Like Vivaldies evergreen "Four Seasons", Barber's Addagio has caught the imagination of the populist Naughties culture when it was recently resampled & mixed into a more contemporary format a few months ago.
however, it is to the original Barber piece that I really find one of the most highly ... Read review
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also extraordinarily listenable--and popular. Here, Barber's short masterwork of simplicity and resonance gets eight treatments, from those he approved of (Charles Munch and the strings of the Boston Symphony; the Tokyo String Quartet; organist David Pizarro; and the Smithsonian Chamber Players) to new interpretations that don't quite match with the older renditions.James Galway's new flute-and-synthesizer reading is a bit anemic, though thankfully not showy, and the Canadian Brass's arrangement islikewise tempered and calm, even if not very close to having significant bite. Richard Stoltzman and the Kalman Clarinet Choir probably do the best job of taking Barber to new places; the woody tones mesh almost polyphonically. Also included is the Choir of Trinity College's reading ofAgnus Dei, Barber's choral setting of theAdagio, a distillation that might well be the high point of the CD. For the most stunning rendition of theAdagio, however, listeners should really hear the Thomas Schippers version.--Andrew Bartlett
yet also extraordinarily listenable--and popular. Here, Barber's short masterwork of simplicity and resonance gets eight treatments, from those he approved of (Charles Munch and the strings of the Boston Symphony; the Tokyo String Quartet; organist David Pizarro; and the Smithsonian Chamber Players) to new interpretations that don't quite match with the older renditions. James Galway's new flute-and-synthesizer reading is a bit anemic, though thankfully not showy, and the Canadian Brass's arrangement is likewise tempered and calm, even if not very close to having significant bite. Richard Stoltzman and the Kalman Clarinet Choir probably do the best job of taking Barber to new places; the woody tones mesh almost polyphonically. Also included is the Choir of Trinity College's reading of Agnus Dei, Barber's choral setting of the Adagio, a distillation that might well be the high point of the CD. For the most stunning rendition of the Adagio, however, listeners should really hear the Thomas Schippers version. --Andrew Bartlett
Advantages: good accoustic definition, paced, broody, relentless, emotional Disadvantages: none
Like Vivaldies evergreen "Four Seasons", Barber's Addagio has caught the imagination of the populist Naughties culture when it was recently resampled & mixed into a more contemporary format a few months ago.
however, it is to the original Barber piece that I really find one of the most highly charged & emotional scores anywhere. it is not a piece to brighten the heart & mind, it is quite the opposite. Depending on your frame of mind this can be ... ...to carry you wherever your mind wants to take you.
Although slow all the way through, it feels as if it flies by in no time at all, but so good is the power of the performance that you have to repeat the track over & over because your emotions want to be carried further & further away.
This is Barber's most noted score and deserves its place alongside the more serious composers such as Bach & Holst. A truly wonderful orchestral score that will ...
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