Classical music reviews

It's a truism that if you don't try new things you'll never know whether you like them. Tim O'Brien was a new artist to me when I got this album, and on the first play I wasn't sure whether I'd made a good choice, but it grows on you. There's authentic folk music ("Wagoner's Lad"), original music successfully imitating folk (the chilling "John Riley," which is *not* the song you remember Joan Baez singing--this one focuses on a little-known aspect of the 1846-7 war with Mexico, and if I didn't *know* it had been written expressly for this collection, I'd have thought O'Brien dredged it up from some obscure traditional songbook), instrumentals and "talkin' blues" ("Talkin' Cavan," which reminds me a bit of "Alice's Restaurant"). Worth your listen.

Seriously, this recording (and it's follow up "Two Journeys") are treasures.

ALL of the real heavies from both Celtic music and bluegrass are on this record. Seriously, from Earl Scruggs to Altan- they're all here. Others have attempted the same Celtic/bluegrass hybrid but THIS is the best.

My favorite track is the utterly chilling story of Irish- American soldier of fortune "John Riley." The music was written by Tim with lyrics by Guy Clark and features REALLY SCARY slide guitar from Kelly Joe Phelps.

And then when you realize that it's a true story....

Every schoolkid in America (or Ireland) should get to hear this recording.

And then be sure to check out "Two Journeys."

Hard to add much to the reviews already written. You will definitely like this CD alot. O'Brien draws on major talent from both sides of the Atlantic to assist him on this project and almost every cut is superb (the rest are just real good). Tim O'Brien is in fine voice and his harmonies with Del McCoury, Kathy Mattea, and others are right on the money. One of the most impressive aspects of this project is the quality of Tim O'Brien's songwriting. I'm sure "A Mountaineer is Always Free" is destined to become a bluegrass/folk classic and his "Talkin' Cavan" is a great (and hilarious) tale of genealogy tourism gone awry.

'I Wish It So' sung by popular / classical switch hitter, Dawn Upshaw is a very, very good interpretation of classical American musical theatre pieces by four masters of the genre, Leonard Bernstein (music), Marc Blitzstein (lyrics), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) and Kurt Weill (music). As I am most familiar with female interpretations of Kurt Weill's songs, especially by the likes of his widow, Lotte Lenya and Weill interpreter extraordinare, Ute Lemper, I have to say that while Upshaw does them justice, she does ont outshine the very best Weill interpretations. Primarily, I believe she suffers from never actually performing the works on stage, as Lenya has.

And, since Ute Lemper did an album with a similar collection of songs (Illusions) from Sondheim and others, I thing Lemper still has the edge on interpreting other composers as well.

On the positive side, I find Upshaw's interpretation as good or better than almost everyone else who makes a career out of these songs, such as, dare I say it, Barbra Streisand. This is a good thing, because I believe Upshaw is not up to the very best mezzos who share her classical works. She can't hold a candle, for example, to Renee Fleming or Anne Sofie von Otter, although her interpretations of Weill are as good as von Otter, just not as good as Lenya and Lemper.

A very, very nice album if you like female vocalists.

Dawn Upshaw once again disproves the adage that opera singers can't sing showtunes properly. Her diction, her ability to act out the lyrics and her crystal clear angel-like voice are just heavenly. Miss Upshaw could teach quite a few Broadway and Cabaret singers a thing or two about interpretation and she would have her hands full teaching opera singers like Te Kanawa or Fleming how to put over a showtune properly. Simply divine!

This is an endlessly rewarding album by an operatic soprano who demonstrates an expressiveness and range rare in crossover albums of this sort. Upshaw modifies her classical technique without compromising it, narrating with a conversational tone and youthful ebullience well-suited to musical theater. She continues her tradition of championing obscure American art songs with three gorgeous Blitzstein pieces, and wisely avoids the standard, overdone Sondheim showpieces in favor of several gorgeous lesser-known songs. "I Feel Pretty" is given a refreshing makeover, while "Glitter and Be Gay" demonstrates both her impressive vocal control and comedic prowess. Despite the odd choice of "There Won't Be Trumpets", which demands a belter to properly execute the climax, this album is a well-conceived and cohesive collection that becomes more enjoyable on each subsequent listen.

Joshua Bell's exquisite playing turns these arrangements into Gold. In the hands of Perlman or Shaham these arrangements would be pure shmaltz, but Bell's playing is of the highest caliber.

Love it! I had heard of Josh Bell but never had purchased any of his music. I am a full fan now. This cd is wonderful. I am a Gershwin fan and have been for years. Bell breathes new life into the old classics and the result is breathtaking. His touch with the violin is beyound discription. He even plays with George in one cut, Sweet and Low Down. That alone is worth the price of the cd. Buy this cd and expect to be enchanted. It has been in my changer for weeks now, I can't get enough.

This CD was my introduction to Joshua Bell after hearing a track on our local Washington, DC, classical radio station. It was hard not to be struck not only by the warmth of Mr. Bell's playing but also by his phrasing. He is almost never flashy, but his nuances made me find new musical possibilities which I hope -- but somehow doubt -- Gershwin intended. This is Gershwin as you have never heard him before, and it desires a place in anyone's classical or jazz collection.

What a great collection, many real sacred classics, all delivered in very heartfelt, but simple way, and Kiri's voice is just so beautiful. And I like the fact that there are many different moods, there are some songs which are very soothing, slow pieces but also different ones, and the the final songs are Let The Bright Seraphim which is so uplifting and bright and Let Their Celestial Concerts. They are both from Samson, it's refreshing to hear these tracks instead of the usual pieces from Messiah.
My favourite songs are Bist du bei mir and especially Mozart's Ave Verum, so perfect when sung by Kiri, I know so many different versions but these are probably the best I have heard.
Mozart's Laudate Dominum is done very nicely, good tempo and such great singing. Kirir has a great trill! Panis Angelicus is good too, I wish Kiri would do something else instead of this worn classic, but her version of Schubert's Ave Marias on this album is actually very good. This is a great, refreshing collection overall, well put together, with very tasteful arrangements. There is also a nice chorus, they only sing in few pieces but they sound really good.
There is a small problem with the sound level on this album, it's true, but Kiri's voice still sounds beautiful, just crank up the volume a little bit, so you can hear her better. Maybe the bright seraphim will hear her too!

Kiri Te Kanawa voice never fails to inspire me and uplift my spirit. Her rendition of "Ave Maria" is just so beautiful and moving that its effect on the listener can not be expressed in mere words. Kiri's voice and intuitive nature of delivering the inner strength and emotion of each selection on this CD is just inspiring.

Dame Kiri's voice shines in these beautiful sacred pieces, and as her biographer David Fingleton, in his excellent liner notes for this CD points out, that going back to her youth and first voice teacher, who was a Sister of Mercy, church music has always been a part of her repertoire, even though she is mostly noted as an operatic soprano.
Favorites include Gounod's exquisite "O Divine Redeemer" ("Repentir"), the two Mozart pieces, "Laudate Dominum" (from "Vesperae solennes de confessore" KV 339), and "Ave Verum" KV 618, and the luminous performance of Schubert's popular "Ave Maria".

Track # 11, Purcell's "Trumpet Time", is a trumpet solo by Crispian Steele-Perkins, and there is also a good and jolly trumpet on track # 11, Handel's "Let the Bright Seraphim" from "Samson", which is the piece Dame Kiri sang in St. Paul's Cathedral for the Prince and Princess of Wales, at their wedding in 1981, and has become one of her most often requested songs.
This recording was made in 1984, at the All Saints' Church in Tooting, England, and the sound is not great but quite adequate. The boys of the Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral sing like little angels, and the English Chamber Orchestra is led by Barry Rose. Total time is 47:40.
This would make a nice change of pace CD during the Christmas Season, and for fans of this wonderful soprano, hearing her voice is a joy any time of the year.

Bruno Walter (1876-1962) has the reputation in our current generation of being a disciple/protege of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), while he was one of several great conductors who were Mahler's students, including Otto Klemperer and Oscar Fried. Walter never completed an entire Mahler Symphony cycle during his career. But there is an earlier MONO recording of Symphony 1 with the New York Philharmonic (Sony CD), a 1947 recording of Symphony 4 (New York, Sony CD) and Symphony 5 (New York, Sony CD, MONO), a stereo Symphony 9 (Columbia Symphony, Los Angeles, Sony - 2 CDs), and a famous live 1938 Symphony 9 with the Vienna Philharmonic made just days before the "Anschlass" uniting Germany and Austria under the Nazi government in Berlin
(EMI, Naxos, and other budget labels). (Bruno Walter then fled from Vienna, first for Paris, then in 1940, New York and did not return to Europe until after World War II, a wise decision given his Jewish lineage.)

In this recording, Walter's Mahler 1 benefits from better sound, and fine playing from the Columbia Symphony. But it is quite mellow: climaxes are not built up as in some recordings, and there is a laid back aura about the whole performance. Some may find it refreshing, and I find it acceptable, but when in a mood to be moved or shaken by something, this doesn't cut it.

Symphony 2 is also fine, but doesn't have the powerful climaxes many conductors bring to Mahler. Some exciting moments are more beautiful and loving than exciting or gut wrenching. Here the sound is more tinny, and not as natural as in Symphony 1. I read the recordings sessions for Walter's Mahler 2 were interrupted when Walter took sick with a near fatal heart attack and there was a large gap in time before the recording could be completed: it was done in several sessions in 1957 and 1958.

Still, Walter's Mahler is worth hearing, and is important as Walter knew the composer personally. I love Bruno Walter's recordings, and would recommend (more highly than this) his Beethoven Symphonies (except 9); Mozart Symphonies 35, 36, 38-41 (either New York Philharmonic MONO or California Columbia Symphony STEREO recordings: the New Yorks are faster tempos in most movements); Brahms Symphonies with the Columbia Symphony; and Schubert Symphonies 5, 8, and 9, all available in the "Bruno Walter Edition" from Sony Classical.

For Mahler 1, I like Muti/Philadelphia (EMI) and for Mahler 2, Klemperer/Philharmonia (EMI).

These recordings are for two sorts of listeners: those who are just becoming interested in Mahler's music and those who are thoroughly familiar with Mahler's music. The former will have a fine introduction to Mahler's musical world without the sometimes distorting tendencies of conductors competing for attention in a now-crowded interpretive field, the latter will be able to enjoy again the direct, unforced beauty of Walter's conducting. Famously a protege of Mahler's, Walter brought to his recordings the authority of having been present at the creation of the works combined with his sure hand in guiding the musical line and his sense of communicating a transcendent spiritual experience. Straddling the symphonic traditions up to the end of the century and the incipient modernist trends, Mahler's music is so ample in both its scale and inventiveness that it can bear a wide range of interpretive approaches without being pulled utterly out of shape. With Walter the listener gets the music as close as possible to a "no-frills" approach, yet with a radiance that can, if you let it, transport you to an emotional plane that lies beyond words, which the best music does. There are always the many other ways to be guided through Mahler's great musical lands -- the crackling intensity of Mitropoulos, the wrenching emotion of Bernstein, the grandeur of Karajan, the clarity of Boulez -- but Walter gives you the mellow essence of the music, where the tumult and the anguish give way to a hard-won tranquillity and the triumphant moment is tempered with a sense of its transitory nature.

Two beautifully recorded CDs!

The fact that Mahler and Walter were close associates, probably had a significant influence on these recording. I seems that Walter must have obtained some insight as to the "artistic intentions" for these pieces because they have a special quality that many other recordings of these works seem to lack; a subtleness, a quiet self-assurance if you will.

My favorite:...Symphony # 1
I've always been drawn to the "Titan" from the very first time I heard those eerie opening bars years ago. It always reminded me of stepping out into an alien (but not necessarily unfriendly) landscape.

All in all, Mahler as I'm sure Mahler would have intended. Recommended!

For those who love Mahler and have fallen under the spell of his many great works, this re-mastered release from BBC of the historically important 1959 live performance of the Mahler Symphony No. 8 as conducted by Jascha Horenstein with the London Symphony Orchestra will come as a revelation. The complexities of the 'Symphony of a Thousand' have perplexed many a great conductor and even though there are increasing numbers of avialable recordings of this mighty work, there really isn't a 'perfect' reading. Horenstein, conducting the work for the first time on this recording (!), intuitively knew how to make it make sense musically without depriving the work of its many moments of at times disjointed mystery and exaltation.

Horenstein is joined by the BBC Choral Society, BBC Symphony Chorus, the Goldsmith's Choral Union, the Orpington Junior Singers along with the many soloists including Alfred Orda, Arnold van Mill, Kerstin Meyer, Helen Watts, Joyce Barker and Agnes Giebel. From the opening 'Veni Creator Spiritus' to the closing rapture of the Goethe scene, this is a performance that is simply staggeringly dramatic and beautiful.

The recorded sound though only in mono is so fine that it stands well in the technical arena of today's science. Horenstein's Mahler No. 8 must be heard to fully appreciate this great work. It is a revelation, a performance that makes the work seem to last far less than the hour plus it occupies on paper and in the halls. Words fail, except to encourage purchasing this wondrous recording. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06

Now, do not buy one copy of this disc. Buy several and with no hesitation give it away to someone you like. Is that not the message heard in this music? Can anyone misunderstand it? Surely no. Remembering the recordings I got in my childhood, none of them went misunderstood. This is a pot of gold.

Jascha Horenstein, in my humble opinion, is the greatest Mahlerian ever. Other contenders; Leonard Bernstein's Mahler has the schizophrenic, vulgar and over-the-top qualities that are outstanding, but outshined by too much of neuroses and self-indulgence. Bruno Walter is tender, lyrical, but lacked a bit of edge and Klemperer is a grumpy Mahlerian; my least favourite. Both "protege" of Mahler performed only a certain number of Mahler symphonies in their lifetime and dismissed the others ala carte - Mahler's glorious Symphony no 8 being the most glaring. Coming close is newcomer Benjamin Zander, whom I heard in a lecture that this maestro is a likely inspiration, but his attention to detail and score markings sometime leaves a performance of his akin to "text-book" music. Maestro Horenstein combines the analytical observation with soul and heart, as the late maestro Barbirolli put it "feel his music in your bones". Barbirolli certainly comes close to Horenstein as best Mahler conductors ever, but Horenstein has the edge that Barbirolli lacked. And it comes to no surprise a reviewer quoted Horenstein's Das Lied as a Mahler that Furtwangler would conduct.

You see, why I regard Horenstein as the greatest Mahlerian ever is that if the great Furtwangler ever conduct Mahler in an alternate world, this is how Horenstein's Mahler sound. His Mahler Eighth is the most powerful Mahler I've ever heard. Instead of all out bombast like Solti, as other reviewers note -he shapes up the music and pushes the drama gradually while maintaining the momentum. The codas of "Veni Creator Spiritus" and Faust's final scene is overwelming, while you listen to Solti's - they wither out. I think it is perfect to what Mahler described as the sound of the whole universe resounding.

As other great live performances, Horenstein's great Mahler Eighth is without glaring distractions and flaws. The whole London audience must've caught some bloody epidemic, and coughs are recurrent throughout the whole performance. The London Symphony isn't as powerful as the present, and the brasses couldn't hit some high notes. Since there was 700+ contingent of choir and orchestra, a miss of cue will result in massive "tanglement" - choir members and soloists struggling to get back to the bars. I have to admit Part I was a little messy, and thank God by part II, everyone was on the gear. But these performances of enthusiatic but imperfect individuals are more treasured tham limb, lifeless unenthusiatic performances by so-called professional, "perfect" ensambles.

I recommend a good stereo system or the best that you have, and neighbours willing to bear your noise. Then, let Horenstein's Mahler Eighth resound. It will change the way you perceive music, and everyone around you.

The finest Mahler'sixth on record as is attested by other reviewers. The performance has depth, yet is unswerving, thus retaining the melodic structure. Lines are clearly articulated while the playing has a rich luster. Karajan's well organized approach is in stark contrast to others on record. A must for any Mahlerian.

You must listen to this Finale. With Karajan's razor-sharp precision and the orchestras rich, round, and rock-solid synchronization, this IS the greatest Fourth Movement available.
In fact I would also agree that it is one of the greatest achievements on Disc both Technically and Sonically.
Although the Orchestra is, literally, Perfect; Karajan's interpretation can get a little too mannered in the Scherzo. Its just not edgy enough for my taste. Try Bernstein's on Sony.
As for the other movements, this is simply Karajan showing off his orchestra's unbelievable quality of sound, that no other orchestra could ever obtain. Bravo.

Hi Volks:

I'll spare you the boasting of how many recordings of the 6th I own, and comparisons between this and those. I'll simply state, for those of you who are looking, that this is the most sublime and deeply moving of all recordings of this symphony. I doubt seriously it will ever be topped in interpretive criteria.

The recording is not the best, of course -- The Berliners in that venue were always difficult to capture. However, it is still very good. It is the playing that matters. This seems to be an example of one of the rarest of moments when all forces converged to produce something magical.

The playing is flawless, the orchestra demonstrating virtuosity beyond all others, and Karajan's interpretation is deeply, deeply moving as if only he, and he alone, understands this complex creation and is capable of bringing us into Mahler's world.

I am aware of the "muscial snobs" opinions about Karajan and Mahler; but, rest assured, among the dozens of recordings of this symphony, Karajan reigns supreme and is unmatched by any modern recording.

Elektra, is one of the most horrific, shocking, but most wonderful piece I have heard from the very begining of the 20th century. I love Strauss's HUGE orchestra, atonal, thick late romantic style of music. This is too well captured by Solti and the Wiener Philharmoniker. I am not too much of a voice fan, and I only know so much in German, so therefore I mostly listen to the orchestra, and all of its scary and beautiful accompiaments. The singers have captured their parts extremely well, but I just don't really like the singing. However, I absolutely LOVE Krause's role in the famous Orestes scene with Elektra, Collier's role of Chrysothemis while she sings about her life, and most of all, Resnik's role of Kytamnestra, when she sings of her nightmare, and of course her bone chilling laughing and when she cries out "Mehr lichter!" I am thankful to have this wonderful opera with my collection of cds.
The only reason why I gave this item 4 stars, was because of its sound. I did not like the quality when I listened to the sound sample, so I had visited another site to buy the new digital remastered version. BUY THE NEW VERSION. Borders, and Barnes and Nobles are now supplying it, it is much cleaner and the orchestra is much more audible. However, when I had bought it, it took about 3 weeks because it is made in Germany. I don't know if it has changed. Anyway, I love the Solti/Strauss/Elektra cd, but it is only to be fully appreciated if you buy the new digital remastered version that Amazon does not supply.

Birgit Nilsson died this past December 25th, 2005, and this recording of Strauss' Elektra is but one of the many recordings she left behind, recordings which attest to her unrivaled, grand and virtuosic operatic style. This recording under the baton of George Solti is critically acclaimed but features eerie special effects for dramatic effect, which now make for heavy going. For instance dramatic mezzo soprano Regina Resnik's performance of Klytemnestra, in particular, is amplified and distorted as though she were providing shrieks for a haunted-house ride. Still, Nilsson is appropriately manic, murderous yet capable of melting tenderness on those fleeting occasions when it was called for. Strauss was another repertoire she excelled in, as her Salome (also under Solti)proved. The music for this Elektra is rough, heavy and slow-paced, but builds up strength for climaxes. The neurosis of the characters are well-dramatized. Nilsson oozes madness and desire for vengeance. In no other recording will you find a superior performance, although I'm also fond of Eva Marton's Elektra. Now, if you happen to be a fan of Nilsson, this recording is sure to delight you, as she is still in great vocal shape.

"Elektra" is a nasty piece of work - agonized roiling in a dark pit of primal emotion, puncutated by shrieking eruptions of rage. And Solti - never the subtlest of maestros - milks the score for all its worth. You may feel the need for a shower by the time it's over.

But it's Nilsson who elevates this recording into immortality. In "Ring Resounding", John Culshaw - who recorded her Brunnhilde for Solti's landmark Wagner cycle - states that not even Flagstad in her prime could match her vocal power. A bold statement! But no one who listens to this opera will be inclined to doubt it. And her vocal acting here is marvelous as well.

While not always frightening as much as classical music with a Halloween theme, this is a fine recording to play at parties if the guests fancy this kind of music. The title refers to the Devil's Dance, for violin & piano from the film Witches of Eastwick, a work composed by John Williams. It is followed by A Transylvanian Rhapsody from the comic film Young Frankeinstein. The most famous piece of all "Danse Macabre" was Saint Saens' ghoulish work that nearly caused his mother a heart attack at the premire. Using stage effects like smoke and mist, Saint Saens had dancing skeletons waltzing on stage. The Devil Trill Sonata by Tartini has a frightening story behind it. It was rumored that the composer dreamt that the Devil gave him the score to this violin piece. It is played at an impossible speed and is one of the most difficult violin pieces ever composed. Only few violinists take on this piece. The music on this album is however not as scary as some other classical Halloween CD's out there but violin afficionados will be quite delighted.

I'll say right off that Shaham's technique is top-notch, which is what one expects from such an album. And this is fine playing, with the violin and piano generally blending well.

But while this was clearly intended to be a "concept album," the artists/producers made several puzzling (and frustrating) choices that left me wondering just what the concept was supposed to be. The music is "devilishly difficult" at some times (the Tartini, for example), "creepy and eerie" at others (the "Danse macabre", others). However, several of the pieces are neither dazzingly difficult nor all that creepy - the Brahms and the Mendelssohn, for example, fail both definitions and, frankly, just don't seem to fit on this album. And then, there's the Paganini B-flat caprice - a solo violin piece transcribed for violin and piano, weakening the focus on violin virtuosity - while the Ysaye is left as a solo piece . . . well, a **piece** of a piece - we're given only a part of one movement of a four-movement work that is both very difficult AND built around that ultimate "creepy" theme, the "Dies Irae." Why only part of a single movement?

The net effect of all this is an album that doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. It's almost as if someone committed to an album concept without making sure there was enough material to fill the album. Further quibbles: the violin is placed somewhat too far back, for my taste; on a virtuoso album, I want to be "up close" to catch all the nuances of the performance. And the balance between violin and piano is less than ideal at times, at least to my ear.

As I said, the playing is fine; it's the concept execution that falls short of "as advertised."

As everyone says this is an extremely enjoyable disc. While it played fine in my ordinary CD player, the one in my computer couldn't handle it. Not only wouldn't it play, but it crashed the whole machine. Real deviltry at work!

I read all the reviews, discounted the negative ones because of the type of praise given by the positive ones. I will have to admit that there is SOMETHING amiss in this recording or rendition! I've played it through twice now and STILL haven't heard it all, what's with the sound here? The choir had been singing 5-10 minutes before I knew there was a choir, there were previous tracks I could only faintly hear. I finally turned up the volume and started from the beginning, OUCH! Let's turn it back down! Oops, too low, let's crank 'er back up! OUCH, back down! This is the first recording, of my hundreds, that I have had this type of sound problem. You might want to consider the negative reviews.

The london symphony is amazing. and you CAN hear it in this recording. But overall i feel that the record is altered TOO much digitally. Whether its the brass being made "tin-ier" or instruments turned up (where the clarinet is louder than the french horn haha, will never happen) etc... also some of the dynamic ranges in this recording, im sorry to say, sound almost impossible. They go from where you have to turn the speakers alll the way up, to where you just about blow them out. The only part on the record i love is the final "Pesante" track which just sounds amazing. But the rest of it is just... too digital-sounding for me. I prefer an organic, live-sounding recording that is not altered (except the usual mics which are used live anyway). And might i say, the London Symphony should NEVER be altered: they are the most amazing group in this day and age and their sound ABSOLUTELY should never be changed like this.

Among a previous generation or two, there might be legitimate arguments for Klemperer or Barbirolli; I would put Kaplan a shade ahead of Klemperer at least, though they both bring their own nuaces to the recording.

And, regardless of sound quality concerns on the disc, I head Kaplan live with St. Louis. This is NOT an "overstudied" performance; rather, it takes full account of all the nuances of Mahler while stripping some of the overly romanticized patina that some mid-20th century composers inflicted on this symphony.

That said, this does deserve a "warmer" interpretation than, say, the Sixth or Seventh. And, as with the Sixth, I've not found a version fully worth a five-star rating.