Della [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
22 Original Recordings on CD for the First Time. Tracks Include the Lady is a Tramp, Thou Swell, Softly My Love and More.

Della, Music, Della Reese, Easy Listening/Vocal, R&B, Standards, Traditional Pop, Vocal Jazz, Vocal Pop
Romanza
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Bias I Confess
  • An Italianized Englishman...
  • Romancing the listeners
  • Amazing!!!
  • Andrea in the 90's
Romanza
Andrea Bocelli
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Andrea Bocelli - Amore
  2. Sogno
  3. Andrea
  4. Cieli di Toscana
  5. Time to Say Goodbye

ASIN: B0000041OG
Release Date: 1997-09-23

Tracks:

  1. Con Te Partiro
  2. Vivere
  3. Per Amore
  4. Il Mare Calmo Della Sera
  5. Caruso
  6. Macchine Da Guerra
  7. Le Tue Parole
  8. Vivo Per Lei
  9. Romanza
  10. La Luna Che Non C'e
  11. Rapsodia
  12. Voglio Restare Cosi
  13. E Chiove
  14. Miserere-Live
  15. Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro) - A Tribute To Henri Maske

Amazon.com essential recording

From his childhood on the family farm in rural Tuscany to the worldwide stage, Andrea Bocelli has achieved phenomenal success. His singing is only partially the point, and his fame owes much more to the aura of romance and the romantic archetype that's attached to him. Romanza is by far Bocelli's largest success, winning adoration thanks to the swooning vocals and the easy, sometimes lush, always pop-safe instrumental textures and melodies. As far as his opera chops go, Bocelli has won the approval of Pavarotti but likely will not wow enthusiasts. The upside is that Bocelli will likely grow the opera pie, convincing labels to take on more operatic projects. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Bias I Confess.......2007-07-06

I confess to loving Italian music and opera in addition to Rock & Roll, Country and music in general.

This music is good when you want to relax or have a lady over 40 you want to entertain.

3 out of 5 stars An Italianized Englishman..........2007-06-01

Is the Devil incarnate." (Inglese italianato e un diavolo incarnate) Or so I've heard. I suppose the author (I read it in a copy of Machiavelli's The Prince) could be forgiven for not having heard Don Bocelli and Donna Brightman sing "Con Te Partiro" - can we now say Inglese italianata e un angelo incarnate?

The rest of the album is a collection of ballads, most of which suffer from weak or clashing instrumentals. An exception is "Macchine Da Guerra" which has a pleasant and comparatively strong piano accompaniment.

I'd like to thank Kenny McCormick of South Park, CO for turning me on to Don Bocelli.

5 out of 5 stars Romancing the listeners.......2007-05-30

What a voice, it soars with the arias and bops with the more contemporary. Especially love the song about Caruso. Andrea is un cantante bello, un uomo bello! Turn this one up with the top down and let it sing you home.

5 out of 5 stars Amazing!!!.......2007-05-18

I bought this cd again after losing my original copy that I bought the year it was released. Out of all my Bocelli cds this is my favorite. It has a good mix of classic opera with popera and really shows his abilities. I have used this cd to turn people on to opera and popera, and the results have been incredible! Once you hear him, you cannot deny his talent and passion. Simply AMAZING!!!

4 out of 5 stars Andrea in the 90's.......2007-04-20

Andrea is incredible.His romantic poetry with music is unparalleled.The only downside to this album is the inescapable 90's feel.If you don't mind it,then buy this album.If you do,then buy 'Time To Say Goodbye'off iTunes and get Sogno,Andrea,or Cieli di Toscana.
Sogno
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Romance
  • Andrea's masterpiece
  • A Great Collection Of Songs!
  • Sogno by Bocelli
  • Wow, Great Artist, & Great CD
Sogno
B. / Cogliati, D. Zambrini , Tullio / Servillo, Giuseppe Ferro , Patrick / Servillo, Giuseppe Abrial , Ennio / Bardotti, S. Morricone , Ennio / Quarantotto, Lucio Morricone , Mauro / Bocelli, Andrea Malavasi , Guido Corti , Eros Ramazzotti , and Cecilia Chailly
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Romanza
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ASIN: B00000IGX2
Release Date: 1999-03-30

Tracks:

  1. Canto Della Terra
  2. The Prayer (duet with Celine Dion)
  3. Sogno
  4. O Mare E Tu (duet with Dulce Pontes)
  5. A Volte Il Cuore
  6. Cantico
  7. Mai Piu' Cosi' Lontano
  8. Immenso
  9. Nel Cuore Lei (duet with Eros Ramazzotti)
  10. Tremo E T'Amo
  11. I Love Rossini
  12. Un Canto
  13. Come Un Fiume Tu
  14. A Mio Padre

Amazon.com essential recording

Andrea Bocelli's Sogno ("Dream") is a pop album of entirely original compositions that evoke traditional and modern influences. Bocelli himself describes the CD as secular Italian traditional melodic music with a contemporary twist. The album's 14 tracks include "The Prayer," a Bocelli and Celine Dion duet produced by David Foster; "Come un Fiume Tu," an intriguing collaboration with soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone; "O Mare e Tu," a duet with Dulce Pontes; and "Sogno" (the first single excerpted from the album), a light-as-a-feather, emotional composition sung by Bocelli with his typical vocal emphasis, which has made him famous around the world since the release of his self-titled debut. --Ernesto De Pascale

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Romance.......2007-06-12

If you like your music nice and low and in Italian, you'll love Andrea Bocelli. I do, that's why I have almost everything he's done. This truly is music for people over 40 who want and like romance in their life. (what can I say except I'm getting old)

5 out of 5 stars Andrea's masterpiece.......2007-04-20

This is the most beautiful music you will ever listen to.Andrea has a way of bringing out your innermost soul.The music can make you cry just to listen to it,even if you don't understand the words(which are translated in the booklet).Highlights are Sogno and Immenso for beauty,The Prayer and Nel Cuore Lei for stellar duets,and Canto Della Terra for the rapturous glory of Andrea's voice.If you buy nothing else from Andrea,buy this.

5 out of 5 stars A Great Collection Of Songs!.......2007-03-28

The tone of so many of this album's songs is almost reverent. Truly, this group of songs is one of Mr. Bocelli's best works. I recommend it for your own collection, as well as for gift-giving.

5 out of 5 stars Sogno by Bocelli.......2007-03-09

Bocelli is awesome! The Prayer is absolutely gorgeous! He is one of my favorite singers!

5 out of 5 stars Wow, Great Artist, & Great CD.......2007-01-04

I've enjoyed this CD so much I have given several copies as gifts!
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Only one diva, only Bartoli.
  • Amazing disc
  • Beautiful Music, but vocally unmusical.
  • Not to my taste
  • Exciting, moving, beautiful, energetic, heart-felt, fantastic...
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Cecilia Bartoli , George Frideric Handel , Alessandro Scarlatti , Antonio Caldara , Marc Minkowski , and Les Musiciens du Louvre
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000A6T1HC
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

  1. All'arme si accesi guerrieri (Aria dell Pace)
  2. Mentre io godo (Aria della Speranza)
  3. Un pensiero nemico di pace
  4. Vanne pentita a piangere
  5. Sparga il senso lascivo veleno
  6. Caldo Sangue
  7. Come nembo che fugge col vento
  8. Ecco negl'orti tuoi...Che dolce simpatica
  9. Qui resta...L'alta Roma
  10. Lascia la spina cogli la rosa
  11. Ahi qual cordoglio...Doppio affetto
  12. Si piangete pupille dolente
  13. Ahi quanto cieca...Come foco allo splendore
  14. Disserratevi oh porte d'Averno
  15. Notte funesta...Ferma l'ali

Amazon.com

Cecilia Bartoli's new CD features a collection of music that could not be heard in her native Rome at the start of the 18th century due to Papal censorship. Theaters, the Church felt, were places of evil and corruption and operas led people to immorality. But some music-loving senior members of the priesthood asked composers to write oratorios and cantatas--indeed, operas without staging, essentially--for their own private entertainment. Call it what you will, the music is sensational--by turns virtuosic, gentle, and playful--and always expressive: just right, it seems, for Cecilia Bartoli's temperament. The opening aria on the CD, a call for peace in the name of Jesus, is, in fact, a dazzling martial air with trumpets blaring and the voice going through an amazing array of coloratura fireworks. It shows Bartoli at her most aggressive. The listener is practically hurled back from the speakers when she begins, with rapid-fire runs and trills and cascades of notes, all perfectly in place. Showy arias are offset by several tender ones ("Lascia la spina" from Handel's Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno returns in the composer's Rinaldo, four years later, as the now-famous "Lascia ch'io pianga"), and Bartoli exhibits again, her many, many levels of pianissimo and sensitive phrasing. Marc Minkowski and his Musiciens are just right for this repertoire and back Bartoli up superbly. This is a fascinating project, rivetingly performed and presented. --Robert Levine

Album Description

Limited Australian pressing. An extraordinary album of dramatic arias written in Rome at a time when opera performance was forbidden by the Church, and female singers were forbidden from singing in public. Decca. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Only one diva, only Bartoli........2007-06-19

Just like Farinelli was the opera phenomenon of his time, fast-forward to the 21st century, Bartoli gives once again this music of the Italian settecento a breath of new life in all its splendor and glory.

In Opera Proibita, Bartoli's repertoire not only reflects on her as a consummate vocal artist but also as the ultimate scholar. Rarely an opera singer would dig this dip and go that far to unearth great scores from total obscurity. Even more uncommonly a singer would take the challenge of singing these arias without the risk of ridiculing herself, but to the contrary establishing a new record and precedent.

Her execution of the Handel arias is truly astonishing in coloratura and melismas probably not heard for three hundred years when only the best castrati commanded the virtuosity to tackle these arias. Also surprising and refreshing was to hear works by Handel that show his wild side.

Bartoli brings this album to a high climax with the arias from Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno. This is really her realm and true medium. Her vocal runs in "Un pensiero nemico di face" sound like a first violin, and as if this was not difficult enough she ornaments the da capo melismas in tempo from allegro to presto molto vivace, and transitions into a note crescendo with great ease and certainty. Wonderful!

5 out of 5 stars Amazing disc.......2007-03-03

This disc has all the elements needed for an amazing disc. The conductor, orchestra, and music are all top notch. Bartoli's singing is amazing. I find this album energizing and a testament to how exciting baroque music can be. However, if you don't like Bartoli's voice in previous recordings, you probably won't change your opinion because of this disc.

3 out of 5 stars Beautiful Music, but vocally unmusical........2007-02-09

I owned over a dozen of Bartoli solo albums, plus other operatic albums of hers. From the early days of 'Arias Antique' I got impressed by her beautiful singing and her outstanding technique.
Alas, starting from her Vivaldi Album, I do not find her singing that beautiful any more. True, the songs picked there are technically very challenging, used to be sung by male castrato singers. The songs picked here are even more difficult.
BUT - is singing just about technique?
There are some songs in the Vivaldi Album that have the vocal musical lines broken in places. Here in Opera Proibita, almost every song has this problem, even the slow ones of Caldara. Compare her singing in the earlier part of her career, her early Mozart operas, I could not help but wonder if Ms. Bartoli has taken the correct turn in her career: her forced high notes, though squarely hit, do not sound at all pleasing; her runs and trills, though taken accurately at great tempi, is no longer truly musical. Compare her singing with the other two great baroque mezzo-sopranos Bernarda Fink and the tragically short-lived late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, you would understand what I mean.

With the latest turn in Ms. Bartoli's singing, I am being forced to admit that this is a singer of great technical brilliance and enormous fame, but not at all pleasing to the ear.

1 out of 5 stars Not to my taste.......2006-11-05

Cecilia Bartoli has her fans, no doubt, as the other reviews on this site demonstrate, people who love her warmth of tone and her impassioned interpretations. These vocal qualities may suit the performance conventions of the nineteenth-century repertoire; however in this anthology of eighteenth century sacred arias the result is an unhappy imbalance. The problem is, in my opinion, one of clashing calls for attention, whose affect is to distract the listener from attention to the music itself. True, the god of the counter-reformation was to be worshipped ecstatically. And true, also, that I am an anti-romantic listener, who grew up with those early music performances which valued detached purity of tone. This was vaunted as the ideal means of interpretation of the rediscovered seventeenth and eighteenth-century repertoire (it protested too much its rightness, and alienated people- but I like it). However to return to the subject at hand- I find Bartoli's readings of these crypto-erotic arias overblown and self-indulgent. I guess that this sort of coloratura always offered a chance for a bit of ego to be let loose, even in church- however when the performance goes so far as to insist on attention to itself rather than deflecting attention to the music, I stop enjoying the music. This recording does not find the balance between the big romantic personality and eighteenth-century performance conventions, which, after 30 or 40 years of self-critique, have some authority. I disliked it very much. I am a great admirer of Mark Minkowski's opera interpretations, which I think find a perfect balance between these opposing impulses of warm and cool- a binary we can trace throughout aesthetics and through the ages. Here there's an overbalance in favour of warm (hot, in fact), which the performers might argue is just the sort of vivification that Baroque performance needs. Not for me. I gave it to a friend (she's still a friend).

5 out of 5 stars Exciting, moving, beautiful, energetic, heart-felt, fantastic..........2006-09-02

What more can I add?

Cecilia Bartoli just "does it" for me almost every time. She is just fantastic in my books. I love her dearly. She can give one an adrenalin rush with her bravura singing and then break one's heart with her pathos.

This is a superb collection of Baroque arias from "almost" operas! ;-))
I also liked the cheeky and none-too-subtle references to La Dolce Vita on
cover and the images inside the disc. Nice to see an opera singer with a playful sense of humour!

I am listening to this disc as I write this review and all I can say is that I love this disc and it is clearly one of the best Signorina Bartoli has released, although I like all of her recordings. Listen to track 12 and you will buy this disc.

More, please!

