Customer Reviews

Pomp & Pipes

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is possibly the most acoustically impressive recording I own and is indeed an audiophile's dream come true. The awesome power and range of the Fisk organ (Opus 100) has to be heard to be believed and elevates the Dallas Wind Symphony's agility and pomposity to unrivaled new heights.

If you don't have a first rate sub-woofer, you're going to cheat yourself out of the full potential of this dazzling recording. If you do, watch out for falling plaster!

Don't try this recording without a VERY good hifi system! Excellence audiophile quality recording all the way down to 16hz organ notes. A must for any brass musician!

This is the way it should be done ...a great recording that will knock your socks off if you have the system to do it justice. I mean don't judge it by how the song samples sound on small speakers. A system with a subwoofer or subwoofers is a must. The Polka & Fugue from Schwanda the Bagpiper with the organ pedal points included will spoil you for any other versions without. The liner notes by Michael Barone (host of MPR's Pipedreams) are a great addition.

We organ lovers find it rare to find good organ works that really give the pipes a good workout. This one has nice loud passages, plus good voicing (choice and mixture of the pipes).

Each track has in addition to the organ: wind instruments! Reeds, brass, flutes, and percussion too. Result: A truly unique album that sounds great, yet reminds us of being at an organ recital with a marching band playing, or perhaps competing.

Lovable & annoying. But truly memorable. A+ for effort and originality. A+ for doing a Percy Grainger work. A+ for not recording the Big Ben theme for the 11,000th time. C+ for lacking in symphonic balance. C+ to this reviewer for not being more open to novel interpretations.

Most organs CDs have at least one passage that reminds you of being at a funeral. But not with this one.

Sunday mornings have changed forever! From the codetta of the Karg-Elert to the final chord of "Schwanda", this music invigorates! A must for all Musician-audiophiles.

This is an excellent choice if you like powerful brass. The organ is an added plus which will make this CD one of your favorites.

This is fun to listen to, but one needs to be in the mood for all the triumphant music.

I've always been a fan of Frederick Fennell's recordings, and this is no exception for me. The Dallas Wind Symphony does a fine job as well. Having performed in a wind symphony, I have a special interest in wind symphony music and repertoire.

Paul Riedo is very good on that Fisk Organ, and I think he helps show that a fine organ fits in quite well with a wind symphony. Is Riedo as good as E. Power Biggs? Maybe not. Of course, given that I've heard Biggs rehearse and perform a few times, I have to admit that although I really like Biggs, I could be just a little biased.

Should you have good hi-fi equipment to get the full benefit from this disc? I think so. If you are shopping for such a system, this is not a bad CD to take with you as a test.

This recording has received rave reviews. Certainly the recording is of audiophile quality and tests the merit of any system. However, the techical quality of the Dallas Wind Symphony leaves much to be desired in this recording.

Allelujah! Laudamus Te (Alfred Reed) is a *must hear* track. I play this track multiple times with great enjoyment each time.

On the other hand, Lord, Save Thy People (Charles-Marie Widor) is amateurish in brass attacks, tempi, and overall performance. In places, it just stinks.

The Fisk Organ (Opus 100) ranges from peaceful and quiet to bombastic. Always under control, Paul Riedo does a creditable job in technique and registration. His performance is solid but frequently lacks feeling and interpretation.

For both "Praise the Lord with Drums and Cymbals" (Seigfried Karg-Elert) and "Poeme Heroique" (Marcel Dupre), I prefer Frederick MacArthur playing the Skinner Organ with the Old South Brass at the Old South Church in Boston. This CD contains music of Nancy Plummer Faxon and George Faxon, not heard on any other CDs that I know of.

That said, this 1994 Reference Recording is still a favorite, as it contains organ/brass repertoire that has never been recorded elsewhere.

What a wonderful recording! I love everything about it. Five stars! Excellent in every way. I would buy it again.

A wonderful cd. I enjoyed it immensely - up loud! It was fun to listen to. Thanks.