Classical music reviews

As the armed forces of the United States struggles in Iraq, this work of genius should be re-discovered. I agree with all the other reviewers who speak of Britten's considerable musical talent. But I wish to comment on the fact that this work is a collaboration between a living composer and a deceased poet. Benjamin Britten selected 9 angry war poems by Wilfred Owen, and integrated these poems into the Latin Mass for the Dead. The poems are strategically integrated with both the instrumentation and the Latin mass.

When we hear "What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?" we know we are in for some confrontational lyrics and music.

Britten is masterful in bringing to life the personification of Death in the passages "Out there, we've walked quite friendly up to Death...We've sniff'd the green thick odour of his breath...He's spat at us with bullets and he's coughed schrapnel. We chorused when he sang aloft...We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe."

The terrible majesty of a war machine is captured in the music and poetry in the passages: "Be slowly lifted up thus long black arm. Great gun towering toward Heaven, about to curse, reach at that arrogance which needs thy harm and beat it down before its sins grow worse; but when thy spell be cast complete and whole, may God curse thee and cut thee from our soul."

The sense of tragedy increases in the music and lyrics as we hear about a man, drifting in and out of consciousness on the journey to become a corpse: "Move him, move him into the sun - gently its touch awoke him once. At home, whisp'ring of fields unsown, always it woke him, woke him even in France."

And then we come to Owen's masterpiece: "So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went, and took the fire with him, and a knife, and as they sojourned both of them together, Issac the first-born spake and said, 'My Father, Behold the preparations, fire and iron, but where the lamb for this burnt offering? Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps and builded parapets and trenches there, and stretched forth the knife to slay his son. When lo! An Angel called out of heaven, saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad! Neither do anything to him. Behold, a ram caught in a thickett by its horns; offer the Ram of Pride instead of him. But the old man would not so, but slew his son - and half the seed of Europe, one by one, and half the seed of Europe, one by one."

If you read the lyrics while listening, you may find, like me, that this degree of tragic stupidity and needless horror is difficult to fully absorb. Britten had to collaborate with a deceased but still angry vibrant voice in this poem by Wilfred Owen. The music must allow the pain and sadness and bitter irony of the poem to remain intact - which it does - certainly revealing Britten's considerable genius.

But Britten does not leave us in this state, but moves toward resolution, not only in the musical composition and the mass, but also in the final poem where a soul meets a soul with "I am the enemy you killed, my friend. I knew you in this dark; for so you frowned yesterday through me as you jabbed and killed. I parried; but my hands were loath and cold, Let us sleep now."

Enough said. Go listen.

This was the piece of music that first really turned me on to classical music, listening to the very first performance from Coventry Cathedral on a small tranny radio. What I failed to realise then was that this massive impact was achieved by brilliant structural simplicity.

The whole work is effectively a study on the tritone, the 'diabolus in musica', that most disturbing and unstable of intervals. From the bells at the start to the harmonically ambiguous endings of the first and second movements and of the entire work; from the alternating tonics of the boys' Te Decet Hymnus to the alternating tintinnabulations of the soprano's Sanctus; from the fanfares of the Dies Irae to the two halves of the tenor's ineffable Dona Nobis Pacem at the end of the Agnus Dei. All these and countless other examples revolve around or grow out of the tritone. And what better musical image for war could there be than those two most irreconcilable notes in the scale?

Then, of course, there is the inspired concept of juxtaposing the hieratic incantations of the Latin Mass for the Dead with the burning anger of Wilfred Owen's First World War poems. There are, in fact, three tiers of performers in the War Requiem - the boys' choir and chamber organ, objective and dissociated in the distance; the soprano, chorus and orchestra singing the Latin Mass at, as it were, the centre of things; and the tenor and baritone with the chamber orchestra delivering Owen's bitter poems in the intimate and confidential foreground. The different perspectives of these three groups are a vital aspect of any performance and are ideally realised by producer, John Culshaw (of Golden Ring fame) and his team on this premiere recording.

After that first performance and subsequent ones in London, this recording was awaited with great anticipation. But even the most optimistic marketing man at Decca wasn't prepared for the overnight success of the enterprise. Classical music albums - especially of new music - weren't supposed to sell like that. From the iconic (and, at the time, unique) simplicity of the cover to the superlative standard of the recorded sound, never mind the quality of the performance itself, it outstripped the highest expectations.

And what of this performance? These were the performers for whom the piece was written - from the three soloists (specifically, a Russian, an Englishman and a German) to the inimitable Jimmy Blades in the chamber orchestra's percussion department. Famously, the Soviet Minster of Culture prevented Vishnevskaya from performing at the premiere and Heather Harper had to stand in and learn her part in just 10 days. By the time she recorded the part, her voice was not what it was in 1962. The purity of tone and the anguished commitment of her singing at moments like the Lacrymosa that one remembers from those first performances are very different from the more distanced interpretation with a touch of Slavic wobble that we get from Vishnevskaya. Different, but not necessarily better or worse. Pears and Fischer-Dieskau are, dare I say, peerless. Glorious singing from both: human, bitter, angry, touching, heartbreaking (Move Him into the Sun), heart-restoring as they duet the two dead enemies of Strange Meeting to sleep. The touch of a German accent in Fischer-Dieskau's otherwise immaculate English puts a new perspective on many of the poems that fall to his part (not just Strange Meeting) - but, after all, the Germans must have shared all the same feelings that Owen expressed so poignantly in his poetry.

As for Britten's control over all these forces (the first time, I think, that he hadn't shared the conducting, usually with Meredith Davies), it is as masterly as you would expect from the creator of it all - and one who was an illuminating conductor, too, both in his own and in others' music.

There have been many other recordings since this one. Some may have matched it in some departments some of the time. None can touch it for its inspired expression of a masterpiece, fresh from the making.

I knew the poetry of Wilfred Owen before I heard Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. Britten's use of the poems in the traditional Requiem mass is inspired and, as pointed out in the booklet, caused a "bump" when it was first heard, it being unexpected that a poet would deal with war so directly. As pointed out by other reviewers, there are many recent recordings of this work that are excellent; Richard Hickox's comes to mind as being one of these. The recording conducted by Britten has an authority that places it near the top of any list of recordings. The recording dates to 1963 and features Britten's favorite singers: Peter Pears, Galina Visnhnevskaya and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

The War Requiem contains some unforgettable and powerful music. The trumpet calls in the Dies Irae and the marvelous sounds produced by the choir in the Sanctus. The choice of Fischer-Dieskau singing the Baritone was quite inspired. His German accent balances the Owen poems between the "opposite" sides of battle to give us a more universal picture of war. His duets with Peter Pears give us a melding of the combatants and bring us an understanding that those fighting are not different. Of particular note is the Owen poem of Abraham slaying half the seed of Europe. These duets remind me of the first Christmas of the First World War when the soldiers arranged their own cease fire and openly fraternized, to the consternation of their officers.

The soprano part, splendidly sung by Vishnevskaya, sings in the traditional Latin Requiem mass sometimes accompanied by the marvelous chorus. There are so many beautiful examples I could name where the Galina Vishnevskaya and the chorus sing so well together: the Lachrymose and the Sanctus come to mind. In this recording there are three choirs: The Bach Choir, London Symphony Choir and Highgate School Choir. The versatility of the chorus is very evident in the Recordare Jesu pie section of the mass, and is also a very beautifully composed part of the score. The London Symphony is superb, responding with precision to the demands of the score. The sound of the recording is clear and well engineered; it may not be digital but the importance lies in the magnificent performances.

The War Requiem was a highly personal work for Benjamin Britten and contains some of his best and most innovative music. The pairing of Wilfred Owen's war poems with the traditional Latin requiem mass focuses on the huge loss of life that accompanies all wars and forces us to ask questions about the nature of war. One is reminded that the War Requiem was premiered at Coventry Cathedral in 1962, destroyed by German bombs the ruins stand by the new cathedral as a testament to the senseless destruction of war.

This cd,'Greg Howe', is a great cd, his pure raw talent reaches out and grabs you by the ears, a real shred monster. I actually purchased this cd after I had 'Hyperacuity', I went retro. In listening to his first cd after 'Hyperacuity' I could not beleive how his composition and lyrical voice developed over this span of time. I don't know what cave I was stuck in not catching on to this guy before but I am glad I am out now! I look forward to his future cd's, this guy is a huge talent!!! Yes, you need this cd in your Greg Howe collection.

Ive had this album since it came out in the 80s. I still listen to this recording every so often and it still feels good. Greg has evolved into a great great player in the rock/fusion realm. Having Billy Sheehan on this recording is a plus as well. His feel and chops go great with Gregs playing. Too bad his bass tone has always been somewhat lacking. And Atma Anurs drumming is a compliment with his cool grooves and that shrapnel drum sound. If youre already into Greg then youre familiar with all his newer projects and recordings. But if not, make it a point to look into his stuff, its a world of musical information.

This CD is one of the best "guitar" Cd's I've ever gotten. I remember hearing this guy's name in the mid-90's, but how is he not up there with the Vai's, Satriani's, Petrucci's etc. Do yourself a favor and get this CD...its awesome. I won't even get into each individual song because I like them all. WOW!!!!!

This was a cult recording that went for high prices in the old days, and for the sake of Horenstein's conducting, listeners had to overlook a scrappy LSO and pinched sonics. I'm not sure it's worth it anymore. Horenstein was not a technical conductor, and we are now used to hearing Mahelr done by virtuoso orchestras in top form. In addiiton, I must report on the minority side that I don't find magic in this reading, depite my love of the Mahler Third. (Am I being paranoid, or is there a whiff of chauvinism around the way English critics lavishly praised this recording--the only one of the Mahelr Third made in Britain--while voicing reservations about the indisputably great bernstein performance from New York?)

From the first bars of this enormous Symphony you can feel the authoritarian death 's call; this spiritless atmosphere must permeate the entire hall and connect you immediately with Thanatos; after this frightening introduction comes a dreamlike state to reinsert the initial theme with major chilling intensity.

The Third Symphony, composed between 1893 and 1896 belongs to "Symphonic Cantatas genre"; an enriched canvas with orchestral colors and iridescent textures; the whole orchestral mass, a children chorus, contralto and feminine chorus. This is a true nature 's claim for dissolving as reality. According to own Mahler 's words: " My Symphony will be something the world has not listened yet." Indeed, the entire nature has its own voice and tells such deeper secrets anticipated perhaps in dreams.

The perpetual and fascinating score is characterized for this changing character of the Symphonic language, the alternation of the Apollonian and Dionysian, nocturnal ardors and mysticisms those fabulous timbering inventions always noisy, childhood `s celestial condition and the sublimated innocence, expressed as love.

It is useless to admit this is my favorite Mahler 's Symphony; a magic journey through the memory 's labyrinths that anticipated the nocturnal shadows in Schoenberg `s Verklaerte Nacht , loaded of that precognitive tragedy, repressed nostalgia for a world which will never be the same, the dreamy remembrances of those walks in the forest and pantheist charm permeated by a cosmic gaze.

Horenstein underlines magnificently this aspect, and it deserves a special place at the moment to rank it among the most celebrated, expansive and heartfelt recordings ever made.

A must-have in your personal collection.

As virtually every other reviewer here says, this is one of the all-time great Mahler Thirds; at or near the top on almost everyone's list...but don't get taken to the cleaners by some "opportunist" charging like $85 for it on the marketplace! First of all, inexplicably it does turn up in used CD bins occasionally; but, most importantly, as of the time I'm writing this review, the reissue label Brilliant Classics, has issued it as part of a boxed set of Mahler Symphonies. Now, granted, none of the other performances in the box are likely to make your top 10 list--and it's a little bit difficult to understand why, having licensed it, Brilliant decided to market it that way--but at less than $70 on Amazon (and cheaper elsewhere) it's a helluva lot better than paying $85 for a "mint used" copy!

Zola Van is known for capturing the majestic beauty of nature in her piano solos. Each solo seems to be the outer expression of the inner joy she feels as she is walking through the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois.

In River to River Trail: The Hike, you will experience the rushing of a river, the tumbling of water over rocks, the swirling of water along the edges of the Ohio river and many other imaginative moments where water seems to play a central role. The Battery Rock Creek solo also captures the anticipation Zola Van feels as she walks along the trail towards a wilderness area between the Ohio River and the Mississippi river.

Heartbeat at High Knob feels more restful in its meandering lullaby quality. Zola was also inspired by migrating Monarch butterflies and you can almost see them fluttering towards the sky and then landing again as she plays.

Angel's Dance at Garden of the Gods is inspired by what she calls "wondrous beauty." I see angels in a ballet because the notes are delicate and have a flight of fancy element interspersed with an ethereal echoing quality.

Broken Wing at Lusk Creek has a definite melancholy pace and contemplative awe throughout the solo inspired by an area called Indian Kitchen where nothing man-made can be seen. As she walks on to an ancient Indian Village she sees a Thunderbird take flight. Flight of the Thunderbird at Mill Stone Bluff is mysterious and almost breathless in its pace.

Rain at Ghost Dance Canyon Trail: Dixon Springs is inspired by giant boulders, pools, waterfalls and rain dancing on leaves and wildflowers. Walk by Here: Ferne Clyffe almost has a sorrowful ending, it is as if Zola wants to stay and enjoy an area many visitors never see.

Zola's music is filled with a reverence for nature and in a moment of deep solitude she is inspired by a barred owl resting in a pine tree. As she plays Barred Owl at Panthers' Den, you can see the owl watching this mysterious visitor and then he descends into the tangled branches and disappears as Zola's playing tapers off gently.

Trail Magic at Rocky Comfort tells of magical experiences and stories long distance hikers enjoyed telling their friends. Shooting Stars on Trillium Trail: Giant City was inspired by a rare wildflower now known as French's Shooting Star.

Mighty River: Tower Rock is best described by Zola when she says: "Conflicting emotions swirl through me, as the water swirls through the sand along the shore: relief that my journey is over but also sadness for it and joy at my accomplishment." You can feel her emotions and this solo sends shivers through me.

Richard McNeill then sings about the entire journey and how it relates to life and finding your destiny. Trails Never End: Devil's Backbone is poetry set to music and I love the lines:

I gaze into the night.
A million stars I see,
And I have come to be
Part of this mystery.

Zola Van's music inspires moments of relaxation or you may even want to listen to her music as you walk along a trail near your own home. This collection of piano solos will awaken your aesthetic appreciation for nature and make even a casual walk by a river an awe-inspiring journey. Since I was born in Illinois and now live by a river, I thought it was finally time to review one of my favorite Zola Van CDs.

If you enjoy this CD, I think you will love: Paint the Forest Winter and Carol: A Christmas Journey.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

I attended graduate school in Southern Illinois, and while its been a number of years since I left behind the quite of my walks there, those memories spring to life as I listen to Zola Van's RIVER TO RIVER TRAIL: THE HIKE (through Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois). This evocative collection of piano solos recreates the pianist's journey through the Shawnee National Forest. Memories of ferns, flowers and wildlife will accompany listeners who journey through these marvelous piano solos. Beginning with "Steps," the excitement of the beginning of the journey will include the listener in the pianist's exhilaration. Through the difficult terrain of High Knob, the wondrous beauty of the Garden of the Gods, whether accompanied by running water or the ancient echoes of history, each moment is uniquely captured in music. An awe of creation will accompany this listening experience evoking tears and joy, an appreciation of the magnificence of creation and a sense of wonder. A series of eleven compositions, Zola Van's RIVER TO RIVER TRAIL: THE HIKE will appeal to outdoors lovers, classical piano fans, and new age fans alike. Indeed, this CD is both fiercely evocative and sensuously beautiful, resulting in a calming, healing experience for all listeners. Very highly recommended.

I attended graduate school in Southern Illinois, and while its been a number of years since I left behind the quite of my walks there, those memories spring to life as I listen to Zola Van's RIVER TO RIVER TRAIL: THE HIKE (through Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois). This evocative collection of piano solos recreates the pianist's journey through the Shawnee National Forest. Memories of ferns, flowers and wildlife will accompany listeners who journey through these marvelous piano solos.

Beginning with "Steps," the excitement of the beginning of the journey will include the listener in the pianist's exhilaration. Through the difficult terrain of High Knob, the wondrous beauty of the Garden of the Gods, whether accompanied by running water or the ancient echoes of history, each moment is uniquely captured in music. An awe of creation will accompany this listening experience evoking tears and joy, an appreciation of the magnificence of creation and a sense of wonder.

A series of eleven compositions, Zola Van's RIVER TO RIVER TRAIL: THE HIKE will appeal to outdoors lovers, classical piano fans, and new age fans alike. Indeed, this CD is both fiercely evocative and sensuously beautiful, resulting in a calming, healing experience for all listeners. Very highly recommended.

I've enjoyed this recording for years. In the Sonatas, Rostropovich's cello is strong and the difficulty of having the cello and the piano together is remedied wholly by Richter's capable, modulated keyboarding. I especially love the second movement (Rondo) of Sonata No. 2 in G minor. (I suspect that the recording engineers also played their part.) The Sonatas sound as though they were recorded in a large, empty hall. Perfect.

Yet nothing can be taken from Gendron's cello performances in the Variations. Amazing depths in Variations on "Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fuhlen"! (He's also performed quite a bit of Bach out there.) Jean Francaix is the pianist in these performances and I especially enjoyed his parts in 12 Variations on "Ein Madchen oder Weibchen" based on Mozart. The Variations have more of a "chamber" feel as recorded.

In short, turn off all distractions, grab your favorite soothing beverage, lower the lights, and let this recording ease what ails you.

Beethoven, Rostropovich, and Richter. It is simply amazing how they managed to get Rostropovich and Richter, two GIANTS of the cello and piano worlds, to play some of the greatest music together. And this set of cello and piano music is complete! What more could you ask for? Sure, the sound isn't perfect, but it's barely noticeable, and you get used to it.

Simply put: The best set of Beethoven's Violoncello Sonatas you'll be able to find. Period.

After I heard this cd I bought Gershwin plays Gershwin on the naxos label which arn't piano rolls. Any pianist can tell that many of these rolls are heavily edited and can't be played by a pianists with two hands. On the naxos album that has some of these same songs Gershwin's actual playing doesn't sound very good. Many of Gershwins contempories such as James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Luckey Roberts and even Zez Confrey were much better pianists than he was, however they didn't have his melodic gifts as a composer. I would recommend Artis Whodhouse's
transcriptions of Jelly Roll Morton's piano rolls (on the same label) instead because most of those are exactly how he played them and in my opinion Morton was a better musician in every way than Gershwin.

Composers are not necessarily the best performers of their own work. A songwriter's songwriter like Jules Shear or Jimmy Webb comes to mind -- surely the best representations of their songs are on other artist's albums.

This album is charming in its own way -- a taste of the music and performance style of a bygone era. Someone complained that these rolls were edited. So what? I'm going to review the final product, now how it was made. Do you eat sausage? Ask not what's in it!

I like to listen to this CD in short bits -- a few songs at a time. For some reason I find it to be fatiguing if I listen for more than 20 minutes or so. I'm not absolutely sure why this is so. Possibly the meter is just a little too metronomic on many of the songs. This lends a "mechanical" quality to the performances.

Additionally, I felt that the dynamic range was restricted. The music does get louder and softer, because of the piano rolls themselves and because of the computer programming used to read the piano rolls -- the dynamics were deliberately adjusted by the record producers in some spots, if I read the liner notes correctly. And yet. And yet. Still these songs do not dynamically "breathe" fully in and out the way they ought to. I find this disappointing, but I think it has something to do with inherent limitations in piano roll recording technique. I'm guessing.

Taken for what it is, it is an interesting concept, and the sound quality is very pleasant. The performances are very good for piano rolls, but fall short of what a good interpreter could do. Take, for example, the Rhapsody in Blue from Woody Allen's Manhattan soundtrack. Listen specifically to the piano part -- the dynamics and variations in rhythm. This is not by any means the best performance of Rhapsody, but it is better than the Gershwin rolls.

I got this CD as a gift. I am all for the austrogerman post- romantic music and as imagined Gershwin is not my favourite composer. I know him from his best known works such as the 'Rhapsody", the 'American' and his great songs. This CD is a treasure as mentioned from other reviewers of this site. Gershwin full of passion, his music being jazzy to the very end and that great feeling you get after a great live performance is present all over the length of this 'treasure'. No question about the presence of the music. Not to be missed

I have a Carreras-recording of Tosca from 1980 and up till now I thought it was the ultimate recording of "Recondita armonia" and "E lucevan le stelle". I honestly thought that no one could sing these arias better. And in a way I'm right. The only one that did it was himself - a few years earlier.....(The two arias in this "golden years cd" are taken from a -76 recording of Tosca). And after listening to these songs I can't imagine that anyone dare say that he is/was the weakest of the three tenors. In my opinion he possesses something that the others don't. (I won't tell you what it is - listen and find out yourself). Even if his voice has changed over the years (and I mean changed, not declined..) something remains unchangeable and that is his ability to evoke emotions. No one can deliver a line like him. And that's something that's going to stay with him forever, because what makes his singing so special comes from within. It's not dependent on the quality of the voice. But in the songs on this cd his voice is pure gold.

Even though I like the whole album, some of the songs on the first cd (which consists of operatic arias) stand out to me - like "Una furtiva lagrima", "donna non vidi mai", "vesti la giubba" and "nessun dorma" (Sorry Pavarotti - Jos� is way ahead of you interpreting this song. It's not enough to sing it on full blast....) Here's also the loveliest rendition of "Forse la soglio attinse". In 1975 the audience at La Scala in Milan went absolutely crazy after he had sung this aria. I have a recording from that night and it sounds as if they are standing on their seats, cheering and applauding. And it's almost like I want to do the same myself after listening to his singing on this album. And in the song "dein ist mein ganzes hertz" he makes me believe that his whole heart really is mine......In my opinion Carreras has the best rendition of this song ever. No one else comes even close to this one. And I mustn't forget his "che gelida manina" from La Boh�me. I have the -79 recording it's taken from and it's the ultimate Boh�me ever.

The second cd has a "lighter" repertoire with songs from composers like Tosti, Cardillo, Lara and others. My personal favourites here are "Core n'grato", "Ideale" and "Granada". In my opinion no one sings these songs like Carreras. Or rather - no one sings like Carreras. Period!

His singing will no doubt give you goosebumps all over and make your hair stand on end. If not, I bet you're either a Pavarotti or Domingo-fan....

