The Poet's Orchestra

Track Listings

1. Waterfall and Nightingale

2. Poet's Orchestra

3. Cat's Eye

4. Breaking Ice

5. Sacred Ground

6. Balcony of Tears

7. Dialogue With the Night

8. Crows in Bloom

9. River Born

10. South Winter

11. Heavy Roses

12. Through Sylvan Light

13. Where Love Hides

The Poet's Orchestra,Larry Conklin,Peter Pan,Contemporary Instrumental,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Tracks:

Light Cavalry
Daniel-Francois Auber
Zampa
Poet And Peasant
Donna Diana
Orpheus In The Underworld
William Tell

Customer Reviews:

Great Teaching Tool.......2007-05-29

The pieces on this disc represent some of the more intersting and dynamc overtures, very suitable for music appreciation classes to point out use of classics and neo-classical music in contemporary culture

Donna Diana.......2005-07-28

This CD has a nice mix of the familiar and unfamiliar --- but all are upbeat and fun to listen to. Well worth the price.

William Tell & Other Favorite Overtures.......2002-09-10

Suppe's Light Calvary and Poet and Peasant Overtures were absolutely grand, as were Daniel-Francois Auber's Fra Diavolo, Herold's Zampa, Reznicek's Donna Diana, Offenbachs Orpheus in the Underworld, and the magnificent William Tell Overture by Rossini. One word of caution: this CD will really test your stereo, the bass actually thunders, and will blow your socks off. Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Orchestra did a fine job, I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves the thunderous music of an orchestra, you cannot go wrong buying this CD, I love it on the car stereo and at home.

Blockbuster demo disk!.......2000-09-22

The Telarc label does it again. This is the perfect disk for showing off your sound system. Great recordings and great selection of overtures. I've been listening to this CD for about 15 years now and the Orpheus in the Underworld track still sends chills up my spine.

Fantastic!.......2000-05-26

Couldn't ask for anything more from a CD full of famous overtures. Kunzel and co. rock my world yet again.

Average customer rating:

Well-recorded, jolly music
excellent value

Suppé: Famous Overtures

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Franz von Suppé: Marches, Waltzes, Polkas
Suppe: Overtures
Waldteufel: Famous Waltzes
Lehár: Waltzes
Rossini: Overtures (14)

ASIN: B0000014FP
Release Date: 1997-02-04

Tracks:

The Beautiful Galatea
Light Cavalry
Fatinitza
Bocaccio Marsch
Fortune's Labyrinth
Morning, Noon And Night In Vienna
Jolly Robbers
Queen Of Spades
Gay Blades
Poet And Peasant

Customer Reviews:

Well-recorded, jolly music.......2006-06-19

Yet another Naxos jem. This collection of famous operetta overtures by Austrian composer Franz von Suppe is not only an exceptional value, but the music included is just plain fun.

While his complete operettas are rarely performed, much of the music Suppe wrote for them has become famous, in particular LIGHT CAVALRY (which we've all heard in countless cartoons) and POET AND PEASANT. Suppe's overtures brim with good humor and infectiously catchy tunes; I would challenge anyone not to be uplifted by this recording.

The over-all technical qualities of this album are excellent. Not only does the (very talented) Slovak State Philharmonic play with enthusiasm, but audiophiles will appreciate the roudy brashness of the sound.

excellent value.......2000-05-29

This is an excellent value [...]. The Slovak Philharmonic is quite good. Recording quality is very good. Many of these Suppe' pieces are hard to find. It you like the composer, you will like this recording. Suppe' wrote many operettas and Slovak Philharmonic has recorded several volumes of the Suppe' overtures. I plan to purchase more in the series.

The Postman (Il Postino): Music From The Miramax Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994 Film)

Average customer rating:

Music Poetry Romance
Il Postino (Le postier)
True Romantic Cd - www.michaelpalmer.net
lovely!
WHAT DID THEY DO?!

