Editorial Review

Mstislav Rostropovich is the world's greatest cellist, andhe has actually made at least five recordings of this greatest of all celloconcertos. I have a certain preference for his later version, with Seiji Ozawaand the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Erato. This version has long been a prime recommendation,and in this new remastering at mid-price, it's an even better deal now. Herbertvon Karajan accompanies with his usual expertise, and the Tchaikovskyperformance is quite simply the finest around. This concerto is one of thosepieces of which you'll want to have five or six copies. Just make sure this isone of them. Read more

Reviews (24)

high-end audio equipment may be required
This is a beautiful recording, but I cannot listen to it on my stereo unless I constantly adjust the volume, up for the cello, down for the full orchestra.If I leave the volume at a level where the full orchestra will not be too loud, then I miss everything that makes this recording really special.But if I leave the volume where I can hear the cello clearly, then the full orchestra is painfully loud.Just be aware, if you are not an audiophile, this CD may not be right for you.

The Cellist, Concerto, Maestro, Orchestra
This was my first recording of the Dvorak and my overall, general image of the piece has always been nothing short of a masterpiece.
Very good, but not the best.
In my opinion, the Du Pre recording of the Dvorak is the definitive one. The Rostropovich, while technically excellent, lacks emotion at times.
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Subjects:  1. Cello Concerto    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Concerto   

Reviews (6)

C MinorMass
The chorus and the soloists are all excellent.This is a really dense piece and it is done full justice by the artists involved.Very satisfying.

Review of Mozart-Mass in C Minor
Beautiful CD--arrived in excellent condision and in a very timely manner for the price of shipping asked.

An overlooked masterpiece of sacred choral music
I had the fun of performing the Mass in C Minor in grad school--what a joy. While listening to it is not nearly as much fun as performing, I enjoy this particular recording for the great soloists. Read more

Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Mass    6. Motet   

Reviews (12)

The quintessential Christmas recording
This recording seems to elicit universal and heartfelt praise.Who am I to dispute that?The performance is terrific, just as described by the other Amazon reviewers, no doubt about it.
A Top List Christmas CD
I bought this cd long ago, and have enjoyed it immensely each year.It is the perfect blend of celebration and meditation. Orchestra and choir combine in four distinct groupings, and a capella arrangements complete the masterful collection.The orchestral arrangements will make the hairs on your neck stand up, and your stomach quiver with all the excitement you ever felt as a child at Christmas. Adeste Fidelis is performed as few other ensembles have ever come close. The a capella arrangements will all, without exception, be on your yearly list of must-hear holiday arrangements.Truly a top list Christmas CD, essential for every family who celebrates this feast.

The best
I own approximately 35 Christmas choral CDs - including choirs and groups such as the Cambridge Singers and the King Singers.I also own two Christmas albums with Robert Shaw and the Atlantic symphony.This performance with the Robert Shaw Chorale is old but it is still my favorite.The arrangements are magnificent, the sound is brilliant, and the choir and orchestra are precise with wonderful volume control.Buy and enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Christmas    3. Christmas / Chanukkah    4. Christmas Music    5. Classical    6. Easy Pop    7. Miscellaneous    8. Miscellaneous Music    9. Piano Blues    10. Sacred Choral Music    11. Texas Blues    12. Xmas Classical Vocal   

Editorial Review

If Rieu is not the most outstanding purveyor of Viennese waltzes and similar light-hearted fare, he is certainly the most popular and well-known. There are plenty of fun pieces on this album, although, to be just a tad pedantic, more of it is Italian and French than remotely Viennese. But it's all fun, and it's all well-played. Read more

Reviews (9)

André Rieu - The Vienna I love - Waltzes From My Heart
The music is so upbeat and you are automatically in a good mood.It is a real pleasure listening to this CD and it is done frequently.

Excellent choice
I am really a rock music fan but I enjoy this version of light classical music. It may not be for the serious classical music enthusiast, but it is still considered excellent light entertainment. What a way to introduce classical music to a wider audience!

Pop Strauss, et al
I was looking for truly Viennese renditions of Strauss waltzes.Though unrelentingly upbeat, this isn't it.There are medleys of Strauss, Offenbach, Rossini, and everyone else imaginable.It's a pop version of what was once pop on its own.I know Strauss isn't serious classical fare, but this trivializes it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Music for Voice and Keyboard    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Classical    4. Classical Artists    5. Classical Music    6. Concerto    7. French Operetta    8. French Romantic Opera    9. German/Austrian Operetta    10. Italian Romantic Opera    11. March for Orchestra    12. Miscellaneous    13. Miscellaneous Music    14. Opera    15. Orchestral    16. Orchestral Music    17. Polka for Orchestra    18. Romantic Orchestral Music    19. Violin Concerto    20. Vocal   

Reviews (8)

What, you call this scary music?
I'm familiar with most of the pieces found in this CD, and I can say I don't think they are frightening at all. They're great and highly enjoyable in their own right (the 'Danse Macabre' by Camille Saint-Saens is lovely dance music), but if one's intention is to bring together a collection of pieces of truly scary classical music, then this anthology hasn't done the job.
Music Is Very Good, However.........
The music on this CD is all very good, but as I play it, I don't really feel that "Bump in the Night" sensation throughout. Since it appears to be marketed for fun Halloween gatherings, I cannot honestly say that it will jumpstart the mood for the average party-goer. While "Funeral March For a Marionette" is extremely creepy and sets the mood (for those of you baby-boomers who don't recognize the title---this was the theme music to the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" TV series), other tunes kind of pull the plug on the momentum. Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" might ring Seasonal for classical music buffs, but I think your everyday Joe will picture helicopters soaring over Vietnam and the cry "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!"
Good Classical type Halloween music anthology
While this CD might cover most of the standard "creepy classics", there are a few more it could have covered, but frankly, the only song on the whole thing I didn't care for was Ives "Halloween". Some people may think that completely discordant music is great, but I do NOT! Otherwise, everything else was a great selection, and very entertaining. Definitely worth having, esp. if you like classical music. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Character/Single-Movement/Miscellaneous Work for Keyboard    3. Classical    4. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    5. Classical Music    6. German/Austrian Romantic Opera    7. Keyboard    8. Music for Organ    9. Opera    10. Orchestral    11. Romantic Orchestral Music    12. Romantic Tone Poem/Symphonic Poem for Orchestra    13. Scherzo for Orchestra    14. Strings and Keyboard    15. Suite for Orchestra    16. Symphonic    17. Symphony   

Editorial Review

Magic was created one starlit night in July 1990, when Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo andJosé Carreras met onstage at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome and became Read more

Reviews (20)

A knockout performance
Like so many of the reviewers here I am not an opera aficionado. But I sensed immediately the night I saw this concert on television that this was one of those 'remarkable' artistic events. Domingo and Pavarotti both have such strength and beauty in their voices that they overwhelm. Carreras adds flavor and enthusiasm.
The night that started it all!
You can read the technical information about the contents of this CD above. That is not what this review is about. I became intrested in opera about 1 1/2 years ago because of happening upon Mario Lanza. Since then, I have experienced many great truly operatic voices, including the "King," Pavarotti.
Great singing from the three tenors
This cd is a must-have for anyone interested in opera - or beautiful singing. And when you're at it - why don't buy the dvd from the concert? It will make you appreciate the cd even more.
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Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Music for Voice and Keyboard    2. Art Song (General)    3. Classical    4. Classical Artists    5. Classical Music    6. French Romantic Opera    7. Italian Romantic Opera    8. Miscellaneous Vocal Music    9. Opera    10. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    11. Solo Voice(s) and Orchestra    12. Spanish/Latin American/Italian Operetta (Zarzuela)    13. Vocal    14. Vocal Music   

Editorial Review

Dvor´k's last three symphonies deserve every ounce of their popularity. Although the Eighth and Ninth are virtually ubiquitous, the greatest by common consent is the Seventh, which the composer wrote in the wake of having heard Brahms's Third Symphony (which was in turn influenced by Dvorák's Fifth). The friendship between Brahms and Dvorák was one of the most interesting artistic relationships in musical history, comparable only to that between Mozart and Haydn. Brahms, for his part, was clearly thinking of Dvorák's Seventh when he wrote his own Fourth Symphony, and actually corrected the publisher's proofs of Dvorák's Ninth when his friend, who was stuck in New York, was unable to. The Cleveland Orchestra has a great tradition of performance in both Brahms and Dvorák, inculcated by the incomparable George Szell, whose recordings of these three symphonies are also available. If you're looking for digital sound, you'll find that Szell's high standards have been admirably maintained by Dohnanyi and the orchestra. Read more

Reviews (12)

Very nice recording
This is a very nice recording of these symphonies. I had been trying to find all three together for a while, and I was so happy when I found this. I would highly reccommend it to anyone who enjoys Dvorak.

Pure Dvorak
After having listened to these interpretations of Dvorak's most famous symphonies, I can't go back to my old ones anymore.Granted, I'm a big fan of Dohnanyi's "straightforward approach," but it really does prove to be the right way to go here.I'm particularly taken with the Ninth, which many conductors take ridiculous liberties with to try to give it their seal of individuality.Dohnanyi correctly realizes that the individuality is already inherent the music and blazes straight ahead, and the results are fantastic--much like the classic Szell recording, but with even more fire.Try to find another recording of the Ninth whose outer movements are as drivingly vehement as these--or whose Largo movement is such a smooth, lyrical whisper.In contrast, the Eighth is exuberant all the way through, and the Seventh is as moody and poetic as it needs to be--although again, Dohnanyi distinguishes himself by not allowing the symphony to slip into either melodrama or hysteria, two easy pitfalls.There's a lot of competition out there for all three of these symphonies, so on some level the choice comes down to personal preference--but I guarantee you can't go wrong with these.Buy this set if you're tired of odd tempo and dynamic variations and you just want to hear pure Dvorak, played with meticulous precision and unquenchable energy.That's what you'll get.

Great eighth, Poor Nineth
The performance of the eighth is great, but the one on nineth is among the worst presentation. The ryhthem, speed variation all got wrong. Too hasty for the 1st movement (about 1 minute shorter than many versions of other conductors) and too slow Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Keyboard    5. Music for Four Hands at One Keyboard    6. Romantic Symphony    7. Symphonic   

Reviews (4)

Selection of Songs?
Perlman is a man of extraordinary clarity and tonality also one of my favorite violinists. After I finish practicing a piece I usually find a recording to listen to different interpretations. Most of them are by Perlman and Heifetz. Unfortunately this album has some obscure songs and the songs itself do not do justice to Perlman what some other songs may have done. Still it is important to broaden the scope, so I would recommend this to all music connoisseurs :). btw i'm only 16 so...don't take this review too literal huh?

If you are a violin lover, buy it
It's beautiful.Simply put.

This is "THE" Greatest Hits alum by Perlman
Perlam is already a great player like the whole world knows.But the music selection couldn't better!I espacily like the piano accomplimant.Perlman pays the pieces with true style.The working realtionship betweenPerlman and the Pianist is truly incredible.Before geting any of Perlman's other greatest hits albums, get this one! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Concerto    8. Duo for Two String Instruments    9. Keyboard    10. Keyboard Music    11. Miscellaneous    12. Miscellaneous Music    13. Nocturne for Keyboard    14. Oboe Solo/Sonata    15. Orchestral    16. Romantic Music for Voice and Keyboard    17. Scherzo for Orchestra    18. Song Without Words for Keyboard    19. Violin Concerto    20. Violin with Keyboard   

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

There's never been anything quite like the symphonic film music series that John Williams has forged for George Lucas's sprawling Read more

Features

• Limited Edition
• Soundtrack

Reviews (228)

Genuine Star Wars
This CD is great! It's everything you'd want it to be in a Star Wars CD. As an avid fan of Star Wars listening to the tracks gives me great mental pictures. Many of the songs have good rising and falling crescendos. My personal favorite is the Love Theme. I just can't get enough of it! It almost makes me want to cry or something. There is only one downfall. Knowing John Williams (the writer and conductor) he writes almost every piece of music for a scene and not really as a song. Sometimes the songs take strange dips and sounds but then this isn't a classical Bach or Beethoven score. Definitely check it out if you love Star Wars

quick question
Anybody know where I can get the full scores for episodes II and III? I know they released a two-disc for episode I, but did they release any two-disc sets for the other two?

A whole galaxy of inspiration and imagination ...
John Williams is - by far - my own favorite film music composer. And John Williams' music for Star Wars is in a class on its own within his astounding oeuvre. Taken as a whole, John Williams' music for Star Wars IMHO even surpasses his own superb soundtrack music for Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, ET, Close Encounters, Jaws, etc.
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Film    3. Film Music    4. Original Score    5. Soundtrack    6. Soundtracks    7. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

Editorial Review

Set the table, open the wine, light some candles. Slip on this disc. Let the gentle sounds of André Rieu's slippery fiddle and fur-tipped orchestra lull you with classical music's most memorable soothers, from "O Mio Babbino Caro" and "Plasir D'Amour" to the largo from Dvorák's Read more

Reviews (18)

Andre Rieu -Romantic Moments
Oh, So beautiful---- every track!!!!! My personal favorite has to be the soothing SERENATA. So, get comfy, put on the headphones so you won't miss a single note......Andre Rieu's violin is magical!!!!!

Decent playing, lousy arrangements
Well, apparently I'm in the minority, but I found this CD disappointing.I bought it because I fell in love with "Song to the Moon" when I heard it on the radio, but this track and possibly the "Londonderry Air" are the only ones worth listening to.Although the melodies chosen for this album are indeed beautiful, the arrangements (Rieu's own) are poorly done.I would much more highly recommend Joshua Bell's Romance of the Violin, which has a similar theme, albeit restricted to classical tunes.

Forget the hype, this is great music
Try not to think about the cheesy "Andre Rieu in Tuscany" PBS special. This is a very pleasing program of selections of great romantic melodies, beautifully arranged. Few people are going to purchase a CD of Dvorak's Rusalka just to hear "Song to the Moon" so this is the place to hear it. And it's even better on Rieu's violin than in the original vocal version. Rieu plays perfectly in tune (not always easy in the higher registers of the violin) and has exquisite phrasing that brings out the musicality of even the most over-recorded selections.
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Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Music for Voice and Keyboard    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Clarinet Concerto    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Concerto    8. Czech Romantic Opera    9. Easy Listening/Vocal    10. Etude for Keyboard    11. Film    12. Film Music    13. Folk Song    14. Italian 20th/21st Century Opera    15. Keyboard    16. Miscellaneous    17. Miscellaneous Music    18. Opera    19. Operetta    20. Orchestral   

Editorial Review

Abbado continues his Mahler cycle with this fine Sixth, a live recording that Mahlerians will want for its forwarding-moving flow reminiscent of Kubelik's excellent recordings of the work. Abbado is especially fine in the Andante, here placed before the Scherzo, unlike his first, 1970s recording with the Chicago Symphony. His refusal to linger and his molding of the Andante's melodic lines make it one of the best available recordings of this section of the massive work. The Berlin strings shine here, as they do throughout the Symphony; only the lower brass disappoint somewhat as they sound a bit lightweight when compared with Chailly's Concertgebouw Orchestra. Many will prefer Bernstein's more-overt emotionalism, but the famous hammer blows in the last movement have tremendous impact. Like many other conductors Abbado omits the third blow (which Mahler eliminated in his editing of the first version of the piece). In fact, that last movement is one of the set's highlights, well-played and abundantly detailed. In sum, one of the better Sixths in the catalogue.Read more

Reviews (12)

Soft and no spark
I don't belong to those who despise Abbado in Mahler, but his grasp of the 6th is not the best. The editorial reviewer Davis writes misleadingly about an alleged «forwarding-moving flow reminiscent of Kubelik's excellent recordings of the work». The initial marching rhythm of the first movement by Abbado is in fact slower than by Sanderling, considerably slower than Tennstedt (1991 live), much slower than Bernstein (DG), much much slower than Karajan, not to speak about Bernstein NYP, Solti and Levi, which makes it meaningless comparing with Kubelik (at least on his performance on the DG-box), who is on par with Järvi, the fastest of them all. Perhaps Davis has noticed that Abbado ticks in at 22'48'', but that is achieved by speeding up later in the movement, after the cow bell section, and is still 1'37'' slower than Kubelik (DG-box).
Please do not feed the romantics...
Romanticism pervades classical music. When the lives of composers go bad, people often look to their works for "signs" of tragedy, or proof that the music arose out of suffering or foreboding. Mozart's early death and Beethoven's deafness supply heaping doses of romanticism upon their music, whether related to it or not.
Abbado's Best Mahler Symphony Recording with the Berliner Philharmoniker
Having read most of the previous Amazon.com customer reviews has only reinforced my opinion that Abbado's latest recording of the Mahler 6th symphony is one destined to be remembered as a classic; indeed, it has been honored by The New York Times as among the finest classical CDs issued in 2005. Why should this CD be regarded as a classic? Abbado has lead the Berliners in the finest recording of a Mahler symphony by a Claudio Abbado-led Berliner Philharmoniker (or rather, in English, Berlin Philharmonic). This is a confident, richly textured performance lacking the exuberance of a Leonard Bernstein or Michael Tilson Thomas, or the disciplined fury of a Herbert von Karajan. Abbado's interpretation of Mahler's "Tragic" symphony is indeed more optimistic in note, relying mainly on brisk tempi, and more nuanced playing than on any recording of this symphony that I have heard from Bernstein or Karajan. On a more personal note, I regard this recording almost as well as the classic Mahler 7th Symphony recording which Abbado made with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra approximately twenty years ago. Mahler fans will not be disappointed at all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Miscellaneous    4. Miscellaneous Music    5. Orchestral & Symphonic    6. Romantic Symphony    7. Symphonic   

Editorial Review

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was one of those singers whom oneeither loves or hates. She was a "stylist," who inflected everyphrase, every note in her urge to communicate what she considered to be themeaning of the text. Others feel that the only thing she communicated was herown need to impress people with her ability to communicate, and I believe sheoften forgot the difference between art and artfulness. Be that as it may, shewas an outstanding Strauss singer, and her performance of the Four Last Songs,in particular, is legendary. Of course, having George Szell on the podiumdoesn't hurt either. He insures that the music shows the singer in the bestpossible light. Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (25)

HEAVENLY
The "Gramophone" magazine reviewer couldn't have put it better:- "a heavenly record, so beautiful that I find it goes against the grain to attempt to analyse it". A must-have for any self-respecting classical record collection.

Schwarzkopf and Szell Team Up For An Incandescent Strauss Record
Four decades later this remains one of the greatest recordings of this final, transcendent Richard Strauss masterpiece. Some have shown preference for the earlier Schwarzkopf sung, Otto Ackermann conducted EMI record. I can't imagine why someone would want that mono recording over this gorgeous stereo version. Schwarzkopf here is just as radiant if not more so, the speeds are perfectly judged by Szell and everything has an luminous glow about it. The fact that 12 extra Strauss songs are here too puts this CD over the top, a must buy.
A thing of beauty ...
... is a joy forever, John Keats wrote, referring to the unending beauty of the things in Nature. The same can be said for the music making as captured for eternity on this recording, which seems to have been touched by a muse of fire, making it truly ascend the highest heaven of invention ... and art. The interpretations of all of these songs by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is ever intelligent and astute, but always deeply human. Her singing is finely intimate, I believe, revealing her unrivaled mastery of invoking every single syllable with deepest possible meaning. The same can be said for the orchestral playing, so very intelligent, utterly complementing Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's gorgeous, deeply human, deeply moving singing. A marvel! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Orchestral & Symphonic    5. Romantic Music for Voice and Keyboard    6. Solo Voice(s) and Orchestra    7. Vocal   

Editorial Review

Hundreds of compilation recordings have been thrust on the market in recent years on the theory that classical music makes a nice, non-threatening accompaniment to everything from working out to making love. And here we have one compilation promising to make your baby smarter. It's offensive enough that the music featured on these compilations is spliced up so that the most you hear of any work is a single movement; what's really annoying is the poor quality of so many of the featured performances. So it is some consolation that the artists here include such 20th-century legends as the Cleveland Orchestra under Szell and the Budapest String Quartet with Mieczyslaw Horszowski. Of course if these folks were alive, one can imagine their violent objection to this presentation of their work. Read more

Reviews (17)

Build Baby's Brain through ClassicsVol 1
I am a true fan of Classical music and this was purchased as a gift for a co-worker who is adopting a child from China.Therefore I did not open it nor listen to it.The recipient is now overseas picking up their daughter so I know they haven't had the opportunity to listen to it. I think it's a great idea, though, and purchased a used set for my Grandson.

Wonderful stimulating music for baby
I am sorry for the previous review who said that intelligence is hereditary. If that is true, all mankind would have been doomed from the start.
The greatest CD!!
I received this CD free when I had my first baby and it instantly became my fav cd of all time. I have it on my computer and I had another copy made because I just can not imagine not having it.
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Subjects:  1. Bagatelle for Keyboard    2. Baroque Suite/Partita for Orchestra    3. Cantata    4. Chamber    5. Childrens    6. Choral    7. Classical    8. Classical Collections-Composer Desc.    9. Classical Music    10. Classical Period Serenade/Cassation/Divertimento    11. Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    12. Concerto    13. Educational    14. German/Austrian Classical Period Opera    15. Keyboard    16. Opera    17. Oratorio    18. Orchestral    19. Piano Concerto    20. Quartet for Keyboard and Three String Instruments   

Editorial Review

Record-label politics prevented this awesome recording of Argentinean pianist Martha Argerich from being released for 34 years. The spitfire musician delivers a powerful set of Chopin's best-loved works that still sounds riveting today. Intense and gorgeous. Read more

Reviews (30)

A restored jewel in the Argerich catalog
If I had to pick a single CD to win awed admiration for Martha Argerich, this Chopin recital would be it. Only 24 when she made these long-suppressed recordings, Argerich's musicality and dazzling technqiue defy belief. Every ounce of praise for her Third Sonata is deserved--it's spontaneous, flexible, intense, by turns tender and declamatory.The most blessed quality is that she doesn't bang or harangue us--not always the case in later years. Her sense of urgency doesn't become eckless; the bursts of excitment aren't oerly explosive.
Not Argerich at her best, but still very impressive.
Argerich's playing is nothing short of miraculous. It's as if God's most precious gifts had been all bestowed upon her - she makes other pianists pale in comparison. This record is no exception, even though it's not Argerich at her best. At times her playing here is too straightforward, too agressive, yes, even too intimidating, and I don't know if she's really being faifhtul to Chopin's music. It sounds as if she's intent on shunning people away from playing the piano and effacing every other interpretation from the face of the earth. It just doesn't fit Chopin's music all that well, but it's still worth buying and listening to thousands of times.

Buy for the third sonata
Buy this disc for the third sonata. Its chopin's best, and she owns it so hard. Her playing of the last movement puts anyone else's to shame, playing the finale with ridiculous speed and most of all, in rhythm. I hate when i hear that ending slowed down, and softened, it sounds like garbage like that. She is unreal. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Classical    3. Classical Artists    4. Classical Music    5. Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb.    6. Keyboard    7. Nocturne for Keyboard    8. Polonaise for Keyboard    9. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    10. Scherzo for Keyboard   

Reviews (13)

Impeccable - scholarly yet perfected performances
I've listened to Ashkenazy's renditions of these pieces for quite some time of this disk, and I was extremely impressed with his force.He does not skimp on volume when volume is needed (the brutal chords in the third movement of Moonlight is what I was really looking for).I've also used his rendition of the Pathetique as a guide for my own learning of the piece.The man's technique is absolutely beyond belief, his clarity, his voicing, his touch, it fits so perfectly with these fine works by Beethoven.The Hammerklavier is sadly missing, but that is to be expected because of its length.Overall, these are powerful recordings and I highly recommend them.I hope to reach such a pinnacle of artistry some day in my own playing.

Excellent Double CD
This double CD is exquisite.Vladimir Ashkenazy plays Beethoven with sensitivity and dynamic intensity.The quality of the CD is excellent, the playing sublime, and the value outstanding.
Favourite Piano Sonata's Beethoven's Best on 2 CD's
Of the 32 Piano Sonata's composed by Beethoven this two CD set includes 7 of the best pieces of a most influential corpus of work.These are stunningly recorded and they are arranged to provide the listener with a dynamic experience.Interestingly the composition of the Sonata's began only a decade after Mozart. Juxtaposing the two composers we can readily see the split between the 18th and 19th centuries.Beethoven's work is solidly in the 19th century style with the technical and romantic sentiments of this period well expressed in these sonatas.We can see this turn towards romanticism in the titles of the pieces like "tempest" and "Pathetique" oh and of course "Moonlight" are evocative to say the least.Beethoven also really "pushed the envelope" in respect to exploring the limits of the piano in range and technique.The piano forte, was truly a revolutionary keyboard instrument, and although other keyboards had beeen around for ceturies, it wasnt until the piano that the keyboard could be so versatile - and loud enough to be the only instrument on stage.
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Keyboard    5. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard   

Editorial Review

These performances mount the only serious competition as acomplete set to the Leon Fleisher/George Szell versions on Sony Classical. EmilGilels was an extraordinary virtuoso who decided to place his technical wizardryin the service of the most disciplined and demanding classical masterpieces. Nopiano concertos live up to this description more than the two by Brahms. Himselfa pianist, Brahms placed every purely musical stumbling block that he could infront of the soloist--only audiences never notice because there's no gratuitousdisplay at all. A performer who has not mastered these pieces doesn'tnecessarily miss notes; he or she just bores everyone to tears. Well, Gilels isnever dull, and neither is Eugen Jochum, whose spontaneous-sounding yetsensitive accompaniments support his soloist every step of the way. Read more

Reviews (28)

a truly great recording
To my mind neither Eugen Jochum nor Emil Gilels received the acclaim appropriate to their genius while they were living. Even now it appears they are appreciated mainly by a small clique of true classical music lovers.
FAVORITE PIANO CONCERTI
Brahms's monumental piano concertos are my very favorite piano concertos.Therefore, I own many recordings of same.Nevertheless, this recording with Gilels and Jochum is my absolute favorite!It is a recording that I've listened to, at least, once a week for many years. Gilels and Jochum truly play these "monsters of the form" wonderfully capturing Brahms's fierceness as well as his tenderness beautifully.
Heroic - and my favorite reading hands down
These readings are legendary. I searched and searched for a good set, first trying Bernstein-Zimerman (horrid recording quaity) then trying some older recordings (Serkin/Szell, Rubinstein/Ormandy), then going to an old favorite of mine on the keyboard (Pollini/Abbado), but I was not really a fan of a) either the ensembles' un-Brahmsian (in my opinion) accompaniment or b) the soloists' interpretations or execution. However, these recordings, when I first bought them in the old DG Galleria release, were a revelation. Gilels' playing can best be described as monumental, and Jochum's direction is Brahmsian to the core. The result is a rarity in that both concertos are amongst the greatest ever readings of the works (especially for #2, where there is no one else close). And now, with the new DG Originals transfer, the sound matches the performances; gone are the whiny strings and the somewhat hollow sound from the original transfer, and in its place we have a recording that sounds almost brand new, with great clarity on the brass, piano sound, and amazing definition in the strings. If you must only have one recording of these two concertos, than this is the one to get.
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Concerto    5. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    6. Keyboard    7. Piano Concerto