Oue: cnd/Minnesota Orchestra Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances/ Vocalise/ Etudes-tableaux Genres:Dance & Electronic, Classical Written in 1940, the Symphonic Dances represent Rachmaninov at the peak of his powers as an orchestral composer. Less lush than his earlier works, free of sentimentality, imaginatively orchestrated, and full of lively rhyt... more »hms, the piece is red meat for a virtuoso orchestra. The Minnesotans rise to the challenge with superb ensemble and countless solo turns done to perfection. Oue's interpretation, flexible and pointed, lets the dance rhythms drive the three movements and consistently strikes the right mood; just listen to the frigid trumpets that open the second movement and the swirling winds that alternate with them. The Vocalise gets a lovely reading, followed by Respighi's arrangement of five Études-Tableaux that turn those virtuoso piano pieces into deliciously orchestrated tone poems. Kick the volume control up and you get state-of-the-art sonics--solid bass, overwhelming climaxes, and dynamics as wide as a Kansas sky. --Dan Davis« less
Written in 1940, the Symphonic Dances represent Rachmaninov at the peak of his powers as an orchestral composer. Less lush than his earlier works, free of sentimentality, imaginatively orchestrated, and full of lively rhythms, the piece is red meat for a virtuoso orchestra. The Minnesotans rise to the challenge with superb ensemble and countless solo turns done to perfection. Oue's interpretation, flexible and pointed, lets the dance rhythms drive the three movements and consistently strikes the right mood; just listen to the frigid trumpets that open the second movement and the swirling winds that alternate with them. The Vocalise gets a lovely reading, followed by Respighi's arrangement of five Études-Tableaux that turn those virtuoso piano pieces into deliciously orchestrated tone poems. Kick the volume control up and you get state-of-the-art sonics--solid bass, overwhelming climaxes, and dynamics as wide as a Kansas sky. --Dan Davis
"*
I agree that the quality and clarity of this recording is as good as it gets.The Rachmaninov music is a bit different from other romantic music I've listened to. Not "bad" different. No weird stuff
here. The music changes moods. From thunderous percussion to the announcements of the trumpets, to the glassy
strings, and softer woodwinds, everything gets wrapped up into a neat package. This music has energy, imagination,
thoughtfulness, quiet action, and beauty. All of the pieces on this CD are well worth it.I thank the reviewers here. This is one of my favorite CD's.
*"
Good Supplemental CD
Justin Windschitl | Minneapolis, MN | 05/09/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'll start by saying I own every cd the Minnesota Orchestra has recorded in the past 10 years. I love them all, but some stand out more than others as a definitive recording of a specific work. While I enjoy this cd, a couple of small items keep the recording of Symphonic Dances by Ashkenazy and the Concertgebouw Orchestra as my top pick. First, I am unimpressed with the principal oboe in the Minnesota Orchestra version - particularly in the first movement. The tone is harsh and sounds uncontrolled, and the intonation isn't great in the oboe/clarinet exchange halfway through the first movement. I also prefer the saxophone solo much more in the Concertgebouw recording - in the MN version the solo sounds slightly under pitch the entire time, and the phrasing lacks direction. I think the first movement of the MN recording is too slow, and the strings don't sound as rich and full as the Concertgebouw, which is strange, as I have heard both orchestras live and have always preferred the MN Orchestra string section over most any orchestra out there. With these comments said, the recording quality of the MN cd is crystal clear and it is a very solid recording - any Rachmaninov/Symphonic Dances lover will find this a good companion cd to the Concertgebouw."
Yum! A Rachmaninoff Encore
David Robinson | Oakland, CA United States | 08/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Symphonic Dances aren't programmed as often as they should be in the concert hall, so they amount to an extra treat. Rachmaninoff, while writing with typical brilliance, avoided repeating himself and offering another "Symphony No. 2" by choosing daring orchestration, especially the breathtaking use of the alto sax as the solo instrument in the first dance and the piano as tuned percussion. The effect is dazzling. This is a top-notch recording and makes one wonder why Eiji Oue didn't hit the big time at one of America's major orchestras instead of returning to Japan. A beautiful program expertly recorded."
Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances
Abraham Kovler | San Diego | 10/15/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I bought the Reference Recording CD of Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances,here conducted by Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra, hoping to have an exhilarating audio experience, but alas, it was sorely lacking, at least for me, and it did not at all compare with the Turnabout recording with Donald Johanos and the Dallas Symphony, but then again, what else does? The Turnabout is one of the best recordings I ever heard. It is a prime example of recording quality, performance, sound stage, and all of this on an ordinary budget label!!! I find it rather unbelievable that Mr. Johanos would not become as well known as any of the great conductors of the '60s and 70s, considering what he got to bring out of the Dallas Symphony players, just breathtaking and unbelievable.
So forget about the Reference Recordings one, but definitely, definitely get Turnabout one... it will turn you about!!!"
AN EXCELLENT recording by an EXCELLENT record-company.
Peter Lehmann | Fort Wayne, IN USA | 02/12/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I LOVE THIS ALBUM!
I purchased the "HRx" format of this album directly from Reference Recordings. (The HRx-Format is a data-disc that carries WAVE-audio computer files in a 176.4KHz/24-bit sampling rate! An audio-CD has a sampling rate of 44.1KHz/16-bit, roughly one-eighth the resolution of the HRx-album. The HRx is the highest resolution music available and can only be played on a PC, no home stand-alone player (other than some very rare professional recording studio equipment) has ever been manufactured that is compatible with these recordings. (The HRx albums are all hand-made at Reference Recordings and are exact studio replicas, they have a MSRP of $55 each + shipping, AMAZON.COM! STOCK THIS FORMAT!)
Because of this, I wanted to purchase the audio-CD of this album to be compatible with ALL CD and DVD players. It is an exceptional recording (all Reference Recordings albums are), but the music-content is WONDERFUL. It is my favorite classical album. And for the audiophiles out there, this disc is HDCD-encoded. I do not yet own a HDCD-compatible player, however the recording is STILL superior to most CD-recordings."
