Customer Reviews

Concert in Rhythm Vol 1

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed this CD when I was in college but I bought it anew with some trepidation that it would seem dated more than 40 years after it was recorded. Fortunately, it's not. It still offers fresh versions of familiar classic tunes. There are people who probably will prefer the orthodox versions of these selections. Conniff does classics with a wordless chorus, a shuffle beat, and an occasional jazz riff. You will be more inspired to tap your toes than to conduct the orchestra. There's a loss of majesty in some pieces. I prefer a more conventional version of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto. But this is great easy listening music -- and original enough to be interesting. My favorite is Rhapsody in Blue -- but then my favorite would always be Rhapsody in Blue.

The [LIVE] comment at the title is not correct. This is the original studio recording. I know. I bought it in the late fifties when it came out, and have kept up with it for over 40 years. I listened to it about ten times just during the past week of 7th Aug 2000. An excellent performance!

I have listened to this recording of Concert in Rhythm Vol I since it was first issued. I have listened to it for hundreds of times since 1958 -- over 40 years. I always play it in the Thanksgiving and Christmas times. It is a great masterpiece that many music lovers know nothing about. A wonderfully rare find. Conniff is excellent. Give it a try and you will love it.

This is Ray conniff playing classical masterpieces like Tchaikovski's FIRST PIANO CONCERTO, SWAN LAKE BALLET and ROMEO AND JULIET, the great Debussy's REVERIE, the gracious ON THE TRAIL (from Grand Canyon Suite), the incredible RHAPSODY IN BLUE (this is the best), and what a surprise!! a one Ray Conniff's composition, the precious EARLY EVENING (what a wonderful song); including Rachmaninoff's SECOND PIANO CONCERTO (simply excellent)...this cd is the fusion of classical and swing music in the unique Ray Conniff Style!!!

Since this is a live album you should very surprised of the
quality. Also the selection of tracks is very beautiful.
The release year as far as I can remember was 1959 when
I was just 13. Since than I have an addiction to Ray Conniff
and saw him live in Duesseldorf in 1969.

Ray Conniff and his orchestra livened up the classics in this offering. Tchaikovsky,Debussy and Ravel's music receives the Conniff touch in this C.D. which was first released over 46 years ago. My personal favorites are Rhapsody in Blue and On The Trail. It's great to listen to these tunes still today as when they first came out!!

okay...i confess. this recording is more than just a recording for me. it was my gateway into becoming a lover and performer of serious classical music. i was a mere 13 years old when i first heard this recording played often during my class study times by my classroom teacher. i listened and learned and grew to love this sound...but more importantly, those familiar popular tunes i knew....hey, i didn't know they were classical works, too!

conniff takes some of the most loved classical melodies and gives them his magical treatment. the sounds are wonderfully haunting as well as mightly and majestic. "rhapsody in blue" is perhaps one of ray's most swinging arrangements, but even the "side one" selections (with strings of the new york philharmonic) swing righteously at a danceable pace.

the public had not heard such upbeat arrangements before nor had they heard such a polished sound, and as a result, this recording became one of ray's most successful top sellers and brought wide recognition of "the conniff sound".

this really is a classic and a guaranteed favorite.

This is probably a re-hash of some of Ray Conniff's earlier works. What it is though is a beautiful rendering of classidal music using voices as the instruments. I first heard the first song (Beethoven's First Piano Concerto) some 50 years ago. I was having coffee in the Student Union cafeteria and the info desk was playing music over the loudspeaker system. I got chills up and down my arms and immediately went to find out what I had been hearing. Thus began a life-long love affair with classical music. The rest of the music is great also.

It had been years since I last heard the music on this CD. Some may classify it as "elevator music" and to some extent it is, but it's still a treat to hear the Ray Conniff treatments of these songs.

This is a great Conniff classic and it is a studio album. It is also one of the few times Ray has used strings on his own albums. Of course when he arranged for Johnny Mathis, he used strings.

I enjoy this album because it gives you a good balance of the typical Ray Conniff sound (the voices being used like instruments) and Ray Conniff with a larger orchestra.

At times, Conniff's arrangments bet a repetitive but overall, this is a solid album and one of Conniff's better ones I think.