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THE "UNWANTED OPINION" CD REVIEWS

THE UNWANTED OPINION NEWSLETTER
Highly Recommended CD's
Summer/Fall 1998 Volume #3 - Issues #3 & #4
Table of Contents:
· Two MD+G Releases (Woyrsch is a gem)
· Historic Happenings-new releases
· Ervin Schulhoff (1894-1942)
· The Chandos Section
· Meyerbeer Heaven, Twice!
· ASV Releases
· Vanguard and Everest CDs
· Naxos CDs
· Two from Claves
· Hyperion CDs
· Mostly Films Scores Mostly Citadel
· Theodorakis -- Zorba The Ballet
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---------------------------------------------------

THE UNWANTED OPINION NEWSLETTER

Vol. 3 No. 1 & 2
WINTER / SPRING 1998
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CD'S
INSIDE
Testament -Testimonials
Marx Brothers-Korngold/Marx
Christian 'Ring' Cycle
Sarasate Set Gone
Czernyng Me On!
A Trip to Coney Island
Mitropoulos COA and VPO
Classy Classic Chopin
Overture Overture Overture
Planets No, Universe Yes
Major Handel Handled
Light Opera Alert
Overture Overture Overture
Hip Hop Mendelssohn Scotch
This is the BBC - Radio
Virtuosic Virtuosi
CPO / Da Capo Happening
VIP- ASV - ASAP
Finnish This Before You Go
More Hyperion Bantock
Sterling Swedish Stuff
Bluebird of Happiness
Dyson: Canterbury Pilgrims
The Sound Of Cinema
 
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========================
THE UNWANTED OPINION NEWSLETTER
Vol. 2 No. 4
SUMMER 1997
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CD'S
INSIDE
THE SZYMANOWSKI SCHEME
WEANING ON WIENIAWSKI
DEALING 80 OF DELIUS
CALLING KULLERVO
3 FROM DELOS
KEMPFF THE COMPOSER
HUBBA HUBBA HUBER *****
SOME OLD DANISH
NEW Improved CHADWICK
WHAT'S UP DOC?
SCHARWENKA Concertos
TOP HISTORIC CARL NIELSEN
MORE POWER TO US*****
NO MORE HAYDN FROM US
MORE THAN JUST A SCHERZO
ZEMLINSKY:OPERA SAREMA
WATER MUSIC WITH CHORUS
BUNDLES FOR BRITTEN !
GLIERE EN AT YOU AGAIN!
MORE GADE A GETS ****
GREAT ZEUS Russian Greek GOD
NEAPOLITAN PERFECTION
Remember RIISAGER ****
 
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======================
THE UNWANTED OPINION NEWSLETTER
Vol. 2 No. 2 WINTER 1997 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CD'S
INSIDE:
'1936 HI FI' RADIO YEARS CD
SILVER AWARDS STERLING
SPANISH VERISMO
GER. SOCIALIST LIMESUCKER
TANGO - THE REAL STUFF!
SCHNEIDER WIBBEL ALERT
BRETHREN GATHER, HEAR ME
AMIGOS MEET AMICA
TALICH IN STEREO (ALMOST)
TOSCANINI - FRENCH MUSIC
5 STAR MEAL by MASSENET
BELLY UP TO THE BAR
THE RING IN JUST 70 MINUTES
BEAR THIS IN MIND
PETER & THE THEREMIN
DVORAK'S LAST OPERA
ART OF GUIDO CANTELLI
LINDBERG SMELLS GOOD
TELLING CHRISTMAS MUSIC
 
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======================
THE UNWANTED OPINION
NEWSLETTER
Vol. 2 No. 3
SPRING 1997
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CD'S
 
INSIDE
BARBIROLLI LIVING PRESENCE
LOTS OF ZIP WITH ZIPOLI
EAST/WEST STEINER BEST
GLAZ TO MEET YA!
NO..IT's RAMEAU NOT RAMBO
They're PLAYING MA Sicong
GERMAN RITE of SPRING!
CZER-NY ON!
PRE-SULLIVAN SIR ARTHUR!
Midsummer Nights DANISH
DIGGING FOR KORN-GOLD
PROCEED AHEAD ONSLOW
FAIRLY 'GREAT' SCHUBERT
STEREO,WE SAID STEREO!
THRUST AND PARRY!
OFFENBACH AND COMPANY
FAIR 20th Cenury SCOTTISH
PLAY SOME FUNKY MUSIC
AN ARMENIAN EPIC!
HITTING THE HEIGHTS !
 
 
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=============================
The Unwanted Opinion:
CD Reviews You Never Cared Were Written
Published by: Music in the Mail
PO Box 1 Brightwaters, N.Y. 11718
Written by: Joseph Bonfanti
Edited by: Roman Spinner
E-mail: musicin@sprynet.com
http://www.musicinthemail.com
Brief reviews written with a mimimum of the usual pomp or hubris.
Dedicated to the informed classical collector who has been
disappointed time after time by reviewers who hate what you like
and like what you hate!
 
============================================
 
 
THE UNWANTED OPINION
Highly Recommended CD's
Summer/Fall 1998 Volume #3 - Issues #3 & #4
Table of Contents:
· Two MD+G Releases (Woyrsch is a gem)
· Historic Happenings-new releases
· Ervin Schulhoff (1894-1942)
· The Chandos Section
· Meyerbeer Heaven, Twice!
· ASV Releases
· Vanguard and Everest CDs
· Naxos CDs
· Two from Claves
· Hyperion CDs
· Mostly Films Scores Mostly Citadel
· Theodorakis -- Zorba The Ballet
---------------------------------------
 
MD+G Releases
MDG 335 0817-2 Burgmuller:Orchestral Works ****
Overture op.5, Sym.#2 and Piano Con. op. 1
Lush Romantic works like Weber or Schumann.
Greatest sound, solid performances **** 78 min
MDG 329 0588-2 Woyrsch:Sym #1 and Sym. Prologue
to Dante. 68 min. Born in 1860. Post-Romantic tone of a
Brahms gone wild! Inspired! Excellent sound from
Hamburg Sym under its director Gomez-Martinez. *****
 
------------------------------------------
Historic Happenings!!!!
So much has happened in terms of historic releases on CD in the last few months, we have little space to play catch up. Rather than review each CD, we will mostly just call your attention to these excellent releases:
 
WILHELM FURTWANGLER CDs:
Music&Arts 2 cd set 1035 Wagner: Walkure Act 3 and Gotterdammerung scenes Covent Garden, May 1937 Flagstad, Muller, Melchior, Bockelmann, etc.
Russian Compact Disc Series:
RCD 25004 Beethoven:#7& Haydn:#104 '43&'44 VPO
RCD 25001 Glazunov:Stenka Razin, Beethoven:#3 '45
Testament SBT 1143 Bruckner:#8 '49 BPO
Test. SBT 1141 Orch.Wagner ex. Lucerne Fest '47-50
Test. SBT 1142 Brahms:#1 & Haydn Var. '47&52 VPO
--------------------------------------------
SIR JOHN BARBIROLLI CDs on Dutton:
CDEA 5016 Sibelius:Sym#2 & Vio. Con. Nevu NY Phil.
CDEA 5019 Respighi:Dances, Fountains; Schubert: German Dances; Barbirolli:Purcell Suite NY Phil.
CDEA 5504Berlioz:Sym; Faure; Wagner - Halle '47
CDSJB 1007 Tchaikovsky:#5, Schumann:#4 NY Phil
CDSJB 1008 Beethoven:#3, Elizabethan Suite -Stereo
CDSJB 1011 Beethoven:Sym#4, Coriolan; Mozart:Sym #33 and Mendelssohn - NYPhil 1937
CDSJB 1012 Grieg:Lyric Suite; Norwegian; Sym. Dances; Homage March - stereo by 'Mercury' team '57
CDSJB 18th Century Italian Oboe Con. Rothwell Stereo
---------------------------------------
STOKOWSKI CDs:
Test. SBT 1139 Scheherazade; Petrouchka Philh.'56
Cala 0520 Schubert#8;Brahms#1;Wagner- HollyBowl
Cala 0522 Liszt:Preludes,Tchaikovsky:Sleep Beauty
Cala 0521 Glazounov, Ippolitov-Ivanov,Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker, Rimsky:Scheherazade all with Philadelphia
Pearl 9261 Tchaikovsky:#6, Solitude, Marche Slav and Rachmaninov:Isle of the Dead -Hollywood Bowl 1940's
--------------------------------------
HERMANN SCHERCHEN sets on Tahra:
245/46 Bach:Art of Fugue,'49 Schoenberg Var. '53
283/86 (4 cds for the price of 3) Haydn:Sym#48; Mozart:#29, #35, #36 ( Beethoven:#2,#3  Mendelssohn:Midsummer Ovt. VSO and Vienna State.
HANS KNAPPERTSBUSCH CDs:
Music and Arts 1009 (priced as 10 CDs) Wagner:Ring 1956 Bayreuth - Hotter,Windgassen,Varnay, Brouwenstijn
Music and Arts 1014 (priced as 3 CDs) Meistersinger '53 Edelmann, Hopf, Della Casa, Bohme, Unger
Melodram GM 3.0025 Rosenkavalier (3 CD) Reining, Jurinac, Bohme, Guden, Poell VPO 1955
Orfeo 426 981 Schubert:#9, Lanner,J.Strauss, Komzak
Tahra 216 Beethoven#2, #4 Bremen State '52
Tahra 217 Beethoven:#3 Bremen State '51
Tahra 214/215 Haydn:#94, Schubert:#8, Nicolai:Merry Wives, Tchaikovsky:Nutcracker, Boldemann,Komzak BPO
Tahra 294 Beethoven: Sym#3 Munich 12/17/53
-----------------------------------------------
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM CDs: Dutton
CDEA 5017 Favorites- Bizet:Arlesienne, Greig:Peer Gynt, Chabrier: Espana,Tchaikovsky:Francesca LPO
CDEA 7026 Atterberg:Sym#6, Grieg,Mozart:#34, Delius
CDLX 7027 RPO Legacy Vol. 1 Sibelius:Tapiola, Debussy: Printemps, Bach, Mussorgsky, Smetana, Chabrier RPO
CDLX 7028 RPO LEGACY Vol. 2 Delius: Hassan, Songs, Rhapsody, Irmelin, First Cuckoo, Brigg Fair etc. RPO mono
Testament 1147 Strauss:Heldenleben'48, Feuersnot, etc.
--------------------------------------------
PEARL CDs:
Marc Blitzstein Musical Theatre Premieres & Airborn Sym Pearl 0009 (2 CD set) A most lyrical, moving and powerful composition! "The Airborn Symphony" written during WW II is an one of the most evocatively dramatic choral/symphonic works ever recorded. A work seemingly so much of its time in must be heard in this period performance. Leonard Bernstein, Robert Shaw (is narrator and choral director- his finest moment!) soloists and the NYC Symphony. The quiet movement 'Letter to Emily' will melt your heart. The final movement 'The Open Sky' will stand the hairs on the back of your neck! This Symphony is a must buy...you owe it to yourself! Live ! *****
Pearl 0005 Leonard Bernstein Wunderkind (2 CD's)***
The Revuers, On the Town, Ballet Music, Fancy Free, Facsimile, Sym #1 - NYC Sym and St. Louis Sym.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dutton Concert Classics CDs: Now in Hi Fi Sound - better then you imagined - throw those MGM LPs away!
CDEA 5505 - Eileen Joyce Rachmaninoff:PC#2,Mendelssohn:PC#1;Franck:Sym Var; Turina:Rhapsodia Sinf. cond. Fistoulari and Munch cond.
CDEA 5506 Moura Lympany - Fistoulari cond.
Khachaturian: PC, Mendelssohn:Capr.Brilliant and Rondo Brilliant; Balakirev:Islamey; Dohnanyi: Capriccio
CDEA 5501 French Favorites -- Ravel:Alborada; Poulenc:Aubade; Debussy:Fantasie; Poulenc:Les Biches; Ravel:Une Barque- LSO, RPO - Fistoulari, Poulet
CDEA 5500 Scandinavian Favorites- - London Phil. Alfven;Svendsen;Nielsen; Grieg -Cameron, Hollingsworth
CDCLP 4002 Vaughan Williams: The Wasps; Holst:St Paul; A Perfect Fool; Somerset Rhapsody; Marching Song; Bax:Tintagel - George Weldon LSO '53 EMI in true hi-fi
CDLXT 2504 Rachmaninoff:PC#2, Rhap. on Paganini; Dohnanyi:Var. on Nursery Song -Katchen Fistoulari,Boult
--------------------------------------------------
Music&Arts 1021 (priced as 4 CDs) Mitropoulos conducts Mahler: Sym #1,3,5,6,8,9,10 NY Phil & VPO
-----------------------------------------------
A Classical Record 43/44 Charles Munch Vol. 2 (2 CD)
Mozart:PC#20 (Doyen), Beethoven:PC#5(Long) Bach: Cantata #189, Haydn:Sinf. Con. Halffter:Rhap. Portuguesa
--------------------------------------------------
Myto MCD 983.187 Bittner:Der Berfsee '53 Konetzni, Treptow,Patzak,Wachter,Kamann - Prohaska. A pleasure- exciting opera filled with rich warm harmony. ****
----------------------------------------------------
Beulah 1PD16 Lehar conducts Lehar Zurich 1947
Waltzes, Overtures and Instrumental Works
Beulah 2PD10 Campoli Classics Vol 2. Boult, Krips cond.
Bruch:Scottish Fant (stereo), Beethoven:Vio. Con - LPO
--------------------------------------------------
WILLEM MENGELBERG CD's:
PEARL 0008 Strauss:Heldenleben NYPS , Strauss: Don Juan; Wagenaar: Cyrano - with Concertgebouw.
Tahra 231 Schubert:Apreggione (with Cassado cello) and Symphony #9 1940 and 1942 COA
--------------------------------------------------
TOSCANINI CD's:The Salzburg Experience (1935-37)
Grammo 2000 (9 CD set) AB 78017/25 Operas- Fidelio,Zauberflote, Meistersinger, Falstaff
Music&Arts CD 1027 (2cd set) La Scala Orch '46
Beethoven:#9, Egmont Ovt.,#1, Wagner:Orch. Music
------------------------------------------
Rare ERIC COATES ON TWO BUDGET SETS: *****
Conifer MCHD 211/212 Rare Orchestral Suites: Summer Days, Minatures, Four Ways, London and London Again,Three Men,Springtime -Coates, Cameron conducts
Happy Days 75605 52390-2 ( 2 CD set ) 3 Elizabeths, 4 Centuries,Impressions of a Princess, Joyous Youth Suite
Mirage, Suite 17, Meadow to Mayfair, Jester At the Wedding Suite and many more. Coates, Williams, Jensen conducts. Pure Delight again & again - from Empire Music
------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Pearl 0011 Orson Welles- Macbeth - Music: Bernard Herrmann. *** 78 minutes - the Mercury Theatre Prod.
Pearl 9262 Songs for Free Men 1940-45 Paul Robeson***
Pearl 0036 Antal Dorati and the Ballet Russes ***** J.Strauss:Le Beau Danube, D'Erlanger:The Hundred Kisses, Chabrier:Cotillon, Boccherini/Francaix:Scula di Ballo. Yes, at last, these tune-filled 78rpm treasures all on one 75 minute CD. The Boccherini and Chabrier are true gems.
-----------------------------------------------
Tahra 281/282 Mahler:#1,Tchaikovsky:#4,Schubert#3
Stereo - Leipzig Orch. The Art of Igor Markevich Vol.
----------------------------------------------------
Preiser 90294 Music of Max von Schillings
Hexenlied, Pfeifertag: Prelude, Mona Lisa: Prelude, marchen, Moloch:Das Erntefest - composer conducts 1919 - 1933
----------------------------------------------------
Nimbus NI 7888 Richard Crooks in Songs and Ballads
includes 10 Stephen Foster Songs. 73 minutes
Nimbus NI 7887 Tito Schipa in Neapolitan Song 78 minutes
Both of these Nimbus CDs capture the period styles of these very different types of songs. Singing done in an authentic manner. Editorial: Songs sung by artists with a flair and flavor no longer possible by 21st Century vocalists. In the case of Foster, a victim of the 'Political Correctness' sickness infecting our arts. In the case of Schipa, the Italian's now give corny imitations of this authentic vocal style which they lost after the post-WW II era.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just a Slavic/Germanic Mildly Shostakovich Style Guy - Ervin Schulhoff (1894-1942)
Today, any composer killed by the Nazis gets his own series of CD's...you don't even have to be any good . Here is a poor slob (or is that slav) who actually was a fine composer who died in a concentration camp, but he gets no respect from the major labels. OK, here is your shining moment Ervin... a cycle of CDs on Supraphon... so Czech it out.
112161-2 Symphony #3 and #5 Vladimir Valek
112162-2 Symphony #4 and #6 Prague Radio Sym.
112160-2 Symphony#1 and #2 /piano Jan Simon
112164-2 Two Piano Concertos (1916 & 1923)
The sound can vary between lean slightly primitive rhythmic moments (even slightly neo-classical), to a mild disonnance (less harsh than Shostakovitch). The 1923 concerto sounds like melodic Scriabin or with the gongs and post-romantic trimmings - a concerto written for a 1940s Hollywood film by Rozsa. At its climax, as the ailing pianist gets to play his concerto at Carnegie Hall with Stokowski conducting the orchestra! It ends, the pianist rises to accept the applause and dies moments later off-stage! THE END.
The Unknown Janacek Vol.1 and Vol. 2
Supra. 111878-2 Vol. 1 various artists
Supra. 3129-2 Vol. 2 Brno Phil. cond Leos Svarovsky
Both volumes contain interesting works. Our focus is on
volume two which contains the delightful 54 min. ballet
Rakos Rakoczy (Dances from Valassko) which features a
chorus and sounds like a Czech version of Carmina Burana.
-------------------------------------------------
The Chandos Section:
Flyback 2005 Moonstruck - Marilyn Hill Smith - White cond.
Victorian Songs by the late 19th century British Composers
German, Monckton, Phillips etc. Evocative & with orch. ***
Flyback 2006 Marilyn Hill Smith sings Ivor Novello ****
Barry cond. Chandos Concert Orch. Selections from
the works of the neglected British actor/composer.
Novello sounds not unlike Herbert or Romberg.'Keep the Home
Fires Burning' is among the touching songs.
Chandos 9648 Kuhlau:Overtures Schonwandt - Danish Radio.
8 obscure memorable overtures by the Danish Auber. His
style is more sort of a melodramatic Auber. Kuhlau died 1832
If only a Paul Paray were alive to record them! ****
Chandos 9613 Salieri:Falstaff (2CD) Veronesi-Milan Orch.
Poor Salieri always gets a bad rap, but I had heard this opera
on a tape years ago and knew it was very good. It is even
better then I recalled. This is as good as the best Mozart
opera (and even more lively). Scoring includes chorus, brass
and drums. It is nearly one great aria followed by another or
a knock out virtuosic ensamble. Clean forward sound ****
Chandos 9646 Vaughan Williams:A Cotswold Romance and
Death of Tintagiles - recording premieres. Hickox LSO and
soloists. Vigorous performances in up front dynamic sound!
Tintagiles was written in 1913 as incidental music, 'Cotswold
Romance' is based on material in opera Hugh the Drover.
Flyback 2002 Grand Passions of Albert W. Ketelbey *****
By far the most authentic Ketelbey disc ever. The slightly
smaller orchestra and clean sound are tops. Many first
recordings include Cockney Suite, Jungle Drums, In a Lovers'
Garden Suite plus many old favorites..ultimate Persian Market!
------------------------------------------------
 
