20th Century Masterpieces (16 CD box set, APE)

Audio CD
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 16 CD box set
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: EMI Classics
Size: 4.82 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

CD 01
Sergey Rachmaninov
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
01. 1. Moderato
02. 2. Adagio sostenuto
03. 3. Allegro scherzando

Claude Debussy
La Mer, symphonic sketches for orchestra, L. 109
04. 1. De l’aube à midi sur la mer
05. 2. Jeux de vagues
06. 3. Dialogue du vent et de la mer

Frederick Delius
07. Brigg Fair (An English Rhapsody), for orchestra, RT vi/16

CD 02
Gustav Mahler
Das Lied von der Erde, for alto (or baritone), tenor & orchestra
01. Der Abschied

Arnold Schoenberg
Pieces for orchestra, Op. 16
02. 1. Vorgefühle (Sehr rasch)
03. 2. Vergangenes (Mäßige Viertel)
04. 3. Farben (Mäßibe Viertel)
05. 4. Peripetie (Sehr rasch)
06. 5. Das obligate Rezitativ (Bewegte Achtel)

Anton Webern
Pieces for orchestra, Op. 6
07. 1. Langsam
08. 2. Bewegt
09. 3. Mäßig
10. 4. Sehr mäßig
11. 5. Sehr langsam
12. 6. Langsam

Sergey Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat major, Op. 10
13. 1. Allegro brioso
14. 2. Andante assai
15. 3. Allegro scherzando

CD 03
Igor Stravinsky
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), ballet in 2 parts for orchestra
01. Part 1: The Adoration of the Earth. Introduction
02. Part 1: The Adoration of the Earth. The Augurs of Spring – Dances of the Maidens
03. Part 1: The Adoration of the Earth. Ritual of Abduction
04. Part 1: The Adoration of the Earth. Spring Rounds
05. Part 1: The Adoration of the Earth. Ritual of the Rival Tribes
06. Part 1: The Adoration of the Earth. Procession of the Sage
07. Part 1: The Adoration of the Earth. Adoration of the Earth
08. Part 1: The Adoration of the Earth. Dance of the Earth
09. Part 2: The Sacrifice. Introduction
10. Part 2: The Sacrifice. Mystic Circles of the Maidens
11. Part 2: The Sacrifice. Glorification of the Chosen One
12. Part 2: The Sacrifice. Evocation of the Ancestors
13. Part 2: The Sacrifice. Ritual of the Ancestors
14. Part 2: The Sacrifice. Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)

Ralph Vaughan William
15. The Lark Ascending, romance for violin & orchestra

Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82
16. 1. Tempo molto moderato – Alelgro moderato – Presto
17. 2. Andante mosso, quasi allegretto
18. 3. Allegro molto – Un pochettino largamente

CD 04
Manuel de Falla
Noches en los jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain), for piano & orchestra, G. 49
01. 1. En la Generalife
02. 2. Danza lejana
03. 3. En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba

Gustav Holst
The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125
04. Mars, the Bringer of War (Allegro)
05. Venus, the Bringer of Peace (Adagio)
06. Mercury, the Winged Messenger (Vivace)
07. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (Allegro giocoso)
08. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age (Adagio)
09. Uranus, the Magician (Allegro)
10. Neptune, the Mystic (Andante)

CD 05
Edward Elgar
Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
01. 1. Adagio – Moderato
02. 2. Lento – Allegro molto
03. 3. Adagio
04. 4. Allegro – Moderato – Allegro, ma non troppo

Carl Nielsen
Symphony No. 5, FS 97 (Op. 50)
05. 1. Tempo giusto
06. 1. Adagio non troppo
07. 2. Allegro
08. 2. Allegro
09. 2. Andante un poco tranquillo
10. 2. Allegro

Arthur Honegger
11. Pacific 231, symphonic movement for orchestra (Mouvement symphonique No. 1), H53

CD 06
Darius Milhaud
01. La création du monde, ballet for orchestra, Op. 81

Ottorino Respighi
Pini di Roma (The Pines of Rome), symphonic poem, P. 141
02. The Pines of the Villa Borghese
03. Pines near a Catacomb
04. The Pines of the Janiculum
05. The Pines of the Appian Way

George Gershwin
06. Rhapsody in Blue, for piano & orchestra (orchestrated by F. Grofé)

Leos Janáček
Sinfonietta for orchestra (“Military,” “Sokol Festival”), JW 6/18
07. 1. Allegretto
08. 2. Andante
09. 3. Moderato
10. 4. Allegretto
11. 5. Andante con moto

CD 07
Maurice Ravel
01. Boléro, ballet for orchestra

Paul Hindemith
Mathis der Maler, symphony (from opera)
02. 1. Engelskonzert
03. 2. Grablegung
04. 3. Verschung des heiligen Antonius

Alban Berg
Violin Concerto
05. 1. Andante – Allegretto
06. 2. Allegro – Adagio

CD 08
Dmitry Shostakovich
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
01. 1. Moderato
02. 2. Allegretto
03. 3. Largo
04. 4. Allegro non troppo

Francis Poulenc
05. Concerto for organ, strings & timpani in G minor, FP 93
Francis Poulenc

CD 09
Carl Orff
Carmina Burana, scenic cantata for soloists, choruses & orchestra
01. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi. 1. O Fortuna
02. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi. 2. Fortune plango vulnera
03. 1. Primo Vere. 3. Veris leta facies
04. 1. Primo Vere. 4. Omnia sol temperat
05. 1. Primo Vere. 5. Ecce gratum
06. Uf dem Anger. 6. Tanz
07. Uf dem Anger. 7. Floret silva
08. Uf dem Anger. 8. Chramer, gip cie varwe mir
09. Uf dem Anger. 9. Riei – Swaz hie gat umbe – Chume, chum geselle min – Swaz hie gat umbe
10. Uf dem Anger. 10. Were diu werlt alle min
11. 2. In Taberna. 11. Estuans interius
12. 2. In Taberna. 12. Olim lacus colueram
13. 2. In Taberna. 13. Ego sum abbas
14. 2. In Taberna. 14. In taberna quando sumus
15. 3. Cour d’Amours. 15. Amor volat undique
16. 3. Cour d’Amours. 16. Dies, nox et omnia
17. 3. Cour d’Amours. 17. Stetit puella
18. 3. Cour d’Amours. 18. Circa mea pectora
19. 3. Cour d’Amours. 19. Si puer cum puellula
20. 3. Cour d’Amours. 20. Veni, veni, venias
21. 3. Cour d’Amours. 21. In trutina
22. 3. Cour d’Amours. 22. Tempus est iocumdum
23. 3. Cour d’Amours. 23. Dulcissime
24. Blanzifor et Helena. 24. Ave formosissima
25. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi. 25. O Fortuna

Samuel Barber
26. Adagio for strings (or string quartet; arr. from 2nd mvt. of String Quartet), Op. 11

CD 10
Joaquín Rodrigo
Concierto de Aranjuez, for guitar & orchestra
01. 1. Allegro con spirito
02. 2. Adagio
03. 3. Allegro gentile

Benjamin Britten
Sinfonia da Requiem, for orchestra, Op. 20
04. 1. Lacrymosa (Andante ben misurato)
05. 2. Dies irae (Allegro con fuoco)
06. 3. Requiem aeternam (Andante molto tranquillo)

Aaron Copland
07. Fanfare for the Common Man, for brass & percussion (from Symphony No. 3)

Aram Khachaturian
Masquerada, incidental music
08. Waltz
09. Galop

Béla Bartók
Piano Concerto No. 3 in E major, Sz. 119, BB 127 (completed by Tibor Serly)
10. 1. Allegretto
11. 2. Adagio religioso – Poco più mosso – Tempo 1
12. 3. Allegro vivace (Presto)

CD 11
Richard Strauss
Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs), for soprano & orchestra, o.Op. 150 (TrV 296, AV 150)
01. 1. Frühling
02. 2. September
03. 3. Beim Schlafengehen
04. 4. Im Abendrot

Michael Tippett
05. Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli, for string orchestra

Witold Lutosławski
Concerto for Orchestra
06. 1. Intrada: Allegro maestoso
07. 2. Capriccio, Notturna e Ariosa: Vivace
08. 3. Passacaglia, Toccata e Corale: Andante con moto – Allegro giusto

CD 12
William Walton
Cello Concerto
01. 1. Moderato
02. 2. Allegro appassionato
03. 3. Lento – Brioso – Allegro molto – Rapsodicamente – Adagio

Pierre Boulez
Le soleil des eaux, for soprano, SATB chorus & orchestra
04. Complainte du lézard amoureux
05. La Sorgue

Krzysztof Penderecki
06. Threnody (for the Victims of Hiroshima), for 52 strings

Leonard Bernstein
Symphonic Dances (9) from “West Side Story”, for orchestra (orchestrated with Ramin & Kostal)
07. 1. Prologue
08. 2. Somewhere
09. 3. Scherzo
10. 4. Mambo
11. 5. Cha-cha
12. 6. Meeting Scene
13. 7. Rumble
14. 8. Finale

