Metamorphoses

About the Artist
Even if someone doesn't know the name, Jean Michel Jarre, just hum a few notes from his 1977 world-wide hit, "Oxygene," and the light of recognition will glow. The pulsing rubber-band rhythms and child-like melodies dipped in space echo and ambience sound as fresh today as they did when Jarre minted them on 8 tracks and a hand-full of cranky analog synthesizers. For the last 30 years, Jean Michel Jarre has been exploring the melodic regions of electronic music, predicting techno with "Oxygene," hip-hop and ambient sampling strategies with "Zoolook" (1984), and the art of the spectacle with his city-wide extravaganzas that painted the skies of Houston and Paris in sound and light. Born in 1948 in Lyon, he's the son of acclaimed film composer Maurice Jarre. His parents separated when Jean Michel was young and he says he didn't have much contact with his father growing up, but the cinematic sound gene was clearly passed down. His early music influences came from visits to a Parisian jazz club run by his mother. He literally sat on the knees of new jazz expressionists like Don Cherry and Archie Shepp and when he was 10, Chet Baker played "Happy Birthday" to him on trumpet. Jarre spent some time as a jazz pianist, but the lure of electronics drew him into the socket. He got in on the ground floor, working with French musique concrete pioneer, Pierre Schaeffer in 1968. In the 1940s, using phonograph records and then tape, Schaeffer created compositions out of sounds from the world. Ostensibly one of the first "scratch DJs", his influence would echo later in Jean Michel Jarre's music.

A superstar despite his aversion to touring, Jarre has repeatedly set world records for attendance at his spectacular live concerts. In 1986, he helped NASA celebrate their 25th anniversary in Houston, attracting over one million spectators for a live performance broadcast on worldwide television. In 1990, he topped his own Guinness World Record with a Bastille Day concert in Paris which was witnessed by more than two-and-a-half million fans.

While robots are trawling the surface of Mars and America is reasserting its desire to travel the spaceways, Jean Michel Jarre may be more relevant than ever, ready with a soundtrack to rocket you to the moon, the dance floor or the inner spacescapes of your soul.

Product Description
"Metamorphoses" is Jarre's musical statement for the new millennium. It infuses kinetic grooves with global voices, world rhythms and staccato samples with Jarre's inimitable synthesizer sounds. An instant classic.

The ecstatic voice of worldbeat songbird Natacha Atlas cries out to the heavens on "C'est La Vie." Her impassioned, over the top performance, with a hint of humor, contrasts against the cool, disembodied delivery of Laurie Anderson, who reprises her role of digital diva from "Zoolook." This is Jarre at his most playful, and sublime, using singers as musical instruments, playing with phonemes and fragments. He skillfully integrates conventional instruments into his mix, using the violin of The Corrs' Sharon Corr as a Celtic oasis within the mechanized menace of "Rendez-vous Á Paris." Tracks like "Miss Moon," featuring the chameleon voice of Diedre Dubois, the American singer in the French band, Ekova, are updated variations on the kind of epic works we've come to expect from Jarre, but with an edgier, modern electronic vibe.

Metamorphoses,Jean-Michel Jarre,Dreyfus,Dance Music,New Age,Pop

Average customer rating: Important, but not as interesting as the vocal works. Not really my style... String works, includes his must-have glorious Second Quartet Great Recordings of Modern String Quartets you must listen to Ligeti.

György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet Gyorgy Ligeti , David Alberman , Irvine Arditti , Garth Knox , Rohan deSaram , and Arditti String Quartet Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard György Ligeti Edition 2: A Cappella Choral Works - London Sinfonietta Voices Ligeti: Mechanical Music György Ligeti Edition 4: Vocal Works (Madrigals, Mysteries, Aventures, Songs) - The King's Singers / Philharmonia Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen György Ligeti Edition 6: Keyboard Works (Piano, Harpsichord, Organ) - Irina Kataeva / Pierre-Laurent Aimard / Elisabeth Chojnacka / Zsigmond Szathmáry ASIN: B0000029OY Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

1. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Allegro Grazioso
2. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Vivace, Capriccioso
3. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Adagio, Mesto
4. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Presto
5. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Andante Tranquillo
6. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Tempo Di Valse, Moderato, Con Eleganza, Un Poco Capriccioso
7. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Allegretto, Un Poco Gioviale
8. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Prestissimo
9. String Quartet No. 2: Allegro Nervoso
10. String Quartet No. 2: Sostenuto, Molto Calmo
11. String Quartet No. 2: Come Un Meccanismo Di Precisione
12. String Quartet No. 2: Presto Furioso, Brutale, Tumultuoso
13. String Quartet No. 2: Allegro Con Delicatezza
14. Hommage A Hilding Rosenberg
15. Balada Si Joc: Balada Andante
16. Balada Si Joc: Allegro Vivace
17. Andante And Allegretto: Andante Cantabile
18. Andante And Allegretto: Allegretto Poco Capriccioso

Amazon.com essential recording

This is a fine collection of moving, muscular performances by this seminal postwar composer. Surely the best known of the works on this disc is the Second String Quartet, one of the masterpieces of 20th-century music--although you might not know it's a masterpiece until the heartbreaking last movement. But the First String Quartet, written before Ligeti emigrated from Hungary to the West, is fascinating: it shows Ligeti working through the influence of Bartók, particularly Bartók's Third and Fourth Quartets--music Ligeti knew only silently, from the score, since performances of Bartók's music were banned by the Hungarian communist regime. This excellent recording provides a complete overview of Ligeti's compositional career through the medium of string chamber music, from homages to Bartók to the achievement of Ligeti's own groundbreaking style. --Joshua Cody

Customer Reviews:

Important, but not as interesting as the vocal works........2006-08-30

Sony's "Gyorgy Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duos" is the first in this series of, I believe, complete works by Ligeti, but it is always the third or fourth disk I go to whenever I get around to listening to Ligeti once again, about once every year.

To me, the average amateur 'classical music' consumer, it is interesting, imaginative, and certainly 'new' when compared to 19th and early 20th century music, but it just doesn't seem to have the same cachet as the vocal works. While I would sooner listen to Ligeti's vocal works than most other modern music, I actually prefer Bartok, Berg, and Schoenberg for their instrumental works.

I agree with the top reviewer that the String Quartet No. 2 is the hit of the disk, but it doesn't blow me away in the same way that 'Lux Aeterna' does. That may be just the '2001' factor at work, but there you have it.

Still excellent and still evocative of other modernists, not the least of whom is Frank Zappa.

Not really my style..........2006-08-23

This is a little too avant garde for me. I like my classical music to be just that: classical.

I bought the CD but I am returning it. Ligeti is very talented but his music (to me) is only tolerable in short bursts. I couldn't see myself listening to the whole CD time and again.

