Product Details
Fantastic Philadelphians

Fantastic Philadelphians
From RCA

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Track Listing

  1. Dance of the Comedians
  2. Bacchanale
  3. Dance of the Hours
  4. Hungarian Dance No.5
  5. Russian Sailors' Dance
  6. Galop

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #202260 in Music
  • Released on: 1999-05-18
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Format: Original recording remastered

Customer Reviews

Fanstastic? Oh yes! indeed!!5
No excessive motion, no exaggerated sound effect, just steadily well-balanced performance. This is the way Ormandy has always been towards his recording. Nevertheless, sound quality is superme, bold and full of layer.

This album, seemingly designed to appetite the followers of "The Glorious Sound of Philadelphia" like the delighted dessert over the dinner. Amusing and joyful. Instead of giving you a blast of your mind, Ormandy let the music played just by the way it should sound. Simply enjoying and easy listening. Like the sun shine over the meadow.

Personally, I enjoy every title in this CD. Highly recommend: Danse macabre, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, España, rhapsody for orchestra, Night on Bald Mountain & Ritual Fire Dance

Fun!5
Ormandy and the Philadelphians--who are truly fantastic in these performances--give the listener an aural and musical treat.

Many of these performances are superlative, and the engineering is excellent. While Ormandy could let his players get a little sloppy when he was recording for RCA, such is not the case here.

Danse Macabre is wonderfully well done, but the other Saint-Saens item, Bacchanale from Samson and Deliah, has one of the most overwhelming climaxes I've ever heard.

Espana seems to be the one item that isn't totally successful, IMHO, but not unsatisfying either. On the other hand, the Sorcerer's Apprentice is very well done, as is the Night on Bald Mountain (although here a little more roughness is called for).

The Philadelphia violas really let you luxuriate in the de Falla and the Gliere. And what a delight to have some other bon-bons, especially the Dances of the Comedians and Hours.

Worth every penny!

An aging Ormandy has lost his zest3
Even at his peak Ormandy never made the blood race. His aesthetic didn't allow music to break out of a mold that was shapely, lush, and careful. But in old age the conductor's energy considerably flagged, and RCA got a bad deal when they signed him up just before he died. Here the Philadelphia Orch. steps into Boston Pops territory, but technically they sound miles ahead of their northern counterparts. There's nothing to point out that's better or worse than anything else.

I'd say the chief value of this pops collection is the fine recorded sound and the appeal to young listeners getting their first taste--as we all did-- of chestnuts like the Sorcerer's Apprentice and Danse Macabre.