Esquenta Mulher [Import]

1. Historia De Bil Clitoris

2. Pot Pourri

3. Pot Pourri

4. Pot Pourri

5. Karapeba

6. Romance Da Lua Cheia

7. Pot Pourri

8. Pot Pourri

9. Pot Pourri

10. Mentira Sem Vergonha

11. Pot Pourri

12. Pot Pourri

13. Pot Pourri

14. Vaquejada Calor E Mulher

15. Pot Pourri

16. Pot Pourri

17. Pot Pourri

18. Pot Pourri

19. Pot Pourri

20. Magia

Customer Reviews:

Brahms to the manner born ! (?).......2007-06-11

In summary, It's the finest performance of either concerto I ever heard. That includes Stern (live and on record), Heifetz, Oistrach, Szeryng, (both live and the RCA recording), and Milstein. As for Mutter (I have both the one with von Karajan and the one with Masur), Mullova and Hahn, for me they all pale before the magnificence of this one.

But is it Brahms to the manner born ? As if by upbringing and birth, Fischer should give us (at such an early age), so commanding a performance of this violin concerto of all things?

To say that, I believe, would denigrate the achievement of this extraordinary young musician. It must have taken a lot of study to derive an interpretation of this magnitude.

Others have said that Julia Fischer is "an astonishingly gifted young artist" - what we have here demonstrates that these gifts extend well beyond her flawless technique and perfect intonation, beyond that gloriously rich and variegated tone set within its golden aura. Fischer's greatest gift must surely be a "profound and lyrical musicianship" (phrase borrowed from the Budapest Sun review of her recent performances of the violin concerto with the NY Philharmonic on their European tour).

We acquired this disc on April 19th during intermission following her performance of this work with Maazel and the NY Philharmonic in Avery Fisher Hall immediately prior to that tour. On the drive north the next day we played the disc in the car.

After the violin's first entrance, my wife and I turned to each other in amazement! This was even better than last night! The slower tempi allow her to be even MORE expressive!

This recording clearly demonstrates that "profound and lyrical musicianship" and we find that by turns, it is fiery, steely, gutsy and heroic. Yet where implicit in the writing, we are moved by playing of heart-melting lyricism and tonal splendor with breathtaking pianissimi.

The violin's first movement entrance displays jaw dropping power. But beyond that and throughout the movement this power is contrasted with a lightness of touch that is simply amazing (How does she do that?) The phrasing is characterized by a probing intellect as well as by Fischer's innate lyricism.

The first movement cadenza is such a singular and wonderful experience, one wishes for it to never end. After the broad phrasing and tonal splendor of the second movement, one is again startled by the power and exhuberance of the solo violin in the first theme of the final movement.

What of the double concerto? Fischer continues to amaze with her powerful sound and lightness of touch. Mueller Schott demonstrates a like minded approach. This is Brahms Double concerto in a chamber like rendition where two friends match each other, tone for tone and phrase for phrase with solo passages intertwining to yield a conception different from what I have previously heard. The second movement is broadly, beautifully sung but the outer movements are like a fireworks display viewed to reveal a panorama of wonder and tonal resplendence.

As to the sound, the multi-channel layer is not gimmicky, it centers you in the hall about 7 to 10 rows out from the artists. The rear speakers, in conjunction with the front left and right, catch the sidewall and rear wall reflections to reproduce the hall acoustics in your listening room. It sounds like you are truly THERE! This in impossible with mere stereo!

One cannot listen to this disc on a fine multi-channel SACD system and not be absolutely caught up in the profound committment and sheer heart with which Fischer attacks those declamatory chords that form the violin's entry in both the first and third movements of the violin concerto.

THIS is playing of real fire. Fire complemented by all of Fischer's extraordinary abilities, the tonal splendor, the spot on - absolutely perfect intonation, the flawless technique, the sensitive phrasing, the unrivaled musical intelligence.

Her achievment here is simply unparalleled. Brahms should have heard this, he really should have.

Right Up There Among the Best.......2007-05-25

I have to cast my vote for this CD as being extremely satisfying. But then I love both concertos so much that I simply get lost in the music and don't perhaps pay as much attention to technical details as I should; small flaws don't bother me because it's the music itself which is important, not the technical performance. I even remember a live performance of the Violin Concerto played by an international star -- no, you can't drag his name out of me! -- who had a major memory lapse in the finale; the orchestra had to stop and the soloist went over and consulted the conductor's score in order to get back on track. But then he played with the angels. Or with Brahms, which is practically the same thing.

I guess what I'm saying is that there is absolutely nothing in this recording of these two concerti that offends me and there is plenty to gladden my heart. I was won over by Fischer's way with Joachim's cadenza in the solo concerto's first movement. Fire and ice combined. (The playing of the NPO winds is inspired in the lovely Adagio movement.) The finale is perhaps a little restrained, or should I say a little suave rather than hell-bent-for-leather, but it is wonderful in its way. As to her partnering in the Double Concerto with Daniel Müller-Schott -- a cellist I've come to admire greatly and one with whom Fischer frequently plays chamber music -- it is a melding of minds. Don't let me forget to comment that Fischer's constant accompanist on her PentaTone recordings, conductor Yakov Kreizberg, is superb as well. I'm growing very fond of his burgeoning quality recordings. (And did you know he was Semyon Bychkov's younger brother?) Finally, who knew that the Netherlands Philharmonic was capable of such subtlety? This orchestra is playing as if they were the Berlin Philharmonic!

This recording will not replace other favorites -- in the violin concerto I love Milstein, Heifetz, Shaham, Vengerov among others; in the double concerto there are the magnificent Oistrakh/Rostropovich, Szeryng/Starker and Ma/Stern and others to consider -- but it deserves a space on your shelf.

The CD is a hybrid SACD, playable on regular CD players as well as SACD equipment, and the sound is luscious.

Scott Morrison

Technically perfect but unmemorable........2007-05-06

Having read all the favorable reviews I was looking forward to hearing this new recording of the Brahms string concertos. The playing is technically perfect, the recording very clear -- although the orchestra is a bit forward -- but it lacks inspiration or character, especially in the double concerto (certainly when compared to some of the memorable recordings like Oistrakh & Rostropovich, Perlman & Ma, Ferras & Tortelier, or even Stern & Rose). Likewise, the violin concerto also seems unmemorable. Its hard to understand the excitement over this recording or these artists.

good, not great.......2007-05-06

I found this a really striking interpretation of the Violin Concerto. The range of expression, tempo, and weight applied to different passages of the score is really impressive; energy and intensity build from suspended, all-but-inert pianissimi to energetic, passionate climaxes, in long, arching lines that keep you on the edge of your seat for minutes on end. Yet, in all, the interpretation emphasizes a sort of autumnal stillness, a certain sadness with which one has come to terms and is at peace with; and I think that this emphasis of interpretation is in fact true to Brahm's spirit, and therefore apporpriate here. In the lycrical and songlike sections, especially in the first movement, Fischer and company really settle into a forlorn, achingly gorgeous approach, with slow tempi and an introspective, almost meditative atmosphere; it's heartrending playing, and really unique next to the other readings of this score I know. But at the same time I agree with the previous reviewer, that all in all this approach to the music saps it of some of its momentum and structural coherence. Things all but grind to halt in those many, pretty passages and while this does not ruin the interpretation, it is certainly a flaw.

My favorite reading of this piece is Anne Sophie-Mutter's, with Masur and the New York Philharmonic; but this reading is really not so far behind, and to be sure, Fischer's violin playing is something to admire. (Though perhaps you will agree that she isn't entirely on top of things in a few passages of the third movement.) The recorded sound and orchestral playing are really something special: assured and resonant.

Interesting, as well, is the fact that the interpretive character of the Double Concerto is essentially unrelated to that of the Violin Concerto. The Double Concerto here maintains its rhytmic momentum and is played through with gusto. I don't think it's the composition that the Violin Concerto is, but it's certainly compelling as rendered here.

Fallible after all.......2007-05-02

It's almost a relief to find that the remarkable Julia Fischer is fallible after all. The performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto is way overdone with exaggerated dynamic contrasts, tempo changes, and lengths of pauses and phrases: strokes of the imagination that don't convince. The basic tempo of the first movement seems too slow to me. That's not to say that it is too slow, but that Fischer and conductor Kriezberg don;t make a good case for it. Cohesion, continuity and depth suffer. Brahms doesn't need and doesn't reward this kind of treatment. Moreover the recording (made in December 2006) doesn't sound well, at least on my CD only set-up, and remember I have most of Fischer's other SACD's. Turn to the Double Concerto, recorded in 2005, and it's a different story. The sound is great, Fischer is her usual stellar self, and cellist Mueller-Schott , whose playing is new to me, makes a wonderful impression: tone that is beautiful and unique, bold assurance, and technique a-plenty. It's a good sign that Fischer's New York apperance (April 2007) with the Brahms VC went over well. Perhaps the wily veteran Maazel was a positive influence or maybe she had by then worked the kinks out of her approach to the piece. In either case I hope she will hold off on recording the Brahms Violin Sonatas until her view of his music has definitely settled.

-Frank W. Barham

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Schubert: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mendelssohn: Greatest Hits
Liszt: Greatest Hits
Chopin: Greatest Hits
Beethoven: Greatest Hits
Debussy's Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000002A29
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished': Allegro moderato
Marche Militaire, Op. 51, No.1
Ave Maria
Serenade
Erlkonig
Rosamunde Overture
Impromptu In E-Flat Major, Op. 90, No. 2
Death And The Maiden String Quartet In D Minor: IV Presto
Moment Musical In F Minor Op. 94, No3
Trout Quintet For Piano & Strings In A Major: III Scherzo Presto
Symphony No. 9 In C Major 'The Great': I Andante - Allegro ma non troppo

Bach: Concertos for Oboe and Oboe d'Amore

Average customer rating:

I was very pleased
Evidence of Changing Musical/Cultural Tastes
A perfect introduction to the music of J.S. Bach
J.S. Bach Oboe Concertos

Bach: Concertos for Oboe and Oboe d'Amore

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Bach: Harpsichord Concertos 1
J.S. Bach: Complete Piano Concertos Vol. 2
The Instruments of Classical Music, Vol. 2: The Oboe
Italian Oboe Concertos
Vivaldi: Oboe Concerti, Vol. 2

ASIN: B000046Q2I
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Tracks:

Concerto For Oboe d'amore In A Major, BWV 1055: Allegro
Concerto For Oboe d'amore In A Major, BWV 1055: Larghetto
Concerto For Oboe d'amore In A Major, BWV 1055: Allegro ma non troppo
Concerto For Oboe In G Minor, BWV 1056: Allegro
Concerto For Oboe In G Minor, BWV 1056: Largo
Concerto For Oboe In G Minor, BWV 1056: Presto
Concerto For Oboe In D Minor, BWV 1059: Allegro
Concerto For Oboe In D Minor, BWV 1059: Adagio (Alessandro Marcello)
Concerto For Oboe In D Minor, BWV 1059: Presto
Concerto For Oboe d'amore In D Major, BWV 1053: Allegro
Concerto For Oboe d'amore In D Major, BWV 1053: Siciliano
Concerto For Oboe d'amore In D Major, BWV 1053: Allegro
Concerto For Oboe And Violin In C Minor, BWV 1060: Allegro
Concerto For Oboe And Violin In C Minor, BWV 1060: Adagio
Concerto For Oboe And Violin In C Minor, BWV 1060: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

I was very pleased.......2003-06-03

... I decided to buy it mostly because of the cheap price. But after opening and playing it, I was really glad I bought it. Notice I only gave it 4 stars, but to me that is very good (5 stars are reserved for recordings of the utmost quality).

Some of these concertos might be familiar to the listener, as they were to me, if he has heard Bach's keyboard concertos. However, I have always felt that the oboe was the most beautiful of wind instruments, and I enjoyed hearing them in this new light.

While I am not an expert on the oboe, the playing seems very good, and the phrasing and touch of the strings could not be better. Here's one recording with which can't go wrong, whether you are new to classical music or a seasoned listener.

Evidence of Changing Musical/Cultural Tastes.......2003-02-10

Amazing that such exquisite music lost interest in Bach's time. As experts have noted and these liner notes on this recording suggest, much of Bach's fame was not in his lifetime as musical tastes were changing.

Thus, much of his concerto for oboe need reconstruction. Here played ably by Hommel and backed by Cologne Chamber Orchestra.
Intonation and phrasing is adequate, at times a little too dark for my taste.

A perfect introduction to the music of J.S. Bach.......2002-08-30

This disc is as good an introduction to J.S. Bach as any I can think of. As the insightful liner notes indicate, Bach often used parts of earlier compositions while writing his 1730s concertos for harpsichord(s); researches into these concertos suggest that those included on this disc were originally written for oboe, and whether it's ultimately the case or not, this recording shines. Christian Hommel's restrained performance serves the music perfectly: each track features vast melodies and excellent ensemble-playing; meanwhile, the sound quality and balance couldn't have been better. This is pure, abstract music at its best: music whose power doesn't depend on what it might 'suggest' or 'represent', but only on its own language. And like all great music, the pieces on this disc become the springboards for contemplation that French painter Albert Gleizes yearned for in the early 1940s. Strongly recommended.

