Ignace Jan Paderewski

On this CD:

1. Etude for piano in A flat major, Op. 25/1, CT 26
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

2. Etude for piano in F minor, Op. 25/2, CT 27
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

3. Etude for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 25/7, CT 32
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

4. Etude for piano in A minor, Op, 25/11, CT 36
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

5. Etude for piano in C minor ("Revolutionary"), Op. 10/12, CT 25
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

6. Berceuse for piano in D flat major, Op. 57, CT 7
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

7. Waltz for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 64/2, CT 213
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

8. Waltz for piano in A flat major, Op. 42, CT 211
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

9. Waltz for piano in E flat major, Op. 18, CT 207
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

10. Prelude for piano No. 15 in D flat major, Op. 28/15, CT 180
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

11. Prelude for piano No. 17 in A flat major , Op. 28/17, CT 182
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

12. Mazurka for piano in F sharp minor, Op. 59/3, CT 88
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

13. Mazurka for piano in D major, Op. 33/2, CT 73
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

14. Mazurka for piano in A flat major, Op. 59/2 CT 87
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

15. Nocturne for piano in F major, Op. 15/1, CT 111
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

16. Nocturne for piano in F sharp major, Op. 15/2, CT 112
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

17. Polonaise for piano in E flat minor, Op. 26/2, CT 151
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

18. Polonaise for piano in A flat major, Op. 53, CT 155
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski

Tracks:

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 In B-Flat Minor (Introduction)
Brahms: Rhapsody In G Minor Op. 79, No. 2
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 15 In C (I. Allegro)
Schubert: Moment Musical No. 2
Dvorak: Humoresque No. 7
Debussy: Prelude 'La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin'
Grieg: 'Butterfly' From Lyrical Pieces
Chopin: Etude In C Minor, Op. 10 No. 12 'Revolutionary'
Scarlatti: Sonata In E
Debussy: Clair De Lune
Rubenstein: Melody In F
Rachmaninoff: Prelude In C-sharp Minor, Op. 3 No. 2
Paderewski: Menuett
Chopin: 'Military' Polonaise
Liszt: Liebestraum
Chopin: Etude In E, Op. 10 No. 3 'Tristesse'
Scriabin: Etude, Op. 8 No. 12
Beethoven: Minuet In G
Mozart: Sonata No. 11 In A 'Rondo All Turca'
Debussy: Rrie
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini (Variation No. 18)
Schumann: From Kinderszenen (1. Von Fremden Landern Und Menschen)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 In D Minor (II. Romance)
Chopin: Waltz In D-flat, Op. 64 No. 1 'Minute Waltz'
Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue (Finale)

Customer Reviews:

25 Piano Favorites.......2007-01-09

This is my favorite classical CD since it is geared to a wide audience. Many of my friends and acquaintances enjoy it, too.

Good for the price............2005-11-30

I listen to this CD while reading or when I need inspiration to play the piano. There are many classic pieces here that will have many recognizable sections to the non classical music fans. The sound quality is not amazing but the essence and technical difficulty of these pieces can still be heard. Most of the songs are under 5 mins and there is a mix of faster and slower tempos.

This is a bargain bin CD that you usually see at Fry's Electronics. There are more detailed and comprehensive collections out there but for 5 bucks this isn't bad and you basically get what you expect. There are much better classical CD's out there of course but for a beginner compilation album, this one has a great price.

Wonderful relaxing and soothing music.......2005-09-02

This cd of piano classics has become one of my favorites. Since I am a full-time student and work out of my home the music relaxes me during times of rest.

The Sound Quality Really Bugs Me.......2004-08-26

This is a good intro CD to famous piano pieces. However, the sound quality is really *poor*. Of course, what do you expect for the price? I'm sure there are better Piano Sample CDs out there that sound much better. It's worth the extra money, trust me.

Good Disc for the Price.......2004-01-19

A good compilation of excerpts from the rich and vast piano repertoire. Sure they are merely excerpts and are meant to just introduce the piano to someone unfamiliar with the instrument or classical music, but that doesn't mean that an experienced person can't just pop it into the CD player and enjoy.

While there's no classic recordings here or big names, most of the tracks are well played and acceptable in sound quality. There are some interesting pieces here that are unfamiliar to most, such as the Dvorak Humoresque or the Paderewski Minuet, as well as classics such as the Debussy Clair de Lune or the Mozart Concerto.

Customer Reviews:

badly remastered.......2007-06-25

"The Complete Rachmaninoff', at 2-3 times the price is a better deal. This version is re-mastered in a way that reduces surface noise, but, at the same time, removes much of the pianists' tone quality that comes through so well on the original LP release, as well as the more expensive set. Also, this album is lacking the documentation of recording dates that the LP and 'The Complete Rachmaninoff' provide. For the neophyte, the re-mastering reduces the magic of Rachmaninoff's tone. I would expect the connoisseur to be even more disappointed. There are bargains out there, but for this album, you get what you pay for.

Rachmaninov is the master.......2007-05-15

Some people like the recordings and some dont, but as a fan of Rachmaninov it would be a shame not to own these recordings. To hear a master composer from history play his own works is not that common. Just put the cd in your player put your headphones on and watch the black and white images appear in your mind as though you were at a concert in the 1930's looking on at the man sitting at the piano carefully but with feeling pounding each note into the air of time. If you don't like the scratchy recordings then obviously you are a spoiled brat who doesnt appreciate fine art.

A Master of Musical Love.......2007-01-18

There have been other brilliant composers and genius pianists as Rachmaninoff lived and afterwards. Yet, in my opinion, he is the real central figure of his days and, as far as I can feel, what there is of most modern up to now in classical music. I do not think it exaggerated to say that, after all these decades, someone is still to pick up the torch from his hands at that level of inspiration, just as he picked it up from Tchaikovsky. It is true that a few of his compositions seem quirky and cerebral: but more than a few are the masterpieces. His second Concerto is the concert of the century. And where do we find, for instance, a match for his etude tableau 39/5 in one hundred years? Or a simply revolutionary piece as his prelude 32/12 is?

One could go on with a list of marvelous compositions either created or played by him and many reviewers already pointed so much of great in his recordings. So a good thing to do here is what a previous reviewer also did: to say something special about one favorite piece of the box-set. My forerunner pointed to Rach's rendering of Haendel's "Harmonious Blacksmith" and I agree with each word he wrote about it. Now I should like to declare my amazement about his version of "Leise flehen", initially a Swansong written by Schubert and later transcribed by Liszt.

Hopefully Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and other singers will not mind my saying this, but Rachmaninoff unveils and exposes such a treasure in this song that now its original lyrics only seem to obstruct the inestimable wealth in piano notes below them at all other known recordings: the piece is infinitely more beautiful when left to the pianist alone. Rach's playing is warm and generous, just like Schubert's creative Geist, and the result is light-years ahead of the usual rough, squared, catacomb mood with which people bring the composition along with singers.

Impossible not to love, but there is more to that. After listening so many times to this piece that never ceases to stun me, I came to conclude that in fact very few people could manage to play the `leise flehen' like this, even among good pianists. As expressed here, its notes speak to their listener in such frank, open, and direct way - like a true friend making an important confession - that only a man with Rachmaninoff's `heart of gold' could manage to convey its meaning.

Ahhh, maybe we're talking about technique... To have a most noble heart, then, is THE decisive technical prerequisite for communicating these notes, otherwise they will simply not come out at all.

Notes: Here are a few opinions about the pieces mentioned above; hopefully they will be helpful for persons who don't know Rachmaninoff's works and stimulating for those who already know them. 1) As far as I am aware, besides Rachmaninoff only Valentina Lisitsa recorded the Leise flehen in a solo version. It can be found in her 2005 DVD with the Swan Songs program. 2) The etude tableaux 39/5 is not in this box set; many performers have played it, but none as Van Cliburn, who simply operates a miracle in the CD "My Favorite Rachmaninoff". His playing and the vertigo sensation it leaves behind are so powerful that I am sometimes afraid to listen to him. 3) Horowitz, the wizard, masters the prelude 32/12 in his CD "Horowitz Plays Scriabin" and in his legendary 1986 Moscow recital; the prelude is also in Rach's box-set. 4) About the second concerto, there are so many recordings, most of which I have not heard; my favorite performer is Benno Moiseiwitsch, a sublime piano poet much admired by Rachmaninoff himself. None of the recordings I've heard of the concerto, including the two available by its own composer, reach the climax of its third movement as Moiseiwitsch does in a 1944 movie called "Battle for Music". It is only a short excerpt from one of his wartime presentations with the LSO, but long enough to show how it sounds when perfectly done. The excerpt is also in the movie "The Art of Piano", in which the entire footage involving Rachmaninoff and Moiseiwitsch is simply a gem (however much historically unprecise).

Classic Historic Rachmaninoff........2006-01-14

If you're a tad bit confused between this boxed set and "The Complete Recordings" boxed set from 1992, fear not. Both this and "The Complete Recordings" are exactly the same. The only difference is in the cover art and packaging. Also, the price of this recent reissue is half as much as the original edition. If you have the original edition, there's no need to buy it again. If you don't own this already, then this present edition is the one to get mainly because of its reduced price tag.
With this out of the way, onto the music itself:
The Rachmaninoff Complete recordings collection includes everything the great Russian composer/pianist recorded between the years 1919 and 1941. Besides recording historic versions of his own classic Piano Concertos, his "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paginini" as well as conducting his own Third Symphony and Isle of the Dead, Rachmaninoff also recorded arrangements of works by such great composers ranging from Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert to most importantly, Chopin. These recordings are also included in this mammoth set alongside more obscure works by Mussorgsky, Daquin, Henselt and Dohnanyi.
The sound quality varies throughout the set ranging from highly listenable to sounding as if it were transferred by placing a microphone directly into the horn of an old grammophone. Despite the variants of sound quality, one cannot deny that this music as well as these recordings are important and historic.
The CD booklet gives a brief insight to Rachmaninoff's history as a recording artist as well as a breakdown of the tracks themselves. The only major flaw with this present edition is the fact that there are no recording dates listed anywhere in the liner notes. Considering that these are historic recordings dating from the very birth of the recording age, it would've definitely been helpful to be able to identify the year in which each work included here was recorded. Considering that I do not own the original edition of this set, there's a good chance that the first edition included the dates of the recordings. Not so here though. This is the reason why this reviewer docked this set one star.
Apart from this, this present edition or Rachmaninoff's complete recordings is a must for the die-hard Rachmaninoff fan. You get to hear the genius at work not only with his own material but with works by others as well. There are also a few note worthy collaborations such as a full disc of duets with legendary violinist Fritz Kreisler, an appearance by mezzo soprano Naddejda Plevitskaya on the arrangement of the traditional tune "Powder and Paint" and a fabulous four-hand piano rendition of Rachmaninoff's own "Italian Polka" with his daughter Natalie as second pianist (which actually sounds like a homemade wax-cylinder recording).
With this said, if you can get around guessing when these recordings were made, this is some great and historic music from one of the very best composer/musicians of our time - the one and only, the great Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Average customer rating:

Piano/Dreams

Piano Dreams

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00007L4R7
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Tracks:

Erik Satie: Gymnopidie No.1 - Lent et douloureux
Franz Liszt: Rjve D'Amour No. 3 in A-flat major
Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky: Octobre - Chant D'Automne
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in A minor, Ks. 310 - II. Andante catabile con espressione
Ludwig van Beethoven: : Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 Moonlight - I. Adagio sestenuto
Robert Schumann: : Fantaisie in C major, Op. 17 III. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten
Sergei Rachmaninov: Eligie in E-flat minor, Op. 3 No.1
Paderewski: Nocturne in B flat, Op. 16 No. 4
Erik Satie: Gnossienne No.1
Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante difunte
George Gershwin: Prelude No. 2
George Gershwin: Love Walked In

Tracks:

Claude Debussy: Clair de lune (from Suite Bergamasque)
Edvard Grieg: Notturno in C major (Pihces lyriques, Op. 54 No. 4)
Alexander Scriabin: Prilude in F-sharp minor, Op. 11 No. 8
Frederic Chopin: Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No.1
Frederic Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor
Franz Liszt: Au lac de Wallenstadt (Annis de phlerinage, I. La Suisse)
Claude Debussy: La soiree dans Grenade
Artur Rubinstein: Melody In F
Maurice Ravel: Ondine (from Gaspardde la nuit)
Francis Poulenc: Improvisations in C minor, FP 176 No.15- Hommage A Edith Piaf
Sergei Rachmaninov: Prelude in F- sharp minor, Op. 23
Gabrilovich: Melodie in F
Leos Janacek: On the Overgrown Path
Samuel Barber: Sonate Op. 26 - III. Adagio mesto
Roger Quilter: The Crimson Petal
Henri Dutilleux: D'ombre et de silence (from 3 Preludes)

Customer Reviews:

Piano/Dreams.......2003-02-24

I love this cd so much I been play in my store all time and so many customers come up to ask what's cd are we playing and where to get it, i give them all information I know. we love it.

Average customer rating:

Good, not great.
Incredible!
overly rich nostalgic pieces and particles of the piano

The Piano Album

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Stephen Hough's New Piano Album
Stephen Hough Piano Collection
York Bowen: Piano Music
Karl Czerny: The Art of Finger Dexterity, Op. 740
Stephen Hough's English Piano Album

ASIN: B00000C2KC
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

Hexentanz
Chant Polonais No. 1 In G 'Maiden's Wish'
The Crimson Petal
The Fuchsia tree
Capriccio In F Minor, Op. 28 No. 6
Minuet In G, Op. 14 No. 4
Nocturne, In B Flat, Op. 16 No. 4
Etude In A-Flat Major, Op. 1 No. 2
Melodie In E
Caprice-Burlesque
My Favorite Things
Kashmiri Song
Music Box
The Swan
Papillons
The Gardens Of Buitenzorg- (From 'Java Suite', Book 3)
Waltz In A, Op. 2
En route, Op. 9
Sicilliano, Op. 42 No. 2
Caprice espagnol, Op. 37

Tracks:

Variations Brillantes Op. 14
The Enchanted Nymph
Der Kontrebandiste
Melody In F
Gargoyles, Op. 29: I. Presto
Gargoyles, Op. 29: II. Adagio semplice, ma con molto rubato
Gargoyles, Op. 29: III. Allegro moderato
Gargoyles, Op. 29: IV. Presto feroce
The Musical Snuffbox
The Musical Snuffbox
Etude de style, Op. 40 No. 1 'Agilite'
Till I Wake
Weep You No More
March Of The Siamese Children
Valse mignone
Serenata, Op. 15 No. 1
Bourree (From Violin Sonata No. 2)
Erinnerungen (Triakontameron No. 25)
Adagietto (From 'L'Arlesienne')
Ungarishe Zigeunerweisen

Customer Reviews:

Good, not great........2002-05-22

I got this double cd, since a fellow reviewer of Hamelin's Kaleidoscope said he couldn't fully endorse that disc, since this cd would be so much better. Wrong again, sewer boy!

Thanks to Arthur Schnabel complete recordings of Sonatas, Concertos and Variation Works have become the mainstay of the recorded piano repertoire. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine that this has not always been the case. Yet, just have a look at the complete Rachmaninov recordings on RCA to see that even this giant mostly recorded little trifles, since the record buyers of his time prefered snacks over meals.

This generous and economic double cd contains a compilation of mostly romantic smaller scale works, that Rachmaninov's clientele would have enjoyed. Some are obscure, others e.g. Ljadov's snuff box and Taussig's Gypsy tunes are pretty well known.

Hough-a man from the splendid 1961 vintage, just like Hamelin and your's truly- is a highly accomplished pianist. His playing is good, yet not up to the Hamelin standards. The repertoire, however, started to bore the hell out of me after a while. I admit, that there are true exceptions like the Liebermann Gargoyles, but for me this set was simply too much of a good thing.

The interpretations vary from decent to good. I used to own an lp of the French virtuoso Setrak, that contained both the Ljadov and Taussig mentioned above and believe you me those interpretations dwarfed what we get here.

In conclusion, a generous compilation of smaller scale pianoworks. Good clean piano playing and more than adequate recordings.

Incredible!.......2001-01-12

I am a pianophile and longtime record collector, and this is one of the most awe-inspiring recordings I have ever heard. Stephen Hough's pianism - and I don't mean to be hyperbolic - simply exhausts all adjectives one might try to use to describe it. This is the kind of album to listen to not so much for the music (though these are charming and now-rarely heard pieces) but for the artistry of the performer. For stunning virtuosity, listen to the final measures of the Moszowski piece or to the MacDowell; for rich tone and melting legato listen to Hough's own transcriptions of the two Roger Quilter songs. Out of hundreds of CDs I have heard, this is one of my absolute favorites - and a steal at the price. Stephen Hough is the modern day Cortot, Gieseking, Rachmaninoff, and Joseph Levine, for he has it all - drama, precision, color, intellect, raw strength, and yes - delicacy. I rarely make recommendations like this, but you absolutely must hear this recording.

overly rich nostalgic pieces and particles of the piano.......2001-01-06

This is music that seems to have lapsed into a forgotten time warp, like when you open that old wood truck in the attic to find odd bits and particles,objects,dolls and photographs that immediately transports you into another fantasia place. That's what this music does. Hough has selected for the most part fast filigreed,rapid cascades and ribbons of pieces. Each however has its own narrative,its own special tale to reveal, a special musical texture,an endearing melody. Needless to say most of the composers here are those you've never heard before,like Ignaz Friedman, whose "Music Box" is not what you think, yes it has that timbre of forever moving tickly tones,for a ballerina popping out of a ceramic box. But there is a large pallette of sophistication here as well with the unique timbre of the piano. Every piece does this admirably. The Hexentanz of MacDowell (arr.Liszt) is a helter-skelter piece never stopping,scaling the upper regions of the keyboard,and this would be an encore work. It keeps you on the edge of your upholstered chair.Leoplold Godowsky is not an unfamiliar name,he is a specialist in the art of the arragement trying to capture a timbre, and here in Camille Saint-Saens forever memorable "Swan"the final days of post-romantic Louis Napoleon the Third era is handled with just a few more ripples in the pond than before almost imperceptible.

Tracks:

Ritual Fire Dance - Manuel De Falla
Book 1 No.1, Minuet In G - Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Marche Militaire No.1-Piano Duet, D733 - Leopold Godowsky
No.2, Prelude In C Sharp Minor - Sergey Rachmaninov
Waltz No.7 In C Sharp Minor, Op.64 No.2 - Alfred Cortot
The Erl King (Schubert)-Piano Transcriptions, S557a - Egon Petri
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Myra Hess
Nocturne No.20 In C Sharp Minor, Op.Posth - Guiomar Novaes
No.3, Clair De Lune - Walter Gieseking
Arabesque In C, Op.18 - Wilhelm Kempff
Liebstraum No.3 In A Flat, S541 - Simon Barere
Impromptu No.5 In F Sharp Minor, Op.102 - Robert Casadesus
No.6, Theme & Variations In A Minor (From Caprice No.24) - Claudio Arrau
2nd Movement, Adagio Cantabile - Rudolf Serkin
Variations On A Theme From Bizet's Carmen (Danse Boheme) - Vladimir Horowitz
Prelude No.6 In G Minor, Op.23 No.6 - Moura Lympany
No.4, Suggestion Diabolique - Shura Cherkassky
No.3, Daisies - Emil Gilels
No.5, Andaluza (Playera) - Alicia De Larrocha
Finale: Allegro Scherzando - Sviatoslav Richter

Average customer rating:

Wonderful!!!
A Window in Time ~Johann Sebastian Bach
Dull and lifeless
Not to be missed!
mechanical echoes

A Window in Time

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

A Window in Time: Rachmaninoff Performs His Solo Piano Works
Rachmaninov Plays Rachmaninov--Ampico Recordings (1919-29)
Rachmaninoff Plays Chopin
Rachmaninoff plays Rachmaninoff
Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff

ASIN: B00000IJVD
Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

Were I A Bird, Op. 2, No. 6
Barcarolle No. 5, Op. 93, No. 7
Melodie
Troika
Spinning Song, Op. 67, No. 34
Waltz In E-Flat Major, Op. 18 ('Grande Valse Brilliante')
Waltz, Op. 40, No. 8
The Maiden's Wish
Waltz, Op. 34, No. 3 ('Valse Brilliante')
Das Wandern
Sarabande
Nocturne, Op. 15, No. 1
Minuet, Op. 14, No. 1
Turkish March
Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 4
Scherzo In B-Flat Minor, Op. 31

