Search - Edouard Lalo, Jacques Offenbach, Antonio de Almeida :: Offenbach: Concerto Militaire / Andante / Lalo Concerto in D Minor

Wonderous cello arrangements

Larry VanDeSande | 10/18/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a listener of various types of music I am always searching for pieces that showcase an instrument or style . This album which catches your eye first with the startlingly beautiful Ms Harnoy shows her genuine beauty as a cellist of world renoun. An excellant choice for one who loves the cello as a front piece and not just as a hidden instrument in the orchestra."

A good start now superseded

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 09/19/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Ofra Hornoy's 25-minute recording of Offenbach's Concerto Militaire for cello and orchestra was a good start in this repertory when it was recorded in the 1990s. It has been superseded today, however, by a new recording that encompasses the entire 45-minute concerto.



That recording, on a CD called Offenbach Romantique, can be had from an Amazon vendor for around $10. The CD captures all the charm, wit and romance of French composer Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) who, as a cellist, sometimes played with Liszt. He wrote the "Concerto Militaire" to exploit his virtuosity. The newer recording, made in concert in Grenoble with Marc Minkowski direting Les Musiciens du Louvre of Grenoble and Jerome Pernoo in the solo role, is a lot of fun and is quite an improvement over Harnoy's version. The CD is a better buy for a range of reasons, not the least of which is the inclusion of Offenbach's overture to "Orpheus in the Underwold" and three orchestral excerpts from Offenbach's opera "The Rhine Nixies" and extracts from "Ballet of the Snowflakes".



Good notes, including the history of the concerto and reasons why it was never presented in its completion until this recording, round out a spectacular new version of the Concerto Militaire. If you've heard the Hornoy version and liked it, I'd recommend you acquire the new one. If you've never heard the concerto and want to want to know if you might like it, you can start by buying one of the $2 used copies here, then move on to the better CD if you enjoy it.



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