In London: Arranged & Conducted by Johnny Keating [Import]

Vaughan Williams: Fantasies; The Lark Ascending; Five Variants
Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on Greensleeves; English Folk Song Suite; In the Fen Country; Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5
Elgar: Cello Concerto; Sea Pictures; Cockaigne Overture
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

ASIN: B00004R95R
Release Date: 2000-03-14

Tracks:

Introduction And Allegro, Op.47
I. Allegro Piacevole
II. Larghetto
III. Allegretto - Come Prima
Elegy, Op.58
Sospiri, Op. 70
Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Ralph Vaughan Williams

Customer Reviews:

Fantasia on a Theme-Vaughan Williams.......2007-03-28

This is beautiful. Imagine music to the sun rising, or the view from a mountain top, above the clouds, the sun rising and the grandeur of the vision before you is put to music. This is it.

barbirolli at his best.......2007-03-10

I first heard Elgar's Introduction and Allegro for Strings in a DG recording by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; when I saw this recording in my college library, I thought to myself, "I wonder if Barbirolli can play it better..."

Barbirolli seems to have Midas' touch with British orchestral music - and this repertoire brings out some of his best qualities (namely the string playing). The London Sinfonia is just as good as any chamber orchestra out there (including their fellow countrymen, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields), and overall this is a wonderful performance. Both Vaughan Williams pieces are especially refreshing - especially the Thomas Tallis Fantasia.

Wonderful!.......2007-01-11

This CD is a must have if you are an Elgar and Vaughan Williams fan, particularly the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, which is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. This particular 1966 recording with the Sinfonia of London, Allegri String Quartet and the New Philharmonia Orc. under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli is unsurpassed and Wonderful.

Still the best after 40 years!.......2006-10-29

I can't believe that it is nearly 40 years since I first bought this record on LP!
I was a teenager and it was a revelation. I have never been without it and it has been one of my favorite discs ever since.

The newer CD has some extra music from the LP and the new transfer is even better than before.

I had the pleasure of seeing and listening to Barbirolli talk about music when I was at school and I feel that his achievements sometimes are relatively neglected. This disc though should dispel any doubts that he was a great conductor of English music. (Of course he was "glorious" in other composers too)!

If you have just one disc of English String Music - get this disc - you won't regret it!

Barbirolli at his most warm-hearted and passionate.......2006-07-12

In some ways the greatness of Sir John Barbirolli was masked by his devotion to the Halle Orchestra, an ensemble that was in a shambles when he arrived in WW II and was raised to the level of pretty decent. Despite their love affair, the Halle wasn't worthy of Barbirolli's talents, and on the rare occasions when he recorded with other orhestras--especially his late-life engagements in Berlin--the veil dropped away.

That's certainly true in this transcendent recording of string music by Elgar and Vaughan Williams, which features the rich sound of a group I associate only with this CD, the City of London Sinfonia. They are very able musicians, and when joined by the highly expressive Allegri Qt. for Elgar's Introduction and Allegro, the results are superlative. EMI's remastering has removed hints of glare and edginess in the upper registers, allowing Barbirolli's uniquely passionate conducting to shine through. This is very warm-hearted, often measured musicmaking, at times almost too itense and breathless in the Tallis Fantasia. But it's undeniably great, and I've listened to it with deep admiration for forty years.

Average customer rating:

A Great First Buy on Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Vaughan Williams' wonderful music at last...
Previn & Vaughan Williams: An Excellent Coupling
Can't get any better
Comprehensive and Impressive Collection

Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Sibelius: The 7 Symphonies; Finlandia; Kullervo; etc.
Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works
Ludwig van Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies - Arturo Toscanini / NBC Symphony Orchestra
Dvorák: The Symphonies
Kurt Atterberg: The Symphonies (Box Set)

ASIN: B00011MK74
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Tracks:

A Song For All Seas, All Ships - Andante Maestoso - London Symphony Chorus
On The Beach At Night, Alone - Largo Sostenuto - London Symphony Chorus
Scherzo: The Waves - Allegro Brillante - London Symphony
The Explorers - Grave E Molto Adagio - London Symphony Chorus

Tracks:

Lento: Allegro Risoluto
Lento
Scherzo (Nocturne)
Andante Con Moto; Maestoso Alla Marcia; Allegro; Lento; Epilogue
Allegro Pesante - James Oliver Buswell IV
Adagio - James Oliver Buswell IV
Presto - James Oliver Buswell IV
Overture

Tracks:

Molto Moderato - Douglas Cummings
Lento Moderato - Douglas Cummings
Moderato Pesante - Douglas Cummings
Lento - Douglas Cummings
Allegro
Andante Moderato
Scherzo: Allegro Molto
Finale Con Epilogo Fugato: Allegro Molto

Tracks:

Preludio: Moderato
Scherzo: Prestso
Romanza: Lento
Passacaglia: Moderato
Explorer
Poet
Queen
Allegro Moderato - John Fletcher
Romanza: Andante Sostenuto - John Fletcher
Finale: Rondo Alla Tedesca - John Fletcher

Tracks:

Allegro
Moderato
Scherzo: Allegro Vivace
Epilogue: Moderato
Moderato Maestoso
Andante Sostenuto
Scherzo: Allegro Pesante
Andante Tranquillo

Tracks:

Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Prelude: Andante Maestoso - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Scherzo: Moderato; Poco Animato - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Landscape: Lento - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Intermezzo: Andante Sostenuto - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Epilogue: Alla Marcia Moderato (Ma Non Troppo) - The Ambrosian Singers
Fantasia (Variazioni Senza Tema)
Scherzo Alla Marcia (Per Stromenti A Fiato)
Cavatina (Per Stromenti Ad Arco)
Toccata

Customer Reviews:

A Great First Buy on Ralph Vaughan Williams........2007-06-05

Up until recently, I was only vaguely familiar with the music of British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. After reading the reviews and noticing the lower than usual price for this set, I thought I'd give it a listen. I'm definitely glad I did as this is some very beautiful music indeed.
All nine of Vaughan William's symphonies are included here along with four bonus pieces, the Concerto Accademico for Violin, the Bass Tuba Concerto, "Three Portraits from the England of Elizabeth" and the overture for the stage play "The Wasps".
Conductor Andre Previn definitely brings these works to life in a mighty way. The "Sea Symphony" is a real standout with its beautiful choral arrangements and orchestrations. Other standouts are the "Pastoral" third symphony and the dramatic Stravinsky-esque fourth symphony.
Indeed, all of the music here is something special and I'm very satisfied to have this set as my introduction to the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Like other reviewers have stated here, this is definitely a must-have collection and I can't think of a better way to start a Vaughan Williams library than with this.

A small footnote: After listening to the first movement of "A Sea Symphony", it may be quite possible that John Lennon sampled a small section of it for "Revolution 9" on the Beatles' White Album. The section in question occurs roughly 12 minutes into the first movement. It's very brief but it immediately stuck out once it was heard.

Vaughan Williams' wonderful music at last..........2007-04-21

Ralph Vaughan Williams was in my opinion one of the very greatest composers of music. Never content with what he had just written, but nevertheless staunch in his principles, over his lifetime he created a series of amazingly vital and original pieces. I could write many pages about these works, so will just say a little about my favorite of all, the incredible Symphony No 8 in D minor. Written at the extraordinary age of 86, the sheer musical inventiveness of this truly unbelievable piece is without equal and I include here all the "great" classical composers such as Beethoven, Brahms and the like. The first movement "Variations in search of a theme" is serious, thought-provoking and modern, yet unmistakably RVW. Its one of the most original first movements ever written ( owing nothing whatsoever to the classical tradition) and though asking more questions than it answers, is a movement even if you have never listened to any of RVWs music before demands attention and absolutely requires you to listen more. The second movement "Cavatina" is one of the most ghostly-beautiful slow movements ever written. The only thing I can really compare it with is RVWs own "The Lark Ascending" though for me this is a far more complex and challenging piece. I have listened to Barber's famous " Adagio for Strings", written at about the same time as this,and for me, this is an even greater and more moving piece - well Barber hadn't written the so-called "Pastoral" Symphony for practice had he ? The third movement is a typically gruff RVW scherzo. I can just see the old geezer galumphing round his garden complaining about his musicians, modern taxation, life in general... It's really funny and whenever can you say that of Mozart, Beethoven , Brahms and company...?The fourth movement is is ...how on earth do you describe this absolutely extraordinary finale. Part village band, part religious apotheosis, this is music truly not of the everyday earth which we inhabit, but something much more glorious, more astonishing... In this movement RVW uses just about every musical instrument known to man - he must have had enormous fun composing it... but the first entry of the celeste is the moment you all need to listen for.

André Previn has chosen some of the very finest of RVWs works to record on this set and for me this is his greatest testament as a conductor. His sheer (and somewhat amazing in itself as a jazz musician) love for RVWs music comes out tops here. A great recording and an absolutely tremendous bargain.

Previn & Vaughan Williams: An Excellent Coupling.......2007-01-10

I have some of these recordings on RCA Red Seal LPs from the late 1960's. I think it is one the best of three symphony cycles in my possession. The other two are Colin Davis/Sibelius and Herbert Blomstedt/Nielsen. Some of my RVW LPs are Adrian Boult and some are Andre Previn. I prefer Previn. Previn really digs into this music. My three favorites: #2 (London), #3 (Pastoral) and #5. It gives me goose bumps being able to listen to them without rice krispies in the background. Kudos to RCA for re-releasing these gems.

Can't get any better.......2004-07-19

If you've ever thought of getting all of the RVW symphonies but haven't, because of cost or what not, there are no more excuses. This is the best set ever. Previn and the LSO had a magical relationship 30 years ago, and no one has ever done these symphonies better. If you find some of them tough nuts to crack, don't worry; RVW isn't easy music, but it is well worth it. It's not supposed to be simple. The only caveat: analog sound. Now RCA was capable of great sound in the 1970's, and the sound is frankly better than the newer RCA series with Slatkin. But if superb digital sound is paramount, you won't go wrong with Handley's set with Liverpool. It's another top notch cycle. Still, I rate Previn tops in this music. RCA is to be commended for releasing this set, as well as the others in the series...check them out!

Comprehensive and Impressive Collection.......2004-04-07

Listen to the bold beginning of Ralph Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony, and you've captured the essence of VW at his best. This is the first of 9 symphonies by a composer who is surely England's greatest Symphonist. His essays in the form span the first half of the twentieth century, but include few of its radical elements. Vaughan Williams was a traditionalist throughout, and surely it was that conservative outlook that drew him to the symphonic form in the first place.

Listening to his second symphony, A London Symphony, one hears typical Vaughan Williams-almost entirely melodic in its conception, with lots of diatonic, modal or pentatonic writing, and a touch of chromatic harmony to flavour the melody. It's beautiful, and the music spans a wide emotional gamut from intense introspection to joyous celebration. Only in the 4th Symphony does VW really open himself to a more contrapuntal and dissonant style, and the consequence is that the composition becomes quite reminiscent of Prokofiev or Schostakovich, the two other great Symphonists of the time. Following the 5th Symphony, however, I feel that VW's artistic output suffers. The later pieces, with the exception of the 7th Symphony, Sinfonia Antarctica-based on music he'd composed for the film Scott of the Antarctic--lack the vigor and excitement of the earlier works. They're more introspective, perhaps as befits an older composer, but they don't speak to me as strongly as, say, the later symphonies of Mahler or Schostakovich. Perhaps it is that VW was resistant to change in his basic musical outlook, but by the 1950's, the diatonic/pentatonic ideas he frequented had become increasingly irrelevant. That VW was brilliant and a master craftsman is unquestionable, but he seemed to need new fuel for his compositional fires and was unwilling to consider the atonality of Schoenberg and his followers, the rhythmic vitality of Stravinsky and Bartok, or even the orchestral colours and dramatic juxtapositions of Gustav Mahler. There are still many moments of brilliance, but as a whole the later works move me less.

All of the performances by Andre Previn and the London symphony Orchestra are superb-no one plays this music better. With 9 Symphonies and four other orchestral works-the Concerto Accademico, the Tuba Concerto, the Wasps Overture, and Three Portraits from The England of Elisabeth-this collection is packed with value, and I can scarcely do it justice in the limited room I have. While the Concerto Accademico seems aptly titled and not terribly engaging, the Three Portraits are a gem of VW's work for television. Its worth the price for the first two symphonies and the Sinfonia Antarctica alone, everything else is just gravy--or perhaps I should say, baked beans on toast! All in all, a terrific deal.

Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works
Average customer rating:

Inspiring, noble, and also relaxing!

Beautiful Music

I love this composer

Balanced & Refined English Folk Song Adaptations

A great CD

Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5

Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies

Vaughan Williams: Fantasies; The Lark Ascending; Five Variants

Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on Greensleeves; English Folk Song Suite; In the Fen Country; Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1

Vaughan Williams - Serenade to Music · Five Mystical Songs · Fantasia on Christmas Carols · Flos Campi / Sixtieen Soloists · Thomas Allen · Nobuko Imai · Corydon Singers · ECO · Matthew Best

ASIN: B00000IX81
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

Fantasia on Greensleeves
English Folk Song Suite: I. March: Seventeen come Sunday
English Folk Song Suite: II. Intermezzo: My bonny boy
English Folk Song Suite: III. March: Folk songs from Somerset
Oboe Concerto: I. Rondo pastorale
Oboe Concerto: II. Minuet and musette
Oboe Concerto: III. Finale
Concerto Grosso: I. Intrada
Concerto Grosso: II. Burlesca ostinata
Concerto Grosso: III. Sarabande
Concerto Grosso: IV. Scherzo
Concerto Grosso: V. March and Reprise
Romance (for Harmonica, Strings & Piano)
The Lark Ascending (for Violin And Orchestra)

Tracks:

Five Variants of 'Dives and Lazarus'
Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1
Partita For Double String Orchestra: I. Prelude: Andante tranquillo
Partita For Double String Orchestra: II. Scherzo ostinato: Presto
Partita For Double String Orchestra: III. Intermezzo (Homage To Henry Hall)
Partita For Double String Orchestra: IV. Fantasia: Allegro
In the Fen Country
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring, noble, and also relaxing!.......2007-06-15

Hi. I am familiar with a lot of classical music. However, I knew little about the oeuvre of Vaughan Williams. What a great find! Getting so much of his instrumental work is truly a bargain. He evokes the English countryside and folk traditions very effectively. "The Lark Ascending" is relaxing while also being a virtuoso piece of work. Makes me wonder if J.R.R. Tolkien, with his love for rural England, ever attended a concert by Vaughan Williams...

Highly recommended! :)

Beautiful Music.......2007-01-29

Each piece on this CD is wonderful to listen to. My 2 year old daughter takes her nap everyday with this CD playing softly in the background. This CD is a great deal as it includes 2 CD's including Vaughan Williams: Fantasies; the Lark Ascending; Five Variants. Which is also a wonderful CD, we got it for 2 friends at our church. But better to get this CD with 2 CD's for the price of one. My favorite is Fanatasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis!

I love this composer.......2006-03-17

While not all his works are to my taste, his pastoral ones are so gorgeous that you don't really care that the more boisterous ones are wanting.

Balanced & Refined English Folk Song Adaptations.......2005-02-04

Vaughan Williams is certainly one of the consummate English composers who took the folk song of his country and compsed delightful orchestra works around them.

This budget worthy 2-CD set displays this in two parts, the first performed by the Acadamey of St.Martin in-the-Fields while the second disc features more period instruments with the New Queen's Hall Orchestra and the London Philharmonic.

Celia Nicklin is superb with the Oboe Concerto nusancing this pastoral yet lively offering. Iona Brown likewise contributes a fine solo violin performance with "The Lark Ascending"

The strings also provide a strong offering on the "Tallis Fantasia", one of his strongest compositions on this selection.

Excellent example of this prominent English composer's love with folk song interpretation, in this recording done passionately and naturally.

A great CD.......2004-02-10

English Folk Song Suit is one of my favorite pieces ever! I first heard the song when I played it in Windensambe. It's an exciting piece to play and to listen to. I would recommend this Cd to anyone with an intrest in great music.

Average customer rating:

Altogether Wonderful
The Best
Musical bliss

String Serenades

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses; Concert Music for Strings and Brass; Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin - Suite
Dvorak: Serenades Op. 22 & 44
Suk: Summer Tale / Fantastic Scherzo - Charles Mackerras / Czech Philharmonic
Scandinavian String Music
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings

ASIN: B00004LCB1
Release Date: 2000-06-27

Tracks:

Ser Op.48: Pezzo In Forma Di Sonatina: Andante Non Troppo - Allegro Moderato
Ser Op.48: Waltz: Moderato, Tempo Di Valse
Ser Op.48: Elegie: Larghetto Elegiaco
Ser Op.48: Finale: Tema Russo: Andante - Allegro Con Spirito
Ser in E, Op.22: Moderato
Ser in E, Op.22: Tempo Di Valse
Ser in E, Op.22: Scherzo: Vivace
Ser in E, Op.22: Larghetto
Ser in E, Op.22: Finale: Allegro Vivace - Moderato - Presto
Intro & Allegro Op.47
Ser in e, Op.20: I. Allegro Piacevole
Ser in e, Op.20: II. Larhetto
Ser in e, Op.20: III. Allegretto

Tracks:

The Lark Ascending, Romance
Fant On 'Greensleeves'
Fant On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
Ser Op.8: Andante Con Moto
Ser Op.8: Allegro Ma Non Troppo E Grazioso
Ser Op.8: Adagio
Ser Op.8: Allegro Giocoso, Ma Non Troppo Presto

Customer Reviews:

Altogether Wonderful.......2005-12-25

I like this cd.

Tchaikovsky's Serenade had some tempi I hadn't been used to, especially in the first movement, but the orchestra made just as wonderful a recording.

Dvorak's Serenade is my favorite among the four, and this recording is great. The orchestra is never too harsh, especially in the second, and fourth movements.

Introduction and Allegro is an interesting piece. I love how full the sound is. Some recordings feature smaller orchestras, and the sound is not as big and lush. As for Elgar's Serenade, it was played precisely. Besides that, i don't have much to say about it.

The Lark Ascending on this cd is a good version, maybe not the best, but there are certainly many ups about it. The violinist is very playful and does a good job of portraying the little bird. I don't listen to Fantasia on "Greensleeves" much. I don't know why. I can't say much about it, but they certainly do a good job of making it sound "English", for that matter. The Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is fine. I wouldn't choose this version though. The piece just didn't sweep me up, especially during the climax.

Suk's Serenade is a fun piece to listen to. The piece never gets boring, perhaps due to the actual composition but also with help from the orchestra.

Get this cd if you want a collective, but good picture of the String Serenades out there. I would recommend it.

The Best.......2003-01-26

The music and the musicians of this CD are the of greatest quality. I do not think that many words are necessary, but I must say that this is by far one of my favorite CDs. If you are unsure about classical music or dyed in the wool listener, or a musician, I would recommend this by all means. Even as a musician who has played several of these serenades and heard them many times, I do not tire of hearing them. Coupled with the great sound of the London Chamber orchestra this album is a rare jewel.

Musical bliss.......2000-08-13

I attended a concert in which the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, known better for their Mozart music, performed the Serenade for strings by Dvorak. It is an excellent piece. The Larghetto, the slowest movement in the serenade, is a fine work. It is slow and nearly an adagio for strings, with a serious and meditative tone. The scherzo, like the measure, is a rollicking and bouncy bit of music, with skipping strings and bouncing notes. The scherzos of Mendelsshon I particularily enjoy. Dvorak is'nt exactly like Mendelsshon when it comes to the scherzo form, but he is can alternate from grave to joyous tones.

Jacqueline du Pre: Haydn - Cello Concertos Nos.1 & 2; Boccherini - Cello Concerto

Average customer rating:

Great century classics of du Pre at budget price
Classic Du Pre, Unnecessary Release

Jacqueline du Pre: Haydn - Cello Concertos Nos.1 & 2; Boccherini - Cello Concerto

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Lalo, Saint-Saëns: Cello Concertos
Haydn: Cello Concertos
Brahms: Cello Sonatas
Strauss: Don Quixote; Schumann: Cello Concerto / Rostropovich, Karajan, et al
Dvorak & Saint-Saens: Cello Concertos

ASIN: B00005LMLC
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Cello Concerto No. 1 In C, Hob. VIIb : 1: I. Moderato - Cadenza
Cello Concerto No. 1 In C, Hob. VIIb : 1: II. Adagio - Cadenza
Cello Concerto No. 1 In C, Hob. VIIb : 1: III. Allegro Molto
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D, Hob. VIIb : 2: I. Allegro Moderato
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D, Hob. VIIb : 2: II. Adagio
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D, Hob. VIIb : 2: III. Rondo (Allegro)
Cello Concerto In B Flat: I. Allegro Moderato - Cadenza
Cello Concerto In B Flat: II. Adagio Non Troppo
Cello Concerto In B Flat: III. Rondo (Allegro) - Cadenza

