Collection: Salon Orchestral Favourites Vol.1
Salonorchester Schwnaen directed
by Georg Huber
NAXOS
8.554756
Crotchet
Amazon
UK
Amazon
USA
The Skater's Waltz op.183 (Waldteufel). Brise de mer Mattinata
(Leoncavallo). Tango (Albeniz). Poeme (Fibrich). Melodie in F major (Rubinstein).
Serenade No.1 (Drdla). Il bacio (Arditi). Drunt' in der Lobau (Strecker).
Die Millionen des Harlekin - Serenade (Drigo). El relicario (Padilla). Spiel
auf deiner Geige das Lied von Lied und Lust (Stolz). Wien du Stadt meiner
Traume (Sieczynski). Serenata (Toselli). Sie horen Paul Lincke - Potpourri
(Lincke)
Picture an inn in the Austrian Tyrol, a prince incognito as a commoner, gazes
into the eyes of a beautiful maiden while they are serenaded by a gypsy orchestra
and served by girls in fetching national costume. Imagine a late
Victorian/Edwardian drama played out in a hotel lounge with a palm court
orchestra playing in the background. Visualise a Spanish café with
diners seated around a small dance floor on which the hero and heroine are
dancing the tango. These are typical scenes we've seen in countless movies.
Ten to one, one of the melodies on this album will have been played by those
on-screen bands. This is one of those albums where you recognise practically
all the tunes but can't put a name to them. You will probably recognise one
or two pieces by name and composer -- Rubinstein's Melody in F and Waldteufel's
Skater's Waltz, especially. The composer's names are often familiar: Leoncavallo,
composer of the popular opera, Pagliacci; operetta composer, Robert Stolz;
Isaac Albéniz; Heinrich Strecker, and Paul Lincke whose tunes that
make up the most substantial Suite, Potpourri are instantly recognisable.
The melodies are played elegantly and unselfconsciously in the true spirit
of the original salon music by the ten-piece Salonorchester Schwann. This
is an undemanding and very pleasant hour of undemanding music; an unashamed
romantic and nostalgic wallow. This is a very good start to a new series
and I look forward to succeeding issues. The contents of the album is given
below
Reviewer
Ian Lace
