Piano Concertos 2 & 4

On this CD:

1. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov

Conducted by Leopold Stokowski

2. Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Op. 40
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov

Conducted by Eugene Ormandy

Piano Concertos 2 & 4, Music, Rachmaninoff, Stokowski, Ormandy, Classical, Classical Music

A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day
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A Beautiful Wedding

Wonderful!

Good CD for Wedding

A Day To Remember--Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day, O'Neill Brothers

great choice!

A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day
O'Neill Brothers
Manufacturer: O'Neill Brothers
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Day to Remember vol II

Classical Wedding

25 Wedding Favorites

Heart Beats: Now & Forever - Timeless Wedding Songs

I Will Be Here: 25 of Today's Best Wedding & Love Songs

ASIN: B000066RG3
Release Date: 2002-04-25

Tracks:

Falling in Love - Tim and Ryan O'Neill
Wachet Auf - J.S. Bach
Air on a G String - J.S. Bach
Air (from Water Music) - Handel
Reminiscent Joy - Tim and Ryan O'Neill
Canon in D - Pachelbel
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - J.S. Bach
The Wedding Song (There is Love) - Stookey
Ave Maria - Schubert
I Will Be Here - Steven Curtis Chapman
The Gift of Love (Water is Wide melody)
Spring (from The Four Seasons) - Vivaldi
Ode to Joy - Beethoven
From This Moment On - Shania Twain
The Way You Look Tonight - Kern
Forever in Love - Kenny G

Album Description

After performing at more than 200 weddings, Tim and Ryan O'Neill recorded this beautiful CD of favorite wedding songs. It features a full hour of instrumental piano, string quartet, flute, and guitar music that can be played at your ceremony or reception.

It also gives suggestions for music at your wedding, including a special bridal website!
*Over 1,000 song titles listed
*Listen to samples of songs
*More ideas for each part of your ceremony, reception, and dance

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful Wedding.......2007-07-10

This CD made all the difference in our wedding celebration. The songs were simply beautiful. The CD was delivered promptly. I would definitely buy from this vendor again.

Wonderful!.......2007-03-23

This is exactly what I was looking for for my wedding day. It's a beautiful cd, absolutely perfect.

Good CD for Wedding.......2007-03-21

All great music for weddings. It really does have all the music I want to use!

A Day To Remember--Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day, O'Neill Brothers.......2007-02-07

The music was just perfect for our wedding--not too formal, not too simple.

great choice!.......2007-01-10

There are so many different songs to choose from on this cd and it's a great buy. whether you want to play it while eating dinner at the wedding, to walking down the isle, it's wonderful!!!!

Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos

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Great Performance
Great Analog Beethoven Cycle
An essential collection
The best value in classical music on CD at the moment...
Wonderful Performances

Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet
Mozart:The Complete Piano Sonatas and Variations
Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim
Dvorák: The Symphonies
Furtwangler Conducts Beethoven - Beethoven: symphonies no 3,4,5, & 9, Leonore

ASIN: B00004YA0S
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Tracks:

I: Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio
II: Andante Cantabile Con Moto
III: Menuetto & Trio: Allegro Molto E Vivace
IV: Adagio - Allegro Molto E Vivace
I: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
II: Andante Molto Mosso
III: Allegro - In Tempo D'allegro - Tempo I
IV: Allegro
V: Allegretto

Tracks:

I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Marcia Funebre: Adagio Assai
III: Scherzo & Trio: Allegro Vivace
IV: Finale: Allegro Molto - Poco Andante - Presto
Gross Fuge

Tracks:

I: Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio
II: Larghetto
III: Scherzo & Trio: Allegro
IV: Allegro Molto
I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Andante Con Moto - Piu Mosso - Tempo I
III: Allegro -
IV: Allegro - Presto

Tracks:

I: Adagio - Allegro Vivace
II: Adagio
III: Menuetto: Allegro Vivace - Trio: Un Poco Meno Allegro
IV: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
I: Poco Sostenuto - Vivace
II: Allegretto
III: Presto - Assai Meno Presto
IV: Allegro Con Brio

Tracks:

I: Allegro Vivace Con Brio
II: Allegretto Scherzando
III: Tempo Di Menuetto
IV: Allegro Vivace
Overture
Overture
Overture
Overture

Tracks:

I: Allegro Non Troppo, Un Poco Maestoso - Christa Ludwig
II: Molto Vivace - Presto - Christa Ludwig
III: Adagio Molto E Cantabile - Andante Moderato - Christa Ludwig
IV: Presto - Recitativo - Allegro Assai - Alla Marcia - Christa Ludwig
Overture - Christa Ludwig

Tracks:

I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Largo
III: Rondo: Allegro Scherzando
I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Adagio
III: Rondo: Molto Allegro

Tracks:

I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Largo
III: Rondo: Allegro
I: Allegro Moderato
II: Andante Con Moto
III: Rondo: Vivace

Tracks:

Fantasia For Piano, Chorus And Orchestra
I: Allegro
II: Adagio Un Poco Mosso -
III: Rondo: Allegro

Amazon.com essential recording

Otto Klemperer's Beethoven is one of the towering achievements in the history of recordings. By today's standards, these performances are hopelessly old-fashioned: dark, heavy, and frequently very slow. But they are also the grandest, most unsentimental, most purposeful versions in the catalog. In addition, the relatively slow tempos (only in the fast movements--the slow ones are pretty swift) and forward wind balance permit more detail to be heard than in most original-instrument performances. At budget price and with the entire piano concerto cycle thrown in for good measure, this is greatness incarnate. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Great Performance.......2007-07-07

There are many different ways to perform Beethoven and each one is valid.
If you like it fast - go to Toscanini or Norrington. If you prefer slow, powerful and majestic, this is your set. Towards the end of his distinguished career, the great Otto Klemperer set down his final views of the performance of these symphonnies. The set is a coherent whole and will give great pleasure for ever. The challenging mix of the young Barenboim and the aged Klemperer worked surprisingly well and thus the concertos may also be recommended. There are odd additional items which add to the pleasure. Finally do not forget to purchase his memorable set of 'Fidelio' to complete your traversal of a great conductor giving great performances of a composer that he loved. Finally the price is ridiculously low and provides quality and quantity at a great price. Thus you should be able to buy the opera set from the savings made!

Great Analog Beethoven Cycle.......2007-05-07

This Klemperer cycle is just one of a dozen or so GREAT analog Beethoven symphony cycles that were recorded during Analog's golden age starting about 1958. These cycles are easily a match for digital and they should still be around for another 1,000 years, if the Lord tarries. These sets include: Karajan (twice, early 60s and late 70s) Bohm, Krips, Jochum, Bruno Walter, Leinsdorf, Rene Leibowitz, Szell, Ormandy, Bernstein, Steinberg, and Solti. This morning I listened to the Klemperer recordings of Beethoven's symphonies 5, 6, & 7. Very enjoyable, I got my Beethoven RDA fix.

Of all these Analog sets, I most enjoy the Leibowitz Spring 1961 cycle with the Royal Philharmonic. I have this cycle on an audiophile early 90s European import Edition Phoenix label special pressing "on extra virgin vinyl." These are by far the best analog symphonic lps I have ever heard from a recording standpoint. BY FAR! And they will rock your house.

You can almost justify Karajan's 4 recorded Beethoven cycles and one video based upon improvements in recording technology. Thru Rhapsody, I have listened to his mid 50s cycle and the orchestra sounds great, but the recording quality is sub par compared to Analog's golden age. So the rational for 4 cycles would be, (1) recent great improvements in recording technology (early 60s), (2) it has been 15 years and he has grown as an artist (late 70s), (3) we now have digital! Let's do one of the first Beethoven digital cycles (80s).

Klemperer is a no-brainer. I do not have to think twice about plopping one of his lps onto my turntable or hitting the play button at Rhapsody. When the music starts, the listening pleasure begins. Don't miss his Bruckner symphony recordings!

An essential collection.......2007-04-25

How best to describe Otto Klemperer's perspective on Beethoven's symphonies: grand, heroic, intense, insightful, stubborn, obstinate, detailed, dramatic, monumental, granitic, deeply emotional, never sentimental. This boxed set of the complete symphonies and concerti embodies all of these elements as stands as one of the great achievements of recorded music.

These performances were recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra at its peak, in the sumptuous acoustics of Kingsway Hall in London and in fine and detailed sound, and mostly in the mid-1950's during one of the brief charmed periods of Klemperer's life. EMI's impresario Walter Legge had made him permanent conductor of the Philharmonia, and when Klemperer embarked on this project in his 70's, he was in relatively good mental and physical health (Klemperer could show symptoms of manic depression and survived many health crises - brain tumor, broken bones, paralysis - which would have stopped most people).

By this time Klemperer had slowed the tempi of the fast movements of the Beethoven symphonies (listen to his early 1950's recordings of the 5th and 6th on Vox to hear by how much). This tendency is more pronounced in these studio recordings than in the live performances which were recorded during that era. The slowness is mostly saved by Klemperer's use of "sprung" rhythms, which keep the slow tempi from feeling laggardly.

Klemperer's earliest recordings in this series - symphonies 3, 5 and 7 - predate stereo and were recorded in excellent monaural sound. He rerecorded all three of these symphonies in stereo, but those recordings were made after he burned himself by falling asleep while smoking in bed. All three performances feature slower tempi than the earlier ones (whether this was the conductor's preference or the result of physical incapacity is open to conjecture). In particular, the rerecorded 7th suffered from lax phrasing, inattentiveness and perverse tempi. That is NOT the version contained in this set: fortunately, EMI had simultaneously recorded the earlier version of the 7th in "experimental" stereo, and it is that earlier version which is released here (and in remarkably good stereo). The versions of the 3rd and 5th are the rerecorded stereo ones.

You will find no finer studio versions of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th or 8th. All are insightful, beautifully detailed and powerful. The 2nd clearly looks forward to the 3rd and not back toward Hayden, the 4th is boisterous and vital, the 6th bucolic and sumptuous (not a quality normally associated with Klemperer), the 7th gains in drama what it loses in swiftness and lightness, and in the 8th in particular we see the conductor's empathy to Beethoven's sense of humor. Klemperer had a deep affinity for the "Eroica", and the rerecorded version here, while slower than the 1955 recording, was dubbed by "High Fidelity"'s Harris Goldsmith (no Klemperer fan, he) as "the best Eroica going slow" and is a monumental masterpiece (the second movement is shattering). The 1st, while leisurely, is a lovingly crafted.

That leaves the 5th and 9th. There is no doubt in my mind that the earlier, mono 5th is superior to the remake in this set. We lose that sense of an inevitable onslaught, especially in the outer movements. And the 9th, while similar in conception to the live versions recorded around the same time (on Testament with the Philharmonia and on Music&Arts with the Concertgebouw), suffers from diffuse sound and occasional lack of focus. I emphasize that these recordings of both symphonies are still head and shoulders above most of the competition; we're talking about different levels of greatness here.

Are there superior Klemperer recordings of these symphonies? Yes; but all are live, and despite the relatively good reprocessed sound, they don't reveal the same level of detail that these studio recordings do. Klemperer was a very different conductor in front of an audience, and there is more vitality and drama in the live versions of the 3rd (Testament, with the Danish Symphony), 6th 7th and 8th (Music&Arts with the Concertgebouw) and the 9th (see above). Music&Arts' set of the complete symphonies, recorded live in Vienna in 1960, is long out of print and had cramped sound with poor detail - a supplement to this set, not a replacement.

As to the piano concerti: they are better than one might expect. Barenboim, although steeped in the Germanic performance tradition, is more naturally aligned with the Furtwangler and Edwin Fischer than with Klemperer. However, the two of them actually work together extremely well and this is a fine, insightful set.

Any complete cycle of Beethoven, symphonies or concerti, will have drawbacks. There will be unevenness in the performances, as there are here. But there are advantages to hearing one musician's perspective on the works, especially when (as here) the performer has depth of understanding, integrity of vision, and a structural understanding of the pieces.

The digital remastering is excellent and the sound barely shows its age. This may not be your only complete set of Beethoven's symphonies, but it should be one of them. And at a price this low, it's a bargain too.

The best value in classical music on CD at the moment..........2007-01-02

What is the best value in classical discs available today ? Who knows, but I defy anyone to beat the EMI compilation of Klemperer' recordings of the complete Beethoven Symphonies, Piano Concertos (with Barenboim), several overtures the Choral Fantasia etc etc. 9 discs for only $44 ( well that was the price I paid). You have got to be kidding... I only had two concerns with buying this. First on the age of the recordings, all more than 40 years old. No worry at all. This is a masterpiece of reconstruction. The sound quality indistinguishable from any modern recording. Secondly , the performances themselves. I had been warned that Klemperer notoriously chose rather slow tempi. Again I needn't have worried. I immediately went to the slow movements of the 2nd piano concerto and the fourth symphony, where many slow tempists have in the past come unstuck. The piano concerto was an absolute revelation. The combination of the youthful Barenboim and the Philharmonia's masterful playing time and gain had me on the edge of my seat. " Yes,go on, well...." Slow it may have been. Boring, never. The same applies in spades to the slow movement of the fourth. Right from the eerie opening, which is yes, very slow indeed, I knew this movement would be a revelation and I can honestly say I have never hear it better played. Follow this with a scherzo bounding in energy and thumping finale and you will never get a better performance of this, one of Beethoven's "lesser" symphonies. And I haven't even got round to the "biggies" yet! The box set looks unattractive and the portrait of Klemperer makes him appear a first class nerd. Pay absolutely no attention to this....

Wonderful Performances.......2006-04-07

I have admittedly not made it through the entire set as of yet, but feel sufficiently blown away by the First Symphony and the Eroica - particularly the second movement of the latter - to weigh in here. With respect to the tempo issue, I must - at least so far - argue in favor of Klemperer's decision to slow things down a bit. I think the effect is, as someone else has observed, a clearer and more visceral experience of Beethoven's composition. It brings out the feeling. The sound comes up a little short on the low end, but it isn't a major distraction. My only problem lies in EMI's inexplicable lack of any discussion of the performances. The notes are bland, dry descriptions of the pieces themselves, with some basic history thrown in. Given the fact that there are probably hundreds of different CDs of Beethoven's symphonies out there, all with similar explanatory notes, it is infuriating that nothing is said about these particular performances. This is in contrast with the EMI Bach set (with Yehudi Menuhin) in which there is a wonderful essay that discusses Menuhin's work in historical context.

Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 2

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Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 2 Alfred Brendel
Marvelous Mozart
Artistic Genius
Almost Perfect
Penguin Guide "Recommended Recording"

Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 1
Mozart: Violin Concertos
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Bach - The Complete Brandenburg Concertos / Pearlman, Boston Baroque
Mozart: Symphony Nos.25, 26, 27, 29 & 32

ASIN: B0000041AB
Release Date: 1994-10-11

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No.9 In Flat, KV 271 (Jeunehomme): 1. Allegro
Piano Concerto No.9 In Flat, KV 271 (Jeunehomme): 2. Andantino
Piano Concerto No.9 In Flat, KV 271 (Jeunehomme): 3. Rondeau. Presto
Piano Concerto No.25 In C, KV 503: 1. Allegro maestoso
Piano Concerto No.25 In C, KV 503: 2. Andante
Piano Concerto No.25 In C, KV 503: 3. Allegretto
Piano Concerto No.22 In E Flat, KV 482: 1. Allegro

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 22 In E Flat, KV 482: 2. Andante
Piano Concerto No. 22 In E Flat, KV 482: Allegro - Andante cantabile - Tempo I
Piano Concerto No. 15 In B Flat, KV 450: 1. Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 15 In B Flat, KV 450: 2. (Andante)
Piano Concerto No. 15 In B Flat, KV 450: 3. Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 27 In B Flat, KV 595: 1. Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 27 In B Flat, KV 595: 2. Larghetto
Piano Concerto No. 27 In B Flat, KV 595: 3. Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 2 Alfred Brendel.......2006-07-10

Nice interpretation of Mozart's piano concerto.

Marvelous Mozart.......2006-06-29

Alfred Brendel's place as an interpreter of the Viennese Classic repertory is by now unassailable, and his recordings of the Mozart Piano Concertos are a prime example of his art. His lean, focused sound can strike a listener as insufficiently sensuous in Romantic repertory, but against the backdrop of an orchestra, it seems a perfect modern equivalent of the eighteenth-century fortepiano, so much so that I don't really miss having an "authentic" instrument. Besides, discarding recordings such as these on the basis of inauthenticity would deny all listeners the chance to experience Brendel's practically infallible sense of style and taste.

Perhaps the real surprise in this collection of five concertos is that Brendel is at his most relaxed and insightful in the E-flat major Concerto, K. 482, which in most critical canons occupies a slightly lower place than the works which come before and after it. Mozart's warm-hearted and colorfully orchestrated (clarinets instead of the usual oboes) piece brings out an equivalent and unexpected playfulness of dynamic and rhythm in the pianist's irresistible reading, with profuse but always appropriate ornamentation in the rondo, and intriguing, stylish original cadenzas for the first and last movements. Incidentally, the same virtues hold for all of Brendel's emendations to Mozart's original notes in these pieces; in this he is decidely superior to Ashkenazy in his Mozart concerto recordings. (The one drawback of this entire set is that the inclusion of five concertos necessitates splitting K. 482 between the first and second CDs.)

It is only by these exalted standards that the performances of K. 271, the dashing "Jeunehomme," pushing the boundaries of standard concerto form with its unexpected piano interjections at the outset, and the Olympian K. 503 come off as slightly stiffer and less attuned to the finest nuance; however, the latter performance was recorded live and astonishes with its digital clarity, the concluding roar of applause being amply justified.

Brendel's collaborators, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields with Neville Marriner, supply exemplary accompaniments, notwithstanding some slight inaccuracies in the live K. 503 and, more surprisingly, K. 595. One hopes these recordings will be available for a long time to come.

Artistic Genius.......2006-05-31

Mozart is rightly hailed as a musical genius. Some say he was the best that ever was. I personally prefer Bach and baroque organ fugues but this CD is a good argument for the Mozart partisans.

In the first place, the compositions are excellent. Mozart was a genius and it shows. In the second place, the performances preserved here are exquisite. The recordings are clear and vibrant.

It is a first class album all around.

Almost Perfect.......2006-02-19

If you love Mozart you will really enjoy this CD. In my opinion Sir Neville Marriner & the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields performs Mozart better than any other. The only problem I have with this CD is some tracks on the first CD are recorded live. I have never been a big fan of live recordings. An occasional cough is heard on track 4 which makes me cringe. If only they passed out cough drops that evening I would have awarded this CD five stars. Otherwise the music is simply sublime. Robitussin anyone?

Penguin Guide "Recommended Recording".......2006-01-22

With his 27 piano concertos, Mozart developed the form to a new level of artistry and claimed dominion of the new musical genre. The first seven concertos resulted from early composition exercises from his father converting Baroque sonatas to concerto form (most not-so-special). The first truly-original piano concerto No. 5 was composed at age 17 and No.'s 14-27 are all considered mature and monumental with anything in the 20's truly magnificant. Even works as early as No. 9 "Jeunehomme" (composed for a female French student, Mlle. Jeunehomme, perhaps a love interest) reveal an uncharacteristic maturity, depth of beauty and perfection of form for such a young composer. While most of the 27 concertos are sunny and galante, the two minor-key concertos (No. 20 & 24 on Volume I) reveal Mozart's evolution into more personal, dramatic expression - foreshadowing the Romantic era ushered in part by Beethoven. However, by the late 1780's, the fickle Vieneese who were "so done" with his music, leading to Mozart's demise. Late in Mozart's life there appeared to be a "new phase" of introspection and simplicity as seen in the poignant last Concerto #27 (along with his last chamber works). But this was sadly cut short by his early death in 1791.

These readings by Brendel and Marriner are alive with enthusiasm, warmth, and the typical Brendel precision. The balance of the piano and orchestra is perfect and allow the drama to unfold unhindered. Along with Murray Perahia's and Andras Schiff's complete cycles, Brendel's performances of Mozart's piano concertos are considered - on the whole - to be at the top of the list overall. Highlights in Vol. II here must certainly be the simple beauty and chamber-like feel of Concerto No. 9 "Jeunehomme," the sparkling No. 22 (K.482) and the poignant "swansong" concerto, No. 27 (K. 595). Where volume II features these two more subdued concertos of immense tenderness (no timpani or trumpets), Volume I contains the powerfully emotive, crowd-pleasing D-minor and C-minor concertos No. 20, 24 - along with the famous and bubbly C-major concerto. Both volumes are essential listening, but that much might guide your first purchase if you can only get one set.

The six works on these two CD's (along with those of the sister set) are among the most skillfully composed, musically appealing and rightfully popular of Mozart's 27 piano concertos (hence the term, "Great Concertos"). Both sets received the highest Penguin Guide rating (Rosette) and are an official "Recommended Recording." Nice compliment. Additionally, Gramophone says "this set can be recommended without any reservations." The value and sound quality/balance are excellent (as with most all Philips DUO label CD's).

For those who like the sound of a Mozart-era fortepiano and more "period performances," there is a splendid 9-CD "complete" set of Mozart's piano concertos (no.'s 5-27) by Malcolm Bilson and the English Baroque Soloists w/ Sir John Gardiner conducting that is both top-notch music and a super value on DG. Also, if you are building a Mozart collection, many of these Philips' DUO sets are excellent choices and in the top-tier of quality: Great Serenades (Marriner), Piano Quartets (Beaux Arts Trio), Piano Trios (Beaux Art Trio), Violin concertos (Grumiaux), Violin Sonatas (Szeryng/Haebler), and Complete Quintets I, II (Grumiaux et al).

Average customer rating:

This is the one to buy!
An easy first choice
The champion of Rachmaninov's music.
Thoughtful but passionate interpretations
Very good

Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 - 4

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rachmaninov: The Symphonies
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Prokofiev: The Five Piano Concertos

ASIN: B00000427L
Release Date: 1996-02-13

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In F Sharp Minor, Op.1: I Vivace
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F Sharp Minor, Op.1: II Andante
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F Sharp Minor, Op.1: III Allegro vivace
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op.18: I Moderato
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op.18: II Adagio sostenuto
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op.18: III Allegro scherzando

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No.3 In D Minor, Op.30: I Allegro ma non tanto
Piano Concerto No.3 In D Minor, Op.30: II Intermezzo: Adagio
Piano Concerto No.3 In D Minor, Op.30: III Finale (Alla breve)
Piano Concerto No.4 In D Minor, Op.40: I Allegro vivace (Alla breve)
Piano Concerto No.4 In D Minor, Op.40: II Largo
Piano Concerto No.4 In D Minor, Op.40: III Allegro vivace

Customer Reviews:

This is the one to buy!.......2007-06-13

A number of years ago, I went to the Classical Record Store in Toronto to acquire a copy of Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos. Like many others, I'd been introduced to Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto by the movie "Shine". When I asked the resident musicologist for Rach 3, she rolled her eyes. I explained that I wasn't remotely interested in the commercial David Helfgott version. I wanted the definitive version. She smiled knowingly and took me to a shelf. This is the version she handed me. Buy it. You won't be disappointed! Ashkenazy is at the peak of his powers and Previn does a phenomenal job with the London Symphony. It doesn't get any better than this.

An easy first choice.......2006-06-12

If you are looking for a standard stereo recording of the four concertoes, you don't have to look hard to realize that this set would be a nice and easy choice. Ashkenazy's performances of the Rachmaninov concertos are poetic, full of passions and yearnings, and technically excellent. This 2CD set is sold at the price of one full-priced CD, so it should be a good bargain. If you are a newcomer to Rachmaninov, this set is highly recommended. Later on when you have become familiar with these concertos you might also want to check out the renditions by Argerich and Horowitz, both of which contain some of the most spectacular displays of keyboard fireworks. These recordings by Ashkenazy have been reissued many times and the most recent one I believe is the 2 separate disks in the Eloquence series. Sonically the Eloquence reissues were artificially reprocessed in order to create wider dynamics and better sense of immediacy. Get either this one or the other, it doesn't matter which, what matters is that every Rachmaninov lover should have these recordings as basic items in his/her collection.

The champion of Rachmaninov's music........2005-12-25

This is a very good set of Rachmaninov's piano works for a very reasonable price indeed. For those who are unfamiliar with the great russian composer's piano works, from the blazing horns, swelling piano chords and seductive strings opening the first piano concerto you feel right away you're in for a very special musical experience.

Normally, when you know and appreciate what a musician has created throughout his career, there's almost always one piece of work that stands out or that you like more than the others. When it comes to Rachmaninov's piano works, mine would certainly be the Piano Concerto no 3, one of the most beautiful piano works that were ever written, and also the Concerto no 4. There's a certain nostalgia about this latter work, like feelings about a past gone forever, and you can feel this leitmotiv during the whole concerto. Maybe the fact that Rachmaninov wrote this wonderful concerto after having moved permanently to the US and therefore feeling homesick has something to do with it.

As for Mr Ashkenazy, he simply is the best interpreter when it comes to Rachmaninov's piano works. The great Vladimir is temperate rather than romantic, cool and constantly in control: sometimes he seems pouring out rivers of emotions and passion without getting carried away though. He has the musicality and intelligence to understand exactly how these concertos work. He has phenomenal technique, original approach, and his touch is quite fiery at times, gentle and tender at others. He can be poetic and passionate when he needs to.

In Rachmaninov's piano concertos the orchestra plays a vital role, often playing the main theme melodies while the piano accompanies, which is rather unusual. In this regard, the London Symphonic Orchestra and conductor A. Prévin are one of the best. Couple this with Rachmaninov's music and Ashkenazy's interpretation, and you're in for a very special musical treat indeed.

Thoughtful but passionate interpretations.......2005-07-09

After listening to a recording of Rachmaninoff's 2nd concerto and hearing a lot about the 3rd concerto, I jumped at buying this CD because of the low cost for two CDs - I was not disappointed.

For me the highlight by far is the third piano concerto, where Ashkenazy seems to pour out passion without getting carried away. This recording I much prefer to Argerich's recording (passionate, but little restraint and thought put into that performance) and even Horowitz's (although this may be because of it's worse sound quality). The first movement is played slower than most other performances, but is filled with passion and technical mastery. I am starting to learn this concerto and know how difficult it is! I was glad to see that Ashkenazy used the longer, chordal codenza rather than the shorter one used by Horowitz and Argerich (those are the only other recordings I've heard) with I much prefer.

The first and fourth concertos are also fabulously played but for me they don't compare to the third. The second concerto, however, was a little bit of a disappointment for me (not enough for me to give the discs 4 stars, however). Because I have already learned this concerto, I'm probably quicker to find faults with Ashkenazy's playing here. If I could put my finger on what I don't like about it it would be the balance between the piano and orchestra - you can hardly hear the piano at some of the most difficult sections. Still, the orchestra sounds beautiful and so does the piano when you can hear it.

Since listening to this disc Ashkenazy has quickly become one of my favorite pianists - as has Levine as a conductor. I would heartily recommend this CD for anyone, but especially for anyone who ever aspires to play any of these pieces - all four of the are beautiful and these performances are well thought-out and powerful.

Very good.......2005-03-18

These performances are wonderful, and to those who think otherwise, I do not really know another complete set that has performances as good as this. Ashkenazy is, as usual, amazing, and this particular set of the many Ashkenazy/Previn Rachmaninov Concertos sets is often called definitive. The sound quality is pretty good. Highly recommended.
By the way, Vladimir Ashkenazy holds the position of President of the Rachmaninov Society, which makes this set a no brainer.

Average customer rating:

What Hath God Wrought?
World class music
I Wish Dennis Brain Had Been Born So That His Performing Powers Peaked in 1995
A Master Performs a Master
Mozart: Horn Concert

Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000GCAD
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Horn Concerto No.1 In D, K.412: Allegro
Horn Concerto No.1 In D, K.412: Rondo (Allegro)
Horn Concerto No.2 In E Flat, K.417: Allegro maestoso
Horn Concerto No.2 In E Flat, K.417: Andante
Horn Concerto No.2 In E Flat, K.417: Rondo
Horn Concerto No.3 In E Flat, K.447: Allegro
Horn Concerto No.3 In E Flat, K.447: Romance (Larghetto)
Horn Concerto No.3 In E Flat, K.447: Allegro
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495: Allegro moderato
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495: Romance (Andante)
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495: Rondo (Allegro vivace)
Quintet In E Flat For Piano And Wind K.452: Largo-Allegro moderato
Quintet In E Flat For Piano And Wind K.452: Larghetto
Quintet In E Flat For Piano And Wind K.452: Rondo (Allegro)

Customer Reviews:

What Hath God Wrought?.......2007-04-02

Well ...

If you're reading this, it's likely that you have already have already heard about Dennis Brain and in particular the famous passages where his rapid playing left a generation of listeners shaking their heads in astonishment.

This is how everyone first hears of him: a sort of circus act with lots of notes but without the great tone that distinguishes really good horn playing. This first impression is strengthened by stories about the strange, narrow-bore horn he played and by the sound of occasionally clipped staccato notes and a tight low range. As someone once said, "My faults, according to this calculation, are heavy indeed!"

But in Brain's case as well as in Fitzwilliam Darcy's, closer acquaintance reverses the impression altogether.

At odds with the idea of frenetic speed, Brain produces some of the most sensitive phrase shaping you'll find in any musical recordings. His effortless mastery gives many passages a relaxed feeling that suggests he is playing them a third lower than written. His recordings of hornists' two signature pieces -- Strauss's first horn concerto and Mozart's third -- are both gentler than any other recording in the catalogue. He plays the Mozart third at a surprisingly slow tempo and turns the first page of the Strauss, which most players muscle up on, into a lullaby.

In the middle and upper ranges, Brain's tone, while unobtrusive, is so full and pure that many people say they have a tendency to block out everything else and just listen to that sound. That may not seem an asset for ensemble playing, but his accompaniment playing was wonderful and his reliability a huge asset for his colleagues. The expectation of perfection became so other-worldly that, on the inevitable day when Brain finally flubbed a passage in rehearsal, the always mischievous Sir Thomas Beecham stopped the orchestra, put his baton down, and just said, "Thank God."

Brain's trills, lip trills in particular, are uniquely clear, and at the end of the day, yes, there is that fabulously rapid articulation that leaves listeners wondering whether they were dreaming what they just heard.

This playing all emanated from a personality that was apparently of the utmost simplicity and modesty. Alan Civil had the last word on this forty years ago in his remembrance of Brain on the jacket of "The Art of Dennis Brain" album (Seraphim 60040, if you can find it). Try also [...] Brain's early, accidental death strikes one the same way as Beethoven's deafness does: a hint that higher forces are at play.

No, this is not a review of Brain's Mozart. It is an invitation to begin an acquaintance. Dig in!

World class music.......2007-01-10

By far the best rendition of the Mozart Horn Concertos ever produced. David Brain must be the "El Supremo" of horn playing. An added bonus on this CD is the Quintet in E flat for piano and wind and with Colin Horsley as the pianist is an added treat for New Zealanders. A "MUST HAVE" for all lovers of Mozart.

I Wish Dennis Brain Had Been Born So That His Performing Powers Peaked in 1995.......2006-05-17

I purchased The LP in 1953 and proceeded to 'wear it out.' No, I have not yet thrown it out.

However, I have had the good fortune to find myself a resident of the San Francisco Peninsula since 1970 and, in time, have had the privilege to make the acquaintance of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, who perform one of each of their annual subscription concert series locally here in Palo Alto.

In 1992 they recorded the Horn Concertos with Lowell Greer performing them on the natural (valveless) horn, the instrument which was in use at the time Mozart composed them. Given the temperamental nature of the the instrument, the recording is doubtless a composite of many 'takes.' It is also a breathtaking performance and is now my 'standard.' See:

[...]

Take a moment to listen to some of the available tracks.

Form your own opinion.

A Master Performs a Master.......2005-08-20

I'm not much of a classical music reviewer. I've been exposed to a lot of music, but I tend to stick to favorite performances, so I don't have the depth needed to really be authoritative. Except perhaps for oboe, and that's because I grew up listening to John De Lancie and Marcel Tabuteau - and once you hear really good, you know what's what. This album is a similar case. Dennis Brain wasn't a 'good' French horn player, he was probably the best that there ever was or will be.

I've heard a lot of performance horn players. All you have to do to see what I mean is to wander through this website and pick off performances of the first movement of Horn Concerto No. 2 in E flat and you will discover that Brain never blurbles a note, and every attack in the Allegro Maestoso is pinpoint. He is technically and tonally perfect and couples that with a superb musical sensibility. It was one of the great musical tragedies that he died at the age of 36.

Something to keep in mind is that when Mozart wrote these works for his good friend (and cheesemonger) Joseph Leutgeb, the French horn was a very limited instrument. Many of the notes were reached by stopping the bell to some degree, which affected volume and intonation. Mozart wrote to take advantage of Leutgeb's expertise at this, and Dennis Brain chooses to maintain this effect rather than just play his modern instrument with no thought to the past.

These compositions cover a fair range of time. Number 2(K.417) is really the earliest (1783). And the incomplete No. 1 (K.412) is really the last (1791). The best though, in both my mind and Mozart's is the Quintet in E flat for piano & wind. Mozart was a master in using instrument groupings in novel and powerful fashion and this is no exception.

EMI has remastered this CD over their previous release, which enhances clarity, and makes it easier to hear Dennis Brain's considerable finesse. I own their first release and the difference in clarity makes it worth finding this edition. But even the duller production of the 1997 is enjoyable. It you want a good selection of Dennis Brain's work on one CD this is an excellent buy.

Mozart: Horn Concert.......2005-08-14

Great recordings of the century, and that is what it is.
Herbart von Karajan conducting, and Dennis Brain on horn tells it all; a wonderful rich music experience are waiting for you.
In my ears its probably one of the best recordings ever made of the horn concert. And even though its from the mid 50`s it comes in a wonderful remastered CD.
The CD comes with a very good booklet in English; telling the story behind the record.
I highly recommend this album

Average customer rating:

One of my favorite composers
A Legendary Recording
Marvelous Mendelssohn
pure
Must have for any classical collection

Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos 1-5
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Schumann: Complete Piano Trios

ASIN: B0000026GB
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Concerto No.1 for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 25: I - Molto allegro con fuoco
Concerto No.1 for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 25: II - Andante
Concerto No.1 for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 25: III - Presto; Molto allegro e vivace
Concerto No.2 for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 40: I - Allegro appassionato
Concerto No.2 for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 40: II - Adagio
Concerto No.2 for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 40: III - Finale: Presto scherzando
Prelude & fugue, Op. 35, No. 1
Variations Serieuses, Op. 54
Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorite composers.......2007-02-07

TRULY AN HOUR OR SO OF REAL ENJOYMENT

A Legendary Recording.......2005-11-05

There are so many things that could be said about this recording. It deserves a spot on any top 50 classical recordings list. The piece and the performance are both 5 stars. Mendelssohn is an undeservingly neglected composer. He is ususally thought of as an orchestral composer, since his command of the orchestra is parallel to Mozart's. But in his own time, he was as great a pianist as anyone else. Even many pianists these days neglect or don't know much about his piano works. This is partly because his piano works are less "catchy" than what the romantic piano is often known for, (the piano concerto no. 1 is an exception). They are longer, more traditional, and require more patience, as compared to Chopin's short pieces, Schubert's Impromtus, etc. But they are just as good.

The piano concerto no. 1 in my opinion ties Tchaikovsky's piano concerto no. 1 as the greatest romantic piano concerto. If you've never heard it, it's absolutely mesmorizing. You won't get it out of your head for a week. And it's not performed very often. It captures your attention right away with a sense that something huge is imminent. Then it waists no time in quickly developing into a great, strong, but fairly simple theme. Then it hammers the theme with double octaves, and mixes it in with arpeggios. The whole effect creates a very classic, "nothing else like it" effect, much like Beethoven's 5th. As a piano concerto, Mendelssohn being a master of the orchestra avoids one of the potential pitfalls of focusing on the piano so much that the quality of the orchestral writing is comprimised. Like Mozart's late piano concertos, he manages to pull off a great balance with the orchestra, not a domination. The strings shadow the piano perfectly, with the brass supplying foundation, and the woodwinds adding color and having neat little solos. Few composers can pull off such a feat so perfectly. The piano concerto no. 2 is also very good, with a strong theme that develops after 45 seconds during the first movement, but it is not quite like the first. The three piano pieces at the end are very good, but they are overshadowed by the orchestral greatness of the concertos. As stated before, they require some patience.

Murray Perahia is as good as any other pianist at performing Mendelssohn, and Sir Neville Marriner conducts very well. Perahia always performs very lively and never lets down. The whole thing comes out beautifully. As great as these pieces are, I've heard other recordings of them, and they didn't sound nearly as good. They sounded flat and lacked energy. This is the definitive recording for these truly great concertos.

One last comment, this is one of those rare special pieces of music that captivates people of all musical styles, not just classical listeners. People start to become facinated with it right away, similar to Beethoven's 5th. Very few pieces have that power. Bach's harpsichord concertos and organ music, Haydn's Great masses, Mozart's late piano concertos, Beethoven's 5th Symphony, Chopin's fantasie-impromtu and 2nd piano sonata, and Tchaikovsky's 1st piano concerto and 1812 overture all are examples. I have a friend who's a school music teacher, who showed this recording to kids who mainly listen to pop, rock, and rap, and many of them liked it. I've also seen many adults who listen to jazz, 80's, or nothing-in-particular like it as well. If you're looking to give a non-classical listener a taste of what they're missing, this Cd would make an excellent choice.

Marvelous Mendelssohn.......2005-07-27

A marvelous recording of this dynamic and masterful Mendelssohn piano concerto. The music is vibrant and lush, and captures the lyricism as well as the powerful energy of this inventive Mendelssohn composition.

pure.......2005-05-12

Perahia is truly a great pianist (if not one of the greatest) and Marriner keeps his throne as the king he is. Mendelssohn wrote several keyboard and chamber music, and this is the definitive way to let this selection of music speak and sing!

Must have for any classical collection.......2001-07-23

This CD is pretty close to perfect. The concertos are beautiful, and there's really nothing like them. The orchestra never drowns out the piano (due to the fabulous conducting of Marriner), and Perahia can really bring out the beauty of any song and any piano.

The solo pieces on this CD are pretty good. Perahia brings out the melody very well on the Prelude and Fugue. And the Variations Serieuses are wonderful to listen to. However, the only reason I didn't give this CD 5 stars is the Rondo Capriccioso. At the opening Andante section, Perahia doesn't really play it fast enough, so the first two minutes of the piece sound like a beautiful dirge. The Rondo section, however, is absolutely perfect. His speed is precise and consistant, and his octaves at the end really add a great "bang" ending to the song, and for that matter, the CD. Not only was Mendelssohn a master, but so were Perahia and Marriner. This is a must have for any classical lover!

Concertos From My Childhood / Perlman, Foster
Average customer rating:

A must-buy for students learning any of these concertos!

Lovely for beginning students!

Listen! Discuss!

Remarkable; especially for violinists

A great CD aimed at young violinists

Concertos From My Childhood / Perlman, Foster
Lawrence Foster , and Jean-Baptiste Accolay
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Itzhak Perlman's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2

The Kreisler Album

The Art of Violin

Masters of the Bow

ASIN: B00000I7WE
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In B Minor: I: Allegro Moderato
Violin Concerto In B Minor: II: Andante
Violin Concerto In B Minor: III: Allegro moderato
Schuler-Konzert No.2, Op.13: I. Allegro non troppo
Schuler-Konzert No.2, Op.13: II. Adagio
Schuler-Konzert No.2, Op.13: III. Allegretto moderato
Violin Concerto No.1 In A Minor: Allegro moderato - Allegro
Scene de Ballet, Op.100
Violin Concerto No.22 In A Minor: I. Moderato
Violin Concerto No.22 In A Minor: II. Adagio
Violin Concerto No.22 In A Minor: III. Agitato assai

Amazon.com

Here is one of the greatest violinists of this or any other time playing student pieces ranging from elementary to virtuosic, so that budding violinists can hear what they sound like in a master player's hands. Let it be said at once that Perlman lavishes on them as much loving care and heartfelt expressiveness as on the staples of the literature, playing with his inimitably beautiful, golden tone, easy brilliance, stylistic flair, and captivating charm. He's clearly having a grand time. His fans will not be disappointed. The orchestrations, by unidentified arrangers, greatly enhance the music's effects; the student orchestra sounds thoroughly professional. The disc's educational value, however, is open to question, because the technical resources of students learning these pieces are worlds removed from Perlman's. For example, he uses full vibrato and dazzling speeds; he plays in first position, as written, only in the Rieding concerto; in the Seitz, he succumbs to his flair for virtuoso slides. The Bériot is stunning; the Viotti, the only "real" piece that turns up in concerts, including Perlman's own, sounds beautiful, but strangely uninvolved. Experienced teachers may well fear that listening to this disc could intimidate, frustrate, and discourage students rather than inspire them. So, enjoy it, but keep it away from the kids! --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

A must-buy for students learning any of these concertos!.......2007-02-28

Absolutely delighted with this buy! It is wonderful to have such a good recording by a maestro for student concertos. Although there is absolutely no way my son can play as well as Perlman, it is very helpful and important that he gets to listen to how beautiful the concertos can sound.

Lovely for beginning students!.......2006-11-06

My students love listening to this recording and get lots of inspiration from it. Big thanks to Mr. Perlman for making this recording.

Listen! Discuss!.......2006-10-11

Of course the kids should listed to this CD! Whether they are going to like it or not, whether it will sound imaginative enough, whether the articulation, rubato's, dynamics, vibrato's, slides, tone production etc will be thrilling or not, are all aspects that will be in the ears of the listeners and would form useful topics for discussion. Buy the CD before it is too late.

Remarkable; especially for violinists.......2006-03-27

My dad bought this cd for me when I was only 8 years old; that time I was barely learning how to play the violin; now that I am learning the Accolay concerto, I was rummaging through my cds and found that this cd contained the Accolay concerto. I listened to it, mesmerized and fascinated on how the interpretation was very different than I thought it would be. Perlman is no Heifetz or Kriesler, but the fact that he played this when he was about my age must have brought back memories for him. He uses an extensive vibrato, and he dosen't fall into habits making it a little jumpy like he does for several other famous violin concertos. These several concertos on the cd may not be as famous as Tchaikovsky's, Mendelssohn's or Beethoven's, but it isn't too complicated, and the tune is very melodious. Highly Recommended

A great CD aimed at young violinists.......2006-03-03

Perlman plays four concertos and one ballet scene that are usually played by intermediate level violin students. Recordings of these pieces are hard to find, so it is nice that a master of the violin decided to make a recording using a student orchestra at Juilliard. Perlman does a wonderful job of playing simple music. It is nice for children to have a recording showing them how one of the world's best violinists makes their beginner concertos into beautiful music. I highly recommend it for Suzuki students in Vol. 4 who are beginning to play concertos (the first Seitz in Vol. 4 is the 3rd movement of the Seitz Concerto no. 2 on this CD). It is nice to hear the concertos with full orchestra, instead of the usual violin plus piano that is usually found on the Suzuki CDs.

