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Naxos

Janacek: Orchestral Suites From The Operas Vol. 3 / Breiner, New Zealand Symphony

$19.99

Details

Composer
JANACEK
Artist
Breiner
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Aug 25, 2009
Catalog #
8570706
UPC
747313070671

About

Peter Breiner's arrangements of music from these two operas succeed on a number of levels. First, the two works offer a great deal of symphonic music to work with (the ballets in Vixen, and the overture and pantomime in House). Second, he has arranged the excerpts very intelligently for continuous listening. In the Vixen Suite it's great to hear the scene in Act 3 with the baby foxes, and it makes an excellent lead-in to the final bars. Similarly, the preludes to the second and third acts of House are nicely integrated into lengthier tracts of music.

Yes, I have a couple of quibbles. The added percussion is completely unnecessary: why all the triangle in the Vixen suite? Obviously there's nothing wrong with substituting instruments for vocal lines, or filling out the texture of bare accompaniments, but Breiner gets a bit carried away in spots (though certainly not worse than Janácek's early arrangers, Vaclav Talich included).

As a conductor, Breiner is almost totally successful. Occasionally his tempos drag a bit, as in the "Eagle, King of the Forests" music in House, or in the closing scene of the Vixen's first act--it ought to be mayhem personified, but here it's simply too careful. Elsewhere, everything goes very well, with the New Zealand Symphony making a more positive impression here than in earlier releases in this series. Perhaps it's at least partly due to the generally more colorful orchestration, which the engineering projects to vivid effect. Strongly recommended.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 12 tracks

  1. 1 I. Modra vazka (The Blue Dragonfly) 08:56
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Modra vazka (The Blue Dragonfly)
    Duration
    08:56
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  2. 2 II. U revirnika (At the Gamekeeper's Yard) 08:38
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. U revirnika (At the Gamekeeper's Yard)
    Duration
    08:38
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  3. 3 III. Jsem opravdu tak krasna? (Am I Really that Beautiful?) 08:51
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Jsem opravdu tak krasna? (Am I Really that Beautiful?)
    Duration
    08:51
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  4. 4 IV. Svatba (The Wedding) 03:10
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Svatba (The Wedding)
    Duration
    03:10
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  5. 5 V. Tulakova pisen (Wanderer's Song) 06:45
    Track
    5
    Title
    V. Tulakova pisen (Wanderer's Song)
    Duration
    06:45
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  6. 6 VI. Bezi liska k Taboru (Vixen is Running) 02:27
    Track
    6
    Title
    VI. Bezi liska k Taboru (Vixen is Running)
    Duration
    02:27
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  7. 7 I. Overture 06:16
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Overture
    Duration
    06:16
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  8. 8 II. Sto (One Hundred) 06:04
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Sto (One Hundred)
    Duration
    06:04
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  9. 9 III. Bude prazdnik (Holiday is coming) 05:55
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Bude prazdnik (Holiday is coming)
    Duration
    05:55
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  10. 10 IV. Drahy, drahy Aljejo (Dear, dear Alyeya) 01:45
    Track
    10
    Title
    IV. Drahy, drahy Aljejo (Dear, dear Alyeya)
    Duration
    01:45
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  11. 11 V. Hra a pantomima (The Play and the Pantomime) 11:25
    Track
    11
    Title
    V. Hra a pantomima (The Play and the Pantomime)
    Duration
    11:25
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner
  12. 12 VI. Isaj, prorok bozi (Jesus, God's Prophet) 04:09
    Track
    12
    Title
    VI. Isaj, prorok bozi (Jesus, God's Prophet)
    Duration
    04:09
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Breiner