The Craft

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This is the kind of album that divides fans. On one side, there are the ones that will see the Bay Area hip-hop duo composed of rapper Gift of Gab and producer Chief Xcel taking a logical step forward, recruiting high-profile guests (George Clinton, Floetry) and banking on a more commercial sound with effervescent R&B tracks like "Powers," "World of Vibrations" and "Lotus Flower." Then there are those that will lament the passing of the band's vintage, more meaningful sound. As if the crew was expecting the cynics to turn up to the party, midway through the album dramatically shifts gears--out goes the pop and in comes the soul via "The Fall & Rise of Elliot Brown" and "Black Diamonds & Pearls." You might suspect West Coast conscious rap contemporaries Black Eyed Peas stood at the very same crossroads before they sold their first million. --Aidin Vaziri

Product Description
With their third full-length, Blackalicious have produced a record of such sonic depth and lyrical ambition that it can proudly stand alongside the work of Bay Area funk fathers Sly Stone and Shuggie Otis, or hip-hop classics like Outkast's "Aquemini" and The Roots' "Things Fall Apart". But "The Craft" isn't nostalgic for some golden era that never existed. Lyricist Gab moves beyond the introspection of earlier albums, and musically, Xcel accomplishes beats that touch on classic funk sidling cosily alongside the orchestral sweep of Stereolab. Features guest appearances by George Clinton, Floetry, Lateef The Truth Speaker, and Pigeon John. Blackalicious's 2002 breakthrough, "Blazing Arrow" has scanned 230,000 units.

The Craft,Blackalicious,Anti,Hip-Hop,Pop,Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop,Underground Rap,United States of America,West Coast Rap

The Craft

Tracks:

Prologue: The Birth Of Apollo - London Symphony Orchestra
Apollo's Variation - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas D'Action: Apollo And the Muses - London Symphony Orchestra
Variation Of Calliope - London Symphony Orchestra
Variation Of Polymnia - London Symphony Orchestra
Variation Of Terpsichore - London Symphony Orchestra
Variation Of Apollo - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas De Deux: Apollo And Terpsichore - London Symphony Orchestra
Coda: Apollo And the Muses - London Symphony Orchestra
Apotheosis: Apollo And the Muses - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas De Quarte - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Double Pas De Quarte - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Triple Pas De Quarte - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Prelude - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
First Pas De Trois: Saraband-Step - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Gaillarde - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Coda - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Interlude - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Second Pas De Trois: Bransle Simple - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Bransle Gay - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Bransle Double (Bransle De Poitou) - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Interlude - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Pas De Deux/Piu Mosso/L'Istesso Tempo/Refrain - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Coda/Doppio Lento/Quasi Stretto/Coda - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Four Duos - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Four Trios - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Lento Sostenuto - London Symphony Orchestra
Air De Danse - London Symphony Orchestra
Dance Of the Angel Of Death - London Symphony Orchestra
Interlude - London Symphony Orchestra
Dance Of The Furies - London Symphony Orchestra
Air De Danse - London Symphony Orchestra
Interlude - London Symphony Orchestra
Air De Danse - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas D'Action - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas De Deux - London Symphony Orchestra
Interlude - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas D'Action - London Symphony Orchestra
Apotheosis - London Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Robert Craft & Stravinsky: 3 Ballets on Themes of Greek Mythology.......2006-12-20

Naxos is doing us all a most welcome favor by re-releasing the Robert Craft performances of Stravinsky (and some Webern, and some Schoenberg) that earlier passed through on labels like MusicMaster and Koch Classics.

On this disc we get three of the later ballets that the composer did, based on Greek themes in mythology.

The earliest of these works is the ballet, Apollo. Or Apollon musagete. (1928) Craft seems to have had a complex relationship to the master, part family, part soul-mated colleague, and maybe part worshipper of the muses. He leads a deft and balanced reading of Apollo with the LSO. Do not let yourself be misled by the mainly diatonic, or major-key based, nature of this neo-classically fresh music. It is euphonius, and transcends its analytical means.

After visiting for a day with the composer, the Russian impresario Diaghilev wrote to a friend, "...it is, of course, an amazing work, extraordinarily calm and with greater clarity than anything he has done: filigree counterpoint around transparent, clear-cut themes, all in a major key, music not of this world, but from somewhere above ..."

Diaghilev got it, then, and so do Robert Craft and the players.

Second comes the latest of these 3 ballets, Agon. (1957) By this time the master was going serial, or twelve-tone, in his very own special way. He finished Agon close to his 75th birthday, and there is little or nothing quite like it in most of the published twelve-tone literature. Somehow, Stravinsky finds the intense economies that we associate with Webern while staying true to himself. There is no published scenario to Agon, as if the music were its own reason for being a ballet. The Orchestra of St. Luke's is smaller than the LSO, but no less musically gifted. Yet again, Robert Craft's leadership is astute, and he seems to have an ear no less incisive than Pierre Boulez when it comes to pitch, texture, and rhythm. What he offers that Pierre Boulez sometimes does not, at least as recorded, is a certain warmth and involvement, a certain sensory richness and physicality.

The last ballet on this disc is the one written in between Apollo and Agon: Orpheus (1946). The choice of subject originated with Georges Balanchine who was much taken with the Orpheus myth, but ballet stage designer Isamu Noguchi also deserves credit for bringing the work to life as dance, as scene, and as total art work. Stravinsky's genius was supported and nourished by the other two, and so we get a sort of return of the younger composer, all that much wiser for being able to embrace sensuality again after having survived two world wars and ending up settled amid the posturing glitz of Hollywood and southern California. Craft leads the LSO in another fine reading.

Apollo and Orpheus were caught in Abbey Road, U.K., and Agon in an auditorium at SUNY, Purchase. The sound matches the clarity, brilliance, and sensual heft of these three performances. Never flashy. No kitsch. But generous and scintillating, nonetheless.

Check out the whole Robert Craft series of recorded Stravinsky. This disc is just one among a string of finely matched pearls, waiting for the black velvet of your listening room's expectant quiet.

A Return to the Greeks a la Stravinsky.......2006-06-24

This marvelous CD presents three Stravinsky ballets that deal with Greek mythology and span Stravinsky's output from 1927 through 1957 allowing us to hear the manner in which Stravinsky continued to grow with the musical changes of the times (if not invent them!). The conductor is Robert Craft, Stravinsky's longtime colleague and promoter and in these recordings, each made originally on separate sessions, he conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Lukes, both ensembles having an affinity for these works.

'Apollon musagete, ballet in 2 scenes for string orchestra' (1927) is probably the finest of his neoclassical period works for orchestra alone. It can be steely cool in other's hands, but here Craft draws an achingly beautiful sound from the London Symphony. It is meditative, serenely poignant and ethereal.
'Agon, ballet for twelve dancers & orchestra' (1957) is one of Stravinsky's twelve tone works that manages to go beyond the usual constrictions of that form to become an unusually melodic work. Craft and the Orchestra of St. Lukes offer a performance that gives all of the sixteen variations individual importance.

'Orpheus, ballet in 3 scenes for orchestra' (1947) concludes the recital with the admixture of both Stravinsky's neoclassicism with his early penchant for seething romantic melody lines. This is the work of the three that will find widest audience appeal for those not yet captivated with the Stravinsky 'cerebral works' and it makes a fine way to complete this exploration into Greek themes so cleverly programmed by the reconstructors of this first class CD. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, June 06

Absolute Caftsmanship.......2005-07-17

Robert Craft was one of Stravinkij's best friends and worked closely with him in several circumstaces over the course of the years until the composer died. Craft was almost like a borther for Stravinsky (he lived with the russian composer's family both in California and later in New York City, and shared with him many ideas and projects which eventually culminated in a artistic relationship. Crafts wrote the libretto for The Flood and became the major biogarpher and Stravinskij's scholar publishing several numbers of books and essays on Starvinsky's ouvres and asethetic.

In this recording Craft is actually the best interpreterof Starvinsky's ballet music. Before I listened to this extraordinary Naxos CD, I thought tha Ansermet went farther than anybody else did --even more than Stravinskij himself. Craft made me change my mind: when you listen to his intepretation of this music, you have the feeling that he is talking to his longstanding friend Igor while conducting his music.

This recording will mark a milestone in revealing the beauty of Stravibnskij's music. Buy it, you won't regret it!

Very good rendition.......2005-07-01

I am so glad to find all three of these ballets on one CD.

The performance is beautiful. I could find nothing wrong with the interpretation, and I can assure you I am quite picky.

Anyway, I highly recommend this CD.

Fine Performances of Three Fine Stravinsky Ballets.......2005-06-10

Whoever had the idea of putting these performances of three of Stravinsky's ballets based on classical Greek themes on the same CD should get a medal. They are plucked and combined from several Koch Classics releases of a few years ago. Naxos seems to be reissuing all of Robert Craft's Stravinsky performances from the Koch label, and that's good. Craft, who has an unwarranted reputation as a dry-as-dust conductor, actually puts quite a bit of juice in these lovely scores. Similar as they may be in thrust, these three scores are really quite different from each other. 'Apollo' (1927-28) is for strings alone and is quintessential neoclassicism. 'Orpheus' (1947), for full orchestra, mixes neoclassicism with old-fashioned lyrical romanticism; indeed it is Stravinsky's first work since 'Firebird' to use the marking 'espressivo.' 'Apollo' and 'Orpheus' are narrative ballets but 'Agon' (1957) is plotless. It is very nearly atonal and varies the orchestration for nearly all the sixteen variations; the full orchestra is never used for any of them. Yet, within a few notes anyone familiar with Stravinsky's sound will immediately identify the composer of any of these works. It's always seemed amazing to me that a twelve-tone work by Stravinsky still sounds like him.

In 'Apollo' (or 'Apollon musagète' as it is called in French) all violence and abrasiveness (as one might expect from the composer of 'The Rite of Spring') are eschewed. Rather the work coolly and lyrically limns the birth and life of Apollo in music that is like some 18th-century court ballet filtered through 19th-century French ballet composers like Adam and Delibes. Delicious. And deliciously performed here by the London Symphony under Craft.

'Orpheus' was commissioned by Lincoln Kirstein for George Balanchine who had suggested the subject. It was originally intended to be coupled with 'Apollo' in performance but in fact that did not happen at its première. Although narrative, it is intensely hieratic and uses neobaroque gestures including canon, other kinds of counterpoint, restless bass lines, ostinati and the like. It is more austere than 'Apollo' but lyrical nonetheless. It, too, is given a lovely, flexible, suave performance by the LSO.

'Agon' (Greek for 'contest') is essentially a dance contest before the gods. Not really quite atonal, but making use of a 12-tone row, it combines Renaissance dances (including a galliard in C major with a canon featuring harp and mandolin), coupled with what Stephen Walsh in Grove's calls 'high-speed stream-of-consciousness chromaticism.' Its première was conducted by Robert Craft, and here, conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's, he leads a fast-moving performance that occasionally gets a little out of breath, but is energetic and energizing for all that.

There have been other recordings of these works, including those conducted by Stravinsky himself, but these are satisfying and in modern sound.

Recommended.

TT=77:45

Scott Morrison

The Craft: Music From The Motion Picture

Average customer rating:

great soundtrack to a great movie.
Music Fits Movie Perfectly
I liked the movie... take it from there
Best Sountrack
Teen Movie with an Adult Soundtrack

The Craft: Music From The Motion Picture
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Craft (Special Edition)
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The Craft: Original Motion Picture Score

ASIN: B000002BKB
Release Date: 1996-04-30

Tracks:

Tomorrow Never Knows - Our Lady Peace
I Have The Touch - Heather Nova
All This And Nothing - Sponge
Dangerous Type - Letters To Cleo
How Soon Is Now? - Love Spit Love
Dark Secret - Matthew Sweet
Witches Song - Julianna Hatfield
Jump Into The Fire - Tripping Daisy
Under The Water - Jewel
Warning - All Too Much
Spastica - Elastica
The Horror - Spacehog
Bells, Books, And Candles - Graeme Revell

Amazon.com

Our Lady Peace delivers a trippy "Tomorrow Never Knows," Heather Nova neuters Peter Gabriel's "I Have The Touch," and Juliana Hatfield can't locate the dark soul in Marianne Faithful's "Witches Song." Also notable are tracks by Jewel, Love Spit Love (covering The Smiths), and Matthew Sweet (with guest riffs by Lindsay Buckingham). --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

great soundtrack to a great movie........2007-07-29

If you don't like the movie, I wouldn't recommend getting the soundtrack, unless you like darker, edgy 90's music.

If you do like it though, like I do, then you should get this along with Graeme Revell's score (which is beautiful. Please see my review for that).
The soundtrack is not chronological, where the songs play as they were in the movie, but that isn't the problem with it. The only problem I had with it was that it wasn't long enough! The Craft is one of my favorite movies, so naturally, I love the soundtrack (especially Love Spit Love's cover of "How Soon is Now?" which went on to be the theme song for Charmed). There isn't one "light & fluffy" song on the album, which is what gives it that darker, teenage-angsty feel to it, which is what the movie really had going for it. Even Jewel's song "Under the Water" isn't a typical Jewel song - its a bit darker, which made it perfect for the movie.

If you're still unsure about getting the score, listen to track 13 - "Bells, Books & Candles" by Graeme Revell. This track isn't on the score album, but gives you a taste of what it is all about.

Overall, a great soundtrack to a great movie.

Music Fits Movie Perfectly.......2007-04-16

Every single song on this cd brings each individual scene into my head.
Amazing compilation.

I liked the movie... take it from there.......2006-12-14

So,

A previous reviewer had this to say about Heather Nova's rendition of "I Have The Touch":

Heather Nova neuters Peter Gabriel's "I Have The Touch," --Jeff Bateman

I have to more than completely disagree!!!

Heather's rendition was probably THEE MOST heartfelt rendition of ANY Peter Gabriel song that has EVER been recorded by A WOMAN!

HUGE KUDOS TO HEATHER!!!

AWESOME JOB!!

CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT!!!

YOU ROCK GIRL!!!

KEEP DOIN' IT!

Best Sountrack.......2006-11-13

Coupled with the Orignal Score, they create an unprecidented ood set for each scene. I dont know a real Wiccan that doesnt like the music. Several Songs... especially Bells, Books and Candles can sync energies within and even assist drawing energies....sometimes too well for the higher deregree of Witches. I downloaded the songs, but I want the orignal CD for my "special collection" I was 18 when this was realesed and I am now 30 and still love this movie and its soundtrack. Becuase of these reasons, and for withstanding the test of time, I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Teen Movie with an Adult Soundtrack.......2006-09-17

Sure, The Craft may have been a teen movie based in Witchcraft, comparable to today's The Covenant, rife with cinematography issues and plot holes... The film aside, the music was very archetypal of the turmoil of the 90's.

However, this soundtrack features music that was quite prominently played in scenes (which is sometimes quite rare.)

Are the songs unique? Perhaps, but they are unique in the way that they have been interpreted by these popular bands of their time. Why? Because most of the songs are covers by other groups, classic songs that have been redefined and restyled.

Love Spit Love and their ode to The Smiths with their version of "How Soon is Now?" evoking an interpretation that almost seems original and genuine. Our Lady Peace and their wonderful rendition of the Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows", I know I will never look at the original song quite the same way. Even lesser known groups such as Letters to Cleo offered their reditions of classics and featured their cover of The Cars classic "Dangerous Type" and Heather Nova with her tribute to Peter Gabriel's classic "I Have the Touch."

However, aside from the covers of classic rock songs, it features new music from artists we never heard of again, such as Warning and Juliana Hatfield.

Groups that you may not have heard of, shaping music in the 90's with the new at the time alternative rock genre. This soundtrack really is quintessential 90's at its best. How else can you say the 90's without Spacehog writing our soundtracks?

An overall wonderful and ecletic mix of songs to "witchen" anyone's mood.

Average customer rating:

Robert Craft Gives Us Special Stravinsky Choral Works

Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Classical Evolution: Rite of Spring

ASIN: B000I2IUSO
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Tracks:

Otche Nash (Pater Noster) - The Gregg Smith Singers
Ave Maria - The Gregg Smith Singers
Credo - The Gregg Smith Singers
Kyrie - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Gloria - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Credo - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Sanctus - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Agnus Dei - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus I; Prelude) - Fred Sherry
Ricercar I: 'The Maidens Came' - Fred Sherry
A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus II; 1st Interlude) - Fred Sherry
Ricercar II: 'Tomorrow Shall Be' - Fred Sherry
A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus III; 2nd Interlude) - Fred Sherry
Westron Wind - Fred Sherry
A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus IV; Postlude) - Fred Sherry
Babel - David Wilson-Johnson
Psalm 38, Verses 13 And 14 - Philharmonia Orchestra
Psalm 39, Verses 1 To 5 - Philharmonia Orchestra
Psalm 150 (Entire) - Philharmonia Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Robert Craft Gives Us Special Stravinsky Choral Works.......2007-02-07

This CD is a grab bag, but a very special one. It contains five choral works, garnered from fairly recent recordings on the Koch and MusicMasters labels, sung and played by exceedingly sensitive musicians and led by surely the best Stravinsky conductor we have, Robert Craft. These are among the best recordings I've ever heard of these works.

Probably the most important, and certainly the best known, work here is placed last: the Symphony of Psalms, with the Simon Joly Chorale and the Philharmonia Orchestra. This performance very much emphasizes that the work is for chorus with orchestra, not an orchestral work with incidental chorus, and it is generally gentler than most performances one hears. The Simon Joly Chorale is simply sensational here, with subtle inflections and dynamics, clear diction and impeccable intonation. Craft wisely lets the music unfold without any special rhetorical flourishes and in this respect it resembles Stravinsky's own classic recording. The very slow opening ('Alleluia. Laudate.') of the final movement, Psalm 150, is ecstatic, making the irruption of the agitato section all the more effective. This is a superior Symphony of Psalms.

The disc opens with a cappella works, Three Russian Sacred Choruses, sung in Slavonic versions of the Pater Noster, Ave Maria and Credo. Texts with translations for these and the other works here are not in the Naxos booklet but can be found at www.naxos.com/libretti/symphonyofpsalms.htm . Craft conducts them slightly faster than Stravinsky does in his classic recording but they actually gain from that. The Gregg Smith Singers are the chorus.

Mass (1944-48) was written in New York but there is absolutely no new world influence in the work, unlike other things he was writing at the time. It is sung by The Gregg Smith Singers, the group who also recorded the work in 1960 and who have sung it innumerable times since. This is glorious performance that I prefer by a slight margin to Stravinsky's own version, not only because it is in much better sound but also because the choral soloists are better. They are given superb support by members of the Orchestra of St. Luke's. The orchestration is especially inventive, consisting as it does of two quintets, one of oboes and bassoons and one of trumpets and trombones.

Cantata (1951-52) is based on early English verses including the Elizabethan bridal song, 'The Maidens Came' and the traditional 'Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day.' Written hard on the heels of Stravinsky finishing 'The Rake's Progress', the solos were written for two of the singers in that opera's premiere, Hugues Cuénod and Jennie Tourel. The musical forces, in addition to the tenor and mezzo soloists, are a female chorus (from The Gregg Smith Singers) and an instrumental quintet of two flutes, two oboes and cello. The excellent vocal soloists are Mary Ann Hart and Thomas Bogdan. The redoubtable Fred Sherry is the cellist.

Finally, there is the brief 'Babel' that recounts the Genesis story of the building and destruction of the Tower of Babel. The piece was originally part of a suite of works by several composers (including Schoenberg) that retold Genesis texts. The work has a narrator who reads from Genesis, Chapter 11, verses 11-19, with one chorus sung (by the Simon Joly Chorale) to 'Behold the people is one, and they all have one language.' The orchestra, quite prominent in the work, is the Philharmonia at the top of their form. I had not listened to my old recording of Stravinsky conducting the work in many years, but on comparison with it I find that narrator David Wilson-Johnson is much superior to John Calicos on the old recording, largely because he is less overtly, how shall I say, hammy.

This issue is impeccably presented and recorded. I would urge Stravinsky fans, even those who have earlier recordings, including those of the composer himself, to grab it.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Mr. Gould: the Genius of Recorded Music!
The definitive interpretation of Schoenberg piano works
Keep listening
The "least dry" Schoenberg ever
A Master Pianist Plays His Favorites

Schoenberg: Piano Works

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000028O6
Release Date: 1995-02-07

Tracks:

Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11: Massige
Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11: Massige
Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11: Bewegte
Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Sehr langsam
Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Sehr rasch
Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Langsam
Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Schwungvoll. Massige
Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Wlazer
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Leicht, zart
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Langsam
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Sehr langsame
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Rasch, aber leicht
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Etwas rasch
Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Sehr langsam
Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Praludium. Rasch
Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Gavotte. Etwas langsam. nicht hastig - Musette. Rascher - Gavotte da capo
Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Intermezzo
Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Menuett. Moderato - Trio - Menuette da capo
Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Gigue. Rasch
Two Piano Pieces, Op. 33- A & B: Massige
Two Piano Pieces, Op. 33- A & B: Massig langsam

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra, Op. 42: Andante -
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra, Op. 42: Molto allegro
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra, Op. 42: Adagio
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra, Op. 42: Giocoso
Phantasy For Violin And Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47: Grave - Piu mosso - Meno mosso - Lento - Grazioso - Tempo I - Piu mosso -
Phantasy For Violin And Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47: Scherzando - Poco tranquillo - Scherzando - Meno mosso - Tempo I
Ode To Napoleon Buonaparte, Op. 41
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Mondestrunken
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Colombine
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Der Dandy
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Eine blasse Wascherin
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Valse de Chopin
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Madonna
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Der kranke Mond

Customer Reviews:

Mr. Gould: the Genius of Recorded Music!.......2005-01-31

Gould was playing Schoenberg in the 1950s--just shortly after the composer's death. He realizes the Op. 11 pieces in a very late-Brahmsian manner, in keeping with his gestalt of turn-of-the-century Modern music, viz., Brahms, Strauss, Scriabin, Schoenberg, Hindemith, et al.

The Op. 25 Suite is an exquisite refraction of a Bach French Suite--but done in Schoenberg's 12-tone form. Here Gould plays Schoenberg as he does Bach!

Gould's realization of Schoenberg's Piano Concerto is very secco (dry), and intentionally miked very closely: i.e., the recording was made with microphones placed close to the performers, rather than way back out in the audience area of a hall. This was Gould's idea, and the results are outstanding: the best Schoenberg Piano Concerto available--pace, Uchida and Brendel, et al.

Gould's Pierrot is his first attempt at conducting, and one wishes he had completed it and done more. In the end, Gould conducted Wagner's Siegfried Idyll with outstanding results.

This is a great set.

The definitive interpretation of Schoenberg piano works.......2003-12-27

While other pianists dabbled at these fine pieces, none other than Glenn Gould provides the definitive interpretation of Schoenberg's piano works. Thoroughly studied, Gould presents the serialism clearly and presents the dimensions of the revolutionary works.

