Schubert: Works For Piano & Violin

On this CD:

1. Rondo for violin & piano in B Minor ("Rondeau Brillant"), D. 895 (Op. 70)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by David Golub, Mark Kaplan
Conducted by Daniel Chriss, Jodi Howard

2. Sonatina for violin & piano in D major, D. 384 (Op. posth. 137/1)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by David Golub, Mark Kaplan
Conducted by Daniel Chriss, Jodi Howard

3. Sonatina for violin & piano in A minor, D. 385 (Op. posth. 137/2)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by David Golub, Mark Kaplan
Conducted by Daniel Chriss, Jodi Howard

4. Sonatina for violin & piano in G minor, D. 408 (Op. posth. 137/3)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by David Golub, Mark Kaplan
Conducted by Daniel Chriss, Jodi Howard

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

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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:

Don't downrate a CD because of a missing piece - please!
Bolet is outstanding
Great selections; technically great but dull performance
Great Liszt compilation
Missing The Famous Hungarian Rhapsody #2

Liszt: Favourite Piano Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000427O
Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat Major
Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Funilles
Rniscences de Don Juan
La campanella
Die Forelle
Erlkonig
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C Sharp Minor

Tracks:

Consolation No. 3
Sonetto 104 del Pentrarca
Les Jeux d'eau a Villa d' Este
Au bord d' une source
Gnomenreigen
Un sospiro
Rigoletto
Sonata In B Minor - Lento assai
Andante sostenuto
Fugato

Customer Reviews:

Don't downrate a CD because of a missing piece - please!.......2005-07-15

This is an excellent representative 2-CD bargin set of Liszt's piano works played by a recognized expert pianist in this repertoire. The other reviewers (i.e. those w/ 5* ratings) have made their points well. What continues to bother me in many of these classical CD reviews is 'downgrading' a CD by several stars, if not more in some cases, because the listener is irked at the lack of a feature that has nothing to do w/ the performance on the recording. Such is the case here - a 3* rating because one piece was mislabelled is ridiculous - rate the music & performance first, please. If there is a problem unrelated to the performance (sound quality, liner notes, etc.), then simply state that in your review. I often look at the overall rating to determine if I even want to consider a classical CD & read the reviews - knocking off a star or two because of petty complaints is not justified.

Bolet is outstanding.......2005-01-23

There are many Liszt performers, and while Bolet was known to never substitute technical perfection for feeling, there is a great balance to his playing. 'Un Sospiro' is played on the slow side, every melody note can be heard perfectly, while his interpretation and rubato are heart stopping. While I don't agree with his Liebstraum (the honor of greatest playing is held for Cliburn on this piece, if you haven't heard him play it, go buy the CD, now), the lesser played works such as the Elf King transcription more than makes up for it. If you want a technically perfect, clear, sometimes very moving performance of Liszt, Bolet is for you (I prefer him infinitely over Cziffra, although I may be alone on that one). Postscript: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 is NOT No. 2, this is an error on Amazon's part, and also on the other Bolet albums, it is indeed no. 12 and not 2.

Great selections; technically great but dull performance.......2004-04-09

I know this pianist Jorge Bolet is supposed to be one of the world's greatest. But I bought this as a replacement set when I temporarily lost my Phillips "Best Of Liszt" set and couldn't live without Liszt. I was sadly disappointed on the selections that overlap. While some of my favorite selections (Liebestraum, Mephisto Waltz) are actually longer here, they simply do not stir my soul as much. The pressure of the notes, the timing, something indefinable just isn't the same in this recording as in the Phillips one. The quality of sound reproduction is fine, the piano-playing is certainly correct and crisp (maybe TOO crisp?), and again, the variety of the pieces chosen is commendable, but I recommend the Phillips 2-disc set over this one. There ARE some very interesting selections of not just Liszt's original works but also some of his arrangements or adaptations of other's works, i.e., the Shubert pieces and La campanella (from Paganini).

Great Liszt compilation.......2003-12-23

Bolet's finest moments on this two-fer are the Schubert-Liszt transcriptions - you'd almost think 'Who needs a voice?' But he's equally good in the aforementioned Mephisto Waltz, and the operatic journey through Mozart's Don Giovanni.

The cons are here too: Bolet's RCA Liszt recital has better, less cautious versions of Liebestraum, Un sospiro and Funerailles. The Sonata is tremendous overall but in the end I'd rank it just a little below the best - particularly Brendel, Richter and Arrau. Yet all these renditions have great merits - even the ones Bolet surpassed himself. This Liszt compilation is overall very good.

Missing The Famous Hungarian Rhapsody #2.......2003-05-27

Although the listing at Amazon.com says this CD contains Hungarian Rhapsody #12, A.K.A #2, it does NOT have the famous #2 in C Sharp Minor. It is indeed #12. Since I bought this CD specifically for Hungarian Rhapsody #2 in C Sharp Minor, I was disspointed that it was not included. It is Liszt's most famous song, at least in my opinion. If you are looking for this song, I would suggest Hungarian Rhapsodies Vol. 1, by Jeno Jando.

A Window in Time: Rachmaninoff Performs His Solo Piano Works

Average customer rating:

Rachmaninoff is in the house!
Wonderful!!!
Where Does This Take us to?
The dead come alive
Truly Magnificent!

A Window in Time: Rachmaninoff Performs His Solo Piano Works
Sergey Rachmaninov , Sergei Rachmaninoff , and Wayne Stahnke
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000009RCS
Release Date: 1998-08-25

Tracks:

Prelude In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2
Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5
The Flight Of The Bumblebee
Elegie, Op. 3, No. 1
Barcarolle, Op. 10, No. 3
Liebesfreud
Liebesleid
Melodie, Op. 3, No. 3
Etude-Tableau In B Minor, Op. 39, No. 4
Wohin?
Polichinelle, Op. 3, No. 4
Polka De V.R.
Prelude In G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5
Serenade, Op. 3, No. 5
Minuet
Hopak
Etude-Tableau In A Minor, Op. 39, No. 6
Humoresque Op. 10, No. 5
The Star-Spangled Banner

Amazon.com

This collection of Rachmaninoff's solo piano performances relies on a mix of old and new technologies. Between 1919 and 1929, Rachmaninoff cut these 19 performances to piano rolls, which would then be played back through reproducing pianos capable of accurately re-creating the original performances through pneumatic devices that animated the rolls with living nuances and shades--a facet that differentiated the classier reproduction keyboards from the more common "player pianos." This set updates the technology with electronic devices--transparently, though expertly, replacing the pneumatics. Played back on a Bösendorfer Reproducing Piano, this collection sounds astounding, full of Rachmaninoff's lickety-quick motion and his punching intensity when striking the keys. There are 18 Rachmaninoff selections--some of them collaborations--and one gem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," taken to new places in this 1919 reading. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Rachmaninoff is in the house!.......2007-02-08

Superb sound quality! This is not a remastered recording made back in the '50's. This is actually Rachmaninoff performing via a special, pressure-sensitive type player piano. It truly sounds like he was recorded live with our current technology. The accompanying booklet explains everything very clearly.

Rachmaninoff was not only an exceptional composer, he was also an exceptional (if that is a strong enough term) performer. This CD allows you to experience his performing abilities as though you were sitting with him today. Great CD for every collection, even if you only casually listen to classical music on a rare occasion.

Rachmaninoff Rocks!

Wonderful!!!.......2006-07-15

No, I'm not a kid. But I am quite the Rachmaninoff ethusiast;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 centuries 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 in a flawless 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.

Where Does This Take us to?.......2005-10-13

Wonderful music most brilliantly played, with no coughings or whatever. Many of them are celebrated pieces too. But I won't for a moment suggest any serious piano music lover to really compare it with Rachmaninov's RCA recordings even if you have the heavy hissings of the latter on the other side of the balance. You will probaly more fun if you could just concentrate on what this technology could achieve.

The dead come alive.......2005-01-14

This is the best reconstruction of historic playing you'll ever hear, in part because while Rachmaninoff is playing it's as if he were installed on a big Boesendorfer in your living room. Finally we hear why in his time R. was if anything a bigger name as performer than as composer. Wonderful music, with rich recorded sound, and the always-exquisite sound of the Boesendorfer.

Truly Magnificent!.......2004-07-19

I just got this CD and with some trepidations sat back and listened intently from start to finish. WOW!! I was hoping that the negative reviews about mechanical and robotic playing would not be too accurate. Well those reviews were utterly absurd, these are MAGNIFICENT recordings! To paraphrase the liner notes, we can thank our lucky stars that we live in a time that technology can bring us this close to the great Rachmaninoff! From some of the reviews one could think this is some sort of computer generated music, robotic and lifeless. Nothing could be further from the truth. The humanity, soul and beauty of the playing leaps out at you. We owe Mr. Stahnke a debt of gratitude for this labor of love. This is art restoration of a high order, not technological interference. To fault this incredible "remastering" of the orginal rolls is like faulting the new digital transfers of old analog tape. It is not "interfering" with original recordings, it is restoration. Purist debates and Bose versus Stein arguments are meaningless when hearing Rachmaninoff play with this level of clarity and beauty of sound. Just like digital transfer of classic films or "cleaning" of masterpiece paintings, this is technology being used to increase our experience of the original intent, not to alter it. I have ordered the second one as well and will purchase every single issue of old piano roll masters that is restored like this. Don't hesitate, these are truly magnificent recordings that will not disappoint. Five stars without reservation!

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

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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:

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound
A great collection of Liszt treasures
An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations.
Liszt for the ages.

Liszt: Piano Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Chopin: The Piano Works
Brahms: Works for Solo Piano
Works for Solo Piano
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
Rachmaninov: The Piano Concertos

ASIN: B00005ND3L
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C-Sharp Minor
Liebestraum No.3
Mephisto Waltz No.1
Funerailles (No.7 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Rigoletto: Conc Paraphrase
La Campanella

Tracks:

Die Forelle
Der Muller Und Der Bach
Wohin?
Lebe Wohl!
Das Wandern
Der Lindenbaum
Horch, Horch, Die Lerch
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
Die Post
Aufenthalt
Lob Der Tranen
Erlkonig
I. Allegro Con Fuoco
II. Adagio
III. Presto
IV. Allegro

Tracks:

Lento Assai - Allegro Energico -
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro Energico - Andante Sostenuto - Lento Assai
Valse Impromptu
I. 'Hohe Liebe' In A flat
II. 'Selinger Tod' In E Flat
III. 'O Lieb' In A Flat
Grand Galop Chromatique

Tracks:

I. Sposalizio
II Penseroso
III. Canzonetta Del Salvator Rosa
IV. Sonetto 47 Del Petrarca
V. Sonetto 104 Del Patrarca
VI. Sonetto 123: Del Petrarca
VII. Apres Une Lecture De Dance (Fant Quasi Son)

Tracks:

I. La Chapelle De Guillaume Tell
II. Au Lac De Wallenstadt
III. Pastorale
IV. Au Bord D'une Source
V. Orage
VI. Vallee D'Obermann
VII. Eglogue (Hirtengesang)
VIII. Le Mal Du Pays
IX. Les Cloches De Geneve

Tracks:

I Gondoliera
II. Canzone
III. Tarantella
Les Jeux D'eau A La Villa D'Este (No.4 Of Annees De Pelerinage, Troisieme Annee)
Benediction De Dieu Dans La Solitude: (No.3 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Ballade No.2 In B

Tracks:

I. Preludio: Presto
II. Molto Vivace
III. Paysage: Poco Adagio
IV. Mazeppa: Allegro
V. Feux Follets: Allegretto
VI. Vision: Lento
VII. Eroica: Allegro
VIII. Wilde Jagd: Presto Furioso
IX. Ricordanza: Andantino
X. Allegro Agitato Molto
XI. Harmonies Du Soir: Andantino
XII. Chasse-Neige: Andante Con Moto

Tracks:

Zwei Konzertetuden: I. Waldesrauschen
Zwei Konzertetuden: II. Gnomenreigen
I. Il Lamento
II. La Leggierezza
III. Un Sospiro
I. Andante Con Moto
II. Un Poco Piu Mosso
III. Lento Placido
IV. Quasi Adagio
V. Andantino
VI. Allegretto Sempre Cantabile
Reminiscences De Don Juan

Tracks:

Reminiscences De Norma
Totentanz (Danse Macabre)
Malediction
Fant On Hungarian Folk Themes

Customer Reviews:

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound.......2006-09-29

Piano playing of extraordinary romantic depth and breadth. Bolet is inside Liszt's mind, as Liszt's romantic self unfolds on the keyboard. It is as if Bolet is the master himself. Superlative recordings to boot!

A great collection of Liszt treasures.......2004-01-12

The booklet of this set has an interesting explanation of why Jorge Bolet stayed out of the spotlights for so long before taking up his -glorious- career. It was his devotion to Liszt. By then, in the 1950s, Liszt was still regarded as a B-composer (There are still people who tend to think so: I read someone who called Liszt `the father of all bar pianists'. Now, if you know a worse offence...). Only after Liszt's reputation had increased, Bolet could enter his `Indian summer', which lasted from about 1975 until his passing away in 1990. During this period, he was finally able to perform his favourite music as much as possible. This fine 9-disc set may indeed be Bolet's most important testament. Additionally, it's one of the most important Liszt collections on the market. But beware: there's much more than just Bolet, considering Liszt's piano works. I can't say this is the perfect set or near it. Still five stars, for some astonishing piano playing that we don't come across very often nowadays.

Bolet won a Gramophone Award for his 1st book of Années de Pelerinage, which is not strange when listening to the recordings. This is a portrait of a man who's entirely on his own, looking for his soul while wandering trough the beautiful Switzerland - I can't say it better than B. Johnson already did. It's Romantic nonsense, of course, but in Liszt's days it was a common idea, and it can still sweep me away. Bolet's superior tonal colouring - beautiful, but not too far-driven, for the risk it would almost be too intimidating - and his peaceful nature lift this music to the greatest heights. My only complaint would be the `Orage' piece: Bolet's technique can't quite handle it, and its aggressive nature is much less overwhelming as a result. Nevertheless, the rest of the pieces show him at his very best. So does the second year of the Années (that is oddly placed in the set before the first year by Decca). The Dante Sonata, one of Liszt's greatest pieces, fares very well under Bolet's hands.

Equally excellent were the Schubert Song Transcriptions. The transcriptions aren't very different from the original songs, but they are definitely interesting. Especially when someone like Bolet takes them under his hands! All songs are terrifically played, with real standouts like `Auf dem Wasser zu singen', `Der Mueller und der Bach' and `Erlkoenig'. Bolet's romantic touch (he may have been the last of his kind) lets the music unendingly flow. Brilliant!

These comments also apply to Liszt's Consolations, which are placed on another disc. Liszt shows here how much he's in debt to Schubert, and wrote music of a disarmingly lyrical nature. Bolet gives almost naively innocent readings of these pieces. Talking about singing music, why not include the Liebesträume, `Venezia e Napoli' and many, many other pieces as well. Although some people still regard Liszt as a bombastic composer, he was in fact much more active on the spiritual and lyrical area. It is largely this nature of Liszt that is put into the spotlights by Bolet. He is really terrific whenever music ought to sound peaceful and meditative.

But Liszt was also a stunning virtuoso. People may eschew him for that, but that's often without any good ground. The B minor Sonata and the Transcendental Etudes, to give some names, are not only pianistically but also musically amazing works. It takes to be both a good technician and a musician to play them well, and this is where Bolet occasionally fails. He was over 65 when he made these recordings, and I can't help but say that his technique was not anymore what it used to be. In many pieces you can hear him struggle.

In what may be the most difficult music Liszt wrote, the Transcendental Etudes, Bolet takes tempi that are almost too easy (e.g. no.10 should be `Allegro molto agitato' but Bolet plays it very moderately), perhaps because his technique was by then too limited to give the pieces a really impressive treatment. Even then, I do feel a ertain nobility in Bolet's slow approach that gives every study a dignified stature (and that's something you won't find with Kissin or Cziffra!). The sonata is similarly noble and yet tremendously powerful in its scope, even though Bolet may lack some technial control at isolated spots.

Anoter treacherous piece is the `Reminiscences de Don Juan', which is a transcription of no less an opera than -of course- Don Giovanni! Bolet plays this 20-minute piece with a lot of humour and swing: it's a great way to clean up your mind! Also recommendable are the Etudes de Concert (e.g. Waldesrauschen), whose light spirit is very well captured.

A treasure trove set overall, I can recommend it without any limitations. There's no other composer that suited Bolet as well as Liszt, and the vice versa may be true as well. But the pianist also has his weaker points, particularly regarding his technique, that wasn't what it used to be. Oh, and the piano sound is not always equally convincing: the instrument sounds a little shrill at times. But there's an amazing amount of colour in the instrument, and it allows Bolet to reachfor the deepest, darkest sonorities you've heard. This collection is therefore not just THE best Liszt: there are many more pianists who made supreme recordings of him (e.g. Arrau, Brendel, Richter) and I definitely recommend searching them out as well. After you've heard this!

An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations........2003-12-03

I was very impressed with Bolet's playing. His rendition of La Campanella is the best I've ever heard.

Liszt for the ages........2001-12-05

Both for those that would like to find out for the first time what Liszt is all about, and for those few that are very familiar with the Paganini of the 88: LOOK NO FURTHER!

It doesn't get any better than this.

After I heard throughout the seventies about this "unknown" great of the romantic repertoire, I was fortunate enough to see him for the first time about a month after he recorded the first issue of this now legendary Liszt series. While his technique may not have exactly been what it used to be before (e.g. Orage in Suisse of Les Annees), all the performances benefit from the wisdom of many, many years. While all the performances are of a uniform Olympic level, two issue stand out in my mind.

First, there is the cd of Schubert Liszt transcriptions. Bolet really sets the standards for "singing" on the piano. His version of "Der Muller und der Bach" has to be believed to be heard.

Most importantly though, there is "Suisse" the first year of Liszt's years of pilgrimage. I own this disc from the day it appeared on the shelves and still listen to it every month. Surely, there are more technically brilliant versions. For the true "Liszt Nuts", I would certainly advise Leslie Howard's version of "L'Album d'un voyageur", that contains the first version of many of the "Suisse" pieces, and some additional pieces that Frenz (for reasons that escape me completely) excluded from the later Suisse. Yet, nobody, not even Brendel or Berman, have come close to Bolet on delivering on the central theme of Suisse, man finding himself back in an exploration of nature.

While they stem from the earlier days of digital recording the recordings are still more than respectable and benefit greatly from Bolet's attention for color, aided by his favorite Bechstein.

Tracks:

Be My Love (The Toast Of New Orleans)
Serenade (The Student Prince)
Temptation (Going Hollywood)
Wanting You (The New Moon)
I'll Be Seeing You (The Royal Palm Revue)
With A Song In My Heart (Spring Is Here)
Without A Song (Great Day)
Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)
My Wild Irish Rose
And This Is My Beloved (Kismet)
Because
Only A Rose (The Vagabond King)
Funiculi, Funicula
Come Back To Sorrento
Maria Mari'
O Sole Mio
Neapolitan Love Song
Arriverderci, Roma
Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life (Naughty Marietta)
Look For The Silver Lining (Sally)
Memories
The Song Is You (Music In The Air)
Ave Maria
You'll Never Walk Alone (Carousel)

Customer Reviews:

A mixed bag of romantic offerings.......2001-12-17

BMG's Lanza collections are usually a mixed bag, and this album of love songs is no exception. Interspersed with some magnificent performances are an assortment of the good, the bad, and the mediocre. Part of the problem, I suspect, is that BMG simply doesn't appreciate what treasures it has buried in its recording vaults. It's enough to bring back Lanza from the grave, swearing in High C (as Time Magazine once tut-tutted) at the injustice of it all.

Lanza, in fairness to BMG, was an inconsistent performer. In the earlier part of his brief career, he had a tendency to sing sharp, and at times his approach to various arias and songs lacked sensitivity. That's not to say he couldn't get it right. At his best he was extraordinary, combining one of the most powerful voices on record with just the right degree of melting mezza voce and a dazzling array of vocal colours. His sense of phrasing was, as Enrico Caruso Jr noted, "instinctively right", and his ability to get into the heart of a song was unquestionable. Even at his roughest, his singing was usually compelling, and one could never label any of his performances "boring".

The bad recordings generally fall into three periods of his life: the Coca-Cola Radio shows of 1951-52, the disastrous Lanza on Broadway album of 1956, and the illness-affected stereo remakes of his Christmas Carols and Student Prince albums, both recorded in 1959, the year of his death. The present CD includes material from the first two periods.

The "Coke" shows, as I've opined in a number of other reviews, produced some amazing performances of both arias and love songs. Unfortunately, however, lack of rehearsal time coupled with poor arrangements often led to the kind of wild, unrestrained singing that Lanza's detractors love to attack (while at the same time overlooking his great performances). On this CD, a number of Coke recordings were released for the first time: Danny Boy; My Wild Irish Rose; Neapolitan Love Song; and Torna a Surriento. The first two are lovely, notwithstanding a poor ending on Danny Boy and some uncertain moments in the tenor's lower register in this song. Victor Herbert's Neapolitan Song contains some piercingly sharp singing, a rough ending and some agreeable mezza voce. Torna a Surriento is too fast, too unpolished and not a patch on the piano accompaniment-only version that Lanza recorded three years later for the movie Serenade.

Among the other Coke selections is the sublime Memories, and the alternately touching and thrilling I'll Be Seeing You, with a B Flat climax that will knock your socks off. Wanting You is rough and exciting in equal measure - ditto the powerhouse Ah Sweet Mystery of Life with its ridiculously fast tempo.

Two songs from the ill-fated Lanza on Broadway album have been inexplicably included, though it must be said that at least these represent the better moments from this dreadful session. You'll Never Walk Alone contains more sharp singing, uneven rhythm and a certain bleariness, while the Borodin-adapted And This Is My Beloved is alternately belted and seductive. Incidentally, Lanza recorded a superior version of You'll Never Walk Alone for his Coke Shows; this is featured on the CD of the same name.

The real highlights for me are the immortal Serenade from The Student Prince; a thrilling Only a Rose (recorded three months after the Lanza on Broadway session and featuring a completely different voice); the aforementioned My Wild Irish Rose & I'll Be Seeing You and a mature rendition of Schubert's Ave Maria. Fans will also enjoy Arrivederci, Roma, and the ubiquitous Be My Love.

All in all an enjoyable hour, but if only more thought had been put into some of the selections...

The best tenor ever.......2001-03-01

Mario Lanza is indeed my favourite of all tenors either living or not. I must have almost everything he ever recorded. This album has a whopping 24 tracks including 5 previously unreleased recordings, which make this a must for any true fan of Lanza. This album has some of his most romantic songs, mostly from stage and film. You won't find any opera here, which is fine, there's plenty of his other albums that have that. These are songs that are guaranteed to stir your heart and soul while Mario's voice will melt them. This is a must-have and at this price there's no reason not to have it.

The greatest singer of all time!.......2000-06-29

This is one of the greatest compilations of Tenor Mario Lanza, The Voice of the Century, ever made. Mario Lanza had such a broad, well focused voice and he is represented to good measure here on songs like "Wanting You", "Neapolitan Love Song", and "Without a Song". On these selections one hears how the Lanza voice had a largeness, depth, and warmth from the bottom all the way to the very top. One will never hear songs like "O Danny Boy", "My Wild Irish Rose", "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Torna Surriento", "O Solo Mio", and "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" sung any better or with more feeling. My favorite on this CD, "And this is my Beloved" from Kismet displays the full Lanza Range. This, in my opinion, is one of the greatest single recordings ever made. Here Mario sings the most melting pianissimo and builds to an exciting, full bodied, heart stopping fortissimo High B flat. What passion! The particular recording of "Only a Rose" on this album has been regrettably absent from the catalogs for quite some time. It is a shame too, because Lanza makes this Vagabond King selection sound free and effortless like only Mario Lanza could. Lanza takes the listener through a guided tour, so speak, of truly the greatest singing the world has ever heard. After hearing the final selection, "You'll Never Walk Alone", there won't be a dry eye in the house. This, along with the "Don't Forget Me" Lanza CD, is one of the greatest single CD collections ever put together of Mario, or anyone else for that matter. Lanza was the greatest singer of all time and this is a must have album. The sooner you own this one, the better.

