Search - Orff, Loeffler, Htso :: Stokowski - Orff: Carmina Burana/ Loeffler: A Pagan Poem

The Best Version of this Masterwork

Victor | Portland, Maine | 04/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For many years I've had a ratty old copy of Carmina Burana on tape that has accompanied me everywhere. Then I decided to upgrade one of my favorite works to a CD and got the surprise of my life! The clarity of this remastered performance from 1958 is nothing short of breathtaking! Clearly, Stokowski had a special understanding of the unique dynamics of this piece and the orchestra and singers felt every note from their synapses inward to their bones. I have listened to nothing else for days; this new (old) performance has opened my ears to what I thought I already knew about Orff's best known work and deserves to be in every serious classical music listener's collection. And two extra perks: 1.)Loeffer's "Pagan Dance" alone is worth the price of the CD because 2.)the CD is released at a price that's just so darned economical!!!!"

Get this for the Loeffler

Classic Music Lover | Maryland, USA | 05/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"To be honest, Stoky's Carmina Burana isn't anything special. The interpretation is fine, but no better than many others. The Houston orchestra is no great shakes, either. Any number of other performances will do you better -- such as Robert Shaw/Atlanta Symphony on Telarc or the classic Antal Dorati/Royal Philharmonic on London/Decca. But the real treat here is Loeffler's Pagan Poem, a highly effective tone poem that has been commercially recorded only three times -- and not since the late 1950s. The Stokowski recording is the latest, and the only one in stereo. It holds up well after almost 50 years, and the interpretation is extremely good. The orchestra and the pianist are in masterful form, too. We're overdue for a new recording of this composition -- perhaps JoAnn Falletta and her Buffalo Symphony players will take it up for Naxos. Until then, this is the interpretation to have."