Consecration

Track Listings

1. Change My Heart, Oh God

2. Use Me

3. Come Holy Spirit

4. I Need You More

5. Lord, Be Glorified

6. We Are an Offering

7. Spirit of the Living God

8. I Will Serve Thee

9. Open Our Eyes, Lord

10. I Will Praise Thee

11. I Need Thee Every Hour

12. Power of Your Love

Tracks:

Overtures: Coriolano, Op.62
Overtures: Egmont, Op.84
Overtures: King Stephen, Op.117
Overtures: The Creatures of Prometheus, Op.43
Overtures: Leonore No. 1, Op.138
Overtures: Leonore No. 2, Op.72a
Overtures: Leonore No. 3, Op.72b
Overtures: The Consecration of the House, Op.124

Tracks:

Overtures: Fidelio Overture, Op.72c
Overtures: Overture in C, Op.115 (Nameday)
Overtures: (The Ruins of Athens Overture), Op.113
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 1
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 2
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 3
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 4
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 5
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 6
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 7
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 8
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 9
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 10
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 11
Twelve Minuets, WoO 7: No. 12
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 1
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 2
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 3
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 4
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 5
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 6
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 7
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 8
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 9
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 10
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 11
Twelve German Dances, WoO 8: No. 12
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 1
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 2
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 3
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 4
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 5
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 6
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 7
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 8
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 9
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 10
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 11
Twelve Contredanses, WoO 14: No. 12

Customer Reviews:

All of Beethoven's Orchestral Overtures: A Great Collection.......2005-09-24

Once again, the Phillips Label has released another great collection of classical music for any devotee. This is the complete collection of Beethoven's overtures. In truth, and technically speaking, there is only one true overture on this recording- the Overtures to Leonore/Fidelio, Beethoven's only opera. The rest, while still dubbed "overtures" by musicologists, remain in the "incidental music" department. They are brilliantly performed by the expert orchestra of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany, the oldest orchestra in the world and one of the finest in Europe. The principal conductor in this 2 disc recording is Kurt Masur, though the final tracks are courtly dances- German Dances and Contredanses, in a kind of homage to Mozart, and are performed by The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields conducted by the virtuoso Neville Marriner.

The Coriolan Overture is an appropriate opening track, with its compelling orchestral fortissimi and romantic style. It is followed by the Egmont Overture, and this is pure Beethovenesque romanticism. The King Stephen Overture tops off these incidental musical scores, which Beethoven had annotated with a particular story or idea. To Beethoven, music was poetry/drama, his theories foreshadowed the later Wagner who would write that "Poetry is the reason for music and drama is the reason for both." Theese are all superb pieces of music, and any true fan of Beethoven should own these along with his 9 symphonies. The other "program" overtures include Ruins of Athens, which even contains chorus, Name-Day Celebration Overture and Consecration of the House, which was a commission given to Beethoven for music for the social event of the opening of a new theater, a theater which still stands intact in Austria.

While Kurt Masur is brilliant, he finds that he has an equal in the other featured conductor Sir Neville Marriner, who just happens to be the more famous of the two. Marriner conducted his Academy of St Martin in the Fields for the soundtrack to the 1984 film Amadeus, about the life of Mozart. Marriner has long been associated with conducting Classical and Baroque repertoire, keeping faithful to the original scores. The German Dances are jubilant and a pleasure to hear as are the Contredances, both which number 12 in total. This is a great recording to add to your Beethoven collection. I highly recommend it.

Great bargain, OK performances --- but there are better.......2005-06-12

Until recently, I believe Masur's cycle has been the only commercially available collection of the overtures, so it has (by default) been the standard. A number of people would consider this to be the definitive collection, but I think serious consideration has to be given to Zinman's new release of the complete overtures with the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich, which takes a significantly different approach to the overtures.

Is the performance Masur and the Leipzig Gewandhaus great and definitive? Certainly the orchestra sounds typically lush throughout, but the overtures at times seem ponderous & almost soggy. The rather arch quality of the brass section can really detract from the overall performance at times, and who really can ignore the appallingly out of tune winds section in the 2nd Leonore? The performances are generally good but they only occasionally approach greatness.

Marriner & the ASMF turn in an outstanding performance, but I don't think anyone is buying this collection for the Minuets, German Dances, and Contradances, which are expertly rendered, Haydnesque tunes, but which are hardly an example of Beethoven pushing the envelope. Noone will ever mistake this for being nice, incidental music of little significance. These pieces will only matter to those collectors in search of a totally complete Beethoven collection.

Still, this is a reasonable collection for the price, and one could certainly do worse where the performances are concerned.

One of my ten 'desert island' recordings.......2005-01-13

Masur's recordings of Beethoven's overtures (complete) stand out from a crowded field. They have a drive and intensity that grab your attention and don't let go. After playing them for the first time, I had to immediately play them again. And now they are available at a bargain price. You owe it to yourself to hear them.

Glorious.......2002-07-18

Words fail me on this one. Beethoven's music always brings me to tears, and the recordings here are, well, glorious.

The world is a better place for having hosted the genius that was Ludwig van.

Fine Collection!.......2002-05-25

First of all, this CD is a rare find; normally, when we hear the Beethoven overtures, we hear a few of them in the context of larger works (ie, we get only two or three overtures in a box set of symphonies or concerti, and they are overshadowed). To have all the overtures together (especially at these top-rate perfomances) is a treat. Though a wonderful set for any serious Beethoven fan, this may also serve as a good introduction for those new to Beethoven's orchestral music, because the pieces normally clock in at only 10 minutes, give or take, but also because the overtures are always charmingly songful or fast and exciting. It is the more abrasive Beethoven at work here, and it's great fun.

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully fresh
Great -- All Around
Old (but Very Fine) Wine, New Skins--A Revelatory Listening Experience
Much-needed fresh interpretation of the overtures

Beethoven: Complete Overtures

Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Septet
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Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies

ASIN: B0007X9TKC
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Album Description

"Of course this is what Beethoven is supposed to sound like. All the warmth, the breadth, the depth, the height, the solemnity, the hilarity, the agony, and, of course, the wild-eyed ecstasy that are in Beethoven in these performances of his complete Overtures by David Zinman leading the Tonhalle Orchestre Zurich. As Zinman proved in his cycle of the nine symphonies, he knows Beethoven, knows his music and his moods, knows when to hold back and when to let loose, when to dance and when to sing in blissful rapture. In his cycle of the 11 overtures, Zinman soars with Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus, rails with Egmont, roars with Coriolan, and laughs with König Stephen. Zinman is as heroic as Fidelio, as passionate as Leonore, and as countrapuntally intoxicated as Die Weihe des Hauses. The Tonhalle Orchestre, which showed itself an adept and powerful Beethoven orchestra in the symphonies, once again shows its colors, its strength, and its tenderness in the overtures. ! Arte Nova's sound is deep, lush, and real."-ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully fresh.......2007-06-06

David Zinman and his Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich deliver what is, hands down, the best overture to the Ruins of Athens on disc. Zinman opens the work with great energy at a quick tempo - those of us familiar with Masur's slow and stately introduction will certainly feel as if they are hearing this familiar music for the first time. The oboe cadenza is delightfully zippy as Zinman plunges headlong into the allegro proper with such authoritative vitality that one almost feels foolish for not liking this work more, slight though it is on musical argument. Horns wail, strings dig, and winds bite in this marvelous traversal. This performance gave me several impressions. First, how nice it is to hear Beethoven (here and in his traversal of the symphonies) with smaller forces married to historically informed performance practices - hard mallets for the timpani, violins divided stereophonically, winds forwardly balanced. It has a tremendous amount of textual clarity which enhances the musical argument in no small part. Secondly, how impressive that even two hundred years after some of these pieces were composed they can still be played to the hilt with fresh energy and conviction. Even with the reduced string section, I would be curious if anyone could find other versions of these overtures with this much vigor. And finally, as always, its wonderful to hear a music director and his orchestra bring something new to familiar music, all the while maintaining the highest performance and musical standard. And the love both Zinman and the Tonhalle have for this music is immediately palpable.

