No comments about The Beethoven Adventure.

No comments about Myra Hess In Concert, 1949-1960.

1 comments about Shostakovich: Preludes & Fugues.

1. Pianist Boris Petrushansky does a fantastic job with this monstrous work by Shostakovich. The 24 Preludes and Fugues, op.87 are a tour de force for pianists (three CDs worth of music), which may explain why so few pianists record them. In any case, Petrushansky shows remarkable closeness with the music--his performances are extraordinarily nuanced, every detail is present. There is nice attention to the wonderful dissonances; tempos are appropriately chosen; there is a sense of continuity and relativity between the movements that is present while also making each prelude and fugue distinct by showcasing the various textures and images depicted by the composer. And I have not yet said anything about the work itself!! It is a remarkable piece of music. Shotakovich acted as a jury member at an international Bach competition in 1950 and was so inspired by one of the competitors that he set about imitating Bach's books of the Well-Tempered Klavier. (The two books of the Well-Tempered Klavier each have 24 preludes and fugues in all of the major and minor keys, hence 48 pairs of preludes and fugues total.) Every day Shostakovich composed a fugue or prelude until, about three months later, the work was completd. The work is exquisite in its beauty and contrasts, exemplary in it's masterful counterpoint, and astonishing in its size and scope. A truly wonderful work that is very trypical of Shotakovich--crunching dissonances, wit, wonderful expression, all within a very strictly neo-classic paradigm. It's a truly excellent piece of music and Boris Petrushanksy is up to the task.

3 comments about A Hundred Years of Italian Opera, 1820-30.

1. It was a wonderful experience to hear many of the songs in this series for the first time, and be introduced to composers one had never heard of before. It's time to retire the warhorses of opera for a while, and bring out some new (old) music. Mr. Parry gets full marks for this series, and I hope they release some more of them soon-- does anyone know why none have appeared since the 1820-30 CD? A slight grainy quality to some of the works and an occasional variation in recorded volume was a bit annoying, but on the whole these discs offer a variety of emotions, some memorable melodies (bel canto isn't all Bellini and Donizetti), and some real finds, such as Paer and Mayer.



2. The "100 Years of Italian Opera" series released by Opera Rara is unique in the annals of opera recordings. However, this installment is especially exciting as it documents the evolution of Italian opera during the 1820's, the decade when romanticism truly began to come into its own on the operatic stage. Opera Rara has lovingly compiled a variety of arcana written by composers famous and forgotten. Included is everything from overtures to arias, duets, ensembles, and entire scenes. Every vocal range is represented, and the dramatic material varies from old school subjects such as figures from mythology and antiquity to English monarchs.

   This recording merits the highest praise for both its scholarly interest and entertainment value. Opera Rara has outdone itself with a beautifully produced booklet, though with its generous size and content, "tome" might be a more apt moniker. Each selection on the CD has a corresponding article in the booklet which gives the original cast of the opera, the singers interpreting the piece, a detailed history of the composer and the opera in question, an analysis of the music, and an Italian-English translation. Each article is thorough, fascinating, and well-written and substantially increases one's enjoyment and understanding of the selections. As if all this weren't enough, 19th-century drawings of composers, singers, librettists, and costumes are liberally strewn throughout and further serve to make these artists, and the operas they helped to create, come alive.

   The singers are competent at worst, and at their best are excellent. Most of them are unknown, but some of Opera Rara's mainstays are featured here: Della Jones, Bruce Ford, Marilyn Hill-Smith, Yvonne Kenny, Diana Montague and Alistair Miles are all featured, and are all as wonderful as ever. Among the singers that may be less familiar, contralto Patricia Spence and mezzo Penelope Walker merit particular mention for their wonderful contributions to this recording. David Parry is competent and tasteful in his conducting as we would expect, and the Philharmonia Orchestra is in fine form. The Geoffrey Mitchell Choir provides the choral backup when necessary and also does a fine job.

   With thirteen composers and twenty-four operas represented, it is only possible to discuss a few high points in the set. Those interested in Donizetti's oeuvre will not be disappointed, as five of his early works, all of which have yet to be revived in modern times, are represented here. Bruce Ford easily tosses off a difficult aria from the 1822 comedy "La Zingara", and Della Jones executes Byzantine coloratura pyrotechnics with confidence and panache in the rondo-finale from the obscure "Alfredo il Grande". A lovely all-female trio from his "Chiara e Serafina", and a grand and impressive bass aria from the tragedy "Il Paria" are other numbers that the Donizetti-phile will treasure. Bellini and Rossini are not forgotten, either. A recently discovered alternative aria from the former's "Adelson e Salvini" shows that even in his earliest works, Bellini was true to the lyrical, melancholy style we associate with his masterpieces. And the first of the Rossini pieces offered, a duet from "Zelmira", sounds for all the world like Bellini, despite predating the latter's first opera by 3 years.

   Among the other composers featured are the prolific and underrated Pacini and Mercadante, both of whose careers eventually spanned Verdi's middle period. Pacini's "Il Contestabile di Chester", an 1829 work based on a Walter Scott novel, provides us with an exquisite love duet for soprano and en travesti mezzo-soprano. The woebegone farewell of the star-crossed lovers is interpreted with beauty and artistry by Yvonne Kenny and Susan McCullough. Della Jones again rises to the occasion in a ferociously difficult aria from Mercadante's "Nitocri", yet she is confidently in control of the death-defying leaps, scales, and trills that pepper the aria and which would so easily confound a singer of lesser abilities. A highly dramatic act finale from Mercadante's "Amleto" is also included, this selection featuring choral and ensemble writing that is so dramatic we have difficulty believing it is from an opera of 1822. Carlo Conti, a composer with whom almost no one this side of paradise is familiar, contributes a wilting and sad Bellinian lament from "Giovanna Shore" of 1829. This piece resembles a traditional heroine's aria di sortita, but it contains enough participation from the two basses that it becomes a trio. The best surprise of all comes from the selections by Carlo Coccia, a composer whose masterpiece "Caterina di Guisa" was recently successfully revived in Italy. This album features a remarkably beautiful duet from his "Rosmonda", a setting of the same libretto used for Donizetti's "Rosmonda d'Inghilterra." Again featuring Yvonne Kenny, this time with Diana Montague, the scene parallels Rosmonda's introductory scene in Donizetti's opera, but allows the pageboy Arturo to participate fully. The highlight of the entire set, however, is the final scene of Coccia's "Maria Stuart", an opera based on the same Schiller play that inspired Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda". Coccia's handling of the scene in which Mary of Scots confronts Elizabeth I is not as shocking as Donizetti's, but nevertheless brilliantly builds the tension in the Queens' encounter until they turn on each other. Coccia's librettist preserves more of Schiller's characters and this allows nine voices in the ensembles, making them unusually rich and varied in both their harmonies and counterpoint. The fact that these were two of Coccia's LEAST successful works had me salivating to hear more of his operas performed. Some of the other numbers, while not representing the best composers or operas of the day, nevertheless give us a more complete picture of the artistic climate in which some of the masterpieces were produced. This set is indispensible to anyone interested in early 19th century Italian opera, and may generate such an interest in those who lack it!




3. This installment in Opera Rara's "Hundred Years of Italian Opera" project again reveals a treasure trove of lovely melody and high operatic drama. The examples are well-chosen and really lovely, making one wonder at their neglect. One can almost hear history in the making, as these composers push the boundaries of musico-dramatic conventions. Listen, for example, to the excerpt from Mercadante's "Amleto," a Italian version of "Hamlet" which plays fast and loose with Shakespeare but is marvelous on a musical level. Mercadante includes whistling piccolos in the orchestration, which sound eerily like human screams, a truly bone-chilling effect. I was reminded of the "Dies Irae" of Verdi's Requiem. There is also a lovely aria a due from "Rosmonda" by Coccia, sung deliciously by Yvonne Kenny and Diana Montague. Kenny, who is featured prominently in this set, has lost some of the ease of her highest notes but sings with a beautiful line and an alertness to the dramatic situation. Other singers include Nuccia Focile, Della Jones, Bruce Ford, and Alistair Miles. An essential set for the lover of bel canto and for those who enjoy discovering (unjustly) forgotten works.

No comments about Masterpieces of the French Baroque.

No comments about Romantic Melodies for Orchestra.

No comments about Bach: Sacred Vocal Works.

No comments about Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4.

1 comments about Top 10 of Classical Music: Romantic.

1. This is a great classical cd, and one of my favorites. Why should you buy this? The 1812 Overture. I know, you've heard it a billion times, but it sounds soo good on here, its the song you'll love to hear on this bad boy.

5 comments about The Beat Generation.

