Beethoven: Fidelio [Import]

Track Listings

1. OuvertÜRe

2. Act 1- Jetzt, Schaetzchen, Jetzt Sind Wir Allein

3. -Jacquino, Jacquino-

4. Nr. 2 Aie- -O WÄR Ich Schon Mit Dir Vereint-

5. -Guten Tag, Marzelline. Ist Fidelio Noch Nicht ZurÜCk--

6. Nr. 3 Quartett- -Mir Ist So Wunderbar-

7. -HÖRe, Fidelio!-

8. Nr. 4 Arie- -Hat Man Nicht Auch Gold Beineben-

9. -Ihr KÖNnt Leicht Sagen, Meister Rocco-

10. Gut, Shoenchen, Gut, Hab Immer Mut

11. Nr. 6 Marsch

12. -Hauptmann! Drei Schildwachen Auf Den Wall-

13. Nr. 7 Arie Mit Chor- -Ha! Welch Ein Augenblick-

14. -Hauptmann! HÖRen Sie!-

15. Nr. 8 Duett- -Jetzt, Alter, Jetzt Hat Es Eile!-

16. Abscheulicher! Wo Eilst Du Hin-...; Komm, Hoffnung, Lass Den Letztenstern

17. -Aber Marzelline! FrÜHer, Da War Ich Der Gute-

18. Nr. 10 Finale I- -O Welche Lust, In Freier Luft Den Atem Leich T Zu Heben!-

19. -Nun Sprecht, Wie Ging's--

20. -Leb Wohl, Du Warmes Sonnenlicht-

See all 33 tracks on this disc

Album Description

Music can be both calming and relaxing, or invigorating and passionate...this phenomenal 20-CD set is definitely the latter. This amazing collection brings together for the first time the most passionate music of all time, from Ravel's Bolero, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Wagner's Magic Fire Music to Ravel's La Valse, Orff 's Carmina Burana and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. This is a must have collection for every passionate music lover.

Customer Reviews:

A good gift for novice.......2007-05-12

This was a good gift for somebody learning about Classical music in Japan.

Average customer rating:

Excellent sample
Some of the Best
Storms
Wonderful selections
Great intro to Beethoven

Essential Beethoven

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005KBJQ
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Tracks:

Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: I. Allegro Con Brio - Concertgebouw Orch/Bernard Haitink
Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: II. Allegretto - LSO/Antal Dorati
Romance No.2 in F, Op.50 - Arthur Grumiaux
Pno Son No.14 'Moonlight' in c#, Op.27 No.2: I. Adagio Sostenuto - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Fur Elise (Bagatelle in a, WoO 59) - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Pno Son No,17 in d, Op.31 No.2: III. Allegretto - Stephen Kovacevich
Spt in E flat, Op.20: V. Scherzo: Allegro Molto E Vivace - Members Of The Berlin Phil Octet
Pno Con No.3 in c, Op.37: II. Largo - Alfred Brendel
Sym No.8 in F, Op.93: IV. Allegro Vivace - Chicago SO/Sir Georg Solti
Ov 'Egmont', Op.84 - VPO/George Szell
Vn Con in D, Op.61: III. Rondo: Allegro - New Philharmonia Orch/Alceo Galliera

Tracks:

Pno Con No.5 'Emperor' in E flat, Op.73: II. Adagio Un Poco Mosso - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Sym No.6 'Pastoral' in F, Op.68: V. Allegretto: Shepherd's Song. Happy And Thankful Feelings... - Staatskapelle Dresden/Colin Davis
Pno Con No.2 in B flat, Op.19: III. Rondo: Molto Allegro - Radu Lupu
Pno Son No.8 'Pathetique' in c, Op.13: II. Adagio Cantabile - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Str Qt in B flat, Op.130: V. Cavatina: Adagio Molto Espressivo - Qt Italiano
Bagatelle, Op.126 No.6 - Alfred Brendel
Vn Son No.5 in F, Op.24: IV. Rondo: Allegro Ma Non Troppo 'Spring' - Itzhak Perlman/Vladimir Ashkenazy
Minuet No.11, WoO 7 - ASMF/Neville Marriner
Pno Son No.14 'Moonlight' in c#, Op.27 No.2: III. Presto Agitato - Vladimir Ashkenazy
In Questa Tomba Oscura, WoO 133 - Luciano Pavarotti
Mir Ist So Wunderbar - Hildegard Behrens/Sona Ghazarian/David Kuebler/Hans Sotin
Oh Welche Lust (Prisoner's Chor) - Robert Johnson/Philip Kraus/Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
Sym No.9 in d, Op.125: Chor Finale (Excerpt) - Joan Sutherlan/Marilyn Horne/James King/Martti Talvela/Wiener Staatsopernchor

Customer Reviews:

Excellent sample.......2005-10-25

This two disc set is a good sampler of Beethoven; I had forgotten how inspiring his work could be. This set has motivated me to order all three of the Deutch Grammaphone two disc which together include all 9 of Beethoven's symphonies.

Some of the Best.......2005-09-11

Some of these songs are the best that I've heard. I also enjoy the fact that this album provides the ENTIRE movement or selection, unlike some of the other albums that I've heard that only play for a little bit of the song. One example is Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major Second Movement, this movement is one of my favorites to begin with and hearing it so smoothly and masterfully recorded made my heart sing the first time I heard this all the way to end (the other recordings usually stop after the major key shift after the first theme). Also the Egmont Overture is one of the best full versions that I've had the pleasure of enjoying performed this well. The Moonlight Sonata First Movement I found to be nice, but there are better versions out there. For those people just looking for a nice collection of Beethoven songs that are well recorded and well performed, I stronly suggest that you purchase this album.

Storms.......2005-03-09

Classical music compilations are extremely difficult to review. You are always fighting with someone else's opinion of what is "Best of" material. And why should we buy selections when we could buy the entire pieces and hear them played as the composers intended?

A quick answer would be simple: we simply cannot afford to purchase every single piece by every single composer we love. And if the buyer is familiar with the music, he or she would perhaps only want the famous selections everyone knows. In my case, I am particularly picky with recordings and don't have the time to meddle with libraries or going to stores that offer listening stations. Recordings vary greatly and so does playing ability. So why did I go with Essential Beethoven?

It is released with Decca, one of the finest classical music companies out there. You are guaranteed no gimmick or inexpensively recorded tracks on this compilation. Essential B. also has a wider selection than other compilations I looked at. For once, there isn't a movement to be found from the Fifth Symphony. If that's all you want to buy, look elsewhere. Essential B. has pieces I was not familiar with, so here I am listening to it.

Regrettably, there are three distinct issues with this recording, and I want to get them out of the way. 1. Für Elise is atrociously boring to listen to. As a pianist, it is fun to play and almost required learning for the beginner. It should've been dropped. 2. Piano Concerto No. 5 is missing the third movement. It is common to drop the first movement here, but the second and third movements are programmatically tied, providing some of the most emotionally charged music ever put down on lined paper. Also, this rendition of the concerto is less than inspiring and I regret that it is the famous Ashkenazy playing this version. There is almost no life in the playing. 3. The remastering could've been better. The listener will enjoy the loud and boisterous pieces, but the quieter parts, and even the soft piano solos, will have him straining his ears to the point of exasperation. Because of this, I recommend listening on headphones or in a place where you can turn the volume up a little more than usual.

That aside, the rest of the tracks are well recorded, extremely well played, and varied enough to quench even the most learned ears. Decca has included pieces conducted by Sir Georg Solti, one of the greatest conducters in my opinion. (Another "collection" solely conducted by Solti is the "Immortal Beloved" soundtrack.) The orchestral pieces are lush and the range is dynamic. (A little too dynamic, like I stated above, in some areas.) The inclusion of movement IV from Symphony no. 8 pleases me, as I feel this is the least appreciated symphony, overshadowed by Symphony no. 9

The piano pieces are some of the best renditions I've heard. I own all of Ashkenazy's sonatas, so it was nice to hear a movement from "The Tempest" played by Stephen Kovacevich, who plays with fierce determination. Selections from B's piano concertos are fantastic and have prompted me to delve further into listening to more concertos from him. The Rondo from Piano Concerto No. 2, played by Radu Lupu, is one of the most upbeat and wonderfully played pieces here.

To round things off nicely is a movement from the Violin Sonata No. 5, played by the one and only Itzhak Perlman! The piano is caressed by Mr. Ashkenazy himself, and he does so lovingly. You will also find pieces from a string quartet, a violin Romance (and orchestra), and one overture: the "Egmont." I'm not a huge fan of this rendition either, but that's probably because I've heard the Egmont a thousand times.

A huge bonus with this collection are the three choral selections at the end, two of which are from "Fidelio," an opera I've yet to hear in its entirety. The Prisoners' Chorus is beautiful. The introduction sounds very much like a major contribution to Charles Ives's 1906 piece "The Unanswered Question." The compilation ends with Symphony No. 9's finale, but unfortunately, it is a horribly edited excerpt, and mixed extremely hot. I have to turn my volume down everytime this comes on.

I would like to make a little note about the art design, however. Credit here is given to Mark Millington, who did a fine job blending black & white photos of storm clouds, an inspiring sculpture, and blackletter-styled fonts. The CDs themselves are a contrasting bright orange. As a sucker for marketing, I would've plunked money down for this compilation just for the art!

Wonderful selections.......2003-11-08

My kids and I have really enjoyed this CD. This is a great collection of music with high quality performances.

Great intro to Beethoven.......2003-04-05

Great intro to beethoven. There are many great performances by Ashkenazy, Academy of Saint Martin in the fields, Concertgetbouw Orchestra and many other exceptional artists. I would recommend this disc as it contains the masterpieces of beethoven, even though not all of them.

Average customer rating:

A Must Have
Just enough to hear Christa Ludwig.
Great conductor, orchestra and cast in classic "Fidelio"
1st half wonderful, 2nd not so great (tenorial nightmare)
VICKERS IS A WONDERFUL FIDELIO

Beethoven: Fidelio

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004VVZB
Release Date: 2000-08-15

Tracks:

Fidelio: Ouveture (Orchester)
Fidelio: Act I: Nr. 1 - Duett Jetzt, Schatzchen, jetz sind wir allein (Jaquino) (Marzelline)
Fidelio: Act I: Rezitativ Der arme Jaquino dauert mich beinahe
Fidelio: Act I: Nr. 2: Arie Owar ich schon mit dir vereint (Marzelline)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act I: Rezitativ Guten Tag, Marzelline. 1st Fidelio noch nicht zuruck? (Rocco) (Marzelline) (Leonore)
Fidelio: Act I: Nr. 3: Arie Mir ist so wunderbar (Marzelline) (Leonore) (Rocco) (Jaquino)
Fidelio: Act I: Rezitativ - hore, Fidelio, weibt du, was ich tue?
Fidelio: Act I: Nr. 4: Arie (Rocco)
Fidelio: Act I: Rezitativ - Ihr konnt das leicht sagen, meister rocco (Leonore) (Rocco) (Marzelline)
Fidelio: Act I: Nr. 5: Terzett
Fidelio: Act I: Der Gouverneur ... der gouverneur sol heut' erlauben
Fidelio: Act I: Nur auf der Hut, dann geht es gut (Rocco) (Leonore) (Marzelline)
Fidelio: Act I: Nr. 6 - march (Orchester)
Fidelio: Act I: Rezitativ Wo sind die Depeschen? (Don Pizarro) (Rocco)
Fidelio: Act I: Nr. 7 - Arie mit Chor Ha! Welch' eni Augenblick! (Don Pizarro) (Chorus)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act I: Hauptmann, besteigen Sie mit einem Trompeter sogleich den Turm
Fidelio: Act I: Nr. 8 - Duett Jetz, Alter, jetzt hat es Eile! (Don Pizarro) (Rocco)
Fidelio: Act I: Nr. 9 - Rezitativ Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin?
Fidelio: Act I: und Arie - Komm, Hofgnung, lab den letzten stern (Leonore)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act I: Rezitativ Rocco, 1h verspracht mir so oft (Leonore) (Marzelline) (Rocco)
Fidelio: Nr. 10 - Finale O welch Lust! (Chorus)
Fidelio: Act I: Wir wollen mit vertrauen auf Gottes Hulfe bauen (Zweiter Gefangener) (Chorus)
Fidelio: Act I: Nun sprecht, wie ging's (Leonore) (Rocco)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act I: Arch! Vater, eilt! (Marzelline) (Rocco) (Jaquino) (Leonore)
Fidelio: Act I: Verwegener Alter (Don Pizarro) (Rocco)
Fidelio: Act I: Leb wohl, du warmes Sonnenlicht (Chorus) (Marzelline) (Leonore) (Jaquino) (Don Pizarro) (Rocco)

Tracks:

Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Nr. 11: Introduktion (orchester)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: und Arie gott! Welch' Dunkel hier
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: In des Lebens Fruhlingstagen
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Und spur' ich nicht linde (Florestan)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Nr. 12: Melodram Wie Kalt ist es
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: und Duett - Nur hurtig fort, nur frisch gegraben (Leonore) (Rocco)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Rezitative Er erwacht! (Leonore) (Rocco) (Florestan)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Nr: 13 Terzett - Euch werde Lohn in besser'n Welten (Florestan) (Rocco) (Leonore)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Rezitativ Vater Rocco! (Rocco) (Leonore) (Florestan) (Don Pizarro)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Nr. 14 - Quartett Er sterbe! (Rocco) (Leonore) (Florestan) (Don Pizarro)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Rezitativ Vater Rocco! (Jaquino) (Rocco)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Es schlagt der Rache Stund! (Leonore) (Florestan) (Don Pizarro) (Rocco)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Nr. 15 - Duett O namenlose Freude! (Leonore) (Florestan)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Nr. 16 - Finale Heil sei dem Tag (Chor)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Des besten Konigs Wink und Wille (Chorus) (Don Fernando)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Wohlan! So helfet, helft den Armen! (Rocco) (Don Pizarro) (Don Fernando) (Leonore) (Marzelline) (Rocco)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Du schlossest auf des Edlen Grab (Don Fernando)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: O Gott! O welch' ein Augenblick! (Rocco) (Don Pizarro) (Don Fernando) (Leonore) (Marzelline) (Rocco)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Wer ein holdes Weib errungen (Rocco) (Don Pizarro) (Don Fernando) (Leonore) (Marzelline) (Rocco)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Act II: Ouverture - Lenore nR. 3

Amazon.com essential recording

Under Klemperer, a maestro with roots in a great operatic tradition, this is a monumental, authoritative performance. From the very beginning of the Fidelio Overture, tempi are slow, deliberate, expansive: every note is important and vibrantly alive; every vocal and instrumental line stands out; there is time for poised changes and transitions. Chorus and orchestra are splendid; not only do all the soloists sing fabulously, but using all their vocal resources to bring out the character of words and music, they create real people and situations, mood and atmosphere. With a mostly German cast, even the spoken dialogue seems to aid rather than disrupt the drama. Berry is a wonderfully venomous villain, yet he sings every note accurately; Vickers, darkening his voice, makes Florestan more resigned than heroic, breathless in his ecstatic hallucination. Ludwig's voice is flawless over a huge range, warm yet gloriously radiant; she is an ideal Leonore in style, expression, and characterization. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have.......2007-02-25

Klemperer's Fidelio as remastered here is well deserving of its status as a "Great recording of The Century" by EMI. The sound is as clear as a digital recording and allows all the nuances of the orchestra and singers to be heard. Beethoven's opera is underrated I believe, and with this recording one can see why. The drama and emotion of the story are even more enhanced by the superb phrasing and dynamic contrast of Klemperer's interpretation. This recording should definitely ascend the ranks of your collections quite rapidly and you will enjoy it for a long time.

Just enough to hear Christa Ludwig........2007-01-31

For many years, Ms. Ludwig has been the leading mezzo in Germany, and not without good reasons.
Since her younger days when she sang Cosi fan tutte with Lisa della Casa for Karl Boehm's first recording of the opera, she has been a most promising mezzo-soprano on an international level. And her voice developed to even better dimensions as she ages.
Comparing with today's Cecilia Bartoil, Christa Ludwig not only enjoyed longer vocal brilliance, but also a much wider repertoire.
Some would say that Sena Jurinac's Klemperer Fidelio is better. That may be the case, but for reasons quite other than Ludwig's performance. Jurinac was a soprano, and Ludwig a mezzo. Leonora (Fidelio)'s role may either be tackled by a soprano or a mezzo, as in Wagner's Brunnhilde.
If you heard another brilliant German soprano Gundula Janowitz's Bernstein Fidelio, you would not have questioned the choice of Ludwig in the present recording. As Elisabeth Schwarzkopf said last January in an interview, Ludwig's voice is uncommon - it is very full. In the high, middle and low registers, I would add.
This is a major attribute that allowed her to tackle Leonora's role with brilliance. Even if her upper is not as brilliant as, say, Jurinac, or Mattila, her middle and lower registers more than compensate for that.
Another very 'different' Fidelio is Hildegard Behrens. Not a big voice, but with such sweet charm and boyish tinge that you would not have wondered why Marcellina gave up Jaquino for this 'fake' Fidelio. Either you catch the character's charm, or the character's determination. If best, you come with both. Christa Ludwig's voice scored well in both ends.
Jon Vickers' Florestine sounds too stout for me, though vocally very attractive.
Was Florestine not near to the end of his life by starvation when he appeared in the Second Act? I wonder why most critics called for a ''big voice'' in Don Florestine's role.

Great conductor, orchestra and cast in classic "Fidelio".......2006-02-24

Source: 1962 studio recording produced by Walter Legge.

Sound: State-of-the-art 1960s analog stereo, digitally remastered in 2000.

Cast: Leonore / Fidelio - Christa Ludwig; Florestan - Jon Vickers; Rocco - Gottlob Frick; Don Pizarro - Walter Berry; Marzelline (singing) - Ingeborg Hallstein; Marzelline (dialogue) - Elizabeth Schwarzkopf; Jaquino - Gerhard Unger; Don Fernando - Franz Crass; First Prisoner - Kurt Wehofschitz; Second Prisoner - Raymond Wolansky. Conductor: Otto Klemperer with the Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra.

Text: Spoken German dialogue is included but radically shortened to serve as little more than connective tissue between the musical elements.

"Fidelio" is the work of a man whose natural home was the concert platform, not the theater. It is burdened with long patches of dull and forgettable music interspersed with stunning musical brilliance. It is set in the form of a "rescue play," a tired cliche even in Beethoven's time. In the midst of flat, conventional forms it manages to extol love--albeit married love--in passages even more ecstatic than Wagner achieved in "Tristan und Isolde." The roles of Leonore / Fidelio and Florestan have proved fully worthy of the talents of the most heroically-voiced singers of every generation since the opera's premiere during the Napoleonic Wars. Beethoven's "Fidelio" is flawed, but it is a true masterpiece.

For many years, this performance of "Fidelio" was widely acclaimed as the finest of all recorded versions of Beethoven's only opera. As I write this, forty-four years after its initial issue, there are still many who rate it above all its successors. The conductor was a great master of what is now regarded as the old school of Beethoven performance (a damaging indictment to some listeners and a refreshing relief to others.) The orchestra was at its fabulous peak. The four lead singers, Ludwig, Vickers, Frick and Berry were each international stars of the first magnitude. The current re-issue of the set is sumptuously presented--at least by the unimpressive standards of CDs--and offered at a bargain price.

For all these reasons, the only reasonable rating is five stars.

Great as it is, however, this "Fidelio" is not above criticism. The perfect "Fidelio," in fact, remains as perpetually elusive as the perfect "Traviata."

This recording is one of a series of masterworks made under the auspices of the imperious Walter Legge, head of Artists and Repertory for EMI (and, incidentally, husband of Elizabeth Schwarzkopf.) It may be said to have begun with a series of live performances conducted by Klemperer at Covent Garden in 1961. (A live recording is available at an outrageous price from Testament.) The principal singers at Covent Garden were Sena Jurinac as Fidelio, Jon Vickers as Florestan, Gottlob Frick as Rocco and Hans Hotter as Don Pizarro. Klemperer wished to bring all of them to the recording studio but Legge had other ideas. As usual, Legge got his way, bringing over only Vickers and Frick.

Klemperer's "Fidelio" is gravely measured and monumental, but not particularly theatrical. Some parts, most notably the chorus of soldiers preceding the entrance of Don Pizarro, have justly been criticized as too slow.

Christa Ludwig was one of the great singers of the Twentieth Century. Her Leonora was exquisitely thought out and brilliantly presented. But she was a mezzo-soprano. Excellent as she undoubtedly was, she was not quite a perfect fit in a role that positively cries out for a great soprano. I am wholly in agreement with those who say that for once Legge was in error when he refused to record the luminous Sena Jurinac.

Jon Vickers was a gigantic presence. I saw him do Florestan with the San Francisco Opera. He held us all in thrall. If he had a fault, it was a tendency to over-think his parts. Here, the details and mechanisms of his characterization are just a bit too apparent--some have said too sugary--and they are slightly out of phase, I think, with Klemperer's more abstract vision. Whatever one may believe about his acting, he sings magnificently.

Gottlob Frick is probably as good as anybody who has ever essayed Papa Rocco, a basically conventional and quite tedious part, save for his big duet with Fidelio in Act II.

Walter Berry was an admirable singer and very effective as Don Pizarro, but villainous characters were not his strength as a performer. Some have held that he did not achieve the sheer malignancy that Hotter spewed so generously over Covent Garden. My own opinion, for what it's worth, is that neither of them could match Gustav Neidlinger as the hateful Pizarro.

Gerhard Unger was perfectly competent in what is effectively the throw-away part of Jaquino. Ingeborg Hallstein has been about equally praised and denounced for the youthful tremulousness she brought to Marzelline.

For those who know "Fidelio" well, this is the standard recording. For those who wish to become acquainted with an operatic wonder, this is as good an introduction as may be found.

1st half wonderful, 2nd not so great (tenorial nightmare).......2005-02-05

Why do so many of the reviews of this recording focus on the tenor when they should focus on how great the (mezzo) soprano Ludwig is?

The first half is great because the main tenor is absent (and Gottlob Frick is always fun).

The second half is where the rot sets in when the dreaded Jon Vickers makes his first appearance and we start to hear the unfocussed protruding 'e'-vowel. This spoils an otherwise outstanding recording. Sigh. See my review of the Karajan Tristan/EMI recording for more on this horrible phenomenon.

Whilst I've given this 4 stars, the 5 star rating must go to the Fricsay recording on DG -- the fabulous Ernst Haefliger doesn't have an 'e'-vowel problem. :-)

VICKERS IS A WONDERFUL FIDELIO.......2004-09-25

I LOVE THIS RECORDING OF FIDELIO - BUT THEN I AM A BIG BIG FAN OF JON VICKERS. HIS PERFORMANCE AS FIDELIO IS VERY MOVING AND WHEN HE SINGS "FREIHEIT, FREIHEIT" IT BRINGS CHILLS. THE ACTING AND THE SINGING ARE FIRST CLASS.

Average customer rating:

I love it!
Famous Beethoven slow movements
Number of discs
I Know Music, and This is Not the Best (by Beethoven Lover)
Not the Best By beethoven Lover

Beethoven for Relaxation

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II

ASIN: B00000I9LZ
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2, 'Moonlight': Adagio sostenuto
Symphony No. 2 In D, Op.36: II. Larghetto
String Quartet No.13 In B-Flat, Op.130: V. Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo
Violin Sonata No.5 In F, Op.24, 'Spring': II. Adagio molto espressivo
Fur Elise
Triple Concerto In C, Op.56: II. Largo
Piano Sonata No.8 In C Minor, Op.13, 'Pathetique': II. Adagio cantabile
Fidelo, Act I: Quartet 'Mir ist so wunderbar'
Piano Sonata No. 18 In E-Flat, Op.31, No.3: III. Menuetto: Moderato e grazioso
Serenade In D, Op.8: II. Adagio
Symphony No.6 In F, Op.68, 'Pastoral': II. Scene By The Brook

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2, 'Moonlight': I Adagio sostenuto
Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36: II Larghetto
String Quartet No. 13 In B-Flat, Op. 130: V Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo
Violin Sonata No. 5 In F, Op. 24, 'Spring': II Adagio molto espressivo
Fur Elise
Triple Concerto In C, Op. 56: II Largo
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, 'Pathetique': II Adagio cantabile
Fidelio, Act I: Quartet 'Mir ist so wunderbar'
Piano Sonata No. 18 In E-Flat, Op. 31 No. 3: III Menuetto: Moderato e grazioso
Serenade In D, Op. 8: II Adagio
Symphony No. 6 In F, Op. 68, 'Pastoral': II Scene By The Brook

Customer Reviews:

I love it!.......2007-01-21

I've had this CD for about 6 years now and it never gets old. As the title suggests, it's great for relaxing with a good book and a glass of wine. I find myself reaching for this CD whenever I get a migraine. I had always heard that the complexities of Beethoven's music could ease a migraine, or I suppose any headache. I've never been able to find any substantiated proof of this but from my experience the music eases my headaches. Whether it's psychological is still a mystery to me. Fact is, I love this CD and it's never far from me.

Famous Beethoven slow movements.......2006-01-15

The real Beethoven would probably be irritated with compilation CD's like this that "cherry picks" a variety of slow movements from various works he composed. But, the average listener today will see it as a great way to get to know his music and enjoy an hour of more serene music - less Beethoven's more intense movements. The variery here is broad: solo piano, violin + piano, string quartet and full orchestra symphonies and concertos. The dreamy solo-piano pieces are some of Beethoven's most beloved and alluring slow movements that vaulted him to fame. While these and the chamber music tend to be more "relaxing," the latter orchestral pieces especially contain shifts in tempo, dynamic range and emotion that some might not find so relaxing. After all, this is Beethoven with a full orchestra and not Bach or the Baroque.

But, all is not lost if you are looking for a collection of serene, lyrical music composed by the great Beethoven. There actually is a CD that features some of Beethoven's most endearing and melodic adagios and largos: "Beethoven for Book Lovers" (Philips label). This CD is mostly comprised of the nicest slow movements from Beethoven's ten violin sonatas (violin + piano) played by the legendary David Oistrakh - a violinist with one of the most gentle and beautiful tone ever recorded. Fortunately for those wanting uninterupted peacefulness, there are only a couple of those typical "Beethoven outbursts" in this CD (very brief though). But, overall, the flow and tone of the entire CD is truly relaxing, enchanting and not distracting. All of these works reveal the gentle side of Beethoven and his surprizing ability (for such a fiery composer) to write music of such poinant and tenderhearted emotional appeal. Also, the "Chopin for Relaxation" is one of the better ones in this series and features some of Chopin's slower, more serene solo-piano music and the ever-so lovely middle movements from his two legendary piano concertos.

Number of discs.......2005-03-16

The ad above shows 2 discs with the same track names... this item has only 1 disc with 11 tracks (names as shown above).

I Know Music, and This is Not the Best (by Beethoven Lover).......2005-02-21

Ok, I'll admit, this is a pretty good album, but it lacks the feeling of Beethoven. Its songs don't sound like Beethoven is playing, and its not too relaxing. It deserves three stars because of this lack of the great Beethoven himself. Sure, the songs are pretty, but I'd buy a different album if I was you.

Not the Best By beethoven Lover.......2005-02-20

not completely a delight...shows little Beethoven in it all, deserves only about two or three stars.

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

Average customer rating:

Mill. Classical review
classical music for the unitiated
Some little gems there that I had forgotten!
A very helpful collection
Excellent!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Rhapsody in Blue - Ultimate Piano Collection [20 CD Set]
Masters of Classical Music (Box Set)
Little Night Music - Ultimate Mozart Collection [20 CD Set]
Passion - Most Famous Orchestral Spectaculars [20 CD Set]
Rendezvous of Angels - Concert Collection [20 CD Set]

ASIN: B00000K1C9
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Tracks:

Brandenbutg Concerto No.3 In G First Movement
Overture No.3 In D Second Movement
Violin Concerto In E First Movement
Prelude In C minor
Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Chorus From Cantata No.147)
Overture No.2 In B minor Minuet And Badinerie
Oboe Concerto In D minor Second Movement
Brandenburg Concerto No.4 In G Third Movement
Musical Offering - Fuga canonica
Easter Oratorio - Overture
Minuet In D minor
Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel herunter(From Choral Prelude BWV 650
Brandenburg Concerto No.1 In F Second Movement
Art Of The Fugue - Contrapunctus 9
Concerto For Flute, Violin, Harpsichord And Strings. Triple Concerto - Third Movement
Overture No.4 In D - Réjouissance
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Water Music - Alla Hornpipe
Xerxes - Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
Messiah - And The Glory Of The Lord
Concerto Grosso In A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 - Larghetto Affettuoso
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 4 Allegro
Water Music - Air
Messiah - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Concerto Grosso In B flat, Op. 3, No. 2 - Largo
Salomon - Sinfonia, Act 3
The Choice Of Hercules - While For Thy Arms
Water Music - Allegro (Suite No. 1)
Suite No. 5 In E - Air With Variations
Jephtha - How Dark, O Lord
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 5 Alla Siciliana - Presto
Mi Palpita Il Cor (Solo Cantata) S'un Di M'adora
Water Music - Andante Allegro Da Capo
Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra in E-flat: First Movement
Symphony No. 94 in G: Surprise Symphony-second movement
Concerto for Violin No. 2 in D: Third Movement
Flute Trio No. 31 in G: Second Movement
Symphony No. 31 in D: Hornsignal-First Movement
String Quartet No. 17 in F, Op. 3, no. 5: Serenade Quartet-Second Movement
Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat for Violin, Cello, Oboe, Bassoon and Orchestra-Third Movement
Concerto for 2 Horns & Orchestra in E-flat: Second Movement
Symphony No. 88 in G: Fourth Movement
String Quartet No. 77 in C: Kaiser Quartet-Poco adagio cantabile
Notturno No. 1 in C: Second Movement
Symphony No. 98 in B: Londoner No. 4-Fourth Movement
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - first movement
Piano Concerto in A - second movement
Flute Concerto in D - Rondeau
Serenade - Minuet
Violin Concerto - first movement
Symphony No. 40 in G minor - first movement
Clarinet Concerto - second movement
Turkish March
Divertimento - Minuet
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat - first movement
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67-First Movement
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, no. 2: Moonlight Sonata-First Movement
Overture
O welche Lust (Prisoners' Chorus)
Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarros's Aria)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Second Movement
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 61: Third Movement
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: Pathétique-Second Movement
Sympony No. 6 in F, Op. 68: Pastorale-First Movement
Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 80: Choral Fantasy - Finale
German Dance No. 1 In C
Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3 In G-Flat
Heidenroslein
Ave Maria
Der Lindenbaum
Quintet In A 'Trout Quintet' - Andante
Mass No. 6 In E-Flat - Kyrie
Die Schone Mullerin Des Mullers Blumen
German Dance No. 2 In G
Piano Sonata In B-Flat
Nachtgesang Im Walde
Winterreise - No. 15: Die Krahe
German Mass - Zum Sanctus (Heilit, Heilig Ist Der Herr)
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished' - Second Movement
Waltz No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 18 Grande Valse brillante
Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, no. 2
Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, no. 5
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21-Second Movement
Mazurka in D minor, Op. 33, no. 2
Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28, no. 15 Raindrop
Etude in C, Op. 10, no. 1
Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, no. 2
Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 Fantasy Impromptu
Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35-Third Movement
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor - first movement 113.String Seranade - Waltz
Violin Concerto - second movement
The Sleeping Beauty - Waltz
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Swan Lake - Waltz
Eugene Onegin - Polonaise
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers
Orchestral Suite No. 4 - Mozartiana - Third Movement
Swan Lake - Dance of the Swans
Symphony No. 6 in B minor - Pathétique - Third Movement
Hungarian Dance No.5
Lullaby
Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op. 68 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in E-flat, Op.117, no. 1
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77 - Third Movement
Waltz, Op. 39, no. 15
Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83 - Second Movement
String Quintet in G, Op. 111 - Second Movement
Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op. 98 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 76, no. 7
Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
German Requiem Selig sind die Toten (Final Chorus)
Die Fledermaus - Overture
Kaiser Waltz, Op.437
Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324
Roses From The South Waltz, Op. 388
AnnenPolka, Op. 117
Vienna Blood Waltz, Op. 354
Eljen A Magyar Polka, Op. 332
Wine, Women and Song Waltz, Op. 333
On The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 134
Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Overture
Tannhauser - Die Pilger sind's (Pilgims' Chorus)
Tannhauser - O du mein holder Abendstern (Wolfram's Aria)
Lohengrin - Act 3 Prelude and Bridal Chorus
The Flying Dutchman - Jo-ho-he Traft ihr das Schiff (Senta's Ballad)
The Flying Dutchman - Steuermann, lass die Wacht (Sailors' Chorus)
Die Walkure - Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond (Siegmund's Aria)
Die Walkure - Ride of the Valkyries
Siegfried Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! Schmiede mein Hammer (Siegfried's Forging Song)
Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod
Thus sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (excerpt)
Don Juan, Op. 20
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, I.Nacht
Don Quixote, Op.35, first movement: Introduction
Salome, Op. 54, Dance Of The Seven Veils
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, Finale: Hab' mir's gelobt ihn lieb zu haben
Piano Concerto 2 In C minor, Op. 18 - First Movement
Vocalise, Op.34, No. 14
Prelude In G Sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12
Piano Concerto No. 4 In G minor, Op. 40 - Third Movement
Symphony No. 2 In E minor, Op. 27 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F sharp minor, Op. 1 - Second Movement
Rhapsody, Op. 43 On A Theme By Paganini
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Liebestraum No.3 in A-flat
Piano Concerto No.1 in E-flat - third movement
Angelus
Mephisto Waltz No.1 (Dance in a Village Tavern)
Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
Dante Symphony - Finale. - Purgatorio - Magnificat
Les Préludes
Boléro
Daphnis et Chloé first movement: Nocturne
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Shéhérazade - first movement: Asie
Ma Mère l'Oye - fourth movement: La Belle et la Bête
Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet
La Valse
Slavic Dance No. 1 in C, Op. 46, no.1
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World' - second movement
Humoresque, Op. 101
Slavic Dance No. 8 in G minor, Op. 46, no. 8
Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 22 - second movement
Romance for Violin and Orchestra In F minor, Op. 11
Symphony No. 7 in D minor - third movement
Melodie (Songs My Mother Taught Me)
Carneval Overture, Op. 92
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104 - third movement
Symphony No.4 In A, Op. 90. Italian - First Movement
Frühlingslied In A, Op. 62, No. 6
Wedding March (From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61)
Duetto In F, Op.30, No.6 (From Songs Without Words)
String Symphony No.9 In C. Schweitzer Symphony - Third Movement
Concerto For Violin, Piano And String Orchestra No. 1 In D minor - Second Movement
Symphony No.3 In A minor, Op.56 Scottish - Third Movement"
Notturno (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14
String Symphony No. 12 In G minor - First Movement
Venetian Gondola Song In F Sharp minor, Op.30, No.6
Scherzo (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Violin Concerto In E minor, Op.64 - Third Movement
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - Morgenstimmung
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - I. Prelude. Allegro vivace
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - IV. Air. Andante religioso
Arietta, Op. 12, no. 1
Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Solveig's Song
Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6
The Last Spring, Op. 34, no. 2
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op 46 - Anitra's Dance
Nordic Melody Op. 63
Notturno, Op. 54, no. 4
Elegie, Op. 47, no. 5
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Arabic Dance
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 - Allegro
Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97 - Rhenish - first movement
Traumerai (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)
Mondnacht (from Eichendorff-Liederkreis, Op. 39)
Aufschwung (from Fantasietucke, Op. 12)
Triolett, Op. 114, no. 2
Tanzlied (No. 1 from Duets, Op. 78)
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120 - second movement
Frühlingsgruss
Abschied (from Waldszenen Op. 82)
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - Im wunderschonen Monat Mai
Manfred Overture, Op. 115
Romance in F sharp, Op. 28, no. 2
Die Rose stand im Tau
Liebesgarten (from Four Duets, Op. 34)
Warum? (from Fantasiestucke, Op. 12)
Kennst du das Land, Op.79, no. 29 (from Lieder der Mignon, Op. 98a)
Von fremden Landern und Menschen (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)

Album Description

An extraordinary 20-CD collection of great works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, J. Strauss, R. Strauss, Schumann, Wagner, Dvorak, Grieg and Liszt. It also features worldrenowned artists such as Sir Neville Marriner, Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelich, Hermann Prey, Reiner Goldberg, Sylvia Sass, Jochen Kowalski, Peter Schreler and many more. This exquisite, copper metallic, deluxe boxed set is the perfect gift for the classical music neophyte.

Customer Reviews:

Mill. Classical review.......2007-05-13

This is a great set of recordings for the money, the only problem was I've had to clean some of the CD's before they played correctly.

classical music for the unitiated.......2007-04-01

This set is a good way to start listening to classical music. It's very well produced and easy to listen to. I purchased it to use as part of my world history high school class. It would have been nice to have some bio information on the composers. However, the product is exactly as advertised and good value for the money. The students were intrigued by how many of the excerpts they had heard before.

Some little gems there that I had forgotten!.......2007-03-30

Although I studied classical music at school, I had all but forgotten it until I bought this set. I heard several tracks I haven't heard for over 30 years, and I had been humming Brahms's 'Hungarian Dance no. 5' for years without ever knowing what it was and it was on the disc, so that was nice.

I found it to be a very good selection overall, but I felt too much had already been heard on TV, which of course is what lots of newcomers to classical music might appreciate. I managed to find about 2 hours of tracks that I wanted to keep, which works out quite expensive per disc, but I did find some wonderful music I had completely forgotten about, so it was worth it. All in all, it represents good value, and I have only knocked one star off as so much of it had been used in adverts.

It is definitely a good introduction to classical music, and it has made me want to listen to more of it, so I don't regret this 'expensive' purchase one bit!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

A very helpful collection.......2007-03-24

I define this set as an excellent way to find out who you like, and who you don't, among 20 of the important composers. It opens the door to purchasing more complete pieces by composers you do like, and can save a lot of time and money in the process.
To criticize the set for not containing more composers, or more than just snippets of those who are in the set, is missing the point: it is a helpful introduction to finding your way in the huge maze of classical music. It succeeds admirably in this.
Sound quality is uniformly very good on an audiophile system.
Highly recommended.

Excellent!.......2007-03-08

A great way to start a classical music collection. It's nice to have a full CD of each composer. It makes it easy to keep track of selections/composers I already have and what composers I still need to puchase to complete my collection.

Average customer rating:

Mostly good
Look at the List of Performers First
this "masterworks" series is available much more cheaply from Amazon France
You heard guy below: Beethoven needs the royality checks!
Buy my box Set!

Beethoven: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set)
Bach: Complete Works - 155 CD Box Set
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)

ASIN: B00062FLHE
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Mostly good.......2007-05-26

A bit of a mixed bag. The symphonies are superb. This is one of the great symphony cycles. The piano sonatas are good, very good (analog) sound. The quartets are well recorded indeed, but there are better cycles out there. The rest is OK, and the sound is genrally good.

Look at the List of Performers First.......2006-11-17

If you want most of Beethoven sitting on one bookshelf, this is a great bargain (especially if you shop for it on amazon.de). But few if any of the performances represent the pinnacles of interpretation that most listeners demand when Beethoven is the composer. The symphonies for instance: can Blomstedt be compared to Furtwangler or (if you lean toward historically informed instrumentation) Gardiner? Most amazingly, the artists who perform the quartets -- the heart of Beethoven's music -- are not even named in the listing.
On the other hand: Vivaldi: The Masterworks is a collection including the very best interpreters, such as Fabio Biondi! Bach Edition (complete Bach) is a fabulous selection of recordings made over 20 years, and almost the same praise can be given the Complete Mozart.

this "masterworks" series is available much more cheaply from Amazon France.......2006-05-28

there are several sets in this series and it's much cheaper to buy these from Amazon France.

included are bach, beethoven, vivaldi, brahms, dvorak, schubert, handel, hayden, and mendelssohn.

they're even cheaper than the list price once u go through the checkout (VAT is removed for overseas (out-of-france) purchases).

**also, the 'complete works of mozart' set is much cheaper there (or at Amazon Germany), too. the 'complete works of bach' is due out later this year.

You heard guy below: Beethoven needs the royality checks! .......2006-04-07

There is quality beyond the Austrian green cardboard (which is lovely to look at, to say the least). In fact, the performance of the symphonies (Dresden Staatskapelle and Herbert Blomstedt) is alone worth the price. The Staatskapelle is a solid group, and Blomstedt, although less wellknown, holds his own. It should be mentioned that Blomstedt recorded many of the most celebrated 20th composition CDs on the market, and definitely knows his stuff. Peter Wohlert recorded mostly for compiliation lables, but to be selected by the Berlin Phil shows that he is a formdiable conductor in rank as well.

Should you buy this collection then? Given the fact that each CD cost $1.75, there is definitely the bargin factor. However, Beethoven's music desveres the top interpreters and musicians of our time - and this applies for all of his music, not just the symphonic. If you are into bargins, then proceed to buy this collection. However, if you save up a bit more, you can buy Karajan's 1963 Beethovens symphonies along with Kempff's 1956 sonata cycles for just a bit more than 70 bucks. Shop around for the string quartets, and the complete overtures should range anywhere from 15 to 30 bucks depending on the conductor/ensemble.

Overall, this is certainly an exceptional bargin. However, quality matter more than money. Besides, chicks dig people with sophisticated tastes.

Buy my box Set!.......2006-03-21

Awesome deal, 40 CD box set of me, Beethoven! There are 3 principle reasons you should buy this box set:

This box is QUALITY my friend, made of the finest, Austrian cardboard with a lovely green finish, it is made to last! You can just set it on your dresser and whenever you need a Beethoven fix you can just pull a CD out. But don't you hate getting your CDs out of order so you can't find what the hell you're looking for?! Not with this set! They are well organized into symphonies, concerti, sonatas and such, so you can find EXACTLY what your looking for, and they have big numbers on them so you can put them right back where they belong.

And the music! Need we go into this, composed through the inspiration of God himself and penned by the greatest composer who ever walked the streets of Vienna, me, Beethoven! Top notch, all done by top performers and recorded at high, clear, digital quality, stick one in your stereo and rock out man! All of my great and mighty works are here, absolutely sublime!

Lastly, you'll be supporting me, I need those royalty checks to keep rolling in!

Buy it if you love me or just buy it if you want people to think that you're sophisticated (the chicks also dig it, I should know: Antonie Brentano, giggity!), you can't go wrong!

A - Z of Opera (includes 762 page booklet)

Average customer rating:

AN OPERA OPUS THAT'S A MUST!
The Best
Superb Modestly Priced Favorite Arias Collection!!!
Wonderful introduction to opera

A - Z of Opera (includes 762 page booklet)
Puccini , Thomas Harper , Ingrid Kertesi , Scholars Baroque Ensemble , and Hungarian State Opera Orchestra
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

1. OuvertÜRe
2. Act 1- Jetzt, Schaetzchen, Jetzt Sind Wir Allein
3. -Jacquino, Jacquino-
4. Nr. 2 Aie- -O WÄR Ich Schon Mit Dir Vereint-
5. -Guten Tag, Marzelline. Ist Fidelio Noch Nicht ZurÜCk--
6. Nr. 3 Quartett- -Mir Ist So Wunderbar-
7. -HÖRe, Fidelio!-
8. Nr. 4 Arie- -Hat Man Nicht Auch Gold Beineben-
9. -Ihr KÖNnt Leicht Sagen, Meister Rocco-
10. Gut, Shoenchen, Gut, Hab Immer Mut
11. Nr. 6 Marsch
12. -Hauptmann! Drei Schildwachen Auf Den Wall-
13. Nr. 7 Arie Mit Chor- -Ha! Welch Ein Augenblick-
14. -Hauptmann! HÖRen Sie!-
15. Nr. 8 Duett- -Jetzt, Alter, Jetzt Hat Es Eile!-
16. Abscheulicher! Wo Eilst Du Hin-...; Komm, Hoffnung, Lass Den Letztenstern
17. -Aber Marzelline! FrÜHer, Da War Ich Der Gute-
18. Nr. 10 Finale I- -O Welche Lust, In Freier Luft Den Atem Leich T Zu Heben!-
19. -Nun Sprecht, Wie Ging's--
20. -Leb Wohl, Du Warmes Sonnenlicht-