Complete Published Piano Music

Track Listings

1. Il Sonata: Maestoso

2. Il Sonata: Largo

3. Il Sonata: Toccata. Vivo

4. Scherzo. Vivace

5. Rondino

6. Sonatina: Allegro non troppo

7. Sonatina: Melodie

8. Sonatina: Oberek

9. Children's Suite: Prelude

10. Children's Suite: Marsch

11. Children's Suite: Waltz

12. Children's Suite: Lullaby

13. Children's Suite: Burlesque

14. Children's Suite: Menuett

15. Children's Suite: Gavotte

16. Children's Suite: Scherzino

17. Drei Burlesken: Molto Allegro

18. Drei Burlesken: Allegro ma non troppo

19. Drei Burlesken: Vivo

20. 2 Etuden: Moderato

See all 34 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Described by the Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians as the “leading female composer of her time”, Bacewicz’s music sadly remains unknown. This neglect is all the more inexplicable since the few recordings of her wprk that have been released have been greeted with enthusiasm. As a student of the famous pedagogue, Nadia Boulanger, Bacewicz received a thorough grounding in the craft of composition, and perhaps as a result of that association has most frequently been described as a Neo-Classicist. Bacewicz herself balked at the moniker, preferring to let her music stand on it’s own. Indeed, listening to Bacewicz’s music today, it is hard to see how her work could have been considered similar to the studied anachronism of Stravinsky and Hindemith. So how does her music sound? Vivacious rhythms, with a hint of folk music are complimented by clean, open harmonies. A natural feeling for counterpoint is perfectly balanced with wit, humor and an effectively compact desig! n. Hopefully, this important release of the complete authorized piano music of Grazyna Bacewicz will inspire other musicians to explore more of this appealing composer’s work!

Tracks:

Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Allegro energico
Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Allegro vivace e leggiero
Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Adagio mesto
Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Fuga: Allegro con spirito
Excursions, Op 20: Un poco allegro
Excursions, Op 20: In Slow Blues Tempo
Excursions, Op 20: Allegretto
Excursions, Op 20: Allegro molto
Nocturne, Op 33: Moderato
Three Sketches: Lovesong: Tempo di valse: Allegretto
Three Sketches: To My Steinway (To No.220601): Adagio
Three Sketches: Minuet: Tempo di minuetto
Interlude I ('For Jeanne'): Adagio, ma non troppo
Ballade, Op 46: Restless
Souvenirs, Op 28: Waltz: tempo di valse, Allegro con brio
Souvenirs, Op 28: Schottische: tempo si Schottische, Allegro ma non troppo
Souvenirs, Op 28: Pas de deux: Adagio
Souvenirs, Op 28: Two-Step: Allegro molto
Souvenirs, Op 28: Hesitation Tango: Con moto
Souvenirs, Op 28: Galop: Allegro molto

Customer Reviews:

Barber: genius; Pollack: great, but not as great as John Browning.......2007-05-29

This CD includes a mini biography of the composer and a short description of each piece, which is always a plus. I am still amazed he wrote those 3 sketches at such a young age! Barber's music is always lyrical, even when it sounds a-tonal. While John Browning is the most popular interpreter of Barber's music, Pollack also does a wonderful job. The only problem I have is his playing of the Nocturne, op. 33, because he plays it very heavily and too fast, much unlike a nocturne should be.

A variety of emotions.......2006-11-16

This CD collects all the published piano music of Samuel Barber, including the highly regarded masterwork SONATA, OP.26. The SONATA, in four movements, goes from the severe in the first movement to the openly joyous in the second; the third movement builds slowly to a mighty grumbling before just as slowly resigning itself to a quiet resolve. The final movement is all energy, requiring great technical prowess, which pianist Daniel Pollack has. It's an excellent performance.

Some of the other pieces, though less demanding, are most enjoyable. The four EXCURSIONS explore "regional idioms," including boogie-woogie, the blues, and country roots (this last is delightful). The four SOUVENIRS show Barber at his most humorous: the Waltz is laugh-out-loud charming, and the Hesitation Tango is just that - and very compelling. This is an excellent CD all around, from the varied and intelligent music of Barber to the assured, lyrical interpretations by Pollack. Highly recommended.

Samuel Barber's Piano Music.......2003-11-26

Samuel Barber's(1910 --1981) music is lyrical, romantic, and accessible. But his music still manages to be challenging. As is the case with many American composers, Barber tried to develop an American voice by combining art music with American themes derived from jazz and American popular culture. Again, Barber wrote in an accessible way using sophisticated 20th century compositional techniques.

Although he did not compose a great deal of music for solo piano, much of what Barber did write is outstanding. This disc on the budget-priced Naxos label includes all of Barber's published solo piano music performed by Daniel Pollack. Pollack knows and plays this music well indeed. He performed Barber's piano sonata at the First International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1958. The CD includes detailed, insightful liner notes by Victor and Marina Ledin.

Barber's piano sonata op 26 (1946) is the highlight of this disc and is a work that has become an important part of the piano repertory. The work is in four movements, and in it Barber uses an expansive musical vocabulary which includes serial composition. The work is romantic and virtuosic and immediately appealing. Vladimir Horowitz championed this music and it has been recorded many times.

The sonata opens with a two-note falling figure with the second note heavily accented that becomes the basis for the opening allegro movement. Throughout the first movement, loud, virtuosic passages alternate with quieter sections, with feathery piano writing in the instrument's high register. The two-note figure is prominent at the end of the movement with a shift in accent to the first note of the pair. The second movement is a short, light scherzo which picks up on the quieter portions of the first movement. The third movement, an adagio, is spare and minimalist. It rises to a large climax before the music falls away pensively over a walking bass. The last movement is a fugue which begins rapidly and quickly develops to a frenzied, cataclysmic conclusion.

The other extended works on this CD are two piano suites. The first suite, "Excursions" Op. 20 (1942-1944) was also championed by Horowitz. It consists of four movements based upon American jazz and popular song. The first movement features a syncopated theme with repeated notes over a boogie-woogie theme in the bass. The second movemement develops as a blues, with a slow-drag theme that becomes more prominent as the movement progresses. It reminded me of a Gershwin piano prelude. The third movement consists of a lyrical, rippling theme in a moderate tempo which undergoes brief variations. The final movement is a foot-stomping barn dance. The movement reminded me of a conservative Charles Ives.

The other suite in this collection is titled "Souvenirs", op 28 (1951-1952) It consists of six short dance movements. (Barber used it for a ballet.) I loved this piece. It is deliberately anachronistic in character and is a throw-back to a hotel-style elegance just before WW I. In listening to this suite, I tried to think of the tone it intended to convey. Some people find this music light and frivolus while others find it ironic. I heard it as loving, but detached and a bit distant. Barber is trying deliberately to recreate a musical experience in an idiom that is no longer his. I think the tone is affectionate, with the music played straight (rather than satirically), but with a distinct feeling of looking back. Thus the title, "Souvenirs".

There are a number of short pieces on this CD including three sketches dating from Barber's 13th year. I enjoyed the Nocturne which is highly chromatic (op. 33) and the late Ballade, Op. 46 among these short works.

This disc is part of the Naxos "American Classics" series. It will allow the listener to get to know some great works of 20th century American piano music.

What's the rush?.......2003-10-22

I can't tell if the overly fast tempi on much of this recording is so all the works could be jammed onto one CD, or if Mr. Pollack was dared to see how fast he could go. To be fair, he starts the Sonata at the metronome marking in the score (which some performers do not) but he doesn't keep it there. He pulls back tremendously in the second theme, then rushes through much of the closing theme so quickly as if to suggest that hearing the notes is not the important part. I'm impressed at how fast he can play certain parts (and the scherzo), but what honestly is the point? Passages in the development and coda are reduced to a blurry mash. Along with this he punches many notes (first and third movements), especially in the base, that have no need for added emphasis. Barber provided enough angularity to this piece that just playing it gets the message - and the music - across. The fourth movement, I will concede, is as admirable as any other performance.
The rest of the works on the CD fare better - in areas where a change in tempo might be tasteful, Mr. Pollack seems invariably to push ahead but it doesn't sabotage anything as badly as the Sonata.
Despite the tempting price, a newcomer to Barber's piano output would do better to buy John Browning's recording and come back to this one later for a different viewpoint.

Barber at a bargain.......2001-09-10

Daniel Pollack has a special relationship to this music. He premiered Samuel Barber's Piano Sonata in the Soviet Union, and played it to wildly enthusiastic acclaim during the 1958 Tschaikovsky competition. That was the year Cliburn took the Gold medal, but Pollack was also a winner, and was very well received.

I am very familiar with the Sonata. I performed it at my senior piano recital in college. I also had the pleasure of playing most of the Sonata for Daniel Pollack when I competed in a college-based piano competition. It was a special pleasure for me to learn how intimately he knows this piece. Pollack plays the Sonata with tremendous energy, brilliance and passion. The recorded sound of this Naxos CD is bright and a little too resonant for my taste. Still, the performance is thoroughly exciting, sometimes to the point of being overwhelmingly powerful (for example, at the end of the fugue).

I own eleven recordings of the Barber Piano Sonata on CD or LP. Although Pollack's is not my first choice, his playing is so exciting and powerful that I regard his performance as special and worth having. My favorites are Cliburn and Horowitz. My other recordings include Garrick Ohlsson, Willis Deloney, two by John Browning, Leo McCawley, Earl Wild, Peter Lawson and Ruth Laredo. It would be difficult to rank these performances, as they all have something special to commend them. Pollack's passion and abandon stand out in this group.

The other Barber works are less familiar to me, and so I am less able to comment on them. They seem beautifully played and, again, only hampered a little by the overly resonant sound.

Tracks:

The Quiet Town
In My Father's Garden
Mild Summer's Night
With You It Is Pleasant
I Stroll Among Flowers
Light In The Night
Woodland Bliss
Storm
Harvest Song
Hymn
Ecstasy
The Recogniser
Song Of Praise
Hymn To The Night
Softly Drifts A First Blossom
Do You Know My Nights?

Customer Reviews:

Great performances of not-so-great music.......2005-07-01

That so many female composers have not been enabled to reach their potential is a great loss to all of us. No doubt we should be reaching into history to discover where female geniuses lay and give them their due, and endeavour not to repeat the mistake. But there is nothing in this collection to convince me that Alma Mahler was one of them.

The prime interest in Alma Mahler is her fascinating life, entwined as it was with Gustav Mahler; Zemlinsky; Kokoschka; Walter Gropius et al. Some mystery is created by the story of Gustav's conditioning their marriage on her ceasing to compose. But was it really any great loss?

These sixteen songs (all that survive of her compositions) are full of stock late-romantic gestures showing Zemlinksy's influence but none of his insight. Her understanding of many of the poems is questionable, as she sails past key moments with little inspiration and lingers in unimportant byways.

Full credit to Panula, who provided the orchestral arrangements and sensitively conducted the Tampere Philharmonic; and Paasikivi, a delightful mezzo; who present these curiosities in the best possible light. Such ideal performances are better than the music deserves. Three stars: an average of five for the performance and one for the music.

Average customer rating:

Complete Classical Collection (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Direct Source Label
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0007PLLZQ
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Touches of Bernstein: The Complete Published Piano Music of Leonard Bernstein

Average customer rating:

Touches of Bernstein: The Complete Published Piano Music of Leonard Bernstein

Manufacturer: Centaur
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00076YP9O
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Darius Milhaud: Complete Piano Works, Volume 2

Average customer rating:

AN AMUSING MILHAUD "MENAGERE," BUT WITH A SMALL CAVEAT

Darius Milhaud: Complete Piano Works, Volume 2

Manufacturer: Koch Discover Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Tangos | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Tracks:

Printemps. Cahier No.1, Op.25: Modere
Printemps. Cahier No.1, Op.25: Souple
Printemps. Cahier No.1, Op.25: Doucement
Printemps. Cahier No.2, Op.66: Doucement
Printemps. Cahier No.2, Op.66: Vivement
Printemps. Cahier No.2, Op.66: Calme
L'Automne, Op.115: Septembre
L'Automne, Op.115: Alfama
L'Automne, Op.115: Adieu
Mazurka
Touches blanches, Op.222
Touches noires, Op.222
Jeu, Op.302
Choral, Op.111
Trois Rag-Caprices, Op.78: Sec et muscle
Trois Rag-Caprices, Op.78: Romance
Trois Rag-Caprices, Op.78: Precis et nerveux
Four Sketches (Esquisses), Op.227: Eglogue
Four Sketches (Esquisses), Op.227: Madrigal
Four Sketches (Esquisses), Op.227: Alameda
Four Sketches (Esquisses), Op.227: Sobre la Loma
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: La Mienne-Dedicace
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: La Reveil
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: Les Soins du Menage
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: La Poesie
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: La Cuisine
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: Les Fleurs Dans La Maison
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: La Lessive
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: Musique Ensemble
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: Le Fils Peintre
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: Le Chat
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: Cartomancie
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: Les Soins au Malade
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: La Douceur des Soirees
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: Lectures Nocturnes
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: Reconnaissance a la Muse
Le Tango ses Fratellini, Op.58c

Customer Reviews:

AN AMUSING MILHAUD "MENAGERE," BUT WITH A SMALL CAVEAT.......2000-10-28

This CD packs in a goodly assortment of topnotch Milhaud piano vignettes, all played with verve and panache, but a little shy on warmth and depth. However, it is still quite worthwhile having, not least of all because it contains the charming "La Muse Menagere," Op. 245 ("The Household Muse"). As well, it also fills in a multitude of gaps in the Milhaud piano repertoire and, as such, is fair competition. Ms. Choveaux is an excellent pianist, worthy of attention and consideration. She sparkles rather than shines; but many of these clever, quirky pieces call for just this. The caveat is, unfortunately, the sound. It's ambient, a tad too distant and slightly course-grained. However, the ear does eventually adjust.

[Running time: 68:42]

L'Album des Six: The Complete Works for Flute and Piano

Average customer rating:

Beautiful performances of terrific music
A **real** female Welsh classical artist for our time :)

L'Album des Six: The Complete Works for Flute and Piano

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000058UUW
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful performances of terrific music.......2004-02-22

There are some great performances here of well-known flute pieces like Honegger's Danse de la Chevre and Poulenc's Sonata for Flute and Piano, but the other tracks are also enjoyable. It is interesting to have all of the compositions of Les Six for flute solo and flute and piano on one CD.

We found the album enjoyable to listen to sequentially.

Recommended

A **real** female Welsh classical artist for our time :).......2001-06-14

This is a terrific CD for fans of French flute music, from the six composers dubbed "Les Six" in the 1920's. All of their individual chamber pieces for flute are featured, scored variously for flute and piano or for solo flute, in addition to a suite for solo piano where all six of them contributed movements and whose title is that of the CD. Emily Beynon is the young (30-something) Welsh-born principal flutist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam, and plays excellently on this CD. Andrew West is a splendid accompanist, and shines in his own right in the solo piano suite. The production and notes are up to Hyperion's usual high standard. It is best to listen to this music in relatively small doses rather than all at once. Having said that, enjoy!

Dvorák: The Complete Published Orchestral Works

Average customer rating:

20 Hours of Dvorak at a Bargain Price

Dvorák: The Complete Published Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Prokofiev: Complete Music for Solo Piano
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [Includes Bonus DVD]

ASIN: B0001FYRB2
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Tracks:

Allegro
Adagio Molto
Allegretto
Finale: Allegreto
Allegretto
Molto Moderato
Allegro Giusto
Molto Maestoso
Allegro Giusto

Tracks:

Allegretto
Poco Adagio
Scherzo: Allegro Con Brio
Finale: Allegreto Con Fuoco
Allegro Con Moto
Allegretto Grazioso
Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso
Andante Con Moto
Andante

