The Italian Collection, Volume 1

Track Listings

1. Viotti Piano Concerto in G Minor - Allegro maestoso

2. Viotti Piano Concerto in G Minor - Adagio non troppo

3. Viotti Piano Concerto in G Minor - Rondo

4. Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major - Allegro assai

5. Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major - Largo

6. Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major - Allegro assai

7. Platti Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor - Andantino molto mosso

8. Platti Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor - Adagio

9. Platti Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor - Allegro

Editorial Reviews
Yorkshire Post, December 2004
Felcja Blumental's big and bold performances placed her among the finst pianists of the 20th century

Album Description
There is often a tendency to think of composers such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven as titanic geniuses who entered the world fully-formed, musical heavyweights of such stature that they stand alone in history. But, of course, there were countless composers who enjoyed local and international fame in their lives but have been undeservedly hidden by the long shadow cast by the musical titans. This disc of concertos by Viotti and Platti brings back into the light concertos by two who deserve a place in the pantheon of composers of immense talent, energy and no little influence on some the greats who followed them.

Giovanni Battista Viotti - Piano Concerto in G minor

Viotti is chiefly remembered for elevating performing standards to a high artistic level and as one of the crucial figures in the development of modern violin playing. He was also the first to realise the musical value of Stradivari’s violins and to prove as much to his audiences and to posterity. Many of these instruments played and introduced by Viotti himself have been passed down through generations of virtuosi and remain in the hands of today's star players, such as Pierre Amoyal.

Viotti's 29 violin concertos are by far the most satisfying of his works, both artistically and historically. Not only are they inventive vehicles for technical display, enough to test any soloist, but are testament to his brilliant musical imagination. For the first time in this genre, the full resources of the violin and orchestra are gradually being brought into play. Influences from Parisian musical life in the 1780s add operatic drama and symphonic breadth to these concertos. Presented here in a reworking for piano by the German pianist and composer Daniel Steibelt, Viotti’s attractive and forceful personality shine through his Concerto No.19 in G minor, composed towards the end of his decade in Paris. The scope is huge for its day: dark, dramatic passages mingle with filigree fingerwork, bold statements and delicate note-spinning reminding us both of Viotti’s Classical base and of his influence on Beethoven and his contemporaries - and even, at times, taking us further! , into the dramatic light and shade of the German Romantic spirit of Mendelssohn and Weber

Giovanni Benedetto Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor

Just as Viotti’s active musical life was sandwiched between the great composers of the Classical era, so Giovanni Benedetto Platti (before 1692 – 1763) had the misfortune to be around when the titans of the Baroque era - Bach, Handel, Rameau and Domenico Scarlatti – bestrode their age. The goal of most composers at this time was to secure a decent living in the courts of the nobility, and this is exactly what Platti did, moving from Italy to enter the service of the Prince-Archbishop of Bamberg and Würzburg. Little is known of his life before he entered into service in 1722, but there are hints that his teachers may have included both Albinoni and Vivaldi.

At the Prince-Archbishop's court Platti seems to have been a master of a good many trades including singing, playing the harpsichord, violin, cello, flute and oboe in performances of compositions by himself and others. The job of a court musician was, naturally, to reflect the sophistication and respectability of courtly life and the magnificence and munificence of his lord and master. Platti's compositions range from church music, including a masterly Requiem, through numerous concertos to sonatas for various combinations of instruments.

Tracks:

Viotti Piano Concerto in G Minor - Allegro maestoso
Viotti Piano Concerto in G Minor - Adagio non troppo
Viotti Piano Concerto in G Minor - Rondo
Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major - Allegro assai
Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major - Largo
Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major - Allegro assai
Platti Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor - Andantino molto mosso
Platti Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor - Adagio
Platti Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor - Allegro

Album Description

There is often a tendency to think of composers such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven as titanic geniuses who entered the world fully-formed, musical heavyweights of such stature that they stand alone in history. But, of course, there were countless composers who enjoyed local and international fame in their lives but have been undeservedly hidden by the long shadow cast by the musical titans. This disc of concertos by Viotti and Platti brings back into the light concertos by two who deserve a place in the pantheon of composers of immense talent, energy and no little influence on some the greats who followed them.

Giovanni Battista Viotti - Piano Concerto in G minor

Viotti is chiefly remembered for elevating performing standards to a high artistic level and as one of the crucial figures in the development of modern violin playing. He was also the first to realise the musical value of Stradivari's violins and to prove as much to his audiences and to posterity. Many of these instruments played and introduced by Viotti himself have been passed down through generations of virtuosi and remain in the hands of today's star players, such as Pierre Amoyal.

