Concerti [Live]

1. Lo Zio

2. Come Di

3. Ricostruzione del Mocambo

4. Via Con Me

5. Topolino Amaranto

6. Alle Prese Con la Verde Milonga

7. Parigi

8. Diavolo Rosso

9. Hemingway

10. Bartali

11. Gelato Al Limon

12. Una Giornata Al Mare

13. Il Nostro Amico Angiolino

14. Onda Su Onda

15. Sotto le Stelle del Jazz

16. Azzurro

17. Boogie

18. Genova Per Noi

Tracks:

Concerto No. 1 In D Major: 1. Largo
Concerto No. 1 In D Major: 2. Allegro
Concerto No. 1 In D Major: 3. Largo - Allegro
Concerto No. 1 In D Major: 4. Allegro
Concerto No. 1 In D Major: 5. Largo
Concerto No. 1 In D Major: 6. Allegro
Concerto No. 1 In D Major: 7. Allegro
Concerto No. 2 In F Major: 1. Vivace - Allegro - Adagio - Vivace - Allegro - Largo Andante
Concerto No. 2 In F Major: 2. Allegro
Concerto No. 2 In F Major: 3. Grave - Andante Largo
Concerto No. 2 In F Major: 4. Allegro
Concerto No. 3 In C Minor: 1. Largo
Concerto No. 3 In C Minor: 2. Allegro
Concerto No. 3 In C Minor: 3. Grave
Concerto No. 3 In C Minor: 4. Vivace
Concerto No. 3 In C Minor: 5. Allegro
Concerto No. 4 In D Major: 1. Adagio - Allegro
Concerto No. 4 In D Major: 2. Adagio
Concerto No. 4 In D Major: 3. Vivace
Concerto No. 4 In D Major: 4. Allegro
Concerto No. 5 In B Flat Major: 1. Adagio - Allegro - Adagio
Concerto No. 5 In B Flat Major: 2. Adagio
Concerto No. 5 In B Flat Major: 3. Allegro - Adagio
Concerto No. 5 In B Flat Major: 4. Largo - Allegro
Concerto No. 6 In F Major: 1. Adagio
Concerto No. 6 In F Major: 2. Allegro
Concerto No. 6 In F Major: 3. Largo
Concerto No. 6 In F Major: 4. Vivace
Concerto No. 6 In F Major: 5. Allegro

Tracks:

Concerto No. 7 In D Major: 1. Vivace - Allegro
Concerto No. 7 In D Major: 2. Adagio
Concerto No. 7 In D Major: 3. Allegro
Concerto No. 7 In D Major: 4. Andante Largo
Concerto No. 7 In D Major: 5. Allegro
Concerto No. 7 In D Major: 6. Vivace
Concerto No. 8 In G Minor ('Christmas Concerto'): 1. Vivace - Grave. Arcate, sostenuto e come sta
Concerto No. 8 In G Minor ('Christmas Concerto'): 2. Allegro
Concerto No. 8 In G Minor ('Christmas Concerto'): 3. Adagio - Allegro - Adagio
Concerto No. 8 In G Minor ('Christmas Concerto'): 4. Vivace
Concerto No. 8 In G Minor ('Christmas Concerto'): 5. Allegro
Concerto No. 8 In G Minor ('Christmas Concerto'): 6. Largo. Pastorale ad libitum
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 1. Preludio: Largo
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 2. Allemanda: Allegro
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 3. Corrente: Vivace
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 4. Gavotta: Allegro
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 5. Adagio
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 6. Minuetto: Vivace
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 1. Preludio: Andante Largo
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 2. Allemanda: Allegro
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 3. Adagio
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 4. Corrente: Vivace
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 5. Allegro
Concerto No. 9 In F major: 6. Minuetto: Vivace
Concerto No. 11 In B Flat Major: 1. Preludio: Andante Largo
Concerto No. 11 In B Flat Major: 2. Allemanda: Allegro
Concerto No. 11 In B Flat Major: 3. Adagio
Concerto No. 11 In B Flat Major: 4. Andante Largo
Concerto No. 11 In B Flat Major: 5. Sarabanda: Largo
Concerto No. 11 In B Flat Major: 6. Giga: Vivace
Concerto No. 12 In F Major: 1. Preludio: Adagio
Concerto No. 12 In F Major: 2. Allegro
Concerto No. 12 In F Major: 3. Adagio
Concerto No. 12 In F Major: 4. Sarabanda: Vivace
Concerto No. 12 In F Major: 5. Giga: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Correlli's Concerti grossi, op. 6.......2007-03-24

As a person with a passion for music, especially classical, this CD is one the prettiest and the best.

Corelli's famous Concerti by my favorite period instrument orchestra and conductor.......2005-11-12

Trevor Pinnock's recording of Corelli's Op. 6 Concerti grossi will not be to all tastes. Those raised on traditional instrument recordings by such as Max Goberman/Vienna Sinfonietta (Odyssey LPs, circulated in the 1970s) or Paul Angerer/Southwest German Chamber Orchestra (Vox) may not like the clipped articulation and fast tempos Pinnock uses. But the English Concert is a joy to hear: and can THEY PLAY! The allegros sizzle with joy and tension (in the minor key movements) and I find myself unable to resist conducting myself to the rhythmic patterns they generate. I think Corelli would be pleased, and I doubt he ever heard this good a performance of his Opus 6 Concertos.

Concerto 8, subtitled "Christmas" may be the most famous Op. 6 Concerto. Pinnock's way with it may seem superficial, and tempos are faster than what I'm used to in this work. But I'm used to recordings of I Musici (Philips), Angerer (Vox), and Shepherd/Cantilena (Chandos). The closing "Pastorale" doesn't seem to have enough time to breathe, but Pinnock is more sensitive to the Baroque performance practice principles where Siciliana and Pastorale movements are played more quickly than 20th century conductors led them, adhering to more Romanticized performance practice.

As a set, I give this high marks, and there is alot of energy and joy without slighting Corelli's music. The recorded sound is also very good, and the strings have a full, rich sound, even with no vibrato and period instruments.

Christmas Concerto.......2005-11-05

The _Christmas Concerto_ (Opus 6 Number 8) is the best on the CD! If you like Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" or the Bach "Double" but have never heard Corelli's Christmas Concerto, I think you will like it very much.

Corelli: Master and Commander of Enchanting Melodies.......2005-03-25

In a world dominated by Gabrelli and Vivaldi, Corelli's 12 Concerti Grossi (Op. 6) are gems. The performance of Pinnock and the English Concert is superb and the Archive recording crystal clear and in high fidelity. To the inexperienced ear the components of each piece flow together, yet the distinguishable melodies create a relaxing, enjoyable atmosphere -- either for a listener intent on each note, or as atmosphere while going about the day's business or leisure. Guided to this recording by the soundtrack for the movie "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," you will be not long into the first of this two CD set before being rewarded for your purchase. Wonderful.

Beautiful music performed to perfection.......2005-02-27

Corelli's opus 6 concerto grossi are what I consider to be ideal reading music. Some of the most beautiful music from the baroque period, Corelli sometimes doesn't get his due. However, without his remarkable accomplishments, we probably wouldn't be blessed with the fine concerto grossi from men such as Vivaldi and J.S.Bach and others

This particular performance is about as good as you will find. I've always found Trevor Pinnock's English Concert to be precise and clear. Comberti's performance is especially good on these CDs.

If you are looking to curl up with a good book and a bottle of excellent wine, this CD is an ideal companion to a wonderful evening.

Average customer rating:

Sheer Beauty for the Ears
Authenticity can sound great as well!
a little world of baroque sound
Wonderful relaxing music.
-

Casanova

Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Casanova
Memoirs of a Geisha
Pride & Prejudice
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Match Point

ASIN: B000BYR9YK
Release Date: 2005-12-20

Tracks:

An Untold Story: Assaggio No.1 In G Minor - Johann Helmich Roman
The Legend Of Casanova: Tambourins I/II From Daro - Jean-Philippe Rameau
I Yield To Love: Cello Concerto No.3 In D Minor - Leonardo Leo
Eternal Damnation: Overture From Les Fetes De Polymnie/Overture From Platee/Overture From Zoroastre - Jean-Philippe Rameau
The Doge's Decree: Concerto In C Major - Antonio Vivaldi
A Venetian Virgin - Alexandre Desplat
San Cremori At Dawn: Concerto In C Major For Harpsicord And Strings - Giovanni Paisiello
A Lover's Duel: Overture From La Madrilena - Vicente Martin Y Soler
A Terrible Mistake: Concerto A 5, Op.9, No.4 - Tomaso Albinoni
A Secret Lover?: Sinfonia From The Opera Farnace - Antonio Vivaldi
Marriage Is A Safe Haven: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.4 - Tomaso Albinoni
Trailing Guardi: Sonata For Violin And Bassocontinuo, Op.5 No.11 In E Minor - Arcangelo Corelli
The Noble Pig: Concerto Per Quartetto No.8 - Francesco Durante
Paprizzio's Arrival: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.2 In D Minor - Tomaso Albinoni
Inquisitor Pucci - Alexandre Desplat
: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.4 - Tomaso Albinoni
A Big Idea: Harpsicord Concerto In B Flat Major - Francesco Durante
A Nom De Plume/Carnivale!: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.6 In G Major/Bouree From Les Plaisirs Champetres - Tomaso Albinoni
The Plume's Nom Is Casanova! - Sonny Kompanek
Dancing At The Doge's Ball: Riguadon From Water Music Suite, No.3 In G Major/Bouree From Music For Royal Fireworks/Loure From Tafelmusik1 - George Frideric Handel
One Step Closer To Heaven: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.4 In A Major - Tomaso Albinoni
Casanova's Confession: Sonata Op.5 No.7 In D Minor - Arcangelo Corelli
The Hanging: Violin Concerto 'Il Cimento Dell'Armonia E Dell'INvenzione' Op.8 No.11 In D Major - Antonio Vivaldi
A Great Escape: Overture From Zais/Overture From Nais/Overture From Achante Et Cephise Ou La Sympathie - Jean-Philippe Rameau
My Place Is With Casanova: Overture From Le Temple De La Gloire/Overture From Zais/Sonata For Violin And Bassocontinuo, Op.5 No.7 In D Minor - Arcangelo Corelli
All's Well...:Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.4 In A Major - Tomaso Albinoni

Amazon.com

The action in this tale about the 18th century adventurer and (at least in popular lore) seducer is set in Cassanova's native Venice in the mid-1700s, so it makes sense that the soundtrack would be loaded with Baroque pieces. The Venice-based Tomaso Albinoni is featured prominentaly, along with heavyweights such as Antonio Vivaldi, Jean-Baptiste Rameau, and George Frideric Handel, and lesser-known composers such as Arcangelo Corelli, Francesco Durante, and Alexandre Desplat. Er, actually Desplat is a contemporary French film composer who also released his score for the couldn't-be-more-different Syriana shortly after Casanova came out. Of the two pieces he penned here, "A Venetian Virgin" is in pure Baroque style, while "Inquisitor Pucci" betrays a more modern film-music vibe. Meanwhile, orchestrator Sonny Kompanek rearranged a couple of the tracks and authored the tense "The Plume's Nom Is Casanova," which doesn't sound embarrassing sandwiched between pieces by Albinoni and Handel. Overall, it would have been nice to get longer excerpts from the pieces--many feel chopped into too-small fragments--but the music's innate grace and elegance can't be beat for a period film. Or for any film, really: Vivaldi's Concerto in C Major ("The Doge's Decree") will be familiar to buffs, who will remember it featuring prominently in the Dustin Hoffman-¬Meryl Streep showdown Kramer vs. Kramer back in 1979. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Sheer Beauty for the Ears.......2006-07-25

For those that purchased this CD, I need not get into how masterfully infectious the movie was. After the first viewing, I found it charming, but after the second, I was hooked by the witty, clever story holding fun twists all along the way. So while I could go on and on about the movie and all of its wonderful aspects, the score was simply priceless. Apt in every scene, and all done with incredible baroque music that I had never had the opportunity of hearing before the film.

The disc walks you through the movie with no changes that I could tell from the original score. The only omission I found was that the song dubbed "Casanova's Theme" is played in much greater length in the closing credits, and that didn't seem to make it to the CD. Not a terrible loss.

Authenticity can sound great as well!.......2006-07-11

As an avid baroque music listener and performer, I can attest to the delightfully pleasing performances on the soundtrack as well as the painstakingly accurate performance practices utilized in the recording of this soundtrack.

The producers of this film fortunately went to the trouble of hiring some of the top period performance musician-specialists in the country (perhaps in the entire world) to record the soundtrack to Casanova. I know, because several of them were faculty members of the Oberlin Conservatory Baroque Performance Institute who went AWOL to Hollywood in June 2005 for the recording sessions. We all forgave them, and were actually quite excited that period music performance was having its day on the silver screen.

Do not miss this exquisite potpourri of wonderful baroque composers' works performed as closely as humanly possible to the way that they heard their works during their lifetimes! The film may not have been intended to be historically accurate (part of the fun), but the music certainly ended up that way. Not only that, but it sounds heavenly (unlike Casanova's antics) and up-to-date, not musty and old as if it were sealed in a museum case.

a little world of baroque sound.......2006-02-26

Lots of interesting baroque music unknown to me and
put together in dramatic sequences that add zest and
class to the listening experience. Also wonderful to
play in auto while driving thru boring country or in
slow moving traffic!
This CD will get a lot of play from me.
5 Stars!

Wonderful relaxing music........2006-02-25

Saw the movie and had to have the soundtrack. Great music to relax by. When you need to get away from the cares of the day the classics can't be beat. The producers of this movie certainly chose wonderful music to accompany it.

-.......2006-02-18

Good music but each is too short.
The original version of each may be better.

Locatelli: Concerti Grossi, Op. 1, Nos. 1-6

Average customer rating:

Naxos Lost Riches...and this is a gem...
Locatelli is an excellent composer

Locatelli: Concerti Grossi, Op. 1, Nos. 1-6

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Locatelli: Concerti Grossi, Op. 1, Nos. 7-12
Manfredini: CONCERTI GROSSI OP. 3 Nos. 1-12
Geminiani: Concerti Grossi Vol. 1
Muffat: Concerti Grossi, Nos. 1-6
Muffat: Concerti Grossi, Nos. 7-12

ASIN: B00000148S
Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Largo
Vivace
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro
Largo
Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Naxos Lost Riches...and this is a gem..........2006-08-10

This first six concerti of Locatelli's Concerti Grossi, Opus 1 is remarkable (concerti 7-12 are just as excellent). The playing is quite equal to any marquee orchestra (London PHO, Boston SO, Berlin PHO, et al). The production values are also first rate.

Since Naxos first appeared circa 1990, it's dedication to quality has never wavered. Even before the "official" fall of the Iron Curtain, Naxos was releasing recordings by Eastern European soloists (witness Irina Zartiskaya's remarkable rendition of Chopin's "Preludes") who were essentially anonymous in the West.

Naxos continues this tradition, providing the art music lover with an almost bewildering variety of choices from the standards of the repertoire to works long consigned to the musicologist and 78s gathering dust.

I've never bought a Naxos disc that didn't have top notch production values (even if I didn't particularly care for the music itself).

The discs always include well written, informative liner notes.

Whether you are a long-time fan of art music (of nearly all periods, from Renaissance to twelve-tone) or just beginning to explore it, Naxos is a perfect place to start. Their own website includes links to Amazon for hundreds of disks in their catalog.

And their prices still can't be beat. When they first started, the cost was $3.98 a disc, now it's risen to $8.98, still a bargain compared to the releases by the Big Three record companies with superstar soloists/ensembles.

Locatelli is an excellent composer.......2004-04-27

Locatelli may not be as well known as J. S. Bach or Antonio Vivaldi, but his music is spectacular. His Opus 1 is some of his best work. My personal favorite is concerto number 5, however, the entire CD is great. I have to say that often the Naxos label puts out excellent baroque music very cheaply, and it is often music that is difficult to find elsewhere. Quite seriously, if you are a fan of great baroque music then this is a CD that you should not be without.

Handel - Concerti grossi, op. 6 / AAM · Manze

Average customer rating:

Are there better? Not even close.
Treat your ears right !
FANTASTIC HANDEL!!
A good recording of this work but there are better
A recording of the century...really!

Handel - Concerti grossi, op. 6 / AAM · Manze
George Frideric Handel , Andrew Manze , and The Academy of Ancient Music
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Violin Sonatas Op 5
Complete Organ Concertos
Handel: Concerti Grossi, Op. 3; Sonata a 5
Concert for the Prince of Poland
Handel: Complete Violin Sonatas

ASIN: B00000C2A4
Release Date: 1998-09-08

Tracks:

Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: (No Marking)
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Presto
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Largo
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Menuet
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: A tempo giusto
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Adagio
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Andante larghetto
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Largo
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro, ma non troppo
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Larghetto
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Andante
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Polonaise
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro, ma non troppo
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Ouverture
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Lento
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro moderato
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Andante larghetto, e staccato
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Largo, e staccato
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Andante
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro

Tracks:

Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Largo
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Largo, e piano
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Andante
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Hornpipe
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Larghetto e affettuoso
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro, ma non troppo
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Musette
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Larghetto affettuoso
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Largo, e piano
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Largo
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Larghetto
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Menuet
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Gigue
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allemande
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Grave
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Andante allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Adagio
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Siciliana
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Largo
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Larghetto, e piano
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Largo
Concerti Grossi, Op. 6: Allegro

Amazon.com essential recording

From the onset of the historical performances movement some years back, listeners have been subjected to a great many historically correct yet musically limp, passive and rudderless performances. So conductor Andrew Manze deserves real credit for the marvelous job he does here with the Academy of Ancient Music in the twelve Concerti Grossi, Opus 6, of George Frideric Handel. With great warmth as well as vigor he lets these felicitous, robust works come to life. What we hear is more color, more meat and more life than we are likely to get from a typical early music ensemble. Manze is a great musician. --Gwendolyn Freed

Customer Reviews:

Are there better? Not even close........2005-12-19

I have devoured many recordings of the Op.6 as well as the Op.3 Concerti Grossi for the last 30 odd years. Marriner, Leppard, Hogwood, etc. (I don't count the Germans, apparently Handel eludes them). I thought I knew these works completely, like I know my wife's body. After hearing Andrew Manze's recreation of them it is as if the previous recordings had held back some divine secret that Manze finally reveals to the world. Treasures of unimaginable wealth are sprayed out like gemstone machine guns. Movements that I had previously thought, in my ignorance, to be somewhat longish, I now crave with an addicts lust. This recording, finally, hammers the coffin shut on all the other composers, the dabblers of the concerto grosso form. Yes, even the exalted noodler himself, Bach, is blown into the weeds. Handel's humanity, drama, sex, epiphanous grandeur and just plain a**-kicking compositional chops gush forth from Manze's 13 strings and two continuo players with an "INCOMPARABLE" dash, musicianship, élan, oh hell, they are as tight as a frog's bu** cheeks. And I mean that in a good way.

Treat your ears right !.......2005-07-29

Bold ! Robust ! Vibrant ! Exhilarating ! Brilliant ! Blow the grit out of your ears and listen to this. This is how Handel was meant to be played ! Do your ears a favor, go buy this CD.
Handel's Op. 6 + Manze = Heaven

FANTASTIC HANDEL!!.......2003-06-27

THIS CD IS JUST GREAT, BECAUSE THE MUSIC FLOWS LIKE A RIVER TO THE SEA, IN OTHER WORDS YOU BETCHA HEAR IT, DAMN GREAT!!
THE FIRST CD IS A "MUST" AND THE VIOLINS SOUND SO SMOOTH.... I CAN'T EXPLAIN THE FEELINGS YOU SHOULD TRY IT, AND OF COURSE BUY ONE 'CAUSE THIS CD IS 4EVER.

A good recording of this work but there are better.......2001-11-08

The playing is admirable and beautiful(especially the outstanding stylish playing from Manze and his soloist), and the use of period instruments is wonderful. But this recording is slightly bland in some movements(certain movements could be taken faster)if you want a recording with more passion I would opt for either the version from the Orpheus CO on DG or the one's from Iona Brown on Hanssler or Philips(I have listening to these recordings thousands of times and I warmly recommend them with 5 stars)

A recording of the century...really!.......2001-04-09

Manze has outdone himself, as have the Academy of Ancient Music.

There is life, there is magic, there is some beautiful playing, there is everything you could possibly want in a recording of this wonderful score. Even if you forego period instruments, you should really try these guys out! Forget Orpheus's attempt, and please ignore the bizarre recommendation for I Musici de Montreal on Chandos (great sound and cold playing). This recording really puts all those to shame.

To top it all off, not only do you have wonderful music-making, but you also get intelligent and delightful notes that are humorous too.

Tracks:

No.1 In B-flat For Violin, Strings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.1 In B-flat For Violin, Strings, And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.1 In B-flat For Violin, Strings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.2 In D Minor For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro e non presto
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.2 In D Minor For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.2 In D Minor For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.3 In F For 2 Oboes, Strings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.3 In F For 2 Oboes, Strings, And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.3 In F For 2 Oboes, Strings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.4 In A For Violin, Strings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.4 In A For Violin, Strings, And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.4 In A For Violin, Strings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No. 5 in C For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No. 5 in C For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 2, Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No. 5 in C For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.6 In G For 2 Oboes, Strings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.6 In G For 2 Oboes, Strings, And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.6 In G For 2 Oboes, Strings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro

Tracks:

Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.7 In D For Violin, Stings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.7 In D For Violin, Stings, And Continuo - 2. Andante e sempre piano
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.7 In D For Violin, Stings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No. 8 In G Minor For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No. 8 In G Minor For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No. 8 In G Minor For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.9 In C For Violin, 2 Oboes, String And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.9 In C For Violin, 2 Oboes, String And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.9 In C For Violin, 2 Oboes, String And Continuo - 3, Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.10 In F For Violin, Strings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.10 In F For Violin, Strings, And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.10 In F For Violin, Strings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.11 In B-flat For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.11 In B-flat For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No.11 In B-flat For Oboe, Strings, And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No. 12 In D For Violin, 2 Oboes, Strings And Continuo - 1. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No. 12 In D For Violin, 2 Oboes, Strings And Continuo - 2. Adagio
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: No. 12 In D For Violin, 2 Oboes, Strings And Continuo - 3. Allegro
Concerti a cinque, Op.9: Adagio In G Minor For Strings And Organ

Customer Reviews:

pristine.......2007-03-04

I Musici is rivaled perhaps only by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields when it comes to predictably crystalline performances of the Baroque masters. When I Musici, Felix Ayo, Heinz Holliger, and Maurice Bourge turn to Albinoni's concerto repertoire, the outcome is never in doubt.

Let me clarify that these comments do not in any way suggest that this Philips two-disk set is 'standard' in any pedantic way. Emphatically, it is not.

Rather, the artists team with Philips' Duo Series to render access to a masterful rendering of one of Early Baroque's unsung great ones affordable to the masses, of which this reviewer is a card-carrying member.

One can only say 'Bravo!'.

outstanding oboe concerti.......2007-01-25

This is a re-issue of recordings made in the mid 1960s, so they are 40 years old; however the sound, while not as good as one can expect from a current CD, is quite good. Albiboni's Opus 9 is a set of 12 concertos, 4 for violin, four for oboe and four for two oboes with orchestra. They are in 5 parts, and rather simple when compared with Bach, for example. They are not written for virtuoso soloists, rather for oboe with orchestra. In my opinion the violin concertos, while pleasant enough, do not compare with those of his contempories, such as vivaldi and Bach. However the oboe concertos are outstanding, and while I could nominate the odd baroque 0boe concerto that is as good or better, the set of six stand alone.
The 12 concertos are played by I Musici, a long established modern instrument group that specialises in music of this period, the violin solo is by Felix Ayo, their first violin, and the oboes are played my the great Heinz Hollinger and Maurice Bourgue. So I can find little to criticise with the performance, I Musici and Hollinger were/are world class. Deciding on a rating was not easy, but taking the recording of Opus 9 as a whole I gave it 4 and feel a little mean, the 6 oboe concertos alone would get 5.

best Albinoni ever.......2007-01-10

Tomaso Albinoni is best known for his Adagio, that is actually an arrangement by Giazzoto. His real masterpieces are the Concertos Opus 9(recorded here by I Musici). The sound of this recording is very good considering its age (mid 1950s and 1960s). The Concerto Op. 9/2 is the most beautiful oboe concerto ever composed. Heinz Holliger is explendid as soloist. If you like baroque music played in a old-fashioned way (rather romantic), it's for you. If you like baroque music played accordind "authentic baroque techniques it's not for you.

I Musici di Roma, Stradivarius, and Italian Baroque Is Divine Perfection.......2005-10-09

I wish to start my review by warning Amazon shoppers about two previous and seemingly 'knowledgeable' reviews commenting on I Musici's qualifications for playing Baroque and not playing on traditional instruments as a discouragement in buying their performances as they are somewhat slanderous. Their comments actually make me laugh and question their range of listening experience in traditional Baroque techniques and instruments or knowledge of anything dealing with classical music at all since I Musici has not only been the most acclaimed Baroque ensemble in Italy and the entire world for over 50 years praised by legends such as Toscanini for being 'The best chamber orchestra in the world', the main reason its musicians and strings outmatch every other traditional Baroque group in the world is precisely because they masterfully perform on the most prized of all period string instruments in existence! String instruments that most professional violinists, cellists, etc., can only dream of ever playing in their lifetimes! A string instrument that only the most competent of players can master to bring out its fluid range and sound! I Musici performs all of their pieces almost exclusively on Stradivarius string instruments! Although other traditional ensembles do use traditional period instruments, few if any of them play on Stradivari, and if they do it will probably be just the lead violin as Stradivari are simply too rare to be played in unison by most professional groups. A Stradivarius is an instrument in and of itself and other traditional string instruments don't even come close to sounding like one. A Stradivarius is nothing less than divine in its sound as one can hear with I Musici as they play plenty of them. And so although I can understand the aesthetics of such listeners/reviewers for other performers, please, don't tell others that I Musici isn't playing authentic instruments when you can't even recognize a Stradivarius playing in your ear! You are simply embarassing yourselves. Or, for that matter, don't say that they can't competently play 'traditional' Italian Baroque when they're the best group from Italy, comprised of experts in the Italian Baroque and Romantic traditions, virtuously playing on many Stradivari, and have been acclaimed as one of the best Italian Baroque groups in the world by reknown classical experts and laypersons alike for over five decades! As for this recording and others in general, some reviewers have also complained that I Musici's somewhat more romantic interpretations of Baroque don't work with Albinoni's music such as his Adagio and so are not 'traditional' enough in comparison to other performances. Traditional interpretation of Albinoni's 'Adagio' would be absurd since Albinoni's original 'Adagio' is a horribly deficient piece of which there are no real performances that I can think of as a result. What is ironic then is that this model of Albinoni's 'traditionalism' such reviewers are referring to can only be Remo Giazotto's popular 19th Century Romantic revision of the 'Adagio' being presently used as the standard of every single Baroque or Romantic period performance available on the market today.

I have heard various renditions of Albinoni's Concertos, Op. 9 and, besides a few other performances by Baroque groups, I have not heard many that even compare to I Musici in performing Albinoni or Italian Baroque generally. Don't be deceived into buying other performances even if they are by great conductors and symphonies such as Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic or Solti and the Chicago/London Symphonies. And Karajan's orchestral rendition is indeed a very moving one but orchestral ensembles are generally too large for chamber pieces and most of the instruments used are modern which changes many important aspects of the piece. They are also recorded in too large of spaces so the performances sound like Beethoven's 9th instead of a chamber piece. There are other groups and recordings that are more faithful to Baroque techniques and traditional interpretations such as those directed by Hogwood but they have various problems as well. Individual violinists such as Manze mentioned by the previous reviewer tend to be overly rigid and lifeless in their interpretations as they are more founded in musicological disciplines on ancient instruments and techniques as opposed to professional performance. This can be problematic especially with interpreting Italian Baroque which is always more freely expressive in mood than German Baroque. This results in clumsy and lifeless performances where each musician painfully over-accentuates the proper techniques throughout the entire piece so that it comes out sounding as a tedious cacophony instead of a symphony. Like Jack says in the 'Witches of Eastwick' to Susan Sarandon playing her cello, "You kill the passion!" by such emphasis. Hogwood's musical background is also founded more in the German Baroque tradition of Bach and Handel and not Italian Baroque and so turns the piece into more of a mechanical movementby Bach from his direction on the harpsichord which is always the meter in all Italian concerti. I Musici is comprised of some of the finest classical musicians alive today who emphasize more on a passionate Italian Romantic interpretation in their performances instead of a rigid Baroque one and the results are most delightful to the ears. That perhaps is the only flaw in its interpretation of the often over-methodical Italian Baroque style for the concerti grossi. Although I Musici usually tends to again use a more fluid Italian Romantic style rather than a strict Baroque one, their shortcomings in that field are hardly a defect in their performances or this recording: on the contrary, they enhance them! These slight shortcomings are more than compensated for by I Musici performing with some of the best classical musicians exclusively on original Stradivarius string instruments. Such groups also tend to use traditional stringing and playing techniques that limit the range of the instrument which is not always what the composer desired such as Mozart and Beethoven who were forced to accept the limited range and tonality of the piano forte in performing their compositions but who actually composed them with a yet non-existant Steinway in mind. I Musici in a sense compliments such limitations with some Romantic techniques in the style of Paganini but following the Baroque concerti grossi tradition with period instruments and in remaining within the size of a small Baroque chamber orchestra. Also, the musical cohesion and caliber of the performers in I Musici is such that they do not use an overt conductor even at the harpsichord: they therefore have no need of one such as Hogwood to lead them and the performances have less hesitations as a result. Lastly, I Musici di Roma is also known for having some of the best sound engineering and mixing for its recordings than any other chamber group and this also applies to the earliest recordings. The recording quality for their performances is so rich and clear for each instrument being played that you actually feel as if you are at a live performance each time you hear them.

I Musici di Roma is unequivocally one of the best, if not the best, performing groups for Baroque music and you won't go wrong buying any of their performances no matter whether the composers are from the Italian or German Baroque period. I certainly haven't heard any single group or orchestra even come close to matching their 1982 performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons with Pina Carmirelli. This particular recording with Garatti and Ayo is probably not with one of the best violinists to have performed Italian Baroque with them such as Carmirelli or Acardo but it is accompanied with some of the best musicians in their class such Hollinger. It is a great buy!

Not very "Baroque" and not my taste.......2001-06-28

This may be good for some people but I really didn't like it:

I thought it was not played in the Baroque style. I personally hate vibrato and this had a lot of it. It made it the slow movements very annoying for me to listen to. I admit I might be a little obsessed but vibrato really ruins a performance for me.

It was played with "heavy fingers" especially on the violins. This was a very "romantic" interpertaion for me.

Tracks:

I (No. 1 in B-flat Major/G minor)
II
III
I Vivace (No. 2 in B-flat Major)
II Largo
III Allegro
IV
V
I Largo e staccato- Allegro (No. 3 in G major)
II Adagio
III Allegro
I (No. 4 in F major)
II Andante
III Allegro
IV Allegro
I (No. 5 in D minor)
II Fuga, Allegro
III Adagio
IV Allegro, ma non troppo
V Allegro
I No. 6 in D major/D minor)
II Improvisation (solo organ, Richard Egarr)
III Allegro
I Andante (Sonata a 5 (HWV 288)
II Adagio
III Allegro

Amazon.com

This new set of Handel's Op. 3 makes a superb case for these works (somewhat smaller than the more-familiar ones from Op. 6). Opus 3 is made up of assorted versions of concerti. Handel arranged and re-arranged many of these works often and so a definitive edition is probably impossible to assemble. Rather than being alarmed by the lack of similarities, we are treated to different combinations of instruments and different textures from movement to movement. Musicologists are bothered by who it was, precisely, that turned these concerti into a whole opus number. His publisher, John Walsh, claims responsibility, but did he do it with Handel's approval? We don't care. It's a delicious selection. Oboes, bassoons, and recorders are featured in the first, a solo flute brightens the third, while an organ improvisation shows up in the sixth to separate the first and last movements. Higher strings give energy to the opening of the second along with a pair of oboes, and the same combination darkens the second movement. The fourth has a prominent, propulsive harpsichord. A bonus is the composer's Sonata a 5, which is a sort of mini violin concerto. Richard Egarr is now in charge of the Academy of Ancient Music, and this, their first CD together, is remarkable on every level. The playing is terrific - energized, elegant, full of splendid details and tasteful embellishments - and the sonics are superb. The 11 string players, 7 woodwind players, and Egarr himself on organ and harpsichord, along with an archutenist and baroque guitarist, are spotlessly recorded, but with depth and warmth. This is irresistible. --Robert Levine

Album Description

Richard Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music start a new Handel recording project. Their first release is Handel's Concerti grossi, Op. 3 and the Sonata a 5. Richard Egarr is the new Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music.

Customer Reviews:

Handel for a New Generation of Listeners.......2007-08-01

Richard Egarr's new recording of Handel's Concerti Grossi opus 3 with the Academy of Ancient Music is a welcome addition to the existing catalog of Handel performances. We are told that Egarr and the AAM are in the process of be releasing additional new Handel recordings, and if this example is representative of the one's to come, we can only look forward to these with the greatest of expectations.

Handel is greatly known for his famous "Messiah," and is perhaps most revered as an outstanding oratorio writer, but to explore his orchestral works - as few of these as there may be - can be a true joy. It is rumored that Beethoven viewed Handel as the world's greatest composer, particularly being impressed with Handel's ability to do a lot musically with a very small set of instruments. While the Concerti Grossi don't necessarily fit into the description of "small" in terms of their instrumental support, Handel's creative genius bursts forth in both the opus 3 (and even more so in the magnum opus 6). To know these pieces is probably to love them, and one can find oneself endlessly despaired that Handel did not develop more of these extraordinary pieces.

The Academy of Ancient Music, along with its memorable association with Christopher Hogwood, brought the world to understand anew the meaning of "original instruments" beginning in the 1980's. Scores and scores of these works were released by Hogwood and the AAM, most to critical acclaim. There is no question that this effort revolutionized our understanding of classical music, because it helped us to understand and differentiate what we hear in today's modern orchestral "sound" from what the composers heard (and intended) when they originally wrote their pieces. One criticism of the movement, however, has been that some of these performances could sound shrill, and perhaps a touch harsh, and that if restoring the original instrument format resulted in such characteristics, perhaps we should just keep quiet and enjoy the fuller sonority and richness of the modern instrument format. Egarr's and the AAM's recent Handel entry completely dashes this concern. The music is full, rich, and not harsh. We can enjoy Handel's music in a way that Handel intended, but still have a "smooth" (for lack of a better, more technical, term) sound that is akin to the smoothest of modern instrument performances.

This is why one should look forward to the new recordings promised to come out in this series. It is an exciting thing to see this new focus on Handel's great music, and this is a disc that the Handel listener should richly enjoy. The price is quite steep, but if one considers this is the price we pay for opening up a whole new line of inquiry into the world of Handel, it really can be justified, and perhaps, encouraged. Congratulations both to Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music for this great new Handel entry.

exceptional.......2007-07-10

The back cover of this release announces that it's the first recording made by the Academy of Ancient Music under their new director, Richard Egarr; & that it's the first in a projected series of Handel recordings. Well, it's a triumph in every way & I look forward to the next release. The playing by the AAM is solid & energetic, but not too energetic as it sometimes could be under Andrew Manze, whose own super-virtuoso flourishes occasionally teeter on the brink of excess. The music is so fresh-sounding that it sometimes seems almost improvised, as indeed some of it is -- Richard Egarr provides his own middle movement, a tasteful interlude for solo organ, for the delightful 6th Concerto.

The sound? Full, rich & dynamic. The lavishly produced package includes interesting liner notes by Richard Egarr. What else can I add?

Superb Handel.......2007-05-07

Richard Eggar has the AAM producing music with energy & joy. Combined with great arrangements and, to my ear, perfect tempi, kmake an irresistable combination.

Handel: Water Music, The Music for the Royal Fireworks, The Alchymist, Three concerti a due cori, Two arias for wind band

Average customer rating:

Water Music is so soothing...
A Noble Performance
Towards the higher end of the pack
Recommendable.
Bravo Mr. Handel

Handel: Water Music, The Music for the Royal Fireworks, The Alchymist, Three concerti a due cori, Two arias for wind band

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Bach - The Complete Brandenburg Concertos / Pearlman, Boston Baroque
Messiah (George Frederick Handel) London Philharmonic Orchestra
Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (Complete)
Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0000042HN
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: I. Overture: Largo - Allegro
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: II. Adagio E Staccato
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: III. Allegro - Andante - Allegro
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: IV. Presto
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: V. Air
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: VI. Minuet For The French Horn
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: VII. Bourree
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: VIII. Hornpipe
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: IX. (Allegro)
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: X(F). (Allegro)
Water Music - Horn Suite In F Major: XI(F). Alla Hornpipe
Water Music - Flute Suite In G Major: XV. (Menuet)
Water Music - Flute Suite In G Major: XVI. Presto
Water Music - Flute Suite In G Major: XVII. Menuet
Water Music - Flute Suite In G Major: XVIII. (Menuet)
Water Music - Flute Suite In G Major: XIX. Country Dance
Water Music - Trumpet Suite In D Major: X(D). Allegro
Water Music - Trumpet Suite In D Major: XI(D). (Alla Hornpipe)
Water Music - Trumpet Suite In D Major: XII. Trumpet Minuet
Water Music - Trumpet Suite In D Major: XIII. Lentement
Water Music - Trumpet Suite In D Major: XIV. Air
Water Music - The Alchymist: Overture
Water Music - The Alchymist: Prelude - Minuet
Water Music - The Alchymist: Saraband - Borree - Aire - Borree
Water Music - The Alchymist: Minuet - Aire - Jigg

Tracks:

