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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This CD is the second instalment in a series of three of suites from Janacek's operas, arranged by Peter Breiner.
I will start off by saying that I usually hate this sort of thing! The Janacek operas are wonderful, beautiful works that I doubt need any help from anyone. But there is a history of this - Vaclav Talich made a suite of The Cunning Little Vixen, in an attempt to publicise the work of one of the most individual composers of the 20th century - and the music is gorgeous enough to stand on its own even when the voices and words are so integral to it.
Breiner is an interesting character and appears to have a role as Naxos's in-house arranger. He has done other arrangements, and was also heavily involved in producing the national anthems used at the Beijing Olympics. His background is Slovakian, so his connection to Janacek is more than just a liking for his music.
Despite my usually slightly cynical attitude to such enterprises, I will admit to having been bowled over by all three CDs in this series. Breiner makes his selections wisely, so the highlights are all there; moreover these are arrangements which are both respectful and faithful to Janacek and to his unique sound world.
Here Breiner presents selections from the most romantic of Janacek's late operas, Kat'a Kabanova, as well as from his toughest, The Makropulos Affair. In comparison with the first instalment Janáèek - Orchestral Suites from the Operas 1 I felt the absence of words a bit more with these, especially as the words are just so beautiful in Kat'a, and the eccentric nature of Capek's play and the "purity" of the speech rhythms are an essential part of Makropulos. I also thought that better names for the individual movements, accurate as they may be in the context of the opera, might help! But once again, Breiner shows immense respect for Janacek, both in his arrangement and in his choice of key aspects of both operas, and indeed once again, Janacek without words is still powerful enough to stand alone.
So why buy this/these CDs? If you do not know Janacek's operas, they are a fabulous way of getting an insight into this composer's major works; if you don't like singing, the music without words speaks for itself most eloquently in such sympathetic arrangements; if you do know the operas these suites are wonderful supplements, performed here by an orchestra who are well up to the task, conducted by a man who obviously loves this music for itself.
I will start off by saying that I usually hate this sort of thing! The Janacek operas are wonderful, beautiful works that I doubt need any help from anyone. But there is a history of this - Vaclav Talich made a suite of The Cunning Little Vixen, in an attempt to publicise the work of one of the most individual composers of the 20th century - and the music is gorgeous enough to stand on its own even when the voices and words are so integral to it.
Breiner is an interesting character and appears to have a role as Naxos's in-house arranger. He has done other arrangements, and was also heavily involved in producing the national anthems used at the Beijing Olympics. His background is Slovakian, so his connection to Janacek is more than just a liking for his music.
Despite my usually slightly cynical attitude to such enterprises, I will admit to having been bowled over by all three CDs in this series. Breiner makes his selections wisely, so the highlights are all there; moreover these are arrangements which are both respectful and faithful to Janacek and to his unique sound world.
Here Breiner presents selections from the most romantic of Janacek's late operas, Kat'a Kabanova, as well as from his toughest, The Makropulos Affair. In comparison with the first instalment Janáèek - Orchestral Suites from the Operas 1 I felt the absence of words a bit more with these, especially as the words are just so beautiful in Kat'a, and the eccentric nature of Capek's play and the "purity" of the speech rhythms are an essential part of Makropulos. I also thought that better names for the individual movements, accurate as they may be in the context of the opera, might help! But once again, Breiner shows immense respect for Janacek, both in his arrangement and in his choice of key aspects of both operas, and indeed once again, Janacek without words is still powerful enough to stand alone.
So why buy this/these CDs? If you do not know Janacek's operas, they are a fabulous way of getting an insight into this composer's major works; if you don't like singing, the music without words speaks for itself most eloquently in such sympathetic arrangements; if you do know the operas these suites are wonderful supplements, performed here by an orchestra who are well up to the task, conducted by a man who obviously loves this music for itself.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Wow! -what fun! (I love this stuff)
16 May 2009
Format:Audio CD
I love much of the music in both of these operas, and both of them possess superb preludes that get included here (great sleigh bells in the "Kat'a" prelude). sometimes it's just nice to pretend that Stokowski is still with us (Peter Breiner is our "Stoky" here), and listen to great operatic music in "symphonic synthesis" presentations, sans vocalists. In the case of Janacek, or most other Slavic operas, the tenor parts can be incredibly brutal. It's nice to give those tenors a night off now and then.
I don't really know these operas well enough to nit-pick with Breiner's decisions in forming his orchestral suites. All I can tell you is that I love Janacek's orchestral writing, and that this disc is a wonderful additional for anybody who feels the same way. The performances are both well executed and well recorded. At Naxos prices, it's a steal. Thank you Maestro Breiner.
I don't really know these operas well enough to nit-pick with Breiner's decisions in forming his orchestral suites. All I can tell you is that I love Janacek's orchestral writing, and that this disc is a wonderful additional for anybody who feels the same way. The performances are both well executed and well recorded. At Naxos prices, it's a steal. Thank you Maestro Breiner.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
A Sinfonietta sequel?
26 Dec 2009
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
For fans of Janacek who are mainly familiar with the brilliant and thrilling little gem that is the Sinfonietta, this disc of newly scored suites from two of his operas is reason to celebrate! The complete set of three CDs contain six suites arranged by Peter Breiner, which are very similar in feeling and structure to the beloved Sinfonietta. Each suite has five or so short orchestral pieces with glorious brass work, folk-like singing melodies, and sweet/sad emotional complexity in Janacek's instantly recognizeable late romantic, early Czech nationalist style. Buy these--you will not regret it.
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