Search - Respighi, Ormandy, Phl :: Fountains of Rome / Pines of Rome

Superb Respighi at unbeatable price.

Augustus Caesar, Ph.D. | Eugene, Oregon United States | 03/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Whatever opinion you might have of Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, there can be no denying Ormandy's mastery of the these Respighi tone poems. "Pines of Rome," "Fountains of Rome" and "Roman Festivals" were staples of Ormandy's repetoire during his years (1936-1980) as Philadelphia's music director, and these superb recordings are almost unrivalled (Fritz Reiner's are their only competitors). Even Bernstein and Karajan's recordings pale in comparison; the famous "Philadelphia sound" is perfectly suited to Respighi's music. Each tone poem is beautifully performed, with the lushness and sensual qualities (not to mention bombast) one expects of Ormandy/Philadelphia. The clarity of texture and singing lines of Ormandy's interpretations are what set these apart from other recordings, including Reiner's more objective (but still dazzling) renditions. Though he stumbled often in Classical and Romantic music, in Strauss, Debussy, early Stravinsky, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Respighi, Ormandy was a master. These are excellent recordings at a spectacular price. Don't pass it up."

In a word... awful.

Anthony | 05/31/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This is really a pretty awful recording. If you don't mind awful recording technology and a horrible recording hall (a hotel ballroom, I believe), then you might like this CD. The pieces are of course, superb, and the performances are not horrible. The sound quality just kills this CD, though. It's really horrific - scratchy, noisy, with horrible presence and a mix that is far, far too bright. I literally had to turn the treble all the way down on my stereo. My advice: get the Chicago Symphony version of Pines and Fountains (with Reiner - and get their Pictures at an Exhibition while you're at it) and the Cincinnati Symphony version of Roman Festivals (with Lopez-Cobos). Those are really excellent albums, with both excellent playing and excellent recording."