Scott Joplin Music

The sentiments of certain Baton Rouge residents notwithstanding, this is the consummate collection from a great artist AND a great humanitarian.

Almost 30 years ago, at Penn State while I was a student there, Itzhak Perlman visited, gave some lessons to aspiring violinists and gave the most astounding, memorable concert I've ever attended. Quite to the contrary of the fellow from Baton Rouge, Perlman was the consummate teacher who critiqued and encouraged students with far lesser talents, and he did it with class. This collection contains a number of recordings I already have but consider them worth having again in such a superbly arranged collection. His arrangements on the Hungarian Dances are the best!

Perlman plays Bach quite well, but when compared to Hilary Hahn, Perlman comes out second best. Hilary captures the whole essence and spirit of Bach, and herr violin sings Bach in two, three, and four beautiful voices in perfect harmnony.

Hi,

I think this is a very nice Perlman collection...Beautiful works selected from different Musical Eras and different styles...And Mr. Perlman is very succesful in all these types of masterworks...you can easily feel the Bach's crying words...Mozart's fun...Brahms's passion...Sinding's virtuosity...Wienlawski's Romantism...Khachaturian's hurry...and Rachmaninov's sentiments....and many others...
and also Israeli Orchestra did a very good job on this performance...They are like the third hand of Perlman...They work and feel like a family...
If you are a Perlman Fan, you must have been already bought this CD...if you are not or new to this performer it is time to meet him..and it is the way to meet him...go!!!

If you enjoy Itzhak Perlman and do not have very many of the selections on these discs, here is one way to get hold of them. Each of the four discs boasts a theme: 1. Baroque and Chamber Music, 2. Violin and Orchestra, 3. 20th Century Music, and 4. The Lighter Side. The selections are naturally limited to recordings Perlman did with EMI, but this represents quite a bit of his overall output. Among the recordings of the Sibelius Violin Concerto that I've heard, the one included here with André Previn and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is one I enjoy immensely. I like the cinematic sweep of the Korngold Concerto; the Bach Violin Partita; the jazz selections written by Previn. There isn't much that I don't like here. Here is a compilation where variety is a key factor. If you're into variety and Perlman's style, this set gives you plenty of both.

This entire album earns its name, "Diversions." The performances by the four female saxaphone artists have a smooth, mellow sound, yet the pieces are precisely articulated and coordinated. Various pieces highlight one or more of the four members of the saxaphone family of instruments. The combination of sounds can be pleasantly suprising to listeners who have only heard the wailing sound of the blues, or perhaps a Polka, being played on the "bari" sax. I especially enjoyed the wit and imagery invoked in the piece that sounds like a bagpipe. The alto sax plays the drone; the soprano sax, the melody. The piece ends with the sound of a bagpipe that bends the last pitch as the "air is depleted from the bag."

Musical periods on the album flow like a brook. Most of the music bubbles and dances, with wit and charm that is artfully put together. Moments of calm reflection slows the tempo before the music again bubbles onward. Beginning with a Baroque Period piece, the album also includes the Classic and 20th Century Periods.

Finally, the album combines a wide variety of styles that touch, but are not limited to Baroque dance, blues, ragtime, and fugue. Simple folk tunes are pleasantly arranged, while 20th Century music maintains a melody at the same time it technically challenges the listener. All this, while demonstrating each instrument's range of abilities in tone colors, pitch, dynamics and emotional expression.

I highly recommend this album as an entertaining diversion, and as a teaching source for instrument identification.

I really enjoyed hearing Scott Joplin's works performed on the pedal harpsichord by E. Power Biggs. This is no novelty record...the performances really work and convey the spontaneity and joy (or sometime melancholy) of good ragtime. My favorite work on the album is the Great Crush Collision March, a musical depiction of a deliberate train crash staged as a spectator event in 1896. I do not know if the album has been reissued on CD.

This is a phenomenal record.

I must say that I have been a fan of E. Power Biggs ever since I heard the Prelude and Fugue in Eb (St. Anne) and went forward from there. Biggs is my favorite keyboard player bar none.

The Joplin tunes on pedal harpsichord were very inspiring. I never thought of the harpsichord in the way of playing that Biggs does and that is part of what makes him so special. He can render Bach and Joplin with equal seriousness and equal class. Biggs was a genius.

His playing here is quite pure and concise and he treats Joplin's scores with the respect they deserve. He also makes them his own, proving why they sound exciting and fresh on the harpsichord and why Biggs was the one to figure that out. His genius playing Joplin's genius is a perfect combination.

In short, any lover of 1) Biggs; 2) Joplin; or 3) the pedal harpsichord will most definitely NOT be disappointed by this record!!