Conducts Tchaikovsky & Borodin

1. Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29 "Polish", Op.29
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

2. Prince Igor, opera (completed by Rimsky-Korsakov & Glazunov) Act II: Polovtsian Dances
Composed by Alexander Borodin
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

3. Prince Igor, opera (completed by Rimsky-Korsakov & Glazunov) Act III: Polovtsian March
Composed by Alexander Borodin
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

Tracks:

Symphony No.1 in G minor, Op.13 'Winter Dreams': Dreams Of A Winter Journey
Symphony No.1 in G minor, Op.13 'Winter Dreams': Land Of Desolation, Land Of Mists
Symphony No.1 in G minor, Op.13 'Winter Dreams': Scherzo, Allegro scherzando giocoso
Symphony No.1 in G minor, Op.13 'Winter Dreams': Finale. Andante lugubre - Allegro moderato - Allegro maestoso
Eugene Onegin: Polonaise
Eugene Onegin: Waltz
Slavic March, Op.31: Moderato in modo di marcia funebre

Tracks:

Symphony No.2 In C Minor, Op.17 'Little Russian': Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo
Symphony No.2 In C Minor, Op.17 'Little Russian': Andantino marziale, quasi moderato
Symphony No.2 In C Minor, Op.17 'Little Russian': Scherzo, Allegro molto vivace - Trio. L'istesso tempo
Symphony No.2 In C Minor, Op.17 'Little Russian': Moderato assai - Allegro vivo - Presto
Ouverture solennelle '1812', Op.49: Largo - Andante - Allegro giusto - Largo - Allegro vivace

Tracks:

Symphony No.3 in D major, Op.29 'Polish': Introduzione e Allegro. Moderato assai (Tempo di marcia funebre)
Symphony No.3 in D major, Op.29 'Polish': Alla tadesca. Allegro moderato e semplice
Symphony No.3 in D major, Op.29 'Polish': Andante elegiaco
Symphony No.3 in D major, Op.29 'Polish': Scherzo. Allegro vivo
Symphony No.3 in D major, Op.29 'Polish': Finale. Allegro con fuoco (Tempo di Polacca)
Capriccio italien, Op.45: Andante un poco rubato - Allegro moderato - Andante - Allegro moderato - Presto - Piu presto - Prestissimo

Tracks:

Symphony No.4 in F minor, Op.36: Andante sostenuto - Moderato con anima - Moderato assai, quasi Andante - Allegro vivo
Symphony No.4 in F minor, Op.36: Andantino in modo di canzone
Symphony No.4 in F minor, Op.36: Scherzo. Pizzacato ostinato - Allegro
Symphony No.4 in F minor, Op.36: Finale. Allegro con fuoco
Variations On A Rococo Theme For Cello And Orchestra, Op.33: Moderato quasi Andante - Mstislav Rostropovich
Variations On A Rococo Theme For Cello And Orchestra, Op.33: Tema. Moderato semplice - Mstislav Rostropovich
Variations On A Rococo Theme For Cello And Orchestra, Op.33: Variazione I. Tempo del Tema - Mstislav Rostropovich
Variations On A Rococo Theme For Cello And Orchestra, Op.33: Variazione II. Tempo del Tema - Mstislav Rostropovich
Variations On A Rococo Theme For Cello And Orchestra, Op.33: Variazione III. Andante sostenuto - Mstislav Rostropovich
Variations On A Rococo Theme For Cello And Orchestra, Op.33: Variazione IV. Andante grazioso - Mstislav Rostropovich
Variations On A Rococo Theme For Cello And Orchestra, Op.33: Variazione V. Allegro moderato - Mstislav Rostropovich
Variations On A Rococo Theme For Cello And Orchestra, Op.33: Variazione VI. Andante - Mstislav Rostropovich
Variations On A Rococo Theme For Cello And Orchestra, Op.33: Variazione VII. Allegro vivo - Mstislav Rostropovich

Tracks:

Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op.64: Andante - Allegro con anima
Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op.64: Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza - Moderato con anima - Andante mosso - Allegro non troppo - Tempo I
Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op.64: Valse. Allegro moderato
Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op.64: Finale. Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace - Molto vivace - Moderato assai e molto maestoso - Presto
Serenade for String Orchestra in C major, Op.48: Pezzo in forma di sonatina
Serenade for String Orchestra in C major, Op.48: Valse. Moderato. Tempo di Valse
Serenade for String Orchestra in C major, Op.48: Elegia. Larghetto elegiaco
Serenade for String Orchestra in C major, Op.48: Finale. Tema russo. Andante - Allegro con spirito

Tracks:

Symphony No.6 in B minor, Op.74 'Pathetique': Adagio - Allegro non troppo - Andante - Moderato mosso - Andante - Moderato assai - Allegro vivo - Andante come prima - Andante mosso
Symphony No.6 in B minor, Op.74 'Pathetique': Allegro con grazia
Symphony No.6 in B minor, Op.74 'Pathetique': Allegro molto vivace
Symphony No.6 in B minor, Op.74 'Pathetique': Finale. Adagio lamentoso - Andante
Romeo And Juliet: Andante non tanto quasi Moderato - Allegro - Molto meno mosso - Allegro giusto - Moderato assai

Tracks:

The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66a (Suite): 1. Introduction. La Fee des lilas. Allegro vivo - Andantino - Andante sostenuto
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66a (Suite): 2. Adagio. Pas d'action. Andante - Adagio maestoso - Tempo I - Molto sostenuto, quasi piu Andante - Tempo I
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66a (Suite): 3. Pas de caractere. Le Chat botte et la Chatte blanche. Allegro moderatoK
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66a (Suite): 4. Panorama. Andantino
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66a (Suite): 5. Valse Allegro (Tempo di Valse)
Swan Lake (Suite): 1. Scene. Moderato - Michel Schwalbe
Swan Lake (Suite): 2. Valse. Tempo di Valse - Michel Schwalbe
Swan Lake (Suite): 3. Danse des cygnes. Allegro moderato - Michel Schwalbe
Swan Lake (Suite): 4. Scene. Andante - Andante non troppo - Tempo I - Michel Schwalbe
Swan Lake (Suite): 5. Danse hongroise (Czardas). Moderato assai - Allegro moderato - Vivace - Michel Schwalbe
Swan Lake (Suite): 6. Scene finale. Allegro agitato - Alla breve. Moderato e maestoso - Michel Schwalbe
The Nutcracker, Op.71 (Suite): 1. Ouverture miniature. Allegro giusto
The Nutcracker, Op.71 (Suite): 2a. Danses caracteristiques: Marche. Temppo di marcia viva
The Nutcracker, Op.71 (Suite): 2b. Danses caracteristiques: Danse de la Fee Dragee. Andante non troppo
The Nutcracker, Op.71 (Suite): 2c. Danses caracteristiques: Danse russe Trepak. Tempo di Trepak, molto vivace
The Nutcracker, Op.71 (Suite): 2d. Danses caracteristiques: Danse arabe. Allegretto
The Nutcracker, Op.71 (Suite): 2e. Danses caracteristiques: Danse chinoise. Allegro moderato
The Nutcracker, Op.71 (Suite): 2f. Danses caracteristiques: Danse des mirlitons. Moderato assai
The Nutcracker, Op.71 (Suite): 3. Valse des fleurs. Tempo di Valse

Tracks:

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.1 in B flat minor, Op.23: Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito - Sviatoslav Richter
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.1 in B flat minor, Op.23: Andantino semplice - Prestissimo - Tempo I - Sviatoslav Richter
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.1 in B flat minor, Op.23: Allegro con fuoco - Sviatoslav Richter
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op.35: Allegro moderato - Christian Ferras
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op.35: Canzonetta. Andante - attacca: - Christian Ferras
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op.35: Finale. Allegro vivacissimo - Christian Ferras

Customer Reviews:

Karajan is below par, with a few exceptions.......2007-05-12

It's a mystery why Karajan, a masterful conductor in so many areas, should miss the mark with an easy composer like Tchaikovsky. Mr. Leach spots the weakest recordings, such as Ferra' Violin Concerto, which is in overlit, thin sound to boot. Richter and Rostropovich give great performances, and the last three symphonies are certainly good by any standard, although the 60s analog sound definitely shows its age. Almost the only thing I would call outstanding are the ballet suites, at which Karajan was superb in both his DG and EMI sets.

