Editorial Review

Wendy Carlos's Read more

Features

• Enhanced
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (22)

wonderful album but. . .
I have always enjoyed this album and Well-Tempered Synthesizer ever since they came out in LP form when I was young.
A fun trip back to the 60's
I remember being in college listening to (at the time) the LP while studying. It is a greeat trip down memeory lane.

How about "class by itself?"
Sure I had record albums of music by Tchaikovsky & Rachmaninoff, but "Switched-On" was my real intro. to "classical" (orchestral) music. I still have this vinyl album, but I seldom drop the tonearm on it anymore: I'm afraid the stylus will come after me. Brandenburg No. 3 with its dripping water 2d movement puts this recording in a class by itself.
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Subjects:  1. Baroque Suite/Partita for Orchestra    2. Cantata    3. Choral    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Concerto    8. Concerto Grosso    9. Electronic    10. Electronic & Computer    11. Electronic/Avant-Garde/Minimalist Music    12. Invention for Keyboard    13. Keyboard    14. Orchestral    15. Prelude and Fugue for Keyboard   

Reviews (16)

Shostakovich Jazz Album
An excellent rendition of Shostakovich's two jazz suites plus his Piano Concerto #1. However, I've heard Rostropovich conduct all three in person, and would welcome a recording of his, since he was a great friend of Shostakovich's. It hasn't been done, and until it is, this will suffice as a fine addition to any classical library.
Shostakovich the Jazz Guy
If Shostakovich had decided to write in the Russian folk idiom, this CD would probably be the best glimpse into that genre.
Wonderfully engaging light music fromShostakovich
Who knew Shostakovich had such a sense of humor? This disc is delightfully entertaining and sparkles a the turn-of-the century cosmopolitan sound that is simultaneously reminiscent of Milhaud, Gershwin, and Ibert. The result is something supremely different. It's certainly worth a listen or two. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Concerto    5. Fox Trot for Orchestra    6. Orchestral    7. Piano Concerto    8. Suite for Orchestra   

Reviews (4)

Selection is not good
This tape is short and the melodies are not engaging for kids. It was waste of money.

Baby Einstein: Traveling Melodies
Hello everyone,
Saved My Sanity
My husband and I are musicians so I inwardly groaned when we were given this CD as a gift--I'd rather play the originals rather than some synthesized kiddie version.However, on a recent road trip we got desperate when our colicky son would not stop screaming.We popped this in the CD player and it calmed him down immediately.I swear, it's like aural crack for babies.We now play it at bedtime to help calm him down and it still works.You may not love this CD, but your baby will. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Collections    2. Childrens    3. Christmas Music    4. Classical Period Serenade/Cassation/Divertimento    5. Classical Period Symphony    6. Concerto    7. Concerto for Two Solo Instruments    8. Czech Romantic Opera    9. Keyboard    10. Miscellaneous    11. Miscellaneous Music    12. Music for Four Hands at One Keyboard    13. Opera    14. Orchestral    15. Polka for Orchestra    16. Pop    17. Romantic Rhapsody for Orchestra    18. Romantic Serenade/Cassation/Divertimento    19. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    20. Romantic Symphony   

Reviews (24)

Very best Bach for solo violin
It is not easy to meet a CD that listen over and over again these days. Recently I met it. When I listen the sample on the Amazon page the sound just caught me, "What is it?" "Different!".
EvocativeTherapy
Bach has always been a favorite and Szeryng an inspiration.I was a bit concerned with the Duetsche Grammaphone release, as I have heard many other artistical releases of dubious quality.But this one shines. I understand that Szeryng mastered these works very early in his career, his mastery is evident and haunting.A trip into the past, Szeryng shows his talent.It is such a blessing to be able to hear the masters performing masterworks, especially in the digital format that lends itself to hearing the whole release without interruption. It is most satisfying to retain that sort of connection with the music and the muscian.

Glenn Gould's violin counterpart
Szeryng's recording is outstanding.The main appeal of this recording for me was his ability to enunciate all the different voices of the Bach pieces.This is especially evident in his superb recording of the Chaconne.I am not surprised to see that many see this recording as close to Bach's text as possible.However, Szeryng has to do a lot of interpretation to get it to that state.If he was "only" sticking to the text, then why won't most other virtuosos follow this example?When I listen to Szeryng (this Bach recording over a thousand times), I never grow tired.It is true that when one first listens to it, it does not seem as remarkable as some other playings, but the beauty of Szeryng's playing is the purity and transcendence with which he plays Bach.Each measured, full and clear note rings with the heart-wrenching pathos evident in many of Bach's pieces.
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Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Violin Solo   

Reviews (7)

Legend!
This is the greatest compilation of recordings ever made by the legendary pianist Van Cliburn. Although I am a cellist, I wear this cd out on a regular basis both at the office and home. I actually have an extra copy to play at the office. All of these recordings are superb in sound quality, performance and incredibly inspiring. The Schumann, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Liszt pieces are stellar and my personal favorites. I only wish there were dvd's with Cliburn's performances so those of us too young to have seen him in a live performance. CD is a must-have for any classical music lover's collection.

Probably the Best Piano CD ever!
If you like Piano music, this is the CD for you.Van Cliburn is at home with great songs that anyone will recognize.It is a masterfully performed set of songs for anyone.

An exquisite recording...read on!....
Contains a masterful rendition of Beethoven's "Fur Elise", which happens to be one of my favorite classical pieces -- I have a smooth-jazz-pop-dance version of this tune on my own album, "Classy Cool: Classical Favorites, Made Cool" (Google keyword "Motionizer" to find it) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bagatelle for Keyboard    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Character/Single-Movement/Miscellaneous Work for Keyboard    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    8. Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb.    9. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    10. Intermezzo for Keyboard    11. Keyboard    12. Keyboard Work Entitled "Piece" or "Stück"    13. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    14. Moment Musical for Keyboard    15. Music for Four Hands at One Keyboard    16. Nocturne for Keyboard    17. Prelude for Keyboard    18. Waltz for Keyboard   

Reviews (12)

Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 2Alfred Brendel
Nice interpretation of Mozart's piano concerto.

Marvelous Mozart
Alfred Brendel's place as an interpreter of the Viennese Classic repertory is by now unassailable, and his recordings of the Mozart Piano Concertos are a prime example of his art. His lean, focused sound can strike a listener as insufficiently sensuous in Romantic repertory, but against the backdrop of an orchestra, it seems a perfect modern equivalent of the eighteenth-century fortepiano, so much so that I don't really miss having an "authentic" instrument. Besides, discarding recordings such as these on the basis of inauthenticity would deny all listeners the chance to experience Brendel's practically infallible sense of style and taste.
Artistic Genius
Mozart is rightly hailed as a musical genius. Some say he was the best that ever was. I personally prefer Bach and baroque organ fugues but this CD is a good argument for the Mozart partisans.
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Concerto    4. Piano Concerto   

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Artists    3. Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    4. Concerto    5. Concerto for Two Solo Instruments    6. German/Austrian Classical Period Opera    7. Keyboard    8. Opera    9. Orchestral & Symphonic    10. Piano Concerto   

Reviews (3)

Mozart:: Horn Concertos 1 - 4
Exactly what we needed to prepare intermediate horn solo for competition.

This needs to be the "other" recording
As a music teacher and hornist who has performed all of the Mozart horn concertos at one time or another, I am probably more picky about recordings of these works than anything else.Everyone always upholds the Dennis Brain recordings as the best, and rightly so.Brain was the all-time master of the horn, period.The problem is that he died young and his Mozart recordings were made in the 1950s.Yes, the CD has been remastered and sounds quite good, but there's only so much a producer can do.
Its worth it
I am impressed with the elegance of Barry Tuckwell's playing, combined with the conducting of world known conductor, Sir Marriner. As a beginner trumpeter, who also loves the french horn, I would recommend this cd for those who loves the french horn as much as I do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Concerto    6. French Horn Concerto   

Editorial Review

Marriner's evergreen 1972 recording of favorite shorter works by Vaughan Williams has yet to be surpassed for warmth of conception and smoothness of execution. The soloists in these accounts (among them William Bennett in the Read more

Reviews (25)

tallis and lark
Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis was a piece of music John Williams discovered in a house of sorts during the war in a dresser.He loved to visit small villages to hear local music. This piece and Lark Ascending are, in my mind, the finest music ever written. I love Beethoven, Willie and Lobo, Miles Davis, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nina Simone, Pat Metheny, Patrick O'Hearn, John Lee Hooker, I can go on. But it's these 2 pieces that completely consume the listener, pull you in and stop you dead in your thoughts....to dream. Lark Ascending was literally a piece of music written with the author watching a lark(bird) in a small, cozy valley rising up from the floor, singing all the way up. I have given away these CD's 6 and 7 times over because guests at my house are so touched after the music is over, especially after a jug of wine. Thank you for reading, Greg-Fresno, CA.

smooth as silk
I too fell for this music in college long ago, and carry it inside me everywhere I go.I have listened to Lark and Tallis many times when I was worried about school or work, and hum them in my mind when I need an emotional lift.Interesting comment about the Japanese connection -- when listening to Lark I sometimes imagine an English countryside with stream, and sometimes a Japanese.
Can't stop listening!
This is one of the most profoundly beautiful collections of music I've ever heard. I've loved "Fantasia on Greensleeves" since I was a child. I heard "Dives and Lazarus" on the radio, and bought this CD for it. Then was struck speechless by the beauty of Tallis and Lark Ascending. My favorite piece is whichever is playing at the time. This CD is a must-have. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Orchestral Music    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Concerto    6. Orchestral    7. Violin Concerto   

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   

Reviews (14)

Wakes you up instead
This CD was supposed to be soft, easy music that would help you go to sleep.I did go to sleep almost immediately but not because of the music--I was just very tired.However, the music actually woke me up a couple of times when it got just a little louder.Maybe it's me, but I didn't find this product to do as promised.

Music for Life
Thanks to the Philips Set Your Life to Music series, we don't have to set aside a concert hour to experience great music.Beethoven at Bedtime gives us the music when we need it to enrich our quiet moments.As with the other titles in this series, the performance is pure and sensitive enough to satisfy the most intellectual listener.One has only to read the list of artists and listen to the clips.What a treasure!

musical morphine
this album will definately put you out unless youre manic or all cranked up or something.but why go to sleep? youd miss out on a bunch of beethovens most beautiful music ever written.and being as how hes only the second of 7 musical geniuses ever,no true music lover can be without this many spleandored collection.its got all the great slow songs beethoven did on it like the "moonlight sonata" used on the beatles song "because" and the video game "shadow man".im sure youve heard it somewhere."for elise" is another easily recognizable song.it was on the movie "bill and teds excellent adventure".theres some more musical bliss with his violin piece and even the all important "pathetique sonata".thats the real clencher.if youre not pretty drowsy after that beautiful but utterly sedating ditty perhaps you should seek out a drs prescription before you play it because youre an isomniac.it will put most anybody out though and is plum full of a number of the most beautiful songs ever! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bagatelle for Keyboard    2. Chamber    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Music    6. Concerto    7. Keyboard    8. Piano Concerto    9. Quartet for Four String Instruments    10. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    11. Romantic Symphony    12. Symphonic    13. Violin Concerto   

Editorial Review

Itzhak Perlman is the greatest living exponent of the Romantic, sentimental style of violin playing. As in his reading of the Brahms concerto, he shows sovereign mastery in these accounts, which are characterized by intense emotion and heated expression (Perlman's warm vibrato and carefully placed portamentos quickly give him away), but are also gripping in the quiet, meditative pages. The first two sonatas' relationship to songs could easily be guessed from the way Perlman plays them in a single, seamless line, marked by soaring climaxes and tender, haunting pianissimos. The treatment sometimes does seem a bit premeditated, but it is so compelling as to sweep aside any criticism. In this 1983 recording (sonically superior to Perlman's later remake with pianist Daniel Barenboim, for Sony), the violin sounds slightly forward, though not unpleasantly so. Warm, supportive, lyrical playing from Vladmir Ashkenazy rounds out a marvelous offering. Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (6)

these are really good sonatas
These three sonatas are in my opinion some of the best compositions of Brahms.They are wonderfully tunefull and each sets a distinct mood (although all three are somewhat melancholic).The interaction of the violin and piano is just fantastic and Perlman and Ashkenazy pull it off well.Sound quality is great as well.

Brahms
I bought this for my college age daughter's music class and I am enjoying it as well.Violin music, of any sort, is enjoyable to listen to and this one is a wonderful addition to a music library.

Finest Brahms
I've always enjoyed Brahms' chamber works more than his symphonies. Somehow his intent comes off more clearly; the desperation and anger and melancholy of the music is more exposed, as if juggling an entire orchestra in the composition could dull the edges of these emotions. Of course the quality of any piece is tied with the quality of the performers (who invariably stamp then with their own personalities), and here we have a brilliant union: Perlman and Ashkenazy play flawlessly. Perlman's tonality is clear and sonorous, but never treacly; it still maintains the edge that these pieces require. From the sweet lilting melodies of the first sonata to simmering violence of the third, it is a commanding performance. The piano part in these works is equally demanding, and Ashkenazy is more than a match for Perlman's virtuosity.Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Orchestral & Symphonic    6. Violin with Keyboard   

Editorial Review

Bela Fleck is one of the greatest five-string banjo players performing today. Beginning in the 1970s, he honed his lightning-fast chops performing bluegrass, then moved on to contemporary jazz and fusion sounds. With this album, he broadens his horizons once again by performing an entire program of classical music transcriptions. Reminiscent of classical guitar albums by John Williams (who makes a guest appearance here), the disc traverses a wide range of repertoire--from Chopin mazurkas to Bach's Two and Three Part Inventions. Throughout, Fleck displays a feathery touch on his banjo, and his instrument offers a pleasant, brassy tone with very little twang. The technique he displays on Read more

Reviews (42)

Another Bela Fleck Masterpiece!
Who knew there could be classical banjo. It may sound dumb to some of you, but Bela Fleck pulls it off perfectly.I prefer the jazz fusion of his work with the Flecktones, but that does not mean this is not brilliant.Technically speaking, Bela and all of his collaborators are the best around, and who can argue with the songwriting of the classical composers(no one openly insults Mozart).If you haven't heard Bela Fleck, here's some advice.Get one of his Flecktones albums if you're into jazz, rock, or funk, this if you like classical, and his Newgrass Revival, Strength in Numbers, or Sam Bush stuff if you're a bluegrass fan.

Definitely a Winner
It is apparent to my ears why this CD won a Grammy. It takes familiar classical music pieces and puts the distinct Bela Fleck style on them. The pairing of the banjo with different instruments makes this album texturally interesting for the ear and one does not tire of the selections, even if they are familiar. My favorite pairing is the marimba with the banjo. The liner notes are interesting, as is Bela's story on how difficult it was to make the album. It was definitely worth his time and the listener's .

Soul Food
This is exquisite! The best of human experience encoded on a simple CD disk. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baroque Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    2. Bluegrass    3. Cello Solo    4. Chamber    5. Chamber Music & Recitals    6. Classical    7. Classical Crossover    8. Classical Music    9. Classical Period Variations for Keyboard    10. Duo for Two String Instruments    11. Etude for Keyboard    12. Invention for Keyboard    13. Keyboard    14. Mazurka for Keyboard    15. Progressive Bluegrass    16. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    17. Sinfonia for Keyboard    18. Suite/Partita for Keyboard    19. Violin Solo    20. Violin with Keyboard   

Editorial Review

Among the concertos of Beethoven and Brahms, these two have always been stepchildren. One reason is their extreme difficulty; both composers were pianists, so Beethoven wrote an idiomatic part only for the piano. Brahms's friend Joseph Joachim offered advice for the violin concerto, but not for the Double Concerto, which was written as a peace offering after a falling-out.The Beethoven Triple Concerto demands utmost virtuosity, as well as intimate teamwork among the soloists, and that is exactly what these three supreme masters of their instruments bring to it. Free--indeed unaware--of technical problems, they give it a joyful, sparkling lightness. The piano ripples, the cello sings gorgeously, the violin soars ecstatically, the tone is intoxicatingly beautiful. The Finale is wistful, charming, lyrical, gently humorous; the ending is a big joke, with the cello and piano rumbling in the bass, while the violin whistles forlornly in the dark until they all join together. The Brahms is grand, majestic, dreamy, radiant, triumphant; the slow movement warm as dark velvet, the Finale genial and relaxed. Though the orchestra never covers the soloists, it explodes in the tutti passages, especially in the Beethoven, so you might keep a finger on the volume control. Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (20)

Beethoven? Brahms? Karajan? Oistrakh? Richter? Rostropovich? Szell? On One CD? Talk About Star Power!
All those big names wouldn't mean a thing if the performances themselves were throw aways or showed little commitment, but that's hardly the case, this is probably the finest recordings of both works. Karajan and Richter for one had some rocky interpretative relations in their recording of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto on DG. That was not a great record, where both musical giants pull and push to try and get their way. So yes, in some ways this Beethoven Triple Concerto presents even more challenges because there are four minds, four egos pitted together in one piece of music and that's not counting the greatest ego, Beethoven himself! Luckily everyone melds beautifully together, the three Russian masters are at their best, with Rostropovich a stand out and shining brightly. Meanwhile Karajan, the Austrian master conductor gives them his usual, grand, lush orchestral backdrop via the Berlin Philharmonic. This is warm-hearted, generous music-making between four fearsomely talented musicians.
Glorious
The unbroken tradition of Russian string playing is well-represented on this disc. The Double Concerto is especially wonderful, even rapturous. The two players are beautifully meshed, and Szell and the Cleveland sound warm and emotive, which they sometimes did not, on records and "live". The sessions they recorded for EMI (including a wonderful Dvorak Eighth, far surpassing their recoridng for Masterworks), captured something that often was not well projected.
Brahms - Double Concerto
It's interesting that there are quite a number of negative comments about this performance of the Beethoven here. I didn't dislike it, but it is true that I almost always jump straight to the Brahms' Double Concerto. The piece and the performance are beyond praise, quite frankly.
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Subjects:  1. Cello Concerto    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Concerto    6. Concerto for Two Solo Instruments    7. Orchestral & Symphonic   

Editorial Review

Guitarist John Williams (no, not John Williams the soundtrack composer) adds to his fine catalog of impeccable recordings with Read more

Reviews (13)

The Best One Disc Compilation of the Man That's Out There!
If you had to call modern classical guitar by another name, it would be John Williams.A student of none other than the brilliant Andres Segovia himself, John has shown over the years to have learnt a great deal from the master and has himself developed simply impeccable technique.
Excellent!!
This is a delightful compilation.The music flows effortlessly and leaves the listener wanting more.

The title says it all
I mainly bought this because I can listen to "Cavitina" or "Theme from the Deer Hunter" 20 times per day. This CD is better than herbal tea for relaxation. Love it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Orchestral Work with Descriptive Title    2. Baroque Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    3. Chamber    4. Chamber Music    5. Chamber Music & Recitals    6. Choral    7. Classical    8. Classical Artists    9. Classical Crossover    10. Classical Guitar    11. Classical Music    12. Classical Pop    13. Concerto    14. Film    15. Film Music    16. Guitar Concerto    17. Guitar Solo    18. Keyboard    19. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    20. Lute Solo   

Editorial Review

It's hard to believe now that Walt Disney's bold 1940 impressionistic experiment in wedding then-state-of-the-art animation with classical music was a rather resounding failure upon its release. The cliché proves the rule: Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered
• Soundtrack

Reviews (15)

Fantasia soundtrack
I'm a massage therapist and i bought the cd to listen to while working on my clients and both me and my clients like it alot.

Complaint
I thought that I was ordering a DVD of the original movie, which I remember seeing when it first was screened. To receive only the sound track, without any animation, was annoying to say the least. Your description of the offered product could have been more explicit.

Unlistenable.
Don't get me wrong, Fantasia is one of my favorite movies and Stokowski my favorite conductor--a true genius. The problem is that these CDs were "restored" ("destroyed" would be a better word) by someone who has no idea what music sounds like. In a desperate attempt to preserve our ears from any (gasp!) noise, a brutal gating filter was used to destroy any semblance of the sound of real instruments. And, since optical recording of the time had very poor treble response, what treble there is has been boosted mercilessly, resuting in shrill, screechy strings. I really cannot bear to listen to these CDs.
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Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Ballet    2. Ballet    3. Classical Crossover    4. Film Music    5. Italian Romantic Opera    6. Keyboard    7. Music for Organ    8. Neo-Romantic    9. Opera    10. Orchestral    11. Pop    12. Romantic Music for Voice and Keyboard    13. Romantic Symphony    14. Romantic Tone Poem/Symphonic Poem for Orchestra    15. Scherzo for Orchestra    16. Soundtrack    17. Soundtracks & Film Scores    18. Suite for Orchestra    19. Symphonic    20. Vocal   

Reviews (2)

So I'm just learning violin...
and I can not play like Joshua Bell. For this, he better consider himself damn lucky as the world could not handle two of us Joshua Bells.
Joshua Bell...
This CD is a wonderful CD to see how Joshua Bell interprets some of the standard repertory of violinists of this century. The only thing I was dissapointed in slightly was that it included music from other CD's already produced by Bell, but otherwise, a wonderful gift for someone who has never heard Bell before. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Concerto    7. Concerto Grosso    8. Violin Concerto    9. Violin with Keyboard   

Reviews (3)

VALUE FOR MONEY
Dame Moura is my favourite pianist. Her great style and sublety of expression comes out in all her recordings. this CD is the best value for money ever!!

Good bang for the buck.
I was killing some time in the store the other day and was in the mood for a cheap CD for the car for the ride home. I ran across this and saw a few recognizable titles so for about $5 I figured I'd take a chance. I'm fairly impressed, I wasn't crazy about some of her dynamics in Un Sospiro plus her little added frill in there but still enjoyed it...I'd learned that piece myself years back, still can't play it and probably never will! Another piece I've known for years is the infamous Rachmaninov Prelude in C#m. Again, I wasn't crazy about some of the dynamics of her style but she still nails it without a hitch. Then I got to some other interesting pieces, I love the Debussy Golliwog's Cakewalk...really sticks in your head. Sort of a classisized (?) ragtime and it's cool enough that I'm going to dig through my music and see if I don't have it somewhere. I thought the Chopin Etude in C#m was absolutely fabulous, she just cooks through it from beginning to end. I probably have the music for that too...I'm not even going to attempt it! ;-) In fact, I liked all the Chopin she plays here, it seems she had a real flair for his music. Without going on forever here I'll just say that there are several tracks I listen to extensively on here and I'm fairly impressed. For a lousy $5 how can you go wrong? Just buy the thing! I'd never heard of her before so I just did a little 'net searching and I'm saddened to find that she just passed away about 8 months ago at age 88, truly a loss to the classical music world. In any case, even at twice the price I doubt anyone would be disappointed with this CD.

Really good price.
This is a great CD and you can't beat the price.These piano compositions are great for restful backgroud music after a hard day.I want to get a second one for when this one wears out. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bagatelle for Keyboard    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Character/Single-Movement/Miscellaneous Work for Keyboard    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    8. Etude for Keyboard    9. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    10. Keyboard    11. Keyboard Music    12. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    13. Minuet for Keyboard    14. Music for Four Hands at One Keyboard    15. Prelude for Keyboard    16. Rondeau for Keyboard    17. Suite/Partita for Keyboard    18. V/a Compilations    19. Waltz for Keyboard   

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (11)

Not A Music Critic ... But A Lover Of All Music ...
Let's not be too harsh regarding this CD. I purchased this as my first baby step into the classical genre and it absolutely made me fall in love with classical music and appreciate it in a way I never could when people tried to make me like it.It is such a wide variety of classical music and I find romance to be joyful, tragic, gentle, harsh & a complete roller coaster that I found all in this ONE CD!It also made my boyfriend who hates, or shall I say HATED classical music NOW like it!That was an amazing feat!We now have many classical cd's and we always go back to this one for dinner parties, romantic baths and other things...I played this CD so much, that it got damaged and I just purchased another one to replace the one I bought years ago.If you are a critic, stay away from this cd, you will rob it of its beauty & innocence. If you are a beginner and want to open your mind to all that classical music has to offer, then this is the best money you can spend.BUY & ENJOY!!!

Misleading title scheme
This is what bothered me about the CD.Three of the biggest eras in classical music were: the baroque era, the classical era, and the romantic era.Now, with CD's titled baroque favorites, classical favorites and romantic classics, one would expect these CD's to be era specific.Such is not the case.If you read the back of the CD it even says "from the romantic era of music", but the there are composers like Vivaldi (baroque) and Debussy (impressionism) on this CD.About more than half are from the wrong eras.So this music is romantic in the non-musical sense of the word, which is fine, but a little bit misleading.

Don't Bother...Really!
Not what I call classical composers! THis cd is annoying in a way I really can't stand. It lacks the pure elegance of the classical days. Don't buy this cd unless you want a phony all around bad album played by cheap ameteurs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bagatelle for Keyboard    2. Baroque Suite/Partita for Orchestra    3. Chamber    4. Chamber Music    5. Chamber Music & Recitals    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. Concerto for Two Solo Instruments    14. Italian 20th/21st Century Opera    15. Keyboard    16. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    17. Music For String Orchestra    18. Oboe Concerto    19. Opera    20. Orchestral   

Editorial Review

Except for one "previously unreleased" recording and two new ones, this is a compilation of segments taken from older Yo-Yo Ma CDs, perhaps to whet listeners' appetite to hear the entire records. The disc represents a triumph of performance over material. The program consists of short pieces and single movements of long ones and serves to display Yo-Yo Ma's extraordinary versatility, his spectacular instrumental and musical gifts, and his remarkable ability to invest everything he plays with the same commitment and emotional concentration. There is no logic to the sequence, except that it begins and ends with solo cello. Bach, whom Ma plays tuned normally when unaccompanied and tuned low with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, may justify the CD's title but seems out of place. Moreover, juxtaposing him with O'Connor and Piazzolla is jarring, though the Tangos are beautiful. The transcription of Dvorák's lovely E-minor Slavonic Dance, despite the participation of violinist Itzhak Perlman and his golden tone, sounds like a movie soundtrack: all bravura and cheap effects. The playing's the thing, and it is stunning, not only Yo-Yo Ma's, but that of all his collaborators, from vocalists Bobby McFerrin and Alison Krauss to pianist Emanuel Ax, Ma's duo partner of 25 years. Ax joins Ma for the Finale of Brahms's second cello sonata; that is what you may find yourself humming at the end. Read more

Reviews (14)

New Yo-Yo Fan
I had never listened to Yo-Yo Ma before (that I knew of) and then I was at a dance recital a few months ago.Two little ballerinas danced to "Simple Gifts" with Alison Kraus, and I had to have that song.I really enjoy playing this album when my family is just hanging out reading or playing with the baby in the living room. Each piece is unique and beautiful in its own way.Simple Gifts is still my favorite piece on the album, I only wish it were longer!
Simply wonderful!
I recently got this CD as a birthday gift. I've been wanting this CD for a while.The first track is a wonderful song in all reality the entire CD is a wonderful experience.The prelude by Gershwin is unique sounding with the cello. The jazz quality is still there and has a bit of classical influence intertwined among it. Yo-Yo Ma's recording of Simple Gifts is a good song and when they had the lyrics sung by Alison Krauss it was a w