Artist(s) : Various
Year : Unknown. Probably late 60's.
Album Info : Columbia, Stereo, MS 7516
Tracks
01. Concerto in E Minor for Violin (27:25)02. On Wings of Song (2:56)
03. Symphony No. 4 in A Major (IV - Saltarello : Presto) (5:52)
04. Scherzo from Octet for Strings in E-Flat Major (4:24)
05. May Breezes (3:55)
06. Spinning Song (1:34)
07. Spring Song (2:23)
08. A Midsummer's Night Dream - Scherzo (4:33)
09. A Midsummer's Night Dream - Wedding March (4:56)
What's To Like...
This was a freebie (buy one, get one free) from the local used-record store. Like most Light Classical vinyl, it was in very good condition. No skips, just a couple noticeable scratches, and the original plastic still covering the album.
The "star" of this disc is Track 01, which is the entire first side. Concerto in E Minor (Op. 64) is also known as Mendelssohn's "Violin Concerto" and is just a stunning effort. It took Mendelssohn 6 years to compose it. You can see a number of very good performances of it out on YouTube. But here it is the incomparable Isaac Stern on violin, with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. And it is exquisite.
The whole album is good though. The most recognizable track is the "Wedding March" (Track 09), but frankly it is a bit lackluster compared to the rest of the selections. The music is by several artists and orchestras - Andre Kostelanetz, Leonard Bernstein's New York Philharmonic, Rudolf Serkin, and Ormandy.
Due to the excellent condition of the LP, the conversion to MP3's was uneventful, and I've been playing the sh*t out of it at work and on my MP3-player while reading at night. The only downside is that the opening solo in the Violin Concerto (actually the motif for the song itself) is stuck in my head. There are worse fates than that.
Do yourself a favor and go YouTube "Mendelssohn Violin Concerto". Felix Mendelssohn was a freakin' genius. 9 Stars (out of 10).
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