Viotti's 29 violin concertos are by far the most satisfying of his works, both artistically and historically. Not only are they inventive vehicles for technical display, enough to test any soloist, but are testament to his brilliant musical imagination. For the first time in this genre, the full resources of the violin and orchestra are gradually being brought into play. Influences from Parisian musical life in the 1780s add operatic drama and symphonic breadth to these concertos. Presented here in a reworking for piano by the German pianist and composer Daniel Steibelt, Viotti's attractive and forceful personality shine through his Concerto No.19 in G minor, composed towards the end of his decade in Paris. The scope is huge for its day: dark, dramatic passages mingle with filigree fingerwork, bold statements and delicate note-spinning reminding us both of Viotti's Classical base and of his influence on Beethoven and his contemporaries - and even, at times, taking us further! , into the dramatic light and shade of the German Romantic spirit of Mendelssohn and Weber

Giovanni Benedetto Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor

Just as Viotti's active musical life was sandwiched between the great composers of the Classical era, so Giovanni Benedetto Platti (before 1692 - 1763) had the misfortune to be around when the titans of the Baroque era - Bach, Handel, Rameau and Domenico Scarlatti - bestrode their age. The goal of most composers at this time was to secure a decent living in the courts of the nobility, and this is exactly what Platti did, moving from Italy to enter the service of the Prince-Archbishop of Bamberg and Würzburg. Little is known of his life before he entered into service in 1722, but there are hints that his teachers may have included both Albinoni and Vivaldi.

Tracks:

The Magnificent Seven - Elmer Bernstein
Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold - Hector Berlioz
The Planets: Mars, The Bringer Of War - Gustov Holst
Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor, Op. 30: Finale, Alla breva - Sergei Rachmaninoff
Vespers Op. 37: Bogoroditsye Devo - Sergei Rachmaninoff
Symphony No. 31 In D Major 'Hornsignal': Menuet, Trio - Franz Joseph Haydn
Prince Igor: Polovetsian Dances - Alexander Borodin
Turandot: Nessun dorma! - Giacomo Puccini
Tea For Two - Bobby Short
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 'Classical': Finale, Molto vivace - Sergei Prokofiev
Concerto In E-Flat Major: Allegro - Vincenzo Bellini
Carmen Suite: Les toreadors - Georges Bizet
Sonata No. 6 In F Major, Op. 10, No. 2: Presto - John O'Conor
Quartet in G minor: Assez vif et bien rythme - Claude Debussy
Schwanda The Bagpiper: Polka - Jaromir Weinberger
After Hours: Cotton Tail - Andre Previn
Movie Love Themes: Flashdance...What A Feeling - Giorgio Moroder

Customer Reviews:

Nice, diverse collection.......2005-10-04

I picked this up in a 50-cent cutout bin with no sleeve or case about 8 years ago. It's an interesting mix of selections, from serious classical (Rachmaninoff) to jazz (Ellington) to pop adaptations (Flashdance theme). The latter is actually one of the more intriguing cuts on the disc. Though I wouldn't rank it as "one of the world's finest sounding recordings", it's a rousing orchestral arrangement of the Flashdance theme conducted by its composer, Giorgio Moroder. If all you've ever heard is the Irene Cara radio hit, it will make you appreciate this song in a new light. The sound quality of the rest of the disc is superb, esp. "The Magnificent Seven" theme, which makes a nice audio system demonstration track.

Average customer rating:

The Opera Rara Collection Volume 1

Manufacturer: Opera Rara
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Opera Rara Collection, Vol. 2
Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto

ASIN: B00000C2BP
Release Date: 1998-09-08

Tracks:

Mercadante Orazie Curiazi - Anthony Michaels-Moore/Alastair Miles
Donizetti Gabriella Di Vergy - Della Jones
Meyerbeer Dinorah - Deborah Cook,/Alexander Oliver//Christian Du Plessis
Donizetti Rosmonda D'Inghilterra - Renee' Fleming
Rossini Ricciardo E Zoraide - Bruce Fort/William Matteuzzi/Nelly Miricioiu
Donizetti Ugo Conte Di Parigi - Janet Price/Della Jones/Yvonne Kenny
Nicolini I Baccanali Di Roma - Yvonne Kenny
Offenbach Christopher Columbus - Marilyn Hill Smith/Johanna Peters
Donizetti L'Assedio Di Calais - Della Jones/Nuccia Focile/Christian Du Plessis
Mercadante Virginia - Bruce Ford
Pacini Maria Regina D'Inghilterra - Nelly Miricioiu/Mary Plazas
Donizetti Gabriella Di Vergy - Ludmilla Andrew/Christian Du Plessis
Meyerbeer Il Crociato In Egitto - Diana Montague
Rossini Armida - Bruce Ford/William Matteuzzi/Paul Austin Kelly
Offenbach Robinson Crusoe - Yvonne Kenny
Donizetti Emilia Di Liverpool - Sesto Bruscantini/Chris Merrit
Mayr Medea In Corinto - Jane Eaglen
Pucitta La Caccia Di Enrico IV - Della Jones/Marilyn Hill Smith
Donizetti Maria De Rudenz - Nelly Miricioiu
Mercadante Il Brindisi - Bruce Ford/Alastair Miles

Average customer rating:

Symposium Opera Collection Volume 4

Manufacturer: Symposium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004SD1H
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Average customer rating:

Harold Wayne Collection Volume 39

Manufacturer: Symposium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004SD1C
Release Date: 2000-07-25

FELICJA BLUMENTAL : The Italian Collection, Volume 1

Average customer rating:

FELICJA BLUMENTAL : The Italian Collection, Volume 1

Manufacturer: Brana Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0007UXJ42
Release Date: 2005-02-17

Album Description

Felicja Blumental

The Italian Collection, Volume 1

Tracks:

Sym No.1, Op.21 in C: IV: Adagio; Allegro Molto E Vivace
Sym No.5, Op.67 in c: IV: Allegro
La Damnation De Faust: Rakoczy March
L'Arlesienne Ste No.2: Farandole
Carmen: Aragonaise (Act IV Entr'acte)
Don Pasquale: Ov
Gagliarda (No.2, Antiche Aire E Danze, Set I, After Vincenzo Galilei)
Fete Boheme (No.4, Scenes Pittoresques)
Scherzo
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March
Sym No.39, K.543 in E flat: Menuetto
Sym No.39, K.543 in E flat: Finale
Le Quai Du Porte De Famagouste (Act I Prld) (No.2, La Pisanelle Ste)
Il Segreto Di Susanna: Ov

Customer Reviews:

Toscanini's first recordings.......2006-03-03

Many famous conductors had already been making recordings for several years when Arturo Toscanini was finally persuaded by the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey, to make some orchestral recordings with the Scala Orchestra in 1920-21.

The Italian ensemble had been touring the U.S. and they took time out to make a series of 78-rpm acoustical discs in the "church" studio at Camden. Some of Enrico Caruso's later recordings also took place in this very large facility, which utilized a very large horn to pick up as much of the orchestra as possible. Sometimes, smaller horns were connected to the recording equipment to record principal players.

Admittedly, the acoustical process had limited frequence response. By 1920 and 1921, when these recordings were made, the process had reached its highest possiblities, so much more could be recorded. Already, however, Bell Laboratories was developing a new recording process that would use carbon microphones to pick up more sound; that process would be adopted by Victor in the spring of 1925 to record the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski.

Despite the limited possibilities of acoustical recordings, they always had very good bass tones and they sounded quite good when played on a full size Victrola. Some of this can be approximated, however, through digital technology and it's actually possible to hear more today than was possible on vintage phonographs.

One good thing about Toscanini's acoustical discs is that they give us an idea of the remarkable energy he utilized in his earlier performances. There is is incredible playing by the Italian musicians in most of the recordings. A particularly good example is the overture to "Don Pasquale," which has virtually the same playing time as Toscanini's 1952 recording with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The woodwinds are particularly excellent in this performance and, quite remarkably, one can even heard the tympani (rarely used in American acoustical recordings).

Overall, these are exciting glimpses of Toscanini in his "younger" years, long before the more famous NBC Symphony concerts and recordings. They are often very charming and very delightful. They certainly have historical value. Toscanini would not record again until 1926, when he made a single 78-rpm electrical recording for the Brunswick Company with the New York Philharmonic. But that's another story...

For Fanatics of Toscanini & Collectors of Very Old Records.......1998-09-17

There are no other acoustical recordings available of standard repertoire classical orchestral pieces quite like these unique disks!

Toscanini and his La Scala Orchestra worked like fiends before a large recording horn in Camden, New Jersey, in 1921 to accomplish these Red Seal sides, which were "state of the art" in the period before the microphone and electronics were wedded to the phonograph. But to today's ears, the results are peculiar and uningratiating: the balances strange, the instrumental timbres odd, the pickup close and claustrophobic. Yet the intensity and precision of these propulsive readings contrast dramatically with the cranky, clumsy, and affected recordings made by other maestros during the acoustical period that ended around 1925.

Violin and piano solos, and the singing voice, were taken down well by the acoustical process: we can still enjoy Caruso, Kreisler, Heifetz, or Rachmaninoff's old Red Seals. But most if not nearly all collectors "cut off" their interest in orchestral recordings made before about 1926 or '27, when the early electrical engineers learned how to record a fairly wide and natural dynamic range, and to pick up the acoustical ambience of a real recording hall.

Toscanini displays his severe precision, and is fully the man you would expect from his broadcasts of the thirties and forties: once, during the old NBC radio show "Toscanini - The Man Behind the Legend" in the sixties, a composite was made of the 1921 Beethoven 5th excerpts herein and the famous broadcast recording from 1952. Heard over transcontinental network AM radio, there wasn't too much audible difference in style, balance, and interpretation (not to mention sound); but audited today, from digitized transfers, there seem to be several orders of magnitude of difference. The old acoustic is merely a funky sounding oddity, while the 1952 audiotape of the radio/TV simulcast has exceptionally realistic, crisp high fidelity and accuracy (not significantly inferior in detail to any number of modern stereo all-digital recordings!)

At least this set provides the opportunity of hearing some unusual pieces under the Maestro's direction: the pleasant excerpt "Le quai du porte de Famagouste" from the "Pisanella" Suite by Pizzetti (recorded in stereo in the sixties by Gardelli on a superb Decca / London LP); the "Gagliarda" from one of Respighi's "Ancient Dances and Airs" suites; and the "Fete Boheme" from Massenet's "Scenes Pittoresques" Suite. I once owned a mint-condition copy of the last item on a single-sided Victor Red Seal 78 rpm disk, and I can testify that one cannot really do much to enhance the sound of an acoustical recording!

Tracks:

Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - Mascagni
Clair de Lune - DeBussy
Six Preludes For Small String Orchestra: Prelude V For Strings - Romantic Approach
Berceuse - Faure
Sonata For Strings No. I, 2nd Movement - Rossini
Concerto: Largo For Mandolin And Strings - Vivaldi
La Boutique Fantasque: Nocturne - Respighi
Crisantemi - Puccini
String Quartet, 2nd Movement - Verdi
Notturno Op.70, No.1 - Romantic Approach
String Quartet, 3rd Movement - DeBussy
Thais: Meditation - Massenet
String Quartet, 3rd Movement - Ravel
Gymnopedie No.1 - Satie

Album Description

What makes music Romantic? Like beauty, Romanticism is in the eye or ear of the beholder. As a musical movement, it is generally associated with 19th century Europe, but The Romantic Approach, Volume One was a collection of 20th century American works, all of which had some fairly obvious Romantic elements. That first recording may have surprised listeners who felt that contemporary America has produced very little Romantic art. The Romantic Approach, Volume Two, on the other hand, includes the very heart of the Romantic literature. Of all the countries in the world, France and Italy have been those most associated with things romantic; even the sounds of their languages are musical, and that songlike quality has certainly colored much of the music (classical or otherwise) of these two countries.

The Romantic Approach, Volume Two, contains music by some of the greatest French and Italian Romantics: Puccini, Faure' Debussy, Respighi, and numerous others are included. Many of them will be familiar to opera lovers, and that is probably not a coincidence. Opera means high drama, star-crossed lovers, emotions writ large upon a grand stage - the very essence of Romanticism already existed in the opera world, which was a central part of the musical life of France and Italy. The Romantic Approach, Volume Two, reflects this: beautiful melodies from two opera favorites, Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Massenet's Thais, are included; and three of the greatest operatic composers, Rossini, Puccini, and Verdi, are all represented by typically soulful instrumental works. But unjustly neglected masterpieces from gifted French and Italian composers Jean Francaix and Guiseppe Martucci are included as well, and the collection is rounded out with emotional, evocative works by Maurice Ravel and Erik Satie.

Tracks:

Manfredini Piano Concerto in B flat - Allegro
Manfredini Piano Concerto in B flat - Grave
Manfredini Piano Concerto in B flat - Allegro
Paisiello Piano Concerto in F major - Allegro
Paisiello Piano Concerto in F major - Largo
Paisiello Piano Concerto in F major - Allegretto
Paisiello Piano Concerto in C major - Allegro
Paisiello Piano Concerto in C major - Larghetto
Paisiello Piano Concerto in C major - Rondo

Album Description

The Italian Collection Volume 2

While Eighteenth-century Europe was awash with Enlightenment ideas of progess and rationality, of new-found forms of self-expression and self-determination, composers were, by-and-large, still reliant either on the church or royal patrons for a decent living. Even the most enlightened of monarchs continued to wield enormous power, making and breaking careers without pausing for breath. Both composers represented here spent some years at the Russian court of the mighty Catherine the Great where life was not always easy for them, despite being influential figures of their day. Even at this relatively progessive court where intellectual giants like Voltaire and Diderot were welcomed by the self-styled `philosopher on the throne', composers were little more than functionaries, promptly delivering music for a range of purposes: opera to reflect Catherine's wealth and power; occasional pieces to celebrate the Empress; and marches dance music and didactic works for the court's pleasure.

Vincenzo Manfredini
Concerto in B Flat Major
Vincenzo Manfredini (1737-1799) reached the Russian court in St Petersburg in his early twenties after leaving Italy for Moscow with his brother, a noted castrato and teacher. He was soon appointed as maestro di cappella to Pyotr Fedorovich who, on becoming Emperor Peter III in 1762, promoted him to the enviable position of maestro of the Imperial Court's Italian opera company. Peter reigned for only six months as Emperor before being forced to abdicate by his wife, Catherine, who became Empress of Russia and confirmed Manfredini in his position. Despite her many reforms, free-thinking court and links to Europe's great artistic personalities, Catherine the Great was no fan of music, but maintained the opera company for the prestige it brought to her rule. The position proved something of a poisoned chalice for Manfredini, who appears to have made no lasting impression with his operatic and occasional works. And with the arrival of the brilliant opera buffa composer, Baldassare Galuppi in 1765, Manfredini was downgraded to composing ballet music and teaching harpsichord to the heir apparent, Paul Petrovich.
After leaving the court in 1769, Manfredini continued composing operas for a time but was soon devoting most of his time to writing and teaching. His writings reveal a man in tune with Enlightenment thought, grappling with the changing nature of music, the social status of composers and the role music has to play in public life. Although a composer of many operas, he argued for the ascendancy of instrumental music and thus it is fitting that his best known work is the Concerto in B Flat Major. The work shows off the principles of the classical concerto form in a delightful fashion - from the contrasting thrusting and lilting themes of the opening allegro, through a poised, thoughtful slow movement to the finale's bright, punchy dance in duple time.

Giovanni Paisiello
Piano Concerto in F major
Piano Concerto in C major
While Manfredini's influence rested largely in his writings, Giovanni Paisiello (1740-1816) became one of the most successful, sought-after and prolific opera composers of his day, producing over 90 stage works in 35 years. Born in Taranto, Italy, he began staging his operas in Bologna in 1764, before moving on to Naples where he managed to complete an astonishing 40 operas in just 10 years. While his music had the approval of the King of Naples, he seems to have lost royal favour through attempting to wriggle his way out of a marriage contract, a misdemeanour that put him in prison for a time.
By 1776, Catherine the Great had stepped in, eager to secure the services of the latest operatic star composer to become her maestro di cappella. So, only 14 years after Manfredini, Paisiello found himself in the same court, under the same monarch and in a similar musical position. However unsympathetic to

The Harold Wayne Collection Volume 18
Average customer rating:
The Harold Wayne Collection Volume 18

Manufacturer: Symposium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Leoncavallo | Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000009K50
Release Date: 1994-10-24

Track Listings:

Track Listings

Ray Bryant Trio/Dancing the Big Twist

Very Best of [Import]

Super Hits

This Time It's Love

Robert Kajanus Conducts Sibelius, Vol.2

The Sun Years

Telefunken Blues [Import] [Original recording remastered]

The Distance to Here

The Ventures' 10th Anniversary Album/Only Hits [Import]

Sun Always Shines on TV [CD-single] [Import]

The Final Altar Call

Leg End

1. Viotti Piano Concerto in G Minor - Allegro maestoso
2. Viotti Piano Concerto in G Minor - Adagio non troppo
3. Viotti Piano Concerto in G Minor - Rondo
4. Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major - Allegro assai
5. Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major - Largo
6. Platti Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major - Allegro assai
7. Platti Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor - Andantino molto mosso
8. Platti Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor - Adagio
9. Platti Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor - Allegro