Plays Haydn

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No. 50 in B flat major, Op. 64/3, H. 3/67
Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performed by Pro Arte String Quartet

2. String Quartet No. 51 in G major, Op. 64/4, H. 3/66
Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performed by Pro Arte String Quartet

3. String Quartet No. 59 in G minor ("Rider"/"Horseman"), Op. 74/3, H. 3/74
Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performed by Pro Arte String Quartet

4. String Quartet No. 67 in F major ("Wait Till the Clouds Roll By"), Op. 77/2, H. 3/82
Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performed by Pro Arte String Quartet

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

Gaspard de la nuit: Ondine
Gaspard de la nuit: Le Gibet
Gaspard de la nuit: Scarbo
Jeux d'eau
Menuet sur le nom de Haydn
Miroirs: Noctuelles
Miroirs: Oiseaux Tristes
Miroirs: Une Barque sur l'Ocean
Miroirs: Alborada del Gracioso
Miroirs: La Valldes cloches
Menuet Antique
Piano Concerto For The Left Hand

Tracks:

Piano Concerto In G: Allegramente
Piano Concerto In G: Adagio assai
Piano Concerto In G: Presto
Le tombeau de Couperin: Prde
Le tombeau de Couperin: Fugue
Le tombeau de Couperin: Forlane
Le tombeau de Couperin: Rigaudon
Le tombeau de Couperin: Menuet
Le tombeau de Couperin: Toccata
Pavane pour une Infante dnte
Sonatine: Mod
Sonatine: Menuet
Sonatine: Anim
Prde
Valses nobles et sentimentales

Customer Reviews:

A classic recording.......2007-07-13

I first bought this collection on vinyl in a Vox Box and listened to it constantly. I was so touched and impressed by Perlemuter's playing that I hoped to study with him while I was a student in Paris. However, as luck would have it, he was away that year, so I never had that privilege.

When I saw that this had been re-issued on CD, I was delighted. I own nine versions of the complete Ravel piano works, the best of which are by Simon, Tharaud, Hewitt, Bavouzet on a lovely 1901 Steinway, and Roger Muraro (it was his recording that Joyce Hatto took credit for!). And yes, Francois' concertos and Gaspard are classics, too. All of these performers seem to understand the particular qualities of Ravel's style, and their performances contain many fine moments.

This, however, is the version I keep coming back to. Of course, it's the first one I knew, and it's certainly imprinted on me. But it's more than that. Perlemuter's interpretation is straightforward and unfussy, and it succeeds in presenting this music with a clarity and focus that reveal each piece's individual personality. I believe there's also a humility in Perlemuter's attitude towards music that allows him to stand back and reveal the music on its own terms. Such an attitude is arguably the goal of all interpretation, but it's certainly the ideal way to perform the subtle, Apollonian style of Ravel.

Very highly recommended, and the price is a bargain.

Wonderful.......2007-04-01

These most beautiful recordings manage to be lyrical without sentimentality--the way I think Ravel would have liked them recorded. I even prefer them to those of Casadesus. In fact, these are my favorite recordings of 19th century French piano music. Perlemuter has two recordings of Faure's piano music that are equally impressive--try first the version on Erato (or at least not the Nimbus recording--which is also quite good).

I found his Schumann recordings to be less impressive--his style didn't quite fit. However these recordings of Ravel are unmatched.

You can't go wrong!.......2006-11-22

This is a steal! It is one of the finest performances of all of the works! I may like Samson François concertos and Gaspard de la nuit, but this set is still stunning! Great touch and control, amazing tone and a great sound recording (1955). The Miroirs and Le Tombeau de Couperin are artfully read and interpreted. If you like these pieces... This will make you love them. If you love these pieces... This will be a real treat. And for the price, you almost feel like you are dong something wrong when you buy it. A great investment for the serious listener.