String works, includes his must-have glorious Second Quartet.......2004-12-07

Sony's "Gyorgy Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duos" is the first disc of the 13-volume series--continued after the 8th installment by Teldec's "The Ligeti Project"---of Gyorgy Ligeti's collected works in performances overseen by the composer itself. It collects his impressive two strings quartets, a brief birthday greeting to another composer, a work inspired by an ethnomusical stint in Romania, and another early work. The works are performed by the Arditti Quartet, who have done so much to provide satisfying and lasting performances of modern string repetoire.

String Quartet No. 1 ("Metamorphoses nocturnes") was written between 1953 and 1954, as the composer was struggling to express himself creatively in Stalinist Hungary. The work shows clear inspiration from Bartok's third and fourth quartets, which Ligeti knew only from their score as they had been suppressed. Similarly, Ligeti had no hope his own work would be performed, and it was written essentially "for his desk drawer". Ironically, when Ligeti submitted the piece to a Western competition, it was deemed too traditional for recognition. This first string quartet is a study in the juxtaposition of unlike sections; under a thin verneer of normality, the music is heterogenous. I think this is a fine work, and it is one of the composer's few pre-emigration pieces that do not sound like juvenalia in comparison with his later works.

String Quartet No. 2 (1968) was composed long after Ligeti's move to the West and so is entirely avant-garde, linked with the techniques of his other works of the 1960's. Ligeti was quite proud of this piece, claiming it as his favourite of his works of the time, and feeling that he had made a permanent contribution to the string quartet tradition. The work is indeed a part of his micropolyphonic style of the 1960's, but there is a great deal more here. It is a twitching, paranoid, nervous, neurotic piece with a grimy, constantly shifting texture, like the soundtrack to a Kafka story. It really must be heard to be believed, and this second quartet is the high point of this disc.

"Hommage a Hilding Rosenburg" for violin and cello (1982) is a short birthday greeting to that Swedish composer. It is the least important work on the disc and is really nothing more than something of a fanfare.

"Balada si joc" for two violins (Romanian "Ballad and dance", 1950) is a short string duet inspired by Ligeti's time spent in Romania collecting folk music during his music studies. The result uses no actual folk material, but is an authentic imitation of the music Ligeti encountered both in his boyhood and in his return to Transylvania at this later time. When it was later expanded to use an orchestra, it became the first two movements of his "Concert Romanesc" (found on "The Ligeti Project II"). The string duet, however, manages to create with but two instruments nearly the same moving passion as the later orchestration. The following "Andante and Allegretto" for string quartet (1950) is another early work, again inspired by folk music. It is not as successful as "Balada si joc", indeed even forgettable.

While there are other recordings of these works available, such as the recent recordings reissued in Deutsche Grammaphon's "Echo 20/21" series, this performance by the Arditti Quartet can certainly be seen as definitive. It takes a lot of talent to please Ligeti, one of the most demanding composers, especially in a crushingly difficult work like the second string quartet.

While I think "Gyorgy Ligeti Edition 3: Piano Works" or "The Ligeti Project IV" are better places to begin on this series of Ligeti's collected works, this set of string works should be one of the first Ligeti works you buy, especially for the String Quartet No. 2.

Great Recordings of Modern String Quartets.......2004-08-07

For those of you who haven't experienced Ligeti, this is the CD to purchase, especially if you like string quartets. If you're not accustomed to 20th century music, keep an opened mind and I promise you'll really enjoy his music.

The recording of the 2nd quartet is, as usual with the Arditti Quartet, phenomenal, but what makes this recording is their production of his 1st quartet. The performance is very clean and precise, yet still very musical. Most impressive of all, Arditti stays true to Ligeti's tempi, including the blistering tempo of the end!

As an added bonus, there are two very delightful duets for violins, which are very tonal and based on Hungarian folk tunes (these were written as part of graduation from the Budapest Academy of Music).

you must listen to Ligeti........2004-03-06

Listening to Ligeti has been invaluable, for his music has brought me to a higher level of musical understanding. Just listen to these string quartets, for example. The aggressive, chromatic Bartokian first string quartet is incredible by itself. But then the ever-transforming second quartet is ever better, musically enlightening and original and yet still a work of passion. Ligeti describes the piece's nature as something where "there is no longer any motivic writing in this music, no contours, only sound textures, which are sometimes frayed and almost fluid (as in the first and last movements) and at other times grainy and machine-like (as in the middle pizzicato movement)." The performances and recording are mind-blowing. "Add to cart."

Average customer rating: Jarre strikes again! Masterpiece !

Metamorphoses Jean Michel Jarre Manufacturer: Dreyfus ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: En Attendant Cousteau Les Chants Magnetiques Chronologie Zoolook Revolutions ASIN: B00020HASI Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

1. Je Me Souviens (w/ Laurie Anderson)
2. C'est La Vie (w/ Natacha Atlas)
3. Rendez-vous A Paris (w/ Sharon Corr of The Corrs)
4. Hey Gagarin
5. Millions Of Stars
6. Tout Est Bleu
7. Love Love Love
8. Bells
9. Miss Moon (w/ Dierdre Dubois of Ekova)
10. Give Me A Sign
11. Gloria, Lonely Boy
12. Silhouette

Album Description

"Metamorphoses" is Jarre's musical statement for the new millennium. It infuses kinetic grooves with global voices, world rhythms and staccato samples with Jarre's inimitable synthesizer sounds. An instant classic.

The ecstatic voice of worldbeat songbird Natacha Atlas cries out to the heavens on "C'est La Vie." Her impassioned, over the top performance, with a hint of humor, contrasts against the cool, disembodied delivery of Laurie Anderson, who reprises her role of digital diva from "Zoolook." This is Jarre at his most playful, and sublime, using singers as musical instruments, playing with phonemes and fragments. He skillfully integrates conventional instruments into his mix, using the violin of The Corrs' Sharon Corr as a Celtic oasis within the mechanized menace of "Rendez-vous Á Paris." Tracks like "Miss Moon," featuring the chameleon voice of Diedre Dubois, the American singer in the French band, Ekova, are updated variations on the kind of epic works we've come to expect from Jarre, but with an edgier, modern electronic vibe.

Customer Reviews:

Jarre strikes again!.......2006-11-07

Is this album different from his other stuff -- oh yeah. Does it sonically sound like Jarre? Oh yeah. And that's the thing about it. Yeah it's got singing, and pop tunes, and what not, but if you listen, it has all the classic Jarre trademark sound that developed. No doubt whatsoever. It's different, but it's the same ingredients that makes him - well - him. Music for Supermarkets was bad. But that was on purpose. That was to reduce music to a commodity for the recording company. It was intentionally drab and dry to make a point. This album is not only vibrant, it's fun. It clearly demonstrates his artistic range and that his electronic style can be carried in other directions, not just Oxygene or Equinoxe's. How many times can an artist remake the same album. So he evolves, and it's pretty good.

