. In passages like the first of the Three Csik Dances, the opening of the Improvisations Op. 20, or in the Ten Easy Pieces, there is a simplicity, charm and wistful homesickness that is quite touching. In pieces like the Out of Doors suite, the Sonata, or the Burlesques, there is a vicious, impulsive energy, a wicked sense of humor and an overabundance of overtones. It is never mindless, inappropriate or even overly harsh - it's just very, very loud.

In this set I like best the endless landscape of the Sonatina, the unusual colors and fragrances in the Etudes, the brilliantly conceived Bear Dance (the last of the Ten Easy Pieces), and the multifaceted, complex, gorgeous Improvisations. Any fan of Bartok should hear these.

5 Stars for the music and performance.......2005-04-04

This is a fantastic deal, but the problem with this Collection stems from the fact that the pieces are often not separated by tracks. This is especially annoying for the Children's Pieces and Mikrokosmos. There are so many pieces, one wears out the fast forward button and still may miss the particular piece one is looking for. The booklet is fairly insightful, and the performer is widely hailed as the supreme interpreter of Bartok's piano music. So aside from this slightly annoying at times and ridiculously annoying at other times flaw, this is one of the best deals in Classical music. Don't hesitate. Add it to the cart.

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Grieg: Complete Solo Piano Music

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Masterful interpretation of Bartok's piano works

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Customer Reviews:

Masterful interpretation of Bartok's piano works.......2005-10-21

Without a doubt Bartok is one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. Combining a deep understanding of the possibilities of eastern European folk music - particularly Hungarian and Romanian - with an extremely advanced harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary, Bartok composed some of the greatest works of the last century.

Although Bartok wrote some sublime orchestral music (The Music for strings, percussion and celeste comes instantly to mind), it is in the realms of string quartet and solo piano music that Bartok reigns supreme among 20th century composers in the humble opinion of this reviewer.

So. Here is an 8 CD set of all of Bartok's solo piano music by (argueably) the pre-eminent interpreter of his piano music. These are insightful, passionate performances beautifully recorded.

I for one am thrilled to have this set - particularly since many of these CDs were unavailable up till now. The box is also very reasonably priced compared to the separate CDs.

Highly recommended - modern music begins here.

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Stunning. . . .
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST
A world-changing musician
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Les introuvables de Cziffra

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Les Jeux D'Eau A La Villa D'Este
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Rigoletto, Paraphrase De Concert (Verdi)
Tarentelle De Bravoure Sur Des Theme De 'La Muette De Portici' (Auber)
Valse De Faust (Gounod)
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Valse Triste (Vecsey)
Tritsch Tratsch Polka (Johann Strauss)
Le Beau Danube Bleu, Paraphrase (Johann Strauss)
Danse Hongroise No. 5 (Brahms)
Fantaisie Roumaine (Improvisation Dans Le Style Tzigane)
Le Vol Du Bourdon (Rimsky-Korsakov)

Tracks:

Islamey, Fantaisie Orientale
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Andante Et Rondo Capriccioso In E Major, Op. 14
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Rondo A Capriccio In G Major, Op. 129
Andantino In B Minor
Bourree In E Flat Major
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L'Anguille
La Bandoline
Les Petits Moulins A Vent
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Le Rappel Des Oiseaux
Gavotte En Rondeau

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12 Variations In A Major, Sur Un Theme Russe (Wranitzky), WoO 71
32 Variations In C Minor, WoO 80
Fantaisie In F Minor, Op. 49
Book 1 - Variations Sur Un Theme De Paganini, Op. 35
Book 2 - Variations Sur Un Theme De Paganini, Op. 35

Tracks:

I. Grave - Allegro Molto E Con Brio, Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13
II. Adagio Cantabile, Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13
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I. Allegro - Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14
II. Andante - Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14
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I. Andante Con Variazioni - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
II. Scherzo (Allegro Molto) - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
III. Marcia Funebre (Andante Maestoso) - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
IV. Allegro - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
I. Andante - Allegro -Allegro Molto Vivace - Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27
II. Adagio Con Espressione - Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27
III. Allegro Vivace - Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27

Tracks:

