5 comments about Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla.

1. I was looking for a bit more cello in this cd. That aside, this was a great choice.



2. If you love Astor Piazzolla's music, this is one of the best disc ever... Yo-Yo MA's Cello get a new level with this masterpieces, Mumuki is my personal favorite... Also recommended Astor Piazzolla In Portrait (DVD).



3. I bought this cd because I heard the piece called Libertango by Piazzolla and really liked it, Piazzolla is considered a new kind of tango and some tango lovers or tango experts say his music isn't exactly tango, I'm just a music lover and I think the music is pretty great and performed by YO YO MA sounds even better. I highly reccomend it.



4. This is one of my top ten recordings all time, any instruments, any genre. Up there with the best of the best like "Kind of Blue." The Assad brothers are rhythmically intense and just plain amazing. Yo-Yo is clearly inspired and they are all "in the zone." The tango suite is my favorite part of this recording. Regresso al Amor rips my heart out every time I listen to it, and I actually physically have tears many times. I would also recommend Astor's "Tango Zero Hour."



5. I just discovered Piazzolla. I first bought the Kronos album Five Tango Sensations. Almost wore it out. Then bought a bunch - a couple of Piazzolla himself - Central Park, Greatest Hits -- then a Gerry Mulligan. I love them all because Piazzolla just grabs you like an addiction and won't let go. But Yo Yo Ma Soul of Tango is the one that lives fairly permanently in my car CD player and also has a perpetual checkmark in my Itunes library. The Cafe 1830, Grand Tango, Mumuki, and the incomparable Milonga del Angel, where Yo Yo refuses to hit that high note -- slides almost as if he is being tortured into it -- finally hits it perfectly of course. This CD is better than chocolate, and almost as good as making love. I'm so glad I discovered Piazzolla before I died.

5 comments about Bach: Cello Suites.

1. For Mr. Get Real[your nom-de-plume and your review is an oxymoron!] - what a lot of pretentious, overblown nonsense. I bet you were bullied at school! It's about the music, the interpretation, the feeling - not +/- decibels etc etc. Your review did nothing for casual classical music listeners.
   To anyone else with ears either side of their head - listen to the cd and enjoy it for what it is!



2. This is the original recording of these masterpieces. Imagine the thrill of the aspiring young (age 13) celloist Casals when he discovered the sheet music for these suites--in a second-hand store. At the time, he had not known of their existance; indeed, apparently no one had ever performed any of these suites before in their entirety. (According to the nice essay in the liner notes, at the time of Casals' "discovery", the various individual movements were sometimes played by celloists as "exercises.") Casals practiced these suites for many years before performing them in public, and it was not until over 30 years later that he agreed to record them.
   
   It's hard to believe that this recording was made in the 1930s--sounds more like the 1960s or 70s. The hiss is barely audible, at least to my 50 year-old ears. You simply can't go wrong with purchasing this, especially when it's on sale (it's easily worth the full price, too). I listened to the online samples (sound clips) of several recordings of these suites, and decided to go with the original--the playing is not perfect, but it overflows with beauty and musical character.



3. This music breathes, lives . . . is creation! Whatever recording one chooses of the Casals, by all means, acquire one. Not to disappoint the experts and perfectionists, I'm fine with this one, the EMI, occasionally hissing backdrops and all. Whenever I find myself in the slough of total despair, too dizzy to get off the mat, I spin the Casals, and listen: that's life talking!



4. Recently, I vacationed in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The place Pablo Casals made his permanent home from 1956 to his death in 1973. In my hotel, his recording of the Bach Cello Suites was played endlessly. The entire week I was there only this recording of Pablo Casals' Bach Cello Suites was ever heard in all the public areas of the hotel El Convento. I never tired of it. I am a violinist by profession and also have the Lynn Harrell recordings but not the YoYo Ma. When I came home I knew that I need to buy the Casals recording. It may be because they were recorded in 1935 and the methods of recording were so different from today. The more I listened the more I heard , I could even hear small errors when his bow didn't quite contact with the string on string changes. I loved this because it was done like a live recording - not done over and over for total perfection. It is human. Tempos, dynamics and ornaments were all to my liking. His playing comforts my soul. I also recommend reading Pablo Casals book, "Joys and Sorrows" written in 1970. This book is no longer in print but used copies are available through Amazon. Casals was one of the worlds greatest musicians and a great humanitarian. He was also one of the late Mstislav Rostropovich's teachers.



5. Intimate surroundings or just by yourself listening on headphones is the way to go. I enjoy this record and have played it numerous times over and over.

