Classical music reviews

I agree with the positive comments made here about this production and this recording. This is the best recording of the full score that I know. Haven't heard the Simon Rattle recording but did not need to, since I already had this one which is practically perfect in every way.

I have owned at least four recordings of this work, starting with the movie soundtrack, then the 1951 revival because I wanted the hear the `complete' score, and then when it was finally recorded complete in stereo for the first time, I bought the Maazel recording (which contrary to a comment made here was done in the 70's not 1969--I think it was 1976). Maazel's tempos are heavy and ponderous and lacking all humor. Elsewhere it's said, he was not the greatest Gershwin conductor. Too true.

Was lucky enough to have seen this production in NYC with the top cast recorded here (the leads alternated as it was too tough to sing either Porgy or Bess 8 nights a week). It was beautifully done, musically and theatrically. DeMain gets nearly all the tempos just right and that is an important thing for Gershwin. The cast act convincingly and sing beautifully.

I understand that Porgy and Bess is one of record producer Thos. Z. Shepherd's favorite operas and the care he put into this recording shows it. It is a live with appropriate sound effects that reproduce the action of the stage version.

Overall lovely recorded sound, with a wide dynamic range (pre-digital, you can hear a very few tape dropouts that I wish they fixed, but who cares). And it works on record theatrically, because it worked on the stage! According to a musician friend of mine, who did the percussion here, RCA took a while to decide on committing to this recording, despite the rave reviews the production got, but who can blame them since Maazel's recording had just come out a year or so earlier. Lucky they did. So far this production has never been duplicated for getting all the elements, most especially the Gershwin sound, which more often than not is the antithesis of lingering sentimentality, just right.

After several years of frustration, my search is over. This is overall the most satisfying complete recording of this opera.
The first complete set I heard was Maazel's, and while it has much to recommend it, it never truly ignites the way every good opera should. I then purchased the Rattle set, and found it very beautiful, but even less dramatically coherent than Maazel's. It even caused me to wonder, Lawd forgive me, if Gershwin's sense of dramatic timing wasn't inherently flawed.
How wrong I was. In this set, conductor John DeMain vindicates the work's claim to be a great opera, but never loses sight of the incontrovertible fact that it it is an opera conceived in Tin Pan Alley, and raised on Broadway. Best of all is his expert pacing. DeMain unfailingly seizes the dramatic point of a scene, giving the work a sure structure. Poor Rattle on the other hand seems to be so in love with the music - and who can blame him? - lingering over a phrase here, wallowing in an orchestral and choral wash there, that the music slowly succumbs to Wagnerian torpor.
Rattle may have a higher quotient of gorgeous voices and a more polished orchestra, but DeMain's performance makes me feel I'm in the theatre watching what must have been a thrilling performance. Bravo!

Composer Stephen Sondheim has frequently cited PORGY AND BESS as his favourite calling it "a gift from above." And indeed it is.

And you could not ask for a better recording than this lavish set from the 1976 Houston Grand Opera, lovingly translated to discs by Thomas Sheppard with the same care and dedication he brings to his original Broadway cast recordings.

This album puts you centre stage with extensive use of sound effects and creative use of the stereo spread. The cast is perfection, honed by having performed the show live several times before going into the RCA studios. It's packed with a full libretto and synopsis.

The other "complete" recordings don't measure up. London's is correct but uninspired. EMI's set is well sung but lacks theatricality. All of the elements are in perfect balance on this set.

The old Columbia 1951 album was complete in its day but musicologists have since restored much of the material cut before the Broadway premiere.

Among the highlights discs are the Decca set featuring some of the cast members from both the 1935 and 1942 Broadway productions. A 1950s CD featuring Leontyne Price and William Warfield offers the key arias in a well sung collection. Readers Digest offers excerpts in their Gershwin CD set featuring a woefully bad Porgy, Valentine Pringle.

There are also a variety of Jazz interpretations. A strange 1956 Bethlehem Jazz album with Mel Torme and Frances Faye on Rhino, a highly prized album with Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte, and albums by Sammy Davis Jr and Caremen MacRae, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis.

Sammy Davis also appeared in the 1959 Samual Goldwyn film version with Sidney Poitier and Dorthy Dandridge. The film was withdrawn from circulation by the Gershwin estate in 1974 and has rarely been seen since. The Columbia Records "soundtrack" album was briefly available from SONY on CD but it too has been withdrawn. (Strangely, contract problems prevented Sammy Davis Jr from appearing on that album and his songs were redone for the record by Cab Calloway!) It is still the preferred version of "highlights" from the score for many listeners who enjoy the well-sung program and lush orchestrations.

I first heard of Upalappu Srinivas from an on-line interview with George Harrison in Feb, 2001. Someone asked George what he had been listening to lately. He said about Mr. Srinivas, "Eddie Van Halen eat your heart out". He meant it too. The mandolin playing is very very fast. At times serene and dream like. The title track is 30 minutes of pure bliss. I might add that the drums and violin are absolutely amazing also. If your even remotely interested in Indian music (This is from South India) I would highly suggest picking this one up. Also check out "Dawn Raga".

The mandolin, when he plays it, seems so suited to Carnatic music, with its inflections and voice, and though I'm no classical music scholar, and only enjoy it in the mood it evokes, it's absouloutely lovely, very stirring, very beautiful. Another artist who plays carnatic music on a "untraditional" instrument, is Kadri Gopalnath, whose saxaphone is amazing.

It seems to me that this genius was born with a Mandolin in his hand. His elegance and simplicity yet emotive and ecstatic mettle in handling complicated Carnatic Ragas clearly identifies the prodigy in him. Consider the 4th piece which is a RTP Ragamalika composed by the musician himself. The Mandolin master starts off with Kiravani, a Melakartha and is an ever-touching raga, slowly he slides into a less popular yet complicated raga and a derivative of the 27th Melakartha (Sarasaangi) called NalinaKaanthi. Having touched the soft scales of this raga, he then decides to dwell deep into the complicated well and plays a very unpopular yet profound raga by name Sucharithra (a mela again), followed by the scintillating dusk raga, Revathi and finally gets back to Kiravani. The next piece is also fantastic and a complex Thyagaraja keerthana in the raga Gaanamurthee (3rd mela).

I had a few qualms about picking this one up. Being a Windham Hill release, I was wondering if I was going get a lot of synthesized New Age mush. But this is a wonderful album. Some of the pieces are played pretty straight on traditional instruments, while others stretch the boundaries (Hawaiian guitar, Peruvian flutes). Even when a synthesizer makes an occasional appearance, it doesn't intrude. Although purists may disagree, the performers very much capture the spirit of Renaissance music.

Among the highlights are the previously mentioned piece using Native American and Indian flutes, "O Vos Omnes", by Barry Stramp; the Hawaiian guitar piece, "If My Complaints Could Passions Move"; George Winston playing guitar instead of his usual piano on the French "Villanelle"; and the late Michael Hedges's "Fantasia", which gets a slightly harsh, jazz-rock feel which actually works.

There are only two vocal numbers. David Arkenstone and his wife provide some absolutely stunning vocal harmonies to Claudio Monteverdi's devotional prayer "Domine ad Adjuvandum". The concluding track, the baudy "My Thing is My Own", is arguably the weakest thing here. Performed by Ann and Nancy Wilson, the vocal melody is a bit outside of Ann's singing range. But it's fun.

A relaxing, entertaining CD recommended for everyone.

If you're just "getting into" Renaissance, Ancient, or Celtic music, you should add this one to your collection. It was one of the first I bought, and I still listen to it frequently. One of my very favorites is "Si Je Perdais Mon Ami" by George Winston...it's the haunting theme-music to the great Masterpiece Theatre "Elizabeth R" starring Glenda Jackson. And of course the bawdy final song about remaining chaste ("My Thing is My Own" by Nancy Wilson) is terrific. All in all, it is a CD with great variety and quality and it will "spur you on to" more Ancient/Celtic/Renaissance music, helping you "decide what you like" so you can start building your collection.

When I first saw this CD in the New Age rack of a local bookstore, I thought it had been mis-filed from the Classical section. Then I took a look at the combination of modern and early music performers listed in the credits and realized I had discovered something delightfully new. For centuries musicians have been drawing inspiration from Renaissance and medieval music, reinventing it to suit their own eras. And today, ensembles seeking to authentically recreate early music sometimes choose to stretch their boundaries as well, exercising their own creativity and appealing to modern sensibilities. So why not combine the two on one recording? Windham Hill's "Renaissance Album" brings together "straight" early music offerings from esteemed groups like Piffaro and the Baltimore Consort with whimsically inventive modern interpretations from New Age artists like the Angels of Venice, Lisa Lynne, Liz Story and David and Diane Arkenstone. The selections fit quite well together, weaving a tapestry across the centuries that is quaint, courtly, delicate and at times lively and even humorous. Lovers of both ends of the spectrum will find something to enjoy here, and will have a chance to discover a variety of artists whose work they may wish to explore further. If you enjoy Windham Hill's "Rennaissance Album", you may also like another of their compilation albums, "Celtic Christmas 3"; not necessarily either Christmassy or Celtic in tone, it nonetheless features some of the same artists as "The Renaissance Album", and in some ways sets a similar tone.

Danney Alkana is an excellent guitarist, and this CD features lots of great music. I particularly recommend his cover of Vivaldi's Concert for Strings. My only complaint is that the music sometimes gets lost in Barber's Adagio (it's a very "atmospheric" cover). I listen to this CD several times a week, and strongly recommend it.

Five stars for this great cd by Danney Alkana! He plays these beautiful classical masterpieces with passion and overall awesome style. There's not only electric guitar but keyboards, drums ect... all instruments played by Alkana himself!
The purpose of this album in Danney's words: "For the classical purist, i would like you to know that I truly mean no disrispect by playing music of the greatest composers the world has ever known! My intentions are to promote the Masters to a listener who may never have been exposed to classical music otherwise...for the rocker, my greatest desire and hope is that you wear out this cd, experiencing many hours of enjoyment, and perhaps wanting to hear more. If so i will be there".

Bluddy well done Danney! If you enjoy classical music and not to old to rock, this is a must! JB ENGLAND

I don't think Samuel Ramey has ever hit a sour note. This CD is a wonderful example of Mr. Ramey's glorious voice. He posseses one of the Richest, Fullest, Deepest, most Beautiful voices of our time. I don't think it matters what he is singing, he is always superb. Whenever you see the name Ramey on a recording, you can always count on a quality performance. Buy this wonderful CD, and enjoy it for years to come!

The voice of God-- Samuel Ramey-- in absolute top vocal form, singing selections perfectly suited to him. One of the top 10 cd's I own. Buy it!!

Samuel Ramey has a marvelous voice and has the musicianship to use it well. This disc is most entertaining. No wobble, right-on intonation, clarity with the words that he sings. What more could you want?

Highly recommended

EMI has remastered this enduring classic on its "Great Recordings of the Century" line, and it is available. Here's the ID number for finding it on Amazon, or just do a search for Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk:

B000063UM3

As a relative newcomer to classical music I knew very little about Dmitri Shostakvich beyond his name, and even less about opera as such, when I learned about 'Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk' and determined that I had to have this recording of it, along with recordings of his Symphony No. 10 and his Symphony No. 5, at least. Of these I have von Karajan's and J�rvi's respectively. The former symphony was composed in the summer and fall of 1953, the year of Stalin's death, whose death on March 5, 1953, must have given Shostakovich much cause for celebration because symphony number 10 was and is said to contain a musical portrait of Stalin in the second movement. And, for all the world, this scherzo does appears to be that, really, especially since it is that violent and brutal, although the symphony concludes with considerable satisfaction and more happily because, in fact, Stalin, who had persecuted Shostakovich horribly, repeatedly, and prolongedly, for years, including as to this opera, was finally dead several months before Shostakovch began to compose this work. The latter, Symphony No. 5, was completed in 1937 and is a different matter entirely, in that it was called by a commentator "a Soviet artist's response to just criticism" (as to this opera) and concludes very differently. For anyone who still regards any of these works as "politically controversial", whatever that is supposed to mean, I personally have to add that, as I understand the foregoing remark AND Symphony No. 5, OF COURSE THE CRITICISM WASN'T JUST, COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN UNDERSTOOD TO BE JUST, NOR WAS IT REALLY ACCEPTED AS JUST BY THE COMPOSER (NOR SHOULD IT HAVE BEEN). By now, I have the Rostropovich recording of Symphony No. 8, too, which I also play regularly and often, on my CD player, which never fails me. All these recordings are available at this site and I recommend them along with this one of this opera. Others do better at dicussing it than I; I would just like to say that of course it's terrific. I am glad that this recording of this opera is available here, and that it has finally seen the light of day in this, its original form, so that we can all hear it. Highly recommended.

Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest opera recordings of the twentieth century! The opera itself, here restored to its original form -after metamorphosing into 'Katerina Izmailova', the original libretto (and score) hidden from the world for thirty years- is one of the masterful achievments of Shostakovich's life. Rostropovich has assured himself a high place in the pantheon of artists who have rendered incontestable service to mankind by this recording. Katerina's aria which opens the opera is a remarkable piece of theatre in and of itself, not to mention a perfect preamble of what is to come, and is radiantly sung by Vishnevskaya in full command of her extraordinary gifts, every nuance intact, her intimacy with the role apparent from the outset. The blood of this score is so entirely Russian, and so clearly purchased with that particular life-sacrificing art peculiar to the Russian humanist aesthetic, that its musical language reveals itself straightaway as an organic part of the glorious continuum of Russian art, one of the reasons of course that Stalin chose it to forge his hammer against everything truly Russian. The political history of this work of art, fascinating though it is, yet remains an ignoble and indeed unimportant footnote beside the lasting triumph of this particular opera. Nicolai Gedda here demonstrates why he is a legendary tenor- Sergey's grief, and what remains of his inner life are wrought like gold at every turn; it is a performance of towering artistry and unparalleled beauty. The London Symphony is shocking in its perfection, heated by Rostropovich's mystical gifts and pouring itself out like a Russian lover. Others more learned and capable than I have written far more lucidly than I could hope to in praise of this eternal work of art, yet I wish to call out the majesty of this masterpiece, encourage others to purchase it, make it their own, and thereby give homage to a genuinely rare human experience bequeathed to the world by Shostakovich, here restored to its preeminent place by the irreplaceable artists and collaborators who have understood what this work means to humankind, especially in an age of unbelief.

My humble opinion is that you haven't heard the 13th performed until you've heard this one. Even the primitive quality of the audio technology of the time (1962?) works in its favor.
If you're not particular about owning the release as pictured, RussianDVD.com has a reissue available on their own label. Don't be gouged by 3rd party sellers--this particular issue is OOP; the performance itself is still available at list.

I searched for this CD for nearly a decade, and finally stumbled upon it in a small used CD shop on Conti Street in New Orleans, of all places. Boy, was it ever worth the wait.

Because of the controversial nature of this work, this performance has an uncanny but undeniable "buzz" about it; a live performance of the work recorded in the Soviet Union at a time when it was about to be pulled from performance by the government.

The recording, made live in 1963, sounds better than you could ever imagine. Though the tympani is out of tune during the intoduction to "Humour", and the mix and miking are sometimes a tiny bit off-balance, the sound is spectacular, even by today's standards.

This CD has incredible power, and I have yet to hear another interpretation of Symphony #13 that can match it, including those by Haitink and Rostropovich. You may have to wait awhile or pay extra for this disc, but I would consider it an absolute must-have in any comprehensive classical collection, especially for admirers of Shostakovich.

This is THE recording of the Babi Yar symphony to have. You are transported back to the first performances of the symphony, which the Soviet government would rather not have allowed. Pressure was put to bear on Kondrashin to "become ill" and the original bass quit. This recording is also noteworthy because it presents the test of Babi Yar as it was first written by Yevtushenko which he subsequently changed to indicated that there were other victims than just Jews in the massacre. Shostakovich was forced to change his score to the new working.

The sound is good and the audience attending the performance is quiet until they applaud at the end. If you can get a copy of this CD, buy it.

This music is wonderful. Very reminisant of Enya, whom I also beleive is outstanding. I am a fan of Rave music, and techno as well and I put Mr Lynch right up there with Paul Okenfield, and DJ Liquid, and enya.

One of the most beautiful collections of peaceful music I have ever heard. Ideal for relaxing or for background during massage, Reiki, reflexology, etc. I only wish Ray Lynch was a bit more prolific. I hope he continues to produce music of this type for a long time.

I've owned Sky of Mind since the mid-1980s when I used it in guided meditation sessions and healings. Its opening of Tibetan bells is the perfect calming influence to prepare the inner bodies for a guided visualization or literally to "travel" into the past, present or future of the human condition. The poise and balance of the gentle harmonies at times is the perfect soft hybrid of classical, jazz and modern New Age "crystalline" sounds. It is also great to help children go to sleep at night, and has a spiritual "aftertaste" that prolongs the elevated consciousness. It is an inpired work, and it is well worth buying for anyone into meditation or healing.

I am sure no knowledgeable person would deny how absolutely perfect all these songs are. However, the performances on this album are extremely inconsistent. It will go from an excellent rendition (Waiting for the Girls medley, Sunday, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Sooner or Later, Green Finch, Send in the Clowns, Pretty Lady) to the weird (I never Do Anything Twice), to the bad (Broadway Baby, Our Time). I still have absolutely no idea how they managed to butcher one of the best songs ever written--Good Thing Going--and turn it into smooth jazz elevator music. Why would they give Broadway Baby to someone who sounds like she's 10? That said, Liza Minelli, Glenn Close, Karen Ziemba, Dorothy Laudon and the "Waiting for the Girls" performers are all very good. And ending with Bernadette Peters and "Sunday" ends the set on a absolutley fabulous note.

First, to the person who criticizes the recording b/c of "Broadway Baby." Daisy Egan (who sings in in this recording) sounds like she's 10 becuase she IS young. She had just appeared on Braodway in Secret Garden and won a Tony for it. It's a joke...Broadway BABY...hello, it's a joke.

In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.

In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.

If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.

This review is by Crosley.

I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.

There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.

I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.

One wonders why this pairing of Seiji Ozawa and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Michael Tilson Thomas and the Boston Symphony Orchestra all under the spell of Stravinsky was issued. Not that the performances individually need reinforcement because they don't. Perhaps it is the long relationship between Tilson Thomas and Ozawa or their similar approaches to this repertoire that was the driver. Whatever the reason, here are recordings that are a treat.

Tilson Thomas elects the 1947 version of Petrushka and offers a clear-headed, rhythmically sound, exciting performance. The warm Boston sound is intact and enhances his overall mood of the work. Ozawa and the Chicago forces give an all stops out performance of 'Le Sacre du printemps', a performance that is about as visceral and pagan as any on record. And the bonus of the brief but effective 'Feu D'artifice' fantasy is given a robust reading.

There are many recordings of 'Le Sacre du printemps' in the recorded repertoire: obviously every conductor wants to imprint his mark on this masterpiece. The sonics are all-important when the work is recorded and in the case of this recording the sonics are excellent. But there may soon be a startling surprise for lovers of this mighty, historically important music. This week Esa-Pekka Salonen gave a resplendent, detailed, emotionally charged performance that was recorded live by DGG in the Disney Hall. And if the technicians are able to cope with the amazingly live clarity of the acoustics of this grand architectural triumph, the recording may be the gold standard immediately upon release. Salonen has previously and successfully recorded the work with the Philharmonia Orchestra in 1990. The growth in stature in the intervening years has never been more obvious that this current state of Salonen's Stravinsky. Watch for it! Grady Harp, January 06

Both the Rite of Spring and Petrouska are very well rendered in this recording... Ozawa's reading is insightful and very clear... The recording quality is great... Highly recommend this recording...

Being among my top favorite pieces in the 20th century (after all, this piece turned the view of classical music upside down), I have tested myself listening to various versions by different performers. As far as much as I listened, my top two will have to be Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic (the most brashing, bashin, mind-crushin'!!!) and this equally thrilling performance with Ozawa leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Officially, this is a major highlight throughout Ozawa's conducting legacy, still a very young man with seemly imperishable vigor and force very equilavent to his teacher Lenny. The Boston Symphony is an excellent orchestra to work with (the woodwinds and brass especially); otherwize the Chicago Symphony could have been the only other choice.

In my perspective, I had to admit that, just by focusing on the level of being barbaric and noxious, it slightly lacks that to Lenny, but on the other hand, it's brilliant controlled nail-biting high tempo can cover that.

Definitely worth buying!!! GO FOR IT!!!!!