Customer Reviews

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

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

 

 

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.

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

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."

The Philadelphia orchestra is one of our greatest orchestra and the playing is awesome, but Ormandy's interpretation is listless and sounds tired. I attribute this to his age. Boring is a fit description.

I have not heard the Bartok Manderin but that work was never an Ormandy favorite.

There are not many recordings available of Hindemith's music. Fortunately, this one with Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra is a jewel.

It is a very enjoyable disc and a budget price.

The orchestra plays superbly throughout. The Symphonic Metamorphoses is riveting, from start to end, especially the march, such precision!

The Miraculous Mandarin is excellent too, Ormandy's gives the music an overall coherence and his drive never allows the music to become tedious nor boring and coupled with the orchestra's virtuosity, the piece is simply amazing.

I recommend this disc for anyone looking for an excellent rendering of these pieces at a budget price.