Carter Oppens Gielen - Piano Concerto Concerto for Orchestra (6 tracks) +Album Reviews

Difficult but Rewarding

12/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I find it odd how some people can hear serialism where none exists. Carter's music is exceedingly (but not excessively) complex at times and inhabits a dense soundworld that untutored ears might confuse with the likes of Babbitt or Sessions, but a closer examination of these and other works should reveal that Carter's approach is fundamentally different. His music is more akin to the intuitively craggy lines one might find in Ives. Ned Rorem once described Carter's music as "thickened Ives." (Just take out the marching bands and fiddle tunes.) The price of this set may be inviting to some, though the music will probably be disconcerting to many unfamiliar with Carter's musical idiom. More accessible Carter can be found in the early Variations for Orchestra (try the blazing Levine recording on DG) or the recent Clarinet Concerto (Collins/Knussen on DG). But this disc does contain some of Carter's finest music and should prove rewarding once the listener can comfortably follow the musical argument. The Three Occasions are the "easiest" pieces, and it would be adviseable to start with those first. The sound clips are good representaives of what you'll find in these works. I would suggest therefore that prospective buyers decide for themselves."

Carter doesn't belong to any school.

Karl Henzy | 09/27/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"CowfordEd just doesn't get Carter at all, otherwise he wouldn't make such erroneous comments. One of Carter's most distinguishing characteristics is that he has never belonged to any school. While both the fashionable schools of the sixties, total serialism and aleatoricism, removed choice from the composer, Carter infused every second of his music with new creative choices. That someone could talk about the sameness of perhaps the most dynamic music of our time is hard to believe, unless it's someone who just has to have a pleasant little melody to lead him through the musical maze. My gosh--Barber's too radical for this guy! I can see why Carter would be out of the question."

This CD features amazing music for a low price.

Karl Henzy | 12/07/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is a steal, at something like 5 or 6 bucks. Concerto for Orchestra is probably the richest orchestral work of the late 20th-Century, with multiple layers of whirring, explosive, dynamic sound. Oppens' playing on the Piano Concerto is almost unbelievably virtuosic. The SWF Orchestra is perhaps little-known in the USA, but they're among the best at 20th-Century music in the world (Carter has commended them in interviews). This CD is not for listeners who object to dissonant chords or irregular rhythms, and fans of Phillip Glass should stay away. This is maximalist, not minimalist, music."

I'm Torn

s_molman | CT United States | 01/12/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Cowforded clearly has studied the theory behind the music, but it seems not the music itself (he also seems to be wavering in his reviews between 1 and 2 stars - perhaps we can win him over!). I find literally nothing pedantic, same, or uninvolving about the Concerto for Orchestra, from the first spine-tingling orchestral wave of sound right through to the end. It is a great work, my favorite Carter orchestral piece and here it receives the best performance I have ever heard, live or on record (eclipsing the Knussen recording which sounds laid back by comparison). Unfortunately, I cannot muster the same enthusiasm for the other works. Oppens keeps trying to win us over for the Piano Concerto (this is her second recording that I know of), but I haven't clued into it yet. I'll keep trying though! And the Occasions is slight inoffensive work but not terribly interesting. But I would recommend this CD to anyone wanting to try something different just for the Concerto for Orchestra alone. Even if it was at full price!"

Piano Concerto goes well, the others don't

Eric Grunin | New York, NY USA | 07/13/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not going to argue the merits of the music - if you're not already familiar with Carter's style, this disk is *not* the place to start - so let's get right to the performances.In the Piano Concerto, Oppens does a fine job, actually a bit better than on her previous recording (on New World). The same goes for the orchestra. But they're in way over their head in the Concerto for Orchestra. The strings in particular are consistently either inaudible or else a smudged mess, grabbing frantically at whatever notes they can. This is, of course, very common with pieces of this difficulty. The attempted premiere of the Concerto for Orchestra (NY Phil/Bernstein) was instead declared an 'open rehearsal', and the recording which followed was an embarrassment. The premiere of the Piano Concerto (Lateiner/Leinsdorf/BSO) was almost as bad.'Three Occasions' goes better; unfortunately, the audience noises in the quiet and sombre second movement pretty much ruin it.Fortunately, there are terrific performances of both the Concerto for Orchestra and Three Occasions with Knussen and the London Sinfonietta (on Virgin). They really get it sounding like *music*, not just notes; at least except for the last few minutes of the Concerto, when the strings get all flustered, just like these other performances. Sounds like they ran out of rehearsal time.Recommended for the Piano Concerto, which, at the super-budget price, is probably enough."

Search - Carter, Oppens, Gielen :: Piano Concerto / Concerto for Orchestra

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	Carter, Oppens, Gielen Piano Concerto / Concerto for Orchestra Genre: Classical Track Listings (6) - Disc #1 Concerto For Piano And Orchestra: I Concerto For Piano And Orchestra: II Concerto For Orchestra Three Occasions For Orchestra: A Celebration Of 100 X 150 Notes Three Occasions For Orchestra: Remembrance Three Occasions For Orchestra: Anniversary
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