Butterflies

Butterflies

Track Listings

1. Rain

2. Losing You

3. Butterflies

4. Summer of Her Heart

5. Stolen Moments

6. Beneath the Shade

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 In E-flat Major, Op. 97: 'Rhenish' - Lebhaft
Andante And Variations In B-Flat Major
Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13
Toccata In C Major, Op. 7
Kreisleriana, Op. 16
Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 54: Allegro Vivace
Carnaval, Op. 9
'Dedication', Op. 25/1
Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120: Introduction - Vivace
Papilons, Op. 2
Op. 25-3: 'The Nut Tree'
Symphony No. 3 In E-flat Major, Op. 97: 'Rhenish' - Lebhaft-Schneller
Piano Quintet In E-flat Major, Op. 44: Allegro ma non troppo
Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 54: Allegro affettuoso
Carnaval, Op. 9: Waltz
Album For The Young, Op. 68: The Merry Farmer
Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: Dreams
Cello Concerto In A Minor, Op. 129: Nicht au schnell
Symphony No. 3 In E-flat Major, Op. 97: 'Rhenish' - Feierlich
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, No 1
Lyric Suite, Op. 54-2: Norwegian Rustic Dance
Op. 12 No. 4: Elf Dance
Op. 35, No. 1: Norwegian Dances
Elegiac Melodies
Op. 64, No. 4: Symphonic Dances
Op. 35, No. 2: Norwegian Dances
Op. 5-3: 'I Love Thee'
Op. 43, No. 1: Butterfly
Op. 65, No. 6: Wedding Day At Troldhaugen
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, No. 3: Anitra's Dance
Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55, No. 4: Solveig's Song
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, No. 4: In The Hall Of The Mountain King
Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 16: Allegro moderato; Allegro marcato
Holberg Suite, Op. 40: Prelude: Allegro vivace
Lyric Suite, Op. 54, No. 3: Dance Of The Dwarfs
Homage To Chopin
Sigurd Jorsalfar Suite, Op. 56, No. 3: Homage March
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: Morning Mood
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: The Death Of Aase
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: Anitra's Dance
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: In The Hall Of The Mountain King
Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55: III The Return Of Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55: IV Solveig's Song

Average customer rating:

Wonderful music, great playing, even better price
This is well worth the price
Not Ashkenazy's forte (pun on forte intended)
beautifully played, wonderful and overlooked pieces

Works for Solo Piano
Schumann , and Ashkenazy
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Brahms: Works for Solo Piano
Liszt: Piano Works
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Haydn: The Complete Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B00006IU8T
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Tracks:

Arabeske In C, Op.18
Papillons, Op.2
Symphonic Studies, Op.13
Carnaval, Op.9
Humoreske, Op.20
Noveletten, Op.21
Waldszenen, Op.82
Kinderszenen, Op.15
Piano Sonata No.1 In F Sharp Minor, Op.11
8 Fantasiestke, Op.12
Blumenstk, Op.19
Davidsbdlertze, Op.6
Kreisleriana, Op.16
Noveletten, Op.21
Piano Sonata No.2 In G Minor, Op.22
Abegg Variations, Op.1
Fantasie In C, Op.17
Faschingsschwank Aus Wien, Op.26
Bunte Blter, Op.99
Nachtstke, Op.23
3 Romanzen, Op.28

Amazon.com

For less than $60, this seven-CD set brings the buyer almost all of Schumann's important works for solo piano performed by one of the great pianists of the last 50 years. Ashkenazy is nearly as insightful an interpreter of Schumann as he is of Chopin and the quality of these performances, which were recorded between 1984 and 1995, is generally high. The gnarled F-sharp Minor Sonata is beautifully organized, as well as emotionally compelling; "Papillons" has style, color, and flexibility; "Waldszenen" displays poetry, strength, and simplicity; the G-Minor Sonata is clearly outlined and impeccably delivered; "Kinderszenen" is played with fluidity and nuance; and "Carnaval" is delivered with bigness of conception, virility, and authority that make it among the finest ever recorded. Even on those occasions when Ashkenazy fails to reach such heights--as he does, for example, in a "Davidsbundlertanze" that is a mite too solemn and deliberate for the music's helter-skelter whimsy--his performances still achieve a distinguished standard. Nevertheless, it is Ashkenazy's misfortune that he must compete against his younger self. The readings in this set of the Symphonic Etudes, the Fantasy in C Major, "Kreisleriana," and the "Humoresque" fall short compared to those Ashkenazy recorded in the 1960s and early 1970s. In those earlier performance--reissued on a Double Decca set--the notes roll off the pianist's fingers in a dazzling and melting manner, with a singing tone and a sense of rapture, that he was unable to match 20 years later. --Stephen Wigler

Album Details

Few Pianists have Explored and Recorded Such a Wealth of Keyboard Literature as Vladimir Ashkenazy. During an Association with Decca which Stretches Back Almost 40 Years Now, Ashkenazy Has Completed Cycles of Some of the Most Important Concertos (Mozart, Beethoven, Prokofiev, Bartók and Rachmaninov), as Well as an Extensive Amount of Solo Literature.two Of the Greatest Figures in 19th-century Piano Music Are Chopin and Schumann, and Music by Both Composers Has Featured, and Continues to Feature, in Ashkenazy's Recitals. He Has Recorded Almost all of Chopin Solo Works and During the Years 1984-95 Undertook a Major Survey of Schumann's Solo Literature (Some Works Including the Sinfonische Etüden, Fantasie, Kreisleriana and Humoreske) Ashkenazy Had Recorded Earlier in his Career). These Digital Recordings Are Now Presented as a Box Set for the First Time and Are an Invaluable Collection of the Composer's Most Important Keyboard Works, Performed by One of the Greatest Pianists of his Ge

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful music, great playing, even better price.......2007-07-03

I keep reading reviews that say things like: "Well others have played this piece better than Ashkenazy..." or "If you want a complete set of Schumann piano works then Ashkenazy is adequate and a good bargain..."

I may not have heard every version of these Schumann pieces played by every pianist in the 20th century, but I can say that Ashkenazy plays these pieces absolutely wonderfully- with both technical virtuosity and emotional depth. If you really want to cobble together a collection of the "absolute best" Schumann pieces, and spend a couple hundred dollars in the process, that's certainly your prerogative.

I just can't see how anyone can fault Ashkenazy's playing of these pieces as being lesser than others. To my ears, he plays them faultlessly. There are times during the recording where I want to stand up and applaud, others when I want to weep.

For about $5-$8 per disc (depending on who you purchase it from) you can have this wonderful music. Buy it now, and listen often!

This is well worth the price.......2005-12-03

On the whole, this set is very good. true, ash's doesnt quite match up to pollini's recent dg david or kreis, but few do. There are still many gems here, some of which i rank as the top of the list in terms of interpretation. Firstly, waldszenen is giving an account here which in a word, is simply miraculous. Listen to how well he shapes the theme in the second piece, while most are struggling just to pull off the ferociously difficult chord jumps, yet ash does it with civility. Not even richter's fifities account is as well played or shaped. The kinderszenen is also marvelous, though not the best ever, or the second best or third(or fourth).....
But what every piece does give you, what ash himself seems to offer now, is a high standard of playing, though little over the top. But dont take that the wrong way, this set is a perfect way for anyone, even those pianophiles, to imburse or reimburse themselves in Schumann's wonderful world.
1.Wald-ash,haskil, richter, kempff
2.Kinder-moise, cortot, horsz, kempff
3.Davids-Giese, Pollini
4.Carnaval-Rach, Arrau
5.Sonata 1-Gilels, Ash
6. Symph Etudes- Richter, Richter, Richter, anda
7. Fant in C-Moise, Backhaus, Cohen, Richter
8. Humoreske-Richter-56 moscow, kempf. F

Not Ashkenazy's forte (pun on forte intended).......2004-11-21

On the whole, Ashkenazy just does not seem to be a gifted interpreter of Schumann. These readings, to my ear, are heavy handed, pedantic, burdensome, and lacking in the mysterious joy that pervades so much of the work of the Romantic master. Some performances are OK. The Sinfonische Etuden would probably the best of the lot. But in works like Carnaval, the Novelletten, Faschingschwank aus Wien, and the Kinderszenen Ashkenazy to my liking totally misses the target.

I much prefer the more introspective approach of Arrau, or the wild and intriguing Pollini. Even Barenboim comes closer to the heart of Schumann than Ashkenazy.

The recorded sound is often disappointing also. The sound on some pieces is so muddy I thought the microphone was behind a wall.

beautifully played, wonderful and overlooked pieces.......2003-04-29

This set is a remarkable value. Yes, you could choose some individual performances of certain works that are better, but for the price, this is a remarkable set. Ashkenazy is sympathetic to these wonderful and often overlooked solo piano compositions. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Excellent
It was worth it!
Fun, Fun
Kids Fun Music

Bullfrogs & Butterflies 4-CD Set
Agapeland (Author)
Manufacturer: Alpha Omega
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Educational | Children's Music | Styles | Music
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Music Machine: The Fruit of the Spirit

ASIN: B000C1F8EK
Release Date: 2006-05-24

Tracks:

Floydd Frogg Theme
An Empty Place
Your Conscience
Jesus Was A Little Kid, Too
Jesus Is Never Too Busy
Your Heart
Come To The Light
Something I Have Missed
Into My Heart, Thank You Lord
I've Been Born Again
My Best Friend
An Empty Place (Reprise)

Tracks:

Oh Me, Oh My
My Favorite Things
God's Wonderful Love
Knock, Knock, Knock
I Know Somebody Who Knows
I Love To Say Your Name
Floydd Frogg
There's Been A Metamorphosis
Jesus Gave Me Wings
It's Time To Let My People Go
I Will Praise You, O Lord
My Favorite Things (Reprise)

Tracks:

Welcome To Agapeland
Good Morning
This Is The Day
Rainy Day Song
Kid Talk
I Like Knowing God The Best
My Hands Belong To You
Friends
Practice Makes Perfect
Bullfrogs And Butterflies
Noah
You're So Good To Me

Tracks:

Oh Me, Oh My
A Great Big God
God Likes Fun
Diamond In the Rough
Gifts In My Heart
Make A Noise
King of My Heart
Today Is My Favorite Day
I Love You, Lord
Everything I See
Shout Hallelujah
Lions Weren't Hungry Last Night
Friends Forever

Product Description

These highly entertaining and cleverly written recordings come from the talented producers of the best-selling Christian music series, Music Machine. The characters are endearing and the wisdom they convey is enduring! A great way to entertain your children... catchy songs and stories that build positive character traits! Includes four (4) CDs: 1. I've Been Born Again 2. God Is Great 3. God Is My Friend 4. God Loves Fun

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-05-09

I listened to Bullfrog & Butterflies growing up, and now my kids get to do the same.

It was worth it!.......2007-04-04

As a child back in the early 80's, my very first cassette tape was Bullfrogs and Butterflies. I listened to it incessantly (just ask my folks!) I was delighted to discover that it was available on CD, as my treasured cassette now sounded as if I were listening underwater. Now I just pop that CD in so my little 5 month old son can enjoy the upbeat songs with an awesome message.

Fun, Fun.......2006-11-15

I saved up my money to buy these tapes when they first came out and they were my favorite!!! I just recently found them in storage and my kids are now having the pleasure of listening to them. Even the older ones like it. Catchy, upbeat songs that make any day brighter. I'm so glad to see it's now available on CD.

Kids Fun Music.......2006-11-04

All kids love this album. I have raised six of them and they have all loved it.

Average customer rating:

The facets of the lyricism!
Divine
To be avoided
aristocratic and heartfelt schumann
aristocratic and heartfelt schumann

Schumann: Piano Works

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000001GFJ
Release Date: 1992-02-11

Tracks:

Papillons Op. 2, Introduction. Moderato...
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 1. Lebhaft
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 2. Innig
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 3. Mit Humor (Etwas hahnbuchen)
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 4. Ungeduldig
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 5. Einfach
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 6. Sehr rasch (Sehr rasch und in sich hinein)
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 7. Nicht schnell (Mit ausserst starker Empfindung)
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 8. Frisch
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 9. Lebhaft
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 10. Balladenmassig. Sehr rasch
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 11. Einfach
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 12. Mit Humor
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 13. Wild und lustig
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 14. Zart und singen
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 15. Frisch
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 16. Mit gutem Humor
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 17. Wie aus der Ferne
Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6, (18 Charakterstucke) - 18. Nicht schnell
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 1. Preambule. Quasi maestoso - Piu moto - Animato - Vivo - Presto
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 2. Pierrot. Moderato
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 3. Arlequin. Vivo
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 4. Valso noble. Un poco maestoso
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 5. Eusebius. Adagio
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 6. Florestan. Passionato
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 7. Coquette. Vivo
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 8. Replique. L'istesso tempo - (Sphinxes)
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 9. Papillons. Prestissimo
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 10. A.S.C.H. - S.C.H.A. (Lettres dansantes). Presto
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 11. Chiarina. Passionato
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 12. Chopin. Agitato
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 13. Estrella. Con affetto
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 14. Reconnaissance. Animato
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 15. Pantalon et Colombine. Presto
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 16. Valse allemande. Molto vivace
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 17. Paganini. Intermezzo. Presto
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 18. Aveu. Passionato
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 19. Promenade. Comodo
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 20. Pause. Vivo
Carnaval Op. 9, Scenes mignonnes sur quatre notes - 21. Marche des (Davidsbundler) contre les Philistins. Non Allegro - Molto piu vivo - Animato - Vivo - Animato molto - Vivo - Piu stretto

Tracks:

Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Thema. Andante
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude I. Un poco piu vivo
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude II.
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude III. Vivace
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude IV.
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude V. Vivacissimo
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude VI. Agitato
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude VII. Allegro molto
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude VIII. Andante
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude IX. Presto possibile
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude X. Allegro
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude XI. Con espressione
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13 - Etude XII. Finale. Allegro brillante
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 1. Von fremden Landern und Menschen
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 2. Kuriose Geschichte
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 3. Hasche-Mann
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 4. Bittendes Kind
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 5. Gluckes genug
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 6. Wichtige Begebenheit
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 7. Traumerei
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 8. Am Kamin
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 9. Ritter vom Steckenpferd
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 10. Fast zu ernst
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 11. Furchtenmachen
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 12. Kind im Einschlummern
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 - 13. Der Dichter spricht
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 - Fantasien - 1. Ausserst bewegt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 - Fantasien - 2. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch - Intermezzo, Sehr lebhaft - Intermezzo II. Etwas bewegter - Lngsamer (erstes Tempo)
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 - Fantasien - 3. Sehr aufgeregt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 - Fantasien - 4. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 - Fantasien - 5. Sehr lebhaft
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 - Fantasien - 6. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 - Fantasien - 7. Sehr rasch
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 - Fantasien - 8. Schnell und spielend

Tracks:

Fantasie C-dur, Op. 17 - 1. Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen - Im Legendenton - Tempo Primo
Fantasie C-dur, Op. 17 - 2. Massig. Durchaus energisch - Etwas langsamer - Viel bewegter
Fantasie C-dur, Op. 17 - 3. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten - Etwas bewegter
Arabeske, Op. 18 - Leicht und zart - Minore I. Etwas langsamer - Minore II. Etwas langsamer - Zum Schluss (Coda). Langsamer
Humoreske, Op. 20 - Einfach - Sehr rasch und leicht - Noch rascher - Erstes Tempo - Wie im Anfang
Humoreske, Op. 20 - Hastig - Nach und nach immer lebhafter und starker - Wie vorher - Adagio
Humoreske, Op. 20 - Einfach und zart - Intermezzo - (Wie vorher -) Innig
Humoreske, Op. 20 - Sehr lebhaft - Mit einigem Pomp - Zum Beschluss - Allegro
Novelette No. 9 - aus: Bunte Blatter, Op. 99 - Lebhaft

Tracks:

Sonate Nr. 2 g-moll Op. 22 - 1. So rasch wie moglich
Sonate Nr. 2 g-moll Op. 22 - 2. Andantino. Getragen
Sonate Nr. 2 g-moll Op. 22 - 3. Scherzo. Sehr rasch und markiert - attacca:
Sonate Nr. 2 g-moll Op. 22 - 4. Rondo. Presto - Prestissimo. Quasi Cadenza
Nachtstucke, Op. 23 - 1. Mehr langsam, oft zuruckhaltend
Nachtstucke, Op. 23 - 2. Markiert und lebhaft
Nachtstucke, Op. 23 - 3. Mit grosser Lebhaftigkeit
Nachtstucke, Op. 23 - 4. Ad libitum - Einfach
Drei Romanzen, Op. 28 - 1. Sehr markiert
Drei Romanzen, Op. 28 - 2. Einfach
Drei Romanzen, Op. 28 - 3. Sehr markiert - Intermezzo I. Presto - Intermezzo II. Etwas langsamer - Wie vorherPresto - Inter
Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Neun Klavierstucke - 1. Eintritt. Nicht zu schnell
Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Neun Klavierstucke - 2. Jager auf der Lauer. Hochst lebhaft
Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Neun Klavierstucke - 3. Einsame Blumen. Einfach
Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Neun Klavierstucke - 4. Verrufene Stelle. Ziemlich langsam
Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Neun Klavierstucke - 5. Freundliche Landschaft. Schnell
Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Neun Klavierstucke - 6. Herberge. Massig
Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Neun Klavierstucke - 7. Vogel als Prophet. Langsam, sehr zart
Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Neun Klavierstucke - 8. Jagdlied. Rasch, kraftig
Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Neun Klavierstucke - 9. Abschied. Nicht zu schnell

Customer Reviews:

The facets of the lyricism!.......2006-05-30

Wilhelm Kempff made sing the piano as any other pianist ever born. But besides, his profound domain of the thematic material as well as his tune produced a Schumann so original, expressive and eloquent with sentiment but no sentimentality.

This album is a formidable and fundamental set of the most remarkable Schumann piano works. To create such atmosphere and interpretative freshness in this composer is not easy, but in Kempff hands we are talking about another dimension of pianism.

In this age, pitifully, you cannot count with many thinkers pianists; ones due the very adjusted schedule and the rest by unknown reasons seem to consider a matter of second priority to play with a determined conception. The technique seems to prevail under any other aspect. And that's not a good symptom.

That is why among other arguments you should acquire as soon as possible this extraordinary set.

Absorbing and rewarding in summon grade.

Divine.......2005-07-18

When I first read the reviews here on Amazon, I was a bit concerned about buying this set. I truely love Kempff and elegant performing style, but after having almost around 150 of his collections and cd's, I know that he can be dreadful when he is not on form. So I was worried about this set, but it was useless.

This 4-cd set contains some of the best performances that Kempff could offer considering his age. There are numerous highlights here: Papillons, Davidsbündlertänze, fantasy,..... All of them find him on top form. Although one might argue that there are studio recordings and who knows how many takes one recording must have to become perfect, but let me tell you, even in his live and extremely nerve breaking situations and venues such as the Salzburg festival, he was always on top form.

So Kempff's fan, buy this. It's worth it. In here you won't quite find the excitement that Richter put into his Schumann, but you will find the poetry, emotions and sensitivity that many others lack in their recordings.

To be avoided.......2003-11-22

Despite his reputation as one of the towering exponents of the 19th Germanic repetoire, Kempff acquits himself poorly in these recordings, made at the end of his life. Whether these weak performances are due to his advanced age or to more basic flaws in his training and capabilities is purely academic. They are among the poorest choices in the catalogue, perhaps the very worst. But please - don't take my word for it. Listen to the Etde IX in the op. 13, on disc 2. Kempff's attempt to pull this off is embarrassingly amateurish; he cannot even cover all the notes at "presto possibile", much less raise his playing to something approaching an interpretation. Elsewhere, you can expect the same. The op. 17 is played with little poetry, no finesse and palpable frustration in following Schumann's basic roadmap. You cannot run away from this mess fast enough.

aristocratic and heartfelt schumann.......2003-08-28

this compilation has the benefit of including most of schumann's important keyboard works (among excluded works are the toccata, first sonata, bunte blatter and fantasiestucke), under the hands of an extraordinary schumann interpreter.

recorded in the 1970's, when kempff was nearing 80, this is genuinely classic schumann. the virtuosic extremes of the symphonische etuden and kriesleriana are not quite fully exploited, but there is no flubbing, stumbling or cutting corners: kempff has things always under control. look to argerich, pollini or pogorelich for white hot schumann, kempff delivers him as a human being.

for the sheer poetry of schumann, kempff has never been bettered. his davidsbundlertanze, especially the last 5 movements, is without peer. the kinderszenen is delightful. the poetry of the fantasie in C is magnificent. there is a lifetime of musical experience and temperament in this playing.

aristocratic and heartfelt schumann.......2003-08-28

Tracks:

Valse Sentimentale - Clara Rockmore
Oraison - Ens D'Ondes De Montreal
Etude Aux Chemins De Fer - Pierre Schaeffer
Williams Mix - John Cage
Klangstudie II - Herbert Eimert/Robert Beyer
Low Speed - Otto Luening
Dripsody - Hugh Le Caine
Forbidden Planet: Main Title - Louis Barron/Bebe Barron
Elektronische Tanzste: Concertando Rubato - Oskar Sala
Poem Electronique - Edgard Varese
Sine Music (A Swarm Of Butterflies Encountered Over The Ocean) - Richard Maxfield
Apocalypse-Part 2 - Tod Dockstader
Kontakte - James Tenney/William Winant
Wireless Fant - Vladimir Ussachevsky
Philomel - Milton Babbitt
Spacecraft - MEV

Tracks:

Cindy Electronium - Raymond Scott
Pendulum Music - Sonic Youth
Bye Bye Butterfly - Pauline Oliveros
Projection Esemplastic For White Noise - Joji Yuasa
Silver Apples Of The Moon, Part 1 - Morton Subotnick
Rainforest Version 1 - David Tudor
Poppy Nogood - Terry Riley
Boat-Woman-Song - Holger Czukay
Music Promenade - Luc Ferrari
Vibrations Composees: Rosace 3 - Francois Bayle
Mutations - Jean-Claude Risset
Hibiki-Hana-Ma - Iannis Xenakis
Map Of 49's Dream The Two Systems Of Eleven Sets Of Galactic Intervals: Drift Study '31/69 c.... - La Monte Young

Tracks:

He Destroyed Her Image - Charles Dodge
Six Fants On A Poem By Thomas Campion: Her Song - Paul Lansky
Appalachian Grove - Laurie Spiegel
En Phase/Hors Phase - Bernard Parmegiani
On The Other Ocean - David Behrman
Stria - John Chowning
Living Sound, Patent Pending Music For Sound-Joined Rooms Series - Maryanne Amacher
Automatic Writing - Robert Ashley
Canti Illuminati - Alvin Curran
Music On A Long Thin Wire - Alvin Lucier
Melange - Klaus Schulze
Before And After Charm (La Notte) - Jon Hassell
Unfamiliar Wind (Leeks Hills) - Brian Eno

Amazon.com

Opening with Clara Rockmore's reworking of Tchaikovsky with the theremin, and finishing with one of Brian Eno's ambient soundscapes, OHM artfully succeeds in its goal of giving a representative (as opposed to the impossible, comprehensive) overview of the first several decades of electronic music. Over 3 discs, 42 compositions, and 96 pages of notes and photos, OHM clearly illustrates the producers' and contributing writers' point that early electronic music is much of the foundation of contemporary music. Herein lies the connective tissue bridging musique concrète, 20th-century classical, electronic experimentation, and the theoretical avant-garde to psychedelia, ambient, dub, techno, electro, and synthpop and the globalization of sound. The groundbreaking uses of loops, sampling, drones, remixes, and cut-and-paste technology are put fully into context. The diversity of music included makes any sort of summation impossible, but that is also the point: electronic music is not really a genre, but an open field of endless possibility. From John Cage's famous "William's Mix" of tape snippets to Karkheinz Stockhausen's electronic orchestral compositions, from David Tudor and Holger Czukay's experiments in unrelated blendings of audio elements to David Behrman's supremely peaceful duet between computers and musicians, the aural renegades on OHM tread where none (save a few of their contemporaries) had gone before. The liner notes convey the incredible amount of hard work and experimentation it took to stitch together many of these pieces in the predigital era. Putting aside the inevitable quibbles about what's missing (much of it due to legal and/or logistical issues), a more complete collection of musical eggheads, eccentrics, and visionaries is hard to imagine. --Carl Hanni

Customer Reviews:

excellent but uncomplete.......2006-11-12

Althought most of the music here is an excellent collection of electronic music history, this 3 CDs lack of the important contribution given by the RAI phonology studios of Milan, Italy in the 50s
(which was bigger than Koln's WDR studios) with Bruno Maderna, Luciano Berio and Luigi Nono.
This is a big mistake. Milans studios were the biggest of europe and produced many important electroacoustic pieces.
If the collection aim to describe faithfully electronic music history, it should include this artists too.

To call it music may be a bit limiting. .......2006-10-24

Some of the tracks on here are "music". That is that they contain all the bits we're trained to experience as music -- melody, etc. Some are not, and the composers would be the first people to tell you that. A lot of these works are reactions to ingrained rules, so they're bound to be jarring.

A more successful way to approach such a broad and varied collection of audio experimentation is to think of it as curated sound. This isn't something to wash the dishes to, or to seduce someone to (although if you did manage to seduce someone with the recordings on this anthology, HOLD ON TO THAT PERSON, because they've got to be a keeper). These are unique sound textures that deserve a close, probably solitary listen, and I think if you're in the right frame of mind, it can be a very rewarding listen.

My main complaint is sequencing: each dicrete piece follows it's own internal logic, so there are more than a couple rough gear changes. However, since each piece is so different, and the collection is so varied, I'm not sure that you could totally escape that.

A worthwhile collection.......2006-01-11

The OHM collection contains some of those ground breaking electronic compositions that have shaped today's styles, from the early electronic instruments of Theremin and Martenot, through Pierre Schaeffer's Music Concrete tape music and the electronic music of Stockhausen and Subotnick, to the mainframe computer output of Risset and Chowning.

It is unfair to mark this collection down due to the production quality and 'musicality' of its contents, to do so would be to staggeringly miss the point of the development of electronic music through the 20th Century. What this collection shows is the ideas behind those at the cutting edge of the genre before many could even conceive of such output. That said it is hard going at points, as experimental music can be.

Highlights for me are no doubt Olivier Messiaen's 'Oraison' on CD 1, David Tudor's 'Rainforest Version 1' on CD 2 and on CD 3 David Behrman's 'On the Other Ocean' and Maryanne Amacher's 'Living sound Patent Pending'.

OhMyGodHowDreadful.......2005-08-15

Ok, this collection is supposed to be early works and, thus not expected to be very sophisticated or polished. But the OHM collection sounds like the first attempt of a spastic cat turned-loose on a Moog keyboard. When it is not boreing, this collection of random and dissonant sounds (I can't call it music) is without any redeeming qualities to make it worth while. Don't get me wrong, I am a long-time fan of Wendy (nie Walter) Carlos and some other real pioneers of electronic music. However, I find that the Ohm collection has no similar qualities and is a major disappointment.

Kid Stockhausen.......2003-01-17

This is required listening for anybody interested in the history of electronic music. Although implicitly aiming for the techno music audience, this audio history is overwhelmingly focused on the classical avant-garde of electro-acoustic composers. The closest you'll get to pop electronica is the Brian Eno track at the end of the third disc. No Kraftwerk, no Moroder, etc. Instead "OHM" manages to point to the continuities between, say, John Cage and artists currently working at the experimental edges of electronica (so-called IDM). It seems to be saying, "You think Kid 606 is visionary? Well check out this Stockhausen track from '59!"

Admittedly, some of the songs are much more interesting to think about than they are to listen to. Some of the early pieces that were made through thosuands of hours of pains-taking tape-splicing could be made today in an afternoon with a digital audio editor and a few effects plug-ins.

It is a beautiful package, containing a 90 page booklet of essays, quotations from the featured artists, and photographs. What all music should be: an education in daring.

Bullfrogs and Butterflies
Average customer rating:
Bullfrogs and Butterflies
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Madacy Kids
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
Compilations | Children's Music | Styles | Music
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Music Machine: The Fruit of the Spirit

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Music Machine Complete 3-CD Set

ASIN: B000H5TVBM
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Tracks:

Welcome to Agapeland
Good Morning
This Is the Day
Rainy Day Song (Introduction)
Rainy Day Song
Kid Talk
I Like Knowing God the Best
My Hands Belong to You
Friends
Practice Makes Perfect
Bullfrogs and Butterflies
Noah
You're So Good to Me

Tracks:

Oh Me, Oh My
My Favorite Things
God's Wonderful Love
Knock, Knock, Knock
I Know Somebody Who Knows
I Love to Say Your Name
Floydd Frog
There's Been a Metamorphosis
Jesus Gave Me Wings
It's Time to Let My People Go
I Will Praise You, O Lord
My Favorite Things (Reprise)

Tracks:

Honesty - Doggie Bone Blues [DVD][*]
Responsibility - Bouncer and the Spring Hoppers [DVD][*]
Thankfulness - Benny's Wake-Up Surprise [DVD][*]
Gentleness - New Baby in the House [DVD][*]

Average customer rating:

beautiful
Richter's Schumann Fantasy
Fluent Fantasy, competent Faschingsshwank, great Papillions
Richter's Schumann Fantasy is the best out there!
Beautifully poised Schumann