5 comments about Philip Glass - Songs & Poems for Solo Cello - Wendy Sutter.

1. This Cd made me a Cello fan. It is relaxing "a lo Glass", (as usual). Before, I considered the violoncello an inferior
   entity within the violin family, but now I have great respect for both, the instrument and Phillip. To me: definitely a 5 star.
   
   Manny Fernandez
   P.S. I'm not a professional music analyst just in case I may have disappointed any one for not getting into the technical analysis of the CD.



2. Philip Glass is a genius and this CD is truly a mark of his talent. Beautiful, simple, soothing cello



3. This is quite unlike Philip Glass' minimalism music. It is lush and fluid, written for Wendy Sutter, whom he loves. It is obvious and lovely. The old cello she plays has a wonderful deep tone and she plays with controlled virtuosity and passionate feeling. Highly recommended. I am giving the recording as a gift to those who appreciate music.



4. There wasn't a single piece on this CD that I enjoyed. I love cello music but none of these selections were melodious and were an affront to my taste. I disagree totally with Greg Sandow's WSJ review. If I had heard this first I never would have bought it.



5. This album consists mostly of so-called 'poems' for cello solo. It is an interesting experience, although less lush in texture than the usual symphonic works by Glass, and less moving than solo efforts such as the solo saxophone album. The album ends with several tracks (some of which not released on CD hitherto) from Powaqqatsi. All in all, this is a valuable item in a Philip Glass's afficionado's collection, but will probably be of little use to other people.

5 comments about Trio Mediaeval: Folk Songs.

1. I haven't been enthusiastic about this ensemble of women singers, Trio Mediaeval, on their previous CDs, singing potpourris of chant and polyphony. Their voices are more individually interesting than those of the better-known Anonymous Four, but they've 'schmalzed' up the reverb and used other little gimmicks to trick themselves out as 'spiritual-sounding.' On this CD, however, they've tapped into their Norwegian roots, utilized the special vocal quality of Norwegian women singers, caught all the trollish mystery of ancient runes and isolated fiords. We Swedes depend on our Samii and Finnish singers for equally "weird" and heathenish vocal effects, but we can't match the Norwegians. I've never heard this music before except when kayaking farm to farm on one of the northernmost fiords. Trio Mediaeval has saved something very deep and enchanting from oblivion. The samples for the MP3 on amazon are adequate to give you an idea. Me, I bought five copies in Goteborg to put in the Christmas stockings of my five living aunts in Minnesota.



2. 
   These three young women have beautiful voices which blend magically to produce images of Norway's past - cold forests and fairy tales. Their singing, with north-european harmonies and maybe a basic instrument as accompaniment, is perfection. More please - but not so much more that this remains unusual.



3. The fresh sounds of this group make wonderful listening. Their harmonies are clear, the music is different, and they have done extensive research on the histories of the songs.



4. I do not find this CD nearly as wonderful as others have found it. I listen to music for many reasons and my tastes range from classical music to many other genres, including folk and traditional music. I have a large collection of Celtic music. Two reasons I listen to music are to enjoy the melodies and to relax. I simply cannot perceive the melodies here and the harmonies I find too dissonnant. It is very difficult for me to relax and enjoy this music. I cannot hear what others apparently hear in it!



5. This group is very, very good. Harmonies are very tight; melodies are fascinating, even if somewhat unusual for the "normal" American taste. Every selection is very high quality music. My only suggestion -- blend it with other music. A full hour plus of this trio is nearly too much; maybe it's my radio listening history, but mixing it with something a little different only accentuates how good it all is.

5 comments about Pachelbel's Greatest Hit: Canon in D.

1. I love his music, but this CD would not play correctly. I tried it on 4 different CD players. It played like the old vinyl when they would get scratched. Was unbelievable because I can't return it after opening it. Not buying any more CD's from Amazon. I didn't want to give it any stars, but had to in order to send this review.



2. This is probably the best CD we have purchased in ages. There is a variety of artists, each incredibly beautiful. Almost every evening this summer we sit out on the screened-in porch with a glass of wine and unwind from a busy work day listening to this CD. It is better than going into town to a live concert!!! You will not be disappointed with this CD!!! Have a fabulous evening....



3. This is the best I have found for long span of Canon and D music



4. Well, I don't actually have this particular CD, but since I heard the Vitamin C graduation song I've been to a series of weddings where they played the Pachelbel Canon in D, which is the melody on which the song is based. That Canon is my alltime favorite classical piece. I'm actually listening to it on my iPod as I type this review. It brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. I would highly recommend it to anybody.



