Dvorák: Cello Concerto, Op. 104

This is a supreme classic of the gramophone catalogue. It is a glorious disc, representing Rostropovich at his peak. The Berlin Philharmonic and Karajan are on top form as well. From the rapt opening of the Dvorak concerto, Karajan and his band create the most wonderful atmosphere for the soloist to play in. Dvorak's Cello concerto is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, work for the cello in the concerto repertoire. Rostropvich's magnificently full tone is perfect for this work. There is hardly anything you could criticise about the disc. The Dvorak is full of passion, fire, lyricism you could wish for, but Rostropvich doesn't pull out all the stops. He keeps certain degrees of fire in reserve for the really big moments. The dialog between the soloist and orchstra are unmatched in its chamber-like quality. It's a give-and-take performance, and what a performance! This particular recording of the Rococo Variations is unsurpassed. It has so much wit, panache, elegance, and the addition of Karajan being a master Tchaikovskian helps enormously. The playing matches the beauty and elegance and the Rustic charm of this piece fully with the soloist. This piece is pretty difficult to play, as there are many technical difficulties which surround the soloist, but Rostropovich, with his rich palette of tone colours, make the piece sound easy, very easy. My favouite in the Variations has to be the Finale, where Rostropovich finally pulls out all his powers and lets rip. The way he 'talks' with the orchestra is unmatched in its imaginativeness. All the parties involved really give the impression that they are really having fun, which in turn gives the listener the same impression. A most joyful way to end a glorious disc. I realise that I have been pretty indulgent with my use of superlatives, but I am lost for words, really. It really is a great disc, whose reputation is for once not exaggerated. If you don't have this CD right now, you should get a copy immediately.--P. Rah "Prahcello" Listen to samples

Favourite Cello Concertos

During her far-too-brief career, cellist Jacqueline du Pré exhibited an almost oracular power of communication. Her performances bristled with the kind of brilliant electricity that could change lives and convert listeners to a lifelong love of music. Happily, it's possible to experience a sense of that power from the recordings du Pré completed before multiple sclerosis halted her career as a performer in the early 1970s. This set provides a splendid portrait--at bargain price--of du Pré's unmistakable personality: the astonishingly original yet convincing phrasing, raw energy, and ability to make her instrument sound uncannily like a human voice (du Pré was after all a favored student of Mstislav Rostropovich). Her rendition of Haydn's Concerto in C is clearly cast in a romantic--and nowadays perhaps unfashionable--mold, yet du Pré's big, bold tone carries the musical line forward with exhilarating presence. It's a demeanor that proves especially reassuring for the quirkily mercurial inventions of Boccherini. Yet du Pré most indelibly leaves her signature on the work that became her hallmark, Edward Elgar's E Minor Concerto, grafting a deeply personal level of expression onto the score's rich post-World War I melancholy. In the Schumann, du Pré makes an eloquently passionate protagonist. A similar sense of excitement is to be heard in Dvorák's Concerto--performed near the end of her career--above all in the flame of inspiration she evidently sparks from the orchestra in the serene close of its slow movement. This is a supremely rewarding collection for the beginner and aficionado alike. --Thomas May Listen to samples

Cello Concerto in B minor Opus 104

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)



The World famous Czech composer was born in the outskist of Prague into the music Coving family of village butcher. He was as customary educated by the church organist and lead the village Brassband. His numorous Slavonik Dances were very popular not only in Czechoscovak but also throughout Europe and America. He became Professor & Director of the Czech National Conservatory. Cambridge Universary conferred the rare Mus. D. on him before be sailed across the Atlantic to direct the American National Academy of Music 1893-1895. He composed the world master works “New World” Symphony and the F major op. 96 String Quartet. White Theoi he met Victor Herbert the American cellist compose who urged Dvorak to write a cello Concerto.

Dvorak Cello concerto begin with the long Tutti introduction. The cello repeated the Subject and lead to the 2^nd theme in the usual “Sonata Form” with the long cadenza before ending.

2^nd movement is as lovely as the Adagio in the “New World” Symphony. Clarinets was he employed in place of Cadenza. The final 2^nd movement.