J.S. Bach Oboe Concertos.......2001-09-10

J.S. Bach is my favourite. Of his music I probably love his concertoes most. The 5 concertoes on this CD are all reconstructions, according to the notes in the cover, i.e.the available scores by Bach himself are for other instruments:
mainly harpsichord. The assumption is that Bach had also made versions for other solo instruments at an earlier date.

I actually know each of the recorded pieces here played on either harpsichord, organ, violin or oboe. One of the concertoes, BWV 1053, as mentioned in the cover too, is shared with a cantata.I have it as BWV 169.

Tracks:

Overture
Nr.1 Introduktion: Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe!/Wo Bin Ich?
Nr.2 Arie: Der Vogelfanger Bin Ich Ja/He Da!!/Was Da!
Papageno!/Ah! Das Geht Mich An!
Nr.3 Arie: Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
Freue Dich Und Fasse Mut, Schoner Jungling!
Nr.4 Rezitativ Und Aria: O Zittre Nicht, Mein Lieber Sohn!/Ist's Denn Auch Wirklichkeit, Was Ich Sah?
Nr.5 Quintett: Hm, Hm, Hm
Ha, Ha, Ha/Pst, Pst!/He, Sklaven!
Nr.6 Terzett: Du Feines Taubchen, Nur Herein!
Bin Ich Nicht Ein Narr
Nr.7 Duett: Bei Mannern, Welche Liebe Fuhlen
Nr.8 Finale: Zum Ziele Fhrt Dich Diese Bahn
Wie Stark Ist Nicht Dein Zauberton
Schnelle Fube, Rascher Mut
Es Lebe Sarastro! Sarastro! Soll Leben!
Nr.9 Marsch Der Priester
Ihr, In Dem Weisheitstempel
Nr.10 Arie Mit Chor: O Isis Und Osiris
Eine Schreckliche Nacht!/Ihr Fremdlinge!
Nr.11 Duett: Bewahret Euch Vor Weibertucken

Tracks:

Nr.12 Quintett: Wie? Wie? Wie? Ihr An Diesem Schreckensort?
Heil Dir, Jungling! Dein Standhaft Mannliches Betragen/Ah, Da Find Ich Ja Die Sprode Schone!
Nr.13 Arie: Alles Fuhlt Der Liebe Freuden/Zuruck!/O Weh! Das Ist Die Gottin Der Nacht
Nr.14 Arie: Der Holle Rache Kocht In Meinem herzen
Morden Soll Ich?/Herr, Strafe Meine Mutter Nicht
Nr.15 Arie: In Diesen Heil'gen Hallen
Hier Seid Ihr Euch Beside Allein Uberlassen/Tamino!/Pst!/Ah! Was? Ist Das Fur Mich?
Nr.16 Terzett: Seid Uns Zum Zweitenmal Wilkommen
Tamino, Wollen Wir Nicht Speisen?/Tamino! Du Hier?
Nr.17 Arie: Ach, Ich Fuhl's Es Ist Verschwunden
Nicht Wahr, Tamino, Ich Kann Auch Schwigen
Nr.18 Chor Der Priester: O Isis Und Osiris
Prinz, Dein Betragen War Bis Hieher Mannlich Und Gelassen
Nr.19 Terzett: Soll Ich Dich, Teurer, Nich Mehr Sehn?
Tamino! Tamino! Willst Du Much Denn Ganzlich Verlassen?/Mensch!/Du Hattest Verdient
Nor.20 Arie: Ein Madchen Oder Weibchen Wunscht Papageno Sich!
Da Bin Ich Schon, Mein Engel!/Fort Mit Dir, Junges Weib!
Nr.21: Finale: Bald Prangt, Den Morgen Zu Verkunden
Der Wlecher Wandert Diese Strabe Voll Beschwerden/Tamino Mein! O Welch Ein Gluck!
Papagena! Papagena! Papagena! Weibchen! Taubchen!
Nur Stille, Stille, Stille, Stille!/Die Strahlen Der Sonne Vertreiben Die Nacht

Amazon.com

This live Magic Flute is delightfully, lightly led by Claudio Abbado. Even the opera's darker moments---the scenes at the Temple, etc.---are treated nimbly; there's no hint of Otto Klemperer's approach to be found here. The Papageno is somewhat faceless, and while the Queen of the Night sings accurately and delivers her recitatives with real drama, she, too, is not up to the best on discs. But the recording sports the finest Tamino since Stuart Burrows and Fritz Wunderlich in Christophe Strehl, a tenor with both lyricism and plangency built in to his voice. Dorothea Röschmann is a simply glorious Pamina, strong of voice but sensitive and girlish as well, and René Pape's Sarastro sets a new standard. The Three Ladies don't always sing on key. Orchestra and Chorus are superb. Despite these criticisms, the three leads and Abbado are enough to make this a fine recommendation. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

The Modern Star Zauberflote Album........2007-02-08

The classical recording of The Magic Flute dated back to Boehm/Wunderlich's time. That was almost half a century ago.
Some treacherously difficult arias in this opera made first-rate performance of it difficult.
Claudio Abbado, on the other hand, used a batch of relatively young soloists in this production, and to very good end judging from the overall performance.
I don't want to compare Strehl with Wunderlich, or Mueller-Brachmann with his teacher Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. That's not being fair.
Despite this, the evenness of the soloists' performance outshined that even of Boehm's star-studded cast, especially in the two leading female roles of Pamina and the Queen of Night. Roeschmann and Miklosa are both more secure in tone and more pleasing to the ears.
Rene Pape's Sarastro also shines.
If ever you want to pick some weaknesses in this recording, they come in a couple of ensembles, mainly between the Three Ladies and the Two Armoured Men. However, the quartet between Pamina and the Three Boys are very effective, and Roeschmann gave a very outstanding account with the three youngsters in that ensemble.
I have heard some Taminos since Wunderlich's time, and would not go to the length of comparing Christoph Strehl with Fritz, suffice it that among contemporary Taminos, Strehl's portrayal really stands out. He may not be as lyrical as Fritz, but he does handle the role with apparent vocal ease, some thing clearly could not be taken for granted.
I do not find Roeschmann's tone too mature. This soprano is really coming of age vocally. It is time she consider taking on some even more taxing roles for operatic sopranos. Miklosa hasn't recorded much apart from this role of Queen of Night. I hope she is not those 'one-role' singers.

More Abbado Magic.......2006-07-17

This is a stellar Zauberflote in essentially all respects. The recorded sound is immediate, live and convincing. The orchestral playing is superb, and the vocalists in the aggregate are first rate, with momentary exception. The only recent, competetive Zauberflote of modern instrument variety is Solti's with Sumi Jo as the Queen of the Night. That performance also has a special place in my heart, but this newcomer sits on the shelf next to the Solti recording. There are many other great Zauberflotes, but this one is for the 21st Century.

A sparkling 'Magic Flute' to compete with the best.......2006-06-14

Claudio Abbado may be aging, but he has devoted his new 'Magic Flute' to youth--the leads are mostly rising opera stars, and the pit orchestra is the Mahler Chamber Orch., which is for up-and-coming orchestral players. The fact that Abbado favors period practices makes the score sound fresh and light--there is a marked absence of vibrato in the strings, a prominence of woodwinds, and faster-than-usual tempos (often near the speeds that real period recordings from Norrington, Gardiner, and Christie employ). However, the singers use the same amount of expressive vibrato that we are used to in the opera house. You'll hear some stage noises from these live (and lively) performances from Modena, Italy in Sept. 2005.

For me, the most exciting discovery here is the Tamino, tenor Christoph Strehl, who sounds as ardent as Fritz Wunderlich. Like Wunderlich, Strehl has a melting tone, robust delivery, and an elegant line. His 'Die Bildnis' aria comes off with ease--you'd never guess how treacherous it is for other tenors. Frankly, I haven't heard as good a Tamino since Wunderlich's death in the late Sixties.

The Three Ladies aren't always perfectly in tune, but this is a live performance, and one has to make allowances for how difficult Mozart's vocal writing is. Most German productions treat Papageno as a caricature, but Abbado is rather a sober sides, and Hanno Müller-Brachmann (a standout in Haydn's Creation on Naxos) doesn't go for laughs. I wish he had--Papageno is a fantastic character, after all--and not every aria goes as smoothly as it could, but Müller-Brachmann is certainly quite good.

The two best-known singers in the cast are Dorothea Roschmann as Pamina and Rene Pape as Sarastro. Some listeners may not take immediately to Roschmann's darker, more mature tone. Pamina is usually sung by a light lyric soprano, and Roschmann's voice is hardly girlish. I wish she showed more longing and tenderness, but she is never less than good. Pape may be the greatest non-Russian basso alive and potentially a great artist. His arias are totally secure and sung with affecting emotion. As with Strehl, you'd never guess that other basses have to struggle with Sarastro's music.

My second favorite singer here is Erika Mikósa, who owns the role of the Queen of the Night in Europe (this spring she was great at the Met, too). She is amazing in her ability to let us unerstand the words--usually a major failing among coloraturas--but also for beauty of tone and high-flying agility. Not since Lucia Popp in the Sixties has a voice fit the part so wel.

Despite the live setting, the voices are as perfectly recorded as in a studio, and DG gives the production lovely, natural sonics. The spoken dialogue is just enough to follow the story, which is good for us non-German speakers. I think most listeners will be delighted with Abbado's efforts. He had never conducted the work before this recording, saving it for his maturity. That was a wise decision. Although rather low-key throughout, his conducting is full of refinement and affection--on disc, his only rivals are Klemperer and Bohm in their classic sets. We've waited a long time for Die Zauberflote to return at this level of excellence.

REALLY MAGICAL.......2006-06-14

I live in Modena, Italy, and I was lucky to see this "Zauberflote" live, at the Teatro Comunale, when it was on stage, last september. During those evenings, the album was recorded. It was an extraordinary experience, really a big show, and I'm happy to re-live again and again, in this album. Don't miss it, especially if you love Claudio Abbado and his magical touch.

Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra

Average customer rating:

I guess I'm not as sophisticated as all of you...
A convert
Excellent performance
A Devastating Five Pieces - A desert island CD
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Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra

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Schoenberg: The String Quartets
Arnold Schoenberg: Suite, Op. 29, for 2 Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello & Piano / Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (Sextet for 2 Violins, 2 Violas & 2 Celli) - Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez
Schoenberg - Die Glückliche Hand · Variations for Orchestra, Op.31 · Verklärte Nacht / Nimsgern · BBC Orch. · NY Phil. · Boulez
Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No1; Die Jacobsleiter
Berg: Chamber Concerto; Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6; Violin Concerto

ASIN: B000002818
Release Date: 1993-07-13

Tracks:

Serenade, Op. 24: I. Marsch
Serenade, Op. 24: II. Menuett
Serenade, Op. 24: III. Variationen
Serenade, Op. 24: IV. Sonett Von Petrarca: 'O Konnt' Ich Je Der Rach' An Ihr Genesen'
Serenade, Op. 24: V. Tanzscene
Serenade, Op. 24: VI. Lied (Ohne Worte)
Serenade, Op. 24: VII. Finale
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: I. Vorgefuhle
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: II. Vergangenes
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: III. Farben
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: IV. Peripetie
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: V. Das Obligate Rezitativ
Ode To Napoleon Buonaparte, Op. 41

Amazon.com

Schoenberg's Serenade is comparable to Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale. Both works are effective modernist parodies of classical genres. But unlike Stravinsky, Schoenberg's treatments of marches and waltzes are never coolly burlesque, but hyper expressive--indeed, expressionist. Pierre Boulez conducts his Ensemble InterContemporain, underlining the music's prickly sonorities and metallic edges. In his interpretation, the expertly separated timbres are the hinge of the composition. Also on the disc is a classic reading of the Five Pieces for Orchestra and the curious Ode to Napoleon, a work for ensemble with narrator. --Joshua Cody

Customer Reviews:

I guess I'm not as sophisticated as all of you..........2006-09-20

Depth? Genius? This stuff sounds like your watching an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. Its like the background sound effects when Yosemite Sam steps on a rake or Daffy does a double-take. Imagine being Ray Charles or Andrea Bocelli and "watching" old cartoons: it's the same experience. But in this case, I'd rather be Marlee Matlin.

A convert.......2006-05-09

I would like to speak in regards to what some reviewers are saying about the works of Schoenberg. I will admit that the first time I heard Schoenberg, I wrote him off as weird music that I would never like and was not worth listening to. In my defense, the first work I heard was "Pierrot Lunaire" which is a very hard work to understand. But I was assigned a paper of the Second Viennese School and its influences for music history and was forced to really listen to these works among others by much more extreme composers like Boulez and Cage (who I have yet to understand, but I am still young!) Once I stopped grumbling about how much I hated serialism and let myself really HEAR the music, I started to understand it and gained a begrudging respect for Schoenberg, which became a genuine liking. So in light of this, I dare anyone who is so willing to bash Schoenberg outright to really listen to his works and the works of those he influenced with an open mind and see if you can't at least respect the music for what it is.

Excellent performance.......2006-03-25

Having owned nearly all avaliable recordings of all Schonberg, I have found all of Boulez's recordings on Sony to my favorite.

It has been 3 yrs now that I first discovered Schonberg and my love for his music grows more everyday, high genius indeed.
I love almost everything he wrote, but as to his Pelleas, even Schonberg said he was only satisfied with the last part.

Now as to A Music Fan's comments on his This Music Stinks and Ong's in his World comming to an end, this might have been something I wrote back in my early to mid years of adventures in classical music, say 1980-2001.
But you see I grew in a psychological sense and my awareness of what great art is, had made a profound transition into the modern era.
(read all my reviews)

But for some to give either a vote of "no, not helpful", shows we still have way too many under the 13 year olds clicking the vote buttons.
Why even click the vote?
Sure I realize you strongly disagree with both, that you love Schonberg as much as I, maybe more, which I doubt, so why even bother with these 2 who may not ever come to know Schonberg while upon this earth.
That in itself is a big loss to their experience in life.

I see the same youths post on my reviews a "no, not helpful".
Well if you disagree with either Ong and A Music fan, write your own rebuttal to these 2 guys.
Just don't click a button , write a commen of your appreciation for Schonberg's genius.

The old form is clashing with the new. As the romantic and classical eras must give way to 20th century music, I forsee some contentions at the ineviatable changes that are about to occur.
Sure some will want to atke it to battle, as the other side really does not want to give up an inch of its power.
Thus, don't expect many of us modern fans to be at your shows.
The attendance numbers will dwindle, profits will shrink.
If you give us what we want, which is an all modern program, once in awhile, we'll gladly pay the price of the ticket.
Otherwise have fun at YOUR "program".

A Devastating Five Pieces - A desert island CD.......2005-07-15

I still remember the first time I heard this recording of Boulez conducting the Five Pieces. I had heard the work before but the degree of electricity here was something that came as a complete shock to me. From the first note to last this Five Pieces is totally devastating. This is a performance that makes Schoenberg's Mahlerian heritage absolutely clear only he is so much more concentrated and focused in his delivery that the results for me are just shattering. The rapport that Boulez enjoyed with the BBC orchestra at this time is something I have always marvelled at but this takes it to another level. Of course the inner movements are also allowed moments of hushed poetic repose but the outer movements really do remind me of what Robert Craft said of the final pages of the last of the Five Pieces - that it was the greatest thing written in the twentieth century. That statement really surprised me and I think maybe it was a spur of the moment outburst but Boulez does a greater job than anybody of convincing me of its truth.

As for the Seranade, I love this performance. Schoenberg always had a great awareness of early music - perhaps inherited from Brahms. Webern of course even wrote his PhD thesis on Heinrich Isaac's Choralis Constantinus and in his writings Schoenberg refers to composers such as Josquin reasonably frequently. It is highly likely he was also familiar with the madrigals of the late Renaissance period, referred to the Seconda Prattica by Monteverdi. Poets such as Petrach and Tasso were popular amongst madrigal composers and the madrigalian feeling is even further accentuated by the use of instruments such as the mandolin for accompaniment making it sound even more like a twentieth century madrigal. It is a charming and enjoyable work, quirky and mercurial.

The final work on this CD is the Ode to Napolean in which Schoenberg spits vitriolic hatred at Hitler. I have always found Schoenberg's command of English language inflections to be less than perfect - you can hear a slight German accent in the Sprechstimme. Musically by this time Schoenberg starts to also sound increasingly more and more like Brahms and the opening statement by the string quartet and piano has a theme vaguely reminiscent of the opening of the finale of the Brahms Opus 25 G minor piano quartet (the one Schoenberg transcribed for orchestra)! Boulez has always been critical of this tendency in the later Schoenberg but I must confess to liking it. The work is a tour de force - fiery and passionate, yet uplifting and hugely appealling such that I am always surprised it is not played more often, especially when it pays such glowing hommage in the closing passages to George Washington.

All in all this is a desert island CD for me - most especially for the Five Pieces, which is one of the greatest performances of anything I have yet to hear.

BUY IT.......2001-02-28

Somebody who dislikes the music presented on this CD wouldn't know good modern classical music if it smacked him/her across the face. This is quite a statement, I understand, but this music is simply brilliant - particularly 5 Pieces for Orchestra (perhas slightly less well-known than other Schoenberg works). This piece is a treatise on timbre that simply blows my mind. It relaxes you, enthralls you, terrifies you, and makes you very glad you spent the $11 on this CD. Buy it, and open your ears.

Average customer rating:

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound
A great collection of Liszt treasures
An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations.
Liszt for the ages.

Liszt: Piano Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Chopin: The Piano Works
Brahms: Works for Solo Piano
Works for Solo Piano
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
Rachmaninov: The Piano Concertos

ASIN: B00005ND3L
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C-Sharp Minor
Liebestraum No.3
Mephisto Waltz No.1
Funerailles (No.7 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Rigoletto: Conc Paraphrase
La Campanella

Tracks:

Die Forelle
Der Muller Und Der Bach
Wohin?
Lebe Wohl!
Das Wandern
Der Lindenbaum
Horch, Horch, Die Lerch
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
Die Post
Aufenthalt
Lob Der Tranen
Erlkonig
I. Allegro Con Fuoco
II. Adagio
III. Presto
IV. Allegro

Tracks:

Lento Assai - Allegro Energico -
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro Energico - Andante Sostenuto - Lento Assai
Valse Impromptu
I. 'Hohe Liebe' In A flat
II. 'Selinger Tod' In E Flat
III. 'O Lieb' In A Flat
Grand Galop Chromatique

Tracks:

I. Sposalizio
II Penseroso
III. Canzonetta Del Salvator Rosa
IV. Sonetto 47 Del Petrarca
V. Sonetto 104 Del Patrarca
VI. Sonetto 123: Del Petrarca
VII. Apres Une Lecture De Dance (Fant Quasi Son)

Tracks:

I. La Chapelle De Guillaume Tell
II. Au Lac De Wallenstadt
III. Pastorale
IV. Au Bord D'une Source
V. Orage
VI. Vallee D'Obermann
VII. Eglogue (Hirtengesang)
VIII. Le Mal Du Pays
IX. Les Cloches De Geneve

Tracks:

