Sieji Ozawa's Page

This is the first record of Ozawa that I bought. I like the dynamics of the second movement very much. Dynamic rhythm of the first and second movements in this performance is like rock music. Swaying melody of the third movement is also great. The first to the third movements are best for me.

It is worth to listen to the timpany and profound strings at the beginning. I have heard an episode that Ozawa was particular about the timpany in the introduction of this symphony. I do not like the fourth movement so much, because it recalls me that tune. But the climax at the ending is good.
He recorded No. 1 Symphony conducting Saito Kinen Orchestra. I heard it is great. And I heard that the performance by Takashi Asahina is also great. I will compare these three Brahms's No. 1 symphonies some day.

I like heavy mood in the first movement, lyrical singing in pastoral mood in the second movement and waltz in the third movement. But I am excited at the feeling of eruption of emerging magma at the ending of the fourth movement.

I bought this as I was quite impressed at the concert of Ozawa and Boston Symphony Orchestra in Kyoto. This four record set contains almost Ravel's orchestral works. I like "La Valse", "Valse nobles et Sentimentals", "Daphnis et Chloe" and "Bolero". Impressions of other works are plain. When I bought this, I expected their power. So I like "La Valse" best.
I had suite edition of "Daphnis et Chloe" by Ansermet. On the beginning of the second suite, sunlight of early summer filtered through the trees and sunlight is swaying with branches of trees swayed by wind. It is very fantastic.

Ives majored in twelve-note scale in the university of music, then built an insurance agency and made success in business. He composed music while he was not working for business. ( I heard he used all his time to compose other than business time. ) His fourth symphony is miracurous. But I have not listened to it so many times. "Central Park in the Dark" is a music on sounds in crowds in Central Park. This is like progressive jazz and a fine music. ( This must be categorized in contemporary. )
When he retired his agency, many expected him to dedicate only in music. But he completely retired and did not composed any music.

This is like a hard progressive rock. ( Progressive rock might be like Baltok. ) It starts with sharp strings like ripping and beating wind instruments and percussions. It's great.

Sheherazade makes me recall Bernstein. If Bernstein's Sheherazade is trapezoid, then Ozawa's one is rectangular. I am not saying it is no good but I hardly listen to this record. And music itself is not my type. I feel four movements consists of just two melodies. ( And is this a violin concerto ? )

I was upset on this. I had had an impression that Ozawa and Boston selected contemporary music and play hard. I was surprised at this quiet and calm music like baroque or folk music. It is tasteful. I play this record on fine Sunday Morning. It matches the feeling of fine Sunday Morning.

This quite matches my image of Ozawa and Boston. I had a tape of live performance. And recently I bought CD. From this, followings are CD's, not records. This CD was recorded before Ravel. Performance from March to the scaffold to fugue in fifth movement is whirling. It is the same excitement as Tchaikovsky's fifth symphony.
By the way, what is the first recording of Ozawa and Boston ? And the last one ? I will check them.

Records and CD's above are recorded in 70's and this and followings are in 90's. ( I wonder I do not have records in 80's. I will check this later. )
I had Bernstein's performance in a tape. Melody was very beautiful and I thought it was the best. Once my wife and I watched the live performance of Ozawa and Saito Kinen Orchestra on TV. It was great ! We were very touched. Next day we bought this CD.
And this CD includes Mozart's Divertimento in D, K.136 and "Eine kleine Nachtmusik". These two are also great. I feel proportion of numbers of female players is bigger in this orchestra. And concert master is female. Is that related to the transparent and mellow tone of strings ?

I bought this at the same time as Serenade for Strings. It is full of Ozawa's dynamics. Transparent feeling in the second movement is great. Sometimes performances that wind instruments parts are stronger are popular in many orchestras. But here it is performed in superb balance of strings and wind instruments.
By the way, the second movement was single cut titled as "Allegretto in Sadness" at that time.

I had not had a record/CD of Pastoral. So this is the first one. There are many recordings of Pastoral and conductors differentiate their performances. I feel sometimes it is peculiar and I had been reluctant to buy them. ( Bernstein's performance was so, I feel. ) Ozawa and Saito Kinen's Pastoral might be the most ordinary performance.