Wagner: Parsifal

1. Parsifal, opera, WWV 111
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
   with Anny Konetzni, Gunther Treptow, Adolf Vogel, Ludwig Weber, Hans Braun, Paul Schoffler
   Conducted by Rudolf Moralt
   
   
2. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Act I
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
   with Gunther Treptow, Hilde Konetzni, Herbert Alsen
   Conducted by Rudolf Moralt
   
   

Wagner: Parsifal,Richard Wagner,Rudolf Moralt,Wiener Symphoniker,Adolf Vogel,Anny Konetzni,Gunther Treptow,Hans Braun,Herbert Alsen,Hilde Konetzni,Ludwig Weber,Paul Schöffler,Myto Records,Classical,German/Austrian Romantic Opera,Opera

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Average customer rating: Wonderful collection and price! Awesome collection! Helicopters? Marines? A great addition to my music collection Quintessential Wagner

Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Wagner: Overture & Preludes The Best Of Wagner Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words Wagner without Words 25 Thunderous Classics ASIN: B000009ON7 Release Date: 1998-08-11

Tracks:

1. The Valkyries: Ride Of The Valkyries
2. Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Funeral March
3. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III
4. The Flying Dutchman: Overture
5. The Flying Dutchman: Sailors' Chorus
6. The Rheingold: Journey Down To Nibelheim
7. The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg: Overture
8. Tannhauser: Overture
9. Tannhauser: Entry Of The Guests
10. Tannhauser: Tannhauser's Pilgrimage
11. Siegfried: Act III Orchestral Interlude
12. Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
13. Twilight Of The Gods: Finale
14. The Rheingold: Entry Of The Gods Into Valhalla

Tracks:

1. Lohengrin: Prelude To Act I
2. Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
3. Parsifal: Prelude to Act I
4. Parsifal: Good Friday Music
5. Parsifal: Transformation Scene
6. Tannhauser: Venusberg Music
7. Tannhauser: Pilgrims Chorus
8. The Mastersingers Of Nuremburg: Prelude To Act III
9. The Rheingold: Vision Of Valhalla (Scene II Introduction)
10. Siegfried Idyll
11. Siegfried: Brunnhildes Awakening
12. Tristan And Isolde: Prelude To Act III
13. Tristan And Isolde: Death Of Isolde

Amazon.com

If you like your Wagner served up in bleeding chunks or if you're simply in a hurry to hear the tunes, then this compilation is for you. The performances, drawn from the Polygram (mainly Deutsche Grammophon) back catalog, are for the most part authoritative. They feature the likes of Herbert von Karajan, with the Berlin Philharmonic, and Karl Böhm, with the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra (and chorus), in extracts from recordings of complete operas, and conductors Giuseppe Sinopoli, Otto Gerdes, and Antal Doráti in some of the more familiar overtures and preludes. Singing, without which it is impossible to get the full flavor of Wagner's work, is skirted whenever possible: this is an unapologetic tribute to Wagner the orchestral genius. At times the salesmanship is a little overblown--the glitzy packaging includes a cover shot of the helicopters from Apocalypse Now--and the sound, some of it from very good originals, seems to have been juiced with a little added digital reverb, resulting in an overall glassiness. The gaps between tracks are minimized, disco style, so there's no dead air, and the whole thing has an Entertainment Tonight feel to it. Were he around, Wagner would have screamed bloody murder, then happily taken his cut of the action. For today's on-the-go listener, this may well be the most practical way to enjoy Wagner's music, but we won't be happy until it motivates at least one newcomer to seek out a recording of a complete opera. Anyone who does that will find out what "apocalypse" really means. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful collection and price!.......2007-05-11

I found this to be a nice collection of favorites, especially to keep in the car and listen to. It is a variety of well known compilations. Although not encompassing, it is perfect as a review for driving, relaxing, and enjoyment. Plus, the price is right!

Awesome collection!.......2007-01-10

This is a great collection of some of Wagner's most memorable songs for those of you who do not want to buy the whole opera's for some of his works.

Helicopters? Marines?.......2006-12-05

Do those infotainment marketing mavens ever get it right? Talk about Hollywood disconnect! Not only are the helicopters irrelevant, but to quote from the gushy drivel on the jacket, "The gripping power of Richard Wagner's music was demonstrated with spectacular effect in...Apocalpse Now, when the "Ride of the Valkyries' became synonymous with the chilling journey of Marine 'Huey' helicopters into battle..."

Marine? Marine? Them Hueys in the movie was ARMY Air Cav, slick! "First of the ninth--air mobile." If you're going to dally down that primrose path, at least get it right.

Better yet, drop the choppers. Most people who listen to Wagner probably realize that quality of an artistic work has a mystically inverse relationship to the number of helicopters contained in it.

As for the music, it is good, but the operatic equivalent of sound bites, which may be just right for people who are new to Wagner or just can't take very much of him. Hmm...perfect for a helicopter ride, perhaps?

A great addition to my music collection.......2006-07-20

This CD takes the place of all my other Wagner music. VERY well done. Somehow I didn't realize that there were two cds in the package--what a pleasant surprise! Of the two cds, I like the first one best, but they are both good. I listen to this cd daily on my way to work. Stirring! I am so glad that I purchased this. Some purists might have a problem with the fact that some of the selections are not there in their entirety. I have no problem with that though. I recommend this to anyone who loves Wagner.

Quintessential Wagner.......2006-05-15

Okay, so I like Wagner. I LOVE "Ride Of The Valkyries". Do I want to go out and buy every single stinkin thing Wagner did? No. If you are a die-hard Wagner fan you probably will not think much of this collection.

But if you like Wagner and appreciate "Ride Of The Valkyries", and maybe require it in just a little more substance than what is included in "Apocolypse Now Redux", then this is what you want. The extra tracks are bonuses and are quite good. Meets my needs, presentation great, performance excellent. I recommend it for anyone that needs a Wagner fix.

Average customer rating: A well-kept secret Essential Wagner Excellent Wagner from a surprising source ... or maybe not! Go For Boult Memorable and dramatic- A must have for Wagner fans

Wagner: Overtures & Preludes Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Wagner: Tristan und Isolde/Parsifal/Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg/Lohengrin/Tannhäuser The Best Of Wagner Wagner: The "Ring" Without Words Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition ASIN: B000002S08 Release Date: 1992-09-29

Tracks:

1. Tannher: Overture
2. Tannher: Grand March
3. Der Fliegende Holler: Overture
4. Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 1
5. Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 3
6. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Overture
7. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 3
8. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1

Tracks:

1. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 3
2. Parsifal: Prelude to Act 1
3. Parsifal: Act 1 Transformation scene
4. Parsifal: Prelude to Act 3
5. Parsifal: Good Friday Music
6. Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods
7. Die Walkure: Ride of the Walkyries
8. Siegfried: Forest murmurs
9. Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
10. Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral March

Customer Reviews:

A well-kept secret.......2007-05-18

Everyone wants to have a crack at the "bleeding chunks" eventually, and while I love the flashier Stoky and Furtwangler approach, I wouldn't want to be without the Boult. He's a great Wagnerian, strange as it may seem. Who could blame him for not wanting to go down in history merely as the finest Holstian? As long as this stays in print, Ormandy will still be considered the least sexy conductor. (I heard CBS researchers found an Ormandy fan once!)

Essential Wagner.......2006-06-17

As a child, this set was my first experience of Wagner's music, and it made quite an impression on me. However, as I grew older and began to collect the full operas I felt I could surely do better than Adrian Boult and the British for a collection of the preludes, overtures, and orchestral music from the operas. I was wrong. I have yet to here any recordings that can match the power and intensity as demonstrated in these discs from Boult and the LSO (and LPO). The Meistersinger prelude alone is worth the price, and the only version of the prelude to Tristan which outdoes the one here is Bohm's live 1966 Tristan. The Solti, Karajan, and Klemperer highlight discs have their moments (and truthfully, I do prefer Solti and Karajan for the "Ring" highlights), but their contributions are greatest in the full operas, and overall, they simply can't muster the power and intensity that Boult brings to these preludes, overtures, etc.

Even if you have other compilations of Wagner's music in "bleeding chunks", I can assure you they don't come close to this one; and with two discs (the second containing mostly music from Parsifal and the "Ring") at 14 bucks, there is absolutely no excuse not to have this essential recording. So go ahead and buy this disc, never buy another Wagner compilation again, and with the money you save get started on the more important task at hand: the full operas.

Excellent Wagner from a surprising source ... or maybe not!.......2004-09-27

Does Sir Adrian Boult conjure up of images of Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughn Williams, but not Wagner? You're not alone! Nevertheless, this is a double CD set not to be missed! Many years ago, I was listening to a classical radio music station in NYC that was playing the music of Wagner. The performance was so good, that I wouldn't leave the radio until I found out the name of the conductor. When the announcer said the conductor was Sir Adrian Boult, I was quite surprised. I had recordings of English music from Sir Adrian on Angel/EMI, but I never associated that conductor with Wagner. Having been blessed with a friend who had knowledge of classical music way beyond his years, I gave him a call to find out more about the recording. He told me that, Boult had solid expertise in the area of Germanic music, but, in England, had been overshadowed in that repertoire by Otto Klemperer. He told me not to be surprised about Boult's very fine Wagner, it was an excellent recording to purchase and, indeed, search out Sir Adrian's wonderful performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (now available on Vanguard). Fast-forward many years and I find myself browsing through Amazon for a recording of Wagner's Overtures and Preludes. Like everyone else I know, I foolishly jettisoned my LPs in the 1990s and have been "back-filling" ever since. Well, I was able to obtain this splendid set for less than $7 per CD! There are a total of 18 selections covering most of Wagner's operas including five excerpts from the Ring Cycle. The performances are excellent coming from no less than three British orchestras, and the sound is top-shelf EMI. Sir Adrian's pacing is measured and his vision is broad and sensitive, highlighting the beauty and grandeur --rather than just the fire-- of this glorious music. I heartily recommend this two-CD set, and at this price, I think it's a steal.

Go For Boult.......2003-07-08

Sir Adrian Boult is best known for his recordings of the British repertoire, and his performances, particularly of Holst's "The Planets" and Elgar's Symphonies and Orchestral Works, are legendary. But Boult was also an excellent conductor of Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner, and this 2-CD set collects the Overtures and Preludes of the latter German titan. These stereo recordings from the early to mid-1970s with the New Philharmonia Orchestra, and London Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras are truly first rate. EMI's set compares nicely in terms of price, quality and musical offerings with competing sets by DG (Bohm, Kubelik, et al) and Sony (Ormandy & Szell). You might have reservations about getting German music conducted by a Brit, but you really can't go wrong with Boult.

Memorable and dramatic- A must have for Wagner fans.......2000-03-20

I bought this cd for the following reasons: 1 I'm a Wagner fan, 2 the cover looks exquisite and 3 I wanted to hear a "prelude" since it sounds fancy and never heard one. The result is great cd. The Tannhauser overture, Tristan and Isolde prelude and Lohengrin Prelude to act 3 are all very excellent. Excerpts from the Ring of the Nibelunge aren't as good as I had anticipated but are still enjoyable. The music speaks the tales of Wagner's operas. Just hear it, as slow and irksome as they maybe, these preludes make you feel the tragic love of Tristan and Isolde, the epic odyssey of Lohengrin and the holy, heavenly spirit in Parsifal as he discovers the Holy Grail. Buy this CD and you won't regret it. Except that one bit from Gotterdammerung, Siegfried's Funeral March. It does'nt quite have the feel of grand disaster as it did in John Boorman's film Excalibur. If you're hoping to find that version(which is better) stick with the Classics Go To The Movies Vol 2 cd. But all the other pieces on this CD are excellent. Go and buy this CD- now !

Average customer rating: Highest Recommendation Possible Great Music At Any Price!

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde/Parsifal/Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg/Lohengrin/Tannhäuser Manufacturer: Seraphim ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto Op35; Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Op77 Wagner: Overtures & Preludes The Best Of Wagner Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Capriccio Espagnol; Russian Easter Overture Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 8, 9, 10, 13 & 14 ASIN: B000000UW7 Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

1. Tristan Und Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod
2. Parsifal: Prelude to Act I
3. Parsifal: Good Friday Music
4. Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act III
5. Lohengrin: Prelude to Act I
6. Tannhauser: Overture

Customer Reviews:

Highest Recommendation Possible.......2007-02-04

I have been ravenously studying classical music for about the last two years non stop. It has been a fantastic voyage. Out of everything by everyone, to me, this is among the very best CDs. The music is beautiful, mighty and majestic. On top of that, the CD is very inexpensive, considering it's quality.

Great Music At Any Price!.......2004-03-14

The original EMI Seraphim budget CD line has to be the greatest value for the money in the history of music. For half the price of other so-called budget lines, including the new version of EMI Seraphim and the Sony Essential Classics series, you get first-rate performances from the golden age of stereo by some of the greatest conductors of the century. On this particular title you get brilliant Wagner performances by Rudolf Kempe and Sir Adrian Boult. This was my first disc of Wagner Orchestral Music, and I liked it so much that I eventually upgraded in order to get more terrific Wagner performances by Kempe and Boult (see my reviews). You see, Boult has a two-disc mid-priced set collecting his Wagner recordings on EMI, while Kempe has two full-priced discs on the Testament label, which licensed his EMI recordings. Granted, most will not want to pay as much as I did for their Wagner, and if you don't, just buy this title with the loose change in your pocket.

Average customer rating:

Story Of Wagner In Words And Music Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Story Of Verdi In Words And Music Stories Of Schumann And Grieg The Story Of Brahms Story Of Dvorák In Words And Music Mendelssohn In Words And Music ASIN: B000001KD3 Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

1. The Mastersingers: Prelude
2. Lohengrin: Prelude To Act III
3. Faust: Overture
4. The Mastersingers: 'Awake!'
5. The Mastersingers: 'Mad, All The World Is Mad'
6. The Fairies: Overture
7. Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
8. The Mastersingers: Act III Quintet
9. Rienzi: Overture
10. The Flying Dutchman: Overture
11. Tannhaeuser: Pilgrim's Chorus
12. Tannhaeuser: Overture
13. Gotterdammerung (Twilight Of The Gods): Siegfried's Rhine Journey
14. Tannhaeuser: Song Of The Evening Star
15. Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
16. Tristan und Isolde: Love-Death
17. Tannhaeuser: Venusberg Music
18. Lohengrin: Prelude To Act I
19. The Mastersingers: Prelude
20. The Mastersingers: Prize Song
21. The Mastersingers: Beckmesser And Sachs Duet In Act II
22. The Valkyrie: The Ride Of The Valkyries
23. Gotterdammerung: Siegfred's Rhine Journey
24. Siegfried: Siegfried Idyll
25. Parsifal: Good Friday Spell
26. Gotterdammerung: Siegfred's Funeral Music
27. Tannhaeuser: Overture
28. Lohengrin: Preludes To Act I And III, And Bridal Chorus

Average customer rating: Sensuality Personified!

The Very Best of Régine Crespin Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Canteloube, Joseph | ( 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 All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | 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 General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Legend: Régine Crespin [CD & DVD] Italian Opera Arias Berlioz: Les Nuits d'été; et al / Crespin, Ansermet Very Best of The Very Best of Lucia Popp ASIN: B0006VYEJQ Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

1. Ils S'Eloignent Enfin...Sombre Foret
2. D'Amour L'Ardente Flamme
3. Les Grecs Ont Disparu...Malheureux Roi!
4. Nous Avons Vu Finir...Chers Tyriens
5. Je Vais Mourir...Adieu, Fiere Cite
6. Ah! Salome! Dans Ce Palais...Il Est Doux, Il Est Bon
7. Je Souffre
8. Mes Cheres Filles, J'Ai Encore A Vous Dire
9. Soir
10. Le Secret
11. Apres Un Reve
12. Clair De Lune
13. Lo Fiolaire
14. Lou Coucut
15. Coeur En Peril
16. Berceuse Creole

Tracks:

1. Einsam In Truben Tagen
2. Euch Luften, Die Mein Klagen
3. Eine Waffe Lass Mich Dir Weisen...Der Manner Sippe
4. Ich Sah Das Kind
5. I. Der Engel
6. II. Stehe Still!
7. III. Im Treibhaus
8. IV. Schmerzen
9. V. Traume
10. I. In Der Fremde
11. II. Intermezzo
12. III. Waldesgesprach
13. Timor Di Me?...D'Amor Sull'Ali Rosee
14. Ecco L'Orrido Campo...Ma Dall'Arido Stelo Divulsa
15. Tu Che Le Vanita
16. D'Art Et D'Amour

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Sensuality Personified!.......2005-04-27

This is one of the best collections of Regine Crespin. Of course, her Berlioz/Ravel set with Ansermet is definitive, but the beauty and soft womanliness of her voice can be heard in all the selections on this disc. The engineers went for her vocal best and they created a fine collection aptly titled "The Best of..." One would be unduly captious to find Crespin "brittle" of tone here.

It is by now, very difficult to imagine anyone singing "Il est doux" with more apt expression of the line than La Crespin. Wagner's Wesendonk lieder is simply sublime from start to finish and the Faure takes on new meaning. That she is comical, melancholy, fun and happy by turns singles her out. This collection captures all her awesome talent. Underneath it all seems to be a very, if I may, sexual energy.

Crespin must be heard to be believed and the miracle lies in that even her softest tones are really enveloping, never thin. All tones are open and this is why there are enough colors in Regine Crespin's delicious voice to paint the world a thousand times, but it may also be why she infamous for being short and edgy on top but I remind, never here is she such. She is a relaxed singer in superb voice, comfortable in her own olive skin and makes the most out of every word those poets wrote.

The whole collection is unique in pace, style, and voice. It is Regine Crespin...in a nutshell fabulous!

Average customer rating: A Grand Lady, A Grand Collection

Legend: Régine Crespin [CD & DVD] Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Régine Crespin Italian Opera Arias Regine Crespin Sings Berlioz, Schumann, Schubert, and Poulenc Berlioz: Les Nuits d'été; et al / Crespin, Ansermet Songs by Mahler, Handel & Peter Lieberson ASIN: B0009275XO Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

1. I. Der Engel
2. II. Stehe Still!
3. III. Im Treibhaus
4. IV. Schmerzen
5. V. Traume
6. Einsam In Truben Tagen
7. Euch Luften, Die Mein Klagen
8. Eine Waffe Lass Mich Dir Weisen
9. Ich Sah Das Kind
10. Dich, Teure Halle
11. Allmacht'ge Jungfrau
12. D'Amour L'Ardente Flamme
13. Nous Avons Vu Finir... Chers Tyriens
14. Ah, Je Vais Mourir... Adieu, Fiere Cite

Customer Reviews:

A Grand Lady, A Grand Collection.......2005-09-28

Few who have had the privilege of seeing and hearing Régine Crespin in person will be able to pass this fine album by. A beautiful voice, a beautiful presence, an intelligent and sensitive mind all informed her singing whether on the grand stages of opera or in recitals. Who could ever forget her inimitable Berlioz' 'Les Nuits d'été or Ravel's 'Shéhérazade'? Indeed, Crespin is a legend.

In this very fine album we hear a stunning 'Wesendonck Lieder' of Wagner with Georges Prêtre conducting the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française. While some singers find these songs matronly Crespin infuses the poems with frail and tender love. Staying with Wagner (she was after all a reigning Sieglinde in her day) she offers arias from 'Lohengrin', 'Die Walküre', 'Parsifal', and 'Tannhäuser' (with Otto Ackermann
conducting the Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris)
demonstrating that this very French singer could produce a huge sound that easily sails over Wagner's orchestration. Finally she is heard in Berlioz' 'Les Troyens' and 'La Damnation de Faust' (again with Otto Ackermann). There is not a weak moment in these selections.

Included with this CD is a well-produced DVD of Crespin singing French art songs, showing the poise and involvement she brought to every performance. This is a treasureable package and certainly commands the respect of the title 'Legend. It is brilliant! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, September 05

Average customer rating: Worth making room for. Curiously Flat Amazing Radiant performance amid the clatter of stage noise Great conductor and star.

Wagner: Parsifal Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Wagner: Die Walküre Wagner: Das Rheingold Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer Wagner - Das Rheingold / Tomlinson, Clarke, Holle, Finnie, Johansson, von Kannen, Svenden, Barenboim, Bayreuth Opera Wagner: Götterdämmerung ASIN: B000EPFDP8 Release Date: 2006-05-09

Customer Reviews:

Worth making room for. .......2007-07-23

Parsifal is a fantastic opera with mood, layers of tone and symbolic references to spare. Any recording of this epic opera is worth listening to. In the case of the newest DG release with Placido Domingo in the title role and Christian Thielemann conducting, this combination is enough to make it worth adding to your CD library. This live recording is not only a testimony to the professionalism of the two individuals listed above but to the entire cast, starting with the Placido Domingo who is terrific and who, once again, proves his place in opera history as our most versatile and gifted tenor. Even as late as the middle of Act III Mr. Domingo continues to sound strong and commanding in the role (again this is a live recording). He owns the role and, based on recent Parsifal's without him, I am not sure there is anybody around who is truly ready to take over (Hang in there Placido and sorry Ben). Christian Thielemann's reading of the score is wonderful, no big departures here, not too fast and not too slow but a well-balanced tempo throughout the entire recording. Where he excels is in the softer, tender moments of Act III; the Good Friday music specifically. Parsifal is a tone poem with multi-layered orchestral parts that seem to just illuminate and overlap while developing Wagner's most gifted talent. Waltraud Meier delivers her typical wonderful rendering of Kundry - no easy task, with all the characteristics needed: crazy in Act I, a seductress in Act II, and mute in Act III (though she never leaves the stage). Her Act II encounter with Parsifal was wonderful and convincing; her entrance and announcing of Parsifal draws one in and sets up the remainder of the Act. Franz-Josef Selig's Gurnemanz was the only area where I took issue. I love the role of Gurnemanz and believe he carries some of the most important and, in some cases, beautiful singing in the opera; the voice must be just right. Here, I found the dramatic weight missing. By Act III I warmed up to his sound and `lyrical' rendition of the role but still wanted something deeper and with more command. All other roles, as well as the chorus, were exceptional. Be advised: this is a live recording so you will occasionally here stage noise, mostly swords clanking. As I mentioned this is a wonderful opera and this new release is worth making room for in your collection. [JG] A review from OperaOnline.us.