Where I part with Mr. Leach is in praising the Romeo and Juliet, a mushy reading that brings out Karajan's worst tendency--he polishes every phrase to a fault and drains the work of all passion and drama. The first three symphonies are quite dull and unconvincing, but I am not so sure that the EMI cycle is any better, and it, too, suffers form problematic sound. Like Mr. Leach, I like the Fifth Sym. best form that set. So all in all, I have done little more than agree with someone else's review, but perhaps seconding the motion will be of help to some readers.

Karajan (not) at his finest.......2004-04-22

One of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, Karajan's recordings are some of the best pieces in the entire Deutsche Grammophon repertoire. This collection of Karajan Conducts Tchaikovsky is an excellent bargain - eight CDs for approximately $60 - and serves as an excellent sampling of Karajan's interpretation of Tchaikovsky's work. Unfortunately, this collection does not necessarily show Karajan at his finest.

While much of the collection is top-notch, some of the symphonies are a tad lack-luster in their execution. Indeed for Karajan fans, there are other recordings of Karajan conducting these symphonies, such as recordings of the 2nd and 5th, that you may want to try instead of the ones included in this set.

On the other hand, the ballet suites are well done, Rostropovich is excellent in the Cello Variations, and Ferras offers an interesting interpretation of the Violin Concerto. As a whole, this is a fairly solid collection that is certainly recommended for anyone whose collections have deficiencies in either Tchaikovsky or Karajan. If, however, you do already have some recordings of Karajan conducting Tchaikovsky, I would recommend skipping this set and buying individual albums where Karajan displays more of his trademark excellence.

My greatest criticism for this collection concerns its packaging. Though listed as a collectors edition, this box set is simply presented as a collection of eight discs in paper sleeves and a set of liner notes in English, German, and French inside a cardboard box.

Fair value, but Karajan can be heard better elsewhere.......2003-08-24

This is not a bad package for the price, but buyers should be aware that Karajan did some of these works better at other times. We can safely dispense with Karajan's last slackly-played VPO set, of course.

For example note that these are the 1960s recordings of the last three symphonies (unlike the DG Double set which are the 1970s recordings). For the Pathetique this means you get by common consent the best of Karajan's many recordings of this works - fine playing, with spontaneity and freshness and excellent recording for 1964.

However in the case of the Fifth, the later BPO DG recording, or even better the wonderfully spontaneous 1971 EMI Berlin recording are preferable (the latter quite superb in phenomenal sound, rivalling George Szell's 1959 version in sweep and power). This 1960s Fifth does sound rather studied in comparison.

Other caveats should include a warning about the rather brightly lit CD of the three ballet suites, and Christian Ferras' terribly schmaltzy account of the violin concerto.

All that said, this set does include Richter's aristocratic First Concerto with the Vienna SO, although why DG chose to include it rather than Lazar Berman's version is a mystery, as the latter is with the BPO to match the rest of the set and doesn't seem to be otherwise unavailable. It's also a finer account to many ears.

Other worthwhile inclusions are Karajan's Winter Daydreams symphony (No 1), although enthusiasts for this work should also sample Michael Tilson Thomas' CD with the Boston SO, also on DG. Similarly Rostropovich's account of the Rococo Variations is a classic, and the Romeo and Juliet included here (never before on CD as far as I can tell) is very fine, with many imaginative touches. This Marche Slave is also one of the finest ever, full of power and brooding intensity.

All in all a decent box, but true Karafans may need to pick up other CDs to complete the full Tchaikovskian picture.

Fantastic!.......2001-10-18

Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic!
BUY IT NOW!

von karajan truly conducts the master.......2001-08-04

I'd been a fan of "the maestro's" style of conducting the B.P.O. since high school when I stumbled upon Time/Life's Beethoven Bi-centennial collection. The power & majesty brought to Beethoven's complete works were unforgetable. When I happened upon a collection of Tchaikovsky symphonies,concertos,&suites I was compelled to take the plunge. It may be pricey to some who may already have some of these in one version or another. But it truly couldn't be a more complete collection of melody,romance,grace,&total understanding of Tchaikovsky's work. I can't call this eight disc collection any thing if not priceless. A must for anyone who understands the sensual pleasure derived from properly executed classical orchestration.

Monteux Conducts Tchaikovsky at the Vienna Festival

Average customer rating:

Passionate, paced Tchaikovsky by LSO, Monteux, Ogdon
great performances and superb sound
What Monteux & Tchaikovsky REALLY sound like.

Monteux Conducts Tchaikovsky at the Vienna Festival

Manufacturer: Vanguard Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000023F0
Release Date: 1993-05-05

Tracks:

Romeo And Juliet
Piano Concerto No. 1 In B-Flat Minor, Op. 23: Andante non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito
Piano Concerto No. 1 In B-Flat Minor, Op. 23: Andantino semplice
Piano Concerto No. 1 In B-Flat Minor, Op. 23: Allegro con fuoco

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5 In E Minor, Op. 64: Andante - Allegro con anima
Symphony No. 5 In E Minor, Op. 64: Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza
Symphony No. 5 In E Minor, Op. 64: Valse, Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 5 In E Minor, Op. 64: Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace

Customer Reviews:

Passionate, paced Tchaikovsky by LSO, Monteux, Ogdon.......2004-04-18

The late and great Pierre Monteux was a superb representative of a very gifted generation of musicians. He steadied the helms of several USA orchestras, including San Francisco, and Boston; before he took the podium with the LSO in his later years. You would never know there was an old man at the helm in these performances, except that perhaps you will sense the unusual wisdoms evidenced by his leadership as the concert proceeds.
And, this recording is very much a performance.

It was recorded live at the Vienna Festival during an LSO appearance. The audience is preternaturally quiet and well behaved. You only realize you have been surrounded by occupied seats when everybody breaks into applause at the end of a work. The stereo 16-bit CD set ... now available from Artemis, which is re-releasing masters drawn from the old Vanguard Recording Society archives .... well the regular CD is good. The DVD-audio ... now available in a new release from Silverline Classics (who have earlier been not too good at releasing actual classics) is just that much better. For starters, the DVD will give you the choice of sonic formats, allowing you to adjust for the sake of bringing out the best in your own particular set-up. You can play the higher resolution DVD on any system. You can choose among stereo Dolby Digital or 24-bit stereo; or go for multichannel surround sound in either Dolby Digital or pure 24-bit uncompressed reproduction. A quick comparison in my own system reveals that all the different versions available actually sound good; and the wonders of the multichannel versions are quite subtle at first as your ears and brain adjust to the added recreation of the music and the hall in which it is being played. Also, to get the best out of the pure 24-bit medium I needed to keep the volume up pretty well, otherwise soft passages are too soft and the larger sound staging possible via multichannel presentation loses its marvelous, compelling presence.

As regards these performances, you can hardly go wrong. The opener, the tone poem Romeo and Juliet, has long been a classic hit from Tchaikovsky's oeuvre. While many critics still like to indulge their false superiority by damning the composer with faint praise, I dare anybody to sit down and dash off a living, breathing, pulsing melody like the theme which characterizes the two young lovers. Yes, Tchaikovsky's music often suffers the most appalling abuses: tempos are too slow or too fast in many instances, leaving you with a sense of neurotic-dramatic contrast that is not balanced with a corresponding sense of the larger shape of the musical whole. On the other hand, just playing Tchaikovsky real straight, while it cleans up a lot of hysterical grandstanding on the conductor's part, fails at times to show the living, breathing pulse at which Tchaikovsky is past master.

So do Maestro Monteux and the LSO show their mettle. The phrasing is alive and breathing, and the music always has a pulse, dramatic or lyrical. There is narrative: a larger sense of musical structure within which things unfold. ABA is simple, but it is not meaningless. Monteux embodies this insight to perfection. Conducting/music students would do well to study this. They may remind themselves how to keep music alive and in balance, even when playing Tchaikovsky.

After the rousing-tender tone poem, John Ogdon joins in a quite profoundly musical first piano concerto. Like all the Tchaikovsky hits, this concerto is deservedly famous and often malignantly abused by pianists who are desperately trying to get a new angle on a thrice-familiar work. Ogdon and Monteux, helped by committed playing in all LSO departments, show that you can just approach the music, musically. Extremes are not needed. Ogdon's technique is quite up to the virtuoso demands, first on display in the USA in Boston in the premiere by none other than Liszt's ex-son-in-law, Hans von Bulow. (He lost Cosima to Herr Wagner.) But the points that Ogdon et al. make are not primarily virtuoso points. You cannot help being charmed, all over again, as you listen to this concerto. It is silvery and bright when needed, but above all it has incredible warmth and quite a few touches of fun.

Finally, the evening concludes with Symphony 5. The choice of this symphony in itself shows Monteux's distinctive showmanship that aimed primarily at musical ends. An easy mistake would have been to use the sixth symphony, instead. As it stands, this reading of the fifth exhibits all the generosity, brilliance, and tenderness that were revealed, previously. The balletic graces attend the symphony in Monteux's hands, although not to the exclusion of other graces invited also to be present. The scoring of the symphony reminds us that Tchaikovsky was also the composer of the indelible Nutcracker; and the genius of the scoring is something wonderful, especially in this recording in 24-bit sound. The LSO woodwinds are star players. The brass make good points without having to steal the show or upstage everybody else in the orchestra. And the strings can languish and sigh, as well as sing wholeheartedly, as well as dance.

The Silverline Classics DVD version is not easily found on this website; but it is available, just check around. AMAZON is dropping the ball on high resolution. If the Silverline Classics remasterings of these gems are representative, we are in for quite a high resolution treat. Future releases may include the Brahms and Sibelius symphonies by Maurice Abravanel/ Utah. These master tapes are treasures, and the stunning 24-bit versions are refreshing droplets from the golden grail of sound, and of music performances. Pricing will be moderate, apparently.

Five stars, going on a hundred, then. Play the CD. Otherwise play the DVD. You will probably Interrupt whatever else you are doing, for a while. Highly recommended: sound, and great music.

great performances and superb sound.......2002-05-16

This is a wonderful collection, all taken from a single concert from Vienna in May of 1963. In particular, I find that Monteux's readings of Romeo and Juliet and the 5th symphony combine dramatic force and intensity, romantic warmth, flexibility of phrasing (there are tempo fluctuations, but they are discretely and judiciously applied, not splattered all over the place) and clarity of detail (enhanced by Monteux's use of divided violins) more effectively than in any others I have heard, and I have listened to quite a few. These so called warhorses sound newly minted in these freshly thought out and vital interpretations.
Furthermore, the sound quality (the recording is in stereo) is among the best I have heard for symphony orchestra in terms of naturalness of timbre, clarity and dynamics. In particular, drum rolls and cymbal crashes come through without any blurring or overhang.
...

What Monteux & Tchaikovsky REALLY sound like........1999-02-13

In the epoch of great conductors who have left behind a vast legacy of commercial studio recordings--from Furtwängler through Richard Strauss, Koussevitzky, Klemperer, Munch, Reiner, Karajan, Bernstein and Solti--Pierre Monteux has contributed his fair share of excellent performances. What all these conductors have in common is that their "studio" performances were always a tad less dramatic than their "live" performances. Many hated the studio. Indeed, both Bernstein and Karajan started issuing live performances instead of studio recordings towards the end of their careers. We can easily hear the differences thanks to the many broadcast recordings that are now available on CD. But to have an actual live performance of someone of the stature of Monteux properly miked and stereophonically balanced is a rare treat indeed. Compare these performances of this live recording from the Vienna Festival of May 31, 1963 with Monteux's various studio recordings of both Romeo and Juliet and the Fifth Symphony and the difference in intensity is abundantly clear. Face it, a perfomance, any performance, needs audience "kinetic energy" feedback. The drama, pacing and excitement of these performances are spine-tingling. Add to this an incredible performance of the First Piano Concerto by the talented (and tragic) genious John Ogdon--the only documented recording so far known of the work by Monteux--and you have a 2 CD set that is priceless. It is one that I return to time and time again.

Barenboim Conducts Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Sibelius [CD & DVD]

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Barenboim Conducts Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Sibelius
When Music leans over and takes us into its confidence...
Barenboim, with Arab and Israeli youth-musicians, totally inspiring
solo intruments are vivid

Barenboim Conducts Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Sibelius [CD & DVD]

Manufacturer: Warner Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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ASIN: B0009YA4FS
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Tracks:

I. Andante - Allegro Con Anima
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III. Valse: Allegro Moderato
IV. Finale: Andante Maestoso - Allegro Vivace
Overture, La Forza Del Destino
Valse Triste, Op.44

Amazon.com

"If conflicts are one day to be solved," says the Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim, "it will only be by contact between the warring parties." The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is living proof that this is a viable goal and that music can provide the ideal environment for its attainment. In 1998, Barenboim and his friend, the late Palestinian writer and scholar Edward Said, founded a workshop for young Israeli and Arab musicians; its aim was to foster the participants' musical development and to bridge national, cultural and political differences through dialogue, communal living and shared music-making. Named after a collection of poems by Goethe, the German writer and statesman, the workshop was inaugurated at his birthplace, Weimar, in 1999, and now meets every summer in Andalusia for several weeks of intensive work, joined by a sizeable number of local musicians. The group has performed in Western Europe, the Americas, Morocco, and most recently in Ramallah.

