Search - Fennell :: Conducts Porter & Gershwin

The BEST Gershwin/Porter album

Travis R. Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 02/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perhaps I'm romanticizing, but this was THE cd I listened to in high school. The arrangements are absolutely captivating; building new material over the original themes while referencing them so purely. I couldn't imagine a better use of your money than purchasing this album, it will bring you years of joy!"

Glowing Coles of Porter...

adam | melbourne AU | 01/15/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I can only comment on the Porter half of this recording, as I own it on original vinyl. It's a mono copy, but you wouldn't know it. As usual, excellent engineering from Mercury, who set standards in the early 60's that still count (IMHO) as best practice.Frederick Fennell is right at home in the warmth of these beautifully wrought Ray Wright orchestrations. As he should be; Wright's day job was orchestrating for Radio City Music Hall. The sound is lush, the dynamics amazing, the performance spot on. It gets four stars only because I can't justify five, not having heard the Gershwin half.I suppose that if you can't find a nice copy to play on a good turntable with a warm amplifier, then this CD would do - but then, you miss the excitement of hearing sound you've been taught can only come from a CD, magically floating straight up from ancient vinyl."