Average customer rating:

Nice Voice
a voice teacher and early music fan
Sumi Jo- coloratura supreme
Prayerful and beautiful
A spectalce of voice and vocalization

Sumi Jo - Prayers / James Conlon
Gioachino Rossini , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Richard Strauss , Giulio Caccini , Maurice Ravel , Gabriel Fauré , Anonymous , Franz Schubert , Charles Gounod , Gaetano Donizetti , Zbigniew Preisner , Leonard Bernstein , Johann Strauss II , Frederick Loewe , James Conlon , Sumi Jo , and Susan Graham
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Sumi Jo sings Mozart
Sumi Jo - La Promessa / Vincenzo Scalera
Sumi Jo - Virtuoso Arias ~ Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer
Sumi Jo - Only Love
Sumi Jo - Bel Canto / Arevalo · ECO · Carella

ASIN: B0000560N6
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Tracks:

Kaddisch
Laudate Dominum
Ave Maria
Amazing Grace
Breit' Uber Mein Haupt
L'assedio Di Corinto: L' Ora Fatal S'appressa... Guisto Ciel !
Pie Jesu
Der Vierjahrige Posten: Gott! hore Meine Stimme!
Sanctus
Maria Stuarda: Preghiera Di Maria
Lacrimosa
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: Take Care Of This House - Sumi Jo/Phil Chor Koln/Susan Graham
Nun's Chor/Casanova: Laura's Song
Gigi: Say A Prayer For me Tonight
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child

Amazon.com

This program seems designed primarily to display soprano Sumi Jo's fabulous singing and famous stylistic eclecticism. However, it also exhibits an admirable religious inclusiveness, encompassing expressions of faith from the Latin liturgy to Negro spirituals; there is even a Richard Strauss song that is essentially a paean to love. An incongruous note is struck by a nun's song from an operetta by Benatzky that is a corny Viennese waltz and by a soundtracklike arrangement of a 16th-century Ave Maria. Ranging from Mozart to Broadway, this musical mix is held together by Sumi Jo's ravishingly beautiful, pure, warm voice and the way she can color and inflect it, and by her mastery of every style (though not every language; her German in particular is unintelligible). Her intonation is impeccable, her breath control incredible. Jo's top notes soar triumphantly, and she can sustain them indefinitely, with enough power left to make a crescendo at the end. Highlights include Ravel's "Kaddisch," which sends shivers down the spine; arias from operas by Rossini and Donizetti; and arias from sacred works by Gounod and Fauré. Of two spirituals, the second one is simpler and more convincing. The accompanying forces are excellent; James Conlon doubles as pianist when not conducting. Susan Graham also makes an appearance in the moving invocation "Take Care of This House" from Bernstein's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Nice Voice.......2007-05-06

Sumi Jo has a beautiful voice but her renditions of Motherless Child and Amazing Grace were not impressive at all. The vibrato was too uncontrollable. The Ave Maria was so,so. I did not hear the richeness others have declared in their assesments. Don't get me wrong, the instrument is quite beautiful but only in some selected selections.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-17

"Music and poetry emerge from man's desire to give thanks, to praise and to pray to his gods. One of the magical powers of the human voice is that it can fly, on the wings of songs (a la Mendelssohn) to heaven and appear to be in direct communication with God." Therefore, it is no surprise that prayer is omnipresent throughout the history of music. Sumi Jo has chosen an excellent representation of songs including most styles and periods which include : Baroque (Caccini)-Classical (Mozart)-Contemporary (Preisner)-Romantic Opera (Rossini,Donizetti)-German 'Singspiel'(Schubert)-Lieder (Richard Strauss)-French church music (Gounod ,Faure)-traditional music (spiritual)-Jewish melodies (Ravel)-Viennese operetta (Johann Strauss) and the American musical (Bernstein).

Sumi Jo, born in Korea,is a much sought after coloratura soprano, having triumphed on stage, and in recitals all over the world. Not being fond of coloraturas, I make an exception for her voice, because of its depth along with the very high register. She shows a great deal of sensitivity to all of her varied selections on this disc, and each delivery is a 'gem' unto itself.

I must personally comment on those works that I particularly enjoy. Hearing her sing Mozart's 'Laudate Dominum' was a real treat; it doesn't matter how often one hears that lovely piece, just like all of his music, it 'wears' well. The 'Pie Jesu' was absolutely stunning as Sumi Jo sang it, and it is a pleasure for me to hear the selection from "GIGI" by Lerner & Loewe; not being a great broadway fan, I have always liked that specific musical. I think because it was well-done when I saw it years and years ago.

This disc is abolutely totally enjoyable. There is something for all musical tastes, and the conductor/pianist James Conlon does a great job pulling it together!!!!!

Sumi Jo- coloratura supreme.......2006-04-09

One word: Lacrimosa. It haunts you and will stay with you long after you hear it. I actually forced several if my coworkers to listen to it many of which are not opera fans and even they could not argue the beauty of it. One of my coworkers was actual on the verge of tears by the end of the song.

The rest of the album is enchanting as well as breath taking. I am a harsh critic when it comes to singers so I do not give those compliments very often, nor am I easily moved by singers but Sumi Jo has certainly done that with this album.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to hear her take of "Ave Maria" by Schubert which, while recorded many times over, would complimented her voice perfectly due to it's simplicity. "Sing low sweet chariot" would have been another great one to hear but as far as spirtuals are concerned I was very happy with her acepella version of "Amazing Grace." I was never a huge fan of "Amazing Grace" since it's been done a thousand times over but she brought such seetness and emotion to it. Of course I am kind of biased becuase I offically hate the "belting" version of this song and that's how it's usually done. It's nice to hear a simple, straight forward version.

My last comment is that it's nice to hear Sumi Jo sing less operatic pieces considering most opera singers are rarely bold enough to sing anything other than classical pieces, excluding Renee Fleming of recent.

Prayerful and beautiful.......2005-11-14

It is a refreshing change to have a collection of arias on a CD with a title that actually bears some relevance to the contents. This is indeed a prayerful collection. That means, of course, that you have to be in the appropriately contemplative mood in order to appreciate it.

Another nice change is that the orchestral accompaniment enhances the singing rather than just tagging along as an afterthought, which often seems to be the case. It is fitting that James Conlon gets equal billing here. This is splendid singing to splendid music.

Sumi Jo is comfortable in any language and in a broad range of styles. I was uncertain how she would tackle songs like Amazing Grace and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. I need not have worried. In the latter she reveals a soulfulness that fits the lyrics perfectly.

The only track not worthy of this collection is Bernstein's Take Care of This House. I suppose, as it is a prayer, it was an obvious song to include, and Jo sings it very well, but it is just a very poor song. That still leaves 14 excellent tracks that, if you are a lover of good singing, you will want in your collection.

A spectalce of voice and vocalization.......2004-12-29

I bought this used from an Amazon.com dealer and it came with a cutout on the left side of the CD box. Can this specacular CD possibly have gone out of print by Christmas 2004? If so we have lost one of the benchmark recordings of this splendid artist.

Never is there a weak moment in this incredibly beautiful collection of classical bleeding chunks and spirituals. I don't think you'll confuse Sumi for your favorite spiritual singer in "Amazing Grace" and "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child" but she is magnificent singing the complete and incomplete tunes elsewhere on the CD by famous classical composers including Mozart, Richard Strauss, Rossini, Schubert and Donizetti, to name some of them.

She is in wonderful voice and fresh-faced for the Loewe-Lerner "Say a prayer for me tonight" and does an equally nice job with Susan Graham accompanying Leonard Bernstein's "Take care of this house" from "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue". I'm not much for this kind of music -- I bought this exclusively for her rendition of Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" -- but it adds a dimension to the concert that brings it into the realm of popular Broadway tunes.

This is a wonderful concert of familiar and not so familiar songs from a singer whose voice is eloquent, beautiful and rich, with significant range and span from PPP to FFF. Sumi Jo controls her voice well throughout the concert, giving everyone something to think about regardelss of musical preference. This might have been improved if she'd included a Beatles tune -- maybe "Elenor Rigby" or "Yesterday" -- accompanied by the orchestra and James Conlon's direction. But it stands with any similar collection by any singer as it is.

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

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General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
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Reverie: Carol Rosenberger
Such Stuff As Dreams
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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!

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