Suppe: Overtures: Light Cavalry, etc.; Auber: Overtures

A fabulous vintage recording; this is among the best

From beginning to end, this is an excellent disc, perhaps the best of its kind. The 1959 recording is amazing; Mercury has done wonders with the sound. I bought this recording despite the fact that I own all but four of the overtures (Boccaccio & the Auber), and have not regretted it a bit. I had bought Mehta's recording previously, but Paray wins in most every regard. The former seems lackluster when compared to Paray, especially when it comes to The Beautiful Galatea. Pique Dame is also quite a bit more energetic in Paray's version.

As for the others, Light Cavalry is joyously executed, Poet and Peasant the same. Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna is neglected far more than it should be. The same goes for Boccaccio: this is one of the two recordings of it available. This is the starting place in this repertoire.

And all this does not even touch on the Auber overtures! Auber's overtures sound almost a cross between Rossini & Suppe at times; yet they are very individual. Curiously, The Bronze Horse is an overture to an oriental opera. Auber does not treat it as such, that is for sure. Fra Diavolo begins with a bit of percussion, then leads into its first piquant melody. Masaniello is a bit more familiar; Johann Strauss's Op. 34 is entitled "Schwarttsche Ball-Tanze," Cotillons on themes from "La muette de Portici" (this is the other name for Masaniello). Give them a listen, all three are fabulous. It is surprising these concert pieces are not more well known.

Overall, this disc is a must for the lover of the overture, or any such music. Paray and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra do the music full justice, as Mercury do to the players. Enjoy. December 6, 2006

Paul Paray/Detroit To The Finish Line.......

If Paul Paray was a race horse, I'd place my bet on him each time to win...and indeed I would. This former conductor of the Detroit Symphony has the "Midas Touch", for everything he touches turns to gold. This CD of Suppe and Auber Overtures is no exception, and belongs in everyone's musical library. No matter how many other recordings of these warhorse pieces you own...these renditions are essential. Consistently, each Paray/Detroit recording is a gala event. The overtures contained on this CD are all very familiar to me, and yet it's as though I'm hearing them through a different set of ears. Conductor Paray brings out orchestral nuances like few other conductors can. Each well-known overture is played with energy, finesse, impeccable interpretation, and with extraordinary sound, which is a Mercury Living Presence trademark. Do yourself a favor, anything that Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony have recorded...BUY!!! I have not lost a race yet. Very Highly recommended. September 29, 2005

Paul Paray Brings Rare Overtures To Life

This recording, digitally remastered from the old 50's or 60's LP, is more than anything a joyous discovery of rare overtures conducted by an excellent and much admired conductor, the Canadian-born Paul Paray. Paray shaped the Detroit Symphony and since his death in 1979, a conductor of his magnificence has yet to be found for that particular orchestra. Though Paray's home was Montreal, Canada, and he conducted the Montreal forces in his younger days, he became a big name in American conducting. He found a home with the Detroit Symphony and even recorded several fine works of classical music on LP. Many of these- Scheherazade, French Orchestral Music, Carmen Suites and others are on CD and available on Amazon.com.

In this recording, Paray treats us to finely executed overtures by the operetta composer Franz Von Suppe. Suppe was not a big star in his day. His operettas were early Viennese operettas before the more famous Johann Strauss ever staged Die Fledermaus and the dozens of other operettas that followed. Suppe was an Austrian man but very French in his attitude (hence the last name Suppe)and even had French opera-bouffes in his musical styling. Like Offenbach, his operettas were charming, engaging works of fantasy. Consider "The Beautiful Galatea" which is the first track. The Overture is ebullient and energetic, describing the magical forces behind the story which is basically the ancient Greek myth that inspired Pygmalion- an aged inventor who builds the perfect woman. Consider also his "Boccaccio" based on the late Renaissance collection of mildly erotic poetry which read more like the Italian version of the English Canterbury Tales. Boccaccio is amusing, with music expressing adventure and romantic entanglements. The Light Cavalry Overture is actually quite familiar to the trained ear. Its militaristic theme has been used haphazardly in cartoons when a cavalry on horse would appear. His Pique Dame (Queen of Spades) is not the same subject matter as Tchaikovsky's later opera which is far darker opera. Suppe's is charming comedy about a gambling salon. The Poet and the Peasant Overture is festive and brilliantly played, in fact, the best I've heard. Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna foreshadows Strauss waltzes. The album concludes with overtures from an even lesser known composer Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber. Auber was a French composer who wrote early opera-buffes, though most assuredly he was eclipsed by Offenbach and Halevy. His Fra Diavolo and Masaniello Overtures are effectively engaging with their colorful phrasing.

Paul Paray brings life to these overtures, making them appear as if they are not old or obscure at all. He has genuine chemistry with all the musicians in the orchestra and the music is bright, energetic and even a pleasure to hear because it would appear it was a pleasure for Paray and the Detroit forces to make this recording. August 15, 2005

Pure, Unrestrained JOY...

I bought this CD beause I'm working on collecting the Mercury Catalog, and when I bought it, I paid no attention to what the actual pieces were because I had no idea who Suppe was or what his overtures were.

I can't tell you how happy I was when I was surprised upon first listening... Not only is this music the type of music that is inherent to people from its use in background music to cartoons, TV, movies, etc... but it is so very enjoyable because it exhudes an amazing, unadulterated amount of PURE JOY and EXCITEMENT... with no attempt at being high-brow, or overly serious music.

The good news is that even though this music might be considered to be more "common" among classical elitists, Paul Paray treated it as he would any great art. This recording gives you such beautifully refined sound, such truly INCREDIBLE energy and exhuberence, all with stunning precision and control- that you will be sold upon first hearing.

As other reviews mention- there is no need to look at other recordings of these works, because you will mosy likely get a cheap "pops" orchestra recording that treats the music cheaply beacause of its unabashed "happiness" and accesibility. The result is fun, but trite and gets old fast. With this Paray, the energy seems to remain fresh every time you play it. You can't go wrong with this orchestral uplifter to cleanse your palate between your serious Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Mahler symphonies.

So, elitsts... forget your pride and buy these CDs. Fun is not a crime. And, beginners, this is a GREAT way to find how truly fun and emotive classical music can be. Enjoy it. February 27, 2003

Nice CD

In high school, I played Suppe's "Light Cavalry". So I wanted to get a copy for years but just hadn't bothered. This music recorded on this CD is good quallity (sometimes classical music CD's aren't as good a quality) and the music is very enjoyable. Lovers of classical music or Suppe will enjoy this CD. It is a worthy addition to any music collection. August 13, 2002

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