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| Barber: Adagio for Strings; Orchestral & Chamber Works | 
 enlarge | Creators: Dietrich Fischer-dieskau, Samuel Barber, Eugene Ormandy, Thomas Schippers, Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Andre Previn
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $10.98
Buy New: $3.69
You Save: $7.29 (66%)
Buy New/Used from $3.69
Avg. Customer Rating:  (2 reviews)
Sales Rank: 89181
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.5
UPC: 827969473924
EAN: 0827969473924
ASIN: B000AARL3Y
Release Date: August 30, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Adagio For Strings, Op.11 - New York Philharmonic | | • | Summer Music, Op.31 - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet | | • | No.1: Un Poco Allegro - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet | | • | No.2: In Slow Blues Tempo - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet | | • | No.3: Allegretto - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet | | • | No.4: Allegro Molto - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet | | • | Dover Beach For Voice And String Quartet, Op.3 - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau | | • | Molto Allegro E Appassionato - Beaux Arts String Quartet | | • | Molto Adagio - Beaux Arts String Quartet | | • | Molto Allegro - Beaux Arts String Quartet | | • | Intermezzo - Columbia Symphony Orchestra | | • | Toccata Festiva, Op.36 - The Philadelphia Orchestra |
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| Customer Reviews:
 A great collection August 27, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is basically a Barber's Greatest Hits without the editing and chopping.
If you want another Toccata Festiva to replace the Alsop/Knoxville 1915 version, than this is definitely what you want to get. I found the other version rather dispassionate. Even if you hate E Power Biggs' guts for Bach organ music, there's no possible way you can begrudge him his role here: he fits the Toccata Festiva like a glove. In fact, he--along with Ormandy/Philly-- brings respect to the work in a way others have not. If you've remained skeptical of the Toccata festiva due to the fact that it can seem episodic and spotty, here's the performance to cure you of that opinion. Thundering orchestra and organ flesh out all the dark coloring of the work. The music makes you think of a dark and magical land.
This CD covers a range of different genres: the Four Excursions for piano (and they sound very bluesy and American), the orchestral Intermezzo From 'Vanessa', the Orchestral Essay No.2, as well as two chamber works; one which interestingly includes a part for baritone (Barber himself sang baritone).
I found both Summer Music and Dover Beach to be great chamber works, skeptical as I am listening to American chamber music. String Quartet? Not so much. The Adagio for Strings (and it is orginially from the quartet) is the same performance as another Barber/Schippers disc on Sony. Either will do if it's the Adagio you want. But there's more to hear than just the Adagio!
So to all you Barberians: get this one!
 Very good Barber overview from the LP era January 7, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Sony/BMG reached deep into their vaults to pull together this intriguing Barber overview, and as a bonus brought together an impressive collection of performers. In spite of the fact that these recordings are all about 40 years old, the sound has worn fairly well. The Schippers "Adagio for Strings" remains one of the most intense performances ever recorded. It's nice having the work's original version as the middle movement of the String Quartet available on the same disc, along with Schippers conducting the Intermezzo from "Vanessa." Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and the Juilliard String Quartet zero in on the dark depression in the setting of Arnold's "Dover Beach," and Andre Previn's jazz credentials are put to good use in "Four Excursions." When the "Toccata Festiva" first appeared on LP back in the 1960s, the recording already sounded too close and strident, but Eugene Ormandy and E. Power Biggs find in this celebratory piece touches of angst underplayed by later performers. At mid-price, this disc is very attractive.
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