Eiji Oue - Respighi: Belkis, Queen Of Sheba Suite, Pines Of Rome

Grammy-nominated: Best Engineered Album, Classical

200-gram vinyl pressing by Quality Record Pressings!

Beautiful gatefold jacket

Selected by SoundStage!.com as Best Audiophile Recording, 2001

"Que plays each piece to the hilt; I cannot imagine more precise, more lovingly conducted performances. As for the recording, I'm running out of superlatives — it is brilliant and weighty, with tremendous undistorted dynamics." — Peter Aczel, The Audio Critic

"Respighi has not sounded like this on disc since — well, let's say since never before ... Of the seven Que/Minnesota CDs I know, this is easily the grandest, musically as well as sonically." — Roger Dettmer, Classical CD Reviews

"Dazzling orchestral colors," is one one way to describe the music of Ottorino Respighi. "Belkis, Queen of Sheba" was conceived as an evening-long ballet with singing whose lavishness has kept it from view since its La Scala premiere. This is only the second recording of a suite prepared by the composer — for the first time with the tenor solo (sung by Chad Shelton), and with the movements in the correct order. The music's oriental perfumes and barbaric splendor guarantee the enthusiasm of anyone who hears it. Respighi's greatest hit "The Pines of Rome" (with extra brasses and organ!) bring a dazzling conclusion to this unusual, inventive program.

Musicians:
Chad Shelton, tenor (Orgiastic Dance)
Minnesota Orchestra
Eiji Oue

Side 1

1. The Pines of Rome

2. The Pines of the Villa Borghese

3. The Pines Near A Catacomb

4. The Pines of the Janiculum

5. The Pines of the Appian Way

Side 2

6. Belkis, Queen of Sheba-Suite

7. Solomon’s Dream

8. The Dance of Belkis at Dawn

9. War Dance

10. Orgiastic Dance (Chad Shelton, tenor)

Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 1 person(s) rated this product.

Another brilliant RR release posted on 01/30/2014 5 Stars Reviewer: Jonathan I have waited decades for a recorded performance of Belkis with true, audiophile pretensions. The only other LP I have heard of this work was an early era digital Chandos release from the 80s, but this new RR release was well worth the wait. This new RR LP release retains all the hallmarks of this label - a monumental dynamic range and as true a depiction of true concert hall sound and perspective as possible. This recording in particular will torture even the most esoteric LP playback chains to the limit, since apart from anything else there is quite simply no option other than to have the playback level set to emulate the same sound pressure levels as heard at a live performance - such is the extreme dynamic range inherent in these two Respighi works. So far as the Belkis work is concerned, if you are unfamiliar with it, I am not sure what will astonish you more - the fact that it is so seldom heard or performed, or the excellence of both the performance itself and the recording.

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