Valses

1. Julia

2. Alejandra

3. Dios Nunca Muere

4. Recuerdo

5. Viva Mi Desgracia

6. Morir Por Tu Amor

7. Cuando Escuches Este Vals

8. Ojos de Juventud

9. Club Verde

10. Mañana

11. Noche Azul

Valses,Javier Solis,Sony International,Latin,Latin Pop,Mexican,Tejano

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Average customer rating: The Best of Erick Satie A forerunner to minimalism Wonderful Richard review of Best of Satie Got Satie?

The Best of Erik Satie Erik Satie , Jérôme Kaltenbach , Klára Körmendi , and Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Sarabande | Baroque Dance Suites | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Nocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Best of Fauré After the Rain...The Soft Sounds of Erik Satie Satie: Piano Works Satie: Gymnopédies No1-3; Gnossiennes No1-6 The Magic of Satie ASIN: B00004SYFP Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

1. Trois Gymnopedies (Pno Version): No.1. Lent Et Douloureux
2. Trois Gymnopedies (Pno Version): No.2. Lent Et Triste
3. Trois Gymnopedies (Pno Version): No.3. Lent Et Grave
4. Six Gnossiennes: No.1. Lent
5. Six Gnossiennes: No.2. Avec Etonnement
6. Six Gnossiennes: No.3. Lent
7. Six Gnossiennes: No.4. Lent
8. Six Gnossiennes: No.5. Modere
9. Six Gnossiennes: No.6. Avec Conviction Et Une Tristesse Rigoureuse
10. Je Te Veux (Valse)
11. Avant-dernieres Pensees: 1. Idylle/2. Aubade/3. Meditation
12. La Diva De L'Empire (Intermezzo Americain D'apres La Celebre Chanson)
13. Les Trois Valses Distinguees Du Precieux Degoute: 1. Sa Taille/2. Son Binoche/3. Ses Jambes
14. Sarabandes: Premiere Sarabande
15. Sarabandes: Deuxieme Sarabande
16. Sarabandes: Troisieme Sarabande
17. Trois Nocturnes: Premier Nocturne
18. Trois Nocturnes: Deuxieme Nocturne
19. Trois Nocturnes: Troisieme Nocturne
20. Reverie Du Pauvre
21. Trois Gymnopedies (Orchestral Version): No.1. Lent Et Couloureux - Orchestre Symphonique Et Lyrique De Nancy
22. Trois Gymnopedies (Orchestral Version): No.2. Lent Et Triste - Orchestre Symphonique Et Lyrique De Nancy
23. Trois Gymnopedies (Orchestral Version): No.3. Lent Et Grave - Orchestre Symphonique Et Lyrique De Nancy

Customer Reviews:

The Best of Erick Satie.......2007-06-11

The reason I bought this product, is because I was familiar with the 3 Gymnopedies of Erick Satie and also another of his work: The Gnosiemme (I'm not sure about the spelling) No. 4. After listening to the CD I felt very happy with it because include both versions of the Gymnopedies, the Orchestral and the one for piano and of course the Gnosiemme No. 4 which I now like it very much. The pianist makes justice to Satie's work and if you like his work is a good buy.

A forerunner to minimalism.......2007-04-13

Satie is a forerunner to minimalism. Each piece of his music is a beauty. He also had great influence on many famous composers and musicians in his age. This album is one of the best piano classical.

Wonderful.......2006-07-07

Just a great collection from Erik Satie. I would highly recommend this one!

Richard review of Best of Satie.......2005-09-02

The recording is well done. Eric Satie is not the type of music that many people will appreciate. I like his music and this particular recording.

Got Satie?.......2005-07-27

... Well folks. This may be the perfect album to get started. This features some of the best-known works by the wierd and witty Erik Satie, including the Gymnopedies (both the original piano and the orchestrated versions), the Gnossiennes, just to name a few.

The performance done by pianist Klara Kormendi is relatively plain and simple, just as Satie might have wanted. Some of his music is actually not too difficult to play... A great CD at a budget price. Kudos to Naxos for a good performance at a good price.

Also, what I'm equally impressed is the fact that in this "appreciation" album, the listener will actually be listening to many "sets" of pieces. Some of those albums (Beethoven and Mozart for example) are mere collections of selected tracks, many just one movement of a large work, such as a symphony. In some you will only be listening to selected numbers of different large "sets" of pieces. In Chopin's for example one may listen only few of the 20+ nocturnes (No. 2 for example), 15+ waltzes, and 20+ mazurkas he wrote, so one would not feel complete listening to the whole "cycles" of short pieces. Satie, fortunatley, prefered using tiny sets of pieces, most of them only comprising of three movments each. Plus each piece is short. ALL of the three Gymnopedies. ALL of the six Gnossiennes. ALL of the three Sarabandes. ALL of the three nocturnes. One can already feel happy listening to couple "sets" within a single CD.

Once again, this may be the perfect album to get started with Erik Satie. And get ALL out of those pieces!!!

Average customer rating: Picasso in sound Great but NOT complete There's only one. Don't forget Satie was an Anti-Romantic "Electric Spirit of Eric Satie" fans this is the one !

Satie: Piano Works Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Sarabande | Baroque Dance Suites | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Nocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Ciccolini, Aldo | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Debussy: Piano Works The Best of Erik Satie After the Rain...The Soft Sounds of Erik Satie Satie: Gymnopédies No1-3; Gnossiennes No1-6 Ravel: Piano Works ASIN: B000002SBP Release Date: 1992-01-23

Tracks:

1. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Gymnopedie I
2. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Gymnopedie II
3. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Gymnopedie III
4. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Les Trois Valses distingu du preux dI: Sa taille
5. Oeuvres Pour Piano: II: Son binocle
6. Oeuvres Pour Piano: III: Ses jambes
7. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Trois Gnossiennes: I Lent
8. Oeuvres Pour Piano: II Avec nnement
9. Oeuvres Pour Piano: III Lent
10. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Trois Gnossiennes: IV Lent
11. Oeuvres Pour Piano: V Mod
12. Oeuvres Pour Piano: VI Avec conviction et avec une tristesse rigoureuse
13. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Trois Mouvements en forme de poire, uatre mains: Mani de commencement
14. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Prolongation du m
15. Oeuvres Pour Piano: I
16. Oeuvres Pour Piano: II
17. Oeuvres Pour Piano: III
18. Oeuvres Pour Piano: En plus
19. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Redite
20. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois: I Tyrolienne turque
21. Oeuvres Pour Piano: II Danse maigre (a mani de ces messieurs)
22. Oeuvres Pour Piano: III Espa (Sorte de valse)
23. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Sonatine bureaucratique
24. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Trois Nocturnes: I Doux et calme
25. Oeuvres Pour Piano: II Simplement
26. Oeuvres Pour Piano: III Un peu mouvement
27. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Premi penset sonneries de la Rose Croix: Air de ldre
28. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Air du Grand Maitre
29. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Air du Grand Prieur
30. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Le Fils des oiles: Prde du 1er acte: la Vocation
31. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Prde du IIe acte: l'Initiation
32. Oeuvres Pour Piano: Prde du IIIe acte: l'Incantation

Tracks:

1. Jack In The Box: Prelude
2. Jack In The Box: Entracte
3. Jack In The Box: Final
4. Sports et Divertissements: Choral inappetissant
5. Sports et Divertissements: La Balanre
6. Sports et Divertissements: La Chasse
7. Sports et Divertissements: La Come italienne
8. Sports et Divertissements: Le Ril de la Mari
9. Sports et Divertissements: Colin-Maillard
10. Sports et Divertissements: La Pe
11. Sports et Divertissements: Le Yachting
12. Sports et Divertissements: Le Bain de mer
13. Sports et Divertissements: Le Carnaval
14. Sports et Divertissements: Le Golf
15. Sports et Divertissements: La Pieuvre
16. Sports et Divertissements: Les Courses
17. Sports et Divertissements: Les Quatre-Coins
18. Sports et Divertissements: Le pique-nique
19. Sports et Divertissements: Le Water-chute
20. Sports et Divertissements: Le Tango
21. Sports et Divertissements: Le Traau
22. Sports et Divertissements: Le Flirt
23. Sports et Divertissements: Le Feu d'artifice
24. Sports et Divertissements: Le Tennis
25. Oeuvres Pour Piano: I D'Holothurie
26. Embryons desseches: II D'Edriophtalma
27. Embryons desseches: III De Podophtalma
28. Preludes flasques (pour un chien): I Voix d'interieur
29. Preludes flasques (pour un chien): II. Idylle cynique
30. Preludes flasques (pour un chien): III. Chanson canine
31. Preludes flasques (pour un chien): IV. Avec camaraderie
32. En habit de cheval (a 4 mains): I Choral
33. En habit de cheval (a 4 mains): II Fugue litanique
34. En habit de cheval (a 4 mains): III Autre chose
35. En habit de cheval (a 4 mains): IV Fugue de papier
36. Apercus desagreables: I Pastorale
37. Apercus desagreables: II Choral
38. Apercus desagreables: III Fugue
39. Descriptions automatiques: I Sur un vaisseau
40. Descriptions automatiques: II Sur une lanterne
41. Descriptions automatiques: III Sur un casque
42. 3 Petites pieces montees (a 4 mains): De l'enfance de Pantagruel (Reverie)
43. 3 Petites pieces montees (a 4 mains): Marche de Cocagne (Demarche)
44. 3 Petites pieces montees (a 4 mains): Jeux de Gargantua (Coin de Polka)
45. Peccadilles importunes: Etre jaloux de son camarade qui a une grosse tete
46. Peccadilles importunes: Lui manger sa tartine
47. Peccadilles importunes: Profiter de ce qu'il a des cors aux pieds pour lui voler son cerceau
48. Pieces froides - No. 1 Airs a faire fuir: I D'une maniere particuliere
49. Pieces froides - No. 1 Airs a faire fuir: II Modestement
50. Pieces froides - No. 1 Airs a faire fuir: III S'inviter
51. Pieces froides - No. 2 Danses de travers: I En y regardant par deux fois
52. Pieces froides - No. 2 Danses de travers: II Passer
53. Pieces froides - No. 2 Danses de travers: III Encore
54. La Belle Excentrique: I Grande ritournelle
55. La Belle Excentrique: II Marche franco-lunaire
56. La Belle Excentrique: III Valse du 'Mysterieux baiser dans l'oeil'
57. La Belle Excentrique: IV Can-can grand-mondain
58. 3 Sarabandes: No. 1
59. 3 Sarabandes: No. 2
60. 3 Sarabandes: No. 3

Amazon.com

It's simple: in his various realizations of the piano music of Erik Satie, Aldo Ciccolini set a standard that has yet to be bettered. This compilation, drawn from recordings made between 1966 and 1971, is consequently the best of the best. Ciccolini always played Satie's music as though it had been written by Claude Debussy, not by some cheap charlatan or uneducated primitive (which, to an extent that is still debatable, Satie was). The result is that these seemingly simple piano pieces acquire a tonal allure that is as surprising as it is undeniable. They possess an understated sophistication that points directly toward Ravel and Poulenc, at the same time providing an opening to the minimalist aesthetic of the later 20th century. Ciccolini's playing is pliant and graceful, and under his fingers the music seems to breathe and come alive. What more could a composer or a listener want? --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Picasso in sound.......2006-02-19

Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Eric Satie were drinking buddies; it shouldn't be surprising that their work, though in different media, should bear striking similarities. This CD set replaces a very badly abused vinyl recording from the 1960s. No one plays Satie like Aldo Ciccolini. I do wish the Parade had been included, Satie wrote the music, Cocteau the libretto and Picasso did the sets and costumes-Satie's only ballet. Of course, the circa 1910 audience walked out. It's the story of an out-of-work ballet company that goes out onto the streets of Paris to try to get customers to come inside. The customers are stereotypes like the American in a cowboy outfit who adds the sound of this six gun to the music and the secretary who types through the encounter. The back wall of the theater was covered with Picasso designed neon signs flashing in bright colors throughout the performance. Across the front of the stage he'd strung acetate on which were playing street scenes of Paris from three cameras-red, blue and green. The men were way, way ahead of their times.

Great but NOT complete.......2004-12-23

Please note that this collection does NOT contain Erik Satie's complete works for piano. The collection makes no such claim, but at 5 CDs, some may assume it to be complete and none of the other reviews to date mention this. I am too lazy to do the research to come up with a complete list, but offhand I know that these songs are missing - "Je Te Veux", "Fantaisie-Valse" and "Valse-Ballet". These 3 are among my favorite Satie pieces, so yes, I think the collection is diminished somewhat by their absence.

Aldo Ciccolini always has been the greatest interpreter of Satie's work for piano. Ciccolini has a feel for Satie that no one else does, although I have to admit that I prefer a faster tempo to "Poudre D'Or" than the slower, introspective tempo Ciccolini always uses, but that's only a small matter of personal preference. These recordings were originally made in 1967 and 1971 and the sound quality is excellent. At the dawn of the CD era at various sessions from 1983-1986, Ciccolini recorded Satie's complete works for piano on EMI on 5 CDs. They are currently out of print in America, with the exception of one compilation CD (also available at Amazon at the time of writing) with Gabriel Tacchino playing the 2nd piano on the pieces for 2 pianos. Ciccolini was overdubbed playing the 2nd piano on the original recordings in this review. I have a slight preference for the later recordings, but many seem to prefer these originals. You can't go wrong with these, just understand that they are not complete and the missing songs are among Satie's best.

There's only one........2004-06-26

If you're reading this, you've already heard Satie's music, so I needn't to go into that. I do want to say that this is the only recording of Satie that is worth hearing. Ciccolini is the only foot that will fit the Satie glass slipper. Don't waste your money on the ugly step-sisters.

Don't forget Satie was an Anti-Romantic.......2002-02-25

No one could deny that setting every disperse music in a unique album is a remarkable job. But I didn't like much the approach of Ciccolini, which I knew around 1975 while getting borrowed the vinyl LPs in the Embassy of France in Buenos Aires. Now I'd like to explain to whom it may concern why do I feel that way.
Satie was an anti-romantic composer, at the point of creating the "furniture-music" (musique d'ameublement) which refuses that music could be so expressive as romantics wanted. Other ones clasifies him as a "Surrealist" composer (anti-romantic movement too), but there are no signs of dreams of unconsciousness through his work. Since that point of view you could play Satie's music anyway but expressively. Satie wasn't Debussy, besides the fact that they knew personally and admire each other. Could you play Debussy in a plain style without damage?. I don't think so, because Satie was farther of expressive tradition than Debussy: we can say that Debussy is a spirit of the XIX Century while Satie is a precursor of the XXth. Remember his own words: "I came to the world too young in a time too old".
The best performance I heard of the piano work of our composer was in charge of Jacques Fevrier on the excelent album called "Monsieur Erik Satie", with such a "sideman" as another member of the group of six as Georges Auric for the 4 hands pieces.
I wave goodbye with a great embrace to all Satie's fans.

"Electric Spirit of Eric Satie" fans this is the one !.......2001-08-17

Fans of "The Electronic Spirit of Eric Satie" will immediately recognize Aldo Ciccolini as one of the few musicians in touch with the true "Satie" style. The selections correspond to "Electric Spirit" ; except, performed as a good piano solo. The piano recording is done so well it's better than most orchestral versions. It sounds very much like "Electric Spirit" without orchestration nor electronic "boops" and "beeps"-- just a good piano. It's really just as funny and powerful; and here it has a class act. This performance is a rare find !

Average customer rating: Fuller versions of two classics Exquisite music beautiful reflections The Best Yet another Spanish guitar music....

Reflections of Spain: Spanish Favorites for Guitar David Russell , Isaac Albeniz , Enrique Granados , Joaquin Malats , Francisco Tarrega , and Antonio Ruiz-Pipo Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Granados, Enrique | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tarrega | Tarrega, Francisco | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music | Divertimentos Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Guitar | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Flamenco | Latin Music | Styles | Music Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces Aire Latino: Latin American Music for Guitar Spanish Guitar Music 300 Years of Guitar Masterpieces Classic Williams: Romance of the Guitar ASIN: B00005V0WV Release Date: 2002-01-22

Tracks:

1. Serenata espanola (Joaquin Malats)
2. Capricho Arabe (Francisco Tarrega)
3. Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Francisco Tarrega)
4. Andaluza (Spanish Dance No. 5) (Enrique Granados)
5. Danza melancolica (Spanish Dance No. 10) (Enrique Granados)
6. La Maja de Goya (from Tonadillas al estila antiguo) (Enrique Granados)
7. Valses poeticos - Vivace, poeticos, Tempo de vals noble, Tempo de vals lento, Allegro humoristico, Allegretto, Sentimental, Vivo, Presto (Enrique Granados)
8. Sevilla (from Suite espanola, Op. 47) (Isaac Albeniz)
9. Mallorca, Op. 202 (Isaac Albeniz)
10. Asturias (from Suite espanola, Op. 47) (Isaac Albeniz)
11. Cancion y Danza No. 1 (Antonio Ruiz-Pipo)

Amazon.com

David Russell was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but his family moved to Spain while he was still a young boy so he could study music in the birthplace of classical guitar. On Reflections of Spain, Russell plays the music of his childhood home with all the joy you would expect from someone revisiting a beloved place. Russell's formidable technique is powered by a keen intelligence and tempered by an emotional delivery. He plays chestnuts like Tarrega's "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" and Albeinez's "Austurias" with a fond intimacy that rescues them from cliché. Perhaps the finest moments on the CD are Russell's guitar arrangements of four of Granados's compositions. Although Granados wrote pieces like "Danza Melancolia" and "Andaluza" for piano, Russell's thoughtful versions remind us that the folk dances that inspired them were originally accompanied by the guitar. David Russell is one the finest classical guitarists to emerge in recent years, and his playing on Reflections of Spain is a near perfect wedding of technique and temperament. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Fuller versions of two classics .......2007-07-29

One additional element worth noting: David Russell plays the "full" versions of both 'Recuerdos de La Alhambra' (Tarrega) and 'Sevilla' (Albeniz)on this recording. He plays all the repeats in Recuerdos, which times out at 5:31, almost twice the length of most recordings due to the repeats. Hey, the more of Russell's liquid-smooth tremolo we get, the better! On 'Sevilla' Russell repeats the entire 'A' section at the end. Nearly all guitarists in the past (Segovia, Williams, Bream, etc. etc.) have played the piece with a curtailed A section at the end.
The Granados arrangements are wonderful. Russell's sheet music arrangements of Spanish Dances 5 and 10 and 'La Maja de Goya' are available - it's great to have a clean, modern arrangement of the Spanish Dance #10 in particular.

Exquisite music.......2007-06-09

This is my most favorite CD. David Russell has exquisite taste and exquisite execution. He is an absolute master of the classic Spanish guitar, and he shows off this mastery in this beautiful CD. Each piece is a joy to savor. His crystalline technique makes this a superb addition to anyone's collection. You will smell the lemon blossoms in the courtyard of the Mezquita in Cordoba when you listen to this marvelous recording.

beautiful reflections.......2006-07-07

Having just returned to England after a long spell living in Spain I was searching for an evocative suite of Spanish guitar music to accompany my extensive array of photographic studies. Being familiar with the work 'Recuerdos de la Alhambra' I was immediately attracted to this compilation: 'Reflections of Spain'. The music was a revelation. David Russel made the guitar sing lyrically, recalling many bitter sweet moments of life in Iberia. The light and shade of the choices included covered such a broad scope as to fit my purpose exactly and give enjoyment better than I could have hoped for.

The Best.......2006-04-16

This is the best Spanish guitar CDs that I have found. Even with "Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces" having more tracks and two CDs, this is better material. I am not saying that "33 Guitar Masterpiece" was bad, I actually rate it second. No need to skip through "Reflections" like many other compilations of this mixed type CD. The quaility is crisp but lower overall peak (loudness) sound compared to some of my other CDs. Read reviews of other CDs of this type because there is many that have substandard recording measures. I believe this is a must for the any guitar lover!!!

Yet another Spanish guitar music...........2006-03-09

Like every one else I have probably heard all other worthy versions of most of these tunes....I happened to find out about David Russell via reading a bio of Barrios and recommended recordings....it said...Dave Russell is the man...I had not heard of him before that...I got the CD...and WOW...!!then I got interested in his music so I bought anything I could from him including the Aire latino , plays Bach and this one....this guy was born to play the classical guitar...