Overture to the Opera “Ruslan e Lyndmila”

Alexandre Pushkin (1798-1837)

Alexandre Pushkin (1798-1873) the famous Russian poet immortalized the legendary Tales “Ruslan Lyudmilla” Knight Ruslan was one of several suitors to Lyndmillas Hand. The disappeared into the mist during a severe thunder storm Ruslan sought the help of the wizard Finn and the hunchback Chernomor. He had to fight the Spirits of the forest and found the magic spear, which he lifted. The mist cleared and he found “Lyndmilla” and brought her back to Kiev safely. Chernomor in disguise as a giant arrived first and killed, the people of Kiev. Ruslan fought Chernomor and Killed the giant with magic spear. The Prince of Kiev then gave consent of the marriage. The overture market presto in D major is appropriately lively and as fresh as “Ruslan” The brave Knight.

In A Monastery Garden: The Immortal Works Of Ketelbey

Ketelbey's often distinctively evocative, exotic sounding works made him one of the most beloved composers in England during his lifetime. He was also among the first to compose background music for silent films- practically inventing, if not fully realizing the potential of the genre. Whether it's with the lush pastoral melody set with actual bird calls in one of Ketelbey's most famous works "In a Monastery Garden" or the highly chromatic broad orchestral gestures of "Sanctuary of the Heart" all here succeed famously in bringing back to life the unique musical charm of a bygone era. Decca's 'Phase 4 Stereo' sound is also exceptionally good.--Listen to samples

Ketelbey: In a Persian Market

I was introduced to Ketelbey's work by the late Guillermo Figueroa of the famous Figueroa Family group from Puerto Rico. In the few couple of years I worked assisting him, then the conductor for a Youth Chamber Music Orchestra, Don Guillermo helped me rediscover good classical and contemporary music, and introduced me to some great works like the one in review. The recordings are old school but the music is haunting, timeless and beautiful. I highly recommend this cd, and like Don Guillermo told me about 10 years ago: "Give it a chance, you don't have to be a great musician to appreciate great music" How right was He! --I Colon "Fonzo" Listen to samples

ALBERT WILLIAM KETTLEBEY: IN THE PERSIAN MARKET

Albert William Kettlebey



In a Persian Market was composed by an English composer, Albert William Kettlebey who was born in 1880 and studied music at Trinity College of Music in London.

His imagination on the oriental atmospheric scene was clearly described in this master piece.

This piece begins with a theme, very soft and gradually getting louder, describes about a market place in Persia, in which people and camel caravan are entering, including those beggars lamenting. Another sweet theme signifies the scene of a princess amid her servants passing through the market, while jugglers are playing tricks and a snake charmer blowing his pipe in accompanying the dancing snake. The sweet theme is heard again as the princess and the caravan are leaving the place. The music is gradually fading away and finally the noisy market scene becomes the empty and isolated place.

SCHUBERT: ROSAMUNDE, D. 797

Rasmunde was a play with incidental singing and ballet mixed in. The play is lost, but we have this wonderful music. In its time the play was panned and the music praised. So, when you hear that this is the complete Rosamunde, I guess you can say we have the complete worthwhile parts. But you won't get any kind of story from what is here without reading the notes. In fact, the order of the pieces is altered for listening purposes. However, you could program your CD player to give it to you in dramatic sequence if that interests you.

The performance provided here is especially good and tracks 7 & 8 are my favorites on the disk. All the music is very good Schubert which is better than all but the very greatest music. Yes, Schubert is one of my favorite composers, but I am willing to point out his faults. However, when you consider his output and that he died at 31 years old, what we have from him is completely awe inspiring.

Rosamunde is one of the treasures he left us and I am grateful for this recording.--Craig Matteson Listen to samples

SCHUBERT: SYMPONY No 5, 6, 8 & 9 / ROSAMUNDE OVERTURE

EMI's new "Gemini" series is a breath of fresh air amidst all the smoke being put forth recently by the major classical labels. While Sony is deleting most of their classical budget discs, BMG is raising theirs to mid-price and UNI is convinced that 3CDs are always better than one, EMI decides to start a two-fer line that sells for significantly less than the competition, not to mention their own "Double Forte" series. It might not be as cheap as the old "Seraphim" series, but they could certainly be charging more for quality recordings such as these.

