5 comments about 25 Romantic Classics.

1. this cd is awesome, you can have a relaxing time when you need some tiem out, or you can enjoy it with your partner...



2. I bought the CD, because my daughter just needed one song, but My God! what a beautiful and complete selection, at an amazing price, it deserves an A+, and a chance for you to listen to it.



3. 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!!!



4. 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.



5. 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.

5 comments about Chopin: Favorite Piano Works.

1. This is a masterful performance by the great Vladimir Ashkenazy of Chopin's favourite piano works. If you love Chopin's music and Ashkenazy's magic touch, this 2-disc CD is a must. Apart from all the all-time favourites such as grande valse brillante, op 18, nocturne in E flat major, op 9 no 2, Minute, Black Key, Military, Raindrop, Tristesse etc etc, it's interesting to note Ashkenazy's interpretation of Ballade in G minor, op 23 vis-a-vis Janusz Olejniczak playing it in the poignant scene of the award-winning Polanski's film "The Pianist" ie the piece played by Adrien Brody in his role as Szpilman, the Jewish pianist in hiding, to the German officer Hosenfeld. Enjoy!!



2. This is a very good interpretation of Chopin's piano opi, without a doubt. It has the first spot in my CD player, as I listen to it almost daily. This would make a great gift for the piano-lover and as a pianist, I greatly appreciate this interpretation.



3. Ashkenazy is one of the titans of Chopin. Davidovich and Arrau are the other two. They're all you need. Get Davidovich for the concertos, (inlcuding the Krakowiak--Op 14), Arrau for the nocturnes and a few micscellaneous pieces. Ashkenazy handles everything else.
   
   (Btw, Ashkenazy vs. Davidovich re. the impromptus is a toss up. But since the impromptus aren't on this disc, you can make that critical decision another time.)
   
   Ashkenazy's scherzo #2 (op. 31) IS the best. Period. Other interpretations that your favorite classical music station may substitute are downright lame.
   
   The rest are basically sublime. The first and 4th ballades will send shivers up your spine by Vlad's sheer technical ability. His artistry is second to none.



4. An excellent complilation of Chopin works which includes 3 of the pieces I am currently learning. Definitely has encouraged me to improve my piano skills and allow me to better appreciate his style of music.



5. Beautifully done 2 CD of Chopin works. I've played it every weekend since I got it, loving every track. It's well performed and recorded, and is an excellent collection for anyone interested in Chopin or his adopted homeland of Poland. And, of course, you can't often go wrong with the London Label.

5 comments about The Chopin Collection.

1. This is a bargain for the price, with GREAT sound quality! Warm, but also clear. The perfomances are great, specially the mazurkas and waltzes and sonatas. I thought the noctures where played a bit to "straight", but it depends what one compares it to. I prefer Cortot for about all the Chopin I've heard of him before 1934 (Although I like Rubinsteins sonata better) and brazilian G. Novaes for the nocturnes.



2. These impressions are based on very limited listening thus far but the performances seem to be very crisp and correct and devoid of schmaltz which surprised me. I think Chopin needs a bit more melodrama to be at its best.



3. The ultimate way to apreciate the work of Chopin. powerful then again delicate. Sublime piano by Rubinstein. Curacao, apri1 14th 2008



4. In an age when there were few exceptional pianists, Rubinstein came to maturity after his marriage and 40th birthday - and fortunately his best work was recorded by RCA in America. Here's the Chopin you must have in a collection. Still brilliant by today's standards and still the Master.The Chopin Collection



5. This is the collection for the ages. It has the best repertoire I had ever wished, and the quality of sound is excellent, knowing that the recordings were made in the 55's-65's period. I am fully satisfied with this product, for Rubinstein's interpretations are superb and the reference for all the pianists and audiences in general: They are emotive, harmonic, delicate and masterful. --USEFUL--: The last disc is Mono (recorded 1946), so it has poor quality sound. The disc is the one of the Préludes Op. 28, and as an annex it contains the repeated and older recordings of the Barcarole Op. 60, the Berceuse Op. 57, and the Sonata Op. 35 (these pieces come in the Stereo discs too; i.e. repeated recordings). I do not miss the Préludes, so for me it is OK. Also this collection does not have the Études Op. 10 or the Op. 25. So if you want the Préludes and the Études to be in your colection, think buying this product twice. But if you do not care that much, buy it.

5 comments about Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording.

1. I'm a seeker of the ideal Chopin. This performance is very good but if you have the Chopin recordings of Pollini,Perahia,Zimerman and Rubinstein then you probably don't need this one. But if you do decide to buy it you wont be disappointed.



2. this is a taste of things to come. impeccable playing rich in tone and dynamics all played with the flawless
   technique which has become the standard to aspire to for all pianists



3. Martha Argerich's reading of Chopin's Third Sonata is superlative. By turns majestic and athletic in its pacing, this my favorite Third. The disc is worth the opening bars of the final movement alone: there is a drama here in Argerich's playing that is conspicuously absent from most other performances. Brilliant.
   
   The Scherzo No. 3 is similarly outstanding, as are the Mazurkas. Alas, the Polonaise in A-flat is lacking in the same flair and command as the Sonata, which is a disappointment.
   
   The definitive Sonata No. 3, worth the attention of any music lover. (Top notch sonics from a 40+ year old recording also make the recording a gem.)



4. Chopin himself would have gone into ecstasy listening to Martha Argerich play his music. It is impossible to find anyone else with such incredible, awesome, impossible ability to impart such emotional energy to a piano.
   
   There is no comparison between this recording and any recording, or any piano playing, that you have ever heard before or will ever hear again.



5. These Chopin recordings of Martha Argerich from 1965 are an example of staggering virtuosity of the highest order. She is one of the few pianists I've heard that could rival Michelangeli for technical ability(though both could be erractic at times, with the Italian being the more so of the two.) This cd is one of the crowning achievements of Argerich's career. It is, indeed, a shame that it took so long for these performances to be made available to the public. Given that they were made at Abbey Road in 1965, one wonders if the powers that be didn't want to embarass some other well known residents of that venerable recording studio in those days. While the quartet from Liverpool could produce some great pop songs, none of them, or just about anyone else from any other genre of music, could produce musicianship of the caliber that Martha Argerich displays here. Another must have in any classical cd collection.

5 comments about Mozart Edition: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set).

1. I thoroughly enjoy these CDs. I tried collecting Mozart in portions over time, but his repertoire is just way too large to manage for amateurs like me. It is well worth buying the whole collection in one purchase.



2. I have the Philips set, which cost me just over Aussie Dollars 1000.00 Thank you for the reviews. I now feel that the price I paid for the Philips set was justified. No, I'm not a PhD in music - just a soild amateur. I do have the Briliant Bach set, and I'm very happy with that. Oh, yes - I've just ordered the Haydn. Maybe I'll post a review on that!



3. I have been looking for a set like this for a long time.
   
   So far the CDs I have listened to are of excellent quality.



4. I bought the complete set for my birthday. What a wonderful surprise ! Let's say I did not know much about Mozart's music except some few "classics" (the symphonies, the requiem, some piano concertos and sonatas, some serenades and the operas). I love every piece I have listened to until now. I have discovered beautiful music I would never have listened to if I had not bought the set ! For example, some piano music or the Church sonatas. Right now I'm listening to string quartets (vol. 5 - cd 8), they're simply charming ! I keep pressing the "previous" button of my remote control. The music is really well played : good tempi, good sound, beautiful voices. And the price is very very reasonable ! I think this set constitutes an admirable opportunity for anyone to discover or rediscover Mozart's music.



5. Very present and lively. I have been playing these CD's one after another and they are all enjoyable. What an incredible bargain.

5 comments about The World's Favorite Piano Music.

1. If you a piano student, your teacher will probably assign you at least half of the compositions in this CD. You need to hear how they should be played. This is a wonderful CD to use to help you learn the pieces. These piano selections are not the "World's Favorites" for nothing - they are memorable and enjoyable for young and old alike. I love this CD.



2. This is by far one of the best CD's in my collection. I love classic piano music. Thank you so much.



3. Van Cliburn is the best and I love him playing the best music ever composed.



4. Arrived very quickly in great condition, perfect gift for my boyfriend who wanted so lovely piano music.



5. Van Cliburn is a master pianist, and this CD is pure listening enjoyment. I generally am not into clasical music, but this is fun. His working fingers convince me that they are not working. They are dancing, and they are having great fun. WONDERFUL!!

4 comments about Vaughan Williams: The Collector's Edition.

1. This splendid set, an amazing bargain, provides most of Vaughan Williams's music in various, sometimes relatively recent, vintages of recordings. VW is a vastly underrated composer. Some of the symphonies are bonafide masterpieces, especially numbers 4 and 6, but the London Symphony (#2) and the 8th and 9th are pretty top drawer as well, if not as stunning as 4 and 6. But then, 3 and 5 are excellent in a more "pastoral" way, though hardly the "cow music" written about in a recent New York Times article. If VW has written any "cow music" my ears have never detected it. The First Symphony, however, a choral work based on text by Walt Whitman, is as uncowlike as you can get but too hysterically pitched for my taste (like Mahler's Eighth).
   
   The sublime Tallis Fantasy is given an expert performance, the marvelous Oboe Concerto is well done. The two string quartets are little known but very worth listening to.
   
   In all, at less than $2 per disk, it's hard to see why anyone would turn it down. The set's only serious defect is the pathetically inadequate documentation. One can hardly figure out who's performing what. The disks themselves lack track numbers, very inconvenient, and the booklet lacks notes. But the set is nicely boxed and at this price it seems churlish to quarrel.



2. This is indeed a very good opportunity to have a detailed view at this composer's work at a bargain price. To me, it has always been difficult to get Vaughan Williams's recordings as I'm out of the UK, where most of them are released individually. It is great to have a box like this to get closer to this marvellous orchestrator, with his compositions so full of instrumental colour. The price is excellent, the only disappointment is that thera are no booklet notes at all. At least the CD tracking details are ok.



3. I know people revere Boult and Handley and Hickox as the best of all possible interpreters for British music, along with Groves and Barbirolli and all of the other artists presented here. So please don't take offense as I pick apart this box set -- because it's not as great as some other reviewers make it out to be. Others can tell you why it's good (and it has LOTS of good stuff). Let me criticize it a little. Or a lot.
   
   First, the packaging. I'm getting really tired of these box sets (Elgar on EMI, reissue of Stravinsky set on Sony, etc.) that are missing biographies or descriptions of the works outside of a track listing. Is it so hard to reprint the liner notes from the original releases? Why on earth do they not include a libretto?? I can barely understand a word of these choruses and unless you've heard Sir John in Love or Hugh the Drover before, I don't think you'll be able to figure a whole lot out without resorting to the Internet and digging pretty deeply. Like the Elgar set, about half of this set has vocal works. So it's a huge drawback not to have texts and librettos.
   
   Second, these recordings are old. Fine. But they _sound_ old. I guess if EMI can't add liner notes, they won't spend the time to remaster their recordings before putting them back on the shelves. People who are replacing their vinyl recordings may be celebrating, but those of us who are young enough to have never owned vinyl or 8-track tapes will find that some of these recordings sound antiquated. This is especially true for those impossible-to-decipher vocal works. The songs are blurry and fuzzy (typical of low-end ADD), and there's nothing to be done without the help of a good sound engineer. It's clear much more care was put into the first half, which is full of the orchestral blockbusters that I'm sure have sold much better over time.
   
   Third, EMI was so lazy that they just put the CDs in this set as they were released originally without any consideration of repetition. There are 3 different versions of the Serenade to Music (one for chorus, one for 16 singers, and one with orchetra) under 3 different conductors. It's a charming work, but not _that_ charming. The Piano Concerto in an orchestral version, and then in 2-piano form? Ugh, there's a reason why Vaughan Williams kept editing it -- it's about as dry and bland as overcooked turkey. Two versions of the Fantasia of the Christmas Carols? On my Scrooge days, one is too many.
   
   I suppose the argument can be made that EMI has given choices, so you can pick the version you like best to put on your iPod. By why do that with such marginal works -- if they're going to have 2 versions of anything, it should be the symphonies. Handley's interpretations are five stars in my book -- they were good enough to convince me to sell my Slatkin set.
   
   So, I guess it's a must-buy only because there's nothing more complete out there at such a low price. But lament the fact that it could have -- and should have! -- been so much better.



4. For lovers of Ralph Vaughan Williams' music, the prospect of obtaining most of his works on 30 CDs for $50 or less should be irresistible. It's a great way to fill in the gaps in your collection, or to become acquainted with RVW's less familiar works. Among the highlights of this box are the Serenade to Music and the Pilgrim's Progress (both conducted by Adrian Boult), Partita for Double String Orchestra (Vernon Handley), Riders to the Sea and Sir John in Love (Meredith Davies), Hugh the Drover (Charles Groves), and On Wenlock Edge and Ten Blake Songs (sung by Ian Partridge). Vernon Handley's recordings of the symphonies have received uniform 5-star reviews on Amazon.
   
   In most cases, the performances and sound quality are very good to excellent. Hard-core fans will appreciate the inclusion of variants of a few works, such as the vocal and purely orchestral versions of the Serenade to Music. As would be expected in a compendium of this sort, a few of the items have performances or sound that is less than ideal. For example, Matthew Best's recording of A Song of Thanksgiving is far better than the one included here, but the Hyperion disc is no longer in print, and a used copy costs half as much as this entire package. The box lacks both notes and texts. Nonetheless, there's more than enough great stuff here to justify the modest price.

5 comments about Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies.

1. There are just as many great sing alongs in this CD as in the first. Most of the tracks are very singable (the Brahms piece is difficult). Lots of fun and plenty of goofy lyrics.



