Elgar: Enigma Variations

Sir John Eliot Gardiner makes a very persuasive case for placing Elgar as a composer in classic Central European Romantic mode in these excellent performances of Elgar's orchestral and chamber works, ending with a brilliant performance of Elgar's Enigma Variations. Gardiner's interpretations are certainly radical reinterpretations of Elgar's music; here he emphasizes how these scores pay homage to contemporaries - and artistic mentors - such as Brahms and Dvorak, among others, in his choice of tempi and the lush, warm performances he obtains from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. I doubt I have heard the Enigma Variations sound so much like a work composed by Brahms before. The sound quality is quite superb, filled with the ample warmth one might expect from recordings made in the Vienna Philharmonic's concert hall. Without question this is yet another successful Deutsche Grammophon collaboration between Gardiner and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.--John Kwok  Listen to samples

Elgar: Cello Concerto; "Enigma" VariationsG

This is a stunning performance of the Elgar Concerto for Cello by the gifted Jacqueline duPre with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by her husband, Daniel Barenboim. Ms. duPre was already being compared to Casals when she was only in her mid-twenties because of her mastery of the sonorous instrument--known to be one of the most difficult to play. Her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis, diagnosed when she was barely 29, but her recordings, like the one superbly remastered here, live on. In the haunting melody of the Elgar concerto's Adagio, one is reminded of the beauty and sadness of duPre's short career. For cello buffs, this album is definetely 4-star, and the Enigma Variations are a nice bonus.--Ginues ressurected Listen to samples

Rossini: Overtures

This CD is quite amazing for several reasons. For starters, you get two CDs for the price of one. Therefore, for the price of one CD, you get 14 Rossini overtures (I must admit that I have not even heard of some of the overtures included). All of the works included are well recorded, so there is very, very little of the hiss or blip that plague other CDs. The best aspect of the CD, however, does not lie in its technical values. Instead, it is the performances themselves that caught my attention. The interpretations taken by Chailly and the New Philharmonic Orchestra are certainly fresh, though not necessarily ones that I would feel safe taking had I been the conductor. The tempi and dynamics of several famous passages (some from the popular Barber of Seville) are not what I am used to, though I was pleasantly surprised to learn that such interpretations are possible without sounding bad. This CD is definitely a good buy. Even if you disagree with some of the interpretations, you still get two CDs for the cost of one. And, for those who are tired of hearing the same performances over and over, these two CDs offer something new that may very well recaptivate your heart.--kv581 Listen to samples

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

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

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

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

COPLAND : LINCOLN PORTRAIT

Everybody wants to do "A Lincoln Portrait" and sometimes the choice of Speaker is ludicrous (not the rap star). The Worst - Adlai Stevenson - The Best - Heston. Okay put your political prejudices aside and concentrate on performance. Heston's tonality and modulation are simply Lincolnesque. He never goes over the top - and "of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth" are spoken from the gut without histrionics but with enough emotion to put a tear in your eye. The work of Abravanel and the Utah Symphony Orchestra is simply marvelous. Although this was recorded on analog tape, the dynamics are almost digital but warmer. Also the music from "Our Town" which somebody ought to remake is quietly evocative and lovely; "Outdoor Overture" which I played in high school is just a lot of fun. "Quiet City" is a better piece than most people realize - if the trumpet isn't just right it falls flat - suffice it to say this performance doesn't. The Morton Gould piece is worth a mention, but I'm conflicted by Morton, whom I've always considered a better orchestrator than composer of original music. This recording is a keeper. --D. Barrett "Starcastle"

ARON COPLAND: POPULIST AND CONDUCTOR

Aaron Copland made numerous recordings of his own music, including an extensive series for CBS during the 1960s and '70s, mostly with London orchestras. He was not an especially proficient conductor--consequently, the performances he conducted often lacked pace and rhythmic punch. His last recordings of his most popular scores have been reissued by Sony on an exceptionally well-remastered 3-CD set. These accounts do a good job of conveying the overall shape of the pieces, and they deliver telling characterizations of many episodes. Details emerge that are lost in some other accounts, and there is an appealing gentleness and sweetness to the approach. But the readings do not have as much grip as those of Bernstein and Slatkin, among others, and in spite of the authority they automatically possess, they are not necessarily preferable. --Ted Libbey

Bernstein Has Never Sounded Better

This is a fantastic CD, featuring film and theater music composed by the American legend, Leonard Bernstein. The recordings were made with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of the composer, from 1960 to 1963. It opens with the "Overture to Candide" (and what an opening!). The sound is so good that you cannot tell it was recorded almost fifty years ago. The brass instruments are blaring, the percussion knocks your socks off, and the strings and woodwinds have a most realistic presence. Bernstein's account of the Symphonic Suite from "West Side Story" has never sounded better. The NYPO truly captures the excitement and rhythm of these short, and unforgettable pieces.

Bernstein's only film score was for Elia Kazan's Academy Award winning, 1954 blockbuster, "On the Waterfront." This soundtrack, however, is quite different from others. It can stand independent from film and be a concert piece - this is truly marvelous music. The CD closes with Bernstein's ballet, "Fancy Free", and three bonus tracks from "On the Town." All in all, the music is classically American, and pure Bernstein. Sonically, the recording is one of the best in my collection - highly recommendable.--T. Schmalz See more

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

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

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

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