CD 13
Olivier Messiaen
Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum, for 34 winds & 3 percussion, I/47
01. Des profondeurs de l’abîme, je crie vers toi, Seigneur; Seigneur, écoute ma voix
02. Le Christ, ressuscité des morts, ne meurt plus; la mort n’a plus sur lui d’empire
03. L’heure vient où les morts entendront la voix du fils de Dieu…
04. Ils ressusciteront, glorieux, avec un nom nouveau dans le concert joyeux des étoiles et les acclama
05. Et j’entends la voix d’une foule immense…

Harrison Birtwistle
Tragoedia for chamber ensemble
06. Prologue
07. Parados
08. Episodion: Strophe 1
09. Episodion: Anapaest 1
10. Episodion: Antistrophe 1
11. Stasimon
12. Episodion: Strophe 2
13. Episodion: Anapaest 2
14. Episodion: Antistrophe 2
15. Exodus

Henri Dutilleux
Tout un monde lointain. . ., concerto for cello & orchestra
16. 1. Enigme (Très libre et flexible)
17. 2. Regard (Extrêmement calme)
18. 3. Houles (Large et ample)
19. 4. Miroirs (Lent et extatique)
20. 5. Hymne (Allegro)

CD 14
Henryk Mikolaj Górecki
Symphony No. 3, Op. 36 (“Symphony of Sorrowful Songs”)
01. 1. Lento, sostenuto tranquillo ma cantabile
02. 2. Lento e largo, tranquillissimo
03. 3. Lento, cantabile – semplice

Hans Werner Henze
04. Barcarola, for orchestra

CD 15
Arvo Pärt
01. Spiegel im Spiegel, for violin & piano

Toru Takemitsu
02. Waterways, for clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2 harpsichords & 2 vibraphones

John Adams
03. The Chairman Dances, foxtrot for orchestra

John Tavener
The Protecting Veil, for cello & orchestra
04. The Protecting Veil
05. The Nativity of the Mother of God
06. The Annunciation
07. The Incarnation
08. The Lament of the Mother of God at the Cross
09. The Resurrection
10. The Dormition
11. The Protecting Veil

CD 16
Marcel Landowski
01. Adagio Cantabile, for oboe, English horn, percussion & strings

Mark-Anthony Turnage
02. Drowned Out

Alfred Schnittke
03. Minuet for violin, viola & cello

Nicholas Maw
Dance Scenes
04. 1. Molto animato e brillante –
05. 2. Andante pesante –
06. 3. Allegretto tranquillo –
07. 4. Molto allegro

Thomas Adès
Asyla, for orchestra, Op. 17
08. 1.
09. 2.
10. 3. Ecstasio
11. 4.

All of the reviews to date of this delightful box set are reasonably accurate. This collection is well worth having and generally well conceived and assembled. The set does, however, stumble badly with the Ravel representation, his ‘Bolero’. It is unfortunately popular but that does not make it a masterpiece (at least not for Ravel); even Ravel was amused by the popularity of the only piece he wrote that “…did not contain music” (if I may paraphrase). Including this piece in the company of the otherwise fine choices should be an embarrassing mistake for someone at EMI. Picking this piece would be equivalent to choosing only one Beatles song for a rock anthology and using ‘Hey Jude’. Interestingly, ‘Bolero’ and ‘Hey Jude’ appeal to the musically challenged for similar reasons. Ravel is not adequately appreciated for his very important contributions to not just twenty century music but western music in general. If I ran the circus, I would have been much more careful how I represented such an important composer and maybe chosen ‘Gaspard de la Nuit’, a beautiful, exciting and immaculately composed piano suite; that would have fit Ravel into the 1909 slot which is more appropriate as he influenced so many other composers for much of three decades of the century. If, however, a large piece was desired for Ravel, ‘Daphnis et Chloe’ (still around 1909) would have been an excellent choice as it is one of the most beautiful orchestral works in all of western music and very representative of the French school of that period. If for whatever planning constraints, Ravel had to be placed in the late 1920’s or early 1930’s then the wonderful ‘Concerto in G’ would have been perfect. Sadly, absolutely any of Ravel’s works would have been a better choice than ‘Bolero’. [End of rant]. With all that said, this is still a wonderful and otherwise rather competent compilation of the evolution of twentieth century harmony and most enjoyable to listen to. The recording artists are top notch and the recording engineering is generally excellent. Highly recommended for its original intent as a chronology of the twentieth century (or even just to fill in gaps of a mature collection.) Just when you get to disc 7, skip the first track and play instead Martha Argerich performing Ravel’s Concerto in G, then continue. If you do this, then the box set gets five stars;)