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!!!.......2006-07-27

No, I'm not a kid. But I am quite the Rachmaninoff enthusiast;I own all his recordings, both acoustic/electric and piano roll. Before buying these discs (i.e. the two volumes of A Window In Time), I read the reviews here, and was a bit reluctant in purchasing them after having read the negative ones. They claim that "there is no music" in these cds, that the "performances" are uncharacteristic of Mr. Rachmaninoff. But after comparing these performances with those recorded years ago, they do indeed seem to be accurate. Though they were digitally transferred, the authenticity is still there. I actually wonder if the naysayers only bash this collection because of the fact that these rolls were converted in such a way, and because of this formed a harsh bias. The alternative to these recordings on Decca are nice sounding though the tempi are a bit off, as proven by the recordings of the master himself playing. This is especially evident in the G minor Prelude; the Decca version is simply too slow and simply unlike Rachmaninoff. The version here, however, sounds very much like his playing. Despite my praises, there are two flaws I find in AWIT.The first is the use of a Boesendorfer that at times sounds awkward,like in the ending of Elegy; personally I would have loved for these to have been somehow transferred onto a Steinway, and Rachmaninoff would agree with me, as he performed exclusively on Steinways. The second flaw is that, yes, that little bit of sponteneity found in the acoustic/electric recordings is missing, but of course neither anyone nor anything can reproduce Rachmaninoff's pianism flawlessly but Rachmaninoff himself. I strongly reccommend both volumes of "A Window in Time". Try not to let the negative reviewers sway you, decide for yourself.

A Window in Time ~Johann Sebastian Bach.......2005-10-04

This is a wonderful CD. The sound is as if Rachmaninoff had recorded it yesterday. The marvelous technology allows us to reach into the past and recover glories that we had thought forever lost.

Dull and lifeless.......2004-11-24

I was very disappointed to hear this recording, after hearing Rachmaninov live on the two Naxos recordings and also hearing the recordings of the Ampico rolls on Decca.

Something seems to have happened during all of the manipulation; the playing seems to have been homogenized. The rythm and tempo are no longer dynamic, and the highs and lows have been smoothed off. This is not the case with the recordings of the Ampico rolls, played back on an Ampico-equipped machine, on the Decca CD which are very dynamic and lively.

The sound on this CD is beautiful, but I'm afraid I'll only use it as background noise.

Not to be missed!.......2003-11-14

Despite what the naysayers have been nay-saying about this disc, I think it would be very hard to be disappointed by them, from any standpoint. If they are somehow the contrived product of some deranged producer's imagination, then I could only hope that other pianists would begin to "contrive" their own playing to match what I've heard on these discs. If the piano sounds flat, un-natural and limited in dynamic range, then I hope manufacturers of pianos begin to aim for these qualities in their instruments.

Ok, maybe that's a little blunt - and I do have to admit that I enjoyed these discs more when I had a nicer sound system. Since I've stepped down to something much smaller and cheaper, these discs have lost some of their sparkle - more than some of the other discs in my collection. Even now, though, I love them and listen to them frequently. For me, every note is filled with the awesome sensitivity and mind-blowing technic of a great pianist. The tempos are steady, clear and straightforward - and I think this is not evidence of a contrived medium, but of Rachmaninoff's no-nonsense playing style. As an amateur pianist, teacher and long-time lover of piano music, I think there is a great deal to admire in this approach.

If you're suspicious about these recordings, then listen before you buy, but don't pass on the opportunity to discover the great playing of Rachmaninoff, without the crack and pop of a 78-rpm recording.

mechanical echoes.......2003-04-17

As a classical music buff and an amateur pianist, I eagerly purchased both volumes of "A Window in Time". Unfortunately, I found both albums disappointing. There is little range in touch and dynamics; for example, the virtual performer seems incapable of legato. The technical problem lies in the recording of the piano rolls. Although the rolls are "digital" in nature, they do not have the capability to capture nuances. What is left is some sense of Rachmaninoff's timing, but even that is suspect - in the liner notes, Stahnke mentions the problems he experienced with determining what speed at which to play the rolls. That "impressive speed" you hear may be artificially sped up.

Average customer rating:

Stephen Hough is a genius
Just Some Info About This Recording
light little pieces, fun but not too serious

My Favorite Things: Encores

Manufacturer: Music Masters Jazz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Tracks:

Hexentanz
Maiden's Wish, Op. 74, No. 1
Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal
Fuchsia Tree, Op. 25, No. 2
Capriccio in F Minor
Minuet in G
Nocturne
Etude in a Flat Major
Melodie in E
Caprice-Burlesque
My Favorite Things
Kahmiri Song
Musical Box
Swan
Papillons
Gardens of Buitenzorg
Waltz
En Route, Op.9
Siciliano
Caprice Espagnol

Customer Reviews:

Stephen Hough is a genius.......2003-09-01

Spectacular pianist. Stephen Hough takes technique to a new level. Crisp, clear notation with beautiful phrasing and unbelievable dexterity. At times, it seems as though these pieces were composed for four-hand piano. This the album which first captivated my ear for Hough.

Just Some Info About This Recording.......1999-05-11

I think the reason this recording is out of stock is that the content is duplicated by the Stephen Hough's CD entitled "The Piano Album". Perhaps it was simply reissued under a different name.

light little pieces, fun but not too serious.......1998-10-17

Hough is definitely good to listen to, and this album is a collection of light little pieces that he can have some fun with. There are quite a few short pieces that are hard to find in other "all time favorite" collections.

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable, but flawed
This 1997 CD came before the movie and it's a masterpiece...
Very good recording for the price.
great, just great.
Wonderful, above Adequate CD!

Music Aboard The Titanic

Manufacturer: Inside Sounds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Easy Listening | Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Titanic: Music As Heard On The Fateful Voyage
Last Dinner On the Titanic Menus and Recipes From the Great Liner
The Last Dance: Music for a Vanishing Era (The Music Heard on the Fateful Voyage of the Titanic)
And the Band Played On
882 1/2 Amazing Answers To Your Questions About The Titanic

ASIN: B0000034DL
Release Date: 1998-04-07

Tracks:

Paddy O'Carroll
Leaving Queenstown
Oh You Beautiful Doll
Alexander's Ragtime Band
The Merry Widow: Vilia
Menuet
I Want A Girl Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad
Maple Leaf Rag
Andante Cantabile
Song Without Words
Nocturne, Op.9, No.2
Blue Danube
Berliner Luft
Merry Widow Waltz - J.T. Page/Carl Wolfe/Roy Brewer/Margarita Matlin/Beth Luscombe/Ann Ray/Joe Kebschull...
Let Me Call You Sweetheart - J.T. Page/Carl Wolfe/Roy Brewer/Margarita Matlin/Beth Luscombe/Ann Ray/Joe Kebschull...
Fateful Hour
Nearer, My God, To Thee - J.T. Page/Carl Wolfe/Roy Brewer/Margarita Matlin/Beth Luscombe/Ann Ray/Joe Kebschull...

Amazon.com

It's hard not to get nostalgic listening to the selections jazz composer and musician Carl Wolf produced and arranged for Music Aboard the Titanic, a collection of mostly popular music from 1912. The strings-and-piano chamber group Wolf leads does its best to showcase the versatility of the White Star Line musicians, playing a set list that includes ragtime, light classical, and waltzes. "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Blue Danube," and "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" are the best-known inclusions, all played in elegant, straightforward fashion. Songs are intelligently grouped by their presumed setting onboard the ship, with lighter tunes classified as "Luncheon: 1st Class Dining Room" and more serious fare found in "Concert in the 1st Class Lounge." Compared to the bombast of certain Titanic tributes, this collection is sublime. Just be forewarned: whether played on the Titanic or on this CD, this is largely background music. --Jason Verlinde

Album Description

One of the most enduring legacies of the 'Titanic' is the heroism of the eight musicians who continued playing even as the great steamship sank into the Atlantic. A powerful prologue and epilogue composed by Carl Wolfe, along with selections from the White Star songbook, capture the spirit of the voyage and of the music these musicians played.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable, but flawed.......2003-08-27

Overall, this is an enjoyable album that is worth purchasing. The playing is refined and elegant, and it succeeds in conveying the atmosphere of a tea room or lounge on the doomed ship. But, there are a number of areas where the recording could have been improved:

- Many of the songs are represented only by the chorus, with the verses being completely absent. "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", for instance, runs through the chorus 3 times, with slightly varying orchestration, but never do we hear the verse.

- The string playing is pretty poor with regard to intonation. Passages where multiple strings are (supposedly) in unison come off a little harsh. Maybe that was the authentic way string players sounded back then? Doubtful.

- The newly composed material that bookends the authentic original music is rather discordant in style. I found myself just playing the middle tracks, skipping the first and last two.

This 1997 CD came before the movie and it's a masterpiece..........2002-06-02

In 1996, Carl Wolfe was commissioned to arrange music from the Titanic playlist (used by the White Star Line musicians) for the 1997 Titanic Exhibition. It is officially endorsed by the exhibition. Since its release, dozens of other CDs have followed, hoping to capitalize off of the success of the movie. Some aren't bad, but "Music Aboard The Titanic" is effective because it was written and arranged by a musician/composer who had served 20 years in the U.S. Navy as an arranger, conductor and musician. His two original pieces--"Leaving Queenstown" and "Fateful Hour"--are emotionally-charged and tie the entire work together as a concept CD. "Music Aboard The Titanic" is a real masterpiece. I should know--I was the one who commissioned Carl Wolfe for the job!

Very good recording for the price........1999-08-16

This recording provides a nice look into the musical trends of the upper class of early 1900s society. Although the quality of the music is certainly not that of I Salonisti, it is pleasant, clear, and relatively well-orchestrated. One of the problems with this recording, however, is that some of the pieces are not complete and/or played as they were intended to be played. The section "Dinner Dance" (tracks 12-15) includes Strauss' BLUE DANUBE; this CD's version is only a 2 1/2 minute "clip" from the original piece. Note also that -- depending on the type of audio CD player you have -- you may experience what one reviewer called "clicking" sounds. This has happend only on one CD player I have used.

Despite the minor flaws in this CD, it is definately worth the fifteen or so dollars, if you are a fan of salon-style music.

You may wish to consider the following other recordings at Amazon.com. I own all of them and am very impressed, overall:

* LAST DANCE: MUSIC FOR A VANISHING ERA (I Salonisti) - EXCELLENT * AND THE BAND PLAYED ON: MUSIC ABOARD THE TITANIC (I Salonisti) - EXCELLENT * MUSIC FROM THE WHITE STAR SONGBOOK - VERY GOOD * THE MUSIC OF THE TITANIC - GOOD * 21 AUTHENTIC SONGS FROM TITANIC (Mary Jane Newman and the Southampton Pier Players) - EXCELLENT * TITANIC: MUSIC FROM THE FATEFUL VOYAGE (Ian Whitcomb & The White Star Orchestra) - EXCELLENT

great, just great........1999-03-01

very good for a record that is too lon

Wonderful, above Adequate CD!.......1999-02-18

THIS CD IS GREAT. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A FEW CLICKING SOUNDS, ITS WONDERFUL. YUP

Ignace Paderewski Plays Beethoven, Liszt, Schubert, Debussy

Average customer rating:

Ignace Paderewski Plays Beethoven, Liszt, Schubert, Debussy

Manufacturer: Klavier
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000009IF2
Release Date: 1994-11-04

Tracks:

-3. Beethoven: Sonata No. 14, Op. 27/2 'Moonlight'
Schubert-Liszt: Soiree de Vienna
Schubert-Heller: Standchen (Hark, Hark the Lark)
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 10
Debussy: Images, Livre 1; No. 1: Reflets dans l'Eau
Mendelssohn: Spinning Song, Op. 67/4
Wagner-Liszt: Tristan und Isolde - Isoldes Liebestod

Average customer rating:

Miniatures, transcriptions, excerpts from four centuries

Romantic Piano Favourites, Vol. 3

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Romantic Piano Favourites Vol.1
Romantic Piano Favourites, Vol. 4
Romantic Piano Favourites, Vol. 2

ASIN: B0000013K7
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

Air With Variations 'Harmonious Blacksmith'
Andante In F
Slavonic Dance No.1
Waltz In A Flat
No.19 Little Romance/No.10 Merry Peasant
March Of The Trolls
Song Without Words In F
Sparks
The Miller & The Stream
Menuet
Flight Of The Bumble Bee
The Swan
Spring Song
To Spring
La Plus Que Lente
Caprice Viennois
Polka Italienne
Souvenir In D
Concert Etude In F Minor 'Capriccio'

Customer Reviews:

Miniatures, transcriptions, excerpts from four centuries.......2004-09-21

In the liner notes, the title of this CD is given as 'Favourite Piano Pieces', which seems to fit much better than anything to do with 'Romantic', for here there are gathered miniatures, transcriptions and excerpts by famous and less-famous composers from four different centuries (from the 17th to the 20th)! In fact, the only thing that seems to unite these most diverse tracks is their ability to show off the piano and the pianist to best advantage. The most difficult pieces here appear to be Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Flight of the Bumble Bee' in a transcription by Rachmaninov, and Dohnanyi's incredibly hard 'Concert Etude in F Minor', a fitting