16 Mm [Import]

Amazon.com
Jorane's self-produced second disc may take its name from a film format that is modest in size, but the music is definitely closer to 70mm in scope. In 16mm, the Montreal-based singer and cellist has created a much more satisfying disc than Vent Fou, her precocious debut. While she may still attract comparisons to Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard, Jorane confidently stakes out more of her own terrain. On "By Feet from" and "Pour Gabrielle," her plaintive singing and cello playing are effectively juxtaposed with the nimble, subtle rhythms that lie deep in the songs. With its lush, multitracked vocals, the gorgeous three-part "Film" has a depth and richness missing in Enya's lullabies. But 16mm is too compelling to serve as musical wallpaper. The centerpiece is the eight-minute "Work No. 3," a brooding song on which Jorane sings wordless incantations. On "Chouette," she gets more playful, mewling like a cat over a jazz riff by bassist Thomas Babin and clattery percussion by Genevieve Jodoin and Alexis Martin. "Hello" is an offbeat piece of percolating babble that recalls the work of American composer Meredith Monk. The closing songs--the ghostly "Nouvelle" and "My Little Luck"--are equally endearing. On the latter, she croons while plucking out a melody that bears an odd resemblance to Otis Redding's "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay." (That melody recurs in the hidden bonus track, a full-band version of "My Little Luck" that includes a lovely vocal duet by Jorane and Jodoin.) The album benefits greatly from a sense of economy and restraint that was mostly absent on the melodramatic Vent Fou--the music on 16mm is intricately detailed but not overly ornate. On this rich and emotionally affecting disc, Jorane proves to be a performer capable of subtlety as well as intensity. --Jason Anderson

Product Description
In 16mm, the Montreal-based singer and cellist has created a much more satisfying disc than Vent Fou, her precocious debut. While she may still attract comparisons to Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard, Jorane confidently stakes out more of her own terrain. On 'By Feet From' and 'Pour Gabrielle', her plaintive singing and cello playing are effectively juxtaposed with the nimble, subtle rhythms that lie deep in the songs. With its lush, multitracked vocals, the gorgeous three-part 'Film' has a depth and richness missing in Enya's lullabies. But 16mm is too compelling to serve as musical wallpaper. The centerpiece is the eight-minute 'Work No. 3', a brooding song on which Jorane sings wordless incantations. On 'Chouette', she gets more playful, mewling like a cat over a jazz riff by bassist Thomas Babin and clattery percussion by Genevieve Jodoin and Alexis Martin. 'Hello' is an offbeat piece of percolating babble that recalls the work of American composer Meredith Monk. The closing songs--the ghostly 'Nouvelle' and 'My Little Luck'--are equally endearing. On the latter, she croons while plucking out a melody that bears an odd resemblance to Otis Redding's 'Sitting on the Dock of the Bay', (That melody recurs in the hidden bonus track, a full-band version of 'My Little Luck' that includes a lovely vocal duet by Jorane and Jodoin.) The album benefits greatly from a sense of economy and restraint that was mostly absent on the melodramatic Vent Fou--the music on 16mm is intricately detailed but not overly ornate. On this rich and emotionally affecting disc, Jorane proves to be a performer capable of subtlety as well as intensity. Tacca. 2005.

16 Mm,Jorane,Tacca,Rock/Pop,World Music

Average customer rating: Harnoncourt's Bruckner, a viable alternative to Karajan? Depends what you consider good Terrific performance! Unconvincing performance; interesting commentary Harnoncourt roars, but Wildner rages

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 (with the Documentation of the Finale Fragment) [Hybrid SACD] Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Harnoncourt, Nikolaus | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bruckner | Bruckner, Anton | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 (with Excerpts from the Rehearsals) [Hybrid SACD] Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 Verdi: Messa da Requiem [Hybrid SACD] Bruckner: Symphony 8 Sibelius: The Symphonies [Hybrid SACD] ASIN: B0000AF1IG Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