Curiously Flat.......2007-03-30

I am listening to this one on XM radio over the internet. The performance is well sung and the orchestra sounds great, with wide and expansive sound. Domingo sounds like, well, Domingo, but Waltraut Meier as Kundry sounds very nasal. The other men sound fine.

But somehow, there is no passion in this performance. It moves along at the same methodical rate from beginning to end, with no tension in the dramatic moments, and no mystery in the spiritual ones.

Perfectly fine, but perfectly ordinary.

Ed Flaspoehler, Dallas, TX

Amazing.......2007-03-08

I have to admit that I am pretty poor at writing reviews but was forced to by the simple lack of them for this recording. So please, don't expect a prose piece consisting of any deep or insightful analysis of this recording - such a thing is beyond someone who believes that music - especially Wagner's music - must be experienced and cannot be described in prose.

And so to the recording; simply this is an amazing interpretation of Parsifal and Thielemann is simply one of of Wagner's greatest interpreters. Heavy praise perhaps but I often feel while listening to his Wagner that this is how Furtwangler would have sounded given the recording mechanisms of the 21st century.

Parsifal is perhaps interpreted as Wagner's most directly "spiritual" works - infusing his interested in Christianity, Buddhism, the neopaganism of his time and - his version - of Schopenhauerian philosophy (this is Wagner after all and of course he felt that he could improve on Schopenhauer's thought. I often wonder what Schopenhauer's response would have been if Wagner had ever actually sent him the intended letter explaining how much he admired Schopenhauer's philosophy but that it could be improved if he only...?)and indeed, this is how the best Wagnerian interpretors perform it. However, the truth is that - in my opinion - it is normally T&S, as normally performed, that seems to project whatever feelings of "spiritually" or "transcendence" Wagner intended much more then Parsifal. However, here at last we have a Parsifal that manages to lift the listener to those heavy states that transcend the normal, everyday realm of existence.

This recording is incredible "cheap", for goodness sake, buy it and experience - honest Guv'.

Radiant performance amid the clatter of stage noise.......2006-08-03

This new Parsial is a truly visionary performance by Christian Thielemann who never fails to amaze. His reading is both pointillist in his illumination of score's mosaic of tone colors and, at the same time, contrapuntally aware of the music's complex layers. The set's only drawback is the unusual amount of stage noise that not only has been allowed to exist, but has been weirdly amplified rather than digitally squelched. Perhaps DG's engineers wanted an "Amfortas Effect" by lancing this ethereal performance with a shaft of the palpably metallic. What are those sounds? (on-stage swords?, an hare Krishna procession? ). For Parsifal fans like me, who love to bathe in the grandeur of the bell-brass-timpani processions of Act I, the shock of hearing "kling soars," like so many pieces of fallen silverware, is irritating enough to retire the entire set on a first hearing. I've since gotten over this distraction, but it has taken time and patience. As to the singers, this set offers an unconventional package. Placido Domingo, in spite of his odd accent, is a heartfelt and satisfying Parsifal. Throughout the four hours, the other singers give a fresh perspective to the expected role casting. One never finds Franz-Josef Selig's Gurnemanz tedious or terminally vatic. His varied and athletic voice has a light upper register and an affectingly rich lower one. Waltraud Meier's Kundry is also full of surprises. Unexpected tenderness, and, turning on a dime, hysteria. In all, one never thinks of this Parsifal as the sanctimonious German Easter Parade that one sometimes hears. Thielemann effectively revitalizes this work without sacrificing an ounce of it's rich beauty. Keep this set with your Knappertsbusch and your Boulez.

Great conductor and star........2006-06-24

Beautiful, just like the same conductor's Tristan. Keep 'em coming DG. Want to hear Thielemann in Lohengrin, Tannhauser, the Dutchman etc. And I know it's expensive but some in the studio would be nice too.

Average customer rating: The best collection of Wagner excerpts from Furtwangler This deserves 5 stars, plus! Sublimity for the Ages Wondrous Wagner

Wagner: Extracts from the operas Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Furtwangler Conducts Beethoven - Beethoven: symphonies no 3,4,5, & 9, Leonore Wagner: Tristan und Isolde Furtwängler conducts Wagner Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Symphony no 9 / Furtwangler, Schwarzkopf Wagner: Orchestral Music ASIN: B00064N8RM Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Prelude To Act 1
3. Ride Of The Valkyries (Act 3)
4. Prelude: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
5. Siegfried's Funeral March (Act 3)
6. Brunnhilde's Immolation (Act 3) - Kirsten Flagstad

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Prelude to Act 1 - Berliner Philharmoniker
3. Liebestod (Death Of Isolde) - Berliner Philharmoniker
4. Prelude To Act 1
5. Prelude To Act 3
6. Dance Of The Apprentices (Act 3)
7. Prelude To Act 1 - Berliner Philharmoniker
8. Good Friday Music (Act 3) - Berliner Philharmoniker

Customer Reviews:

The best collection of Wagner excerpts from Furtwangler.......2005-12-16

In the post-war era Furtwangler left us two Ring cycles from Italy (both very scrapy in execution), a classic Tristan from London, and a somewhat disappointing (to me, at least) Die Walkure from Vienna. Those represent the bulk of his Wagner conducting, since he didn't record many excerpts. This classic EMI set gathers together two hours wroth from 1938 to 1954. Other reviewers have extolled the 2004 remastering, which I compared to the original 1993 "References" release. I didn't hear a revelatory transformation, but it's helpful to have any sonic improvement, particularly in the muzzy early recordings from Berlin.

The Gramophone declared that these excerpts validated Furtwangler's position as the greatest of all Wagner conductors. In their musical depth and emotional wisdom it's hard to disagree, although newcomers may find the tempos too braod, and the orchestral execution is never razor sharp--Furtwangler showed little interest in that.

I think the touchstones would be the opening Tannhauser Over. from 1952, which is in the best sound, and the Tristan Prelude from 1938, which is in the worst. Both draw us into Furtwangler's hypnotic way with Wagner, weaving a complete emotional experience that overarches mere details and passing events. I find it easy to listen past the dated sound; these are readings to sink into for a lifetime. (My only reservation is that Flagstad's Immolation scene from Gotterdammerung, recorded in 1952 when she and Furtwangler made their famous Tristan, seems grand without much regard for specific words or emotions.)

By now the Furtwangler canon has been scoured for more Wagner, and there is a live postwar collection in comparable sound from Testament that serves as the natural mate to these priceless studio recordings. Every scattered performance has been catalogued in the late John Ardoin's invaluable book, "The Furtwangler Record."

This deserves 5 stars, plus!.......2005-08-21

Wilhelm Furtwangler's recordings of Wagner Overtures and Preludes, refurbished by EMI and released in January, 2005, is so good it deserves more than five stars! "How?" you may ask, "can recordings made in the late 1930s, late 1940s/early '50s sound this good?" EMI's engineers have worked marvels, both in restoring the sound so that it is nearly modern, and in equalizing volume levels so the listener doesn't have to adjust volume up and down between tracks, sometimes a problem with compilation discs when different recording locales and orchestras were used.

The performances are all first rate: Furtwangler uses subtle liberties of tempo and nuance - his trademark as a conductor - to produce works of freshness and beauty. Three different orchestras are used: the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and Philharmonia:all sound uniformly excellent. Kirsten Flagstad sings Brunnhilde's Immolation scene with great intensity, and in this track, the Philharmonia is in no way inferior to either Berlin or Vienna Philharmonic.

I had to keep reminding myself listening to Disc 1, Track 1,the TANNHAUSER Overture, that this was made in the era before stereo. From the first bars, this strikes me as very fresh and celebratory, and I'm not a huge Wagner fan: I prefer Overtures and Preludes over complete operas. My advice to anyone, even if you don't think you care for Wagner, is to invest in this: grab it before it goes out of circulation - for under $15.00 you can't go wrong.

Sublimity for the Ages.......2005-07-24

In a strange way, one almost needs to have known these recordings in their previous incarnations to appreciate the miraculous transparency that EMI engineers have achieved in this latest transfer. Having long treasured these performances on LP and their first CD transfer (1993), I was stunned by the immediacy, power, and splendor of the sound. What a jaw-dropping revelation! Who ever dreamt of tracing so many more threads in these complex orchestral tapestries via these classic interpretations?

As for the performances themselves, there are none better -- and there never will be. The only equally sublime Wagner excerpts are also in monophonic sound: check out the superb set of Stokowski's Wagner with the 1920s-40s Philadelphia Orchestra on Andante. Both conductors give us a kind of musicmaking that no one before or since has touched in this repertoire. And within the technical limitations of the times, the recordings admirably capture Wagner's sumptuous sound.

No, the decibel level will not knock you out of your seat. If you want that kind of displacement, you must naturally seek a more recent recording. But grandeur is not merely a function of decibels, and on this recording and Stokowski's you will hear a level of rapport with Wagner's deepest impulses, a grandeur of conception, and a quality of orchestral execution that come through loud and clear as they do nowhere else. Remember, many musicians playing in these recordings studied under Wagner's contemporaries (indeed, in the earliest recordings of both conductors, we are probably even hearing a few people who were children or teenagers during Wagner's final years). As a result, these players absorbed the spirit of the age with their every formative breath. Through these recordings, they effortlessly project intangible qualities to which no later generations can ever lay claim.

My own personal favorites here are the *Lohengrin* Prelude (boasting some of the most ethereal high-string sonorities ever recorded, courtesy of the Vienna Philharmonic -- a pure and perfect evocation of spiritual light descending from on high), the *Tristan* selections, Flagstad's grandly voiced Immolation Scene, and the incomparable *Parsifal* Prelude. *Parsifal* has never been my favorite Wagner opera, but its Prelude easily ranks among the chief glories of music. Never has it sounded more ravishing than it does here, with Furtwängler's patient and probing baton guiding Berlin's flawless execution (oh, those shimmering string tremolos!).

These are just a few personal high points. In reality, nothing falls below superb here -- and the new transfers put us closer to the music than ever before (to mix in a bit of Richard Strauss, Salome has dropped another sonic veil; will the engineers find a way to make her drop still another in the next decade?!). If you want a direct route to the heart of Wagner, this EMI anthology and Andante's five-disc Stokowski set are the royal road to Wagner's kingdom of bliss. I urge you to make the journey.

Wondrous Wagner.......2005-06-09

In this era of limited edition, out-of-print and rapidly disappearing classical CDs, sometimes it is better to wait and see instead of immediately buying a given title. Case in point, these famous Furtwangler recordings of Wagner extracts from the Operas, which have been available for years as a costly import in the EMI "References" series. I struggled off and on for some time about whether or not to buy it, knowing that these are among the very best Wagner performances ever committed to disc (despite their mono sound), but not wanting to pay an arm and a leg for them either. Well now with this inexpensively priced reissue in EMI's "Historical" Series, I can get the best of both worlds. Furtwangler's renditions, made with both the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics between 1949 and 1954, are absolutely fantastic. This is the conductor at his very best, and there are few rivals in this material, even in stereo. In particular, the Tannhauser Overture, Lohengrin Prelude, and Tristan and Parsifal selections are magical. For price and performance, this CD is without peer.

Average customer rating: Parsifal. Bayreuth. Awsome. The greatest Parsifal ever recorded A Masterful Performance of Perhaps the Most Engimatic Art-Work

Wagner: Parsifal Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Wagner: Lohengrin Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg / Kollo · Donath · Adam · G. Evans · Schreier · Hesse· Riderbusch · Karajan Wagner: Tristan und Isolde Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen ASIN: B000FVHGZG Release Date: 2006-11-14

Album Description

"Knappertsbusch's expansive and dedicated 1962 reading is caught superbly in the Philips set, arguably the finest live recording ever made in the Festspeilhaus at Bayreuth, with outstanding singing from Jess Thomas as Parsifal and Hans Hotter as Gurnemanz...its spiritual quality and the sound has undoubtedly been further enhanced in the remastering for CD."--The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs "This is not merely one of Philips's Great Recordings but also one of the greatest sets of all time. Every time one returns to it, its inspiration and distinction seem to have been enhanced, its all-enveloping eloquence the more evident. Its overriding advantage over all other recordings of the work is Knappertsbusch's masterly traversal of the score, even more aware of dramatic impetus, long line and Wagnerian import...There have been much-admired Parsifals in more recent times but none of these studio-made sets quite catches the immediacy and inevitability of this moving and elevated version, now sounding freshened in its remastered form. At mid-price, a very special experience is in store for any newcomer to the work."--Gramophone Cast GEORGE LONDON Amfortas MARTTI TALVELA Titurel HANS HOTTER Gurnemanz JESS THOMAS Parsifal GUSTAV NEIDLINGER Klingsor IRENE DALIS Kundry Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele Hans Knappertsbusch, conductor

Customer Reviews:

Parsifal. Bayreuth. Awsome........2007-07-30

Other than the few random coughs and the brief decrease in volume in the first act this is a pretty impressive reading of Parsifal. The third act is where everything really comes together. Who can go wrong with a Bayreuth Festival recording of Parsifal?

The greatest Parsifal ever recorded.......2007-01-28

In my opinion, a true Parsifal can only be realized in the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, given the fact that Wagner wrote the opera with his theater's acoustics in mind. Wagner's architecture allows the music to resound magically from the sunken orchestra pit, and this allows Parsifal's beautiful score to come to full bloom. Despite the wonderful studio recordings that one can buy in the market (such as Karajan's magical Berlin recording, Kubelik's magnificent Bavarian recording, and Solti's acclaimed Vienna production), Bayreuth Parsifals have always been more exciting. The conductor in this recording is Hans Knappertsbusch, a maestro who keeps with the holy traditions of the grail-infused score and gives the music a breadth, gravity, and clarity absent from most new conductors. His most famous recording from Bayreuth was a 1951 recording with Martha Mödl, Wolfgang Windgassen, George London, and Ludwig Weber. I think that is one of the most inspired Parsifals ever committed to disc. This recording, made eleven years later, is just as inspired and beautiful as the 1951 account, with better sound, a more magnificent cast, and in ways, much better judged tempi than the glacial 1951 recording.

In my opinion, the crowning glory of this set in Hans Hotter's Gurnemanz. Full of gravitas and wisdom, despite what people say about his voice, Hotter is my favorite Gurnemanz. His large, commanding, godlike sound is perfect for the role of the warrior-knight who keeps the traditions of the grail, and his third act is perhaps the best on disc. His qualities as a lieder singer allow the sensitivities of Wagner's complex text to emerge, and I would say that despite the fact that other Parsifals with him are better (1964, same theater, same conductor, but with Jon Vickers! as Parsifal), this recording captured him in the best conditions.

The Parsifal in this recording is Jess Thomas, who is perhaps the most youthful and beautiful heldentenor voice ever to take the part. I find that his intelligence in his interpretation, while nowhere near as grand as Vickers, is a merit to this recording. He has the most beautiful voice for the redeeming fool. He is partnered by the Kundry of Irene Dalis. My favorite Kundry is Gwyneth Jones, who in her prime recorded Parsifal with James King, Thomas Stewart, and Franz Crass, and if she were the Kundry in this recording, I would definitely throw heaps of money on this for being the best recording ever. Irene Dalis does a good job of Kundry nonetheless, and has the perfect balance of seduction and demonic ferocity to make the role credible.

Amfortas is sung by the aging George London, who in a few years, would forever lose his magnificent voice. Here, he repeats his marvelous performance from 1951, and while the voice is less than fresh, his interpretation has undoubtedly grown in depth and intensity. A reference Amfortas for any generation. The direction by Wieland Wagner is inspiring, and is perhaps the reason why this Parsifal is such a benchmark performance.