Herbert von Karajan's Schubert Symphony Cycle, made between 1975-78 for EMI with the Berlin Philharmonic, has been available previously on CD in the "Karajan Edition." However, those discs, released as four single titles with two Symphonies each, were twice the price of these new reissues. These performances of Symphonies 5, 6, 8 & 9 plus the Rosamunde Overture are certainly solid, but Karajan was never celebrated as a conductor of Schubert. One wonders if that is why DG had a young Lorin Maazel record the Schubert Symphonies with the Berliners instead of Herbie at the dawn of the stereo age, and that ultimately EMI had him record this Cycle because it was something he hadn't yet done for DG. In any event, I would certainly recommend the Bohm boxed set on DG or the Kertesz on London/Decca (see my review of the latter) ahead of these performances. But considering how cheap these two double discs are, maybe picking up an extra Schubert Cycle is worth it after all.--Micheal B. Richman Listen to samples

SCHUBERT: SYMPHONY No. 9 "THE GREAT"; ROSAMUNDE OVERTURE

The Barbirolli Society and Dutton Laboratories have reissued more brilliant sessions by the great British conductor Sir John Barbirolli. The first CD of this two-disc set features his 1953 recording of Schubert's 9th Symphony, 1948 Rosamunde Overture, and 1949 Mendelssohn Octet-Scherzo, all originally made for HMV. The second disc is all Brahms -- a 1952 HMV recording of the 3rd Symphony and the Double Concerto, featuring cellist Andre Navarra and violinist Alfred Campoli (!), from 1959 and originally made for Pye. All selections are mono except for the Brahms Double which is in stereo. Like other releases in this series, the performances have been digitally remastered from the original masters superbly by Michael J. Dutton. My reason for withholding a fifth star is that these are not Barbirolli's definitive stereo accounts of the two Symphonies -- those were available in currently out-of-print EMI Seraphim titles, though the Schubert 9th has recently been reissued by B.S./Dutton (see my review). With that being said, Barbirolli Society CDs are certainly a treat, but they don't stay around very long. Buy this JB title while you can!--Michael B. Richman Listen to sample

FRANZ SCHUBERT : OVERTURE 'ROSAMUNDE'

Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)


When Schubert was pired, music took shape in his mind faster than his pen could move across paper. And in his incidental music to the Romantic drama Rosamunde, Princess of Cypress he was often inspired. He began composing on November 30, 1823, and finished on December 18, 1823, two days before th premiere. Not much time was left to rehearse either the music or the production's two ballets, and no time at all to compose an overture. In fact Schubert never did compose an overture. In fact Schubert never did compose an overture to Rosamunde. Instead he used an overture already composed for an earlier work.

One of Schubert's close friends, the famous Romantic painter Moritz von Schwind, describing the Rosamunde premiere to a mutual friend, wrote that the Overture was taken from Schubert's opera, Alfonso and Estrella. But Schwind's comments on the music do not fit the Overture to Alfonso and Estrella. On the other hand, they do fit Schubert's Overture to an earlier "magic play" (Zauberstuck) called The Magic Harp (Die Zauberharte). Add to this the fact that the Zauberharte Overture was published (in a four-hand piano version) shortly before Schubert's death as the Overture to Rosamunde, and the conclusion seems almost inescapable. It is the Zauberharte Overture that is customarily performed today under the title of Overture to Rosamunde.

The drama Rosamunde. Princess of Cypress survived for exactly two performances. Even though Schubert's music had been singled out by the Viennese press for high praise, it fell into obscurity along with the play and was not brought to light again in its entirety until 1867, when Sir George Grove, of dictionary fame, and his friend Sir Artur Sullivan made a joint expedition to Vienna for the prupose of unearthing Schubert's still-neglected manuscripts. The two men were successful beyond their wildest dreams, and in the booty they brought back to London were parts of Schubert's Rosamunde music, which was performed, in London, for the first time since the Vienese production of the drama.

The orchestra for the Rosamunde (Zauberharte) Overture calls for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 cllarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, and the standard choir or strings. -- Edward Downes

HERBERT VON KARAJAN - HIS LEGACY FOR HOME VIDEO: ANTONIN DVORAK - SYMPHONY # 9 "FROM THE NEW WORLD"

This another example of fenomenal late Karajan. He really got into the inner aspects of this symphony. My most favorite part is the intentional delay in the low string notes just before the first crescendo in the opening movement. It really gets the american indian spirit like no other version does. The performance is magnificent, almost I would like to see it with the Berliner instead of the Wiener. It seems that at the time Karajan was having problems with the Berliner because of his favoritism to a female clarinetist while the orchestra member said she didn't match (she can be seen performing some Beethoven symphonies in other DVDs of this series). But, coming back to this performance, the Wiener philharmoniker is wonderful and the sound is rich and pure. I you already know this piece, you'll rediscover it in this version. I recommend it. --Juan Keledjian Shop here

BERNSTEIN CENTURY : DVORAK NEW WORLD SYMPHONY

Dvorák's New World Symphony is one of my favorites and so I decided to try to find the best rendition based upon my personal view of the work. I was looking for a performance which included a particularly emotive Second Movement (Largo) along with an overall tight performance by the orchestra. To facilitate that end, I first garnered recommendations from participants in Amazon's Classical Music forum. The participants there gave me some terrific suggestions and I ended up with eleven CDs of the work. I played all these performances over and over, making copious notes on each, that I might be enabled to review each one here on Amazon.

