[Fshare] Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Bartók Duke Bluebeard’s Castle – Kertész, Ludwig, Berry

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Release Date: 09/14/1999
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466377 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Béla Bartók
Performer: Walter Berry, Christa Ludwig
Conductor: István Kertész
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 0 Mins.

"This performance needs little introduction. Widely regarded as the finest stereo version ever recorded of Bartók's moody, hypnotic single opera, it took a surprisingly long time to reach CD, but since has been reissued twice, first on Decca's "Classic Sound" and now on the "Legends" series. The two protagonists are superb, Christa Ludwig in particular. In the course of a stellar career, Ludwig's mezzo-soprano Fach offered her few opportunities to star in major operatic roles, so it's wonderful to hear a recording in which she's not upstaged by the soprano lead. Her high C at the opening of the fifth door indicates that she had nothing to fear from the competition. Ludwig's then husband, Walter Berry, offers an equally compelling, intelligent take on the enigmatic title character, and István Kertész's conducting is as idiomatic as one could wish. In short, this is a classic performance of a great work, one that in many ways has never been surpassed. It certainly belongs in the collection of every opera or Bartók enthusiast. [12/24/1999]" - David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Espana – Chabrier, Granados, Et Al – Argenta, London So

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Release Date: 09/14/1999
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466378 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Enrique Granados, Moritz Moszkowski, Claude Debussy, ...
Conductor: Ataulfo Argenta
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra, Suisse Romande Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 12 Mins

"Ataúlfo Argenta was a very talented conductor whose career was tragically cut short as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning–he was discovered in his garage with his car engine running. His recordings always have been prized by collectors, and include a fine Berlioz Symphonie fantastique, as well as this disc, a collection that combines the contents of two LPs. Debussy’s Images receives a thoroughly idiomatic reading, which is only to be expected from the same orchestra that Ernest Ansermet had trained and with which he recorded this very music a couple of years previously. But Argenta’s ability really stands out in the couplings, in which he coaxes some fine playing from a London Symphony Orchestra that was, in 1957, in the midst of its most slovenly period. His Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio espagnol might not have quite the pizzazz of Bernstein’s, but it’s elegant and exciting by turns, and his Chabrier ranks with the best. Although already reissued in Decca’s “Classic Sound” series, this re-remastering at least means that the disc will remain available for a while longer. Buy it while you can. " - David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Tchaikovsky Ballet Suites – Karajan, Wiener Po

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Release Date: 08/10/1999
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466379 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 9 Mins.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky excelled at every form of composition but was particularly adept at orchestral music. His tone poems, concerti and symphonies are all basic repertoire compositions but it's in the great ballet scores 'Swan Lake,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' and 'Nutcracker,' where we encounter the essence of Tchaikovsky's genius. The ballets are models of brilliant orchestration, melodic invention and dramatic excellence. Most listeners are familiar with the ballets through the brief orchestral suites heard on this recording.
Herbert Von Karajan was one of the great conductors in all of music. On this recording, part of Decca's Legendary Performers series, he leads the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Tchaikovsky's ballet suites. The recording lives up to its name with Von Karajan spotlighting the delightful orchestral details and drama in the scores. The orchestra plays with sumptuous tone and a keen sense of drama. Kudos to the Decca engineers for providing warm, natural sound.

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Brahms, Mozart: Piano Concertos / Backhaus, Böhm

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Release Date: 07/01/1999
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466380 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Wilhelm Backhaus
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 18 Mins.

"Wilhelm Backhaus was 83 years young when he committed this outstanding Brahms Second Concerto to disc in 1967 (the Mozart dates from 12 years earlier). Karl Böhm was merely a spry 71, and in a particularly happy stage of his long career--his exceptional recordings of Bruckner's Third and Fourth Symphonies date from the same general period, and the Vienna Philharmonic was playing with that special combination of warmth and effortless accuracy that so easily becomes slackness under a less disciplined baton. The results deserve their classic status. Backhaus plays without a trace of showmanship, but with unfailing insight. His ability to illuminate the music's inner lines and the clarity of his voice-leading in the Brahms concerto's slow movement leads the listener through this immensely lengthy work with sovereign ease. This performance really flows, as does the Mozart coupling, though here the Vienna Phil had not quite the luster it was to acquire later. Excellently remastered, this well filled CD presents the work of a master pianist placing his art completely in the service of the music. Unassuming, maybe, but so satisfying!" - David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Mahler: Das Lied Von Der Erde – Bernstein, Vienna PO
Đây là một trong hai bản thu Das Lied von der Erde trong bộ Decca Legends, bản thu kia được thực hiện bởi Nhạc trưởng huyền thoại Bruno Walter, người từng là phụ tá của Mahler.

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Release Date: 09/14/1999
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466381 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Gustav Mahler
Performer: James King, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 7 Mins.

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Schubert Winterreise – Pears, Britten
Đây có lẽ là Song cycle nổi tiếng nhất của Schubert. Bản thu của Decca có sự góp mặt của giọng Tenor Peter Pears và Benjamin Britten đệm đàn. Bản này đã được chị Khả Nhi up lên trước đây với những giới thiệu rất ý nghĩa để cảm nhận các bản nhạc. Link của bản up cũ chắc đã die, nên nay reup lại trên fshare.

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Release Date: 07/18/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466382 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Franz Schubert
Performer: Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 13 Mins.

https://www.fshare.vn/file/A7XU4PXETONW

 

Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Grieg, Schumann Piano Concertos – Radu Lupu, André Previn
Hai concertos này thường đi cùng nhau trong 1 CD, bản thu với Radu Lupu và Andre Previn là bản thu tôi thích nhất trong các bản thu piano concerto của Grieg!

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Release Date: 03/14/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466383 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Edvard Grieg, Robert Schumann
Performer: Radu Lupu
Conductor: André Previn
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 1 Mins.

"This became a popular concerto coupling back in the days of vinyl, as the pieces shared similar keys, lengths, and orchestral scorings. They fit comfortably on one LP, one to a side, and in fact that is the way this particular recording was first issued. Now it has re-surfaced in Decca's "Legends" series, and hearing it again, one has to agree that it has found its appropriate niche, and accolade. Compared to the two reference recordings, this performance is the most classically straightforward, though without being a bit prosaic. There are an almost infinite number of moments that receive a loving care that seems just right, and not just from the soloist either: Previn proves himself more collaborator than mere accompanist. In the slow movement of the Grieg, the conductor and orchestra work hand in glove with the soloist to provide moment after moment of supreme inspiration and magic. On EMI, Richter provides a little more drama, especially in the slow movement of the Grieg, and Anda a bit more joie de vivre in the rapid movements of both concertos. But Lupu receives the best recorded sound, rich and full, yet quite transparent and detailed, which might tip the scales if you are only looking for one CD of these works. Personally, I couldn't do without any of these recordings." - Rad Bennett, ClassicsToday.com

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Puccini Tosca – Karajan
Đây sực thự là 1 bản thu huyền thoại với Karajan, Price, Di Stefano và Taddei!!! (có thể so sánh với bản thu Callas với EMI)

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Release Date: 03/14/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466384 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Giacomo Puccini
Performer: Leontyne Price, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Giuseppe Taddei, Fernando Corena, ...
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Number of Discs: 2
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 54 Mins.

"The first chords lift you right out of your seat. This is Tosca for the Imax screen, no holds barred. Karajan, and the resplendent Vienna Philharmonic, hurl those chords out of the loudspeakers, and from that moment his hold never falters. Has anyone ever lavished such care, sensuality and physical power on this score? And has any orchestra ever played it as wonderfully as the Vienna Philharmonic? Every detail of Puccini’s Technicolor orchestration is there to marvel at. And theatricality too. Listen to the way Karajan builds the Te Deum at the end of Act I, abetted by John Culshaw’s vivid production: you can smell the incense. Price is a refulgent Tosca, glorious of voice, Di Stefano a wonderfully open-voiced and surprisingly subtle Cavaradossi, and Taddei a compellingly evil Scarpia. For sheer white-hot drama, the mono Callas/De Sabata set remains a classic. But in its different way, and in still-spectacular sound, this is just as overwhelming. A ‘legend’ indeed." Performance: 5 (out of 5), Sound: 5 (out of 5) - Adam Gatehouse, BBC Music Magazine

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Purcell Dido And Aeneas – Lewis, Baker, Herincx, Et Al

Bản thu hay nhất của vở opera compact của Henry Purcell với sự góp mặt của English mezzo-soprano Janet Baker. Thích nhất 'Shake the cloud from off your brow'.

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Release Date: 04/11/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466387 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Henry Purcell
Performer: Catherine Wilson, Dame Janet Baker, Patricia Clark, Eileen Poulter, ...
Conductor: Anthony Lewis
Orchestra/Ensemble: English Chamber Orchestra, St. Anthony Singers
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo

"There have been plenty of fine recordings of Purcell’s gem of an opera Dido and Aeneas, but let’s face it, the work hangs on the character of Dido, and no one, but no one, had the vocal artistry to portray noble suffering like Janet Baker. It was her specialty, and Dido was one of her great roles. No one sang Dido’s Lament as affectingly, and she’s surrounded by an excellent supporting cast, including Patricia Clark as the loyal Belinda, the young Raimund Herincx as Aeneas, and perhaps best of all, Monica Sinclair as the Sorceress leading some aptly rowdy witches. Sinclair is probably best known for her Gilbert and Sullivan recordings (Ruth, Buttercup, Katisha–all the evil altos), and she brings her comic experience in character roles to bear with excellent results.
I know there will be some who prefer to hear the orchestral part played on period instruments, but Anthony Lewis conducts with no lack of energy. Thurston Dart, who published the Purcell Society Edition of the work, plays an excellent continuo harpsichord. The strings of the English Chamber Orchestra bring plenty of color and atmosphere, while the chorus participates fully in the proceedings. Besides, Purcell’s vocal writing is timeless; there’s no issue of countertenors taking over from castratos, or other weirdnesses of casting that need to be worked around. The music sounds just fine using normal, modern voices. Recorded in 1962, the sonics have held up very well in an intimate work that, after all, places no great strain on the engineers. Most Purcell fans will own several recordings of this piece, but if you’re just starting out then this is the place to begin." - David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Trong tất cả các bản thu The four seasons đã được nghe qua thì bản này là bản hay nhất.

 

Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra, Etc – Karajan, Vienna Po

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Release Date: 04/11/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466388 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Richard Strauss
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 15 Mins.

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Mozart Don Giovanni – Krips, Siepi, Dermota, Corena, Danco

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Release Date: 06/13/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466389 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Cesare Siepi, Anton Dermota, Walter Berry, Suzanne Danco, ...
Conductor: Josef Krips
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Number of Discs: 3
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 2 Hours 47 Mins.

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Brahms Violin Sonatas – Josef Suk, Julius Katchen

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Release Date: 02/06/2001
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466393 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Josef Suk, Julius Katchen
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 8 Mins.

"Josef Suk, the Czech violinist whose noble, aristocratic style was admirably suited to Brahms' music, and Julius Katchen, a superb American pianist whose premature death in 1969 robbed us of one of his generation's most outstanding talents, recorded these sonatas in 1967. Since then they've generally been regarded as classics, deserving of the "Legends" appellation of the label. Suk plays with a golden glow to his tone. His phrasing is natural, nothing forced. In more heated moments, such as the Presto agitato finale to Op. 108, he supplies the requisite fire, never losing tonal luster. In Op. 78's first movement, as in countless other places, mounting excitement comes less from faster speeds or louder dynamics but from the palpable intensification of his rich tone. Suk's legato playing is a marvel; you feel his bow never leaves the strings even in the most extended passages, and throughout, he has that "speaking" quality to the phrasing that was a feature of the greatest fiddlers of the past. Katchen is an ideal partner, far from the passive accompanist we often hear in staple works. He matches Suk's poetic lyricism and powers climaxes boldly, imbuing the keyboard part with individuality. The transfers are the best these performances have had; it's worth replacing the old London ADRM CD release, which sounds nasal and grainy alongside this one." - Dan Davis, ClassicsToday.com

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Schubert Wanderer-fantasie; Schumann – Clifford Curzon

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Release Date: 04/11/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466498 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert
Performer: Clifford Curzon
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Mono
Length: 1 Hours 10 Mins.

"Curzon’s Wanderer Fantasy is the most satisfying I’ve encountered, and in Kinderszenen, Curzon is unsurpassable, because he treats these short pieces as the profound music they are, yet without straining their apparent simplicity. Curzon’s 1949 recording of Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy is the most satisfying I’ve encountered on disc. Curzon quite rightly views the work as Classically conceived, though shot through with a Romantic wildness which he contains with a rugged will. His steady tempo for the first movement is absolutely right. Schumann’s Fantasy is a less stiffly formal work, with outer movements that unfold like vistas as you travel through a landscape. Recorded in 1954, Curzon communicates a wonderful sense of progress, while relishing the scenery on the way, but in the triumphal middle movement he’s a bit on the cautious side. My choice for the most exciting and poetic Fantasy on CD would be Argerich’s. In Kinderszenen, Curzon is unsurpassable, because he treats these short pieces as the profound music they are, yet without straining their apparent simplicity." - Adrian Jack, BBC Music Magazine

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Chopin 4 Ballades, 4 Scherzi – Ashkenazy​

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Release Date: 04/11/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466499 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 18 Mins.

"These recordings show Ashkenazy at the height of his powers as a pianist. In the four Scherzos he takes Chopin’s ‘presto’ markings at face value, and the virtuosity of his vertiginous performances is dazzling. The Ballades, by way of contrast, are lingering accounts: beautiful playing, in all conscience, though there are times when one might have wished the music to flow just a little more naturally. The piano tone in these pieces is a little hard at times, but don’t let that worry you: this disc is an essential acquisition for anyone who loves Chopin – the more of a bargain in that it contains the essence of what was originally housed on two LPs. For an alternative view of the Ballades (and a particularly compelling view of the continual F major/A minor vacillations of No. 3), Murray Perahia’s beautifully recorded 1994 version is warmly recommended." Performance: 5 (out of 5), Sound: 3 (out of 5) - Misha Donat, BBC Music Magazine

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Mozart Serenata Notturna, Etc – Peter Maag, London So

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Release Date: 04/11/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466500 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Peter Maag
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 21 Mins.

"Swiss maestro Peter Maag was, and is, one of the great Mozart conductors. Throughout his career, including very recent recordings on the Arts label, he has shown a special affinity for this composer's music. But only in his late-1950s recordings for Decca did he find a virtuoso group of musicians totally in tune with his approach: the London Symphony Orchestra. Together, Maag and the LSO made a handful of Mozart recordings that defy criticism. Though the Notturno for Four Orchestras was one of the very best sessions of all, it was one I thought would never appear on CD. But obviously someone still working at Decca has good ears and can perceive this recording for what it is--one of the best orchestral performances ever captured by microphones. The Symphony No. 32, from a different session and a different original LP, is a worthy filler, one of the best Mozart symphony recordings ever made. It has warmth, drama, charm, and elegance. What more could one ask? The German Dances are not quite in the same league as the rest, which brings my overall rating for this CD down one point. Would that instead the fill had been the magnificent Prague Symphony recording that was the original coupling for Symphony 32, but it would have proved too long for the disc's capacity--a good reason for another Maag Decca Legends release in the near future. The recorded sound in general is excellent, microphoned from a conductor's aural perspective, close up and somewhat above the orchestra, with lots of detail and a strong bass line. I detected what seems like some irritating digitally induced blips here and there so had to knock the rating down for the transfer, not the original sound. But these are microscopic quibbles when faced with music making of the caliber contained on this disc. Like they say, you have to hear it to believe it. And if you haven't, you've really missed something important." - Rad Bennett, ClassicsToday.com

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Mahler Das Lied Von Der Erde – Ferrier, Walter, Et Al

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Release Date: 11/14/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466576 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Gustav Mahler
Performer: Kathleen Ferrier, Julius Patzak
Conductor: Bruno Walter
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Mono
Length: 1 Hours 16 Mins.

"Rather than try to find something new to say about this famous recording, I just want to make a few reflections. Is it possible to ignore, while listening, a whole series of outside factors? Mahler obsessed with death and clinging to the life he loved, Mahler's pupil Bruno Walter enjoying a rare opportunity to conduct a major work by the master whose work he passionately propagated whenever he could (do younger listeners even realise how seldom this work was played in those days?), on an almost equally rare post-war return to his beloved Vienna Philharmonic, and with his protégé Kathleen Ferrier, who he had patiently guided to became a great lieder singer, in the full flower of her stupendous voice? And above all, Ferrier herself, just turned 40 yet singing the Abschied in full awareness that her own days were numbered (she died the following year)? And if we could put all this on one side, would it be right to do so? For all these factors converge to make this not just a record, not just a performance, nor even just a document, but a magic moment in time, mercifully preserved for us. So get it if you don't have it already, but don't spoil it by listening to it too often, choose a good modern version for everyday use and take this out from time to time to remind yourself that these moments really happen. Oh, and I nearly forget to say that Patzak is excellent and the recording, if a little shallow, is incredibly good for its age." - Christopher Howell, MusicWeb International Performance: 5 stars Recording: 4 stars

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Schubert, Spohr Octets – Vienna Octet

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Release Date: 07/18/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466580 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Franz Schubert, Louis Spohr
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Octet
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 18 Mins.

"...The performance itself is a delight. This is team playing at the highest level and coming from where it does - no doubt a Viennese claim would be made for it as definitive (missing repeats apart). The sound of the group is warm and pleasant to the ear and apart from some lack of definition from the recording the blend of woodwind and strings is exemplary. My notes include the terms "Viennese lilt" (second movement Adagio) "irresistible" (Allegro Vivace), "smiling" (the minuet) and a single word "excellent " for the Theme and Variations. In some ways it sounds old-fashioned, with less attack than we hear from contemporary groups." – Harry Downey, MusicWeb International

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream, Etc – Maag, London So

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Release Date: 06/13/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466990 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
Performer: Jennifer Vyvyan, Marion Lowe
Conductor: Peter Maag
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus Women
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 19 Mins.

"Peter Maag conducts a delightfully fresh "Scottish" Symphony, keeping tempos moderately brisk, textures lean, and phrasing intuitive--that is, everything flows easily and logically. The first movement's slow introduction is not weighted down with profundity but instead sets the stage for the terse, energetic allegro to follow. Maag's scherzo is not as fast as Abbado's (also on Decca), but is still vibrant and allows much inner detail to register. The Adagio can be (and often is) the soggy center of this symphony, but Maag's beauty-in-motion conducting prevents any static dullness from setting in, letting the music emerge as the moving piece it is. Maag begins the finale attacca, quickly dispelling the adagio's mood with flashes of fire from the violins. The London Symphony Orchestra's brass and strings really enliven the confrontations near the movement's end, before the seemingly tacked-on coda (Mendelssohn could have left well enough alone with the quiet ending) which, thanks to thrilling horn playing, sounds less tiresome than usual. The well-filled (79 minutes) disc includes Maag's selections of incidental music from Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream. This includes the usual Overture, Scherzo, Nocturne, and Wedding March, as well as four additional selections, some with female chorus and soprano soloists (Jennifer Vyvyan and Marion Lowe) who help create the fairytale atmosphere with vivid, pointed, and colorful singing. This collection allows us to probe deep into Mendelssohn's work without getting bogged down in the repetitions and minutiae of the complete version. The London Symphony again fulfills Maag's vision, playing with sparkle and polish. Decca's 1960 recording of the symphony is full and clear with plenty of depth; the 1957 sound for Midsummer is dynamically limited by comparison." - Victor Carr, ClassicsToday.com

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Ðề: Decca: VA - Decca Legendary Performances [Multi]

Falla Three-cornered Hat, Etc – Ansermet, Berganza, Et Al

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Release Date: 07/18/2000
Label: London/Decca Legends Catalog #: 466991 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Manuel de Falla
Performer: Teresa Berganza, Marina De Gaburain
Conductor: Ernest Ansermet
Orchestra/Ensemble: Suisse Romande Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: n/a
Length: 1 Hours 9 Mins.

" ...Decca has just reissued Ansermet’s vintage 1961 recording, with the Suisse Romande Orchestra in its Legends series, and...[the] tautness and projection of this brilliant score is quite amazing... [A]n electrifyingly great performance... Ansermet’s opening with hard-sticked timpani, extrovert trumpeting and fervently spirited ‘Oles’ creates an altogether different sound world of dramatic primary colours and rhythmic pungency. He has the advantage of the characterful Teresa Berganza as his soloist, and the ballet swings along spontaneously, with infectious zest, the Swiss orchestra on its toes and clearly enjoying every minute. Every detail of Falla’s superb score is sharply and richly focused, the colours lighting up radiantly. Just try the opening of Ansermet’s Neighbours’ dance to hear just how this music should be played, while the horn and cor anglais fanfares which announce the gutsy ‘Miller’s Dance’ could not be more commanding. The finale just grabs the listener, and carrries the music along with thrilling impetus to make a thrillingly expansive climax. This is a truly marvellous performance and the spectacular Victoria Hall recording, produced by James Walker and remastered by Andrew Wedman could hardly be better had it been made yesterday. Ansermet’s [El amor brujo] is very early stereo (1955) and not as opulent as El sombrero, but it still sounds remarkably lustrous. The performance is not quite as distinctive as its companion, but is still brightly etched, ‘El circulo magico’ being quite bewitching; and the strings as well as the horns bring splendid bite to the ‘Fire Dance’. The finale does expose the weakness of the Suisse Romande Orchestra in the middle strings, but has far more passion than Fruhbeck generates. This Decca reissue really is a remarkable CD, fully worthy of its Legend status." - Ivan March, Gramophone [10/2000]

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