5 comments about Górecki: Symphony No. 3 ("Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"); Three Olden Style Pieces.

1. "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" is one of the most beautiful music pieces ever composed! If you can listen carefully, and let yourself be swept up by the piece, you will be very effected! While listening to the music, my heart started racing at one point, and I felt flushed from the reaction to the music! Beautiful!



2. It is rare when a composition has consistent appeal from beginning to end and one with such quality makes Gorecki's Symphony #3 a very rare find.
   The beginning is unusually understated. For those with home theaters or a bass speaker, it will heighten the beauty of the string instruments. At a moderate volume, the introduction can vibrate the house. The first movement has a slow crescendo that cumulates to a very profound point. The second and third movements have such emotional beauty that I can justifiably claim that the vocal soloist is seraphic and sublime and it is as close to angelic singing that mortals can achieve. As one who does not care for opera, I want to stress that this music is not like opera in any way . For those who enjoy Beethoven's 9th, Ode to Joy, or In Trutina from Carmina Burana, this symphony can't disappoint.



3. Poland has been always a land of courageous and untamed spirit; stubborn to any single bit of domination. This territory has given sublime artists. Gorecki is one of the last exponents; even he was born just in the final of the WW2.
   
   His famous Third Symphony is widely known all around the world and constituted definitively a mass phenomena, its consecration and full acceptation. Gorecki employed an admirable sense of the musical texture inviting us to imagine an enormous birch's forest with astonishing austerity of means economy in what orchestration concerns. This music suggests me the kaleidoscopic awakening of slept centuries under the history 's carpet. Ancestral sorrows, delirious visions with that contemplative gaze in the mirror 's memory. In this Christmas, it is a magnificent chance to listen it once more.
   
   This is possibly the most idiomatic version recorded until this date. Wit made no concessions of any kind. The reading is marvelous and heartfelt; emotion and epic have been magnificently blended and besides, supported by an inspired ensemble. Zofia Kilanowicz is simply bewitching as Soprano. The Second Movement is perfect.
   
   Go for this spelling recording.



4. I can't waste time comparing versions, as I have only heard the other bargain version with the same soprano, which lacks the lusciousness of this CD in my humble opinion. I see no reason to look beyond this version anyway, which is a sublime offering from artists clearly steeped in the emotional heartland it surveys.
   
   Others have said it all, this is music (and indeed a performance) that elicits tears on almost every listen. To a Buddhist as myself, who can see unresolved suffering and sorrow even on the faces of those encountering temporal happiness, this music is a vivid portrayal through sound of our human birthright of disquiet and dissatisfaction, which can be transformed only through connection with our divine nature. Compassion, which can only be generated through our encounters with suffering - how can we hope to wish others to be free of it if we have never met it face-to-face? - radiates from this CD from opening note to close.
   
   The review below that gave this album 5 stars, but only because of the performance, rather than the music itself, is one of the most pathetic offerings I have seen among Amazon reviews. How can any performance be divorced from the piece itself? To compare this glorious piece of music with a relaxation tape merely highlights the ignorance of the reviewer. Did you actually LISTEN to this album? I doubt it!
   
   THERE ARE FEW 'CLASSICAL' OFFERINGS THAT OFFER THE EMOTIONAL RANGE OF THIS CD. IT STANDS AS A LANDMARK OF BOTH 20TH CENTURY COMPOSITION AND PERFORMANCE - A MUST BUY!



5. I own several other recordings of the haunting "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs", a masterpiece which doesn't need the explanatory "modern" in front of it. Górecki's works have aroused intense criticism from some music critics who feel that modern music must eschew lyricism, cease to be enslaved to the major/minor tonality of the "past", and tread bravely into the waters of atonality, arhythmicality, and a-beauty.
   
   But music is primarily audio rather than intellectual. It is there to be listened to, which means that AT LEAST one of the criteria for music ought to be how it sounds. It's all very well creating an incredibly clever tone row and patting oneself on the back for writing a concerto for a gravedigger's spade, an electric blender and a toilet being flushed, but who is going to listen to such a work, over and over? A hundred years from now, it will probably be rightly regarded as a curiosity rather than anything else.
   
   Górecki has composed some works which are so extraordinary that the listener is spellbound, mesmerised by the almost elegaic quality of it. Is it non-intellectual? By no means! It is a strange point of view which considers intellectual quality to be discerned only as the inverse of listenability.
   
   There are, of course, several recordings of this remarkable work currently available. All of them are good. But this one... well, it's beyond good, because the singer, soprano Zofia Kilanowicz, is so immersed in the words, and immerses the listener so completely into the words, that the heartbreak becomes our own. We feel as never before the terrible pity of it - Mary in front of the cross; the words of the young girl written on the wall; the woman looking for the body of her son fallen in battle. It is no shame to weep in listening to this recording, because the sorrow transcends the personal, although it never becomes LESS than personal. But it reaches out to touch the core of human understanding. This is a lament for all loss, all death, all grief, all injustice. It is simply... heartbreaking... and very, very beautiful.
   
   That a listener is able to come away with a sense of hope as well as intense grief is due to the music, which shimmers and shines in the dark places of the heart.
   
   Other versions of this work, while lovely, do not have the same plangent quality as this. I was surprised that I did not feel more intensely when listening to the Susan Gritton recording of this, as I consider her a superb singer with a wonderfully expressive quality, but strangely she did not quite achieve the colour of tears that the work requires. The Yvonne Kenny recording is lovely, but it's more about sound than meaning. I can feel Yvonne Kenny being careful about making the right sounds - I DON'T feel her twisting my heart with the meaning. The Dawn Upshaw recording is lovely but bland in comparison, as well.
   
   In every respect - the incredibly cheap price, the exquisite orchestral playing, the wonderful singing - this is the version to have.

5 comments about Mozart: Symphonies 40 & 41 / Bernstein.

1. Mozart's last two symphonies are interesting in that they reach a level of intensity not usually associated with the majority of his other works. I guess people love Mozart for his emotional health, cleaness, mathematical precision and utter grace. The last two symphonies of Mozart, can be seen as a meeting place of Mozart and Beethoven where Mozart's purity of form meets the angry Beethoven's sense of struggle.
   
   It is surprising that conductor Bernstein does such a fine job with the task of providing balance to these works. After all, Bernstein wasn't known for restraint, and he certainly was never considered a great conductor of Mozart.
   
   Comparisons: Bruno Walter; Toscanini



2. I think Bernstein's fans have gone overboard here. These two Mozart performances, recorded live in 1984-85, find the conductor in a good mood. Bernstein's Mozart was never extreme, and he took special care to find expression in scores that have very few expression markings by the composer. Compared to similar accounts over the years, these readings are less smoothed-over than Karajan's, less militant than Bohm's, but also less buoyant than Beecham's and less lovig than Walter's. Anyone who admires the Vienna Phil. will certainly find them to be stylish and warm (much more so than when they recorded all the Mozart symphonies under Levine during this same peirod); this is very congenial Mozart where eveyr phrase is kissed.
   
   Overall, I'd place Bernstein's G minor in a league with Britten and Walter, the Jupiter in a league with KLemperer, although in the long run Klemperer's Mozart is more imposinb and memorable. For anyone who hasn't been totally won over by period practice, this CD is very satisfying without being any kind of apotheosis.



3. I am a great admirer of Mozart, and the first movement of the K 550 is perhaps the single most perfect, moving, inventive and shockingly beautiful piece of art since the birth of time. It says molto allegro, and Bernstein, for some inexplicable reason, plays it much too slowly. The dynamic power of this masterpiece is thereby terribly diminished.
   And it doesn't stop there. The powerful and haunting third movement seems good at first, but then some (brass?) instrument takes the upper hand and ruins everything. If there's one quality a conductor should possess (apart from having the right tempo), it is a thorough understanding of how the orchestra works, and how perfect balance of instruments can be achieved.
   The last movement of the 40th is played faster than the first; too fast even, perhaps. Anyway, it has the feeling of carelessly racing through the material.
   
   Then comes the much admired, grand Symphony No. 41. The brilliant first movement (joining the ranks of its brother in the G minor) immediately sets off on the wrong foot by introducting some sort of fermata (why I have no idea), and again the orchestra seems awfully raw and unbalanced. The sliding strings at the beginning are hardly heard over all the noise.
   Then, finally, we come to the great Schlussfuge (final fuge), another beautiful and ingenious composition. The tempo is good, but it's the same story all over again with the orchestral colour: the build-up, in particular the bass entry at the beginning, is clumsily handled, and the fugal complexity is trashed by Bernstein's unbearable racket.
   
   I might have given this CD a higher ranking than just one star, but the problem is that we're talking about two divine miracles, one of the most beautiful stream of dots and lines any man has ever been able to put on paper. I hardly ever listen to the first movement of the 40th symphony, because when I do, I am drowned by the unstoppable urge to become a part of the heavens I never will, I move my arms violently, but can never match the intense emotion, the restless fire and the ruthless power of the greatest symphonic achievement ever. Bernstein has attempted to translate the word of the gods, and to do so as carelessly as this, is unforgivable sacrilege.



4. I read a Penguin review about this CD in Penguin's Book of Classical CD Recordings and Penguin placed a "rosette" symbol next to it. You know what that means, right? A Magical recording. Indeed it is. If you are a big fan of Mozart's #40 and #41 symphonies look no further than this CD.



5. I concur with all the other reviewers: although the sound is not quite up to par, it is more than adequate; but the performances are absolutely top-notch. Bernstein's tempos are perfect, all the repeats are taken, everything is infused with dramatic tension. The G minor is appropriately dark and elegant, its unbearable grief kept in check by an Apollonian temper. The Jupiter is positively...Jovian. This is, overall, my favorite recording of these two magnificent works (followed closely by Britten's and Klemperer's). A must for your classical collection.

5 comments about Toccata and Fugue: Bach Organ Music.

1. I have to admit that I bought this CD for a relative who has a strong liking for the classical music of J.S Bach. The CD arrived quickly and in mint condition.



2. This disc collects some of Karl Richter's better known interpretations from the organ works of Bach. The performances certainly convey the modern notion of `authentic interpretation,' but I find they lack that which makes the music worth listening to: namely, a communicative intent on the part of the performer which is perceptible to the listener.
   
   Though I am hesitant to throw around words like `expression' and `musicality' in a subjective review, I will say that I find Karl Richter's cold, austere, Bach rather distasteful. Needless to say, Karl Richter plays the works with mastery and conviction - but, I find nothing in his interpretation to be surprising, moving, or even interesting. This is cookie-cutter Bach.
   
   Furthermore, I would challenge the notion that the interpretation of any organ work of Bach could be, as reviewer Patrick Walsh suggests, "as close as you can come to listening to Bach's music the way he created it in his mind before setting pen to paper." What a preposterous notion! First, no one really knows what Bach was thinking when he put pen to paper. And furthermore, who cares? Johann Sebastian Bach was a product of his time just as much as we are a product of ours. To suggest that music and its interpretation have not evolved is ridiculous. I fail to see how "authentic" performance practice should be the sole factor when considering an interpretation of a work of art. There is so much more to consider!
   
   For lovers of Baroque organ music, this CD will remain a winner. Of particular interest to period-organ enthusiasts will be Mr. Richter's selection of instruments, which is decidedly late 17th century German Baroque in nature. However, I implore those who are seeking a less black and white Bach to consider the accounts of other great performers, including E. Power Biggs, Virgil Fox, Kate van Tricht, and David Sanger. Their diverse, vivid renditions of the classic works remind us how unique Bach's genius really is.



3. I just picked this up again after having lost it some years ago. I'd like to second everything mentioned in the reviews below. These are very rich, dense, wonderful pieces and the performances on each of them are - at least as far as a non-classical person like me can tell - flawless.
   
   The first two tracks are, incidentally, pretty fine examples of what would come to be known as the wall of sound some two hundred years later. And they're really considerably better than most of what Phil Spector came up with.



4. The great tragedy of Baroque music is that we no longer really know how it was actually played. Various attempts to reconstruct the Baroque flavor of the music have been made. Karl Richter, and Wanda Landowska are perhaps the pre-eminent interpreters of Baroque music in the 20th century.

   Within this album, Karl Richter's breaks away from his contemporaries, playing on the massive organs for which Johann Sebastion Bach wrote these pieces, instead of the small portable organs. He does not try to play the pieces fast or slow, but rather play the piece at a pace in which each note has meaning. A great deal of thought and consideration has gone into each performance, and they display a profound understanding of the music Bach was trying to create.

   I do not want to discount the modern performances of Bach's music, many of which are top notch--for example Glen Gould's rendition of the Well-Tempered Clavier, but they do not fully reveal the mastery of harmony that Bach displays in each and every piece on this album. Modern renditions display Bach's genius in creating music that can be played on many different instruments, but they do not display Bach's vision for the specific piece.

   This is as close as you can come to listening to Bach's music the way he created it in his mind before setting pen to paper.




5. I too bought the vinyl version of this disk in my youth in the late '60s (actually it was about half this disk, right?). Itis such a wonderful recording because it plays the very dramatic and popular toccata and fugue in d minor as a serious and intelligent piece on a magnificent instrument - not as some kind of madman's nightmare. Yes, there is drama and fire, but it is all there with purpose and intellect.

   But there is SO MUCH MORE on this disk. Wonderful recordings of trio sonatas, fantasies, and chorale preludes. This is such a wonderful disk I really believe you would be very happy to own it and listen to it again and again.

   The ONLY negative is that the liner notes are not included (or weren't on the disk I have). Please email me with what you think of this disk once you hear it, particularly all the other selections.

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.

2 comments about Belcea Quartet ~ Debussy · Dutilleux · Ravel.

1. The Belcea Quartet is one of the strongest of the relatively new chamber ensembles coming before the public today. Just a glance at the catalogue and the spectrum of music they tackle is impressive - Brahms, Schubert, Britten, Ades, Faure, Poulenc and now Ravel, Debussy and Dutilleux. They are an exciting ensemble.
   
   The performances here of both the well-known string quartets of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel are clean, free of excessive emoting, and transparent in the best sense of the word. The phrasing continuity among the instruments is seamless and in the tutti sections the sound is sonorous and never pushed. These are both very fine performances.
   
   Added to this generous CD is the 'Ainsi la nuit' by Henri Dutilleux, a work not known to this listener but one that begs re-hearing. The quartet writing is clever, innovative and never less than interesting. It does seem to go on a bit long (twelve movements) but it is well worth studying. Recommended Recording. Grady Harp, September 05



2. First of all, do not let the small price tag fool you - In my humble opinion this is a top-notch recording, and definitely worth more than it says. Very clearly and precisely played, I think this album comes very close to the rendition of the popular Emerson String Quartet(DG Masters).

   I'm ceratinly looking forward for more recordings from these people!

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 Chiller.

1. I was very pleased with this purchase. Most of my Halloween/Spooky CD's have movie theme songs or just plain sound effects. This CD delves a bit deeper into the foray of frightful, classical compositions. It may be a bit slow for the younger crowd... possibly even a little dull for them. But for those who enjoy the more macabre classical selections then I definitely recommend this collection.



2. This is a fine collection of mostly classical themes.
   Some of them have nice creepy moments, but on the whole, it's just some solid music. Not something to buy if you want really "spooky" music, but worthwhile for some interesting listening.



3. This is an awesome album. It starts off with thunder crashing, running footsteps, a gate creaking, the wind howling, a cat screeching, a door opening, a woman crying that she needs help....and then SCREAMING! And then straight into track 2, the overture to 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Wow! The rest of the cd also features 'creepy' music from various sources, such as Alfred Hitchcock films, like Psycho, various classic works like Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Night on Bald Mountain', and also some other creepy sound effects. A good album not only for Halloween but I dare you to listen to it during a dark night with a thunderstorm raging outside.



4. I've owned the "Chiller" CD since it's release in '89. At the time, I was working for a local Audio/Video/Music dealer, and was looking for 'demo' CD's containing not necessarily heavy bass, but ones displaying incredible dynamic range, and sharp transient peaks. I already owned a copy of "Time Warp", also on Telarc, and was intrigued when I read about "Chiller. Needless to say, I was extremely pleased with this disc. Not only did I get a disc containing some great treatments of classics, but the re-make of the "Psycho" suite is wonderful (the shower sequence is very faithful to the original)! A word of warning.....the dynamic range of this disc is not to be underestimated.....I drove an older amplifier into thermal shutdown VERY quickly with track #1. I haven't tried it since I've upgraded my home system....hmmm....might have to scare the neighbors tonight (or at least rattle a few dental fillings)!



5. This CD contains tons of great classic Halloween tunes. Even though the names might sound unfamiliar, you probably know most of the music on here through cultural osmosis. Heck, it's worth it just for "Funeral March of a Marionette" (the Alfred Hitchcock show theme.)

5 comments about Russian Divine Liturgy.

1. Ortodox liturgic music is sometimes as difficult as it can be considering the fact it belong to a very different liturgy no matter how christian it is.
   This little gem can be helpful to understand not only this very important part of russian music but the soul of russian religiosity, guided by the superb performance of Novospassky Monastery Choir, that reminded me other great effort in the same way: the Choir of Santo Domingo de Silos Monastery.
   Not always Naxos is the best choice, but in this case is definitely a must for those interested on religious music.
   Five stars.



2. This cd is balanced with the melodic strains of the choir, and the rich, deep solos above it. It is an inspiration and I highly recommend it.



3. RUSSIAN DIVINE LITURGY is a performance by the Novospassky Monastery Choir of the Russian Orthodox liturgy celebrated by a bishop. The music of the Russian Orthodox liturgy consists only of the human voice singing in the Russian Church Slavonic language (a redaction of Old Church Slavonic made easier for speakers of Russian to pronounce). No instrumentation is included.
   
   There is a great deal of passion in this performance as in the "Trisagion". There is also grace and sweetness, as in the "Great Litany" or the recitation of the Nicene Creed. This recording portrays those aspects of Orthodox worship which have wowed members of other denominations with their beauty and profound sincerity.
   
   Though the performance was fine, the sound quality of this recording is unimpressive. Though a DDD studio recording, the engineers did not really explore the space of the venue and the voices are often muddled and indistinguishable. This probably would have sounded better in a church than in a studio with these engineers.
   
   The liner notes are also of rather poor quality, as is unfortunately quite common with Naxos discs. There is no libretto, just excepts from several of the portions and descriptions. Church Slavonic text is missing entirely. The names of the Ukrainian cities Kyiv and Lviv are spelled according to the (often considered offensive) Russian manner of Kiev and L'vov. The commentary, which do not appear professionally edited, are uncredited.
   
   If you are interested in Church Slavonic liturgy in music, I would recommend Arvo Part's setting of the "Kanon Pokajanen" penitence text. The disc released by ECM New Series features a detailed libretto with the Church Slavonic, fine translations, and an essay about this portion of Orthodox liturgy. Naxos has released here an authentic and sincere performance of the liturgy, but the poor liner notes and sound quality do little to recommend it.



4. As someone new to choral sacred music, the price of this CD allowed me to experiment without risking to much financially.
   I have never heard Russian Orthodox music before. It is more exuberant in many ways than western massesbut also has moments of serenity. This CD contains an amalgam of music from different cenuries which all fits together surprisingly well. The choir sings powerfully from start to fini. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the music of other cultures.



5. Beautiful version of the Orthodox Liturgy. If you aren't Orthodox, this might convert you. If you already are, it will bring tears of joy to your eyes.

5 comments about Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo capriccioso in Am; Danse macabre Op40.

1. I hate to admit it, but the first time I head Saint-Saen's "Danse Macabre" was when I saw an episode of Disney's "Mickey Mouse Works" back in 2000, and I tried hard to see who composed it (I was thinking Berlioz or Dukas or even R. Strauss at the time). But now I own this disc and it gives me great pleasure to listen to some of Saint-Saen's most dazzling works.
   
   The composer created "Danse Macabre" based on a poem by Henri Cazalis. It tells of Death waking up during every Halloween midnight. He, with his fiddle, summons up the dead and orders them to dance until sunrise. But this is more than just Halloween music. When I listen to it, I think of a young person who has just shrunk to 3 inches tall, and who has escape from the hungers of many creatures of the forest. I know it's strange, but that's what I imagine, really.
   
   And of course, we have other pieces on this disc that are also well worth the listen. "Havanaise" and "Phaéton" are very colorful and very inspirational when it comes to orchestration. "Marche héroïque" and "La jeunesse d'Hercule" remind me of Dvorak and Sibelius and sometimes Borodin when it comes to atmosphere. "Le rouet d'Omphale" and "Introduction and Rondo capriccioso" are addictive. Highly.
   
   Get it while you can. A-



2. This CD is absolutely essential in any classical lover's collection; it's the ideal compliation of famous and unknown Saint-Saens, all relatively "light" works, yet on further listenings, each piece grows on you and reveals hidden charms (if not depths). Dutoit's interpretations are golden--they couldn't convey the atmosphere of Saint-Saens sound world with more sympathy or clarity. Everything "sounds" here, and more importantly, it sounds like music worth listening to.
   
   The more familiar pieces--Danse Macabre, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Havanaise, and Le Rouet d'Omphale--are given authoritative, compelling readings, making it okay to add yet another Danse Macabre to your collection. Yet what delights me are the unknown pieces, all of which are phenomenal: Phaeton, full of great melodies and orchestral color, and the extended fantasy Jeunesse d' Hercules, which is a Lisztian symphonic poem on the verge of becoming Strauss. The concluding march (I forget the name at the moment--something "heroic") is also beautiful, noble, and sentimental all at once.
   
   I've owned this CD for well over a decade, and while my interest in Saint-Saens waxes and wanes (but mostly waxes), this disc is one of my great treasures. It's a great into to classical music if you're still searching for a way in, and it's a great comfort after years of extraordinary delights. In short, another reason why Dutoit remains one of my favorite conductors, particularly in French & Russian repertoire.



3. I have always played classical music in my classroom and this is a perfect CD to play around Halloween. We turn the lights off and let our imaginations work. And that they do. A truely classic CD for this holiday.



4. Saint Saens is highly underrated. His moribund, melodious music is just as grandoise as anything put out by Beethoven, and just as romantic as the works of Chopin. DANSE MACABRE itself is likely his most fantasticly dark symphony, comparable to such classic haunts as Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D Minor and Berlioz's Dream of a Witches' Sabbath. One can hear themes later used by such horror film composers as Trevor Jones and Danny Elfman, as well. This album is more then worth the money, and will satisfy lovers of both classical music and Halloween mayhem.



5. i never liked classical music until i heard the danse macabre by camille saint-seans,it gave me a feeling i had never felt before.

5 comments about Greatest Hits: Harpsichord.

1. This is a fabulous collection of harpsichord pieces. They include English, French, German, and Italian pieces. Great variety. Scholarly interpretations are correct, and interpretation/speed/ornamentation are perfect. This is one you must have for your collection, especially if you are just starting to collect harpsichord music. The artists are not named in the Amazon info here, but they are Igor Kipnis (my favorite), Anthony Newman, and Arnold Dolmetsch (one of the pioneer early music musicologists). And, my gosh! Look at the price!!!! mb



2. Excellent service, price and timely shipment. Bought as a gift and hope they will enjoy this rare selection.



3. As with several other of Kipnis' albums, these could serve as either an eye opener for those uninitiated to the potential of the late 20th century harpsichord in the hands of these virtuoso musicians. And an introduction of the incredibly rich, varied (and almost totally neglected) music of the 18th Century. Igor Kipnis was so much more than a master of the keyboard, he helped introduce three generations to what the Baroque was all about.



4. I have always loved the sound of the Harpsichord and for many years hearing poorly recorded or played Harpsichord this treasure is a must have. From the fine compositions to the good sound quality this CD is definately a keeper.
   Plenty of music for a moderate price as well.



5. This CD is very very good just what I was looking for. I highly recommend this CD if you are planning on purchasing a Harpsicord CD, this one is the best.