Nova Classics V.3 [Import]

Nova Classics V.3 [Import]

Track Listings

1. Papa Was A Rolling Stone

2. Message

3. Superman Lover

4. Coffee Cold

5. Pacific State

6. Simply Beautiful

7. War

8. Modus Operandi

9. Begghin'

10. Sweet Songs

11. Life Is A Flower

12. Ere Mela Mele

13. An Evening With Hefner Pt.3

14. Move On Up ( Live )

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The Third Volume of Classic Tracks Assembled by the Guys from Paris' Notorious Radio Station Are Yet Another Sonic Taste Treat. One Big Highlight Here is Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message", the Track that Singlehandedly Brought a Conscience to Rap Music. Also Included is a Wonderful Live Recording of the Late Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up" and for the Times, Edwin Starr's "War" is Once Again Reprised. Other Tracks Feature Rev. Al Green, the Late Johnny Guitar Watson, 808state, Photek, Hefner and Many More. There is None Like this Radio Station and They Really Know their Stuff...truly Classic!

Tracks:

Mais Que Nada
Scarborough Fair
With A Little Help From My Friends
The Look Of Love
Fool On The Hill
Going Out Of My Head
Look Around
Like A Lover
One Note Samba/Spanish Fever
Bim Bom
Never Gonna Let You Go
Paris Tropical
Promise Of A Fisherman
Pretty World
So Many Stars
Song Of No Regrets
Alibis

Customer Reviews:

good listening's.......2007-07-07

unable to type correctly because of paine. this music is nice to listen to when bed bound, but first you must hear it.

Sergio Mendes/Classics Vol.18.......2007-04-05

One of the finest compilations by the Sergio Mendes/Brazil 66 group available. All excellent selections including but not limited to: So Many Stars, Pretty World, and the signature classic Mais Que Nada.
This is a must have.

"Pretty World".......2006-06-28

Sergio Mendes 40th Anniversary concert at the Hollywood Bowl last Sunday, June 25, 2006 was a blast! To put a few words in a capsule that would describe that memorable evening, here goes . . .

Full-packed venue.
Tickets sold out.
Wonderful, alive and responsive audience.
Great performances of Sergio Mendes and his guests.
A night to remember.

It was a very memorable concert for I have met in person a musical legend while he was signing my CD booklets I brought with me. He's such an exceptional pianist, composer and a Bossa Nova icon as well. I've followed his musical career since Day One spanning four decades and have collected a good number of his most notable recordings of all-time. To me, the best part of the concert was the appearances of the equally talented husband and wife team of trumpeter, Herb Alpert, and the original Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 vocalist, Lani Hall. To the delight of the audience, they did a medley of my all-time favorites from this impressive collection "The Look of Love" (my friend and I as well as the audience were singing along) and "Fool On The Hill." Ditto with the performance by Joe Pizzulo of one of his hit songs "Never Gonna Let You Go." On this performance the audience started waving their cell phones (some with small flashlights) and you could see the lights illuminated from the phones - it was a beautiful sight - it's almost like seeing sparkling beads all over the place. The performances on "Mas Que Nada" and my very favorite song "Pretty World" were so nice, these are two of the seventeen tracks from this timeless and classic collection.

"Why don't we take a little piece of summer sky
Hang it on a tree
For that's the way to start to make a pretty world
For you and for me

And for the sun we'll take a lemon bright balloon
You can hold the string
Oh can't you see that little world of ours will be
The prettiest thing

We can gather rain enough for the stream
To hold our happy faces
When we want a breeze, I'll blow you a kiss or two
Take me in your arms and our little world
Will be the place of places
Nothing left to make but breakfast and love

We'll hang a little sign that says,
'Paradise: Population Two'
For that's the way to start to make a pretty world
For me and for you
For you, it's what I wanted to do, to do
To make a world..... with you."

Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 "Classics, Volume 18" is an absolute representation of typical Sergio Mendes music from the initial track "Mas Que Nada" to the final cut, "Alibis."

This is the kind of music you have enjoyed yesterday and will enjoy today, tomorrow and forever.

Timeless music.

This 1987 retrospective is badly in need of a facelift........2005-12-29

If you did not grow up in the 1960's you just might wonder why so many baby boomers continue to be fixated on the music of that decade. The Billboard charts were filled with so many new and exciting sounds. When one thinks of 60's music the British Invasion and Motown immediately come to mind. But there were a number of other sounds that made an impact in the 1960's as well. Sergio Mendes brought his unique blend of Brazilian, jazz and American pop styles to America for the first time in 1966. His music was an instant sensation.
Although Sergio Mendes himself did not sing, he was the pianist, arranger, producer and musical director of this unique group. Led by vocalist Lani Hall, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 would produce some of the most innovative sounds of the late 60's. "Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66-86" features many of the highlights of the groups outstanding work during this period as well as a pair of hits from a later incarnation of the act in the mid 1980's.
To me "Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66-`86" was always a very strange concoction. Issued as part of A&M Records 25th anniversary "Classics" series in 1987, I was never very pleased with the way this one was done. If you are looking for the great 60's hits like "The Look of Love", "Scarborough Fair" and "The Fool On The Hill" then you will find them all here. Also included is the groups amazing 1969 hit "Pretty World" which is perhaps my favorite Sergio Mendes tune from that era as well as the groups very first hit single in America "Mas Que Nada". While the group experienced a fair amount of success on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart during this period, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 were a fixture on adult contemporary radio stations throughout the late 60's and early 70's. The group also sold a ton of albums. In fact, their debut LP simply entitled "Sergio Mendes and Brasil `66" remained on Billboards album charts for an amazing 126 weeks! You will find a number of selections from these LP's on this disc including "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Like A Lover" and the lovely "So Many Stars". Also included are a couple of fine instrumentals.
In 1983, Sergio Mendes re-emerged on A & M records with a brand new cast of charactors. The soulful single "Never Gonna Let You Go" featuring the splendid lead vocals of Joe Pizzulo and Leza Miller was one of the surprise hits of that year. Slightly more than a year later the wonderful pop single "Alibis" peaked at #29 on the Billboard pop chart. Both of these later singles are included on "Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66-'86" as well.
As I mentioned earlier I was never overly impressed with "Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66-86". The sound quality is OK but nothing more. The liner notes which were written some 19 years ago are dated and the packaging is drab. Of the 17 tracks in this collection I would question why 3 or 4 of them were included in the first place. Yet for all of these flaws this disc is still the best available Sergio Mendes collection released in the U.S. And that is too bad. In 1997, A&M's British unit released an updated 2 CD collection of Sergio Mendes. I am not particularly wild about that one either. Hopefully, Universal Records, who now controls the A&M catalogue in the U.S. will see fit to release an updated anthology of this remarkable act in the near future.

