Customer Reviews

The Women's Philharmonic: Fanny Mendelssohn: Overture (c. 1830) / C. Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 7 / G. Tailleferre: Concertino for Harp and Orchestra (1927) / Boulanger: D'un Soir Triste (1918); D'un Matin de Printemps (1918)

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This important, influential and in all ways amazing CD was groundbreaking when it was issued in 1992, and it still is! First recording of Fanny Mendelssohn's Overture -- and still the only one! Also wonderful, powerful works by Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger, and Germaine Tailleferre. In stunning performances by the legendary Women's Philharmonic of San Francisco. This CD put JoAnn Falletta on the map!

Playing is OK , but the interpretation is boring.Nice that they record this hidden pieces .

Aside from the Tailleferre, there's really not anything on this album to write home about, but the Tailleferre DEFINITELY makes up for it! Her "Concertino for Harp and Orchestra" is one of the prettiest, most delicate pieces of music you'll ever hear! It's like the woman tapped into her true inner lady to express femininity at its most musically classic. Men, especially, will appreciate how sweet and graceful this piece, easily the woman's best known work, sounds to the male ear. Expect women to get up and use whatever ballet training they have to dance to it. ;-)

Germaine Tailleferre was the only woman in a group of early 20th century French composers that were setting the standard for modern composition that called itself "Le Six". Other members included the great Erik Satie, Darius Milhaud and Francois Poulenc, among others. These people were the musical equivalent of America's "Algonquin Round Table", and their influence was just as widespread. Tailleferre was the "Dorothy Parker" of the group, and in many ways, aside from her colleague Satie, probably, as with Parker, the most talented member of the pack. "Concertino" attests to that.