Schubert: Piano Trio No. 2

On this CD:

1. Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat major, D. 929 (Op. 100)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Mozartean Players

2. Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat major, D. 929 (Op. 100) Allegro moderato (manuscript version)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Mozartean Players

Schubert: Piano Trio No. 2, Music, Franz Schubert, Mozartean Players, Chamber, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Trio for Keyboard and Two String Instruments

Franz Schubert: Complete Trios
Average customer rating:

A Hidden Gem Worth Taking Without Hesitation!

first CD best

A great way to buy Schubert's chamber music

Good, but too "intellectualized"

One Schubert CD YOU Should Get

Franz Schubert: Complete Trios

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Pressler, Menahem | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Mozart: The Complete Piano Trios

Brahms: Complete Trios

Brahms: Complete Piano Quartets

Antonín Dvorák: Complete Piano Trios

ASIN: B00000417B
Release Date: 1994-01-18

Tracks:

String Trio In B Flat, D.581: I. Allegro moderato
String Trio In B Flat, D.581: II. Andante
String Trio In B Flat, D.581: III. Menuetto (Allegretto)
String Trio In B Flat, D.581: IV. Rondo (Allegretto)
String Trio In B Flat, D. 471--Allegro
Piano Trio In B Flat, D.898: I. Allegro moderato
Piano Trio In B Flat, D.898: II. Andante un poco mosso
Piano Trio In B Flat, D.898: III. Scherzo (Allegro)
Piano Trio In B Flat, D.898: IV. Rondo (Allegro vivace)

Tracks:

Piano Trio In E Flat, C.929: I. Allegro
Piano Trio In E Flat, C.929: II. Andante con moto
Piano Trio In E Flat, C.929: III. Scherzo (Allegro moderato)
Piano Trio In E Flat, C.929: IV. Allegro moderato
Piano Trio In One Movement In B Flat, D.28: Allegro
Adagio In E Flat, D.897

Amazon.com

Schubert's two piano trios are the products of his last years when, knowing that he was ill and dying, he still managed to produce dozens of songs and chamber music masterpieces, as well as pursue counterpoint studies and make plans for further orchestral and stage works. Add to this the earlier String Trio and a couple of miscellaneous single movements, and his output in "trio" form is complete. Both of the piano trios are typically large works, generously stuffed with first-rate tunes, some of which you may recognize without knowing exactly where they came from. These excellent performances at a "twofer" price offer the most convenient and cost effective way to get to know this marvelous music. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

A Hidden Gem Worth Taking Without Hesitation!.......2005-10-21

The Grumiaux Trio and the Beaux Arts trio are highly respected groups in the domain of chamber music and rank as highly as groups such as the Guarneri Quartet. These earlier performances of Schubert are exquisite in their execution and the only defect here is perhaps a slightly reduced sound quality than your typical contemporary performances due to its age. This is barely noticeable however and this CD is really a steal for the price.

The trios of Schubert are a good way of exploring various periods of his life in which he composed drastically different arrangements. His Piano Trio D. 28 is a good example of his foundations in Mozart and early Beethoven until you reach his Piano Trio D. 929 (performed often in Kurbrick's 'Barry Lyndon') where Schubert explores much more on impressionistic themes than romantic ones. Such themes were only pursued later by composers such as Brahms and Schumann. Liszt's romanticism was also stongly influenced by both Beethoven and Schubert. Of the performances I really have nothing to say as they are simply flawless and there are few I could compare. The sound has some disadvantages but not really significant ones.

This is really a magnificent performance giving you Schubert's complete trios on two CDs. For the quality of performance you get it's a bargain. I am glad I got it as it was worth every dollar.

first CD best.......2005-10-03

I enjoyed the string trios and first piano trio far more than the piano trios on the second CD. Those pieces seemed to stretch Schubert's tendency to repeat sections with slow development to the limit of my toleration. The recordings here are somewhat distant at times but the individual instruments are easy to discern. My comment above about the compositions reflects personal taste -- reasons I generally prefer Beethoven to Schubert. If the pace of his development is to your liking you might very well consider this a "5 star" recording. Recommended with some reservations.

A great way to buy Schubert's chamber music.......2005-08-03

A wonderful 2 CD set of Schubert's trios played by excellent musicians. I particularly like the Beaux Arts Trio and their playing of the piano trios. A great way to consolidate your collection.

Good, but too "intellectualized".......2002-08-20

This is an excellent CD to have; the Beaux Arts Trio is excellent, but sometimes their interpretation is too intellectual and doesn't care enough for the beauty of Schubert's melodies. For example, in the second movement of Schubert E flat Piano trio, the gorgeous solo, the accompaniment to the gorgeous cello solo, then piano solo, is staccato, which takes much of the beauty out of this gorgeous section. I could picture the three guys sitting there and saying, "The melody line is long, so we should make the accompaniment short." When this melody recurs in the fourth movement, it's played much much much too quickly, again taking the beauty, the melancholy out of it. It's clear in those gorgeous waterfall-like descending chords on the piano that Pressler is racing and shouldn't be. After the solo in the second movement, the violin gets too staccato and makes part of the piece unbearably corny, particularly during the fortissimo parts. The B flat in particular tends to race. However, the playing is still very expressive; Pressler in particular and Greenhouse next. I reccomend this CD very highly.

One Schubert CD YOU Should Get.......2001-04-23

There just doesn't seem to be quite the equal for their interpretations of the classical repertoire, but even among the numerous remarkable recordings the Beaux Arts Trio has produced, this gorgeous rendering of Schubert decisively stands out.

Trio No.1 in B flat Major is my favourite pick, with all of its very expansive movements (length-wise, rather than musically, which often make the piece sound boring in lesser hands) treated with extremely delicate and tasteful pacings. One more thing that is very noticeable is the lyricism of the cello tone that almost resembles that of a human voice; it is so light and transparent, as perfectly exhibited in the second movement of the Trio No.1, that at times it could be mistaken for violin.

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Schubert: The Piano Trios
Average customer rating:

Those who criticize the sound quality ...

Performed with real gusto!

PURE MUSIC MAGIC

Schubert: The Piano Trios

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956

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Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 1; Itzhak Perlman; Vladimir Ashkenazy; Lynn Harrell

ASIN: B0000042HH
Release Date: 1997-11-11

Tracks:

Trio In B Flat Major For Piano, Violin And Cello, Op. 99, D898: I. Allegro moderato
Trio In B Flat Major For Piano, Violin And Cello, Op. 99, D898: II. Andante un poco mosso
Trio In B Flat Major For Piano, Violin And Cello, Op. 99, D898: III. Scherzo: Allegro - Trio
Trio In B Flat Major For Piano, Violin And Cello, Op. 99, D898: IV. Rondo: Allegro vivace - Presto

Tracks:

Trio In E Flat Major For Piano, Violin And Cello, Op. 100, D898: I. Allegro
Trio In E Flat Major For Piano, Violin And Cello, Op. 100, D898: II. Andante con moto
Trio In E Flat Major For Piano, Violin And Cello, Op. 100, D898: III. Scherzandro: Allegro moderato - Trio
Trio In E Flat Major For Piano, Violin And Cello, Op. 100, D898: IV. Allegro moderato

Customer Reviews:

Those who criticize the sound quality ..........2004-12-26

clearly have wax in their ears/speakers. Through a high fidelity system of any reasonable quality, these recordings sound warm, glorious, superb. And, of course, these compositions are performed in a manner that matches their quality. Among Schubert's best works, in my opinion.

Enjoy!

Performed with real gusto!.......2004-05-16

This recording of Schubert's two piano trios (the only two he wrote) is a real joy. Three masters of the trade provide a classy, lively, lyrical performance that is just full of enthusiasm and gusto (especially the B flat D898).

I admit that I have not heard the two higher-priced recordings recommended by Gramophone, but I'd be very surprised if anyone could top this performance. This is one of my most frequently played CD sets -- for good reason. [I say much the same about the Mozart Piano Quartets recording on Naxos, for the same reasons.]

PURE MUSIC MAGIC.......2002-10-31

THESE TWO PIANO TRIOS ARE THE BEST EVER COMPOSED FOR THE VIOLIN, CELLO, AND PIANO. SCHUBERTS MELODIC GENIUS IS ON DISPLAY IN THESE WORKS. ASHKENAZYS KEYBOARD TEMPO IS PERFECT AND ZUKERMANS PLAYING IS WARM AND BRILLIANT. HARRELLS CELLO SOUNDS RICH AND FULL. FANS OF STANLEY KUBRICKS FILM BARRY LYNDON WILL RECALL HIS USE OF THE SECOND MOVEMENT OF THE E FLAT MAJOR IN THE DELIBERATELY PACED DRAWING ROOM SCENES. THE MUSIC FIT PERFECTLY. THE SLOW MOVEMENT THEME RETURNS IN THE FINAL MOVEMENT TO CONTRAST WITH A ROCKING, LIVELY ALLEGRO. THE B FLAT MAJOR OPENS WITH A BEETHOVEN LIKE HEROIC THEME AND IS FOLLOWED BY ONE OF SCHUBERTS MOST EXPRESSIVE MELODIES. A BOUNCY SCHERZO IS THEN FOLLOWED BY A WELL CONSTRUCTED RONDO THAT IS A FINE ENDING TO A GREAT PIECE OF MUSIC. BUYING THESE TOGETHER IN THIS TWO CD CASE IS BEST. THEY WERE ALWAYS SPLIT UP TILL NOW. SCHUBERT ROCKS!!

Average customer rating:

Volodos
Warning: Saddening waste of technical gifts
superlatives fail
Mind-shatteringly superb
S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R

Piano Transcriptions / Arcadi Volodos
Arcadi Volodos , Vladimir Horowitz , Sergey Rachmaninov , Franz Liszt , Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov , Sergey Prokofiev , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Johann Sebastian Bach , and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Arcadi Volodos Live at Carnegie Hall
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Volodos Plays Liszt
Schubert: Solo Piano Works

ASIN: B0000029T8
Release Date: 1997-07-01

Tracks:

Carmen Variations
Utro
Melodiya (Melody)
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Litanei (Litany)
Aufenthalt (Resting Place)
Liebesbotschaft (Love Message)
Flight Of The Bumblebee
Cinderella: Gavotte, Op. 95 No. 2
Orientale, Op. 97 No. 6
Valse, Op. 102 No. 1
Scherzo (Symphony No. 6)
Largo (Trio Sonata No. 5 BWV 529)
Turkish March

Amazon.com

Face it, anyone who can play Horowitz's fabled transcriptions or Cziffra's madcap interlocking octaves Flight of the Bumblebee will get attention. What is most impressive, though, is that Arcadi Volodos replicates the notes, but not the performances. His tempos and voicings are completely different, and just as valid, if not quite as coruscating as the originals. In other words, Volodos makes this repertoire his own, as well as the other selections on this well-recorded debut outing. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Volodos.......2007-06-08

The piano transcriptions are fantastic.
Volodos proves that he's a real genious and one of the best in the world today.

Warning: Saddening waste of technical gifts .......2007-02-06

I do not want to take away the pleasure of the many reviewers who have found this item a thrilling enjoyment. Only I want to issue a warning to all lovers of the art of the piano: Do not buy this album in the hope of hearing a worthy successor to such past Russian titans as Richter and Gilels! Volodos is easily their master in terms of blistering dexterity, power of attack and distinct arpeggios. Yet, in all other respects he is dwarfed by comparison. His playing, all in all, is egocentric, crude in terms of its conventionality of expression and bereft of the humour that might have made his incredibly overloaded arrangements truly delightful. Now, they are at most decent circus acts, leaving one to wonder how one man with only two hands can plays this fast and how that very same man can take such a hamfisted approach to his slap-stick repertoire.

