A Mozart Concert in Vienna

On this CD:

1. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Overture
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

2. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Aria: Non piu andrai
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

3. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Aria: Deh vieni non tardar
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

4. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Duet: Crudel! perche finora
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

5. Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

6. Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 Allegro molto
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

7. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620 Aria: die Hölle Rache
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

8. Serenade No. 9 for orchestra in D major ("Posthorn"), K. 320 Menuetto
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

9. Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 Adagio
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

10. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620 Aria: der Vogelfänger bin ich ja
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

11. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620 Duet: Pa-pa-papageno
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

12. Symphony No. 35 in D major ("Haffner"), K. 385 Finale: Presto
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Gerald Grunbacher, Andreas Martin, Donna Robin, Konrad Leitner
Conducted by Konrad Leitner

Tracks:

Brandenbutg Concerto No.3 In G First Movement
Overture No.3 In D Second Movement
Violin Concerto In E First Movement
Prelude In C minor
Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Chorus From Cantata No.147)
Overture No.2 In B minor Minuet And Badinerie
Oboe Concerto In D minor Second Movement
Brandenburg Concerto No.4 In G Third Movement
Musical Offering - Fuga canonica
Easter Oratorio - Overture
Minuet In D minor
Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel herunter(From Choral Prelude BWV 650
Brandenburg Concerto No.1 In F Second Movement
Art Of The Fugue - Contrapunctus 9
Concerto For Flute, Violin, Harpsichord And Strings. Triple Concerto - Third Movement
Overture No.4 In D - Réjouissance
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Water Music - Alla Hornpipe
Xerxes - Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
Messiah - And The Glory Of The Lord
Concerto Grosso In A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 - Larghetto Affettuoso
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 4 Allegro
Water Music - Air
Messiah - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Concerto Grosso In B flat, Op. 3, No. 2 - Largo
Salomon - Sinfonia, Act 3
The Choice Of Hercules - While For Thy Arms
Water Music - Allegro (Suite No. 1)
Suite No. 5 In E - Air With Variations
Jephtha - How Dark, O Lord
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 5 Alla Siciliana - Presto
Mi Palpita Il Cor (Solo Cantata) S'un Di M'adora
Water Music - Andante Allegro Da Capo
Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra in E-flat: First Movement
Symphony No. 94 in G: Surprise Symphony-second movement
Concerto for Violin No. 2 in D: Third Movement
Flute Trio No. 31 in G: Second Movement
Symphony No. 31 in D: Hornsignal-First Movement
String Quartet No. 17 in F, Op. 3, no. 5: Serenade Quartet-Second Movement
Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat for Violin, Cello, Oboe, Bassoon and Orchestra-Third Movement
Concerto for 2 Horns & Orchestra in E-flat: Second Movement
Symphony No. 88 in G: Fourth Movement
String Quartet No. 77 in C: Kaiser Quartet-Poco adagio cantabile
Notturno No. 1 in C: Second Movement
Symphony No. 98 in B: Londoner No. 4-Fourth Movement
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - first movement
Piano Concerto in A - second movement
Flute Concerto in D - Rondeau
Serenade - Minuet
Violin Concerto - first movement
Symphony No. 40 in G minor - first movement
Clarinet Concerto - second movement
Turkish March
Divertimento - Minuet
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat - first movement
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67-First Movement
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, no. 2: Moonlight Sonata-First Movement
Overture
O welche Lust (Prisoners' Chorus)
Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarros's Aria)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Second Movement
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 61: Third Movement
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: Pathétique-Second Movement
Sympony No. 6 in F, Op. 68: Pastorale-First Movement
Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 80: Choral Fantasy - Finale
German Dance No. 1 In C
Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3 In G-Flat
Heidenroslein
Ave Maria
Der Lindenbaum
Quintet In A 'Trout Quintet' - Andante
Mass No. 6 In E-Flat - Kyrie
Die Schone Mullerin Des Mullers Blumen
German Dance No. 2 In G
Piano Sonata In B-Flat
Nachtgesang Im Walde
Winterreise - No. 15: Die Krahe
German Mass - Zum Sanctus (Heilit, Heilig Ist Der Herr)
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished' - Second Movement
Waltz No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 18 Grande Valse brillante
Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, no. 2
Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, no. 5
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21-Second Movement
Mazurka in D minor, Op. 33, no. 2
Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28, no. 15 Raindrop
Etude in C, Op. 10, no. 1
Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, no. 2
Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 Fantasy Impromptu
Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35-Third Movement
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor - first movement 113.String Seranade - Waltz
Violin Concerto - second movement
The Sleeping Beauty - Waltz
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Swan Lake - Waltz
Eugene Onegin - Polonaise
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers
Orchestral Suite No. 4 - Mozartiana - Third Movement
Swan Lake - Dance of the Swans
Symphony No. 6 in B minor - Pathétique - Third Movement
Hungarian Dance No.5
Lullaby
Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op. 68 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in E-flat, Op.117, no. 1
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77 - Third Movement
Waltz, Op. 39, no. 15
Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83 - Second Movement
String Quintet in G, Op. 111 - Second Movement
Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op. 98 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 76, no. 7
Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
German Requiem Selig sind die Toten (Final Chorus)
Die Fledermaus - Overture
Kaiser Waltz, Op.437
Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324
Roses From The South Waltz, Op. 388
AnnenPolka, Op. 117
Vienna Blood Waltz, Op. 354
Eljen A Magyar Polka, Op. 332
Wine, Women and Song Waltz, Op. 333
On The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 134
Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Overture
Tannhauser - Die Pilger sind's (Pilgims' Chorus)
Tannhauser - O du mein holder Abendstern (Wolfram's Aria)
Lohengrin - Act 3 Prelude and Bridal Chorus
The Flying Dutchman - Jo-ho-he Traft ihr das Schiff (Senta's Ballad)
The Flying Dutchman - Steuermann, lass die Wacht (Sailors' Chorus)
Die Walkure - Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond (Siegmund's Aria)
Die Walkure - Ride of the Valkyries
Siegfried Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! Schmiede mein Hammer (Siegfried's Forging Song)
Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod
Thus sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (excerpt)
Don Juan, Op. 20
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, I.Nacht
Don Quixote, Op.35, first movement: Introduction
Salome, Op. 54, Dance Of The Seven Veils
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, Finale: Hab' mir's gelobt ihn lieb zu haben
Piano Concerto 2 In C minor, Op. 18 - First Movement
Vocalise, Op.34, No. 14
Prelude In G Sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12
Piano Concerto No. 4 In G minor, Op. 40 - Third Movement
Symphony No. 2 In E minor, Op. 27 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F sharp minor, Op. 1 - Second Movement
Rhapsody, Op. 43 On A Theme By Paganini
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Liebestraum No.3 in A-flat
Piano Concerto No.1 in E-flat - third movement
Angelus
Mephisto Waltz No.1 (Dance in a Village Tavern)
Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
Dante Symphony - Finale. - Purgatorio - Magnificat
Les Préludes
Boléro
Daphnis et Chloé first movement: Nocturne
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Shéhérazade - first movement: Asie
Ma Mère l'Oye - fourth movement: La Belle et la Bête
Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet
La Valse
Slavic Dance No. 1 in C, Op. 46, no.1
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World' - second movement
Humoresque, Op. 101
Slavic Dance No. 8 in G minor, Op. 46, no. 8
Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 22 - second movement
Romance for Violin and Orchestra In F minor, Op. 11
Symphony No. 7 in D minor - third movement
Melodie (Songs My Mother Taught Me)
Carneval Overture, Op. 92
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104 - third movement
Symphony No.4 In A, Op. 90. Italian - First Movement
Frühlingslied In A, Op. 62, No. 6
Wedding March (From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61)
Duetto In F, Op.30, No.6 (From Songs Without Words)
String Symphony No.9 In C. Schweitzer Symphony - Third Movement
Concerto For Violin, Piano And String Orchestra No. 1 In D minor - Second Movement
Symphony No.3 In A minor, Op.56 Scottish - Third Movement"
Notturno (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14
String Symphony No. 12 In G minor - First Movement
Venetian Gondola Song In F Sharp minor, Op.30, No.6
Scherzo (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Violin Concerto In E minor, Op.64 - Third Movement
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - Morgenstimmung
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - I. Prelude. Allegro vivace
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - IV. Air. Andante religioso
Arietta, Op. 12, no. 1
Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Solveig's Song
Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6
The Last Spring, Op. 34, no. 2
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op 46 - Anitra's Dance
Nordic Melody Op. 63
Notturno, Op. 54, no. 4
Elegie, Op. 47, no. 5
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Arabic Dance
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 - Allegro
Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97 - Rhenish - first movement
Traumerai (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)
Mondnacht (from Eichendorff-Liederkreis, Op. 39)
Aufschwung (from Fantasietucke, Op. 12)
Triolett, Op. 114, no. 2
Tanzlied (No. 1 from Duets, Op. 78)
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120 - second movement
Frühlingsgruss
Abschied (from Waldszenen Op. 82)
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - Im wunderschonen Monat Mai
Manfred Overture, Op. 115
Romance in F sharp, Op. 28, no. 2
Die Rose stand im Tau
Liebesgarten (from Four Duets, Op. 34)
Warum? (from Fantasiestucke, Op. 12)
Kennst du das Land, Op.79, no. 29 (from Lieder der Mignon, Op. 98a)
Von fremden Landern und Menschen (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)

Album Description

An extraordinary 20-CD collection of great works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, J. Strauss, R. Strauss, Schumann, Wagner, Dvorak, Grieg and Liszt. It also features worldrenowned artists such as Sir Neville Marriner, Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelich, Hermann Prey, Reiner Goldberg, Sylvia Sass, Jochen Kowalski, Peter Schreler and many more. This exquisite, copper metallic, deluxe boxed set is the perfect gift for the classical music neophyte.

Customer Reviews:

Mill. Classical review.......2007-05-13

This is a great set of recordings for the money, the only problem was I've had to clean some of the CD's before they played correctly.

classical music for the unitiated.......2007-04-01

This set is a good way to start listening to classical music. It's very well produced and easy to listen to. I purchased it to use as part of my world history high school class. It would have been nice to have some bio information on the composers. However, the product is exactly as advertised and good value for the money. The students were intrigued by how many of the excerpts they had heard before.

Some little gems there that I had forgotten!.......2007-03-30

Although I studied classical music at school, I had all but forgotten it until I bought this set. I heard several tracks I haven't heard for over 30 years, and I had been humming Brahms's 'Hungarian Dance no. 5' for years without ever knowing what it was and it was on the disc, so that was nice.

I found it to be a very good selection overall, but I felt too much had already been heard on TV, which of course is what lots of newcomers to classical music might appreciate. I managed to find about 2 hours of tracks that I wanted to keep, which works out quite expensive per disc, but I did find some wonderful music I had completely forgotten about, so it was worth it. All in all, it represents good value, and I have only knocked one star off as so much of it had been used in adverts.

It is definitely a good introduction to classical music, and it has made me want to listen to more of it, so I don't regret this 'expensive' purchase one bit!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

A very helpful collection.......2007-03-24

I define this set as an excellent way to find out who you like, and who you don't, among 20 of the important composers. It opens the door to purchasing more complete pieces by composers you do like, and can save a lot of time and money in the process.
To criticize the set for not containing more composers, or more than just snippets of those who are in the set, is missing the point: it is a helpful introduction to finding your way in the huge maze of classical music. It succeeds admirably in this.
Sound quality is uniformly very good on an audiophile system.
Highly recommended.

Excellent!.......2007-03-08

A great way to start a classical music collection. It's nice to have a full CD of each composer. It makes it easy to keep track of selections/composers I already have and what composers I still need to puchase to complete my collection.

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

The Skaters Waltz - Emile Waldteufel
String Quartet No. 2: III. Notturno - Alexander Borodin
'Thais': Meditation - Jules Massenet
Sleeping Beauty: Waltz - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
The Red Poppy Ballet: Phoenix - Reinhold Moritsevich Gliere
Artist's Life Waltz - Peter Falk
Piano Concerto No. 21 In C Major, K. 467: II. Andante - Walter Klien
Nocturne In E Flat Major, Op.9 - Abbey Simon
Ave Maria - Aaron Rosand
Liebeslied - Aaron Rosand
Pavane - Susan Jolles
Je Te Veux - Susan Jolles
My Lady Greensleeves - Elena Polonska
Suite Espanola: 1. Granada - Konrad Ragossnig
Concerto For Flute And Harp In C Major, K. 299: II. Andantino - Catherine Michel
The Nutcracker Suite: Waltz Of The Flowers - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan - Camille Saint-Sa
Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dance No. 8 - Alexander Borodin
The Marriage Of Figaro: Arr. For Winds: Sull'aria Che Soave Zeffiretto - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
3 Old Viennese Dance Melodies: III. Schon Rosmarin - Bronislaw Gimpel
Scheherazade: Arab Song - Bronislaw Gimpel
Pelleas Et Melisande: Sicilienne - Gabriel Faur
Wedding Day At Troldhaugen - Edvard Grieg
Clarinet Concerto In A Major, K. 622: II. Allegro - Jost Michaels
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - Pietro Mascagni

Customer Reviews:

Dissappointing.......2004-05-22

The recordings are fair at best. The performances poor to better.

I will dispose of this one.

25 Sentimental Favorites.......2000-06-19

I used to think that classical music is boring, but this CD has changed my mind. The first time I listened to this CD I said, its OK. Later every time I listen to it I discover a new beautiful music. I feel calm and relaxed. I mostly liked the Borodin, Mozart and Faure songs. It is really 25 sentimental favorites. Now, many titles of the 25 "?" Favorites are on my wish list....

Average customer rating:

For Guilty Pleasures

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

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

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

Just For Fun
For a Summer Evening (Dig)
For After Hours
For a Stormy Night
For A Sunday Morning

ASIN: B000095J8B
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

Overture - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Country Dance No.1 in E-Flat Major, K.462 - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Country Dance No.2 in E-Flat Major, K.462 - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Allegro Molto - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Andante - Geza Anda
Allegro Con Brio - The English Concert
German Dance No.1 in B-Flat Major, K.567 - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
German Dance No.3 in G Major, K.567 - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
German Dance No.5 in A Major, K567 - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Menuetto - Wilhelm Kempff
Overture To Cosi Fan Tutte - Wilhelm Kempff
Adagio - Wilhelm Kempff
Alla Turca - Allegro - Wilhelm Kempff
Allegro - Wilhelm Kempff
Molto Allegro - Wilhelm Kempff

Average customer rating:

The Best of Itzhak Perlman

Manufacturer: Hip-O Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | 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:

Itzhak Perlman's Greatest Hits
Itzhak Perlman's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Concertos From My Childhood / Perlman, Foster
Cinema Serenade
Ithzak Perlman: Encores

ASIN: B0009AJKBG
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Mozart - Complete Sacred Works / Harnoncourt

Average customer rating:

Little known delights
Excellent recordings, maybe a bit much for some...
Music to pray by
full of discoveries

Mozart - Complete Sacred Works / Harnoncourt
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Concentus musicus Wien , Nikolaus Harnoncourt , Arnold Schoenberg Chor , Uwe Heilmann , Gilles Cachemaille , Elisabeth von Magnus , Charlotte Margiono , Barbara Bonney , Vienna Imperial Chapel Choral School , Laszlo Polgar , Robert Holl , Franz Beyer , Kurt Equiluz , Krisztina Laki , Jurt Azesberger , Ingeborg Danz , Wolfgang Mohr , Angela Maria Blasi , Hakan Hagegard , Herbert Lippert , Alastair Miles , Sylvia McNair , Thomas Hampson , Eva Mei , Vienna State Opera Choir Concert Association , and Dorothea Röschmann
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Bonney, Barbara | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000IMUB
Release Date: 1999-05-04

Tracks:

Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Kyrie
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Gloria
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Laudamus te
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Gratias
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Domine deus
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Qui tollis
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Quoniam tu solus
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Cum Sancto Spirito
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Credo
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Et incarnatus est
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Crucifixus
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Et in Spiritum Sanctum
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Et unam sanctam
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Sanctus
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Benedictus
Missa In C Major, K.66: Dominicusmesse: Agnus Dei
Vesperae de Dominica In C Major, K.321: Dixit Dominus Domino meo
Vesperae de Dominica In C Major, K.321: Confitebor tibi Domine
Vesperae de Dominica In C Major, K.321: Beatus vir
Vesperae de Dominica In C Major, K.321: Laudate pueri Dominum
Vesperae de Dominica In C Major, K.321: Laudate Dominum omnes gentes
Vesperae de Dominica In C Major, K.321: Magnificat anima mea Dominum

Tracks:

Missa K.317: Kyrie
Missa K.317: Gloria
Missa K.317: Credo
Missa K.317: Sanctus
Missa K.317: Benedictus
Missa K.317: Agnus Dei
Vesperae solennes de confessore, K.339: Dixit
Vesperae solennes de confessore, K.339: Confitebor
Vesperae solennes de confessore, K.339: Beatus vir
Vesperae solennes de confessore, K.339: Laudate pueri
Vesperae solennes de confessore, K.339: Laudate Dominum
Vesperae solennes de confessore, K.339: Magnificat

Tracks:

Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Kyrie
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Gloria
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Laudamus te
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Gratias
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Domine
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Qui tollis
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Quoniam
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Jesu Christe
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Cum Sancto Spiritu
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Credo
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Et incarnatus est
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Sanctus
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Hosanna
Missa In C Minor K.427 (417a): Benedictus

Tracks:

Missa brevis In G Major, K.49 (47d): Kyrie
Missa brevis In G Major, K.49 (47d): Gloria
Missa brevis In G Major, K.49 (47d): Credo
Missa brevis In G Major, K.49 (47d): Sanctus
Missa brevis In G Major, K.49 (47d): Benedictus
Missa brevis In G Major, K.49 (47d): Agnus Dei
Missa brevis In D Minor, K.65 (61a): Kyrie
Missa brevis In D Minor, K.65 (61a): Gloria
Missa brevis In D Minor, K.65 (61a): Credo
Missa brevis In D Minor, K.65 (61a): Sanctus
Missa brevis In D Minor, K.65 (61a): Benedictus
Missa brevis In D Minor, K.65 (61a): Agnus Dei
Missa brevis In D Major, K.194 (186h): Kyrie
Missa brevis In D Major, K.194 (186h): Gloria
Missa brevis In D Major, K.194 (186h): Credo
Missa brevis In D Major, K.194 (186h): Sanctus
Missa brevis In D Major, K.194 (186h): Benedictus
Missa brevis In D Major, K.194 (186h): Agnus Dei
Missa brevis In C Major, K.220 (196b): Spatzenmesse: Kyrie
Missa brevis In C Major, K.220 (196b): Spatzenmesse: Gloria
Missa brevis In C Major, K.220 (196b): Spatzenmesse: Credo
Missa brevis In C Major, K.220 (196b): Spatzenmesse: Sanctus
Missa brevis In C Major, K.220 (196b): Spatzenmesse: Benedictus
Missa brevis In C Major, K.220 (196b): Spatzenmesse: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Kyrie
Waisenhausmesse: Christe eleison
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Kyrie eleison
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Gloria
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Laudamus te
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Gratias
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Domine deus
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Qui tollis peccata
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Quoniam tu solus
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Cum Sancto Spiritu
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Credo
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Et incarnatus est
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Crucifixus
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Et resurrexit
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Et in Spiritum Sanctum
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Et unam sanctam
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Sanctus
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Benedictus
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Agnus Dei
Missa solemnis In C Minor, K.139 (47a): Waisenhausmesse: Dona nobis pacem
Exsultate, Jubilate In F Major, K.165 (158a): Exsultate, jubilate
Exsultate, Jubilate In F Major, K.165 (158a): Fulget amica dies
Exsultate, Jubilate In F Major, K.165 (158a): Tu virginum corona
Exsultate, Jubilate In F Major, K.165 (158a): Alleluja

Tracks:

Missa brevis In G Major, K.140: Kyrie
Missa brevis In G Major, K.140: Gloria
Missa brevis In G Major, K.140: Credo
Missa brevis In G Major, K.140: Sanctus
Missa brevis In G Major, K.140: Benedictus
Missa brevis In G Major, K.140: Agnus Dei
Missa brevis In F Major, K.192 (186f): Kyrie
Missa brevis In F Major, K.192 (186f): Gloria
Missa brevis In F Major, K.192 (186f): Credo
Missa brevis In F Major, K.192 (186f): Sanctus
Missa brevis In F Major, K.192 (186f): Benedictus
Missa brevis In F Major, K.192 (186f): Agnus Dei
Missa longa In C Major, K.262 (246a): Kyrie
Missa longa In C Major, K.262 (246a): Gloria
Missa longa In C Major, K.262 (246a): Credo
Missa longa In C Major, K.262 (246a): Sanctus
Missa longa In C Major, K.262 (246a): Benedictus
Missa longa In C Major, K.262 (246a): Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Missa In C Major, K.257: Credo: Kyrie
Missa In C Major, K.257: Credo: Gloria
Missa In C Major, K.257: Credo: Credo
Missa In C Major, K.257: Credo: Sanctus
Missa In C Major, K.257: Credo: Benedictus
Missa In C Major, K.257: Credo: Agnus Dei - Dona nobis
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento, K.243 In E Flat Major: Kyrie
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento, K.243 In E Flat Major: Panis vivus
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento, K.243 In E Flat Major: Verbum caro factum
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento, K.243 In E Flat Major: Hostia sancta
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento, K.243 In E Flat Major: Tremendum
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento, K.243 In E Flat Major: Dulcissimum convivium
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento, K.243 In E Flat Major: Viaticum
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento, K.243 In E Flat Major: Pignus
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento, K.243 In E Flat Major: Agnus Dei - Miserere

Tracks:

Missa in honorem Ssmae Trinitatis In C Major, K.167: Kyrie
Missa in honorem Ssmae Trinitatis In C Major, K.167: Gloria
Missa in honorem Ssmae Trinitatis In C Major, K.167: Credo
Missa in honorem Ssmae Trinitatis In C Major, K.167: Sanctus
Missa in honorem Ssmae Trinitatis In C Major, K.167: Benedictus
Missa in honorem Ssmae Trinitatis In C Major, K.167: Agnus Dei
Missa bervis In C Major, K.258: Kyrie
Missa bervis In C Major, K.258: Gloria
Missa bervis In C Major, K.258: Credo
Missa bervis In C Major, K.258: Sanctus
Missa bervis In C Major, K.258: Benedictus
Missa bervis In C Major, K.258: Agnus Dei
Kyrie In G, K.89 (73k)
Misericordias Domini In D Minor, K.222 (205a)
Missa brevis In C Major, K.259: Orgelsolo-Messe: Kyrie
Missa brevis In C Major, K.259: Orgelsolo-Messe: Gloria
Missa brevis In C Major, K.259: Orgelsolo-Messe: Credo
Missa brevis In C Major, K.259: Orgelsolo-Messe: Sanctus
Missa brevis In C Major, K.259: Orgelsolo-Messe: Benedictus
Missa brevis In C Major, K.259: Orgelsolo-Messe: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Grabmusik K.42 (35a): Recitativo: Wo bin ich, bittrer Schmerz?
Grabmusik K.42 (35a): Aria: Felsen, spaltet euren Rachen
Grabmusik K.42 (35a): Recitativo: Geliebte Seel'
Grabmusik K.42 (35a): Aria: Betracht dies Herz
Grabmusik K.42 (35a): Recitativo: O Himmel! was ein traurig Licht
Grabmusik K.42 (35a): Duetto: Jesu, was hab ich getan?
Grabmusik K.42 (35a): Recitativo: O lobenswerter Sinn!
Grabmusik K.42 (35a): Coro: Jesu, wahrer Gottessohn
Kyrie In F Major, K.33
Veni Sancte Spiritus In C Major, K.47
Scande coeli limina K.34: Aria - Chorus
Hosanna In G Major, K.223 (166e)
Kyrie In E Flat Major, K.322 (296a)
Kyrie In C Major, K.323
Regina coeli In B Flat Major, K.127: Regina coeli
Regina coeli In B Flat Major, K.127: Quia quem meruisti portare
Regina coeli In B Flat Major, K.127: Alleluia
Miserere In A Minor, K.85 (73s)
Quaerite primum regnum Dei In D Minor, K.86 (73v): Antiphon
Kyrie In D Minor, K.90
Tantum ergo In B Flat Major, K.142
Ave verum corpus In D Major, K.618

Tracks:

Venite populie In D Major, K.260 (248a): Offertorium de venerabili sacramento
Regina coeli In C Major, K.108 (74d): Regina coeli
Regina coeli In C Major, K.108 (74d): Quia quem meruisti portare
Regina coeli In C Major, K.108 (74d): Ora pro nobis
Regina coeli In C Major, K.108 (74d): Alleluia
Sancta Maria, mater Dei In F Major, K.273
Sub tuum praesidium In F Major, K.198 (158b): Offertorium
Tantum ergo In D Major, K.197
Litaniae Lauretanae In B-Flat Major, B. M. V. K.109 (74e): Kyrie
Litaniae Lauretanae In B-Flat Major, B. M. V. K.109 (74e): Sancta Maria
Litaniae Lauretanae In B-Flat Major, B. M. V. K.109 (74e): Salus infirmorum
Litaniae Lauretanae In B-Flat Major, B. M. V. K.109 (74e): Regina angelorum
Litaniae Lauretanae In B-Flat Major, B. M. V. K.109 (74e): Agnus Dei
Benedictus sit Deus In C Major, K.117 (66a): Coro
Benedictus sit Deus In C Major, K.117 (66a): Aria
Benedictus sit Deus In C Major, K.117 (66a): Coro
Inter nato mulierum In G Major, K.72 (74f): Offertorium de S. Joanne Baptista
Alma Dei creatoris In F Major, K.277 (272a)
Ergo interest, an quis - Quaere superna In G Major, K.143 (73a): Recitativo - Aria
Te Deum laudamus In C Major, K.141 (66b)

Tracks:

Missa solemnis In C Major, K.337: Kyrie
Missa solemnis In C Major, K.337: Gloria
Missa solemnis In C Major, K.337: Credo
Missa solemnis In C Major, K.337: Sanctus
Missa solemnis In C Major, K.337: Benedictus
Missa solemnis In C Major, K.337: Agnus Dei
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento In B Flat Major, K.125: Kyrie
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento In B Flat Major, K.125: Panis vivus
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento In B Flat Major, K.125: Verbum caro factum
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento In B Flat Major, K.125: Hostia sancta
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento In B Flat Major, K.125: Tremendum
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento In B Flat Major, K.125: Panis omnipotentia
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento In B Flat Major, K.125: Viaticum
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento In B Flat Major, K.125: Pignus
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento In B Flat Major, K.125: Agnus Dei
Regina coeli In C Major, K. 276 (321b)

Tracks:

Kyrie In D Minor, K.341 (368a)
Dixit et Magnificat In C Major, K.193 (186g): Dixit Dominus
Dixit et Magnificat In C Major, K.193 (186g): Magnificat
Missa brevis In B-Flat Major, K.275 (272b): Kyrie
Missa brevis In B-Flat Major, K.275 (272b): Gloria
Missa brevis In B-Flat Major, K.275 (272b): Credo
Missa brevis In B-Flat Major, K.275 (272b): Sanctus
Missa brevis In B-Flat Major, K.275 (272b): Benedictus
Missa brevis In B-Flat Major, K.275 (272b): Agnus Dei
Litaniae Lauretanae In D Major, B.M.V. K.195 (186d): Kyrie
Litaniae Lauretanae In D Major, B.M.V. K.195 (186d): Sancta Maria
Litaniae Lauretanae In D Major, B.M.V. K.195 (186d): Salus infirmorum
Litaniae Lauretanae In D Major, B.M.V. K.195 (186d): Regina angelorum
Litaniae Lauretanae In D Major, B.M.V. K.195 (186d): Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Requiem in D minor, K.626: Introitus: Requiem
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Kyrie
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Sequenz: Dies irae
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Sequenz: Tuba mirum
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Sequenz: Rex tremendae
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Sequenz: Recordare
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Sequenz: Confutatis
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Sequenz: Lacrimosa
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Offertorium: Domine Jesu
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Offertorium: Hostias
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Offertorium: Sanctus
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Offertorium: Benedictus
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Offertorium: Agnus Dei
Requiem in D minor, K.626: Communio: Lux aeterna

Customer Reviews:

Little known delights.......2003-12-07

This set is an adventure providing many wonderful discoveries. The C minor Mass K.427, the Coronation Mass, the Spatzenmesse, the Credomesse, the Vesperae solennes de confessore K.339, the Litanies Lauretanae and "de venerabili altaris sacramento", the Kyrie K.341--these are all vintage Mozart. The only disappointment is the Requiem, which lacks the clarity and intensity of Hogwood's.

Excellent recordings, maybe a bit much for some..........2001-02-12

I found the overall quality of the recordings and the artists to be consistently very good. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this collection based on the quality of the production--this is a great way to get a complete collection of Mozart's chorals at one shot.

Having said that, it's obviously going to be a bit repetitive; it is overkill for the average listener. Unless you're certain you really want the complete collection, buying a few individual recordings will be more cost-effective. I don't regret the purchase, but I think it all depends on your level of interest.

Music to pray by.......2000-11-09

I'm a non-musician, but have listened to a lot of Mozart. I was cataloging books at my library and popped this in, the first two CD's brought me to tears. I can picture myself praying in a gothic cathedral while listening to this. Oh that "church music" of today could even try to emulate the beauty.

full of discoveries.......2000-06-24

First, let me make it clear that I didn't buy the whole set. The price and the volume is a bit intimidating, to say the least, and the sheer ubiquity of Harnoncourt recordings these days tends to breed a certain resistance in me. Therefore this review is based on the three discs I own (8, 9 and 10) - I'm withholding a star based on ignorance, not criticism. That said, I found the recordings delightful and more than once a pleasant surprise. The Masses can sound somewhat repetitive at times, but for me the real discovery was the many small and fragmentary pieces, which one doesn't come across often in other recordings. The Kyrie K.89 is a haunting vocal canon, so unlike a Mozart; the Miserere K.85, dark, powerful, with just a hint of Allegri; Kyrie K.322 and 323 little gems. The singing is clear and forceful. Contrary to the Amazon review above, I didn't find the baroque instrumentation to be a problem. I don't know if it's a good idea to buy the complete set (Amazon doesn't offer them individually, I think), but it's certainly a lot of CDs for the money -.- , and one thing I can say for sure is that there are bound to be similar discoveries for everyone.

Average customer rating:

Eloquent expression!
Brilliant Recordings Rescued From The Vaults

Historic Philips Recordings, 1953-1962

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00008CLMG
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Customer Reviews:

Eloquent expression! .......2006-01-21

In this formidable album you will realize Artur Grumiaux is in top form. His lyricism and expressiveness is quite evident since the first bar you listened. He possessed that admirable and inimitable phrasing, supported by the most fervent passion and commitment.

This is a fundamental and excellent selection of his interpretative art. His Lekeu and Debussy violin Sonata do not know about rivals, even the elapsed time. I miss the exclusion of his Häendel works Op. 1 and several violin Sonatas of Mozart (specially the K. 376), but this artistic document well deserves its immediate acquisition.

Grumiaux was -undeniably- the best Belgium violinist after Ysaye, and one of the eternal icons of this instrument.

Brilliant Recordings Rescued From The Vaults.......2003-06-09

Now that Decca, Philips and Deutsche Grammophon, among others, are all part of Universal, we have seen some interesting things happen, and not all of them bad. What I'm referring to in this case is the new "Original Masters" Limited Edition Box Set series. Finally, the classical music world has taken a page out of the jazz reissue handbook -- put out a quality product featuring rare recordings but make its availability limited, and people will snatch it up. In the "Original Masters" series, first DG and now Decca/Philips have each reissued five box sets, of 4 to 7 CDs each, in distinguished, space-saving slim paper boxes, though the style of packaging is different. The DG sets feature 50s style graphics design on their covers, while the Decca/Philips ones have a distinctive rainbow/spectrum pattern on the spines and banners, and a black-and-white photo of the artist in question on the face of the box.

This particular set features the historical Philips recordings of the great violinist Arthur Grumiaux from 1953-62. As the track information is non-existent above, I will try to be of assistance. The first two discs contain the complete Mozart Violin Concertos, including K271i which is now regarded as doubtful (to be composed by Mozart), with Bernhard Paumgartner and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (VSO) from 1953-55. It is wonderful to compare these performances to Grumiaux's stereo Mozart VC Cycle on Philips with Colin Davis (see my review). Disc three is all works for violin and piano (with pianist Istvan Hajdu) -- Debussy, Ravel and Faure (No. 1) Sonatas, Ravel's Piece en Forme de Habanera, Faure's Les Berceaux, Saraste's Zigeunerweisen, Fiocco's Allegro, Granados' Andaluza, and Albeniz's Tango (all from 1962). Disc four features shorter works for violin and orchestra -- Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole, Chausson's Poeme, Ravel's Tzigane, Saint-Saens' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and Havanaise. All are with Jean Fournet conducting the Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux (OCL) from 1954, except the Capriccioso which is 1956. Lastly, CD Five returns to concertos with the Mendelssohn (Rudolf Moralt/VSO, 1954) and Paganini No. 4 (Franco Gallini/OCL, 1954), and concludes with Paganini's I Palpiti and Le Streghe with pianist Riccardo Castagnone (1958). Despite the fact that the recordings on four of the five discs are in mono (CD3 is in stereo), the first rate performances more than compensate for any audio shortcomings. Well, I guess the consolidation of the music industry isn't so bad after all, as long as I can look forward to more reissues like this.

Average customer rating:

John P. Cutler
One of the best Vienna Boys Choir CD

Die Wiener Sangerknaben: Portrait

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

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

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

Exsultate, Jubilate / Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boy's Choir)
Bach: Voices Of Angels
Bach: Famous Choruses from Sacred Cantatas
Angelic Voices: The Best of the Vienna Boys' Choir
The Best of the Vienna Boys' Choir (Box Set)

ASIN: B000004151
Release Date: 1993-04-13

Tracks:

Coronation: Mozart: Mass in C, K.317: Credo
Messiah: Hallelujah
German Mass, D.872: Ehre sei Gott in der Hohe
Inter Natos Mulierum
Missa Laetare: Gloria
Missa Laetare: Dona Nobis Pacem
Sub Tunm Praesidium
Missa in Honorem BVM: Kyrie
German Mass, D.872.: Wohin Soll Ich Mich Wenden
Spatzenmesse: Mass in C,K. 220: Sanctus
Mozart: Mass in C, K.220: Benedictus
Missa Sancti Joannis de Deo: Agnus Dei
Mozart: Vesperae de Dominica, K.321: Laudate Dominum
Rinaldo: Lascia Ch'io Pianga
Tranditional: Quando Nascette Ninno
Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Customer Reviews:

John P. Cutler.......2000-01-02

This was one of the first CD's I got. The Vienna Boys Choir will not disappoint You. It is a terrific CD.

One of the best Vienna Boys Choir CD.......1998-09-11

If you like sacred music and offertories, this CD is what it's all about. It has the best of the Offertories and Sacred Music by some of the best-loved composers including Mozart, Schubert and Haydn. My favorites from this collection were: Sub tuum Praesidium, Inter natos mulierum, and Kyrie (by Haydn).

Average customer rating:

Some of Haskil's Finest Mozart
One of the greatest performances of Mozart piano concertos
Glorious
Haskil's Mozart Rejuvenated

Clara Haskil

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Clara Haskil 2
Shura Cherkassky
Rosalyn Tureck 2
Byron Janis 2
Maria João Pires

ASIN: B00000DBUA
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 20 In D Minor, KV 466: 1 Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 20 In D Minor, KV 466: 2 Romanze
Piano Concerto No. 20 In D Minor, KV 466: 3 Rondo. Allegro assai
Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, KV 491: 1 (Allegro)
Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, KV 491: 2 Larghetto
Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, KV 491: 3 (Allegretto)
Piano Concerto No. 13 In C, KV 415: 1 Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 13 In C, KV 415: 2 Andante

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 13: 3 Rondeau. Allegro
Rondo for Piano and Orchestra in A, KV 386
Piano Concerto No. 23 In A, KV 488: 1 Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 23 In A, KV 488: 2 Adagio
Piano Concerto No. 23 In A, KV 488: 3 Allegro assai
Piano Concerto No. 27 In B Flat, KV 595: 1 Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 27 In B Flat, KV 595: 2 Larghetto
Piano Concerto No. 27 In B Flat, KV 595: 3 Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Some of Haskil's Finest Mozart.......2005-04-03

Clara Haskil was a remarkably poetic pianist. Her playing of Mozart's concertos had an intense spirituality and emotional depth, especially when a like-minded conductor was at the helm. That's certainly what can be heard here under Rudolf Baumgartner (#13), Bernhard Paumgartner (the lovely Rondo in A), Paul Sacher (#23), and Ferenc Fricsay (#27).

Haskil's #13 here is my all-time favorite reading. Baumgartner, perhaps better known for his many fine Bach recordings, is a most sensitive collaborator. He uses Mozart's alternate version for strings only, which seems to enhance the over-all feeling of intimacy in this work.

Paumgartner, a distinguished Mozartean, provides a wonderful partnership with Haskil in the Rondo. On early Epic LPs, Paumgartner also gave us a superb set of the Mozart violin concertos with Arthur Grumiaux (who in turn recorded some excellent Mozart violin/piano sonatas with Haskil). I still prefer those concertos to Grumiaux's later stereo accounts with Colin Davis.

Perhaps the highlight of this entire set is the sublime account of #23 under the Swiss conductor Paul Sacher, who also recorded #9 with Haskil on Epic LP (unfortunately not included here). Sacher was a major figure in 20th Century music (Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta was dedicated to him), and he was the only conductor who died a richer man than Herbert von Karajan (Sacher married an heiress to the Hoffman-LaRoche pharmaceutical empire and died a billionaire). In #23, Haskil and Sacher are wonderfully in sync throughout: a magically lyrical 1st mvt., a serenely beautiful slow mvt., and a sprightly finale, with some lively wind playing (especially by the principal bassoon). This is one of my 3 favorite readings, along with the Kempff/Leitner on DG (arguably the finest of Kempff's stereo recordings) and a long-forgotten Supraphon LP with Helene Boschi and the Czech Phil. under Alois Klima. For me, Haskil's 23rd Concerto by itself more than justifies the purchase of this set.

In the 27th concerto (also available on DG coupled with the Haskil/Fricsay #19), Fricsay is an excellent partner. This is a performance of enormous subtlety - Haskil is at her most ruminative - and it's one of my two favorite accounts, along with Boegner/Ristenpart on MHS LP.

I am not quite so taken with the readings of #20 and #24 under Markevitch, whose aggressive, rather muscular conducting doesn't mesh that well with Haskil's more lyrical style (most noticeably in the 20th). #20 was one of the staples of Haskil's repertoire, and she left several recordings, both studio and "live," that are preferable to this one under Markevitch. Her DG Westminster CD account with Swoboda has some scrappy orchestral playing, but at least the conductor is attuned to Haskil's wavelength (it's coupled with Haskil's lovely Scarlatti sonatas). Her live recording with Munch/BSO on M&A is somewhat better: it's coupled with Haskil's delightful account of #9 under Otto Ackermann. Right now, my favorite Haskil #20 is probably her live recording with Paul Hindemith on a different M&A CD (coupled with Haskil's dazzling performance of Hindemith's Theme & Variations "The Four Temperaments" under the composer's direction). Other readings of #20 that I treasure include the Lefebure/Furtwangler on Ermitage, and Edwin Fischer in the double role of pianist/conductor (Philips). For #24, I still prefer Fischer's live account with the Danish Chamber Orchestra (coupled on an M&A CD with the finest #22 I have ever heard), and Hungarian pianist Sari Biro's tender account with Wilhelm Loibner (on an old Remington LP).

Apparently now deleted, this 2-disc set was recently selling for as little as $9.98 elsewhere on the Internet.

Quibbles aside, this set is a wonderful tribute to a very great pianist.

One of the greatest performances of Mozart piano concertos.......2001-12-16

As usual with a young person who tends to judge pianists by virtuosity, I could not find Haskil's Mozart appealing about ten years ago. At that time she sounded a bit intimidated and her techniques sounded weak for me, as I loved energetic and aggressive performances much more than now.
But, as I grew somewhat older and collected many Mozart piano concertos recordings (I have been a bit obsessed with these never-boring concertos for recent years), finally I understood why she has been regarded as one of the truly greatest pianists for many years.
Still, it is hard for me to put why she is so superb, because basically she does not do anything special or original while playing.
But I think that is why she is so original. Her tempo setting is always just right, and each tone produced by her extremely flexible hands exhibits subtle beauty. Flow of music is so natural and never sounds either artificial or self-conscious. Also she is never indulgent just with tone prettiness or warmth. I feel unfathomable emotional depth at times, even though seemingly she is still doing nothing special.
As for her technical aspects that once I thought weak, I am now able to find that she has such a set of flexible and deft fingers. In particular, her left hand sounds inherently endowed with true dexterity. If you still think that her techniques are weak, please listen to a brilliant cadenza in the first movement of the twenty-fourth concerto where her technical virtues are easily recognizable.
Without any doubt, this recording is at the top of numerous Mozart piano concertos recordings and will keep its status forever.

Glorious.......2001-06-02

The author Peter Gay suggests in his biography "Mozart", that "What Haydn had done for the string quartet, Mozart did for piano concerto." And if so, the piano concertos contained in this recording, may well be the pinnacle of Mozart's musical achievements. If not, they are easily among the most beautiful of his works, and no one renders them, as well as, Clara Haskil.

Haskil's Mozart Rejuvenated.......1998-11-19

This is a wonderful album. No one plays Mozart like Haskil. This collection is packed full of some of her best piano concerto recordings, many of which are out of print in their previous editions. The sound is distinctly improved in many of them, especially the earlier Philips recordings with Markevitch. I still have a soft spot in my heart for her d-minor concerto (No. 20) with Swoboda (Enterprise), but there is no comparison in sound to the present version. For me, this is the very best version available of the d minor, perhaps Mozart's darkest and most serious concerto.