Search - Miklos Rozsa, Erich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra :: Miklós Rozsa: Three Choral Suites

Could have been the best....

J. Bevan | Mansfield, TX USA | 11/17/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There seems to be some polarity among these reviews. I'd like to take a different point of view. Telarc started out life as an audiophile label just before the CD era. As such they were committed to top sound during a time when LPs had become shoddy. The Atlanta Firebird was used at conventions and in audio salons to show off how big a bass drum could be, for example.



In that context this recording is almost strange. To record the Tabernacle Choir separately from the Orchestra is just plain wrong. Listening to the SuperAudioCD version, the two organizations are obviously in different acoustical settings.



It is true that the Saint Saens Organ Symphony has been recorded with the organ separate from the orchestra. BUT the organ part in that work is compartively simple, chordal, and doesn't move around much -- synchronization isn't a big deal.



I know of no other recording that tries to put two very large organizations together miles and months apart. As noted it comes off pretty well (from a synchronization standpoint), but the choir is lost in an acoustic which swallows enuciation.



There aren't many "words" in these works. There's a lot of "Ah Ah" vocalizing (sometimes referred to as 'vapor singing'). The hebrew in Quo Vadis comes across nicely but it is acappella.



Bottom line: they should have either recorded it in Cincinnati with the May Festival Chorus or in Salt Lake with the Utah Symphony. Either town has acoustical settings equal to the project.



This could have been a wonderful recording. But the fact that Telarc has gotten away from its audiophile-quality roots is the culprit in this recording being less than it might have been."

Rozsa

J. Milton | MA | 12/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This must be heard from a properly set up system in the multi-channel SACD format. Will knock you socks off with the dynamic sweep of this great film score music. The Mormon Tabernacle choir was recorded elsewhere and combinded with the orchestra later, but you will not notice it. From whisper soft passages to full thoated chorale engagement, this music is a must and a wonderful demo of how SACD will kill off flat CD recordings!"

Does not measure up to Rozsa's own performance

John F. Baker | New Hampshire | 04/11/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A Rozsa fan when younger, I recently sought out his music and found this recording by Eric Kunzel and the Pops. I can't say I am unhappy with it, but something about it did not match my memories from childhood. More recently, I searched Amazon for the actual recording I listened to as a kid. I found "Miklos Rosza Conducts His Epic Film Scores." This was the real deal. The Rozsa recording covers roughly the same range of scores covered by this Kunzel recording, but the performances are quite different. Eric Kunzel and the Pops have produced a smoother performance, but one that lacks the raw excitement of the original. I am surprised by just how much more exciting the music sounds under Rozsa's baton. I encourage any interested in this recording to check out the Rosza recording first. Amazon provides samples for both. You may be surprised at how different it sounds. For some, the Rozsa may sound too raw. But if you like music that raises the hair on your arms, the Rosza recording may be for you."