Sublime Ravel.......2001-04-13

It is easy to put off buying this set when looking at the recording date (1955) and the fact the sound was originally monaural. Don't make that mistake. These are Ravel performances of the very highest order. For me Perlemuter is to Ravel's piano music what Gieseking is to Debussy's. Even in the 2 concertos Perlemuter and Jascha Horenstein (was he inspired by Perlemuter?}reach new heights. The sound is good enough to bring out every nuance. every subtlety. 155 minutes of suberb music at the price of one medium priced CD is quite a bargain.

Wonderful Ravel!!.......2001-03-16

I can only echo the other reviewers' sentiments.

I thought I only sort of liked Ravel's piano concerti until I listened to this set. (I also have de La Roccha (sp) w/ St. Louis--not more than competent all around, and another Vox recording that was miserably recorded). Wow. The beauty of the piano playing, the admirable conducting, the orchestral contributions...all make for a wonderful Ravel experience.

Ditto the performance of the piano pieces (well, I guess we'll have to omit the orchestra and conductor from the bravos here!).

A WONDERFUL set.

Tracks:

Cello Concerto No.1 in C Major - Moderato
Cello Concerto No.1 in C Major - Adagio
Cello Concerto No.1 in C Major - Allegro molto
Cello Concerto No.2 in D Major - Allegro moderato
Cello Concerto No.2 in D Major - Adagio
Cello Concerto No.2 in D Major - Rondo: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Lovely playing and recording.......2006-06-19

I am not someone comfortable with writing review and this is actually my first attempt. What motivates me is the desire to draw the attention of fellow listeners to Starker's playing. The recording is also outstanding. For anyone interested in Hydan's cello music, this is definitely one of the must-have interpretations

Shura Cherkassky plays Rameau, Haydn, Chopin, Liszt, Hindemith & Berkeley

Average customer rating:

A Perfect Piano Recital

Shura Cherkassky plays Rameau, Haydn, Chopin, Liszt, Hindemith & Berkeley

Manufacturer: Wigmore Hall Live
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Gavottes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Volodos Plays Liszt
Leonard Pennario: The Early Years 1950-1958
Songs by Mahler, Handel & Peter Lieberson
Haydn: Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B000MEYHXK
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

Gavotte Variee
Presto
Adagio-
Vivace Molto, Innocentemente
Ruhig Bewegt
Sehr Lebhaft
Massig Schnell
Fuge: Lebhaft
Ballade No.3 In A Flat Major Op.47
Nocturne In F Sharp Minor Op.48 No.2
Mazurka In F Sharp Minor Op.59 No.3
Mazurka In G Major Op.67 No.1
Prelude Op.23 No.5
Prelude Op.23 No.6
Polka Op.5
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 In C Sharp Minor
October: Chant D'Automne

Customer Reviews:

A Perfect Piano Recital.......2007-06-19

This disc was recorded at Wigmore Hall on October 29, 1993, and shows, once again, how vibrant Shura Cherkassky played a mere two years before his death. The recital begins with a Gavotte by Jean-Philippe Rameau, a favorite piece for Mr. Cherkassky that he plays with great elegance. A sonata by Joseph Haydn (composed ca. 1781 - 1782) continues the program, and is charmingly played with nimble dexterity, particularly in the rondo finale.

The Haydn is followed by the longest piece on the program - the Hindemith Sonata No. 3 (1936), which was a favorite work of Mr. Cherkassky. The Sonata is an engaging work written in a neo-classical style that came to dominate Hindemith's music. Chopin dominates the middle of the concert with four pieces - the Ballade No. 3, Nocturne in F-sharp, Mazurka in F-sharp and Mazurka in G. The Nocturne is beautifully phrased and delicately nuanced, arguably among the best performances of this music. There are three pieces by Sir Lennox Berkeley: two preludes from his opus 23 that are engaging and nicely played and a charming Polka that is satiric along the lines of Shostakovich and is a nice bravura piece.

The Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 concludes the concert with Mr. Cherkassky giving a superb account with nice touches of drama and virtuosity, and the disc concludes with an encore: Tchaikovsky's October from The Seasons.

The music is beautifully recorded; there is applause after each selection and I detected only a single cough during the Chopin Nocturne. The booklet describes each piece in detail with pictures of the composers and there is a nice biography of Shura Cherkassky. This is another great Cherkassky recital and one that should not be missed.

Wanda Landowska Plays Handel, Haydn, Mozart

Average customer rating:

Landowska at the harpsichord and the piano.

Wanda Landowska Plays Handel, Haydn, Mozart

Manufacturer: Dutton Labs UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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Wanda Landowska plays Haydn and Mozart
Bach: Goldberg Variations; Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue; Italian Concerto
Landowska plays Bach
Scarlatti: Sonates
Bach: The Landowska Recordings

ASIN: B00021Y918
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Customer Reviews:

Landowska at the harpsichord and the piano. .......2004-10-23

These famous 1937 Landowska recordings come up splendidly when rendered by the alchemy of Michael Dutton's processing. Not that there is any base metal here, but the sparks fly more freely, what was dim is now bright, what was boxy and awkward is now spacious and comfortable.

Of special interest is the Mozart "Coronation" concerto, receiving its first recording and timed to coincide with the coronation of the English king George VI in 1937. Landowska's way of decorating the simple piano line Mozart notated in the second movement smacks of authenticity but was a radical departure from the performing norm in 1937.

Famed for resuscitating the harpsichord in the early C20th, Landowska was also a great pianist. She somehow perfected varieties of touch - something that would count for nothing when she played her harpsichord. Many years ago, listening to Landowska's recording of the Mozart fantasia that concludes this CD, my wife commented, "She makes a piano sound as though it has manuals".

Average customer rating:

More, please!
Haydn for the 21st Century
a breakthrough recording
Heavenly!
Great technique, but lacking in drama

Paul Galbraith Plays Haydn

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Bach: The Six Sonatas and Partitas
Paul Galbraith: French Impressions
Bach: Lute Suites (Guitar Arrangement)/ Galbraith
In Every Lake the Moon Shines Full
Essencia Do Brasil

ASIN: B00000IPTW
Release Date: 1999-04-27

Tracks:

Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro Moderato
Keyboard Sonatas: Adagio
Keyboard Sonatas: Finale - Presto
Keyboard Sonatas: Moderato
Keyboard Sonatas: Larghetto
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Moderato
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegretto
Keyboard Sonatas: Moderato
Keyboard Sonatas: Largo
Keyboard Sonatas: Menuet And Trio

Customer Reviews:

More, please!.......2007-01-04

These are Galbraith's own transcriptions of four Haydn keyboard (piano) sonatas, played on an 8-string guitar with exquisite refinement and beauty. Key transpositions were necessary to accommodate the change in instrument, but do not in any way detract from the beauty of the pieces. It's almost as if these works were meant for the guitar. Tempi are a bit on the slow side, but again this is not necessarily a minus. It might have been interesting to hear him really cut loose on a fast number, but what he has presented here is marvelous. I wish he would record more Haydn on the guitar. Bravo!

Haydn for the 21st Century.......2001-05-04

Astounding. Haydn as the most modern composer. Gives one renewed faith in musical interpretation as a creative act in its own right. Comparable to the best of Glenn Gould (if one needs to compare) in scope of emotional and intellectual resonance. Very, very moving.

a breakthrough recording.......2000-12-10

Wow!! I don't know if it is his instrument (8 strings, played upon a soundbox, held like a cello) or his musicianship, but I have never heard so much sheer music emerge from a classical guitar. I have been frustrated by the reluctance of guitarists to tackle great keyboard music, and this recording is indeed a quantum leap forward for the instrument (his teacher/colleague is a Greek pianist). It is a landmark recording. Buy it. Exquisite and beautiful. Galbraith is one of the world's best guitarists ever, and no one has ever played the instrument so convincingly--really nobody has. The clarity and purity of tone are sublime. Now THIS sounds like the "miniature orchestra" described by other guitar fans.

Heavenly!.......2000-02-06

I'm a newcomer to the world of classical music so I can't claim any expertise on the subject, but I thought I'd add a slightly contrasting opinion (seeing as there is a the moment only one review!) I think this recording is stunningly beautiful precisely because Galbraith plays so slowly at times. The second track in particular is just phenomenal; it's become one of my favorite recordings of all time, bar none. I think the slow tempo is extremely dramatic, allowing the listener to catch the tension of every note, and wouldn't change a thing about Galbraith's interpretations here.

Great technique, but lacking in drama.......1999-06-13

Very soothing accounts of some of Haydn's marvelous piano sonatas transcribed for guitar. Galbraith's playing is beautiful, but his tempi are generally a bit slow and his playing lacks a sense of drama that these works need to bring them off. However, this music made my usually stressful commute seem almost pleasurable, No mean feat, that. A recording I will return to time and again, and I look forward to more by this artist.

Average customer rating:

good starters cd for schnittke
Great Introduction to Schnittke Courtesy of Kremer
classical, or a creature of its own?
I REQUIRE YOU TO LOVE THE MUSIC OF SCHNITTKE AS MUCH AS I DO

Kremer Plays Schnittke

Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Schnittke: Chamber Music
Schnittke: Complete String Quartets
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Alfred Schnittke: Concerto Grosso No. 4 - Symphony No. 5 / Pianissimo for Large Orchestra
Schnittke: Cello Concerto No.2; In Memoriam

ASIN: B000001GNL
Release Date: 1994-08-22

Tracks:

Con grosso No.1: 1. Prelude: Andante
Con grosso No.1: 2. Toccata: Allegro
Con grosso No.1: 3. Recitativo: Lento
Con grosso No.1: 4. Cadenza [without tempo marking]
Con grosso No.1: 5. Rondo. Agitato
Con grosso No.1: 6. Postludio. Andante-Allegro-Andante
Quasi una son - Gidon Kremer/Yuri Smirnov
Moz-Art a la Haydn - Gidon Kremer/Titiana Grindenko
A Paganini - Gidon Kremer

Customer Reviews:

good starters cd for schnittke.......2003-04-02

I have just started to listen to schnittke music. I saw this and got it and have not stopped listening to the power of the music.
The concerto grosso for violins, harp, and piano is something else

Great Introduction to Schnittke Courtesy of Kremer.......2002-11-30

This is a splendid introduction to those like myself who are unfamiliar with Schnittke's oeuvre. It's a fine mixture of chamber music and small orchestral pieces, highlighting the splendid playing of violinist Gidon Kremer and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Judging from this CD, Kremer surely must be regarded as one of Schnittke's most passionate advocates, judging from his electrifying, technically brilliant playing which has ample doses of lyricism. Without question, the most emotionally gripping work is the Concerto Grosso, which sounds like a post-modern take on Bach's or Vivaldi's music. The sound quality is splendid for an early Deutsche Grammophon recording.

classical, or a creature of its own?.......2002-07-31

This was my first exposure to Schnittke, and it (the Concerto Grosso on this album) was hypnotizing. It sounded less like most classical pieces I'd been familiar with, and more like an hour-long trip of experimental mood textures built up upon each other, then destroyed dramatically, others thrust down your throat before you had a chance to take a breath (this is one of those few experiences when I sometimes had to remember to breath .. Dylan Thomas being another). It sometimes has the mood impression of a piece of 'trance' music, is sometimes wistful, sometimes angry, other times whimsical .. it is very hard to turn off after the first 10-15 minutes. The references to other classical pieces are also fascinating .. it is amazing how different familiar passages can sound couched in such different surroundings. This is a fantastic recording, and one which has changed my expectations for new music (classical or otherwise) forever.

I REQUIRE YOU TO LOVE THE MUSIC OF SCHNITTKE AS MUCH AS I DO.......2001-07-15

If you're acquainted with Schnittke's string quartets or viola concerto, you might know what to expect from a disc like this one. When he was at his best - as he was, I feel, with the quartets and that concerto - he was darned close.

And so he is, here - darned near perfect, for all of 75 minutes' worth of music. The Concerto Grosso No. 1 is performed persuasively and enjoyably, which must be quite difficult with a piece of music this eclectic both in style and emotional tenor. It veers - sometimes comically, sometimes almost frighteningly - between 18th-century decorousness, bawdy cabaret and abject expressionism. (Listening to it right now, I just spotted a quotation from Tchaikovsky hidden amidst a swarm of angry, screeching violins.) The switches that performer Yuri Smirnov is here required to make between the harpsichord and prepared piano are especially powerful - chilling, even.

"Quasi una Sonata," an earlier work - appearing here in the composer's arrangement for violinist with chamber orchestra - is a little less shocking, but no less passionate and rigorous, and thoroughly compelling in its own right. The contrasts between thorny expressionism and tonal melody/harmony are perfectly calculated, very exciting.

"Moz-Art a la Haydn," a "game with music," is a hoot. As the name might imply, basically tosses Mozart into the blender and uses the musical fragments for a series of wonderfully silly musical "games" for conductor and performers. It's been said that few of the great composers are ever genuinely funny; Schnittke demonstrates here that he can make you think and laugh at once. (Mozart, of course, is the most notable exception to that rule, and one imagines he would only enjoy the perverse liberties Schnittke has taken with his music.)

I admit that the last piece on this disc, "A Paganini," is the least rewarding for me; it certainly loses something not to be able to actually see the performer wrestling with the, yes, Paganini-esque virtuosity the piece requires. However, it's still a very interesting listen, and the fact that the composer was able to wring 13 genuinely exciting minutes out of what is basically a series of cadenzas for solo violin is certainly a feat in itself.

Customer Reviews:

Good for collectors, bad for everyone else........2006-09-17

I'm a cello student at the Cleveland Institute of Music and I ordered this CD to study it based on its reviews. After listening to it, it's clear that Suggia is no "princess of the cello". She greatly lacks the skills in rhythm, tempo, and intonation that are necessary to perform pieces even as elementary as the Sammartini effectively. In fact, the third movement of the Sammartini rushes the whole way through. It seemed as though the pianist was a measure behind the entire time. People looking for definitive, precise, or even half-way good performances of these pieces should stick with the modern masters (Jacqueline Du Pre's Kol Nidrei, Yo-Yo Ma's Lalo Concerto, Leonard Rose's Sammartini Sonata).

Beautiful.......2006-04-14

Madame Suggia, known as the "Princess of Cello", gives a beautiful performance of these four concertos. She has grace and power in her performance, and her playing is flawless. Hearing her Lalo cello concerto moved me enough to buy the score myself. Any collector of classical msuic would benefit with this in their collection.

Wow!!.......2005-09-30

I've played cello for a little over a year, and I've really started enjoying it. While most beginners/intermediates are interested in Yo-Yo Ma and other people who are, well, "modern", I really prefer listening to Guilhermina Suggia. Her playing and her tone are incredible. The only downside to this CD is that the recording isn't that great. Other than that though, I would recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys great cello music.

Clifford Curzon Plays Haydn, Liszt, Schubert

Average customer rating:

Clifford Curzon Plays Haydn, Liszt, Schubert

Manufacturer: BBC Legends
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005Q5LN
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

Mozart: Piano Sonata in G major: Allegro
Mozart: Piano Sonata in G major: Andante
Mozart: Piano Sonata in G major: Presto
Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op. 37a: May. Starlight Night
Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op. 37a: June. Barcarolle
Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op. 37a: November. In a Troika
Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op. 37a: January. By the Hearth
Rachmaninov: Etudes-tableux, Op. 39: No. 3 in F sharp minor. Allegro molto
Rachmaninov: Etudes-tableux, Op. 39: No. 4 in B minor. Allegro assai
Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 9, Op. 68
Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 4 in C minor, Op. 29: Allegro molto sostenuto
Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 4 in C minor, Op. 29: Andante assai
Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 4 in C minor, Op. 29: Allegro con brio, ma
Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor: Andante sostenuto-Allegro moderato-Lento assai
Haydn: Andante & Variations in F minor
Schubert: Impromptu in E flat major, D899 No. 2
Schubert: Impromptu in G flat major, D899 No. 3
Schubert: Impropmtu in A flat major, D889 No. 4

