Rachmaninov and Prokofiev

Track Listings

1. Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

2. Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3

Tracks:

RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto #2, Adagio
VERDI Preludio
PAGANINI "Introduzione e tema con variazioni"
BRAHMS Sonata for two pianos, Andante
MOZART Adagio in E Major
BEETHOVEN "Pathetique" Sonata, Adagio
YSAYE Sonate #2, "Malinconia"
BACH Prelude #22, Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
VERDI "Quando le sere al placido" (When the Evening Becomes Peaceful)
BACH Orchestral Suite #2
SIBELIUS The Swan of Tuonela
PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet
MASSENET Meditation from "Tha
RACHMANINOFF Prelude

Tracks:

TRADITIONAL Catalonian Folk Song
CHOPIN Piano Concerto #1, Larghetto
PUCCINI "Crisantemi" (Chrysanthemums)
SCHUMANN "Traumerei" (Dreaming)
TCHAIKOVSKY Swan Lake (excerpt)
K. YAMADA ''Chugoku-Chiho No Komoriuta" Lullaby
DEBUSSY "En Bateau" (By Boat)
BEETHOVEN Symphony #6 "Pastoral", Andante
MENDELSSOHN Songs Without Words
WEBER Introduction, theme and variations
GRANADOS "Goyescas" (Sketches on the works of Goya)
TCHAIKOVSKY Nocturne in F
HOLST The Planets, "Neptune"

Customer Reviews:

Better than most.......2007-02-08

This is a good mixture of elevator music, and some soft relaxing melodies.

Wonderful Music.......2007-01-18

Wonderful music for your listening pleasure. Very relaxing and soothing. Nothing beats classical music.

Most Romantic Classical Music in the Universe

Average customer rating:

very romantic to make love by
Great Mood Music

Most Romantic Classical Music in the Universe
Gabriel Faure , Felix Mendelssohn , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Fryderyk Chopin , Franz Liszt , Erik Satie , Robert Schumann , Antonin Dvorak , Gustav Mahler , Sergey Rachmaninov , Leos Janacek , Cesar Franck , George Frideric Handel , Jules Massenet , Sergey Prokofiev , Catalan Traditional , and Various Artists
Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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More of the Most Romantic Classical Music in the Universe
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe
More Of The Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe
The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!
The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II

ASIN: B00011V890
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

BIZET Aragonaise from Carmen
DEBUSSY Clair de Lune
SAINT-SAS The Swan
BEETHOVEN Moonlight Sonata, Adagio
TARREGA Recuerdos
FAURE Aprun rrie
,MENDELSSOHN Song without Words Op. 19 #6
TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade for Strings, Elegia, Larghetto elegaico
CHOPIN Ballade No. 1
LISZT Liebestraume
SATIE Gymnopedies No. 1
SCHUMANN Abendlied
MENDELSSOHN Song without Words Op. 62 #5
DVORAK Serenade for Strings, Larghetto
BEETHOVEN Fse

Tracks:

MAHLER Symphony No. 5, Adagietto
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2, Adagio
JANACEK Idyll for Strings, Adagio
FRANCK Violin Sonata, Recitativo-Fantasia
HANDEL Largo from Xerxes
CHOPIN Etude in E Major
TCHAIKOVSKY Swan Lake (excerpt)
MASSENET Meditation from "Tha
PROKOFIEV Romeo & Juliet
TRADITIONAL Nocturne in F
TCHAIKOVSKY Nocturne in F
RACHMANINOFF Prelude

Customer Reviews:

very romantic to make love by.......2007-06-11

The music is seductive and promotes an atmosphere of feeling uninhibited when you are making love.

Great Mood Music.......2006-08-11

This is a great CD to compliment any romantic situation. A meal by candle light, champagne on the veranda, or a Jacuzzi for two! Very soothing.

Average customer rating:

perfect selection for commencement/ graduation
Great Starting Point for Classical Music Novices
**An Exquisite Album**
Samples
Great Sampler!

Simply the Best Classical Anthems

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Thunderous Classics
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ASIN: B00004SUVI
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Requiem: Dies Irae
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
The Planets: Mars
The Ride Of The Valkyries
Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves
Fanfare For The Common Man
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1
Aida: Grand March
Summer - Four Seasons: Presto
Te Deum: Prelude
The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor
Symphony No. 5: First Movement
Spartacus: Adagio
Sabre Dance
Symphony No. 40: First Movement
Zadok The Priest
Turandot: Nessun Dorma

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathoustra
Romeo And Juliet: Dance Of The Knights
Requiem: Dies Irae
1812 Overture
Piano Concerto
Spring - Four Seasons: Allegro
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
The Royal Fireworks: La Ruissance From Music
Flight Of The Bumble Bee
Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold
Carmen: Overture
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Jerusalem
The Planets: Jupiter
Symphony No 9, 'Ode To Joy'
Swan Lake: Scene
Enigma Variations: Nimrod
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini [Variation 18]
Pictures At An Exibitions: Promenade
Symphony For Organ No 3: Finale, Symphony For Organ No 3

Customer Reviews:

perfect selection for commencement/ graduation.......2007-06-11

We were concerned after reading some other reviews that this version of Pomp and Circumstance wouldn't be the correct movement or the full length version. This selection has the song for graduation AND the extended length, so it gives plenty of time for processionals. If this is what you need, this is the CD to get.

Great Starting Point for Classical Music Novices.......2004-08-13

"Simply the Best Classicial Anthems" is exactly what the title indicates. This is a collection of what the CD says are "36 of the most powerful classics on Earth". My review of this CD comes from someone who is a Classical Music Novice. I'm familiar with some of the composers, musical styles, musical periods, and some of the terminology that is key to understanding Classical Music. By no means am I an expert. I have basically popped in this two CD collection into my player and have enjoyed the sounds it produces. If you are in the same category as I am or maybe just wanting to be introduced to Classical Music - this is going to be a very good CD to have in your collection. For the more seasoned Classical Music fan, this could be either enjoyable or overkill.

The CD contains 36 songs composed by the legends of Classical Music Composers from the past. The bulk of the works come from Composers in the the 19th and 20th century, but there are works from the Romantic and Classical eras of the late 18th and early 19th century (such as Beethoven and Mozart). In general you will find most of the major names of Composers you would expect to find - names such as Tchiakovsky, Handel, Verdi, Strauss, Elgar, and Bach are all there. The only major composer who I would have expected to see on this CD that I don't see is Frederic Chopin. The composers of the late 20th century are not included on this collection - so you won't see Leonard Bernstein or John Williams on this set. While these Composers are excellent, I do think style of the tracks on this collection pre-date their style.

The recordings themselves are done by the great Orchestras around the world. For the most part, European Orchestras were used to deliver the tracks. There are a few exceptions: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra delivers "The Ride of the Valkyries"; The Toronto Symphony Orchestra delivers "Dance of the Knights"; and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra delivers Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Some of the European Orchestras that are well known include: BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, Choeur Philhamonique de Strasbourg, and more. Also included are performances by well known names in the Classical space such as Marie-Claire Alain (Bach's "Toccate and Fogue in D Minor" and Saint-Saens' "Symphony for Organ No 3"), Piero Toso (Vivaldi's "Allegro From Spring - Four Seasons"), and Placido Domingo appears on Puccini's "Nessun Dorma".

The 2 Disc collection contains a total of over 2 hours and 6 minutes of music. The selections that are included in the set will sound very familiar to you when you play them. You probably have both heard and seen the names of tracks such as: Oref's "O Fortuna"; Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"; Beethoven's "First Movement from Symphony Number 5" and "Ode To Joy"; Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance", and Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Many of the other tracks will also sound familiar, but maybe not so much by name - such as Wagner's "The Ride of the Valkyries", Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathoustra"; Grieg's "Piano Concerto", and "Dies Irae" (versions included by Mozart and Verdi - you can compare the two and judge for yourself). As for the Discs themselves, I think most of the casual fans will like the selections on Disc Two better, but Disc One is still very good. On a sidebar, the Israel Philharmonic's version of "1812 Overture" is by far the best you will hear - particularly at the end, the booming drums create almost a 3 dimensional vision of fireworks being launched into the air.

There one big negative on this collection is some of the recording quality. The clarity of the recording is there, but some of the recording levels leave a lot to be desired. On some of the softer parts, it is barely audible without significantly turning up your volume. This is very evident on "O Fortuna" where you will hear almost dead silence during from the 30 second to 1:30 mark of the track unless you crank your volume up. Same with the first few seconds of Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathoustra" and Tchiakovsky's "1812 Overture". When the volume is cranked up you will hear them - but then the other sections will be way too loud. I'm surprised with modern technology that this couldn't be addressed better.

The liner notes are pretty thin. You do get the Composers, Performers/Orchestras, and recording dates. There isn't any more details than that and you won't learn anymore insight on the tracks than this information. Despite some of the shortcomings of the liner notes and recording volume, I still think this is an excellent place to start and do recommend this CD if you are a novice to Classical Music and are looking for a great place to start listening to what the Classics have to offer.

**An Exquisite Album**.......2004-02-21

Simply The Best Classical Anthems

Simply The Best Classical Anthems is a compilation album of `36 of the most powerful Anthems on Earth'. But, it is also said to be something else. It is said to be a gateway. A gateway to another world. A world where our imagination can run free without being shackled down by any borders or boundaries or rules or limits. A world that we have all seen or perhaps more accurately have all heard of but for many of us a world that we have never dared to enter. Never dared to enter because of fear. The fear of being ostracised and shunned by our community.

THE MYTH
`Classical Music!', I can hear some of you cry. `That isn't another world. That's just music for the upperclass, the high-brow, and the pompous.' Surprisingly, I too felt this way for a long time until I accepted the invitation made to me by Simply The Best Classical Anthems. I always felt that Classical Music was nice to listen to as background music for a Levis ad or a Car ad but I would consider people strange if they chose to hear it on its own. However, after having listened to this album I realised how wrong I was in my assumptions.

THE TRUTH
Music as with all forms of amusement helps to take you away from where you are now. It helps to relax you when you are stressed with anger; it helps to give you strength when you are vulnerable; it helps to keep your spirits up when you have faced tragedy or loss. It helps. And, for me the type of music that best conjures up the most passionate emotions (love, hate, courage and anger) at our most testing times is Classical Music.
How? I don't know.
Why? I don't know.
I can only promise you that in my experience it does.

THE CHEST
The album, in visual terms, is very difficult to overlook amongst the plethora of records that may surround it. This is because the album has a very distinct purple sleeve cover. Not any kind of purple mind you but the Cadbury's kind of purple. The kind of purple that carries with it an invitation. An invitation that if accepted promises you a treasure inside.
And since, I have always enjoyed the treasure within the purple Cadbury's Dairy Milk wrapper, I asked myself why would an album carrying the same invitation promise to be anything different? Thus, I parted with my tuppence worth and went back home to open this purple chest of promised treasures.

