After Hours - Andre Previn

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Everything about this pathetic attempt at an opera

...as such. There are four passages which the audience dutifully applauds as though they were arias, but they are merely sections of verbatim play dialogue, and to make matters worse, they seem arbitrarily chosen, not even of any special dramatic strength or importance. One waits and waits for an aria, but alas, none are forthcoming. More frustrating yet, no end of powerful dramatic moments arrive, and one says, "At last, here will most certainly be an aria, the moment cries out for one." But no, the moment is allowed to simply peter out, and golden opportunity after golden opportunity is wasted, and powerful dramatic passages that should have been expanded and intensified evaporate, rendering the entire opera dramatically and musically homogeneous. Furthermore, while the music is not atonal, Previn, in three hours, not once manages to find... Read review

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Advantages: good quality
Disadvantages: afew

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Advantages: Romantic, passionate and beautiful
Disadvantages: Unless you have a heart of stone absolutely none whatsoever

...music of the time), caused much harm to his music. After Rachmaninov's death there were only a few works that were regularly performed, and he was mostly considered as just another forgettable anomaly in the history of music. The Second Symphony continued to be performed in its mutilated condition up until 1971, when André Previn, after performing the work with the cuts, decided to reinstate every single bar for the performances during his tours around the world at that time. In 1973 Previn recorded the work for EMI and ever since that historical recording took place, the work has been generally performed complete, even to the lengths of including the exposition repeat. Today the Second Symphony is one of the most beloved compositions of Rachmaninov and it continues to remain popular among the majority of listeners. - - MOVEMENT BY MOVEMENT... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful