Dukas: Sorcerer's Apprentice; Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain

Dukas: Sorcerer's Apprentice; Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain | Hector Berlioz, Paul [composer] Dukas, ... | Great value

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Dukas: Sorcerer's ...

	Dukas: Sorcerer's Apprentice; Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain Hector Berlioz, Paul [composer] Dukas, ... Sony, 2002 average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Brilliant Berlioz

In the 1950s and 60s, CBS/Columbia (now Sony Classical) had the great fortune to have three of America's best orchestras and their conductors on its recording roster -- Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. Nearly a half-century later, only Leonard Bernstein remains a name that even the non-classical music world knows well. But in the world of the compact disc, this is a wonderful thing, because while Leonard Bernstein analog stereo recordings sell at mid-price, classic performances by Ormandy and Szell are regulated to the budget line. Well, my friends there is justice in the world because the vast majority of these "budget line" recordings are simply amazing. I have close to a dozen recordings of Symphonie Fantastique and Ormandy's ranks right up there with the best. (I would probably rank it fourth behind Munch, Paray and Cluytens but only the Munch is readably available.) And I probably have even more versions of Sorcerer's Apprentice and Bald Mountain, and Ormandy's performances are among my favorites. The fact that they are all together on one CD is where the real bargain lies. Never did something of such high quality come at such a small price. Enjoy!

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Great value

I bought this disc principally to get a good recording of Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain to play for trick-or-treaters on Halloween. It turned out to be a great deal. The recording quality is good on all tracks, and the performances are solid throughout. Although the liner notes do not specify the dates of the recordings, the original copyrights date from 1961, 1964, and 1968, and it is all in stereo. At the bargain price, this one is a steal.

Bravo!

Excellent Recording. The price was cheap but the quality is unbelievable. If you want a good, affordable, and classic recording(especially the Berlioz), then get this one! You won't regret it!

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Orquesta Grandiosa

La orquesta de Filadelfia y Ormandy hacen en este Cd algo impresionante es musica al máximo nivel, inigualable. Desde los primeros acordes de la Sinfonia Fantástica sentira el poder de Berlioz en una interpretación soberbia, es lo que Berlioz deseaba una orquesta a plenitud, vibrante, poderosa, sonoramente imparable, y eso es la orquesta de Filadelfia un conjunto insuperable.
La sinfonia comienza sútil y portentosa, es elocuente y apasionada, es fuerza, vigor un inicio abrumador. A ball (el baile)es gratificante, sencillo, enternecedor, genial un momento delicado en la voragine de esta sinfonía. La suavidad, el sublime devenir de las tierras campestres se manifiestan con dulzura, con nostalgia, genial un momento de serenidad inolvidable. La paz se acaba el dolor, el sufrimiento, el castigo se hacen presente, avancen con la orquesta hacia la muerte, es una pesadilla inimaginable, nostalgia, sufrimiento que otra cosa puede sentirse ahora. La Sinfonia acaba no nos queda mas que sucumbir ante el encanto de la excelencia.
Dukas continua en esta función de sonidos fantásticos, "el aprendiz de hechicero" es una pequeña obra maestra, escuchela y se le vendra a la mente mickey y las escobitas, es una mágica sesión del máximo expresionismo, adorable, tentador.
Para finalizar los acordes de Moussourgsky nos hacen estremecer una vez mas, el sonido es penetrante, aterrador sino atemorizante, no hay escapatoria, la orquesta nos envuelve y no tenemos mas que dejarnos llevar y esperar que toda esta magnificencia musical no termine. Ormandy y la Orquesta de Filadelfia lo hicieron nuevamente, es sencillamente grandioso, no podra decir otra cosa, un CD de colección a precio económico, no es posible no tenerlo.

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Fantastique recording

I would rate this performance of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique only slightly behind Beecham and Munch and about equal with Paray. Eugene Ormandy never seems to be mentioned when discussing the great conductors of last century, and I really can't figure out why. He consistently put out solid performances with the excellent Philadelphia Orchestra throughout the 50's and 60's, while Szell was doing the same with the Cleveland Orchestra. The sound is very good throughout.

Tracks
No. 1, Reveries; Passions | No. 2, A Ball | No. 3, Scene in the Country | No. 4, March to the Scaffold | No. 5, Dream of a Sabbath Night: Larghetto. Allegro | No. 5, Dream of a Sabbath Night: Dies irae | No. 5, Dream of a Sabbath Night: Sabbath Round | No. 5, Dream of a Sabbath Night: Sabbath Round

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