5 comments about Baby Neptune.

1. Our 2 month old LOVES (I can't stress that enough) all of his baby einstein cds. I recommend buying all of them as they really do cater to different moods.



2. Nice, baby-friendly arrangement of classical music pieces. Heavy on the flutes; half the CD is the same composer. Not quite as good as Baby Galileo, which was more varied in both instrumentation and composers.



3. Great music and soothing sounds for any babies and even older children. Our children really enjoy them in the car.



4. This CD is mandatory in the car and it relax everybody. It has classic music but without many sudden ups and downs. I would like to buy the whole collection next time.



5. We were given one from these series of CDs for babies and our daughter loves it, so we bought this one. It is a really nice collection of soft music and we usually play it in the car. A great addition to your baby's music collection.

5 comments about Tuscany.

1. Andre Rieu in Tuscany did not move me like his amazing Wonderland production. Although the music and interpretation are always great, I feel that a CD would have sufficed.



2. The music selection makes us play the cd over and over. A great setting for the cd. The vocals really make the cd.



3. This guy never fails to amaze
   It's one great performance after another.
   This one is no different.
   Buy this and enjoy!



4. I'm not a classical music fan per say, but I have to say that I enjoyed this video immensely, He gets the audience involved in the music and there's even a conga line sort of in one of the pieces, He and his audience have fun with the music and so did I!



5. What can one say about Andre Rieu? Outstanding as ever! A. Rieu fans will not be disappointed in "Tuscany". He takes one back in waves of nostalgia to a Europe of bygone days -- to ANYWHERE in the world of bygone days! All the homelands us "expatriates" long for and dream about. Personally, Andre's concerts and his music are the essence of ME. This, I tell my friends, is who I am, and what I'm all about. "But", my friends answer, "this is who we're all about too, and the essence of who WE are!" So we laugh and cry and sing along with ALL of Andre Rieu's fabulous concerts, "Tuscany" included. What I especially appreciate is that he delivers his commentary in the languages of the countries he's visiting, or that I can choose to hear it in German. This adds an extra-special touch of authenticity to his concerts, and to my "tears-in-wine" nostalgia while listening to them!
   Andre Rieu transports the viewer and listener to a world of beauty, grace and elegance. If you're tired of hard-rock, cheap-shock, bug-a-loo music, Andre Rieu is for You!

5 comments about Joy to the World - Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra.

1. This music represents what Christmas joy is all about,the thrill of old favorites presented in top quality form. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!



2. I have always preferred classical Christmas music as opposed to something like Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You" and the 10,000 versions of "Silver Bells" so this album really fit the bill. Great pick if you prefer classical music to pop Xmas songs.



3. Since I am a musician and director of music also, I really get into the listening of music. Christmas music is my favorite next to religious choral pieces we do in my church. This particular CD ranks quite high on my list because of the fullness of the music and the selection of pieces. The use of dynamics is quite effective as well. It really puts me into the spirit of Christmas and in particular, the reason for Christmas, the birth of Christ. Enjoy!!



4. This wonderful CD has everything to celebrate the great joy of the Christmas season. Recorded in the early 1970's it still sounds as fresh and timeless as it did way back then.
   The orchestrations are majestic and imaginative without being mushy or too symphonic in structure.The addition of the chorus in most of the carols is an added bonus. The singers and orchestra blend wonderfully without either dominating the other too much. The programme of selected songs is excellent and with some lovely orchestra only tracks the CD is not tiring to listen to creating a well balanced programme.
   Maestro Eugene Ormandy conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra with great zeal and a passion for the music that is felt by the listener.The chorus master is the very talented Robert Page and the carols are arranged and orchestrated by the great Arthur Harris.
   The sound quality is excellent and the CD has been beautifully remastered without any loss of crispness or dynamics.The stereo balance and instrument placement sound superb with the singers centre stage.
   This is a remarkably good CD from the RCA Gold Seal range and is a must for lovers of really good seasonal music played with love and passion for the joys of the Christmas season.
   Thank you for taking the trouble to read my review and I wish one and all much enjoyment from this lovely CD.
   
   Happy listening!



5. A truly great collection of classical Christmas music. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet.

1. Prokofiev is a genius. And his Romeo and Juliet ballet music is a totally transporting and thrilling experience. having seen this ballet many times in America and Russia, I agree with many that is the best ballet in the classical repertoire. This set of two CDs captures it all. Most recordings are of one suite of the music or the other. It takes two CDs to capture it all and this one does it very well. It is romance at the edge. It ia magical.
   Frederick R. Andresen, Author of "Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia," over sixteen years in Russian business, six years in residence.



