Schubert, Beethoven: Piano Works

On this CD:

1. Moments musicaux (6) for piano, D. 780 (Op. 94)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Melvyn Tan

2. Variations for piano in F major on an original theme, Op. 34
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Melvyn Tan

3. Bagatelle for piano in A minor ("Für Elise"), WoO 59
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Melvyn Tan

4. Andante for piano in F major ("Andante favori") WoO 57
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Melvyn Tan

5. Allegretto for piano in C minor, WoO 53
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Melvyn Tan

6. Pieces (3) for piano (impromptus), D. 946
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Melvyn Tan

Tracks:

Liebestraum No.3
Prelude In G Minor
Fur Elise
Turkish March
Prelude In E-flat
Reverie
Prelude In C-sharp Minor
Prelude In G
Waltz In A-flat
Consolation No. 5
Moment Musical No. 3
Intermezzo In E-flat Minor
Kinderszenen opus 15 Tramrei
Barcarolle
Intemezzo In C-sharp Minor
Prelude In C-minor
Fantasie-mpromptu

Customer Reviews:

Music to my ears!.......2007-04-04

I bought this CD as a "treat" for my 16 year old son, who has just finished a homeschool music course for one of his electives. The last part of the course required listening to music from all the great composers, Baroque through contemporary periods, and identifying the more famous pieces by name and composer. He not only enjoyed the course, he now actually listens to this CD for his own enjoyment (when he's not playing 80's rock). What more could a mother ask for? (I'll tell you. I ask him to borrow it, it's lovely.)

Legend!.......2006-10-11

This is the greatest compilation of recordings ever made by the legendary pianist Van Cliburn. Although I am a cellist, I wear this cd out on a regular basis both at the office and home. I actually have an extra copy to play at the office. All of these recordings are superb in sound quality, performance and incredibly inspiring. The Schumann, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Liszt pieces are stellar and my personal favorites. I only wish there were dvd's with Cliburn's performances for those of us too young to have seen him perform live. CD is a must-have for any classical music lover's collection.

Probably the Best Piano CD ever!.......2006-04-13

If you like Piano music, this is the CD for you. Van Cliburn is at home with great songs that anyone will recognize. It is a masterfully performed set of songs for anyone.

An exquisite recording...read on!...........2005-03-13

Contains a masterful rendition of Beethoven's "Fur Elise", which happens to be one of my favorite classical pieces -- I have a smooth-jazz-pop-dance version of this tune on my own album, "Classy Cool: Classical Favorites, Made Cool" (Google keyword "Motionizer" to find it)

BRILLIANT!.......2004-12-01

usually i don't listen to classical music that much.. i'm 14! but i really enjoy piano so when i saw this music i started to listen to it and i cant beleive how fantastic it is! It is a must have for piano lovers, because the mood of the music varies so much that there is something to suit every mood! My personal favourite is track 2 i can't stop listening to it! I really recommend this cd it is so good.

Average customer rating:

badly remastered
Rachmaninov is the master
A Master of Musical Love
Classic Historic Rachmaninoff.

Rachmaninov: His Complete Recordings

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Bach: The Landowska Recordings
Brahms: Complete Piano Music
Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings
Vivaldi: Complete Cello Concertos
Grieg: Complete Solo Piano Music

ASIN: B000A2AD2S
Release Date: 2006-01-10

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:

Best 2-Dimensional Pianist
Best cd of its kind. Beautiful piano music.
Great Music
So happy to have this in my collection!
El Gruñon

Schroeder's Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Original Sound Track Recording Of The CBS Television Special
Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown!
A Boy Named Charlie Brown: The Original Sound Track Recording Of The CBS Television Special
Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits
Linus & Lucy: The Music Of Vince Guaraldi

ASIN: B000003FAM
Release Date: 1992-09-08

Tracks:

Fur Elise
Sonata In C, K.545: First Movement
Excerpt from Anna Magdalena Book Excerpts: March - Bach
Excerpt from Anna Magdalena Book Excerpts: Minuet In G Minor - Bach
Excerpt from Anna Magdalena Book Excerpts: Musette - Bach
Sonata No.11, K.331: Turkish March
Sonata In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight' : First Movement
German Dances Wo0 42:: No. 1 In F
German Dances Wo0 42:: No. 2 In D
German Dances Wo0 42:: No. 3 In F
German Dances Wo0 42:: No. 4 In A
German Dances Wo0 42:: No. 5 In D
German Dances Wo0 42:: No. 6 In G
Moment Musical, In F Minor, Op. 94, No. 3 - Schubert
Landler In G, Op.9, No. 21 - Schubert
Anna Magalena Book: Minuet in G - Bach
Sonata In C, L. 104
Album for the Young: Happy Farmer
Album for the Young: Melody
Album for the Young: Wild Horseman
Album for the Young: Siciliana
Album for the Young: Knight Ruppert
Album for the Young: Little Hunting Song
Album for the Young: Little Study
Songs Without Words, Op. 67, No. 4: Spinning Song (Songs Without Words, Op. 67, No. 4) - Mendelssohn
Waltz in A-Flat, Op. 39, No. 15
Album for the Young: German Song
Album for the Young: Old French Song
Album for the Young: Mazurka
Album for the Young: Waltz
Album for the Young: Neapolitan Dance
Album for the Young: Polka
Waltz In A-Flat, Op. 42 'Two-Four Waltz'
Waltz In D-Flat, Op. 64, No. 1 'Minute Waltz'
Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1, No. 1: Prelude (Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1, No. 1) - Bach
Linus and Lucy

Customer Reviews:

Best 2-Dimensional Pianist.......2006-03-21

I love this album. Besides the familiar theme song, there are many pieces which we all learn to play as children studying piano. It's great to hear them. A great gift for young people studying piano.

Best cd of its kind. Beautiful piano music........2006-02-25

I did not know what to expect when I ordered this cd. I ordered it primarily for the Lucy & Linus song but was pleasantly surprised with all the other selections of piano music. It is a cd of piano music that one would believe Schroeder would play. Classics from of course Beethovan and many other familiar favorites. I listen to this cd in the car and it is one of my favorite cd's.

Great Music.......2006-02-24

Wonderful music to live by. I play this in my car instead of listening to annoying radio chatter. It is a great collection that ends with the Charlie Brown theme that brings back great childhood memories

So happy to have this in my collection!.......2005-09-21

I had this cassette when I was a little girl...mom garage saled it accidentally and I had been missing it for a long time. Amazon was the only place I was able to find a copy of the CD and I was SOOO happy to see it in my mailbox. Just plain old piano classics...if you enjoy solo piano, this is a great one. Love it!

El Gruñon.......2005-03-02

Very enjoyable CD. Simple and straight forward, a solo piano and selections from a long list of remarkable composers, followed up with the Peanuts tune Linus and Lucy with a jazz trio(piano, bass and drums) If this dosen't motivate a piano player nothing will. 5 stars!

Average customer rating:

"Real" classical music for little ones
Very Relaxing, yet still super
Just what we harried ADULTS need to unwind!
Beautiful bedtime music for babies
Peaceful, beautiful, soothing piano music

Perchance to Dream

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Reverie: Carol Rosenberger
Such Stuff As Dreams
Water Music Of The Impressionists
Singing on the Water
This Little Piggy with CD: Lap Songs, Finger Plays, Clapping Games and Pantomime Rhymes

ASIN: B0000006X2
Release Date: 1992-05-22

Tracks:

Short Story
My Deal Little Mother (Mein Mein)
Andante from Sonata in C, K. 545
Erinnerung (Remembrance)
Sehr Langsam (Very Slowly)
Abendlied (Evening Song)
Schlummerlied (Slumber Song)
Mignon
Des Abends (Evening)
Berceuse, Op. 56, No. 1
Prelude Op. 28, No. 7 in a Major
Mazurka Op. 68, No. 2 in a Minor
Adagio from Sonata in F Major, Hob Xvi:23
Sinfonia V in E-Flat Major
Prelude in C Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier
Aria in G Major from the Goldberg Variations
Andante from Sonata in a Major, Op. 120, D. 664
Intermezzo Op. 117, No. 1
Bagatelle, Op. 119, No. 1
Adagio Cantabile from Sonata Op. 13 (Pathque)

Amazon.com

This is a lovingly-presented and very touching recording. Solo piano works by such composers as Kabalevsky, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Schumann, and Ravel come together in this collection intended to promote restfulness and calm in both children and adult listeners. With Carol Rosenberger's gentle playing, it succeeds marvellously. This disc is absolutely ideal for bedtime or times of quiet reflection. It might serve well in the car during traffic jams, too. Rather than just throwing together performances packaged on a theme (as a number of record companies are doing), Delos and Rosenberger seem to have tailored the interpretations to achieve the desired musical goal here. The liner notes have a lively section just for young readers. --Gwendolyn Freed

Product Description

Music for Babies/Childrem

Customer Reviews:

"Real" classical music for little ones.......2003-02-27

I bought this CD for my elder son when he was tiny; he listened to it nightly (and often for afternoon naps), and his little brother is continuing the tradition. What I like best about this compilation is that this is REAL music - real Brahms, Mozart, etc - and not watered-down versions or arrangements of the classics (like the vast majority of "classical" compilations on the market these days). (I suppose I am just a crank about this, but I grew up listening to real music, and I want my kids to do the same.) The performances are gentle and understated - not what you would want in a concert, but just right for sedating a small one.

Very Relaxing, yet still super.......1999-06-16

This CD is just wonderful for babies and adults and children. It has a good blend of music to introduce children to beautiful classical music. I think that the playing is just superb.

Just what we harried ADULTS need to unwind!.......1999-02-12

An almost perfect combination of selections for relaxing background music, which is played frequently as our dinner music.

I would have appreciated a little less "electronic doctoring" as some notes (especially the lower range) don't sound quite "true", but then again it could be my ears!

Anyway, am delighted that it does what it was designed to do...provide an enjoyable time of relaxation. Thanks.

Beautiful bedtime music for babies.......1999-01-04

This CD was given to us as a gift when our daughter was born and we always play it when putting her down for a nap or to sleep for the night. When we travel, we take it along to ensure that she will fall asleep as easily on the road as she does at home.The music is absolutely lovely and very soothing for infants and adults alike. We even ordered a second copy in case we were ever to lose or wear out the first one!

Peaceful, beautiful, soothing piano music.......1998-10-22

This is one of the most peaceful, soothing and beautiful CD's I have ever heard. I think it would put you or your baby to sleep every night. The music selection is wonderful and the artist has a beautiful technique on the piano. I loved it.

Average customer rating:

The best
Pure Piano
Not quite for that candle-light dinner ....
Classic
Great compilation

Für Elise: Romantic Piano Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | 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:

Für Elise: Romantic Piano Pieces
The Best of Opera, Vol. 1
Discover the Symphony
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Violin Concertos
Discover the Classics 3: The Concerto

ASIN: B0000013VM
Release Date: 1995-03-21

Tracks:

Impromptu in A Flat Major, Op.142 (D.935),No.2
Etude in E major, Op.10, No.3
Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59 'Fur Elise': Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59
Waltz in A flat major,Op. 39, No.15
June: Bacarolle from the Seasons,Op.37b
pring Song in A major,Op.62,No.6 From Songs Without Words: Spring Song in A major,Op.62,No.6 From Songs Without Words
Clair de lune from Suite bergamasque
Troiseme Gymnompedie
Andante in F major, WoO 57 'Adante favori': Andante in F major, WoO 57
Nocturne in E flat major, Op.9,No.2
Liebestraum No 3 in AFlat Major, Op.62 (S.541) No.3
Impromptu in G flat major,Op. 90(D.899), No.3
Romance in F Minor,Op.5
Alla turca from Piano Sonata No.11 in Major, K.331
Trerei from Kinderszenen,Op.15
Prelude no 15 in D Flat Major, Op.28 'Raindrop': Prelude no 15 in D Flat Major, Op.28
Tango in D major
Prelude in C sharp minor, Op.3 No.2

Customer Reviews:

The best.......2007-04-10

The CD I bought is great. The music is great. I love Fur Elise music.

Pure Piano.......2007-01-11

This is one of the clearest and most enjoyable CDs I have purchased. The music is pure and all piano, no frills. I feel like I can play, which of course I can not. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys excellent piano.

Not quite for that candle-light dinner .... .......2006-03-02

Perhaps its best to first clarify the context of this CD's title, "Romantic Piano Music." The word "Romantic" here is not about sensuous mood music to share with your significant other. Rather, it refers to the musical era labeled "Romanticism" which started around Beethoven and ended around 1900 with the development of the "modern era." It is odd that Mozart is featured here as he clearly belongs to the preceeding "classical" era (but the piece here is one of his best). So, this CD features solo piano music of that era which has musical characteristics like expressive lyricism ... passionate, personal and poetic emotional displays ... more experimenting with tonal color and harmony ... and frequent shifts of key, tempo and dynamic range (very soft to very loud). So, with especially with this last characteristic in mind, don't expect "Romantic music for a candle light dinner" here as several of the pieces go from quiet, introspective melodies to fast-paced runs or loud, dissonant chords (just hear the first bar of the last track). But, such is "romantic expression" in music. If you are just looking for some nice solo-piano dinner music, try John Field's serene Nocturnes or Chopin's uplifting Waltzes or the quiet compliation disc, "Chopin for Relaxation."

But, if your interest is to explore the great composers and piano literature of the Romantic era, this is a fine CD to do that for many reasons. One reason is the variety of styles and nationalities featured here. One other characteristic of the music of this period was the expression of pride in one's country (Nationalism movement). Nearly all of the composers whose works are featured on this disc were major influences in music history and showed varying degress of Nationism: Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Liszt from Germany ... Chopin from Poland ... Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov from Russian ... Debussy and Satie from France ... and Albeniz from Spain. With such an international line-up of famous composers, you will find a wide range of musical styles, flavors and expressions to discover and enjoy. Most of the selections here are among the more famous piano pieces, so it is a good place to start. And supported by capable artists, good sound quality and some decent liner notes giving the history of the music, this CD provides a compelling journey into the piano music of the mid-late 19th century ... but maybe not ideal for that romantic interlude you might have had in mind.

PS: The title song of this CD, "Fur (for) Elise," is one of Beethoven's most recognizable and simple tunes, often heard in those miniature music boxes or even cell-phone ring tones.

Classic.......2004-04-08

This is classic. I like this music, because this is piano music.
And I love piano music, because I like to play piano. Don't buy it, if you like pop music, not classic ! Buy it, if you like classic. Trust me.

Great compilation.......2002-12-09

Although you may never have heard of any of these pianists, they're all very good and solid performers. It does in no way sound like a budget disc. The programmed pieces work really well together, especially with such a (shatteringly played) finale: Rachmaninov's "Bells of Moscow" Prelude!

Average customer rating:

Excellent for Piano Students
Great listening, any time
A must-have for piano teachers
My family loves it!

Learning By Example Series, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Cembal D'amour
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ecossaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Musettes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Learning By Example 2
Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music
My First Recital
My Second Recital: Ruth Laredo, Piano
The World's Favorite Piano Music

ASIN: B00003A9LQ
Release Date: 1999-11-29

Customer Reviews:

Excellent for Piano Students.......2006-10-06

Perfectly performed versions of classic piano pieces for the advanced beginner/early intermediate piano student. Very useful and enjoyable to listen to for such piano students and pleasant enough for others.

Great listening, any time.......2006-08-25

I purchased this cd after hearing one song from it on classical radio. Because it is a cd meant to show students how to play songs, the songs are played simply, without embellishment. They are lovely. This is a great cd to play when you want to relax and just hear simple melodies played beautifully.

A must-have for piano teachers.......2002-03-15

I am a piano instructor at a large conservatory where I instruct many younger players. This disc stays in the CD player in my studio almost constantly. Nowhere else will you find such a great collection of pieces which are in the standard teaching repetoire. The playing on this disc is very clean and clear, with great attention to each and every musical detail. My students have all benefitted from this fine recoding.

My family loves it!.......1999-12-04

I can't believe no one thought of this before. A major pianist has recorded the music that my children play. Now that my they have heard Mr. Shehori's CD, my children started to play at a noticably higher standard.

Apart from the educational aspect, this CD is really a pleasure for me to listen to. I always loved these pieces (particularly Bach's Inventions and Schumann's Happy Farmer) Now I can finally hear them played by a great artist.

I do regret that Mr. Shehori didn't record more sonatinas by Clementi. I hope to see these in future Series.

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:

unfortunate

Leopold Godowsky

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Great Pianists (series) - Ignaz Friedman plays Beethoven, Chopin, Hummel, Mendelssohn, etc.
Benno Moiseiwitsch
Rudolf Serkin
Edwin Fischer 2
Byron Janis 2

ASIN: B00000IX8K
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

Nocturnes: No.19 In E Minor, Op.72 No.1
Nocturnes: No.1 In B Flat Monor, Op.9 No.1
Nocturnes: No. 2 In E Flat, Op. 9 No. 2
Nocturnes: No. 4 In F, Op.15 No.1
Nocturnes: No.5 In F Sharp, Op.15 No.2
Nocturnes: No.7 In C Sharp Minor, Op 27 No.1
Nocturnes: No.8 In D Flat, Op.27 No.2
Nocturnes: No.9 In B, Op.32 No.1
Nocturnes: No.11 In G Minor, Op.37 No.1
Nocturnes: No.12 In G, Op.37 No.2
Nocturnes: No.14 In F Sharp Minor, Op.48 No.2
Nocturnes: No.15 In F Minor, Op.55 No.1
Etude In G Flat, Op.10 No.5 'Black Keys'
Etude In G Flat, Op.25 No.9 'Butterfly'
Scherzo No.4 In E, Op.54
'Die Schone Mullerin': Morgengruss
'Winterreise': Gute Nacht
'Rigoletto' Paraphrase

Tracks:

Carnaval: 1. Preambule
Carnaval: 2. Pierrot
Carnaval: 3. Arlequim
Carnaval: 4. Valse noble
Carnaval: 5. Eusebius
Carnaval: 6. Florestan
Carnaval: 7. Coquette
Carnaval: 8. A. Replique - B. Sphinxes
Carnaval: 9. Papillons
Carnaval: 10. A.S.C.H - S.C.H.A (Letters dansantes)
Carnaval: 11. Chiarina
Carnaval: 12. Chopin
Carnaval: 13. Estrella
Carnaval: 14. Reconnaissance
Carnaval: 15. Pantalon e Colombine
Carnaval: 16a. Valse allemande
Carnaval: 16b. Intermezzo: Paganini
Carnaval: 17. Aveu
Carnaval: 18. Promenade
Carnaval: 19. Pause
Carnaval: 20. Marche des 'Davidsbundler' contre les Philistins
Piano Sonata In E Flat, Op.81a 'Les adieux': 1. Dans Lebewohl. Adagio - Allegro
Piano Sonata In E Flat, Op.81a 'Les adieux': 2. Abwesenheit. Andante espressivo-
Piano Sonata In E Flat, Op.81a 'Les adieux': 3. Das Wiedersehn. Vivacissimamente
Ballade In G Minor, Op.24
Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: 1. Grave. Doppio movimento
Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: 2. Schervo - Piu lento - Tempo I
Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: 3. Marche funebre. Lento
Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: 4. Finale. Presto

Customer Reviews:

unfortunate.......2007-03-29

I came to this recording with high expectations because of Godowsky's reputation as "a Buddha among pianists." The recordings were a terrible let-down for two reasons.

First is that the sound quality is extremely poor, making the music difficult to listen to (and this from an avid collector of historical recordings!). The hiss/buzz is extremely loud and the tone flat and colorless.

The second is that the playing just doesn't live up to Godowsky's reputation. He always did terribly in a recording studio, and never seemed to do justice to what he was capable of in live or private performance. Godowsky himself was aware of this shortcoming; he apparently wrote in a letter shortly before his death, "Do not judge me by my recordings!"

I wouldn't recommend buying this recording unless you have a particular interest in Godowsky or are trying to compile the whole Philip's set.

The Parlour Grand: Piano Favorites from a Bygone Era

Average customer rating:

The Parlour Grand: Piano Favorites from a Bygone Era

Manufacturer: Marquis Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Fur Elise
Spinning Song
Traumerei
Rustle Of Spring
Reverie
Si Oiseau J' 'Etais
Romance In E-Flat
Liebestraum
Salut D'Amour
Arabesque
Menuet A L'Antique
Melodie
To A Wild Rose
Romance Sans Paroles
Prelude
Humoresque
The Dying Poet
Le Secret

Tracks:

Serenade
Spring Song
Tango
Rosemary
Le Coucou
The Musical Snuffbox
Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
The March Of The Little Lead Soldiers
Au Matin
Scarf Dance
Invitation To The Dance
Alt-Wien
Simple Aveu
Country Gardens
The Prayer Granted
Narcissus
Le Papillon
Valse In C Sharp Minor

Album Description

This two-CD set, performed by renowned pianist Robert Silverman, includes all the great music from The Parlour Grand Volume 1 and The Parlour Grand Volume 2.