Boulez, Pierre

Average customer rating:

Probably the best compilation of a single composer's works. Ever!
This is a brilliant assembly of Debussy.
THIS IS THE STUFF RIGHT HERE!
Debussy is the best. Ever.
i am dumb

Debussy's Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Ravel: Greatest Hits
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Debussy for Daydreaming: Music to Caress Your Innermost Thoughts

ASIN: B000002A23
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Preludes, Book One: The Girl with the Flaxen Hair
Two Nocturnes: Fetes
Preludes, Book One: The Sunken Cathedral
Suite Bergamasque: Claire de lune
Children's Corner Suite: Golliwogg's Cake-Walk
Reverie
Iberia: Le Matin D'un Jour De Fete
Deux Arabesques: Arabesque No. 1: Andante Con Motto
Martyrdom Of Saint Sebastian: Prelude To The Council Of The False gods
String Quartet In G Minor, Op. 10: Scherzo. Assex Vif Et Bien Rythme
La Mer: I. De L'aube A Midi Sur La Mer
La Mer: II. Jeux De Vagues
La Mer: III. Dialogue Du Vent Et De La Mer

Customer Reviews:

Probably the best compilation of a single composer's works. Ever!.......2007-05-06

Claude Debussy is perhaps the most understated composer in the history of man. His ability to compose both on the piano and for orchestra is unmatched, in my humble opinion. The fact that Debussy was able to also arrange many contemporary and previous composers' works just adds to his resume. He had a gift, pure and simple.

Although this album doesn't (well, honestly it couldn't) contain all of Debussy's catalog, it does certainly contain some of his best work. There is actually only one track on this CD that I don't care for; that would be Golligwogg's Cake-Walk; it is just a bit annoying to me.

Beyond my dislike for that one track, the entire CD is a beautifully aranged, beautifully played, well recorded compilation with good sound mixing and it is a respectful tribute to a truly great composer.

"Claire de Lune" (Moonlighting) is perhaps one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever composed; this is the orchestrated version, which I prefer, but the piano version is nice. "Arabesque No. 1" is superb. "Fetes" is both haunting and airy. "Reverie" is the best piano piece I have ever heard. "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair" is also a wonderful piano piece. "The Sunken Cathedral" is dark and mysterious, a true wonder.

The rest of the album is fantastic. Listed above are just my personal favorites from the disc. I listen to this CD at least once a week, but often more. It is perfect for relaxation, for listening while reading, or for my personal favorite use, to block out noise while I am writing.

I would recommend this to any classical lover.

If you have not heard Debussy's music, you must get this CD; it will have you ordering more of his compositions almost immediately.

The man was a genius.

This is a brilliant assembly of Debussy. .......2006-07-08

After listening to his "Greatest Hits," I know why he is considered one of the best.

THIS IS THE STUFF RIGHT HERE!.......2005-09-12

I BOUGHT THIS BECAUSE I WAS TRYING EXPAND MY HORIZONS, YOU KNOW? CULTURALLY AND MENTALLY, YOU KNOW? SERIOUSLY THOUGH I WAS IN THE SHOP AND I WAS HAVING A GAZE AROUND THE PLACE AND THEN THIS PICTURE JUST JUMPS OUT AT ME, AND I PICKED IT UP AND IT WAS THIS DEBUSSY CHAP AND ID HEARD ABOUT HIM ON THE BBC LEARNING ZONE SO I THOUGHT ;why not?; SERIOUSLY THOUGH I DRAGGED IT HOME AND I POPPED IT IN THE OLD CD PLAYER AND IT FLOORED ME.......I MEAN SERIOUSLY THIS THING...AMAAZING STUFF..I MEAN TODAYS MUSIC HAS NOTHING, NOTHING NOTHING ON THIS STUFF RIGHT HERE.

SOME GOOD TRACKS ARE:
TRACK 1 IS THE BEST. THE OPENING FLUTE ON THE TRACK IS TOTALLY CHILLED AND COOL, REMINDS ME A BIT OF TRACK 13 ON ILL COMMUNICATION BY THE BEASTIE BOYS...A COINCIDENCE???

THE ONLY WEAK TRACK ON THE ALBUM IS TRACK 6, THE UNFORTUNATELY TITLED "CHILDRENS CORNER SUITE: GOLLIWOGGS CAKE WALK" THE MUSIC IS JUST DATED MAN, JUST AS DATED AS THE TITLE.

OVERALL THOUGH THIS IS A QUALITY ALBUM, WITH CHILLS, SPILLS AND THRILLS. SERIOUSLY THOUGH A FINE EFFORT.

Debussy is the best. Ever........2004-07-23

I love Debussy and all of his brilliant work. I barely listen to any other classical music, so I am not an authority, just an honest lover of music. I play piano and love piano music, so I was not disappointed at a piano Flaxen-Haired Girl. I've never heard an orchestrated version and don't need to. This is a good introductory CD to Debussy's work, I love it! The only thing I don't care for is the Arabesque #1 (Track 9). The horn is kind of grating and clunky to hear in such an otherwise beautiful piece. Still, its interesting and different. Everything Debussy made is purest gold.

i am dumb.......2004-07-01

And I'm a doomass because I didn't proof-read my other review and I wrote that Clair de Lune was performed by piano on this disc, which it isn't. Anyway, the piano version is better.

Average customer rating:

Ravel: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Debussy's Greatest Hits
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ASIN: B000002A27
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

Bolero
Pavane For A Dead Princess
Alborada Del Gracioso
Rapsodie espagnole: Feria
Le tombeau de Couperin: Rigaudon
La Valse
Piece In The Form Of A Habanera
Mother Goose Suite: The Fairy Garden
Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2: Daybreak
Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2: Pantomime
Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2: General Dance

Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra

Average customer rating:

I guess I'm not as sophisticated as all of you...
A convert
Excellent performance
A Devastating Five Pieces - A desert island CD
BUY IT

Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra

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Schoenberg: The String Quartets
Arnold Schoenberg: Suite, Op. 29, for 2 Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello & Piano / Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (Sextet for 2 Violins, 2 Violas & 2 Celli) - Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez
Schoenberg - Die Glückliche Hand · Variations for Orchestra, Op.31 · Verklärte Nacht / Nimsgern · BBC Orch. · NY Phil. · Boulez
Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No1; Die Jacobsleiter
Berg: Chamber Concerto; Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6; Violin Concerto

ASIN: B000002818
Release Date: 1993-07-13

Tracks:

