Cheap Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Felix Weingartner (Music) (Ludwig van Beethoven, Hector Berlioz, Carl Maria von Weber, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Felix Weingartner) Price
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| ARTIST: | Ludwig van Beethoven, Hector Berlioz, Carl Maria von Weber, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Felix Weingartner |
| CATEGORY: | Music |
| MANUFACTURER: | Emi Classics |
| TYPE: | Classical, Orchestral & Symphonic |
| MEDIA: | Audio CD |
| TRACKS: | Overture - Wiener Philharmoniker, I Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio - London Symphony Orchestra, II Larghetto - London Symphony Orchestra, III Scherzo. Allegro - London Symphony Orchestra, IV Allegro Molto - London Symphony Orchestra, Trojan March - Orchestre De La Societe Des Concerts Du Conservatoire, Invitation To The Dance, J260 (Rondo Brillant) - London Philharmonic Orchestra, I Allegro Con Brio - London Philharmonic Orchestra, II Andante - London Philharmonic Orchestra, III Poco Allegretto - London Philharmonic Orchestra, IV Allegro - London Philharmonic Orchestra, I Adagio - Allegro - London Philharmonic Orchestra, II Andante Con Moto - London Philharmonic Orchestra, III Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio - London Philharmonic Orchestra, IV Finale. Allegro - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Overture - Orchestre De La Societe Des Concerts Du Conservatoire, Siegfried-Idyll - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Les Preludes, S97 (Symphonic Poem After Lamartine) - London Symphony Orchestra, Mephisto Waltz No.1, S110/2 - London Symphony Orchestra |
| UPC: | 724357596527 |
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Customer Reviews of Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Felix Weingartner
The Art Of Subtlety Felix Weingartner (1863-1942) was an extraordinary conductor whose finest work was notable for an unerring choice of tempos, elegant phrasing, highly nuanced poise and balance, exquisitely shaded attacks, rhytmic verve, and selfless dedication to the notes as written. While I am a great admirer of more "interventionist" conductors like Furtwangler and Abendroth, it is Weingartner who truly displayed the great art of subtlety: not too loud, not too soft, neither too fast nor too slow, with an enormous variety of emphasis within a single, unified pulse.
Unlike many of the volumes in EMI's "Great Conductors" series, this one offers an excellent representation of the artist's talents in well-selected performances. His Beethoven Creatures of Prometheus Overture is, to my ears, challenged only by the Mengelberg as the finest recording ever. The Beethoven 2nd is a virtual textbook on how to conduct early Beethoven - only Kleiber, Schuricht and Georgescu have come close to matching it. The Brahms 3rd is magnificent - even Furtwangler is eclipsed here. Weingartner was a student of Franz Liszt, and his "Les Preludes" is stunning: to my mind, it is bettered only by the classic Mengelberg account. This lovely Mozart 39th, chaste and pure, is a marvel - it's my favorite along with the Kleiber. Weingartner's orchestration of Weber's "Invitation to the Dance" is a fascinating contrast to the conventional Berlioz arangement - his use of harps is intriguing! Wagner's Rienzi Overture is wonderfully direct and vital, as is the Berlioz Trojan March (without chorus). Only in the Siegfried Idyll do I find Weingartner perhaps a bit too straightforward - but even there, the orchestra displays the jeweled balance of a fine Swiss watch.
My only complaint: except for the Mozart, which is the finest transfer of the 39th I have heard, most of the other selections suffer somewhat from overly-filtered transfers. The Beethoven 2nd can be heard in a better transfer on Naxos, while the Brahms' 3rd, in EMI's own discontinued CD set of the four Brahms symphonies, had clearer sound than this one. But don't let that discourage you from acquiring this set - it's a superb introduction to one of the greatest conductors who ever waved a baton!
Great Conductors of 20th Century = Best Reissues of the 21st
It's sad that the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" reissue series has not gotten more attention, because it has my vote for the best reissue program thus far of the 21st Century. Drawing from the archives of all the major classical labels (EMI, Sony, BMG, DG, Decca, Philips, Supraphon, etc.), EMI and IMG Artists have assembled a wonderful series of affordable two-disc sets by the leading conductors of the last century. And unlike its counterpart, "The Great Pianists of the 20th Century," which are basically compilations of material already available on other CDs, the "Great Conductors" features rare and, for the most part, previously unreleased performances! And as if that wasn't enough, the most recent volumes (beginning with no. 25) are now available at mid-line instead of full-price!
This particular CD, Volume 34, features the great Felix Weingartner, and as the track information is non-existent above, allow me to tell what is contained in this fine collection. This 2CD set begins with works by Beethoven, a Weingartner specialty -- the Creatures of Prometheus Overture (Vienna Philharmonic, 1936) and the 2nd Symphony (London SO, 1938). Next are the March from Berlioz's "Les Troyens" (Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire, 1939) and Weber's "Invitation to the Dance" (London PO, 1938). Disc one concludes with Brahms' 3rd Symphony (also London PO, 1938) -- an outstanding reading and along with the Beethoven 2nd, the highlight of this set. Disc two begins with Weingartner's only Mozart Symphony recording, the 39th (LPO, 1940), though this rare document is marred by poor sound. The collection wraps up with two selections each by Wagner and Liszt -- the "Rienzi" Overture (OSCC, 1939) and "Siegfried-Idyll" (LPO, 1938), and "Les Preludes" and "Mephisto Waltz No. 1" (both LSO, 1940) respectively. A final note, as Weingartner died in 1942, all of the selections are in mono.
Whether you are a serious collector of classical music or a beginner, the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" has something for everyone. If the prized, rare performances don't excite you, then use this as an opportunity to check out one of the greatest conductors ever recorded. Chances are, since stores are offering increasingly homogenized classical music sections, this conductor might not be in your collection. And that would truly be a shame.