Boulez: Orchestral Works & Chamber Music

Editorial Reviews
From ClassicsToday.com
Pierre Boulez (b. 1925) arguably is the greatest advocate of modernism the music world has ever seen. He studied under Olivier Messiaen who already had advanced serial techniques beyond the ideas of Schoenberg and Webern. Only Stockhausen would take them further. The works on this disc contain some of Boulez's best serial writing. Polyphonie X (1951) is an engaging work for 18 solo instruments whose assertions are framed in small yet distinct sound clusters, a strategy that actually prevents the work from devolving into a mishmash of sheer noise. There is no real tonality here (some would argue that this isn't even music), just isolated sonic ideas. But at 16 minutes, Polyphonie X doesn't wear out its welcome. According to the liner notes, Boulez withdrew both Polyphonie X and Poésie pour pouvoir (1958) after their premieres. Why Boulez pulled them is anyone's guess, because even after all this time, and especially as revealed in these stunning performances, they still appear lucid and vital. The recording also reminds us of the uniqueness of a work such as Poésie pour pouvoir, with its tape-recorded voice played back with considerable distortion, made all the more spooky by the addition of electronic sounds. Boulez's Tombeau à la memoire du Prince Max Egon zu Fürstenberg employs standard serial techniques in a small ensemble, but with a soprano (coloratura) added to the mix. The longest work here, and the one reproduced in the best sound, is Structures II, written for two pianos--more than competently played by Boulez and Yvonne Loriod. No one can deny the intellectual integrity of these works, however it's this very intellectualism and the experimental/avant-garde characteristics of Boulez's music that makes it difficult both to perform and to appreciate as a listener. Naturally, this limits its appeal to a relatively small audience. Those people--students of advanced serialism, Boulez fans, and the curious looking for a new adventure--will certainly want to give this disc a careful listen.

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano, Op. 42: I. Andante
Concerto For Piano, Op. 42: II. Molto allegro
Concerto For Piano, Op. 42: III. Adagio
Concerto For Piano, Op. 42: IV. Giocoso
Variations, Op. 27: Sehr massig
Variations, Op. 27: Sehr schnell
Variations, Op. 27: Ruhig fliessend
Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11: I. Massig
Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11: II. Massig
Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11: III. Bewegt
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: I. Leicht, zart
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: II. Langsam
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: III. Sehr langsam
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: IV. Rasch, aber leicht
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: V. Etwas rasch
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: VI. Sehr langsam
Piano Sonata, Op. 1

Customer Reviews:

A Matter of Taste.......2006-11-05

I entirely agree with the previous reviewer. I can't talk about this music technically. What I do like about the dodecaphonic music of Schoenberg (and Berg and Webern) is, unlike music written strictly in keys, the feeling of gliding with it across variations of a landscape and touching down at times to take another stride. This piece was my accidental introduction to serial music and I have returned to it over decades to discover why and how it so transfixed me. I drifted from recording to recording until I realized the glide and stride of the experience. To my mind after years of reading about what goes on in serial music, those touch-downs must be those places where my ear hears tonal moments--after all, how can it not? And then striding, gliding, dancing with Ms Uchida in partnership with the orchestra across mosiacally shifting impressions, at times poignant and dolorous, at others charming, ebullient and delightful, as wines can sometimes be. It doesn't leave one humming, nor does one finally, entirely touch-down. Not an objective or technical appraisal, but pleasure, sometimes, is a knowledge difficult to withold--and articulate.

The Amazing Spectrum of the Repertoire of Mitsuko Uchida.......2006-01-19

For those who bask in the romantic warmth of Mitsuko Uchida's Schubert, Beethoven and Schumann or marvel at the clarity and finesse of her Mozart, this recording will remind all that the fiendishly difficult Schoenberg Piano Concerto Opus 42 is one work that she owns. She is able to find the arching lines within the myriad notes and remind us that the genius of the twelve tone music also gave us 'Gurrelieder' and 'Verklarte Nacht'! Uchida, in perfect synchrony and vision with Pierre Boulez and the Cleveland Orchestra, offers the most brilliant reading of this great concerto on recording!

To round out the recital Uchida stays respectfully within the framework of the 'modern' sound by electing to offer two sets of Schoenberg's piano works: Pieces for Piano Opus 11 and Little Pieces for Piano Opus 19. These complex works are lovingly performed with precision and delicacy. Berg's Piano Sonata Opus 1 and Webern's Variations for Piano Opus 27 complete these echt Viennese school of music in performances that rival the finest.
Highly recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

Berg's Sonata Revealed.......2005-08-02

I have heard many recorded and live performances of the Berg Sonata, but this is the first which, in my opinion, gives us what Berg intended. The sonata is underrated by many, who clearly have not studied it carefully or listened to it repeatedly. It not to be merely knocked off,as with so many performers(e.g.,Perahia, Aimard, Gould, Nin An, et al.). Berg's score is richly detailed with clues to his intentions which, when followed (as here), result in an illuminating and accessible performance. And only an elitist would quarrel with accessibility. The artist's accuracy, particularly in the difficult development section (usually muddied up by others), and her sensitive interpretation throughout, make this the choice of the litter.

Among Uchida's Best.......2004-12-27

A little perspective: I am a 21-year old pianist who has made it his obligation in the past couple of years to thoroughly internalize Schoenberg's Op. 11 and 19, both of which are found on this CD. I am a stickler for following every little marking Schoenberg wrote, but I see a lot of room for creativity, too. My reference recordings have been those of Charles Rosen and Maurizio Pollini, both of which I hold in high esteem for their clean precision and abstract imagery. For the Berg sonata, I am partial to Maria Yudina's exuberant (and hard to find) recording. For the Webern variations, Richter's live performance in Vienna is my favorite. The Concerto is new to me, but I pulled out some recordings from the library to compare it to - Gould, Brendel, Ax, Peter Serkin.

Besides this disc, I have also heard Uchida albums of Schubert, Debussy, Mozart, and Chopin. I find that her playing tends to be dark-hued, dimly lit and compellingly non-intuitive, with an amazing command of passages calling for gossamer textures. She can also use impossibly slow tempi at times, coming up with conceptions so expansive that you can stick your head in between the notes. Both of those qualities make her Schoenberg Op. 19 quite different from the others I've heard, but the concept of space is the more striking and memorable. Uchida seems to be convinced that it is the silences in these tiny pieces that gives them their meaning, and long ritards to silence mark almost every bar. Yet the pieces never fall apart, because this is entirely in their character. It's a free interpretation, to be sure, and not one which is 100% faithful, but it's highly sympathetic and quite effective.

Her Op. 11 is more conventionally beautiful, and it's also easily the best I've heard. Never mind the fact that Uchida's hands could never actually span the gigantic chords in the third piece - the editing job is seamless and the musical content is what's important. These readings are far more humane than those of the ferocious Pollini, and the Romantic warmth bleeds through even though the sound is not plush. The influence of Brahms on Schoenberg can clearly be heard through this truly stellar reading.

The Berg Sonata is merely good. There are some beautiful moments and there is some real tension here, but Uchida seems to see this as a conventional sonata-allegro movement packing a few extra pounds around the middle, and that's exactly how it comes off. The Mahlerian drama is muted - I think it takes someone as incandescantly insane as Maria Yudina to really do it justice. Uchida certainly follows Berg's markings more closely than Yudina does, but they're not well enough internalized and so they don't have the effect that they should have.

