Ruy Blas!

Campus Circle, Oct 21,2001
This album is a must check out

Product Description
After two impossibly short, yet seminal CDeps on Lovitt and Vermiform Records, Rah Bras are ready to engage listeners once again with their concentration of melodic assault and spectacular beats. Consisting of a gigantic keyboard, bass, and drums, Rah Bras’ music layers provocative vocals over tight little riffs and throbbing tempos. Ruy Blas!, the new project on Lovitt Records, is an audacious concoction of pop presence and electronic abrasives that gallops the gamut from gamelan to garish. This ability to absorb an obsessive amount of rather disparate influences in order to create something so wholly new and uncontrived is a rare feat. That it comes together so effortlessly for this band awards them a certain genre-defining moment with this release.

In addition to the aforementioned CDeps and new full length Ruy Blas!, they have also contributed to multiple compilations, including the "Whistle of the Missile" video on Bifocal Media, the remix project released by Skyscraper magazine, the mix-tape double CD on Troubleman, two compilations on Vermiform Records (Fruited Other Surfaces and False Object Sensor) and an upcoming compilation on Toyo Records.

Ruy Blas!

Ruy Blas!,Rah Bras,Lovitt,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: Real class Great set MENDELSSOHN: 5 Symphonies/7 Overtures (LSO/Claudio Abbado) DG 471 467-2 Great Concept but Not So Great Execution! More of Mendelssohn to Love

Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Schubert: 8 Symphonies Schumann: The 4 Symphonies Dvorák: The Symphonies Johannes Brahms: The Symphonies Mahler: The Complete Symphonies ASIN: B00005ONMP Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

1. Symphony No.1 In C Minor, Op.11
2. Octet In E Flat, Op.20
3. Overture "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Op.21
4. The Hebrides, Op.26 (Fingal's Cave)
5. Meeresstille Und Glkliche Fahrt, Op.27
6. Symphony No.2 In B Flat, Op.52 - "Hymn Of Praise"
7. Symphony No.3 In A Minor, Op.56 - "Scottish"
8. Overture "The Fair Melusine", Op.32
9. "Trumpet Overture", Op.101 - Allegro Vivace
10. Ruy Blas, Op.95 - Overture To Victor Hugo's Play
11. Symphony No.4 In A, Op.90 - "Italian"
12. Symphony No.5 In D Minor, Op.107 - "Reformation"
13. Overture For Wind Instruments, Op.24 (F Harmoniemusik)

Customer Reviews:

Real class.......2007-06-24

Abbado has created an excellent anthology of Mendelssohn's symphonic output - rich, lush and balanced. A+

Great set.......2007-05-18

By my calculations, this is the single best set of Mendelssohn symphonies out there today. Though better versions of the "Reformation," "Scottish," and "Italian" Symphonies exist in other disks, I still like the interpretations offered by Abbado and the LSO.

For the "Reformation", and "Italian" Symphonies, I'd recommend John Eliot Gardiner and the Vienna Philharmonic's DG set.

For the Scottish Symphony I'd go with Karajan's recording with the BPO (that CD also comes with the best "Hebrides Overture" recording available, and a pretty good "Italian Symphony" interpretation, too).

All of the overtures in this set are performed very well, both in technical execution and musical interpretation. The Hebrides (a work far ahead of its time), in particular, is a fine recording. So is "Overture 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'." I really have grown fond of the "Ruy Blas" overture as well.

Another reviewer complained that the interpretations in this set are "too Classical." I think they are correct in saying the set is Classically performed, but I think that works with Mendelssohn, as he was "the Romantic Mozart."



Overall this is a great set, and a good way to become familiar with the music of Felix Mendelssohn, or build your Mendelssohn library.

MENDELSSOHN: 5 Symphonies/7 Overtures (LSO/Claudio Abbado) DG 471 467-2.......2006-07-13

Unlike many all-digital compilations offered by one orchestra and conductor, this collection of Mendelssohn favorites is outstanding in performance and interpretation throughout. Maestro Abbado shows a genuine affection for the composer and his genius by the sequence of selections on each disc, and I find no weak performances anywhere in this remarkable recording.

Charlie Hastings
Falls Church, VA

Great Concept but Not So Great Execution!.......2006-06-14

First, the good: Great box design for packaging, great booklet in various languages describing the history of all the performed works, great value for money, excellent representation of the great Mendelssohn's best works.

Now, the bad: the problem with compilations like this is that the material tends to have been recorded at different times and places and frequently by different personnel on various recording equipment of varying quality. What this means is that some tracks within each disc sound much better then others and even whole discs come in varying sound qualities.

Fortunately, the best disc, disc one starts out very well with the great first symphony and ends with the composer's best Overtures and the quality of the sound recording is very good. Then we get to disc 2 and the sound quality can only be described as abysmal. The difference in the sound is like night and day when compared with the first disc. The third disc sounds much better but is still not as good as the first disc while the last disc comes somewhere in between the second and third.

There's no doubting the quality of the performances though by Claudio Abbado and the LSO and of course the choice of material but too bad about the inconsistency of the sound quality from track to track and from disc to disc.

Still, the 3 stars are for the good points listed above and for the great disc 1.

More of Mendelssohn to Love.......2005-11-08

I had heard all the music on here before interpreted by other conductors and other symphonies but Claudio Abbado proved to be the most efficient for me. Thanks to the world's leading classical music label- Deutsche Grammophone -we are able to hear a complete set of Mendelssohn's symphonies and overtures with the acclaimed London Symphony in a beautiful and surprisingly afforadable album. For music that is this good, I was surprised that it wasn't a little more expensive. But good, right ? Just more of Mendelssohn to love. On this album: his symphonies 1-5, Scherzo in G Minor from the Octet for Strings, the Overture to A Midsumer Night's Dream incidental music and Hebrides Overture. These are the most famous Mendelssohn creations. His Fourth Symphony is the "Italian" symphony, with lyrical, bouncy rhythms and classical harmony. The Midsummer Night's Dream overture encompasses romanticism at its peak, with sprightly strings representing the mischievous fairies that figure prominently in the Shakespeare comedy. The Hebrides Overture is evocative of wintery landscapes and sea breezes, a fine example of a tone poem and musical painting at its best. Its haunting melody is instantly recongizable. Abbado is clearly suited for this kind of music and it's refreshing to see him stray from the usual Italian repertoire he is most famous for. Still, inescapably, his Italian soul stands out but this gives this music more color, more volume and lyricism than what can often succumb to stale, cold English interpretations like Andre Previn's conducting. No offense to Mr. Previn, who has produced some brilliant music.

Average customer rating:

Mendelssohn In Words And Music Felix Mendelssohn , Johann Sebastian Bach , Louis de Froment , Aaron Rosand , and Arthur Hannes Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Story of Schubert Story Of Chopin In Words And Music The Story Of Brahms The Story of Tchaikovsky The Story Of Handel ASIN: B000001KCR Release Date: 1995-05-01

Tracks:

1. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' Op. 21
2. Concerto For 2 Pianos In A-Flat Major: Allegro vivace; Presto
3. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Op. 61: Scherzo
4. Song Without Words No. 30 In A-Major, Op. 62 No. 6 'Spring Song'
5. Octet In E-Flat Major, Op. 20: Scherzo
6. St. Matthew: Chorale
7. Hebrides Overture ('Fingal's Cave'), Op. 26
8. Symphony No. 3 In A Minor, Op. 56 'Scottish': Vivace non troppo
9. Symphony No. 4 In A Minor, Op. 90 'Scottish': allegro vivace
10. Symphony No. 4 In A Minor, Op. 90 'Scottish': Con molto moderato
11. Overture To 'Calm Sea And Prosperous Voyage,' Op. 27
12. Symphony No. 4 In A Minor, Op. 90 'Scottish': Saltarello-presto
13. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Op. 61: Wedding March
14. St. Paul, Op. 36: Dir Herr, Dir Will Ich Michs Ergeben
15. Piano Concerto No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 25: Molto allegro con fuoco
16. Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: Allegretto non troppo
17. Song Without Words No. 23 In C Major, Op. 67 No. 4: 'Spinning Song'
18. Symphony No. 3 In A Minor, Op. 56 'Scottish': Allegro un poco agitato
19. Overture To 'Ruy Blas,' Op. 95
20. 'On Wings Of Song,' Op. 95
21. A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Op. 61: Scherzo
22. Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: Allegro molto appassionata
23. Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: Andante
24. Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: Allegro non troppo; allegro molto vivace

Average customer rating: Triumphant return of Flor's Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Symphonies; Overtures; Concertos Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Sibelius: The 7 Symphonies; Finlandia; Kullervo; etc. Dvorák: Symphonies Nos. 1-9; In Nature; Serenade for Winds; Serenade for Strings, etc. Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies Elgar: The 2 Symphonies; Enigma Variations; Overtures; Serenade; Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 1-6, 8 & 9 ASIN: B0009A1AJG Release Date: 2005-05-31

Tracks:

1. Merce, Diletti Amici - O Tu, Che L'alma
2. Scena, Coro E Brindisi
3. Mamma...Quel Vino E Generoso
4. Lamento Di Federico
5. Improvviso
6. Come Un Bel Di Dimaggio
7. Oh! Fede Negar Potessi
8. Fontainebleau, Foresta Immense
9. Amor Ti Vieta
10. Cielo E Mar
11. Epilogo
12. Vesti La Giubba
13. Dio, Mi Potevi Scagliar
14. La Danza

Customer Reviews:

Triumphant return of Flor's Mendelssohn.......2005-06-01

At last Claus Peter Flor's Mendelssohn symphonies, overtures and piano concertos (with Edelmann) have returned. On the basis of these recordings (all previously issued) Flor, who is probably in his early 50s now, is still one of the better Mendelssohn conductors out there.

In particular, his Symphonies Nos. 2 and 5 have been hailed by critics on this side of the Atlantic for their beauty, proportion and Mendelssohnian sensibility. His other symphonies are also good and his collected overtures have been revered on both sides of the Atlantic by critics from Gramophone (which gave the overtures a rosette) to American Record Guide (which continued to promote his works even after they were out of print).

Flor's regualr partner in these performances, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, is a European band of the second rank. While not being confused with the more well-known orchestras in Vienna, Berlin or London, they perform universally well in these CDs in recordings that sound better than ever.

This is a very good collection of Mendelssohn's symphonic music and piano concertos that will rank with the best recorded boxes including Abbado and Karajn. In musical terms is far exceeds the collections led by Masur, Ashkenazy and the newer Naxos cycle of mixed quality.

Collectors that have never heard Flor conduct (or have never heard of him) can rest assured that this is a worthy alternative collection in this music. If this grouping and this price are attractive, go for it.

Average customer rating: Must Hear

Ruy Blas! Rah Bras Manufacturer: Lovitt ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Rock | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: EPS WHOHM ASIN: B0000646TU Release Date: 2001-10-22

Tracks:

1. Bababoon
2. "arty O The irst art"
3. Civic
4. Nux
5. Scoop Toe Pump Girls
6. Gently Jeanrah
7. Fungry
8. Homofuge
9. Hardoard
10. Spankish Flies
11. Cleavage Multum
12. Bitchin Fissure

Album Description

After two impossibly short, yet seminal CDeps on Lovitt and Vermiform Records, Rah Bras are ready to engage listeners once again with their concentration of melodic assault and spectacular beats. Consisting of a gigantic keyboard, bass, and drums, Rah Bras' music layers provocative vocals over tight little riffs and throbbing tempos. Ruy Blas!, the new project on Lovitt Records, is an audacious concoction of pop presence and electronic abrasives that gallops the gamut from gamelan to garish. This ability to absorb an obsessive amount of rather disparate influences in order to create something so wholly new and uncontrived is a rare feat. That it comes together so effortlessly for this band awards them a certain genre-defining moment with this release.

In addition to the aforementioned CDeps and new full length Ruy Blas!, they have also contributed to multiple compilations, including the "Whistle of the Missile" video on Bifocal Media, the remix project released by Skyscraper magazine, the mix-tape double CD on Troubleman, two compilations on Vermiform Records (Fruited Other Surfaces and False Object Sensor) and an upcoming compilation on Toyo Records.

Customer Reviews:

Must Hear.......2002-05-03

this album is a must have...i really enjoy it and i highly recommend it...if they come to your town go and see them because it's a great show

Average customer rating: Can I give this one 15 STARS??

Mendelssohn/Shakespeare: A Midsummer Nights Dream Rebecca Evans , Joyce DiDonato , Felix Mendelssohn , William Shakespeare , John Nelson , and Ensemble Orchestral de Paris Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: A Midsummer Night's Dream A Midsummer Night's Dream Handel Operatic Duets ~ Amor e gelosia / Ciofi · Di Donato · Il Complesso Barocco · Curtis Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream (complete) / Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra HOMAGE: The Age of the Diva ASIN: B00005TNND Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

1. Allegro Di Molto
2. Allegro Vivace
3. How Now, Spirit L'istesso Tempo Allegro Vivace Ill Met By Moonlight
4. Come, Now A Roundel - Song With Chorus: You Spotted Snake - Allegro Non Troppo
5. What Thou Seest When Thou Dost Wake - Andante
6. Allegro Appassionato - Allegro Molto Comodo
7. Come, Sit Down - Allegro - What Hempen Home-Spuns
8. I Wonder If Titania Be Awaked
9. Con Moto Tranquillo
10. Welcome, Good Robin
11. Wedding March
12. Come Now, What Masques - Allegro Comodo
13. Allegro Di Molto
14. Now The Hungry Lion Roars
15. Finale: Allegro Di Molto - Through The House
16. Op. 95

Customer Reviews:

Can I give this one 15 STARS??.......2005-01-30

It is so rare nowadays to hear a CD that is fascinating from beginning to end, that engages the mind and heart as this one does. Though I am sure there are many out there who would consider "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to be one of Shakespeare's lesser plays, the delightful fun and wordplay make it, to me, one of his most whimsical and fanciful creations. And Mendelssohn wrote some of his most whimsical and fanciful music for it.

The problems with its presentation, however, are twofold. First, one must have a conductor who is not afraid to take it at or near score, which means not only swiftly but also light and delicately. To this end I have only heard three recordings that fulfill those requirements, the 1942 Toscanini-Philadelphia version, an old and now-forgotten 1950s recording by the great Paul Kletzki, and this one. Otherwise, you have the music played at the right speed but too heavily (Toscanini-NBC and De Burgos-New Philharmonia), or played too slowly (everyone else).

The second problem is, how much of it do you include so that it will make some "sense"? Quite aside from the full-length pieces that we all enjoy (the overture, You spotted snakes, the Scherzo, Nocturne, Wedding March and Finale), there are so many "little snippets" meant to accompany the spoken drama that simply sound odd and disembodied when presented without text. This is the only recording of the music that I find completely satisfying, as it includes large excerpts of the play as foreground to Mendelssohn's music, as it was intended. I can see where, to some music-lovers, this might seem annoying, but this IS what the composer intended! (I once actually saw a performance of the play with Mendelssohn's music in it, and it was quite delightful. And I still own a copy of the 1935 Max Steiner film which uses a good portion of the Mendelssohn music, along with lesser pieces written by Korngold.)

What we have here, then, is a "concept" CD that works brilliantly. The actors of the Oxford and Cambridge Shakespeare Company are all excellent in their roles (though I am more used to Puck being performed by an adolescent boy, not by an adult actor who sounds like a truck driver!), and to hear the music "in context" provides a theatrical experience similar to listening to a radio play.

I cannot thank Virgin Classics enough for producing this magnificent album. I agree that soprano Kathleen Battle was much finer on the Ozawa set than Rebecca Evans here, but that is a very small caveat...after all, the soprano only gets 2 songs and Evans is by no means terrible, she's just not Battle. (Besides, the conductor on the Battle recording is Ozawa who is just too slow, especially in the Overture and Scherzo, whereas Nelson is just right.) The Ensemble Orchestral de Paris plays superbly (is this a studio-only group? I'm not sure that I know of this orchestra), the chorus is wonderful, and the recorded sound is simply breathtaking. Virgin's engineers have managed to capture, without over-exaggerating, both the spoken and musical aspects of this performance in a completely natural soundstage (oftimes I felt as if I were actually listening to the orchestra live!) without losing the soft, delicate passages or overblasting the loud ones. This is a recording that belongs on the shelf of EVERYONE who likes either Mendelssohn, Shakespeare, or both!!

Average customer rating:

Musique Adorable Complete Songs Chabrier , Lott , Varcoe , Johnson , and Polyphony Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Songs of Chausson / Lott · Murray · McGreevy · Trakas · Chilingirian Quartet · G. Johnson The Songs of Henri Duparc Songs by Bizet Susan Graham - La Belle Époque (The Songs of Reynaldo Hahn) Fauré: The Complete Songs, Vol. 2: Un paysage choisi ASIN: B000069CVB Release Date: 2002-08-13

Average customer rating: Abbado at his best!! Useless recording

Mendelssohn: Overtures Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Dvorák: Piano Concerto, Op. 33; The Water Goblin, Op. 107 C. P. E. Bach: The Symphonies for Strings Glinka: Orchestral Works Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 60; Guitar Concerto; Khrimian Hairig Holst: Suite No.1 & 2/Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks/Bach: Fantasia in G ASIN: B000001G8R Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. The Fair Melusina op.32: Allegro con moto
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream op.21: Allegro di molto
3. Calm Sea & Prosperous Voyage op.27: Meeresstille. Adagio. Gluckliche Fahrt. Molto Allegro e vivace
4. Overture for Wind Instruments op. 24: Andante con moto - Allegro vivace
5. Trumpet Overture op. 101: Allegro vivace
6. Ruy Blas op.95: Lento - Allegro molto
7. The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) op. 26: Allegro moderato - Animato in tempo

Customer Reviews:

Abbado at his best!!.......2004-05-08

I'll admit, I'm a huge Abbado fan and a pretty good
Mendelssohn fan as well. So when I saw this CD for sale I
snatched it up quickly because of the rarity of most of
the overtures. I wasn't dissapointed at all! The sound
is great and the performances are wonderful. Despite what
the other reviewer said, it is playable on a "normal CD
player", and it is a disc that shouldn't be passed up
if you're an Abbado fan like myself!!

Useless recording.......2003-06-21

THIS CD is not playable on normal CD players; it is made for "Super Audio" ONLY. No warning of this is indicated on the Amazon listing.

Average customer rating: Wonderful performance at a low price

Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream; Overtures Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000I7RU Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

1. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Overture, Op. 21
2. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Scherzo, Op. 61 No. 1
3. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Intermezzo, Op.61 No. 2
4. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Notturno, Op. 61 No. 3
5. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Wedding March, Op. 61 No. 4
6. Overture: Meeresstille und gluckliche Fahrt (Calm Sea And Prosperous Voyage), Op. 27
7. Overture: Ruy Blas, Op. 95
8. Overture: Die Hebriden (Fingal's Cave), Op. 26

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful performance at a low price.......2006-06-13

The music from A Midsummer Night's Dream is brought to life in an exciting format from the overture to the grand Wedding March. Original interpretations of all the overtures add to this cd, especially the magnificent performance of the overture to Ruy Blas. This low priced cd is worth its price for any single one of these works.

Average customer rating: Beautiful early 1950s recordings by an unknown conductor to many Americans Schuricht's Classic Studio Recordings 1949-56 Carl Schuricht: An Original Master

CARL SCHURICHT Decca Recordings 1949-1956 Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Decca Recordings 1949-1955 Edward van Beinum : The Decca Recordings 1948-1953 Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967 The 1950s Haydn Symphonies Recordings The Complete Decca Reordings of Ataúlfo Argenta, 1953-1957 ASIN: B000276K3W Release Date: 2004-08-10

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful early 1950s recordings by an unknown conductor to many Americans.......2006-04-29

Carl Schuricht (1880-1967) may be an unknown conductor to many Americans, but had an active career in Germany, Holland and France from the 1930s until his death in 1967. Schuricht was known to me primarily from his EMI stereo recording of Bruckner Symphonies 8 and 9 with the Vienna Philharmonic. The recordings in this Decca set are MONO, but in very clear, well defined sound. Decca's engineers have done excellent work for this reissue.

Some listeners will know which works are by the Paris Conservatory Orchestra, as their trumpets, horns, and woodwinds have a certain vibrato laden timbre which their American and British counterparts, for example, do not. You either like the Paris Conservatory or you don't, and I DO. Beethoven's Symphony 5; Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien, Orchestra Suite No. 3 Variations; Schumann's Symphonies 2 and 3 + Overture, Scherzo and Finale are all by the Paris Conservatory Orchestra in this collection. The other works: Beethoven Symphonies 1 and 2, Mendelssohn RUY BLAS, HEBRIDES, FAIR MELUSINA and CALM SEA AND PROSPEROUS VOYAGE Overtures; Brahms Symphony 2 and Schubert Symphony 8 "Unfinished" are all with the Vienna Philharmonic from the early 1950s.

There is much here to love, even if you have other recordings of these works. Schuricht had a special solidity but was never stodgy or dry. I compare him favorably with Karl Bohm (1894-1981). Recommended, and I have other recordings of all these works, but am glad to have Schuricht, too.

Schuricht's Classic Studio Recordings 1949-56.......2005-04-08

To my mind, Schuricht's sane and very musical conducting always occupied an appealing "middle ground" between the more subjectively romantic way of Furtwangler/Abendroth/Mengelberg and the tougher rhythmic drive of Toscanini and Kleiber. Here is a brief assessment of each CD in this 5-disc collection:

CD 1. Schuricht draws wonderfully disciplined playing from the VPO in this superb Beethoven 1st, which is one of my favorite versions along with the more Haydnesque, gemutlich Weingartner/VPO (best heard on an Opus Kura CD from Japan, coupled with Weingartner's magnificent Beethoven 7th). Schuricht's Beethoven 5th with the Paris Conservatory Orchestra has appeared elsewhere on Italian bootleg labels. The transfer here is vastly superior. This is, to my ears, one of the greatest-ever accounts: it's very straight (lean and mean) and better-played than Schuricht's later recording in his complete Beethoven symphony set (French EMI). Even though Furtwangler remains my exemplar here (his 1943 wartime concert performance on DG and the mellower 1952 account on Tahra), Schuricht's more classical manner is very persuasive. This surely ranks among the finest "straight" 5ths of Weingartner (Naxos), Erich Kleiber (Decca) and Carlos Kleiber (DG). Schuricht's Mendelssohn is well-played, if a bit sober and penny-plain. In the Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) Overture, I still prefer Beecham, Furtwangler, Maag and Fritz Lehmann. In the Ruy Blas, Beecham is simply inimitable. For the Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, there was once an excellent version on Columbia LP (England) by Paul Kletzki and the Israel Philharmonic (coupled with a great Scotch Symphony) that deserves to be on CD. My favorite account remains the Lehmann/Berlin Phil., which DG ought to re-issue in a coupling with the Hebrides and the Roloff/Lehmann readings of Mendelssohn's piano concertos.

CD 2. This disc holds two treasurable 2nds of the "desert island" variety. The Beethoven Symphony has a wonderfully trenchant first mvt., a Larghetto with delectable interplay between the VPO's beautifully sweet strings and its plangent winds, a witty Scherzo, and an affectionately slow last mvt. At a length of 7:07, the latter is hardly Allegro Molto (for that you have to hear the brilliant Erich Kleiber on Teldec), but to my ears this is one of the truly classic performances, along with the Kleiber and the outstanding Weingartner (best transfer: Naxos). The Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto with Backhaus is a great collaboration - this pianist was always at his best in Brahms - and the transfer is HUGELY superior to what was (barely) heard in the Philips "Great Pianists" series. It's my favorite account, though I wouldn't be without the exceptional readings by Clifford Curzon/Hans Knappertsbusch (Living Stage) and Sviatoslav Richter/George Georgescu (Dorian, coupled with Richter's only recording of the Handel Variations).

CD 3. Schuricht's gorgeously lyrical, very pastoral account of Brahms' 2nd Symphony is more uptempo than his live Stuttgart account (Archiphon). If I could have only 3 recordings, they would be this Schuricht (excellent transfer!), the Fritz Busch (EMI) and the Furtwangler (EMI). Incidentally, I can't help noticing (in the last mvt., the passage starting at 4:43 here) an odd similarity to the opening of Mahler's 1st (since the opening of Mahler's 3rd is clearly patterned on the main theme of the Brahms 1st's last mvt., I think this may be more than just a coincidence). Christian Ferras' interpretation of the Brahms Violin Concerto reminds me somewhat of Fritz Kreisler's (Ferras also uses the Kreisler cadenza). It's a lovely, small-scale account, and joins a lengthy list of "greats" (e.g., Kreisler/Blech, Busch/ Steinberg, Szigeti/Harty, Martzy/Kletzki, De Vito/Schwarz, etc.)

CD 4. This disc is all Schumann: The Overture, Scherzo & Finale (rather like a symphony without a slow movement), plus the 2nd and 3rd Symphonies. All are with the Paris Conservatory Orchestra, whose billowing brass may be an acquired taste. These are all masterly readings. The CD notes fail to mention that, in the "Rhenish," Schuricht uses Mahler's re-orchestration. My other favorite 2nds (the opening measures so like Haydn's #104!) are the more richly romantic readings by Stokowski (Cala) and Pfitzner (Koch Legacy), and the chastely classical Enescu (Dutton). My favorite stereo 3rd is probably the Leibowitz (Chesky). Hopefully a long-extinct 10" DG LP of the 3rd with Leitner and the Berlin Phil. will achieve a CD transfer: it had the loveliest slow mvt. I have ever heard.

CD 5. This disc is of lesser distinction. Mendelssohn's Fair Melusine Overture receives a sturdy reading that isn't quite on the level of Busch or Beecham. The Schubert 8th strikes me as a mis-fire - it's also available on Schuricht's "Great Conductors" volume on IMG (see my review). And the Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien is simply no match for the ebullient Kondrashin (RCA).

This Decca set is essential listening, especially for its pace-setting accounts of Beethoven and Brahms. If you would like to hear a broader representation of Schuricht's artistry, you may want to explore his 10-disc set on Scribendum (available at Amazon.uk), which includes stylish accounts of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, Mozart's 38/40/41, a fine Bruckner 7th, and a very warm-hearted Brahms 4th.

Strongly recommended.

Carl Schuricht: An Original Master.......2005-01-13

Conductor Carl Schuricht has been unfairly neglected over the years, but a recent string of reissues should go to great lengths to remedy that problem. Compiling many of his greatest recordings for the Decca label from 1949-1956, this box set will be a most welcome addition to the shelves of classical music connoisseurs. Unfortunately, this title is not without its problems. While the set claims on its back cover that all of this material, save a 1952 account of the Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto with Backhaus (amazing BTW) and a 1956 Schubert 8th Symphony, are receiving their first international CD release, a lot of this material has been readily available for years. In addition to the aforementioned "Unfinished," the 1954 performance of Mendelssohn's "Hebrides" Overture with the Vienna Philharmonic was recently included in Schuricht's "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" title. Also the 1954 recording of the Brahms Violin Concerto with Christian Ferras is the very same version featured on Testament SBT 1293, and it is an alarming trend, if you ask me, that these "licensed" recordings are starting to appear simultaneously on two labels (see my recent review of EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" release of David Oistrakh performing Prokofiev's Violin Concertos). Finally, why UNI chose to issue this and the recent Erich Kleiber set in clunky plastic jewel cases, instead of the normal slim paperboard box with paper sleeves for the discs, is beyond me. Overall though, "Original Masters: Carl Schuricht" is another first rate historical reissue from Universal. Schuricht's earlier performances of Beethoven's 1st, 2nd & 5th Symphonies featured here offer a nice contrast to his accounts of a few years later on EMI, and his Schumann -- the 2nd & 3rd Symphonies and "Overture, Scherzo and Finale" comprising CD4 -- is surprisingly good. In fact, I can hardly wait for the next batch of Decca OMs next month!

Average customer rating:

Mendelssohn - Songs and Duets 2 / Sophie Daneman, Stephan Loge, Eugene Asti Félix Mendelssohn , Sophie Daneman , Stephan Loge , and Eugene Asti Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Mendelssohn: Songs and Duets Mendelssohn: Songs and Duets, Vol. 3 Fanny Mendelssohn: Lieder As Steals the Morn: Handel Arias & Scenes for Tenor Richard Strauss: Arabella ASIN: B00005NUPI Release Date: 2001-10-09

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