Orchestral Highlights

1. Messidor Act 4: Prelude
Composed by Alfred Bruneau
Performed by Rheinland-Pfalz Philharmonic Conducted by James Lockhart

2. Messidor The Legend of Gold
Composed by Alfred Bruneau
Performed by Rheinland-Pfalz Philharmonic Conducted by James Lockhart

3. Naïs Micoulin Act 1: Prelude
Composed by Alfred Bruneau
Performed by Rheinland-Pfalz Philharmonic Conducted by James Lockhart

4. L'attaque du moulin, suite Prelude and Song
Composed by Alfred Bruneau
Performed by Rheinland-Pfalz Philharmonic Conducted by James Lockhart

5. L'attaque du moulin, suite War, Forest
Composed by Alfred Bruneau
Performed by Rheinland-Pfalz Philharmonic Conducted by James Lockhart

6. L'attaque du moulin, suite Betrothal at the Mill
Composed by Alfred Bruneau
Performed by Rheinland-Pfalz Philharmonic Conducted by James Lockhart

Tracks:

Allegro/Tema Con Variazione/Menuetto Con Panna E Zucchero
Aria/Recitative/Ground/Recitative/Aria
New Horizons In Music Appreciation Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
Larghissimo-Allegro Boffo/Menuetto Con Brio Ma Senza Trio/Adagio Saccharino/Yehudi Menuetto/Presto Hey Nonny Nonnio
What's My Melodic Line?
Madrigal, 'My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth'

Tracks:

IV Andante-Allegro
I. Introduction/II. Overture/III. Recitative And Aria, 'Now Is the Season'/IV. Trio, I'm Sure I'd Be'/V. Opera Whiz/VI. Synopsis Of Plot/VII. Finale Of Opera
Fugue In C Minor (Fuga Vulgaris) For Calliope Four Hands
Oratorio, 'The Seasonings', S. 1/2 Tsp.

Customer Reviews:

This is a MUST for anyone who enjoys classical music ... .......2006-06-07

...BUT not if you take it SO seriously that you have lost your sense of humor.

Peter Schickele (with whom I am occasionally confused - we apparently look alike!) - has got to be one of my all-time favorite composers. When I was in graduate school, I took considerable abuse from my fellow music lovers for actually having MORE albums by P.D.Q Bach than by J. S. Bach (though I think it was barely a one-point margin, really...)

But the "New Horizons in Music Appreciation" approach to Beethoven's 5th symphony is not only a musical analysis of the piece as it is being played, but a slam on the constant "blah-blah-blah" that one hears during ANY sports event.

"My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth" has got to be my all-time favorite spoof of the overly pompous "art song" oratorio. I've encouraged one of my colleagues (who directs the college chorale where I teach) to include it in a program, to no avail. One of these days, I'll put my money where my mouth is - and buy sheet music for the entire chorale.

This is one of only two albums that I have in (a) vinyl, (b) tape, and (c) CD format. That should be some indication of how very, very special I believe this to be. [The other, for those who are interested, is Joan Baez' "Diamonds and Rust."]

This has been around for years, and there's a good reason. Schickele is not only funny when he wants to be, but a supremely accomplished composer and musician, with dozens and dozens of serious musical scores to his credit as well.

PDQ Bach -- The Spike Jones of Classical Music.......2006-03-16

For the classical music lover, this is an amazing spoof. For those who do not know classical music well, this is still highly entertaining.

Recaptured (Twisted) Youth.......2003-03-31

My friend and I saw the good Prof. Schickele here in Pasadena last night (March 29th-- AND the conductor of the Pasadena Symphony is Jorge Meister!)-- and the last number on the program was the WONDERFUL "The Seasonings"-- I had a very hard time even after all these years of first hearing this on a REAL record of not singing along with every little tune!!! This piece last night, being sung by singers whom I do not doubt were not even born when I first heard a recording of it, were as good as the ones I remember from my decadent youth on the original recording. Buy this C.D. if only for this piece!

I store it in the CD changer in my car........2002-10-06

My favorite single line of music from this is from "The Unbegun Symphony". Who would think to combine "You are my sunshine", a
tune I have always thought of as sappy sweet, played on violins,
with a background of horns, (I don't know what piece, but it
makes me thing of something noble and civilized) making it a
definitive statement of a benevolent sense of life.
PDQ Bach's other works are delighfully absurd, as are Peter
Schickele's commentaries. (Well I have a new set of friends now)

New Horizons in Music Appreciation Indeed..........2002-08-08

It was while sitting in Music Appreciation in college that I was first introduced to the work of P.D.Q. Bach, specifically the track "New Horizons in Music Appreciation: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," in which Professor Peter Schickele and Robert Dennis serve as the announcers for a spirited game involving the first movement of that particular work. Not only was it funny ("He's playing a cadenza! He's out of his mind! He thinks its an oboe concerto!") it was also more informative than the professor ("I get the feeling we are going to hear a lot of that four note motif, Bob").

One of the things about P.D.Q. Bach is that the more I learned about classical music the funnier I found it. Yes, I have enough memories of my mother insisting on playing the Texaco Opera quiz throughout the house on a Saturday afternoon to appreciate why "What's my Melodic Line?" and its exploration of the mysteries of the Baroque is funny, but it was not until I saw "Amadeus" and listened to "The Marriage of Figaro" that I understood why the recitatias in the Cantata "Iphigenia in Brooklyn" were hysterical (I was tempted to share this story of Iphigenia with my Classical Mythology class, but given their tentativeness to explore Euripides I did not think it wise to have them get neck deep in Schickele). Then again, the Madrigal "My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth" really needs no explanation, so there is something for everybody here, no matter what you level of understanding of classical music.

In discussing the works of P.D.Q. Bach with others it becomes clear that you can no more put together an idea collection of his "best" work than you can for lesser composers like Mozart or Beethoven. But you are certainly going to find a few old favorites and maybe one or two pieces that you have hitherto managed to avoid.

Tracks:

Thus, We Begin In The 'Greenish Twilight' Of The Rhine
Float Up To The Home Of The Gods (Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla)
Fall Amongst Hammering Dwarfs 'Smithying' Away
Ride Donner's Thunderbolt, Crawl With The Thirst-Crazed Siegmund To The Haven...
In The Sound Code, We 'See' His Loving Gaze
Their Flight
Wotan's Rage
The Cavalcade Of Brde's Sisters, (Ride Of The Valkyries)
Wotan's Farewell To His Favorite Daughter, (Wotan's Farewell And Magic Fire Music)
Mime's Fright
Siegfried's Forging Of The Magic Sword
His Wanderings Through The Forest, (Forest Murmurs)
His Slaying Of The Dragon
The Dragon's Lament
Day Breaking 'Round Sigfried's And Brde's Passion
Siegfried's Rhine Journey, (Dawn And Sigfried's Rhine Journey)
Hagen's Call To His Clan
Siegfried And The Rhinemaidens
His Death And The Funeral Music, (Siegfried's Death And Funeral Music)
Immolation. (Immolation Scene)

Customer Reviews:

A disappointment.......2007-04-20

Being a Wagnerite is sometimes a little difficult. Wagner's music is demanding on practically all levels, and especially demanding to the casual listener. The music can sometimes be too sugary, way overblown, or deceptively muted. This can definitely present problems, and that is why there are those who can detest Wagner's works to the degree that others love it. There is little middle room: Love or hate, Wagner's music is unique...and difficult.

This CD brings out another difficulty: The attempt to tone down Wagner and make his work more generally acceptable. On the good side, this CD is a rather good compilation of some of the Ring's most important melodies. Its symphonic structure allows good flow between the rather disjoint work, and the idea works to a significant degree.

But Maazel's approach is to create a uniformity of interpretation on a work that took more than 20 years to complete. This uniformity saps the Ring of much of its musical strength. The standard pieces are played almost the same as the other selections; little differentiation is evident and as a result only minor aspects of the drama in this incredible music drama are revealed.

While it is possible to play Wagner's music poorly, I always thought it was equally possible to at least grasp its passion. Unfortunately, Maazel's approach proves me to be wrong.

Yes, being a Wagnerite can be very difficult.

"The Ring without Words" is really "The Ring without Pauses . . . ".......2006-07-25

Even Wagner had the good sense to construct his monumental "Ring" Cycle as four distinct operas! So when Loren Maazel got the idea to record a "Ring without Words," what was so important about making it one long movement? No one knew better than Wagner the emotional impact of a well-placed fermata or a crash-bang finale, but this spark of genius seems to have eluded Maazel in his obsession to keep the musical Rhine flowing from beginning to end non-stop for 67 minutes. What seems at first to be a really novel idea starts to break down early on when we begin to anticipate the throbbing final pages of "Das Rheingold," only to discover that for the sake of seamlessness, the whole dramatic passage is skipped over by an awkward leap from Donner's thunder into the depths of "Die Walkure!" Other cuts can be forgiven considering time limitations, although there is still room for ten more minutes of music on the CD. Edo de Vaart gives us something more on his "Ring" recording, since he has no fear of finales. Otherwise, Maazel's handing of the score is quite exciting, and the Vienna Philharmonic is totally responsive to his every gesture. Here's a good idea for some future recording, one I'd certainly buy and which would appeal to thousands of other "Wagnerites" like myself: why not a four-movement "Ring Without Words" across two CDs, with every possible voiceless note from the pen of the Master, one opera after the other?

The best synthesis of orchestral music from the Ring.......2006-07-12

If you're looking for a single CD of orchestral music from Wagner's Ring, I'd like to recommend this one. Here's why.

Wagner's tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen contains some of the most magnificent, most stirring, most imaginative music ever written (along with some that's pedestrian and dull; there are glorious moments, splendid peaks, and there are arid stretches, longeurs that make one wish that Wagner the supreme egotist had submitted his work to the judgment of a good editor). The four operas comprising it are Das Rheingold (1869), Die Walkure (1870), Siegfried (1876), and Gotterdammerung (1876). Taken together they form the towering masterwork and crowning achievement of Wagner's maturity. They are also immensely long: about 17 hours.

The problem has always been to extract the best parts of the Ring for satisfactory concert presentation. The Ring does not make this easy: it contains no conventional overtures or preludes, no conveniently extractable bits. Thus various hands ever since Wagner's day have carved out "bleeding chunks," with mixed results, and the practice has always been controversial.

This CD presents a different approach. In order to make this recording---to quote the Wagner expert in Third Ear: Classical Music: The Listener's Companion (ed. Alexander J. Morin, 2002; an excellent book, by the way)---"Maazel decided to create his own vast symphonic suite from the Ring, and he has toured with it around the world. . . . If you want to hear the best parts of the Ring without sitting down to 17 hours or so, this is your best bet." I agree. Maazel's 70-minute symphonic synthesis of the best music from the Ring has a consistency, an integration and seamless flow, an organic rightness lacking in other Ring orchestral-highlights programs, with their "bleeding chunks" approach. Also, Maazel's suite gives a better idea of the scope and variety of the Ring, of its full range of colors and sonorities, than the standard orchestral excerpts.

Let Maazel describe his priorities in putting his suite together: "I was intrigued by the challenge: could a symphonic synthesis of the Ring reveal the essentials? I bolted the following list of criteria to my drawingboard: One: the synthesis must be free-flowing and chronological, beginning with the first note of Rheingold and finishing with the last chord of Gotterdammerung. Two: the transitions must be harmonically and periodically justifiable, the pacing contrasts commensurate with the length of the work. Three: most all of the music originally written for orchestra without voice must be used, adding those sections with a vocal line essential to a synthesis . . . . Four: every note must be Wagner's own. . . . Though no conscious attempt was made to include all the Ring's motifs, most of them do surface in one form or another."

The result as represented on this CD is eminently satisfactory. Maazel is a seasoned Wagner conductor, and has conducted the complete Ring at Bayreuth and elsewhere. The Berlin Philharmonic is one of the world's great orchestras. Both it and Maazel are in top form here: the performance is idiomatic and assured, sweeping and eloquent, played to the hilt, bristling with authority and conviction. I hope I'm not being fanciful in finding that listening to the whole suite straight through yields a kind of catharsis. The sound is robust, full-bodied, with wide dynamic range, with solid weight and impact. Telarc's engineers have done a commendable job of coping with the problematic acoustics of Berlin's Philharmonie; this is probably just about the best sound that can be extracted from that vexed venue.

The recording was made in Dec. 1987. Total playing time is 69:40 (broken out as follows: Das Rheingold 14:47, Die Walkure 12:42, Siegfried 6:15, and Gotterdammerung 36:33; if this seems to give short shrift to Siegfried, it has always been musically the weakest of the four operas).

In short, it's hard to imagine a better orchestral introduction to the glories of the Ring. The virtues of this CD move it to the top of its class: highly recommended.

Could have been a fun ride, but..........2005-10-01

Decades ago, Leopold Stokowski popularized opera for the general public through "symphonic syntheses." These included Wagner's Ring, Triastan, and Boris Godunov, to mention those I've heard and enjoyed. I was prepared to enjoy Maazel's modern update and expected a fun ride through the gorgeous sonorities of Wagner's score.

Not much enjoyment resulted, however. Maazel is superficial, often ponderous, and much too roughshod with this pastische. It can't all be crash and bang. So I threw the CD away and hope a few others won't make the mistake I did.

Decent, though not ideal; fulfills the original intent.......2005-04-27

In having read the other reviews of this CD, I think many individuals failed to take note of the original intent behind this CD coming about in the first place. Lorin Maazel was commissioned by the recording company (Telarc) to come up with an arrangement of the prime orchestral excerpts of the "Ring," and his 4-step approach listed in the booklet, makes it abundantly clear that NOT ALL of the music commonly heard on other recordings of the orchestral music from the "Ring," would be heard in this arrangement. Also, it is to be inferred that Maazel knows, and obviously doesn't expect his arrangement to take the place of ANY complete recording of the "Ring."

I heard Maazel conduct his arrangement live with the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, DC last year. Before that concert, I had never listened to this recording, but I knew about it. So I had the advantage of going into the concert with a fresh mind.

I came out of the concert with the feeling that others before me expressed -- that some of the transitions between familiar excerpts were smooth, some so-so, and others rather clunky. I think Maazel would be the first to admit that he was more successful in some areas of his arrangement, and not as successful in others. So be it. Wagner is tough for anyone and everyone delving into the complete operas, whatever their command of German and musical/orchestral principles.

So, my rating and review of this recording is confined to Maazel's task at hand. I give his effort four stars. Most of this "grade" is confined to the arrangement itself. I give the orchestral playing five stars.

Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury

Average customer rating:

The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan
Pure delight
Delicious G&S samplings abound here.
Fine Intro to G&S

Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
Nicholas Folwell , Arthur Sullivan , Marie McLaughlin , Rebecca Evans , Anthony Rolfe Johnson , John Mark Ainsley , Alwyn Mellor , Anne Howells , Barry Banks , Eric Garrett , Felicity Palmer , Gareth Rhys Davies , Janice Watson , Julie Gossage , Neill Archer , Pamela Helen Stephen , Peter Savidge , Richard Stuart , Richard Suart , Richard Van Allan , Sir Thomas Allen [baritone] , Sir Charles Mackerras , and Welsh National Opera
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan
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The Gilbert and Sullivan Overtures

ASIN: B000003D1Y
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

A Wandering Minstrel I
Behold The Lord High Executioner!
Three Little Maids From School Are We
Braid The Raven Hair
The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring
On A Tree By A River, A Little Tom-tit Sang, 'Willow, Tit-willow'
For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum
We Sail The Ocean Blue
I'm Called Little Buttercup
My Gallant Crew
When I Was A Lad
Things Are Seldom What They Seem
Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
Climbing Over Rocky Mountain
Poor Wand'ring One
How Beautifully Blue The Sky
I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
When The Foeman Bares His Steel
Ah, Leave Me Not To Pine
With Cat-Like Tread
Is Life A Boon?
I Have A Song To Sing, O!
Were I Thy Bride
Oh, A Private Buffoon Is A Light-Hearted Loon
When A Wooer Goes A-Wooing
When I, Good Friends, Was Called To The Bar
A Nice Dilemma We Have Here
Oh, Joy Unbounded

Customer Reviews:

The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan.......2004-03-15

At the end of the 19th century (1870's, 80's and 90's) the compatible duo of librettist and composer Gilbert and Sullivan popularized the pre-Broadway entertainment of Savoy opera. These were light operas or operettas whose content was satire and comedy, full of bouncy melodies and beautiful singing, highly entertaining theatrical works staged at London's Savoy theatre. Gilbert and Sullivan did not always get along and in fact there was a time when they ended their professional relationship because personal conflicts surfaced. But they managed to create the world's most beloved light operas, over 40 of them. Their most famous are what I call the Big Three- The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance and The Mikado. Other works include their first hit Trial By Jury, The Yeomen Of The Guard, Princess Ida, The Gondoliers, Patience and several others. A standard signature of Gilbert and Sullivan was in the colorful cast- a comic actor with a special kind of baritone voice, a canary-like and sweet-voiced coloratura or lyric diva, a mezzo soprano with strong chest register and a lyric tenor as the romantic hero. On this album, English conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, a popular figure in the classical music scene and opera, guides the Chorus and Orchestra Of the Welsh National Opera in generally well-delivered performances of excerpts from the operas The Mikado, The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance, Yeomen Of The Guard and Trial By Jury. Although I feel that the recordings made by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, with Isodore Godfrey conducting and starring the best cast of the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire- the singers of the 60's and 70's- tenor Phillip Potter, soprano Valerie Masterson, baritone John Reed, Donald Adams and mezzo soprano Christine Palmer. Their version of the Pirates Of Penzance and the Mikado far outshine the Welsh National Opera in technical mastery and vibrant tone color.

But these are fine excerpts. Especially appealing is the famous and cheerful "Three Little Maids From School Are We", a trio that imitates Japanese style melody. Most of the Mikado does this, for it was inspired by Japanisme or the new fashion in Victorian England- everything Japanese, from prints to paintings to poetry. Gilbert and Sullivan simply "Japanized" their English operettas. The Finale "For He's Gone To Marry Yum Yum" is an ebullient and pleasant finale. Not featured here is the domineering and powerful Katisha, a figure who stands out in the Mikado.

The H.M.S. Pinafore is Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular work. The sea chanty "We Sail The Ocean Blue" opens the opera with appropriate atmosphere and it seems to fit perfectly with the other scene in which the Captain greets his crew and they sing his praises "My Gallant Crew..I am the Captain Of The Pinafore". A beautiful melody that seems to come out of a romantic Offenbach tune is "I"m Called Little Buttercup". The finale, not featured here, is also very engaging "For He Is An Englishman" which can almost resemble a British national anthem. The Yeomen Of The Guard was Gilbert and Sullivan's "serious opera" eventhough it remains very Savoyard. The plot deals with Tudor England and takes place at the London Tower. "I have a song to sing" makes use of what can be taken for an English ballad of the Renaissance. Trial By Jury, about the eccentric and hilarious activity of a court trial, has a sextet that although different in composition, has the sextet "Che Mi Frena" from Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor in mind. All in all, an excellent recording sure to delight young and old.

Pure delight.......2003-08-02

--Gilbert & Sullivan--
William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were a match made in heaven, yet on earth their pairing seems even with hindsight a most unlikely coupling. Both were destined for other things, Gilbert in fact for decidedly non-musical careers. Introduced by a mutual friend, Fred Clay, the fledgling lyricist Gilbert met the military-band-leader's son Sullivan and together continued to conspire to inspire the delights of audiences from high Victorian times down to the present, as their work in musical theatre comedy continues to provide merriment throughout the English-speaking world and beyond.

--The Music--
This collection includes highlights from five of the most popular Gilbert & Sullivan operettas: The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, The Yeoman of the Guard, and Trial by Jury. The arrangements and orchestrations are delightfully energetic and clear; the characterisation and vocal qualities of the leads are perfect for their roles. The haughty if misplaced Lord of the Admiralty has the perfect combination of insecurity and pompous officiousness. The Plaintiff and the Defendant in the Trial are perfectly cast. This is a collection of highlights - at least three but no more than seven songs each, but this gives a good flavour of the music. The recordings on this collection come from complete performances by Mackerras and the WNO.

--Sir Charles Mackerras--
Mackerras is one of the geniuses of the twentieth century musical scene. Having a conducting career that includes the Hamburg Opera, the English National Opera (formerly Sadlers Wells Opera), and the Welsh National Opera (the performers for this piece), he has also conducted major orchestras on the continent of Europe and in the United States. The holder of many major awards and honourary doctorates, he has devoted much time and energy to the preservation and performance of eighteenth and nineteenth century music, as well the restoration of historical musical venues, such as the Estates Theatre in Prague, scene of the original production of Don Giovanni (Mackerras conducted the opera there to commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Mozart).

--Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Chorus--
The seeds of the WNO were planted in Cardiff during World War II by music lovers; the first performances occurred a year after the war's end, with Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci on the bill, with Faust the next night. Popular appeal was so great that the WNO was established, later adding choruses in both Cardiff and Swansea. The professional chorus was established in 1973, with a strength that matches the orchestra. They continue an ambitious performance schedule for recording and live events; Mackerras remains the Conductor Emeritus, as the WNO continues under the direction of Carlo Rizzi. The list of awards the WNO has won over the years is staggering - they are a world class institution by any measure.

--Other performers--
Notable singers such as Richard Stuart, Rebecca Evans, Felicity Palmer, John Mark Ainsley and Anne Howells lead the chorus with stunning vocals and clever characterisations of the parts they play. Many (such as Stuart and Evans) play the leading roles across several of the pieces of the disc.

--Liner Notes--
The liner notes give a good introduction and biographical information about Gilbert and Sullivan, as well as synopses of the five pieces presented here. It does not, unfortunately, include any information about Mackerras, the WNO Orchestra and Chorus, or the other special performers. It also does not include the lyrics to the songs. Were the quality of the CD not so great, this might cost it a star in rating.

--Overall Impressions--
I play this CD in my car, in my home and in my office frequently. It is a great sing-along work and a great comedic relief from the stresses of the day. The music is bubbly and clear; the recording quality is excellent and crisp. I recommend this to any Gilbert & Sullivan lover, any fan of musical comedy, opera and operettas, and anyone who delights in good music.

Delicious G&S samplings abound here........2003-05-06

The first thing I should be saying is "What an infectuous G&S CD." Indeed this is, with this fine sampling of the peppy and bright Mackerras series. I know I have praised its "Mercedes-Benz quality" elsewhere on these pages, but that doesn't stop me from saying that everyone is in fine voice. This generously filled CD may only focus on five operas, but at least you can savour a reasonable choice sampling of delights from each one. Of particular interest is Richard Suart's patter-baritone parts and the soaring lyric soprano of Rebecca Evans. The selection on this disc is filled with a mixture of familiar favourites and lesser-known gems such as the female choruses in Mikado and Pirates. Mackerras is a true G&S conductor, but one who always springs rhythms crisply, and adopts peppy tempo for the fast bits. The one drawback is that this selection is far too infectuous that you'll want to shell out money to buy the full 5-CD Mackerras cycle - an incredible bargain with most of the operas fitted onto one disc each. But still, this is at least a decent G&S sampling for beginners, capped with Steven Ledbetter's copious liner notes. It will leave you wanting to say "dammit I'm going to play it again."

Fine Intro to G&S.......2000-12-30

This is the perfect CD for those who may not be familiar with G&S, or for the initiated who want a smattering but don't have the mother of all CD changers. The difficulty with any G&S Greatest Hits CD is determining which pieces to leave off; while one could easily point to any number equally good bits, it would be difficult to argue about the quality of the choices included. The only problem, such as it is, is that after listening to it I am usually induced to go back and listen to the whole opera anyway. The Mackerras recordings are uniformly excellent. I have read elsewhere the criticism that they are too 'operatic' for light opera. If by this it is meant that the singers are too good, then I leave it to the discretion of the listener when the singing becomes too good to be enjoyable.

Rossini: The Barber of Seville (Highlights)

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Rossini: The Barber of Seville (Highlights)

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ov - LSO/James Levine
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Act I, Scene 2: A Un Dottor Della Mia Sorte - Renato Caprecchi
Act II, Scene 1: Contro Un Cor Che Accende Amore - Beverly Sills/Nicolai Gedda
Act II, Scene 1: Don Basilio!...Cosa Veggo! - Beverly Sills/Nicolai Gedda/Sherrill Milnes/Renato Caprecchi/Ruggero Raimondi
Act II, Scene 1: Orsu, Signor Don Bartolo! - Sherrill Milnes
Act II, Scene 1: Ah, Quel Colpo Inaspettato! - Beverly Sills/Sherrill Milnes/Nicolai Gedda
Act II, Scene 1: Di Si Felice Innesto - Sherrill Milnes/Beverly Sills/Nicolai Gedda/John Alldis Chor

Great Orchestral Highlights from The Ring of the Nibelungs / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD)

Average customer rating:

Conversion
Not to be missed
Greatly improved sound, excellent performances
Szell and Karajan were freinds!!!
A classic Szell recording beautifully restored

Great Orchestral Highlights from The Ring of the Nibelungs / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD)
Wagner , Cleveland Orchestra , and George Szell
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000044U19
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Customer Reviews:

Conversion .......2005-03-07

This is a very good recording of these works - all from Wagner's Nibelungen operas. Prior to purchasing this SACD, I did not totally agree with Szell's approach to Wagner. His approach, I thought, was too clear, too lacking on the bass line, and the accoustic at Severance Hall didn't help much. This SACD clarifies Szell in a very favorable way. Severance Hall doesn't sound nearly as bad of a place to record as I previously thought (though it's still debatable whether Szell's modifications to the hall in the late 50's were an improvement...) and the listener hears a much more balanced orchestral sonority, one which is without any congestion, clear as a bell, so to speak.

The performances themselves are top-flight - no question, by the late 1960's, the Cleveland Orchestra was the best orchestra in the U.S., outgunning everyone else. Szell lets the music speak for itself - no indulging in one's own self-centered interpretations here. Tempi are as specified and there are no orchestral rearrangements as there were in his Schumann recordings.

Now, if only Sony would release the rest of Szell's Wagner recordings on SACD, I'd be really happy to buy it.

Not to be missed.......2004-12-02

Hard to believe that these old Columbia/Epic LPs had this kind of sound in them. The sound stage is deep and wide and the string sound truly analogue. I find some of the ring excerpts not particularly to my liking musically, but the Tristan Prelude? A great recording by any measure. I was mesmerized by Szell's performance and have listened many, many times. SACD is so phenomenal. No ear fatigue and musically so involving. I haven't enjoyed listening so much since my LP days. This is the full measure of digital sound.

Greatly improved sound, excellent performances.......2004-09-17

I have been comparing this (non-hybrid, stereo-only) Sony SACD with the old Sony/CBS CD set - the 2 discs Maestro series from 1990, I've never heard a more recent Essential Classics CD incarnation coupled with some Ormandy Wagner. I suspect that was the same remastering.

The SACD replicates the second CD from that set (Ring excerpts plus the Tristan Prelude and Liebestod) and adds the Meistersinger Prelude, giving a total timing of 76'47.

I compared the tracks I know very well: the two Gotterdammerung excerpts. Unlike the other Szell SACD I have compared (Schumann Symphonies No 2 & 4, where the difference was discernible but slight), here the new disc sounds clearly different, and I think better.

On CD I always felt it was perhaps the slight aural 'edge' and hint of constriction that made these performances so thrilling (even though the sounds was rather flat in terms of front to back perspective), but this SACD removes that acerbity to some extent, to advantage I feel. There is much more depth to the sound and it is richer - and the orchestra sounds closer (perhaps even a tad smaller?) with greater detail. Strings sound more in focus. Maybe some of the ambience has changed, but perhaps this more realistically conveys the true acoustic of Severance Hall. Hearing the brief fanfare at 5'13ff in the Rhine Journey, here it is more rounded and realistic.

Tape hiss is absent from the SACD. In the Funeral March the advantage is clearer: the detail is much finer (the timpani strokes sound clearly at 2'55ff, whereas on CD they were blurred and the lighter ones inaudible).

For Wagnerians and Szell fans I think this SACD is worth getting as a supplement to the normal CD - I will of course retain the CDs as the SACD cannot be played elsewhere like the car changer.

Szell and Karajan were freinds!!!.......2004-06-07

In a recent bio on Karajan I was surprised to read the two were very good freinds and shared a alot in common. They also had similar approaches to orchestral sonority...

Suprisingly enough the approach to the Wagner here is very alike Herbert in some regards...I like the way Szell approaches the music in a more intense approach.

Karajan did get to do the Ring...but alas we may get to hear Szell with the Met from the 40s which some believe does exist in archive. As to the playing this is the finest Wagner record of exerpts out there.

It surpasses Herbert's any day!!!

The wonderful thing is how Cleveland is so transparent in it's textures...not as unlike Klemperer as one would think!!!

A classic Szell recording beautifully restored.......2002-01-25

There is very little to add to the excellent preceding review on this recording. I would just add an observation that the DSD transfer onto SACD brings a far greater level of realism and transparency as compared to the original LP or any subsequent CD transfer. We get as close as we likely ever will to hearing Szell's original intentions in the studio, which were obscured by Columbia's notoriously poor transfers of the original reel-to-reel master tape onto LP. In those days Columbia would artificially boost the mid-range on a recording to make it sound better on mediocre equipment -- not exactly an audiophile technique! This DSD transfer, by contrast, is untampered electronically, not even by noise reduction, which is also notorious for robbing analogue recordings from this vintage of their ambience and warmth. The result is a small amount of tape hiss, which I will gladly accept to be given the chance to hear what Szell and his fabulous Clevelanders actually recorded.

Average customer rating:

A substantial overview of Karajan's Ring
Where is Karajan's Ring on amazon?
not an introduction to The Ring
A wonderful introduction, or a new experience
good introduction

Highlights from Der Ring des Nibelungen

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Panorama (Highlights from der fliegende Hollander, Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde)
Wagner: The Compact Ring (Highlights from Der Ring des Nibelungen) / Levine; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Wagner: The Best of the Ring
Wagner's Ring: Turning the Sky Round
An Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen

ASIN: B00004XT2G
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

The Rhinegold: Lugt, Schwestern! Die Weckerin Lacht in Den Grund - Helen Donath/Edda Moser/Anna Reynolds/Zoltan Kelemen
The Rhinegold: Nur Wer Der Minne Macht Ensagt - Helen Donath/Edda Moser/Anna Reynolds
The Rhinegold: Der Welt Erbe Gewann Ich Zu Eigen Durch Dich - Zoltan Kelemen/Helen Donath/Edda Moser/Anna Reynolds
The Rhinegold: Haltet Den Rauber! - Helen Donath/Edda Moser/Anna Reynolds
The Rhinegold: Hor, Wotan, Der Harrenden Wort! - Karl Ridderbusch/Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Martti Talvela/Simone Mangelsdorff
The Rhinegold: Schwester! Bruder! Rettet! Helft! - Simone Mangelsdorff/Donald Grobe/Robert Kerns/Gerhard Stolze/Josephine Veasey
The Rhinegold: Wotan, Gemahl, Unselger Mann! - Josephine Veasey/Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Gerhard Stolze/Robert Kerns/Donald Grobe
The Rhinegold: (Transformation Music) - BPO/Herbert Von Karajan
The Rhinegold: Zur Burg Fuhrt Die Brucke - Donald Grobe
The Rhinegold: Abendlich Strahlt Der Sonne Auge - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
The Rhinegold: So Gruss Ich Die Burg - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Josephine Veasey/Gerhard Stolze
The Rhinegold: Rheingold! Rheingold! - Helen Donath/Edda Moser/Anna Reynolds/Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Gerhard Stolze
The Valkyrie: Der Manner Sippe Sass Hier Im Saal - Gundula Janowitz/Jon Vickers
The Valkyrie: Wintersturme Wichen Dem Wonnemond - Jon Vickers
The Valkyrie: Du Bist Der Lenz - Gundula Janowitz
The Valkyrie: O Susseste Wonne! Seligstes Weib! - Jon Vickers/Gundula Janowitz
The Valkyrie: War Walse Dein Vater, Und Bist Du Ein Walsung - Gundula Janowitz/Jon Vickers
The Valkyrie: Siegmund, Den Walsung, Siehst Du, Weib! - Jon Vickers/Gundula Janowitz
The Valkyrie: (The Ride Of The Valkyries) - BPO/Herbert Von Karajan
The Valkyrie: Leb Wohl, Du Kuhnes, Herrliches Kind! - Thomas Stewart
The Valkyrie: Der Augen Leuchtendes Paar - Thomas Stewart
The Valkyrie: Loge, Hor! Lausche Hieher! - Thomas Stewart
The Valkyrie: (Magic Fire Music) - BPO/Herbert Von Karajan

Tracks:

Siegfried: Dass Der Mein Vater Nicht Ist - Forest Murmurs - Jess Thomas
Siegfried: Nun Sing! Ich Lausche Dem Gesang! - Jess Thomas/Catherine Gayer
Siegfried: Prld To Act III. - BPO/Herbert Von Karajan
Siegfried: Wache, Wala! Wala! Erwach! - Thomas Stewart
Siegfried: (Brunnhilde's Awakening: Intro) - BPO/Herbert Von Karajan
Siegfried: Heil Dir, Sonne! Heil Dir, Licht! - Helga Dernesch/Jess Thomas
Siegfried: Siegfried! Siegfried Seliger Held! - Helga Dernesch/Jess Thomas
Twilight Of The Gods: (Orchestral Interlude) - BPO/Herbert Von Karajan
Twilight Of The Gods: Zu Neuen Taten, Teurer Helde - Helga Dernesch
Twilight Of The Gods: Mehr Gabst Du, Wunderfrau, Als Ich Zu Wahren Weiss - Helge Brilioth/Helga Dernesch
Twilight Of The Gods: (Siegfried's Rhine Journey) - BPO/Herbert Von Karajan
Twilight Of The Gods: (Funeral Music) - BPO/Herbert Von Karajan
Twilight Of The Gods: Starke Scheite Schichtet Mir Dort - Helga Dernesch
Twilight Of The Gods: Mein Erbe Nun Nehm Ich Zu Eigen - Helga Dernesch
Twilight Of The Gods: Fliegt Heim, Ihr Raben! - Helga Dernesch
Twilight Of The Gods: Conclusion 'Zuruck Vom Ring!' - Karl Ridderbusch

Customer Reviews:

A substantial overview of Karajan's Ring.......2007-07-11

One could debate for a brief eternity which conductor should be labeled "the best." Numerous magnanimous interpreters come to mind: Gustav Mahler, Arturo Toscanini, Otto Klemperer, Carlos Kleiber, Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, Daniel Barenboim, Giuseppe Sinopoli, and James Levine are just a potpourri of renowned orchestral masters. Toscanini and Karajan were probably the most influential in redefining the nature in which one should approach a piece of music; both insisted that traditional conducting, in which a piece was essentially performed in the same manner continuously, was neither healthy nor appropriate for the music in question and, they laid the foundation for conductors to develop their own characteristic conducting and interpretative styles.

One now comes to Richard Wagner, often considered the master of Romantic music and one of the definitive composers to ever set foot on the soil of this planet. If one were to painstakingly evaluate the two conductors' collective Wagnerian works, one would most likely come to the conclusion that Hungarian-born Sir Georg Solti was a "more perfect" Wagnerian conductor than the Austrian musical megalomaniac Herbert von Karajan. Solti's style of conducting, which lent itself to the works of Ludwig van Beethoven, Mahler, and Richard Strauss, was obviously within the atmosphere of Wagner, and his John Culshaw-produced rendering of Der Ring des Nibelungen can easily be considered one of the greatest achievements in modern recorded sound. Nonetheless, Karajan's brilliance came not from his ability to conduct Wagner perfectly, as one might arguably suggest for Solti, but rather from his ability to approach every composer with a certain level of comfort and singularity while simultaneously retaining his format of interpretation. Karajan was just as comfortable with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as he was with Jean Sibelius and Arnold Schoenberg, and his expertise transcended every medium, from choral works and masses to symphonies to operas to concerti. It was also his singular smoothness, his uncanny ability to gloss and refine the roughest and most vulgar of music (which, occasionally, in a work such as Carmen, had a derogatory effect) which made his Wagnerian music so spectacular a beacon and link within the chain mail of the musical world.

This is the reason why this recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen features what critics have called a "chamber music approach" to the Wagner score; Karajan dissected the music (as he did with everything he conducted) and took every measure to present, at all times, the beauty inherent in the music, even at the most violent and explosive instances. No fault is obvious in this, and with the operas of Rossini or Donizetti, no problem would have occurred; however, with Wagner, placing too burdensome an emphasis on beauty could, possibly, have an acidic effect on the overall drama of the work. This became an almost debilitating fault near the end of his illustrious career, but here the results are stunning. Karajan's interpretation is not sluggish (by the standards set by Solti, it is actually fairly brisk) and the orchestral performance from the imperial Berliner Philharmoniker is beyond betterment.

Thus, one must wonder why this recording of the Ring Cycle, with arguably the best conductor in the world leading one of the finest groups of musicians ever assembled, is frequently dogged by critics as weak and woefully idealistic. The answer lies in Karajan's casting which is, overall, inferior to Solti's. However, jewel-bedecked performances can be found in Karajan's cast with which Solti's cannot compete. Jon Vickers and Gundula Janowitz bring new definition to the twins Siegmund and Sieglinde. Operatic roles may have existed which Vickers did not perfect, but those which he performed (Peter Grimes, Samson, Tristan, Aeneas, Otello, Don José) were forever standardized by his interpretation. Siegmund is no exception, and though James King was a golden-toned, amorous youth on the Solti Die Walküre, Vickers is mightily Zarathustran and gloriously introspective during "Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond." Janowitz, who could make the harshest, most brutal German phrases drip with the smoothness and creamy elegance of French, brings radiance and gleaming simplicity to her Sieglinde which no other soprano could dare attempt. Their ecstatic, and eventually orgasmic, love duet ("Du bist der Lenz" ... "O süsseste Wonne! Seligstes Weib!" ... "Siegmund, den Wälsung, siehst du, Weib!") may be the greatest moment of Karajan's entire Ring Cycle.

The character of Wotan, the ruler of the gods, should, theoretically, be performed by a commanding, sonorous bass-baritone such as George London, Hans Hotter, Theo Adam, or James Morris, the most superb modern Wagnerian baritone. However, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who was so praised for his vocal delicacy and aristocratic gentility, is surprisingly successful as the ambitious god whose ageless wisdom was blinded by his opulent rapaciousness in Das Rheingold. Fischer-Dieskau was often fussy and blusterous on the operatic stage, but brief instances of vocal waywardness are often excusable through Wagner, and he will have no difficulty pleasing the most caustic critic during his wondrous musing as the gods enter the celestial fortress of Valhalla ("Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge...So grüss ich die Burg"). Thomas Stewart, a severely under-recorded American baritone, excels as Wotan in Die Walküre and Siegfried. Wotan's eminent farewell to Brünnhilde in Die Walküre ("Leb wohl, du kühnes, herrliches Kind!...Der Augen leuchtendes Paar") could easily buckle many baritones; Stewart, however, sings with unfettered passion and mournful abandonment as the pained father. He is less thrilling (due to the context of the music, not his voice) in his conjuring of Erda in Siegfried ("Wache, Wala! Wala! Erwach!").

Gerhard Stolze, the consummate character singer, is not featured on this set of highlights as Mime, Alberich's toiling, gnomish brother, in Siegfried; his unique caricature of Loge in Das Rheingold is inserted instead. Loge, the mischievous demigod of fire, is a part usually performed by a heldentenor, such as Wolfgang Windgassen, Set Svanholm, or Siegfried Jerusalem, and for those strictly concerned with vocal beauty, these singers would be highly appropriate. However, for those seeking a more burlesque, stupendously acted performance (merely listen as he warns the gods not to enter Valhalla ["Ihrem Ende eilen sie zu"]), Stolze is perfectly idiomatic and certainly does not "bark" his lines, though he is occasionally criticized for doing so. Hungarian bass-baritone Zoltan Kélémén's career began, for the most part, with Karajan casting him as Alberich. The most inimitable interpreter of the dwarf fiend was Gustav Neidlinger; his Alberich was explosively, thunderously vindictive, a Caligulan nemesis. Kélémén's Alberich was a twisted, grisly deuce, and though he may have lacked the vocal robustness of Neidlinger (and the malignant guffaw), his retort against the mocking of the Rheintöchter ("Der Welt Erbe gewänn ich zu eigen duch dich") is a petrifying outburst. Helen Donath, Edda Moser, and Anna Reynolds are the most perfectly tuned Rheintöchter available on disc. No other trio can compare with their beguiling chatter in the first scene ("Lugt, Schwestern! Die Weckerin lacht in den Grund") nor with their wrathful longing in the finale ("Rheingold! Rheingold! Reines Gold!"). Liselotte Rebmann, Daniza Mastilovic, Ingrid Steger, Lilo Brockhaus, Carlotta Ordassy, Barbro Ericson, Cvetka Ahlin, and Helja Jenckel are similarly victorious during the Walkürnritt ("Hojotoho!"), which is sure to conjure an image of helicopters napalming seaside Vietnamese villages vis-à-vis Francis Ford Coppola or hellish, armed and armor-bedecked maidens soaring about on flying horses.

Josephine Veasey possessed an elegant, matronly tone which was perfectly suited for Fricka, Wotan's bickering wife, the goddess of marriage. Donald Grobe, a Karajan regular, is insipid but secure as Froh in his brief monologue ("Zur Burg führt die Brücke"). Martti Talvela and Karl Ridderbusch (another Karajan regular) shared the four main bass roles in the saga: Fasolt, Fafner, Hunding, and Hagen. Talvela is noted as one of the most sympathetic Fasolts on record; one must wonder how Talvela, the gargantuan Finnish bass, could not be suitable as a giant in any opera. His performance is woefully truncated here, alas. His Hunding, which was surely brutish and bovine, is not heard at all. The iniquitous villain Fafner's greatest moment comes not in Das Rheingold as the bellowing lummox but in Siegfried as the leering, yawning dragon; this is also left out of the collection. Ridderbusch's performance as Hagen, often heralded as one of his finest, is represented here by little more than his final outburst of "Zurück vom Ring!" After Dame Joan Sutherland's "cameo" appearance as the Waldwogel in Sir Georg Solti's Siegfried, all other performances are bound to fall short. Nonetheless, Catherine Gayer is notably lovely and chirpy.

Most criticism concerning the soloists is invested in insulting Jess Thomas, Helga Dernesch, and Helge Brilioth. Thomas, a regal Lohengrin and Tannhäuser in his youth, has forever been the recipient of spiteful banter reviling his performance as Siegfried in the third opera of the cycle. It is true that Windgassen owned the role in much the same way that Birgit Nilsson was the executor of Brünnhilde (after Flagstad and Varnay); however, their performances were sublime in the locality of their vocal precision and dramatic prowess, which were sublime. In the sector of vocal attractiveness (which is, one must concede, Karajan's principal area of focus), Windgassen fell short of the golden-throated Thomas, and Nilsson's steely voice, though it possessed its own rampageous eroticism, was also inferior to Helga Dernesch's richer and milder tone. As examples, Thomas is marvelous during the darkly impressionistic, meandering Waldweben ("Dass der mein Vater nicht ist"); Dernesch is ravishing in the Awakening Scene ("Heil dir, Sonne! Heil dir, Licht! ... Siegfried! Siegfried! Seliger Held!") and in the apocalyptic finale of Götterdämmerung ("Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort...Fliegt heim, ihr Raben!"). Poor Brilioth is often criticized for simply sounding dull and inadequate as Siegfried in Götterdämmerung, and one must concede that it would have been more prudent for Karajan to cast Windgassen. [Régine Crespin, who is not featured on this collection, performed Brünnhilde in Die Walkure. This had mixed results, for most held her performance as the Valkyrie in juxtaposition to her gorgeous interpretation of Sieglinde on the Solti recording. I, personally, found her Brunnhilde delightfully witty and humane.]

Perhaps the greatest fault of this collection of highlights is that it is what it is: a collection of excerpts. Der Ring des Nibelungen is an expansive masterpiece which is not suitable for a two-disc collection of noteworthy tracks. This compilation, nevertheless, is indeed superb (as are most Deutsche Grammophon/Panorama releases), as is the set of highpoints from Karl Böhm's Ring Cycle, released through Philips. One should, by all means, disregard the hateful criticism placed upon Karajan's work here. It is not his finest, but it is Karajan, and his worst level is a pinnacle of excellence which most conductors can only hope to achieve, particularly in a Wagnerian sphere.

Where is Karajan's Ring on amazon?.......2005-09-05

I can't find any of the four Ring operas here at amazon.com. This is very peculiar, but in case you, too, are looking for them, I can say that the Rheingold and Die Walkure are superb, but the Siegfried is vocally a catastrophe, beginning with the woeful Jess Thomas in the title role, and the Gotterdammerung is hampered by an inedequate Siegfried and a not veyr inspired dernesch as Brunnhilde. DG has remastered them all at mid-price, and the mid-Sixties analog sound was good to begin with.

not an introduction to The Ring.......2005-04-18

This is absolutely the best "highlight" collection out there -- no others come close to the range and depth of material provided. But beware, this is not an "introduction to The Ring", as some claim -- the notes are skimpy, the titles of the excerpts are untranslated, there is no libretto, no description of the excerpts -- their context or meaning -- so what you have is a great summary of the works -- one that is most useful if you already know them -- something to take along with you in the car or while jogging or walking the dog to remind you of the real thing. Bear in mind that whatever the deficiencies of this collection, the others have the same faults also.

A wonderful introduction, or a new experience.......2004-02-14

Admittedly, it is a daunting task to try to "get into" opera, and even more so with Wagner's Ring. This CD is perfect for the beginner and the more experienced listener for various reasons. First of all, it spoils you somewhat in presenting you with the best pieces of the various operas. These "bleeding chunks" certainly give you a wonderful introduction to the various motifs, and most importantly, are very long pieces. The CD manages to capture several of the different flavors present in Wagner's opera.

Secondly, the CD is worth its price mainly due to Karajan's conducting. After listening to Solti's version of the Ring (also wonderful), I was suprised by the subtle hints he seems to charge through. You can literally hear the galloping of the horse, or subtle musical hints which add a great appreciation and character to the opera. Thus, if you have experienced several other conductors, but have not had the pleasure of Karajan, it would be worth the price.

Unfortunatly, some of the singing is kinda weak. Again, after Solti's Valkyries, you will have a hard time getting into the singing. And again, Karajan's Brunhilde isn't as strong as Solti's, but she still holds her own. Loge, here, sounds like a trickster (though he does sing/speak his words), and the Wotan's are alright.

In conclusion, this is perfect if you want to add flavor to your Wagner listening experience, or just want to know what the big deal is. I, of course, suggest getting one of the DVD's to get the big picture of what is going on (Levine's MET is a good start). So buy and enjoy.

good introduction.......2002-06-11

this is a good way to see why it is worth getting the full Der Ring opera--all 15 CDs! having just the highlights shows you the power and majesty of Wagner's music, but skips the depth and true emotion you get out of listening to the whole opera.

Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia / Horne, Nucci, Ramey, Dara; Chailly [Highlights]

Average customer rating:

Horne Sunk by Second Rate Cast
So close, but...
fine performances all around
Five Stars For Nucci

Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia / Horne, Nucci, Ramey, Dara; Chailly [Highlights]
Gioachino Rossini , La Scala Theater Orchestra , Riccardo Chailly , Marilyn Horne , Leo Nucci , Samuel Ramey , Enzo Dara , Paolo Barbacini , La Scala Theater Chorus , and Raquel Pierotti
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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OPERA 101: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO LEARNING AND LOVING OPERA

ASIN: B00000290X
Release Date: 1994-06-14

Tracks:

Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Sinfonia
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'La ran la lera ... Largo al factotum'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Una voce poco fa'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'La calunnia n venticello'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Dunque io son ... tu non m'inganni?'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'A un dottor della mia sorte'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Questa bestia di soldato'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Mi par d'esser con la testa'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Pace e gioia sia con voi'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Contro un cor che accende amore'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Il vecchiotto cerca moglie'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Temporale
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Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Cessa di piistere'
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Di selice innesto'

Customer Reviews:

Horne Sunk by Second Rate Cast.......2007-01-22

For starters, Marilyn Horne is in the most beautiful voice I have ever heard her in this recording. She is a great Rosina. Unfortunately, this is not a one-woman opera! Leo Nucci's Barber is second rate at best, mostly because of his poor singing of fast runs and scales. Paolo Barbacini is downright terrible as Count Almaviva. His voice is so hoarse that he sounds like he's been shouting at football games for three days straight. I would advise against buying this compilation because there are a couple of better ones out there. My choice is the one with the riveting Agnes Baltsa, Thomas Allen, and Francisco Araiza. That is one all-around enjoyable performance.

So close, but..........2005-06-16

This is almost a great recording. Chailly, Nucci, Horne, Ramey, Dara, the La Scala forces, all are supurb. Tenor Paolo Barbacini, as the Count, however - well, let's assume he was ill during the recording sesssions, because he sounds just awful. The tone is forced, the coloratura is hammered and throaty. The poor man seems to be straining for every note, and the sound is not pretty. For me, at least, this painful performance ruins an otherwise splendid recording. Be warned.

fine performances all around.......2004-12-24

Il Babiere suffers some maligning from folks who know it only from What's Opera Doc, but it is a great opera. Leo Nucci is fantastic as Figaro. Moreover, what can you say about Marilyn Horne as Rosina? Her singing of Una Voce poco Fa is outstanding. It's sometimes forgotten that although this is a comic opera, it is squarely in the bel canto tradition, and these singers each turn in performances that can truly be called beautiful singing. A very fine performance of a great work.

Five Stars For Nucci.......2000-06-10

If any of you have watched Saturday morning cartoons this opera might sound familiar. In fact the Barber of Seville is a classic! Leo Nucci is one of the top opera personalities in the world! His passion for music is unsurpassed! If you are a baby boomer this opera will 100% bring back memories of the good days. I recommend it to any generation!

Average customer rating:

Sunday With the Times

Manufacturer: Intersound Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Four Seasons: 'The Spring': Allegro
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'Brandenburg' Concerto No. 3: Allegro
Flute Concerto, Op. 44, No. 11: Largo
Piano Concerto No. 21: Andante ('Elvira Madigan' Theme)
String Quintet In E Major, Op. 13, No. 5: Minuet
Impromptu In A-Flat Major
'Emperor' String Quartet, No. 3: Poco Adagio
Swan Lake: Scene: Enchanted Lake
On The Beautiful Blue Danube: Excerpt
The Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan
The Afternoon Of A Faun: Prelude
Appalachian Spring: Variations On A Shaker Dance

Tracks:

'Brandenburg' Concerto No. 5: Allegro
Air For The 'G' String
'Xerxes': Largo
Concerto For Two Violins And Orchestra, 'Double': Vivace
Sheep May Safely Graze
'Moonlight' Sonata: Adagio sostenuto
'Eine kleine Nachtmusik': Romanze: Andante
Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral': Andante molto mosso
Polovstian Dance No. 17: Excerpt
Symphony No. 9m 'From The New World': Largo
'Cavalleria rusticana': Intermezzo
La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz
Trois Gymnopedies: Lent et douloureux

Tracks:

Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Orchestral Suite No. 2: Minuet And Badinerie
Prelude And Fugue In C Major
Adagio For Strings And Organ
Violin Concerto In E Major: Allego assai
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Fur Elise
Clarinet Concerto: Adagio
Violin Concerto: Allegro
Peer Gynt: Dawn
Symphony No. 4, 'Italian': Introduction
Serenade For Strings: Waltz
Thais: Meditation
Concierto de Aranjuez: Adagio

Tracks:

Canzona per Sonare No. 2
Orchestral Suite No. 3: Overture
Highlights From Oboe Concerto: Adagio
Highlights From Oboe Concerto: Presto
Harpsichord Suite No. 5: Air And Variations ('The Harmonious Blacksmith')
Symphony No. 40: Molto allegro
Piano Concerto No. 20: Romance
Symphony No. 1: Adagio molto; Allegro con brio
Various Waltzes: No. 1, Op. 18
Various Waltzes: No. 7, Op. 64
Various Waltzes: No. 11, Op. 70
Voices Of Spring
Aida: Celeste Aida (Heavenly Aida)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Collection, Even Better Price
An Oldie Re-Issue, But Still A Goodie!
Watch Out! This Music Will Raise Your Cholesterol!

Captain Blood and Other Swashbucklers

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0007ACVL4
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

The King's Thief - Miklos Rozsa
Scaramouche: Main Title - Victor Young
Scaramouche: Vanished Merchant - Victor Young
Scaramouche: The Tomb, Andre And Aline - Victor Young
Scaramouche: Why? - Victor Young
Scaramouche: Pavane - Victor Young
Scaramouche: Andre Escapes - Victor Young
Scaramouche: The Big Apple - Victor Young
Scaramouche: The Magic Box/Roses And Napoleon - Victor Young
Scaramouche: End Cast - Victor Young
Captain Blood: Main Title - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Captain Blood: Slaves/Arabella And Blood - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Captain Blood: Tortuga - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Captain Blood: Port Royal/Island Of Magra/English And Pirate Ships - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Captain Blood: Pirates' Flag - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Captain Blood: Finale - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
The Three Musketeers: To Paris/Fencing Demonstration - Max Steiner
The Three Musketeers: Love Theme - Max Steiner
The Three Musketeers: Fight Behind Palace - Max Steiner
The Three Musketeers: Night Time/Pigeons - Max Steiner
The Three Musketeers: Carriage Ride - Max Steiner
The Three Musketeers: Finale - Max Steiner

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Collection, Even Better Price.......2005-10-14

I picked this CD up as an afterthought while searching for some background music for a play I was putting together, and while it cost less than half of the other swashbuckler soundtrack CDs, it has more tracks than most, more variety than any(dramatic to romantic to action), and solid sound quality. If you're after a whole collection of the Korngold era tunes in one CD, this is it.

An Oldie Re-Issue, But Still A Goodie!.......2005-04-03

A re-issue of tracks from Marco Polo 8.223607, 1995. Practically perfect in every way. But the brass could be a bit more crisp and defined. Primarily an early work from master restoration magicians Messrs. John Morgan and William Stromberg. And now at "popular prices." Don't delay on this one!

William Flanigan, Ph.D.

Watch Out! This Music Will Raise Your Cholesterol!.......2005-03-16

And it will buckle your swash, too.

These performances appeared in 1995 on Naxos's full-price sister label, Marco Polo, and are among a spate of movie music scores making their appearances now at budget price. Some are wonderful - like Honegger's score for 'Les Misérables,' Georges Auric's 'Beauty and the Beast,' and Wojciech Kilar's 'Dracula.' Some don't stand up too well on their own, like Steiner's 'King Kong' or Waxman's 'Objective: Burma!'. But this one definitely has the best of the best, all in that late-romantic, richly scored music we associate with the genre. The producers have put together some of the best cues from four swashbucklers and from beginning to end this is music to enjoy, with no dead wood anywhere along the way.

The Main Title of Miklós Rosza's 'The King's Thief' is a heckuva lot better than the 1955 Edmund Purdom movie for which it was written. Victor Young's 'Scaramouche' is represented by nine cues, among them the delightful 'Main Title' and the faux-baroque 'Pavane.' The inventor of this sort of movie music, Erich Maria Korngold, is here represented by six cues from the 1935 Errol Flynn blockbuster, 'Captain Blood.' All five cues are terrific and sweep you along, but I particularly like 'Slaves--Arabella and Blood,' a seven-minute tone poem of great beauty and ingenuity. Max Steiner, a transplanted Viennese like Korngold, contributes six cues from 'The Three Musketeers,' also from 1935. The love theme is really gorgeous.

These scores were reconstructed by the late Christopher Palmer ('The King's Thief'), William Stromberg ('Scaramouche') and John Morgan ('Captain Blood' and 'The Three Musketeers') from conductor's piano scores; the full scores, like many of their era, were lost. In one case the score had only a violin line. The three arrangers attempted, then, to reproduce the orchestrations from the movie sound track itself, a difficult task at best, but it sounds to me like they did a marvelous job collectively. These orchestrations have the sweep and grandeur of the originals.

The Brandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra (Potsdam, Germany) is conducted by Richard Kaufman. They are beautifully played and recorded.

This one is worth having if you love the flamboyant style favored in adventure films; this is the crème de la crème.

Scott Morrison

Panorama (Highlights from der fliegende Hollander, Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde)

Average customer rating:

Great overview to Wagner's non-Ring operas
Good introduction, good value

Panorama (Highlights from der fliegende Hollander, Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde)

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004XN6N
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Der fliegende Hollander: Overture - Chor Und Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele
Der fliegende Hollander: Johohoe! Traft ihr das Schiff im Meere an - Chor Und Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele
Der fliegende Hollander: Steuermann, lass die Wacht - Chor Und Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1 - Wiener Philharmoniker
Lohengrin: Einsam in truben Tagen - Wiener Philharmoniker
Lohengrin: Brautlied - Wiener Philharmoniker
Lohengrin: In fernam Land, unnahbar euren Schritten - Wiener Philharmoniker
Tannhauser: Overture - Philharmonia Orchestra
Tannhauser: Dich, teure Halle, gruss ich wieder - Philharmonia Orchestra
Tannhauser: Pilgerchor - Philharmonia Orchestra

Tracks:

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 1 - Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Was duftet doch der Flieder - Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prize Song - Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Parsifal: Prelude to Act 1 - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Parsifal: Good Friday Music - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Parsifal: Du siehst, das ist nicht so - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 1 - Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 3 - Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele
Tristan und Isolde: Isoldes Liebestod - Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele

Customer Reviews:

Great overview to Wagner's non-Ring operas.......2006-03-28

Listeners seeking an overview of Wagner's operas are well-served by this 2-cd set and its companion 2-cd set of excerpts from Karajan's performance of the 4 Ring operas. This set features excerpts from the DG operas "Der Fliegende Hollander" (Flying Dutchmman), "Lohengrin", "Tannhauser", "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg", "Parsifal", and "Tristan und Isolde". The recorded sound is superb, and the performances flow together very well, even though the works are performed by different orchestras, conductors, and singers.

This is a very enjoyable set in a crowded and competitive field. It offers almost a 50-50 split between orchestral and vocal excerpts, so those seeking primarily orchestral excerpts might be better served by the 2-cd set of overtures conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, which contains purely orchestral excerpts from these same operas as well as a few excerpts from the four Ring operas. Those listeners who value great performance and don't mind putting up with the good but dated mono sonics from the 50s may want to seek out the excellent 2-cd set of Wagner excerpts on EMI conducted by Wilhelm Furtwanger, which offers primarily orchestral excerpts except for a stunning rendition of Brunnhilde's Immolation sung by Kirsten Flagstad. Also, George Szell conducted a single disk of orchestral excerpts from the Ring that does contain the prelude from Die Meistersinger and the prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde. I purchased all of these outstanding disks before getting this Panorama set, but I am very glad that I got this set, because of the the beauty of the choral works not contained in the other sets. Also, the interpretation of the orchestral pieces is outstanding, and I was glad to add them to the others. This set was so good, it inspired me to obtain versions of the complete operas.

Good introduction, good value.......2001-10-04

This is a sensible, cost-effective way to gain a nodding if superficial acquaintance with Wagner's six most important non-Ring operas. (The four Ring operas are similarly if somewhat more generously highlighted, in the Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic recordings, on a 2-CD Deutsche Grammophon set that is a companion volume to this one, so if you buy both sets--4 CDs--you gain at least some exposure to all ten major Wagner operas.)

CD 1 of this set (64'22 in length) gives you 21'04 of Der fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman), in the Karl Bohm/Bayreuth recording (1972); 21'25 of Lohengrin, in the Claudio Abbado/Vienna Philharmonic recording (1994); and 21'53 of Tannhauser, in the Giuseppe Sinopoli/Philharmonia recording (1989). CD 2 (70'55 in length) gives you 23'15 of Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, in the Eugen Jochum/Deutschen Oper Berlin recording (1976); 25'50 of Parsifal, in the James Levine/Metropolitan Opera recording (1994); and 21'18 of Tristan und Isolde, in the Karl Bohm/Bayreuth recording (1966). All the music here is drawn, obviously, from complete opera recordings in the Deutsche Grammophon catalog.

As you would expect from a collection so various in provenance (five different conductors, five different orchestras in four countries, a widely diverse crop of singers, with recordings spread over a period of almost 30 years), there is no uniform or consistent point of view here (such as is furnished by the single conductor and orchestra typically recording the Ring cycle of operas). But this is not necessarily a problem; these, after all, are all independent, free-standing, unrelated operas, each with its own character. The performances, singing, and sound quality here are all variable, but all are at a minimum thoroughly competent and listenable, some considerably more than that.

I'm not going to try to comment individually on the diversity of conductors and orchestras represented here. Fully half of the music here is purely orchestral (two overtures and five preludes, totaling 69 minutes). There are also three choral selections, including the bridal chorus from Lohengrin containing the famous wedding music ("Here comes the bride"), and the absolutely stunning Pilgrims' chorus from Tannhauser, rousingly performed by the men of the Covent Garden Chorus (this begins softly, as from a distance, then builds to a terrific climax, then recedes to softness again). Of the soloists who sing long enough here to matter, Gwyneth Jones as Senta gives mingled pleasure and concern: she does some attractive soft singing but occasionally sounds insecure and unsteady, her voice under marginal control. Cheryl Studer is first-rate as both Elsa and Elisabeth; this is able singing, secure from top to bottom, from soft to loud. Siegfried Jerusalem as Lohengrin sings well and sensitively when singing softly or at middle voice; when he opens up, his voice becomes more problematic, and there is strain on top.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Hans Sachs), great artist though he was in his proper sphere, unfortunately kept straying out of it, as he does here: Hans Sachs, one of the greatest of baritone roles, is for a Wagnerian Heldenbariton, and this Fischer-Dieskau certainly was not. He sounds lightweight, underpowered, and somewhat fussy; sometimes he blusters, sometimes he croons, but he's no Hans Sachs (to hear what can be done with this role you have to go back to earlier recordings by Friedrich Schorr). Placido Domingo (Walther von Stolzing and Parsifal), a famously versatile and capable all-around tenor (an opera-house manager's dream who could, and would, sing just about any role), offers pleasing, sensitive singing in both roles; some have complained that he doesn't sound idiomatic in Wagner, but I'll take his secure, musicianly singing any day over what we usually get these days in Wagner tenor roles. Kurt Moll is an imposing, rich-voiced Gurnemanz.

The most memorable singing here comes from Birgit Nilsson in Isolde's Liebestod; she was the greatest Wagnerian soprano of the second half of the twentieth century (Flagstad and Traubel had seen their best days by 1950), and some would add that she was the only great Wagnerian soprano of the second half of the twentieth century. None of the other singers heard here are in her class as Wagnerians, or, indeed, in terms of basic vocal endowment. She is secure, rock solid, strong on top, commands an enormous dynamic range (she closes on a beautiful pianissimo note), and hearing her unleash her huge voice and letting it soar out over the orchestra is thrilling. This is the kind of singing that hasn't been heard since Flagstad and Traubel from anyone but Nilsson; her Liebestod reminds us of what the seemingly vanishing art of heroic Wagner singing is all about.

In a nutshell, this set is a good value and serves as a useful introduction to the Wagner non-Ring operas.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

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