While not the best single set of the music of Samuel Barber ever recorded -- Thomas Schippers' mid-'60s recording with the New York Philharmonic will hold that title from now unto perpetuity -- this two-disc set of recordings by Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony is still not to be missed by anyone who loves Barber's neo-Romantic music. Slatkin's approach to Barber is strongly emotional and powerfully dramatic. His stormy interpretations of Barber's three Essays for Orchestra make them sound like the American ...
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While not the best single set of the music of Samuel Barber ever recorded -- Thomas Schippers' mid-'60s recording with the New York Philharmonic will hold that title from now unto perpetuity -- this two-disc set of recordings by Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony is still not to be missed by anyone who loves Barber's neo-Romantic music. Slatkin's approach to Barber is strongly emotional and powerfully dramatic. His stormy interpretations of Barber's three Essays for Orchestra make them sound like the American descendants of Brahms' Tragic Overture. His witty interpretation of the School for Scandal Overture makes it sound like latter-day Mendelssohn. His gaudy interpretation of the Medea's Dance of Vengeance sounds like latter-day Strauss. His singing, soaring, and swelling interpretation of the ever-popular Adagio for Strings makes it sound like latter-day Mahler. With the sweet-toned Elmar Oliveira, Slatkin's interpretation of Barber's Violin Concerto is achingly lyrical and eloquently...
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Add this copy of Barber: Adagio for Strings / Violin Concerto / to cart. $7.28, like new condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by EMI.
