A Bird Came Down the Walk

1. Concert Piece for viola & piano, WoO
Composed by George Enescu
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

2. Rondo, for viola & piano
Composed by Jean Sibelius
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

3. Lachrymae, reflections on a song of Dowland, for viola & piano, Op. 48
Composed by Benjamin Britten
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

4. Elegy, for viola solo
Composed by Benjamin Britten
with Nobuko Imai

5. A Bird Came Down the Walk, for viola & piano
Composed by Toru Takemitsu
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

6. Intermezzo for viola & piano
Composed by Nino Rota
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

7. Visages (4), for viola & piano, Op. 238
Composed by Darius Milhaud
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

8. Infanta Marina for viola & piano, Op 83
Composed by Vincent Persichetti
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

9. Rêverie in F sharp minor for viola & piano
Composed by Henryk Wieniawski
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

10. There Is a Willow Grows aslant a Brook for orchestra
Composed by Frank Bridge
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

11. Romance oubliée, for viola (or violin, or cello) & piano, S. 132 (LW D16)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Roland Pontinen , Nobuko Imai

A Bird Came Down the Walk,Nobuko Imai,Frank Bridge,Benjamin Britten,George Enescu,Franz Liszt,Darius Milhaud,Vincent Persichetti,Nino Rota,Jean Sibelius,Toru Takemitsu,Henryk Wieniawski,Roland Pontinen,Bis,20th/21st Century Orchestral Music,Chamber,Classical,Classical Composers,Orchestral,Single String Instrument with Keyboard/Continuo,Viola Solo,Viola with Keyboard

Average customer rating: Excellent Another tossed off Imai recording IS ONE IN THE HAND REALLY WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH?

A Bird Came Down the Walk Benjamin Britten , George Enescu , Franz Liszt , Darius Milhaud , Vincent Persichetti , Nino Rota , Jean Sibelius , Toru Takemitsu , Henryk Wieniawski , and Roland Pontinen Manufacturer: Bis ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Enescu, Georges | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Liszt | Liszt, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Milhaud | Milhaud, Darius | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Persichetti | Persichetti, Vincent | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Rota, Nino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Takemitsu | Takemitsu, Toru | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wieniawski | Wieniawski, Henri | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Viola | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000016OX Release Date: 1997-03-18

Tracks:

1. Concert Piece
2. Rondo
3. Reflection
4. Elegy
5. A Bird Came Down The Walk
6. Intermezzo
7. I. La Californienne
8. II. The Wisconsonian
9. III. La Bruxelloise
10. IV. La Parisienne
11. Infanta Marina
12. Rrie
13. There Is A Willow Grows Aslant A Brook
14. Romance Oubli

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2004-09-08

This is by far the best viola CD I have ever purchased. Most of the songs on this CD I have tried to find recordings for before. The CD case also states the publisher of each song so that you can purchase the viola part for the songs on this CD. I would recommend this CD for both classical music generalists, and fans of the viola.

Another tossed off Imai recording.......2003-11-26

I was initially intrigued by the large number of very interesting shorter pieces for viola on this disc, many of which I did not have a previous recording of. That remains to be the only reason I could recommend buying this CD. Imai plays consistently with an uninteresting, turgid, unexpressive sound. It was shocking to hear a Stradivarious played so poorly. The only bright spot on this CD is the Sibelius Rondo- we have a premiere here, and it is a wonderful piece played convincingly by Imai. It seems like more work from the recording engineer could have been done in capturing a more full viola sound and a more round piano sound. I highly prefer and would recommend the Cynthia Phelps version of the Enesco, the Kashkashian version of the Liszt and Britten Lachrymae, and the Martinson version of the Milhaud. In the Milhaud, Imai actually plays some wrong notes in "La Californienne". Overall, it seems like more careful preparation was needed in these performances.

IS ONE IN THE HAND REALLY WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH?.......2000-12-01

And just when I thought it was safe.......

A BIRD CAME DOWN THE WALK?

Strutting his stuff, indubitably, as Nobuko Imai does in her noble attempt to breathe life into most of these "original works for viola and piano" by composers such as Britten, Milhaud, Enescu, et. al. Unfortunately, not even her superb craftsmanship, her gorgeous tone (a 1690 Cremona), nor her admiration for these pieces can blunt the fact that, well, the music is simply not that good.