Amazon.com

Although Clifford Curzon (1907-82) enjoyed virtual carte blanche from Decca, his recording company for more than 40 years, the great British pianist made regrettably few records. This BBC Legends disc will, therefore, be greeted warmly by the late pianist's fans. It contains two works he never recorded commercially: Haydn's Variations in F Minor and Liszt's Valse oubliée No. 1.

Given Curzon's pre-eminence as an interpreter of the Viennese classics, it is astonishing that the Haydn marks the first appearance by that composer in his discography. Curzon's mastery of nuance makes the variations unfold magically; he invests their sadness with warmth and humanity almost like that of a consoling voice; and his command of structure makes the outburst in the coda seem inevitable as well as powerful. The Valse oubliée is perfectly formed, played with murmuring pedalings, as are the three Schubert impromptus.

Tracks:

Str Qt No.14 in G, K.387 (Haydn Set No.1): I. Allegro Vivace Assai
Str Qt No.14 in G, K.387 (Haydn Set No.1): II. Menuetto & Trio: Allegretto
Str Qt No.14 in G, K.387 (Haydn Set No.1): III. Andante Cantabile
Str Qt No.14 in G, K.387 (Haydn Set No.1): IV. Finale: Molto Allegro
Str Qt in C, Op.33 No.3 (The Bird): I. Allegro Moderato
Str Qt in C, Op.33 No.3 (The Bird): II. Scherzo: Allegretto
Str Qt in C, Op.33 No.3 (The Bird): III. Adagio
Str Qt in C, Op.33 No.3 (The Bird): IV. Finale: Rondo Presto
Str Qt No.15 in d, K.421 (Haydn Set No.2): I. Allegro
Str Qt No.15 in d, K.421 (Haydn Set No.2): II. Andante
Str Qt No.15 in d, K.421 (Haydn Set No.2): III. Minuetto & Trio: Allegretto
Str Qt No.15 in d, K.421 (Haydn Set No.2): IV. Finale: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Piu Allegro

Amazon.com

The Griller was Britain's preeminent string quartet in the 1940s and 1950s, notable for outstanding recordings of quartets by Bloch and Haydn, among others. Dutton's budget release features sophisticated playing whose great technical security is complemented by humane interpretations of great emotional depth. The two Mozart quartets are distinguished by rounded, tonal warmth, wide dynamics, and a generous molding of phrases and melodies. Part of Mozart's series of "Haydn" quartets, they're among the composer's finest works in that form, and the Griller's readings are still desirable, even after the passage of half a century. Haydn's "Bird" quartet is as good, with first violinist Sidney Griller contributing outstanding moments. This is an important release, pleasing for the repertory and interpretations and as an excellent introduction to the Griller's art. --Dan Davis

Album Description

For 34 years, the most eminent of British quartets performed and recorded. From their first public performance in London in 1928 until the tragic death of Philip Burton (viola) in 1961, they courted fame in a country not known for its tradition of chamber music. Towards the end of the '30s, tours of Europe and in 1940 USA, with a debut in New York and NBC contract helped with their growing popularity. After WW2 they were invited back to the USA, this time to Berkeley, and the University of California as a resident teaching quartet.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Love Can Damage Your Health [CD-single] [Import]

Richard Tauber: Passing By

Sir William Walton: The Complete Works

The Gospel Truth

The Fifth Element: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Soundtrack]

Que Bonita Morenita

The Season of Love

Significant Other [Enhanced] [Explicit Lyrics]

Slug 4 Slug [Explicit Lyrics]

Arensky: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2

Surprise