Customer Reviews

Suppe: Overtures: Light Cavalry, etc.; Auber: Overtures

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

 

 

I bought this CD beause I'm working on collecting the Mercury Catalog, and when I bought it, I paid no attention to what the actual pieces were because I had no idea who Suppe was or what his overtures were.

I can't tell you how happy I was when I was surprised upon first listening... Not only is this music the type of music that is inherent to people from its use in background music to cartoons, TV, movies, etc... but it is so very enjoyable because it exhudes an amazing, unadulterated amount of PURE JOY and EXCITEMENT... with no attempt at being high-brow, or overly serious music.

The good news is that even though this music might be considered to be more "common" among classical elitists, Paul Paray treated it as he would any great art. This recording gives you such beautifully refined sound, such truly INCREDIBLE energy and exhuberence, all with stunning precision and control- that you will be sold upon first hearing.

As other reviews mention- there is no need to look at other recordings of these works, because you will mosy likely get a cheap "pops" orchestra recording that treats the music cheaply beacause of its unabashed "happiness" and accesibility. The result is fun, but trite and gets old fast. With this Paray, the energy seems to remain fresh every time you play it. You can't go wrong with this orchestral uplifter to cleanse your palate between your serious Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Mahler symphonies.

So, elitsts... forget your pride and buy these CDs. Fun is not a crime. And, beginners, this is a GREAT way to find how truly fun and emotive classical music can be. Enjoy it.

Since these came out in a couple of stunning albums in the late 50s, early 60s, just about every other conductor has stayed out of this Paray territory, knowing there is no way anyone could have acheived such superior results with material of not the highest inspiration.

Paray's control over the orchestra is almost rhapsodic: there's a unity and confident virtuosity that can go anywhere, do anything, and make unapproachable classics of everything. The sound Paray elicits from the Detroit strings is lean and luminous, like a ray of bright light shining through an open cathedral window.

Wilma Cozart got some of her best sound in Detroit Cass High School auditorium for at least part of this presentation. She re-presents it on CD with all the excitement and polish intact.

An outstanding reissue from Mercury here that continues to rule the field.

I don't know why I'm being castigated by a reviewer down the way for not putting Auber and Suppe up there with Franck and Schumann. Does he equate Wolff-Ferrari with Verdi, Benda with Dvorak? I don't understand the reference to Bugs Bunny either, and he was one of my favorites.

One of the endearing qualities of Paul Paray as an artist was that he felt there were quite a few things other than masterpieces that audiences would love and hold close to their hearts. He felt it about Auber and Suppe, and he gives his genius to every one of these delightful works. The results are historic and spectacular.

I also don't know where more refined performances are: no catalog listings now or in old Schwann give any indication what or where they were/are. I'm pretty confident that with all the uninspired drivel leaked on these works (Solti is an example) no treasure is lurking out or under there.

I would suggest that if you still keep vinyl, a giddy old London issue with that delightful old man Albert Wolff and the Conservatoire Orchestra is well worth ferreting out and enjoying in a fine Suppe selection. Sound and orchestral playing are not the long suit here . . . but then again, Wolff, the self-effacing old devil, would always defer to the genius of others. In doing so, he developed his own. But it's not up the stairs as far as the top landing where Paray has his chair.

Do replace your aging vinyl or bad cassette issues of these Auber and Suppe delights courtesy of the great Paray.

From beginning to end, this is an excellent disc, perhaps the best of its kind. The 1959 recording is amazing; Mercury has done wonders with the sound. I bought this recording despite the fact that I own all but four of the overtures (Boccaccio & the Auber), and have not regretted it a bit. I had bought Mehta's recording previously, but Paray wins in most every regard. The former seems lackluster when compared to Paray, especially when it comes to The Beautiful Galatea. Pique Dame is also quite a bit more energetic in Paray's version.

As for the others, Light Cavalry is joyously executed, Poet and Peasant the same. Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna is neglected far more than it should be. The same goes for Boccaccio: this is one of the two recordings of it available. This is the starting place in this repertoire.

And all this does not even touch on the Auber overtures! Auber's overtures sound almost a cross between Rossini & Suppe at times; yet they are very individual. Curiously, The Bronze Horse is an overture to an oriental opera. Auber does not treat it as such, that is for sure. Fra Diavolo begins with a bit of percussion, then leads into its first piquant melody. Masaniello is a bit more familiar; Johann Strauss's Op. 34 is entitled "Schwarttsche Ball-Tanze," Cotillons on themes from "La muette de Portici" (this is the other name for Masaniello). Give them a listen, all three are fabulous. It is surprising these concert pieces are not more well known.

Overall, this disc is a must for the lover of the overture, or any such music. Paray and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra do the music full justice, as Mercury do to the players. Enjoy.

I've been a Von Suppe fan for years and have a number of his overtures on various discs. This CD duplicates some of the music I already have but brings some new ones to my collection and I'm delighted to have them.

I've been a music lover for years and often have melodic fragments floating around in my head, most of which I can identify. It is interesting to listen to music one hasn't heard for years and discover some of the unidentified fragments being played on the CD.

That happened to me on this CD, The Beautiful Galatea and Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna are selections that have never been in my library of music but certain melodies from those pieces were some of the unidentified fragments lodged in my memory.

What a delight to discover what they were from and to hear them performed with authority and drama on this disc. I can remember when Mercury started their "Living Presence" technique on LP's; there were some great recordings made during that era.

This CD seems to capture all of the excitement that Mercury talked about at the time. The liner notes point out Mercury engineers used 3 microphones mixed into two stereo channels with no equalization, filtering, compression, or limiting used. Although the LP medium could not really take advantage of all of those techniques, the CD can. This same process was used in converting the analog signal to a digital signal using 128 time oversampling.

Even if you're not interested in the technology you'll truly appreciate the results; there is a dynamic presence to these performances that are truly exciting to hear.

This is one wild ride through some of the famous Suppe and Auber overtures. However, Paray never lets go of the reins, as the performances are crisply played with spirited tempos...never muddled nor run together. His use of contrasting dynamics is superb. Enjoy the ride...YAHOO!

If Paul Paray was a race horse, I'd place my bet on him each time to win...and indeed I would. This former conductor of the Detroit Symphony has the "Midas Touch", for everything he touches turns to gold. This CD of Suppe and Auber Overtures is no exception, and belongs in everyone's musical library. No matter how many other recordings of these warhorse pieces you own...these renditions are essential. Consistently, each Paray/Detroit recording is a gala event. The overtures contained on this CD are all very familiar to me, and yet it's as though I'm hearing them through a different set of ears. Conductor Paray brings out orchestral nuances like few other conductors can. Each well-known overture is played with energy, finesse, impeccable interpretation, and with extraordinary sound, which is a Mercury Living Presence trademark. Do yourself a favor, anything that Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony have recorded...BUY!!! I have not lost a race yet. Very Highly recommended.

In high school, I played Suppe's "Light Cavalry". So I wanted to get a copy for years but just hadn't bothered. This music recorded on this CD is good quallity (sometimes classical music CD's aren't as good a quality) and the music is very enjoyable. Lovers of classical music or Suppe will enjoy this CD. It is a worthy addition to any music collection.

I purchased this Suppe' and Auber as recorded in the Mercury "Living Presence" and it is not bad - not bad at all. Paul does and excellent interpretation and I like his directness and response that he leads the orch. with. I also have Suppe' and Auber being performed by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orch but I kinda like Paray more. The only other "Living Presence" CD I have is the 1812 conducted by Antal Dorati and the narration by Deems Taylor - what a blast that is. If you don't have that CD get it.

This recording, digitally remastered from the old 50's or 60's LP, is more than anything a joyous discovery of rare overtures conducted by an excellent and much admired conductor, the Canadian-born Paul Paray. Paray shaped the Detroit Symphony and since his death in 1979, a conductor of his magnificence has yet to be found for that particular orchestra. Though Paray's home was Montreal, Canada, and he conducted the Montreal forces in his younger days, he became a big name in American conducting. He found a home with the Detroit Symphony and even recorded several fine works of classical music on LP. Many of these- Scheherazade, French Orchestral Music, Carmen Suites and others are on CD and available on Amazon.com.

In this recording, Paray treats us to finely executed overtures by the operetta composer Franz Von Suppe. Suppe was not a big star in his day. His operettas were early Viennese operettas before the more famous Johann Strauss ever staged Die Fledermaus and the dozens of other operettas that followed. Suppe was an Austrian man but very French in his attitude (hence the last name Suppe)and even had French opera-bouffes in his musical styling. Like Offenbach, his operettas were charming, engaging works of fantasy. Consider "The Beautiful Galatea" which is the first track. The Overture is ebullient and energetic, describing the magical forces behind the story which is basically the ancient Greek myth that inspired Pygmalion- an aged inventor who builds the perfect woman. Consider also his "Boccaccio" based on the late Renaissance collection of mildly erotic poetry which read more like the Italian version of the English Canterbury Tales. Boccaccio is amusing, with music expressing adventure and romantic entanglements. The Light Cavalry Overture is actually quite familiar to the trained ear. Its militaristic theme has been used haphazardly in cartoons when a cavalry on horse would appear. His Pique Dame (Queen of Spades) is not the same subject matter as Tchaikovsky's later opera which is far darker opera. Suppe's is charming comedy about a gambling salon. The Poet and the Peasant Overture is festive and brilliantly played, in fact, the best I've heard. Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna foreshadows Strauss waltzes. The album concludes with overtures from an even lesser known composer Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber. Auber was a French composer who wrote early opera-buffes, though most assuredly he was eclipsed by Offenbach and Halevy. His Fra Diavolo and Masaniello Overtures are effectively engaging with their colorful phrasing.

Paul Paray brings life to these overtures, making them appear as if they are not old or obscure at all. He has genuine chemistry with all the musicians in the orchestra and the music is bright, energetic and even a pleasure to hear because it would appear it was a pleasure for Paray and the Detroit forces to make this recording.