With an orchestra Volodos most often plays as if he cannot hear the other musicians through the noise he is making. On his own he fares slightly better. Still, he seems to be more in the service of technical boasting than musical expression. To take two examples:

1. His "Bumblebee" clocks in at a mindboggling 1.36 sharp. That's about all that recommends it. In musical terms, the performance is absurd: This witty piece is meant to portray an amiably buzzing furball, NOT an angry wasp on steroids.

2. Many performers have been tempted to beef up Mozart's somewhat monotone K331 "Turkish March". Volodos' paraphrase goes over the top with nifty counterpoint coupled with all sorts of tricks from the virtuoso shelf. This could have been a true delight if the performer had only loosened up a little and offered the occasional comic relief that such an encore so obviosuly calls for. Here Volodos simply seems oblivious to the inherent potential for musical expression. On a repeated listening the performance tires by its utter conventionality of phrasing.

Praised be the day when Volodos opens up his ears to the music he is performing. Then we might hope for new reference recordings of various works in the superdifficult division. Until then we may only grieve that such supernatural technique is going to waste in sideshow idleness. If you crave for a contemporary Russian virtuoso, try out Nikolai Lugansky, even if his somewhat austere taste in the romantic repertoire might deter some fans of Horowitz et al. Lugansky is in supernatural technical command if the keyboard, yet never leaves you in doubt that you are listening to a true musician.

superlatives fail.......2006-10-22

Volodos is simply one of the greatest pianists I have ever heard. The transcriptions on this CD are well worth your investment. I was fortunate to hear Volodos at Lincoln Center play the finger-bending Prokofiev 2nd piano concerto. I am a professionally trained pianist, and I have simply never heard a performance to equal it. I was convinced two or more people were playing. The emotional power was overwhelming. I wish he would record it. And the complete Transcendantal Etudes.

Mind-shatteringly superb.......2006-08-08

Volodos strikes us with some incredible works here, friends. These are quite simply some of the most perfectly executed works upon the piano I have heard, and this is no light affair considering the depression-inducing difficulty of some of these behemoths of the piano (Horowitz transcription of the Hungarian Rhapsody sounds like it requires a virtuoso of the highest order to play well.) We're dealing with a pianistic genius who I'm sure will continue to astound us in the future. And what, he began studying at the age of sixteen!? I want him to record all the Transcendental Etudes, but who knows if that will ever occur. Check out his Rachmaninoff concerto as well, it's about as close to perfect as it gets.

Unbelievable.

S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R.......2006-03-05

Ladies and Gentlemen, what we have here is quite possibly the greatest piano virtuoso alive today. While the musicality and emotion the artist puts in his work are exeptional, but not without precedence, his virtuosity, technique and rapidity of execution are quite simply...GOD-GIVEN. Period. End of statement.

Dohnányi: Piano Quintets; Serenade for string trio

Average customer rating:

Both Piano Quintets and the 'Serenade' (String Trio)
Wonderful chamber music

Dohnányi: Piano Quintets; Serenade for string trio

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Dohnányi: Symphony No. 2; Symphonic Minutes
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Taneyev: Chamber Music

ASIN: B000002ZVX
Release Date: 1996-08-10

Tracks:

Piano Quintet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Allegro
Piano Quintet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Scherzo (Allegro vivace) - Trio - Reprise
Piano Quintet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Adagio, quasi andante
Piano Quintet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Piano Quintet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1Finale (Allegro animato - Allegro)
Sernade For String Trio: Marcia (Allegro)
Sernade For String Trio: Romanza (Adagio non troppo)
Sernade For String Trio: Scherzo (Vivace)
Sernade For String Trio: Tema con variazioni (Andante con moto)
Sernade For String Trio: Rondo (Finale)
Piano Quintet No.2 In E-Flat Minor, Op.26: Allegro non troppo
Piano Quintet No.2 In E-Flat Minor, Op.26: Intermezzo (Allegretto)
Piano Quintet No.2 In E-Flat Minor, Op.26: Moderato - Tempo del primo pezzo

Customer Reviews:

Both Piano Quintets and the 'Serenade' (String Trio) .......2005-03-09

This review is actually to mention and comment briefly on competing recordings of Dohnanyi chamber works, primarily the First Piano Quintet, an amazing, melodic, well-crafted work from Dohnányi's student years and his Opus 1. Every movement has its felicities, including the catchy final movement with its 5/4 meter and obligatory fugal ending. There are competing versions of that work recorded by the Gabrieli Quartet with Wolfgang Manz, piano; the Vanbrugh Quartet, with Martin Roscoe, piano; and the Takacs Quartet with András Schiff. All are actually quite wonderful performances and I suspect the main draw for any of these recordings will be the Quintet's discmates. The couplings: Schubert Ensemble (Second Piano Quintet, the delightful 'Serenade,' which is a string trio), Gabrieli Quartet (Second String Quartet, Op. 15), Takacs (Sextet, Op. 37).

On this disc is the Second Quintet, Op. 26, which is considerably advanced from the Op. 1, but is still in the ambit of Brahmsian harmonic warmth. And sandwiched between the two quintets is the delightful 'Serenade.' The Serenade, written in 1902, is for string trio, that rarest of chamber music forms; it is difficult to write music with full-sounding romantic harmonies with just three instruments. However, by judicious use of double-stops and lots of cello and viola arpeggios using 4ths, 5ths, 6ths and 10ths, the harmonies are filled out admirably and richly. Indeed, this piece is every bit as yummy as a cup of hot dark rich chocolate. If you love Brahms, you'll love this piece. It has been much-recorded and even rescored (by Dimitry Sitkovetsky) for string orchestra; this recording holds its own with that company.

Recommended both for performances and for the repertoire represented. You can't go wrong with this one if you love Brahms or music of that ilk.

Scott Morrison

Wonderful chamber music.......2003-01-01

Dohnanyi's two piano quintets and the serenade for string trio belong to the category of finest chamber music ever written. It is sad that they are so little known today, because the melodic inventiveness, the solid structures and overall material of these works prove him to have been a true genius in the shadow of his contemporaries Bartok and Kodaly. The Schubert ensemble of London plays with great affection for this music. In my collection of over 200 records of classical music this ranks to top 5 without a doubt. An absolute must-have for a romantic music lover!

Average customer rating:

Music for Thinking
A nice sound, not enough clarity

Music for Thinking

Manufacturer: Advanced Brain Techno
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Music for Concentration
Music for Learning
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Music for Motivation
Music to Relax

ASIN: B00004NS1E
Release Date: 2000-01-26

Tracks:

Beethoven: Adagio
Debussy: Variations
Lawrence: Test of the Heart
Beethoven: Variations
Schubert: Variations
Debussy: Reverie
Brahms: Andante
Schubert: Andante
Massenet: Meditation

Album Description

Music for Thinking is designed to enhance your concentration and energize your thought processes. Consisting of psychoacoustically-refined classical masterworks by Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Massenet, Schubert, and Lawrence, instrumentation includes string quintet, woodwinds, and piano. With rhythms alternating between 50-70 beats per minute, this recording naturally invites brainwaves to patterns conducive to maximized focus.

Customer Reviews:

Music for Thinking.......2002-02-28

Music for Thinking should be considered a MUST HAVE!! The recordings are beautiful, and can be played continuosly in the backgroung while you are writing, reading, or studying. I find Music for Thinking to be VERY effective and can be played all day long. I use this CD to create a condusive study and work environment!

A nice sound, not enough clarity.......2000-07-11

If you are looking for something to make you think at a higher level, then this is not your album. The music on this CD is familiar to anyone who enjoys classical music. And I will admit that it does provide the correct setting for focusing on a task. I only wish that the clarity of the recording was more pure. The first time that I played this CD I wondered if my equalizer had been bumped; the songs sounded flat. In any event, if you are looking for a nice blend of classical music, something to provide a calm atmosphere, this is an excellent choice.

Average customer rating:

Great alternative--
Music to Relax...JUST LISTEN!

Music to Relax

Manufacturer: ABT
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Music for Concentration
Music for Thinking
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ASIN: B00004NS1D
Release Date: 2000-01-26

Tracks:

Bach: Arioso
Beethoven: Adagio
Chopin: Largo
Corelli: Adagio
Schubert: Piano Trio
Bach: Air
Bach: Concerto
Vivaldi: Largo
Schumann: Traumerei
Bach: Arioso with Ensemble

Album Description

Music to Relax is designed to create space to calm the mind and unwind the body. Simplified harmonies, the mid-range sounds of the viola, alto flute, cello, and piano, and elegant compositions make this an exceptionally peaceful and fulfilling listening experience. Improvised classical music is quite rare. However, in the hands of sensitive and skilled craftsmen, we now have the opportunity to experience what was commonly done in the time of the original composers. Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and their contemporaries were highly respected for improvisational skills and adaptations of other composer's music.

Customer Reviews:

Great alternative--.......2007-06-07

We first heard selections from this CD on Internet Radio one evening at home. My wife enjoyed them so much she began requesting to hear them every night before bedtime. We both find the CD very relaxing and calming, just the thing after we've had a long day at work. Don't look for technical perfection here, that's not what this is about. It's about enjoyment of the music for the pure music's sake. Kids can "tolerate the grown-up music" and begin their appreciation of the classics in a very unobtrusive way. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a wonderful alternative to the fully orchestrated versions of these pieces.

Music to Relax...JUST LISTEN!.......2002-02-28

I have found Music to Relax to be so enjoyable. It creates such a comfortable mood in my home. Our family is large, and to have this beautiful music playing in the background is so peaceful for all of us. It's also great to listen to while you read or just need to Relax! It really works!

More of the Most Relaxing Guitar Music in the Universe

Average customer rating:

I rate this a perfect 10 **********

More of the Most Relaxing Guitar Music in the Universe

Manufacturer: Savoy Jazz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AQ69OU
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Introduction Et Variation Sur L'Air 'Que Ne Suis-Je FougereI' Op.26 - Sor
Cinq Preludes Pour Guitare No.4 - Villa-Lobos
Variations Sur Un Theme De Django Reinhardt - Brouwer
Die Post - Schubert
Cinq Preludes Pour Guitare No.2 - Villa-Lobos
Cancion Del Emperador - Narvaez
Pavanas - Sanz
Quartet No.7 III. Adagio Cantabile Sostenuto For Violin, Viola, Cello & Gutar - Paganini
Studio In A Major, Op.6 No.12 Andante - Sor
Lagrima - Tarrega
Granada, Op.47 No.1 - Albeniz
Danza - Moreno-Torroba
Baden Jazz Suite 'Hommage A Baden Powell' III. Berceuse - Jirmal
When The Fire Burns Low - Towner
A Song Of Early Spring - Arr. Takemitsu

Tracks:

Danza Espanola - Granados
Douze Etudes Pour Guitare No.8 Modere - Villa-Lobos
Reverie, Op.53 No.1 Andante Sostenuto - Coste
Lecon In E Major, Op.31 No.23 Mouvment De Priere Religieuse - Sor
Cinq PreludesPour Guitare No.1 - Villa-Lobos
Andante Extrait De La Fantasie Symphonique De L'Auteur, Op.38 - Coste
Nocturno - Moreno-Torroba
7 Diferenias Sobre 'Guardame Las Vacas' - Narvaez
Cinq Preludes Pour Guitare No.5 - Villa-Lobos
Quartet No.1 In A Minor II. Andantino For Violin, Cello & Guitar - Paganini
El Testmento D' Amelia - Folksong Of Catalan/Arr. Lobet
Terzetto In D Major 1. Allegro For Violin, Cell & Guitar - Paganini
Valse In E Major - Sor
Cinq Preludes Pour Guitare Ne.3 - Villa-Lobos
Londonderry Air - Arr. Takemitsu

Customer Reviews:

I rate this a perfect 10 **********.......2006-02-25

A Classical guitarist and collector of the genre, I can only rave about this cd. I purchased several of these cd's for my close friends and family. The two Paganini pieces are awsome.
Hopefully, Denon will produce more of the same. This time they supply the names of their artists. Well Done! Bravo!