The Postman (Il Postino): Music From The Miramax Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994 Film)
Luis Bacalov , Pablo Neruda , Luis Bacalov , Riccardo Pellegrino , Symphony Orchestra of Rome , Luis Enríque Bacalov , and Carlos Gardel
Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Poetry | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Il Postino
Love
Cinema Paradiso: Original Soundtrack Recording (1988 Film)
Life Is Beautiful (La Vita E Bella)
On the Blue Shore of Silence: Poems of the Sea

ASIN: B000000OEM
Release Date: 1995-06-27

Tracks:

Theme From Il Postino
Morning - Pablo Neruda / Sting
Poetry - Pablo Neruda / Miranda Richardson
Leaning Into Afternoons - Pablo Neruda / Wesley Snipes
Poor Fellows - Pablo Nevuda / Julia Roberts
Ode To The Sea - Pablo Neruda / Ralph Fiennes
Fable Of The Mermaid & The Drunks - Pablo Neruda / Ethan Hawke
Ode To The Beautiful Nude - Pablo Neruda / Rufus Sewell
I Like You To Be Still - Pablo Neruda / / Glenn Close
Walking Around - Pablo Neruda / Samuel L. Jackson
Tonight I Can Write - Pablo Neruda / Andy Garcia
Adonic Angela - Pablo Neruda / William Dafoe
If You Forget Me - Pablo Neruda / Madonna
Integrations - Pablo Neruda / Vincent Perez
And Now You're Mine - Pablo Neruda / Julia Roberts & Andy Garcia
The Postman
Bicycle
Madreselva - Carlos Gardel
The Postman Lullaby
Beatrice
Metaphors
Loved By Women
The Postman
Sounds Of The Islands
The Postmans Dreams
Pablito
Milonga Del Poeta
Madreselva (instrumental
The Postman Poet
The Postman (Harpsicord And String Version)
The Postman ( Guitar And Bandoneou Version)

Customer Reviews:

Music Poetry Romance.......2007-03-08

Don't be put off by the negative comments judge for yourdelf as I did. I found this by accident looking for some romantic music for my lady and that is exactly what I found. Now I need to see the film. The music conjures up such a feeling, relax listen and enjoy. Imagine moonlight skys, the sea gently lapping along the shoreline,candlelit dinners with the one you love. This will leave you with a warm feeling and if not then you will not know romance. The poetry is warm sensitive and well read, a bonus to the CD.

Il Postino (Le postier).......2007-02-01

Excellent album. En plus de la musique originale du film, plusieurs lectures de poëmes de Pablo Neruda par des acteurs et actrices de renom, sur fond musical.

True Romantic Cd - www.michaelpalmer.net.......2006-12-18

If you are a true romantic, you will love this cd, even IF you are not a fan of some of the famous stars who read the poetry - I know I am not a fan of most of these actors, but it does not take away from the excellence of this soundtrack. If you like this cd, please look at the tv series Beauty and the Beast cd. It is called "Of Love and Hope". It is a must have cd.

lovely!.......2006-09-07

The musical score is haunting without resorting to melancholy. It befits Pablo Neruda's timeless poems. Highly recommended, even if not all of the poetry readings are well executed.

WHAT DID THEY DO?!.......2006-04-01

What is this trash?! This film is beautiful but the soundtrack sucks big time. They should have used the actor who was playing Pablo Neruda to read the poems in ITALIAN! It's a beautiful and romantic language but no..they screw it up with actors from the U.S. OMG! I HATE JULIA ROBERTS! she makes the soundtrack even worse. I spit on this cd! believe me..I would so give this trash 0 stars but amazon doesn't allow it!

Average customer rating:

A worthwhile contribution to musical history
Just plain fun
Enjoyable and Fun Taste of America!
Weak Music
light, fun music

Gottschalk: A Night in the Tropics

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Piano Music
A Gottschalk Festival
Gottschalk: Works for piano solo, four hands & with orchestra
Gottschalk: Piano Music
Gottschalk: Piano Music for 2 and 4 hands

ASIN: B00004D3IV
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Tracks:

Celebre Tarantelle, Op. 67, No.5
Souvenir de Porto Rico, Marche des Gibaros
The Dying Poet, Meditation
Tournament Galop
O! ma charmante
Le Bananier, Chanson Negre
Manchega, Etude de Concert
Celebre Tarantelle, Op. 67, No.4
Berceuse (Cradle Song)
Symphonie romantique, 'A Night In The Tropics': I Noche en los Tropicos
Symphonie romantique, 'A Night In The Tropics': II Festa Criolla

Customer Reviews:

A worthwhile contribution to musical history.......2006-06-29

The reviewers who complain of "naive" and "weak" orchestration should read the liner notes. The orchestrations are not Gottschalk's, mostly, but those of Richard Rosenberg, artistic director of the Hot Springs Music Festival. And while it may seem easy to blast Rosenberg, Gottschalk was no master of orchestration himself. I played in the Hot Springs Music Festival Orchestra this summer, including recording more Gottschalk (as well as Nazareth and Bares) for Naxos, and I promise that Gottschalk's treatment of Mehul's "Grande Chasse de Jeune Henri," which will soon be released on Naxos, will leave no doubt in your mind that Gottschalk was right to restrict most of his activity to the piano. (More proof that Gottschalk was indeed the the "Chopin of the Creoles")
At any rate, this series of recordings seems to me a worthwhile historical project. There is some really beautiful music on these discs, in addition to some music that really need never have been revived. In any case, the listener to this disc will find some enjoyment, little offense, and much food for thought about the development of American musical culture.

