Opus 3.8

Product Description
Franois Marcaurelle's logical follow-up of the last album, although with an added twist: they're six this time. With this new album, Franois Marcaurelle comes back with an album of great quality thanks to an experienced and well-suited sextet that expresses the splendor of jazz. With an interpretation full of strength and musicality, the sextet plays some of Franois Marcaurelle's unrecorded compositions. The group is formed by members Richard Beaudet, saxophones and flute; Norman Lachapelle, bass; Muhammad Abdul Al Khabbyr, trombone; Sylvain Provost, guitar; Jim Hillman, drums and Franois Marcaurelle at the piano.

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent.......2006-09-09

This audio CD is the perfect vehicle to drive anyone crazy about Vivaldi operas. All arias seemed to have been carefully selected across many opera albums from Naive's Vivaldi Edition to entice the listener to hear those works. Magdalena Kozena astounds brilliantly with two arias from Juditha Triumphans "Veni, me sequere fidu" and "Agitata infido flatu". In "Agitata" Kozena perfects two long legatos and tops them with a climatic trill. In "Veni", she hypnotizes with a cadenza evocative of a dove's sinusoidal singing. The Naive label should do well in producing another similar CD now that it has recorded additional Vivaldi Operas to draw from.

Stunning Whitman's Sampler of Vivaldi Vocal Magic.......2005-04-06

This is as strong a sampler of Vivaldi's operas as one can get without purchasing entire opera recordings. Highlights from four have been selected here, each recorded in complete form on the Naïve label. They are "Orlando finto pazzo", "La verità in cimento", "Juditha triumphans" and "L'Olimpiade". What the producers have chosen here is the true cream of the crop, a roster of superb, top-of-the-class performances from nearly a dozen world-class singers.

Rising countertenor Philippe Jaroussky starts the program off with an almost religious-sounding lament as Zelim from "La verità in cimento", which he sings in a strikingly ethereal manner. But the women rule the roost in this recording. Mezzo-soprano Magdalena KoÂžena makes clear why she is moving quickly to the major leagues by singing two magnificent arias from "Juditha triumphans", "Veni, veni, me sequere fida", caressed by a clarinet-like instrument called a chalumeau, and "Agitata infio flatu", where she captures the sweeping fury of her character with stunning flourish. Contralto Sara Mingardo is another stand-out with her double-dip, full-throated voice dodging the aggressive strings on Licida's aria from "L'Olimpiade", "Gemo in un punto e fremo," and expertly riding the dramatic playing of Ensemble Matheus on Melindo's aria from "La verità in cimento", "Mivui trader, lo so". If not quite in the league of KoÂžena and Mingardo, soprano Roberta Invernizzi and contralto Sonia Prina acquit themselves admirably with an aria each and especially when they perform the striking duetto of Megacle and Aristea from "L'Olimpiade", "Ne'giorni tuoi felici". There is also an impressive quintetto from "La verità in cimento", "Anima mia, mio ben", which for maximum dramatic impact emphasizes the disparate voices of Jaroussky, Mingardo, tenor Anthony Rolfe Johnson, mezzo-soprano Guillemette Laurens and contralto Nathalie Stutzmann. The disc ends appropriately with a beautiful choral piece, "O quam vaga, venusta, o quam decora" from "Juditha triumphans" with the Coro Giovanile dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, led by soprano Marina Comparato.

Rarely has a compilation disc sounded so seamless and without the additional burden of carrying different story contexts. Aurally it sounds like one consolidated piece, and credit needs to go to music directors Alessandro De Marchi, Rinaldo Alessandrini and Jean-Christophe Spinosi, who conducted the originally presented operas. Strongly recommended especially for neophytes to Vivaldi's operas like myself.

A Treasure Trove of Vivaldi Opera Arias and Ensembles.......2004-10-02

The National Bibliotheque in Turin, Italy is the repository for uncounted manuscripts by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) and includes more than twenty opera scores, many of which have not seen productions since the 18th century. The Opus 111 record label is industriously releasing performances, about one a season, of these gems and their intention is to record all these scores, plus many arias and ensembles that have become separated from their complete works. This CD is a compilation of music from four of those works - 'La verità in cimento,' 'Juditha triumphans,' 'L'Olimpiade,' and 'Orlando finto pazzo,' all of which have already been recorded as complete operatic performances. The producers of this set have selected some of the choicest morsels for those music-lovers who would not otherwise obtain all four complete sets. The musicians involved - a different group for each opera - are among the most honored among singers and instrumentalists currently performing baroque works. The instrumental groups include the Academia Montis Regalis conducted by Alessandro de Marchi, Concerto Italiano conducted by Rinaldo Alessandrini, and Ensemble Matheus conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi. Singers include such standouts as sopranos Marina Comparato, Gemma Bertagnoli, and Roberta Invernizzi, mezzos Magdalena Kozena and Guillemette Laurens, contraltos Sara Mingardo, Nathalie Stutzmann and Sonia Prini, countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, tenor Anthony Rolfe Johnson, and basso Sergio Foresti--an outstanding collection of talented performers.

It would be impossible to comment about all sixteen selections here, but I would want to single out Magdalena Kozena's delectable performance of 'Veni, me sequere fida' from 'Juditha triumphans,' with the luscious solo contribution of an unnamed player of the chalumeau (an ancestor of the modern clarinet). [By the way, 'Juditha triumphans' is actually a dramatic oratorio, but it has sometimes been staged as an opera.] Also outstanding is the dramatic 'Gemo in un punto e fremo' from 'L'Olimpiade,' sung by one of today's stellar contraltos, Sara Mingardo.

Finally, I could not end this note without commenting on the fabulous quintet from 'La verità in cimento' entitled 'Anima mia, mio ben.' There is no question that Vivaldi must have been working with both musically and dramatically superb singers for whom he wrote this. This performance, featuring Rolfe Johnson, Laurens, Stutzmann, Jaroussky and Mingardo, is moving. And it is followed by a simply stunning performance, by Sara Mingardo, of Melindo's aria, 'Mi vuoi tradir, lo so' from the same opera. Mingardo's coloratura is absolutely spot on. (Think of Marilyn Horne and you'll have an idea of what this young Italian contralto sounds like.)

I strongly suspect this release will have value for those who want to dip their toes into the Vivaldian operatic waters. Every single selection is well-done, and it certainly gives an idea of Vivaldi's theatrical output, something that we've tended to neglect in favor of his sacred and instrumental music up to now.

Strongly recommended.

TT=63:20

Scott Morrison

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Who's afraid of Johann Sebastian Bach?
Silly
Intense Bach
As it was meant to be played...
Roll Over ...Glenn Gould

Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge

Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Chopin: 24 Preludes
Grigory Sokolov (Box Set)
Piano Sonata 3 / Ballades Op 10
Bach: The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080 (Excerpts); Prelude and Fugue on Bach, BWV 898
A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World (Princeton Economic History of the Western World)

ASIN: B00005RCZ5
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Customer Reviews:

Who's afraid of Johann Sebastian Bach?.......2007-02-09

After being stunned by a live recording of Sokolov's Rach III on the radio, I searched the Amazon library for his recordings. While initially hesitant due to the distance between Rachmaninov's and Bach's musical universes fellow reviewers' statements like "best sense of musical counterpoint since Gould" finally convinced me. Since then I have enjoyed this recording for three years and realized after a recent Youtube viewing of "Gould's Russian Journey" that a previous attempt at reviewing this recording did not find the approval of the Amazon sensors. Thus this second attempt at a full endorsement of this magnificent recording.

Recorded live in 1982 in sonics that are somewhat outdated this double cd couples Sokolov's interpretation of Bach's "Art of the Fugue" (Atf) with that of the same composer's Second Partita; two interpretations that are significantly different.

To me Atf represents the greatest musical creation. This is pure music for music's sake. In the counterpoints and cannons highly challenging musical problems are chosen as lenses and prisms to focus the creative process of "music's greatest craftsman". The resulting compositions use a timeless harmonic language and unmatched sense of architecture both within and between the pieces. Since it was the penultimate work that Bach wrote and the final quadruple fugue was printed in an incomplete version -two Dutch musicologists have argued convincingly that Bach finished the work, but that pages got lost on their way to the printer- auras of mysticism and "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" still burden this vital work.

In previous reviews I have on occasion unburdened the many traumas that were caused by growing up in the Netherlands in the era that "authentic interpretation" erected its own bonfire of the vanities for the likes of Walcha, Karl Richter, Pierre Fournier, etc. etc. While some authentic masters have gone through a 30 year evolution that has allowed them to play both on the beat and in tune, I still see little convincing reasoning, why 21st century citizens should be limited by 18th century restrictions in enjoying the best possible interpretation of surviving masterpieces. Nowhere this is more true than for Atf.

While the piano does not provide the richness of timbre and articulation that organ or other instrumental approaches offer, it lends Atf an unsurpassed focus. Especially thanks to Glenn Gould's championing of this piece at many occasions throughout his career, many pianists now have at least some of the counterpoints on their repertoire. Since Gould never completed this cycle in its entirety, Sokolov's is an easy first choice for the complete Atf.

According to Strawinsky music does not express anything but itself. Many disagree; fortunately, Sokolov is not included among the many. Using everything that the piano and his stunning virtuosity offer, he digs deep and offers a recording of both variety and unity that is equally vital and cerebral. While his approach is often very different from Gould's he brings great clarity to the at times very demanding counterpoint and succeeds in maintaining unity while offering plenty of variety. To some this approach amounts to iconoclasm of the Gould variety. I think this is just plain silly. While I won't argue with those who claim that the 10 introductions of the ground theme in "Counterpoint 1" signify the Ten Commandments, it may be worthwhile to point out that Bach wrote this piece to satisfy the requirements for admission to a musical society.

For those who are willing to go beyond such hang ups, a comparison of Gould's and Sokolov's performances can yield some interesting observations regarding the piece and the art of interpreting it. Whereas Gould liked to refer to Atf's endless shades of grey and made a number of piano recordings of some of the Counterpoints that could be considered as the equivalent of M.C. Escher's labyrinths, Sokolov's more colorful and expressionistic approach suggest the work of a musical Kandinsky. In both cases the individual visions are fully in line with different aspects of the work and reflect the "attitude" of its creator.

In addition to Atf the listener gets a bonus of Bach's Second Keyboard Partita. Here Sokolov comes with a very teutonic approach, to those who were lucky enough to snag the blind organist's harpsichord recordings from the Japanese sources one could say "Walcha on Steroids". To me this interpretation underplays the work's lyrical and dramatic aspects quite a bit. Yet the closing Capriccio which is played like a Pokofiev Toccata does provide the edge of the seat drive and excitement that few pianists can match.

Silly.......2004-07-25

I do not doubt Sokolov's technical mastery, but I find this recording simply too idiosyncratic. For the same reason, I am definitely not a Glenn Gould fan. If you enjoy listening to Sokolov, get this album. If you want to listen to Bach wiithout having the persona and eccentricity of the pianist intrude on what you're listening to, look elsewhere. The staccato style of his playing is not in the least bit interesting -- it's simply distracting and annoying. At times I'm not sure if I'm listening to Bach or to Count Basie. This is a wondrously deep and profound piece of music. Sokolov makes it sound silly. A waste of an obviously great talent and a very good quality recording. (I love Count Basie by the way, but not as interpreter of Bach!)

Intense Bach.......2004-04-23

After many years of Glenn Gould and Bach, I am saturated and cannot hear a note of Gould nor of Bach, and my least favorite CD is Sokolov's Bach, although this pianist is my favorite.

One fine day, in my car, in tropical Florida, in the breeze, watching the pelicans fly above the blue sea, in the sunset, I listened to my Russian pianist Grigory Sokolov playing Bach, and suddenly my meaningless life was beautiful again.

There was an intensity never heard before, a sadness so profound it made me weep, waves of forgotten emotions overwhelming me. I understood Sokolov played Bach the way I wanted Bach to be, moving, complex, subtle, passionate, deep, unpredictable.

I will buy any CD played by Sokolov, he is truly my pianist, the one who can express what I want to hear. He has those magic fingers that are so fine and powerful, graceful and passionate, forever changing, just like life, with its joys and sorrows.

As it was meant to be played..........2004-01-12

Scholars have disputed the intended instrumentation of Bach's Der Kunst der Fuge for years. Many performers have cast this work for string quartet or organ, even woodwind instruments or orchestra. In my opinion, no recording has made as great a stance for the performance of these fugues on piano as this one by Grigory Sokolov. His playing has great energy and control, with enlivening dynamics that highlight the uniqueness of each fugue. In the mirror fugues, for example, he contrasts each "side of the mirror" by varying the volume and mood. What I especially enjoy about Sokolov's performance is his ability to seperate out the four different voices in the fugues. Usually this would be the chief problem with playing such a dense work as the Art of Fugue on piano, but Sokolov manages to highlight every single entrance of the theme or themes, meaning you won't be listening awestruck to just a mesh of unmelodious sound. Sokolov reveals the secrets of fugue with the clarity one would typically expect only from a performance played on multiple instruments. In the final unfinished fugue especially, the three different presented themes stand out in wonderful counterpoint without requiring any deliberate attentive listening. Also, the addition of Bach's Partita No.2 on disc 2 provides a great way to unwind after having listened to the entirety this german master's last great masterpiece.

Those of you who would normally prefer The Art of Fugue performed by an ensemble should consider this stunning performance on piano!

Roll Over ...Glenn Gould.......2003-09-02

If you are captivated by J.S. Bach, and you have been infatuated by Glenn Gould's piano performances, especially of Bach, then you are truly in for a treat with this CD. Grigory Sokolov's performance here is frighteningly beautiful. It's true, he doesn't hum-m-m, nor sing along with his playing, and he also doesn't mystify you with a "catch-you-off-guard" rubato like Glenn often does (and this does have it's place, ...I think!?). And, this is not to say that I have fallen out with Glenn's performances, which I haven't, ...however, the power and the way Sokolov pushes the music with such emotional force, adding in the sparkling, clean brillance of his stacatto of the upper register of his piano, simply shakes the entire CNS (central nervous system). Two of the best examples of this are both on the second CD; Track #5: Canon 17 alla Duodecima in Contrapunto alla Quinta, and Track #10 Rondeau in Partita Nr. 2 in C-minor. Put these on "Rep 1" (repeat) on your CD player, turn down/off all bass and extra-bass supplements, turn up the tenor control, crank up the volume and ...sail away! If only for these two tracks the whole CD would be worth purchasing, ...however, the entire Art of Fugue and, yes, the Partita (Nr. 2) are truly worth having.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; String Concertos (Box Set)

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Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; String Concertos (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Vivaldi: Concerti per mandolini
Vivaldi : L'estro armonico / Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante

ASIN: B00005R2JM
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Grigory Sokolov: Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms [Box Set]

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Get anything Grigory Sokolov recorded
Grigory Sokolov - The (Almost) Unknown Major Pianist

Grigory Sokolov: Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms [Box Set]

Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Grigory Sokolov (Box Set)
Grigory Sokolov - Live in Paris
Chopin: 24 Preludes
Art of Emil Gilels
Beethoven, Mozart & Brahms Piano Concertos

ASIN: B000ALCFZ2
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Customer Reviews:

Get anything Grigory Sokolov recorded .......2006-07-29

Grigory Sokolov is definitely one of the most underrated pianist for the past few decades, and I truly believe he is the best still around.

Currently there are two CD boxes( each contains 5 CDs)and one DVD (Live in Paris) available in the market. This is one of the CD set, including some previously single release. Because of his reclusive personality and unwilling to record (perhaps due to perfectionism) , he never had contract with major labels and therefore lots of people were not aware of him. However, the one single DVD is good enough to do him justice--you have to see it to believe it.

He is one of the best classic pianists ever, along with Gilels, Richter, etc----definitely the best still around. If you have not heard of him, get both CD sets and DVD--that will be the best investment for your classic music collection and years of enjoyment. And if one of us get lucky, we might still be able to see him one stage one day.

Grigory Sokolov - The (Almost) Unknown Major Pianist.......2005-11-09

One of the best-kept secrets in the piano world is the amazing Grigory Sokolov, a man in his fifties who won the Tchaikovsky Prize in 1966 at the age of sixteen. He has been somewhat reclusive. tending to play in Europe only, and has generally not made studio recordings, but among the cognoscenti his recitals are sought after and often sold out. All the music recorded in this five-CD box has been released on single CDs before (and as a box from Opus 111), and is here offered at budget price. I have owned three of the five previously. Earlier this year I also reviewed a marvelous DVD of a recital he gave in the Châtelet and filmed by the redoubtable Bruno Monsaingeon. Since Amazon has not yet included the contents of this box (or even told us how many CDs are included) I will list them now:

CDs 1 & 2: Bach: Art of Fugue; Partita No. 2

CD 3: Beethoven: Rondos in C Major and G Major, Op. 51; Rondo, 'Rage over a lost penny,' Op. 129; Sonata No. 4 in E Flat Major, Op. 7; Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101

CD 4: Chopin: 24 Préludes, Op. 28

CD 5: Brahms: Ballades, Op. 10; Sonata in F Minor, Op. 5

Possibly the most marvelous thing about Sokolov's playing is his variety of touch. He can play in a tiny whisper, with a lightning fast leggiero, with deep-in-the-keys but never clangy fortissimo. His legato is legendary and he tends to obtain it more by finger technique than with pedaling. One can argue with his interpretive choices but never with his musicianship or sincerity, and certainly not with his almost inhuman virtuosity.

All five CDs were recorded live in recital and in gorgeous sound. There does not appear to be much in the way of editing. There are a very few dropped notes, but on the whole the playing is incredibly accurate as well as being musicianly. His 'Art of Fugue' is rather a combination of some Romantic gestures coupled with a purity of tone that depends more on touch than on pedaling. His Brahms is a bit more Romantic but is not sentimental -- something is that is not easy to avoid in the Ballades particularly. His Beethoven is much the same. 'Rage over a lost penny' is the most exciting performance I've ever heard since I heard Brendel play it live in the 1960s. Sokolov, like Michelangeli (to whom he has been compared), does not play many of the Beethoven sonatas, but the ones he plays are his utterly.

The Chopin is the glory of this set. It sings, whispers and roars as need be. It is ultraromantic and yet is not maudlin or sickly sentimental. This is masculine Chopin.

At this bargain price this set is a must-have, I should think, for those who enjoy masterful playing and are willing to become acquainted with a heretofore unknown pianist sometimes called 'the new Sviatoslav Richter.'

Scott Morrison

Monteverdi: Ottavo Libro de' Madrigali, Vol.1

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Ectasy

Monteverdi: Ottavo Libro de' Madrigali, Vol.1
Claudio Monteverdi , Rinaldo Alessandrini , and Concerto Italiano
Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Monteverdi: Quinto Libro de Madrigali (Fifth Book of Madrigals)
Monteverdi: Quarto Libro dei Madrigali
Monteverdi: Secondo Libro de' Madrigali (Second Book of Madrigals) /Concerto Italiano * Alessandrini
Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610/Venetian Vespers
Gesualdo: Quinto Libro di Madrigali (1611)

ASIN: B000005W5F
Release Date: 1997-09-09

Tracks:

Sinfonia
Altri canti d'Amor
Lamento della Ninfa (1)
Lamento della Ninfa (2)
Vago augelletto
Perche t'en fuggi, o Fillide?
Altri canti di Marte (1)
Altri canti di Marte (2)
Ogni amante e guerrier (1)
Ogni amante e guerrier (2)
Ogni amante e guerrier (3)
Ogni amante e guerrier (4)
Hor che 'l ciel e la terra (1)
Hor che 'l ciel e la terra (2)
Gira il nemico, insidioso Amore
Dolcissimo uscignolo
Ardo, ardo, avvampo

Amazon.com essential recording

The madrigals in this book, aptly titled by Monteverdi "Madrigals of War and Love," range from solo voice or duo with continuo to works for eight singers and strings. Concerto Italiano gives a magnificent performance: the opening of "Hor che'l ciel" is daringly slow and still, only to give way suddenly to the narrator's cries of torment; "Ardo, avvampo" proceeds from the thrilling chaos of fire alarms to an extraordinary hush as two tenors end the piece in unison. In the famous "Lamento della ninfa," the musicians have found a way to follow Monteverdi's instructions that the three men should sing in strict tempo ("following the hand"), while the solo soprano nymph sings her lament in freer time, "following the heart." The result is astonishing. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Ectasy.......1999-07-13

These are some of the most beautiful pieces you'll ever hear

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Get anything Grigory Sokolov recorded

Grigory Sokolov (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Grigory Sokolov: Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms [Box Set]
Grigory Sokolov - Live in Paris
Chopin: 24 Preludes
Piano Sonata 3 / Ballades Op 10
Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge

ASIN: B0000CE7E6
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Customer Reviews:

Get anything Grigory Sokolov recorded .......2006-07-29

Grigory Sokolov is definitely one of the most underrated pianist for the past few decades, and I truly believe he is the best still around.

Currently there are two CD boxes( each contains 5 CDs)and one DVD (Live in Paris) available in the market. This is one of the CD set.

CD1: Beethoven Diabelli Variations;
CD2 & CD3: Schubert D894, D960;
CD4: Chopin Sonata No 2 and Etude op25 ;
CD5: Scriabin Sonata No 3&9,Prokofiev Sonata No 8 and Rachmaninov Prelude op23 No 4.

Because of his reclusive personality and unwilling to record (perhaps due to perfectionism) , he never had contract with major labels and therefore lots of people were not aware of him. However, the one single DVD is good enough to do him justice--you have to see it to believe it.

He is one of the best classic pianists ever, along with Gilels, Richter, etc----definitely the best still around. If you have notheard of Solokov, get both CD sets and DVD--that will be the best investment for your classic music collection and years of enjoyment. And if one of us get lucky, we might still be able to see him one stage one day.

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 "Eroica" & 8

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A conductor that should be remembered with major intensity!
Yowza -- Magnificent Eroica and 8th in best-yet sound
Even better than the Naxos Edition!

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 "Eroica" & 8

Manufacturer: Opus Kura
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 7; Egmont
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 ("Choral"); Prometheus Overture
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5; Symphony No. 6; Eleven Viennese Dances
Wilhelm Furtwängler conducts Beethoven
Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Felix Weingartner

ASIN: B000099T1N
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Customer Reviews:

A conductor that should be remembered with major intensity!.......2006-02-15

The seminal roots of the whole significance of this emblematic symphony can be felt along this performance. The Eroica is far beyond a simple symphony. It is by far, the most mythical of any other work you think about. In this work the cycle of the mankind is expressed with absolute eloquence and clarity. The genius of Beethoven reached an extraordinary creative flight of towering proportions and epic dimensions. And this performance communicates it outstandingly.

Unfortunately, Weingartner `s style seems to have been relegated to forgetfulness, perhaps by fad `s questions or worse still, because the spirit to communicate a sense of real contact between composer and audience has vanished, but if you consider it carefully, you will notice how conductors of the status of Thielemans, Barenboim, Asajina, Vegh, Giulini, Pekka Salonen, Termirkanov have dealt with this approach, even those examples do not represent exactly the vast majority. The conclusion seems obvious: popularity and charisma are elements that may work out in other disciplines but not precisely in this field.

He was a forceful writer on musical subjects, but all of us know how difficult may result this activity when a conductor has to conduct one hundred concerts for season. Neophyte and connoisseurs must get close the interpretative art of this old fashioned director that had much to say and so did it.

This album, specially reveals these facts we are making reference. Pitifully, the homogeneity in the interpretation has hidden the expression, the personal approach, stylizing and reducing the scope of the thematic material; this awful vision has trivialized and even confiscated the cathartic experience a concert should produce. That 's what happens when the concepts of art and spectacle are blended, because a considerable sector of the great musical audiences simply are completely unconcerned about the music is an universe by itself and has something to say, but only is assigned to certain composers.

Beethoven is one of them and if we do not beware ourselves about it, Beethoven will mean les than nothing, but certainly Beethoven is not the guilty.

Go for these golden recordings of an old fashioned but admirable director.

Yowza -- Magnificent Eroica and 8th in best-yet sound.......2005-03-21

There are times when a bargain is a bargain, and times when it's worth spending the bucks. Although these recordings are available on Naxos for less than half the price here, it's worth the splurge to get these Japanese transfers, even though you can't read the liner notes (unless you know Japanese). These are excellent restorations, while the Naxos, while less crackly, sound thin and anemic, with seemingly less dynamic range. As for the performances, these are very fine, well-considered, passionate readings. They betray the belief that old school interpretations were always more eccentric and extreme than today. These readings would not be out of place in any mainstream orchestra today. The difference is the fervor here. Modern musicians just don't feel this music the way these guys (and this is the Vienna Philharmonic, so you can be sure they're all guys) do. The last conductor to electrify musicians this much was Leonard Bernstein, who died more than ten years ago.

The Third is big, energetic and *dynamic*, with brisk tempi that pull you in and the *biggest* and most dramatic reading of the slow movement I've ever heard. Yet the fast tempi yield a flexible and expressive Eroica that pulls me in every time I listen to it. Listen to the boyant, joyous scherzo--with some of the most thrilling hornwork I've ever heard in the trio section. We feel the musicians are on a voyage of self-discovery, almost like they are making up the music as they go along, something you never hear with orchestras today, worried about period political correctness and a host of other technicalities. This is one of the greatest pre-WWII Eroicas, surpassed only by Furtwangler, and maybe not even that--I keep changing my mind on this one; maybe it's a case of apples and oranges. But it's the Eighth that has one of the most exciting development sections I've ever heard, in the first movement. It may surprise some listeners today what a "loose" band the VPO was back then, before the note-perfect executions heralded by the modern recording process, but it just adds to the feeling of spontaneity. The orchestra is well-balanced and has that light-but-powerful sound that is a hallmark even today.

As I said, these (and many of Weingartner's other) recordings are available for less money on the Naxos label, but this is the superior release. Grab it before it goes out or print and becomes an even more valuable collector's item.

Even better than the Naxos Edition!.......2003-09-28

Opus Kura has used extraordinarily full-sounding 78 originals for these transfers, with the result that both the bass and treble are much more extended than in previous issues, together with the dynamic range. The "Eroica" now literally explodes from the speakers. While the Naxos transfers are quite fine, they don't compare to this type of immmediate, powerful sound. The Eighth Symphony receives an extraordinarily spirited and loving interpretation, with a surprising freedom of tempo in the Second and Fourth Movements. The "Eroica" Symphony is one the the two most powerfully dramatic and committed readings in my experience (the other is the wartime Furtwaengler), although Weingartner's Scherzo really beats all the competition.
If your budget allows it, get this and the other Weingartner Vienna Philharmonic Beethoven recordings transferred by Opus Kura.

Average customer rating:

Musica Sacra [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Opus 3
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B0000E64YI
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Vivaldi Edition: Le Quattro Stagioni (with bonus CD: Portrait)

Average customer rating:

Lives up to the reviews

Vivaldi Edition: Le Quattro Stagioni (with bonus CD: Portrait)

Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

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Vivaldi Edition: Vespri per l'Assunzione di Maria Vergine
Vivaldi Edition: I Concerto di Dresda
Vivaldi Edition: Concerto per archi
Bach: The Art of Fugue; Keyboard Concertos

ASIN: B00006IWQR
Release Date: 2003-07-15

Customer Reviews:

Lives up to the reviews.......2006-03-11

This recording has gotten extremely positive reviews, and I feel
that it more than lives up to them. The Concerto Italiano plays with extreme sensitivity, and with unparalleled sweetness. Everything about their handling of accents and phrases really *is* unlike others'. They tend to linger in the moment, especially the violins, and announce the beauty of moment after moment. This is definitely not for everyone, understandably, and if you are in a musical hurry, this is decidedly not the recording for you. But if you would rather sip a glass of wine than gulp a beer, I think this might just be the merlot you've been looking for.

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Frescobaldi: Arie Musicali Book 2, 1630
Girolamo Frescobaldi , Concerto Italiano , and Rinaldo Alessandrini
Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Domenico Scarlatti: Stabat Mater a 10 voci
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Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine
Pergolesi · Scarlatti - Stabat Mater / Bertagnolli · Mingardo · Concerto Italiano · Alessandrini

ASIN: B000042OHW
Release Date: 2000-01-11

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