Bartok & Schumann: Piano Quintets

1. Piano Quintet, for piano & strings, BB 33, DD 77
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Suzanne Bradbury , Traian Ionescu , Alexandru Mihon , Rasvan Neculai , Doru Stefan Pop , Silvestri String Quartet

2. Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44
Composed by Robert Schumann
with Suzanne Bradbury , Traian Ionescu , Alexandru Mihon , Rasvan Neculai , Doru Stefan Pop , Silvestri String Quartet

Bartok & Schumann: Piano Quintets,Rasvan Neculai,Bela Bartok,Robert Schumann,Silvestri String Quartet,Suzanne Bradbury,Traian Ionescu,Alexandru Mihon,Doru Stefan Pop,Quicksilva Records,Chamber,Classical,Classical Music,Quintet for Keyboard and Four String Instruments

Average customer rating: 5 stars if it weren't for Solti Essential Recordings Only Boulez/Chicago gets 5 Stars Reiner Is Great In The Music Of Bela Bartok, RCA Deserves Praise For The Sound Too much hissing

Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Hungarian Sketches Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring, Fireworks, Petrouchka / Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Chicago Symphony Shostakovich: Symphonies no 5 and 9 / Haitink Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Tchaikovsky / Karajan, Rostropovich, Haydn: The London Symphonies, Vol. 1 ASIN: B000003FEJ Release Date: 1993-08-10

Tracks:

1. Concerto For Orchestra: Introduzione: Andante non troppo; Allegra vivace
2. Concerto For Orchestra: Giuoco delle coppie: Allegretto scherzando
3. Concerto For Orchestra: Elegia: Andante non troppo
4. Concerto For Orchestra: Intermezzo interrotto: Allegretto
5. Concerto For Orchestra: Finale: Pesante; Presto
6. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: Andante tranquillo
7. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: Allegro
8. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: Adagio
9. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: Allegro molto
10. Hungarian Sketches: An Evening In The Village
11. Hungarian Sketches: Bear Dance
12. Hungarian Sketches: Melody
13. Hungarian Sketches: Slighty Tipsy
14. Hungarian Sketches: Swineherd's Dance

Amazon.com essential recording

Since its release on LP in the mid-1950s, Fritz Reiner's rendition of the Concerto for Orchestra has stood as the standard against which all other recordings of the work are measured. Even after all these years, the recording remains just as convincing and authoritative. Reiner's superb control of his orchestra and of Bartók's rhythms and textures is still unsurpassed, even by dozens of subsequent conductors in the digital age. Likewise, the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta shows just what an incredible ensemble the Chicago Symphony was under Reiner's direction. This umpteenth reissue, in RCA's Living Stereo series, promises to be the one to have, its sonics noticeably improved over the earlier CD release in 1989. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

5 stars if it weren't for Solti.......2007-06-06

First of all let me say that if you are unfamiliar with Concerto for Orchestra you will not be dissapointed with this recording. The interpretation is lively and dynamic with the understanding and pathos that is needed for a well rounded interpretation. The only reason I give it 4 stars is because I am familiar with the recording of the Chicago Symphony under Solti. The Solti recording of the next generation Chicago Symphony has the same dynamism and drama but has much greater nuance. Solti simply makes music come to life in certain phrases that is seemingly overlooked by Reiner. However this recording is usually available at cheaper prices (especially used).

Essential Recordings.......2007-03-27

Fritz Reiner was the driving force behind Bela Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. Reiner and Bartok had been friends for over 40 years having met as piano students at the Budapest Academy. The composer had been in the United States since 1940 and the separation from his beloved Hungary combined with his ill health made the transition unhappy and he had no will to compose. Agatha Fassett's book Bela Bartok: The American Years recounts the composer's life during this time and, since Ms. Fassett knew Bartok's wife, her portrait of the composer is first hand. Maestro Reiner convinced Serge Koussevitsky in 1943 to commission the work and conducted the premiere in December of that year. The Concerto for Orchestra became Bartok's most popular work.

This recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was made in 1955 and I do not think that a finer one has been recorded. The details of Bartok's score come through and the balance is perfect, allowing us a true live performance and the quality of the recording really comes through during quieter moments. Reiner's intimate knowledge of the score and his control are apparent in this recording. This is also true for the recording of Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta and Hungarian Sketches from 1958. Both works are beautifully played with great precision that lacks nothing for the feel of the music. The Hungarian Sketches are marvelously stylish, bringing out the nature of the music.

These recordings are essential and have certainly lost nothing since they were made in the 1950's. Rather than have any distortions the transfer to CD has been carried out with great success so the original sound is even better.

Only Boulez/Chicago gets 5 Stars.......2006-09-17

Sorry Reiner fans.
3 things I do not like about this recording that keeps it at a 4 star level.
First i do not like "iron rod" style conducting. Musicality is thrown out to justify percision and disipline. I do not like Reiner's style
Secondly is the record quality is poor, especially compared to Boulez/DG
Third is the screechy instruments tonality in some of Reiner's band winds.
For Bartok I look to Boulez/Chicaho, Skrowaczewski/Minnesota and Dorati/Detroit. Ivan Fischer has also done some nice recordings on Philips, but NOT his CfO, which is a dud. I also have issues with Boulez's CfO with the New York.

Reiner Is Great In The Music Of Bela Bartok, RCA Deserves Praise For The Sound.......2006-09-09

Just a mention that this is a review of the RCA 'Living Stereo' release, not the later SACD compatible version. RCA was famous for it's ground-breaking work in the mid-to-late fifties when it came to vivid, immersive stereo sound and it's reputation lives to this day. I'm not sure if the reviewer below is experienced in vintage classical recordings predating the digital era. Yes, they contain some tape hiss but it's really insignificant to what value the performances themselves have and the soundstage is very vibrant. I have personally listened to recordings from Solti on DECCA, Jansons on EMI and Fischer on Philips in these fine works by Bartok and none have come close to the passionate intensity of the interpretations or the wonderful recorded sound that these Reiner versions capture.

Reiner's account of the Concerto for Orchestra, one of the most famous 20th-century orchestral works, is on everyone's list as truly exceptional. The Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta receives just the kind of wicked, eerie, powerhouse performance that will make you a fan of Bartok for life and this piece in particular.

If you're going to own one Bela Bartok CD, this is one of the best choices on the market today. After you've ingrained this music into your mind, time for the Miraculous Mandarin, the Piano Concertos and the String Quartets to follow.

Too much hissing.......2006-08-24

After reading so many positive reviews, I was very exited when I recieved this cd in the mail. I popped it in my bose wave radio, turned it up to 85, and listened to the most annoying hissing sound I've ever heard coming from my system. I regret purchasing this cd.

Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 What to Listen for in Music Study of Orchestration, Third Edition The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
42. The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
32. Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
15. Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

1. Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
2. Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
3. But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
4. Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
5. The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
6. An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
7. Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
8. Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
9. Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
10. Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
11. Mahler's Sleighbells
12. Symphony No.4 (Opening)
13. A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
14. Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
15. Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
16. Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
17. National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
18. And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
19. And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
20. The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
21. The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
22. The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
23. The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
24. The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
25. The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
26. The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
27. The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
28. There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
29. The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
30. Nocturnes
31. Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
32. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
33. The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
34. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
35. The Oboe As Duck
36. Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
37. The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
38. The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
39. The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
40. Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
41. Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
42. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
43. Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
44. The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
45. A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
46. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
47. A Thunderstorm In A Million
48. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
49. the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
50. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
51. Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
52. The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: A nice mico-view of Ligeti's work Very Nice Piano Studies. Not the best Ligeti Perfect Ligeti. good cd Ligeti on cd, hooray

György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Aimard, Pierre-Laurent | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Aimard, Pierre-Laurent | ( A ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet György Ligeti Edition 2: A Cappella Choral Works - London Sinfonietta Voices György Ligeti Edition 6: Keyboard Works (Piano, Harpsichord, Organ) - Irina Kataeva / Pierre-Laurent Aimard / Elisabeth Chojnacka / Zsigmond Szathmáry Ligeti: Mechanical Music The Ligeti Project II: Lontano / Atmosphères / Apparitions / San Francisco Polyphony / Concert Românesc - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Jonathan Nott ASIN: B0000029P0 Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

1. Piano Etudes (Book One): I. De'sordre - Molto vivace, vigoroso, molto ritmico
2. Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Cordes a' vide - Andantino con moto, molto tenero
3. Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Touches bloque'es - Presto possibile, sempre molto ritmico
4. Piano Etudes (Book One): IV. Fanfares - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, con allegria e slancio
5. Piano Etudes (Book One): V. Arc-en-ciel - Andante molto rubato, con eleganza, with swing
6. Piano Etudes (Book One): VI. Automne a' Varsovie - Presto cantabile, molto ritmico e flessibile
7. Piano Etudes (Book Two): VII. Galamb borong - Vivacissimo luminoso, legato possibile
8. Piano Etudes (Book Two): VIII. Fe'm - Vivace risoluto, con vigore
9. Piano Etudes (Book Two): IX. Vertige - Prestissimo sempre molto legato, sehr gleichmassig
10. Piano Etudes (Book Two): X. Der Zauberlehrling - Prestissimo, staccatissimo, leggierissimo
11. Piano Etudes (Book Two): XI. En suspens - Andante con moto, (avec l`e'le'gance du swing)
12. Piano Etudes (Book Two): XII. Entrelacs - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, sempre legato, con delicatezza
13. Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIII. L'escalier du diable - Presto legato ma leggiero
14. Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIV. Coloana infinita' - Presto possibile, tempestoso con fuoco
15. Musica ricercata: I. Sosenuto - Misurato - Prestissimo
16. Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale
17. Musica ricercata: III. Allegro con spirito
18. Musica ricercata: IV. Tempo de Valse (poco vivace - a' l'orgue de Barbarie)
19. Musica ricercata: V. Rubato. Lamentoso
20. Musica ricercata: VI. Allegro molto capriccioso
21. Musica ricercata: VII. Cantabile, molto legato
22. Musica ricercata: VIII. Vivace. Energico
23. Musica ricercata: IX. Adagio. Mesto - Allegro maestoso
24. Musica ricercata: X. Vivace. Capriccioso
25. Musica ricercata: XI. Andante misurato e tranquillo
26. Piano Etudes (From Book Three): XV. White on White

Customer Reviews:

A nice mico-view of Ligeti's work.......2007-03-11

In the notes that accompany this CD, Ligeti explains that his piano compositions are the way he made up for his inadequacies as a player. It's hard to argue that he didn't reach his goal. These superbly-performed pieces provide a clear view of many aspects of Ligeti's work--his humor, his lyricism, his ear, and sometimes his little obsessions.

The most obvious technical requirement of this music is touch. In some of the etudes, complex voicings are required at very low dynamic levels. In others, the ability to bring out multiple voices is paramount. Aimard is perfect. His technique is so assured that we can easily get to the music and not be sidetracked by prowess.

Those who know Ligeti's music know how protean he could be. Like a good athlete, he was willing to take on enormous risks. Sometimes the result felt intellectualized and tiresome. But more often than not, the music soared. This is certainly true of the Etudes on this disk. They are studies in the truest sense of the word--one may focus on a particular set of intervals, another on a texture, yet another on a rhythm. Each one is fascinating and the collection holds together nicely. There are even hints of Nancarrow!

Ligeti himself felt ambiguously about the "Musica Ricercata", and it isn't hard to see why. The first piece is based on only two pitches (with octaves); the second on three and so on. It sort of proves a point, but what point? By the time you get to the fourth piece, it starts to get good, but the listener has to regain some flagging energy. The third piece is actually the basis of the opening of "6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet".

So while I have little quibbles, I still recommend this disk strongly. It's great music, beautifully played.

Very Nice Piano Studies. Not the best Ligeti.......2006-09-02

Volume 3 of the Gyorgy Ligeti Edition on Sony has gotten a boatload of very positive reviews, above, from people who probably know a lot more about music, especially piano music, than I do, but I maintain, from my position as a rank amateur who just happens to like listening to a wide range of classical music, that this disc is neither the very best piano music nor the most interesting Ligeti.

Don't get me wrong. I think almost all of the studies on these tracks are good, maybe even almost as good as Chopin and Liszt, but I don't think so. We don't hum Ligeti etudes the way some people hum Chopin etudes or dances for piano. And, a few of the passages sound like the scene from 'Ghostbusters' where Bill Murray tickles the very high keys on Sigourny Weaver's piano as they enter her apartment to track down some particularly awesome apparitions of Zuel (sic) and Gozer (sic sic).

If you are looking to touch only the high points of Ligeti's music and don't have the compulsioin to own everything, you can pass on these and not be missing too much of the good stuff. Check out his choral and a capella works for the really hot stuff.

Perfect Ligeti........2005-10-19

The own György Ligeti was asked about who was the pianist more complete in his piano works; he talked about Pierre-Laurent Aimard, whose a close relation with the XXth Century music is very well known (Boulez, Messiaen, Berg, Schönberg, Carter...) all around the world. He talked too about Volker Banfield, who has recorded some of the Etudes for Wergo, but not so good as Aimard recordings, in my opinion.

What we find in this CD, 3rd of an outstanding series, is the technical perfection made piano playing, in the hands of Aimard, who plays absolutely all the notes full of perfection, sense and correction, from the dynamic to the tempo, from the correct attack to the prodigious use of the pedal. If you are used to a romantic piano you can feel this versions a little cold or dry, but this is because Aimard goes directly to the heart of the XXth Century style of piano playing, in the line that comes from Schönberg-Berg-Webern and that goes in a different way of playing than the century before, so you can be lost in some sense about the way he understand the use of the piano, the playing, the technique, the echoes, the silences...

You'll find in this CD the Musica Ricercata, a work from Ligeti's first period, very easy to understand for those who are not used to listen this kind of "modern" music. It has many folk motives, used in a way very close to Bartók's style. One of this pieces (Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale) was taken by Stanley Kubrick for his last film Eyes Wide Shut, with an outstanding presence in the film associated to the worries and pressure over the main character; Ligeti says about this piece that it was a knife against the stalinist regime because of this style of music, sinister, innovative and forgiven in the communist Europe. The film's version is slower than this by Aimard, more "cinematographic" but slower than the score asks. Aimard's version in this piece and in the full pieces are outstanding.

The rest of the CD it's based on the Etudes, books I & II, both of them complete. Those are pieces much more modern than the Musica Ricercata, some of them, in the words of Ligeti with some links and inspiration on Nancarrow's works. We are listening in this case some of the most complex works for piano written in the XXth Century, and many of them authentic jewels of the genre. The Aimard versions for Sony are the better I know from the French pianist, who have recorded some of them in other CDs, like his great recording from de Carnagie Hall (Warner), but not so good like this outstanding CD.

So, if you are looking for perfection in Ligeti's piano music performances don't doubt about this CD; if you want to discover the piano of the XXth Century this could be a great door to go into, because of the music, because of the performing and because of a perfect recording and booklet.

good cd.......2005-08-23

This is a great cd if you are interested in piano music. I personally enjoyed "Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale", which was most famously used in the Kubrick film, Eyes Wide Shut. The rest of the cd is very enjoyable as well.

Ligeti on cd, hooray.......2005-08-01

We all owe Stanley Kubrick a big debt of gratitude for exposing us to Ligeti who, with Cage and Stockhausen among others, influenced the evolution of popular music while maintaining a continuum to our classical past.

The recording quality in this series is outstanding, and it is a delight to see the breadth of this series. Having many works of Ligeti from the Wergo vinyl catalog of the 70's, I selected the piano works for the fun of discovery.

Those of you who enjoy this piano stuff should try to find Nina Deutsch's recording of Charles Ives: Solo Piano Music.

Average customer rating:

String Quartets by Bartók & Hindemith Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Hindemith | Hindemith, Paul | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4: Sonatas Opp. 26, 27 & 28 Valentin Silvestrov: Symphony No. 6 Piano Quintet in F Min / Complete String Quartets (1, 2, 3) Vaghissimo Ritratto Vladimir Godar: Mater ASIN: B000NJKYL8 Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

1. Allegro
2. Adagio Molto
3. Scherzo. Alla Bulgarese
4. Andante
5. Finale. Allegro Vivace
6. I. Fugato. Sehr Langsame Viertel
7. II. Schnelle Achtel. Sehr Energisch, Presto
8. III. Ruhige Viertel. Stets Fliessend
9. IV. Massig Schnelle Viertel
10. V. Rondo. Gemachlich Und Mit Grazie

Average customer rating: The Real Stuff My Cup of Tea Get it for the Copland

Collector's Edition Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Morton Gould | Gould, Morton | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Gould, Morton | ( G ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Mozart at Tanglewood Preludes Fugues & Riffs: Influence of Jazz The Essential Clarinet Weber: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Grand Duo Concertante; Concertino Clarinet Marmalade: 25 Great Jazz Clarinettists ASIN: B0000026F3 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Prelude, Fugue And Riffs
2. Con
3. Ebony Con: I. Allegro Moderato
4. Ebony Con: II. Andante
5. Ebony Con: III. Moderato; Con Moto
6. Derivations: I. Warm-Up
7. Derivations: II. Contrapuntal Blues
8. Derivations: III. Rag
9. Derivations: IV. Ride Out
10. Contrast Mono: I. Verbunkos (Recruiting Dance)
11. Contrast Mono: II. Piheno (Relaxation)
12. Contrast Mono: III. Sebes (Fast Dance)

Customer Reviews:

The Real Stuff.......2007-03-25

This disk collects Benny Goodman performances with the composers conducting, so it is historic and probably authoritative as to performance, but great to have Copland, Stravinsky, etc. themselves and Goodman in your collection. Nice performances, although sound varies with these vintage sessions.

My Cup of Tea.......2002-05-22

Goodman's performances of all the music on this disc are superb. He (along with violinist Joseph Szigeti) commissioned the Bartok score and, notwithstanding its age (mono/1940) there has never been a better recording than this one. The other performances are first-rate stereo recordings that appeared on a 1966 CBS/Columbia Lp titled "Meeting at the Summit." Morton Gould's music often sounds like watered-down Copland to my ears, but "Derivations" is a really strong piece and quite memorable. The Stravinsky is a true masterpiece that has never sounded better, and the same goes for Bernstein's powerfully imagined, joyous "Prelude, Fugue and Riffs." Having the composers conduct was an inspired idea (in the case of the Bartok, the composer accompanies at the piano); not at all gimmicky. It's amazing how well Goodman still played in the middle '60s. Although he gave solid performances well into the '70s, he was still at or near his peak when these recordings were made and the dead-on intonation and range of color in his playing is simply breathtaking. The other reviewer mostly likes the Copland score. It's nice, but the real show-stopper here is the Bernstein: 7 1/2 minutes of sheer big-band bravado. Not to be missed!

Get it for the Copland.......2001-10-10

Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto is one of the most magical pieces of music ever to come out of North America, and for me, this is *the* recording. Fifty years old, but as is so often the case, the original is the best - Mr Goodman's finest twenty minutes. Great value, too! The other pieces (by Bernstein, Stravinsky and Bartok) I can take or leave, but who knows, they might be your cup of tea.

Average customer rating: Which Solti to choose in Bartok?

Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Dance Suite; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Solti, Sir Georg | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Solti, Sir Georg | ( S ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: Complete Violin Sonatas Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3; Poulenc: Organ Concerto; Barber: Toccata Festiva Bach: The Goldberg Variations 1955 Performance: Zenph Re-performance Carl Nielsen, Orchestral Music Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Firebird-Complete/Scherzo/Firework ASIN: B000GUJZSM Release Date: 2007-01-09

Tracks:

1. I. Introduzione: Andante Non Troppo-Allegro Vivace
2. II. Giuoco Delle Copie: Allegretto Scherzando
3. III. Elegia: Andante, Non Troppo
4. IV. Intermezzo Interrotto: Allegretto
5. V. Finale: Pesante-Presto
6. I. Moderato
7. II. Allegro Molto
8. III. Allegro Vivace
9. IV. Molto Tranquillo
10. V. Comodo
11. VI. Finale: Allegro
12. I. Andante Tranquillo
13. II. Allegro
14. III. Adagio
15. IV. Allegro Molto

Customer Reviews:

Which Solti to choose in Bartok?.......2007-04-27

This remastered digital collection from Chicago features two works that Solti recorded decades before in London, the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra and the Dance Suite. Both CDs contain a third work, the Music for Strings, Percussion and Celestra from Chicago and the Miraculous Mandarin Suite from London. Since these are all acclaimed recordings and Solti's Bartok was one of his strongest composers, I thought a side-by-side listen would be helpful.

Sound: Decca set out to produce sonic spectaculars in both cases, and in both cases succeeded. The earlier analog sound from London is miked closer and is free of digital edginess. The new remastering of the Chicago recordings has successfully removed the sting form the original CD issue, and though the CSO sits farther back, the sound has great visceral impact. Let's give a slight edge to Chicago.

Execution: You might assume, especially after reading the reviews at Amazon, that the CSO plays so spectacularly that there is no comparison with the London Sym. But Solti was both a powerhouse and a technician. I can't hear that much difference, except that the LSO's wonderful precision of attack isn't quite the super-precision of the CSO, especially in the violins. On the other hand, the LSO soloists play with more personalaity. Call it a draw.

Interprettion: Solti's Bartok was always fast, fierce, precise, and a tad clinical. Not for him the looser phrasing and warmer tone of Ivan Fischer. Having set his interpretation in place, Solti didn't change his timing or phrasing except by indignificant degrees. These two Concertos for Orchestra have an identical approach. However, the Dance Suite form London is hair-raisingly exciting, which isn't true of the Chicago version. And the Miraculous Mandarin Suite from London is even more thrillingly brutal; Solti gives this music the shock treatment, to great effect. By comparison, his MFSP&C from chicago is decidely lackluster.

In the end, it's the couplings that sell me on the London collection. For sheer excitment, Solti's earlier Dance Suite and Miraculous Mandarin qualify as two of his best recordings. As for the main attraction, both versions of the Concerto for Orchestra come out essentially equal.

Average customer rating: A+ Even for a trained jazz musician who thinks classical artists are overhyped, this stands out as one of the best albums. Fantastic Enjoyable listening very interesting

Midori ~ Encore! Fritz Kreisler , Niccolo Paganini , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Cesar Cui , Grazyna Bacewicz , Edward Elgar , Dmitry Shostakovich , Antonin Dvorak , Sergey Prokofiev , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Karol Szymanowski , Pablo de Sarasate , Gabriel Faure , Alexander Nikolayevich Skryabin , Bela Bartok , Eugène Ysaye , Midori (Goto) , and Robert McDonald Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Cui, César | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kreisler | Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Paganini, Niccolò | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sarasate | Sarasate, Pablo de | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Scriabin, Alexander | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Szymanowski | Szymanowski, Karol | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Scriabin, Alexander | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Midori | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Midori - Live at Carnegie Hall Mendelssohn, Bruch: Violin Concertos French Violin Sonatas Midori ~ Sibelius - Violin Concerto · Bruch - Scottish Fantasy / Israel PO · Mehta Dvorák: Violin Concerto, Op.53 ASIN: B0000028N1 Release Date: 1992-12-08

Tracks:

1. Praeludium and Allegro (in the style of Pugnani)
2. Habanera, Op. 21, No. 2
3. Cantabile
4. Kaleidoscope: Orientale, Op. 50, No. 9
5. Oberek, No. 2
6. Salut d'Amour
7. Miniature Viennese March
8. 24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 10 - Moderator non tropp
9. 24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 15 - Allegretto
10. 24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 16 - Andantino
11. 24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 24 - Allegretto
12. Chanson de matin, Op. 15, No. 2
13. Introduction et Tarentelle
14. Slavonic Dance in E minor, Op. 46, No. 2 (B 170)
15. The Love For Three Oranges: March
16. Souvenir d'un lieu cher: Melodie, Op. 42, No. 3
17. Mythes, Op. 30: La FOntaine d'Arethuse
18. Syncopation
19. Orfeo ed Euridice: Melodie ('Dance Of The Blessed Spirits')
20. Berceuse, Op. 16
21. Etude in Thirds, Op. 8, No. 10
22. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Dance With Sticks - Allegro moderato
23. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Waistband Dance - Allegro
24. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Stamping Dance - Andante
25. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Hornpipe Dance - Molto moderato
26. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Romanian Polka - Allegro
27. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Quick Dance - Allegro
28. Reve d'enfant, Op. 14

Customer Reviews:

A+.......2007-05-10

To say that I love this disc would be an understatement. I have probably listened to it 500 times. To comment on just a few of the tracks...
The "Praeludium and Allegro" is definitely the best recording anyone (except maybe Kreisler!) has ever done. The praeludium, which is almost all quarter notes, is often just blindly sawed out. Midori treats each note individually. The allegro is also nice - not rushed at all. The staggeringly difficult Skryabin-Szigeti "Etude in Thirds" tossed off with impeccable technique and spotless intonation. Sarasate's "Habanera" sparkles with a decisive 'Spanish' flavor. Elgar's "Chanson de Matin" is just plain beautiful. Also nice are inclusions of some numbers not heard hardly ever, including Bacewicz's "Oberek #2" mazurka and the Shostakovich preludes. Robert McDonald, definitely one of the best, is the able pianist for all the numbers.

Even for a trained jazz musician who thinks classical artists are overhyped, this stands out as one of the best albums........2007-04-11

Let's be honest--any kid with a violin who ever set foot in a conservatory thinks (s)he's a prodigy, the next Mehta or Yo Yo Ma, while they play the same old tired music everyone else plays, exactly as the greats play it, with hardly a shred of originality that doesn't arise out of an inability to replicate the 'masters' as well as their CD players (and that goes for jazz musicians too, but they don't get as snobby about it). The musicians who are truly great don't have any sort of attitude about their playing or their music--they just play, and they play anything, and it's great.

Midori has been one such great artist from early on. She simply had the knack. You would still want to listen to her if she was half as skilled. Every decent musician practices assiduously, seeks out the best people to learn from, makes sacrifices in life just for the chance to play for a living (even weddings and strip clubs if need be), but few have 'the knack.'

I don't know if Midori has a similar story, nor does it really matter in terms of actually making music. I know her parents moved from Osaka to the States with her when she was about ten just so she could pursue her potential--as all great students have great parents. I'm sure she didn't just pop out of the womb playing violin. But, like I wrote above, she's got the knack that you can't get through practice or training. She's just plain great.

Yes, I'm bored by classical music in general. I like 'good' music regardless of style though, and this album is so far beyond good that it belongs in whatever collection of immortal artist you may have--say: Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Shaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and--even if you have no other classical music in your collection--Midori.

Fantastic.......2006-08-11

Midori produces some amazing sounds out of her violin!
You cant go wrong with Encore! Shes brilliant.

Enjoyable listening.......2005-09-24

I enjoyed this cd especially the first three pieces. Midori played Sarasate and Paganini pretty well.

very interesting.......2005-09-13

I as watching (and listening!) her play live in Dubrovnik this summer. In this record she is equally brilliant as she is when playing live!

Average customer rating: Compositions: Outstanding! Performance: Mixed. Great technique but little soul Brilliant playing, but lacking color and flavor The Bartok Cycle at its Best As usual, the Emerson's just don't get it

Bela Bartok: The 6 String Quartets - Emerson String Quartet Eugene Drucker , Lawrence Dutton , David Finckel , Philip Setzer , and Emerson String Quartet Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Emerson String Quartet | ( E ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Debussy, Ravel: Streichquartette Shostakovich: The String Quartets Beethoven: The String Quartets Dvorák, Tchaikovsky, Borodin: Quartets Shostakovich: The String Quartets ASIN: B000001G9O Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7: 1. Lento - attacca
2. String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7: 2. Poco e poco accelerande all' Allegretto - Introduzione. Allegro 0 attacca
3. String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7: 3. Allegro vivace
4. String Quartet No. 3: 1. Prima Parte: Moderato - attacca
5. String Quartet No. 3: 2. Seconda parte: Allegro - attacca: Ricapitulazione della prima parte; Moderato
6. String Quartet No. 3: 3. Coda: Allegro molto
7. String Quartet No. 5: 1. Alllegro
8. String Quartet No. 5: 2. Adagio molto
9. String Quartet No. 5: 3. Scherzo: Alla bulgarese
10. String Quartet No. 5: 4. Andante
11. String Quartet No. 5: 5. Finale: Allegro vivace

Tracks:

1. String Quartet No. 2, Op. 17: 1. Moderato
2. String Quartet No. 2, Op. 17: 2. Allegro molto capriccioso
3. String Quartet No. 2, Op. 17: 3. Lento
4. String Quartet No. 4: 1. Allegro
5. String Quartet, No. 4: 2. Prestissimo, con sordino
6. String Quartet, No. 4: 3. Non troppo lento
7. String Quartet, No. 4: 4. Allegretto pizzicato
8. String Quartet, No. 4: 5. Allegro molto
9. STRING QUARTET NO. 6: 1. Mesto-piu mosso, pensante - Vivace
10. STRING QUARTET NO. 6: 2. Mesto - Marcia
11. STRING QUARTET NO. 6: 3. Mesto - Burletta
12. STRING QUARTET NO. 6: 4. Mesto

Amazon.com

The six quartets of Bartók have been well represented on record, far better than the six of Schoenberg or the fifteen of Shostakovich. The choice on Compact Disc, however, is an easy one, for the Emerson Quartet not only plays the music better than any other ensemble, but gets all six essays onto two discs. Making roses out of what must seem more like a collection of thistles to most others who attempt to play the set, the Emerson players show the kind of ensemble polish that caused one European critic to complain, "too smooth.... I like my Bartók rougher." But awkwardness and rhythmic uncertainty, which have made many a lesser group sound rough in this music, should not be confused with expressive edge, which the Emersons bring to the music in full measure. Their readings are extraordinarily revealing, high-intensity, not at all for the faint of heart. With the odd-numbered quartets on one disc and the even on the other, each CD is a "microcosmos" of the whole set. The sound quality is excellent throughout. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Compositions: Outstanding! Performance: Mixed........2007-06-05

One reviewer said that Emerson wasn't rough enough. When this was released, I believe it was the roughest interpretation I had ever heard! Over-all, these are very good performances (and 100% accurate). The weakness of these performances is the gentler sections which, though technically perfect, lack feeling and conviction. Béla Bartók: The Six String Quartets - Juilliard String Quartet does a very good job of the quiet sections, but lacks power on the aggressive parts.

My favorite recording of these pieces is Bartók: 6 String Quartets by the Hungarian String Quartet. Since I bought that I haven't listened to other recordings of this piece.

Great technique but little soul.......2007-05-12

The Emersons blow through Bartok's most difficult passages with masterly aplomb; their virtuosity is never in question, and if you were not already familiar with these works you might think these performances were definitive. Bartok, however had a mysterious and lyrical side to him, and the Emersons don't illuminate those remarkable moments in these performances. I constantly get the impression that the Emersons are determined not to let Bartok push them around. They manhandle him masterfully, throwing him to the ground and leaving him in the gutter. Bartok deserves more sympathy than that. With the Emersons it is the bravura playing that will give you goose bumps, not Bartok's dark visions.

Brilliant playing, but lacking color and flavor.......2007-01-03

I've had this album for several years and have played it often, but I have come to be less than satisfied because of the lack of tone color in these performances. Bartok was, among other things, a Hungarian nationalist composer and a colorist. For me, these performances do not reflect the full color and nationalistic flavor that other performances have shown.

The Bartok Cycle at its Best.......2006-08-17

This cycle won 2 Grammophone Awardsin 1989 for Record of the Year and Best Chamber Music Performance, and 2 Grammys in 1990 for Best Classical Recording and Best Chamber Music Performance. After listening to them it is easy to see why. Bartok's string quartets have never sounded better. The closest rivals for my ears is the Takacs performances which I also own and love.

Enough has been written regarding their technical skills. In these, as in many other of their albums, they also provide us with an insightful interpretation.

Highly recommended.

As usual, the Emerson's just don't get it.......2006-02-09

Yes, they play very well, they are always in tune, and they can play as fast as they choose - but they don't understand the music. If you want a great version of these works, take a listen to the Hungarian Quartet on DG, or the Tokyo Quartet on RCA.

Average customer rating: Everybody is fascinated by a "posthumous work" Polished performance of a Bartok masterpiece Magnificent! Great Performances 2 versions of unfinished concerto performed together.

Bartok: Viola Concertos Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Viola | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Six Cello Suites performed on viola A Portrait of the Viola Hindemith: Viola Concertos William Primrose: Viola Transcriptions English Music for Viola ASIN: B00000AEMH Release Date: 1998-08-25

Tracks:

1. Concerto For Viola And Orchestra: Allegro moderato
2. Concerto For Viola And Orchestra: Lento
3. Concerto For Viola And Orchestra: (Finale) Allegretto
4. Two Pictures Sz 46: In Full Flower: Poco adagio
5. Two Pictures Sz 46: Village Dance: Allegro
6. Concerto For Viola And Orchestra, Sz 120: Moderato
7. Concerto For Viola And Orchestra, Sz 120: Adagio religioso
8. Concerto For Viola And Orchestra, Sz 120: Allegro vivace
9. Rhapsody For Viola And Orchestra

Amazon.com

Bartók did not live to finish his Viola Concerto, and Tibor Serly's completion from Bartók's sketches hasn't satisfied anyone except violists hungry for repertoire. This disc offers the Serly version and a new completion by the composer's son Peter and violist Paul Neubauer. Neither edition ranks among Bartók's masterpieces, although the new version seems a bit more convincing. The most striking element about this disc is the thrillingly dark tone and passionate playing of Xiao, a superb Chinese musician who now teaches in Michigan. Janós Kovacs and the orchestra also sound splendid. The Serly piece is just a brief suite of transcriptions from Bartók's For Children, but Bartók's Two Pictures is marvellous music. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Everybody is fascinated by a "posthumous work".......2007-06-30

If you compare the Bartok Viola Concerto with other candidates in the same league such as Schubert No 8 , Bruckner No 9 or most famous of all, the Mozart Requiem, then it clearly doesn't quite make it. The Concerto for Orchestra and even the third Piano Concerto are better pieces. This is well played, however, and I will let the musicologists argue about which version is better.

Polished performance of a Bartok masterpiece.......2004-06-26

I am really not concerned about the controversy surrounding the Bartok viola concerto. It is simply a splendid work, with many passages marked undeniably with Bartok's stamp. (Don't listen to the editorial reviewer; it's a great piece!) It is wonderful to have both the Serly and the Peter Bartok/Paul Neubauer versions together for comparison. If anything, I like the newer version better: it has many felicitous examples of orchestration and adds fewer embellishments to the original Bartok sketches. Of course, had Bartok lived, he might have added more to his concerto (for instance, the slow movement as it stands seems rather brief - though I think it works just fine). But perhaps it is better simply to stick with what Bartok wrote and leave it at that. The performances are ideal: the violist's tone is firm and rich throughout, and the orchestra provides supple dialogue with the soloist. My only complaint is that the last movement could have gone a bit faster (when I played it in my college orchestra, the soloist really went like a whirlwind). Were they perhaps worried that this movement too would sound too short? But no matter. Naxos continues to astound with its fine issues at extraordinarily low prices. I encourage music lovers to grab the best Naxos CD's (including this one) with avidity.

Magnificent!.......2004-06-26

I am really not concerned about the controversy surrounding the Bartok viola concerto. It is simply a splendid work, with many passages marked undeniably with Bartok's stamp. (Don't listen to the editorial reviewer; it's a great piece!) It is wonderful to have both the Serly and the Peter Bartok/Paul Neubauer versions together for comparison. If anything, I like the newer version better: it has many felicitous examples of orchestration and adds fewer embellishments to the original Bartok sketches. Of course, had Bartok lived, he might have added more to his concerto (for instance, the slow movement as it stands seems rather brief - though I think it works just fine). But perhaps it is better simply to stick with what he wrote and leave it at that. The performances are ideal: the violist's tone is firm and rich throughout, and the orchestra provides supple dialogue with the soloist. My only complaint is that the last movement could have gone a bit faster (when I played it in my college orchestra, the soloist really went like a whirlwind). Were they perhaps worried that this movement too would sound too short? But no matter. Naxos continues to astound with its fine issues at extraordinarily low prices. I advise music lovers to grab the best Naxos CD's (including this one) with avidity.

Great Performances.......2004-03-06

This disc contains excellent recordings of
"Two Pictures" and the "Viola Concerto".

I definitely prefer the version with Tibor Serly's orchestration.

Though this concerto is not in the same league as Bartok's two brilliant violin concertos, I'd say the finale qualifies as a masterpiece.

Bartok was dying when he composed the "Viola Concerto". It sounds as if his spirit were being called home to Transylvania.

2 versions of unfinished concerto performed together........1998-10-04

The viola concerto, unfinished at Bartók's death, was completed by violist/composer/conductor Tibor Serly in the version familiar to listeners. Critics and musicologists have frequently criticized Serly's version, and Bartók's son supervised a new completion of the concerto, published in 1995. The casual listener will hear little difference in the 2 versions performed together here by Hong-Mei Xiao, though aficionados will enjoy the chance to compare them (Bartók's final version surely would have been better than either). Her tone is bright and violin-like, lacking some of the mellow darkness of Lars Anders Tomter's performance of the Walton "Viola Concerto" on Naxos 8.553402. She performs with virtuosity, and the Hungarian orchestra is steeped in Bartók's idiom. His "Two Pictures" are early works, showing promise, but not up to the standards of his mature orchestral masterpieces. Serly's own "Rhapsody," composed while he was revising the concerto, is a harmless virtuoso showpiece, reminiscent of Georges Enescu. As always, Naxos provides a full disc of well-recorded, polished performances by lesser-known musicians at an bargain price.

Average customer rating: As good as it gets

Bartok: Violin Concertos, Viola Concerto, 6 Duo for 2 Violins, Violin Rhapsodies; Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin , Bela Bartok , Pierre Boulez , Antal Dorati , New Philharmonia Orchestra , and BBC Symphony Orchestra Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Viola | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Bartok: Viola Concertos Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 2; Itzhak Perlman; Vladimir Ashkenazy; Lynn Harrell Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 1; Itzhak Perlman; Vladimir Ashkenazy; Lynn Harrell Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music Berg: Violin Concerto; Schoenberg: Piano Concerto; Violin Concerto ASIN: B0000CE7FG Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

1. I: Andante Sostenuto
2. II: Allegro Giocoso
3. I: Moderato
4. II: Adagio Religioso
5. III: Allegro Vivace
6. I: Lassu: Moderato/II: Friss: Allegretto Moderato
7. I: Lassu: Moderato/II: Friss: Allegretto Moderato

Tracks:

1. I: Allegro Non Troppo
2. II: Andante Tranquillo
3. III: Allegro Molto
4. 28. Sorrow
5. 31. New Year's Greeting 4
6. 33. Harvest Song
7. 36. Bagpipes
8. 41. Scherzo
9. 42. Arabian Song
10. I: Tempo Di Ciaccona
11. II: Fuga: Risoluto, Non Troppo Vivo
12. III: Melodia: Adagio
13. IV: Presto

Customer Reviews:

As good as it gets.......2007-02-07

First you have to like Bartok. Not everyone enjoys the 20th century extention of classical music. If you do like Bartok and want to hear his violin compositions - then buy this CD and hear a true master at work.

Track Listings:

1. Bayekeleye
2. Beethoven: Diabelli Variations; Piano Sonata "Waldstein"
3. Beethoven: Overture "Coriolan"/Symphony No.9
4. Beethoven: Piano Concerto; Bach: Concerto, BWV 1054
5. Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3-5
6. Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Opp.101 & 106 "Hammerklavier"
7. Berg: Lyric Suite for string quartet No1-6; Pieces Op6
8. Best Of Beethoven
9. Bizet: Carmen Suite; L'Arlésienne Suite; Jeux d'Enfants
10. Blind Love, Cruel Beauty-Vocal Duets Of George Frideric Handel

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Copperfield [Import]

Music Review: 16 Nocturnes

In the Wee Small Hours

Music: With Thee I Swing [Live]

Flutterby

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes/The Best Of Teddy Pendergrass

For Our Children Too (Blister)

Gluck: Corona/Danza

Greatest [Import]

Ellas Cantan Asi

Dizzy Spells

Guitar Hits Play The Shadows

Fine Lines

Des Canyons Aux Etoiles

Highest Hopes: The Best of Nightwish