Chopin: Piano Sonatas - No. 1 in C minor, Op. 4; Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor "Funeral March" Op. 35; Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 (recorded 1986)

On this CD:

1. Sonata for piano No. 1 in C minor, Op. 4, CT 201
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Vera Gornostayeva

2. Sonata for piano No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT 202
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Vera Gornostayeva

3. Sonata for piano No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT 203
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Vera Gornostayeva

Tracks:

Carnival Of The Animals - Bruno Canino
Vocalise, Op.34 No.14 - Lynn Harrell
Thais - Julian Lloyd Webber
Adagio - Janos Starker
Apres Un Reve - Bruno Canino
Adagio - Julian Lloyd Webber
Ave Maria - Julian Lloyd Webber
Adagio - Julian Lloyd Webber
Traumerei (Dreaming) - Bruno Canino
Notturno: Andante - Julian Lloyd Webber
Sicilienne - Bruno Canino
An Die Musik, D547 - Bruno Canino
Reverie - Julian Lloyd Webber
Prayer - Bruno Canino
Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Bruno Canino
Salut D'amour, Op.12 - Bruno Canino
Valse Sentimentale, Op.15 No.6 - Samuel Sanders
Kol Nidrei, Op.47 - Julian Lloyd Webber

Tracks:

Air (Air On A G String) - Julian Lloyd Webber
Clair De Lune - Julian Lloyd Webber
Elegie, Op.24 - Jullian Lloyd Webber
Andante - Heinrich Schiff
Romance In D Minor, Op.62 - Julian Lloyd Webber
Beau Soir - Bruno Canino
Sicilienne, Op.78 - Bruno Canino
Panis Angelicus - Julian Lloyd Webber
Nocturne In E Flat Major, Op.9 No.2 - Julian Lloyd Webber
Cantabile - Samuel Sanders
Liebesleid - Samuel Sanders
Adagio Ma Non Troppo - Janos Starker
Bereuse - Julian Lloyd Webber
Cantilena - Julian Lloyd Webber
Melodie, Op.20 No.1 - Julian Lloyd Webber

Customer Reviews:

really like it.......2007-03-05

This is the first classical cd I have ever bought. The two-disc album was a great price. I really love the performance of Lynn Harrell. I like the collection of Adagios because they are perfect to fall asleep to or study to.

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
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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.

Chopin: Piano Sonatas #2 & 3, Ballades, Op. 23,38,47 & 52, Scherzi Op. 20, 31, 39 & 54; Cecile Ousset

Average customer rating:

Sound fine on original

Chopin: Piano Sonatas #2 & 3, Ballades, Op. 23,38,47 & 52, Scherzi Op. 20, 31, 39 & 54; Cecile Ousset
Frederic Chopin , and Cecile Ousset
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Liszt: Piano Sonata; Paganini
Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording

ASIN: B0000CE7FO
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

I. Grave
II. Scherzo
III. Marche Funebre
IV. Presto
Presto Con Fuoco
Presto
Presto Con Fuoco
Presto

Tracks:

I. Allegro Maestoso
II. Scherzo
III. Largo
IV. Finale: Presto
No. 1 - Largo
No. 2 - Andantino
No. 3 - Allegretto
No. 4 - Andante Con Moto

Amazon.com

This 2-CD set presents some of Chopin's most beloved masterpieces--the two great Sonatas and the complete Scherzi and Ballades--in splendid performances. Perhaps the most immediately striking characteristic of Cécile Ousset's playing, apart from her consummate mastery of the instrument, is its extraordinary clarity and transparency, no matter how full the texture. She must use the pedal very sparingly. Her passage-work is brilliant, her runs are like chains of flawless pearls, no matter how fast the tempo. Even the Presto Finales of the two sonatas are crystal clear. Every line stands out, and the balance between her hands is perfect. Musically, her most immediately striking characteristic is her uninhibited, surging romanticism. She has the courage to follow the dictates of her heart, pushing forward and pulling back with the ebb and flow of the music; she also freely changes the tempo along with its changing moods, but her transitions are always poised and controlled, and there is plenty of time to enjoy and caress melodic and harmonic details. Above all, she brings out all of Chopin's mercurial emotions, from inward reverie and melancholy, mysteriousness, elfin delicacy, majestic grandeur and solemnity, poetry, ardor, humor, to soaring ecstasy and serene resignation. Unfortunately, she is badly served by the recorded sound, which is harsh, clangorous and tinny; though she obviously commands a large range of colors and nuances, they must be surmised rather than being actually heard. The recordings were originally made in 1987 and 1988, this compilation dates from 2003; surely the beauty of the music and the high quality of the playing deserve better technological results. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Sound fine on original .......2006-06-28

I have the original CD of the 3rd Sonata and the Ballades. The sound is great on that CD and like Edith Eisler said, the performances are superb. At the super low price, this double CD is an absolute bargain.

