5 comments about Respighi: Pines of Rome; The Birds; Fountains of Rome.

1. Until recently, I was not aware of the classical music of Ottorino Respighi. But I have to admit that his music has made an impression on me ever since I listened to an old record of his material. Subsequently, I acquired this CD, and I am glad that I did. All three of the CD's pieces are enjoyable--"Pines of Rome," "The Birds," and "Fountains of Rome." My favorite of the three is "Pines of Rome," one of my favorite classical music compositions in general. The CD's sound quality is also nice. The music is performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Louis Lane. The CD booklet includes an essay of Respighi, too. In addition, the CD's cover illustration is not only attractive, but also captivating. The CD is just over 54 minutes. Actually, I rate this piece of work 3.5 stars. It is recommendable.



2. This is one of the finest performances of these pieces. Under Lane's direction, the Orchestra sounds magnificent and they are in absolute top form. The sound from this Telarc disc can only be described as ravishing. At times, the orchestration, together with the performance and the recording all combine to create some of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard from an orchestral recording. The engineering is magnificent and this is probably the best sound that Telarc has ever achieved. This is an audiophile's dream recording. Buy this disc and it will give you a lifetime of listening pleasure.



3. Ottorino Respighi is one of the best composers of modern classical music, along with Ravel, Debussy, Poulenc, Hanson, and Shostakovich. In this recording, we hear Gli Uccelli, Pini di Roma, and Fontane di Roma. In this review, I'm going to talk about Pini di Roma and Fontane di Roma.
   
   Pini di Roma, also called Pines of Rome, is a wonderful symphonic poem by Respighi. It has been adopted to film in "Fantasia 2000" and is my favorite work by Respighi. It is made up of 4 sections that are part of one big movement. The first section is called Pines of the Villa Borghese and is in B-flat. It is a lively piece of music featuring a lot of triangle, trumpet, and other instruments which make it sound majestical. The second movement, Pines of the Catacombs, is slightly darker and mysterious in the beginning, but it climbs to it's climax and then finishes off strangely. The third movement, Pines of the Janiculum, is the lightest and starts off in a maritime piano piece and then features soft music. In some recordings, a bird can be heard chirping in this section, since that was the original idea that Respighi had. The fourth movement, Pines of the Appian Way, is also in B-flat and is the best one of them all. It starts out with a constant march and that march follows the song the whole time as it gets louder and louder until it reaches the grand finale.
   
   Foutnains of Rome is another wondeful symphonic poem by Respighi and Pines of Rome was written as a sequel. The first movement is a quiet little movement which creates the scene of a foutain at dawn and has a magical sound to it. The second movement is the shortest and has a great part for the trumpets towards the end. The third movement is the greatest of them all and is in E major. It is about the Trevi Fountain at Midday and bears a striking resemblence to the finale of Pines of Rome. The fourth movement is quieter and more mysterious and features chimes dinging throughout the whole thing and eventually to the quiet and relaxing ending.



4. This review applies to the works -Pines of Rome-,
   -The Birds-, and -Fountains of Rome- performed by
   the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and conducted by
   Louis Lane on Telarc.
   Listening and enjoyment and enthusiasm are all
   subjective elements which can't be "quantified" for
   everyone's satisfaction. I can only say that I
   have "perfectionist" ears and eyes, so I have
   real trouble finding personally satisfying sound
   reproduction devices as well as particular versions
   of classical works which I "get into." There
   are some other versions of this work which I like
   very much also, conductor Daniel Gatti's with the
   Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, conductor
   Giuseppe Sinopoli's with the New York Philharmonic
   on Deutsche Grammophon, and conductor Jesus Lopez-
   Cobos with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on
   Telarc.
   What makes me decide to review Lane's recording is
   his concern with tempo and dynamics...the transition
   from the sunny brilliance of the Pines of the Villa
   Borghese to the dark, quiet mystery and softness of
   the Pines Near a Catacomb is a wonder, and for me,
   breath-taking. The sound clarity and "presence" of
   this Telarc recording are outstanding. In the
   Pines of the Villa Borghese you can hear the
   instruments giving out percussive effects to imitate
   the toys of the children. But it is the sunny,
   sparkling brilliance and tempo of the orchestra
   as well that make this piece scintillating!
   Of all of the pieces in the Pines, my own particular
   favorite (for its associations) is the Pines of the
   Janiculum -- that dreamy, lyrical, almost mystic
   portrayal of moonlight among the pines and the
   lyrical warbling of the nightingale. I am somewhat
   of a connoisseur of the warbling nightingale in these
   recordings. I don't like Von Karajan's nightingale; it
   does not have the echoing resonance of the symphony
   hall, but sounds as if it is recorded in nature; and
   the Von Karajan nightingale only tweets, it doesn't
   have the glorious, full-throated warble of the
   Lane nightingale and some of the other recordings.
   The gentle piano introduction to the Janiculum in
   the Lane recording, the harmonious pacing -- very
   lyrical and peaceful and haunting (in beauty, not
   grief or languid weariness), the soulful clarinet,
   the caressing strings...all give this recorded
   version optimal stars from me.
   -- Robert Kilgore.



5. Ever since Toscanini's RCA recordings (early 1950s), these Respighi tone poems have been played as sonic block-busters, with engineering to match. It seems everybody's idea of this music is driven by the last section of "The Pines of Rome," which famously evokes a march of Roman legionnaries via a steady crescendo of orchestral volume that finally explodes in an orgy of brass playing. But there are subtler pleasures in these pieces, especially in "The Fountains of Rome," and in this recording I've finally found Respighi performances that sound like music, not noise. Not that conductor Louis Lane and the fine Atlanta orchestra underplay the parts that need it; there's plenty of drama here, trust me. But Lane was an assistant to legendary conductor George Szell in Cleveland for many years, and he clearly learned how to achieve proper orchestral balances, even when working with the massively large orchestra favored by late Romantic composers like Respighi. For once, Respighi's orchestral texures register with the necessary nuance and subtlety. And Telarc's sound complements Lane's approach with an appropriate acoustic: very "hi-fi," but not in your face. Instead of garishly spotlighting individual sections, Telarc works its magic to ensure that the entire orchestra registers with a marvelous warmth. Given the subtleties of Lane's approach, I think it's no accident that he chose to couple "Pines" and "Fountains" with Respighi's suite "The Birds" rather than with the more glitzy "Roman Festivals." "The Birds" ("Gli Uccelli") is a Renaissance/Baroque pastiche cut from the same cloth as Respighi's perennially popular "Ancient Airs and Dances." So if you love the Respighi of the "Ancient Airs" and abhor the composer of the flashier tone poems, buy this CD. It may just be the Respighi disc of your dreams! Final word: "Louis Lane and the Atlanta Symphony" might not have the cache of Toscanini/NBC, Bernstein/New York, Karajan/Berlin, and God-knows how many other high-powered teams that have recorded this music. But for my money, this very musical Telarc CD beats the competition hands down. (Also note that this is one of many earlier (late 1980s) Telarc digital CDs that the company has reissued in a new budget series. Same great Telarc sound and sophisticated packaging, but at a very nice price.)

5 comments about The Glorious Sound of Christmas.

1. This was another album we always listened to when I was a child. It's kind of Mormon Tabernacleish sounding, with all the religious songs of the holidays right there. Not a secular one in the batch. But for that lush Sixties Christmas sound, with loads of strings and smoothness (can you say Muzak) it cannot be beat. I like to turn it up loud and sing along--then put on the Billboard Christmas favorites or Jimmy Buffet's Christmas as an antidote right afterward.



2. This is a terific CD of music from one of the best orchestras in the world joined by the vocal talents of Temple U. Concert Choir.
   The selections are perfect- joyful, festive,reverent.



3. The seller was efficient and I received it when I was suppose to and in time for the holiday.



4. In my opinion THE best recording of traditional Christmas music ever,put in on, turn it up and enjoy. You will not be dissappointed



5. Being fond of old-fashioned English christmas carols/hymns, this CD didn't deliver. I bought it mainly hoping it had a well-performed old-style version of "Oh holy night" (seems to be tough to find this one!), but alas. If you're more into christmas songs with 'punch', a bit 'bombastic', then this CD is maybe for you.

5 comments about Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Bruch: Dol Nidrei; Bloch: Schelomo.

1. I had the chance to watch Mr. Fournier three times, during two decades. II still remember his gentle sound and pristine tune.
   
   This version of Dvorak's Cello Concerto remains as one of his most remarkable achievement, and if not for the unique and unsurpassed version of Casalñs of 1938, this would be my first choice.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. Though the 'warhorse concerti' each have champions, there are few who would deny the elegance and passion that Pierre Fournier brought to this treasured Dvorák Cello Concerto in B minor. This recording is a true bargain at the current price and one that every lover of classical music should own. Fournier is accompanied by George Szell and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra here and the forces are formidable. The long orchestral introduction of the concerto builds climatically for the soulful entrance of the cello, and once Fournier begins to spin his magic, the ensemble and conductor meld cohesively into a performance that even on these recording standards of the time are breathtaking.
   
   As a special bonus on this 'collected album' Fournier brings the soul of the Schelomo rhapsody of Bloch (the Berlin orchestra is conducted by Alfred Wallenstein this time) and the Bruch 'Kol Nidrei' with the compassionate forces of the Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra under the baton of Jean Martinon behind him. These additional works provide a fine framework for the Dvorák and Fournier is in top form for each of them.
   
   There may just be another contender for the spotlight for the Dvorák concerto (another besides the luminous presence of Yo-Yo Ma) in the emergence of a fine young cellist from Germany, Johannes Moser. At a recent concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, guest conducted by Zubin Mehta, Moser proved to be not only capable of the technical demands of the work, but also an artist with a gift for elegance and surety of line and phrase that brought the audience to its feet cheering. He is a talent to watch! Grady Harp, December 07



3. I have heard perhaps 5 or 6 versions of the Dvorak cello concerto. Of the ones I have heard this is the best (close competition from Du Pre only). The other pieces are okay but the Dvorak is the reason you would purchase this. The recording quality is especially good with the solo cello while the orchestra occasionally is not as clear. Recommended. I would have given it 5 stars if I liked the other two pieces nearly as well.



4. Well, that's a large claim to make, but I'm going to be 60 in a few months and so I will state my frank opinion: the Dvorak Cello Concerto is the best piece of music ever written by mankind, and you should really listen to THIS version, with Pierre Fournier on the cello, and George Szell conducting the Berlin Philharmonic.
   
   This could hardly be called "program music." Yet it seems to address any questions which you bring to it -- questions about love, mortality, and the gods, among many others. And there are many, many moments when Dvorak is simply "out there" -- communicating with the stars.
   
   My runner-up is the Brahms Violin Concerto! :-)



5. The level of concentration throughout in this set of recordings is amazing...even though some may not know it, the Lamoreux orchestra is one of the very finest and it is the oldest orchestra in Paris. All of the recordings are top notch and are played with polish.
   
   As a backgrounder, you may want to investigate the 1936 Casals/Szell coupling of the Dvorak on EMI! Wonderful in different ways!

5 comments about Joy to the World - Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra.

1. This music represents what Christmas joy is all about,the thrill of old favorites presented in top quality form. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!



2. I have always preferred classical Christmas music as opposed to something like Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You" and the 10,000 versions of "Silver Bells" so this album really fit the bill. Great pick if you prefer classical music to pop Xmas songs.



3. Since I am a musician and director of music also, I really get into the listening of music. Christmas music is my favorite next to religious choral pieces we do in my church. This particular CD ranks quite high on my list because of the fullness of the music and the selection of pieces. The use of dynamics is quite effective as well. It really puts me into the spirit of Christmas and in particular, the reason for Christmas, the birth of Christ. Enjoy!!



4. This wonderful CD has everything to celebrate the great joy of the Christmas season. Recorded in the early 1970's it still sounds as fresh and timeless as it did way back then.
   The orchestrations are majestic and imaginative without being mushy or too symphonic in structure.The addition of the chorus in most of the carols is an added bonus. The singers and orchestra blend wonderfully without either dominating the other too much. The programme of selected songs is excellent and with some lovely orchestra only tracks the CD is not tiring to listen to creating a well balanced programme.
   Maestro Eugene Ormandy conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra with great zeal and a passion for the music that is felt by the listener.The chorus master is the very talented Robert Page and the carols are arranged and orchestrated by the great Arthur Harris.
   The sound quality is excellent and the CD has been beautifully remastered without any loss of crispness or dynamics.The stereo balance and instrument placement sound superb with the singers centre stage.
   This is a remarkably good CD from the RCA Gold Seal range and is a must for lovers of really good seasonal music played with love and passion for the joys of the Christmas season.
   Thank you for taking the trouble to read my review and I wish one and all much enjoyment from this lovely CD.
   
   Happy listening!



5. A truly great collection of classical Christmas music. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Rachmaninoff for Romance: Passionate Music For Love and Desire.

1. Find your loved one, get some tissue and escape into a world of desire and fantasy. All ages will love this music. Tender, soft, and relaxing with the hint of being alive again.
   
   Donald Lindsey



2. This album contains some of Rachmaninoff's most beautiful and romantic music which should appeal to everyone, even if you're not a classical music fan. The performances are first rate and you may even shed a few tears listening to this very emotional music. These excerpts from some of Rachmaninoff's major works may induce you to want the entire compositions for your collection.



3. I'll add my applause to these reviews. It's an elegant collection of Rachmaninov pieces. Simply beautiful.



4. If you are a Rachmaninov fan, this CD is a must. Of all the CD's I have of Rachmaninov, this is my favorite. The orchestra's that perform capture the essence of what he composed. It is a beautiful CD guaranteed to please. As the back of the CD states, "Rachmaninov and romance go together like Romeo and Juliet"



5. I purchased this CD primarily for Trac#2--Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini-18th Variation. I wasn't disapointed! The whole cd is very relaxing and definitly puts you in the mood. I thought the cd would contain only piano music but there are many well-orchestrated and dramatic tracs.

3 comments about Ravel: Greatest Hits.

1. Since this is a selection of works played by various orchestras, it's not really a comprehensive piece of work. But really, Ravel is not one of the "great" composers. Bolero is a fun piece and I enjoy it. For the rest, but for the dates of composition I would swear it was a movie soundtrack.



2. I do not like Bolero. I have never liked Bolero. I don't think I will ever enjoy Bolero. I say this only to offer a reason for my lack of mention of that piece (beyond this, obviously). In fairness, Ravel at least once described Bolero as trivial, "a piece for orchestra without music". Fortunately, I did not let my feelings for Bolero sour my appreciation for the remaining works of Ravel.
   Ravel was the master of transcriptions; reworking most of his works from piano to orchestra or vice-versa, which basically means that his output was virtually doubled because he wrote the majority of his pieces for orchestra and solo piano. He was a master of the French Impressionist era and an innovator in the move to modern 20th century classical composition.
   
   Ravel's catalogue of work is astounding and his influence on composers that followed him, astounding. He began playing the piano a little later in life than some of the well known composers who were "prodigies" and playing before they could write. Ravel began playing the piano when he was 7 and, with his ability apparent, ended up at the Conservatoire de Paris where his art would be refined.
   While at the Conservatoire, he composed [track 2] Pavane pour une infante defunte (Pavane for a dead Princess), a pavane being a processional dance played slowly. This piece was composed when Ravel studied under another of France's greatest composers, Gabriel Faure. The piece was written for piano as a tribute of sorts to the customs and rhythms of the Spanish, whom Ravel (along with other French greats) respected greatly. The piece is staggeringly beautiful and is, perhaps, my favorite by him. The version offered here is the orchestrated transcription by Ravel as published by Ravel 11 years after his original piano piece was composed.
   Alborada del gracioso (The Comedian's Aubade) is, like Pavane, heavily influenced by Ravel's appreciation for the Spanish musical form. The gentle pluck of the strings at the opening of the piece is reminiscent of Spanish guitar and gently gives way to woods and brass that are light and airy, until there is a sudden flourish of woods, brass and percussion that is exhilarating. The piece is lovely and is, again, provided in the orchestrated version, rather than the original form as composed for piano as a piece of the work of 5 movements for piano called "Mirroirs" or Mirrors.
   Rhapsodie Espagnol (get the feeling that Ravel loved the Spanish? Ravel's mother was Basque, Spanish, and heavily influenced the Frenchmen's work) was one of Ravel's first major works for orchestra. As with most of his works, this piece was written for piano; two actually, for four hands; but was transcribed for orchestra before its first performance. It consists of 4 short movements and the work as a whole is sweeping in its ability to move so gracefully from the somber to the uplifting.
   Rigaudon comes from what began, again, as a work for Piano. In its original composition, Le Tombeau de Couperin was a suite for solo piano in six movements. Years later, Ravel would transcribe the work in to 4 movements for orchestra, this being the final movement. The orchestrated version of the suite is far more popular now and sees heavy rotation in the repertoires of Symphonies throughout the world. The sweeping movement is a dance that harkens back to the Baroque dance suites of old whilst still providing Ravel's signature innovative harmonies that relied on classical structures that were traditional, allowing him to mask his creativity.
   La Valse (or La Valse, un poeme choreographique) is a tribute to the history, the rise, the pinnacle, and the fall of the waltz. Although truncated throughout with punctuated and harsh chords from the entire orchestra which, ironically, make it very difficult to be viewed as a waltz at all; though it is still particularly appealing in that it was bombastic in a way that Ravel rarely was. Interestingly, the piece was transcribed by Ravel for piano, but the orchestrated version remains the popular piece for performance.
   Piece in the form of a Habanera is, again, a tribute to the music of Spain, a habanera being a rhythm like the tango. This is a short piece that focuses on strings and woods. It is haunting, airy and light with a feel of open space where there could be more music, but is not. It is minimal in a marvelous way.
   The Mother Goose Suite was 5 pieces composed for piano duet for close friends. As the title implies, the pieces were written as tone poems to the tales of Ma Mere l'Oye. The Fairy Garden was the 5th piece from this suite. Ravel, as with most of his work, transcribed the piece for orchestra and created, in this piece 4 minutes of orchestral magic. It is a joy to hear.
   Lever du Jour (daybreak); what a great title. This piece evokes the mental picture of a sunrise, birds and wildlife rising to a new day. This is a wonder. I don't know what else to say to describe it. The piece was composed for the ballet Daphnes et Chloe; the first piece from the second suite in a 3 suite ballet.
   Pantomime, again from Daphnes et Chloe, again from the second suite, this being the 2nd piece, is much in keeping with the feel and theme of daybreak before it. It is a beautiful piece which evokes many possible pictures, but more importantly, showcases Ravel's gift for composition as the piece is widely regarded as one of his best.
   General Dance closes the disc (the 3rd and final movement from the second suite of Daphnes et Chloe). It is much more animated in its use of the orchestra and the play between the instruments is both uplifting and disconcerting because it translates a feel of general uneasiness and, again, tends to border on a slight bombast, even adding a chorus toward the end of the piece.
   
   The entire CD is performed, recorded and mixed beautifully. I have no complaints about this CD (except for the inclusion of Bolero, which I have attempted to justify above). Buy this disc with confidence. Unless you are looking for the piano works. This disc does not contain the piano works of Ravel; which I do highly recommend anyone out there reading this should definitely hear as well.
   Enjoy!



3. Listen to the genuis of Ravel on a clean sounding recording that you can enjoy time and time again without deterioration.Be advised the recording levels are not dampened so dinner guests and headset wearers will certainly be awokened especially at the end of Bolero.If you listen closely the music pages can be heard turning ,nice sense of being there ,get the cd they dont make em like this anymore.

5 comments about Puccini and Pasta: A Romantic Italian Feast for Your Ears.

1. Your listing for this CD leaves Jose Carerras off the performer list. These recordings were made when all these people were young, unsullied lyric artists, and are sensitive, powerful and masterful-as good as it gets. This CD is for anyone who loves Pucinni sung by the few people who can sing it. I'm a Pavarotti afficianado, and a Carerras afficianado. These recordings, done before his illness, show a lyric tenor voice that has a beauty and expression rarely encountered. The sopranos are the best in time as well. Spectacular. Enjoy.



2. I adore Italian opera -- particularly Puccini. That makes this CD a real gem. All my favorite arias and duets are here, sung by well-known and talented artists.

   If you're new to opera, you can't go wrong with this album. Puccini was the Spielberg of his time, and his work still has a lot of popular appeal. (It's much easier to like "La Boheme" than Wagner's Ring cycle -- that's for sure!)

   If you have a lot of opera already, you probably have most of these songs. Still, if you want them all in one place, this is a worthy buy.




3. This disc exposed me to the wonderful world of Puccini's melodious opera. It piqued my interest and turned me into a Puccini lover. Listening to full opera recordings has only solidified that love.



4. Opera unfortunatley has the reputation for being uppity and pretentious, but this album shows that Opera can be fun and entertaining. This album is SUPERB for just listening to as you work, eat, or sleep. Especially if you've recently been turned on to Opera by Mr. Andrea Bocelli, you'll enjoy the rich diversity of this album. You know the tenor; how about soprano, etc? Grab a bowl of spaghetti, pour a glass of wine (or grape juice) and enjoy "Puccini & Pasta"!



5. These beautiful arias will give you goose-bumps from head to toe, pierce your life's stress-tempered armor, and home straight into your heart. Bravo!!!

5 comments about Prokofiev: Peter And The Wolf/Saint-Saëns: The Carnival Of The Animals.

1. As soon as I got home from the post office I popped the CD in my system, and instantly was taken back to my junior high school days when I used to listen to this album at home in my room, pretending I was conducting the orchestra. I'm a happy camper!



2. I bought this as a gift for my nephew's 3rd birthday. He totally has enjoyed listening to it and identifying the instruments he hears.



3. My 3 year old grand daughter loves this cd. Now, I want to warn you, originally she was afraid of the deep sounding instruments. But after I listened to the cd with her, and make noises and movements with the sounds, she began to love it. I believe this cd will help to create a love of music in your child and mine.



4. Leonard Bernstein makes these already child-accessible pieces even more friendly to the young listener. My 3 year old really enjoys listening to the Peter and the Wolf recording and likes to guess which animal is represented by a particular instrument. The recording of The Carnival of the Animals is also wonderful and is made more fun by bringing in young and very talented artists into the orchestra.



5. I was not informed that this title has a narration in english intercalated with the music. Although I understeood almost everything, my family did not and my translation disrupted the listening. Pity.

5 comments about The Butterfly Lovers.

1. THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS was China's greatest classical violin concerto. Written and performed in 1954, the music was recorded on a vinyl record on one side with YOUTH on the other side.
   
   China's Great Leap Forward and Great Cultural Revolution destroyed copies of the original recording. Only a few survived. Luckily I preserved the two songs on cassette tape before the record was destroyed in a Texas flood following a hurricane.
   
   Nothing compared with the original despite the "pops," scratches, and other distortions that were inherent in vinyl records. All other interpretations that came afterwards were not the same.
   
   On the other hand, this particular CD version of THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS comes close for good reasons. Musicians from the 1954 Shanghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra were gathered for the 1992 studio recording. Unfortunately, the original violinist was absent. So, an international contest was organized to seek out the replacement. Takako Nishizaki won.
   
   The only difference between the original 1954 version and the newer 1992 recording was a short two second segment. Nishizaki interpretation was a bit faster and brighter. This may not be a distraction for many, but for a purist like me, it was noticeable.



2. 'The Butterfly Lovers' violin concerto is NOT the best that Chinese music has to offer, despite being one of the most well-known works in the Chinese repertoire. This goes for any interpretation of this work by any conductor and orchestra, not just this one. The first and the last ten-minute sections of the music (the entire concerto is nearly thirty minutes long) are admittedly just exquisite, but the middle portion, which is supposed to depict the struggles of the heroine against her adversaries, is utterly ruined by the use of the wood clapper, an extremely crude Chinese instrument which should never have been admitted into the otherwise beautiful work. It's as if a large carbuncle were painted onto the nose of the Mona Lisa. The composers He Zhanhao and Chen Gang really should have known better. Much of Chinese music is actually genuinely beautiful, but there are also 'earsores' aplenty -- some of which have been unhappily incorporated into the concerto.

   I wish to comment a little incidentally on the uncharitable characterization of Chinese music provided by one of the reviewers below, darragh o'donoghue, to the effect that native Chinese music sounds like 'a lunatic charging through a kitchen'. I really don't think such a comment is fair to Chinese music at all -- there is a great deal of authentic Chinese music that is quite as beautiful as anything by, say, Ralph Vaughan Williams. To make sweeping claims on the music of a cultural tradition on the basis of what one finds in a few films would be about as objective as, say, saying of Western music that it sounds like the screams of barbarians solely on the basis of listening to Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps. Or rap or heavy metal.




3. When the "Butterfly Lover Concerto" was first conceived, it was intended to distill the best of Western classical and traditional Chinese folk music into an well-paced and passionate narrative drama. To bring out its full color and texture, Chinese folk musical instruments were brought in. The concerto divides into "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai studying together", "saying goodbye", "Zhu resisting the arranged marriage"), "Liang and Zhu meeting again in Zhu's house, and finaly "Lovers transforming into butterflies". The violinist here is the voice of the young lovers. In neither the Naxos or Marco Polo version could Ms. Nishizaki convey much emotion through her interpretation. Too many details, when emphasized and refined, would have significantly elevated the interpretation, were sadly neglected. The Bratislava Orchestra in the Marco Polo CD did not provide enough support, sounding perfunctory and all too timid. In contrast, the Shanghai orchestra in the Naxos CD did a much better job in maintaining the dialogue with the soloist. As for other pieces played by Nishisaki, I feel that she was competent, but lacked character.

   To this date, Ms. Yu Li Na, the first person ever to play the Butterfly concerto, remains its best interpreter. Technically superb, she never let it overshadow the most important elements in the concerto: love, loss, and devotion. And she made it sound SO easy. Her attention to the details was exquisite and gratifying: I feel like I can hear the lovers murmur, the wills clash and butterflies fluttering in the storm. It takes a lot of guts to display such vulnerability and intimacy in her interpretation.

   In a recording from the late 50s (which I think is available on cassettes), Ms. Yu also recorded the pieces which Ms. Nishizaki played in the Naxos and Marco Polo CDs. She brought much more vitality and intimacy to her music. You don't just hear the music, you see vivid images and hear laughters and shouts of joy.

   I do not usually write such long reviews. But the "Butterfly Lover Concerto" is very close to my heart. Tapes of her music are usually available in Chinese bookstore. I sincerely hope whoever is interested in modern Chinese music also takes the time to discover Ms. Yu.




4. This is the best Chinese music of all. Also the performer Takako Nishizaki is the top violin performer in Japan. She is also the best of all performers for "Butterfly Lovers". Highly recommended. If you have any thing connected to China or Chinese culture, this is one you must have and love.



5. 'The Butterfly Lovers' may be the most famous work in the Chinese classical canon, and its narrative may be derived from Chinese folklore, but there is very little Chinese about it. A conventional violin concerto from the softer Romantic spectrum (cf Bruch, Elgar), its broad melodies, spaces for virtuosic solo playing and orchestral development are overlaid with Chinese folk colour, in the same way a Hollywood film set in China might do. It is no more authentically Chinese than Massenet's 'Le Cid' is Spanish, or 'Madama Butterfly' is Japanese.

   For the listener, this is a relief. Anyone who has seen 'Farewell My Concubine' will know that native Chinese music, to the uninitiated Western ear, sounds like a lunatic running amok in a kitchen, all clanging percussion and wailing stutters. 'Lovers' tells its love story in unabashed Western romantic colours that paint pictures and stir emotions - even its rhythmic passages are reassuringly familiar.

   The other pieces on the CD follow the same pattern, all soupy, dreamy melancholy, all wonderfully touching, strongly evoking natural or communal worlds. Nishizaki is considered the leading interpreter of this music, but it is surely not because she is Asian, but because of her experience in the Romantic violin repertoire, from Beethoven to Brahms to Berg. What IS authentic about this recording is that she is accompanied by the orchestra and conduuctor who gave the piece's premiere in 1959.

5 comments about The Best Of Wagner.

1. My husband and I did not know very much about Wagner, and this CD is a great introduction to his music. It certainly brings us in the mood to buy more of his CD's.



2. Richard Wagner rightly deserves his high reputation as a classical musician. Like many people, I don't care for Wagner's racial or religious views, but don't let that stop you from enjoying his music. The CD starts off with my favorites the Prelude from Die Meistersinger & Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walkure, followed by a fascinating rendition of the Bridal Chorus (a.k.a. "Here Comes the Bride") from Lohengrin. I won't recite the rest of the list, but there are 4 other compositions, all somewhat varied in style, but very good. Whether you are classical music buff or simply want an introduction to classical music this CD is a good place to start.



3. This unassuming budget classic reissue is among the finest of its genre: The Wagner orchestral highlight album, and features the contents of 1973 LP recital the farthest thing from run-of-the-mill, spaciously recorded with the palpable feeling of the presence of the musicians, not merely an amorphously gorgeous orchestral sonority. The music unfolds without self-indulgent pointing, in a free-wheeling manner that is simply right.

   The original Ormandy program is supplemented with a track by Robert Shaw doing a luscious rendering of the famous Bridal Chorus from with his divine women's chorus, a version as good or better than any ever anthologized or appearing in complete opera recordings, its 1959 atmospherically recorded sound barely showing its age.

   My only caveat is that this stuff really merited more respectful packaging than this ersatz "Best of" series, but at the price, who should complain?




4. Wagner was a great composer. His music and use of orchestra are grand and masterful. I am repulsed by his political views, but as an artist he was a genius. This compilation of Wagner is probably the best there is. I listen to it from time to time. The breadth of the orchestral palette, the elevation, and grandeur have been imitated but never duplicated.



5. I did a test by listening to Szell, Klemperer, Karajan, Kubelik, Bohm, Jochum, Gerdes, Ozawa, Stokowski, and Ormandy play Wagner overtures and excerpts from "The Ring". My verdict: it's Ormandy. What can I say? I feel as is he's underrated, especially in the annals of Wagner worship. I like Stokowski's energy, but he plays around with scores (horrors!) too much. The Szell was great, but a tad limp. Other conductors have their high points, but Ormandy ranks consistently at the top. His conducting is full and rich and the orchestra always sounds great. I ranked the Szell orchestral music from Wagner at 5 stars, so Ormandy rates 6 stars.