Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (27 April, 1999)
list price: $29.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

If you're looking for a real bargain set of Beethoven's complete symphonies, look no further. David Zinman leads the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich through the big nine. Unconventional--this is the world-premiere, modern-instrument recording of the New Barenreiter Edition (translation: slight variations in the scoring)--and with Zinman's typically fast tempos, these are spirited, though probably not definitive, performances. Herbert Von Karajan's1963 cycle of Beethoven's symphonies must still be considered the essential versions and, costing only 10 dollars more than this set, it's just as much of a bargain. But, for Beethoven lovers on a tight budget, folks looking to add one more Beethoven cycle to their music library, or experts who want to hear what the fuss of the Barenreiter Edition is about, this set shouldn't be passed up. Zinman and Tonhalle have delivered a winner, with excellent sound and a great sticker price. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (41)

Really powerful
Just got this set and haven't listened to all of it. But what I've heard is excellent: great sound, precise, interesting tempi. And this morning I listened to the Eroica. This is a piece I've heard for 40 years, but Zinman's treatment of the slow movement was just breathtaking. For the first time I really felt it as a funeral march. It brought tears to my eyes and made the hair on the back of my head stand up. This is a very powerful, very distinctive, reading of Beehtoven.

David Zinman & 1963 Karajan: Two of the Best Sets
I have 3 different Beethoven Nine Symphonies sets now:

(1) 'The Beethoven Collection' by Janos Ferencsik (ASIN: B000001VVY)
(2) 'Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies' by David Zinman (ASIN: B00000IFP6)
(3) 'Beethoven: 9 Symphonien' by Herbert von Karajan (ASIN: B000001GBQ).

The first one is a budget set and has taken early retirement since I acquired the latter two, which I found to be far superior.Yet, there is a difference between the latter two.

The critically acclaimed David Zinman edition is slightly lightweight, but has the advantage of speed and dramatics and really grabs your attention.For those times when I feel bored and need something exciting to perk me up, that's when I reach for the David Zinman edition.It is Beethoven driven at a very fast pace, as mentioned by numerous others earlier.

The widely acknowledged 1963 Herbert von Karajan edition has a large grand orchestral sound which is warm and lush; I reach for it when I want to unwind and enjoy sweet orchestral music.The quality of the recording is still excellent despite its age, and if you are coming over to classical music from smooth Jazz, this is an easier transition.

I strongly recommend these 2 sets - if you like your Symphonies hot and exciting go for the Zinman edition; if you want something warm and lush, go for the 1963 Karajan edition, or better still, grab both sets like me.

Zinman Beethoven Symphonies
I thought I knew Beethovens Symphonies inside out until I heard these staggering performances. Notwithstanding the excellent 1963 Karajan cycle (albeit with,as we now know, incorrect scores, markings and Tempos) and the several excellent "period" versions by Bruggen, and Gardiner et al, this Zinman Cyle really is as good as any other, and in terms of taughtness and control, and accuracy to the composers wishes, quite unbeaten. Anyone wishing for a set of Beethoven that is not fussy, engineered, altered, romanticised, or just plain "got at" need look no further. It would have been a revelation to have had the added bonus of original instruments and tuning, but these things aside, the set is magnificently played, and is a credit to Zinman. Klemperer and the myriad of other "romantic" conductors will seem positively dull in the shadow of this, and the Urtext scores, used in these recordings finally realises Beethoven as Beethoven, and makes us all need to bury our own preferences and rehear these works accurately played. 1000 out of 10. Buy them! ... Read more

Asin: B00000IFP6
Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Classical    3. Orchestral & Symphonic    4. Symphonic   

Beethoven: The Violin Sonatas
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (24 November, 1998)
list price: $67.98 -- our price: $67.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This complete cycle of Beethoven violin sonatas was recorded during a series of live performances in 1998. Mutter devoted the entire year, together with her partner, Lambert Orkis, to an extensive global tour focused on these works, and the accounts are infused with a sense of cross-connection, expressive freedom, and depth of insight acquired from such prolonged concentration. It shows Mutter in full maturity, commanding the artistic confidence to take risks and imprint her intensely personal signature. Mutter's characteristically sumptuous, caressing tone tends to be overstated for Beethoven's heartily playful turns and mercurial humor in the fast movements of the Op. 12 group, but the luminous beauty with which she phrases the Adagio of the third sonata is just one of many passages (consider, for example, Sonata No. 8's slow movement, as well) of sustained, heart-stopping poetry on this set.

The famous "Spring" Sonata gains an added dimension in the context of the passionately engaged performance of its preceding companion/counterpart predecessor (the Fourth Sonata in A Minor). There's a full partnership between violin and piano (too often missing in accounts of these works) that allows Mutter and Orkis to play off each other with full-blooded spontaneity, perhaps at its most engrossing in the boldly searching scope of their "Kreutzer" Sonata, which stands in wonderful contrast to the intimate loftiness of the final sonata in G--Mutter's own favorite. Throughout the set, Mutter couples her probing intelligence with nuanced phrasing, incisive rhythms, and expressive gestures (notice the tender turn she gives to the all-important trill that opens the last sonata) to bore into the music, unearthing many buried treasures. The discs also include a handful of encores as bonbons and are encoded with CD-plus software so that listeners can follow the scores of four of the sonatas. --Thomas May ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (27)

Excellent!!
I bought this cd being skeptical of the reviews, peoples have been making about this album. I must say I was pleasantly suprised. Mutter is divine. Her phrasing, and vibrato are very unique, and blows the standard Perlman, Oistrakh, Kremer, and Szyerng versions out of the water. Though I think Orkis, sounded to mechanical, and uninspired in his playing. Overall this album is a real treat, not to be missed.

three stars for orkis
Anne-Sophie Mutter was one of those child prodigies that somehow escaped the fate of most other wunderkinder. She is a talented musician with a beautiful sound. I however don't see the point of this box set. For one, there dozens of GREAT recordings of the violin sonatas from Kremer, Perlman, Ostrak, and even the Aaron Rosand budget set (perhaps one of the best!). Don't get me wrong, because I don't mean to insult the intelligence of the other reviewers, but how can anyone put up with such sloppy Beethoven? Her rhythm is just horrible. It seems like throughout whole set the pianist is trying to keep up with her playing.I have played the "spring" sonata myself, and the piece requires great musicianship. The piano is just as important as the violin part.Mutter treats these pieces like a violin solo with accompaniment, doing whatever she likes without maintaining the integrity of the music. Just listen to the excerpts and you will hear that she has no sense of pulse. Beethoven's music should be played with a straight pulse without a lot of rubato, but Mutter manages to tear apart beethoven and market it on DG.This is a shame, because these are great pieces and there dozens of great recordings to choose from. Do yourself a favor by saving $70 and looking elsewhere.Aaron Rosand's VOX set is only about $10 and just blows Mutter away! I'm only glad that I listened to this in our school music library and waste my hard earned money!

Some nice performances overshadowed by buffoonery
The more well-known the sonata, the more idiotic the interpretation.That is probably the best way to describe the quality of the performances on this set of disks.The readings of the less popular sonatas, especially the Op. 12 efforts, are filled with energy and rhythmic drive.Inexplicably, the silliness starts with a dreadful Op. 24 and continues throughout the final five sonatas in the set, though to a smaller degree in the Op. 30 sonatas.
Some of these performances would have been less baffling had Mutter's affectations been consistent throughout the set.Why no bizarre lingering over the downbeats in the Op. 12 set?Why no ridiculously exaggerated accelerandos in the Op. 23 sonata? Obviously, Mutter doesn't care to add as much of her special flavor to the sonatas that aren't listened to as often. Or is it that her supposedly extensive examinations of Beethoven's manuscripts led her to perfectly natural, nicely paced, idiomatic performances in the first four sonatas, but hysterical (lots of people have used this word to desribe some of these performances, and it is apt), silly, grossly contorted performances of the Op. 24, Op. 47, and a performance of Op. 96 that sounds like Victorian parlor music without the charm?
There is nothing wrong with a new take on an overplayed work, but just listen to the ridiculous rewriting of the decorative figure in the first phrase of Op. 24 or the weird tempo slackenings that pop up in the middle of phrases in Op. 47. Also unfortunate is the way in which she drags poor Lambert Orkis along for the ride in her ghastly, vomit-inducing performances.Listen to his awkward, half-hearted attempts to mimic her rubato in some of his solo sections of the Kreutzer Sonata.The guy must have been screaming on the inside, but hey, it's her face (and lovely glamour shots) on the cover and inserts that are selling the CDs, not his playing. ... Read more

Asin: B00000DI22
Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Chamber    3. Classical    4. Keyboard    5. Miscellaneous    6. Orchestral    7. Orchestral & Symphonic   

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 March, 1995)
list price: $33.98 -- our price: $30.49
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Beethoven's quartets are a cornerstone of Western music, and this bargain-priced set of all of them is wonderful. The Medici, an English quartet, play without frill or exaggeration, and their techniques cannot be faulted. From the joy of some of the early works to the torment of the last handful (and "Grosse Fuge"), they communicate all the composer's humanity. This eight-CD set is a real find. --Robert Levine ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (11)

A Tremendous Bargain!
The Medici turn out a solid set of Beethoven's masterpieces at an unbelievably low price.As a bonus, the rarely recorded Sting Quintet, Op.29 is included on the disc with the Razumovsky No.1.Don't let the price fool you, these aren't cheap performances.

Medici Quartet deliver the Beethoven goods!!
This inexpensive set, is really an excellent bargain! The Medici Quartet play Beethoven almost flawlessly, with great sensitivity and a high degree of musicianship and make listening to these masterpieces a very enjoyable experience. Sometimes more enjoyable than many of the great Beethoven quartet recordings.
The discs sound quality is first rate, and the recording venue adds the necessary feeling of warmth and intimacy to the recordings. The acoustics are the added extra you get with any Nimbus recording, and to my taste, what makes these recordings so delightful. Perhaps, turning up the bass -one notch- is a good idea, but not essential. These recordings are crisp, clear, and brilliantly performed. The Medicis are passionate, sympathetic and musical without exception; many of the recordings might be superior to the more expensive versions (Op. 18 no. 1-3, Op. 127 and 131 are particular highlights). Every performance sparkles, and the price is utterly unbelievable.

Enjoy!!

Clean performance in one affordable COMPLETE set!!
Many people don't seem to understand Nimbus is releasing top rate, older digital recordings at a bargain price. These recordings of Beethoven's string quartets are crisp, clear, and brilliantly performed by the Medici Quartet. The acoustics are the added extra you get with any Nimbus recording, and to my taste, what makes these recordings so delightful. Many classical music fans are like the people who will only buy designer shirts with the little sporting logo on the front, or the alligator on the shirt pocket. What they fail to realize is there are many ensembles out there who don't have the recording contract with Sony, DG, or Polygram. Naxos has made a business out of the "other" performers. Nimbus is a first-rate label, Beethoven's string quartets are first rate compositions, and these are first rate recordings. The only criticism is the bottom end is slightly lacking throughout the set. Just turn up the bass a little, and enjoy. It would take a professional musicologist to tell the difference. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Asin: B0000037BC
Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Classical   

Beethoven: The Complete String Trios
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (12 August, 1997)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $17.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Beethoven was the last great composer to write string trios, and his are the finest works of their type. Mozart hardly touched this particular combination, and Haydn wrote quite few very early works which are now completely unknown. In any case, Haydn used two violins and a cello, whereas with Beethoven the standard combination became violin, viola, and cello. These are all early works, expert examples of all that Beethoven learned from Haydn and Mozart in preparation for the writing of his first great string quartets. But far from being mere composition exercises, these are highly rewarding works on their own, and these outstanding performances make the best possible case for their claim to be ranked among Beethoven's chamber music masterpieces. --David Hurwitz ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Glorious! Beethoven
If you were to ask any composer from Mozart to the present, the task they would be most reluctant to tackle would be to write a trio for three stringed instruments.

The string quartet has long been considered to be the 'rite of passage'--the medium in which a composer proves he (or she) has 'chops'--the complete mastery oftechnique (harmony, counterpoint, voice-leading, etc.)--to write successfully for any combination of instruments .

But the string trio presents a unique challenge. With only three instruments (and six pitches available at any time), one must create a complete sonic universe with all the richness and diversity that will keep a listener entranced from beginning to end of a 20-minute piece. Beethoven evidently was inspired by this challenge and created five early masterpieces for this ensemble that have never been surpassed in their imagination and superb craftsmanship. They are among the best things he ever wrote.

It is an intellectual and sensual pleasure to hear Grumiaux lead his colleagues through these rich musical landscapes. I've always loved his elegant, musical playing (I'm a violinist) and consider him to be the ideal interpreter for this repertoire. His colleagues in the trio are 'molto simpatico' and the ensemble and phrasing are impeccable. Janzer (viola) and Czako (cello) don't quite match Gruimiaux's buttery, seamless sound in their solos, but the overall feeling is one ofcommitted, intense music-making that results in performances that set a bench-mark for future ensembles.

Matthew Naughtin

Grumiaux Trio will make you smile.
I have first met withe Grumiaux Trio when I randomly bught vol.12 of Philips' "the best of the complete mozart edition". Now that I kenw I like their playing, I bought "Beethoven: The Complete StringTrios". This is a digitally remastered recording from 1967/68. Whilethe sound is not as sharp as in a digital recording, it is remarkably clearand noise free, thus anabeling an enjoyable listening. As for thepreformance: The Grumiaux Trio play with happy spirit and joy, making theseearly beethoven works idial music for the early hours of the day (allthoughI admit I'v missed a few sleeping hours, for once I start listening tothese CDs I can't stop, no mater how late it gets:) It was noted that sometimes Arthur Grumiaux's violin, shades the other members of the trio. Greatchamber music should be a dialog between equals, even if the violin is theleader. Still this is a wanderfull set of CD's, that i can only recomand. ... Read more

Asin: B0000041N6
Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical   

Hilary Hahn ~ Beethoven - Violin Concerto · Bernstein - Serenade
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (26 January, 1999)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (27)

gorgeous, gorgeous playing
This is my favorite account of the noble Beethoven violin concerto.After listening to the Kreisler, Menuhin, Schneiderhan, and Kremer versions--all classics in their own right--Hahn still has my heart and vote.Her playing is consistently well-executed, intellectually stimulating and sensually pleasurable.The Beethoven Concerto is like a hunk of Grecian marble--imposing, canonical, and I would even say sublime in the Kantian sense.How does an interpreter convey an sense of intimacy amongst its aloof height?Hahn has the magic formula: the first movement has reserve and fire, the slow movement has an aura of spirituality, and the third the right moment of courtliness and earthiness.A clear winner.

For God's Sake Let's Hear Hilary, Not the Orchestra!!!!!
The first thing you ask me is do I like this CD.Yes, it's very pretty.How about the recording?Actually, I don't like the sound engineering.How about the performer Hilary Hahn?She's fantastic!

I've been listening to Hilary for less than six months, since discovering her by chance.After about 30 seconds I came to the conclusion that this girl is as great a violinist as I've ever heard.Her intonation is perfect, her tone gorgeous, like velvet, better than Heifitz.I've heard them all.Hilary is from the Bel Canto school of violin playing.

Unfortunately, I can't give similar praise to the sound engineering.Several of your reviewers have complained about Miking, too close, too far.Well, I guess it comes down to whether or not you want to hear Hilary or the Orchestra.I bought this recording to hear Hilary and what I got was a solo recording of the orchestra with Hilary struggling to be heard in the background.I agree that the orchestral part of Beethoven's only violin concerto is beautiful but I've been listening to it for 61 years (I'm 72) and I think I've got it down.Conversely, I was trained in the violin and I want to hear the violinist and if you drown out the violinist with the orchestra how can I hear what Hilary is doing?Let me put it another way.Is this a violin concerto or an orchestra concerto?

By the way, the same comments can be made of Sony Classic's CD of Hilary Hahn playing Mendelssohn's violin concerto.Also, why do you mix Beethoven and Bernstein or Mendelssohn and Shostakovich.Too each his own but the styles of these composers are very different.More power to those who like both but why don't you put Bernstein and Shostakovich on the same CD together and Beethoven and Mendelssohn on another.That would double my pleasure and save me some money.

So the CD is worth every penny you pay for it just to hear Hilary Hahn in the background.

Sets the current-day standard of performance
Hilary Hahn's recording of Beethoven's great Violin Concerto sets the standard for contemporary performances of this piece.Her technique alone would make her a great musician.What is even more impressive is that she applies her technique in a thoughtful, musical manner.A recording musician today should be able to give an adequate technical performance of any given piece--what separates Hahn from the rest is that the music comes first, with her technique as its outlet, rather than the music being a showcase for talent.

The Beethoven Violin Concerto is indisputably one of the top violin (or any instrument, for that matter) concertos ever written.It is a remarkable piece in that it is not as note-heavy as, say, Tchaikovsky's, but is more complex.The second movement is especially wonderful, beginning with a longer-than-typical theme by the soloist that is at its heart simple, yet elegant.The soloist then guides the orchestra in exploring the theme, leading it down one path, then following another, agreeing here, contrasting there.It's a doctoral thesis in the art of the concerto as a conversation between soloist as master of his or her craft and orchestra as equal partners.

The thing that Beethoven did so well that none will ever be his equal at it is to take a relatively simple theme--I, a non-musician, can play the main themes from two of the greatest symphonies ever composed, the Fifth and the Ninth, on my toddler's five-note toy piano!--and make it great through repetition and variation of melody and harmony.Beethoven could write a piece that used the same theme a hundred times and you'd still feel like it was fresh at the conclusion.So it is with the third movement of this concerto.

Hahn and Zinman excel in this recording because they capture the essence of this music--simple themes musically done in a manner where both soloist and orchestra contribute.One certainly wouldn't have Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on the tip of one's tongue when asked about the greatest orchestras today--thoroughly competent, to be sure, but not the best of the best.What Zinman does so well in this recording is to not exaggerate the piece.The dynamics and tempos of the piece are kept in a moderate range--no fireworks where a candle is called for.And perhaps as a great athlete improves the abilities of teammates, so Hahn lends her technique, restraint, and intelligence to the orchestra.

Let's face it, no one's buying this for the Bernstein.It's a good performance of a decent piece, but it's not why you'll reach for this CD over and over.It's something of an ironic pairing; if ever there was a conductor who bludgeons listeners with Beethoven (outside of an excellent recording of the Third with the Vienna Philharmonic) more than Bernstein I don't know who it is.

Wrapping up: this CD has joined the Menuhin/Furtwangler recording as my favorite performance of this supreme Violin Concerto. ... Read more

Asin: B00000GV4L
Sales Rank: 6399
Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Classical    3. Concerto    4. Orchestral   

Complete String Quartets
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 June, 1970)
list price: $22.95 -- our price: $15.61
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (3)

A World of Creativity
Beethoven's string quartets are basic for any music lover's library.Beethoven wrote string quartets throughout his composing life, and they reflect his evolving art.Never resting on his laurels, Beethoven continually grew artistically until the end.

It is difficult to label Beethoven as primarily a symphonist, chamber music composer, or piano composer.Practically every ensemble and form he used he produced masterpieces that reflect not only the music he wrote, but the music he wrote within the ensemble he chose.His music does not transcribe well at all.

A music lover needs to be acquainted with pieces from each of the ensembles to have any kind of grasp on the monumental influence that Beethoven has had on western music. Perhaps a good beginning would be the piano sonatas, but the string quartets have to have a place also.

From the early quartets to the last quartets, the amount and variety of music in the quartet opus alone is astounding.Like the other genres he composed in, some of his best music is in the string quartets.

One of the best ways to get the most out of this music is to follow along in the score.It is a good way to learn to follow more than one staff of music at a time, and is a good primer that can lead to full orchestral score reading.And the music...incredible!

A ton of music, a pittance of a price.Serious music lovers, take the hint!Highly recommended!

Perhaps the best bargain in music ever...
Not every Dover score is a gem; some are merely reprints of earlier editions complete with the typographical errors that didn't get caught the first time around.But this edition of Beethoven's complete string quartets is of excellent quality, and for the price it may well be the best bargain in music ever.The music is incredibly important--superb pieces by one of the most gifted people to ever live.That all the quartets are included allows the student of these works to trace Beethoven's stylistic development in a single volume from the early quartets rooted in the Classical tradition through those absolutely innovative late quartets, which combined Baroque contrapuntal and formal elements with Romantic harmonies and Beethoven's own unique sense of rhythm and drama.(In addition to the originally published version of the final quartet with the new final movement suggested by his publisher, the Grosse Fuge is included also.)I recommend to all my music students and especially my composition students that they get these pieces and study them throughout their lives.I can honestly say that I have learned more from these quartets than from any other, similar body of music literature by a single composer; and even as a composer of twenty-first century music I am continuously educated and inspired by them.

A MUST
This edition of the Beethoven String Quartets is by far the best value. It is a must for any musician. The music is carefuly researched, clearly marked, and printed on high quality paper for many years of use. This Doveredition is like all of the other Dover scores, OUTSTANDING! I use my copyall of the time and could not live without it. Thanks Dover.Jeffrey NoelLastrapes, The Lindsayan String Quartet ... Read more

Isbn: 0486223612
Sales Rank: 71494
Subjects:  1. Genres & Styles - Chamber    2. Genres & Styles - Classical    3. Music    4. Songbooks - Orchestral    5. Music / Classical   

Piano Concerti 1-5 / Triple Concerto
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 August, 1992)
list price: $23.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (10)

Very fine Partnership
This is one of the finest examples of the beauty of this music, Szell and Cleveland play like angels with super tone and excellent support of the soloist...to me it does not get better than this!

Very fine!l
I have always found Fleischer in his view of Beethoven to be most warm..the wonder of phrasing may not be so close to Arrau who is far more suited to the Beethoven temperment..but the poise is superb with a really great sense of legato in the right hand.Articulation is super however, at times I feel the pedal work blurs a bit of his tone in the mid register.As to the piano I am not sure what it is..but every note is caught which is so important in this cycle.As a back up I reccommend Arrua and Haitink as well!

Revisiting the Beethoven Piano Concertos
Beethoven's fourth and fifth piano concertos were among the first works I heard and loved in getting to know music too many years ago.The remaining three piano concertos did not lag far behind.I enjoyed greatly having the opportunity to listen closely again to each of the Beethoven piano concertos in this outstanding collaboration between George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra and pianist Leon Fleisher.This set was originally recorded in the early 1960s.The performances of the orchestra and pianist are driven and passionate. There is no better introduction to this music for those listeners new to the Beethoven concertos.In addition this box set is available at a low price.

As a young man in Vienna, Beethoven first tried to make his way as a performer with a virtuosic and improvisatory piano technique.With the exception of the "Emperor" Concerto, Beethoven wrote these works to perform himself in order to display his prodigous command of the keyboard.

The first two piano concertos are early works showing Beethoven heavily under the influence of Mozart, the master of the classical piano concerto. The concerto no. 2 in B-flat major, opus 19, was the first of the pair and is one of the earliest of Beethoven's major orchestral compositions. Its early versions probably were composed before Beethoven moved to Vienna, and it was revised repeatedly thereafter.Beethoven completed the work in 1798, and premiered it in Vienna and Prague.It is the most Mozartean of Beethoven's compositions, and Beethoven in later years expressed some dissatisfaction with it.It will still delight the listener.

The first concerto, in C major, opus 15 has substantially more snap and drama than the earlier concerto. It also features a highly difficult and virtuosic cadenza that Beethoven composed for this score at a later time.Beethoven completed this concerto in 1800.It features a song-like, trilling slow movement, a march-like opening movement, and a virtuosic rondo finale.

Over the years, Beethoven's third piano concerto in c-minor, opus 37 has grown the most on me. This work is modeled on Mozart's c-minor piano concerto, but it represents a distinct break from the first and second concertos.The work stands literally on the edge between Beethoven's first and second periods of composition.The work begins with a long, dark orchestral introduction.The piano writing is virtuosic and by turns angry and dramatic and lyrical.The second movement of the concerto is in a major key remote from c minor.It is intense and lyrical featuring a flowing theme in the cellos together with the piano.The third movement is a skipping dance which breaks into an exultant presto at the end.This work has some rough edges when compared to Mozart's but it is an undoubted masterpiece in its own right.Beethoven first performed this concerto in 1803 at a concert which also included the Second Symphony and the oratorio, Christ on the Mount of Olives.

The fourth concerto in G major, opus 58, represents a distinct stylistic break.The work opens with a short, meditative statement of the theme in the solo piano, followed by the orchestral exposition which opens in a remote key.The work is mostly quiet and lyrical and features great interplay between the piano and the orchestra.This is highlighted in the slow movement which consists of a dialogue between a brusque orchestra and a pleading soloist -- with the two never playing together. The work was completed in 1805, and Beethoven performed it in 1808.

Beethoven's final piano concerto, which has become almost the prototype of the piano concerto, is the famous "Emperor" in E-flat major opus 73.This work, together with Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony also in E-flat major virtually define Beethoven's "heroic" period for many listeners.This is a flamboyant work which opens with crashing chords and brilliant piano arpeggios a and includes crashing chords and difficult double octaves in its development section.The work also unites the solo part with the orchestra to make the work one of large, symphonic proportions.There are some modern listeners who feel uncomfortable with music of this sweep and grandeur. In his recent book "Beethoven: the Music and the Life" (2003), Lewis Lockwood commented on this tendency (page 251):

"To [t]his pessimism there is no final response except that provided by listeners and musicians who seem to arise in every new generation and regard works such as the Eroica and the 'Emperor' Concerto as among their most significan personal experiences.Listeners accept them not as antiquated expressions of a political idealism that has been cruelly banished by history, but as evocations of the human possibilities that might be realized in a better world."

This collection also included Beethoven's "Triple" concerto in C major for piano, violing, and cello, opus 56 performed by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra with Eugene Istomin, piano, Issac Stern, violin, and Leonard Rose, cello.The cello has the largest solo role in this work and is highly difficult to play.The piano solo was composed for a musical amateur.The Triple Concerto has had its critics over the years.I enjoy it.The music is laid-back and diffuse and does not show the same level of inspiration as do the piano concertos.

This box set is the ideal way to get to know, or to revisit, Beethoven's piano concertos.The new listener will cherish these works over the years.This disk will encourage the listeners to explore and love this music and related art music. ... Read more

Asin: B000002801
Sales Rank: 43307
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Orchestral & Symphonic   

3 Piano Quartets
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (17 June, 1997)
list price: $6.49
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (1)

Top quality for a bargain
This is a CD of extremely high quality in at least three aspects: 1. Fine compositions, in the best tradition of Mozart and Haydn. 2. Very well played by four members of the Scheuerer family. and 3. A high quality,christal clear recording! ... Read more

Asin: B00000223O
Sales Rank: 374475
Subjects:  1. Classical   

Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman & Jacqueline du Pré - Beethoven: Piano Trios
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (06 June, 1989)
list price: $32.98 -- our price: $32.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (1)

An excellent set, but...
The recording at hand is perhaps the best in the current discography of the complete Beethoven piano trios.Daniel Barenboim gives a very focused performance at the piano, playing clearly and classically with all thenecessary virtuosity.His late wife, Jaqueline Du Pre, gives anoutstanding performance.At her undisputed musical peak, her contributionis rich and skillful without being distracting.Pinchas Zuckerman,although I much prefer him as a violist, gives an very good performancehere on violin.The trio is unusually crisp and coordinated, especially intheir unison pizzicatto.All this at mid-price with very informative linernotes.Overall, this is a tough set to beat.

But...

But like any"complete" recording, this one begs the question, "Do wereally need to hear all of this music to fully appreciate it?"Theanswer here is no.Look up at the track listings and you will see a numberof pieces written as WoO, meaning without opus.These pieces were notintended by Beethoven for publication.Some are early studentcompositions, others are pieces composed for his own pupils.While thesepieces may be of special interest for those tracking Beethoven'sdevelopment (particularly his early development), they aren't his bestwork.The piano trios are a relatively weak set when compared to othergroupings - particularly the piano sonatas, the string quartets, and, ofcourse, the symphonies.The casual listener might be better off stickingwith the "Archduke" trio and perhaps the Opus 70 trios.If youlike early Beethoven, then you'll enjoy the Opus 1 trios.They're veryclassical, reflecting Beethoven's time spent studying under Haydn.Thefact remains, however, that Beethoven didn't particularly care for hisearly work all that much after he wrote the "Eroica."

If you'restill interested in a complete set, or if you're a Du Pre fan, this is anexcellent option. ... Read more

Asin: B000002S12
Sales Rank: 109319
Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical   

Beethoven: Complete Music for Cello & Piano
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (11 October, 1994)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $17.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Beethoven was the first great composer of cello sonatas, and he remained really the only one until Brahms wrote two at the end of the last century, and then in our own time Martinu wrote three. Aside from a few individual works by other composers (Grieg, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, Barber, and Britten), that about sums up the entire repertoire for this particular combination. It's a difficult medium, because the low notes of the cello tend to get covered by the bass of the piano, and balance between the two instruments is always precarious. Of course, when you have artists of the caliber of Rostropovich and Richter, there's nothing to worry about. This classic set has been the reference edition since the day it was issued, and it's now available at a budget price. --David Hurwitz ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Wonderful
Beethoven, Rostropovich, and Richter. It is simply amazing how they managed to get Rostropovich and Richter, two GIANTS of the cello and piano worlds, to play some of the greatest music together. And this set of cello and piano music is complete! What more could you ask for? Sure, the sound isn't perfect, but it's barely noticeable, and you get used to it.

Richter + Rostropovich = Perfection
Simply put: The best set of Beethoven's Violoncello Sonatas you'll be able to find. Period.

Gramophone Classical 100
This should have entered into Gramophone Classical 100. What were the reviewers doing? Sleeping? ... Read more

Asin: B0000041A9
Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical   

Beethoven: Fidelio
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (22 May, 2001)
list price: $35.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (3)

Excellent Music... Horrible Recording
While the vocal quality of the performance is excellent, and the opera itself is wonderful, the listener may find it difficult at times to listen to the music through the fogginess of the recording.Of course, this is a very old recording, so no more can be expected, but I must warn prospective buyers that this is not what you want to buy if you are looking for a good complete recording of Fidelio.It is very difficult to be involved in the music when everything sounds faint and distant.

One of the greatest Leonores on record
I have often heard the statement that Birgit Nilsson was the greatest Leonore of her time. I heard her Decca performance with Maazel, I was a bit sceptical of that statement. But yes, after hearing this, Birgit Nilsson certainly qualifies!! She evinces more commitment and her phrasing is much better in this set than in the Maazel set. Make sure you get hold of this famous Cologne performance.

Fantastic Sound and fantastic performance
I always buy lesser known labels with trepidation because I can never know what kind of sound quality I will get. However, so far my experience with Koch Schwann is that they provide superb sound quality. This is the second Koch Scwhann set that I bought. The mono sound is superclear with lots of space around the music - it sounds more like 'thin stereo' - perhaps the engineers were experimenting with stereo then. Everything is crystal clear and the voices are prominently recorded with every note audible. If I play the music and don't tell you it's mono, you won't realize it!!Koch Schwann must has access to the original masters because these transfers are superb.

Having put the question of sound quality to rest, what about the performance. Well, this is Birgit Nilsson's first recorded Leonore, and it is certainly her best. When I first heard her performance here, I was actually stunned. Those who claim that Birgit Nilsson is 'cold' and does not characterize too well should listen to this recording. I have her Maazel performance and I've always thought that in that recording, she was somewhat below what she was capable of. But this set triumphs over all the others. Here she seems more involved than in the Maazel performance. It could be that she was not that famous in 1956 (her Met triumph was 1959) so it is possible that she worked harder at her characterization here and there is a palpable difference. In Maazel, she does not seem too interested in doing the part well - perhaps she was then famous and very busy doing too many roles and that affected her. I would definitely recommend this Birgit Nilsson set (in mono and at full-price) above the Maazel Decca set (in stereo and at mid-price). You needn't worry about sound quality - it is superb!! Part of the reason is that this was done specially as a radio broadcast and not from staged performances so the producers made sure that the singers are clearly heard and the orchestra well- balanced. Erich Kleiber's conducting is definitely superior to Maazel. Maazel (25 years old, thereabouts) was very young when he conducted the Decca set with Nilsson. On the other hand, Erich Kleiber (father of Carlos Kleiber) was a legend - witness his legendary Figaro with Decca in 1955. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly after doing this broadcast.

There is another performance Birgit Nilsson as Leonore - the Rome 1970 version with Leonard Bernstein. That version is terrific but for one thing, the sound quality there is not as good. And although Birgit Nilsson with Bernstein was better than with Maazel, she is still the best down here. Yes, this is Birgit Nilsson's best Leonore. If you are a fan of Birgit Nilsson or a collector of Fidelios or Birgit Nilsson performances, this set is indispensable. Even for the general public at large, this is a great second set to supplement the Klemperer Fidelio which is still the best Fidelio ever recorded. ... Read more

Asin: B000056T35
Sales Rank: 349102
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Opera    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio   

Beethoven for Relaxation
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (09 March, 1999)
list price: $10.98 -- our price: $10.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (7)

Number of discs
The ad above shows 2 discs with the same track names... this item has only 1 disc with 11 tracks (names as shown above).

I Know Music, and This is Not the Best (by Beethoven Lover)
Ok, I'll admit, this is a pretty good album, but it lacks the feeling of Beethoven. Its songs don't sound like Beethoven is playing, and its not too relaxing. It deserves three stars because of this lack of the great Beethoven himself. Sure, the songs are pretty, but I'd buy a different album if I was you.

Not the Best By beethoven Lover
not completely a delight...shows little Beethoven in it all, deserves only about two or three stars. ... Read more

Asin: B00000I9LZ
Sales Rank: 22383
Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical    3. Concerto    4. Keyboard    5. Opera    6. Orchestral & Symphonic    7. Symphonic   

Beethoven - Missa Solemnis / Margiono, Robbin, Kendall, Miles, Gardiner
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 February, 1991)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

John Eliot Gardiner's interpretation of the Missa Solemnis stands as one of the crowning accomplishments of his career and one of the most impressive achievements of the period-instrument movement. The concept is grand and powerful, lively though not unduly brisk. The execution is simply electrifying: Gardiner has the orchestra on the edge of their seats, the chorus going all-out, and sparks flying everywhere. Excellent singing from the soloists and a vivid recording complete the triumph, and it's all on a single disc. --Ted Libbey ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!
Words can not describe the perfection of this recording!I would submit that this is one of the best recordings of any classical piece ever!My friend and I used to refer to it sometimes as simply, "The Recording," because we just understood that it encapsulated every thing that music and musicianship are supposed to be.Absolutely flawless... you will not be disappointed with this!

Every human being should own this recording!

What is expected from Gardiner
As always, Gardiner delivers a very good performance. This is a very highly esteemed CD in the catalogue of none other than Deutsche Grammophon, and has won many awards. Sound quality is very good. Very enjoyable.

Another Missa for non-choral singers
The Monteverdi group is technically perfect but 36 people is not enough to give good emotion to this piece, regardless of how close you put the microphones to them.To put it lightly, even if this is religious music you should NOT do it with a chamber music sized group.The power of the the singing isn't there regardless of how technically perfect the singing is, and it is very good.You can get away with it in the Benedictus and the Kyrie but the size of the group really detracts in the powerhouse Gloria and Credo.

As a choral singer who has performed this piece and has been looking for years to find a quality recording with a truly great choir, you better look elsewhere. ... Read more

Asin: B0000057DP
Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Classical   

Beethoven: Chamber Music for Winds (box Set)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 July, 1999)
list price: $32.98 -- our price: $32.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Box set

Reviews (1)

Best available
Klocker and his fine team give us a refreshing rendition of these negleted gems. Recommended without reservation. ... Read more

Asin: B00000JMZ0
Sales Rank: 74228
Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Chamber    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Opera    6. Orchestral   

Beethoven: Chamber Music for Horns, Wind & Strings
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (18 July, 1995)
list price: $6.98 -- our price: $6.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (1)

Great Chamber Music Collection!
This recording becamse an obsession of mine. I had heard of it's existence but could never find it until about a month ago. I was so excited, being a horn player, to see the Quintet for 3 horns, oboe and basson, since it israrely recorded. This is the highlight of the recording for me, itshowcases Beethoven's absolute brilliance in writing for Winds,particularly the horn. The sextet is another favorite piece of mine, thisrecording being a perfect example of impeccable balance between the hornsand strings. The low horn player needs to have absolute agility for thispiece, and this recording shows how it is done! The Septet is playedwonderfully also, but to tell the truth, is not really one of my favoritepieces. This recording is perfect for it's diversity in repetoire and theprice cannot be beat! ... Read more

Asin: B000001448
Sales Rank: 133198
Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical