Bernstein plays Gershwin

We all know that Leonard Bernstein was a great conductor, possibly the greatest of the American born conductors of the twentieth century. It was wonderful to learn that Bernstein was always an excellent pianist. On occasion, Bernstein would conduct the orchestra AND play the piano, too. In the early days of stereo LPs, Columbia Records released Bernstein's recording of two masterpieces by George Gershwin: "An American in Paris" and "Rhapsody in Blue." For some reason, the album featured two DIFFERENT orchestra: the New York Philharmonic in "An American in Paris" and the Columbia Symphony in "Rhapsody in Blue."

While it is obvious that the New York Philharmonic was an established orchestra, actually the oldest symphonic orchestra in the country (founded in 1842, the same year that the Vienna Philharmonic was started), many people have wondered what was the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. There is a simple answer. Columbia Records, the oldest recording company in America, sometimes wanted to make recordings with a "house" orchestra and it was apparently cheaper and easier to simply contract New York musicians and put together an ensemble of musicians. They usually recorded in Columbia's 30th Street Studios. This practice went back to at least 1949, when Sir Thomas Beecham visited New York and made a series of high fidelity recordings in Columbia's studios, which were released on both 78-rpm and 33-1/3 rpm discs. Sometimes, however, the Columbia Symphony Orchestra was also drawn from Los Angeles musicians, as was the case with some of the late recordings made for Columbia by Bruno Walter, who lived in Beverly Hills. Igor Stravinsky made a number of recordings with the Columbia Symphony as well; it isn't always clear as to where the recordings were made since Stravinsky also lived in Beverly Hills for many years.

Anyway, Bernstein recorded the "Rhapsody" with the Columbia Symphony's New York musicians, possibly including some members of his own New York Philharmonic, in 1959. The sessions took place in the 30th Street Studios. For some reason, Bernstein made some minor cuts in the music, most likely in the slow solo section. It was still better than Gershwin's own abridged recordings in 1924 (acoustical) and 1927 (electric) for Victor with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. If you compare what we have of Gershwin playing and with Bernstein's own performance, the results are quite similar. Bernstein was a very gifted pianist, who had classical training as well as an appreciation and affinity for jazz and blues. Although Bernstein both played and conducted, he was able to keep the orchestra together and they worked extremely well with him. Musicians generally admired Bernstein and enjoyed working with him, as is clearly apparent from this performance. This is, of course, Ferde Grofe's orchestral version since Gershwin did not orchestrate the score. (Gershwin did not begin orchestrating his music until the following year when he wrote his "Concerto in F.") Grofe may have taken suggestions from Gershwin about the instrumentation, especially the famous opening clarinet solo, which is exceptionally well played here. There is an excitement and emotion throughout the performance, making it still one of the best recorded versions.

In "An American in Paris," Gershwin functioned strictly as conductor with the New York Philharmonic. He was able to achieve a performance that captured all of the different moods in this piece, which was inspired by Gershwin's visit to Paris in 1928, where he met Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky, among others. He was able to utilize the French atmosphere of the city and add jazz and blues elements since it was basically an American's impressions of an exciting cultural city. It was the epitome of the appreciation Americans felt for Paris between the two world wars. It was a major achievement and Bernstein's performance has always been cited as one of the best versions of the music because he succeeded in balancing the jazz and symphonic elements of the work. Few conductors had been so successful in doing this. In many ways, Bernstein's recording has set the standard. It benefited, too, from excellent recording technology and was an early example of the virtues of stereophonic sound.

These recordings have been continually available in various versions, first released by Columbia Records and then by Sony, which acquired Columbia some years ago. They are well worth having in any collection, especially for those who love Gershwin and Bernstein.--Robert E. Nylund Shop here

Gershwin Greatest Hits

What a shame that George Gershwin died at such a young age. In his twenties, he wrote RHAPSODY IN BLUE, a perfect blend of jazz and classical music. In his thirties, who wrote PORGY AND BESS, something between an opera and a musical. If he had lived into his forties, who knows? He may have further helped Western Music to reconcile the differences between popular music and "art" music!

Arthur Fiedler, the Boston Pops, and the piano soloists are a perfect match for this music, some of Gershwin's finest. They all infuse an energy, a grace, and a playfulness that give the music such exuberance. In my opinion, the best tracks are RHAPSODY IN BLUE, which rhythmically rocks and sonorously sparkles under Fiedler's baton, and "The Man I Love," which shows that a tune can be a torch song even without a singer.

All the other tracks are fabulous as well, although it is disappointing that the first movement of the CONCERTO IN F is missing. Some people find the honking horns in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS a little bit annoying.

When I'm feeling tired or sad, playing this CD is a sure-fire way to lift my spirits!--burghtenor Shop here

An American in Paris

George Gershwin (1898-1937)

Gershwin’s An American in Paris was commissioned by Walter Damrosch, who also conducted the world premiere in Carnegie Hall. The date was December 13, 1928, and the orchestra was the newly amalgamated Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, to use its full, official title.

For this premiere, George Gershwin’s friend Deems Taylor wrote, in collaboration with Gershwin, a description which reads, in part, as follows:

While Mr.Gershwin has been heard to hope-and probably not in vain-that his new work can be absorbed and enjoyed as a piece of orchestral music, he admits that An American in Paris (which, oddly enough, was largely written in Paris) follows a fairly explicit story. What follows is based upon Mr.Gershwin’s own version of the succession of events, augmented by a few details supplied by the helpful commentator and—as yet—unrepudiated by the composer.

You are to imagine, then, an American visiting Paris, swinging down the Champs Elysees on a mild, sunny morning in May or June…Our American’s ears being open, as well as his eyes, he notes with pleasure the sounds of the city. French taxicabs seem to amuse him particularly, a fact that the orchestra points out in brief episodes introducing four real Paris taxi horns (imported at great expense for the occasion). Thes have a special theme allotted to them (the driver, possibly), which is announced by the strings whenever they appear in the score.

Having safely eluded the taxis, our American apparently passes the open door of a café where, if one is to believe the trombones, “La Maxixe” is still popular….. The American’s itinerary becomes somewhat obscured. It may be that he continues down the Champs Elysees; it may be that he has turned off—the composer retains an open mind on the subject…. Indeed, the end of this section of the work is couched in terms so unmistakably, albeit pleasantly, blurred, as to suggest that the American is one the Terrasee of a café exploring the mysteries of an Anise de Lozo

An now the orchestra introduces an unhallowed episode. Suffice it to say that a solo violin approaches our hero (in the soprano register) and addresses him in the most charming broken English, and his response being inaudible—or at least unintelligible—repeats the remark. This one-side conversation continues for some little time.

Of course, one hastens to add, it is possible that a grave injustice is being done to both author and protagonist, and that the whole episode is simply a musical transition. The latter interpretation may well be true, for otherwise it is difficult to believe what ensues: our hero becomes homesick. He has the blues; and if the behavior of the orchestra be any criterion, he has them very thoroughly.

However, nostalgia is not a fatal disease nor, in this instance, of overlong duration. Just in the nick of time the compassionate orchestra rushes another theme to the rescue, two trumpets performing the ceremony of introduction. It is apparent that our hero must have met a compatriot; for this last theme is a noisy, cheerful, self-confident Charleston, without a drop of Gallic blood in its veins.

For the moment, Paris is no more; and a voluble, gusty, wise-cracking orchestra proceeds to demonstrate at some length that it’s always fair weather when two American get together, no matter where….Paris isn’t such a bad place after all; as a matter of fact, it’s a grand place…and the orchestra, in a riotous finale, decides to make a night of it. It will be great to get home; but meanwhile, this is Paris!..Edward Downes (From Program Note “New York Philharmoni Charity Concert in Bangkok)

"Summertime" from PORGY AND BESS

George Gershwin (1898 - 1937)

Gershwin's large scale compositions may be thought of as an extension of the many hundreds of popular songs that he wrote. His strength as a composer lies in melody rather than structure or development. As a young man he studied music of Chopin, Liszt and Debussy, but in later life he only performed his own pieces in public.

Having successfully tackled the forms of the rhapsody, concerto, and overture, Gershwin began thinking of writing an opera. Gershwin chose for the basis of his opera a play he had seen, entitled "Porgy" by DuBose Heyward. The American flavour of this play, and the poignant story of the love of Bess for the crippled Porgy, was the ideal subject for a "native" American folk opera.

In oder to write "Porgy and Bess", Gershwin lived for several weeks with the Gullah Negroes on the waterfront in Charleston, South Carolina, the locale of the story.

It then took him eleven months to put his opera down on paper, and an additional nine months to orchestrate the work. The premiere of the opera took place in Boston on September 30, 1935.

That "Porgy and Bess" should have wonderful melodies, of which "Summertime" is the most famous is to be expected from a born song writer. But the opera is much more than just a collection of choice songs. It has wit, genuine poignancy, and telling dramatic effect which serves as a testament to the power and the intrinsically vital qualities of Gershwin's creative genius.

Carmen / Troyanos, Domingo, van Dam, Te Kanawa; Sir Georg Solti

Tatiana Troyanos was reportedly never comfortable on stage as Carmen, but she sings it ravishingly well in this recording, in good voice and at home with the character. Placido Domingo, seemingly the only Don José of our era, gives one of his best accounts of the role; Dame Kiri Te Kanawa sings beautifully as Micaëla, and Jose van Dam's Escamillo offers just the right blend of macho swagger. The dialogue is unusually well done, and Georg Solti's conducting, though lacking some Gaelic wit, gets the serious parts spot-on. --Sarah Bryan Miller Listen to samples

Georges Bizet - Carmen / Peter Hall, Bernard Haitink, Maria Ewing, Barry McCauley, London Philharmonic, Glyndebourne Festival Opera (2005)

Carmen is one of the few indisputable masterpieces of its time to be composed for a small theater and Glyndebourne provides a heaven-sent backdrop for this sizzling Peter Hall production. "Bizet's score sounds miraculous in this theatre. " FINANCIAL TIMES. The accent is on stark realism and dramatic intensity. An electrically vivid Carmen is portrayed by Maria Ewing ".a rare combination of gifted singer and outstanding actress" SUNDAY TELEGRAPH. Bizet's famous Spanish gypsy is matched with the sentimental Don José of Barry McCauley ".an American tenor of real promise.a thrilling Don José" OBSERVER. Bizet's famous score includes such favorites as the Habanera, The Flower Song, The Toreador's Song and perhaps the most famous overture of all opera. "The London Philharmonic under Bernard Haitink is honouring every treasurable detail of Bizet's enchanting score" INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE. Shop here

Georges Bizet : Carmen

When this production of 'Carmen' was mounted at the Vienna State Opera in 1978 it caused quite a stir. Mostly that was because Carlos Kleiber rarely conducted opera and when he did it was always an occasion. And Zeffirelli, controversial but brilliant as an opera conductor, always created a stir with any new production of his. This film was also directed by Zeffirelli for Austrian television and as far as I know it has not been available in general circulation since its initial airing. It is a fitting tribute to Kleiber whose death this last summer was a blow for the classical music world. He was surely one of the great conductors of recent times.

Plácido Domingo is in his prime here as Don José. In Act II 'La fleur que tu m'avais jetée' ('The Flower Song') is thrilling, even though he doesn't quite manage the pianissimo ending Bizet intended. There is a five-minute-plus ovation at its finish, and it is well-deserved. It is interesting that Zeffirelli left the entire ovation in his edited film because there are many other places in the performance where the applause has been edited out. One wonders if he wasn't playing favorites with his cast. Elena Obraztsova gets silence after several of her arias, but Isobel Buchanan gets a huge ovation after her Act III 'Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante,' again deservedly so. It is true that Obraztsova is not an ideal Carmen, at least in the early going when she is supposed to be the alluring, devil-may-care gypsy woman. Later, though, in the Card Scene where she repeatedly turns up cards that predict 'La mort!' ('Death!) she is riveting. Our Escamillo is, to my mind, rather a cipher. Yuri Mazurok has a solid baritone, but his torero does not have the necessary vocal or physical swagger, and his French is almost unintelligible. The minor characters are well-taken. I was particularly impressed both vocally and histrionically with the Frasquita (Cheryl Kanfoush) and Mercédès (Axelle Gall), singers not previously known to me.

The undoubted star of this production is Carlos Kleiber. From the downbeat of the Prélude to the very end of the opera, his musical direction is as exciting as any I've ever heard in this thrice-familiar opera. Zeffirelli knew this, too. His camera focuses on Kleiber repeatedly throughout the production, sometimes even interrupting action onstage, but generally only when the orchestra is playing alone. I had never seen Kleiber conduct, so I was very pleased to be able to see this. (I was amused to see him give the opening tempo of those fast sixteenths at the beginning of the fourth act by mouthing to orchestra and chorus 'Puh puh Puh puh Puh puh' before giving the downbeat.) I can imagine others, less interested in the conductor, might feel that Zeffirelli's cutting away to show Kleiber is a distraction. The members of the Vienna Philharmonic play like gods. Their rhythmic precision is jaw-droppingly good. I'd particularly single out the concertmaster and the principal flute for praise.

This is one of those over-the-top Zeffirelli productions. There are huge numbers of people onstage much of the time and Zeffirelli's vaunted ability to direct crowds, giving each member some individual bits to perform, is on show here. The camerawork is such that at times one almost believes one is watching an opened-out movie of an opera, not one confined to a stage. I did think all the donkeys and horses in Act III were a bit much, but the crowd outside the bullring arena in Act IV (and featuring exciting flamenco dancers) was a great pleasure to watch.

The edition used here appears to be the one by Fritz Oeser, with spoken dialog and sans the Guiraud recitatives. That was something new in the 1970s and must have been interesting for seasoned operaphiles. I well remember a 1973 production at the Met conducted by Bernstein and starring Marilyn Horne that broke with precedent by using this new edition. I don't know if that one has made it to video.

Is this the definitive 'Carmen.' Well, first of course one would have to ask if there could ever be such a thing. Is it a good 'Carmen'? You bet it is! I do wish the Carmen had perhaps been a bit more alluring, but one cannot argue with that huge organ-toned mezzo of Obraztsova. And it's hard to imagine a better Don José. Isobel Buchanan's Micaëla is a tiny bit generic (as perhaps the part itself is), but lovely and appealing. Mazurok has his admirers, but I'm not particularly one of them. Still, this DVD rates five stars; it definitely is an occasion and an exciting one. Interestingly there is another Zeffirelli production from Verona on DVD that I like almost as much as this one, even though the cast is a whole lot less famous, but its orchestra is nowhere near as good.

Visually this is stunning and in crisp videography. Sound is clear and in plain vanilla stereo, no options. Subtitles in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish.

Recommended with minor reservations. -- J Scott Morrison Shop here

"Habanera" From Carmen

George Bizet (1838 - 1875)

Carmen which is often referred to as an outstanding example of opera comique, is one of the universal favorites of the operatic stage. In setting Merimee's story to music, Bizet exploited to the fullest his talent for vivid musical characterization, brilliant orchestion, and dramatic used of "local color"

The well-known "Habanera" is sung by Carmen in the first act of the opera to the village men who implore her to tell when she will give them her heart. To a throbbing ehythm, Carmen rplies "L" amour est un oiseau rebelle", love is like a bird that will never be tamed. The "Habanera" ends with a defiant flourish as the men again beg Carmen to answer their pleas.

Classics at the Pops

Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops are a long-familiar source of performances and recordings of orchestral showpieces. They are, I suppose, the answer to an audiophile showroom salesman's dreams. As such, they are seldom spoken of in the hushed tones of artistic reverence applied to such entities as Toscanini or Callas or the Vienna Philharmonic, but more often in the excited voices of audio fans praising the latest development in ultra hi-fi or the latest excess in performance parameters. All in all, they no more deserve our condescension than our idolatry: they seem to fill a genuine need of the listening public; if they did not exist, they would likely have to be created. More importantly they serve to remind all of us of the first time we were genuinely thrilled by the sheer esthetic delight of some musical experience (and perhaps thereby hooked for life). But enough of philosophy, let's get to the recording.

The title "Classics at the Pops" is appropriate enough. The ten items presented are all genuine musical classics--or parts of them--loved and admired for years by generations of listeners. There is nothing trashy here, though some of these treasures may suffer from overexposure. They are all performed as well as the talents of conductor and orchestra permit, and recorded as well as the ingenuity of Telarc engineers can accomplish. There seems no doubt as to the seriousness of this effort. Moreover, the payoff is considerable: the conductor leads the orchestra very well, the orchestra responds by playing very well, and the sound is well-captured by the engineers using super high fidelity DSD processes and equipment.

I should note here that I haven't heard the DSD version of this recording, which requires SACD equipment to realize. Though we're assured the CD version also benefits from the superior DSD recording parameters, readers shouldn't assume that my remarks apply to the SACD version, especially in the areas of sound quality and balance.

A quick overall reaction before going into detail: this is an excellent recording of these pieces, well worth having in your audio collection, especially for the esthetic excitement and richness of sound permeating these fine and satisfying renditions. Conductor and orchestra alike do a good job treading the line between the dash and spirit which make these pieces sparkle and the prudence and caution which aim toward letter-perfect performances.

Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" was written in 1942 during a period of American wartime patriotism to answer Eugene Goossens' request for a fanfare to initiate a concert of his Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Among the ten or so fanfares supplied by various composers, only this one has remained ever since in the active concert repertoire, owing to its compositional quality, its exciting and imaginative sounds, and its unmistakable uniqueness. Scored only for 3 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and tam-tam (gong), the piece enjoyed such success that Copland later used it in an orchestral context as a major component of his Third Symphony. The performance here is a smashing success!

The Bacchanale section from Saint-Saëns' opera "Samson and Delilah" originally answered to the general requirement for a ballet scene at about this point in any French opera which hoped to gain public acceptance. Here it represents a great, bibulous revelry amongst the Philistines as they celebrate their victory (through Delilah's treachery and Samson's vulnerability) over the now shorn, weakened, and blinded Hebrew captive. Like many parties, the bacchanale starts out tamely enough, to the exotic sound of the oboe followed by scurrying strings, but eventually works up to a scene of general abandon accompanied by the furore of wildly thumping drums. The performance here is very convincing and seems to lack nothing.

Respighi's fascination with the Rome of antiquity led him to write his tryptich: "The Pines of Rome," "Roman Festivals," and "The Fountains of Rome." Of the 3 tone poems, the Pines is by far the most popular. It includes 4 sections, the last of which, "I Pini della Via Appia" (The Pines of the Appian Way, an important Roman road), is offered here. Starting out quietly with a steady marching motif, the piece summons up the image of a distant column of Roman soldiers. Before long the organ adds a deep bass pedal point to suggest their power as they begin to draw nearer. The music continues to build and soon we feel the troop right upon us with its blaring brass instruments. (Respighi included parts for 6 buccinas--an old Roman curved trumpet--in his score, but modern instruments are normally used.) We are then surrounded by triumphant fanfares leading to a very powerful concluding chord for full orchestra and organ. A very impressive and stimulating performance!

And now, as Monty Python says, for something completely different: Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on Greensleeves." Here the emphasis is upon the calm tonal beauty of flute, harp and strings as they lyrically sing the old English tune with luscious harmonies. It is a good and wise change of pace at this point, and the playing is as lovely as one can imagine.

The Grand March from Verdi's opera "Aida" presents a great public scene as the Egyptian general Radames, Aida's lover, is honored for his triumph over Ethiopia by a military parade through the city. Slaves captured in the combat trail behind in chains, including the Ethiopian king Amonasro, who is Aida's father. Lots of brass flourishes here, along with orchestral punches and a great march tune, relieved by a sweet, cantabile passage perhaps depicting Aida's love. It is a rather extended piece, played here with all the might and glory we could hope for.

Debussy's "Fêtes" (Festivals) from his "Nocturnes" introduces the music of French impressionism and the composer's special interest in the sheer esthetic qualities of harmony and orchestral sound. This is the most popular of the three nocturnes, a masterpiece of tone, color, and rhythm which, when played well, such as here, is a fascinating presentation of musical imagery and a total delight to both ears and imagination.

Again a change of pace as the "Nimrod" variation from Elgar's "Enigma Variations" pours like streams of delicious honey over our grateful ears. No wonder this is by far the favorite of the variations, often played separately. Elgar's handling of the interweaving voices here displays his compositional mastery to a supreme degree. The orchestra seizes the opportunity and does Elgar proud!

Now back to fun and games! Berlioz' "Roman Carnival Overture" is likely the most appealing of all his overtures. Constructed from what must be the choicest themes of his opera "Benvenuto Cellini," it is a treasury of tuneful delights and enchanting musical treatments from the lovely English horn solo near the beginning to the rousing, hair-raising finale. That Berlioz was a gifted and polished composer and a master of orchestration is proved over and over again here! And the Pops plays as if they love the piece as much as I do!

Weinberger's "Polka and Fugue" joins two separate excerpts from his opera "Schwanda the Bagpiper" into some of the most joyful, uplifting, and endearing music to be found anywhere. Perhaps it is all due to beginners' luck, for Weinberger was barely into his thirties when he presented his opera to a public which seized upon it so enthusiastically that it rapidly became an international success, translated from the original Czech into 17 languages! That was back in 1927, however, and the opera is seldom produced today. Still, the "Polka and Fugue" remain very much in the concert repertoire, and, if played reasonably well, guarantee a happy and approving audience. This recording does full justice to the work, and includes the organ part which adds so much power and excitement to the wonderful finale.

A powerful brass fanfare gets Shostakovich's "Festive Overture" off to an auspicious start, which is followed by a veritable feast of thematic and instrumental variety and delight, all in a lively and joyous mood fitting the piece's title. Eventually another round of fanfares announces the imminent close of the festivities and a lively coda leads to a majestic ending with rolling kettledrums, flashing orchestral chords, and a powerful unison to make up the definitive and satisfying conclusion. Shostakovich displays here his great gift for sparkling and ear-catching themes and varied orchestral colors, all in a mood of extrovert enjoyment. It takes a virtuoso orchestra to do justice to this music, and the Pops does not disappoint!

I recommend this recording without reservation, and suggest that every collection ought to include it, or something very like it to remind us of the pure, unalloyed joy of music. --James Yelvington "Professor" Listen to samples

Class Brass - On The Edge

This is one of the most inspirational CD's I have ever listened to. Not only is the playing perfect, the choice in music for the CD is perfect. It provides the listener with several different styles, and yet many similar styles. The group plays the traditional Russian pieces with flair and great musicianship, such as the Stravinsky and the Shostakovich. The main reason that I enjoy this CD is that each player is performing their best for this album. Each player sounds even more amazing than they usually do. I especially enjoy when Sam takes the tuba solo from Russian Sailors' Dance down an octave. Each performer from this group is one of the best in the world on their respective instruments. In conclusion, all I can say is that this CD is amazing. --seangold Listen to samples

Rachmaninov: Concerto No.2/Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini

This is one of the finest performance and recording of these pieces available. Gary Graffman shows his brilliant talent in these interpretations of Rachmaninoff. Far too many think that speed is critical in performing specific passages when in fact patience is required. One may have the skill to play all the notes but lack the talent to perform the music. Graffman performs with nuance and subtlety as well as skill and decision in bringing the souls of these pieces to life.

Highly recommended. (You'll throw your other recordings away after hearing this!) --Rob Smout Listen to samples

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos No. 2 & 3

Byron Janis' celebrated recordings of these two concertos have never sounded better than in this new remastering by Mercury's Wilma Cozart Fine. Talk about recordings usually focuses on the artists and composers, and rightly so, but there are some people in the industry whose names you should know, producers and engineers whose work is as artistically excellent as the performers they record. During the late 50s and early 60s the Fines, husband and wife, created a catalog of recordings, which, when all is said and done, is probably title for title the finest in existence. There isn't a single one that isn't worth hearing, and some, like this one, belong in every collection. --David Hurwitz Listen to samples

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1; Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 [Hybrid SACD]

Both the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #1 and the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 are two of my all-time favorite Romantic piano concertos. Van Cliburn's performance is historic making (he was the 1st American to take the Gold Medal in the first Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958). His playing is absolutely brilliant in musicianship, tone, and in capturing the different moods of the piece. This is my favorite performance of this concerto. My second favorite would be that of Martha Argerich's recording in 1972 w/ Charles Dutoit as the conductor.

Equally outstanding is the Rachmaninoff. From the somber and dramatic beginning of the first movement leading to the climactic build-up at the end, Cliburn captures the different moods and dynamics of the work brilliantly. (It's hard to express this in words). The second movement is very touching and the tone in Cliburn's playing is masterful. Van Cliburn's performance rivals that of any other pianist (Artur Rubinstein, Lang Lang, Garrick Ohlsson, etc.)

For other brilliant recordings of the Tchaikovsky piano concerto, I would recommend the following:

Martha Argerich (Deutsch Grammophon) 1971 w/ Charles Dutoit (conductor)
Barry Douglas (RCA Victor Red Seal) w/ Leonard Slatkin (conductor)
Garrick Ohlsson (Hanssler) 1997 (this is also coupled w/ Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2)

For another outstanding recording of the Rachmaninoff, I would highly recommend
Jeno Jando's recording (1988, Naxos label)
Garrick Ohlsson (1997, Hanssler label)

One great advantage of this CD is its low price and its excellent sound quality in the SACD format. Highly recommended!! --moviemusicbuff Listen to samples

Concerto No.2 In C Minor For Piano And Orchestra

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

During the period between 1890 -1895, Rachmaninoff's career as a composer suffered two major setbacks, the failure of the First Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor followed by the equally emphatic failure of his First Symphony. Convinced that he was without talent and, as a result, close to a complete nervous breakdown, Rachmaninoff enlisted the help of a prominent physician by the name of Dr.Dahl. Through the powers of autosuggestion, Dr. Dahl succeeded in restoring the composer's shattered confidence and the will to compose

The second Concerto for Piano and Orchestra was written in this period of revived self-confidence and appropriately the concerto was dedicated to Dr.Dahl. The second and third movements were composed and performed with great success pior to the completion of the concerto.

The first movement was assed in 1901 and the premier performance of the entire concerto was given on October 27, 1901 with the composer as sololist with the Moscow Philharmonic Society. The concerto was a triumph and assured Rachmaninoff's reputation as a composer throughout the world of music.

FESTIVE OVERTURE, OP.96

Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

“Festive Overture” was written in 1954 between the Tenth Symphony and the violin Concerto. The American premier of the Overture was given by the Utah Symphony Orchestra, Maurice Abravanel conducting, on November 16, 1955.

Despite the pomposity of the opening fanfares and the brass build-up just before the final presto, the character of the composition is exactly what the title claims : a joyous opener. Many precedents in Russian music from Glinka’s “Russian and Ludmilla Overture” to Kabalevsky’s “Colas Bruegnon Overture” can be found for this overture but it has its own contemporary roots and serves as an excellent curtain raiser by one of the great contemporary composers. Shop here

PIANO CONCERTO IN G MAJOR

Marrice Ravel (1875 - 1937)

Maurice Ravel is another French composer, of Basque descent on his mother side, whose family moved to Paris when he was three months old. He entered the Conservatoire in 1889 to study the piano with Beriot and composition with Gabriel Faure. From his earliest works, composed in the late teens, his maturity of style and use of unorthodox harmonies were regarded with suspicion by the academics of the day, and he was repeatedly denied the highest award in the Prix de Rome. The last occasion was in 1905, when his elimination at the preliminary stage caused such an uproar that the director of the Conservatoire was forced to resign. He is today best known for the inescapable Bolero, a piece for orchestra without music, as he himself described.

The Piano Concerto in G major, on which the composer worked for two years, was completed in time for the Festival Ravel at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, and first played there January 14, 1932, with publication the same year. The composer conducted the premiere, with Marguerite Long as soloist, to whom the concerto is dedicated. There are three movements: Allegramente, Adagio assai and Presto. Ravel himself called this concerto the complete expression of his own development as a composer, and stated that he had put the best of himself into the music.

Ravel once called his G major Concerto a concerto in the strict sense, written in the spirit of Mozart and Saint-Saens. He added, less paradoxically, “I believe that a concerto can be gay and brilliant, and that there is no necessity for it to aim at profundity or big dramatic effects. It has been said that the concertos of some great classical composers were written not for but against the piano, and I think that this criticism is quite justified.”

I. Allegramente. The gossamer lightness of the opening, with its sparky little tune for piccolo solo against shimmering bitonal arpeggios for the piano, soft string tremolos, pizzicatos, and a scarcely audible roll of the side drum, is an effect to remember. Hardly has the piccolo introduced the melody when it is taken up by a glittering trumpet solo, and it returns again to cap the climax of the brilliant first movement.

II. Adagio assai. The slow movement begins with a long nocturne-like solo for unaccompanied piano. The ease with which the melody seems to flow may be misleading, for Ravel has told us that the constructed it very la laboriously, two bars at a time, taking the slow movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet as a model.

III. Presto. The finale is a dazzling piece of virtuosity for the sololist with light-textured, witty orchestral accompaniment. The many fragments of American jazz idiom are easier to hear than the alleged rondo form of the finale. In any case, the entire conclusion flies at such supersonic speed that it seems to finish before it has started. Listen to samples

INSPIRING CZECH SYMPHONIC MUSIC

This is a classic performance. In fact, I don't think it has many serious contenders in the catalogue. The main characters are excellent. Gabriela Benackova as Marenka gives a splendidly warm characterization and the slightly sharp sounds when she is singing at the top end of the spectrum is no more than a quibble; none at all about Peter Dvorsky as Jenik or Miroslav Kopp as Vasek.

In fact, there are no serious objections to anything on this set. Kosler gives an eminently energetic and vigorous performance (the famous orchestral sections, for instance, are marvelous), and the rest of the cast doesn't really have one weak link.

Sound quality is perhaps not faultless (it is a little clangy in a way which might lead you to believe that the recording is a little older than it actually is), but nothing to complain seriously about. Strongly recommended. --G.D. Buy it now

SMETANA : THE BARTERED BRIDE

As soon as conductor Adam Fischer engages the warp engines and shifts the well known overture into hyperdrive, we know we're in for an exciting performance of Bedrich Smetana's masterpiece, The Bartered Bride. As soon as the wonderful Lucia Popp begins lamenting her impending arranged marriage to the son of the rich landowner Micha from the neighboring village, we know that this will also be a lyrical and emotionally satisfying performance. And as soon as we see the traditional stage sets and costumes, we know that we are witnessing a performance conceived and designed before today's European penchant for updating opera to some strange locale with minimal sets and costumes. This staging of The Bartered Bride is traditional and revels in it.

Filmed live at the Wiener Staatsoper in 1982, the appearance of the townsfolk, wearing their traditional Bohemian costumes, exhuberantly singing and dancing, serves to quickly draw us into the early 1870s and this engaging comedy of love nearly thwarted but ultimately triumphant. Smetana was a confirmed Wagnerian who bridled under the usual criticism of that breed: Wagnerians are great at your typical end-of-the-world conflagration, but they are about as funny as a slow tour of a sausage factory. Smetana set out to prove that he could do funny. The first few years following its 1871 premiere, now in its familiar three act version, were largely unsuccessful. The opera failed to find its audience. All that changed when the libretto was translated into German by Max Kalbeck. It became the basis for the subsequent wildly successful performances at the Theater an der Wien in 1893. It is that German translation that is used here for Otto Schenk's 1982 production.

The late Czech singer Lucia Popp stars as Marenka (Marie). A favorite ever since I first heard her in Klemperer's brilliant 1964 recording of Mozart's The Magic Flute, her ability to fully inhabit a role is in evidence here. Her singing is as lyrically lovely as ever. Siegfried Jerusalem is her beloved Hans. Heinz Zednik is Wenzel, the boy she is forced to marry. Karl Ridderbusch is Kezal, the disreputable town matchmaker. These three Wagnerian singers are a reminder of the roots of this opera and they are splendid. The entire cast is excellent. Superior casting coupled with traditional costumes and lovely set design, yields a positive result: we are pulled, unresisting, into the world of this opera, and we are saddened to leave it when it ends. That's the signature of an exemplary performance. The Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper play beautifully for conductor Adam Fischer. Total time of this DVD is 155 minutes. Sound is in PCM stereo and DTS 5.1, both sounding clear and full. The picture has been digitally remastered and is clear with no artifacts given its age. There are the usual DGG languages, menus and previews.

This is a splendid performance of a great comic opera. It will brighten your day. Strongly recommended. - Mike Birma Buy it now

OVERTURE TO "THE BARTERED BRIDE"

Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

The great wave of revolutionary nationalism which swept. Europe in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries came to the Czech people as an immensely fertilizing and liberating force. Among its many artistic fruits were Smetana’s patriotic tone poems (the most popular being ‘The Moldau’) and his nine operas, including “The Bartered Bride”

Smetana is often considered the father of Czech musical nationalism. He was only twenty-four when the liberal-patriotic revolutions of 1848-1849 swept Europe like a prairie fire, stirring Czech patriots to an unsuccessful revolution of their own, and launching Smetana on his career as a nationalist composer. From 1863 to 1866 he worked on his second opera. The Bartered Bride, a simple comedy of Czech life in a style strongly influenced by Czech folk music. To Czech listeners, “The Bartered bride” is much more than an opera. It has become almost a symbol of Czech people themselves. Happily “The Bartered Bride” captivates even non-Czech listeners with its melodic invention, its orchestral brilliance and its temperamental brio.

The music of the Overture is taken largely from the lively finale of Act II, when the townspeople witness the signing of a contract in which the hero deliberately gives the (false) impression that he is selling his claim to his own fiancée. The Overture opens with a brilliant flourish for full orchestra, a followed by a lively scherzo like figure spun out very delicately by the second violins alone. Presently they are joined by the first violins and finally by the lower strings, building up to a climax of excitement on the crest of which a syncopated dance figure, another chief theme of the Overture is heard. There is considerable development of both the dance theme and the scherzo-like figure. The whole is punctuated and concluded by reappearances of the Overture’s opening flourish.

Franz Liszt : Les Préludes (Symphonic Poem No.3)

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Franz Liszt was the son of a disappointed musician who served as land steward to the noble Esterházy family of Hungary. After he showed prodigious talent as a pianist at the age of nine, a group of Hungarian counts subscribed a six-years’ annuity to the boy’s family for him to study in Vienna. Liszt started giving successful piano recitals at the age of 12, became a salon idol as a young man, and later won recognition throughout Europe as the first of the great piano virtuosos. After the age of 40, however, he stopped playing publicly except on rare special occasions, and concentrated on conducting and composing. As a composer, Liszt is best known for his two piano concertos, some nineteen Hungarian Rhapsodies for piano, of which six exist in orchestral versions as well, and a dozen symphonic poems ( the third of which will be performed tonight).

Les Préludes (Symphonic Poem No.3) is the best known and most popular of Liszt’s symphonic poems. It is a colorful, dramatic work expressing Romantic musical ideas, but with an unexplicit “program” that permits the listener great freedom in interpreting the meaning. Originally written in 1848 as a prelude to a choral work. The Four Elements, it was revised several times in succeeding years, until it reached its final form in 1854 as an independent orchestral work.

Although Liszt used some of the thematic material of The Four Elements, he related the final version to the poem Les Préludes from Lamartine’s Méditations Poétiques (Poetic Meditations): …what is our life but a series of preludes to that unknown song whose first solemn note is sounded only by death? “Liszt depicts man’s struggle for existence through various interconnected episodes: first, love (“The enchanted Daybreak”), then the harshness of the real world (“Storms Whose Killing Breath Dispel Lovely Illusion”), a pastoral interlude (“A Pleasant Rest Amidst Nature’s Moods”), a call to battle (“The Trumpets’ Loud Clangor… The Post of Danger…”) and finally, self-recognition. Shop here

Tchaikovsky - THE SLEEPING BEAUTY- BOLSHOI BALLET

This Sleeping Beauty was filmed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1989 and is a re-release of the Japan-produced "Bolshoi at the Bolshoi" series previously available on VHS. The films were shot without an audience, but are presented with overdubbed applause.

The Bolshoi dances Tchaikovsky's second and grandest ballet in the traditional staging completed in 1973 by then director Yuri Grigorovich, after Marius Petipa and with sets by Simon Virsaladze. At the time Grigorovich's staging was much closer to the original Petipa than the Kirov's own production (available on DVD with Kolpakova/Berezhnoi or Lezhnina/Ruzimatov). This production is still performed by the Bolshoi today.

The DVD features some of the foremost principal dancers of the day: Nina Semizorova as Princess Aurora, Nina Speranskaya as the Lilac Fairy, and Alexei Fadeyechev - easily one of the finest male dancers of the Moscow School from the 1980-90's and a danseur noble if ever there was one - as Prince D?sir?. Yuri Vetrov appears as Carabosse, while Maria Bylova and Alexander Vetrov dance the Blue Bird pas de deux. The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra is conducted by Alexander Kopylov.

As with all titles in this series, this disc is obviously a video transfer, leaving some of the movements blurred. The sound is offered in simple stereo.

The DVD release doesn't include any bonus material, but comes with a handsome three-language 20-page booklet, introducing and situating the work and the artists. An effort like this needs to saluted, however it will take a bit more accuracy than the Arthaus Musik writers are able to provide at this stage. For example, Kirov dancer, choreographer and artistic director Konstantin Sergeyev is not a son of Nikolai Sergeyev, as the booklet claims. Konstantin Sergeyev staged The Sleeping Beauty for the Kirov Ballet in 1952, but it is of course Nikolai, not Konstantin, who staged it for London's Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1939 and 1946. Yet, to see the outstanding dancers of the Bolshoi, ballet enthusiasts needn't hesitate. See more

TCHAIKOVSKY: THE SLEEPING BEAUTY SUITE

Peter IIyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky did not take up music seriously until he was 22 after studying law and entering the government civil service. But in 1863 he gave up his boring job as a clerk I the Czar’s Ministry of Justice to enter the newly founded St. Petersburg Conservatory. He later moved to Moscow where he became a music critic and teacher and continued to compose. A brief, unsuccessful marriage when he was 34 led to a nervous collapse. At about this time, he met Madame Nadejda von Meck who became Tchaikovsky’s patroness even though they had never met and probably never did meet. For unclear reasons, she abruptly withdrew her support. By this time, Tchaikovsky was already a world-famous composer. In 1893, he died suddenly after drinking unboiled water in cholera-infested St. Petersburg. Controversy has long raged over whether or not he did it deliberately, but most scholars now believe it was accidental.

Apart from his orchestral works. Tchaikovsky was also a skilled ballet music composer. He used his experience to turning ballet music, which was up until that time nothing more than a sequence of pretty but unconnected tunes, into an organized work like a symphony or opera, outlining the story’s emotional development as well as accompanying the dancer’s steps. He wrote three of the finest ballet-scores in the repertoire: The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty.

Ravel: Boléro; Rapsodie espagnole; Debussy: Images

Charles Munch was the opposite of the "intellectual" school of French conductors, as typified today by Pierre Boulez. He was a completely spontaneous artist, which is what made him the great Berlioz conductor of our time, and literally anything could happen when he got up onto the podium. It follows then, that his Ravel is not going to be the sort of hyper-precise, calculated sort of interpretation that many fans of the composer expect, but it will be exciting as hell. These three pieces are shrewdly chosen; they are the composer's most extrovert works, and Munch pulls out all of the stops in his performances of them. A classic recording, and a great memento of a unique artist. --David Hurwitz Listen to samples

Revel : Bolero

The Berlin Philharmonic never has had much opportunity to play Ravel, which is a pity because under Pierre Boulez they do it extremely well. Under their current music director, Claudio Abbado, the orchestra more often than not sounds positively comatose. How gratifying then, that with a dynamic conductor and music that's fun to play, they rouse themselves to sound like the world-class ensemble they really can be when they're not resting on their laurels. Boléro is really smashing, with a knockout final cadence, and the solo players in all of these works cover themselves with glory. This is a great Ravel disc. --David Hurwitz Listen to samples

Bolero

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Although raised in Paris, Maurice Ravel made much of his partly Basque ancestry and the influence of Spanish music on his development. At 14 he entered the Paris Conservatory, where he was greatly influenced by Erik Satie. With a series of works, Ravel became, next to Debussy, the most popular French composer in the years just before World War I. In 1928, Ravel’s Bolero, written for the dancer Ida Rubinstein, quickly became one of the most popular orchestral scores of the era; six different recordings appeared within a year, it was played frequently on radio, and its title was used for a 1932 Hollywood movie. Audiences of our generation might remember this piece of music from the Movie ‘Ten’

Ravel conceived the work as a technical exercise in a gradual, steadily building crescendo, repeating one rhythmic melody by passing it continuously from solo instruments to instruments in groups and then, finally, to the full orchestra. He insisted it was a simple work, not a virtuosic one. He also took issue with those conductors (including Toscanini) who played it faster than the fifteen-minute duration specified by him in the score.

"CAVALLERIA" Will Never Sound Better Than This!,

Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" has been recorded multitudes of times over the last fifty years ---- and to my ears, this 1965 effort is the best recorded performance of all of them. Herbert von Karajan has fashioned a reading of this much-heard opera that makes you feel that you are hearing it for the very first time. Orchestral color and "verismo" atmosphere abounds here as in no other "Cav" recording, and there are instruments in the orchestra that seem much more prominent than we are used to hearing in this particular opera ----- and the orchestral crescendos are more powerful than I have ever encountered them. Carlo Bergonzi, perhaps not the most creative and innovative artist, sings a Turridu with flow, beauty, and taste. Fiorenza Cossotto ----- probably the greatest Italian mezzo since Gulietta Simionato and Fedora Barbieri ---sings a smoldering and compelling Santuzza with a voice ideally suited to the violent emotions of the role. Giangiacomo Guelfi is a vocally solid and strong Alfio. Plainly, with von Karajan at the helm, and with the caliber of these great artists, "Cavalleria Rusticana" comes across on this recording with all of the violence and passion which Mascagni certainly must have intended. This one's a real winner ----- and it's companion performance of "Pagliacci", also conducted by von Karajan and starring Carlo Bergonzi as Canio ------- is every bit as great.Buy them both! --lesismore26 Listen to samples

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana & Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (complete operas)

Verismo can sound positively sublime if sung with taste and no mannerisms. Maria Callas, in her short prime, transformed roles such as Floria Tosca, Santuzza, Nedda and Maddalena and gave them the elegance and simplicity they need to be acceptable. Be it the simple country girl Santuzza or the noble Maddalena, Callas finds the right tone for each and every character. Her Santuzza is tearful but never racked by fake sobs. Her "Io son dannata!" has to be heard to be believed. This is Santuzza in a nutshell. Her duet with Turridu (Giuseppe di Stefano in brilliant form) burns and soars so intensely, it will break your heart. With her even the old war-horses are so real and new that she spoils me for other recordings of these shockers. Another highlight is her outcry "O madre mia!" at Mamma Lucia in the end. I have never heard this sung with equal emotion and pathos.

Her Nedda on the other hand is a young woman desperately in love. Yearning to be free of her marriage to Canio she sings of freedom and she sounds so utterly charming, it's hard not to love her. Her Nedda isn't an innocent girl but an experienced young woman and her duets with Silvio and Tonio show this brilliantly. When her frustration at Canio turns to hatred in the scary final scene it's chilling and ravishing at the same time. Gobbi is her equal as Tonio, he set the bar very high and so far no other Tonio scared me like this. Di Stefano is a passionate Canio, sincere honest and passionate without sounding fussy or melodramatic. Tullio Serafin, this master among conductors, conducts brilliantly. A bargain price, a brilliant recording, a clear winner. Listen to samples

Pietro Mascagni: Intermezzo From "Cavalleria Rusticana"

Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945)

Today, Mascagni's reputation rests entirely with one short opera called Cavalleria Rusticana. The opera is usually considered to be the first verismo opera and was written by Mascagni for a competition organized by the first verismo opera and was written by Mascagni for a competition organized by the music publishers Sonzogno. It won first prize and was soon popular on both sides of the Atlantic. The plot is based on a story by Verga, and as a play it was popularized by the great actress Eleanora Duse. Musically it contains moments of great passion, with some quieter moments of great beauty.

Cavalleria Rusticana tells of love brtrayed and a jealousy that leads to a duel and death in a Sicillian village. Its famous, intensely felt intermezzo is played between this one-act opera's two scenes.

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

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. Listen to samples

Enesco: Roumanian Rhapsody no 2

This is the finest performance of the complete Hungarian Dances. Antal Dorati, a Hungarian himself and a specialist in dance music, handles each of these jewels with just the right combination of rhythmic control and schmaltz. Brahms orchestrated only a few of them; the remainder were done by friends (Dvorák included) or commissioned by various music publishers to fill out the complete set. In this respect, they are less substantial than Dvorák's two sets of Slavonic Dances, which they in turn inspired. If you know only No. 5, or perhaps No. 1, then you owe it to yourself to hear this delightful collection. --David Hurwitz Listen to samples

George Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody in D Major, Op.11 No.2

George Enescu (1881-1955)

Born at Cordaremi, Romania in 1881, George Enescu was educated musically for the most part in Austria and France. In the latter country he studied with Gabrie Fauré (composition) and Martin Marsick (violin) at the Paris Conservatory. Enescu once admitted that most of the creative work by Romanians had been done in the early part of this century. The music is not influenced by the neighboring Slav, but by the Indain and Egyptian folk songs, introduced by the members of those remote races, now classed as gypsies, brought to Romania as servants of the Roman conquerors. However, Enescu’s music is considered to be his own, with traces of French and German influences but of a sensuous character that reflected personal esthetics rather than national moods.

Enescu composed two Romanian Rhapsodies and himself conducted the world premieres of his two Rhapsodies at one of Pablo Casals’ concerts in the Salle Gaveau, Paris, on February 7, 1908. The second Romanian Rhapsody opens with a slow subject which, although it is not the principal theme, is given considerable employment in the course of the work. The first subject is announced by the strings and twice repeated, each time more fully scored. Soon a melody is played by the English horn, while the strings play a tremolo near the bridge of their instruments. This idea is worked over and is followed by a return to the first theme fortissimo, this leading to the closing section, the theme of which is played by a solo viola.

Verdi: Overtures and Preludes

This is a gem from the Karajan catalog. He was a very great Verdi conductor, his orchestra was the best in the world--there are no reservations aobut everything on this CD. It stands above similar compioations by Sinopoli and Abbado, although they are very, very good also. A side by side comparison with the Abbado, by the way, indicates how profoundly the Berlin sound changed after Karajan's departure. I found it easier to grasp why so many veterans were downcast; Abbado's sound sacrificed the maigsterial quality Karajan had cultivated for decades, in favor of a leaner texture that has its own virtues. But when you also add Karajan's subtle, detailed imaginaiton in these well-known Verdi snippets, the result is breathtaking. Buy it now

Verdi: Complete Opera Overtures

This CD is superb in every way, from Bern Symphony's rich, crisp sound to La Selva's nuanced, dynamic conducting to the polished quality of recording. Recommended wholeheartedly to anyone interested in Verdi or in classical music in general. Buy it now

Verdi: Overture "Nabucco"

By: Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

When Giuseppe Verdi was ten a local shopkeeper, struck by his education; ten years later Verdi was appointed conductor of the local choir and orchestra, and married his patron’s daughter. He had no particular ambition to become an opera-composer, and It was only with the unexpected popular success of his third opera. Nabucco, that he took up opera-writing seriously, at the age of twenty-nine. By 1853 he was Italy’s leading composer and remained in that distinguished position until his death in 1901.

Nabucco, Verdi’s first great success, is the only one of his operas-unless one counts that anvil chorus in Trovatore-that is best known for a chorus: the celebrated lamentation “Va, pensiero,” (The chorus of Hebrew Slaves) which immediately became the unofficial anthem of the Italian independence movement and, sixty years later, would be sung spontaneously by Milan’s heartbroken masses at Verdi’s funeral.

The overture was written at the last moment on the suggestion; it is said, of Verdi’s brother-in-law. Mostly it is a free pot-pourri of themes taken from the opera, including the great chorus “Va, pensiero’” Characterized emphasizes the processional aspect of the opera.