Switched-On Bach [Enhanced]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Bach is one of those rare novelty recordings that never gets boring. In the capable hands of Carlos, Bach's keyboard masterpieces sound like they were made for the otherworldly blurps, farts, and chimes of a Moog synthesizer. And, in a sense, they were. Bach's inventive music doesn't lose any of it's contrapuntal punch in these complicated arrangements and, novelties aside, the playing is great on this Grammy Award-winning classic. Whether performing Bach's "Two-Part Inventions," "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," or "Wachet Auf," Carlos offers one-of-a-kind interpretations, her synthesizers still sounding as otherworldly as they did in 1968. This is one of those weird and wonderful classical releases that anyone--classical scholar or pop enthusiast--can enjoy. A Switched-On box set exists, capturing most of Carlos's baroque-gone-berserk output, but this is the disc that started it all. In a word, fun. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

Sinf To Cant No.29
Air On A G String
Two-Part Invention in F
Two-Part Invention in B flat
Two-Part Invention in d
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book I: Prld And Fugue No.7 in E flat
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book I: Prld And Fugue No.2 in c
Chorale Prld 'Wachet Auf'
Brandenburg Con No.3 in G: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Con No.3 in G: II. Adagio (First, 1968 Version)
Brandenburg Con No.3 in G: III. Allegro
Initial Experiments

Amazon.com

Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Bach is one of those rare novelty recordings that never gets boring. In the capable hands of Carlos, Bach's keyboard masterpieces sound like they were made for the otherworldly blurps, farts, and chimes of a Moog synthesizer. And, in a sense, they were. Bach's inventive music doesn't lose any of it's contrapuntal punch in these complicated arrangements and, novelties aside, the playing is great on this Grammy Award-winning classic. Whether performing Bach's "Two-Part Inventions," "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," or "Wachet Auf," Carlos offers one-of-a-kind interpretations, her synthesizers still sounding as otherworldly as they did in 1968. This is one of those weird and wonderful classical releases that anyone--classical scholar or pop enthusiast--can enjoy. A Switched-On box set exists, capturing most of Carlos's baroque-gone-berserk output, but this is the disc that started it all. In a word, fun. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

VERY switched on and total joy!.......2007-04-27

I was thrilled to see how many people like myself love this album & were introduced to it at an early age like I was. I believe the original release was in 1963 (?) and I remember as a kid I thought Walter Carlos was the guy on the cover of the album... so imagine my surprise when years later I see the same album cover with the performer listed as Wendy Carlos. Could it be the same album? Was I about to get really happy? YOU BET! I was so delighted to see this released on CD I can't even tell you. I loved this album and listened to it repeatedly as a kid. I especially love the pure, triumphant, unadulterated and unapologetic JOY of the first track, the Cantata... wow, turn THAT up in your car and just feel the tears of joy flood your eyes... well, maybe pull over if you are like me and can't see for that very same reason!

Bach is so very well suited to this medium- to hear each line like this and really have so much great color and definition-- I think Bach himself would be so very proud of Wendy's achievement. This album was such a landmark- I also was fascinated by the Tomita Planets (a synthesized version of the same composition by Gustav Holst) when I was younger- but this album will always have a special place in my heart. If you get it for only the very first track, it will be money well spent. Having said that, the whole album is just amazing- the Air on a G string is so reverent and peaceful. The inventions are all a trip! The one in F always cracks me up because that was one of the 1st pieces of his I tried to play... very tough because the hands do exactly the same thing- but 1 measure apart. Wendy's tempos are cookin' too, such virtuosity! But the love is there too on the slower movements where the time and care with the dynamics is so evident.

GREAT ALBUM, be glad it's on CD and get it! You won't regret it.

Viva Walter/Wendy.......2007-04-21

I have just ordered this item so I can't comment on its production value however I purchased the original LP in SQ Quadriphonic and it sounded great;still does -I transferred it to CD some time ago; but I wanted a 'professional' copy. I hope this 'enhanced' version lives up to its QUAD predecessor.
Edward Kerr
iegolden@shaw.ca

Bach, enhanced by Ms. Wendy Carlos.......2007-03-13

One of the attractions of this CD is that it portrays the Moog synthesizer. Its main attraction, in my opinion, is the performance in which Ms. Wendy Carlos has revealed the cosmic aspect of Bach's music. The Moog synthesizer was used as a vehicle to achieve this goal. The enormous popularity of this recording no doubt lies in the fact that Ms. Carlos has taken the best of the Bach's music and amplified it. This music is an abstraction fitting our times. Ms. Carlos has catapulted Bach to space. One can hear the cosmic fireworks, see brilliant colors, the birth and death of the stars, feel the loneliness of the infinite stretches of space, and the ultimate power of the hope that we can conquer our own mortality. I think that this beautiful music is all about the human spirit. It is Bach at his best.
I fell in love with this recording almost three decades ago. I maintain that there is no nicer performance of Bach. The genius of Ms. Wendy Carlos sparkles. It makes me reflect on the human achievements. It is wonderful that she has produced something so great, and that so many people have benefited from her talent.
My favorites are Symphonia to Cantata #29, Prelude and Fugue #7 in E-Flat Major and Prelude and Fugue #2 in C Minor (both from Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier), and also the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major.
The recording is enhanced and it has a delightful addition of about 8 minutes in which Ms. Wendy Carlos tells us about the early beginnings of this project. The CD comes with a very attractive booklet that is artistically designed and has several informative write-ups about the history and development of this project.
This recording is a must!

W. Carlos un precursore nell'uso del sintetizzatore ed un originale interprete della musica classica.......2007-03-08

W. Carlos un precursore nell'uso del sintetizzatore ed un originale interprete della musica classica.
Credo che "Switched-On Bach" sia il primo (o uno dei primi) dischi prodotti da W.Carlos.
Molto interessante.
L'uso del sint era sicuramente più originale 30/40 anni fa che oggi

Switched-On Bach.......2007-01-24

Bach had a genius for polyphonic art as expressed in music. Hear his gift performed on the moog...the early synthesizer of the 60s...done tastefully and skillfully by Wendy Carlos. An eye opener in its time, yet still in demand some 40 years later. Why is that? Yes, questions...

Average customer rating:

Truly A Masterpiece!
Definitive, historical, all-in-one
Súper Colección
Walter's best
Loved It All Over Again

Switched-On Boxed Set

Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score
Sonic Seasonings + [Enhanced CD]
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
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By Request

ASIN: B00002DDS5
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

Sinfonia to Cantata #29
Air on a G String
Two-Part Invention in F Major
Two-Part Invention in B-Flat Major
Two-Part Invention in D Minor
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Prelude and Fugue #7 in E-Flat Major
Prelude and Fugue #2 in C
Chorale Prelude "Wachet Auf" Bradenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: III. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: Initial Experiments

Tracks:

Orfeo Suite: Toccata/Ritornello I/Choro II/Ritornello II/Choro II/Ritor
Sonata in G Major
Sonata in D Major
Bourree
Air
Allegro Deciso
Sonata in E Major
Sonata in D Major
Bradenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: I. Allegro
Bradenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: II. Andante
Bradenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: III. Presto
Domine Ad Adjuvandum
Stereo Allignment Tones
Well-Tempered Experiments

Tracks:

Badinerie
Minuet
Bourree
Two-Part Invention in A-Minor
Two-Part Invention in a Major
Sheep May Safely Graze
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Musette in D Major
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Minuet in G Major
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Bist du Bei Mir
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Marche in D Major
Little Fugue in G Minor
Bradenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro
Bradenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Affettuoso
Bradenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro

Tracks:

Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: III. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: IV. Menuuetto, Trio I, Polocca, Trio
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major: II. Andante
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major: III. Allegro Assai
Brandenburg Concerto #6 in B-Flat Major: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #6 in B-Flat Major: II. Adagio Ma Non Tanto
Brandenburg Concerto #6 in B-Flat Major: III. Allegro

Amazon.com

In 1968, keyboardist-composer Wendy Carlos released Switched-On Bach, her bestselling LP featuring baroque music performed on the Moog synthesizer. Carlos intended to spread the gospel of electronic classical music through this quirky release; instead, she sold more albums than Karlheinz Stockhausen could ever dream of, released a few follow-ups, and paved the way for Hot Butter's "Popcorn." Carlos has since become well known for more than just these wacky classical interpretations--she recorded the soundtracks to A Clockwork Orange and Tron and released new works--but the Switched-Ons are the goofy synthesizer recordings that most of us still remember.