2. Thanks to the reviewers who chimed in previously I chose this version over several other available R&J CDs that were offered. I was not disappointed!
   
   As a ballet dancer who has been in this production, I was looking for a crisp rendition with solid tempo, that was still able to touch the lyrical side as well without dragging. The Cleveland Orchestra does not fail to impress with gorgeous range and depth.
   
   The moody dark scenes are palatable, while the early childlike Juliet part skips along in youthful exuberance. In Friar Lawrences chamber, reverance and seriousness emerge in contrast to the strong trumpeting ball scene.
   A big thank you to the excellent reviews of this CD which enabled the perfect purchase.



3. This is without doubt one of the best CDs I own, and surely the best contemporary one. The orchestra performs so cleanly and magically that you don't even realize that there are instruments playing the melodies, just a story being told. (which is the point, you're not listening to music, but rather a story) I think Prokofiev captured the spirit of the play really, really well; themes such as the shrill highs and unsettling lows of Tybalt Recognizes Romeo really give me the chills and develop the characters. Other highlights include the Dance of the Knights, Romeo Resolves to Avenge Mercutio (the buildup after the violent repeating percussion halfway through the track is enchantingly Prokofiev-esque--the themes building upon one another, really making the listener feel for him/herself the grief and anger), and the pretty but faintly creepy and forboding Morning Serenade. The Epilogue, luckily, tops even these, and you really feel Romeo's despair as he dances with lifeless Juliet. This is one of those CDs that I thought mediocre upon first listening, but upon second and third I fell in love. Beautiful beyond words. Now I want to see the ballet!



4. I grew up with this music and along with Petrushka, it seems to be right at the top of the short list of the greatest music of the 20th Century. This Maazel/Cleveland/Decca recording keeps popping up because it is so exciting and the sound is so great. The haunting, eerie quality of the music comes through and you will get chills just as you are supposed to.



5. Maazel succeeded to the leadership of the Cleveland Orch. after the death of George Szell in 1971. It wasn't a happy tenure, as several of his haven't been. Maazel is a murky character as a conductor, gifted with an incredible ear and great stick technique but a strange emotional sense. Quite often his performances badly misfire through superficiality, uninvolvement, or perverse tempo choices, not ot mention his tendency to phrase in a precise, pointed, bloodless way.
   
   But none oof these things pertian to this, one of his very best recordings in a long career. There's a lot of brazen, blatant music in Romeo and Juliet, so Maazzel isn't far form home turf. The engineers have given him excelent sound, and the Clevelanders play with utmost commitment and skill.
   
   I would still rate Gergiev's complete set higher, and half a dozen recordings of the suites from this ballet are better--including Abbado, Salonen, Mravinsky, and Chung--but the musicianship on display here is of a high order. This is definitely to be preferred over the lackluster Previn on EMI.

5 comments about Leon Fleisher: Two Hands.

1. This is one of the most beautiful and personal recordings I have ever heard. There's really nothing more to say. I just wish it were a double album.



2. After more than 35 years of suffering from dystonia, his two-hand pianism emerges like a miracle! I can not detect even a hint of disability in his right hand. Like S.Richter in his later years, Fleisher's playing has a kind of rarified beauty and reverence for music.
   
   Bach's Cantata arrangements, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Myra Hess) and Sheep may safely graze (Egon Petri), are played most beautifully with blissful simplicity. Scarlatti sonata is an expression of pure joy of making music. Chopin noctune and Debussy's Clair de lune are absolutely magical, second only to the miraculously atmospheric performance of Clair de lune by Richter.
   
   Highlight of this cd is the awe-inspiring performance of Schubert's D960 Sonata. This is a superlative performance that can match the great recordings by Rubinstein and Richter in depth, delicacy and richness of playing. Fleisher defies the centuries-old nonsense that left-hand part must support right hand, by letting left hand part express itself as much as right hand part. The effect is a revelation. The piano produces lavishingly rich sounds like an orchestra. This performance is a moving testimony that adversity can be tunred into advantage, by an artist who, through much suffering, has learned the essence of what music is and what life is.
   
   Commentary includes pianist's own very personal and touching episodes and insights on each piece, and on his mentor Schnabel's influence.



3. I look for this CD after having heard in a Lisbon radio, a couple of weeks ago, Mr. Fleisher playing Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze. I was so moved by his interpretation, by the beauty and simplicity of that piece that I immediately start looking for the CD. Only then I knew who he was as a musician and a human being: great, strong, marvellous man! Thank you very much, Mr. Fleisher for letting me know your art and this tiny, wonderful piece of mucic.



4. This is a beautifully produced album by a master of the piano. Listening to the piano transcription of Sheep May Safely Graze is worth the price of admission alone. The Schubert D flat major sonata is moving and powerful. The Chopin delightful and full of feeling. You waited your whole life to hear the piano played this well with such a delightful choice of pieces.
   
   Highly recommended.



5. It is thrilling and soul-satisfying to hear Leon Fleisher's superb and sensitive playing of Bach, Scarlatti, Chopin, Debussy and Schubert after dystonia had prevented two-handed performances for more than 35 years.
   
   The Fleisher tapes of Beethoven's piano concertos with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, before his disability, are treasures, and "Two Hands" shows that maturity has made his touch even more magical. His playing of Schubert's great Sonata in B flat Major rivals that of Leif Ove Andsnes, whom I have heard in person. For me, that is the ultimate accolade. Art Wild, Long Beach CA, 1/10/07

4 comments about Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird Suite (1919).

1. This is definatelly the version I was looking for. This has the High Flute Notes, and the very deep Base notes, this one really unwinds. Iv'e tried other versions but dont have the Range this one has.



2. In the Royal Edition of Bernstein's recordings with the NY Phil., there was a hair-raising Le Sacre dating from 1958 in vivid sound with lots of impact and incredibly virtuosic playing. This was followed by a surround-sound remake with the London Sym. in 1972 as the fflagship for Columbia's attempt to promote "quadraphoonic sound," which never cuaght on.
   
   The first recording occasioned a "wow" from Stravinsky in one of his memoirs (no doubt in part being ironic). The second recordingt is just as splashy and extroverted, although I prefer the 1958 version as the more flexible and less blatant. Both are wonderful and show off Bernstein's exuberance at its best.
   
   This is the second reading from 1972, now in stereo, the 1958 being out of print. The Israel Phil. version made for DG in the Eighties--I don't have the exact date since I threw away the CD--is a parody of the young Bernstein by the old one, and the orchestra is far from being able to master the score.



3. This recording really is something. Considering how old this rendition is, the depth at which bernstein controls the LSO is remarkable. There are moments when he lets the LSO loose, like letting the animals come out of their cages. He knows exactly how and exactly when to create, what I can only describe as "chaos". Bernstein's love for this arresting piece shines through the second half.
   I only complain of the sound quality and the firebird. It is NOT A GOOD FIREBIRD.
   
   BUY IT



4. It's a pity for me for this album to put the 70s recording Lenny did with the LSO on Stravinsky's revolutionary "Rite of Spring" instead of the performance he did with the NYPO about a decade earlier.
   The 60s recording (which sadly may be only available in the "Royal Edition" series) remains on of my favorite performance of the "Rite" (along with the "Fast and the Furious" Ozawa's with the CSO on RCA), because it has more brashness in the music, more savagery, more tension. His interpretation is far more extraordinary compared to this recording in this album. The extra "ornaments" Lenny added to further exxagerate the wildness and primitiveness in the 60s recording has competely disappeared in this performance, making a more commonplace, even tamed, performance. Same goes with the 80s performance on DG with the Isreal Phil.
   
   Lenny's performance "Firebird" Suite, on the other hand... is an electrifying 5 Star performance... THE main attraction of the album, not the 70s "Rite". This recording was done in the 60s with the NYPO, so there is more youthness and vigor in the performance. While the sound quality is not at its best, the performace is as hot as it can get. You will especially love the climax of the "Infernal Dance" and the "Finale". The only other recording I equally love is Claudio Abbado's performance with the LSO on DG, powerful in its own way... and more crystal-clear).
   
   Proikofiev's "Scythian Suite" (the Bonus tracks) is another plus in this album. The "Dance of the Dark Spirits" is especially thrilling, as Lenny actually takes the tempo a bit faster compared to most other performances, including Abbado on DG and Jarvi on Chandos.
   
   P.S. - Do you notice the "Jaws" theme hidden under the movment?

5 comments about Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies - Mariss Jansons (10 CD).

1. Mariss Jansons,Latvian conductor,who was a protege of legendary Evgeny Mravinsky,finally completed his Shostakovich cycle 20 years after starting.Jansons had magnificent orchestras at his disposal.Not to mention first class sound quality by EMI.So eveything was set for Jansons to score the perfect Shostakovich cycle.He could not manage to do that (5th symphony)but he came very,very close.
   
   Jansons seems to love Shostakovich with every single aspect of his composing.He understands and shares the point behind each symphony.His interpretations are full of inner fire,tension,drama and purpose.That puts him head and shoulders above the competition at the unknown symphonies;1,2 and 3.At the fourth Jansons delivers a hypnotic experience.Top notch execution by Symphonieorchester des BR.Fifth is far from Russian.The only problematic interpretation of the set is the fifth.It is odd really,charming and delicious fifth was really enjoyable but i expected more.Jansons tries to put tension and high drama on it but gorgeous Viennese sound -though the execution is simply put perfect- was not a good choice for this bitter masterpiece.Sixth alongside with 9th are however Russian in sound,perfect in climax and exemplary as a whole.Seventh is not exaggerated like Bernstein's Chicago version but wonderfully dark and Russian,wonderfully played by Leningrad Philharmonic.8th symphony matches the magnificence of Mravinsky's definitive BBC account with a better sound and without a cough brigade.Under Jansons' baton the tension never drops.10th is also magnificent.The famous Scherzo which is said to be the dances over Stalin's grave or a musical portrait of bloody tyrant never sounded more demonic than this(Mravinsky however sounded as demonic).Eleventh is full of drama and tension.Jansons sent me to that bloody Sunday morning in 9th of January 1905 and brought tears to my eyes.I never cared for the 12th like i care for 11th but it seems Jansons does.Again he is dramatic, builds climaxes superbly and gives a definitive account.13th is a hair-raising account.Symphonieorchester is full of commitment and Aleksashkin is unbelievably dark and emotional as soloist.14th and 15th shows the obsessive genius's fear of death so clearly and closes this superb cycle greatly.
   
   So this cycle is worthy of a 20 year waiting.These are definitive recordings of 14 Shostakovich symphonies.Fifth is also delicious but not Russian.In its full of tension and dramatic ways the music in these 10 cds definitely reaches the cosmos(Jansons stated in an interview:"In a concert or in a recording the aim should be reaching the cosmos.Players should be thinking about that only.They should not think about if they should play more crescendo.Rehearsal is the time for that.)just like his earlier cycles of Rachmaninov's orchestral works and Tchaikovsky's symphonies.



2. This set is a true bargain. The performances are uniformly excellent, as is the recorded sound. The liner notes are informative and well-written. What I particularly like about this set is the variety of orchestras recorded. It's amazing to hear the St. Petersburg orchestra do the Leningrad symphony, with appropriately pungent woodwinds and brass throughout, then switch to the more "mainstream" 10th done with the super-slick Philly orchestra, etc. Jansons makes excellent cases for the lesser-known works, with sharply defined rhythms and consistently excellent balance throughout all works. The works with chorus or solo voices work extremely well. I wish EMI would have included all of Jansons' couplings (the piano concertos w/ Rudy, cello concertos w/ Mork, etc.) to give a truly unprecedented Shostakovich set, but that's a very minor complaint. The price is right here - don't miss this set.



3. This set deserves 5 stars based on the performances. But my set contains a CD number 6 that has problems. I arranged for a replacement set from Amazon, but that set had the same poor CD 6. Thus I have concluded that all current CD sets have a defective CD 6. Some players I used could not access the disc. Those that could produced sounds with pops and clicks: sounded like an old LP record. I have written to EMI, but no results so far.



4. I am being a little stingy not granting Jansons' complete Shostakovich cycle four stars, but I can't escape feeling disappointed. Over the long years and many orchestras that have come to pass since he started, Jansons has promised a successor to Haitink's acclaimed Decca cycle with the Concertgebouw and London Phil. of the Eighties. Yet nothing has much improved. I know both cycles fairly well, and Jansons hits no definite home runs. Despite his musical pedigree -- both Mariss and his father Arvid were associated with Mravinsky and the Leningrad Phil.--Jansons tends to be more cautious and even faceless compared to Haitink, who is no firebrand.
   
   I cant' argue with admirers who point to the fine execution and excellent balances, the discipline and the good engineering here. But Shostakovich needs fire and inspiration to overcome his weaknesses, which are severe. The music often sprawls, relies on banal themes, dips into depressive melancholy, or at the other extreme indulges in insincrere jollity that seems politically motivated. Whatever your position on these issues, Shostakovich is an enigma looking for someone to unlock it. As steady and purposeful as these readings are, I don't think Jansons holds that key.
   
   If I were collecting the fifteen symphonies individually, which is still the best way, I'd go for the relatively unknown ones from Jansons, such as #2, #3, and #4, which bring out the best in him. He doesn't excel at the famous Fifth and is middle-of-the-road in the Sixth and Seventh (his live Seventh with the Concertgebouw is another story--I would place it among the very best). At a high standard but not keeping up with the legendary Mravinsky are Jansons' Eighth, Nintth, and Tenth. I don't much care what happens in the windy Eleventh and Twelfth, but the final trio, #13-15, greatly interest me. In these works I found Jansons steady and reliable but not riveting or inspired.
   
   On the whole, then, this is a consistent cycle that keeps up with Haitink's without cresting over it.



5. Great collection of the Shostakovich symphonies. Recording is clear; orchestra is dynamic. Great program notes, too. One of the best recordings of #15 that I have heard in a while.

2 comments about Beethoven: Greatest Hits.

1. This cd came quick! And upon putting it in my stereo I experienced euphoria!!! Lud Wig Kills!!!!!!!!



2. What can I say other than this is a great CD. Beethoven was a master and his music will live forever. Altough I don't like every single symphony he composed, I love all the pieces on this album. These selections have "fire and passion," and I listen to them over and over again. Enjoy!!

5 comments about Classic Yo-Yo.

1. I don't feel particularly qualified to comment on anyone's musicianship. However, I can tell the difference between an instrument well played and, well, the opposite. Love Ma's playing, and this is a nice representation of his repertoire.



2. The CD is very good quality, but I was not pleased with the selection of pieces. Moreover, Ma seemed to be a bit lethargic on this CD. His CD on Vivaldi is excellent. I would not say that about this CD. It passes muster, but we expect more from Yo Yo Ma.



3. 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!



4. 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 wonderful choice. Her vocals matched the cello incredibly well. Track 8 is a wonderful song that I love to hear being played on the cello. For any person who loves classical music or cello music this CD is a good choice to buy. It will be well worth your money.



5. While most people on this site see the "classic" in the title of the album as referring to classical music only, they are mistaken. Classic Yo-Yo refers to his style, not the genre into which his music choices fall. The list of tracks alone should have been a big enough clue that the music isn't all classical. Judging this album, or any album for that matter, on just its title is simply foolish. And while this is technically a solo album, the way Yo-Yo brings in guest artists to perform with him shows his flexibility as an artist. His version of Simple Gifts is so much more than a school chorus; it is an amazing cellist playing the accompaniment on a song that is meant to be sung.
   
   On a more positive note, I found every track beautiful, from the elegant solo cello in the Bach cello suite to the haunting vocal line in the Bobby McFerrin piece. Yo-Yo Ma gathered a wide range of intriguing pieces to make this fantastic album.

5 comments about Favorite Waltzes.

1. This album is wonderful listening. It's one of the favorites in my entire collection.



2. Eons ago I had an LP collection of waltz music that was wonderful backgroung music for Sunday morning with the NY Times and coffee et cetera. This is not as good as that collection was but I'll listen to it now and then until I find what I'm looking for.



3. Hollywood Bowl Symphony(actually the L.A. Phil.)conductors Felix Slatkin(father of Leonard Slatkin)and legendary film composer Miklos Rozsa take us on a generous 76+ min. cinematic journey through the Viennese style waltz.
   For anyone wanting just one convient economical waltz disc, will find this program hard to top. The "Blue Danube", the "Skater's Waltz" and the underated "Danube Waves" by Ivanovici are all on one disc. The remastered sound of these 1958-1961 performances is extraordinary. The album concludes with a rousing performance of a Richard Strauss waltz sequence from the "Der Rosenkavalier" which pays a twentieth century homage from one Strauss to another. All the performances are colorful and well played. Overall a real bargain!



4. I ENJOY THE CLASSICS AND IF YOU DO, OR JUST BEGINNING TO LISTEN, THE OLD MASTERS ARE GREAT. TO ENJOY THIS MUSIC ONE MUST DEVOID YOUR MIND OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. THEN LISTEN TO THE INSTRUMENTS AND PLACE YOURSELF THERE. IT WILL TAKE YOU AWAY TO A PEACEFUL PLACE.



5. Nice relaxing music with a good sound and orchestra containing an assortment of famous waltzes.