Tippett, Michael

Average customer rating:

I'm ordering more copies of Nicole!
Wonderful!
Nice, but I do tend to want more than "nice"
Almost spectacular...
Bravo, the real thing

Soprano

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gitano

ASIN: B000M9BTP4
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

Quando Me N'vo
Ah! Je Veux Vivre
What a Curse For a Woman Is a Timid Man!
Dieu! Quel Frisson Court Dans Mes Veines!...Amour, Ranime Mon Courage
O Mio Babbino Caro
Les Filles De Cadix
Summertime
How Can I Cherish My Man In Such Days
Les Belles Fleurs!...Entre L'amour Et Le Devoir
Depuis Le Jour Ou Je Me Suis Donnee
Eccomi In Lieta Vesta...Oh! Quante Volte
Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
'Quel Guardo Il Cavaliere...'...So Ancho'io La Virtu Magica

Amazon.com

Nicole Cabell, the winner of the 2005 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, is a full-voiced lyric soprano with ease of production, a free top, and a basically lovely sound. This ambitious recital - we get chestnuts (Musetta's Waltz, "O mio babbino caro," "Je veux vivre," "Summertime," etc) as well as rarities (the selections from The Old Maid and the Thief and Tippett's A Child of our Time as well as Teresa's big aria from Benvenuto Cellini) - shows a curious mind and versatility. On the technical side, her prominent vibrato occasionally sounds like the start of a beat in the voice that could cause trouble, and her diction can be mushy. In addition, as of now, Cabell isn't much of an interpreter. "Les filles de Cadix" exhibits a strange lack of either Latin flavor or flirtatiousness; Musetta's Waltz is straightforward and lacks an individual stamp. On the plus side, as mentioned, the sound of her voice itself is very appealing. "Depuis le jour" and Doretta's Dream (from Rondine) are beautifully floated, even if they don't erase memories of Price, Fleming, or several other singers. The Menotti aria is well-articulated and makes its point. Conversely, "O mio babbino caro" is simply boring, lacking in girlish charm. "Summertime" is deliciously sung, and Norina's aria from Don Pasquale has plenty of flavor. It will be interesting to see how she develops; at the moment some troublesome traits are mixed in with great promise. Sir Andrew Davis lends fine support. --Robert Levine

Album Details

28 Year Old American Soprano Nicole Cabell Came to the Attention of the Opera World Overnight When, in June 2005, She Won What Has Become the Most Important Competition for Young Opera Singers and was Crowned BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. The Competition Jury Included Legendary Singers Dame Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne and the Win Placed Nicole Cabell in a Distinguished Line of Cardiff Prize-winners that Includes Karita Mattila, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Bryn Terfel.

Customer Reviews:

I'm ordering more copies of Nicole!.......2007-06-18

just played this for friends who have sung,taught and judged opera for all their lives.
They were thrilled by Nicole's voice. I am now ordering more copies as gifts.

Wonderful!.......2007-06-10

I think that this CD is some of the best, if not better, soprano work since Fleming (sorry Renee I am a huge fan but I think this is an amazing first album). It slaps Netrebko and Gheorghiu.

The songs in here are sung with great ease. Some of the work in here isn't what you hear as often while some of it is. Most people make a huge fuss about singing the tracks that "everyone" sings, but Cabell dos this well.

Her technique is amazing. Her voice is very fluid and legato; in addition to that, she has such an evenness of tone production. The bottom notes are as focused as her top ones which is something many sopranos, even the famous ones, struggle with.

She is on her way to the top!

Nice, but I do tend to want more than "nice".......2007-05-28

I do not own this recording. I listened to excerpts at a music shop, as I almost always do with recordings of singers who are new to me. So please do bear in mind that my review is based on selected listening - I did listen to perhaps two minutes of each track, except in the case of the Puccini, to which I listened only for about 30 seconds.

I didn't like what I heard. I don't mean it's an unpleasant voice. It was perfectly pleasant. I'm sure that in places the voice is lovely, but it was not so lovely in the recording that I felt impelled to hear more. I heard nothing - nothing - that made me want to hear more.

There are so many singers with nice voices - especially sopranos. I do not feel this is a voice of EXCEPTIONAL beauty, and I do not feel at all that this singer has an interpretative ability that shines in the singing. I felt unmoved - and it was on that basis that I switched off the headphones and shook my head when asked if I was purchasing the CD.

The cover of this CD is utterly gorgeous - I think it will attract a lot of people. I can only speak for my own taste when I say the voice itself doesn't interest me. I felt none of the charm, winsomeness, rich emotional involvement and sense of individuality that would lift these arias and songs out of the ordinary. And I have so many recordings (over 3000) that I did not feel I'd miss anything by not having this recording.

I do want to stress that this is my own taste... my own opinion based on my personal reaction to Ms Cabell's voice. The really odd selection of pieces in this recording wouldn't have bothered me if I'd fallen in love with this voice - but I haven't done that... and that's the caveat for me.

Almost spectacular..........2007-05-16

I think this recording has some very nice moments. However, there are just as many not so great moments in here as well. Cabell's voice is a very beautiful instrument. Few posses that beautiful tone. However, there just seems to be a lack of polish to the sound. I realize she is young and that she has the potential to grow into some things. For example, the dynamic level throughout the disk seems to be stagnant. She does a few things here and there but overall, she seems to sing at the same level through many of the arias. Sadly, at times, that volume seems push or uncomfortable. The program she selected for this disk is varied. I applaud the inclusion of the lesser known works like the Menotti and Tippett. She also includes the standard soprano fare such as "O mio babbino." These standard numbers come off less interesting as their lesser recorded counterparts. Overall, this is a voice worth hearing. I hope this is just the beginning for her and that she continues to improve and record.

Bravo, the real thing.......2007-05-09

As the product description says above, Ms. Cabell is a young American soprano who won the prestigious Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 2005. Despite the inflated title, a great deal is expected from such winners, and she has the goods: a sparkling soprano capable of coloratura but with body and above all personality. I'd compaer her to a young Gheorgiu or Netrenbko, perhaps lighter than both. Her voice makes you listen and often smile.

When Cabell sings the big aria from Menotti's The Old Maid and the Theif ("What a curse for a woman is a timid man"), she crosses swords with Dawn UPshaw, who made a spectacular show of it. This version is fuller voiced but less sharp dramatically. In fact there are quite a few places where Cabell phrases a bit stiffly and misses dramatic changes of tone. She's concentrating on getting the music to come out beautifully, and it does.

She also wants to display versatility, and that comes across in a program that's all over the place, from Tippett and Menotti to Puccini and Delibes, with quite a few more thrown in. The evergreen "O mio babbino caro" isn't charming enough to convey the tone of a pampered daddy's girl or her lovesick yearning, but Cabell doesn't short change us on loveliness. Black sopranos were always expected to do "Summertime" decades ago, and Cabell isn't embarrassed to offer us a gorgeous version of her own, complete with accent.

The languages she attempts are English, French and Italian. She's most passionate and fervent in English, which is unusual. Her Italian sounds a little stiff; it doesn't let go as it should. As with Beverly Sills, French vowels seem to liberate her, however, and Cabell floats gloriously in "Depuis le jour." It's not overwhelming the way Te Kanawa, Leontyne Price, and Renee Fleming are in the same aria, but at the age of 28 Cabell has a voice as captivating to the ear as anyone. One hopes for great things to come.

Average customer rating:

A profound reading by the composer, lackig only the best soloists and sonics
The Next Best Thing To A Live Performance
Tippett's Autumnal Performance of His Powerful Early Work

Michael Tippett: A Child of Our Time
Sarah Walker , John Cheek , Michael Tippett , City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra , Faye Robinson , and Jon Garrison
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0007ACVJG
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

The World Turns...
The Argument: Man Has Measured...
Interludium-Scena: Is Evil Then Good...
The Narrator: Now In Each Nation...
Chorus Of The Oppressed: When Shall...
Chorus Of The Oppressed: I Have No Money...
Chorus Of The Oppressed: How Can I Cherish...
A Spiritual: Steal Away...
A Spiritual: A Star Rises...
The Narrator: And A Time Came...
Chorus Of Persecutors And Persecuted: Away With Them...
The Narrator: When They Could...
Chorus Of The Self-Righteous: We Cannot Have Them...
The Narrator: And The Boy's Mother...
Scena: O My Son...
A Spiritual: Nobody Knows...
Scena: The Boy Becomes Desperate...
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The Terror: Burn Down Their Houses...
The Narrator: Men Were Ashamed...
A Spiritual Of Anger: Go Down Moses...
The Boy Sings In Prison: My Dreams...
The Mother: What Have I Done...
The Mother: The Dark Forces...
A Spiritual: O, By And By...
A Spiritual: The Cold Deepens...
A Spiritual: The Soul Of Man...
Scena: The Words Of Wisdom...
Preludium: I Would Know My Shadow...
A Spiritual: Deep River...

Customer Reviews:

A profound reading by the composer, lackig only the best soloists and sonics.......2006-03-10

All three of the standard recordings of Tippett's early masterpiece, A Child of Our Time, are excellent performances. The earliest, conducted by John Pritchard (1958), would have been considered superlative on its own, and it still is despite somewhat cramped, dated sound and soloists who are less than stellar, particularly in their diction. The Colin Davis from 1975 became an instant first choice given the unequalled casting of Jessye Norman and Janet Baker in the female parts. But this budget release of the composer's own 1991 performance is uniquely deep and moving. Tippett was an excellent conductor of his own music, and as with Britten, he brings a composer's understanding that no one else can duplicate.

It's not a perfect recording. The sonics are a too bright, and the chorus is placed so far back as to be unintelligible most of the time. The four soloists sing with great feeling, although the fast beat in the soprano's voice robs her diction. The tenor and bass are the best singers and the easiest to understand. As to timing, Pritchrd seems quick at 64 min. and the composer just right at 69 min.--he gives himself room to make any number of musical points in the service of his heartfelt pacifism and humanity. In sum, this is a great recording at a price anyone can afford.

The Next Best Thing To A Live Performance.......2005-11-05

My first exposure to A CHILD OF OUR TIME was a radio broadcast of the work in the 1970's. Our local classical station would air recorded concerts of some of the country's best known orchestras, and one night A CHILD OF OUR TIME was the featured work. I found it interesting, but I wasn't overly moved. I later heard a college choir and orchestra perform the work, and I found it somewhat tedious, but the acoustics in the hall were not the greatest, so the performance may have been top notch but no one knew it. Not one to give up easily on music of any kind, I decided to purchase this recording to be come familiar with the work before attending a performance of the work by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir Colin Davis a few weeks ago. I am not sure if it is due to maturing of my musical tastes, more familiarity with the work, ort the excitement of the performance itself, but I have rarely been so moved at a musical performance as I was at the performance and I'm sure this recording played a part in my appreciation of this work.

I do believe this is one of those works that has to be heard live in order to be truly appreciated. This is something that can be true of many great classical works, but this work requires fine orchestral playing that does not over power the vocalists, four soloists who are equally at home singing traditional choral music and African American spirituals, and a chorus that is vocally versatile as well. It's difficult to find all three, but I found it at the BSO, and when I got home that evening and put this disc in the stereo, I found the next best thing to a live performance. Nothing about this disc is static and Sir Michael Tippet's musical treatise of good and evil comes alive. My favorite portions are the spirituals. The soloists are magnificent and we see this especially in these portions of the work. The City of Birmingham Orchestra and Chorus are exquisite, and we can be assured that this is an authentic rendering of the work since it is under the direction of the composer.

People who collect historic recordings will find a gem in this recording, but so too will people who want to hear a wonderful recording of a powerful work.

Tippett's Autumnal Performance of His Powerful Early Work.......2005-03-20

Michael Tippett was a lifelong pacifist who served a brief sentence during World War II as a conscientious objector. He wrote 'A Child of Our Time' early in WW II and he wrote the text for it himself after T. S. Eliot, whom he had asked to supply the libretto, told him that Tippett's own outline was sufficient to the task. The narrative of the cantata is about a Polish boy living with relatives in France after his parents had been killed by the Nazis who himself then shot and killed a German official in 1938. He was imprisoned by the French government but that apparently wasn't punishment enough; in reprisal for the act the Nazis carried out the horrific 'Kristallnacht.' Tippett's text is not a simple condemnation of the Nazis, but rather it explores the complex psychological issues on both sides of the question of whether the boy's act was justified. Clearly, though, his sympathies are with the boy and the others who were persecuted by the Nazis. Indeed, one aspect of this great cantata is the use of spirituals to convey the feelings of the persecuted Jews.

There have been a number of fine recordings of this work, foremost of which is that of Colin Davis. (I've never heard the earliest recording, with John Pritchard conducting and the singing of the great Elsie Morison and Richard Lewis.) The composer, though, obviously had something personal to say in his performance of the work. This recording, made in 1991 when Tippett was 86 and previously released on Collins Classics, has an autumnal quality that may partly arise from Tippett's age, but which also emerges from the musical and textual materials themselves. Tempi are rather slow and one familiar with the brilliant Davis recording might, initially, become a bit impatient. But the payoff is that the piece builds and builds to the shattering end, the chorus singing 'Deep River.' Tippett, it turns out, knew what he was doing here. This is not simply an old man's performance but one of great power by the man who created the work fifty years earlier. It is to Naxos's credit that they licensed this performance from Collins, now defunct as a record label, and make it available at superbudget price.

The City of Birmingham Symphony and Chorus perform admirably and the solos, sung by Faye Robinson, Sarah Walker, John Garrison, and John Cheek are all one could ask. This is a wonderful recording well worth its modest asking price.

TT=69:19

Scott Morrison

Tippett: The Rose Lake; The Vision of St. Augustine

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Tippett: The Rose Lake; The Vision of St. Augustine

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00069I6QA
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Fanfare, British Music for Symphonic Brass Ensemble

Average customer rating:

Great Music for a Wedding!!
Simply....Beautiful

Fanfare, British Music for Symphonic Brass Ensemble

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000A9M
Release Date: 1992-10-28

Tracks:

Fanfare For A Dignified Occasion
Fanfare For A Festive Occasion
Civic Fanfare
Fanfare For The Lord Mayor Of London
Fanfare For A Great Occasion
Festival Fanfare
Fanfare For A Coming Of Age
Canzona For Brass
Fanfare For Brass
I. Sovereign's Fanfare
II. Fanfare For The Bride
III. Interlude
IV. Royal Fanfare
V. Wedding Fanfare
VI. Royal Fanfare
Fanfare For Heroes
Homage To Shakespeare
Fanfare For Europe
I. Intrada
II. Round (Of Seven Parts)
III. Interlude
IV. Saraband
V. Madrigal
I. For A State Occasion
II. For A Brilliant Occasion
III. For A Gala Occasion
A Queen's Fanfare
The National Anthem

Customer Reviews:

Great Music for a Wedding!!.......2002-08-09

When I got engaged to be married in November 2002, the job of finding the wedding music fell into my hands. I looked long and hard for some type of "fanfare" music to introduce the couple (us) at the wedding. My long search stopped here as this CD, "Fanfare, British Music for Symphonic Brass Ensemble", fits the bill. This CD has different variety of fanfares ranging from those for a state occasion to a light hearted gala occasion. My favorite fanfare?? It's "Fanfare" by William Walton. I loved the way it starts out with a loud drum roll followed by the brassy sounds of the horns. Of course, you can't pass up Arthur Bliss's "Royal Fanfares 1-6". You will find many different uses for this CD not only for a wedding but for other ocassions too. Give it a try!! LJK.

Simply....Beautiful.......2001-11-08

These pieces are brilliant! The harmony is absolute! Very nice sound and a very nice selection!

Average customer rating:

Mostly Magnificent Menuhin, with a Few Reservations

The Violinist
Yehudi Menuhin , Johann Sebastian Bach , Bela Bartok , Ludwig van Beethoven , Alban Berg , Johannes Brahms , Max Bruch , Arcangelo Corelli , Edward Elgar , Franz Joseph Haydn , Edouard Lalo , Felix Mendelssohn , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Carl Nielsen , Niccolo Paganini , Camille Saint-Saens , Jean Sibelius , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Michael Tippett , Henri Vieuxtemps , Antonio Vivaldi , William Walton , Alberto Lysy , Anatole Fistoulari , Antal Dorati , Anthony Bernard , Gaston Poulet , John Pitchard , Mogens Woldike , Pierre Boulez , and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000BWTKJ
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Affettuoso
III. Allegro
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro Assai
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Assai
I. Vivace
II. Largo Ma Non Tanto
III. Allegro

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Rhapsody No. 2 (Lassu [Moderato] - Friss [Allegro Moderato])
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Andante Tranquillo
III. Allegro Molto
I. Andante
I. Allegretto (Scherzando)
II. Allegro
II. Adagio

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Romance No. 1 In G Major
I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo (Cadenza: Kreisler)
II. Larghetto
III. Rondo (Allegro) (Cadenza: Kreisler)
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio
III. Finale (Allegro Energico)

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Romance No. 2 In F Major, Op. 50
I. Allegro Non Troppo (Cadenza: Kreisler)
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Giocoso, Ma Non Troppo Vivace - Poco Piu Presto
I. Allegro Molto Appassionato
II. Andante
III. Allegretto Non Troppo - Allegro Molto Vivace

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I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro Molto
I. Andante Tranquillo
II. Presto Capriccioso Alla Napolitana & Trio (Canzonetta)
III. Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro Moderato (Cadenza: Menuhin)
II. Adagio Molto
III. Finale (Presto) (Cadenza: Menuhin)
I. Allegro
II. Andante Cantabile
III. Rondo (Andante Grazioso - Allegro Ma Non Troppo)
I. Allegro Maestoso
II. Andante
III. Presto

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I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Scherzando (Allegro Molto)
III. Intermezzo (Allegretto Non Troppo)
IV. Andante
V. Rondo (Allegro)
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Andantino Quasi Allegretto
III. Molto Moderato E Maestoso - Allegro Non Troppo
Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Havanaise, Op. 83

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I. Allegro Maestoso (Cadenza: Emile Sauret)
II. Adagio Espressivo
III. Rondo (Allegro Spiritoso)
I. Andante - Moderato - Cadenza
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III. Scherzo (Vivace) & Trio
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I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Cadenza
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro Con Fuoco

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Serenade Melancolique
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio Di Molto
III. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
I. Praeludium (Largo)
I. Allegro Cavalleresco
II. Intermezzo (Poco Adagio)
II. Rondo (Allegretto Scherzando)

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Adagio
III. Presto
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Vivace - Allegro - Adagio - Vivace - Allegro - Largo Andante
II. Allegro
III. Grave - Andante Largo - Allegro
Fantasia Concertante On A Theme Of Corelli

Customer Reviews:

Mostly Magnificent Menuhin, with a Few Reservations.......2004-01-06

The recent trend toward classical box sets focusing on the performer instead of the composer (see my reviews of the various DG/Decca "Original Masters" sets) continues with EMI's new "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist." Sure EMI's past sets have showcased individual performances by Samson Francois, Eugen Jochum and Rudolf Kempe to name a few, but it was always under the heading of a given composer's works, and in the cases mentioned above, to Chopin's piano pieces, Bruckner's Symphonies and Strauss' Orchestral Works respectively. Therefore, this Menuhin collection is the first of EMI's "Budget Box Sets" to showcase a performer playing the works of a variety of composers.

As Menuhin was an EMI recording artist for an incredible 68 years (1931-99), his performances for the label number in the hundreds. With so much music from which to choose, this 10-disc set aims "to highlight some of those alternative versions, including recordings that have not been easily available since the days of LP and others that have never previously appeared on CD." Therefore, the obvious mainstream, easily attainable recordings are omitted here -- for example, the Beethoven/Mendelssohn VCs with Furtwangler, the Elgar VC with the composer conducting, and the Bruch/Mendelssohn VCs with Susskind and Kurtz.

However, a lot of this material has been on disc before on titles which the serious collector most likely already owns. Most of the Bach is currently available as part of the Bach "Budget Box Series" title. The Bruch, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Vivaldi VCs were all available in the now out-of-print 2CD EMI Seraphim series. The Elgar and the Walton are still available in the "British Composers" series. And perhaps most annoyingly, the previously unpublished Beethoven VC and Tchaikovsky "Serenade melancolique" (available as a single disc), and the Beethoven Romance No. 2 (available on an EMI Encore title) were both reissued just a few months back.

But let's focus on the positive, which are the other rare performances, the most significant being the never before reissued 1954 performance of Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4 with John Pritchard and the Philharmonia. Other elusive recordings include Viuextemps and Paganini VCs with Fistoulari, Lalo and Saint-Saens works with Goossens, and excellent Berg and Bartok accounts with Boulez. Though I'm delighted at their inclusion, of lesser importance is a 1965 Bartok VC No. 2 with Dorati -- his mono EMI with Furtwangler and an earlier account with Dorati on Mercury Living Presence are far superior. Also, neither the Sibelius (Boult, 1955) nor Nielsen (Woldike, 1952) Concertos are truly Menuhin's cups of tea.

My last complaint has to do with the packaging. I know I'm being rather trite but it seems that EMI has taken the "slim" out of slim, paper-sleeved box sets with their latest batch of releases. Both this title and the new box of Liszt Orchestral Works by Masur are noticeably thicker than previous EMI sets featuring a similar number of discs. A minor point, but us serious classical collectors need every centimeter of space on our increasingly crowded CD shelves, not to mention the amount of wasted packaging.

Overall though, despite the fact that "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist" is not as essential a reissue as its counterparts in the "Original Masters" series, it is a delightful set that most collectors will thoroughly enjoy.

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Klassizische Moderne, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00096S2RS
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

I. Andante
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III. Espanola
IV. Balalaika
I. Allegro
II. A Lament: Andante Espressivo
III. Presto
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V. Allegro Assai
Pastorale
Lied Ohne Name
I. Musick To Heare
II. Full Fadom Five
III. When Dasies Pied
Fanfare For A New Theatre
Recitative & Aria: No Word From Tom/Quietly, Night
Recitative & Cabaletta: My Father! Can I Desert Hin?/I Go To Him
I. Poco Presto Ed Agitato
II. Andante Lento
III. Tarantella: Presto Vivace
I. Marche
II. Valse
III. Polka
IV. Galop

Album Description

"It is always refreshing to encounter a disc in which consideration has been given to providing a balanced and thought-provoking programme. This is the second installment in Christopher Hogwood's `Modern Classicists' series, and is built upon an eclectic group of Stravinsky's smaller-scale works, with substantial historically influenced interjections by Tippett and Britten. The result is in marked contrast to the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra's foray into the world of Stravinsky's miniatures (DG), in which the scattergun whole somehow falls short of the sum of the delightful parts. By separating the two Suites for small orchestra to form a frame, Hogwood heightens awareness of their individual features, throwing into relief the intervening works, with the vocal and small-scale items on the disc providing an intimate heart at its core...Emma Kirkby is predictably delectable, floating through the Pastorale and an ideally innocent Anne Truelove in the excerpt from The ! Rake's Progress, while the Basel Chamber Orchestra is heart-rending in the `Lament' from Tippett's Divertimento...by far the most satisfying disc as a self-contained programme." (**** rating!) BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

Average customer rating:

Tippett's Oratorio Is Provocative
A Lyrical and Lush Modern Masterwork

Tippett: A Child of our Time

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Michael Tippett: A Child of Our Time
Prokofiev: Complete Piano Sonatas
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: Handel Arias
Bach: Cantatas BWV 82 and 199

ASIN: B000000AQR
Release Date: 1993-03-15

Tracks:

A Child Of Our Time: Part I: 1. The World Turns On Its Dark Side
A Child Of Our Time: Part I: 2. Man Has Measured The Heavens
A Child Of Our Time: Part I: 3. Is Evil Then Good?
A Child Of Our Time: Part I: 4. Now In Each Nation
A Child Of Our Time: Part I: 5. When Shall The Userers' City Cease
A Child Of Our Time: Part I: 6. I Have No Money For My Bread
A Child Of Our Time: Part I: 7. How Can I Cherish My Man In Such Days
A Child Of Our Time: Part I: 8. Steal Away
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 9. A Star Rises In Mid-Winter
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 10. And A Time Came
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 11. Away With Them!
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 12. Where They Could, They Fled
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 13. We Cannot Have Them In Our Empire
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 14. And The Boys Mother Wrote A Letter
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 15. O My Son!
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 16. Nobody Knows The Trouble I See, Lord
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 17. The Boy Becomes Desperate In His Agony
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 18. They Took A Terrible Vengence
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 19. Burn Down Their Houses!
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 20. Men Were Ashamed Of What Was Done
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 21. Go Down, Moses
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 22. My Dreams Are All Shattered
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 23. What Have I Done To You, My Son?
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 24. The Dark Forces Rise Like A Flood
A Child Of Our Time: Part II: 25. O, By And By
A Child Of Our Time: Part III: 26. The Cold Deepens
A Child Of Our Time: Part III: 27. The Soul Of A Man
A Child Of Our Time: Part III: 28. The Word Of Wisdom Are These
A Child Of Our Time: Part III: 29. I Would Now My Shadow My Shadow And My Light
A Child Of Our Time: Part III: 30. Deep River

Amazon.com

This, one of Tippett's earliest acknowledged works, is one of his most popular. The music relates the true story of a young German Jew who, terrified and enraged at the treatment of his mother, kills a Nazi officer and touches off a violent pogrom. Tippett adopts the structure of Bach's Passions, in which arias alternate with choruses and Lutheran hymns (chorales), although in place of the chorales Tippett substitutes magnificently moving Negro spirituals. "A Child of our Time" offers music of rage, poignancy, and deep compassion. As the title itself implies, it is both specific to a certain time and place, and universal as well. No lover of classical music can afford to ignore it. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Tippett's Oratorio Is Provocative.......2005-08-24

Though it premiered in March of 1944, "A Child of our Time" remains thought provoking in its social-philosophic message some sixty years later. The 1992 recording on Chandos, captures its spirit and intensity. Well, worth listening to. The work was performed this summer (2005) at the Berkshire Choral Festival.

A Lyrical and Lush Modern Masterwork.......2003-11-14

Michael Tippett's "A Child of Our Time" is truly one of the gems of 20th century composition. Baritone and soprano arias segue into choruses based on Negro spirituals as Tippett, a gay man, makes an encompassing comment on oppression: anti-Semitism, racism, and homophobia.

At the oratio's center is the historically true story of a 17-year-old Polish Jew, Herschel Gryszpan, avenging his father's death at the hands of fascists by shooting a Nazi officer in Paris. (The Germans reacted violently to this perceived insolence, herding Jews to the gas chambers with special zest following the incident.)

That a doomed but noble adolescent would appear at the center of a pederastic composer's best work is wholly predictable, but Tippett, who wrote both the words and music here, doesn't attempt to develop Herschel as a character. Instead, the boy becomes a symbol for the oppressed throughout history.

The simple words of the arias limn their suffering: "I have no money for my bread. I have no gift for my love." This is sung by a lone soprano and then resolves exquisitely into a choral version of the spiritual "Steal Away," which dreams of an escape from a torturous world. As the choir sings, the soprano voice still streaks the group vocal with mellifluous runs. Sublime. Utterly gorgeous.

This rich work also carries us through seasons. Winter is first along with the cold consequences of Herschel's assasination. By the end, it is spring again, and we are on the bank of a "Deep River" greening back into life. Tippett seems to believe in the human spirit and its power the weather atrocities and be reborn. The British composer stretches his gift for lushness and lyricism to the very end of this Bach-inspired composition. "Burn down their houses! Beat in their heads!" are among the many lines whose melodies are so memorable I could sing them to you now.

Tracks:

Exsultate, Jubilate: Alleluia
Ave Maria
The Lord's Prayer
Mass In C Minor: Laudamus te
Bless This House
La Forza Del Destino: La Vergine degli angeli
1st Movement: Nulla In mundo pax sincera
Zueignung
Messiah: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
Pavane
Ave Maria
A Child Of Our Time: By And By
The Sound Of Music: Climb Every Mountain
Panis Angelicus
The Holy City
Requiem: Pie Jesu
Hansel And Gretel: Prayer
Because
Cavalleria Rusticana: Easter Hymn

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful voice, beautiful songs.......2006-01-16

Lesley Garrett has one of the most beautiful voices around. If you're a fan of soprano voices such as Kiri, Lisa Vroman, etc., you'll enjoy this album.

A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE.......2004-12-20

I THOROUGHLY ENJOY THIS ALBUM OF LESLEY AND THINK IT IS ONE OF HER BEST ALBUMS. A BEAUTIFUL CHOICE OF SONGS AND HER PERFORMANCE IS SUPERB.

Garrett's "Hollywood" recording more compelling.......1999-08-25

Garrett's "Hollywood" recording is more sophisticated, and less pandoring.... But her voice here is just as fine... Listen to the Faure Requem, Ravel's Pavone, It's never been done with more subtle emotion....and for a sellection that will blow your "socks" off listen to her "Jeruselem"

A must have for anyone who enjoys a gorgeous soprano voice!.......1999-01-05

Ms. Garrett has a beautiful voice and extroardinary talent! Her variation of technicality in her music makes every song different..something to listen for. Her selection will inspire you...I believe the title of this CD is very well named. Ms. Garrett has great talent and I hope you will also share in her gift.

Another winner from Lesley Garrett!.......1998-10-03

Beautiful voice and the ability to sing any piece such that the listener experiences it as if for the first time. A MUST for fans of this singer.

Average customer rating:

Three of Tippett's Four Piano Sonatas Marvelously Done

Tippett: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-3

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

William Alwyn: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Michael Tippett: Symphony No. 4 / Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli / Fantasia on a Theme of Handel - Richard Hickox / Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Howard Shelley
William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 7 and 10
Gustav Mahler: Conducting Mahler/I Have Lost Touch With the World
György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard

ASIN: B000BK53E2
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Andante Tranquillo
III. Presto
IV. Rondo Giocoso Con Moto
Sonata No.2 In One Movement
I. Allegro
II. Lento
III.Allegro Energico

Customer Reviews:

Three of Tippett's Four Piano Sonatas Marvelously Done.......2005-12-17

If there is a more persuasive proponent of twentieth century British piano music than Peter Donohoe, I don't know who it is. His British Piano Concertos project, also on Naxos, has been a marvel, and this recording of his performances of three of Tippett's four piano sonatas is magnificent. A pity the Fourth Sonata, at 35 minutes, is just a bit too long to have been included on this single disc. I hope we can look forward to Donohoe recording it one day. The first three of Tippett's sonatas are as different from each other as one can imagine. The First is a neoclassic exuberance, the Second a more astringent but nonetheless insouciant one-movement monolith, the Third an exploration of the piano's sonorities.

The First Sonata, in four movements, was premièred by Phyllis Selleck in late 1937. Written in unselfconsciously tonal language, the sonata clearly is influenced by Stravinsky, Prokofiev and American popular music. It also uses a simple Scottish folksong as the basis for its second movement, a set of variations based on Robert Burns's 'Ca' the yowes tae the knowes' ('Call the ewes to the knolls' - Richard Whitehouse in his otherwise fine booklet notes has 'yowes' as 'cowes,' an understandable solecism for a non-Scot). The third movement is a sonata-allegro with a flowing main theme that is interestingly varied on its return in the recapitulation. The boisterous fourth movement, in rondo form, is influenced by American jazz gestures and in places reminds one a bit of Gershwin. As Tippett himself remarked, this is a young man's music.

The 1962 Second Sonata, in one movement, has been called austere by some commentators, coming as it did just after Tippett's astringently spare opera 'King Priam.' But I hear, rather, a kind of insouciant whimsy tending towards sarcasm at times. In this sonata one hears Tippett's kinship with Prokofiev or Shostakovich. Tonality in this sonata is unstable and it is often difficult for the ear to pin down tonal centers, yet this eleven-minute work is unfailingly interesting in its loose rhythmic swing, its unexpected events and, for me, its general cockiness as conveyed by those crushed appoggiaturas toward the end. I didn't 'get' this sonata at first but it eventually spoke to me and it is, I think, now my favorite of the three.

The Fourth Sonata, in three movements, is from 1973 and quite a departure for Tippett in that here he explores, in supervirtuosic yet pianistic style, the many and varied sonorities possible in piano music. There are gamelan sounds, impressionism, ecstatic stasis, pounding Beethovenian chords and more, all held together by Tippett's formal sense. I had previously had Paul Crossley's recording of all four sonatas (although I'm at a loss as to where those two CDs have gotten to, loaned out and never returned I suspect) and my recollection is that his performance of Sonata Three is the one most different from Donohoe's in that the present recording is more quicksilver to Crossley's brick-and-mortar. Further, I seem to recollect that Crossley's performance is more mosaic to Donohoe's organic whole.

If you own Crossley's traversal -- it must be getting onto twenty years old now, I suspect -- you probably don't need this one. But if you want to newly acquaint yourself with these important works, I'd give the tip to Donohoe, hoping of course that he will add Sonata No. 4 to the first three soon. The budget price makes it all the more attractive.

Strong recommendation.

TT=53:34

Scott Morrison

Tippett: Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli / J.S. Bach (arr. Hogwood): Fugue in B minor on a Theme of Corelli, BWV 579 / Corelli: Trio Sonata in B minor, Op. 3, No. 4 / Concerto Gross in F, Op. 6, No. 2 / Holst: St. Paul's Suite

Average customer rating:

Tippett: Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli / J.S. Bach (arr. Hogwood): Fugue in B minor on a Theme of Corelli, BWV 579 / Corelli: Trio Sonata in B minor, Op. 3, No. 4 / Concerto Gross in F, Op. 6, No. 2 / Holst: St. Paul's Suite

Manufacturer: London
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E57Z
Release Date: 1994-03-15

Music Composers:

Music Composers

Music Composers