House Classics [Import]

1. Let Me Love You For Tonight

2. Everybody (All Over The World) (Dance Mix)

3. Rhythm Is A Mystery (Original Mix)

4. Is There Anybody Out There? (12" Version)

5. Going Back To My Roots (Original Vocal Mix)

6. Weekend

7. All Funked Up

8. Caught In The Middle (Def Classic 12" Mix)

9. Shine On (Extended Lp Mix)

10. Reach For Me

11. Show Me Love (Stonebridge Club Mix)

12. Lover That You Are

13. I Luv U Baby (No Swing Mix)

14. Funky Guitar (Fpi Funky Mix)

15. Who Keeps Changing Your Mind? (Night Mix)

16. Reach (Brothers In Rhythm Club Mix)

17. Let Me Show You

18. Real Thing (Joy Bros Mix)

19. Hideaway (Dubfire Needs To Score)

20. Make The World Go Round (Deep Dish Remix)

See all 54 tracks on this disc

House Classics,Various Artists,EMI/Virgin TV,Dance

Verdi - Aida / Caballé · Domingo · Cossotto · Ghiaurov · Cappuccilli · Roni · NPO · Muti
Average customer rating:

Marvelous Aida!

Is there any Aida without pluses and minuses?

The most intimate of stories amidst spectacle sing with musical splendor!

HYPERBOLICAL AND GRANDIOSE

JUSTIFIES ITS FAME! Powerful, beautiful and exciting!

Verdi - Aida / Caballé · Domingo · Cossotto · Ghiaurov · Cappuccilli · Roni · NPO · Muti
Giuseppe Verdi , Riccardo Muti , Montserrat Caballe , Placido Domingo , New Philharmonia Orchestra , Choir of the Royal Opera House Covent Ga , Fiorenza Cossotto , Nicolai Ghiaurov , Piero Cappuccilli , and Luigi Roni
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Ghiaurov, Karajan

Verdi - Don Carlo / Domingo · Caballé · Raimondi · Milnes · Verrett · Estes · Giulini

Puccini - Turandot / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Caballé · Ghiaurov · Krause · Pears · LPO · Mehta

Verdi - La Traviata / Cotrubas · Domingo · Milnes · Bayerisches Staatsorchester · Carlos Kleiber

Wagner: Lohengrin

ASIN: B00005NW0C
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

Prld
Act 1, Scene 1: Si, Corre Voce Che L'Etiope Ardisca
Act 1, Scene 1: Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!
Act 1, Scene 1: Celeste Aida
Act 1, Scene 1: Quale Insolita Gioia Nel Tuo Sguardo!
Act 1, Scene 1: Vieni, O Diletta, Appressati
Act 1, Scene 1: Alta Cagion V'aduna
Act 1, Scene 1: Su! De Nilo Al Sacro Lido
Act 1, Scene 1: Ritorna Vincitor!
Act 1, Scene 1: I Sacri Nomi Di Padre, D'amante
Act 1, Scene 2: Possente, Possente Ftha
Act 1, Scene 2: Danza Sacra Delle Sacerdotesse
Act 1, Scene 2: Mortal, Diletto Ai Numi
Act 1, Scene 2: Nume, Custode E Vindice

Tracks:

Act 2, Scene 1: Chi Mai Fra Gl'Inni E I Plausi
Act 2, Scene 1: Danza Degli Schiavi Mori
Act 2, Scene 1: Vieni, Sul Crin Ti Piovano
Act 2, Scene 1: Fu La Sorte Dell'armi A' Tuoi Funesta
Act 2, Scene 1: Ebben, Qual Nuovo Fremito T'Assal, Gentile Aida?
Act 2, Scene 1: Pieta Ti Prenda Del Mio Dolor
Act 2, Scene 1: Su! Del Nilo Al Sacro Lido
Act 2, Scene 2: Gloria All'Egitto, Ad Iside
Act 2, Scene 2: Marcia Trionfale
Act 2, Scene 2: Ballabile
Act 2, Scene 2: Vieni, O Guerriero Vindice
Act 2, Scene 2: Salvator Della Patria
Act 2, Scene 2: Che Veggo! Egli? Mio Padre!
Act 2, Scene 2: Ma Tu, Re, Tu Signore Possente
Act 2, Scene 2: Il Dolor Che In Quel Volto Favella
Act 2, Scene 2: O Re, Pei Sacri Numi
Act 2, Scene 2: Gloria All'Egitto, Ad Iside

Tracks:

Act 3: O Tu Che Sei D'Osiride
Act 3: Vieni D'Iside Al Tempio
Act 3: Qui Radames Verra!
Act 3: O Patria Mia
Act 3: Ciel! Mio Padre!
Act 3: In Armi Ora Si Desta Il Popol Nostro
Act 3: Padre, A Costoro Schiava Non Sono
Act 3: Pur Ti Riveggo, Mia Dolce Aida
Act 3: Nel Fiero Anelito Di Nuova Guerra
Act 3: Fuggiam Gli Ardori Inospiti... La, Tra Foreste Vergini
Act 3: Aida!... Tu Non M'Ami
Act 3: Ma, Dimmi: Per Quale Via
Act 3: Traditor!... La Mia Rival!
Act 4, Scene 1: L'Aborrita Rivale A Me Sfuggia
Act 4, Scene 1: Gia I Sacerdoti Adunansi
Act 4, Scene 1: No, Vive Aida!... Vive!
Act 4, Scene 1: Ohime! Morir Mi Sento!
Act 4, Scene 1: Spirto Del Nume, Sovra Noi Discendi!
Act 4, Scene 1: Radames, Radames, Radames
Act 4, Scene 1: A Lui Vivo, La Tomba!
Act 4, Scene 2: La Fatal Pietra Sovra Me Si Chiuse
Act 4, Scene 2: Presago Il Core Della Tua Condanna
Act 4, Scene 2: Vedi? Di Morte L'Angelo
Act 4, Scene 2: O Terra, Addio

Amazon.com essential recording

Behind the pyramids and the elephants, the long lines of prisoners of war and of slaves carrying booty, the choral shouts of "Glory to Egypt," and the splendid brass sounding the Triumphal March, Aida is the story of a love triangle: Aida, an Ethiopian princess who has become a slave in Egypt; Amneris, an Egyptian princess; and Radamès, the Egyptian general they both love (Aida secretly). There are ironies and conflicts: How can she love a man who is the enemy of her country, but who says he has fought and conquered for the sake of her love? It is suitable only for the biggest opera houses and therefore demands voices capable of great power as well as emotional expressiveness. Montserrat Caballé, Plácido Domingo, and Fiorenza Cossotto provide such voices, and Ricardo Muti conducts with a sense of drama and dynastic glory. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Marvelous Aida!.......2007-02-27

I love Aida. I own so many recordings that I've lost count as to how many I have in my library. In many ways, I think this is one of Verdi's most beautiful and sophisticated scores. Several conductors have handled (and butchered) the score, yet this recording shows how Verdi should really be sung and conducted. Riccardo Muti is perhaps the best Verdi conductor, even better than Toscanini (but not Serafin). His Verdi collection from EMI shows his talent from making the myriad of colors from Verdi's score emerge in such a way that would captivate the listener. His chosen tempi and dynamics are also very theatrical. The magic he performs with the orchestra brings out the several transparencies in Aida, and for this reason I would choose his conducting over that of Karajan's or Solti's. Granted, Montserrat Caballe is not a very visually appealing Aida, but her voice is magnificent--seamless from top to bottom, producing creamy tone wherever necessary. She isn't a true Aida. For that, you must go to Renata Tebaldi. However, Caballe manipulates her voice so that you would think that she was made for Aida. Placido Domingo sings with golden tone and committment throughout this performance. I think that this is a reference performance for Radames after Bergonzi's magnificent performance with Karajan. I'm sorry, but I never enjoyed Corelli's performance under Mehta. I thought he was past his prime there, and his lack of legato makes the private introspective moments sound overtly loud. His high notes are thrilling though. Piero Cappuccilli, one of the greatest Verdi baritones of the last century, sang an authoritative and brooding Amonasro. As wonderful as Gobbi's performance with Callas is, I think Cappuccilli's voice suited Amonasro better. Ghiaurov is a very looming Ramfis.

However, the main reason for me to purchase this set is for the high-octane performance of Amneris given by Fiorenza Cossotto. This brilliant mezzo soprano, whose career is suprisingly still ongoing, has a voice that was tailored to the temperaments of the Verdi mezzo roles. I think that while Giulietta Simionato may have had a warmer timbre, Cossotto inhabited the psychologies of her characters better. I have never heard a more demented Azucena from any other singer, and my recordings of her Eboli show a singer whose grace and elan are unequalled, even by the great Simionato. Her Adalgisa shows a secure instrument that is fluent in coloratura and brilliant in the top registers. Her Santuzza literally puts several sopranos into shame. Her Leonore from Donizetti's La Favorita is a reference performance, equipped with all the coloratura and very large, brilliant high notes. Her Dalila is simply seductive and powerful. Her Principessa di Boullion is menacing, and her Carmen is rightfully seductive. Her recorded Preziosilla on Levine's Forza is perhaps the most accurate and fun interpretation of the gypsy part I've ever heard. Her Lady Macbeth is fierce, and her Rosina is no pushover. Her Amneris, a role which she essayed frequently in many of the world's great theaters, is perhaps the definitive interpretation of the role. Neither Simionato or Barbieri could touch Fiorenza in the thrilling chest notes and the regal interpretation she gave the role. For her, and of course for the cast and Muti, should you buy this set. While some may find Tebaldi's Aida definitive, no one, in my opinion, can skirt around Cossotto's magnificent Amneris. Buy this Aida. It is an essential for any collection.

Is there any Aida without pluses and minuses?.......2006-06-01

It's peculiar that no single performance of Aida on records has ever attained consensus as 'the one', the closest candidate being the RCA-Decca performance with Leontyne Price and Jon Vickers. After decades of listening to most of the major contenders, here's how I would size them up.

Best conducting: Karajan on both his readings, the first for Decca in the early Sixties, the second for EMI in 1980. He has the glorious Vienna Phil. on both--for richness, depth, drama, and splendor nothing equals them. Karrajan himself provides a continuous outpouring of insights into Verdi's deceptively simple score.

Best Aida: For many, Leontyne Price will always be defined by this role, her signature for two decades and perfectly suited to her voice, with its dusky low range and incredible floated high notes. She sounds much fresher in her first RCA recording with Solti than in the remake with Leinsdorf. For other listeners there is no replacement for Callas and her intense involvement with the role, while Tebadi stands out for sheer lusciousness of voice.

Best Rhadames: Bjorling really didn't have the heft to sing this role onstage, but pairing Milanov in a classic RCA mono recording he sounds, as always, ravishing in style and tone. Vickers attacks the role with incredible intensity but is singularly un-Italian despite his glorious, heroic volume of sound. Among stylish tenors with smaller voices, Bergonzi under Karajan, paired with Tebaldi, wins high critical praise. Domingo, for all his virtues, always seems to come in second best.

Let's say we stop there; it's easy to see why the Price-Vickers-Solti set has such a strong following, and also the Tebaldi-Bergonzi-Karajan set. But complaints have always arisen about both, that Vickers has no Italian style and Solti conducts with brazen vulgarity. In the other set, the grouse is that Tebaldi wasn't in best voice and sounds too imperious, while Bergonzi, for all his polish, isn't a viscerally exciting Rhadames.

This carping opened the way for the 70's EMI set with Caballe and Domingo in their vocal prime. Muti conducts skilfully, moving the drama along quickly and with a refreshing lack of overdone sentimentality. Caballe isn't a spinto-dramatic soprano as called for, but she sings for the microphone with wonderful nuance and pathos (I find her less droopy than she often was). Domingo exhibits perfect tone and style, but his reading is a bit callow compared ot what he would achieve later in his career. In other words, there's no true greatness in any part but the whole hangs together nicely. It must be noted, though, that the bland Capuccilli as Amonasro ruins the drama of the Nile scene.

My review, such as it is, stops here, since other reviewers listed below have detailed the specifics of this recording. But I'd like to offer some notes about all the Aidas I've encountered over the years.

--Aida was Birgit Nilsson's best Italian role, and in her EMI recording she softens her steely tone and makes quite a nice success for herself. She is partnered with Corelli, whose vulgar bawling makes him unlistenable to my ears, but if you admire him, this performance led by a young Zubin Mehta ranks with the Caballe-Domingo one.

--Callas must be listened to on her own, or with Gobbi when he enters as her father in Act 3. Their Nile scene is incomparable, not to be missed. Too bad it's ruined by the entrance of the horribly stentorian, unstylish Richard Tucker, a huge blemish on this recording.

--Abbado should have come through with Aida from La Scala when he was musical director there, but his reading for DG is cautious and bland (the same goes for a live performance on Opera d'Oro with Arroyo and Domingo--they aren't great, either, though very good).

--Aidas who can't really manage the part include Katia Ricciarelli for Abbado and Freni for Karajan in his EMI remake (she's wildly overparted but moving and artistic nonetheless). Aprile Millo for Levine from the Met (Sony) can sing the notes but has nothing interesting to tell us. Heresy to say, but I feel the same way about the revered Zinka Milanov with Bjorling on RCA.

--A Rhadames who can't really sing the part is Carreras under Karajan, but he gives his all trying. Pavarotti sang the role both on stage and on disc (with an unknown and forgettable Aida), but his lyric tenor isn't right. Having said that, I was surprised at how enjoyable his Decca performance is. Domingo has sung the role for Muti, Leinsdorf, Abbado, and Levine. All are very good; probably the best is with Leinsdorf, a shame since the conducting is prosaic and the bloom was off Price's voice by then.

--Uninspired condcuting honors go to Leinsdorf, but I get little out of Levine's hectic, impesonal work on Sony, and the sainted Tulio Serafin on the Callas set is authentic but rather workaday. When it comes down to it, Solti for all his vulgarisms threw himself into his preformance, while Karajan is the greatest maestro to take on the opera, pace the fans of Toscanini, whose fiery reading isn't to my taste, even if it didn't have a second-rate cast and boxy, wooden sonics.

The most intimate of stories amidst spectacle sing with musical splendor!.......2005-11-11

What a cast? The only soprano if memory serves me that equals Caballe's beautify and dramatic offering is Zinka Milanov on the RCA/BMG label. As good as Barbieri is on that recoding Cossotto is the Amneris....she owned this role along with Azucena and la favorita...Domingo is dramatic and beautful in tone as always. Cappuccilli is also a worthy part of this great quartet. There are other great Aida's but this is special along with the Milnov, Barbieri recording! Both belong on your CD shelf along with Leontyne Price in one of her great Aida recordings

HYPERBOLICAL AND GRANDIOSE.......2003-09-16

That was how Shaw characterised Verdi, bracketing him with Victor Hugo. Shaw also sensed a falling-off in spontaneity in Aida, its place being taken by increasing sophistication. I doubt if he would have had such reservations if he had heard this tremendous performance, one of the most thrilling you will ever hear. To get it going, Domingo's Celeste Aida is, well, celestial, and he is in superb voice throughout. Caballe sings like an angel from paradise. I remember her interviewed on TV by Bernard Levin years ago, and she almost winced as she said 'For Verdi you need so much VOICE'. There is no doubt about it, Verdi's demands on the human voice are inhuman, and I was lost in admiration at the entire cast and their majestic response to the whole wonderful but monstrous challenge set to them. At least one thing is simple in Aida and that is the plot-line, which makes a nice change compared with, say, Trovatore, and the characters, strongly drawn though they are both by Ghislanzoni and the composer, are not complex like Rigoletto or Iago.

I suspect that singers who can surmount the musical challenge as triumphantly as these do just find that they are acting superbly as well. The conducting helps just a little of course. Verdi's orchestral conception has now advanced beyond the 'big guitar' stage and the sumptuous sound Muti obtains and the strong forward thrust of his tempi creats an enthralling sense of grandeur. I had to listen to this Aida without interruption, just carried along by the sheer power of it. Loss of spontaneity? -- not a bit of it. The Requiem was still to come, and nobody has ever found any loss of spontaneity in that. For all the heartbreaking tenderness and pathos the final impression left is of an overpowering drama.

JUSTIFIES ITS FAME! Powerful, beautiful and exciting!.......2003-02-27

Having listened to most of the famous Aida recordings, I've concluded that this comes closest to the ideal Aida performance in studio. All the singers on this set were at their best in their early '70s when this set was recorded. Their rich, powerful, secure voices and temperament are perfect for the roles.

Although I prefer Caballe in bel canto, as Aida she is superb, full of lyricism. Moreover, Caballe gives here one of her most dramatic studio performances. She doesn't have young Tebaldi's heavenly spinto sound but Montserrat's golden tone is almost equally affective. Notice Caballe's amazing vocal technique; the endless breath, the even registers and the seamless phrasing.

Domingo sings one of his most famous roles. He and Caballe have similar creamy voices and this makes the Aida-Radames duets very successful. He repeated the role in studio many times later but his partnership with Caballe produced the best results. Cossotto, Cappuccilli and Ghiaurov are flawless and remain my favourite Amneris, Amonastro and Ramfis. Muti conducts with grandness and lyricism and creates a masterful AIDA.

Even though this is THE BEST ALL-AROUND AIDA, other sopranos have also given great performances. Arroyo, Milanov, Price and Tebaldi are all superb (each in their own way). More recently, Millo has also successfully performed the title role.

Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs
Average customer rating:

A Fine addition to the Strauss catalog.

Not a desert island recording

EUREKA, I've found out what is lacking.....

Another one bites the dust

Marvellous Salome

Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Soprano

Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem

Songs by Mahler, Handel & Peter Lieberson

Brahms: Lieder

La Nilsson: My Life in Opera

ASIN: B000MV93EG
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

Letzte Szene: "Ah! Du wolltest mich nicht deinen Mund"
Mondscheinmusik
Letzte Szene: "Morgen mittag um elf!"
Frühling (Hermann Hesse)
September (Hermann Hesse)
Beim Schlafengehn (Hermann Hesse)
Im Abendrot (Joseph von Eichendorff)

Amazon.com

This gifted Swedish soprano, rapturously praised internationally in Wagner, is clearly eager to stake a claim in Strauss. She has the necessary vocal strength, wide range, fine musicianship, clear textual delivery, and flexibility. But listen to legendary benchmarks of Strauss singing (Ljuba Welitsch in the Salome scene, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf or Lisa della Casa in the other material on this disc) and you'll hear voices of pristine timbre and absolute steadiness, both of which Stemme lacks; her vibrato might be less intrusive in the theater, but on records it consistently puts her at a disadvantage, especially in Strauss. Even if the Salome finale offers a certainly amount of feverish excitement, throughout the program the singing generally wants variety of color. With the Capriccio Countess, the line-by-line specificity for this demanding characterization - above all, the lady's abundant charm - is conspicuously missing. Likewise, phrase after phrase of the Four Last Songs lacks profile, and here the vibrato prevents Stemme from achieving the serenity so crucial to this sublime music. EMI provides fine supporting singers (but why weren't the Capriccio Majordomo's opening lines included?) and a splendid Strauss orchestra, that of London's Royal Opera House, elegantly led by music director Antonio Pappano. --Roger Pines

Album Description

Tracklisting:

Richard Strauss- Songs & Scenes
Salome (Hedwig Lachmann after Oscar Wilde)
1. Letzte Szene: "Ah! Du wolltest mich nicht deinen Mund"

Capriccio (Clemens Krauss/Richard Strauss)
2. Mondscheinmusik
3. Letzte Szene: "Morgen mittag um elf!"

Four Last Songs
4. FrÃ¼hling (Hermann Hesse)
5. September (Hermann Hesse)
6. Beim Schlafengehn (Hermann Hesse)
7. Im Abendrot (Joseph von Eichendorff)

Customer Reviews:

A Fine addition to the Strauss catalog........2007-07-23

For her debut solo recital disc on the EMI label, dramatic soprano wunderkind chose to record Richard Strauss' "Four Last Songs" along with the final scenes from "Salome" and "Cappricio." Hearing Ms. Stemme perform these is a revelation, and she demonstrates why no one else can do quite what she does. Her performance here is stellar, dramatic, and, perhaps, unmatched by any of her peers. Ms. Stemme is able to move from that bombastic and dramatic final scene from "Salome" to the pensive and stately final scene from "Cappricio" with ease. Moving from a vengeful teenage girl to a wiser, elegant Countess and then into the "Four Last Songs," she uncovers the dramatic tension of each piece with care, allowing each piece to build, as her rich, powerful soprano voice caresses each note. The booklet accompanying the CD includes an introductory essay on Richard Strauss and his music by Michael Tanner, song texts, and translations in German and French. Unfortunately, no artist biographies or notes from Ms. Stemme are included. Considering that these pieces have been recorded so often, this release is a welcome breath of fresh air. Nina Stemme's recording is a more than fine addition to the Strauss catalog that no lover of the soprano voices should be without. (RTS) This review appeared at OperaOnline.us

Not a desert island recording.......2007-07-12

This is not a recording to take to that desert island, if you can only pack the essentials. Nina's voice is okay but with the recordings of Jesse Norman and Kiri Te Kanawa still very much in-print, why bother with this one. Nina sounds like a Bayreuth house soprano and her rendition is in no way startling or original. Just adequate. Skip this recording and buy one of the other two.

EUREKA, I've found out what is lacking............2007-06-24

Timbre is to the voice what French Silk is to chocolate pudding; the difference between rich cream and skim milk, it is texture, depth and perspective, and sheen. Nina Stemme does not have the finer of those qualities, but she is not alone.

She seems to me the hope for tomorrow, so low is her tone, firm her committment, and classic her appearance - even if not on this cover. Her singing is very musical, but I don't hear beauty - the production is too narrow and this works for Wagner but not Strauss. Her phrasing is straight - very little variance and again - Wagnerian, not Strauss. Ideally, the portamento and a floating vibrato free tone (ethereal) are two of the hallmarks of Strauss singing. The most fine singer of these wonderful songs - to me - will always be the late Elizabeth Schwarzkopf but Rene Kollo (tenor) also recorded them. His Abendrot is very touchingly sung. But Nina Stemme brings her own touch that validates this attempt. Any singer who attempts Four Last Songs is brave indeed, not only for attempting the difficult music, but for the grand tradition preceeding them.

Somehow, Nina Stemme seems more serious than the airy prima donnas of the past 10 years - Fleming and Angela Alagna come to mind first -- also this young Russian woman (her name escapes me). Stemme is a classic woman, knowing, practical - she is a prima donna, an authentic opera singer - very far from Church, Bocelli, and those pop-classical people (where are they now?) --- she is the beginning of a new practical era where the Art is the measure of productivity - not the Spin Meister.

Brava Nina!!!

Another one bites the dust.......2007-05-25

I could not believe it when I picked up this disc in my local music store to see my favourite music by Strauss on one CD. The first thing I thought is how is Nina Stemme going to pull off each of these selections. The answer is unfortunately, much to my expectations, she excels in the Salome scene, while the remainder of the CD shows her to a bit of a disadvantage. She sings the Countess's Final Scene music well enough, but just like the 4 Last Songs, she lacks the inner-most feeling and cannot penetrate the music like Fleming or Schwarzkopf. Her vibrato also seems to get in the way of most of the music, although it seems to work better in the Salome Final Scene than anywhere else. Pappano and ROH Orchestra provide worthy accompaniment.

Marvellous Salome.......2007-05-24

Stemme makes a most dramatic, marvellous interpretation, one of the best I have ever heard, of the final scene of Salome. The sheer power in her voice points forward to Elektra and Brünnhilde. And the orchestra is in top form. The reason why I do not give this record five stars is to be found in the final scene from Capriccio. Stemme seems not quite to understand the deeps of this role. The best recording ever made of this scene is done by Elisabeth Söderström, CBE - also on EMI.
It is wonderful to hear a "Hochdramatische" sing Vier letzte Lieder! Strauss obviously wanted this kind of voice, and here Stemme, I must confess, scores over Flagstad. Ms. Stemme has to attend to a small vibrato. But: Do not miss this record!

Average customer rating:

Not what I thought it would be
Original Chicago House Classics
REAL HOUSE MUSIC
Original chicago house classics

Original Chicago House Classics
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

House | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

His Greatest Hits from Trax
House Mix: Non Stop Megamix
Trax Records: 20th Anniversary Collection
The Sound of Chicago House 1985-2006
Journey with the Lonely

ASIN: B00005YXJ2
Release Date: 2002-03-22

Tracks:

Your Love - Frankie Knuckles
Can You Feel It - Mr. Fingers
Love Can't Turn Around - Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, Darryl Pandy
Do It Properly - Adonis
Move Your Body - Marshall Jefferson
Promised Land - Joe Smooth
Baby Wants to Ride - Frankie Knuckles, Jamie Principle
You Used to Hold Me - Xaviera Gold, Ralphi Rosario
House Nation - House Master Boyz,
Pump Up London - Mr. Lee,
Can't Get Enough - Liz Torres
Bring Down the Walls - Robert Owens

Album Description

Full title, 'Original Chicago House Classics'. UK compilation featuring full length 12 inch mixes from the godfathers of house. 12 tracks from the groundbreaking Trax label, 'Your Love' Frankie Knuckles, 'Can You Feel It' Mr. Fingers, 'Love Can't Turn Around' Farley 'Jackamster' Funk & Darryl Pandy, 'Do It Properly' Adonis, 'Move Your Body' Jefferson, Marshall, 'Promised Land' Joe Smooth, 'Baby Wants To Ride' Frankie Knuckles & Jamie Principle, 'You Used To Hold Me' Rosario, Ralphi & Xavier Gold, 'House Nation' House Master Boyz & Rude Boy Of House, 'Pump Up London' Mr. Lee, 'Can't Get Enough' Torres, Liz & 'Bring Down The Walls' Owens, Robert. 2002.

Album Details

15 Great Trax from Larry Sherman's Trax Label that were at the Forefront of House Music in It's Heyday. Artists Include the Godfather of House Frankie Knuckles, Mr. Fingers, Farley 'jackmaster' Funk, Marshall Jefferson, Ralphi Rosario, Liz Torres, Robert Owens and More.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I thought it would be.......2007-05-19

I'm a huge house and club classic fan. This cd had a lot of songs I wanted but they were mixed/re-mixed. Not too happy with the purchase. The shipper was great though!!!

Original Chicago House Classics.......2006-07-27

Being a club kid from the Garage days in NYC it is refreshing to hear a good compliation of old school house music.

REAL HOUSE MUSIC.......2005-03-30

this is a good collection of Chicago house music....the music i grew up listening too. you can't go wrong with ANY of the tracks,
they are ALL hot!!

Original chicago house classics.......2003-11-26

If you're a fan of house music, this cd is a must have. I still have the originals on wax, but listening on cd is amazing, from the God father of house teaming up Jamie P, Marshall "move your body" Jefferson to the the Queen of State street Liz Torres. If you know house is not just a music , its a feeling , then treat yourself to the best, and bring down the walls.

Average customer rating:

CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS ONE
Great CD!!!
Their Most Remarkable Album to Date !
Good II Better
A Sure "Soul" Delight

Vol. 1 - Club Classics 10th Anniversary
Soul II Soul
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

House | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Vol. II: 1990 - A New Decade
Vol. IV: The Classic Singles 1988-1993
Keep on Movin'
The Best of Loose Ends
Good Life: The Best of Inner City

ASIN: B00000IWUJ
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

Keep On Movin'
Fairplay
Holdin' On: Bambelela
Feeling Free: Live Rap
African Dance
Dance
Feel Free
Happiness: Dub
Back To Life: A Capella
Jazzie's Groove
Ambition: Rap
Keep On Movin': Big Beat A Capella
Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)
Jazzie's Groove: Piano Version
Back To Life (However Do You Want Me): One World Remix
Keep On Movin': M Beat Bonus Mix

Amazon.com essential recording

When Jazzie B and his Bristol crew released this debut--which was called Keep on Movin' in the U.S., after its first hit--in 1989, at the height of twice-a-second dance beats, it was a landmark event in the club music scene. They slowed down their rhythms and brought in subtle, soulful vocals (mostly from Caron Wheeler); more intriguingly, they structured the disc like a club DJ set. Some songs, such as the giddy "Fairplay," were presented straight, but others appeared only as almost-instrumental dub or as a groove with toasting-influenced spiels by Jazzie or (in the case of the smash "Back to Life") a cappella. This reissue expands the original with some B-sides, alternate versions, and the fully orchestrated single version of "Back to Life," as well as a superfluous drum & bass remix of "Keep on Movin.'" --Douglas Wolk

Album Description

Special edition of the hit English urban/ house group's 'best of' in a digipak with six bonus tracks added, 'Ambition' (Rap), 'Keep On Movin'' (Big Beat Accapella), 'Back To Life' (However Do You Want Me), 'Jazzie's Groove' (Piano Version), 'Back To Life' (One World Remix) and 'Keep On Movin'' (M Beat Bonus Mix). 16 tracks total. 1999 release.

Customer Reviews:

CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS ONE.......2007-02-02

i love this right here because what was not on the original album is on this one. my neck tingles from the mems of first hearing it. the one that stands out for me though is not what you think!!!!! for me, it was thast piano part of JAZZY'S GROOVE. just that part DA-DUN-DUH-DUH-DUH-NUH drives me absolutely INSANE!!!! of course, there is KEEP ON MOVIN', BACK TO LIFE, ARE YOU READY, and FEELING FREE that gets me levitated. look here, if you like them grooves that take you somewhere else in their own way, then you will dig this one here.

Great CD!!!.......2006-11-05

British soul at its best. It introduced Caron Wheeler who went solo shortly after this CD came out. The songs on this CD still sound good to this day. Although the remixes are not necessary, it is a great addition to the CD. The CD is definitely a classic. Buy it now!!!

Their Most Remarkable Album to Date !.......2002-07-01

What a disappointment back in '89 when I first purchased the original cd to find that their biggest hit Back To Life was only an accapella version. You could only obtain the orchestrated video version if you purchased the maxi single cd or the single cassette ! Well, this club edition of the cd more than makes up for lost time. It makes me greatly appreciate what groundbreaking club, dub, and soulfully deep-bass music sounds like. This title is still fresh and unforgettable as the first time I heard it. With it's Jamaican, reggae-influenced grooves Soul II Soul was definitely a musical group that would later be greatly emulated or imitated by others (listen to the European group Enigma's smash 1990 instrumental hit Sadeness)! From the heartfelt and soulful vocals to the rich instrumentation this cd was the blueprint for later artists to be inspired by if not strongly influenced...

Good II Better.......2002-06-25

Ten years after its release, the fabulous debut from inflential Soul II Soul gets re-relased with three additional mixes. A fuse of r&b, reggae, African rhythms, and pure funk, Jazzie B's unique sound would be copied by several pale imitators. Yet, there was no denying the Real Thing. "Keep On Movin'," "Jazzie's Groove," and "Back to Life" sound just as vital as they did back in 1989. This album deservedly went platinum and earned them a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (which they lost to, um, Milli Vanilli). However, the group began to sell less records with each subsequent release before they finally faded from the spotlight. But the power and influence of this straight-up classic still lives on. This disc comes highly recommended for both casual listeners and soul fanatics alike.

A Sure "Soul" Delight.......2002-02-11

It's hard to believe that after 13 years of its release, Soul II Soul's "Keep On Movin'" still stands as being one of the best recorded albums ever. Another one of U.K.'s finest brilliantly created a distinct sound in fusing melodic rhythms of Funk, R&B/Soul, Hip-Hop, and Dance. As a result, some of the biggest hits became staples on both R&B and Pop stations during '89 such as the infamous title track and the monstrous classic "Back to Life," both led by female vocalist extrodinaire Caron Wheeler. Another jam is the thunderous "Jazzie's Groove." Bonus treats are also added here for pure listening enjoyment. A sure gem to own.

Average customer rating:

Certainly the best of Vanessa-Mae
If you like a classic music MUST have this CD
Can't rate it cause I don't have it!
Great music
Miss Vanessa mae

Best of Vanessa-Mae

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

House | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Vanessa-Mae The Violin Player
Storm
Ultimate Collection
Choreography
Explosive: The Best of Bond

ASIN: B00008GQF8
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

Toccata And Fugue In D Minor
Destiny
Nessun Dorma From Violin Fantasy On Puccini's 'Turandot'
I'm A-Doun For Lack O' Johnnie (A Little Scottish Fantasy)
Storm
I Feel Love
Bach Street Prelude
Aurora
The Original Four Seasons - Winter (II)
Contradanza
White Bird
The Original Four Seasons - Summer (I)
Happy Valley
Devil's Trill
Solace

Customer Reviews:

Certainly the best of Vanessa-Mae.......2007-06-04

I have heard of Vanessa-mae for several years, but it was not until recently that I became interested in her work after stumbling on some of her MTVs on youtube. After viewing "Destiny," "Contradanza," and "Devil's Trill" I found her music intriguing enough to try out her other works. After sampling several of Vanessa-Mae's CDs, I will have to say this is literally her best CD so far.

I enjoyed listening to the great majority of the compositions on this CD. Most of the tracks are up-beat, pop like, although with a stronger classical bend than Bond/Yanni. Nevertheless, several of the tracks are simply classical in nature. Therefore, this combination showcases the range of Vanessa-Mae's work very well. I am highly anticipating her next work, as I am interested to know how she is developing her violin skills - some of the compositions on this CD, although still refreshing, are around a decade old...!

But if this is your first introduction to Vanessa-Mae, this is the CD you should get.

If you like a classic music MUST have this CD.......2007-05-31

my review is short, because this CD is so good and i enjoy listening to it almost every day. By the way if you looking for a CD that your child would enjoy, this is one of those CD's

Can't rate it cause I don't have it!.......2007-05-31

You need to pay better attention to where an item gets sent when it is purchased. If you had looked you would have seen that this item did NOT get sent to my mailing address, and therefore I cannot review it because I don't have it!!!!

Great music.......2007-05-12

Vanessa-Mae music gives me energy. She plays the violin like nobody else can. If I need an attitude pick me up I play 'The Best of Vanessa-Mae'

Miss Vanessa mae.......2006-11-11

If you like Vanessa mae then you will love this one..Every time i listen to the album i like more and more everytime.. I also have the album entilted "The Violin Player" trhat one is just as good

American Beauties: The Rags of Joseph Lamb

Average customer rating:

American Sorta-Beauties
Good, but not great
good
Exquisite!
Excellent Rags Played with Gusto

American Beauties: The Rags of Joseph Lamb
Virginia Eskin
Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Complete Stark Rags of Joseph F. Lamb
James Scott: The Complete Works 1903-1922
The Greatest Ragtime of the Century
Knockout Drops
The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra (finally) Plays "The Entertainer"

ASIN: B00004SC17
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Tracks:

Walper House Rag
The Alaskan Rag
Ragtime Reverie
Brown Derbie No.2
Alabama Rag
Arctic Sunset
Bird-Brain Rag
Cottontail Rag
Hot Cinders
Ragtime Bobolink
The Old Home Rag
Firefly Rag
Thouroughbred Rag
Toad Stool Rag
Sensation
Ethiopia
Excelsior
American Beauty Rag
Patricia Rag
Nightingale Rag

Amazon.com

Joseph Lamb, a white musician who lived from 1887 to 1960, was considered one of the major ragtime composers of his era. By the end of his life, he had fallen into total obscurity, and even the ragtime revival hasn't made him a household name. His rags are different in style from Scott Joplin's, generally briefer and simpler in construction but still filled with lovely melodies and unaffected charm. The "American Beauty Rag," from which this disc takes its name, is only one of Lamb's many delicious miniatures (most of them under three minutes). Virginia Eskin has the style of this music down perfectly. She plays with just the right tempos (a trifle faster than would be appropriate for most of Joplin) and a lyrical sensitivity that doesn't prevent her from showing rhythmic drive. We're used to more than 49 minutes of music on most CDs, but 20 of Lamb's rags in a row are enough for one listening session. Don't give up before you reach the last one, though; "Nightingale Rag" is one of Lamb's best. A fascinating byway in American music is effectively explored and presented in realistic sound. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

American Sorta-Beauties.......2007-05-06

Ms. Eskin certainly can play piano. She can certainly read music. And she can combine the two well enough. What I found most distracting about this album, however, isn't the fact that she doesn't repeat many of the measures. It's that she tends occasionally to hit clinkers. After the first one or two, I found myself listening more closely for mistakes than actually enjoying the music. Another problem with this album is that her renditions are too bulky and heavy. I've heard much cleaner-sounding performances of Lamb's work.

I paid the money so I don't intend to return the CD. But it'll play well enough in my noisy car driving to and from work.

Good, but not great.......2005-10-10

I have owned this album since June 2000, and it inspired me at the time to find out more online and even to compose some rags of my own. It turns out that many of the melodies are made more "logical" by Eskin. However, she does use too much pedal, and she also does not take most of the repeats. It is unfortunate that she repeats only the first strain of "Ragtime Reverie," for there are no on-demand recordings of that work over the Internet.

good.......2005-07-31

its a good album but not very good
first of all in several rags virgina doesn't repeat where it says it must. second she plays several rags way to fast. Joe lamb was just like the others that ragtime must not be played fast the feeling get lost in the a rag that is played to fast like ragtime nightingale. I have the sheetmusic myself and it says "slow march tempo" not fast like virginia it plays.
but its a good album she plays with flair and style

Exquisite!.......2002-12-29

Joseph F. Lamb is generally thought of as one of the three greatest of the classical ragtime composers, the others being Scott Joplin and James Scott. It's a matter of taste, but many rank him almost as highly as Joplin, and this exquisite album shows why. Lamb's rags typically soar with wonderful, reverie-evoking melodies, unmatched in the ragtime canon. These melodies are offset by original, exciting, brisk passages. Virginia Eskin executes these gems wonderfully. She presents them always at the proper tempo and as written, without the filigrees that are so common in ragtime playing (Lamb doesn't need them!). The only drawback -- and it is a very minor one -- is that she sometimes treads a little too heavily on the pedal. This album is essential in even a small ragtime collection. In my large collection, it is one of my favorite and oft-played treasures.

Excellent Rags Played with Gusto.......2002-08-04

Up until Joseph Lamb, the only ragtime composer who could satisfy me was Scott Joplin. These rags are excellent and distinctly different from Joplin's, although both composers are obviously from the same genre. According to the liner notes, they even knew each other.

The pianist has a great love of the material, and it shows in her playing.

Album Description

"Of course this is what Beethoven is supposed to sound like. All the warmth, the breadth, the depth, the height, the solemnity, the hilarity, the agony, and, of course, the wild-eyed ecstasy that are in Beethoven in these performances of his complete Overtures by David Zinman leading the Tonhalle Orchestre Zurich. As Zinman proved in his cycle of the nine symphonies, he knows Beethoven, knows his music and his moods, knows when to hold back and when to let loose, when to dance and when to sing in blissful rapture. In his cycle of the 11 overtures, Zinman soars with Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus, rails with Egmont, roars with Coriolan, and laughs with König Stephen. Zinman is as heroic as Fidelio, as passionate as Leonore, and as countrapuntally intoxicated as Die Weihe des Hauses. The Tonhalle Orchestre, which showed itself an adept and powerful Beethoven orchestra in the symphonies, once again shows its colors, its strength, and its tenderness in the overtures. ! Arte Nova's sound is deep, lush, and real."-ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully fresh.......2007-06-06

David Zinman and his Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich deliver what is, hands down, the best overture to the Ruins of Athens on disc. Zinman opens the work with great energy at a quick tempo - those of us familiar with Masur's slow and stately introduction will certainly feel as if they are hearing this familiar music for the first time. The oboe cadenza is delightfully zippy as Zinman plunges headlong into the allegro proper with such authoritative vitality that one almost feels foolish for not liking this work more, slight though it is on musical argument. Horns wail, strings dig, and winds bite in this marvelous traversal. This performance gave me several impressions. First, how nice it is to hear Beethoven (here and in his traversal of the symphonies) with smaller forces married to historically informed performance practices - hard mallets for the timpani, violins divided stereophonically, winds forwardly balanced. It has a tremendous amount of textual clarity which enhances the musical argument in no small part. Secondly, how impressive that even two hundred years after some of these pieces were composed they can still be played to the hilt with fresh energy and conviction. Even with the reduced string section, I would be curious if anyone could find other versions of these overtures with this much vigor. And finally, as always, its wonderful to hear a music director and his orchestra bring something new to familiar music, all the while maintaining the highest performance and musical standard. And the love both Zinman and the Tonhalle have for this music is immediately palpable.

The same level of energy Zinman brings to The Ruins of Athens runs throughout the entirety of this two-disc release. Prometheus certainly benefits from the scaled-down proportions of the orchestra, finding the perfect balance between classical grace and Beethoven's rougher energy. Coriolan is just as bit as convincing, free from the overly-romanticized patina that this work has amassed over the years. The Overture in C receives a particularly convincing interpretation. Listen to how Zinman maintains tension throughout the overly-repetitive music and certainly makes the most sense out of the often odd-sounding scales at near the end of the piece. It just goes to show that even less convincing works can sound convincing when played with this level of conviction. Fidelio is another winner, a performance of lively grace but imbued with appropriate power.

The Consecration of the House is a delight. Zinman shapes a cogent and appropriately Baroque sounding opening to the piece and, although the trumpets are a bit reticent in their fanfares, the textual clarity of it all is quite refreshing. The allegro certainly benefits from the antiphonal violin placement, a reading of uncanny transparency, culminating in a roaring conclusion. I still have the slightest preference for Masur's performance and no one can match Charles Munch's Boston Symphony reference interpretation in this work, but all in all it is simply a matter of taste and certainly Zinman offers steep competition. Zinman's reading of King Stephen is one of balanced, proportional energy befitting its classical nature but, when all is said and done, I still prefer Szell's all-or-nothing Cleveland traversal, which possesses unbelievable physicality. As for the three Lenore Overtures, Zinman's approaches are period appropriate, but it is slightly difficult to listen to Lenore No. 3 in this leaner state. I still prefer Gunter Wand's performance, one of almost excessive weight and physicality, but the excitement is unquestionable. Egmont again is wonderful, but seems slightly undernourished when compared to the competition. But preferences aside, Zinman's interpretations are as convincing as ever and offer tremendous musical nourishment.

Recorded sound is excellent throughout but the microphone placement seems to differ from work to work. In the performances where the orchestra is most distant, the horns can often sound recessed and slightly pinched (such as in Prometheus and Fidelio) or the timpani overly reverberant (Overture in C). Still, the playing is uniformly spectacular and these are small quips that in no way detract from the listening experience and become less noticeable after repeated outings.

This set is certainly a welcome addition to a field that, until now, had virtually no competition. That Masur's performances were uniformly splendid made the dearth of great Beethoven Overture compilations less frustrating, but this set, in modern sound with period performance techniques, is almost self-recommending. Comparing Masur to Zinman seems unfair as both offer so much and say such individual things that I could not imagine having one over the other. This is a welcome addition to the catalog, one that no Beethoven fan should be without.

Great -- All Around.......2006-01-16

Wonderful recordings. Great musicianship and superb sound. A real joy! Highly recommended.

Old (but Very Fine) Wine, New Skins--A Revelatory Listening Experience.......2005-11-22

Beethoven's great overtures need no special pleading, and yet David Zinman gets down so effectively to where this music lives that in some cases, it is like hearing a thrice-familiar work for the first time. Even the Zur Namensfeier Overture, easily the least distinguished of the pieces collected here, has both sparkle and bite in Zinman's reading. The similar but much finer King Stephen Overture is always a smile-inducing surprise among Beethoven's dramatically charged overtures, given its simple joviality. Here it smiles with a youthful freshness that you don't hear in every interpretation.

The most revelatory performance for me, though, is of the Coriolan Overture, a darkly brooding piece that usually seems a bit dour despite its obvious craftsmanship and the undying memorability of its poignant second melody. Zinman succeeds in bringing out the fiery drama in this piece, which seems more often to smolder than to burn outright. Zinman's is a truly captivating performance and will be the way I choose to hear this wonderful work from now on.

Another piece that can seem pedantic and overwrought, The Consecration of the House Overture, is in Zinman's hands perfectly proportioned. Here as elsewhere, Zinman is faster than a lot of conductors but without sacrificing any of the grandiosity of this very grand piece. The one place where I'd say he rushes things too much is in the slow introduction to Egmont: the "quasi allegro" at which he takes the opening fails to provide contrast to the true allegro that is to follow. A small misstep given the many, many felicities of this set. Overall, in fact, it should let you hear these tried-and-true masterworks with a new set of ears.

In writing of Zinman's Beethoven Symphonies series, some critics have complained that the Tonhalle Orchestra produces an anemic sound. I don't hear evidence of that on these discs. There is real heft in the lower strings at the start of the Zur Namensfeier and Egmont Overtures, and the consciously "big" pieces such as the Leonore 2 and 3 and The Consecration of the House Overtures have a proper Beethovenian robustness. Sometimes, I'd say, the horns sound overtaxed, but just as often they produce a blaze of glory for Zinman. So I can't find any great objection to the playing of this mostly very fine orchestra.

I also like the sound the engineers have captured in the lively Tonhalle. It provides depth as well as detail: there is sheen to the high strings; punch and heft to the brass, timpani, lower strings.

In fact, I like just about everything these discs have to offer, including their super bargain price.

Much-needed fresh interpretation of the overtures.......2005-06-12

Surprisingly, there are relatively few choices currently available when it comes to complete collections of the Beethoven overtures, long part of the standard repetoire of any respectable orchestra. The Masur/Leipzig collection has been around for about 30 years, but until Zinman's collection was released this year, it has been pretty slim pickings.

At first, I did not know quite what to think, because Zinman offers a much leaner, fast-paced interpretation of nearly every overture. On average, his tempi are over a minute faster than the more traditional tempi of Masur's, which means that the Tonhalle Orchestra is really on a brisk clip. The orchestra's sound is also considerably lighter than one might expect (unless you are dealing with Gardiner & his period instruments, who have not yet recorded the overtures as far as I know). Whether this a result of reduced personnel or careful mike placement, I don't know, but the result is a much less heavy sound than what normally hears.

Initially, I did not care for what I found to be unfamiliar, but the more I listened, the more Zinman's tempi made sense and the more accessible these overtures became. Also (unlike Masur's edition), the three Leonore overtures do not run consecutively which is to the overall benefit of the collection. There are occasional moments of weakness in the horns & the violins, but they are brief and do not particularly detract from the performances. The recording appears to be a little bass-heavy at times, but not oppressively so; most of the time the sound has a light freshness to it that is most pleasing to the ear.

It also doesn't hurt that Arte Nova has made these CDs dirt-cheap. A mediocre performance for this little money could be easily forgiven; it is made all the better that these performances are top-notch. Anyone who loves Beethoven overtures (and who doesn't?) would be mad to overlook this collection.

Average customer rating:

Mostly good
Look at the List of Performers First
this "masterworks" series is available much more cheaply from Amazon France
You heard guy below: Beethoven needs the royality checks!
Buy my box Set!

Beethoven: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Brilliant Classics | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set)
Bach: Complete Works - 155 CD Box Set
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]

ASIN: B00062FLHE
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Mostly good.......2007-05-26

A bit of a mixed bag. The symphonies are superb. This is one of the great symphony cycles. The piano sonatas are good, very good (analog) sound. The quartets are well recorded indeed, but there are better cycles out there. The rest is OK, and the sound is genrally good.

Look at the List of Performers First.......2006-11-17

If you want most of Beethoven sitting on one bookshelf, this is a great bargain (especially if you shop for it on amazon.de). But few if any of the performances represent the pinnacles of interpretation that most listeners demand when Beethoven is the composer. The symphonies for instance: can Blomstedt be compared to Furtwangler or (if you lean toward historically informed instrumentation) Gardiner? Most amazingly, the artists who perform the quartets -- the heart of Beethoven's music -- are not even named in the listing.
On the other hand: Vivaldi: The Masterworks is a collection including the very best interpreters, such as Fabio Biondi! Bach Edition (complete Bach) is a fabulous selection of recordings made over 20 years, and almost the same praise can be given the Complete Mozart.

this "masterworks" series is available much more cheaply from Amazon France.......2006-05-28

there are several sets in this series and it's much cheaper to buy these from Amazon France.

included are bach, beethoven, vivaldi, brahms, dvorak, schubert, handel, hayden, and mendelssohn.

they're even cheaper than the list price once u go through the checkout (VAT is removed for overseas (out-of-france) purchases).

**also, the 'complete works of mozart' set is much cheaper there (or at Amazon Germany), too. the 'complete works of bach' is due out later this year.

You heard guy below: Beethoven needs the royality checks! .......2006-04-07

There is quality beyond the Austrian green cardboard (which is lovely to look at, to say the least). In fact, the performance of the symphonies (Dresden Staatskapelle and Herbert Blomstedt) is alone worth the price. The Staatskapelle is a solid group, and Blomstedt, although less wellknown, holds his own. It should be mentioned that Blomstedt recorded many of the most celebrated 20th composition CDs on the market, and definitely knows his stuff. Peter Wohlert recorded mostly for compiliation lables, but to be selected by the Berlin Phil shows that he is a formdiable conductor in rank as well.

Should you buy this collection then? Given the fact that each CD cost $1.75, there is definitely the bargin factor. However, Beethoven's music desveres the top interpreters and musicians of our time - and this applies for all of his music, not just the symphonic. If you are into bargins, then proceed to buy this collection. However, if you save up a bit more, you can buy Karajan's 1963 Beethovens symphonies along with Kempff's 1956 sonata cycles for just a bit more than 70 bucks. Shop around for the string quartets, and the complete overtures should range anywhere from 15 to 30 bucks depending on the conductor/ensemble.

Overall, this is certainly an exceptional bargin. However, quality matter more than money. Besides, chicks dig people with sophisticated tastes.

Buy my box Set!.......2006-03-21

Awesome deal, 40 CD box set of me, Beethoven! There are 3 principle reasons you should buy this box set:

This box is QUALITY my friend, made of the finest, Austrian cardboard with a lovely green finish, it is made to last! You can just set it on your dresser and whenever you need a Beethoven fix you can just pull a CD out. But don't you hate getting your CDs out of order so you can't find what the hell you're looking for?! Not with this set! They are well organized into symphonies, concerti, sonatas and such, so you can find EXACTLY what your looking for, and they have big numbers on them so you can put them right back where they belong.

And the music! Need we go into this, composed through the inspiration of God himself and penned by the greatest composer who ever walked the streets of Vienna, me, Beethoven! Top notch, all done by top performers and recorded at high, clear, digital quality, stick one in your stereo and rock out man! All of my great and mighty works are here, absolutely sublime!

Lastly, you'll be supporting me, I need those royalty checks to keep rolling in!

Buy it if you love me or just buy it if you want people to think that you're sophisticated (the chicks also dig it, I should know: Antonie Brentano, giggity!), you can't go wrong!