The Overtures Collection (Deluxe Edition)

1. Leonore Overture No. 2 in C major, Op. 72a
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
3. Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor, opera
Composed by Otto Nicolai
Performed by Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
4. Academic Festival Overture, for orchestra in C minor ("Akademische Festouvertüre"), Op. 80
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
5. Ruslan and Lyudmila, "magic" opera in 5 acts, G. xiv
Composed by Mikhail Glinka
Performed by Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
6. Prodaná nevesta (The Bartered Bride), overture to the opera
Composed by Bedrich Smetana
Performed by Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
7. Carnival (Karneval), concert overture, B. 169 (Op. 92)
Composed by Antonin Dvorak
Performed by Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

The Overtures Collection (Deluxe Edition),Ludwig van Beethoven,Johannes Brahms,Antonin Dvorak,Mikhail Glinka,Felix Mendelssohn,Otto Nicolai,Bedrich Smetana,Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra,Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York,Sony Special Product,Classical,German/Austrian Romantic Opera,Opera,Orchestral,Romantic Overture for Orchestra,Russian Romantic Opera

Average customer rating: Interesting Overtures An Amazing Collection of Unique Overture Performances!

Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volume 51: Overtures Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Humperdinck, Engelbert | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kabalevsky | Kabalevsky, Dmitri | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Smetana | Smetana, Bedrich | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weber | Weber, Carl Maria von | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music | Baroque | Classical | General | Modern & 20th Century | Romantic | Sinfonia | Sinfonia Concertante Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Toscanini, Arturo | ( T ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Toscanini Conducts Verdi: Two Sacred Works: Requiem Mass & Te Deum Arturo Toscanini: The Complete Philadelphia Orchestra Recordings 1941-42 ASIN: B000003EY4 Release Date: 1992-09-15

Tracks:

1. Zampa: Ov
2. Hansel Und Gretel: Prld
3. Colas Breugnon: Ov
4. Die Zauberflote: Ov
5. William Tell: Ov
6. The Bartered Bride: Ov/Die Verkaufte Braut
7. Mignon: Ov
8. La Forza Del Destino: Ov
9. Der Freischutz: Ov

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Overtures.......2006-02-01

This RCA Victor compilation is indeed quite interesting. While it includes some familiar recordings that had been included on various RCA LPs, including the Victrola series in the late 1960s, there are a few recordings that had previously only been available on the original 78-rpm issues. Generally, the performances are all top-notch.

Anyone who has listened to recordings of Toscanini's rehearsals (let alone witnessed them) can attest to how hard he worked even on shorter workers. A particularly good example is Naxos' release of the rehearsal of Debussy's rarely heard "Scottish March" from 1940; Toscanini spent a great deal of time on refining the NBC Symphony's performance, possibly because the work was less familiar to the musicians. Relatively few people have ever heard that remarkable, delightful work; however, it is treated with great precision in Toscanini's hands.

Conductor Charles Gerhardt, who was present at many Toscanini performances and recording sessions, cited the Maestro's performance of the overture to Herold's "Zampa." This is a frequently performed work, even if the opera itself is largely neglected. Toscanini managed to bring out the most exciting, lively, and brilliant playing from the NBC musicians in this 1952 "studio" recording from Carnegie Hall. It is a good example of how Toscanini strived for the best in ALL of the music he conducted.

The overture to Humperdinck's "Hansel und Gretel," also taken from a 1952 recording session in Carngie Hall, is another treasure. This music, too, is quite familiar and is given a fresh approach in Toscanini's hands. He truly brings out the Wagnerian influences in the music so that the spectacular use of brass is magnificent. The softer, tender passages, including the famous prayer, are handled with great sensitivity.

The first time I heard Toscanini's recording of Dmitri Kabalevsky's overture to his opera "Colas Breugnon," I was absolutely amazed. This is very challenging music; it requires great precision and energy from the musicians and, fortunately, Toscanini succeeded remarkably. The music is extremely syncopated, too. This piece was frequently played on his 1950 American tour with the NBC Symphony and was undoubtedly a delight for all who heard it.

The broadcast concert performance of the overture to Mozart's final opera, "The Magic Flute," is especially wonderful. It is a good demonstration of Toscanini's great love for the music of Mozart. There is an energy and enthusiasm that one rarely hears in this very familiar music. It is one of the better-sounding recordings taken from a broadcast in Studio 8-H.