Now a household name by being one of the Three Tenors alongside Pavarotti and Domingo, Carreras' finest recordings were actually done in the 1970s, when his voice had a brilliance and luster that few singers have equaled. Born in Spain in '46, Carreras was a child prodigy, and by his late 20s was a shining star in all the major opera houses. Tragically, in '87, he learned he had leukemia, a disease he battled and won, going on to greater fame than ever before.
Though his voice is powerful and full of beauty, those with keen ears will detect his voice losing a tiny bit of its magnificence starting in the early 80s, and one wonders if the stress and exhaustion of stardom contributed to this as well as to the illness, or whether it was because the seeds of leukemia were taking root.

CD One is the operatic disc, and the two most sublime cuts are both from '76, Puccini's "E lucevan le stelle" (Tosca), and Verdi's "Forse la scoglia attinse" (Un Ballo in Maschera). Another track I adore is the heavenly Lehar "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" (Das Land des Lachelns), from 1978, and few have performed this popular piece with more loveliness.
CD Two is in a lighter vein, and starts with a stupendous rendition of Ariel Ramirez' "Kirie" (Misa Criolla), sung softly and with extraordinary tenderness and artistry.
There are lots of heavenly melodic Italian songs, like "O Sole Mio", and a few in English like the song made famous by Lanza (who according to the liner notes, inspired Carreras to be a singer when he saw "The Great Caruso" at the age of six) "Be My Love " (Brodszky/Cahn).
The foldout insert has complete track list info and liner notes, and mention must be made of the incredible, sensitive sepia portrait of this handsome singer on the cover. Total playing time for CD One is 75'32, and for CD Two 75'47.
A must for Carreras fans, and anyone who appreciates the finest in operatic voices.

This great double CD set shows us the true Carreras. All the great songs and arias are on this(although I would've liked to hear pourquoi me reveiller) and in pure Carreras style.
Some of the opera recordings are live, and that adds a lot to them. Both sides of the CDs have fantastic repetoire.
Definately a worthy buy!

Kathleen Battle's voice is exquisite and is suited for most of the pieces on the CD. Her rendition of Mascagni's Ave Maria is perhaps the best track, with the Schafe Konnen from Bach's Cantata No. 208 coming in a close second. Another highlight is the Laudate Dominum, delivered with so much skill and feeling.

Less successful was Rossini's Laudamus Te. Battle has a flexible, clear and delicate voice, but not one that's full-bodied enough to accommodate the style of music found in a piece as grand and strident as the Laudamus Te. There is a sense of strain when she sings it, though it is by no means entirely unsuccessful.

For anyone who loves Kathleen Battle's voice, this is a real treasure, she never sounded better and more radiant.
This is a selection of well known sacred songs but they sound fresh and lovely when sung by Kathleen. She performs two Ave Marias, one very famous, by Bach, and another which is rarely performed, written by Mascagni, and this one is really stunning. Mozart's Laudate Dominum and Pie Jesu from Faure's Requiem are also oustanding. The spiritual "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" is another highlight. There are several movements from Bach cantatas, including the famous Bist du bei mir, and Handel's "O Had I Jubal's Lyre" and "Rejoice greatly", they will remind you of how incredible Battle is when she sings virtuosic Baroque music.
And isn't the cover just beautiful? But get this album for the music, and you will rejoice greatly.

While I agree with an earlier reviewer who recommends her Levine disk, I must disagree with the claim that this "Rejoice Greatly" is inferior to her two other recordings of it. Her conception is identical in all three performances, but to my ear this is by far the best. In her full Messiah with Andrew Davis, the recording has her so recessed there is no feeling of intimacy. In her Handel recital disk, she is better placed and in better voice, but her rhythm is insecure in the sixteenth-notes; she seems to be nervously pushing ahead of the beat. But on "Grace" she gets it just right. For whatever it may be worth, a fellow fan once had the chance to ask Battle herself about this, and as I understand it her response was, "Yeah, I don't know why, but I haven't been able to do Rejoice before or since as well as it went on Grace."

Although well played, people who are considering buying this thinking it's the best rendition of both these concertos should pass.

In the Mendelssohn, Heifetz seems to lack a certain emotional element that should be present in the piece. As others have mentioned, there are other recordings out there that should be listened to first before hailing this as the best thing since sliced bread. The Kyung Wha Chung rendition is still slightly faster than most people decide to take this peice, however, the lyrical melodies are still present (I would also reccoment the Chung recording to anyone who hasn't had a chance to listen to it). If you're looking for a very passonaite recording of this concerto, try the Vengerov. Although it's not for everyone, you can hear the heart and soul he's pouring into the piece as he plays it.

The Beethoven lacks in similar ways that the Mendelssohn did. Although it is not nearly as passionate as the previous concerto, there is still an element of movement that needs to be felt. Heifetz fails at this partially because of how fast he plays this, and how everything just seems to "zing" by. Although the highly technical passages are played nicely, much of the rest is just too disappointing. For people looking for a better recroding, I reccomend the Francescatti or the Schneiderhan recordings of this piece, which caputre the mood and phrasings much better than Heifetz has done here.

Overall, if you're looking for another decent rendition of the Mendelssohn and Beethoven out of the oodles of recordings out there, then this CD is for you. If you are looking to purchase the best possible recoding in one go, you should probably pass on this CD and try some of the other ones I've outlined above.

I agree with Mr. Melson, who is below me.A fine performance of these works but there's better ones out there. Read Mr. Melson review---my thoughts are the same.

I do agree that Heifetz performed these concertos greatly, with an unbelievable technique. But the problem here is Heifetz played so fast (maybe due to his technique) and it causes the sound too short, and more serious is become lacking of sharpness. You can find the same thing at other CDs, for example, Heifetz played the first movement of Tchaikovsky's concerto in 15'50" while Kogan in 18'07" and Oistrakh in 18'56". Another example is in Sibelius' concerto, Heifetz played the Allegro movement just 13'30'' (compare to Oistrakh around more than 16' and Marcovici 17'30'').

For these concertos, I strongly recommend to Kogan and Oistrakh. But I recommend Heifetz with Glazunov's concerto, it's great.

This critic will not be expressing anything new in light of the many reviews for this 1977 studio recording of Verdi's obscure masterpiece Simon Boccanegra. The 5 principal singers - Piero Cappuccilli, Mirella Freni, Jose Carreras, Nicolai Ghiaurov and Jose Van Dam - are singing with glorious voice and dramatic commitment, making their characters alive with electrifying realism. The marriage of Verdi's darkly brooding music, lyrical melodies and virtuosic arias make for a truly grand opera. Originally a failure at the premiere, its libretto was later revised by the famous composer/librettist Arrigo Boito and enjoyed immense success. However, today it's an operatic rarity and only the baritone arias, like "Come en questa ora bruna" are featured in showcase albums. This recording is also available in a live taping of its La Scala performance in 1977. Claudio Abbado conducts with his usual greatness, attention to detail and subtleties. The haunting music is expressive and dramatically effective. It's too bad that this opera is not performed more often. It is a tale about a father's love for his long-lost daughter, of his mistrust for the man she loves. Personal conflict is pitched against a greater political struggle in Renaissance Venice, during the reign of the Doges. This theme of political problems and family problems was already used up by Verdi in both Don Carlos and Aida. As this opera is a later Verdi opera- 1870's- a little before Verdi wrote Otello and Falstaff- the music is far more mature and the storyline is broader (even confusing!) than earlier operas of his like the simple Traviata or Rigoletto. The music is really quite is really moving, dark, intense.

I would go as far as to say Boccanegra ranks among Verdi's best operas along with Don Carlos, Aida and Otello. The Council Chamber Scene is included here. It was featured in the later revised libretto and is opera's most beautiful moments. Each singer sings of their woes in a most moving manner and soaring above the ensemble is the soprano's cries of "Pace! Pace! (Peace! Peace!). Mirella Freni as Maria Boccanegra/Amelia is a revelation. Other than sounding like a pure lyrico-spinto or dramatic soprano, she sings with subtleties, with sweetness and with vigorous passion. While I still think that Verdi wasn't a particularly great repertoire for her, she does excell in this particular role as well as Queen Elisabeth Di Valois in Don Carlo. She sang Aida and that recording is on Deutsche Grammophone which also stars Cappuccilli and Jose Carreras but that is not the way Aida should be sung. As the Doge's daughter in this one, she is excellent and here we have a very fine dramatic singing-actress. Plus, she blends beautifully with Jose Carreras's rich, dark, velvety tenor voice. Although I would have preferred Placido Domingo in the role of Gabriel, which doubtless suited him, Carreras sings with unbeatable dramatic and lyric grandeur. All his arias are perfect for him. He was a terrific Verdi tenor.

This opera, however, is not a star vehicle for the tenor and soprano, which is the most unusual thing! Therefore, don't expect to hear much of the singing to come from Jose Carreras and Mirella Freni. The star is the Doge himself, sung by baritone Piero Cappuccilli. This is a magnificent showcase for a Verdi baritone, which Cappuccilli is. His singing is emotive, grand, invective, heart-felt and human, so human. The masculine timbre is fatherly and regal. This is exactly the kind of singing a Verdi baritione should have. Cappuccilli died only about a year ago, but his legacy as a great baritone is well documented in a few films and plenty of recordings. He made a terrific Macbeth, Amonasro and King Nabucco. Verdi was his specialty and on this recording, he pulls out all the stops.

Likewise, Jose Van Dam sings with supreme musicality, intoning every phrase with bravura, but to a lesser extent than the star Piero Cappuccilli. Fans of Van Dam will want to own this recording, as he was in his prime, singing with versatility. Only two years later he would be seen as Leporello in Joseph Losey's dark film version of Don Giovanni starring Ruggero Raimondi. He has a very virile quality to his singing and excellent control of breath. And as if the dark lower voices of Cappuccilli and Van Dam were not enough, Nicolai Ghiaurov has a part in this opera too. His bass never bordered on a growl. It was deep, beautiful and majestic. His fans will want to own this recording as well. This is a superb album.

Simon Boccanegra is mainly an opera for the male voices although Mirella Freni as Amelia/Maria puts in a very good performance. This gives the opera a sort of a "darker air", although not gloomy. Unlike many other Verdi operas this one does not contain any arias that are instantly recognizable, but instead you'll have hauntingly beautiful music throughout the entire opera.

This recording of Simon Boccanegra from 1977 is blessed with superb singers so you can hardly go wrong buying it. Jos� Carreras sounds so wonderfully fresh and secure; it's as if his voice could do anything he wanted it to - without straining it the least bit. And that sensual sounding, honeyed voice he's so famous for is most evident in this recording; and not to mention powerful. He's singing on full blast, going on and on and reaching newer heights without the slightest effort. You can just indulge yourself in his voice. I'm loosing track of everything else when listening to it. Listen to the aria "Oh Amelia ami" and you'll probably understand what I'm talking about.

In this aria you'll also hear my favourite baritone, the now late Piero Cappucilli who sings the part of Simon Boccanegra. He's probably one of the best Boccanegra's on disc ever. He's truly involved in the play and in my opinion he possessed one of the most beautiful baritones. It's like velvet on your senses.

Mirella Freni is perfect as Amelia/Maria. In my opinion her voice is very suitable for this kind of repertoire. I don't like the voices that are just "loud" and nothing more. That's why I like Freni, because she is capable of doing more with her voice than just unsubtle screaming all around. Also, her voice blends just perfect with Carreras' and they create moments of pure bliss throughout the entire opera. I just love the aforementioned "Oh Amelia ami", but listen to "cielo di stelle orbato" as well and you'll hear some really fantastic singing.

The rest of the cast also belong to the group of celebrated opera singers. The wonderful basso Nicolai Ghiaurov as Jacapo Fiesco is just perfect. The duet with Carreras "Propizio ei giunge" is one of the arias you would like hearing over and over again. Jos� Van Dam as Paolo Albiani is equally good. I have actually not been able to find a weak spot - or a bad singer - in this opera. This is solid work from beginning to end from both the composer and all the singers.

the Magical Combination of Cappuccilli, Ghairov and Carreras which was employed in the mid 70's often by La Scala has, unfortunatley, left little recorded legacy behind. Unlike the Pavarotti/ Sutherland or Milnes/ domingo, thee artists were less utilized. Their Don Carlos with Karajan was a bit of a bore, with Carreras and Cappuccilli already sounding tired at times. Listen to this Boccanegra (and alternatley the Forza Del Destino video by the Bel Canto society) to discover why this pairing thrilled so many .
Cappuccilli, who doesn't have the most pliant or beautiful voice, was nevertheless an incredible vocal actor who could blast through the toughest of Verdi's works. In his prime, he lends Boccanegra a power and gruff beauty, and fills out the lines with incredible breath control.
Ghiaurov's Bass-Baritone, black as death, is always perfect. His melancholy, slighly nasal tone, brings forth shadows of his King Phillip
Mirella Freni brings what she always brings to an operatic recording. She has a beautiful, warm, dark voice, that retains the control of a lyric soprano. Her top is huge and supple and, in her youthful prime here, she can harly have been wanted to sound better.
Carreras is a very different singer than the one you might associate with his name. The foggy top notes of the '80's are not yet in evidence (nor is the hakneyed and desperate phrasing). The wobble of the 90's is nowhere. This is the Carreras that was, for 5 years or so, the most popular and exciting of the worlds tenors. His tone is bright and his top has a ring and plangent spinto that Domingo could never approach (of course I love Domingo and recognize that he has sung excellently for 40 years to Carreras's 10.) Yet it is worth the price of the Cd to hear this exquisite Carreras singing.
Jose Van Dam is a surprizingly high-class paolo. Jose is in the same great form that produced his legendary Escamillio just 2 years previously with Domingo.
Verdi's political masterpiece speaks for itself. It is a touching story, and although it is complex it is not impossible to follow. There are no toe tapping numbers, but the musical standard is the greatest in the world.
I highly reccommend this set.