Ile De France

Ile De France

Track Listings

1. Memory Lane

2. All the King's Horses

3. She Makes Me Feel So Bourgeois

4. Wisdom of Despair

5. (This Could Be) Heaven

6. Born on the Wrong Planet

7. Goddess

8. Abandon Ship

9. Ile de France

10. Premiere Gnossienne

11. Danse de Travers #2

12. A La Prochaine

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
As a composer and player, Huw Gower's distinct, ringing guitar licks and original tunes cross the Anglo-American borders of pop, rock and his own taste for vintage r&b and blues. Entering the US musical milieu via the airwaves as writer and performer of the quintessential guitar cadences of "Starry Eyes", then teaming up with David Johansen for a live album and world tour which sparked the #1 MTV video "Animals Medley", Gower soon found himself with a Best of 1984 solo record. In The NY Times review of "Guitarophilia" Robert Palmer said of him, "guitarists who work as hired guns don't always show exceptional songwriting and arranging talent but Mr. Gower does...the songs count and all of them have something to offer..." Now after a decade of immersing himself in classical, folk and blues guitar, you can listen to him re-invent his many talents.

Product Description
This recording has been described as a mix of Richard Thompson, Donovan and Mose Allison with a dash of Erik Satie thrown in. It is multi cultural in as much as it cannot be described conveniently as Rock, Folk, Jazz, Blues or R&B. It traverses all those archetypes in the way that a seasoned player would prefer to flavour and expand rather than confine his musical surroundings.

Ile De France

Tracks:

Sym Espagnole, Op.21: I. Allegro Non Troppo
Sym Espagnole, Op.21: II. Scherzando (Allegro Molto)
Sym Espagnole, Op.21: III. Intermezzo: (Allegretto Non Troppo)
Sym Espagnole, Op.21: IV. Andante
Sym Espagnole, Op.21: V. Rondo (Allegro)
Zigeunerweisen, Op.20
Thais - Meditation

Customer Reviews:

The definitive Zigeunerweisen.......2007-04-20

.

I have never loved the violin. I have never loved Zigeunerweisen. I have always been ambivalent about Ozawa.

Now I love all three, at least for the duration of this performance.

I have always loved EMI, however, and rate this recording at the top for sound, as well. A violin must be recorded perfectly and played back on only the best equipment for me to tolerate it. Particularly if digital. Normally, I cannot stand a violin CD, much preferring analog. But EMI got it right here.

Zigeunerweisen has been the temptation of so many over-the-top violinists, that I have grown tired of it of late. It is the type of music that invites excess, but seldom rewards it. But ms Mutter does it so well, with such dramatic pacing and dynamics that I am literally on the edge of my seat every time I hear it. She has all the stylistic and dynamic extremes of her cohorts, but somehow manages to pull it off with class and delicacy. Delicacy is not a word I would normally use for Zigeunerweisen. I have to ride the gain to get everything out of the softer passages (and, they ARE soft), and then run it lower to avoid being blasted by the less-quiet passages. This is not car music unless you have really good equipment and the vehicle is stopped.

And she and Ozawa seem made for each other. They are of one mind and body in this performance.

Oh, yeah, the other stuff on the CD is great, too.

Passionate musical display........2007-01-18

This is my first experience with Lalo's Symphonie espagnole, so I do not have a basis for comparison, but being a violin music fan, I have heard a few violin concertos with different artists, from the virtuoso to the romantic, and this great recording fits somewhere in the middle. Anne-Sophie Mutter's tone is delicate but fierce, and precise but somehow fragile; her performance in these three showpieces is outstanding, sometimes it sounds like she is playing on the edge of losing control of the pieces, but she makes no mistake and resolves all the technical challenges in the music with ease. Maybe that is what makes this record worthwhile, it has an intense emotion which goes beyond the technical mastery to evolve into a brilliant musical experience. The only downside is the short duration of the record, but the music on it is excellent, and for a discount price, it is hard to get a better record for your money.

First choice Symphonie Espagnole!.......2005-10-15

Anne-Sophie Mutter's recording of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole remains the most satisfying recording of this piece. Most recordings suffer from being at one of two extremes: too light and feminine, lacking in the dramatic Spanish bravura the piece needs (Chee-Yun and Chang); or overly masculine and serious, missing the playful fun Lalo crafted into the piece (Zuckerman and Perlman). Mutter's performance strikes a perfect balance between these two extremes, succeeding in conveying passionate fervor without losing sight of the humerous romp that it is. The orchestral accompaniment--Seiji Ozawa conducting the French National Orchestra--is a perfect complement to Mutter's flawless playing, maintaining just the right tempos throughout, unlike the other recordings which are either too drawn out (Chee-Yun) or too speedy (Zuckerman). My only reservation concerns the sound which, while digital and bright, lacks the clarity that truly great digital recordings offer. However, the imperfect sound will not detract from the nearly perfect performance!
The CD comes with two shorter works, Sarasate's Gypsy-inspired Zigeunerweisen and Massanet's dramatic Thais Meditation. The Sarasate is given a delightfully virtuosic performance which won't fail to bring a smile to your face. The Massenet is given a particularly powerful reading, accompanied by a Berlin Philharmonic (led by Karajan) in top form, especially the strings. We get all this at budget price, even though this release contains more music (the Massenet) than the original release! An absolute must for fans of Lalo's Symphonie Esoagnole
and for fans of Anne-Sophie Mutter.