THE PROMISED TREASURE
As you may have guessed, the contents of the album are somewhat different to the contents of a Cadbury's bar. When I opened the album, I was presented with two compact discs. At first glance, there did not seem to be anything special about them. They were just your average, everyday, run of the mill compact discs. To tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed because I suppose I had hoped for something more.
However, looks can be deceptive. (Afterall, a Cadbury's Dairy Milk does not seem very appetising until you taste it!) And, also come November each year, I am always bemused and surprised at how the shabby contents of a cardboard box can both light up the sky and light up the faces of the neighbourhood. Thus, I pushed aside my assumptions and I ignited the discs (not literally of course, I just pressed the play button on the CD player). And, I let the fireworks begin.

THE KEY
From the very beginning, you will feel like you have unlocked the doorway to something special. And, after a full two hours of listening to both discs, you will feel like you have been taken out of this world and transported to another. Welcome to the world of Classical Music.

GUIDANCE
In the beginning, continue to listen to both discs in one go (i.e. one after the other). After a while, you will know which tracks you enjoy listening to the most. For those tracks you enjoyed the most make a promise to yourself that you will listen to the whole of the piece from which that track came from.
Good Luck on your quest if you choose to accept it.
Ride amongst the Valkyries, listen to the Flight of the Bumblebees, and use The Planets to keep you on the path.

I am not a good reviewer because as with all of my reviews I refuse to comment too much about what is inside the product but rather more about what effect the product has had on me. (Me, me, me. Vain & Egotistic, I know, so my friends and family keep telling me). But, I just want to cause a raucous about the product, enough not to spoil but enough of a raucous to let you experience it for yourself.

So my final words are:
Simply The Best Classical Anthems is an invitation. An invitation to the world of classical music. A world where you can begin a never-ending quest of curiosity. A curiosity that will always be rewarded with fulfilment.

Do you accept such an invitation?

Hope you found this review helpful.

Samples.......2003-11-23

The samples are too short and the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Having said that the choices are wonderful and the price is great. If you're looking for a overview of the best of classical music then this is for you. However if it's quality you're looking for then spent the extra money and look at other choices.

Great Sampler!.......2002-03-20

This is a good sampler, since it covers what you would want in a classical music CD. Looking at the tracks, it has the classic hits, such as "Ride of the Valkyries," "Toccata and Fugue," "Fanfare for the Common Man," "'Jupiter' from `The Planets,'" "Eine Klein Nachtmusik," and "Hallelujah Chorus."

There are also some new pieces that I have fallen in love with, such as "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," "'Promenade' from Pictures at an Exhibition." The compilers did an interesting double take by including both Verdi's and Mozart's "Dies Ire." I'm not sure which is better.

This music is good for the brain and good for the soul. There is a power and passion that the blaring and glaring music that makes up most of the FM band. I'm reminded of the religious man who said that there is no music in hell. Probably because they wouldn't appreciate it there.

Tracks:

No. 6, 'Pastorale' - Ludwig Van Beethoven
No. 29 In A Major, 1st Mvt. - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
No. 39 In F Major, Scherzando - Michael Haydn
No. 40 In G Minor, Minuet - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
No. 94 In G Major 'Suprise', Andante - Franz Joseph Haydn
No. 41 In C Major, 'Jupiter', 1st Mvt. - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
No. 34 In C Major, Finale - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
No. 5 In B Flat Major, Andante - Franz Schubert
No. 4 'Italian' 1st Mvt. - Felix Mendelssohn
Symphonie Fantastique 'Scenes From A Ball' - Hector Berlioz
No. 9, 'New World' Largo - Antonin Dvor
No. 6, 'Pastorale', 4th Mvt., 'Thunderstorm' - Ludwig Van Beethoven
No. 5 In C Minor, Andante - Ludwig Van Beethoven
No. 8 'Unfinished' 1st Mvt. - Franz Schubert
No. 2 In C Major, Scherzo - Robert Schumann
No. 9, 'New World', 4th Mvt. - Antonin Dvor
No. 5, 3rd Mvt., Waltz - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
'Classical Symphony', Gavotte - Sergey Prokofiev
No. 2 In E Minor 1st Mvt., Allegro - Sergei Rachmaninoff
No. 3, 'Organ Symphony', Finale - Camille Saint-Sa
No. 1 In C Minor, Finale - Johannes Brahms
No. 5 In E Major, Finale - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
No. 9, 'Choral Symphony' 3rd Mvt., Adagio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
No. 7, 1st Mvt. (Extract) - Ludwig Van Beethoven
No. 5 In C Minor, Finale - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Customer Reviews:

A Grand symphonic adventure.......2005-07-26

This album provides a quick exposure to some of the best movements in the best symphonies. Many of the tracks will sound familiar. They are played well and have good sound quality.
As a novice musician, i have great appreciation for it.

Average customer rating:

A "rare" collection
Music that will make you tingle inside...
Possible the most sublime cello sonata

Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev: Cello Sonatas

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rachmaninov: Complete Works for Cello and Piano
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Brahms: Sonatas for Cello and Piano

ASIN: B0000CD5GL
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Tracks:

I. Andante Grave - Moderato Animato - Allegro Moderato
II. Moderato - Andante Dolce
III. Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Andantino
I. Lento - Allegro Moderato - Moderato
II. Allegro Scherzando
III. Andante
IV. Allegro Mosso - Moderato - Vivace
II. Allegro
IV. Marcia. Energico
III. Finale. Allegro Vivo

Customer Reviews:

A "rare" collection.......2007-02-08

A wonderful grouping of well-known and less well-known pieces for cello and piano--a pleasure to listen to over and over again.

