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Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Fourth track to be taken from the gold-selling album, 'Unleash the Dragon,' with the fantastic video included. Includes mixes by Artful Dodger & Stargate.
A wonderful recording.. in an era where everything has to be perfect,
it's nice to hear an artist take some risk and give us their own
personal, unique, and original interpretations.
First of all, that this is a double-album full of titanic masterworks, intelligently and skillfully performed. These discs belong amongst the first four or five albums in every Bach collection. The famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor is here, together with another, lesser-known but equally awe-inspiring "Dorian" Toccata and Fugue in D minor. There are quite a few other familiar war-horses---the Prelude and Fugue in A minor, the St. Anne Prelude and Fugue, and the Tocatta, Adagio, and Fugue in C (which I first encountered in a piano transcription performed by Evgeny Kissin, on his album with the Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition... well worth hearing next to the original organ writing here), among others---and some more obscure pieces as well to keep us out of "greatest hits" territory (almost always a drawback in recital albums). Like the Mozart piano concerti and the Beethoven symphonies, Bach's compositions for organ are amongst the towering summits of Western music; there is nothing else like them.
Since I'm playing critic here, I suppose I ought to offer at least a bit of actual criticism, rather than only effusive praise. While many would beg to differ, three composers (whose careers, interestingly, were almost exactly chronologically contiguous) are, by a long-standing historical consensus, recognized to occupy the highest tier of artistic achievement in "common practice," tonal music: Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Of those three masters, Mozart alone is recognized as having achieved a perfect or near-perfect balance between subject and object, style and substance: Bach tipped the balance just a bit in favor of objectivity and substance, and Beethoven in favor of subjectivity and style. And so, just as I find that Beethoven's music does not hold up quite as well as Mozart's to repeated listenings because his stylistic and emotive devices are less effective once you've heard them before, so that they no longer take you by surprise, so too do I find that Bach's music, especially in the long contrapuntal sections, is not always as worthwhile for listening as it is for theoretical analysis... it is perhaps not quite as valuable in practice as it is in theory, in other words. The organ pieces on these discs are sublime masterpieces, but if they do fall short of absolute perfection it is for being somewhat dry and academic.
In addition, the different organs Herford plays here so often produce, as good organs will, such a staggering, chest-rumbling roar that you have trouble discerning the pitches in these compositions. It's a similar problem to listening to harpsichord music, where at times you hear just a lot of clanging and can't tell what note or chord is being played. It's not a big problem on these recordings, but it is a little distracting at times.
Nevertheless, it's said that what makes a work of art a masterpiece is not its being perfect or flawless, but rather that its virtues are so meaningful and effective that they compensate for the piece's flaws and imperfections. In fact, in sublime pieces such as these, it's precisely that imbalance, or aesthetic asymmetry, you might say, that makes the music dynamic and exciting: it creates an inner tension, a sort of yearning or striving that, in the hands of the greatest of masters (of which Bach is uncontestably one), makes for a transcendent artistic statement and an invaluable testament to the human experience.
In short, buy this album and listen to it often!
Among the many albums for which I read reviews tonight was one for "A Medieval Banquet" by the Newberry Consort. The title & group rang a bell so I checked my collection and found that it was originally called *Il Solazzo" (as others have already noted among these reviews). I bought it in early 1995 but never wrote any comments in the attached booklet, which is unusual for me.
I have now played the CD twice and understand why I made no comments: it was simply not thrilling. I am no musicologist -- just someone who loves early music because it makes my soul sing. This CD is "nice," but my soul goes ho-hum when I hear it. (The one exception is the #9 selection with rebec, vielle & lute -- and no voices.)
The instrumentals have a certain charm but they generally feel more Renaissance than medieval to me. The vocals leave me completely cold. In some of the reviews I read tonight I came across the concept of "operatic" applied to some of this early music. I had no idea what the authors meant since there was no opera at such an early period. But in playing this CD, I understood -- there is indeed a bloated, elaborate vocal quality that really does feel "operatic." It seems entirely unsuited to "Music for a Medieval Banquet."
If your soul wants to sing, this proably isn't the CD for you. Try the Waverly Consort's "Christmas" along with a glass of fine wine
Good CD.......2004-04-30One of the reasons why I bought this recording is the interesting choice of pieces, which range from the often-recorded instrumental dances to the less-known sung tracks.
When I played it, the first thing that struck me of this CD is the thinness of the sound in the dances. Although the performance is spotless, it lacks the body that other medieval-dance groups add to their sound - notably the older but still great Studio der Fruehen Musik. Is this an unfair statement? Perhaps - but these dances have been recorded so many times that it is only natural to compare versions.
Also, the use of percussion instruments would have been a nice touch, besides being perfectly historical. Then, a more varied instrumental arrangement may have been a good addition, especially in the longer numbers such as Chominciamento di gioia.
The other point that puzzled me is that in the first track (La Badessa), the singer sounds as if she is playing a losing game of catch-up with the instruments, which results in a mediocre performance of that particular piece. It is a pity, because the song is very catchy and the singer's voice is stylistically spot on.
Having said all this, the selections of songs and dances is first-choice, the performance is good and well researched and the CD remains one of the most played in my household.
How do these recordings stand today? The interpretations of the third, fourth, and seventh are very fine, even exceptional, and, despite their age, the recordings are sonically impressive as well. NYPO plays marvellously. The seventh, in particular, is a reference disc.
The remaining recordings are not really for the desert island, however. The fifth, for instance, is very unsuccessful and badly recorded too. Bernstein's later account on DG is clearly an improvement. The same holds for the second symphony, which you also find on DG in a later, much improved and moving interpretation. But here we have also a crowded field of classic performances, such as Klemperer's second (EMI) and Walter's fifth (SONY). Both are preferable to Bernstein's recordings, old or new.
The first, sixth, eight and ninth are quite good but not exceptional. No one beats Kubelik's first (DG). Mitropoulos (BMG Great Conductors) and Barbirolli (EMI) own the sixth. The eight - well, here we have Horenstein (BBC) and Mitropoulos (Orfeo) as classic, first choices. And for the ninth, Ancerl (Supraphon), Barbirolli (EMI), Klemperer (EMI) and Walter (SONY) sound far more attractive and fresh than Bernstein's mannered account.
If you're a collector this box is of course essential - regardless all critical considerations. But if you just look for an excellent and consistent Mahler box, go for Gary Bertini's cycle on EMI, which you get for a super-bargain price. It's a contemporary and future classic.
Thus I recommend a pick of individual Bernstein SONY CDs: the third, the fourth and the seventh. Add his fifth and second from his DG recordings, and his 1966 Das Lied von der Erde (Decca). These recordings are what I take to be the "essentials" of the Bernstein Mahler legacy.
Leonard Bernstein just express the true passion that Mahler put on his work. It's incredible that (using the 8ve Symphony as an example) with fewer instruments than in the Abbado version, the feeling is even better. Simply outstanding.
Great price, great compilation. Lot of Mahler.
No. 1 Bernstein. More poetic and earthy than T and my very first choice out of the dozens of others I've heard.
2 Bernstein. Simply the greatest Mahler 2; T is earthbound by comparison.
3 Tennstedt. Actually this is a tougher one to decide as B is marginally better in the first movement and he produces the best sixth movement of any version I've heard. Overall T has it, partly due to the excellent sound quality.
4 Overall B is better but there are so many points of comparison to take into consideration that it's a tough one to decide. T has the better soloist in the finale. My far-and-away first choice in the Fourth is Horenstein on EMI/CfP.
5 Tennstedt. Bernstein's CBS Fifth was the weakest link. However, Rudolf Schwarz (Everest) produces the very finest Fifth:
I always maintain that you can tell pretty much straight away when a Mahler conductor gets it right and Schwarz gets it 100%
6 Tennstedt. From the angry crunching heavy tread of the opening through to the nightmare ending, this is a very dark view of the Sixth, but it works. Barbirolli on EMI is my definite first choice in the Sixth. Bernstein's quick-march approach sounds like parody.
7 Bernstein. Nobody has produced a better Seventh and probably never will. T's version is very good though and I think he out-performs all other competition.
8 This one is the hardest of all to separate, but in the end I opt for Bernstein as his version as the feel of a live performance and the recording is almost as good as T's digital one.
9 Bernstein. Again my favourite version. T's weakest link of his whole set.
So Bernstein scores more points, but take into account the generally better sound of the Tennstedt set (especially in nos. 3,5,6) and things are evened up slightly. My advice overall? Go for both sets; at the asking prices you will have a superb Mahler Symphonies collection which will last you a lifetime. But don't forget those other versions of 4, 5 and 6. A point about sound quality: most of the above are analogue recordings, made many years ago, but across the board they are in almost every way superior to most modern digital ones (though to be fair one or two are not so great). I have a very good stereo system which reproduces very neutral sound; what goes in at the CD player end comes out unchanged at the loudspeaker end and so what I hear is the 'real thing'. For example Bernstein's 2 is stunning. One of the very best is the oldest of them all - Schwarz's Fifth, made in 1958. Maybe the art of recording has been replaced by science (and not for the better)? In the final analysis, to my mind the above versions render most of the rest of the Mahler symphonies discography redundant and surplus to requirements.
Cycle #1:
By general consensus the performance of Sym. #3 is one of the glories of this cycle and perhaps the most inspired Mahler condcuting Bernstein did on disc. It has all the freshness of discovery--LB was new to Mahler in 1961. Sony's 20-bit remastering makes the original analog sound quite good. In fact, there's no need to fear the sound quality of these NY Phil. recordings, none of which are bad. Expect the deep sound stage and wide stereo separation that Columbia Records favored at the time.
Bernstein also put his stamp on Sym. #7 in such a way that no one would ever hear it the same again. Previously, 'The Song of the Night,' as this work was dubbed, had almost no life either on disc or the concert stage (a Mahler champion as prominent as Bruno Walter never performed it). Not only did LB prove that this was coherent music, he made an unforgettable drama out of the Seventh. This is his signature recording of the work.
Two other great performances stand out: Sym. #2 and #4, each rendered with amazing imagination and a huge range of emotions. The accusation that LB went over the top in the Second is unjustified--he is often tender and delicate--but there's no doubt that he takes an apocalyptic view of the finale. Whatever you think about his approach, he single-handedly revolutionized the way that the Resurrection Sym. was played. In Sym. #4 the classic recording was by Bruno Walter, but LB added more depth, imaginaiton, and excitement. Lyric soprano Reri Grist has come in for a good deal of criticism in the vocal finale, but I think she fits beautifully into LB's overall conception.
In the middle of the pack, as it were, we get LB's readings of Sym. #1 and #9. He went on to conduct greater readings of both works, especially the Ninth. In person LB's First was a real showpiece, but somehow Sony's sonics are not up to the conductor's vision. In the cse of the Ninth, the NY version would qualify as an outstanding performance if there weren't so many truly great ones from Karajan, Bruno Walter, James Levine, and Barbirolli, among others. Bernstein himself would add two of the greatest, both on DG.
I find a few problems wiht Sym. #5, #6, and #8 in the first cycle. For many critics all three are great recordings. For some reason, I have never warmed up to either of LB's versions of Sym. #5, where for once he does manipulate and exaggerate to the point that the spirit of the work seems lost in histrionics. Sym. #6 is too brisk in the first movement to let the music expand to its visionary potential, and in the other movements Bernstein seems less expressive than he could be. The Eighth is unmathced in the excitement and joyousness of Part 1, and for some listeners the whole symphony remains on that exalted level. I find that LB is too studied in Part 2, and my attention wasn't held. He does elicit very beautiful singing and playing, however. It should be noted that this performance is with the London Sym. and a host of fine English singers.
To the end of his life Bernstein resisted Deryck Cooke's completion of the Tenth Sym., agreeing to conduct only the shattering Adagio. which Mahler had essentially finished in full score. Bernstein's reading with the NY Phil. is one of the most searing accounts this magnificent fragment has ever received, equaled by his later live reading with the incomparable Vienna Phil.
Cycle #2:
It should be said right off that DG's digital sonics are in a different league from what LB got in New York. Even though several venues were involved (Vienna, Amsterdam, New York), and many recordings were under live concert conditions, the DG engineers triumphed. They favor closer mike posiitons, solo highlighting, and a vivid sound stage compared to their predecessors in New York. As to the interprettions, with a few exceptions--the most prominent being Sym. #6--Bernstein did not drastically change his views from the first cycle, and in some cases the readings feel almost identical (Sym. #2 and #7, for example).
The most interest centers on the works where LB clearly outdoes his younger self. At the top of the list I would put Sym. #6 and #9. In the former he achieved one of the classic Mahler reacordings of the modern era. His Sixth has slowed down by 2 min. in the first movement, giving the music room to expand properly. The Andante is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The finale is an explosion of genius on Mahler's part that LB resonates with perfectly. Almost the same can be said of the Ninth, where the conducting reaches deeply moving areas of expression. The finale is drastically slow (as is Levine's, to similar devastating effect), which some critics find excessive. But it's a truism that no tempo is right or wrong; everything depends upon being drawn into the world of the music. LB achieved a great Ninth but would surpass himself with a live performance from Berlin in 1979, also on DG.
Almost as great is Sym. #1, which on DG receives a flawless performance packed with excitement. I'm not sure that LB's reading actually changed, but the superlative sonics and the spine-tingling playing of the Concertgebiuw weren't matched in New York.
The next thing to ask is where Bernstein fell short of his earlier versions. The Sym. #2, #3, and #4 from New York were one of a kind, representing LB's early and most exciting explorations of Mahler's world. Their counterparts on DG are also strong, but I don't think they rise to the heights he achieved earlier. The only sharp criticism I have is with the use of a boy soprano in the finale of the Fourth; musical as he is, a boy is too undeveloped to capture what Mahler intended. It should be said, however, that if the earlier NY versions didn't exist, these would be outstanding performances.
I feel much the same about Sym. #7, where LB's first recording set a standard that only two or three rivals have come close to, but his DG remake, which was a return to the NY Phil. in oncert from Lincoln Center(as are Sym. #2 and #3), feels fractionally less overwhelming. It's in better sound, however. The one symphony I can't compare is the Fifth, which doesn't satisfy me in either cycle. The DG version with the Vienna Phil. convinces many listeners, and some critics call in unsurpassable, but I am not on its wavelength.
That leaves Sym. #8, which Bernstein didn't live to record for commercial release. DG reached into its vaults for a live 1975 radio tape from Vienna, and although it has flaws in execution, including some rough singing in Part 2, LB's conducting is superlative, more ocmpelling than his version from London. Paired with this symphony is a 1974 reading of the Adagio from Sym. #10, also with the Vienna Phil. As you'd expect, it's an inspired, searing reading, just like the NY version.
How ot sum up? If money were no object, I'd own both cycles for the pleasure of Bernstein's unqiue inspiration. If I had to pick and choose, I'd take Sym. #2, #3, and #4 from New York, Sym. #8 from London, and the rest form the DG cycle.
But this special set-up is just a great addition to the best recorded playing of this most famous (and best work in my view)of Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D- minor. I'm no expert...just a listener...but man, this guy Briggs could really play that thing.
Turn this up as high as the law will allow and engulf yourself in this best organ piece ever written, played by one of the best organ players ever and played on one of the best organ set-ups ever recorded.
You just won't find better.
I had the stereo pressing and wore it out. I was thrilled when this album was finally issued on CD. Even though I don't have the Super Audio CD version, the original CD release can hold its own against any disc. The Chorale Preludes ("We all believe in one God" and "Jesus, my joy") and the Fantasy in G major - none of which appeared on the original LP release - are also quite enjoyable.
My only complaint is that the original 1974 album cover for "The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues" was not reproduced for the CD release. It does, however, appear on the Super Audio CD.
This is the CD by which I measure all other performances of these works, including earlier recordings made of them by E. Power Biggs. In some instances, I believe that once you're accustomed to hearing a piece performed a certain way, then you will use that approach as your yardstick to measure other performances of that same work. That hasn't applied to me in all cases. I replaced my first recording of Brahms' "Haydn Variations" with a version I heard by a different conductor and orchestra. I made the same switch with Haydn's "Surprise Symphony" a few years later.
Happily, I feel I have the definitive rendition of Bach's Four Great Toccatas and Fugues. Buy it, crank it up and enjoy it!!!
The program here ranges from the more simple of Bach's compositions (Two-Part Inventions) to some of the more trecherous, virtuostic masterpieces (the two fantasias). Written by Bach for his son and students around 1723, the Two-Part and Three-Part Inventions form the foundational know-how and skills of Bach's countrapuntal keyboard art. For centuries now these works have been essential for any piano student learning the "basics" of figuration, melodic line, smooth legato, clarity of two and three voices and so on. The Three-Part pieces are fairly advanced pieces possessing complex voicing and passagework. As such they are pre-requisite for learning the more complex preludes and fugues of "The Well-Tempered Clavier." Like the pieces in the WTC, both sets of Inventions show Bach as both a master educator and deft lyricist with their range of emotive qualities. There is delicacy, pensiveness, vivacity, virtuosity and sorrow expressed in these miniatures - all while building the foundational skills (like seamless legato w/o use of the pedal) necessary for performing the major piano repertoire. Pianists worldwide owe a world of gratitude for Johann Sebastian Bach for such foundational compositions which have been reverently played by many of the great composers who followed Bach.
I'm not sure if it is more Bach's multi-faceted compositions or Miss Hewitt's varied and expressive playing of them, but these so-called "piano excercises" sound anything but that. Likely, it is both of the above factors. It was in this first recording that Hewitt showed the music world her ever-so delicate, poised and artistic pianistic mannerisms, transforming these student pieces into delightful little concert performances in themselves. Her readings are worthy role models for students focusing on the long, clear, lyrical line that is essential to Bach's music as well as rewarding to admirers of Bach's art. Perhaps what Miss Hewitt most brings to this music is her tasteful, expressive nuances: a subtle rubato, an enticing dynamic shading and an artistic variety of tone summoned forth from her Steinway Grand. Such qualities create more of an unfolding story within each piece than showcasing mere "finger dexterity exercises." Gramophone recognized this more sensitive tunement to the musical aspects too and gave this CD a solid recommendation.
If the Inventions are the "main course" of this set, then the two virtuostic Fantasias which open and close the program are the delectable "appetizer" and "dessert" on the menu. Both show Bach as master of the extemporaneous "Style Fantasticus" that he most likely gleaned in his youth from his visit to hear the great organist, Buxtahude. Even in Bach's day supposedly, the great Chromatic Fanasia in D-minor was among his most popular piece as it is today. Both are exciting, daunting works played to perfection by Hewitt. As noted by Gramophone, "her readings of the fantasias are as eloquent and stimulating as any yet recorded by a harpsichordist." Also in support of the pianist is a fine recording ambiance by Hyperion that is hard to fault. Its rather ironic that this first CD of Hewitt's Bach recordings was the last of her entire discography I acquired. But even after hearing all her glorious performances of Bach's music - from the WTC and Goldbergs to the Toccatas, Suites and Keyboard Concertos - hearing these earliest and more straightforward pieces still brings great refreshment and satisfaction that is so common in Bach's music - and so common too in Angela Hewitt's masterful and colorful playing of them. Compositions - 4.5 stars, Peformance - 5 stars, Sound - 4.5 stars.
It's hard to put in words why I find it so beautiful. The music is fresh, bright, delightful. It's not just beautiful, it's movingly beautiful. I like baroque music, but this sounds somewhat different from most of my baroque CDs, perhaps partly because one of the instruments is a viola da gamba.
This is a review of "Telemann: Les Plaisirs", with Marion Verbruggen, Sara Cunningham, and Monica Hugget. I have several CDs with pieces by Telemann, but this is the first one I've bought that is all Telemann. (I once had a set of phonograph records with only Telemann, but that was long, long ago.) I have several CDs with Marion Verbruggen, whom I have recently discoverd and whom I like very much. I also have several CDs with Hugget and Cunningham, and I like them too. I bought this CD mostly because I read somewhere that Verbruggen plays the recorder beautifully in track 13. I didn't know what to expect of the rest.
Some of my favorite waltzes include the one from Return of Maxim, the one from Golden Hills, and the one from The First Echelon (aka Waltz #2 from the 2nd Jazz Suite). Beyond the waltzes there are some other pieces, including the famous Polka from The Age of Gold and Folk Festival (Spanish Dance) from The Gadfly.
The only caveat is that some of the pieces don't reference their original source (rather they are listed as being from various ballet suites, when they in fact come from The Limpid Stream and other sources), but this is a very minor complaint. The performance and sound is wonderful, and unless you are one who can't stand this sort of compilation, it gets my highest recommendation.
I was particularly moved by BWV 974, especially the second movement. I would happily pay the entire price of this album just to have this particular recording.
As everyone knows, Glenn Gould was eccentric and some of his interpretations of Bach are very unconventional. However, his intensity jumps out at the listener and he is often as dazzling as he is eccentric.
Considering that much of this music was not recorded on piano very often before Glenn Gould came around, I have to acknowledge his contribution to grabbing people's attention. He still continues to do this long after his death, which I think is a testimony to his brilliance.
If you are not a Glenn Gould fan or you are looking for more standard interpretations, this may not be for you. However, if you are looking for a fascinating musical odyssey that is at times quite unconventional, then you might be very happy with this album.
You can certainly get a feel for the music from the samples above. If you listen to them and are still intrigued, I don't think you will be disappointed even with the Chromatic Fantasy. It's an unusual interpretation, but what can you expect from guy who wears winter gloves on the cover of the album and didn't even want to record this piece in the first place - EVER!
This enraptured anima state is not a mere product of the casualty or a mass media phenomena; he restored to music that divine majesty, sensitive effluvium and introspective gaze, far away from the delirious crowds, deeply focused on the meaning of the sound, and not in the beauty of the sound.
That `s why his legend has been increasing, in spite of his well known aversion to the advertising flashes. He never cultivated the public relationships, but the elevated rank of his musical partners, such Yehudi Menuhin, Jaime Laredo, Leonard Rose, Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Golschman would seem to confirm that far beyond his countless irreverent behavior, his musical heritage eclipses all the previous misbehaved statements, opinions or his well commented and questioned attitude in the sense of deny to make future public appearances since 1964.
This issue has a stunning version of one of the giants, BWV80 "Ein feste Burg". Gardiner has thankfully dispensed with the trumpets and drums shoved in by eldest son Wilhelm Friedmann to tart it up (after the old man died). It doesn't really need them. The rest are marvellous. I'm going to go broke and love it...
O.k. you (what I call) "Authenticity Police" can "call off" the dogs-I provisionally acquiesce to the use of the countertenor voice. (At least in these recordings!) This is in contrast to my previous held opinion. I am actually enjoying the Countertenors in Gardiner's Bach pilgrimage. I especially enjoyed the Countertenor, in this Volume 10. William Towers sings most beautifully and accurately and most of all his singing is very pleasing to my ear-no hoots are to be heard; there's even a hint of "chest" voice used by him when it is required. More importantly he does sing Bach's beautiful vocal lines splendidly! Once again, tenor James Gilchrist is overwhelmingly good. He has a sweet tenor voice that can turn heroic when required plus his runs are awe inspiring. (Just listen to track 15 of the first disc--fabulous!)Peter Harvey the bass has a rock solid voice well able to do justice to Bach's vocal demands. The soprano (Joanne Lunn) is very good also. (I am on record on this board of preferring the use of the female soprano voice in these works as opposed to the use of the pubescent unchanged little boy's voices trying to negotiate the vocal writing for sopranos in Bach's works.)
Obviously, I'm still thrilled with this Cantata series and intend to purchase additional releases as they become available.
In closing, for a complete magnificent overview of the contents of Volume 10, see the first review herein. I truly admire that reviewer's thoroughness!
Gardiner's interpretations bring clarity and distinctness amongst other Cantata recordings. His work is always meticulous.
Cantatas on this set:
Wo soll ich fliehen hin?, BWV 5 (A wonderful cantata by Bach done in the unusual key of Bb - one of 3 in the cantata cycles).
Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen vom Leibe dieses Todes, BWV 48
Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56
Gott, der Herr, ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80
Es reisset euch ein schrecklich Ende, ihr sündlichen verächter, hin, BWV 90 (Another cantata in Bb - the Aria with Bass and trumpet is superb - and difficult to play!)
Nun danket alle Gott, BWV 192
Enjoy!!
Fourth track to be taken from the gold-selling album, 'Unleash the Dragon,' with the fantastic video included. Includes mixes by Artful Dodger & Stargate.
Incomplete,Sisqó,Universal Int'l,Pop,Pop-Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop,Urban
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Bach: Great Organ Works
Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  All Works by J.S. Bach
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ASIN: B000004248 Release Date: 1995-02-14 |
Tracks:
- Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565
- Herzlich Tut Mich Verlangen, BWV 727
- Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme, BWV 645
- Fantasia And Fugue In G Minor, BWV 542
- Liebster Jesu, Wir Sind Hier, BWV 730
- Passacaglia And Fugue In C Minor, BWV 582
- Prelude And Fugue In E Flat Major ('St. Anne'), BWV 552
- Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659
- Fantasia And Fugue In C Minor, BWV 537
Tracks:
- Toccata, Adagio And Fugue In C Major, BWV 564
- In Dulci Jublio, BWV 729
- Prelude And Fugue In A Minor, BWV 543
- Fantasia In G Major, BWV 572
- Prelude And Fugue In D Major, BWV 532
- Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen G'mein, BWV 734
- Wo Soll Ich Fliehen Hin, BWV 694
- Fantasia In C Minor, BWV 562
- Toccata And Fugue In D Minor ('Dorian'), BWV 538
Customer Reviews:
organ works by bach.......2007-01-10
Hurford plays very musically.......2006-11-24
A wonderful recording.. in an era where everything has to be perfect,
it's nice to hear an artist take some risk and give us their own
personal, unique, and original interpretations.
Disappointing.......2006-07-27
This album belongs amongst the first four or five in every Bach collection........2006-07-27
First of all, that this is a double-album full of titanic masterworks, intelligently and skillfully performed. These discs belong amongst the first four or five albums in every Bach collection. The famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor is here, together with another, lesser-known but equally awe-inspiring "Dorian" Toccata and Fugue in D minor. There are quite a few other familiar war-horses---the Prelude and Fugue in A minor, the St. Anne Prelude and Fugue, and the Tocatta, Adagio, and Fugue in C (which I first encountered in a piano transcription performed by Evgeny Kissin, on his album with the Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition... well worth hearing next to the original organ writing here), among others---and some more obscure pieces as well to keep us out of "greatest hits" territory (almost always a drawback in recital albums). Like the Mozart piano concerti and the Beethoven symphonies, Bach's compositions for organ are amongst the towering summits of Western music; there is nothing else like them.
Since I'm playing critic here, I suppose I ought to offer at least a bit of actual criticism, rather than only effusive praise. While many would beg to differ, three composers (whose careers, interestingly, were almost exactly chronologically contiguous) are, by a long-standing historical consensus, recognized to occupy the highest tier of artistic achievement in "common practice," tonal music: Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Of those three masters, Mozart alone is recognized as having achieved a perfect or near-perfect balance between subject and object, style and substance: Bach tipped the balance just a bit in favor of objectivity and substance, and Beethoven in favor of subjectivity and style. And so, just as I find that Beethoven's music does not hold up quite as well as Mozart's to repeated listenings because his stylistic and emotive devices are less effective once you've heard them before, so that they no longer take you by surprise, so too do I find that Bach's music, especially in the long contrapuntal sections, is not always as worthwhile for listening as it is for theoretical analysis... it is perhaps not quite as valuable in practice as it is in theory, in other words. The organ pieces on these discs are sublime masterpieces, but if they do fall short of absolute perfection it is for being somewhat dry and academic.
In addition, the different organs Herford plays here so often produce, as good organs will, such a staggering, chest-rumbling roar that you have trouble discerning the pitches in these compositions. It's a similar problem to listening to harpsichord music, where at times you hear just a lot of clanging and can't tell what note or chord is being played. It's not a big problem on these recordings, but it is a little distracting at times.
Nevertheless, it's said that what makes a work of art a masterpiece is not its being perfect or flawless, but rather that its virtues are so meaningful and effective that they compensate for the piece's flaws and imperfections. In fact, in sublime pieces such as these, it's precisely that imbalance, or aesthetic asymmetry, you might say, that makes the music dynamic and exciting: it creates an inner tension, a sort of yearning or striving that, in the hands of the greatest of masters (of which Bach is uncontestably one), makes for a transcendent artistic statement and an invaluable testament to the human experience.
In short, buy this album and listen to it often!
Never a dull moment in this Bach recording............2006-05-29
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Music for a Medieval Banquet
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ASIN: B00005A3WX Release Date: 2001-05-08 |
Customer Reviews:
Not Thrilling.......2007-01-05
Among the many albums for which I read reviews tonight was one for "A Medieval Banquet" by the Newberry Consort. The title & group rang a bell so I checked my collection and found that it was originally called *Il Solazzo" (as others have already noted among these reviews). I bought it in early 1995 but never wrote any comments in the attached booklet, which is unusual for me.
I have now played the CD twice and understand why I made no comments: it was simply not thrilling. I am no musicologist -- just someone who loves early music because it makes my soul sing. This CD is "nice," but my soul goes ho-hum when I hear it. (The one exception is the #9 selection with rebec, vielle & lute -- and no voices.)
The instrumentals have a certain charm but they generally feel more Renaissance than medieval to me. The vocals leave me completely cold. In some of the reviews I read tonight I came across the concept of "operatic" applied to some of this early music. I had no idea what the authors meant since there was no opera at such an early period. But in playing this CD, I understood -- there is indeed a bloated, elaborate vocal quality that really does feel "operatic." It seems entirely unsuited to "Music for a Medieval Banquet."
If your soul wants to sing, this proably isn't the CD for you. Try the Waverly Consort's "Christmas" along with a glass of fine wine
Good CD.......2004-04-30One of the reasons why I bought this recording is the interesting choice of pieces, which range from the often-recorded instrumental dances to the less-known sung tracks.
When I played it, the first thing that struck me of this CD is the thinness of the sound in the dances. Although the performance is spotless, it lacks the body that other medieval-dance groups add to their sound - notably the older but still great Studio der Fruehen Musik. Is this an unfair statement? Perhaps - but these dances have been recorded so many times that it is only natural to compare versions.
Also, the use of percussion instruments would have been a nice touch, besides being perfectly historical. Then, a more varied instrumental arrangement may have been a good addition, especially in the longer numbers such as Chominciamento di gioia.
The other point that puzzled me is that in the first track (La Badessa), the singer sounds as if she is playing a losing game of catch-up with the instruments, which results in a mediocre performance of that particular piece. It is a pity, because the song is very catchy and the singer's voice is stylistically spot on.
Having said all this, the selections of songs and dances is first-choice, the performance is good and well researched and the CD remains one of the most played in my household.
Re-release of Il Solazzo.......2002-10-10
A good, simple bargain, with a sweet reward.......2002-06-11
So much for the performers. As for the producers...
On the downside, it is painfully obvious that they made this album on a shoe-string budget. That can be a good thing in forcing the artists to stick to the music's purity instead of hiring a team of sound engineers to make it "sound" better, but there is absolutely no documentation about the songs, other than their titles and playing times. A sickly-thin album insert has a blurb in English and Italian about polyphony, told in allegorical style, with each paragraph in an alternating language instead of one section in each language. Go figure! Maybe the AltaVista translator they used for free had a one-paragraph limit.
But it also has a variety of styles, both vocal and instrumental, so it gives a nice overall flavor of what life might have sounded like in that little part of the world, during that remarkable little slice of musical history.
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Mahler: The Complete Symphonies
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ASIN: B0000589BP Release Date: 2001-01-30 |
Tracks:
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt I: Langsam. Schleppend. Wie Ein Naturlaut - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt I: Immer Sehr Gemachlich - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt I: Sehr Gemachlich - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt I: Vorwats Dragend - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt II: Kraftig Bewegt - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt II: Trio. Recht Gemachlich - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt II: Tempo Primo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt III: Feierlich Und Gemessen, Ohne Zu Schleppen - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt III: A Tempo. Ziemlich Langsam - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt III: Sehr Einfach Und Schlicht Wie Eine Volksweise - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt III: Weider Etwas Bewegter, Wie Im Anfang - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Sturmisch Bewegt - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Sehr Gesangvoll - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Wieder Wie Zu Angang. Sturmisch Bewegt - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Sehr Langsam - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.1 in D 'Titan': Movt IV: Wieder Vorwarts Drangend - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.10, 'Adagio': Andante - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.10, 'Adagio': Andante Come Prima - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.10, 'Adagio': A Tempo (Fliessend) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.10, 'Adagio': Measure 104 - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.10, 'Adagio': Measure 194 - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.10, 'Adagio': A Tempo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Tracks:
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Allegro Maestoso - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Sehr Massig Und Zuruckhaltend - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Schnell - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Tempo I - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt I: Tempo Sostenuto - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt II: Andante Moderato - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt II: Energisch Bewegt - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt II: Wieder In's Tempo Zuruckgehen. Tempo I - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt III: In Ruhig Fliessender Bewegung - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt III: Vorwarts - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt III: Zum Tempo I. Zuruckkehren - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
Tracks:
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt IV: ' Urlicht' - Sehr Feierlich, Aber Schlicht - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt IV: Etwas Bewegter - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Im Tempo Des Scherzos. Wild Herausfahrend - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Langsam - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Im Anfang Sehr Zuruckgehalten - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Maestoso - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Wieder Zuruckhaltend - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Sehr Langsam Und Gedehnt - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Langsam. Misterioso - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Etwas Bewegter 'O Glaube' - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Mit Aufschwung, Aber Nicht Eilen 'O Schmerz!' - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.2 in c 'Resurrection': Movt V: Piu Mosso 'Sterben' - Lee Venora/Jennie Tourel/The Collegiate Chor/Abraham Kaplan
- Sym No.5 in c#: IV. Adagietto. Sehr Langsam - New York PO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Veni, Creator Spiritus! - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Imple Superna Gratia - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Infirma Nostri Corporis - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Tempo I. (Allegro, Etwas Hastig) - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Infirma Nostri Corporis - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Accende Lumen Sensibus - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Qui Paraclitus Deceris - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand', Part One: Gloria Patri Domino - Adele Addison/Lucine Amara/Lili Chookasian/Jennie Tourel/Richard Tucker/Ezio Flagello...
Tracks:
- Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Kraftig. Entschieden - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Langsam. Schwer - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Tempo I - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: A Tempo - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Immer Dasselbe Tempo (Marsch). Nicht Eilen - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Im Alten Marschtempo (Allegro Moderato) - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part One: Movt I: Tempo I - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt II: Tempo Di Menuetto. Sehr Massig - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt II: A Tempo - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt II: Ganz Plotzlich Gemachlich. Tempo Di Menuetto - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Comodo. Scherzando. Ohne Hast - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Wieder Sehr Gemachlilch, Wie Zu Anfang - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Etwas Zuruckhaltend - Sehr Gemachlich - John Ware
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Tempo I. Mit Geheimnisvolles Hast! - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt III: Wieder Sehr Gemachlich, Beinahe Langsam - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt IV: Sehr Langsam. Misterioso. Durchaus Ppp - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt IV: Piu Mosso Subito - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt V: Lustig Im Tempo Und Keck Im Ausdruck - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
Tracks:
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Langsam. Ruhevoll. Empfunden - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Nicht Mehr So Breit - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Tempo I. Ruhevoll! - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: A Tempo (Etwas Bewegter) - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Tempo I - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Sym No.3 in d, Part Two: Movt VI: Langsam. Tempo I - Martha Lipton/Women's Chor Of The Schola Cantorum/Hugh Ross...
- Three Ruckert Songs: Ich Atmet Einen Linden Duft - Jennie Tourel
- Three Ruckert Songs: Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen - Jennie Tourel
- Three Ruckert Songs: Um Mitternacht - Jennie Tourel
- Des Knaben Wunderhorn: Das Irdische Leben - Jennie Tourel
- Kindertotenlieder: Nun Will Die Sonn' So Hell Aufgeh'n! - Jennie Tourel
- Kindertotenlieder: Nun Seh' Ich Wohl, Warum So Dunkle Flammen - Jennie Tourel
- Kindertotenlieder: Wenn Dein Mutterlein - Jennie Tourel
- Kindertotenlieder: Oft Denk' Ich, Sie Sind Nur Ausgegangen - Jennie Tourel
- Kindertotenlieder: In Diesem Wetter! - Jennie Tourel
Tracks:
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt I: Bedachtig. Nicht Eilen - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt I: Tempo I - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt I: Wieder Wie Zu Anfang. Sehr Gemachlich, Behaglich - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt I: Wieder Plotzlich Langsam Und Bedachtig - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt II: In Gemachlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt II: Nicht Eilen - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Ruhevoll - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Viel Langsamer - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Anmutig Bewegt - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Andante - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt III: Vorwarts. Poco Piu Mosso - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt IV: Sehr Behaglich - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt IV: Wieder Lebhaft - Reri Grist
- Sym No.4 in G: Movt IV: Tempo I. Sehr Zart Und Geheimnisvoll Bis Zum Schluss - Reri Grist
Tracks:
- Sym No.5 in c#: Part I: I. Trauermarsch. In Gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie Ein Kondukt - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.5 in c#: Part I: II. Sturmisch Bewegt. Mit Grosster Vehemenz - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.5 in c#: Part II: III. Scherzo. Kraftig, Nicht Zu Schnell - James Chambers
- Sym No.5 in c#: Part III: IV. Adagietto. Sehr Langsam - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.5 in c#: Part III: V. Rondo-Finale. Allegro - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Tracks:
- Sym No.6 in a 'Tragic': I. Allegro Energico, Ma Non Troppo (Heftig, Aber Markig) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.6 in a 'Tragic': II. Scherzo. Wuchtig - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.6 in a 'Tragic': III. Andante Moderato - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.6 in a 'Tragic': IV. Finale. Allegro Moderato - Allegro Energico - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Tracks:
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Langsam (Adagio) - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Nicht Schleppen - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Allegro Risoluto, Ma Non Troppo - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: A Tempo (Sempre L'istesso) - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Subito Allegro I. Ziemlich Ruhig - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Adagio (Tempo Der Einleitung) - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt I: Maestoso. Allegro Come Prima - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt II: Nachtmusik I. Allegro Moderato - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt II: Sempre L'istesso Tempo. Nicht Eilen, Sehr Gemachlich - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt II: Tempo - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt III: Scherzo. Schattenhaft, Fliessend, Aber Nicht Zu Schnell - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt III: Trio - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt III: Wieder Wie Zu Anfang (Nicht Eilen) - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt IV: Nachtmusik II. Andante Amoroso - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt IV: (Figure 197) - Raymond Sabinsky
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt V: Rondo-Finale. Tempo I (Allegro Ordinario) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt V: Gemessen! Nicht Schnell! Tempo II (Allegro Moderato Ma Energico) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt V: Tempo I (Halbe Wie Die Viertel Des Tempo I) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.7 in e: Movt V: Sempre L'istesso Tempo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
Tracks:
- Kindertotenlieder: Nun Will Die Sonn' So Hell Aufgeh'n! - Janet Baker
- Kindertotenlieder: Nun Seh' Ich Wohl, Warum So Dunkle Flammen - Janet Baker
- Kindertotenlieder: Wenn Dein Mutterlein - Janet Baker
- Kindertotenlieder: Oft Denk' Ich, Sie Sind Nur Ausgegangen - Janet Baker
- Kindertotenlieder: In Diesem Wetter! - Janet Baker
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Veni, Creator Spiritus! - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Imple Superna Gratia - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Infirma Nostri Corporis - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Tempo I. (Allegro, Etwas Hastig) - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Infirma Nostri Corporis - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Accende Lumen Sensibus - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Qui Paraclitus Diceris - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part I: Gloria Patri Domino - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
Tracks:
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Poco Adagio - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Piu Mosso. (Allegro Moderato) - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Waldung, Sie Schwankt Heran - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Ewiger Wonnebrand - Vladimir Ruzdjak
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Wie Felsenabgrund Mir Zu Fussen - Donald McIntyre
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Gerettet Ist Das Edle Glied - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor/Highgate School Boys Choir
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Jene Rosen, Aus Den Handen - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Uns Bleibt Ein Erdenrest - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Ich Spur' Soeben - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Hier Ist Die Aussicht Frei/Freudig Empfangen Wir - John Mitchinson
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Hochste Herrscherin Der Welt - John Mitchinson
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Jungfrau, Rein Im Schonsten Sinne - John Mitchinson/Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Aussert Langsam. Adagissimo - LSO/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Dir, Der Uberuhrbaren/Du Schwebst Zu Hohen - Gwyneth Jones
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Bei Der Liebe, Die Den Fussen - Erna Spoorenberg
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Bei Dem Bronn, Zu Dem Schon Weiland - Anna Reynolds
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Bei Dem Hochgeweihten Orte - Norma Procter
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Die Du Grossen Sunderinnnen - Erna Spoorenberg/Anna Reynolds/Norma Procter
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Neige, Neige, Du Ohnegleiche - Gwyneth Jones
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Er Uberwachst Uns Schon - Highgate School Boys Chor
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Vom Edlen Geisterchor Umgeben - Gwyneth Jones
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Komm! Hebe Dich Zu Hohern Spharen! - Gwenyth Annear
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Blicket Auf Zum Retterblick - John Mitchinson
- Sym No.8 in E flat 'Sym Of A Thousand': Part II: Alles Vergangliche - Leeds Festival Chor/London Sym Chor
Tracks:
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Andante Comodo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Etwas Frischer - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Tempo I Subito - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Mit Wut. Allegro Risoluto - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Schattenhaft - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Wie Von Anfang - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Plotzlich Bedeutend Langsamer (Lento) Und Leise - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt I: Schon Ganz Langsam - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Im Tempo Eines Gemachlichen Landlers. Etwas Tappisch Und Sehr Derb - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Poco Piu Mosso Subito (Tempo II) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Tempo III - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: A Tempo II - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Tempo I - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Tempo II - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt II: Tempo I Subito - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: Rondo - Burleske. Allegro Assai. Sehr Trotzig - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: L'istesso Tempo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: Sempre L'istesso Tempo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: Nicht Eilen - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt III: Piu Stretto - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Adagio. Sehr Langsam Und Noch Zuruckhaltend - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Plotzlich Wieder Langsam (Wie Zu Anfang) Und Etwas Zogernd - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Molto Adagio Subito - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: A Tempo (Molto Adagio) - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Stets Sehr Gehalten - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Fliessender, Doch Durchaus Nicht Eilend - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Tempo I. Molto Adagio - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
- Sym No.9 in D: Movt IV: Adagissimo - New York Phil/Leonard Bernstein
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For many of us, Leonard Bernstein's first Mahler cycle for CBS (compiled here, remastered and cheaper than ever) has stood the test of time since it initially came out on LP in the late 1960s. Upon completing this traversal of nine symphonies (and the "Adagio" movement from the unfinished 10th), Lenny and the New York Philharmonic achieved something no one else had and proved that Mahler was, simply put, worth recording in the first place. It's still a marvelous set of recordings that belongs in every record collection.Using the same budgeted design as on their (surprisingly pricey) Original Jacket series of box sets, Sony has unleashed a true bargain here: 12 CDs that average a little over five bucks a pop. Lenny's second cycle for Deutsche Grammophon may boast greater sonics, plenty of wonderful moments, and the complete song cycles, but it costs more than twice as much. Here, we get a younger Lenny, sounding fresh and expressive and delivering still-unparalleled interpretations of the First, Third, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth, and pretty great performances of the rest. The intensity on these discs is infectious and the price can't be beat. A must-have. --Jason Verlinde
Customer Reviews:
Groundbreaking but partly outdated.......2007-03-26
How do these recordings stand today? The interpretations of the third, fourth, and seventh are very fine, even exceptional, and, despite their age, the recordings are sonically impressive as well. NYPO plays marvellously. The seventh, in particular, is a reference disc.
The remaining recordings are not really for the desert island, however. The fifth, for instance, is very unsuccessful and badly recorded too. Bernstein's later account on DG is clearly an improvement. The same holds for the second symphony, which you also find on DG in a later, much improved and moving interpretation. But here we have also a crowded field of classic performances, such as Klemperer's second (EMI) and Walter's fifth (SONY). Both are preferable to Bernstein's recordings, old or new.
The first, sixth, eight and ninth are quite good but not exceptional. No one beats Kubelik's first (DG). Mitropoulos (BMG Great Conductors) and Barbirolli (EMI) own the sixth. The eight - well, here we have Horenstein (BBC) and Mitropoulos (Orfeo) as classic, first choices. And for the ninth, Ancerl (Supraphon), Barbirolli (EMI), Klemperer (EMI) and Walter (SONY) sound far more attractive and fresh than Bernstein's mannered account.
If you're a collector this box is of course essential - regardless all critical considerations. But if you just look for an excellent and consistent Mahler box, go for Gary Bertini's cycle on EMI, which you get for a super-bargain price. It's a contemporary and future classic.
Thus I recommend a pick of individual Bernstein SONY CDs: the third, the fourth and the seventh. Add his fifth and second from his DG recordings, and his 1966 Das Lied von der Erde (Decca). These recordings are what I take to be the "essentials" of the Bernstein Mahler legacy.
Outstanding Mahler Compilation.......2007-01-29
Leonard Bernstein just express the true passion that Mahler put on his work. It's incredible that (using the 8ve Symphony as an example) with fewer instruments than in the Abbado version, the feeling is even better. Simply outstanding.
Great price, great compilation. Lot of Mahler.
Bernstein or Tennstedt: read on...........2006-07-12
No. 1 Bernstein. More poetic and earthy than T and my very first choice out of the dozens of others I've heard.
2 Bernstein. Simply the greatest Mahler 2; T is earthbound by comparison.
3 Tennstedt. Actually this is a tougher one to decide as B is marginally better in the first movement and he produces the best sixth movement of any version I've heard. Overall T has it, partly due to the excellent sound quality.
4 Overall B is better but there are so many points of comparison to take into consideration that it's a tough one to decide. T has the better soloist in the finale. My far-and-away first choice in the Fourth is Horenstein on EMI/CfP.
