George Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1; Suites 2 & 3

George Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1; Suites 2 & 3

George Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1; Suites 2 & 3
List Price: $6.98
Our Price: $3.36
You Save: $3.62 (52%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Listen soundtracks from this album



(Click here)
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store

CD Details

Composer: George Enescu
Conductor: Cristian Mandeal
Orchestra: "George Enescu" Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2006-06-13
Music Label: Arte Nova Classics
Soundtracks:
  1. Romanian Rhapsody No. l In A Major, Op. ll
  2. Overture
  3. Sarabande
  4. Gigue
  5. Menuet Grave
  6. Air
  7. Bourree'
  8. Renouveau Champetre
  9. Gamins En Plein Air
  10. La Vielle Maison De L'enfance, Au Soleil Couchant
  11. Riviere Sous La Lune
  12. Danses Rustiques

Music reviews of George Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1; Suites 2 & 3

Music Review: Enjoyable Enescu treasures
Rating: 5 Stars

The iconic Romanian composer George Enescu (1881-1955) has not reached yet the worldwide fame he actually deserves. Authoritative critics and reputed scholars have always advocated his superb gifts not only as violin virtuoso - it is well-known that his recordings made date and remained truly interpretive benchmarks -, as conductor, pedagogue or pianist, but mainly as a profound and inspired composer in the XXth century. Some of these voices claim for Enescu a place among the giants, on equal footing with Shostakovich, Stravinsky or Bartok, and do consider his masterpiece "Oedipe" as one of the greatest operas of the modern age. Lord Yehudi Menuhin (the beloved former pupil of Enescu) said once that "the time of Enescu is to come".

As Enescu's widespread recognition is still awaited, it remains for the Romanian musicians to champion his music and propagate it on the international stage, to reveal that huge treasure of beauties, deep (yet, often contradictory) feelings and profound thoughts compounding a work valuable in its own right and escaping the strict classification in certain currents or fashions.

Since 1958 in Romania takes place an important international festival (now with a rhythm of two years) to honor the name of George Enescu. There is one imposed condition, namely that all the invited orchestras must include a work by Enescu in their concerts during the Bucharest festival. This way the world-renowned ensembles get accustomed with his oeuvre and, once deciphered and assumed, it is kept in their current repertory. Maybe, it is performed even in other places, in tours or recording sessions. Unfortunately, Enescu's works still seem too difficult to conductors and orchestras, the idiom of the scores and their particular mood remaining alien to contemporary musicians. Consequently, these scores remain so to a large audience as well, hence preventing it from a priceless treasure of musical beauties. Notwithstanding some famous conductors (such as Lawrence Foster or Gennady Rozhdestvensky) have constantly championed and extensively recorded Enescu lately, to both their probity and his benefit.

However, the first Romanian Rhapsody composed at 19 years (together with a second one, both bearing the opus number 11) gained a worldwide fame for its lovely folk tunes (in fact, all Enescu's works are imbued with such folk aromas) and vivid Romanian rhythms, becoming definitely the best known of all his compositions. Here it is performed with an infectious empathy by the Romanian conductor Cristian Mandeal (former pupil of Celibidache and Karajan) along with his musicians from "George Enescu" Philharmonic Orchestra. The two suites (no.2 in C major op.20 & no.3 in D major op.27 "Villageoise") attest for Enescu's neo-classical facet. Although the two pieces differ from one another in mood and character (even their moments of composition witnessed slightly different stages in Enescu's career), they reveal a mighty symphonist with a keen sense of colours and orchestral textures, a rigorous and honest musician devoted to principles and truth, extracting the sap of his composition from folk melodies of his people.

All in all a superb five-star recording, enjoyable and highly recommended!

More George Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1; Suites 2 & 3 free music reviews:
1

Description of George Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1; Suites 2 & 3

George Enescu (1881-1955) is still remembered today, fifty years after his death, as Romania?s greatest classical composer. He was also a virtuoso violinist. His many works in numerous genres remain largely unknown outside his native land except for the immensely popular Romanian Rhapsodies, but they deserve wider circulation in view of the beauty of their melodies, their brilliant orchestrations, and their strong characterization and originality. This recording offers two of Enescu?s orchestral suites in addition to the beloved Rhapsody No. 1. Dancing vivacity and colorful instrumentation are characteristics of these effervescent orchestra pieces. The Romanian Philharmonic Society was founded in 1868. Its conductors have included significant figures in Romanian music not to mention Enescu himself, whose name the orchestra incorporated into its title in 1955 as the George Enescu Bucharest Philharmonic. The current conductor is Cristian Mandeal, who studied with both Karajan and Celibidache. He has conducted numerous major orchestras and more than forty world premieres.

Classical CDs

Music Genres
Bestsellers in Classical CDs
Winterscapes ImageWinterscapes
by London Philharmonic
Prophetic Voice; Published: 2000-07; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops: $6.99
The Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebee ImageThe Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebee
by Dini Petty
Children's Group; Published: 2001-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.38
Price in other shops: $13.98
Beethoven Lives Upstairs Cdr ImageClassical Kids - Beethoven Lives Upstairs Cdr
Release date: 2000-04-05; Music CD
Best price: $24.98
Tchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos)) ImageTchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos))
by Malcolm Sinclair, Jeremy Siepmann
Naxos; Published: 2003-11; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $35.99
Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS] ImageJose Carreras - Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS]
Sling Shot; Release date: 2000-04-18; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $5.86
Price in other shops: $9.99
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS] ImageTchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-09-09; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.89
Price in other shops: $29.95
Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS] ImageRambert Dance Company - Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-10-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops: $29.95
Winter Music: Composing the North ImageWinter Music: Composing the North
by John Luther Adams
Wesleyan; Published: 2004-11-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $25.21
Price in other shops: $25.95
Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] ImagePuccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.38
Price in other shops: $29.95
Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] ImageVerdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops: $29.95
Similar CDs
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Capriccio Espagnol; Russian Easter Overture ImageRimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Capriccio Espagnol; Russian Easter Overture
Release date: 1995-10-17; Music CD
Best price: $1.18
Price in other shops: $3.98
Enescu: Symphony No. 3; Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 ImageEnescu: Symphony No. 3; Romanian Rhapsody No. 1
Release date: 1998-07-21; Music CD
Best price: $9.95
Price in other shops: $18.99
Enescu: Symphonie Concertante; Chamber Symphony ImageEnescu: Symphonie Concertante; Chamber Symphony
Release date: 2006-10-10; Music CD
Best price: $3.11
Price in other shops: $6.98
George Enescu: Poème Roumain; Vox Maris; Voix de la Nature ImageGeorge Enescu: Poème Roumain; Vox Maris; Voix de la Nature
Release date: 2006-09-12; Music CD
Best price: $2.81
Price in other shops: $6.98
George Enescu: Symphony No. 1; Suite No. 1; Intermède ImageGeorge Enescu: Symphony No. 1; Suite No. 1; Intermède
Release date: 2007-02-13; Music CD
Best price: $3.09
Price in other shops: $6.98
Enescu: Symphony No. 3; Concert Overture ImageEnescu: Symphony No. 3; Concert Overture
Release date: 2007-06-12; Music CD
Best price: $3.05
Price in other shops: $6.98
Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 2; Symphony No. 2 ImageEnescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 2; Symphony No. 2
Release date: 2007-04-10; Music CD
Best price: $3.54
Price in other shops: $6.98
Enesco: Romanian Rhapsody No. 2 / Brahms: Hungarian Dances, Haydn Variations ImageEnesco: Romanian Rhapsody No. 2 / Brahms: Hungarian Dances, Haydn Variations
Release date: 1993-02-16; Music CD
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops: $11.98
Romantic Walk Through Romanian Music ImageRomantic Walk Through Romanian Music
Release date: 2000-11-21; Music CD
Best price: $7.12
Price in other shops: $11.98
ENESCU: Romanian Poem / Romanian Rhapsodies Nos. 1 and 2 ImageIosif Conta - ENESCU: Romanian Poem / Romanian Rhapsodies Nos. 1 and 2
Release date: 2009-07-27; Music CD
Best price: $8.09
Price in other shops: $8.99
Compare prices and find music notes for more than one million Music CD titles