Reviews (1)

must have for ADHD
I ordered this cd set for both my son and husband who have ADHD.It absolutely has a calming effect on both.My husband has the cd on his IPOD and sleeps through the night.My son listens to the cds while doing homework and to fall asleep.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Classical    4. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    5. Classical Music    6. Classical Period Serenade/Cassation/Divertimento    7. Classical Period Symphony    8. Concerto    9. Keyboard    10. Music for Two Keyboards    11. Orchestral    12. Piano Concerto    13. Quartet for Four String Instruments    14. Symphonic    15. Violin Concerto    16. Violin with Keyboard   

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 (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   

Editorial Review

The brief opening piece for chorus on this new release, "Da Pacem Domine," is based on a 9th century Gregorian work and has the usual, familiar--and very beautiful--Pärt-ian characteristics: a soft, endless stream of easy tritones and harmonies that make this plea for peace immensely moving. The major work, Read more

Reviews (9)

Austere beauty
I was dubious anyone could forge a respectable career after finishing seventh on American Idol. Whilst I am hopelessly addicted to the show, sometimes I'm not sure the finalists are especially talented.
a somber lament for a world of suffering
"Lamentate" reminds us that Arvo Part, the Estonian composer known as a "holy minimalist," was a modernist before he was a postmodernist.The 37-minute work opens with a bang, a great rumble from percussion and a minor-key fanfare from the horns, before subsiding into more typical Partian meditations.Dissonant menace periodically returns, however, marking this as Part's most Shostakovich-like composition.Alexie Lubimov plays the ethereal, searching piano part in a piano concerto that is not a piano concerto.The SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra is directed by Andrey Boreyko, and sounds superb across the dynamic spectrum.
Arvo Part is a singular force in modern symphonic music
Ever Since the Arvo Part ECM recording Tabula Rasa in 1984, the composer's profound philosophy of composition has been felt throughout the world of symphonic music. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Classical    3. Classical Artists    4. Concerto    5. Orchestral & Symphonic    6. Piano Concerto    7. Sacred Choral Music   

Editorial Review

Leonard Bernstein's Read more

Reviews (9)

Bernstein at His Best
This recording is a digital remastering of the two works, as originally recorded and issued on Columbia records. I listened to my old, now broken-down vinyl copies again and again, and am very pleased to have the works on CD. The performances are stunning and authoritative;the singing and the playing, exquisite;and the music, electrifyingly dramatic. This album is well worth owning!

Magnificently Performed
Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish Symphony is a powerful mass reflected on a Jewish background. With both the composer who is a Jewish American, and the first Cathloic president John F. Kennedy, whom Bernstein dedicated the music to after the tragic assisination, being pious believers of heritage, it's partly fit to empasize and create this "requiem" based on the pure Jewish heritage. ChichesterPsalms-A choral work or an orchestral work?
Although at first listen this piece is full of screeching and wailing, it is definitively Bernstein. The syncopated rhythms, odd time signatures, nods to American popular, blues and jazz idioms, as well as the explosive dynamics of this piece make it a fascinating listen. WHat I didn't like about this particular recording, led by the Maestro himself, is that one cannot understand much of the text. It is mushily inarticulated. The orchestra, however, is superb, especially the percussion, and the dynamics on this recording are well differentiated. The boy soprano in the 2nd movement(emulating boy David with his harp)sings gorgeously, but one can't understand a word of the Hebrew text of the 23rd Psalm, too bad.If only Bernstein had paid as much attention to the choir as he did to the orchestra, this would be a fabulous recording of a distinctive work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Symphony with Solo Voice and Chorus    2. Choral    3. Classical    4. Classical Artists    5. Classical Music    6. Orchestral & Symphonic    7. Psalm Setting    8. Symphonic   

Features

• Hybrid SACD

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Orchestral & Symphonic   

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.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Orchestral & Symphonic    5. Romantic Symphony    6. Symphonic   

Features

• Box set

Reviews (8)

MENDELSSOHN: 5 Symphonies/7 Overtures (LSO/Claudio Abbado) DG 471 467-2
Unlike many all-digital compilations offered by one orchestra and conductor, this collection of Mendelssohn favorites is outstanding in performance and interpretation throughout. Maestro Abbado shows a genuine affection for the composer and his genius by the sequence of selections on each disc, and I find no weak performances anywhere in this remarkable recording.
Great Concept but Not So Great Execution!
First, the good: Great box design for packaging, great booklet in various languages describing the history of all the performed works, great value for money, excellent representation of the great Mendelssohn's best works.
More of Mendelssohn to Love
I had heard all the music on here before interpreted by other conductors and other symphonies but Claudio Abbado proved to be the most efficient for me. Thanks to the world's leading classical music label- Deutsche Grammophone -we are able to hear a complete set of Mendelssohn's symphonies and overtures with the acclaimed London Symphony in a beautiful and surprisingly afforadable album. For music that is this good, I was surprised that it wasn't a little more expensive. But good, right ? Just more of Mendelssohn to love. On this album: his symphonies 1-5, Scherzo in G Minor from the Octet for Strings, the Overture to A Midsumer Night's Dream incidental music and Hebrides Overture. These are the most famous Mendelssohn creations. His Fourth Symphony is the "Italian" symphony, with lyrical, bouncy rhythms and classical harmony. The Midsummer Night's Dream overture encompasses romanticism at its peak, with sprightly strings representing the mischievous fairies that figure prominently in the Shakespeare comedy. The Hebrides Overture is evocative of wintery landscapes and sea breezes, a fine example of a tone poem and musical painting at its best. Its haunting melody is instantly recongizable. Abbado is clearly suited for this kind of music and it's refreshing to see him stray from the usual Italian repertoire he is most famous for. Still, inescapably, his Italian soul stands out but this gives this music more color, more volume and lyricism than what can often succumb to stale, cold English interpretations like Andre Previn's conducting. No offense to Mr. Previn, who has produced some brilliant music.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Chamber    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Music    6. Octet for Eight String Instruments    7. Orchestral    8. Orchestral & Symphonic    9. Romantic Overture for Orchestra    10. Romantic Symphony    11. Romantic Symphony with Multiple Solo Voices and Chorus    12. Symphonic   

Reviews (16)

Sounds great!
I don't know what these other people are talking about with the bad mixing.I ordered this CD despite the poor reviews and it sounds great to me.Patrick Stewart's narration is thoroughly enjoyable and appropriate, not overdone or condescending, nor too flat.I think this is a great choice for anyone looking to get acquainted or re-acquainted with Peter and the Wolf.

Poor mixing and limited emotional range on narration
The orchestra plays beautifully, but it is painfully obvious that they recorded their part separate from the narration.Patrick Steward sounds as if he is in a different room with his back to the microphone.Also, even though I am a Patrick Stewart fan, I find his narration entirely too serious and stayed.He reads it more like an essay than a fun story for children.

Delightful performances
Perhaps I have the advantage of having a wonderful stereo system, but I do not experience the peaks and distortions that others claim on my CD of this wonderful recording.The only thing I noticed is that my volume had to be raised a bit more than usual, but there was no problem with that. Your mileage may vary, as they say, but this overall is a great piece to have.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Ballet    2. Ballet    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Music    6. Miscellaneous    7. Music with Spoken Words    8. Orchestral & Symphonic   

Editorial Review

Mstislav Rostropovich is one of the few musicians who can create alarger-than-life experience through the combined forces of exceptional music, abeautiful instrument, and uncommonly facile communicative skills. In hisperformances of Bach's transcendent masterpieces for solo cello, Rostropovichfinds a perfect balance between a romantic, rhapsodic interpretation and onethat emphasizes the purely formal "aridity" of Bach's structures.Although it's nearly impossible to isolate one or two highlights, the Sarabandeand Prelude from Suite No. 5 are among the most profoundly moving celloperformances you will ever hear--the closest we probably will ever come toexperiencing through music the soul of both Rostropovich and Bach. Noteveryone will immediately appreciate the very resonant sound that emphasizesthe cello's lower register. But after a few minutes your ears adjust, the musictakes over, and nothing else seems important. Read more

Reviews (31)

THIS IS NOT BACH!
Before I critique Rostropovich's performance of these suites, I would like to clear things up about the cellist himself. First of all, Rostropovich is not a technical master. Every time I ask someone to describe the first thing they think of when they think of Rostropovich, they say something about his technical superiority. Yes, he can play the Dvor�k, so can a sixteen year-old I know. If anyone has ever seen him play, he puts his endpin out about two feet, he leans far forward and slouches, so that he is just peeping over his upper bout. When he moves his bow from string to string, he moves it rather like a chicken might flap its wing. Sometimes, one may hear his uncoordinated bow changes.He is out of tune much of the time, and in instances like the last movement of the first Shostakovich Cello Concerto he fakes the hard runs when the orchestra is loud. His sound is ultra bright and has no texture to it. It is metallic, bright but cold, and just bulky. I do not see how Rostropovich can be thought of as better or equal to cellists like Fournier, Casals, and Starker.
Deeply satisfying
When I heard these recordings for the first time, I almost wept.I don't know if this makes any sense, but the only way of saying how I felt was that it was like coming home.Rostropovich plays so simply and directly that one feels all pretense peel away.If art is an imitation of the glory that is nature, and performance an imitation of the art, then this is probably as close as you can come to removing the imitation and having a direct physical, emotional, and spiritual communion.Superlatives fail me and seem trite, so I think I should make this short.Bach's cello music is some of the most beautiful art ever created, and it has such remarkable power to heal the soul.Every human being who appreciates music deserves the priviledge of hearing this music.As I mentioned, the performance is superb, like an improvisation but so carefuly though out and so deeply felt.The recording quality is excellent too, capturing the meltingly beautiful sounds of Rostropovich's cello.Please listen to this; I hope you will be as moved as I was.If I can make a suggestion relevant to the time I'm writing this (Nov. 30th), make a present of this to someone you love for the holidays, the time of peace, as this is one of the great musical expressions of peace and boundless love.

The Best
Many people will argue that classical music is to be heard from a large symphony. I disagree. The ability of a single cello to convey an unlimited range of emotion and to personify the music is astounding. This performance of the Bach Cello suites is no exception, Rostropovich lacks the technical perfection of Yo Yo Ma, a good thing in my opinion, because it gives the music a certain personality and warmth. This is, and has been, my favorite collection of music, and to hear it played by Rostropovich justifys anyones love of it. It is simply the best cello collection on CD. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cello Solo    2. Chamber    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Music    6. Orchestral & Symphonic   

Editorial Review

This account of the Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (22)

Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem
Brahms was a fabulous composer.I think his Requiem is a very musical piece including the beautiful voices.
Very good
First of all, it bothers me when people say Brahms "looks good on the page, but...".What does that mean, "looks good on the page"?Who are these people that own the scores to his music and are capable of instantaneously transposing several instruments in different clefs as well as different key signatures, know the timbres of each instrument at different volumes and marked styles of playing, and have the knowledge of harmony to know what these combinations of notes will sound like? Why aren't they conducting orchestras? Or do the notes somehow form the shape of a pretty little bird or something, and that's what they mean by the notes looking good on the page?
Died and gone to heaven
Seven stars, at least.I love Brahms and have many fine recordings of his major works, some very different from one another.In most cases I cannot say that one recording of a work is the best, except for this recording of the German Requiem. Wonderful.Klemperer, Fischer-Dieskau and Schwarzkopf are special together on this fine recording. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Orchestral & Symphonic    6. Requiem/Requiem Section   

Reviews (12)

Dvorak In The New World
Antonin Dvorak was born in what is now the Czech Republic. In the 1890's he visited America and developed diverse thematic material for a new symphony, which he would call "From the New World", his 9th. This recording is possibly the greatest interpretation commercially available, and certainly one of the more brand name recordings. I have heard rave reviews about the Karajan version, Bernstein version and even Eugene Ormandy version. But George Solti, no stranger to large-scale orchestral music (having conducted Wagner's Ring on studio recording) is very expert in conducting this Romantic, almost modern work that uses American themes. The opening adagio-allegro is powerful and dark, while the Largo is spiritual in its slower pace. This is where the American themes tie in. The Largo is better known as "Going Home" a Spiritual sung by African slaves in the South. On orchestra, this theme sounds far more poignant and bittersweet. The Scherzo movement is a tad reminiscent of the scherzo from Beethoven's 9th (Dvorak was of course an admirer of Beethoven and since this was his 9th, perhaps he intended to echo it a bit)Musically, it is of course appropriate to the structure of his symphony. It even paints the picture of wild horses running across the plains. The Fourth movement and finale, marked "allegro con fuoco" -Italian for "allegro with fire" is indeed fiery and fatal sounding. It has strong accents and fortissimos and conjures the image of an Indian War Dance. This music is indeed very American, though at this time it lacked jazz to make it complete. It would not be until such later American composers as Aaron Copland and Charles Ives that wrote American symphonic music.

No Homesick Symphony, This
Any great piece of music lends itself to different, sometimes radically different, interpretations. Dvorak's "New World" is a case in point, but especially so since music critics and others in the know have differing perspectives on the work. I've heard it called by some "the homesick symphony"; this, of course, implies that despite the use of native American musical material, the symphony doesn't really depart from the approach Dvorak took in his other eight symphonies. Basically, this is Czech music "on holiday." A conductor who feels this way about the work might, then, emphasize the nostalgic mood of the work, a strain that's evident in Dvorak's late compositions, such as the Cello Concerto. Most Czech conductors I've heard seem to approach the work from this angle.
the BEST interpretation of Dvorak's "New World"
Basically any of the CD's I buy now, I buy with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I have even replaced some of my older less precise and intense recordings with those of the CSO, since they are my favorite orchestra.Such was the case with this recording. I bought thinking that with Solti and the CSO, nothing could go wrong and almost nothing did. The first movement is appropriately austere. The third movement, though I tend to dislike scherzi especially before a finale (as they seem to be a cheap easy way to get to a finale), is also powerful like the first movement. The finale in my opinion, however, is the real winner. It would be worth getting this disc just for the finale. It is positively savage at the beginning. It also seems as if the brass were unleashed (like the Shostakovich 7 recording with Bernstein)and thus give unrelenting energy that leads to the inevitable conclusion. If you are using this to say that it is Dvorak brutalized, if you are not a fan of heavy brass that bring weight and energy to a work, then this disc is not for you. I personally, however, do not like wimpy recordings and this one is a far cry from it. The only disappointment was the start and finish to the second movement. To me, the chords sounded mushy and were far from being full chords, unusual for the Chicago brass. But that should not be a deterance from any of you who are thinking of buying this disc. The chords aren't bad, just not full enough. The coda of the finale makes up for it. It gives me goosebumps all the time and is seriously hair-raising. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Romantic Symphony    5. Symphonic   

Reviews (7)

It's called the pentatonic scale
This recording of the Borodin b minor symphony is excellent, and the colorful orchestration that entranced Debussy and his colleagues is easily heard due to the clear sound (too clear in the first movement, actually - one of the cello players sounded a little tinny to me). The first movement, with its blatantly nationalistic motto theme, is balanced with a sparkling scherzo and an andante with an achingly beautiful song-like theme. The finale, with the exuberance characteristic of Borodin and of the Mighty Five in general, is sprightly and cheerful. Its main theme is pentatonic (consisting of a five-note scale), like most music from folk sources (yes, including America, which does not mean that we "ripped" it from anywhere, simply that it is the single most pervasive system of tonal organization in the world). This recording is highly recommended, as it represents the vast majority of Borodin's orchestral output, and not badly, either.

Borodin's 2nd symphony
I played Borodin's 2nd with the National Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra, having never even heard of borodin before, let alone having played the symphony! I quickly fell in love with it and its wide range of themes. I particularly enjoy the 3rd movement and the way it changes from gentle sols at the beginning to a rising climax with a rising passage introduced by the violas and being built up by the orchestra.

Vital, Lusty Performances - Ravishingly Beautiful Music
Pretty much Borodin's greatest hits with terrific sound, bold and robust performances and a great price.It is rare to get the March from Prince Igor complete with the male chorus.It takes a jaded listener to resist the sensuous yearning and unabshed romance of the Symphony #2's 3rd movement.Listen and enjoy!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Opera    5. Orchestral    6. Orchestral & Symphonic    7. Romantic Orchestral Music    8. Romantic Symphony    9. Russian Romantic Opera    10. Symphonic   

Reviews (2)

An Enchanting Disc
I bought this disc on sight knowing that performances by Jordi Savall are superlative; I was not disappointed.Luigi Boccherini chose to live in Spain, in the area of Madrid following in the footsteps of Domenico Scarlatti.The period of the compositions recorded here come from 1780 to 1790 which was a turbulent time for Luigi Boccherini with the death of his wife (which left him alone with six small children) and the death of his patron in 1785, a place that was soon filled by Charles III.In 1787, the composer married again
What a gem!
I listen to this CD often and love it!!It's uplifting and refreshing.I highly recommend this CD for your collection of classical music and I plan on getting some more of Boccherini's works. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Period Symphony    6. Quintet for Five String Instruments    7. Symphonic   

Reviews (21)

An easy first choice
If you are looking for a standard stereo recording of the four concertoes, you don't have to look hard to realize that this set would be a nice and easy choice.Ashkenazy's performances of the Rachmaninov concertos are poetic, full of passions and yearnings, and technically excellent.This 2CD set is sold at the price of one full-priced CD, so it should be a good bargain.If you are a newcomer to Rachmaninov, this set is highly recommended.Later on when you have become familiar with these concertos you might also want to check out the renditions by Argerich and Horowitz, both of which contain some of the most spectacular displays of keyboard fireworks.These recordings by Ashkenazy have been reissued many times and the most recent one I believe is the 2 separate disks in the Eloquence series.Sonically the Eloquence reissues were artificially reprocessed in order to create wider dynamics and better sense of immediacy.Get either this one or the other, it doesn't matter which, what matters is that every Rachmaninov lover should have these recordings as basic items in his/her collection.

The champion of Rachmaninov's music.
This is a very good set of Rachmaninov's piano works for a very reasonable price indeed. For those who are unfamiliar with the great russian composer's piano works, from the blazing horns, swelling piano chords and seductive strings opening the first piano concerto you feel right away you're in for a very special musical experience.
Thoughtful but passionate interpretations
After listening to a recording of Rachmaninoff's 2nd concerto and hearing a lot about the 3rd concerto, I jumped at buying this CD because of the low cost for two CDs - I was not disappointed.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Concerto    5. Orchestral & Symphonic    6. Piano Concerto   

Reviews (14)

Amazing
I am not going to go into great detail. I am working on a degree in classical guitar and I can say this is something to strive for. His musical interpretation of the peices represented here are some of the best I've heard. His tone,color, and phrasing is incredible.

A gentleman musical agreement!
In guitar ` s playing there have been many renowned performers, gifted of exuberant technique. But curiously the Apollonian playing is not by itself strictly enough. The guitar is the instrument which is closer to heart as any other one. It demands from you passion and sentiment. There have been three well known guitarists, one of them from England and the other one from Spain and the third one from Japan whose sensibility was totally absent in their performances.
Extreme virtuosity
CP has become my chief inspiration to improve as a classical guitarist. His performances here are, without exception, phenomenal. He makes the most difficult pieces sound effortless. I prefer CP over John Williams because, while Williams is also unquestionably a master, he sounds a bit robotic to me at times. CP, on the other hand, never sacrifices musicality to precision. He sublimely maintains both. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Orchestral Work with Descriptive Title    2. Cantata    3. Chamber    4. Chamber Music    5. Choral    6. Classical    7. Classical Artists    8. Classical Music    9. Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb.    10. Concerto    11. Duo for Two String Instruments    12. Guitar Concerto    13. Guitar Etude    14. Guitar Solo    15. Instrumental Gospel    16. Keyboard    17. Keyboard Music    18. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    19. Lute Solo    20. Miscellaneous   

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?

Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical