Various Artists - Renoir: Music of His Time / Various - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The magic of the dance in music, with an emphasis on Paris towards the end of the nineteenth century. Orchestral works by Ravel ('La Valse'), Offenbach, Berlioz and others capture the mood of Renoir's beautiful portrait of dancers. Music for dancing and dreaming. Album Tracks 1. La Vie Parisienne (Parisian Life) Overture 2. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 II. Un Bal (Valse) Allegro Non Troppo 3. La Valse (Version for Orchestra) 4. La Boutique Fantasque, P. 120 VII. Nocturne (After Rossini) 5. Romance in C Major, Op. 48 6. II. Intermezzo 7. IV. Farandole 8. Daphnis Et Chloe Suite No. 2 9. Piano Concerto in G Major I. Allegramente 10. The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71A VIII. Waltz of the Flowers

Edouard Manet (1832-83) has been called the father of modern painting. In the 1860s he was the leader of a group of young artists who later became known as the Impressionists, though his own work resists any simple tag. On this CD, the world of Manet is given a musical perspective with a carefully chosen selection of pieces by the finest composers of his time. Inside, Hugh Griffith provides explanatory notes on his life and musical environment. What music did Edouard Manet listen to as he led art towards impressionism and beyond? Chopin, Rossini, Offenbach, Bizet, Lalo and their contemporaries. It is only too easy to forget how pioneering is the mind of the visual artist in terms of form - and how far behind is music. Debussy (born 1862) only began to emerge as a composer towards the end of Manet's life. Hugh Griffiths also chooses music by the lesser-known Alfred Bruneau, making a unique and revealing compilation. 1 CD with full-color, illustrated, explanatory booklet. Album Tracks 1. Overture 2. Trompette Et Tambour Marche 3. La Poupã©E Berceuse 4. La Toupie Impromptu 5. Petit Mari, Petite Femme Duo 6. Le Bal Galop 7. 1st MVMT. Allegro Non Troppo 8. Paysage 9. Idylle 10. Scherzo-Valse 11. Les Fianã§Ailles Au Moulin 12. 1st MVMT. Animã© Et TRèS Dã©Cidã©

Claude Monet (1840-1926) was at the forefront of the Impressionist revolution in painting. Together with a small group of like-minded friends, he scandalized the critics by devising a new way of representing the world in all it's bewildering variety of light and shadow. Here, the world of Monet is given a musical perspective with a carefully chosen selection of pieces by the finest composers of his time. We may enjoy here some of the greatest moments in musical and artistic development in the late nineteenth century, as Impressionism was emerging triumphant. On this CD, Monet's incredible foresight and breathtaking depictions of natural beauty are musically complemented by such landmarks as Debussy's graceful Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and Bizet's daring masterpiece Carmen. 1 CD with full-color, illustrated, explanatory booklet. Album Tracks 1. Minuet 2. Adagietto 3. De L'aube à Midi Sur la Mer 4. Ouverture 5. Pastorale 6. Une Barque Sur L'ocã©An 7. La Vallã©E Des Cloches 8. Reflets Dans L'eau 9. Jardins Sous la Pluie 10. Les Sons Et Les Parfums Tournent Dans L'air Du Soir