Keep looking, this is it........2005-09-28

I researched and this one contains most of the songs I love. Bought it and sounds great! Everyone that hears it loves it as well.

Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Violin Romances

Average customer rating:

Beethoven minus Romantic cobwebs

Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Violin Romances

Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | 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:

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Septet
Beethoven: Piano Concertos 3 & 4
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5
Bach: Cello Suites, Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin - Christian Tetzlaff & Ralph Kirshbaum (4 CD's)
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

ASIN: B000FII25M
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Tracks:

Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Larghetto
Rondo
Adagio, Allegro Con Brio
Adagio Cantabile

Album Description

"One of the most brilliant and inquisitive artists of the new generation." -NEW YORK TIMES

As is generally known, Beethoven later transcribed his violin concerto as a piano concerto, for which he wrote some additional solo cadenzas. Christian Tetzlaff has in turn transcribed these original piano cadenzas for the violin. According to Tetzlaff, the cadenzas by Fritz Kreisler that are usually heard are "alien - in purely harmonic terms, but also in terms of the concept and the idea behind them. Beethoven pursues an entirely different approach in his original piano cadenzas". Voted the 2005 Instrumentalist of the Year by Musical America, Tetzlaff regularly gives guest performances as a soloist and chamber musician in all the international musical centers, such as at New York's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Vienna's Musikverein as well as in London, Paris, Berlin, and Munich. He has been awarded several prizes for his numerous CD recordings, including two Diapason d'Ors, the Edison Prize, the Echo Prize, and nominations for the Grammy Awards. This recording offers one of today's leading soloists along with conductor David Zinman, whose Beethoven recordings are praised by critics and fans. David Zinman has risen to the pinnacle of his career in the last decade. After bringing the Baltimore Symphony to major status, he became musical director of the Aspen Music Festival and then took the helm of Zurich's beloved Tonhalle Orchestra, with which he has undertaken highly successful tours of Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Zinman's discography, which includes over 100 recordings, has won five Grammys and two Grands Prix du Disque. Zinman's complete Beethoven symphony set with this same orchestra received the Award of the German Record Critics in 1999 and has since gone from one rave review to another. Founded in 1868, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra is Switzerland's oldest symphony orchestra. Today it gives over 90 concerts each season, featuring more than 50 different programs with the world's leading conductors and solo artists.

Customer Reviews:

Beethoven minus Romantic cobwebs.......2006-06-25

As in his remarkable Beethoven symphony cycle, Zinman and his Zurich orchestra allow the listener to hear the concerto from a fresh perspective; the cadenzas used by Christian Tetzlaff, Germany's finest violinist at present (yes, above Mutter - just compare their Mozart concerti),derive from Beethoven's transcription of his violin concerto for the piano. When the cadenza first appears this listener REALLY took notice, and some will find the piece virtually unrecognizable at this point, but I found it fascinating and successful-far removed from the heavily romanticized accounts of the work most will be accustomed to. The finale, which at a slow tempo can be quite laborious, sparkles like no other of recent vintage. I can imagine some will abhor this recording for the first movement waywardness, but any one who has enjoyed Zinman's Beethoven symphonies will delight in this new recording and gain a refreshing view of this, arguably the greatest of all violin concerti. Excellent sound-better than that heard in the symphonies. I want to hear now the rest of the piano concerto cycle with Zinman and Bronfman.

Average customer rating:

Early Beethoven Concertos Beautifully Played

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5
Beethoven: Piano Concertos 3 & 4
Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Septet
Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Violin Romances
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis

ASIN: B000N60H9K
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

I. Allegro Con Brio
II. Largo
III. Rondo: Allegro Scherzando
I. Allegro Con Brio
II. Adagio
III. Rondo: Molto Allegro

Album Description

"I don't think I've ever heard Bronfman play better." - Gramophone

Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1958, Yefim Bronfman immigrated to Israel at the age of thirteen and later to the US, where he pursued his training at the Juilliard School and the Marlboro and Curtis Institutes under Rudolf Serkin, Rudolf Firkusny, and Leon Fleisher. Bronfman celebrated his international debut in 1975, accompanied by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Zubin Mehta. He soon acquired an excellent reputation as a pianist on the stages of the world's major concert halls. Highlights of recent years include concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and the Cleveland Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, and the Vienna Philharmonic. Yefim Bronfman also gives regular piano recitals in the leading concert halls of the US, Europe, and Asia. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with the Emerson, Cleveland, Guarneri, and Juilliard Quartets. Other long-term musical partners include Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Lynn Harrell, Shlomo Mintz, and Pinchas Zukerman. Bronfman became an American citizen in 1989. Born in 1936, American conductor David Zinman has risen to the pinnacle of his career in the last decade. His discography of over one hundred recordings has won five Grammys and two Grands Prix du Disque. Founded in 1868, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra is Switzerland's oldest symphony orchestra.

Customer Reviews:

Early Beethoven Concertos Beautifully Played.......2007-07-03

David Zinman conducting the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich and pianist Yefim Bronfman have recently collaborated on a recording of Beethoven's five piano concertos and the triple concerto on the budget-priced Arte Nova label. In this recording of the first and second concertos, Zinman, his orchestra, and Bronfman are an ideal match. Zinman has become known for his period performances of Beethoven using modern instruments. His set of Beethoven symphonies has been highly acclaimed. His recording of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis has received mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it greatly. The performance of these concertos is crisp, articulate, boisterous, and ambitious. It brings out the drive, humor,originality and roughness-around-the-edges of early Beethoven. Yefim Bronfman is a powerhouse pianist. But he plays these early concertos idiomatically, lightly, smoothly, and with great flair.

Of Beethoven's five concertos, the fourth and the fifth are mature middle-period works. The third concerto, in C minor, is something of a hybrid between Beethoven's early and middle styles while concertos 1 and 2 are works of the young Beethoven. Beethoven did not compose a late-period concerto, but these five works offer an excellent way of tracking Beethoven's development from his early years in Vienna to his period of maturity. More importantly, they contain unforgettable music.

