Search - Carl Michael Ziehrer, Michael Dittrich, Razumovsky Sinfonia :: Ziehrer: Selected Dances and Marches, Vol. 2

Ziehrer Who?

jwilliammiller | Columbus, OH USA | 11/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first came across the music of Carl Michael Ziehrer in a borrowed record from our local library. It was one of those German imports which only a very obsessive librarian could find and purchase. That record alternated zither duets with a small "schrammelmusic" group. Many of the pieces were by Ziehrer. For years, I looked in vein for other recordings of his music. At one point, I thought I succeeded in the local MediaPlay store when I spotted a "Ziehrer" divider in the classical music section. Alas, it was empty! Checks of catalogs and on-line searches through the years also came up empty. After looking over ten years, I was extremely happy to see the two volumes of dances and marches that came available recently. The second volume has become a real favorite of mine. Played by a full orchestra, the melodies are strong, and many sound familiar. They are mostly sunny in character, in contrast with the sweet melancholia of Josef Strauss. The marches are rousing and the waltzes delightful. They all are in the Viennese tradition of Strauss and Lehar. Ziehrer was a contemporary of Lehar and lived well into the 1900's. Most of the music comes from his many operettas which have been neglected by all but the Austrians. The recorded sound is natural and excellent in all respects! This is one to crank-up on a really good sound system."

Good tunes, robustness, and high spirits.

John Austin | Kangaroo Ground, Australia | 02/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Music lovers who catalogue their CD collections will be able to allocate some enjoyable items to the "Z" end of the alphabet if they acquire some works by the Austrian composer Carl Michael Ziehrer. The Marco Polo label has provided two CDs devoted to him. A younger contemporary of the Strauss Brothers, he too provided a seemingly endless series of waltzes, polkas, and marches. Like Johann Jnr he also composed operettas. Occasionally his latest waltz proved to be an even bigger hit than one by one or other of the Strauss brothers when first introduced in Vienna. If his best waltzes don't feature such carefully developed introductions and codas as those that Johann Jnr and Josef Strauss composed for their waltzes, his are certainly never lacking in good tunes, robustness, and high spirits.Dittrich coaxes lively performances of everything on this second Ziehrer CD from the Razumovsky Sinfonia, members of several leading Czech orchestras who have combined for recording purposes."

Paradise in 3/4 time

richard mullany | waynesville, north carolina United States | 08/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like your other reviewer I heard Ziehrer first on one of those early, appallingly cheap, vinyl discs in the fifties and sixties. Through the surface noise I heard the most extraordinary lilting music!. Again, like the first reviewer I searched in vain for more with slight success. When I saw this one I hardly dared to hope it would meet expectations. It did meet and surpass expectations. Brilliantly played and recorded it never fails to dazzle me anew. I have about 2000 cd's and I love them all, but this one and volume one are rare. I pinch myself when I realise how many things had to come together to make this project come true; remarkable when you realise that record producers are rarely adventurous enoough to touch other than the Strauss'. So three cheers for Marco Polo. My favorite? That's easy. "Herrienspaziert" or simply,"Come on in". It is physically impossible for me to not react bodily to the introduction to this piece, it's that visceral. The orchestra and its leader are unknown to me but I bet they could play this stuff with their hands behind their backs. Ist Wonderbar!!!"