Etc.

Track Listings

1. Chicago LL

2. Trees

3. Shoreline

4. In the Dark

5. Bay Reef

6. Train Home

7. In the Subway

8. Open Your Heart

9. Dance of the Serpant

10. Renaissance Sympony 1st Movement

11. Silversphere

12. Grace Under Pressure

Etc.,Keith Hersch,Noir Records,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Etc.

Tracks:

Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Moderato
Appalachian Spring: Fast
Appalachian Spring: Subito Allegro
Appalachian Spring: As At First (Slowly)
Appalachian Spring: Doppio movimento
Appalachian Spring: Moderato - Coda
Rodeo: Buckaroo Holiday - Allegro con spirito
Rodeo: Corral Nocturne - Moderato
Rodeo: aturday Night Waltz - Introduction - Slow Waltz
Rodeo: Hoe-Down - Allegro
Billy The Kid: Introduction. The Open Prairie
Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
Billy The Kid: Mexican Dance And Finale
Billy The Kid: Prairie Night (Card Game At Night)
Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
Billy The Kid: Celbration (After Billy's Capture)
Billy The Kid: Billy's Death
Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
Fanfare for the Common Man: Molto deliberato

Amazon.com essential recording

Happy is the composer who has an advocate as passionate and talented as Leonard Bernstein. These Copland performances have been the preferred versions since they were first issued--better even than the composer's own, later recordings. Originally they were spread over two discs, but thanks to the extended playing time of the compact disc, you can now get all three great Copland ballets together, along with the ever popular Fanfare for the Common Man. Bernstein brings to this music the right sharpness of rhythm but also a typically open-hearted warmth. He coaxes a virtuoso response from the New York Philharmonic, which knows this music as well (or better) than anyone. Self- recommending. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

What more could one ask for?.......2007-06-27

Aaron Copland's masterful works are here interpreted by Bernstein. Nothing says the American sound like Copland, and there is no better interpreter than Bernstein. This recording is one of the best in my collection. I would recommend this to anyone (even non-classical music fans).

Definitive Is Right.......2007-02-27

I have the SACD version of these recordings (except for the "Fanfare" which, in this case, is the version taken from Bernstein's recording of Copland's Third Symphony) and I must agree with others here that the performances are definitive. The "Rodeo" has more energy than any other recording I know of, in fact it can almost go over the top! "Billy the Kid" is quiet and tender, dramatic and bold and "Appalachian Spring" is dead-on. The last section of this ballet is one of my very favorite pieces of music and Bernstein's tempo and phrasing here could well be called perfect.

Definitive Recordings of Copland's Popular Ballet Scores From Bernstein, NYPO.......2007-02-11

Without question, this splendid CD is my favorite recording of some of Aaron Copland's most popular orchestral ballet scores. In Leonard Bernstein he had both a good friend and a devout ally, who successfully championed Copland's music, helping to ensure his reputation as one of the greatest - if not the greatest - 20th Century American composer. Sony has done a superb job in digitally remastering this recording, offering some of the best sound I've heard from a vintage Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic recording. But more importantly than the recording's superb sonic quality is the quality of these performances of Copland's scores. Bernstein leads in New York Philharmonic in these virtuoso performances, replete with lush, vibrant playing from the winds, horns and strings. His warm, truly heart-felt interpretation of "Applachian Spring" is truly mesmerizing, and the best I have heard from a recording. And yet, I am am just as impressed with his conducting of both "Rodeo" and "Billy the Kid"; the latter replete with superb solos from the orchestra's timpanist. An elegant performance of "Fanfare for the Common Man" closes out this CD recording. Fans of Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra shouldn't hesitate in acquiring this superb CD.

American Music at its Highest .......2007-02-04

If I was forced to recommend one CD of American music, I would feel very safe in backing this one. These interpretations have yet to be surpassed, and not even Copland himself could muster the same type of perfection that Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic did in this recording. Bernstein's way with Rodeo is unbelievable, and this alone is worth the price of the disc. The music on this recording has a lot to do with why, as Americans, we can all be proud of our place in the history of western music.

With 39 reviews under me, I will dispense with the adjectives to try and describe each interpretation of each piece on this disc, and simply say that these performances have been recommended by almost everyone (professional critics included of course) since they appeared; get it and find out why.

The best of Copland.......2007-01-09

For the Aaron Copland fan, this CD has the essentials: the most popular and easy listening of the Copland body of creations. Enjoy!

Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, etc. / Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale

Average customer rating:

Review of Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna/Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale
So beautiful that it hurts.
Excellent
Great CD
Glorious, but not Perfection

Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, etc. / Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale
M. Lauridsen
Manufacturer: Rubeda Canis Musica
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Eric Whitacre: The Complete A Cappella Works, 1991-2001
Morten Lauridsen: Lux aeterna
O Magnum Mysterium
Eric Whitacre: Cloudburst and other choral works
Lauridsen: Northwest Journey

ASIN: B000006OF1
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Introitus - Lux Aeterna
In Te, Domine, Speravi - Lux Aeterna
O Nata Lux - Lux Aeterna
Veni, Sancte Spiritus - Lux Aeterna
Agnus Dei - Lus Aeterna - Lux Aeterna
En Une Seule Fleur - Les Chansons Des Roses
Contre Qui, Rose - Les Chansons Des Roses
De Ton Reve Trop Plein - Les Chansons Des Roses
La Rose Complete - Les Chansons Des Roses
Dirait - On - Les Chansons Des Roses
Ave Maria - Ave Maria
MID WINTER SONGS: Lament For Pasiphae - M. LAURIDSEN
MID WINTER SONGS: Like Snow - M. LAURIDSEN
MID WINTER SONGS: She Tells Her Love While Half Asleep - M. LAURIDSEN
MID WINTER SONGS: Mid-Winter Waking - M. LAURIDSEN
MID WINTER SONGS: Intercession In Late October - M. LAURIDSEN
O Magnum Mysterium - O Magnum Mysterium

Amazon.com

Modern choral music for amateur singers may be America's biggest musical underground. That's the only explanation of why Grammy-nominated composer Morten Lauridsen can claim that his works are some of the most often-performed new pieces in years, although few among the East Coast intelligentsia have ever heard of him. Like the similarly popular John Rutter, Lauridsen inhabits an extremely conservative style directed simply and single-mindedly at showing off the beauty of choral singing while it illustrates inspiring texts. Unlike many of his fellow neo-Romantic conservatives, Lauridsen displays a brand of conservatism that is completely convincing and sincere. His music also has range, from the spellbindingly rapturous Lux aeterna to his playful settings of Rilke's poems about the beauty and thorniness of roses in Les chansons des roses. There is, moreover, a Coplandesque streak heard in his Mid-Winter Songs, which are settings of poems by Robert Graves. Though the Los Angeles Master Chorale has a suitably red-blooded sound, the music would be better served with more precise diction. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Review of Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna/Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale.......2007-05-13

This is a fabulous CD! I have sung at least one of the compositions on the CD in a choral society to which I belong. I am also familiar with the composer and love his music. The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a wonderful music group!

So beautiful that it hurts........2007-04-27

Two days ago I had never heard of Morten Lauridsen (shame on me). Our local PBS station (WITF in Harrisburg, PA) opened its morning show a few days ago at 9 AM with his lovely "Sure on This Shining Night," a segment of a poem by James Agee. I could not work for an hour after hearing it. Students entered my office and left quickly at the sight of my dazed look. I immediately purchased three recordings, and this one, "Lux Aeterna," is my favorite. The music is so beautiful that it hurts.

Buy this album now. The music is truly exquisite. The performance is outstanding. The CD is a masterpiece. After one hearing of Lauridsen's "Lux Aeterna," I tell you the truth: I could not sleep the entire night. The music was with me all night, and it continues to resonate through my soul.

Excellent.......2007-04-06

Excellent recording - Lauridsen music represents the best choral composers of this age. This CD captures as many of his best compositions as one can expect - Great buy.

Great CD.......2007-02-17

I purchased this CD a couple of years ago when my daughter was working up a couple of Lauridsen works for an audition recording she was doing for her college application (she got in). Besides the sentimental association with that time, this CD has remained a treasured part of out listening library. These are truly 20th century masterpieces of choral music. The recording is among the very best of any type that I have heard. Even if you don't normally like choral music this is a CD to treasure.

Glorious, but not Perfection.......2007-01-20

Morten Lauridsen has a style as distinctively recognizable as Mozart or Beethoven--if you have heard or sung a few of his works, an unfamiliar title will still sound like an old friend. I have to admit I love the aural world which Lauridsen creates.

This recording displays Lauridsen at his best--the long-standing working relationship between the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the composer give these performances an authority and credibility which would be the envy of any group. The Chorale voices display a depth and maturity (particularly in the Bass and Alto sections) which I miss in college choirs, yet the control is perfect.

The works are recorded in the Sacred Heart Chapel of Loyola Marymount University--a very live acoustic, which contributes to the wonderful sense of blend and sonic depth in these pieces. This sonorous glory does have a price, however. The wonderful texts are quite frequently muddled a bit. The enunciation and diction are not as clear on this recording as one might have expected from this group. That is a small cavil, however--intonation and interpretation are flawless.

Buy this, put it in your CD player, turn it up, and enjoy it. If you love choral music, you need to own this disc.

Gabriela Montero plays Chopin, Falla, Ginestera, etc. [Includes Bonus CD]

Average customer rating:

Gabriela Montero CDs
Non-professional Review
Absolutely Magnificent!
Improvisations Unbelievable!
A beautiful breath of fresh air!

Gabriela Montero plays Chopin, Falla, Ginestera, etc. [Includes Bonus CD]

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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Bach & Beyond - Gabriela Montero
Gabriela Montero en Concert à Montréal
Bach & Beyond [United Kingdom]
The Carnegie Hall Concert
Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording

ASIN: B0009VK0LO
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Moment Musical In E Mino Op. 12 No. 4
Prelude In G Op.32 No.5
Etude-Tableau In D Op.39 No.9
Prelude in D Flat Op.17 No.3
Prelude In E Flat Minor Op.16 No.4
Prelude In G Op.13 No.3
Etude in C Sharp Minor Op.42 No.5
La Vida Breve: First Spanish Dance - Manuel De Falla
Goyescas: Quejas O La Maya Y El Ruisenor
Danza Del Viejo Boyero
Danza De La Moza Donosa
Danza Del Gaucho Matrero
Nocturne In D Flat Op.27 No.2
Fantaisie-Impromptu In C Sharp Minor Op.66
Mephisto Waltz No.1

Tracks:

On Rachmaniov: Vocalise
On The Theme From Bach 'Goldberg Variations'
On Chopin: Nocturne In D Flat
On Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2
Inspired By Scriabin
On Duermete Mi Nino
In The Style Of Tango
On Granados: 'Quejas O La Maya El Ruisenor'
In The Style Of Bach
On Chopin: Prelude In A
'Improvisation in Blue (Gabriela Montero)'
'Song for Natalia and Isabella (Gabriela Montero)'

Customer Reviews:

Gabriela Montero CDs.......2007-06-12

Excellent service -- speedy, just as described, well-packaged. I'd definitely buy from this seller again.

Non-professional Review.......2007-03-27

Okay, I listen almost exclusively to classical music, but I do so simply for the pleasure and nothing more. I cannot tell you about Gabriela Montero's technique, and, when she improvises, I have no ability to judge the music's intrinsic value, authenticity, or whatever. I can only tell you this: while I own many dozens of albums, running the full spectrum of the classical genre, I value none of them above Montero's Bach and Beyond and her Piano Recital. Pure listening joy!

Absolutely Magnificent!.......2007-03-09

I first saw Gabriela Montero on 60 Minutes a few months ago and was taken by her playing ability as well as her ability to improvise on the classics. Ms. Montero's fingers fly over the keyboard, playing Rachmaninoff more dramatically and key-perfect than I've heard in a long time. I decided to purchase this CD and have not been disappointed.

Improvisations Unbelievable!.......2007-01-26

Gabriela Montero is a tremendous talent, both in standard classical repertoire, and improvisation. I have know her since she was a young girl, and she was by far the best pianist around, even then. She is an undersung pianist of our age, and should rise to the top very soon!

A beautiful breath of fresh air!.......2007-01-20

What a sheer delight hearing her play. I've never heard anyone quite like her. A phenomenally gifted player, and it's a rare treat to hear someone who defies pigeonholing. I had heard her on the radio, and knew I was onto something when her improvisation on a very simple theme gave me the chills. I love both CD's in this collection.

It's interesting hearing the negative response coming from some classical musicians and fans. At times it can seem to roughly follow the stages of grief as proposed by Kubler-Ross. I'm a professional guitarist, and it's funny because it's almost identical to how guitarists react to hearing another guitarist, but with an big class-conscious overlay (all very civilized, of course). Think of the "guitarist screwing in a lightbulb" joke. To paraphrase and extrapolate on what someone might say upon hearing her improvisation:

1. Shock: Wow, he's good. Oh, and it's a woman!? And you say it's improvisation??

2. Denial: That can't possibly be improvisation. Classical musicians don't engage in that untidy process. What she's playing must be written out, and I can tell! Don't ask, I just know it.

3. Anger: This stuff is no good. Only permanent music is of value through the ages, and that's why classical music (and only the European kind) is better than any other music. Besides, I can't improvise, so I reject it - and only THOSE people engage in improvisation.

4. Depression: She can play all the classical music, and seemingly can improvise, or at least pass her stuff off as such. Not only that, she's getting attention and money, and we're not. Why is the world unfair?

5. Acceptance: (sort of) Well, I guess she's selling CD's, and is becoming successful. She is, I hate to admit it, a great player. Even if she is a faker. Of course, they're begging my Muffy to become artist-in-residence in Spoleto....

The other reviewer has a point when he says that she may be viewed as a curiosity. Because she's crossing genres, people may not know what to make of it, and this often causes reflexive hostility. As an improvisor, I would agree that it's hard to say that something is 100% improvised - players tend to have pet phrases and favorite general ideas they return to. But to me, Gabriela's playing is at the highest level of skill, beauty, and feeling, whether improvising or playing written pieces.

Average customer rating:

FORGOTTEN (BY ME) BEAUTIES
MENDELSSOHN'S 48
Portraits at exhibition!
Second-tier Mendelssohn and Boringboim to boot
Excellent!

Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words, etc.

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music

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Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos
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Mendelssohn: Sonata for Piano; Prelude & Fugue; Variations Sérieuses; Rondo Capriccioso
Songs Without Words
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B000001GYC
Release Date: 1997-04-15

Tracks:

Lieder ohne Worte op. 19: No. 1 In E Major - Andante con moto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 19: No. 2 In A Minor - Andante espressivo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 19: No. 3 In A Major 'Hunting Song' - Molto allegro e vivace
Lieder ohne Worte op. 19: No. 4 in A Major - Moderato
Lieder ohne Worte op. 19: No. 5 In F Sharp Minor - Piano agitato
Lieder ohne Worte op. 19: No. 6 In G Minor 'Venetian Gondola Song' - Andante sostenuto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 30: No. 1 In E Flat Major - Andante espressivo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 30: No. 2 In B Flat Minor - Allegro di molto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 30: No. 3 In E Major - Adagio non troppo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 30: No. 4 In B Minor - Agitato e con fuoco
Lieder ohne Worte op. 30: No. 5 In D Major - Andante grazioso
Lieder ohne Worte op. 30: No. 6 In F Sharp Minor 'Venetian Gondola Song' - Allegretto tranquillo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 38: No. 1 In E Flat Major - Con moto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 38: No. 2 In C Minor - Allegro non troppo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 38: No. 3 In E Major - Presto e molto vivace
Lieder ohne Worte op. 38: No. 4 In A Major - Andante
Lieder ohne Worte op. 38: No. 5 In A Minor - Agitato
Lieder ohne Worte op. 38: No. 6 In A Flat Major - Andante con moto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 53: No. 1 In A Flat Major - Andante con moto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 53: No. 2 In E Flat Major - Allegro non troppo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 53: No. 3 In G Minor - Presto agitato
Lieder ohne Worte op. 53: No. 4 In F Major - Adagio
Lieder ohne Worte op. 53: No. 5 In A Minor 'Folksong' - Allegro con fuoco
Lieder ohne Worte op. 53: No. 6 In A Major - Molto allegro, vivace

Tracks:

Lieder ohne Worte op. 62: No. 1 In G Major - Andante espressivo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 62: No. 2 In B Flat Major - Allegro con fuoco
Lieder ohne Worte op. 62: No. 3 In E Minor 'Funeral March' - Andante maestoso
Lieder ohne Worte op. 62: No. 4 In G Major - Allegro con anima
Lieder ohne Worte op. 62: No. 5 In A Minor 'Venetian Gondola Song' - Andante con moto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 62: No. 6 In A Major 'Spring Song' - Allegretto grazioso
Lieder ohne Worte op. 67: No. 1 in E Flat Major - Andante
Lieder ohne Worte op. 67: No. 2 In F Sharp Minor - Allegro leggiero
Lieder ohne Worte op. 67: No. 3 In B Flat Major - Andante tranquillo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 67: No. 4 In C Major 'Spinning Song' - Presto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 67: No. 5 In B Minor - Moderato
Lieder ohne Worte op. 67: No. 6 In E Major 'Wiegenlied' - Allegretto non troppo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 85: No. 1 In F Major - Andante espressivo
Lieder ohne Worte op. 85: No. 2 In A Minor - Allegro agitato
Lieder ohne Worte op. 85: No. 3 In E Flat Major - Presto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 85: No. 4 In D Major - Andante sostenuto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 85: No. 5 In A Major - Allegretto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 85: No. 6 In B Flat Major - Allegretto con moto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 102: No. 1 In E Minor - Andante, un poco agitato
Lieder ohne Worte op. 102: No. 2 In D Major - Adagio
Lieder ohne Worte op. 102: No. 3 In C Major - Presto
Lieder ohne Worte op. 102: No. 4 In G Minor - Un poco agitato, ma andante
Lieder ohne Worte op. 102: No. 5 In A Major - Allegro vivace
Lieder ohne Worte op. 102: No. 6 In C Major - Andante
Kinderstucke op. 72: Allegro non troppo
Kinderstucke op. 72: Andante sostenuto
Kinderstucke op. 72: Allegretto
Kinderstucke op. 72: Andante con moto
Kinderstucke op. 72: Allegro assai
Kinderstucke op. 72: Vivace
Gondellied: Allegretto non troppo
2 Klavierstucke: Andante cantabile
2 Klavierstucke: Presto agitato
Albumblatt op. 117: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

FORGOTTEN (BY ME) BEAUTIES.......2007-05-14

Until I purchased this bargain (two discs for the price of one), recording of Mendelssohn's "Songs without Words" that are played exquisitely by Daniel Barenboim, I, in the past, have listened mainly to Mendelssohn's chamber music, Concertos and/or Symphonies kind of forgetting about these most beautiful compositions, What a real pleasure this recording has been for me. I believe that Mendelssohn composed these" Songs without Words" (also included are Mendelssohn's "Kinderstucke", op 72, "Albumblatt", op. 117 and 2 short pieces) through out his short life. Daniel indeed plays all of the works including the "demanding" ones (there are surprisingly for me some very demanding ones) most beautifully never forgetting that the compositions are above all else "Songs". Daniel Barenboim always lets the melodies be heard above all else and there are some very beautiful melodies to hear.

This recording was made in the early 1970s; however, DGG has done a wonderful job of transferring them to the CD format--the sound is rich, lush and clear.

If you want to hear some beautiful compositions that are played most beautifully, buy this recording.

MENDELSSOHN'S 48.......2006-09-01

Bach's 48 preludes and fugues seem to me to be to some extent a diary of the composer's feelings, and I get much the same impression from Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, which are also 48 in number. To me, they are beautiful and touching minor masterpieces and when I hear them I am not disturbed, or even visited, by the thought that they are not masterpieces to rank with Bach's. However I am not as exacting in evaluating a performance of them as I would be with Bach either, and when I willingly award this set 5 stars I know that I'm setting the bar lower. There are limits to what any interpreter, even the greatest, of the Songs Without Words can find in them, but for all that some interpreters are greater than others, and I happen to know even better accounts of some of these pieces than you will find on these two discs from Barenboim.

It was high time in any case that I had a complete set of these lovely works. My collection up to now had only stretched to 14 of them, but - I have to say it again - those 14 are enough to teach me the difference between fine performances and great ones. Barenboim's accounts should be easily good enough for most of us most of the time, and in addition to the Songs he throws in the Children's Pieces plus a few other short numbers that Mendelssohn, for reasons known principally to himself, chose not to publish. With one solitary exception, Barenboim's touch is affectionate, warm and beautiful, and is well served by the 1974 recording. Speeds adopted sound about right to me in general, and the interpretations offered are full of insight and loving care, and free from eccentricity or egotism. Barenboim can be powerful when he needs to be, but the requirement for power is very limited in what we have here, and the overall impression that the set leaves is rightly one of tact, sympathy and enthusiasm. My single regret concerns my own favourite of all the Songs - the Duetto op 38/6. Something goes quite unaccountably wrong here. I'd call the speed too fast in the first place, and I would have liked the pseudo-voices brought out more strongly against the arpeggio accompaniment, but the real affront to my sensibilities comes when the two voices sing forte in octaves, and Barenboim bangs out the melody in a bad-tempered and cacophonous way that reminds me of one of Kissin's off-days.

One botched effort out of 58 is not a bad ratio nevertheless. I can play the Duetto to my own satisfaction anyway, or I can listen to it on my old Turnabout LP played by Guiomar Novaes. Novaes seems to be all but forgotten these days, but she was a great player, recognised as such by no less than Debussy when she was a teenager. Her idea of the Duetto is slower than mine, indeed for an amateur like me the piece, which lies beautifully and naturally under the hands, seems practically to dictate its own speed. However it's not the tempo that makes the impression. In this piece as in many others starting with the very first of all the Songs, what transfixes me is the haughty and highlighted clarity of Novaes's melodic line and the magnificence of her left-hand tone. It also happens that in the disc that accompanies the biography of Serkin by Stephen Lehmann and Marion Faber there are two of the Songs in Novaes's selection - a solemn and gripping op 62/1 and a coruscating Spinning Song worthy of Horowitz or Cziffra for virtuosity. The point is simply this - there is an aura of greatness that surrounds the playing of Serkin and Novaes in practically anything they do. Admirable as he is, Barenboim is not quite in that league, although I don't consider the balance of advantage to be totally one-sided, and it may be that Barenboim actually makes a more appealing job of the Spring Song.

Nevertheless I have only 14 of the Songs from Novaes, and all of two from Serkin, in somewhat antiquated sound at that. Barenboim gives me all 48 plus some bonus extras, played with love and appreciation of the soul of this beautiful and affecting music. This is a set I am going to be returning to for solace and balm to the spirit, I can tell already. The recorded sound is not wondrous, but it's good 1974 quality. The liner note is from the distinguished pen of Joan Chissell, but I can't say it seems to me to amount to much. Moreover she nails her colours to the mast with the ringing challenge `No 19th-century composer exceeded Mendelssohn in respect for Classical tradition, and such ordered modes of expression as fugue...' I dispute this strenuously. Not only are Mendelssohn's fugues not his best or most professional work, as Tovey makes very clear, they are inferior in respect for classical precedent and thoroughness of workmanship to Schumann's, as the same sage also points out. Besides which Brahms was a musical scholar of minute and profound learning, particularly steeped in the great German musical tradition, to an extent that Mendelssohn never rivalled. What Mendelssohn can claim is to be sui generis, what he does best he does better than anyone, and some of his most intimate musical thoughts are to be found in the Songs Without Words. For the pleasure and comfort they bring me I thank Mendelssohn's shade and the loving and expert guidance of Barenboim.

Portraits at exhibition!.......2006-04-09

In contrast to many other musicians, Mendelssohn had an evident, fruitful and fortunate association with the visual arts. Keeping in mind his education was conceived as part of the Renascence man, so we should not ignore his classical-humanistic education, so that explains why his Symphonies maybe basically, considered such arresting visual landscapes: the Scottish, Italian and Reform would seem confirm it.

The Songs without words conform ostensibly, a great stylistic and conceptual unity. It could not be other way, noticing the fact John Field was essentially the grandfather of the nocturnes for piano and Chopin the most expressive and intimate explorer of the human soul, Mendelssohn had all those variables in mind and decided to create a portrait album. As other artists as Liszt and Goethe the exerted fascination after being in Venice would work out as febrile inspiration. Every little page of this kaleidoscopic reflects different state anima; they are structured and interweaved similarly respect Robert Schumann with his Carnival or Childhood scenes; with profound lyric and evocative accent, destined to recreate the tourist memory. He achieved then to make a voluminous album of feelings but without that marked introspective mood of Frederic Chopin, for instance.

Daniel Barenboim decided to record these ebb tide piano pieces with personal conviction and lyric imagination. The result was simply refulgent and deeply inspiring.

Second-tier Mendelssohn and Boringboim to boot.......2002-10-21

The majority of Mendelssohn's works consisted of fluff and flutter reminisent of Mozart on an off-day and these piano pieces certainly aren't among Mendelssohn's small number of masterworks.The fact that these compositions are no more than trifles is made worse by Barenboim's insistence in trying to infuse an element of profundity to them.The result is tedium and annoyance.I owned this 2 disk set for more than 2 years and didn't listen to it more than 7-8 times.Every time I would try and listen boredom would set in and within a few minutes listening became a matter of endurance.I finally traded it off and haven't missed it in the least.It may be a 2 for the price of 1 set but,as usual,such "bargains" are hardly a bargain.

Excellent!.......2002-02-18

This is one of my top 5 classical piano CDs. It has a relaxing, easy-to-listen-to sound that I never get tired of. Every song in this 2-cd set is great.

Debussy: Snowflakes Are Dancing, Prelude, etc / Tomita

Average customer rating:

Another great electronic adaptation of classical music by Isao Tomita
A classic!
clair de lune again
Synthesizers are Dancing
A seminal work that stands the test of time

Debussy: Snowflakes Are Dancing, Prelude, etc / Tomita

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Tomita Planets
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Kosmos
Different Dimensions: Anthology

ASIN: B00003OP6X
Release Date: 2000-01-10

Tracks:

Children's Corner, No.4: Snowflakes Are Dancing
Reverie
Estampes, No.3: Gardens In The Rain
Suite bergamasque, No.3: Clair De Lune
Arabesque No. 1
Preludes, Book I, No.10: The Engulfed Cathedral
Suite bergamasque, No.4: Passepied
Preludes, Book I, No.8: The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Children's Corner, No.6: Golliwog's Cakewalk
Preludes, Book I, No.6: Footprints In The Snow
Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun

Amazon.com

Back in the '70s, the rapid development of synthesizers and electronic keyboards had a huge impact on popular music, with Isao Tomita among the leading exponents of multimedia, surround-sound events associated in Western Europe with such very different musicians as Rick Wakeman and Jean-Michel Jarre. The present disc has less grandiose aims, being a well-balanced selection of, to quote the original liner notes, "Virtuoso electronic performances of Debussy's beautiful tone paintings." It's easy to scoff at the concept behind Tomita's approach--take some of the most poetic music around and give it the consistency of aural cotton wool--yet there's no denying the skill with which he translates Debussy's soundworld, preserving the harmonic interest of the piano originals and bringing out many subtleties of texture. Inevitably the slower numbers come off best--"Clair de Lune" or "Reverie" could easily become chill-out favorites. "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun," however, is not so much a travesty as a vaporization of the orchestral masterpiece. A mixed bag, but with enough musical interest to make Tomita's "sound clouds" of more than just curiosity value. --Richard Whitehouse

Customer Reviews:

Another great electronic adaptation of classical music by Isao Tomita.......2007-06-02

Released in 1974, this all electronic adaptation of works by Claude Debussy is really quite good and showcases Isao Tomita and his flair for synthesizer wizardry. I think that Isao more or less captures the dreamy and haunting mood of Debussy's compositions and also adds a bit of his own (humorous) flair here and there with some "light-hearted" synth sounds.

The music on this album was recorded entirely with a moog synthesizer although the sweeping and majestic sound of a mellotron with string setting pokes through the mix on occasion. As a big synthesizer fan, I thought it was interesting that the various settings on the moog were listed as "equipment" including things like oscillators and lowpass filters etc. This particular synthesizer was pretty versatile and a virtually infinite number of sounds could be generated, as is amply demonstrated by Isao on this album.

In addition to the works originally included on Snowflakes are Dancing, the last track was taken from his Firebird album (1976) and is another work composed largely on the moog synthesizer although other keyboards were used including a Fender electric piano and a Hohner Clavinet C.

The sound of this high performance CD is excellent and trust me, the changes in dynamics virtually leap out at you.

All in all, this is an excellent recording of electronic music by an excellent electronic composer. Highly recommended along with his 1976 adaptation of The Planets (by Gustav Holst).

A classic!.......2007-05-12

This was one of my favorites for years. Tomita has a way of presenting classical music that will captivate every sense.

clair de lune again.......2007-05-07

I owned this in cassette form many years ago and wanted it in undated mode. I bought this strictly for the rendition of Clair De Lune

Synthesizers are Dancing.......2007-03-28

During the seventies, the prog music of Yes, (early) Genesis, Renaissance, and especially Emerson, Lake & Palmer cast a hypnotic spell over legions of high school nurds such as myself. Much of what held it together was a fascination with the sounds eminating from the still somewhat new Moog Synthesizer. It wasn't long before my high school art room pals & myself began looking for anything Moog, and found quite a bit outside the rock music pantheon, most notably the 'Switched On Bach' recordings of Walter/Wendy Carlos. They were interesting, but nothing quite prepared us for the release of Tomita's 'Snowflakes Are Dancing'. Perhaps it was because the timing coincided with a 'high' point in our collective psyhedelic experimentations.... Debussy's music is already an alternative, ethereal experience in the classical world, and Tomita's choice of sounds & production techniques put this recording in a class by itself (umm... especially with a pair of good headphones). I am happy to report that, upon listening to this well produced CD release with nothing more than a cup of herbal tea, I was happily transported once again. It is one delightfully Bizarre recording. 'Highly' recommended.

A seminal work that stands the test of time.......2006-08-03

Tomita was one of the early pioneers of electronic music. This CD, originally released in the 70's, was at the time a masterpiece. That was in the days of patch cords and laborious manual over dubbing, so not every cut is up to today's standars. Still, the finer pieces on this CD stand with anything ever done in the genre: luminous, melodic, and even entrancing. At its best, a magical CD highly recommended not only for the connoisseur, but for anyone who enjoys synthesized music.

Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc / Martha Argerich

Average customer rating:

treasured
Easily one of the finest releases of the Deutsche Grammophon catalog
Miraculous!
The young Argerich--fresh and completely without affectation
Beautiful rendition

Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc / Martha Argerich

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording
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J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich

ASIN: B000001GQQ
Release Date: 1996-05-14

Tracks:

Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester Nr.3 C-dur op.26: 1. Andante - Allegro
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester Nr.3 C-dur op.26: 2. Thema. Andantino - Variations I. L'istesso Tempo - Var.2.Allegro - Var.3. - Allegro moderato - Var.4.Andantino meditativo - Var.5.Allegro giusto - Thema.L'istesso tempo
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester Nr.3 C-dur op.26: 3. Allegro ma non troppo
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester G-dur - In G Major: 1. Allegramente
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester G-dur - In G Major: 2. Adagio assai
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester G-dur - In G Major: 3. Presto
Gaspard de la nuit - Trois poemes pour piano d'apres Aloysius Bertrand: 1. Ondine. Lent
Gaspard de la nuit - Trois poemes pour piano d'apres Aloysius Bertrand: 2. Le Gibet. Tres lent
Gaspard de la nuit - Trois poemes pour piano d'apres Aloysius Bertrand: 3. Scarbo, Modere

Amazon.com essential recording

This is the original Prokofiev/Ravel concerto coupling as it appeared on LP; the Prokofiev has also been coupled with the Tchaikovsky First Concerto. I prefer this edition since superb performances of the Ravel are less common. The young (1967) Martha Argerich plays the Prokofiev for maximum brilliance but leavens the Ravel with the composer's ironic lyricism. It's very effective. The bonus is one of the greatest performances of the Ravel piano suite ever recorded, but it leaves me wondering what will happen to the remainder of the original LP. All those solo Ravel pieces should be in the catalog; as Argerich plays them, they offer a primer on what keyboard color is all about. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

treasured.......2007-06-05

I won't go at length about this CD's every refinement, but the Adagio assai on ravel's concerto is easily the best I have ever heard. It is possibly the best collaboration between orchestra/conductor and the pianist of any work. Abbado and Argerich just clicked. It's magic. That does not come along often, even with the masters.

Easily one of the finest releases of the Deutsche Grammophon catalog.......2007-05-24

It's criminal that DG waited almost thirty years to reissue these excellent recordings as a compact disc edition. Never mind the middling late Karajan discs or all this overwrought Lang Lang tripe that they're defecating into mass-production these days - this 1967 release is the finest of many stunning collaborations between Argerich and Abbado at the distinguished helm of the BPO.

The first of the two piano concertos on this disc is Prokofiev's third, and it's undoubtedly one of the best of either Argerich's or Abbado's respective careers. The performance ebbs and flows naturally with note-perfect precision and vibrant (but never overstated), colorful dynamics. Argerich has a keen understanding of any composer's more playful sensibilities, which is why her intuition has always been especially keen when interpreting repertoire works that express such wit by the likes of Prokofiev. Cliché as it is, the only complaint that one could direct at this recording is that it's too short - after three thrilling, relatively brief movements, one is left breathless, but wanting even more. If a better performance of this work has been committed to disc, I'm not familiar with it. Argerich's 1998 recording (paired with Dutoit) is good but nowhere close to this, and the Prokofiev/Coppola recording available from Naxos suffers from the age and deterioration of its' source; given such a poor recording, many aspects of that terrific performance are impossible to evaluate.

The recording of the Ravel piano concerto is almost as thrilling as that of the Prokofiev concerto, and for all the same reasons. Both pianist and orchestra tackle the amusing inventions that Ravel invested in this remarkable piece. The three part form of the second movement is especially well navigated, something that can't be said of many other performances of this composition.

The expanded storage capacity of the CD format permits another recording in addition to the two of the original Prokofiev/Ravel LP: Argerich's amazing 1974 performance of Ravel's "Gaspard de la nuit." If any recording presents this composition as the one of the most difficult of the standard repertoire and Argerich as one of the finest pianists of her generation, it's this one. Both technically and expressively, it is almost incomparably superb, only surpassed by Pogorelich's brilliant equivalent. Argerich exhibits a curious insight pertaining to Ravel's unique, macabre adaptation of Bertrand's poem, and her execution of what Ravel called a "caricature of romanticism" does this insight justice. The speed and tonal color produced in her performance of the infamously difficult "Scarbo" movement is almost inhuman, and must be heard to be believed. This recording was originally released on LP along with numerous other excellent Ravel solo piano works such as "Valses nobles et sentimentales" and "Sonatine." Most of those other recordings are available on different DG compilations, and the inclusion of "Gaspard" succeeding the two concertos on this disc feels appropriate.

It should be mentioned that DG might regain some of its' straying audience if the label chose to reissue DVDs of the many excellent live performances and music videos that it released over the course of it's long and storied existence, instead of so many pointless, worthless, pretentious albums by pop star morons-turned-fake classicists like Sting and Elvis Costello. The music videos for this disc's recording of "Gaspard de la nuit" were especially interesting - curious little films that capably presented symbolist iconography related to the source material as well as video footage of Argerich's light-speed fingers. I've seen enough of these videos in poor quality on YouTube to know that a sufficient number of them exist to pad out a DVD that any sighted Argerich fan would be willing to view, and probably pay for.

Like most of the discs in DG's "The Originals" reissue series, the remastering of these recordings is adequate, but hardly exceptional. The original recordings of the concertos were a bit too bright (almost harsh), and the remastered versions fix this while rendering the soft passages a bit too subdued. Overall, this is a fair trade-off. At the cut price, you can't possibly go wrong with this phenomenal release.

Miraculous!.......2007-05-12

The collaboration between Argerich and Abbado is impressive. Argerich is at her best. A must for your classical collection.

The young Argerich--fresh and completely without affectation.......2007-02-25

The few complainers about this famous recording have slipped fra down the list here at Amazon, and what's striking is that the things they hate about Argerich (mannered phrasing, overly aggressive attack, rushing, banging) are the very things we don't get here. Ms. Argerich can display a reckless, hectoring style, but at her best--as here--she's full of imagination, wit, and an uncanny ability to see beneath the surface of the score.

I can only second everyone else's high praise for the Prokofiev and Ravel concertos, which are spellbinding, as well as for her Gaspard de la Nuit, which is staggeringly virtuosic and original. Abbado conducts with gusto and style, if not the greatest nuance, and only the somewhat dated sonics detract (marginally) from a recording that has remained in print for forty years.

Beautiful rendition.......2007-01-03

The piano concertos by Prokofiev and Ravel are played brilliantly and the quality of the recording is all right, though it could be better (which cost this recording a star). A real treat, both Argerich and the orchestra show great timing and dynamics.
Both sound and interpretation of Gaspard de la nuit do not match the recording by Alexandre Tharaud (Ravel: l'oeuvre pur piano). Still I wholeheartedly recommend this album.

Bernstein Century - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, etc

Average customer rating:

Two Great Gershwin Recordings
Gershwin fan
Sorry - it's not the best.
Two of LB's quintessential recordings
Brilliant is the word!

Bernstein Century - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, etc

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029XJ
Release Date: 1997-10-28

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue
An American In Paris
Grand Canyon Suite: l. Sunrise
Grand Canyon Suite: ll. Painted Desert
Grand Canyon Suite: lll. On The Trail
Grand Canyon Suite: lV. Sunset
Grand Canyon Suite: V. Cloudburst

Amazon.com

Back in the 1950s and '60s, when George Gershwin was taken for granted more than he was respected, Leonard Bernstein was one of his only champions in high-classical-music circles, and to judge from these recordings, he got away with a lot. He would seem to be attempting to out-swagger Arthur Fiedler in the jazzier passages, but on the plus side, what can sound freeze-dried with some conductors has a welcome heat here, especially in An American in Paris. That piece receives one of its best-ever recordings and sounds great in the bright, clear recording venue, Brooklyn's Hotel St. George. However, Bernstein's tempo extremes tax the cohesion of Rhapsody in Blue. And Grofé's Grand Canyon Suite receives a sympathetic performance, though the acoustics of the Lincoln Center recording venue are so cavernous and diffuse you'd think it was recorded in the location of the title. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Two Great Gershwin Recordings.......2007-06-27

I first heard the recording of "An American in Paris" on the radio, and I immediately concluded that this was a recording I needed to order. I ordered this CD solely for the recording of "An American in Paris", everything else was a bonus. "An American in Paris" was worth the price of the whole CD, but so is "Rhapsody in Blue", which I believe could easily be the definitive recording of this great work. Grofé's "Grand Canyon Suite" is a pleasant bonus, but not the substance of this recording. I would highly recommend this recording.

Gershwin fan.......2007-04-01

I am, definitely, absolutely and totally sold on Gershwin, so there is no question as to whether this CD is good or not, since it has Gershwin's two "hits", Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris, it is good and enjoyable. I only feel that the Ferde Grofé part, though outstanding, is too overpowering vis-a-vis the Gershwin part. But it is definitely an OK CD, no question about it.

Sorry - it's not the best........2007-03-13

This recording is okay in many respsects...but many people (yours truly) find it lacking in something. Dare I say the interpretation is slightly off?

Sorry - there are better out there.

Two of LB's quintessential recordings.......2007-01-09

This bids fair to be the most famous recording of American music ever made, so it's strange for the Amazon reviewer to condescend to LB's readings of Gerhswin, only to call it one of his best. The more renowned recording is Rhapsody in Blue with Bernstein at the piano and a pickup orchestra--no doubt recruited form the NY Phil.--that's bigger than a jazz band but still lean. (Arthur Fiedler's version, also famous, is far more square.) If anything, the American in Paris recording is better; I can't imagine a more vibrant reading. The orchestration is more symphonic than the Rhapsody, but LB makes sure that the rhythms swing. A ollector could stop and buy no other readings, but the ones by Andre Previn on EMI have updated sound and also come across with jazz spirit. The filler here is Grofe's once-famous Grand Canyon Suite, a negligible piece of fluff with truding donkeys and a thunderstorm. LB does it proud, however; one wonders if he even had to rehearse it--probably not.

Brilliant is the word!.......2006-11-29

No other director in the history has achieved such expression level and plain domain of the idiomatic lexicon of George Gershwin as Bernstein did it. There are two main reason for it, his enormous talent and his condition as pianist.

So, Gershwin may be very grateful because of that because for the posterity , the future newcomers in music will have the chance to analyze, scrutinize and explore all the factors that made possible this testimonial.

Totally recommended.

Greatest Hits HANDEL ~ Water Music, Largo, etc..

Average customer rating:

Handel's Greatest Hits
Music for feel joy and peace...
All Handel's Greatest Hits are not created equal.
Could use more oratorical works, but nice intro to Handel
Could use more oratorical works, but nice intro to Handel

Greatest Hits HANDEL ~ Water Music, Largo, etc..
George Frideric Handel , Raymond Leppard , André Rieu , Eugene Ormandy , Hartmut Haenchen , Pierre Boulez , Charles Groves , Richard P. Condie , Edita Gruberova , Wynton Marsalis , Igor Kipnis , English Chamber Orchestra , Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra , and Albert de Klerk
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Greatest Hits
Beethoven: Greatest Hits
Mendelssohn: Greatest Hits
Chopin: Greatest Hits
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ASIN: B000002A25
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Water Music Suite No. 1 (Excerpts): Allegro - Andante - Allegro Da Capo
Water Music Suite No. 1 (Excerpts): Air
Water Music Suite No.1 (Excerpts): Minuet
Water Music Suite No. 1 (Excerpts): Bourree
Water Music Suite No. 1 (Excerpts): Hornpipe
Largo From Xerxes
Music For The Royal Fireworks (Excerpts): Overture
La Rejouissance, Allegro
The Harmonious Blacksmith: (Air And Variations In E Major From Suite No. 5)
Let The Bright Seraphim From Samson
Suite No. 11 For Harpsichord: Sarabande
Water Music Suite No. 2: Without Tempo Indication
Water Music Suite No. 2: Alla Hornpipe
Water Music Suite No. 2: Minuet
Water Music Suite No. 2: Lentement
Water Music Suite No. 2: Bourree
Minuet From Berenice
Organ Concerto No. 13 In F Major, 'The Cuckoo And The Nightingale': II. Allegro
Judas Maccabaeus: See, The Conqu'ring Hero Come
Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Anne: Eternal Source Of Light Divine
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Handel's Greatest Hits.......2007-02-26

I found this recording disappointing in many respects. The sound quality was much lower than expected, especially on track 7 "Largo" which on the origional, Ormandy had created such a quiet grandeur. In trach 11 "Let the Bright Seraphim" Wynton Marsalis overpowered the singing of Edita Gruberova, whereas the music should always be the backup of the singer, and not vice versa. I don't know what happened to the "Hallelujah Chorus," but it didn't come off very well at all.

CD

Music for feel joy and peace..........2006-11-03

...the music is one of the most authentic feelings from human soul...it says without words the real feeling of the composer and listener...enjoy this beautifyl music to serenate your spirit....thanks God for music..

All Handel's Greatest Hits are not created equal........2004-02-25

Nothing else tops this unusually gorgeous rendering. Leppard's is the finest conducting of Handel to this reviewers ears. Especially the Xerxes Largo and the Watermusic
Hornpipes and Fireworks Oveurture tempi, legato and orchestration is full of warmth and energy. A true chiara scuro interpretation. Fabulous!!!!

Could use more oratorical works, but nice intro to Handel.......2001-08-08

This collection of George Frideric Handel's "Greatest Hits" leans more heavily towards "The Water Music Suite" than his oratorical work, which is my only serious complaint about this CD as an introduction to the composer's work. Although is does have "See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes" from Judas Maccabaeus and ends with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir doing the "Hallelujah Chorus," it does not have "For Unto Us a Child is Born" from Messiah, which I consider a glaring omission. The "new" piece for me on this CD that is a nice discovery is "Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (Eternal Source of Light Divine)," performed by Wynton Marsalis and the English Chamber Orchestra.

Could use more oratorical works, but nice intro to Handel.......2001-08-08

Chopin: 26 Préludes, etc / Martha Argerich

Average customer rating:

Little attention to detail and nuance
Absolutly wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Preludes as a Lightning Bolt
Lixo total
Sound quality and performance

Chopin: 26 Préludes, etc / Martha Argerich

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000001GEC
Release Date: 1991-06-14

Tracks:

24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 1 C-dur: Agitato
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 2 a-moll: Lento
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 3 G-dur: Vivace
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 4 e-moll: Largo
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 5 D-dur: Allegro molto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 6 h-moll: Lento assai
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 7 A-dur: Andantino
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 8 fis-moll: Molto agitato
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 9 E-dur: Largo
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 10 cis-moll: Allegro molto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 11 H-dur: Vivace
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 12 gis-moll: Presto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 13 Fis-dur: Lento
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 14 es-moll: Allegro
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 15 Des-dur: Sostenuto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 16 b-moll: Presto con fuoco
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 17 As-dur: Allegretto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 18 f-moll: Allegro molto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 19 Es-dur: Vivace
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 20 c-moll: Largo
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 21 B-dur: Cantabile
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 22 g-moll: Molto agitato
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 23 F-dur: Moderato
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 24 d-mall: Allegro appassionato
Prelude cis-moll Op. 45: Sostenuto
Prelude As-dur Op. post.: Presto
Mazurkas Op. 59: No. 1 a-moll: Moderato
Mazurkas Op. 59: No. 2 As-dur: Allegretto
Mazurkas Op. 59: No. 3 fis-moll: Vivace
Scherzo cis-moll Op. 39: Presto con fuoco

Customer Reviews:

Little attention to detail and nuance.......2007-04-01

I don't know why Argerich is so adored. Playing everything fast and loud doesn't constitute a great performance. I know the Chopin Preludes inside and out, and although Argerich has a nice intuition and a sense of passion, she pays little attention to the details and nuances that are so superb in Chopin. It seems that she was so eager to display technical mastery that the poetic sensibilities of the music are lost.

Absolutly wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-09-09

Is she agressive? Is she passionate? Is she out of this world? Yes, she is!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's what makes her different and unique!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder what are some customers trying to say when they say "Martha Argerich does not sound like Chopin". Of course she doesn't sound like Chopin, because she is creative, and most important, SHE IS NOOOT CHOPIN, SHE IS MARTHA ARGERICH.

The Preludes as a Lightning Bolt.......2005-04-17

Every pianist knows the Chopin Preludes, which stand even among his rich output as a cycle of unusually outstanding beauty, variety and mastery of chromaticism. They are played badly by so many novices, and indifferently by so many aspirants, that it is easy to make them sound stale. But Argerich's version has stood aside from all of that hubbub. It has been controversial since the beginning, with her most ardent admirers balanced by some equally militant detractors.

Is Argerich really defiling Chopin, as so many might suggest? I don't think so. Actually, I think that she succeeds brilliantly in making these pieces seem like just what they were in their time - groundbreaking.

Chopin experienced the thrill of treading into unknown waters, exploring obscure and uncharted parts of the human psyche, and bringing it all up to the surface with the utmost concision. I cannot imagine how proud Chopin must have felt to have produced such a creation from his own pen. And it is extreme music - extremely rich, extremely stark, extremely happy, extremely sad, extremely advanced, extremely conservative. To Chopin's contemporaries, they seemed to come from nowhere, like a bolt of lightning. A soundscape as blindingly intense as the F-sharp minor Prelude still seems more like the music of another planet (to borrow a comment from Arrau about Debussy). Is it not appropriate, then, for Argerich to play them with the appropriate extremes of volume, of tempo, of warmth and coolness?

Yes, I'm biased. Yes, there are some wrong notes in the B-flat minor Prelude (which certainly don't detract from the seemingly infinite power displayed) and there a few other places where newer editions, the Jan Ekier in particular, have made Chopin's intentions more clear. But the combination of burning, passionate music and burning, passionate pianist is unmatched. When it stops thrilling me, then I'll know I'm dead.

Lixo total.......2004-12-15

Imagine um Chopin onde só o virtuosismo e a "destruição" do teclado é a constante. Im agine um Chopin agressivo e desprovido quase totalmente de rubatos.Francamente,acho que Argerich não tinha a intenção de tocar Chopin.

Sound quality and performance.......2004-09-24

Other reviews here more or less sum up this performance. It is emotive and 'fiery' in its interpretation. It is really a personal matter whether you prefer this or a more laid back approach. The recording has some low level hiss.

Average customer rating:

A classic
The Triumph of Chicago
Only this Respighi and nothing else.
Very Justified Label of "Benchmark"
I want to be buried with this CD!

Respighi: Pines of Rome, etc

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003FUG
Release Date: 1995-04-11

Tracks:

La Mer: From Dawn Till Noon On The Sea
La Mer: Play Of The Waves
La Mer: Dialogue Of The Wind And The Sea
Fountains Of Rome: The Fountain Of Valle Giulia At Dawn
Fountains Of Rome: The Triton Fountain At Morning
Fountains Of Rome: The Fountain Of Trevi At Midday
Fountains Of Rome: The Villa Medici Fountain At Sunset
Pines Of Rome: The Pines Of The Villa Borghese
Pines Of Rome: Pines Near A Catacomb
Pines Of Rome: The Pines Of The Janiculum
Pines Of Rome: The Pines Of The Appian Way

Amazon.com

Whichever other Respighi tone poem recordings you ultimately purchase, you MUST own this one. Since the early `60s it has been the standard by which all others have been judged, and in terms of both sound and performance, it has never really been surpassed. The final march of Pines is simply incredible: thundering bass drum, crashing cymbals and gongs, bellowing brass--nobody since has brought the whole thing off with the same combination of excitement and discipline. The performance of La Mer has similar virtues. Fritz Reiner was a podium tyrant, but a tremendous musician all the same. This may be his finest recording. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

A classic.......2007-06-19

This is the only recording of the Pines I've heard where the trumpets play the fanfare in the first section open instead of muted as written. It never sounds right to me when played muted and makes every other recording disappointing. This is again the case in the trumpet solo in the beginning of the 3rd movement of La Mer in which Adolph Herseth plays the first line muted and the repeated line open. I've owned about five versions of this recording going back to records that I wore out playing. I have yet to hear a better version, although there are those with more modern sound quality. Still, the three-channel SACD is an improvement over any previous mix.

The Triumph of Chicago .......2005-07-20

Yes, I too despise recordings earlier than about 1970. The recording quality tends to be annoyingly muddy. I did hear remakable things about this recording, however, some of them I even read here at Amazon. And since I revere the CSO anyway( they are my favorite) I decided I would take a chance. When I listened to Pines, it gave me goosebumps. Sure, more contemporary recordings of the CSO have more in-your-face brass but for the year this was recorded in, it is astounding. The more and more I listened to Pines of the Appian Way, the more thunderstruck I was. The brass blaze a trail that the rest of the orchestra follows. It is an awesome testimony to power of music and the fiery passions it can stir up.

Honestly, however, when I first listened to Fountains, I was not impressed. The orchestral playing was of course first-rate but I thought the music was boring and restless with no clear direction. After a day or so, I decided to listen to it again, reasoning that it was I who was wrong. I did and I liked it. Not as exciting as Pines(the whole work) and Pines of the Appian Way, but it is still a good piece wonderfully performed, just sit and listen to everything.

Only this Respighi and nothing else........2004-04-05

Fritz Reiner surprises me here, despite his infamous reputation of being a tyranical, manipulative conductor whom his Chicago musicians had a hard time working with. That is because his handling of Respighi's Pines and Fountains of Rome are one of the finest recordings I've ever heard. There are the usual trademarks of precise and exciting playing, as demonstrated by the piece, pines by Villa Borghese. An average listener might felt ambushed by another typical Disney soundtract, except this sounds most exciting. The Pines at Janiculum and the Villa Medici Fountain at Sunset is Fritz Reiner at his most delicate and finest moment. Surprising, again since such warmth is unheard of a conductor of Reiner's reputation. I don't think I would want to own any other recordings of these magnificent works.

Very Justified Label of "Benchmark".......2004-02-23

Well, to begin, I'll say that I find the three musical compositions featured here to be splendid works. Respighi's journal of the sights of Rome as well as Debussy's accounts of his trips on the Mediterranean are irresistable tone poems that all classical music fans appreciate

And of course, the Chicago Symphony, whom you can just argue is the greatest American orchestra ever, puts in another terrific performance, as you would definately expect them to. The legendary Fritz Reiner was conductor of the CSO from 1951 to 1962, a golden period in the orchestra's history. Heiner was certainly a demanding leader, and it showed whenever recording sessions took place. A perfectionalist, he wanted control over all aspects and made sure himself that he received satisfactory results.

In the program booklet that comes with this CD, an excellent account is included of downtown Chicago's Orchestra Hall on October 24, 1959, when Reiner led his ensemble to a tremendous performance of Respighi's Pines and Fountains of Rome. The article is a very interesting read on the details of the recording session.

Now, as for the CD itself, the aged recording would of course raise the attention of the listening. While technology has definately surpassed what had been available back then, the sound is however very acceptable. This album indeed still remains one for the ages.

I want to be buried with this CD!.......2003-07-21

An NPR program once listed the best recordings of Respighi's works. The announcer made it a point to slam Respighi's compositions in every way possible (he even said that he found it fitting that the word "pig" was in Respighi!) but when all was said and done, he still ranked this recording as the undisputed master. I have owned several CDs of "Pines" and have slowly gotten rid of all but this one. NO recording of that piece has ever come close to Reiner's. The offstage brass are actually located on risers around the group and sound very "offstage" when they're supposed to be, but at the end of "Pines of the Appian Way", they are blazing at a volume that can compete with the brass on the stage. The intensity of the brass sound at ridiculous volume without sounding distored or harsh in any way is amazing-especially given the "prehistoric" techniques used in the recording. The string sound is beautiful throughout the range and the basses are thunderous when they need to be. In the fourth mvt, there are 2 spots in particular that are NEVER heard on other recordings. At 2:02, there is a key change to Bb. It is ushered in by the organ on a pedal Bb. It is marked pp I think, but when listening on good speakers or headphones in this recording, that note wraps around you and pins you down. On most recordings it is inaudible.

Another moment is at 3:34. There is an A in the second trumpet that is never heard for whatever reason, but on this version it is so intense that it will part your hair. There is no subtleness to the finale in this one. It is pure, raw power. I have performed this piece several times and while nothing can ever compare to being in the middle of this tidal wave of sounds all around you, this CD (at a proper, near-deafening level) can evoke those same sensations.

The Catacomb movement is frightening. The offstage trumpet solo is as gorgeous as they come with perfect muted string accompaniment. When the character changes right after the solo, the low brass hold down a beautiful pp with the subtle tam tam hits making it all the more eerie. Then...THE crescendo. The trombones take over with a sound unlike just about anything you'll hear on record. The strings are never buried either. Much of what makes this such a phenominal recording is the perfect balances that bring life to Respighi's brilliant coloration. Remember, this is before multitracking. They played and the mics picked up what was played. God, orchestras should sound this good today.

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