No less than Glenn Gould proclaimed, "Carlos's realization of the Fourth Brandenburg Concerto is, to put it bluntly, the finest performance of any of the Brandenburgs--live, canned, or intuited--I've ever heard." We're not sure what he meant by that, but if you have half the enthusiasm Gould did for this music, check out this box set. All four of Carlos's baroque-gone-space-age LPs from the '70s are included here--Switched-On Bach, The Well-Tempered Synthesizer, Switched-On Bach II, and Switched-On Brandenburgs--completely remastered in all their stereophonic glory and containing bonus tracks (the fourth CD is even enhanced for use on your computer). The liner notes weigh in at around 150 pages, filled with photos and background information even on the evolution of Carlos's studio (you get the original LP notes in their entirety, too). The music? It's hilarious, absolutely riveting, and--whether Scarlatti, Bach, Handel, or Monteverdi--played successfully by Carlos and her battery of special effects. For the lover of the eclectic or the classical fan who knows how to let loose, this is a box set to get. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Truly A Masterpiece!.......2007-05-11

This collection is a treasured addition to our music library here at home, in part because I have long been a fan of the artist. Also, because we all enjoy the spin that Wendy puts on many of the classical works of the old masters of music. I heartily recommend this boxed set to any listener who wants to be delighted by the sounds of the Moog synthesizer, played in a masterful way by Wendy Carlos...

Definitive, historical, all-in-one.......2007-03-04

If you've loved the Walter/Wendy Carlos recordings over the years, this is a great way to get them all in one place. If you are at all interested in the production process, this is a _must have_ item.

Some have complained about the discussion tracks at the end of some CDs; I guess I can see how some might find them annoying. For pure ambience, you'll want to program your CD player to not play them, or just rip these CDs and burn a new copy minus those tracks.

One minor complaint I have is that the Brandenburgs are scattered throughout. I don't think it should have been all that bad to just have some of them duplicated. But I do understand the rationale, including them as is on the albums where they appeared individually, and then only putting the rest on the actual Brandenburgs pair of CDs. Personally, I love being able to listen to all the Brandenburgs straight through, so again I just made new versions of CD for my own use with them all together in their original order.

And of course, these days so many people aren't even listening to their CDs on the CD player. The music is ripped and then played using an MP3 player, computer, or similar device. Making playlists for your preferred track arrangements obviates any of the above complaints.

Regardless, I think that the value of having an all-in-one collection of these classic electronic instruments and performances far outweighs any minor issues regarding one's opinion of the choice of production arranagement.

Súper Colección.......2007-01-03

Una joya de arte, en su estuche y con un gran contenido de los primeros volúmenes de esta gran interprete.
Simplemente una gran colección para los fanaticos de Wendy

Walter's best.......2006-06-09

I know record and CD covers have been reprinted to reflect that Walter goes by the name of Wendy now. But this is all his best stuff in one collection. If you never had "Switched-On Brandenburgs Vol. 1 & 2" on LP and didn't get them either on CD back in 1987, then this is your chance to get them along with bits from his other works. Also get his other masterpiece "By Request" and the soundtrack of the movie "A Clockwork Orange". That's all you need if you are a fan of 60's analog synthesizer classical music, which only Walter was doing at that time.

Loved It All Over Again.......2005-08-03

When I heard the first piece from the first album as a young boy, I was completely hooked. I don't think Wendy could have picked a better song to start with. The power and expansiveness of the Sinfonia is surely what Bach must have heard in his head when he wrote it over 300 years ago.

Honestly, some of the music on these albums is so good you may never hear Bach, Handel, or Scarlatti the same way again.

When I saw this boxed set for sale, I purchased it with a little trepidation, unsure if it would live up to my memory of it and not sure what my wife or daughter would make of it. I'm glad I got it, though. It's a wonderful recording and the two bonus tracks are fun to listen to. In fact, I wish CDs had the same "commentary" tracks that DVDs have as I would have enjoyed hearing more about how this recording was put together.

Average customer rating:

Tech issus
Switched-On Bach II
30 years later, still controversial
Bach at his best!
Understand what it is before you buy...

Switched-On Bach II

Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Switched-On Bach
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Switched-On Brandenburgs
A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score
By Request

ASIN: B0000641BM
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

Suite #2 in B Minor: Badinerie
Suite #2 in B Minor: Minuet
Suite #2 in B Minor: Bourree
Two-Part Invention in A Minor
Two-Part Invention in A Major
Sheep May Safely Graze
Suite From Anna Magdalena Notebook: Musette in D Major
Suite From Anna Magdalena Notebook: Minuet in G Major
Suite From Anna Magdalena Notebook: Bist du bei mir
Suite From Anna Magdalena Notebook: Marche in D Major
Brandenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Affettuoso
Brandenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Tech issus.......2006-01-30

I bought this album because I enjoyed the LP version I bought back in the 70's. The music is still very good but this CD version would not play in our DVD player / burner. Instead of playing in the newer technologies, it gave us access to some not so good art and photography by W. Carlos. It was necessary to copy the music from the cd to my PC and then burn a fresh CD to get it to play.

Switched-On Bach II.......2005-09-24

Once again, a great experience! Will continue to do business with you whenever the opportunity arises. Thanks.

30 years later, still controversial.......2004-05-26

Upon reviewing my predecessors' comments, I am amazed at the degree to which Wendy's orchestrations and performances still provoke listeners!

I was given the vinyl version for Christmas when I was ten years old, and basked in it regularly for years (the Brandenburg particularly made for fascinating headphone listening, and still does). Personally, this CD release is a joy long awaited, especially because of all the TLC lavished on those original analog masters. These recordings shimmer more than they ever did years ago.

On artistic merit: While the original "S-OB" contains inspired musicality and novelty in equal doses, and "The Well-Tempered Synthesizer" reflected a maturing of vision, I believe "S-OB II" represents the most consistently musical effort of Wendy's four Baroque releases. Even the inevitable "special effects" timbres here are more wry, and just plain feel natural. For example, the sly suggestion of a snare drum in one of the two-part inventions is a delightful auditory pun unique to Carlos' sensibilities. The treatment of "Sheep May Safely Graze" falls within the realm of a solo organ performance, but oh, for an organist to have these stops at their disposal!

Speaking of organs, Carlos has already acknowledged the role of her Yamaha Electone E-5, apparently acquired sometime between S-OB I and II. It was responsible for click tracks and continuo parts, and even those marvelous runs in the Brandenburg's cadenza section. Not to shatter anyone's romantic notions of Wendy exclusively slaving over a single-note instrument... but really, so what? A masterpiece is still a masterpiece.

Bach at his best!.......2004-05-19

I have long been a fan of this series by W. Carlos. I own all of this on vinyl, cassette and now CD. This is not an automated reproduction of some of Bach's fabulous works. Rachel Elkind and Carlos worked their fingers to the bone to get this music correct. Layer after layer; no loops. Thanks to the different sounds assigned to each voice, it is easier than ever to fully appreciate Bach's genius. The person who made the "Yamaha Organ" comment needs to do a little homework.

Understand what it is before you buy..........2003-11-30

This was one of my favorite albums when I was a kid. It opened up my creativity and launched my appreciation not only for Bach, but also for electronic music.

Don't listen to the reviews that say it's not as good as an acoustic orchestra. Duh: it's not intended to sound like that! And there are no "Yamaha organs" as another reviewer stated. This was all done way back on the original Moog: analog modules with actual patch cords, the height of analog subtractive synthesis. It's a unique sound that's distinctive from digital synths and is something of a lost art.

Tracks:

Brandenburg Concerto # 1 in F Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto # 1 in F Major: Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto # 1 in F Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto # 1 in F Major: Menuuetto/Trio I/Polocca/Trio II
Brandenburg Concerto # 2 in F Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto # 2 in F Major: Andante
Brandenburg Concerto # 2 in F Major: Allegro Assai
Brandenburg Concerto # 3 in G Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto # 3 in G Major: Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto # 3 in G Major: Allegro

Tracks:

Brandenburg Concerto # 4 in G Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto # 4 in G Major: Andante
Brandenburg Concerto # 4 in G Major: Presto
Brandenburg Concerto # 5 in D Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto # 5 in D Major: Affettuoso
Brandenburg Concerto # 5 in D Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto # 6 in B-Flat Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto # 6 in B-Flat Major: Adagio Ma Non Tanto
Brandenburg Concerto # 6 in B-Flat Major: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, Fascinating, sometimes enthralling, but there's a Glitch. .......2005-11-14

I grew up listening to Wendy. When I was just a boy, I would sit with my father, a Baroque music lover, as he played the Brandenburg Concerti, and to this day they remain my favorite of the genre.

The transformation of this old music into the sounds of the modern day is truly fascinating, and one is struck by the flexibility of the concerti, that they still cohere.

After a few minutes of listening, I grew frustrated by how quickly the sound ascribed to a given voice part changes. As written, the instruments of the ensemble acquire a kind of personality as a movement develops, and much of this higher order structure is lost when the timbre is changed so radically and so frequently.

Also, some of the sounds Wendy uses sound too dated to my ears - they make me smile and think of the 80s, but one often gets a whiff of Bladerunner, and in Bach this can be a little jarring.

Overall, though, I am pleased with what I've gotten, except for a VERY PECULIAR glitch in the second movement of concerto #5 in D Major - the part normally given to a flute is way out of tune - one hears the overtone above the upper voice (a fifth above) - and the result is a long string of parallell fifth movement between the two upper voices which not only grates internally, but also with the other voices. I can't understand this choice - was she trying to harken back to the days before equal temperament?

I think this mars the work as a whole, and I so wish there wasn't such a careless blemish on an otherwise remarkable work. Bach would never have condoned such poor voice-leading.

Average customer rating:

clearing up confusion
Muddy waters...
In what way inferior?
Certainly not much beauty in this Beast !
Bach at its Best

Switched-On Bach 2000

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music
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Switched-On Bach
By Request
Switched-On Bach II
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ASIN: B000003CYZ
Release Date: 1992-05-22

Tracks:

Happy 25th, S-OB
Sinfonia In D major
Suite In D Major: Air on a G String
Two Part Inventions: In F Major
Two Part Inventions: In B-Flat Major
Two Part Inventions: In D Minor
Cantata No. 147: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 7 In E-Flat Major
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Fugue No. 7 In E-Flat Major
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 2 In C Minor
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Fugue No. 2 In C Minor
Cantata No. 140: Wachet Auf
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major: l. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major: ll. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major: lll. Allegro
Toccata & Fugue In D Minor

Customer Reviews:

clearing up confusion.......2006-10-19

I've read some confusion about Walter Carlos being the listed performer on Switched On Bach and Wendy Carlos being the performer on Switched On Bach 2000. Let me clear this up for anyone that might be confused or that won't consider the new 2000 version because of it not being Walter. They are both one in the same. In 1972, Walter Carlos underwent gender reassignment therapy. The last release to be credited to Walter Carlos was By Request (1975). The first release as Wendy was Switched-On Brandenburgs (1979). Carlos's first public appearance after her gender transition was in an interview in the May 1979 issue of Playboy magazine, a decision she would come to regret because of the unwelcome publicity it brought to her personal life. On her official site, her transition is discussed in an essay stating that she values her privacy on the subject.

Muddy waters..........2003-05-31

I was sorely disappointed in this "updated" recording of Bach. The music supposedly more true to the period is muddy and indistinct. I jumped for joy when the original Switched On Bach was released last year - that is the one to buy.

In what way inferior?.......2003-05-17

It's not inconceivable to me that someone who has spent a lifetime listening to a broad range of music could prefer Carlos's debut recording of Switched-On Bach to the collection, but from any objective viewpoint it IS indefensible. Not only has Carlos brought to bear a quarter century's booming tech innovation, but also a quarter century's musical experience from a unique vantage point atop the under-examined world of classical electronica.

A well-read friend of mine and musical omnivore was given the recent Wendy Carlos re-interpretation of Clockwork Orange to replace his lost Lp of the original soundtrack. His response was nearly ballistic. The original soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange was a dear old friend that had seen him through many a tough time, and he was intimately acquainted with every edge of every sine wave on it. And he missed those particulars so sorely, it was as though he'd been reacquainted with his high school sweetheart only to find she'd undergone reassignment surgery.

I try to keep this anecdote in mind when I read an unflattering review of S-OB 2000. I play music, and I know it in the way a dentist knows tooth enamel. I am as susceptible to a cherished smile as the next guy, but I do know teeth. Beautiful teeth.

Certainly not much beauty in this Beast !.......2003-05-05

I regret to review this album in a negative manner, since I respect the author as a great musical thinker and revolutionaire in synthesizing sounds (and composing music).
I would probably prefer the S-OB in its time, but the anniversary edition somehow eludes my liking.

I can agree, that Bach's music - which can be, when interpeted poorly, on a verge of kitch (for exmpl. various Airs and Adagios on "Best of Classics" or "Meditative Classics" and similar awful compilations) - is best performed by very skilled musicians that bring something fresh and meaningful to the music.

The plastic acoustic wrapping of S-OB 2000 doesn't help.

Wendy has shown her artistic potential in many other cases, most respectively in excellent Beauty in the Beast.
Why can't she continue to explore in that direction and do things of high artistic value - modern classical compositions - sort of electronic Ligeti or Stravinsky on trip or something like that?
I prefer her composition on S-OB 2000 , since that was produced with electronic instrument in mind, while Bach was thinking about organ, strings and harpsichord/klavier. The original tunings don't replace the natural timbre and microtonal variations that experienced players make conciously or unconciously while playing - we all heard about great violin virtuosos that achieved their original tone or sound by playing some notes a little flat to achieve the effect that Wendy is talking about.

Some of the music on S-OB 2000 doesn't sound TOO different from some keyboard demo with Bach's music to my ears - MIDI toccata or somethnig like that - sorry Wendy.

Wendy used the extraordinary tunings creatively in Beauty in the Beast and achieved masterful musical effect and experience of real creativity and musical magic. I admire her in-depth observation and recreation of elements of different ethnic music and orchestra, which show her great knowledge and real understanding of underlying matrix that constitutes music - she might be genial in that aspect, but I think she shouldn't waste her talent on things like S-OB 2000.

Bach at its Best.......2003-01-16

I love this CD. It was interpreted in such a unique way, it brought back the original flavor of how the music was played on hapsicord (sp?) back in the Baroque period. This interpretation really made the notes came alive. It was most enjoyable and it lifted your spirit as the music plays.

Average customer rating:

Switched-On Brandenburgs, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Switched-On Brandenburgs, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0000026FM
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049, Pt. 1 [Allegro][Versio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049, Pt. 2 [Andante]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049, Pt. 3 [Presto]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050, Pt. 1 [Allegro][Versio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in D Major, BWV 1050, Pt. 2 [Affettuoso]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in D Major, BWV 1050, Pt. 3 [Allegro][Versio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, BWV 1051, Pt. 1 [Allegro][V
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, BWV 1051, Pt. 2 [Adagio Ma]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, BWV 1051, Pt. 3 [Allegro][V
Suite from the Anna Magdalena Notebook: Musette in D Major, Anh. 126
Suite from the Anna Magdalena Notebook: Minuet in G Major, Anh. 114
Suite from the Anna Magdalena Notebook: Bist du Bei Mir, BWV 508
Suite from the Anna Magdalena Notebook: Marche in D Major, Anh. 122
"Little" Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578

Average customer rating:

Switched-On Brandenburgs, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Switched-On Brandenburgs, Vol. 2

ASIN: B0000026FL
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046, Pt. 1 [Allegro][Versio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046, Pt. 2 [Adagio][Version
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046, Pt. 3 [Allegro][Versio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046, Pt. 4 [Menuetto]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046 [Trio I]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046 [Polacca]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046 [Trio II]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047, Pt. 1 [Allegro][Versio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047, Pt. 2 [Andante]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047, Pt. 3 [Allegro Assai]
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048, Pt. 1 [Allegro][Versio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048, Pt. 2 [Adagio][Version
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048, Pt. 3 [Allegro][Versio
Excerpts from Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: Badinerie
Excerpts from Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: Menuett
Excerpts from Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: Bourr
Two-Part Invention No. 13 in a Minor, BWV 784
Two-Part Intervention No. 12 in a Major, BWV 783
Aria: "Sheep May Safely Graze" from Cantata No. 208

Switched on Classics: Classics With a Beat

Average customer rating:

You call this electronic? BULL!

Switched on Classics: Classics With a Beat

Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Hooked On Classics

ASIN: B000000LDT
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Flight Of The Bumble Bee, Hungarian Dance No. 5 - Light Cavallerie, Carmen: Flight Of Carmen
The Moldau, Sheherazade, Nabucco: Soul And Sound
Umbra Mai Fu, From Xerxes: Largo For Lovers
Air, Pathetique, Solveig's Song: Solveig's Air
Sonatas In C Major, A Major (Rondo Alla Turca): Amadeus Up To Date
Nocturne In E Flat Major, Prelude In A Major, Mazurka In A Flat Major Op. 9,2 - 28,7 - 24,3: Blue Hour With Frederic
Poem, Ave Maria: Mary's Poem
Etude In A Major Op. 10,3 - Moonlight Sonata Op. 27,2: Moonlight Fantasy
Trumpet Voluntary, Trumpet Tune In B Flat Major: Old Trumpet Sound
Ave Verum KV 618: Mozart's Prayer
Porgy And Bess: Summertime
West Side Story: America

Tracks:

Swan Lake, Capriccio Italien, Romeo & Juliet (Overture), Pathetique, Nutcracker Suite (Trepak, The Sugar Plum Fairy, The Reed Flutes), Romeo & Juliet (Finale): Russian Sounds
Preludes In C Major And Minor, Italian Concerto BWV 846, 847, 971: The Well - Tempered Bach
Emperor Waltz, Hunters Polka, Perpetuum Mobile, Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Pizzicato Polka, Thunder & Lightining Op. 437, 373, 257, 214, 324: Vienna In Rhythm
In C Major, A Minor, B Flat Major BWV 772, 784, 785: John Sebastian's Inventions
Inpromptu In A Flat Major Op. 142,2: Always All Ready
Aida (Temple Scene & Romance) Rigoletto (Violetta): Aida In The Background
Aria In F Minor, March From 'Sciplo', Allegro In F Minor: Festive Baroque
Song Of India
Can't Buy Me Love
It Ain't Necessarily So
Nabucco Slave's Chorus, Gefangenchor - Tannhauser
For Elise, Symphony No. 9, Ode To Joy

Tracks:

A Fifth Of Beethoven
Reverie (Traumerei)
Serenade KV 330, Serenade From Sonata KV 284, Turkish March KV 331
Largo From Symphony No. 9: New World
Symphony No. 40 In C Minor
Can Can, Thunder & Lightning (Polka), Hungarian Dance, Galop, Medley, Staccato, Orpheus In The Underworld
Moonlight Sonata: Blue Moon
A Little Night Music
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Waltz In A Minor Op.39
From Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarole
Toccata Spectrum
Melody In F
Fantasy
Serenade

Customer Reviews:

You call this electronic? BULL!.......2003-01-26

I think I know what electronic classical music is, considering I made an album called Kulture. This does not sound electronic, if it does, it uses drums = not good. It sounds way too classical.