5 comments about Ludwig van Beethoven: 9 Symphonien.

1. I have enjoyed listening to Karajan's 1963 set ever since I bought it on sale at the Record Hunter in New York in the late 1980's. I don't find the renditions unemotional as some do. The performances are fast and dramatic. To some the sixth is too fast, but the slower tempos we have become accustomed to are only received tradition just as phlegmatic renditions of Bruckner's symphonies were once the norm. The performances often have the drive more typical of early music versions of classic works, except the pieces are being played by a larger orchestra than would have been common before the twentieth century. They are powerful renditions but not heavy-handed or turgid.
   As in his recordings for DG of the Brahms and Schumann symphonies, Karajan also shows his ability to shape passages. Long acquiantance with a score enables a conductor to do that. A distinct plus is the sound is excellent.



2. It's very well played, well recorded, very standard for general audience or listeners. It's very Karajan. It's nice and pleasant to listen to. Nothing is deep, nothing is special, and overall, very boring and forgettable. I bought this set when I was still a music student. It was good when I needed to listen for study in a Beethoven Symphony class. But now I don't touch it any more.
   Kleiber (Eric for #3, and Carlos for #4, #5, and #7), Walter, and Gardiner are among my favorite. They are all different but all wonderfully and amazingly memorable.



3. In a rehearsal of a Mahler symphony Leonard Bernstein asked to the members of Wiener Philharmoniker "I know you can play the notes but where is Mahler?". A similar question could be asked to Karajan after this cycle.In his way of doing Beethoven,Karajan chooses to eschew all spiritual depth and philosophical struggle Beethoven had both as a person and a composer in favour of straight-forward energy and power.
   
   In the first two symphonies Karajan simply fails to catch the Mozartian grace and joy.He also lacks the vitality and flow Furtwaengler has in his Wiener Philharmoniker accounts with EMI.It is obvious he had original ideas about these pieces but to my tastes it simply does not work.
   
   In Eroica,Karajan sticks to his plan and he is much more successful.He manages to create a magnificently powerful and energetic account of this masterpiece and he is very well supported by the beauty Berliner Philharmoniker extracts with their virtuoso playing.Still no spiritual depth of Furtwaengler,no emotional intensity of Böhm,no philosophical struggle of Klemperer but this account is the best case made for powerful Beethoven and probably no better case will ever be done.
   
   Fourth Symphony along with 8th is the piece Karajan excels most.Karajan is very straight-forward and no-nonsense with these pieces it almost Carlos Kleiber like.Karajan seems to ask himself the question of "What is this work?"instead of "What can i do with this work?"So beautiful.Once again Karajan is favoured by gorgeous Berliners.
   
   Fifth is also one of the highlights of this set.Without a doubt the most powerful and energetic of all Beethoven symphonies fifth is the most flexible piece to Karajan's way of Beethoven conducting.First movement is thrilling with is speed and furiosity and provoking with its passion and intensity.Adagio is fast but fortunately does not feel rushed.Scherzo finds beauty,mystery and drama at the same time.Excellent string playing here.Finale which Karajan takes without repeats carries this power and majestic aura until the very end without any decreases.I still favour the war-time Furtwaengler over this but still this is one of the greatest 5th symphony recordings ever.
   
   However in the 6th symphony we return to the story of the first two. Karajan is unable to catch the climaxes.I blame the ridiculously fast speed.As an earlier reviewer so correctly stated Karajan's pastoral is describing impressions of nature from his Porsche.Böhm and Walter owns this symphony,Karajan is earth-bound by comparison.
   
   Everything is so right in the 7th except of the beautiful Adagietto which is the section i care about most in this symphony.My problem is not about speed.I used to favour the slower the better appoach to this movement however after hearing Carlos Kleiber's incredible account with Wiener Philhamoniker it changed.Karajan's problem here is that the interpretation sounds empty.No dancing rhytmic flow like Abbado,no tragic and lyic beauty like Kleiber,no funeral climax like Furtwangler.It is as if Karajan could not care less about this movement and he had no ideas whatsoever about it at all.Other three movements are the same story with the 4th and 8th they are straight-forward and beautiful.
   
   Some people tags this 9th symphony of Karajans as the definitive and the greatest account of this symphony and i desperately shake my head and ask "Where did this exaggeration and false interpretation of truth come from?"
   To me this is the most problematic interpretation of this whole set.In the first movement Karajan takes such a fast tempo i wonder if he has another thing to take care of somewhere else.Second movement lacks the rhytmic flow and demonic aura.Third movement is rushed and in the fourth movement the combination of chorus and orchestra fails to create a wonderfully joyous climax and Karajan fails to create a heavenly sound at the very end of symphony as well as the final cries of "Götterfunken".
   
   In sum to me this is not the best way to approach Beethoven.Even if you like Beethoven this way you might want to look elsewhere for 1st,2nd,6th and 9th symphonies.However if you are a fan of powerful but non-spiritual,energetic but emotionally cool Beethoven 3rd and 5th will move you in a way one will never forget for the rest of his/her life.Not to mention they are excellently played by the magnificent Berliner Philharmoniker.For more spiritual,emotional and Germanic Beethoven however Furtwaengler, Klemperer and Böhm are ways to go.