Honegger:Le Roi David (Original version)

Average customer rating:

A great modern oratorio

Honegger:Le Roi David (Original version)
Marie-Ange Todorovitch , Arthur Honegger , Michel Piquemal , Orchestre de la Cité , Gilles Ragon , Danielle Borst , and Fersen , Choeur Régional Vitoria d'Ile de France Martin
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Stravinsky:Symphony of Psalms/Mass/Canticum Sacrum
King David
Rossini: Otello
Arthur Honegger: Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher
Beethoven - Triple Concerto ~ Choral Fantasy / Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Berliner Phil., Barenboim

ASIN: B000026CWG
Release Date: 1999-11-30

Customer Reviews:

A great modern oratorio.......1999-11-24

I had never before given a careful listen to Honegger's , no less sat and followed the French text that was inspired by the reopening of a village theater in 1921. When I got the Naxos release (8.553649) of the original version of this work, I was taken immediately not only by the beauty of the music but by the dramatic delivery of this cast. After this work had been successfully staged, a wealthy patron arranged a Paris concert version, which called for an expansion of the orchestrations and the addition of a narrator. What emerged was a 20th century oratorio. It tells the story of David from his life as a young shepherd to his death in the simplest and most vivid way: theatrically. It reminds me greatly of the Martinu "Gilgamesh" (which I highly recommend you hear also) but is less solemn. I think almost any one who like serious music will like this work; and local choral groups should take notice. Michel Piquemal conducts the Orchestre de la Cité with soloists Jacques Martin, Christine Fersen, Danielle Borst, Marie-Angel Todorovitch, and Gilles Ragon, and the Choeur Regional Vittoria d'Ile-de-France.

Fright Night: Music that Goes Bump in the Night

Average customer rating:

Perfect for Halloween!
What, you call this scary music?
Music Is Very Good, However.........
Good Classical type Halloween music anthology
Good for Halloween Gatherings

Fright Night: Music that Goes Bump in the Night

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

Classics from the Crypt
Halloween Hits
Very Scary Music: Classic Horror Themes
Chiller
Halloween Fright Flicks

ASIN: B0000026XI
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

Night On Bald Mountain
Danse Macabre
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: In The Hall Of The Mountain King
Funeral March Of A Marionette
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
D-Minor Toccata And Fugue: Toccata
Hansel And Gretel: Witch's Ride
Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold
The Planets: Mars - The Bringer Of War
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries
Halloween
Mephisto Waltz

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for Halloween!.......2007-01-04

We enjoyed broadcasting the tunes thru our mp3 player on Halloween night. THe trick or treaters and their parents really enjoyed the music

What, you call this scary music?.......2005-07-07

I'm familiar with most of the pieces found in this CD, and I can say I don't think they are frightening at all. They're great and highly enjoyable in their own right (the 'Danse Macabre' by Camille Saint-Saens is lovely dance music), but if one's intention is to bring together a collection of pieces of truly scary classical music, then this anthology hasn't done the job.

Here's a list of what I would consider TRULY TERRIFYING works of classical music:

~Ralph Vaughan Williams' 4th & 6th symphonies (especially the 2nd movement of each of them)

~Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring'

~Gyorgy Ligeti's 'Atmospheres' and 'Lux Aeterna' (used in the film '2001')

~Almost anything by Bela Bartok (but especially his 'The Miraculous Mandarin')

If you want to be truly frightened, go for the said pieces!

Music Is Very Good, However................2004-08-14

The music on this CD is all very good, but as I play it, I don't really feel that "Bump in the Night" sensation throughout. Since it appears to be marketed for fun Halloween gatherings, I cannot honestly say that it will jumpstart the mood for the average party-goer. While "Funeral March For a Marionette" is extremely creepy and sets the mood (for those of you baby-boomers who don't recognize the title---this was the theme music to the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" TV series), other tunes kind of pull the plug on the momentum. Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" might ring Seasonal for classical music buffs, but I think your everyday Joe will picture helicopters soaring over Vietnam and the cry "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!"

FOUR STARS if you just want a nice sampling of bold classical music, and TWO STARS if you want it to go "Bump!" in the Night.

Good Classical type Halloween music anthology.......2004-07-14

While this CD might cover most of the standard "creepy classics", there are a few more it could have covered, but frankly, the only song on the whole thing I didn't care for was Ives "Halloween". Some people may think that completely discordant music is great, but I do NOT! Otherwise, everything else was a great selection, and very entertaining. Definitely worth having, esp. if you like classical music.

Good for Halloween Gatherings.......2003-09-25

If you're looking for a fun CD with spooky sounding music that reminds you of old Disney cartoons...I think that this CD was meant to be fun, NOT for the classical conisseur. It would be a nice CD for a Halloween gathering, or something similar, as background music.

Berlioz: Requiem; Mort de Cléopâtre; Roméo et Juliette (Excerpts)

Average customer rating:

An exciting, huge-scaled performance in woolly sound
Bernstein gives an unreal vision of a supernatural work
Brilliant performance

Berlioz: Requiem; Mort de Cléopâtre; Roméo et Juliette (Excerpts)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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The Royal Edition - Brahms: Piano Concerto no 2

ASIN: B0000027LZ
Release Date: 1992-07-28

Tracks:

Requiem, Op. 5: I. Requiem et Kyrie - Introitus. Andante un poco lento
Requiem, Op. 5: II. Dies Irae - Moderato
Requiem, Op. 5: II. Dies Irae - Andante maestoso (tuba mirum).
Requiem, Op. 5: III. Quid Sum Miser - Andante un poco lento
Requiem, Op. 5: IV. Rex Tremendae - Andante maestoso
Requiem, Op. 5: V. Quaerens Me - Andante sostenuto
Requiem, Op. 5: VI. Lacrymosa - Andante non troppo lento
Requiem, Op. 5: VII. Offertorium - Moderato
Requiem, Op. 5: VIII. Hostias - Andante non troppo lento
Requiem, Op. 5: IX. Sanctus - Andante un poso sostenuto e maestoso

Tracks:

Requiem, Op. 5: X. Agnus Dei - Andante un poco lento
La Mort de Cleopatre: Allegro vivace con impeto
La Mort de Cleopatre: Recitativo: C'en est donc dait! - Moderato
La Mort de Cleopatre: Lento cantabile - Ah! qu'ils sont loin ces jours
La Mort de Cleopatre: Recitativo: Au comble des revers - Moderato
La Mort de Cleopatre: Meditation: Largo misterioso - Grands Pharaons
La Mort de Cleopatre: Allegro assai agitato - Non!...non, de vous demeures
La Mort de Cleopatre: Allegro non troppo - Recitativo misurato - Dieuz de Nil
Romeo et Juliette - Dramatic Symphony, Op. 17: Second Part: Romeo Alone, etc... Andante malinconico e sostenuto
Romeo et Juliette - Dramatic Symphony, Op. 17: Second Part: Romeo Alone - Allegro - Larghetto espressivo.
Romeo et Juliette - Dramatic Symphony, Op. 17: Second Part: Romeo Alone - Allegro.
Romeo et Juliette - Dramatic Symphony, Op. 17: Second Part: Romeo Alone - Reunion des deux Themes, du Larghetto et de l'Allegro
Romeo et Juliette - Dramatic Symphony, Op. 17: 2. Love Scene - Allegretto-Adagio.
Romeo et Juliette - Dramatic Symphony, Op. 17: 2. Love Scene - Allegro agitato - Adagio
Romeo et Juliette - Dramatic Symphony, Op. 17: 3. Queen Mab, etc. - Scherzo. Prestissimo - Allegretto, etc.

Amazon.com essential recording

Berlioz' Requiem needs a performance of spontaneous brilliance and almost manic intensity to come off. The reason is simple. The big movements--the Dies Irae sequence and Lachrymosa--use a huge chorus and a full orchestra including four brass bands (stationed in the four corners of the concert hall), eight sets of timpani (10 players), and additional percussion. After that, everything else sounds anti-climatic, unless the conductor somehow manages to keep the tension flowing through the quiet (and, let's not kid ourselves, dull) bits. Leonard Bernstein certainly manages the impossible, though God only knows how he does it. The recording helps--it really captures a sense of large forces in a big space, while projecting the aura of mystery that the intimate moments need if they're going to work. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

An exciting, huge-scaled performance in woolly sound.......2005-09-18

I don't think the Amazon reviewer is right about the sound of this live performance. The event was very special, a return to the place where Berlioz himself premiered the work. But the Requiem needs brilliant sonics, a great conductor, and superb singers and players who can negotiate the peculiar demands of this unique work. Here, only the conducting fills the bill. The French performers are adequate but not first-rate, and the sound is diffuse and distant, with no sense of immediacy, not surprising under cathedral conditions.