The Webern is a welcome addition. Too many recordings of Webern have an excessive cleanliness to them which makes them alienating and creepy. This, on the other hand, is warm in the same way that Uchida's Schoenberg Op. 11 is, imbuing this fragmentary, elusive music with a real soul.

The Concerto is the most complex piece on the album, and this performance, by Uchida at the piano with Boulez conducting the Cleveland Orchestra, is the hardest for me to judge. No doubt that it is fearsomely difficult to play, and she does a fantastic job. Every page bristles with new and different difficulties, but these are not merely pianistic bells and whistles like you hear in Rachmaninoff or Prokofiev. The importance Schoenberg puts on each awkwardly placed note makes this piece doubly difficult to execute. Uchida's overall conception is smooth and highly intelligible, with a fantastic sound. The only thing it really lacks is style. The Haydn-esque finale is rather flat compared with any of the other major recordings, such as Gould or Brendel just to name a couple. Although the form is there, the spark of life is a bit weak. Nonetheless this is a high-quality recording.

There is much to recommend this CD, and there is more than enough original contribution here to merit a listen by anyone interested in the Second Viennese School. Go pick it up!

Exciting Performance!.......2002-12-13

I've heard two recordings of this work in the past and thought it was just ugly music. Then I heard this incredible performance. It is so clear, so precise, so exciting! I will listen to it again and again. This is the one to buy. It's wonderful!

Average customer rating:

Excellent Webern from the master Boulez and company.
Webern may grow on you and Boulez et al. are worth every penny.
Interesting and Challenging
The original and still the best
Boulez's Webern -- brilliant modern miniatures

Anton Webern: Complete Works, Opp. 1-31
Anton Webern , Pierre Boulez , Heather Harper , Charles Rosen , Isaac Stern , Halina Lukomska , Colin Bradbury , John [guitar] Williams , Daniel Majeske , Robert Marcellus , Abraham Weinstein , and Barry McDaniel
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002707
Release Date: 1991-02-08

Tracks:

Passacaglia fur grobes Orch Op.1 - LSO/Pierre Boulez
'Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen' Op.2 (Text: Stefan George) - John Alldis Chor/Pierre Boulez
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: I. Dies ist ein Lied fur dich allein... - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: II. Im Windesweben-Sehr fliebend - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: III. Am Bachesranft-Ziemlich rasch - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: IV. Im Morgentaun-Fliebend - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: V. Kahl reckt der Baum-Langsam - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: I. Eingang-Ruhevoll - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: II. Noch zwingt mich Treue-Bewgt - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: III. Ja Heil und Dank-Sehr langsam - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: IV. So ich traurig bin-Sehr fliebend und zart - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: V. Ihr tratet zu dem Herde-Langsam - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: I. Heftig bewegt - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: II. Sehr langsam - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: III. Sehr bewget - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: IV. Sehr langsam - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: V. In zarter Bewegung - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: I. Etwas bewegte Achtel - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: II. Bewgt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: III. Zart bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: IV. Langsam - LSO/Pierre Boulez L
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: V. Sehr langsam - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: VI. Zart bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Vier Stucke fur Geige und Klavier Op.7: I. Sehr langsam - Isaac Stern/Charles Rosen
Vier Stucke fur Geige und Klavier Op.7: II. Rasch - Isaac Stern/Charles Rosen
Vier Stucke fur Geige und Klavier Op.7: III. Sehr langsam - Isaac Stern/Charles Rosen
Vier Stucke fur Geige und Klavier Op.7: IV. Bewegt - Isaac Stern/Charles Rosen
Zwei Lieder fur mittlere Stimme und acht Instrumente Op.8, nach gedichten von Rainer Maria Rikle:... - Heather Harper
Zwei Lieder fur mittlere Stimme und acht Instrumente Op.8, nach gedichten von Rainer Maria Rikle:... - Heather Harper
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: I. Mabig - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: II. Leicht bewegt - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: III. Zeimlich fliebend - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: IV. Sehr langsam - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: V. Auberst langsam - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: VI. Fliebend - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: I. Sehr ruhig und zart - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: II. Lebhaft und zart bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: III. Sehr langsam und auberst ruhig - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: IV. Fliebend, auberst zart - LSO/Pierre Boulez L
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: V. Sehr fliebend - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Drei kleine Stucke fur Violoncello und Klavier Op.11: I. Mabige Achtel - Gregor Piatigorsky/Charles Rosen
Drei kleine Stucke fur Violoncello und Klavier Op.11: II. Sehr bewegt - Gregor Piatigorsky/Charles Rosen
Drei kleine Stucke fur Violoncello und Klavier Op.11: III. Auberst ruhig - Gregor Piatigorsky/Charles Rosen
Vier Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.12: I. Der Tag ist vergangen (Volkslied)-Sehr ruhig - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Vier Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.12: II. Die geheimnisvolle Flote (Li Tai po/Bethge)-... - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Vier Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.12: III. Schein mir's als ich sah die (aus August ... - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Vier Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.12: IV. Ein Winterabend (Goethe0-Sehr flieBend - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen

Tracks:

Vier Lieder fur Sopran und Orch Op.13: I. Wiese im Park (karl Kraus)-Sehr ruhig - Heather Harper
Vier Lieder fur Sopran und Orch Op.13: II. Die Einsame (Wang Xen Yu/Bethge)-Bewegt - Heather Harper
Vier Lieder fur Sopran und Orch Op.13: III. In der Fremde (Li Tai Po/Bethge)-FlieBend - Heather Harper
Vier Lieder fur Sopran und Orch Op.13: IV. Ein Winterabend (Georg Trakl)-Sehr ruhig - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: I. Die... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: II. ... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: III. ... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: IV. ... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: V. Nachts... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: VI. Gesang.. - Heather Harper
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: I. Das Kreuz-Getragen - Halina Lukomska
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: II. Morgenlied (aus'Des Knaben... - Halina Lukomska
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: III. In Gottes Namen aufstehn-... - Halina Lukomska
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: IV. Mein Weg geht jetzt voruber-... - Halina Lukomska
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: V. Fahr hin , o Seel'-FlieBend - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: I. Christus... - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: II. Dormi... - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: III. Crux... - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: IV. Asperges... - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: V. Crucem... - Halina Lukomska
Drei Volkstexte fur Singstimme und drei Instrumente Op.17: I. Armer Sunder, du - Halina Lukomska
Drei Volkstexte fur Singstimme und drei Instrumente Op.17: II. Liebste Jungfrau, wir sind dein - Halina Lukomska
Drei Volkstexte fur Singstimme und drei Instrumente Op.17: III. Heiland, unsre Missetaten - Halina Lukomska
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme, Es-Klarinette und Gitarre Op.18: I. Schatzerl klein - Halina Lukomska/John Williams/Colin Bradley
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme, Es-Klarinette und Gitarre Op.18: II. Erlosung - Halina Lukomska/John Williams/Colin Bradley
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme, Es-Klarinette und Gitarre Op.18: III. Ave Regina - Halina Lukomska/John Williams/Colin Bradley
Zwei Lieder fur gemischten Chor und funf Instrumente Op.19, aus'Chinesisch-deutsche Jahres-... - John Alldis Choir/Pierre Boulez
Zwei Lieder fur gemischten Chor und funf Instrumente Op.19, aus'Chinesisch-deutsche Jahres-... - John Alldis Choir/Pierre Boulez
Streichtrio Op.20: I. Sehr langsam - Members of the Juilliard Str Qt
Streichtrio Op.20: II. Sehr getragen und ausdrucksvoll - Members of the Juilliard Str Qt
Sym Op.21: I. Ruhig schreitend - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sym Op.21: II. Variationen - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Qt fur Geige, Klarinette, Tenorsaxophon un Klavier Op.22: I. Sehr maBig - Charles Rosen/Daniel Majeske/Robert Marcellus/Abraham Weinstein
Qt fur Geige, Klarinette, Tenorsaxophon un Klavier Op.22: II. Sehr schwungvoll - Charles Rosen/Daniel Majeske/Robert Marcellus/Abraham Weinstein
Drei Gesange Op.23, aus 'Viae inviae' von Hildegard Jone: I. Das dunkle Herz-Getragen - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Drei Gesange Op.23, aus 'Viae inviae' von Hildegard Jone: II. Es sturzt aus hohen Frisch-Bewegt - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Drei Gesange Op.23, aus 'Viae inviae' von Hildegard Jone: III. Herr Jesus mein-Langsam - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Konzert fur neum Instrumente Op.24: I. Etwas lebhaft - Members of the LSO/Pierre Boulez
Konzert fur neum Instrumente Op.24: II. Sehr langsam - Members of the LSO/Pierre Boulez
Konzert fur neum Instrumente Op.24: III. Sehr rasch - Members of the LSO/Pierre Boulez
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.25, nach Gedichten von Hildegard Jone: I. Wie bin ich... - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.25, nach Gedichten von Hildegard Jone: II. Des Herzens... - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.25, nach Gedichten von Hildegard Jone: III. Sterne, Ihr... - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen

Tracks:

'Das Augenlicht' fur gemischten Chor und Orch Op.26, Worte von Hildegard Jone - John Alldis Chor/Pierre Boulez
Variationen fur Klavier Op.27: I. Sehr maBig - Charles Rosen
Variationen fur Klavier Op.27: II. Sehr schnell - Charles Rosen
Variationen fur Klavier Op.27: III. Ruhig flieBend - Charles Rosen
Streichquartett Op.28: I. MaBig - Juilliard Str Qt
Streichquartett Op.28: II. Gemachlich - Juilliard Str Qt
Streichquartett Op.28: III. Sehr flieBend - Juilliard Str Qt
Kantate Nr.1 Op.29, Worte von Hildegard Jone: I. Zundender Lichtblitz-Getragen - Halina Lukomska/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.1 Op.29, Worte von Hildegard Jone: II. Kleiner Flugel, Ahornsamen-Leicht bewegt - Halina Lukomska/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.1 Op.29, Worte von Hildegard Jone: III. Tonen die seligen Saiten -Ruhig - Halina Lukomska/John Alldis Chor
Variationen fur Orch Op.30 - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: I. BaB. Schweigt auch die Welt - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: II. BaB. Sehr tiefverhalten - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: III. Chor. Schopfen aus Brunnen des Himmels - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: IV. Sopran. Leichteste Burden der Baume - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: V. Chor. Freundselig ist das Wort - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: VI. Chor. Gelockert aus dem SchoBe - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: I. Heftig bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: II. Sehr langsam - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: III. Sehr bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: IV. Sehr langsam - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: V. In zarter Bewegung - LSO/Pierre Boulez
J.S. Bach/A. Webern: Fuga (Ricercata) Nr.2 aus dem 'Musikalischen Opfer' - LSO/Pierre Boulez
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): I. - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): II. (I.Da capo) - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): III. (I.Da capo) - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): IV. - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): V. (IV. Da capo) - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): VI. (IV. Da capo) - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern

Amazon.com essential recording

This collection presents all Webern's works with opus numbers in chronological order, allowing listeners to scrutinize the inner workings of this influential composer's intense, compressed style from the lush Passacaglia to the starkness of his late vocal works. A broadcast recording of Webern conducting a group of Schubert Dances makes a lively bonus. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Webern from the master Boulez and company........2006-09-12

Boulez has a DG recording, which I have several singles from that set. The DG is very good and recommended as a second set. This Sony recording is outstanding and the finest in my Webern collection. If you have this set , you still may want to look at the DG set. Why? Because this music is so wonderful, so that another experience is well worth the price of say $40. But if you have the DG set, you definetly want to keep that set and also get this Sony set.
Notice how few new Webern recordings are released. When conductors hear this set, I guess they feel its pointless to try to meet these standards. The artists here are all in excellent form and understanding of this extremely difficult but rewarding music.

Webern may grow on you and Boulez et al. are worth every penny........2005-09-18

If you are looking for an introduction to Webern, give this a try. It has the advatage of being comprehensive and well played. If you don't like all of Webern, so be it. If you buy this recording and give it a few listenings you will have heard enough to make an informed judgement.

I have found that Webern's music demands mutiple hearings before you can say you've really heard it. When you are in the mood for some 20th century pioneering work, turn to this recording and listen. Over time, you will be glad you did.

Interesting and Challenging.......2004-04-09

I don't know if I "like" Webern, but he is certainly interesting and challenging. The textures of his music are very fragile and transparent. The pieces are extraordinarily economical (the average Webern piece, I would guess, is about two minutes in duration, maybe less). The dissonances are extreme (strange to say, twelve-tone music can vary in how dissonant it sounds, as some twelve-tone composers (Berg, for example) use "easier" tone rows as the bases of their works). Webern was a musician of great integrity, and he pushed twelve-tone music to the radical extreme (as compared his more conservative teacher, Schoenberg, and fellow-pupil, Berg.) Again, I don't know if it works, and I don't know if I like it. I will definitely continue to listen to it. What I definitely like is this wonderful recording, with performances lovingly rendered. For this reason, I'm giving the recording five stars. However, if you want an "easier" introduction to twelve-tone and atonal music, get Berg's Violin Concerto, or even Schoenberg's piano concerto. With respect to the Schoenberg piano concerto, Mitsuko Uchida's disc is wonderful, and is highly recommended.

The original and still the best.......2003-11-25

Boulez's seminal original recordings of Webern are still important today. They capture the extraordinary distance this composer travelled from his tonal opus 1 passacaglia, though the atonal expressionism of the opus 5 and opus 6 pieces, the extreme compression of the opus 9 bagatelles, the contrapuntal abstraction of the mid-period songs to the serial masterpieces of his later years. These pieces still divide concert audiences today--I've been to Webern performances where half the audience was electrified and the other half clearly wanted to be elsewhere--but their historical significance cannot be denied. I believe their musical significance cannot either: close on a dozen of these works are amongst the finest pieces the 20th century has to offer. This set of performances, dating from the late 1960s and early 1970s and largely recorded under the direction by Pierre Boulez, has long since been regarded as being as close to definitive as one can get. I wouldn't go so far--there are occasional less impressive performances (such as the saxophone quartet) amongst the very fine ones. However, as complete sets go, I find the performances here largely superior to Boulez's more recent traversal on DG.

Technically, this set is not a Complete Works. It only includes those works that Webern published with an opus number, with the addition of the composer's wonderful orchestral transcription of the Ricercare a 6 from Bach's Musical Offering, and an old recording of Webern conducting his orchestrations of Schubert's German Dances. There are more works included on Boulez's rival set on DG--at twice the price--but most of what you gain are juvenilia.