4. Herbie von K. remains a divisive figure in the musical world, even after his death. It is fair to say that, currently, he is not flavour of the month. Even at the time of this set's first release in the early '60s, the critics criticised Karajan's "glossy and glamorous" reading of Beethoven, made largely possibly by having the best orchestra on the planet under his baton. It was, to use an Australian expression, all show and no go.
   
   And yet...
   
   Listen to that Fifth. Listen to how quietly Karajan takes the end of the third movement, and how he relentlessly builds the tension until the joyous explosion of the fourth movement. For me, this recording at least matches the famous (and justly praised) Kleiber recording.
   
   Listen to the Ninth. Listen to the delightful touches, to the ting of the triangle in the Turkish March, to the way the piccolo rises out of the orchestra as the volume builds towards the great string run that leads to the final appearance of the famous "Ode to Joy" chorus. And just listen to those strings sing and the way the double basses thunder along underneath it all. If I had to take one Ninth to my desert island, it would be this one.
   
   There are things that are not so good of course. In the Pastoral, in the first movement "feelings of joy on arriving in the country", one can only assume that Karajan is sampling the joys in his Porsche. However, whoever gets a complete set of Beethoven symphonies right, whatever "right" means? Not Karajan, but not anyone else either. In my opinion, this is marvellous music making, in which the good things handily outnumber the bad, and at this price it is irresistible - which is, of course, why I didn't.



5. Karajan shows no respect for the balance of Beethoven's score. Overall, there is little here to laud or hate......a bonus second star for spectacular execution by the Berlin Phil, without actually playing any music. Glossy, zero rubato, zero sforzati, continuous mezzo forte.
   
   In 20 years, music notation software with masterful samples will sound exactly like this: the most perfect and beautiful sounds a computer can generate. These performances are soulless.
   
   Give me Bernstein/VPO or Solti/Chicago any day over this rubbish.

5 comments about 300 Years of Guitar Masterpieces.

1. This collection from the early years of Manuel Barrueco is one of the best values you'll find. It's 3 discs long and contains some of the best guitar playing I've ever heard. I've owned this set once before and had to buy it again because my original CDs were worn out from ware and tear. Highly recommended for anyone starting a serious classical guitar collection.



2. Brilliant, lively interpretations. Amazing tone. Crystal clear articulation of every note. Never boring. I own dozens of classical guitar CDs and have been a student of the instrument many years. I listen to these three CDs more than any others. These recordings (on CD 2) made me fall in love w Scarlatti, though I had heard his music played on guitar (very well) before.
   
   If you like classical guitar at all, just buy it - you will love it.



3. I'm a thoughtful and introspective person with a diverse background. Of all the old countries, Spain's diverse background appealed to me. This music reflects that appeal.



4. Not much else really to say about this. It is a collection of brilliant interpretations and the guitar has the most amazing sound I've ever heard on a recording. You will find yourself almost spiritually bound to share this recording with any classical guitar playing friends and aficionados.



5. I was browsing Amazon, shopping for gifts, and when I listened to the snippets of this, I couldn't resist ordering it for myself. It's a 3CD set of beautiful, varied music played by a brilliantly skilled and sensitive master. Barrueco has an extraordinary touch that seems perfect for each piece, from Bach to Paganini to Villa-Lobos. Anyone who likes classical guitar would treasure this set.

5 comments about Todos Los Romances.

1. Compre esta coleccion porque conocia algunas de las canciones, y debo decir que por el precio, ha sido una de las mejores compras que he hecho recientemente. El bolero ha sido un genero muy popular en las generaciones de mis abuelos y mis padres, y sus melodias son tan vigentes hoy en dia como lo fueron muchos anos atras. Luis Miguel interpreta estas inmortales canciones con un estilo unico y glamoroso. En resumen, estoy muy satisfecha con esta adquisicion.



2. Good quality product of a singer admired a while back. Unable to procure thus far until recently via Amazon. Definitely for the romantics worldwide. Fabulous.



3. It could not be better!!! I bought it to give it as a present, but I ended up keeping it for myself :). Being myself far away from my country (Mexico) makes these Romances even more delightful. The production's quality, Luis Miguel's voice and the songs' clever selection make this compilation priceless.



4. TODOS LOS ROMANCES IS A 3 CD COMPILATION. #1 AND #3 CONSIST OF MAINLY VERY ROMANATIC BALLADS. BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENTATION. SOUNDS LIKE A WORLD CLASS ORCHESTRA BACKING HIS STRONG SOULFUL VOICE. #2 IS MY FAVORITE ALTHOUGH IT HAS THE SAME BEAUTIFUL ORCHESTRAL SOUND, IN THIS CD YOU HEAR THE MEXICAN/LATINO INFLUENCE. THEY'RE ARE A COUPLE OF MARIACHI SONGS INCLUDED SUNG IN HIS STYLE THAT ARE AWESOME. BEAUTIFUL MUSIC.



5. I FIRST HEARD THIS CD IN A RESTAURANT AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE VOICE. ALTHOUGH I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH, THE WORDS SEEM TO STIR SUCH PEACEFUL AND LOVING FEELINGS IN ME.

5 comments about Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos.

1. I'm not an educated musician or something, I was just looking for the Symphonies and found this amazing collection that includes the full piano concertos, and at a great price!
   