Just plain fun.......2004-12-13

I'm not sure how other reviewers could have found this music weak and naive--too much Schönberg, maybe? Or maybe they were trying to delve its musical profundity, when in fact this music isn't profound and doesn't claim to be. It's just energetic, fun music from a composer who wasn't content to color within the Classical-era lines. If you can imagine "Creole Classical," in fact, that's a good description of this CD. Although the bulk of the album consists of rollicking showtunes (most of which feature the piano as the dominant instrument, since most of the songs are orchestral arrangements of piano pieces), there are some surprisingly tender, lyrical moments as well. The whole album is imbued with an intriguingly pre-Jazz flavor that combines with the classical structure to create some of the best moments in American music: catchy, energetic and always entertaining. For those moments when Beethoven (or Schönberg) is too much depth for one day, this CD is the perfect alternative... particularly at this price.

Enjoyable and Fun Taste of America!.......2002-04-30

Every once in a while, I like to buy a CD of a composer I'm not familiar with (and with NAXOS's low prices, why not?). When I got home and listened to this one, once wasn't enough. I listened twice through. This CD is real fun!!

In his day, Gottschalk was called "the Chopin of Creoles." Most of his writing was for the piano and this CD is generally short piano pieces arranged for orchestra. The music mixes strong folk melodies and New Orleans Creole inspired syncopation with the European Classical tradition- the result being a distinctly american divertimenti.

The music as a whole is very motif oriented with a touch of variation and some interesting arrangement twists. While and orchestral CD, the piano gets a lot of attention, giving us some nice interplay between the two.

The only complaint I have is that the CD was recorded at a music festival where professional musicians are playing side by side with selected 'pre-professionals.' I'm not a snob and normally it wouldn't bother me, but Gottschalk's unusual syncopation tends to be unprofessionally slopppy at times. Fortunately, any mistakes are in the supporting insturments. No star shall be subtracted because NAXOS has done such a great job giving us a quality CD at a good price.

Weak Music.......2002-04-24

Upon listening to this CD I understand why Gottschalk is noted mainly for his piano compositions. I found the whole CD weak musically and the orchestration naïve. It seems as if these pieces are piano works that want to be orchestral compositions when they grow up.

I have several other CDs by this conductor, not sure of his credentials, who seems on a mission to champion the music of the unknown composers. While I applaud his work in bring the music of composers of color to the public's attention I must say that there are many more notable Black and Hispanic composers who deserve to have their music played before we go dipping into this well of musical obscurity.

I think that this conductor needs to ask himself something that many musicologist ask before wasting time on second rate composer: why is a composer's music not known in the first place?

light, fun music.......2000-07-29

this CD is one of the best in the "american classics" series i have heard. the playing is warm, playful and full of energy.

Tracks:

A Song For All Seas, All Ships - Andante Maestoso - London Symphony Chorus
On The Beach At Night, Alone - Largo Sostenuto - London Symphony Chorus
Scherzo: The Waves - Allegro Brillante - London Symphony
The Explorers - Grave E Molto Adagio - London Symphony Chorus

Tracks:

Lento: Allegro Risoluto
Lento
Scherzo (Nocturne)
Andante Con Moto; Maestoso Alla Marcia; Allegro; Lento; Epilogue
Allegro Pesante - James Oliver Buswell IV
Adagio - James Oliver Buswell IV
Presto - James Oliver Buswell IV
Overture

Tracks:

Molto Moderato - Douglas Cummings
Lento Moderato - Douglas Cummings
Moderato Pesante - Douglas Cummings
Lento - Douglas Cummings
Allegro
Andante Moderato
Scherzo: Allegro Molto
Finale Con Epilogo Fugato: Allegro Molto

Tracks:

Preludio: Moderato
Scherzo: Prestso
Romanza: Lento
Passacaglia: Moderato
Explorer
Poet
Queen
Allegro Moderato - John Fletcher
Romanza: Andante Sostenuto - John Fletcher
Finale: Rondo Alla Tedesca - John Fletcher

Tracks:

Allegro
Moderato
Scherzo: Allegro Vivace
Epilogue: Moderato
Moderato Maestoso
Andante Sostenuto
Scherzo: Allegro Pesante
Andante Tranquillo

Tracks:

Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Prelude: Andante Maestoso - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Scherzo: Moderato; Poco Animato - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Landscape: Lento - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Intermezzo: Andante Sostenuto - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Epilogue: Alla Marcia Moderato (Ma Non Troppo) - The Ambrosian Singers
Fantasia (Variazioni Senza Tema)
Scherzo Alla Marcia (Per Stromenti A Fiato)
Cavatina (Per Stromenti Ad Arco)
Toccata

Customer Reviews:

A Great First Buy on Ralph Vaughan Williams........2007-06-05

Up until recently, I was only vaguely familiar with the music of British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. After reading the reviews and noticing the lower than usual price for this set, I thought I'd give it a listen. I'm definitely glad I did as this is some very beautiful music indeed.
All nine of Vaughan William's symphonies are included here along with four bonus pieces, the Concerto Accademico for Violin, the Bass Tuba Concerto, "Three Portraits from the England of Elizabeth" and the overture for the stage play "The Wasps".
Conductor Andre Previn definitely brings these works to life in a mighty way. The "Sea Symphony" is a real standout with its beautiful choral arrangements and orchestrations. Other standouts are the "Pastoral" third symphony and the dramatic Stravinsky-esque fourth symphony.
Indeed, all of the music here is something special and I'm very satisfied to have this set as my introduction to the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Like other reviewers have stated here, this is definitely a must-have collection and I can't think of a better way to start a Vaughan Williams library than with this.

A small footnote: After listening to the first movement of "A Sea Symphony", it may be quite possible that John Lennon sampled a small section of it for "Revolution 9" on the Beatles' White Album. The section in question occurs roughly 12 minutes into the first movement. It's very brief but it immediately stuck out once it was heard.

Vaughan Williams' wonderful music at last..........2007-04-21

Ralph Vaughan Williams was in my opinion one of the very greatest composers of music. Never content with what he had just written, but nevertheless staunch in his principles, over his lifetime he created a series of amazingly vital and original pieces. I could write many pages about these works, so will just say a little about my favorite of all, the incredible Symphony No 8 in D minor. Written at the extraordinary age of 86, the sheer musical inventiveness of this truly unbelievable piece is without equal and I include here all the "great" classical composers such as Beethoven, Brahms and the like. The first movement "Variations in search of a theme" is serious, thought-provoking and modern, yet unmistakably RVW. Its one of the most original first movements ever written ( owing nothing whatsoever to the classical tradition) and though asking more questions than it answers, is a movement even if you have never listened to any of RVWs music before demands attention and absolutely requires you to listen more. The second movement "Cavatina" is one of the most ghostly-beautiful slow movements ever written. The only thing I can really compare it with is RVWs own "The Lark Ascending" though for me this is a far more complex and challenging piece. I have listened to Barber's famous " Adagio for Strings", written at about the same time as this,and for me, this is an even greater and more moving piece - well Barber hadn't written the so-called "Pastoral" Symphony for practice had he ? The third movement is a typically gruff RVW scherzo. I can just see the old geezer galumphing round his garden complaining about his musicians, modern taxation, life in general... It's really funny and whenever can you say that of Mozart, Beethoven , Brahms and company...?The fourth movement is is ...how on earth do you describe this absolutely extraordinary finale. Part village band, part religious apotheosis, this is music truly not of the everyday earth which we inhabit, but something much more glorious, more astonishing... In this movement RVW uses just about every musical instrument known to man - he must have had enormous fun composing it... but the first entry of the celeste is the moment you all need to listen for.

André Previn has chosen some of the very finest of RVWs works to record on this set and for me this is his greatest testament as a conductor. His sheer (and somewhat amazing in itself as a jazz musician) love for RVWs music comes out tops here. A great recording and an absolutely tremendous bargain.

Previn & Vaughan Williams: An Excellent Coupling.......2007-01-10

I have some of these recordings on RCA Red Seal LPs from the late 1960's. I think it is one the best of three symphony cycles in my possession. The other two are Colin Davis/Sibelius and Herbert Blomstedt/Nielsen. Some of my RVW LPs are Adrian Boult and some are Andre Previn. I prefer Previn. Previn really digs into this music. My three favorites: #2 (London), #3 (Pastoral) and #5. It gives me goose bumps being able to listen to them without rice krispies in the background. Kudos to RCA for re-releasing these gems.

Can't get any better.......2004-07-19

If you've ever thought of getting all of the RVW symphonies but haven't, because of cost or what not, there are no more excuses. This is the best set ever. Previn and the LSO had a magical relationship 30 years ago, and no one has ever done these symphonies better. If you find some of them tough nuts to crack, don't worry; RVW isn't easy music, but it is well worth it. It's not supposed to be simple. The only caveat: analog sound. Now RCA was capable of great sound in the 1970's, and the sound is frankly better than the newer RCA series with Slatkin. But if superb digital sound is paramount, you won't go wrong with Handley's set with Liverpool. It's another top notch cycle. Still, I rate Previn tops in this music. RCA is to be commended for releasing this set, as well as the others in the series...check them out!

Comprehensive and Impressive Collection.......2004-04-07

Listen to the bold beginning of Ralph Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony, and you've captured the essence of VW at his best. This is the first of 9 symphonies by a composer who is surely England's greatest Symphonist. His essays in the form span the first half of the twentieth century, but include few of its radical elements. Vaughan Williams was a traditionalist throughout, and surely it was that conservative outlook that drew him to the symphonic form in the first place.

Listening to his second symphony, A London Symphony, one hears typical Vaughan Williams-almost entirely melodic in its conception, with lots of diatonic, modal or pentatonic writing, and a touch of chromatic harmony to flavour the melody. It's beautiful, and the music spans a wide emotional gamut from intense introspection to joyous celebration. Only in the 4th Symphony does VW really open himself to a more contrapuntal and dissonant style, and the consequence is that the composition becomes quite reminiscent of Prokofiev or Schostakovich, the two other great Symphonists of the time. Following the 5th Symphony, however, I feel that VW's artistic output suffers. The later pieces, with the exception of the 7th Symphony, Sinfonia Antarctica-based on music he'd composed for the film Scott of the Antarctic--lack the vigor and excitement of the earlier works. They're more introspective, perhaps as befits an older composer, but they don't speak to me as strongly as, say, the later symphonies of Mahler or Schostakovich. Perhaps it is that VW was resistant to change in his basic musical outlook, but by the 1950's, the diatonic/pentatonic ideas he frequented had become increasingly irrelevant. That VW was brilliant and a master craftsman is unquestionable, but he seemed to need new fuel for his compositional fires and was unwilling to consider the atonality of Schoenberg and his followers, the rhythmic vitality of Stravinsky and Bartok, or even the orchestral colours and dramatic juxtapositions of Gustav Mahler. There are still many moments of brilliance, but as a whole the later works move me less.

Tracks:

Zampa Overture
Mignon Overture
Raymond Overture
Poet And Peasant Overture
William Tell Overture

Customer Reviews:

Five stars for five winning performances........2003-09-19

I owned the LP of this back in the early 1960s (the cover showed a bright red apple with a target painted on it) and played these pieces over and over. The music is wonderful, the performances among Bernstein's best, and the sonics spectacular. I wish I still had my vinyl copy, however, because I would love to compare it to this CD-for sonics, I suspect the LP would win.

Not that the CD is bad, but Columbia LPs in those days were produced with a very recognizable equalization that is not apparent here. And as I remember, there was somewhat more detail on the LP, especially in the strings and in the many bells that decorate these quickly recognizable, entertaining pieces. (Each of the five compositions held a firm place as background music for Warner Brothers cartoons.)

However, the CD is entirely listenable (and certainly contains no pops or scratches). I will be interested to hear the SACD version if Columbia ever produces one. From what I have heard, Columbia's few SACD reissues sound more like the LPs. In any case, the product labeling is poor. The front cover says, "Digitally mastered analog recording," while the back cover informs us that the disc is AAD. (The disc itself says AAD, but it wouldn't be the first mislabeled CD.) No date of production whatsoever appears, though we learn that the cover was designed in 1981. (Give me the apple with the target on it.) The interesting liner notes are what appeared on the back of the LP, no more, no less.

It's not an expensive disc, and some of the pieces, oddly, are not easy to find. Get it!

Great Performances Indeed!.......2001-08-04

This disc which is aptly named "Favorite Overtures" captures Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic at the peak of their creative powers during the 1960's. Each of the five overtures are gems, but of particular delight are the Mignon and Raymond Overtures by Ambroise Thomas. The Raymond Overture with it's galloping opening motive is a hidden treasure which has not been recorded very often. Thankfully, Bernstein gives us a rendition of Raymond that could only be described as definitive. The other overtures on this disc are Zampa, Poet and Peasant, and William Tell. Not only are they expertly played, but their sound is in the demonstration class which is amazing considering that they were made nearly forty years ago. The fact that this disc has remained in circulation for so long speaks for itself. My highest recommendation.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic
Famous Overtures
Spectacular
Excellent
The best Overture Album !

Famous Overtures

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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William Tell & Other Favorite Overtures
Rossini: Overtures (14)
Opera Overtures & Incidental Music
Favorite Overtures
Suppe: Overtures

ASIN: B00002MXN4
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

Light Cavalry - Suppe
Ruslan and Lyudmila - Glinka
La Traviata - Prelude, Act I - Verdi
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg - Prelude, ACt I - Wagner
Les Francs-Juges - Berlioz
Le nozze di Figaro - Mozart
Egmont - Beethoven
Oberon - Weber
Academic Festival Overture - Brahms
Pique Dame - Suppe

Tracks:

Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna - Suppe
Il barbiere di Siviglia - Rossini
Prince Igor - Borodin
Carmen - Prelude, Act I - Bizet
Der fliegende Hollander - Wagner
Leonore No 3 - Beethoven
Hansel und Gretel - Humperdinck
Khovanshchina - Mussorgsky
Poet and Peasant - Suppe

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2006-06-30

First of all anything with Sir Solti's name on is worth purchasing. Solti has such a way with interpreting music! If you like overtures this CD is for you. It has the best overtures here in one collection. With orchestras like chicago, london, and the vienna you cannot argue with the performances. There are a few "weaker" ensembles, but when compared with the other ensembles there are few that will not sound weak. Again any work Solti has done is worth purchasing!

Famous Overtures.......2005-08-16

Did not like the way these musical pieces were "interpretted".
Did not like the tempo and in one piece one of the instruments played a portion which I would say they played a flat instead of a natural note. This is based on hearing the same pieces played by someone else, it's just my opinion.

Spectacular.......2003-09-25

Not only does it include some of the most famous overtures, but they are played in such an exciting style, full of life and passion. The Suppe overtures are superior and the Wagner overtures are wonderful as well. There is not a bad point to this recording - highly recommended!

Excellent.......2002-06-11

This is an excellent collection of overtures, especially of Von Suppe's overtures. Solti truly brings out life in these pieces.

The best Overture Album !.......2000-02-28

If you like overtures, here is the album. Never have these been performed so musically and with such excitement. The orchestras involved vary in their abilities, yet the Chicago, Vienna, and London Symphony perfom with style. Solti loves this music and it shows.

Average customer rating:

Up and Down
A Whiz-Banger!
Dizzying, Whirling, Fantastic, and Superlatively Energetic
wonderful music from a wonderful artist

Suppe: Overtures

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Suppé: Famous Overtures
Famous Overtures
Rossini: Overtures (14)
Franz von Suppé: Marches, Waltzes, Polkas
Rossini: Complete Overtures

ASIN: B0000026Q8
Release Date: 1989-11-20

Tracks:

Poet And Peasant
Tantalus's Torment
The Jolly Robbers
The Beautiful Galatea
The Queen Of Spades
Light Cavalry
Vienna Jubilation
Morning, Noon And Night In Vienna

Customer Reviews:

Up and Down.......2002-11-05

This overture is beautiful. I think Zubin Mehta is a terrific conductor. I would enjoy the music much more if the engineers did a better job recording the CD. There is too much change in the volume level (and not by the composer). If the volume is high it is very high and if low, very low.

A Whiz-Banger!.......2002-10-11

I purchased this CD because I've always enjoyed Suppe's light, bouncy overtures and Zubin Mehta and the Vienna Philharmonic doesn't fail here with it's nice moving tempos and great colorful sound. The trumpet call at the beginning of "Light Cavalry" has always been an attention-getter (a musical alarm clock mind you). Another overture on this disc that I wasn't familiar with was "Vienna Jubilation" (which also starts off with a trumpet call) got my attention also which also includes a somewhat Suppe tradition (the waltz). Very vibrant and beautiful. The rest of the overtures are up to the same performance quality. However, I must say that if you want some of Suppe's overtures that have a faster tempo, then try Solti and the same orchestra if they are still around. I have an old London LP that has four of the mentioned overtures (Light Cavalry, Poet & Peasant, Morning, Noon & Night in Vienna, The Beautiful Galatea). These really move!! If you're looking for Suppe with a tempo that is just a tad slower than Mehta, then try the Janos Sandor/Hungarian State Opera Orchestra on Laserlight. With this CD you get a march (O du mein Ossterreich) plus eight overtures. These are very-well performed and sounds great! All these recommendations (my opinion) are about the best you can get!!!

Dizzying, Whirling, Fantastic, and Superlatively Energetic.......2002-06-06

I certainly made a good purchase with this one. I was in the mood for some peppy overtures AND I GOT 'EM!
The well-known Light Cavalry Overture is well-represented here (even though Mehta takes some liberties in the tempo at the end, I still enjoyed it), as are the almost as well-known Poet and Peasant and Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna overtures. There isn't a weak track on the whole CD, and my favorite is the Queen of Spades Overture, Track 5. The highly-caffeinated orchestra starts out deceptively quietly, throws in some out-of-nowhere fortissimo chords (a la Haydn Symphony #94), and then begins to spin indefatigably faster and louder, accelerating beautifully even to the last note. You can't help but stay for the rest of the opera. The overtures grab you and won't let you go.

There is nothing but sheer audience candy in any of Suppe's works, but over a hundred years later, those shameless hooks still work. I relish every second of vivacity and bombast that overflows in copious quantities from this CD.

wonderful music from a wonderful artist.......1999-04-05

This is a great CD. It isn't the type that will put you to sleep. It is upbeat. Von Suppe keeps you tapping you foot and bouncing your head throughout the album. My personal favorite is the last one, "Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna."

Nielsen: Aladdin Suite; Pan and Syrinx; Saga Deam; Maskarade Overture; Helios Overture

Average customer rating:

A lovely potpourri of Nielsen outside the symphonies
Excellent Recordings
2 Great Pieces and a Few Good Ones
Fleshing Out the Library of Carl Nielsen's Works on a Shoestring
Superb Shorter Orchestral Pieces by Nielsen

Nielsen: Aladdin Suite; Pan and Syrinx; Saga Deam; Maskarade Overture; Helios Overture

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Kurt Weill: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2; Lady in the Dark - Symphonic Nocturne
William Alwyn: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
William Alwyn: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5; Lyra Angelica (Harp Concerto)
William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 9; Orchestra Song; Circus Overture
Nielsen: Violin Concerto; Clarinet Concerto; Flute Concerto

ASIN: B000A17GDS
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Tracks:

The Festival March
Aladdin's Dream And Dance Of The Morning Mist
Hindu Dance
Chinese Dance
The Marketplace In Isaphan
Dance Of The Prisoners
Negro Dance
Cupid And The Poet (Amor Og Digteren), Op. 54
Saga - Dream ( Saga-Drom) Op. 39
Helios Overture, Op. 39
Overture
Prelude To Act II
Pan And Syrinx (Pan Og Syrinx), Op. 49

Customer Reviews:

A lovely potpourri of Nielsen outside the symphonies.......2006-02-07

Something must be right in the world when the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra can play this well. Naxos has employed a lot of provincial orchestras, and there's no doubt that the musicians in Jutland, like their confreres in Slovakia and Ukraine, are not first-rate, but they play here wiht great enthusiasm and commitment under Niklas Willen. I think Nielsen peaked as a composer with his Sym. #3, 4, and 5, along with the violin, flute, and clarinet concertos. But this very enjoyable omnium gatherum of shorter works has some surprises in store.

The two pieces that deserve to be promoted to the level of Sibelius's best tone poems are the Saga-Dream, which is both static and ecstatis, and the tone poem Pan and Syrinx, which despsite a title that would baffle most modern listeners unfamiliar with the crannies of Greek mythology, is as spicily varied as Nielsen's mature symphonies. I expected more from Cupid and the Poet, but it came off as bits and pieces from the anarchic Fifth Symphony. The two best-known works, the Helios and Maskarade Overtures, have been much better performed by Esa-Pekka Salonen and his Sweidsh orchestra on Sony. South Jutland isn't ready for the world stage, but it's given Nielsen lovers everywhere a valuable colleciton.

Excellent Recordings.......2005-12-28

This is a great collection of Carl Nielsen's incidental and shorted orchestral works. His music for Aladdin has been recorded in its entirety by Chandos but the suite captures the best of the music, including the evocative The Marketplace in Ispahan. The many dances in the suite are tuneful and memorable. Cupid and the Poet is also incidental music but differs from Aladdin in that it comes from Nielsen's later period prior to his Fifth and Sixth symphonies, which this music is akin to. Saga Dream is a tone poem is a mood piece, somber and contemplative in its music. The piece is somewhat reminiscent of Sibelius' tone poems but with the playful melodies of Nielsen. The Helios Overture was written after a journey to Greece and is beautifully evocative of the azure blue Aegean Sea, taking us from the dawn to dusk and darkness. The Overture has a lively middle section the perhaps was influenced by the spirit of the heroic Greek past.

