Classics Collection: George Frideric Handel

On this CD:

1. Music for the Royal Fireworks, for orchestra, HWV 351
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Milan Chamber Orchestra

2. Water Music Suite, No.1 for orchestra in F major, HWV 348
Composed by George Frideric Handel

Conducted by Georg Fischer

3. Water Music Suite, No.2 for orchestra in D major, HWV 349
Composed by George Frideric Handel

Conducted by Georg Fischer

4. Water Music Suite, No.3 for orchestra in G major, HWV 350
Composed by George Frideric Handel

Conducted by Georg Fischer

Tracks:

Nocturne In C-Sharp Minor - Mikhail Pletnev
La Campanella - Andre Watts
I. Adagio Sostenuto - Mikhail Pletnev
Etude Op.10 No.3: Lento Ma Non Troppo - Stanislav Bunin
III. Rondo Alla Turca: Allegro - Moura Lympany
La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin - Moura Lympany
Moment Musical D780 No.3: Allegro Moderato - Stephen Kovacevich
Waltz In D-Flat Op.64 No.1 - John Ogdon
The Heart Asks Pleasure First - Michael Nyman
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring From Cantata BWV 147 - Alexis Weissenberg
Polonaise In A-Flat Op.53 Heroique - Martha Argerich
Fur Elise - Jean-Bernard Pommier
Fruhlingslied Op.62 No.6 - Jean-Bernard Pommier
Fantaisie-Impromptu In C-Sharp Minor Op.66 - Stanislav Bunin
Rondo In D K485 - Stanislav Bunin
Arabesque No.1 - Aldo Ciccolini
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte - Cecile Ousset

Tracks:

I. Allegro - Christian Zacharias
Grande Valse Brillante In E-Flat Op.18 - Alexis Weissenberg
Rhapsody In Blue - Wayne Marshall
I. Grande Ritournelle - Aldo Ciccolini
Etude Op.10 No.5 In G-Flat - Stanislav Bunin
Aufschwung - Martha Argerich
Rondo Capriccioso In E Op.14 - Helmut Roloff
I. Allegro - John Ogdon
Les Jeux D'eau A La Villa D'Este - Andre Watts
I. Ondine - Martha Argerich
Impromptu No.2 In F Minor Op.31 - Cecile Ousset
Le Piccadilly - Aldo Ciccolini
Invitation To The Dance D-Flat Op.65 - Thierry De Brunhoff
I. Allegro - Christian Zacharias
III. Allegro Ma Non Tanto - Alexis Weissenberg
I Got Rhythm - Variations For Piano And Orchestra - Wayne Marshall

Tracks:

Gymnopedie No.1 - Aldo Ciccolini
Gnossienne No.1 - Aldo Ciccolini
Reverie - Aldo Ciccolini
Un Sospiro - Andre Watts
II. Andante - Stephen Hough
II. Adagio Cantabile - Stephen Kovacevich
Tango Op.165 No.2 - Moura Lympany
Consolation No.3 In D-Flat - Tzimon Barto
Song Without Words No.1 In E Op.19b No.1 - Daniel Adni
Prelude In A Op.28 No.7 - John Ogdon
Aria - Maria Tipo
Vogel Als Prophet - Moura Lympany
II. Pagodes - Cecile Ousset
Nocturne In D-Flat Op.9 No.2 - Alexis Weissenberg
Nocturne In D-Flat Op.27 No.2 - Aldo Ciccolini
II. Adagio - Dmitri Alexeev
Berceuse In D-Flat Op.57 - Peter Donohoe

Tracks:

Etude Op.10 No.12 In C Minor Revolutionary - Stanislav Bunin
III. Rondo: Allegro - Emil Gilels
I. Allegro Molto Moderato - Sviatoslav Richter
Polonaise No.3 In A Op.40 No.1 Military - John Ogdon
III. Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Presto - Moura Lympany
Slavonic Dance In E Minor Op.46 No.2: Allegro Scherzando - Michel Beroff
Etude Op.8 No.12 - Stephen Kovacevich
Prelude In C - Edwin Fischer
I. Allegretto - Peter Donohoe
III. Marcia Funebre - Mikhail Pletnev
Prelude In C Sharp Minor Op.3 No.2 - Alexis Weissenberg
I. Largo - Allegro - Stephen Kovacevich
Scherzo No.3 In F-Sharp Minor Op.39 - Martha Argerich
Islamey - Andrei Gavrilov
The Great Gate Of Kiev - Alexis Weissenberg
I. Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Moderato - Andrei Gavrilov

Tracks:

Liebestraum - Alexis Weissenberg
Clair De Lune - Alexis Weissenberg
I. Moderato - Andrei Gavrilov
Prelude In D-Flat Op.28 No.15 Raindrop - John Ogdon
Valse Romantique - Aldo Ciccolini
Jeux D'eau - Cecile Ousset
Valse-Impromptu - Alexis Weissenberg
Waltz Op.39 No.15 - Jean-Bernard Pommier
Variation No.18: Andante Cantabile - Cecile Ousset
Nocturne In F-Sharp Op.15 No.2 - Maurizio Pollini
Alborada Del Gracioso - Cecile Ousset
Sonata In D-Minor Pastorale L413 - Aldo Ciccolini
Klavierstuck In F K33b - Stanislav Bunin
I. Valse Oubliee - Andre Watts
Waltz In C-Sharp Minor Op.64 No.2 - John Ogdon
II. En Bateau - Michel Beroff
I. Allegro Maestoso - Martha Argerich

Tracks:

The Maiden's Prayer - Jean-Bernard Pommier
Humoresque - Andre Watts
Traumerei - Mikhail Pletnev
Invention No.1 In C BWV 772 - Aldo Ciccolini
The Harmonious Blacksmith - Moura Lympany
Le Coucou - Moura Lympany
Canciones Y Danzas - No.1 - Gonzalo Soriano
Golliwogg's Cakewalk - Moura Lympany
Nocturne In E-Flat Op.9 No.2 - John Ogdon
Sinfonia No.1 In C BWV 787 - Aldo Ciccolini
Melodie No.1 In F Op.3 No.1 - Moura Lympany
November: Troika - Mikhail Pletnev
June: Barcarolle - Mikhail Pletnev
Choral Prelude BWV 645: Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme - Stanislav Bunin
Minuet In G - Moura Lympany
Berceuse - Jean-Philippe Collard
IV. Theme & Variations - Sviatoslav Richter

Customer Reviews:

good selection.......2007-05-11

my cds were standard recording quality

an overall good selection. It is sometimes hard to jump from different composers, but the cds flow well overall, an excellent way to catch a masterpiece you might have missed.

Bad recording quality.......2007-01-16

I bought this a week ago. I have never heard such bad recordings before. The first CD is the worst. There are loud scratching sounds, some songs are extremely hard to hear. Other CDs are better, but none are top quality. Great selection, but the poor recording quality makes it difficult to "lose yourself" in the music.

Adagio I: A Special 2 1/2 Hour Collection Of Orchestral Classics

Average customer rating:

Excellent digital recording

Adagio I: A Special 2 1/2 Hour Collection Of Orchestral Classics

Manufacturer: Celestial Harmonies
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Adagio II - A Special 2 1/2 Hour Collection Of Orchestral Classics

ASIN: B0000007ZS
Release Date: 1992-11-03

Tracks:

Piano Concerto In G Major: Adagio
Xerxes: Largo
Suite No.3 In D Major: Air
Adagio In G Minor
Le Erinnyes: Invocation
Elegy Op .58
Peer Gynt: Solveigs Lied
Notturno Op.70, No.1
Symphony No. 9 In E Minor: Largo
Concierto De Aranjuez: Adagio
Romance No. 2 In G Major Op. 50

Tracks:

Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
La Vierge: Dernier Sommeil Da La Vierge
Letzter Fruhling Op. 34, No. 2
Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
Symphony No. 5 In C Sharp Minor: Adagietto
Adagio For Strings
Sospiri Op. 70
Poeme Op. 25

Product Description

Classical music is hot. In fact, it is probably the biggest story of the l990s in the recording industry. Classical crossover hits like Nigel Kennedy's recording of Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons', Henryk Gorecki's 'Symphony no. 3', the Gregorian Chant album by the monks of Silo, and Michael Nyman's score for the Jane Campion film 'The Piano' - to name just a few - have broken out of classical music's traditional bounds and hit the pop charts. Suddenly, a classical recording that sells 10,000 units is no longer pushing the envelope; today's top classical releases are reaching sales heights formerly reserved for pop icons like Madonna and the Rolling Stones. This stunning turnaround in classical music's marketing power did not come out of nowhere, though. Celestial Harmonies helped set the stage for it with its Adagio (Complete Edition) (19908-2) series. Since 1981, long before the current interest in classical music began, Celestial Harmonies' compilations have been used worldwide for relaxation, meditation and even music therapy. And in a stunning reversal of music industry rules, absolutely no advertising or promotion was needed to achieve substantial sales figures. And while the rest of the classical world scurries around looking for the next big hit, Celestial Harmonies has released an updated digital version of an already proven winner: The Adagio series, a total of seven double-CDs. With sales of over 300,000 units in the past decade, the reason for the series' success is no mystery. As modern life has become increasingly complex and stressful, listeners have turned to music as a source of relief - especially the timeless, contemplative sounds of classical music. It seems that as the pace of our lives gets progressively faster, the music that many listeners are seeking is increasingly slow. The Adagio series, presents over seventeen hours of the world's finest slow music, making it the largest such collection anywhere. Adagio I includes the famous 'Air' from

Customer Reviews:

Excellent digital recording.......2003-03-18

I realize that classical music is something were there is a range of conesuirship, and I represent perhaps the lowest tier of appreciators. In my wholly uniformed opinion, "Adagio I" is an excellent classic music collection, containing well-executed pieces ranging from a few instruments to full orchestral ensembles, representing a variety of composers. The digital recording is remarkable, and an unexpectedly full sound comes from the CD. The 2 1/2 length is nice, split onto two disks.

Tracks:

Carmen: Quand je vous aimerai? ...L'amour (Habanera)
I Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti la giubba
Madama Butterfly: Un bel di vedremo
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Nabucco: Va pensiero (Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves)
Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
Rigoletto: La dona e mobile
The Barber Of Seville: Largo al factotum
Louise: Depuis le jour
Lakme: Flower Duet
Turandot: Nessun dorma
Norma: Casta diva
Gianni Schicchi: A vete torto!
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
La rondine: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira

Tracks:

L'Elisir d'Amore: Quanto e bella, quanto e cara!
Orphee et Eurydice: J'ai perdu mon Eurydice
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
La Boheme: Si, mi chimano Mimi
La Traviata: Di Provenza il mar
L'amico Fritz: O amore, o bella luce del core
Le nozze di Figaro: Voi che sapete
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
Adriana Lecouvreur: Ecco, respiro appena...lo son l'umile ancella
Le Roi d'Ys: Puisqu'on ne peut... Vainement, ma bien-aimee
Samson et Dalila: Mon coeur s'ouvre a'ta voix
Mefistofele: Dai campi, dai prati
Manon Lescaut: In quelle trine morbide
Serse: Ombra mai fu
Turandot: Signore, ascolta
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
La Wally: Ebben? ne ando lontana
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar

Tracks:

Aida: Se quel guerriero io fossi...Celeste Aida
Romeo Et Juliet: L'amour, l'amour...Ah, leve-toi soleil
Mefistofele: L'altra notte in fondo al mare
Werther: Toute mon ame est la...Pourqui me reveiller
Barber Of Seville: Una voce poco fa
Cosi Fan Tutti: Un aura amorosa
Le Villi: Se como voi piccina
Un Balle en Maschera: `Se come voi piccina`
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jette
La forza del destino: Pace, pace mio Dio
Adriana Lecouvreur: L'anima ho stanca
La Gioconda: Suicidio
Don Giovanni: Dalla sua pace
La Traviata: De' miei bolenti spiriti
La nozzi di Figaro: Porgi amor
Turandot: Non piangere, Liu
Mignon: Elle ne croyait pas dans sa candeur naive

Amazon.com

Put together in evident haste, this collection is nevertheless a surefire, appetite-whetting starter kit both for the budding operaphile and for the simply intimidated. The samplings include some of the greatest voices from EMI's vaults: here you'll find the polar opposites Callas and Caballe, the golden wonder of Wunderlich and early Carreras, and a host of other singers who've made their stamp on this century. Emphasis is on the soprano and tenor range, while the lower voices are given short shrift, and the selections cleave predictably to standard Italian and French repertory (with an occasional surprise, such as an aria from Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys). Still, the nearly three and a half hours of music represented will make a ready convert of anyone who hasn't experienced the specially heightened, time-stopping expressivity--beyond the power of mere song--that is the aria's function and will likely spark a desire to explore the larger operatic context in several cases. And though the lack of a booklet with texts or at least bios of the artists is frustrating, this is a good place to begin for an overview of the mesmeric power extraordinary voices can wield. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

OPERA HEAVEN.......2002-12-13

Probely this is a good buy for someone who is gest getting into the world of OPERA.Still a very good purchaes with fimiluar songs.

Incredibly Beautiful . . ........2001-10-27

If you love opera - this collection of some of the lovliest arias ever sung by artists from Caballe to Freni, from Delibes to Puccini - will inspire you. It is a wonderful gift for friends or for yourself.

Ultimate Aria.......2001-08-03

In my small operetic mind, this set of Cd's has completely captured me for the Opera. I was a young and upcoming musician in my youth. I'v been around the block "as it were" with the Classics. This collection is indeed, the benchmark upon which all others would hope to aspire.

Congradulations EMI for an incredible vision of the greatest opeatic moments recorded.

Gosh what's next?