Beethoven composed the first two concertos for his own performance as a rising young composer in Vienna in his early to mid 20's. The earliest of his concertos is concerto no. 2 in B-flat major, opus 19. This work probably was written in some form before Beethoven moved to Vienna from Bonn at the age of 22. He revised and reworked it many times for his own use before publishing it at last in 1801. Beethoven described the work to his publisher as "A concerto for pianoforte, which, it is true, I do not make out to be one of my best. At the same time it would not disgrace you to engrave this concerto." The second remains the least-familiar of Beethoven's concertos.

Particularly in its opening movement, the work has a bumptious, patchwork quality, probably due to Beethoven's many revisions of the score as well as to his youth. But the work has lovely movements, particularly in its lyrical second theme and in the delicate runs and movement of the piano part. The highlight of the work is the Adagio, a flowing and serious slow movement which builds dramatic tension in long solo passages for the piano towards the end. The finale of the second concerto is a boisterous rondo with a short, catchy and humorously syncopated theme. If Beethoven was correct in regarding the concerto as "not one of my best" he was also right that the work did not put him or his publisher to shame. The work, which owes a great deal to Mozart and Haydn, well rewards hearing.

The piano concerto no. 1 in C major, opus 15 was composed in 1795 also primarily as a performance vehicle for Beethoven. This work is much more cohesive than the B-flat major concerto and was also published in 1801, several months after its companion. The opus 15 is a festive, high-spirited work, replete with tympani and trumpet as befitting an orchestral piece in C major. The opening movement features a range of themes, but it focuses on a march-like military phrase introduced at the outset by the orchestra and on a solo martial theme given to the piano. The piano part is full of filigree, long runs, trills and singing themes. Beethoven wrote a famously difficult cadenza for this early work. The largo, opens with a lyrical, reflective theme in the piano which is clung to and developed over the course of an extended movement, culminating in another floridly elaborate piano solo towards the end. The final rondo, which Beethoven is said to have composed in two days, is lively and rhythmical with some strongly accentuated dance themes as it proceeds. In this concerto, Beethoven comes into his own voice as a young composer while still building of the work of his great predecessors.

Zinman and Bronfman offer a thoroughly enjoyable and idiomatic performance of early Beethoven. This is a lovely disc and at its low price offers an excellent way to get to know and love this music.

Robin Friedman

Brazil Classics, Vol. 1: Beleza Tropical

Average customer rating:

Prepare to Be Mesmerized
still love it after 15+ years
This disc introduced me to Brazil
Not a New CD
one of my desert island CDs

Brazil Classics, Vol. 1: Beleza Tropical
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Luaka Bop
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Samba | Latin Music | International | Styles | Music

Afro Brazilian | Latin Music | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Bossa Nova | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Beleza Tropical 2: Novo! Mais! Melhor!, Compiled By David Byrne
Clube da Esquina
Pure Brazil: Caipirinha
Samba Brasil
Putumayo Presents: Acoustic Brazil

ASIN: B0000DB51P
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

Ponta de LanAfricano (Umbabarauma) - Jorge Ben
Sonho Meu - Maria Betha, Gal Costa, ,
Sero Um XodGilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso
Um Canto de Afoxara O Cloco de IlIly- Caetano Veloso
O Leinho - Caetano Veloso
Caa - Chico Buarque
Calice - Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento
Equatorial - Lrges, , Borgues
San Vicente - Milton Nascimento
Quilombo, O el Dorado Negro - Gilberto Gil
Caramba! ... Galileu da Galil - Jorge Ben
Caixa de Sol - Nazare Pereira
Maculele - Nazare Pereira
Queixa - Caetano Veloso
Andar Com Fe (To Walk With Faith) - Gilberto Gil
Fio Maravilha - Jorge Ben
Anima - Milton Nascimento
Terra - Caetano Veloso

Customer Reviews:

Prepare to Be Mesmerized .......2006-09-23

I was given this album by a friend. I'm not a connoisseur of international music, but I must say I was instantly captivated by this musical compilation. The songs have a catchy, relaxing quality to them.

still love it after 15+ years.......2006-03-29

I bought the original about 15 years ago in cassette tape form
(yeah, I am getting older:). Even though I agree that Byrnes should have updated it with younger and more current artists, these classic songs still move me.

This disc introduced me to Brazil.......2006-03-16

What a great CD. I have all of Byrnes Brazilian discs and wish he would issue more. He really captured what makes Brazilian music great with his first three discs in this series. Still, this one is really special. The fourth and fifth disc in this series are dedicated to the artist Tom Ze who is brilliant in his own weird way. This first disc makes you just want to dance all over your living room. I wish Byrne would release more. Of course I now have a lot of the cds by the original artists, but this is the one that hooked me. Buy and enjoy.

Not a New CD.......2005-03-29

Why continue to recycle a CD that is now roughly sixteen years out of date? Yes, it is a great compilation, or, at least, it was in 1989, but times have changed. Maybe somebody should talk Byrne into updating this CD once again, as he did in 1999, with a new compilation or two or six. There are about a score of styles and literally dozens of artists in Brazil who deserve recognition for the music that they are making now. And it is somehow odd that while there is not exactly a shortage of Brazilian compilations out there, most of those efforts have a regretable tendency to recycle yesterday's headliners. How about a fresh compilation that includes such diverse artists as Djavan, Cibelle, Autoramas, Silvia Torres, Monica Salmaso, Carlinhos Brown, Vinicius Cantuaria, Helena, Trio Da Paz, Charlie Brown Jr, Rita Ribeiro, Fernanda Porto, Seu Jorge, and about, oh, fifty others. All are interesting artists making incredible music, and all are making that great music in the 21st century.

one of my desert island CDs.......2004-10-12

I've owned this CD for over ten years and it remains one of my favorites. The Brazilian music featured here manages to be both instantly accessable and yet at the same time exotic and new, from the stripped-down funkiness of "Ponta de Lança Africano" to the majestic "Equatorial" to the melancholy harmonies on "Fio Maravilha." I suppose the reason for this is the fact that these artists grew up immersed in their rich musical traditions, but at the same time they were exposed to the music of the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Brown, etc. I don't like most of what falls under the "world music" umbrella, but this collection really hits the spot for me.