2. My kids absolutely love this. They could listen to it over and over. I like it as well. A great, fun way to learn to love classical music.



3. As a music teacher, this album and the other two are incredibly useful and fun!!! I'm so glad this fellow has done what he's done!



4. One and two are so great. Hope there's a third coming out. What a great way to introduce children to wonderful music and entertain the parents and grandparents in the process. The words are ingenious. There's even a set of lyrics included in case you miss some nuance. .



5. We bought Beethoven's Wig 1 and loved it. My kids (ages 5 and 9) really enjoy listening over and over. Number 2 is almost as good. All of the songs are amusing and a couple are very funny. The lyrics are clever and do help you become familiar with composers and their music. I like that the pieces are played again in the second half without the lyrics. I highly recommend it for kids who enjoy music.

5 comments about Bach Edition: Complete Works (155 CD Box Set).

1. The box is not too sturdy, but the CD cases are OK. I took one out and jumped on it repeatedly and it broke after about 4 tries. I think Deutche Grammaphon makes the best. Also, the box is not too stain-resistant (I tested it).



2. To get the entire works of Bach in a collection of this type for this price is just wonderful. I have given these as gifts and those who have received them have raved about them. Just an excellent value.



3. Even though I have a lot of other Bach records, this is different, like being in the ocean. What a joy. Buy it; it's unbelievable. The organ works, violin and harpsichord material, and most concertos and orchestral works, have NOTHING wrong with them per se; if you are already in love with someone else's performance then no other player will please you. There are isolated twangy items, but most are as expressive and lively as they could be. In short, fabulous quality regardless of price. No disc defects yet. You will have to try the cantatas and judge for yourself. I liked them OK (and I like the tenor a lot; funny how tastes vary.) For texts, you can go out to the "Emmanuel Music" home page where there is a link to all the Bach cantatas in original German and English translation - if, like myself, you don't have the bucks for the $86 paperback. Since it is said that nine discs have been updated since it came out, I guess I am glad I bought a fresh set from Amazon. You may want to play it safe and do the same. I am not a pushover, but this box was all I could have imagined and more. It deserves recognition as one of the most important CD releases of all time.



4. Magnificent, splendid, wonderful, there are some of the words to describe this superb CD BOX Set featuring Bach's Complete Works. Recommended for anyone who loves Music.



5. In over 40 years of collecting recordings, none have excited me more or given me greater pleasure than this set. I can only add my praise to all the other reviewers. Ths is the bargain of a lifetime do not hesitate.

5 comments about Debussy for Daydreaming.

1. Definitely for daydreaming, or for putting the little one down at bedtime. Good start to those wanting to see if they like Debussy. Includes many of his most famous works (Clair de lune, etc.)



2. This is an excellent collection of interpretations of Debussy's works. This collection is a "must have" for those who want to lose themselves in some of Debussy's most touching compositions.



3. This CD is just pure magic. I know that is such a cliche' thing to say, but it really is. Of course, it really won't appeal to those people who are into EXTREME LIVING...whatever the hell that means, because to me, extreme living is living close to the soul, close to the spirit, close to the Invisible Source that makes and creates all things in and out of Itself.
   
   Debussy was a composer who lived very close to this Invisible Stream. His music reflects a gentleness and yet a strength that flows throughout each composistion. The arrangements are dreamy and mystical and allows one to go into their "inner chamber" and pray in secret to the One who knows their heart as well as their soul.
   
   As much as I love this CD, I tend not to listen to it in the car. I once listened to it while making a routine drive to Santa Monica. The CD stopped and I had somehow missed all of my exits and ended up in Ventura...talk about being in dreamland!
   
   It's a great CD to put in your walkman and go to an outdoor cafe' where you can sip a cafe latte and write poems to an unknown lover whose face you cannot remember, but whose gentle breath is the scent of lavendar...oh, I wax poetic...so sorry...
   
   If you are into quiet and stillness, get this CD...it's truly a breath of fresh air in this noisy, crowded, extreme world we have to be in but not necessarily of...
   
   Peace & Blessings



4. This music evokes both emotions and images of life waking up in spring, even being in a magical forest where anything can happen, or floating on clouds. You can just enjoy the music and let your imagination soar or the music can take you into that trance-like state where you can access creative ideas and creative solutions to any problems - and maybe they just dissolve of their own accord.



5. If you like Debussy - whom I have heard called one of the progenitors of ambient music - you will love having his most inspiring and beautiful works together on one cd. These works are tranquil and serene, and yet they don't fade into the background - no matter what you are doing - because they are true art. When this cd is playing you can't help but listen and sigh. My cats love this cd, too.