Henze: Undine, ballet in three acts (complete)

Hans Werner Henze (Composer), Oliver Knussen (Conductor), London Sinfonietta (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: London Sinfonietta
• Conductor: Oliver Knussen
• Composer: Hans Werner Henze
• Audio CD (August 11, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B0000060AF
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,290 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating ballet, style unusually 'romantic' for Henze., May 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Henze: Undine, ballet in three acts (complete) (Audio CD)

This CD is an absolute must for fans of ballet and romantic music, where Henze adapted perfectly to the requirements of ballet-dancers and the literature about Undine to a point where one would not recognize this piece as being from Henze. Hearing it one would like to have more of his opera/ballet works on CD, for example the opera 'Der Prinz von Homburg', which is unfortunately not available on CD, although it has been composed around 1960 and also is very interesting, but requires many excellent singers of Wagner-like performance.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual ballet masterpiece, July 10, 2009

By 

Mr. S. J. Moore (Hampshire, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Henze: Undine, ballet in three acts (complete) (Audio CD)

Balletomanes may have heard some of Henze's more typical ballet scores and found them a little uneasy on the ear, although they always are exactly attuned to the choreography and with further listening rapidly become more appealing. This however, is a slightly different genre and even the first note sums up neatly what is to follow. I was lucky enough to see the ballet recently matched with Ashton's brilliant choreography (although it was originally criticised) and the music so struck a chord that I had to get a CD copy (not so straightforward). The CD set is masterful with Knussen paying attention to Henze's score in great detail and I could see the ballet in my mind's eye all over again.
For atonal music to have such instant power, appeal and to convey such a potent image of the ballet is incredible.

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exquisite score!, May 26, 2001

By 

J. Anderson (Monterey, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Henze: Undine, ballet in three acts (complete) (Audio CD)

This music by Henze!! An exquisitely realised score in every way, music maker composer/conductor Oliver Knussen sees and understands Everything in this extraordinary score, with fetching results guaranteed to please! Perfect music making by the London Sinfonietta, and again, an extraordinary over-arching design of the piece by Knussen, Master of the orchestra and the revelation of her secrets. Henze's marvelous patina of intelligence is poured over every square inch of music here, and there is such naturalness in the way the score unfolds. By Knussen's obsessive attention to the detail of both musical and theatrical palettes, he forges in this recording an integral understanding of a modern masterpiece. The score is like a veiled prize that these musicians audaciously and seductively unsheathe moment by moment; it's a shattering work, with shining DG sonics--- the vibrancy and transparency of the strings in the boat music in Act 2 alone is worth the price of this set. Harrowing and brilliant-- you'd have to be a mummy not to feel the thrill of this superb score and its expert craftsmen and women! Highest recommendation -- GET IT!