Martin: Ballades

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The ballade was Frank Martin's specialty. The Swiss composer wrote six of them throughout his long career, each featuring a different solo instrument or group of solo instruments. They are all from about 10 to 15 minutes in length, and like Samuel Barber's Essays for Orchestra, they pack a great deal of concentrated, communicative music into a very small space. The work for viola, wind, harp, harpsichord and percussion is a particularly colorful and evocative work, but then all of them are marvelously written and all too rarely encountered in the concert hall for the simple reason that they're too short. These performances are terrific. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Piano Quartet No.1 in G Minor, OP.25: 1. Allegro
Piano Quartet No.1 in G Minor, OP.25: 2. Allegro ma non troppo
Piano Quartet No.1 in G Minor, OP.25: 3. Andante con moto
Piano Quartet No.1 in G Minor, OP.25: 4. Rondo alla Zingarese: Presto
Ballades, Op.10: 1. Andante - Allegro - Andante
Ballades, Op.10: 2. Andante - Allegro non troppo - Molto staccato e leggiero - Andante
Ballades, Op.10: 3. Intermezzo. Allegro
Ballades, Op.10: 4.Andante con moto

Amazon.com

Back in those awful days before recordings, there was an entire industry devoted to making chamber reductions of large orchestral pieces, because if you wanted to hear the latest symphony, you had to play it yourself at home. Recordings changed all that, and now we have just the opposite: a trend towards playing chamber music in arrangements for large orchestra. Many listeners, then, may be familiar with this piano quartet from Schoenberg's wacky orchestral transcription, which features all kinds of instruments (like xylophone and celesta) that would have given Brahms a heart attack. In any case, here's an excellent performance of the original work, and it's really fun to listen to both versions. Check them out and see what you think. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Passionate Brahms.......2007-02-13

This recording of Brahms's G minor Piano Quartet, the most celebrated of his three works in the genre, is absolutely spectacular. Rarely does such passion from all members of a group come through so clearly and beautifully as it does in this disc. Every bar, every phrase has real character, though never exaggerated or artificial. The slow movement is as tender as one could hope for; the last movement every bit as fleeting and brazen as any work I have ever heard recorded. There is no doubt Mr. Gilels is one of history's great Brahmsians; the Amadeus, though not as celebrated for Brahms as others, here matches Gilels's spirit. This recording is not sentimental and not overly sensitive. It is, however, genuine, heartfelt, and, to my mind, certainly the finest available of this work. The Ballades, op. 10 provide a wonderful filler.

The best performance of Gilels in his life.......2004-05-07

First at all. I've always thought that Gilels is a superb musician altough something cold to my taste.

His readings of Rachmaninov lack that humanism that should be in your mind your soul and your fingers when you play that romantic composer.

I make this previous statement because when I decided to acquire this record in those Lp's days , in 1980., I did it because the two only references that I knew still didn't fill my requests.
So it happened the incredible. What happened in that recording evening? I don't know but Gilels was enraptured and possesed by Dionsyan inspiration and The Amadeus quartet in their best.

The result was an amazing performing, from the first bar to the last one. Every note is played with a comittment like the same Casals would have been present in the recording studio. What kind of playing! Personally I think this is the definitive version of this quartet op. 25.

Don't think I've tried. I tried with Serkin-Bush, I've bought Edwin Fisher and I found in New York Badura Skoda Janigro Fournier and all those recordings were well made but without enthusiasm and even an atom of sparkling light.

Many people don't seem understand that Brahms' shyness and all those comentaries about his craft , would make him the first on the line in Beethoven's heritage in his time.

For me, (and this is a personal consideration), Brahms suffered a personal crisis knowing the huge responsability upon his shoulders when he presented his first Symphony. And the fact that seems prove this statement is that the first symphony is Op.48.

This long speech allows me conclude that in the chamber music's mood he seemed to feel less presure and he , in certain way he felt with a major liberty to compose. Remeber also that the chamber music was a more intimate music and not for all the great audiences.

In this sense, even to understand the musical language of Johannes Brahms, please go and listen first all his chamber music. You'll find such kind of hidden treasures such the clarinet's quintets and his two strings quintets, for example, and then go for meeting the symphonic Brahms.

And if you had some doubt about the quality and great musicality of this genere in Brahm's music, go and explore how much of his music was played by Casals in Prades. Doesn'it tell you anything?
Back to the quartet op. 25, you'll find a young Brahms, in the peak of his craft.

And consider this recordings among the best performers of this important sign Deutsche Grampohone.

The sound in CD is fabolous.

Don't miss that version for any reason. It's essential for you to have it in your personal collection.

And then you 'll forget the others versions you had before.

Believe me.

Absolutely Wonderful Stuff.......2002-07-06

This recording of the Piano Quartet Opus 25 is one of the best. Full of vigor, passion, and power. The piano and strings are matched in their conception of a big tone even in the quiet passages. You can hear many different interpretations of this work, but I don't know of any that are actually better. This is one of my favorites, but I admit to being a Gilels fan and biased towards anything he ever did.

The Opus 10 Ballades are youthful works that fans of Brahms always love and young pianists love to learn. Well, this recording of these pieces will give them a great model to shoot for.

The recording sounds great and is definitely worth owning.

clasping hands.......2001-05-21

This performance of Johannes Brahms' (1833-1897) Klavierquartett Nr. 1 is among my favourite. With equal proficiency, Mr Emil Gilels (1916-1985) and the Amadeus Quartet express both the power and delicacy of this complex piece. From a technical perspective, I don't know what separates this from other recordings. When I listen to this, though, I am enthralled by the range of emotions. The notes by Mr Peter Cossé explain the importance of Deutsche Grammophon's signing of the Russian pianist during the Cold War. "In those days, in the late '60s and early '70s, a contract between an artist from the Soviet Union and a Western label was a sensational event in cultural diplomacy" Perhaps it is this cultural significance which inspired the performers. If you are interested in "one of the most significant pianists of the 20th century", in chambre music by one of the most significant composers of the 19th century, or in romantic music played extremely well, this CD will interest you.

Brahms soiree.......2000-12-30

This writer would have to confess a certain lack of objectivity as far as Emil Gilels is concerned . Indeed , Gilels was the first great musician he ever heard and the pianist's rendition of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata left an unforgettable impression . However , it seems indisputable that Gilels' contribution to the G Minor Quartet is distinguished and members of the Amadeus Quartet respond with eloquent , comitted playing . The 4 Ballades are simply among the indispensible classical recordings of the 20th century .