Average customer rating:

Chopin: Sonatas & Variations

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Chopin: Preludes; Scherzos; Impromptus; Rondos
Chopin, Vol. 8: Waltzes; Chamber Music
Chopin: Polonaise brilliante; Cello Sonata; Piano Trio

ASIN: B00002DEHC
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4 (KK 928 -931): Allegro Maestoso
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4 (KK 928 -931): Menuetto. Allegretto
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4 (KK 928 -931): Larghetto
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4 (KK 928 -931): Finale. Presto
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35 (KK 570 - 580): Grave - Doppio Movimento
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35 (KK 570 - 580): Scherzo
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35 (KK 570 - 580): Marche funebre. Lento - Attacca
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35 (KK 570 - 580): Finale. Presto
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58 (KK 783 -790): Allegro Maestoso
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58 (KK 783 -790): Scherzo. Molto Vivace
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58 (KK 783 -790): Largo
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58 (KK 783 -790): Finale. Presto, Ma Non Tanto

Tracks:

Introduction And Variations On A German National Air ('Der Schweizerbub') In E Major, Op. Posth. (KK 925- 927)
'Souvenir de Paganini' Variations In A Major, Op. Posth. (KK 1203)
Variations Brillantes On 'Je Vends Des Scapularies' From The Opera 'Ludovic' By F. Herold And F. Halevy In B Flat Major, Op. 12 (KK 178 -180)
Introduction, Theme And Variations On A Theme Of Moore For Piano, Four Hands In D Major, Op. Posth. (KK 1190 - 1192)
Variations No. 6 From The Cycle 'Hexameron' On A Theme From The Opera 'I Puritani' By V. Bellini In E Major (KK 903 - 904): Largo
Allegro De Concert In A Major, Op. 46 (KK 673 - 678)
Bolero In C Major, O. 19 (KK 246 - 249): Introduzione. Allegro molto - Allegro vivace
Tarantella In A Flat Major, Op. 43 (KK 654 - 662): Presto

Average customer rating:

Masters of the Bow: Cello

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Masters of the Bow
Masters of the Keyboard
Masters of the Guitar
Masters of the Voice: Tenor
Masters of the Trumpet

ASIN: B000095J86
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

The Swan - Maurice Gendron
Sarabande - Janos Starker
Pezzo - Maurice Gendron
Vocalise - Nina Kotova
Gigue - Pierre Fournier
Allegro Con Brio - Pablo Casals
III. Rondo (Allegro) - Christine Walevska
III. Largo - Ton Koopman
Intermezzo - Bruno Canino
Silent Woods - Mischa Maisky
Introduction & Polonaise Brillante For Cello And Piano In C Major, Op. 3 - Maurice Gendron
The Flight Of Bumble Bee - Julian Lloyd Webber
II. Andante - Scherzo - Lynn Harrell

Tracks:

Ave Maria - Mischa Maisky
Langsam, Mit Innigem Ausdruck - Gerhard Oppitz
Rasch Und Feurig - Heinrich Schiff
Nocturne - Julian Lloyd Webber
Allegretto - Mstislav Rostropovich
Kol Nidrei - Lynn Harrell
Scherzo Tarantelle - Heinrich Schiff
Abendlied - Tibor De Machula
Guitarre - Maurice Gendron
Elegie - Lynn Harrell
Irish Tune - Julian Lloyd Webber
Ritual Fire Dance - Nina Kotova
Elite Syncopations - Heinrich Schiff
Apres Un Reve No. 1 Op. 7 - Lynn Harrell
Eulogy To The Eternity Of Jesus - Maurice Gendron

Chopin: The Piano Sonatas, 5 Etudes, 4 Mazurkas

Average customer rating:

Wonderful, straightforward performances
Beautiful work
"perfect" form but no soul
Wonderful and spacious playing
Splendid Interpretation of Chopin by a Gifted Young Pianist

Chopin: The Piano Sonatas, 5 Etudes, 4 Mazurkas

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 1 · Three Intermezzi / Andsnes · Birmingham SO · Rattle
Schumann : Piano Sonata No. 1-Fantasy Andsnes
Leif Ove Andsnes - Liszt Piano Recital
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3; 5 Études-tableaux
Leif Ove Andsnes ~ Haydn - Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B000026CIG
Release Date: 2000-02-01

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4: I. Allegro maestoso
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4: II. Minuetto & Trio: Allegretto
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4: III. Larghetto
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4: IV. Finale: Presto
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: I. Allegro maestoso
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: II. Scherzo: Molto vivace
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: III. Largo
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: IV. Finale: Presto non tanto

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35: I. Grave - Doppio movimento
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35: II. Scherzo
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35: III. Marche funebre: Lento
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35: IV. Finale: Presto
4 MAZURKAS, OP. 17: No. 1 In B Flat Major
4 MAZURKAS, OP. 17: No. 2 In E Minor
4 MAZURKAS, OP. 17: No. 3 In A Flat Major
4 MAZURKAS, OP. 17: No. 4 In A Minor
5 Etude: Op. 25 No. 3 In F Major
5 Etude: Op. 25 No. 4 In A Minor
5 Etude: Op. 10 No. 6 In E Flat Minor
5 Etude: Op. 25 No. 10 In B Minor, Op. 25
5 Etude: Op. 25 No. 11 In A Minor

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful, straightforward performances.......2006-08-15

This was the first Andsnes recording I purchased. I was in Norway when I saw part of a documentary/news program on this young Norwegian pianist. He performed one of the Chopin etudes from this recording and I was seriously impressed with his flawless technique, seamless phrasing, rich tone, and straightforward interpretation. I bought this CD shortly after I saw the television program, and 14 years later I still refer back to his performances of the Chopin sonatas, which are filled with excitement, intensity, and expression. This is a great set to own. I love letting my piano students listen to it because the playing isn't overly sentimental, or filled with strange rubato like many other Chopin recordings. A really fine recording. Highly recommended.

Beautiful work.......2005-05-07

For those of us who aren't avid classical music listeners, this CD is exceptionally enjoyable. Purchased for "background" music, I was really surprised when I found myself stopping to sit down and listen to the cd, eyes closed and absorbing the energy! The album is surprisingly rich and full even though it is a solo performance. I would recommend it to anyone who likes classical piano. I purchased the cd because I've enjoyed playing Chopin's pieces as a novice pianist. Leif Ove Andsnes does the music justice. Enjoy!

"perfect" form but no soul.......2005-02-26

Andsnes is indeed a boring pianist. He has this cold, polished and impersonal style completely empty of soul and originality. His playing is totally predictable and when a phrase is repeated it sounds just the same. It seems like he doesn't care what or how he is playing. The only thing that counts is to show off this utterly "perfect" form - this musical emperor's new clothes. His nice and streamlined playing has really nothing to do with great performance. I would prefer listening to f. eks. Vladimir Horowitz, Grigory Sokolov or Martha Argerich.

Wonderful and spacious playing.......2003-01-30

The first part of this recording (and the first playing I had heard Andsnes do) that I heard was the third sonata, a piece that has had a lot of recordings by the great pianists through the years. What struck me were two things: a sense of spaciousness, letting the music and the phrases "breathe", and, along with that, a sense of proportion. Andsnes, here and in other recordings I have heard of his, has the guts to _not_ show off, (although, clearly, he has the fingers to do so) but, more than any other Chopin pianist I have ever heard (with the exception of Moravec), somehow illuminates Chopin's phrasing in the most natural way. Highly recommended, along with other Andsnes recordings, particularly his Schumann - I would love to hear him record the complete works of Schumann, because it could well be a definitive set.

Splendid Interpretation of Chopin by a Gifted Young Pianist.......2001-08-29

This wonderful two CD set was my initial introduction to Leif Ove Andsnes' playing. It is a splendid surprise, indeed. He shows much empathy for Chopin's music, playing with ample warmth, brilliance and formidable technique. Indeed, his playing is more polished than that of Argerich's in the Chopin piano sonatas. Andesnes must be regarded as one of our foremost interpreters of Chopin. I eagerly await any future recordings by him of Chopin's other works for the piano, especially the concerti. Needless to say, the sound quality is first rate. Without question, this two CD set is one worth owning at its bargain price.

Schumann: The Complete Piano Works (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Good for the rare pieces.....but...
Mystery Solved
Mystery meat

Schumann: The Complete Piano Works (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Nuova Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Canons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000058THK
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Customer Reviews:

Good for the rare pieces.....but..........2006-11-08

Overall, you will be hard up to find a more thoroughly complete two hand piano survey of Schumann's piano opus. However, for the more "popular" pieces such as the op 17, or the kinderszenen, these are decent to mediocre versions are best. They arent bad, Jorg Demus is a skilled pianist, though has always in my view been more successful in a supporting role, as evidenced by his masterful accompaniment in Dichterliebe and assorted Schubert lieder. If you are familiar with Richter's masterful Schumann interpretations-or Horowitz for many of the works, or Lupu, Argerich, these pale in comparison. If you are out for quantity-I would recommend the Ashkenazy set-though it is incomplete. Again, many of the works by schumann that you can only find here will only be of interest to the absolute Schumannaholic, which I am, but it is kind of a two way street because if you are a schumann madman, then you will know how third tier these performances truly are.

Mystery Solved.......2006-10-07

First off, thanks to WTA for his extremely thoughtful and comprehensive review, which helped me decide to purchase this Nuova Era set (his reasoning about the unlikelihood that Demus would record this huge corpus again was especially insightful).

I own the original 20-LP/6-volume Musical Heritage Society set issued between 1971 and 1973. Having seen the CD set in a store last year, I was puzzled about whether it was a transfer of these invaluable discs, which contain vast tracts of Schumann that you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere (included, for instance, are several posthumously issued works and even a few pieces played from unpublished manuscripts). WTA's review gave me enough clues to suspect that these discs were exactly what I'd been waiting for.

Having just received them, I'm happy to confirm that they are indeed the MHS performances (minus most of the four-hand works, however; see below). I instantly recognized the character of the piano sound and the recording acoustic (both much improved on CD), and a quick check of rhetorical gestures in a sonata movement that I especially value in Demus's hands showed the CD and LP versions to be identical. MHS did not always provide track timings for individual sections of the big piano suites. But where such detail exists, respective CD and LP timings are consistently mere seconds apart -- easily the result of different engineering choices for silent lead-ins and lead-outs to each track.

A further clue comes from a small note on the jewel-box tray inserts, indicating a 1989 digital remastering. I can think of no fully digital (DDD) recording that would be getting remastered so early in CD history. Anything from the '80s would almost certainly be making its first appearance in the new storage medium. Moreover, the sound has none of the hallmarks of DDD recordings (as WTA notes, for instance, Demus's recordings have detectable [but nonintrusive] background hiss).

So for all these reasons, I feel confident in declaring that this set is basically the old MHS offering. There are two sad omissions, however:

(1) The CD set includes all the solo pieces in the LP set, as well as a short, posthumously published F-minor Scherzo on CD 12 that MHS seems to have left out. Nuova Era, alas, omits the vast majority of the often-delightful four-hand works, for which Norman Shetler joined Demus (most of these items appeared in MHS's five-disc finale). The Sketches for Pedal Piano, Opp. 56 & 58, are here (perhaps because they were originally conceived for a now-forgotten solo instrument that had a pedalboard [Alkan was said to have been its greatest master]; on a modern instrument, Schumann's pedal-piano music thus takes two pianists), but -- shame on Nuova Era! -- Shetler gets no credit as the second pianist. If you'd like a fine but inexpensive tour of the four-hand output, try the three-disc VoxBox ("Schumann Complete Works For Piano 4-Hands") featuring Peter Frankl, Andras Schiff, et al.

(2) The CD set lacks the superb MHS album notes by Douglas Townsend. Also missing is Demus's own illuminating statement about recording these works across a span of about three years. These are thoroughly digested interpretations: Demus not only memorized every note but also played every last work in concert. Complete recordings like this one are not necessarily commercial gimmicks, as some so carelessly assert. A serious and sensitive musician who takes on such a task will uncover secrets and interconnections that only exposure to a composer's full output in a given area can progressively disclose. As Demus explains (in Herman Adler's translation from the German), "Only by knowing Schumann's creative output in its totality has it been possible to uncover fresh facets in overfamiliar standard works. [. . .] In the music of no other composer do we find as many cross-relations and associations throughout his work. Schumann likes to quote himself as well as other composers, as did, later, his French brother-in-spirit, Claude Debussy. [. . .] Only knowledge of this entire universe will result in something I would call *Stilsicherheit* (stylistic assurance)."

But let's not dwell on what's *not* here. As WTA observes, this is a deeply rewarding collection that every serious Schumann-lover will want to explore. Are these performances the last word on Schumann's poetic realm? Of course not: no such "last word" exists. The essential thing is that throughout this enormous journey, Demus never falsifies the music, and he plays with an honesty that can be far more illuminating than flashier approaches.

So, Schumann-lovers, get this set as cheaply as you can -- but one way or another, get it while you can!