5. I did like it because I've decided that Pachelbel's Canon in D is my favorite song so it was nice to get my own copy of it. It's nice to listen to.

5 comments about Bach: The Art of Fugue.

1. The Emerson Quartet are the last word is modern, slick string quartet groups. Their extremely streamlined sound works very well sometimes, othertimes not. Their recording are usually worth a listen, and usually rank high with the Gramophone, Penguin & BBC critics, but I often find I enjoy other quartets more in given works, and have often traded in for different versions. Too often, they're just too slick. In this case, that slickness works in just the right way.
   My other string quartet version is a magnificent one by The Juilliard Quartet, their approach being completely different from the present set. The Juilliard perform this work, solemnly, deeply, and slowly, as if played in a cloister, or the medieval room at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It seems as if they've tried to make their quartet have the aural identity of a combo of viols (which is another good choice for this work, see the album by Fretwork, or parts of Jordi Savall's conception). If you're in the right frame of mind, and see this work as primarily a communion with the higher power, or a last throwback to the days of Sainte Columbe and Marin Marais, it would be hard to top this. I think one of this quartets best records.
   
   In comparison, The Emersons provide a soundtrack for an art deco streamlined railway journey...their tempos are consistantly faster, with more sprite in their steps. The work certainly is EASIER to listen to this way, especially complete in one sitting. Their blend is smooth, they play wonderfully, but do lack the gravitas brought to the room by The Juilliards, or The Delme Quartet on Hyperion (in an edition prepared by Robert Simpson). But since this is a rather difficult work, and repetitive, The speed of the group gets to the point of each matter, choosing not to dwell on man's place in the universe, but to present a great piece of music for all to ENJOY! I would ultimately offer The Emersons as a first choice for newcomers to the work (although an orchestral transcription, by say Nevill Marriner & ASMF, might be the best intro, since the reputation of this, Bach's last work, is daunting), and to be listened to before getting to The Juilliards (recorded in 1987, released in '92 on cd). But both records are really excellent!



2. Bach: The Art of Fugue I know very little about classical music (unlike other reviewers who have posted about this recording). I cannot compare skill of conductors, or the various pros and cons of the different renditions of one piece of music.
   
   I can, however, tell you that this is a fantastic piece of music! I'm very glad I decided to investigate classical music; and Bach in particular. He is now my favourite composer.
   
   About this piece, though. It is restrained, beautiful and very elegant. There is nothing bad I can say about this particular interpretation; the choice of instruments and arrangement was fantastic. I have heard this fugue performed with piano, but I'd definitely prefer the varied and multi-dimensional texture of the strings. There is so much depth, it is achingly beautiful. I should add that when I bought this, I did not even know what a fugue was. Don't hold that against me! I have since done some research.
   
   Anyhow, this is wonderful. If you are particularly knowledgeable about classical music, I think you will like this. If you are not, I think you will still like it as much as I do. It is a bittersweet masterpiece.



3. I've been critical of these guys before so I feel it's only fair to say this is a great recording. I have a number of Emerson String Quartet CD's and hardly listen to them as I think their playing often lacks soul and they can sound like they're competing with each other. For Bach's 'Art of Fuge' this is the one I come back to. The recording is near perfect - you can differentiate each instrument and (in my opinion) it's the best the E.S.Q. has ever sounded.



4. Emerson Quartet did an excelent job! Don't give too much important of the words. Just listen this record and get your own opinion.
   
   My opinion is: Very, Very good!



5. The number of reviews given here makes another from me superfluous but I should like to take issue with David Bryson's acerbic judgment on the ending of the work.
   
   Essentially, the Art of Fugue is a cerebral exercise which can be produced on most keyboards or combination of instruments. On the other hand, it's workings can be fully realised from the score without recourse to any instruments at all. Generally speaking, I am in accord with Mr Bryson regarding "emotion" - it has no place in the consideration of this work. Nevertheless, in this particular instance I feel an exception is required in respect of the ending (although it does not concern the music, per se).
   
   I am not a particular fan of this quartet but having enjoyed this disc for several years, I consider that the Emersons play the AoF to perfection on this really excellent DG recording. Bach did not expire across the table during the writing of Contrapunctus XIV but their breaking off to leave it in its unfinished state with the BACH motif seemingly floating in some ghostly finality, to my mind at least, is musically acceptable in an historical sense, emotionally poignant and a thoroughly effective device. Perhaps I might feel differently if I was convinced of the rightness of any of the alternative endings subsequently put forward by others. For me, this version is just fine and I think the empty chairs in the cover photo is a clever allusion - assuming that it is . . .
   
   However, I do agree with Bryson's views of the liner notes; these are unhelpfully pretentious.
   
   Otherwise, this is a first class production; the un-coloured timbre evidently characteristic of the modern instruments used in this recording seems most appropriate.

3 comments about Telemann:Tafelmusik (Complete) [Box Set].

1. For those of you who like or, as I do, love Baroque music it doesn't get better than this. If you have not gotten past the three giants of Baroque---Bach, Handel and Vivaldi---it is time you discovered the magic of the most prolific of them all---Telemann. I have a great deal of Telemann's music, up until now only vocal music, many cantatas and a couple of delightful operas. Now I am into Telemann's instrumental music and have acquired quite a few CDs. I think his Tafelmusik is the best. But truly I don't think he ever wrote a bad note. Everything he wrote has a certain spirit, a joie de vivre. This set is ridiculously cheap and I heartily recommend it.



2. The price has apparently risen since the last review, but it's still a steal! The performance is on period instruments. Several recordings here are among the best out there, such as the first Quator (much sweeter than the well-known Musica Antiqua Koln issue), and all three overtures are well done. This is a very competitive set.
   
   For a moment, I'd like to address the place of Telemann in music. So often he is denigrated in favor of other composers. I will admit that Bach is greater, but I find Rameau and Handel to be his equals, and it makes me cringe every time people rank better than him the predictable and repetitive mass that is Vivaldi. Vivaldi wrote some lovely pieces (such as the Recorder concertos), but many more ordinary, homogenous pieces, however new and influential his style was. That criticism can hardly be leveled at Telemann, each of whose pieces is somehow unique.
   
   If you want to be a Telemann convert, the Tafelmusik is exactly the place to start.



3. I've been looking at this box set for a while now hoping that someone would buy it and review it. I've seen these sets sell for over $100, so I thought this one would be a dud at only $11.99. And with no samples, I just about wrote it off. But finally I took a chance.
   
   I'm here to tell ya that if you like this music, don't hesitate to buy this box set. It has great sound, performances, and liner notes. Don't let the price fool you. I would have paid this price for the first cd alone. I don't know how these cds are selling at this price, but I won't argue.
   
   I hope this opens the flood gates!

5 comments about Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet.

1. They play well, a very clean interpretation. I think they may be a starting point to Beethoven Quartets.It is possible to hear every instrument at all times and it is fine to know each part. But I like several other quartets in Beethoven.



2. The Berg Beethoven is big and juicy and this suits the early quartets. Their sound and the recorded sound are certainly the best you will hear. The later quartets miss the introspection of some of the other great string quartets.
   A great bargain and tops in sound!!!



3. I guess I'm just used to Haydn and Mozart, because these string quartets were just too dissonant and untraditional for me - one who loves the Beethoven symphonies. To each his own, as they say. The recording itself is terrific - great engineering.



4. All the performances on this set of the Beethoven String Quartets are of the highest quality. Particularly outstanding is the performance of Op 59 no 1
   Intonation, expression, the ability of the players to meld together, and the dynamic range is all superb.
   One small flaw (nothing to do with the playing)
   In the very last track, the final movement of the B flat quartet (not the great fuge, but the movement Beethoven replaced it with), there is a continual flapping sound - I don't know where it came from, but it is very irritating, and I'm surprised that EMI let it through.



5. This boxset has everything you need to know about String Quartets.
   If this is not enough to mention, we can also remember that the musicians here are one-of-a-kind, and Beethoven wrotes the most rich and precious Opuses for String Quartets.
   Enjoy yourself!

5 comments about The Essential Yo-Yo Ma.

1. My nephew mentioned his desire to hear some classical music (Yo-Yo Ma, especially) on the boring trips back & forth from college. He really seemed to enjoy receiving the CD for Christmas!



2. The ratings on this 2 CD set are inflated. The first CD is enjoyable, but no more than an assembly of tracks from other Yo-Yo Ma albums. The second disc is uninteresting. I think there are much more enjoyable Yo-Yo Ma albums to invest in than this one.



3. This is one of the best CD's for Cello that I have heard.
   Yo-Yo Ma is such an artist.
   
   Love It!



4. Great for studying, however if listening in your car the sound can be a bit repetitive.



5. No instrument asks more from the soul of an artist as the cello does.
   Yo Yo Ma shows to be master of the instrument and his interpretations en technique are pure genius. Everyone should have this album in his (or hers of course) basic classical collection

4 comments about Zaebos: The Book of Angels, Vol. 11.

