Romantic Adagios, Music CD

Romantic Adagios
1.	Adagio for strings (arr. from 2nd mvt. of String Quartet), for string quartet/string orchestra), Op. 11 8:45
	Composed by Samuel Barber
	Performed by Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by David Zinman
2.	M�ditation (from opera "Th�is"), violin & orchestra version and various arrangements 5:43
	Composed by Jules Massenet
	Conducted by Richard Bonynge
	Performed by Nigel Kennedy and Nation Philharmonic Orchestra
3.	Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: Adagio Sostenuto 11:31
	Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
	Conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy
	Performed by Cleveland Orchestra and Jean-Yves Thibaudet
4.	Gymnop�dies (3), for piano, complete (also orchestrated by Debussy): 1 & 3 6:29
	Composed by Erik Satie
	Conducted by Charles Dutoit
	Performed by Montreal Symphony Orchestra
5.	Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622: Adagio 7:21
	Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performed by Cleveland Orchestra and Franklin Cohen
	Conducted by Christoph von Dohn�nyi
6.	Spartacus, ballet in 4 acts: Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia 9:11
	Composed by Aram Khachaturian
	Conducted by Aram Khachaturian
	Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
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Editorial Reviews

A double meaning is at play in the title of Romantic Adagios, a collection of pieces from the Romantic era that are long on candlelight-dinner sentiment as well. The languid, dreamy slow movement became most ardently romantic during the 19th century, as this two-CD compilation proves. Favorite adagios by composers from Beethoven and Mozart to Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Dvorák will quench any listener's thirst for yearning melodies, expressive harmonies, and relaxing tempos. There won't be any complaints about the performances either: The 21 selections drawn from the Decca archives feature soloists such as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Nigel Kennedy, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Kyung-Wha Chung, all of whom are at their best in this sentimental repertoire. A compilation like this wouldn't be complete without Barber's "Adagio for Strings" or the "Concierto de Aranjuez" of Rodrigo, but you'll also discover Shostakovich, Mahler, and Khachaturian in their most tenderly lyrical moments. By the time Fauré's gentle "Pavane" concludes the second disc, even the most hardened cynic will have succumbed to the blissful mood of serenity that only a romantic adagio can provide. Scott Paulin, Barnes & Noble

Customer Reviews

Listener Rating:
Ratings: 1Reviews: 1

Romantic Adagiosby Piscataquog-Yankee

Reader Rating:
See Detailed Ratings

August 13, 2009: There's no accounting for taste, and it's hard sometimes to reconcile all of the reviews with one's own perception of the music.

That said, I bought several of the adagios and "relaxing" cds and found this one to be the most representative of what I think a really good adagios cd should be. For example, in Massenet's Meditation, the clear, crisp audio allows the superb violin solo to be appreciated both individually and as an ensemble instrument, blended so well that brass, strings, woodwinds, and even harp strings are well defined. The cello in my favorite, The Swan, brings to mind the expectation of a brief, lyrical swan-song of an animal that only sings once. And the haunting orchestra of Barber's Adagio and plaintive piano keys of Debussy's Clair de Lune are stand-outs as well. I would say that this is a keeper.

Romantic Adagios
1.	Adagio for strings (arr. from 2nd mvt. of String Quartet), for string quartet/string orchestra), Op. 11 8:45
	Composed by Samuel Barber
	Performed by Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by David Zinman
2.	M�ditation (from opera "Th�is"), violin & orchestra version and various arrangements 5:43
	Composed by Jules Massenet
	Conducted by Richard Bonynge
	Performed by Nigel Kennedy and Nation Philharmonic Orchestra
3.	Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: Adagio Sostenuto 11:31
	Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
	Conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy
	Performed by Cleveland Orchestra and Jean-Yves Thibaudet
4.	Gymnop�dies (3), for piano, complete (also orchestrated by Debussy): 1 & 3 6:29
	Composed by Erik Satie
	Conducted by Charles Dutoit
	Performed by Montreal Symphony Orchestra
5.	Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622: Adagio 7:21
	Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performed by Cleveland Orchestra and Franklin Cohen
	Conducted by Christoph von Dohn�nyi
6.	Spartacus, ballet in 4 acts: Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia 9:11
	Composed by Aram Khachaturian
	Conducted by Aram Khachaturian
	Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
7.	Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ("Moonlight"), Op. 27/2: Adagio sostenuto 5:29
	Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
	Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy
8.	Kol Nidrei, for cello & orchestra, Op. 47 10:12
	Composed by Max Bruch
	Conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy
	Performed by Lynn Harrell and New Philharmonia Orchestra of London
9.	Enigma Variations, for orchestra, Op. 36: Nimrod 3:19
	Composed by Edward Elgar
	Performed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by Georg Solti
10.	Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor: Adagietto 9:52
	Composed by Gustav Mahler
	Performed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by Georg Solti
11.	Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major ("Elvira Madigan") K. 467: Andante 7:19
	Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performed by English Chamber Orchestra and Radu Lupu
	Conducted by Uri Segal
12.	String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11: Andante Cantabile 8:18
	Composed by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
	Conducted by Raymond Agoult
	Performed by New Symphony Orchestra of London
13.	Violin Concerto No.1, in G minor, Op. 26: Adagio 8:46
	Composed by Max Bruch
	Performed by Kyung-Wha Chung and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
	Conducted by Rudolf Kempe
14.	Symphony No. 9 in E minor ("From the New World," first published as No. 5), B. 178 (Op. 95): Largo 11:53
	Composed by Antonin Dvor�k
	Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
	Conducted by Christoph von Dohn�nyi
15.	Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Introduction and 24 Variations), in A minor for piano & orchestra, Op. 43: Variation 18 3:06
	Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
	Conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy
	Performed by Cleveland Orchestra and Jean-Yves Thibaudet
16.	Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Intermezzo 3:17
	Composed by Pietro Mascagni
	Conducted by Gianandrea Gavazzeni
	Performed by Nation Philharmonic Orchestra
17.	Clair de lune, for piano, L. 75/3 5:35
	Composed by Claude Debussy
	Performed by Pascal Rog�
18.	Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar & orchestra: Adagio 10:58
	Composed by Joaqu�n Rodrigo
	Performed by Carlos Bonell and Montreal Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by Charles Dutoit
19.	The Swan (from "Carnival of the Animals"), original (for 2 pianos & ensemble) and arrangements 3:21
	Composed by Camille Saint-Sa�ns
	Performed by Marie Goossens and Jascha Silberstein
20.	Piano Concerto No. 2, in F major, Op. 102: Andante 7:36
	Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
	Conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy
	Performed by Cristina Ortiz and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
21.	Pavane, for orchestra & chorus ad lib in F sharp minor, Op. 50 6:39
	Composed by Gabriel Faur�
	Conducted by Charles Dutoit
	Performed by Iwan Edwards, Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Montreal Symphony Orchestra Chorus

Barnes & Noble

A double meaning is at play in the title of Romantic Adagios, a collection of pieces from the Romantic era that are long on candlelight-dinner sentiment as well. The languid, dreamy slow movement became most ardently romantic during the 19th century, as this two-CD compilation proves. Favorite adagios by composers from Beethoven and Mozart to Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Dvorák will quench any listener's thirst for yearning melodies, expressive harmonies, and relaxing tempos. There won't be any complaints about the performances either: The 21 selections drawn from the Decca archives feature soloists such as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Nigel Kennedy, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Kyung-Wha Chung, all of whom are at their best in this sentimental repertoire. A compilation like this wouldn't be complete without Barber's "Adagio for Strings" or the "Concierto de Aranjuez" of Rodrigo, but you'll also discover Shostakovich, Mahler, and Khachaturian in their most tenderly lyrical moments. By the time Fauré's gentle "Pavane" concludes the second disc, even the most hardened cynic will have succumbed to the blissful mood of serenity that only a romantic adagio can provide. Scott Paulin

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Product Details

Format: CD
Original Release: 1999
Release Date: 06/13/2000
Label: DECCA
Catalog No.: 466710
UPC: 028946671023
Sales Rank: 6,510