5 Tennstedt. Bernstein's CBS Fifth was the weakest link. However, Rudolf Schwarz (Everest) produces the very finest Fifth:
I always maintain that you can tell pretty much straight away when a Mahler conductor gets it right and Schwarz gets it 100%
6 Tennstedt. From the angry crunching heavy tread of the opening through to the nightmare ending, this is a very dark view of the Sixth, but it works. Barbirolli on EMI is my definite first choice in the Sixth. Bernstein's quick-march approach sounds like parody.
7 Bernstein. Nobody has produced a better Seventh and probably never will. T's version is very good though and I think he out-performs all other competition.
8 This one is the hardest of all to separate, but in the end I opt for Bernstein as his version as the feel of a live performance and the recording is almost as good as T's digital one.
9 Bernstein. Again my favourite version. T's weakest link of his whole set.
So Bernstein scores more points, but take into account the generally better sound of the Tennstedt set (especially in nos. 3,5,6) and things are evened up slightly. My advice overall? Go for both sets; at the asking prices you will have a superb Mahler Symphonies collection which will last you a lifetime. But don't forget those other versions of 4, 5 and 6. A point about sound quality: most of the above are analogue recordings, made many years ago, but across the board they are in almost every way superior to most modern digital ones (though to be fair one or two are not so great). I have a very good stereo system which reproduces very neutral sound; what goes in at the CD player end comes out unchanged at the loudspeaker end and so what I hear is the 'real thing'. For example Bernstein's 2 is stunning. One of the very best is the oldest of them all - Schwarz's Fifth, made in 1958. Maybe the art of recording has been replaced by science (and not for the better)? In the final analysis, to my mind the above versions render most of the rest of the Mahler symphonies discography redundant and surplus to requirements.
Comparing the two Bernstein Mahler cycles.......2006-06-27
Cycle #1:
By general consensus the performance of Sym. #3 is one of the glories of this cycle and perhaps the most inspired Mahler condcuting Bernstein did on disc. It has all the freshness of discovery--LB was new to Mahler in 1961. Sony's 20-bit remastering makes the original analog sound quite good. In fact, there's no need to fear the sound quality of these NY Phil. recordings, none of which are bad. Expect the deep sound stage and wide stereo separation that Columbia Records favored at the time.
Bernstein also put his stamp on Sym. #7 in such a way that no one would ever hear it the same again. Previously, 'The Song of the Night,' as this work was dubbed, had almost no life either on disc or the concert stage (a Mahler champion as prominent as Bruno Walter never performed it). Not only did LB prove that this was coherent music, he made an unforgettable drama out of the Seventh. This is his signature recording of the work.
Two other great performances stand out: Sym. #2 and #4, each rendered with amazing imagination and a huge range of emotions. The accusation that LB went over the top in the Second is unjustified--he is often tender and delicate--but there's no doubt that he takes an apocalyptic view of the finale. Whatever you think about his approach, he single-handedly revolutionized the way that the Resurrection Sym. was played. In Sym. #4 the classic recording was by Bruno Walter, but LB added more depth, imaginaiton, and excitement. Lyric soprano Reri Grist has come in for a good deal of criticism in the vocal finale, but I think she fits beautifully into LB's overall conception.
In the middle of the pack, as it were, we get LB's readings of Sym. #1 and #9. He went on to conduct greater readings of both works, especially the Ninth. In person LB's First was a real showpiece, but somehow Sony's sonics are not up to the conductor's vision. In the cse of the Ninth, the NY version would qualify as an outstanding performance if there weren't so many truly great ones from Karajan, Bruno Walter, James Levine, and Barbirolli, among others. Bernstein himself would add two of the greatest, both on DG.
I find a few problems wiht Sym. #5, #6, and #8 in the first cycle. For many critics all three are great recordings. For some reason, I have never warmed up to either of LB's versions of Sym. #5, where for once he does manipulate and exaggerate to the point that the spirit of the work seems lost in histrionics. Sym. #6 is too brisk in the first movement to let the music expand to its visionary potential, and in the other movements Bernstein seems less expressive than he could be. The Eighth is unmathced in the excitement and joyousness of Part 1, and for some listeners the whole symphony remains on that exalted level. I find that LB is too studied in Part 2, and my attention wasn't held. He does elicit very beautiful singing and playing, however. It should be noted that this performance is with the London Sym. and a host of fine English singers.
To the end of his life Bernstein resisted Deryck Cooke's completion of the Tenth Sym., agreeing to conduct only the shattering Adagio. which Mahler had essentially finished in full score. Bernstein's reading with the NY Phil. is one of the most searing accounts this magnificent fragment has ever received, equaled by his later live reading with the incomparable Vienna Phil.
Cycle #2:
It should be said right off that DG's digital sonics are in a different league from what LB got in New York. Even though several venues were involved (Vienna, Amsterdam, New York), and many recordings were under live concert conditions, the DG engineers triumphed. They favor closer mike posiitons, solo highlighting, and a vivid sound stage compared to their predecessors in New York. As to the interprettions, with a few exceptions--the most prominent being Sym. #6--Bernstein did not drastically change his views from the first cycle, and in some cases the readings feel almost identical (Sym. #2 and #7, for example).
The most interest centers on the works where LB clearly outdoes his younger self. At the top of the list I would put Sym. #6 and #9. In the former he achieved one of the classic Mahler reacordings of the modern era. His Sixth has slowed down by 2 min. in the first movement, giving the music room to expand properly. The Andante is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The finale is an explosion of genius on Mahler's part that LB resonates with perfectly. Almost the same can be said of the Ninth, where the conducting reaches deeply moving areas of expression. The finale is drastically slow (as is Levine's, to similar devastating effect), which some critics find excessive. But it's a truism that no tempo is right or wrong; everything depends upon being drawn into the world of the music. LB achieved a great Ninth but would surpass himself with a live performance from Berlin in 1979, also on DG.
Almost as great is Sym. #1, which on DG receives a flawless performance packed with excitement. I'm not sure that LB's reading actually changed, but the superlative sonics and the spine-tingling playing of the Concertgebiuw weren't matched in New York.
The next thing to ask is where Bernstein fell short of his earlier versions. The Sym. #2, #3, and #4 from New York were one of a kind, representing LB's early and most exciting explorations of Mahler's world. Their counterparts on DG are also strong, but I don't think they rise to the heights he achieved earlier. The only sharp criticism I have is with the use of a boy soprano in the finale of the Fourth; musical as he is, a boy is too undeveloped to capture what Mahler intended. It should be said, however, that if the earlier NY versions didn't exist, these would be outstanding performances.
I feel much the same about Sym. #7, where LB's first recording set a standard that only two or three rivals have come close to, but his DG remake, which was a return to the NY Phil. in oncert from Lincoln Center(as are Sym. #2 and #3), feels fractionally less overwhelming. It's in better sound, however. The one symphony I can't compare is the Fifth, which doesn't satisfy me in either cycle. The DG version with the Vienna Phil. convinces many listeners, and some critics call in unsurpassable, but I am not on its wavelength.
That leaves Sym. #8, which Bernstein didn't live to record for commercial release. DG reached into its vaults for a live 1975 radio tape from Vienna, and although it has flaws in execution, including some rough singing in Part 2, LB's conducting is superlative, more ocmpelling than his version from London. Paired with this symphony is a 1974 reading of the Adagio from Sym. #10, also with the Vienna Phil. As you'd expect, it's an inspired, searing reading, just like the NY version.
How ot sum up? If money were no object, I'd own both cycles for the pleasure of Bernstein's unqiue inspiration. If I had to pick and choose, I'd take Sym. #2, #3, and #4 from New York, Sym. #8 from London, and the rest form the DG cycle.
Mahler complete symphonies........2006-02-24
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Bach: The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues
Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach
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ASIN: B0000026HJ Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565: Toccata
- Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565: Fugue
- The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Toccata
- The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Fugue
- The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Toccata
- The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Fugue
- The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Toccata
- The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Adagio
- The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Fugue
- The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: We All Believe In One God
- The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Jesus, My Joy
- Fantasy In G Major, BWV 572
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-06-22
E.Power Briggs Organ playing Bach's best.......2007-03-16
But this special set-up is just a great addition to the best recorded playing of this most famous (and best work in my view)of Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D- minor. I'm no expert...just a listener...but man, this guy Briggs could really play that thing.
Turn this up as high as the law will allow and engulf yourself in this best organ piece ever written, played by one of the best organ players ever and played on one of the best organ set-ups ever recorded.
You just won't find better.
The benchmark of the four tocatta's and fugue's.......2006-06-05
Nothing can top this one!!!.......2005-04-27
I had the stereo pressing and wore it out. I was thrilled when this album was finally issued on CD. Even though I don't have the Super Audio CD version, the original CD release can hold its own against any disc. The Chorale Preludes ("We all believe in one God" and "Jesus, my joy") and the Fantasy in G major - none of which appeared on the original LP release - are also quite enjoyable.
My only complaint is that the original 1974 album cover for "The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues" was not reproduced for the CD release. It does, however, appear on the Super Audio CD.
This is the CD by which I measure all other performances of these works, including earlier recordings made of them by E. Power Biggs. In some instances, I believe that once you're accustomed to hearing a piece performed a certain way, then you will use that approach as your yardstick to measure other performances of that same work. That hasn't applied to me in all cases. I replaced my first recording of Brahms' "Haydn Variations" with a version I heard by a different conductor and orchestra. I made the same switch with Haydn's "Surprise Symphony" a few years later.
Happily, I feel I have the definitive rendition of Bach's Four Great Toccatas and Fugues. Buy it, crank it up and enjoy it!!!
A great recording by a great organist.......2003-08-12
At the time of this recording, the Freiburg Muenster boasted two large organs in the crossing, a choir organ, and a supplemental set of pipes (mainly trumpets and other ornamental stops) near the main entrance on the nave, all of which could be operated from one console. Biggs handles this awesome array of organ power superbly, choosing his stops for maximum musical -- and spatial -- effect. While the rare effect of playing four organs at once is apparent with speakers, the front/back effect is best heard through headphones.
Despite its age, this recording holds up well to comparison. If you want to split hairs, some recordings of individual Toccatas may be more faithful to a live experience in the lowest bass and harmonics. And if you have been raised on (spoiled by?) subwoofers, there are probably more floor-thumping renditions captured by newer recording equipment. But I have yet to encounter one recording of all four Toccatas which is so much fun to listen to. If you only buy one recording of these pieces, this is the one to get!
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Bach: Fantasia in C minor; Two-Part Inventions; Three-Part Inventions; Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach
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ASIN: B000002ZUY Release Date: 1994-08-30 |
Tracks:
- Fantasia In C Minor, BWV906
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 1 In C Major
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 2 In C Minor
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 3 In D Major
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 4 In D Minor
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 5 In E Flat Major
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 6 In E Major
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 7 In E Minor
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 8 In F Major
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 9 In F Minor
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 10 In G Major
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 11 In G Minor
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 12 In A Major
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 13 In A Minor
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 14 In B Flat Major
- Fifteen Two-Part Inventions, BWV772-786: Invention 15 In B Minor
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 1 In C Major
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 2 In C Minor
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 3 In D Major
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 4 In D Minor
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 5 In E Flat Major
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 6 In E Major
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 7 In E Minor
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 8 In F Major
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 9 In F Minor
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 10 In G Major
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 11 In G Minor
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 12 In A Major
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 13 In A Minor
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 14 In B Flat Major
- Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV787-801: Sinfonia 15 In B Minor
- Chromatic Fantasia And Fugue In D Minor, BWV903: Fantasia
- Chromatic Fantasia And Fugue In D Minor, BWV903: Fugue
Customer Reviews:
The first of Hewitt's monumental Bach cycle.......2006-03-25
The program here ranges from the more simple of Bach's compositions (Two-Part Inventions) to some of the more trecherous, virtuostic masterpieces (the two fantasias). Written by Bach for his son and students around 1723, the Two-Part and Three-Part Inventions form the foundational know-how and skills of Bach's countrapuntal keyboard art. For centuries now these works have been essential for any piano student learning the "basics" of figuration, melodic line, smooth legato, clarity of two and three voices and so on. The Three-Part pieces are fairly advanced pieces possessing complex voicing and passagework. As such they are pre-requisite for learning the more complex preludes and fugues of "The Well-Tempered Clavier." Like the pieces in the WTC, both sets of Inventions show Bach as both a master educator and deft lyricist with their range of emotive qualities. There is delicacy, pensiveness, vivacity, virtuosity and sorrow expressed in these miniatures - all while building the foundational skills (like seamless legato w/o use of the pedal) necessary for performing the major piano repertoire. Pianists worldwide owe a world of gratitude for Johann Sebastian Bach for such foundational compositions which have been reverently played by many of the great composers who followed Bach.
I'm not sure if it is more Bach's multi-faceted compositions or Miss Hewitt's varied and expressive playing of them, but these so-called "piano excercises" sound anything but that. Likely, it is both of the above factors. It was in this first recording that Hewitt showed the music world her ever-so delicate, poised and artistic pianistic mannerisms, transforming these student pieces into delightful little concert performances in themselves. Her readings are worthy role models for students focusing on the long, clear, lyrical line that is essential to Bach's music as well as rewarding to admirers of Bach's art. Perhaps what Miss Hewitt most brings to this music is her tasteful, expressive nuances: a subtle rubato, an enticing dynamic shading and an artistic variety of tone summoned forth from her Steinway Grand. Such qualities create more of an unfolding story within each piece than showcasing mere "finger dexterity exercises." Gramophone recognized this more sensitive tunement to the musical aspects too and gave this CD a solid recommendation.
If the Inventions are the "main course" of this set, then the two virtuostic Fantasias which open and close the program are the delectable "appetizer" and "dessert" on the menu. Both show Bach as master of the extemporaneous "Style Fantasticus" that he most likely gleaned in his youth from his visit to hear the great organist, Buxtahude. Even in Bach's day supposedly, the great Chromatic Fanasia in D-minor was among his most popular piece as it is today. Both are exciting, daunting works played to perfection by Hewitt. As noted by Gramophone, "her readings of the fantasias are as eloquent and stimulating as any yet recorded by a harpsichordist." Also in support of the pianist is a fine recording ambiance by Hyperion that is hard to fault. Its rather ironic that this first CD of Hewitt's Bach recordings was the last of her entire discography I acquired. But even after hearing all her glorious performances of Bach's music - from the WTC and Goldbergs to the Toccatas, Suites and Keyboard Concertos - hearing these earliest and more straightforward pieces still brings great refreshment and satisfaction that is so common in Bach's music - and so common too in Angela Hewitt's masterful and colorful playing of them. Compositions - 4.5 stars, Peformance - 5 stars, Sound - 4.5 stars.
Sophisticated, understated Bach.......2002-03-24
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Telemann: Les Plaisirs
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Telemann, Georg Philipp
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ASIN: B0000007J3 Release Date: 1997-12-09 |
Tracks:
- Concerto In A Minor For Recorder, Viola da gamba And Strings: Grave
- Concerto In A Minor For Recorder, Viola da gamba And Strings: Allegro
- Concerto In A Minor For Recorder, Viola da gamba And Strings: Dolce
- Concerto In A Minor For Recorder, Viola da gamba And Strings: Allegro
- Suite In D Major (Ouverture) For Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 55:D 6: Ouverture
- Suite In D Major (Ouverture) For Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 55:D 6: La Trompette
- Suite In D Major (Ouverture) For Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 55:D 6: Sarabande
- Suite In D Major (Ouverture) For Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 55:D 6: Rondeau
- Suite In D Major (Ouverture) For Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 55:D 6: Bourree
- Suite In D Major (Ouverture) For Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 55:D 6: Courante - Double
- Suite In D Major (Ouverture) For Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 55:D 6: Gigue (Presto)
- Suite In A Minor (Ouverture) For Recorder And Strings, TWV 55:a 2: Ouverture
- (Ouverture) For Recorder And Strings, TWV 55:a 2: Les Plaisirs I - II
- (Ouverture) For Recorder And Strings, TWV 55:a 2: Air a l'Italien (Largo)
- (Ouverture) For Recorder And Strings, TWV 55:a 2: Menuet I - II
- (Ouverture) For Recorder And Strings, TWV 55:a 2: Rejouissance
- (Ouverture) For Recorder And Strings, TWV 55:a 2: Passepied I - II
- (Ouverture) For Recorder And Strings, TWV 55:a 2: Polonoise - Double
- Sinfonia In F Major For Alto Recorder, Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 50:3: Alla Breve
- Sinfonia In F Major For Alto Recorder, Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 50:3: Andante
- Sinfonia In F Major For Alto Recorder, Viola de gamba And Strings, TWV 50:3: Vivace
Customer Reviews:
Every track is beautiful.......2005-11-03
It's hard to put in words why I find it so beautiful. The music is fresh, bright, delightful. It's not just beautiful, it's movingly beautiful. I like baroque music, but this sounds somewhat different from most of my baroque CDs, perhaps partly because one of the instruments is a viola da gamba.
This is a review of "Telemann: Les Plaisirs", with Marion Verbruggen, Sara Cunningham, and Monica Hugget. I have several CDs with pieces by Telemann, but this is the first one I've bought that is all Telemann. (I once had a set of phonograph records with only Telemann, but that was long, long ago.) I have several CDs with Marion Verbruggen, whom I have recently discoverd and whom I like very much. I also have several CDs with Hugget and Cunningham, and I like them too. I bought this CD mostly because I read somewhere that Verbruggen plays the recorder beautifully in track 13. I didn't know what to expect of the rest.
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Shostakovich: Waltzes
Manufacturer: Delos Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Suites
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ASIN: B00001IVR2 Release Date: 1999-08-31 |
Tracks:
- Shostakovich Waltzes
Customer Reviews:
Totally infectious.......2003-01-07
Some of my favorite waltzes include the one from Return of Maxim, the one from Golden Hills, and the one from The First Echelon (aka Waltz #2 from the 2nd Jazz Suite). Beyond the waltzes there are some other pieces, including the famous Polka from The Age of Gold and Folk Festival (Spanish Dance) from The Gadfly.
The only caveat is that some of the pieces don't reference their original source (rather they are listed as being from various ballet suites, when they in fact come from The Limpid Stream and other sources), but this is a very minor complaint. The performance and sound is wonderful, and unless you are one who can't stand this sort of compilation, it gets my highest recommendation.
Surprisingingly enjoyable stuff.......1999-10-04
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Glenn Gould Plays Bach & Scarlatti
Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Carl Philipp Emman. Bach
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ASIN: B0000028NP Release Date: 1997-02-25 |
Tracks:
- Concerto In D Minor After Alessandro Marcello, BWV 974: I. Without Tempo Indication
- Concerto In D Minor After Alessandro Marcello, BWV 974: II. Adagio
- Concerto In D Minor After Alessandro Marcello, BWV 974: III. Presto
- Fugue In B Minor On A Theme By Tomaso Albinoni, BWV 951
- Fugue In A Major On A Theme By Tomaso Albinoni, BWV 950
- Sonata In D Major, K. 430 (L.463): Non presto ma a tempo di ballo
- Sonata In D Minor, K. 9 (L. 413): Allegro
- Sonata In G Major, K. 13 (L. 486): Presto
- Sonata In A Minor 'Wurttembergische Sonate': I. Moderato
- Sonata In A Minor 'Wurttembergische Sonate': II. Andante
- Sonata In A Minor 'Wurttembergische Sonate': III. Allegro assai
- 'Aria variata alla maniera italiana' In A Minor, BWV 989
- 'Italian Concerto' In F Major, BWV 971': I. Without Tempo Indication
- 'Italian Concerto' In F Major, BWV 971': II. Andante
- 'Italian Concerto' In F Major, BWV 971': III. Presto
- Chromatic Fantasy In D Minor, BWV 903
- Fantasy In G Minor, BWV 917
- Fantasy In C Minor, BWV 919
- Fantasy (And Fugue) In C Minor, BWV 906
Customer Reviews:
For Gould's fans.......2007-01-10
Be warned there are shortcomings, but also be prepared for brilliance!.......2006-05-03
I was particularly moved by BWV 974, especially the second movement. I would happily pay the entire price of this album just to have this particular recording.
As everyone knows, Glenn Gould was eccentric and some of his interpretations of Bach are very unconventional. However, his intensity jumps out at the listener and he is often as dazzling as he is eccentric.
Considering that much of this music was not recorded on piano very often before Glenn Gould came around, I have to acknowledge his contribution to grabbing people's attention. He still continues to do this long after his death, which I think is a testimony to his brilliance.
If you are not a Glenn Gould fan or you are looking for more standard interpretations, this may not be for you. However, if you are looking for a fascinating musical odyssey that is at times quite unconventional, then you might be very happy with this album.
You can certainly get a feel for the music from the samples above. If you listen to them and are still intrigued, I don't think you will be disappointed even with the Chromatic Fantasy. It's an unusual interpretation, but what can you expect from guy who wears winter gloves on the cover of the album and didn't even want to record this piece in the first place - EVER!
An universal patrimony !.......2006-04-12
This enraptured anima state is not a mere product of the casualty or a mass media phenomena; he restored to music that divine majesty, sensitive effluvium and introspective gaze, far away from the delirious crowds, deeply focused on the meaning of the sound, and not in the beauty of the sound.
That `s why his legend has been increasing, in spite of his well known aversion to the advertising flashes. He never cultivated the public relationships, but the elevated rank of his musical partners, such Yehudi Menuhin, Jaime Laredo, Leonard Rose, Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Golschman would seem to confirm that far beyond his countless irreverent behavior, his musical heritage eclipses all the previous misbehaved statements, opinions or his well commented and questioned attitude in the sense of deny to make future public appearances since 1964.
Perfection.......2005-08-02
BWV 974.......2001-10-18
The Concerto in d after A. Marcello, BWV 974 is not one of Bach's more popular and well-known keyboard works. Yet in the hands of Glenn Gould, it is played with a sincerity that is completely profound. Listening to the second movement of this "concerto" has to be one of the moving experiences that I ever had. It is undoubtedly one of the best in the Glenn Gould discography.
Also, after hearing the three Scarlatti sonatas, you'll wonder why he didn't record more of them. It's played with a childish glee that is a joy to listen to. The L. 413 sonata is piece that you'll listen to repeatedly.
Alas, the "infamous" version of the Chromatic Fantasy is in this CD as well. It's not a horrible interpretation like what most people tend to say, but you wonder what in the world Glenn Gould was doing with his left hand.
Overall, the BWV 974 alone makes this CD worth the purchase. It is a stunning recording.
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Bach Cantatas, Vol. 10: Potsdam/Wittenberg
Manufacturer: Soli Deo Gloria ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach
| Bach, Johann Sebastian
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ASIN: B000ANPXDG Release Date: 2005-11-08 |
Tracks:
- Coro Con Choral
- Recitativo
- Choral
- Aria
- Recitativo
- Aria
- Choral
- Cora
- Recitativo
- Aria
- Recitativo
- Aria
- Recitativo
- Choral
- Aria
- Recitativo
- Aria
- Recitativo
- Choral
- Aria
- Rectativo
- Aria
- Recitativo
- Choral
Tracks:
- Coro
- Aria
- Choral
- Recitativo
- Aria
- Choral
- Coro
- Aria
- Coro Lob
- Coro
- Aria
- recitatvio
- Aria
- Choral
- Recitativo
- Aria
- Choral
Customer Reviews:
There's really no point in reviewing these cantatas..........2007-03-19
This issue has a stunning version of one of the giants, BWV80 "Ein feste Burg". Gardiner has thankfully dispensed with the trumpets and drums shoved in by eldest son Wilhelm Friedmann to tart it up (after the old man died). It doesn't really need them. The rest are marvellous. I'm going to go broke and love it...
GARDINER AND I CONTINUE OUR BACH PILGRIMAGE MOST SPLENDIDLY .......2006-02-24
O.k. you (what I call) "Authenticity Police" can "call off" the dogs-I provisionally acquiesce to the use of the countertenor voice. (At least in these recordings!) This is in contrast to my previous held opinion. I am actually enjoying the Countertenors in Gardiner's Bach pilgrimage. I especially enjoyed the Countertenor, in this Volume 10. William Towers sings most beautifully and accurately and most of all his singing is very pleasing to my ear-no hoots are to be heard; there's even a hint of "chest" voice used by him when it is required. More importantly he does sing Bach's beautiful vocal lines splendidly! Once again, tenor James Gilchrist is overwhelmingly good. He has a sweet tenor voice that can turn heroic when required plus his runs are awe inspiring. (Just listen to track 15 of the first disc--fabulous!)Peter Harvey the bass has a rock solid voice well able to do justice to Bach's vocal demands. The soprano (Joanne Lunn) is very good also. (I am on record on this board of preferring the use of the female soprano voice in these works as opposed to the use of the pubescent unchanged little boy's voices trying to negotiate the vocal writing for sopranos in Bach's works.)
Obviously, I'm still thrilled with this Cantata series and intend to purchase additional releases as they become available.
In closing, for a complete magnificent overview of the contents of Volume 10, see the first review herein. I truly admire that reviewer's thoroughness!
Cantatas by BWV # and name.......2005-12-11
Gardiner's interpretations bring clarity and distinctness amongst other Cantata recordings. His work is always meticulous.
Cantatas on this set:
Wo soll ich fliehen hin?, BWV 5 (A wonderful cantata by Bach done in the unusual key of Bb - one of 3 in the cantata cycles).
Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen vom Leibe dieses Todes, BWV 48
Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56
Gott, der Herr, ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80
Es reisset euch ein schrecklich Ende, ihr sündlichen verächter, hin, BWV 90 (Another cantata in Bb - the Aria with Bass and trumpet is superb - and difficult to play!)
Nun danket alle Gott, BWV 192
Enjoy!!
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Bach: Preludes, Fughettas and Fugues
Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach
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ASIN: B0000CF33K Release Date: 2003-09-30 |
Tracks:
- Prelude In C Major, BWV 933
- Prelude In C Minor, BWV 934
- Prelude In D Minor, BWV 935
- Prelude In D Major, BWV 936
- Prelude In E Major, BWV 937
- Prelude In E Minor, BWV 938
- Prelude
- Fughetta
- Prelude In G Major, BWV 902
- Prelude In G Major, BWV 902/1a
- Fughetta In G Major, BWV 902
- Prelude In C Major, BWV 924
- Prelude In F Major, BWV 927
- Prelude In D Minor, BWV 926
- Prelude In D Major, BWV 925
- Prelude In F Major, BWV 928
- Prelude In G Minor, BWV 930
- Fugue In C Major, BWV 952
- Fughetta In C Minor, BWV 961
- Fugue In C Major, BWV 953
- Prelude
- Fugue
- Prelude
- Fughetta
- Fugue On A Theme By Tomaso Albinoni In B Minor, BWV 951
- Fugue On A Theme By Tomaso Albinoni In A Major, BWV 950
- Chromatic Fantasy In D Minor, BWV 903a
- Fantasy In G Minor, BWV 917
- Fantasy In C Minor, BWV 919
- Fantasy (And Fugue) In C Minor, BWV 906
Dance Music:
- Invincible/Y'All Don't Wanna [CD-single] [Import]
- It's My Cadillac (Got That Bass)
- Keep Your Worries [CD-single] [Import]
- Lights Out [Explicit Lyrics]
- Live at the Fillmore [Explicit Lyrics] [Live]
- Mafioso Game Tite Calabo [Explicit Lyrics]
- Magic Villa [Import]
- Maximum Rap 12": The Original Maxi Single Collection
- New Beginning
- No Matter the Odds [Explicit Lyrics]
Dance Music
Leevi Madetoja: Symphonies Nos. 1-3; Suites and Symphonic Poems
Duets: Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt
Love Me With All Your Heart/By Request
Live!: Extended Versions [Live]