Fantasy: Papillons
Schumann , and Richter
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Schumann: Piano Concerto / Sviatoslav Richter
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 5 / Sviatoslav Richter
BBC Friends: Richter (Great Performers of the Twentieth Century)
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, etc. (Box) [Germany]
Brahms: Concerto No.2/Beethoven: Sonata No.23

ASIN: B000067DNW
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Tracks:

Fantasy In C, Op.17: I: Durchaus Phantastisch Und Leidenschaftlich Vorzutragen
Fantasy In C, Op.17: II: Massig - Durchaus Energisch
Fantasy In C, Op.17: III: Langsam Getragen - Durchweg Leise Zu Halten
Faschingsschwank Aus Wien, Op.26: I: Allegro
Faschingsschwank Aus Wien, Op.26: II: Romanze
Faschingsschwank Aus Wien, Op.26: III: Scherzino
Faschingsschwank Aus Wien, Op.26: IV: Intermezzo
Faschingsschwank Aus Wien, Op.26: V: Finale
Papillions, Op.2

Customer Reviews:

beautiful.......2006-11-26

Sviatoslav Richter's artistry fascinates me, because it is intimate and personal at the same time that it is extroverted and aggressive. You'd think those traits couldn't go together, but in Richter's playing they do. His are complex, multifaceted interpretations; he's both muscular and delicate, both athlete and poet.

I see that many of the other reviewers here love the Fantasy; I must confess that I found the piece more difficult than the others at the first hearing, so I'll have to return to it again soon. But the Faschingsschwank and Papillons are gorgeous and captivating, with unforgettable melodic material and extraordinary dramatic character; and again, Richter presents interpretations of a truly legendary caliber: these are the rare, elite sort of readings that add even greater depth to compositions that are already great masterworks.

As this reissue is only $7 new, you're truly committing a crime if you don't pick one of these up.

Richter's Schumann Fantasy.......2006-02-19

Intense, powerful, and subtle--Richter is the true master, but this live performance sounds like it was recorded in a TB ward. Intrusive sounds from the audience--not just a few instances of isolated throat-clearing--but a continual chorus of bronchial spasms-mar Richter's magical keyboarding.

Fluent Fantasy, competent Faschingsshwank, great Papillions.......2004-12-02

To be honest I'm not sure why Richter has garnered so much praise for this recording. Yes, the Fantasy is fluent and is expressive, but there's nothing there that makes it a seminal recording.

The competent Faschingsschwank is done merely adequately. I thought the tone was at times brutish.

The best piece, I thought, on this disc was the Papillions. Every episode of this little gem conveyed the capriciousness and whimsy of a butterfly. It is even soulful.

Richter's Schumann Fantasy is the best out there!.......2004-05-30

The Schumann Fantasy is one of my favorite pieces of music written during the 19th Century. I have several recordings of it by such pianists as Rubinstein, Horowitz, Perahia, de Larrocha and this one by Richter.

It is the best one that I've heard, and is one of my favorite recordings from Richter. He draws you into his "biosphere" (to coin a phrase from his protege' Andrea Gavriolv). The virtuosity of the middle movement is incredible, his tempo is absolutely insane, but after all, he IS Sviatoslav Richter! The dynamic control, phrasing and tonal nuance are just sublime. His phrasing lingers on in your heart long after he is finished. Just Beautiful!

Beautifully poised Schumann.......2004-04-01

Sviatoslav Richter was a pianistic giant, one of the most admired of a bumper crop of Russian pianists who emerged in the wake of World War II. His concert appearances in the U.S. were not as plentiful as they might have been, due to his own idiosyncracies and the vagaries of the Cold War. It must be said that in his live performances (of which many are available on disc) he could be uneven, occasionally overplaying and crushing the music in the heat of the moment. These Schumann performances are all the more astonishing, then, for their poised musicianship as much as for Richter's signature technical prowess. The latter is of course much in evidence in the all-but-insane tempi for the coda of the second movement of the Fantasy and the finale of "Fassingschwank." But what lingers even more in this listener's ear is Richter's controlled mastery in shaping the arching melodic lines of the opening and closing movements of the Fantasy, some of Schumann's most potently beautiful music, and the unexpected charm and wit of the dozen tiny dances that comprise "Papillons." The sound is not state-of-the-art by today's standards, but perfectly acceptable.

Tracks:

Radio Child
Aunt Avis
Tall Boy
Gradle
Glory
Rebirtha
You Got Yours
Hope in a Hopeless World
Happy
Greta

Customer Reviews:

Something isn't quite right.......2006-10-07

THE BEST SONGS ARE ALSO ON LIGHT FUSE, GET AWAY.

Released in 1997, this is Widespread Panic's fifth CD. The sound quality is very good. It is 49 minutes long, but the last 4 minutes of Greta is just a very annoying scraping, buzzing sound. The CD originally came in a cardboard foldout case.

There is something that is not quite right with this CD. The production values and engineering are very good. I think it is that the compositions are just not very good.

This is one of those singer/song writer albums that every jam band puts out. Everyone wants to do an American Beauty (Grateful Dead's landmark album). Moe had Dither, String Cheese Incident has One Step Closer and Phish had Picture of Nectar. They were all failures.

To make a singer/song writer album, the group usually brings in an outside producer. This producer than molds the album around his vision, instead of the band's. It usually doesn't work.

John Keane produced this album. He also produced the previous Ain't Life Grand, where he was very succesful. I think that with Ain't Life Grand, he made the album better by cleaing up the sound, but not interfering with the group's artistic vision. On this CD, Bombs & Butterflies, he might have too much influence.

It also sounds like the group is trying to copy others. Aunt Avis sounds like LA country rock by someone like the Buffalo Springfield or Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Happy, is an Allman Brothers type instrumental, but is not very interesting. Many of the songs are along the standard Southern Rock music style. You Got Yours sounds like it has a little Deep Purple mixed in. Greta has a Pink Floyd like opening.

The album does have a very good sound. The playing and mix are excellent. He also contained John Herrman's keyboard playing so that really enhances the songs, instead of detracting from them.

But, the songs just are not very good. And the best songs, Rebirtha and Greta are on the live CD Light Fuse, Get Away and Tall Boy is on Classic City. You could get those and skip this CD.

The worst songs, Aunt Avis and Hope in a Hopeless World were written by someone else. The group should stick to performing their own songs, or JJ Cale songs.

If you are new to Widespread Panic, get the live CD Classic City and then get the first two CD's, Widespread Panic and Space Wrangler, which are fantastic, five star albums.

Once upon a time.........2002-03-22

..Widespread Panic was a group still in the process of finding their own sound and trying to keep the spirit of southern rock & roll alive. Though they hadn't developed into the distinct entity they are today, though their singer had a tendency to sound like Gregg Allman at times, they built a good following on the strength of albums like this. And though they've done better albums since.. Bombs & Butterflies is still a heck of a fun listen.

One spin of the opener "Radio Child" should rub out any notion that these guys are an ordinary southern-rock band. And if public opinion hadn't tossed so many jam bands into the "Phish wannabe" pile, WP might be just as well-known right now. There's flat-out rock ("Tall Boy," "Radio Child"), some quiet-but-not-sappy moments ("Glory," "Aunt Avis") even a.. well, happy instrumental ("Happy"). This is an album for sunny spring & summer afternoons, a spirited bunch of tunes that'll make those miles on the highway go by before you notice. Pick this one up if you've already heard Don't Tell the Band and Til the Medicine Takes.. or if you just want something a little more focused than the marathon Light Fuse & Get Away. If you like that southern sound the Allmans do so well, though, any one of them will be just fine.

Grat rock, not enough soul.......2001-03-25

Being one on Widesread Panic's earlier releases this album features more of a classic rock theme with more basic chord progressions and arrangements than their more recent releases. Looking back with 20/20 hindsight it is easy to tell that at this point the band hadn't quite come into their pinnacle of songwriting that they have now. Of course, with this album Widespread Panic continues the true rock and roll tradition that seems to be underground at this point. A great album for those who love rock.

panic fan.......2001-03-02

i read a couple of the reviews and was disapointed. I didnt wont somebody to get discouraged by them. this cd like all other widespread panic cd's really does have geat music. This music is truely for music listners. I myself am into a lot of crazy jazz and african music. of course to like this id have to like rock. But i think that theses gays are really good. i have a pretty good music ear to. these gays know how to jam. every player forces great power into this music. their live music is even better. Its ten times better than most of the modern rock you hear on the radio. Yea i agry this isnt their best cd gut i think any panic cd is great. If you like this i garanty you'll like the others.

not the best Panic...but awesome nonetheless.......2000-05-19

I was initially introduced to Widespread Panic through listening to a bootlegged live show, so the first time I listened to an actual studio album of theirs, I was quite surprised. The songs actually had beginnings and endings! Having seen them live since then, I can honestly say that they are twenty-thousand times better live. Still, they are awesome in the studio too, and Bombs is my favorite studio album from them. From the keyboard driven driving rock of "Radio Child," to the laid back "Aunt Avis," and "Hope in a Hopeless World," this album is a perfect representation of Widespread Panic even though it is not a live album. The album still contains several jams, but they're simply shortened ("tall boy" and "rebirtha" for example). Personally I think that if you're going to buy a Panic album, get the live CD Light Fuse Get Away, as it shows the band off at their best. However, Bombs is a great CD as well, and serves as a great introductory Cd to those unfamiliar with the band.

Schubert: 'Wanderer' Fantasy; Schumann: Fantasy & Papillons

Average customer rating:

Two Fantasies and a Butterfly
Again

Schubert: 'Wanderer' Fantasy; Schumann: Fantasy & Papillons

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Schubert: Wanderer-Fantaisie; Impromptus
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The Sofia Recital 1958

ASIN: B00076ONTQ
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Tracks:

I. Allegro Con Fuoco Ma Non Troppo -
II. Adagio -
III. Presto
IV. Allegro
I. Durchaus Fantastisch Und Leidenschaftlich Vorzutragen
II. Massig. Durchaus Energisch
III. Langsam Getragen. Durchweg Leise Zu Halten
Introduzione (Moderato) & No.1
No.2 (Prestissimo)
No.3
No.4 (Presto)
No.5
No.6
No.7 (Semplice)
No.8
No.9 (Prestissimo)
No.10 (Vivo - Piu Lento)
No.11
No.12 (Finale)

Customer Reviews:

Two Fantasies and a Butterfly.......2006-11-01

The Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter (1915 -- 1997) was revered for his magnificent, highly personal playing of Schubert and Schumann. This CD, appropriately included in EMI's "Great Artists of the Century" series includes three masterpieces for piano solo which Richter made his own: Schubert's 'Wanderer Fantasy" and Schumann's Fantasy in C, opus 17 and Papillons opus 2. With Richter at the height of his powers on three treasured works, this CD is difficult to resist.

Schubert's "Wanderer" Fantasy is on my shortest list of music that I have known over the years that is dear to me. Richter's reading is a deserved classic. Schubert composed the work in 1822, just after laying aside what would become known as his "Unfinished" symphony. It is a grand, stunning composition written in a flamboyant, virtuosic style that Schubert otherwise used only rarely. It is a showpiece, full of bravura; and Schubert himself remarked of it "the devil take it, I can't play it." The work is composed in four movements around a theme that Schubert used in his song "The Wanderer". The second movement consists of a series of variations on the theme of the song. Listen to the final variation and Richter's playing of the long series of runs and filigree high in the register over a cello-like singing of the theme. The work is full of enormous crashing chords, sweeping arpeggios and long runs, together with Schubert's singing themes and a gamut of emotion ranging from the forceful and hopeful to the deeply sad, as in the second movement. Richter offers a reading that is both powerful and showy and also attuned to the many nuances and changes of moods in Schubert's score. The 'Wanderer' has been a source of inspiration to me and to many listeners and composers.

Robert Schumann's was a great admirer of Schubert's 'Wanderer". His own Fantasy opus 17 is also a virtuosic work, probably Schumann's greatest composition for solo piano, but of a different spirit than Schubert's. Schumann's three-movement Fantasy is a wayward, moody and highly passionate work. As was most of Schumann's early piano music, it was composed in the midst of and reflects his stormy courtship of Clara Wieck. It can be heard to capture the difficult passionate courtship in the opening movement, Schumann's determination to see the courtship through in the middle movement, and the consummate expression of love in the finale. The opening muovement alternates between the passionate, arresting opening theme and quieter more reflective material. The movement is difficult to hold together, but Richter does so here. Schumann himself said that the first movement was 'more impassioned than anything I have ever written." The second movement consists of a wayward march with a contrastingly quiet middle section. It closes with a devilishly difficult passage for the soloist with big chords and wide skips. The finale is slow,quiet and pensive, reflective of the feelings of a lover for the beloved. There are two large climaxes in the course of what is a lyrical conclusion to a passionately romantic work. The third movement of the Fantasy includes quotations from Beethoven's song cycle, "To the Distant Beloved" opus 98. Schumann adored this work which is one of Beethoven's most romantic compositions and written on a theme -- a difficult love -- close to Schumann's own.

Papillons, opus 2 is an early example of Schumann as a composer of piano minatures along the line of his more famous "Carnaval" and "Scenes from Childhood." Papillions consists of twelve short pieces, some of them highly virtuosic, which alternate between the dreamy and the lyrical and the passionate and forceful sides of Schumann's personality. There are songlike themes in this work, graceful light dances, syncopated rhythms, and large heavily chorded sections with long movements in octaves. This reading captures a live performance and Richter brings out the intense, yearning, and temperamental character of Schumann's erratic gifts.

Schubert's 'Wanderer' is almost an incomparable work for me. It is here together with two other great works of romantic piano music definitively played.

Robin Friedman

Again.......2006-02-14

Yet another re-packaging of Richter's 'Wanderer'; EMI must really believe in this recording. As well it should, since this is one of the better versions of the Fantasy in the catalog. Lots of folks still think this is the best-ever choice, and while I have some reservations, it is definitely exciting. I'm not at all sure that Schubert would have anticipated quite so much banging around the keyboard, but Richter is certainly no novice with this material. The other pieces are fine, though listeners might want to audition Kempff and Brendel recordings, too (if still available).

Grieg: Piano Concerto; Schumann: Piano Concerto

Average customer rating:

Scrappy orchestra (ditto sound) but Richter is magisterial
Richter Revisits Schumann

Grieg: Piano Concerto; Schumann: Piano Concerto

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Dinu Lipatti plays Chopin, Enescu, Ravel, Liszt & Brahms

ASIN: B00008RGZK
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

I. Allegro Molto Moderato
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Moderato Molto E Marcato
I. Allegro Affettuoso - Andante Espressivo - Allegro Molto
II. Intermezzo (Andantino Grazioso)
III. Allegro Vivace
Papillons, Op. 2

Customer Reviews:

Scrappy orchestra (ditto sound) but Richter is magisterial.......2006-02-25

By 1974 Sviatoslav Richter was about to turn 60 and entering his eccentric late phase, in which he made fewer studio recordings, appeared randomly at small towns anywhere from Siberia to the south of France, generally without advance announcment, to play off the cuff, and fell into the habit of playing in dark halls with a reading lamp beside the keybooard to light up the score he insisted on using.

But this 1974 pairing of the Grieg and Schumann piano concertos reveals that the titan wasn't sleeping. In every bar Richter is so oriignal that instead of being a warhorse among warhorses, you feel you've never heard the Grieg concerto before. His approach is plain and rather slow, with no attempt at virtuoso flash. The magic is all in the phrasing, where Richter was peerless, and of course in his lion-like command of tone.

Von Matacic and the Monte Carlo orchestra follow Richter's lead; their part is fairly scrapy, and even in this remastering the EMI sonics are quasi-Soviet, showing a clangy, unpleasant edge in loud passages. Richter is the whole show (unlike the superb pairing of Fleisher and Szell in these concertos), making it hard for me to hear anyone else's Grieg A minor.

Richter competes with his own classic DG recording of the Schuman concerto with Rowicki from 1959, but since he was probably the greatest Schumann pianist of the century, there's no reason to compare the two, only to apreciate both. The timings are nearly identical in all three movements, the orchestras and sound are less than ideal, yet the two conductors are sympathetic. The filler on this generous (73 min.) CD is the same 1962 Papillons recorded live in Italy that EMI has reissued many times. Who cares--it's great.

Richter Revisits Schumann.......2005-01-21

Pianist Sviatoslav Richter was one of the world's greatest interpreters of Schumann, and his 1958 Deutsche Grammophon recording of the Piano Concerto with Witold Rowicki and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra (currently available on CD in the "DG Originals" series) is most people's first choice recommendation, mine included. This CD in EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" series offers Richter's 1974 remake with conductor Lovro von Matacic and Monte Carlo National Opera Orchestra. It is one of the very best performances available but it would be a lot to ask of any performer to outshine the initial greatness captured on the DG disc. Still, this title is very much worth purchasing, for Richter's Grieg is magical as well and it is a delight to once again hear Matacic in the EMI fold, who after numerous recordings for Walter Legge in the late 1950s and early 60s, seemed to disappear, undeservedly, from international prominence. In fact, for anyone looking for a Grieg/Schumann coupling, I would recommend this title over the Sony Essential Classics disc (where Entremont gives a good Grieg, paired with a brilliant performance by Serkin in the Schumann -- see my review) and the Radu Lupu on Decca Legends. The only coupling I personally prefer to this title is the recent Leon Fleisher/George Szell reissue in Sony's retooled "Great Performances" series, but alas those CDs are being sold exclusively through Tower. So in all, enjoy Richter on a great, but not the greatest, Schumann Piano Concerto of the century.

Music Info:

Music Info

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