The overture to the opera Maskarade has enjoyed much more success than the opera itself. The sprightly music is very ear-catching and literally bursts on the audience like the Marriage of Figaro. Pan et Syrinx was composed following the Fourth Symphony and reflects the advances in orchestration the Nielsen reached in the symphony. The extended percussion section makes use of the xylophone, tambourine and glockenspiel.

The music is beautifully recorded and played by the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra and makes a fine introduction to Carl Nielsen's music or a nice addition to ones collection.

2 Great Pieces and a Few Good Ones.......2005-12-06

Nielsen's Helios Overture is one the greatest tone poems ever written. Even people who hate Nielsen love it. It really leaves you feeling that you have just witnessed a sunrise from the Acropolis. This piece alone is worth the price of the CD.
"Fantasy Voyage to the Faroes" is a beautiful seascape piece that you will want to play again and again. Both of these great tone poems are well preformed.
The other pieces on this CD are good, but they are mostly for lovers of Nielsen's music.

Fleshing Out the Library of Carl Nielsen's Works on a Shoestring.......2005-10-26

While more and more conductors are regularly programming the gorgeous symphonies of Danish composer Carl Nielsen (and justly so), the other works by this inventive yet resolutely romantic composer appear only as filler on recordings of the symphonies. This fine recording by Niklás Willén conducting the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra of Denmark should change all that. The wealth of beauty and creative ideas in these five shorter works flesh out the thoughts of a composer difficult to categorize.

Nielsen's opera 'Maskarade' receives performances in Denmark and now some smaller opera companies and universities are giving it presence, and if the entire opera follows the pleasures of the Overture, we should hope for greater exposure. The 'Helios Overture' is more of a tone poem then overture in its structure: it makes sonically visual the play of the sun on the sea both at sunrise and sunset. 'Pan and Syrinx' while short suggests some of the wonderful percussion writing found in 'The Inextinguishable' symphony without the overtones of war. 'Saga Dream' is simply Nielsen at his best and for those who know the symphonies, this will conjure the majesty of the 'Sinfonia Espansiva' and the 5th, while for those unfamiliar with the symphonies will gain a quick course on why they are so well loved.

This very affordable album is a must for those who love Carl Nielsen and also a very fine introduction to those for whom this will be an introduction to an important 20th Century master. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

Superb Shorter Orchestral Pieces by Nielsen.......2005-09-02

We are used to thinking of Carl Nielsen as one of the great symphonists of the twentieth century and there are multiple sets of recordings of them. But he also wrote a fair amount of orchestral music not in symphonic form, and many of those jewels are included in this wonderful issue from Niklás Willén leading the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra, a very fine regional Danish orchestra. Included here are the Aladdin Suite, Cupid and the Poet, Saga-Dream, the Helios Overture, the Overture and Act II Prelude to his opera 'Maskarade,' and Pan and Syrinx.

All are given really quite good performances. Clearly this orchestra and its Swedish chief conductor have this music in their bones. My own favorite of these is the evocative 'Helios Overture' that Nielsen wrote after he and his wife took a trip to Greece; it portrays the sun rising and setting over the Aegean Sea, and unlike some tone-poems, it actually conjures up in sound those phenomena. I'm particularly fond of the contrapuntal section that always makes me think, 'Aha, a fugue of sunbeams.'

The jolly 'Maskarade' Overture is another favorite of mine, but perhaps best of all is the contemplative 'Saga-Dream' ('Saga-drom'), Op. 39, that has some of Nielsen's most beautiful melodies, including some really quite Brucknerian writing for the horns. 'Pan and Syrinx', Op. 49, is thought by some to be Nielsen's finest short tone poem but it doesn't quite measure up, in my books, to that assessment. Still, it contains reminders of Nielsen's unique approach to orchestral timbre, and it includes one of Nielsen's characteristic raucous outbursts from the percussion section (similar to that in his Clarinet Concerto).

Most intriguing of all, though, is the 'Aladdin Suite.' Written in 1919 as incidental music for a play by Adam Oehlenschläger, it has all the gestures that later came, via movie music, to be associated with music from the mysterious Middle East, including the most amazing section, called 'The Marketplace at Ispahan,' that out-Iveses Charles Ives in its overlay of four distinct musics in different keys and meters; it quite effectively calls to mind the multifarious activities of a busy marketplace. It really must be heard to be appreciated. Willén and his orchestra manage to keep all four planes of sound quite distinct and yet they meld into a glorious whole.

Considering that this is a budget issue, and that is contains masterful performances of some of Nielsen's finest music, this CD is a must-buy.

TT=67:56

Scott Morrison

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