Customer Reviews:

Great century classics of du Pre at budget price.......2004-05-27

EMI Classics releases this mid-line "Great Recordings of the Century" compilation that samples cello concertos of Haydn and Boccherini. Cellist Jacqueline du Pre passed at the summit of her career but no doubt this compilation, which is once again a miniature and a re-release of works that are already available in numerous CDs, confirms her place in the pantheon of cellists.

This compilation consists of Cello Concerto No.1 in C and Cello Concerto No.2 in D by Haydn, and Cello Concerto in B flat by Boccherini. Once again it recapitulates du Pre's agile, oracular power of communication. The famous 1967 recordings of these concertos still may raise eyebrows amongst today's authentic performance hall. Even though these three pieces may be available from previous full-price releases, it is doubtful whether these selections have ever been mastered on disc with such immaculate, passionate intensity, which is the reason why I decide to get this compilation.

The Haydn C major, under du Pre's rendition, truly accentuates its formal elegance and economy and its fresh, spirited thematic ideas. Few cellists could even compete with her phenomenal dexterity of fingers and bowing wrist which manifested in the delicacy of the nuance. Each of the three movements of the C major is in full sonata form. The imposing but asymmetrical main theme dominates the first movement. Du Pre takes up and richly embellishes the principal theme. The mid development culminates in a powerful ritornello that pulls the music back to C major for the recapitulation.

The Haydn D major is in complete contrariety to the C major. It is a far more relaxed, leisure, and expansive work than its predecessor, with each note being unfolded leisurely. The opening theme of the D major sets the tone while a secondary theme in the orchestral ritornello is executed in a decorous manner. The development is discursive with little of Haydn's signature harmonic tension. This piece lacks the romantic, bold tone in C major that carries the musical line forward in an exhilarating presence.

As many listeners have known, a German composer and cellist by the name of Friedrich Grützmacher in 1895 did a major overhaul of Bocherini's Cello Concerto in B flat, giving it a romantic quality Boccherini never would have known. The most outrageous arrangement was the replacement of the slow movement with a more bold, intense adagio movement that lends the piece's romantic touch. And again du Pre's rendition is immaculate.

This is a budget-priced CD with a sampling of some of du Pre's greatest performances that are probably unmatched even by today's standards.

2004 (35) © MY

Classic Du Pre, Unnecessary Release.......2003-07-17

This CD confirms the great cellist Jacqueline Du Pre in a place of well deserved honor -- in the elite company of the world's best classical performers and conductors as featured in EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" series. The problem is everyone already knew she was great and we have all had access to these recordings previously on CD. However, this mid-line title does make for a much better release than the still available full-price CD coupling one of the two Haydn Cello Concertos featured here with her recording of the Dvorak with then hubby Barenboim. However, the best way to get these magnificent works is in one of several larger EMI collections of Du Pre playing Cello Concertos -- my favorite being the 4-CD "The Concerto Collection." Du Pre's artistry is so incredible that it makes any and all purchases worth it.

Lark Ascending - The Soft Sounds of Vaughan Williams (2 CDs) (London)

Average customer rating:

One of those Collection CDs that Merits Adding to the Library!
Beautiful!
Beautiful Selections
Good if not for the oboe...
I am so glad I bought this album!

Lark Ascending - The Soft Sounds of Vaughan Williams (2 CDs) (London)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on Greensleeves; English Folk Song Suite; In the Fen Country; Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1

ASIN: B0000042HD
Release Date: 1997-04-15

Tracks:

The Lark Ascending
Fantasia On Greensleeves
Oboe Concerto: Rondo pastorale
Oboe Concerto: Minuet And Musette
'London' Symphony No. 2 - Lento
Concerto Grosso: Concerto Grosso - Sarabande
English Folk Song Suite
Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis

Customer Reviews:

One of those Collection CDs that Merits Adding to the Library!.......2006-09-24

Often pasted together excerpts on the basis of a theme or a specific artist can be annoyingly disjointed. This is an exception to that rule. While many people appreciate the majestic symphonies by Ralph Vaughn Williams, there is a larger audience waiting to be introduced to one f the masters of British melody. Here is a selection of some of the more moody but eloquent works by a great composer too often dismissed.