Average customer rating:

Worthwhile, especially if you like Brahms

Brahms: Complete Piano Music

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Gavottes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Canons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Mendelssohn: Complete Piano Music
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
Works for Solo Piano
Liszt: Piano Works
Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music

ASIN: B0000037BE
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Son No.1 In C, Op.1: I. Allegro
Son No.1 In C, Op.1: II. Andante
Son No.1 In C, Op.1: III. Scherzo: Allegro Molto E Con Fuoco
Son No.1 In C, Op.1: IV. Finale: Allegro Con Fuoco
Scherzo In E Flat, Op. 4
Son No.2 In F#, Op.2: I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo, Ma Energico
Son No.2 In F#, Op.2: II. Andante Con Espressione
Son No.2 In F#, Op.2: III. Scherzo & Trio: Allegro-Poco Piu Moderato
Son No.2 In F#, Op.2: IV. Finale: Introduzione: Sostenuto-Allegro Non Troppo E Rubato
Study For The Left Hand (Inpromptu By Schubert, D. 899 No.2)
Study No.1 (Etude After Chopin, Op.25 No.2)
Study No.2 (Rondo After Weber, Op.24)

Tracks:

Four Ballades Op.10: No.1 Andante-Allegro-Andante
Four Ballades Op.10: No.2 Andante-Allegro Non Troppo-Andante
Four Ballades Op.10: No.3 Intermezzo: Allegro
Four Ballades Op.10: No.4 Andante Con Moto-Piu Lento-Tempo I
Vars On A Theme Of Robert Schumann, Op.9: Theme And Vars I-VI
Vars On A Theme Of Robert Schumann, Op.9: Vars VII-XVI
Son No.3 in f, Op.5: Allegro Maestoso
Son No.3 in f, Op.5: Andante: Andante Espressivo
Son No.3 in f, Op.5: Scherzo & Trio: Allegro Energico
Son No.3 in f, Op.5: Intermezzo: Andante Molto
Son No.3 in f, Op.5: Finale: Allegro Moderato Ma Rubato

Tracks:

Theme And Vars In D (From The Second Movt Of The Str Sxt, Op.18): Andante, Ma Moderato
Vars On An Original Theme Op.21, No.1: Theme And Vars I-VII
Vars On An Original Theme Op.21, No.1: Vars VIII-XI
Vars On A Hungarian Song, Op.21, No.2: Theme And Vars I-XIII
Sarabande In A
Gigue In A
Sarabande In B
Gigue In B
Vars And Fugue On A Theme Of Handel, Op.24: Aria And Vars I-XV
Vars And Fugue On A Theme Of Handel, Op.24: Vars XVI-XXV
Vars And Fugue On A Theme Of Handel, Op.24: Fuga

Tracks:

Vars On A Theme Of Paganini, Op.35: Book I
Vars On A Theme Of Paganini, Op.35: Book II
16 Waltzes, Op.39: I-VIII
16 Waltzes, Op.39: IX-XVI
Hungarian Dances: I. Allegro
Hungarian Dances: II. Allegro Non Assai
Hungarian Dances: III. Allegretto
Hungarian Dances: IV. Poco Sostenuto
Hungarian Dances: V. Allegro
Hungarian Dances: VI. Vivace
Hungarian Dances: VII. Allegretto
Hungarian Dances: VIII. Presto
Hungarian Dances: IX. Allegro
Hungarian Dances: X. Presto
Gavotte By Chr. W. Gluck

Tracks:

Eight Klavierstucke, Op.76: I. Capriccio: Un Poco Agitato
Eight Klavierstucke, Op.76: II. Capriccio: Allegretto Non Troppo
Eight Klavierstucke, Op.76: III. Intermezzo: Grazioso
Eight Klavierstucke, Op.76: IV. Intermezzo: Allegretto Grazioso
Eight Klavierstucke, Op.76: V. Capriccio: Agitato, Ma Non Troppo Presto
Eight Klavierstucke, Op.76: VI. Intermezzo: Andante Con Moto
Eight Klavierstucke, Op.76: VII. Intermezzo: Moderato Semplice
Eight Klavierstucke, Op.76: VIII. Capriccio: Grazioso Ed Un Poco Vivace
Two Rhaps, Op.79: I. Agitato
Two Rhaps, Op.79: II. Molto Passionato, Ma Non Troppo Allegro
Study No.5 Chanonne by J.S. Bach)
Study No.3 (Presto After J.S. Bach, Version 1)
Sarabande And Two Gavottes
Kanon
Kanon (Inverted)
Study No.4 (Presto After J.S. Bach, Version 2)
Kleine Klavierstucke

Tracks:

Fants, Op.116: I. Capriccio: Presto Energico
Fants, Op.116: II. Intermezzo: Andante
Fants, Op.116: III. Capriccio: Allegro Passionato
Fants, Op.116: IV. Intermezzo: Adagio
Fants, Op.116: V. Intermezzo: Andante Con Grazia Ed Intimissimo Sentimento
Fants, Op.116: VI. Intermezzo: Andantino Teneramente
Fants, Op.116: VII. Capriccio: Allegro Agitato
Klavierstucke, Op.117: I. Intermezzo: Andante Moderato
Klavierstucke, Op.117: II. Intermezzo: Andante Non Troppo E Con E Con Molto Espressione
Klavierstucke, Op.117: III. Intermezzo: Andante Con Moto
Klavierstucke, Op.118: I. Intermezzo: Allegro Non Assai, Ma Molto Appassionata
Klavierstucke, Op.118: II. Intermezzo: Andante Teneramente
Klavierstucke, Op.118: III. Ballade: Allegro Energico
Klavierstucke, Op.118: IV. Intermezzo: Allegretto Un Poco Agitato
Klavierstucke, Op.118: V. Romance: Andante
Klavierstucke, Op.118: VI. Intermezzo: Andante, Largo E Mesto
Klavierstucke, Op.119: I. Intermezzo: Adagio
Klavierstucke, Op.119: II. Intermezzo: Andantino
Klavierstucke, Op.119: III. Intermezzo: Grazioso E Giocoso
Klavierstucke, Op.119: IV. Rhap: Allegro Risoluto

Customer Reviews:

Worthwhile, especially if you like Brahms.......2000-02-28

Johannes Brahms was one of the key figures in Romantic Piano Music. His output for the instrument was varied and large, and this four-disc set is ample testament to that output. As it was with their complete Beethoven Sonatas set (by Bernard Roberts), so it it here: Nimbus have enlisted a fine artist with a good command of the piano to record all of Brahms' solo piano music, and whilst I am not a Brahms addict myself, I am sure it will give great pleasure to collectors and serious Brahms fans.

I could offer a critique of all the works on these discs, but it is enough to single out a particular highlight. Martin Jones is particularly stunning with his rendition of the Hungarian Dances (which in their piano solo versions are not easy at all). The recording quality throughout is superb, enhancing the subtleties of Jones' performance.

Tracks:

Ballade For Alto Saxophone And Orchestra: Andantino - Gigue - Blues
Ballad For Saxophone And Orchestra
Piece En Forme De Habanera For Saxophone And Chamber Orchestra
Preludio
Fuga
Misterio
Fugata
Oblivion
Adius Nonino
Libertango
Ballade For Saxophone And Strings
Czardas For Saxophone And Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

It can be a Cure for broken heart.......2007-06-27

I think it's one of the best interpretation of Piazzolla.
Piazzolla did not plan to make This suite, but I feel
they originally made a perfect suite.
And all songs are True song of soul, I think.

delightful, awesome, superb.......2006-02-07

This album has something for everyone; Serenity, excitement, passion all conveyed by the wonderful talents of Theodore Kerkezos and his sweet sounding saxophone. His opening track by Tomasi has the most beautiful harmonies and his vibrato really accentuates this. I am however a huge fan of the Piazzolla Tango Suite and this is a must for any saxophonist out there to listen to how a saxophone should be played. The Prelude has a distinct "Kill Bill" sound but it's oh so exciting. You've got elements of Bach's fugues but jazzed up especially in the Fugata. Then there's Oblivion, absolute pure sounding heart rendering music that you could just listen to all day. The album ends in the best fashion with Iturralde's "Czardas" which any saxophonist knows is a fantastic piece to perform and what a great finale to an outstanding collection of music.
This album is a must for any saxophonist and anyone that wants to hear some great works of the 20th century. I can't rate it enough and if there is anyone in two minds - BUY IT!

Striking Sax & Orchestra Works and Performances.......2004-09-21

I'm not a saxophonist and don't know the first thing about the technical aspects of playing this instrument. But to my ears Theodore Kerkezos sounds like a real expert as well as being a fine musician. He certainly has an opportunity here with these varied sax and orchestra pieces by composers ranging from Ravel to Piazzolla. As of the date of this review, Amazon has not supplied the contents of the CD, so I shall do so:

Tomasi: Ballade for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra
Frank Martin: Ballade for Saxophone and Orchestra
Ravel: Pièce en forme de habañera for Sax and Orchestra
Piazzolla: Tango Suite (arr. Kerkezos)
Dimitris Dragatakis: Ballade for Saxophone and Strings
Pedro Iturralde: Czárdás for Saxophone and Orchestra

The major works here are, of course, the Tomasi, Martin and Piazzolla pieces. The others, relatively speaking, are over in a flash. The Ballade by Dragatakis (1914-2001), originally for violin and piano, was recast by the composer for Kerkezos. It is a slow, lyrical outpouring, romantic in effect. The Czárdás by Iturralde (b. 1929) is a catchy combination of jazzy harmonies and the classic czárdás form, with its 'lassu' and 'friss' sections. The lassu has a haunting melody. Both these pieces are world première recordings. The Ravel Habañera (arranged by Arthur Hoérée) is by far the best-known piece here and it seduces in its melodic and sultry three minutes.

The 15-minute Ballade by Henri Tomasi (1901-1971) is a three-movement delight. The Andantino has a lovely lyrical impulse and is followed by a jolly Gigue. The third movement, surprisingly, is a soulful Blues. The piece has a subtext, a poem by the composer's wife about a melancholy clown. Tomasi's style is a kind of French impressionism that also sounds a bit like Milhaud in his lighter vein.

Frank Martin (1890-1974), a Swiss composer whose 15-minute-long Ballade was written in 1938 for the doyen of European classical saxophonists, Sigurd Rascher, wrote in a Rousselian impressionist style, always a bit astringent, always utterly clear in form, and this piece does not vary from that assessment. This is the most dramatic of the pieces presented here, sometimes rising to an anguished outpouring by the soloist. Very effective.

The big surprise for me here is the 22-minute 'Tango Suite' by Astor Piazzolla (arranged by Kerkezos) cast in seven continuous movements. I have been a bit of a holdout regarding the music of Astor Piazzolla; for some reason, the music of his that I'd heard didn't especially grab me. But this suite is really quite nice. It starts with a throbbing Preludio that leads directly into an expert (and perky) Fugue that has the saxophone playing lickety-split. Kerkezos shines here, as does the London Philharmonic under Robert Minczuk (a rising young Brazilian conductor currently associate conductor of the New York Philharmonic). 'Misterio' is a haunting and melancholy song followed by yet another contrapuntal (and up-tempo) tango, 'Fugata,' which has the saxophone playing a delirious chromatic subject taken up by the strings in imitation, all in tango rhythm. 'Oblivión,' taken from Piazzolla's sound-track for the movie, 'Henry IV,' is the most seductive tango here, with the sax in the spotlight, cushioned by silky strings. 'Adios Nonino,' written in memory of the composer's father, is, at seven minutes, the longest section. It is a miniature tone poem that limns the heavy tread of the approach of death followed by a serene and moving lullaby. The suite closes with a jazzy adaptation of the well-known tango, 'Libertango.' I am aware that I write of this music knowing almost nothing of Piazzolla's work, and cannot vouch that I got it right, but I do know that I was very impressed by this suite.For someone who has resisted the blandishments of the tango, I had certainly melted by the conclusion of this music.

The verdict: Grab it!

TT=66:13

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

LITTLE MARTIN MIRACLES
An Excellent Collection of Beautiful Instrumental Works

Martin: Ballades

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Frank Martin: Symphonie, for Large Orchestra / Symphonie Concertante, for Large Orchestra / Passacaglia, for Large Orchestra - Matthias Bamert
Frank Martin: 4 Sonnets à Cassandre; Piano Quintet; Violin Sonata
Martin: Petite symphonie concertante; In Terra Pax
Frank Martin: Complete Music for Piano & Orchestra
Frank Martin: Concerto for 7 Wind Instruments, Percussion & Strings / Studies for String Orchestra / Erasmi monumentum - Matthias Bamert

ASIN: B000000AX6
Release Date: 1995-08-22

Tracks:

Ballades For Piano, Trombone, Viola, Cello, Saxophone, And Flute: Ballade For Piano And Orchestra - Molto andante
Ballades For Piano, Trombone, Viola, Cello, Saxophone, And Flute: Ballade For Trombone And Piano - Largamente
Ballades For Piano, Trombone, Viola, Cello, Saxophone, And Flute: Ballade For Cello And Small Orchestra - Adagio
Ballades For Piano, Trombone, Viola, Cello, Saxophone, And Flute: Ballage For Saxophone And Orchestra - Largo
Ballades For Piano, Trombone, Viola, Cello, Saxophone, And Flute: Ballade For Viola, Wind, Harp, Harpsichord, Timpani, And Percussion - Molot lento
Ballades For Piano, Trombone, Viola, Cello, Saxophone, And Flute: Ballade For Flute, String Orchestra And Piano - Allegro ben moderato

Amazon.com

The ballade was Frank Martin's specialty. The Swiss composer wrote six of them throughout his long career, each featuring a different solo instrument or group of solo instruments. They are all from about 10 to 15 minutes in length, and like Samuel Barber's Essays for Orchestra, they pack a great deal of concentrated, communicative music into a very small space. The work for viola, wind, harp, harpsichord and percussion is a particularly colorful and evocative work, but then all of them are marvelously written and all too rarely encountered in the concert hall for the simple reason that they're too short. These performances are terrific. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

LITTLE MARTIN MIRACLES.......2003-06-06

Eclectic Swiss composer, Frank Martin [1890-1974], inhabits a sophisticated and moody sound world, and these six "Ballades," collectively unavailable until now, offer us the broadest view of his art and emotional predilections, with each work in fascinating contrast with the other. Thus, the lengthy Ballade for Piano and Orchestra (16:56), a composition that, not unlike Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2, abounds in tense, bare-boned lyricism steeped in sardonic humor, when juxtaposed with the following brief Ballade for Trombone and Piano (8:00), a dark, focused, jazzy, Stravinsky-like piece, and then the extended Cello Ballade (15:56), the most mysterious of Martin's utterances, akin to Bloch's ruminations in Schelomo, rivets the listener and demands that he attend each work in turn. The sheer aural diversity of these compositions is fabulous. The Saxophone Ballade (14:45) opens like some ethereal "haunting," as does the Viola Ballade (12:23), and both proceed to mutate and develop in titillating, unpredictable neo-classicist ways. The Flute Ballade, very much in the style of Martinu, and spiritedly neurotic, maximizes the instrument's enormous potential in effect and display, song and stringency. Matthias Bamert leads The London Philharmonic, and various brilliant soloists, with a firm grip on authenticity and balance. The sound is extraordinary.

[Running time: 76:48]

An Excellent Collection of Beautiful Instrumental Works.......2000-06-10

"It is in the romantic sense of the term that I have taken this title 'Ballade' - in the spirit of the ballads of Ossian. There is in that the evocation of something epic: one is telling a story...." These works, ranging in length from 8 to over 15 minutes, contain some of Frank Martin's loveliest instrumental inspirations, & the 1-movement, multi-tempo form seems to suit his unique blend of Classical & Romantic temperaments beautifully.(The Ballades for flute, trombone & cello also exist in versions with piano accompaniment.) It's wonderful to have all 6 Ballades on a single disk, especially in these excellent performances - one of the best in Bamert's Martin series for Chandos. And this is the only currently available version of the Viola Ballade, one of the extraordinary works of Martin's last years.

Frank Martin: Harpsichord Concerto, Ballades

Average customer rating:

Wonderful, authoritative performances of treasurable music

Frank Martin: Harpsichord Concerto, Ballades

Manufacturer: Jecklin
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000009I2K
Release Date: 1995-12-12

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful, authoritative performances of treasurable music.......2003-05-25

The great Swiss composer Frank Martin (1890-1974) fortunately left a rich legacy of recordings in which he participated as conductor, pianist or supervisor. Sometimes one must "listen through" cramped broadcast sound, but not here. These fine studio performances, made by Radio Suisse Romande in 1971, are outstanding both for musicianship and engineering.
This is, astonishingly, the only available version of the Concerto for Harpsichord & Small Orchestra (1951/52), one of Martin's most treasurable pieces. The interplay between the soloist - who has a demanding virtuoso part - and an expertly handled ensemble of winds and strings is frequently magical, especially in the mysterious, rhapsodic slow movement. (The delicate sonorities look forward to the chamber orchestra that accompanies the spirit Ariel in Martin's operatic setting of Shakespeare's Tempest, his next composition.)
The two Ballades, one for Piano (1939) and the other for Trombone (1940), are one-movement, multi-tempo works whose material is rich enough to supply an entire concerto. The Piano Ballade shows Martin's Romantic side (especially next to the more "Classical" formal world of the Harpsichord Concerto) while the trombone gets to show off both its moody, lyrical side and its playful, jazzy one. There have been several fine recordings of these two works, but these remain among the best. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Gottschalk: Piano Music, Vol. 4

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Gottschalk: Piano Music - 3
Gottschalk: Piano Music-Volume 5
Gottschalk Piano Music - 2
Piano Music 6
Gottschalk: Piano Music

ASIN: B00004I9SK
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Average customer rating:

A great compilation
Liszt
Incomparable Brendel
Beutiful

The Art Of Alfred Brendel

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ecossaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000041E6
Release Date: 1996-03-12

Tracks:

Andante con variazioni In F Minor, Hob. XVII:6
Sonata In E Flat, Hob. XVI:49: 1. Allegro
Sonata In E Flat, Hob. XVI:49: 2. Adagio e cantabile
Sonata In E Flat, Hob. XVI:49: 3. Finale. Tempo di minuetto
Sonata In C, Hob. XVI:50: 1. Allegro
Sonata In C, Hob. XVI:50: 2. Adagio
Sonata In C, Hob. XVI:50: 3. Allegro molto
Sonata In E Flat, Hob. XVI:52: 1. Allegro
Sonata In E Flat, Hob. XVI:52: 2. Adagio
Sonata In E Flat, Hob. XVI:52: 3. Finale. Presto

Tracks:

Sonata In A Minor, KV 310: 1. Allegro maestoso
Sonata In A Minor, KV 310: 2. Andante cantabile con espressione
Sonata In A Minor, KV 310: 3. Presto
Fantasia In C Minor, KV 475: Adagio - Allegro - Andantino - Piu allegro - Tempo I
Sonata In C Minor, KV 457: 1. Molto allegro
Sonata In C Minor, KV 457: 2. Adagio
Sonata In C Minor, KV 457: 3. Allegro assai
Sonata In B Flat, KV 333: 1. Allegro
Sonata In B Flat, KV 333: 2. Andante cantabile
Sonata In B Flat, KV 333: 3. Allegretto grazioso

Tracks:

Sonata In A, KV 331: 1. Tema con variazioni
Sonata In A, KV 331: 2. Menuetto
Sonata In A, KV 331: 3. Alla turca. Allegretto
Rondo In A Minor, KV 511: Andante
Piano Concerto In E Flat, KV 449: 1. Allegro vivace
Piano Concerto In E Flat, KV 449: 2. Andantino
Piano Concerto In E Flat, KV 449: 3. Allegro ma non troppo
Piano Concerto In C, KV 467: 1. Allegro
Piano Concerto In C, KV 467: 2. Andante
Piano Concerto In C, KV 467: 3. Allegro vivace assai

Tracks:

Concerto In E Flat, KV 365 For Two Pianos And Orchestra: 1. Allegro
Concerto In E Flat, KV 365 For Two Pianos And Orchestra: 2. Andante
Concerto In E Flat, KV 365 For Two Pianos And Orchestra: 3. Rondeaux. Allegro
Piano Concerto In B Flat, KV 450: 1. Allegro
Piano Concerto In B Flat, KV 450: 2. (Andante)
Piano Concerto In B Flat, KV 450: 3. Allegro
Piano Concerto In F, KV 459: 1. Allegro vivace
Piano Concerto In F, KV 459: 2. Allegretto
Piano Concerto In F, KV 459: 3. Allegro assai

Tracks:

Piano Concerto In D, KV 537 - Coronation: 1. Allegro
Piano Concerto In D, KV 537 - Coronation: 2. Larghetto
Piano Concerto In D, KV 537 - Coronation: 3. Allegretto
Adagio In B Minor, KV 540
Piano Concerto In B Flat, KV 595: 1. Allegro
Piano Concerto In B Flat, KV 595: 2. Larghetto
Piano Concerto In B Flat, KV 595: 3. Allegro

Tracks:

Sonata No. 3 In C, Op.2 No.3: 1. Allegro con brio
Sonata No. 3 In C, Op.2 No.3: 2. Adagio
Sonata No. 3 In C, Op.2 No.3: 3. Scherzo. Allegro
Sonata No. 3 In C, Op.2 No.3: 4. Allegro assai
Sonata No.11 In B Flat, Op.22: 1. Allegro con brio
Sonata No.11 In B Flat, Op.22: 2. Adagio con molta espressione
Sonata No.11 In B Flat, Op.22: 3. Minuetto
Sonata No.11 In B Flat, Op.22: 4. Rondo. Allegretto
Sonata No.18 In E Flat, Op.31 No.3: 1. Allegro
Sonata No.18 In E Flat, Op.31 No.3: 2. Scherzo. Allegretto vivace
Sonata No.18 In E Flat, Op.31 No.3: 3. Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso
Sonata No.18 In E Flat, Op.31 No.3: 4. Presto con fuoco
Bagatelle In A Minor, WoO 59 'Fur Elise'
6 Ecossaises, WoO 83

Tracks:

6 Variations In F, Op.34: Thema
6 Variations In F, Op.34: Variation I
6 Variations In F, Op.34: Variation II
6 Variations In F, Op.34: Variation III
6 Variations In F, Op.34: Variation IV
6 Variations In F, Op.34: Variation V
6 Variations In F, Op.34: Variation VI - Coda
5 Variations In D, WoO 79 On 'Rule Britannia': Thema
5 Variations In D, WoO 79 On 'Rule Britannia': Variation I
5 Variations In D, WoO 79 On 'Rule Britannia': Variation II
5 Variations In D, WoO 79 On 'Rule Britannia': Variation III
5 Variations In D, WoO 79 On 'Rule Britannia': Variation IV
5 Variations In D, WoO 79 On 'Rule Britannia': Variation V - Coda
6 Variations In G, WoO 70 On 'Nel cor piu non mi sento': Thema
6 Variations In G, WoO 70 On 'Nel cor piu non mi sento': Variation I
6 Variations In G, WoO 70 On 'Nel cor piu non mi sento': Variation II
6 Variations In G, WoO 70 On 'Nel cor piu non mi sento': Variation III
6 Variations In G, WoO 70 On 'Nel cor piu non mi sento': Variation IV
6 Variations In G, WoO 70 On 'Nel cor piu non mi sento': Variation V
6 Variations In G, WoO 70 On 'Nel cor piu non mi sento': Variation VI
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Tema: Vivace
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation I: Alla marcia maestoso
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation II: Poco allegro
Variation III: L'istesso tempo
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation IV: Un poco piu vivace
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation V: Allegro vivace
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation VI: Allegro ma non troppo e serioso
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation VII: Un poco piu allegro
Variation VIII: Poco vivace
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation IX: Allegro pesante e risoluto
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation X: Presto
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XI: Allegretto
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XII: Un poco piu moto
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XIII: Vivace
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XIV: Grave e maestoso
Variation XV: Presto scherzando
Variation XVI: Allegro - Variation XVII
Variation XVIII: Poco moderato
Variation XIX: Presto
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XX: Andante
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXI: Allegro con brio - Meno allegro
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXII: Allegro molto
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXIII: Allegro assai
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXIV: Fughetta. Andante
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXV: Allegro
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXVI
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXVII: Vivace
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXVIII: Allegro
Variation XXIX: Adagio ma non troppo
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXX: Andante, sempre cantabile
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXXI: Largo, molto espressivo
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXXII: Fuga. Allegro - Poco adagio
33 Variations In C, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli: Variation XXXIII: Tempo di minuetto moderato

Tracks:

SONATA NO.23 IN F MINOR, OP.57 'APPASSIONATA': 1. Allegro assai
SONATA NO.23 IN F MINOR, OP.57 'APPASSIONATA': 2. Andante con moto
SONATA NO.23 IN F MINOR, OP.57 'APPASSIONATA': 3. Allegro ma non troppo
Andante In F, WoO 57 (Andante favori)
Sonata No.29 in B flat, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': 1. Allegro
Sonata No.29 in B flat, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': 2. Scherzo. Assai vivace
Sonata No.29 in B flat, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': 3. Adagio sostenuto. Apassionata e con molto sentimento
Sonata No.29 in B flat, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': 4. Largo - Allegro risoluto

Tracks:

15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Introduzione col basso del tema - Tema
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation I
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation II
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation III
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation IV
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation V
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation VI-VII
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation VIII
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation IX
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation X
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation XI
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation XII
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation XIII
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Variation XIV-XV
15 Variations And Fuge In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica Variations': Finale. alla fuga
6 Bagatelles, Op.126: 1. Andante con moto
6 Bagatelles, Op.126: 2. Allegro
6 Bagatelles, Op.126: 3. Andante cantabile e grazioso
6 Bagatelles, Op.126: 4. Presto
6 Bagatelles, Op.126: 5. Quasi allegretto
6 Bagatelles, Op.126: 6. Presto - Andante amabile e con moto - Tempo I
Sonata No.24 In F Sharp, Op.78 'For Therese': 1. Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo
Sonata No.24 In F Sharp, Op.78 'For Therese': 2. Allegro vivace
Sonata No.30 in E, op.109: 1. Vivace, ma non troppo - Adagio espressivo - Tempo I
Sonata No.30 in E, op.109: 2. Prestissimo
Sonata No.30 in E, op.109: 3. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No.4 In G, Op.58: 1. Allegro moderato - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No.4 In G, Op.58: 2. Andante con moto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No.4 In G, Op.58: 3. Rondo. Vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat, Op.73 'Emperor': 1. Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat, Op.73 'Emperor': 2. Adagio un poco mosso - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat, Op.73 'Emperor': 3. Rondo. Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

Sonata In A Minor, D. 537: 1. Allegro, ma non troppo - Schubert
Sonata In A Minor, D. 537: 2. Allegretto quasi andantino - Schubert
Sonata In A Minor, D. 537: 3. Allegro vivace - Schubert
Sonata In A, D. 664: 1. Allegro moderato - Schubert
Sonata In A, D. 664: 2. Andante - Schubert
Sonata In A, D. 664: 3. Allegro - Schubert
Sonata In A Minor, D. 784: 1. Allegro giusto - Schubert
Sonata In A Minor, D. 784: 2. Andante - Schubert
Sonata In A Minor, D. 784: 3. Allegro vivace - Schubert
16 German Dances, D. 783 - Schubert

Tracks:

Sonata In C, D. 840: 1. Moderato - Schubert
Sonata In C, D. 840: 2. Andante - Schubert
Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: 1. Moderato - Schubert
Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: 2. Andante un poco moto - Schubert
Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Trio. Un poco piu lento - Schubert
Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: 4. Rondo. Allegro vivace - Schubert
Fantasy In C, D. 760 'Wanderer' Fantasy - Schubert

Tracks:

Sonata In D, D. 850: 1. Allegro vivace - Schubert
Sonata In D, D. 850: 2. Con moto - Schubert
Sonata In D, D. 850: 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Schubert
Sonata In D, D. 850: 4. Rondo. Allegro moderato - Schubert
Sonata In G, D. 894: 1. Molto moderato e cantabile - Schubert
Sonata In G, D. 894: 2. Andante - Schubert
Sonata In G, D. 894: 3. Menuetto. Allegro moderato - Schubert
Sonata In G, D. 894: 4. Allegretto - Schubert
Allegretto In C Minor, D. 915 - Schubert

Tracks:

Sonata In C Minor, D. 958: 1. Allegro - Schubert
Sonata In C Minor, D. 958: 2. Adagio - Schubert
Sonata In C Minor, D. 958: 3. Menuetto. Allegro - Schubert
Sonata In C Minor, D. 958: 4. Allegro - Schubert
Sonata In A, D. 959: 1. Allegro - Schubert
Sonata In A, D. 959: 2. Andantino - Schubert
Sonata In A, D. 959: 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Schubert
Sonata In A, D. 959: 4. Rondo. Allegretto - Schubert
12 German Dances, D. 790 (Ller) - Schubert

Tracks:

Sonata In B Flat, D. 960: 1. Molto moderato - Schubert
Sonata In B Flat, D. 960: 2. Andante sostenuto - Schubert
Sonata In B Flat, D. 960: 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace con delicatezza - Schubert
Sonata In B Flat, D. 960: 4. Allegro ma non troppo - Schubert
11 Ecossaises, D. 781 - Schubert
Hungarian Melody In B Minor, D. 817 - Schubert
6 Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 1 In C, en ut majeur - Moderato - Schubert
6 Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 2 In A Flat, As-dur, en la bemol majeur - Andantino - Schubert
6 Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 3 In F Minor, f-moll, en fa mineur - Allegro moderato - Schubert
6 Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 4 In C Sharp Minor, cis-moll, en ut diese mineur - Moderato - Schubert
6 Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 5 In F Minor, f-moll, en fa mineur - Allegro Vivace - Schubert
6 Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 6 In A Flat, As-dur, en la bemol majeur - Allegretto - Schubert

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In E flat: 1. Allegro maestoso
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E flat: 2. Quasi adagio - Allegretto vivace - Allegro animato
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E flat: 3. Allegro marziale animato
Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: 1. Adagio sostenuto assai - Allegro agitato assai
Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: 2. Allegro moderato
Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: 3. Allegro deciso - Marziale un poco meno allegro
Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: 4. Allegro animato
Danse macabre, Paraphrase On (Dies Irea): Danse macabre, Paraphrase On Dies Irea
Csardas macabre
Valse oubliee No. 1 In F Sharp

Tracks:

Annees de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 1. Chapelle de Guillaume Tell
Annees de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 2. Au lac de Wallenstadt
Annees de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 3. Pastorale
Annees de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 4. Au bord d'une source
Annees de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 5. Orage
Annees de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 6. Vallee d'Obermann
Annees de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 7. Eglogue
Annees de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 8. Le mal du pays
Annees de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 9. Les cloches de Geneve (Nocturne)
Annees de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 1. Sposalizio
Annees de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 2. Il Penseroso
Annees de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 3. Canzonetta del Salvator Rosa
Annees de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 4. Sonetto 47 del Petrarca
Annees de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 5. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
Annees de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 6. Sonetto 123 del Petrarca

Tracks:

Annees de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 7. Apres une lecture de Dante (Fantasia quasi Sonata)
Annees de pelerinage - Troisieme annee: 2. Aux cypres de la Villa d'Este. Threnodie No. 1
Annees de pelerinage - Troisieme annee: 4. Les jeux d'eau de la Villa d'Este
Annees de pelerinage - Troisieme annee: 5. Sunt lacrimae rerum (En mode hongrois)
Annees de pelerinage - Troisieme annee: 7. Sursum corda (Erhebet eure Herzen)
Weihnachtsbaum-Suite: 7. Schlummerlied
Weihnachtsbaum-Suite: 9. Abendglocken
Trube Wolken
Klavierstuck In F Sharp, S. 192 No. 3
En Reve - Nocturne
R.W. - Venezia
Vexilla regis prodeunt
Mosonyis Grabgeleit
Schlaflos! Frage und Antwort
Unstern - Sinistre

Tracks:

Sonata In B Minor: Lento assai - Allegro energico
Sonata In B Minor: Andante sostenuto
Sonata In B Minor: Allegro energico-Andante sostenuto-Lento assai
La lugubre gondola No.1
La lugubre gondola No.2
Legendes: 1. Saint Francois d'Assise: la predication aux aiseaux
Legendes: 2. Saint Francois de Paule marchant sur les flots
Harmonies poetiqes et religieuses: No. 7 Funerailles

Tracks:

Fantasia and Fugue on Theme B-A-C-H
Harmonies poetiques et religieuses: No. 1 Invocations
Harmonies poetiques et religieuses: No.3 Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude
Harmonies poetiques et religieuses: No.4 Pensees des morts
Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen
Isoldens Liebestod: Isoldens Liebestod: Final Scene From Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor Op. 15: 1. Maestoso - Poco piu moderato
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor Op. 15: 2. Adagio
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor Op. 15: 3. Rondo. Allegro non troppo - Piu animato - Tempo I
Theme And Variations

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat, Op. 83: 1. Allegro non troppo
Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat, Op. 83: 2. Allegro appassionato
Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat, Op. 83: 3. Andante - Piu adagio
Four Ballades, Op. 10: 4. Allegretto grazioso - Un poco piu presto
Four Ballades, Op. 10: No. 1 In D Minor
Four Ballades, Op. 10: No. 2 In D
Four Ballades, Op. 10: No. 3 In B Minor
Four Ballades, Op. 10: No. 4 In B

Tracks:

Kreisleriana, Op. 16: 1. Ausserst bewegt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: 2. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch - Intermezzo I (Sehr lebhaft) - Intermezzo II (Etwas bewegter)
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: 3. Sehr aufgeregt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: 4. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: 5. Sehr lebhaft
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: 6. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: 7. Sehr rasch
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: 8. Schnell und spielend
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 1. Von fremden Landern und Menschen
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 2. Kuriouse Geschichte
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 3. Haschemann
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 4. Bittendes Kind
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 5. Gluckes genug
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 6. Wichtige Begebenheit
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 7. Traumerei
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 8. Am Kamin
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 9. Ritter vom Steckenpferd
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 10. Fast zu ernst
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 11. Furchtenmachen
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 12. Kind im Einschlummern
Kreisleriana, Op. 15: 13. Der Dichter spricht
Kreisleriana, Op. 12: 1. Des Abends
Kreisleriana, Op. 12: 2. Aufschwung
Kreisleriana, Op. 12: 3. Warum?
Kreisleriana, Op. 12: 4. Grillen
Kreisleriana, Op. 12: 5. In der Nacht
Kreisleriana, Op. 12: 6. Fabel
Kreisleriana, Op. 12: 7. Traumes-Wirren
Kreisleriana, Op. 12: 8. Ende vom Lied

Tracks:

Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 1. Thema
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 2. Variation III
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 3. Etude I
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 4. Variation I
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 5. Variation II
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 6. Etude II
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 7. Etude III
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 8. Etude IV
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 9. Etude V
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 10. Variation IV
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 11. Etude VI
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 12. Etude VII
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 13. Etude VIII
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 14. Etude IX
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 15. Variation V
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 16. Etude X
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 17. Etude XI
Symphonische Etuden, Op. 13: 18. Etude XII
3 Romances, Op.94: 1. Nicht scnell
3 Romances, Op.94: 2. Einfach, innig
3 Romances, Op.94: 3. Nicht scnell
Abendlied, Op. 85 No. 12
Adagio und Allegro In A Flat, Op. 70
Fantasiestucke, Op. 73: 1. Zart und mit Ausdruck
Fantasiestucke, Op. 73: 2. Lebhaft, leicht
Fantasiestucke, Op. 73: 3. Rasch und mit Feuer

Tracks:

5 Stucke im Volkston, Op. 102: No. 2 Langsam
5 Stucke im Volkston, Op. 102: No. 3 Nicht schnell, mit viel Ton zu spielen
5 Stucke im Volkston, Op. 102: No. 4 Nicht zu rasch
Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 54: Allegro affettuoso
Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 54: Intermezzo. Andantino gracioso
Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 54: Allegro vivace
Fantasy In C, Op. 17: Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen- im Legendenton - Tempo primo
Fantasy In C, Op. 17: Massig Durchaus energisch - Etwas langsamer - Viel bewegter
Fantasy In C, Op. 17: Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten - Etwas bewegter

Customer Reviews:

A great compilation.......2004-04-25

Ever since I got a disc of Alfred Brendel playing Beethoven's favourite piano sonatas, I've had a special attention for his recordings and his view on music. To me, he is one of the best examples of a perfectionist. Lazy listeners call his way of playing pedantic but that is completely untrue. Listen more closely to any of is recordings and you'll hear an endless variety of colours, the most shimmering nuances and above all, tremendous warmth. But he is certainly not a perfectionist in the negative sense that is sometimes attached to the word: aside from being imposingly musical, his performances always have a great feeling of 'humanity'. There are many other great performers of the German repertoire (from Haydn to Brahms) but Brendel's recordings have a special familiarity to me, and he gives more than anyone else the feeling to me that the composer's genuine thoughts are present in the performance.

Brendel has a very special tone that accustoms itself very well to many different kinds of pieces. One of the essays in this great set deals with the many different sounds Brendel can create at the piano, something that intrigues me very much too. It is fascinating to hear how he touches the keys in his Mozart and Haydn recordings: here, he gets a sound out of the grand piano that sounds almost like the ancient fortepiano. Combined with his sharp and almost biting playing, he preserves some of the spirit of the time in which the works were composed, but combines this with the much richer and detailed sound of a modern instrument. Haydn's sonatas sparkle and so do Mozart's concertos.

In his Beethoven recordings, which are very well represented in this set, Brendel uses a somewhat similar style, but adapts more to the Beethovenian sound world: his tone is still aggressive but a little mellower and greater. He focuses a lot on small details and plays with a rather gentle sound in the variations, while his Hammerklavier doesn't avoid the grand gesture. The Piano concertos with Levine are full of joy and superbly crisp. Beethoven's works can be performed in a more massive or sweeter way, but that's what other recordings are for.

Brendel's Schubert is very notable for its total avoidance of the sweet and precious image of the composer that has settled somehow. Here, Schubert is presented as an ultimately dark and despairing composer, an image that is very appropriate regarding his general output. While Brendel sometimes tends to calm a bit of the hysteria in pieces like Beethoven's Appassionata, in Schubert he mainly emphasizes it. Hear how he attacks the Wanderer Fantasy, especially in the last minutes. Or how severely he gets the A minor sonata D784 to its throat. This is essentially the way I think Schubert should always sound.

It will be surprising for some to notice how much of Liszt has been recorded by Brendel, and also to hear how they sound. The Liszt recordings in this set show the composer from his most intellectual and imposing side. Brendel may generate an enormous sound that not everyone will associate with him from "Orage" in the Années de Pelerinage, but it is impressive rather than showy. Similarly, the Sonata receives the most detailed and complete performance I've heard, the Piano Concertos are simply stunning on all accounts and the variations on a Bach cantata show both the composer and the performer at their very best. It may be surprising to hear but I think you won't hear any better Liszt than this.

Finally there's a box dedicated to Brahms and Schumann. Brahms is another surprise. Brendel's D minor Concerto is one of the most impressive readings I've heard, close to Serkin/Szell, and his B flat is fine too, if a bit less impressive. His playing style here somewhat resembles that of his Liszt: it is rich, grand and always commanding. Few performers are as well able as Brendel is to match the endlessly complex musical thread of these two concertos. The fourth Ballade op.10 settles among the best readings - Kempff, Arrau, you name them. The Schumann pieces are performed in a way resembling Beethoven's smaller works: they create the same familiar living-room image, and it gets even more beautiful when oboist Heinz Holliger joins him to play a few folksong-like pieces. The set closes with a wonderful Schumann fantasy.

The track listing say that there's a bonus disc included as well, containing Brendel's first recording of Liszt's Christmas Tree suite, but my own set did actually not contain this bonus disc. With or without that disc, this is a set any piano aficionado should not miss. The only drawback can be the price, which is pretty high (not surprising with such a huge set)--if you can find it at all, now that the set seems to be OOP. At any cost, this is one the best box sets I own. If contains a thorough look at one of the most profound and intellectual artists of recent time and gives endless enjoyment.

Liszt.......2001-05-11

I recently purchased the boxed set of just the Liszt items from The Art of Alfred Brendel. I learned to love Schubert piano music by listening to Brendel, but Liszt was something of an exploration. And what a guide to take you on the journey! If you get the opportunity to get the Liszt set don't turn it up in preference to the more respected composers - Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert etc.

Incomparable Brendel.......2000-12-29

I wish to focus on the works of Liszt included in this gargantuan package. Brendel is held in universal esteem, regarded by many as the greatest living pianist. His reputation is of unimpeachable musicality and seriousness of purpose (which does not contradict his ability to find musical humor wherever it lurks). He shows unparalleled ability to get to the musical core of the "Great Repertory" (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms); his performances leave mere pianism far behind. His championing of Liszt's music is especially important for just this reason. Liszt is too often accused of flashy superficiality. Nobody can accuse Brendel of this fault. And his Liszt recordings are among the most intellectual and probing, yet most moving, of any. He reveals Liszt as a daring and supremely important master. The pyrotechnics of the piano concerti are invested with real meaning, and the utterly spare, laconic late pieces become profound meditations on the human condition. His readings of Benediction de Dieu dans la Solitude and of the Variations on Bach's "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" make one grateful for the very existence of music -- and for the capacity to capture it for posterity in recordings.

Beutiful.......2000-04-05

This is beutiful music. I have played some of his pieces on my flute and they are absoultly gorgeous. If you are a true classical music lover then you must buy this and have many nights by the fire with this wonderful music in the backround.

Brahms: Sonata No. 1; Four Ballads; Handel Variations

Average customer rating:

Brahms: Sonata No. 1; Four Ballads; Handel Variations

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E0AH
Release Date: 1992-12-02

The Rubinstein Collection (Limited Edition) [Box Set]

Average customer rating:

There were greater talents.
This Is No Lesson in Economics...
CLASSICAL MUSIC AT ITS MOST EXPENSIVE (AND BEST)
It's actually not so expensive
A Superb Reissue

The Rubinstein Collection (Limited Edition) [Box Set]

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | 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 | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | 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
ASIN: B00001O2XZ
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com

A retail price of $1,600 for a box set? Granted, it's not something most of us can afford. But, for piano buffs and fans of Artur Rubinstein, this mammoth limited-edition 94-CD set might be an investment to consider. For starters, BMG has collected all of the approved studio recordings of Rubinstein (including 200 or so that have never been on CD) and added a handful of previously unreleased recordings and some interviews. The lot has been remastered for this collection using the latest technology (RCA's disc-and-a-half Highlights sampler actually showcases some of the more dramatic remasterings)--a good thing, when you consider that many of these master tapes have a lifetime's worth of surface noise. You get a lavishly illustrated book with essays and photographs and a nice case to store the works; everything but the credit plan is included, really. Of course, it's up to you to decide whether you want 706 recordings of 347 pieces played by the same great pianist. And, though owning Rubinstein's three complete cycles of Beethoven's concertos might sound tempting, will you really listen to each of them? Probably not, but if you need 'em, here they are. (His Chopin cycles, on the other hand, you will listen to repeatedly!) It's easily one of the most impressive and comprehensive box sets that classical music has seen: a true career overview with excellent remastering and handsome packaging that reflects the collection's price tag (unlike some box sets that are just that: CDs in boxes). Do you need it? Probably not. Will you want it? You bet. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

There were greater talents........2005-05-30

I must confess that I hate Rubinstein's sound as a pianist, but his dedication and verve were notable. Think though of Claudio Aurru's gifts, remarkable... I feel that to love Rubinstein one must love a world of safe emotional borders and sameness; sorry A.R fans. jb

This Is No Lesson in Economics..........2004-10-10

It is a natural tendency when reviewing items in this price-point to contemplate cost-effectiveness first and foremost. Considering that CDs have no nutritional value and cannot keep kids off crack, I am uncomfortable recognizing, much less crossing, some line in the sand where space ordinarily reserved for record-reviews must yield to amateur musings on the evils of conspicuous consumption or macroeconomic conceptions of social justice. Let's assume for the moment that this box set is free, removing from our purview the materialistic thrill or global economic blight one might seek and/or wish to stave off in purchasing it.

Rubinstein's "official" recorded output is astounding. It spans 5 decades, and encompasses significant forays into the oeuvre of dozens of composers. Though technique is generally expected to decline with age, few pianists live to be 96 years old. Rubinstein the pianist and Rubinstein the musician reached their highest collective summit when Rubinstein the man was well into his 60s. The "late-bloomer" aspect of his career places a considerable quorum of his most polished recordings squarely within the stereo era. Some of this material had made its way onto CD prior to this release, most notably his Chopin. Unfortunately, Rubinstein's well-deserved public acclaim as Chopin's supreme torchbearer unjustly limits his reputation along "expresio unius est exclusio alterius" lines. For example, though Rubinstein chose to record only a small handful of Beethoven sonatas, it is doubtful that one might hear them better played, even by his Beethoven specialist contemporaries Schnabel and Kempff. Rubinstein also ardently championed French and Spanish music, and is said to have loved performing Brahms most of all. This release places many of his most accomplished recordings before the ears of the listening public for the first time since their original release on vinyl.

I am frequently intoxicated by the earliest recordings from the 30s and 40s. Some of them, like his first traversal of the Chopin scherzi, are bite-your-nails-til-they-bleed thrilling. On the other hand, the initial limitations of the recording process required this (and every) pianist to make bothersome compromises with respect to tempi and dynamics at times. Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste. I am more consistently drawn to Rubinstein the wise-master than Rubinstein the young Turk.

RCA invested undisclosed sums of time and money into restoring, remixing, and remastering all of the recordings for this release. Some of the earlier recordings have been available on CD for quite some time (e.g. Chopin's Op. 28 Preludes, the Ormandy/Philadelphia Grieg concerto). Despite the intervention of acoustical restorationist-par-excellence Ward Marston, the remastering undertaken in the course of this project has not dramatically improved the sound on these releases. Short of traveling several decades into the past and placing more sensitive microphones in more strategic locations, there was probably little else that could have been done. Marston's brilliance is far more obvious in restoring to near original luster many deteriorating tape recordings from the late 40s and early 50s. The stereo recordings also sound fuller.

I am pleased with my purchase because having access (and, most importantly, having listened to) all of these recordings is a moving experience. It allows me to contemplate this extraordinary artist as a man, whose performance is inevitably colored by the accumulation of experience, the expanding flexibility of the recording process, the onset of maturity, and (perhaps sadly) declining physical powers. There are multiple recordings of most pieces in this collection, but I rarely find it difficult to cull a favorite among them. At this point, I play some of the records frequently, and others rarely. If your aim is to hear Rubinstein at his best, this set provides the resources you need to make what are at turns obvious, and others hopelessly personal choices. This set includes detailed (and mostly newly written) liner notes for each record as a well as an engaging hardcover book providing no fewer than 3 complete indices to the recordings (by date of recording, Composer, and Volume number). The box itself is a work of art, looks stunning on a shelf, and never requires polishing. Most of the 81 volumes are sold separately, and have been made available for download on the Apple Music Store.

While I will not claim that Rubinstein's interpretations are equally effective, I cannot think of any other pianist, now living or forever deceased, who could approach such a broad repertoire with the unwaivering technical finesse and prophetic musicianship evident in the bulk of his recorded output. If you never see the likes of a "Rubinstein Collection" on the shelf again, do not dismiss it as another textbook illustration of price elasticity. To do so is to dwell on on the vagaries of consumerism when the more important issue is that the next Rubinstein may never be.

CLASSICAL MUSIC AT ITS MOST EXPENSIVE (AND BEST).......2003-05-30

You have two choices: Starve the kids or skip the mortgage payments for a month or two. How else can you afford this 94 (!) disc set that captures every studio recording the classical icon ever recorded. Trust us: The kids are fat enough.

It's actually not so expensive.......2001-06-06

Provided you have the time, listening to this collection not only helps you better appreciate Rubinstein's supreme talent but also gives you some idea of his unfolding genius--how his technique and interpretation changed through the years. There's enough room in music for every kind of interpretation, as long as you take the music first, and all the interpretations Rubinstein offered are interesting. Of course this set is expensive, but it's nearly 100 CDs plus liner notes, so the price is not that bad. Besides, if you decide to really listen to this set the way it deserves, it's going to be years before you buy another CD.

A Superb Reissue.......2000-04-30

A friend of mine was able to aquire the Rubinstein Collection and I have been borrowing from it liberally.

RCA deserves to be commended on going the extra mile and releasing ALL of the authorized Rubinstein recordings, well organized and superbly remastered in this comprehensive edition. Hopefully, RCA will also release the individual volumes for those who are not completists or who simply cannot afford the entire set. True, this set is at full price. A source who was connected with this reissure has told me that RCA planned to issue the set at mid price, but the cost of this mammoth edition went far overbudget--and the full price was dictated by their production costs. Certainly, the money was well spent. The ramastering, particularly in the earlier recordings, must be heard to be believed. The packaging, documentation, and liner notes are all first class.

It is fascinating to trace Rubinstein's evolution as an interpreter--from the devil-may-care early days through the mature recordings of the 1950s, into the 1970s, when his playing on record tended to be a bit cautions.