A number of better-sounding Requiems are around by now, particularly the Levine, Shaw, and Ozawa, but this one is so spirited and is filled out with such an exciting rendition of excerpts from Romeo and Juliet that I would never part with it.

Bernstein gives an unreal vision of a supernatural work.......2003-07-28

No recording will ever give the spatial rendering that is necessary for such a massive and monumental work. To really have the feeling of this Requiem you need to listen to it in a cathedral or a vast abbeychurch that enables the director to spread his voices and instruments in a huge space. But a recording can give you the richness of the composition. Hector Berlioz was definitely an atheist and he accepted to compose this Requiem to celebrate the victims of the 1830 revolution in France, though it will change completely later on and will celebrate the capture of Constantine in Algeria by the French in which General Charles-Marie de Damrémont, the Governor of Algeria at the time, died. Berlioz tried to recapture the massive inspiration of the musicians of the French Revolution and to go beyond catholicism to build a vision of the fundamental human drama that comes up from human history, the way Berlioz sees it. For him humanity is confronted to a deep dilemma that confronts the desire to build a new and better world to the reality of war and the human ugly fascination for suffering, both the desire/need to suffer and the desire/need to make other people suffer. This Requiem tries to tell us, through the music and nothing but the music, that we need a rebellious vision of human fate. Christ did not come on his own accord and on his father's decision, but because we asked him to come, because we needed him to come. « Remember, kind Jesus, that I caused your coming. » It could mean man caused this coming with his sins, but it definitely means for Berlioz that man asked Jesus to come to help him sort out the mess in which he is living. Some say it is a Requiem composed by Faust, but we may think it is a Requiem composed by Shakespeare. All musical means are used to imply that man can control his life and his future if man is able to dominate and manage his passions and his deep frustrations. One will be absoluetly flabbergasted when they discover the Dies Irae is a vision of the Apocalypse, that the Lacrymosa is an extreme rebellion against resignation. The use of the flute and the trombone in the Hostias is remarkably modern and pathetic. And these same flute and trombone will come back in the Agnus Dei with the same power to go beyond some abstract faith in equilibrium to express the deep suffering of man confronted to human fate. Hope is not in God but it is entirely in man's heart and soul.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan

Brilliant performance.......2001-06-20

Berlioz's Requiem is one of the most thrilling pieces of choral music ever written. The sheer power of orchestral and vocal might is evident throughout along with other moments of wonderful beauty and contemplative music.

Berstein is on top form and manages to extract a simply awe-inspiring performance from all involved. The Dies Irae on this recording almost threw me from my seat when I first heard it! However, the entire performance is thrilling and the orchestra and singers are suberb. Berlioz is a much neglected composer and yet was one of the most imaginative and brilliant musicians ever. This recording really does this mighty work justice.

Also on these dics are highlights of Romeo et Juliette and La Mort de Cleopatre. The Romeo et Juliette highlights are good, but not as good as the brilliant Colin Davis version. I find that Berstein rushes through the Love Scene far too quickly, whereas Davis takes his time and brings out the great beauty. The Mort de Cleopatre, however is excellent. Jennie Tourel is very good as Cleopatre and Berstein's conducting complements her beautifully.

Tracks:

Egli non riede ancora! - Non so le tetre immagini
Les Chemins de l'amour
E Susanna non vien! - Dove sono i bei momenti
Non! tu ne m'aimes pas!
Es gibt ein Reich
Thy Hand, Belinda - When I Am Laid In Earth
Auf dem See, D. 543
L'ile inconne
Von ewiger Liebe, Op. 43 No. 1
Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen
Fruhling
Love Is Here To Stay
Ave Marie
Sanctus

Customer Reviews:

Simply Wonderful.......2003-11-15

I have always loved Jessye Norman since the first time I heard her voice. That occasion occurred when I bought a completely unknown Verdi opera, Il Corsaro, and was delighted with the result. I knew who Caballe was (I had recordings of her singing, and enjoyed them), but Jessye Norman was a complete unknown to me. I was taken back by the rich vibrant spacious voice that I heard. What also interested me was the fact she could do coloratura work, and float a very beautiful high B flat. The voice then was not as fully developed as now, nor was her artistry as deep, but what I heard was simply breathtaking and I was hooked on her as an artist from that time forth.

This disk is simply a sampling of her singing, and it does show her singing a wide variety of things. She is not perfect in everything she sings (and even the Great Maria Callas was not successful in everything she sang, and I doubt any artist is; some works simply are better suited to their voices and their temperments than others), but one cannot fault her interpretations. The voice is always beautiful and well managed.

I perfer Norman in German opera, which is sampled here, and even though I think she sings a great Strauss (the Ariadne) I feel that composer really doesn't give her much. I have a recording of her doing Salome, which I love and she is superb, but Strauss is not the composer for her. Wagner is where she really sings and takes your breath away. Sadly, there is no real representation of his music here.

French opera is another place she really excels. However, nothing of any real worth is represented here.

American music, particularly spirituals, is another field in which she is sublime. Her Christmas Album is incredible. In this area all we have is the Gershwin, which is extremely well sung, but not really to my liking. To me, for some reason, Ethel Mermon should be singing that song.

As for the Baroque music; Norman is actually exceptional in it. Her voice is fabulous and breathes much warmth into music that is often sung in such a cold lifeless way it loses any power to communicate. I happen to love her Dido (I have the complete opera, and I have that opera with many other singers who are equally fine). I do agree with the one writer who stated that her voice is really "too much" for this music. It actually is. If one has heard Norman in real life, she has an incredibly powerful, full voice. It has nobility in it that is well suited to the grandest of the grand. She is an unforgetable Cassandre in Berlioz's opera. In many ways, it is like hearing Brunhilde sing Vivaldi with the voice large enough to wash over a Wagnerian orchestra being accompanied by 10 instruments. However, not matter how loud or strong her singing, the voice always remains warm, caressing, and enveloping (it is never sharp and penetrating like Nilsson cutting into the ear like a spear). Norman never violates the style of the music she sings. She just has a huge voice. Yes, she can sing the most melting pianissimos, and does so, but God gave her a treasure trove (not a simple chest) of virtues and abilities in her voice. Even though I love her voice, and her singing of Dido, the truth is she is too much of a good thing for that role. Now that isn't to say the music is lesser music, not at all for it is truly great music, it is simply the way it is written, the style of the period it comes from, and the emotional content and the way it should be expressed is simply not right for her lush and glorious sound.

With all this said, this is a super recording. The sound is excellent. I would say, Norman did very well with her recording career having Philips be her label. They have served her voice well. One thing I must say, and this is rather general about recordings; Philips has really done well to capture the true quality of this amazing voice. Most companies simply can't capture large voices well, and often we hear their many problems before we can hear their many strengths. Decca for all its wonderful recording technique never captured the real Nilsson, nor the real Sutherland (and definitely not the real Tebaldi), simply because the miking system has the most terrible time capturing large voices without distorting them. EMI was the worst at capturing big sounding voices and keeping them sounding true.

Philips has managed to capture the sound of Norman's voice and to remain fairly true to it. One is not surprised to hear her in performance after hearing one of her recordings. You just feel more "part of it" in a live setting than on the recordings. Nilsson shocked me, for I was completely unprepared for the strength of her penetrating and exciting sound when I hear her live for the first time. It was like the records captured only a shadow of what and who she was.

The fact that the engineers at Philips have captured her sound so well really places this recording (and all the rest of Normon's recordings) on the top of my list for "authentic sound." I recommend this recording as a wonderful introduction to the art of Jessye Norman. She is a complete artist, and like all singers, she has areas where she is super and without rival, and other areas where she is not necessarily our first choice. Yet, no matter what she sings one can never claim she is uninvolved, detached, or careless in her work. She sings with conviction, and she puts her own stamp on everything she sings. She literally makes the music her own.

Jessye is the best!.......2001-08-09

This is an excellent sampling of some of Jessye's great works. She is so clear and vibrant. You will want to listen to this over and over again. I even bought some of the full length recordings of her music that was sampled here.

A monumental talent.......2000-08-06

Jessye Norman has a landmark voice. It has such warmth, variety of colour, strength and depth that few can surpass her interpretations. The tracks on this CD are a good mixture that show off the best qualities of her voice.

Of course few CDs are perfect and, I'm afraid this is not one of them. Although the Poulenc and Brahms songs are supurbly executed and the Strauss song and aria are similarly noteworthy I must take exception to two of the renditions. Jessye's Dido leaves something to be desired. For me, and those others I have discussed this with, her voice is too rich and uncharacteristic for a touching Baroque aria. I've had the good fortune to play continuo in a live performance of Dido and Aeneas and the Dido in that performance was much colder, though still emotional. For me too Jessye's vibrato is a little too much for the work. Likewise unsatisfactory for me was the Gerschwin. I thought it was a little too much like a vacuum cleaner at points (no offence intended).

Tracks:

Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 101: I. Allegro moderato
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 101: II. Adagio
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 101: III. Allegro
Concerto No. 1 For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 33: Allegro non troppo; Allegro con moto; Allegro non troppo
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op.129: Nicht zu schnell
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op.129: Langsam
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op.129: Sehr lebhaft

Tracks:

Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 104: I. Allegro
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 104: II. Adagio ma non troppo
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 104: III. Finale: Allegro moderato
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 85: I. Adagio; Moderato
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 85: II. Lento; Allegro molto
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 85: III. Adagio
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 85: IV. Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Not all are live..........2003-12-03

Amazon puts "Live" in the title of this disc, but a closer reading of the liner notes shows that some are live and some are not.... it's confusing and I wish the record companies would clearly label whether recordings are live or not on the OUTSIDE of the disc, so you can see it BEFORE you buy it, as many collectors prefer not to purchase live recordings.

