First Recordings 3

1. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Berlin State Choir
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

2. Symphony No. 9 in E minor ("From the New World," first published as No. 5), B. 178 (Op. 95)
Composed by Antonin Dvorak
with Berlin State Choir
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

Tracks:

Aniseed Robin
Cuckolds All A-Row
I Gave Her Cakes And I Gave Her Ale
Taking His Beer With Old Anacharsis
Fye, Nay, Prithee John
Cold And Raw
The Miller's Daughter
Will Said To His Mammy
The Old Fumbler
Walking In a Meadowe Greene
Celia Learning On The Spinnet
Tom the Taylor
My Lady's Coachman John
The Irish Jig Or The Night Ramble
Come Sirrah Jacke Hoe
Dainty Fine Aniseed Water
Most Men Do Love the Spanish Wine
Argreers
Gathering Peascods
My Lady And Her Maid
As Roger Last Night To Jenny Lay Close
Pox On You
Ladie Lie Near Me
'Tis Women Makes Us Love
Sir Walter Enjoying His Damsel
My Thing Is My Own
Here Dwells a Pretty Maid
My Man John Had a Thing That Was Long
When First Amyntas Sued For a Kiss
More Palatino
Poor Owen
Where They Drank Their Wine
Come, Come, Let Us Drink

Customer Reviews:

One of the best CD's out there!.......2007-05-10

All ages and musical backgrounds love this CD. The Baltimore Consort are amazing. One really feels one is in a smoky pub in the 14oo's getting plastered with England's best musicians! Don't miss "Pox on You;" my kids absolutely howl with glee at the "bass fartophone." I haven't heard laughter like that come out of my little boy since he was a toddler. "Sweet Sir Walter" features one of the guys singing in a falsetto that sweeps lustily down into a Tim Curry-esque (think Dr. Frank-n-furter)gutteral guffaw of delight. So outrageously fun one forgets one is listening to Renaissance madrigals.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-03-25

These bawdy catches and ballads take us on a journey to the taverns and other social gathering places of the the real 'Merry Old England'. Some of us may be mildly shocked by the directness and earthiness of the text, but everyday life in the 17th century was much more 'down-to'earth- and forward. These texts-some blatant and other euphemistic-fully explore the spectrum of humor from the sly smirk to the back-slapping guffaw.
The singing of both ballads and catches belongs to a long and venerable tradition in England. The natural habitat of the of the catch was the tavern, while the ballad was known in a wider variety of social settings as well as the stage. By the end of the 17th century, ballads were collected by connoisseurs of popular culture and published in anthologies. The main source for this recording, 'The Catch Club, or 'Merry Companions', was printed in 1762.
A quote from the catch-philosopher (of 'Come, come let us drink') is offered by the Baltimore Consort: "...wine and good cheer will in spite of our fear inspire our hearts with mirth..the time we live, to wine let us give, since we all must turn to earth...."
This is an excellent collection of songs; quite interesting and varied. The instruments are played skillfully, and the voices, for the most part, are good quality. However, as with all 'folk-like' songs, the diction is not always clear, and that is very true of several of these on this disc. The female voices were more difficult to comprehend much of the time. The text is printed out, so ultimately familiararity will make them easier to understand. I do like the disc, and think that it needed to be done.As to a previous criticism concerning the fact that it wasn't 'true' barroom singing. Of course, it's not!!!If it were, you would not understand any of it!!!!!Enough said.

Prelewd to Postlewd.......2005-09-28

The Baltimore Consort, an ensemble of six players, was founded in 1980 with the purpose of performing 'broken consort' pieces of Elizabethan origin. 'Broken' here refers to the instrumentation - treble viol/violin, flue/recorder, lute, cittern, bandore and bass viol. Their repertoire expanded beyond these beginnings to include broader British fare, as well as French and Italian music of the time. This is a happy expansion, as it made this disc of older, bawdy (for its time) music possible.

The Baltimore Consort play with life and vigour, with a good deal of improvisational flair, not being bound to texts and going through the production of notes as if mechanically. This is true to the spirit and nature of the early music, in which performers often had to 'play by ear', neither being able to read music nor having printed music even if they could. This is particularly true of the songs on this disc, where many are derivative of anonymous jokes and stories, and much of the music is likewise folk-tune and anonymously composed.

Some of the songs can be rather shocking. As Mary Anne Ballard writes in the accompanying notes, 'We must remember that in the days before indoor plumbing and pooper-scooper laws, everyday life was of an earthier flavour than it is today.... The men of the singing clubs and the ladies of stage poked fun at themselves and their companions with wit, pleasantry and contrivance.'

The names of many of the composers of these pieces have been lost to history, particularly the more folk-song oriented ones. However, some well-known composers are represented among the pieces here - Purcell, D'Urfey, Aldridge, and others.

The regular players include Mary Anne Ballard (viols), Mark Cudek (cittern, guitar, recorder and bass viol), Custer LaRue (vocalist/soprano), Larry Lipkis (recorder, viols), Ronn McFarlane (lute), Chris Norman (flutes), Webb Wiggins (tambourine and 'virginals'). Some artists are known from other Dorian productions, such as Ronn McFarlane on the lute in the collection 'Greensleeves'.