The CD collection of 'Soft Sounds' is divided among several groups. Works on the collection include performances from the New Queen's Hall Orchestra (Barry Wordsworth, conductor), Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (Sir Neville Marriner, conductor), and the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Sir Adrian Boult, conducing). These fine orchestras survey 'The Lark Ascending, romance for violin & orchestra' with a sensitive Hagai Shaham as soloist, 'Fantasia on Greensleeves, for harp, flute & strings', the Oboe Concerto in A minor' with Celia Nicklin soloist, the 'Lento' from 'The London Symphony', the 'Concerto grosso for strings' (Sarabande), 'English Folk Song Suite', and the much loved 'Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, for 2 string orchestras'.

There are no attempts to connect these works except through the concept of 'soft music' and there are individually finer performances of some on other recordings. But for a soothing, tranquil hour of gorgeous music to tame the savage world, this is one of those CDs that will serve the listener well - and hopefully increase Vaughn Williams' audience! Grady Harp, September 06

Beautiful!.......2004-02-19

"The Lark Ascending" is one of my all-time favorite pieces, and I must say that Ralph Vaughan Williams is amazing after listening to this CD. "Fantasia on Greensleeves" blew me away.

Wonderful music.

Elizabeth

Beautiful Selections.......2002-03-22

I'm a Vaughan Williams enthusist and I find that this CD has many (not all, of course) of the soft and beautiful orchestral works of Mr. Williams. The quality is excellent. "Fant on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" is one of my favorite pieces of work by Williams, however, I didn't like Mr. Wordsworth's interpretation of this piece (in my opinion, the best interpretation is by Leonard Slatkin, which I suggest you buy). All in all, this is a very good CD and I highly recommand it.

Good if not for the oboe..........2001-03-19

This recording features wonderful renditions of many of Vaughan Williams' most heralded compositions. The Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is one of the best I've heard, as are most of the other pieces on this CD. However, the (incomplete) Oboe Concerto is of mediocre quality. Being an oboist, I am naturally critical of oboe playing, but I must say that at times even an untrained ear can discern the utter lack of taste that went in to playing the wonderful concerto, which I much enjoy playing myself. A good CD to help people come to love Vaughan Williams, but don't buy it for the Oboe Concerto - you'll be wasting your money.

I am so glad I bought this album!.......2000-11-04

I bought this album because it had two pieces I acutally knew the names of (Lark Ascending & Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis) and adored, never thinking I would also come to love the other pieces. Well I did and now am on a search to find more good works by Vaughan Williams! This is one of my most played cds and still gives me shivers with each listen :-)

The Complete Gilbert & Sullivan (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Don't underestimate those "unknown" Operettas!!
A few details
Wonderful set, if a little inconsistent at times.

The Complete Gilbert & Sullivan (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

The Complete Annotated Gilbert & Sullivan
Gilbert & Sullivan - H.M.S. Pinafore / Trial By Jury - David Hobson, Anthony Warlow, Colette Mann, Tiffany Speight, John Bolton Wood, Richard Alexander, Opera Australia, State Theatre, The Arts Centre Melbourne
Gilbert & Sullivan - Operettas / Pro Arte Orchestra · Sir Malcolm Sargent
Operas of Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert & Sullivan - Master Collection (Opera World)

ASIN: B00008LJEO
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Customer Reviews:

Don't underestimate those "unknown" Operettas!!.......2005-07-07

This is, as far as I know - the only way of buying the "official" recordings of "The Grand Duke" and "Utopia" - which seem to be otherwise out of print!! Several of the others are not that easy to get either.

In any case - most people getting this set will already have the Mikado, and very probably Pirates and Pinafore for that matter, so you're really getting it for the others.

So just for the record - someone has to say this!

The Mikado is (of course) a wonderful piece, but it enjoys its long running status as the most successful of all the G&S operettas very largely for "extra-musical" reasons. It is visually so wonderful, with all those great authentic costumes, and the whole idea of satirising English institutions by pretending they are Japanese is of course brilliantly funny.

