Ballets

On this CD:

1. Don Quixote, ballet
Composed by Roberto Gerhard
Performed by Tenerife Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Victor Pablo Perez

2. Pedrelliana
Composed by Roberto Gerhard
Performed by Tenerife Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Victor Pablo Perez

3. Albada, Interludi I Dansa for orchestra
Composed by Roberto Gerhard
Performed by Tenerife Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Victor Pablo Perez

4. Pandora, ballet and concert suite
Composed by Roberto Gerhard
Performed by Orchestra Sinfonica i Nacional de Barcelona i Catalunya
Conducted by Edmon Colomer

5. Soirées de Barcelone, for piano
Composed by Roberto Gerhard
Performed by Orchestra Sinfonica i Nacional de Barcelona i Catalunya
Conducted by Edmon Colomer

6. Ariel, ballet
Composed by Roberto Gerhard
Performed by Orchestra Sinfonica i Nacional de Barcelona i Catalunya
Conducted by Edmon Colomer

Tracks:

Prologue: The Birth Of Apollo - London Symphony Orchestra
Apollo's Variation - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas D'Action: Apollo And the Muses - London Symphony Orchestra
Variation Of Calliope - London Symphony Orchestra
Variation Of Polymnia - London Symphony Orchestra
Variation Of Terpsichore - London Symphony Orchestra
Variation Of Apollo - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas De Deux: Apollo And Terpsichore - London Symphony Orchestra
Coda: Apollo And the Muses - London Symphony Orchestra
Apotheosis: Apollo And the Muses - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas De Quarte - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Double Pas De Quarte - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Triple Pas De Quarte - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Prelude - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
First Pas De Trois: Saraband-Step - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Gaillarde - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Coda - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Interlude - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Second Pas De Trois: Bransle Simple - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Bransle Gay - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Bransle Double (Bransle De Poitou) - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Interlude - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Pas De Deux/Piu Mosso/L'Istesso Tempo/Refrain - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Coda/Doppio Lento/Quasi Stretto/Coda - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Four Duos - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Four Trios - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Lento Sostenuto - London Symphony Orchestra
Air De Danse - London Symphony Orchestra
Dance Of the Angel Of Death - London Symphony Orchestra
Interlude - London Symphony Orchestra
Dance Of The Furies - London Symphony Orchestra
Air De Danse - London Symphony Orchestra
Interlude - London Symphony Orchestra
Air De Danse - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas D'Action - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas De Deux - London Symphony Orchestra
Interlude - London Symphony Orchestra
Pas D'Action - London Symphony Orchestra
Apotheosis - London Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Robert Craft & Stravinsky: 3 Ballets on Themes of Greek Mythology.......2006-12-20

Naxos is doing us all a most welcome favor by re-releasing the Robert Craft performances of Stravinsky (and some Webern, and some Schoenberg) that earlier passed through on labels like MusicMaster and Koch Classics.

On this disc we get three of the later ballets that the composer did, based on Greek themes in mythology.

The earliest of these works is the ballet, Apollo. Or Apollon musagete. (1928) Craft seems to have had a complex relationship to the master, part family, part soul-mated colleague, and maybe part worshipper of the muses. He leads a deft and balanced reading of Apollo with the LSO. Do not let yourself be misled by the mainly diatonic, or major-key based, nature of this neo-classically fresh music. It is euphonius, and transcends its analytical means.

After visiting for a day with the composer, the Russian impresario Diaghilev wrote to a friend, "...it is, of course, an amazing work, extraordinarily calm and with greater clarity than anything he has done: filigree counterpoint around transparent, clear-cut themes, all in a major key, music not of this world, but from somewhere above ..."

Diaghilev got it, then, and so do Robert Craft and the players.

Second comes the latest of these 3 ballets, Agon. (1957) By this time the master was going serial, or twelve-tone, in his very own special way. He finished Agon close to his 75th birthday, and there is little or nothing quite like it in most of the published twelve-tone literature. Somehow, Stravinsky finds the intense economies that we associate with Webern while staying true to himself. There is no published scenario to Agon, as if the music were its own reason for being a ballet. The Orchestra of St. Luke's is smaller than the LSO, but no less musically gifted. Yet again, Robert Craft's leadership is astute, and he seems to have an ear no less incisive than Pierre Boulez when it comes to pitch, texture, and rhythm. What he offers that Pierre Boulez sometimes does not, at least as recorded, is a certain warmth and involvement, a certain sensory richness and physicality.

The last ballet on this disc is the one written in between Apollo and Agon: Orpheus (1946). The choice of subject originated with Georges Balanchine who was much taken with the Orpheus myth, but ballet stage designer Isamu Noguchi also deserves credit for bringing the work to life as dance, as scene, and as total art work. Stravinsky's genius was supported and nourished by the other two, and so we get a sort of return of the younger composer, all that much wiser for being able to embrace sensuality again after having survived two world wars and ending up settled amid the posturing glitz of Hollywood and southern California. Craft leads the LSO in another fine reading.

Apollo and Orpheus were caught in Abbey Road, U.K., and Agon in an auditorium at SUNY, Purchase. The sound matches the clarity, brilliance, and sensual heft of these three performances. Never flashy. No kitsch. But generous and scintillating, nonetheless.

Check out the whole Robert Craft series of recorded Stravinsky. This disc is just one among a string of finely matched pearls, waiting for the black velvet of your listening room's expectant quiet.

A Return to the Greeks a la Stravinsky.......2006-06-24

This marvelous CD presents three Stravinsky ballets that deal with Greek mythology and span Stravinsky's output from 1927 through 1957 allowing us to hear the manner in which Stravinsky continued to grow with the musical changes of the times (if not invent them!). The conductor is Robert Craft, Stravinsky's longtime colleague and promoter and in these recordings, each made originally on separate sessions, he conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Lukes, both ensembles having an affinity for these works.

'Apollon musagete, ballet in 2 scenes for string orchestra' (1927) is probably the finest of his neoclassical period works for orchestra alone. It can be steely cool in other's hands, but here Craft draws an achingly beautiful sound from the London Symphony. It is meditative, serenely poignant and ethereal.
'Agon, ballet for twelve dancers & orchestra' (1957) is one of Stravinsky's twelve tone works that manages to go beyond the usual constrictions of that form to become an unusually melodic work. Craft and the Orchestra of St. Lukes offer a performance that gives all of the sixteen variations individual importance.