Serenade, Op. 24: I. Marsch
Serenade, Op. 24: II. Menuett
Serenade, Op. 24: III. Variationen
Serenade, Op. 24: IV. Sonett Von Petrarca: 'O Konnt' Ich Je Der Rach' An Ihr Genesen'
Serenade, Op. 24: V. Tanzscene
Serenade, Op. 24: VI. Lied (Ohne Worte)
Serenade, Op. 24: VII. Finale
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: I. Vorgefuhle
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: II. Vergangenes
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: III. Farben
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: IV. Peripetie
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: V. Das Obligate Rezitativ
Ode To Napoleon Buonaparte, Op. 41

Amazon.com

Schoenberg's Serenade is comparable to Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale. Both works are effective modernist parodies of classical genres. But unlike Stravinsky, Schoenberg's treatments of marches and waltzes are never coolly burlesque, but hyper expressive--indeed, expressionist. Pierre Boulez conducts his Ensemble InterContemporain, underlining the music's prickly sonorities and metallic edges. In his interpretation, the expertly separated timbres are the hinge of the composition. Also on the disc is a classic reading of the Five Pieces for Orchestra and the curious Ode to Napoleon, a work for ensemble with narrator. --Joshua Cody

Customer Reviews:

I guess I'm not as sophisticated as all of you..........2006-09-20

Depth? Genius? This stuff sounds like your watching an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. Its like the background sound effects when Yosemite Sam steps on a rake or Daffy does a double-take. Imagine being Ray Charles or Andrea Bocelli and "watching" old cartoons: it's the same experience. But in this case, I'd rather be Marlee Matlin.

A convert.......2006-05-09

I would like to speak in regards to what some reviewers are saying about the works of Schoenberg. I will admit that the first time I heard Schoenberg, I wrote him off as weird music that I would never like and was not worth listening to. In my defense, the first work I heard was "Pierrot Lunaire" which is a very hard work to understand. But I was assigned a paper of the Second Viennese School and its influences for music history and was forced to really listen to these works among others by much more extreme composers like Boulez and Cage (who I have yet to understand, but I am still young!) Once I stopped grumbling about how much I hated serialism and let myself really HEAR the music, I started to understand it and gained a begrudging respect for Schoenberg, which became a genuine liking. So in light of this, I dare anyone who is so willing to bash Schoenberg outright to really listen to his works and the works of those he influenced with an open mind and see if you can't at least respect the music for what it is.

Excellent performance.......2006-03-25

Having owned nearly all avaliable recordings of all Schonberg, I have found all of Boulez's recordings on Sony to my favorite.

It has been 3 yrs now that I first discovered Schonberg and my love for his music grows more everyday, high genius indeed.
I love almost everything he wrote, but as to his Pelleas, even Schonberg said he was only satisfied with the last part.

Now as to A Music Fan's comments on his This Music Stinks and Ong's in his World comming to an end, this might have been something I wrote back in my early to mid years of adventures in classical music, say 1980-2001.
But you see I grew in a psychological sense and my awareness of what great art is, had made a profound transition into the modern era.
(read all my reviews)

But for some to give either a vote of "no, not helpful", shows we still have way too many under the 13 year olds clicking the vote buttons.
Why even click the vote?
Sure I realize you strongly disagree with both, that you love Schonberg as much as I, maybe more, which I doubt, so why even bother with these 2 who may not ever come to know Schonberg while upon this earth.
That in itself is a big loss to their experience in life.

I see the same youths post on my reviews a "no, not helpful".
Well if you disagree with either Ong and A Music fan, write your own rebuttal to these 2 guys.
Just don't click a button , write a commen of your appreciation for Schonberg's genius.

The old form is clashing with the new. As the romantic and classical eras must give way to 20th century music, I forsee some contentions at the ineviatable changes that are about to occur.
Sure some will want to atke it to battle, as the other side really does not want to give up an inch of its power.
Thus, don't expect many of us modern fans to be at your shows.
The attendance numbers will dwindle, profits will shrink.
If you give us what we want, which is an all modern program, once in awhile, we'll gladly pay the price of the ticket.
Otherwise have fun at YOUR "program".

A Devastating Five Pieces - A desert island CD.......2005-07-15

I still remember the first time I heard this recording of Boulez conducting the Five Pieces. I had heard the work before but the degree of electricity here was something that came as a complete shock to me. From the first note to last this Five Pieces is totally devastating. This is a performance that makes Schoenberg's Mahlerian heritage absolutely clear only he is so much more concentrated and focused in his delivery that the results for me are just shattering. The rapport that Boulez enjoyed with the BBC orchestra at this time is something I have always marvelled at but this takes it to another level. Of course the inner movements are also allowed moments of hushed poetic repose but the outer movements really do remind me of what Robert Craft said of the final pages of the last of the Five Pieces - that it was the greatest thing written in the twentieth century. That statement really surprised me and I think maybe it was a spur of the moment outburst but Boulez does a greater job than anybody of convincing me of its truth.

As for the Seranade, I love this performance. Schoenberg always had a great awareness of early music - perhaps inherited from Brahms. Webern of course even wrote his PhD thesis on Heinrich Isaac's Choralis Constantinus and in his writings Schoenberg refers to composers such as Josquin reasonably frequently. It is highly likely he was also familiar with the madrigals of the late Renaissance period, referred to the Seconda Prattica by Monteverdi. Poets such as Petrach and Tasso were popular amongst madrigal composers and the madrigalian feeling is even further accentuated by the use of instruments such as the mandolin for accompaniment making it sound even more like a twentieth century madrigal. It is a charming and enjoyable work, quirky and mercurial.

The final work on this CD is the Ode to Napolean in which Schoenberg spits vitriolic hatred at Hitler. I have always found Schoenberg's command of English language inflections to be less than perfect - you can hear a slight German accent in the Sprechstimme. Musically by this time Schoenberg starts to also sound increasingly more and more like Brahms and the opening statement by the string quartet and piano has a theme vaguely reminiscent of the opening of the finale of the Brahms Opus 25 G minor piano quartet (the one Schoenberg transcribed for orchestra)! Boulez has always been critical of this tendency in the later Schoenberg but I must confess to liking it. The work is a tour de force - fiery and passionate, yet uplifting and hugely appealling such that I am always surprised it is not played more often, especially when it pays such glowing hommage in the closing passages to George Washington.

All in all this is a desert island CD for me - most especially for the Five Pieces, which is one of the greatest performances of anything I have yet to hear.

BUY IT.......2001-02-28

Somebody who dislikes the music presented on this CD wouldn't know good modern classical music if it smacked him/her across the face. This is quite a statement, I understand, but this music is simply brilliant - particularly 5 Pieces for Orchestra (perhas slightly less well-known than other Schoenberg works). This piece is a treatise on timbre that simply blows my mind. It relaxes you, enthralls you, terrifies you, and makes you very glad you spent the $11 on this CD. Buy it, and open your ears.

Ravel: The Piano Concertos; Valses nobles et sentimentales

Average customer rating:

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

Ravel: The Piano Concertos; Valses nobles et sentimentales

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos.1 & 2; Totentanz
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Ravel: Piano Works
Bartok: The Piano Concertos

ASIN: B000009MF7
Release Date: 1999-02-09

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unfortunately, this isn't one of those recordings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greatest Hits HANDEL ~ Water Music, Largo, etc..

Average customer rating:

Handel's Greatest Hits
Music for feel joy and peace...
All Handel's Greatest Hits are not created equal.
Could use more oratorical works, but nice intro to Handel
Could use more oratorical works, but nice intro to Handel

Greatest Hits HANDEL ~ Water Music, Largo, etc..
George Frideric Handel , Raymond Leppard , André Rieu , Eugene Ormandy , Hartmut Haenchen , Pierre Boulez , Charles Groves , Richard P. Condie , Edita Gruberova , Wynton Marsalis , Igor Kipnis , English Chamber Orchestra , Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra , and Albert de Klerk
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Greatest Hits
Beethoven: Greatest Hits
Mendelssohn: Greatest Hits
Chopin: Greatest Hits
Schubert: Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000002A25
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Water Music Suite No. 1 (Excerpts): Allegro - Andante - Allegro Da Capo
Water Music Suite No. 1 (Excerpts): Air
Water Music Suite No.1 (Excerpts): Minuet
Water Music Suite No. 1 (Excerpts): Bourree
Water Music Suite No. 1 (Excerpts): Hornpipe
Largo From Xerxes
Music For The Royal Fireworks (Excerpts): Overture
La Rejouissance, Allegro
The Harmonious Blacksmith: (Air And Variations In E Major From Suite No. 5)
Let The Bright Seraphim From Samson
Suite No. 11 For Harpsichord: Sarabande
Water Music Suite No. 2: Without Tempo Indication
Water Music Suite No. 2: Alla Hornpipe
Water Music Suite No. 2: Minuet
Water Music Suite No. 2: Lentement
Water Music Suite No. 2: Bourree
Minuet From Berenice
Organ Concerto No. 13 In F Major, 'The Cuckoo And The Nightingale': II. Allegro
Judas Maccabaeus: See, The Conqu'ring Hero Come
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: Eternal Source Of Light Divine
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Handel's Greatest Hits.......2007-02-26

I found this recording disappointing in many respects. The sound quality was much lower than expected, especially on track 7 "Largo" which on the origional, Ormandy had created such a quiet grandeur. In trach 11 "Let the Bright Seraphim" Wynton Marsalis overpowered the singing of Edita Gruberova, whereas the music should always be the backup of the singer, and not vice versa. I don't know what happened to the "Hallelujah Chorus," but it didn't come off very well at all.

CD

Music for feel joy and peace..........2006-11-03

...the music is one of the most authentic feelings from human soul...it says without words the real feeling of the composer and listener...enjoy this beautifyl music to serenate your spirit....thanks God for music..

All Handel's Greatest Hits are not created equal........2004-02-25

Nothing else tops this unusually gorgeous rendering. Leppard's is the finest conducting of Handel to this reviewers ears. Especially the Xerxes Largo and the Watermusic
Hornpipes and Fireworks Oveurture tempi, legato and orchestration is full of warmth and energy. A true chiara scuro interpretation. Fabulous!!!!

Could use more oratorical works, but nice intro to Handel.......2001-08-08

This collection of George Frideric Handel's "Greatest Hits" leans more heavily towards "The Water Music Suite" than his oratorical work, which is my only serious complaint about this CD as an introduction to the composer's work. Although is does have "See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes" from Judas Maccabaeus and ends with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir doing the "Hallelujah Chorus," it does not have "For Unto Us a Child is Born" from Messiah, which I consider a glaring omission. The "new" piece for me on this CD that is a nice discovery is "Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (Eternal Source of Light Divine)," performed by Wynton Marsalis and the English Chamber Orchestra.

Could use more oratorical works, but nice intro to Handel.......2001-08-08

Varese: Arcana; Ameriques; Ionization; Offrandes; Density 21.5; Octandre; Integrales

Average customer rating:

It's OK...
definitely NOT Louie Louie
Incredible.
absolute craziness!
impeccable chaos

Varese: Arcana; Ameriques; Ionization; Offrandes; Density 21.5; Octandre; Integrales

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra
Varèse - The Complete Works / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra · Asko Ensemble · Chailly
Penderecki: Anaklasis; Threnody; etc.
Xénakis: Pléïdes
Varèse: Arcana; Intégrales; Déserts

ASIN: B000009IME
Release Date: 1991-01-14

Tracks:

Ionisation
Ameriques
Density 21.5 For Solo Flute
Offrandes For Soprano: A) Chanson de La-haut
Offrandes For Soprano: B) La Croix du Sud
Arcana For Full Orchestra
Octandre For Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Trumpet, Trombone, Double-bass: I. Assez lent
Octandre For Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Trumpet, Trombone, Double-bass: II. Tres vif et nerveux
Octandre For Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Trumpet, Trombone, Double-bass: III. Grave
Integrales For Small Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

It's OK..........2006-02-09

I can see that Frank Zappa would have been inspired by this music. As a longtime Zappa fan, I can hear plenty in Zappa's music that was modeled after Varese. Still, Varese's pieces on this CD are hardly monumental or awe-inspiring, and this seems to be the kind of music that very much depends on how it's played and interpreted. You don't get much better than Pierre Boulez; if it was, for example, me conducting an ensemble in performing Varese's work, nobody would listen. So it seems that it's not as much the music as the performance. And that Varese cannot be credited with.

definitely NOT Louie Louie.......2005-09-11

This album (CD) made it into my collection the same way as a few others who've commented here. One day after listening to Lumpy Gravy I was at the record store holding this CD in my mitts wondering if I really wanted to subject myself to one of Zappa's major musical influences.

This is music either for someone who knows a lot about the structure of sound and can appreciate it for that reason or someone who gets bored listening to the same sort of thing all the time and enjoys variety. This is not what most people would consider the easiest "stuff" to listen to. It has an overall disonance to it that many would consider an assault on their senses. At the same time it also has a mathamatical structure to it that makes it obvious to even the most musically uneducated dullard that this is unique, well thought out sound. To be honest I'd have to admit to not understanding much of this CD but it certainly is interesting and different. Arcana, for instance, reminds me a little of something Gustov Holst might have written if he had been spending time with Carlos Castenada. The entire CD takes the listener through a range of emotions that might go from sombre and desolate to momentarily uplifted likely ending up somewhere between confused and perhaps violated... maybe even satisfied.

This is NOT the sort of thing I could listen to all the time but when the mood strikes there isn't a rendition of Louie Louie that is going to hit the spot that this will. Recommended for someone with a musically adventurous disposition.

Incredible........2004-05-26

This is one of the finest set of recording of the Varese repetoire ever made. The french performances are particularly well done with right degree of ensemble and tone required of this difficult music.

The Octandre is especially good with super attacks from all players...not for the faint of heart.

absolute craziness!.......2002-04-06

I purchased this cd after reading Frank Zappa's audobiography, where he pays homage to the great Varese for inspiring him. I can see where Varese had an influence on him. This is a strange but good collection of pieces conducted by Boulez, who also worked with Zappa on "Perfect Stranger". If you like Zappa then you will probably appreciate this album. Varese was a very talented composer and this album proves it. Ionization alone proves it, but the rest of the disc is great also.

impeccable chaos.......2002-03-02

This disc doesn't contain all of Varese's music, but it comes close at 77 minutes. Varese was not nearly as prolific as he was creative! The first recorded Varese I heard was on the VoxBox (called "Ionisation"), and five of the pieces found here are also on that disk, conducted by Cerha. What a contrast! Cerha presents Varese delicately, transparently, without passion. The advantage is that the instruments are clearly delineated. But you are left wondering what the fuss is about -- it doesn't sound very radical. Boulez emphatically captures the chaos, the energy, the alien-ness of Varese! Of course the overall impact is heightened by the inclusion of "Ameriques" and "Arcana," two 20-minute pieces for full orchestra that are bigger and louder than anything included on the VoxBox. The production value is superb -- sharp and clear -- and the packaging is faultless as well. In short, if you only had one recording by Varese, this would be an excellent choice. If you like this, by all means look for Xenakis' "Orchestral Works and Chamber Music" on Col Legno. Varese is a key influence, especially the composition "Arcana"!

Average customer rating:

Great short Baroque piece collection
Excellent Baroque Collection

Baroque Masterpieces

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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25 Baroque Favorites
The Best of Baroque Music
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Baroque Guitar

ASIN: B00005YQL6
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Tracks:

Canon In D Major - Johann Pachelbel
Suites De Symphonies No. 1: I. Rondeau - Jean-Joseph Mouret
Adagio In G Minor - Tomaso Albinoni
Little Suite From The 'Anna Megdalena Notebook': I. Menuett In G Major, BWV Anh. 114 - Johann Sebastian Bach
Little Suite From The 'Anna Megdalena Notebook': II. Musette In D Major, BWV Anh. 126 - Johann Sebastian Bach
Little Suite From The 'Anna Megdalena Notebook': III. 'Bist Du Bei Mir', BWV 508 - Johann Sebastian Bach
Little Suite From The 'Anna Megdalena Notebook': IV. Marche In D Major, BWV Anh. 122 - Johann Sebastian Bach
Orfeo Ed Euridice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - Christoph Willibald Gluck
Trumpet Voluntary - Jeremiah Clarke
Solomon: The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba - George Frideric Handel
Concerto Grosso In G Minor, Op. 6 No. 8: Pastorale Ad Libitum - Arcangelo Corelli
Berenice: Overture - George Frideric Handel
Abdelazer: Rondeau - Henry Purcell
Xerxes: Largo - George Frideric Handel
Belshazzar: Martial Symphony - George Frideric Handel
Saul: Dead March - George Frideric Handel
Cantana BWV 147 Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Johann Sebastian Bach
Judas Maccabaeus: See, The Conquering Hero Comes - George Frideric Handel
Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim - George Frideric Handel
Suite For Strings: I. Sarabanda. Largo - Arcangelo Corelli
Suite For Strings: II. Giga, Allegro - Arcangelo Corelli
Suite For Strings: III. Badinerie. Vivace - Arcangelo Corelli

Customer Reviews:

Great short Baroque piece collection.......2005-02-05

This CD has 17 pieces on 22 tracks including 7 by Handel, 2 each by Bach & Corelli, and 1 each by Pachelbel, Mouret, Albinoni, Gluck, Clarke, & Purcell. They are frequently the best known piece by the composer--and easily recognizable: Pachelbel's Canon, Mouret's Rondeau (theme from PBS' Masterpiece Theater), Albinoni's Adagio, etc. If you like high quality short pieces/excerpts, this CD is for you. My only qualification is: no Telemann, but it's just too good for a 4-star rating.

Excellent Baroque Collection.......2003-07-22

As I have stated in many of my previous reviews, I am a huge fan of the Sony Essential Classics (SEC) budget series. Most of the recordings feature classic and often definitive performances featuring the likes of George Szell, Leonard Bernstein, Robert Casadesus, Isaac Stern and Rudolf Serkin among others. Here we get a variety of orchestras and conductors including big names like Jean-Claude Malgoire, Raymond Leppard, Pierre Boulez, Sir Charles Groves and the great Eugene Ormandy. This disc features excellent performances of what is arguably the most popular Baroque music ever written. I am not usually one to give five-star ratings to greatest-hits style collections (particularly in classical), but the half-dozen performances by Ormandy make this disc a great purchase for both novices and serious collectors.

Average customer rating:

A Fine and Affordable Library of the Works of György Ligeti
most excellent
a tribute to Gyorgy Ligeti (1923 -- 2006)

György Ligeti: Clear or Cloudy

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard

ASIN: B000HWZALK
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

Sonata for Solo Cello--Matt Haimovitz, cello;
Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet--Members of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe;
String Quartet no. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes"--Hagen Quartet;
Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet--Vienna Brass Soloists;
String Quartet No. 2--LaSalle Quartet

Tracks:

Atmosphères for large orchestra--Vienna Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado;*
Volumina for organ--Gerd Zacher, organ;
Lux aeterna for 16 voices--Choir of North German Radio Hamburg;
Organ Study no. 1 "Harmonies"--Gerd Zacher, organ;
Lontano for orchestra--Vienna Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado;*
Ramifications for strings--Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez;
Melodien for Orchestra--London Sinfonietta, David Atherton

Tracks:

Aventures--Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez; Nouvelles
Aventures--Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez;
Cello Concerto--Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello; Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez;
Chamber Concerto--Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez;
Mysteries of the Macabre--Hakan Hardenberger, trumpet;
Double Concerto for Flute and Oboe--Members of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe*

Tracks:

The Big Turtle Fanfare from the South China Sea--Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky, pianos;
Monument-Self-portrait-Movement--Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky, pianos;
Piano Study no. 2 "Cordes à vide"--Gianluca Cascioli, piano;
Piano Study no. 4 "Fanfares" Gianluca Cascioli, piano;
Piano Concerto--Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano;
Violin Concerto--Saschko Gawriloff, violin; Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez

Album Description

Tribute to the late composer Gyorgy Ligeti Gyorgy Ligeti (1923-2006) "With the passing of Gyorgy Ligeti on 12 June 2006 at the age of 83 in Vienna following a lengthy illness, the musical world has lost a true maverick. An independent thinker, Ligeti charted a singular route in his music with the evolution of a voice that is hard to ignore. In this respect one is tempted to put him alongside figures such as Boulez, Cage, Stockhausen and Xenakis when considering the major shapers of late twentieth century composition." --Evan Dickerson, Music Web International

Customer Reviews:

A Fine and Affordable Library of the Works of György Ligeti.......2007-06-03

György Ligeti died in 1906 after a long and productive life as a composer who challenged the creativity of even his most avant-garde colleagues. Teldec produced a magnificent series of CDs, The Ligeti Project, which contain some of the most thrilling performances of the composer's well-known works as well as much of the esoterica: it is big, it is expensive in toto. This 4-disc album, while less inclusive, presents all of the works DGG has recorded and the price is affordable (just over $30) for such a solid survey.

The works include pieces for solo instruments (organ, piano), chamber ensembles from quartets to small chamber orchestras, to the works for chorus, instrumental concerti and for large orchestra. The various ensembles - Ensemble InterContemporain, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, London Sinfonietta, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Choir of North German Radio Hamburg, the Hagen Quartet, Vienna Brass Soloists, LaSalle Quartet and multiple exceptional soloists - are under the direction of such luminaries as Claudio Abbado, David Atherton, and Pierre Boulez.

The collection of works is a compilation of the recordings by one company, and instead of the presentation being chronological in format, it plays as simply a broad sampler. Yes, the famous works are here, but it is the lack of the very early works - such as the magnificent 'Concert Românesc 1951', an absolutely infectious play of folk tunes and quasi-folk tunes sewn together with some of the most brilliant orchestration in the composer's repertoire - works that held the glimmer of the genius just beginning to bloom, that make the collection less than perfect.

For the devotee of Ligeti's genre the Teldec collection is far more complete. But for the music lover looking to expand horizons, this set has superb performances of the more familiar (and not so familiar) moments in the career of György Ligeti. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, June 07

most excellent.......2007-05-12

this is an excellent intro to music i had neglected. a wonderful little stepping stone,

a tribute to Gyorgy Ligeti (1923 -- 2006) .......2006-12-13

CLEAR OR CLOUDY: COMPLETE RECORDINGS ON DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON is a 4-disc set of Ligeti's music, recorded between 1968 and 1995 for DG, Decca and Philips. The format is a double jewelcase rather than a box. For anyone who has collected the entire Ligeti Edition on Sony and Ligeti Project on Teldec, of course there are no new pieces here. But for Ligeti devotees, this is an essential set if you do not already have all these recordings in their original form.

The first disc includes both String Quartets, No. 1 (1953-4) performed by the Hagen Quartett, and No. 2 (1968), one of Ligeti's masterpieces, performed by the LaSalle Quartet. The Arditti Quartet has recorded the definitive versions of the string quartets, but what makes the CLEAR OR CLOUDY presentation extraordinary is that No. 1 is preceded by the "6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet" (1953), and No. 2 is preceded by "10 Pieces for Wind Quintet" (1968). The styles of the 1950s works are similar, and so are the styles of the 1960s works, and so overall it makes a great double pairing of chamber music. The second disc includes Claudio Abbado conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in live performances of "Atmospheres" (1961) and "Lontano" (1967) from 1988, interspersed with "Volumina" and "Harmonies" for organ, also from the 1960s, "Lux aeterna," the famed choral work from 1966, featured in Kubrick's 2001, "Ramifications" from 1968-9, performed by Boulez and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, and "Melodien" for orchestra from 1971. Again, this is brilliant programming, and the works, powerful in their own right, are enhanced by the juxtaposition.

The third disc includes the vocal works "Aventures" (1962) and "Nouvelles Aventures" (1962-5), both performed by Boulez and the EI, the "Concerto for Cello & Orchestra," a 1992 recording by Boulez & EI, and two excellent chamber works -- "Chamber Concerto" (1969-70) with Boulez/EI, and "Double Concerto for Flute & Oboe" (1972) with Abbado & the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the latter live in Berlin from 1995. The fourth disc includes music for trumpet and piano, but concludes with two of the great works of Ligeti's late period, the "Concerto for Piano & Orchestra" (1985-88) and the "Concerto for Violin & Orchestra" (1989-93), both with Boulez/EI, and Pierre-Laurent Aimard on piano and Saschko Gawriloff on violin, recorded in 1992 and 1993.

With Ligeti's death in June 2006, we have lost one of the greatest composers of the late 20th century. For anyone who has not heard Ligeti's music, this set would certainly serve as an excellent introduction. Collectors will know whether they need CLEAR OR CLOUDY, but I suspect that most serious Ligeti listeners will find ample reason.

Average customer rating:

Tremendous tremendous performances
Bartok: The Piano Concertos, Pierre Boulez
Interesting, Good, and Clean
Outstanding versions for every concert.
Three Triumvirates Lead by One Master

Bartok: The Piano Concertos
Pierre Boulez , Bela Bartok , Zimerman , Andsnes , Chicago Symphony Orchestra , and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0006OS5YS
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

1. Allegro Moderato - Allegro - Krystian Zimerman
2. Andante - - Krystian Zimerman
2. Allegro - Attacca:/3. Allegro Molto - Krystian Zimerman
1. Allegro - Leif Ove Andsnes
2. Adagio - Presto - Adagio - Leif Ove Andsnes
3. Allegro Molto - Leif Ove Andsnes
1. Allegretto - Helen Grimaud
2. Adagio Religioso - Helen Grimaud
3. Allegro Vivace - Helen Grimaud

Amazon.com

Pierre Boulez, always a sympathetic conductor of Bartók's music, here leads three different orchestras and three different soloists in a highly recommendable disc of the composer's complete piano concertos. The First is a jagged, percussive piece reminiscent of Bartók's earlier Dance Suite in its driving rhythms. Like the Second Concerto's, the slow movement is one of his typically mysterious "night" pieces, with lightly tapping percussion accompanying the piano's ghostly entry and winds adding to the otherworldly effect in the central section. Soloist Krystian Zimerman plays it magnificently. The Second Concerto is no less challenging, but scored more transparently with Baroque-inspired counterpoint. Again, propulsive rhythms excite, and Leif Ove Andsnes sails through the virtuosic solo part with aplomb. Bartók wrote the first two to feature on his concert tours. The Third Concerto was written by the dying composer in 1945 as a legacy for his wife, a concert pianist. It's one of his most lyrical, relaxed works with long-lined melodies and often lush scoring. Here the pianist is Hélène Grimaud, playing with tonal beauty, poetic flair, and the requisite toughness for the final Allegro. With its superb soloists and orchestras and Boulez's consistency, this disc is a Bartókian feast. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Tremendous tremendous performances.......2007-03-24

Even today Bartok remains a controversial composer, but these latest performances of three of his most seminal and exhilarating works must surely convince any doubters. The unifying link in the three, with different orchestras and different soloists is Pierre Boulez and he must take great credit for having brought out the individual character of these three fine works to the full. He is a master of precision and skill and has produced three superlative performances in very different circumstances.
My favorite of the three has to be the Second, widely regarded as a Bartok's finest Concerto. For the soloist this is not so much a test of technique as of physical force and endurance with its page after page of "doubled" writing. Leif Ove Andsnes meets the challenge perfectly and this is one of the most dazzling performances of any piece of music on record I have ever heard by both soloist and orchestra (Berlin Philharmonic). But the second is not just merely virtuosity and I would like you to hear the inner movements of this challenging piece especially carefully. This a piece of music you can listen to again and again. It will always leave you behind, but never give up the chase.

The third Concerto requires a somewhat different approach and I note that Boulez chose to record this with Helène Grimaud rather than one of the more flamboyant male soloists. Bartok wrote this piece specifically for his wife, Ditta Pasztory, and it is altogether a softer, more tender piece. The 'night music" slow movement is wonderfully done and I can't imagine this lovely and underrated piece ( whatever nasty cynic said he had composed this merely for cash?) ever being better performed.

The first concerto is a relatively early work and full of boyish energy indeed violence. Although musically it's probably the baby of the three, Krystian Zimmerman and the LSO give it "full welly" and it's a very engaging result. Altogether- strongly recommended.

Bartok: The Piano Concertos, Pierre Boulez.......2006-08-21

Sheer perfection, intense, fantastic interpretations. A must for serious record collectors.

Interesting, Good, and Clean.......2006-05-28

The Interesting: Boulez brings out some of the more conventional harmonies of the First Concerto! and some of the modernisms of the Third! (is that a substituted bass drum stroke at the end of the third movement?) - - And a different soloist and orchestra for each concerto -

The Good: The concertos come off reasonably well (with reservations).

The Clean: The recordings bring out a lot of detail found in the scores (especially the Bachian counterpoint of the Second Concerto).

My personal feelings: Zimerman never seems to be totally in sinc with Boulez in the First Concerto, especially in the outer movements - Not that they're 'not' together; just a 'oneness' that seems to be missing - I feel the pianst making an effort to bond with the conductor and orchestra (did they get together just to make a recording? or did they perform this work and then record it? - I don't know) - But I think this is the best rendition of the three -

The Second Concerto is very exciting - that scale and trill at the very opening, the accelerando at the end of the first movement - the scale was fine, but the trill is competing dynamically with brass (recording levels?) - the accelerando at the end of the first movment didn't feel like one, either - - The beginning and end of the second movement is way too fast for my taste - The string sound (absent from the first movement) and rhythmic stasis should fascinate after the energetic first movement - it didn't - The middle section was appropriately fast, but not frenzied enough - - The third movement, a variation of the first, felt fore-shortened - maybe it was the juxtapositions of tempi (tricky in Bartok) that made it seem wanting - Leif Ove Andsnes' playing is exemplary throughout (the 2nd movement 'esp./pesante' a highlight)-

The Third Concerto is a bit of a disappointment. The first movement is beautiful - the end especially (it literally evaporates) - - But the second is too slow - And some of the improvisational qualties in the piano part after the middle section seemed very mannered to me - There's a natural flow missing - - The last movement lacks urgency - I don't know if this is the fault of Grimaud or Boulez.

An interesting disc. Technically superior. Musically variable.

Outstanding versions for every concert........2005-11-16

Some years ago I read Pierre Boulez was thinking about recording Bartok's Piano Concertos, in that moment I thought it could be a good collection but not really so great like finally it is. I have to say that in a first moment I had news of a recording with Krystian Zimerman for the three concerts; when I knew Andsnes and Grimaud were involved I thought it could be not so great like if Zimerman alone plays all. I was wrong again in my thoughts; Andsnes and Grimaud give them best and that's really very much.

First of all I have to mention the fact of there are three orchestras and three pianists, all wonderful musicians, like the three outstanding orchestras. It could be a problem for unifying the cycle, but we have a great conductor too, Pierre Boulez, a really specialist master in XXth Century and modern music, who have a very long relation with Bartok's music, as we can listen in his recordings for CBS and now with the outstanding new cycle for DG (that will be followed by his new recordings of Violin Concert Nº1 and Viola Concert, both of them with Berlin and very close to be released). The three concertos are really different between them in essence, the First and Second much more modern and aggressive and the Third much more "classical", lyrical and popular, much more easy to be listened. It's the way of a composer with a life not easy at all, who have lost his own lie in his country and who have to compose in order to survive. This could be a reason for understand the style of the Third concerto; a concerto that could be very far of Boulez's tastes but conducted full of style and charm by the French conductor. In fact, this piano series comes from a very hard and aggressive beginning in number One and decrease in that presence until the Third. Boulez is able to control that changing of style and the complete recording seems to be done with the pianist together discussing dynamics, style, tempi, technical possibilities...

Choosing the orchestras for this recordings it's not easy and Boulez did it really great. The First Concerto is played by an orchestra really full of presence and a very strong personality, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; which percussion and metal section is able to play exactly the style Bartok asks for this piece, very percussive and strong. Zimerman, of course, is a guarantee, as he is really one of the better pianist of our time, ¿the better one?, and he know Bartok's language. I heard him some years ago in A Coruña (Spain), playing this same First Concerto with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, under Victor Pablo Perez baton, and was amazed by his deep understanding of the work. Like in that concert, all is wonderfully done in this CD, specially the second movement, an Andante that remembers to me the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. The crystal-clear playing and conducting makes this movement quite impossible to repeat, a wonder. I know another very, very good recording played by Pollini and Abbado with the same orchestra. The Abbado's conducting is more aggressive and fiery, but not so technical and controlled like Boulez's one. Both are outstanding recordings. Like other reviewer wrote, Abbado opened a way and Boulez marks a developing in that way, a wonderful pair, anyway.

The Second Concerto is a beautiful surprise to me, as I've never heard Andsnes playing Bartok and I'm really amazed by the way he plays, WODERFULLY done every note, every phrase, every dynamic, tempo, pedal's use, echoes, rhythm... Again we have an incredible second movement which remembers to me Charles Ives very, very much in the way it's played, perfect done by the Berliner, with amazing strings and drums. I love the playing of all the orchestras, but I could say the Berliner Philharmoniker could be the best, simply listen it to believe. In this concert, a bit more lyrical than the First, but both in a similar style, Boulez shows a heart some people have doubts about if existed.

And this hearts sings opened in the Third Concerto, with the smooth London Symphony Orchestra and a very lyrical and perfect Helen Grimaud, who plays really beautiful in this last chapter, a very poetic piece with moments of really nostalgia of the lost days and of the lost land. Boulez understand the piece in the very right way, as it's technically well done and he don't lose at all the essence of that feelings, necessary for the piece be complete. Of course there's not the percussive piano you can listen in the first and second concertos, but Grimaud give her best in any moment and sometimes with an aggressive style if it's required. Another wonderful surprise listening her in this repertoire.

The recordings are very, very good, clean and well processed. The balance is marvellous and all the sections are perfect caught by the DG engineers.

Nowadays I have no doubts about this is my favourite CD for this Concertos, wonderful versions for some of the key works of Bartok, according with Boulez's words. Pollini / CSO / Abbado (DG) could be another possibility, very close in style and outstanding too.

Three Triumvirates Lead by One Master.......2005-09-30

The Complete (Three) Bartók Piano Concerti played by three superb pianists supported by three top ranking orchestras + Pierre Boulez equals an unqualified success. One wonders who thought of this format - Boulez, DGG,...? It matters little because the concept of recording each of these glorious Bartók concerti with different soloists and orchestras is like having a good seat on the touring bus with Boulez as he makes his rounds on the podiums of the world's orchestras.

Matching pianists with concerti is a luxury in which Boulez and his intense musicality melds well. For the quirky First Concerto the treacherous score is manned evenly between Krystian Zimmerman and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. For the more lyrical Second Concerto Leif Ove Andsnes is graced by the presence of the magnificent Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. And for the sweet and melancholic Third Concerto Hélène Grimaud collaborates with the London Symphony Orchestra in as fine a performance as is available on CD.

But given the graces of soloists and orchestras, this very fine recording would not have been so in tune with Béla Bartók were it not for the sensitive, perceptive skills of Boulez. He finds the riches of each orchestra's attributes and allows us to hear just why each is so fine. The three interpretations are clearly guided by Boulez' uncanny ability to find the core of the score and allow it to sing. This is one of those recordings that is a first choice for collectors. Absolutely superb! Grady Harp, September 05

Ravel: Boléro / Ma Mère L'Oye (complete ballet) / Rapsodie espagnole / Une Barque sur l'océan / Alborada del Gracioso - Berliner Philharmoniker / Pierre Boulez

Average customer rating:

Ravel-ation!! ECSTACY
Boulez Has the Perfect Ear for Ravel
Popular Ravel Works
Ravel In Berlin With Boulez
The best Bolero

Ravel: Boléro / Ma Mère L'Oye (complete ballet) / Rapsodie espagnole / Une Barque sur l'océan / Alborada del Gracioso - Berliner Philharmoniker / Pierre Boulez

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé / La Valse - Berliner Philharmoniker / Pierre Boulez
Ravel: The Piano Concertos; Valses nobles et sentimentales
Debussy: Images / Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune / Printemps - The Cleveland Orchestra / Pierre Boulez
Debussy: La Mer - Jeux - Rhapsodie pour clarinette et orchestre
Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures

ASIN: B000001GLO
Release Date: 1994-06-14

Tracks:

Ballett: Prelude: Tres lent
Tableau: 1er Tableau: Dance Of The Spinning Wheel And Scene
Tableau: 2e Tableau: Pavane Of The Sleeping Beauty
Tableau: 3e Tableau: Conversations Of Beauty And The Beast
Tableau: 4e Tableau: Tom Thumb
Interlude
Tableau: 5e Tableau: Laideronnette, Empress Of The Pagodas
Apotheose: 6e Tableau: The Fairy Garden
Une Barque sur l'ocean: Tres soule de rythme
Alborada del gracioso: Assez vif
Rapsodie espagnole: Prelude a la nuit: Tres modere
Rapsodie espagnole: Malaguena: Assez vif
Rapsodie espagnole: Habanera: Assez lent et d'un rythme las
Rapasodie espagnole: Feria: Assez anime
Bolero: Tempo di Bolero moderato assai

Amazon.com

The Berlin Philharmonic never has had much opportunity to play Ravel, which is a pity because under Pierre Boulez they do it extremely well. Under their current music director, Claudio Abbado, the orchestra more often than not sounds positively comatose. How gratifying then, that with a dynamic conductor and music that's fun to play, they rouse themselves to sound like the world-class ensemble they really can be when they're not resting on their laurels. Boléro is really smashing, with a knockout final cadence, and the solo players in all of these works cover themselves with glory. This is a great Ravel disc. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Ravel-ation!! ECSTACY.......2007-06-24

I'm no musicologist, but I know what I like: Debussy, Ravel,Vaughan Williams... the early 20th century romantics.. (along with jazz, post-punk, the Beatles and Frank Zappa) and this recording of Ravel's Ma Mere l'Oye is superb!!! I heard the Hong Kong Sinf perform it recently, and had to have a recording. Pierre Boulez and the Berliner Phil do not disappoint. This is as close as anyone is likely to get to audio-heaven: the last movement of this ballet. Wonderful!! Us ordinary mortals are truly blessed to have composers like Ravel channelling this music from the heavens!!!

Boulez Has the Perfect Ear for Ravel.......2006-05-23

These are fine, tight performances of Ravel. Boulez's unequalled talent for detailing orchestra pitch is on fulsome display here. Of particular interest is the mesmerizing performance of the Mother Goose ballet - all the various orchestra climaxes are scintillating. Of the other pieces, while neither the Alborado or Rhapsodie quite equals the sinuous sexuality Reiner and Munch brought out in the music, Boulez, who has been leading top-drawer concerts of Ravel from his earliest days as a conductor, is certainly unrivaled today in this repetoire.

Popular Ravel Works.......2006-01-30

The French composer, Maurice Ravel, is often described as an impressionist. I find his music more vivid than the haze of impressionism usually elicits, and the music on this CD is some of his most vivid and descriptive, not to mention in terms of popularity. Bolero, Rhapsodie Espagnole, Alborada del Gracioso, Une Barque sur l'ocean, and the complete Mother Goose Ballet are all among those vivid compositions.

The Mother Goose ballet has five scenes from various fairy tales: Dance of the Spinning Wheel, Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty, Conversations of the Beauty and the Beast, Tom Thumb, Empress of the Pagodes, as well as a prelude, interlude, and a finale entitled Fairy Garden; all totaling 28 minutes. Each tableaux provides a vivid musical portrait of the fairy tale: the Dance of the Spinning Wheel has a constantly moving string undercurrent, while the Pavane for Sleeping Beauty has beautifully woven melodies in the winds, a lovely calm awaiting Prince Charming. Conversations of the Beauty and the Beast is a charming waltz where, perhaps, the girl is falling in love, while Tom Thumb has direct portrayals of bird trills and calls. The festive Empress of the Pagodes has an Asian pentatonic melody in a spirited dance, but it all culminates in the Fairy Garden, with a lush hymn set in 20th century fullness, bringing the work to close. Wonderfully colorful with lyric melodies for the woodwinds, charming dances, and special effects on the strings (glissandos, slides, harmonics, col legno, etc.) give the work a fantastical feel. Also on the disk is Une Barque sur l'ocean, an ultra Romantic depiction of the sea. Great swellings of waves occur in the music, first peacefully, with gently oscillating winds and strings, but eventually more aggressive. Very descriptive in nature, Ravel's colorful orchestral writing is an optimistic view of the sea, with occasional woodwind melodies insinuating melancholy, or loneliness at sea.

The other three works on the disk are all based in Spanish folk-rhythms and sequences. The seven minute Alborada del Gracioso is a dancing orchestral showpiece with a two-against-three feel, which erupts into a glorious exclamation before immediately calming down. Whirlwinds of harp, flutes, and clarinets, along with quickly repeated trumpet notes, castanets, and a lonely bassoon solo, make the work a tour de force. The 16-minute Rhapsodie Espagnole is in four movements (Prelude to the Night, Malaguena, Habanera, and Festival), and on the whole, a rather understated work of impressionism. The opening prelude has an unceasing, unresolved feeling, as well as a rhythmic displacement that lasts throughout. The Malaguena is a quiet, but snappy dance in 3, while the Habanera is a sluggish dance with a jerky feeling. The Festival finale is the most outgoing, and besides the Bolero, has the most extensive writing for brass on the CD. The famous Bolero, with its sassy melody and natural crescendo (by adding instruments to increase volume), is an orchestral standard. Made famous by its unrelentless rhythmic ostinato and catchy melody, the work includes unique orchestrations, including solos in extreme ranges and use of saxophones (tenor and soprano). The work brings the disk to a rousing close.

Pierre Boulez is a pre-eminent Claude Debussy interpreter, and his experience there is utilized successfully in this Ravel CD. Boulez follows the score intently, sometimes to a fault; he follows the extreme dynamic ranges and Ravel's articulation markings (sometimes making the listener have to adjust the volume in order to hear). Although the Berlin Philharmonic is an unusual choice for a French composer, with often needed delicate handling, they fare quite well, often setting a transparent quality, but thoroughly enjoying the raucous dance settings. Featuring some of Ravel's most vivid and descriptive music, and certainly famous works, this CD should satiate the average listener as a great introduction to Ravel, but the winning performance and 4-dimension DG digital sound should win over the rest. Good choice for these popular works. TT: 75.33

Ravel In Berlin With Boulez.......2005-11-20

Maurice Ravel remains one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, alongside his fellow Frenchman Claude Debussy. This 1993 recording of five of Ravel's works shows why, helmed as these works are by one of the great conductors of all times, Pierre Boulez, in a stunningly fine recording with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

The recording gives us Ravel's complete ballet "Ma Mere L'Oye" (Mother Goose), with its exquisite and lush orchestration; the brilliant "Une Barque Sur L'Ocean" (A Boat On The Ocean); and the familiar rhythms of "Alborada Del Gracioso" and "Rapsodie Espagnole", reflecting the Spanish influence that permeated much of Ravel's music (as well as his having grown up along the border between France and Spain). The recording climaxes with that great experiment of 20th century music making, the celebrated "Bolero", a work that, thanks to its rhythmic simplicity and its basis in Spanish/Arabian music, has never fallen out of style (and which had its popularity boosted further on the big screen in 1979 by its use in director Blake Edwards' comedy-drama "10").

Boulez, no slouch as a composer either, is often thought of as a rather cold and emotionless conductor who, like Leopold Stokowski before him, directs without a baton (Boulez once joked that holding a baton "made his hands freeze"). Such a perception is not entirely accurate, however, just to judge from the way he is able to handle these Ravel works, particularly the mega-popular "Bolero", with the Berliners. The orchestra had recorded that work on two separate occasions, in 1964 and 1977 respectively, under Karajan, but both times the piece felt slower than it was supposed to be. Under Boulez's direction, however, "Bolero" moves very freely, and with an undercurrent of occasional menace. The performances of "Mother Goose", "Alborada Del Gracioso", "A Boat On The Ocean", and "Rapsodie Espagnole" are also handled with considerable panache by Boulez and the Berliners.

This is a hugely recommended recording, for the sheer pleasure of Boulez interpreting a fellow Frenchman's great works with one of the world's premiere orchestras.

The best Bolero.......2004-08-30

I've heard quite a lot of recorded Bolero performances. Some are exciting without techincal perfection. Some have great orchestral ensemble without first-rate solo performances. This Bolero by Berliners and Boulez has everything.

Solo performances (flute, clarinet, saxophones, trombone, and all) are all simply marvelous, with _both_ perfect technique and taste. The orchestral ensemble is perfect. After all, it's the Berlin Philharmonic. Nevertheless (I say "nevertheless") the perfomance is passonate and exciting. Other passonate recordings out there go beyond the orchestra's capacity and go wild with disastrous ensamble. The capacity of the Berlin Philharmonic is so high that they can be (and are) passionate without sacrificing techincal perfection.

Who said Boulez was cold? He seems to set priority on perfection over emotion. But, when he _does_ already have perfection, he no longer has any reason to restrain his emotion. Only then was this great achievement of modern orchestra possible.

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