Opera Fantasies for Violin
List Price:
Our Price: $3.11
You Save: $6.88 (69%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $2.98 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Composer: Jeno HubayComposer: Joachim Raff
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Composer: Osvaldo Golijov
Composer: Kurt Weill
Composer: Stephen Prutsman
Composer: Niccolo Paganini
Composer: Georges Bizet
Composer: Edouard Lalo
Performer: Benjamin Loeb
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2007-10-30
Music Label: Naxos
Soundtracks:
- Fantaisie Brillante On Bizet's Carmen, Op.3, No.3
- Duo On Theme's From Wagner's Lohengrin, Op.63, No.3
- Parasha's Aria
- From My Window
- Medley: Song Of Human Isufficiency/Mack the Knife
- Fantasy Extract On Themes From Richard Stauss's Der Rosenkavalier
- I Palpiti: Introduction And Variations On Di Tanti Palpiti From Rossini's Tancredi
- Au Fond Du Temple Saint
- Aubade: Vainement, Ma Bien-Aimee
Music reviews of Opera Fantasies for Violin
Music Review: A virtuoso violin disc that's unusual and refreshing
Rating: 5 Stars
The fantasy on themes from an opera is a quintessential product of nineteenth-century virtuosity. Today Franz Liszt is so identified with this genre that it is hard to think of it apart from him, but many composers of the day tried their hand at it, and not all of them were pianists. Livia Sohn has gathered together an album of such pieces for violin, mostly solo violin and piano, but some with a third partner (violin in one, viola in another, both ably played by her husband Geoff Nuttall). Not only are the nineteenth-century representatives almost uniformly unfamiliar, she performs a surprising array of contemporary examples.
The only operatic fantasy for violin from the nineteenth century that really remains in the repertory today is Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy, which nicely balances the two necessities of the genre: to present popular melodies in such a way that their familiarity can be enjoyed, while dressing them up with appropriately flashy but not overbearing virtuosity. Sohn's collection gets off to a somewhat inauspicious start with two examples from the period that are not nearly as successful, Hubay's much weaker take on the Carmen themes and a really lame effort by Joachim Raff on the "Bridal March" and "Elsa's Dream" from Wagner's Lohengrin, which plays its trump card (combining the two) much too early and is left to fill its time with trite decoration.
Things definitely pick up with the next few tracks, presenting modern examples: transcriptions of melodies from Stravinsky's Mavra and a contemporary opera, Ainadamar. I have to say my favorite was Prutsman's recent potpourri on themes from Strauss' Rosenkavalier, which proves that sometimes it's best just to step back and let gorgeous melodies shine. Prutsman knows exactly when to embroider and when to just transcribe. The same goes for Benjamin Loeb's (also the accompanist for Sohn) transcription of Bizet's famous duet from the Pearl Fishers--such a melody would only lose by being decorated.
Sohn plays throughout with sweet tone and accurate intonation. While her virtuoso fireworks are impressive, one senses caution rather than the necessary abandon in some of the most difficult passages. Despite the second-rate nature of some of the music, though, this is a novel and most enjoyable violin CD.
More Opera Fantasies for Violin free music reviews:
1
1
Description of Opera Fantasies for Violin
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.Classical CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Classical CDs
Winterscapesby London Philharmonic
Prophetic Voice; Published: 2000-07; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops:
The Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebeeby Dini Petty
Children's Group; Published: 2001-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.38
Price in other shops:
Classical Kids - Beethoven Lives Upstairs CdrRelease date: 2000-04-05; Music CD
Best price: $24.98
Tchaikovsky (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] Image](/images/Jose-Carreras-Jubileum-Concert-VHS-1584481471-X.jpg){kind=small}
Jose 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:
![Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS] Image](/images/Tchaikovsky-The-Nutcracker-Nureyev-Park-Royal-Ballet-VHS-156127092X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Tchaikovsky - 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:
![Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS] Image](/images/Lonely-Town-Lonley-Street-Sergeant-Early-Dream-VHS-1561270857-X.jpg){kind=small}
Rambert 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:
Winter Music: Composing the Northby John Luther Adams
Wesleyan; Published: 2004-11-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.91
Price in other shops:
![Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Puccini-La-Fanciulla-del-West-Santi-Domingo-Neblett-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720382-X.jpg){kind=small}
Puccini - 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:
![Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Verdi-Falstaff-Giulini-Bruson-Ricciarelli-Nucci-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720358-X.jpg){kind=small}
Verdi - 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: