Ancient Airs and Dances- Respighi

Posted by ecl876 (A) on May 6, 2012 at 05:43:34

Great music for a Sunday morning. This is Dorati's famous Mercury recording of 1958 recorded in Vienna by a group of Hungarian expatriots, two years after the Hungarian uprising of 1956. Many musicians escaped and managed to form musical groups such as this one. If you're looking for great sound, this is it! I have two versions a Speaker's Corner and a Golden Imports. Both are excellent, although the SC is a bit quieter. I was going to write a review but reading what one reviewer, a John Marmaro wrote on Amazon, I thought I'd just quote him:

"The Penguin Guide ... awarded this famous and magnificent recording a Rosette (its "Academy Award", so to speak). It is, simply put, almost achingly beautiful music: sometimes austere, sometimes brusque, often haunting and enchanting, or full-heartedly joyous; delectably scored (Respighi was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov), stunningly played, and favored with so rich a recording quality that it hardly seems possible the recordings were made in the 1950s! This is music that soothes the spirit, engages the mind and feeds the soul--- a must for anyone who can truly appreciate-- and it SHOULD be capitalized!-- Beauty. All the recorded versions of this music are delectable and this particular version is the benchmark by which the others are judged! A true desert island recording!"

And if this isn't enough, Gramophone's review of the Golden Imports reads:
" Dorati's Philharmonia Hungarica recording of Respighi's three enchanting sets of Ancient Airs and Dances has long been one of my very favourite records. It has been in and out of the domestic catalogue in different formats over the years; now let us hope it has come to stay. The refinement of the playing of the strings and winds alike (the principal oboe produces a timbre of wonderful delicacy) is matched by its warmth, and Dorati finds in this music an ageless nobility and graciousness. The richly resonant recording is outstanding and this is a record to bring great and continuing satisfaction, a kind of balm to the spirit (SRI75009)."

By the way, Sid Marks, in his TAS series, gave this a ranking of 29 out of the top 50.

Another great version is the one by Marriner and the LA Chamber Orchestra.This is also a great recording, perhaps with even sweeter string sound. I have a Japanese reissue of this which is stunning.

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Ancient Airs and Dances- Respighi

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