Ralph Hassman

Ultimate indeed.......2000-08-02

If you don't like the idea of buying whole operas, or if you're a newcomer to opera - this is an extremely good collection / introduction, worth every single cent. The collection features many of the worlds greatest singers, giving their interpretations of some of the world's greatest arias. The compilation itself is very tasteful and covers a wide range from Handel to early 20th century composers. You won't miss any important stuff from the history of opera, except maybe Wagner and the most modern operas - I'll come back to that fact later. The compilers have actually put some lesser known, although no less beautiful, arias here, that oftenly are neglected on ordinary opera-collections, why the name `ultimate collection' is more than correct in that aspect.

EMI have a enormous archive to pick their recordings from, and that of course makes it easy to find first rate interpretations of all the arias included in this collection, and I do think that almost all of the arias are wonderfully sung here. It may be possible to find better performances of single numbers here and there, but I've not yet heard a more complete, wellmatched, and so thrillingly sung collection.

Well then, is there nothing wrong with this compilation? You might find it a little odd that there are so many soloarias and so few duets, terzettos a.s.o, especially since the drama in operas oftenly is greater in numbers with more than one singer. You might also wish that some of the recordings had been a little more modern (most of these recordings were made during the 50's, 60's & 70's) giving place to younger performers that still are singing on the stages, but those are minor objections when the over all quality is so high.

Tracks:

Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: The Four Seasons - III Presto
Meditation from Thais
Scarborough Fair (Trad.)
Hungarian Dance No. 5
Nocturne in C Sharp Minor Op. Posth.
Gymnopedie (No. 2
Prelude No. 1
Air on the G String
Danny Boy
Czardas
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Ave Maria
La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin
Gymnopedie No. 1
Prelude No. 2
The Flight of the Bumble-Bee
Banjo and Fiddle
Zigeunnerweiden
Urge for Going
Melody in the Wind

Amazon.com

Just in case you thought Nigel Kennedy--fresh from his Hendrix tribute album--had left the classical music repertoire for good, think again. On Classic Kennedy, the fiddler is situated with the English Chamber Orchestra in a program that spans from Bach to Satie. (Yes, you also get a Joni Mitchell tune; "Scarborough Fair"; and the fiddler's own forgettable "Melody in the Wind," too.) The sequencing is a bit disjointed--the summer storm from The Four Seasons is followed by Massenet's blissful "Meditation" from Thaïs--and Kennedy's performances range from good to fair. The English Chamber Orchestra does an admirable job on these diverse works (it deserves a lot of credit here), but it'll be up to the listener to decide whether he or she wants to hear "Air on the G String" followed by Kennedy's version of "Danny Boy." As with most Kennedy discs, you'll either love it or hate it. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

CLAIM.......2007-01-11

SOORY BUT WE DIDN'T RECEIVE THE PRODUCT YET, DESPITE WE PURCHASED ON NOV/10/2006.WATH'S HAPPENED ?

Romantic-Styled Playing.......2005-07-25

I came to love classical music through classical crossover, but have dumped crossover after listening to artists like Perlman and Hahn. So was very apprehensive going back to a “crossover” artist.

After a minute into his interpretation of Vivaldi’s third movement of Summer, I was hooked. Although Nigel may not play the pieces in a way that is considered “proper”, he brings his own style which is intense and highly emotional. The sound he can extract from his violin is engaging, and I always feel as if his violin is singing/crying to me. I’ve also heard several versions of “The Flight of the Bumble-Bee”, but this version just makes me giggle.

The only weakness for me is the mixing of main stream classical music. Songs such as the traditional songs like Scarborough Fair (a great song) and the Joni Mitchell song seem out of place. Perhaps it was EMI’s goal to show Nigel’s approach to different styles of music, but "this mixing things up" personally doesn’t work for me.

If you like the classical music on this CD, also pick up his Vivaldi CD’s which are fantastic. And if you like the traditional stuff, then get his “East to East” CD.

The beauty as it is.......2003-03-06

On a scale of love-hate, I love this CD. No: I -L-O-V-E- it. That is a masterpiece in itself. I'm neither violinist nor classical musician, not even very experienced classical listener - though I enjoy "Der Ring des Nibelungen" much deeper than "Love Me Tender". What strikes me in Nigel's playing, and on this album particularly, is his incredible technical brilliance. When he plays a note it is always THE NOTE he's meant to play. Not a 1/16 tone mistake, not a 1/10 millimeter shift. Few singers are capable of such exactness, much less violin players. With a brush like this, you can paint whatever picture you want. And the pictures of Nigel's are just incredible. The deepest of his feelings are portrayed in his music with such a delicacy and balance, and with great confidence. On to titles: my personal faves are Brahms, Chopin, Bach, Satie and Kroll's. "Banjo and Fiddle" is so ironic and courteous, "Zigeunerweisen" is heartbreaking, "Nocturne in C Sharp minor" makes you breathless of its sweet sadness. "Hungarian Dance 5" swept all other versions away: compared to Kennedy's brave, sharp, masculine, fiery rendition, any other version seems like glucose syrup compared to juicy meat. "Air on the G String" is so airy and transparent. And "Czardas" is probably the best thing I've ever heard in my life...

Flawless. Brilliant. Beautiful.

Clearly Kennedy.......2003-01-22

I had only heard Kennedy one other time and knew that this would be good, as it is. I'm not new to classical music and can say that Kennedy's playing is clear and beautiful. I don't know why others have such a hard time with it, but if it's talented and artistic violin music that you're looking for then this is for you...

An Interesting Concept, A Failed Production.......2002-09-07

A while back I had heard about a British violin soloist named Nigel Kennedy, who was working on transcribing songs by Jimi Hendrix for the violin. I had altogether forgotten his name until my friend lent me a copy of Kennedy's 1999 release 'Classical Kennedy', and when I saw the pictures of him with his Morrisey haircut, stubbly facial hair, and his leather jacket, I recognized this controversial figure, the so-called "Bad Boy" of classical music.

'Classical Kennedy' is an exploration of the violin not as the solo voice of a gargantuan half-hour concerto but, rather, the lead voice in a three to five-minute song, and it explores this concept from Bach to Joni Mitchell. Right away this poses a serious undertaking- it is difficult to achieve continuity in a classical album that practically spans the history of Western art music. However, this conflict is partly resolved by the consistency of the tracks' lengths.

Kennedy has a distinct sound, and his little "trick" is that he sometimes plays really hard and really fast. He occasionally draws an elegant and pure tone that listeners expect from a great soloist, but he also has the tendency to turn a beautiful phrase into a crude and apathetic statement. These days the idea of a violinist who isn't utterly predictable, and is willing to take liberties with the repertoire, is a pleasant muse, but Nigel Kennedy is certainly not the ideal solution.

Kennedy's gimmick becomes his fatal flaw- in classical music, the notes speak for themselves. He makes Bach and Brahms sound hoarse and nasal. Ask any professional violinist and they'll tell you that, though there isn't one exact way to play any piece, there are limits on what one should do with a phrase, and that rule is implicit through understanding the composition. It's a hard truth to face, and perhaps only a trained musician fully understands this phenomenon. Either way, there needs to be an intimacy between the performer and the listener. All in all, Kennedy's technique caves in on itself. He plays as if taking great liberties at every turn were in itself a good thing. He cuts off a note that should sing, his sense of tempo is awkward at best- he seems to be driven by self-indulgent whims rather than musical passion.

There are points in the album where I think that his approach does utter disservice to the piece. For example, his interpretation of Massenet's 'Meditations' simply does not compare to Itzhak Perlman's flawless, dramatic performance on 'A La Carte'. Kennedy's Chopin 'Nocturne in C#' (which really sounds better with just a piano) doesn't at all capture the emotion and power of Sarah Chang's performance on 'Sweet Sorrow'. I'm not saying that every single track on this album is a loser. But where he fails miserably in some regards is that his playing strays into avant-garde quirks, and it becomes somewhat ignorant to the music in the piece. Ivry Gitlis quoted in the DVD 'The Art of Violin' that 'of course it's an insult to music when somebody says 'that's the benchmark performance' or 'that's how it's supposed to be played''. But in a lot of classical works, the personality and individuality of the performer lay in the subtleties of the performance, not in urinating on the very things that made the piece wonderful and then hoping that the listener will somehow connect with it.

Tracks:

Te Deum: Prelude
Les folies d'Espagne
Symphonies pour les soupers du Roi, Caprice de Villers-Cotterets (extracts)
Musette et tambourin en rondeau (extract of 'Fetes d'Hebe')
Dance Of The Spirits (extract of 'Orphee et Eurydice')
Adagio Pour Strings And Organ
Canon
Allegro (extract of Concerto pour la nuit de Noel)
Concerto For 2 Trumpets: Allegro
Concerto For 2 Trumpets: Largo
Concerto For 2 Trumpets: Allegro
Concerto For Mandolin: Allegro
Concerto For Mandolin: Largo
Concerto For Mandolin: Allegro
Concerto For Violin And Strings 'Le Printemps': Allegro
Concerto For Violin And Strings 'Le Printemps': Largo e pianissimo
Concerto For Violin And Strings 'Le Printemps': Allegro (danza pastorale)
Concerto for Oboe and Strings: Allegro
Concerto for Oboe and Strings: Adagio
Concerto for Oboe and Strings: Presto
Menuett (extract of Quilntette, Op. 13, No. 5)

Tracks:

