Dvorak to Duke Ellington

"Peress has in-depth and first-hand knowledge of the subject as he worked with Ellington, edited and'or orchestrated five of Ellington's symphonic works, and has presented a number of critically acclaimed historically accurate concert recreations...With an unparalleled background in music and research, Peress is uniquely suited to delve into the topic at hand, and does so with skillful results, ...there is not a graduate composition or conducting major who would not benefit from reading this highly personal tome." --JCG"For anyone interested in a good look at a poorly understood line of American musical history, or for anyone interested in a simple, fascinating story of music and genius, Peress's Dvorak to Duke Ellington is a captivating read." --International Musician"What makes Dvorak to Duke Ellington so compelling is that it is written by an accomplished conductor who collaborated with Ellington late in his life on the orchestration and/or creation of some of his major compositions, most notably Black, Brown, and Beige and Queenie Pie. Among Peress's most significant achievements is his balancing of an almost irrepressible enthusiasm for the music he champions with a more objective judgement that needs to be brought to bear on what is still a raw topic: namely, how do we come to terms with the complicated miscegenation that is American music?"--Symphony Read more.

Dvorak: Slanovic Dance/Kubelik, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

Dvorák's music is often a source of sheer warmhearted joy. Even the sadder moments in these gorgeous dances come with a hidden smile and a gracious sense that all is right with the world. The late Rafael Kubelik led his German orchestra in a wonderful recording of these Dances, beautifully played with great affection and idiomatic rhythms (which the conductor must have taught the orchestra). As performances, these are comparable with the legendary 1950 set by Vaclav Talich and the Czech Philharmonic (Supraphon 11 1897-2). Unlike the Supraphon, though, Kubelik's recording is stereo, sounding better than ever in its new remastering and offered at mid-price. --Leslie Gerber Read more.

A Must Dvorak CD For Your Collection

Harnoncourt's excitingly uninhibited new set of the Slavonic Dances, with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, combines great exuberance and virtuosity with vivid colouring. Harnoncourt's direction has tremendous zest and vitality. The Dumka character of Op. 46/2 is spectacularly caught, moving from a relaxed lyrical charm and warmly flexible phrasing to spontaneously hot-blooded bursts of energy, with the trombones electrifying unleased. The delicacy of the string and woodwind playing in No. 6 of the first set is particularly beguiling, as is the seductive rubato at the opening of Op. 72/2. But even here the relaxation of the shapely phrasing is underpinned by an inherent vitality, with the last two chords given a firm finality. Beautiful music. --Tanis Somerville-Christianssen. Read more.

Antonin Dvorak: Slavonic Dance No.15, Op.72 No.7

Dvarak was keenly interested in Slavonic dances and music, collecting a large amount of material on this subject. The widespread popularity of Brahms' collection of Hungarian dances (21 pieces) seemed to encourage Dvorak to write this piano piece in the form of a Hungarian dance, originally for a four-hand performance. A four-hand performance on the piano was a popular form of home music in Eroupe in those days. Therefore, Dvorak did not intend this piece for concerts. But because he emphasized his character ethnic flovor and expressed it in the simplest possible manner using bold modulation, a variety of rhythms and skillful orchestration, "Slavonic Dance No.15, Op.72 No.7" became a full-fledged piece for concerts.

A Night Piece For A Flute And String Orchestra

Arthur Foote, the composer of this piece, was born in Salem near Boston in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. He studied music at the New England Music Academy and later at Harvard University under the instruction of Paine. While serving as a church organist in Boston, he composed music that reflected the influence of Brahms. He contributed to the development of classical music in the United States and is reguarded as a student of the so-called Boston school.

Besides "A Night Piece for a Flute and String Orchestra," he wrote many other pieces of chamber music and vocal music including a string suite for a string quartet: D. op.21 (written in 1886); d. op.36 (1896) op.63 (1910) and two piano trios.

Mozart: Horn Concertos

For this recording, Lowell Greer himself reconstructed a natural horn of the type that was invented during Mozart's later years and was generally played in orchestras at the beginning of the nineteenth century. He is pictured holding the horn in the booklet, and the pride in his eyes is only natural, for this is a wonderful-sounding instrument that seems ideal for playing Mozart's playfully beautiful Horn Concertos. Greer and the Philharmonia Baroque play in a relatively straightforward, perhaps even somewhat naive manner, but this is not necessarily a criticism: At all events, the disc can give enormous listening pleasure (as is presumably evidenced by the fact that I have often heard it being played on German radio stations). The engineering puts the horn on the left of proceedings and in the centre of attention, and it is truly wonderful to listen to this glorious sound. Musicologically, I suspect that the Sony Vivarte recording made by Ab Koster and the Canadian Tafelmusik ensemble is a little more refined (and the music has definitely been reconstructed in a more accurate manner there); but nonetheless, the Harmonia Mundi recording is a true classic and is well worth the listening to. --Leslie Richford Read more.

Mozart: Horn Concerto No.1-4

As a music teacher and hornist who has performed all of the Mozart horn concertos at one time or another, I am probably more picky about recordings of these works than anything else. Everyone always upholds the Dennis Brain recordings as the best, and rightly so. Brain was the all-time master of the horn, period. The problem is that he died young and his Mozart recordings were made in the 1950s. Yes, the CD has been remastered and sounds quite good, but there's only so much a producer can do.

That's why one recording of these masterpieces simply will not do.

This CD by Barry Tuckwell most assuredly needs to be the "other" recording one has in their collection. Tuckwell with his gorgeous tone, fantastic range, and excellent lip trills is easily the best hornist in the past few decades. He plays each concerto with spirit and aggression in contrast to Brain's more controlled and leisurely interpretation. His cadenzas are more modern and showy yet maintain classical style and taste. The ASMF provides perfect, well-balanced accompaniment with, interestingly enough, a harpsicord playing basso continuo underneath the orchestra (a feature that may or may not have been used when Mozart first debuted these concertos).

Finally, the original recordings are modern enough that when digitally remastered, they sound clear as a bell. So yes, buy the Brain recording, he is the best hornist of all time. But this recording by Tuckwell is marvellous and should be immediately added to one's collection. Both recordings are correct, both are beautiful, but both are different. Therefore, both are needed. Buy it now.

Concerto For Horn & Orchestra No.4 In E Flat Major, K.495 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Mozart wrote four concertos for horn and all were dedicates to Leitgeb, who remained a friend of Mozart until his death. Leitgeb's name appears in Mozart's last letter.

As a leading orchestra horn player, Leitgeb asked Mozart to write concertos for him from time to time, and succeeded in persuading him to write four pieces over Mozart's last 10 years.

All these concertos are similar in nature, indicating that Mozart was well versed in Leitgeb's taste.

"Concerto for horn & Orchestra No.4" may be inferior to No.3 in terms of the strong characteristic of the theme and compositional structure which is very appealing in No.3, like the piano concertos, but it is nonetheless an excellent piece, showing the spontaneous skill of Mozart in his mature period. In addition, Concerto No.4 requires a fairly elaborate technique for horn, considering the time in which it was written, by adopting a chromatic playing of rendition.

Bach, Vivaldi, Marcello: Concerti Italiani

"Concept" discs get a bad name, but here's one that works. Alessandrini has come up with the idea of recording the original Venetian concertos that served as the basis for well-known adaptations by Bach. An added twist is his orchestration of Bach's original piece for harpsichord, the Italian Concerto, in the style of the Italian masters whose works served as Bach's models. Alessandrini also supplies the missing violin solo part for Benedetto Marcello's Concerto on this disc. It all comes off so well because the works here are wonderful examples of their genre and because of the marvelous playing of the expert period instrument group, Concerto Italiano, whose playing here is beyond praise. Highlights abound: the surprising staccato movements of the Marcello Violin Concerto, the exquisite playing of oboe soloist Andrea Mion in brother Alessandro Marcello's Oboe Concerto, the zippy Vivaldi Op. 3 No. 11 Concerto for four violins, and the fantasy-filled version of Vivaldi's "La Notte" Flute Concerto among them. A disc full of endless delights. --Dan Davis Buy it now.

Five Italian Oboe Concertos

The concerto for oboe is regaining popularity and use, and this resurrgence is aided by this fine collection by Oboeist/Director Nicholas Daniel and the Peterborough String Orchestra.
All the pieces of this concerto collection are well-done, flowing and lyrical with great balance between the strings the oboe solos.

Especially appealing to my ear is the Siciliana of Cimarosa's concerto as well as Bellini's Concerto.
Crystal clear recording for a great bargain price! Well worth checking out. --rodboomboom Buy it now.

Desire: Music For Romance

This is a fine collection of beautiful, romantic melodies! They have depth and eloquence and are performed in a style that sounds baroque to me. It is not your 'average', straight-forward classical CD set...NO. This set is special, perfect to give as a gift for an anniversary, a birthday, a wedding, or for a dinner date. It is highly-recommended. I'm hooked! It's better than most straight-forward, classical CDs out there. I have purchased a few, but can truly say that I just keep coming back to this set! It draws you in and is perfect while driving, reading, lounging around, on a rainy day, at work, and to get you to sleep! This set just gets harder to find since it is truly THAT good! I think you'll love it for hours of listening enjoyment. I'm surprised no one prior has given a review of this wonderful set. You won't regret it! --R.Uziel Buy it now.

Concerto For Oboe And Strings In C Minor - Alessandro Marcello

Venice, once a leading trade centre of the Mediterranean Sea, was also a musical centre. Operatic activities were particularly advanced there, with the dawning of the Reneissance. In the 18th century, it was in Venice that the baroque ensemble represented by Vivaldi's instrumental pieces reached its zenith. Albinoni and the Marcello brothers were also among the most prominent Venecian musicians in this period. "Concerto for Oboe and strings in C minor" was written by older Marcello, Alessandro.

The piece was used in an Italian film, "Love in Venice," directed by Enrico Maria Salerno in 1970, during the sequence where the protagonist, an oboe player, suffering from an incurable disease, made perhaps his last recording for a radio broadcast. This took place in Venice, a city full of tender memories for him, a man who had to part with his loving wife against his will.

Tis is one of the many classical masterpieces which became popular when used in films.

The Best Swan Lake On CD.

I have owned several CD recordings of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and this most recent purchase is the best I have heard. I have many recordings of Andre Previn, both as a pianist and a conductor. Andre Previn has never let me down. He has a natural feel for everything I have heard him perform. Previn presents Swan Lake totally complete as Tchaikovsky originally composed it, including the two additional numbers in Act III which were added after the 1st performance. The tempos in each number are ideal and the ADD sound is excellent, considering the recording originates from 1976. I would recommend this version highly over the horribly conducted Bonynge. Better is the Sawallisch but I found the 1994 recording too laid back. Bottom Line: Get this recording for its completeness, conducting, and price! --M Dubin See more

SPECIAL SWAN LAKE

I bought this DVD a few days ago because I had never seen Maya Plisetskaya dance and I'd read so much about her I just had to see what she was all about. I'm glad to say she is fantastic. I have a lot of Swan Lake DVD's and Maya's Odette/Odile is one that stands out. She really creates characters like I've never seen before. Beautiful dancing and drama. On the down side, the lighting of the stage was not very good. Much of the background was in darkness and only the person(s) dancing had light on them. I like to see everything on the stage so I was disappointed with the lighting. I'm still glad I have this recording of Maya Plisetskaya. Now I'll be looking for more of her on DVD. --Titus orange. Buy here.

TCHAIKOVSKY: SWAN LAKE (BLU-RAY)

'Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake' has a richly textured transfer that will please fans. Colors are vivid, black levels are inky, and detail is quite breathtaking. Just look at the costumes and cloaks worn by the various dancers - I could see individual stitching and accents on every inch of the costumes. Hair and sweat were particularly well defined and long shots of grouped dancers were sharp. A top notch audio track keeps Tchaikovsky's compositions vibrant and kinetic. The surround mix, on the other hand, showcases robust dynamics and a stable soundfield that really sells the realism of the musical performance. The clarity of the strings had me initially fooled into assuming this was a lossless track and the bass lines have a strong presence despite the absence of an LFE channel (a low frequency effects channel -- noted by the ".1" designation in a typical "5.1" surround mix). Channel pans are particularly nice as violins and cellos swell across the soundscape. Lighter instruments like clarinets, oboes, and flutes are also well prioritized in the mix and never feel lost in the chaos of the horns. Fans of classical music performances will find a lot to love here. --Paul Dickinson Buy it now.

OUTSTANDING SWAN LAKE! AND A SAD SWAN SONG

This is a wonderful, classical version of Swan Lake. It has all the elements and parts I want to see in this ballet: most of the dance segments and artistic excellence and balance. Right from the beginning we can tell this is going to be a great, energetic ballet as Prince Siegfried comes onto the stage in the very beginning and joins his tutor and jester in a lively pas de trois. it is choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich, Natalia Bessmetnova's husband and the director of the Bolshoi Ballet at that time. He was a great choreographer and was especially gifted at staging the classics so that they fit the standards and requirements of today. The role of Odette and Odile is danced by Natalia Bessmertnova magnificently. She always danced with a combination of technical excellence and dignity. Another remarkable aspect of this performance is the uniform excellence of the dancing. Nowhere is there the slightest imperfection! Additionally, I was very impressed with the combination of youthful vigor and mature stature of all the dancing. All of the ethnic dances are included, and the Black Swan pas de deux follows the Petipa version. Rothbart is also given some great choreography here, something that is often neglected in other stagings. The sets and costumes are also at the highest standard--absolutely gorgeous. The image and sound are very good, as well, but keep in mind that this is a ballet movie on color film, so it has that special quality that film imparts. If you don't mind a Swan Lake on film, this is a fine Swan Lake to have in any collection. Sadly, on February 19, 2008 Natalia Bessmertnova died of a grave, protracted illness, just a few weeks after the release of this DVD. After her retirement from the stage, she had been teaching until her illness.--J.M. Wilinsky Read more.

SWAN LAKE: A REMASTERED BALLET MASTERPIECE

Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake remains a ballet favorite and a powerful star vehicle for the prima ballerina who must dance the roles of two characters- the "white swan" Odette and the black swan Odile, good and evil. Swan Lake has been recorded many times by celebrated conductors and their orchestras - Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra (here it's Wolfgang Sawallisch and the same orchestra from an earlier period) Canadian Charles Dutroit and the Montreal forces, Seiji Ozawa, Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Bonynge better known for his operatic vehicles with his wife Joan Sutherland, Antal Dorati and his orchestra, and even Herbert Von Karajan joined the band wagon of conducting great ballets- he conducted the complete Giselle and a concert suite of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker. Wolfgang Sawallisch was a brilliant conductor, and unfortunately like so many conductors in Karajan's time, he was underappreciated. This Swan Lake is beautifully restored and sounds fresh, powerful and lyrical. The music for Swan Lake has symphonic qualities, with a contrast of serene and jovial dances and melancholy and even fatalistic themes. The Dance of the Little Swans is bouncy and cheery, the violin solos for Odette's solo dances are almost mournful (she's mourning her swan condition/curse) and the Swan Theme is powerful and stormy, borrowed from the last notes to a Wagner's Lohengrin prelude. For these reasons critics did not initially warm up to the "heavy" music of Swan Lake. But eventually it became the most beautiful of the "ballet-blancs" ever made. Other "white tutu" ballets include Giselle (Act 2 the Willis) and La Bayadere (Act 2 The Land of Shades). The music is to die for in this recording and I highly recommend it. --Rudy Avila "Saint Seiya" Read more.

RUSSIAN DANCE FROM SWAN LAKE - TCHAIKOVSKY

"Swan Lake" is probably the most popular work by Tchaikovsky, because it contains all the elements that can capture the hearts of the audience; beautiful melodies, melancholy lyricism that tenderly moves the heart, sweet and sentimental feelings, sympathetic character, and a fantasic story presented in a poetic and dramatic manner.

Tchaikovsky had studied many romantic legends and fairy tales before writing this ballet piece, and so laid the foundation of a total art in which ballet and music are integrated to create a fantasic world of dreams.

"Russian Dance" is believed to be originally written as a solo dance for the main character Odile.

THE ADAGIO BOX (BOX SET)

This extraordinary example of performance by Herbert von Karajan and Berlin Philarmonic gives to us the wonder of music from many composers. The harmony of each CD is simply admirable, from joy to romance, from nostalgy to relaxation. Buy here.

SAXSOPHONE VOCALISE

This is a wonderful and eclectic album for any music fan, not just saxophone players. Some of the stand-out tracks on this recording include Rousseau's Porgy and Bess Suite, his version of Bruch's Kol Nidre and his performance of Bernard Heiden' Diversion for Saxophone and Band (one of the few pieces that is in its original form). His playing is always musical and he does wonderful things with all the pieces on the album, especially the ones mentioned above. The Heiden Diversion is a particular favourite of mine, it not only has its virtuosic sections, but has a lovely, haunting middle section where the saxophone just soars above the band's accompaniment. This recording definitely belongs in any serious music lover's collection. Buy here

CLASSIC MEMORIES -STEVE HALL

Steve Hall is a Steinway Artist and a native Californian. While majoring in History and Music as his minor, he received his bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. Steve's professional career has involved playing at weddings and private parties in the Los Angeles area for the last 30 years. During the last 6 years, Steve has recorded 16 albums on his own label. Known for the interesting arrangements of his work, Steve's textural treatments of classic pieces weave a tapestry of atmosphere for the listener. Steve and his wife Robyn are raising three sons and feel blessed and thankful to have the opportunity to share this music with you. Read more.

NIGEL KENNEDY'S GREATEST HITS

Violinist Nigel Kennedy long stopped annoying or surprising concertgoers and disc buyers with his looks and manners--the cover of this CD pictures him with red and blue paint on his face, and he's biting his violin. If that irritates you, his playing certainly will not. Here, two movements from Vivaldi's Four Seasons act as bookends to, among other pieces: a Satie Gymnopédie, exquisitely played, with lovely embellishments near its close; Vaughan Williams's floating Lark Ascending; a stunning, virtuosic Bach solo (never before released); a soft-edged Bach chorale; a soupy, sentimental "Danny Boy"; a slightly overwrought "Scarborough Fair"; a piece by Kennedy himself; and a few other surprises. Kennedy's tone is lush and warm, and his emotionalism almost never overwhelms the music. Greatest hits? More like greatest encores. But definitely a terrific 71 minutes of fiddling. --Robert Levine Read more.