Mystery meat.......2006-04-10

I don't think I've ever before experienced such frustration in trying to assess a product. Here a well-regarded and fairly well-known pianist sits down and records all (even that's up for grabs) the piano music of a pretty well-known and well-regarded composer and barely a peep out there in Internet land.

What I did encounter after a lot of searching, and according to different reviewers who deigned to barely mention this bulky and hard-to-ignore boxed set, was this dopey basketful of professional opinions:

1) The recording quality was poor according to one guy
2) The piano was out of tune according to some editor who happened to also be a piano tuner
3) The music was criminally recorded using a piano with beat hammers and strings
4) Demus may or may not have recorded the set with a period instrument that also may have had beat hammers and strings
5) Nobody should record Schumann on a period instrument according to another expert (without really letting us know if this was the case here)
6) The interpretations were wooden
7) The interpretations were fabulous despite the crappy sound and beat up old out-of-tune piano
8) Nobody was sure if this was his complete Schumann recorded in the 1970s and released on Musical Heritage or these were new DDD recordings as listed

OK--as the notes with this set absolutely stink and no one out in Internet land seems to have any consistent and coherent thing to say about it, this then is my judgement, based on careful listening and a few intelligent guesses.

1) The interpretations are great, wonderful, really enjoyable, idiomatic--some might consider them slightly wooden because there's next-to-no pedal which leads me to believe it is a period instrument he's recorded on. This isn't Argerich slamming away at these so don't expect that. Yamaha fans will be disappointed. Demus clearly knows his Schumann and plays crisply and accurately.
2) The sound quality, while hardly SACD, is just fine and, again if this is a period instrument and I sure tend to think so, what I'm hearing would be about right. I rather like the engineering as the result is intimate and warm
3) Honestly, did Demus record all these in the 1970s without them getting any attention and then do it all over again in the 1980s just to get ignored again? I hear distinct tape hiss if I listen closely, this doesn't sound like a 1989 DDD recording (which the box claims it to be) which is probably why the recording has some warmth and (audible tape hiss)
4) Who am I to argue with an editor/piano tuner but if this piano is out of tune I'm not noticing it one zot. Also, didn't they tune pianos a little differently way back in 1850 or so?

SO--I'll guess this is the complete piano music of Robert Schumann (perhaps minus one small piece according to yet another miffed commentator, although he keeps talking about a 12 CD set and this has 13 discs!)recorded in the 1970s with Jorg Demus playing a piano built around 1850 or so with everything that implies. I'll also guess that a lot of reviewers out there, left to fend for themselves without some promotional sheet from the label, maybe without even free promo copies, were really reaching a bit. Even if I'm wrong I seem to be doing better than the second-guessing I found elsewhere and anyway the result is really enjoyable. I simply like this set a lot even if someday I may discover it is, in fact, Ernest Borgnine playing a badly tuned pool hall upright in 1953. Less than no stars to Nuovo Era for never seeming to get the presentation of this delightful set right--license it to Brilliant and they'll do it up properly for Pete's sake and maybe you'll actually sell a few. They might even be able to kick down that DDD tape hiss a bit. It's also too danged expensive given even the putative late recording date--it shouldn't be more than $120 under any circumstances. I got mine for less than $40 at a classical cut-outs and deletions place.

Conclusion: This whole situation is sad. Jorg Demus is a great pianist and he obviously loves Schumann. Schumann's piano music is worth the effort. This should be a well-known and highly-regarded set and I'm happier with this than with any other big box of piano I may own, short of a Brahms set.

Average customer rating:

Very Good
Splendid double!
A collection of performances revealing unequalled beauty...

Chopin: Piano Sonatas; Etudes

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000040OX7
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Tracks:

Sonata No. 1In C minor: Allegro maestoso
Sonata No. 1In C minor: Minuetto: Allegro - Trio
Sonata No. 1In C minor: Larghetto
Sonata No. 1In C minor: FinalePresto
Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor,op.35 'Funeral March': Grave -- Doppio movimento
Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor,op.35 'Funeral March': Scherzo
Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor,op.35 'Funeral March': Marche fun bre
Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor,op.35 'Funeral March': Finale: Presto
Sonata No. 3 in B Flat Minor,op.58: Sonata No. 3: Allegro maestoso
Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor,op.35: Scherzo: Molto vivace
Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor,op.35: Largo
Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor,op.35: Presto ma non tanto

Tracks:

Etude, Op. 10: C Major - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Etude, Op. 10: A Minor
Etude, Op. 10: E Major
Etude, Op. 10: C Sharp Minor
Etude, Op. 10: G Flat Major
Etude, Op. 10: E Flat Minor
Etude, Op. 10: C Major
Etude, Op. 10: F Major
Etude, Op. 10: F Minor
Etude, Op. 10: A Flat Major
Etude, Op. 10: E Flat Major
Etude, Op. 10: C Minor
Etude, Op. 10: A Flat Major
Etude, Op. 10: F Minor
Etude, Op. 10: F Major
Etude, Op. 10: A Minor
Etude, Op. 10: E Minor
Etude, Op. 10: G Sharp Minor
Etude, Op. 10: C Sharp Minor
Etude, Op. 10: D Flat Major
Etude, Op. 10: G Flat Major
Etude, Op. 10: B Minor
Etude, Op. 10: A Minor
Etude, Op. 10: C Minor
Fantasie in F minor,op.49

Customer Reviews:

Very Good .......2004-07-18

These recordings are the best recordings to get if you are looking for two things in the etudes. those two things are interpritation and finesse. He interprits all of the etudes withought thinking of what chopin has written and even though these all make sence and are beautiful, all in there own way. His technique is flawless and everything is perfect in the music. This is just my thoughts about these and I'm sure that some of you, or all of you will dissagree, but this is my thoughts about these etudes.

The sonatas are the best recording you can get with all three there but that said, their not all interesting... In my oppinion they are flawless, but not musical, they're bland and they have lost my intrest when he plays them here. Some moments are absoultely gorgeous, but in the end he dosn't really piece together his ideas in a logical and drawing way... I wish that I could give you the name of someone who has done dinomite recordings of all of these but I don't know who you should go to for better. these are just my thoughts...

Splendid double!.......2004-02-26

Vladimir Ashkenazy has impressed me a lot with these recordings along with Scriabin's Sonatas. I think the highlights on this Chopin's collection are Sonatas 1,2,3 and the Fantasie in F minor more than 24 Etudes which are played greatly especially the Revolutionary (possibly one of the best i've ever listened to) though there are other pianist more impressive than Ashkenazy such as Boris Berezovsky, Juana Zayas, Nikolai Lugansky, Andrei Gavrilov and the young Jean Frederic Neuburger just to name a few. But the 3 Sonatas and the Fantasie are performend marvellously. Also the quality of the sound recording is really high. This is a splendid double!

A collection of performances revealing unequalled beauty..........2000-04-18

Although Ashkenazy has been criticised because of the lack of brilliance in some of his more recent recordings - the Grammy-winning Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues being an exception - these excerpts from the Complete Chopin Edition he recorded for Decca prove otherwise. The three sonatas - some of the best-known pieces by Chopin - are played with the relaxed and intelligent poise that is so often encountered when listening to this wonderfully-talented Russian pianist, the Second Sonata - with its infamous Funeral March - being simply divine. However, the real meat of the CD comes from the two sets of Etudes - these pieces are often played in performance, but very rarely do you hear all of them: on this CD the many different types of technical and musical challenges facing the pianist are played as if they were for children. The musical tempi are all profoundly and musically correct, and the attention to bringing out the harmonic and tonal qualities of the more technically simpler pieces is very evident. Pay especial attention to Op.10 No.4,7,9 and 12; Op.12 No.4,7,9,11 and 12. The Fantaisie, which ends the CD set, is played to near-perfection and it is a fantastic ending to a brilliant Double Decca CD - a real bargain, considering the absolute mastery of the playing and interpretation.

Average customer rating:

Remarkable

Chopin: 3 Piano Sonatas

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000029Q2
Release Date: 1996-04-02

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4: I. Allegro maestoso
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4: II. Menuetto. Allegretto
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4: III. Larghetto. Con molto espressione
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 4: IV. Finale. Presto (con fuoco)
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35: I. Grave
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35: II. Scherzo
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35: III. Marche funebre
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35: IV. Presto
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: I. Allegro maestoso
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: II. Scherzo. Molto vivace
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: III. Largo
Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: IV. Finale. Presto non tanto

Customer Reviews:

Remarkable.......2004-08-13

This album is remarkable not so much for its excellent renderings of Chopin's second "Funeral March" and third Sonatas rather for its judicious and careful delivery of Chopin's least successful, least popular large work--the First Piano Sonata, op. 4.

Much has been written about how the Chopin's op. 4 C-minor sonata is compositionally awkward, how its piano writing leaves much to be desired, and pales in quality compared to Chopin's other large scale works. Under Mr. Rose's hands, one hears what Chopin meant to say as a teenage composer.

In the first movement of the first sonata, we hear a distinctly Chopinesque style emerge--almost a complete foreshadow of the great nocturnes and polonaises to come. While parts of the first movement seem to wander in a desert, Chopin does find his way back onto the road he's trying to follow.

The second movement, the menuetto, gives us Chopin's take on the classical waltz. Here we hear Franz Schubert's direct influence on Chopin's compositional style. Mr. Rose's astute interpretation and ability to see beyond the notes brings this out.

Mr. Rose masterfully plays the larghetto movement and brings the piece to life as best anyone can. His serene touch and calm hand brings a sense of quietness and gentility to a movement written in 5/4! Rhythmically, this movement would sound very awkward if played by a lesser artist.

And thus we end with the Finale! In composing this movement, Chopin borrowed much from Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy's final movement. Of the entire sonata, the technical demands are harshest in this movement. Yet Mr. Rose glides through them as if he is playing a masterpiece written conveniently for the hand! Mr. Rose's delivery of Sonata No. 1 in C minor, op.4 deserves nothing less than 5 stars!

The remaining warhorses, the second and third sonatas, are excellent. In case you don't take well to the first sonata (and it does take some repeat and patient listening sessions to get accustomed to it), the consolation prize are the wonderful performances of the last two sonatas.

Chopin: Piano Works [Etudes - Impromptus - Sonatas - Concertos - Mazurkas - Polonaise - Berceuse]

Average customer rating:

It's Analog, But He's Digitally Right On
More outstanding Chopin from an unjustly neglected pianist
this is the chopin to buy.
BRILLIANT!!!
Vasary's Chopin Etudes - Finally on CD.

Chopin: Piano Works [Etudes - Impromptus - Sonatas - Concertos - Mazurkas - Polonaise - Berceuse]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0009F2EN2
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Tracks:

No.1 In C Major: Allegro
No.2 In A Minor: Allegro
No.3 In E Major: Lento Ma Non Troppo
No.4 In C Shapr Minor: Presto
No.5 In G Flat Major: Vivace
No.6 In E Flat Minor: Andante
No.7 In C Major: Vivace
No.8 In F Major: Allegro
No.9 In F Minor: Allegro, Molto Agitato
No.10 In A Flat Major: Vivace Assai
No.11 In E Flat Major: Allegretto
No.12 In C Minor: Allegro Con Fuoco
No.1 In A Flat Major: Allegro Sostenuto
No.2 In F Minor: Presto
No.3 In F Major: Allegro
No.4 In A Minor: Agitato
No.5 In E Minor: Vivace
No.6 In G Sharp Minor: Allegro
No.7 In C Sharp Minor: Lento
No.8 In D Flat Major: Vivace
No.9 In G Flat Major: Allegro Assai
No.10 In B Minor: Allegro Con Fuoco
No.11 In A Minor: Lento-Allegro Con Brio
No.12 In C Minor: Molto Allegro, Con Fuoco
Allegro Assai Quasi Presto
Andantino
Tempo Giusto
Allegro Agitato

Tracks:

I. Grave-Doppio Movimento
II. Scherzo
III. Marche Funebre
IV. Presto
I. Allegro Maestoso
II. Scherzo. Molto Vivace
III. Largo
IV. Finale. Presto Non Tanto
Allegro Non Troppo
Allegretto
Lento
Vivace
Introduction And Variations On A German National Air ('Der Schweizerbub') In E Major, Op.Posth.
Poco Mosso
Andante
Maestoso

Tracks:

I. Allegro Maestoso
II. Romance. Larghetto
III. Rondo. Vivace
I. Maestoso
II. Larghetto
III. Allegro Vivace

Customer Reviews:

It's Analog, But He's Digitally Right On.......2007-03-11

I first listened to Tamás Vásáry rendition of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor in the late 1960s when I was 15 or 16 years old, studying piano and very much interested in "big time" younger pianists. The concerto came to me as a gift from Dad on a DG vinyl pressing of decent quietness and dynamic range, and it quickly became my favorite classical record. Vásáry appeared to be 30 years old or so back then--a bit of an Eastern European analog of our own Van Cliburn, though with a style I preferred to the young Texan's, especially in the Chopin.

Now that you know the nostalgic side of this, I can say that this set of CDs comes through very, very well audially (considering that the original recordings were made in the 1960s). It appears that DG may have recorded the concertos at 30 inches per second on reel-to-reel tape, hence there are no instances of tape oversaturation and distortion, and the background hiss while present, does not directly compete with even the quieter passages. DG clearly devoted its then-best technical efforts to this then-young artist. And with reason.

Vásáry has a reputation as a phenomenal technical and interpretative virtuoso, and this comes through in the recordings. His young fingers are forever fluid but precise, and for sheer joyful tunefulness, Vásáry's interpretations fit Chopin's spirit wonderfully well. Younger ears than mine may fault the late-1960s' audio quality, but the sheer musicality and precision of playing places these recordings near the top of the heap. The fact that the set is attractively priced helps make this set a great gift for a lover of music trying to build a basic classical library. This is Chopin wonderfully played.

More outstanding Chopin from an unjustly neglected pianist.......2006-12-16

As with his recordings of the Scherzi and ballades, Vasary proves himself one of a handful of really great Chopin interpreters. I found his Etudes far more 'poetic' (yes, these etudes are no mere studies in barn-storming virtuosity) than Perahia's, his sonatas as involving as Ashkenazy's and nearly all the other pieces on par with the best. Maybe most remarkable are the two concertos that I hadn't heard since their days as LPs in the 1960s. They sound every bit as good now, and, for my money, they would be the versions to choose among all others. I hear Vasary several times over the years in concert hall, but unfortunately he never really repeated those pianistic marvels of his youth. To be treasured.

this is the chopin to buy........2006-10-21

when i put cd 1 in my audio and played track one, i was taken by surprise. i've been weaned on pollini's etudes, and thought them definitive. but etude no. 1 from the op. 10 sets is completely different form pollini's. simply put, there's no pollini pounding in vasary.
vasary's playing may strike you as fragile. there certainly is an amorphous sound to it, compared with the straight-out expression of confidence in pollini and the almost burdensom romanticism in kissin. vasary's chopin does not wear it's heart out on the sleeve, if you catch what i'm trying to say. no where else would you find such dignity, such poignant playing.
rubinstein perhaps represents a suitable alternative precisely because he presents different perspectives of chopin. rubinstein's chopin is inspired and masculine. vasary's chopin is full of feminine dreaming.
you'll get hooked once you check these out. horowitz and kissin don't stand a chance against vasary. rubinstein, pollini, and argerich (with her unorthodox, fiery expressions) are good supplements.

BRILLIANT!!!.......2006-01-17

I am surprised to find that my experience is very similiar to the other reviewer of these works!Listening in my car to a Deutsche Grammophone cassette,a compilation of CHOPIN piano pieces by several Artists,I was completely taken by surprise to listen to 2 of Chopin's Nocturnes and one of His ETUDES-WINTER WIND being played Like no other Performer that I have heard(I have listened to Ivan Moravec's Nocturnes and Juana Zayas's Etudes as well as Murray Perahia.The Playing by this unknown Artist was much more flowing and natural,spontaneous.The Etude was a Tour De Force,with Stunning Vitality.I was eager to get back Home just to find out who this Supreme Artist was!I peered through the inlay of the cassette through my reading Glasses.I found the name TAMAS VASARY against those Pieces!
I am glad that the complete set of Etudes and Nocturnes by this Supreme Artist is Available now on CDs.I need to ask my friends in the USA to get it for me!

Vasary's Chopin Etudes - Finally on CD........2005-09-05

Back in 1981, I stumbled upon an unlabeled cassette recording of the Chopin op. 10 Etudes. Greatly impressed, I spent the next eighteen years searching and listening to dozens of recordings of the Etudes in an effort to identify the pianist and recording. Meanwhile, I was finding no match for the sheer musicality of what I was hearing on the cassette. At last I discovered that the mystery pianist was Tamas Vasary, in a recording he made in the 1960's and available once again as part of this freshly-released, 3-CD box set. Here one will find technique and pianism aplenty as Vasary demonstrates his mastery of the assorted technical problems found in the Etudes. But unlike many pianists, some of whom see the mastery of these problems (or, in some cases, the avoidance of them) as the end or goal in playing the Studies, Vasary keenly perceives, and never loses sight of, the truth, beauty and poetry behind this music, and compromises nothing in his pursuit. In the playing of that counterpoint passage in op. 10 #4, for example, one will not hear the pedal being used as a crutch, or whitewash, as it often is in this instance. Rather, one will hear, with perfect clarity combined with a wonderful, round tone, music of a composer who was, after all, a great fan and disciple of that master contrapuntist, J.S. Bach. A first regard for musicianship and, above all, a love for the music itself, clearly is in evidence in Vasary's recording. Get it - even though you already have a recording of the Etudes.

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