Masterpiece !.......2005-09-29

I have been a fan for a long time. just by accident I missed this one. I bought it recently and I have to say it is just amazing. it is a must have JMJ album. absoulute pure electronic joy.

Average customer rating: Essential for the chansom junkie. Buy It. Almost completely wonderful Indisputable Gallic flair Idiomatic, fresh, cleanly recorded the best songs ever ruined by uneven performing

Poulenc - Melodies / Ameling · Gedda · W. Parker · Sénéchal · Souzay · Baldwin Francis Poulenc , Dalton Baldwin , Elly Ameling , Gérard Souzay , Nicolai Gedda , Michel Sénéchal , and William Parker Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tartini | Tartini, Giuseppe | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Debussy - Mélodies / Ameling · Mesplé · Command · Souzay · von Stade · Baldwin Fauré - Mélodies / Souzay · Ameling · Baldwin A French Song Companion Véronique Gens - Nuit d'étoiles (Mélodies Française) / Vignoles The Songs of Henri Duparc ASIN: B000002S31 Release Date: 1992-01-23

Tracks:

1. LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: I - Le Dromadaire
2. LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: II - La Chevre Du Tibet
3. LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: III - La Sauterelle
4. LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: IV - Le Dauphin
5. LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: V - L'ecrevisse
6. LE BESTIAIRE OU CORTEGE D'ORPHEE: VI - La Carpe
7. COCARDES: I - Miel De Narbonne
8. COCARDES: II - Bonne D'enfant
9. COCARDES: III - Enfant De Troupe
10. 5 POEMES DE RONSARD: I - Attributs
11. 5 POEMES DE RONSARD: II - Le Tombeau
12. 5 POEMES DE RONSARD: III - Ballet
13. 5 POEMES DE RONSARD: IV - Je N'ai Plus Les Os
14. 5 POEMES DE RONSARD: V - A Son Page
15. CHANSONS GAILLARDES: I - La Maitresse Volage
16. CHANSONS GAILLARDES: II - Chanson A Boire
17. CHANSONS GAILLARDES: III - Madrigal
18. CHANSONS GAILLARDES: IV - Invocation Aux Parques
19. CHANSONS GAILLARDES: V - Couplets Bachiques
20. CHANSONS GAILLARDES: VI - L'offrande
21. CHANSONS GAILLARDES: VII - La Belle Jeunesse
22. CHANSONS GAILLARDES: VIII - Serenade
23. AIRS CHANTES: I - Air Romantique
24. AIRS CHANTES: II - Air Champetre
25. AIRS CHANTES: III - Air Grave
26. AIRS CHANTES: IV - Air Vif
27. Epitaphe
28. 3 POEMES DE LOUISE LALANNE: I - Le Present
29. 3 POEMES DE LOUISE LALANNE: II - Chanson
30. 3 POEMES DE LOUISE LALANNE: III - Hier
31. 4 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: I - L'anguille
32. 4 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: II - Carte Postale
33. 4 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: III - Avant Le Cinema
34. 4 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: IV - 1904
35. 5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: I - Chanson Bretonne
36. 5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: II - Cimetiere
37. 5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: III - La Petite Servante
38. 5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: IV - Berceuse
39. 5 POEMES DE MAX JACOB: V - Souric Et Mouric
40. 8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: I - La Couronne
41. 8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: II - Le Depart
42. 8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: III - Les Gars Polonais
43. 8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: IV - Le Dernier Mazour
44. 8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: V - L'adieu
45. 8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: VI - Le Drapeau Blanc
46. 8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: VII - La Vistule
47. 8 CHANSONS POLONAISES: VIII - Le Lac

Tracks:

1. 5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: I - Peut - Il Se Reposer?
2. 5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: II - Il La Prend Dans Ses Bras
3. 5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: III - Plume D'eau Claire
4. 5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: IV - Rodeuse Au Front De Verre
5. 5 POEMES DE PAUL ELUARD: V - Amoureuses
6. A Sa Guitare
7. TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: I - Bonne Journee
8. TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: II - Une Ruine Coquille Vide
9. TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: III - Le Front Comme Un Drapeau Perdu
10. TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: IV - Une Roulotte Couverte En Tuiles
11. TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: V - A Toutes Brides
12. TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: VI - Une Herbe Pauvre
13. TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: VII - Je N'ai Envie Que De T'aimer
14. TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: VIII - Figure De Force Brulante Et Farouche
15. TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT: IX - Nous Avons Fait La Nuit
16. 3 POEMES DE LOUISE DE VILMORIN: I - Le Garcon De Liege
17. 3 POEMES DE LOUISE DE VILMORIN: II - Au-Dela
18. 3 POEMES DE LOUISE DE VILMORIN: III - Aux Officiers De La Garde Blanche
19. 2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: I - Dans Le Jardin D'anna
20. 2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: II - Allons Plus Vite
21. MIROIRS BRULANTS: I - Tu Vois Le Feu Du Soir
22. MIROIRS BRULANTS: II - Je Nommerai Ton Front
23. Le Portrait
24. La Grenouillere
25. Priez Pour Paix
26. Ce Doux Petit Visage
27. Bleuet
28. FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: I - La Dame D'andre
29. FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: II - Dans L'herbe
30. FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: III - Il Vole
31. FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: IV - Mon Cadavre Est Doux Comme Un Gant
32. FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: V - Violon
33. FIANCAILLES POUR RIRE: VI - Fleurs

Tracks:

1. BANALITES: I - Chanson D'orkenise
2. BANALITES: II - Hotel
3. BANALITES: III - Fagnes De Wallonie
4. BANALITES: IV - Voyage A Paris
5. BANALITES: V - Sanglots
6. CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: I - Chanson Du Clair Tamis
7. CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: II - Les Gars Qui Vont A La Fete
8. CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: III - C'est Le Joli Printemps
9. CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: IV - Le Mendiant
10. CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: V - Chanson De La Fille Frivole
11. CHANSONS VILLAGEOISES: VI - Le Retour Du Sergent
12. METAMORPHOSES: I - Reine Des Mouettes
13. METAMORPHOSES: II - C'est Ainsi Que Tu Es
14. METAMORPHOSES: III - Paganini
15. 2 POEMES DE LOUIS ARAGON: I - C
16. 2 POEMES DE LOUIS ARAGON: II - Fetes Galantes
17. 2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: I - Montparnasse
18. 2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: II - Hyde Park
19. 2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: I - Le Pont
20. 2 POEMES DE GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE: II - Un Poeme
21. Paul Et Virginie
22. Mais Mourir
23. Hymne
24. 3 CHANSONS DE FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA: I - L'enfant Muet
25. 3 CHANSONS DE FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA: II - Adelina A La Promenade
26. 3 CHANSONS DE FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA: III - Chanson A L'oranger Sec
27. Le Disparu
28. Main Dominee Par Le Coeur
29. CALLIGRAMMES: I - L'espionne
30. CALLIGRAMMES: II - Mutation
31. CALLIGRAMMES: III - Vers Le Sud
32. CALLIGRAMMES: IV - Il Pleut
33. CALLIGRAMMES: V - La Grace Exilee
34. CALLIGRAMMES: VI - Aussi Bien Que Les Cigales
35. CALLIGRAMMES: VII - Voyage

