Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Philippe Entremont, Wiener Kammerorchester :: Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings

Among the best Serenades available

kv581 | Durham, NC United States | 02/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The previous reviewer talked about Souvenir de Florence on the CD, which is indeed very good. However, I am less familiar with Souvenir than the Serenade, so I'll comment on that instead. At the risk of sounding trite, the performance here is among the best available. Vienna Chamber Orchestra does a wonderful job trying to maintain the clarity of the work, allowing the listener to hear the individual parts of the work. For example, I've never really noticed some of the beautiful countermelodies in the Waltz until I listened to this recording. The interpretation is also first-rate. Entremont brings out the warmth of the music well, plus the tempo never drags. The result is a finely performed work that will captures the listener's attention throughout the piece. Oh, did I mention that the recorded sound is VERY good?At this price, this is a deal not to miss. If you are looking for one recording of the Serenade, this is it. Even if you already own the Serenade, chances are that you don't yet have a recording of the rarely recorded Souvenir. Definitely give this CD a try."

Superb performance of the Souvenir de Florence

Mr. DAVID Geer | Sydney Australia | 04/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Performances of the orchestral arrangement of Souvenir de Florence are rare, as it seems are recordings. The work however is quite lovely and evocative and suits a string orchestra capable of playing as both an entity and a collection of fine soloists. Look no further therefore than this recording for an excellent interpretation. The more familiar serenade is also a fine example of the work of one of Europe's leading Chamber Orchestras.I play this disc frequently, most especially the Souvenir and have only a minor quibble and that is with a rather fast take up of the opening of the work. Otherwise this has to be one of the best quality recordings I have heard from Naxos but then they used an interesting recording venue, Casino Baumgartner in Vienna, and presumeably Austrian engineers. Take it to your desert island!"

Totally Excellent

S. A. Felton | southern OR USA | 08/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was listening to a biography of Tchaikovsky on cassette and
the instructor mentioned the 2 pieces on this CD as relatively
unknown masterpieces of chamber music. I was very happy to see that
I could get both of them on one CD. I am not qualified to give any sort of analysis
of the performances (by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, 1990) because I
just listen to music, but the 5-star rating I give the CD says enough,
and the instructor who praised these pieces so highly was absolutely
correct! The liner notes are sparse yet complete."