Philippe Entremont at the Top of his Form
Eugene August | Dayton, OH | 10/26/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For me Phillippe Entremont is one of the twentieth century's greatest pianists--elegant, passionate, flawless in execution. These beautifully remastered performances from 1961, 1967, and 1981 show him at his best--and that is saying a lot. His performance of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" is at once eloquent and down-and-dirty jazzy; even the usually lofty Philadelphia Orchestra (under Eugene Ormandy) gets into the spirit of Gershwin's high-brow/low brow rhapsody. As a bonus, this is the "complete uncut version" which contains an omitted section (about two-minutes in length) that is great fun and well worth retaining. In De Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain," the piano playing sparkles like the fountains of the Generalife, and (in the final movement) it sings a splendid hymn to all things Spanish. The Franck and Faure pieces are each gems in their own different ways. In all four works, soloist and orchestra are simply superb."
Good CD
G. Metcalf | United States | 10/19/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a good way to fill out your collection with these works. The recording quality is good -- occasionally favoring the piano soloists a bit too much. The piano is so closely recorded in fact that I frequently heard creaking noises that I suspect might have been the pianist's weight shifting on his bench! Recommended if you don't already have the Gershwin or Falla. The Faure was my favorite but it is less of an essential piece to have in your collection."