   Really easy to recommend.



2. This music lifts itself an dthe movie to a higher level. Only listening brings you in the movie. One to have



3. In Ms. Quinn's review of this Klemperer Beethoven set, she refers to Bruno Walter's Beethoven symphony set on Columbia,which she describes as done with the "?Chicago Symphony". I believe she's referring to the late 1950s Columbia/Walter stereo set made in LA with the "Columbia Symphony", a pickup orchestra of LA"s best studio musicians. Columbia's producer assembled that orchestra specifically for Dr. Walter, thereby giving that great conductor an opportunity to record what turned out to be his last thoughts on Beethoven, Brahms, and others. I believe this Walter set deserves to be placed alongside Klemperer's, von Karajan's (1962 series), and Toscanini's (1949-1952 series) as an exemplar of surpassingly great Beethoven performances. I grew up with the Toscanini set and still listen to it---but there is no one way of playing these symphonies.
   
   To give just one example: Each of the four Eroicas in these sets presents a unique view of this greatest of all symphonies. Von Karajan and Toscanini offer unstoppable forward momentum while treating the even-numbered movements differently. Walter sees in the score a beauty that I haven't heard elsewhere; and Klemperer shows how inevitable the Eroica is when you can hear all the notes. If I had to live with just two, I'd choose one of the two EMI Klemperers: Either this stereo Klemperer or the 1955 mono Klemperer (available separately in EMI's Great Recordings of the Century series)---and my other choice would be the 1949 Toscanini Eroica. I don't believe that I can live with just one Eroica.



4. For me, this is the top choice for stereo Beethoven cycles. Klemperer conducted with a grandeur that is sadly not to be found among today's conductor's. His "Eroica" is still among the best around alongside Furtwangler, Abendroth & Weingartner. His 9th is easily a top 10 choice, behind a couple by Furtwangler (of course), Weingartner, Reiner and Fricsay. The rest of the set is also very solid, especially 4 and 6 (one of the very best, after Walter and Bohm) without a subpar performance in the bunch. As an added bonus, you get a high caliber set of the piano concertos by Barenboim and Klemperer, though not quite of the quality of Fleisher/Szell or Kempff/Van Kempen. When you factor in the cost (You can usually find it for under $40) this great set is a steal.



5. These are classic, fine performances of the Beethoven symphonic and piano concerto canon by one of the great artists of the 20th century. They are not necessarily the most passionate or electrifying of Klemperer's recorded legacy; those belong to many of the live performances recorded from the early 1950's through the early 1960's. So why get this set (besides the price, which is a steal)?
   
   The answer is that these are by far the best recorded of Klemperer's Beethoven performances and showcase his extraordinarily meticulous attention to balance, phrasing and dynamics. Always present is the nearly unique command of long-term tension and release, the command of the structure of each symphony or concerto as a whole, and the innate sense of musical drama which makes his performances so satisfying. The Philharmonia is ideally suited to Klemperer's vision, with its sure-footed brass, solo-quality first-chair winds and elegant but light strings. Klemperer may not have cared particularly about orchestral sound - his was most often called granitic -- but the results are certainly beautiful. And the recorded sound allows us to hear all of this. EMI lavished its skills on these recordings, making them in the marvelous acoustics of Kingsway hall; they sound warm, detailed and natural.
   
   Klemperer's vision of Beethoven is powerful and uncompromising. Yes, the tempi are slow in the faster movements, but there is a fierce intelligence and indominable spirit that radiates through these performances and makes them towering and, at their best, earth-shaking. Klemperer had a special affinity for Beethoven. Both men's lives were compromised by chronic health issues and pain: for Beethoven, the deafness and chronic indigestion and bowel-problems; for Klemperer, the brain tumor, resulting partial paralysis, broken bones, and the manic-depression. Both men were notoriously cranky and crabby. And yet both men created (or recreated) music which expresses the human spirit's triumph over adversity as well as music of extraordinary beauty.
   
   No-one would call Klemperer's Beethoven crisp or fleet. Even though he was a truly 20th century conductor in eschewing the rhetorical gestures of romanticism and focusing on the holy writ of the score, he was enough of a child of 19th century Germany to favor a massive and hortatory approach, with prominent brass, thundering tympani and dramatic underlining.
   
   In the concerti, the young Barenboim and the old Klemperer seem to cancel out each other's idiosynracies to produce some of the finest performances of the concerti on record. Again, these are recorded in splendid sound which barely shows its age.
   
   At this price, there is no reason not to purchase this set. Whether this will be your favorite Beethoven symphony set will depend on your personal taste; but it is important enough to reward your careful listening, even if it's only from time to time.

5 comments about Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies.

1. Bruckner è sempre stato il compositore che mi affascinava di più sebbene
   fino a poco tempo fà avessi sentito solamente la nona sinfonia all'interno di una raccolta della Reference Recordings. Ho successivamente comprato la nona appunto (RR) e la sesta che ho trovato ad un prezzo stracciato (Edizioni Telarc diretta da Jesus Lopez-Cobos). Se la nona della RR è veramente superba sia dal punto di vista dell'esecuzione che dell'incisione la sesta della Telarc è sicuramente superiore in quanto dinamica rispetto l'incisione che stiamo analizzando della EMI ma la qualità della ripresa e l'esecuzione sono assolutamente sotto tono!
   Devo riconfermare ciò che ho letto più volte su Eugin Jochum e la sua maestria nel riprodurre il messaggio musicale di Bruckner.
   Sono rimasto veramente stupito dalla qualità generale dell'incisione EMI anche considerando il prezzo a dire poco incredibile, in Italia penso sia impossibile trovare un cofanetto di nove sinfonie di questo valore musicale ed artistico ad un simile prezzo. Assolutamente consigliatissimo!



