Concerto Recordings II

On this CD:

1. Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra with Fritz Kreisler
Conducted by Sir John Barbirolli

2. Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra with Fritz Kreisler
Conducted by Malcolm Sargent

Customer Reviews:

Horowitz: A Digital Legacy.......2004-11-15

This set includes all of the recordings Vladimir Horowitz did for Deutsche Grammophon in the 1980s, including his historical concert in Moscow.

While the context of his return in Moscow is moving, the studio recordings are simply wonderful. The sound quality is impeccable. The Steinway piano sounds warm but yet crisp and sharp. Horowitz still has plenty of power, and if you don't have a good sound system, you will notice that your speakers will literally fail, due to the overwhelming wall of sound that Horowitz creates in the intense parts.

The tender moments are just as exciting, as they are enhanced by the very quiet and clear digital recording process. Liszt's Standchen and Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23 are only two of a myriad of highlights contained on this boxed set. Having these high quality digital recordings of this piano legend is a blessing that you can't afford to miss. And at this price, it's simply irresistible.

Amazon.com

This seems to be RCA's attempt to create the perfect Horowitz sampler. It's a pretty good try. The Tchaikovsky First Concerto, considered definitive in its day, seems more of a technical than musical accomplishment today, but there's no denying the hyper-excitement generated by Horowitz and Toscanini. The Rachmaninov Third is one of Horowitz's great accomplishments, stunningly played and superbly accompanied by Reiner. The solo disc generally plays to Horowitz's strengths, with marvellous playing of such specialties as Schumann, Scriabin, Scarlatti, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Clementi. (Horowitz was the only major pianist to appreciate Clementi, bless him.) The Chopin items include an unfortunately steely-sounding Polonaise-Fantaisie(along with a beautiful Mazurka), and the Liszt Mephisto Waltz gets pretty frantic at moments. Still, hearing this set will give you a well-rounded picture of Horowitz's art. RCA's producer-engineer Jon Samuels has gotten remarkably fine results with some of these antiquities. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Best of Horowitz.......2006-02-22

Those of us who were fortunate to SEE as well as hear pianist Vladimir Horowitz perform in concert will long remember the quiet, nervous, and rather timid man who slowly walked on the stage. When I saw him at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland in 1978, he hadn't played on the West Coast in many years. Actually, Horowitz was absent from concert halls for years, only making recordings, either for RCA Victor or Columbia.

His Oakland appearance was recorded by RCA and portions of the concert were included in the commercial releases; the engineers would take the best from various performances and cleverly edit them together to give a strong performance. Actually, Horowitz was absolutely dazzling once he sat down at the piano. Despite the initial tentative appearance, he really came to life when he began to play. He was a living legend by 1978 and he did not disappoint the audience. Fortunately, recordings such as those included in this two-CD set give excellent examples of his virtuoso playing.

The 1941 recording session of Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto was made in Carnegie Hall with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Horowitz's father-in-law, Arturo Toscanini. Yes, Horowitz had married Wanda Toscanini. One wonders what Toscanini thought about having Horowitz in his family. It's clear, however, the Toscanini and Horowitz had great respect for each other and they worked well together. This is quite apparent in this celebrated, very popular recording, originally issued on 78-rpm discs.

By 1941 RCA Victor had reached a new standard in high fidelity, which was only limited by the surface noise of the shellac discs. This digital remastering has reduced the noise slightly while maintaining as much of the fidelity as possible. The performance is very exciting throughout. Given the difficulty of the solo passages, it is amazing how well Horowitz played this music. Toscanini, who only occasionally conducted the music of Tchaikovsky, saw to it that the NBC Symphony provided strong accompaniment throughout. The memorable orchestral interlude in the first movement is especially dramatic and powerful. An interesting comparison is Horowitz's live concert performance (also in Carnegie Hall) with Toscanini and the NBC Symphony from 1943, also released by RCA Victor; that performance is more "fluid" and there is one section in the second movement where Horowitz and the orchestra got a little "out of synch" for a few moments.

Just ten years later, Horowitz recorded Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto with a "pick-up" orchestra of New York musicians conducted by Fritz Reiner. This was recorded in Carnegie Hall on magnetic tape and the sound is much improved. The performance was the second of three recordings that Horowitz made of the concerto and it may be the best of them. Certainly Rachmaninoff himself had admired Horowitz's performances of his music and this clearly demonstrates why.

The other disc includes numerous shorter works, all briliantly played and all evidence of the wonderful playing of Horowitz. Some of them are taken from live performances and have the extra value of showing how well Horowitz played in concert. A special treat is Horowitz's popular arrangement of music from Georges Bizet's "Carmen," one of the most dazzling pieces the pianist ever played. I also enjoyed his fiery performance of Lizst's "Mephisto Waltz," clearly a devilish piece inspired by part of the Faust legend.

This is a wonderful compilation and a good introduction to the excellent playing of Vladimir Horowitz.

Truly Legendary...with icing on the cake..........2005-07-07

This cd is one of the best Horowitz compilations that exists. It is indeed Legendary. The recording of the Rach 3 here is the top, greatest reading of the piece, how Rachmaninoff himself would have approved. The Tchaikovsky with Toscanini is my favorite, even though Horowitz does not take many chances in tempo and whatnot because, afterall, he was playing with his great, fiery-tempered father-in-law. Now, on to the second disk. Despite what some people say about the Polonaise-Fantaisie, I believe it is a great reading, and Horowitz never drags the tempo like Ashkenazy often does. The Mazurka is beautiful indeed (the 1965 version is better) and the forever famous Nocturne can bother people who are used to Rubinstein's interpretation. The reading of the Nocturne is somewhat like Cortot's - different. The schumann Traumerei is beautifully done (it was toped, however, by the version in Horowitz in Moscow). The Scriabin preludes are full of color, but what really is fascinating is the Etude op.8 no.12 (not op. 18, as the cd cover says). This version is slower than Horowitz's usual tempo, and there are finger slips and mistakes. There are some "neurotic" sections, and all this is explained by the fact that Horowitz, at the time, was going through a period of uncertainty and failure, I guess you could say, because of all the medicine he was taking. It is, however, beautiful instead of powerful, and Horowitz is in control. The favorite encores Etincelles and Carmen variations are excellent, and the Rachmaninoff prelude is the most beautiful, deep, and searching reading I have ever heard. The Mephisto Waltz is a showpiece, and Horowitz plays it like it is intended to be, a little out of control in some places however.

Overall, this is an excellent 2-cd compilation. BUY IT!

Highs and Lows.......2005-07-04

Although the Tchaikovsky is "viscerally exciting" as one reviewer put it, it is unfortunately much too fast. While Horowitz certainly has the technical skills to pull this off, some of the grandeur of this concerto is lost along the way. It's too bad they couldn't instead have included Horowitz's incredible 1943 performance (also with Toscanini) of the concerto, which has all of the power and none of the rushing.

The second half of the first CD is an incredible performance of Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto, somehow managing to contain both the power and grandeur of that work. The only flaw is a sound which (like in Cliburn's recording of the Rach 2 with Reiner) lacks a bit at times in terms of balance.

The second disk is a similar mixed bag, with both high points (the Rachmaninoff G-Major prelude is just gorgeous) and lows (I'm not a big fan of the Mephisto Waltz as recorded here). Nevertheless, there's certainly more than $17.98 worth of 5-star music on this set, so I conder it worth a 5-star rating.

Called "Legendary" for a reason.......2004-06-10

This set includes numerous staples of Horowitz's repertoire, most formidably the two concertos, complimented by the three Chopin pieces, Traumerei, Etincelles, and the Rachmaninoff prelude. It also includes three relatively unplayed composers whose music Horowitz championed: Clementi, Poulenc and Scarlatti. Other less publicly-performed pieces in Horowitz's repertoire are included on this disc, the Scriaban pieces, Horowitz's own arrangement of Bizet's Carmen, the Prokofiev Toccata and the Mephisto Waltz.

The two concerto recordings are quite possibly the best ones of the respective pieces, except for Cliburn's Tchaikovsky concerto performance in 1958. The piano sounds almost metallic in the Polonaise-Fantaisie, a fault of RCA's. Most everything else on the second disc is flawless, excluding the Mephisto Waltz. Horowitz is widely acclaimed to bring the most tones out of the piano, but, in the Mephisto Waltz, there are lots of places where the tone is simply . . . bad. It is labeled as "Horowitz's retouching of the Busoni transcription". I, first of all, do not even agree with most of the Busoni transcription, and, as a result, do not agree at all with Horowitz's interpretation. In my opinion, Cliburn's and Kapell's versions are far superior.

So, buy the disc for the well-known Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Prokofiev, and the lesser-known Poulenc, Clementi and Scarlatti. Do not listen to the Mephisto Waltz! In fact, the first time I heard it I screamed out, "What were you thinking!?".
But maybe I am a little uptight about these sorts of things.

What More Can I Say That Hasn't Been Said?.......2003-12-11

Drake, the reviewer above or below this review, made me purchase this CD ... I advice you to do the same.

The two major concertos on the first disc were for me the main attractions, and they do not disappoint. The Rach 3rd especially is a must in your collection. It's indeed the one with Reiner (the most praised of all the Horowitz readings).

Tracks:

An Outdoor Overture
Canon In D
Gigue In D
Facade Suite: Fanfare
Facade Suite: Scotch Rhapsody
Facade Suite: Tango-Pasodoble
Feux Follets
Church Windows: St. Michael Archangel
Ceremony Of Carols: Interlude
Threepenny Opera Suite: Tango-Ballad
Threepenny Opera Suite: Cannon Song
La Cupis
Nativity Carol
The Tempest Suite: Act II Prelude
The Tempest Suite: Corn Variation
The Tempest Suite: Barley Beguine
The Tempest Suite: Rye Rag
The Tempest Suite: Tarantella
L'Histoire du soldat Suite: Soldier At The Brook
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins: Largo ma non tanto
Symphonie fantastique: Dream Of A Witches' Sabbath

Clifford Curzon: Decca Recordings, 1937-1971, Vol. 3

Average customer rating:

Curzon and Solti: Tchaikovsky's nightmare
More Classic Curzon

Clifford Curzon: Decca Recordings, 1937-1971, Vol. 3

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Decca Recordings 1941-1972, Vol 2
Decca Recordings, 1949-1964, Vol. 1
Clfford Curzon: Decca Recordings 1944-1970, Vol. 4
George Szell: Decca & Philips Recordings 1951-1969
CARL SCHURICHT Decca Recordings 1949-1956

ASIN: B0009A41Y2
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Customer Reviews:

Curzon and Solti: Tchaikovsky's nightmare.......2007-06-26

Heavyhanded Solti and the VPO and Curzon who's tempi unsettled Solti, unorganic, affected, ridiculous are the words that come to mind! This is almost as bad as Toradze and Gergiev! Do not waste your money: Solti and Tchaikovsky do not go hand in hand and Curzon has nothing to say with this piece.
On LP the recorded sound is not bad although the piano has some very strange tone in low midrange register.
I'll take the perhaps too lively Katchen/Gamba anytime over this stale, pompous effort!

More Classic Curzon.......2006-02-14

After enjoying (and reviewing) the previous two installments of pianist Clifford Curzon's Decca Recordings in the "Original Masters" series, I was delighted to pick up Volume 3 over the holidays. The performances on this six disc set span nearly thirty-five years, from a 1937 orchestrated account of Schubert's "Wanderer" Fantasy with Sir Henry Wood and the Queen's Hall Orchestra, to a final disc of all Schubert, the majority of which was made in 1971. In between are many brilliant concerto recordings, and though some have been previously available on CD, all have been out-of-print for some time. The true gems are paired on disc four -- the 1959 stereo Grieg with Fjeldstad and the London SO (my personal favorite -- I had the old "Classic Sound" series CD), and the 1957 mono Brahms No. 2 with Knappertsbusch and Vienna. Coming in a close second is disc three's coupling of the Tchaikovsky 1st, with Solti leading Vienna in stereo from 1958, and the Rachmaninov 2nd, with Boult and the LPO in mono from 1955. The remaining two Concerto performances -- Mozart's 23rd and Brahms' 1st -- are regrettably from the 1940s and suffer from both mediocre sound and comparatively uninspired conducting (Neel and Jorda respectively). Rounding out this set are 1952 performances of the two Mozart Piano Quartets with members of the Amadeus Quartet, and an entire disc (no. 5) of stereo Liszt solo piano works. In all, this is a great collection, and here's to hoping there is enough material in the vaults to produce a Volume 4!

The Complete Recordings of Maud Powell, Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

The Complete Recordings of Maud Powell, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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The Complete Recordings of Maud Powell, Vol. 1

ASIN: B00005QIS2
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

Bach: Sonata No. 3 in E major: Mvt. II, Allegro
Bach: Sonata No. 3 in E major: Mvt. IV, Allegro
Handel: Xerxes: Largo
Mozart: Divertimento No. 17 in D major: Minuet
Boccherini-Powell: Quintet in E, Op. 13 No. 5: Tempo di Minuetto
Martini-Powell: Plaisir d'amour
Vieuxtemps: Bouquet americain, Op. 33: St. Patrick's Day
Vieuxtemps: Bouquet americain, Op. 33: Polonaise, Op. 38
Wienawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, Op. 22: Mvt. II, Romance
Wienawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, Op. 22: Capriccio Valse,
Schubert: Ave Maria
Schubert: Rosamunde, Op. 26: Entr'acte III in B flat
Raff: Cavatina, Op. 85 No. 3
Zarzycki: Mazurka, Op. 26
Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: Traumerci
Grieg-Marcosson: To Spring
Leybach: Fifth Nocturne, Op. 52
Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffman: Barcarolle
Ogarew: Caprice, Op. 51 No. 2
Chopin-MacMillen: The Maiden's Wish
Massanet: Les Erinnyes: No. 3, Invocation (Elegie)
Poldini-Hartman: Poupee, valsante
Cadman: Little Firefly

Average customer rating:

Joan Tower: Chamber & Solo Works

Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005TU9
Release Date: 1994-04-20

Tracks:

Petroushskates
Wings
Amazon
Platinum Spirals
Noon Dance
Hexachords
Breakfast Rhythms I And II: Breakfast Rhythms I
Breakfast Rhythms I And II: Breakfast Rhythms II

Average customer rating:

Great cello playing

Decca Recordings, 1950-1956

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The 1950s Concerto Recordings
Zara Nelsova - Grand Dame of the Cello (B&W)
The Complete 1950s Chopin Recordings

ASIN: B00067R3C0
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Customer Reviews:

Great cello playing.......2005-02-13

These are the very best recordings ever made by Zara Nelsova. This is great cello playing: total control and musicianship. Some of this stuff hasn't been available for 30-40 years, like the Beethoven sonatas, the Dvorak with Krips, the Lalo, and others. It also has some amazing pieces by Bloch, including her best recording of Schelomo, Voice in the Wilderness, and Jewish Life with the composer at the piano. The sound is good, mono, but still high quality. One drawback is that you can often Nelsova's fingers hitting the fingerboard. The intensity and personality really comes through though, and I can't recommend this collection of outstanding cello playing highly enough.

Average customer rating:

Very nice piccolo trumpet sound; excellent recording quality

Telemann for Trumpet

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001Q79
Release Date: 1995-07-18

Tracks:

Concerto In D Major (#1) For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Adagio
Concerto In D Major (#1) For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Allegro
Concerto In D Major (#1) For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Grave
Concerto In D Major (#1) For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Allegro
Air de Trompette, For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Maestoso
Concerto In D Major (#2) For Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Bassoon & Harpsichord: Largo
Concerto In D Major (#2) For Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Bassoon & Harpsichord: Vivace
Concerto In D Major (#2) For Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Bassoon & Harpsichord: Siciliano
Concerto In D Major (#2) For Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Bassoon & Harpsichord: Vivace
Sonata In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Spirituoso (Allegro)
Sonata In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Largo
Sonata In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Vivace
Suite In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Ouverture
Suite In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Marche
Suite In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Menuet 1 & 2
Suite In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Aria
Suite In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: La Rejouisance
Suite In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Sarabande
Suite In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Gigue
Suite In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Passepied 1 & 2
Suite In D Major For Trumpet, Strings & Continuo: Rondeau
Concerto In D Major (#3) For Trumpet, Oboes, Bassoon, Strings & Continuo: Allegro
Concerto In D Major (#3) For Trumpet, Oboes, Bassoon, Strings & Continuo: Adagio
Concerto In D Major (#3) For Trumpet, Oboes, Bassoon, Strings & Continuo: Aria
Concerto In D Major (#3) For Trumpet, Oboes, Bassoon, Strings & Continuo: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Very nice piccolo trumpet sound; excellent recording quality.......1999-11-10

This disc has some works that are often recorded and some that are uncommon. Burns plays them all with good sound. His orchestra is outstanding, especially the oboe and bassoon players. The one drawback in this recording is Burns' rather unconventional ornamentation. This is not a major detraction from an otherwise outstanding performance, but upon first hearing it will strike the listener as odd. The sound he gets from his Scherzer piccolo trumpet is quite fine, and his playing is marvelously smooth on the opening of the famous Trumpet Concerto # 1. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Contemporary music with solid construction and vivid colors.

Music by Robert Hall Lewis

Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005TTY
Release Date: 1994-04-20

Tracks:

Destini For Orchestra: Destini For Orchestra - Andante - Moderato - Adagio
Osservazioni II For Winds, Keyboard, Harp And Percussion
Atto For String Orchestra
Moto For Orchestra
Concerto For Strong Orchestra, Trumpets, Keyboard and Harp

Customer Reviews:

Contemporary music with solid construction and vivid colors........1999-07-30

The compositions of Robert Hall Lewis is a mixture of Classical elegance and Modernist complexity, showcasing sweeping large-scale orchestral gestures intermixed with subtlety of fine-points.

"Destini," "Motto," and "Concerto for String Orchestra, Trumpets, Keyboard and Harp" are boldly innovative both in structural form and sonic texture. Although each piece is individually distinct, Lewis manages to consistently retain his compositional trademarks of timed surprise and orchestral migration throughout the entire recording.

CRI, the Philharmonia, and Lewis' conducting should all receive equal credit in bringing this recording to its high post-production standards. With good playback equipment, this premium fidelity recording will amplify all the musical dynamics at "concert hall" quality.

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

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