Tracks:

Allegro Moderato
Adagio Molto, Temp Di Marcia
Allegro Vivace
Allegro Non Tanto
Adagio
Scherzo: Furiant: Presto
Finale: Allegro Con Spirito

Tracks:

Allegro
Andante Sostenuto E Molto Cantabile
Scherzo: Allegro Feroce
Finale: Allegro Con Brio
Allegro Con Brio
Adagio
Allegretto Grazioso - Molto Vivace
Allegro, Ma Non Troppo

Tracks:

Allegro, Ma Non Troppo
Andante, Con Moto
Andante Con Moto, Quasi L'istesso Tempo - Allegro Scherzando
Finale: Allegro Molto
Allegro Maestoso
Poco Adagio
Scherzo Vivace - Poco Meno Mosso
Finale: Allegro

Tracks:

Adagio- Allegro Molto
Largo
olto Vivace
Allegro Con Fuoco
Sumphonic Variations, Op. 78

Tracks:

Allegro Agitato - Jeno Jando
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro Con Fuoco
The Water Goblin, Symphonic Poem, Op. 107

Tracks:

Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Ilya Kaler
Adagio Ma Non Troppo - Ilya Kaler
Allegro Giocoso, Ma Non Troppo - Ilya Kaler
Romance For Violin And Orchestra In F Minor, Op. 11 - Ilya Kaler
Mazurka For Violin And Orchestra, Op. 49 - Alexander Trostianski

Tracks:

Allegro - Maria Kliegel
Adagio Ma Non Troppo - Maria Kliegel
Finale: Allegro Moderato - Andante - Allegro Vivo - Maria Kliegel
Walderuhe For Cello And Orchestra, Op. 68/5 - Dmitry Yablonsky
Rondo For Cello And Orchestra, Op. 94 - Dmitry Yablonsky

Tracks:

No. 1 In C Major
No. 2 In E Minor
No. 3 In A Flat Major
No. 4 In F Major
No. 5 In A Major
No. 6 In D Major
No. 7 In C Minor
No. 8 In G Minor
No. 1 In B Major
No. 2 In E Minor
No. 3 In F Major
No. 4 In D Flat Major
No. 5 In B Flat Minor
No. 6 In B Flat Major
No. 7 In C Major
No. 8 In A Flat Major

Tracks:

Rhapsody, Op. 14
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3

Tracks:

The Noon Witch, Op. 108
The Golden Spinning-Wheel, Op. 109
The Wild Dove, Op. 110

Tracks:

Moderato
Tempo Di Valse
Scherzo: Vivace
Larghetto
ale: Allegro Vivace
Moderato, Quasi Marcia - Oslo Philharmonic Wind Soloists
Minuetto - Oslo Philharmonic Wind Soloists
Andante Con Moto - Oslo Philharmonic Wind Soloists
Allegro Molto - Oslo Philharmonic Wind Soloists
Notturno In B Major, Op. 40
Five Prague Waltzes
Polka In B Flat Major, Op. 53 A / 1

Tracks:

I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
Preludium (Pastorale)
Polka
Sousedska (Minuetto)
Romance (Romanza)
Fineal (Furiant)
Andante Con Moto
Adagio
onderato (Alla Polacca)
Andante
Allegro
Polonaise In E Flat Major
Festival March, Op. 54

Tracks:

King And Charcoal Burner, Overture
Prelude To Act 1
Prelude To Act 2
Ballet Music From Act 3
Overture
Prelude To Act 2
Infernal Dance From Act 2
Prelude To Act 3
Overture
Polonaise
Dmitrij, Overture
Armida, Overture

Tracks:

Vanda (Overture), Op. 25
In Nature's Realm (Overture), Op. 91
Carnival (Overture), Op. 92
Othello (Overture), Op. 93
My Home (Overture), Op. 62

Tracks:

Hussite Overture, Op. 67
Selma Seklak Overture, Op. 37
Dramatic Overture, Op. Posth
Scherzo Capriccioso, Op. 66
A Hero's Son, Op. 111

Customer Reviews:

20 Hours of Dvorak at a Bargain Price.......2004-08-03

This 17-CD set collects together in one box all the published orchestral works of Antonin Dvorak. It's neatly done: each CD is in a paper envelope and there is a 51-page booklet (with knowledgable and helpful notes for each disc) all fitted into a cardboard box no thicker than that ordinarily used for a two-CD opera recording. All this music has been issued previously on separate discs or sets by Naxos and most of it is, if I'm not mistaken, still available that way. But this collection is one easy way to scoop up all of Dvorak's orchestral music at once. There is much music here that is almost never heard, certainly not in the concert hall and even on CD. For instance, I cannot recall ever seeing a recording (and I know I've never heard in performance) Dvorak's 'Intermezzi.' And the rarely-heard 'Legends' are nicely done here by Stephen Gunzenhauser and the Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Of course, the name of the orchestra tells you something: some of these performances were recorded before the breakup of Czechoslovakia into Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Yes, some of the recordings go back to the late 1980s. No matter - the sound is quite acceptable throughout.

There are numerous participants in these recordings, many of them orchestras in the Czecho-Slovak area, as well as the Polish National Radio Orchestra, the Russian Philharmonic and even London's Royal Philharmonic (in a smashing performance, with Maria Kliegel, sure one of our best current cellists, in the Cello Concerto). Conductors include Gunzenhauser, Antoni Wit, Camilla Kolchinsky, Dmitry Yablonsky, Michael Halasz, Zdenek Kosler, Libor Pesek, and Robert Stankovksy.

Obviously one wouldn't buy this set for the most familiar Dvorak pieces - the 'New World' Symphony, the Cello Concerto, the Slavonic Dances - if that was all one was interested in. There are too many fine performances of those already on the market. But how many of you have recordings of poorly known but top-drawer works like the 'Czech Suite,' the 'American Suite,' (it is fashionable to dismiss this suite, but it's actually one of Dvorak's best), or some of the orchestral music from his many operas--overtures to 'King and Charcoal Burner,' 'The Jacobin,' 'Kate and the Devil,' 'Rusalka'? All of these, and more, are here. I recently returned from a trip and the only music I took along was this box of Dvorak. I never got sated, or bored, by it.

I was also quite taken by the performance of one of my favorite pieces by Dvorak, his 'Wind Serenade,' here played by the Oslo Philharmonic Wind Soloists. And there are marvelous performances by Gunzenhauser and the Polish NRSO of 'The Noon Witch,' 'The Golden Spinning Wheel,' and (a particular favorite of mine) 'The Wild Dove.'

And then there's the super-bargain Naxos price. This is an easy recommendation for the music lover in the market for this specific collection of music.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Pure Classical Chillout

Manufacturer: Pure
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Tracks:

Grieg, Peer - Gynt Morning
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1- Allegro Non Troppo (Excerpt)
Boccherini - Minuet In A (From String Quintet In E Major Op 13/5)
Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major Bwv 1048
Debussy - Preludes The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik- 4th Mov: Allegro
Handel - Hallelujah Chorus From Messiah
Bach - Suite No. 3: Air On A G String
Tchaikovsky - Sleeping Beauty - Waltz
Vivaldi - The Four Seasons- Spring: 1st Movt: Allegro
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker: Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
Puccini - La Boh'eme : Che Gelida Manina (Your Tiny Hand Is Frozen)
Debusy - Clair de Lune ( From Suite Bergamesque)
Mendelsohn - A Midsummer's Night Dream - Wedding March
Debussy - Prelude A L'apres Midi D'un Faune
Wagner Lohegrin - Prelude To Act 1 II

Tracks:

