Product Description

No Description Available.
Genre: Classical Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 25-AUG-1992

Track Listing

1. Manfred Symphony, for orchestra (or piano, 4 hands) in B minor, Op. 58: I. Lento lugubre - Moderato con moto
2. Manfred Symphony, for orchestra (or piano, 4 hands) in B minor, Op. 58: II. Vivace con spirito
3. Manfred Symphony, for orchestra (or piano, 4 hands) in B minor, Op. 58: III. Andante con moto
4. Manfred Symphony, for orchestra (or piano, 4 hands) in B minor, Op. 58: IV. Allegro con fuoco

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #195513 in Music
• Brand: JANSONS/OP
• Released on: 1992-10-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
We're still waiting for a truly great recording of Manfred, regarded by some as Tchaikovsky's greatest symphonic work, and by others (including Leonard Bernstein) as "trash." While hardly a miracle of musical architecture--hardly the point of the work in any case--there's no question that it contains some amazing passages, and not a few of the composer's best tunes. Purely as orchestration, it's a marvel, and this performance brings out much of the score's beauty and excitement, if perhaps it lacks the last ounce of punch. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

This performance is full of drama and intensity.
While I find the sound on this recording to be a ittle overbright, in terms of intensity I find this to be one of the most intense on record, particularly in the outer movements. Intensity is one of Janson's strong points, and it shows here. The first movement has an epic sweep to it which is appropriate to the score. Ditto the last movement. The Oslo Philharmonic responds to Jansons's committed direction with gusto! The inner movements are well conceived and played, although the third movement could use more of a sense of repose. Other than that, I would count this recording as standing very high on my list of recommended CD's.

"Boring"? Not hardly!
I don't know how the guy from Maple Valley gets off as calling this performance "boring". It wasn't Mariss Jansons who was sleeping - it was that reviewer, although I don't know how anyone could snore through the supremely powerful 4th movement. The performance is excellent, with the right combination of drama and intensity, and there is a suitably dark, Byronic feeling, just like the score deserves. Same with the sound quality - the recording is masterfully engineered. Buy this now. And don't forget to read Byron's work, either.

Excellent performance
Whoever wrote that this is a boring recording, should take a listen to Pletnev's erratic conducting of this piece. Janssons tempos are much easier to listen to and seems to convey what the composer intended. It is a somber but very melodic piece of music and only a conductor of great sensitivity could interpret it properly. Janssons fills the bill.