This debut CD, recorded live, proves that it can bear comparison with veteran orchestras, even in familiar repertory staples. Combining technical polish and security, tonal beauty and transparency with youthful expressiveness, passion and exuberance, the players bring out Tchaikovsky's ardent romanticism, Verdi's dramatic somberness, Sibelius' spooky mystery. Much of the credit must go to Barenboim for melding this motley crew into a musically and interpersonally unified group and for inspiring such a fine, concentrated performance through his leadership, personality and commitment. The recording includes a DVD of the concert, the workshop, and a conversation between Said and Barenboim. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Barenboim Conducts Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Sibelius .......2006-02-23

Oh my goodness, very emotional. Fantastic music, very good conductor, very good interpretation, but most of all, the story behind this Orchestra is very tooching.

Very impresive execution, good sound, what Barenboin has done putting together this orchestra gives us a very strong positive message towards world peace, working with young talents from the Middle East. Greetings from Costa Rica.

When Music leans over and takes us into its confidence..........2005-09-07

... these words of Robert Fripp come to full fruition in this recording that flexes a sublime and intelligent becoming at one with the music by Barenboim and his courageous disciples. The project is wonderfully filmed with exquisite sound on the DVD as well. And that all goes to drive home the point that when passions are reserved for music instead of politics, beware! Peace will break out.
Kudos as well to Barenboim who recently snubbed an Israeli reporter for trying to interview him while she was in uniform. It certainly took chutzpah and courage to call the fascist canard for what it was. Barenboim is no stranger to refusing to cowtow to an intractable mindset, and on the heels of this release it affirms the philosophical point that peace does not exist in a vacuum, and therefore you can not create beauty amid the trappings of war. There is a lesson here for the Americans as well, but it's not likely to be heard over the din of a country-western Nero fiddling stupidly with the future of the planet.
In any case, if you care about classical music or if you just care about Israelis and Arabs finding a way out of the mess, this is required listening. An essential disc by any standard.

Barenboim, with Arab and Israeli youth-musicians, totally inspiring.......2005-08-30

Aside from exquisite orchestral qualities, viewing the energetic, animated, gifted Arab and Israeli musicians playing as one -- totally engaged, not disengaged -- is nothing short of a thrill. Watching this recording treasure brings both tears and a broad smile, seeing that it's not impossible for very, very possible and doable, now. Wait 'til you see how Barenboim gives and gives to these talented women and men musicians who transcend physical and emotional borders and walls for something beautiful for all humankind -- just what this recording is.

Libby and Len Traubman
San Mateo, CA
LTraubman@igc.org
http://traubman.igc.org/

solo intruments are vivid.......2005-08-25

This is probably the best recording of a symphony for large orchestra that I have heard. I'll leave the critique of the interpretation to others. What I like about this recording is the dynamic contrast and the ability to hear individual solo instruments quite clearly. It sounds as though microphones have been placed in front of each instrument so that each part can be heard distinctly. I don't have a SACD player, just a regular CD player, and the sound is still superb!

Sir Adrian Boult conducts Tchaikovsky: Suite no.3 in G - Capriccio Italien - Marche slave - Gopak from Mazeppa (EMI)

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Sir Adrian Boult conducts Tchaikovsky: Suite no.3 in G - Capriccio Italien - Marche slave - Gopak from Mazeppa (EMI)

Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B00008ETYW
Release Date: 1989-06-16

Roger Norrington conducts Richard Wagner, Peter Tchaikovsky

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Roger Norrington conducts Richard Wagner, Peter Tchaikovsky

Manufacturer: Hanssler Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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Release Date: 2004-08-01

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Golovanov Conducts Tchaikovsky

Manufacturer: Gebhardt Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Another lesson in conducting and orchestral playing

Boult Conducts the B.B.C. S.O.

Manufacturer: Dutton Labs UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sir Adrian Boult conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2
Carl Nielsen, Orchestral Music

ASIN: B000ECWY8K
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Tracks:

Overture: Cosi Fan Tutte/Symphony No.52 In G
Allegro Spiritoso
Andante - Allegro Spiritoso
Overture: King Lear
Polovtsian March (Prince Igor)
Overture: Les Francs Juges
Eugene Onegin: Polonaise
The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave)
Ruy Blas
Overture: Masaniello
Scherzo (From An Unfinished Symphony)

Customer Reviews:

Another lesson in conducting and orchestral playing.......2006-11-02

I know i'm probably biased because among conductors sir Adrian is my fave. This recently issued CD brings together a sample of his earlier material, that is, from his arguably unsurpassed BBC years. As one of the icons in British music he fully deserves the title of `great conductor of the 20th century'. Still, his repertoire extends well beyond the confines of music made by his countrymen and it should be known, for instance, that his Berlioz is every bit as good as his trademark renditions of Elgar.

*A short analysis of Boult vis-a-vis modern conducting techniques.*
Boult has been referred to as "a British Toscanini in more sanguine moments". A good point, though in my view Toscanini's fiery motions with the baton were perhaps more in the style of a Barbirolli (some say of Toscanini that "his movements were generally sharp, specific, and elegant"). I believe the term "the British Weingartner" could be, perhaps, more to the point; no one will argue, however, that Boult possessed his distinctly individual, fully-ripened `style'. In general, Boult's kind of restraint or reserve is merely apparent in the resulting musical program, though obviously it's imprinted with--if i can call it like that--a `sonic signature' of his own. His composure and his subtle hand motions had a sort of dignified manner. He personified Englishness. He looked kind of elegant in his black suit: A tall man, typically not moving that much and sometimes slightly leaning ahead--like curving himself in a humble manner--with his left hand waving gently through an imposing sense of control. "Almost all the conductors of the past stood absolutely still," said Adrian Boult, who was old enough to have seen Hans Richter conduct. The emblematic Arturo Toscanini conveyed expression "partly through the tautness of his body and the intensity of the gaze he directed at the musicians". In his economic gestures Boult himself certainly was closer to a Reiner than to a Bernstein. Interestingly, some people say Leif Segerstam's expansive baton technique is quite similar to Sir Adrian Boult's in its clarity and economy. Boult inherited his `style' from legendary conductors such as Richter, Wood or Nikisch. The author Keith Hansen in his tribute to Elgar wrote that "the great German conductor Hans Richter was a great influence on Boult, and from Richter he learned to convey a broad, spanning architectural sense of a piece. When Boult is finished, you always feel you understand what the piece is about." His technique was quite efficient even if at times it might have looked somewhat diffident or a little bumbling.

I checked repeatedly on YouTube a couple of videos with sir Adrian on the podium (infinitely rare documents) and paid attention on his method. In his career, most of the time Boult was using a long baton: As we can see, thanks to a live footage of the Beethoven violin concerto at the Royal Albert Hall, its length was roughly the third of Oistrakh's violin bow. Many conductors chose the use of a long stick. According to Raymond Holden in his study `The technique of conducting', sir Henry Wood's baton was long (24 inches) and fabricated according to precise requirements. However, Wood's preference was not shared universally: "Herbert von Karajan preferred a short baton, while sir John Barbirolli opted for a stick of moderate length. Some conductors, however, prefer not to use a baton [...] and beat time with bare hands" (ex. Boulez, Stokowski and Mitropoulos). The great Bruno Walter was an advised advocate for the usage of the little wooden stick and so was sir Adrian: In his essay, `Thoughts on Conducting', Boult describes the conductor's baton as a logical prolongment of the body, to some extent, a crucial tool to help communicate clearly and firmly the `instructions' to the orchestra. Eye contact with performers is another matter of particular significance. On that topic, Holden neatly refers to Boult: "Probably the most famous example of a conductor using eye contact to achieve his musical objectives was Arthur Nikisch. [...] Sir Adrian Boult also commented on Nikisch's use of the eye [...]". For all purposes, the `mesmerizing' style of Nikisch has little (or nothing) to do with hypnosis, but rather with a practical technique and methods on workable means of expression.

Dr. Teresa Marrin Nakra (Immersion Music), a specialist in her domain formed at the M.I.T., makes it clear that "conducting is a mature form that has developed over 250 years and has an established, documented technique. The gesture language of conducting is understood and practiced by many musicians, and is commonly used as a basis for evaluating the skill and artistry of conductors." She also remarks that "Sir Adrian Boult wrote about the baton as an extension of the hand in `A Handbook on the Technique of Conducting': "Properly used, the stick is simply an extra joint, a lengthening of the arm. It follows that in cases where the stickless conductor would use the whole forearm for a gesture, with his wrist at some 20 inches from his chest, the conductor with a stick can achieve the same result with his arm practically still and his wrist 4 or 5 inches from the chest. The stick, like the gearbox of a motor car, will save a great deal of energy provided it is properly used." In another section of his book, he praised the technique of another conductor by stating that "the late Arthur Nikisch, whose ease in controlling the stick was most remarkable, seemed to hold his stick as an elongation of his thumb: it almost looked as if they were tied together" (Ref.: T. M. Nakra; `Inside the Conductor's Jacket: Analysis, Interpretation and Musical Synthesis of Expressive Gesture'). Leonard Bernstein's comments on the subject are likewise fascinating: "If the conductor uses a baton, the baton itself must be a living thing, charged with a kind of electricity, which makes it an instrument of meaning in its tiniest movement. If he does not use a baton, his hands must do the job with equal clarity. But baton or no baton, his gestures must be first and always meaningful in terms of the music."

*Boult and the BBC.*
This fine Dutton disc offers splendid examples of the vintage BBC years of sir Adrian Boult. Dutton Vocalion have released a splendid number here, for this collection (first volume) offers uniformly good, well-played music with honest sound quality. The Berlioz Overtures were recorded in 1936. Boult's Berlioz is especially excellent and, to some extent, recalls the young Monteux. King Lear has sure-fire luminescence; the BBC players deliver a lively and powerful sound. By the way, Michael Dutton's remastering job is awesome. The 32nd Symphony (Overture) is a small Mozartian bijou which Boult and the BBC do not attempt to turn into the futile crowd-pleaser it isn't. In its sincerity, that's a rewarding performance. The overture to Cosi fan tutte proves that Boult's Mozart was as fine and effective as Beecham's in his heyday. Berlioz's Les francs juges is quite a bit somber but here Boult doesn't fail as well and smartly maintains the tension throughout (the tone evokes the Symphonie Fantastique). The BBC pulls the hell out of it; what a great reading it is! The Overtures by Mendelssohn are noteworthy, in particular The Hebrides - written during and after a trip to Scotland in 1829. As prof. Geoff Kuenning remarks in his notes on Mendelssohn, "The most striking aspect of this overture is it's successful tone-painting. We can hear the breaking of the waves, almost see the basalt columns and strange colors, and above all experience the overwhelming vastness of the cavern. Many composers, before and since, have used music to depict the physical world, but in Fingal's Cave, Mendelssohn set an example that has never been equaled." Borodin's Marche Polonaise flows with bravura and boldness. The opening to Ruy Blas shows why the BBC S.O.'s brass had no equal in England. They had a mighty and dignified sound, with a sort of `golden' quality to it. The classic 1945 Boult/BBC recording of the Planets is yet another great example of this. The Auber is an outstanding piece and here as well Boult and the BBC show cohesion and adeptness in their handling of melodic structures. Gustav Holst's Scherzo is a rarity which we have here the chance to listen in this exemplary 1944 recording. Sir Adrian Boult is a worthy successor of Henry Wood as regards clarity of textures and concentration. The BBC's sound was immediate, taut and muscular while keeping sufficient room for the softest passage. On this disc each work sparkles with energy and rarely heard intensity. To quote Laurence Vitte of Audiophile Audition, "the sheer integrity of the readings, achieved through a surprisingly urgent simplicity of phrasing lends the music a direct power that speaks from the heart. The best examples of this are the two Berlioz overtures, the Hebrides Overture of Mendelssohn and a previously unpublished recording of the rarely-heard Scherzo from an unfinished symphony of Gustav Holst". For its substance and various qualities the present CD i 100% recommend, with no reserve.

Silvestri Conducts Elgar, Arnold, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Enescu

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Silvestri Conducts Elgar, Arnold, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Enescu

Manufacturer: BBC Legends
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony; Respighi: Pini di Roma

ASIN: B000FI903A
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks: