[1] Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me - 4:07
[2] Satin Doll - 2:36
[3] Sophisticated Lady - 4:10
[4] Caravan - 2:59
[5] Don't Get Around Much Anymore - 3:51
[6] Azure - 2:45
[7] Squatty Roo - 3:12
[8] Prelude to a Kiss - 4:47
[9] Mood Indigo/Purple Gazelle - 5:45
[10] Chelsea Bridge - 3:24
[11] Star-Crossed Lovers - 4:15
[12] Zweet Zurzday ["From Suite Thursday"] - 4:07
[13] Take the "A" Train - 3:15
[14] In a Sentimental Mood - 4:19
[15] Fast & Furious - 2:47
Daniel Barenboim - Piano
Dianne Reeves - Vocals
Don Byron - Clarinet
Cliff Colnot - Arranger, Conductor
Dale Clevenger - Horn
Larry Combs - Clarinet, Alto & Soprano Saxophone
Ahmet Ertegun - Liner Notes
Charlie Harrison - Electric & 12 String Electric Guitar
Joel Spencer - Percussion, Drums
Brad Opland - Bass
Burl Lane - Alto, Soprano & Tenor Saxophone
Charles Vernon - Trombone
Gus Mossler - Engineer
Stephane Briand - Engineer
Renate Kupfer - Executive Producer
Dirk Lange - Associate Producer
Dennis Tousana - Assistant Engineer
Eberhard Sengpiel - Digital Post Production
Andreas Florczak - Digital Post Production
Stewart Spencer - Translation
Richard Haughton - Photography
Deborah Feingold - Photography
Virginie Bauzou - Translation
Sandra Kaiser - Artwork, Design
Issued in time to tack on to the end of the celebration of the
Ellington centenary, Daniel Barenboim's Tribute to Ellington is neither
the best of the albums to be issued in honor of Ellington's 100th
birthday, nor is it an expensive disaster. Employing some of the most
talented genre-straddling musicians available, including clarinetist
Don Byron and vocalist Diane Reeves, the album applies chamber music
arrangements to Ellington's big-band works. The musicianship here is
excellent and the arrangements are without fault, but the album comes
out sounding more precise than passionate. Though Ellington could
certainly be called a perfectionist, the best of his original
recordings also came with a certain energy, which seems to be missing
here. Taking Ellington into the classical realm certainly makes sense -
he is respected by many as one of the greatest composers of this
century, but this performance does not seem to add much to the breadth
of the experience of his music.
Stacia Proefrock, All-Music Guide
Es ist allgemein bekannt, daß Daniel Barenboim als Dirigent in
Berlin, und nicht in Chicago, einige seiner besten Arbeiten
vollbrachte. Diese Aufnahme des Parsifals mit den Berliner
Philharmonikern kann hierfür als Beweis angeführt werden.
Wagners Orchestration ist ungemein schwierig (sie gehört
vielleicht zur gefühlvollsten Musik des Komponisten); Barenboims
entschieden intellektuelles Temperament wirkt dazu komplementär.
Die Sololeistungen (José van Dam, Siegfried Jerusalem, John
Tomlinson und Waltraud Meier) sind meisterhaft.
Meiner Meinung nach hat sich der Kauf der Platte schon wegen Meiers
verblüffender und eintöniger Laute zu Beginn des 3. Aktes
gelohnt (es handelt sich dabei um die ersten menschlichen Lautsignale
nach der atemberaubenden orchestralen Einleitung).