Water Music - The Musick for the Royal Fireworks: I. Overture
Water Music - The Musick for the Royal Fireworks: II. Borree
Water Music - The Musick for the Royal Fireworks: III. La Paix
Water Music - The Musick for the Royal Fireworks: IV. La Rejouissance
Water Music - The Musick for the Royal Fireworks: V. Menuets I & II
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.1 In B Flat Major: I. Ouverture
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.1 In B Flat Major: II. Allegro ma non troppo
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.1 In B Flat Major: III. Allegro
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.1 In B Flat Major: IV. Largo
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.1 In B Flat Major: V. A Tempo Ordinario
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.1 In B Flat Major: VI. Alla Breve Moderato
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.1 In B Flat Major: VII. Minuet
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.2 In F Major: I. Pomposo
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.2 In F Major: II. Allegro
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.2 In F Major: III. A Tempo Giusto
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.2 In F Major: IV. Largo
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.2 In F Major: V. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.2 In F Major: VI. A Tempo Ordinario
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.3 In F Major: I. Ouverture
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.3 In F Major: II. Allegro
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.3 In F Major: III. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.3 In F Major: IV. Adagio
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.3 In F Major: V. Andante larghetto
Water Music - Concerto A Due Cori No.3 In F Major: VI. Allegro
Water Music: Aria 1 For Wind Band
Water Music: Aria 2 For Wind Band

Amazon.com

This is a fine Handel compilation that provides a nice overview of his orchestral music with brass instruments, as well as his only incidental score (music written to accompany the action of a play). Christopher Hogwood uses the arrangement that Handel made of the Fireworks Music for normal-sized forces, including strings, which were absent from the original. All the music is played with a fine sense of style, and a goodly bit of the "pomp and circumstance" that Handel above all others knew how to capture in music. At two discs for the price of one, this is an extremely good deal. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Water Music is so soothing..........2007-01-11

I love this album. Too often when I've tried classical albums the music has not been soothing, but this is very relaxing. If you are looking for great music to relax by or listen to in the car, this is it.

A Noble Performance.......2006-03-11

I have listened to numerous renditions by different performing artists, for several years, of both Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks. The first time I listened to this CD played by the Academy of Ancient Music I felt I was listening to a high class performance. There is something about the clear sound of the instruments and the tempo and dedication to detail that this group of artists put into its performance that it really inspires me into the wonderful world of the baroque classical music and somehow it transports me to the time when Handel himself was composing and directing these beautiful masterpieces. And the bonus is also the beautifully played Duo A Cori concertos. I recommend it!

Towards the higher end of the pack.......2004-03-11

Reading the liner notes, I am reminded that the occasion for which the water music originally was composed was royal river outing that started in the evening and lasted until 4:00 AM (Take THAT you modern clubhoppers!). The music was played three times through the course of this trip. I doubt there were many teetotallers. Soo...royal oarsmen, wine goblets overflowing with the best claret, tipsy nobleman and...hey! don't hit that river barge! Watch where you're goin' mate!

As such, I'd expect a little roughness in performances (especially for the 3:30 AM gig). Ill-tuned horns and all, I think Hogwood delivers about as faithful a rendition as is currently available. There are certainly more "refined" versions of the water music. I think these better resemble the follow-on peformances for the genteel, perfumed ladies seeking money for the foundling hospital. That's the beauty of Orpheus and Pinnock versions.

Hogwood gets 4 stars for getting close to the river ride. I will admit that my view has been biased by the fabulous 1976 rendition by Jean-Claude Malgoire which hasn't been bettered in this respect. No English band can shake a stick next to drunken French horn players. But Hogwood is a good near-term substitute until Sony wakes up and dips further into their vaults.
Additionally, the Fireworks music is fabulous; the due cori very nice, with similar touches of earthiness. All in all a good outing, and for decent prices.

Recommendable........2004-02-19

I have recently returned to these two CDs (which I bought and listened to for a while some three years ago) and found that they were not quite as bad as I remembered. The tempi are very well sprung, the spirits are high and the "Water Music" in particular is played with some delicacy and finesse (which I hardly take for granted from Hogwood's early recordings). The roughness of the result is mainly due the scratchy tone of the strings and inaccurate tuning of the horns.
If you are a period-instrument enthusiast this Double-Decca, because of its low "duo" price, could have some edge against such strong competitors (which I haven't listened to) as Pinnock, Gardiner and Savall. And at the same "duo" price you can get also Hogwood's wonderful performances (with the Handel&Haydn Society) of Handel's Concerti Grossi Op.6. However, if you care more for variety of dynamics and lightness of touch than for period-instrument sound, I recommend you instead to get all the twelve op.6 Concerti AND the "Water Music" AND the "Musick for the Royal Fireworks" (but not the "Alchymist" suite, the "Concerti a due cori" and the two "Arias for Wind Band") at "trio" price in superlative, "historically-correct" and mellower sounding performances by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

Bravo Mr. Handel.......2003-02-20

A Great Master's Mastery, Masterly Mastered by a Master!!
Translation?? In any speak, this is classic Handel, played at it's best, by the one who should know!!!

Hogwood's genious as a foremost expert on my personal favourite composer, can never be overestimated, and here, presented in a medium of works we all know and can relate to, are a showcase of his awesome skills and brand of 'Mastery'!!

One feels obliged to pay homage to composer and conductor alike, for without either, we could not see the creation of this CD, in what is a pinnacle of art and high standard in performance.

Tracks:

Concerto Grosso in C Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: Andante
Concerto Grosso in C Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: Allegro
Concerto Grosso in C Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: Adagio
Concerto Grosso In C Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: Allegro
Concerto Grosso In C Minor, Op. 2, No. 2: Adagio
Concerto Grosso In C Minor, Op. 2, No. 2: Allegro
Concerto Grosso In C Minor, Op. 2, No. 2: Adagio
Concerto Grosso In C Minor, Op. 2, No. 2: Allegro
Concerto Grosso In D Minor, Op. 2, No. 3: Presto
Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op. 2, No.: Adagio
Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op. 2, No.: Allegro
Concerto Grosso In D Major, Op. 2, No. 4: Andante
Concerto Grosso In D Major, Op. 2, No. 4: Allegro
Concerto Grosso In D Major, Op. 2, No. 4: Andante
Concerto Grosso In D Major, Op. 2, No. 4: Allegro
Concerto Grosso In D Minor, Op. 2, No. 5: Adagio
Concerto Grosso In D Minor, Op. 2, No. 5: Allegro
Concerto Grosso In D Minor, Op. 2, No. 5: Andante
Concerto Grosso In D Minor, Op. 2, No. 5: Allegro
Concerto Grosso In A Major, Op. 2, No. 6: Andante
Concerto Grosso In A Major, Op. 2, No. 6: Allegro - Grave
Concerto Grosso In A Major, Op. 2, No. 6: Allegro
Concerto Grosso in D Major, Op. 3, No. 1: Adagio
Concerto Grosso in D Major, Op. 3, No. 1: Allegro
Concerto Grosso in D Major, Op. 3, No. 1: Adagio
Concerto Grosso in D Major, Op. 3, No. 1: Allegro
Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 3, No. 2: Largo e staccato
Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 3, No. 2: Allegro
Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 3, No. 2: Adagio
Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 3, No. 2: Allegro
Concerto Grosso in E Minor, Op. 3, No. 3: Adagio e staccato
Concerto Grosso in E Minor, Op. 3, No. 3: Allegro
Concerto Grosso in E Minor, Op. 3, No. 3: Adagio
Concerto Grosso in E Minor, Op. 3, No. 3: Allegro
Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op. 3, No. 4: Largo e staccato
Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op. 3, No. 4: Allegro
Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op. 3, No. 4: Largo
Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op. 3, No. 4: Vivace

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performance of a baroque masterpiece.......2004-07-20

The concerto grosso is best listened to as a regular concerto instead of as a chamber piece like a string quartet. All of these concerto are from opus two and three and belong in everyone's colection (not just baroque fans). I am no expert on classical music and this is the only performance that I have heard. The capella I. give a spirited peformance making each ove the over ten peices highly individual. I liked this disc so much I plan to buy the other two Geminiani discs by Naxos. Like I said I have not heard other perfornces but I can't imagine it could be better done. pPlease excuse typos I have a neurolocal disease

Average customer rating:

Sheer enjoyment and all in good taste
If you like Vivaldi, get this!

Albinoni: Oboe Concerti, Op. 9

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Albinoni: Oboe Concerti, Vol. 2
Albinoni: Oboe Concerti, Vol. 3
Geminiani: Concerti Grossi Vol. 1
Adagio Albinoni
Italian Oboe Concertos

ASIN: B0000013XG
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

Concerto In C Major, Op. 9 No. 5: Allegro
Concerto In C Major, Op. 9 No. 5: Adagio (non troppo)
Concerto In C Major, Op. 9 No. 5: Allegro
Concerto In F Major, Op. 9 No. 3: Allegro
Concerto In F Major, Op. 9 No. 3: Adagio (non troppo)
Concerto In F Major, Op. 9 No. 3: Allegro
Concerto In D Minor, Op. 9 No. 2: Allegro e non presto
Concerto In D Minor, Op. 9 No. 2: Adagio
Concerto In D Minor, Op. 9 No. 2: 3. Allegro
Concerto In B Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 11: 1: Allegro
Concerto In B Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 11: Adagio
Concerto In B Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 11: Allegro
Concerto In G Minor, Op. 9 No. 8: Allegro
Concerto In G Minor, Op.9, No.8: Adagio
Concerto In G Minor, Op. 9 No. 8: Allegro
Concerto In C Major, Op. 9 No. 9: Allegro
Concerto In C Major, Op. 9 No. 9: Adagio (non troppo)
Concerto In C Major, Op. 9 No. 9: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Sheer enjoyment and all in good taste.......2004-08-08

Tomaso Albinoni was a contemporary of Vivaldi in Venice, and his Concerti a cinque opus 9, published in 1722, provide ample evidence of his felicity in composition. His wife was a well-known opera singer, and his oboe concertos sound like wonderfully cantabile instrumental da capo arias: first there is an energetic fast movement, then a lyrical slow movement, followed by another fast movement that once again takes up themes from the first movement. The music is contrapuntal, harmonious, balanced and, to put it blankly, full of sheer enjoyment.

Deliberating on this review, I had to decide whether to give this CD four or five stars. In the end, I opted for four. Before I explain why, I should like to say why five was an option. Although Anthony Camden, Julia Girdwood and the London Virtuosi under the leadership of John Georgiadis play on modern instruments, they have obviously learned a good deal from developments in the area of historical performance practice. Their disposition for these concertos is just about what Albinoni would have had in mind: four each of first and second violins, three violas, two cellos, a double bass and a harpsichord, this last played with tremendous gusto by Paul Nicholson. In fact, the performance of the London Virtuosi is one of the best features of this CD, and the Naxos engineers have made sure that one can really hear the good stuff that is going on behind the soloists. (I found that listening via good headphones was even more convincing than in front of loudspeakers.) The soloists themselves, Anthony Camden alone in four concerts and together with Julia Girdwood in two others, give a marvellous performance, combining high technical skills with sheer good taste. In all except one concerto, the tempi are relatively fast, which does these energetic concertos good. This is most enjoyable music, exquisitely performed.

So why only four stars? I think three reasons can be adduced. One is in the nature of a personal preference: After all the commotion of the Early Music movement, I just do not see why early 18th century music should be performed on modern instruments. The slightly metallic sound of the Howarth oboes used here, lovely as it is, does not for my mind quite match up to the woody warmth of period instruments. One could make similar strictures on the other instruments employed here. In particular, the use of a double bass instead of a violone tends to overdo the bass line a little.

A second reason is that four of the concertos on this CD have been recorded by Han de Vries and the ensemble Alma Musica Amsterdam under the leadership of Bob van Asperen on EMI, re-released on Virgin Veritas Albinoni · Telemann - Concertos and Sonatas for oboe / Han de Vries · Alma Musica Amsterdam · Bob van Asperen. The Dutch team uses historical instruments, replacing the double bass with a violone, and the result is, for my ears, slightly more convincing, despite the fact that the analogue recorded sound is not quite so good as that of the Naxos CD. In particular, I happen to love the sound of Han de Vries' historic oboe, mechanical noises and all, and I wanted to award the Virgin CD one star more for that reason.

The third reason for giving only four stars is John Georgiadis' choice of tempo for Opus 9, No. 2, the most famous concerto on this disc. Perhaps led astray by Albinoni's "Allegro e non presto", Georgiadis puts the brake on a little and takes over a minute and a half longer for the concerto than van Asperen (and the whole piece is only about 11 minutes long). Particularly the gorgeous second movement suffers from this: Camden/Georgiadis turn adagio almost into largo; in comparison, de Vries/van Asperen sound much more convincing.

Despite these criticisms, this CD is excellent value for money and offers sheer delights of entertainment. You could do worse than follow my footsteps and purchase both Camden on Naxos and de Vries on Virgin.

If you like Vivaldi, get this!.......2003-03-27

Listen to these works without looking at the name of the composer, and you may think "Vivaldi." But if you were to look at the name, it's "Albinoni." Many of us who heard of that name would think of his famous "Adagio" (arr. Giazotto). These Oboe Concertos by Albinoni are well performed. Besides the performance, the sound is very good. It's worth more than the cheap price. I don't know what else to say but "Go get it!"