Tracks:

1. Mazurka
2. LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: I - Rayon Des Yeux...
3. LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: II - Le Matin Les Branches Attisent...
4. LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: III - Tout Disparut...
5. LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: IV - Dans Les Tenebres Du Jardin...
6. LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: V - Unis La Fraicheur Et Le Feu...
7. LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: VI - Homme Au Sourire Tendre...
8. LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU: VII - La Grande Riviere Qui VA...
9. PARISIANA: Le Joueur De Bugle
10. PARISIANA: Vous N'ecrivez Plus?
11. Rosemonde
12. LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: I - Pablo Picasso
13. LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: II - Marc Chagall
14. LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: III - Georges Braque
15. LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: IV - Juan Gris
16. LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: V - Paul Klee
17. LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: VI - Joan Miro
18. LE TRAVAIL DU PEINTRE: VII - Jacques Villon
19. La Souris
20. Nuage
21. Dernier Poeme
22. Une Chanson De Porcelaine
23. LA COURTE PAILLE: I - Le Sommeil
24. LA COURTE PAILLE: II - Quelle Aventure!
25. LA COURTE PAILLE: III - La Reine De Coeur
26. LA COURTE PAILLE: IV - Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu
27. LA COURTE PAILLE: V - Les Anges Musiciens
28. LA COURTE PAILLE: VI - Le Carafon
29. LA COURTE PAILLE: VII - Lune D'avril
30. Toreador
31. 4 CHANSONS POUR ENFANTS: I - La Tragique Histoire Du Petit Rene
32. 4 CHANSONS POUR ENFANTS: II - Nous Voulons Une Petite Soeur
33. 4 CHANSONS POUR ENFANTS: III - Le Petit Garcon Trop Bien Portant
34. 4 CHANSONS POUR ENFANTS: IV - Monsieur Sans-Souci
35. Fancy
36. Colloque

Customer Reviews:

Essential for the chansom junkie. Buy It........2006-10-25

'Poulenc Melodies' performed by a really impressive lineup of vocal talent including Elly Ameling and Nicolai Gedda is exactly the kind of recording you need if you are compulsive about having 'complete' collections of things. This shows a range of composition which smaller releases such as single CD 'Voyage a Paris' (Hyperion, with Felicity Lott and Graham Johnson)can give us. For starters, many of these chansom showed a lot more evidence of more modern stylings and a far greater range of interpretation. In fact, I even had to check the lyrics in the included booklet to verify that on some songs, the performers were singing in French. Even though I have a smattering of knowledge of French, I would have sworn that the singers were performing songs in Russian.

I am happy that all four discs run for more than 60 minutes. No cheap short changing here. If you don't want to spring for the large set, the Hyperion release is great, but this is worth every penny.

Almost completely wonderful.......2005-04-29

Its very considerable advantage lies in its completeness. Poulenc was one of the very greatest songwriters of any era. If you have no Poulenc songs in your collection, start here. The recommendation of Kruysen is a fine one, but only after you have heard this as a basis of comparison. Of Ameling, Senechal, Souzay, Gedda, and Parker, the only disappointment is Parker, who - I'll just say it - sings with his usual bleat. Souzay is a shade past it in vocal quality, but he still understands these songs as well as anybody, with great declamation (and that, after all, is what most of French singing is about). The dryness of the voice is nowhere close to disastrous, as it might have been in Italian opera. Indeed, it lends an air of life lived, without excuses. Gedda is okay. The standouts are Souzay, Ameling, and Senechal. Baldwin accompanies superbly.

Indisputable Gallic flair.......2004-06-06

These performances are piquant and stylistically right on target. Even if Souzay is past his best here, he brings a lifetime of experience to bear and the other performers are wonderful. Ignore the curmudgeon who blasted this set. You will enjoy this tremendously if you love Poulenc.

Idiomatic, fresh, cleanly recorded.......2001-05-12

This is a fine set. Dalton Baldwin accompanies each singer with clarity and zest. And who can resist the affectionate singing of the likes of Nicolai Gedda and Elly Ameling? The "melodies" themselves are magnificent--among Poulenc's finest creations. Whether you have other performances of these works or not, I think you'd be pleased with this beautifully recorded set. Certainly the 70's-vintage performances are more individual in profile, more "romantic," if you will, than those conjured by most of the "anonymous" singers of our own age. Recommended with enthusiasm.

the best songs ever ruined by uneven performing.......2001-05-05

This is a warning for all Poulenc fans NOT to take the bargain route and purchase this immense collection -- you might think you're getting a great deal but: the singing and pianism is substandard and doesn't do the music justice (remotely). Songs like Bonne Journe'e or Ho^tel are all but ruined... Here's what to buy: Bernard Kruysen's CD of selected Poulenc masterpieces (favoring the Elouard settings)... nobody will ever come close to Kruysen in interpreting Poulenc. Avoid THIS CD. They still get 2 stars for (1) being encyclical and (2) delivering clear and even sound quality.

Average customer rating: On the Subject of Hindemith... Excellent! Brilliant Budget Buy

Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses; Concert Music for Strings and Brass; Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin - Suite Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Hindemith | Hindemith, Paul | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: String Serenades D. Scarlatti: 18 Sonatas Lalo: Symphonie espagnole; Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen: Massenet: Thaïs - Meditation Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus) ASIN: B0005EZW9U Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

1. I. Allegro
2. II. Turandot, Scherzo (Moderate - Lively)
3. III. Andantino
4. IV. March
5. I. Massig Schnell, Mit Kraft - Sehr Breit, Aber Stets Fliessend
6. II. Lebhaft - Langsam - Im Ersten Zeitmass (Lebhaft)
7. The Miraculous Mandarin - Suite, Op.19

Customer Reviews:

On the Subject of Hindemith..........2005-07-10

When Eugene Ormandy was at the helm of the Philadelphia Orchestra he was a master of the big sounds that so occupy the works of Paul Hindemith and Bela Bartok. This CD is a fine sounding reproduction of 1979 recordings made by this ensemble and director. The rarely heard 'Concert Music for Stings and Brass' is a welcome addition to the Hindemith recorded repertoire: it is exciting and edgy and Ormandy flings into the air with aplomb.

Ormandy's conducting proclivity for favoring the big string sound keeps this 'Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Weber' somewhat grounded. The playing is superb if a bit thick in sound. But the performance of Bartok's 'Miraculous Mandarin Suite' was one of the best of its time.

This is a solid recording, perhaps not up to the sonic standards of today, but at the budget price it deserves to gain a place in the libraires of all music lovers of 2oth Century music. Grady Harp, July 05

Excellent!.......2005-06-17

I love Hindemith. I like playing many of his solo works, but his orchestral works are true masterpieces. This is greatly shown on this Ormandy recording. The brass is so full and harmonous and the woodwinds have many tonal and dynamic shadings. The first movement has to be my favorite, it has so much energy and flair.
The Miraculous Mandarin Suite is also very well done, the clarinet solo is fantastic.

Brilliant Budget Buy.......2005-05-02

Don't you just love it when classic recordings get reissued on CD at a budget price?! Such is the case with this title in EMI's "Encore" series featuring Hindemith and Bartok orchestral works by conductor Eugene Ormandy leading the Philadelphia Orchestra in analog stereo performances from 1978. After many productive years at Columbia, and a shorter but no less brilliant tenure at RCA, Ormandy took the Philadelphians briefly to EMI before ending his career at Sony. I bought this CD primarily because I have never had the opportunity to hear Ormandy perform either of the two Hindemith pieces featured here -- Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber and Concert Music for Strings and Brass. I do however own his earlier account of Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin Suite reissued on Sony Essential Classics and I have to say I prefer the first incarnation. However, with classical budget lines beginning to inexplicably disappear (including the aforementioned Sony "Essential Classics" series -- what's up with that?!), I'm delighted that EMI continues to make great recordings available at such an inexpensive price through series such as "Gemini" and "Encore."

Average customer rating: A very pleasing eclectic selection Wide Ranging Oboe Repertoire Lovely recital with a possible exception at the end Oboe repertoire brilliantly played

Oboe Obsession Manufacturer: Delos Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Masters of the Oboe The Instruments of Classical Music, Vol. 2: The Oboe The Art of the Oboe Bach: 3 Oboe Concertos John Mack, Oboe ASIN: B00004TKHF Release Date: 2000-05-30

Tracks:

1. Oboe

Customer Reviews:

A very pleasing eclectic selection.......2003-01-08

CDs like this often don't quite work, because there seems to be either not enough contrast when there is some, or some of the pieces are simply not enjoyable. Luckily this CD garners no complaints to my ears, and there's a very nice variety as well, all played wonderfully by Allan Vogel.

Saint-Saens is a composer who was almost always "on", and the Oboe Sonata is no exception. Though written at the end of his life (along with the Clarinet Sonata), it could just have easily come 30 years earlier. It's a very nice late romantic piece, if not quite as tuneful as the Clarinet one.
The Poulenc sonata is a very lovely piece of French post-impressionism, akin to his choral music really. The Britten piece is typical Britten -- hovering around "modern" sound without quite going there.

The Schumann Three romances are also typical of the composer -- nice but not overly memorable. Still it's a pleasing piece. Now the W. F. Bach piece was a surprise -- the flute and oboe get equal treatment here, and as with the Schumann it's very pleasing.

The final piece is the only one that may dissuade someone from picking this CD up -- the Obsession for Oboe and Piano is quite "modern", though luckily it's still a very interesting piece. A clear show of virtuosity, it has energy and vigor, and is certainly one of the better examples of this style that I've heard.

So, I can safely recommend this. Even if you don't like Obsession, it IS at the end. This CD is a good buy for anyone who likes solo wind music, especially if you don't have a recording of the Saint-Saens.

Wide Ranging Oboe Repertoire.......2001-10-31

As others have detailed, this is vast and far ranging oboe performance from the likes of Saint-Saens, Poulenc, Schumann and Bach.

I have reviewed oboe pieces from these composers, and found Vogel's performance to be quite worthy of five stars.

However, the pieces by Britten and Shinohara are new for me and outstanding! These are flowing and satiny with a high gloss finish which is very delightful to the ears with the melodic, romantic sound that is so unique and pleasing to oboe lovers such as this reviewer. Vogel and his accompanists are to be commended for producing such a high-quality, wide ranging disc of one of the truly great soloist instruments.

Lovely recital with a possible exception at the end.......2000-06-16

Gallant little Delos has been releasing some marvelous oboe recitals with Allan Vogel, and the latest entry has not let us down at all. (DE3235) provides us with some rare items including Saint-Saens' "Sonata for Oboe and Piano, Op. 166," Poulenc's "Sonata for Oboe and Piano," Britten's "Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for Oboe Solo," Schumann's "Three Romances for Oboe and Piano," W.F. Bach's "Duet for Flute and Oboe, No. 4" [in which he is joined by Janice Tipton], and Shinohara's "Obsession for Oboe and Piano." Bryan Pezzone is at the keyboard.

Never having heard any of these before, I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed, liquid playing of the first, second, third, and fourth selections. The Britten piece took some careful listening, being of a more intellectual nature so to speak, and was even more rewarding. My tastes being what they are, I did not like the last piece very much, finding it noisy and grating; and I was glad it came at the end of the CD and could easily be avoided on future playings. Naturally many of you might find this 1961 selection the best of the lot. The liner notes are terse and helpful.

Oboe repertoire brilliantly played.......2000-06-14

The works presented on this disc constitute some of the cornerstones of oboe/piano literature. Allan Vogel's performance is very warm and insightful. His pianist, Bryan Pezzone, performs no less sensitively. The recording is also rich and warm. These works are all a delight to listen to. The Saint-Saens and Poulenc sonatas express both the charm and wit of these two great French composers. The Britten is the most important work for solo oboe. The Schumann Romances are another masterpiece for oboe and piano. A must for any oboist or music lover! The closing piece, Obsession by Japanese composer Makoto Shinohara is very powerful. A gem.

Average customer rating: Great Music -- So-so Sound Quality John Mack is awesome Discover the Loeffler Mack is the Man

John Mack, Oboe Mozart: Quartet, K.370/Loeffler: Deux Rhapsodies/Paladilhe: Solo De Concert/Britten: Six Metamorphoses Manufacturer: Crystal Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: John Mack, Oboe Masters of the Oboe Orchestral Excerpts for Oboe Oboe Obsession Sound In Motion ASIN: B000003J3H Release Date: 1993-06-25

Tracks:

1. Quartet In F, For Oboe & Strings, K. 370: Allegro
2. Quartet In F, For Oboe & Strings, K. 370: Adagio
3. Quartet In F, For Oboe & Strings, K. 370: Rondeau: Allegro
4. Deux Rhapsodies for Oboe, Viola, & Piano: L'Etang
5. Deux Rhapsodies for Oboe, Viola, & Piano: La Cornemuse
6. Solo de Concert
7. Six Metamorphoses after Ovid: Pan
8. Six Metamorphoses after Ovid: Phaeton
9. Six Metamorphoses after Ovid: Niobe
10. Six Metamorphoses after Ovid: Bacchus
11. Six Metamorphoses after Ovid: Narcissus
12. Six Metamorphoses after Ovid: Arethusa

Customer Reviews:

Great Music -- So-so Sound Quality.......2004-12-01

I have always been a great fan of the oboe. So more than anything, I was looking for a CD that would faithfully reproduce the sound of the instrument. While John Mack is clearly a virtuoso, and the musical selections are beautiful, the recording is not up to par.

There is a tremendous amount of surface noise from the original tape machine (or perhaps a turntable if this was transferred from vinyl). In addition, there is an intermittent flapping noise that seems to be an exaggeration of the sound of keys being quickly pressed and released. But it's the surface noise that spoils it for me.

John Mack is awesome.......2002-10-31

John Mack has always been one of the best to play the oboe, and on this CD he is no exception. A fun and lively Mozart Quartet, gorgeous Loeffler Rhapsodies, and a rich recording of the Britten. I am never disappointed by Mack's performances...he consistently has a beautiful sound with such smooth phrasing. He is truly a 5 star musician.

Discover the Loeffler.......2001-03-19

All of John Mack's performances on this disc are wonderful, but the Loeffler is an amazing work that is well worth hearing. I've also had the pleasure of playing this piece and wish we could hear moe of this composers work.

Mack is the Man.......2000-12-10

John Mack is, needless to say, an amazing musician and a brilliant oboe player, and this disc is an excellent representation of his art. I especially love the Loeffler trio, which I think is such a beautiful piece, and here we get to enjoy the combination of Mack's gorgeous sound with the luscious warmth of the viola in ways I wish more romantic composers had explored! An unusual collection of music but well worth a listen (or two, or seven...)!

Average customer rating: Absolutely Stunning Very Famous Strauss Metamophosen plus Death and Transfiguration Transcendent Strauss from Karajan, in excellent sound Spiritual Music Of The Highet Order Excellent throughout except a minor "droput" in 2nd track

Strauss: Metamorphosen/Tod und Verklarung (Metamorphoses/Death and Transfiguration) Strauss , Berliner Philharmoniker , and Herbert Von Karajan Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Don Juan / Karajan Strauss: Four Last Songs / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Strauss: Ein Heldenleben; Wagner / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Strauss: Til Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks/Don Juan/Death And Transfiguration ASIN: B00000E2OB Release Date: 1983-11-01

Tracks:

1. Metamorphoses
2. Death And Transfiguration, Op.24

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Stunning.......2006-12-02

I first heard Metamorphosen via Karajan's first recording, reissued on DG's originals series with his earlier Tod und Verklärung and Vier letzte lieder. The earlier recording is very good, but when I heard that Karajan even topped himself on this later recording, I couldn't hesitate to pick it up. It turns out the general opinion of this recording is correct. The performance is absolutely stunning, with just a little more dramatic pulse and greater clarity of string texture than the earlier performance. Also the sound is better. This CD rightly was assigned a Rosette in the Penguin Guide.

In the CD liner, it says that Strauss wrote Metamorphosen in response to the near total destruction of the city of Dresden during WWII, including many of its concert halls in which Strauss premiered many of his works. Scored for 23 strings, the music is profoundly emotional, simultaneously beautiful and tragic. The CD liner article also describes Strauss's string writing from a purely technical standpoint as "masterly in the extreme" and I could not have described it better myself. It is easily my favorite thing by Strauss, a much finer piece of music than even his more famous Also Sprach Zarathustra, IMHO.

Karajan was perhaps the finest interpreter of Strauss who has ever yet lived, and he pretty much owns this work. The Berlin Philharmonic responds superbly with string playing of the utmost refinement and power. The Tod und Verklärung is also magnificent and shares the same qualities as the Metamorphosen, but the disc is well worth the cost just for the Metamorphosen. The sound is good early digital, not quite as fine as the best modern digital, but more than adequate in conveying the performances. This CD is a little spendy but it is well worth every penny. Buy it from an Amazon Marketplace seller for cheaper if you have to, but whatever you do, just buy it!

Very Famous Strauss Metamophosen plus Death and Transfiguration.......2006-11-08

This is one of Herbert von Karajan's greatest recordings from his last decade, the 1980's. This album won the Gramophone orchestral record of the year award and it has always received the coveted Penguin Guide "Rosette Award" in every edition of that publication. I want to state first of all that this performance of Death and Transfiguration has been remastered and re-released on a different CD. It was re-released on Karajan Gold, catalog number 439 039-2, coupled with Karajan's digital Ein Heldenleben.

That Karajan Gold disc has much better sound in Death and Transfiguration than the CD you are looking at here. Please if you want to hear Karajan's greatest Death and Transfiguration, ( yes this one from the 1980's ), go buy that Karajan Gold disc with it's great sound. However, the Metamorphosen on this CD, to the best of my knowledge, has never been remastered, it's always been available here. The sound is fine, early digital, there is no glassiness or digital edge but there is also an overriding smoothness in texture. I know that this is primarily a Karajan attribute and not just the recording's fault but if DG ever decides to remaster this Metamophosen, they are really going to have a winner on their hands. Basically the sound is a bit too soft-grained for my liking.

The performance itself is masterful, in a category of it's own, this Metamorphosen is Karajan's greatest and the only competition I have ever found for it is Furtwangler's recording from 1947. Furtwangler is faster than Karajan but Karajan compensates with just as much emotion and utterly stunning string virtuosity which has never been surpassed. Get Furtwangler and Karajan, you won't regret it, they are the pinnacle in the recorded history of this Strauss masterpiece. Karajan's Death and Transfiguration is magnificient too, possibly the best ever, just do yourself a favor and get it on the remastered Karajan Gold CD if you want to hear Karajan's interpretation given full justice by great engineering.

Transcendent Strauss from Karajan, in excellent sound.......2006-03-03

Listening to these spellbinding performances made me wonder if in fifty years Karajan will still be viewed as a lesser conductor than Furtwangler. The Metamorphosen is played with supernatural ensemble by the strings of the Berlin Phil.--Furtwangler never built up th orchestra to nearly this level. Karajan's phrasing in Tod und Verklarung shows unsurpassed delicacy and instinctive musicality--Furtwangler had both qualities in abundance, but he doesn't excel Karajan here.

These recordings date from 1983 and come in excellent digital sound without bite or edginess in the upper registers. I think Metamorphosen, inspired by Strauss's grief over the destruction of beloved oepra houses in Munich and Dresden by Allied bombing, is spiritually deeper than Death and Transfiguration, which has more than a touch of sentimental hokum. But Karajan raises them both to the same level through his integrity and astonishing technique. In all, this is one of his transcendent Strauss CDs, a composer whose music Karajan had mastered completely.

