Ibert, Jacques

Average customer rating:

A Sweet Piece of Art Work
Haunting Beauty
Superb
Superb, lush and enchanting!!!
A Prize Winner!

Duets with Spanish Guitar

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brazilian Soul
Brazilliance, Vol. 1
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ASIN: B000002S1C
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

Entr'acte
Bachianas brasileiras No. 5 - Aria
Ronde
Azulao
Prelude In E Minor, Op. 28 No. 4
O Cacador
Pastorale joyeuse
Tes pontos de santo
Tambourin
Boi-Bumba
Sicilienne
Para ninar
Piece en forme de habanera
Maracatu
Pavane pour une Infante defunte
Passarinho esta cantando
Modinha
Serenade For Strings: Waltz
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Cancion
The Three Cornered Hat: Farruca

Customer Reviews:

A Sweet Piece of Art Work.......2007-05-13

I first heard this recording on vinyl. This CD lives up to the quality first captured in that original recording. Laurindo Almeida requires no review or publicity; he is a legend exceeding Segovia or Montoya. Salli Terri, mezzo-soprano, happily, has no vibrato. When she hits a note, she means it...no wavering somewhere between tones leaving you some subliminal perception of the intended note. She has an absolutely pure, rich voice and a profound comprehension of aesthetics. I have not heard other works by Martin Ruderman, who accompanies on flute, but his skills are notable within this sweet ensemble. A wealth of skill and mastery contained on this tiny CD! I am sure you will be transported.

Haunting Beauty.......2007-03-22

I'm fascinated by the reviews from those who remember this album of long ago. In 1971 my girlfriend and I spent a night in a rustic B&B in Big Sur. The following morning, as we dined on a scrumptious breakfast and the love in each other's eyes, I had to ask the waitress about the music playing in the background. We bought the record as soon as we got home, and I have cherished it ever since. Six additional selections on the CD reissue are almost superfluous. The memories, and the music, are precious.

Superb .......2007-01-08

From beginning to end, I am enthralled by this album. I bought the original LP when it came out over 40 years ago and I also own the CD version. All performers are themselves excellent and they blend wonderfully on a Grammy awarded sound track. The biggest thrill for me is always Salli Terri's Bachianas Brasileiras number five. I have heard many recordings of this Bachianas by the most famous sopranos in the world. Salli Terri's singing of the Bachianas is in a class of its own --absoulutely spine-tingling.

Superb, lush and enchanting!!!.......2005-10-19

It is very hard for me to be objective when reviewing this CD. I'm in the same situation as one other reviewer said, my father used to play this record frequently when I was growing up. Of course, as a little kid, you will not always make a note of such things, and may not even care about it. I had not listened to this record since the mid eighties (when our last turntable broke and we made the transition to CD's). As soon as I started listening to it I was taken back to that time of my life, and all of these memories which I did not knew I had came back to me. This record had been part of my life's "soundtrack". It would be easy for me to be over-analytical, since I happen to have a degree in music, but I would not dare to do so. The music is pure, absolutely beautiful. If anything, even though back when it was recorded it won awards for its sound quality, nowadays we have been spoiled with modern sound recording quality. You can certainly hear that the recording was not made recently, but it is the performances that count, and these will always sound as fresh and magnificent as the day they were first captured on tape. I will have to get a copy for my dad!

A Prize Winner!.......2003-01-26

At the first Grammy Awards in 1959, Salli Terri was nominated for Best Classical Performance, Vocal Soloist, along with Callas, Tebaldi, and Ferrell (Tebaldi won). The album did win the Grammy for Best Engineered Classical Record, a honor richly deserved as evidenced by the glorious sound of this CD.

I think a review in the May, 1958 issue of Hi-Fi & Music Review says it best: "...a prize winner in my collection. Laurindo Almeida's guitar playing captures the keen poignancy and rhythmic elan of Brazilian music with superb assurance and taste. He is joined by an excellent flutist, Martin Ruderman...and a mezzo-soprano whose velvet voice and astonishing flexibility has hardly an equal at present...Salli Terri. She sings Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No.5 with a sinuousness and ecstasy which make this the finest modern version."

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 78: Adagio; Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 78: Poco adagio
Symphony No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 78: Allegro moderato; Presto
Symphony No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 78: Maestoso; Allegro
La Mer: De l'aube a midi sur la mer
La Mer: Jeux de vagues
La Mer: Dialogue du vent et de la mer
Escales (Ports Of Call): Rome-Palermo. Calme
Escales (Ports Of Call): Tunis-Nefta. Modere tres rythme
Escales (Ports Of Call): Valencia. Anime

Amazon.com

Recorded in 1956 (Debussy, Ibert) and 1959 (Saint-Saëns), these jewels from stereo's golden age, all Munch specialities, receive their finest transfers yet. Close use of the microphone suits Munch's La Mer, a seascape illuminated in primary colors rather than conventional pastels. Ibert's colorful Escales ("Ports of Call") gets an intense, bracing reading, and so does the Saint-Saëns. Recorded balance in the latter's third movement, though, is distorted and fuzzy during loud tuttis when the organ and orchestra kick in simultaneously. And one might desire more contrasted dynamics and articulation in the finale's fugal build-up. But don't let tiny blemishes like these deter you from buying this lovable disc. --Jed Distler

Amazon.com

This is another of Charles Munch's blazing collaborations with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the French repertory, and a fine example of how this conductor could take a warhorse and turn it back into a serious piece of music--serious but not dull. The opening Allegro is impassioned, the Adagio is intensely poetic and expressive, and the finale generates real edge-of-the-seat excitement. The "Living Stereo" remastering has restored the lifelike presence of the original recording and minimized the effects of tape saturation in the loudest passages. The glorious tone of the orchestra comes through loud and clear, along with a thrilling sense of Symphony Hall ambience. Debussy's La Mer and Ibert's Escales... make a generous coupling and are every bit as impressively performed. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Much much too fast... especially the final movement........2007-04-21

I won't elaborate more than to say this recording of the Organ Symphony, purchased because of the glowing reviews of others, was a disappointment. It was simply MUCH MUCH TOO FAST, in particular the final movement but from the very start it was played too fast! And almost staccato! I found this most distracting throughout.

Probably the main reason I was so disappointed was that I own Paul Paray's Detroit Symphony Orchestra version (recorded in 1957, Mercury Living Presence), originally on vinyl and now on CD, and I've been listening to this performance since 1963. I've gotten used to listening to it every Friday afternoon (just as I did when I was in college).

I probably was hoping to hear a duplicate rendition from Munch, especially from the organ. Unfortunately it is not anything like it. Quite a different emotion all around.

So if you're looking for THE absolute most electric, emotional, thrilling and wonderful sounding presentation, buy the Paray Detroit Symphony recording, and don't waste any money on this one. Marcel Dupre (organist with Paray) is stupendous! He makes the organ come alive. You will be swinging your arms and jumping in your seat as the final crescendo builds (assuming you play it as loud as I do). You will not be able to concentrate on anything else for 10 minutes after it's over. Chills. You will get chills. Sensational.

Munch... not so much.

Some Gold Standards Simply Do Not Tarnish.......2006-06-11

For many lovers of classical music one of the first cherished LPs in the library was the wonder flourished in this 1950s recording of Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3 in C minor, forever known now as the Organ Symphony, as conducted by Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Berj Zamkochian as organ soloist. Now with the presence of this SACD Hybrid release the position of this recording remains unchallenged as the one to own. Munch understood the architecture of the symphony and was able to make the most of the organ parts as woven through the orchestral fabric, allowing the mighty climax to have a reason for happening. It is a towering performance of a work that is used more often than any other to unveil new organs in new orchestral halls.

But Munch and his then own Boston Symphony were the top interpreters of the French repertoire and gratefully on this CD we also have the Debussy 'La Mer' and the lighter but effective 'Escales (Ports of Call) by Jacques Ibert. The performances exude the impressionistic perfume Munch knew so well and while there may be weightier and mightier recordings of 'La Mer' available today, Munch's approach is still a valid one. But the reason for adding this CD to your library remains the inimitable Saint-Saens. It is spectacular! Grady Harp, June 06

An experience in Symphony Hall.......2005-06-19

I was a junior in high school and the principal oboist of the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra was performing in Symphony Hall on Sunday. It was Saturday afternoon the day before the concert and we rehursed in Sym. Hall all afternoon. After the rehersal was over I remained in my chair and finished a couple of reeds for the next day. Reeds in the hall performed differently than they did at home so there I was whittling away when all of a sudden in walks BSO's Organist, Berg Zamkochian. He came over to me and watched me tweeking a reed and became intrigued. My teacher was Ralph Gomberg, the BSO's principal oboist and I was sitting in his chair. Berg and I carried on a good conversation before he began warming up the Symphony Hall Organ. The program that evening was the Saint-Saëns: Symphony No.3 under Charles Munch. I heard him play all the great organ parts from my seat in the orchestra. It was just he and I in the entire hall. Wow!
I remained there that evening and heard the full concert live.
I do have an LP of the recording and rate it 5 stars.

A great recording! A small correction........2005-01-08

I am happy to second Dan Beck's strong recommendation of this classic recording and the "consummate French" sound of the Boston Symphony in it's former glory. However, I must give proper credit to the great Gino Cioffi, first chair clarinet of the orchestra at the time this recording was made. By the time Harold Wright joined the Boston Symphony in 1970, Charles Munch was already with the angels (Alas!).

Possibly the gretest Recording of the Organ Symphony Ever!!!.......2004-08-13

During the tenure of Charles Munch, the Boston Symphony Orchestra became known for its mastery of the French repertoire. This recording contains three pieces from different French composers and demonstrates the orchestra's expertise of French classical music. The pieces are somewhat broad in scope. The major work is Saint-Sean's Symphony #3. The work is grand in scale and is in capable hands under Munch. One of the treats of this recording is the symphony's fourth movement where the magnificent organ of Boston's Symphony Hall is used. The recording goes from Saint Sean's large spectacle piece to Debussy's impressionistic work "La Mer." Munch has excellent control over the orchestra capturing the world's flowing gentle tones and powerful moments as well. The album concludes with a work that would have been contemporary at the time of the recording, Ibert's "Escales," again, palyed beautifully by the BSO under the direction of Munch.

The liner notes mention that this particular recording was revolutionary in its day. The challenge of recording the works of this collection, particularly the Saint Seans' work is daunting at best. No doubt modern recordings of these works would be more advanced than this recording, even with its digital re-mastering. However, it is safe to say that today most orchestras would not even come close to Munch's wonderful interpretations of these works, especially the Saint Seans Symphony #3 and this alone can disguise any flaws in the recording of these pieces.

Average customer rating:

Delightful and energetic performance
World Class Musician
22 Bravos
You'll stand and shout "encore!"

Horizons - Leif Ove Andsnes

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000HC2PBS
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Tracks:

Sibelius: 13 Pieces Op. 76, No. 2 Etude
Scriabin: 2 Impromtus Op. 14, No. 1
Mendelssohn: Songs Without WordsBook VI Op. 67 - No. 2 in F Sharp minor
R. Strauss/Gieseking: Standchen (No. 2 of 6 Lieder, Op. 17)
Mompou: Paisajes - No. 2, El lago
J. S. Bach/Bussoni: Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (from 10 Chorale
Chopin: Impromptu No. 1 in A flat Op. 29
Liszt: 3 Liebestraume S541 - No. 3 "O Lieb, so land du lieben kannst!"
Shostakovich: The Golden Age Op. 22 - Polka
Albeniz: Espana Op.165, No. 2 Tango
Mompou: Cancion y danza No. 1
Chopin/Liszt: 6 Chants polonaises s480 - No. 5 Meine Freunden
Liszt: Valse - impromptu S213
Antheil: Toccata No. 2
Trenet: Chanson: Coin de rue
Halvorsen/Andsnes: Suite de morceaux caracteristiques for violin &
Grieg: Humoresque Op. 6, No. 3
Smetana: Am Seegestade ("At the Sea") - Concert Study in G sharp minor
Scott: 2 Pieces Op. 47, No. 2 Lotus Land
Ibert: 10 Histoires No. 2 Le Petit Ane blanc
Debussy: Suite bergamasque No. 3 Clair de lune
Grieg: Stemninger Op. 73, No. 4 Folketone

Amazon.com

A great player can give meaning and substance even to lightweight miniatures. Andsnes says that his musical "horizon," at first limited to "big, important" music, opened to the appreciation of the short "salon" pieces and arrangements assembled on this record only as he got older, though they had accompanied him since childhood. The program features original compositions and transcriptions, including many familiar favorites. They span several centuries and come from every corner of Europe. Andsnes' virtuosity is breath-taking, his tone is beautiful, and his legato sings regardless of the accompanying texture. Above all, he captures every style, idiom, and mood. Andsnes' phrasing, dynamics, and liberties are balanced and poised, and his love for the music speaks through every note. Listeners will choose their own favorites among these 22 very different pieces, but surely no one will be able to resist Gieseking's spectacular arrangement of Richard Strauss' "Serenade," which adds torrents of notes to the virtuosic piano part and incorporates the vocal line as well. The fleetness and clarity of the Chopin "Impromptu" here never touches the ground, while Ibert's "Little White Donkey" has charm and delicacy and Liszt's "Liebestraum" resounds with ardent passion. Andsnes' brilliant, captivating performance will induce smiles of admiration and pleasure as well as a new respect for this versatile and colorful repertoire. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Delightful and energetic performance.......2007-03-11

I like the way he made the songs come to life. They were filled with energy and feelings.

World Class Musician.......2007-02-07

Leif Ove Andsnes is an incredible artist on the piano and his talents are showcased in this cd. His artistry has an extensive range as exhibited in the diversity of this repertoire. This is classical piano at its best.

22 Bravos.......2007-01-22

22 piano encores some familiar most not, at least to me, played with manly beauty by Leif Ove Andsnes. A treasure chest. A horizon expanding recording. 22 Bravos

You'll stand and shout "encore!".......2007-01-03

The appearance of this disk on many Best of 2006 lists came as no surprise. I heard Andsnes perform several of these selections in Chicago and Kalamazoo early in the year, and in Michigan even got a sampler CD of "Horizons" as we left the recital that whetted my appetite. Everything that makes Andsnes' playing compelling is here, but listen in particular for how, in so many of the pieces, he's able to bring out the left hand that are clearly not just microphone/recording studio wizardry. A true gem.

Average customer rating:

And Rampal gave the flute life...
Tremendous
Wonderful Collection of Flute Masterpieces Played by Master

The Best Of Jean-Pierre Rampal

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Bolling: Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano Trio

ASIN: B000005EBO
Release Date: 1993-09-07

Tracks:

Suite No.2 BWV 1067: Polonaise et Double - Badinerie
Suite No.2 BWV 1067: Polonaise et Double - Badinerie
Sonata BWV 1031: Sicilienne
Concerto Op.4 #5: Alla Siciliana
Concerto DV 299: Andantino
Concerto Op.3 No.10, 'Il Cardellino' RV 428: Cantabile - Allegro
Concerto Op.3 No.10, 'Il Cardellino' RV 428: Cantabile - Allegro
Concerto In C Major: Allegro
Concerto In E Minor: Rondo Allegretto
Concerto In CMajor: Prestissimo
Greensleeves
Berceuse Op.16
Entr'acte
Concerto In E Minor: Rondo
Concerto For Flute And Orchestra: Allegro vivace

Customer Reviews:

And Rampal gave the flute life..........2005-12-14

People may say that James Galway is the best flutist around, but after hearing his music with a big disappointment, I decided to see what the other master flutist had to offer.

Jean-Pierre Rampal's flute music is, without doubt, the most brilliantly expressed. It is a technical work of art that only a true master flutist can do. His performance is highly expressed through technical mastery. By using complex musical techniques, he gives the flute a magical breath of life more humanly expressed than supposed. Such techniques he uses to make his flute come alive in one of the highest expressions are extremely fast melodic transitions, rigorous articulation, ironic microphonics, and human emotion.

After hearing this album, I put my faith back into flute music. I don't believe Galway should be considered a master flutist alongside Rampal. Rampal's music is flexibile and expressive, while Galway's music is shrill and repetitive. I hope most people will come to realize Rampal's technical beauty in his music.

Tremendous.......2003-08-12

Jean-Pierre's music is amazing. I have enjoyed it thoroughly. I highly recommend this for any classical music fan.

Wonderful Collection of Flute Masterpieces Played by Master.......2003-01-09

One of the greatest flutists plays some of the best flute compositions here collected in a single disc.

From Bach to Mozart to Handel to Ibert and Poulenc, they're all here played by Rampal.

Tracks:

Tango del Mare
O Sole Mio
Hungaria
Words That I Want
Entracte
The Clown of Venice
Rondine al Nido
Al di La
Tombeau de Couperin: Prelude
Konzertstuck Opus 79 Finale
La Vie En Rose
Czardas
Chitarra Romana
Ave Maria (Tanti Anni Prima)
Turandot Prelude and Aria Nessun Dorma
Besame Mucho

Customer Reviews:

Many favorites.......2007-03-08

The quartet does an excellent job of setting the mood for whatever you are doing. It's music you can talk over and yet it is stimulating just to lay back and listen. Can't miss with this CD.

Average customer rating:

Some Interesting Arrangements of Early 20th Century French Music
B. Marsalis delights, but does not surprise
The Disc Title Says it All
Fairly lackluster, but interesting to hear
Shivers down my spine

Creation

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Romances for Saxophone
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ASIN: B00005A8I4
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

Gymnopedie No.3
Children's Corner Ste: The Little Shepherd
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
La Creation Du Monde, Op.81
Requiem, Op.48: Pie Jesu
Sorocaba (Saudades Do Brasil No.1), Op.67
Scaramouche Ste, Op.165c: I. Vif
Scaramouche Ste, Op.165c: II. Modere
Scaramouche Ste, Op.165c: III. Brazileira
Corcovado (Saudades Do Brasil No.7), Op.7
Sumare (Saudades Do Brasil No.9), Op.67
Concertino Da Camera: I. Allegro Con Molto
Concertino Da Camera: II. Larghetto
Concertino Da Camera: III. Animato Moto
Laranjeiras (Saudades Do Brasil No.11), Op.67
Children's Corner: Golliwogg's Cake-Walk

Amazon.com

This CD is the long-awaited follow-up to jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis's 1986 debut, Romances for Saxophone with the English Chamber conducted by Andrew Litton. Since that project, Marsalis has led his own jazz combos and worked with The Grateful Dead and Sting. On this recording, Marsalis's superb soprano and alto sax are buoyed by the wonderful, conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble that was featured on Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World. Marsalis's clear sound and mature phrasing imbue French classics like Ravel's "Pavane pour une infante défunte," Debussy's ragtime-rhythmed "Golliwogg's Cake-Walk," and Fauré's "Pie Jesu" with verve and vitality. Marsalis navigates the New World syncopations of Darius Milhaud's "Saudades do Brasil" with the same ease he displays on the composer's jazz-inspired ballet, "La création du monde." On Jacques Ibert's showcase for the alto saxophone, "Concertino da camera," Marsalis's negotiation of its florid melody and his swing-spiced cadenza show that the innovations of jazz improvisation have enriched and extended the classical tradition. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Some Interesting Arrangements of Early 20th Century French Music.......2007-02-04

A few years back, I remember hearing Branford Marsalis interviewed as part of an intermission feature of a broadcast from, the Metropolitan Opera. He was speaking about the one opera that made him fall in love with the musical form. Most people who fall in love with opera usually name a work such as LA BOHEME or RIGOLETTO as a first love, but for Marsalis the choice was TRISTAN UND ISOLDE. As he began stating his reasons for choosing one of Wagner's monumental and challenging works, he began discussing the composer's intricacies of the vocal and orchestral components and the originality of the work. It was obvious we were hearing a musician's musician speak. Marsalis has the same appreciation for what a composer intends in this collection of early twentieth century French compositions and just like the interview, demonstrates that he is a musicians' musician.

CREATION is a collection of early twentieth century works arranged for saxophone and orchestra. Marsalis is joined by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for arrangements that are original yet also respect the intention of the composers. Overall CREATION is a great relaxation disc, with the exception of some of the Milhaud pieces (the arrangement of LA CREATION DU MONDE is perhaps the one piece that makes this collection of what could be termed background music somewhat startling). Our local classical music radio station often plays some of the pieces from this collection and calls the pieces "tracks to relax." The selections are varied from Debussy, Satie, Ravel and Faure to the more experimental sounds of Darius Milhaud. The choice of selections shows the variety of the music and in many ways shows that the line between classical and jazz in the twentieth century is not always as fixed as it seems.

This collection provides great musical entertainment and offers some interesting interpretations of great music that's certain to be enjoyed by many.

B. Marsalis delights, but does not surprise.......2005-08-16

Can an album seem pleasant, become a bit predictable, and then drift into the beautiful category? Here is graceful playing by one of the best saxophonists alive today, but there is no perspiration in the music. Why perspiration? Because when playing like this is so effortless, it does not ask much of the listener to join in with the musician's effort.
Then I realize this is all BS. Just listen to one of the best instumentalists playing very nice tunes. It is not his fault if it is so smooth, and clean. Just great.

The Disc Title Says it All.......2004-10-14

"Creation" is probably the best word one could choose for this fine effort. This is an interesting recording, one that mostly excels, but also has some shortcomings.

Branford's playing is a lot of things here, studied, practiced, prepared, thorough, and strong. It could have been more sensitive and collaborative. This is not something that necessarily need be laid at his door; it could be a "group" thing as much as anything. Other reviewers have noted that ensemble players often have difficulty working within an orchestra setting, and that the presence of a conductor could have kept things in check.

But that was not the point of this effort. If Orpheus and Branford had wanted a conductor they would have hired one. So one must use a more nuanced and blended yardstick to measure this . The compositions themselves clearly have a strong jazz influence, so the conceptual approach of the players is not only entirely appropriate but interesting. And that's what in the end separates jazz music from classical music. You may not like what people play or the way they play it, but at least it's not the same old stale sh-t. Branford's history of exploring a variety of musical stylings comes in well here; I appreciate his playfulness and almost joyful approach to some of these pieces. That's the way I think they ought to be played.

Highly Recommended.

Fairly lackluster, but interesting to hear.......2001-12-08

Branford Marsalis is an excellent jazz saxophonist.

However, he runs into the same problems many jazz musicians have when trying to "cross over" into classical: too little emphasis on tone quality, rough articulation, trouble blending with the strings, and in some cases, sloppy ensemble technique.

Perhaps this latter problem has more to do with the lack of a conductor than a lack of skill.

Marsalis plays quite respectably on the Ibert. He doesn't take the ossia altissimo passages, but many "classical" artists don't either, so I can't fault him for that.

The "Scaramouche" comes off the best of all the traditional recital pieces on this disc. Marsalis caputures the fleeting playfulness of the first movement, and his technique is flawless here.

His tone is unacceptably bright and raucous in the "Creation du Monde," however. His playing in that piece is beyond the range of any interpretation I've ever heard. Much of this has to do with the placement of the microphones and the production of the recording as well.

I would have preferred that the disc include fewer transcriptions, but Marsalis seems to enjoy recording transcriptions instead of the more serious works for classical saxophone. It would be interesting to hear him play some of the heavier repertoire: the Glazonov concerto, the Dubois Concerto, the Dahl concerto, etc.

Shivers down my spine.......2001-08-03

If you're a Branford Marsalis fan, you'll be on the edge of your seat 4 seconds into the opening cut. Imagine his exquisitely clear alto sax intoning the melody of Satie's Gymnopedie. And with Orpheus's incredible group energy (it's an orchestra whose members conduct themselves) and you'll understand.

Tracks:

Sonate: I : Allegro malinconico
Sonate: II : Cantilena
Sonate: III : Presto giocoso
Sonatine: Allegro -
Sonatine: Andante -
Sonatine: Anime
Sonatine: Moderato -
Sonatine: Andante espressivo -
Sonatine: Anime
Jeux (Sonatine): I : Anime
Jeux (Sonatine): II : Tendre
Sonatine: I : Tendre
Sonatine: II : Souple
Sonatine: III : Clair
Aria
Le merle noir
Chant de Linos

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful French Ambiance.......2003-07-14

Most of the music on this disk was unknown to me, but I was glad to make its acquaintance. The performances are crisp, clean, clear and elegant; in a word, French. Having recently been in Paris I could safely make the connection to the place with this music instantly.

Poulence and Milhaud shine, but the rest can be samey........2001-02-08

Pahud perhaps errs in beginning his disc with by far its strongest piece, Poulenc's joyously melodic 'Flute Sonata', serenely playful, influenced by Stravinsky's neo-classicism, but spiritually just as close to Mozart. The only other work here that compares is Poulenc's old 'Les Six' chum Milhaud's 'Sonatina', which has a rhythmic energy and strangeness that marks it out from its rather fey surroundings.

Three of the works are Conservatoire test pieces, and they show, Dutilleux's and Sancan's being pleasant, but samey variations on Debussy and Faure. Ibert's contributions are more original, but just as amiably forgettable. Messian's replication of bird-song, 'Le Merle Noir', is evocative and exciting, but fatiguing; Jolivet's closer just fatigues. Pahud's playing is flexible and expressive throughout, and Le Sage's quiet invention on the piano shouldn't be ignored, but this disc really only sparkles on first hearing.

french flute power.......2000-09-20

Pahud has become one of the biggest flutist around the world these days. His selections on this all-French composer disc span the gamut of the French repertory from the Ibert to the still living Dutilleux. I got this disc for two reasons 1) because there aren't too many recordings of the Dutilleux Sonatine--a contemporary flute and piano piece {The two which spring to my mind are Paula Robison and Michael Bellavance 's but there are probably 1 or 2 more out there} and 2)i was curious about Pahud's mysterious sound. Many flutist friends had told me I HAD to hear a recording of his. Let me say that it takes a lot to impress me after getting used to hearing the flute squad of the Boston Symphony--wood flute pioneer Jacques Zoon, Fenwick Smith and Elizabeth Ostling, but this Pahud's sound IS all that AND a bag of potato chips. This collection although almost exclusively from the 20th century is quite accessible, lyric (in the French style), even the 'bird' calls in Messiaen's 'Le Merle Noir' don't even come close to other ear-challenging 20th century repertory. The disc is a great sampler of the 'greatest flute hits/repertory' of the 20th century (excluding the solo flute pieces-Debussy's Syrinx or Varese's Density 21.5).

That said I have 2 cents more to add to my review of the Dutilleux Sonatine. Although I like this disc a lot, I LOVE Paula Robison's Recording of it even more (if that is possible). IT IS probably the DEFINITIVE recording of that piece. Check out her CD on the Vanguard label which has a smattering of 19th and 20th century works on it.

Pahud is by far one of the absolute best flutists right now!.......1999-02-03

After attending a masterclass with Emmanuel Pahud, I bought this recording, and as he demonstrated in the classes, he is a phenomenal all-around performer. If you ever have a chance to see him live, definitely go for it. Otherwise, get a recording... or two!

The Most Relaxing Flute Album in the World...Ever!

Average customer rating:

Sweet Lilting Flute Music to Unwind With

The Most Relaxing Flute Album in the World...Ever!

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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The Most Relaxing Cello Album in the World Ever

ASIN: B000AXWGYU
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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.

Average customer rating:

Terrific Performances - FABULOUS Sound
A Most Sinister La Valse! Excitement Abounds!
very good to among the best available.
This is how it's done

Ibert: Escales; Ravel: Rapsodie, etc

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Chabrier: España, rhapsody; Bourrée fantasque
Bizet: Carmen Suite; Arlésienne Suites Nos. 1 & 2; Thomas: Mignon & Raymond Overtures
Paul Paray Conducts Dances of Death
Dorati Conducts Satie, Milhaud, Auric, Françaix & Fetler
Byron Janis: Prokofiev; Rachmaninov...(Recorded By Mercury On Location In Moscow)

ASIN: B0000057KL
Release Date: 1990-09-12

Tracks:

Escales (Ports Of Call): 1. Rome - Palermo
Escales (Ports Of Call): 2. Tunis - Nefta
Escales (Ports Of Call): 3. Valencia
Rapsodie espagnole: 1. Prelude a la nuit
Rapsodie espagnole: 2. Malaguena
Rapsodie espagnole: 3. Habanera
Rapsodie espagnole: 4. Feria
Alborada del Gracioso
Pavane pour une Infante defunte
La Valse
Le tombeau de Couperin: 1. Prelude
Le tombeau de Couperin: 2. Forlane
Le tombeau de Couperin: 3. Menuet
Le tombeau de Couperin: 4. Rigaudon

Customer Reviews:

Terrific Performances - FABULOUS Sound.......2002-07-03

Paul Paray was a great conductor and contributed a great deal to the musical heritage of Detroit even if that isn't remembered as deeply as it should be. I bought this disk because of his musicianship and expected it to be full of wonderful performances and somewhat old sounding recording.

I was wrong. It is full of wonderful performances and amazing sound. The power and depth of the sound is some of the best I have ever heard. They should still make recordings this way because a lot of the new stuff doesn't sound as good.

I want to get more of these Mercury Living Presence 35mm recordings. Wow!

And - remember that there is not such thing as too much Ravel (at least I don't think there is).

A Most Sinister La Valse! Excitement Abounds!.......2002-05-12

I have to admit something, My first EVER Classical rocording bought was Bernstein's Version of Ravel's Music on a CBS Cassette and it included "La Valse" as well as "Bolero" "Daphnis and Chloe Suite #2" and "Alborada Del Gracioso" I must as well admit that the impetus was because i had seen for the first time Torvill and Dean Skate to "Bolero" otherwise i had not known what this inspired piece of music was until then. when i got the Cassette i played it into submission. now onto modern times! as much as i revere that aforementioned recording, i have to say that Ravel's music is not as well glorified by any other conductor as with Paray. His Touch is not in the most remote terms Genteel or Rarefied. In fact they are Cruel, almost Sadistic in their whiplash treatments of music, The Sarcasm and cold French Wit of the music more severe and Overt than in anybody else's hands. and that's the Glory! The Humour is Very obvious, but as in the "La Valse" the humour is seen through extremely bitter eyes. Ravel was very upset by the events of the world when he wrote this Sinister commentary on the Light-Hearted Gaiety of Johann Strauss, but here, as i have often commented to friends, "La Valse" sounds like Danny Elfman had Reworked the Score to the Movie "Sabrina" Like some Berlioz Opium drenched Vision of Walt Disney's "Fantasia" Sarcastic as well as Caustic, "La Valse" is anything BUT pretty Ballroom Music, It's a embittered Commentary on a bygone era and Paray and his Detroit Band wring every ounce of Bitter Disillusionment and anger out of this Masterwork of Ravel. Not that they miss the inherent Wink and a Smile attitude of the music, in places it is as elegant as anything Johann the younger ever wrote, even that other Strauss writer of Fabulous Waltzes, Richard. but to simply view the Veneer of this work and not go beyond the surface to hear the Vituperation and Bitterness is to not understand this work. Paray is Again, Savage, Merciless, and never Clinical or Dry or Academic, he feels the "Frenchness" of this "Valse" and brings his "In-The-Know" French Sensibility to all of these works! his vision of "La Valse" sweeps all others under the rug and his Band responds eloquently and fiercely as the baton and conductor dictate! "Alborada" seems like the Little Sister to the Big Sister "La Valse" and Paray conducts it with the same Sinister and Vicious approach that makes "La Valse" ring in ones head for a long time after hearing this version. Memorable doesn't even come close to categorizing this performance. By far the Must-Have Versions of these Fantastically "French" Works!

very good to among the best available........2002-05-06

Paray is one of the best conductors in this repertoire. His performances are, in general, marked by somewhat dry, lean textures and crisp, driving rhythms, leavened, however, by enough nuance and suppleness of phrasing to bring out the distinctive character of this music. As to this particular collection, my only caveats are that the Rhapsodie is somewhat staid and square, lacking either the sensuous warmth of the Martinon-Chicago, or the fiery impulsivity of the Munch-Boston, both on RCA. Also, the first movement of Escales (Rome-Palermo) lacks the contrast between the languor of the opening passages and the driving tarantella rhythms that follow, which Munch achieves very tellingly in his Boston recording. On the other hand, Le Tombeau is my favorite because Paray's light, crisp approach brings out the dance rhythms more effectively than in other performances I have heard, and the La Valse has all the fire and drive of the Munch-Boston, but with nuances of phrasing that impart more subtlety to this piece than in Munch's more one dimensional approach. Lovers of Ravel should get this collection.

This is how it's done.......1999-02-13

Paul Paray premiered Ibert's Escales and has a remarkably clear-eyed view of it. He was 75 when he made this, his second, recording of it with the Detroit Symphony. Eschewing the temptation to make something decent of it ala Stokowski, Martinon and Rodzinski among others, Paray gives us his ports of call in technicolor and panavision, just like a 1950s travel poster: glossy, gorgeously played and recorded, never rushed but never static. It is what it is and no more, but it's wondeful listening.

The other classics are those of the composers themselves and the conductor. Nowhere do they or he acquit themselves better than here. Again, the late 50s-early 60s (some 35mm) sound is extraordinary and lavished on the right material and maestro. In La Valse and Pavane especially we get that nasty, bitter undertow of the Gallic sensibility.

Tracks:

Concerto For Flute And String Orchestra: Andante cantabile
Concerto For Flute And String Orchestra: Largo
Concerto For Flute And String Orchestra: Allegro risoluto
Concertino For Flute And Orchestra Op. 107
Ballade For Flute, String Orchestra And Piano
Suite de trois morceaux Op. 116: Allegretto
Suite de trois morceaux Op. 116: Idylle
Suite de trois morceaux Op. 116: Valse
Airs de ballet d'Ascanio:Adagio et Variation: Poco adagio - espressivo - Molto espressivo
Airs de ballet d'Ascanio:Adagio et Variation: Andantino
Concerto For Flute And Orchestra: Allegro
Concerto For Flute And Orchestra: Andante
Concerto For Flute And Orchestra: Allegro scherzando

Music Composers:

Music Composers

Music Composers