Also worth mentioning are the excellent liner notes and bilingual lyrics. Honestly, my only complaint is that this CD inspired me to go out and look for more Brazilian music but I've been unable to find anything else that I loved as much as this.

Average customer rating:

Classics Today 10-10
Zinman, Tonhalle, Shaham, Mork & Bronfman: Brilliant Beethoven 2

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Septet

Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | 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:

Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Violin Romances
Beethoven: Piano Concertos 3 & 4
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5
Beethoven: Complete Overtures
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

ASIN: B000EQ46XM
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Largo - Attacca
III. Rondo. Alla Polacca
I. Adagio. Allegro Con Brio
II. Adagio Cantabile
III. Tempo Di Minuetto
IV. Tempo Di Minuetto
V. Scherzo: Allegro Molto E Vivace
VI. Andante Con Moto Alla Marcia. Presto

Album Description

FOUR GRAMMY AWARD WINNING ARTISTS ON ONE DISC. As Beethoven himself was well aware, his Concerto for Piano, Violin and Cello - commonly called the "Triple Concerto" - was unique in musical literature. No one had ever written for this combination of solo instruments and orchestra. The Triple Concerto was first performed in Vienna in 1804, and apparently never again in Beethoven's lifetime! The work was neglected for years and is still a little overshadowed by the other Beethoven concertos, but this is in large part because it is seldom heard due to its extraordinary requirements for three major virtuosi. This recording offers three of today's leading soloists along with conductor David Zinman, whose Beethoven recordings have already become first choices with many listeners. Since making his debut at London's Festival Hall in 1981, pianist Yefim Bronfman has regularly played with the most renowned European, American and Far Eastern symphony orchestras. He was! awarded the Avery Fisher Prize in 1991. Israeli-American violinist Gil Shaham (b. 1971) studied at Juilliard and in 1990 was awarded the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since then, he has pursued an extremely active international career and made numerous CD recordings. Gil Shaham plays a Stradivarius dating from 1699. Truls Mørk has long been one of the most renowned international cellists and plays with the world's leading symphony orchestras and conductors. An enthusiastic chamber musician, he undertook a successful tour of the U.S. with violinist Gil Shaham and pianist Yefim Bronfman in 2003. Born in 1936, American conductor David Zinman has risen to the pinnacle of his career in the last decade. His discography of some 100 recordings has won five Grammys and two Grands Prix du Disque. Founded in 1868, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra is Switzerland's oldest symphony orchestra. Included as a major bonus is a splendid performance of Beethoven's early and massive chamber work masterpiece, the Septet, Op. 20.

Customer Reviews:

Classics Today 10-10.......2006-05-23

10 for performance
10 for sound

and I add

10 for price

Zinman, Tonhalle, Shaham, Mork & Bronfman: Brilliant Beethoven 2.......2006-05-11

Here we get part two of the ongoing series that seems to aim at getting all the Beethoven piano concertos, safely in the can. The familiar bottom line for this series? Get this CD right away. No matter who else already sits on your fav shelf for this music, you will find it quite easy to add this new recording of the Beethoven Triple Concerto, and the early Septet. Cheap price, too. But nothing cheap, nothing cheap at all about either the recorded sound, or the quality of these performances.

If you have heard - and liked - the approach that Zinman & Tonhalle took to their prize-winning set of the complete Beethoven Symphonies (which deservedly earned the German record critics prize, and is also at budget prices on Arte Nova) - you can settle into your home system, or mp3 player, or car stereo for lots more of that same Beethoven - intelligent, vital, heartfelt.

To recap.

Zinman & Tonhalle have been influenced by all the paths opened up in the period instrument performances of baroque and classical music over the past five or six decades; without really having to play on gut strings and period instruments. So what's left? Well, somehow Zinman & Tonhalle manage their Beethoven with clarity, wit, punchy phrasing, and the wide open humanism that are the hallmarks of Beethoven's musical personality. There is not one ounce of romanticized fat in any of these Zinman-Tonhalle versions of the symphonies, and that is all to the good, since Beethoven is not at all confined to what the nineteenth century made out of him and made out of his music. In addition to the clarity, the tonal transparency that period peformance suggests, Zinman-Tonhalle also give us the rough-hewn punning, the startlingly clear and high musical intellect, and the energy that fairly bursts from Beethoven's unprecedented approach to both harmony and rhythm. Listening to Beethoven played this way, you easily credit his supposed reputation as the finest improviser of his era.

Into this notable Beethoven mix now comes pianist Yefim Bronfman, plus violinist Gil Shaham, and cellist Truls Mork. Each soloist certainly has his chops. More to the point, all three soloists and Zinman-Tonhalle are worthy and alert partners throughout. Conductor & pianist see eye to eye, without losing their own insights and musical commitments. The three trio players have the sort of rich tonal point that is generic to each of their instruments, combined with a vigor and fluency that can only put older listeners in mind of the much-lauded Beaux Arts Trio. We get an alchemy - inside the trio, and between the trio and orchestra under Zinman - that is way more than the simple sum of the parts.

The Triple Concerto is something of an acquired taste, even for people who already love the five piano concertos. If you approach the Triple open-mindedly, and are willing to listen to it on its own eccentric terms, you reap the rewards of making a good, new friend. Now, I admit I find many performances of the Triple less than compelling. Not so, this one. That same core Beethoven vitality that marked part one of this recording project, enlivens this CD. What would be filler musical material as played by other trios, under the magic fingers of Bronfman, Shaham, and Mork becomes involving and communicative. You never wish that the players - and Beethoven himself - would just get on it with, because, well, they are.

As a reference point, Bronfman's playing is closer to, say, Wilhelm Kempff or Wilhelm Backhaus or the young Leon Fleischer in this repertoire, than to more highly italicized styles of neo-romantic piano playing. Gil Shaham hardly needs an introduction to anybody who pays attention to the violin. His other recordings of the concerto literature are technically excellent, and replete with the mind one associates with Heifitz or Szeryng, and the heart one associates with Grumiaux or Kreisler. Truls Mork rounds out the trio, and suffers not in the least by comparison with the high excellence of his partners. We do not get told about what piano Bronfman might be playing, but Shaham is playing the Comtesse Polignac Stradivarius, and Mork is holding forth on a Montagna. Are you there yet?

If the Tonhalle strings do themselves proud in accompanying, that is not to undervalue or disrespect the amazing contributions of the woodwinds and the brass. Simply everybody showed up for the sessions, and nobody was playing by rote.

The sound is rather close and clear, somewhat in the old Szell-Cleveland manner; without any multi-miked glare and without any fuzz. From top frequency to bottom, the orchestra departments are all present, and nobody is sacrificed to make room. The possibly tricky balances between the trio, and the orchestra, and within the trio - are placed just right.

Filling the CD is an early chamber piece, the Septet - Contemporary with the eighth piano sonata (Pathetique) and the first symphony. Yes, the Septet is lighter, more occasional music in the galante mould, but nevertheless full of Beethoven's wit, charm, and engaging intellect. The trio players are complemented by others from the Tonhalle - on clarinet, bassoon, horn, and double-bass. What fun. If you are ever going to bother with the Septet, now is the time, and this is the recording.

Five stars, then. Now stop reading & click your way to happy, amazed ownership. Yeah. These guys are still just that good.

Average customer rating:

Excellent - The Historically Influenced Performance I've been seeking
A Fine Collaboration: Zinman and Bronfman
Zinman, Tonhalle Zurich, & Bronfman=Athletic, Brilliant Beethoven
Outstanding!

Beethoven: Piano Concertos 3 & 4
Beethoven , Zinman , and Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra
Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | 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:

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Septet
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5
Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Violin Romances
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Beethoven: Complete Overtures

ASIN: B000AMPZNU
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

I. Allegro Con Brio
II. Largo
III. Rondo: Allegro
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Andante Con Moto
III. Rondo: Vivace

Album Description

Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1958, Yefim Bronfman emigrated to Israel at the age of 13 and later to the U.S., where he pursued his training at the Juilliard School and the Marlboro and Curtis Institutes under Rudolf Serkin, Rudolf Firkusny and Leon Fleisher. Bronfman celebrated his international début in 1975, accompanied by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Zubin Mehta. He soon acquired an excellent reputation as a pianist on the stages of the world's major concert halls. Highlights of recent years include concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and the Vienna Philharmonic. Yefim Bronfman also gives regular piano recitals in the leading concert halls of the United States, Europe and the Far East. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with the Emerson, Cleveland, Guarneri and Juilliard Quartets. Other! long-term musical partners include Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Lynn Harrell, Shlomo Mintz and Pinchas Zukerman. Yefim Bronfman became an American citizen in 1989. Born in 1936, American conductor David Zinman has risen to the pinnacle of his career in the last decade. After bringing the Baltimore Symphony to major status, he became musical director of the Aspen Music Festival and then took the helm of Zurich's beloved Tonhalle Orchestra. Zinman's discography of some 100 recordings have won five Grammys and two Grands Prix du Disque. Founded in 1868, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra is Switzerland's oldest symphony orchestra. Today it gives over 90 concerts each season featuring more than 50 different programs with the world's leading conductors and solo artists. David Zinman sees Piano Concerto No. 3 - the only one in a minor key - as a kind of "Eroica" for piano and orchestra. Just as Beethoven opened the door to an entirely new symphonic world with his third symphony, the Eroica, he also broke new ground with his third piano concerto. For Yefim Bronfman, the Fourth is the concerto "with the broadest emotional spectrum, and at the same time possibly the most dramati."

Customer Reviews:

Excellent - The Historically Influenced Performance I've been seeking.......2007-01-27

Zinman showed the understanding he brings to Beethoven, including being influenced by the musicological research of period-instruments leaders, with his symphony cycle.

Now, we're starting to get the same excellence on the piano concerto cycle. Quick, precise tempos combine with voluminous phrasing to give us wonderful music.

Bronfman has renown already and seems to work well with Zinman; and, he's not known as an overly romanticising pianist. (That said, I wonder how Stephen Hough would have paired with Zinman.)

Anyway, this is what I've been looking for. Buy it.

Only regret? The whole cycle isn't out yet as a boxed set! C'mon, we're waiting!

A Fine Collaboration: Zinman and Bronfman.......2006-02-05

David Zinman has clearly made the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra his own since he became music director. The orchestra has become a finely tuned, golden hued, thoroughly vital ensemble and the fact that this pairing has resulted in perhaps the most popularly selling set of the complete Beethoven symphonies speaks volumes. Of course, the added bonus is the fine recording techniques of Arte Nova Classics AND the very affordable price of their releases!

Yefim Bronfman continues to mature into one of our finest pianists before the audience today. Though his proclivity for the 20th century masters (Bartok, Prokofiev, etc) has been well established, his probing and facile accounts of the Beethoven concerti are as profoundly romantic as they come. On this particular CD he essays both the Beethoven 3rd and 4th piano concerti with a firm grasp of the fine architecture of each piece, a phenomenal technique, and a sensitivity to the interplay with the orchestra. David Zinman's thinking is in the same vein and the response he draws from the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra is vital and balanced and matches Bronfman's phrasing perfectly.

For a truly fine recording of these concert hall favorites this superb (and very inexpensive!) belongs in everyone's library. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, February 06

Zinman, Tonhalle Zurich, & Bronfman=Athletic, Brilliant Beethoven.......2005-11-02

Okay, so let's get right to the bottom line: Get this CD right away. No matter who else already sits on your fav shelf for this music, you will find it quite easy to add this new recording of the Beethoven 3rd & 4th piano concertos. Cheap price, too. But nothing cheap, nothing cheap at all about either the recorded sound, or the quality of these performances.

If you have heard - and liked - the approach that Zinman & Tonhalle took to their prize-winning set of the complete Beethoven Symphonies (which deservedly earned the German record critics prize, and is also at budget prices on Arte Nova) - you can settle into your home system, or mp3 player, or car stereo for lots more of that same, Beethovenish vitality.

To recap.

Zinman & Tonhalle have been influenced by all the paths opened up in the period instrument performances of baroque and classical music over the past five or six decades; without really having to play on gut strings and period instruments. So what's left? Well, somehow Zinman & Tonhalle manage their Beethoven with clarity, wit, punchy phrasing, and the wide open humanism that are the hallmarks of Beethoven's musical personality. There is not one ounce of romanticized fat in any of these Zinman-Tonhalle versions of the symphonies, and that is all to the good, since Beethoven is not at all confined to what the nineteenth century made out of him and made out of his music. In addition to the clarity, the tonal transparency that period peformance suggests, Zinman-Tonhalle also give us the rough-hewn punning, the startlingly clear and high musical intellect, and the energy that fairly bursts from Beethoven's unprecedented approach to both harmony and rhythm. Listening to Beethoven played this way, you easily credit his supposed reputation as the finest improviser of his era.

Into this notable Beethoven mix comes pianist Yefim Bronfman. He certainly has his chops. More to the point, Bronfman and Zinman-Tonhalle are worthy and alert partners throughout. Conductor & pianist see eye to eye, without losing their own insights and musical commitments. Put Tonhalle, Zinman & Bronfman together in Beethoven, and you get alchemy that is way more than the simple sum of the parts. The 3rd concerto may have been an improvement on the first and second piano concertos, even in the composer's mind; but the 4th reaches even higher and deeper. As a reference point, Bronfman's playing is closer to, say, Wilhelm Kempff or Wilhelm Backhaus or the young Leon Fleischer in this repertoire, than to more highly italicized styles of alleged romantic piano playing. This Beethoven cannot ever be confused with Chopin or Schumann or Rachmaninoff. That is just as it should be.

If the Tonhalle strings do themselves proud in accompanying, that is not to undervalue or disrespect the amazing contributions of the woodwinds and the brass. Simply everybody showed up for the sessions, and nobody was playing by rote.

All of this Beethovenian energy and sheer joy in living would be nothing if the recording engineers had not done their job, too. The sound is rather close and clear, somewhat in the old Szell-Cleveland manner; without any multi-miked glare and without any fuzz. From top frequency to bottom, the orchestra departments are all present, and nobody is sacrificed to make anybody else's point. The piano is placed just right, as a solo instrument with the rest of the orchestra, and not playing in another room somewhere on its own spot mike with the pianist wearing headphones.

One hopes dearly that this is the beginning of a complete Beethoven piano concerto cycle from Bronfman, Zinman, Tonhalle. One even dreams of Arte Nova being brave enough to redo their old Beethoven sonata cycle with Yefim Bronfman to replace Alfredo Perl. There is not a bit of glassy tone here, no matter how crisply Bronfman plays; and that would serve the piano sonatas very well (if anybody at Arte Nova is listening).

Five stars, then. Now stop reading & click your way to happy, amazed ownership. Yeah. These guys are just that good.

Outstanding!.......2005-11-02

Pianist Bronfman and conductor Zinman team up and deliver an outstanding recording of the Beethoven 3rd and 4th piano concertos. From the very opening measures of piano concerto #3 one realizes that this CD is going to be something special. Not only is the pianist great, but so is the orchestral accompaniment. Of the five piano concertos that Beethoven wrote, only his third was written in a minor key and it is awesome! It ranks along side his 3rd (Eroica) and 5th symphonies as one of his most passionate and outstanding compositions. I love all five of Beethoven's piano concertos, but the third is my favorite. The coupling of concerto #4 is also very fine. Here Beethoven is at his most lyrical, with a beautiful second movement. It is very obvious that both the pianist and orchestra are in sync in every way and relishing every moment. At a bargain price this is one CD that should not be missed!

George Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1; Suites 2 & 3

Average customer rating:

Good recording

George Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1; Suites 2 & 3

Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | 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:

George Enescu: Poème Roumain; Vox Maris; Voix de la Nature
Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 2; Symphony No. 2
Enescu: Symphonie Concertante; Chamber Symphony
Enesco: Roumanian Rhapsody no 2
Enescu: Symphony No.3 / First Romanian Rhapsody

ASIN: B000FII2IY
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Tracks:

Romanian Rhapsody No. l In A Major, Op. ll
Overture
Sarabande
Gigue
Menuet Grave
Air
Bourree'
Renouveau Champetre
Gamins En Plein Air
La Vielle Maison De L'enfance, Au Soleil Couchant
Riviere Sous La Lune
Danses Rustiques

Album Description

George Enescu (1881-1955) is still remembered today, fifty years after his death, as Romania's greatest classical composer. He was also a virtuoso violinist. His many works in numerous genres remain largely unknown outside his native land except for the immensely popular Romanian Rhapsodies, but they deserve wider circulation in view of the beauty of their melodies, their brilliant orchestrations, and their strong characterization and originality. This recording offers two of Enescu's orchestral suites in addition to the beloved Rhapsody No. 1. Dancing vivacity and colorful instrumentation are characteristics of these effervescent orchestra pieces. The Romanian Philharmonic Society was founded in 1868. Its conductors have included significant figures in Romanian music not to mention Enescu himself, whose name the orchestra incorporated into its title in 1955 as the George Enescu Bucharest Philharmonic. The current conductor is Cristian Mandeal, who studied with both Karajan and Celibidache. He has conducted numerous major orchestras and more than forty world premieres.

Customer Reviews:

Good recording.......2007-02-11

I bought this cd mainly because it was a CD with only the music of Enescu, and I wanted to hear some more of his orchestral music and it had a Romanian group performing the 1st Romanian Rhapsody. This recording is very good for the most part, nice tempi and execution of the Romanian folk charateristiques. My only complaint is that in some sections, there are some intonation issues mostly noticable in the clarinet part (and the horns), which isn't bad but it sticks out and draws attention away from the good performance it is. There seems to be a slight blance issue between the winds and strings in some parts, which might correlate to the location the microphones when the cd was recording. This is a good recording, and the price makes this cd worth the purchase. It is good to hear a Romanian orchestra playing this beautiul work. Toata Buna!

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully fresh
Great -- All Around
Old (but Very Fine) Wine, New Skins--A Revelatory Listening Experience
Much-needed fresh interpretation of the overtures

Beethoven: Complete Overtures

Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Septet
Beethoven: Piano Concertos 3 & 4
Robert Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4
Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Violin Romances
Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies

ASIN: B0007X9TKC
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Album Description

"Of course this is what Beethoven is supposed to sound like. All the warmth, the breadth, the depth, the height, the solemnity, the hilarity, the agony, and, of course, the wild-eyed ecstasy that are in Beethoven in these performances of his complete Overtures by David Zinman leading the Tonhalle Orchestre Zurich. As Zinman proved in his cycle of the nine symphonies, he knows Beethoven, knows his music and his moods, knows when to hold back and when to let loose, when to dance and when to sing in blissful rapture. In his cycle of the 11 overtures, Zinman soars with Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus, rails with Egmont, roars with Coriolan, and laughs with König Stephen. Zinman is as heroic as Fidelio, as passionate as Leonore, and as countrapuntally intoxicated as Die Weihe des Hauses. The Tonhalle Orchestre, which showed itself an adept and powerful Beethoven orchestra in the symphonies, once again shows its colors, its strength, and its tenderness in the overtures. ! Arte Nova's sound is deep, lush, and real."-ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully fresh.......2007-06-06

David Zinman and his Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich deliver what is, hands down, the best overture to the Ruins of Athens on disc. Zinman opens the work with great energy at a quick tempo - those of us familiar with Masur's slow and stately introduction will certainly feel as if they are hearing this familiar music for the first time. The oboe cadenza is delightfully zippy as Zinman plunges headlong into the allegro proper with such authoritative vitality that one almost feels foolish for not liking this work more, slight though it is on musical argument. Horns wail, strings dig, and winds bite in this marvelous traversal. This performance gave me several impressions. First, how nice it is to hear Beethoven (here and in his traversal of the symphonies) with smaller forces married to historically informed performance practices - hard mallets for the timpani, violins divided stereophonically, winds forwardly balanced. It has a tremendous amount of textual clarity which enhances the musical argument in no small part. Secondly, how impressive that even two hundred years after some of these pieces were composed they can still be played to the hilt with fresh energy and conviction. Even with the reduced string section, I would be curious if anyone could find other versions of these overtures with this much vigor. And finally, as always, its wonderful to hear a music director and his orchestra bring something new to familiar music, all the while maintaining the highest performance and musical standard. And the love both Zinman and the Tonhalle have for this music is immediately palpable.

The same level of energy Zinman brings to The Ruins of Athens runs throughout the entirety of this two-disc release. Prometheus certainly benefits from the scaled-down proportions of the orchestra, finding the perfect balance between classical grace and Beethoven's rougher energy. Coriolan is just as bit as convincing, free from the overly-romanticized patina that this work has amassed over the years. The Overture in C receives a particularly convincing interpretation. Listen to how Zinman maintains tension throughout the overly-repetitive music and certainly makes the most sense out of the often odd-sounding scales at near the end of the piece. It just goes to show that even less convincing works can sound convincing when played with this level of conviction. Fidelio is another winner, a performance of lively grace but imbued with appropriate power.

The Consecration of the House is a delight. Zinman shapes a cogent and appropriately Baroque sounding opening to the piece and, although the trumpets are a bit reticent in their fanfares, the textual clarity of it all is quite refreshing. The allegro certainly benefits from the antiphonal violin placement, a reading of uncanny transparency, culminating in a roaring conclusion. I still have the slightest preference for Masur's performance and no one can match Charles Munch's Boston Symphony reference interpretation in this work, but all in all it is simply a matter of taste and certainly Zinman offers steep competition. Zinman's reading of King Stephen is one of balanced, proportional energy befitting its classical nature but, when all is said and done, I still prefer Szell's all-or-nothing Cleveland traversal, which possesses unbelievable physicality. As for the three Lenore Overtures, Zinman's approaches are period appropriate, but it is slightly difficult to listen to Lenore No. 3 in this leaner state. I still prefer Gunter Wand's performance, one of almost excessive weight and physicality, but the excitement is unquestionable. Egmont again is wonderful, but seems slightly undernourished when compared to the competition. But preferences aside, Zinman's interpretations are as convincing as ever and offer tremendous musical nourishment.

Recorded sound is excellent throughout but the microphone placement seems to differ from work to work. In the performances where the orchestra is most distant, the horns can often sound recessed and slightly pinched (such as in Prometheus and Fidelio) or the timpani overly reverberant (Overture in C). Still, the playing is uniformly spectacular and these are small quips that in no way detract from the listening experience and become less noticeable after repeated outings.

This set is certainly a welcome addition to a field that, until now, had virtually no competition. That Masur's performances were uniformly splendid made the dearth of great Beethoven Overture compilations less frustrating, but this set, in modern sound with period performance techniques, is almost self-recommending. Comparing Masur to Zinman seems unfair as both offer so much and say such individual things that I could not imagine having one over the other. This is a welcome addition to the catalog, one that no Beethoven fan should be without.

Great -- All Around.......2006-01-16

Wonderful recordings. Great musicianship and superb sound. A real joy! Highly recommended.

Old (but Very Fine) Wine, New Skins--A Revelatory Listening Experience.......2005-11-22

Beethoven's great overtures need no special pleading, and yet David Zinman gets down so effectively to where this music lives that in some cases, it is like hearing a thrice-familiar work for the first time. Even the Zur Namensfeier Overture, easily the least distinguished of the pieces collected here, has both sparkle and bite in Zinman's reading. The similar but much finer King Stephen Overture is always a smile-inducing surprise among Beethoven's dramatically charged overtures, given its simple joviality. Here it smiles with a youthful freshness that you don't hear in every interpretation.

The most revelatory performance for me, though, is of the Coriolan Overture, a darkly brooding piece that usually seems a bit dour despite its obvious craftsmanship and the undying memorability of its poignant second melody. Zinman succeeds in bringing out the fiery drama in this piece, which seems more often to smolder than to burn outright. Zinman's is a truly captivating performance and will be the way I choose to hear this wonderful work from now on.

Another piece that can seem pedantic and overwrought, The Consecration of the House Overture, is in Zinman's hands perfectly proportioned. Here as elsewhere, Zinman is faster than a lot of conductors but without sacrificing any of the grandiosity of this very grand piece. The one place where I'd say he rushes things too much is in the slow introduction to Egmont: the "quasi allegro" at which he takes the opening fails to provide contrast to the true allegro that is to follow. A small misstep given the many, many felicities of this set. Overall, in fact, it should let you hear these tried-and-true masterworks with a new set of ears.

In writing of Zinman's Beethoven Symphonies series, some critics have complained that the Tonhalle Orchestra produces an anemic sound. I don't hear evidence of that on these discs. There is real heft in the lower strings at the start of the Zur Namensfeier and Egmont Overtures, and the consciously "big" pieces such as the Leonore 2 and 3 and The Consecration of the House Overtures have a proper Beethovenian robustness. Sometimes, I'd say, the horns sound overtaxed, but just as often they produce a blaze of glory for Zinman. So I can't find any great objection to the playing of this mostly very fine orchestra.

I also like the sound the engineers have captured in the lively Tonhalle. It provides depth as well as detail: there is sheen to the high strings; punch and heft to the brass, timpani, lower strings.

In fact, I like just about everything these discs have to offer, including their super bargain price.

Much-needed fresh interpretation of the overtures.......2005-06-12

Surprisingly, there are relatively few choices currently available when it comes to complete collections of the Beethoven overtures, long part of the standard repetoire of any respectable orchestra. The Masur/Leipzig collection has been around for about 30 years, but until Zinman's collection was released this year, it has been pretty slim pickings.

At first, I did not know quite what to think, because Zinman offers a much leaner, fast-paced interpretation of nearly every overture. On average, his tempi are over a minute faster than the more traditional tempi of Masur's, which means that the Tonhalle Orchestra is really on a brisk clip. The orchestra's sound is also considerably lighter than one might expect (unless you are dealing with Gardiner & his period instruments, who have not yet recorded the overtures as far as I know). Whether this a result of reduced personnel or careful mike placement, I don't know, but the result is a much less heavy sound than what normally hears.

Initially, I did not care for what I found to be unfamiliar, but the more I listened, the more Zinman's tempi made sense and the more accessible these overtures became. Also (unlike Masur's edition), the three Leonore overtures do not run consecutively which is to the overall benefit of the collection. There are occasional moments of weakness in the horns & the violins, but they are brief and do not particularly detract from the performances. The recording appears to be a little bass-heavy at times, but not oppressively so; most of the time the sound has a light freshness to it that is most pleasing to the ear.

It also doesn't hurt that Arte Nova has made these CDs dirt-cheap. A mediocre performance for this little money could be easily forgiven; it is made all the better that these performances are top-notch. Anyone who loves Beethoven overtures (and who doesn't?) would be mad to overlook this collection.

Average customer rating:

Gernsheim: Complete Symphonies

Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Hans Rott: Symphony No. 1; Orchestral Works
Ludwig Thuille: Symphony; Piano Concerto
Kurt Atterberg: The Symphonies (Box Set)
Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda: Symphonies 5 & 7
Sir Donald Tovey: Symphony in D, Op. 32; The Bride of Dionysus - Prelude

ASIN: B000EQ47I6
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Tracks:

I. Allegro Moderato
II. Larghetto
III. Scherzo: Vivace
IV. Allegro Moderato Assai
I. Allegro Tranquillo
II. Tarantella: Molto Allegro E Con Fuoco
III. Notturno: Andante
IV. Finale: Poco Animato E Sempre Piu. Allegro

Tracks:

I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo ('In Der Knechtschaft')
II. Molto Adagio ('Mirjams Gesang')
III. Molto Vivace ('Die Flucht')
IV. Allegro Con Brio ('Freiheit: Sieges-Und Freudengesange')
I. Allegro
II. Andante Sostenuto
III. Vivace Scherzando E Con Grazia
IV. Allegro Con Spirito E Giocoso

Album Description

"…Playing the cycle twice through has given me much pleasure. Indeed, I doubt that lovers of Mendelssohn, Schumann or Bruch will consider either their money (precious little of which is needed) or their time wasted. A worthwhile enterprise, and a very happy musical encounter." -GRAMOPHONE

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Adagio Un Poco Mosso
III. Rondo: Allegro
Choral Fantasy In C Minor Op.80
Meeresstille Und Gluckliche Fahrt In D Major Op.112

Album Description

"An Emperor which offers increasing musical dividends - an unmissable bargain ... There are plenty of big-name Emperors around, but this latest entry holds its own against any competition. Yefim Bronfman's touch is light and fleet, while he, David Zinman and the Tonhalle Orchestra form a warmly responsive partnership." - GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE

Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1958, Yefim Bronfman immigrated to Israel at the age of thirteen and later to the U.S., where he pursued his training at the Juilliard School and the Marlboro and Curtis Institutes under Rudolf Serkin, Rudolf Firkusny, and Leon Fleisher. Bronfman celebrated his international dÃ©but in 1975, accompanied by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Zubin Mehta. He soon acquired an excellent reputation as a pianist on the stages of the world's major concert halls. Highlights of recent years include concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, and the Vienna Philharmonic. Yefim Bronfman also gives regular piano recitals in the leading concert halls of the United States, Europe, and the Far East. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with the Emerson, Cleveland, Guarneri, and Juilliard Quartets. Other long-term musical partners include Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Lynn Harrell, Shlomo Mintz, and Pinchas Zukerman. Born in 1936, American conductor David Zinman has risen to the pinnacle of his career in the last decade. After bringing the Baltimore Symphony to major status, he became musical director of the Aspen Music Festival and then took the helm of Zurich's beloved Tonhalle Orchestra. Zinman's discography of some one hundred recordings has won five Grammys and two Grands Prix du Disque. Ever since 1999, when the Tonhalle Orchestra was awarded the German Record Critics' Award for its seminal recording of all Beethoven's symphonies, the oldest symphony orchestra in Switzerland has been the focus of international interest. Under the leadership of David Zinman, the Tonhalle Orchestra has undertaken a number of successful concert tours throughout Europe, the U.S., and Japan. In addition to its concerts at home and its touring schedule, the orchestra and Zinman are devoting increasing time to recording projects. Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto is the most dramatic of his five piano concertos, and one of the most popular in the entire genre. First performed in 1812, it is still a concert staple. First-time listeners to Beethoven's "Choral Fantasy" are inevitably taken aback by its similarities to the far more famous final movement of the Ninth Symphony, and indeed it was to become a sort of model or study for that magnificent finale. The "Choral Fantasy" was especially written for a mammoth concert of Beethoven's works given in December of 1808. Seldom heard in concert today, Beethoven's dramatic choral piece Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage was composed in 1814/15 to two poems by Goethe, and dedicated to the great German poet who received a copy of the score from Beethoven in 1822, the year of its first performance.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review