Grieg: Peer Gynt
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Free Music Notes for Grieg: Peer Gynt
Free Music Review: Peer Gynt - Paavo Järvi
Hit: 5 Stars
Paavo Järvi is for me one of the best living conductor
This CD ist ok, and I got it very quickly
Free Music Review: Top Peer Gynt Highlights; All But 5 Numbers
Hit: 5 Stars
This disc, though coy about the extent of its content, is indeed a highlight disc if a generous one (60'14"). Before discussing the performance, I will list which numbers are omitted from this recording:
Nos. 1-4: Included. The interpolated Wedding March orchestrated by Halvorsen (from Op. 19 piano pieces) is omitted, as it never was a part of what Grieg wrote for Peer Gynt.
No. 5: Omitted. Peer Gynt and the Herd Girls is a number where three girls sing grotesquely to Peer, who speaks between the sung portions.
Nos. 6-9: Included. For some reason No. 3, the viola number "Springar" is relocated to fit just before No. 8, In the Hall of the Mountain King. No explanation is provided in the notes.
No. 10: Omitted. Peer Gynt Haunted by the Trolls. Grieg paints a vivid if eerie picture with this piece. It is attached to: No. 11: Omitted. Peer Gynt and The Boyg, a so-so piece that is mostly dialogue over music. Its necessity in a Peer Gynt set is a matter of opinion.
Nos. 12-13: Included
No. 14: Omitted. The Thief and the Receiver is but a brief piece between two baritones.
Nos. 15-17: Included
No. 18: Omitted. Most of this Peer Gynt/Anitra number is Norwegian dialogue. Less than one minute is music.
Nos. 19-23: Included
No. 24: Omitted. The Night Scene includes some quiet music depicting night, Peer Gynt saying something in Norwegian, a chanting choir, and a speaker signifying the deceased Ase (Peer's mother). The best part is the last minute, where the quiet night music returns.
Nos. 25-26: Included
Quality of performance is consistently high. Paavo Järvi competes with his father's recording here, giving an account equally (if not more) persuasive. He milks Peer Gynt for all it's worth with very pleasant results. The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra plays professionally, stimulating much pleasure for the listener. The choir is equally excellent, making the hymn near the end of the disc truly glorious in its beautiful simplicity.
The singers are all excellent. Peter Mattei's Peer Gynt (the Serenade, No. 17 only) is excellent, in my opinion quite ahead of Urban Malmberg on the Neeme Järvi complete recording.
Camilla Tilling as Solveig has a pleasingly sweet soprano voice which works very well in this repertoire. She may not convey Solveig's progression of age perfectly, but she is extremely consistent and preferable to Barbara Bonney's interpretation if only on account of being less operatic.
Anitra's lusty performance in the Arabian Dance is commendable. Charlotte Hellekant's uncontrolled-sounding mezzo voice works very well for this piece.
The quality of sound is amazing. There's no other word for it.
Overall:
Music Selection - 4 Stars. Though very generous, a couple more numbers could have been fit on here (particularly Nos. 10 and 14).
Performance - 5 Stars. Only Beecham can be said to do any better.
Sound Quality - 5 Stars. If only all discs sounded as good as this one.
Documentation: 5 Stars. Detailed liner notes, a synopsis, and complete texts and translation of sung numbers are all included.
Price - 4 Stars. Though this disc retails at the normal $17, it often can be had for less directly from Amazon. (I bought it for a friend for $10.)
Bottom line: I would not be without this Grieg disc. Overall, it beats any other excerpt set I've ever listen to (even Beecham and Esa-Pekka Salonen). It gives an excellent alternative to a complete set.
Free Music Review: Yes Virginia, I TOLD you there were Vocals & Choir....
Hit: 5 Stars
I am a Grieg advocate - and a 1000% vocal and choral oriented -
I learned all the arias, and choral parts from an album 45 years long ago - and was going nuts because when I lost it, you couldn't find ANYTHING with the chorale parts, and it seemed that no one even had the idea that there was anything beyond Solveg's song and Ase's death -
or that The Arabian Dance was a total work of art and aria and choir in itself -
That made the whole thing for me - I did find the "complete" Peer Gynt a bit long - but I LIVED for the the complete vocals. The recording for some reason was a bit muddy in places, (for me) - but never the less, -having the whole thing - and being able to hear and share the choral parts and back up - Priceless!
Free Music Review: A Wonderful Recording
Hit: 5 Stars
It's the best. The quality of the recording, the completeness. I don't like to listen to it casually when I am doing something else; it is so involving, I like to give it my full attention.Free Music Review: The Whole Thing
Hit: 5 Stars
If there's an earlier 'Peer Gynt' recording that's complete (as opposed to just the 'suite') I've never heard of it. This is the entire incidental music to the play, not just the usual 'Dawn', 'The Hall of the Mountain King' 'Solveig's Song', etc.
Jarvi's reading is smooth and incisive and the choral parts are wonderful. I've never heard a scarier version of HOTMK. I never even knew that there was a solo vocal part for Peer himself, but here it is.
My only complaint-and it's a tiny one-is that the selections are not in the order that they would appear in Ibsen's play. But that's picking a very small nit indeed.
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