Again, Pirates and Pinafore enjoy a lot of their acclaim simply because we have heard them so often. And at least part of the initial success of these (admittedly very funny and entertaining) pieces was the vogue for "nautical drama" on the popular Victorian stage.

Iolanthe, Ruddigore, and Yoemen are all MUCH stronger musically than any of what another reviewer here keeps calling the "trilogy". Patience, Princess Ida, and the Gondoliers all excel either "nautical" operetta, at least musically, although not, perhaps, the Mikado. And I have had a lot of fun listening to my recording of the Sorcerer - although I think most at least of the other G&S operettas are even more interesting.

As for "Trial by Jury" it is really another thing altogether - but in its kind the most perfect thing either Gilbert or Sullivan had anything to do with!

This leaves Utopia and the Grand Duke.

Both of these were produced after the long running friendship between G&S had soured, and they have been sadly neglected ever since. Utopia is none the less both musically beautiful and very funny, and well worth taking an effort to come to grips with. The main point of the satire (which many commentators and reviewers seem to miss) is the way that the English language and British (especially English) institutions were being adopted, often rather uncritically, by countries around the world (most, but not all, of them members of the British Empire, of course). India is perhaps the country Gilbert had most in mind, but you could set it in any of a dozen other countries. The residual problems this has left in the post-colonial world ensure that this work is still far from dated. In some ways this operetta is about globalisation! What could possibly be LESS dated than that!

The Grand Duke, on the other hand, is a bit of an odd man out - I suppose you still have to say it is the weakest of all the G&S efforts. It's the ONLY one that didn't score a very respectable run on its first outing. Surprisingly, however, if an attempt is made to duplicate the musical and (especially) dialogue cuts that G&S would have done themselves if they had not by this time been at each other's throats all the time, a very entertaining piece can be made of it. I was very agreeably surprised by the Ohio Light Opera recording, which does just that - and I am coming round to the idea that the only thing really wrong with the Duke is that it is too long.

ANYWAY:

For all people (especially callow youth) who remain convinced that G&S only wrote three operettas worth listening to - all I can say is, buy this set, and give the lesser known ones a chance. Make sure you have a libretto in your hands as you listen, of course. It may even just need a single hearing in some cases, but otherwise, be patient. In the meantime, you really cannot have any conception of what you are missing.

A few details.......2004-03-28

This 24-CD album consists of 12 plastic cases, each with a thin booklet giving background and plot summaries for the works on its 2 enclosed CD's. Most of the album consists of 15 operettas, 2 of which (Cox and Box, The Zoo) have texts not by Gilbert and 7 of which (The Sorcerer, Princess Ida, The Mikado, Ruddigore, Yeomen of the Guard, Utopia Limited, The Grand Duke) omit most of the spoken dialogue. Before listening to any of these operettas that you don't know well, you'll want to obtain a copy of its text so you can read along and not miss any of the words or the wit.

Wonderful set, if a little inconsistent at times........2003-07-07

If you thought that the Sargent set of G&S opera recordings was gargantum enough, then this D'Oyly Carte cycle is even more gargantum. Although it is more expensive (because of the four extra operas that the Sargent cycle did not include), this complete 24-CD set is like a joy to behold. There is a debate as to whether this is better than the Sargent cycle, but I like to think that this is a delight from first disc to last, because of the idiomatic sense of polish that these recordings seem to have, and are given a life that makes them able to breathe well. This is all thanks to Isidore Godfrey and Royston Nash's conducting. I know that the performances may not be entirely consistent (this is evident when you compare the performance and recording quality of Mikado and Pirates with those of Gondoliers and Pinafore), but this is only a matter of personal preference. The 1960s performances were given more sumptuous and well-detailed recordings than the 1970s recordings, made when the performing style was not so fresh. But anyway, I still think that this is definitely a good buy for anyone who loves G&S. Even with the consistency of Sargent's cheaper EMI set, I would still say: do go ahead to invest in the set because of the liveliness and style in this complete G&S cycle that Sargent never (hardly ever) tackles. The only thing is: I would also like to suggest complementing it with the 1957 Decca D'Oyly Carte recordings of Mikado and Pirates, recently released by the Sounds on CD label, so that these recordings can do justice to the enormous spirit of these operas.

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