1. 
   I haven't heard other albums in the Book of Angels series, so while I tend to appreciate the work of John Zorn, I approach this record with Medeski, Martin and Wood as the focus of my interest.
   
   And Zaebos IS interesting. Recent MMW studio albums have all involved guitarists, horn sections, turntablists, rigorous production strategies and other additions to create a layered soundscape that simultaneously enfolds and expands the trio's dynamic range. Zaebos, by contrast, is stripped-down and somewhat subdued, and it plays a little like --dare I say it?-- a traditional jazz album, though not without MMW's characteristic edge and energy.
   
   The trio is in elemental form here, and they develop and shape Zorn's compositions without ever being constricted. The result is original and refreshing, at turns prowling and meditative. The melodic structures of Zaebos are distinctly middle-eastern, and while the rhythms are strong, these songs don't seem to groove so much as slink, drift, and whirl, the music of clandestine intrigue and hypnotic reverie. Evocative of the restless excitement and haunting quietude of late nights in distant lands, this album is an excellent addition to MMW's already diverse catalog...



2. I agree with most everything the other reviewers have said except for the rating. This disc is diverse and full of passion. I love the subtleties of so many of the tunes. Its so satisfying to hear mmw play within these structures. For me the one of the most welcome additions is medeski's piano playing. the piano sounds so good on the fourth track. I'm glad they didn't turn everything funky- some of the tunes demand a different rhythmic edge. It's not as elegant or quite as colorful as vol. 10, but energy, ideas, and interplay are all on display.



3. I have been a cult fan of Zorn's "Book of Angels" series since the Feldman/Courvoisier disc came out in 2005. So it was with considerable excitement that I read that Volume 11 would be performed by the Medeski, Martin, and Wood. I was excited to to hear the Book of Angels material interpreted with a funky backbeat. To that end, the disc is a disappointment; MMW did a masterful job in their interpretation of Zorn's music, but the boys have unfortunately left the funk at home. In short, it sounds like a Zorn record. There are HINTS of the signature Medeski, Martin, and Wood groove throughout. "Sefrial" evokes that slow, gentle groove that peeks its head on MMW's slower numbers. And "Rifion" harks back to the group's more acoustic sound in the early 90's. But these are after all only hints.
   Now, I am NOT being unfair here. Volume 1 of this series is a masterful collection of original piano jazz. Volume 7 (probably the most abrasive in the series) takes the Book of Angels melodies and translates them into Hendrix-styled acid rock grooves. And Volume 10 of the series has a vaguely Cuban feel. I wanted to hear the BOA material "all funked up" as they say.
   That said, for a fan of the Book of Angels material iteself (no matter who performs it), this disc IS quite good. "Zagzagel" opens the disc with a sinister bass line and intense (yet controlled) drums. Sets a mood of dread that permeates the disc. "Malach ha Sopher," practically a tone poem, brings the disc to an ironically subdued climax before the denouement of "Tutrusa'i."
   It's an excellent disc, but the promise of what MMW could have delivered to the Book of Angels series makes for quite a letdown.



4. In the past few years, composer John Zorn breathed new life into his Masada project by composing a second book of songs for it: the Book of Angels-- some 300 jazz heads written using "Jewish scales", performed by musicians in and out of Zorn's downtown community. Referred to on the record label's website as "three prodigal sons...returning to the fold", keyboardist John Medeski, bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin at one time or another were associated with the downtown community, but found success as part of the jam band scene. "Zaebos" finds them performing eleven of Zorn's Book of Angels compositions.
   
   Right from the start, the band hits the ground running on opener "Zagzagel", with some superb drum work, a nice driven keyboard line and a great splattering solo over a deep groove. In fact, this is pretty much the recipe for the album-- somewhat disjoint playing by Medeski over consistently phenomenal drumming and groove-locking basslines. The trio moves through a number of moods, covering trancey organ trios ("Sefrial"), acoustic piano jazz ("Rifion"), fractured, downtown jazz ("Ahaij"), deep funk ("Vianuel") and bubbling, tense, minimalist avant-garde (the stunning "Malach Ha-Saphor").
   
   But as diverse as it is and as good as the performances can be, something doesn't quite grab me about this one. I can't put my finger on it, but with many of the other other volumes in this series, I was floored. But except for "Malach Ha-Saphor" and spiritual-jazz tinged "Chafriel", not much on this one really grabbed me. This is a good album, but it's missing something to make it a great one.