Toscanini's 1953 recording of the famed overture to Rossini's "William Tell" became the gold standard for all conductors and orchestras who played it. Certainly Toscanini recognized that many associated the finale with "The Lone Ranger" on radio and television. (One reads of Toscanini's delight in sitting close to his television set and marveling at the early programs he watched with family and friends. He would shout "look!" whenever something caught his attention.) However, RCA included his 1939 Studio 8-H broadcast on this disc; as with many of his earlier recordings, this one truly excels with the precise, exciting playing of the storm and the chase music, while the introduction and the calm after the storm are again played with incredible sensitivity.

Smetana's "The Bartered Bride" is best known for its overture and dances. Toscanini's performance is particularly showy and delightful. There is a relentless energy in this performance.

The recording of Thomas' overture to "Mignon" originally appeared on a single 12-inch 78-rpm disc. It was recorded in Carnegie Hall, since producer Charles O'Connell felt it was a better venue for commercial recordings than Studio 8-H. The overture is a medley of familiar tunes from the opera, including the particularly difficult soprano solo. The NBC strings especially excel in this recording.

There are several recordings of the overture to Verdi's "La Forza Del Destino," including the OWI film that Toscanini made with the NBC Symphony in Studio 8-H in 1943 (one of the rare opportunities to SEE Toscanini conducting). This version, which was originally issued on a 78-rpm disc, is one of the best. There is more energy and excitement than in the later recording that was first issued on LPs.

Finally, there is a vibrant performance of the overture to "Der Freischutz." Although the sound is not up to the more familiar 1952 recording, this is certainly a very fine rendition. It is yet another chance to hear the NBC strings at their best. One person who had attended NBC broadcast concerts said that Toscanini, who had been a cellist, was especially good in building a strong string section and this is quite true. The wind section also excels in this recording.

An Amazing Collection of Unique Overture Performances!.......1998-11-17

Only Toscanini at his most intense could inspire an orchestra to such an outpouring of passion as can be heard here in evergreens like the "William Tell" overture, the Verdi "Forza del Destino" overture, and Herold's "Zampa".

Many of the recordings were re-done by Maestro in the early fifties: here the forties' 78s are included, though the earliest (William Tell, 1939) still sounds quite fine in the decent monaural transfers.

These would not all be my favorites of the versions conducted by Maestro that have appeared on LP and CD: the "Mignon" of Thomas makes a greater impact in the high-fidelity recording of 1952, as does the "Freischuetz" Overture. The Kabalevsky "Colas Breugnon" Overture, recorded here on a 78 rpm disk in 1946, does not have the passion, panache, and lively spirit of a broadcast of that same year, available on Dell'Arte. And I take issue with the inclusion of a rather scrappy, poorly played, and scratchy transcription disk from 1946 of the Smetana "Bartered Bride" Overture; an earlier NBC concert performance from 1939 (about to be issued by Naxos but not in the U. S.) has better sound and cleaner playing. One wonders why the Maestro approved this later and inferior performance.

However, the spectacular recording of the 1952 "Zampa" has never sounded better! It is nearly the equal of any recording made that year, by any record company! So much for the canard that "Toscanini records always sounded bad!" Nothing could be further from the truth!

Average customer rating:

Telarc Collection, Vol. 1 Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Duruflé, Maurice | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Falla | Falla, Manuel de | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Saxophone | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Guitar | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Allen, Thomas | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Atlanta Symphony Orchestra | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Baltimore Symphony Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Easy Listening | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Easy Listening | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Telarc Collection, Volume 2 Telarc Collection, Vol. 3 Telarc Collection, Vol. 4 Telarc Collection, Vol. 7 Telarc Collection, Vol. 6 ASIN: B000003D68 Release Date: 1992-01-28

Tracks:

1. Fanfare For The Common Man
2. From: Gone With The Wind & (From: Hollywood's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1): Tara's Theme
3. From: Carmen: Aragonaise
4. From: The Magic Flute: 'Der Voglfanger bin ich ja'
5. From: Porgy & Bess: I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
6. From: The Firebird: Infernal Dance Of King Kastchei
7. From: Trout Quintet: Scherzo: Presto
8. From: Sonata In B Minor, Op.58: Scherzo: Molto vivace
9. From: Requiem: Sanctus
10. From: Symphony No. 33: Menuet: Trio
11. From: Symphony No. 8, Op.88: Allegretto (Excerpt)
12. From: The Deer Hunter: Cavatina
13. From: Sonata No. 31, Op. 110: Allegro Molto
14. From: The Three Cornered Hat: Miller's Dance
15. From: Old Friends: Topsy
16. From: Songbook For Orchestra, Orchestral Suites: Carousel (Excerpt)
17. From: Lionel Hampton And The Golden Men Of Jazz Live At The Blue Note: Hamp's Boogie Woogie
18. From: Pictures At An Exhibition: The Great Gate Of Kiev

Average customer rating:

The Overtures Collection [Deluxe Edition] Manufacturer: Sony Special Product ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Glinka | Glinka, Mikhail | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Smetana | Smetana, Bedrich | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ASIN: B000002YQA Release Date: 1995-10-10

Average customer rating:

Rossini: Great Overtures Manufacturer: The Classical Collection, Point Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000DZAMIM

Product Description

Barber of Seville, The Thieving Magpie, William Tell, The Italian Girl in Algiers, Semiramide, La Cenerentola (Aria), La Danza - Tarantella

Average customer rating:

Romantic Works For Flute & Harp/A Contemporary Collection Manufacturer: Collins Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Alwyn | Alwyn, William | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Jolivet, André | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kreisler | Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Persichetti | Persichetti, Vincent | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000DRTJ Release Date: 1993-08-23

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Opera Overtures Collection - 6 CDs ProductGroup: Classical Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B000MGLSF8

Product Description

6 CD collection includes: Rossini Overtures & Preludes Overtures Overtures & Preludes Most Famous Overtures Famous Classical Overtures Great Overtures

Average customer rating: Not really Bach, but entertaining nonetheless Recording Stands On Its Own

J.S. Bach: Suites (Overtures), Vol. 1 Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Fugues | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Fugues | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Preludes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Preludes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: J.S. Bach: Suites (Overtures), Vol. 2 ASIN: B0000013N9 Release Date: 1992-06-30

Tracks:

1. Suite No. 1 In C Major, BWV 1066: Overture
2. Suite No. 1 In C Major, BWV 1066: Courante
3. Suite No. 1 In C Major, BWV 1066: Gavotte I & II
4. Suite No. 1 In C Major, BWV 1066: Forlane
5. Suite No. 1 In C Major, BWV 1066: Menuet I & II
6. Suite No. 1 In C Major, BWV 1066: Bourree I & II
7. Suite No. 1 In C Major, BWV 1066: Passepied I & II
8. Suite No. 2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Ouverture
9. Suite No. 2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Rondeau
10. Suite No. 2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Sarabande
11. Suite No. 2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Bourr e I & II
12. Suite No. 2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Polonaise
13. Suite No. 2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Menuet
14. Suite No. 2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Badinerie
15. Suite In G Minor: Prde
16. Suite In G Minor: Allemande
17. Suite In G Minor: Courante
18. Suite In G Minor: Sarabande
19. Suite In G Minor: Gavotte
20. Prelude In B Minor
21. Siciliano
22. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme

Customer Reviews:

Not really Bach, but entertaining nonetheless.......2005-03-13

The Slovakian chamber orchestra “Capella Istropolitana” obviously made some great strides during its Naxos period, and their 1989 recordings of Bach’s Orchestral Suites or Overtures are, although definitely not “early music” in the now-used sense, a lot better than their versions of both Vivaldi and Handel recorded a year earlier. Perhaps that is the result of the change of conductor from Jozef Kopelman to Jaroslav Dvorák, himself an accomplished musician and composer who arranged one of the additional pieces on this CD himself. At any rate, the tempi here are anything but “lame-duckish” (my comment on the Handel Concerti Grossi) and compare quite favourably with other recordings of the same repertoire. As the recording quality is more than adequate and the playing of the orchestra accomplished, the result is an entertaining hour of listening (total time 67’22”). Of course, for Bach’s Orchestral Suites there are any number of more historical alternatives, both on modern and on period instruments, and this recording cannot even begin to match the versions by, for example, the English Concert, directed by Trevor Pinnock, or by Reinhard Goebel’s Musica Antiqua Köln (both on Deutsche Grammophon). Even Naxos have re-recorded the Orchestral Suites in more historical garb (but still on modern instruments) with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra directed by Helmut Müller-Brühl, and I suspect that if it is just the Naxos price you are looking for, you should take that superb version, which has been praised by the critics and awarded prizes.

Where the Capella Istropolitana version does score is that the Orchestral Suites are divided up into two CDs which are then complemented by some arrangements of other Bach music by composers/conductors from later centuries. This has little to do with Bach himself, of course, and could be considered anathema by purists, but the pieces do at least show how Bach’s music was received and understood during the next two centuries. Joachim Raff’s orchestral arrangement of Bach’s French Suite No. 3 is, from the point of view of an early music fan, sickly-sweet. Leopold Stokowski’s arrangement of a piece from the Well-Tempered Clavier is very un-Bach-like. Jaroslav Dvorak’s version of the siciliano from Bach’s Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord does at least have the merit of demonstrating very clearly what a “siciliano” is all about. And last but not least on this first of the two disks there is Bantock’s famous version of “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”, in which we get not only a lively version of the old German chorale but also a rather nice, somewhat jazzy opening that people of my generation may remember for its role in a commercial campaign for a certain brand of champagne! It is to listeners who are looking out for these rather out-of-the-way pieces that I would recommend this CD; if it is Bach himself you are looking for, then please go elsewhere.

Recording Stands On Its Own.......2001-12-30

This is the first Naxos disc I ever purchased and it left enough of an impression on me to persuade me to continue purchasing with this label. The performance is good but not particularly great. Nothing really stands out but sometimes that can be a good thing. Certainly purchase this cd if you are looking to try Bach for the first time. If you're already a Bach follower I can still recommend this recording because it costs about as much as a gallon of milk and sounds pretty good to boot.

Average customer rating:

The Overtures Collection, Vol. 2 Manufacturer: Sony Special Product ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Smetana | Smetana, Bedrich | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ASIN: B000002YR7 Release Date: 1995-12-01

Average customer rating: Toscanini's first recordings For Fanatics of Toscanini & Collectors of Very Old Records

Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volume 71 Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Respighi | Respighi, Ottorino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolf-Ferrari | Wolf-Ferrari, Ermanno | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Toscanini, Arturo | ( T ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ASIN: B000003EY9 Release Date: 1992-04-14

Tracks:

1. Sym No.1, Op.21 in C: IV: Adagio; Allegro Molto E Vivace
2. Sym No.5, Op.67 in c: IV: Allegro
3. La Damnation De Faust: Rakoczy March
4. L'Arlesienne Ste No.2: Farandole
5. Carmen: Aragonaise (Act IV Entr'acte)
6. Don Pasquale: Ov
7. Gagliarda (No.2, Antiche Aire E Danze, Set I, After Vincenzo Galilei)
8. Fete Boheme (No.4, Scenes Pittoresques)
9. Scherzo
10. A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March
11. Sym No.39, K.543 in E flat: Menuetto
12. Sym No.39, K.543 in E flat: Finale
13. Le Quai Du Porte De Famagouste (Act I Prld) (No.2, La Pisanelle Ste)
14. Il Segreto Di Susanna: Ov

Customer Reviews:

Toscanini's first recordings.......2006-03-03

Many famous conductors had already been making recordings for several years when Arturo Toscanini was finally persuaded by the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey, to make some orchestral recordings with the Scala Orchestra in 1920-21.

The Italian ensemble had been touring the U.S. and they took time out to make a series of 78-rpm acoustical discs in the "church" studio at Camden. Some of Enrico Caruso's later recordings also took place in this very large facility, which utilized a very large horn to pick up as much of the orchestra as possible. Sometimes, smaller horns were connected to the recording equipment to record principal players.

Admittedly, the acoustical process had limited frequence response. By 1920 and 1921, when these recordings were made, the process had reached its highest possiblities, so much more could be recorded. Already, however, Bell Laboratories was developing a new recording process that would use carbon microphones to pick up more sound; that process would be adopted by Victor in the spring of 1925 to record the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski.

Despite the limited possibilities of acoustical recordings, they always had very good bass tones and they sounded quite good when played on a full size Victrola. Some of this can be approximated, however, through digital technology and it's actually possible to hear more today than was possible on vintage phonographs.

One good thing about Toscanini's acoustical discs is that they give us an idea of the remarkable energy he utilized in his earlier performances. There is is incredible playing by the Italian musicians in most of the recordings. A particularly good example is the overture to "Don Pasquale," which has virtually the same playing time as Toscanini's 1952 recording with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The woodwinds are particularly excellent in this performance and, quite remarkably, one can even heard the tympani (rarely used in American acoustical recordings).

Overall, these are exciting glimpses of Toscanini in his "younger" years, long before the more famous NBC Symphony concerts and recordings. They are often very charming and very delightful. They certainly have historical value. Toscanini would not record again until 1926, when he made a single 78-rpm electrical recording for the Brunswick Company with the New York Philharmonic. But that's another story...

For Fanatics of Toscanini & Collectors of Very Old Records.......1998-09-17

There are no other acoustical recordings available of standard repertoire classical orchestral pieces quite like these unique disks!

Toscanini and his La Scala Orchestra worked like fiends before a large recording horn in Camden, New Jersey, in 1921 to accomplish these Red Seal sides, which were "state of the art" in the period before the microphone and electronics were wedded to the phonograph. But to today's ears, the results are peculiar and uningratiating: the balances strange, the instrumental timbres odd, the pickup close and claustrophobic. Yet the intensity and precision of these propulsive readings contrast dramatically with the cranky, clumsy, and affected recordings made by other maestros during the acoustical period that ended around 1925.

Violin and piano solos, and the singing voice, were taken down well by the acoustical process: we can still enjoy Caruso, Kreisler, Heifetz, or Rachmaninoff's old Red Seals. But most if not nearly all collectors "cut off" their interest in orchestral recordings made before about 1926 or '27, when the early electrical engineers learned how to record a fairly wide and natural dynamic range, and to pick up the acoustical ambience of a real recording hall.

Toscanini displays his severe precision, and is fully the man you would expect from his broadcasts of the thirties and forties: once, during the old NBC radio show "Toscanini - The Man Behind the Legend" in the sixties, a composite was made of the 1921 Beethoven 5th excerpts herein and the famous broadcast recording from 1952. Heard over transcontinental network AM radio, there wasn't too much audible difference in style, balance, and interpretation (not to mention sound); but audited today, from digitized transfers, there seem to be several orders of magnitude of difference. The old acoustic is merely a funky sounding oddity, while the 1952 audiotape of the radio/TV simulcast has exceptionally realistic, crisp high fidelity and accuracy (not significantly inferior in detail to any number of modern stereo all-digital recordings!)

At least this set provides the opportunity of hearing some unusual pieces under the Maestro's direction: the pleasant excerpt "Le quai du porte de Famagouste" from the "Pisanella" Suite by Pizzetti (recorded in stereo in the sixties by Gardelli on a superb Decca / London LP); the "Gagliarda" from one of Respighi's "Ancient Dances and Airs" suites; and the "Fete Boheme" from Massenet's "Scenes Pittoresques" Suite. I once owned a mint-condition copy of the last item on a single-sided Victor Red Seal 78 rpm disk, and I can testify that one cannot really do much to enhance the sound of an acoustical recording!

At least this issue is much better than the very highly compressed copy issued on a private LP by the Clyde Key / Toscanini Society in the sixties: so much audio limiting was done to squeeze all the recordings onto two sides of one LP that the transfers were vastly inferior to the relatively vital sound of the actual shellac disks; this "purist" authorized edition by RCA is much to be preferred.

Average customer rating:

The Greatest Opera Collection (10 Cd Box Set) Manufacturer: MASTERS MUSIC ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0007VAN1S

Product Description

***THIS BOX SET CONTAINS THESE 10 FULL LENGTH CD'S*** Famous Opera Overtures Volumes 1, 2 & 3 / Most Beautiful Opera Choruses Volumes 1, 2 & 3 / Most Beautiful Opera - Arias Volumes 1 & 2 / Most Beautiful Love Duets Volumes 1 & 2

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