Customer Reviews

Music for Quiet Listening, Vol 2

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

 

 

This is a beautiful CD with works by John La Montaine, Grieg, Anatol Liadov, Charles Martin-Loeffler, and Hanson. The selections are diverse, some very new or unknown but all blend together superbly. So, I seek Vol. 1. The music has a living presence. Hanson conducts his own orchestra with aplomb and finesse. Fine for studying, working at the PC, or sitting back to enjoy the scores and sounds. Where is Vol. 1? Why no Volume 3? I had hesitated to get this CD thinking it was another typical complilation that gets redundant and trite. Not Vol. 2. Can Vol. 1 be so good or has it been withdrawn. This is a Phillips Classical Masterpiece.

This is not even close to the quality that you will hear on Volume one.
Starting with an annoying atonal indulgent piece, I was hoping the rest would be good.
Of course the Grieg piece is wonderful, but I have other recordings of it just as fine.
I was hoping for beauty in the unknown, but the rhapsodies are common sounding, and
overall the disc is not what it purports to be....quiet or reflective. a sad find....

I bought this CD because I wanted a recording of Liadov's "Enchanted Lake." The performance of this piece is very nice, although the sound is a bit old-fashioned. The performance of Grieg's "Last Spring" is very beautiful, indeed. However, I had hoped for more music on this CD, as there is only 66 minutes. The other pieces on this CD are rarely-heard pieces that are quite pleasant, except for the atonal "Birds of Paradise," which is a typical 1960's atonal piece. It can hardly be categorized as "quiet listening"! I erased this piece when copying the CD to my computer. In general, this is a strange mixture of music, but nice performances all around.