Editorial Review

This is an astonishing collection of works - or parts of works - by Mozart that covers almost every aspect of his creative output: symphonic, religious music, concerti (for piano, horn, violin, clarinet, flute), chamber music, serenades (for strings; winds), a couple of opera overtures and more. Those who know and love Mozart's music will not need this, but it's a great introduction, a great overview. The selections are well-chosen and interestingly organized, with familiar pieces splrinkled among some not-so well known. A good primer. Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (14)

Nice Mozart selection - Nice price
Nice selection of Mozart work that give us inner peace...
MozartListener
This is a good CD if you like Mozart's music.It is not the best CD I ever purchased.It is nice to listen to it in the morning before I go to work.And I sometimes listen to it in the evening before I go to bed.It is relaxing and soothing.I am not amusic major or therapist.This is the best review I can write.Mary Agnes Cross

Don't buy this CD
Quality is poor. Some songs are not playing. Avoid buying @Amazon. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Choral    4. Clarinet Concerto    5. Classical    6. Classical Composers    7. Classical Music    8. Classical Period Serenade/Cassation/Divertimento    9. Classical Period Symphony    10. Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    11. Concerto    12. Flute Concerto    13. French Horn Concerto    14. German/Austrian Classical Period Opera    15. Keyboard    16. Opera    17. Orchestral    18. Piano Concerto    19. Quartet for Four String Instruments    20. Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet   

Reviews (11)

A nice introduction
This is a good well rounded collection to dip you into the classical world of Mozart.

Mozart is the reference point for good classical music.
A good collection of his best work and I find it helps me focus when I'm writing or contempating life.
Mozart's music
This is a review of Mozart's music, not the cd.Mozart is praised to the skies by all and sundry, including most musicians, including my father, who no doubt has his reasons.But my feeling about Mozart has always been that there is nothing in Mozart's music that is other than music.There is no logical impressionism, there are no events that seem to be transpiring as in, for example, Beethoven.Mozart is just music.Mozart is to music as pure mathematics is to science.It hints of nothing else and has no application.I find some of his music irritatingly trivial, for example, Eine Kleine Nachtmuzic.This is mechanical music that one can imagine being piped in by a totalitarian government that insists everyone be cheerful.If Disneyland was an eighteenth century totalitarian state, Mozart would be its Muzak.The populace would be awakened, like Chinese train passengers, at 6AM by the strains of some allegro.They would arise and busy themselves with their ablutions in a state of thoughtless cheer, never for one moment leaving the surface of things.That being said, the second movement of Mozart's clarinette concerto is the music that one will hear on going into heaven. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Choral    3. Clarinet Concerto    4. Classical    5. Classical Composers    6. Classical Music    7. Classical Period Serenade/Cassation/Divertimento    8. Classical Period Symphony    9. Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    10. Concerto    11. Concerto for Two Solo Instruments    12. Dance/Single-Movement/Miscellaneous Work for Orchestra    13. French Horn Concerto    14. German/Austrian Classical Period Opera    15. Keyboard    16. Miscellaneous Sacred Choral Music    17. Motet    18. Opera    19. Orchestral    20. Orchestral & Symphonic   

Reviews (10)

THE VERY BEST OF THE BEST
This is indeed a very awesome cd for me, because i would not have known which artist to buy, this way you get a variety of them. this cd is great for beginners such as I am.
Era issues
This CD is only "classical" in the sense that it is music by an orchestra.It does not mean that the music is from the classical ERA of music.It is still beautiful music, but those of you who are trying to learn to distinguish the different time periods will be disappointed.The CD actually does claim to be from the classical ERA but actually has much baroque era and romantic era music on it (the romantic CD by the same publisher is also not era specific).In regard to some of the other reviews, while the classical era did have an emotionally detatched quality, not all of the music on here is classical!Still, for those of you looking for an introduction to "classical" music, it is a beautiful CD.

Pleasantly Surprised! :)
I'm not much of a classical music buff, but I realized not too long ago that I do like many of the "popular" classical music tracks. Since then I have been on the lookout for a collection of "famous" classical music tracks that would appeal to the layman (so as to develop my interest in classical music further, and also to familiarize myself with some of the more famous classical tunes). Saw this CD on sale and bought it on a whim, and I havent been disappointed. The collection is indeed very nice, and my only gripe is that there isnt a single Beethoven track!! (and I wonder why non of the other user reviews mention this). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Music for Voice and Keyboard    2. Ballet    3. Band    4. Baroque Suite/Partita for Orchestra    5. Choral    6. Classical    7. Classical Collections-Composer Desc.    8. Classical Music    9. Classical Period Serenade/Cassation/Divertimento    10. Classical Period Symphony    11. Concerto    12. Concerto Grosso    13. French Horn Concerto    14. German/Austrian Classical Period Opera    15. Keyboard    16. March for Band    17. Music for Four Hands at One Keyboard    18. Opera    19. Oratorio    20. Orchestral   

Editorial Review

Long regarded as the quintessential interpretation of the most popularand best-loved symphony ever written, this performance of the Fifth haseverything: passion, precision, drama, lyric beauty, and a coiled fury in thefirst movement that sets your pulse racing from the very first note. CarlosKleiber has made very few recordings in his distinguished career, but almost allare special. If you own no other copy of this symphony, this is the one to get.It comes with an exceptional performance of the Seventh--not quite as grippingas the Fifth, but definitely one of the great ones. There is classical music,and there are classic recordings of classical music. This one's a classic. Read more

Reviews (120)

Oh My God!
I'm not even religious. This recording made me glad I was alive to hear it. This cannot be overrated because I do believe it is the greatest piece of music I have ever heard. I've heard the 5th many times, everyone has. Kleiber is genius, what he chooses to accent and the touches he puts in make you want to cry out they are so perfect.

The Most Not-overrated and greatest recording of all time
I am totally confident when I say that this is the greatest recording of anything EVER. Yes, you all have a recording of the fifth and every single conductor in the world has beat the thing to death. But the reason why this recording should be so highly praised is because it does something dangerous. Kleiber takes the most known and popular symphony of all time, which has been played and re-played since the day it was premiered, and made it timeless. The recording just never gets old.
Which classic Fifth is best, Kleiber, Karajan, or Bernstein?
When Carlos Kleiber released his classic Beethoven Fifth in 1975 with the Vienna Phil., it made his reputation overnight, and the recording was greeted as a revelation. At the time I wondered if this was really true, since two older Fifths from the early Sixties, Karajan with the Berlin Phil. and Bernstein with the NY Phil., seemed quite wonderful already. Now I have the latest remastering of each, so I decided to sit down and compare them.
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Orchestral & Symphonic    5. Romantic Symphony    6. Symphonic   

Editorial Review

The labels that are now gathered under the Universal Classics umbrella have a pretty impressive scorecard in the area of classical compilations. We've seen Read more

Reviews (31)

Bought This & Kid's and I Love It - a review of "The # 1 Opera Album"
We just purchased this 2 CD set so we'd have something to listen to in the car (other than The Wiggles and Barney - lol) and we couldn't be happier.The offerings are great and include so many of the 'popular' arias that I wanted to introduce to our children:boy and girl; 4 and 6 y.o. respectively.
#1 Opera Album
Great collection of performances by some true legends in the opera world. The entire album is very well done.

Wonderful Compilation
A wonderful compilation of some of the most beautiful music in the world. One reviewer panned the selection of voices, but that sounds like sour grapes. While you might be disappointed if your favorite artist is not included, there's no doubt that this collection will entertain the listener for many hours. You'll enjoy this music over and over again. Buy it and enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art Song (General)    2. Classical    3. Classical Music    4. Czech Romantic Opera    5. French Romantic Opera    6. German/Austrian Classical Period Opera    7. German/Austrian Romantic Opera    8. Italian 20th/21st Century Opera    9. Italian Romantic Opera    10. Opera    11. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    12. Opera/Operetta Collections    13. Vocal   

Features

• Box set

Reviews (21)

An excellent introduction to classical music
This is an excellent introduction to classical music.Well performed and presented.

Very Beautiful!!!!!1
If you are a fan of classical music then you better get this set. Not only is it very cheap, 10 Discs for about 2$ per disk. Now where are you gonna find a deal like this. I actually found mine chaper, $20.00 even and the music is outstanding. If you had a very bad day and very stressed out, just put in one of these cds, lay down, dim down the lights and just relax. It really helped me out.

Still Stuck on Beethoven
I just recently started listening to classical music so I'm certainly not one to compare or critique the quality of this set. However, I do have a few comments...
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Subjects:  1. Bagatelle for Keyboard    2. Baroque Suite/Partita for Orchestra    3. Box Sets (Audio Only)    4. Cantata    5. Chamber    6. Chamber Music & Recitals    7. Choral    8. Choral Music    9. Chorale Prelude or Chorale Treatment for Keyboard    10. Clarinet Concerto    11. Classical    12. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    13. Classical Music    14. Classical Period Serenade/Cassation/Divertimento    15. Classical Period Symphony    16. Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    17. Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb.    18. Collection of Etudes, Studies, or Exercises for Keyboard    19. Collection of Preludes for Keyboard    20. Concerto   

Editorial Review

This performance is also available on Deutsche Grammophon in an earlier,mid-price incarnation, but this version is clearly the one to own, since theremastered sound is a definite improvement over previous issues. Herbert vonKarajan always did a good job with this symphony, and his performances are quiteconsistent, even down to the very backward-balance of the chorus. By generalconsensus, though, this is the best of them. Read more

Reviews (29)

Absolutely amazing
This is a great interpretation of the piece (which is admittedly my favorite piece of all).The tempi are faster than other recordings, but the orchestra never really lags or slows down.The level of musicianship throughout are exactly what you'd expect from one of the world's leading orchestras.
If One Must...
Knowing that this reviewer's view of this internationally popular favorite of every concertgoer is that of a curmudgeon, this recording is as acceptable as any of the ones available. Herbert von Karajan is at the helm of the trusty Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Singverein, and a cast of soloists that are the envy of any conductor - Gundula Janowitz, Hilde Rossel-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt and Walter Berry, stalwarts all and obviously veteran performers of this regularly programmed piece.The interpretation is brisk and lively and yet lingers over the inner two movements that gives some solace between the sandwich ends of the first and fourth movements.It is a fine recording.
First time I have ever switched preferences for a symphony
I have almost always stuck by the first recordings I buy for classical music. The only exceptions being the cheap Laserlight cd's I would buy in high school and college.
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Orchestral    5. Romantic Overture for Orchestra    6. Romantic Symphony    7. Symphonic   

Reviews (5)

Retrograde Mozart with undeniable heart
Leonard Bernstein thought that every composer was a romantic because he was. These big, heart-on-sleeve performances of Mozart's great late symphonies use the Vienna Phil. at almost full force--they could slip into the Brahms First without adding personnel. Bernstein lived long enough to theoretically be influenced by the period-instrument movement, but his allegiance never shifted. He belongs with Karajan and Bohm as the last conductors for whom Mozart should sound "important."
Mozart: The Great Late Symphonies
What a great album we have here. Leonard Bernstein conducts the later symphonies of Mozart, which are considered to be his most mature and his greatest works for full orchestra. This album is worth the price and a treasure to own for your extensive classical music collection. If you appreciate classical music, you'll truly enjoy this album. Everyone knows that Leonar Bernstein ranks among one of the best conductors of the 20th century, right up there with the great names of Herbert Von Karajan, Bruno Walter, Sir Neville Marriner, all who have held their own when it comes to Mozart's music. Karajan I feel is not quite as good when it comes to Mozart's symphonic works. Bruno Walter and Sir Neville Marriner have long surpassed Karajan in the area of Mozart symphonies. Indeed, if you get the chance be sure to check out symphonies conducted by either Bruno Walter or Sir Neville Marriner. Marriner and the Acadamy Of Saint Martin In The Fields did mostly Mozart and provided the music of the 1984 Milos Forman film Amadeus. The best bargain on the market
The new Trio series has to be one of the most welcome and affordable additions to the classical music market. This set shows why. For a budget price one can get pretty much all of Mozart's best loved symphonies, in some of the most highly regarded performances made of them. Bernstein's lush, relaxed, and very romantic interpretations may not be for all tastes, especially those who have become used to period style. But for those who feel Mozart would have preferred his music performed with the warmth and beauty that is missing from the rather cold, analytical period interpretations that have become the norm, these are for you. I cannot recommend this set more highly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Classical Period Symphony    5. Orchestral & Symphonic    6. Symphonic   

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (3)

Children's Favorites a solid purchase
This CD mostly delivered what was expected of it.The only critique I have is that some of the tempos could have been cleaner, and that it should be cross-referenced by the other composers besides J. S. Bach.

The perfect package
This is the most wonderful collection to have on 1 CD. Children from birth on up can benefit from this musical collage.
A Wonderful Introduction to the Classics
With total playing time clocking in at 78:04 minutes of music, you'll be paying about 6-cents/minute, which is a better bargain than long distance phone calls, and often more rewarding!Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballet    2. Chamber    3. Children's Collections    4. Childrens    5. Classical    6. Classical Music    7. Classical Period Variations for Keyboard    8. Concerto    9. Invention for Keyboard    10. Keyboard    11. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    12. Miscellaneous    13. Music for Two Keyboards    14. Music with Spoken Words    15. Orchestral    16. Piano Concerto    17. Prelude and Fugue for Keyboard    18. Romantic Ballet    19. Romantic Orchestral Music    20. Scherzo for Orchestra   

Editorial Review

For those who want the most remembered passages of classical music's best-loved works, here's a package for you. On this bargain priced double-CD, you'll find music from 40 different classical composers; for the most part, the recordings excerpted here are some of the very best. Of course, you only get one Bach sampling (Read more

Reviews (26)

Waste of money
Watch out for the volume leveling mentioned in another review. Surely the compliers could have come up with a better sort order than by composer. The change in tempo/volume between pieces makes it impossible to enjoy. My two CD's ended up in the trash.
Great Music Compilation
This is a great CD full of many songs that you will recognize and enjoy.If you are someone who likes classical music but doesn't necessarily know which songs or which composers you like, then this CD is for you.You will likely recognize many of the songs as the classical songs you would have picked out to be your favorites.

If you like classical music don't buy this CD.
Most of the tracks were chopped down to 3-4 minutes so some of the best parts of the compositions are missing.I don't know what I was thinking trying to buy 40 classical songs on two CD's.If you really want to enjoy the music you would do better to purchase a CD with fewer, but better quality tracks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Orchestral Music    2. Adagio for Orchestra    3. Cantata    4. Chamber    5. Chamber Music    6. Character/Single-Movement/Miscellaneous Work for Keyboard    7. Choral    8. Classical    9. Classical Composers    10. Classical Music    11. Classical Period Serenade/Cassation/Divertimento    12. Concerto    13. Film    14. Film Music    15. French Operetta    16. French Romantic Opera    17. German/Austrian Romantic Opera    18. Italian Romantic Opera    19. Keyboard    20. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title   

Reviews (8)

Plesantly surprised...
I don't remember how I found this CD the other day surfing through the "Amazon" such as it is, but I did. I listened to a few clips provided & on the strength of that, I purchased this CD.
Absolutely Agree About Corelli
Franco Corelli's "Nessun Dorma" is still the best of them all - clear, passionate, and exciting. (And those final two notes...! Gives me chills just to think of it.) I was fortunate enough to see him live in both "Turandot" and "Romeo and Juliet" a year before his retirement, and he was still a Calaf and a Romeo to die for... as, of course, Liu and Juliet did!As it is, I tend to buy compilations depending on how much Corelli they include - though Bjorling is a strong second, and I have happy memories of Domingo. Long live the Golden Age of Operatic Tenors!

Good but not enough Corelli!! Terrie Lackawanna, NY

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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    3. Classical Music    4. French Romantic Opera    5. German/Austrian Romantic Opera    6. Italian Romantic Opera    7. Opera    8. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio   

Reviews (15)

Don't...!!!
To combine a voice as beautiful as Pavarotti's with some of the world's greatest music and outstanding orchestras, and end up with this...`thing'...is unforgivable. After buying and listening to it, it brought to mind those painful words "A fool, a fool. I saw a fool today. I saw him in the mirror."
Great Tenor - Poor CD Quality
I have never been a huge fan of Maestro Pavarotti but I must admit that this compilation is a masterful collection of his operatic highlights.
Great Music......Horrible Mastering
Pavarotti has a voice that can take hold of you and change your entire mood...even if you don't know Italian. The problem with this set is the mastering (mastering evens out the volumes and signal to noise ratio on an album). The first CD in this collection is so quiet that you literally have to crank your player to get any kind of volume. For a professional CD this is absolutely unacceptable.
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Subjects:  1. Art Song (General)    2. Classical    3. Classical Artists    4. Classical Music    5. Classical Period Music for Voice and Keyboard    6. French Romantic Opera    7. German/Austrian Operetta    8. German/Austrian Romantic Opera    9. Italian Romantic Opera    10. Italy    11. Miscellaneous    12. Miscellaneous Music    13. Opera    14. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    15. Romantic Music for Voice and Keyboard    16. Solo Voice(s) and Orchestra    17. Solo Voice(s) and Small Ensemble    18. Vocal    19. Vocal Music   

Reviews (5)

Repackaged New Year's Concert 1984 with VPO, etc.
If I'm not mistaken, most of the pieces were recorded originally live during a 1984 New Year's Concert conducted by Lorin Maazel with the Vienna Philharmonic playing in its grand concert hall, the Musikverein. Maazel and the Vienna Philharmonic have had a longstanding relationship dating from the 1960's, and without question, this CD does rank among my favorite New Year's Concert performances (However, the most mesmerizing ones I've heard have been those with the late Carlos Kleiber and Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting.) for the superb quality of the Vienna Philharmonic's playing. Maazel leads the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in some of the most popular works composed by the Strauss family, most notably Johann II Strauss' Tales from the Vienna Woods Waltz, Emperor Waltz, Pizzicato Polka, Blue Danube Waltz and his father's Radetzky March, which traditionally closes out the annual New Year's Concert. Fans of the Strauss family, Vienna Philharmonic and Lorin Maazel, will not be disappointed with this excellent two CD compilation.

I am glad I bought this one
I listen to this cd to relax and it is so soothing. It starts with The blue Danube, which is my favorite. But the rest of the songs do not disapoint.

Great Music as usual
This is great recording,Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Dance/Single-Movement/Miscellaneous Work for Orchestra    5. March for Orchestra    6. Orchestral    7. Orchestral & Symphonic    8. Polka for Orchestra    9. Romantic Orchestral Music    10. Romantic Overture for Orchestra    11. Waltz for Orchestra   

Features

• Box set
• Collector's Edition

Reviews (8)

Come on, reviewers !
...sorry, but:these lukewarm reviews are a crock.These are
Great Interpretations but Patchy Sound Quality!
This is a great idea to package classical cds for the masses.The cardboard box which holds 5 paper sleeves to keep the cds is very well designed and the low price for 5 discs makes this great value for money.The only gripe I have with this is the patchy sound quality.We get great sound levels and production on some of the symphonies but noticeably on Symphony No. 9, the sound quality seems to suffer a little and this is also the case for parts of Symphony No. 6.Otherwise, this is a great way for collectors of Bernstein's works to start a collection.

Not the best, but not a disappointment.
I must admit, I was quite worried upon hitting the "pay" button after ordering these symphonies, because I then read the reviews.I figured (without doing my homework) that LB and LvB in combination were sure to be perfect!A few others felt that these were weak and not up to the Bernstein or Berlin standard.
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Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Orchestral & Symphonic    5. Romantic Symphony    6. Symphonic   

Reviews (1)

Best of the best
There's something for every Tchaikovsky lover on this disc. From Swan Lake to Onegin, many of Tchaikovsky's most-known melodies are on this disc. I'd have preferred more than an excerpt of the first movement of Piano Concerto No. 1, but this disc is a great introduction to Tchaikovsky's works. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballet    2. Chamber    3. Choral    4. Classical    5. Classical Composers    6. Classical Music    7. Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb.    8. Concerto    9. Keyboard    10. March for Orchestra    11. Mass    12. Opera    13. Orchestral    14. Orchestral & Symphonic    15. Piano Concerto    16. Quartet for Four String Instruments    17. Romantic Ballet    18. Romantic Music for Voice and Keyboard    19. Romantic Orchestral Music    20. Romantic Overture for Orchestra   

Editorial Review

"Beg to report safe delivery of a strong, healthy last movement to my Second. Father and child doing as well as can be expected." So ran Mahler's jubilant message on completion of his "Resurrection" Symphony, which after several years' painful gestation had come together in his mind with a sudden flash of inspiration. It had begun as a single-movement funeral rite, and gradually taken shape under the influence of Schubert's music, but the choral conclusion of Beethoven's Ninth was its Grail. Zubin Mehta's 25-year-old recording is a superb addition to the ranks of contending interpretations. It is lighter on its feet than Bernstein's classic version, with all the elements in Mahler's tonal landscape brought out in high relief: by turns lush, austere, grandiose, and intimate. Here is the Vienna Phil at its best, with two incomparable voices on the bridge--Christa Ludwig's steely mezzo and Ileana Cotrubas's soaring soprano. The "Legendary" on the cover is not hype: This is still as good as it gets. Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (23)

Musically Flawless
So how about that? A Mahler second that actually moves! The result is one of the most exciting readings of all time. It's truly legend.
No finer Mahler recording
I have heard the Mahler Symphony #2 many time in performance and on recordings.In my opinion, none equals this fantastic effort by Mehta.It is a revelation from beginning to end.My first experience with the piece was hearing Bruno Walter conduct the New York Philharmonic in a captivating performance long ago.That introduction to this apotheosis of Romantic music pales by comparison.There is a very good reason why this recording has never been out of print.It is simply the best.

How did Zubin Mehta become Mr. Slick?

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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    5. Romantic Symphony with Solo Voice and Chorus    6. Symphonic   

Editorial Review

Modern storage media (CD/DVD) offer both high fidelity and great reliability in the playback of music. Yet only a bit more than a generation ago, the possibilities inherent in the long-playing record inspired John Culshaw, a young producer for Decca, to attempt the most ambitious recording project ever contemplated up to that time--a complete studio recording of the Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (104)

Easily the best investment I've ever made!!!
Solti is a true Wagnerian!!! There is truly no one better! In every single Wagner recording under his baton (under the fantastic engineering of the Decca label), there is a power, intensity, and ethereal quality that rings true from first note to last. This studio recording of the Ring Cycle is probably his strongest effort. Virtually every nuance that Wagner desired is apparent, from echoes, to characterizations, to instruments used (the steer-horns in Gotterdammerung). All of his singers are nothing short of the best, especially Hotter, Windgassen, and Nilsson (all of whom are sadly not around any longer). They do everything they can to help Solti bring Wagner's deepest conceptions to life. It's a shame that this performance wasn't filmed. The only thing missing is the visual aspect, but that's a very minute matter, when dealing with a top-notch recording like this one. It pulls the listener in, like he's there, experiencing the story with the likes of Wotan, Siegmund, Siegfried, and Brunnhilde. The package is also an excellent bonus, full of very informative liner notes, as well as set designs and beautiful drawings by the great Arthur Rackham. I paid $120 for this box set, brand new, but I would've gladly paid double that, if necessary. I don't know what I would do without this recording. (If you're feeling dangerous, as I have, try listening to the whole thing, with a nice comfortable set of headphones, with only the occasional bathroom breaks and eating/drinking to stay alive. If you can endure such an intense task, you will not regret it, but make sure you follow every word. Everything counts.) 100 stars!!!

Possibly the greatest recording of the century
Ever since the reopening of the Bayreuth Festival in 1951, the operatic world has been blessed with many Ring recordings that are brimming with life and searing in interpretation. The work is certainly the most ambitious and fascinating musical epic ever set on paper, and due to its intricate music and magnificent and poetic text, it has influenced the way music making has been done ever since the Master presented it to the world in 1876. Now, 130 years after that first Ring cycle, the market abounds with hordes of Ring recordings raging from magnificent to deplorable, and with the cost of having to contain such a grand epic in recordable media for the listener to enjoy at home, the pricetags for these Rings are always going to be astounding.