Honegger, Arthur

Honegger:Le Roi David (Original version)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A great modern oratorio
 Honegger:Le Roi David (Original version)
Marie-Ange Todorovitch , Arthur Honegger , Michel Piquemal , Orchestre de la Cité , Gilles Ragon , Danielle Borst , and Fersen , Choeur Régional Vitoria d'Ile de France Martin
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Stravinsky:Symphony of Psalms/Mass/Canticum Sacrum
  2. King David
  3. Rossini: Otello
  4. Arthur Honegger: Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher
  5. Beethoven: Mass in C major

ASIN: B000026CWG
Release Date: 1999-11-30

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A great modern oratorio.......1999-11-24

I had never before given a careful listen to Honegger's <Le Roi David>, no less sat and followed the French text that was inspired by the reopening of a village theater in 1921. When I got the Naxos release (8.553649) of the original version of this work, I was taken immediately not only by the beauty of the music but by the dramatic delivery of this cast. After this work had been successfully staged, a wealthy patron arranged a Paris concert version, which called for an expansion of the orchestrations and the addition of a narrator. What emerged was a 20th century oratorio. It tells the story of David from his life as a young shepherd to his death in the simplest and most vivid way: theatrically. It reminds me greatly of the Martinu "Gilgamesh" (which I highly recommend you hear also) but is less solemn. I think almost any one who like serious music will like this work; and local choral groups should take notice. Michel Piquemal conducts the Orchestre de la Cité with soloists Jacques Martin, Christine Fersen, Danielle Borst, Marie-Angel Todorovitch, and Gilles Ragon, and the Choeur Regional Vittoria d'Ile-de-France.
Classical Dreams: Music to Inspire
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • If stranded on an island and had one disc...
  • Truly inspired collection
  • Encore! Encore!
  • Encore! Encore!
  • Surprised and ... inspired
 Classical Dreams: Music to Inspire

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Cathedral Dreams: Music to Inspire
  2. Williams: The Five Sacred Trees (Bassoon Concerto) / Takemitsu: Tree Line / Hovhaness: Symphony No. s, Op. 132 "Mysterious Mountain" / Picker: Old and Lost Rivers
  3. Modern Times

ASIN: B00005Q467
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

  1. Antiphon: Ecce Annuntio Vobis - Dominique Vellard
  2. Symphony No. 5: Adagietto - Jukka-Pekka Saraste
  3. Gymnopedie No. 1 - Paul Tortelier
  4. Pavane - Paul Tortelier
  5. The Planets: Venus - Sir Charles Mackerras
  6. Old And Lost Rivers - Christoph Eschenbach
  7. Prld To The Afternoon Of A Faun - Dmitri Kitaenko
  8. Summer Pastorale - Jesus Lopez-Cobos
  9. Masques Et Bergamasques: Pastorale - Jean-Bernard Pommier
  10. Summa - Bournemouth Sinfonietta
  11. Pictures At An Exhibition: The Old Castle - Sir Charles Mackerras
  12. The Wounded Heart - Jonathan Rees
  13. Ser in e: Larghetto - Andrew Litton

Tracks:

  1. Apollon Musagete: The Birth Of Apollo - Jukka-Pekka Saraste
  2. Adagio for Strings - City Of London Sinfonia
  3. The Swan Of Tuonela - Paavo Jarvi
  4. Enigma Vars: Nimrod - RPO/Andrew Litton
  5. Petite Ste: En Bateau (Orch. Busser) - Jean-Bernard Pommier
  6. Holberg Ste: Air - Jonathan Rees
  7. Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Christopher Warren-Green
  8. Gymnopedie No. 3 - Paul Tortelier
  9. Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte - Jukka-Pekka Saraste
  10. The Last Spring - Jonathan Rees
  11. Thais: Meditation (From Thais) - Paul Tortelier
  12. Vocalise - Andrew Litton
  13. Mother Goose: The Fairy Garden - Dmitri Kitaenko
  14. Antiphon: Ecce Annuntio Vobis - Dominique Vellard

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars If stranded on an island and had one disc..........2006-01-23

I'd be tempted to make this the one, and I own over 2,000. I agree with what has been said above, but have a few thoughts of my own. I live near a major city with a known orchestra. Why are classical audienced declining? Maybe they're overplaying hackneyed works, and not playing some neglected masterpieces. In this double album there are some well known works, but some exquisite finds, like Picker's Old and Lost Rivers, Honegger's Pastorale, Arvo Part's Summa (!!!). Most highly recommended, with a good bottle of red wine.

5 out of 5 stars Truly inspired collection.......2004-12-07

I came upon this compilation while researching a somewhat obscure piece called "Summer Pastorale", which is contained in the collection. One look at the play list and I was sold - here were most of my favorite tone poems, adagios, and assorted short works, all on one CD (OK, two CD's...)

Another gem here that I had never heard before is Pick's "Old and Lost Rivers". Ravel's final movement from Mother Goose is one of his best orchestrations and at the top of my 'A' list.

About the only pieces I missed here were Debussy's Engulfed Cathedral and Respighi's fourth church window, St. Gregory the Great. Perhaps they would be a bit too dramatic for this collection, though.

The only shortcoming of this collection is the lack of liner notes, but this is a minor issue. The music is superb.


5 out of 5 stars Encore! Encore!.......2004-06-17

Like a few other reviewers here, I purchased this disc for Tobias Picker's "Old and Lost Rivers." But from the Gregorian chants that open this two-CD set to the closing strains of Ravel's "Mother Goose: The Fairy Garden," I was absolutely captivated by the beauty and cohesiveness of this compilation. Producer Robert Laporta has created a disc that passes muster with neophytes and long time classical music lovers alike. I humbly suggest -- make that BEG -- that Virgin Classics turn "Classical Dreams" into a series. I would love to hear a second volume featuring such favorites as the BBC Symphony Orchestra's interpretation of Delius' "On Hearing the 1st Cuckoo In Spring," the Royal Philharmonic's version of Vaughan Williams' "Fantastia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" and the London Symphony's recording of Vaughan Williams' "Symphony No. 3 Pastoral" (Andre Previn conducting both Vaughan Williams' selections). By far, this is the finest classical collection I have yet heard. Encore!

5 out of 5 stars Encore! Encore!.......2004-06-17

Like a few other reviewers here, I purchased this disc for Tobias Picker's miraculous (and criminally underrated) "Old and Lost Rivers." But from the Gregorian chants that open this two-CD set to the closing strains of Ravel's "Mother Goose: The Fairy Garden," I was absolutely captivated by the beauty and cohesiveness of this compilation. Producer Robert Laporta has created a disc both neophytes and long time classical music lovers can approve of. I humbly suggest that Virgin Classics turn Classical Dreams into a series. I would love to hear a second volume featuring such favorites as the BBC Symphony Orchestra's interpretation of Delius' "On Hearing the 1st Cuckoo In Spring," the Royal Philharmonic's version of Vaughan Williams' "Fantastia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" and the London Symphony's recording of Vaughan Williams' "Symphony No. 3 Pastoral" (Andre Previn conducting both Vaughan Williams' selections). By far, this is the finest classical compilation I have yet heard. Encore!

5 out of 5 stars Surprised and ... inspired.......2002-05-10

What a pleasant surprise this double CD turned out to be. I bought it used just for Picker's gorgeous and poetic "Old and Lost Rivers" but fell in love with the whole thing. I'm not usully one for "Best Of ---" or themed classical collections, but this one's in a class by itself. The selections are unusual and achingly lovely in themselves and as a whole. This is my new favorite disk. It's a relaxation or concentration tool... hell, it's a companion - it goes wherever my laptop and headphones go. You get over two hours of gorgeous and lyrical - never mushy, sentimental or tired - classical music, the perfect backdrop for everything from dinner dates to writing code. This CD has added sustained moments of beauty and poise to a busy life - which is more than I could have asked for!
French Clarinet Art
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • French Clarinet Art
  • What`s happened with a Poulenc?
  • Pure of tone, but wavering musicality
  • Some beautiful interpretations here
  • Very well done
 French Clarinet Art

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Weber: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Grand Duo Concertante; Concertino
  2. 20th Century Music For Unaccompanied Clarinet
  3. The Essential Clarinet
  4. Jonathan Cohler: The Clarinet Alone
  5. Brahms: Clarinet Sonata In E Flat/Clarinet Sonata In F/Schumann: Fantasiestücke,Op.73

ASIN: B0000034YI
Release Date: 1993-08-31

Tracks:

  1. Sonata In E Flat Major, Op. 167: I Allegretto
  2. Sonata In E Flat Major, Op. 167: II Allegro animato
  3. Sonata In E Flat Major, Op. 167: III Lento
  4. Sonata In E Flat Major, Op. 167: IV Molto allegro
  5. Andante et Allegro
  6. Petite Piece
  7. Premiere Rhapsodie
  8. Sonatine, Op. 100: I Tres rude
  9. Sonatine, Op. 100: II Lent
  10. Sonatine, Op. 100: III Tres rude
  11. Duo Concertant, Op. 351
  12. Caprice, Op. 335a
  13. Sonata For Clarinet And Piano: I Allegro tristamente
  14. Sonata For Clarinet And Piano: II Romanza
  15. Sonata For Clarinet And Piano: III Allegro con fuoco
  16. Sonatine: I Modere
  17. Sonatine: II Lent et soutenu
  18. Sonatine: III Vif et rythimique

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars French Clarinet Art.......2005-12-24

Some musical interpretations are questionable; others are delightful. Upper register very strident. I found the fast tonguing on the SECOND movement of the Saint-Saens Sonata to be very impressive and not musically objectionable. The altissimo is definitely in-your-face, though; a no-no in my tonal concept.

1 out of 5 stars What`s happened with a Poulenc?.......2005-10-26

So many "fast notes" - and no music at all. If you really love music - never listen it. "To play fast" does not mean "to play good", and this one considering the thesis. Worst of all is Saent Saens, the best music i ever heard (and played) - this performance can really make a heart attack. "French sound" on a so light reed? With such a small dynamics? And, finally, what the heck happened with a Poulenc? Why these guys thought Poulenc are they and made "edition" of Sonata? Awful. Learn more, guys. :(

3 out of 5 stars Pure of tone, but wavering musicality.......2004-04-14

Although Meyer's tone on this particular CD may come near to matching Harold Wright's, his interpretation of the Saint-Saens is replete with musical fallacies, the most obvious of which is the inappropriately brisk tempo. The Saint-Saens particularly vexed me; the first mvt. (Allegretto), in which he hastily stumbled through important phrases such as the d to high d short passage. The tonguing passages were almost stridently quick.
For an excellent recording of the Saint-Saens, I would recommend Janet Hilton. Her tone is just as French-sounding as Meyer's, and possibly more so. Her recording of the Poulenc Sonata is just as amazing.

4 out of 5 stars Some beautiful interpretations here.......2003-10-08

I just bought this CD in the last 6 months and there is some absolutely BEAUTIFUL interpretations of the glorious music. Debussy's Premiere Rhapsodie is gorgeous with just the right amount of vibrato. I'm not sure about his use of vibrato in other parts of the recordings but it works particularly well here.

The Poulenc sonata is also a highlight for me - the second movement sends shivers up my spine!

My only gripe would be the speeds of the Saint Saens sonata. I think he has taken a rather ambitious tempo for the 1st and 2nd movements (particularly the 2nd) which I think loses some of the charm of the individual notes (makes the triplets sound a bit of a farce!) The last movement is crazy but ultimately appropriate I think.

Overall, I think that Paul Meyer's interpretation of the music his country has contributed to the classical genre is admirable and Eric Le Sage does much to complement his playing. I would recommend it as the cd to buy if you're looking for a recording of Debussy's Premiere Rhapsodie - I would've bought the CD for that alone.

5 out of 5 stars Very well done.......2002-12-30

This recording is really great. I really love Paul Meyer's playing. The Debussy Rhapsodie is by far the best I've ever heard (including seeing Sabine Meyer do it live!). At times, he tends to go a little too fast (the 4th movement of the Saint-Saens is particularly speedy). He does it well, but there is something to be said for relaxing just a bit... Regardless, the pieces represent a variety of styles, and all are executed very nicely.
The Most Relaxing Flute Album in the World...Ever!
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Sweet Lilting Flute Music to Unwind With
 The Most Relaxing Flute Album in the World...Ever!

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AXWGYU
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

  1. Flute Concerto No. 1 in G, K.313 - II Adagio - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  2. Concerto in G, Op. 10 No. 4 - II Largo - Antonio Vivaldi
  3. Gymnope No. 1 - Erik Satie
  4. Sonata in C (after Hob.III.72) - Andantino - Franz Joseph Haydn
  5. Sicilienne, Op. 78 - Gabriel Faur
  6. Flute Quartet No. 2 in G, K. 285a - I Andante - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  7. Concerto in F, Op. 10 No. 5 - II Largo e cantabile - Antonio Vivaldi
  8. Romance - Arthur Honegger
  9. Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 - III Sarabande - Johann Sebastian Bach
  10. Beau Soir - Claude Debussy
  11. Sonata for Two Flutes in B Minor, Op. 2 No. 4 - I Largo - Georg Philipp Telemann
  12. Sonata for Two Flutes in B Minor, Op. 2 No. 4 - II Grazioso - Georg Philipp Telemann
  13. Flute Concerto No. 2 in D, K.314 - II Andante ma non troppo - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  14. Sonata for Flute & Continuo in E Minor, BWV 1034 - III Andante - Johann Sebastian Bach
  15. Gymnope No. 2 - Erik Satie

Tracks:

  1. Concerto in D, Op. 10 No. 3 Il Cardellino - II Cantabile - Antonio Vivaldi
  2. Concerto for Flute & Orchestra in D - II Adagio - attr. Franz Joseph Haydn
  3. Flute Quartet No. 3 in C, K. 285b - II Andantino con variazioni: Variation 5 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  4. Concerto in G for Flute & Strings - II Adagio - Georg Philipp Telemann
  5. Arabesque No. 1 in E - Claude Debussy
  6. Concerto Secondo in D (Paris Quartets) - II Affettuoso - Georg Philipp Telemann
  7. Berceuse (from Dolly Suite) - Gabriel Faur
  8. Mtation (from Tha) - Jules Massenet
  9. Concerto in D, RV 429 - II Largo - Antonio Vivaldi
  10. En bateau (from Petite Suite) - Claude Debussy
  11. Andante in C, K.315 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  12. Partita in A Minor for Solo Flute, BWV 1013 - III Sarabande - Johann Sebastian Bach
  13. Morceau de concours - Gabriel Faur
  14. Concerto for Flute & Harp in C, K.299 - II Andantino - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  15. Aria - Jacques Ibert
  16. Paris Quartet No. 4 in B Minor - V Triste - Georg Philipp Telemann
  17. Syrinx for Solo Flute - Claude Debussy

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Sweet Lilting Flute Music to Unwind With.......2006-01-10

Crisp and clean and seductively laid back is this nice collection of 31 pieces from the composer likes of Haydn, Mozart, Bach, Debussy, Telemann, et al, performed by the greatest flutists in the world such as Bennett, Galway, and Rampal.

Especially enjoying the Concerto in G by Vivaldi with harpsichord.
Honegger
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • I hope I'm reviewing the right CD!
 Honegger

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Honegger: Symphonies #1-5, Pacific 231; Michel Plasson; Orchestre du Capitole du Toulouse
  2. John Adams - El Nino / Hunt-Lieberson, Upshaw, W. White, Nagano
  3. Hodie / Fantasia on Christmas Carols
  4. Arthur Honegger: Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher
  5. Henry Cowell: Works for Orchestra

ASIN: B000006DE0
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

  1. Pacific 231, Movt Symphonique
  2. Rugby, Movt Symphonique
  3. Pastorale D'Ete, Poeme Symphonique
  4. Une Cantate De Noel - Camille Maurane/Chor D'Oratorio Ey Maitrise De L'ORTF/Marcel Couraud/Henriette Puig-Roget

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars I hope I'm reviewing the right CD!.......2000-03-11

Amazon doesn't specify whether there are additional pieces on this CD - I assume that aside from Pacific 231 and Rugby, both precise commentaries on two singled-out aspects of modern life, crisp and descriptive, this album includes Pastorale d'été and Une Cantate de Noël. This Christmas cantata blew me away and sent chills down my spine. So many composers and artists criticize our times, but Honegger here draws an ideal painting of what Christmas should be like, a joyful celebration of all nations, singing together unto the Lord. Carols keep popping up from behind the orchestra and interweave to a thrilling ensemble that I will most definitely play not only at Christmas!
King David
Average customer rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • A good church recording, but what's it doing on Amazon.com?
  • Wonderful moments
  • How Disappointing
 King David
Honegger
Manufacturer: Gothic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Honegger:Le Roi David (Original version)

ASIN: B00000I9UJ
Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

  1. King David: Introduction
  2. King David: Song The Shepherd David
  3. King David: Psalm 'All Praise To Him'
  4. King David: Song Of Victory
  5. King David: March
  6. King David: Psalm 'In The Lord I Put My Faith'
  7. King David: Psalm 'Oh Had I Wings Like A Dove'
  8. King David: Song Of The Prophets
  9. King David: Psalm 'Pity Me, Lord!'
  10. King David: The Camp Of Saul
  11. King David: Psalm 'God, The Lord Shall Be My Light'
  12. King David: Incantation Of The Witch Of Endor
  13. King David: March Of The Philistines
  14. King David: Lament Of Gilboa
  15. King David: Song Of The Festival
  16. King David: The Dance Before The Ark
  17. King David: Song 'Now My Voice In Song Upsoaring'
  18. King David: Song Of The Maidservant
  19. King David: Psalm Of Penitence
  20. King David: Psalm 'Behold, In Evil I Was born'
  21. King David: Psalm 'O Shall I Raise Mine Eyes Unto The Mountains?'
  22. King David: The Song Of Ephraim
  23. King David: March Of The Hebrews
  24. King David: Psalm 'Thee Will I Love, O lord'
  25. King David: Psalm 'In My Distress'
  26. King David: The Crowning Of Solomon
  27. King David: The Death Of David

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars A good church recording, but what's it doing on Amazon.com?.......2006-06-06

I couldn't agree with another reviewer (K.Hume) more. I needed a copy of this CD rather quickly to learn the music for myself and this is the only one that was affordable that could come in soon, so I purchased it in spite of the negative review. I'm giving it two stars instead of one for the orchestra. They performed it well to my ear (not being an instrumentalist) and kept the rhythm going, despite the director, Donald Pearson's penchant for slowing it down incredibly. In this sense, one cannot help but imagine how painful rehearsals must have been.

The soprano soloist, Maureen Sorensson, has a crystalline quality to her tone which is quite beautiful, however she is sharp throughout the ENTIRE piece and in the final movement it stands out like a sore thumb. Ms. Sorensson sings a full out forte, one FULL half-tone sharp in contrast with the entire soprano section, thus ending the piece in a dissonant mess.

Bottom line: the chorus was not ready to record this piece, much less perform it.

4 out of 5 stars Wonderful moments.......2004-02-16

The soprano soloist is the reason to buy this CD. Ms. Sorensson's sparkly, shimmery voice shines thoughout the album and brings the work to a glorious and perfectly in tune conclusion. The choral singing is adequate throughout and someimes exciting although it often has the blatty tone quality common to adult choruses whose women are asked to sing like little boys.

1 out of 5 stars How Disappointing.......2003-11-24

I have the Dutoit, originally released on an Erato LP, I seem to recall, and very successfully transferred to CD. A really gorgeous production that "gets it" with both Honegger's score and the associated texts. I had been wanting an English translation of the piece, which I'd seen successfully staged a couple of times in my mis-spent youth, so was glad to see this edition when I went searching. But the music is just not on. It drags, and the chorus minces through passages that should move with much more energy (the Victory theme, where Saul has slain his thousands etc. on the sample here will illustrate the problem). The producers chicken out by using women soloists when the score calls for a boy singer, though that is hardly a unique sin. But the solost in the final passage keeps coming in sharp, often way sharp, in what should be a crystalline passage of music and that is near inforgivable. I'd buy it, barely, absent a better English rendition, but if that isn't an issue, skip it and stick to the Dutoit.
Honegger: Symphonies 1-5; Pacific 231; Rugby
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Honegger: Symphonies 1-5; Pacific 231; Rugby

    Manufacturer: Warner Classics
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000EGDCUU
    Release Date: 2006-08-22

    Tracks:

    1. Allegro Marcato
    2. Adagio
    3. Presto - Andante Tranquillo
    4. Molto Moderato - Allegro
    5. Adagio Mesto
    6. Vivace Non Troppo
    7. Grave
    8. Allegretto - Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio - Allegretto
    9. Allegro Marcato

    Tracks:

    1. Dies Irae - Allegro Marcato
    2. De Profundis Clamavi - Adagio
    3. Dona Nobis Pacem - Andante
    4. Lento E Misterioso - Allegro
    5. Larghetto
    6. Allegro
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    8. Rugby - Mouvement Symphonique
    Classic for Yoga: Meditative Melodies for Relaxation
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Classic for Yoga: Meditative Melodies for Relaxation

      Manufacturer: Denon Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B0001FVDZU
      Release Date: 2004-03-23

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      2. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto, Adagio
      3. Rentaro Taki: Moon Over the Ruined Castle
      4. Kosaku Yamada: Lullaby from the Chugoku Area
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      6. Tadashi Yamada: Rain Falls on Jogashima
      7. Haseo Sugiyama: Bridal Doll
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      9. Debussy: Girl with the Flaxen Hair
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      11. Andante con Moto
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      13. Faure: Violin Sonata, II. Andante
      14. Debussy: Reverie
      Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967
      Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
      • A memento of a conductor lost in the golden age
      • Remembering Ansermet in style
      • Ansermet is Awesome, and...
      		 Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967

      Manufacturer: Decca
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B000JU7N7Y
      Release Date: 2007-02-13

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars A memento of a conductor lost in the golden age.......2007-06-20

      I have little to add to the reviews that comment on the contents of this 6-CD set, other than to say it gives uninitiated listeners a fair introduction to a conductor they never knew while he was alive or in his heyday. Ernest Anserment (1883-1969) was born in Switzerland and was a contemporary of both Furtwängler and Klemperer, although he was of a far different school of music than either German. Originally a mathematician, Ansermet founded Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Swiss Radio Orchestra) during World War I, toured with them worldwide after the war, and rose to prominence after World War II when he and the orchestra developed a recording contract with Decca Records.

      Ansermet was most at home in 20th century French music (such as that included in this box set) in the works of his countrymen Honegger (born French but spent time in Zurich) and Frank Martin, and in the Russians Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. But, as represented here, his expertise began with Bach and went well into the 20th century.

      Ansermet's strengths were clarity in execution and delivery, strict adherence to original scoring (he opposed Stravinsky's tendency to revise his own works), and a romantic bent that was in vogue in the postwar years. In essence, Anserment's work captured the essence of what today might be characterized a "romantic period performance" style whose chief proponent may be Martin Perlman in Boston.

      For me, it was Ansermet's conducting in the mainstream German classics that was most eye-opening. He was expert in capturing the full blown romance of Brahms, Beethoven and other romantics through the rigors of exposing every instrument in the orchestra and ensuring all contrapuntal lines could be heard. His Beethoven set included a dazzling performance of the Symphony No. 2 and a draft of the "Choral" symphony most collectors would enjoy today.

      While recordings of Ansermet's Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky have rightly stayed in the catalog and been hailed by critics for decades, his greatest recording of romantic repertoire, in my opinion, is neither included in this box nor avaialable anywhere worldwide. That is his pairing of the Franck D Minor Symphony and the St. Saens "Organ" Symphony which Decca paired early in the CD era on a Weekends Classic recording. It has been out of print everywhere for some time -- it was last seen in Japan -- and is a great loss for all of us.

      Still today, I treasure Ansermet's box of Beethoven symphonies (also out of print everywehere; No. 4, is represented here) for its clarity, romance and elocution. I will never forget buying this box at my local LP store about 1972; what a revelation it was after exposure to the Beethoven of all the high cholesterol German romantics! Ansermet's combination of score adherence, clarity in orchestral detail, and blooming romance in interpretation led to my most satisfying performances of the most recorded symphonies in history during the period when the greatest conductors of the recording era were all represented in this repertoire.

      The latter point is, I believe, the linchpin to Ansermet's career. I don't think there's any question that, if a conductor came along today with his combination of skills, sensitivity and technique, he or she would be regarded as a wunderkind combining the best traits of the current and bygone eras. In his lifetime, however, Ansermet was never regarded in this way. I think that's because he existed on a plane or two below all the acknowledged giants of the podium that were active or in their prime in his day.

      While Ansermet was making the recordings in this box, Wilhelm Furtwangler was conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, dying, and being replaced by an up and coming German named Karajan that would go on the become the most recorded conductor in history. Klemperer was one of the giants in Germany with Bohm, Jochum and others sharing the spotlight. Among Europe's rising stars of the day were Colin Davis and Bernard Haitink, who had recently taken over for Beinum in Holland. Elsewhere, Leonard Bernstein was in the midst of his titanic career on the other side of the Atlantic and other American orchestral posts were manned by Ormandy, Szell, Solti, Mehta, Monteaux and another young, up and coming condcutor, Lorin Mazzel. Stokowski was in his prime making stereo recordings in this era, too.

      This was the epoch of Ansermet's maturity. He was in the same position as a number of great conductors of his era such as Rudolf Kempe -- great men at the podium cast in the shadow of giants. While Ansermet was a member of the Decca stable, he nonetheless was cast in a secondary role as Decca also had new recordings by Solti and Maazel that were outselling anything Ansermet put forth. Simultanously, collectors could also find all the recordings of legendary conductors including Toscanini, Bruno Walter and Beecham. It was surely a crowded time in the record business and the most difficult time in history for a conductor to make his name.

      In baseball terms, Ansermet had some of the affect of Sammy Sosa, whose 600 home runs came in the shadow of Mark McGwire's record-breaking season in 1998 and while Barry Bonds would first break the all-time single season record and, second, chase the home run record. The metaphor may not be competely satisfactory for Ansermet was probably not the third greatest conducting home run hitter of his day.

      But he was one of the great conductors with his own orchestra, a unique style, a broad repertoire, and a delivery mechanism underrated due to the shadow cast on him by other greats of the day. We are fortunate, living in the late digital era, to have this testament of his work before us. Now a new generation of listeners can hear what many did a half-century ago with new ears developed in the period performance practice era.

      4 out of 5 stars Remembering Ansermet in style.......2007-03-01

      Ernest Ansermet was one of Decca's most prolific artists, to whom they consigned dozens of Stravinsky works, the standard Russian repertoire, and all French music. We've been steadily getting reissues of this output, and here's the latest batch. Newcomers may be surprised at how good even the earliest sound is, but they should also expect less than virtuosic playing from the Suisse Romande orchestra; the lack in execution is made up for by the special tang of French winds and brass, a constant pleasure throughout.

      CD 1: Ansermet conducted very good Bach and Brahms but is little known for that. Here we get a sampling of his skill in German music. The snippet of orchestral music from Bach's Cantata #31 is a prelude to a fresh, lively Haydn Sym. #22 "The Philosopher" (named for its sober opening Adagio) that's performed in the same gentle, loving style as Bruno Walter's Haydn. The same soft-grained approach applies to the Beethoven 4th Sym., but in this case the scrawniness of the string section compares badly with great German and American orchestras, and one also feels that Ansermet really should dig in more. But if you want a feminine reading of a symphony often called feminine by older critics, this is a fine one. This generous disc ends with three overtures many listeners won't already own: Weber's Ruler of the Spheres and Preciosa Over., plus the more familiar Mendelssohn Ruy Blas. The performances are lively to the point of brashness, and very enjoyable.

      CD 2: This disc is Russian and Finnish. For many French conductors Russian music comes as second nature, and this is true for Ansermet. His suite of Polovtsian Dances from Borodin's Prince Igor is light, fast, and pointed. Rendering a pops staple with such detailed delicacy really refreshes it; Ansermet's version is worthy to stand beside Beecham's minor classic. In the same vein is Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite, which as Mr. Richman points out, is different from the complete score performed by Ansermet on Decca's box set of his Stravinsky recordings. The stereo sound is rather narrow and thin, but this Pulcinella is a model of how to avoid heaviness and over-emphasis in this music. Nobody would expect the Sibelius Fourth to follow, nor is Ansermet noted for being a Sibelian. His reading is super-clear, lean, and light-textured. It works very well in this pastoral music, although for intensity and better execution one has to look elsewhere.

      CD 3: From here on out the music is primarily French, the area of Ansermet's greatest renown. Decca has kindly provided some rarities to everybody but committed collectors. This disc starts out with pops chestnuts, however, including one excerpt each from Coppelia and Sylvia (why bother?) and then the more unusual Saint-Saens Chasseur Maudit tone poem. Given that the ballet snippets are sparkling, as always from this conductor, while the Saint-Saens lacks atmosphere and panache, the choice is dubious. After bits of Chabrier and Faure we arrive at a curiostiy, an orchestration under the title of Coquette (for ballet) of Schumann's Carnaval. Nobody plays these transcriptions anymore, but I msut confess to being delighted with this one, which is full of vivacity and sounds like Offenbach--you'd swear a can-can or two has been thrown in.

      CD 4: When Faure's orchestral music gained a flurry of popularity in the Sixties, Ansermet led the way. This version of Masques et Bergamesques is all that anyone could desire. The mock-classic idiom isn't that far removed from Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin, music I usualy don't have much patience with--it sounds dainty and precious--but Ansermet's reading is winning in its directness. I was quite ready to leave wispy Gallic nostalgia behind, but next comes more of the same--Debussy's Petite Suite and other atmospheric bits from him. This disc was the first to lose my atention, even though on its own terms the musicmaking is expert, if not as charismatic as Beecham's way with trifles. The disc ends with a light, bright reading of Respighi's Fountains of Rome blessedly free of vulgarity.

      CD 5: Honegger gained wide popularity with two religious oratorios, Joan of Arc at the Stake and this King David, even though both works have slipped out of the repertoire outside France. King David uses cinematic Orientalism and modal harmonies to describe ancient Jerusalem, a style that seems a bit cheap and slithery nowadays. But the combination of spoken narration, vocal soloists, and choruses, all in highly accessible music that never challenges the first-time listener, has its appeal. Ansermet's was one of the classic versions in stereo, and here it is, elegantly displaying Honegger's dramatic intentions. However, for me the total effect was like kindergarten Stravinsky.

      CD 6: Dukas' admireres point to his opera La Peri as a minor masterpiece, and here we get a hint via the Fanfare and one dance, followed by a pops march from Rimsky's Dubinushka, a rare item for certain. More familiar is the suite of Rossini excerpts known as Rossiniana (antoher ballet), and I can't imagine anyone doing it with quite the same elegant polish of Ansermet. The recorded sound is extremely detailed in its transparency, which made it an early audiophile classic. Back to Stravinsky for a colorful but fairly leaden Scherzo a la russe, not a striking effort. But what follows is striking and perhaps the best thing in the set, Frank Martin's Concerto for 7 Wind Instruments, Percussion, and Strings, a nod to the orchestra's Swiss-ness. The playing is pointed and eager, and Ansermet conducts so well that the work is jsutified as being a minor masterpiece of Poulenc-inspired whimsical elegance.

      What to say overall? This box set has no bad performances and many striking ones. I think judgment comes down to one's tastes in music. Mine don't tend toward ballet and French pops, or to Honegger's religious crossover style, so I'm not the best one to recommend what is in any case a very enjoyable listen from beginning to end.

      3 out of 5 stars Ansermet is Awesome, and..........2007-02-22

      Generally I am a big fan of the Original Masters box sets, but with this latest collection Decca/UNI has gone too far. Don't get me wrong there are some wonderful rare recordings on "Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967" -- Haydn's 22nd Symphony, Beethoven's 4th, Sibelius' 4th, Respighi's Fountains of Rome, an entire CD of Honegger performances, and even Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite, a different version from the full account contained on Ansermet's Stravinsky box (see my review). But way too much of the rest of this set is just repackaged previously available material. In fairness much of it has been out of print, or only available in Japan, but that won't do much to satisfy the serious collectors to whom this series is aimed, and who have gone to great lengths to track down those previous CD incarnations. What makes matters worse is the sampling is so far and wide that not only is the sequencing haphazard, but it is infuriating for those of us that have purchased other Ansermet titles in the past. For example, reprised from his "Double Decca" Rimsky-Korsakov title we get one lousy four minute selection, "Dubinushka." Why bother to include it? Just go buy the two-fer!!! They mention Ansermet's pioneering stereo recording of "Antar" in the liner notes, so why not include that here instead. The only other way to currently get the "Antar" is with an often reissued account of Scheherazade as a Decca Legend import, which no one buys because it duplicates their collections. Another example is the Debussy Six Epigraphes, which was recently reissued on Testament -- why include it? For that matter why tack on Borodin's Polovtsian Dances when they are already on his great CD with Borodin's 2nd & 3rd Symphonies? Why include another four minute track -- Stravinsky's Scherzo a la Russe -- when it is on the aforementioned Stravinsky box? I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that the Delibes, Franck, Faure, Ravel, Martin and other Debussy selections have all been available elsewhere. Of course, since Decca/UNI has only picked a couple of tracks at most from those original titles, it's not like you can just discard or sell the old CDs you own, or burn the remaining selections you need. With so many other rare Ansermet recordings lingering in the vaults or only on expensive imports -- Beethoven, Berlioz, Bizet, Brahms, Lalo, Roussel, Schumann, etc. -- surely a more cohesive reissue strategy could have been applied by Decca/UNI. If you plan on eventually giving us the "Complete" Decca Ansermet recordings over time, through various OM volumes, all of my fussing is moot, however I seriously doubt that is in their marketing plans. Next time, instead of making us an expanded "Great Conductors of the Century" title or some sort of awkward "Greatest Hits" collection, concentrate on the rare performances that a connoisseur would want, and stick them all on one limited edition box, with fewer discs if necessary.
      Honegger: Symphonies
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • Probably The Best "Complete" Set, But .....
      		 Honegger: Symphonies

      Manufacturer: Supraphon
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      All Works by HoneggerAll Works by Honegger | Honegger, Arthur | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
      Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      Similar Items:
      1. Albert Roussel: Symphonies 1-4
      2. Britten Conducts Britten
      3. Dowland - The Collected Works / The Consort of Musicke, Rooley

      ASIN: B00000JMZ9
      Release Date: 1994-09-20

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars Probably The Best "Complete" Set, But ............2005-06-16

      I agree with the other two reviewers here that this fine set of Honegger's five symphonies and selected other works is a good bargain. I would take this set in a heartbeat over the lesser integral versions by Plasson (in muddy & reveberant sound on EMI) and Dutoit (an exercise in little more than beating time on Erato), both of which I weeded some time ago.

      Serge Baudo (born 1927) was an excellent conductor who learned his trade at the Paris Conservatory under the great Louis Fourestier (1892-1976). Baudo's 1962 recording of Honegger's "Le Roi David" in its original orchestration (on a sadly deleted Accord CD - see my review) is utterly magical, even when compared with the composer's own (once on a Westminster 2-disc LP set).

      I first owned these Baudo recordings on Crossroads LPs, which I replaced a few years ago with this Supraphon CD issue. The sound is a bit bright (treble reduction helps) and the playing by the Czech Phil. is earnest, if not especially polished. If you are looking for a single collection of these works, this Baudo set would still be my recommendation.

      However, I have accumulated way too many different performances of these works over the years. So recently I got hold of the scores and did some extensive comparing. In the interest of shelf space (and sanity!), I decided to trim my Honegger recordings down to just my very favorite performances. Baudo is at his best in the 3rd & 5th symphonies, but there are even better versions elsewhere. So I am finally letting this set go to the used CD store. Here are the readings that emerged as my must-have favorites:

      Symphony #1: The "live" Charles Munch/Orchestre National de France reading on Valois V4830 is the most stunning rendition I have ever heard. The sound, save for a bit of audience noise and an occasional shout from Munch to urge his players on, is about equal to Baudo's. The coupling is a hypnotic reading of Symphony #2 "Le Double" by Henri Dutilleux (a masterpiece well worth knowing).

      Symphony #2: This wartime symphony is dedicated to Swiss conductor Paul Sacher, who sadly never recorded it. Munch left several recordings: my favorite by a wide margin is his "live" 1964 account on Valois V 4831. This is one of the absolutely essential Honegger CDs: the couplings are "Le Chant de Nigamon," the "Pastorale d'Ete," and my favorite account of the 5th Symphony. C'est extraordinaire!

      Symphony #3: I regard the anti-war "Liturgique" as Honegger's finest symphony. Karajan, a conductor I generally dislike, made a fine recording (DG, coupled with a weak #2), and Ansermet's London LP (how I learned the piece) was even more remarkable. Honegger dedicated this work to Charles Munch, who left a "live" 1957 account that is superb (in rather poor sound on a Multisonic CD). My favorites here are Munch, Sacher, Mravinsky and the composer himself. Sacher's 1992 account is in excellent sound, and it's coupled with "Chant de Joie" and the rare & daring "Horace Victorieux" (on PAN 510053, an essential Honegger collection). Mravinsky's virtuoso reading (Melodiya) is wonderfully dramatic, while Honegger's own recording is a fascinating reference (on Music & Arts, with the composer's readings of the Prelude to La Tempete, Pastoral d'Ete, Pacific 231, Rugby, Les aventures du roi Pausole, and Le Chant de Nigamon).

      Symphony #4: Honegger's amiable, almost humorous 4th was dedicated to Sacher and the Basle Symphony (alas, they made no recording). Munch's is, to my ears, the finest-ever account (Erato 45689, coupled with a stunning "Metaboles" by Dutilleux).

      Symphony #5: Once again, Munch is the one to hear (coupled with #2 above). I also keep the excellent mono account by Markevitch on DG, which is coupled with a fine Roussel "Bacchus et Ariane" Suite and a superb "Les Choephores" by Milhaud.

      Last, but not least, there is Hermann Scherchen's magnificent Pacific 231, Rugby, Mouvement Symphonique #3 (dedicated to Furtwangler), La Tempete prelude, Pastorale d'Ete, and Chant de Joie (on DG Westminster 471245). This essential set has a stupendous Stravinsky "Petrouchka" as well.

      To summarize: this Baudo set of Honegger's symphonies is a fine effort and, for the sheer convenience of having all these works in a single 2-disc collection, it remains the best such offering. It was only after some careful comparisons that I decided to opt for the individual readings noted above.

      Recommended (but see the text of my review).

      Jeff Lipscomb

      Music Composers:

      1. Hook, James
      2. Horowitz, Vladimir
      3. Hovhaness, Alan
      4. Howells, Herbert
      5. Hummel, Johann Nepomuk
      6. Humperdinck, Engelbert
      7. Husa, Karel
      8. Hutchinson, Brenda
      9. Ibert, Jacques
      10. Ippolitov-Ivanov, Mikhail

      Music Composers

      Music Composers