PS: How about DECCA getting Cecilia Bartoli and Andreas Scholl together for a musical project? I'd love to see two of my favourite singers together on the one disc.
PSPS: If you like Opera Proibita, buy Andreas Scholl's Arcadia and Arias for Senesino, too!


Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Barenboim's Beethvoen
  • One of the very best ever
  • dead in the water
  • Sublime expression nourished by a colossal vision!
  • Performed with great enthusiasm
Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000C2KP
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

  1. Sonata No.1 In F Minor, Op.2 No.1: Allegro
  2. Sonata No.1 In F Minor, Op.2 No.1: Adagio
  3. Sonata No.1 In F Minor, Op.2 No.1: Menuetto: Allegretto
  4. Sonata No.1 In F Minor, Op.2 No.1: Prestissimo
  5. Sonata No.2 In A Major, Op.2 No.2: Allegro vivace
  6. Sonata No.2 In A Major, Op.2 No.2: Largo appassionato
  7. Sonata No.2 In A Major, Op.2 No.2: Scherzo: Allegretto
  8. Sonata No.2 In A Major, Op.2 No.2: Rondo: Grazioso
  9. Sonata No.3 In C Major, Op.2 No.3: Allegro con brio
  10. Sonata No.3 In C Major, Op.2 No.3: Adagio
  11. Sonata No.3 In C Major, Op.2 No.3: Scherzo: Allegro
  12. Sonata No.3 In C Major, Op.2 No.3: Allegro assai

Tracks:

  1. Sonata No.5 In C Minor, Op.10 No.1: Allegro molto e con brio
  2. Sonata No.5 In C Minor, Op.10 No.1: Adagio molto
  3. Sonata No.5 In C Minor, Op.10 No.1: Finale: Prestissimo
  4. Sonata No.6 In F Major, Op.10 No.2: Allegro
  5. Sonata No.6 In F Major, Op.10 No.2: Allegretto
  6. Sonata No.6 In F Major, Op.10 No.2: Presto
  7. Sonata No.7 In D Major, Op.10 No.3: Presto
  8. Sonata No.7 In D Major, Op.10 No.3: Largo e mesto
  9. Sonata No.7 In D Major, Op.10 No.3: Menuetto: Allegro
  10. Sonata No.7 In D Major, Op.10 No.3: Rondo: Allegro
  11. Sonata No.22 In F Major, Op.54: In tempo di Menuetto
  12. Sonata No.22 In F Major, Op.54: Allegretto - Piu allegro

Tracks:

  1. Sonata No.4 In E Flat Major, Op7: Allegro molto e con brio
  2. Sonata No.4 In E Flat Major, Op7: Largo con gran espressione
  3. Sonata No.4 In E Flat Major, Op7: Allegro
  4. Sonata No.4 In E Flat Major, Op7: Rondo: Poco allegretto e grazioso
  5. Sonata No.9 In E Major, Op.14 No.1: Allegro
  6. Sonata No.9 In E Major, Op.14 No.1: Allegretto
  7. Sonata No.9 In E Major, Op.14 No.1: Rondo: Allegro comodo
  8. Sonata No.10 In G Major, Op.14 No.2: Allegro
  9. Sonata No.10 In G Major, Op.14 No.2: Andante
  10. Sonata No.10 In G Major, Op.14 No.2: Scherzo: Allegro assai

Tracks:

  1. Sonata No.11 In B Flat Major, Op.22: Allegro con brio
  2. Sonata No.11 In B Flat Major, Op.22: Adagio con molta espressione
  3. Sonata No.11 In B Flat Major, Op.22: Menuetto
  4. Sonata No.11 In B Flat Major, Op.22: Rondo: Allegretto
  5. Sonata No.12 In A Flat Major, Op.26: Andante von variazioni
  6. Sonata No.12 In A Flat Major, Op.26: Scherzo: Allegro molto
  7. Sonata No.12 In A Flat Major, Op.26: Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un Eroe: Maestoso andante
  8. Sonata No.12 In A Flat Major, Op.26: Allegro
  9. Sonata No.13 In E Flat Major, Op.27 No.1: Andante - Allegro
  10. Sonata No.13 In E Flat Major, Op.27 No.1: Allegro molto e vivace
  11. Sonata No.13 In E Flat Major, Op.27 No.1: Adagio con espressione - Allegro vivace

Tracks:

  1. SONATA NO.8 IN C MINOR, OP.13 'PATHETIQUE': Grave - Allegro molto e con brio
  2. SONATA NO.8 IN C MINOR, OP.13 'PATHETIQUE': Adagio cantabile
  3. SONATA NO.8 IN C MINOR, OP.13 'PATHETIQUE': Rondo: Allegro
  4. Sonata No.14 InC Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight': Adagio sostenuto
  5. Sonata No.14 InC Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight': Allegretto
  6. Sonata No.14 InC Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight': Presto agitato - Adagio - Presto agitato
  7. SONATA NO.23 IN F MINOR, OP.57 'APPASSIONATA': Allegro assai - Piu allegro
  8. SONATA NO.23 IN F MINOR, OP.57 'APPASSIONATA': Andante con moto
  9. SONATA NO.23 IN F MINOR, OP.57 'APPASSIONATA': Allegro ma non troppo - Presto

Tracks:

  1. Sonata No.15 In D Major, Op.28 'Pastoral': Allegro
  2. Sonata No.15 In D Major, Op.28 'Pastoral': Andante
  3. Sonata No.15 In D Major, Op.28 'Pastoral': Scherzo: Allegro vivace
  4. Sonata No.15 In D Major, Op.28 'Pastoral': Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo
  5. Sonata No.21 In C Major, Op.53 'Waldstein': Allegro con brio
  6. Sonata No.21 In C Major, Op.53 'Waldstein': Introduzione (Adagio molto) - Rondo (Allegretto moderato - Prestissimo)
  7. Sonata No.19 In G Minor, Op.49 No.1: Andante
  8. Sonata No.19 In G Minor, Op.49 No.1: Rondo: Allegro
  9. Sonata No.20 In G Major, Op.49 No.2: Allegro ma non troppo
  10. Sonata No.20 In G Major, Op.49 No.2: Tempo di menuetto

Tracks:

  1. Sonata No. 16 In G Major, Op. 31 No. 1: Allegro vivace
  2. Sonata No. 16 In G Major, Op. 31 No. 1: Adagio grazioso
  3. Sonata No. 16 In G Major, Op. 31 No. 1: Rondo: Allegretto - Adagio - Presto
  4. Sonata No. 17 In D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 'The Tempest': Largo - Allegro
  5. Sonata No. 17 In D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 'The Tempest': Adagio
  6. Sonata No. 17 In D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 'The Tempest': Allegretto
  7. Sonata No.18 In E Flat Major, Op.31 No.3: Allegro
  8. Sonata No.18 In E Flat Major, Op.31 No.3: Scherzo: Allegretto vivace
  9. Sonata No.18 In E Flat Major, Op.31 No.3: Menuetto: Moderato grazioso
  10. Sonata No.18 In E Flat Major, Op.31 No.3: Presto con fuoco

Tracks:

  1. Sonata No.24 In F Sharp Major, Op.78: Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo
  2. Sonata No.24 In F Sharp Major, Op.78: Allegro vivace
  3. Sonata No.25 in G major, Op.79: Presto alla tedesca
  4. Sonata No.25 in G major, Op.79: Andante
  5. Sonata No.25 in G major, Op.79: Vivace
  6. Sonata No.26 In E Flat Major, Op.81a 'Les Adieux': Das Lebewohl (Les Adieux): Adagio - Allegro
  7. Sonata No.26 In E Flat Major, Op.81a 'Les Adieux': Abwesenheit (L'Absence): Andante espressivo
  8. Sonata No.26 In E Flat Major, Op.81a 'Les Adieux': Wiedersehn (Le Retour): Vivacissimamente - Poco andante - Tempo 1
  9. Sonata No.27 In E Minor, Op.90: Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
  10. Sonata No.27 In E Minor, Op.90: Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorzutragen

Tracks:

  1. Sonata No.28 In A Major, Op.101: Allegretto ma non troppo
  2. Sonata No.28 In A Major, Op.101: Vivace alla Marcia
  3. Sonata No.28 In A Major, Op.101: Adagio, ma non troppo, con affetto - Tempo del primo pezzo - Allegro
  4. Sonata No.29 In B Flat Major, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': Allegro
  5. Sonata No.29 In B Flat Major, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': Scherzo: Assai vivace - Presto - Tempo 1
  6. Sonata No.29 In B Flat Major, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': Adagio sostenuto
  7. Sonata No.29 In B Flat Major, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': Largo - Allegro - Prestissimo - Allegro risoluto (Fuga a tre voci, con alcune licenze)

Tracks:

  1. Sonata No.30 In E Major, Op.109: Vivace, ma non troppo - Adagio espressivo - Tempo 1
  2. Sonata No.30 In E Major, Op.109: Prestissimo
  3. Sonata No.30 In E Major, Op.109: Tema: Andante molto cantabile e espressivo - Variazioni 1-6
  4. Sonata No.31 In A Flat Major, Op.110: Moderato cantabile, molto espressivo
  5. Sonata No.31 In A Flat Major, Op.110: Allegro molto
  6. Sonata No.31 In A Flat Major, Op.110: Adagio ma non troppo
  7. Sonata No.31 In A Flat Major, Op.110: Fuga: Allegro ma non troppo - L'istesso tempo di arioso - L'istesso tempo della Fuga - Meno allegro
  8. Sonata No.32 in C minor, op.111: Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato
  9. Sonata No.32 in C minor, op.111: Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile - Variazioni

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Barenboim's Beethvoen.......2007-06-27

I heard Bachaus play all Beethoven recitals at Carnegie Hall, in NYC. At that time he was the acknowledged master of the Beethvoen Sonata. With Barenboim, the old order changeth, yielding place to new. These recordings have fire, tempestuousness and passion, all emotions that belong in Beethoven.

5 out of 5 stars One of the very best ever.......2007-02-15

This set has to be experienced. The clarity of these performances is beyond belief. If it's not the best set of Beethoven Sonatas, it is certainly among the very best. Take for example the first movement of Sonata number 21. It is so easy to have a performer play all the notes just as Beethoven wrote them and yet leave the listener in a morass of confusion without the slightest idea of what he had in mind. Not here. The ideas pour forth in a white light that has to be experienced. It really has to be experienced!! I love these performances. I will play them until I die. Oh...and the recordings are technically excellent. At least when played through Levinson electronics and Maggies....superb!

2 out of 5 stars dead in the water.......2007-01-12

Sorry, I just don't like Barenboim's renditions. Beethoven is my favourite composer, depending on my mood that is, and nothing moves me as his music can. But I just don't get Barenboim's renditions... doesn't do a thing for me. Something of Beethoven's depth and richness gets totally "lost in translation".

Better off finding a better performance of these if you really want to be "blown away". My favorite "Beethoven" conductor would have to be Herbert von Karajan; and as for individual pianists my all time favorite is Maurizio Pollini, whose performances are exquisite, in both technique and expression! If you are a music lover you should really check his work out if you haven't already. My favorite Beethoven CD by him is "Die Spaten Klaviersonaten" (Beethoven) by Deutsche Grammophon in their "legendary recordings" series. It is a real gem! (the sound quality is excellent also)

5 out of 5 stars Sublime expression nourished by a colossal vision!.......2006-03-23

Thanks to this immense and untiring activity in the field of the orchestral direction, his vision as pianist has enriched himself quite a lot: Barenboim performs these well known Sonatas with a splendid architectural construction; according Schnabel `s tradition.

And that is a very remarkable good point in this musical moment where the pianist technique is eclipsing and even annulling the personal approach in the most of pianists all over the world. Honesty, conviction, vision and commitment dress those interpretations loaded of expression and personality.

In the great tradition of the great Beethovenian keyboard giants of the past, Daniel explores and plays every little bar with that well felt intensity of someone who in Beethoven `s there is much more than simple music. In Beethoven the music is not a goal by itself; but a revelation superior to any philosophy; all his musical legacy possess values that are placed of the standards. There is not art without second intention and that is precisely what Barenboim has made with this fabulous cycle of Beethoven Sonatas.

If you really want to listen remarkable performances far beyond of the trivial conventionalisms, go for this record.


5 out of 5 stars Performed with great enthusiasm.......2004-05-16

This is classic early Barenboim (he was just 24 when he started recording this set in 1966). He is very enthusiastic and expressive (if you don't like him, he "takes liberties" and "shows off"). The slow movements are veerrry slow, and the fast ones really rip. Pianissimo is extremely soft, and fortissimo rattles the windows! [My wife insists that I wear headphones for late-night listening.]

Personally, I think his style is just right for Beethoven (but perhaps just a bit much when he plays Mozart). I'm very glad that I bought this set, but some might prefer Brendell's (Phillips) or Kempff's (DG) more sedate versions.
Mandolins from Italy: 24 Most Popular Melodies
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Every song sounds the same
  • Traditional Italian music
  • Italian dinner music
  • Perfect for a themed party, or just background music!
  • Just like my dad's music
Mandolins from Italy: 24 Most Popular Melodies

Manufacturer: Arc Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000516VA
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

  1. Azzurro
  2. Tarantella Del Diavolo
  3. O' Sole Mio
  4. Notte Di Christallo
  5. Tarantella Di Napoli
  6. Macia Di Bergamo A Monte Catini
  7. Volare
  8. Piccola Maria
  9. Torna A Sorriento
  10. Tarantella Meridionale
  11. Marina
  12. Che La La
  13. Tarantella Siciliana
  14. Tarantella Meridionale
  15. Santa Lucia
  16. Guaglione - Nisa
  17. O Maria
  18. Valsa Della Primavera
  19. Funiculi Funicula
  20. La Passeggiata
  21. Arrivederci Roma
  22. Il Padrone - Rota
  23. Quanne Ta Fatte Mammeta
  24. Balatta Siciliana

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Every song sounds the same.......2007-04-13

My husband and I buy many Italian CDs so we think we have good judgement after so many purchases. We were somewhat disappointed in this CD. Every song has the same instrumentation and basically sounds the same. We wonder even if the mandolins are "live" or just canned, they sound so tinny and the same each song. This CD could have used more feeling, romance, whatever...possible had there been some sensitive arrangements with solos, etc. Instead, it was the same bunch of mandolin sounds which made for a very boring CD, in our opinion. A few vocals would have helped the monotony, too. Would not recommend.

5 out of 5 stars Traditional Italian music.......2007-03-31

This is a great album of really very traditional Italian music. It is not anglicised but just like you hear when you go to Italian festas.

5 out of 5 stars Italian dinner music.......2007-03-08

Excellent....Perfect! We recently had an Italian themed dinner party and needed just the right instrumental background/mood music. Mandolins from Italy was perfect. We also needed it FAST. Althought shipping was not cheap, we received it on time and made our party a hit.

WELL DONE!

3 out of 5 stars Perfect for a themed party, or just background music!.......2007-02-03

Very cute! Romantic, uplifting, nostalgic background music for an Italian night with friends! Enjoy!

5 out of 5 stars Just like my dad's music.......2007-01-09

I love this music. It takes me back to my childhood when my Dad played the mandolin and my uncle accompanied him on guitar. Some old Italian melodies and some new ones to sing along with. Very nice.
Martha Argerich and Friends: Live from the Lugano Festival, 2006
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Lots of Schumann, not much Argerich, plus some real oddities
Martha Argerich and Friends: Live from the Lugano Festival, 2006

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000PFU9OM
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

  1. I: Sostenuto Assai/Allegro Ma Non Troppo
  2. II: Scherzo: Molto Vivace
  3. III: Andante Cantabile
  4. IV: Finale: Vivace
  5. I: Allegro Assai Vivace
  6. II: Allegretto Scherzando
  7. III: Adagio
  8. IV: Molto Allegro E Vivace
  9. I: Zart Und Mit Ausdruck
  10. II: Lebhaft, Leicht
  11. III: Rasch Und Mit Feuer

Tracks:

  1. I: Mit Energie Und Leidenschaft
  2. II: Lebhaf, Doch Nicht Zu Rasch
  3. III: Langsam, Mit Inniger Empfindung
  4. IV: Mit Feuer
  5. I: Introduzione: Adagio Mest/Allegro
  6. II: Scherzo
  7. III: Largo
  8. IV: Finale: Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

  1. I: Nauges
  2. II: Fetes
  3. I: Andante
  4. II: Allegretto
  5. III: Largo
  6. IV: Allegretto Scherzando
  7. I: Overture
  8. II: Idylie
  9. III: Cadenza
  10. IV: Menuet
  11. V: Finale Alla Marcia

Amazon.com

This inexpensively priced 3-CD set of music from the 2006 Lugano Festival with pianist Martha Argerich at its center presents a fascinating cross-section of chamber music, expertly performed. In addition to Argerich, we hear from 15 other instrumentalists - pianists, cellists, violinists, violists, a flugelhorn player (who plays along with Argerich in three of Schumann's Fantasiestücke, to very strange and not very welcome effect), and a wind ensemble made up of members of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana that plays with cellist Gautier Caupcon in Friedrich Gulda's Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra: a jazzy, definitely eclectic, and playful finale to the third CD. The infrequently played but rapturous Schumann Piano Quartet is a particular treat. Ravel's transcriptions of two Debussy Nocturnes for two pianos played by Sergio Tiempo and Karin Lechner are a delight as well. This is an off-the-beaten-track collection that will fascinate true devotees of chamber music. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Lots of Schumann, not much Argerich, plus some real oddities.......2007-06-08

EMI has gotten into the pleasanat habit of issuing a 3-CD bargain box of Martha Argerich's summer music from Lugano, and they are caviar for chamber music lovers, mixing familiar and unfamiliar works in sterling live performances. It's hard to think of any comparable series meeting such high standards since the heyday of the Marlboro Festival under Rudolf Serkin in the Fifties and Sixties. This 2006 edition is no exception, my only disappointment being the absence of Argerich herself in so many works. She even gives up her place in the two-piano arrangement of Debussy's Nocturnes to her protege Sergio Tiempo (she has been a long-time devotee, if not addict, of two-piano arrangements that almost every other serious musician eschews).

The dominance of works by Schumann reflects Ms. Argerich's personal fondness for him, and she appears in the Piano Quartet, which has enjoyed a wonderful, highly personal reading by Glenn Gould and the Juilliard Qt. (Sony), among others. This one displays every virtue of live musicmaking, with Argerich's fervent, spontaneous playing leading the way. Compared to earlier sets, the 2006 collection contains more rarities and because of all the sSchumann, less representation by great composers. The flugelhorn arrangement of Schumann's Fantasiestucke for clarinet sounds like a joke. The once unknown Tanayev Piano Quintet gets a committed reading that should help to boost its popularity. The Debbusy Nocturnes actually bring pleasure in the two-piano arrangement. You won't be prepared for Gulda's concerto for Cello and Piano, which sounds like three-beer night at your local German jazz club. But its worth a smile and a listen.

In the end, however, this installment might be best left to connoisseurs while newcomers to Argerich's summer festivities should begin with the earlier, more conventional editions.

Here's the listing of works and personnel since Amazon doesn't supply it:


Martha Argerich / Renaud Capucon / Lida Chen / Gautier Capucon - Piano Quartet in Eb op.47 (Schumann).

Gautier Capucon / Gabriela Montero - Sonata for cello and piano No.2 in D op.58 (Mendelssohn).

Sergei Nakariakov / Martha Argerich - Fantasiestucke op.73 - version for flugelhorn and piano (Schumann).

Nicholas Angelich / Renaud Capucon / Gautier Capucon - Piano Trio in D minor op.63 (Schumann).

Lilya Zilberstein / Dora Schwarzberg / Lucy Hall / Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg / Jorge Bosso - Piano Quintet in G minor op.30 (Taneyev).

Sergio Tiempo / Karin Lechner - Three Nocturnes : Nuages / Fetes (Debussy transcribed for two piano Ravel).

Alissa Margulis / Polina Leschenko - Sonata for violin and piano No.1 (Schnittke).

Gautier Capucon / Alexander Rabinovich-Barakovsky - Concerto for cello and windband (Gulda).
The Very Best of Franco Corelli
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • If you love beautiful voices...
  • If you want to know Corelli's art, this is the right CD
  • excellent gift
  • Greatest Tenor of This Century!
  • Ah... Franco :}
The Very Best of Franco Corelli

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Very Best of

ASIN: B00008V5VV
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

  1. A Te, O Cara
  2. Meco All' Altar Di Venere... Me Protegge, Me Difende
  3. Ah Si, Ben mio...De Quella Pira
  4. Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!...Celeste Aida
  5. Pur Ti Riveggo, Mia Dolce Aida
  6. Intanto Amici... Viva Il Vino Spumeggiante
  7. Mamma, Quel Vino E Generoso
  8. Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba
  9. No, Pagliaccio Non Son
  10. Colpito Qui M'avete...Un Di All'azzuro Spazio
  11. Credo A Una Possanza Arcana
  12. Legray!... Andrea Chenier!...Si, Fui Soldato
  13. Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio
  14. Vicino A Te

Tracks:

  1. Donna Non Vidi Mai
  2. Recondita Armonia
  3. E Lucevan Le Stelle
  4. Non Piangere, Liu... Ah! Per L'ultima Volta!
  5. Nessun Dorma
  6. Favorita Del Re!... Spirto Gentil
  7. Cielo E Mar
  8. L'anima Ho Stanca
  9. Non Lunge Della Torre... Bianca Al Par Di Neve Alpina
  10. Ange Adorable
  11. L'amour, L'amour.. Ah! Leve-Toi, Soleil!
  12. O Nuit Divine!
  13. C'est La! Salut! Tombeau!
  14. Fronde Tenere... Ombra Mai Fu
  15. Ave Maria
  16. Domine Deus
  17. Core 'Ngrato
  18. Torna A Surriento

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars If you love beautiful voices..........2007-04-30

and passionate singing, you won't be disappointed. While Corelli certainly had his flaws, they are minor in the larger picture of this unique, magnificent force of nature. Then get this set for your friend who thinks Andrea Bocelli is a great tenor.

5 out of 5 stars If you want to know Corelli's art, this is the right CD.......2007-03-10

Franco Corelli had one of the powerful tenor voices of the twentieth century. Think Mario del Monaco with more beauty and grace; think Richard Tucker with a smoother voice. He had annoying touches in his singing, such as those "catches" here and there. But, with Tucker, he is, in my estimation, one of the two most powerful and attention riveting tenors in the past century. Other tenors were more artistic, provided better characterization (think Domingo, Gigli, Pavarotti, Gedda, Caruso, and some others).

But Corelli was a wonder of nature! Some samples: "Ah si, ben mio. . .Di quella pira." If there were an aria made for Corelli, this would be it. His big, rich, powerful voice fits this cut nicely. Not much subtlety here. In "Di quella pira," he hits the high notes in a stentorian manner. There are those mannerisms, but they are so easily forgiven, taking into account that rich, lustrous voice.

"Celeste Aida" is another representative cut. This is a powerful version. Also, note how he goes from forte to piano at the end of this aria. A powerful effect indeed.

Then, there are the twin arias from "Tosca." In "Recondita armonia," his rich voice is well manifest. He exhibits a smooth line in his singing. This is a powerful version of this well known aria. "E lucevan le stele" displays again that rich voice. At one point, he goes from forte to piano in a mesmerizing manner (Who'd have thought it?). His final "la vita" grabs one's attention.

Finally, "Nessun dorma." Well, smoothly, and powerfully sung. The final "vincero" is powerfully rendered, leaving goose bumps on the spine.

This is the very best of Franco Corelli. Those who want to get a sense of the vocal prowess of one of the most powerful tenors of the 20th century should attend to this double CD set.

5 out of 5 stars excellent gift.......2007-02-09

I gave it to my father and he says Its an amazing cd.

5 out of 5 stars Greatest Tenor of This Century!.......2007-02-03

Franco Corelli is the greatest tenor of this century. Although there are many fine tenors including Carlo Bergonzi - no tenor comes close to singing with the pure heart and animal magnetism of Franco Corelli. Surprisingly, he was also quite comfortable with bel canto, listen to the incredible "A te o'cara". I've heard "Nessun Dorma" sung by many excellent tenors and hands down, none can touch the sublime beauty of Corelli's version. This 2cd set of his greatest arias is a wonderful gift for any opera fan. "Recondita Armonia" is my personal favorite. His thrilling vocal beauty and intensity of performance is truly unforgettable.

5 out of 5 stars Ah... Franco :}.......2007-01-10

Such a pleasing voice. I can't believe the clarity and perfection. He was well before my time and others have become more 'popular' since then, but for some reason his voice seems better than the more current singers. I do not know much about opera so I will have to rely only on my own ears. I happily recommend this double album. I like to have it playing on the 5 CD changer with other opera cds, mixing through them...it is a perfect saturday morning accompaniment. enjoy.
Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610/Venetian Vespers
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Just beautiful
  • wonderful
  • A reasonable bargain(?)
  • Punctilious Research and Performance Practice
  • Easily the best recording of the Vespers
Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610/Venetian Vespers

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Gabrieli · Monteverdi · Vivaldi - Venetian Church Music / Taverner Consort, Choir & Players · Andrew Parrott
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ASIN: B000031WJB
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

  1. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versiculus, Canto Gregoriano: Deus In Adiutorium
  2. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Responsorium: Domine Ad Adiuvandum Me Festina
  3. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona, Canto Gregoriano
  4. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus I: Psalmus 109: Dixit Dominus
  5. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Nigra Sum
  6. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona II, Canto Gregoriano: Maria Virgo Assumpta Est
  7. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus II: Psalmus 112: Laudate Pueri
  8. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Pulchra Es
  9. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona III, Canto Gregoriano: In Odorem Unguentorum Tuorum...
  10. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus III: Psalmus 121: Laetatus Sum
  11. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Son
  12. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona IV, Canto Gregoriano: Benedicta Filia Tua Domino
  13. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus IV: Psalmus 126: Nisi Dominus
  14. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Audi Coelum
  15. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona V, Canto Gregoriano: Pulchra Es Et Decora, Filia...
  16. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus IV:: Psalmus V: Psalmus 147: Lauda Jerusalem Dominum
  17. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Son
  18. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Capitulum, Canto Gregoriano: In Omnibus Requiem Quaesivi
  19. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Hymnus: Ave Maris Stella
  20. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versus Et Responsorium
  21. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona VI, Canto Gregoriano: Hodie Maria Virgo Caelos Ascendit
  22. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Son Sopra Sancta Maria

Tracks:

  1. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Magnificat
  2. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Oratio, Canto Gregoriano: Dominus Vobiscum
  3. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versus, Canto Gregoriano: Dominus Vobiscum
  4. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Duo Seraphim
  5. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona Beatae Mariae Virginis: Salve Regina
  6. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versus Et Responsorium, Canto Gregoriano: Ora Pro Nobis
  7. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Oratio, Canto Gregoriano: Domine Vobiscum
  8. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Conclusio, Canto Gregoriano: Divinum Auxilium Maneat Semper...
  9. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 109: Dixit Dominus
  10. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 110: Confitebor Tibi Domine
  11. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 111: Beatus Vir
  12. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 112: Laudate Pueri
  13. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 116: Laudate Dominum
  14. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Salve Regina

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Just beautiful.......2007-03-20

This CD captures both the gutsy energy and the ethereal beauty of Monteverdi's sacred choral music. I have neither performed nor even listened to his music for a long time, and this CD re-awakened me to its richness and compelling quality. There is a reason why we consider Monteverdi a "great" composer, and this CD shows it.

5 out of 5 stars wonderful.......2005-09-28

The singing and playing on this recording are truly delightful. The overall concept of the work is good. I love this recording.

But, like too many recordings of the vespers, it includes gregorian chant antiphons sung between the movements. Now either Monteverdi wrote this piece as a "piece" to be performed, in which case I believe the solo movements were meant to take the place of the traditional chant, or it is a collection of wonderful psalm settings and other sacred movements, in which case what is the point of adding music not written by Monteverdi? The same argument goes for the instrumental sonatas thrown in here. My personal belief is that Monteverdi, the first great opera composer, wrote these psalm settings over a period of time, and then put them together with the other movements to make a unified whole for publication. The other recording I own of this work, Gardiner's first recording of it, has a much nicer flow because there is no chant.

I must say that I love the clarity this version gives with one voice on a line, and I play both cd's often.

4 out of 5 stars A reasonable bargain(?).......2005-07-02

Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 are increasingly becoming to be seen as a landmark work in the history of Western music. This is one of the most outstanding works of the late Renaissance composers of the Seconda Prattica (Second Pratice) amongst whom Monteverdi - one of the fathers of opera - was arguably the most forward looking. In fact Monteverdi is so forward looking he is often described as being an early Baroque composer. Elements of the work are highly conservative such as the widespread writing in multiple parts - a practice that had already become increasingly unusual by this time (and totally anachronistic by Bach's time), yet the entire work contains a fantastic profusion of colourful music and an instrumental ensemble which is varied to match the mood of each piece. In this regard his music can be compared to the paintings of Titian with its typical Venetian overflow of exuberance and colourfulness, that contrasts markedly with the Northern sobriety of the sacred works of Bach. This a work of unbridled sensuality and yet of luxurious refinement.

I have listened to this version of the Monteverdi Vespers for many years and have always somehow been left feeling partially dissatisfied by it despite the lavish praise heaped upon it by many reviewers over the years. Certainly it has it moments of greatness, yet I wish the reading as a whole would cohere more. Although the singers here are all stars, a star studded legion of singers do not an ensemble make. So I have waited years to find a recording that might surplant it. Years went by and recordings came and went without anything really grabbing my attention. Then recently I discovered a recording that seems to have eluded me: Masaaki Suzuki with the Bach Collegium Japan on the Swedish boutique label Bis (ASIN B00005K2BK).

Of course the virtues of their Bach are well known and many a reviewer has written their story of at first ridiculing the thought of a Japanese period instrument group to then being completely floored by their performances again and again. Suzuki seems to have everything I have every felt was missing in the Parrott, even if here and there Parrott has some altenative insights (the Nisi Dominus is an example where Suzuki seems dangerously over-exuberant!), these moments are rare exceptions. Suzuki fully captures that uninhibited Venetian exuberance of the writing bringing the whole together as a whole rather than just having sporadic moments. Still, the lush modal harmonies seem just that much more succulent and the resultant expressive impact is incomparable. For someone who has tolerated the Parrott for almost ten years the weight of burden being lifted was just huge!

For the price I guess if you need a budget version, then the Parrott is now competitive especially if you prefer your Monteverdi sung one to a part. However, the BIS recording for Suzuki is, as usual from them, just stunning. In the BIS recording there is far greater spaciousness and air around the instruments and voices, with timbre coming through in all its riches without being bleached. The BIS recoridng is fair audiophile quality (it is BIS policy to avoid compression devices or blatant post-production processing), that renders it first choice to anyone for whom recorded sound quality dictates preferences. The EMI recording for Parrott sounds like early 16-bit digital sound at its thinnest and boxiest - a fact exacerbated by the glassiness that comes with Virgin sound transfers (Virgin desperately need to review their remastering and digital transfer equipment/methods). You certainly get what you pay for.

So take your pick - the cheap and easy option of Parrott or the rich fullness of Suzuki's Dionysian exuberance. Also there is always Rinaldo Alessandrino version for those insistent on hearing this sung one to a part - the sound there is even better than on the BIS.

5 out of 5 stars Punctilious Research and Performance Practice.......2004-12-29

Recorded in 1983 and 1984 at All Saints’ Church, Tooting (London), this double CD is still something of a classic, presenting Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers in punctilious historical performance practice, basically using, despite the large forces involved, soloists to perform most of the material. Together with Hugh Keyte, Andrew Parrott researched the history of church music in Venice at the end of the 16th and the first half of the 17th centuries, and then arranged the Vespers in a form which, although certainly not the only one possible, would have been acceptable for sacred service at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice during the first years of Monteverdi’s tenure there. The one unhistorical aspect of the recording is the use of female sopranos, but as Andrew Parrott points out, the sound of "castrati" just cannot be reproduced today, and he feels that using boys or countertenors would not be as appropriate as using genuine soprano voices.

This is, of course, a very British production, and a large number of Britain’s early music stars (at least from the early 80’s) were involved in the production. There are solo passages sung by Emma Kirkby, David Thomas, Nigel Rogers, Tessa Bonner, Evelyn Tubb, Emily Van Evera, Margaret Philpot, Rogers Covey-Crump, Andrew King, Richard Wistreich and others, and the Taverner Players count some of Britain’s most distinguished period instrument players among their ranks: John Holloway, Micaela Comberti, Trevor Jones, Mark Caudle, Susan Sheppard, Jennifer Ward-Clarke, Francis Baines, Bruce Dickey, Lisa Beznosiuk, Rachel Beckett, Anthony Bailes, Nigel North, John Toll … and so the list goes on. If you are a fan of the British early music scene, you will have heard of all these names and will know what a wonderful treat awaits you when you turn your CD player on.

And a wonderful treat it is indeed, although the opening Gregorian chant with its empty church echo does sound a little strange. But from Track 2 onwards, the whole begins to sound glorious, a continuous stream of delightful vocal and instrumental passages with all the wonderful typically Monteverdian sounds that early music fans have come to appreciate. Special mention for Nigel Rogers, Andrew King and Joseph Cornwell who offer a superb “Duo seraphim” without the high-voiced contortions of a René Jacobs. Of the female soloists, only Emily Van Evera sounds a little sharp on occasion, but that is something that can be accepted in view of the total quality of the recording. Personally, I have come to love and appreciate this version a little more than Philip Pickett’s 90’s version for Decca’s early music imprint L’Oiseau-Lyre, where the sound is never quite so convincing as here.

5 out of 5 stars Easily the best recording of the Vespers.......2004-03-13

Andrew Parrott's recording is rightly considered by critics and listeners alike as THE recording of Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610. Using minimal forces, the individual voices layering upon one another can be clearly heard, not drowned out into a mass of sound as in many "fuller" recordings. The only other "five-star" recording of the Vespers is the Konrad Junghanel with Cantus Colln.
If I could only own one recording of this work, the Andrew Parrott would me the one.
Glass Harmonica
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great music with a great performance.
  • Thomas Bloch's Interpretation is Second-to-None
  • unbelievable
  • Thomas Bloch is a great 20th century composer
  • interesting, generally excellent
Glass Harmonica
David August von Apell , and Johann Abraham Peter Schulz
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005QISL
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

  1. Schulz: Largo
  2. Holt Sombach: Adagio
  3. Reichardt: Rondeau
  4. Naumann: Sonata No. 3: Recit
  5. Naumann: Sonata No. 3: Andantino amoroso
  6. Mozart: Adagio K.B. 356
  7. Mozart: Adagio
  8. Mozart: Rondo
  9. Beethoven: Melodram
  10. Rollig: Kleine Tonstucke: Grave
  11. Rollig: Kleine Tonstucke: Commodetto
  12. Apell: Trionfo della musica, cantata
  13. Holt Sombach: 1ere Suite: Fantaisie
  14. Holt Sombach: 1ere Suite: Allemande
  15. Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor: Mad Scene
  16. Holt Sombach: 1ere suite: 2eme Menuet
  17. Bloch: Sancta Maria

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great music with a great performance........2006-08-15

I found the glass harmonica music most relaxing with an etherial quality. The performance is outstanding.

5 out of 5 stars Thomas Bloch's Interpretation is Second-to-None.......2003-01-02

This is a great introduction to the exquisite Glass Harmonica. Naxos once again enlarges our listening pleasure by allowing such gifted musician/composers as Thomas Bloch a wider audience than other, more recondite labels have afforded him. This instrument, invented by Franklin, and taken seriously by such greats as Mozart and Beethoven, is only now coming into its own again. Bloch is an integral part of that rebirth. Delicate, eerie, rumored to drive the listener mad, or to attract ghosts, the sound of the Glass Harmonica hovers at the very edges of hearing: a clean, celestial tone. You will never forget it once you hear its distictive sound. Liner notes give the instrument's fascinating history. Bloch himself attempts (along with such great post-moderns such as John Cage) to create a future for the Glass Harmonica with his "Sancta Maria" and does an extraordinary job. The price, too, for this CD is extraordinary. What a bargain!

5 out of 5 stars unbelievable.......2002-12-11

the music of the glass harmonica is so unusal that it is a joy to listen to. it is a shame that it is not more main stream the tones are so unearthly that is is like a song from a fantasy you really start to believe that elves are playing the music it is something out of Tolkin

5 out of 5 stars Thomas Bloch is a great 20th century composer.......2002-10-09

All right. This is a great album. It explores the history of the glass harmonica since the classical period. But to add to the other reviewers, there is one cut - the last cut - done by Thomas Bloch in the last century - Sancta Maria - that makes the whole album worthwhile. It is an extraordinary track and I don't care if the soprano is female or male. It is great music and a great listening pleasure. You will want to play it over and over again. Make it you most favorite MP3.

4 out of 5 stars interesting, generally excellent.......2002-04-05

I would disagree with the reviewer below that this is anything more than a curiosity. Even the works on this disc by great composers such as Mozart and Beethoven are generally trivial. At the same time, this is fine playing of a highly unusual instrument by a polished virtuoso. Some of the pieces, however, I could do without. For instance, while Thomas Bloch's playing is excellent, his compositional skills are somewhat lacking. His own original work, complete with overdubbed whiny male soprano, is the disc's finale and sounds more like a corny film soundtrack than anything else. In addition, it must be noted that the performance here of Donizetti's "Mad Scene" from Lucia utilizes possibly the worst soprano ever recorded (short of Florence Foster Jenkins). I wouldn't wish her off-pitch shrieking on my worst enemies.
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Kudo's for Wendy Carlos
  • Difficulty in placing an order
  • interesting concept, skillful interpretation, but sounds very dated now
  • Great Album, but. . .
  • As good as I remembered it!
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Wendy Carlos
Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005OKS2
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

  1. Monteverdi: Orfeo Suite
  2. Scarlatti: Sonata In G Major
  3. Scarlatti: Sonata In D Major
  4. Handel: Water Music: Bourree
  5. Handel: Water Music: Air
  6. Handel: Water Music: Allegro Deciso
  7. Scarlatti: Sonata In E Major
  8. Scarlatti: Sonata In D Major
  9. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: Allegro
  10. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: Andante
  11. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: Presto
  12. Monteverdi: Domine Ad Adjuvandum
  13. Stereo Alignment Tones
  14. Well-Tempered Experiments

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Kudo's for Wendy Carlos.......2007-01-16

Wendy Carlos does an excellent job of updating all of the Classical pieces on this CD, as well as on all of her other CDs. I originally had this on Open Reel Tape, and am really happy that she has ported it over to the CD format! All of the selections on this CD can only be termed as "stirring" and it is enjoyable to hear each time it is played.

5 out of 5 stars Difficulty in placing an order.......2007-01-04

Because I had difficulty navigating through the purchase process, I ended up receivibg two and I only wanted one. I gave one away. You need to review the purchase process and have a "done" or something to indicate that Amazon has received the purchase request and will act upon it. Or else I will find someone else with whom to do business!!!!

3 out of 5 stars interesting concept, skillful interpretation, but sounds very dated now.......2006-12-26

As a performance, the music here is fantastic, and considering the challenges of monophonic sythesizers it is very impressively and skillfully performed. That said, if like me you were born after electronic music became commonplace, this will sound incredibly dated. The problem is that the sound programming abilities of the first moogs were limited, so the sounds are not very fitting to the music, creating a slightly comical kitschy mock-futuristic effect. Part of this effect is the womp womp womp beep beep beep sounds that now sound corny. While interesting, it sounds very anachronistic and less evocative than real instruments. I think I'll go back to orchestral performances of classical music. I'll keep this in case I ever want to make a campy future film spoof. Wow, I sure said "sound " a lot. Well, this really is all about the sounds.

4 out of 5 stars Great Album, but. . ........2006-08-08

I have always enjoyed this album and Switched on Bach ever since they came out in LP form when I was young.
The thing that ruins the CD for me is the very last track on both albums, where Wendy discusses the making of the album, called Well-tempered experiments.
I think that is fun to listen to the first time you play it, but then it is obnoxious when you are playing it as you work around the house. Your home is filled with music, then suddenly, there is talking and some obnoxious noises. It just shouldn't be there.
And to do this to both albums is very disappointing. It is hard to ignore, as it is a 9 minute track!
I solved this by burning both albums onto another CD and eliminating the experiment tracks. But I would rather have the original CD's and eliminate those tracks.

4 out of 5 stars As good as I remembered it!.......2006-03-03

I heard "The Well-Tempered Synthesizer" when it was first issued; like many people I was stunned by the strange, beautiful sound created by a "machine". Then I read about the difficulty of making the recordings, which took tremendous time and thoughtfulness, and this made me appreciate the human element more than the technology.

Imagine someone who, to cook breakfast, designs a henhouse, raises chickens, gathers the eggs, grinds wheat to make bread, picks fresh strawberries...all for a breakfast that could be made more easily using traditional sources or methods. Pardon the clumsy metaphor, but this is what Carlos had done: giving me Bach, by creating a new kind of chicken to get to the egg.

The sounds one hears in this recording are not as sophisticated as more modern synthetic voices, but they are still pristine and haunting. There is a sort of lonely, cosmic emptiness to the sound, but this is not discomforting; in fact, the music triumphs over the strangeness that no human hand or throat moved during the process, except at the keyboard and the 747-cockpit looking control panel of the Moog synthesizer.
Having a CD of this music is a joy, and the music delights.

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