1. Warum Hat Man Eigentlich 100 Jahre Lang Gedacht, E - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
2. Finale. T. 1-278 - Wiener Philharmoniker
3. Gegen Ende Eine Extreme Dissonanz In Den Trompeten - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
4. Nach Dem Ende Der Durchfuhrung Folgt Eine Wilde Fu - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
5. Finale. T. 279-342 - Wiener Philharmoniker
6. Quasi En Schreckensbild Des Todes - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
7. Finale. T. 343-478 - Wiener Philharmoniker
8. Danach Fehlen 16 Takte; Dazu Ist Nichts Zu Erklare - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
9. Finale. T. 479-510 - Lucke/Fehlender Partiturbog - Wiener Philharmoniker
10. Why Did We Think For Over Hundred Years That Nothing... - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
11. WAB 109: Finale. MM. 1-278 - Wiener Philharmoniker
12. Extreme Dissonances In The Trumpets Towards The End - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
13. At The End Of The Development A Wild Fugue Begins - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
14. Finale. MM. 279-342 - Wiener Philharmoniker
15. A Sudden Vision Of Death - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
16. Finale. MM. 343-478 - Wiener Philharmoniker
17. Then There Are Sixteen Bars Missing. We Will Just... - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
18. Finale. MM. 479-510 - Gap/Missing Score Bifolio - Wiener Philharmoniker

Tracks:

1. I. Satz. Feierlich; Misterioso - Wiener Philharmoniker
2. Scherzo. Bewegt; Lebhaft - Trio. Schnell - Scherzo - Wiener Philharmoniker
3. Adagio. Langsam; Feierlich - Wiener Philharmoniker

Customer Reviews:

Harnoncourt's Bruckner, a viable alternative to Karajan?.......2006-03-19

Even Karajan's detractors, except for the most severe, generally concede that he was supreme in Bruckner. His various performances of the Ninth Sym. with the Berlin Phil. are commanding in their huge scope, yet Karajan was also capable of delicate phrasing and had an intuitive grasp of how to organize these gigantic, sprawling movements. No one has quite reached that magistreial level since. To his credit, Harnoncourt doesn't try to. This is, for him, a straightforward performance that relies on some qualities Karajan's Bruckner doesn't possess.

First of all, Harnoncourt has his own instincts about phrasing and organizing the music. Contrary to a reviewer below, he doesn't exploit extreme rubato or sudden tempo changes. There are some quirky moments where the tempo speeds up unexpectedly, but overall, Harnoncourt's timing of 58 min. is dead center among various recordings (as much as I admire Giulini, his 68 min. traversal drags). Harnoncourt favors brash outbursts from the brass, particularly in the Scherzo, my least favorite movement here. But his main intent is to keep Bruckner simple, to impose himself far less than Karajan did with his ultra-control. This Bruckner Ninth is a bit plain at times, but it always breathes.

As to the recorded sound, I have only heard the regular two-channel CD, which is quite clear; the Vienna Pphil. is placed a bit far back on a wide soundstage. I would have liked to hear the solo winds up closer, but that's a quibble. This Bruckner Ninth satisfied me as much as the great accounts by Walter, Klemperer, Giulini, and Boulez. I sitll feel more thrills from Karajan's analog reading from the Sixties, yet Harnoncourt provides a viable alternative in itnerpretation.

In theory it was an exciting notion to provide a free bonus CD containing Harnoncourt's defense of Bruckner's surviving sketches for a fourth movement, never completed. Could it really be that his ocntemporaries were wrong and that Bruckner left us pages of great music begging to be revived? Harnoncourt's talk is highly persuasive, but when the Vienna Phil. actually plays what survives of the finale, it proves as sorely disappointing as its reputation would lead one to believe.

Depends what you consider good.......2004-06-14

Harnoncourt has done some great things for music in his career, but I would not consider this one of them. He achieves an "authentic" performing style from the Vienna Philharmonic with a thin string sound and little or no vibrato. So anyone expecting that sweet Vienna sound will be disappointed. But his conducting does not meet that goal of authenticity, because he varies tempos too much. It draws attention to itself and weakens the cohesiveness of the work as a whole.
There are other versions, many of which are mentioned by the other reviewers below (Giulini, Karajan, et al.), which communicate this great work more simply and effectively. They are also unique and full of interesting details (some attention to detail is good). In light of them, Harnoncourt's view is radically different. Experience has taught me that subtle differences in interpretation give pleasure with repeated listening. Radical differences are OK in a live performance (which this is), but do not stand the test of time. So I do not recommend this as a first recording to have of Bruckner's 9th.

Terrific performance!.......2004-02-25

The symphony recording is damn good, and the extras are very interesting (to hear Harnoncourt speaking German and English, to hear the sketches of the last movement). In my mind, this ranks among the very best -- with Celibidache on EMI, Giulini on DG, Bernstein on DG, and don't forget the second movement of the Jochum on EMI.

Unconvincing performance; interesting commentary.......2004-01-15

First off, I do not like the performance. Harnoncourt's tempi are erratic, particularly in the adagio (where he speeds up the second theme-group to the point he cheapens it).

Secondly, I found his commentary on the 4th movement "chunks" informative. They could easily have been printed in liner notes; instead, we have each of the chunks played twice, followed first by commentary German, then in English.

Thirdly, I see no reason why he should not have recorded the full movement as completed by someone -- by William Carragan (Chandos: Yoav Talmi, Oslo Philharmonic); by Nicola Samale & Giuseppe Mazzuca (Teldec: Inbal, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orch [with the 5th Symphony]); or by Samale, Mazzuca, and John A Phillips (Camerata: Eichhorn, Linz Bruckner Orch). My first choice is the Carragan: though the Oslo band takes third place among those in these recordings, it is good enough and I find Carragan's completion the most convincing.*

(In January 1984 I went to New York and Carnegie Hall to hear the American Symphony Orchestra perform the premier of the 9th with Carragan's finale. The performance was reviewed the next day in the Times. I immediately wrote Joel Flegel, editor of Fanfare, asking if he knew whether a recording was planned. Joel was dubious and dismissive: "If that college professor really....")

As Carragan noted in his program notes for the ASO "premier," the finale includes the greatest of Bruckner's chorales. That magnificent theme cannot be understood or appreciated by hearing it only in Harnoncourt's chunks. It needs to be heard in context -- and that context can only be provided in a "performing version."

In my opinion, Harnoncourt does a disservice to Bruckner and to listeners by not offering a completed finale. There is certainly room for one in this two-disk set.

* But Carragan will either produce a new version or be superseded as pages not available to him have since been found -- and as still more come to light.

Harnoncourt roars, but Wildner rages.......2004-01-05

As the other reviewers note, this release is essential for anyone interested in this work, for the workshop and documentation of the currently surviving material from the final movement of the symphony. Another important aspect of the release is the use of a new "critical edition" of the initial three movements of Bruckner's 9th, which contains a number of very evident modifications, particularly in orchestration. All the same, it is a concert recording, and, at least in the usual CD format, balances aren't always optimal, trumpets and trombones often too forward, at the expense of the Vienna Phil's strings and (especially) glorious horn section, and timpani are somewhat reticent, especially in the first movement. Harnoncourt also tends to push a bit hard, lacking the natural plasticity in tempo that marks the greatest performances of the first three movements of this work. The impression is one of roaring power, building and receding throughout. Of the 4th movement sketches, Harnoncourt plays exactly what survives, except he omits the 50-odd bars of three coda fragments that have turned up.

Just a few months ago, a recording of the 9th including a reconstruction/completion of the 4th movement, based on the same body of fragments and sketches (including the coda) and prepared by the same editors, was released on Naxos(8.555933-34). The orchestra is the New Philharmonia of Westphalia (Germany) and the conductor is Johannes Wildner. Now, finally, we can hear this work in a form tantalizingly close to the way Bruckner intended. Furthermore, unlike Harnoncourt's Vienna Phil performance, Wildner and his astonishiingly capable Westphalians present what I can only describe as a ferocious performance, with horns and timpani cutting through the fabric of the orchestra at key points, and effectively flexible tempos. It's a performance unlike any I've heard since Furtwangler's furious and terrifying recording made in Berlin during the darkest days of World War II. If you've gotten the Harnoncourt (or even if you haven't), you have to get the Wildner, too.

As an aside, these recordings render superfluous the 1986 Chandos recording by Yoav Talmi and the Oslo Phil of a 4-movement version of Bruckner's 9th. That documented a brave effort by William Carragan to reconstruct a finale. Unfortunately he had barely 3/4 of the body of sketches to work with that we have now, and nothing of the coda at all.

