Dvorák: Symphony No. 9; Sibelius: Symphony No. 2

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Paul Paray was an appealing artist who achieved wonders with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in the late 1950s. His interpretations were swift, lean, elegant, and sharply focused. It's a style of conducting that has all but vanished today, and these two performances bear eloquent testimony to his talent as an interpreter. It's common knowledge that tempos have been getting slower over the course of this century, though no one knows exactly why. Paray's recordings hark back to an earlier style of conducting, and they do it in very good sound. Unique and compelling. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Scherzo - Jeno Jando
Waltz In C# Minor - Peter Nagy
Song Without Words, Op.102, No.5 - Peter Nagy
'The Fountains Of The Villa D'Este' - Jeno Jando
Scherzo - Jeno Jando
'March To The Scaffold' - Pinchas Steinberg
Finale - Adrian Leaper
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Excerpt) - Adrian Leaper
The Moldau (exc) - Slovak PO/Barry Wordsworth
Final Movement Of Symphony No.9 'From The New World' - Stephen Gunzenhauser
'Bydlo' - Jeno Jando
'Flight Of The Bumblebee' - Balazs Szokolay
'Polovtsian Dances' - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Finale - Adrian Leaper
Finale - Takako Nishizaki
'Liebestod' - Johannes Wildner
Finale - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Intro To Also Sprach Zarathustra - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Uranus, The Magician - Adrian Leaper
'Jeux De Vagues' - Alexander Rahbari
'Sunrise' - Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Chorus
Adoration Of The Earth (Finale) - Alexander Rahbari
March From Love For Three Oranges Suite, Op.33: March - Andrew Mogrelia
Scherzo - Alexander Rahbari
Finale - Alexander Rahbari

Karajan Forever: The Greatest Classical Hits

Average customer rating:

Classical music CD for everyone
... in a nutshell
Karajan Forever: The "Eternal" Classical Music Album
Meditation!

Karajan Forever: The Greatest Classical Hits

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Karajan: Adagio
Famous Overtures
Albinoni: Adagio; Pachelbel: Canon
Romantic Adagio: Karajan
Karajan Conducts Grieg & Sibelius

ASIN: B00008CLNO
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Tracks:

Spring - Michel Schwalbe
Adagio In G Minor For Strings And Organ - Leon Spierer
Valese
Menuetto
Morning Mood
Valse Triste
Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K. 550 (Molto Allegro)
Symphony No. 9 'From The New World' In E Minor
Intermezzo
'Carmen' Suite, Prelude I (Allegro Giocoso)
Bolero (Conclusion)
'The Sleeping Beauty', Valse
'La Traviata', Prelude To Act III
Symphony No. 3 'Organ', In C Minor (Finale) - Pierre Cochereau

Tracks:

'Also Sprach Zarathustra' (Introduction)
'Cavalleria Rusticana', Intermezzo Sinfonico - Wolfgang Meyer
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Allegro)
Swan Lake, Suite Op. 20, Scene 1 (Swan Theme) - Michel Schwalbe
An Der Schonen, Blauen Donau
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major (1rst Movement)
Meditation - Michel Schwalbe
Badinerie From Suite No. 2 In B Minor - Karlheinz Zoeller
Barcarolle From 'La Gaiete Parisienne'
Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor (Ex. 1rst Movement) - Lazar Berman
Adagietto From Symphony No. 5
Symphonie Classique (Finale. Molto Vivace)
Dance Of Teh Blessed Spirits From 'Orpheus And Eurydice - Karlheinz Zoeller
Danse De La Fee Dragee
Valse Des Fleurs

Customer Reviews:

Classical music CD for everyone.......2007-01-09

A great selection. I bought one for my husband, and later the other one for my parents.
Quality, and a superb selection of masterpieces.
A must have for classical music lovers, and for everyone who wants to get introduced to classical music.

... in a nutshell.......2006-09-08

Probably the best one-volume compilation of Karajan available, with the most broad-based approachable track list currently being offered to the general enthusiast/collector. Back in the vinyl days, there were two-disc sets available like the "Karajan Super Concert" or the three-volume "Karajan Conducts" set on Angel. Some of these have been re-arranged and re-released with new or different cover art on CD too, but here is a newly remastered set just as good or better than any of those.

It also contains probably the best short essay on what Herbert von Karajan was all about by Axel Bruggemann, that I have ever read. A CD or two of the "Adagio" set by this conductor (also on DG) may be a nice supplement too, otherwise you can't really go wrong with this two-disc set at a fairly affordable price.

