A complete "Sylvia," beautifully paced
ATP | Santa Monica, CA United States | 05/28/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I now own four complete ballets conducted by Andrew Mogrelia - Adam's Giselle, Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, and two Delibes ballets: Coppelia and Sylvia. It's no surprise to me to read that Mogrelia's credits include work with the London Festival Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet, and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. When I listen to a Mogrelia recording, it's easy to picture the dancers on stage. He has the easy, regular tempo that dancers demand - the tempo of a ballet performance, not a concert hall. Yet there is enough drama and dynamic range to make these ballets satisfying listening, as well.
I collect ballet music in part for my own enjoyment, in part to help educate the ear of my daughter - a serious ballet student. One of the reasons these recordings are wonderful is the fact that Naxos plans the CDs thoughtfully. A new CD starts a new act - logical, but not something you can assume about every ballet recording. Virtually every variation is on a separate track. So if my daughter is learning the famous Pizzicati from Act III, it's easy to locate and repeat that particular 2 minutes and 14 seconds. I enjoy this as a listener, too - sometimes I want to skip directly to the shepherd's Pastorale or the Marche, and this format makes it easy.
In addition to Sylvia, music by Saint-Saens fills out the second CD: about 20 minutes of ballet from the opera Henry VIII, including the appealing Gypsy Dance."
Sylvia is a wonderfully polished opera full of affection, br
Sam | Seahurst, Washington | 09/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Mogrelia's performance of Sylvia is above all spacious, bringing out the music's pastel-shaped lyricism yet finding plenty of weight for the more vigorous music depicting the hunters. The Divertissement of Act III (which includes some of the best numbers, including the best numbers, including the famous Pizzicato) is vividly done. However, in the performance as a whole, glowing sentience takes precedence over vitality, and some might find the atmosphere a little sleepy at times. Excellent, naturally balanced recording."
I like French composers
Manson E. Lown Jr. | Rose Valley, PA | 09/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Both these guys did a remarkable job of balancing the music to keep it worthwile listening to on my vehicle CD"