Classical music reviews

Ginette Neveu would have lived on to become one of the last Century's greatest violinists had she not died tragically and prematurely at the age of 30 in an airplane crash in 1949. Possessing a brilliant technique with a wide range of tonal colors and emotions at her command, she brought great fire, passion, intensity and conviction to everything she played.

Neveu left a small recorded legacy, among which is this 1947 recording of the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Issay Dobrowen. This is a most distinguished performance. Neveu brought to the much-played and recorded warhorse concerto a youthful, firy passion that is hard to resist. This makes the recording something truly special and unique among the many put down on the gramophone for the Opus. The miniature pieces that fill up the rest of the disc are further testimonies of Neveu's inimitable artistry and musicianship.

The remastering by Michael Dutton serves to highlight Neveu's vibrant, sinewy tone, which emerges from the CD with startling immediacy. In so doing, the orchestra in the Brahms concerto sounds relatively recessed when compared to a previous transfer by EMI Reference, but this is a small price to pay.

[Note: There have been two other versions of Neveu playing the Brahms Violin Concerto, both published on the French Tahra label: one with the French National Orchestra conducted by Roger Desormiere on 4 Apr 1948 {in a three-CD set titled "Tribute to Ginette Neveu", on TAH 2.355/57}; another one is with the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt on 25 Apr 1948, coupled with Brahms's Violin Sonata No. 3 accompanied by Neveu's brother Jean on the piano, on TAH 465. These live radio broadcasts find Neveu in even more expressive and elated form, but the CDs are very hard to obtain - so grab it if you happen to encounter one available online or in the record store.]

There is certainly no doubt about Neveu's genius as an instrumentalist. She sometimes makes other violinists sound merely competent. Aside from the main work, the Brahms Violin Concerto, this disc brings her together with her brother, pianist Jean Neveu, in pieces by Suk, Chopin, Ravel, deFalla and Dinicu. These compositions contain a strong exotic element which the pair most ably conveys with plenty of flair and emotion. At times, they are dazzling....In the Brahms, Ginette Neveu combines technical acumen with passionate expression. One of her strongest suits is the rendering of dynamic contrasts, where she is outstanding. Though I continue to prefer the Oistrakh/Konwitschny, Szigeti/Harty and Heifetz/Reiner versions, I consider Neveu, as an artist, to be in close company with those great violinists. As to why I don't care as much for her performance in comparison with the others, it concerns personal responses to aspects of her expressive style. I find her a little too nice and pretty in some of the more lyrical passages. Hers is not the kind of account I prefer to return to for repeated listening. This aside, I have the highest regard for her skills. Incidentally, she is provided solid accompaniment by Issay Dobrowen and the Philharmonia Orchestra. The sound quality throughout is very fine [mono] and particularly full bodied. Though there are a number of excellent Brahms Violin Concertos out there, undoubtedly, some will consider this the finest interpretation the masterwork has ever had.

Neveu belonged to another level of performers. His playing was incredibly stunnig precise filled with comittment warmth and fire. This version only has a contender. Herself in a further version recorded with the Munich Orchestra conducted by Hans Schmidt Isserted in 1948 . However this Dobrowen�s version is amazing. and very close to that approach. (The difference is the mature in the musical thought of Neveu in that one).
After you listen please, try with Heifetz and believe or not, Heifetz is absoltely cold and in certain way he doesn�t reach the elusive height and even he shows a understanding spirit of this work.
And i sure you. I�m not kidding. Both versions are hair raising and overwheelming. Please make yourself a favour and compare by yourself.

Brubaker really understands and enjoys the music he's working with here. His playing is cerebral, thoughtful yet emotional. One gets the sense that this selection reflects his personal taste. The Metamorphoses also appear on Glass's "Solo Piano" album, played by the composer himself. There they are mesmerising, but formal, structural, harsh. Brubaker lets the pieces breathe, finding individual character in each one of the five.

"Mad Rush" has a suitable wash of sound feeling, but the real standout is the "Satyagraha" excerpt. This long, unadorned piece has a beautiful, solid rythmic line that builds logically, linking each evolving section. It gives a kind of slow, ritual or martial feel to the act.

The Cage pieces are more challengingly unmelodic; I honestly seldom listen to them (though I do love some Cage music). The attraction of this cd is to hear Glass anew through a sensitive interpreter.

(Warning: the sound is not mixed for a rock audience, like many Glass cds. I find I need to turn up the volume on my system whenever I put this on, but there's little distortion).

This is one of most intensely beautiful performances of Philip Glass's work I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot). It's unbelievable to me that this recording isn't better known.

I was immensely lucky to have had Mr. Brubaker's intro to music class at the City University of New York in the mid 90s. He is an outstanding performer, and this disc will not disappoint (even if you are not a great fan of Cage's music). Highly recommended. Nice going, Bruce!

These three sonatas are in my opinion some of the best compositions of Brahms. They are wonderfully tunefull and each sets a distinct mood (although all three are somewhat melancholic). The interaction of the violin and piano is just fantastic and Perlman and Ashkenazy pull it off well. Sound quality is great as well.

I bought this for my college age daughter's music class and I am enjoying it as well. Violin music, of any sort, is enjoyable to listen to and this one is a wonderful addition to a music library.

I've always enjoyed Brahms' chamber works more than his symphonies. Somehow his intent comes off more clearly; the desperation and anger and melancholy of the music is more exposed, as if juggling an entire orchestra in the composition could dull the edges of these emotions. Of course the quality of any piece is tied with the quality of the performers (who invariably stamp then with their own personalities), and here we have a brilliant union: Perlman and Ashkenazy play flawlessly. Perlman's tonality is clear and sonorous, but never treacly; it still maintains the edge that these pieces require. From the sweet lilting melodies of the first sonata to simmering violence of the third, it is a commanding performance. The piano part in these works is equally demanding, and Ashkenazy is more than a match for Perlman's virtuosity.

If you're looking for the third sonata specifically, Vengerov and Barenboim turn in a more stirring (but somewhat looser) performance on the Teldec label. I actually prefer that version as it's more intense, more intimate. But if you're looking for a complete collection of these wonderful sonatas, you simply can't go wrong with Perlman and Ashkenazy.

This Top 10 of 1720 is an awesome collection of fantastic songs. They are well-played; the sound is rich and sometimes haunting. The pieces are played slowly--they are long compared to most other albums with the same selections. For example, Albinoni's Adagio is 10:17 minutes long in this album. It's 8:24 on Essential Classics' "Baroque Masterpieces" (B00005YQL6) & 6:58 on The Eroica Trio's "Baroque" (B00002SWU0). However, Pachelbel's "Canon" is 5:40 here, 6:29 on "Baroque Masterpieces," and 4:28 on American Express' "Tranquil Seas." Perhaps my favorite selection though is Bach's "Air" BWV1068 which is 4:55 here but 4:03 on volume 2 (Bach) in the Masters of Classical Music collection (B000001VU5). This is, perhaps, the favorite album in my collection. Rivalled only by EMI Classics' Baroque Telemann, Concertos & Sonatas (B000002S5Z) and The Masterpiece Collection, volume 7: Baroque. Hopefully, the CD will become available again soon.

It's amusing and kind of comforting to see others, here, writing about childhood associations with this album. In cassette form, it was a staple of family car trips back in my '70s youth. But I'm pretty sure it's not just nostalgia that makes this collection a swell anytime listen.

I confess that I am not a classical expert. I've got a few Mozarts, a few Bachs, a few Beethovens, just enough to make my collection seem "respectable" should someone of culture take it upon themselves to browse. Sometimes one of those classical cuts pops up on my iTunes shuffle-play, and I appreciate it and all... but I can't say it quite moves me the way a good pop tune does.

That's where this record comes in. The title is apt: these are the hits -- the classical tunes you know, whether you realize it or not. They're not epic, they're not bombastic... they're evocative, downright catchy, human-sized numbers played crisply and well. They are the pop tunes of their day.

Highly recommended for newcomers to classical. And since it's also a favorite of my classical-obsessed parents, I guess experts appreciate it, too.

This recording/collection came out before I was born, and my mother used the record to soothe me to sleep as an infant, later purchasing my own copy when I was a bit grown so that I could listen to it to fall asleep every night, even when I spent the summers away from home. I continued to listen to it until intermediate school, when sleep stopped troubling me, but the music was etched on my brain. Just hearing any one of the magnificent pieces on this recording puts me inmind of the others.
Now, years later and with chronic insomnia, I find that this albim (along with Richard Satie's work) is one of the few things that can soothe my fractious soul to relaxation and sleep.

I highly recommend it for any fans of classical music, and even for those with young children. It is simply some of the most beautiful music ever written.

I absolutely loved the string music on Track 3. I remembered it from an old PC RPG called Quest for Glory IV. I was disappointed to find out that Track 4 was only a minute and a half long, because I grew up loving that song from the various places I heard it (Fantasia and a kid Detective PC game from the late 80's).
Overall, though, Grieg's greatest hits is a must-have for collectors of classical music. Grieg is revered as Norway's greatest composer of all time and he certainly has a knack for creating imagery of bustling fjords and majestic mountainsides with interlaced river ravines.

The peer gynt suite is very delicate and it relaxes me. Whenever I hear the first movement of Peer Gynt, I feel as if I am walking along the forest at dawn with sunshine passing through the tall trees. It calms me and I usually close my eyes to imagine Grieg's creative masterpiece. What also interests me the fourth movement. It starts with slow and quiet and then slowly the music accelerates with power. Like the title, "Mountain King," says itself, you can feel the grandness of the music toward the end.

The piano concerto in a minor is my favorite. This music seem to convey the full spectrum from quiet and delicate or gracious feel of music to more powerful and magnificent all proportionally adequately. It is very enjoyable. Whenever I listen to this music, I feel as if I am resting in the high mountainn looking at the full panorama. Anyway, that's just my imagination I feel from his music and of course, yours can be very different from mine.

As for the CD quality, I hear no distraction sound and it is recorded well, I think. The little cover booklet can be informative about Grieg. Also nice price from Amazon.

This CD goes beyond just introducing Grieg. It is a truly beautiful and for me, invaluable collection of this excellent composer. Grieg had an inimitable gift for exploring emotion, often sadness and nostalgia. However, he also had a large touch of the virtuoso, as demonstrated by the famous Piano Concerto. True, the last 2 movements are not included here; however, the first is still stunning. The Peer Gynt Suites are wonderfully played, and Ase's Death and Heartwounds are especially noteworthy - the lush orchestral sounds of these gorgeous pieces unfold exquisitely. Homage March is a nice change of pace, upbeat and with a memorable theme, and Leonard Bernstein moves at a devilish pace in March of the Trolls. This CD will not disappoint you - buy it today!

This is a wonderful CD to buy, ground force fan or not. The entire band is quite talented, with some of the soloists being, quite frankly, amazing (this is coming from a brass player himself). Many of the solo's are very emotional. The writing of the music is also quite wonderful, and unlike many CDs, pretty much every song is great. Many of the songs are not in the TV show itself, yet still fit the general theme. Don't be driven off by the weird names.

Overall a great buy and very worth the price, especially if you're a brass player or fond of brass music.

I started watching this show a few months back and now I am absolutely hooked. It has become my weekend ritual to watch Alan, Charlie, and Tommy plus the oft forgot Willy create beautiful landscapes from dreary little areas of waste. Now that I have this cd, I can go with the same zeal and energy of the Ground Force team I have grown to love. This music is lively and graceful. A real compliment to any collection. Hopefully, the BBC will see fit to put the Ground Force out on DVD so we can all watch when we want and catch the episodes not seen!

The best Brass band cd I've ever heard. Solo playing exellent with some of the best players in the world.

Every one of Gary's cd's are wonderful. I have all of them and listen to them frequently. They are among my favorites and I have at least 200 or more cd's. His music is romantic, with a lot of feeling and heart. . I think Gary is very talented and gifted. It would be difficult to pick just one.

Gary schnitzer is a consumate violinist and music arranger. The songs on Heart's Desire are bright, upbeat and passionately evocative. Schnitzer's violin becomes a beautiful voice, sometimes crisp and lively, sometimes filled with profound yearning, always right for the moment. This music endures, it uplifts the spirit and never grows old.

While I love all of Gary's work (and I must say he continues to out-do himself), I think Heart's Desire may be my favorite. His violin playing is remarkable, displaying technical perfection, and he plays with such passion that the listener can't help but get pulled right into the music. Many selections on this particular CD have a longing or wistfulness to them that makes you want to snuggle up with your sweetie for an entire evening or Sunday afternoon. Beautiful piece of work!!

Of corse we have the same last name it is because we are sisters. I love her CD and it is one of the best CDs I have ever heard. I would reccomnd this CD to anybody

Ms. Koljonen's debut album, Heartbreak, excels not only in the quality of her play, but in her selection of titles as well. Her music is played with a passion and feeling that is can be felt by the listener throughout every piece. The album is over 70 minutes long which makes it an exceptional value. I also enjoyed the fact that a brief history of every song was included in the album cover. I very much look forward to her future releases.

When you listen to this album all you have to do is close your eyes and the music will do the rest. I learned about this album by listening to NPR ( National Public Radio). Ms. Koljonen was being interviewed and between comments they played several cuts. It was love at first sight. The playing is superb . The music is for the soul.

For more than 25 years Patti LuPone has been one of the greatest female performers in the modern musical theatre. During that time she became renown not only for her capability to portray strong characters, but also for her amazing vocal power, which enabled her to sing the most demanding scores the musical business has to offer. Before we get to the CD at issue here, here is the basic info about Ms. LuPone's career.

After completing her training with the first class of the Drama Division of New York's Juilliard School, she began her career as a founding member of John Houseman's The Acting Company playing a variety of leading roles, both on and off-Broadway and on tour throughout the United States. Among her first roles were Rosamund in the 1976 production of Robert Waldman's and Alfred Uhry's "The Robber Bridegroom" and "The baker's wife" in the Stephen Schwartz's piece of the same title. Her big brake came in 1979 when she wowed New York audiences with her stunning portrayal of Eva Peron in the 1979 Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita. The electrifying magnetism of her vocals and her strong stage presence earned her the Tony award as a best actress in a musical for 1980. The 80-is saw her tackling a large variety of parts, such as Vera Simpson in "Pal Joey", Nancy in "Oliver", a truly moving Fantine in the London production of "Les Miserables" and a charming Reno Sweeney in the 1987 revival of Cole Porter's "Anything goes". She was also no stranger to the TV screen at the same time, appearing, among other things, for four seasons of "Life goes on". In the 1993/94 season, Patti mesmerized the London audience as the first and for many still the definite Norma Desmond in ALW's Sunset Boulevard. Unfortunately, due to the whim of the show's American backers, her Broadway contract was canceled, and she won a hefty out-of court settlement.

This CD came out in 1995; two years after her successful double CD live concert performance in LA. This was a somewhat different project, since it featured a big, Hollywood Bowl orchestra and was recorded in a studio. Yet despite the fact Patti is on the cover of this album, she only takes about half of the total 60 minutes on this disc. The rest of the tracks are the beautifully arranged solo numbers of Irving Berlin tunes, played with bravura by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by John Mauceri, such as "Something to dance about", "It's a lovely day today", "This is the army", "God bless America" and a few more.

But despite that fact, the real asset of this recording lies in Patti LuPone's soaring vocal interpretations of the Irving Berlin's songs. This was not an easy task, especially when most of these tunes were done before by the names such as Ethel Merman, some of which became her signature pieces.

Patti managed to overcome this obstacle in the best of ways. Whether it's her interpretation of the title song, `Heathwave', `Lonely Heart', or the witty `Doin' what comes natur'lly' from the musical `Annie Get Your Gun', one can't help but feel as if these songs were written especially for her and performed here for the first time. Patti's big vocals and incredible range blend perfectly with the big, brassy sound of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Thusly she managed to make these well known songs and tunes truly her own, giving them the special touch of her unique vocal power. This CD is a must have for the LuPone fans, but a lover of Irving Berlin tunes or of the outstanding vocal backed by a big band should also not be disappointed.

There have been very few performers with the power, range and clarity that Ms LuPone has. Her voice is crystal clear and her range is large, so the songs that she sings on this album are all great! From the beginning to the end you'll be amazed at her vocal ability.

I've, like most, have heard most of these Irving Berlin songs. However Patti has away of singing them that make them sound fresh and new. Much like she did with Cole Porter's Anything Goes. After this album, I've heard others sing these songs, and I find myself saying, "Thats pretty good, but I like Patti Lupone's version better."

If you like the classic broadway, sung by a classic singer this album is a must.

For a long time British critics have hailed Haitink's Das Lied, even though James King blares through the tenor part without regard for the words and the marvelous Janet Baker was caught about seven years past her prime. As for the Kindertotenlieder, Prey's version is good, certainly, and it's appealing to hear this cycle, which is for male voice, despite the fact that so many of the classic performances on CD (Ferrier, Ludwig, and Baker in particular)have been by women. But Prey is not a revelaiton by any means--if only Thomas quasthoff would record tis cycle.

The major disappointment, however, is the Knaben Wunderhorn cycle with Norman and Shirley-Quirk. She is in glorious voice but sounds too stiad and self-involved, and he simply has no proper German style--one keeps thinking that an English gentleman is trying not very hard to impersonate the tragic, bumptious soldiers that are the chief characters in the male songs. Overall, even at a bargain price I would look elsewhere for all these pieces.

Any time there is a chance to hear the favored orchestra for Mahler - the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam - involved in performances of any of Mahler's four song cycles, it is a reason for rejoicing. Somehow the sound of this orchestra and Mahler were meant to be one. Add to this bit of good fortune the fine conducting of Bernard Haitink and a group of first class soloists and Voila! - an album of 2 CDs, modestly priced, and a must for every collector of Mahler's music.

'Das Lied von der Erde', that would-be 9th symphony of the paranoid superstitious Mahler, is one of his most powerful symphony of songs. Here it is given a warm and introspective performance by Dame Janet Baker (just try to find a more poignant 'Der Abschied') and James King in his prime. This is followed by a soulful 'Kindertotenlieder' this time rendered by a male voice - Hermann Prey - giving these five melancholic songs a special Mahlerian significance, paying homage to the Mahler's inspiration for composing them. Prey then segues into the youthful 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen': again one song in particular is glowingly memorable with Prey's interpretation - 'Die zwei blauen augen von meinem Schatz'.

'Lieder aus Des Knaben Wunderhorn' served Mahler well in providing melodies and songs for his first four symphonies and hearing the cycle sung with the grace and fun and dignity by Jessye Norman and John Shirley-Quirk plumbs the depths of Mahler's ongoing inspiration. Haitink offers the support and orchestral playing that fits these soloists like a glove. In all, these are fine performances of these cycles, the binding thread being the same orchestra and conductor. Yes, we all have our favorite recordings of each of these works, but on the whole this album is difficult to match. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 05

"Already the wine beckons in the golden goblet..."
"Autumn mists float blue over the lake..."
"In the middle of the little pool/Stands a
pavillion of green..."
"Young maidens pick flowers..."
"If life were only a dream, Why then trouble
and care?"
"The sun departs behind the mountains..."
These are English translations of the German
text to 6 Chinese poems that were translated into
German by Hans Bethege in -Die chinesische Flote-
[The Chinese Flute], a collection of free
translations of Chinese poetry. The 6 poems,
sung in German, with orchestral accompaniment
by the composer Gustav Mahler, form the wondrous
content of the song cycle, "Das Lied von der
Erde" [The Song of the Earth]. The titles of
the 6 songs in English are: (1) "The Drinking Song
of Earth's Sorrow", sung by tenor James King;
(2) "Autumn Sorrow", sung by mezzo-soprano Janet
Baker; (3) "Youth", sung by James King; (4) "Beauty",
sung by Janet Baker; (5)"Wine in Spring", sung by
James King; (6) "The Farewell", sung by Janet Baker.
The orchestra for all of the song cycles on this double
CD is the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the
conductor is Bernard Haitink.
The 2nd song group is "Kindertotenlieder" (Songs
on the Death of Children). There are 5 songs in
the group based on poems by Friedrich Ruckert.
The songs are sung by Hermann Prey, baritone.
According to the liner notes by Michael Kennedy,
these poems "struck a poignant chord with Mahler,
who had seen several of his brothers die in childhood.
For each poem Mahler finds the exact musical response,
with extraordinarily graphic and telling orchestration,
refined, subtle, amost bare."
The 3rd song group is "Lieder eines fahrenden
Gesellen" (Songs of a Wayfarer). The music is
set "to the texts of four poems he [Mahler] wrote
himself. *** They were inspired by an unhappy love
affair ... for the wanderer in these poems...sees
his world collapse during the beauty of spring."
The singer is Hermann Prey, baritone.
The 4th song group is titled "Lieder aus Des
Knaben Wunderhorn" and contains texts gained
from an "anthology of German folk poetry published
in two volumes between 1805 and 1808." There are
12 of the 14 "Wunderhorn" settings which Mahler
composed on the 2nd disc in this set. The songs
cover "soldiers, and soldiers' ghosts, their
sweethearts and their fate" *** "a harrowing tale
of a starving child", "a parable of a song contest
between a cuckoo and a nightingale judged by a
donkey", and St. Anthony preaching to the fishes,
who all listen but never change their ways."
These songs are sung by Jessye Norman, soprano
and James Shirley-Quirk, bass.
This is an excellent collection of all of these
song cycles on one source, with exceptional
artists, and inspired playing and conducting.
-- Robert Kilgore.