A Masterful Performance of Perhaps the Most Engimatic Art-Work.......2007-01-10

Parsifal is undoubtedly the most problematic of Wagner's works. Not in terms of performance demands, for the vocal parts are remarkably undemanding, certainly when compared to Tristan or the Ring, and the orchestral passages rarely rise to greater than mezzo-forte. The problem lies in decerning what Wagner really intended to say in this final work. Some see it as an expression of christian faith, others a glorification of celebacy and denigration of sexual love, and still others, such as Robert Gutmann, see in it the ultimate expression of Wagner's anti-Jewish feelings and the need for the Aryan Race to be regenerated through the blood of Christ. In all likelihood, all of these viewpoints have validity, as such a morally ambiguous work is like a Rorschach Inkblot Test, an ambiguous stimulus that can provoke any number of interpretations. There is indeed a dream-like quality to this work, in which Wagner amazingly anticipates, or perhaps initiates, musical impressionism.
This live performance from the 1962 Bayreuth Festival, led by Knappertsbusch, perfectly captures the misty, flickering, impressionistic light of the work. Kna, as is well known, was highly unpredictable in performance, at times sublime, at other times plodding and careless. This is one of his sublime moments, as great as his 1951 "Goetterdaemmerung." So great is his grasp of the music that there is not one passage that sounds like a longeur, but rather, that this drama moves by swiftly and with purpose at every point. Comparison with his 1951 version reveals swifter pacing in this performance, but as we all know, speed itself does not necessarily guarantee tautness. It is more a matter of maintaining tension, and Kna does this better than any other "Parsifal" conductor in this listener's experience. The cast is perfect at every point. Highilghts include Hotter's warm, committed Gurnemanz, sung with Lieder-like sensititivy and rock-steady tone; Neidlinger's commanding and frightening Klingsor (slso expressed with bitterness over his unjust rejection by the Grail Knights, one of the great moral ambiguities of the work); Thomas' gloriously-sung Parsifal (properly one-dimensional, as this character is really a "Tor" (fool), or more properly a "Trottel" (imbecile)); Dalis's tortured and yet seductive Kundry; and the tortured Amfortas of London, even more impressive than in the earlier Knappertsbusch recording. The chorus is the greatest in the world, and the Bayreuth Orchestra sounds like the equal of any orchestra, operatic or symphonic. The recorded sound is amazingly lifelike and shows why the Festspielhaus is the greatest opera house in the world. Once again, BAYREUTH RULES!

Average customer rating: Orchestral Trumpet Player's Bible: Essential Recording for Any Trumpet Player Most Excellent Awesome! Excellent for aspiring trumpet players, otherwise...

Orchestral Excerpts For Trumpet Manufacturer: Summit(Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Respighi | Respighi, Ottorino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Philip Smith, Prinicpal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic David Hickman, Trumpet Famous Classical Trumpet Concertos On the Twentieth Century Virtuoso Trumpet ASIN: B0000038JG Release Date: 1995-02-07

Tracks:

1. Trumpet concerto: Brandenburg Concerto No.2 - Trumpet Concerto
2. Petrouchka
3. Pictures at an Exhibition
4. Leonore Nos. 3&2
5. Ein Heldenleben
6. Symphony No.5
7. Scheherazade
8. Don Juan
9. Fetes
10. Piano Concerto In G
11. Piano Cto. No. 1
12. Pines Of Rome
13. Concerto For Orchestra
14. Carmen Prelude
15. Firebird Suite
16. Parsifal Prelude
17. La Mer
18. Symphony No. 2
19. Symphony No. 3 (Post Horn)
20. Capriccio Espagnol
21. American In Paris
22. Magnificat

Customer Reviews:

Orchestral Trumpet Player's Bible:.......2003-05-08

I carry this recording around with me in my case, and listen to it before auditions, concerts, rehearsals, etc. It's simply how the excerpts (along with trumpet playing in general) should sound. Smith's virtuostic playing, coupled with his vast orchestral experience, really teach the parts. All trumpet players, top to bottom, have something to learn from this CD--and while the entire work (with orchestra) and part should be studied (Smith actually recommends this), it is still very useful to hear one of the finest players on earth performing just the trumpet part.

Essential Recording for Any Trumpet Player.......2001-05-24

If any principal orchestral trumpet player has succeeded Adolph Herseth as the "state of the art," the probable consensus among his peers would be Philip Smith of the New York Philharmonic. His virtually flawless technique, gourgeous sound, rarified musicianship and exceptional leadership make him virtually unique in his field, and his more than 20 years with the Philharmonic (plus his early years with the Chicago Symphony) have firmly established him as one of the greats in the history of orchestral brass performance.

Measured simply as a documentation of his skills, this recording would be an extraordinary document - the playing throughout is stupendous. But this is much more than that; Mr. Smith proves to be as articulate (mild "New Yoahk" accent and all) as he is talented, and his performance suggestions are truly helpful, even for those of us without his superhuman abilities. The recorded sound is superb, and overall this is a joy to listen to at every level. I recommend it without reservation for any trumpet player aspiring to a higher level of musicianship and performance - and if you play it at full volume shortly after your warmup, your neighbors will be very impressed.

Most Excellent.......1999-12-13

As a trumpet player, I must say that Phil Smith's comments during each track are immensely beneficial. His thoughts have produced profound understanding in my trumpet playing, and despite the fact that this CD is intended as a grouping of Phil Smith's insights into common Orchestral Excerpts and his following demonstration, I have countless times listened out of pure enjoyment than to gain expert insight. His tone is the most beautiful I have ever heard, and it shows on this CD. I recommend this particularly for any aspiring trumpet student.

Awesome!.......1999-10-25

The previous reviewer of this CD missed the point of the CD. Lets say your working on the Carmern Prelude or Stravinsky Pétrouchka you buy this CD, and learn how Philip Smith (one of the greatest symphonic trumpet players in the world) would interpret and play it. Thats why its entitled Orchestra Trumpet Excerpts.

Excellent for aspiring trumpet players, otherwise..........1999-05-31

This CD would be excellent for aspiring orchestral trumpeters and soloists; although Philip Smith conveys his expertise exceptionally well, this short snips of music on this CD are no substitute for the actual full-orchestra recordings.

Meditation Music:

1. Wagner: Parsifal/Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
2. Arietta
3. Atlantida
4. Bellini: Norma
5. Bellini - Norma / Eaglen · La Scola · Mei · Kavrakos · Maggio Musicale · Muti
6. Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers) / Cotrubas, Vanzo, Soyer, Sarabia; Prêtre
7. Britten: Billy Budd
8. Die Zauberflöte / Popp, Gruberova, Lindner, Jerusalem, Brendel, Bracht, Bailey Zednik; Haitink
9. Falstaff
10. Francesca Da Rimini

Meditation Music

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Meditation Music

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Judgment!