J Straus - 1 Radetzky March
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 In C Sharp Minor, Moonlight 1st Movt.
Bach - Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring From Cantata 147
Holst - The Planets: Jupiter
Verdi Rigoletto La Donna Mobile
Chopin - Fantasia Impromptu
Elgar - Enigma Variations: Nimrod
Pachelbel - Canon In D Major
Khachaturian Gayenneth - Sabre Dance
Faure Berceuse - From Dolly Suite
Mozart - Horn Concerto No. 4: Rondo
Beethoven - Fur Elise
Verdi - Il Trovatore - Anvil Chorus
Canteloube - Songs Of The Auvergne: Bailero
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No.8 In C Minor, Op 13 Pathetique- 2nd Movt.
Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake- Finale

Tracks:

Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 - 1st Movement - Allegro
Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 21: 2nd Movement - Andante
Vaughn Williams - Fantasia On Greensleeves
Faure - Requiem Pie Jesu
Prokofiev - Romeo And Julietmontague's And Capulet's
Puccini - Madama Butterfly: Unbel Di.
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 In E Minor Op 95 > 2nd Movt - Largo
Holst - The Planets - Mars
Albinoni - Adagio In G Minor
Sibelius - Finlandia Op 26

Tracks:

Elgar - Pomp And Circumstance No. 1, Op 39
Puccini - Turandit - Nessun Dorma - Calafs Aria, Act3
Wagner - Ride Of The Valkries
Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Barber - Adagio Il Solista Di Zagreb
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: 1st Movt: Allegro
Borodin - String Quartet No.2- Nocturne Arr. Orch
Rimsky Kosakov - Flight Of The Bumble Bee
Bach - Toccata And Fugue In D Minor
Verdi Nabucco - Va Pensiero Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves
Handel - Coronation Anthem No.4 Zadock The Priest
Beethoven - Symphony No. 6 Pastoral 5th Movement - Shephards Song

Album Description

Pure Classical Chill Out drains away the stresses of everyday life by featuring classical music's greatest masters in their most soothing moments for your musical enjoyment! Tune in and unwind with a delightful soundtrack provided by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Bach, Chopin and Elgar. A perfect companion for relaxation or other sensuous moments!

Average customer rating:

Arthur Loesser in Recital

Manufacturer: Marston
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00006368W
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Amazon.com

Arthur Loesser (1894-1969) was better known as a teacher and writer (of Men, Women and Pianos) than as a pianist. But, as these live performances demonstrate, that is an injustice. The first CD comes from a concert of obscure piano music at Town Hall, New York, in 1967. Most of it was issued on LP, but the CD adds works by Clementi and Hummel, played on a fortepiano--quite a rarity at the time. This is a collection of fascinating byways in the history of piano music, played with Loesser's typical elegant command (and with a few amusing remarks). The remainder of the set contains more familiar music (Bach, Haydn, Prokofiev, Chopin), but still includes a few surprises, like obscure sets of variations by Chopin and Beethoven. Loesser's refinement and choice of repertoire mark him as a pianist for connoisseurs, although the joyous outburst at the end of the Bach Fugue in F and the power of Prokofiev's Fifth Sonata make it clear that Loesser had all the pianistic resources he needed for any task. The recordings (mono on the first CD, stereo on the second) sound fine. Not for beginners, perhaps, but pianophiles who buy this set will love it. --Leslie Gerber

Track Listings:

Track Listings

Presents: Left for the Living Dead [EP]

Best of Voyage: Souvenirs

Best of

Beethoven: Musik zu "Egmont", Op. 84

20 Trancazos de Plata

Live at Carnegie Hall

Blues and Other Love Songs

1. Il Sonata: Maestoso
2. Il Sonata: Largo
3. Il Sonata: Toccata. Vivo
4. Scherzo. Vivace
5. Rondino
6. Sonatina: Allegro non troppo
7. Sonatina: Melodie
8. Sonatina: Oberek
9. Children's Suite: Prelude
10. Children's Suite: Marsch
11. Children's Suite: Waltz
12. Children's Suite: Lullaby
13. Children's Suite: Burlesque
14. Children's Suite: Menuett
15. Children's Suite: Gavotte
16. Children's Suite: Scherzino
17. Drei Burlesken: Molto Allegro
18. Drei Burlesken: Allegro ma non troppo
19. Drei Burlesken: Vivo
20. 2 Etuden: Moderato