4 comments about Schubert: The String Quartets.

1. While Hadyn is my personal favorite regarding string quartet pieces, I am open to listening to others - Schubert being one of them. This package is sublime - the playing is excellent! It seems to me that the true test of music is to carry the listener away-immersing he/she in the moment. This box set does this from beginning to end. I am very pleased with this purchase! If you enjoy string music, this set is sure make you very happy.



2. I read, in a book on string quartets, the statement: "More than half of the best string quartets had been written when Schubert died in 1828". I agree, but would put the percentage at more like 75 or 80%. The author went on to include all of Schubert's, even those that he wrote as a teenager. I was surprised by this comment, but now, having now heard his complete string quartets, I have to agree. Even his early ones are superb!

   To the recordings: I was just a bit disappointed. The sound seems a bit harsh in places, not as warm as sets I have by the Quartetto Italiano (Beethoven), Melos Quartet (Mozart) and Aoelian Q (Haydn). No doubt they are technically very correct, and show real liveliness - the violins just sound a bit scratchy in places.

   The only other complete set seems to be the Auryn Quartet recording, highly recommended by the Penguin guide, but twice as expensive. Naxos offers 12 or the 15 quartets on 5 separate CDs. I'd liked to have heard the Auryn recording before I'd made the decision to purchase this one - who knows, I might have made the same decision anyway.




3. I agree with the other review, but there is an alternative to this set, by the Auryn Quartet, and it is also excellent. So, buy this set for the right reasons, whatever those are, such as: the sound quality of this Chamber Ensemble (extremely warm)
   or the overall feel of their playing (caring, respectful). Buy the set from the Auryn quartet if you care more about the sound quality of the recording (it is noticeably better) or if you happen to like a younger, slightly more aggressive approach.
   Frankly I have both sets, and love both.



4. I bought this set in Dec. '01 and it has since become a favorite in my collection. Schubert is a great composer and in my opinion, the quartets are where he really shines.
   
   Sadly, it is hard to find recordings of all but the last four. In total, there are fourteen plus two fragments- one incomplete and one lost. They are all here and at such a good deal!

   The first two discs (first five quartets and a fragment) really stand out. These were quartets Schubert composed as a student and they capture well the energy of youth and have a beautifully simple quality that always makes Schubert stand out. The middle discs track his early career with a more mature motif development revealing a taste of the boldness to come from his later quartets. Not as melodic as the first quartets in my opinion, but a treat nonetheless. Then ah! the last three discs. "Rosamunde," "Death and the maiden," Quartettstatz and C 703. Can you possibly go wrong? Don't answer that. You know it doesn't get better!!

   Now we come to recording quality. Well, the Melos Quartet recorded these in the mid 70's. They've been digitally touched up and well done. Still, not convincing enough to sound like new. Treble and Mid is alright but the Bass is really lacking and overall, it still lacks the full sound of recordings from the Emerson and Tokyo quartets. Still, with touchup, these recordings sound more like late 80's- Not Bad!

   This is a great deal for a great price. For better quality, I also picked up Emerson's recording of the late quartets, but you will be hard pressed to find a recording of the early and middle works...and what works they are!!!

No comments about Telemann: Complete Overtures, Vol. 3.

3 comments about Barenboim on Beethoven: Masterclass [DVD Video].

1. Barenboim on Beethoven: Masterclass [DVD Video]
   I am sorry to complain, but one of the DVD is scratched. It was not properly fixed to the disk holders and got loose during transportation. Fortunately,this did not affect the quality. The contents of the disks are really good and useful.



2. Daniel Barenboim: Beethoven Masterclasses
   Anyone who loves Beethoven,and is serious about piano music will love these dvd's!
   Barenboim has spent over 50 years of his life with these Masterworks and definitely has something to say not only to the younger generation of pianists but to those of us who delight in discovering something new in pieces we have been listening to, studying and playing for many years.
   Almost as good as being there with the Master!



3. Daniel Barenboim in his double role of director and pianist have achieved a very significant place in the most different musical stages. His talent is like a big watershed of ideas and original proposals about the importance of the sound, modulation, phrasing, fingering and articulation about some fundamental passages of the most distinguished Beethoven's Piano Sonatas.
   
   There are notable, wisdom and substantial observations in this sense through a very warm exchange of points of view with these young pianists, as well with the present audience.
   
   An invaluable document that must be seen not only by the newcomers musicians, but for all those who love the music.

No comments about Classic Branford Marsalis.

1 comments about Lindberg: Complete Piano Music.

1. Although he's known primarily for his orchestral music, Magnus Lindberg's compositions for solo and dual piano are equally accomplished and intriguing, if less densely structured. This Naxos disc presents all of his piano music to date, from 1976 through 2004, allowing listeners the opportunity to trace his ongoing stylistic progression. Early works like "Music for Two Pianos," "Piano Piece" and "Three Pieces for Piano" reflect Lindberg's initial adherence to serialism, yet without betraying a particularly formalist or analytical feeling. They are distinguished by unusually long silences between notes, which Lindberg utilizes to enhance tension and drama. These silences take a little getting used to, but soon come to feel quite organic. More important, they help to concentrate attention on the music itself, which is stark and abstract, albeit with a fugitive lyricism lurking around the edges. In "Play I" (1979), Lindberg begins to manifest a more overtly dramatic narrative and a greater indulgence in rhythmic variation. Later pieces like "Twine" (1988), "Jubilees" (2000) and "Etudes" (2001, 2004) are more romantic and accessible in their harmonic and melodic conception, yet still resonate with a wonderful modernist complexity. Primary pianist Ralph van Raat exhibits an instinctive and inspired touch throughout. He's faithful to Lindberg's aesthetic, clearly communicating the music's intentions and effects, while lending it his own interpretive stamp. Maarten van Veen ably complements van Raat on the pieces written for two pianos, which greatly benefit from the added texture and color.

5 comments about Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232.

1. Rilling's Bach cycle is to behold, and his 1999 B Minor Mass is perhaps its crowning glory. Listening to this recording is a truly transcendent experience, incapable of expression in words. There are, of course, other notable recordings: Gardiner's (arguably the best period instrument performance), Goehr's (a legendary Dutch performance from 1960 - unavailable on the internet), Bruggen's (a live performance on period instruments from the early 1990s - also seemingly unavailable on the internet) and Munchinger's (the great German conductor directs an inspired perfomance with larger forces).
   
   Rilling's eclipses all of those recordings. His musicians and choir are technically brilliant, and most importantly they have a thorough understanding of the divine beauty of the composition. The "Et in terra pax," "Cum Sancto Spiritu" and "Crucifixus" are exquisite and stirring.
   
   Many thanks to those whose efforts brought about this masterpiece (Bach, Rilling, et al).



2. Among my six b minor mass recordings are Gardiner's and Klemperer's, so I am not easily impressed when I encounter a recording new to me. I purchased this set on the basis of Rilling's reputation as a Bach scholar and on the strength of several of his cantata sets. After the first hearing, I moved it to the top of my collection. Now, after several more times listening to it, I am in awe of Rilling's accomplishment. His soloists and choir are top drawer, his orchestral support even more so. The brass section especially plays with a gusto and clarity that is unmatched anywhere. Rilling has achieved a grandeur that is clearer than Klemperer and a fuller, more reverential, sound than Gardiner. Although all three are five star recordings, even in, as noted in a prior review, Amazon's vastly inflated ratings, I now find that i am going to Rilling's set for both enjoyment and study. I recommend it with great enthusiasm.



3. This recording together with the Jochum version is one if not the best recording of this work. A modern instrument version which sounds at the right moments like a period instrument one (vibrato controlled) is perfect. See my review of Gardiner's version for more details of this recording.



4. I didn't expect to find a b-minor mass leaving no wishes open. But here it is! I have a great collection of classical music, including a lot of Bach recordings, among them three b-minor masses. Still it is rare that receiving one CD box makes me so happy! Everything here, down to the last detail, is wonderful! It's like a dream comes true. Occasions like this make me wish for more stars to give; the star inflation at Amazon make us miss stars when something really great occurs.
   I wonder if I will ever listen to another version of this opus magnus...



5. This is one of the greatest major choral works in the history of western music. Helmuth Rilling is the master of all things Bach and despite the use of grammatical latin versus real latin, this is the finest reocrding of the B Minor Mass I have ever heard!

5 comments about The Art of the Bawdy Song.

1. The dulcet tones of The Merry Companions and The Baltimore Consort create a wonderful contrast to the dirty, scurvy content of these songs. Fart jokes, tributes to drunkenness, and every manner of sexual innuendo are included in this aptly titled collection. This is a delightful album with both artistry and bawdiness in abundance.



2. All ages and musical backgrounds love this CD. The Baltimore Consort are amazing. One really feels one is in a smoky pub in the 14oo's getting plastered with England's best musicians! Don't miss "Pox on You;" my kids absolutely howl with glee at the "bass fartophone." I haven't heard laughter like that come out of my little boy since he was a toddler. "Sweet Sir Walter" features one of the guys singing in a falsetto that sweeps lustily down into a Tim Curry-esque (think Dr. Frank-n-furter)gutteral guffaw of delight. So outrageously fun one forgets one is listening to Renaissance madrigals.



3. NOT TRUE BARROOM SINGING; BUT COMPRENDED NONETHELESS!!!!
   
   These bawdy catches and ballads take us on a journey to the taverns and other social gathering places of the the real 'Merry Old England'. Some of us may be mildly shocked by the directness and earthiness of the text, but everyday life in the 17th century was much more 'down-to'earth- and forward. These texts-some blatant and other euphemistic-fully explore the spectrum of humor from the sly smirk to the back-slapping guffaw.
   
   
   The singing of both ballads and catches belongs to a long and venerable tradition in England. The natural habitat of the catch was the tavern, while the ballad was known in a wider variety of social settings as well as the stage. By the end of the 17th century, ballads were collected by connoisseurs of popular culture and published in anthologies. The main source for this recording, 'The Catch Club, or 'Merry Companions', was printed in 1762.
   
   
   A quote from the catch-philosopher (of 'Come, come let us drink') is offered by the Baltimore Consort: "...wine and good cheer will in spite of our fear inspire our hearts with mirth..the time we live, to wine let us give, since we all must turn to earth...."
   
   
   This is an excellent collection of songs; quite interesting and varied. The instruments are played skillfully, and the voices, for the most part, are good quality. However, as with all 'folk-like' songs, the diction is not always clear, and that is very true of several of these on this disc. The female voices were more difficult to comprehend much of the time. The text is printed out, so ultimately familiararity will make them easier to understand.
   
   I do like the disc, and think that it needed to be done. As to a previous criticism concerning the fact that it wasn't 'true' barroom singing. Of course, it's not!!!If it were, you would not understand any of it!!!!!Enough said.



4. The Baltimore Consort, an ensemble of six players, was founded in 1980 with the purpose of performing 'broken consort' pieces of Elizabethan origin. 'Broken' here refers to the instrumentation - treble viol/violin, flue/recorder, lute, cittern, bandore and bass viol. Their repertoire expanded beyond these beginnings to include broader British fare, as well as French and Italian music of the time. This is a happy expansion, as it made this disc of older, bawdy (for its time) music possible.
   
   The Baltimore Consort play with life and vigour, with a good deal of improvisational flair, not being bound to texts and going through the production of notes as if mechanically. This is true to the spirit and nature of the early music, in which performers often had to 'play by ear', neither being able to read music nor having printed music even if they could. This is particularly true of the songs on this disc, where many are derivative of anonymous jokes and stories, and much of the music is likewise folk-tune and anonymously composed.
   
   Some of the songs can be rather shocking. As Mary Anne Ballard writes in the accompanying notes, 'We must remember that in the days before indoor plumbing and pooper-scooper laws, everyday life was of an earthier flavour than it is today.... The men of the singing clubs and the ladies of stage poked fun at themselves and their companions with wit, pleasantry and contrivance.'
   
   The names of many of the composers of these pieces have been lost to history, particularly the more folk-song oriented ones. However, some well-known composers are represented among the pieces here - Purcell, D'Urfey, Aldridge, and others.
   
   The regular players include Mary Anne Ballard (viols), Mark Cudek (cittern, guitar, recorder and bass viol), Custer LaRue (vocalist/soprano), Larry Lipkis (recorder, viols), Ronn McFarlane (lute), Chris Norman (flutes), Webb Wiggins (tambourine and 'virginals'). Some artists are known from other Dorian productions, such as Ronn McFarlane on the lute in the collection 'Greensleeves'.
   
   Added to the regular consort players are the Merry Companions, including Peter Becker (baritone), Alexander Blachly (baritone), Paul Shipper (bass, belch-canto), and James Weaver (baritone).
   
   One more addition includes a guest artist, Lorenzo Labbrobacio, playing of all things, the 'fartophone', a rather mysterious instrument indeed. Labbrobacio defies identification on the internet other than references to this disc, and so the mystery deepens.
   
   This is music that is interesting, truly fun to listen to, entertaining and has a quality about it that makes it a joy both in musical and humourous tones.



5. This recording is professionally produced - perhaps too much so. I've been in a few taverns and heard my share of bawdy songs. I am used to hearing them sung with gusto, with a wink and a naughty smile, to the raucous and enthusiastic appreciation of the audience. The songs on this CD are performed entirely straight. The results are technically competent but fail utterly in conveying the spirit and fun that make this genre worth listening to.

2 comments about More of the Most Romantic Classical Music in the Universe.

1. Very good CD. Filled with great classical music. Would recommend to anyone.



2. Collections like this are nice as an alternative to Ipod type collections, or multi-CD shuffling, achieving a nice balance and variety of compositions.
   
   Here gathered around "romantic" classical theme, have the likes of Dvorak, Strauss, Mozart, Pachelbel, et al. Acclaimed performances by Denon Classical catalog performers such as Jean-Pierre Rampal, David Oistrakh, etc.
   
   For two disc set of such superb quality at such a reasonable price, this is very much a play often collection.

5 comments about Joshua Bell - Poème ~ Chausson · Massenet · Saint-Saëns · Ravel / RPO · Litton.

1. Sound is not very good... The pieces are also not the best recorded... Do yourself a favor, buy Neveu's recording of Tzigane



2. Joshua Bell is brilliant! His love for and ability to play the violin shine forth in every work on this recording.
   While the Saint Saens and Ravel allow him to draw on emotion
   a bit more than Poeme which is a pensive, somewhat saturnine work
   nevertheless one is cognizant that they are listening to a champion.
   I am delighted with this recording and recommend it to anyone
   who enjoys middleweight solo violin works. The works are easily
   listenable; it is the artist who makes them so.
   by Nina Lockwood



3. This is an excelent CD and along with the Barber/Walton got me hooked on Joshua Bell.
   
   1. Intro. and Rondo Capriccioso: A great performance. One of the best I've heard. And I've heard several.
   
   2. Meditation: The best performance I've heard, the original version.
   
   3. Zigeunerweisen: Second only to Heifitz.
   
   4. Poeme: Although I still like the Heifitz version better, Bell's is a more soulful, true to the original, perfomance.
   
   5. Caprice After Saint-Saens: A good performance of a not to wonderful showpeice.
   
   6. Tzigane: Oh, the wonderful Tzigane. This is absolutely the best performance you will ever hear of the Tzigane. If for nothing else buy this CD just for this piece. Bell gives an amazing, heartfelt, dramatic performance that definitely qualifies as briliant.
   
   One of my favorite CDs.



4. Executed beautifully, Mr. Bell has selected such wonderful pieces. Often, my eyes have filled with tears at the marvelous melodies my ears were privileged to hear. I have seen Mr. Bell in live performance and he is a consummate artist, but this cd is very special. I also purchased "Romance" where unusual compositions, not always connected with the violin, were utilized. My favorite of that particular cd, is "Casta Diva". I recommend both with enthusiasm. I suspect this is what Art should accomplish ... to make one more aware of their humanity (hopefully).



5. This CD is a collection of the most well-known violin pieces. Josh played most of them very well, but I especially love his interpretation of Massenet's Meditation (better than Mutter's and most other violinists' versions). Josh is so gentle and melancholy, and he can completely express the mixed feelings of Thais in the opera. On the other hand, his performance of Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen seems too slow and weak. I definitely think that Gil Shaham's version is better.

1 comments about Itzhak Perlman with Zubin Mehta & the New York Philharmonic.

1. I have not received my item. The seller "buybacksdayton" has not even answered the three e-mails I have sent. I have sent an e-mail to Amazon too. I haven't heard from Amazon yet either. So, this is a bad subject! I wish I had the c.d. I paid for. So I could rate it. I'm sure it's a pleasure to listen to which is why I wanted it!