The music itself is simple: it is aimed at children who are intermediate violin students, not Symphony Hall. The first two concertos are played in first position only. If you're looking for Perlman playing advanced music with all the "bells and whistles", then this is not the CD for you: you should look for his recordings of the standard adult repertoire. If you're looking for a CD to please your intermediate level violinist, then this one will likely do the trick. My 9 year old daughter loves it.

Liszt: The Two Piano Concertos; The Piano Sonata

Average customer rating:

Great But Not The Greatest
On the Lizst piano sonata
To unbalance for rebalance!
Consummate Mastery In The Liszt Concertos
The best CD of Liszt's major piano works

Liszt: The Two Piano Concertos; The Piano Sonata
Franz Liszt , Kiril Kondrashin , London Symphony Orchestra , and Sviatoslav Richter
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Liszt: 10 Hungarian Rhapsodies
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Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos
Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos / Richter
Schumann: Piano Concerto / Sviatoslav Richter

ASIN: B0000041C4
Release Date: 1995-07-18

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In E flat: 1. Allegro maestoso
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E flat: 2. Quasi adagio
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E flat: 3. Allegretto vivace - Allegro animato
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E flat: 4. Allegro marziale animato
Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: Adagio sostenuto assai - Allegro agitato assai
Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: Allegro moderato
Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: Allegro deciso - Marziale un poco meno allegro
Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: Allegro animato
Sonata In B Minor: Lento assai - Allegro energico
Sonata In B Minor: Andante sostenuto
Sonata In B Minor: Allegro energico - Andante sostenuto - Lento assai

Amazon.com

Since they were first issued, Sviatoslov Richter's Liszt Piano Concertos have been widely admired as the finest performances available, and for most listeners they still are. Now they have been remastered by none other than Wilma Cozart Fine, Mercury Living Presence's goddess of the sound console, and they have come up sounding better than ever. To make matters even more exciting, you also get Richter's well-nigh definitive performance of the massive Sonata in B Minor--and all for only mid-price! Even if you hate Liszt, hate concertos, hate pianos, hate Russians, hate music in general, you should own and treasure (or punish yourself regularly) with this recording. --David Hurwitz

Amazon.com

Although Sviatoslav Richter's account has power and authority, it's best in the meditative moments, which are almost balletic in their grace. The Russian pianist achieves seamless transitions from one mood to the next, and his countryman on the podium sees to it that there is a wonderful dovetailing of the accompaniment around the solo. Richter is especially magical at the end of the Adagio, where he anticipates the shadings of Liszt's late style. This was originally a Mercury "Living Presence" recording; it has been tellingly remastered by its original producer, and sounds remarkably more vivid than when Philips first issued it on CD. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Great But Not The Greatest.......2007-06-14

Of course, as great pianists go, Richter is perhaps the best all-rounder, and like many a pianophile I probably have more recordings by him than by any other single pianist. Nevertheless, there is greater refinement and daring in Byron Janis's Mercury Living Presence recording of the Liszt concertos. Much as I also like serious and probing accounts of the Liszt sonata and so would not part with Arrau on Philips (coupled with a fine Vallee d'Obermann and a superb Benediction), it is difficult to return to him or indeed to Richter once you have encountered Martha Argerich's astonishing recording of the sonata on her Debut Recital compilation on DG. Richter's only fault was that he could occasionally take too firm an approach to a piece just as Michelangeli could sometimes seem to be too aloof. Richter's virtuosity could be astonishing (the Mendelssohn Variations serieuses appended to the Richter/Rostropovich DVD of the complete Beethoven cello sonatas, the Chopin Etude Op10 No4 on the Bruno Monsiagneon DVD, and Debussy's L'Isle joyeuse on BBC Legends) - and his poetry could be just as breathtaking (the Chopin Ballade No3 on the same BBC CD set) - but sometimes Richter could also go over the top and allow his ferocious virtuosity to squeeze the poetry out of a piece. Neither the Liszt concerto recordings nor the sonata are cases of this approach, but nor are they Richter at his most completely inspired - and for my money the Janis and Argerich recordings are superior for the COMBINATION of virtuosity and poetry. Byron and Martha rule on this occasion!

On the Lizst piano sonata.......2007-02-28

Might I mention one performance that Jeffrey Lipscomb omits - that recorded live in Budapest 1960. It was issued as a Phillips Legendary Classics CD, 422 137-2. The cd is a sort of twin to the 1958 Sofia Concert but has always been very much harder to find. This is my favorite of the recordings I know.

There is also a performance in the Chopin/Liszt box from the Authorised Recordings collection, Phillips again, 438 620-2. The minimal information claims it was recorded in 1988 but I believe it is the Livorno 1966 version.

To unbalance for rebalance! .......2006-08-23

It's far to be a mere casualty, the fact Richter and Francois have become the most important performers in which concern the major achievement of Franz Liszt `s Piano Concertos. Both pianists have some similarities, first and foremost, they possessed a nonchalant respect for the objective rules of interpretation so frequently watched until the 60's. Additionally, they created atmospheres every time they played and the glorious musical intuition, logic consequence of that irreverent posture before the rational way of playing the piano, permitted them to discover and explore new horizons around these well known and many times neglected works. They caught the entire attention of the public, because the Dionysian spirit made they considered these Op. as transient works between an agonic Romanticism and an emerging musical Impressionist. That explains why composers such Bartok, Respighi or Reger decided to undertake new musical paths.

The main difference between Richter, Francois and the rest is they illuminated and explored new facets of the score. Go for this unavoidable album an then you will agree with me.

The performance of the Sonata in B minor is mesmerizing.

Consummate Mastery In The Liszt Concertos.......2005-04-25

If you are new to the late Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter, arguably the greatest all-round keyboard virtuoso of the last century, this is a splendid place to start. And if you are new to Liszt's piano concertos, there is little need to look any farther. Few "legendary" recordings live up to the praise heaped upon them so deservedly as these classic 1961 studio recordings. Richter's inspired blend of drama and poetry is matched by a superb accompaniment from Kondrashin and the London Symphony. Philips here has actually improved on the sound of the original LPs: only a trace of hiss betrays the fact that these performances were taped over four decades ago.

However, for Richter collectors, the situation is a little more complicated. These concertos are sensibly coupled with a "live" 1966 concert reading (from Livorno) of Liszt's Piano Sonata. Recently, Philips has re-issued these same concertos (minus the Liszt Sonata) in a coupling with three Beethoven sonatas (#10, 19 & 20). The sound on the newer disc is SLIGHTLY better than what is heard on this less expensive CD. Of course, Richter completists will want to have both.

Further complicating the situation, BBC Legends has issued the "live" 1961 Richter/Kondrashin concerto accounts (Royal Albert Hall, London) that preceded these studio recordings. While I generally prefer the "spontaneity" of actual concert performances, I think the studio accounts here are a little better realized and have superior sound. But again, the compleat Richterphile will need to own both: the BBC CD also has a "live" Liszt Hungarian Fantasia and Chopin's "Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise." The Chopin is a personal favorite, along with the Czerny-Stefanska/Smetacek version on Supraphon (see my review). So, in short, I own both Philips releases as well as the BBC concert CD.

That brings us back to the Liszt Sonata, which Richter never recorded in the studio. This 1966 account is one of four "live" recordings by Richter (all of which have some wrong notes). It's superior to the 1965 Aldeburgh (Classica d'Oro), which is very messy and rushed, and about on a par with the 1965 Moscow (Brilliant Classics). All in all, it's a rather analytical reading, and I would rank it just behind historic recordings by Simon Barere (mine's on Turnabout LP) and Ernst Levy (on a wonderful Marston CD that includes a great account of Beethoven's "Hammerklavier" Sonata).

Unfortunately, Richter's GREATEST account of the Liszt Sonata is the only one that is currently un-available: a stupendously well-controlled, supremely poetic 18 May 1965 concert performance from Carnegie Hall. This was first issued on a rare LP (Private Edition P-101, apparently the only record issued by that label). I bought a copy in Manhattan back around 1974 for $20 - a princely sum in those days for a sole LP (adjusted for inflation, it's likely the most I have ever paid for a single disc). It also included the most awesomely well-played Mendelssohn "Variations Serieuses" I have ever heard (22 April 1965, Brooklyn), plus Richter's finest version of Beethoven's Op. 101 Sonata (3 May 1965, Carnegie Hall). This stunning Liszt Sonata was briefly available on a "Legendary Pianists" CD (Philips 422137, now deleted).

So, to summarize: 1) This Philips disc contains the greatest studio accounts of Liszt's piano concertos known to me, 2) You may want to supplement it with Richter's "live" BBC accounts, and 3) Hopefully, Philips will re-issue that fabulous "live" 1965 Liszt Sonata from Carnegie Hall. The latter is the greatest account of the Liszt Sonata I have ever heard, and just possibly Richter's greatest-ever recording, period. Philips, are you listening? [Nov. 2005 update: the 1965 Carnegie Hall reading of the Liszt Sonata has recently been re-issued on a Palexa CD, which is available here at Amazon]

Highly recommended.

The best CD of Liszt's major piano works.......2004-10-22

Franz Liszt had written an enomous piano works, including Rhapsodies, Waltzes, Préludes, Annees de Pelerinage, Etudes, Transcriptions, Symphonic Poems... And the number of works goes to the thousands. But he just wrote two concertos and one sonata. I believe they are some of most beautiful concertos and sonatas in classical.

When talk about Liszt, people often think about V. Horowitz, J. Bolet, E. Szegedi, or G. Cziffra. Even some famous pianists said "Noone can't play Liszt like Horowitz". It could be true, but not with these concertos and sonata. Richter had made a legendary record with outstanding technique. Comparing to Argerich, Cziffra in concertos and Horowitz in sonata in B, Richter played more dramatically and gently. Especially in concerto N. 1, Adagios, every notes like drops of crystal. Performed with Kiril Kondrashin and London Symphony Orchestra, this is a must have CD in your collection. Another CD of Liszt's concertos you could consider is Boris Berezovsky - Liszt concerto and sonata in B (Leonskaya). Boris Berezovsky is a young pianist (1969) with briliant talen and won Tchaikovsky competition in 1990.

Moreover, there are many valuable albums of Richter you can find if you want to explore more about this pianist, like Richter in Prague, Rediscovery - with Prokofiev's sonata No. 6 played in Carnegie Hall, Schumann's works...

Average customer rating:

Best recording of the concertos out there!
A tender and delicate Chopin
Very good but certainly not Chopin
Brilliant. Marvellous. Astonishing.
A profound, masterful interpretation

Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Chopin: 4 Ballades/Barcarolle, Op.60/Fantasie in F
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1
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Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

ASIN: B00002DE0S
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 In E minor, Op.11: Allegro maestoso
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 In E minor, Op.11: Romance - Larghetto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 In E minor, Op.11: Rondo - Vivace

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano and Orchestra No. 2 In F minor, Op.21: Maestoso
Concerto For Piano and Orchestra No. 2 In F minor, Op.21: Larghetto
Concerto For Piano and Orchestra No. 2 In F minor, Op.21: Allegro vivace

Amazon.com

Chopin's two piano concertos have long been admired more as pianistic vehicles than as integrated works for piano and orchestra. But in his revelatory new recording, Krystian Zimerman suggests otherwise: The opening orchestral tuttis have so much more light, shade, orchestral color, and detail, you wonder if they've been rewritten. Every gesture, every instrumental solo is so specifically characterized that by the time the piano makes a dramatic entrance, the pieces have become operas without words. One may wonder if Chopin intended that. In fact, he knew bel canto opera in his native Poland, but the more positive proof is that the music has so much more to say when treated this way. Some will find the performances disturbing: The interpretations are so much more about content than form, and there's so much tempo and rhythmic flexibility, that the music sometimes seems unmoored and adrift. But upon repeated listening, the sense of fantasy is so beguiling that you wonder if you could ever go back to more conventional performances. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Best recording of the concertos out there! .......2007-05-01

I searched the web and stores in general for many years trying to find something better... better does not exist in this case.

A tender and delicate Chopin.......2007-04-08

Mr. Zimerman and his Polish Festival Orchestra have produced a very fine recording of the Chopin Piano Concertos No. 1 and 2. Mr. Zimerman has hand picked young Polish musicians to form this orchestra. While it is quite possible for the musicians who are not Polish to completely succeed in interpreting Chopin, I think that it does help if one absorbs Chopin with the mother's milk, so to speak. Mr. Zimerman plays piano and also conducts. He lets the orchestra flourish. They produce a big wave of intricate music. One can hear that the musicians in the orchestra are pouring their hearts and creativity out. One can feel the freedom of the orchestral expression. The orchestra follows the gentleness and the lyricism of Mr. Zimerman's interpretation.

Mr. Zimerman will immediately touch your heart. He is a great master of Chopin.

Mr. Zimerman plays beautifully, with delicate soft dynamics. He achieves the full emotional effect without any over-expressions. He goes softer and more delicate in many places in which others may add more sound and strength. His effect wins.

My favorites are the Rondo from the Concerto No.1, in which Mr. Zimerman plays energetically and with determination, but without any harshness of tone, and the Maestoso from the Concerto No. 2. In the latter the orchestra initially goes for less sound, rather than for the bigger sound often heard in other orchestras. There is a vein of Chopin's sadness that would be lost if the orchestra were too bright. The piano enters dramatically, but then becomes whimsical, and later quite sad. More moods follow. This is the most beautiful movement. After the great introduction and the middle part the momentum is lost. It is regained towards the end of the movement, but one could feel the recovery. I guess there is a trade-off when one uses the tempo changes as a way to express subtle points in music. The loss of the musical momentum could be possibly looked at positively, as a stopping point for the reflection, but I did not like it. Here is where the stick of an external conductor would be welcome.

All in all, this is a great recording, characterized by finesse, tenderness, lyricism, and gentleness, and a nice capture of the dramatic moments. It is Chopin at its best.

Very good but certainly not Chopin.......2006-06-05

This is a very very good Piano Concerto interpretation and execution. However Krystian Zimerman, despite being as polish as Chopin, does not rise to the ocassion at all times during the Chopin Piano Concertos, and I have to say, the playing is excellent, the interpretation is supreme, but this is not Chopin by a long shot.

Take the first movements of both concertos, staring with #1. An Allegro Maestoso is supposed to be played like an Allegro Maestoso not like a scherzo or a molto maestoso. He does this flip from a blue feeling to a rhapsody playing (and viceversa) that sounds more like Listz or Brahms than a 19 year old passionate prodigious. The second concerto's frist movement again is filled with waves that sometimes make you feel you're listening to a Largetto and again a rhapsody, which this is not. Just listen to Ashkenazy play Chopin solo works and you will likely understand the man himself. Magaloff is also a reference for Chopin's playing.

A better version ? Although I'm not fond of Arrau playing Chopin, I own and prefer his version of both concertos, mostly because of the solist. If you haven't listened to them, I recommend you to do so, as his playing comes in more fluid, natural and consistant with the sheet -and with Chopin's personality-. The orchestation of Zimerman is excellent, and have to admit superior than Arrau's + London which feels somewhat missplaced at times, but as I said the piano execution is not Chopin.

All in all a very good piano concerto for someone who hasn't listened to other interpretations, so don't be surprised if you find superior versions.

Brilliant. Marvellous. Astonishing........2006-02-08

These are undoubtedly the best Chopin's concerti ever recorded. Even if I knew no other performance, after hearing this recording I'd know it's perfect. Until I first heard it, I hadn't ever thought a Polish orchestra could be so excellent. One of the reviewers, Ms Zbikowska (przy okazji, pozdrawiam) wrote she bought these CDs because of patriotic duty :) I'm also Polish, but since I consider most of music pieces to be rather beyond nationality, our Ferdek Ch. will never be my favourite composer because of his nationality :)

Instead, I bought this CD because of Zimerman, who in my opinion is the best today's pianist. I am not disappointed, moreover, I have been rewarded more than I counted for. It's difficult to describe (how can we describe music not to lose something from its beauty and depth)...

Just listen to the slow theme in the 1st movement of the E minor concerto, no matter performed by the orchestra alone or Zimerman with the orchestra. God, when I heard it, this was the first time I ever thought of Chopin's concertos: 'This isn't a sweet, candy-style music, this is real, pure beauty!' Zimerman really feels this music, understands it, thus knows how to play it. And these young talented people from the orchestra... I want them to become our National Philharmonic players! I know Zimerman "trained" them long, but the effect is absolutely unimaginable! In the samples you can hear, how they start each of the concertos. (To be honest, my favourite parts of Chopin's concerti have always been the orchestral exposition of the 1st movements with the first few minutes with the piano) Listen to it. E.g. the unusual beginning of the F minor: quiet, passionate... Then a mighty 'tutti' moment, and then it's moving, accelerating... THIS is the way it should be played! Other example: listen to the very 11-12th second of the beginning of the E minor. This might seem to be a detail at first, not worth mentioning... but how dead and boring seem immediately all other recordings! Here is the passion...

Someone contemporary to Chopin said he was more Polish than any of Frenchmen was French or any of Germans - German... I don't know whether the opinion that the music of a composer is played best by his compatriots is true in all cases, but IMO it is in the case of Chopin - and these recordings confirm it.

Don't care about people who complain about the lack of "spontaineity". There is no room for spontaineity where everything is perfect as is Chopin's head!

Buy these recordings. You cannot be disappointed.

Thanks and sorry for my, perhaps wrong, English spelling or other errors :)

P.S. Deutsche Grammo should pay me for advertisement. :)

A profound, masterful interpretation.......2005-12-06

These concertos were written by a young man in love. In 1830, at the age of 19, Chopin was smitten with the young Polish soprano Konstancja Gladkowska, and he credits her as the inspiration for his two Concertos for Piano and Orchestra, composed during that year. He wrote to a friend: "This is a young, pretty person, who plays, because, perhaps unfortunately, I have my ideal that I have been faithfully serving for six months already without speaking to her, of whom I dream, in honor of whom is the adagio to my concerto..." The youthful, melancholic passion of his first, yet unrequited love is certainly reflected in the concertos, especially in the slow movements, which Chopin described in the following words: "It is rather romantic, peaceful, melancholic. It should give the impression of a loving glance at a place which brings a thousand dear memories to mind. It is a kind of reverie on a beautiful vernal night, by moonlight."

One of the most remarkable things about Chopin is that as a composer he grew to his full potential very early in life. By the time he composed these concertos at the age of just 19, he had already developed his own completely unique pianistic idiom, quite unlike any composer before or since: like Athena springing forth fully formed from the head of Zeus. The mazurka in the finale of the Second Concerto; the romantic nocturne-like slow movements; the graceful, delicate, aristocratic embellishments: it's all pure, unadulterated Chopin. He never composed a single piece of music that did not feature the piano, and he was the author of only a small handful of works for piano and orchestra. Preferring to work in the smaller forms, Chopin is not so much remembered today for his orchestrations, which are sometimes even re-composed by those who find fault with them. But one must remember that the piano concertos were written as a labor of love, and that even if the orchestrations are not perfect, they should be treated delicately and with the same love that Chopin himself put into them.

This is the sensitive new approach that Krystian Zimerman and the Polish Festival Orchestra adopt in their landmark interpretation of the Chopin Piano Concertos. Zimerman hand-picked each and every member of his orchestra from among the finest young musicians in Poland, with the specific purpose of holding a world tour of the concertos on the 150th anniversary of Chopin's death. This recording is the result of that tour, and is nothing short of a visionary musical masterpiece. As both conductor and soloist, Zimerman blends the orchestral sound perfectly with his own performance, capturing every nuance with adroit delicacy, perfectly dovetailing every phrase. I never doubted Zimerman's virtuosity before, but this recording fixes him firmly in my mind as one of the greatest pianists of our time. His attitude towards the music is truly one of love and humility before the composer, rather than "How fast can I play this?" or "How can I use this piece to show off?" His attention to detail is amazing: listening to his performance one gets the sense that he has come to a complete understanding of Chopin's music, capturing the idiom of the composer perfectly, and leaving the listener feeling a profound sense of "rightness." The music on these discs leaves a very lasting impression, and I encourage anyone interested to listen to these recordings and experience the definitive interpretation of Chopin's Piano Concertos.

Average customer rating:

five sparkling gems
Outstanding.
OK for the money
You'll like this set even if you don't like Saint-Saens
Trust us

Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos 1-5

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos
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ASIN: B00000425S
Release Date: 1995-05-16

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. In D Major, Op. 17: I Andante -- Allegro assai
Piano Concerto No. In D Major, Op. 17: II Andante sostenuto quasi adagio
Piano Concerto No. In D Major, Op. 17: III Allegro con fuoco
Piano Concerto No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 22: I Andante sostenuto
Piano Concerto No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 22: II Allegro Scherzando
Piano Concerto No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 22: III Presto
Piano Concerto No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 29: I Moderato assai - Piu mosso (Allegro maestoso)

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 29: II Andante
Piano Concerto No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 29: III Allegro non troppo
Piano Concerto No. 4 In C Minor, Op. 44: I Allegro moderato
Piano Concerto No. 4 In C Minor, Op. 44: II Allegro vivace
Piano Concerto No. 5 In F Major, Op. 103: I Allegro animato
Piano Concerto No. 5 In F Major, Op. 103: II Andante
Piano Concerto No. 5 In F Major, Op. 103: III Molto allegro

Amazon.com

There is a lot of really enjoyable music here. I remember organizing a performance of the Fifth Piano Concerto (subtitled "The Egyptian") when I was repertoire committee chairman for a local community orchestra. We found it not only very playable for all of us amateurs in the orchestra, but it simply blew the audience away. It's a real find. Both the Second and Fourth concertos have been popular favorites for more than a century, but they seemed to have vanished sight in the past couple of decades. It was our loss, but no more. And the Fifth Piano Concerto, even when played by amateurs, can blow an audience away. At two discs for the price of one, these fine performances offer listeners a great chance to know this charming and vivacious music at little or no risk at all. So why hesitate? --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

five sparkling gems.......2007-02-21

Saint-Saens was the dominant French composer of the second half of the nineteenth century. And yet his works remain under-appreciated. His party piece "Carnival of the Animals" is probably his best known composition. Of his five symphonies, only the last (the "Organ" symphony, which is given the number 3) is well known, and that as a novelty crowd pleaser, rather than in recognition of the masterpiece it is. All five symphonies should be part of the standard repertoire. Of the piano concertos, the best known is the second, with the fourth somewhere behind that. But all five are glittering, assured works, full of imagination, and amongst the most thoroughly realized concertos written. They make full use of all the colours of the large romantic orchestra, and range through the pallette of emotions from exuberance to reflective sadness. This is a fine recording, the notes dropping in clear cascades of gorgeous sound. It should be part of any classical music collection.

Outstanding........2005-11-24

Having listened to other recordings, plus hearing live ones, of Concerto #2 (the most popular) for 15 years, it was nice to hear the entire pentalogy of the Saint-Saens piano concerti.
Pascal Roge may not be as big a name as Martha Argerich or
Vladimir Ashkenazy, but he certainly knows how to play the piano.
There isn't a dull moment in any of them. Roge captures all the youthful exuberance in the musically-straightforward 1st concerto. The 5th concerto (often called "The Egyptian concerto") is definitely the best of the lot. The tonal coloring is exquisite throughout, especially in the 'Nile River' 2nd movement and the boisterous finale. I could listen to it all day. The 3rd and 4th concerti are fine; these are musically less interesting than the other three. The orchestra is equally virtuosic and never oversteps its bounds, under the guidance of Dutoit. Highly recommended.

OK for the money.......2005-04-22

All in all, I think this is a fair value. Dutoit does a great job conducting and the quality of the recording is good. I was disappointed with the soloist's interpretation of concerto no 2 - I felt too much liberty was taken - esp on the opening passages. What should have been one long phrase building in intensity was instead practically broken into shorter phrases and any momentum that might have been gained was lost. I also felt like the third movement was not played at a tempo I would consider 'presto'.

I liked concerto no 1 very much - these concertos should not be ignored even if some critics do not consider Saint Saens a 'heavyweight' composer.

You'll like this set even if you don't like Saint-Saens.......2004-05-06

Unlike some of the other reviewers here, I am one of those who consider Saint-Saens to be a hopeless musical lightweight, a first-rate second-rate composer (as the old saw goes), a musician of prodigious technical talent but lacking any real depth in his music. It isn't any accident that, despite the tremendous popularity of his music during his lifetime, only about 2 dozen (and that is probably being generous) of his many many pieces are performed with any consistency.

Not coincidentally, some of Saint-Saens' pieces that have shown staying power are at least a couple of the piano concerti, and they are impeccably presented here by Roge & Dutoit. All in all, they are pretty musical confections of a decidedly classical strain, certainly not wallowing in the late romanticism that was running rampant at the time they were composed. If you are lukewarm about Saint-Saens, this is a collection that will plead his case for you about as well as anything to be found these days. Also, it is nice and cheap --- that certainly does not detract from its desirability. Enjoy.

Trust us.......2003-03-02

Looking at the other reviews here, I can only nod in complete agreement. Saint-Saëns is an underrated composer and these 5 concertos are joyful, seductive and deserving of a lot more attention than they have received. Saint-Saëns, like Mendelssohn, had the ability to instantly inspire happiness in the listener, this listener anyhow. Yes, the 2nd and 4th occasionally do get an airing, but the "Eqyptian" (the 5th) is every bit their equal and the remaining two concertos certainly have their own merits. The five deserve a double disc outing like this.

The performances here are very, very fine indeed. I have not heard the Collard/Previn versions (which are referred to in another review), although I have several versions of the 2nd and 4th. Charles Dutoit and Pascal Roge do a wonderful job, investing these performances with the affection and conviction they deserve. True, there is more of the virtuoso than the philosopher about Roge's playing, but that is entirely appropriate to Saint-Saëns. This is feel-good music (and music-making) of the very highest callibre.

Returning to these discs is always a pleasure for me and I hope will be for you. If you have even a passing interest in late Romantic piano concertos treat yourself to these.

Music Track:

Music Track

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