Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 295 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: no
01. Pietro Mascagni – Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo Sinfonico
02. Jacques Offenbach – Gaite Parisienne: Barcarolle
03. Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky – Romeo And Juliet, Fantasy Overture: Love Theme
04. Frédéric Chopin – Les Sylphides: Nocturne
05. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade In G, K. 525 «Eine Kleine Nachtmusik»: Romance (Andante)
06. Bedrich Smetana – The Moldau (From Ma Vlast): Allegro
07. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade, Op. 35: Andantino Quasi Allegretto
08. Léo Delibes – Coppelia, Suite: Ballade
09. Edvard Grieg – Holberg Suite, Op. 40: Sarabande (Andante)
10. Antonin Dvorák – Serenade For Strings In E, Op. 22: Moderato
11. Georges Bizet – Carmen Suite No. 1: Entr’acte (Act III)
12. Richard Wagner – Tristan Und Isolde (Concert Version): Liebestod
Enchanting!
This is the rare CD that will appeal to newcomers and afficionados alike. For a lover of classical music, it is often annoying to hear parts of a composition played out of context from the main piece but this is alleviated by the choice of music on this disc. As the name itself indicates, the selected pieces are highly melodic slow movements from masters of the genre. The composers on this CD need no introduction and the selection is by and large superb, with only one jarring note. Mascagni’s Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, Chopin’s Nocturne from Les Sylphides, Tchaikovsky’s Theme from Romeo & Juliet, Korsakov’s Theme from Scheherazade, Dvorak’s Moderato and of course Mozart’s Romance from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik are melodies that live forever and the others are not far behind, with the possible execption of Smetana’s Vltava which does not quite fit in with the overall theme of the disc. The icing on the cake of course is that the performances are by none other than the Berlin Philharmonic under Karajan’s baton. What more can one ask for? A perfect disc to listen to on a lazy evening or after a hard day’s work. And for a newcomer to classical music, this disc is an excellent sampler that will whet the appetite for more.