Track Listing

1. España, rhapsody for orchestra, also arranged for 2 pianos
2. Finlandia, tone poem for orchestra, Op. 26
3. Escales (Ports of Call), suite for orchestra: Rome-Palermo: Calme
4. Escales (Ports of Call), suite for orchestra: Tunis-Nefta: Moderé très rythmé
5. Escales (Ports of Call), suite for orchestra: Valencia: Animé
6. Swedish Rhapsody No. 1, for orchestra ('Midsommarvaka'), Op. 19
7. In the Steppes of Central Asia (V sredney Azii), musical picture for orchestra
8. Vltava (The Moldau), symphonic poem (Má Vlast No. 2), JB 1:112/2
9. Capriccio Italien, for orchestra (or piano, 4 hands), Op. 45

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #171495 in Music
• Released on: 1997-09-23
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Customer Reviews

Pleasing
When collections of this sort were popular in the 1950's, by people like Ormandy and Fiedler, they featured virgorous, tense performances that really brought the showpiece quality to the fore. Eiji Oue, while technically a very fine conductor, has a slightly different take on these pieces. In Espana, for example, colors are manifold, but there is a lack of snap to the orchestra playing. Finlandia is not hyperdramatic, but it is well delineated. Escales is perhaps the best performance on the disc, in part because French music seems especially suited to Oue's virtues. The Alfven is a full scale, lush performance, while Capriccio Italien, however short on excitement, offers sumptuous string sound and an idiomatic treatment of the themes. I did not listen to this CD on a CD player with an HDCD chip, as recommended. Nevertheless, the sound was full and warm, with excellent detail and just a hint of wispiness to the violins. If you want these pieces in up to date sound, don't hesitate. But there are more thrilling recordings of Finlandia and the Alfven by Ormandy and of the Capriccio Italien by Bernstein and the N.Y. Philharmonic, all on Sony.

Pure relaxation!
This CD is my instant stress-buster. It is better than yoga -- or yoga is better with this CD! I strongly recommend this item.

Highly recommended
The performances and sound are excellent.
What leads me to comment is the recording technology - HDCD - High Definition Compatible Digital. If you've ever thought that digital music is lacking, this may be our answer. Developed in the 1990s, it eliminates distortions which are normal in regular digital. Brass does not sound harsh. And it adds sound which normal digital fails to capture.
I listen without an HDCD player, and it is still easy to hear the quality. Purchased mp3s would also reflect the quality. HDCD-enabled players aren't usual now, since this system has been rather ignored. Regular 24-bit digital by itself is not enough, and I don't think 32-bit is either. I'd like to see HDCD as standard. I've presented the page from the booklet describing HDCD in the images.
After listening to samples of selections from other albums, I had to choose this one. My wants were Ports Of Call and The Moldau.