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Ensemble: Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra.  Conductor: Adám Fischer.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025348546794,"sku":"710357542626","price":37.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/169273.jpg?v=1778328168"},{"product_id":"great-haydn-symphonies-no-6-45-48-165950","title":"Great Haydn Symphonies - No 6, 45, 48, Etc \/ Fischer, Et Al","description":"\u003cb\u003eA strong contender as an introduction to some wonderful music.\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eThere are two ways to obtain the complete Haydn symphonies: a third set on Sony, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies seems no longer to be generally available in the UK, even as a download. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eOne was made some time ago by Antal Doráti with the Philharmonia Hungarica (Decca 448 5312, 33 CDs). From this set only the Paris Symphonies seem currently to be separately available (Decca E473 8102) and, at prices ranging from around £165 to £195 – even more, £352.15, for the download from hmvdigital.com – buying the whole thing may be something of a daunting proposition. Even as a download, only that Paris set, two Double Decca sets of the London Symphonies and a Decca Eloquence recording of Nos. 94, 100 and 101 remain available separately. These are fine performances of which I can speak from personal experience, having owned several of them on LP; I still have and regularly play some of the smaller CD sets from the series which were once available. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eThere is, however, a far less expensive way to obtain the symphonies complete, from the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra under Adam Fischer; the whole set comes on just 8 CDs in mp3 format (NI1722) and can be purchased from MusicWeb International for £23.00 post free. The discs can be played directly from any CD, SACD or blu-ray player which offers mp3 playback, but it’s better to drop and drag the files onto a computer hard drive and play them from there. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eDominy Clements in recommending the set went so far as to include graphic print-outs of the same segment of Symphony No.1 from the normal CD and the mp3 version, demonstrating not only that they sound identical but that there is objective evidence to support the point. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eThe selection listed above comes from that complete set and, although I don’t have access to that mp3 edition on disc, I’ve been listening to some of the symphonies in mp3 sound from the Naxos Music Library and I’m blessed if I can hear any difference between the versions on CD and the mp3 equivalents. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eI’ve reviewed the classicsonline.com downloads of Symphonies Nos.1-20 – July 2012\/2 Download Roundup – and Symphonies 21-39 and ‘107’-‘108’ (also known as ‘A’ and ‘B’) – July 2009 Download Roundup. Though I could hardly recommend the downloads when they are more expensive (£39.95) than their physical equivalents on 5 CDs (NI5426-30 and NI5683-7 respectively, £23.00 each post free from MusicWeb International), I was able to confirm the high quality of the mp3 sound. So if you are looking for a complete set of the Haydn symphonies that mp3 set, NI1722, looks to me like the best. If, however, you would like to ease yourself into this wonderful music gradually, the ‘Great Haydn Symphonies’ pair of CDs, obtainable from MusicWeb International for £12 post paid, would be an excellent way to dip your toe into the water. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eBy no means all the Haydn symphonies with a nickname received their nomenclature from Haydn himself, and by no means all of them are accurate. In this case, however, the set of six nicknamed works provides a very useful peg on which to hang a 2-CD set of works from all periods of Haydn’s long productive life. Not only that, but these are six of my own favourites among the composer’s huge symphonic output. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eNo.6 comes from the earliest period of his tenure with the Esterházy family. It’s one of a series of three linked works, depicting Morning, Noon and Evening, though it stands well enough on its own. Early it may be, but Haydn never really had a period when his music didn’t sound fully accomplished and its appeal is enhanced by the excellent performance which it receives. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eSymphony No.45 is the most famous of the Sturm und Drang symphonies from Haydn’s middle period, around 1770. The name Sturm und Drang or storm and stress refers properly to the pre-romantic literature of the period, notably to a series of works by Goethe and Schiller. The story behind the last movement, with the musicians leaving one by one as a hint to their employer that they needed a break, is well known but that doesn’t diminish the power of the music; it remains unhackneyed no matter how many times I must have heard it. Perhaps the performance here doesn’t quite match the power of a Vanguard recording with Antonio Janigro at the helm, which used to be available, but it comes pretty close. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eNo.48 also comes from the Sturm und Drang period. Its nickname refers to the belief formerly held that it was composed specially for a visit from the empress, Maria Theresa. For some reason she always seems to develop an spurious extra ‘i’ in the name of this symphony, perhaps by false association with the German name Mariatheresien-symphonie. As with No.45, it’s easy to see why the symphonies of this period came to be linked with the literature of the period. My only reservation about Fischer’s performance of this symphony may sound irrational, but the modern horns hit their notes just slightly too comfortably in comparison with period-instrument performances. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eIt’s not that I didn’t enjoy Fischer’s account of this work, but compare the period-instrument performance from Roy Goodman and the Hanover Band on an inexpensive Hyperion recording (Helios CDH55119, with Nos. 49 and 50, £6.99 or less; £5.99 for mp3 or lossless download: see March 2012\/2 Download Roundup) and the extra adventure involved in hitting the right notes adds an extra touch of zest to the performance, as does the inclusion of a just-audible harpsichord. Any one of the budget-price discs from this series might make a useful addition to the Nimbus ‘Great Symphonies’ set; it’s a series that was never quite completed, though it contains recordings from all periods of Haydn’s symphonic output. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eIf you’ve fallen for the appeal of Haydn in Sturm und Drang mode, Nimbus offer another 2-CD set of Nos. 43, 44, 49, 52, 59 and 64 (here). \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eSymphony No.82 moves us on several years to Haydn’s visit to Paris in 1785\/7. Fischer’s performances of the six symphonies from this period are available on a pair of Nimbus CDs (NI5419-20 - £16.00 post free from MusicWeb International here). The only reservation that I have about recommending the ‘Great Symphonies’ set is that you may well fall for the charms of No.82 and want the whole set. If you doubt the validity of the ‘bear’ nickname for this symphony, Fischer’s growly finale makes it seem thoroughly appropriate, even though it isn’t one of Haydn’s own devising. Here again, only a preference for a period-instrument performance such as Harnoncourt’s Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 3-CD set (82876606022, all repeats observed) or Roy Goodman’s on Hyperion (Nos. 82-4, CDH55123) would be reason to look elsewhere – I’m happy with either approach. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eThe Oxford Symphony was performed at Haydn’s award of an honorary doctorate by the university, so the title has some validity even though in the end he failed to compose the new work he had intended for the occasion and substituted one that was already well known in England. Simon Rattle’s account of this and other symphonies from the period between the Paris visit and Haydn’s first to London has received critical praise (Nos.88-92 and Sinfonia Concertante, EMI 3942372: Recording of the Month, but I find it too heavy by comparison with the best period performances. You don’t need period instruments, however, to make the symphonies of this period sound well, as Eugen Jochum demonstrated in his BPO recordings of Nos. 88 and 98 and his later LPO set of the ‘London’ Symphonies and as Fischer demonstrates in his version of the Oxford. This is modern-instrument Haydn without the ‘big band’ effect that I find from Rattle and I found it an excellent complement to Roy Goodman’s period-band on Hyperion Helios CDH55125. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eThe nicknames of Haydn’s symphonies don’t always translate from one language to another. In German No. 94 is known as the Drum Stroke Symphony (mit dem Paukenschlag), so easily confused with what is known in English as the Drum Roll Symphony, No.103. The English nickname, Surprise, like the German, refers to the loud stroke in the slow movement, designed to wake the ladies. I first got to know this symphony from Beecham’s early-1950s Columbia (CBS) performance, once available on the Philips Classical Favourites label – no longer available but his later 1950s remake, still in mono, is on the first of two EMI Gemini 2-CD sets: details below. If Fischer and his team don’t quite recapture the magic of that version – could anyone? – I can’t think of any better recent version. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eHungarian orchestras and conductors seem to have a particularly strong rapport with Haydn – surely it can’t just be due to the fact that he composed for the Esterházy family whose palaces spanned what is now the international border. There used to be several CDs of his music on the Hungaroton White Label which, if reissued at budget price, would still be well worth considering. David Blum recorded several of the symphonies with the Esterházy Orchestra for Vanguard which, like those Hungarotons, I still listen to with pleasure. Intermittently available on CD, there’s a very strong case for the latter especially to be reissued. Despite their Eastern European name, the Esterházy Orchestra are American. Still available, however, and of genuine Hungarian provenance, are the successful recordings which Naxos has made of Haydn symphonies with the Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia and Béla Drahos. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eGood as all these are, the Austro-Hungarian Orchestra, drawn from top-flight Austrian and Hungarian players, is best of all. These recordings were made over a period of seven years, during which time the orchestra had three Konzertmeister, or leaders: Rainer Küchl, Erich Binder and Wolfgang Redik. The quality of performance over that period is remarkably consistent. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eI’m not suggesting that these are perfect – even if such a thing were possible. I would have liked a little more generosity in the matter of first movement repeats, for example. Without necessarily wishing for every repeat to be observed, as Harnoncourt does in his most recent recording of the Paris Symphonies for Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, I do feel that there’s imbalance in Fischer’s No.82 – Doráti’s, too, for that matter – where the first and second movements are almost exactly the same length and the finale is shorter than either. Goodman strikes a neat compromise by observing the first-movement repeats but not those in the finale (Hyperion Helios CDH55123, with Nos.83 and 84). \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eJust occasionally, too, I felt that some of Fischer’s ritardandi were slightly artificial, but that’s only if one judges them against those of Thomas Beecham, who somehow manages to make everything he does seem thoroughly natural and Haydnesque, even though he clung to outdated editions which he knew to be erroneous when better texts were already available. See the review of his EMI recordings of the London Symphonies – Bargain of the Month – and my November 2011\/1 Download Roundup. Beulah have reissued Beecham’s Symphonies Nos. 101 and 103 – see April 2012\/1 Download Roundup. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eThe recordings are excellent throughout. Even the two earliest here, of Nos. 45 and 94 from 1988, are not at all bad but the later recordings sound even better. With short but valuable notes this inexpensive set is a strong contender. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e-- Brian Wilson, MusicWeb International \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025357132010,"sku":"710357704123","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/294086.jpg?v=1778295109"},{"product_id":"bartok-dance-suite-etc-fischer-hungarian-state-154621","title":"Bartók: Dance Suite, Etc \/ Fischer, Hungarian State So","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025481421034,"sku":"710357530920","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2093654.jpg?v=1778314990"},{"product_id":"viola-recital-strehle-wilfried-brahms-j-dvorak-a","title":"Viola Recital: Strehle, Wilfried - BRAHMS, J. \/ DVORAK, A. \/","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025482961130,"sku":"710357547324","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/169293.jpg?v=1778295149"},{"product_id":"rachmaninov-s-piano-music","title":"Rachmaninov, S.: Piano Music","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025483780330,"sku":"710357173622","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/356741.jpg?v=1778294897"},{"product_id":"best-of-greece-vol-1","title":"Best of Greece, Vol. 1","description":"Best of Greece, Vol. 1","brand":"ARC Music","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025553477866,"sku":"743037161121","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/252209.jpg?v=1778281728"},{"product_id":"stravinsky-music-for-piano-martin-jones-255818","title":"Stravinsky: Music For Piano \/ Martin Jones","description":"\u003cp\u003eIncludes work(s) for pno by Igor Stravinsky.  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Some of the most popular overtures are featured here, and come from powerhouse composers like Strauss, Smetana, and Verdi. William Boughton conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra for this recording. He has been with the ESO since he founded the ensemble in 1980. Since its inception, the ensemble has built an extensive discography with Nimbus Records.","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025957867754,"sku":"710357709722","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3394702.jpg?v=1778292805"},{"product_id":"shostakovich-complete-cello-works-wallfisch-120753","title":"Shostakovich: Complete Cello Works \/ Wallfisch","description":"\u003cimg src=\"\/graphics\/p10s10.gif\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  Raphael Wallfisch recorded the First Cello Concerto for Chandos, one of the very first CD releases on that label, coupled with the Barber Concerto. It was a good performance, but it pales in comparison with his remake here. This set offers what is, hands down, the finest pairing of the two Shostakovich Cello Concertos since Heinrich Schiff and the composer's son--with all due respect to Rostropovich--set the modern standard in this music (on Philips). The First Concerto comes across with positively frightening intensity, a product not just of Wallfisch's strong projection of the solo, but also owing much to the take-no-prisoners accompaniments of Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Symphony. Just listen to the interplay between Wallfisch and the sneering, threatening woodwind section--it's what this music is all about.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e At the opening of the second movement, Wallfisch adopts a dusky, gamba-like sonority: think of Dowland's Lachrymae. The instrument truly seems to weep through the music, while the finale acquires an extra degree of bitter edge by being played very rhythmically, but not too quickly. Wallfisch really comes into his own in the cadenza, holding the entire movement together through perfect timing and a wide range of tone colors and dynamics. It's a great performance, as is that of the comparatively neglected Second Concerto.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Again we find soloist, conductor, and orchestra keenly attuned to the music's overt emotionalism. In the first movement, Wallfisch and Brabbins subtly characterize both the first and second subjects, preventing any hint of monotonous sameness in the exposition section. The development rises to a splendidly impassioned climax, followed by a ghostly coda that never drags.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e In the central scherzo, once again a comparatively deliberate tempo combines with punchy rhythms to the music's expressive advantage, while the lengthy half-sweet, half-grotesque variation-finale never has been so colorfully projected. This is such a beautiful work; only the fact that it ends quietly and mysteriously conspires to keep it in the shadow of the First Concerto. In some ways it's even more melodically appealing, and this is a performance that captures its wide-ranging expression as well or better than any other.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The inclusion of the Cello Sonata and the cello arrangement of the late Viola Sonata, along with two miscellaneous short pieces, completes a package offering all of Shostakovich's music featuring solo cello. In the chamber works, John York is the sensitive piano accompanist, and both he and Wallfisch offer excellent interpretations of both large works. The finale of the Viola\/Cello Sonata is particularly well held-together, with the youthful freshness of the earlier \"true\" Cello Sonata enthusiastically captured.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The engineering in the concertos is absolutely outstanding: balances between cello and orchestra are perfectly judged, but the microphones still capture a tremendous amount of ear-catching detail. Obviously a great deal of credit for this has to go to Brabbins and the orchestra, who offer none of that generic, lazy professionalism so common today. These performances display an idiomatic style of a kind that you seldom find even inside Russia today (witness Pletnev's often bland Russian National Orchestra, or Gergiev's mediocre Kirov band). The result is an absolutely irresistible set that no fan of Shostakovich will want to miss.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025958359274,"sku":"710357576423","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/950795.jpg?v=1778334932"},{"product_id":"stravinsky-i-firebird-suite-the-the-rite-of-spring","title":"Stravinsky, I.: Firebird Suite (The) \/ The Rite of Spring \/","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025977561322,"sku":"710357571428","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/620533_8f3ec9b7-92cc-4eb2-b4aa-4190a4970f4b.jpg?v=1778341741"},{"product_id":"esterhazy-recordings-haydn-symphonies-vol-2-a-75367","title":"Esterhazy Recordings - Haydn: Symphonies Vol 2 \/ A. Fischer","description":"\u003cb\u003eFischer brings his Haydn cycle to a more than satisfying conclusion with this superb volume.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Adám Fischer and the Austro­Hungarian Haydn Orchestra go from strength to strength. This culminating volume of their Haydn symphony cycle – built up over 14 years – is in many ways the most enjoyable of all‚ not just because it covers a fascinating range of works written in the 1760s‚ when the young Haydn was busy experimenting‚ but in the performances too. In most previous volumes the advantages of Fischer’s cycle as against those of Antál Dorati’s ever­fresh pioneering Decca cycle‚ have been relatively slight. Here the new performances‚ with lighter‚ more transparent textures and generally faster speeds‚ take far more note of period practice while staying faithful to modern instruments. More than ever one registers the individual virtuosity of the various soloists in the orchestra‚ often challenged to the limit by fast speeds. So a movement such as the variation finale of No 31‚ The Hornsignal‚ features a sequence of brilliant soloists such as Haydn himself might have been writing for in the Esterházy orchestra – violin‚ cello‚ horn and so on‚ even double­bass. That symphony‚ in Professor Robbins Landon’s description one of the most spectacular of the early works‚ is here presented with panache‚ with the four horns braying out superbly‚ and the fast opening Allegro adding to the intensity. The immediately preceding symphony‚ No 30‚ nicknamed Alleluia after the chant quoted‚ is hardly less striking‚ the more so here when Fischer has adopted‚ with brilliant results‚ the option for this C major work of having trumpets and drums as well as horns – a later addition as Robbins Landon suggests in Volume 1 of his monumental Chronicle and Works (Thames \u0026amp;Hudson: 1976­78). The horns are prominent throughout these performances‚ helped by the recording balance‚ bringing out the boldness of inspiration. Symphonies Nos 30 and 31 evidently date from 1765‚ but generally the regular numbered sequence from the old Breitkopf edition is even more misleading than usual. So No 26 in D minor‚ Lamentation‚ another work that quotes a chant‚ is in the darkly intense Sturm und Drang style of the middle symphonies‚ where No 37 in C is evidently one of the earliest works here‚ dating from the brief period from 1759 when Haydn was Kapellmeister to Count Morzin. Fischer in the Lamentation Symphony again makes the music more biting with his emphasis on sharp dynamic contrasts and his very fast Allegro – faster even than with Christopher Hogwood in his period performance on L’Oiseau­Lyre (4\/94). Even more strikingly‚ No 39 in G minor‚ the last of the numbered symphonies here‚ is a wonderful example of Sturm und Drang‚ enhanced by Fischer at the start by the way he exaggerates the pauses between the nervily tentative opening phrases‚ leading to the fierce and urgent Allegro. The finale too is vehemently Sturm und Drang‚ with its rushing strings and four horns‚ again brilliantly used as in the Hornsignal‚ No 31 – as Robbins Landon puts it‚ ‘a tight­fisted work’. Throughout this set Fischer consistently relishes the originality of scoring‚ as in the Trio of the Minuet of No 29 in E‚ where suddenly in E minor the horns in octaves hold a sustained note‚ an effect made the more eerie here with the strings stilling their vibrato in period style‚ as they regularly do in these performances. The Symphonies ‘A’ and ‘B’‚ the one dating from the Morzin period‚ the other from the early 1760s‚ make an apt supplement as they come from the same period. These are both works which were only identified as symphonies rather than string quartets when in recent years wind parts were discovered. Whether or not Fischer and his orchestra of selected players from Vienna and Budapest will go on to record other supplementary works and alternative versions (for another record company following Nimbus’s demise)‚ as Dorati did‚ theirs is a superb achievement‚ with the cycle of numbered symphonies now most satisfyingly completed.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e -- Gramophone 1\/2002\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025977725162,"sku":"710357568329","price":37.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/396016.jpg?v=1778294910"},{"product_id":"york-2-the-composers-original-scores-for-piano-duet","title":"York 2: The Composers' Original Scores for Piano Duet","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025977954538,"sku":"710357586620","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1789124.jpg?v=1778316377"},{"product_id":"mussorgsky-glinka-bohme-alabiev-fine-arts-brass-94665","title":"Mussorgsky, Glinka, Bohme, Alabiev \/Fine Arts Brass Ensemble","description":"While there are many recordings by brass ensembles which reflect modern jazz-influenced ideas, this one is distinctively \"classical\". More the better, for there is no other context that would do justice to Russian nationalistic music, its folk melodies and emphasis on brass and percussive sounds. This recording by the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble knows exactly what it is setting out to do, and it accomplishes that. These are interesting arrangements, holding to the original character of the pieces, slightly lighter and more buoyant. Yet, Russian is Russian. The 'Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla' starts the disc with familiar melodic fanfare, while the Sextet for Brass by Böhme contains extremely lyrical passages, reminding one of the beautiful, plaintive qualities available from the trumpet.\u003cbr\u003eThe boldest work on the disc is a transcription for brass quintet of the piano work, 'Pictures at an Exhibition' by Modest Mussorgsky. The Ensemble catches the mood of each of the shorter pieces with great flair and cleverness. The playing is all virtuosic and deft, never heavy. This is a new light to shed upon traditionally heavy music, yet without loss of color, integrity, or mood.","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026121117930,"sku":"710357564529","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/314002.jpg?v=1778294956"},{"product_id":"shostakovich-string-quartet-no-10-weinberg-piano-quinte","title":"Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 10 - Weinberg: Piano Quinte","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026121773290,"sku":"710357586521","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1870650.jpg?v=1778288414"},{"product_id":"brahms-j-piano-concerto-no-1-dohnanyi-e-variations","title":"Brahms, J.: Piano Concerto No. 1 \/ Dohnanyi, E.: Variations","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026126557418,"sku":"710357534928","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/169250.jpg?v=1778294676"},{"product_id":"haydn-j-violin-concertos-in-c-major-g-major-sinfonia","title":"Haydn, J.: Violin Concertos in C Major \/ G Major \/ Sinfonia","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026129178858,"sku":"710357551826","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/208707.jpg?v=1778187285"},{"product_id":"rachmaninov-liturgy-of-st-john-chrysostom-175160","title":"Rachmaninov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom","description":"\"From a seemingly unlikely source comes a project that must be rated a serious contender for record of the year. Charles Bruffy and the Kansas City Chorale...take on Rakhmaninov's sizable Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom with wonderful results. The chorus is everywhere remarkable, especially the basses, who prove fearless in approaching low-lying notes tailor-made for cavernous Russian basses.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  -- New York Times\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  -----------------------\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Another disc of absolutely stunning quality from the Kansas City Chorale and their clearly inspirational conductor Charles Bruffy. I have written elsewhere of the extraordinary control and tonal blend that this choir achieves and those qualities are amply on display here. But to think that technique is a substitute for passion and power would be quite wrong because they are present in abundance too. \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e Although far from rare in the CD catalogues now, Rachmaninov’s two great settings of the Russian Liturgy; the  \u003ci\u003eLiturgy of St. John Chrysostom Op.31 \u003c\/i\u003eand the  \u003ci\u003eAll-night Vigil Op.37 \u003c\/i\u003estill come as something of a surprise to listeners brought up on  \u003ci\u003eBrief-Encounter \u003c\/i\u003ePiano Concertos. Both these settings are big pieces; the work currently under review running to over an hour and a half. As an opus it sits with  \u003ci\u003eIsle of the Dead \u003c\/i\u003eand the  \u003ci\u003ePiano Concerto No.3 \u003c\/i\u003ebefore and the first sets of  \u003ci\u003ePiano Preludes \u003c\/i\u003eand  \u003ci\u003eÉtudes-Tableaux\u003c\/i\u003e afterwards. So this can be seen as being central in a period of great musical fertility. I am far from being expert on the subtleties of the way in which the Russian liturgy is set. But from my position of textual ignorance this is quite glorious. Other recordings I have heard have always been performed by Eastern European choirs recorded in cavernous basilicas where the great booming resonance adds to the religious theatricality implicit in the music. Prior to listening to this recording I have to admit that I wondered if a small professional choir from the Midwest United States would be able to emulate this sound-world. I need not have worried – again I cannot speak about how idiomatic their Russian pronunciation is – but the fervour and ecstatic quality to the singing is all I could have hoped for. Normally, the choir consists of just 24 voices split into four even groups. Wisely I think, for this recording, they have drafted in an additional three bass voices as well as having the extensive Protodeacon solos taken by Father Andre Papkov who is a long-time expert in the music of the Russian Orthodox Church. Also, the three recordings I have heard by the choir have each been made in a different Kansas Church. It sounds as if the present venue for this recording has been chosen to mimic the longer resonance mentioned above. Whether that is a function of the venue or the engineering or both I think it is a wise choice and one that works very well. My other concern was the scale of the choir. The composition was conceived with the Moscow Synodal Choir in mind. This comprised 50 boys and 30 men – not far off three times the size of the choir here and significantly with no women’s voices. I am sure that for some the all-male choir would be authentically essential but when the upper parts are sung with the purity and sheer tonal beauty as they are here it’s a trade-off I am happy to make. Also, there is no lack of power when the music requires. \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e I find it very hard to select movements let alone moments in this performance that are highlights – the inspiration and execution run at a high level throughout. One thought I would share is the brilliance with which the choir adapt their internal balance between sections. Take the very opening of the first disc, over the calls to prayer from the Deacon and Celebrant the choir intone ‘Lord have mercy’ – Papkov’s sepulchral bass is supremely evocative but it is the blend of the main choir that amazes me every time I return to it. It grows from the lower lines – a prayer gradually ascending from the depths of darkness and doubt. As the higher voices are gradually added there is a glorious unfurling and widening of the choral range yet nothing is forced there is a natural evolution that is hypnotically compelling. Or try the second movement  \u003ci\u003eBless the Lord, O My Soul.\u003c\/i\u003e Here it is the alto line which carries the melody initially. The way the sopranos create a halo of light around the lead line and the bass provides the firmest and deepest of supports is breathtaking. The engineering and production by Nimbus’s unnamed team is exemplary – the atmosphere for this kind of work perfectly captured and the voices of the soloists placed ideally within the main choral group. The resonance of the St. John’s Centre in Kansas is clearly present without blurring detail. Part of the theatricality of this music is when great waves of choral exalting wash and blur over the succeeding wave – try 1:30 into  \u003ci\u003ethe Little Liturgy \u003c\/i\u003e(track 3) and you will hear what I mean. \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e It is not a mode of listening to music that I often promote – but this is such a life-enhancing, spirit-lifting disc that listened to in the quiet of an evening in a room with the lights turned down it is heaven on earth as far as I am concerned. I have been listening to a sequence of Nimbus discs recently and it has struck me how consistently high their production and presentation values are. A case in point with this disc; a superbly performed disc of fascinating repertoire, supported by discreetly excellent engineering. But this is aided and supported by presentation that includes a really excellent essay by Vladimir Morosan who is an expert on Rachmaninov’s sacred choral music. I am sure I am not alone in finding that part of the whole home-listening experience is having a good detailed liner-note to read to complement the performance. Now here I’m getting into rather more retentive issues; I do like the fact that Nimbus print their booklets on high quality paper! I  \u003ci\u003eknow\u003c\/i\u003e it does not really matter a jot but I appreciate it! A tiny quirk though; I wonder why the text was given in English only? A transliteration at least would have helped the non-Russian-speaking listener keep a closer track on where exactly we were in the liturgy at any given moment. \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e There are several fine other recordings available but this pair of discs will grace any collection. For those with an interest in sacred music or just choral singing of the very highest order this is a most beautiful if not essential recording. \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e -- Nick Barnard, MusicWeb International","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026137534698,"sku":"710357549724","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/169301.jpg?v=1778187297"},{"product_id":"mario-castelnuevo-tedesco-guitar-works-eliot-fisk-138398","title":"Mario Castelnuevo-tedesco: Guitar Works \/ Eliot Fisk","description":"Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco settled in California                       in the 1940s. Like many another musician cast adrift by the                       fascism that held sway in Europe from the 1930s to the mid-1940s                       he found a niche in the artistic life of the States. Hollywood                       embraced his music for films although none of the great films                       featured his work – he did however score several of the Lassie                       films. He moved in the same stratosphere as Heifetz and Piatigorsky;                       indeed the former commissioned his \u003ci\u003eThe Prophets \u003c\/i\u003eViolin                       Concerto (No. 2 of 3) and then went on to record it (RCA);                       as did \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.musicweb-international.com\/classRev\/2007\/Oct07\/Perlman_7542962.htm\"\u003ePerlman\u003c\/a\u003e.                     \u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003eAmong the operas, concertos, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.musicweb-international.com\/classrev\/2004\/Oct04\/castelnuovo_Tedesco.htm\"\u003eoratorios\u003c\/a\u003e                       and solo piano music (\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.musicweb-international.com\/classrev\/2004\/jan04\/CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO_piano.htm\"\u003eNaxos\u003c\/a\u003e,                       Somm SOMMCD 032) there are two guitar concertos, a serenade                       for guitar and orchestra, a concerto for two guitars and orchestra                       and many pieces of chamber music involving the instrument.                       The first concerto was written partly in Mussolini's Italy                       and partly in America. If the middle of the three movements                       of the \u003cb\u003eop. 99 First Concerto \u003c\/b\u003esometimes drifts close                       to Tatiana's Letter Song it is delectable sentimental stuff.                        The flanking movements are sanguine and proud. They will certainly                       appeal to anyone who likes Rodrigo's \u003ci\u003eAranjuez\u003c\/i\u003e. It's                       a lovely concerto and well worth tracking down in this very                       generously timed disc. I hope there is a volume 2 with the                       Second Concerto, the Serenade and the Concerto for two guitars.                     \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGolondrinas\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e(Swallows)                       suggests a relaxed saunter along the corniche - a summer evening                       with the swallows of the title diving and soaring. It's a                       virtuoso piece as is the eager and bustling  \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLa Primavera\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e. The \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePlatero\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e suggests a delicate spray of lilies.                       The \u003cb\u003eRondo \u003c\/b\u003ehas some of the aristocratic elegance of                       the finale of the op. 99 concerto. The three movement \u003cb\u003eop.                       133 Suite \u003c\/b\u003eis a work of beguiling emotional suggestion.                       This enchanting disc ends with the three movement \u003cb\u003eop. 143                       Guitar Quintet\u003c\/b\u003e. The writing is full of interest with some                       incidental echoes of Ravel and of Russian nationalism. Again                       it is cheerful, subtly allusive, dynamic, poetic, playful                       and at times sweetly eerie. Unlike the much younger Brouwer                       this music has no truck with dissonance. Its milieu is impressionistic                       poetry. The string quartet writing is most inventive and by                       no means a dull stooge to the guitar.                     \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003eAfter you have rifled Rodrigo's guitar treasury                       you must try this. This composer is no Rodrigo epigone but                       his music shares the Spanish composer’s mood and gift for                       beguiling invention. You can add this composer's name to that                       of Manuel Ponce as someone whose guitar music needs to be                       explored. By the way, do not overlook Ponce's \u003ci\u003eConcerto                       del Sur\u003c\/i\u003e for guitar and orchestra. Like so much else from                       that era including these works by Castelnuovo-Tedesco - it                       was written for Segovia – recorded by him and also by Alfredo                       Moreno with Enrique Batiz.                     \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003eThese recordings were originally issued in                       2004 on MusicMasters. I hope that there is more to come and                       if not that Nimbus might find funding for a collection of                       this composer's concertante works for guitar. It's that good.                       \u003cbr\u003e                          \u003cbr\u003e                      \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e-- Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nimbus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026157916394,"sku":"710357253621","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1545211.jpg?v=1778338270"}],"url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/slavic-balkan-russian.oembed?page=3","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}