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Mengelberg, Concertgebouw Orchestra
Willem Mengelberg: Conductor, Concertgebouw Orchestra
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (8) - Disc #1
1. Hector Berlioz (1803-1869): "Rakoczy March" from The Damnation of Faust
2. Richard Wagner (1813-1883): Prelude to Act I from Lohengrin
3. Franz Liszt (1811-1886): Les preludes, S. 97
4. Franz von Suppe (1819-1895): Overture from Poet and Peasant
5. Richard Wagner (1813-1883): Prelude to Act I from Die Meistersinger von
6. Cornelis Dopper (1870-1939): Ciacona gotica
7. Julius Rontgen (1855-1932): Six Old Netherlands Dances, Op. 46 -- No. 5
8. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Waltz from Serenade for Strings,
Track Listings (7) - Disc #2
1. Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787): Alceste Overture, Wq. 37
2. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55,
3. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55,
4. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55,
5. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55,
6. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80
7. Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Rosamunde Overture, D. 644
Track Listings (6) - Disc #3
1. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64: I Andante -
2. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64: II Andante
3. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64: III Valse:
4. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64: IV Finale:
5. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture
6. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Op. 49

CD Details

All Artists: Mengelberg, Concertgebouw Orchestra
Title: Willem Mengelberg: Conductor, Concertgebouw Orchestra
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Andante
Genre: Classical
Style: Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 699487297524

Synopsis

Album Description

This three-CD set highlights the inimitable artistry of Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg, who led Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra for an unprecedented 50 years (1895-1945). The repertoire features Romantic favorites and rarely heard pieces by early 20th-century Dutch composers; the highlights include a Beethoven "Eroica" Symphony from 1940 and an entire disc of Tchaikovsky in recordings ranging from 1928 to 1940. Through this set, music lovers can rediscover one of the legendary names from the Golden Age of interpretation, one whose performances were often idiosyncratic to the point of controversy but who always elicited spirited, state-of-the-art playing from the ensemble he virtually created, the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The handsomely illustrated, 84-page booklet includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tim Page, a thought-provoking essay by American writer Harry Haskell ("Mengelberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra: A Virtuoso and His Instrument! ") and detailed artist biographies from The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

CD Reviews

Mengelberg in HIFI

Ralph J. Steinberg | New York, NY United States | 01/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since most collectors will be familiar with these superlative performances, I will confine myself to commenting on the quality of these new transfers. They are nothing less than truly spectacular. Comparing the Academic Festival Overture on this set with the Pearl transfer, the Andante has someone more presence and bite but no less smoothness to the sound; good as the Pearl is, the Andante sounds more like a mint 78 original. The biggest difference is in the "Eroica'; the difference between the Pearl and Andante is not subtle. The Pearl is a bit constricted and somewhat deficient in clarity as compared with what I remember hearing on a Capitol-Telefunken LP; by contrast, the Andante leaps at you, with shining highs, full bass, and an aliveness that is startling. Again, it sounds more like a mint copy of an original 78. In fact, were it not for the slight background 78 hiss, this could be mistaken for an early LP recording. Along with this enhanced clarity come forth details of the performance that were not evident before. I have not heard the other items in this album, but I have no doubt that these transfers present the recordings in the best possible light. Given the lavish packaging and booklet of notes and photos, this is a perfect introduction to Mengelberg. I hope that Andante will eventually issue all of Mengelberg's recordings on Victor, Columbia and Telefunken, as well as his live performances. It seems now that Andante has taken the lead in presenting historic performances that live as much today as when they first appeared. Bravo, Andante!"