'Orpheus, ballet in 3 scenes for orchestra' (1947) concludes the recital with the admixture of both Stravinsky's neoclassicism with his early penchant for seething romantic melody lines. This is the work of the three that will find widest audience appeal for those not yet captivated with the Stravinsky 'cerebral works' and it makes a fine way to complete this exploration into Greek themes so cleverly programmed by the reconstructors of this first class CD. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, June 06

Absolute Caftsmanship.......2005-07-17

Robert Craft was one of Stravinkij's best friends and worked closely with him in several circumstaces over the course of the years until the composer died. Craft was almost like a borther for Stravinsky (he lived with the russian composer's family both in California and later in New York City, and shared with him many ideas and projects which eventually culminated in a artistic relationship. Crafts wrote the libretto for The Flood and became the major biogarpher and Stravinskij's scholar publishing several numbers of books and essays on Starvinsky's ouvres and asethetic.

In this recording Craft is actually the best interpreterof Starvinsky's ballet music. Before I listened to this extraordinary Naxos CD, I thought tha Ansermet went farther than anybody else did --even more than Stravinskij himself. Craft made me change my mind: when you listen to his intepretation of this music, you have the feeling that he is talking to his longstanding friend Igor while conducting his music.

This recording will mark a milestone in revealing the beauty of Stravibnskij's music. Buy it, you won't regret it!

Very good rendition.......2005-07-01

I am so glad to find all three of these ballets on one CD.

The performance is beautiful. I could find nothing wrong with the interpretation, and I can assure you I am quite picky.

Anyway, I highly recommend this CD.

Fine Performances of Three Fine Stravinsky Ballets.......2005-06-10

Whoever had the idea of putting these performances of three of Stravinsky's ballets based on classical Greek themes on the same CD should get a medal. They are plucked and combined from several Koch Classics releases of a few years ago. Naxos seems to be reissuing all of Robert Craft's Stravinsky performances from the Koch label, and that's good. Craft, who has an unwarranted reputation as a dry-as-dust conductor, actually puts quite a bit of juice in these lovely scores. Similar as they may be in thrust, these three scores are really quite different from each other. 'Apollo' (1927-28) is for strings alone and is quintessential neoclassicism. 'Orpheus' (1947), for full orchestra, mixes neoclassicism with old-fashioned lyrical romanticism; indeed it is Stravinsky's first work since 'Firebird' to use the marking 'espressivo.' 'Apollo' and 'Orpheus' are narrative ballets but 'Agon' (1957) is plotless. It is very nearly atonal and varies the orchestration for nearly all the sixteen variations; the full orchestra is never used for any of them. Yet, within a few notes anyone familiar with Stravinsky's sound will immediately identify the composer of any of these works. It's always seemed amazing to me that a twelve-tone work by Stravinsky still sounds like him.

In 'Apollo' (or 'Apollon musagète' as it is called in French) all violence and abrasiveness (as one might expect from the composer of 'The Rite of Spring') are eschewed. Rather the work coolly and lyrically limns the birth and life of Apollo in music that is like some 18th-century court ballet filtered through 19th-century French ballet composers like Adam and Delibes. Delicious. And deliciously performed here by the London Symphony under Craft.

'Orpheus' was commissioned by Lincoln Kirstein for George Balanchine who had suggested the subject. It was originally intended to be coupled with 'Apollo' in performance but in fact that did not happen at its première. Although narrative, it is intensely hieratic and uses neobaroque gestures including canon, other kinds of counterpoint, restless bass lines, ostinati and the like. It is more austere than 'Apollo' but lyrical nonetheless. It, too, is given a lovely, flexible, suave performance by the LSO.

'Agon' (Greek for 'contest') is essentially a dance contest before the gods. Not really quite atonal, but making use of a 12-tone row, it combines Renaissance dances (including a galliard in C major with a canon featuring harp and mandolin), coupled with what Stephen Walsh in Grove's calls 'high-speed stream-of-consciousness chromaticism.' Its première was conducted by Robert Craft, and here, conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's, he leads a fast-moving performance that occasionally gets a little out of breath, but is energetic and energizing for all that.

There have been other recordings of these works, including those conducted by Stravinsky himself, but these are satisfying and in modern sound.

Recommended.

TT=77:45

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Excellent works
Enchanted Birds, Bach-ian Tangos, and Gaucho Bravura

Latin American Ballets

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Silvestre Revueltas: Centennial Anthology 1899-1999
Carlos Chávez: The Complete Symphonies
Musica de Feria - Silvestre Revueltas: The String Quartets / Los Cuartetos de Cuerda - Cuarteto Latinoamericano
Revueltas: Orchestral Music
Music Of Silvestre Revueltas

ASIN: B000001QAP
Release Date: 1995-03-16

Tracks:

Uirapuru
Suite de Caballos de Vapor: Dance of the Man
Suite de Caballos de Vapor: Boat to the Tropics
Suite de Caballos de Vapor: The Tropics
Estancia: The Land Workers
Estancia: Wheat Dance
Estancia: The Cattle Men
Estancia: Final Dance 'Malambo'

Amazon.com

An Estancia is a ranch, and this snazzy ballet is the Argentinian equivalent of Copland's Rodeo. The final Malambo is one of the most exciting ballet movements in the repertoire--a real rhythmic tour-de-force. The title of this terrific disc is Latin American Ballets, and both the Villa-Lobos and Chavez make up the balance of a sensational program. The late Eduardo Mata, whose death in a plane crash a couple of years ago came as a terrible shock to the music world, had a proprietary interest in all of this music, and conducted it with total mastery. Dorian's sonics give the music maximum impact, and the orchestra is world class. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Excellent works.......2003-02-14

The selections on this CD are excellent works that are unfortunately not very common in the classical repetoire. I really love this CD, especially for the 'Estancia' Ballet Suite. The best way to describe these Ginastera dances is intense, since they have such powerful underlying rhythms, and a driving energy that they will really get you going. In addition, there is a slower Danza del Trigo has a sweet flute and violin solos to conterbalance the driving energy of the other three movments. The last dance 'Malambo' is a whirlwind of a finale that will leave you a little out of breath at the end. I played this suite in orchestra and it was a real joy to perform and even better to listen to.

Uirapuru is a dark and intense piece. Musically, it doesn't seem to make much sense, but the then again the story it tells is a little strange. Great harmonics and some mysterious sounding melodies. I really enjoyed hearing this piece for the first time on this CD.

Though I wasn't totally enamored by the Caballos de Vapor Suite, it still had some great latin rhythms.

Overall, excellent work by the Simon Bolivar Orchestra. Bravo!

