Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses; Concert Music for Strings and Brass; Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin - Suite

Paul Hindemith (Composer), Bela Bartok (Composer), Eugene Ormandy (Conductor), Philadelphia Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Philadelphia Orchestra
• Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
• Composer: Paul Hindemith, Bela Bartok
• Audio CD (January 11, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B0005EZW9U
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,185 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, June 16, 2005

By 

J. K. Snyder "music critique" (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses; Concert Music for Strings and Brass; Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin - Suite (Audio CD)

I love Hindemith. I like playing many of his solo works, but his orchestral works are true masterpieces. This is greatly shown on this Ormandy recording. The brass is so full and harmonous and the woodwinds have many tonal and dynamic shadings. The first movement has to be my favorite, it has so much energy and flair.
The Miraculous Mandarin Suite is also very well done, the clarinet solo is fantastic.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On the Subject of Hindemith..., July 9, 2005

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses; Concert Music for Strings and Brass; Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin - Suite (Audio CD)

When Eugene Ormandy was at the helm of the Philadelphia Orchestra he was a master of the big sounds that so occupy the works of Paul Hindemith and Bela Bartok. This CD is a fine sounding reproduction of 1979 recordings made by this ensemble and director. The rarely heard 'Concert Music for Stings and Brass' is a welcome addition to the Hindemith recorded repertoire: it is exciting and edgy and Ormandy flings into the air with aplomb.

Ormandy's conducting proclivity for favoring the big string sound keeps this 'Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Weber' somewhat grounded. The playing is superb if a bit thick in sound. But the performance of Bartok's 'Miraculous Mandarin Suite' was one of the best of its time.

This is a solid recording, perhaps not up to the sonic standards of today, but at the budget price it deserves to gain a place in the libraires of all music lovers of 2oth Century music. Grady Harp, July 05

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Budget Buy, May 1, 2005

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses; Concert Music for Strings and Brass; Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin - Suite (Audio CD)

Don't you just love it when classic recordings get reissued on CD at a budget price?! Such is the case with this title in EMI's "Encore" series featuring Hindemith and Bartok orchestral works by conductor Eugene Ormandy leading the Philadelphia Orchestra in analog stereo performances from 1978. After many productive years at Columbia, and a shorter but no less brilliant tenure at RCA, Ormandy took the Philadelphians briefly to EMI before ending his career at Sony. I bought this CD primarily because I have never had the opportunity to hear Ormandy perform either of the two Hindemith pieces featured here -- Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber and Concert Music for Strings and Brass. I do however own his earlier account of Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin Suite reissued on Sony Essential Classics and I have to say I prefer the first incarnation. However, with classical budget lines beginning to inexplicably disappear (including the aforementioned Sony "Essential Classics" series -- what's up with that?!), I'm delighted that EMI continues to make great recordings available at such an inexpensive price through series such as "Gemini" and "Encore."