King Arthur Suite: Trumpet Tune - Air - Symphony - Hornpipe - Passacaglia
Abdelazer: Rondo
The Messiah: Pastoral Symphony
Water Music: Hornpipe
Xerxes: Largo
Suite No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 1067: Badinerie
Suite No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1068: Air
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring Choral de la Cantate BWV147
Sonata For Flute And Harpsichord, BWV 1031: Sicilienne
Concerto For 2 Violins And Strings, BWV 1043: Vivace
Concerto For 2 Violins And Strings, BWV 1043: Largo ma non tanto
Concerto For 2 Violins And Strings, BWV 1043: Allegro
Suite For Flute & Strings: Ouverture
Suite For Flute & Strings: Les Plaisirs
Suite For Flute & Strings: Air a l'italienne
Concerto For Trumpet, 2 Oboes, And Strings: Sicilienne
Concerto For Trumpet, 2 Oboes, And Strings: Vivace

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
Terrific recording
Christa in her prime
Christa Ludwig is in great shape

Christa Ludwig - Les Introuvables
Johannes Brahms , Gustav Mahler , Robert Schumann , Max Reger , Franz Schubert , Hugo Wolf , Richard Strauss , Maurice Ravel , Camille Saint-Saens , Sergey Rachmaninov , Gioachino Rossini , Richard Wagner , George Frideric Handel , Johann Sebastian Bach , London Philharmonia Orchestra , Berlin Symphony Orchestra , Otto Klemperer , Horst Stein , Karl Forster , Christa Ludwig , Gerald Moore , Geoffrey Parsons , Herbert Downes , Amaryllis Fleming , Douglas Whittaker , Alexander Pushkin , and Mathilde Wesendonk
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Very Best of Christa Ludwig

ASIN: B000002S2Z
Release Date: 1992-04-14

Tracks:

Sapphische Ode, Op. 94 Nr. 4
Liebestreu, Op. 3 Nr. 1
Der Schmied, Op. 19 Nr. 4
Die Mainacht, Op. 43 Nr. 2
8 Zigeunerlieder (d'apres les quatuors vocaux Op. 103): He, Zigeuner
8 Zigeunerlieder (d'apres les quatuors vocaux Op. 103): Hochgeturmte Rimaflut
8 Zigeunerlieder (d'apres les quatuors vocaux Op. 103): Wisst ihr, wann mein Kindchen
8 Zigeunerlieder (d'apres les quatuors vocaux Op. 103): Lieber Gott, du weisst
8 Zigeunerlieder (d'apres les quatuors vocaux Op. 103): Brauner Bursche
8 Zigeunerlieder (d'apres les quatuors vocaux Op. 103): Roslein dreie
8 Zigeunerlieder (d'apres les quatuors vocaux Op. 103): Kommt dir manchmal in den Sinn
8 Zigeunerlieder (d'apres les quatuors vocaux Op. 103): Rote Abendwolken ziehn
2 deutsche Volkslieder: Och mod'r, ich well en Ding han!
2 deutsche Volkslieder: We kumm ich dann de Pooz erenn?
Dein blaues Auge, Op. 59 Nr. 8
Von ewiger Liebe, Op. 43 Nr. 1
Das Madchen spricht, Op. 107 Nr. 3
O wusst ich doch, Op. 63 Nr. 8
Wie Melodien zieht es mir, Op. 105 Nr. 1
Madchenlied, Op. 107 Nr. 5
Vergebliches Standchen
Der Tod, das ist die kuhle Nacht, Op. 96 Nr. 1
Auf dem See, Op. 59 Nr. 2
Feldeinsamkeit, Op. 86 Nr. 2
In stiller Nacht ('Deutsche Volkslieder' Nr. 42)
Schwesterlien ('Deutsche Volkslieder', Nr. 15)
Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer, Op. 105 Nr. 2
Standchen, Op. 106 Nr. 1
Gestillte Sehnsucht, Op. 91 Nr. 2
Geistilches Wiegenlied, Op. 91 Nr. 2

Tracks:

Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grunen Wald ('Des Knaben Wunderhorn')
Hans und Grete
Fruhlingsmoren
Wo die schonen Trompeten blasen ('Des Knaben Wunderhorn')
Der Schildwache Nachtlied ('Des Knaben Wunderhorn')
Um schlimme Kinder ('Des Knaben Wunderhorn')
Ich atmet' einen linden Duft
Liebst du um Schonheit
Um Mitternacht
Das irdische Leben ('Des Knaben Wunderhorn')
Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht ('Des Knaben Wunderhorn')
Lob des hohen Verstandes ('Des Knaben Wunderhorn')
Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt ('Des Knaben Wunderhorn')
Rheinlegendchen ('Des Knaben Wunderhorn')
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42: Seit ich ihn gesehen
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42: Er, der Herrlichste von allen
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42: Ich kann's nicht fassen
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42: Du Ring, an meinem Finger
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42: Helft mir, ihr Schwestern
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42: Susser Freund, du blickest
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42: An meinem Herzen
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42: Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan
Der Brief, Op. 76 No. 8
Waldeinsamkeit, Op. 76 No. 3

