Even Finer Breiner

I've mentioned my online friendship with Peter Breiner, a wonderful conductor, arranger, musician and classical composer.  (He’s recorded over 200 albums.)  Most notably, I post selections every holiday season from the two joyous CD's he arranged and conducted, Christmas Goes Baroque.

He was also commissioned to write a ballet based on Mikhail Bulgakov's classic novel, The Master and Margarita, and it was scheduled to have its world premiere in 2020 at the Slovak National Theater for their 100th anniversary, but...well, you know there was that whole pandemic thing that has gotten in the way for the moment.  So...stay tuned.
 
Yesterday, Peter sent me a link to Spotify where he’s posted the tracks to a new 2-disk CD that the Naxos label just released  a few days ago.  And unlike most of his other CDs, this one is entirely his own music, which he also arranged and conducts the Slovak Philharmonic.  It’s titled Slovak Dances:  Naughty & Sad – and so far I’ve loved it.  (Disclaimer: I’ve only listened to the first disk so far.)  As the liner notes point out, there is an inspiration here from Brahms' Hungarian Dances and Antonin Dvorak.  But Breiner's sensibility flows through and is fresh and vibrant.

Here's the good news for those who might be interested, I've embedded the link to all 16 selections on Spoltify below, with Peter's permission.  For those with a Spotify account, you’re all set.  If you haven't signed up there yet, it’s free, so you just create an account in a minute.  Even if you're not sure about listening to the whole album (it’s about 100 minutes, although I think you'll be quite taken by it…), at least check out the first selection, "The Field of Zaluzice."  I’ve liked everything I've heard thus far, as I said, and several other pieces stand out, but that’s my favorite.
 
(Two of the other standouts for are “The Little Church of Humemmé” and an oddly, very funny piece, “My Father is but One Big Headache.”)
 
You can find the 2-CD album on Spotify here.   For free.  Another service we provide here at Elisberg Industries.  With appreciation to Peter Breiner.
 
But just because you're so nice, I'll make things at least a little bit easy for you.  Here's that first piece that I like so much, "The Field of Zaluzice."  If you want to hear more...well, there's that link right above.
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And for yet another added, albeit small bonus treat, if that wasn't enough, he's Peter in action conducting this same number for a 2-minute trailer that Naxos put out.
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