I gave all these CDs five stars each chiefly because I fancy this particular symphony so much but some performances were clearly superior to others. To winnow these out so that prospective buyers would have some gauge for deciding which they might want to buy, I additionally assigned my own ranking to the respective CDs, rating them here 1 through 11, Number One being the best. Where my personal thoughts on any two symphonies equaled out, I then fell back upon the secondary material found on each the CDs as a tie-breaker, (only one CD featured the 9th Symphony by itself with no additional selections.) Finally, Amazon only permits a total of 10 links per review so you'll have to check the last ones manually. --Patric W. Crabtree "The Old Grottomaster" Listen to samples

DVORAK'S NEW World SYMPHONY AND OTHER ORCHESTRAL MASTERWORKS

RCA has a vast and incredible library of classical music recordings, particularly in its LIVING STEREO series, and over the years has re-released some of its great titles. One of the more popular and enduring recordings in this series is Fritz Reiner's recording of Dvorak's Ninth Symphony with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. People familiar with the LP version will instantly recognize it distinctive cover with a photograph of the Statue of Liberty, the same monument which would have greeted Dvorak when he first visited the United States and where he was inspired to write this great work.

The showpiece of the recording is Dvorak's 9th. Recorded in 1957, the orchestra has a hearty sound. Both Reiner and the orchestra seem familiar with the work. Reiner moves the work along, and is particularly vigorous in his conducting of the fourth movement, which may not be to everyone's liking, but works well with this recording. The CD also contains three other works that are in keeping with Dvorak's 9th. Two are overtures: a robust version of Dvorak's "Carnival Overture," and a lively recording of Smetena's overture to "The Bartered Bride." The third piece is Weinberger's Polka and Fugue from "Schwanda the Bagpiper." Interestingly, while he conducts the Dvorak's pieces with energy, the Weinberger piece is conducted a bit slower than other recordings of the work.

One bonus of the re-release of the "Living Stereo" recordings is that they contain the original liner notes from the LP. Since this CD is a compilation from two different LP's, the liner notes from both are included in this set. RCA has not re-released as many of the titles as they promised ten years ago when they first opened the vaults. Let's hope some of the other great titles will be released in the near future. Shop here

DVORAK: SYMPHONY No. 9 "FROM THE NEW WORLD"

Antonin Dvorak was born in what is now the Czech Republic. In the 1890's he visited America and developed diverse thematic material for a new symphony, which he would call "From the New World", his 9th. This recording is possibly the greatest interpretation commercially available, and certainly one of the more brand name recordings. I have heard rave reviews about the Karajan version, Bernstein version and even Eugene Ormandy version. But George Solti, no stranger to large-scale orchestral music (having conducted Wagner's Ring on studio recording) is very expert in conducting this Romantic, almost modern work that uses American themes. The opening adagio-allegro is powerful and dark, while the Largo is spiritual in its slower pace. This is where the American themes tie in. The Largo is better known as "Going Home" a Spiritual sung by African slaves in the South. On orchestra, this theme sounds far more poignant and bittersweet. The Scherzo movement is a tad reminiscent of the scherzo from Beethoven's 9th (Dvorak was of course an admirer of Beethoven and since this was his 9th, perhaps he intended to echo it a bit)Musically, it is of course appropriate to the structure of his symphony. It even paints the picture of wild horses running across the plains. The Fourth movement and finale, marked "allegro con fuoco" -Italian for "allegro with fire" is indeed fiery and fatal sounding. It has strong accents and fortissimos and conjures the image of an Indian War Dance. This music is indeed very American, though at this time it lacked jazz to make it complete. It would not be until such later American composers as Aaron Copland and Charles Ives that wrote American symphonic music. --Rudy Avila "Saint Seiya" Shop here

SYMPHONY No.9 E MINOR, OPUS 95, “FROM THE NEW WORLD”

Antonin Dvorak

From time immemorial, the Czechs, or the Bohemians as they used to be called, have been famous as musicians as far as European music was made. In dusty chronicles from the Middle Ages, we find that their names inscribed as pipers and fiddlers to the great dukes and kings of France and Germany. In the eighteenth century, Bohemian composers settled in France; Italy, Australia and Germany, contributing richly to the new symphonic style, many years before Haydn was given his misleading title of “father of the symphony.” Thus Dvorak was following a tradition more ancient than he perhaps knew when he accepted an important musical position in a far-off land and came to teach at the National Conservatory of Music in New York. His New World Symphony became a hymn to the folk spirit of two countries: the united States and Czechoslovakia.

When Anton Seidl conducted the New York Philharmonic in the premiere of Dvorak’s Symphony (on December 16, 1893, in Carnegie Hall), there were hopes that this might prove the starting point of a style of nation American composition. Before the premiere Dvorak had made clear just what he felt the basis of an American school should be.

As a good Romantic, he was convinced that great art-music must grow, plant-like, from the healthy soil of native folk music. This he had no difficulty in identifying for us as the Negro spiritual and the songs and dances of American Indians. Furthermore, having heard Henry T. Burleigh sing spirituals and having studied “a certain number of Indian melodies, which a friend gave me.” Dvorak concluded, rather hastily perhaps, that the music of the Negroes and the music of the Indians were “practically identical.”

Dvorak’s belief in the near-identity of Negro and American Indian music is reflected in the famous English horn melody of the second movement of the New World Symphony, which to most Americans seems steeped in the character of Negro spirituals, whereas Dvorak actually had been inspired, according to his own declaration, by the scene of the forest funeral of Minnehaha in Long fellow’s epic poem, The Song of Hiawatha. The Scherzo, he explained, “was suggested by the scene at the feast in Hiawatha where the Indians dance, and is also an easy I made in the direction of imparting the local color of Indian character to music.”

The Indian peculiarities Dvorak notd seem to be chiefly the tendency to a pentatonic (five-tone) scale, which is common to folk music around the globe, and a modal scale (usually in this case a minor scale with a lowered seventh step) common to most European folk music.

The earliest sketches date from December, 1892. The full score of the Symphony was written out between February 9 and May 24, 1893. It was not given its title, Z-Noviho sveta (“From the New World”) until mid-November, just before it was delivered to Seidl. A public rehearsal aroused tremendous enthusiasm and the premiere on December 16^th was a triumph. The score was published the following year as Dvorak’s Symphony No.5. Actually, it was the ninth symphony he had composed and it is often so designated on present-day programs.

I. Adagio: Allegro Molto A slow introduction foreshadows the main Allegro theme: a bold fanfare for two horns. Flutes and oboes follow with a fetching little tune that twists and turns upon it self. The strongest contrast comes with the famous melody for solo flute irresistibly recalling “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” one of Dvorak’s favorite spirituals. All three themes are developed separately and together, with increasing excitement. The reprise of the opening themes it followed by a triumphant coda.

II. Largo. A solemn procession of chords leads to the celebrated melody of the slow movement. The English horn chants a strain that has been adopted in this country, almost as another spiritual.

III. Scherzo: Molto vivace. We need not be overly concerned whether the opening gaiety is of American Indians or Czech peasants. The beginning and end are fiery and excited. In between there are moments which could conceivably suggest a more relaxed village scene with dancing peasants, a tootling village band and laughing crowd

IV. Allegro con fuoco. A finale of tremendous sweep and splendor id built around the sturdy, assertive theme proclaimed by horns and trombones. Material from earlier movements, recall and combined with the new, concludes this popular score in another burst of triumph…

MUSIC FOR STAGE AND SCREEN

This release features some great Copland material, but the gems on this recording are some obscure works by John Williams. The "Suite from 'Born on the Fourth of July'" is superbly written and beautifully played. The solo trumpet and English horn playing is stunning. This "Suite" is a fabulous collection. However, it is "The Reivers" that is the crowning achievement on this CD. The piece is a musical narrative based on selections of William Faulkner's novel of the same name. An Americana setting in the deep south during the turn of the century sets the stage for a heart-warming "coming of age" story. What gives this recording more credence is the narration, performed by Burgess Meredith. The music is descriptive, powerful and emotional. Five very unique stars!!!! Shop here