Karajan Forever: The "Eternal" Classical Music Album.......2005-09-26

Another fine recording of classical music, as conducted by the man considered to be the greatest conductor of the 20th century- Herbert Von Karajan, whose position as conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic made that particular orchestra unbeatable and at number one in the list of world's greatest orchestras. Karajan was involved with the Berlin Philharmonic's musical development for years, until his death in 89, before the Berlin Wall fell, an event he did not live to see. This recording has to the best of Karajan's many collected classical pieces on record. It is a perfect introduction to classical music itself and to Karajan's style. A plethora of composer and time periods- from Baroque, to Classical to Romantic- are all on here. Vivaldi's Spring opens the CD, and is followed by the melancholy and fatalistic sounding Baroque classic Albinoni Adagio in G. This is followed by Mozart's 40th symhony. The first Romantic Era symphony on here is Dvorak's famous New World Symphony, which Karajan conducts with supreme mastership. The Intermezzo from the verisimo opera Cavalleria Rusticana is on here and sounds absolutely breathtaking. The suite of Bizet's Carmen is musically intoxicating and the Bolero has never sounded hotter, except for maybe Zubin Mehta conducting it which I've heard live and know is absolutely wonderful. The famous Waltz from Tchaikovsky's ballet masterpiece Sleeping Beauty is on here as well as the Third Act Prelude to Verdi's Traviata. The final track on CD 1 is Saint Saens Organ Symphony Finale.

The second disc opens with a masterful version of the powerfully evocative Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss, another Austrian composer Karajan championed. The Swan Theme from Swan Lake is on here, as well as the Viennese Waltz favorite On the Beautiful Blue Danube- something I didn't know Karajan even conducted. But being Austrian, I'm not surprised. Karajan even conducted Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus as well as other waltzes. Back to Baroque, he continues with the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 by Bach and the gorgeous and somewhat gloomy Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Orpheus and Eurydice by Gluck. The CD ends with the elegant and beautiful Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky's Nutracker. This is a must have for fans of classical music, as a lot of favorites are on here.

Meditation!.......2003-07-20

A veritable who's who of pieces & composers, the CDs Karajan Forever will hopefully live forever.
Herbert VonKarajan was the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic from 1955 until his demise in 1989. His vision & helmsmanship of this magnificent orchestra have literally changed the way a whole generation heard music.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of Szell Brings A Re-evaluation.......2005-09-21

Kudos to Decca for bringing together in one convenient set George Szell's recordings that were made for the Decca & Philips labels from the early 1950s and to mid 1960s (minus those recordings where he acted in the role of accompanist, ie: those with pianist Curzon). These recordings are very well known and have been collector's items for many years, so to have them together in a mid-price box is self recommending.

The Philips recordings were issued a few years ago as a 2-CD set in their "Early Years" series while a few of the Decca recordings have already been released as singles in their Classic Sound series (both series saw very spotty distribution Stateside). I detect very little change in the sound quality in these new Decca Classic Sound versions, though the couplings from CD to CD are better programmed here than they were before (Philips had to cram alot of music on those 2CDs).

The most-recommendable recordings in the bunch are Szell's Mozart 34, Dvorak 8, Beethoven Egmont, Mendelssohn Midsummer's Night and Brahms 3. Here, the usual Szell trademarks are fully on display: tight rhythms, crisp articulation and finely graded dynamics. However, I was unexpectedly disappointed in two recordings long held to be top Szell & basic repertoire recommendations: the Beethoven 5 and Sibelius 2.

The Beethoven 5 has always been touted as more relaxed and in better sound than Szell's CBS 5th with Cleveland. But comparing this new Decca re-issue to Sony's recent "Original Jacket" issue of the Cleveland 5th, I didn't find that to be true at all. The Sony version now stands - to me, at least - as the better representation of Szell in this warhorse, both as an interpretation and in recorded sound. Indeed, the Concertgebouw recording suffers from an extremely lackluster and sloppy second movement that probably could have used a retake. Something just isn't right here - conductor and orchestra are not on the same page of the playbook...which is not what one expects in a recording by such a strong-willed technician as Szell. As an overall performance, this Concertgebouw recording is now easily surpassed by Szell's Sony effort, not to mention alternate versions by Kleiber, Karajan, Bernstein and others (but, again, you need to hear the Szell/Sony in the Original Jackets remastering, not the earlier Essential Classics version).

As for the Sibelius 2, we have a situation where poor intonation and hesitant execution in the orchestra knock this version off the pedestal of received opinion. And, with Szell's live Tokyo performance with Cleveland now widely available, his Concertgebouw version comes in direct competition with - Szell himself, and in a much better and much more cohesive recording. With the "if only he had recorded this with Cleveland" caveat removed, the choice is now clear - get the Cleveland version if you want Szell in Sibelius 2. That recording remains a top recommendation, though Ormandy, Maazel, Vanska and even Karajan have all brought their particular strengths to this piece as well, strengths that are much different than Szell's forte(s). There's plenty of room at the top when it comes to great recordings of great music.

