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The Arthur Fiedler Legacy: Evening at the Pops

Arthur Fiedler
1 disc

0. DISC 1:
1. Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron), operetta (RV 511): Entry March
2. Im Frhling, overture for orchestra, Op 36
3. Clair de lune, for orchestra or other arrangement (from "Suite Bergamasque" for piano), L. 75/3
4. Finlandia, tone poem for orchestra, Op. 26
5. Cantata No. 147, "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben," BWV 147 (BC A174): Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
6. der schnen, blauen Donau, An (On the Beautiful, Blue Danube), waltz for orchestra (with chorus ad lib), Op. 314 (RV 314)
7. Kaiser-Walzer (Emperor Waltz), for orchestra, Op. 437 (RV 437)
8. Im Krapfenwald'l, polka franaise for orchestra, Op. 336 (RV 336)
9. Neu-Wien (New Vienna), waltz for orchestra (with voice ad lib), Op. 342 (RV 342)
10. Perpetuum Mobile (Perpetual Motion), Ein musikalischer Scherz, for orchestra, Op. 257 (RV 257)
11. Mrchen aus dem Orient (Tales from the Orient), waltz for orchestra, Op. 444 (RV 444
12. Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka (Chit-Chat Polka), for orchestra, Op. 214 (RV 214)
13. Chineser-Galopp, for orchestra, Op. 20
0. DISC 2:
1. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 1, Op. 46: In the Hall of the Mountain King
2. Nutcracker, suite from the ballet, Op. 71a: Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy
3. Nutcracker, suite from the ballet, Op. 71a: Dance of the Reed Pipes
4. Hnsel und Gretel, opera: Dream Pantomime
5. Sorcerer's Apprentice, The (L'apprenti sorcier), symphonic scherzo for orchestra
6. Tubby the Tuba
7. Mickey Mouse March
8. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Fantasy (after Churchill)
9. Sesame Street Theme
10. French Chef Theme, The
11. I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, song
12. Brand New Key
13. We've Only Just Begun
14. Hair, musical: Aquarius
15. Those Were the Days, song
16. Hava Nagila
17. Jalousie, tango for orchestra
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 002894776121
Credits

Producer
Engineer
Personnel: Chester Schmitz (tuba); Leo Litwin (celesta).
Recording information: Symphony Hall, Boston, MA.
Photographer: Milton Feinberg.
Arrangers: Eric Knight; Richard Hayman.
Arthur Fiedler was, for 50 years, the acknowledged master of the light classical repertory. This often took him into the territory of orchestral arrangements of popular tunes, but just as often, simply into the most accessible corners of the mid- to late-19th century concert repertory. The latter is mostly what's on display in this generously programmed double-CD set, made of recordings from Fiedler's final decade, when he and the Boston Pops were signed to Deutsche Grammophon. There are a few digressions into Disney and Sesame Street territory, as well as some pop, rock, and show tunes that fill out the second disc, but for the first hour or so, this is all repertory -- Tchaikovsky, Johann Strauss, Debussy, Goldmark, Sibelius, Grieg, Humperdinck -- that any concert orchestra in the world might have programmed, just done in extremely spirited fashion; the irony, of course, is that most of this very same late romantic material was soon to disappear from most major concert halls as programming moved toward more ambitious and somewhat more contemporary works, save when student orchestras perform. But here it all is, done in the same ebullient spirit in which it would have been presented in the early 20th century, and in state of the art, mid-20th century fidelity (just about audiophile quality), and well-annotated, as well. ~ Bruce Eder