This is the first artist that I hear uses proper dynamics in his performance...the rest of the pack do not nearly use the guitar as a guitar they use it just another vehicle to play a composition....David's strumming...pulling pushing the music and his singing tone is above all others...not as controled as other classical players....if people played the guitar as a guitar not as a lute..or harpsicored or a piano...then this is what it should sound like...acoustic guitar's range is very limited ...but in the hands of a master...there are no limits....

Average customer rating: Simply wonderful! quiet time reorganization of the mind Sumptuous You never have enough Ravel - just never. The Best of Ravel By Master Conductor And Orchestra

Ravel: Boléro Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Dutoit, Laurence | ( D ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring, Fireworks, Petrouchka / Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Chicago Symphony Debussy: La Mer Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade/Capriccio Espagnol Ravel: Piano Works ASIN: B00002MXMX Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

1. Bolero
2. Alborada del gracioso
3. Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): Prelude
4. Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 1 Tableau: Andse du rouet et Scene
5. Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 2 Tableau: Pavane de la Belle du bois dormant
6. Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 3 Tableau: Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bete
7. Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 4 Tableau: Petit Poucet
8. Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 5 Tableau: Laideronette, Imperatrice des pagodes
9. Une Barque sur l'ocean
10. Rapsodie espagnole: Prelude a la nuit - Malaguena - Habanera - Feria

Tracks:

1. La Valse
2. Pavane pour une infante defunte
3. Le tombeau de Couperin: Prelude
4. Le tombeau de Couperin: Forlane
5. Le tombeau de Couperin: Menuet
6. Le tombeau de Couperin: Rigaudon
7. Valses nobles et sentimentales: Modere - Assez lent
8. Valses nobles et sentimentales: Modere - Assez anime
9. Valses nobles et sentimentales: Presque lent - Azzez vif
10. Valses nobles et sentimentales: Moins vif - Epilogue
11. Menuet antique
12. Fanfare pour 'L'Eventail de Jeanne
13. Daphnis et Chloe (Suite No. 2): Lever du jour
14. Daphnis et Chloe (Suite No. 2): Pantomime
15. Dapnis et Chloe (Suite No. 2): Danse generale

Customer Reviews:

Simply wonderful!.......2007-01-09

If you are a music buff like myself ( and I do like all kinds of music ), than what's not to like about The Boléro, by Ravel? And I don't buy into that hog-wash of a story that Ravel wrote this piece in the beginning of dementia...gimmie a break and give that man credit where credit is due.....The Boléro is a master piece! Ok...my review: It was a pleasure to shop for this Cd on Amazon ( after a disappointing search in a main music store )I found what I was looking for, ordered it and anxiously waited it's delivery, which was only about 5 days. The Cd was delivered in tip-top shape and I have enjoyed repeated plays of The Boléro! ( if it were an LP, the grooves would have been worn down by now! ) Today...it's back to classic rock for me. I would surely order from Amazon again!

quiet time reorganization of the mind.......2007-01-05

Have listened to this over the years from a teen who couldn't understand why anyone would write something so slow and repetitive, to a young married who now understood a vehicle for passion in a world filled with disraction, to a person who hears the joy and passion and struggles of a composer and appreciates the pain as a growth process for humans. Tenderly,hot,good stuff.More please.

Sumptuous.......2007-01-04

To heck with arguments about Elvis, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, etc. Ravel's Bolero was the first ever piece of rock music, so there. This version by Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony totally nails it, always been my favorite version. The trick is to not let things get over the top as the intensity heightens. Flawless readings of the Rapsodie Espagnole and La Valse to boot makes this an essential disc. This is all the evidence you need that Charles Dutoit is the greatest living Ravel interpreter.

You never have enough Ravel - just never........2006-01-15

This two disk set is one of those that you should add to your collection because it is wonderful music, sounds great, and is extremely affordable. Everyone knows and loves "Boléro". Commissioned by Ida Rubinstein as a ballet and premiered in 1928 was not a musical success. At another performance, led by Toscanini, Ravel complained that the tempo was too fast. Toscanini replied that it was the only way to save the work. But it soon became a mass success to Ravel's surprise and consternation. He felt they loved it for all the wrong reasons. The violinist Hélène Jourdan-Morhange relates this interesting story of one incident involving the work:

"Ravel was extremely surprised at the mass success of "Boléro" `They're going to turn it into another "Madelon", he said, rather crossly; and deep down he felt that the obsessive, musico-sexual element in the piece was probably behind its enormous popularity. But one old lady was proof against the contagion. Ravel's brother Edouard saw her, at the first performance, wedged tightly in her seat shouting above the applause `Rubbish! Rubbish!' Maurice, when informed by his brother, replied mysteriously: `That Old Lady got the message!'" from Ravel et nous 1945 page 166.

The other works on this disk are more substantive than the 15-minute crescendo and its constantly changing orchestral colors. The entire "Mother Goose" ballet - who doesn't love this? Although you usually here it performed as the suite. The "Rhapsodie Espagnol" is a favorite and delivers that wonderful Spanish flavor with a French sauce.

"Le tombeau de Couperin" and "Valses nobles et sentimentale" are orchestrations of major piano works (with some alterations in the tombeau) (there are other pieces on these disks that also began as piano works) that are probably more well known to the general public as orchestral works. However, they are very essential works in the pianist's repertoire, and I encourage you to get to know them in that form as well.

"La Valse" is really two things. There is a tribute to Johann Strauss. Ravel admitted that every composer wanted to write a very good waltz, but that it was very difficult. So, he wrote this symphonic waltz as a tribute. However, the second half is something else, is it not? There is decadence and a madness to it that seems like a nightmare to me. As if we are all trapped in this thing until everything falls apart with pain and loss into nothing. A fascinating piece.

There are other small and popular pieces on this disk that are all done well.

Recommended!

The Best of Ravel By Master Conductor And Orchestra.......2005-11-10

French-Canadian conductor Charles Dutoit and the Motneral Symphony Orchestra deliver what is the most musically satisfying collection of Ravel Bolero's French music. At a fine price, this is a fine jewel, with moments that sparkle and burn with a beautiful fire. The first track is of course the famous Bolero, with its hypnotic, singular theme that is expanded into a climatic crescendo which is overtly sexual, primal and sensuous. It was originally a ballet about a Spanish dancer (dancing the bolero of course) in a bawdy cafe. She is spurred on to dance even more erotically by the lusty men until we can assume the men can take no more. The Rhapsody Espagnole is an evocative portrait of Spain, with lyrical passages and tonal beauty. The Valse is another classic of French music of the early 20th century. Ravel's mother had died prior to the premiere. It is a slow, romantic waltz that escalates into a frenzied dance of death. In musical terms, there is nothing too different from La Valse and Bolero. They are both basically one motif that is repeated but changes in volume and pacing. The Pavane For A Dead Princess is my favorite work of his. It is possibly the most gorgeous funeral music one will ever hear. Far from being a melancholy piece, it is a stately, Renaissance-like work that pays homage to exoticism of the East and Romanticism of the West. The Dead Princess we assume is either Moorish or Spanish and the music is lilting and spiritual without ever reaching the heights of frustration or despair that Bolero or Valse take on. The Tomb of Couperin is also a funereal piece but its beauty lies in its imitation of Baroque music. Couperin was a Baroque composer of keyboard works. The music is aptly called neo-baroque or neoclassical since it was composed in the 20th century. This same style is embedded in Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales and Minuet Antique- all works that reflect the music of the Baroque and classical eras, an homage to Handel and Gluck. Daphne Et Cloe is perhaps his most ambitious work, as it expands on the Baroque classic and makes it more operatic and orchestrally grander. All fans of Ravel will want to own this recording. Dutoit knows this music down to a T and the orchestra captures nuance and subtlety in a variety of both light and dark textures. The music is brimming with life and the sound is crisp and beautifully remastered.

Average customer rating: Like a rainy day in a good bookstore Not "Ultimate", but Wonderful! Everyone would love this album! Incredible One well worth the price of two

Ultimate Guitar Collection Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Albeniz, Mateo Pérez de | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Dowland | Dowland, John | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Falla | Falla, Manuel de | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Granados, Enrique | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tarrega | Tarrega, Francisco | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Villa-Lobos, Heitor | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Lute | Instruments | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Villa-Lobos, Heitor | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Guitar | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Lute | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Bream, Julian | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Julian Bream: The Ultimate Guitar Collection-Volume 2 Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces 300 Years of Guitar Masterpieces Baroque Guitar Classic Williams: Romance of the Guitar ASIN: B00000I9M1 Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

1. Allegro Giusto
2. Largo
3. Allegro
4. Packington's Pound
5. Greensleeves
6. Fantasia 'A Fancy'
7. Canarios
8. Sonata In D
9. Leyenda (Asturias)
10. The Three Cornered Hat: The Millar's Dance
11. Recuerdos De La Alhambra
12. Choros No.1
13. Andantino Espressivo
14. Poco Animato
15. En Los Trigales
16. Allegro Con Spirito
17. Adagio
18. Allegro Con Brio

Tracks:

1. Mallorca, Op. 202 - Albeniz
2. Cataluna
3. Granada
4. Sevilla
5. Cadiz
6. Cordoba
7. Dedicatoria
8. La Maja De Goya
9. Danza Espanola No. 4
10. Valses Poeticos - Granados
11. Danza Espanola No. 5 - Granados
12. Fandango
13. Passacaglia
14. Zapateado

Customer Reviews:

Like a rainy day in a good bookstore.......2007-07-10

"Always pleasant, never a false cord." That's what I think each time I listen to this collection. I guess I should be listening more closely, but I find the music and the virtuosity with which it is played to be a springboard to other thoughts and activities. I can read with it in the background, write with it or simply drift into thought. And that is really quite enough for me.

Not "Ultimate", but Wonderful!.......2007-03-29

As good a guitarist as Julian Bream is, one must begin by acknowledging that the title of this 2-CD set containing 32 admittedly seminal pieces written for hand-played strings ( primarily, the lute) is a tad hyperbolistic. An "Ultimate" collection of anything would have to be more complete, by definition, than any two CDs can be and, again, it almost goes without saying that no two people are apt to be in total agreement about what should or should not have been included in any such collection. All caveats considered and aside, this is, indeed, a thoughtfully selected and masterfully performed collection of what is, unarguably, some of the very best classical pieces ever written for the lute. Bream plays some of them on the guitar and others on a renaissance lute - the latter giving a somewhat truer indication of the stylings and musical nuances intended by the various composers. But, even the pieces he plays on the guitar - an instrument that, in it's current form, did not exist when many of the pieces were originally composed - are sensitive and lyrical interpretations that sound as if they MIGHT have been composed for the guitar.

Without spending space here reiterating the specific pieces, their titles and lengths, I will simply list the composers whose works Bream presents so nicely in this collection. They span a range of about five centuries beginning in the time of England's Elizabeth I and spanning the years through to the 20th Century's premier Spanish and Brazilian classical guitar composers. The list reads like a `Whose Who" of classical plucked-string instrument music and of composers whose keyboard compositions work particularly well on the strings of a lute or guitar, and includes;
- John Dowland
- Francis Cutting
- Antonio Vivaldi
- Gaspar Sanz (*)
- Mateo Albeniz (*)
- Manuel de Falla
- Enrique Granados (*)
- Hector Villa-Lobos, and
- Joaquin Rodrigo
(*) = Pieces originally written for keyboard play.

Every classical guitarist has his own recognizable style and approach to the instrument and the material. An experience listener would not confuse Bream's work with that of Andres Segovia, for example: but it is not that one is better than the other. Each, in his own distinctive way, is simply superb. Though the Spanish influence is clearly audible with both musicians, Bream's stylings have a more contemporary lilt and inflection than do those of Segovia; he makes each piece his own. One suspects that each time he plays a piece it comes out differently according to the moment, his mood, the instrument and God knows what else. Segovia, on the other hand, was well known for his constancy once he had found a version of each piece that fully suited his own ear and temperament.
While I am admittedly a Segovia fan, I find Bream's renditions to be noticeably fresher and each infused with an aura of presence in the here-and-now which I find especially enjoyable.

The collection is neither complete not `ultimate', but it is VERY good and well worth having in any collection of classical guitar music. In fact, for audiophiles not familiar with this genre, it is a fair place to begin to develop an ear for and a listener's knowledge of and experience with the classical guitar.

I recommend it highly.

Everyone would love this album!.......2007-01-16

This album is fantastic. Easy to listen to and wonderful background music for working or dinner parties

Incredible.......2005-10-24

This is the leading guitar player of his generation at his best.

He is especially amazing in the second CD, with some of the solo guitar transcriptions of Albeniz. His rendition of Rodrigo's three pieces is also sublime.

I can't imagine anybody buying this cd then regretting it.

One well worth the price of two.......2004-09-25

This two cd set is an odd juxtaposition. The first cd consists of a sampler of Bream's career output - but without (and I believe the omission is disgraceful) any acknowledgement of Bream's significant contribution toward the creation of a truly 20th century concert repertoire for guitar. The second cd is a re-release of his superb early 1980's recording of Albeniz and Granados transcriptions with the added bonus of a sublime interpretation of the "Three Spanish Pieces" by J Rodrigo.

Speaking as a musician I find the selections and the production of the first cd problematic. We get a few of the more lightweight examples of renaissance lute and baroque guitar (but no JS Bach and no (solo) baroque lute work); we get no vihuela repertoire and nothing truly representative of classical period composition. We do have all six movements from two contrasting concertos but the remainder of the cd consists mostly of neo-romantic repertoire from the twentieth century. Worse still, the recording quality is highly variable; for example one of the Villa Lobos pieces sounds as though it was recorded in an indoor swimming complex. Given the cd's title more care should have been taken to better represent Bream's career and musical diversity. In the opinion of one familiar with Bream's output this is a disappointing selection. Well played but not representative of the artist nor the art form.

However the opposite is the case with the second cd. These recordings were made at a time when Bream set out to commit to (then) vinyl, via the guitar, the musical heritage of Spain. Bream here was at the height of his interpretive power - and a fine film documentary also resulted from this endeavour.

The inclusion of the Rodrigo set makes this cd a better buy than the original Albeniz and Granados recording, although those who find this compilation rewarding might perhaps profit from researching Bream's catalogue, and adding the complete recording from which the Rodrigo is sourced (circa 1980-90) to their collection.

As for the Albeniz and Granados Bream offers his own transcriptions. These tread a fine line between fidelity to the piano scores and Bream's concept of what works on the guitar. As a general observation Bream seeks to include significantly more of the original score's textures than do many of his peers (e.g. J Williams, P Romero). At the same time he is not averse to significantly modifying the original (e.g. amongst others 'Granada' and 'Cordoba'). Such a process is part of any transcription but here the results are not only excellent but also personal to Bream, as a result we have further confirmation of the craft of a great performing artist.

Every listener will discover their own favourites and I have more than space allows me to relate. I believe that Bream brings more expression to his performances of the Valses Poeticos by Granados than any other guitarist I have heard, and the Passacaglia by Rodrigo is played with such a sense of a brooding menace that my spine tingles every time I listen to it.

The second cd alone is worth twice the compilation's asking price.

Average customer rating: Outstanding performance tour de force Ravel Piano Works- Pascal Roge Beautiful Works, Excellent Performance

Ravel: Piano Works Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Rogi, Pascal | ( R ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Rogi, Pascal | ( R ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Debussy: Piano Works Satie: Piano Works Ravel: The Piano Concertos; Valses nobles et sentimentales After the Rain...The Soft Sounds of Erik Satie Liszt: Favourite Piano Works ASIN: B00000422W Release Date: 1994-11-15

Tracks:

1. Gaspard de la nuit: I Ondine
2. Gaspard de la nuit: II Le Gibet
3. Gaspard de la nuit: III Scarbo
4. Valses nobles et sentimentales: I Modere, tres franc
5. Valses nobles et sentimentales: II Assez lent, avec une expression intense
6. Valses nobles et sentimentales: III Modere
7. Valses nobles et sentimentales: IV Assez anime
8. Valses nobles et sentimentales: V Presque lent, dans un sentiment intime
9. Valses nobles et sentimentales: VI Vif
10. Valses nobles et sentimentales: VII Moins vif
11. Valses nobles et sentimentales: VIII Epilogue, lent
12. Jeux d'eau
13. Miroirs: I Noctuelles
14. Miroirs: II Oiseaux tristes
15. Miroirs: III Une barque sur l'ocean
16. Miroirs: IV Alborada del gracioso
17. Miroirs: V La Vallee des cloches

Tracks:

1. Sonatine: I Modere
2. Sonatine: II Mouvement de menuet
3. Sonatine: III Anime
4. Le tombeau de Couperin: I Prelude
5. Le tombeau de Couperin: II Fugue
6. Le tombeau de Couperin: III Forlane
7. Le tombeau de Couperin: IV Rigaudon
8. Le tombeau de Couperin: V Menuet
9. Le tombeau de Couperin: VI Toccata
10. Prelude
11. Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn
12. A la maniere de Borodine
13. Menuet antique
14. Pavane pour une infante defunte
15. A la maniere de Chabrier
16. Ma Mere L'Oye: Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant
17. Ma Mere L'Oye: Petit Poucet
18. Ma Mere L'Oye: Laideronnette, imperatrice des pagodes
19. Ma Mere L'Oye: Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bete
20. Ma Mere L'Oye: Le Jardin feerique

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding performance.......2005-11-29

I have to concur with Del Dotto's opinion in the yr 2000, this is as close to definitive as possible.
But why stop at just 1 excellent recording, also consider Jean Efflam Bavouzet on the MDG label. As well another definitive recording (yes its possible to have more than just one definitive) is Alexandre Tharaud's recent recording on Harmondo Mundi.

Pascal Rouge, a true master in Ravel, a very rare talent in the recording industry.

tour de force.......2005-04-20

Pascal Roges recordings of Ravels great piano works serves as a honest mark of the music that never was, but perhaps might have been. Gently capturing the sheltered aura of pre-novelite Chopin, whilst endowing the music with the acousto-eco-hyperbolies of Keats, this recording is not to be missed. one can almost sense the tragic embrace that beheld Toffy and Dolly in that one moment, that one eternal moment. Ah. I shall never forget it. Ravels piano works are, in all senses, composures of 20th century modernity, suffused with the country-stylised effects of, say, Emmylou Harris, and the impecably marked greenhouse-jubilance connecting all the pieces in one final exotic anti-frenzy makes certain implications on ones ability to hate. I dont hate this cd, for example. the best pieces are Jeux d'eau, what a hit! and Le Tombeau de Couperin. Buy this cd and you will/wont be very very happy.

Ravel Piano Works- Pascal Roge.......2002-08-30

Having searched for ages for a definitive recording of the Impressionistic Masterpiece "Gaspard de la Nuit", I found it in this CD. Roge plays the technical inferno of Ondine and Scarbo with flawless taste and passion. This recording would rival that of Martha Argerich's famous recording of Gaspard that has long been thought to be the best. The Tombeau and Sonatine are also very nicely done. Sometimes however, with the smaller lesser known pieces such as the Minuet, you get the sense that he is sightreading, not truely feeling the music. Nevertheless this is a must have.

Beautiful Works, Excellent Performance.......2002-08-27

Together with the 2CD set of Debussy's piano works, these two albums are master recordings of the finest impressionist piano music. Pascal Roge has an astonishing control of the sound of the piano, and can bring out a beautiful palette of various tone colours and moods, orchestrating the piano and creating a dreamworld of sensations. Listen to the wonderful suite Gaspard de la Nuit, the marvellous sonatine (especially the second movement), and of course the mirroirs... This album is a must!

Average customer rating: High quality piano music Peerless Ravel-Astounding, Heart Stopping Not quite the summit A Popular Recording with Suprising Disappointments Breathtaking beauty

Ravel: The Piano Concertos; Valses nobles et sentimentales Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cleveland Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Cleveland Orchestra | ( C ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos.1 & 2; Totentanz Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé / La Valse - Berliner Philharmoniker / Pierre Boulez Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Bartok: The Piano Concertos Ravel: Piano Works ASIN: B000009MF7 Release Date: 1999-02-09

Tracks:

1. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G major: 1. Allegramente
2. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G major: 2. Adagio assai
3. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G major: 3. Presto
4. Valses nobles et sentimentales: I. Modere
5. Valses nobles et sentimentales: II. Assez lent
6. Valses nobles et sentimentales: III. Modere
7. Valses nobles et sentimentales: IV. Assez anime
8. Valses nobles et sentimentales: V. Presque lent
9. Valses nobles et sentimentales: VI. Assez vif
10. Valses nobles et sentimentales: VII. Moins vif
11. Valses nobles et sentimentales: VIII. Epilogue: Lent
12. Concerto For The Left Hand In D Major: Lento - Andante - Allegro - Tempo I

Customer Reviews:

High quality piano music.......2006-09-05

Zimerman shows an example of extraordinary mastery in the Left Hand concerto, look at the ending cadenza there! It is absolutely amazing and this CD is worth buying a thousand times.

Peerless Ravel-Astounding, Heart Stopping .......2004-09-28

I have adored the 2 Ravel Piano Concerti since high school and I have heard every existing recording of these masterpieces. Nothing compares to the interepretations of Zimmerman, especially in the Left Hand Concerto. The opening solo cadenza is truly breathtaking and accomplishes what Ravel intended--that the absence of the right hand would not diminish in the least, the virtuosity of the piano part. Zimmerman has an uncanny ability to bring rhythmic flexibility and freshness in every measure and the concluding cadenza has never been played with such power and moving commitment to Ravel's score. I adore Alicia de Larrocha's recording but Zimmerman easily takes the first prize. Pierre Boulez' conducting is always impassioned and thrilling. A must for any lover or Ravel and the piano.

Not quite the summit.......2003-09-08

There are some collaborations that are miraculous, where soloist, conductor and orchestra see as one with the score, where everyone seems to arrive at the same point spontaneously and, seemingly, effortlessly, and the music transcends the written score.

Unfortunately, this isn't one of those recordings.

I'd hoped it would be. We have Krystian Zimerman, one of the greatest pianists alive. We have Pierre Boulez, a man who's had half a century to think about these great works. We have the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the greatest orchestras and one Boulez performs with often.

Yet I feel everyone here is just trying too much. They hit this music too hard, with exaggerated crescendoes and tempi fluctuations, and mannerisms that to me seem out of place for such direct music that should sound almost improvised. The "jazziness" (and jazz was a model for Ravel's concerti) is gone. Dynamics range from VERY LOUD to barely audible. Again, though impressive, I feel it's a little too much--this isn't Mahler. It's all immaculately played and beautifully recorded, with lots of inner detail, but I think we expect that from this crew. The problem is, I don't get any new insights into the music. And the Waltzes are "limpy," or wooden-legged. I get the impression Boulez never waltzed in his life.

For the Waltzes I recommend, if you can find it, Eduardo Mata and the Dallas Symphony on a budget RCA recording that also has a superb La Valse and Moussorgsky "Pictures." For the D minor concerto, my favorite is the effortless and flowing Fleisher/Comissiona with the Baltimore Symphony. For the concerto that employs all ten digits, I'll be not-terribly-original and opt for the famous Michelangeli/Gracis/Philharmonia recording that many critics consider one of the greatest piano recordings ever.

A Popular Recording with Suprising Disappointments.......2003-07-02

While Gramophone did award this CD, the performance of the G major concerto (heralded as one of the great accomplishments on this album) is a great disappointment. The first movement is a good example: many of the woodwind solos following the introduction are simply out of tune, and Zimmerman's sudden increase in tempo in the recap begs for slowing--- it pains to hear such speed for the orchestra. Thankfully, the infamous bassoon and horns solos are beautifully played and bear none of the same problems. The second movement is wonderfully executed, (though a little lifeless in the strings) but the ending is oddly out of rhythm, probably the result of a strange ritardando. It is the third movement, however, that really disappoints. For starters, if one listens to the beginning and ending of the track (noting the last and first few measures are nearly identical music), an exponential increase in tempo occurs. Although this movement has been referred to as "the chase," it is taken to an uncontrollable extreme here. The French horn duet early in the movement is too brash and forward (as are many brass entrances throughout), and there is a clarinet run that fails rhythmically, giving some hint of how Cleveland struggled under Zimmerman's wild tempi. The duet bassoon runs (a famous orchestral audition excerpt) take on a tempo all their own when they start (much slower). The piano playing throughout is flawless, but one wonders if Zimmerman could not heed more to the orchestra in order to make controlled, flowing music. The fluctuating tempi are hard to miss, and lead to a disappointingly fast and sometimes unmusical rendition of benchmark 20th century music. As for the Left Hand and the Valses, they are in much better shape and worth the purchase, especially the former. More control, musicality, and an orchestra with an unbeatable sound (in the case of the G Major Concerto) can be found in Alicia de Larrocha and St. Louis under Leonard Slatkin, with the piano version of the Valses being a special (and more musical) treat.

Breathtaking beauty.......2003-04-07

Krystian Zimerman is one the very few truly exceptional geniuses that can make the piano sing. His colors and tones are of a breathtaking aesthetic beauty as only a Rubinstein or Horowitz were able to produce... French composers appear most suited for him, just look at his Preludes from Debussy. If you love piano, by all means get this CD.

Average customer rating:

Maurice Ravel: The Composer as Pianist and Conductor Manufacturer: Pierian ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Claude Debussy: The Composer as Pianist The Composer as Pianist Bartók Plays Bartók Alexander Scriabin: The Composer as Pianist Prokofiev Plays Prokofiev ASIN: B00008BNTE Release Date: 2003-02-25

Average customer rating: Love it, want to find more like it Valses Mexicanos Probably the best recordings ever by Mexico's best mariachi Straight From Heaven

Valses Mexicanos Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan Manufacturer: Sony International ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Mariachi | Latin Music | Styles | Music Mexico | International | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Mexico | International | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Mexico | International | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Latin General | Latin Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Latin General | Latin Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Mariachi | Latin Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Mariachi | Latin Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 International | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Pasodobles Con el Mejor Mariachi del Mundo Sones de Jalisco Aniversario 100: Canciones Mexicanas Que Canta el Mundo Mejor Mariachi del Mundo The Best of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán: Ultimate Collection ASIN: B000005M7H Release Date: 1996-11-26

Tracks:

1. Noche Azul
2. Dios Nunca Muere
3. Mercedes
4. Viva Mi Desgracia
5. Sentimiento
6. Olimpica
7. Morir Sonando
8. Luz
9. Palabras De Amor
10. Cuando Escuches Este Vals
11. Amarte Siempre
12. Rio Rosa

Customer Reviews:

Love it, want to find more like it.......2007-07-30

After returning from my honeymoon in Mexico, I was thirsting for Mariachi music and I came across this album while perusing Amazon lists and 5 stars just isn't a high enough ranking in my opinion. The music sounds instantly classic and hints at some by gone era that you would want to lose yourself in and leaves you thirsting for more.

Valses Mexicanos.......2007-03-19

this is the premier mariachi in Mexico. This group is very well known and their recording of Valses Mexicanos is superb.

Probably the best recordings ever by Mexico's best mariachi.......2004-12-20

Beautifully recorded renditions of Mexico's most beloved waltzes, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán performs in a way that many of them will bring tears to your eyes. Songs are of lost loves, lost loved ones, happiness, youth, "to laugh crying," and a beautiful one of Oaxaca's most famous composer, Macedonio Alcalá: "Dios Nunca Muere."

Straight From Heaven.......2002-12-25

The music on this CD will reach right down to your soul and will mesmerize you taking you to another place in time. Absolutely beautiful!

Average customer rating: Lecuona Plays Lecuona Lecuona the Cuban pianist is Great! The Cuban Chopin Lecuona, the musical genious . . . . . LECUONA IS NO LIGHTWEIGHT

Ultimate Collection Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Lecuona | Lecuona, Ernesto | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Always in My Heart-Domingo sings Songs of Ernesto Lecuona Juana Zayas:A Treasury of Cuban Piano Classics Lecuona Sinfónica / Morton Gould and His Orchestra Ernesto Lecuona: The Complete Piano Music, Volume 1 Ernesto Lecuona Piano Music: Piano Solo ASIN: B000003G71 Release Date: 1997-02-11

Tracks:

1. Malaguena
2. Andalucia
3. Ante el Escorial
4. San Francisco el grande
5. Siempre en mi corazon
6. Maria la O
7. Siboney
8. Noche azul
9. La comparsa
10. Danza negra
11. Danza lucumi
12. A la antigua
13. Canto del guajiro
14. Canto del guajiro
15. La habanera
16. Damisela encantadora
17. Crisantemo
18. Romantico
19. Rosa la china
20. Como arrullo de palmas
21. Palomitas blancas
22. Poetico
23. Estudiantina
24. Cordoba
25. Music Box
26. Mazurka en glisado
27. Polichinela
28. Gitanerias
29. Aragon
30. Valencia mora

Tracks:

1. La brisa y yo
2. Devuelveme el corazon
3. Preludio en la noche
4. Yo te quiero siempre
5. Pavo real
6. Vals de las sombras
7. Bell Flower
8. Zambra gitana
9. Por eso te quiero
10. Vals azul
11. Vals en si mayor
12. Muneca de cristal
13. Mi amor fue una flor
14. Vals en re bemol
15. Apasionado
16. Amorosa
17. Ahi viene el chino
18. Al fin te vi
19. Por que te vas?
20. Mientras yo comia maullaba un gato
21. Por que te vas?
22. Amorosa
23. Los minstrels
24. No hables mas
25. Dame tu amor
26. Vals en re bemol
27. La 32
28. Mis tristezas
29. En tres por cuatro
30. Munequita
31. Burlesca
32. La paloma
33. Music Box

Amazon.com

This collection includes Ernesto Lecuona's complete 1954 recordings plus a series of 78s made in 1927-28. Ten of the recordings were previously unreleased. This is a lot of lightweight Cuban piano music to deal with at once, but it's definitely worth doing. Lecuona's music, which is having a major revival, may not be important. But it's consistently charming and entertaining. The 78s, which sound surprisingly good, reveal even more of a virtuoso than do the later recordings, but throughout we hear playing that expresses the spirit of the music extremely well. And yes, the famous Malagueña is here, sounding very sexy. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Lecuona Plays Lecuona.......2007-05-12

Oh Boy! What can I tell you about this magnificent collection of musical jewels from our Maestro Lecuona. I bought the original Long Playing Record back in the 50's in my country.
I purchased it again shortly after my arrival to the US, and I was lucky enough to buy it on DVD from Amazon, once I found out they had it.

Joseph L. Alcover
Miami, FL

Lecuona the Cuban pianist is Great!.......2005-08-17

In my opinion this is one of the best CD's from Lacuona, Most of his piano compositions are recorded here (original ones), What, Ms. Leslie Gerber forgot to mention is that Mr.Lecuona was a band leader,"Lecuona and the Cuban Boys", remembers him? Or maybe she does not have sufficient information about him. The music from Lecuona still is very well alive today. I came across his recordings on my own, no one ever told me about this great pianist. I happened to hear the Malague?a by another great Cuban composer and band leader Perez Prado (The Real Mambo King) in one of his albums and Lecuona was the author. That got me interested in him. I'm pretty sure that Ms.Leslie Gerber does not mean any harm trying to put this composer down. It's just that maybe all she knows is Gerber baby food stuff!

The Cuban Chopin.......2004-06-18

What a great album and great value. There is music here that will make you smile, break your heart, inspire you, and Lecuona's skill is breathtaking. If you enjoy classical piano music (with a Cuban/Spanish influence), you'll love this. No, it doesn't display the virtuosity, complexity or seriousness of Lizst, Chopin or Beethoven, but it's fun, beautiful, dramatic yet accessible. You'll love it.

Lecuona, the musical genious . . . . ........2002-10-16

I feel compelled to identify myself first. I am Cuban born who arrived in the US in 1960 at the age of 16 years old. I am a US citizen since 1965 and a US Army Veteran of Viet Nam. I will die defending the right Ms. Leslie Garber has of expresing her opinions. But what I will not condone is her ignorance. To say that Lecuona writes "lightweight Cuban piano music" and that "Lecuona's music may not be important" is to show ignorance. A musician that composes GREAT music in several genres of the music world, a musician that in all genres has highly succesful pieces, and, a musician that after many years, (70-80 years) is still heard and admired can not be called other than MUSICAL GENIOUS and a CLASSICAL MUSICIAN. His music is so beautiful that it will live forever. From his Afro-Cuban compositions, to his romantic popular boleros, to his valses, to his Zarzuelas, Lecuona demonstrates once and again, time after time his immense musical talent. His Afro-Cuban "Cafetal", his romantic boleros "Noche Azul" and "Amapola", His vibrant and colorful "Comparsa" and "Andalucia", his classical Valses, just to mention a few things, makes Lecuona to stand together with the great musicians of the world. The fact that Hollywood made a film around "Estas en mi corazon" and that great singers, like Placido Domingo, want to sing Lecuona's music speaks immensely well of Lecuona/s greatness. The fact the popular instrumental orchestras like Faith, Conniff, Mantovani, Cugat have arranged and interpreted a lot of Lecuona's music also says a lot about Lecuona's versatility in his work. Lecuona is probably important to many millions of people and his music is certainly not lightweight. And if the only thing Ms. Garber can say about "Malaguena" is that "it sounds very sexy" is to demonstrate that she does not know a thing about music. It definitely does not give her the priviledge of commenting about Lecuona's music.

LECUONA IS NO LIGHTWEIGHT.......2002-02-27

Lecuona is one of the most important composers of Latin-America. He is by no means the "unimportant" and "lightweight" Leslie Gerber (whomever that may be) claims, having been hailed for performances of his earlier (and "less mature") works by the likes of Maurice Ravel.

In my opinion the highlight of the set is the devilish "La 32". It's also interesting to compare his interpretations of the same works at different times in his career, like the two recordings of "Por que te vas?" and "Amorosa", especially keeping in mind that Lecuona seldom notated and improvised quite frequently, leaving the transcription work to his students.

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