Having lived with both the Beethoven and Sibelius for years, it's a bit disconcerting to have to make the above observations, but there you have it.

For the rest of the set, it is good to have Szell's interpretations of Tchaikovsky and Schubert on hand in such good sound. But truth be told, there are better versions out there of these works as well, the Tchaik 4 in particular (which in Szell's hands hangs fire in the least-expected places). The Baroque recordings included here are testament to a long-gone era when the standard Baroque works (worques?) were made acceptable to orchestral audiences by beefing them up to quasi-Wagnerian proportions. And even here, Szell is bettered by his contemporaries like Adrian Boult and Karl Richter in similar repertoire. A Baroque curate's egg if there ever was one.

Having said all of the above, I can still safely recommend this set to just about anyone interested in Szell or the repertoire on offer. Yes - work to work, there are better versions available, some from Szell himself. But *overall,* this set will provide plenty of pleasure and musical excitement to everyone save the anti-Szell wing of the classical music zealotry.

Enjoy.

George Szell is best known from his Columbia recordings.......2005-08-31

George Szell (1897-1970) is best known from his recordings made in the 1950s and 60s for Columbia records, mostly with the Cleveland Orchestra, many of which are now on Sony Classical. But he also made a number of recordings during the same period for Decca and Philips in Europe, with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam; Vienna Philharmonic, and London Symphony, all of which are included in this box. If you think of Szell as a cold, calculating technician - and he could be in some of his Columbia recordings - he has precision here in spades, but also warm sound, perhaps partly from the remastering for this release.

Szell's Concertgebouw Beethoven Symphony 5 is MUCH BETTER than his Cleveland recording. The precision is there, but it also sings, and is warmer than the Cleveland recording (Sony, coupled with Symphony 2). Szell's Vienna EGMONT is one of the best recordings of the work, if not THE best recording of the stereo age, even 36 years after it was recorded. The Sibelius 2 (also with the Concertgebouw) is warm and fine in every way. The Concertgebouw played beautifully for him, and it shows.

The Mendelssohn MIDSUMMER NIGHT's DREAM, Schubert ROSAMUNDE, Mozart Symphony 34, Handel WATER MUSIC and ROYAL FIREWORKS MUSIC are all excellent, too. Some may have favorite performances, but I cannot imagine anything better than Szell's Concertgebouw Mozart 34: perhaps Bohm (DG) and Krips (Philips).
The 5th disc has two classic mono recordings of the early 1950s:
Dvorak's Symphony 8, and Brahms 3, both with the Concertgebouw. The sound is just fine: beautifully remastered, and Szell's performances very solid and musical.

As you can tell, I'm very happy with this, and would advise anyone with $30.00 spare change to pick it up at their first opportunity.

Average customer rating:

Great Compilation

Greatest Classical Melodies

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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Bach: Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000003F7O
Release Date: 1992-05-12

Tracks:

Canon
Fantasia on 'Greensleeves'
Minuet
Gymnopedie No. 1
Vocalise
Symphony No. 9 'From the New World' -- Movement two (Opening)
Pavane
Song of India
Liebestraum No. 3
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Variation 18
Air on the G String
Valse Triste
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik -- Movement two
Symphony No. 2 -- Movement Three (opening)
Clair de Lune

Customer Reviews:

Great Compilation.......2006-11-06

This was my very first introduction into classical music as a kid...it got me hooked. Very easy to listen to, easy to love. My father is a huge classical music listener and thought it would be good to start me off gently with this CD. I'd definitely recommend this to others...great choice!

Average customer rating:

FABULOUS SELECTION OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

Classics for Relaxation and Meditation

Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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Meditation: Classical Relaxation (Box Set)
Most Relaxing Classical Piano Music in the Universe
Bach for Relaxation
Rachmaninoff for Relaxation
Chopin For Relaxation

ASIN: B000000LOH
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

BWV 992: Jeusus Is Always My Gladness
Concerto In B Flat Major: Adagio
Organ Concerto In G Major: Largo
Moonlight Sonata In C Sharp Minor Op. 27-2: Quasi Una Fantasia (Adagio Sostenuto)
Mass In E Minor: Kyre Eleyson
Piano Concerto No. 26 In D Minor K537: Larghetto
Symphony No. 8 In Minor D 759: Andante Con Moto
Fantasy Op. 73: Tender And With Expression
The Moldau: Sympohic Poem
Valse Triste: Op. 44, 1 From 'Kuolema'
Oboe Concerto In C Major K314: Adagio - Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 21 In C Major K467 'Elvira Madigan': Andante

Tracks:

Souvenir De Florence In D Minor Op. 70: Adagio Cantibile - Tchaikovsky
Raindrop Prelude In D Flat Major Op. 28 - 15
Symphony No. 4 In A Major Op. 90 'Italian': Andante con molto
Love Dream No. 3 In A Flat Major Op. 62
Lullaby - Berceuse Op. 105
Berceuse: Lullaby Op. 57 - Chopin
Wind Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 88-2: Andante grazioso
Cello Concerto In G Major: Romance
Concerto For Flute, Harp And Orchestra In C Major K299: Andantino - Mozart
Sonata In C Minor Op. 13 'Pathetique': Adagio cantabile - Beethoven
Divertimento No. 1 In B Flat Major 'Chorale St. Antoni': Andante - Haydn _

Tracks:

Stabat Mater Op.58: Virgo Virginium Praeclara - Dvorak
Divertimento No. 1 In B Flat Major: Chorale - Haydn _
Consolation In E Major - Liszt
Symphony No. 5 In D Major, Op.107 'Reformation': Finale
Execution Transcendante: Evening Harmony - Liszt
Overture In D Major: Air BWV 1068 - Bach
Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - Gluck
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major Op. 15: Largo - Beethoven
String Quartet No. 62 In C Major, Op.76, 3 'Emperor': Adagiop cantabile - Haydn _

Customer Reviews:

FABULOUS SELECTION OF CLASSICAL MUSIC.......2001-05-16

Whether or not you are a fan of classical music, the truth is that everyone enjoys a few hours of peace and relaxation. This CD provides a wide selection of music from famous composers like Mozart to lesser known classical composers, which makes it the perfect CD to play on your stereo during those rare moments of peace. Play it while reading a favorite novel, or just simply sit down and meditate with the help of this classical CD. Beethoven's widely popular "Moonlight Sonata" for the piano and Chopin's extraordinary "Raindrop" are just two examples of musical pieces that will not only calm but enrich your life. With a total of three discs included at a phenomenal value, this is one CD that you cannot afford to pass up.

Dvorák: Symphony No. 9; Sibelius: Symphony No. 2

Average customer rating:

Why Paul Paray's Tempos Were so
Refinement and distinction!
The Greatest New World Symphony: Unsurpassed
A superb performance and recording
The great Paray defines his legacy in Dvorak and Sibelius

Dvorák: Symphony No. 9; Sibelius: Symphony No. 2

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Paul Paray Conducts Dances of Death
Symphonie Fantastique
Suppe: Overtures: Light Cavalry, etc.; Auber: Overtures
Bizet: Carmen Suite; Arlésienne Suites Nos. 1 & 2; Thomas: Mignon & Raymond Overtures
Enesco: Roumanian Rhapsody no 2

ASIN: B0000057LP
Release Date: 1992-08-11

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9 In E Minor, Op. 95 ( From The New World): Adagio - Allegro molto
Symphony No. 9 In E Minor, Op. 95 ( From The New World): Largo
Symphony No. 9 In E Minor, Op. 95 ( From The New World): Scherzo: Molto vivace
Symphony No. 9 In E Minor, Op. 95 ( From The New World): Allegro con fuoco
Symphony no. 2 in D major, op. 43: Allegretto
Symphony no. 2 in D major, op. 43: Tempo Andante, ma rubato
Symphony no. 2 in D major, op. 43: Vivacissimo
Symphony no. 2 in D major, op. 43: Finale: Allegro moderato

Amazon.com

Paul Paray was an appealing artist who achieved wonders with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in the late 1950s. His interpretations were swift, lean, elegant, and sharply focused. It's a style of conducting that has all but vanished today, and these two performances bear eloquent testimony to his talent as an interpreter. It's common knowledge that tempos have been getting slower over the course of this century, though no one knows exactly why. Paray's recordings hark back to an earlier style of conducting, and they do it in very good sound. Unique and compelling. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Why Paul Paray's Tempos Were so .......2007-06-14

1960s tempi were fast, so fast that over the last 30 years or so I've developed a great affection for a more moderate pace. I've not, however, lost my previous affection for many of the performances at the fast clip conductors tended to employ during the reign of the analog record. I do prefer a tempo that allows me to hear most of the notes played and hear all of the sonorities the piece is supposed to contain. I note that the tempo of this 1960 performance of Dvorak's 9th obscures a great deal; however well done, and it is certainly well done, the 9th wasn't written to be played at the tempo Paul Paray used.

The main editorial review of this album states, I think incorrectly, that while tempi slowed during the later years of the 20th century, "no one knows why."

Not true. Here is a biography of famed record producer and impresario Goddard Lieberson of Columbia Records that sums it up rather well.

The demands of the marketplace coupled with the development of the "long-playing" record and then the conversion to compact disc explains, in part, the tempo changes quite well -- as the text below indicates, you can't fit Beethoven's 9th on two sides of a 33 and a third RPM vinyl record if it comes in over 60 minutes -- Furtwangler refused to perform it at the requisite tempo -- Von Karajan did not refuse.

Along with the markeplace and the technology add this: the personalities of those in the position like Lieberson.

See this bio. It takes nothing away from those who raced through the repertoire at fearsome tempi - but let's at least be honest about the reasons therefor.

When Leonard Bernstein felt obliged to disassociate himself from Glenn Gould's "radical" choice of slower tempo and relatively balanced ensemble volume in performing Brahms' 2nd piano concerto, Bernstein wasn't making an artistic announcement -- he was covering his commercial rear end. He needn't have troubled himself: fast or slow, it's all good.

[...].

"There is a tendency, in writing and reading about classical recordings, to forget that they're as much a part of business as art--and that, as a result of this duality, executives can play as important a role as artists in determining what we here and how we hear it.

Goddard Lieberson of Columbia Records is one such example. Along with Walter Legge, his opposite number at Britain's EMI Records, Lieberson was perhaps the most influential executive in the field of recording, and specifically classical recording, in the entire world from the 1940's until the 1960's.

He was responsible, directly or indirectly, for facilitating the industry-wide switch from the three-minutes-to-a-side 78 rpm shellac disc to the 33 1/3 rpm long-playing record, which revolutionized classical listening (as well as jazz and, eventually, pop and rock as well); he was the guiding force behind some of the earliest recordings of complete operas ever done in America; he was the head of Columbia Records during the subsequent switch-over from monaural to stereo recording, a new technology change that Lieberson and Columbia Records transformed into an opportunity, pursuing an aggressive policy of re-recording the standard repertory that, in the process, helped turn newly appointed New York Philharmonic Music Director Leonard Bernstein into a media superstar, and further broadened the audience for classical music in the process; and, as an adjunct to all of this, Lieberson was also the father of the modern Broadway cast recording.
...
Ever since someone attempted to cut the first classical piece of more than three minutes' duration, probably in the first decade of the twentieth century on an Edison cylinder, the record industry had chafed under the restricted running time of its existing software. The cylinder's successor, the 78 rpm platter could, under the best of circumstances, hold around four minutes of music on a side. This was a vexation on the artist and the recording manager--individual movements of works like the Beethoven Symphony No. 5 took up at least two sides, and sometimes three, on two platters, requiring the listener to change platters and interrupt the piece at least once or twice on each movement. Additionally, the artist had to tailor a recording, regardless of the tempo they might've normally used in concert, to meet the side-break at a spot that was as unobtrusive as possible--that meant hitting the end of a bar, and the right bar, at a pause, at just the right moment in a recording. And the platters themselves were heavy and very brittle, and, thus, easily broken. To top it off, all recording in those days outside of Germany, where they'd perfected a primitive but viable form of magnetic recording tape, was done to disc, on wax masters. There was no such thing as "playback" as such--if a producer or artist wasn't sure if a note had been hit wrong, or a passage flubbed somewhere deep in the orchestra, they either had to order a test-pressing and wait anywhere from two weeks to a month to get it back, or do it over then and there.

If there was doubt, it was faster and cheaper to redo the entire side; thus, retakes were the order of the day--when Dimitri Mitropoulos and the Minneapolis Symphony cut the first ever recording of the Mahler Symphony No. 1, for Columbia Masterworks in 1940, it took most of a morning just to get through the first half of the first movement.

RCA-Victor had devised an experimental long-play disc in the early 1930's, able to fit seven or eight minutes on a side, but it required new playback equipment, and springing that on the public during the depths of the Great Depression, with unemployment inching up to 20% or more and record company profits dropping by 90%, didn't seem like a good idea.

By the middle of the 1940's, however, a musician and producer at Columbia named Peter Goldmark proposed another attempt at a new kind of long-playing record--Lieberson saw the potential that this held and got the development budget allocated, and by 1947 engineers at Columbia had perfected the long-playing, microgroove record, capable of holding 15 minutes on a side in its 10-inch version, and 22 minutes on a side in its 12-inch form. The advent of the long-playing record, introduced by Columbia in 1948, revolutionized the whole recording industry, though not immediately.

Almost simultaneously with Columbia's new innovation, RCA-Victor debuted its own new music software, the 45 rpm single. It, too, was an improvement over the 78, holding the same 3-4 minutes of music but far lighter, cheaper and easier to make, and far less breakable. Moreover, RCA-Victor, as owner of the National Broadcasting Company, had its own radio and television outlet through which to push the 45 disc. The formats battled it out for three years, although by 1950 there were no more classical 78s to speak of.

Some recordings were released in all three formats, and a few as LPs and 45's (one of the oddest releases in opera that one can find is London Records' 45 rpm version of the Beecham recording of The Tales of Hoffmann, from the soundtrack of the 1951 film--twenty 45 rpm discs that allow the listener to go through the opera in 40 three-minute bits--this writer describes it was the juke-box version of Tales of Hoffmann).

Eventually, the LP won out for classical and jazz, and as a vehicle for grouped pop releases, while the 45 became the standard for popular music. Coincidental with the development of the LP, Lieberson also established a contractual relationship between Columbia Records and the Metropolitan Opera. The LP made the recording and release of complete operas (which had been done on a very limited basis in Europe in the 1930's, before the war) feasible for the first time.

Beginning with the Met recording of Puccini's La Boheme in 1947, Columbia began an enviable and unique body of operatic releases that vastly broadened the range of the entire existing classical catalog.

Additionally, at approximately the same time, the label began recording various non-operatic classical works whose length would have made a pure 78 rpm release impractical.

The most important of these was Bruno Walter's 1947 New York Philharmonic performance of the Mahler Symphony No. 5, the first complete recording of the piece. All of this new recording entailed a massive switchover of equipment in the home. There were tens of millions of old-style 78 rpm players out there, and a hundred times as many wide-tipped steel needles (the V-Disc program alone during World War II had distributed billions of steel needles to troops to play 78's), all of which were useless in playing the LP.

The new format spoke its virtues in loud volumes, but more encouragement was needed. Columbia provided this--for a time in the late 1940's, through retailers, the record company supplied new 33 1/3 long-play phonographs at virtually below cost to listeners, in exchange for a commitment to buy a certain number of Columbia LPs.
...
When Leonard Bernstein was made the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in 1957, however, Columbia under Lieberson seized a dual moment--the label had switched to stereo that year, and here was a chance to sell it, and a generation of new recordings, to the public. The Philharmonic's sales under outgoing music director Dimitri Mitropoulos and his predecessors had always lagged behind those of the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy, who were also signed to Columbia. Lieberson and Columbia saw the young, charismatic, media-conscious Bernstein as offering the chance to correct that imbalance and sell the new stereo format--with Bernstein as their point-man, getting lots of publicity (including a fair amount from the CBS network) at the time, as the first American-born Music Director of a major American orchestra (and it should be remembered that these things seemed to, and indeed did matter a lot more to the public and the press in those days), the company embarked on an ambitious program of recording. Bernstein and the orchestra were offered every chance to go into the studio, recutting (or cutting for the first time) any piece of repertory that might reasonably seem like it would find a serious audience. The result was the creation of a classical music media superstar, and the generation of sales figures for the Philharmonic that not only delighted Columbia but also the orchestra's management. This led to an era in which the Philharmonic musicians' salaries were raised, and the orchestra's schedule expanded to virtually the year round, all to fill the demand. Bernstein and the Philharmonic became the first classical musicians that millions of American children heard, and the only classical musicians that many teenagers of the late 1950's and early 1960's ever heard. The opening of the Philharmonic's new home, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, in New York in 1963 was crowning touch, atop these other successes.
...
Leonard Bernstein, whose excitement and sales had slackened in the late 1960's, had given up his Columbia contract and the Philharmonic. His successor, Pierre Boulez, made some very important recordings that didn't sell nearly as well, and his successor, Zubin Mehta, was to make less important recordings that sold even more poorly. The world had changed around Goddard Lieberson. Lieberson died of cancer in the spring of 1977, leaving behind about as large a legacy of important recordings as any man in music. Although his credits as a producer were rare (he was moved up past that level early), he facilitated many important projects in classical music, made Columbia Records' Masterworks division a giant in the field of classical music, and remade the music industry.

Refinement and distinction!.......2006-12-19

Paul Paray' s distinguished refinement not only improved but enhanced the persuasive sound of the Detroit Symphony, leading this ensemble to one of the most remarkable in the Fifties. His devoted passion for the French music was evident but his broad vision included Dvorak and Sibelius with exceptional results.

Don't miss this album.

The Greatest New World Symphony: Unsurpassed.......2003-01-09

Paul Paray conducts the greatest interpretations of Dvorak's Ninth Symphony, the so called "New World Symphony" and Sibelius' Second. His musicianship and expertise is worthy of praise and even Dvorak and Sibelius himself would have highly esteemed him and used him for conductor of their symphonies. Paul Paray recorded these symphonies back to back in 1959. The Mono sound is not a problem, as it has been digitally remastered. The sheer excellence and magnetism of the music is not sacrificed and sounds perfect. Never before has orchestral music sound so clear, so precise, so elaborate. Paul Paray was an artist as much as he was a conductor.

The 9th Symphony of Antonin Dvorak is entitled "The New World". It was a musical portrait of America, especially that of Native American culture. The melodies, especially the adagio with its yearning, spiritual inflections on flute and strings, seems to be a prayer. The fourth movement is war-like, a powerful storm that crosses the plains. It is undoubtedly Dvorak's greatest symphony, his most well-rounded and most colorized. With Paul Paray as conductor, the music comes to life, painting a marvelous landscape as real and vivid as the landscape of America itself.

Sibelius also paints a homeland portrait in his Symphony No. 2. Describing the polar north, his native environment, namely Finland, Norway, Greenland, etc. The music is thrilling, majestic, escapist. The orchestra conjures images of snow-covered mountain peaks, lakes frozen in winter and barren trees across the hills. The serenity of the isolated regions are especially striking. Sibelius was a gifted composer, a Romantic who pushed the barrier into something nearly jazz-like, something as impressive as the score to an epic film. He was, in my personal opinion, more of a twentieth century composer than a turn of the century composer. Paul Paray is at his best in this recording. This is worth the price and highly recommended to fans of classical music and fans of the Toscanini twin, Paul Paray. Your car cd will leap with symphonic beauty, your home music system will escort you to a new world, and the music is so diverse and grand that it overwhelms you and you become lost in the cosmos. Try this cd. You will see what I mean.

A superb performance and recording.......2002-04-20

This is a highly spirited, vigorous performance. It is highly exuberant and energetic, truly a joy to listen to. It is also very tight and polished. Really a fantastic performance of these works. Also, the recording quality is really superb. Even though this was recorded in 1959 and 1960, it sounds very realistic, natural and present. I'd like to hear more contemporary recordings made with just two microphones like this one is - it really sounds like an orchestra sounds in real life. This is my favorite orchestral recording.

The great Paray defines his legacy in Dvorak and Sibelius.......1997-06-11

Paul Paray, Detroit Symphony conductor between 1951 and 1962 is now a cult figure, a maestro for maestros. And it's easy to hear why. This samp ling from his legendary catalog for Mercury gives us the realm of his intellect in two dissimilar symphonies, the New World and Sibelius's Second. In the first, the rattle-and-snap of his technique inspires the DSO to blaze away into a New World of freshness and vitality inherent in Dvorak, but only hinted at in other recordings. The Sibelius takes us wide-eyed into the expansive world of the North, lakes and mountain ranges, the Northern Lights, tundra and sun...and far away from the trying occasional piece the work can so often be. The combination of amazing orchestral execution and the blinding inspiration of the supreme artist is the realm of Paul Paray, a realm of wonder, wide-sweeping, away from mundane cares. Our souls clamor for the man and his art...and he never disappoints. Nearly twenty years after his death, Paray's Dvorak and Sibelius simply astound us who think we know their greatness. With Paul Paray we quite simply live it. Give this disk to everyone you truly love for the joy of an orchestra with virtuosity to burn and directorial inspiration of the highest order. The experience is one that one incorporates into one's self. END

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Discover the Symphony

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Discover the Classics 3: The Concerto
Discover the Classics, Vol. 2
The Best of Opera, Vol. 1
Discover the Classics
Discover Music of the Baroque Era

ASIN: B00000G2P7
Release Date: 1998-09-29

Tracks:

Allegro - City Of London Sinfonia
Allegro Di Molto - Yoon K. Lee
Allegro - New Zealand Chamber Orchestra
Menuetto: Allegretto - Capella Istropolitana
Molto Allegro - Capella Istropolitana
Finale: Allegro Assai Vivace: Alla Marcia - Claudio Otelli
Allegretto - Michael Halasz
Saltarello: Presto - National Symphony Orchestra Of Ireland
Poco Allegretto - Alexander Rahbari
March To The Scaffold - Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Scherzo: Bewegt - Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra
Allegro Con Grazia - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

Allegretto Grazioso - Molto Vivace - Stephen Gunzenhauser
Presto - Imrich Szabo
Kraftig Bewegt, Doch Nicht Zu Schnell - Michael Halasz
Allegro Molto - BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Epilogue - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Scherzo - Adrian Leaper
Adagio - Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Allegro Sanguinoso - National Symphony Orchestra Of Ireland
Molto Vivace - Stephen Gunzenhauser
Allegretto - New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Allegro - Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

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It Would Be Worth Every Cent Just for the Brahms Sonatas
Essential Oistrakh
Fantastic
A wondeful collection
Oistrakh (and Richter) Triumphant!