Meyerbeer Heaven, Twice!
CPO 999 336-2 Jurowski cond Meyerbeer:Struensee,
Les Patineurs, L'Africaine Parts of the incidental
music to Struensee are in the dramatic tradition of
Beethoven's:Egmont. Stirring male chorus and solos and
appropriate military orchestral sounds -- other sections
could be in a ballet. 52 min. The disc concludes with
dramatic L'Africaine prelude and a routine Les Patineurs.
It seems only in a moment like this (when a work has
been recorded by great conductors of the past), do we
realize how uninspired some recommended performances
of obscure works we might actually be! ***
CPO 999 168-2 Meyerbeer:Music for Festive Occasions
Jurowski cond NDR Symphony. These are all CD firsts.
The Fest Overture to the London World Exhibition (1862)
has all the pomp and glory of the entire British Empire!
The 16 min work concludes with furious variants on the
British national anthem.Festmarsch (1859) for Schiller's
Centenary, another knock'em-dead work similar to march
from Le Prophete. The last 41 minutes of the disc are
devoted to 4 Festive works celebrating Prussian
Royal Weddings. ***** Grab it!!!!
-------------------------------------------
ASV Releases:
DCA 1031 3 Chinese Piano Concertos -- Eileen Huang.
Yellow River, Moon's Reflection, Chinese Youth. One
familiar and two lesser known. *** OK, but your call.
GAU 176 Boyce:4 Ode overtures: The Secular Masque,
King's New Year Ode, St. Cecilia, George III . 72 min.
Nice sounding CD - clean tightly-miked sonics. Handelian,
in sound, includes brass and percussion section. ****
ASV DCA 1013 Kopylov:Sym in C, Scherzo, Concert Ovt.
de Almeida Moscow Sym 70 min. This 1889 symphony
is far less adventurous then say, Tchaikovsky:#5,
sounds a bit dry, formal and not ultra Russian. OK ***
---------------------------------------------------------
Vanguard and Everest CD's:
SVC90 Rimsky-Korsakov:Scheherezade Rossi- V St.O
OCD1023 Brahms:21 Hungarian Dances Rossi- V St.O OVCD1027/1028 Sibelius the tone poems Boult LPO
OVC Bloch:Violin Con, 3 Jewish Poems; Bartok:Rhapsody for Vio. Golschmann-VSO & Mahler-Hartford Sym., Totenberg - violin. All above Vanguard are rated: ***
Everest 9038 Grofe:Grand Canyon and Concerto for Piano. composer- Rochester Phil. Sanroma piano. Recorded 1960. Definitive recording of one of the better 20th Century American works. Grofe's highly personalized readings blow away any of the versions recorded since. Gloriously wide soundstaged stereo sound and expansively slow tempi give the work a magnitude barely hinted at by wretched performances ( Editorial: like those of Maazel,Kunzel, Schwarz or the bland reading by Ormandy). Toscanini made a great case for this work in his 1945 recording using brisker tempos. This work gets the 'Furtwangler' treatment under Grofe and at last, the need for great stereo sound is met. ****
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LaVergne Classics 260745 Latvian Sym-Mikkelsen
Svendsen: Romeo and Juliet, Karneval in Paris,
Norwegian Carnival, Zorahayda, Festival Poloniaise and
Andante Funebre. Muted, distant and with a dull echo,
these uninvolved performances are hardly the best way to
listen to these fine works. This is the kind of dulled
sonics and under-rehearsed playing I would expect from
a Naxos at less then half the cost. What a shame. ***.
--------------------------
Naxos CD's:
Naxos 8.553898 Svendsen:Sym #1 and #2
Engeset cond. Bournemouth Sym. 71 min.
Here you go, current competion is very thin (only Jarvi).
(The NKF Fjeldstad version is no longer in Schwann)
So, this becomes an easy $5.00 investment. Romantic
sounding symphonies, a Norwegian Schumann. ***
Naxos 8.554364/65 Handel:Athalia - Martini cond. Currently
the only version listed in the Schwann (Hogwood is no longer
listed) From a live performance, the version plods a bit and
the German soloists and chorus have less than clean diction.***
Naxos 8.554323 Piano Concertos from the Movies. Fowke piano
O'Duinn - RTE Orch 75 min. **** Here is a good one --includes
some better known works like Addinsell:Warsaw Concerto;
Rozsa: Spellbound; Herrmann:Concerto Macabre; Williams:
Dream of Olwen; Bath:Cornish Rhapsody. Also, includes lesser-
known items like: Beaver:Portrait of Isla; Rota:Glass Mountain;
Bennett:Theme and Waltz; Pennario:Midnight on the Cliffs.
------------------------------------
Two from Claves:
CD 50-9801 Collet: Concerto Flamenco for Piano, Symphonie de l'Alhambra, Concerto Flamenco for Violin (67 min) ***
Sinfonia de Sevilla - Brain - Pasquier, Requejo (soloists). Collet (1885-1951) wrote 3 small-boned but delightful works.
CD 50-9709 Jesus Guridi 1886-1961 10 Melodies for Orchestra, Homage to Walt Disney, An Adventure of Don Quixote, Euzko Irudiak (chorus&orch). Martinez - Euskadiko Orch.76 min. Varied and highly colored works that fall with ease upon the ear. Neo-classical Villa-Lobos. Highly recommended ****
--------------------------------------------
Hyperion CDs:
67030 Magnard:Sym#1 &#2 Ossonce BBC Scottish ***
67040 Magnard Sym#3 &#4 Ossonce BBC Scottish The French
composer who died in 1914 wrote these rather introspective and
slightly gloomy symphonies in a style mixing Franck and Faure.
67059 Kuhnau Sacred Music - King Consort. Great music in the
tradition of the Bach cantatas. Six works - mostly contemplative
(two scored for celebration with brass and percussion).
***66975 Mackenzie:Vio. Con & Pibroch Suite for Vio.& Orch
Stewart (Violin ) Handley-Royal Scottish Orch. 56 min.
Mackenzie (1847-1935) is the Scottish Bruch and writes in a very Romantic style. A Delight ***
67023 Mackenzie:Scottish Piano Concerto and Tovey Piano Concertos. 62 min. Osborne, Brabbins cond BBC Scottish.
Splendid sounding recordings of two very rich and romantic Piano Concertos written near the turn of the century. Rhapsodic listening, highest rating! *****
 
66987 Wallace:The Eumenides, Pelleas and Melisande, Creation Symphony. Brabbins-BBC Scottish Orch. 74min.
A really great surprise! Big-boned works in the tradition of the Bantock series. A bit Wagnerian. The 48 min Creation Symphony, at times, a wall of sound, is profound, compelling and with demonstration quality sonics! ****
-----------------------------------------------
Mostly Film Scores -- Mostly Citadel
Centaur CRC 2367 Film Scores of Max Steiner *****
Barry Kolman-Slovak Phil. Treasure of the Sierre Madre and Charge of the Light Brigade Suites (67 min). Head and shoulders above the normal release both in terms of the quality of material, sound and performance. One of the great scores to perhaps the greatest Warner Brothers film of all time. Lovingly played, rehearsed and put together-- far more satisfying then the average Marco Polo release.
thrown together and conducted by Stromberg. These are full symphonic suites!
Marco Polo 8.223841 Herrmann:Garden of Evil, Prince of Players. Stromberg-Moscow Sym. Garden of Evil is
minor Herrmann consisting of 47 cuts-many 45 seconds - so there is almost no point to it. The 11 minute Prince of Players has a few brief moments among 8 cuts.**1/2*
Citadel 77115 Legendary Hollywood -Hans Salter
Here we go talking about a composer no one cares about and a CD no one will buy. Nearly as good as the previous Citadel of Salter - Wichita Town. Graunke Sym-Graunke . 1966 recording of 'Maya'(30 min) is from near the end of the golden era of 'in your face' stereo! 'Horror Rhapsody Suite'(25min) has Salter himself conducting Son of Frankenstein, Mummy's Hand, Black Friday and Man Made Monster. Salter always gave 110% toward the locale and mood of the film and kept his 'personality' invisible which is why he was a great Hollywood composer! Do me a favor...before you don't buy this one...don't buy the even better Wichita Town release (SCT 77108) first! ****
Citadel STC 77118 Miklos Rozsa - conducts. Private Files of FBI, Lydia & Crisis. 1979 sessions. Peak of Rozsa was long past in this FBI film from 1978. Disappointed **1/2*
Capriccio 10 737 Films of WalterJurmann Arp-WDR Sym. Jurmann was active in Germany and Hollywood during the 30's and 40's. Films represented include: Day at the Races, San Francisco - a dozen more US & German! Night at the Opera - Cosi Cosa is a knockout! *** 1/2*
Citadel 88131 Khachaturian: Ode for Lenin, Poem to Stalin, 3 Concert Arias. State Cinema Sym & Chorus-Mnatsakanov. 56 min. Should all else fail, there are two things you can expect from Khachaturian - LOUD and ANNOYING. All else nearly failed -we get both. ***
-----------------------------------------------
Intuition 3103-2 (Allegro). Composer cond. Hung. State
Opera w. Chorus and Soloists Theodorakis Zorba -The
Ballet. Knock-your-socks-off sound and winning music.
Sorry, waited nearly a year to play this one (it looked
unimportant). Was dead wrong! Try it & see ****
 
 
=============================

 

 
THE UNWANTED OPINION
NEWSLETTER
 
Vol. 3 No. 1 & 2
WINTER / SPRING 1998
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CD'S
 
 
INSIDE
Testament -Testimonials
Marx Brothers-Korngold/Marx
Christian 'Ring' Cycle
Sarasate Set Gone
Czernyng Me On!
A Trip to Coney Island
Mitropoulos COA and VPO
Classy Classic Chopin
Overture Overture Overture
Planets No, Universe Yes
Major Handel Handled
Light Opera Alert
Overture Overture Overture
Hip Hop Mendelssohn Scotch
This is the BBC - Radio
Virtuosic Virtuosi
CPO / Da Capo Happening
VIP- ASV - ASAP
Finnish This Before You Go
More Hyperion Bantock
Sterling Swedish Stuff
Bluebird of Happiness
Dyson: Canterbury Pilgrims
The Sound Of Cinema
======================
The Unwanted Opinion:
CD Reviews You Never Cared Were Written
Published by: Music in the Mail
PO Box 1 Brightwaters, N.Y. 11718
Written by: Joseph Bonfanti
Edited by: Roman Spinner
 
Brief reviews written without the
usual pomp or hubris. Dedicated
to the informed classical collector
who has been disappointed time
after time by reviewers who hate
what you like and like what
you hate!
 
Testament -Testimonials
SBT 1101 Dvorak: Rostropovich and Boult.
80 minutes of earliest Rostropovich EMI stereos including the 1957 Dvorak:Cello Concerto. One of the greatest versions ever recorded. Lusty early stereo. Boult and the RPO kick up a fury. ****
SBT1109 Beethoven: Menuhin, Furtwangler Violin Concerto, Romance #1 and #2 from 1947 and 1953 EMI best sound ever. ****
SBT 1105 Homage to Diaghilev. 77 min.
Fine Igor Markevich includes:Les Sylphides (arr. Douglas), Tommasini:Good-humoured
Ladies,Dukas, deFalla,Ravel,Weber,Debussy
SBT 1127 On Holiday- Rudolf Kempe 79m
Splendid VPO early 60's stereos. Schmidt, Ponchielli,Offenbach,Gluck,Gounod, Bayer:Puppenfee, Schubert: Rosamunde. Saved the best for last: Gotovac:Kolo (if you love Weinberger:Polka - you will love this-- wow!) **** excellent photos & notes.
 
Planets No, Universe Yes* * * *
Langgaard:Music of the Spheres, Four Tone Pictures Chandos 9517 54 min.
Rozhdestvensky Danish Nat. Radio.
Music of the Spheres was written around 1917. If you enjoy Holst's Planets, you've just found a companion work of sorts. This is one far-out work. At one point it depicts the disappearance of earthly forces into the cosmos. From an out-of-this-world perspective, we feel the energy of the "big bang" upon the earth as what must be the longest musical chord ever written is played! Unique- - completely beyond description or review! CD Demo Quality sound Grab it.
Major Handel Handled ***
Hyperion 67241/2 Alexander Balus.
King cond. - Dawson, Denley,George.
Recently two versions of this major 1748 Handel oratorio have emerged.
Hyperion is the only choice. King has his usual fine sound and authentic performance.
 
Sarasate Set Gone!*****
Regis Tro RTAC 010/1/2/3 we have the sinking feeling Qualiton no longer imports this label. They never give us any account support, so who can say for sure. Having played these CDs several times and in so doing failed to get the review into our last issue. Hey, since nobody should read reviews anyway (believe us, you are far better off not reading any!), this review is simply for me. Sarasate: Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra. Gabriel Croitoru, violin, Jacques Bodmer cond. City of Malaga Symphony Orchestra. The sound is the hard unforgiving DDD variety and this is an orchestra even Naxos would reject as third rate. However, these are the most virtuosic, spectacularly vivid, works ever written for violin and orchestra.
Filled with lusty tunes and played with vigor. The musicological term 'kick-ass' comes to mind. These 3 CDs may be out of print! * * * * *
 
The Christian 'Ring' Cycle! ****
Draeseke:Christus Bayer BR 100175/79
We have been putting off hearing this 5CD set for months, never even thought it would rate high enough for a review. Felix Draeseke's (1835-1913) "Tragic" Symphony was on an early Urania LP. He was a very romantic composer who uses a conservative Brahmsian orchestral force, choir and vocalists in Christus. The work is very moving, his tone seems cleaner and purer than Brahms. Sorry to report, nice sound and playing (Ouch!! A five CD set).
Highly recommended. * * * *
 
Marx Brothers-Korngold/Marx 65min
Hyperion 66990 Hamelin, Vansky BBC
Mark:Concerto in E and Korngold: Concerto in C. Hard to tell where one piano concerto ends
and other begins- -Joseph Marx (1882-1964) a style similar to Korngold. So-so **
 
 
Mitropoulos COA and VPO
Orfeo 458 971 Strauss:Zarathustra and Brahms:Sym #3.* * * * Mengelbergian readings from the former conductor's Amsterdam forces. A '58 Zarathustra and #3 Brahms that make expansive seem like a very small word!
Orfeo 457 971 Berlioz:Requiem (80min.) Simoneau, VPO '56 with
Mitropoulos. Excellent sound...and a 'really big' performance ****
Orfeo 456 927 (2 CD set) Strauss: Elektra with Mitropoulos - Madeira, Borkh, Della Casa, Lorenz, Bohme
One of the most dramatic Elektras. Great VPO, fine '57 sound ***
 
Hip Hop Mendelssohn Scotch
Orfeo d'Or 277 921 Argenta VSO
These 1954 recordings bear witness to a remarkable talent cut short at age 44 . Ataulfo Argenta left us a few remarkable London recordings. This Vienna Sym. concert is in absolute high fidelity. A fiercely driven Mendelssohn Sym:#3 (not without great inflection and warmth in the Adagio). The DeFalla is thrilling and really Spanish, a powerful Don Juan that ranks with Toscanini and Reiner. How I wince when I see someone ordering a Naxos recording of basic orchestral repertory (symphonies that had been recorded by great conductors). Well, I suppose that is better then buying one at full price that has been done by Ozawa or Haitink. People are confused, the Naxos seems just as good as a 90's version on full priced DG (in fact, it nearly is!). Sorry, the answer is usually found in HI-FI Mono or Early STEREO recordings. The solution has names too: Toscanini, Walter, Furtwangler, Munch, Paray, Reiner, Scherchen, Stokowski, etc., etc. * * * * *
 
A Trip To Coney Island
Dorian 80153 New Columbian Band
Discriptive Overtures and Scenes from the 1880's thru 1910. Large works describing everything from
a Day at Coney Island to the Battle of San Juan Hill. 61 minutes of stylish symphonic band music from an era almost completely forgotten. Great nostalgia - great fun! ***
 
Light Opera Alert
I realize the lines at Tower are backed up nearly 4 blocks to get the word on the latest Victor Herbert and Sousa releases- - hope this relieves some of the public pressure.
Herbert:Eileen -Newport 85615/2
The 1917 comic opera gets its first recording. The Ohio Light Opera performs. Singing ranges from almost none to some. The orchestra is thin and far too small. The pity is the music is excellent, in fact first-rate. It is a national shame that not one complete, professional recording of any Herbert opera is available. Andrew Carnegie: "My idea of heaven is to be able to sit and listen to all the music of Victor Herbert that I want to". Highly recommended since the Callas/Toscanini version is not scheduled for first release until 2017! * * * *
Sousa:El Capitan *** Zephyr Z110-97-2
Sousa:Desiree AMDEC AMTC 101 ***
The two Sousa light operas (one a 2CDset) are distributed thru Albany. Regional solo and orchestra performances are a bit better than the Herbert but the music a bit less so! Best part of El Capitan is still the march!
Romberg:Student Prince Jay cdJAY2 1252 John Owen Edwards cond. Philharmonia Orch and Ambrosian Chorus (2 CD set)Bailey, Hill Smith, Montague.
This in an excellent English version of the Romberg classic. What a delight to hear it done with real soloists, chorus and symphony orchestra. If only the even better Herbert had shared this same fate! * * *
 
 
Classy Classic Chopin ****
Vanguard SVC-60 Chopin:Piano Concerto #1 and Schumann: Overture, Scherzo and Finale. 54 min. Chopin playing from the era of romanticism, captured in wall-to-wall early stereo. In short, a dream come true. Recorded in 1961, the 80-year-old Rosina Lhevinne gives a last glimpse of 19th century piano playing before 20th century stereo microphones. John Barnett (a student of Weingartner) conducts the National Orchestral Association. Very good Schumann too.
 
Czernyng Me On!
(see our Spring '97 issue for the * * * * * rated Czerny:Piano Concerto& Sym.#2 on Signum X78-00) Czerny: Sym. # 1 and Sym. #5 Signum X89-00 Frankfurt St. Orchestra-Athinaos cond. Another must- have CD if you enjoy symphonies nearly as great as those of Beethoven. Great sound and performance...nuffsaid. * * * * *
 
Overture Overture Overture
Schwann 314442 Bader - Cracow Phil.
Moniuszko: Overtures and Dances.
This is the prize of the batch. Irresistable music by the premier 19th Century Polish opera composer. One dance for joy after the next! Halka, Bajka, Straszny Dwor, Verbum Nobile, Paria, Hrabina and more * * * * *
 
 
Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny (1729-1817) De Plein Vent MO 195 (Qualiton)
Lajouanique cond. Cote d'Opale Ens.
Very lively, energizing works in the late classical style. Violins a bit off tone, excellent sound, 'in your face' miking ***
 
Mayr: Overtures Cetra NFCD 2020
Renzetti cond. Bergamo Orch. Sisara, Il Segreto, Ginevra di Scozia, and 6 more World premieres of many great overtures by the 'German Rossini'. Good sound* * * *
JC Bach Ovt. Vol. 1 CPO 9991292
JC Bach Ovt. Vol. 2 CPO 9994882
Hanover Band - Halstead cond. More music by JC Bach is out on CD than ever made LP and is a delight to continue to discover more of his areas of talent. Each CD explores 8 or 9 overtures. Delightfully tuneful affairs in the style of say mid-Haydn. Lively and joyfully performed.***
 
 
This is the BBC - Radio- in Stereo
Bliss: Vio. Con and Lady of Shalott Ballet
15656 91842 - Bliss, Campoli BBC Sym.
Major Bliss including first recording of his ballet. Excellent sound from 1968 ***
Shostakovitch:Sym#12, Lady Macbeth Mussorgsky: Songs (orch. Markevitch)
Philharmonia Rozhdestvensky and LSO Markevitch (Vishnevskaya) 15656 91832
**** Speaker popping performance of the Shostakovitch #12. Start a revolution in your living room. Plus rare Markevitch.
 
Nielsen:Sym#4 and Sibelius:Sym#5
Barbirolli - Halle 15656 91882 * * * * *
Sir John breaks the timpanic sound barrier in the Nielsen: Sym #4 and the 'flip side' contains the most persuasive performance of the Sibelius:Sym #5 on CD. A must have.
 
Arnold: 75th Birthday Tribute 15656 91817
Here is a solidly packed 2 CD set including: Viola Con. Song of Simeon, Fair Field Ovt., Fantasy for Piano, 5 Blake Songs, Horn Con. , Sinfonietta, 2 Violin Con., Cornish Dances, Peterloo Ovt. Arnold cond. Hurry, set may not be here too long. ****
 
 
Virtuosic NBC Virtuosi
For sheer intensity of playing, no orchestra ever matched the NBC Symphony.. They were especially driven into a unique frenzied unison during the 1938 thru 1945 era under Toscanini. Back then 100 men could play as one. This is music making from a lost era.
 
Brahms: 4 Symphonies M&A 995 Legendary 1942/43 cycle on 2 CDs.
The most intense Brahms cycle ever captured. Sound is crisp, tight and close. Bass is a bit thin with slight disc noise. Warning: there are afterburners attached to #1. * * * *
Tchaikovsky: Manfred, Voyevoda Ovt., Tempest, Piano Con. #1 and Sym #6 (1940-44 era). M&A 956
2-CD set in fine near hi-fi sound with full bass. The concerto with Horowitz is from 4/19/41. * * * *
 
The next three releases are Iron Needle - The source of their original tapes, but it is much better then any of the other Italian pirate labels.
Mozart: Sym #29 (NY Phil '34); Sym #38 ('39), Bassoon Con ('47)
The '34 recording has very good sound! Iron Needle 1400 * * *
Bach: Brandenburg #2, Passacaglia and Fugue (arr. Respighi), Toccata and Fugue (arr. Wood), Haydn:Sym. #31,Vivaldi:Con. Grosso Recording from 1936-38 with one exception.
Perhaps the best Brandenburg #2 and Haydn #31 you will ever hear.
Iron Needle 1397 * * *
Mussorgsky:Pictures (1938) and Dukas: Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (1947)
This is the finest Mussorgsky on CD. Even better then either the later Toscanini or Reiner. Barbaric and filled with impressionistic magic.
Sound is near hi-fi. Dukas is first- rate music as well.
Iron Needle 1389 * * * * *
 
Bluebird of Happiness - **** The voice of Jan Peerce. Pearl 9297 Rare early 1930s recordings document his rise to fame as the favorite tenor of Toscanini. Many light classic delights- two Bluebirds!
 
VIP- ASV - ASAP
Addinsell: Sea Devils, Blithe Spirit, Greengage Summer, Invocation, Under Capricorn, Out of the Clouds, UN March, Lion Has Wings, Warsaw Concerto, etc. Alwyn Royal Ballet Orch. * * * *
Glorious CD spotlights the career of one of the most important English film composers of the 1940s & 1950s. ASV WHL 2108
Coates:Sweet 16, Summer Afternoon, Impressions of a Princess, Coquette, Greenland, Mirage, Unknown Singer, etc. Nearly 80 minutes of previously unavailable Coates! BBC Orch. - Wilson * * * *
 
Khachaturian:FilmMusic-Tjeknavorian c.
Pepo, Undying Flame, Secret Mission, Prisoner #217, Admiral Ushakov. Music from forgotten Soviet films vintage 1934 - 1956. Cuts are usually about 3 minutes in duration, just OK. ASV DCA 966 **1/2*
 
Kolessa:Sym.#1, Skoryk:Hutsul Tryptich, Carpathian Con. ASV 963 (66min)
The Kolessa Symphony from 1950 is a nice conservative work. Glazounov in a rural mood. Skoryk offers nothing. ** l/2*
 
Gliere:Taras Bulba, Stankovych:Rasputin.**1/2* (by itself the Gliere is ****!)
Odessa Phil -Earle.ASV DCA 988
This late Gliere ballet(1952) is entertaining and the suite is lighter in mood than you might imagine (given the subject matter). The Stankovych from 1990 offers nothing ... wasting the remainder of the CD with a junk fill.
 
More Hyperion Bantock ****
Bantock:Sappho and Sapphic Poem
Bickley, J.Lloyd Webber (cello) , Handley - Royal Phil. Hyperion CDA 66899
Another great installment in the Bantock series on Hyperion. Sappho may be the most compelling English song cycle ever written. Demonstration quality sound and played with resounding authority.
 
Dyson:Canterbury Pilgrims * * * *
Chandos 9531 2 CD set (118 min)
Kenny, Tear; Hickox - London Sym
George Dyson (1883-1964) traditionalist.
Features the lengthy oratorio/ choral work Canterbury Pilgrims (1930) and the short In Honor of the City (1928). Pilgrims is among of the great English choral works of the 20th Century. If you like Vaughan Williams you should greatly enjoy this set. Great sounding CD. Highly recommended.
 
 
That Stockholm Frenchman
Dupuy:Youth & Folly 2 CD * * *
MarcoP 8.224066/67 Written in 1806, this
Singspiel is filled with tasteful merriment. Aria upon aria. (Sorry, no choruses or ballet to break it up.) Schonwandt cond.
 
 
Finnish This Before You Go
Horneman:Aladdin Ballet, Esther, Kalanus, Struggle with the Muses Suite, Gurre-Suite.
Aalborg Sym -Hughes. BIS 749 (60 min.)
Horneman (1840-1906) was one of the best Romantic Danish composers. This CD contains several firsts. If you like Grieg you should have a blast with this disc.****
 
Sibelius: Wood-Nymph, Lonely Ski-Trail, Swanwhite, & melodrama Wood-Nymph.
Lahti Sym.- Vanska 63 min BIS 815 ****
Wood-Nymph is major Sibelius - as fine as En Saga. Swanwhite is complete 14 cuts.
Essential listening. Good performances.
 
Sibelius: Karelia - - complete, Kuolema.
Lahti Sym- Vanska 76 min BIS 815 ****
First complete Karelia (50 min) and Kuolema (25 min) incidental music. Only complete version. Good performance - if not quite Beecham, Barbirolli or Collins levels.
 