1. The Beat Generation is a term used to describe both a group of American writers who came to prominence in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the cultural phenomena that they wrote about and inspired (later sometimes called beatniks though this is considered by many to be a pejorative term). This box set features material by genuine beats alongside "commercial" recordings made to cash in on the beatnik "fad". The CDs include poetry, jazz, news reports and other recordings related to the beat phenomenon. It is interesting and informitive if you are curious to learn about the Beat Generation.



2. This is, outside of the first "Nuggets" box set, the most played multi-artist compilation in my collection. The greatest thing about this collection is the wide variety of peices included. There are readings by the major players of the generation (Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs), beat Jazz (Don Morrow, Lee Konitz), various parodies or outsider views of the movement (the "Basic Hip" recordings, the clips from the cult film "High School Confedential", Bob McFadden), the comedians (Lord Buckley, Lenny Bruce), and the sucessors (Tom Waits). In other words, this is an absolute must-buy for anyone with a passing interest in America's first counterculture movement. This was one of the most fascinating and unique eras in American history, and the Beat Generation was a blow against the conservative American ideals and dreams. The highlights of the collection are obviously the readings. Hearing the geniuses of the time read their own work is just as fun, if not more so, as reading the books themselves. Each one of the top three (Ginsberg, Burroughs, Kerouac) has an unique style of writing and an unique style of delivery so that you can tell each one apart from the other. Outside of the readings, some of the selections are odd but none don't fit in with the overall concept of portraying the movement. This is almost as much an essential as the writings of the Beats, and is a fascinating portrait of America's original counterculture movement. Why did Rhino let this go out of print?



3. It's January, 2005 and sleeting outside in Shin-Urayasu, Japan, but I'm here wailing with Jack Kerouac. Steve Allen is tinkling away on the piano, and Ben Hecht is waiting to ask Jack some smart-aleck questions, which Jack will answer in an innocent, pure-heart, eternal good-guy way before heading back out on the road. This three-CD set is incredible. Not only do we get a sense of what the big names of beat-dom were up to, but we are treated to little-heard beat-fare, like a hyper-beat effusion on falling in love with a horse from Lenny Bruce, and zany reflections of beat-dom from such square media dogs like Perry Como crooning about his young beat honey, and Howard K. Smith, who gives us the low-down on THE COOL REBELLION. Kenneth Patchen's "The Murder Of Two Men By A Young Kid Wearing Lemon Colored Gloves" is a gem, and Kenneth Rexroth's hang-dog rendition of "Married Blues" is yet another great cut I would never have heard otherwise. Langston Hughes fronting his own jazz band is a treat too, but there's lots more. After listening to all 3 CDs one can get a pretty good idea of the scene, both from the inside, hipster's angle, and from the square's point of view, too. Generous cuts from Gerry Mulligan's Quartet have me snapping my fingers and reaching for my sunglasses. Forget the sushi and pass the nutmeg!



4. What I love about the Beat Generation Box Set is that in addition to serving as a great social portrait of the era, as well as hipster culture, throughout it maintains a sense of humor and focuses on its strange relationship and rivalry with American pop culture. Beyond mere literary readings, a colorful cast of charactors make the scene... from beboppers to hipsters, bongo beating philosophers to comedians and pop icons arise. One track might be Annie Ross's bebopistic tribute to Schizophrenia "Twisted", the next a recitation by Lord Buckley or Ken Nordine - in other tracks, square singers try to cash in on bebop and hipster culture... reporters go out on the streets of Greenwich village in search of America's lost youth, while others show beat generation icons in action from Dizzy Gillespie to Slim Galliard and Ray Brown Jr. - - Cuts from the rare, "How to Speak Hip" and even Lenny Bruce's Psychopathia Sexualis (I'm in Love With a Horse That Comes from Dallas) appear.

   While by no means comprehensive, the three CDs along with the illustrated booklet are not only educational but incredibly entertaining.

   If you enjoy this album, be sure to check out a reissue of Ken Nordine's Colors, as well as stuff by Harry The Hipster Gibson, Slim Galliard and Leon Watson, as well as the movie, "Sweet Love Bitter" (based on the life of Charlie Parker.)




5. Great Jazz, poetry, and spoken word. A diverse group of artists are included in this boxed set. It is a window to another time that suspiciously looks similar to our own. I cherish this collection. I don't know how I survived without it. Highly recommend!