And, for those who remain unconvinced that they'd like Webern, check out http://www.antonwebern.com -- a website that has free streaming mp3s of several of the recordings on this set. Listen to a few of them a few times (though skip the opus 16-18 songs, some of his driest works), and then decide.

Boulez's Webern -- brilliant modern miniatures.......2001-11-27

All 31 works that Webern gave official Opus numbers on 3 discs, conducted by Boulez (not Kolbe!), with the Juilliard Quartet and the London Symphony Orchestra, and a superb booklet with commentary and lyrics -- so why only 4 stars? My objection is the strictly chronological presentation, and the fact that I am not won over by Webern's vocal works -- I would vastly prefer grouping the music by form. Everything is brilliantly performed, and Charles Rosen, who accompanies sopranos on piano on several pieces, plays with sparkling luminosity. But the reason I sought out this collection is because I wanted to hear Boulez's versions of Webern's masterpieces, the "Symphony (Op. 21)" and "Variations for Orchestra (Op. 30)," as well as the string trios and quartets. Here these instrumental works are mixed among the lieders, Webern's many vocal works, and I find this frustrating. I prefer hearing the instrumental pieces grouped together, as on the Dohnanyi or Sinopoli discs of orchestral works (see my reviews of both), or the Schoenberg or Emerson Quartet's discs of the string trios and quartets (see my reviews of both). Unfortunately there is not a Boulez disc comparable to the Dohnanyi (on London) or Sinopoli (on Teldec). So it's either this Sony box or the several more recently recorded discs on DG, unless of course you are a total Webern fanatic and want the Ultra-Complete box with all the numbered AND un-numbered pieces...

It's really hard to fault this excellent Webern collection. Obviously if you have a more catholic appreciation of Webern's music than I (including the vocal works), my criticism is irrelevant. If you are a completist on a budget, this is a clear choice over the more expensive box. But if you are looking for an introduction to Webern's music, the best of which is some of the best of the 20th century in my opinion, I suggest that you begin with 1) Dohnanyi and the Cleveland Orchestra, and 2) the Schoenberg Quartet.

[There is a mistake on the site. Pierre Boulez is the conductor, not Helmuth Kolbe. Careful inspection of the box reveals that Kolbe was the engineer...]

Average customer rating:

Anton Webern: Complete Works, Opp. 1-31

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | 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

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000263PF
Release Date: 1991-03-04

Tracks:

Passacaglia fur grobes Orch Op.1 - LSO/Pierre Boulez
'Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen' Op.2 (Text: Stefan George) - John Alldis Chor/Pierre Boulez
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: I. Dies ist ein Lied fur dich allein... - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: II. Im Windesweben-Sehr fliebend - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: III. Am Bachesranft-Ziemlich rasch - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: IV. Im Morgentaun-Fliebend - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.3, aus 'Der siebente Ring' von Stefan George: V. Kahl reckt der Baum-Langsam - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: I. Eingang-Ruhevoll - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: II. Noch zwingt mich Treue-Bewgt - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: III. Ja Heil und Dank-Sehr langsam - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: IV. So ich traurig bin-Sehr fliebend und zart - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Lieder Op.4, nach Gedichten von Stefan George: V. Ihr tratet zu dem Herde-Langsam - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: I. Heftig bewegt - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: II. Sehr langsam - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: III. Sehr bewget - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: IV. Sehr langsam - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Satze fur Streichquartett Op.5: V. In zarter Bewegung - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: I. Etwas bewegte Achtel - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: II. Bewgt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: III. Zart bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: IV. Langsam - LSO/Pierre Boulez L
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: V. Sehr langsam - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sechs Stucke fur grobes Orch Op.6: VI. Zart bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Vier Stucke fur Geige und Klavier Op.7: I. Sehr langsam - Isaac Stern/Charles Rosen
Vier Stucke fur Geige und Klavier Op.7: II. Rasch - Isaac Stern/Charles Rosen
Vier Stucke fur Geige und Klavier Op.7: III. Sehr langsam - Isaac Stern/Charles Rosen
Vier Stucke fur Geige und Klavier Op.7: IV. Bewegt - Isaac Stern/Charles Rosen
Zwei Lieder fur mittlere Stimme und acht Instrumente Op.8, nach gedichten von Rainer Maria Rikle:... - Heather Harper
Zwei Lieder fur mittlere Stimme und acht Instrumente Op.8, nach gedichten von Rainer Maria Rikle:... - Heather Harper
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: I. Mabig - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: II. Leicht bewegt - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: III. Zeimlich fliebend - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: IV. Sehr langsam - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: V. Auberst langsam - Juilliard Str Qt
Sechs Bagatellen fur Streichquartett Op.9: VI. Fliebend - Juilliard Str Qt
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: I. Sehr ruhig und zart - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: II. Lebhaft und zart bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: III. Sehr langsam und auberst ruhig - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: IV. Fliebend, auberst zart - LSO/Pierre Boulez L
Funf Stucke fur Orchester Op.10: V. Sehr fliebend - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Drei kleine Stucke fur Violoncello und Klavier Op.11: I. Mabige Achtel - Gregor Piatigorsky/Charles Rosen
Drei kleine Stucke fur Violoncello und Klavier Op.11: II. Sehr bewegt - Gregor Piatigorsky/Charles Rosen
Drei kleine Stucke fur Violoncello und Klavier Op.11: III. Auberst ruhig - Gregor Piatigorsky/Charles Rosen
Vier Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.12: I. Der Tag ist vergangen (Volkslied)-Sehr ruhig - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Vier Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.12: II. Die geheimnisvolle Flote (Li Tai po/Bethge)-... - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Vier Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.12: III. Schein mir's als ich sah die (aus August ... - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen
Vier Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.12: IV. Ein Winterabend (Goethe0-Sehr flieBend - Heather Harper/Charles Rosen

Tracks:

Vier Lieder fur Sopran und Orch Op.13: I. Wiese im Park (karl Kraus)-Sehr ruhig - Heather Harper
Vier Lieder fur Sopran und Orch Op.13: II. Die Einsame (Wang Xen Yu/Bethge)-Bewegt - Heather Harper
Vier Lieder fur Sopran und Orch Op.13: III. In der Fremde (Li Tai Po/Bethge)-FlieBend - Heather Harper
Vier Lieder fur Sopran und Orch Op.13: IV. Ein Winterabend (Georg Trakl)-Sehr ruhig - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: I. Die... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: II. ... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: III. ... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: IV. ... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: V. Nachts... - Heather Harper
Sechs Lieder fur Singstimme und vier Instrumente Op.14, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl: VI. Gesang.. - Heather Harper
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: I. Das Kreuz-Getragen - Halina Lukomska
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: II. Morgenlied (aus'Des Knaben... - Halina Lukomska
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: III. In Gottes Namen aufstehn-... - Halina Lukomska
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: IV. Mein Weg geht jetzt voruber-... - Halina Lukomska
Funf geistliche lieder fur Sopran und funf Instrumente Op.15: V. Fahr hin , o Seel'-FlieBend - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: I. Christus... - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: II. Dormi... - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: III. Crux... - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: IV. Asperges... - Halina Lukomska
Funf Kanons nach lateinischen Texten fur Sopran, Klarineete und BaBklarinette Op.16: V. Crucem... - Halina Lukomska
Drei Volkstexte fur Singstimme und drei Instrumente Op.17: I. Armer Sunder, du - Halina Lukomska
Drei Volkstexte fur Singstimme und drei Instrumente Op.17: II. Liebste Jungfrau, wir sind dein - Halina Lukomska
Drei Volkstexte fur Singstimme und drei Instrumente Op.17: III. Heiland, unsre Missetaten - Halina Lukomska
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme, Es-Klarinette und Gitarre Op.18: I. Schatzerl klein - Halina Lukomska/John Williams/Colin Bradley
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme, Es-Klarinette und Gitarre Op.18: II. Erlosung - Halina Lukomska/John Williams/Colin Bradley
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme, Es-Klarinette und Gitarre Op.18: III. Ave Regina - Halina Lukomska/John Williams/Colin Bradley
Zwei Lieder fur gemischten Chor und funf Instrumente Op.19, aus'Chinesisch-deutsche Jahres-... - John Alldis Choir/Pierre Boulez
Zwei Lieder fur gemischten Chor und funf Instrumente Op.19, aus'Chinesisch-deutsche Jahres-... - John Alldis Choir/Pierre Boulez
Streichtrio Op.20: I. Sehr langsam - Members of the Juilliard Str Qt
Streichtrio Op.20: II. Sehr getragen und ausdrucksvoll - Members of the Juilliard Str Qt
Sym Op.21: I. Ruhig schreitend - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Sym Op.21: II. Variationen - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Qt fur Geige, Klarinette, Tenorsaxophon un Klavier Op.22: I. Sehr maBig - Charles Rosen/Daniel Majeske/Robert Marcellus/Abraham Weinstein
Qt fur Geige, Klarinette, Tenorsaxophon un Klavier Op.22: II. Sehr schwungvoll - Charles Rosen/Daniel Majeske/Robert Marcellus/Abraham Weinstein
Drei Gesange Op.23, aus 'Viae inviae' von Hildegard Jone: I. Das dunkle Herz-Getragen - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Drei Gesange Op.23, aus 'Viae inviae' von Hildegard Jone: II. Es sturzt aus hohen Frisch-Bewegt - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Drei Gesange Op.23, aus 'Viae inviae' von Hildegard Jone: III. Herr Jesus mein-Langsam - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Konzert fur neum Instrumente Op.24: I. Etwas lebhaft - Members of the LSO/Pierre Boulez
Konzert fur neum Instrumente Op.24: II. Sehr langsam - Members of the LSO/Pierre Boulez
Konzert fur neum Instrumente Op.24: III. Sehr rasch - Members of the LSO/Pierre Boulez
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.25, nach Gedichten von Hildegard Jone: I. Wie bin ich... - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.25, nach Gedichten von Hildegard Jone: II. Des Herzens... - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen
Drei Lieder fur Singstimme und Klavier Op.25, nach Gedichten von Hildegard Jone: III. Sterne, Ihr... - Halina Lukomska/Charles Rosen

Tracks:

'Das Augenlicht' fur gemischten Chor und Orch Op.26, Worte von Hildegard Jone - John Alldis Chor/Pierre Boulez
Variationen fur Klavier Op.27: I. Sehr maBig - Charles Rosen
Variationen fur Klavier Op.27: II. Sehr schnell - Charles Rosen
Variationen fur Klavier Op.27: III. Ruhig flieBend - Charles Rosen
Streichquartett Op.28: I. MaBig - Juilliard Str Qt
Streichquartett Op.28: II. Gemachlich - Juilliard Str Qt
Streichquartett Op.28: III. Sehr flieBend - Juilliard Str Qt
Kantate Nr.1 Op.29, Worte von Hildegard Jone: I. Zundender Lichtblitz-Getragen - Halina Lukomska/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.1 Op.29, Worte von Hildegard Jone: II. Kleiner Flugel, Ahornsamen-Leicht bewegt - Halina Lukomska/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.1 Op.29, Worte von Hildegard Jone: III. Tonen die seligen Saiten -Ruhig - Halina Lukomska/John Alldis Chor
Variationen fur Orch Op.30 - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: I. BaB. Schweigt auch die Welt - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: II. BaB. Sehr tiefverhalten - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: III. Chor. Schopfen aus Brunnen des Himmels - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: IV. Sopran. Leichteste Burden der Baume - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: V. Chor. Freundselig ist das Wort - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Kantate Nr.2 Op.31: VI. Chor. Gelockert aus dem SchoBe - Halina Lukomska/Barry McDaniel/John Alldis Chor
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: I. Heftig bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: II. Sehr langsam - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: III. Sehr bewegt - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: IV. Sehr langsam - LSO/Pierre Boulez
Funf Satze fur Streinchquartett Op.5: V. In zarter Bewegung - LSO/Pierre Boulez
J.S. Bach/A. Webern: Fuga (Ricercata) Nr.2 aus dem 'Musikalischen Opfer' - LSO/Pierre Boulez
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): I. - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): II. (I.Da capo) - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): III. (I.Da capo) - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): IV. - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): V. (IV. Da capo) - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern
F. Schubert: 'Deutsche Tanze' (German Dances/Danses allemandes/Danze tedesche): VI. (IV. Da capo) - Frankfurter Funkorchester/Anton Webern

Average customer rating:

Boulez's Ravel/New York, Finest Ravel
Fabulous set!

Ravel: The Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | 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
Similar Items:

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 20, 23, 24, 26 & 27
Debussy: Orchestral Works
Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Petrouchka/ Le Sacre du Printemps
Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / Il Giardino armonico
Mozart: Requiem / Davis (Penguin Music Classics Series)

ASIN: B000002705
Release Date: 1991-01-14

Tracks:

Menuet Antique - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Introduction - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Danse Religieuse - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Danse Des Jeunes Filles - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Danse Grotesque De Dorcon - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Danse Legere Et Gracieuse De Daphnis - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Lyceion Entre Et Danse - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Nocturne - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Interlude - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Danse Guerrire - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis et Chloe: Danse suppliante de Chloe - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Lever Du Jour - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Pantomime - Abraham Kaplan
La Valse: Daphnis Et Chloe: Danse Generale - Abraham Kaplan

Tracks:

Sheherazade: Ouverture De Feerie
Rapsodie Espagnole: Prelude A La Nuit - Cleveland Orchestra
Rapsodie Espagnole: Malaguena - Cleveland Orchestra
Rapsodie Espagnole: Habanera - Cleveland Orchestra
Rapsodie Espagnole: Feria - Cleveland Orchestra
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: Modere
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: Assez Lent
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: Modere
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: Assez Anime
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: Presque Lent
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: Assez vif
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: Moins vif
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: Epilogue (Lent)
Ma Mere L'Oye: Prelude
Ma Mere L'Oye: Danse Du Rouet Et Scene
Ma Mere L'Oye: Pavane De La Belle Au Bois Dormant
Ma Mere L'Oye: Les Entretiens De La Belle Et De La Bete
Ma Mere L'Oye: Petit Poucet
Ma Mere L'Oye: Laideronette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes
Ma Mere L'Oye: Le Jardin Feerique

Tracks:

Fanfare Pour 'L'Eventail De Jeanne'
Alborada del gacioso - Cleveland Orchestra
Le Tombeau De Couperin: Prelude
Le Tombeau De Couperin: Forlane - New York Philarmonic
Le Tombeau De Couperin: Menuet - New York Philarmonic
Le Tombeau De Couperin: Rigaudon - New York Philarmonic
Concerto for the Left Hand: Lento - Adante - New York Philarmonic
Concerto for the Left Hand: Allegro - New York Philarmonic
Concerto for the Left Hand: Tempo 1 - New York Philarmonic
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte - New York Philarmonic
Une barque Sur L'ocean - New York Philarmonic
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Customer Reviews:

Boulez's Ravel/New York, Finest Ravel.......2006-03-27

Compared to the following:
Charles Munch/Daphnis Part 1, only selections + complete part 2/Orch De La Societe des Concerts Paris/1946

Ingelbrecht/French national Complete Daphnis/1953 + Ma Mer L Oye/1955. abit rough and not recommended.

