Search - Prokofiev, Orpheus :: Classical Symphony

Sophisticated, nuanced approach

dcreader | Washington DC area | 09/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Orpheus makes Prokofiev's First sound new in comparison to those by large symphony orchestras (Orpheus is a chamber orchestra). Their smaller format suits it paritucarly well, as precision, rather than power, brings out the full beauty in this work. The same can be said for both the Bizet and Britten works. Each is a shorter symphony that lends itself best to Orpheus' style of playing."

The best classical CD

dcreader | 05/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD combines early works of three noted composers, Prokofiev, Bizet, and Britten, with a spirited and flawless performance by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra to result in a charming 64 minutes of music. This is the first CD that I purchased and I haven't found one since that is as enjoyable.You won't find a better collection of melodies anywhere. It's a glorious way to spend an hour."

Elegant Reappraisal of these works by Orpheus

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 05/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Orpheus, perhaps America's premier chamber ensemble, offers fresh, invigorating interpretations of Prokofiev's 1st Symphony, Britten's Simple Symphony and Bizet's Symphony, making a persuasive case pointing to the stylistic links which are common to all three works. All three can be seen as later examinations of traditional Classical music in the mode of Haydn, Mozart and the young Beethoven. Orpheus' conductor-less performances are unquestionably superb. This is yet another in the fine series of CDs which Orpheus recorded for Deutsche Grammophon in the late 1980's into early 1990's."