Preambule Carnaval Op9
Pierrot Carnaval Op9
Arlequin Carnaval Op9
Valse Noble Carnaval Op9
Eusebius Carnaval Op9
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Coquette Carnaval Op9
Replique Carnaval Op9
Papillons Carnaval Op9
A.S.C.H., S.C.H.A., Lettres Dansantes Carnaval Op9
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Chopin Carnaval Op9
Estrella Carnaval Op9
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Pantalon Et Colombine Carnaval Op9
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Aveu Carnaval Op9
Promenade Carnaval Op9
Pause Carnaval Op9
Danse Des Davidsbundler Contre Les Philistins Carnaval Op9
I. Des Abends Fantasiestucke Op12
II. Aufschwung Fantasiestucke Op12
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IV. Grillen Fantasiestucke Op12
V. In Der Nacht Fantasiestucke Op12
VI. Fabel Fantasiestucke Op12
VII. Traumeswirren Fantasiestucke Op12
VIII. Ende Vom Lied Fantasiestucke Op12
I. Allegro - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
II. Romanze - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
III. Scherzino - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
IV. Intermezzo - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
V. Final - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26

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Fantaisie Hongroise In F Major For Piano And Orchestra
Totentanz, Paraphrase Sur Le 'Dies Irae' Pour Piano Et Orchestre
Variations Symphoniques Pour Piano Et Orchestre
I. Allegro Molto Moderato - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16
II. Adagio - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16
III. Allegro Moderato Molto E Marcato - Andante Maestoso - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16

Tracks:

I. Adagio Sostenuto Assai - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
II. Allegro Agitato Assai - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
III. Allegro Moderato - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
IV. Allegro Deciso - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
V. Marziale, Un Poco Meno Allegro - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
VI. Allegro Animato - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
I. Allegro Maestoso - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
II. Quasi Adagio - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
III. Allegretto Vivace - Allegro Animato - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
IV. Allegro Marziale Animato - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
I. Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Maestoso - Allegro Con Spirito - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In B Flat Minor, Op. 23
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III. Allegro Con Fuoco - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In B Flat Minor, Op. 23

Customer Reviews:

Stunning. . . . .......2007-01-10

I bought this set with some trepidation, since I didn't know what to expect from Cziffra's playing of composers other than Liszt. I had only heard him in his mercurially brilliant Lisztian incarnation, and didn't know how he would do with a less flamboyant style.
I have been very pleasantly surprised, especially at his Beethoven and his Schumann. I found that he kept the spontaneity of his Lisztian interpretations, but channelled it chronologically into insightful and spontaneous Beethoven interpretations, while respecting most of the rules and performance practices of the Classic era.
His Schumann was mercurial and spontaneous in a Romantic fashion, also, and - of course - brilliantly digitally played. As to the Liszt, it's par excellence; I've never heard that music played with such spontaneity and
digital fluency.
The sound quality is surprisingly good, altho somewhat uneven. I highly recommend this set to anyone who loves great piano-playing. My favorite pianist is still Richter, but Cziffra takes first prize in his Liszt, and runs a close second with other composers' music.

PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST.......2006-10-15

The eight discs making up this set are invaluable to anyone interested in this extraordinary musician and pianist. His career was cut tragically short, and while it lasted he was most in demand to display his astounding technique in Liszt. He did it because he could. Not being enormously attracted to Liszt I was slow in coming to know Cziffra, but when I did what struck me forcibly was that the picture I had been given of him was seriously misleading. Any suggestion that he was a wilful virtuoso who turned the standard classics into something of his own is 180 degrees wide of the mark, and this selection enables us to hear what his playing was really like in music ranging from Lully and Couperin to the late 19th century, taking in on the way Rameau, Scarlatti, C P E Bach, Beethoven, Hummel, Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schumann. Liszt is here in the shape of the two concertos, the Totentanz and the Hungarian Fantasy plus some solos, my collection of least favourite romantic concertos is enhanced with his renderings of the Grieg and Tchaikovsky, but relief from these is provided with Franck's symphonic variations. Among the non-Liszt solo pieces we are given a number usually thought to call for exceptional virtuosity, namely Schumann's toccata, Mendelssohn's rondo capriccioso and Brahms's Paganini variations. Balakirev's Islamey is here too, but in a version of Cziffra's own, and so are some of his own virtuoso arrangements including one of the Flight of the Bumblebee as well as four similar efforts from Liszt.

Cziffra himself didn't aid popular comprehension by saying that he couldn't play Beethoven. I already owned his Waldstein, but here we have four more sonatas plus some smaller pieces, all early works. If I have a fault to find with his Waldstein it's that it is rather understated. What I don't fault at all is his sense of Beethoven's idiom, and the only flash of Cziffra's phenomenal technique comes where there can be no objection in the up-and-down octaves near the end. These are normally played glissando, because to finger them in strict time is impossible, allegedly. Even Horowitz can't do that - but Cziffra can. This really sums up his way of doing things - the technique is exercised strictly when needed, and then not in a showy way unless the sense of the music demands that. Try the Mendelssohn rondo here - light-fingered in the main rondo theme, relaxed in the episodes - then hear Serkin on Aura in his 1957 recital in Lugano, high-tension and full-speed-ahead. Serkin brought the audience to its feet, Cziffra is simply enjoying the piece, and very Mendelssohnian he sounds. Or again the Schumann toccata. Richter won raptures from the critics for his handling of the rat-tat fortissimo chords near the end while making no concessions to the tempo. He does that no better than Cziffra, if as well. The difference is that Richter `makes more' of the supposedly virtuoso sequences earlier. Now how about Cziffra's Beethoven here? It is natural, idiomatic and kept within a certain volume-level. There is no showing off let alone messing around. If Cziffra recalls anyone it is Kempff, and these performances would be safe models for teachers. In Schumann it's the same story. Not everyone could play Traumeswirren like this, and here and there the finger-work had me rubbing my eyes, but I keep sensing that Cziffra is not even aware that he's doing anything exceptional. The idiom is dead right, the rubato is natural, the lyricism is spontaneous if less `warm' than some, the sense of the overall structure is effortless - and I could say all that about Chopin's F minor fantasy too.

I can't avoid Liszt, but some comparisons are interesting. This high-powered Totentanz has been rightly praised, but both in this work and in the first concerto I feel that Michelangeli beats Cziffra at what is supposedly Cziffra's own game. I hear Michelangeli as Cziffra's solitary equal as a technician, but in second-rate music like this spontaneity and dexterity are trumped by an above-it-all Olympian aloofness, and Cziffra undoubtedly does not take the ultra-care that Michelangeli takes over perfect evenness of touch, sublime poise in the rhythm and super-perfection in the trills. (In the matter of trills, you can hear what Cziffra can do when he puts his mind to it in the fiendish 4th variation in book 1 of Brahms's Paganinis). In the 2nd concerto Cziffra is the best I have yet heard. In sheer technical address neither he nor anyone surpasses Richter, but where I like Cziffra better is in an aspect of his playing that gets too little attention, namely his natural and unaffected lyricism. In the Hungarian Fantasy, the Liszt solos and the various arrangements I imagine Cziffra is unsurpassed and unsurpassable, not that I propose to research that matter much.

The Grieg and Tchaikovsky concertos are here too. Cziffra adopts moderate tempi in the outer movements of the Grieg as the composer directs. The first movement of the Tchaikovsky is done as I like it, insofar as I like it at all. The introduction is taken fast, rather as Horowitz and Toscanini take it although I miss Toscanini's direction. The last movement however is taken at a very moderate pace, with the excitement saved for the end. Later performances are of some French music. In these pieces, as in the Scarlatti sonata, I wouldn't say that Cziffra stands out particularly - with one telling exception, Couperin's Barricades Mysterieuses, atmospheric and bewitching. Was this what they told you to expect from Cziffra?

He was a natural, a child of the gods. The near-unbelievable technique was an important part of his gift, but what I prize most is his lyric manner - simple, innocent and clear-eyed. His actual touch is not one that you could identify within seconds, as you could identify that of Horowitz, Serkin, Richter or Michelangeli, but it is utterly free from affectation. The better you know him, the more you will love him.

A world-changing musician.......2006-01-30

I've not a lot to add to Alan Thorpe's review except to say that to be young when Cziffra burst upon the world in 1956 after he left Hungary & started playing in western Europe was sheer intoxication--and it wasn't all Liszt either! Like Richter, who appeared at the same time, he played Schumann in a way that opened up entire new fields of tonal & interpretive possibility. I must say, too, that from the start, I admired his Beethoven--I like lyrically played Beethoven! Why shouldn't Beethoven sing as well as growl? He did write some lovely songs, after all. Cziffra's versions of Op.13, Op.14/2 & Op.26 on this set are very satisfying--I just wish they had managed to include a recording of his version of the Waldstein, too.

CZIFFRA - A Keyboard Phenomenon.......2001-05-26

Issued in 1991 by EMI France to celebrate Cziffra's 70th birthday this 8 CD boxed set is a bargain. The first CD is all Liszt and contains some of the most spellbinding playing you are ever likely to hear. Fire and brimstone reign as Cziffra tears up the keyboard in the Dante Sonata's demonic moments; surely a whiff of sulphur as he spontaneously combusts during the Mephisto-Valse; the Rhapsodie espagnole and Grand Galop chromatique {see him sweat playing this on Philip's `Great Pianists of the 20th Century video.}. As a contrast, be seduced by his heart-melting rendering of the third Liebestraume; the caprice of the Valse-Impromptu; and have the waters of `Les Jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este' ever cascaded so onomatopoeically and with such a transcendental variety of touch and nuance. More diablerie follows on disc 2 with transcriptions by Liszt and those {in} famous ones by Cziffra himself. I have never heard a more demonic Gounod/Liszt ` Valse de Faust'; Auber/Liszt `Tarantelle de bravura'; or Tchaikovsky/Liszt Polonaise from `Eugene Onegin'; as for Cziffra's playing of his own transcriptions and paraphrases, especially the Strauss `Tritsch-tratsch polka' and Rimsky-Korsakov `Flight of the Bumble-bee; well, they are in a class of their own. Both Katsaris and Volodos recorded the latter pieces but I'm afraid they cannot compare with Cziffra's sheer electricity and panache. You will now need an ice pack as disc 3 opens with Balakirev's Islamey which starts steadily enough compared to say Simon Barere's famous account {now on APR} but increases in excitement as Cziffra adds all kind of gypsy embellishments as he builds to a fiery conclusion. Excitement is also the key to the next piece; Schumann's Toccata, which Cziffra plays with effortless abandonment and joie de vivre as he also does Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso. Cziffra loved to play Baroque music and the rest of this disc is taken up by mainly short but characterful pieces by Couperin, Lully, Rameau and Krebs. Many were recorded in the 1980s and sound better if played back at a reduced volume level as they were obviously too closely miked. Cziffra once said that he couldn't play Beethoven so preferred to leave it to others who could. He did record a number of sonatas and this selection includes very fine accounts of the `Pathetique'; No. 13 in E flat Op27/1 {companion to the `Moonlight'};and Op. 26 in A flat. He brings a full cantabile to the latter works opening movt. and to the Adagio of the `Pathetique'. Elsewhere he plays with refinement and elegance; everything is in the best possible taste and there is nothing to offend, but those who like their Beethoven a bit more rough and gruff could be a bit disappointed as they might also be with Cziffra's Brahm's Paganini Variations which are technically stunning but find Cziffra musically out of sorts. The Schumann disc finds him on top form. Like many great artists Cziffra loved to play Schumann and he was equally at home with Eusebius { the dreamer} as he was with Florestan { the impetuous side of his character} and this is self evident in his brilliantly characterful accounts of Carnaval, Fantasiestücke, and Carnaval de Vienne - the latter piece highly praised by Cortot after he heard Cziffra during a Paris radio broadcast in the late 1950s. Discs 7 and 8 are all concertante works and show Cziffra at the very height of his stupendous powers. Again Cziffra has his demon up in the most astounding Liszt Totentanz ever recorded; a Hungarian Fantasy with all the improvisational colours of a band of gypsy fiddlers and an ideally recreative performance of the second concerto to make all others sound four-square . To cap this there is a fabulous Grieg concerto in which Cziffra dares to improvise the end of the Lisztian style cadenza; a meltingly beautiful slow movt with an excitingly brilliant finale. Last but certainly not the least, a very poetic reading of Franck's Symphonic Variations and a Tchaikovsky first concerto which combines thrilling virtuosity with all those individual touches that only a genuinely recreative artist can bring to such a familiar masterpiece. This collection is a splendid tribute to one of histories greatest pianists - an artist who knew the authentic meaning of ` bravura'.

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Best CD I Own

Organ of the Mormon Tabernacle

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Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
Bach: Cantata, BWV 156: Arioso
Hebble: Rejoice! - Toccatino con Rico Tino
Reubke: Sonata on Psalm XCIV
Christiansen: Improvisation on "All Through the Night"
Christiansen: Improvisation on "Come, Come Ye Saints"

Customer Reviews:

Best CD I Own.......2006-07-16

The sound quality of this instrument surpasses all instruments worldwide. You can hear a pin drop extremely clearly in the tabernacle the instrument is housed, making the pipe organ a highly effective sound producer. The larger 32' pipes sound just like thunderous power. A must buy for organists and organ enthusiasts.

Average customer rating:

BAGATELLES SPIRITUELLES
A Delight

Poulenc: Piano Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Poulenc: Concerto for pianos in Dm; Concerto for organ & strings in Gm
Poulenc: Chamber Music
Complete Works for Solo Piano
Poulenc - Aubade · Les biches · Les animaux modèles / Pascal Rogé · Charles Dutoit
Ravel: Piano Works

ASIN: B0000C24I5
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Tracks:

Preambule
I. Le Comble De La Distinction
II. Le Coeur Sur La Main
III. La Desinvolture Et La Discretion
IV. La Suite Dans Les Idees
V. Le Charme Enjoleur
VI. Le Contentement De Soi
VII. Le Gout Du Malheur
VIII. L'Alerte Vieillesse
Cadence
Final
I. C Major
II. B Flat Minor
III. E Minor
Pastourelle
I. Assez Modere
II. Tres Modere
III. Alerte
Valse
No. 1 In B Minor
No. 2 In A Flat Major
No.3 In B Minor
No. 6 In B Flat Major
No. 7 In C Major
No. 8 In A Minor
No. 12 In E Flat Major 'Hommage A Schubert'
No. 13 In A Minor
No. 15 In C Minor 'Hommage A Edith Piaf'
I. Pastorale
II. Hymne
III. Toccata

Customer Reviews:

BAGATELLES SPIRITUELLES.......2006-05-17

This disc won a Gramophone award in 1988, the citation praising in particular the `tenderness and sensitivity' of the performances. That seems fair to me. I would not call the playing here any exhibition of ultimate refinement in the manner of Michelangeli or of Gould, but this is not music that requires anything of that kind.

The 31 pieces here are very unpretentious. Only one lasts longer than four minutes, and nearly half of them clock out after less than two. The harmony is almost entirely tonal (after some Stravinskyish assertiveness at the start of the very first number), and most of the recital consists of items that seem to have started life as improvisations. Nine numbers go by that title explicitly, and if they don't seem to be one's normal idea of improvisation, having more thematic content than I for one would have expected, that may simply reflect the fact that Poulenc was an outstandingly gifted improviser. The suite Soirees de Nazelles with which Roge opens the recital is reported to have originated in pieces that he improvised at some kind of informal Schubertiads during his residency there, and they also have more substance than show about them.

The sense of improvisation is strengthened in the Nazelles suite by what sounds to me like an unmistakable allusion in the Preamble and again in the Cadence to Bach's Chromatic Fantasia, itself highly improvisatory in manner. Allusiveness in general is another strong characteristic of these works. There is an explicit Homage to Schubert and another to Edith Piaf, for instance. Poulenc was closely associated with Stravinsky, and while I can't hear much of Stravinsky in the three `perpetual motion' works as the liner-note writer tells me I should, I hear him loud and clear in the Preamble to the Nazelles suite. Nor do I think it unduly speculative to detect the influence of Schumann in the finale to the same suite, and while the attractive melody of the Valse may of course be Poulenc's own something leads me to doubt it.

Above all what these miniatures recall to me is Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words. This is not a matter of specific allusions or of the musical idiom, it's just a matter of the overall impression created. They show the same kind of variety and resourcefulness within a fairly restricted range of expression, and the harmonisation is also, with a couple of exceptions, cautious and unadventurous as Mendelssohn's tended to be - there is no experimentation in the manner of Faure, still less that of Debussy or Ravel. For all that, these works have real character and personality, and they are thoroughly agreeable and companionable, even striking a distinctly deeper note in the Pastorale from the Three Pieces. The `variations' in the Nazelles suite are not variations as Franck or Bizet (or any of the German masters) used that expression, more a little collection of miniature tone-poems, and you may be relieved to learn that the three `perpetual-motion' works are hardly that at all - one toccata is quite enough for me. I would rather not get into the topic of the Satie-style names for the `variations', an issue for which `tiresome' would be a restrained characterisation.

Roge's playing suits the music very well. The first `improvisation' and of course the toccata call for a bit of virtuosity, which he is not short of. Otherwise the technical demands seem generally fairly moderate, the real requirement being to capture the intimate and `off-duty' feel of the music which, as the Gramophone critics said, he does very well. The sound comes over very agreeably too, in part through Roge's tactful and sympathetic pedalling, in part from the acoustic, but above all, of course, from the player's touch.

The liner-note is short and fairly basic, but fine as far as it goes. All in all, this is a very pleasant disc that can be commended in good conscience to all but the most ultra-conservative listeners. I am very pleased to have spotted it, and very happy too to endorse the acclamation it was given in 1988.

A Delight.......2006-05-10

There's little use looking further for a recording of Poulenc's piano music, not when Pascal Roge captures the elegance, charm, and wit of his countryman's art so well. The disc starts with "Les Soirees de Nazelles," where some of Poulenc's more virtuosic passages lie. Also demanding are some of the "Improvisations." I find both of these works the most stimulating works on the disc, though my favorite single piece may well be the "Pastourelle," a piano reduction of a work Poulenc wrote for "L'Evential de Jeanne," a collaborative ballet from the 1920s. It capsulizes the sophisticated wit that marks Poulenc as perhaps the drollest of France's Les Six.

Roge is fully attuned to the more virtuosic moments as well as to the humor and verve of Poulenc's idiom. And Decca, often maligned for their inability to turn out consistently fine piano recordings, has here produced a model sound recording. Maybe it's the venue, a London church, that contributes just the right degree of warmth and detracts not a whit from the clean, powerful tone of Roge's piano.

Massenet: Complete Works for Solo Piano, Piano Concerto & Complete Works for Piano Duet

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Rare French Musique...

Massenet: Complete Works for Solo Piano, Piano Concerto & Complete Works for Piano Duet
Aldo Ciccolini , Jules Massenet , Sylvain Cambreling , and Orchestre National de l'Opera de Monte Carlo
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Massenet: Orchestral Suites
French Piano Concertos
Jules Massenet: Ballet Suites
Massenet: Orchestral Suites
Kullak / Dreyschock: Piano Concertos

ASIN: B0000CE7FS
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

I. Andante Moderato - Allegro Non Troppo (Cadenza)
II. Largo
III. Airs Slovaques: Allegro - Allegro Maestoso - Allegro Molto Animato
1. Papillons Noirs (Allegro Agitato Molto)
2. Papillons Blancs (Allegro)
1. Eau Dormante (Lent Et Calme)
2. Eau Courante (Vite)
Toccata
Musique Pour Bercer Les Petits Enfants
1. Nocturne: Andante Con Moto
2. Marche: Allegro Con Molto Di Moto
3. Barcarolle: Andantino Quasi Andante
4. Rigodon: Allegro Non Troppo
5. Melodie (Elegie Jouee Par Les Erinnyes): Lento Ma Non Troppo
6. Saltarello: Allegro Vivace
7. Vieille Chanson: Andante Quasi Andantino
8. Legende: Allegretto - Presto
9. Fughetta: Andantino Quasi Allegretto
10. Carillon: Allegro
1. Andantino (Calme Et Soutenu Sans Lenteur)
2. Allegretto Con Grazia - Con Moto
3. Triste Et Lent
4. Allegretto Scherzando
5. Andante Cantabile Espressivo (Quasi Recitativo)
6. Allegro Deciso Con Moto
7. Allegretto (Calme Et Simplement)

Tracks:

Valse Folle
Valse Tres Lente (Tres Lente Et Tres Douce)
Devant La Madonne (Souvenir De La Campagne De Rome, Nuit De Noel) (Allegro Moderato)
I. A L'Ombre (Assez Lent Et Mysterieux)
II. Dans Les Bles (Modere)
III. Grand Soleil (Avec Ampleur)
I. Feuilles Jaunes (Assez Lent)
II. Deux Novembre (Triste, Assez Lent)
III. Joyeuse Chasse (Tres Anime)
I. Noel (Tres Modere)
I. En Songeant (Tres Lent)
III. On Valsait (Mouvement De Valse)
I. Premiers Nids (Vif, Alerte Et Gai)
II. Lilas (Tres Modere Et Caressant)
III. Paques (Sortie De La Grand-Messe) (Modere)
1. Avec Entrain (In C)
2. Tres Anime (In G)
3. Expressif Et Triste, Sans Lenteur (In B Flat Minor)
4. Tres Anime (In D Flat)
5. Avec Elan (In C)
6. Avec Ampleur, Sans Lenteur (In F)
1. Modere Et Bien Rythme (In B Minor)
2. Allegretto, Avec Delicatesse (In G)
3. D'Une Allure Franche Et Gaie, Mesure Cependant (In C)
La Vierge: Danse Galileenne
I. Andante (In F)
II. Allegretto Quasi Allegro (In G)
III. Andante (In D Flat)
1. Tres Calme Avec Un Sentiment Intime (In E Flat)
2. (Sans Indication De Mouvement) (In G)

Customer Reviews:

Rare French Musique..........2007-02-12

.
Nice reissue of some rare French piano music, at a bargan rate.

Ciccolini is an adequate pianist who specializes in French art. His readings of Satie are questionable--but Massenet's piano pieces are otherwise unobtainable.

Jules Massenet is not widely remembered now--aside from a couple of operas which maintain a toehold in the repetoire. In his heyday during the Second Empire, however, he was an important teacher and opera impresario. These little piano pieces reflect the pale rosy eroticism popular in art during the corrupt reign of Napoleon III.
.

Average customer rating:

Historic Organs of Baltimore

Manufacturer: Organ Hist. Society
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Canons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000004AHR
Release Date: 1995-09-26

Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Sonata for Two Pianos & Percussion

Average customer rating:

Unusual couplings for Ormandy's splashy Concerto for Orchestra

Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Sonata for Two Pianos & Percussion

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Percussion | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra / 4 Orchestral Pieces - Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Pierre Boulez
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3; Poulenc: Organ Concerto; Barber: Toccata Festiva

ASIN: B000AARL0W
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Introduzione. Andante Non Troppo; Allegro Vivace - Eugene Ormandy
Giuoco Delle Coppie. Allegro Scherzando - Eugene Ormandy
Elegia. Andante Non Troppo - Eugene Ormandy
Intermezzo Interrotto. Allegretto - Eugene Ormandy
Finale. Pesante - Presto - Eugene Ormandy
Assai Lento-Allegro Molto - Robert Casadesus
Lento Ma Non Troppo - Robert Casadesus
Allegro Non Troppo - Robert Casadesus
Molto Moderato - Charles Rosen
Molto Capriccioso - Charles Rosen
Lento, Rubato - Charles Rosen
Allegretto Scherzando - Charles Rosen
Allegro Molto - Charles Rosen
Allegro Moderato, Molto Capriccioso - Charles Rosen
Sostenuto, Rubato. A La Memoire De Claude Debussy - Charles Rosen
Allegro - Charles Rosen

Customer Reviews:

Unusual couplings for Ormandy's splashy Concerto for Orchestra.......2006-05-21

Mid-century conductors often recorded Bartok's popular Concerto for Orchestra as often as the 1812 Overture--Ormandy made three, of which this is the second. His reading lacks imagination, but it gets a splashy recording that pops out all of Bartok's luscious sonorities. The real attraction here are the unusual couplings, a crisp Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion from husband and wife Robert and Caby Casadesus (pulled from the Sony catalog now that Sony and BMG are one in the classical department), and a generous sampling of Barrtok's piano music in the 8 Improvisations from Charles Rosen. These latter two recordings are better than Ormandy's contribution, but he is more than respectable, and the Philadelphia Orch. is amply virtuosic, needless to say.

Average customer rating:

A fascinating glimpse into Barokian style
Bela Bartok, The pianist.

Bartók Plays Bartók

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Prokofiev Plays Prokofiev

ASIN: B000000WPP
Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

Ste, Op.14 Allegretto: Scherzo: Allegro Molto: Sostenuto
Two Rumanian Dances Op.8a: No.1, Allegro Vivace
10 Easy Pieces: No.5, Evening In Transylvania; No.10: Bear Dance
Allegro Barbaro
14 Bagatelles Op.6 No.2: Allegro Giocoso; 3 Burlesques Op.8c: No.2, A Bit Drunk
9 Little Piano Pieces: No.6, Air, No.8, Tambourne, Petite Ste; V, Bagpipes
3 Rondos On Folk Melodies: No.1, Andante
15 Hungarian Peasant Songs: Nos. 7-10, 12, 14, 15 (Old Dance Tunes)
Sursum Corda No.7 From Annees De Pelerinage, Book 3
Mikrokosmos: No.124: Staccato; No.146: Ostinato
Petite Ste Ia. Slow Melody: , Ib. Walachian Dance; II. Whirling Dance; III. Quasi Pizzicato...
9 Little Piano Pieces: No.9, Prld All'ungherese
3 Rondos On Folk Tunes: No.1, Andante; 14 Bagatelles: No.2, Allegro Giocoso
3 Rondos On Folk Melodies: No.1, Andante
15 Hungarian Peasant Songs: Nos.7-10, 12, 14, 15; Old Dance Tunes
Annees De Peleringe, Book III: No.7 Sursum Corda - Bela Bartok/Ditta Pasztory-Bartok
Mikrokosmos: No.124: Staccato
Mikrokosmos: No.146: Ostinato
Petite Ste: Ia. Slow Melody
Petite Ste: Ib. Walachian Dance
Petite Ste: II. Whirling Dance
Petite Ste: III. Quasi Pizzicato
Petite Ste: IV. Ukrainian Song
Petite Ste: V. Bagpipes
9 Little Pno Pieces: No.9: Prld-All'ungherese
3 Rondos On Folk Melodies: No.1, Andante
14 Bagatelles: No.2, Allegro Giocoso
Improvisions On Hungarian Peasant Songs: No.1, Molto Moderato
Improvisions On Hungarian Peasant Songs: No.2, Molto Capriccioso
Improvisions On Hungarian Peasant Songs: No.6, Allegro Moderato, Molto Capriccioso
Improvisions On Hungarian Peasant Songs: No.7, Sostenuto, Rubato
Improvisions On Hungarian Peasant Songs: No.8, Allegro
3 Hungarian Folk Tunes: No.1
3 Hungarian Folk Tunes: No.2
3 Hungarian Folk Tunes: No.3
7 Pieces From Mikrokosmos: I. Chord And Trill Study
7 Pieces From Mikrokosmos: II. New Hungarian Folk Song
7 Pieces From Mikrokosmos: III. Chromatic Invention

Customer Reviews:

A fascinating glimpse into Barokian style.......2007-04-20

I will be brief. These recordings, made between the late 1920s and 1940, are technically deficient in showing Bartok's fabled tone (though a little of it comes through) but musically fascinating in showing how much more lyrical and gentle his playing of his own music was than that of most pianists today. Based on this evidence, then, pianists like Annie Fischer are much closer to Bartok's musical concept than Gyorgy Lehel or many of the others who have recorded his concerti in recent decades. A major resource for students of Bartok's music. (Only four stars given because of the scratchy discs and boxy sound, not because of intrinsic musical value.)

Bela Bartok, The pianist........2007-03-15

Hungarian composer Bela Bartok (born in Romania) was an innovative composer in his day and along with Gyorgy Ligeti is highly regarded as one of the greatest composers to come out of Hungary in the 20th century.
While a majority of Bartok's works are timeless classics in modern Classical repertoire, recordings are Bartok performing his own music are extremely rare to find these days. This is what makes the "Bartok Plays Bartok" disc from Pearl Records such a treat to listen to.
The recordings on this disc date from between 1929 and 1941 and display Bartok's gifts as a solid pianist in their fullest. His pianistic attack and full command of the instrument comes through in every piece included here.
Standouts include the opening piano "Suite", Bartok's own rendition of his famous "Allegro Barbaro" and the "Petite Suite". The 2-piano arrangement of three of Bartok's "Mikrokosmos" pieces is also a standout and features Bartok's wife Ditta as second pianist.
Indeed, there is plenty of history and lessons heard in these historic performances. For a pianist studying on how Bartok's music ought to be played, "Bartok Plays Bartok" is an ideal CD to have. We get to hear a master composer prove himself to be a master pianist.
Definitely a must have for any Bartok fan.

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1. Summer Romance
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6. GB Major Improvisation
7. F Minor Improvisation
8. Impromptu in BB
9. G Minor Improvisation
10. E Major Improvisation
11. When Dolphin's Dance
12. F# Minor Improvisation
13. Minor Improvisation
14. C Major Improvisation