Skrowaczewski/Minnesota/1970's complete Daphnis et Chloe: NOTE after receiving the new Digital Skrow of Daphnis, I much prefer the Boulez.
I need to update my comments on the Skrow recording....

Martinon/Paris/EMI

And the famous Munch/Boston on RCA from 1957 i believe.
For some reason I find that recording to be over rated.
Yeah I realize there must be at least 20+ comments on the Munch stating it is "the very finest"
As usual, I'm in disagreement.
EDIT:
yeah I just see all the comments on the Munch. My recent research confirmed my initial impressions of the recording.
IMHO its not acceptable.
Honest;y I didn't like the Munch.
Yeah you read me correctly, I didn't accept it.
"how can they be wrong and you , alone, be reight?"
Well go hear them both for yourself and you decide.
You can get the Munch for $5 used, so you have little to lose.
Notice not one poster on the Munch mentions the Boulez, nor any others as a matter of fact.
They just ramble on out of their imaginations. I'd bet none of them have even heard the Boulez , the Skrowaczewski, the Martinon. All 3 superior to Munch.

I'm not interested in a mechanical 2 dimensional performance.
The genius of the conductor and orch/soloists must be of depth and profound undersatnding of the score itself. That quality is not present in the Munch. Sloppy, better un-attentative would be my opinion of Munch.

Had to bring in those recordings, the top contenders in Daphnis, in order to establish a sense of reference to this Boulez/New York/1972-75.

Unlike those posters on the Munch/Boston who make no reference to any recording whatsoever.
They only say what they "believe to be THE truth" w/o doing the research necessary to make that statement hold to the truth.

I could go into a long story as to why I held off purchasing this set for such a long time, but now that I have it I realized the true worth of this recording.

Here we witness Boulez making a very careful study of the score and you will hear this in the orch's detailing of ceratin passages, soloists are heard distinctly on ALL their parts. No smuges nor murkiness.

Absoluety no rushing of things here, yet incredibly the music does not drag nor lose its sense of cohesiveness , its sense of organic unity. The dyanimics are kept alive in spite of each note being laid out with clarity and exactness.

Its analytical in approach method does not violate the spirit of the music .
Thus the music soares in its etheral sense, which is what Daphne et Chole is all about, music from another realm, the spirit of the score moves forward with breath of life.
Its these 2 contrasting qualities the earthy deetails/heavenly mystery ,that bring me to believe this Boulez/NY is the finest Daphnis et Chloe on record.

All the other works are matched in this careful attention to deatil. Nothing quite like this Ravel from anyone else.

Pierre if you happen upon my posting, I really wish to extend my deepest appreaciation for what you did on this recording.
You have revealed the genius about which many have yet to discover in Ravel.
One day this recording will become the definitive Daphnis et Chloe.

Fabulous set!.......2005-10-12

In the Apollonian personality of Boulez Ravel is revealed from another perspective. His Ravel is far to be a pleasant and delicate composer to reveal the bitterness beneath the score. I like this approach because not only gives some interesting clues about the relevance of certain dismissed works such as La Valse, for instance.

In Scherezade Boulez makes a mythical journey that recalls us so much the similar vision concerned with Daphne and Cloé, where the unconscious side of the story seems to reflect menacing shadows and twilight echoes of missed visions in a supra rational world His Valses Nobles and Sentimentales confirm the evidence; are played with emotion but without sentiment.

Rapsodie espagnole is one of the best registers triumphs, brilliant and concise. Pavana is egregious. Le tombeau de Couperin was played with magisterial phrasing . The Concert for the left hand finds Entremont in one of his best days. In what Daphne and Cloe concerns there is a name: Charles Munch and the unbeatable version of the Fifties with the Boston Symphony. Captivating and engaging approach.

Go for this record because when a composer-director with the admirable musical maturity of Boulez, something new happens, because the baton becomes scalpel.

Average customer rating:

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO A MAJOR 20TH CENTURY COMPOSER

Messiaen Edition

Manufacturer: Warner Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Messiaen
Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies - Mariss Jansons (10 CD)
Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present

ASIN: B000A2ACWO
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Customer Reviews:

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO A MAJOR 20TH CENTURY COMPOSER.......2006-08-03

This is a quite wonderful and pretty comprehensive survey of Messiaen's music. And, at just over $7 a disc it represents seriously good value. Pretty much all the major works are here, barring some of the later pieces - e.g. the opera, St. Francois, the last great organ cycle, the Livre du Saint Sacrament, and the late orchestral pieces like the Quadruple Concerto and the Eclairs sur l'au dela. For the rest, all the performances are at least very good and, in many cases, definitive.

The orchestral pieces are perhaps the main place where one can do better elsewhere. Nagano's Turangalila is certainly good as far as it goes, but it lacks the raw energy of Previn or the lushness of the sleepy Love Garden that Rattle draws from his players. (I've often wished that the conductor of the premiere, Bernstein, had recorded it - it's his kind of piece!) Boulez's Et Expecto is very good indeed, but his later DGG version has better sound. For the orchestral version of L'Ascension, seek out one of Stokowski's amazing recordings. Des canyons and Reveil des Oiseaux, however, are about as good as you'll find. The 3 Little Liturgies still await a recording worthy of this wonderful piece for women's choir and Ondes Martenot dominated orchestra. The one in this set, the earliest recording here (1964), will have to do meanwhile.

The recording of the Quartet for the End of Time dates from around the same time, but is a classic - Guy Deplus' clarinet playing still never ceases to amaze me with its fluid liquid quality and stunning breath control.

But it is really with the recordings by Messiaen's second wife, Yvonne Loriod, that we come into the realms of the unbeatable. Pretty much all his piano repertoire is here from the early Preludes to the late Esquisses d'Oiseaux. There are definitive performances of the 20 Regards (her later recording from the 70's) and, especially, of the vast-ranging Catalogue d'Oiseaux, including its pendant Fauvette des Jardins. Her contribution to the concertante pieces - the Reveil d'Oiseaux, the Couleurs de la Cite Celeste and the 7 Haikai - ensures not only their authenticity but also their magical range of colour and tone, not to mention her apparently easy virtuosity. She is also the perfect accompanist in the three Song Cycles.

And, to cap it all, there is Messiaen himself on the Cavalle-Coll organ at the Trinite Church in Paris, which he played regularly for over 60 years and for which his organ music was conceived. Here he plays the big cycle of Meditations sur le Mystere de la Saint Trinite from the late 60's and plays it better than anyone else has since.