Enchanted Birds, Bach-ian Tangos, and Gaucho Bravura.......2001-08-12

This is perhaps the most satisfying CD purchase I've made, bar none. If that seems excessive, well, O.K., it is. BUT, this disc is phenomenal, and for a lover of Latin-American classical music, its a must. The ballet Uirapuru cemented my view that Villa-Lobos is one of the most phenomenal orchestrators. Uirapuru is a dark, mystical score that tells the story of an enchanted rainforest bird who turns into a man, who falls in love with a madien, but then gets shot by an angry old flute-playing man with a bow who's upset because some hunters beat him up because he wierded them out. Well, the story may be somewhat silly, but the music is unsettlingly powerful, with glittering orchestration that is masterfully highlighted by Mata's superb Venezuelan players. Chavez's Horse-Power suite is fascinating in a much more visceral way, with a mix of neo-classical wit and chugging latin rhythms. The closing movement, 'El Tropico', far surpasses the Pat Benatar album of the same name, and weaves intricate Bach-ian counterpoint into a darkly sentimental yet energizing tango. The final selection, by far the most well known, is Ginastera's popular Estancia ballet suite. For those who DON'T know the piece, be prepared for blistering 6/8 rhythms and exhilirating syncopations (a mainstay for Ginastera works). The performances are phenomenal, and totally committed. Dorian (who have put out a number of excellent CD's surveying important Latin-American repertoire) provides top-shelf sound, as usual. O.K., so maybe it's not the BEST CD EVER, but it's close.

Average customer rating:

Delibes: 3 ballets
Some serious competition for Tchaikovsky
Delibes + Bonynge, ¡que combinacion!
Great performances of very good music.
Great performances of the under-rated ballets

Delibes: The 3 Ballets

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Delibes: Coppélia (complete in three acts) / La Source (suites)
Bayer: The Fairy Doll (Complete Ballet)
Fete du Ballet: A Compendium of Ballet Rarities
Adolphe Adam: Giselle
Adam: La Filleule des Fées (Complete Ballet)

ASIN: B000026CFV
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

Coppelia: Prelude et Mazurka
Coppelia: Valse lente
Coppelia: Scene
Coppelia: Mazurka
Coppelia: Scene
Coppelia: Ballade de l'epi
Coppelia: Theme slave varie
Coppelia: Czardas (Danse hongroise) - Sortie
Coppelia: Finale
Coppelia: Entr'acte et valse
Coppelia: Scene
Coppelia: Scene
Coppelia: Musique des automates - Scene
Coppelia: Scene
Coppelia: Chanson a boire et scene
Coppelia: Scene et valse de la poupee
Coppelia: Scene
Coppelia: Bolero
Coppelia: Gigue
Coppelia: Scene

Tracks:

Coppelia: Marche de la cloche
Coppelia: Introduction
Coppelia: Valse des heures
Coppelia: L'Aurore
Coppelia: La Priere
Coppelia: Le Travail (La Fileuse)
Coppelia: L'Hymen (Noce Villageoise)
Coppelia: La Discorde et la guerre
Coppelia: La Paix
Coppelia: Danse de fete
Coppelia: Galop final
Sylvia: Prelude
Sylvia: Scherzo
Sylvia: Le Berger (Pastorale)
Sylvia: Les Chasseresses
Sylvia: Intermezzo
Sylvia: Valse lente
Sylvia: Scene
Sylvia: Cortege rustique
Sylvia: Scene
Sylvia: Entree du sorcier (Finale)

Tracks:

Sylvia: Entr'acte
Sylvia: Orion (Scene)
Sylvia: Pas des Ethiopiens
Sylvia: Chant bacchique
Sylvia: Scene et danse de la bacchante
Sylvia: Scene finale
Sylvia: Marche et cortege de Bacchus
Sylvia: Scene
Sylvia: Barcarolle
Sylvia: Pizzicati
Sylvia: Andante
Sylvia: Pas des esclaves
Sylvia: Variation: Valse
Sylvia: Strette: Galop
Sylvia: Le Temple de Diane (Finale)
Sylvia: Apparition d'Endymion (Apotheose)
La Source: Prelude
La Source: Scherzo
La Source: L'Ephemere: Scene dansee
La Source: Scene
La Source: Marche de la caravane
La Source: Berceuse

Tracks:

La Source: Pas de la guzla
La Source: Pas de la guzla
La Source: Scene
La Source: Scene dansee: Apparition de Naila
La Source: Valse
La Source: Scene et danse
La Source: Danse des Sylphes et des lutins
La Source: Variation de Naila
La Source: Scene et danse
La Source: Galop
La Source: Scene finale
La Source: Introduction
La Source: Scene
La Source: Scene: Arrivee de Nouredda
La Source: Pas des voiles
La Source: Andante
La Source: Variation
La Source: Finale: Danse circassienne
La Source: Scene
La Source: Pas de Naila: Scherzo-polka
La Source: Scene et pas d'action
La Source: Scene
La Source: Scene
La Source: Marche dansee et finale
La Source: Introduction
La Source: Scene
La Source: Romance
La Source: Scene et danse

Customer Reviews:

Delibes: 3 ballets.......2006-03-11

I bought this set because of the very favorable review in Penguin, and have not been disappointed.
Vic

Some serious competition for Tchaikovsky.......2003-06-26

Tchaikovsky's music often seems to dominate the world of ballet. But it's worth remembering that Tchaikovsky himself admired Delibes, whose work elevated music for the ballet to new heights.
Coppelia is the best known and most often performed of the Delibes ballets. It's easy to see why: the mazurka is lively, the czardas stirring. The music for the mechanical dolls has a wonderful music-box quality, and the melodic waltz of the hours is every bit as memorable as Tchaikovsky's waltz of the flowers.
Sylvia is seldom performed in its entirety, but the pizzicatti is instantly recognizable. Balanchine added the Sylvia pas de deux to his production of Coppelia, an interpolation that is often copied. (An oddity of ballet history: Coppelia was performed en travesti, with women taking the men's parts - hence Coppelia has no pas de deux of its own.)
La Source was originally created as a kind of musical contest, with half written by Delibes and half by Minkus. This album includes the full score, so you can judge for yourself why Delibes stayed in Paris and Minkus went to Russia.
My only criticism is the awkward way the three ballets are divided among four CDs. But conductor Bonynge has a definite flair for 19th century music. He has done us all a favor by putting full-length versions of all three Delibes ballets in this boxed set.

Delibes + Bonynge, ¡que combinacion!.......2000-06-07

Los ballets de Delibes marcan un punto de ruptura en la tradición de la música para ballet, ya que se puede decir que hasta este momento, la música que acompañaba a los bailarines prácticamente no tenía la menor importancia, solo era un fondo adecuado para que las estrellas de la danza hicieran sus evoluciones en el escenario. Delibes cambió esto al crear música realmente grandiosa, la cual puede escucharse perfectamente de forma independiente. Fue tal el impacto que tuvo Delibes sobre sus predecesores, que el mismo Tchaikovsky reconoció la enorme influencia que ejerció sobre sus obras maestras, los ballets "el lago de los cisnes", "la bella durmiente" y "el cascanueces". Los tres ballets de Delibes ("La source", "Coppelia" y "Sylvia") en la actualidad siguen representándose con cierta frecuencia en los escenarios (sobre todo los dos últimos), y junto con el "Gisselle" de Adam y los tres mencionados de Tchaikovsky, forman la base sobre la que se construyó prácticamente todo el ballet moderno; así que si Ud. es aficionado a este tipo de representaciones, estos discos deben estar en su colección. La interpretación de Bonynge a estos ballets de Delibes lo identifican fácilmente como uno de los mejores directores "de foso", llamados así debido a sus estupendas conducciones a música de escenario, como óperas y ballets. Si le interesa este disco, le recomiendo muchísimo también la colección con los 3 ballets completos de Tchaikovsky, también con Bonynge, verá que no se arrepentirá y que los escuchará con placer una y otra vez.

Great performances of very good music........1999-12-26

Leo Delibes had a special talent for writing captivating ballet music. Tchaikovsky, the greatest ballet composer of all, was an ardent admirer of Delibes' ballets. While Coppelia is Delibes' masterpiece, both Sylvia and La Source are worthy compositions. You will never hear these works performed better than in these recordings by Richard Bonynge -- THE oustanding conductor of 19th century stage and programmatic music. This set is both a bargain and a treat.

Great performances of the under-rated ballets.......1999-11-22

Not only are the ballets under-rated and obscured, Leo Delibes (1836-1891) continued to be forgotten figure in French Romantic music. Whereas Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky of Russia, his near contemporary, was the instrumental force in the development of ballets after the mid 19th century, so was Delibes. His ballets, especially Sylvia (to which Tchaikovsky greatly admired) continued to be popular until the 1920s, when productions of these works decreased noticeably.

Recordings therefore play an important role of allowing us to explore and appreciate the "hidden treasures." What is even more wonderful is that rival complete recordings of these works are now available (except La Source, which is still under one recording). The three ballet compilation was taken from previously recorded works under Bonynge on separate 2-disc sets (Bonynge recorded Sylvia twice, one with the National Philharmonc and the other with the Swiss Romande Orchestra, both equally well played, with polish, passion, and affection).

Richard Bonynge, always a pioneer in recording neglected works of composers (like Offenbach, Lehar, Strauss, Adam, and so forth), brough out the passion and discipline from his orchestras in this entire 4-compact disc set. The National Philharmonic (with Coppelia), the New Philharmonia (with Sylvia), and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (with La Source) provided us with sparkling, affectionate performances. The compilation is well done with the recording sound very realistic and natural (and sparkling as well).

The other complete recordings of the ballets, such as those featuring Dorati/Fistoulari in the Mercury Living Presence Recordings (3 CD set) or Zinman under Philips (in Coppelia) or Mogrelia under Naxos (in Sylvia) are also well done. However, Boynynge has the upper hand in the emotionism and excitement he and his orchestras were able to bring out, although Dorati/ Fistoulari were not far behind. Furthermore, the London Decca compilation of the ballets offers us the best overall sound surrounding the performances of the ballets. The London Decca recordings are most effective in bringing out the vividness Delibes' ballets require. the recordings are just simply fresh and natural. Extremely well done.

Highly recommendable and an obvious first-choice! (although the Dorati/Fistoulari recordings are close runner ups while the others are not too far behind).

Tracks:

I. Invocation And Trance
II. The Fathers (David And Jonathan)-The Pledge
III. Variation O-Messengers
IIIa. Kabbalah
IV. The Dream
IVa. Kabbalah
V. Variation A
VI. Variation M
VII. Variation N
VIII. Variation X
IX. Variation Y
X. Variation Z
XI. Alchemy-Variation O
XII. Leah (Maiden's Dance)
XIII. Possession
XIV. Demon
XV. Pas De Deux
XVI. Exorcism
XVII. The Community (Reprise And Coda)
Big Stuff
Enter Three Sailors
Scene At The Bar
Enter Two Girls
Pas De Deux
Competition Scene
Variation 1: Galop
Variation 2: Waltz
Variation 3: Danzon
Finale

Amazon.com

Composed 30 years apart--Fancy Free in 1944 and Dybbuk in 1974--these two ballets by Leonard Bernstein are wondrous works. The angular Dybbuk, about a spirit that tries to enter the body of a living being, is a tale of good versus evil. Much of the music is ominous and eerie; percussion and woodwinds are used effectively as disturbances, with brass interjecting pointedly. The more lyrical moments are short-lived and welcome. A variation called "Demon" in Part Three is oddly reminiscent of a dance from West Side Story. Fancy Free, which involves three sailors on leave in New York, is a completely different story. Slick rhythms, pop-music sounds, bright strings, and brass all evoke the wonders of youth and young love in the exciting city. The playing of the Nashville Symphony under Andrew Mogrelia is remarkable, with sharp attacks and a clear eye toward the fact that this is really music to dance to. A splendid recording. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A Needed New Recording of Bernstein's 'Dybbuk', Plus a Lively 'Fancy Free'.......2006-12-13

Leonard Bernstein and choreographer Jerome Robbins began talking about a ballet based on S. Ansky's play, 'The Dybbuk', as early as 1947 -- three years after they had collaborated on the other work on this disc, the 'Fancy Free' ballet -- but they never got around to it until the early 1970s. They intended it to be presented on the 25th anniversary of the founding of Israel but didn't quite make it; it had its premiere at the New York City Ballet in 1974. This was their fourth collaboration (Fancy Free; On the Town; West Side Story; Dybbuk). The ballet tells the story of two youngsters who were pledged to each other at birth by their fathers. But the father of the girl later arranges the betrothal of his now-grown daughter, Leah, to a rich man. The rejected son, Channon, dabbles in the black arts and becomes a dybbuk, in Jewish folk belief a 'wandering soul which enters into a living person and talks through his mouth, presenting a separate and alien personality.' In this case the dybbuk inhabits the body of Leah at her wedding causing her to speak in his voice, which brings the ceremony to a hasty and confused end. A rabbinic court is convened and the dybbuk exorcised, but now Leah is convinced she must be with Channon and she renounces her life so she can be with him in eternity.

Bernstein's music for 'Dybbuk' is unusual for him in that he uses twelve-tone technique extensively, in this case to depict the forces of evil; in contrast, tonal (although harmonically advanced) music is used for the forces of good. This is, of course, an allegorical comment on the conflict going on in classical music circles in the 1970s regarding using tonal versus non-tonal approaches. This ballet leaves little doubt where Bernstein's affinities lay.

The forty-five minute ballet is powerful in its effect, and it is given a powerful performance by the marvelous Nashville Symphony, last heard in their recent significant recording of Villa-Lobos's complete 'Bachianas Brasileiras'. The latter was conducted by the symphony's music director, Kenneth Schermerhorn, who died while the project was still unfinished. Andrew Mogrelia was called in to complete the Bachianas recording and is the conductor here in the Bernstein. His background includes a great deal of experience leading ballet performances and one can hear that in this recording. Bernstein recorded the work in 1974 but the sonics are dated; this recording provides a modern-sound version that fills a real need.

'Fancy Free' is surely one of Bernstein's best-known scores, beloved since its premiere in 1944 when it became his first big hit. In its almost thirty minute length it depicts the actions of three sailors on wartime shore leave in New York City. The music is jazzy, ebullient and sexy. It is given a rhythmically alert and exciting performance here by Mogrelia and the Nashville orchestra.

Incidental soloists in these two works are Mel Ulrich, baritone, and Mark Risinger, bass, who chant the occasional Hebrew passages in 'Dybbuk' and Abby Burke, who sings 'Big Stuff' (originally sung by Billie Holiday) in 'Fancy Free' accompanied by Stephen Kummer, piano, Roger Spencer, double bass, and Samuel D. Brown, drums. Kummer also has an important obbligato role in the ballet proper.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Perhaps the definitive releases of Firebird and Rite of Spring
Markevitch's Apollo rises far above bargain status
The Rite Stuff
One of Haitink's very best records
Fine Stravinsky Performances Conducted By Haitink

Igor Stravinsky: The Great Ballets

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Stravinsky: Symphonies and Concertos
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9
Debussy: Orchestral Music
Schubert: Symphony No 9; Wagner / Solti, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Firebird-Complete/Scherzo/Firework

ASIN: B00000416F
Release Date: 1993-08-10

Tracks:

The Firebird: Firebird: Introduction
The Firebird: Kashchei's Enchanted Garden
The Firebird: Appearance Of The Firebird Pursued By Ivan Tsarevich
The Firebird: Dance Of The Firebird
The Firebird: Ivan Tsarevich Captures The Firebird
The Firebird: Supplication Of The Firebird
The Firebird: Game Of The Princesses With The Golden Apples
The Firebird: Sudden Appearance Of Ivan Tsarevich
The Firebird: Round Dance Of The Princesses
The Firebird: Daybreak
The Firebird: Magic Carillon, Appearance Of kashchei's Guardian Monsters And Capture Of Ivan Tsarevich
The Firebird: Dance Of Kashchei's Retinue Under The Firebird's Spell
The Firebird: Infernal Dance Of All Kashchei's Subjects
The Firebird: Lullaby Of The Firebird
The Firebird: Collapse Of Kashchei's Palace And Dissolution Of All Enchantments; Reanimation Of The Petrified Prisoners; General Rejoicing
Apollon Musagete: Scene 1 - Prologue - Birth Of Apollo
Apollon Musagete: Scene 2 - Variation Of Apollo
Apollon Musagete: Pas d'action
Apollon Musagete: Variation Of Calliope
Apollon Musagete: Variation Of Polyhymnia
Apollon Musagete: Variation Of Terpsichore
Apollon Musagete: Variation Of Apollo
Apollon Musagete: Pas de deux

Tracks:

Apollo And The Muses: Coda
Apoloo And The Muses: Apotheosis
Petrouchka: The Shrovetide Fair - The Crowds - Russian Dance
Petrouchka: Russian Dance
Petrouchka: In Petrouchka's Booth
Petrouchka: In The Moor's Booth - Dance Of The Ballerina
Petrushka: Waltz (The Ballerina And The Moor)
Petrushka: The Shrovetide Fair (Evening) - Dane Of The Wet Nurses - Dance Of The Peasant And The Bear - Dance Of The Gipsies - Dance of The Coachmen And The Grooms - The Masqueraders - Death of Petrouchka
The Rite Of Spring: Introduction
The Rite Of Spring: The Harbringers Of Spring - Dance Of The Adolescents
The Rite Of Spring: Mock Abduction
The Rite Of Spring: Spring Rounds
The Rite Of Spring: Games Of The Rival Tribes
The Rite Of Spring: Procession Of The Sage
The Rite Of Spring: Adoration Of The Earth (The Sage)
The Rite Of Spring: Introduction
The Rite Of Spring: Mystical Circle Of The Adolescents
The Rite Of Spring: Glorification Of The Chosen One
The Rite Of Spring: Evocation Of The Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring: Ritual Of The Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring: Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps the definitive releases of Firebird and Rite of Spring.......2006-04-17

For the listener just beginning to learn the genius composer's
works, this is one of the best, if not THE BEST places to begin.

The selections are chosen from the most popular, most well
known numbers from Stravinsky, early in his career. Of course,
in addition to these well picked, well recorded numbers, there
will perhaps be another 10 CD's (if not more) you will eagerly
want to hear, obviously.

I think these 2 CD's are on par, if not slightly better,
than the versions recorded with Stravinsky directing, on
the 22 CD EDITION on the Columbia/Sony label, in terms of
musicianship and recording quality.

Great value, as always, from Philips.

Markevitch's Apollo rises far above bargain status.......2005-12-29

The bulk of this Philips two-fer is filled up with performances from 1973 in excellent analog sound from Bernard Haitink and his second orchestra, the London Phil. I wish I could say they are exceptional readings or exceptionally well played. The Rite of Spring swings between sounding eerie, listless, and crudely explosive. The Petrushka, in the rare 1911 original scoring for huge forces, is mostly quick-step with little digging beneath the surface. The Firebird is enticingly dreamy, although it runs out of steam in the demonic parts--the whole thing feels like leisurely scene-painting. Even so, these are good performances with plenty of striking moments to offset their neutrality, and the London Phil.'s strings sound especially sweet in the Firebird.

The performance of Apollo under Igor Markevitch, which takes up half of the first disc, dates from 1963 with the LSO, and it's the real thing. A truly imaginative, rhythmically alive reading, all the better since Apollo (for copyright reasons sometimes called Apollon Musagete), which is a quiet, reflective ballet, often comes off as anesthetized. Here it isn't, and the sonics are quite good, too, something not so common if you run after Markevitch recordings. Apollo won't raise anyone's temperature who is expecting the thrills of Le Sacre, but if you can buy this set used for a good price, here is an unmissable account. Five stars for Markevitch, an overly generous four for Haitink.

The Rite Stuff.......2005-10-04

If you're looking for a great recording of "The Rite of Spring," look no further. This is it. Stravinsky's other ballets are included and they are excellent as well, but after hearing this particular version of the 'Rite' on the radio, I knew I must have it. I've heard many other interpretations and Haitink has come up with the sine qua non of all Rites. The orchestra delivers an almost superhuman effort. The conversations between various instruments and sections come across with utmost clarity--even during complex moments. No detail has been muddied or lost. The percussion section is outstanding. Better than outstanding--they're amazing! The end result is the most powerful, chilling and riveting 'Rite' you'll ever hear. My highest recommendation.

One of Haitink's very best records.......2005-07-07

With an assist to Igor Markevitch for his work in "Apollon", this is one of Bernard Haitink's very best records and probably says most about what kind of music the conductor best interprets.

His work in the three great Stravinsky ballets, "L'oiseau de feu" (The Firebird), "Petrushka" and "Le Sacre du printemps" (The Rite of Spring) are the best renderings I have ever heard of these scores, far surpassing the composer's work on Columbia/Sony, in my opinion.

While I have never been a great fan of Haitink and believe he lacks the personality to compete in the CD world in the Romantic symphonies of Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovksy and others, I believe he is particularly in his element here and in another similar Philips twofer of the music of Claude Debussy.

What is the corollary between the two? Both are 20th century composers whose music is more suggestion than statement. The gentle delicacies of "The Firebird", in particular, meet best with the Haitink sensibility to be linear, literal and understated. While these qualities do not translate well in highly charged Romantic music, they are extraordinarily appopriate in these scores, which have been overblown and overplayed countless times on CD by more Romantic conductors like Bernstein.

As if the interpretations and performances themselves were not enough, the recordings of these wonderful "modern" scores -- "The Rite of Spring" is often cast with Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" as the first piece of "modern" music -- are equally extraordinary. The clarity and sound spectrum of these recordings is among the best I have heard from the analog era translated to digital CD. The orchestras play very well throughout and follow Haitink's sensitive leadership at all times.

I have been critical of Haitink's way with Shostakovich and Vaughan Williams in other of my reviews, but I must say here is the essential Bernard Haitink and a demonstration of the very best work he can do. If you have the slightest interest in these scores, I urge you to buy the low-prices classic recordings of Stravinsky's earth-changing music.

Fine Stravinsky Performances Conducted By Haitink.......2002-03-22

This is an excellent two CD compilation of Stravinsky's great orchestral works, blessed with superb performances of the London Philharmonic under Bernard Haitink's paton. Most noteworthy are Haitink's riveting interpretations of "Rite Of Spring" and "Petrouchka", which easily hold their own against other superb versions from the likes of Abbado, Bernstein and Boulez. The sound quality is fine, though I don't think it's a substantial improvement over the original analogue recordings.

Boismortier: Ballets de Village/Sérénade

Average customer rating:

Another winner from Herve Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel

Boismortier: Ballets de Village/Sérénade

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Boismortier - Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse / S. Van Dyck · R. Biren · M. Hall · P. Gay · Le Concert Spirituel · Niquet
Boismortier: Sonatas for 2 Bassoons and Continuo - Musica Franca
Boismortier: Sonatas for flute Op91
Johann David Heinichen: Concerto & Sonatas
Thomas Arne: Overtures

ASIN: B00004T6KK
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Tracks:

Premier Ballet, Op.52
Cinquieme Gentillesse, Op.45: Gaiement
Cinquieme Gentillesse, Op.45: Gracieusement
Cinquieme Gentillesse, Op.45: Gaiement
Deuxieme Ballet, Op.52
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Ov
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Entree Rustique
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Air Gracieux
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Gavotte En Rondeau
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Choeur Imaginaire
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Rigaudon Et Deuxieme Rigaudon
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Rondeau
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Menuet Et Deuxieme Menuet
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Gavotte
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Sarabande
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Air Vif
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Air Modere
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Gigue
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Villageoise Et Deuxieme Villageoise
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Musette
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Les Reverences Nuptiales
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Loure
Premiere Serenade, Op.39: Chaconne
Troisieme Ballet, Op.52
Quatrieme Ballet, Op.52

Customer Reviews:

Another winner from Herve Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel.......2000-06-29

I love this CD. Herve Niquet, conductor of Le Concert Spirituel, is a champion of the music of J. B. de Boismortier, and when you hear this disc you'll understand why. Boismortier was a skillful but unpretentious composer, and very popular in his day--when his critics accused him of writing music that was too simple and easy, he would shrug and reply, "I make money." "Ballets de Village" is French Baroque music at its best--not very deep or demanding, but pleasant, graceful, and charming from beginning to end. There is nothing profound or tragic here, just pure enjoyment, and at the low Naxos price this disc is an incredible bargain. Each movement is played with great enthusiasm by the Concert: they sound like they're having a great time. This CD is also an interesting novelty: Boismortier's compositions make extensive use of the musette (a type of bagpipe) and the vielle (a type of hurdy-gurdy), which gives this music a rustic, pastoral sound that reminds me of contemporary Celtic music.

Zamfir Plays the Worlds Most Beautiful Melodies: Volume 2

Average customer rating:

Zamfir Plays the Worlds Most Beautiful Melodies: Volume 2

Manufacturer: Hearthland Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Product Description

Gheorghe Zamfir / Zamfir Plays the Worlds Most Beautiful Melodies (Disc 2) Label: Hearthland Music Year: 1988 Track Title 1. THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE, 2. ANNIE'S SONG, 3. MEMORY, 4. BIRDS OF WINTER, 5. WHAT NOW MY LOVE, 6. BEAUTIFUL DREAM, 7. PLAISIR D'AMOUR, 8. SOMEWHERE MY LOVE 9. LONDONDERRY AIR, 10. AMAZING GRACE.

Stravinsky: Ballets; Stage Works; Orchestral Works

Average customer rating:

Hours and hours of fun!
Prodigious performances!
Ansermet & Stravinsky - A Perfect Pair

Stravinsky: Ballets; Stage Works; Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works
Grieg: Complete Music with Orchestra
Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet
Strauss: Orchestral Works
Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies & Tone Poems

ASIN: B00005ND3M
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

The Firebird: Intro
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Kashchei's Magic Garden
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Appearance Of The Firebird Pursued By Prince Ivan
The Firebird: Tableau 1: The Firebird's Dance
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Prince Ivan Captures The Firebird
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Supplications Of The Firebird/Appearance Of The Thirteen Enchanted...
The Firebird: Tableau 1: The Princesses' Game With The Golden Apples
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Sudden Appearance Of Prince Ivan
The Firebird: Tableau 1: The Princesses' Round-Dance
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Daybreak
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Magic Carillon/Appearance Of Kashchei's Guardian Monsters/Capture Of...
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Dance Of Kashcheis Retinue Under The Firebird's Spell
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Infernal Dance Of All Kashchei's Subjects
The Firebird: Tableau 1: Lullaby (The Firebird)/Kashchei Awakes/Death Of Kashchei/Darkness
The Firebird: Tableau 2: Dissolution Of The Palace And Kashchei's Spells/Animation Of The...
The Song Of The Nightingale: Feast In The Emperor's Palace
The Song Of The Nightingale: The Two Nightingales
The Song Of The Nightingale: Illness And Recovery Of The Emperor Of China

Tracks:

Petrouchka: Tableau 1: The Shrovetide Fair
Petrouchka: Tableau 2: In Petrushka's Room
Petrouchka: Tableau 3: In The Moor's Room
Petrouchka: Tableau 4: The Shrovetide Fair, Evening
The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Intro
The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Augurs Of Spring/Dances Of The Young Girls
The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Ritual Of Abduction
The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Spring Rounds
The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Ritual Of The Rival Tribes
The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Procession Of The Sage
The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: The Sage
The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Dance Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Intro
The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles Of The Young Girls
The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Glorification Of The Chosen One
The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Evocation Of The Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action Of The Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: The Chosen One

Tracks:

Pulcinella: Ov: Allegro Moderato
Pulcinella: Serenata: Larghetto 'Mentre L'Erbetta' - Carlo Franzini
Pulcinella: Scherzino: Allegro
Pulcinella: Allegro
Pulcinella: Andantino
Pulcinella: Allegro
Pulcinella: Ancora Poco Meno 'Contento Forse Vivere' - Marilyn Tyler
Pulcinella: Allegro Assai
Pulcinella: Allegro - Alla Breve 'Con Queste Paroline' - Boris Carmeli
Pulcinella: Largo 'Sento Dire No'nce Pace' - Marilyn Tyler/Carlo Franzini/Boris Carmeli
Pulcinella: Allegro - Alla Breve
Pulcinella: Tarantella
Pulcinella: Andantino 'Se Tu M'Ami' - Marilyn Tyler
Pulcinella: Allegro
Pulcinella: Allegro
Pulcinella: Gavotta Con Due Vars
Pulcinella: Tempo Di Minuetto 'Pupilette, Fiammette D'Amore' - Marilyn Tyler/Carlo Franzini/Boris Carmeli
Pulcinella: Allegro Assai
Apollo: Prologue: Naissance D'Apollon
Apollo: Var D'Apollon: Apollon Et Les Muses
Apollo: Pas D'Action
Apollo: Var De Calliope
Apollo: Var De Polymnie
Apollo: Var De Terpsichore
Apollo: Var D'Apollon
Apollo: Pas De Deux
Apollo: Coda: Apollon Et Les Muses
Apollo: Apotheose

Tracks:

The Fairy's Kiss: Scene 1: Prologue
The Fairy's Kiss: Scene 2: A Village Fete
The Fairy's Kiss: Scene 3: By The Mill
The Fairy's Kiss: Scene 4. Epilogue: Lullaby Of The Land Beyond Time And Place
Renard (A Burlesque Story To Be Sung And Played) - Gerald English/John Mitchinson/Peter Glossop/Joseph Rouleau/John Leach

Tracks:

The Soldier's Tale: Marche Du Soldat - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
The Soldier's Tale: Musique Pour Scene 1 - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
The Soldier's Tale: Musique Pour Scene 2 - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
The Soldier's Tale: Marche Royale - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
The Soldier's Tale: Petit Conc - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
The Soldier's Tale: Tango - Waltz - Ragtime - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
The Soldier's Tale: Danse Du Diable - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
The Soldier's Tale: Chorale - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
The Soldier's Tale: Marche Triomphale Du Diable - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
Pulcinella: Sinf
Pulcinella: Serenata
Pulcinella: Scherzino
Pulcinella: Allegro
Pulcinella: Andantino
Pulcinella: Tarantella
Pulcinella: Toccata
Pulcinella: Gavotta Con Due Vars
Pulcinella: Vivo
Pulcinella: Minuetto
Pulcinella: Finale

Tracks:

Sym in C: I. Moderato Alla Breve
Sym in C: II. Larghetto Conc
Sym in C: III. Allegretto
Sym in C: IV: Largo - Tempo Giusto Alla Breve
Sym in Three Movts: I. 1/2nt = 160
Sym in Three Movts: II. Andante
Sym in Three Movts: III. Con Moto
Syms Of Wind Instruments

Tracks:

Con: Largo - Allegro - Nikita Magaloff
Con: Largo - Nikita Magaloff
Con: Allegro - Nikita Magaloff
Capriccio: Presto - Nikita Magaloff
Capriccio: Andante Rapsodico - Nikita Magaloff
Capriccio: Allegro Capriccioso Ma Tempo Giusto - Nikita Magaloff
Ste No.1: Andante
Ste No.1: Napolitana - L'Orch De La Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet L
Ste No.1: Espanola
Ste No.1: Balalaika
Ste No.2: Marche
Ste No.2: Valse
Ste No.2: Polka
Ste No.2: Galop
4 Etudes: Danse
4 Etudes: Excentrique
4 Etudes: Cantique
4 Etudes: Madrid
Scherzo A La Russe

Tracks:

Sym Of Psalms: I. Psaume XXXIX - Choeur De Radio Lausanne/Andre Charlet
Sym Of Psalms: II. Psaume XL - Choeur De Radio Lausanne/Andre Charlet
Sym Of Psalms: III. Psaume CL - Choeur De Radio Lausanne/Andre Charlet
The Wedding: Tableau 1: At The Bride's - Basia Retchitzka/Lucienne Devallier/Hugues Cuenod/Heinz Rehfuss/Vladimir Diakoff/Motet De Geneve...
The Wedding: Tableau 2: At The Bridegroom's - Basia Retchitzka/Lucienne Devallier/Hugues Cuenod/Heinz Rehfuss/Vladimir Diakoff/Motet De Geneve...
The Wedding: Tableau 3: The Bride's Departure - Basia Retchitzka/Lucienne Devallier/Hugues Cuenod/Heinz Rehfuss/Vladimir Diakoff/Motet De Geneve...
The Wedding: Tableau 4: The Wedding Feast - Basia Retchitzka/Lucienne Devallier/Hugues Cuenod/Heinz Rehfuss/Vladimir Diakoff/Motet De Geneve...
Mavra: Ov
Mavra: Air - Joan Carlyle
Mavra: Gypsy Song - Kenneth Macdonald/Joan Carlyle
Mavra: Dialogue - Helen Watts/Joan Carlyle
Mavra: Air - Helen Watts
Mavra: Dialogue - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair
Mavra: Duet - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair
Mavra: Dialogue - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair/Joan Carlyle/Kenneth Macdonald
Mavra: Qt - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair/Joan Carlyle/Kenneth Macdonald
Mavra: Dialogue - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair
Mavra: Duet - Joan Carlyle/Kenneth Macdonald
Mavra: Dialogue - Kenneth Macdonald/Joan Carlyle/Helen Watts
Mavra: Air - Kenneth Macdonald
Mavra: Coda - Kenneth Macdonald/Joan Carlyle/Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair

Customer Reviews:

Hours and hours of fun!.......2007-01-24

Renard alone makes this set worthwhile. No other recorded performance (including Stravinsky's own) brings out the humor and basic "enjoyability" of this piece.

Prodigious performances!.......2006-10-17

Ernest Ansermet' s refined style was always supported by an admirable incisiveness around all what he conducted. And his Stravinsky still stands as one of the most perfect, idiomatic and extraordinary readings ever made; hovered with that deep vision and knower of the Stravinsky' s aesthetic; Ansermet always to blend power, febrile imagination and musculature, among his best achievements I should remark his Fairy' s kiss, The game of cards, Petrouchka, and the thundering Le Sacre are played with the right balance between abstraction and finesse; expression and sumptuous lyricism.

So you should not hesitate just for a second at the moment to decide to go for this special compilation.

Absolutely recommended.

Ansermet & Stravinsky - A Perfect Pair.......2003-05-19

This 8 CD collection of Stravinsky's Ballets, Stage Works and Orchestral Works is nothing short of magical. Conducted in its entirety by Ernest Ansermet leading the orchestra he founded, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, this box set, while not complete, features all the great Stravinsky compositions -- "Firebird," "Rite of Spring," "Petrouchka," "Pulcinella," and all the Symphonies among others. Unlike most of history's great composers, Stravinsky himself was able to conduct and record his own music in stereo, so why not just get those discs? Well you should, but the Ansermet recordings generally offer superior sound and clarity. In fact, Ansermet was Stravinsky's personal choice to conduct the world premieres of many of his recordings, and Ansermet was selected by the composer to introduce the three famous ballets to U.S. audiences. A mathematician prior to his life as a conductor, Ansermet had his critics as he was virtually self-taught, though he did study music as a youth. But that mathematics background served him well in the studio as his early stereo recordings of everything from Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev to Falla and Chausson are engineered to perfection, and often sound better than the recordings by so-called more famous conductors. But don't take my word for it, buy some Ansermet for yourself and see. If you are not prepared to get this Stravinsky Box right away, then ease in with the new Ernest Ansermet "Great Conductors of the Century" compilation (see my review). You won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

This CD is Nice..... But I like Jane Austen Companion Better
Beautiful vocal music

Jane Austen's Songbook

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Jane Austen Companion
English Country Dances
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English Country Dances from Playford's Dancing Master 1651-1703 - The Broadside Band
Pride & Prejudice

ASIN: B0006OR15C
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Tracks:

'Tis in Vain, Alcanzor
William
Oh Nancy
The Irishman
The Joys of the Country
Go, and on my Truth
Plus ne veux jamais
Her Hair is Like
Sweet Transports
Airs de Ballets de la Caravane
Of Plighted Faith
The Soldier's Adieu
Je croyais ma belle
Sous un Berceau
From Night till Morn
Filles Charmantes
Catch: Joan said to John
La Danse
My Phillida
Chanson Bnoise
Thy Fatal Shafts
Lucky Escape
Think your tawny Moor
The Wedding Day
The Marseillaise March
Arietta Veneziano
Somebody
The Heaving of the Lead
Captivity
Queen Mary's Lamentation
The Poor little Gypsy
When the hollow Drum
Faint and Wearily
Collin's Ode
Begone, dull care
The Mansion of Peace
The Match Girl

Album Description

Julianne Baird writes: "Music and the social status it expressed was an integral part of Jane Austen's life. Her novels are replete with details of domestic musical activities. Accounts of public concerts and private balls as well as music programs with hired musicians fill her letters. A dedicated amateur herself, Austen ordinarily played at the pianoforte at least an hour a day before breakfast from the 8-book music collection now preserved in her home at Chawton. For nieces and nephews she practiced 'country dances,' a number of which appear in her collections. Austen painstakingly copied and bound music that especially interested her. Two books are in her own hand - one of piano pieces and the other (Book III), of vocal music, recorded here in its entirety. Some pieces contain her own suggestions for ornamentation. Prominent themes are naval affairs, country life, drinking songs, love, Turkish and Moorish motifs, female character pieces, and the French Revolution. The novels of Jane Austen reveal her as a keen observer of early 19th century English society. Now, through her Songbook, she herself springs to life: her special likes and dislikes, her boisterous sense of humor, her passions, the way she amused herself and what she was like relaxing with her family and friends." This is a very special album indeed.

Customer Reviews:

This CD is Nice..... But I like Jane Austen Companion Better.......2007-01-16

This CD is nice but not one that I will listen to often.
The fact that you get to hear what music Jane Austen liked is quite amazing. When you think I'm listening to music that Jane Austen listened to over 200 years ago.
However I'm not a great fan of Opera Music and that is probably why this CD is not one that I will listen to often.
But if you like listening to Opera Music. You will like this CD.

Beautiful vocal music.......2005-10-17

This collection is wonderful and gives us an opportunity to experience some of Austen's favorite music.