Added to the regular consort players are the Merry Companions, including Peter Becker (baritone), Alexander Blachly (baritone), Paul Shipper (bass, belch-canto), and James Weaver (baritone).

One more addition includes a guest artist, Lorenzo Labbrobacio, playing of all things, the 'fartophone', a rather mysterious instrument indeed. Labbrobacio defies identification on the internet other than references to this disc, and so the mystery deepens.

This is music that is interesting, truly fun to listen to, entertaining and has a quality about it that makes it a joy both in musical and humourous tones.

Sounds like they're singing Christmas carols.......2004-11-09

This recording is professionally produced - perhaps too much so. I've been in a few taverns and heard my share of bawdy songs. I am used to hearing them sung with gusto, with a wink and a naughty smile, to the raucous and enthusiastic appreciation of the audience. The songs on this CD are performed entirely straight. The results are technically competent but fail utterly in conveying the spirit and fun that make this genre worth listening to.

A sly and rollicksome good time!.......2002-11-29

On this recording, the Baltimore Consort and the Merry Companions are full of fun, both blatant and tongue-in-cheek. Soprano Custer La Rue and the instrumentalists of the Consort are joined by a quartet of classical male singers (Peter Becker, Alexander Blachly, Paul Shipper and James Weaver) with quite a theatrical sense of humor. The two groups take turns presenting ribald tavern songs of merry old England, interspersed by light, catchy instrumentals listed in the credits as the "Prelewd", the "Interlewd" and a "Fresh Ayre". Drinking, sex and other bodily functions are both celebrated and ridiculed in songs that are cleverly worded and enthusiastically sung, and in at least one case, accompanied by a mysterious instrument (reminiscent of P.D.Q. Bach) called a "fartophone". Especially amusing are the "catches" or rounds, and the new meanings that result from the staggering of words when several different verses are all sung together. It sounds silly, and is silly, but that's the point of it all--celebrating the "earthier flavor" of life 17th and 18th century England. My copy came with a parental advisory sticker stuck fast to the case, but my mother didn't seem overly concerned, and in fact enjoyed it too when I played it for her! For more fun Renaissance vocals, both salacious and serious, try "All At Once Well Met: English Madrigals" by the King's Singers, and "The King's Singers' Madrigal History Tour: Italy, England, France, Spain, Germany" by the King's Singers and the Consort of Musicke.

The First Recordings of Ginette Neveu; The Complete Recordings of Josef Hassid

Average customer rating:

True genius
Well, very cool collection
Pathos and beauty luminate in Hassid's complete recordings
Wow
Only second to Tossy Spivakovsky...

The First Recordings of Ginette Neveu; The Complete Recordings of Josef Hassid

Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | 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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Ginette Neveu Plays Brahms
Ginette Neveu
The Art of Ivry Gitlis
The Art of Violin
Complete Recordings/1912 Recordings

ASIN: B000003XHT
Release Date: 1993-10-27

Tracks:

Grave in c - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Four Pieces, Op.17 No.3 (Uno Poco Triste) - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Four Pieces, Op.17 No.2 (Appassionata) - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Nocturne No.20 in c#, Op. Posth. - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Orfeo Ed Euridice: 'Melodie' - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Sicilienne - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Vars On A Theme Of Corelli - Ginette Neveu/Gustaf Beck
La Capricieuse, Op.17 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Melodie (Souvenir D'Un Lieu Cher), Op.42 No.3 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Thais, Act 2: 'Meditation' - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Humoreske, Op.101 No.7 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Playera, Op.23 No.1 (Danzas Espanolas No.5) - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Zapateado, Op.23 No.2 (Danzas Espanolas No.6) - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Hebrew Melody, Op.33 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Caprice Viennois, Op.2 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
La Capricieuse, Op.17 - Josef Hassid/Ivor Newton

Customer Reviews:

True genius.......2006-04-18

The number of stars won't say anything about Hassid's playing. His heritage consists of these few tracks but those 8 pieces stand as a reference and the Beauty that speaks through his violin, is the size of Universe.
Words are powerless to describe what makes Hassid's voice so speaking, so organic, so effortless and so true. The violin speaks with such simplicity that it touches deeply. At this point, virtuosity does not describe Hassid's art. There is not an inflection of the bow that is meaningless or just a filler. Everything is meaningful, natural and intelligent. "La Capricieuse" under Hassid's fingers becomes as important as a major concerto. These pieces are a must hear for anyone who really wants to understand the essence of what music is all about. Measuring anyone else with the Hassid yardstick offers you the best chance to spot true musicians...
Five thousand stars to you, Josef!

Well, very cool collection.......2006-03-10

Amazing that Ginette Neveu is mentioned only casually in all of the reviews below. She DID beat David Oistrakh, the "king of violinists" at the Wieniawski violin competition. Her playing is of the top caliber.

In any case, this disk is interesting as both a historical artifact and as a wonderful recording. It is a good sampling of Hassid's lush playing, but doesn't begin to cover Nevau's carrer. You can get her recordings elsewhere.

Another brilliant violinist who died young, Michael Rabin.

