L'Orizzonte Degli Eventi [Import]

Product Description
Soundtrack to the Film by Daniele Vicari Starring Valerio Mastandrea and Gwenaelle Simon. Massimo Zamboni is an Ex Member of Rock Band Cccp and Csi.

L'Orizzonte Degli Eventi,Massimo Zamboni,Radiofandango,World Music

Average customer rating: Probably the best compilation of a single composer's works. Ever! This is a brilliant assembly of Debussy. THIS IS THE STUFF RIGHT HERE! Debussy is the best. Ever. i am dumb

Debussy's Greatest Hits Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | 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 $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | 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 Similar Items: Ravel: Greatest Hits Sergei Rachmaninoff: Greatest Hits Grieg: Greatest Hits Saint-Saëns: Greatest Hits Rimsky-Korsakov: Greatest Hits ASIN: B000002A23 Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

1. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
2. Preludes, Book One: The Girl with the Flaxen Hair
3. Two Nocturnes: Fetes
4. Preludes, Book One: The Sunken Cathedral
5. Suite Bergamasque: Claire de lune
6. Children's Corner Suite: Golliwogg's Cake-Walk
7. Reverie
8. Iberia: Le Matin D'un Jour De Fete
9. Deux Arabesques: Arabesque No. 1: Andante Con Motto
10. Martyrdom Of Saint Sebastian: Prelude To The Council Of The False gods
11. String Quartet In G Minor, Op. 10: Scherzo. Assex Vif Et Bien Rythme
12. La Mer: I. De L'aube A Midi Sur La Mer
13. La Mer: II. Jeux De Vagues
14. La Mer: III. Dialogue Du Vent Et De La Mer

Customer Reviews:

Probably the best compilation of a single composer's works. Ever!.......2007-05-06

Claude Debussy is perhaps the most understated composer in the history of man. His ability to compose both on the piano and for orchestra is unmatched, in my humble opinion. The fact that Debussy was able to also arrange many contemporary and previous composers' works just adds to his resume. He had a gift, pure and simple.

Although this album doesn't (well, honestly it couldn't) contain all of Debussy's catalog, it does certainly contain some of his best work. There is actually only one track on this CD that I don't care for; that would be Golligwogg's Cake-Walk; it is just a bit annoying to me.

Beyond my dislike for that one track, the entire CD is a beautifully aranged, beautifully played, well recorded compilation with good sound mixing and it is a respectful tribute to a truly great composer.

"Claire de Lune" (Moonlighting) is perhaps one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever composed; this is the orchestrated version, which I prefer, but the piano version is nice. "Arabesque No. 1" is superb. "Fetes" is both haunting and airy. "Reverie" is the best piano piece I have ever heard. "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair" is also a wonderful piano piece. "The Sunken Cathedral" is dark and mysterious, a true wonder.

The rest of the album is fantastic. Listed above are just my personal favorites from the disc. I listen to this CD at least once a week, but often more. It is perfect for relaxation, for listening while reading, or for my personal favorite use, to block out noise while I am writing.

I would recommend this to any classical lover.

If you have not heard Debussy's music, you must get this CD; it will have you ordering more of his compositions almost immediately.

The man was a genius.

This is a brilliant assembly of Debussy. .......2006-07-08

After listening to his "Greatest Hits," I know why he is considered one of the best.

THIS IS THE STUFF RIGHT HERE!.......2005-09-12

I BOUGHT THIS BECAUSE I WAS TRYING EXPAND MY HORIZONS, YOU KNOW? CULTURALLY AND MENTALLY, YOU KNOW? SERIOUSLY THOUGH I WAS IN THE SHOP AND I WAS HAVING A GAZE AROUND THE PLACE AND THEN THIS PICTURE JUST JUMPS OUT AT ME, AND I PICKED IT UP AND IT WAS THIS DEBUSSY CHAP AND ID HEARD ABOUT HIM ON THE BBC LEARNING ZONE SO I THOUGHT ;why not?; SERIOUSLY THOUGH I DRAGGED IT HOME AND I POPPED IT IN THE OLD CD PLAYER AND IT FLOORED ME.......I MEAN SERIOUSLY THIS THING...AMAAZING STUFF..I MEAN TODAYS MUSIC HAS NOTHING, NOTHING NOTHING ON THIS STUFF RIGHT HERE.

SOME GOOD TRACKS ARE:
TRACK 1 IS THE BEST. THE OPENING FLUTE ON THE TRACK IS TOTALLY CHILLED AND COOL, REMINDS ME A BIT OF TRACK 13 ON ILL COMMUNICATION BY THE BEASTIE BOYS...A COINCIDENCE???

THE ONLY WEAK TRACK ON THE ALBUM IS TRACK 6, THE UNFORTUNATELY TITLED "CHILDRENS CORNER SUITE: GOLLIWOGGS CAKE WALK" THE MUSIC IS JUST DATED MAN, JUST AS DATED AS THE TITLE.

OVERALL THOUGH THIS IS A QUALITY ALBUM, WITH CHILLS, SPILLS AND THRILLS. SERIOUSLY THOUGH A FINE EFFORT.

Debussy is the best. Ever........2004-07-23

I love Debussy and all of his brilliant work. I barely listen to any other classical music, so I am not an authority, just an honest lover of music. I play piano and love piano music, so I was not disappointed at a piano Flaxen-Haired Girl. I've never heard an orchestrated version and don't need to. This is a good introductory CD to Debussy's work, I love it! The only thing I don't care for is the Arabesque #1 (Track 9). The horn is kind of grating and clunky to hear in such an otherwise beautiful piece. Still, its interesting and different. Everything Debussy made is purest gold.

i am dumb.......2004-07-01

And I'm a doomass because I didn't proof-read my other review and I wrote that Clair de Lune was performed by piano on this disc, which it isn't. Anyway, the piano version is better.

Average customer rating: Revelatory. A primary source for interpreting Debussy

Claude Debussy: The Composer as Pianist Manufacturer: Pierian ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Maurice Ravel: The Composer as Pianist and Conductor Bartók Plays Bartók Alexander Scriabin: The Composer as Pianist The Composer as Pianist Prokofiev Plays Prokofiev ASIN: B00005IC03 Release Date: 2000-09-26

Customer Reviews:

Revelatory........2004-01-27

Debussy lived into the age of recording, but the primary documents of his playing are his Welte-Mignon piano rolls. The Welte-Mignon contraption was a mechanical "player" which you set before a regular piano. It differed from the familiar player piano in that it could reproduce not only dynamics but touch and pedal technique. Mahler also recorded some of his pieces in this way. The problem with these things is their extreme fussiness. There's a problem with getting them to play at the intended speeds. You don't know, for example, how fast or slow Debussy intended, say, "La cathedrale engloutie" simply by looking at the roll. Also, apparently Welte-Mignon players were fitted to the individual piano. However, Pierian has used the talents of an engineer, Kenneth Caswell, who has devoted decades to the innards of the player, and the results have won the imprimatur of Harold Schoenberg himself, formerly a severe critic of modern Welte-Mignon reproduction. That's good enough for me.

All that said, I consider this one of the ten most important releases in the history of recording, even though I don't know what the other nine would be. Debussy is one of the master composers of keyboard music, along with Scarlatti, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, Liszt, Bartok, Ravel, and Prokofiev. So the recording is the equivalent of having Bach play the Goldbergs for you. Does Debussy differ from benchmark performances, like Gieseking? Not to take anything away from Gieseking, but, yes, he does. I can describe it as an extreme inwardness, as if the composer were communing with himself. The fingerwork isn't as sure as some, but the outstanding feature of the playing is its outstanding singing or, considering the composer's subtle temperament, humming. I can't imagine anybody interested in Debussy's piano music passing up this CD.

We also get Debussy's acoustic recordings as Mary Garden's accompanist in the Ariettes oubliees and in an extract from Pelleas. These to me have more problems than the rolls, mainly because the sound is so crude, but I make that judgment precisely because I have the rolls. Without Caswell's dedication, I'd have been extremely grateful for the acoustic recordings.

A primary source for interpreting Debussy.......2002-07-02

This is an album of Debussy's piano works played by Debussy himself. Most of the pieces are from rolls recorded by Debussy and played on Ken Caswell's beautifully and carefully restored Welte reproducing piano. There are also four acoustic recordings of Debussy vocal works, with Debussy playing piano.

The Welte reproducing piano records and plays back many aspects of piano playing (dynamics and touch) at remarkably high fidelity for the time. Thus these piano rolls are primary documents showing how Debussy intended his works to be played. While these recordings to not have the fidelity of modern acoustic recordings, it is possible to detect pedaling, tempo and dynamics. This recording has been the basis of scholarly research, such as the essay by Cecilia Denoyer in the book "Debussy in Performance", edited by James Briscoe.

The acoustic recordings of the vocal works are of much lower fidelity, but do give a sense of Debussy's feel of the piano.

If you are studying Debussy's piano works and want to know how to interpret his notation, this album is for you. If you just want to listen to Debussy's piano works, a modern recording may be more musically pleasing, but you may still enjoy hearing the pieces as they were played by the master himself.

Average customer rating: The embodiment of FURY Completely over the top! Good alternative. (No title). An incredible recording! Gibbons' Alkan is superb!

Alkan: 12 Études, Op. 39 Manufacturer: Asv Living Era ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Nocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Alkan: Grande sonate 'Les quatre âges', Sonatine, Le festin d'Esope Alkan: Symphony for solo piano Alkan: Piano Music, Volume 1: 12 Etudes, Op. 35 Alkan: Piano Works; Ronald Smith Alkan: Sonate de Concert; Grand Duo Concertant; Piano Trio ASIN: B0000030PK Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

1. Etude No.1: Comme Le Vent
2. Etude No.2: En Rythme Molossique
3. Etude No.3: Scherzo Diabolico
4. Etude No.4: Sym-First Movt: Allegro
5. Etude No.5: Sym-Second Movt: Marche Funebre
6. Etude No.6: Sym-Third Movt: Menuet
7. Etude No.7: Sym-Fourth Movt: Finale
8. Nocturne in B, Op.22
9. Allegro Barbaro: Etudes, Op.35 No.5
10. Assez Vivement: Chants, Op.38 No.1
11. J'etait Endormie, Mais Mon Coeur Veillait: Prlds, Op.31 No.13
12. Le Staccatissimo: Esquisses, Op.63 No.2
13. Les Cloches: Esquisses, Op.63 No.4
14. Les Soupirs: Esquisses, Op.63 No.11
15. En Songe: Esquisses, Op.63 No.48
16. Gros Temps: Les Mois, Op.74 1st Ste No.1
17. Barcarolle: Chants, Op.65 No.6
18. La Chanson De La Folle Au Bord De La Mer: Prlds, Op.13 No.8
19. Le Temps Qui N'est Plus: Prlds, Op.31 No.12

Tracks:

1. Etude No.8: Con-First Movt: Allegro Assai
2. Etude No.9: Con-Second Movt: Adagio
3. Etude No.10: Con-Third Movt: Allegretto Alla Barberesca
4. Etude No.11: Ov
5. Etude No.12: Le Festin D'Esope

Amazon.com

Alkan's gargatuan Op. 39 Etudes embody a symphony (Etudes 4-7), a solo concertos (Etudes 8-10), an overture (No. 11), and a riotous set of 25 variations depicting the animals of Aesop's fables (No. 12, La festin d'Esope). The music demands boundless technique and stamina, which Jack Gibbons supplies in spades. He dives headfirst into the treacherous writing, letting the chips fall where they may. One can't really top Marc-Andre Hamelin's unflappable proficiency in the concertos, yet Gibbons rougher, leonine demeanor thrusts Alkan's Dionysiac qualities more to the fore. Bet you can't digest this yummy 12-plus course piano feast all in one sitting! --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

The embodiment of FURY.......2004-09-24

Gibbons' occasional technical vulnerabilities give these performances a human edge missing from hamelin's recordings. Alkan's op39 is music the pianist must fight with. Blood and sweat are a must. Its raw fury can be lost when cooly presented (ala Hamelin). The symphony finale oozes raw excitement under Gibbons' hands. Like in a disaster movie, we root for the protagonist and hope he survives through to the end. A most rewarding experience.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Completely over the top!.......2003-08-04

The main differences between this recording and the only other complete recording of the minor key etudes by Ronald Smith are:

1. Superior sound
2. A virtuosity that must be heard to be believed. Gibbons plays fast, Gibbons plays loud, Gibbons plays soft, Gibbons plays all the notes, and all the while Gibbons plays them musically! A truly remarkable performance of some very complex music.

But the recording by Smith has much going for it too. In an ideal world, if you're a fan of Alkan, get both recordings. I've got them both!

Good alternative........2002-11-02

It's a good alternative to Hamelin's recordings. With a really wilder approach!!

(No title)........2000-12-15

Comme Le Vent, Like the wind, is a firey, unrelenting deluge of notes which, if played at Alkan's specified metronome marking, travels at the rate of 160 bars per minute -- 20 densely packed pages in just 4'30," and Gibbons falls unbelievably only 7 seconds short! En Rhythm Molossique and Scherzo Diabolico, both technically wicked compositions, receive commanding and sure-footed performances. The Symphony further demonstates Gibbons proficiency in adherence to tempo and metronome markings inspite of taxing athletic and visceral demands, giving it a great sense of impetus, space, and drive. The Concerto, in his hands, is less classical and crisp than Hamelin's, but more wildly romantic; an extraordinary feat of virtuosity. Le festin d'Esope and Allegro Barbaro in all their fiendish and barbaric virtuosity get very poetic readings, very rare indeed... The more slow pieces all fall within the heartbeat, receiving sensitive, simple, and atmospheric performances... Gibbons is an Alkan interpreter of exceptional authority, and I cannot wait until his next release (of anything). In excellent sound, this very generous two-CD set is a TOP recommendation!

An incredible recording! Gibbons' Alkan is superb!.......1999-09-04

Alkan's Magnum Opus (39) has been seen recorded many times over the past years in part, as well as in whole. Jack Gibbons demonstrates that his interpretation of this monstrously challenging set stands at the very top of the list. Out of the 250+ CDs I own, I would have to say that this is the best. Gibbons' "Comme le Vent" is breathtakingly virtuostic and full of velocity. His "En Rythm Molossique" is a great wall of power and control, his "Scherzo Diabolique", feindish and scary. This recording of the "Symphonie" is fantastic, second only to Lewenthal's. His "Concerto" is very ordered, the finale a dazzling display of pianism (despite the missed note in the final black-key run). The "Ouverture" is the best recorded yet, and shows the true depth of Alkan's creations; I could write a review on just this piece! His "Festin" is a bit slow, but he never overexagerates the tempos. The other pieces added to the first disc ruin one's picture of the all-out-bravura crazed Alkan, replacing it with a sensitive, profound one. This CD is truly incredible. If you have any affection for Art Music whatsoever, this recording is a must have!

Average customer rating: Formidable.....my single favorite rap album of all time. A Real Treat: Not quite like any other rap you've ever heard Buy this CD, if you've made it this far! You won't regret it french star find something new each time

Qui Seme le Vent Recolte le Tempo MC Solaar Manufacturer: Musicrama Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music Acid Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music International Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Prose Combat Mach 6 La Haine L' Ecole du Micro D'Argent Cinquieme As: Fifth Ace ASIN: B000004C2W Release Date: 1994-07-25

Tracks:

1. Intro
2. Qui Seme Le Vent Recolte Le Tempo
3. Matiere Grasse Contre Matiere Grise
4. Victime De La Mode
5. L'histoire De L'art
6. Armand Est Mort
7. Quartier Nord
8. Interlude
9. A Temps Partiel
10. Caroline
11. La Musique Adoucit Les Moeurs
12. Bouge De La (Part 1)
13. Bouge De La (Part 2)
14. Ragga Jam
15. La Devise
16. Funky Dreamer

Album Description

1991 release on Polydor featuring 16 tracks, including 'Qui Seme Le Vent Recolte Le Tempo', 'Victime De La Mode' and 'Funky Dreamer'. The full title is 'Qui Seme Le Vent RecolteLe Tempo'.

Album Details

L'original Series. Debut Album from the Best French Rapper. Check Out his Samples from 70's Hard to Find Master Grooves and his Unique Flow Spiced Up with Numerous Play on Words. Digitally Remastered. Digipack.

Customer Reviews:

Formidable.....my single favorite rap album of all time........2003-07-18

This dude has the gift. His lyrics are outstanding. Anyone who's heard him knows it. I learned as much french from this guy as I did from 6 years of class. Even if you're not into French the cadence is undeniably entertaining. And his dj is awsome too. All the tracks are cool. The best on this cd include Quartier Nord, l' Historie d' Art and Bouge de la of course. Take my recomendation for what its worth, but this guy was ahead of his time. If he rapped in English, forget it, he be up there in popularity with anyone.......Anyone.

A Real Treat: Not quite like any other rap you've ever heard.......2001-08-13

THIS DISC IS ABSOLUTELY WORTH THE PREMIUM IMPORT PRICE! It's definitely my favorite MC Solaar disc & one of my best rap CDs, period. It doesn't matter if you don't speak a word of French (I remember a little from 2 semesters in high-school), the sounds and rythm are so intricate and energetic that they more than make up for the jokes and whatever meaning you fail to pick up from the cognates, tone, and musical context.

Also, consider picking up Planet Rap, before it goes out of print. And Tour De La Question is a good 2-disc (live) sampling of many of Solaar's hits. I find his other later releases less compelling than this one.

BTW, if it helps, I should note that I find this disc somewhat reminiscent of good 80's rap.

Buy this CD, if you've made it this far! You won't regret it.......2001-05-31

Claude MC has an amazing gift. His ability to use language, sound, rythym & music to convey a message, at times one that is socially or politically charged, is exceptional. Somehow, in the midst of a song such as "l'Histoire de l'Art," which really flows, the idea that rappers have been discrimated against by certain elements of society who fail to see rap as an art form is introduced. Solaar, using humor, wit, an outstanding intellect and his sheer charisma, easily and non-confrontationally makes the point that the history of art is not complete until it includes the works of ALL artists. Bien Fait, Claude MC, Bravo!

The background tracks are for the most part smooth. A bit of a jazz & blues feel to them (perhaps its the saxophone) mixed with more elements familiar to modern hip hop and rap. This juxtaposition is transfixing.

Although I myself am a French speaker, I find that you do not need to know the language to enjoy Solaar's music. Fluency in the French language, however, does allow you to appreciate his music that much more as you can fully experience the joy of this gifted musician from Senegal's play with language. His lyrics are so full of such wit and irony!

Somehow I can't seem to take this CD out of my car stereo. I guess that its just so good that I want to listen to this CD at every chance I get (and its been over a year since I purchased it!)

I would highly recommend MC Solaar's Qui Seme le Vent Recolte le Tempo to anyone even thinking of buying it. If you've made it to this page, put it in your shopping cart. I promise that you will have no regrets.

french star.......2001-04-03

mc solar..is soooooooooooo hot..dig..the tunes... fashionstylist@vogue.co.uk natalie kissane

find something new each time.......2001-02-01

I've had this album for about a month now, having heard "qui sème le vent" and my favourite song keeps changing. Initially it was "Victime de la mode" with the bit "Dominique, écoutes bien ce funky beat" and the message of the story. Then it was Bouge de la (part 1)

and now, tonight, it's "Caroline" This song is beautiful, heartfelt, sweet, elegant, etc etc. I'm sure tomorrow it will be another song that will capture my ear. I find myself singing/thinking about the phrases from other songs consistently- there are a lot of great little bits of philosophy. "J'ai dû disparaître, pour réapparaître"

Average customer rating: Absolutely Delightful Thoroughly Delightful Telemann

Telemann: Don Quixote; Orchestral Suites Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Telemann, Georg Philipp | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Telemann, Georg Philipp | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Telemann: Darmstadt Overtures (Suites) Telemann: Overture Suites / Changeante Telemann: The Six Paris Quartets Locatelli: Concerti Grossi, Op. 1, Nos. 7-12 Telemann: Wassermusik (Water Music); 3 Concertos /Musica Antiqua Koln * Goebel ASIN: B00009NJ1B Release Date: 2003-07-15

Tracks:

1. Ouverture
2. Le Reveil De Quixotte
3. Son Attaque Des Moulins A Vent
4. Les Soupirs Amoureux Apres La Princesse Dulcinee
5. Sanche Panche Berne
6. Le Galop De Rosinante/Celui d'Ane De Sanche
7. Le Couche De Don Quixotte
8. Ouverture
9. Menuets I And II
10. Gavotte
11. Courante
12. Air
13. Loure
14. Hornepipe
15. Canaries
16. Gigue
17. Ouverture
18. Menuets I And II
19. La Vielle
20. Sicilienne Avec Cadenze
21. Rondeau
22. Bourrees I And II
23. Gigue

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Delightful.......2006-06-13

Telemann's "Quixote" is as bright and delightful a suite as I've ever heard. I'm giddy and can not recommend this particular CD sufficiently.

Thoroughly Delightful Telemann.......2003-09-10

Telemann, four years Bach's elder and outliving him by almost twenty years, enjoyed a renown during his lifetime that Bach never did. He was a church musician--he wrote far more cantatas than Bach--but he was also a man of the theater and an astute businessman in Hamburg where he lived most of his adult life. And on this disc we have some of his most delightful secular music.

The 'Don Quixote' suite celebrates Cervantes' novel in which 'life is a dream, and even dreams are dreams.' We have sections from the book illustrated with pointed tone-painting, e.g. Quixote's sighs after the 'lovely Dulcinea' or the somewhat lame trotting of Quixote's broken-down 'steed,' Rosinante. This is a late piece and shows a good deal of French influence, as do the two other suites included here, each opening with a French 'ouverture' with typical dotted rhythms.

The other two suites are the 'Ouverture in d minor' consisting of mostly French dances (but including a not-very-English-sounding hornpipe) and the E Flat Suite, subtitled 'La Lyra.' The word 'lyra' refers to the third movement which imitates, by means of droning fifths, the hurdy-gurdy, once known as the 'lyra mendicorum' ('beggar's lyre').

I tend to prefer baroque orchestral music played on modern instruments but with some modicum of baroque performance practice. The playing by the conductorless modern-instrument group, the Northern Chamber Orchestra, is exemplary. These Manchester musicians play with impeccable ensemble, an apt lightness of tone and striking rhythmic alertness. The recorded sound is remarkably lifelike. All in all, this is a wonderful issue. There's lots more secular Telemann to be recorded--he was an indefatigable worker--and one can hope that this group records more of it.

Recommended.

A slightly short timing at TT=57:08.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

The Art of Ruggiero Ricci Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music 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 Bruch | Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ernst, Heinrich Wilhelm | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Goldmark | Goldmark, Karl | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Hindemith | Hindemith, Paul | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Lalo, Edouard | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Paganini, Niccolò | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sarasate | Sarasate, Pablo de | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tartini | Tartini, Giuseppe | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wieniawski | Wieniawski, Henri | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | 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 | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Milstein (4CD Set) The Art of Ivry Gitlis Leonid Kogan Edition [Box Set] Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Vol. 2 [Germany] Lazar Berman Edition (Box Set) ASIN: B0001NPTX4 Release Date: 2005-10-18

Average customer rating: ORDER AND BEAUTY Breathtaking

The Songs of Henri Duparc 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 Allen, Thomas | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Songs of Chausson / Lott · Murray · McGreevy · Trakas · Chilingirian Quartet · G. Johnson Poulenc - Melodies / Ameling · Gedda · W. Parker · Sénéchal · Souzay · Baldwin Songs by Bizet Gabriel Fauré: The Complete Songs, Vol. 3 Fauré: The Complete Songs, Vol. 2: Un paysage choisi ASIN: B000002ZLE Release Date: 1993-06-21

Tracks:

1. L'Invitation au voyage
2. Serenade florentine
3. Testament
4. Phidyle
5. Extase
6. La vague et la cloche
7. Chanson triste
8. Le Galop
9. Romance de Mignon
10. Serenade
11. La Fuite
12. Lamento
13. Elegie
14. Le manoir de Rosemonde
15. Au pays ou se fait la guerre
16. Soupir
17. La vie anterieure

Customer Reviews:

ORDER AND BEAUTY.......2006-08-30

Duparc composed little and published less. The 17 songs with piano (including one duet) that we have on this disc - just over one hour of music - constitute virtually all he chose to leave us as a musical legacy after more than 80 years of life. Some of the poets he set are familiar names - Baudelaire, Gautier, Sully-Prudhomme, Leconte de Lisle, one translation from Goethe - but three of the 17 are by one Jean Lahor. What they have as a common theme is a sense of incapacity to deal with mundane life, this manifested in the earlier poems as an escape into fantasy and dreams, lapsing into lonely sadness in the later. Whether the poetry of Lahor is of `middling quality', in the supercilious phrase of the liner-note writer, I wouldn't be knowing. My own French has no difficulty with understanding the literal meaning of anything here, and it is probably up to recognising the stature of Baudelaire, but whether it is good enough to pass such judgments on the plain and innocent-seeming verses of Lahor I am not so sure. It seems to me that a native speaker of French might miss the magic behind the simple diction of Housman, and what I seem to find in Lahor is at least a patent and fragile sincerity.

This poetry is set to a music of exquisite refinement and poise. There is clear influence from Wagner in one or two ways, particularly in some of the more vigorous accompaniments and probably also in the almost total avoidance of word-repetition, but the very French sense of atmosphere is as strong as it is in Debussy, and the vocal lines combine a Wagnerian flexibility with a delicate lyricism that recalls Berlioz. Duparc was also an outright perfectionist, and perfectionism is catching. It infects even such a slattern as I am myself when I listen to these fine-spun little masterpieces, and it seems to me that nothing less than total perfection in their performance can do them full justice.

What I find in this recital is total perfection from Thomas Allen, but only excellence from Sarah Walker and Roger Vignoles. They all show thorough understanding of this music, and they convey their understanding with both power when required and discretion, which is always required. I could probably ask for nothing more by way of insight into the soul of the works. Where I find something slightly lacking is at a more mundane level. Apart from a couple of slightly uneasy high notes, Sarah Walker's technical command is assured, and I feel more than a little ungallant in saying crudely that her voice is not quite what is needed for Duparc - it is just slightly ordinary, and her French is not as good as Allen's either. As the recital progressed I longed more and more for Veronique Gens, whose memorable Berlioz Nuits d'Ete came back forcefully into my mind. As for the accompaniment, it calls for the highest praise in its mastery of the idiom and style (which are more varied than you might expect). Vignoles catches the special and elusive atmosphere of this special and elusive composer with genuine and deep insight, and there is real and impressive power in the later sequences of the last song of all. However the shortcomings - slight but in this context very telling - are once again at a more humdrum level. The touch needs to be the last word in the `order, beauty, comfort, peace and pleasure' that Baudelaire himself yearns for in `L'Invitation au Voyage'. In particular the frequent tremolando sequences call for superhuman evenness, and when I ask myself `Who do I want to be doing this?' the answer that comes to me is as much a fantasy as anything in the poems - I want Michelangeli.

For some reason credits are given in the liner to the translators of only three of the poems. I can think of no reason for this discrimination, and all the translations are in my own opinion excellent. I spotted no misprints in either English or French, unless Baudelaire's `ciels', which Lahor and I thought was `cieux', is one of those and not his divine afflatus as I am assuming. The liner-note itself is businesslike and informative, and the recorded quality gives me no grounds for criticism. This is a fine production, and whether or not I have laboured my reservations unduly I recommend it cordially. Perfection was what I had wanted. It is not quite what I have got, but I have got a great deal nonetheless, and it may be a long time before I am given as much again.

Breathtaking.......2002-08-23

The music of Duparc is as intense, layered, complex, and as emotional as the man who wrote it - who in fact, drove himself mad in the process. To convey this music effectively, a journey must be taken by the vocalist and the pianist into rich text and engulfing harmonies, without drowning in over analysis & self indulgence. There is a foreboding sense of secret, or the opening of a private self, and a great vulnerability and tenderness in this music. Here, the vocalists Allen & Walker, present immaculate readings of these 17 works, along with the supreme artisty of Vignoles. These recorded pieces are such exquisite duets between voice and piano that they leave you in rapture. Walker's mellifluous "Extase" with it's Wagnerian, lush accompaniment is impeccable and haunting. Allen opens his soul, along with those of the poet and composer, in "Soupir" - laden with all the angst of unrequited love. Both he and Vignoles transport their listener heavenward on soft stardust in their intimate "Serenade Florentine". This is divinely inspired music. Honest. Unpretentious. Transcendental.

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Kiri Te Kanawa Sings French Songs and Arias Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | 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 | 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 | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | 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 Songs of Henri Duparc Kiri Te Kanawa Sings Verdi and Puccini Arias Debussy - Mélodies / Ameling · Mesplé · Command · Souzay · von Stade · Baldwin ASIN: B0009LNQZG Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

1. Phidyle
2. L'Invitation Au Voyage
3. La Vie Anterieure
4. Le Manoir De Rosemonde
5. Testament
6. Au Pays Ou Se Fait La Guerre
7. Chanson Triste
8. I. Asie
9. II. La Flute Enchantee
10. III. L'Indifferent
11. Depuis Le Jour
12. L'Annee En Vain Chasse L'Annee...Azael! Azael!
13. D'amour L'Ardente Flamme

Average customer rating: Stunning. . . . PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST A world-changing musician CZIFFRA - A Keyboard Phenomenon

Les introuvables de Cziffra Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bourees | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Carl Philipp Emman. Bach | Bach, Carl Philipp Emman. | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music 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 Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Couperin, François | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cziffra, György | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Liszt | Liszt, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Lully | Lully, Jean-Baptiste | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rameau | Rameau, Jean Philippe | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Domenico Scarlatti | Scarlatti, Domenico | ( 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 All Works by Hummel | Hummel, Johann Nepomuk | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Impromptus | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Nocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Liszt: Works For Piano Rendez-vous de Senlis Georges Cziffra Plays Chopin, Liszt & Franck (EMI Classic Archive) Chopin: uvres pour piano Liszt: Transcendental Studies; Mephisto Waltz No. 1 ASIN: B000002SBW Release Date: 2002-08-12

Tracks:

1. La Campanella, Grande Etude De Paganini No. 3
2. Nocturne No. 3 In A Flat Major, Reve D'Amour
3. Mephisto Valse (D'Apres Le Faust De Lenau)
4. Les Jeux D'Eau A La Villa D'Este
5. Valse Oubliee No. 1
6. Rhapsodie Espagnole
7. Valse Impromptu
8. La Ronde Des Lutins, Etude De Concert No. 2
9. Grand Galop Chromatique
10. Apres Une Lecture Du Dante, Fantasie Quasi Sonata (Extrait From 'Les Annees De Pelerinage')

Tracks:

1. Polonaise D'Eugene Oneguine (Tchaikovsky)
2. Rigoletto, Paraphrase De Concert (Verdi)
3. Tarentelle De Bravoure Sur Des Theme De 'La Muette De Portici' (Auber)
4. Valse De Faust (Gounod)
5. Improvisation Sur Les Themes De Guillaume Tell (Rossini)
6. Valse Triste (Vecsey)
7. Tritsch Tratsch Polka (Johann Strauss)
8. Le Beau Danube Bleu, Paraphrase (Johann Strauss)
9. Danse Hongroise No. 5 (Brahms)
10. Fantaisie Roumaine (Improvisation Dans Le Style Tzigane)
11. Le Vol Du Bourdon (Rimsky-Korsakov)

Tracks:

1. Islamey, Fantaisie Orientale
2. Toccata In C Major, Op. 7
3. Andante Et Rondo Capriccioso In E Major, Op. 14
4. Rondo In E Flat Major, Op. 11
5. Polonaise In C Major, Op. 89
6. Rondo A Capriccio In G Major, Op. 129
7. Andantino In B Minor
8. Bourree In E Flat Major
9. Sonata In C Major, K159
10. Le Tic Toc Choc ,Ou Les Maillotins
11. Les Barricades Mysterieuses
12. L'Anguille
13. La Bandoline
14. Les Petits Moulins A Vent
15. Les Folies Francaises Ou Les Dominos
16. La Poule
17. Le Rappel Des Oiseaux
18. Gavotte En Rondeau

Tracks:

1. Variations In C Major, Sur 'God Save The King', WoO 78
2. 12 Variations In A Major, Sur Un Theme Russe (Wranitzky), WoO 71
3. 32 Variations In C Minor, WoO 80
4. Fantaisie In F Minor, Op. 49
5. Book 1 - Variations Sur Un Theme De Paganini, Op. 35
6. Book 2 - Variations Sur Un Theme De Paganini, Op. 35

Tracks:

1. I. Grave - Allegro Molto E Con Brio, Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13
2. II. Adagio Cantabile, Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13
3. III. Rondo, Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13
4. I. Allegro - Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14
5. II. Andante - Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14
6. III. Scherzo -Allegro Assai - Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14
7. I. Andante Con Variazioni - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
8. II. Scherzo (Allegro Molto) - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
9. III. Marcia Funebre (Andante Maestoso) - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
10. IV. Allegro - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
11. I. Andante - Allegro -Allegro Molto Vivace - Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27
12. II. Adagio Con Espressione - Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27
13. III. Allegro Vivace - Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27

Tracks:

1. Preambule Carnaval Op9
2. Pierrot Carnaval Op9
3. Arlequin Carnaval Op9
4. Valse Noble Carnaval Op9
5. Eusebius Carnaval Op9
6. Florestan Carnaval Op9
7. Coquette Carnaval Op9
8. Replique Carnaval Op9
9. Papillons Carnaval Op9
10. A.S.C.H., S.C.H.A., Lettres Dansantes Carnaval Op9
11. Chiarina Carnaval Op9
12. Chopin Carnaval Op9
13. Estrella Carnaval Op9
14. Reconnaissance Carnaval Op9
15. Pantalon Et Colombine Carnaval Op9
16. Valse Allemande - Intermezzo: Paganinni Carnaval Op9
17. Aveu Carnaval Op9
18. Promenade Carnaval Op9
19. Pause Carnaval Op9
20. Danse Des Davidsbundler Contre Les Philistins Carnaval Op9
21. I. Des Abends Fantasiestucke Op12
22. II. Aufschwung Fantasiestucke Op12
23. III. Warum? Fantasiestucke Op12
24. IV. Grillen Fantasiestucke Op12
25. V. In Der Nacht Fantasiestucke Op12
26. VI. Fabel Fantasiestucke Op12
27. VII. Traumeswirren Fantasiestucke Op12
28. VIII. Ende Vom Lied Fantasiestucke Op12
29. I. Allegro - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
30. II. Romanze - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
31. III. Scherzino - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
32. IV. Intermezzo - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
33. V. Final - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26

Tracks:

1. Fantaisie Hongroise In F Major For Piano And Orchestra
2. Totentanz, Paraphrase Sur Le 'Dies Irae' Pour Piano Et Orchestre
3. Variations Symphoniques Pour Piano Et Orchestre
4. I. Allegro Molto Moderato - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16
5. II. Adagio - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16
6. III. Allegro Moderato Molto E Marcato - Andante Maestoso - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16

Tracks:

1. I. Adagio Sostenuto Assai - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
2. II. Allegro Agitato Assai - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
3. III. Allegro Moderato - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
4. IV. Allegro Deciso - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
5. V. Marziale, Un Poco Meno Allegro - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
6. VI. Allegro Animato - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
7. I. Allegro Maestoso - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
8. II. Quasi Adagio - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
9. III. Allegretto Vivace - Allegro Animato - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
10. IV. Allegro Marziale Animato - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
11. I. Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Maestoso - Allegro Con Spirito - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In B Flat Minor, Op. 23
12. II. Andante Semplice - Prestissimo - Tempo 1 - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In B Flat Minor, Op. 23
13. III. Allegro Con Fuoco - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In B Flat Minor, Op. 23

Customer Reviews:

Stunning. . . . .......2007-01-10

I bought this set with some trepidation, since I didn't know what to expect from Cziffra's playing of composers other than Liszt. I had only heard him in his mercurially brilliant Lisztian incarnation, and didn't know how he would do with a less flamboyant style.
I have been very pleasantly surprised, especially at his Beethoven and his Schumann. I found that he kept the spontaneity of his Lisztian interpretations, but channelled it chronologically into insightful and spontaneous Beethoven interpretations, while respecting most of the rules and performance practices of the Classic era.
His Schumann was mercurial and spontaneous in a Romantic fashion, also, and - of course - brilliantly digitally played. As to the Liszt, it's par excellence; I've never heard that music played with such spontaneity and
digital fluency.
The sound quality is surprisingly good, altho somewhat uneven. I highly recommend this set to anyone who loves great piano-playing. My favorite pianist is still Richter, but Cziffra takes first prize in his Liszt, and runs a close second with other composers' music.

PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST.......2006-10-15

The eight discs making up this set are invaluable to anyone interested in this extraordinary musician and pianist. His career was cut tragically short, and while it lasted he was most in demand to display his astounding technique in Liszt. He did it because he could. Not being enormously attracted to Liszt I was slow in coming to know Cziffra, but when I did what struck me forcibly was that the picture I had been given of him was seriously misleading. Any suggestion that he was a wilful virtuoso who turned the standard classics into something of his own is 180 degrees wide of the mark, and this selection enables us to hear what his playing was really like in music ranging from Lully and Couperin to the late 19th century, taking in on the way Rameau, Scarlatti, C P E Bach, Beethoven, Hummel, Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schumann. Liszt is here in the shape of the two concertos, the Totentanz and the Hungarian Fantasy plus some solos, my collection of least favourite romantic concertos is enhanced with his renderings of the Grieg and Tchaikovsky, but relief from these is provided with Franck's symphonic variations. Among the non-Liszt solo pieces we are given a number usually thought to call for exceptional virtuosity, namely Schumann's toccata, Mendelssohn's rondo capriccioso and Brahms's Paganini variations. Balakirev's Islamey is here too, but in a version of Cziffra's own, and so are some of his own virtuoso arrangements including one of the Flight of the Bumblebee as well as four similar efforts from Liszt.

Cziffra himself didn't aid popular comprehension by saying that he couldn't play Beethoven. I already owned his Waldstein, but here we have four more sonatas plus some smaller pieces, all early works. If I have a fault to find with his Waldstein it's that it is rather understated. What I don't fault at all is his sense of Beethoven's idiom, and the only flash of Cziffra's phenomenal technique comes where there can be no objection in the up-and-down octaves near the end. These are normally played glissando, because to finger them in strict time is impossible, allegedly. Even Horowitz can't do that - but Cziffra can. This really sums up his way of doing things - the technique is exercised strictly when needed, and then not in a showy way unless the sense of the music demands that. Try the Mendelssohn rondo here - light-fingered in the main rondo theme, relaxed in the episodes - then hear Serkin on Aura in his 1957 recital in Lugano, high-tension and full-speed-ahead. Serkin brought the audience to its feet, Cziffra is simply enjoying the piece, and very Mendelssohnian he sounds. Or again the Schumann toccata. Richter won raptures from the critics for his handling of the rat-tat fortissimo chords near the end while making no concessions to the tempo. He does that no better than Cziffra, if as well. The difference is that Richter `makes more' of the supposedly virtuoso sequences earlier. Now how about Cziffra's Beethoven here? It is natural, idiomatic and kept within a certain volume-level. There is no showing off let alone messing around. If Cziffra recalls anyone it is Kempff, and these performances would be safe models for teachers. In Schumann it's the same story. Not everyone could play Traumeswirren like this, and here and there the finger-work had me rubbing my eyes, but I keep sensing that Cziffra is not even aware that he's doing anything exceptional. The idiom is dead right, the rubato is natural, the lyricism is spontaneous if less `warm' than some, the sense of the overall structure is effortless - and I could say all that about Chopin's F minor fantasy too.

I can't avoid Liszt, but some comparisons are interesting. This high-powered Totentanz has been rightly praised, but both in this work and in the first concerto I feel that Michelangeli beats Cziffra at what is supposedly Cziffra's own game. I hear Michelangeli as Cziffra's solitary equal as a technician, but in second-rate music like this spontaneity and dexterity are trumped by an above-it-all Olympian aloofness, and Cziffra undoubtedly does not take the ultra-care that Michelangeli takes over perfect evenness of touch, sublime poise in the rhythm and super-perfection in the trills. (In the matter of trills, you can hear what Cziffra can do when he puts his mind to it in the fiendish 4th variation in book 1 of Brahms's Paganinis). In the 2nd concerto Cziffra is the best I have yet heard. In sheer technical address neither he nor anyone surpasses Richter, but where I like Cziffra better is in an aspect of his playing that gets too little attention, namely his natural and unaffected lyricism. In the Hungarian Fantasy, the Liszt solos and the various arrangements I imagine Cziffra is unsurpassed and unsurpassable, not that I propose to research that matter much.

The Grieg and Tchaikovsky concertos are here too. Cziffra adopts moderate tempi in the outer movements of the Grieg as the composer directs. The first movement of the Tchaikovsky is done as I like it, insofar as I like it at all. The introduction is taken fast, rather as Horowitz and Toscanini take it although I miss Toscanini's direction. The last movement however is taken at a very moderate pace, with the excitement saved for the end. Later performances are of some French music. In these pieces, as in the Scarlatti sonata, I wouldn't say that Cziffra stands out particularly - with one telling exception, Couperin's Barricades Mysterieuses, atmospheric and bewitching. Was this what they told you to expect from Cziffra?

He was a natural, a child of the gods. The near-unbelievable technique was an important part of his gift, but what I prize most is his lyric manner - simple, innocent and clear-eyed. His actual touch is not one that you could identify within seconds, as you could identify that of Horowitz, Serkin, Richter or Michelangeli, but it is utterly free from affectation. The better you know him, the more you will love him.

A world-changing musician.......2006-01-30

I've not a lot to add to Alan Thorpe's review except to say that to be young when Cziffra burst upon the world in 1956 after he left Hungary & started playing in western Europe was sheer intoxication--and it wasn't all Liszt either! Like Richter, who appeared at the same time, he played Schumann in a way that opened up entire new fields of tonal & interpretive possibility. I must say, too, that from the start, I admired his Beethoven--I like lyrically played Beethoven! Why shouldn't Beethoven sing as well as growl? He did write some lovely songs, after all. Cziffra's versions of Op.13, Op.14/2 & Op.26 on this set are very satisfying--I just wish they had managed to include a recording of his version of the Waldstein, too.

CZIFFRA - A Keyboard Phenomenon.......2001-05-26

Issued in 1991 by EMI France to celebrate Cziffra's 70th birthday this 8 CD boxed set is a bargain. The first CD is all Liszt and contains some of the most spellbinding playing you are ever likely to hear. Fire and brimstone reign as Cziffra tears up the keyboard in the Dante Sonata's demonic moments; surely a whiff of sulphur as he spontaneously combusts during the Mephisto-Valse; the Rhapsodie espagnole and Grand Galop chromatique {see him sweat playing this on Philip's `Great Pianists of the 20th Century video.}. As a contrast, be seduced by his heart-melting rendering of the third Liebestraume; the caprice of the Valse-Impromptu; and have the waters of `Les Jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este' ever cascaded so onomatopoeically and with such a transcendental variety of touch and nuance. More diablerie follows on disc 2 with transcriptions by Liszt and those {in} famous ones by Cziffra himself. I have never heard a more demonic Gounod/Liszt ` Valse de Faust'; Auber/Liszt `Tarantelle de bravura'; or Tchaikovsky/Liszt Polonaise from `Eugene Onegin'; as for Cziffra's playing of his own transcriptions and paraphrases, especially the Strauss `Tritsch-tratsch polka' and Rimsky-Korsakov `Flight of the Bumble-bee; well, they are in a class of their own. Both Katsaris and Volodos recorded the latter pieces but I'm afraid they cannot compare with Cziffra's sheer electricity and panache. You will now need an ice pack as disc 3 opens with Balakirev's Islamey which starts steadily enough compared to say Simon Barere's famous account {now on APR} but increases in excitement as Cziffra adds all kind of gypsy embellishments as he builds to a fiery conclusion. Excitement is also the key to the next piece; Schumann's Toccata, which Cziffra plays with effortless abandonment and joie de vivre as he also does Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso. Cziffra loved to play Baroque music and the rest of this disc is taken up by mainly short but characterful pieces by Couperin, Lully, Rameau and Krebs. Many were recorded in the 1980s and sound better if played back at a reduced volume level as they were obviously too closely miked. Cziffra once said that he couldn't play Beethoven so preferred to leave it to others who could. He did record a number of sonatas and this selection includes very fine accounts of the `Pathetique'; No. 13 in E flat Op27/1 {companion to the `Moonlight'};and Op. 26 in A flat. He brings a full cantabile to the latter works opening movt. and to the Adagio of the `Pathetique'. Elsewhere he plays with refinement and elegance; everything is in the best possible taste and there is nothing to offend, but those who like their Beethoven a bit more rough and gruff could be a bit disappointed as they might also be with Cziffra's Brahm's Paganini Variations which are technically stunning but find Cziffra musically out of sorts. The Schumann disc finds him on top form. Like many great artists Cziffra loved to play Schumann and he was equally at home with Eusebius { the dreamer} as he was with Florestan { the impetuous side of his character} and this is self evident in his brilliantly characterful accounts of Carnaval, Fantasiestücke, and Carnaval de Vienne - the latter piece highly praised by Cortot after he heard Cziffra during a Paris radio broadcast in the late 1950s. Discs 7 and 8 are all concertante works and show Cziffra at the very height of his stupendous powers. Again Cziffra has his demon up in the most astounding Liszt Totentanz ever recorded; a Hungarian Fantasy with all the improvisational colours of a band of gypsy fiddlers and an ideally recreative performance of the second concerto to make all others sound four-square . To cap this there is a fabulous Grieg concerto in which Cziffra dares to improvise the end of the Lisztian style cadenza; a meltingly beautiful slow movt with an excitingly brilliant finale. Last but certainly not the least, a very poetic reading of Franck's Symphonic Variations and a Tchaikovsky first concerto which combines thrilling virtuosity with all those individual touches that only a genuinely recreative artist can bring to such a familiar masterpiece. This collection is a splendid tribute to one of histories greatest pianists - an artist who knew the authentic meaning of ` bravura'.

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Vent Caliban Manufacturer: Lifeforce ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Small Boy and a Grey Heaven Undying Darkness Shadow Hearts The Split Program, Vol. 2 The Split Program ASIN: B0001Z9384 Release Date: 2003-01-27

Tracks:

1. Entrance
2. Fire of Night
3. Love Taken Away
4. In the Eye of the Storm
5. About Time and Decisions
6. Roots of Pain
7. Happiness in Slavery
8. Tyranny of Small Misery
9. For
10. My Last Beauty
11. New Kind of Freedom
12. Sycamore Dreams
13. Erase the Enemy
14. Exit

International Music:

1. La Bandera: The Flag, Vol. 2
2. Le Monde Musical De Baden Powell [Import]
3. Le Roi De La Bossa Nova [Import]
4. Leny Eversong [Import]
5. Les Annees 1992-1995 [Enhanced] [Import]
6. Les Freres Coulibaly Séniwè
7. Light From Heaven
8. Lineage of Dhrupad [Enhanced]
9. Lost in Qawwali Volume III
10. Madrigal [Import]

International Music

International Music