Average customer rating:

Thank You Boulez
5 Star music. Some very good performances, some are aimless.
not much more to be said
a transcendent masterpiece
Five stars and a bullet

Complete Webern
Anton von Webern , Clemens Hagen , David Finckel , Anton Webern , Pierre Boulez , Ensemble InterContemporain , Mary Ann McCormick , Berliner Philharmoniker , Eric Schneider , Gianluca Cascioli , Krystian Zimerman , Oleg Maisenberg , Pierre-Laurent Aimard , Christiane Oelze , Francoise Pollet , Lawrence Dutton , Gidon Kremer , and Philip Setzer
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Alban Berg Collection / Various (Coll)
Arnold Schoenberg: Chamber Music for Strings
Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra
Schoenberg: Piano Concerto
Schoenberg: Piano Works

ASIN: B00004R9F0
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Tracks:

Passacaglia For Orchestra Op. 1: Sehr massig, Tempo I - Massig bewegt, Tempo II - Sehr lebhaft, Tempo III
5 Movements Op. 5: I. Heftig bewegt
5 Movements Op. 5: II. Sehr langsam
5 Movements Op. 5: III. Sehr lebhaft
5 Movements Op. 5: IV. Sehr langsam
5 Movements Op. 5: V. In zarter Bewegung
6 Pieces For Orchestra Op. 6: I. Etwas bewegte Achtel
6 Pieces For Orchestra Op. 6: II. Bewegt
6 Pieces For Orchestra Op. 6: III. Zart bewegt
6 Pieces For Orchestra Op. 6: IV. Langsam. Marcia funebre
6 Pieces For Orchestra Op. 6: V. Sehr langsam
6 Pieces For Orchestra Op. 6: VI. Zart bewegt
2 Arrangements: J.S. Bach: Fuga (Ricercata) a 6 voci: Sehr massig
Franz Schubert: German Dances Op. Post. D 820: No. 1 - No. 2 (No. 1) - No. 3 ( No. 1) In A Flat Major
Franz Schubert: German Dances Op. Post. D 820: No. 4 - No. 5 (No. 4) - No. 6 (No. 4) In B Flat Major
Im Sommerwind - Idyll For Large Orchestra: Ruhig bewegt - Ruhig - Lustig - Schnell - Feierlich bewegt - Voll Schwung - Aufjauchzend - sehr ruhig und weihevoll

Tracks:

5 Pieces For Orchestra: I. Bewegt
5 Pieces For Orchestra: II. Langsam (sostenuto)
5 Pieces For Orchestra: III. Sehr bewegte Viertel
5 Pieces For Orchestra: IV. Langsame Viertel
5 Pieces For Orchestra: V. (Alla breve)
3 Orchestral Songs: I. Leise Dufte: 'Leise Dufte, Bluten so zart'
3 Orchestral Songs: II. Kunfttag III: 'Nun wird es wieder Lenz'
3 Orchestral Songs: III. 'O sanftes Gluhn der Berge'
Symphony Op. 21: I. Ruhig schreitend
Symphony Op. 21: II. Variationen: Thema. Sehr ruhig - Var. I. Lebhafter - Var. II Sehr lebhaft - Var. III. Wieder massiger - Var. IV. Ausserst ruhig - Var. V. Sehr lebhaft - Var. VI. Marschmassig. Nicht eilen - Var. VII. Etwas breiter - Coda
Das Augenlicht Op. 26: 'Durch unsre offnen Augen' - 'The Eyes Of Radiance' - Langsam
Cantata No. 1 Op. 29: I. 'Zundender Lichtblitz des Lebens' - Getragen - Lebhaft
Cantata No. 1 Op. 29: II. 'Kleiner Flugel Ahornsamen' - Leicht bewegt
Cantata No. 1 Op. 29: III. 'Tonen die seligen Saiten Apolls' - Ruhig
Variations For Orchestra Op. 30
Cantata No. 2 Op. 31: I. 'Schweigt auch die Welt' - Sehr lebhaft - Ruhig
Cantata No. 2 Op. 31: II. 'Sehr tief verhalten innerst Leben' - Sehr verhalten
Cantata No. 2 Op. 31: III. 'Schopfen aus Brunnen des Himmels' - Sehr bewegt
Cantata No. 2 Op. 31: IV. 'Leichteste Burden der Baume' - Sehr lebhaft
Cantata No. 2 Op. 31: V. 'Freundselig ist das Wort' - Sehr massig
Cantata No. 2 Op. 31: VI. 'Gelockert aus dem Schosse' - Sehr fliessend

Tracks:

Piano Quintet: Moderato
'Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen' op. 2: Zart bewegt
2 Lieder op. 8: I. 'Du, der ichs nicht sage'
2 Lieder op. 8: 'Du machst mich allein'
5 Pieces for Orchestra op. 10: I. Sehr ruhig und zart
5 Pieces for Orchestra op. 10: II. Leghaft und zart bewegt
5 Pieces for Orchestra op. 10: III. Sehr langsam und ausserst ruhig
5 Pieces for Orchestra op. 10: IV. Fliessend, ausserst zart
5 Pieces for Orchestra op. 10: V. Sehr fliessend
4 Lieder op. 13: I. Wiese im Park: 'Wie wird mir zeitlos'
4 Lieder op. 13: II. Die Einsame: 'An dunkelblauem Himmel'
4 Lieder op. 13: III. In der Fremde: 'In fremden Lande lag ich'
4 Lieder op. 13: IV. Ein Winterabend: 'Wenn der Schnee ans Fenster fallt'
6 Lieder op. 14: I. Die Sonne: 'Taglich kommt die gelbe Sonne'
6 Lieder op. 14: II. Abendland I: 'Mond, als trate ein Totes'
6 Lieder op. 14: III. Abendland II: 'So leise sind die grunen Walder'
6 Lieder op. 14: IV. Abendland IV: 'Ihr grossen Stadte steinern aufgebaut'
6 Lieder op. 14: V. Nachts: 'Die Blaue meiner Augen'
6 Lieder op. 14: VI. Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel: 'Dunkler Odem im grunen Gezweig'
5 Sacred Songs op. 15: I. 'Das Kreuz, das musst' er tragen'
5 Sacred Songs op. 15: II. Morgenlied: 'Steht auf, ihr lieben Kinderlein'
5 Sacred Songs op. 15: III. 'In Gottes Namen aufstehn'
5 Sacred Songs op. 15: IV. 'Mein Weg geht jetzt voruber'
5 Sacred Songs op. 15: V. 'Fahr hin, o Seel', zu deinem Gott'
5 Canons op. 16: I. 'Christus factus est'
5 Sacred Songs op. 15: II. 'Dormi Jesu, mater ridet' From 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'
5 Sacred Songs op. 15: III. 'Crux fidelis'
5 Sacred Songs op. 15: IV. 'Asperges me, Domine'
5 Sacred Songs op. 15: V. 'Crucem tuam adoramus, Domine'
3 Traditional Rymes op. 17: I. 'Armer Sunder, du'
3 Traditional Rymes op. 17: II. 'Liebste Jungfrau, wir sind dein'
3 Traditional Rymes op. 17: III. 'Heiland, unsre Missetaten'
3 Lieder for voice, E flat clarinet and guitar op. 18: I. 'Schatzerl klein'
3 Lieder for voice, E flat clarinet and guitar op. 18: II. Erlosung: 'Mein Kind, sieh an' From 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'
3 Lieder for voice, E flat clarinet and guitar op. 18: III. 'Ave , Regina coelorum'
2 Lieder op. 19 for mixed choir: I. 'Wiess wie Lilien'
2 Lieder op. 19 for mixed choir: II. 'Ziehn die Schafe'
Quartet op. 22: I. Sehr massig
Quartet op. 22: II. Sehr schwungvall
Concerto op. 24: I. Etwas lebhaft
Concerto op. 24: II. Sehr schwungvoll
Concerto op. 24: III. Sehr rasch

Tracks:

3 Poems: I. Vorfruhling: 'Leise tritt auf...'
3 Poems: II. Nachtgebet der Braut: 'O mein Geliebter'
3 Poems: III. Fromm: 'Der Mond scheint auf mein Lager'
8 Early Lieder: I. Tief von fern: 'Aus des Abends weissen Wagen'
8 Early Lieder: II. Aufblick: 'Uber unsre Liebe hangt eine Trauerweide'
8 Early Lieder: III. Bleuengruss: 'Der Strauss, den ich gepflucket'
8 Early Lieder: IV. Bild der Liebe: 'Von Wald umgeben'
8 Early Lieder: V. Sommerbend: 'Du Sommerbend! Heilig, goldnes Licht!'
8 Early Lieder: VI. Heiter: 'Mein Herz ist wie ein See so weit'
8 Early Lieder: VII. Der Tod: 'Ach, es ist do dunkel in des Todes Kammer'
8 Early Lieder: VIII. Heimgang in der Fruhe: 'In der Dammerung'
3 Lieder on poems by Ferdinand Avenarius: I. Gefunden: 'Nun wir uns lieben, rauscht mein stolzes Gluck'
3 Lieder on poems by Ferdinand Avenarius: II. Gebet: 'Ertrage du's, lass schneiden dir den Schmerz'
3 Lieder on poems by Ferdinand Avenarius: III. Greunde: 'Schmerze und Freuden reift jede Stunde'
5 Lieder on poems by Richard Dehmel: I. Ideale Landschaft: 'Du hattest einen Glanz auf deiner Stirn'
5 Lieder on poems by Richard Dehmel: II. Am Ufer: 'Die Wlet verstummt, dein Blut erklingt'
5 Lieder on poems by Richard Dehmel: III. Himmelfahrt: 'Schwebst du nieder aus den Weiten'
5 Lieder on poems by Richard Dehmel: IV. Nachtliche Scheu: 'Zaghaft vom Gewolk ins Land'
5 Lieder on poems by Richard Dehmel: V. Helle Nacht: 'Weich kusst die Zweige der weisse Mond'
5 Lieder from 'Der siebente Ring' by Stefan George op. 3: I. 'Dies ist ein lied'
5 Lieder from 'Der siebente Ring' by Stefan George op. 3: II. ''Im windes-weben'
5 Lieder from 'Der siebente Ring' by Stefan George op. 3: III. 'An baches ranft'
5 Lieder from 'Der siebente Ring' by Stefan George op. 3: IV. 'Im morgen-taun'
5 Lieder from 'Der siebente Ring' by Stefan George op. 3: V. 'Kahl reckt der baum'
5 Lieder on poems by Stefan George op. 4: I. Eingang: 'Welt der gestalten lang lebewohl!'
5 Lieder on poems by Stefan George op. 4: II. Noch zwingt mich treue uber dir zu wachen'
5 Lieder on poems by Stefan George op. 4: III. 'Ja heil und dank dir'
5 Lieder on poems by Stefan George op. 4: IV. 'So ich traurig bin'
5 Lieder on poems by Stefan George op. 4: V. 'Ihr tratet zu dem herde'
4 Lieder on poems by Stefan George: I. 'Erwachen aus dem tiefsten traumes-schoosse'
4 Lieder on poems by Stefan George: II. Kunfttag I: 'Dem bist du kind, dem freund'
4 Lieder on poems by Stefan George: III. Trauer I: 'So wart bis ich dies dir noch kunde'
4 Lieder on poems by Stefan George: IV. 'Das lockere saatgefilde lechzet krank'
4 Lieder op. 12: I. 'Der Tag ist vergangen' - Folksong
4 Lieder op. 12: II. Die geheimnisvolle Flote: 'An einem Abend, da die Blumen dufteten' - Li-Tai-Po
4 Lieder op. 12: III. 'Schien mir's, als ich sah die Sonne' - 'Gespenstersonate'
4 Lieder op. 12: IV. Gleich und gleich: 'Ein Blumenglockchen'
3 Songs From 'Viae inviae' by HildegardJone op. 23: I. 'Das dunkle Herz, das in sich lauscht'
3 Songs From 'Viae inviae' by HildegardJone op. 23: II. Es sturzt aus Hohen Frische'
3 Songs From 'Viae inviae' by HildegardJone op. 23: III. Herr Jesus mein'
3 Lieder on poems by Hildegard Jone op. 25: I. 'Wie bein ich froh!'
3 Lieder on poems by Hildegard Jone op. 25: II. 'Des Herzens Purpurvogel fliegt durch Nacht'
3 Lieder on poems by Hildegard Jone op. 25: III. 'Sterne, ihr silbernen Bienen der Nacht'

Tracks:

Slow Movement For String Quartet: Langsam, mit bewegtem Ausdruck
5 Movements For String Quartet: I. Heftig bewegt
5 Movements For String Quartet: II. Sehr langsam
5 Movements For String Quartet: III. Sehr bewegt
5 Movements For String Quartet: IV. Sehr langsam
5 Movements For String Quartet: V. In zarter Bewegung
String Quartet
6 Batatelles For String Quartet op. 9: I. Massig
6 Batatelles For String Quartet op. 9: II. Leicht bewegt
6 Batatelles For String Quartet op. 9: III. Ziemlich fliessend
6 Batatelles For String Quartet op. 9: IV. Sehr langsam
6 Batatelles For String Quartet op. 9: V. Ausserst langsam
6 Batatelles For String Quartet op. 9: VI. Fliessend
Rondo For String Quartet: Bewegt
Movement For String Trio op. post.: Ruhig fliessend
3 Pieces For String Quartet: I. Bewegt
3 Pieces For String Quartet: II. Langsam: Grief Always; Looking Upward; Heaven's Dew; Memory; Black Flowers; On Breast; Out Of Mother
3 Pieces For String Quartet: III. Nicht zu langsam
String Trio op. 20: I. Sehr langsam
String Trio op. 20: II. Sehr getragen und ausdrucksvoll
String Quartet op. 28: I. Massig
String Quartet op. 28: II. Gemachlich - Bewegt
String Quartet op. 28: III. Sehr fliessend

Tracks:

2 Pieces For Cello And Piano: I. Langsam
2 Pieces For Cello And Piano: II. Langsam
Movement For Piano: Lebhaft
Sonata Movement (Rondo) For Piano: (Bewegt) - Ruhig bewegt - Sehr ruhig
4 Pieces For Violin And Piano op. 7: I. Sehr langsam
4 Pieces For Violin And Piano op. 7: II. Rasch
4 Pieces For Violin And Piano op. 7: III. Sehr langsam
4 Pieces For Violin And Piano op. 7: IV. Bewegt
3 Little Pieces For Cello And Piano op. 11: I. Massige
3 Little Pieces For Cello And Piano op. 11: II. Sehr bewegt
3 Little Pieces For Cello And Piano op. 11: III. Ausserst ruhig
Cello Sonata: Sehr bewegt
Children's Piece For Piano: Lieblich
Piano Piece: Im Tempo eines Menuetts
Variations For Piano op. 27: I. Sehr massig
Variations For Piano op. 27: II. Sehr schnell
Variations For Piano op. 27: III. Ruhig fleissend

Amazon.com

Pierre Boulez's Complete Webern Edition appears just over two decades after his last traversal. Well, it's not literally complete, but does have enough early works to set the mature ones in the right context. These days, Webern is no longer seen so much as a new music guru as he is a major composer, pure and simple--his expression as concise as it is intense. Performancewise, there's a quality of musicianship here that few previous recordings have matched; familiarity with the idiom certainly plays its part, but so does Boulez's belief that what we're hearing needs to be presented with conviction. Try the Passacaglia, sensuous music that combines the soundworld of Brahms and Mahler, or the string quartet or orchestra pieces--miniatures in duration, but whole dramas of expression.

Ease of performance doesn't always make this music easy to come to grips with: the song cycles need several listenings to grasp the meaning behind the compression, while the later instrumental and choral works have a luminous austerity that looks back to Bach and beyond to Renaissance masters such as Schütz and Isaac. While much of Webern's music has long been admired, only now is it becoming possible to respond to it through the heart as well as the brain. This set, superbly packaged and comprehensively documented, marks a major step forward, and deserves investigating by anyone keen to appreciate something of the music's quiet, calm essence in an often strident, dislocated century. --Richard Whitehouse

Customer Reviews:

Thank You Boulez.......2001-10-23

If you are a fan of the "New Vienna School" (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern) or 20th century "classical" or "serious" music, this disk set is very rewarding. Beautifully recorded and packaged, and with equally good liner notes, it is a treat to strap on the headphones and listen.

I debated between buying this or Boulez's older Webern set and went with this one. There is much more music on this set because pieces without opus numbers are included. They lend a lot of insight into his "published" works. I also went with this set because it is a modern digital recording, the previous set being from the early 70's. I will often side with a classic recording when needed-performance over sound. Here, I'm happy to report, the listener gets both. Every detail is captured.

Thank you very much Pierre Boulez and DG for making this project happen. Please keep the Schoenberg and Berg disks coming. And thank you Anton Webern for continually opening my ears.

5 Star music. Some very good performances, some are aimless........2001-08-25

Webern's music demonstrates a level of craft, in which few composers ever contend. The more that I listen to the works of Webern, the more I hear that each note must be just as it is. There is nothing wasted in this music. The expression is never vague, always intense. I do admire the works of many modern composers, but few are so discerning and meticulous in their works. Webern's craft is equal with the greats of music history; Guillarme de Machaut, Carlo Gesualdo, Claudio Monteverdi, J.S. Bach, Franz Joseph Haydn, Ludwig Beethoven. He is a towering figure. The music that is played here is first rate. However, I have not yet heard performances of many of his works that bring out everything that Webern's music has to offer. For example, the Op. 27 Piano Variations are seldom done justice. All of the movements are given `circa' tempo indications, but many take the movements much slower or faster than indicated. Unfortunately, on this recording the fast movement is slow and the slow movements fast. Presumably the slower tempo in the fast movement would allow for more accurate interpretation of the frequent changes between piano and forte. The problem is that the F's typically don't fade away fast enough and drown out the P's. The other option is to make the P's a little bit more like mezzo forte's. The recording that Pollini did of the work on Deutsche Gramaphon with the Boulez 2nd Sonata manages to reconcile the dynamics with the tempo. However, what I have not heard with the work is the full impact of the affect in the work. What the Pollini performance fails in is the coldness of the interpretation. For those interested, I believe that DG is currently putting out the Pollini performance with Stravinsky's Petruska and a Prokofiev sonata at a fairly low price. This recording brings together several performances of more `high profile' ensembles than the older recording on Sony, which mostly featured performances of musicians from Juilliard. The performances are often more colorful, but I can't say that I always think they surpass their predecessors. The interpretations of the works are a little bit `hit and miss.' The ensembles that Boulez conducts tend to bring out the same sorts of things in the works that the previous ensembles did with the last `complete Webern.' This is good in places; I appreciate the more resonant quality that the recent recording equipment affords, and Boulez conducts a comparable performance of the orchestral works such as the `Symphonie.' The recording of the `Konzert' for nine instruments is good. The performances of the early expressionist works, such as the `Five Orchestral Pieces,' are powerful. Boulez is less afraid to see the human in Webern and let the shocked silences speak. Furthermore, the peaks are less harsh, allowing more of the subtle affects to become visible. Some of the performances just lack a certain power of expression that the previous `complete webern' had; a viscerally that the strength of the `Webern - Vogue' afforded them. The musicians that played the previous complete were looking at Webern as a giant, they are young and virile performances. These performances sometimes view Webern as a curiosity, a historical anachronism, the way that your grandfather will tell you a strange story, of which he himself doesn't understand the point, but he relates as a bit of curio. All in all, I wouldn't say that this set of recordings is the final word on the majority of Webern's works. Many of the performances in the previous set are just as good, but neither do those constantly surpass these performances. Both have their faults. The previous set tended to be cold and more aggressive than was necessary in places. The new set tends to wander at times, as if the performer does not understand the point. It's always difficult to sum up a complete works set for a prospective buyer. Just as in `complete works' of Bach sets that I own, the performances are not always amazing. However, the strength of the compositions often overcomes my desire for a strong performance, and I'm just glad that I have a recording of someone performing that Bach work that I want to hear. Here, similarly, the performances aren't always the best, but there is a wider range of Webern's ouvre represented and many of the performances are quite good. I suppose my counsel would be that one should consider the price of this set vs. the older sony set. The sony set is less complete, but it does include all of the really monolithic, profound Webern works. You also get a view of the younger, romantic Webern in this new set, in addition to better sound quality. Certain performances are better in each set, and so you'll get some good and some bad in either choice. For those that already have a strong taste for Webern's music, try this set. For those who are looking for a starting place, you might try the sony set. The highlights of this set are the Boulez orchestral performances. He has honed his vision for Webern since the last set and they are `worth the price.' For those further exploring Webern, those performances should be heard.

not much more to be said.......2001-08-01

... i could be extremely nit-picky, and complain about the solo piano pieces, and their performer's occasional humming, and the baffling ordering of the quartet disc, and the discrepencies in the translations of the booklet, and how the english left out any explanation of sator arepo etc..., yet the french seems to, and all the little tiny errors, in the booklet... but... these are all moot points when any of the performances are heard. it brings to light all facets of the composer, so he no longer seems ascetic and overly intellectual, just check out the highly romantic string quartet op. 28, and variations for orchestra, yes even the solo piano pieces with the humming. all in all, a very enlightening experience.

a transcendent masterpiece.......2000-07-17

The performances here are absolutely brilliant.

Nuance, detail, sensitivity.

This is not merely music, this is magic!

Five stars and a bullet.......2000-06-13

Pierre Boulez, the enfant not-very-terrible-any-more of French music, has surpassed himself. Twenty-two years ago, CBS released his Complete Works of Anton Webern, and it's remained the definitive Webern collection. Until, as they say in movie trailers, now.

This consists of the three Webern albums Boulez has recorded for DG over the past five years or so, plus everything else Webern ever wrote. It thus scores straightaway over the earlier CBS/Sony set, which was restricted to works that had opus numbers and filled three CDs. This one includes the charming early songs, the equally early "Im Sommerwind" for orchestra and a number of posthumous and otherwise non-Opus works that didn't make it onto the earlier set. Webern is a composer whose entire output takes about six hours to listen to in its entirety, and it's all here, on six CDs.

That's fine; is it any good? Well, it's digitally recorded, and if ever a composer was born for CD, it's Webern. The pianissimos are more ppp than ever, thanks to better recording techniques. Boulez himself has also unbuttoned a bit. His earlier set, recorded between 1967 and 1972, was high on austerity and, if it fell down at all, did so on emotion. The older Boulez (he's 75 this year) is more relaxed about letting tuttis blare and climaxes, well, climax. The result is both as intellectually satisfying as we've come to expect from Boulez, and warmly expressive; in general, a more moving and less didactic set of recordings than the previous lot. And all the better for it, as far as this composer (and this listener) is concerned.

There are many benefits of a digital set, not the least being the better registration of timbral variety, which Webern (as is well known) made into a compositional principle. Even those allergic to twelve-tone music can't help but be ravished by the intricate sweetness of his arrangement of the Bach six-part fugue from the "Musical Offering". The arrangement of Schubert's German Dances has been re-recorded, and can be heard now in all its sprightliness. (The CBS/Sony set has an archive recording conducted by Webern himself in the thirties, but dodgy sound quality prevented it from shining forth properly, despite Webern's witty conducting.)