By detaching yourself from the tonality of traditional tonal music, and immersing in the world of Schoenberg, the shape and lines of the music will gradually become clear. Gould is perhaps the greatest advocate and messenger of Schoenberg's distinct language.

Keep listening.......2000-09-13

These are difficult pieces for me. They require concentrated listening, and challenge my understanding of music. Sometimes, I don't like what I hear, and other times, it's just too much work to listen to very much of this. However, when I am able to devote some time to listening with an understanding mind, I am amply rewarded. I have listened to this CD for several years and I will probably never understand this music. I do enjoy listening and learning from it, though. I am thankful that someone as talented as Glenn Gould has interpreted these pieces. If you are interested in one of the most important composers of the twentieth century, or one of the greatest legends of the keyboard, this CD will interest you. To paraphrase what Moby wrote on his CD, Animal Rights, "Please listen to this CD completely at least once."

The "least dry" Schoenberg ever.......1999-11-10

I believe wholeheartedly that, for the uninitiated, this disc is difficult to truly appreciate without having heard other pianists attempt these pieces (e.g., Pollini). To enjoy listening to Schoenberg necessitates a certain familiarity with prolonged "dissonance", just like strong coffee or unfiltered beer--it takes some getting used to. If you're already there, it's not "dissonant", it's "music" (just like other alternate melodic conceptions-raga, gamelan, mbira, partch, etc.), and Gould's passionate readings here display his love for and understanding of the music's heart. Go Glenn.

A Master Pianist Plays His Favorites.......1999-04-08

Schoenberg's rigid mathematics, his triads, his serialism, his tonal abilities, when demonstated through his piano pieces (especially through these piano pieces) allow a pianist with the mechanical ability and inspired play of Glenn Gould the chance to demonstrate how to hear, feel and convey a music that, to many listeners, often reflects, upon fist listen, chaos. But the music on this 2 CD set is not to be listened to merely once. Glenn Gould, master pianist, is playing his favorite works by one of his favorite composers. The Schoenberg basher will hear more chaos than in other recordings of these piano pieces, merely because Gould's sure fingers, his hands, are as revolutionary as the music he is playing.

Average customer rating:

Best Hip Hop Album of the year
The gift to rip
Perfecting the craft
Another round of creative genius...
uneven enough for 3.5 stars but gains momentum

The Craft
Blackalicious
Manufacturer: Anti
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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Blazing Arrow
The Mouse and the Mask
Nia
Same !@#$ Different Day
You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having

ASIN: B000AMJDDI
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

World Of Vibrations
Supreme People
Rhythm Sticks
Powers
Your Move
Lotus Flower
My Pen & Pad
Side To Side
Automatique
The Fall & Rise Of Elliot Brown
Black Diamonds & Pearls
Give It To You
Egosonic War Drums
The Craft

Amazon.com

This is the kind of album that divides fans. On one side, there are the ones that will see the Bay Area hip-hop duo composed of rapper Gift of Gab and producer Chief Xcel taking a logical step forward, recruiting high-profile guests (George Clinton, Floetry) and banking on a more commercial sound with effervescent R&B tracks like "Powers," "World of Vibrations" and "Lotus Flower." Then there are those that will lament the passing of the band's vintage, more meaningful sound. As if the crew was expecting the cynics to turn up to the party, midway through the album dramatically shifts gears--out goes the pop and in comes the soul via "The Fall & Rise of Elliot Brown" and "Black Diamonds & Pearls." You might suspect West Coast conscious rap contemporaries Black Eyed Peas stood at the very same crossroads before they sold their first million. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

With their third full-length, Blackalicious have produced a record of such sonic depth and lyrical ambition that it can proudly stand alongside the work of Bay Area funk fathers Sly Stone and Shuggie Otis, or hip-hop classics like Outkast's "Aquemini" and The Roots' "Things Fall Apart". But "The Craft" isn't nostalgic for some golden era that never existed. Lyricist Gab moves beyond the introspection of earlier albums, and musically, Xcel accomplishes beats that touch on classic funk sidling cosily alongside the orchestral sweep of Stereolab. Features guest appearances by George Clinton, Floetry, Lateef The Truth Speaker, and Pigeon John. Blackalicious's 2002 breakthrough, "Blazing Arrow" has scanned 230,000 units.

Customer Reviews:

Best Hip Hop Album of the year.......2006-09-29

This album is excellent. The beats are top notch and MC Gab's lyrics and flow are immaculate. In a world where 'shake your laffy taffy' gets radio play, this cd makes you appreciate what hip hop can really be. This is a smart cd which is a breath of fresh air.

The gift to rip.......2006-09-16

"I could have quit so quick, I don't know what I did to deserve a rap like this." Next to Blazing Arrow this is one of the best alternative hip-hop albums around. Given that Blackalicious has done nothing less that release superior album after the last, they deserve your time to investigate this crew. Truely unique and if you like Dan the Automator's Deltron, then you should go looking for Blazing Arrow. However The Craft is more modern than the futuristic styles found in Deltron and Blazing Arrow. Still this is voted by so many mags as one of the best alternative hip-hop albums around and it shows. Just listen to the first and last track. Those kinds of tunes demand space on your iPod.

Perfecting the craft.......2006-08-25

The hip-hop duo Blackalicious (composed of rapper Gift of Gab and producer Chief Xcel) caused enough commotion to garner themselves plenty of acclaim in the underground scene. But back in 2002, mainstream radio was tuning in to them, most likely because their album at the time, Blazing Arrow, was a joint release from MCA Records as well as the duo's home, Quannum Records. After MCA was bought out by Geffen Records and David Geffen chose not to pick them up, they continued to do their thing on Quannum, who released The Craft last year.

First off, if you're a big fan of Nia or Blazing Arrow, I'm not sure you'll be able to get into this album. True, Gab and Xcel have showcased something of a futuristic vibe from time to time (especially on Gab's solo album), but it's more so on this album. Still, there are highlights aplenty, like "Your Move" and the title track. Speaking of the latter, though, it's kind of unnecessary for there to be a computerized vocal saying "the craft" at the end of most of the songs.

Anyway, standouts continue to flourish, as evidenced by "My Pen and Pad", which is really one long verse. But as far as my favorites, I'm torn between "Give It to You" and "Rhythm Sticks". I couldn't get into "Powers" as much as everyone else, though; and as my brother said, "Egosonic Warriors" is just TOO weird.

While this isn't as accessible as Blackalicious' previous albums, it's still great. Some fans may not be interested in rap that doesn't include profanity (or at least not enough to warrant an "explicit content" sticker), but at any rate, The Craft is definitely an album worth owning.

Anthony Rupert

Another round of creative genius..........2006-08-15

... from one of the most creative and soulful duos in hip hop. I have trouble deciding which is better every time, the awesome tracks put together by Chief Xcel or the lyrical acrobatics and new flows Gift of Gab brings on every outing.

uneven enough for 3.5 stars but gains momentum.......2006-08-10

Most of the previous reviews lamenting the loss of the classic Blackalicious sound are appropriate. More pop/funk sound instead of XCel's stellar production is always a BAD thing. The flow by Gift Of Gab is solid, but when a song is bad, it's pretty embarrassing. "Powers" "Lotus Flower" and "Side To Side" are really awful - Quannum would never have put out songs like those.

That being said, when the album hits its stride in the last third the results are impressive. "Your Move" "Automatique" "Black Diamonds" and "The Craft" are all smooth tracks that sound like the Blackalicious of old - great sounds to bounce to. Too bad it takes so long to get to those songs.

If you're a Blackalicious fan there might be enough here to enjoy, but if you're new GET 'NIA' FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll thank me.

Average customer rating:

"New" Stravinsky

Stravinsky: The Soldier's Tale

Manufacturer: Sony Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Mahler: Symphony No. 2

ASIN: B000GKH26E
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Tracks:

The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Part 1. Introduction. The Soldier's March (Marche du Soldat
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Music for Scene One (Airs by a Stream) (Music de la Première Scène. Petits airs au bord du ruisseau
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Soldier's March (Marche du Soldat) (reprise)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Music for Scene Two (Pastorale) (Musique de la Deuxième Scène. Pastorale)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Airs by a Stream (Petits airs au bord du ruisseau)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Music for Scene Three (Airs by a Stream) (Music de la Troisième Scène. Petits airs au bord du ruisseau)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Part 2. The Soldier's March (Marche du Soldat)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Royal March (Marche Royale)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Little Concert (Petit Concert)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Three Dances (Trois Danses) 1. Tango
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); 2. Valse
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); 3. Ragtime
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Devil's Dance (Danse du Diable) (Album Version)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Little Chorale (Petit Choral)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Devil's Song (Couplets du Diable)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Great Choral (Grand Choral)
The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Triumphal March of the Devil (Marche Triomphale du Diable)
Symphonies of Wind Instruments (rev. version 1947)

Album Description

A New Recording of Stravinsky by Stravinsky! Masterworks' long and storied relationship with composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky has an exciting new chapter. Throughout the 1960's, Stravinsky re-recorded all of his works in stunning stereo productions for Columbia Masterworks. In 1967, he recorded the interludes and underscoring of The Soldier's Tale, to complete his 1961 recording of the suite. The masters were never released, and the components of the completed version lay forgotten in the vaults.

Now, 40 years later, and in time for Stravinsky's 125th birthday, one of the greatest compositions of the 20th century is available as it should be heard, for the very first time. Edited by GrammyÂ® Award winning producers Steven Epstein and Simon Rhodes and GrammyÂ® Award winning engineer Richard King, this definitive CD features a delicious new narration by AcademyÂ® Award winning actor, Jeremy Irons.

The extensive liner notes include a new essay by renowned Stravinsky scholar, Richard Taruskin, new interviews with the 1961 and 1967 session musicians and producer and Executive Producer Warren Wernick's account of how the final "new" recording was realized.

Customer Reviews:

"New" Stravinsky.......2007-06-03

After years of being lost in Sony's (formerly Columbia/CBS) vaults, Stravinsky's own version of The Soldier's Tale has finally been issued in complete form. The main body of the performance is from the already released Suite recorded in 1961, with bridge sections recorded in 1967. The spoken portion was recently recorded by actor Jeremy Irons.

Apparently, Stravinsky hesitated to commit the narrated version to disc because he was not satisfied with the English translation of the French text. The present version uses a new narration, but to my American English biased ears, the standard translation "works" better. While Irons has a pleasing voice, he is unable to delineate the three characters (the narrator, the soldier, and the devil) the way three separate actors can. For that reason, when recommending this piece to others, I will continue referring to the superb version featuring Ian McKellen, Sting, and Vanessa Redgrave. (ASIN: B000009HYG)

As a filler, Sony has offered Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments in a fine performance conducted by the composer's assistant, Robert Craft.

The remastered sonics are excellent in every respect. It's hard to believe these recordings share provenance with the rather anemic sounding Stravinsky recordings issued in the 1960s.

Average customer rating:

One of the best albums of 2006!

Silver and Fire
M. Craft
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Subtitulo
Time Without Consequence

ASIN: B000EQ45X8
Release Date: 2006-05-29

Tracks:

Silver & Fire
Emily Snow
You Are The Music
I Got Nobody Waiting For Me
Love Know How To Fight
Lucile
Dragonfly
Snowbird
Sweets
Soldier
Teardrop Tattoo

Album Description

2006 solo debut from this Australian musician, formerly with Space Rock outfit Sidewinder. This time out, Martin Craft's love of late-night Modern Soul shines through with Gainsbourg-like pop mixed with a touch of Neil Young and James Blunt for good measure. The early reviews for this album are using words like 'dazzling', 'fantastic' and 'mesmerizing'. 679.

Album Details

Craft, a Former Member of Sidewinder, Writes, Sings, Produces, Mixes and Plays the Instruments on These Recordings. "a Poised Leisurely Amalgam of Late Night Soul, Gainsbourg Like Pop and Craft's Fine Voice" ****uncut. Fans of Jose Gonzalez Will Like this One.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best albums of 2006!.......2006-10-26

How "Silver and Fire" hasn't been released in the U.S. is beyond me! This is honestly a great album by a very talented, heartfelt songwriter. If this were released here believe me it would rank up there with one of the best folk/pop albums of the year. The music is diverse and each track contains its own nuances yet the whole album still feels connected and plays smoothly. "Silver and Fire" feels like a tour through americana and latin genres, pulling the best parts from each one and wrapping it up in an alt-folk song. There's not a bad track on the whole thing. What's cool about M. Craft is his ability to write whispery folk songs in the vein of Elliott Smith yet adorn them with instrumentation we haven't heard in this genre yet, for example some of the tracks use Bossa Nova arrangements. He uses Banjo, electric guitar, some groovy bass lines, etc. Very cool and sophisticated music for any serious folk fan. It's a sin M. Craft doesn't have mass distribution in the states, as this album beats many of our american folk artist's efforts this year. Think an australian Simon and Garfunkel meets Elliott Smith who listens to world music. Just very well done.

Average customer rating:

My Favorite Pierrot Lunaire
HERZGEWACHSE & the FOUR ORCHESTRAL SONGS...

Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Schoenberg: Six A Cappella Mixed Choruses
Schoenberg, Berg and Webern

ASIN: B000MRP1S2
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Customer Reviews:

My Favorite Pierrot Lunaire.......2007-07-25

Wicked smiles, lascivious winks, histrionic fear, sardonic humor...Pierrot Lunaire!

This is the recording to get, whether you are an initiate or veterna of Schoenberg's music. This cd brings out every nuance, and the recording quality is just intimate enough, without sacrificing the alternatingly spacious moments of the composition.

Buy this rendition before any other.

HERZGEWACHSE & the FOUR ORCHESTRAL SONGS..........2007-04-30

.
Although this disc has the "Pierrot curse"--(i.e., nearly every Schoenberg disc seems to include either Pierrot Lunaire, Verklarte Nacht, or the First Chamber Symphony)--it features two of Schoenberg's most exquisite works: Herzgewachse Op. 20, and the Four Orchestral Songs Op. 22, both of which are very rare--(that is, difficult to find on CD). For that reason, this disc is definitely worth having.
.

Average customer rating:

A Fabulous Introduction to Igor Stravinsky!!

The Essential Igor Stravinsky

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments, etc.

ASIN: B00008NGAW
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

Fireworks, Op.4 - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Danse Infernale De Tous Les Sujets De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Berceuse (L'Oiseau De Feu) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Reveil De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Mort De Kastchei - Profonds Tenebres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Disparition Du Palais Et Des Sortileges De Kastchei, Animation Des Chevaliers Petrifies Allegresse Generale - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Opening - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Shrove-tide Fair - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Charlatan's Booth - Philharmonia Orchestra
Russian Dance - Philharmonia Orchestra
Petrushka's Room - Philharmonia Orchestra
Introduction - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Les Augures Printanieres (Danse Des Adolescentes) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Jeu Du Rapt - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Rondes Printanieres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Jeux Des Cites Rivales - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Cortege Du Sage - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Adoration De La Terre (Le Sage) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Danse De La Terre - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
I. Andante - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
II. Napolitana - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
III. Espanola - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
IV. Balalaika - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
Ragtime For 11 Instruments - Toni Koves
Marche Royale - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
Petit Concert - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
Piano Rag Music - Igor Stravinsky
Sinfonia (Ouverture) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Gavotta Con Due Variazioni - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
I. Sinfonia - London Sinfonietta
III. Allegro - Philippe Entremont

Tracks:

Part I. Exaudi Orationem Meam - London Symphony Chorus
IV. Capriccio - Cho-Liang Lin
Chant Sants Paroles - Israel Baker
Premiere Donne - Cleveland Orchestra
I. Tempo Giusto - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
III. Allegretto - London Symphony Orchestra
The Star-Spangled Banner - The Festival Singers Of Toronto
I. Intrada - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Circus Polka (For A Young Elephant) - CBC Symphony Orchestra
Scherzo A La Russe - Philharmonia Orchestra
III. Con Moto - London Symphony Orchestra
I. Allegro Moderato - Benny Goodman
Good People, Just A Moment - Colin Tilney
Tango - Columbia Jazz Combo
Greeting Prelude (For The Eightieth Birthday Of Pierre Monteux) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
II. Ma Tu, Cagion Di Quella - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Elegy For J.F.K. - Charles Russo
Fanfare For A New Theatre - Robert Nagel
II. Exaudi - Donald Gramm
III. Dies Irae - Donald Gramm
IV. Tuba Mirum - Donald Gramm
The Owl And The Pussycat - Robert Craft
Stravinsky In His Own Words - John McClure

Customer Reviews:

A Fabulous Introduction to Igor Stravinsky!!.......2004-05-19

Sony Music's "The Essential Igor Stravinsky" truly lives up to its title. This double-CD set includes nearly every important piece of work (either in part or in whole) by the great Russian composer. The set also presents the pieces in chronological order beginning in 1908 with "Fireworks" and ending in 1966 with his final piece, the short but simple "Owl and The Pussycat". In between, there are excerpts from Stravinsky's most famous works including the first part of "The Rite Of Spring" and highlights from the "Firebird" and "Petrushka" ballets. There are also lesser-known works included as well as his harmonically rearranged version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (a rendition which caused a stir in the early 1940's). The entire collection concludes with a rare recorded interview with Igor Stravinsky himself in which he remembers the infamous premere of "The Rite Of Spring".
The CD booklet includes detailed liner notes as well as a written tribute by Trey Anastasio of the band Phish. The sound quality of the recordings is amazing (even on the historic 1934 recording of "Piano Rag Music"). All in all, this an excellent collection of works by the great Igor Stravinsky. In a sense, this compilation gives the composer the 'rock musician' treatment. It's a 'greatest hits' album and a career-spanning retrospective that serves as an ideal introduction to Igor's music. Even if your not a fan of Classical music, it isn't difficult to listen to the works of Stravinsky and not be stirred.
Definitely The Essential Igor Stravinsky!!!

Webern: Symphony; Six Pieces; Concerto for 9 Instruments

Average customer rating:

Bored with rock'n' roll music
A good budget Webern collection

Webern: Symphony; Six Pieces; Concerto for 9 Instruments

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Berg: Chamber Concerto; Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6; Violin Concerto

ASIN: B0006M4SUU
Release Date: 2005-01-18

Tracks:

Ruhig, Schreitend
Variationen
Christus Factus Est
Dormi Jesu
Crux Fidelis
Asperges Me
Crucem Tuam Adoramus
Armer Sunder, Du
Heiland, Unsre Missetaten
Liebste Jungfrau, Wir Sind Dein
Schatzerl Klein
Erlosung (Aus 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'
Ave, Regina Coelorum
Sehr Langsam
Sehr Getragen Und Ausdrucksvoll
Sehr Massig
Sehr Schwungvoll
Sehr Massig
Sehr Schnell
Ruhig Fliessend
Langsam
Bewegt
Massig
Sehr Massig
Sehr Langsam
Langsam
Sehr Langsam
Rasch
Sehr Langsam
Bewegt
Massig
Sehr Bewegt
Ausserst Ruhig
Etwas Lebhaft
Sehr Langsam
Sehr Rasch
German Dances: I
German Dances: II
German Dances: III
German Dances: IV
German Dances: V
German Dances: VI

Customer Reviews:

Bored with rock'n' roll music.......2005-10-24

I've been a rock'n'roll fan since my teens, but I
think that this great american invention has fulled its cycle(1955 - 1985). So I turned my ears to the music made in the beggining of the 19th century, and I think that this CD is a great introduction to it.

MÁRCIO G. SOARES
NATAL/RN - BRAZIL

A good budget Webern collection.......2005-06-25

Anton Webern has long been cited as one of the great bugbears of 20th century music, his works often more complained about than listened to. With chances to hear his music live still comparatively rare, and the Webern discography still dominated by the two Boulez "complete works" sets, it's good to see Naxos launching what is planned as a complete Webern set under a conductor (Robert Craft) with over 50 years of experience of the composer's music.

This first disc in the series provides a good cross-section of Webern's output, eleven pieces ranging from vocal to orchestral to chamber and instrumental--even a Schubert arrangement gets in. First off on the disc is Webern's Symphony. This two-movement work is certainly one of the odder symphonies in the repertoire--a slow-moving series of canons (with unvaried repeats) in the first movement and a much more fragmentary variation set as the finale. Craft certainly gets to the point of the first movement (I always hear Mahler as a strong influence here, and always feel the music is hovering on the edge of tonality), but the more abstract second movement--played extremely rapidly and effectively--is without doubt the revelation here.

The disc continues with a series of three sets of brief songs, the composer's opus 16, 17 and 18. This is in some ways a slightly playful choice, as it was in the opus 17 songs that Webern took up his teacher Schoenberg's serial method of composition--yet without reading the scores it is almost impossible to tell any real change in Webern's methods. All these songs are atonal and rather coolly expressionist--they're emphatically not easy listening but I think these readings (with Jennifer Welch-Babidge a fine soloist) make them a lot more appealing than the rather stern Boulez performances.

Craft then follows this with two serial chamber works. The two-movement String Trio is a tightly wrought miniature drama, given a fine, expressive performance. The brief Saxophone Quartet is rather more relaxed, and this is caught well by the players. I'm less convinced by Christopher Oldfather's reading of the Piano Variations, which to my mind doesn't fully project the wit of the piece (Webern isn't often considered a musical humorist, but a performance of this work that doesn't put a smile on the listener's face seems to me to be missing the point).

Craft then moves back to early atonal-expressionist Webern for the next three works. The Six Pieces for Orchestra are perhaps the most overtly Mahlerian pieces in Webern's oeuvre, particularly the colossal funeral march that forms the fourth of the pieces. Craft has them well in hand here, but I have heard readings that projected greater intensity. In sharp contrast are the Four Pieces for Violin and Piano and the more introverted Three Little Pieces for Cello and Piano. These brief works, often shimmering on the edge of silence or stasis, suddenly burst into brief flower before dying again, and Jesse Mills and Fred Sherry do a fine job of capturing their haunting, evanescent character.

Not quite so successful is the later Concerto for Nine Instruments. One of the key works in Webern's output, this is another example of the composer showing his wit in music, and to my mind, despite an excellent reading of the slow central movement, this performance doesn't quite have the necessary rhythmic sharpness in the vibrant outer movements.

Finally, Craft ends with Schubert's German Dances in Webern's 1931 orchestration. These works had been rediscovered the previous year, and Webern was commissioned to produce an orchestral version. The result may not be on the level of his outstanding orchestration of the Ricercar from Bach's Musical Offering, but it's emphatically not hack-work, and it's a splendid recreation of the Schubertian style.

Overall, while not perfect, this disc is still a fine collection and an inexpensive way to for newcomers to experience this very distinctive composer. At the price, long-time Webern admirers will probably find much to enjoy too, particularly in the Symphony and the songs.

Soul Music:

Soul Music

soul music

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