Klami:Sym. #1, King Lear Ovt.Ondine 854
Tampere Phil.- Ollila 58 min. * * *
The Sym.#1 from 1937 is lyrical and at times British-sounding. Think Walton #1!
Klami:Adventures on Saari Island, Cobblers on the Heath, Karelian Rhapsody, Karelian Market Place, In the Belly of Vipunen 58min Finnish Radio Sym - Oramo. Ondine 859. This stuff ranges from gaunt Finnish to slightly playful. Just OK. * * 1/2*
 
 
Sterling Swedish Stuff
Jarnefelt:Ovt. Lyrique, Korsholm, Berceuse, Praeludium, The Crimson Flower and the Promised Land incidental music. 63 min.* * * *
Gavle Sym.- Koivula Sterling 1021
A first CD devoted to Armas Jarnefelt (1869-1958), a late romantic composer of colorful lighter-textured works. Very highly recommended. Much to enjoy here.
Hallstrom:Bride of the Mountain King * * *1/2
Sterling 1001/2 122 min (2 CDs).
Umea Sym, Norrland Opera Choir- Hacker. Excellent sound and orchestral balance. This Romantic opera from 1874 has a harmonic style somewhere between Gounod and Grieg. The 25 sections provide a very good amount of musical pleasure.
Bengtsson:Vettern,Sym.#1, 3 Tone Pictures * * 1/2*
Sterling 1008 Gavle Sym.-Liljefors. 57 min
Bengtsson (1886-1965)- - -works of limited range by a minor romantic composer. Not very... exciting sort of a Swedish Max Reger!
 
 
CPO / Da Capo Happening
The full-priced Naxos labels CPO and DaCapo Marco Polo offer exciting discoveries of unknown music from all periods.
Lange-Muller: Once Upon a Time * * * * 1/2*
Schonwandt - Danish Radio 67 min
Da Capo 8.2240484. Written in
1884 this delightful work at times sounds like Elgar in his lightest youthful moments or Grieg. First- rate enchantment.
 
M. Haydn: Zaire, Notturni for Orch.
Goritzki - Deutsche Neuss Orch.
CPO 999 512 55 min.
At last you can retire that ancient Westminster LP. Zaire, 28 min. of incidental music is a lively affair scored for "Turkish" instrumentation (cymbal, bass drum etc). The notturni are shorter and reminiscent of a Mozart serenade. * * *
 
Lovenskiold: La Sylphide * * * *
Damgaard - Danish Radio (61 min.) CPO 999 520. This 1836 ballet is similar in spirit and sound to the French school, like Adam: Giselle. Light and fleet-footed, flowing from one graceful delight to the next. Very highly recommended.
 
Hamerik:Sym. #1 "Poetic", Sym #2 "Tragic". DaCapo 8.224076 74 min.
Denmark's Asger Hamerik wrote these symphonies during his US stay as director of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore (1871-98). Hard to pin down in style, they have a classic Schubertian drive with a hint of the harmonic structure of early Wagner. These are really fine, highly enjoyable works. * * * *
 
Rolle: Christmas Oratorio (48 min.) * * * *
L. Remy - Telemann Orch., choir, soloists. CPO 999 514
Written in 1769, this oratorio started by knocking my socks off with a highly spirited overture scored with trumpets and drums, sounding much like a heaven-storming Handel. The work contains many fine arias, emotive ensambles and inspiring choruses. Johann Heinrich Rolle (1716-1785)..who knew he was this good? (not me!) Could not imagine a better performance.
 
Lehar: Symphonic Works (70 min.)
Seibel-NDR Radio CPO 999 423
Tatjana: Preludes and Russian Dances; Fieber (Tone Poem), Il Guado (Symphonic Poem for Piano and Orch.), Concerto for Violin and Orch., Donaulegenden, etc.
Glowing, transparent, highly romantic symphonic works from the famed Merry Widow composer. Lehar's magical textures sound like a blend of Korngold and Siegfried Wagner. Highly Recommended ****1/2*
 
 
Siegfried Wagner: Concerto for Violin, Kobold, Concertino for Flute, Die heilige Linde, The Fairy Tale About the Big Fat Pancake CPO 999 427 (52 min) ***1/2*
Siegfried Wagner: Symphony in C (1925), Ekloge (after Liszt) CPO 999 531 (60 min)
These may be the final two volumes in the CPO series devoted to Siegfried Wagner. The other volumes have all been awarded our highest rating (see past issues of the Unwanted Opinion). In fact, we consider this CPO series and the Bantock series on Hyperion as the starting point to judge our reviews by. If you don't like the previous issues of the Siegfried Wagner or Bantock then our reviews could perhaps be used as a guide not to buy our highest recommended items. This is not in itself a bad thing. Many reviewers in other publications whose tastes are so contrary can be used as a gauge to be wary of buying something they do recommend. Above all the other arts, music needs to be heard, not talked about! Sounds perverse, but as you know the U.O. is!
Back to Siegfried Wagner, the Violin Concerto is 25 minutes and if you enjoy the harmonic language of the Bruch Concerto you should enjoy this one, which is lighter in texture. Of particular delight is the 'Big Fat Pancake' with nearly as much innocent joy as in 'Hansel and Gretel'. * * * 1/2*
Siegfried Wagner's Symphony is optimistic Bruckner or Pfitzner with a slight grin. Serious, of course, but at 47 minutes in length it never gets to ponder over itself too long. Unbounded flat-footed joyous dancing in the 3rd movement Rondo. "There in no man in the sun as happy as I". The symphony ends with a grand finale Bruckner could be proud of. Most enjoyable and uplifting * * * *
 
 
 
The Sound Of Cinema
Legendary Hollywood *****Rozsa: The World, the Flesh & the Devil, Because of Him, Young Bess, Sodom and Gomorrah, Story of Three Loves, Festival Flourish.Citadel STC 7711 R. Padberg-Royal Phil.- -E. Bernstein-Utah.
 
CD contains material from two other CDs recorded around 1984. 17-minute Young Bess Suite is one of the greatest recordings you will ever hear of one of the most moving scores ever written. If you thrill to the pomp & unstoppable organ momentum of Strauss: Festival Prelude, the finale of Young Bess should leave you breathless. Sonic dynamite done in a unique pseudo-Renaissance style with an end title theme so beautiful it nearly kills. (Albany) (55 min.)
 
Steiner: King Kong complete (73min.) Stromberg-Moscow Sym. MPolo 8.223763
Great to have every note of the beast on CD. Unfortunately the older LP/CD version with Fred Steiner had far better sound, tons of atmosphere&idiomatic playing.* * 1/2*
 
Newman:Hunchback of Notre Dame.Stromberg-Moscow Sym. MPolo 8.223750
At last, 40 minutes from one of the greatest film scores ever written. Revel again at hearing the choral Hallelujah performed. One of the most epic and life-affirming music scores ever written. Nice to have it on a CD. Yes, it could have far more gusto & be more idiomatic. With: All About Eve and Beau Geste suites. * * * 64 min.
 
Rozsa: Lost Weekend (34 min), Double Indemnity (27 min) , The Killers (12 min). Koch 373752 72 min. * * * *
Sedares - New Zealand Sym. Good sound.
A film noir triple feature. Perhaps the three greatest noir music scores ever written. Again the forces involved are far removed from the feel of the Hollywood sound stage, but the music itself gets the highest marks.
 
Friedhofer: Adventures of Marco Polo, The Lodger, Rains of Ranchipur, Seven Cities of Gold. 75 min. M.Polo 8.223857 William T. Stromberg - Moscow Sym.
Wow, a CD devoted to the music of Hugo Friedhofer who in his early career scored for Korngold at Warner Brothers. Soon he was able to write his own scores. Short on melody, his neo-classsical style makes him the Hindemith of Hollywood. * *
========================
THE UNWANTED OPINION NEWSLETTER
Vol. 2 No. 4
SUMMER 1997
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CD'S
INSIDE
THE SZYMANOWSKI SCHEME
WEANING ON WIENIAWSKI
DEALING 80 OF DELIUS
CALLING KULLERVO
3 FROM DELOS
KEMPFF THE COMPOSER
HUBBA HUBBA HUBER *****
SOME OLD DANISH
NEW Improved CHADWICK
WHAT'S UP DOC?
SCHARWENKA Concertos
TOP HISTORIC CARL NIELSEN
MORE POWER TO US*****
NO MORE HAYDN FROM US
MORE THAN JUST A SCHERZO
ZEMLINSKY:OPERA SAREMA
WATER MUSIC WITH CHORUS
BUNDLES FOR BRITTEN !
GLIERE EN AT YOU AGAIN!
MORE GADE A GETS ****
GREAT ZEUS Russian Greek GOD
NEAPOLITAN PERFECTION
Remember RIISAGER *****
======================
The Unwanted Opinion:
CD Reviews You Never Cared Were Written
Published by:
Music in the Mail - P.O. Box 1
Brightwaters, N.Y. 11718
Written by: Joseph Bonfanti
Edited by: Roman Spinner
 
Brief reviews written without the
usual pomp or hubris. Dedicated
to the informed classical collector
who has been disappointed time
after time by reviewers who hate
what you like and like what
you hate!
THE SZYMANOWSKI SCHEME
Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) on 5 Naxos CDs:
+Naxos 8.553685 Violin Con.#1 , #2 59min Nocturne&Tarantella-Kulka, Stryja -Polish St.
+Naxo 8.553686 Harnasie, Mandragora, Etude for Orch. Op.4 Stryja-Polish State Or. 58 min
+Naxos 8.553683 Symphony: #1 , #2 55min
Polish State Philharmonic Orch - Karol Stryja
+Naxos 8.553688 Szymanowski: Songs with Orchestra Minkiewicz, Zagorzanka - Stryja Polish State Philharmonic (Katowice) 70 min
+Naxos 8.553684 Symphony: #3 "Song of the Night" and Symphony:#4 "Symphonie Concertante"; Concert Overture op. 12
Zmudzinski, piano; K. Stryja cond. 64 min.
Here is a simple $25 solution to knocking off a composer forever from your CD want list! Five CDs of just about all the orchestral and concert music of Szymanowski you may ever need, nicely performed and very well recorded.
Szymanowski is sort of a Polish Scriabin, with lots of chromatic meanderings and yearnings and very few solid resolutions. He should be much in vogue today. Among his best known works is the 'Symphonie Concertante', a symphony (in fact #4 ) for piano and orchestra, which was popularized during the middle of this century by Artur Rubinstein. This 1932 work sounds like something concocted for a 1940's Hollywood film about an aspring young composer wanting to hear his work played at Carnegie Hall by Artur Rubinstein! Lots of scales and key punching but few 'tunes.' On this same CD is his 'Song of the Night' (Symphony #3) for tenor solo, chorus and orchestra. It conjures up the dreamy evening, in what at times is perfect music for a 'film noir' nightmare montage sequence from the same above film! The little known Concert Overture concludes this disc and this youthful work has Straussian (even Korngoldian) enthusiasiam not unlike Don Juan. Naxos 8.553684 ****
+ His fairly well known Violin Concertos have their moments and this CD includes his little known Nocturne and Tarantella (more former then latter). Naxos 8.553685 +The Songs with Orchestra disc includes 3 Songs after a poem by Kasprowicz; Love Songs; Songs of the Infatuated Muezzin; Songs of a Fairy-Tale Princess and Roxana's Song. Many songs demonstrate the composer's lush attempts at exoticism. Naxos 8.553688.
+The earlier Szymanowski Symphonies #1 & #2 have some interesting moments, including the rather odd Fuga that concludes the Sym.#2. Naxos 8.553683
+The last disc contains a late period major work, the ballet Harnasie, a weird mixture for tenor solo, chorus (yes, again!) with orchestra. Nearly 30 minutes of highly animated chromaticism looking for a lamp post to rest against. Madragora, written in 1920 (guess what, it has a tenor solo!) is a sort of a droopy 'Petrushka' without cute tunes. The CD concludes with the very rarely performed Etude for Orchestra in Bflat Minor op. 4. Naxos 8.553686 ***
WEANING ON WIENIAWSKI
Naxos 8.553517 Wieniawski: Violin Concertos: #1 and #2; Fantasie Brilliante on Gounod's 'Faust' Marat Bisengaliev, Anton Wit cond. Polish Radio Sym. 71 min.
A nice disc devoted to the 19th Century (1835-1880) composer of several highly virtuosic violin works. Bisengaliev does a good job (his approach is similar to the classic Heifetz version of the #2 Concerto) and Witts accompaniment is lively. The rarely recorded 'Faust' is a feast of nearly 20 minutes of old fashioned fun, akin to a Liszt operatic piano transcription but Wieniawski scored his for violin and orchestra! ****
 
DEALING 80 OF DELIUS
Naxos 8.553535 Delius: Florida Suite; Over the Hills and Far Away, Idylle Printemps; La Quadroone; Scherzo; 'Koanga' Final Scene. David Lloyd-Jones conducts the English Northern Phil. 80 minutes
This is a disc devoted to early works (all late19th century) by the great Frederick Delius. Sir Thomas Beecham was not and can never be
rivaled as the Delius interpreter. The only way you can truly understand Delius is his totality is thru the Beecham recordings - - - all of them! This disc is among the better non-Beecham compilations. The Florida Suite is quite good (Beecham is of course a revelation- - - compare versions in the third movement. At 5 minutes in on the Naxos we hear the section which was far more brilliantly depicted in the stereo Beecham recording: the excited plantation workers are anticipating the approach of a passing sidewheel powered steamboat. It approaches and as it passes, its great wheel tears up the surface of the calm river waters. As it rounds the bend in the river, the water now quietly undulates. The lily pads floating on the water begin to settle down and we can feel the sun bouncing off the surface of the again calm waters). At least there is a sense of the steamboat in the Naxos version (Lloyd-Jones has closely followed the Beecham tempos).
The disc also has a fine Koanga scene (Big and bold like Sir Thomas did). In addition, we have several rarities: Spring Idyll, La Quadroone and Scherzo. Great ****
NEW Improved CHADWICK
Reference RR 74CD Chadwick:Suite Symphonique; Aphrodite; Elegy-Jose Serebrier cond Czech State Phil. 73 min **** The last Reference Chadwick had poor shallow sonics and very unidiomatic playing - hey guys it's not Dvorak! Thank God for the Hanson version! Things have improved, especially the sonics and these are CD firsts of fine works. The 1910 Suite even has a hint of ragtime syncopation and the 29 min symphonic poem 'Aphrodite' had wide dramatic reach, big climaxes and this time the bass drum even has bass!! Talk about an engineer waking up to smell the coffee!
CALLING KULLERVO ***
Naxos 8.553756 Sibelius: Kullervo Symphony for Soprano, Baritone Chorus and Orchestra op.7(73 min) J.Panula - Turku Phil.
Since there has never been and most likely won't ever be, a definitive Kullervo (Sir John, Sir Thomas, Collins, Toscanini etc. are all gone). This is the battle of Pygmy vs. Pygmy. The latest Pygmy on the block has done a might good job knocking off most of the other ones like Jarvi, Salonen, and Segerstram. The EMI with Berglund (who recorded this work twice) offers a bit more insight, a better articulated Sibelius (with more responsive playing), brighter, more forward sound, better choral balance. This is one of the very best works Sibelius ever wrote, it has only had about 6 versions
on LP and CD! The Berglund EMI is good but it isn't twice as good as the Naxos. Hey, this is a five dollar CD-- grab it! Fall in love with a neglected masterpiece.
3 FROM DELOS Delos has improved its
sound a bit- they call it VR2 - Virtual Reality Recording, wish we could call it Living Stereo or Living Presence (we should be so lucky). It is better, not as distant, not as dark, still low in volume. Violins don't have full gloss.
+DELOS DE 3196 Tchaikovsky: 1812 Ovt.; Sleeping Beauty; Voyevoda; Moscow Cantata.Dallas Sym. Choir, Soloists - Litton
The 1812 is slow (over 16 min) chanting chorus at beginning and end is nice. Much better than Telarc. Need canons get Dorati. Need a version, get Scherchen, Reiner, or blow you mind with the Stereo EMI Sir Adrian Boult version if you can find it. (Just revealed one of the best kept secrets in the history of recorded music!). The CD wastes 40 min. on a useless Sleeping Beauty suite and a poorly articulated Voyevoda. The reason to review this CD is the Moscow: Coronation Cantata The competition is thin and it is a Litton win (was that poetry?). Nice warm choral forces, very decent orchestra. The soloists are even Russian. It's great to have a good version available - it only took about 125 years! ***
+DELOS 3178 Gliere: Symphony #2 and Red Poppy Suite. Zdenek Macal conducts the New Jersey Symphony 72 min. ****
This is the best Stereo version of the Gliere Second available. It has more drive, thrust, energy and Russian tone then the limp, slightly bloated Downes on Chandos. Too bad the Delos filler is the Red Poppy suite (in an above average performance). ****
+DELOS 3166 Music of Morton Gould: Cinerama Holiday; World War I ; Concerto Grosso from Audubon ballet; Holocaust; Formations Marching Suite; Pavanne
G. Schwarz Seattle Sym. 61 min.
What talent the late Morton Gould had. Came as close to doing it all as well as anyone this century. Here is a look at his mid-range 'serious' side. The CD is mostly snippets from many works, a pity. It serves to remind us of the range of Gould's talents, Some unusual items here make it a buy for the dedicated collector of one of the top dozen American musicians of the 20th century. How many others could arrange, conduct or play a piano as well as Mr. Gould? OK, well Lenny could. ***
HUBBA HUBBA HUBER *****
STERLING 1022 Hans Huber: 'Der Simplicius' and 'Lustspiel' Overtures; Symphony #2 'Bocklin-Symphonie' 62min
Jorg-Peter Weigle - Stuttgarter Phil.
What a great discovery this disc is! Music by a great but forgotten late 19th century Swiss composer. Hans Huber (1852-1921) wrote in a style resembling a Germanic Dvorak. The first two works are lengthy overtures. They bubble over with tuneful excitement, pomp, melody and merryment. One could and should listen to them again and again. The Symphony #2 (written in 1900) is an unconventional symphony. The final movement dubbed Metamorphosen, is actually in 8 sections, inspired by images from the great painter Arnold Bocklin. A 15 minute 'Pictures at an Exhibition' depicts everything from quiet scenes of nature to Prometheus and ends in a wild Bacchanale. Truly a great symphony which can sweep you away, cuddle you in a fond embrace or joyfully bounce you on it's knee. Solid sound, warmly played. Grab it. *****
TCHAIKOVSKY SEASONS ORCH.
Chandos 9514 Tchaikovsky: The Seasons and Mozartiana Suite. Jarvi - Detroit Sym
Nearly 44 minutes of this CD is devoted to a CD first, an orchestration of The Seasons by Tchaikovsky. The version used was done by the esteemed conductor A. Gauk. Originally 12 works for piano (each piece depicted a month). Another great sounding Chandos. This could be one of their final Detroit recordings, pity. ***
WHATS UP DOC?
ERNST VON DOHNANYI
+Hungaroton 31637 Dohnanyi: Suite in F; Symphonic Minuets; Konzertstuck.Vasary-Budapest (72m)
+Hungaroton: Piano Concertos #1,#2 Baranyay, Gyorivanyi-Rath Budapest Sym (77 min)
+CPO 999308 Dohnanyi:Violin Concerto #1; American Rhapsody.
Wallin, Francis- Frankfurt (59min)
+The Hungarian composer Ernst Dohnanyi (1877-1960) is more than the Johnny One Note composer of Variations on a Nursery Tune. His Suite in F Sharp op.19 had a bit of impish delight to it. Konzertstuck for Cello and Orchestra is filled with lyrical romance, like a Korngold work. The orchestral version of the Symphonic Minuets is a delicate transformation of his miniatures for piano. Nicely played and recorded by homeland forces that know style.***
+The two piano Concertos were written nearly 50 years apart, 1899 - 1947. The second concerto is an old man's look at lost romanticism. The first is the work of a young 19th century virtuoso, trying to make his mark. Fine playing, nice recording by Hungarian Radio. ***
The CPO CD has two very different works by Dohnanyi. The violin concerto written in 1920 and the American Rhapsody written in 1953. Dohnanyi spent the last decade of his life teaching in the US. The Violin concerto sounds like a cross between those of Bruch and Busoni. The American Rhapsody has variants of many American anthems and folk tunes in it, done in a very subtle way. The finale includes an Irish jig. In many ways, it is a final look at his Hungarian folk roots. It sounds like the orchestra was not exactly over rehearsed. The playing a bit patchy at times. Sound is OK. ***
SCHARWENKA Concertos
Collins 14852 Xavier Scharwenka
Piano Con.# 2, # 3 (78 min) *** Tanyel, Strugala - Hannover Radio.
Truly great romantic works, hurt by fairly laid back, distantly recorded, unheroic, limp performances. ***
KEMPFF THE COMPOSER
Koch 3-1593-2 Kempff: Totentanz; Arcadian & Positano Suites (60min)
Steinfatt (piano)Albert-Munich Sym
Legendary pianist Wilhelm Kempff was a budding composer with a fairly eclectic style like Busoni, who admired his works. Totentanz is a piano concerto for chorus, strings and mixed percussion in 9 movements. The Arcadian Suite and the Positeano Suites are both neo-Baroque in style. OK at best. ***
 
SOME OLD DANISH ** 1/2*
Danacord 370-371 Danish Symphonies of the Late Romantic Period (2cd set 55 , 62 min)
Louis Glass (1864-1936) 'Wheel of Life' Sym (rec.1957); Rudolph Simonsen (1889-1947) Hellas Sym (rec. 1954); Hakon Borresen (1876-1954) Sea Symphony (rec.1954); Herman Sandby (1881-1965) Symphony #4 (rec. 1956) Danish Radio - Launy Grondahl.
The Borresen Sea Symphony is Romantic, tonal and very classical in style. This despite the fact each movement is programatic: Surf, Summer, Tragedy, Yachting. The Sandby
Symphony: #4 seems quite mundane.
Louis Glass: 'Wheel of Life" was written around the time of the Nielsen #4. It could be a distant cousin. The first movement: 'Day's Work' is full of life and seemingly productive energies. Shadows' depict ghostly dreams; 'Rest' is a melodic nocturne; 'Dawn' brings the entire 'Wheel of Life' back to an new beginning. The Simonsen work is an homage to Ancient Greece. Nielsen-like but dissonant, exotic modes conjure up images of a vanished culture. The last movement 'Pallas Athene' depicts with fanfare that past greatness. Ultimately, you can live without it and this set. Fair Hi Fi sound with thin bass.
 
 
TOP HISTORIC CARL NIELSEN
Dutton 4001 Carl Nielsen : Symphony #2 and #4 . Danish Radio. Jensen & Grondahl.
Two of the earliest recordings of Nielsen Symphonies and still among the very best. 'The Four Temperaments" with Jensen dates from HMV 1947 and sounds just fine."The Inextinguishable" with Grondahl dates from 1951 and is a taped Hi-Fidelity HMV performance that can rival the best. These recordings serve as an encyclopedia of understanding just what Nielsen can and should sound like. In many ways, these touchstone recordings are still the starting point to enjoying Nielsen. (68 min) ****
THATS ALL FUCHS! (Qualiton)
Thorofon CTH 2268 Symphony: #1 and #2 (67 min) Vol. 2 Mussauer - Moravian Phil.
Thorofon CTH 2260 Symphony: #3 ; Overture: The Waves of the Sea and Love Vol. 1 (75 min) Mussauer - Moravian Phil.
Robert Fuchs (1847-1927) is billed as 'The Lost Romantic.' Unknown today, his famed pupils included Mahler, Sibelius, Schmidt, Wolf, etc. His works are in the late Brahms tradition of Romanticism but his textures are lighter and scherzos have more bounce (like Mendelssohn). Well worth a listen. The orchestra plays quite well. ***
MORE GADE GETS ****
CPO 999 426 GADE/HARTMANN: A Folk Tale Damgaard -Danish Radio (2cd set)
Here is the 3 Act version of the famed 1858 Danish ballet (98 min). Acts 1 and 3 are by Gade. Here is great ballet music not unlike Adam:Giselle (and of equal quality). Loving lyrical themes (instumental solos), delicate lighthearted leaping tunes, dramatic moods and moments. Very enjoyable, fine sound .
BELCHING BLECHINGER ***
KOCH DISCOVER 920461 Alexander Blechinger: Song of the Constitution 67min Oratorio for Choir, Soloists and Orchestra
If I knew what to make of this, you would be the first to know! This is a cross between a Bernstein Broadway Show like 'Candide' and Hanson: Song of Democracy (not anywhere as good as either!) Clumsy dialogue between sections of lyrical lyrics.
Most based on text of the US Constitution.
Orchestra is amateurish - - some of the singers may improve when they graduate from high school! A real curio, but for a $5.00 CD, its worth a try. Get your kids
to sing the Constitution! The final section 'We, the People' sounds like the composer turned the song "Three Little Fishes in an Itty Bitty Pool" into a hymn! Actually this thing is growing on me...stop me before I give it more then *** stars.
RADIANT ROZSA ****
KOCH 3-7379-2 Miklos Rozsa : Violin
Concerto, op.24 ; Con. For String Orch, Andante For Strings. Gruppman, Sedares - New Zealand Sym. This 31 minute Violin Concerto is near the top of a very
short list of the best violin concertos written within the last 50 years. Koch has apparently cleaned up its DDD act and the sound is now fairly warm with a solid bottom. Well played. This is volume 4 of the Rozsa series, get the hint! Great stuff.
NEAPOLITAN PERFECTION
Testament 1097 Vol 1. 1098 Vol 2.
Giuseppe Di Stefano Neapolitan and Other Italian Songs (77min/80 min)
Talk about your ultimate Italian song CDs, these sweep the board. Somewhere in every collection should be a Funiculi, Funicula and several dozen others. Songs of love, joy, hope. Most selections in stereo, the authentic orchestra and energetic chorus amplify the effect. ****
Remember RIISAGER ****
Chandos 9432 Riisager: Etudes ; Qarrtsiluni; Erasmus Montanus Ovt
Knudage Riisager (1897-1974) is back in our lives! Biggest and best, is the 40 min. 'Etudes' based on music of Carl Czerny. Here is a 20th century ballet with 19th century tap roots. Perhaps the finest transcribed for orchestra ballet of our century.What a joy. Qarrtsiluni is
an abstract ballet with your typical Eskimo plot line. Percussive 'bad boy' sounds of the1920's and 30's.
Erasmus Montanus is more heroic, Nielsen-like work. Chandos has delivered another spectacular sounding recording with the Danish forces being led by one of our few great living conductors- Gennady Rozhdestvensky. *****
MORE POWER TO US*****
Troy 250 Ormandy - Philadelphia.
Dello Joio: Air Power Suite; John Vincent: Symphony in D and Sym. Poem after Descartes. (76 minutes)
Ask me if I am happy about this new CD and I will tell you I am Dello Joio! These are two of the finest Ormandy Stereo Columbias. My heart sank when Koch released a CD of 'Air Power', wretched DDD sound of a rotten performance. Treasure that well played Ormandy LP, forever, I thought. A few American composers like Dello Joio held out a glimmer of hope that it was not over. It was, but who cares now. "..don't lets ask for the the moon! We have the stars!" (Bette Davis, 'Now Voyager'). The Vincent Symphony ranks next to Roy Harris as worthy of your attention. The finale is a jump for joy. * * * * *
HOW GLORIOUS THE MOMENT?
Koch: 3-7377-2 Beethoven:The Glorious Moment; and Leopold II Elevation Cantata
Bass - St. Luke's and Chorale (62min)
World Premiere of Der Glorreiche Augenblick op.136. Beethoven wrote this cantata in 1814.
Nice festive closing chorus, some good arias. OK Recording is'live'. OK performance. ***
NO MORE HAYDN FROM US
Koch 3-1723-2 Haydn:Overtures Vol. 1 (61m)
Koch 3-1484-2 Haydn:Overtures Vol. 2 (56m)
Manfred Huss cond. Haydn Sinfonietta Wien
This series of all the Haydn Overtures (many quite rare) is terrific. Faint of heart beware, these are very, very spunky performances, almost played with an edge-of-your-seat virtuosity. Full sonic punch from top to bottom (yes, 'Turkish' percussion). Few period instrument CDs match these. In Vol. 2, some of the CD cues are two seconds early and catch the sounds of the pre down beat! Maybe this group had so much unpredictable energy, it was the engineers last resort! * * * * *
ARTS BUDGETS FROM Allegro
Arts 47347 Pergolesi: Overtures (57 min)
Vlad cond. Santa Cecilia Chamber Orchestra
Arts 47102 Cherubini:Symphony Overtures Medee, Ifigenia in Aulide, Le Crescendo
Renzetti cond. Orchestra della Toscana
Two of many attractive budget priced Baroque and Classical items on the Arts label. The Pergolesi CD offers 9 Opera Sinfonie.
Nice, close up, in-you-face sound (despite a slight DDD edge on the string tone and no hall ambience). A very pleasurable CD. ***
The Cherubini features a very lively performance of the Symphony championed by Toscanini. This is by far your best stereo choice for it. Two of the overtures are well off the beaten path and quite good. ***
 
WATER MUSIC WITH CHORUS
CPO 999 373 (2cd set) Telemann: Hamburg Admiralty Music; Ovt. In C (120 min)
Helbich - Bremen Orch, Choir and Soloists.
Move over Handel, Telemann is coming! Not only is he bringing a festive orchestra to celebrate the waters but a chorus and soloists!
OK, well nobody handles Handel, like Handel handles Handel but Telemann isn't far away. Written to celebrate the Admiralty in 1723, this is a festive and patriotic occasional work. Many great solos, choruses and instrumental selections. Fairly lively stuff complete with brass and drums. The Cd was recorded a bit low and the performance is very good but hardly driven. Crank the volume control and live it up. * * * *
MORE THAN JUST A SCHERZO
Hyperion 66889 Litolff: Concerto Symphonique #2 op. 22 and #4 op.102.
Donohoe, Litton-Bournemouth Sym.71 min
Henry Charles Litolff (1818-1891) seemed doomed to be known only as an encore selection or a short LP filler for his Scherzo from op.102. Here is the entire brilliant #4 Concerto Symphonique plus #2, as well.
Both orchestra and soloist play with gusto. They actually rush the famed Scherzo! Very solid 10th row concert hall sound. * * * *
WELCOME THE DEPARTURE ***
Calig 50964 D'Albert: Die Abriese (48min)
Ferenz, Schadle,Wohlfahrt-Koetiser Bavarian What a great overture. The good news, all those same tunes also appear in the comic opera. Recorded in 1964 in fine sound. Try?
GREAT ZEUS Russian Greek GOD
Ora 191 (Allegro) Arapis: Zeus Ballet; Road of Hope Piano Fantasy; Russia. (2 CD set)
Arapis cond. Bolshoi Ballet Orch. Good grief!A great CD- - too bad no one is crazy
enough to buy it but me. One thumpin thunderbolt. This thing could sell 100,000
copies if a major label had released it! Melodic, driven, impashioned, crazy frenzied...improved post-minimalist... big orchestra and bold strokes. Cold sweat ****
BUNDLES FOR BRITTEN !
Chandos 9487 Britten: American Ovt.; King Arthur Suite; World of the Spirit (79 min)
Hickox BBC Phil. Soloists, Chorus.
Spectacular sounding Chandos! Use it to demonstrate your system! Never heard a more poweful American Ovt. 'King Arthur' is fantastic. Written in 1937 you might never guess Britten as the composer. 'World of the Spirit' is moving at times, but too much talk, too little music. For sonics and first two items, grab this one. * * * * *
ZEMLINSKY:OPERA SAREMA
Koch 3-6467-2 (2 CD 103 min) * * * * Clarke,Lukas,Kleinhen, Denes-Trier Theatre
This is actually good, some color, a few choruses. Songs, people don't just stand around talking to each other! 1896 melodic German opera more like Smetana or Massenet! Great orchestral balance & sound.
GLIERE EN AT YOU AGAIN!****
Chandos 9518 Gliere: Gyulsara; Concert Waltz; Shakh-Senem; Ballad; Slavonic Themes Ovt.; Holiday Ovt.; Heroic March
Sinaisky - BBC 76 min Wonderful Music.
Nicely recorded. Could have been 5 stars! Somewhat laid back performing under uninspired leadership. Paging Gennady!!
 