David Oistrakh Edition

Manufacturer: Melodiya
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Davd Oistrakh and Sviatoslav Richter - Live at Alice Tully Hall, New York 1970
David Oistrakh
Heifetz & Piatigorsky - Historic Performance Film Footage
Brahms: Concertos for Piano No. 1 & 2, Fantasia Op. 116
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99

ASIN: B000001HDT
Release Date: 1997-07-15

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 35: 1. Allegro moderato
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 35: 2. Canzonetta. Andante
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 35: 3. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo
Violin Concerto In D Minor, Op. 47: 1. Allegro moderato
Violin Concerto In D Minor, Op. 47: 2. Adagio di molto
Violin Concerto In D Minor, Op. 47: 3. Allegro, ma non troppo
Two Humoresques For Violin And Orchestra op. 87: No. 1 In D Minor
Two Humoresques For Violin And Orchestra op. 87: No. 2 In D Major

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 77: 1. Allegro non troppo
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 77: 2. Adagio
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 77: 3. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace - Poco piu presto
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 53: 1. Allegro ma non troppo
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 53: 2. Adagio ma non troppo
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 53: 3. Finale. Allegro gioicoso, ma non troppo

Tracks:

Ciacona In G Minor
Orfeo ed Euridice: Melody
Widmung, Op. 25 No. 1
Romance In A Major Op. 94 No. 2
Hungarian Dance No. 8 in A Minor - Presto
Hungarian Dance No. 9 in E Minor - Allegro ma non troppo
Hungarian Dance No. 20 in D Minor - Allegretto - Vivace
Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor - Allegro - Vivace
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: El pano moruno
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Nana. Berceuse
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Cancion
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Polo
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Asturiana
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Jota
Six Songs: Love Song, No. 6
Danzas espanolas op. 37: Andaluza No. 5
Suite Bergamasque: Passepied
Beau Soir
Raymonda op. 57: Entr' acte
Daisies, op. 38 No. 3
Vocalise op. 34 No. 14

Tracks:

Violin Sonata No. 2 op. 100: 1. Allegro amabile
Violin Sonata No. 2 op. 100: 2. Andante tranquillo - Vivace - Andante - Vivace di piu - Andante - Vivace
Violin Sonata No. 2 op. 100: Allegro grazioso (quasi Andante)
Violin Sonata No. 3 op. 108: 1. Allegro
Violin Sonata No. 3 op. 108: 2. Adagio
Violin Sonata No. 3 op. 108: 3. Un poco presto e con sentimento
Violin Sonata No. 3 op. 108: 4. Presto agitato
Violin Sonata In A Major: 1. Allegretto ben moderato
Violin Sonata In A Major: 2. Allegro
Violin Sonata In A Major: 3. Recitativo - Fantasia. Ben moderato
Violin Sonata In A Major: 4. Allegretto poco mosso

Tracks:

Violin Sonata No. 1 Sz. 75: 1. Allegro appassionato
Violin Sonata No. 1 Sz. 75: 2. Adagio
Violin Sonata No. 1 Sz. 75: 3. Allegro
Violin Sonata op. 134: 1. Andante
Violin Sonata op. 134: 2. Allegretto
Violin Sonata op. 134: 3. Largo

Customer Reviews:

It Would Be Worth Every Cent Just for the Brahms Sonatas.......2006-12-19

This is probably my favorite boxed set of anything, ever. Each disc has its own merits but the Brahms and Franck are passionate and sublime, the Bartok is everything you want your Bartok to be, and of course the Tchaikovsky is without comparison. Long live King David!

Essential Oistrakh.......2002-01-10

A mandatory purchase (at a bargain price!) for all violin lovers- it contains some of Oistrakh's greatest recorded performances, including mind-boggling performances of the Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Brahms and and Dvorak concerti as well as the famous sonata recordings with Richter. Please, BMG, could we have more such treasures from Melodiya's legendary vaults?

Fantastic.......2000-07-31

Perhaps the great accomplishment in playing an instrument is to play it naturally, as if it were like breathing. Few artists prove this point as well as Oistrakh, the Soviet Union's artist, a true symbol of the Russian's school of music's excellence. As some other reviewer said, this is a moment of true musical orgasm. As an aspiring violinist, hearing Oistrakh's effortless rendition of the Tchaikovsky brings one almost to tears before such greatness. Some may complain about his dated method, but I favor it above any other artist, and highly recommend his interpretation of both the Brahms and the Tchaikovsky. Considering the fact that people didn't walk out of his performance of the pieces while a bombing raid was going on (during WWII), the man's musical prowess is second to none. Of special attention is the Brahms Sonata in A Major with Richter, easily one of the purest performances of the piece.

A wondeful collection.......2000-07-01

David Oistrakh has arguably the best pure tone of all who have ever played the violin--bar none.

Oistrakh (and Richter) Triumphant!.......2000-02-07

Reviewer David Mednicoff is exactly right about this set. All the concerto performances are terrific, but the two discs of sonatas (Brahms #2 & 3; Frank; Shostakovich [the live world premiere] and Bartok) with Richter are really something else. Amazing.

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music, Vol. 6-10

Average customer rating:

Great collections, with poor quality sound
The Greatest Collection Of Romantic Era Music
Somewhat lacking

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music, Vol. 6-10

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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