From the Top at the Pops

Edvard Grieg (Composer), Max Bruch (Composer), Stephen [Composer] Feigenbaum (Composer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Felix [1] Mendelssohn (Composer), David Popper (Composer), Russell Peck (Composer), Erich Kunzel (Conductor), Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (Orchestra), Ji-Yong (Performer), Hilda Huang (Performer), Christopher O'Riley (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Ji-Yong, Hilda Huang, Christopher O'Riley
• Orchestra: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
• Conductor: Erich Kunzel
• Composer: Edvard Grieg, Max Bruch, Stephen [Composer] Feigenbaum, Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix [1] Mendelssohn, et al.
• Audio CD (August 25, 2009)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B002BO26RI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,186 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Performances, September 12, 2009

By 

Bea - See all my reviews

This review is from: From the Top at the Pops (Audio CD)

The classical music world is in good hands. Amazing performances by these young people, especially the cellist.

4.0 out of 5 stars FROM THE TOP AT THE POPS IS TRULY THE TOPS!, March 27, 2010

By 

Cheryl H. Long - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: From the Top at the Pops (Audio CD)

For many years, I have enjoyed Christopher O'Riley's program, "From The Top," in which he interviews and showcases the top classical performing artists under the age of 21. This album showcases the best of the best of "From The Top" accompanied by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The youngest performer, 12-year-old Hilda Huang, gives a superb rendition of Bach's Piano Concerto #5 in F minor. Featured also are 14-year-old violinist Chad Hoopes playing the final movement of Bruch's Violin Concerto #1 in G minor, 16-year-old cellist Matthew Allen playing Popper's Hungarian Rhapsodie, Op., 17-year-old Caroline Goulding playing the Mendelssohn Concerto for Violin & Piano in d minor, 17-year-old Ji-Young playing the Grieg Piano Concerto and 17-year-old saxophonist Corey Dundee playing the final movement of Peck's The Upward Stream. All give topnotch performances.

One of the biggest highlights of the CD is "Serenade for Strings," written by 19-year-old composer Stephen Feigenbaum. It sounds very much late-romantic, ala Tchaikovsky, Brahms or Mahler.

My only complaint about this album is that - even though they mention Christopher O'Riley's name on the CD - it lacks any interviews by him of any of these young musicians, which has always been such an integral, enjoyable part of his program. Still, it makes for a pleasant listen, and warms your heart listening to these potential top performers of tomorrow!

4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 Stars... From the Top but without the charm, December 12, 2009

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From the Top at the Pops (Audio CD)

I am a big fan of "From the Top", thw weekly program hosted by Christopher O'Riley featuring up-and-coming young (in some cases, REALLY young) musicians. "From the Top" had come to Cincinnati a number of times over the years and I have attended those radio show tapings when I could, most recently in October of 2008, at which time this CD was recorded as well.

"From the Top at the Pops" (9 tracks; 62 min.) brings 9 remarkable young musicians (ranging in age from 12 to 19), supported by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (more on that later). I have nothing but praise for the quality of the performers, both as to the orchestra and as to the young performers themselves, Check out Ji-Yong on the piano in the opener (Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor). One of the biggest surprises on here is the 7 min. composition by Stephen Feigenbaum (age 19), "Serenade for Strings", which is just beautiful. The piano recital by Hilda Huang (age 12) on Bach's "Piano Concerto No. 5 in F minor" is equally amazing, I mean this is a twelve year old! All that aside, a big part of why "From the Top" is such an engaging program is the interplay between host Chris O'Riley and the kids, interviewing them before and after their performances. Regretfully, this CD is not a live recording from the radio show taped here at Music Hall last October, but instead a new recording made the next day, without the interviews, and regretfully without the charm.

Aside from that, pleae note that this CD release is the swan song of the great, late Pops conductor Erich Kunzel, who passed away earlier this year after a short bout with cancer. What a legend that man is in this city, building the Cincinnati Pops into one of the the very best pops orchestras in the country (only the Boston Pops are larger in fame and reputation). As if by coincidence, after many years on Telearc (and close to, if not more then, 100 albums released), this is also the last Cincinnati Pops album to be released on Telearc as the label has stopped producing new albums. What a loss, as the quality of most Telearc releases is nothing short of pristine, as is the case on this release. Without a conductor (the search for a replacement for Erich Kunzel is still underway) and without a record label, the future of the Cincinnati Pops has never been more uncertain.