Music that will make you tingle inside..........2005-06-10

Ok, I don't usually write reviews, since of course, I see so many people spouting off at the mouth about things that they either don't understand or those that just want to complain or self-gratify.

That being said though, I had to write a little something about this cd. I'll admit a prejudice for those Ma-Ax recordings, so bear with me. I think they are one of the strongest ensemble musicians I've encountered. Not only in their duo recordings are they always musicians first and foremost and not merely soloists recording together but also in those venues which include other greats, like Isaac Stern or Richard Stoltzman.

The main pieces on this recording are nearly awe-inspiring. While Ax describes in the liner notes the Profiev as having some 'crude and ackward' treatment of the melodies, I found it to be very intense and dark. Loving every bit of the piece. I don't think its as intense as the Shostakovich, but there are some similarities.

The real gem on this cd though has to be the Rachmaninoff. There's a place towards the very beginning of the first movement that will make you tingle in a spot, that dare not speak its name, or my name isn't Artemis Jack, which it isn't, but I'm sure you'll still enjoy it anyway.

To be honest with you, there's not a moment in the Rachmaninoff that isn't filled with unbelievable lushness and magic, every moment in the sonata is amazing. You'd think that with a piece so heavily dominated by the piano that the cellist would get lost or pushed into a corner someplace. Not only does the cellist play a very important role, but in ways has the choicest melodies. I wouldn't guess that many cellists would find this piece terribly challenging, but I would hope they'd revell in the experience.

I should commend Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma for being the wonderful chamber musicians they are. One of the things that people don't always understand, musicians and audiences alike, is that chamber music is very 'conversational'. My own experience as a professional pianist has at times led me to despise working with others because they simply refuse to acknowledge or share with another musician. Lets face it, the score may list this instrument or that one first, but without the piano where in the world would you be??? The main thing in all of the chamber music environments is to converse, exchange, and relish in the experience thats available in playing such great music.

If there's anything to squak about it, its the following snippets from other works. I'm not sure who's brilliant idea it was to include them, but it really is annoying and almost taints the whole experience of the first two works. That isn't to say that the music isn't beautiful and wonderfully played, but for me, there was just nothing else that needed to be said after the Rachmaninoff. Besides, if you're able to hear the Shostakovich, played by Ma/Ax, you'll agree that having just the second movement is a letdown.

No matter, I hope you'll be able to experience this cd and all the lush wonderfulness it has to offer. I finally also apologize for succumbing to the very thing that I said I detested...verbose self-gratification! Oh well, whats a guy to do?

Possible the most sublime cello sonata.......2004-06-14

As the CD cover indicates, the star performance on this CD is the Rachmaninoff sonata played by Ma and Ax. I would recommend any cello music lover to buy this CD for the Rachmaninoff sonata alone. My only disappointment is that the Shostakovich sonata is not present in its full on this CD, the allegro movement is breathtaking, Ma is certainly the king of cellists, and Ax is as per usual a superb match for Ma.

Average customer rating:

Volodos
Warning: Saddening waste of technical gifts
superlatives fail
Mind-shatteringly superb
S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R

Piano Transcriptions / Arcadi Volodos
Arcadi Volodos , Vladimir Horowitz , Sergey Rachmaninov , Franz Liszt , Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov , Sergey Prokofiev , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Johann Sebastian Bach , and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Volodos Plays Liszt

ASIN: B0000029T8
Release Date: 1997-07-01

Tracks:

Carmen Variations
Utro
Melodiya (Melody)
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Litanei (Litany)
Aufenthalt (Resting Place)
Liebesbotschaft (Love Message)
Flight Of The Bumblebee
Cinderella: Gavotte, Op. 95 No. 2
Orientale, Op. 97 No. 6
Valse, Op. 102 No. 1
Scherzo (Symphony No. 6)
Largo (Trio Sonata No. 5 BWV 529)
Turkish March

Amazon.com

Face it, anyone who can play Horowitz's fabled transcriptions or Cziffra's madcap interlocking octaves Flight of the Bumblebee will get attention. What is most impressive, though, is that Arcadi Volodos replicates the notes, but not the performances. His tempos and voicings are completely different, and just as valid, if not quite as coruscating as the originals. In other words, Volodos makes this repertoire his own, as well as the other selections on this well-recorded debut outing. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Volodos.......2007-06-08

The piano transcriptions are fantastic.
Volodos proves that he's a real genious and one of the best in the world today.

Warning: Saddening waste of technical gifts .......2007-02-06

I do not want to take away the pleasure of the many reviewers who have found this item a thrilling enjoyment. Only I want to issue a warning to all lovers of the art of the piano: Do not buy this album in the hope of hearing a worthy successor to such past Russian titans as Richter and Gilels! Volodos is easily their master in terms of blistering dexterity, power of attack and distinct arpeggios. Yet, in all other respects he is dwarfed by comparison. His playing, all in all, is egocentric, crude in terms of its conventionality of expression and bereft of the humour that might have made his incredibly overloaded arrangements truly delightful. Now, they are at most decent circus acts, leaving one to wonder how one man with only two hands can plays this fast and how that very same man can take such a hamfisted approach to his slap-stick repertoire.

With an orchestra Volodos most often plays as if he cannot hear the other musicians through the noise he is making. On his own he fares slightly better. Still, he seems to be more in the service of technical boasting than musical expression. To take two examples:

1. His "Bumblebee" clocks in at a mindboggling 1.36 sharp. That's about all that recommends it. In musical terms, the performance is absurd: This witty piece is meant to portray an amiably buzzing furball, NOT an angry wasp on steroids.

2. Many performers have been tempted to beef up Mozart's somewhat monotone K331 "Turkish March". Volodos' paraphrase goes over the top with nifty counterpoint coupled with all sorts of tricks from the virtuoso shelf. This could have been a true delight if the performer had only loosened up a little and offered the occasional comic relief that such an encore so obviosuly calls for. Here Volodos simply seems oblivious to the inherent potential for musical expression. On a repeated listening the performance tires by its utter conventionality of phrasing.

Praised be the day when Volodos opens up his ears to the music he is performing. Then we might hope for new reference recordings of various works in the superdifficult division. Until then we may only grieve that such supernatural technique is going to waste in sideshow idleness. If you crave for a contemporary Russian virtuoso, try out Nikolai Lugansky, even if his somewhat austere taste in the romantic repertoire might deter some fans of Horowitz et al. Lugansky is in supernatural technical command if the keyboard, yet never leaves you in doubt that you are listening to a true musician.

superlatives fail.......2006-10-22

Volodos is simply one of the greatest pianists I have ever heard. The transcriptions on this CD are well worth your investment. I was fortunate to hear Volodos at Lincoln Center play the finger-bending Prokofiev 2nd piano concerto. I am a professionally trained pianist, and I have simply never heard a performance to equal it. I was convinced two or more people were playing. The emotional power was overwhelming. I wish he would record it. And the complete Transcendantal Etudes.

Mind-shatteringly superb.......2006-08-08

Volodos strikes us with some incredible works here, friends. These are quite simply some of the most perfectly executed works upon the piano I have heard, and this is no light affair considering the depression-inducing difficulty of some of these behemoths of the piano (Horowitz transcription of the Hungarian Rhapsody sounds like it requires a virtuoso of the highest order to play well.) We're dealing with a pianistic genius who I'm sure will continue to astound us in the future. And what, he began studying at the age of sixteen!? I want him to record all the Transcendental Etudes, but who knows if that will ever occur. Check out his Rachmaninoff concerto as well, it's about as close to perfect as it gets.

Unbelievable.

S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R.......2006-03-05

Ladies and Gentlemen, what we have here is quite possibly the greatest piano virtuoso alive today. While the musicality and emotion the artist puts in his work are exeptional, but not without precedence, his virtuosity, technique and rapidity of execution are quite simply...GOD-GIVEN. Period. End of statement.

Average customer rating:

Delightful Disney Music
Uncle Walt would be quite honored!
Fabulous CD
sleeping to Disney
this is a treasure

Heigh-Ho! Mozart

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000709
Release Date: 1995-06-16

Tracks:

Colors of the Wind in the Style Of - English Chamber Orchestra
Heigh-Ho! In the Style Of - Shanghai Quartet
Beauty and the Beast in the Style Of - English Chamber Orchestra
Second Star to the Right in the Style Of - Voices of Ascension
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Little April Shower in the Style Of - Anthony Newman
Winnie the Pooh in the Style Of - Shanghai Quartet
Prince Ali in the Style Of - Millar Brass Ensemble
When You Wish upon a Star in the Style Of - English Chamber Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Delightful Disney Music.......2007-03-28

These Disney tunes done in the style of classic composers are so much fun. Children and adults alike will enjoy these songs over and over.

Uncle Walt would be quite honored!.......2006-12-20

For many a baby boomer, Walt Disney meant animation. But, besides that, music played an important part in the telling of the story. So interested in music was the animator that he fashioned one of his greatest triumphs ("Fantasia") on the works of the great masters.

Well, Donald Frasier and a bevy of musicians have compiled a wonderful collection of interpretations of familiar Disney tunes, many from Walt's time, along with a few latter day compositions.

Every selection is a winner, destined to make the listener reflect and recall the films from which they came. And if one is familiar with composer whose musical style is "copied" here, the album is a treasure.

Fabulous CD.......2006-10-04

Being a classical music connoisseur, I often listen to my local public classical radio station to hear the works of the great composers of old and of today. One day the station played "Colors of the Wind" and announced it was from this CD. I fell in love with it. I am a huge Disney fan who has over 350 Disney songs on my iPod. Pretty much the only music I listen to is either classical or Disney. And having them combined makes this CD euphoria for the ears.

Each song is in the style of a different classical composer, and usually in the style of one of their more specific songs. One with a trained ear will hear chords and melodies in almost perfect similitude of the original.

I can listen to this CD over and over and never get bored. How could you be bored when you're hearing all of your favorite old Disney songs in a new exciting way?

sleeping to Disney.......2006-07-30

I am really pleased that there is a classical music cd that has only Disney classics so that I can play them for my infant daughter while she sleeps. We are big Disney fans and it's fun to play these instead of the regular classical music. They sound just like the original songs. I would have given 5 stars but I wish they would have had all instrumental music, one of the songs has a choir singing, but it still sound good.

this is a treasure.......2003-05-11

Disney music is always uplifting. Classical music is beautiful. Combine the two - and you get THIS! "Colors of the Wind" is glorious, followed by the enchanting title track. "Beauty and the Beast" is true to the romance of the original. "The Second Star to the Right" is magical. Everything is awesome - and flawless. I initially bought this because I love The Main Street Electrical Parade music, and that is definiely a highlight here - but so are ALL the other songs! This is GOOD STUFF! It is so excellent that it can be a very beneficial introduction to classical music - for kids AND adults.

Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante; Miaskovsky: Cello Concerto

Average customer rating:

The passing of a giant
Beautiful

Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante; Miaskovsky: Cello Concerto

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000MX7SVE
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Tracks:

I: Andante
II: Allegro Giusto
III: Andante Con Moto-Allegretto-Allegro Marcato
I: Lento Ma Non Troppo-Andante
II: Allegro Vivace-Piu Marcato-Meno Mosso-Tempo I-Piu Largamente-Andante Semplice E Tranquillo-Tempo I-Piu Tranquillo-Cadenza-Lento Come Prima
Vocalise Op.34 No.14

Customer Reviews:

The passing of a giant.......2007-05-11

Like the other reviewer, its hard to imagine a world (musical or otherwise)without Rostropovich, and although he made many great recordings, the Miaskovsky concerto is one of his best. For those who aren't familiar with the piece, it is achingly beautiful (along with the composer's violin concerto). Needless to say, Slava's Prokofiev was authoritative. A must purchase CD!

Beautiful.......2007-05-03

Funny, how we love to critize the great ones, and God, was Mstislav Rostropovich a great one! His passing has left me depressed and listening to all my recordings of his work. This particular CD has become one of my repeatedly, played favorites. The Prokofiev "Sinfonia Concertante" is pure magic, the Miaskovky "Cello Concerto" is beautifully enchanting and the Rachmaninov "Vocalise" bonus is sublime. A steal for the price.

Rachmaninoff: Piano concerto No. 3; Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

Classic performance, but....
Triumph and Tragedy
Solid but boring
How to destroy a piano
A benchmark recording.

Rachmaninoff: Piano concerto No. 3; Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009U55QU
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Tracks:

Allegro Ma Non Tanto
Intermezzo: Adagio
Finale: Alla Breve
Andante
Theme: Andantino; Five Variations
Allegro Ma Non Troppo

Customer Reviews:

Classic performance, but...........2007-05-09

I ordered this used through Amazon. It never showed up (and was never charged, either). This, however, is an anomaly in my experience with the Amazon partners used department.

I ordered it for the Rach 3 (as they called it in "Shine"). I learned that piece from this recording when it was released on LP back in 1959 or so. For me it is still the preferred recording. There is a lot of enthusiasm for the Argerich (which I own), but hers is a distorted romp in my opinion. In places it is so fast that Chailly can't keep the orchestra together with her and the ensemble is horrible.

Cliburn/Kondrashin is a classy pair. I wanted this version for the quality of the SACD recording. I have had wonderful experience with these SACD reprocessings of the classic Living Stereo recordings. This recording, however, was always a bit of a problem from a technical standpoint because it was recorded live and always seemed muted in the string department.

But of the six versions I have owned, this is still the one I prefer.

PS: I did not live in Texas at the time and this is not chauvinism for a native son.

Triumph and Tragedy.......2007-04-24

I do not own this recording on cd and although I own the recording of the Rachmaninoff piano concerto no. 3 on vinyl, a 70's reissue on RCA's .5 half speed remaster series, I do not own a copy the recording of the Prokofiev no.3, therefore my comments wil be limited to the Rachmaninoff.
I have a few thoughts which I believe will provide some important perspective on the quality of the performance and recording. Upon obtaining the consent of Van Cliburn to allow their equipment to be brought into Carnegie Hall and a recording to be made, RCA's engineers had less than two days to set up and make all the preparations to record the concert. Van Cliburn had just returned to the U.S. two days prior to the concert after winning the first international Tchaikovsky competition in the Soviet Union and the subsequent hectic whirlwind and probably exhausting tour through that nation. He was probably not thoroughly rested at the concert. He and the conductor Kiril Kondrashin most definitely did not have the amount of rehersal time with the orchestra they would ideally have wanted.
As a result there are a number of problems with this record, mainly with the sound quality which is substandard even for 1958. In fact I believe 90% of the perceived problems can be blamed on the sound engineering. Another 5 or 6% can be blamed on the very occasional technical flaws in Mr. Cliburns playing. The remaing 4 or 5% to my ears sound like problems with the piano itself.
Given the above facts, to put it in slang terms, this recording, especially the performance itself, is a freaking miracle. It is simply amazing. As I said Van Cliburn's technical errors are few and far between and the vast majority of the apparent harshness in the piano in some passages is obviously soundwave distortion. I perceive only two places where there are significant problems with his playing which are toward the end of the long first movement cadenza where his timing and touch seem to break down momentarliy from which he quickly recovers. The other is the passage of hard descending chords leading up to the final two minutes of the piece which get a bit sloppy although he takes them at possibly the fastest tempo ever recorded and with such fire and passion I don't think that there is a pianist that has lived that could play them perfectly. I was almost shocked the first time I heard them.
As to how this performance was conceived, it seems to me to be an absolute work of genius. It strikes me as being the perfect balance between the stately, lyrical approach of some pianists and the passionate fireworks of others. The first movement seems to be dominated by the first approach in which Mr. Cliburn fittingly uses the longer of the two cadenzas of the composer, although the issue of which one a performer uses is not a huge one to me. The second movement is relaxed yet moderately paced. All the stops are pulled out for the final movement
of which the overall timing is on the fast side but if nothing else, particularly in his youth,Van Cliburn had the knack for building to a climax so this is not just a race to the finish. In fact, throughout the piece he builds to dramatic high points with excellent phrasing and then levels off or backs off nicely to keep just enough tension.
It is remarkable that such a performance could come from a mind so young as Van Cliburn was at the time and probably running on adreniline and nervous energy, caught up in the thrill of the moment. This performance was a triumph, as can also be judged by the reaction of the crowd at the end who had obviously just heard greatness. This makes the technical flaws in the sound something of a tragedy. But we should be thankful that it was recorded at all and I suppose we can just sit back and imagine what it must have sounded like to those who were there.