Spiritual Music Of The Highet Order .......2005-12-02

What can I say about the mysterious and spiritual nature of this music ? This music is like Wagner's Parsifal in its spirituality and has hints of Mahler. Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic with its stunning string harmony (it was said that the strings even rose and fell in unison). The music is sublime. Richard Strauss dramatized the Death of Christ and his Ressurection in a long, symphonic poem of great beauty. The strings are pivotal in this piece and with Karajan at the helm the music has never sounded more beautiful. I, too, heard the cracking sound at one point in the Transfiguration. But I don't care. This is ultimately the best recording of this work. Karajan probably conducted this piece with his eyes closed. It is music that is peaceful but powerful. It is music you can definately meditate to. Karajan totally gets Strauss, his fellow Austrian and with Karajan's experience with Wagner and Mahler, this particular work and the Metamorphosis is transcendent in his hands. This recording is seldom found in stores as I have not seen it There is another later recording of it, but that one is not as good. This one finds everything where it should be. Karajan has never had a more glorious moment.

Excellent throughout except a minor "droput" in 2nd track.......2004-09-05

This is definitely the best Metamorphosen on disc, and Death & Transfiguration is equally superb, although I haven't herad other interpretations, so I will not compare.
Everything about this CD is great - performances, sound, (very clear, balanced, transparent, with realistic depth, playing is great - it's BPO strings, after all)... except one minor issue that I have: in Death & Transfiguration, about 23:01 there is kind of few seconds' "cracking" i.e. small noise that sounds as kind of dropuout in digital domain. Shame, since quality of this digital recording is otherwise excellent throughout. Did anyone else notice this, or perhaps it's just my sample of disk?
However, do not hesitate to order this CD if You like great string playing and orchestration, rich passionate harmonies and ever-changing subtle melodies.

Average customer rating: French Songs Transcribed for Cello; Result is Magical

Après un rêve Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chausson, Ernest | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Maisky, Mischa | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Meditation Franz Schubert: Songs Without Words Vocalise: Russian Romances Maisky & Argerich Live in Japan Cello Sonatas / Variations / 7 Songs Without Words ASIN: B00002DETC Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

1. Apres un reve
2. Tristesse
3. Au bord de l'eau
4. Les Berceaux
5. Adieux de l'hse arabe
6. Deux Mdies haes: 1. Kaddish
7. Deux Mdies haes: 2. L'Enigme eternelle
8. Deux Mdies haes: Las, vers l'ise
9. Deux Mdies haes: Vocalise-etude en forme de habanera
10. Elegie
11. Beau Soir
12. Serenade
13. Cantique 'use
14. Le Temps des lilas
15. L'Heure exquise
16. Soupir
17. Chanson triste
18. Extase
19. Violon
20. C'est ainsi que tu es, Paganini
21. La Reine de coeur
22. 'C'
23. Les chemins de l'amour

Customer Reviews:

French Songs Transcribed for Cello; Result is Magical.......2000-08-14

Occasionally a CD appears that is pure magic. This is one of them. Mischa Maisky and Daria Hovora form an ideal team: each performs on an exquisite instrument, and the recording engineer has captured everything, balance and all. In my opinion, transcribing French songs from voice to cello is a "natural"--the cello, so much like the human voice, captures the intimacy and atmosphere beautifully.

Both performers are natural story tellers, and Maisky, with an almost uniquely seductive vibrato, unhurriedly describes the French romantic soul. If a phrase is to be caressed, he caresses it. It if needs to soar, he gives it exactly what it needs. And the pianissimos! His tone sometimes just seems to come out of nowhere, and the endings often promise never to end.

Being a cellist myself, I have to say that this masterpiece both inspires and teaches. It has been said that great art leaves one changed. This CD does that, and it deserves a place in every classical music collection.

Average customer rating: a voice teacher and early music fan Outstandingly beautiful- a great legend in our time Follow the Leider...For He Is David Daniels Countertenors: They're not just for Baroque Anymore! Beyond Gimmick

David Daniels - Serenade Christoph Willibald Gluck , Antonio Caldara , Antonio Cesti , Franz Schubert , Ludwig van Beethoven , Antonio Lotti , Charles Gounod , Ralph Vaughan Williams , Francis Poulenc , Henry Purcell , David Daniels , and Martin Katz Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Caldara, Antonio | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Daniels, David | ( D ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Handel: Opera Arias; David Daniels Sento Amor; David Daniels; A Quiet Thing; David Daniels & Craig Ogden Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Été Handel: Oratorio Arias ASIN: B00004SRG1 Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

1. Adelaide Op.46
2. Der Tod Und Das Madchen D531
3. Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen D774
4. Nacht Und Traume D827
5. Adelaide D95
6. Selve Amiche, Ombrose Piante
7. O Del Mio Dolce Ardor
8. Intorno All'idol Mio
9. Pur Dicesti, O Bocca Bella
10. L'Absent
11. Ou Voulez-Vous Aller?
12. Absence
13. Ser
14. Orpheus With His Lute
15. Linden Lea
16. Hands, Eyes And Heart
17. C'est Ainsi Que Tu Es FP 121 (Metamorphoses No.2)
18. Priez Pour Paix FP 95
19. La Belle Jeunesse FP 42 (Chansons Gaillardes No.7)
20. Sweeter Than Roses
21. I'll Sail Upon The Dog Star
22. Evening Hymn

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

It's a truism by now that countertenors have made a notable comeback in our time, but David Daniels--Amazon.com's Opera & Vocal Artist of 2000--isn't about to rest on his laurels. As if his recent successes weren't enough to set him apart, on this recital album Daniels forays beyond the countertenor's stereotypical domain of the baroque to interpret lieder of Beethoven and Schubert, as well as French mélodies and Vaughan Williams. A stunningly beautiful disc. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-05-30

The German and French art-song developed in parallel,but although they shared the same creative process based on the two key elements of words and music, they are distinct one from the other in their aim. Beethoven was one of the first to usher in the 'Leid'. Between 1795 and 1796 he drew inspiration from Friedich von Matthisson for his cantata 'Adelaide'. In 1814 Schubert set the same poem for his own 'Adelaide'. More than three-quarters of Schubert's songs are nature pictures as is 'Auf dem Wasser zu singen' on this disc. Other composers included on this recording are:Caldara-Gluck-Cesti-Lotte-Gounod-VaughanWilliams-Poulenc and Purcell.This disc absolutely delighted me. I can think of only one other countertenor who could have "pulled off" the variety of songs Daniels performs on this album. Most of them are quite well-known at least to singers and actually could be considered trite but not the way David Daniels sings them. He is so skillful with strong tone production when needed and always perfect diction. I marvel at the way he can implement the highly dramatic Italian aria and then sing the light "wispy" French songs. My personal favorites are "Adelaide" by Schubert. "Ou voulez-vous aller?" by Gounod and "I'll Sail Upon the DogStar by Purcell. In fact, if you are a Daniel's fan you MUST hear the Dog Star!!!!!

Outstandingly beautiful- a great legend in our time.......2005-06-22

This is a truly unique voice. David Daniels has an opulent timbre which he uses here to achieve sheer excellence. As much as I hate for his career to be upstaged by anything, knowing that he was tutored by Marilyn Horne seems to establish her vocal qualities as a suitable metaphor. It's that rich, opulent tone and secure vibrato that you don't get with some mezzos, let alone countertenors. No thin-ness here; no `hoot' and nothing shrill. He still has control though, and produces clean, even tones where appropriate. Think of the dramatic requirements of `Der Tod und das Madchen' and the celestial purity of `Absence' or `Ser'- he more than merely achieves the standards, he surpassed them and has set his own seal of distinction.

The choice of songs/arias is itself brilliant and Mr. Daniels' technique needs high praise. As a very minor observation, his diction, though good, doesn't come across as completely idiomatic. This is a VERY minor issue though. The pianist, Martin Katz is very responsive to the style of singing. Mr. Daniels' ability to sustain a phrase with grace and beauty is matched by Mr. Katz's sensitive touch and timing.

In parting, I recommend the ethereal experience of `Orpheus with his lute' (my favourite). The words, a Shakespearean sonnet, are of a straightforward beauty and the melody is from another realm but the singing? Mr. Daniels vocal control and phrasing are exquisite and his tone is sublime. Close your eyes and listen to this one quiet evening. "In sweet music is such art, killing care and grief of heart. Fall asleep, or hearing die." A lute and a song- a simple combination; yet profoundly moving beyond the raging elements. Thank you David.

Follow the Leider...For He Is David Daniels.......2004-08-18

Countertenor David Daniels takes a breather from his beloved Handel arias this time around for a recording of sheer beauty and most often tranquility, all the more surprising given the wide variety of tempos and international breadth of the program spanning five centuries. German leider from Beethoven and Schubert sits alongside Italian baroque songs followed by alternating French and English art songs. The 22 selections, once again reflecting his consummate musical taste, require him to sing in four different languages, and this South Carolina-born and -bred singer handles the daunting task with complete ease.

The result is a seamless recital, and the disc flows like an unfolding dream starting with Beethoven's enchanting "Adelaide". Schubert's "Naucht and Traume" highlights the purity of his tone and is as perfectly performed as any of his most moving opera arias. The Gounod pieces, especially "L'Absent" and the title track, have a sonorous quality that feel very much like lullabies, the sole exception being the lively "Ou voulez-vous aller?". Poulenc's "La belle Jeunesse" continues along this vein, a whirling dervish of a number referred in the accompanying booklet as an "invitation to debauchery". But these tracks are more the exception as Daniels achieves a lovely sense of vocal beatitude throughout.

The standout tracks have to be the three beautiful and somewhat more contemporary-sounding Vaughan Williams songs capped off by "Hands, eyes and heart", short and poignant, it is my favorite moment on this recording. The Renaissance-era Purcell selections provide the appropriate ending though, in particular, "Evening Hymn" sparked by the growing melismas on the hallelujahs. Whether he exhibits an astounding vibrato or the purest of tones, the man knows how to use his incredibly flexible voice and apply it intelligently to each song. Martin Katz accompanies with great precision and completely recognizes the individual style each song requires. It makes for a perfect pairing between singer and piano. This is a recording to treasure.

Countertenors: They're not just for Baroque Anymore!.......2004-03-23

OK, so it's a bad pun. Shoot me.

But get this wonderful disc! Daniels talent is well-served by this varied program.. he goes beyond Handel to sing Beethoven, Gounoud, Vaughan-Williams.

Don't just buy this for the novelty of countertenor singing: the singing would be 5 star had any mezzo (Bartoli, van Otter) sung with this sensitivity. It's superb in every regard.

Beyond Gimmick.......2002-08-01

At first it seems odd...countertenors are supposed to stay within certain boundaries. We let them have Baroque music, and even Gluck, and of course we let them have 20th century things written specifically for them, especially Britten. But to hear a countertenor singing Schubert, Beethoven or French melodies goes against our expectations. So we think, this must be a gimmick. But then Daniels voice takes over and such questions disappear.

Daniels sings this music as if it was inteneded for the countertenor. His sensitivity to the intimate marriage of text and music is phenomenal and his tone is always light and lyrical. I prefer this to many overblown sopranos that I've heard. Daniels weaves a spell that few singers of any voice type can match.

The Gounod is particularly beautiful. I had not been familiar with Gounod's art song before, and I've been missing something. L'Absent brought tears to my eyes just as the best Melodie of Duparc or Faure. And he sings Schubert as if he was born to it.

If you think you are sick of run of the mill vocal recitals, get this CD. The fresh voice and sheer artistry will astound you!

Average customer rating:

Rêveries Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Messiaen | Messiaen, Olivier | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music McNair, Sylvia | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Exsultate Jubilate and other Works by Handel and Mozart Sylvia McNair - The Echoing Air ~ The Music of Henry Purcell / AAM, Hogwood Voices of our Time - Sylvia McNair / Roger Vignoles, Chatelet Opera Ravel: Shéhérazade - Debussy: La damoiselle elue - Britten: Les illuminations / McNair, Graham, Ozawa Sure Thing - The Jerome Kern Songbook / McNair, Previn ASIN: B0000041KJ Release Date: 1997-03-25

Tracks:

1. Ariettes Oubliees: C'est l'extase langoureuse
2. Ariettes Oubliees: Il pleure dans mon coeur
3. Ariettes Oubliees: L'ombre des arbres dans la riviere embrumee
4. Ariettes Oubliees: Paysages belges: Chevaux de bois
5. Ariettes Oubliees: Aquarelles: I. Green
6. Ariettes Oubliees: Aquarelles: II. Spleen
7. La coccinelle
8. Adieux de l'hotesse arabe
9. Pastel
10. Vous ne priez pas
11. Trois Melodies: 1. Pourquoi
12. Trois Melodies: 2. Le sourire
13. Trois Melodies: 3. La fiancee perdue
14. Reve d'amour
15. Au bord de l'eau
16. Notre amour
17. Bleuet Banalites
18. BANALITES: 2. Hotel
19. BANALITES: 4. Voyage a Paris
20. METAMORPHOSES: 1. Reine des mouettes
21. METAMORPHOSES: 2. C'est ainsi que tu es
22. METAMORPHOSES: 3. Paganini

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