Search - Leon Jessel, Franz Lehar, Gabriel Pierne :: European Light Music Classics

Deserves to be a winner.

John Austin | Kangaroo Ground, Australia | 03/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There used to be a ready market for fanciful, colourful, evocative little orchestral items such as these. You could find almost all of them available in countless versions in the 78s catalogues. Some of the items represented calling cards for Marek Weber and His Orchestra in Europe, and Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops in the USA. Well, here they are, marketed now as "classics" in beautifully recorded, slightly English-accented performances. Gounod's own orchestration of his piano piece "Funeral March of a Marionette" is one of the stand out items here, seeming all the more unusual for not being much heard these days. Joseph Hellmesberger's "Ball Scene", a test for the string section of the orchestra, receives virtuoso treatment here. The polka from "Schwanda the Bagpipe Player" stands out too, making one wish there had been time to include the fugue with which it is usually coupled. Nevertheless, the results of considerable research, long selection processes, program building, two days of recording, and the preparation of excellent notes by Andrew Lamb make this another Hyperion release which deserves to be a winner. My only quibble is regarding the statement in the notes that the Alfven piece included here had wide currency in the 1950s under the name "Swedish Polka". It was the first few minutes of Alfven's "Midsummer Vigil", in a version by Percy Faith and His Orchestra, that topped the charts in the early 1950s, given the title "Swedish Rhapsody"."

A great series goes to Europe.

Ed Brickell | 11/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To Hyperion's credit, "European Light Music Classics" is more than Johann Strauss's greatest hits -- they've done some real researching to come up with a wide variety of composers and yet another home run in their popular "Light Music Classics" series. A great idea just keeps getting better!As usual for the series, you get a tightly-packed CD, nearly spilling over with elegant and fun tunes -- some of which you'll undoubtedly recognize. Also as usual, premium packaging and notes. This is great for the days when the "heavy classics" need a break at your house and you're still hungry for some good but undemanding music. Perfect for dinner parties, wine and cheese get-togethers, or just some casual Sunday afternoon listening.Try the others in the same series, all of the same high quality: British Light Music Classics 1, 2, and 3, and American Light Music Classics."