Pathos and beauty luminate in Hassid's complete recordings.......2005-11-20

I have grown up listening to many, many violinists, but was never exposed to Josef Hassid until a few months ago, after watching the "Great Violinists of the 20th Century," a documentary. Hassid was mentioned briefly in the section of the film devoted to child prodigies--a short clip of Achron's Hebrew Melody (which is on this cd) played in the background as a black and white photograph of Hassid slowly faded out. The Melody was so haunting, tragic, and passionate it convinced me to look into this young violinist who died from a brain operation in an asylum.
I was not disappointed. Hassid's only recordings here are beautiful beyond words, and nearly perfect--the Humoresque is enough to bring tears to your eyes, while the Kreisler pieces are played with empathy and a suave sort of urgency; the Tchaikovsky piece is gorgeous--Hassid sings with the violin like no one I have ever heard. The dynamics and rubato of his interpretations are so natural and emotional it is almost hard to believe he was 16 years old when this recording was made. Personally, Josef Hassid is my favorite violinist of all time, and this includes Perlman, Heifetz, Menuhin, Oistrakh and anyone else. I base this opinion on these 8 or so tracks.
Neveu, another tragedy, is good as well, although her playing is not of as high a quality as Hassid's. Some of the repetoire presented is, however, very interesting (for instance, the Chopin transcription). But this cd is more a beautiful and tragic testiment to a brilliantly gifted young man, whose name, if things had been different, we might have recognized as easily as Heifetz or Perlman.

Wow.......2004-11-07

Hassid plays like an angel- what a awful shame he didn't live longer. These recordings made when he was a teenager reveal an extraordinary artist. His tone is out of this world, and he plays with such pure style and sincerity. Neveu's playing is also excellent. Buy this CD.

Only second to Tossy Spivakovsky..........2002-01-29

Spectacular playing, only second to the vastly under-rated Tossy Spivakovsky, especially playing Sibelius' Violin Concerto.

Leonard Bernstein: The 1953 American Decca Recordings

Average customer rating:

It's wonderful to have Bernstein back, but the performances fall short
Come back Lennie, we need you
For Bernstein enthusiasts, it's like owning a gold mine
Bernstein's Early American Recordings

Leonard Bernstein: The 1953 American Decca Recordings

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Karl Böhm Conducts Mozart and Strauss
Leonard Bernstein Conducts Haydn (Collectors Edition)
Pierre Monteux Decca & Philips Recordings, 1956-1964
Shostakovich: The Golden Age
The Complete 1950s Chopin Recordings

ASIN: B00067GKF6
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Customer Reviews:

It's wonderful to have Bernstein back, but the performances fall short.......2006-11-26

These 1953 mono recordings catch Bernstein a decade after his famous debut with the NY Phil. and five years before he became their youngest-ever condcutor. It's great to hear that warm, comforting voice again, although his analyses--especially the longest one devoted to the Brahms Fourth--aren't as polished as they would become. He gets pedagogical at times and runs us through a rote example-and-explanation formula. Even then, howeer, colorful Bernstein touches peek out, and we are reminded of the man who taught an entire generation to venerate classical music.

For me, the performances themselves fall short. They were often recorded in a rush, sometimes late at night after a summer concert. I know that the Stadium Sym. is actually the NY Phil., but they don't sound particularly fine, and Bernstein's interpreatations, though vigorous, often border on the slapdash. Plowing through Beethoven's 3rd, Dvorak's 9th, Schumann's 2nd, Brahms' 4th and Tchaikovsky's 6th, I found few sparks of originaity, much less genius. This is a tough admission from one of LB's geat admirers, but there you are. The original recorded sound is also a bit thin and harsh.

Come back Lennie, we need you.......2006-02-22

This box is worth its price just for the five talks. Bernstein at this stage had a teaching style rather more stilted than the chatty sage of later years, but the combination of authority, insight and infectious enthusiasm is unique. Entertainingly offhand about the New World, he's at his best on the music he reveres most, i.e. Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms, the first movement of whose Fourth Symphony gets a particularly in-depth analysis that left me yearning for more. Practically anyone could enjoy and learn from these talks - they're fascinating fun without a whiff of down-dumbing. When the classical and the popular cross over nowadays, the results are usually compromised and crass, but with Bernstein there doesn't even seem to be a gap to be crossed over - just a passion to share these wonders with as many people as possible. We need his all-embracing talent and vision today more than ever.

Then there are the performances. I'm not the biggest fan of mono symphonic recordings, but these positively leap down your ears, unmannered, committed and electric. It's hard to believe what was achieved under the hasty recording conditions described in the booklet. The sound is a little fierce, but good enough to make this set a wonderful gift for any open-minded but symphonically ignorant acquaintance. I can easily imagine it turning someone on to classical music.

For Bernstein enthusiasts, it's like owning a gold mine.......2005-06-19

This new album set is something that I had heard of, but never dared to hope would be released on CD. It consists of Leonard Bernstein's very first recordings of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 (the "Eroica"), Dvorak's "New World Symphony", Schumann's Symphony No. 2, Brahms' Fourth Symphony, and Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony. They are all conducted by Bernstein and played beautifully by an orchestra which bills itself as the New York Stadium Symphony Orchestra, but which is really the great New York Philharmonic, using the name that they gave themselves during summer concerts.

The performances are a revelation, because they demonstrate conclusively that Bernstein did not always "exaggerate" or "overinterpret" great music, as critics frequently claim. His performances here are very, very direct and straightforward, more like Fritz Reiner or Toscanini than like Bernstein.

If this album contained only Bernstein's early performances of these symphonies, it would be interesting, but it might not really attract that much attention, since he re-recorded all of these pieces in stereo in later years, and with the same orchestra.

What makes this set so valuable is that it contains his long out-of-print lectures on these symphonies, and far from what the previous reviewer claims, they never become boring and monotonous. No musician in our time, or maybe even in the history of music, was a better or more articulate and sensitive lecturer on music than Leonard Bernstein. His legendary appearances on the "Young People's Concerts" did more for the appreciation of classical music than all the "Beethoven's Wig" albums combined. (If you don't know what "Beethoven's Wig" is, check it out and shudder at how far music appreciation has fallen since Bernstein's death.)

Bernstein had a unique ability to make classical music accessible to everybody, without ever condescending to the listener or cheapening the music. His lectures on this album, previously only available to 1950's Book of the Month Subscribers (except for part of the Beethoven lecture, which is the only one that Bernstein did re-record in stereo), are invaluable both to music students and to those who are willing to listen. All of the lectures included cover all four movements of the symphonies discussed, except for the Brahms; that one is just as extensive as the others, but it covers only the first movement of the symphony.

However--be warned, the lectures do have a flaw that the symphonies themselves do not, and that is why I have subtracted one star.

The symphony recordings are obviously remastered from magnetic tape, but the lectures have been transferred from LP's. Thus, you will be able to hear an occasional click or pop from time to time, and there is a clearly audible "skip" on the Brahms lecture. It is NOT the CD being defective, or the laser beam on your player skipping; it is clearly the lecture recordings themselves. Deutsche Grammophon, which released this CD set, is very honest about the source of the transfers to compact disc, and is to be commended for this. (They mention it in the last page of the accompanying booklet.) But this shouldn't deter anybody from buying this enormously important Bernstein set.

Bernstein's Early American Recordings.......2005-04-02

The most recent batch of DG's "Original Masters" box sets boasts several titles that will leave classical collectors rejoicing, "Leonard Bernstein: The 1953 American Decca Recordings" foremost among them. This 5CD set features Lenny in his earliest recorded performances of some of his trademark works -- Beethoven's 3rd, Dvorak's 9th, Schumann's 2nd, Brahms' 4th and Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphonies. Bernstein would later re-record all of five these symphonies with the NYPO (btw, the Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York IS the NYPO) to greater acclaim for Columbia, but these early accounts capture a brilliant young conductor at the threshold of greatness. Also after each performance, Bernstein offers a musical analysis, simplifying what the listener just heard as only he could, which is again something the conductor would become famous for in years to come. Well then, if this is such a great set, why the four-star rating? First, while the performances sound very good, these are 1953 mono recordings and the casual fan needs to be aware that analog and digital stereo recordings of these works by the conductor do exist, and are generally preferable. Second, the musical analysis is a nice touch, but certainly does not warrant repeated listenings, as does the music. In fact, nearly half of the contents of these five discs is LB talking, and it could have been filled with music instead, or simply sold as a less expensive 3CD set. However, these shortcomings aside, "Leonard Bernstein: The 1953 American Decca Recordings" is another outstanding release in a fine series.

George Szell: Decca & Philips Recordings 1951-1969

Average customer rating:

Lots of Szell Brings A Re-evaluation
George Szell is best known from his Columbia recordings

George Szell: Decca & Philips Recordings 1951-1969

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Clifford Curzon: Decca Recordings, 1937-1971, Vol. 3
CARL SCHURICHT Decca Recordings 1949-1956
Pierre Monteux Decca & Philips Recordings, 1956-1964
Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967
George Szell Plays and Conducts Mozart

ASIN: B0009A41XS
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy.

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

The Best of the Baltimore Consort

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

The Mad Buckgoat - Ancient Music of Ireland
La Rocque 'n' Roll - Popular Music of Renaissance France / The Baltimore Consort
The Ladyes Delight
On the Banks of Helicon: Early Music of Scotland
Custer LaRue Sing The Daemon Lover

ASIN: B00008SHCS
Release Date: 2003-01-28

CANTEMIR : Music in Istanbul and Ottoman Europe around 1700

Average customer rating:

Cantemir, Great Sultan, Louis XIV and Peter the Great
Worth exploring, but...
Excellent

CANTEMIR : Music in Istanbul and Ottoman Europe around 1700

Manufacturer: Golden Horn Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Turkey | Middle East | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

International Folk | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0001CVE8E
Release Date: 2004-01-30

Tracks:

Syrba - Moldavian Dance
Syrba - Moldavian Dance
Beraber Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Zhok de Nante - Moldavian Dance
Ostropesul - Moldavian Dance
Syrba with Taksim - Moldavian Dance
Bestenigar Taksim - Improvisation
Pesrev in makam Bestenigar - Dimitrie Cantemir
Tanbur Taksimi - Improvisation (tanbur solo)
Saz Semaisi in makam Neva / usul aksak semai (10/8) - Dimitrie Cantemir
Saz Semaisi in makam Rast / usul aksak semai - Dimitrie Cantemir
Syrbas - Moldavian Dances
KemenTaksimi - Improvisation (kemensolo)
In Honor of Prince Kantemir - Lou Harrison
Beraber Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Andante (from Concertino per Kemance, Violino Picolo 5 Instruments, 'In Honor of Kantemiro, 2000) - Yalcin Tura
A Turkish Air (Travels and Observations, 1738) Thomas Shaw (1694-1751)
Marche a la Turque (Pis de viole, Book V, 1725) Marin Marais (1656 - 1728)
Marche pour la cmonie des Turcs (Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, 1670) J-B. Lully (1632 - 1687)
The Turks' dance (Augurs, 1622) Ben Jonson (1572/3 - 1637)
New metar (The Dancing Master, 1665) John Playford (1623 - 1686)
Rast Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Pesrev in makam Rast / usul berefsan (16/8) Dimitrie Cantemir
Zhok de Nante - Moldavian Dance
Penh Taksim - Improvisation (kemensolo)
Saz semaisi in makam Penh / usul aksak semai (10/8) - yemai (6/8) - Bulgariaska (Floria 16) - yemai (6/8) - aksak semai (10/8) Dimitrie Cantemir and Moldavian Dance
H Taksim - Collective Improvisation (kemen baroque flute)
Pesrev in makam H - Dimitrie Cantemir
Buselik Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Pesrev in makam Buselik / usul devr-i-revan (14/16) Dimitrie Cantemir

Album Description

CANTEMIR honors the amazingly rich life of Prince Dimitrie Cantemir (Kantemiroglu, 1673-1723), born in Moldavia (now Romania) but educated in Istanbul, becoming during his many years at the heart of Ottoman culture a master musician, composer, linguist, and lexicographer. Sent home eventually to rule Moldavia as the representative of the Ottoman Empire, Cantemir betrayed the Sultan by attempting unsuccessfully with the aid of Tsar Peter the Great to liberate his people. In defeat, he fled with his court into exile in Russia.

Featured on the disc is Ihsan Ozgen, Linda Burman-Hall and the ensemble Lux Musica, in compositions in Ottoman classical style by Prince Cantemir, first recordings of new music honoring Kantemiroglu by Lou Harrison and Yalcin Tura, traditional and experimental improvisations, and Moldavian dance music. Ihsan Ozgen plays kemence (Turkish fiddle) and tanbur (Turkish lute). Linda Burman-Hall is playing early keyboards and bendir (frame drum).

Customer Reviews:

Cantemir, Great Sultan, Louis XIV and Peter the Great.......2006-07-30

Firstly, I want to thank Lux Musica and Ihsan Ozgen for recording such a beautiful exquisite album.
Moldavian prince Dmitrie Cantemir stood on cross-roads between the West, Russia and the Orient on the turning point of history - end of the 17th - beginning of 18th centuries. Philosopher, musician and musicologist, orientalist and politician - charismatic and interesting person.
Ihsan Ozgen and Lux Musica decided not to re-create authentic Turkish folk sound of Kantemir`s music, but to incorporate fantastic sound of Turkish string instrument kemence, which reminds crying human voice, and other Turkish instruments into the European ensemble Lux Musica (flute, violin, viola, lute, early guitar, percussion, harpsichord, virginal). Idea is to present the music by Kantemir as synthesis of European and Oriental cultural traditions, to imagine real concerts of his daughter Maria (who played harpsichord) in the court of Peter the Great in Russia, and to describe the cultural context of Kantemir`s music.
You would hear music by Kantemir himself, European "Turkish" style melodies of the 17th century by Lully (melody for famous play by Moliere "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme"), Marin Marais, Ben Johnson, Moldavian folk dances - so this programme wouldn`t be boring for you. I don`t agree with the previous reviewer - to listen to whole CD of authentic Turkish material - it`s a real hard work for European, Russian or American lover of classical music. That`s why I think that Ihsan Ozgen and Lux Musica were right.
So listen to this beautiful music and read a good novels by modern writers devoted to problems of relationships between Orient and Occident - try works by Amin Maalouf, Orhan Pamuk, Milorad Pavic.

Very beautiful album!

P.S. Addition to the text in the booklet. There stated that "Kantemir betrayed Sultan". Let`s be objective - history was more sophisticated. Don`t forget that Kantemir lived in Istanbul as the hostage to guarantee the loyalty of his native Moldavia to the Ottoman Empire. As he wrote in his memoirs, when he was selected by the Sultan to be a ruler of Moldavia, he was informed that he should make a "gift" to the Court - to pay a sum of money. And the sum of this "gift" was very high. Kantemir understood that he should raise the taxes in Moldavia to collect this money. So the choice was - to betray Sultan or to betray his native people. Ruler of Vallachia (modern Romania) sent a letter to Kantemir and invited him to join the revolt of the Orthodox Christians against the Ottoman rule. They secretly asked Tzar Peter the Great to help them. But when the Russian troops started their expedition, Vallachian ruler, who provoked Kantemir, informed Sultan about this revolt and of course rejected to participate in it. So Kantemir in 1711 had no other choice than to join Russian troops and after the unglorious end of this expedition (there were no any revolt) - Kantemir with his family fled to Russia. His life was saved by Peter the Great, because Ottoman powers demanded to return Kantemir to them (of course he would be killed) as condition of peace treaty with Russia.
His son Antoich became Russian poet and diplomate. In Paris he was close to writers and poets of the French Enlightenment.

Worth exploring, but..........2004-08-07

If you're coming to this out of curiosity, rather than as an Ottoman music fan, you may be more pleased with this disk than I was.

The best compositions here are those of Cantemir, the master himself. The folk dances are interesting, but they aren't on the same level of refinement. Cantemir was at the peak of a learned tradition. The juxtaposition with folk material might be justified if Cantemir had drawn on it for his compositions, but that's not the case; we're simply told that the peasants back near Cantemir's home in what is now Romania were playing these dances while Cantemir was off in Constantinople playing his stuff for the sultan. And the point is...? I would have preferred a disk purely of Cantemir pieces.

The music is well played, but I'm not totally sold on the mixture of eastern and western instruments. Obviously, it isn't authentic, but that isn't the problem; sometimes the mixture of instruments just doesn't work. One glowing exception is the neva saz semai, where the tanbur and harpsichord blend quite nicely.

Don't get me wrong; it's worth a listen. But if you already know the Ottoman classical tradition and some of Cantemir's works, be sure you know that you're getting an experimental "fusion" disk, not something traditional.

Excellent.......2004-03-27

This CD finally opens the long forgotten bridge to the early Ottoman music. Although in recent albums (for example, in "Dream of the Orient" by Concerto Koln and Sarband) there are some fine examples of Cantemir's work, this single album is fully dedicated to him.

The examples are carefully chosen to present early Ottoman and Cantemir's own music. The addition of the music from the composers of the West (some are recent, in honor of Cantemir), showing the influence of the Turkish music, is very nice and complementary.

Cantemir, as might be known, is the first musician/traveler/diplomat (and later a trouble maker) from Romania, who recorded the Ottoman music while he was living in the Ottoman lands for near twenty years.

Followed by composers such as Fux, Mozart, J. and M. Haydn brothers, Beethoven, Gluck, Rossini and many others, the Turkish music, its musical instruments (drums, cymbals and triangle, etc.) and themes became the most influential regional effect on the Western classical music for a few centuries.

A CD that should not be missed.

Seeds - The Songs Of Pete Seeger: Volume 3
Average customer rating:

a great collection

Seeds - The Songs Of Pete Seeger: Volume 3
Pete Seeger , and Pete Seeger And Friends
Manufacturer: Appleseed Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
General | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
General | Compilations | Folk | Styles | Music
Revival | Folk | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

If I Had a Song: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 2

Where Have All The Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions

American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1

We Shall Overcome: Complete Carnegie Hall Concert

ASIN: B0000CA0TF
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

Oh Sacred World
Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam (Bring Them Home) / with Billy Bragg, Ani DiFranco, Steve Earle
Trouble at the Bottom / with Tao Rodriguez-Seeger
The Dove
English Is Cuh-Ray-Zee
A Little A' This 'n' That / w/Arlo Guthrie, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger
Maple Syrup Time / with Tao Rodriguez-Seeger
Odds on Favorite
Estadio Chile
Flowers of Peace / with Anne Hills
Dr. King on Violence
Take It from Dr. King
Sower of Seeds
Visions of Children / with Anna Crusis Women's Choir
Over the Rainbow
Sailing Down My Golden River

Tracks:

A Lucky Musician / Pete Seeger
Old Devil Time / Pat Humphries
Mrs. Clara Sullivan's Letter / John McCutcheon
Who Killed Norma Jean / Janis Ian
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring / Tony Trischka
Bells of Rhymney / Dick Gaughan
Turn! Turn! Turn! / Martin Simpson & Jessica Radcliffe
From Way Up Here / Michele Greene
Times A-Getting Hard, Boys / Tom Paxton
One Man's Hands / Carolyn Hester
Sacco's Letter to His Son / Magpie
Spider's Web (Natural History) / Peggy Seeger
River of My People / Herdman, Hills & Mangsen
When I Was Most Beautiful / Last Forever
Tomorrow is a Highway / Kim & Reggie Harris
Which Side Are You On / Natalie Merchant
Precious Friend / Holly Near & Ronnie Gilbert
To My Old Brown Earth / Pat Humphries
50/50 Chance / Pete Seeger

Album Description

This final installment in the Appleseed label's trilogy of celebrations of Pete Seeger's music (WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE and IF I HAD A SONG are the first two volumes) is a 2-CD set that opens with Pete's first disc of new recordings since his 1996 Grammy winner, PETE. On disc one, 84-year-old Pete, family members (grandson Tao Rodriguez-Seeger and half-sister Peggy) and musical friends (Arlo Guthrie, Anne Hills, and Tom Pacheco, among others) perform songs he wrote, adapted or adopted. Several pro-peace songs here were recorded even as the U.S. was invading Iraq, including an updated version of the Vietnam-era "Bring Them Home" featuring guest vocalists Billy Bragg, Ani DiFranco and Steve Earle. Other songs on disc one range from the lighthearted ("English is Cuh-ray-zee," "Maple Syrup Time") and optimistic ("A Little A' This 'n' That," "Over the Rainbow") to pained political outrage ("Estadio Chile") and social commentary ("Take It from Dr. King," "Visions of Children"), concluding with the autumnal tranquility of "Sailing Down My Golden River."

The second disc presents exclusive recordings of Seeger-related songs by a diverse assortment of highly respected folk musicians. Janis Ian, Tom Paxton, Natalie Merchant, Pete's fellow ex-Weaver Ronnie Gilbert, Holly Near and many others explore some of the lesser known entries in Seeger's repertoire. Highpoints include Pat Humphries' cover versions of Pete's meditations on the circle of life ("Old Devil Time" and "To My Old Brown Earth"), a slow, almost psychedelic rendition of "Bells of Rhymney" by Dick Gaughan, Natalie Merchant's fierce "Which Side Are You On," and Janis Ian's quietly bitter take on "Who Killed Norma Jean."

Both discs are interspersed with spoken comments by Pete, and the packing includes a 28-page booklet with extensive liner notes by Pete himself detailing the inspiration behind many of these songs.

Customer Reviews:

a great collection.......2004-02-22

This album is just as good as first two volumes. The artists involved truly have a respect for the originals. If you like this music then I recommend you check out these great collections of folk music by various artists: "O Brother Where Art Thou?" "Ain't No Grave" and "Cold Mountain".

Average customer rating:

Stunning & atmospheric
EBQ Takes the Listener to the Next Passage
Absolutely perfect.

Passage 138 B.C.-A.D. 1611

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

King's Court and Celtic Fair
The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli
Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy

ASIN: B000003CZU
Release Date: 1994-11-08

Tracks:

Haec Dies
Spiritual Dance
Minimal
Sibley Sanctus Lydian
De Profundis
Hopper Dance
Instrumental
Si Dolce
Factus Est Repente
Sun Credo
Scandinavian Chant
First Delphic Hymn
Dilectus Meus
Peccaniem Me Quotidie
Lydian
The Melancholy Of Departure

Customer Reviews:

Stunning & atmospheric.......2003-11-23

Many casual listeners of classical music (like myself) are often drawn to particular albums within this genre because of the timeless atmosphere and mood that we hope any particular release will encompass. Something that sounds like it could have come from hundreds of years ago, dripping in history and long forgotten places and people, and yet still saying something to todays listener.
I am not even a fan in general of brass quintets, quartets, ect, so if it weren't for a friend at work having purchased this CD, and my own being a major fan of the under-recorded guitarist Peter Maunu (who guests here), I would have never picked up this disc.
I've been buying just about anything Peter Maunu plays on after buying, and loving, his single 1990 solo album as well as his many appearences with Mark Isham (often on soundtracks), so I borrowed this disc to listen to at work from my friend. Then I borrowed it again, then again. Sure, I could have easily burned a CD copy myself from his, but these guys aren't selling CD's like they were Brittany Spears and I thought buying my own copy is kind of like a vote for these guys saying "yeah, this is a classic work". Besides, I even like the cover and the liner info (I just NEED to know who plays what on each track, who the guest musicians are, ect).
So you have this excellently recorded disc with the brass quintet with ever so subtle additions of Peter Maunu's guitar, some voices, and some subtle percussion and fretless bass from two other Mark Isham associates, Kurt Wortman and Doug Lunn. They all add to the great atmosphere (there's that word again) of this disc.
I've had my own copy of this disc for a couple of weeks now and it's the one disc that has not left my cd changer. I just change all the other discs around it it seems.
To top it off, I am a major Mark Isham fan and among all of the ancient works on this disc they do a version of Isham's "The Melancholy Of Departure" from Isham's "We Begin" duet disc with Art Lande.
I would recommend this disc to ANY fan of classical music as well as fans of new age music. It really deserves 5 stars and I hope this disc receives the sales numbers that it truly deserves..
I have no idea how my friend at work discovered this CD, but I sure am glad he did.

EBQ Takes the Listener to the Next Passage.......2000-12-07

I have owned this album for five years now and I never grow tired of it. The music is in turns solemn, majestic, soothing, grandiose and intimate. In the liner notes EBQ trumpeter Rolf Smedvig says, "This represents our latest effort exploring, with new arrangements, the music of the modal system. Modal music is based on scales which dominated European music for 1,100 years, from approximately 400 to 1500 and strongly influenced composers for another one hundred years."

In addition to the members of the EBQ, guest musicians are incorporated into the music on guitar, fretless bass, synthesizer, percussion and wordless vocals.

What I love about this music is its ability to transport the listener to another palce and time. Smedvig summed it up best in the liner notes when he concluded," The music is timeless. The old becomes new, the new old. Melodies never end, they only lead to the next passage..." Beautiful music indeed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Absolutely perfect........1999-07-02

This is a wonderful album, which I can't recommend strongly enough. On this disc, Empire Brass succeeds brilliantly in melding the passion and splendor of early music with the eclectic trickery of modern world-music percussion. The arrangements are intricate & delicate, yet powerful, and the sound is pristine. Think of it as the Roman Empire making a techno jazz album. I even used it at my wedding. Fans of acid/techno jazz, world music and brass should not miss this amazing disc.

Average customer rating:

Fireworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Canons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001QBV
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

Sinf To Cant, BWV 29 'Wir Danken Dir Gott, Wir Danken Dir'
Choral: 'Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme', BWV 645
Badinerie-Ste For Orch No.2 in b, BWV 1067
Voluntary in a
Trumpet Tune in D
Toccata in d
Toccata in f
Toccata in g
Allegro From Organ Con No. 10 in d, Op.7
Sarabande, BWV 977
Basse Et Dessus De Trompette
Fugue in G, BWV 577 ('Gigue')
Hornpipe From The Water Music
Flotenuhrstucke (Pieces for Musical Clock) in C
Flotenuhrstucke in D
Flotenuhrstucke in G
Canon in A-Flat
Canon in b
Valse Oubliee No.1
March From 'The Love Of the Three Oranges'
Hautbois D'Armour From 'Jeux D'Orgue'
Tutti Ostinati From 'Jeux D'Orgue'
Improvisation On The Theme, 'Greensleeves'

Tracks:

Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: Gnomus
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Ancient Castle
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: Argument Among The Children
Pictures At An Exhibition: A Polish Oxcart
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: Ballet Of The Chicks In The Shells
Pictures At An Exhibition: Samuel Goldenberg And Schmuyle
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Market Place At Limoges
Pictures At An Exhibition: Catacombs-Roman Sepulchre
Pictures At An Exhibition: Baba Yaga, The Hut On Fowl's Legs
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Great Gate At Kiev
Three Dances From Petrouchka: Danse Russe
Three Dances From Petrouchka: Chez Petrouchka
Three Dances From Petrouchka: La Semaine Grasse

Tracks:

Toccata And Fugue in d, BWV 565
Recit De Tierce En Taille
Fant in f, K.608
Hyperion, Or The Rhetoric Of Fire: First Movt: Hermes
Hyperion, or The Rhetoric Of Fire: Second Movt: The Fires Of Silence
Hyperion, Or The Rhetoric Of Fire: Third Movt: The Inflamed Soul
Hyperion, Or The Rhetoric Of Fire: Fourth Movt: Agni-Ignis
First Movt From Sym No.5, Allegro Vivace
Fant And Fugue On The Name 'B.A.C.H.'

Average customer rating:

Exciting Early Warren
A voice unmatched

Leonard Warren: His First Recordings

Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l
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
Similar Items:

Legendary Voices: Leonard Warren II
Robert Merrill: Arias from Otello, Un Ballo in Maschera, Il Trovatore
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Leonard Warren
Opera Arias & Concert Songs
Robert Merrill

ASIN: B000003LIQ
Release Date: 1995-11-06

Tracks:

I. Pagliacci: Prologue
La Traviata: Act II, Scene 1 Pura siccome un angelo
La Traviata: Act II, Scene 2 Di sprezzo degno se stesso rende to end of scene
Rigoletto: Act I, Scene 1 Ah, piu di Ceprano importuno non v'e!
Rigoletto: Act II Cortigiani, vil razza dannata
Rigoletto: Act II Tutte le feste...Piangi, fanciulla, piangi...Si, vendetta
Rigoletto: Act III Bella figlia dell'amore (Quartet)
Aida: Act II Che veggo! Egli? Mio Padre! to end of scene
Aida: Act III Rivedrai le foreste imbalsamate
Carmen: Act II Votre toast (Toreador Song)

Customer Reviews:

Exciting Early Warren.......2007-01-16

Leonard Warren must have been electric in person. His ended tragically on stage in 1960, but these recordings, made in 1940, show his voice at its most youthful. The highlight, for me, is the prologue from Pagliacci. Several of the other excerpts feature less-than-ideal soloists (except for Eleanor Steber in Traviata who is terrific) and faster than normal tempi (perhaps because of timing constraints of 78rpm recordings), but if you want to hear Warren at the beginning of his career, this is the recording to get.

A voice unmatched.......2004-11-24

The 29 year old baritone made some of his very first recordings on behalf of the New York Post--the Post was recording opera excerpts as a way to beef up its cultural reputation around the area. This CD contains opera excerpts from this recording series and reveals Warren's voice in its most glorious form. The magnificent size of his voice can be heard on any of his recordings. However, here, his voice has a ring and brilliance to it that he lost in later years. He had the tendency to cover more and not always use the core of his voice during his later, more common recordings. But in these excerpts, his voice is consistant all the way through his incredible range. And his "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata" is the most heartfelt, believable rendition I have heard to this day (he puts more popular renditions--like Sherrill Milnes'--to shame). His voice is so exquisitely beautiful, but yet torn and angry at being unable to find his daughter, Gilda. No doubt his time in Italy several years earlier had something to do with his completely assimilating the role of Rigoletto (he spent some time there learning huge Verdi roles through his own study...simply to prepare them for later life). His voice is unique not for its size, but for its remarkable consistency throughout and for the fact that--especially in this recording--he is able to capture that same brilliance in his voice that other mere mortals must push and force out at the expense of their technique and depth. His technique is remarkable at such a young age. No one on these recordings can really begin to compete with the presence inherent in his voice. However, his voice blends very well with most sopranos and his ensemble numbers often contain his best singing. His Traviata excerpts with a young Eleanor Steber are quite exquisite. Warren's voice really is the most magnificent ever bestowed on a baritone.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Baby Boomer Classics: More Rockin' Sixties

Gluck: Orfeo and Euridice [Import]

Disciple of the Blues

Arco Voz

Extermina

History In The Making [Explicit Lyrics]

Fun & Games

germanbooks88.com Music: Albeniz: Concierto Fantastico/Iberia

Fool for Love

Ezz-Thetic [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Green (CD + DVD-A) (Dig)

Eu Mim Meu [Import]

Electrosphere 2004 Chapter 1 [Import]

The Ultimate Kids Song Collection: Super Sunday Songs, Vol. 2

Plays Well With Others