Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances/ Vocalise/ Etudes-tableaux [Original recording remastered]

Oue: cnd/Minnesota Orchestra (Artist), Sergey Rachmaninov (Composer), Eiji Oue (Conductor), Minnesota Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Minnesota Orchestra
• Conductor: Eiji Oue
• Composer: Sergey Rachmaninov
• Audio CD (October 2, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Reference Recordings
• ASIN: B00005QD5Z
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,679 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #39 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Etudes
  • #72 in Music > Classical > Ballets & Dances > Dances

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Written in 1940, the Symphonic Dances represent Rachmaninov at the peak of his powers as an orchestral composer. Less lush than his earlier works, free of sentimentality, imaginatively orchestrated, and full of lively rhythms, the piece is red meat for a virtuoso orchestra. The Minnesotans rise to the challenge with superb ensemble and countless solo turns done to perfection. Oue's interpretation, flexible and pointed, lets the dance rhythms drive the three movements and consistently strikes the right mood; just listen to the frigid trumpets that open the second movement and the swirling winds that alternate with them. The Vocalise gets a lovely reading, followed by Respighi's arrangement of five Études-Tableaux that turn those virtuoso piano pieces into deliciously orchestrated tone poems. Kick the volume control up and you get state-of-the-art sonics--solid bass, overwhelming climaxes, and dynamics as wide as a Kansas sky. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sound engineer's dream, July 9, 2002

By 

Bruce Hodges (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances/ Vocalise/ Etudes-tableaux (Audio CD)

Let's be clear from the beginning: if there is a better-sounding CD than this one, let's hear it. Even if you don't particularly care for Rachmaninoff, or conductor Eiji Oue, or the Minnesota Orchestra, you owe to yourself to experience their work - especially when captured by one of the finest recording companies around.

I'll state right away that the "Symphonic Dances," the composer's last orchestral piece, is my favorite Rachmaninoff work. The version I treasure is (still) with Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on an outstanding Decca recording from the early 1980's (now back in print, and at a budget price, too). Ashkenazy's crisp tempi and the orchestra's dark colors suit the piece perfectly, generating a huge amount of excitement.

But even this magnificent project is trumped by this CD from Reference Recordings, a small but superb label based in San Francisco. After just one hearing, I was shaking my head in disbelief and wanting to hear more examples of the company's work.

The "Symphonic Dances" is easily worth the entire disc, with powerful rhythms and glittering orchestrations that showcase what a great orchestra can do. The "Vocalise" is lovely, and the Respighi version of the "Etudes-Tableaux" is even more fascinating if you are familiar with Rachmaninoff's original for solo piano. Throughout the program, Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra do a terrific job; great artists make this music sound easy to play. Some of Oue's tempi are slightly slower than I prefer, but there is no denying the conductor's abilities, not to mention the orchestra's virtuosity.

But it is the amazingly vivid, present, crystal-clear sound here that will make you go "wow." Some of the percussion effects, particularly from the triangle and cymbals, are breathtaking in their realism. For anyone with a state-of-the-art music system, a recording like this would probably be near-essential, if only to show off to your friends. Highly recommended, and of course begs the question, "Why can't all recordings sound like this?"

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank You, February 13, 2003

By 

Matt (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances/ Vocalise/ Etudes-tableaux (Audio CD)

*
I agree that the quality and clarity of this recording is as good as it gets.

The Rachmaninov music is a bit different from other romantic music I've listened to. Not "bad" different. No weird stuff
here. The music changes moods. From thunderous percussion to the announcements of the trumpets, to the glassy
strings, and softer woodwinds, everything gets wrapped up into a neat package. This music has energy, imagination,
thoughtfulness, quiet action, and beauty. All of the pieces on this CD are well worth it.

I thank the reviewers here. This is one of my favorite CD's.
*

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Supplemental CD, May 8, 2005

By 

Justin Windschitl (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances/ Vocalise/ Etudes-tableaux (Audio CD)

I'll start by saying I own every cd the Minnesota Orchestra has recorded in the past 10 years. I love them all, but some stand out more than others as a definitive recording of a specific work. While I enjoy this cd, a couple of small items keep the recording of Symphonic Dances by Ashkenazy and the Concertgebouw Orchestra as my top pick. First, I am unimpressed with the principal oboe in the Minnesota Orchestra version - particularly in the first movement. The tone is harsh and sounds uncontrolled, and the intonation isn't great in the oboe/clarinet exchange halfway through the first movement. I also prefer the saxophone solo much more in the Concertgebouw recording - in the MN version the solo sounds slightly under pitch the entire time, and the phrasing lacks direction. I think the first movement of the MN recording is too slow, and the strings don't sound as rich and full as the Concertgebouw, which is strange, as I have heard both orchestras live and have always preferred the MN Orchestra string section over most any orchestra out there. With these comments said, the recording quality of the MN cd is crystal clear and it is a very solid recording - any Rachmaninov/Symphonic Dances lover will find this a good companion cd to the Concertgebouw.