If you have any taste for the rich colours, infinite rhythmic subtleties and vivid portrayals of nature in Messiaen's unique music (and even if you don't share his religious convictions), this is a treasure-trove indeed. I recommend you snap it up soon because it looks to me like one of those sets that won't stay in the catalogue for too long.

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Great value, fine performances

Ravel: Great Orchestral Works [Germany]
Pierre Boulez
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00008PW44
Release Date: 2003-05-12

Tracks:

Menuet Antique
La Valse
Daphnis & Chloe
Sheherazade
Rhapsody Espangnole
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales
Ma Mere L'oye
Fanfare For " L'eventail De Jeanne"
Alborada Del Grazioso
Le Tombeau De Couperin
Concerto Pour La Main Gauche
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
Une Barque Sur L'ocean
Bolero
Three Poems By Stephane Mallarme
Chansons Madecasses
Don Quichotte To Dulcinee
Five Greek Folktunes

Album Details

4CD Box set. Columbia Legends Series.

Customer Reviews:

Great value, fine performances.......2005-07-17

This 4 disc French Import from the "Columbia Legends" series collects Boulez's complete Ravel cycle for Sony and has all of Ravel's greatest orchestral masterworks under one roof at an unbeatable price. Boulez as a conductor has sometimes been criticized as being too 'cool'. I personally love his conducting-style and the great clarity, precision and detail he can get out of the orchestras (Cleveland, New York Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and Ensemble InterContemporain for this set), and it's amazing actually. It shows his great insight and understanding of the pieces. These performances have a lot of warmth and are just beautiful, with a nice clear remastered sound. Here is what you get in the box...

Disc : 1
Menuet Antique
La Valse
Daphnis & Chloé

Disc : 2
Shéhérazade
Rapsodie Espagnole
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales
Ma Mère L'oye

Disc : 3
Fanfare Pour "l'eventail De Jeanne"
Alborada Del Grazioso
Le Tombeau De Couperin
Concerto Pour La Main Gauche (Philippe Entremont - Piano)
Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte
Une Barque Sur L'océan
Boléro

Disc : 4
Trois Poèmes De Stéphane Mallarmé (Jill Gomez - Soprano)
Chansons Madécasses (Jessye Norman - Soprano)
Don Quichotte à Dulcinée (José Van Dam - Baryton)
5 Greek Folktunes (José Van Dam - Baryton)

Average customer rating:

the Maxfield Parrish of classical music!
enchanting, surreal

Debussy: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | 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
Similar Items:

Ravel: The Orchestral Works
Haydn: The Last 3 String Quartets
Debussy: Images / Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune / Printemps - The Cleveland Orchestra / Pierre Boulez
Varese: Arcana; Ameriques; Ionization; Offrandes; Density 21.5; Octandre; Integrales
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35, 40, 41

ASIN: B000002C00
Release Date: 1995-12-05

Tracks:

La Mer: I. De l'aube a midi sur la mer - Pierre Boulez
La Mer: II. Jeux de vagues - Pierre Boulez
La Mer: III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer - Pierre Boulez
Nocturnes: I. Nuages - Pierre Boulez
Nocturnes: II. Fetes - Pierre Boulez
Nocturnes: III. Sirenes - Pierre Boulez
Printemps: I. Tres modere - Pierre Boulez
Printemps: II. Modere - Pierre Boulez
Rhapsody No. 1 For Clarinet And Orchestra - Pierre Boulez

Tracks:

Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune - Claude Debussy
Jeux - Claude Debussy
Images pour orchestre: I. Gigues - Claude Debussy
Images pour orchestre: II. Iberia. Par les rues et par les chemin - Claude Debussy
Images pour orchestre: Les Parfums de la Nuit - - Claude Debussy
Images pour orchestre: Le Matin d'un jour de fete - Claude Debussy
Images pour orchestre: III. Rondes de printemps - Claude Debussy
Danses: I. Danse sacree - Claude Debussy
Danses: II. Danse profane - Claude Debussy

Customer Reviews:

the Maxfield Parrish of classical music!.......2001-08-12

Claude Debussy did not approve of his reputation as the impressionist of music. I'm sure he would approve even less, then, of being associated with the popular illustrator Maxfield Parrish, but the third movement of "Nocturnes," called "Sirenes," with wordless female vocals, puts me in a sun-dappled Parrish print with nymphs, framed by Greek pillars!

This is a great bargain -- ALL of Debussy's major orchestral works at mid-price. Boulez is fantastic, with the New Philharmonia Orchestra in 1966 and 1968, and the Cleveland Orchestra in 1967. The first disc opens with the majestic "La Mer." Paul Griffiths, author of the outstanding MODERN MUSIC AND AFTER (see my review) has referred to the "anger, yearning, and sense of threat" conveyed by this performance. The second disc opens with Debussy's best known work, "Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune," another entry into a world of fantastic, soothing images. And the "Danses" with Alice Chalifoux on harp, which close the set, are ethereal and marvelous.

This is a great introduction to Debussy. Boulez recently recorded most (not all) of these works again for DG. Griffiths says of the more recent "La Mer" that it is "better played, and much better recorded, but without the zing." Some prefer Dutoit with Montreal, and some like Bernstein. But if you're looking for one disc with superb recordings of Debussy's major works for orchestra, look no further.

enchanting, surreal.......2000-06-26

I'm a rock and roll fan and never cared much for classical stuff. I happened upon this on public broadcasting radio and was hooked. Great music!

Average customer rating:

The Debussy Collection

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | 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
ASIN: B000FQJP8C
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Tracks:

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Reflets dans l'eau from Images, Set I
Petite Suite; I. En Bateau
Petite Suite; II. Cort
Petite Suite; III. Menuet
Petite Suite; IV. Ballet
Claire de lune from Suite bergamasque
L'Isle joyeuse (1903-4)
Fs from Trois Nocturnes
La cathale engloutie from Preludes, Book I
La Mer; De l'aube idi sur la mer
La Mer; Jeux de vagues
La Mer; Dialogue du vent et de la mer

Boulez: Orchestral Works & Chamber Music

Average customer rating:

documentary value
Not just a curiosity...

Boulez: Orchestral Works & Chamber Music
Pierre Boulez , Swf So , Rosbaud , Loriod , and Ens Domaine
Manufacturer: Col Legno
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004WK67
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Customer Reviews:

documentary value.......2006-06-17

Book Two of "structures" is the reason to get this, Loriod and Pierre are remarkable together(They had toured with this repertoire for two pianos)and Loriod simply plays the hell out of this music, understands the young Pierre as no other and in some respects are good together although you can hear the date of the recording, the timbre is not as brilliant as if you had experienced this live. Book 2 is more a one-dimensional work,although loosely conceived compared to the deterministic strict serial Book One. Book Two has more texture to survey,not so concerned with how the pitches move and become transformed at every moment; lots of high filigree passages,continusouly running;i.e. thousand note cascades as the piano solo repertoire was to exploit as Finnissy, Sciarrino, Ferneyhoug, the complexity; the two pianos sound muffled, not too resonant. Book One was more straighforward, more transparent moments, more 12 tone faithful, Book 2 is overdetermined, lots of details in the scoring,to free up the interpretation with elliptical passages, indeterminate,something Boulez had learned from the Mallarme works and the Third Sonata. Pierre certainly had a deep affinity for the piano, anything he wrote was "touched" inspired with a resonant power combined simultaneously with a deep poetry,or suggestive of something else even the "surreal" crops up to the surface at times.Although it is difficult to argue along those lines in this highly abstract piece. But Book 2 has unrelenting moments,impenetrable really and you sense the post-electronic thinking of flipping a switch to turn on some autonomous dimension, there is hardly moments where for example the music "breathes" with slowing, diminutions of tempi, of durational lengths and you really cannot sort out the divisions where one pianist stops and the other continues. Loriod plays fairly impassioned, with a strong trumpet like tone,resonant whereas Boulez pulls back from the sound.

The other works, all of them simply have a documentary value. The:Polyphonic X: Boulez largely abandoned and recalled this work not satisfied with the results, and the instrumental writing is nowhere as interesting as the earlier "Livre for String Quartet" (later done for string orchestra)and the young Pierre simply did not have the same affinity or experience for writing for instruments as he later in life learned from conducting. A text tends to help his sensibility, his creativity to open the imagination; then things can happen as the Mallarme work and those settings after Rene Char. Boulez openly admits this in conversations which is why he succeeds much of the time, for he knows full well when he doesn't, something young and old composers can learn(or refuse to learn). As the "Poesie pour pouvoir" the electronics is largely uninteresting,it is mixed with the orchestra like a "milk-shake"; perhaps it was the cutting edge when prepared, but if you heard Stockhausen from the same period, or some years later it has far more sophistication,concept, depth and brilliance than this.The merger of both timbres(orchestra and electronics) simply doesn't work on a recording.But this is a genre Boulez certainly did not give up as his latter "repons" so powerfully does.
You need to experience this music, this CD live. The dedication to Furstenburg was I suspect commissioned, and again has documentary value with the Domaine Musicale the group that made history playing the entire repertoire of the Fifties avant-garde. The work has a nice transparent premise/ concept to it, all is clear

Not just a curiosity..........2000-09-13

The items on this disc are all recorded from their world premieres during the 50s and early 60s. Most have only rarely been heard since. "Polyphonie X" and "Poésie pour pouvoir," in fact, were quickly withdrawn from Boulez' catalog. As such, this disc should be of immediate import to die-hard Boulez fans simply for its historical value.

But there is more to this recording than just that. There is, after all, music to be heard (lest we forget). "Polyphonie X" (1950-51) is the earliest of the works presented here. It represents Boulez' so-called "total serialism" at its most extreme, yet, in its quieter moments--if only there were more--it presages the lucidity of his subsequent music. The performance is clearly inadequate, and the recorded sound boxed-in, but what virtues the piece does have are able--if only just barely--to shine through. An important note: col legno has segmented "Polyphonie X" into three separate tracks, and the editors have unfortunately cut from the original tape--highly inappropriate for a live performance--to do so.

"Poésie pour pouvoir" (1958) was Boulez' earliest foray into working electronics into a concert setting. The tape part is interwoven with the orchestra. At first, they alternate; later on, they overlap (or, at least, try to). Despite the vintage 50s material on the tape, it comes off as more reserved in its resrvoir of sound than similar works by some of Boulez' contemporaries. What really impresses me, however, is the utterly *gorgeous* orchestral writing, akin to that in "Pli selon pli" but livelier and freer in form. If only the recorded sound weren't so limited in its ability to pick up on the detail. A revision for Ircam technology would be very much appreciated; this music simply cannot afford to waste away in this (so far) one and only performance.

"Tombeau" (1959) should already be familiar to Boulez fans. To them I point out that this is the original version, which consists roughly of the first four minutes and last three minutes of the version in "Pli selon pli." To the newbie--who, nevertheless, probably shouldn't be starting out with this recording--I point out that "Tombeau" is a slowly-building crescendo, one of the most beautiful works (IMO) in the entire orchestral repertory (which I hope it will soon join). The performance and recorded sound are much better than those for the prior works.

"Structures II" (1956-61) is perhaps the most-often heard of the works on this disc. The pianists--here Yvonne Loriod and Boulez himself--provide a vituosic display of impressionistic colors running up and down the two keyboards. In a unique twist, the aleatoric second chapter is presented in two alternate treatments.

Tracks:

I. De l'aube idi sur la mer. Trlent
II. Jeux de vagues. Allegro
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer. Animet tumultueux
Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un faune
Jeux - Poeme danse
Nocturnes: I. Nuages. Modere - Un peu anime
Nocturnes: II. Fetes. Anime et tres rythme
Nocturnes: III. Sirenes. Moderement anime

Tracks:

Clair de lune (From Suite bergamasque)
Images pour orchestre: I. Gigues
Images pour orchestre: II. Iberia: Par les rues et par les chemins
Images pour orchestre: II. Iberia: Les parfums de la nuit
Images pour orchestre: II. Iberia: Le Matin d'un jour de fete
Images pour orchestre: III. Rondes de printemps
La damoiselle elue
Petite Suite: I. En bateau
Petite Suite: II. Cortege
Petite Suite: III. Menuet
Petite Suite: IV. Ballet

Customer Reviews:

A ravishing vocal piece.......2001-04-22

This fine collection of Debussy's orchestral music contains a ravishing performance of La Damoiselle Elue by Frederica von Stade and the Boston Symphony. No other composer has combined the erotic and the spiritual as Debussy did. This is indeed the music of heaven, the heaven that we yearn for and can sommetimes glimpse in our dreams. Even Pelleas et Melisandewould have been better if it had more of the ardor and aching beauty of this piece.

A good collection, with the greatest "Images" of all time........1999-10-01

This collection is a fine overview of Debussy's greatest orchestral works in mostly excellent performances. Tilson Thomas' Nocturnes and Afternoon of a Faun are excellent, but his Jeux is dull as can be. With his La Mer, Szell proved that he could be a persuasive conductor of French music. Though it may not be as "atmospheric" as other versions, you hear things in it that you won't hear anywhere else. The biggest letdown is the cheesy, schmaltzy arrangement of Clair de Lune, a PIANO PIECE, here done to nauseatingly sentimental effect by Ormandy and the Philadelphia String Orchestra. (Did they even have a wind or brass section?) But if there is any reason to get this collection, it is for Pierre Boulez' 1967 Images with the Cleveland Orchestra, an absolutely stunning interpretation and performance. If there is any recording that disproves Boulez' reputation as 'cold and cerebral' (whatever that means), it is this--an electric, moving, stirring performance of a still underrated Debussy work. The Spanish rhythms are inflected naturally and beautifully, the Cleveland Orchestra plays just like what they were in the 60's--the greatest orchestra in the world--and the overall effect is magical. One of the great Debussy recordings of the century. (And it outshines by a comfortable margin Boulez' recent remake with the same orchestra) Don't miss it.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Someplace Closer to Here

Vivaldi's Four Seasons (with Tropical Rain Forest); Guitar Favorites (with Evening Serenade)

Unscheduled Flight

Solos [Hybrid SACD]

Tearstained [Import]

You Are Not Alone [Import]

World's Greatest Entertainer [Import]

~Van Dam: Rückert Lieder

Worried Man Blues: Golden Classics, Pt. 1

Wheelin' & Dealin'

What's the Story Morning Glory? [Import]

Ti Amo 1999: Love, Latino Style [Import]

Y Tu: Canta Pistas

Whirlpool

Norte E Sul (North And South)