The same level of energy Zinman brings to The Ruins of Athens runs throughout the entirety of this two-disc release. Prometheus certainly benefits from the scaled-down proportions of the orchestra, finding the perfect balance between classical grace and Beethoven's rougher energy. Coriolan is just as bit as convincing, free from the overly-romanticized patina that this work has amassed over the years. The Overture in C receives a particularly convincing interpretation. Listen to how Zinman maintains tension throughout the overly-repetitive music and certainly makes the most sense out of the often odd-sounding scales at near the end of the piece. It just goes to show that even less convincing works can sound convincing when played with this level of conviction. Fidelio is another winner, a performance of lively grace but imbued with appropriate power.

The Consecration of the House is a delight. Zinman shapes a cogent and appropriately Baroque sounding opening to the piece and, although the trumpets are a bit reticent in their fanfares, the textual clarity of it all is quite refreshing. The allegro certainly benefits from the antiphonal violin placement, a reading of uncanny transparency, culminating in a roaring conclusion. I still have the slightest preference for Masur's performance and no one can match Charles Munch's Boston Symphony reference interpretation in this work, but all in all it is simply a matter of taste and certainly Zinman offers steep competition. Zinman's reading of King Stephen is one of balanced, proportional energy befitting its classical nature but, when all is said and done, I still prefer Szell's all-or-nothing Cleveland traversal, which possesses unbelievable physicality. As for the three Lenore Overtures, Zinman's approaches are period appropriate, but it is slightly difficult to listen to Lenore No. 3 in this leaner state. I still prefer Gunter Wand's performance, one of almost excessive weight and physicality, but the excitement is unquestionable. Egmont again is wonderful, but seems slightly undernourished when compared to the competition. But preferences aside, Zinman's interpretations are as convincing as ever and offer tremendous musical nourishment.

Recorded sound is excellent throughout but the microphone placement seems to differ from work to work. In the performances where the orchestra is most distant, the horns can often sound recessed and slightly pinched (such as in Prometheus and Fidelio) or the timpani overly reverberant (Overture in C). Still, the playing is uniformly spectacular and these are small quips that in no way detract from the listening experience and become less noticeable after repeated outings.

This set is certainly a welcome addition to a field that, until now, had virtually no competition. That Masur's performances were uniformly splendid made the dearth of great Beethoven Overture compilations less frustrating, but this set, in modern sound with period performance techniques, is almost self-recommending. Comparing Masur to Zinman seems unfair as both offer so much and say such individual things that I could not imagine having one over the other. This is a welcome addition to the catalog, one that no Beethoven fan should be without.

Great -- All Around.......2006-01-16

Wonderful recordings. Great musicianship and superb sound. A real joy! Highly recommended.

Old (but Very Fine) Wine, New Skins--A Revelatory Listening Experience.......2005-11-22

Beethoven's great overtures need no special pleading, and yet David Zinman gets down so effectively to where this music lives that in some cases, it is like hearing a thrice-familiar work for the first time. Even the Zur Namensfeier Overture, easily the least distinguished of the pieces collected here, has both sparkle and bite in Zinman's reading. The similar but much finer King Stephen Overture is always a smile-inducing surprise among Beethoven's dramatically charged overtures, given its simple joviality. Here it smiles with a youthful freshness that you don't hear in every interpretation.

The most revelatory performance for me, though, is of the Coriolan Overture, a darkly brooding piece that usually seems a bit dour despite its obvious craftsmanship and the undying memorability of its poignant second melody. Zinman succeeds in bringing out the fiery drama in this piece, which seems more often to smolder than to burn outright. Zinman's is a truly captivating performance and will be the way I choose to hear this wonderful work from now on.

Another piece that can seem pedantic and overwrought, The Consecration of the House Overture, is in Zinman's hands perfectly proportioned. Here as elsewhere, Zinman is faster than a lot of conductors but without sacrificing any of the grandiosity of this very grand piece. The one place where I'd say he rushes things too much is in the slow introduction to Egmont: the "quasi allegro" at which he takes the opening fails to provide contrast to the true allegro that is to follow. A small misstep given the many, many felicities of this set. Overall, in fact, it should let you hear these tried-and-true masterworks with a new set of ears.

In writing of Zinman's Beethoven Symphonies series, some critics have complained that the Tonhalle Orchestra produces an anemic sound. I don't hear evidence of that on these discs. There is real heft in the lower strings at the start of the Zur Namensfeier and Egmont Overtures, and the consciously "big" pieces such as the Leonore 2 and 3 and The Consecration of the House Overtures have a proper Beethovenian robustness. Sometimes, I'd say, the horns sound overtaxed, but just as often they produce a blaze of glory for Zinman. So I can't find any great objection to the playing of this mostly very fine orchestra.

I also like the sound the engineers have captured in the lively Tonhalle. It provides depth as well as detail: there is sheen to the high strings; punch and heft to the brass, timpani, lower strings.

In fact, I like just about everything these discs have to offer, including their super bargain price.

Much-needed fresh interpretation of the overtures.......2005-06-12

Surprisingly, there are relatively few choices currently available when it comes to complete collections of the Beethoven overtures, long part of the standard repetoire of any respectable orchestra. The Masur/Leipzig collection has been around for about 30 years, but until Zinman's collection was released this year, it has been pretty slim pickings.

At first, I did not know quite what to think, because Zinman offers a much leaner, fast-paced interpretation of nearly every overture. On average, his tempi are over a minute faster than the more traditional tempi of Masur's, which means that the Tonhalle Orchestra is really on a brisk clip. The orchestra's sound is also considerably lighter than one might expect (unless you are dealing with Gardiner & his period instruments, who have not yet recorded the overtures as far as I know). Whether this a result of reduced personnel or careful mike placement, I don't know, but the result is a much less heavy sound than what normally hears.

Initially, I did not care for what I found to be unfamiliar, but the more I listened, the more Zinman's tempi made sense and the more accessible these overtures became. Also (unlike Masur's edition), the three Leonore overtures do not run consecutively which is to the overall benefit of the collection. There are occasional moments of weakness in the horns & the violins, but they are brief and do not particularly detract from the performances. The recording appears to be a little bass-heavy at times, but not oppressively so; most of the time the sound has a light freshness to it that is most pleasing to the ear.

It also doesn't hurt that Arte Nova has made these CDs dirt-cheap. A mediocre performance for this little money could be easily forgiven; it is made all the better that these performances are top-notch. Anyone who loves Beethoven overtures (and who doesn't?) would be mad to overlook this collection.

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9; Overtures; Violin Concerto (Limited Edition)

Average customer rating:

Bernstein's First, Quite Possibly, Best, Beethoven Symphony Cycle
Bernstein's early Beethoven makes an enticing bargain

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9; Overtures; Violin Concerto (Limited Edition)

Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006OA68
Release Date: 2002-10-28

Tracks:

Symphony No.1 In C Major, Op.21
Symphony No.2 In D Major, Op.36
Symphony No.4 In B-Flat Major, Op.60
Symphony No.6 In F Major, Op.68
Symphony No.9 In D Minor, Op.125
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In D Major, Op.61

Customer Reviews:

Bernstein's First, Quite Possibly, Best, Beethoven Symphony Cycle.......2007-05-23

For those wondering why Leonard Bernstein was such an important, exciting conductor, there's no better introduction than these fine early stereo recordings he made with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Critics have celebrated these as exciting, revelatory accounts, almost as memorable as those from George Szell and The Cleveland Orchestra and Herbert von Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker, which were recorded almost at the same time as Bernstein's. The only reason why I'd give higher recommendations to Szell's and Karajan's cycles lies primarily with the acoustical qualities of the recording studios (In Karajan's case the converted Berlin church where he made most of his 1960s and 1970s recordings with the Berliner Philharmoniker was sonically the best at that time.) and the overall quality of the musicianship of their respective ensembles, which I would have to rate slightly higher than the New York Philharmonic's. The two finest recordings from Bernstein's New York Philharmonic cycle are those with of the 3rd and 5th symphonies which remain two of the most dramatic recordings of these pieces that I've heard. Overall, I think this set deserves favorable comparisons with his mid 1970s Deutsche Grammophon cycle recorded with the Wiener Philharmoniker during live performances at Vienna's Musikverein; the only exceptional differences are the slightly warmer acoustics of the orchestra and concert hall in the 1970s cycle, and Bernstein's usage of slightly quicker tempi and smaller orchestral forces. If you're looking for an alternative traditional Beethoven symphony cycle, then you won't miss by acquiring this early Bernstein cycle.

Bernstein's early Beethoven makes an enticing bargain.......2007-02-20

I wonder if Leonard Bernstein was the first American conductor to record a complete Beethoven cycle? He must have been, and two of these performances--the Eroica and the Fifth Sym. -- were made famous as vehicles for LB's television talks in the Fities and Sixties. Millions of post-war kids learned from them and I'm one. In retrospect Bernstein's Beethoven wasn't as propulsive and exciting as memory made them. But these performances are full-boded, direct, and satisfying. Perhaps the authority of Karajan and the Berlin Phil. isn't present, but even so, Sony is offering the cycle as a tremendous bargain, all the more so if you buy it used at Amazon Marketplace. Several overtures are thrown in, along with Isaac Stern's excellent account of the Violin Concerto (conductor and soloist are in sympathy, as always, but this is one of their poorest sounding recordings, unfortunately).

LB used a big orchestra for his Beethoven, and the Columbia Records engineers caught them in a big, reverberant space. If you want to hear this music on a modest scale or with historical touches, lok elsewhere. After he decamped to Europe, Bernstein made a second Beethoven cycle with the Vienna Phil. that's leaner, faster, but somewhat lacking in the excitment of discovery that one heard the first time around.

Average customer rating:

Beethoven, Muti, And Philadelphia
Nice.
I'm happy with choosing this set
Disappointing Beethoven from a conductor I usually like
Incomparable! Bring on 10 stars!

Beethoven: Complete Symphonies

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim
Brahms: Complete Symphonies
Complete Symphonies (Box)
Beethoven: Complete symphonies
Symphonie Fantastique

ASIN: B00000C2KJ
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Tracks:

Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: I. Allegro con brio
Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: II. Andante con moto
Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: III. Allegro
Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: IV. Allegro - Presto
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op.21: I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op.21: II. Andante cantabile con moto
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op.21: III. Menuetto & Trio: Allegro molto e vivace
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op.21: IV. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2 In D Minor, Op 36: 1. Adagio molto-Allegro con brio
Symphony No. 2 In D Minor, Op 36: II. Larghetto
Symphony No. 2 In D Minor, Op 36: III. Scherzo & Trio: Allegro
Symphony No. 2 In D Minor, Op 36: IV. Allegro molto
Symphony No.4 In B Flat Major, Op 60: I. Adagio - Allegro vivace
Symphony No.4 In B Flat Major, Op 60: II. Adagio
Symphony No.4 In B Flat Major, Op 60: III. Menuetto: Allegro vivace - Trio: Un poco meno allegro
Symphony No.4 In B Flat Major, Op 60: IV. Allegro ma non troppo

Tracks:

Symphony No.3 In E Flat Major, Op.55 'Eroica': I. Allegro con brio
Symphony No.3 In E Flat Major, Op.55 'Eroica': II. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai
Symphony No.3 In E Flat Major, Op.55 'Eroica': III. Scherzo & Trio: Allegro vivace
Symphony No.3 In E Flat Major, Op.55 'Eroica': IV. Finale: Allegro molto - Poco andante - Presto
Overture: Fidelio, Op.72b
Overture: Die Weihe des Hauses, Op.124

Tracks:

Symphony No.6 In F Major, Op.68 'Pastoral': I. Allegro ma non troppo - Beethoven
Symphony No.6 In F Major, Op.68 'Pastoral': II. Andant molto mosso - Scene By The Brook - Beethoven
Symphony No.6 In F Major, Op.68 'Pastoral': III. Allegro - Merry Gathering Of The Country Folk - Beethoven
Symphony No.6 In F Major, Op.68 'Pastoral': IV. Allegro - Storm And Tempest - Beethoven
Symphony No.6 In F Major, Op.68 'Pastoral': V. Allegretto - Shepherds' Song. Happy And Thakful Feelings After The Storm - Beethoven
Overture: Leonore NO.3, Op.72a - Beethoven

Tracks:

Symphony No.7, A Major, Op.92: I. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
Symphony No.7, A Major, Op.92: II. Allegretto
Symphony No.7, A Major, Op.92: III. Presto - Assai meno presto
Symphony No.7, A Major, Op.92: IV. Allegro con brio
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op.93: I. Allegro vivace e con brio
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op.93: II. Allegretto scherzando
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op.93: III. Tempo di menuetto
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op.93: IV. Allegro vivace

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 - I Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 - __ Molto vivace - Presto - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 - III Adagio molto e Adagio molto e cantabile -- Andante moderato - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 - Presto - L.V. Beethoven

Customer Reviews:

Beethoven, Muti, And Philadelphia.......2005-12-03

The nine symphonies of Beethoven are not only a high watermark in the classical music genre, but indeed a high watermark for all of music and humanity in general. They are remarkable also for the sheer fact that Beethoven was often in poor health when he composed them, and struggling with deafness as well. From the first two symphonies, both in the Haydn/Mozart sphere, to the ground-breaking "Eroica" and moving up to the immense universes of the Ninth, Beethoven helped set the stage not only for the music of the 19th century, but also even the 20th as well.

Not surprisingly, there have been dozens upon dozens of box sets devoted to Beethoven's symphonies over the decades. But this one by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Riccardo Muti stands tall with other Beethoven sets for the way this great orchestra navigates its way through these works under the direction of a great conductor who had the unenviable task of carving out a niche for himself in Philadelphia, where the reputations of Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy still loom large.

The box set consists of:

CD-1: SYMPHONIES NOS. 5 & 1

CD-2: SYMPHONIES NOS. 2 & 4

CD-3: SYMPHONY NO. 3 (EROICA); OVERTURE TO "FIDELIO"; CONSECREATION OF THE HOUSE OVERTURE

CD-4: SYMPHONY NO. 6 (PASTORAL); LEONORA OVERTURE NO. 3

CD-5: SYMPHONIES NOS. 7 & 8

CD-6: SYMPHONY NO. 9 (CHORAL); CHERYL STUDER (soprano); DELORES ZIEGLER (mezzo-soprano); PETER SEIFFERT (tenor); JAMES MORRIS (bass); WESTMINSTER CHOIR (Joseph Flummerfelt, chorus director)

Recorded between 1985 and 1988, this box set may not enjoy the same amount of praise richly and deservedly placed on those by Solti, Karajan, Bernstein, or Szell, but the performances contained in them are very true to the composer's intentions without sacrificing spirit or orchestral texture. The 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th symphonies are very Classical in their performances, while nos. 3, 5, 6, & 7 are sterling examples of balancing classical structure with Romanticism. The addition of three overtures, two of them from the composer's one and only opera "Fidelio", is also welcome. And then there's the Ninth Symphony, with its immense power and the triumphal "Ode To Joy" finale, superbly pulled off by Muti and the orchestra with a distinguished quartet of vocal soloists and the Westminster Choir.

Every self-respecting music aficionado should have a Beethoven symphonic box set in their collection, and this one is a fine addition to the many great such box sets out there.

Nice........2005-11-03

It's true what most reviewers are saying about the more subtle interpretation, but I kind of like it that way. I have this box (which does have a 6 CD jewelbox-by the way) and the Solti version. While Sir Georg is my usual default, I find this one making it's way to the player more often.

I'm happy with choosing this set.......2005-02-04

I wanted to get a great recording of the Beethoven Symphonies and scoured the Internet looking for quality recordings. It came down to this set and Karajan's set, and this won due to price.

I'm aware of Karajan's set, and I'm not going to say anything bad about it. It's loud and boisterous, but just ask yourself this--would Beethoven have liked it? Of course.

Muti's interpretation is more subtle and less bombastic. If it were a flavor, it would be vanilla. But what's wrong with vanilla? Sure, the Philadelphia Orchestra is not as prestigious as Berlin or Vienna. And yes, they are playing on modern instruments, not period instruments.

But here's what you get, and here's why I think this is the best value set out there. You get all nine symphonies, plus three overtures: Fidelio, Leonore No. 3, and the Consecration of the House. The Ninth features opera star James Morris as one of the soloists and the Westminster College Choir. It's a digital recording (1986). Oh yes, and it's thirty dollars cheaper.

I actually prefer the more "classical" approach to the symphonies that Muti provides (don't worry, the Ninth is still purely Romantic). I'm sure one can find better recordings piecemeal (or perhaps collectively), but the fact remains that these recordings are very good and cannot be dismissed.

FYI-- The CDs are not in a jewel case but a cardboard box with stiff paper sleeves for each of the 6 CDs. Liner notes are good but not great.

Disappointing Beethoven from a conductor I usually like.......2003-09-02

I'm afraid I agree with the fellow who found the sound of these recordings dim--details in the strings and woodwinds remain unclear even after hours of fiddling with an equalizer. I agree that Karajan's and Toscanini's Beethoven are the pits, and I'd rather listen to Muti's Beethoven given the choice. There is no denying the beauty of the playing. Still, Muti is too much of a romantic for Beethoven--those subtle changes of tempo that are so effective and necessary in Tchaikovsky (Muti's is among the best) in Beethoven become fussy, distracting and effeminate, weakening forward momentum. I wish I liked this set--the price is certainly right--but...

Incomparable! Bring on 10 stars!.......2002-12-18

I have had this set for a month or two now and have wanted to write a review, but I have been overwhelmed by the idea of critiquing every symphony because each recording is so outstanding in its own right that I wanted to say something about each one. I realize that a few words about some of the recordings say volumes about the whole set.

First of all, one of the reviews suggested that this set was more classical in interpretation than the 'bombastic romantic' interpretations by Solti, von Karajan or Furtwangler and even Bruno Walter. Toscanini was a speed [fan] although tender moments do pop out. Another brought out his experience with all of the sets of his Beethoven recordings and tried to compare them.

I say that this set is incomparable because there is no set out there to compare it with, because the set has its bombastic moments and tender, classical moments, if you will. For instance, the larghetto movement of the second symphony, which is a struggle between major and minor melodies in only the way Beethoven could weave them. After the recapitulation of the two themes and toward the end of the movement there is an ascending melody lower strings answered in a descending theme by the violins that is so wonderfully and romantically played, the strings soar so beautifully (Muti has a way with Maestoso, such as a passage in the first movement of Tchaikovsky's sixth in a descending scale by the orchestra ) the majesty is astounding. That is not 'classical'! His recordings of the 2nd and 4th are like no others. Maestro Muti also brings out melodies that I have never heard in any other Beethoven redordings. The fifth is a marvel of invention, I know every single note of this symphony by heart and the Maestro brings out things I haven't heard before. The adagio and the finale of the seventh are so wonderful. The second and third movements are a marvel in the 9th also.l also think that the eigth is a marvel. I have heard at least 100 performances of it and non other compare. The third is also a wonder. And to have the overtures. What a wonderful bonus. I almost forgot to mention the 'Pastoral'. I had been waiting for years and years to listen a recording that matched Bruno Walter's old recording of it. The reason is the majesty of the last movement. All the recordings that I owned or listened to did not come close (maybe Ormandy did), but this one did and I am so greatful. I usually graded a Beethoven set by the sensitivity of the sixth. (I used to have several sets of Beethoven but all was lost in a fire several years ago).

I cannot end without saying something about the Philadelphia Orchestra's playing. I have said before that Maestro Muti brought a refinement to the orchestra that, I think, adds to their virtuosity. They play so powerfully as well as beautifully. The strings in the second and eigth symphonies as well as the sixth and seventh. The brass powerful yet sensitive. I guess that I could go on and on. I am an unashamed PHO lover and devotee and have been most of my life. I wish the Maestro hadn't left because Sawallisch has brought back the power without the refinement, like he is playing a piano, not a great orchestra. It is just too bad that Maestroes Muti and Ormandy didn't have the new hall to play and record in. I understand that there are also new recordings with the PHO on Deutche Gramaphon. I can hardly wait to hear them. BPO, CSO, CCO Amsterdam, VPO, yes they are great orchestras but PHO you are in your own class and always have been.

Beethoven: Overtures
Average customer rating:

Compelling performances

Berliner Philharmoniker & Karajan at their best

Beethoven: Overtures

Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Egmont, Coriolan, Fidelio Overtures

Prokofiev: Complete Concertos

Strauss: Orchestral Works

Ludwig van Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies - Arturo Toscanini / NBC Symphony Orchestra

Wagner: Overture & Preludes

ASIN: B000001GAB
Release Date: 1989-03-01

Tracks:

The Creatures of Prometheus op.43: Adagio/Allegro molto con brio
King Stephen op.117: Andante con moto/Presto
The Ruins of Athens op.113: Andante con moto/Allegro, ma non troppo
Egmont op.84: Sostenuto, mo non troppo/Allegro
Coriolan op.62: Allegro con brio
Name-Day op.115: Maestoso/Allegro assai vivace
The Consecration of the House op.124: Maestoso e sostenuto/Allegro con brio

Tracks:

Leonore I op.138: Andante con moto/Allegro con brio
Leonore II op.72: Adagio/Allegro
Leonore III op.72a: Adagio/Allegro
Fidelio op.72b: Allegro

Amazon.com

Recorded when the Berlin Philharmonic and Herbert von Karajan were in their plush phase, but under a full head of steam, these polished performances of the Beethoven overtures are a visceral delight. The sensuous, bass-heavy textures and glistening gut-strung string playing are still something to marvel at. So are the outstanding solos in the winds and the potent proclamations of the brass, which had become impressively secure at this point in Karajan's reign, even though their tuning was still problematic. At times the treatment may seem just a bit Prussian and overbearing, and premeditated in effect rather than spontaneous. But the Olympian grandeur of the conceptions and the sense of festive sweep Karajan brings to the readings make this a set one can live with. The three overtures recorded in 1965 seem just a tiny bit fierce in the treble compared with the remainder; otherwise, the venue is the same and the engineering remarkably consistent. The sound is boomy in the louder passages, but there is excellent atmosphere in the quiet ones. At mid-price, the compilation is a bargain. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Compelling performances.......2006-09-27

Brilliant performances. Brilliant recordings. Brilliant pieces. Reasonable price. It's hard to go wrong here.

The only negative is I wish the jewel case was thinner. These thick ones do not fit in my CD holders very well.

Berliner Philharmoniker & Karajan at their best.......1999-05-30

As usual, Karajan and BPO are at their best. Where else can one find a complete set of Beethoven's overtures that is played with such an intensity and accuracy? The understanding between the orchestra & conductor is obvious. Playing is tight and tempo is generally fast. Although some hiss is present and balance between difference sections may not always be ideal, the quality of playing outweighs these imperfections.

Beethoven: Overtures and Incidental Music

Average customer rating:

An oustanding collection at a similarly outstanding price
Must have Beethoven works, well recorded
A find

Beethoven: Overtures and Incidental Music

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001K44
Release Date: 1994-05-02

Tracks:

'Lenore' Overture No. 1, Op. 138 - Stanislaw Skowaczewski
'Lenore' Overture No. 2, Op. 72 - Stanislaw Skowaczewski
'Lenore' Overture No. 3, Op. 72a - Stanislaw Skowaczewski
'Fidelio' Overture Op. 72b - Stanislaw Skowaczewski
Funeral March From 'Leonore Prohaska' WoO 96 - Stanislaw Skowaczewski
Overture, Op. 124 - Phyllis Bryn-Julson
Chorus With Soprano Solo: 'Wo Sich Die Pulse,' Wo O 98 - Phyllis Bryn-Julson

Tracks:

Overture To 'Coriolan,' Op. 62
Overture To 'Egmont,' Op. 84
Overture To 'The Creatures Of Prometheus,' Op. 43
Overture, Op. 113
Turkish March, No. 113
March And Chorus 'Schmuckt Die Altare,' Op. 114
Overture To 'St. Stephen,' Op. 117
'Namensfeier' Overture, Op. 115
Minuet Of Congratulations, WoO 3
Cantata 'Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage,' Op. 112
Triumphal March From 'Tarpeja,' WoO 2

Customer Reviews:

An oustanding collection at a similarly outstanding price.......2007-04-13

Colections of Beethoven overtures and incidental music don't come any better than what is presented here by Stanislaw Skowaczewski and the Minnesota Orchestra. Recorded around 1980 and released by Vox, this twofer contains every significant overture and incidental music entrac'te the composer penned. The performances are dynamic without objectionable personal or sytlistic affectation, done in the traditional style on modern instruments.

Best for me is the first disk whose contents are the three 'Lenore' overtures, 'Fidelio' overture, funeral march, chours and soprano solo from 'Leonore Prohaska' with Phyllis Bryn-Julson, and Beethoven's underrated "Name Day" or birthday overture.

In 35 years listening to and collecting Beethoven recordings, this is clearly the most satisfactory collection of this genre I've come across. It is miles ahead of more expensive collections by Karajan, Marriner and Zinman includes music not regularly released in "complete" overture recordings.

For the pittance asked here, you can't go wrong with this.

Must have Beethoven works, well recorded.......2000-12-19

I highly recommend these two CD's, especially at this price. Vox Box has some excellent recordings, such as this one. If you always thought there was more to Beethoven's symphonic repertoire than his symphonies and overtures, you were right. His incidental music is awesome. I LOVE the Turkish March from the Ruins of Athens, almost a symphonic equivalent of Mozart's Rondo alla turca. While my favorite recording of the Egmont overture remains Kurt Masur, these recordings are also very good, and the sound from the 1970's is still fresh.

A find.......1999-07-30

Do you want an inexpensive, exciting set of Beethoven overtures? Don't hesitate with this set! Beware, though, that the sound, which is quite listenable (ADD), is not up to snuff with the other recordings by these forces on this label.

Average customer rating:

Messiaen and I genuflect in different ways
Worth It!
What does it matter if it's mono?
Profound Music, Profound Peformance. Poor Recording.
Invaluable

Messiaen par lui-même

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Olivier Messiaen: Complete Organ Works
Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

ASIN: B000002SBX
Release Date: 1992-05-12

Tracks:

Le Banquet Celeste (1926)
Diptyque (Essai sur la vie terrestre et l'eternite religieuse) (1929)
Apparition de l'Eglise Eternelle (1931)
L'Ascension I: I. Majeste du Christ demandant sa gloire a son pere
L'Ascension II: II. Alleluias sereins d'une ame qui desire le Ciel
L'Ascension III: III. Transports de joie d'une ame devant la gloire du Christ qui set la sienne
L'Ascension IV: IV. Priere du Christ montant vers son Pere

Tracks:

La Nativite du Seigneur: I. La Vierge et l
La Nativite du Seigneur: II. Les Bergers
La Nativite du Seigneur: III. Desseins Eternels
La Nativite du Seigneur: IV. Le Verbe
La Nativite du Seigneur: V. Les Enfants de Dieu
La Nativite du Seigneur: VI. Les Anges
La Nativite du Seigneur: VII. Jesus accepte la souffrance
La Nativite du Seigneur: VIII. Les Mages
La Nativite du Seigneur: IX. Dieu parmi nous

Tracks:

Les Corps glorieux: I. Subtilite des Corps glorieux
Les Corps glorieux: II. Les Eaux de la Grace
Les Corps glorieux: III. L'Ange aux parfums
Les Corps glorieux: IV. Combat de la mort et de la vie
Les Corps glorieux: V. Force et Agilite des Corps glorieux
Les Corps glorieux: VI. Joie et clarte des Corps glorieux
Les Corps glorieux: VII. Le Mystere de la Sainte-Trinite

Tracks:

Messe de la Pentecote: I: Entree
Messe de la Pentecote: II: Offertoire
Messe de la Pentecote: III: Consecration
Messe de la Pentecote: IV: Communion
Messe de la Pentecote: V: Sortie
Livre d'orgure: I: Reprises par interversion
Livre d'orgure: II: Premiere piece en trio
Livre d'orgure: III: Les Mains de l'abime
Livre d'orgure: IV: Chants d'oiseaux
Livre d'orgure: V: Deuxieme piece en trio
Livre d'orgure: VI: Les Yeux dans les roues
Livre d'orgure: VII: Soixante-quatre durees

Customer Reviews:

Messiaen and I genuflect in different ways.......2006-02-08

I stumbled across a short biography of Messiaen in a literary journal. A devout Catholic, Messiaen was purportedly commited to preservation of medieval sacred music -- which led me to pick up this album -- and yet all I find is that composed some of the most minimalistic modern 'music' that I've ever heard. According to musical theorists, there is a beauty in the mathematical algorithms that he exercises on his keyboard, but in no way does that beauty extend into a melodic piece. This is not sacred gregorianesque music, this is not heavenly plainsong, this is not glorious baroque. If Messiaen truly did intend this to be sacred music, all I can say is that he and I genuflect in different ways.

Worth It!.......2005-12-15

When I approached this set I too was worried about the mono recording and the quality of the sound, but then I realized it's Messiaen himself playing his works. The Deutche-Grammaphone box set looks wonderful but to hear the compser play his music as he intended is worth more than stereo.

The music itself is some of the best 20th century classical/experimental. Messiaen's organ works are special. He used a church organ in the way his contemporaries were using tape machines, sine generators, filters and early modular synthesizers. The result is highly luminous and cerebral. The music drifts in and out structure and dissonance. One of the great characteristics about these works is that they all flow from one sound source(the organ), which gives off a feeling of sonic autonomy as if the music were a completely self-perpetuating entity, always existing. Who knew an organ could facilitate so many tones and resonances? "Soixante-quatre durées" is the pinnacle of his experimental endevours.

What does it matter if it's mono?.......2005-03-10

This is a monumental masterful monolithic monstrosity of a set of cd's (pardon the alliteration). Messiaen was truly an organist at heart, and his organ works are truly organ works. He never wrote as some did, with no knowledge of the instrument. He had been organist at Saint-Trinité for twenty-plus years before this recording, and he has inspired me to learn some of these pieces myself. There is so much to say about these amazing discs, but I will limit myself to saying that no matter what people say about mono recordings or unadvanced compositions, from Le banquet céleste to the Livre pour orgue, Messiaen's genius shines through. My personal favorite is the opener, Le banquet céleste. It touches a certain place in your soul left for whatever deity you worship. Buy this recording, because it is such a bargain for a master of his art in the 20th century.

Profound Music, Profound Peformance. Poor Recording........2001-08-24

One of the peculiarities of the twentieth century is the presence of recordings. If Mendelssohn had wished to hear Bach perform, it was too late; the secrets that Bach held playing his music were forever lost to him. Not many recognized Messiaen during his lifetime as the genius performer and composer that he was, and so now that the chance to hear him in person has passed, those interested must turn to recordings. How fortunate we are to have the recordings, though! It is good that we have records of titans like Bartok, Ives and Messiaen in our vaults! This is a must for any musician and a worthwhile listen for any `layman.' Messiaen was one of the most influential teachers of music in the Twentieth century and has left us some of the most important ovure from the epoch. Listening to a modernist perform his modern works, there is none of the coldness that comes from performers playing the music without understanding it, none of the feeling of listening to a trained bird. Messiaen plays expressing complex and powerful emotions; faith, awe, terror, mystery, majesty. The drawback is, of course, the poor recording that blunts the powerful timbres of the organ. But comparing Messiaen's performance with any that I have heard, I would take this recording before any of the other recordings of Messiaen's music. It is very powerful. Listen especially to the `Pentacost Mass.'One of the best recordings I own. One of the few profound performances recorded.

Invaluable.......1999-11-29

A must for organists who play Messiaen's works. How fortunate that we have a recording of Messiaen playing his own organ compositions. Although the performances aren't perfect they are extremely helpful, especially regarding tempii .. when he notes "extremement lent", he means it !

Berlioz - La Révolution Grecque (Grandes Oeuvres Chorales)

Average customer rating:

Excellent collection of enjoyable rarities

Berlioz - La Révolution Grecque (Grandes Oeuvres Chorales)
Michel Plasson , Laurent Naouri , Rolando Villazon , and Nicolas Rivenq
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini
Berlioz: Huit Scènes de Faust
Verdi - Don Carlo / Villazon, Roocroft, Urmana, Croft, Lloyd, Ryhanen, Giuseppini, Chailly, Amsterdam Opera
Opera Recital [Includes Bonus DVD]
Russian Album

ASIN: B00008ODZY
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

Sara, Belle D'indolence
Meditation Religieuse: Ce Monde Entier N'est Qu'une Ombre Fugitive
La Mort D'Ophelie
Marche Funebre Pour La Derniere Scene d'Hamlet
Formez Vos Rangs, Entrez En Danse!
Dieu Tout-Puissant, Dieu De L'aurore
Veni Creator Spiritus
Tantum Ergo Sacramentum
Recit & Air: Leve-toi, Fils De Sparte!
Choeur: Mais La Voix Du Dieu Des Armees
Priere: Astre Terrible Et Saint, Guide Les Pas Du Brave!
Final: Des Sommets De L'Olympe

Tracks:

Des Espagnols M'ont Pris Sur Leur Navire
Introduction
Recit & Air: Pretresses De Bacchus... O Seul Bien Qui Me Reste!
Recit: Quels Cris Affreux Se Font Entendre?
Bacchanale: O Dieu Puissant, Fils De Latone... O Bacchus Evoe!
Tableau Musical
N'oublions Pas Ces Champs, Dont La Poussiere
Amis, La Coupe Ecume
C'est Le Grand Jour, Le Jour De Fete
Dieu Tout-Puissant, Dieu De L'Aurore
Bien Que Le Ciel Parfois Se Couvre D'un Nuage

Customer Reviews:

Excellent collection of enjoyable rarities.......2005-08-13

Before I get verbose here I'll start with this: the superb performance of the cantata "The Greek Revolution" in this set alone is worth the price of the entire set. This is very early Berlioz but it contains some astonishing things, including a big ending "The Summit of Olympus"--a classic snowballing "call-to-arms" that would make anyone want to go out and battle the Turk--that consistently avoids the trite and obvious and contains ideas about generating excitement a modern rut-ridden choral composer like Philip Glass should pay close attention to. Fornet's recording of this on Denon is also nice and brings out the detail better, and is very powerful, but ultimately isn't as viscerally rousing. Savvy conductors know that even youthful Berlioz contains great stuff.

Anyway:

It's a bit sad that Berlioz is known to many listeners only through a handful of works like the Symphonie Fantastique (his most famous, yet an early work), maybe the Requiem and Harold in Italy, and a few other items (the short list seems to vary from person to person but it's always short). Sad, because unlike some other composers who are one or two trick ponys, Berlioz was a continuously strong and imaginative composer, in fact he was a great composer, up there with the best of them, who let loose with a long string of masterpieces that still need attention--like his opera Benvenuto Cellini and twenty other things. The man, even when trying to write boring music, was incapable of writing boring music. Then there's his incredible writing: his autobiography, his criticisms, his satires. He's not only one of my very favorite composers but one of my very favorite writers too. There's no other composer I can say that about.

So what's up with him, and why should you pay attention to this pricey collection of unknowns? Jacques Barzun, another favorite writer and an authority on Berlioz, thinks the Frenchman was so advanced in his ideas that he's been thoroughly misunderstood and grotesquely underappreciated up until fairly recently. Even Donald Francis Tovey, an insightful musical commentator (and another favorite writer--his books are highly recommended) of over 100 years ago talks of Berlioz as if, at times, he didn't known exactly what he was doing. There's an awful comment by him about how Berlioz allegedly knew how to start and end a piece but got a bit lost in between. How untrue. Barzun, on the other hand, mentions an incident where some critic complains about a series of wrong (meaning incompetently judged and not conforming to theory of that time) chords used in Harold in Italy and the response by a sharp conductor was "So tell me then why they sound so right?" (Someone later did a proper modern analysis and found the chord use was subtle and brilliant) Barzun's point, in a wonderful essay "Berlioz after a Hundred Years" (In "Critical Questions")is that we have yet to totally figure out why so much of his music sounds right. I'd also add that we are only just maybe starting to learn how to make it sound right. Berlioz was smart, possibly smarter than any of us and it's taking us 200 years to catch up with him.

[My guess at one explanation of his greatness was his total mastery of the very poetic French language and his ability to translate that into a sort of music. His melodies often sound like someone speaking. Elliot Carter is another great composer who is intensely literate and a fine writer... and a great composer perhaps for similar reasons.]

I'll go even further, after 30 years of listening to his music I'm convinced he stands at the top platform with the handful of all-time great composers. Berlioz transformed Western art music--single-handedly--into a supple, breathing, colorful, and living thing, and in a way that few composers have managed since. Moving from the Masters (Bach through Beethoven) to Berlioz is like moving from great oil painting to motion pictures in Technicolor and that's about the best way I can describe the phenomenon (Barzun notes his unique multidimensionality). Listen to Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and then listen to Benvenuto Cellini. The music, over 150 years old and only about 50 years older than Mozart's sounds totally modern, and often modern like a modern that hasn't even happened yet. Listen to Schumann's "Faust" (and I dearly love Schumann) and listen to Berlioz's and be shocked. The Schumann version sounds like flat soda in comparison. The only other composer I've encountered whose music has this same visceral "aliveness" (at times) is Shostakovich. Oddly, Berlioz can make even the mighty Strauss sound wooden and fussy (some would say Germanic).

The argument then is one shouldn't avoid anything by Berlioz and one should shop around to find recordings by conductors who understand his music (Gad! Solti doing Faust is stunning)and orchestras who can handle the twists, turns and other race car demands of the scores. This collection of choral works, many rare, many early (keeping in mind the ever-popular Fantastique is early too), is excellent with the only drawback being that a few, lovely as they are, don't showcase his best compositional assets. He was, regardless, a striking choral composer as Colin Davis noted during the recording sesssions for "Cellini." Personally, I never cared much for choral music or even opera until I forced myself to listen to the non-orchestral Berlioz. Well, at least I like HIS stuff in these genres! Everything about this disc is first-rate: performances, conducting (Plasson is an excellent Berlioz conductor) and sound. The only complaint is the cover art is awful. It looks like someone at EMI wanted to save a few bucks so they hired a vaguely talented teenage niece or something to handle it.

Finally, unlike most collections of rarities and odds and ends by composers--even the best of them--this is a set of discs I drag out, play, and enjoy regularly.

Beethoven: The Complete Masterworks [Box Set]

Average customer rating:

Beethoven: The Complete Masterworks [Box Set]

Manufacturer: Mastertone Brilliant
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000027R7U
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

Album Description

Import exclusive box-set includes Complete Symphonies, Piano Concertos, Violin Concerto, Piano Sonatas, Violin Sonatas, Cello Sonatas, String Quartets, Piano Trios, Masses, & Overtures performed by various artists including London Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, pianists Shoko Sugitani, John Lill, & more. Standard jewel cases housed in a flip-top box approx. 16 x 6 x 5''. Brilliant Classics.

Average customer rating:

A great conductor, but not always shown off at his best
Exceptional conductor
Exceptional issue !
Exceptional finesse
Brilliant "Artiste" Rescued From The Vaults

Igor Markevitch

Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ferenc Fricsay: A Life in Music
The 1950s Haydn Symphonies Recordings
The 1950s Concerto Recordings
Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon
Paul Paray Conducts French Orchestral Music

ASIN: B00009LW31
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Customer Reviews:

A great conductor, but not always shown off at his best.......2006-03-14

I am as great an admirer of Igor Markevitch as the reviewers below who rhapsodize over this bargain 9-CD set from DG. But in truth there are few truly great performances contained here, the best of Markevitch's large output being readily available on DG, Philips, EMI, and Testament. He had the misfortune to suffer hearing loss at the end of his career and also to be associated too often with inferoir ensembles like the Lamouruex orchestra of Paris, caught here in rather awful, wiry sonics that DG has not remastered. So despite the general elation, I think it's worth examining these 9 CDs one by one. (I am adding short comments to the list prepared by a reviewer below.)

CD 1: Mozart 34th and 38th Symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic (BP) from 1954, and Mozart's 35th Symphony (1957) and Gluck's Sinfonia in G Major (1958) with the Orchestre Lamoureux, Paris (OLP). MONO except for the Gluck
This is one of the best discs in the colleciton, featuring Markevitch's alert, lean, often rapid Mozart, played with great refinement by the Berliners. The sound is very good for the time, despite the expected edginess in the violins.

CD 2: Haydn Sinfonia Concertante (OLP, 1957), Cimarosa's Concerto for Two Flutes with flutists Aurele Nicolet and Fritz Demmler (BP, 1954) and Schubert's 3rd Symphony (BP, 1954). MONO
Unless you are a fan of spiky French instrumentalists, the elegant Haydn performance sounds cramped and sharp-edged. The much more minor Cimarosa is far better played. The Schubert Third gets the best sound by far. I'm not taken with Markevitch's clipped phrasing and lack of affection throughout, but it's a vigorous, committed performance.

CD 3 and 4: All Beethoven, with the exception of an insightful 15-minute, 1957 interview with Markveitch. Here we get Leonore III Overture (OLP, 1958), Symphony #3 'Eroica' (Symphony of the Air, 1956-57), Symphony #6 'Pastorale' (OLP, 1957), and the Coriolan, Fidelio, Name Day and Consecration of the House Overtures (all OLP, 1958). STEREO except for Sym. #3
All the overtures from the Lamoureux forces are thin and spiky, far from the usual Beethoven style. Fans may appreciate Markevitch's Russian-Gallic temperament here; I'm not so sure. The Eroica from Berlin is much better sounding, although the mono recording is boxy and somewhat muffled--in all his Beethoven Markevitch prefers fast tempi and sharp angles. Surprisingly, the Pastrole is in a different vein--warm and relaxed, with tempos often as slow as Klemperer's. But the Lamoureux orchestra's technical abilities are quite underwhelming, and I can't find a compelling reason to listen to the performance except in patches.

CD 5: Brahms Symphony #1 with the Symphony of the Air (1956), Alto Rhapsody (with Irina Arkhipova and the Russian State Academy Choir), Tragic Overture with the USSR State Symphony Orchestra (both 1963). STEREO
For the first time since CD 1 we get a compelling sense of Markevitch's stature. The Brahms First with Toscanini's (remaned) orchestra is fully the equal of anyone's--huge, heroic, and wonderfully played. The Russian performance of the Alto Rhapsody features the great Arkhipova, and for once the Soviet sonics are good. The Tragic Overture, dating from after Markevitch's decline in hearing (1963), seems a bit undernourished and is in dim, distant sound, but it casts a spell nonetheless.

CD 6: Brahms 4th Symphony (OLP, 1958), Kodaly Psalmus Hungaricus with tenor Robert Ilosfalvy (RSA Choir & USSR SSO, 1963). STEREO
The Brahms Fourth is a very good performance in the lean, propulsive Toscanini style. I don't fancy the scrappy playing of the Lamoureux orchestra, especially the coarse brass blatting away in the finale--other conductors like Szell have done better in this vein--but in its punchy, rough-and-ready way Markevitch's Brahms Fourth commands attention. We are in a differetn world with the Kodaly, however, which gets a stunning performance, and the brutish playing by the Russian orchestra really works.

CD 7: Orchestral music of Wagner--Preludes to Acts I and III of Lohengrin, Tannhauser Overture (all OLP, 1958), and Venusberg Music from Tannhauser, Siegfired Idyll and Ride of the Valkyries (all BP, 1954). MONO
The Berlin Phil. doesn't sound like the world-class orchestra it would become once again under Karajan, but these excerpts are well played and recorded for their time. Markevitch was a modernist in Wagner, favoring fast tempos and eschewing expressive profundities. The music can take it, but one is always aware that something deeper is necessary. An odd-man-out disc but enjoyable.

CD 8: French fare with Gounod's 2nd Symphony and Bizet's Jeux d'enfants (both OLP, 1957), and Debussy's La Mer and Deux Danses (both OLP, 1959). MONO except for the Debussy
These Lamoureux readings are Gallic to the core, of course, and thoroughly delightful. Everything that sounds wrong in Beethoven works perfectly here. The mono sound, however, is edgy and shrill at loud volume. Things improve for the Debussy--La Mer, a Markevitch showpiece, gets an alert, quicksilver performance with many individual otuches in phrasing. It comes closest to being great of anything in the whole ocllection.

CD 9: Tchaikovsky 6th Symphony (BP, 1953) and Francesca da Rimini (OLP, 1959). MONO and STEREO respectively.
The colleciton ends on a high note, since Markevitch was arguably the greatest Tchaikovsky conductor after Mravinsky. The mono sound for the Berliners is good for its era. This is a neurotic, anguished Pathetique of the kind we rarely hear today. Likewise the Francsca da Rimini, where the Lamoureux's shrill, thin woodwinds seem to add to the effect.

In sum, the half-dozen superior performances stand out fairly obviously, and all are worthwhile for any listener. Frankly, the rest belongs in the realm of specialty collecting, although naturally others may strongly disagree, especially anyone who likes the Lamoureux orchestra much better than I do.

Exceptional conductor.......2005-06-08

Markevitch was, once, part of Diaghilev's "Ballets Russe"'s ensemble, and understood Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and other Russian composers (and their intents) very-well, and very-dynamically. His Philips' recordings (1970) of Tchaikovsky symphonies (plus other works) are still, some of the best, integral cycles-of-interpretations to be had, and his expertise was not bounded-by Russian works - his (Berlioz) Damnation of Faust, among other interpretations - are some of the best that discipline can devise. A MARVELOUS conductor, as was the (also) Russian-born, Jascha Horenstein. ... Horenstein, Markevitch, & Sixten Ehrling were some of the BEST of the post-War (including some pre-War recordings) era, and very-much of ANY recordings of them are much worth-having ... including the present, DG set.

Exceptional issue !.......2004-09-09

Since I heard once on vynil the incredible apssionate and to me the greatest veriosn ever made of the First Symphony of Johannes Brahms ever made .
And believe me , I love this symphony and I have heard at least one hundred versions : with Furtwangler , Toscanini superb performance of the forties , Istvan Kertsez , Kubelik Chicago , Munch , and a long etc .
But the inner mood and the clear but cleverly established sequence of the right tone and the use of the concise tempo in every phrase make of that version unique and unrepeteable .
I know about the Mozart Symphonies with the Berlin Philarmonic that still in those ages sounded with the furtwanglerain mood . They are sublime .
But consider once more that only with this Brahms Symphony, all the rest of the set you may consider a special buy , a worthable and fundamental bonus. Igor Markevitch was a conductor unfairly neglected .
Watch this CD because it will let you astonished and will prove by itself all the virtues of that master conductor .

Exceptional finesse.......2003-11-14

Of all the nine, really adorable, boxed sets by DG it was this one that I hastened to grab since Markevitch's interpretations had always been to my liking.
To be more honest, it was his Lamoureux recordings that I was after. In these recordings, it is the wind sound that dominates, and especially the brass section. For this reason, his Damnation and his Mozart Coronation had always been my favourites.
The present box contains a splendid Brahms 4th with a Chaconne, at the end that really moved me with its intensity (Markevitch slows quite a lot in the middle section to allow his woodwinds express themselves and this pronounces much more the forceful brass-dominated outer sections).
By the way, this set gives quite an idea of Markevitch's popularity at the time (recordings in the US with Toscanini's NBC Orchestra - renamed Symphony of the Air, recordings in Moscow with Brahms and Kodaly plus the 2 great European orchestras: the Lamoureux and the Berliners - some years before Karajan's arrival).

Brilliant "Artiste" Rescued From The Vaults.......2003-08-13

Now that Deutsche Grammophon is part of Universal, we have seen some interesting things happen, and not all of them bad. What I'm referring to in this case is the new "Original Masters" Limited Edition Box Set series. Finally, the classical music world has taken a page out of the jazz reissue handbook -- put out a quality product featuring rare recordings but make its availability limited, and people will snatch it up.

Now in its second round of the "Original Masters" box sets, DG has chosen to follow-up on the success of the "Great Conductors of the Century" series. They have just released two glorious 9-disc collections of the performances of conductors Igor Markevitch and Ferenc Fricsay, the vast majority of which have been previously unavailable on CD.

This particular set, "Un Veritable Artiste," showcases some of the numerous recordings made by the great conductor Igor Markevitch for Deutsche Grammophon and Philips, many of which have been rare (and expensive) collector's items for years. As the track information is non-existent above, I will try to be of assistance.

The first disc contains Mozart's 34th and 38th Symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic (BP) from 1954, and Mozart's 35th Symphony (1957) and Gluck's Sinfonia in G Major (1958) with the Orchestre Lamoureux, Paris (OLP).

Disc two features Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante (OLP, 1957), Cimarosa's Concerto for Two Flutes with flutists Aurele Nicolet and Fritz Demmler (BP, 1954) and Schubert's 3rd Symphony (BP, 1954).

Discs three and four are all Beethoven, with the exception of an insightful 15-minute, 1957 interview with Markveitch. Here we get Leonore III Overture (OLP, 1958), 3rd Symphony (Symphony of the Air, 1956-57), 6th Symphony (OLP, 1957), and the Coriolan, Fidelio, Name Day and Consecration of the House Overtures (all OLP, 1958).

Disc five is all Brahms -- the 1st Symphony with Symphony of the Air (1956), and the Alto Rhapsody (with the Russian State Academy Choir) and Tragic Overture with the USSR State Symphony Orchestra (both 1963).

Disc six continues with Brahms, his 4th Symphony (OLP, 1958), and ends with Kodaly's Psalmus Hungaricus with tenor Robert Ilosfalvy (RSA Choir & USSR SSO, 1963).

Disc seven focuses on orchestral music from the operas of Wagner. Here we have the Preludes to Acts I and III of Lohengrin and the Tannhauser Overture (all OLP, 1958), and Venusberg Music from Tannhauser, Siegfired-Idyll and The Ride of the Valkyries (all BP, 1954).

Disc eight features all French fare with Gounod's 2nd Symphony and Bizet's Jeux d'enfants (both OLP, 1957), and Debussy's La Mer and Deux Danses (both OLP, 1959).

The final disc, number nine, wraps things up with Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony (BP, 1953) and Francesca da Rimini (OLP, 1959).

Despite the fact that many of these recordings are in mono (mostly the pre-1957 ones), the first rate performances more than compensate for any audio shortcomings. The stereo performances are the warm, glowing and brilliant accounts that vintage collectors have appreciated for years.

Well, I guess the consolidation of the music industry isn't so bad after all, as long as I can look forward to more reissues like Igor Markevitch: Un Veritable Artiste.

Music Review:

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1. Change My Heart, Oh God
2. Use Me
3. Come Holy Spirit
4. I Need You More
5. Lord, Be Glorified
6. We Are an Offering
7. Spirit of the Living God
8. I Will Serve Thee
9. Open Our Eyes, Lord
10. I Will Praise Thee
11. I Need Thee Every Hour
12. Power of Your Love