In any event, I purchased this recording without knowing it was recorded live and I haven't been disappointed. The Haydn is played with that characteristic Ma reserve, but it works quite well for the piece, being from the Classic Era and all...

Saint-Saens and Schumann are surprisingly lively, although I generally prefer Rostropovich.

Of course, no one plays the Elgar better than Du Pre, so if you're looking for that, you should get the EMI recording of Du Pre/Barenboim b/w Janet Baker's Sea Songs instead of this.

And if you're looking for the Dvorak, the 1969 recording of Rostropovich/vonKarajan/BPO on DG takes the cake EVERY time. Don't waste your time on Ma's soulless, sanitized reading of this wonderfully romantic concerto. If you're up to it and you really want to hear someone pour their heart into Dvorak, try DuPre's late-60s recording on Angel (EMI) with Barenboim and Chicago. Tasty!

Get 3 Individual Ma CD's With the Money About To Be Spent!.......2001-10-18

Nothing to be said about super star Yo-Yo, but I have to confess that as far as concertos go, Yo-Yo Ma does incredulously better in live performances, and if you turn that sentence around, you will see the gist of what I have to say.
All cellists (or any performer on any instrument really) have their more forte genres; for certain romantic concertos, such as Elgar or Schumann particulalry, I frankly don't think Yo-Yo Ma gives MILESTONE performances on this CD set. But of course, his reading of Haydn concertos is one of the most delightfully beautiful ones out there, get it by all means. Also, they were made far back when Yo-Yo Ma was but a young cellist, so that is one obvious reason why there should be better recordings around now(i.e. If you want a Dvorak Concerto by Ma, you should definitely go for the new one with Kurt Masur and New York Philharmonic).

There are numerous other recordings that truly show all admirable, enjoyable aspects of Ma playing (e.g. the exuberant and refreshing Beethoven Sonatas, a little lagged but very beautiful Brahms Sonatas,..) and this is not the best Ma CD's you can get. Money to spend on this CD set? By three other CD's by Ma, there are a LOT of cheaper and greater ones out there!

Just Amazing.......2000-08-01

Yo Yo Ma never seems to dissapoint. His tone is incredibly clear and plays with poise and confidence that every musician should emulate. Yo Yo Ma's interpretation of all the concerti are first rate and some are even better. His Haydn in D leaves me speechless and his Dvorak is one of the best ever recorded. This is one of the best cd collections on the market. You should enjoy every moment of it.

Florent Schmitt: Salammbô, Three Orchestral Suites, Op. 76 (Music Composed for the Pierre Marodon Film, 1925) - Orchestre National d'Ile de France / Jacques Mercier

Average customer rating:

Loaded with atmosphere
Superlative performance of sumptuous score!!

Florent Schmitt: Salammbô, Three Orchestral Suites, Op. 76 (Music Composed for the Pierre Marodon Film, 1925) - Orchestre National d'Ile de France / Jacques Mercier
Florent Schmitt (Composer) , Jacques Mercier (Conductor) , and Orchestre National d'Ile de France
Manufacturer: Bmg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Florent Schmitt: Symphonie Concertante; Rêves; Soirs

ASIN: B00004VR60
Release Date: 2002-09-30

Customer Reviews:

Loaded with atmosphere.......2007-07-05

This is one heck of a film score. It's very interesting and atmospheric music. In fact, it really could be an extended symphonic suite -- which is in fact what Schmitt did in extracting three suites from the full film score (about 55 minutes' worth). For those who know this composer's Salome ballet (the full-orchestra version premiered in 1912), you'll recognize a lot of the same flavor here. But the work is actually closer to the incidental music Schmitt composed for Andre Gide's adaptation of Shakespeare's play Antony & Cleopatra, which he completed in 1921. That score appeared briefly in the late 1980s on a now super-rare Cybelia CD, and hopefully will be issued again -- maybe by Marco Polo/Naxos which I notice has been reissuing some items from the old Cybelia catalogue.

But you can't go wrong with Salammbo, either. The orchestra is spot-on in this difficult-to-play music, and the chorus makes an important contribution in the third suite -- music that roughly corresponds to the end of the movie. This CD is tough to track down, especially in the United States. But it's well-worth the effort.

Superlative performance of sumptuous score!!.......2005-12-22

This is the one of the most impressive scores by Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) that I've heard so far. Schmitt was a close friend of Ravel, but his music has, I think, closer affinities with Rimsky-Korsakov and early Stravinsky; occasionally, one discerns the influence of Debussy and Chabrier, but Schmitt's music has a distinctly personal flavour.
Schmitt composed the music for a 1925 film version of Flaubert's "Salammbo". And while both the film and the music were forgotten (this is probably the first recording of the three suites Schmitt extracted from the film music), the music richly deserves this superlative performance from Jacques Mercier and the Orchestre-National d'Ile de France! Lovers of late-Romantic scores should be grateful for the revival of the suites - a real find!
The music is somewhat reminiscent of "La Tragedie de Salome" and the music from 3'37 (track 1) brings to mind Schmitt's "Dionysiaques", but the lightness and subtlety of some of the scoring (such as from around 4'00 from the same track) is something unique to this score. Indeed, the thematic invention, rhythmic verve and brilliance of orchestration in these three suites are at a far higher level than in many of Schmitt's other scores that I know. Florent Schmitt can be sometimes a very disappointing composer, but this is Schmitt at his best, superbly performed and recorded. Strongly recommended!!

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Ile de Fièvre
Shylock
Manufacturer: Musea Records France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004VADJ
Release Date: 2006-06-01

Tracks:

Ile de Fie
Le Sang des Capucines
Choral
Himog
Lierre d'Aujourd'hui
Laocksetal
Le Dernier

Average customer rating:

One of the great French recordings of the century

The Essential Pierre Bernac

Manufacturer: Testament
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000IAEU
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Ser
Soupir
L'Invatation Au Voyage
L'Ile Heureuse
Sept Melodies, Op.2: IV Le Colibri
Quatre Poemes, Op.3: III Le Jardin Mouille
Deux Melodies, Op.50: I Coeur En Peril
Funf Lieder & Gesange, Op.127: II Dein Angesicht
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Aus Meinen Tranen Spriessen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Die Rose, Die Lilie, Die Taube, Die Sonne
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Wenn Ich In Deine Augen Seh
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Ich Will Meine Seele Tauchen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Im Rhein, Im Heiligen Strome
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Ich Grolle Nicht
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Und Wussten's Die Blumen, Die Kleinen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Das Ist Ein Floten Un Geigen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Hor Ich Das Liedchen Klingen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Ein Jungling Liebt Ein Madchen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Am Leuchtenden Sommermorgen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Ich Hab Im Traum Geweinet
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Allnachtlich Im Traume
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Aus Alten Marchen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: Die Alten Bosen Lieder
Freudvoll Und Liedvoll
Es Muss Ein Wunderbares Sein
Nimm Einen Strahl Der Sonne
Quatre Poemes De Leo Latil: IV. La Tourterlle
A Mon Fils
La Lyre Et Les Amours: I Le Bracelet
La Lyre Et Les Amours: II L'Echo
La Lyre Et Les Amours: III La Belle Esclave Morte
La Lyre Et Les Amours: IV Les Baisers De Dorinde

Tracks:

Apres Un Reve, Op.7, No.1
Le Secret, Op.23, No.3
Aurore, Op.39, No.1
Prison, Op.83, No.1
Soir, Op.83, No.1
Jardin Nocturne, Op.113, No.3
Trois Chansons De France: I Le Temps A Laisse Son Manteau
Trois Chansons De France: II La Grotte
Trois Chansons De France: III Pour Ce Que Plaisance Est Morte
Fetes Galantes (Set II): III Colloque Sentimental
Trois Ballades De Francois Villon: I Ballade De Villon A S'Amie
Trois Ballades De Francois Villon: II Ballade Que Villon Feit A La Requeste De Sa Mere
Trois Ballades De Francois Villon: III Ballade Des Femmes De Paris
Trois Melodies: I La Statue De Bronze
Trois Melodies: II Le Chapelier
Don Quichotte A Dulcinee: I Chanson Romanesque
Don Quichotte A Dulcinee: II Chanson Epique
Don Quichotte A Dulcinee: III Chanson A Boire
Chansons Gillardes: IV Invocation Aux Parques
Chansons Gillardes: VII La Belle Jeunesse
Metamorphoses: I Reine Des Mouettes
Metamorphoses: II C'Est Ainsi Que Tu Es
Metamorphoses: III Paganini
Le Bestiaire Ou Cortege D'Orphee: I Le Dromadaire
Le Bestiaire Ou Cortege D'Orphee: II La Chevre Du Thibet
Le Bestiaire Ou Cortege D'Orphee: III La Sauterelle
Le Bestiaire Ou Cortege D'Orphee: IV Le Dauphin
Le Bestiaire Ou Cortege D'Orphee: V L'Ecrevisse
Le Bestiaire Ou Cortege D'Orphee: VI La Carpe
Deux Melodies De Guillaume Apollinaire: I Montparnasse
Deux Poemes De Guillaume Apollinaire: I Dans Le Jardin D'Anna
Deux Poemes De Louis Aragon: I C
Deux Poemes De Louis Aragon: II Fetes Galantes
Tel Jour Telle Nuit: I Bonne Journee
Tel Jour Telle Nuit: II Une Ruine Cuquille Vide
Tel Jour Telle Nuit: III Le Front Comme Un Drapeau Perdu
Tel Jour Telle Nuit: IV Une Roulotte Couvere En Tuiles
Tel Jour Telle Nuit: V A Toutes Brides
Tel Jour Telle Nuit: VI Une Herbe Paurve
Tel Jour Telle Nuit: VII Je N'Ai Envie Que De T'Aimer
Tel Jour Telle Nuit: VIII Figure De Force Brulante Et Farouche
Tel Jour Telle Nuit: IX Nous Avons Fait La Nuit

Tracks:

Ce Que Je Suis Sans Toi
Au Rossingnol
Six Melodies: VI. Venise
Priere
Chanson De Printemps
L'Absent
Viens, Les Gazons Sont Verts
Envoi Des Fleurs
Mignon
Le Travail Du Peintre: 1. Pablo Picasso
Le Travail Du Peintre: 2. Marc Chagall
Le Travail Du Peintre: 3. Georges Braque
Le Travail Du Peintre: 4. Juan Gris
Le Travail Du Peintre: 5. Paul Klee
Le Travail Du Peintre: 6. Joan Miro
Le Travail Du Peintre: 7. Jacques Villon
Bernac Interviewd By Graham Johnson
L'Historie De Babar, Le Petit Elephant

Customer Reviews:

One of the great French recordings of the century.......1999-02-28

Knowing many of these recordings from the vinyl issue, I rejoice in being able to get them re-mastered. Bernac was not only Poulenc's great interpreter, but a definitive interpreter of other French art songs (and Souzay's teacher).

Bernstein: Serenade; Dutilleux: Violin Concerto "L'Arbre des Songes

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Great Stern, but Shame on Sony

Bernstein: Serenade; Dutilleux: Violin Concerto "L'Arbre des Songes

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Life in Music, Volume 13: Isaac Stern

ASIN: B000002A8O
Release Date: 1995-07-25

Tracks:

Serenade For Solo Violin, String Orchestra, Harp And Percussion, After Plato's Symposium: I. Phaedrus (Lento - Allegro)
Serenade For Solo Violin, String Orchestra, Harp And Percussion, After Plato's Symposium: II. Aristophanes (Allegretto)
Serenade For Solo Violin, String Orchestra, Harp And Percussion, After Plato's Symposium: III. Erixymathus (Presto)
Serenade For Solo Violin, String Orchestra, Harp And Percussion, After Plato's Symposium: IV. Agathon (Adagio)
Serenade For Solo Violin, String Orchestra, Harp And Percussion, After Plato's Symposium: V. Socrates (Molto tenuto - Allegro molto vivace)
L'Arbre des songes: Concerto For Violin And Orchestra: I. Librement - Interlude
L'Arbre des songes: Concerto For Violin And Orchestra: II. Vif - Interlude 2
L'Arbre des songes: Concerto For Violin And Orchestra: III. Lent - Interlude 3
L'Arbre des songes: Concerto For Violin And Orchestra: IV. Large et anime

Amazon.com

You can't beat Isaac Stern at anything. He invests Bernstein's Serenade for Solo Violin, String Orchestra, Harp and Percussion, after Plato's Symposium with characteristic feeling, and all this is backed up by Leonard Bernstein's conducting of the Symphony of the Air in a 1956 recording. (Both works here are reissues--but don't let that stop you.) The Bernstein may sell this disc, but the Dutilleux is the more interesting composition. Dutilleux's brand of music is polymorphic--shifting tonalities and fluxuating textures, and both of these soli as well as tutti. Fans of Alfred Schnittke will take to this music easily. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Great Stern, but Shame on Sony.......2003-09-01

Volume 15 of the "Isaac Stern: A Life in Music" series focuses on two 20th Century Violin Works by Leonard Bernstein and Henri Dutilleux. Stern's account of the Bernstein Serenade is a 1956 stereo recording with the composer leading the Symphony of the Air. The performance of Dutilleux's L'Arbre des songes: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra was made in 1985 with Lorin Maazel leading the Orchestre National de France. Despite the fact that these recordings are separated by nearly thirty years, the sound (even though one is analog and the other digital) and Stern's playing on both are remarkably consistent and thoroughly enjoyable. My only problem with this CD is that this very same recording of the Bernstein Serenade is included on Volume Two of the Isaac Stern Early Concerto Recordings Collection (see my review). I know that these are two different series featuring Stern's recordings, but surely Sony should have known that serious collectors would most likely get both and as a result have unwanted and unnecessary duplication. Shame on you Sony -- you could have come up with a better solution!

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