Anna Júlia [Import]

1. Anna Júlia

2. Aconteceu Comigo

3. Tonto de Paixão

4. Ela Vai Voltar

5. Muhler Boa

6. O Tocador

7. Toco da Saia

8. Cunhado (Fale Com O Seu Irmão)

9. Ela Mexe Comigo

10. Só Tô Comendo

11. Namorada Do Carinha

12. Deixa a Paixão Entrar

13. Na Mira Do Chifrudo

14. Silicone Lá

15. Apaixonado.com

16. O Garrafão [*]

17. Garanhão da Madrugada [*]

Anna Júlia,Teodoro & Sampaio,Universal/Indie,World Music

Average customer rating: My current first choice...!8.25/10! Strictly for Fleming lovers! Late Strauss opera serves as a showpiece for Renee Fleming Renee is wonderful Not the Best Recording

Renée Fleming - Strauss: Daphne Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Sacred Songs Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [Includes Bonus DVD] R. Strauss - Capriccio / Fleming, von Otter, Finley, Trost, Henschel, Hawlata, Dell'Oste, Banks, Tear, Schirmer, Paris Opera Love Sublime ASIN: B000A3VTS4 Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

1. Orchestereinleitung - "Kleontes!" / "Adrast"
2. Leb wohl du Tag
3. Leukippos, du?
4. Daphne! / "Mutter!" / "Wir warten dein"
5. Ei, so fliegt sie vorbei
6. Seid ihr um mich, der Hirten alle?
7. Ich grch, weiser, erfahrener Fischer
8. Was fich her im niedern Gewande?
9. Nicht wollen die Gr
10. Dieser Ku- dies Umarmen
11. Alll blonysos
12. Trinke, du Tochter!
13. Furchtbare Schmach dem Gotte!
14. Zu dir nun, Knabe!
15. Jeden heiligen Morgen
16. Was blendet so...Ich komme - ich komme

Tracks:

1. Unheilvolle Daphne!
2. Was erblicke ich?
3. Daphnes Verwandlung "Ich komme - ich komme"
4. Mondlichtmusik

Amazon.com

This rarely performed one-act opera dating from 1938 is not one of Strauss's great works, but its 100 minutes has some ravishingly beautiful music. However, the story of a simple nature-girl who rejects the advances of the god Apollo and is turned into a laurel tree is uniquely enchanting, handsomely orchestrated, and contains some wonderful vocal writing for soprano and a pair of tenors--the latter being very rare in Strauss. Renée Fleming sings the title role beautifully, although some might argue that her voice is too ripe and slightly too big for the part of a very young, virginal girl. But she certainly has all the notes and her silvery tone is irresistible. Johann Botha's Apollo is note-perfect: no mean feat given how high and loud the role is. But he sings with less passion than, say, James King in the same role on DG. Michael Schade, as Leukippos, Daphne's innocent suitor, is ardent and also copes well with Strauss's sometimes cruel writing--one phrase begins on a high C! The rest of the cast is very good. Semyon Bychkov leads a clear, well-paced performance and the WDR Symphony and Chorus play and sing expertly. The number one choice may still be the DG recording under Böhm, but Fleming fans will be very pleased to hear her in this beautiful, strange work. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

My current first choice...!8.25/10!.......2007-07-11

My current first choice - only because I haven't heard much else except the live Boehm which I give 6.5/10 mainly due to sound and good tenors shouting at each other! It's a little better here tenorwise but if only they were King & Wunderlich in the studio. I am not a great fan of Fleming but am hard pressed to say why not - after all its hard to fault her singing, perhaps its her diction or lack of it and the fact that the voice is not identifiably unique (a sort of modern day Kanawa, though even she had a voice you could pick). However that aside this is the best recording around and Fleming does sound lovely on CD 2 but a little hard of tone in CD1. Some of her fellow female singers are not much to my liking but its probably the score (cf. Arabella's Mother) as much as anything!

The orchestra's good and whilst you feel its a bit driven Solti-like at times its not that bad, indeed the pace almost sags but not really!!!

So until I get to hear the June Anderson mentioned by others here its my first pick and no doubt will be treasured in years to come much as the Boehm is now! See what I said about that one!

Its an 8.25/10 mainly due to the lack of repeat playability this set generates (same with the Fleming Thais even though it heaps better than the EMI Sills set except for characterisation, (Sills a much loved and now missed singer!))

Strictly for Fleming lovers!.......2007-05-29

AsI write this, there are 17 reviews for the Byschoff /Fleming version and 8 for the Bohm/Hilde Gueden/James King version. This is because Fleming lovers will follow her to the end, remembering her stellar roles in other operas. I believe the magic of the this lyrical opera is lost with Fleming, although her voice is strong. The conducting is certainly poorer than Bohm's in bringing out the rich lyrical quality of the opera, particularly as the opera approaches its culmination and the laurel tree sings of the earth's sap flowing up the roots. In the 17 reviews there is little mention of the orchestration and in that lies the art of Strauss. Certainly one would have to hear the Fleming opera several times to get to its interpretation. Not so for the Bohm.

Late Strauss opera serves as a showpiece for Renee Fleming.......2007-05-24

SOURCE: Studio recording made in the Cologne Philharmonie, February 28 to March 12, 2005.

SOUND: Satisfactory contemporary digital stereo.

CAST: Daphne - Renee Fleming (soprano); Apollo - Johan Botha (tenor); Leukippos - Michael Schade (tenor); Peneios - Kwanchul Youn (bass); Gaea - Anna Larson (mezzo-soprano); First Shepherd - Eike Wilm Schulte; Second Shepherd - Cosmin Ifrim; Third Shepherd - Gregory Reinhart; Fourth Shepherd - Carsten Wittmoser; First Maid - Julia Kleiter; Second Maid - Twyla Robinson.

CONDUCTOR: Semyon Bychkov with the Men of the WDR Rundfunkchors and the WDR Simphonieorchester, Koeln.

DOCUMENTATION: Libretto in German and English. Short essay on the creation of the opera. Track list that identifies singers and provides timings.

FORMAT: Disk 1 - tracks 1-16, 72:35. Disk 2 - tracks 1 - 4, 27:08.

COMMENTARY: "Daphne" is one of a pair of one-act operas by Richard Strauss--the other was "Friedenstag"--that premiered as a double bill in Dresden in October 1938. Neither opera has ever been a part of anybody's standard repertory. For nearly all intents and purposes, "Friedenstag" was stillborn. There are a couple of bits in "Daphne" that are attractive concert pieces for big-time divas, so the opera maintains a sort of thin, half-ghostly existence. At long intervals, it earns a complete recording when a particularly prominent diva is in the mood for it.

There will always be fans who will argue that "Daphne" is a neglected gem, but to me it is just late, largely uninspired Strauss. It explores no new territories and is hobbled by lame libretto by Joseph Gregor, an oddly elusive literary figure, usually described dismissively as a Viennese stage historian and amateur poet.

A few years earlier, Strauss' great collaborator Hugo von Hoffmanstahl had died. His replacement had been the novelist Stefan Zweig, who happened to be both Jewish AND a pacifist, a man not likely to achieve great success in the Third Reich, even though Strauss had obtained written permission to use him from the hand of Adolph Hitler himself. The team of Strauss and Zweig had turned out "Die Schweigsame Frau," a good but Germanically ponderous version of a story set to music a century earlier as "Don Pasquale." After two performances, Strauss had been ordered to remove his Jewish collaborator's name from the playbill. He refused and wrote a letter to Zweig criticizing their political masters. The letter was intercepted. The opera was shut down, never to be performed again during the lifetimes of its creators.

The Strauss-Zweig partnership could not endure after that, and in any case, Zweig seeing which way the wind was blowing, fled to Britain, where he became a citizen. Strauss, not giving up on opera, needed a new literary collaborator. He chose Joseph Gregor for no better reasons, so far as I can tell, that he was there and that he was willing.

The myth of Daphne is straightforward. It explains why the laurel tree ("daphne" in Greek) is sacred to Apollo. Apollo, the divine archer, had taunted Eros about his little bow. The love god, annoyed, had fired a golden-tipped arrow of love into Apollo's heart and a leaden-tipped one of aversion into the heart of the nymph Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneios (according to Ovid, or of the ancient earth goddess Gaia, according to others.) Apollo pursued the nymph vigorously; the nymph fled precipitously. Eventually he caught up with her and just as he reached out to gather her in, she called out to her father the river god (or to Gaia) for help. Peneios (or Gaia) turned her into a laurel tree. The chastened Apollo thereupon declared the laurel tree to be his favorite forevermore.

For his libretto, Gregor kept Apollo as a Greek god. Daphne became a young girl who lives in a riverside village with her father Peneios, a fisherman, and her mother Gaea. She has a suitor named Leukippos whom she disdains (perhaps because he likes to dress up in drag ... don't ask). Apollo turns up and is attracted to the village girl. Leukippos tries to interfere. Apollo kills him with an arrow. NOW, Daphne regrets that she hadn't recognized her love for the dead shepherd. A chastened Apollo turns the grief-stricken girl into a laurel tree.

The vocal parts of Apollo and Daphne make up in fiendish difficulty what they lack in memorability. Gina Cigna, a great Turandot and Norma, sang Daphne in the Italian premiere of the opera in 1942. "I was flabbergasted by its tessitura," she said. "You kill yourself and in the end you have absolutely nothing."

This recording is a showpiece for Renee Fleming. The only significant question about that requires an answer is does she sing well? Yes, she does. She gives everything that a true Fleming fan might hope for, and that alone would justify a five-star rating for the great majority of those who might be contemplating the purchase of this recording. For my own part, however, Fleming has always struck me as a performer who wants too much to be loved. This brings about in her a profound disinclination to became engaged with the dramatic cores of the characters she portrays. Fleming has the voice and nearly all the tools of her profession, but she always remains Fleming and never Daphne.

Those reviewers inclined to get worked up over matters of non-English pronunciation are worked up over her German in this performance. This seems a small thing to me in a world where mush-mouthed Joan Sutherland was deservedly a fabulous star.

German-Canadian tenor Michael Schade is quite good as Leukippos, although he is capable of delivering more than Strauss' rather insistent writing allows him to do. Johan Botha as Apollo is more than adequate in a voice-mangler of a part. The rest of the cast and the orchestra are perfectly satisfactory.

Four stars ... in metamorphosis.

Renee is wonderful.......2007-05-07

If you like Strauss, and it takes a few listens, then you will love this recording. Renee Fleming is wonderful and breaks your hear with her voice.

Not the Best Recording.......2006-09-25

I know in recent years Renee Fleming has developed an opinion that she can pretty much sing anything well (how else do you explain her recording a Stevie Wonder song?). The problem with this is she simply can't.

While much of this recording is quite good (Johan Botha is a revalation!), unfortunately, Fleming brings down the proceedings everytime she opens her mouth. It's true--her German is pretty terrible. She consistently misprounces the name of her character (what's odd about this is everyone else seems to get it right), and when she sings "Ich komme" in the Transformation Scene, it comes out sounding like "Ash Canna." Perhaps Fleming needs to stick with the French and Italian roles that made her a star and leave the German roles to the experts.

Average customer rating: A very nice Onegin, but don't pass up the great ones A Wonderful Recording of a Beloved Opera A good enough performance Eugene Onegin: From Russia With Love One of Solti's great opera recordings.

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Solti, Sir Georg | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten / Varady, Domingo, Behrens, van Dam, Sir Georg Solti Pytor Il'ich Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame Verdi:Otello Liszt: The Two Piano Concertos; The Piano Sonata Massenet - Manon / Gheorghiu, Alagna, Patriarco, van Dam, Ragon, Rivenq, Panzarella, Koch, Schimmack, Pappano ASIN: B0000041RV Release Date: 1987-05-11

Tracks:

1. Act One: Scene I: Intro - Orch of Ryl Opr House/Sir Georg Solti
2. Act One: Scene I: Slikhali i vi za roschei glas nochnai - Teresa Kubiak/Julia Hamari
3. Act One: Scene I: Bolyat moyi skori nozhenki - John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
4. Act One: Scene I: Uzh kak po mostu, mostochku - John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
5. Act One: Scene I: Kak ya lyublyu pod zvuki pesen etikh - Teresa Kubiak
6. Act One: Scene I: Uzh kak po mostu, mostochku - Juila Hamari
7. Act One: Scene I: Nu ti, moya vostrushka - Anna Reynolds
8. Act One: Scene I: Mesdames! Ya na sebya vzyal smyelost - Stuart Burrows
9. Act One: Scene I: Skazhi, kotoraya Tatyana? - Bernd Weikl
10. Act One: Scene I: Kak shchastliv, kak shchastliv ya! - Stuart Burrows
11. Act One: Scene I: Ya lyublyu vas - Stuart Burrows
12. Act One: Scene I: A, vot i vi! - Anna Reynolds
13. Act One: Scene 2: Nu, zabolta las ya! - Enid Hartle
14. Act One: Scene 2: Puskai pogibnu ya, no pryezhde - Teresa Kubiak
15. Act One: Scene 2: Akh, noch minula - Teresa Kubiak
16. Act One: Scene 3: Dyevitsi-krasavtsi - John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
17. Act One: Scene 3: Zdyes on, zdyes on, Yevgeni! - Teresa Kubiak
18. Act One: Scene 3: Kogda bi zhizn domashnim krugom - Bernd Weikl

Tracks:

1. Act Two: Scene 1: Waltz - Orch of Ryl Opr House/Sir Georg Solti
2. Act Two: Scene 1: Vot tak syurpriz! - John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
3. Act Two: Scene 1: Uzhel ya zasluzhil ot vas nasmyeshku etu? - Stuart Burrows
4. Act Two: Scene 1: A cette fete convie - Michel Senechal
5. Act Two: Scene 1: Messieurs, mesdames, mesta zanyat izvolte - William Mason
6. Act Two: Scene 1: Ti ne tantsuyesh, Lenski? - Bernd Weikl
7. Act Two: Scene 1: V Vashem dome! V vashem dome! - Stuart Burrows
8. Act Two: Scene 2: Nu, shto zhe? - Richard Van Allan
9. Act Two: Scene 2: Kuda, kuda, kuda vi udalilis - Stuart Burrows
10. Act Two: Scene 2: A, vot oni! - Richard Van Allan
11. Act Three: Scene 1: Polonaise - Orch of Ryl Opr House/Sir Georg Solti
12. Act Three: Scene 1: I zdyes mnye skuchno! - Bernd Weikl
13. Act Three: Scene 1: Knyaginya Gremina! Smotrite! - John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
14. Act Three: Scene 1: Lyubvi vsye vozrasti pokorni - Nicolai Ghiaurov
15. Act Three: Scene 1: Itak, poidyom, tebya predstavlyu ya - Nicolai Ghiaurov
16. Act Three: Scene 1: Uzhel ta samaya Tatyana - Bernd Weikl
17. Act Three: Scene 2: O! Kak mnye tyazhelo! - Teresa Kubiak
18. Act Three: Scene 2: Onegin! Ya togda molozhe - Teresa Kubiak

Amazon.com

After you have heard Hvorostovsky or Thomas Allen, Bernhard Weikl may sound a bit stiff and heavy in the role of the disillusioned, bored young Onegin, who rejects Tatiana's impulsive offer of love and lives to regret it. But Teresa Kubiak's warm, expressive voice and her commanding presence in the last act make the regret more poignant and understandable. Supporting roles are very well filled, and Georg Solti conducts with his usual energy. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

A very nice Onegin, but don't pass up the great ones.......2007-02-03

Solti recorded this Covent Garden cast in 1975 when he was closely associated with the opera house (I'm not sure if he was still the musical director), and given the uneven level of opera in England, this was a very good production. All the singers encompass their roles very well. True, there are no Russians in the cast, but I dare say only a thin scattering of people in the audience could tell authentic Russian from the kind learned by syllable. Nor can one pretend that the Covent Garden orchestra is first-rate, although Solti gets them to play very well.

As a bargain choice, this remains a good, well-recorded set. Solti is surprisingly tender with the score, perhaps even a little cautious. Teresa Kubiak has a gorgeous voice, a size larger than usual in the lyric soprano role of Tatyana. Suart Burrows, in the tenor role of Lensky, doesn't erase memories of Neil Shicoff or Nicolai Gedda, but his voice is sweet and ardent. The Onegin is Bernd Weikl, a servicable German baritone who managed to grab some of the plum roles on disc without showing any great distinction. Don't expect charisma.

This may becomes a decisive factor when one considers that the competition, just to mention non-Russian recordings, includes Thomas Allen on the DG set conducted by James Levine and the incomparable Dmitri Hvorostovsky giving his best for Semyon Bychkov on Philips. Both are classic sets, and if I love the Levine more than most critics and the Bychkov rather less, this one under Solti comes in a distant third.

A Wonderful Recording of a Beloved Opera.......2006-09-30

Tchaikovsky's dream of being the Russian Verdi, Wagner, or Bizet is well known, but sad to say it never happened. It's as a symphonist that he's best known. The closest he came, at least outside of his homeland was with EUGENE ONEGIN, an opera that may not be among the most popular operas in the repertoire, but still holds a respectable place on the stage and in the hearts of opera lovers.

Like so many Tchaikovsky works, EUGENE ONEGIN faced criticism at its premiere but became loved throughout the world. Usually Tchaikovsky faced negative pundits because his music was not Russian enough, and this could have been the case with ONEGIN which seems to be heavily influenced by the best elements of French, Italian and German opera. The music wasn't the problem, however. The difficulty was plot. The opera tells three different stories using the same characters in scenes that are not connected. As the liner notes for this recording point out, this is not a problem for non Russian listeners who are able to enjoy the beautiful music. For Russian listeners who would have been familiar with the Pushkin poem on which the opera is based, the opera falls short of Pushkin's masterpiece.

Many of the best recordings of Russian operas have a Russian cast, performed by a Russian orchestra, with a Russian conductor. The familiarity with the language and music coupled with national pride seem to produce great recordings as the recordings by Valery Gergiev and the Kirov have shown, but for this opera, my favorite set is this one under the direction of Sir Georg Solti. Solti is at home conducting Tchaikovsky and he's able to bring out the little nuances that make Tchaikovsky's music both powerful and magical. The orchestra of England's ROYAL OPERA HOUSE likewise seems at home with the work and the John Aldis Choir brings the wonderful choral scenes to life, especially the ball scene in Act II. The soloists are wonderful. The Tatyana of Teresa Kubiak grows darker as the opera progresses as should happen to a naïve young woman who is pained by unrequited love. Stuart Burrows is buoyant as Lensky and his final aria before the duel is one of the best renditions I have heard. Bernd Weikl likewise is commendable as Onegin and listeners as always can always rely on the quality of Nicolai Ghiarov's vocal talents and this is the case for this recording as he performs the role of the man who eventually marries Tatyana, Prince Gremin.

The critique some have made concerning this set is that it's not Russian enough. My guess is that the diction is not the greatest and since I do not speak Russian, I have no way of assessing whether this is the case. I find this set to be the smoothest recording available, and by smoothness I mean that many of the harsh vocal sounds that can be found in Russian opera are absent. It has an almost French or Italian feeling to it which I love but may bother some aficionados of Russian opera. If this is the case, another set I love but is difficult to find is the set issued by Sony in the 1990's by the Sophia National Orchestra and Opera Chorus under the direction of Emil Tchaikarov with a cast that includes Nicolai Gedda. This was my first recording of ONEGIN and listening to it made me love this great work. On a side note, some of the more Russian casts will have a Russian performer cast as Triquet, the odd French gentleman who begins dazzling the crowd by singing in French the praises of Tatyana at the ball, for no apparent reason. Often this tenor does not perform French music all that well. Perhaps that was a pet peeve of Solti who cast French tenor Michel Senechal as Triquet and actually makes this somewhat sappy aria (this is not a critique, it's supposed to be sappy) rather beautiful.

A good enough performance.......2004-06-30

Solti's conducting is sublime. The strings have that dreamy quality that tell you that you're about to hear a love story. And what a story it is: unrequited love, scorn, jealousy, anger-rage, guilt, loyalty....all tied up with Tchaikovsky's personal sexual torments in the real world! That aside, the chorus is beautiful: `folky' where necessary (the opening scene) and mellifluous and sweet (the orchard scene). Tatiana's letter scene is the most endearingly conducted that I have ever heard. The instruments really spin a fairytale-like backdrop for a young girl's dreams and ambitions (flute and clarinet, I believe).

The singers? Teresa Kubiak's Tatiana is very passionate but her voice isn't to my personal liking....and this is, after-all, what reviews are about. She has what is maybe more of a `tremble' than a `wobble' (as opposed to a vibrato), but she sounds somewhat vocally insecure. Even so, this isn't a problem to many people, though I admit I don't listen to this recording often enough because of it. To be fair though, she gets much better on the second disc; especially towards the end. Bern Weikl (baritone and not tenor as stated by a previous reviewer) sings the title role well enough, though not with too much passion.

Enid Hartle as Tatiana's Nursemaid is beautiful. She's my favourite on this disc, even though her role is small. A warm, rich and enveloping mezzo voice without the heaving wobble thought necessary by some. Anna Reynolds also gives a stunning performance as the `Mamma' (firm and rich). Stuart Burrows' Lensky wrenches your heart with the intensity of his emotions and his brilliant, clear and expressive voice. As for Nicolai Ghiaurov's Gremin, no disappointments there. The foundation stands secure...deep, sonorous and expressive.

I'll try the Hvorostovy/Focile (Bychkov) on Phillips before I declare this one tops.

Eugene Onegin: From Russia With Love.......2004-02-16

This recording is the ultimate studio recording of Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin". Personal favorites are a matter of taste and others are drawn to the Valery Gergev version or the one with Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavoratti. Nevertheless, this recording, conducted by George Solti, is dramatic, romantic and the most accurate to Tchaikovsky's music and operatic vision. The singers are in top form- Teresa Kubiak as Tatiana is virtuosic in her lyric soprano talent and comes off as appropriately youthful, naive, hopelessly romantic, poetic, passionate and tormented. Bernard Weikl as Eugene Onegin, the title hero, delivers a superb performance not only as a tenor but as an actor very credible as a man who lost his chance at true love for his bourgeois carelessness. George Solti brings ou the real Russian fire in the music and all the colorization of the orchestra expressing sorrow, beauty, love and despair. Tchaikovsky wrote this opera after a pivotal year in his life. He had divorced his wife Antonina, who would later commit suicide upon realizing he was homosexual. Tchaikovsky was financially stable by this time and no longer relied on the paid sponsorship of the Countess Nadezhda Von Meck with whom he corresponded through volumes of mails for many years but never met. It is said that Tatiana is based on the fragile Antonina herself, Tchaikovsky's one time wife. He wrote this with all the passion of his soul and it's evident in everything from Tatiana's Letter Scene to the melancholic finale.

Eugene Onegin is a combination of Russian melody (which subtle as it was, Tchaikovsky always imposed into his music) and 19th century operatic Romanticism. He has clearly mastered the Western musical style. Tchaikovsky was a fond admirer of Mozart and certain operas, including Bizet's Carmen. He is often accused of being too sugary, too romantic or even sentimental, but if properly orchestrated some of the overwhelming sweetness is lost to the fire of the fierce passions of the characters. Tatiana is most suited for a full lyric soprano- among the better Tatianas are Renee Fleming. Tatiana, though clearly in love with Eugene Onegin, decides in the end to stick with her societal duties as a married woman. It is Eugene Onegin who is the loser in the end. He has made the mistake of rejecting Tatiana's advances early on. He was blinded by his own ambitions and desire for status (eventhough he liked to gamble) that he did'nt see a good thing when it was in front of his face. This opera is the best recording and I highly recommend this to anyone who is fond of Tchaikovsky or opera.

One of Solti's great opera recordings........2002-02-07

Tchaikovsky's letters reveal that he had many misgivings about this opera. He preferred to call it a set of lyric scenes rather than an opera. Ultimately, he hoped that "a few chosen listeners might be able to discover the work for themselves at home". Well, modern technology has certainly fulfilled his hopes. Internet browsers can select from a number of complete recordings of the opera and enjoy it endlessly in their own homes. This one derives from a production at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1974 conducted by Solti.

All music lovers will be familiar with the most popular extracts from this opera. The Act 2 Waltz gains immeasurably when heard in context, however. It includes lines for almost all the principal singers, and there is a large contribution by the chorus. The Polonaise that opens Act 3 has no vocal parts. It is especially effective however in actual performance. When the curtain rises and the dancers a seen in the chandeliered ballroom, the spectacle never fails to bring loud applause.

Which is the star part in this opera? Some might say, Onegin, some Tatyana. Lenski's aria probably gets the most applause. The team of singers here is entirely strong and convincing. As Onegin, Bernd Weikl skillfully suggests a range of feeling: scorn, vindictiveness, regret and desolation. Teresa Kubiak is an endearing Tatyana, especially strong in the last scene. Stuart Burrows is unexcelled as Lenski. Almost stealing the show, is the Gremin of Nicolai Ghiaurov, whose solitary appearance in Act 3 is well worth the wait.

Solti has left us many opera sets of great merit, and this is one of them. As was usual in opera sets for this label which he directed, great care is taken with balance, off stage effects, and clarity. The Kingsway Hall recording is warm and colourful, befitting this wonderful score. It all fits onto two well-filled CDs. There is a 200 page booklet enclosed, which includes the libretto in four languages.

Average customer rating: The only album I need? Not really.

The Only Operetta Album You'll Ever Need! Friedrich von Flotow , Franz Lehar , Jacques Offenbach , Robert Stolz , Johann II Strauss , Carl Zeller , Alois Melichar , Antonio de Almeida , Heinz Wallberg , Jose Collado , Nello Santi , Ray Sinatra , Richard Bonynge , Werner Eisbrenner , Werner Schmidt-Boelcke , Frederica Von Stade , Julia Migenes , Berliner Philharmoniker , Konzertvereinigung Wiener Volksopernorchester , London Symphony Orchestra , Münchner Rundfunkorchester , SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern , Scottish Chamber Orchestra , Wiener Symphoniker , Anna Moffo , Lucia Popp , Montserrat Caballé , Mario Lanza , Plácido Domingo , Fritz Wunderlich , Jerry Hadley , Margit Schramm , and Rudolf Schock Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Flotow | Flotow, Friedrich von | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Strauss Jr., Johann | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | 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 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Hadley, Jerry | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | 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 Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Best of Operetta, Vol. 1 The Best of Operetta, Vol. 2 The Best of Operetta, Vol. 3 Lehár: Waltzes Viennafest ASIN: B00004SSEO Release Date: 2000-05-16

Customer Reviews:

The only album I need? Not really........2004-06-14

There's something a little sad about this particular marketing scheme: The ONLY operetta album you'll ever need. it implies that everything operetta offers could be contained on one disc. It cheapens the form to think it could be distilled into 74 minutes, and it invites ridicule, because nobody could pick the tracks that would please everybody. Having said that, this compilation is pretty poor even for an exercise in futility.

First there is the matter of the composers represented. Offenbach, Strauss, Lehar, Flotow. So far, we're good. The inclusion of Robert Stolz and Carl Zeller would be alright, except that there is nothing by Gilbert and Sullivan, Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern, and a couple other giants of operetta. There is also a further insult; the bizarre inclusion of two versions of 'Dein ist mein ganzes herz', one in German, and one in English. This is, to be sure, a great operetta moment, but is operetta really so bereft of great moments as to warrant the inclusion of two versions of the same tune? Or did the compilers not realize they were one and the same? Neither answer inspires confidence. It even appears that one of the tracks, "Wien wird bei Nacht erst schoen" is not actually from an operetta, which is truly inexcusable in light of the glaring omissions of entire categories of operetta. And couldn't we get a recording with Stolz conducting his own pieces? Presumably BMG had access to such recordings, seeing as he conducts three of the other tracks on the album. And surely there are more numbers to mine from Fledermaus that rank higher than some of these maudlin numbers from Viennese oddities.

The performances are admirable, particularly Domingo's 'M'appari', which is as good as one might expect from him, and 'Das Leben Ruft', a glittering number by Lucia Popp in fine form. But the tracks by Moffo and Caballe are not terribly good; the two were clearly past their primes. Rudolf Schock sounds much better in the redundant 'Dein ist mein ganzes herz' than he does in 'Komm in die Gondel', which is pretty dismal until the very end, where he pulls out a nice closing note in head voice. Wunderlich is predictably good at this material, as is von Stade. Jerry Hadley is exceptional at the 'Wolgenlied', but sounds pretty ordinary in 'Schoen ist die welt'

I think there are some people for whom this is exactly the sort of music that represents the best of operetta. Perhaps for them the album should be titled: 'Great moments from the world of operetta', or maybe: 'The best of French and German operetta'. If that were what we were shooting for, an album of syrupy Mario Lanza and Fritz Wunderlich would actually exceed some expectations. But this album sets an impossible goal for itself, and does not meet even the bare minimum expected of an indispensable opera album. Try something else.

Average customer rating: Great Set for Everyday Class

Perfect Class 3-CD Set: Music for Ballet Class from Julia Bourlina & Anna Korab ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Ballet Class Accompaniment | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ballet Class Music from New York City: Music from Company Class, Vol. 2 ASIN: B00008LUM5 Release Date: 2003-03-01

Tracks:

1. Warmup 3:18
2. Pli3:58)
3. Tendu (12:55)
4. Tendu 2 (2:02)
5. Dg (1:48)
6. Dg (2:13)
7. Rond de Jambe par Terre (3:35)
8. Frapp Petit Battement (2:49)
9. Fondu (1:57)
10. Rond de Jambe en l'Air (1:31)
11. Adagio (1:52)
12. Grand Battement (1:57)
13. Stretch (3:58)
14. Adagio (2:08)
15. Tendu (3:32)
16. Gypsy (1:41)
17. Waltz 1 (2:46)
18. Waltz 2 (2:06)
19. Tango (2:41)
20. FouettDiagonal (1:49)
21. Bourr3:40)
22. Small Jump 1 (2:12)
23. Small Jump 2 (2:10)
24. Ragtime (2:46)
25. Big Jump (2:49)
26. Coda, Diagonal (2:53)
27. Ballade (4:18)

Album Description

The Perfect Class CDs (sold individually or as a set of 3) each holds more than 74 minutes of lush, inspiring ballet class music, composed and played by Anna Korab on the grand piano, recorded in New York City. Julia Bourlina, (graduate of St. Petersberg, Russia's Vaganova Academy and 12 years with the Kirov Ballet and Opera Company) has designed extra-long, matching tracks, so the CDs can be mixed easily, the teacher needing to recall only one set of numbers. The music was mastered in Los Angeles up to maximum volume, with just the right resonance to give a full, rich and clear sound in the mirrored ballet studio. The tempos, melodies and arrangements are perfect for a classical class in the year 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Great Set for Everyday Class.......2003-03-28

This music keeps my students moving and inspired. The wonderful melodies give me ideas quickly for combinations. I highly recommend these CDs.

Average customer rating:

Greatest Hits: The Chorus Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Borodin | Borodin, Alexander | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Orff | Orff, Carl | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | 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 | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | 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 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Power & The Majesty: Essential Choral Classics ASIN: B0000029T3 Release Date: 1996-10-29

Tracks:

1. Carmina Burana: O Fortuna From Carmina Burana
2. Cantata No. 147: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
3. Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus
4. Danny Boy
5. Aida: Triumphal March
6. Art Thou With Me
7. Old American Songs: Simple Gifts
8. Ave Verum Corpus In D Major, K 618
9. Battle Hymn Of The Republic
10. Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
11. Home On The Range
12. Messa da requiem: Dies Irae, Dies Illa
13. Nearer My God To Thee
14. Symphony No. 3: V. Lustig Im Tempo Und Keck Im Ausdruck
15. The Creation: The Heavens Are Telling
16. Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dance
17. Mass In B Minor, BWV 232: Ex Resurrexit
18. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs: Medley: Whistle While You Work - Heigh-Ho! Heigh Ho!
19. Symphony No. 9 - Choral: IV. Allegro Assai Vivace Alla Marcia

Average customer rating:

The Early Byrd Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Byrd, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Byrd: The Caged Bird ASIN: B000000A60 Release Date: 1995-05-23

Tracks:

1. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Attollite portas
2. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Triumph With Pleasant Melody
3. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Oh Lord, How Vain
4. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: All In A Garden Green
5. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Domine secundum actum meum
6. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Truth At The First
7. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Who Likes To Love
8. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Wolsey's Wilde
9. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Da Mihi Auxilium
10. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Farewell, False Love
11. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: O Mistrys Myne
12. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Miserere mihi, Domine
13. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is
14. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: La volta
15. Early Works For Voices, Viols And Virginals: Ad Dominum cum tribularer

Average customer rating:

Anna Julia Jim Capaldi Manufacturer: Spv Germany ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music CD Singles | Pop | Styles | Music | Adult Contemporary | Oldies | Pop Rock | Singer-Songwriters | Teen Pop | Vocal Pop Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000691OB Release Date: 2002-07-09

Average customer rating: A Richly Nuanced Performance of Shostakovich's Symphony of Death Please note: This isn't in Russian Shostakovich And Matters Of Death Utterly spiritual! Surprisingly, Perhaps, a Dimly-Burning Wick of Hope

Shostakovich: Symphony No 14, etc / Varady, Fischer-Dieskau, Wenkel; Haitink Dmitri Shostakovich , Bernard Haitink , Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , Julia Varady , Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam , and Ortrun Wenkel Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 / From Jewish Folk Poetry - Bernard Haitink Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 Ovation--Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 / Haitink Shostakovich: Symphonies No 6 & 12 /Haitink ASIN: B00000IP3J Release Date: 2000-08-08

Tracks:

1. Symphony No.14, Op.135: De profundis
2. Symphony No.14, Op.135: Malaguena
3. Symphony No.14, Op.135: Loreley
4. Symphony No.14, Op.135: Le Suicide
5. Symphony No.14, Op.135: Les Attentives I
6. Symphony No.14, Op.135: Les Attentives II
7. Symphony No.14, Op.135: A la Sante
8. Symphony No.14, Op.135: Reponse des cosaques zaparogues...
9. Symphony No.14, Op.135: O Delvig, Delvig!
10. Symphony No.14, Op.135: Der Tod des Dichters
11. Symphony No.14, Op.135: Schluss-Stuck
12. 6 Poems Of Marina Tsvetaeva, Op.143a: My Poems
13. 6 Poems Of Marina Tsvetaeva, Op.143a: Such Tenderness
14. 6 Poems Of Marina Tsvetaeva, Op.143a: Hamlet's Dialogue With His Conscience
15. 6 Poems Of Marina Tsvetaeva, Op.143a: The Poet And The Tsar
16. 6 Poems Of Marina Tsvetaeva, Op.143a: No, The Drum Beat
17. 6 Poems Of Marina Tsvetaeva, Op.143a: To Anna Akhmatova

Customer Reviews:

A Richly Nuanced Performance of Shostakovich's Symphony of Death.......2006-02-04

Despite the fact that there are multiple recordings of Shostakovich's deeply moving Symphony No. 14, this rather old but remastered recording is unique in the quality of performance: Bernard Haitink conducts his Concertgebouw Orchestra and elected to use non-Slavic singers Julia Varady and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau who in turn sing the poems in their original languages rather than the Russian translations used in the original premiere. The effect is staggeringly beautiful and if one must choose a single recording of this symphony, this would be the one that captures the essence of Shostakovich's vision.

Written in 1969 while ill, Shostakovich was naturally achingly concerned about his impending death and in response to his admiration for Moussorgsky's 'Songs and Dances of Death' he wished to make his musical statement about the end of life. 'They wanted the finale to be comforting, to say that death is only the beginning. But it's not a beginning, it's the real end, there will be nothing afterwards, nothing.' And with this grim concept he selected eleven poems by a varied group of poets who mostly died young: Garcia Lorca, Guillaume Appollinaire, Wilhelm Kuchelberger, and Rainer Maria Rilke. The poems are sung by soprano and baritone solo and in duet, and the beauty of Varady and Fischer-Dieskau intoning the words in Spanish, French, Russian, and German somehow gives the poetry more immediacy.

The orchestration is for twenty-one performers: two percussionist, celesta, and eighteen strings. The writing is transparent and delicate with some of the most gorgeous sectional ensemble playing (particularly for cellos and double bass) Shostakovich ever wrote. Haitink serves the score well. As an additional bonus on this CD, Haitink conducts the `Six Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva' beautifully sung by Ortrun Wenkel. For this reviewer the experience of hearing this chamber work that speaks so profoundly about death in the wonder of the acoustic of Disney Hall in Los Angeles makes this symphony emphatically one of Shostakovich's finest works. Esa-Pekka Salonen with the LA Philharmonic approached the work with such humanity and utter clarity of performance, using as soloists Matthias Goerne and brilliant young Russian dramatic soprano Tatiana Pavlovskaya to breathe meaning and incredible atmosphere that the effect was one of those once in a lifetime experiences. If only THAT performance could be added to the recorded repertoire.... Highly recommended. Grady Harp, February 06

Please note: This isn't in Russian.......2005-09-29

I haven't researched the various versions of the Shostakovich 14th, but my other CD under Bernstein is sung entirely in Russian, even though the poems come from other languages as well. I believe that's the standard way, but here Haitink's singers adapt to French, Spanish, etc. as these languages come up. This gives the original poets their native voices back, which i like. It also eliminates one layer of Slavic lugubriousness, which frankly can become quite oppressive when the texts are performed entirely in Russian.

Shostakovich And Matters Of Death.......2005-08-06

Like Gustav Mahler before him, Dmitri Shostakovich, towards the end of his life, began concerning himself with matters of death in his works. Here was a composer who had seen the horrors of two world wars, seen his artistic ambitions constricted by the demands of Joseph Stalin, and seen his older contemporary Sergei Prokofiev suffer the tortures of the damned under Stalin's reign of terror, and yet Shostakovich had survived and succeeded, largely thanks to sage champions on this side of the Iron Curtain such as Bernstein, Stokowski, and Ormandy.

But in his own ironic way, by the 1960s, he was dealing with Death itself, as can be gauged from his Fourteenth Symphony, a work in eleven parts that utilizes texts from writers such as Federico Garcia Lorca, Guillaume Apollinaire, Wilhelm Kuchelbecker, and Rainer Maria Rilke. The symphony, which requires soprano, bass, percussion, and string orchestra, was composed by Shostakovich in 1969 and premiered by his fellow composer Benjamin Britten in England in 1970. It remains thoroughly modern, but its subject is timeless. The same is true for the song cycle "6 Poems Of Marina Tsvetaeva", which he first scored for contralto and piano in 1973 and orchestrating them the following year, one year before he passed away.

Featuring Julia Varady, Ortrun Wenkel, and the legendary Dietrich Fisher-Dieskau, this recording is equally stunning for the conducting of the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam by its longtime music director Bernard Haitink. Though these works were recorded a quarter century ago as part of Haitink's complete survey of Shostakovich's symphonies (a set that also included the London Philharmonic), the recording has aged fantastically well, and the three-prong combination of vocalists, orchestra, and conductor are superb in bringing Shotakovich's visions to the forefront, though they don't skip over the ever-present irony that was a trademark of the composer. A must-have for anyone with a taste for modern music in general, and Shostakovich in particular.

Utterly spiritual!.......2005-07-26

Mondelli and kph37's reviews are really into the spirit of the work, and I have no complaints with them at all.

There are political considerations on two levels. Let me dispose of the first quickly, though I don't mean to do so, because Haitink is truly one of the great conductors of the 20th century. But let's face it that he got caught up in the conductor contest of the Post-Reiner era, when recording companies were elevating Their Man over the others in a marketing joust. Poor Bernard was, in my opinion, a victim in this competition. He was the one who saw the value in letting us hear the inner parts, apart from the raging brass of Solti and colorful antics of Bernstein. Mercy!

As for Fidi's shortness of breath or trailing line, well, I think this was the reason for staging him in the work. Imagine, by contrast, bringing in, say, the great Erich Kunz. The bass-baritone portions of this work are those of resignation, not of confidence. For the sake of the poetry, Fidi was perfect. He is not supposed to be the bombast vocalist. His is the voice of sad resignation.

Now, the other political level, that of the composer. Shostakovich lived under Stalin's thumb, to an extent that no composer today can imagine. Some understanding of history is in order. Dmitri was in a life and death struggle with the homicidal maniac controlling the former Soviet Union. Some understanding of art requires an understanding of history. And, therefore, of empathy with Dmitri.

All told, this is a sublime recording. In future generations, the work will be reviewed only from the technical point of view. It takes musicians who lived through that ghastly horror of the German invasion of Russia, of one racist terrorist regime invading another.

This is a very perturbing work. Who could have done it better than those who lived through it?

Then, Ortrum Wenkel's performance of the Tsvetaeva songs should be given more attention. Yes, they are pretty literal readings. But aren't the works written the same dead pan way? These are hardly folksongs in the sense of Mahler or Britten, but introspective pieces. I really like her work here.

Buy this CD it while it lasts.

Surprisingly, Perhaps, a Dimly-Burning Wick of Hope.......2002-01-24

This is a clean and exciting performance of the fourteenth symphony; I still remember the chills I felt, hearing it the first time some seventeen years ago. This is the sort of piece which only Edward Gorey would like to listen to on a daily basis, but it is an exquisitely artistic outpouring of grief, rage, despair ... yet not, I think, of absolute resignation.

Most of the texts have to do with death, and almost none of the texts regards death in any light other than hopeless, or at the least sardonic. But there is one note something discordant to the otherwise unremitting gloom.

"O Delvig, Delvig!" always struck me as the heart of the fourteenth symphony, all the more for its warm, passionate cello choir, standing in stark contrast to the "flint-faced" sardonicism ("Malagueña," "Les Attentives I & II," "Réponse des cosaques zaporogues") and the externally-dramatic bleakness ("Lorelei," "À la Santé," and the bookends "De Profundis" and "Der Tod des Dichters") of most of the rest of the symphony.

And here at what, musically, I have always felt to be the quiet, self-effacing heart of the piece, we find a text which differs, not sharply perhaps, but significantly, from the unrelieved tone of despair-at-darkness of all the rest of the texts, which (with epochal significance) are more recent ... the sharp-relieved word-paintings of Garcia Lorca, the urbane rationalism and withering wit of Appolinaire. Here, in the company of some of the world's most highly-regarded poets (to add Rilke) we find a highly personal dedicatory poem, written by the unknown-outside-Russia Küchelbecker.

Baron Anton Antonovich Delvig (1798-1831) and Wilhelm Karlovich Küchelbecker (1797-1846) were both friends of Pushkin's, from their school days at the Imperial Lyceum at Tsarskoye Selo (where there still stands a magnificent palace with extensive grounds). All three were poets, men of education and refinement. Delvig was packed off to Siberia, and executed as a revolutionary.

O Delvig, Delvig! What reward is there
for noble deeds and verse?
Where and what is the joy in talent
amongst villains and fools?
In Juvenal's austere hand
the dreaded lash whistles at the villains
and wipes the color from their cheeks.
The power of the tyrants trembled

O Delvig, Delvig, what is persecution?
Immortality is the reward
both of valiant, inspired deeds
and of sweet singing!
Thus our union will not die,
proud, joyful and free!
In happiness and grief, firm is the union
of lovers of the eternal Muse!

The poem fits into Shostakovich's work with conveniently thorough aptness. The two obscurer poets were friends of Pushkin's, himself not only the Great Man of Russian letters, but an artist who found that his works needed to pass a censor. Delvig was a poet who got caught in the wheels of politics, and paid with his life.

Yet the message of the poem is not gloom alone; it is not simply a weeping at the injustices of society against Art and the Individual. It is an assurance that noble deeds and sweet singing are rewarded with immortality, and that the artistic bond of the friends will never die, either. The poem is actually a positive response to external grief.

For all the unrelenting gloom of the rest of the symphony, for all that Shostakovich is quoted as saying, "Death is it, after death, there is nothing" ... for all this, I don't believe that Shostakovich could have LIVED like that ... and certainly here in the fourteenth symphony, he did not quite write like that. This text, its musical treatment, and its place in the shape of the symphony, all this together is the dimly burning wick which would not be blown out.

And too, the one text set in the symphony which has nothing in particular to do with death ("Réponse des cosaques zaporogues") is about rage at, and contempt for, despots, expressed by a fiercely proud, free people. This reminds me that another piece of Shostakovich's which I have long meant to investigate is "The Execution of Stepan Razin," a cossack folk-hero who is a symbol of the spiritual power of free resistance against an oppressor.

And the ending of the fourteenth symphony is not the bleak, still resignation of "De Profundis/Der Tod des Dichters" ... but an ironic clip-clop "Conclusion"... and the closing musical gesture is a clipped, tutti, raging in the strings.

Certainly a great deal of his experience would teach Shostakovich despair, and it would have taken an extraordinarily strong and determined character to resist learning so.

Yet in this work, I see more than just the cynicism. You can be taught to say things, taught even to feel things as though they are practically inside you, and a lot of the life you step through can be about those things ... and yet, down underneath all the accreted layers, you may feel that, really, it isn't, cannot be, true.

Like Martin Luther King's "there cannot be great disappointment where there is not great love" ... I wonder if the sharpness, the bitterness, is a refusal to accept. At any rate, I do not see it as an idea he has come to peace with ... at least, not in the fourteenth symphony.

Average customer rating: male and female harmonies with soaring guitar and keyboard

Woke Up Early the Day I Died Manufacturer: futureappletree ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Reminder Everything Last Winter Easy Tiger Sky Blue Sky ASIN: B000GF7UES Release Date: 2006-02-28

Product Description

9-track CD on futureappletree, 2006. Tracks: Glad To Be Scattered/Sound As Ever/Seashaken Heart/Happy/Here At The End/I Don't Understand These Machines/It's Pretty Hard To Go Home (After Something Like That)/Flood/With Stars Down

Customer Reviews:

male and female harmonies with soaring guitar and keyboard.......2006-08-31

Track a Tiger blends male and female harmonies with soaring guitar and keyboard to make a peaceful and entrancing sound. The rise and fall of beautiful melodies make the tracks on this album downright alluring. From the moment you put this album in, you will be hooked -- and you just may get tingles down your spine. Definitely catch a live show if you can--these guys are based in Chicago.

Average customer rating:

Cassatt Manufacturer: Composers Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B000005TWM Release Date: 1994-06-08

Tracks:

1. Cassandra Sings - Tina Davidson
2. Four Marys
3. A song...
4. Lemniscates
5. Intermedio

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Sadly, the cellist featured in this recording, Anna Cholakian, passed away several years ago. She was the ensemble's driving force and creative fire behind its imaginative, poetic renderings of new music. On this disc, the repertoire and the musicians push us beyond known boundaries. Julia Wolfe's Four Marys is a wrenching work, on which the Cassatt bestows the sort of brilliant, gripping interpretive effort I wish the Kronos Quartet would put out. Daniel S. Godfrey's Intermedio comes across as somewhat derivative and is the weakest piece on the album. But the performance shows off what there is to like. --Gwendolyn Freed

World Music:

1. Arezoo/Azarbaijan State Symphony Orchestra
2. Basic Yoga and You
3. Best of Zoroofchi
4. Bits Sessions [Import]
5. Brazil [Import]
6. Caluza's Double Quartet, 1930
7. Canta Sucessos de Antonio Marcos [Import]
8. Colonisation [Import]
9. Come Thelma & Louise [Import]
10. Conga

World Music

world music

World Music

Parking Lots [Import]

Mahler: Symphonies 9 &10

Liszt: Années de pèlerinage, 2nd Year; Liebesträum No3

Visible World

Luxury Soul [Import]

Now

Live in Berlin [Live]

Novella

Little Girl

Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 10 [Box set] [Import]

Lost Chance [Live]

Jit Jive: Zimbabwean Street Party

La Noche Que Murio Chicago

Da Bomb

Live Trout: Recorded at the Tampa Blues Fest March 2000