The most interesting of the lot are the "Reflection" and "Elegy" of Britten. These are sturdy, stark works, and quite beautiful in their bare bones bleakness. And fairly melodious for Britten, as well. The Rota "Intermezzo" and the Sibelius "Rondo" are curious, but ultimately unmemorable. Milhaud's "Quatre Visages" and Enescu's "Concert Piece" I found generally lacking inspiration, with the Persichetti "Infanta Marina" trailing not too far behind.

Other selections, such as the Bridge (Britten arrangement of) "There is a Willow Grows Aslant a Brook," and Liszt's own treatment of his "Romance Oubliee," don't work at all. It's just dull stuff.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, if this doesn't put to fine a point on the issue.

I applaud Imai's pluck, Roland Pontinen's scrupulous (if a tad chilly) accompaniment, and the fact that BIS has collected these works enterprisingly on disc; but this doesn't immediately make these compositions top-drawer.

For viola enthusiasts, I can see an avid audience, and deservedly so; however, we generalists may find this CD too much of a good thing... or not so good thing.

[Running time: 78:30]

Average customer rating:

Viola on Stage (A Bird Came Down the Walk) Manufacturer: Bis ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Enescu, Georges | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Liszt | Liszt, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Milhaud | Milhaud, Darius | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Persichetti | Persichetti, Vincent | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Rota, Nino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Takemitsu | Takemitsu, Toru | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wieniawski | Wieniawski, Henri | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Viola | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000C3IAX Release Date: 2003-08-26

Average customer rating: A young violist makes his mark

Lawrence Power, Viola Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music General | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Takemitsu | Takemitsu, Toru | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Viola | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B00005QG1G Release Date: 2002-01-08

Customer Reviews:

A young violist makes his mark.......2003-11-21

For his first solo recording, the young British violist Lawrence Power (now of the Nash Ensemble) has chosen a demanding program of four 20th century works: one solo sonata, one sonata with piano, one short meditative piece and a set of arrangements.

Nikolai Roslavets' first sonata is a glorious piece of Russian Romanticism. Stylistically somewhat akin to the Scriabin of the Third Sonata, this work is eleven minutes of constantly flowing melody and expressive drama. Power and his piano partner, Simon Crawford-Phillips conjure up a dramatic, expressive performance--Power's warm viola tone is particularly effective here--and make this reviewer, at least, wish the second viola sonata had been included as well.

The most extensive work on the disc is Ligeti's recent sonata for solo viola, written in the early 1990s. It is in six movements, the first of which is an evocation of an imaginary Balkan folk music, played entirely on the C string and complete with microtonal inflections. The second and third movements are both marked 'with swing', a rapid dance is succeeded by another folk-music inspired slow movement. The fourth movement is a toccata, played entirely with the mutes, and is succeeded by a dark, slow lament, punctuated by irregular despairing outbursts. The work is rounded off by a chaconne that only momentarily evokes Bach's more famous one. Ligeti's is distinctly less weighty, and this emphasises the suite-like nature of this work, which is much less ambitious than the concerti which immediately preceded it. Power's performance is broader and more intense than either Zimmermann or Knox's rival recordings, though it occasionally loses rhythmic focus.

Toru Takemitsu's brief, meditative A Bird Came Down The Walk is one of his last works, written as it was in 1994, two years before the composer's death. It is an expressive miniature, though perhaps a little too indebted to Debussy and Messiaen for its own good.

The arrangements from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet are a blast. W. W. Borozowski, the Russian violist who arranged them, did an excellent job in creating recital pieces here. I am sure they would go down a treat in live performance--on disc, despite the excellent, lively performances by Power and Crawford-Phillips, they have somewhat less relistening value.

Track Listings:

1. American Chamber Music
2. American Diva: Verdi, Puccini
3. Antonín, Dvorák: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 9 "From the New World"
4. Autumn Long
5. BEETHOVEN : Hammerklavier etc - Brendel
6. Beethoven: String Quartets Nos. 15 & 11
7. Beethoven: Symphony No.9 in D minor/Choral Fantasy
8. Beethoven: Variations in G WoO45; Trios Op70
9. Blow: Ode on the Death of Mr Henry Purcell; Amphion Anglicus
10. Bolshoi-Gala

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

American Evergreens

Classical Treasures: Great Gershwin

Christiana

Very Best of: George Gershwin Songbook [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Gudrun [Import]

Dramatized

Favorite First Songs

Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto

David Allan Coe Presents Conway Twitty

Con Banda Grandes Exitos

EBX 1 [Box set] [Import]

Ether Song [Import]

En la Ciudad [CD-single]

Pianist Extraordinare/Piano Arrangements of Famous Spirituals

Putumayo Presents: North African Groove