Solid but boring.......2007-04-23

For a Russian-trained pianist who made his name playing Russian music in Russia, Cliburn doesn't play these two wonderful staples of the Russian repertoire with much fire or conviction. The tempo of the Prokofiev is so slow that the most motoric parts of this very exciting work fall completely flat. There is no intensity, no suspense, and no excitement - just a lot of nice-sounding notes with a rounded tone. Faster tempi and a little Prokofievian edginess would have gone a long way, because the playing is as solid as a rock and the collaboration is absolutely first-rate.

The Rachmaninov is also thin. In fact, it sounds more like a small chamber work than a concerto. The orchestra sounds puny, and the pianist is meek. Everyone sounds tired, like they could fall asleep at any second - obviously, this is not an effective way to keep an audience's attention. Check out any of Richter's recordings of Rachmaninov 2, or even Rachmaninov's own, and what you'll hear is a languor born not out of laziness and detachment, but out of concentration and commitment to carrying the music's message.

How to destroy a piano.......2006-09-10

The Rach 3 has been my favorite piano concerto since the first time I heard it. (I own 7 different recordings.) I am a pianist myself and have taught piano for decades. The only interpretation I do not like is the one played by Cliburn. I don't know what happened to him between the time he won the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the present. He played the Tchaikovsky beautifully, but to my mind, never played as well again. I use his recording to illustrate to my students what really awful playing sounds like. To quote a critic from the Seattle Post Intelligencer (years ago), "He played as if he were trying to destroy the instrument." There is no tenderness, no sensitivity, no quality of tone. I just plain didn't like it.

A benchmark recording........2006-03-19

I've owned this recording in various incarnations for 30 years, and it still represents a benchmark performance. Too bad Cliburn burned out so quickly at the keyboard (although he of course still champions young pianists through his Cliburn Competition in Ft. Worth). But fresh from his early Russian triumph, Cliburn and this recording rode a crest of poularity that was at the time very well deserved. As a live document, it is remarkable both for the consistency of the playing, the excitement of the major passages, and the overall sound. I haven't picked up this "hybrid" version yet, although I intend to. Actually, the original CD still sounds fine to me! Having just revisited the recording tonight, I've found that in the process of collecting a dozen different performances of the Rach Third, my tastes may have changed a bit or at least broadened over the years. As good as the Cliburn is, I find that I have come to prefer in their own way the 30's Horowitz version with Coates, as well as the Horowitz/ Reiner from the fifties, and the composer's own reading. I also very much like the versions by Ashkenazy and Tzimon Barto. As a bonus, you have on this disc a rather wild version of Prokofiev Third (I prefer Barto's and the composer's fleeting versions, but this one is still very good). But no matter what direction you go with as a collector of the Rach Third Concerto (and everyone should have several recordings), the Cliburn/Kondrashin really must be one of them.

Average customer rating:

The sounds inside the Notre-Dame are fantastic!!!
Beware: This review is biased.
Outbursts of Joy!
A remarkable CD of organ transcriptions.
'An extraordinary sonic experience' - I agree!

Midnight at Notre-Dame [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00022URKE
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Customer Reviews:

The sounds inside the Notre-Dame are fantastic!!!.......2007-07-20

The sounds inside the Cathedral of Notre-Dame are great! There's nothing better than cathedral for the classical music specially for the Bach's! And when is recorded in SACD the sound quality is superb!

Beware: This review is biased........2006-05-04

The sound quality is superb. The selected transcriptions were interesting and appropriate. The surround mix is great. Mr. Latry plays with a lot of feeling and confidence.

Why I included the bias warning: I just don't personally like the sound of the Cathedral de Notre-Dame. To my ears, it doesn't produce the same tones as the classic German organs (the Trost Organ in Waltershausen, Germany and the Cathedral at Freiburg come to mind)...it almost sounds Overly upgraded and modernized. Like I said, my comments are as a result of my personal listening preferences. Others may disagree.

Outbursts of Joy!.......2004-10-16

If Messiaen's Transports de joie was on here it would truly be an outburst of joy. But, he already did that on a complete Messiaen disc! It was thrilling to hear Olivier Latry in recital - now I can hear him in the comfort of home playing many of the pieces on the recital program 'from memory'. The Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff were impressive live and recorded. The sound is remarkably crystal clear and sounds incredible on a BOSE system. My first purchase of music on Amazon.com and a new satisfied customer I am.

A remarkable CD of organ transcriptions........2004-09-22

The superlatives for this CD must begin with the recorded sound, certainly the best (and most realistic) pipe organ reproduction I believe I've ever heard over a period of many years of listening to such recordings. This recording is a hybrid SACD that contains two layers and three sets of signals (SACD surround sound and SACD stereo in one layer and "conventional" CD audio in the other). Even the conventional CD audio signal (which is the only one I can evaluate at present) surpasses anything I've heard in terms of organ reproduction. And this is no ordinary organ: Nominally a Cavaillé-Coll organ dating from the 1860s, and then augmented in 1932, with yet further upgrades in 1963 and again in 1992, it is among the finest organs in the world. And it is in one of the most famous venues of all: The Cathedral de Notre-Dame in Paris. (The technical details at the back of the booklet state that the Cathedral has had an organ dating back as far as 1402, but it was with the Cavaillé-Coll effort that it reached its full bloom and fame.) Even in "ordinary" stereo CD reproduction, the sound field seems perfect; the frequency range is awesome, with rock-solid bass from the 32' pipes and sweet reproduction of the flute stops, with never a hint of background noise from what must be a prodigious air-handling system for the 110 stops that are part of the organ.

Despite the three stages of 20th century modernization, the organ remains, in terms of its voicing, a paragon of the "Romantic symphonic aesthetic" that was common for its late-19th century time. And the works presented in this album typify that sensibility, even if it did encroach into the early part of the 20th century. All are transcriptions of works for other instruments and forces, and all but one of these transcriptions have been done by French organists/composers who were well-known (Marcel Dupré, Maurice Duruflé, Jean Guillou, Louis Vierne) and not so well-known (Henri Busser, Henri Messerer). The "odd man out" in the collection is Franz Liszt (no mean organist himself), who transcribed Wagner's "Pilgrims' Chorus" from "Tannhäuser," but not in a way that can be said to be a stylistic anomaly relative to the other transcriptions.

The album opens and closes with pairs of transcriptions of works by J. S. Bach, concluding with a marvelous transcription of Bach's famous Chaconne from his Partita for Solo Violin, BWV 1004 by Henri Messerer, certainly not as famous as Dupré, Duruflé, Guillou or Vierne but well up to the task set out here. In fact, it is, for me, one of the clear highlights of the album. (The Bach Chaconne certainly didn't lack for transcriptions for other instruments as well, with Ferruccio Busoni's transcription for piano being perhaps the most famous. But I must say that I like this Messerer transcription for organ.)

A work that I thought couldn't work as an organ transcription (Mozart's Adagio & Fugue in C minor, K. 548) actually is a surprise success in a transcription by Guillou. And Liszt's "Pilgrims' Chorus" transcription is sensitively done, without the slightest bombast that one might expect.

Somewhat less successful is Busser's transcription of Berlioz's Marche hongroise (Rákóczy March) from "La Damnation de Faust." I think it demands the orchestral color and percussion that Berlioz had scored for the work, and loses a bit in the translation.

The famous Rachmaninoff Prelude (op. 3 no. 2) receives an interesting transcription by Vierne, one that brings out the darkness in the work that can evade a pianist. In fact, it is almost, in this transcription, lugubrious by comparison. But the transcription is splendidly voiced, and shows off the coloration possibilities - and the 32' stops - of this remarkable organ.

A total surprise, and probably my favorite track second only to the Bach Chaconne, is a transcription by Guillou of Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Toccata, op. 11. Perhaps the technical tour de force of the entire album, it is ghostly yet with incredibly fleet passage work, requiring virtuosic finger (and foot) work.

Olivier Latry, the Notre-Dame organist, handles all the challenges (hands, feet, stops) thrown at him with aplomb and plays with what can only be described as stylistic accuracy. He is, in a phrase, one fine organist. And he has the benefit of one of the world's finest organs, and some of the best recorded sound I've ever heard.

One last, if minor, point. This is my very first hybrid SACD from Universal (Deutsche Grammophon, Philips, Decca), and I notice that the jewel box, while no bigger than standard jewel boxes, seems to be more robustly made and much less prone to breakage where the front-cover hinge pins engage the CD carrier. I hope that this is the beginning of a positive trend; two decades worth of busted jewel boxes is more than any mere mortal need bear.

Bob Zeidler

'An extraordinary sonic experience' - I agree!.......2004-08-31

'An extraordinary sonic experience' says DG, and right they are. Not sure how many organ multi-channel SACDs there are out there, but this is the first one I've heard. I'd rate it 4.5 stars if I could, for the slight caveats below.

I listened on a mid-high end system of Sony SACD player, Harman Kardon multi-channel amp, through 5 speakers (Mission floorstanding fronts, and Miller & Kreisler centre and rears), with a Yamaha subwoofer.

It really is a wonderful sound, transforming my listening room into the interior of Notre-Dame, sonically at least! I particularly like the skilful use of the rears, providing the cathedral's ambience and acoustic 'overhang' - which you hear most impressively at the end of the fabulous Berlioz Hungarian March, passing almost overhead as the reverberation slowly decays.

The Bach pieces come across beautifully, as does the Liszt transcription of the Pilgrims' Chorus from Wagner's Tannhauser (which is fairly gentle and atmospheric).

However I'm not sure the two 20th century pieces (both under 5 minutes in length) really work: the famous Rachmaninov piano Prelude op.3 No.2 starts atmospherically (although at a much slower tempo so that it sounds like a different work really), but during the cataclysmic central passage the clarity of the piano is lost in a blaze of sound - although it does sound impressive.

Similarly I'm not sure Guillou's transcription of Prokofiev's Toccata was worth doing at all, as the motoric style loses some point on the organ with its uniformity of dynamics, and the composer's jarring intervals sound bizarre on the organ.

The disc's 61 minute playing time is concluded with by far the longest work, a lovely transcription of the famous Chaconne from Bach's Violin Partitia BWV 1004 which works up to a breathtaking climax in the coda.

I recommend this release wholeheartedly, even if (like me) you are not an organ fan: many of the works are well known, and the disc could become your favourite demonstration SACD!

Track Listings: