5 comments about Guitar for Relaxation.

1. This is an amazing CD. I recommend it highly for reading on a rainy day, relaxing, or just reading the paper on a Sunday morning. It's one of my top 10 relaxation CDs.



2. I got this CD because I am a massage therapist,and refuse to buy
   those cheesey new agey relaxation CD's.I was finally getting a little tired of the bach cello concertos and a couple of other classical recordings that had been deemed "relaxing",and decided to try this one.It is great!I never seem to get tired of it!I have not had a client that didn't love it.Most even ask what it is because they like it so much.Based on the success of this CD,I am going to try the Cello For Relaxation CD in the same series.I hope that it is just as much of a hit!



3. This CD definitely lives up to it's name. Julian Bream's guitar playing is ethereal and leaves your mind in a state of blissful relaxation...A wonderful collection! Well worth the investment!



4. I find myself choosing this CD whenever I want to unwind. It is absolutely exquisite. I have bought quite a few different "relaxation" CD's, and this is my favorite.



5. Despite a title sure to embarrass any self-respecting music snob, this is no less than a full disc of nicely mastered solo guitar recordings by the great Julian Bream (a string quartet joins Bream on one track). If these pieces could be easily found elsewhere, on albums with more continuity, then this disc wouldn't be worth buying. But probably 40% of the material on this cd can't be found in print, to my knowledge. In particular, the Mompou, Mozart, Llobet, Aguado, Henze, and Diabelli tracks aren't readily available elsewhere as of early 2003. Several of these tracks are nice hefty 6-7 minute pieces. In particular, the beautiful Andante from Diabelli's Sonata, arranged by Bream himself, is worth the purchase price by itself. If you're a Bream fan trying to get beyond his half-dozen easily available cds, add this to your collection.

5 comments about Csardas Hungarian Gypsy Music.

1. Being Hungarian myself, the son of a musician (my father plays the cimbalom) and a musician myself, I'd be lying if I said this CD by Santa Ferenc is great. Good? Yes. And well worth the price, but I've heard better Hungarian gypsy violinist in my time. If you really want to hear great Hungarian music try to find LPs by the lengendary Babai Bela, Lakatos Sandor, Berki Laszlo, and Banyak Kalman. Santa Ferenc has some good arrangements but lacks the feeling and depth of these other musicians. Although it probably isn't fair to him to compare him to others and is best if we judge his music purely on its own merits.
   
   If you are familiar with Hungarian music you'll probably recognize many of the songs on the CD. They consist mainly of standard Hungarian and some Romanian gypsy songs. Track three which is titled on here merely as "Hungarian Songs" starts off with a song called "Gloomy Sunday" a song once deemed a suicide theme. We then have "Whistling Hora" a Romanian tune which has a nice arrangement and allows for some good solos. One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Doina and Hora" which is Romania but I believe the piece is really titled "Giabaralele" at least it sounds awfully close to it. It is a cimbalom solo, which unfortunately the album doesn't give credit to the other members in Santa's band. Whomever is on the cimbalom is quite good. He also has a good solo on another Romanian piece "The Lark" or as it is known in Romanian "Ciocirlia".
   
   I've read some people have complained about the "sound" of the album, claiming it is not authentic Hungarian music. I honestly have no clue what they are talking about. I can honestly say, without exaggeration, I have listen to this music every day of my life since as far back as I can remember and this CD sounds pretty much like what you'd expect a Hungarian gypsy album to sound like.
   
   Again, while it's not fair to compare Santa Ferenc (whom for the sake of complete honesty I should admit knows my father) to other Hungarian musicians, I still feel Santa merely plays the songs and doesn't add much emotion to them, the CD is still one most fans of Hungarian music should enjoy. *** 1\2 out of *****
   
   Bottom-line: While not a great CD and not a great musician Santa Ferenc does have some good arrangements and good musicians backing him up plus a nice collection of famous Hungarian and Romanian songs. While he doesn't compare to other great musicians, for the price it is well worth it and doesn't need to compare.



2. Let me preface this review with the disclaimer that I *almost* know nothing about hungarian gypsy music - BUT I purchased this cd based upon the positive customer reviews found here. Don't believe any of it - this cd completely lacks ANY depth or richness expected of traditional gypsy music - most songs are fully overwhelmed by a single instrument of extremely annoying high-pitched screeching clearly produced by some solo egomaniacal musician not interested in texture but inducing suicidal tendencies in the listener, not unlike being subjected to a full hour of screaming cats in heat in the alley. Luckily you can just throw the cd in your garbage instead of having to hurl garbage at stray cats to shut the gawdawful noise up.



3. My grandfather listen to alot of this music as I was growing up and I was hoping this cd would be like revisiting a stay at his house. On some levels it was, the basic sound was there, and some of the songs sounded right but there was not that fevered pitch that I was used to in Hungarian Gypsy Music. Some of the songs sounded totatly different from what I expected, there was one that broke down into this atonal, disjuncted fiddle and horns combo that I had never incountered before.
   
   Not what I was expecting and wanting but still brings back fond memories.



4. The music is what I expected and the delivery and price were very acceptable. All was in excellent condition when it arrived.



5. This music is amazing. Authentically captures the spirit of traditional gypsy folk music wonderfully. I guess the best way to describe this music is to tell you what the liner notes say: "Popular Hungarian gypsy music owes much of its form to earlier aristocratic encouragement. In particular the csardas, which makes use of folk elements, provided entertainment for the nobility, among whom it was supposed that the csardas, which derives its name from the word csarda, a country inn, was danced on Sunday afternoonns by the peasantry. The dance was introduced to polite society in the late 1830s, notably, it is said, by Count Bela Wenckheim, who coined the name. The csardas is similar in form to the verbunkos or recruiting-dance, with its slow opening section and rapid second section, and has come to epitomize Hunagarian gypsy music. It was Franz Liszt who, in the heyday of musical nationalism, seized on the csardas as a source for his Hungarian Rhapsodies, wrongly supposing this to be an example of real Hungarian folk music, rather than the hybrid form that it was. It was left to Bela Bartok and Kodaly in a later generation to collect and classify the true folk music of Hungary and neighboring regions, distinguishing this from the form of popular music provided by the gypsy bands. The bands themselves have long history, whether providing music for the Esterhazy family at their great palace of Esteraza in the time of Franz Josef Hadyn or for later generations in less distinguished surroundings. Basic instrumentation continues very largely the traditions of the 18th Century, with a solo violin carrying the improvisatory melodic burden, accompanied by a second violin or viola, double bass and cimbalom, with the additional use of the the tarogato, an instrument similar in timbre to the clarinet, which sometimes replaces it. The tarogato has a long association with Hungarian nationalism and was at one time banned by the Austrian authorities for that very reason. The music of Ferenc Santa and his gypsy band includes examples of the csardas, with the famous use of the form by the Italian violinist Vittorio Monti (1868-1922), who made his later career in Paris. Also included is Skylark by the Romanian violinist and Carl Flesch pupil Grigoras Dinicu (1889-1949), who arranged a number of popular Romanian melodies and is well remembered for his famous Hora Staccato, using the traditional dance-form, also coupled here with a traditional doina, a popular improvisatory form. In addition to the prominent sol violin, the gypsy band also provides variety in solos for the cimbalom, with reminiscences of material used by Kodaly in his Hary Janos, and for the characteristic tarogato." So there you have a bit of history behind these folk tunes. It is strangely evocative, fiery, nationalistic music that has influenced Western music in several ways. I even sensed some jazz-type rhythms in track 3. Check out Ligeti's Old Hungarian Parlor Dances - seems like he draws much of this piece from these gypsy rhythms, especially track 8. Wonder if this Ferenc Santa ever tours as I would love to hear him and his band perform live - just you dare try to keep your feet still when listening to this! Pick this Naxos gem up today, especially if you have some Hungarian roots like me - this music will come alive for you, it's in your blood. Enjoy!

2 comments about Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie.

1. Eine Alpensinfonie dates from a time and place now past when a respected composer could literally write for any orchestral forces he desired. It is scored for a huge orchestra (150 instruments, by one count--although not 150 different instrumental parts) and includes hecklephone, windmachine, thundermachine, tenor tubas, and 20(!) French horns--12 are offstage and play only in 21 measures of the piece, for less than one minute. It is a veritable bible of orchestration--Strauss is a master of handling huge forces, surpassed only by Gustav Mahler, and that arguably. But Strauss's layers of counterpoint and his textural conceptions can suffer at the hands of overenthusiastic performers or an insufficiently aware conductor. Andre Previn and the Vienna Philharmonic prove themselves more than capable, though, and this is an absolutely beautiful performance that always brings tears to my eyes. Following the score while listening to this recording demonstrates an astonishing clarity of performance in such a complex score, and if the low brass tone crests a bit on occasion it is surely Strauss's intention--otherwise he would not have written two trombones and two tubas on a pedal G (!) fortissimo. That passage cannot and should not be played delicately--trust me, I'm a trombonist. Worthier of note are the fantastic performances by the first trumpet, who Strauss treats as almost superhuman; the gorgeous horn/tenor tuba section, and the fantastically lush sound overall. The performance is not without flaws, but the problems are minor indeed and issues of interpretation--for example, at the very ending Previn does not observe Strauss's fermata, and the violins never really glissando noticeably where Strauss indicates to do so. The final interval of a twelfth (a compound fifth, from F at the top of the treble clef staff to Bb below the staff) is marked glissando; what is meant here is a slide from one note to the next, without break, and consequentially the F and the notes before it will likely be played on the G string, resulting in a dark sound very appropriate for the ending of the piece (the ending section is even titled "Night"). But the Vienna Philharmonic, or Previn, or both, see it otherwise. The glissando is inaudible to me, there is no connection between the penultimate and the final note, and the final phrase is not, I believe, played on the G string at all. Still, this is quite a subtle distinction and not one that significantly mars the overall performance of truly deep and powerful music.

   Strauss has been criticized for being overly programmatic and literal, writing trivial music and being derivative of Richard Wagner and Gustav Mahler. Whatever truth these criticisms hold, the fact remains that Wagner, Mahler and Strauss revolutionized music. Aside from their already well-known harmonic innovations and orchestral mastery, they freed melody from its primarily vocal conception, which had limited it from its origin. Where most composers before them would follow a large leap with motion in the opposite direction, thereby restricting the melodic line in musical space, these three composed great soaring lines in which a large leap might well be followed by another leap or stepwise motion in the same direction. The resulting themes often surpass the range of a single instrument; a given melody might, for example, begin in the tuba doubled with bassoon, celli and contrabasses, move to French horns and finally end in the upper registers of flutes, oboes, and violins. Orchestration becomes not simply an assigning of instruments to particular lines, but an inseparable part of the composition of a piece. Whatever flaws Strauss's music might have (and I have to admit that the Storm Scene in the Alpine Symphony, with its wind and thunder machines and the portrayal of raindrops in the pizzicato strings is too cliched for my taste), its glories far surpass them.

   It is a bit of a shame that nothing is coupled with the Alpine Symphony--at only 48 minutes this disc is a bit slim; and I think that Death and Transfiguration would have made a stunning companion piece. But perhaps Previn and Vienna have already released a version of that work, at any rate, even alone this is an excellent performance of a glorious piece and well worth owning.




2. I'll agree with the reviewer below that this may not be the most passionate version of the Alpine Symphony available. However, this disc is my favorite of the four Strauss discs recorded by Andre Previn on Telarc. The Symphony speaks for itself. It is a cliffhanger packed full of beautiful, energetic themes. Telarc captures the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra sound as vast as all outdoors. The glassine woodwinds and sumptuous strings descend down the mountain like the cascades of an avalanche. The near presence and dynamic range of the orchestra help promote the travelogue nature of the piece. I feel that Previn's carefully calculated reading allows the listener to absorb Strauss' stunning orchestral effects with the appropriate cold chills.

5 comments about Dvorák: The Symphonies.

1. Well since I order this from amazon.com, I
   have listen to the whole cycle of symphonies
   several times, and what really cought my attention
   was his early symphonies, in particular the
   story behind the first symphony which I
   will not tell you so you can read it in the
   detailed liner notes of the CD. I don't think
   that I have a particular symphony by Dvorak, I
   like, but rather I say that I like them all equally.
   At the amazon.com price this is really a bargain,
   highly recommended music for all ages and walks of
   life. Kertesz and the Brits did a fantastic work.



2. These Dvorak symphonies, recorded by Kertesz/LSO from 1963-67, are still a fine choice if you are looking for a complete set, followed by Kubelik and Neumann (Supraphon). Symphonies 1-6 and the overtures are all excellent, with a bit of dropoff on 7-9. Not that the last three are bad by any means, but when compared to performances by Talich, Ancerl and Szell they come up a bit short. So, by all means get this complete set (especially at this price), then supplement as (or if) you see fit. The sound is fine throughout. Kertesz also has a set of Dvorak's Symphonic Poems and Overtures on a Decca 2 CD set that is very good, but may be out of print.



3. Excellent performances of wonderful music. Disk creation leaves a little to be desired - it's awkward to start a favorite symphony on track 3 of one disk and then have it end on track two of the next. Shades of the LP era!



4. The Amazon reviewer lists only 3 complete cycles, but this overlooks at least one other cycle by Vaclav Neumann & the Czech Philharmonic that dates from c. 1974 along with the Slavonic Dances.
   
   I bet the ratio of Beethoven Symphony Cycles to either Dvorak or Sibelius over the last 50 years is at least 20 to 1. This is the pity of Classical Music. Beethoven and Mozart have had their music beaten to death over and over and over and over again and the horse is still dead while other great artists have hardly had the whip put to them.
   
   The plus to all of this is that you can actually collect all of the significant Dvorak or Sibelius cycles including this fine set by Kertesz and the London Phil.
   
   The bio on Kertesz in my Vox Box Dvorak Symphonies (LPs) says he died in April 1973 in Israel in a swimming accident.
   
   This is a nice set in decent stereo and will give you the chance to hear the much more seldom performed first 6 symphonies. Like Tchaikovsky's first three, they are not quite the level of the last 3 but they are still a hoot to listen to.



5. These recordings are timeless. Never have I heard music so beautifully played or more rhythmically delineated.That these symphonies still sound so fresh (in spite of some heavy home grown Czech opposition) is a glowing tribute to the memory of Istvan Kertesz and the London Symphony Orchestra.

5 comments about Ottorino Respighi: Church Windows/Brazilian Impressions/Roman Festivals.

1. This was my first exposure to the four-movement tone poem "Church Windows," and López-Cobos's interpretation is still at the top, from the recordings I've heard. He's the only one who understands the importance and raw, naked power of the French Horn ostinato figure at the end. No other recording of this work gets it right. His lightning tempos in "Roman Festivals" should also not be missed. The ending is a whirlwind. I prefer the version of "Brazilian Impressions" on Geoffrey Simon's CD. If you can get a download of Simon's BI, and López-Cobos's CW and RF, you'll be better off.
   
   I just wish the level of technical recording on this CD was better. There is somewhat of a lacking in the treble, as if the sound is a bit muted. This, however, is a minor complaint, especially considering the wonderful interpretation of two out of three of the works on this recording.



2. I will admit from the outset that Respighi is one of my top five favorite composers; but he has earned that place with works of beauty, power, creativity, feel and elegance.
   Ottorino Respighi was known for his unabashed love of the classical and romance periods of classical music and these 3 compositions are unmistakably nostalgiac of those periods.
   Church Windows, was composed as a tribute to the style of classical church works and thus named after stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Bible; oddly, and thus somewhat confusing to this fan of Respighi, these tone poems were written BEFORE the names were applied, which is in stark contrast to Respighi's habit of naming tone poems after that which inspired him (Roman Festivals and Brazilian Impressions on this disk being 2 examples; Fountains and Pines, the other 2 pieces from the Rome trio, are other examples). Regardless of the inspiration behind this work, all 4 pieces from Windows are marvelous, sometimes eerie, but always beautiful.
   Brazilian Impressions was composed after Respighi and his wife made a trip to Rio to hear performances of his works and he found the musical styling of Latin America so intriguing that, almost as soon as he returned home, he composed these three poems as his expression of love for, and inspired by, the musical mode of the Brazilian music.
   Roman Festivals, the most well known of these three compositons, completed Respighi's Rome Trilogy. Fountains of Rome (1916) and Pines of Rome (1923) preceded Festivals (1928), and the three are now what's most closely associated with Respighi. All 3 are superb and I highly recommend purchasing the other 2 to complete the trio; perhaps Respighi: Pines of Rome; Fountains of Rome; Metamorphoseon Modi XII which is a wonderful recording of the first two tone poems and also includes the Metamorphoseon Modi which are excellent, even if rarely known, as well. But I digress.
   Roman Festivals seemed to be the feather in Respighi's cap; a wonderful composition that is pure chaos, controlled and perfect. I often hear Respighi described as bombastic, which may be somewhat accurate but leaves much about the music to explain. To put it simply, Respighi's work was that of a genius mad-man; the fourth movement from Festivals is sheer insanity on percussion and horns and is, in my ever so humble opinion, perhaps one of the most creative sounds in modern classical composition; certainly so, as far as finales are concerned.
   The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos, have played these 3 pieces marvelously and the recording and mixing is near perfect. This is a beautiful recording.
   Respighi was a wonder and his entire life's work should be celebrated.



3. I am a fan of many of Respighi's works, but I was not impressed by Brazilian Impressions or Church Windows. Both of the works struck me as unusually sluggish, with a lack of focus.



4. This disc is totally fascinating on so many levels. First, there is the music itself: Respighi ranging from crystalline delicacy, to almost brutal force. Too many people discover his most famous Pines, Fountains, Ancient Airs, and Boutique Fantasque, then for some reason, stop there. For them, this disc is a must, with 3 lesser known but equally deserving suites that will touch your heart and overwhelm you with sound. Second, there is the engineering. As always with Telarc, full frequency range, full dynamic range, and a clarity that lets little details come through no matter how complex the orchestration gets, and at times, it is thick! Last, but not least, there is Lopez-Cobos and the Cincinnati Symphony. The playing is nearly all virtuoso, with only the occasional very minor weakness in evidence. More so, there is the "weight." The Berlin Philharmonic and NY Phil have always been known for this factor, not to be confused with pure volume. Something does not have to be very loud to have weight, and when Respighi calls for it, it is there in abundance. Here and there I might long for some of Muti's abandon in "Feste" [Muti/Philadelphia/EMI] or some of the muscular percussion [especially the 3 tam-tams!] playing on the Geoffrey Simon Church Windows [Chandos] but all the pieces fall into place here: Clean playing, lively, tender, brutal, exiciting... all when called for, and a properly balanced organ solo in Church Windows [at last!!] that'll leave you exhaused, and totally satisfied.



5. In brief, this is a very powerful recording, and a unique, passionate interpretation of all these works. Church Windows will take your breath away! Cincinnatti's best work!

5 comments about Dvorak: Symphony Nos.7 & 8.

1. As a high schooler first exposed to classical music by way of some scratchy family LPs of Tchaikovsky and Dvorak symphonies recorded--as memory serves--by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia, this spirited Czech composer has a special place in this reviewer's heart.
   
   Dvorak is nothing if not large and lyrical, not least in his symphonies 7 and 8, performed here by Christoph von Dohnanyi and the Cleveland Orchestra.
   
   Dvorak is capable of evoking in the unschooled listener's ears all four seasons, but especially Summer and Fall. It seems as though he was incapable of tossing off a symphony without at least one birdsong motif. The lushness of his lines brings one, as well, to autumnal sentiments, particularly when he sets himself down to writing an Adagio.
   
   This is the way of the Romanticist and Dvorak practically incarnates the type.
   
   This inexpensive CD is an excellent way to enjoy Dvorak or introduce him to someone who does not yet do so.



2. Dvorak's 7th and 8th symphonies are often placed in the shadow of the 9th, but I find these two to be much more compelling. The 7th is dark and the 8th very melodic. And the performance by the Cleveland Orchestra is perfect as all of their interpretaions of Dvorak music are. A great price and an even better experience. If you are not a Dvorak fan or simply do not know much about his music this is the cd for you. I would also recommend the 9th, and his slavonic dances.



3. Initially, these recordings were no bargain at all despite the excellence of the performance and recording. They were stingily issued by Decca/London on two separate CDs. But as the LP went away and the industry grudgingly admitted a CD could successfully accommodate more music, two Dvorak symphonies on a disc became the norm. Hence this oxymoronic pairing--Dvorak's darkest and most dramatic symphony along with one of his sunniest and most refulgent. The Seventh must also be accounted his greatest symphony, with a finale that is obviously autobiographical: the hard-won semi-triumph of the turn from D minor to D major in the cadence is a portrait of Dvorak himself in his rise from obscure local musician to international figure. More, it reflects the stoic acceptance of tragedy that was the lot of nineteenth-century folk, ignorant of the boons of modern medicine. Dvorak, after all, knew the heartache attendant on the death of one's children.
   
   That tragic sense, that great tension, are captured beautifully in this performance and recording. The Cleveland play with incredible intensity and provide a dark but beautiful sound top to bottom, as do the London engineers. I venture to say this is a great recording of a great symphony, one that will be treasured long into the future, I predict.
   
   Then there is the sunny Eighth Symphony. The performance is just as apt, just as attuned to Dvorak's muse.
   
   If this is the pairing of Dvorak symphonies that you're looking for, given the marriage of executant excellence and first-rate recording, certainly it must be the first choice regardless of price.



4. London has issued a number of fine Classical recordings, and this Dvorak release (conducted by Dohnanyi) is no exception. It sounds crisp, clean and full. A DDD recording made in the mid-'80's, the recording doesn't sound dry or sterile (or worse, as if it had been recorded in a barrel).

   No, this disc sounds great, and it's very affordable, too. I must admit, I don't own any other versions of these two great Dvorak symphonies (as opposed to the 9th, of which I have three). But then again, Dohnanyi has done such a masterful job that I don't really need to look anywhere else. I listen to this disc at least once a month, and each time I hear it, I can't believe how talented Dvorak was. I highly recommend this disc to anyone interested in this excellent 19th-century composer.




5. Dvorak's 7th symphony is a thrilling work, from beginning to end. It is a stormy, dramatic piece, and has become one of my favorite symphonies of any composer. Though it enjoys less performances than his 8th or 9th symphonies, many critics consider it his finest symphonic work.

   The Cleveland orchestra is in top form here. The sound quality of this CD is superb. I should also mention that the timpanis are particularly well-recorded. In many recordings they sound mushy and reverberate too much, but here, they are wonderfully punctuated and emphatic.

   $ is a great price for a recording of this quality. I would highly recommend it for anyone who hasn't heard the 7th or 8th symphonies or who has but is looking for an excellent recording of them.

5 comments about On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim).

1. Medieval music is a bit esoteric, so even though I find this to be a great album, many people just won't like it. This however is quickly becoming the favorite of my growing medieval collection.
   
   The Mari Stanko track with it's changing tempos and vocal ululations is unusually haunting, even by medieval standards. It is the haunting quality of the genre which I'm finding simultaneously stimulating and soothing. Music from the period is inherently mysterious, not only because of its typically spiritual themes and lyrics (after all, how much medieval Latin can I really pick-out), but also because we're really not sure what it originally sounded like. This gives a certain amount of license to the artists to interpret, as well as to perform. Medieval music performance is therefore as much reenactment as it is replaying.



2. This album captures the influences of all the places that a pilgrim from Europe might encounter on the way to the Holy Land (Israel). The first track (Dinaresade) opens with a very lively and catchy Syrian traditional tune. While this track has a very Arabic feel to it, the next song employs bagpipes in a traditional 14th century English tune.
   
   The third track provides another lively woodwind tune with a Hellenistic mood. "Mari stanko" (traditional Bulgarian), the 5th track, is particularily interesting with long, slow female melodies that are interspersed with very rapid dance-like interludes. "Sei willekommen Herre Christ" provides a peaceful breather for the next track.
   
   The next several tracks are short traditional Croation songs, ranging from chanting, chant-response, to renaissance-style dance music. The traditional Sufi track (Mevlana) makes a fitting close to the disc.
   
   All in all, the middle-eastern influence is more prominent than the western-European influence (which may be why I like it so much). If you like early music, especially with the mystic sounds that Mediterranean music provides, then pick this disc up. (You can't beat the price either!)



3. I love this cd--all the tracks are great, especially "On the way to Bethlehem"!



4. If Ensemble Unicorn is great, Unicorn combined with the Middle-Eastern-inspired Ensemble Oni Wytars is even better! Actually, the two groups seem to share many of the same members, along with Ensemble Accentus (which focuses on Spanish and Sephardic music), but with different directors for each: Michael Posch for Unicorn, Marcos Ambrosini for Oni Wytars, and Thomas Wimmer for Accentus. This CD brings the musicians together to offer a stimulating combination of western and eastern-influenced music that might have been heard or played by medieval Pilgrims making the journey eastward. The European tunes focus on the Christmas season, while the Balkan and Near Eastern selections are traditional, handed down orally through the centuries and interpreted here with a zeal that should be as appealing to belly dancers as to early music enthusiasts (and I know many people who fall into both categories!). Instruments used include chalumeau, cheremia, cornemuse bechonnet, darbukka, davul, def, gayda, gittern, kaval, nyckelharpa, sackpipa, tamburello, tombak, vihuela d'arco, and a number of others that you actually might have heard of before--bagpipe, rebec, recorder, rebec, shawm, ud and the like. Ellen Santaniello also contributes vocals. I was surprised and delighted when I played this CD for the first time, and I continue to be each time I hear it again. If you like this recording, be sure to check out the other collaboration between Ensemble Unicorn and Ensemble Oni Wytars, "Music of the Troubadours", also from Naxos.



5. Yes, fortunately, this record does not contain anything you'd recognise as depressing Xmas kitsch.
   
   Instead, the record wishes to envisage a journey of mediæval pilgrims, beginning in Western Europe, and moving through the Balkans towards the Holy Land. As such, the disk contains a mixture of Western European, Balkan, and Islamic melodies.
   
   The strength of Ensemble Unicorn and Oni Wytars is their ability to use early music as the basis for extended jam sessions. This recording is framed by two such jams, each more than twelve minutes in length, the opening -Dinaresade- and the closing -Mevlana-. Based on Middle Eastern themes, these are excellent performances, rich in atmosphere. Fans of contemporary groups who make use of similar material, from Loreena McKennitt to Dead can Dance, may find this record interesting, and well worth the Naxos price.
   
   FWIW, Ensemble Unicorn and Oni Wytars also collaborate on the -Black Madonna- recording, another Naxos release I can highly recommend.

4 comments about Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No.3 "Organ"/Phaéton.

1. This is one of my favorite performances of Saint Saens Symphony 3. The sound on the Telarc disc is superb. Excellent performances by the orchestra and by the soloist. The adagio is sublime and when the organ blasts out at the beginning of the final movement is will shake you out of your boots. The accompanying overture to Phaeton is also very well perfomed.



2. I heard this recording for the first time yesterday, on my car radio, which is basically a tin box. It completely blew me away. I've loved the piece for years, and heard many different recordings, but this one outshines all the rest by far, even on a tin box radio. I heard details I've never heard before. I like the tempi Badea takes. I had no idea that the organ and orchestra were recorded at seperate locations, and I look forward to learning whether the recordings were done simultaneously or at different times as well. This recording is a triumph of composition, performance, musicianship, conducting, and engineering, all rolled into one. A Not-To-Be-Missed experience. Thank you, Maestro Badea.



3. The "Organ" symphony has long been my favorite piece of music, in spite of the fact that I am a horn player and should therefore automatically name the Mahler 5th as best. :-) The Organ Symphony simply has too much to offer. Saint-Seans expresses in 30 minutes the beauty, grandeur, simplicity, complexity, intensity and calm that composers like Mahler, et al. could take over an hour - and still have left something out! That is what makes the Organ Symphony such a masterpiece.

   This recording is the crown jewel of my collection. Including LPs and CDs, I own about 25 seperate recordings of this symphony alone, so I consider myself fairly well versed in its performance. I have studied the score and read books about its writing. So it is by no small token of admiration that I consider this recording to be the best of them all to date. The blend between instruments is wonderful - kudos to the recording engineers. One rarely gets the sense that one section is overpowering another. The solo lines are played beautifully in the winds and strings, and the organ playing is just as masterful.

   I must admit, however, that the biggest reason I consider this my favorite recording of this piece lies solely in the final bars. Far too often I hear composers taking the trumpet fanfare at the end either much too fast or much too slow. Christian Badea's interpretation of the tempo for this section is exactly as I would conduct it and rounds out the symphony in an appropraite flourish of heroic grandeur.




4. This disc is one of my favorites for the sheer intensity of the music more than anything else. The tunes are intricate and evolve intellectually throughout. The "Organ" Symphony gives the impression of attending a Command Performance at which the dignitary arrives about 30 fashionable minutes late. The organ and the orchestra were recorded in separate locations. So, once the organ arrives one gets the definite impression that the orchestra is deliberately pacing itself to allow the organ to keep up. This usually doesn't bother me because the organ is supposed to take center stage at this point anyway. The inclusion of Phaeton make a perfect companion piece. It almost feels like a 3rd movement to the "Organ" as it has similar hair-pin turn themes and is just as inspired.

1 comments about The Stories Of Vivaldi And Corelli.

1. This CD is one of the Music Masters series of classical music history. I highly recommend it. Great value for the money. This will primarily be used for homeschooling.

5 comments about Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3.

1. Disclaimer: I'm not an expert on classical music, much less on classical music performances, so my reviews represent a newcomer's take on classical CDs. Take that for what it's worth.
   
   While I was expecting to enjoy Brahms's symphonies, the sheer excellence of them took me by surprise. They quickly became some of my favorite symphonies. The recording is very clear and really sounds great, and the compositions themselves are phenomenal. Highly recommended.



2. Brahms is my favorite composer. Brahms was so concerned that he followed Beethoven that he waited until late to publish a symphony. He needed have no concern. His symphonies are masterpieces. Their performance by Bruno Walter and the Columbia Symphony is also masterful. The technology for the initial recording is dated, the remastering was done with great care. The result is a really great recording.



3. Walter recorded the Brahms Second and Third in 1960, near the middle of his late studio career in Los Angeles. In terms of health, attentiveness, and physical powers, this was a variable time for him, and it shows. Walter is near his peak with the Third Sym., which has real thrust and vigor but also great musical coherence. Walter was a brash conductor of Brahms before his late old age, and here he returns to form. The Columbia Sym. sounds fairly strong and at moments inspired, but the recording is overly bright.
   
   The same can't be said completely of the Second Sym., a much-loved recording that has thin, ragged string playing, made worse by brittle, shallow recorded sound. The scraopy ensemble is in aid of a leisurely and not very alert reading on Walter's part. True, there's a general air of geniality and warmth, but that only goes so far. I loved this recording forty years ago, and at moments in the lyrical slow movement it cast its spell again, but still I find that it's fading fast. Even so, this CD is well worth hearing for the Third Sym., which sparks recollections of Walter at his best.



4. Symphony No. 3:
   "Original" is always a moniker used to described Brahms' Third, and it's surprising how the description still holds up today. Whereas most composers use the symphonic form to express highly epic themes (a la Beethoven, Mahler, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich et al.), the Hungarian composer among German and Slavic titans presents a surprisingly intimate and peaceful vision with his Third, surely one of the greatest of symphonies. Bruno Walter, after decades of working closely with Mahler's music, brings a level of concentration unmatched by any other conductor to bring together the disparate four movements of a work that threatens to become unglued at any moment's notice. Walter's vision is understated and unforced, and perhaps a little too detached to some ears (like mine), but its gentle power takes over the most casual listener. This is a piece that struggles throughout to resolve the turbulence and tension within to find that ultimate state of peace - Brahms, meanwhile, gives us plenty of gorgeous melody and orchestration along the way - and Walter succeeds masterfully to capture the drama. Furtwangler and The Berlin will always be my favorite for this, but all in all, a classic performance. ****1/2
   
   Other References: Top Recommendation from Gramophone, Rough Guide, Jim Svejda's Classical Guide, Penguin Guide; High Recommendation from Classical Music: Third Ear
   
   
   Symphony No. 2:
   Brahms' Second is a great work in itself, though not as landmark as the Third, but many a connoisseur's favorite among Brahms' symphonies. Walter's work here may be even greater than on No. 3. Finely detailed, full of color and with perfect weight - it is a very mature interpretation. His understanding is deep and he is in complete control, seamless from one movement to the next. The Columbia Symphony, no great orchestra, responds with some of their best playing. Walter could even make you believe you're listening to The Vienna Phil - and that's saying a lot. Much is made of comparing this to Beethoven's Sixth, and if we're talking about richness in melody, genius in orchestration, having a rustic feel, surprising us with its occasional minuet-dance rhythms and finishing off with a grand final movement that thrills and leaves you breathless - sure, the comparisons ring true. But make no mistake, Brahms is a true original. *****
   
   Other References: Top Recommendation from Gramophone, Rough Guide, Penguin Guide
   
   *In both accounts, Sony has done a superb job in the sound remastering to bring more body and clarity to the orchestra as compared to the original CBS releases.*



5. I remember seeing Bruno Walter's Columbia Symphony recordings of Brahms Symphonies on LPs in the 1970s, and became more familiar with them when a college student, 1977-81. Walter was born in 1876, so was 21 in 1897 when Brahms died: their lives overlapped, and Walter, a product of the late Romantic age and student of Gustav Mahler(1860-1911), applies the needed affection and emotion to his interpretations of Brahms Symphonies.
   
   There was a New York Philharmonic Brahms cycle conducted by Walter in the 1950s, and he conducted all 4 Brahms Symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic and other orchestras in the earlier years of his career. Walter's name then, is authoritative in these works.
   
   I especially like his affectionate treatment of Symphony 2: every phrase is caressed with just the right amount of needed expression and affection, yet he never overdoes it. IV moves along, but not as quickly as some other conductors, such as Steinberg with the Pittsburgh Symphony (Command LPs or MCA CD, from about 1988). Symphony 3, while revealing a few slight flaws, is done "con amore" (with love) and IV really blazes in the development section: the trombone chords will lift you out of your chair. The sound in both symphonies is very good late 1950s stereo, with rich mid range, clear highs, and strong bass.
   
   I also like Walter's recordings of Brahms 1 and 4 (some feel 4 is over rated, but I find it charming). I believe these, along with Karl Bohm's 1975 Vienna Philharmonic cycle (Deutsche Grammophon 3 CD set), to be the best recordings of the Brahms Symphonies available in the US today.