5 comments about Classical Music for Children: A Toddler's Introduction to Classical Music.

1. We bought this to use in the church nursery. It is entertaining and yet calming to listen to. Short review, but definitely worth the $4!



2. I listened to this CD intending to buy it, but then noticed that the composer for each piece is listed as Johann Sebastian Bach. If that error is continued in the CD itself, it is a gross one. Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven, Tschaikovsky, etc., are represented in the CD. I certainly wouldn't buy it in order to mis-educate my grandson as to who wrote what.
   
   If the error is just in the online contents listing, someone should correct it immediately!



3. Perfect CD for my little baby. I love the song selections. It's perfect according to what music they should listen to for brain development.



4. Have enjoyed this CD immensely with our four-year old. Great price for the quality. Thank you.



5. My 12 month old loves this CD and happily bops away to the music (in the car he sometimes even starts singing!). We like it too and not being very well versed in Classical music, it is a nice mix for us.

5 comments about Debussy for Daydreaming.

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Chopin and Champagne: Set Your Mood for Romance.

1. This is a most wonderful collection of some of the most beautiful pieces of music to listen to when you want to hear something soothing and relaxing. The piano is much in evidence as you might expect from anything by Chopin and it is played flawlessly and flowingly here. Quite simply, music to calm your mind. If you like peaceful and beautiful poetic sounding music, you can't go wrong with this one. It is marketed as a CD to play when you are involved in some romantic interlude, but it by no means needs to be reserved for only that kind of scenario. This is to be enjoyed anytime you want to wind down and relax, maybe even to meditate to as there are no jarring elements that could come in and interfere with your reverie. The music just flows effortlessly along. Truly, a treasure!



2. I started collecting the Set Your Life to Music series of CDs when stores such as Tower Records still existed to purchase music in person and I haven't regretted it since. I'm now on a mission to collect each of these CDs as they really do fit well for any season and any time of your day. My favorites are 'Chopin and Champagne' and 'Tschaikovsky at Teatime' and the prices are a steal for quality, timeless music.



3. There's another CD for sale called Chill with Chopin which seems to have about five of the same tracks as this CD. I found that the Chill with Chopin, performed by Slovak's, has a more precise playback. I prefer this version played by London Philharmonic and Rotterdam Philharmonic, for they are much warmer. These performances conducted by David Zinman and Eliahu Inbal have a greater healing and emotionally warm playback then the precision of the Chill CD. If you prefer artful character, comfort, and warmth this would be it.



4. My two favorite pianists are Chopin and Bill
   Evans, both for the same reasons: they both had the hand independence, ability to play those fast, multi-noted runs, and they both had what can't be taught, touch and taste. This an excellant overview of his work and will hopefully lead the listener to more of his work (especially the Preludes).



5. The most sensitive piano playing I've ever heard. My wife likes it too.

5 comments about Chopin: Greatest Hits.

1. When I think of the piano, the first composer that comes to my mind is Chopin. Chopin was a composer who excelled in small form writing for the piano. He wrote beautiful melodies with complex accompaniment that was both challenging for the performer and enlightening for the listener. Chopin did not write many multi-movement pieces and what he did write is generally not as good as his solo piano pieces anyway (this is my opinion, not a fact).
   When buying recordings of Chopin's music, there are basically two options. You can either go with a "Greatest Hits" type collection, which works very well with Chopin, or you can buy collections that assemble all he wrote for a certain form (preludes, nocturnes, etudes, etc...). If you are new to Chopin, I suggest buying a "Greatest Hits" collection, though not necessarily this one, even though this is the CD in my car right now. The playing is okay but it's nothing really that special. Considering all the masterful Chopin interpreters out there, such as Rubinstein, Ashkenazy, Argerich, Pollini, and Perahia, it seems silly not to start with a pianist that you really love, since almost every great pianist has recorded works by Chopin. Having said that, this collection contains almost all my favorite works by Chopin, my only complaint being I wish it had more than one nocturne. Thus it serves as a good introduction to Chopin's music. I would recommend the Favorite Chopin collection by Ashkenazy over this collection because not only is he an amazing pianist and a masterful interpreter of Chopin, but it's two discs for the price of one.



2. Revolutionary Etude and many other performers are good. However, Fanastie Impromptu I've heard performed much better. Raindrop Prelude is played okay, but the song is so low in volume that I can hardly hear it. Good deal though.



3. What can I say! This is a wonderful collection of music. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves his music.



4. Not a good version of Les Sylphides (#17); which is only a 5 minute excerpt. Any other Les Sylphides pieces are sprinkled throughout the CD as piano.



5. Frederic Chopin is a very talented artist and composer. A must have of any Chopin collector.

5 comments about 25 Piano Favorites.

1. This is my favorite classical CD since it is geared to a wide audience. Many of my friends and acquaintances enjoy it, too.



2. I listen to this CD while reading or when I need inspiration to play the piano. There are many classic pieces here that will have many recognizable sections to the non classical music fans. The sound quality is not amazing but the essence and technical difficulty of these pieces can still be heard. Most of the songs are under 5 mins and there is a mix of faster and slower tempos.
   
   This is a bargain bin CD that you usually see at Fry's Electronics. There are more detailed and comprehensive collections out there but for 5 bucks this isn't bad and you basically get what you expect. There are much better classical CD's out there of course but for a beginner compilation album, this one has a great price.



3. This cd of piano classics has become one of my favorites. Since I am a full-time student and work out of my home the music relaxes me during times of rest.



4. This is a good intro CD to famous piano pieces. However, the sound quality is really *poor*. Of course, what do you expect for the price? I'm sure there are better Piano Sample CDs out there that sound much better. It's worth the extra money, trust me.



5. A good compilation of excerpts from the rich and vast piano repertoire. Sure they are merely excerpts and are meant to just introduce the piano to someone unfamiliar with the instrument or classical music, but that doesn't mean that an experienced person can't just pop it into the CD player and enjoy.

   While there's no classic recordings here or big names, most of the tracks are well played and acceptable in sound quality. There are some interesting pieces here that are unfamiliar to most, such as the Dvorak Humoresque or the Paderewski Minuet, as well as classics such as the Debussy Clair de Lune or the Mozart Concerto.

   The rendition of the Rhapsody in Blue is a nice performance with a well done ending that may even be better than some other CD's made by big named pianists.

2 comments about Story Of Chopin In Words And Music.

1. Chopin is the most famous composer for the piano. Did you know that Chopin is Polish and that he created the modern piano style! He also change the nature of the piano, making the piano what it is today. Mr. Chopin wrote over 200 pieces for the piano. Chopin is the true classical pioneer of the piano. As the CD says, Chopin kept the spirit of the Polish people alive through all the wars and invasions from Russia and Germany and others. Chopin was a gentle intellectual musician, and would help his beloved Poland with his music, as it has done to this day.
   
   The story is mixed with his story and music. As you listen, you'll say, "I didn't know Chopin wrote that!" At the end of the story, some of Chopin's greatest pieces are played by Ingid Haebler; soooooooooo moving and beautiful! This is a superb learning tool and a very classy gift idea. Classy, academic, fun learning and just superb! Vamos a Escuchar!



2. The music is so wonderful, perhaps a better description is that the music is so beautiful that it almost seems surreal - Wow! So breathtaking, so Chopin!!! Add to the music, a great written biography on Chopin's life and you've got one incredible hour of enjoyment/learning. The first 1/2 hour mixes Chopin's story with his music; the second 1/2 hour is some of Chopin's greatest works! Great for that long drive in the car, or doing stuff around the house - you are learning! The whole family will have fun learning about Chopin's music, history, Poland, France, Liszt Etc. Just a wonderful way to learn. The CD and music are well done and recorded. Chopin's music is performed by world renowned pianist Ingrid Haebler(Chopin would be very pleased). A must for every piano teacher and Chopin enthusiast! It's just amazing what Chopin went through, and still be able to become: "The greatest composer for piano in the world!" Well done; Bravo!!!

5 comments about Piano Favorites.

1. These days many music fans with grounding in good ol' rock and roll have bent their ears to light, melodic jazz standards. Here's a challenge: pick up this low-priced CD, take note of the famous names and that each track averages about 3 minutes in length - that's what us rockers have been raised on.
   A little crass, but....check this one out. I can't imagine any heavy metal fan turning away from the exquisite, haunting "Waltz No. 15 in A-flat, Op.39" by Brahms, or "La fille aux cheveux de lin..." by DeBussy; factor in *5* compositions by Chopin, and you've got a keeper. Maybe just beneath Zep on the carousel (but it's all in the proverbial family).
   Note that Chopin is next sectioned off, as one might expect in a Classical compilation. So the flow of the music is regenerative to the senses, as well.
   Dame Moura Lympany plays with breathtaking sensitivity and delivers one for the ages.



2. Moura Lympany, Dame Commander of the British Empire (a title not given to just anyone, and her ability deserves such note from the Brits), performs this selection of pieces beautifully. She was (she passed in 2005 at the age of 88) a talented concert pianist known throughout the world. Here, you have 20 pieces for solo piano performed by the virtouso.
   The recording is exceptional with only one minor flaw; apparently Dame Moura had a heavy foot on the pedals and her tapping can be heard from time to time, but this is a minor issue and hardly noticeable. I mention it only because it took a couple of listens to figure out what that soft thumping sound was.
   This gifted pianist gave her first concert performance at the age of 12, Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto in G minor, with (also knighted) Basil Cameron conducting. Cameron suggested that she "glamorise her name" and so she changed from her birth name, Mary Gertrude Johnstone, to Moura Lympany (Lympany an adaption of her mother's maiden name, Limpenny, and rhyming with timpani).
   From this point forward, she pursued music and piano with a controlled passion. On practicing, she once said "None of this eight hours a day stuff. If you can't get it right in four you never will". She was known in her early years to have left the podium in tears after performing becaue "of worry over the wrong notes she had played".
   She recieved the title of Commander of the British Empire in the 1970's and the title Dame Commander in the 1990's. She was the first to record all of Rachmaninoff's Preludes, certainly no small feat. She toured in to her 70's.
   Suffice it to say that this woman had a gift and used it to great effect and success.
   I ordered this disc primarily for the pieces by Debussy (my favorite composer) and the one by Liszt (one of my favorite pieces for solo piano), but all pieces are wonderful and I have gained a new appreciation for all of the composers and the pieces because of this CD.
   Her performances on this CD are amazing, passionate and beautiful. Each piece is performed as well as any other performance I have heard and it is all here on 1 CD to be enjoyed. The bargain price is a bonus and you must buy this before Seraphim decides to raise the price from the budget bin price of about $4.00. This is definitely worth every penny and then some.
   Buy this CD with confidence.



3. I don't listen to classical music very often, but there is some that I like, so every once in a while I get a CD like this. Personally, some of the pieces sound like a little kid playing with the keys. I skip them. I guess Yanni and Enya are more my style. They flow better. There are plenty here that I do like, so I am happy enough with the CD, especially because of the low cost.



4. I grew up listening to Moura Lympany's playing, especially Litolff's Scherzo. Never could understand how a person could play with absolute control at high speed. In this recording, most (though not all - the Etude in C# minor an obvious exception)of the music is more laid back, and played with great grace and with the controlled touch of a pianist at the peak of her career.
   The ambience of the recording is a wide open one, giving us the full clear sound that makes listening to a grand piano to enjoyable.
   If you enjoy listening to good piano music, this is a recording that you will enjoy a great deal.



5. Dame Moura is my favourite pianist. Her great style and sublety of expression comes out in all her recordings. this CD is the best value for money ever!!

5 comments about Favorite Waltzes.

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about 25 Classical Dance Favorites.

1. This disc reminded me of Leonard Bernstein's conducting: somehow many of his conducting session became marches. Many tracks on this disc is like that. I am a novice when it comes to classical music, so part of allure of this disc was that it contained many titles I didn't recognize, so it wasn't a total loss. I guess I should have read the track listing more carefully... what is Washington Post by Sousa doing on dance compilation?



2. There are quite a few tracks on here that do well for recital music. THere's different ones from the unoriginal swan lake's and nutcracker..my students loved to hear what came next....it gets better towards the end of the cd!



3. For those who would enjoy a fast, fun, and cheerful kind of classical music, I guess this cd is a very good choice. Also, if you want to make your kids a classic music lover, you could start with this fun, lighthearted music.



4. I agree that this is indeed absolutely beautiful light classical music. It is indeed a perfect beginning to a lifelong passion to have classical music playing in the background or to turn up the volume and immerse yourself in it. But it consists of mostly ballet music, several marches, polkas, an entrance of the gladiators, a gavotte and just to show that he can-can, a delightful little march by Beethoven of all people (Turkish March). Or can you dance to the continuous hypnotic rhythm of Ravel's Bolero? Quite tiring, I would think. Nevertheless, great music at an astounding price. Consider buying all or most of the "25 Favorites" series. You will not regret it



5. If you like to dance and you like classical, this cd is a must have. Who says you can't dance to classical? This CD proves those who think so wrong. Highlights include Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, Mendhelsson's Midsummer Night's Dream, Gounod's Dance of the Slave Girls and Faust, Dvorak's Slavonic Dance, Offenbach's can-can (yeah!) Katchaturian's Sabre Dance and Ravel's Bolero. All these are excellent. Sousa Marches are here too. You must get this CD if you are a serious lover of the classical. In fact, this was my first Classical CD. Make it a part of your life and dance to the great beats of the classics ! Yeah I'm serious.

1 comments about Story Of Johann Strauss In Words And Music.

1. I had ordered 3 CDs of Strauss music. I was informed that there was a problem with my credit card on two of the items and the orders were cancelled. The third item was shipped in duplicate.(I only wanted one) and it was the worst of the three as it is more talk than music. I am not pleased with my last purchase.