Tracks:

Die Allmacht, D. 852
Fischerweise, D. 881
An die Musik, D. 547
Der Musensohn, D. 764
Ganymed, D. 544
Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D. 774
Ave Maria, D. 839
Die Forelle, D. 550
Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118
Fruhlingsglaube, D. 686
Der Tod und das Madchen, D. 531
Lachen und Weinen, D. 777
Litanel auf das Fest 'Aller Seelen', D. 343
Erikonig, D. 328
Der Hirt auf dem Feisen, D. 965
Gesang Weylas
Auf einer Wanderung
Die Nacht, Op. 10 Nr. 3
Allerseelen, Op. 10 Nr. 8
Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69 Nr. 5

Tracks:

3 Chansons madecasses: Nahandove
3 Chansons madecasses: Aoua! Aoua!
3 Chansons madecasses: Il est doux
Une flute invisible
Chanson georgienne: 'Oh! cesse de chanteer, gentille jeune fille,' Op. 4 No. 4
'Moisson de tristesse'
La regata veneziana: 3 canzonettas en dialecte ventien: Anzoleta avanti la regata
La regata veneziana: 3 canzonettas en dialecte ventien: Anzoleta co passa la regata
La regata veneziana: 3 canzonettas en dialecte ventien: Anzoleta dopo la regata
Wesendonk-Lieder: Der Engel
Wesendonk-Lieder: Stehe still!
Wesendonk-Lieder: Im Treibhaus
Wesendonk-Lieder: Schmerzen
Wesendonk-Lieder: Traume
Julius Caesar: Acte I: 'Es blaut die Nacht' (Cleopatra)
Johannes-Passion, BWV 245: Nr. 58 - Aria: 'Es ist volbracht!'
Tristan und Isolde: III Akt: 'Mild und leise (Isoldes Liebestod)

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2003-07-20

This is a wonderful set. I would like to correct an error below. The climax in the Liebestod is a high A flat not high C. But you have to cut through the dense orchestration. That's why it's hard.

Terrific recording.......2003-07-06

I write this as s service to Christa Ludwig fans. This is a set of Lieder. Christa Ludwig is fabulous - as usual.

But if you want to hear Christa ludwig in a set of operatic recitals that will knock of your socks and blow you to bits. Look for this CD called "Celebrating Christa Ludwig". It has Christa Ludwig singing excerpts from Elektra (as Elektra!!!), Ariadne auf Maxos (as Ariadne!!), Die Frau Ohne Schatten (as the Dyer's Wife), Barber of Serville (as rosina) and the Immolation Scene of Gotterdammerung (as Brunnhilde!!!). She will blow you to bits with her unmatchable dramatic sense, vocal power and beauty of tone - the greatest Brunnhilde that never was and the greatest Elektra that never was. She did sing Ariadne once in Salzburg in 1964, and she sang the Dyer's Wife for 10 years from 1964 (Vienna State Opera) to 1974 (Salzburg Festival). Her complete Ariadne is available under Myto records.

Christa in her prime.......2001-09-19

Being an admirerer of Christa Ludwig, I went into purchasing this recording with great expectations, and it did not disappoint in any way. Ludwig is in her prime and is heard in wonderful interpretations and beautiful singing from among several composers and works. I not only enjoy listening to her personally, but am also able to put it to great use use in my Vocal Literature class here at the college in which I teach.

Christa Ludwig is in great shape.......2000-04-15

She sang all the major mezzo roles, and also some in the dramatic soprano repertory, notably Leonora in Fidelio, Lady Macbeth and the Marschallin.

Her voice is a rich, expressive mezzo capable of dramatic incisiveness and even throughout its considerable range. Her upper register in mezzo music is excintingly projected.

Although this compilation is composed of different recordings in different settings in different years, all of them show a young Ludwig when she had not yet acquired her prime and her status of, arguably, the best mezzo of the world, which would arrive in the years to come.

Ludwig, thirteen years Schwarzkopf's junior, was also a member of the legendary Ensamble of Berlin, which meant that each appearance of hers in any opera produced in Berlin, Munich, Vienna, London, Paris....by this Ensamble was backed by many hours of rehearsals with the same group of musicians. Usually this group comprised Schwarzkopf, Grümmer, Seefried, Berger, Güeden, Dermota, Tauber, and of course Furtwängler. This is how the legendary recording of COSI FAN TUTTE was made, in which she shared credits with Schwarzkopf.

Disc one is devoted to Brahms -not less than 30 Lieder are here. She doesn't sing Brahms with intimacy, rather she attacks each song with open throat. Her diction, her care for words is now proverbial. My favorite Lied in this disc is In stiller Nacht. She sets the melancholic mood of the song with her rich, vibrant contralto-like tones.

Disc two brings us Ludwig singing Mahler, Schumann and Reger. From the melodic lines of Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn to the tortuous inflexions of Max Reger's two songs, she shows an extreme afinity with these composers. Schumann is taken very sensously, one can almost feel her velvety and creamy narrations of the woman-in-love of the song cycle.

Disc three is devoted to Schubert, Wolf and Strauss. Ludwig was not compelled to sing too much Wolf or Strauss (only 5 Lieder by these composers). It is her Schubert that shows her in splendid form. Auf dem Wasser zu singen is sung at such a low speed that her tone can only be described as luxurious. Erlkönig finds in her voice an ideal interpreter for the four characters of the song. In Wolf's Gesang Weylas, Gerald Moore has produced some magical arpeggios in the piano accompaniment, but of course this in only natural in him being the best accompanist ever.

Disc four is a miscellaneous melange of Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Rossini, Wagner, Händel and Bach. Ludwig never tried to sing on stage Isolde, but she recorded it; the Liebestod is taken at an exciting pace and one is only waiting for the climax to see if she can do it (the top c's). Yes, she can do it. Händel's aria from Julius Caesar is, again, sensous and exciting. Händel is another composer with whom she felt communicated. Ravel's Chansons Madécasses can only be described as magical. And of course she was outstanding in Bach oratorios, as is the case of Johannes Passion.

Wagner's Wessendonk Lieder are sung lustrously. I especially enjoyed Träume, which actually is sung, as its title suggests, dreamily.

Praised be the two accompanists for the majority of the recordings, Gerald Moore and Geoffrey Parsons. Both have gone now and the musical world seems so empty without their supreme touch. I do believe that 50% of Christa Ludwig's success as a Lieder Singer was due to them.

Tracks:

I. Allegro Non Molto (Dance And Village Song) - Moscow Virtuosi
II. Adagio Molto (Sleeping Drunks) - Moscow Virtuosi
III. Allegro (The Hunt) - Moscow Virtuosi
La Rejouissance (The Rejoicing) - Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Harvest Dance - John Wilson
Late Swallows -3rd Movement - Brodsky Quartet
2nd Movement From A London Symphony - Philharmonia Orchestra
Autumn Festival - Vernon Handley
Autumanl Sketch, Op. 8 - Jose Serebrier
Dream Of A Witches' Sabbath - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Baba Yaga, Op. 56 - Enrique Batiz
The Enchanted Lake, Op. 62 - Enrique Batiz

Average customer rating:

The Essential Classics Collection

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

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

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

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

One World: Music From Around The World (Rounder)
The Best of Ken Burns Jazz

ASIN: B0000029UK
Release Date: 1997-03-04

Tracks:

Symphony No.5: 1st Movement
Symphony No.9 'New World': 2nd Movement
Symphony No.3: 3rd Movement
Symphonie Fantastique (The March to the Scaffold)
Symphony No.9 'The Great': 3rd Movement
The Sorcerrer's Appprentice
Sheherazade: 4th Movement: Festival at Baghdad, The Sea, The Shipwreck
Slavonic Dances Op.46 No.1
Pictures At An Exhibition: A) The Hut On Fowls' Legs B) The Great Gate Of Kiev

Tracks:

Violin Concerto (3rd Movement) - Brahms
Piano Concerto No. 5 'Emperor' (3rd Movement) - Beethoven
Flute Concerto K. 313 (1st Movement) - Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 2 (3rd Movement) - Rachmaninov
Piano Concerto, No. 21 (2nd Movement) - Mozart
Members Of The Philadelphia Orchestra: Concierto d'Aranjuez (2nd Movement) - Rodrigo
The Beautiful Blue Danube - J. Strauss II
Romeo & Juliet (The Montagues And Capulets) - Prokofiev
Swan Lake (Act II Scene One) - Tchaikovsky

Tracks:

String Quartet 'Death And The Maiden' (1st Movement)
Violin Sonata 'Spring' (1st Movement)
Gymnopedie No 1.
Piano Sonata No 14. 'Moonlight' (1st Movement)
Claire du Lune
Gregorian Chant Vol. I: Introitus: 'Rorate' - Offertorium: 'Ave Maria' - Communio: 'Ecce Virgo'
Gloria: RV 589 (1st Movement: Gloria)
Messiah ('Hallelujah' Chorus)
Requiem K. 626 (Confutatis)
Mesa da Requiem (Dies Irae)
Carmina Burana: Blanziflor et Helena: 'Ave Formosissima' - Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: 'O Fortuna'
Symphony No. 9 'Choral' (Last Movement: 'Ode to Joy')

Average customer rating:

Great Melodies of the Classics

Manufacturer: Compendia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music