Average customer rating: priceless individuality Excellent--going his own way works new views on these great works

Béla Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Divertimento for String Orchestra Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bruckner | Bruckner, Anton | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Smetana | Smetana, Bedrich | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ASIN: B0001GCMP4 Release Date: 2004-04-06

Customer Reviews:

priceless individuality.......2006-07-10

It is worth rushing out to buy this CD simply for the recording of the DIVERTIMENTO alone. Harnoncourt's interpretation is so saturated with insight that this is not only the best recording of this work currently available, but arguably some of the best Bartok performance you will find on record. Since the composer's music is often so technically difficult, it is frequently rehearsed only just beyond the point at which these difficulties have been surpassed, and where that dose of extra energy will be enough to justify a 'fine' recording. I offer, as an example, Charles Dutoit's recording with the OSM, which is excellent in that every detail is in place. But compare it to this recording and you will realise that there is an added dimension of interpretative insight that separates them.

With the virtuosity of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe taken for granted, Harnoncourt shows us that he has considered and imagined every scene in this remarkable little drama; characterising every motif, crafting every texture, conjuring up new colours, and breathing into every phrase a highly personal rubato. This is music-making that has certainly raised the ceiling of Bartok performance.

Excellent--going his own way works.......2005-09-29

There are already quite a few great recordings of Bartok's masterpiece, the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, fewer of the Divertimento, a masterpiece written on a smaller, simpler scale (but still thorny if you expect "divertimento" to connote Mozartean vivacity and charm). I own completely satisfying readings of the MFSPC by Reiner, Bernstein, and Levine. But Harnoncourt has carved out a special place beside these greats.

He takes very slow tempi in every movement compared to Reiner, but especially in the first--9:10 for Harnoncourt, 7:00 for Reiner. The effect of this slowing down is mesmerizing; you are forced to listen to the inner working of Bartok's complex rhythms as never before. Baartok was wriing is own version of counterpoint, and here his peculiar genius emerges with great freshness and freedom. The orchestra plays beautifully for him, and the sound from RCA/BMG is splendid.

I think this is a great addition to the Bartok catalog. Five stars.

new views on these great works.......2004-05-11

OK, Harnoncourt took his time to get round to recording Bartok but for me the results have been well worth it.

Getting my score out I notice that Harnoncourt's tempi are on the slow side but should this really be an issue when composers regularly mistime their own music? (One thinks of Webern writing of his Piano Variations Op.27 as being a '20-minute suite': most pianists get through them in six minutes or so) And besides, Bartok's metronome markings are often quite flexible so I don't think slow tempi really needs to be an issue. It's the finer musical details that mark a performance and this one has them in spades.

I liked Harnoncourt's way of shaping the fugal entries in the first movement- so much more interesting than the usual monochrome approach from other conductors. It's really pianissimo as well- listen to how much of a change in sonority there is when the strings finally take their mutes off. The climax is beautifully shaped and registers in all its urgency with a great thwack on the bass drum. (not just a dull thud as in other recordings) The second movement is a revelation in terms of the scrupulousness of Harnoncourt's approach to Bartok's details of articulation, dynamic and tempo. So many of the phrasings (eg around bar 360) sound so new- but there they are in the score. Harnoncourt's ear for colour is also a delight here- listen to the great passage around bar 190- with the two sound groupings (harp & second group of strings, piano & xylophone & first group) strikingly juxtaposed. The coda is fantastic and the CEO play like demons.

The slow movement again reveals a great ear for colour- one of the best things about this new recording is that Harnoncourt lets every instrument 'speak'- he never lets the music sound as though it's scored for two string orchestras plus a few added bits. It must be said the pianist in this recording does a marvellous job with Bartok's many different indications of attack and colour. Also, has anyone ever noticed those sforzati in the harp part before at letter D? Maybe there is a little lack of mystery overall in this movement but perhaps this has something to do with the performance being taped live.

The last movement is a corker (and right on tempo) but I have two niggles. Why the arpeggiations in the harp part at letter D when none are marked? And what's with the massive rall three bars before the end? (it would seem Harnoncourt has chosen to ignore the 'a tempo allargando' marking here) Nonetheless, this is a great reading of Bartok's masterpiece and the care that Harnoncourt lavishes on it makes the whole score gleam like new.

The Divertimento is a terrific performance too. I note that Harnoncourt is slower than most in the central movement- but- the score again- the tempo marking is molto adagio. So it's not really out of character. Again, the playing of the CEO is beyond reproach.

I thoroughly enjoyed this disc and don't know why some reviews have been negative about the performances. I found them gritty, virtuosic, atmospheric and moving. Hear them and make up your own minds.

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