2. I have listened to Bruckner for more years than I'd care to admit, but these recordings by Eugen Jochum are like hearing him for the first time. It is startling how good these recordings are, and what freshness Jochum brings to the more familiar Bruckner offerings...the 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th. Electrifying is not too strong a word to describe them. In addition, these EMI recordings are an astonishing value. Buy and listen for yourself. I dare you not to be transfigured by the music-making.



3. Bruckner fans can find other recordings of certain symphonies that might reveal some aspect of the music that this set does not. But I think those recordings are far and few. I know there are Jochum fans (and I am one)who find his DG recordings to be superior. Except for the Fourth with the Berlin Philharmonic I have not listened to any of them.So they may be better. But it is a little hard for me to conceive of that being the case because I have found that Jochum has pulled off something nearly miraculous here.I first bought this set back in the very early Nineties when it first was released on CD. I was swept up in the sheer passion,exuburance and religous devotion that is on display. Like other reviewers I think a lot of the credit goes to Staatskapelle Dresden.I find them so involved with Bruckner's music and the thought world he inhabited that any point of criticism would be nearly useless. "The petty cavils of petty minds",as Samuel Johnson said of some of Shakespeare's critics.Yes this will be a set I could live with for some time( I already have!) And I would still recomend getting this remastered version because it is superior to the first version and the box takes up far less room. I don't have the same problem that some people have with the Nowak versions. I do prefer the 1877 version of the 3rd symphony to be superior to Nowak's. But I find Georg Tintner's recording on Naxos to be interesting but it is too ungainly and sprawling. So I would prefer the Nowak,though I don't care for some of the cuts. But even if you have reservations about versions I would still urge you to check out Jochum. I think he will convince you.Enjoy!



4. The other complete set of Eugen Jochum conducting Bruckner's symphonies, of course, is the series he recorded for DG in stereo between 1958 and 1967 with the Bavarian RSO or (in Symphonies 1, 4, and 7-9) the Berlin Philharmonic, following a number of recordings of individual symphonies he made in the pre-LP days. Although Jochum's basic conceptions remained consistent over the years, that earlier set finds Jochum more consistently alert and a shade more vibrant than in this valedictory go-round with the canonical Bruckner symphonies, taped in the late 1970s. By comparison, the overall impression here is of slightly lower voltage, although the flip side is that this cycle is also just that much more serene, and aptly so (Bruckner's music has been described as "blazing calm").
   
   Even so, this boxed set has a lot to recommend it, whether or not in preference to the DG cycle. There is the burnished and responsive delivery of the great Dresden orchestra, perhaps the oldest in Europe. There is EMI's warm and atmospheric sound, which in this remastering is considerably better focused and more detailed than in the first CD incarnation of this cycle. This cycle's Seventh and Ninth Symphonies arguably make a deeper impression than their counterparts in the DG series--even if the DG cycle compensates with more successful readings of the Fourth and Eighth. Above all, there is Jochum's lifelong identification with Bruckner's music (but NOT, as another reviewer suggested, due to a personal relationship between the conductor and the composer, who had died six years before Jochum was born!). Personal preference will dictate whether you go for the DG or EMI cycle; either way, you will hear Bruckner via one of the last exponents of a more flexible, less "monumental" (and also less stolid) approach to this composer's music.



5. This box set of Bruckner symphonies, on EMI, conducted by Jochum, receives a lot of praise, and, due to its very low price, is a first choice for listeners who are just beginning to get into Bruckner. These new listeners, having little basis for comparison, add their own praises, and so the cycle continues. An incautious purchaser might really believe that they are buying "the best of the best" for only $[price]. Well, perhaps, in their case, they might be. After all, once we can take technical competence for granted, we can only really argue based on our personal tastes. Can Jochum's (or anyone's) performances _objectively_ be called "the best"? No.
   
   Though you'd hardly know it from the reviews below, not everyone rates Jochum at the top of Bruckner interpreters, and even if they do, they may not rate these recordings as representing his best work. My own feeling is that Jochum is a terrible Bruckner conductor: his rhythms are weak, his phrasing is haphazard, his rhetorical gestures are all wrongheaded (speeding up when he should slow down and vice versa) and lack emotional conviction, and his performances lack the "magic" that other conductors can bring to these transcendent works. Also, the Dresden brass in these recordings often sound like a chorus of kazoos (!), and there is definite weakness in the trumpets.
   
   Jochum's admirers will strongly disagree, but I think they _might_ agree that, for listeners whose tastes will not tolerate these performances, there do exist valid (albeit more expensive) alternatives. Karajan's box set is rightly called a landmark, with B6 the only weak link. Haitink's set is a classic. Wand is certainly worth listening to. Tintner's performances of rarely-heard versions are of more than academic interest. Barenboim's Berlin set is a bit of an acquired taste but undeniably sounds great. Solti is energetic and enjoyable. There are others I haven't mentioned - and then there are discs of individual recordings, unavailable in box sets, which are arguably where the real Bruckner gold is to be found.
   
