Review: The Three Bs--The Bonynge Ballet Box (Naturally!)

[@AlexMadorsky]

What a cool box! Lots of intriguing repertoire that I don’t know here. I must be naive; I thought people liked ballet music precisely because of its accessible tunefulness! C’est la vie. To me, this is far more interesting than the zillionth conductor box featuring standard rep works that have been recorded to death.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I agree.

[@mrlopez-pz7pu]

I cant believe I missed THIS out of all of your reviews, especially considering my life-long obsession with 19th century ballet music, particularly from late Imperial-era Russia, and my research into the origins of a good deal of the material Bonynge recorded on albums such as "The Art of the Prima Ballerina", "Pas de deux", "Homage to Pavlova", "Ballet Gala" and the ballets of Adam and Minkus. I put up some extremely long and thorough reviews on Amazon of some of Bonynge's ballet recordings (perhaps they were a little too long and thorough!) This boxed-set features Bonynge's recordings in beautifully mastered, splendid sound (I myself prefer the 4 or 8-track stereo of the early 1960's with modern-day mastering for classical music, such as that heard on Bonynge's earliest ballet recordings, which sounds so much more real and not overly glossy and shrill as many modern digital recordings sound). Ti5s set includes a booklet with some brief bios of some of the composers and libretti for the full-length works that features a summary of the history of Bonynge's ballet recordings. The original album art has been reproduced on the cover of each digipak, but the original liner notes were not, something important for such obscure material. But perhaps its for the best, since Bonynge's recordings of ballet excerpts such as "Pas de deux" originally featured liner notes with lots of incorrect information concerning the history and authorship of the music offered. Many pieces are credited to the wrong composer. But the worst is that many pieces featured on his early ballet recordings (such as "Pas de deux" or "Art of the Prima Ballerina") present some of the music in some really horrible re-orchestrations, often by an uncredited hand. Fortunately the snobbery and negativity toward much 19th century ballet music is fading away - the very idea that because orchestral music is melodious and 'dansante', that is danceable, is absurd.

[@Danzig987]

This commentary is spot-on. I own about half of these recordings in their original incarnations, and there isn't a dud among them.

[@alanmcginn4796]

Already pre-ordered on Amazon!! I LOVE ballet music and honestly don't have enough of it. Dave. You're costing me a fortune, but my musical intellect is all the better for it. :)

[@Craig_Wheeler]

I hear that! Half the time I end up going to Amazon immediately after viewing these videos. I'm sure the industry is loving David for all this great PR!

[@dmntuba]

I discovered many of these recordings in college and they hold a special place in my heart...glad to see them all together 👍

[@classicrecordings]

You’re a great salesman! you have convinced me to go out by this.

[@danielsimon8754]

Its great to have access to rare ballet music in this collection from the greatest conductor of this genre, Richard Bonynge. One of my favourites is Le Pappion by Offenbach. A delicious score. Bonynge also conducted rare Overtures we should not forget. I love Adolph Adam's The Doll of Nurembourg and his ballet - Le Corsaire. The recordings are first class. I have a couple of CDs in my collection

[@davidaiken1061]

Wonderful! I had no idea a Bonynge ballet box was in the works, but here it is! There is nothing I would rather listen to for the sheer pleasure of it than ballet music. I have collected quite a few of these Bonynge recordings over the years, but was unaware of just how extensive were his exhumations of long forgotten works. I'm not sure Bonynge qualifies as a "great" conductor but he was a very fine one in opera as well as ballet, and this box is a fitting tribute. You have sold me on this one, Dave (and i've already spent way too much on CD's this past year}. Your remark about a "ballet version" of Kant's *Critique of Pure Reason* gave me a project for my retirement. Why not a ballet, or even an opera adaptation of Hegel's *Phenomenology of Spirit*? Or how about Heidegger's *Being and Time*? What an opportunity! Seriously, though, this was one of your most delightful (and in my case efficacious) talks. Thank you.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Looks like we've got a trilogy in the works!

[@gregstanton7321]

One of my very favorite conductors, along with Marc Minkowski and Frieder Bernius! He has stayed busy, not only reviving the bel canto repertoire, but also opera comique and 19th century English opera (who knew there was such a thing?). I always thought his name was pronounced "BON-ning."

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Not by me. I've heard both all my life and picked one. Maybe next time I'll change my mind. If he wanted clarity, he could remove that final "e."

[@brianrein]

Greg, surely you mean "Bonning" (with an "ah" sound) and not "Boning" with an oh sound?

[@gregstanton7321]

@@brianrein Yes, certainly. I shall correct. Blushing...

[@richardholmesmusic2128]

@@DavesClassicalGuide yes, it IS "Bahnning", definitely. But I love your fun review and your enthusiasm. Bravo to you!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@richardholmesmusic2128Thank you, I hate English.

[@raycatellier2079]

Absolutely love, love, LOVE ballet music. Since I already have the marvelous Ballet Masterpieces 35 disc box set on Decca, which includes 20 discs of performances conducted by Bonynge, I may not end up getting the Bonynge box due to all the duplications. Plus, I have the standalone recording of Bonynge's Swan Lake with the National Philharmonic. That might be my favourite ballet recording of all time!

[@aristocratofgreed8740]

Christmas has come late! By The way, can you do a video on the three Kalman recordings Bonynge did? They're all spectacular and Kalman is an incredibly underrated and unknown composer.

[@Danzig987]

"Die Fledermaus" may be the greatest operetta ever penned, but in my opinion Emmerich Kalman was the greatest operetta composer of all. So many of his works are such gems. Personal favorites include "Die Czardasfuerstin," "Graefin Maritza" and "Die Herzogin von Chicago."

[@boccherinifanatic8356]

Dave, I tremendously enjoy your videos! Perhaps, you could do a talk some day about the boxed set industry - why do boxed sets exist in the first place, their purpose, appeal, advantages and disadvantages, etc. As a record collector, I am conflicted as to whether or not it’s actually worth buying boxed sets. It can be wonderful way to comprehensively examine a niche of recordings for a relatively inexpensive price or obtain recordings that are otherwise hard to access. But, with some boxed sets, I feel that they are a consumerist excess, with too many bells and whistles, solely put out to massage the egos of record companies (like the recent complete Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven editions on Decca and Deutsche Grammaphon). Some boxed sets try too hard to appeal to too many different types of clientele all at once, that I wonder, who are they made for? With your experience in marketing and as a critic, I think you would have fascinating and insightful things to say about the boxed set industry.

[@markzacek237]

The Massenet Valse tres lente with its totally beguiling period flavor and luscious melody is by itself worth the price of the whole box! And if you don’t know Messager and Lecocq, you must! The interesting thing is that the La Fille de Madame Angot ballet does not make use of the ballet within Lecocq’s operetta or even the operetta itself - both of which are really delightful. Just as the Manon ballet does not make use of any music from the opera, if I recall correctly. Incidentally, Dave, the Leoni Prayer and the Sword was the coupling for Leoni’s L’Oracolo on LP and it’s terrific, as is the (terribly racist) opera, which was Tito Gobbi’s last recording.

[@Danzig987]

I'd also throw in the Burgmueller "La Peri" as a "must-listen" item in the set. The Drigo "Flute Magique" is also a gem.

[@brucknerian9664]

Now, if only I had a bottomless bank account; or, maybe we can all take a bus over to David's house if the cat doesn't mind some company. I can bring over a case of Guinness. Having studied Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason" for 50 years it would be nice to hear the musical version.

[@francoisjoubert6867]

The big difference between Critique of pure reason and Marco Spada is that one can actually understand Marco Spada! Those half page long sentences.....

[@woodewoode]

I interviewed Richard on the phone in the 90s (he in Switzerland, me in Dublin..very lockdown!) and he said he was trying to record something called Segismundo. Cant see any evidence that he got it done. Presumably the record company went "meh"...

[@bigg2988]

Possibly that was "Sigismondo, Re di Polonia", one of those bel canto treasures Bonynge was/is so fond of? Now if I could only recall who the author is... [10 mins later] OK, so it is an early work by Rossini. And Bonynge actually DID it, in 1992 with Conservatory Rovigo Venezze. No information of it being recorded, though. And if it was, hopefully we will find out when/if DECCA follow up with BOB - The Opera box. :)))

[@woodewoode]

@@bigg2988 thanks. That sounds right!

[@fred6904]

Dear Mr Hurwitz! Fred from Sweden here again. I wonder what you think about the big box whith Isaac Stern. Should I get it or not? Best wishes Fred!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I may do a talk about it, but in general it's very good. Should you get it? That's up to you. It depends on how much you like Stern, or the repertoire it contains.

[@fred6904]

@@DavesClassicalGuide I would be very thankful if you could made a review.