 
 
THE UNWANTED OPINION
NEWSLETTER
Vol. 2 No. 3
SPRING 1997
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CD'S
 
INSIDE
BARBIROLLI LIVING PRESENCE
LOTS OF ZIP WITH ZIPOLI
EAST/WEST STEINER BEST
GLAZ TO MEET YA!
NO..IT's RAMEAU NOT RAMBO
They're PLAYING MA Sicong
GERMAN RITE of SPRING!
CZER-NY ON!
PRE-SULLIVAN SIR ARTHUR!
Midsummer Nights DANISH
DIGGING FOR KORN-GOLD
PROCEED AHEAD ONSLOW
FAIRLY 'GREAT' SCHUBERT
STEREO,WE SAID STEREO!
THRUST AND PARRY!
OFFENBACH AND COMPANY
FAIR 20th Cenury SCOTTISH
PLAY SOME FUNKY MUSIC
AN ARMENIAN EPIC!
HITTING THE HEIGHTS !
======================
The Unwanted Opinion:
CD Reviews You Never Cared Were Written
Published by:
Music in the Mail - P.O. Box 1
Brightwaters, N.Y. 11718
Written by: Joseph Bonfanti
 
 
 
Brief reviews written without
the usual pomp or hubris.
Dedicated to the informed
classical collector who has
been disappointed time after
time by reviewers who hate
what you like and like what
you hate!
BARBIROLLI LIVING PRESENCE
Over the past year or so, many wonderful items honoring Sir John Barbirolli have come out on the Dutton Label. The most recent CD called BARBIROLLI - Halle Favorurites is so great we have to make a pitch for it and recap the other noteworthy past releases:
DUTTON (thru Allegro imports):
CDEA5000 NY PHIL. The 1938/39 RCA recordings: Tchaikovsky:Francesca; Schubert: Sym #4; Debussy:Iberia (70 min)
CDSJB 1001 BARBIROLLI IN NEW YORK
1938 New York Philharmonic all Wagner Concert: Rienzi; Tannhauser:Venusberg; Die Meistersinger Suite; Siegfried Idyll (76 min.) CJSJB 1002 BARBIROLLI CONDUCTS FRENCH MUSIC 1950-54 HMVs (76 min.)
L'Arlesienne; Faure:Pelleas; Ibert: Divertiss.; Saint-Saens: Carnival of Animals; Debussy.
CDSJB 1003 HAYDN: Sym #83, #96, #88 with Halle Orch.: 1949/1953/1952 recordings
CDSJB 1004 BARBIROLLI At The OPERA Strauss:Liebe der Danae and Rosenkavalier Suites; Weber: Freischutz and Euryanthe Ovt. Verdi:Traviata Preludes, Lohengrin Preludes.
CDSJB 1005 BARBIROLLI conducts Delius: A Song of Summer (and all the stereo Pyes).
CDSJB 1006 BARBIROLLI- Halle Favourites Some items never before released, most are in wall-to-wall early Mercury STEREO - some items even engineered by the Mercury 'Living Presence' team. The 71 min CD begins with a a tightly played Verdi: Forza del Destino from 1957, which is among the finest you may ever hear. Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo, an impassioned 1958 recording which features a 'very prominent' (woofer moving) Free Trade Hall, Manchester organ!
Next, is the best stereo version of Ponchielli: Dance of the Hours ever recorded. From the twinkling opening chord to the zippy.. go for it finale (only Toscanini is better)... hold on tight! The Chabrier: Marche Joyeuse is a bang upside the head, hip hopping spotlight on the Percussion section of the Halle. The 1957 German:Nell Gwyn Dances with Barbirolli - are a rare treat. Grainger: Shepherd's Hey, Molly on the Shore, Londonderry Air, Mock Morris put other versions to shame. We even get Sir John in a Stereo rehearsal of Shepherd's Hey! Massenet:Under the Linden Tree is elegant and I have saved the best Stereo till last: Rossini : William Tell the ballet music..... 14 minutes of pure joy, from the graceful high-stepping opening, to a decibel crunching Dance of the Soldiers. (Nearly matches the intensity of the legendary 1939 NBC broadcast version with Toscanini) Remember, No Extra Charge for Sir John humming loudly at times. A Classic 'Living Presence' Stereo must *****
LOTS OF ZIP WITH ZIPOLI
K.617 7065 ( dist.Qualiton) ****
Zipoli: San Ignacio - An Opera written by the Jesuits for the Amazon Indians.
Choir, Organ, Orchestra and Soloists
of Ensamble Elyma - Gabriel Garrido cond.
If we said how much you will enjoy this CD, we might not be believed! One of the most diverse, highly entertaining CDs of unusual early 18th Century works you may ever hear! It incorporates other compositions (some anon.) both before and after the "opera." A baroque symphony(written by the "natives"), a dance-ballet, and other lively numbers (some with wildy scored percussion). The "opera" itself sounds far more like a song-filled religious oratiorio than a traditionally staged early 18th century opera. It was felt the primitive native Indians needed a lot of diversity to entertain them in church (some things never change!). San Ignacio nearly defys traditional descriptions. As usual, it makes a written review nearly worthless!
East/West STEINER BEST
STEINER: The Lost Patrol, Virginia City, Beast with Five Fingers (77 min) MarcoPolo 8.223870 William Stromberg-conducts the Moscow Sym. Orch.
Another great entry in the Marco Polo film score series. Three Max Steiner films which encompass widely disparate yet, quintessential Steiner styles. I grew up watching John Ford's 1934 RKO film 'The Lost Patrol' in a Saturday morning 'kids TV' slot. I knew not who John Ford nor Max Steiner were, I only knew this was a highly compelling film which filled a young mind with rich images and exciting sounds. Steiner contrasts patriotic 'stiff upper lip' king
and country vs. arabic 'eastern' modes filled with rich exoticness. Next, off to sunny Italy filled with Tarantellas, a mysterious Chaconne and some ghastly, near atonal dissonances. This is 'The Beast with 5 Fingers,' a horror film about a classical pianist's living severed hand. The last film is the massive Civil War era Warners western 'Virgina City'. A big, bold adventure that allowed ample room for majestic and lilting themes for stunning landscapes, gunbattles, barroom action, stagecoaches and romance. This is one the better known Steiner idioms - a Warner Brothers western score (he did over twenty!) and is among his very best. A Great sounding CD ****
 
GLAZ TO MEET YA!
GLAZUNOV ON NAXOS TWO OF THE FIRST THREE RELEASES ARE REAL WINNERS.
GLAZUNOV: Kremlin, From the Middle Ages, Poem Lyrique, Poem Epique Naxos 8.553537 (80 min!)
GLAZUNOV: Stenka Razin, Fete Slave, Cortege Solennel, Fantasie, Mazurka, March on Russian ThemesNaxos 8.553538 (61 min)
Konstantine Krimets conducts the Moscow Symphony in both CDs.
Glazunov has always been one of my 'inside the pocket' favorite composers - I didn't go around mentioning him for fear of being discovered for what I am, a hedonist, who takes great pleasure in wallowing in glorious instrumental sounds. Especially when composed by one of the great romantic /post-romantic orchestrators. Now that he is in vogue, I can wear that Glazounov pin on my lapel. These Naxos CDs will help make my case. At only $5.00 per CD who can resist such lush temptations.
GLAZUNOV: Kremlin, From the Middle Ages, Poem Lyrique, Poem Epique Naxos 8.553537 (80 min!)
We could have described 'The Kremlin' as 'Boris Godounov' without words, only it ends with a great flourish in the joyful Coronation of the Prince, not tragedy. 'From the Middle Ages' was the first work I knew by Glazunov (save for 'The Seasons') this is CD is a vast imporvement over that scratchy, ancient RCA LP (and it is even a bit better than an earlier CD version (Svetlanov -1980). The highly evocative Poem Lyrique and Poem Epique fill out this 80 minute CD !!!! ****
GLAZUNOV Naxos 8.553538 **** (61 min) Stenka Razin, Fete Slave, Cortege Solennel, Fantasie, Mazurka, Russian Themes March
A potent Stenka Razin with balance favoring the percussion, the other items are less frequently recorded and Une Fete Slave, Mazurka, and Russian Theme March are tune filled festive compositions, Cortege Solenne and Fantasie are more 'serious,' a bit introspective and climax in very BIG and slightly dissonant brass declamations (Scriabin on a very loud day!) that are a Glazounov trademark. Glorious stuff. Both of these CDs conducted by Krimets are just slightly too resonant, the strings and winds at times washed out by brass and percussion...no I'm not really complaining!
NAXOS GLAZUNOV:KING OF THE JEWS NOT RECOMMENDED
It is not our intention to do negative reviews but we are so lucky to have a ***** version of this magnificent and deeply inspirational work recorded on Chandos that we reprint that review here before we go on.
THE RUSSIAN KING OF KINGS
GLAZUNOV: KING OF THE JEWS,op 95
CHANDOS 9467 Rozhdestvensky -Russian State Orch &Chorus (52 min). ****
What a pleasure to hear the near perfect Glazunov sound Chandos has caputred from the best Russian conductor of the last 20 years. Gennady Rozhdestvensky recorded the definitive cycle of the Glazunov Symphonies in the early 1980's. Now he has recorded an inspired work, a musical equivalent to the epic wide-screen religous films Hollywood made in the 1950's! "Bold, beautiful, sacred, touching, a story of one man against an empire..."
Ready when you are Mr. De Mille." *****
THE NAXOS VERSION conducted by Golovschin has such dreary orchestral playing that if we were to judge the value of this great work by this version, we would have said it was a failure. The criticism does not end with the conductor. Much of the value of an inspired religious work of this nature comes from the sound of a powerful, highly emotive, massed Russian choir. This choir sounds small, drab, grey, and completely lackluster.
Two more major criticisms of the CD - sound and balance. One would think this work were scored for off-stage choir and a deeply recessed pit orchestra. The only climax reached in this performance is at the the very end, after the choir has finished there are a few prefunctory closing chords - which are so badly balanced that one can laugh (provided you own the Chandos version) at the ineptness. The Naxos stage and sound balance must have been quickly set up (if at all), with not enough mikes accorded for the added chorus and reconfigured studio stage. Obviously, no checks were made during the session- it happens when working on a tight budget. NOT RECOMMENDED
 
NO..ITS RAMEAU, NOT RAMBO!
Naxos 8.553388 Orchestral Suites (52 min)
Capella Savartia Mary Terey-Smith
OK, these versions do sound dull compared to the lively, highly stylish Rameau approach of McGegan on Harmonia Mundi. However, perhaps this group will loosen its collective girdle next time, in what looks like the start of a complete cycle of all the orchestral suites from the Rameau Opera/ Ballets. The CD includes La Naissance d'Osiris and Abaris ou les Boreades. ***(Barely)
THEY ARE PLAYING MA Sicong!
Marco Polo 8.223950 MA Sicong (1912-1987): Sym.#2 and Song of the Mountain Forest CaoPeng-Shanghai Phil. (60 min) Big Western style 'Red' Chinese works from 1950s. Peoples and Peasants. Nice ***
 
GERMAN RITE of SPRING!
Schulhoff: Ogelala ; Goldschmidt : Greek Suite. CPO 999 323 Jurowski - Rheinland State Phil. Another spectacular sounding CPO with this orchestra (as in the Siegfried Wagner series)! Ogelala was written in 1922. A huge 41 minute ballet with wordless vocals. Story is based around primitive Mexican sacrifical ceremonies. Yes, I think he heard Igor! The filler is, at last, an enjoyable Goldschmidt work, tightly recorded and sounding like Korngold! Sonic Punch ****
 
Pre-SULLIVAN Sir Arthur!
WALLACE:MARITANA M.Polo 8.223406/7 O'Dunne-RTE Cuyllagh, Lee,Caddy (110min)
Waterford born William Vincent Wallace 1812- 65 roamed the world from Austraila to the Americas. His one claim to fame, this opera written in 1845 which was frequently performed thru the 1920's. The style is light, containing many songs with chorus (did Sir Arthur take note?). Balfe and Stephen Foster also come to mind. Charm not drama. ***
Midsummer Nights DANISH
GADE:ELF KING'S DAUGHTER, SPRING FANTASY Marco Polo 8.224051 (63 min) Schonwandt-
Tivoli Sym Dahl,Dolberg,Jensen
Plenty of Mendelssohn like charm amid fairies and elfs. Gade is always high on our list as the best of the 19th Century Danish composers. By the way, the Spring Fantasy is even better.Written for piano, chorus and orchestra, it is splendid (not unlike a Schumann: Piano Concerto with chorus! Excellent sound and balance ****
 
CZER-NY ON! *****(rating)
Signum SIG X78-00 (Qualiton) 73 min. CZERNY:Piano Concerto op. 153, Sym.#2 Athinaos-
Frankfurt State (Ming & Goebel)
Seldom does any piano concerto or symphony rival Beethoven. Here is a composer that does both! In fact, this is the best '4-hand' piano concerto you may ever hear! Carl Czerny (1791-1857) was a prolific and inspired early romantic composer, as this CD will testify. There is a lot of 'meat on the bone' here, works you will play again and again. Don't deprive yourself! *****
DIGGING FOR KORN-GOLD (62min)
M. Polo 8.223871 Stromberg-Moscow Sym
Korngold: Another Dawn, Escape Me Never
The 1937 score is the least ambitious Korngold every wrote, a large part of the problem is the orchestra not knowing style. A) Fine sound. B) No other version ever! C) Korngold loyalty. EQUALS *** rating.
 
PROCEED AHEAD ONSLOW
Onslow: Sym #2 & #4 (65 min)
Ligia Digital Lidi 0301036-95 (Qualiton)
Hradec Krealove Phil. cond J.- F. Leger
George Onslow (1784-1853), of English origin, was born and died in France. The symphonies are written for a Beethoven sized orchestra and his fairly classical yet, non-Germanic style is hard to describe. There are touches - 'Bizet like' phrases, yet it all never really sounds 'French'. Good recording in somewhat spacious sound. ***
FAIRLY 'GREAT' SCHUBERT
Wergo WER 6405 (49 min) 1954 mono
SWF Sym. Orch - Hans Rosbaud
A very good 'middle of the road' performance of the Schubert:Sym #9. The mono sound is amazing! In fact, magnificent - the highest of high fidelity!Come to think of it,what fool would choose stereo over great music?Of the 'greatest' versions: Toscanini, Mengelberg, Furtwangler, Knappertsbusch and Walter (only the Walter is stereo). Well, this version belongs in the 'nearly greatest' group with Szell and Munch. ***
STEREO,WE SAID STEREO SON!
Shostakovitch:Sym. #11 ( 60 min) 1958 Testament SBT1099 Cluytens ORTF
This was the first version of Shostakovitch Sym:#11. Angel issued it on 3 sides of a 2 LP set (the 4th side was empty and the set was MONO only). This set was doomed to failure when the highly touted Stokowski version came out in STEREO! Too bad.... since this was a far more intense performance. Well now it is back and guess what....a STEREO version was taped! The drums pop, the chimes ring and the snare drummer is still limp and can't keep the beat.. (but who cares)! Nearly the best second movement ever (only Rozdestvensky is better) and the best last movement of any version! This Testament series proves that Angel did make somevery nicely engineered recordings in the late 1950's and early 1960's...too bad that most of the great Beecham, Klemperer and Callas performances don't have this sound. ****
 
THRUST AND PARRY ****
Naxos 8.553469 (60 min) PARRY:
Unwritten Tragedy Ovt., Sym#2, Sym.Var.
Andrew Penny - Royal Scottish Orch.
Complete Naxos Parry cycle is off to a great start. Energized performances from top Scot Orchestra. Not Boult, but it sure kicks the pants off the weak-kneed Bamert cycle.
 
OFFENBACH & COMPANY
Dynamic CDS 173/1-2 (Qualiton)
Offenbach:La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein 133min Villauhme- Orch Inter.D'Italia Valentini-Terrani, Morris, di Censo.
Called the'first complete recording,' this version'kick starts' with the familiar overture played at the speed of sound! One of the mikes seemed like it was directly over the bass drum, at near woofer popping levels. While not complaining about that (after all it is music), we are about the fact that this entire 'live' performance is filled with on stage 'foot stomps' which sound like heards of ground shaking elephants! This performance is 50% fair singing and 50% fancy (really not so fancy!) footwork. Great music, your call. ***
 
FAIR 20thCent SCOTTISH
WALLACE: Symphonic Poems
Hyperion 66848 Brabbins-BBC Scot
Four the turn of the century works by William Wallace (1860-1940) fill this 73 min. disc. The works are: 'Villion'; The Passing of Beatrice'; 'Sir William Wallace' ; 'Sister Helen'. His style is a mixture of tame Elgar and mildly impressionistic Delius. Harmless, meandering and at best, of modest interest. *** (barely!)
 
PLAY SOME FUNKY MUSIC
WAYNE: Funk:Sym. #4 (45min)
New Millennium 61596 (Albany)
Brno St. Philharmonic - Leos Svarovsky
Hayden Wayne has written a moderately interesting, highly repetitive work of a pseudo minimalist nature. Released with the thinnest plastic jewel case and even thinner liner notes. Wayne:Sym #5 'Africa' with the same group, provided material a bit more interesting to hear. *** (barely).
AN ARMENIAN EPIC 75min Aprikian: Birth Of David of Sassoun
Studio SM Opus 3 D2514(Qualiton)
This oratorio sounds like the lost score to a biblical film co-written by Miklos Rozsa and Alan Hovhaness!
Hey, thats not bad! Lots of choir and soloist 'religous feeling' incantions (Bloch: Sacred Service). At times, slowly evolving minimalist sounds that actually build and get somewhere! Children's choirs, a nicely recorded large orchestra. We can imagine manypeople really enjoying this work. 'Chant', Part, Tavener, Glass, are popular, so if you want to go into a small hypnotic trance, this work seems a better way to do it on a larger scale. We don't want to make more (or less) out of this! Recommended. *** (or even ****)
 
HITTING THE HEIGHTS
A TRIBUTE to Alfred NEWMAN
Koch 373762 (57 min) New Zeland Sym & Choir - Richard Kaufman
A demo quality sounding CD (Is it really Koch ???). If you were only buying one CD this month, this should be it! Six suites from great films. The disc begins with the deep, soul stirring 'Wuthering Heights' suite with choir. 'Brigham Young' is nearly a mini tone poem done with a panache John Williams could never attain! Newman pulls it off, with one hand tied behind his back! The rich, darkly textured score'Dragonwyck' is contrasted with the Straussian eroticism of 'David and Bathsheba. ''Rhapsody for Orchestra'based on the film 'Prisoner Of Zenda' is a heroic triumph not unlike the famed Newman score to 'Captain from Castile'. Saving the best till last, is the suite from the film 'Prince of Foxes'. This may be the finest score of Alfred Newman! Filled with drama, tension and passion, amid the evocative theme of Renaissance Italy. Highly authoritative notes and photos by Tony Thomas.The conductor, Richard Kaufman has captured the spirit of Newman better than anyone has in the last three decades.*****
 
FOR EVERY NEW CD WE REVIEW- THERE ARE MANY MORE WE DON'T! JUST IN PASSING .. A section devoted to new releases NOT'Reviewed':
Only recommend CDs: (*** ) stars or more are Reviewed.
GOUNOD: TOBIE & GALLIA
Marco Polo 8.2238 Grimbert
Chorus & Orch. Paris-Sorbonne
Approached this disc with such a high sense of positive anticipation, only to find a mostly somber, dreary Cd which we won't review.
 
NEW ENERGY FROM AMERICA
Ocean OR 101 Edward Alonso-Crespo: Overtures and Dances; Nancy Gailbraith: Piano Con #1
Heard some good things about this disc and found it not worth the time. Alonso-Crespo moderately derivitive pseudo minimilist stuff and the Gailbraith worse yet. Won't review.
JAROSLAV JEZEK- Orchestral Works BONTON MUSIC 71 0430
Heard this fellow was the Czech 'bad boy of music' of the late 1920's and thought he was our kind of guy. He wasn't bad or much else except forgettable. Not Reviewed
BENJAMIN FRANKEL:Sym#4, #6 and Mephistopheles' CPO 999 242
Albert - Queensland Sym. Tried to get on the Frankel bandwagon before and once again there is not enough here to get that excited about. It's OK but...so what. Not Reviewed
J.P.E.HARTMANN:SYM #1 & #2
MarcoPolo 8.224042l Dausgaard cond. Danish Radio A mid-19th Century composer, right up our alley one would have thought.We like third rate composers provided they have some sense of direction and style. Not Reviewed.
 
IVANOVS: Sym #5 & #12
Marco Polo 8.223332 A lot of formula music was composed in the Soviet Russia "outbacks". The double rule applies here: Beware of 20th Century composers who wrote more than 9 symphonies (whose initial are not D.S.) Rule two: Especially Latvians! No review.
BIBLICAL ORATORIO:SAMUELE
BIBLICAL ORATORIO:SAMUELE
MAYR: SAMUELE Nuova Era 7273/74
Pelucchi-Stringa,Gavazzeni,Merlini (Koch)
A number of things conspire against this set from getting a 'review'. First, the time on the two CD's 35 min and 61 min with no fillers.
Second, the quality of the performance which includes undernourished and underprepared playing and singing. Third, sound, including a noisy 'live'audience. There do appear to be a few good sections in this work. No review.
THE UNWANTED OPINION
NEWSLETTER
Vol. 2 No. 2
WINTER 1997
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CD'S
INSIDE
'1936 HI FI' RADIO YEARS CD
SILVER AWARDS STERLING
SPANISH VERISMO
GER. SOCIALIST LIMESUCKER
TANGO - THE REAL STUFF!
SCHNEIDER WIBBEL ALERT
BRETHREN GATHER, HEAR ME
AMIGOS MEET AMICA
TALICH IN STEREO (ALMOST)
TOSCANINI - FRENCH MUSIC
5 STAR MEAL by MASSENET
BELLY UP TO THE BAR
THE RING IN JUST 70 MINUTES
BEAR THIS IN MIND
PETER & THE THEREMIN
DVORAK'S LAST OPERA
ART OF GUIDO CANTELLI
LINDBERG SMELLS GOOD
TELLING CHRISTMAS MUSIC
======================
The Unwanted Opinion:
CD Reviews You Never Cared Were Written
Published by:
Music in the Mail - P.O. Box 1
Brightwaters, N.Y. 11718
Written by: Joseph Bonfanti
 
Brief reviews written without
the usual pomp or hubris.
Dedicated to the informed
classical collector who has
been disappointed time after
time by reviewers who hate
what you like and like what
you hate!
 
RADIO YEARS - THE CD
ALLEGRO is offering a new line of historic broadcasts. 'The Radio Years' is a label from 'Enterprise'. Legendary artists and broadcasts from the 1930's and 40's are offered on this full price series. Many spotlight the great pianists of our century in concert. Also, conductors like Toscanini in his pre- NBC Symphony era. Here are a few tempting offerings:
# RY 36 features:
HOROWITZ two Brahms:#1 Piano Concertos...Toscanini NY'35 and Walter Amsterdam'36
SERKIN '36 NY Debut Concert Toscanini - Beethoven:Con#4& Mozart:Con#27 ...RY 53
Rodzinski, Casadesus 10/29/44 NY Bizet:Sym SainSaens:#4,Couperin:LaSultane... RY 52
Lawrence Tibbett many cuts from 1936 film 'Metropolitan' and other broadcasts....RY 29
TOSCANINI Lehmann '36 Salz.Fidelio Act 1
and Knappertsbusch '39 Vienna Freischutz ex. Tiana Lemnitz, Bohnen,Volker......RY 70
THE CDs have been processed in the CEDAR and WEISS process, althought pure is best on commercial 78s, the results are quite good and almost necessary here, given the source of the materials. The Act 1 Fidelio sounds more
listenable than any previous LP incarnation. One can feel the vitality and 'modern' offbeat lines Toscanini chooses to emphasize in the Overture- a revelation of force and line against an opposing force and line. Sorry, you have to hear it... Printed reviews are stupid, no?
The real gem here is RY 46 the complete TOSCANINI 3/1/36 NY Phil General Motors concert with Milton Cross narration. The sound knocks your socks off - this is nearly high fidelity! Features: Weber:Freischutz Ovt. SaintSaens:Danse Macabre; Debussy: Afternoon of Faun, Scherzo Rustic Wedding Sym(Goldmark) and Aida, R.Strauss excerpts with Dusolina Giannini, soprano. Concert ends with a zippy Lohengrin Act III Prelude encore. Dare ya... find better 1936 broadcast sonics.****
SILVER AWARDS TO STERLING(Qualiton dist.)
Sterling 1020 OLSSON: (1879-1964) SYM. in G for Large Orchestra Mats Liljefors cond Gavleborg Sym 58 min
Sterling 1005 LINDBLAD (1801-1878) SYM #2 and OLANDER (1824-1886) SYM E flat Harry Damgaard -Vasteras Sym 66m
Sterling 1007 HAAG (1850-1928)American Festival March, Norsische Sym.,Concert Ovt #1 and#2 Goran Nilson-Gavleborg Sym
Sterling 1017 RUBEN LILJEFORS (1871-1936) Piano Con F op.5, Symphony in Eflat op.14 I. Mannheimer, piano, Mats Liljefors cond. Gavleborg Sym (54 min)
Sterling 1009 19th Century Overtures: Kraus:Proserpine ; Foroni:Ovt.in A- ; Berwald:The Dressmaker ; Norman:Festive Ovt.; Randel:The People of Varmland ; Soderman:The Devil's Efforts; Berwald:I Enter A Monastery (62 min)......Saint Petersburg Hermitage Orch. Mats Liljefors and Stig Westerberg cond.
The Ruben Liljefors works on Sterling 1017 were written at the turn of the century. Quite melodic and romantic in spirit. Perhaps a bit like a not too Russian Tchaikovsky! Just OK. ***
The Otto Olsson Symphony written in 1901 (Sterling 1020 ) is more a distant cousin to Brahms than Tchaikovsky.It has a slightly festive last movement that may satisfy. Barely recommended ***
The works on Sterling 1005 are both mid-19th Century Symphonies and the CD liner notes refer to the influence of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Berwald (note the later two especially). Listened to this disc 2 1/2 times and it has plenty of charm which should wear well. The Lindblad is the better of the two symphonies but the Olander (written 1868) last two movements seem to hop nicely between Dvorak and late Beethoven. ***
Sterling 1009 has 7 overtures on it by 6 composers (two by Berwald) mainly, mid-19th Century. They
range from the pomp and percussion of Norman:Festive Overture to the sly smiles and wit of Berwald: I Enter A Monastery. ***
The last Sterling reviewed is the best of the lot despite the fact it has only 41 min of music on it! Jakob Adolf Haag wrote these 4 works from 1870-99. The American Festive Overture comes to a rousing coda with variations on 'Hail Columbia' emerging after a long timpani roll.
The other two Concert Overtures are beautiful but a bit more traditional.
The symphony could pass for a youthful work by Richard Strauss with a touch of Kallinikov in the last movement. The sound is fairly hot and up on the brass, even if the orchestra isn't as good or as large as the Chicago Sym! (You will want to Play this CD twice and pretend it lasted 82 minutes!)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ****
 
LINDBERG SMELLS GOOD
Sterling 1015 LINDBERG: Sym in F, Rhapsody on Swedish Folk-Tunes and Impressions of Travel Suite. Stig Westerberg Orebro Sym
The major appeal of this CD is the Symphony from 1913. At times it sounds English (Eric Coates with tails or Havergal Brian on a melodic day and yes, Alfven too). Whatever it sounds like, it sounds good. ****
 
TANGO - THE REAL STUFF
TANGO! Pearl/Flapper 9752 (Koch)
OK forget those phoney pseudo tango. Dull imitations found on recent "classical" CDs which only deliver an alluring cover photo. Watch out, this is the real stuff! Historic tango recordings sung in Spanish, English and German ! Many instrumentals too. Now, you can grasp the appeal of a dance that seized popularity in the 1920's and 30's. Sorry Mr. Fiedler, here is a Gade:Jealousy from 1932 played by Geraldo's Gaucho Tango Orchestra and it is just great! ****
 
SPANISH VERISMO -1936 VALOIS V 4766 (Harmonia Mundi)
Sorozabal: La Tabernera Del Puerto (67 min)
Placido Domingo, Maria Bayo-Victor Perez c.
Another fine issue in this zarzuela series. A few of these works are closer to opera than operetta, this is one of those. A "Marine Romance" is filled with more than a bit of drama, rich atmosphere, lush tropical songs and rhythms. It almost marks the end of the road for this art form. The impending Spanish Civil War and WWII ended the era. There are almost none of the mandatory comic songs or duets. The musical numbers, duets and solos are exceptionally beautiful and elegantly tasteful. This is sort of a Spanish Cavalleria Rusticana with bongo drums and without either of the lovers dying ! Give it a try and you will be hooked. Some of the most beautiful singing you may ever hear. *****
 
GERMAN SOCIALIST LIME SUCKER
Berlin Classics 0092282BC Volume 1 66min
Berlin Classics 0092332BC Volume 2 65 min
Orchestral Works of Hans Eisler
Max Pommer-Liepzig Gunther Herbig-Berlin
Neurotic Kurt Weill, Stravinsky constipated,
Anton Webern searching for just one real tune and not finding ... it's all there and more. This is music by the most infamous of all East German composers. He died in 1962!
Vol. 1 is recommended for those who might enjoy music delivered mostly in small rapid fired hammer blows upside your head. It features 4 Orchestral suites (mostly from film scores 'Niemandsland"; 'Kuhle Wampe' etc.); Chamber Sym, Theme and Var on the Red Army "Long March." (remember, he was just slightly left of Stalin & wrote the GDR National Anthem). Some of his later stuff is so far out (organ, electronics, etc.) you may begin to wish for bland minimalist music (until you regain your mental balance).***
SCHNEIDER WIBBEL ALERT
Please walk the streets with caution!
LYS 135 (Jem Dist.) VOL. 3 The Heritage of Carl Schuricht 1938-41 Berlin, LaScala Orch.
Mark Lothar: Schneider Wibbel Ovt.; Strauss: Sinfonia Domestica; Franck: Chasseur Maudit
Wonderful transfers in rich full sound. The Lothar work is pseudo-Oriental in sound, and similar to Hindemith: Variations On A Theme by Weber. The La Scala Orchestra did a fine job in 1938 on the Strauss work (possibly, Mussolini may have found it quite PC to have works like this recorded by Italy's greatest orchestra. Doubt they have played it since!***
 
TALICH IN STEREO (ALMOST)SUPRAPHON 3056-2 011 ****
Czech Philharmonic with Zdenek Chalabala 80min
Yes, the 4 tone poems one 80 minute CD.
Dvorak Water Goblin , The Noon Witch , The Golden Spinning Wheel, The Wild Dove. These excellent 1961 Stereo performances capture the magic of the Czech Philharmonic at the peak (they could turn on a dime!). Wit, style, tight playing, painted with an authentic Slavic brush. Supplement this CD with the needed Heroic Song on Naxos (8.553005) and you have your cycle. (You can get the real Talich, in mono on - Supraraphon 11 1900)
 
BRETHREN GATHER, HEAR ME
Hyperion CDA 67171/3 Handel: Joseph and His Brethren Robert King conducts Kenny, Bowman, Kings Consort, Oxford Choir.
This one got stuck in the CD player and would not come out! 'Joseph' Ranks with the very finest of the Handel oratorios. This is very mature Handel 1744 and there are several numbers (especially the choruses) that you may find the BEST Handel ever wrote. Jump on this item! 165 minutes of music that makes life worth living...who the hell wants to read about this, when we can listen it.. Guess what, it just got stuck in my CD player AGAIN! ...see ya! ****
 
TELLING CHRISTMAS MUSIC
Telemann:Christmas Oratorio and Two Christmas Cantatas. CPO 999 419-2 Ludger Remy conducts the Telemann Orch and Choir Michaelstein (67 min)
Simply glowing music, rich , warm and filled with wonder about a wondrous season. You could have knocked me over with a feather after I heard these works. Reluctant to open the plastic, reluctant to put it in the player... after all of 15 seconds, this dumb bunny realized how glorious these were. Works are for full baroque orchestra (including brass and timpani). The chorus and soloists seem to lend support to the orchestra rather than vice versa... quite programmatic in intent. This work has dance rhythms, almost like a festive religious ballet at times at times. No long-winded solo arias or boring recitatives, the orchestra carries more than equal weight. Am I becoming a Telemann nut, help me.. fallen ... can't get up! ****
 
THE... OPERATION.... PAGE!
AMIGOS MEET AMICA
Mascagni : Amica Kicco Classic KC00296 (Qualiton) Katia Ricciarelli, Armiliato, Donati, Marco Pace cond. Hungarian Radio
Mascagni wrote several fine operas and if you are not familiar with works like his 'Iris' try 'Amica' as a start. Written in 1905 'Amica' is peak period Mascagni. The hypnotic bells and chorus that open this work are as evocative as the 'Hymn to the Sun' in 'Iris. Regarding this performance, rest assured, it is not a 'live' event with more stagehands moving sets than singing, this is a decent studio job. Here are impassioned arias and dramatic choruses (with a sweeping Intermezzo to Act 2). Listen to the Hungarian Radio & TV Orchestra play its little verismo heart out (no doubt still under the spirit of the late Giuseppe Patane). The only problem is sound balance. In arias, the singers eat the mike and you hear it being digested down to their toes! Didn't the sound engineer ever attend a 'live' opera? ***
 
POOR MAN'S HANSEL
Humperdinck:The Kings Children
Calig CAL 50 968-70 (Albany) Fabio Luisi conducts Munich Radio
with Moser, Schellenberger etc.
Witches, children, woodcutters, sounds like a good idea for an opera, once. How about a remake - Son of Hansel no... Lets call it... Kings Children. I now remember why that expensive stereo EMI boxed LP set left no impression on me (save for my wallet). I was simply being polite to Humperdinck to forget it. Well here is a brand new version in splended sound. Perhaps this work was written to train seven year old minds to like the 'Ring' by their tenth birthday ? All children should be so polite..they just stand on a stage 50 minutes at a time not moving. I can't tell the woodcutter from the trees. Among the 167 min. a few nice spots *** (really ** 1/2)
 
STRAUSS:WORLD PREMIERE
Orfeo C 292 923 (mid priced Orfeo D'Or)
DIE LIEBE DER DANAE with Clemens Krauss Schoffler,Traxzel, Kupper, Szemere 1952 Salzburg Festival. (Qualiton Dist.)
Well the sound here sure beats the pants off those old LP transfers. This is taped Hi-Fi! Written in 1940 but not played till 1952 this opera is nearly as nice as 'Frau' and more than worth a try. Sorry, no libretto. ***
 
THE RING IN JUST 70 MINUTES
CPO 999 402-2 Korngold:The Ring of Polykrates. Wottrich, Bilandzija - Klauspeter Sieber cond Berlin Sym. Excellent sound.
When I opened this fat jewel case, I cursed @@#*% ... the second CD was missing! Rats, just one CD and a fat libretto. Wait...it is a 1 Act opera on one CD, thank God! This 'comic drama' dates from 1914 and is very typical Korngold - mercurial, tuneful, tasteful, elegant and mildly opulent. One vocal solo upon another in the late Strauss manner. Sorry no overture, preludes, choruses, or any purely orchestral selections. ***
 
BEAR THIS IN MIND
Siegfried Wagner: The Man in a Bear's Skin Marco Polo 8.223713/4 Konrad Bach cond. Thuringian Symphony Orchestra with Horn, Kiichli, Lukic, Koon, Johanning (140 min)
The orchestra is exuberant if at moments a bit insecure. The entire opera is quite nice. The melodies never stop flowing, nor does the energy level. A lively comic tale from 1895 akin to Dvorak - if you enjoy the 'Devil and Kate' or 'Bartered Bride,' this one has you name on it.. A rich mix of lively scenes, orchestral interludes and choruses. Enjoyable. ***
 
DVORAK'S LAST OPERA AT LAST
ORFEO C 404 962 Gerd Albrecht cond 1995
DVORAK:ARMIDA Live with Czech Philharmonic soloists: Daniluk, Borowska, Fortune, Kriz (152 min)
Here it is at last, the first stereo recording of the 1904 Dvorak opera 'Armida'. Set during the Crusades in the Holy Land, this one is full of pomp, spectacle, battle, religious fervor, love, magic and mysticism. Pitted between the forces of Allah and Christianity is a women from the East, in love with a man from the West. Among the grandest of grand opera. The plot 'bang for the buck' factor is quite high here. Paging Mr. DeMille, the soundstage is ready....and load the other cannon. Really Excellent ****
 
MORE THEN GREAT OVERTURE L'Empreinte Digital ED 13059 (H.Mundi)
CHABRIER:GWENDOLINE Jean-Paul Penin cond. Czech Philharmonic with: Adriana Kohutkova, Didier Henry. (2cd)
OK, I admit, I have been fascinated by what the rest of Gwendoline must sound like, ever since I was a teenager. Hooked on the great overture to this opera on an epic Epic recording by Fournet, next a Mercury with Paray, then a London with Ansermet. But what did the rest of this 1886 opera sound like? Now I know...voluptuous. Here is a quote by the conductor: "Any musician who reads the score of Gwendoline cannot fail to be surprised, indeed amazed, that such a rich and sumptuous work, musically speaking, should have fallen into oblivion"
If you have never heard the operatic Chabrier ( Hope you already own the great Hyperion recording of his 'Briseis' CDA 66803 **** see Fall, 1995 'Unwanted Opinion') get one now! This recording has a nice wide stereo soundstage, and fairly close in multiple miking with some spotlighting. (OK, yes, just a trace of the digital coolness which seems to come when recording with large forces). In any case, an above average sounding DDD recording. 98 min ****
 
5 STAR MEAL by MASSENET
MASSENET: Marie-Magdeleine & Eve EROL ER 94002/04 (3CD Qualiton)
Jean-Pierre Lore - Opera-Theatre de Massy
Command, Sebron, Lamy, Courtis 3hr+
This set contains - two music dramas by Massenet: Marie-Magdeleine (1872) and Eve (1874). Both are among glories of French music. If, like me, you sometimes think you may have already heard all the truly great works of the last century...think again. The recording is very good and considering the demands put upon the recording engineer (from loud 'live' thunder, huge organ pedals, massed brass and chorus to the sweetest and softest of the first violinists solos...) he has done well. Both works are an 8-course meal at the finest French restaurant ...offering complete satisfaction and fulfillment. Be prepared for some of the most lingering musical moods and memories of anything ever heard. Just one example: If you thrill tothe choral finale of Berlioz:Romeo & Juliet or the angelic choir in Gounod:Faust, the Resurrection of Christ scenedepicted in Marie-Magdeleine, will leave you stunned well into the next century! *****
 
BELLY UP TO THE BAR
CITADEL STC 77108 (ALBANY)
ADVENTURES in Hollywood
Hans J. Salter: Wichita Town
Tiomkin: A President's Country
Farnon:Captain Horatio Hornblower
This CD has the most quintessential Western film score composed on it Salter: Wichita Town. Who knew! If you told me that I would be singing high praise for, Hans J. Salter, I might have told you to stuff it south of the border. This score, all 16 cuts were recorded in Munich by the Graunke Symphony under the direction of the composer in 1959. This is vintage demonstration quality early stereo! Any fan of 'Living Stereo' will buy the CD for the sonics alone! Transfer is 20 bit audiophile stereo ADD. Music so Old West in nature, it almost seems as if Tiomkin's score to the High Noon depicts the streets of Philadelphia! Speaking of the great Russian, Mr. Dimitri Tiomkin, A Presidents Country is a Film Score for a documentary about LBJ and contains music from Red River, The Alamo, Duel in the Sun, Rawhide and yes, High Noon!
**** and SMILE when you say it!
 
PETER & THE THEREMIN
ROZSA: THE JUNGLE BOOK (also SPELLBOUND Score) 67 min.
Pearl CD 7093 Sabu, composer and the Victor Symphony Orch.
Original 1942 and 1945 studio recordings.
Narrated by Sabu from the score to the 'Jungle Book', Rosza has given the world another 'Carnival of the Animals', or 'Peter and the Wolf'. A perfect way to introduce young and old to the delights of musical tales and leitmotifs. (28 min).
This CD also contains nearly all of the highly original music composed in 1945 by Rozsa (40 minutes worth) for the classic Alfred Hitchcock film: 'Spellbound'. Theremin enthusiasts rejoice, this is the real thing! ***
 
ANOTHER BAR, ANOTHER BELLY
KOCH 7365 Kaufman - New Zealand Sym.
SHANE A TRIBUTE TO VICTOR YOUNG
This new CD contains suites from 6 classic films scored by Victor Young: Shane (14 min) For Whom the Bell Tolls (9 min), Samson and Delilah (12 min), Tribute to Victor Young - Suite (9 min), The Quiet Man (9 min) and the epilogue to Around the World in 80 Days (7 min) This Victor Young disc presents a number seldom heard items. The Shane Suite and Victor Young Tribute are CD firsts ***
 
ART OF GUIDO CANTELLI VOL. 1 Music&Arts 904 (4 CDs for the price of 3)
From New York & NBC Concerts 1949-55
Corelli:Con. Grosso; Geminiani:Andante; Vivaldi:Winter; Monteverdi:Magnificat (all NBC'50); Gabrielli : La Battaglia; Haydn:Sym#88 (NYPS); Haydn:#94; Haydn: #93; Beethoven:Sym #7 (NBC); Brahms: Sym#1 ; Mussorgsky:Pictures (NYPS); Tchaikovsky:Sym#4 (NBC '49). Nearly all of these items are CD firsts. Among the most interesting items are arrangements of older Italian music for 20th century orchestra (the reverse of today's downsizing). Wildest of all, the orchestration of Gabrielli:The Battle by the modenist composer Ghedini. The Pictures of Mussorgsky are highly charged and also very evocative (Toscanini meets Stokowski!), the same can be said of the Brahms:Sym#1. All the Haydn are excercises in joyful, yet contained, classical virtuosiity . ****
 
TOSCANINI - FRENCH MUSIC Music&Arts 898 (4CDs for price of 3)
Berlioz:Damnation of Faust-scenes ('47); Massenet:Scene Alsaciennes ('43); Meyerbeer: Dinorah Ovt. ('38); Meyerbeer: L'Etoile du Nord Ovt. ('5l) ; Bizet:Fair Maid of Perth ('43); Debussy: Prelude ('51); Nocturnes ('52); Danse; March Ecossaise ('40); La Demoisell Elue (Novotna, Glatz '40)); Roger- Ducasse: Sarabande ('46); Ravel: La Valse ('40); Debussy: Images; La Mer (both NYPS '36); Ravel: Bolero ('39); Franck: Sym ('40); Psyche ('42); Redemption ('52); Les Eolides ('38). The ultimate French CD Collection.
All NBC save 2 items. Excellent sound, best possible sources, clean, rich, true single channel mono.Many items are in absolute high fidelity. Hard to believe the NYPS items are from 1936. A few highlights: two glorious Meyerbeer works, razor sharp Massenet Scenes and the finest Franck Redemption:Interlude, you will hear from now, till the universe stops expanding. *****review.