I Gondoliera
II. Canzone
III. Tarantella
Les Jeux D'eau A La Villa D'Este (No.4 Of Annees De Pelerinage, Troisieme Annee)
Benediction De Dieu Dans La Solitude: (No.3 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Ballade No.2 In B

Tracks:

I. Preludio: Presto
II. Molto Vivace
III. Paysage: Poco Adagio
IV. Mazeppa: Allegro
V. Feux Follets: Allegretto
VI. Vision: Lento
VII. Eroica: Allegro
VIII. Wilde Jagd: Presto Furioso
IX. Ricordanza: Andantino
X. Allegro Agitato Molto
XI. Harmonies Du Soir: Andantino
XII. Chasse-Neige: Andante Con Moto

Tracks:

Zwei Konzertetuden: I. Waldesrauschen
Zwei Konzertetuden: II. Gnomenreigen
I. Il Lamento
II. La Leggierezza
III. Un Sospiro
I. Andante Con Moto
II. Un Poco Piu Mosso
III. Lento Placido
IV. Quasi Adagio
V. Andantino
VI. Allegretto Sempre Cantabile
Reminiscences De Don Juan

Tracks:

Reminiscences De Norma
Totentanz (Danse Macabre)
Malediction
Fant On Hungarian Folk Themes

Customer Reviews:

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound.......2006-09-29

Piano playing of extraordinary romantic depth and breadth. Bolet is inside Liszt's mind, as Liszt's romantic self unfolds on the keyboard. It is as if Bolet is the master himself. Superlative recordings to boot!

A great collection of Liszt treasures.......2004-01-12

The booklet of this set has an interesting explanation of why Jorge Bolet stayed out of the spotlights for so long before taking up his -glorious- career. It was his devotion to Liszt. By then, in the 1950s, Liszt was still regarded as a B-composer (There are still people who tend to think so: I read someone who called Liszt `the father of all bar pianists'. Now, if you know a worse offence...). Only after Liszt's reputation had increased, Bolet could enter his `Indian summer', which lasted from about 1975 until his passing away in 1990. During this period, he was finally able to perform his favourite music as much as possible. This fine 9-disc set may indeed be Bolet's most important testament. Additionally, it's one of the most important Liszt collections on the market. But beware: there's much more than just Bolet, considering Liszt's piano works. I can't say this is the perfect set or near it. Still five stars, for some astonishing piano playing that we don't come across very often nowadays.

Bolet won a Gramophone Award for his 1st book of Années de Pelerinage, which is not strange when listening to the recordings. This is a portrait of a man who's entirely on his own, looking for his soul while wandering trough the beautiful Switzerland - I can't say it better than B. Johnson already did. It's Romantic nonsense, of course, but in Liszt's days it was a common idea, and it can still sweep me away. Bolet's superior tonal colouring - beautiful, but not too far-driven, for the risk it would almost be too intimidating - and his peaceful nature lift this music to the greatest heights. My only complaint would be the `Orage' piece: Bolet's technique can't quite handle it, and its aggressive nature is much less overwhelming as a result. Nevertheless, the rest of the pieces show him at his very best. So does the second year of the Années (that is oddly placed in the set before the first year by Decca). The Dante Sonata, one of Liszt's greatest pieces, fares very well under Bolet's hands.

Equally excellent were the Schubert Song Transcriptions. The transcriptions aren't very different from the original songs, but they are definitely interesting. Especially when someone like Bolet takes them under his hands! All songs are terrifically played, with real standouts like `Auf dem Wasser zu singen', `Der Mueller und der Bach' and `Erlkoenig'. Bolet's romantic touch (he may have been the last of his kind) lets the music unendingly flow. Brilliant!

These comments also apply to Liszt's Consolations, which are placed on another disc. Liszt shows here how much he's in debt to Schubert, and wrote music of a disarmingly lyrical nature. Bolet gives almost naively innocent readings of these pieces. Talking about singing music, why not include the Liebesträume, `Venezia e Napoli' and many, many other pieces as well. Although some people still regard Liszt as a bombastic composer, he was in fact much more active on the spiritual and lyrical area. It is largely this nature of Liszt that is put into the spotlights by Bolet. He is really terrific whenever music ought to sound peaceful and meditative.

But Liszt was also a stunning virtuoso. People may eschew him for that, but that's often without any good ground. The B minor Sonata and the Transcendental Etudes, to give some names, are not only pianistically but also musically amazing works. It takes to be both a good technician and a musician to play them well, and this is where Bolet occasionally fails. He was over 65 when he made these recordings, and I can't help but say that his technique was not anymore what it used to be. In many pieces you can hear him struggle.

In what may be the most difficult music Liszt wrote, the Transcendental Etudes, Bolet takes tempi that are almost too easy (e.g. no.10 should be `Allegro molto agitato' but Bolet plays it very moderately), perhaps because his technique was by then too limited to give the pieces a really impressive treatment. Even then, I do feel a ertain nobility in Bolet's slow approach that gives every study a dignified stature (and that's something you won't find with Kissin or Cziffra!). The sonata is similarly noble and yet tremendously powerful in its scope, even though Bolet may lack some technial control at isolated spots.

Anoter treacherous piece is the `Reminiscences de Don Juan', which is a transcription of no less an opera than -of course- Don Giovanni! Bolet plays this 20-minute piece with a lot of humour and swing: it's a great way to clean up your mind! Also recommendable are the Etudes de Concert (e.g. Waldesrauschen), whose light spirit is very well captured.

A treasure trove set overall, I can recommend it without any limitations. There's no other composer that suited Bolet as well as Liszt, and the vice versa may be true as well. But the pianist also has his weaker points, particularly regarding his technique, that wasn't what it used to be. Oh, and the piano sound is not always equally convincing: the instrument sounds a little shrill at times. But there's an amazing amount of colour in the instrument, and it allows Bolet to reachfor the deepest, darkest sonorities you've heard. This collection is therefore not just THE best Liszt: there are many more pianists who made supreme recordings of him (e.g. Arrau, Brendel, Richter) and I definitely recommend searching them out as well. After you've heard this!

An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations........2003-12-03

I was very impressed with Bolet's playing. His rendition of La Campanella is the best I've ever heard.

Liszt for the ages........2001-12-05

Both for those that would like to find out for the first time what Liszt is all about, and for those few that are very familiar with the Paganini of the 88: LOOK NO FURTHER!

It doesn't get any better than this.

After I heard throughout the seventies about this "unknown" great of the romantic repertoire, I was fortunate enough to see him for the first time about a month after he recorded the first issue of this now legendary Liszt series. While his technique may not have exactly been what it used to be before (e.g. Orage in Suisse of Les Annees), all the performances benefit from the wisdom of many, many years. While all the performances are of a uniform Olympic level, two issue stand out in my mind.

First, there is the cd of Schubert Liszt transcriptions. Bolet really sets the standards for "singing" on the piano. His version of "Der Muller und der Bach" has to be believed to be heard.

Most importantly though, there is "Suisse" the first year of Liszt's years of pilgrimage. I own this disc from the day it appeared on the shelves and still listen to it every month. Surely, there are more technically brilliant versions. For the true "Liszt Nuts", I would certainly advise Leslie Howard's version of "L'Album d'un voyageur", that contains the first version of many of the "Suisse" pieces, and some additional pieces that Frenz (for reasons that escape me completely) excluded from the later Suisse. Yet, nobody, not even Brendel or Berman, have come close to Bolet on delivering on the central theme of Suisse, man finding himself back in an exploration of nature.

While they stem from the earlier days of digital recording the recordings are still more than respectable and benefit greatly from Bolet's attention for color, aided by his favorite Bechstein.

Tracks:

Allegro
Adagio
Allegro
Allegro
Siciliano
Allegro
Allegro
Larghetto
Allegro Ma Non Tanto
Allegro
Largo
Presto

Amazon.com

So little documentary evidence remains of Bach (many of his major works are still lost without trace) that the survival of his seven harpsichord concertos assumes great significance. From these works, we can learn much about scoring that elsewhere has had to be conjectured; their origin as concertos for violin or oboe adds to the fascination. Until Bach put it in center stage, nobody had thought of the harpsichord as a solo instrument: it was with these works that a new genre came into being that would culminate in the concertos of Mozart and Beethoven. And they still dazzle today. Naxos's battery of soloists, led by the musicologist Robert Hill, is extremely good, working up exhilarating miasmas of sound above the accompanying orchestra. But this orchestra embodies the concept of historical practice on modern instruments, which raises all sorts of questions. In both pitch and tone quality, they are irredeemably modern: the "period" element is somewhat elusive. But as musical archaeologists they are invaluable: this CD comes as part of Naxos's excellent eight-disc box of all of Bach's major orchestral works. --Michael Church

Customer Reviews:

Simply perfect!.......2006-05-09

This CD is marvellous! The sound, the performance, the conducting... everything is absolutely perfect! I've heard other five CDs which contain the same harpsichord concertos and I can assure that this is undoubtedly the best! An it's the cheaper too! This Naxos collection of the complete Bach's orchestral works are outstanding!

Amazing find.......2005-11-02

I have been looking for a harpsichord version of BWV 1056 for quite a while before I came across this modest, budget release. The price may be low, but the performances are excellent, lively and fresh sounding, with very interesting ornamentations. The sound quality, sometimes an issue with Naxos CDs, is just as good. At this price, this particular album, along with Volume II of the same collection, are highly recommended CDs for anyone interested in Bach keyboard works, or just great Baroque music.

Absolutely Spellbounding!!!.......2005-09-01

I am an amateur keyboardist and this is my humble opinion of this CD.
As a Baroque keyboard geek I can say that this is, if not, the most wonderful version that I have heard of these Bach Harpsichord Concertos. This is the first Orchestra that I have heard that has played the appoggiaturas in the second movement of the first concerto in D minor as written in the autographed score of Bach. The added ornamenation that is done by Robert Hill is very tasteful and makes this concerto extremely exciting. I would love to have Harpsichord lessons from him. I point out Robert Hill but all of the soloists are gifted performers. The Orchestra takes some chances with the tempos and play some movements quite quickly. I prefer them this way. They feel and sound better. Their (the Orchestra) playing is wonderfully soothing in the slow movements and dance-like and electrifying in the faster tempos. I cannot wait to listen to the others. Bravo!!!

Harpsichord-NOT PIANO concertos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2001-07-17

This is THE BEST cds made by Naxos! I jave listened to this disc about 5 TIMES!!! My favorite is the Concerto in d-minor. I love the tempi. The first mvt. has a special character to it, almost dance like. It is also found as the Instrumentatz to Cantata 146. Movement two is rather sorrowfull, almost depicting Christ's agonizing march to the crucifix. The grace notes depict the stumbles Christ made. Finally mvt.3 expresses joy in a minor mode (I couldn't think of a religous plot to accompany it.) The rest of the Concertos are quite interesting and fun to listen to. Another favorite is the second mvt. to 1056 in f-minor. It is taken from (vise versa) Cantata 156. The Harpsichordists do a wonderful job.

Budget Favorite.......2000-06-20

The Naxos edition of Bach's Orchestral Works is superb. My particular favorite is this volume of the Harpsichord Concerti which features original instrument versions of works Glenn Gould recorded in the 1960's on piano. There is a marvelous airy quality to the sound. Most of the tempi here are very fast, at least as rapid as Gould took them, and sometimes slightly faster. This is not the slow, stately chamber music approach, its more like Baroque night at the Hop! Played at these tempi, these concerti really have a dance music feel.

Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2 [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

YOUTH
Three Young Musical Lions in Superb Mendelssohn Piano Trios

Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2 [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Pentatone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (Hybr)
Mozart, W.A.: Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 5
Brahms: Violin Concerto and Double Concerto [SA-CD - CD compatible]
Russian Violin Concertos [Hybrid SACD]
Mozart: Violin Concertos

ASIN: B000FVQUXK
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

Molto Allegro Agitato
Andante Con Moto Tranquillo
Scherzo-Leggiero E Vivace
Finale-Allegro Assai Appassionato
Allegro Energico E Con Fuoco
Andante Espressivo
Scherzo-Molto Allegro Quasi Presto
Finale-Allegro Appassionato

Amazon.com

Mendelssohn wrote his first trio, Op. 49, when he was 30, the second, Op. 66, five years later. Among the most beloved favorites of the repertoire, they are heard so frequently--especially the first one--that one would think all interpretive choices had been exhausted. But there is something special about hearing them performed by musicians who are even younger than the composer was when he wrote them. The three players on this record, all of whom have flourishing solo careers, are in their 20s. They bring to this familiar music the freshness of a new discovery, without however straining for novelty or surprise; their unlimited instrumental command and beautiful, varied, invariably expressive tone are entirely at the service of the music. Their approach combines meticulous observance of the score--dynamics, phrasing, articulation--with youthful spontaneity, ardent romanticism with judicious restraint; they follow Mendelssohn to the heights and depths of emotion without becoming sentimental, exaggerating or resorting to external effects. Though essentially dark, somber and dramatic, both Trios find relief in dreamy, inward, lyrical slow movements, and while each has a characteristic Mendelssohnian elfin Scherzo, in the first Trio it is lit by a bright, sunny sky and in the second it is shadowed by ominous storm-clouds, punctuated by flashes of lightning. The players take both Scherzos extremely fast, and though every note is clear, many details get lost in the headlong rush. The only flaw of this very impressive recording is the balance: the piano is too loud, the violin too soft, and the dynamic contrasts are excessive. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

YOUTH.......2006-08-17

This month in Aspen, Colorado, I had the immense pleasure of hearing two of the participants in this recording perform Beethoven's "Kreisler" Violin Sonata--Jonathan Gilad, piano and Julia Fischer, violin. These very young performers made such an impression on me in the aforesaid work that I purchased this recording of the Mendelssohn Piano Trios that also includes Daniel Müller-Schott on cello. Again I am very impressed with ALL of these performers. I love these works and Julia Fischer, violin, Jonathan Gilad, piano, and Daniel Müller-Schott, Cello play them splendidly performing them with passion and with marvelous youthful energy (the works are, after all, youthful Mendelssohn). Although, I own many recordings of the Mendelssohn Piano Trios, I found this recording immensely satisfying being filled with such vigor and with such beauty of tone--ah youth! A big plus is that the performers seem to be so keenly aware of each other forming a marvelous team. How so very exciting!

The sound of this PentaTone SACD disc is great displaying a very rich and full sound--"state of the art" I'm sure!

So if you want to hear how exciting chamber music can be, buy this disc.

Three Young Musical Lions in Superb Mendelssohn Piano Trios.......2006-07-29

None of the three instrumentalists on this piano trio CD has been around all that long -- they're all in their twenties -- but the word has been getting out about them for some time now. Violinist Julia Fischer has made the biggest splash on the strength of recordings of Bach solo works, Mozart piano sonatas, and three Russian concerti as well as some high-profile concert appearances in Europe and North America. Cellist Daniel Müller-Schott is not far behind with his muscular tone, tight vibrato and a sound of his own, and a recent CD of the Elgar and Walton concerti with André Previn and the Oslo Philharmonic. Jonathan Gilad is a little less-well known but he had a very successful début CD on EMI with music of Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart. As far as I know this trio had not teamed up before, but whoever had the idea to get them together deserves a medal. All three of them are consummate chamber musicians on the evidence of this disc and, further, they appear to have the greatest respect for their trio partners. Fischer and Müller-Schott have a startling ability to match their tone to one another. Gilad's contribution sparkles and dances. Fischer, at the beginning of the rather somber first movement of the C Minor trio, reminds one startlingly of Rostropovich with a huge yet doleful sound.

The Mendelssohn Piano Trios, Op. 49 in D minor and Op. 66 in C Minor, have been recorded many times before, probably the No. 1 more often than the No. 2, and they have almost uniformly received excellent performances. Much acclaim has been heaped on some fairly recent recordings: the recent Beaux Arts Trio's second set of these works and the Florestan Trio's set. Many lovers of these works will remember an incandescent recording of the D Minor by the Stern/Rose/Istomin trio. There is even a poorly recorded by otherwise striking performance by the Cortot/Thibaud/Casals trio.

This group of young players do not take a backseat to any of the artists mentioned above. Their approach is fiery yet tender, flowing yet not afraid to linger at times. The trios have been accused of being lightweight by some snippy critics, but that charge certainly could not be leveled at these performances. These are big, muscular and spontaneous readings. There is some emphasis on the darker side of the music, especially in the C Minor, and yet they break free with a joyous élan in placed like the scherzo of the D Minor and the finale of the C Minor. The quotation of the Lutheran chorale 'Herr Gott, Dich fürchten wir alle' in that finale comes as an epiphany, one that is almost heart-breaking in its simplicity and sincerity.

The sound on this SACD disc is demonstration quality. The plain CD layer, although recorded at a somewhat lower dynamic level, is also quite good. I'm consistently impressed with the sound on these PentaTone hybrid SACD releases.

If you're in the market for a CD of these works, don't hesitate. This release joins with the greatest every made of these marvelous pieces.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Wicked Funny Music
Gift Idea
Octoberfest fun
A great CD!

Opera's Greatest Drinking Songs

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Release Date: 1995-04-11

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La Traviata: Brindisi
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Il Trovatore: Anvil chorus
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intanto, amici
Carmen: Votre toast (Toreador Song)
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Cherubin: Vous parlex de peril And La Manola
Rigoletto: La donna obile
What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor
Das Lied von der Erde: Der trunkene im fr
Wiener Blut: Stoss an!
Lucrezia Borgia: Il segreto per esser felici
Der Freischutz: Hier im ird'schen Jammertal
La Damnation de Faust: Song Of The Rat
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Tafellied
Eine Nacht In Venedig: Solch ein wirtshaus lob ich mir
Otello: Inaffia l'ugola!
The Bartered Bride: Welch Gottesgabe is das Bier
Die Fledermaus: O Fledermaus; Champagne hat's verschuldet

Customer Reviews:

Wicked Funny Music.......2007-05-18

Excellent choices for drunken idiots to sing to. Get some culture while you get smashed!

Gift Idea.......2007-01-17

This was a gift for a man in my life who is a beer conosouir and fluent in German. I fell in love with the cover art because it was so humourous. According to him, the music is also fun and entertaining. This could make an excellent unique gift for someone, even as a joke.

Octoberfest fun.......2000-12-12

My father got this as a joke, ... I heard it and had to have it,, perfect for drinking beer in October. Just a wonderful hearty mix!

A great CD!.......1998-12-12

This CD is so much fun, and has great music! Buy it...you'll love it

20th Century Masters: The Best of the Three Tenors (Millenium Collection)

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20th Century Masters: The Best of the Three Tenors (Millenium Collection)
Karl-Heinz Loges , Leone Magiera , Sir Edward Downes , Berliner Philharmoniker , English Chamber Orchestra , London Symphony Orchestra , Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra , Philharmonic Orchestra , Wiener Philharmoniker , Wiener Staatsopernorchester , and Wiener Volksopernorchester
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0007LLPVK
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

O Sole Mio
Mamma
Non ti scordar di me
Passione
L'ultima canzone - Arr. Peter Hope
"Che gelida manina"
"La fleur que tu m'avais jetae"
La Danza - Arranged by Juan Alfonso
"Questa o quella" (Ballata) (Duca)
Donna non vidi mai (Des Grieux)
Spirto gentil
"Una furtiva lagrima"
Core 'Ngrato
Chitarra Romana
"Nessun dorma"

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