Music : Bach- St. Matthäus-Passion/Te Kanawa, von Otter, Rolfe-Johnson, Blochitz, Krause, Solti (Highlights) |
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Rating:  - * Brilliant ... A number of years ago, maybe 17, I had two seats at the Chicago Symphony with Sir Georg Solti the resident conductor emiritus and 2 floor seats to see Michael Jordon, Scottie Pippen and John Paxson at the Bulls. It was a heady season and I probably saw more of Jordon but only because I had more tickets. Sir Georg was an institution, like Mazur and Bernstein. He lacked the flamboyance of the latter, and of course Kurt Mazur would on occassion address the orchestra pit with neither podium nor music sheets nor baton. That was pretty impressive too the first time I saw him (Fantasy Overture, NYP). But it seems to me that Matthew Passion brings a need for unison between the conductor and the musicians and the chorus dare I say slightly more than other efforts and repeatedly, it seems that Solti's brilliance elevates him over others. In the "Come, ye daughters" beginning we are both caught and mesmerized and anything else that could absorb our attention is discarded. And of course Kiri is as always, magnificent. The tenor, Mr. Johnson is equal to Bach's criteria. Like other reviewers, I love this work and the beautiful timing between all. 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury Rating: - * An ideal melding of music, vocalists, and conductor ... Johann Sebastian Bach's "St. Matthew Passion," one of his great choral works, is a meditation on the death of Christ. Here, Sit Georg Solti works with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to produce a superb rendition of the arias and choruses of this rich and contemplative work. On the opening piece, "Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen" ("Come, ye daughters, share my mourning"), the chorus perfectly captures the combination of knowingness, sadness, and dazed disbelief regarding the crucifixion. The strings are especially fine here, providing a delicate, almost spiderweb-like underpinning for the choral verses. The tenor aria "Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen" ("I would beside my Lord be watching"), the chorus backs up tenor Anthony Rolfe Johnson's supple, unshowy singing with an ghostly, almost otherworldly tone. The soprano/alto duet of "So ist mein Jesu non gefangen" ("Behold, my Savior now is taken") features Kiri Te Kanawa and Anne Sophie van Otter, who are matched seamlessly in terms of volume, technique, and crystalline purity of tone. Their weary litany of sadnesses is punctuated vigorously with the choral vereses of "Last ihn, haltet, bindet nicht!" (Loose him, leave him, bind him not!"). It's a thrilling piece, especially when it transforms itself into the thundering waterfall of sound that forms "Sind Blitze, sind Donner in Wolken vershwunden" ("Have lightnings and thunders their fury forgotten?"). The power in this piece alone is absolutely awe-inspiring. I can't recommend this CD highly enough. It truly is a superlative recording of the "St. Matthew Passion" highlights, featuring as it does these great soloists, this talented conductor, and this amazingly on-the-ball chorus and symphony. Rating:  - * A contender! ... There is no ideal "St. Matthew Passion." But this one ranks with the best of 'em. "Solti?," you ask? That's right: Solti. I've heard all of the other ones except for Klemperer's, and this one satisfies on a consistent level. Some of the others I only listen to one disc at a time; this one, all the way through. Not too fast, not too slow, not too solemn, not too sprightly. I guess Solti isn't known as a "Bach specialist," but the "Bach specialists" whose CDs I own could learn a thing or two about making a satisfying recording like this one. |
Where the NBA Dynasty series (the other initial entry is the slightly meatier Los Angeles Lakers: The Complete History) outdoes Ultimate Jordan is in the six playoff games--one for each year--as they were originally broadcast, minus halftime and commercials. Having the nearly complete game (usually running 90-100 minutes, from the TV introductions to post-game interviews) means you can skip straight to John Paxson's clutch basket or what was expected to be the final shot of Jordan's career. Or you can savor each game in its entirety, all the better to appreciate the artistry of Jordan in his three-pointer barrage against Portland or his "flu game" against Utah. You can see other great players too, of course, including Jordan's teammates--Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman--and those opponents unfortunate enough to face the Bulls--Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and others. Because these are all NBA Finals games, you won't see Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo or his 63-point coming-out party against Boston, but the 1990s Chicago Bulls were a team for the ages, and merely having their games--some of them all-time classics--available for home viewing is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi
While last-minute heroics tend to be the standard by which we define excellence, there are many other moments that have left an indelible impression, many of them highlighted here. The video clips fall into 10 categories: Dunks, Alley-oops, Assists, Steals, Blocks, Teamwork, the Clutch Shot, Moves, Hustle, and Buzzer-Beaters. At the beginning of each section is a brief introduction. Before showing the top 10 dunks of all time, for example, we learn about the evolution of the dunk--from the first slam to the man who could fly, Michael Jordan--and we hear background commentary from NBA legends such as Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dr. J, and Bill Russell. This video recalls familiar moments of NBA lore that you will want to own for countless repeat viewings. --Jeremy Storey