   So you may agree or disagree with my assessment of Jochum's EMI set. But before you put your hard-earned money into this purchase, at least compare a few of the samples available here at Amazon. You may find that other performances are more satisfying to you. Or perhaps less satisfying. Either way, you owe it to yourself to check these things out yourself, and not just rely on popular opinion.

5 comments about The Complete Studio Recordings Mississippi John Hurt.

1. Mississippi John Hurt is the best blues performer of all times. No leser show, no smoke, no big talk, but MUSIC!!!
   Music that comes from his personality and soul!!!



2. This is a fantastic collection that ANYONE with even a passing interest in folk should own. Mississippi John Hurt's music is so powerful and so delicate, so raw and beautiful at the same time. I love the way he frequently finishes his vocal lines with his guitar, making the instrument an extension, or rather an essential part of his voice. Don't hesitate, if you found your way to this page you will enjoy this album.



3. Am enjoying Missisippi John Hurt very much. Very relaxing. Was very happy that he lived to see the fruits of his wonderful labor of love.



4. His singing and guitar playing is just as good as on the early recordings.



5. C H I C K E N
   That's how you spell chicken!
   
   This won't be a particularly helpful review because I don't "know" music. All I can say that ever since seeing The Blues Brothers, I have enjoyed listening to blues without knowing much about it. Favorites include Howlin' Wolf and Robert Johnson... and John Hurt.
   
   He had a great voice. Cool vocals + cool lyrics = really listenable music. I am so greatful to my Yahoo!Music player for introducing me to him. :)

5 comments about The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order.

1. This is a great overview of Django and Grapelli's output. If you're going to own only one moderate-sized box set, this is an excellent choice. Diehard completists should move on up to Fremaux's Intégrale series.



2. Let's be honest - how many times have you read rave reviews of some supposed pre-war (or for that matter, post-war) virtuoso, bought a CD, only to be horribly disappointed to find the guitar-playing positively feeble after years of exposure to Hendrix, Satriani, etc? One can still respect those players of earlier generations for the contributions they made when guitar-playing was in its infancy, but all sentiments aside, judged objectively, for me and many others only one player of yesterday competes with later or present day virtuosos - Django Reinhardt. I say that just to reassure anyone who hasn't heard his playing that he really is up there with the greatest of all times, including modern-day players. He was truly a phenomenon. I've heard people raving over the primitive licks of some or other old bluesman, obviously enraptured by the historic value of the recordings more than the objective quality, the popping and scatching of those old 78s preventing any objective judgement. No danger of that here. If there's just one 'older' guitarist you listen to, it's got be Django, preferably the first 5 years or so of his career. And no guitarist can consider himself complete who hasn't had a close listen to his best work. His style is so idiosyncratic that it's unlikely you'll pick up much as far as technique goes, but for improvisational ideas, this whole set is a guitar treasure.



3. A mixture of various recordings, not all of them good. Still there are a few gems amongst them.



4. Django Reinhardt's music is a study in Jazz influence, improvisation and sheer exuberance. These recordings take you through his early years and maturity as an astonishing guitarist. If you understand guitar and what it took for him to play as he did, your appreciation for the technical virtuosity cannot but respond to his work.
   
   The digital re-masterings themselves faithfully reproduce the original sounds, complete with all of the surface noise that attended those early 78's. For the purist this is no problem because the desire is to not have any of the music also filtered. For those who are into casual listening or background music while you drive, especially if you listen at high volume, you might find it a bit distracting.
   
   One of the most delightful aspects of Reinhardt's group is Stephan Grappely's Jazz violin. We don't think of the violin as a jazz instrument very often, but these folks made it work wonderfully in group. Reinhardt shared the lead often with his band and it gives the music a diversity which enables sustained listening without boredom.
   
   Good group, good selections, good music.



5. Like the Supreme Court Justice opined about obscenity [I'm informed],
   he said if he saw it he would know what it was. I have sonically seen
   Django and I know what JAZZ GENIUS IS!! He and his consorts swing from
   the beginning to the end every time they do a tune. Being an un-recon-
   structed Stan Kenton fan of some 60 + years, I recognize that except
   for some Shorty Rogers charts and particularly "Stompin' At The Savoy"
   by Bill Holman, Django could have made even the Kenton band swing! How
   he could swing so hard with a wounded wing is an education. If you dig
   jazz or think you might, this is the ONE to buy.

5 comments about The Golden Years: 1938-1942.

1. I've only recently "discovered" that I like Big Band music. We Boomers grew up loving our rock 'n roll and mostly thought of the Glenn Miller Band and others like it as relics of our parents' days in the Depression and World War II. After rap came to the forefront of popular "music", I listened to Classical music exclusively and got very comfortable with the music of Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, and many others.
   
   Through a series of odd coincidences I tuned in several times to an AM radio station here in Colorado Springs that plays a lot of orchestral and band music from the 30's through the early 60's. To my surprise, I found myself listening to all this stuff from Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and others.
   
   Lo and behold, I was completely captivated by this delightful music. It's so, well, civilized! It's joyous, lovely, whole-hearted American music from a time when we were truly at our best as a nation. Moreover, it's masterfully constructed, and, in this collection, performed as well as I could have hoped for.
   
   The search began for a good GM collection that "had it all", and I spent a lot of time here on Amazon browsing literally dozens of offerings, listening to samples for hours, and reading many fine, informative reviews. I knew that there was a great variance of opinion about the quality of the audio transfers, and not a few people were very upset about the noise of scratches, pops, and thin, "tinny" reproduction along with an overall loss of full fidelity.
   
   This research by a complete neophyte in the subject material led me to the conclusion that I definitely wanted a collection that had the 18 songs I wanted most, including many of those the band is so well known for. This 4-CD set was the only one that had them, except for one much larger set that costs quite a lot. I got mine through MovieMars, one of the Amazon dealers, and everything was perfect.
   
   This set is ideal in every way. It has superb audio quality with none of the distractions that evidently exist in some other collections. Here, the sound envelope is fully reproduced: you can hear the bass viols clearly without any "muddiness"; the reed instruments are sharp and bright without being shrill and tinny; the brass is clear and mellow, but also bold; the vocals are warm and round with the singers' resonance.
   
   Well, that's the recommendation of an admitted newcomer to all this. Don't wait too long to decide on this collection because I've seen that the availabilities and prices for it fluctuate quite a lot.



2. This is the best collection of Glenn Miller! It doesn't sound "tinny" like so many remastered CDs. The only one you need.



3. I think I was born in the wrong time! I love this old stuff.



4. This box-set is an wonderful musical document, and an exceptional value for the money. The 40-page booklet of bio, session & discography info makes for pleasant reading while listening. I'm going to enjoy this for a long time. The only minor disappointment was that the compiler was unable to find room for "St. Louis Blues March", a personal favorite & memorable selection from Hollywood's The Glenn Miller Story (1953) -- an excellent film, the DVD of which is also available here on Amazon.



5. If you love Big Band, This set is a must have.! Definitely worth the money!

5 comments about The Hot Fives & Sevens.

1. The stateside legality of this box set may be a bit dubious- this music is public domain in England, where copyright laws are a bit less stingy- but I don't think that you need to worry about federal agents kicking down your door. Like most import compilations of American pre-war music, these four discs live in a legal grey area here in the states, and it's a fairly light grey, at that. And there's hardly anything immoral about it: The people who created this music don't have much use for royalty payments, what with their being dead and all. In any case, purchasing this box set instead of the inferior and overpriced Sony package sends a good message to the big companies while providing monetary support to one of the greatest reissue labels in the history of mankind. Anyway, the fact that it's 2008 and you still pay for your music already makes you something akin to a saint.
   
   But then again, maybe you should buy whichever set you're comfortable with. I'm not here to extol the virtues of JSP or denounce Sony. The purpose of this review is to praise Louis Armstrong's recordings with the Hot Five and the Hot Seven, and that's exactly what I intend to do. This is some of the most joyous music in the history of mankind, a freewheeling evocation of a lost world bursting at the seams with thrill and rebellion and sweat and booze and love and melody, with horns swirling and speaking and singing over and around each other while pianos twinkle drunkenly beneath. Without ever sounding dated, these recordings effortlessly evoke a magical world of fun-filled speakeasies, irreverent flapper girls. And boundless investment opportunities in Florida land. You need to get this.



2. Frankly, I don't know. I still have two hot five and hot seven audio tapes bought in the late 1980s (edition CBS masterpieces) and they also sound pretty good (and I didn't drink no gin... sorry for the lame "Monday Date" joke).
   Basically, all I can say is, these cds sound great on my quite average cd player, confirming everything I have known about Armstrong before (and about Jimmy Dodds, Zutty Singleton, Baby Dodds, Kid Ory , Lonnie Johnson and others,
   while I must admit I'm only starting to get (and enjoy) Earl Hines.
   
   Aditional, non hot five and non hot seven tracks certainly augment my understanding of Satchmo and his golden era, with adittional thrill of Jack Teagarden, Eddie Lang or Hoagy Carmichael on some tracks.
   Admittedly, discs 3 and 4 contain some (commercial) duds, but the amount of brilliant music in this box is amazing...
   Just listen to the first, best or at least seminal versions of songs such as "Struttin' with some barbicue", "West End Blues", "Potato Head Blues", "S.O.L. Blues", "Fireworks", "Ain't Misbehavin", "Knockin' the Jug"; "St. James Infirmary"....
   
   BTW, it is important to know that many songs that have the word "blues" in their title don't really belong to that category... Just as the term jazz in the 20s didn't mean the same thing it means today.
   
   p.s.
   In very informative liner notes we read about banjoist Mancy Carr, while the song listing gives his name as Cara; if I remember my CBS Jazz masterpieces liner notes correctly, "Cara" was an early misprint that snowballed into the future decades.
   
   p.p.s.
   The only real fault of this cd box- names of authors of the songs are sometimes listed in the liner notes, there's no complete list... Ofcourse, some songs are by Ory, some by Lil Hardin/Armstorng, some by King Oliver, some by Fats Waller, but it would be nice to have the data next to the song title. But, the performers (and date) listing is complete.



3. ...though the 3rd was so-so and the 4th was barely listenable...the tunes degenerated from classic New Orleans jazz/blues/swing on the first two disks to big band pomposity and Lawrence-Welkish corniness by the 4th disk. Your mileage may vary of course if you actually enjoy the big-band style of Armstrong's later work.
   
   The audio quality is fine, it's obviously not ideal but really for this type of music there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, you hear the occasional scratches, crackles and pops in between tracks but the good tunes still sound plenty good as far as I'm concerned.
   
   Would much rather have an ok recording of brilliant music than a brilliant recording of crappy music!



4. If it was just the music I'm rating, it would of course get a million stars. However, the music is on a remastered CD. "Remastered" generally means getting your oldie jazz sounding as if it's being strangled in a can.
   Granted the sound here is "clear" and the bass is a bit boosted. The acoustics, reverb, are however to an extent thrown out with the hiss.
   Again, I've heard a lot worse than this. But generally, French jazz re-issues are better (though they can be a mixed bag). Why? Because they leave more hiss!! The catch? The French CD's are either expensive or they contain fewer songs for your money than these cheapo boxed sets.
   
   Addition a few months later: have now had the chance to compare this remastering to that of other CDs (not the Hot 5s, other bands), and I confess this set is better done than many others. So if you're going for CD, I'd still recommend this one. (My own background is growing up listening to my dad's vinyl jazz LP's)
   Listen to the sound clips of different CDs, let your ears be the judge.



5. I'm not going to labor on the fact that this music is fantastic, cornerstone of jazz, indispensible, blah, blah, blah. We all already know that. I want to talk about the sonic quality of these recordings.
   
   I read so much about this John RT Davies guy, who mastered this box set. I heard so many positive things about his skills, particularly in this boxed set, and how the sound is allegedly far superior to the Columbia version. I had to get BOTH to compare. I bought this JSP box set, and the newly revised 2006 edition of the Hot sessions released by Columbia/Legacy/Sony/BMG (the official edition).
   
   The late John RT Davies, who mastered this JSP set is considered so good, that people on Amazon claimed that he mastered this collection from old 78s better than the engineers at Columbia, using the original masters (owned EXCLUSIVELY by Columbia.) Heck, RCA & Columbia thought he was good, as i've seen his name adorning very LEGAL pressings of all sorts of old jazz under the RCA & Columbia labels, right here in the U.S.A. So, he certainly had some clout, and some talent.
   
   Unlike almost every reviewer on here, i do not consider the JSP box set to sound better than the official Columbia release (2006 version). However, i still think it sounds pretty good. There is something important to consider. While Davies is considered a true master at...well, remastering, his work at JSP comes up flawed, because he did not have access to the original masters, which are safely secured in Sony/Columbia/Legacy's vaults. He had to use old 78's (the kind you bought in the store) to make these new masters. So, while he may have picked 78's that were better preserved, and had seen less action, he was still using the next generation of recordings.
   
   When you master from the originals over and over and over again, you tend to add all kinds of artificial pops, clicks, hisses, and such into the original disc (Bing Crosby had to re-record White Christmas in 1947, because the original 1942 recording was pressed so many times, it sounded horrible). Therefore, if you use a pretty clean 78, you can avoid much of that, and come out with a cleaner master to make into a CD. When you add some digital noise removal systems (essentially computer programs), you make them even cleaner, and if done right, still not sacrifice the integrity of the music.
   
   Sounds pretty cut and dry right? The 78's should sound better then, right? Why wouldn't Columbia re-master their collection from old 78's as well? A very important reason, actually. When you copy old 78's, instead of the original pressings, you move at least one generation away from the original performance. Everytime you make a copy of a copy, the sound gets muddier, with less distinction and more distortion. Certainly, with skill and technology, it can be minimalized, but the fact remains.
   
   Soooooooo.......my analysis? The JSP set sounds a tad smoother, with less pops. The bass is a little deeper too, however a bit muddier (slightly distorted). The Columbia set from 2006 DOES have a bit more scratchiness, and the bass is not quite as deep. However, the sound is CLEANER, and...my favorite descriptive word in this whole review...more TRANSPARENT. That's right. Every instrument in the Columbia set is more distinct from all the other instruments. The sound feels light, airy, and alive. The JSP set, while more smooth doesn't have that clarity of the original recordings. They sound more like...well, records.
   
   So, which is better? There's no really correct answer. It's a matter of taste. For ME, the Columbia set wins, hands down. I'm 31 years old. For most of my musical life, i grew up listening to CDs. However, many people have fond memories of what their old collection of vintage records sound like. What you hear on records that you don't hear on CD's is distortion. It's slight, but it's certainly there. Technically, CDs are cleaner, and more accurate representations of the actual music than records ever were. But people have aural memories, and THAT'S the sound they want to hear. It's a very natural, and totally unconscious reaction. We like what we know. Everytime i buy better speakers, amps, etc., i always miss the sound of my old, inferior equipment...for a little while. Then as i use it, my ears adjust to the new sound, and i ADORE it. Anytime i've tried going back to the OLD set-up after that, i had a much stronger negative reaction than i did when going UP in quality. My ears became adjusted to what's better.
   
   So, here's my recommendation:
   
   If you don't have those fond memories of old vinyl or shellac discs, and grew up on CDs, then the Columbia set is 150% better. The sound is cleaner, tighter, more distinct instrumentally, and contains less distortion. You get music that's closer to reality. The drawback of course, is you will hear a bit more crackle, and a tad less bass.
   
   If you DO have those fond memories of the big black discs, and you remember the warm, rounded sound that made you feel like cuddling up in a blanket with a cup of cocoa & a wish on a star, then you really need to get this set. If you also happen to listen to rap in your Escalade, and you like to hear the bass completely distorting, but you think you wanna try some early Satchmo, then you NEED this set. Don't even think about buying the Columbia version. Just remember, while it is smoother, it is also further away from the original performance, so the sound is muddier and less distinct.
   
   I've compared nearly every track on both sets. They both sound pretty good in their own ways. By all means, this IS a set worth owning...for some people. You just have to decide what kind of person you are.

5 comments about Bach: Concertos.

1. There are nineteen concertos in this collection, twelve of which are for one or more harpsichords. The remaining seven are concertos for various other instruments including violin, oboe, etc. A potential buyer should be aware that many of Bach's harpsichord concertos are re-arranged versions of these other concertos - and in some cases both versions are in this collection. For example, the three violin concertos (including the "double" concerto) are presented in both their original and harpsichord arrangements. Two oboe concertos, whose original versions have been lost, are reconstructed from harpsichord concertos that Bach arranged from those originals. Both the reconstructed oboe and harpsichord versions are in this set. So the listener should not be surprised to hear the same tunes repeated on different CDs in this collection. (It's because of this repetition that I rated the collection four stars instead of five.) One concerto for harpsichord and recorders is even a re-arranged version of Brandenburg #4 - although the Brandenburg concertos themselves are not present.
   
   Despite the repetition of material, the performances themselves are superb. I typically find the work of the English Concert to be top notch and this set is no exception. My favorites are the violin concertos BWV 1042 and BWV 1043, which are so well presented I consider them the best versions of these works I have yet heard. In some recordings by other orchestras, the violinists play with too much vibrato. A single note can quiver so much it sounds like it hovers between two notes. But here Simon Standage restrains the vibrato and lets his notes sing out with a delightful precision, as do the other players.
   
   There are more concertos for harpsichord here than concertos for other instruments. I actually prefer the latter over the former. To me the harpsichord is a somewhat weak instrument for concertos. Although its sound is charming and evokes the feeling of the old world orchestra, it can sometimes seem overpowered by the accompanying instruments. But this is not to criticize the playing of Trevor Pinnock or the others. They produce the authentic sound they are looking for with grace and precision. Perhaps the feeling I get of the harpsichord being weak comes from comparing the harpsichord versions of the violin concertos with the violin originals, which are so magnificent.
   
   When all is said and done, I am happy I purchased this music. Listening to it is like being transported back to the early 18th century, when these pieces were fresh and new. I'm sure Bach would be pleased if he could hear what a wonderful job the English Concert did with his work.



2. I purchased these recordings nearly 20 years ago, when Deutsche Gramophone was still selling them as five individual discs, and at over $20 per disc. With the re-release of the set of all five discs in a single, price-reduced "Collectors Edition" box set, the price has fallen by more than half, making this one of the outstanding values for high-quality Bach recordings on today's market.
   
   But what about the performances? Here's the best way I can sum it up. Having listened to these disks for some two decades, in the car, on the main home stereo system, on portable equipment, on the boom box, and etc., etc., it is, I imagine, inevitable that one ends up memorizing nearly every note. And with that familiarity comes the ability to detect flaws in the performance, missteps, missed beats, the occasional off-tone instrument. Here's the rub: it is difficult to locate any significant flaw in the performances. These performances are about as perfect as one can get, but having said that, there is more. The sound reproduction of this recording remains near or at the top of any Bach recordings with which I've become familiar, and remains in my own thinking the de facto standard by which other performances should be measured.
   
   Sound too good to be true? Pick up a set and see for yourself. And then relish the thought that you paid $40 for a set worth far more.



3. ...and cheap to boot. This, paired with the Brandenburg Concertos/Overtures compilation from Arkiv (also featuring Pinnock and the English Concert), gives any new Bach fan a fairly complete account of Bach's instrumental orchestral output. This particular package includes all of Bach's keyboard concertos (played exceptionally well by Pinnock), all of his violin concertos, and also his Triple Concerto (Harpsicord, Flute and Violin), several works for Oboe and Oboe D'Amour, and several double concertos (2 violins, and oboe and violin). Highlights are the D Minor Harpsicord concerto BWV 1052, the C Major concerto for 2 Harpsicords BWV 1061, the Oboe D'Amour concerto BWV 1055, the double concerto BWV 1060, and the violin concertos.
   This set sounds fantastic and is a great value to boot. Strongly recommended for those who loved Bach's Bradenburg concertos and Overtures and are looking for something new to sink their teeth into.



4. This is undoubtedly the best Back box set I have heard. These Concerto's for Harsichord, Violin, Flute and Oboe are among the finest in classical music. Although the Harpsichord volume level could have been a bit higher overall the recordings are very good. I am very pleased with this CD set with so much music at a very good price. This is truly a collectors gem.



5. Pinnock is good performer...I drop one start because BWV 1052-58
   Might sound better when it's played piano.