J.S. Bach & Telemann: Funeral Cantatas [Import]

Track Listings

1. Gottes Zeit Ist Die Allerbeste Zeit

2. Du Aber Daniel Gehe Hin

Tracks:

Divertimento In B-Flat (Adagio)
Cassation (Final-Musik) In G - Adgio
Divertimento In G Minor (Andante)
String Quartet No. 12 In B-Flat - Adagio
Divertimento In D, KV 131 - Adagio
'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' - Romance (Andante)
Divertimento In D, KV 136 - Andante
Serenade In B-Flat 'Gran Partita' - Adagio
Prelude No. 3 In F
String Quartet No. 1 In B-Flat - Adagio
Violin Concerto In D - Andante cantabile
Divertimento In B-Flat - Adagio

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-06-26

I bought this CD to listen to at work (I am 6 months pregnant). The quality is awesome and the choice of songs is perfect I can listen to it over and over.

Great for putting kids to sleep!.......2007-06-08

I absolutely love this CD! In fact this is our second one because we wore out the first since we played it so much. It is very soothing, and in fact we used it to help both our kids (now 4 and 18 mo) go to sleep since they were babies. I highly recommend it!

Very Relaxing.......2007-04-10

It is very soothing and really helps you relax. I enjoy listening to it in the car during my high stress commute.

A Must Have for all Parents of Little Children !!!.......2006-11-25

I bought this when my first baby was...well, a baby. That was 8 years ago. Now I am on my 4th copy of this cd (Mozart For Mothers to Be) and my 3rd child. Nothing works better. I'm on here to buy my 4th copy becasue I've worn them out over the years and have to keep replaceing them. My 8 and 3 year old still use it, and now the new baby, also. Make it part of your nightly bed time routine and you'll have good little sleepers in no time. I swear by it. It is very soothing, calming and not distracting so it won't drive you bonkers if you can hear it a little from the next room.

A truely great gift for new parents, or if you have a sleepless little one at home. Turn on the cd, turn down the lights and let it sooth them to sleep.

Inspire the baby-within.......2005-12-13

Beyond sheer musical appreciation and enjoyment, Mozart's music in general is ideal for gently stimulating the "creative centers" as well as instilling a sense well-being. While there is much academic disagreement about the extent or reality of the so-called "Mozart Effect," it doesn't take a genius to observe how Mozart's music puts most people (and probably babies-to-be) in a happy mood ready to take on the day's challenges. There is a simplicity - yet elegance and musical brilliance - in his music that is also well-suited for the youngest of children.

The selections on this CD are all excellent and represent a nice range of Mozart's compostions, emphasising those that are ideal for creating a pleasant backdrop for leisure, dining and social occasions ("divertimentos"). The recordings are from the creme of musicians famous for their Mozart. Few works are as elegant and soaring as the Serenade #10 for winds - an astonishingly beautiful tune made famous from the early scenes of the movie, "Amadeus." Mozart supreme gifts of music are even seen in such humble "background music" as these pieces. And such continuity of warm, leisurely tones as these over 70 minutes is ideal for inspiring the baby to-be if that is why you are considering this CD. Better to expose a baby to the gentile, lyrical music of Mozart than to the dissonant, loud and disturbing tones of some classical music written well after Mozart.

As the reviewer below rightfully notes, compilation CD's of various unrelated works like this one is not quite how classical music is best meant to be heard. But in a way it is better for many to start with such collections like this - especially for those who just want the more quiet selections that are unintrusive. In that respect, this collection can be satisfying for most anyone (not just moms or babies). I have a huge classical music collection, but still really enjoy listening to one full CD of similar-temperament music like this one that flows easily and smoothly that doesn't demand my attention but only seeks to delight. And, in the end, that was the simple and primary goal of many of Mozart's compositions - to be purely enjoyed and delighted.

Average customer rating:

Simply the Best

Simply Baroque

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Vivaldi's Cello
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Bach: The 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites

ASIN: B0000CD5G9
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Tracks:

Sei Lob Und Preis Mit Ehren
Erbarme Dich
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Ertot' Uns Durch Dein' Gute
Ich Ruf' Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ
Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel Herunter
Lab Mein Herz Die Munze Sein
Dein Blut, Der Edle Saft
'Air On A G String'
Cello Concerto In G Major
Cello Concerto In G Major
Cello Concerto In G Major
Cello Concerto In D Major
Cello Concerto In D Major
Cello Concerto In D Major
Cello Concerto In D Major
Was Gott Tut, Das Ist Wohlgetan
Aria From Goldberg Variations
Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme

Customer Reviews:

Simply the Best.......2005-05-31

I can only say, that as far as I am concerned, this is just some of the best music I have ever heard.... Im guessing this is the way Bach intended his music to sound in the first place, and who better for that than the AMO and Koopman...and of course YO YO... if u love classic music, you are absolutly going to LOVE this cd..I highly recommend it

Average customer rating:

nice to remember
It is amazing!!!
The best Latin music I've heard
60's and the Latin Mass
Latinlover

Catholic Latin Classics

Manufacturer: Gia Publications
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Latin High Mass for Nostalgic Catholics
Salve Regina: Gregorian Chant
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Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1
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ASIN: B00004YRAW
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Ave Maria
O Salutaris Hostia
Panis Angelicus - John Eskola
Tantum Ergo
Ave Maria - Lorelei McDermott
O Sanctissima
O Bone Jesu
Ave Verum Corpus
Jubilate Deo
Confirma Hoc Deus
Adoro Te, O Panis
O Esca Viatorum
Veni, Jesu, Amor Mi
Emitte Spiritum Tuum
Adoremus In Aeternum - William Combs
Ave Maris Stella
Regina Caeli Laetare
Adoramus Te, Christe - The Cathedral Singers/Richard Proulx T
Tantum Ergo
Ecce Sacerdos Magnus

Customer Reviews:

nice to remember.......2007-01-04

Takes my husband & I back to the 60s........not a bad memory......

It is amazing!!!.......2006-11-10

I am very happy with my purchase. This item is better than what I was expecting. It was amazing how fast I received my order, I highly recommend it and hope that more people order it.

The best Latin music I've heard.......2006-04-18

The music in this CD is done beautifully! If features "Panis Angelicus", which if you like Charlotte Church singing it, you will like this- with a man's voice! There is no goofy revisions and modernization done to the music that I can tell. (I only say that in case some smart 15th century music history scholar comes around and disagrees!) It is very peaceful and will help anyone to calm down and give thanks to God. I think because the music is in Latin you will not grow tired of it as easily, and not to mention the fact that this music will continue to inspire you and put you in the presence of Christ better. OHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! How I wish we were singing this sort of Latin music instead of "All our Welcome" and "Sing a new Church"! Let's keep the same Church Christ established thank you! And let's keep the Latin!!!!!!!

60's and the Latin Mass.......2006-03-15

I am one of those 60s people. We did not throw out the Latin mass. Why would we? We liked it. I served most of the high masses of the holidays. It was a small cabal of newly ordained priests and bishops in the Vatican II committees who threw it out. They wanted to be more like their Protestant bretheren; have the congregation face them instead of God. Read the book MISSING MARY while you are listening to this CD. They threw her out at the same time; no women in high places - their answer to the feminists of the 60s.

Latinlover.......2005-12-18

As a devoted lover of Catholic Latin hymns, I was disappointed at the enemic presentation of these beautiful hymns to God. I believe that the singers had the best of intentions but I would suggest to look for other versions of these wonderful songs to heaven.

J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006

Average customer rating:

Julia Fischer performs J.S.Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Thoughtful Readings
Bach by Julia Fischer
very good.
What a Surprise!

J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006

Manufacturer: Pentatone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00097HE8U
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Customer Reviews:

Julia Fischer performs J.S.Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin.......2007-05-07

In March I heard Julia Fischer playing Khachaturian's violin concerto at a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She is such a wonderful violinist that soon after I got home I checked what other performance of hers would be available from Amazon. When I saw this CD I promptly ordered it. Because on this CD she plays without an orchestra, her virtuosity is even more obvious and superb than in the concertos where she is accompanied by a full orchestra. I recommend this CD to everybody who likes the violin music of J.S.Bach!

Thoughtful Readings.......2007-01-09

Bach's unaccompanied sonatas and partitas for solo violin can act as multiple litmus tests, mercilessly revealing a player's cultural, temperamental, intellectual, and technical selves. That is certainly the case with Julia Fischer's set. It shows her to be technically proficient and thoughtful in regard to the structures and, to some degree, the expressive (affective) content of these works. But it also tells the world that she is still a young artist, and that she may have more to say about this music -- and the temerity to say it -- after she's been around a while longer.

Listeners contemplating the purchase of yet another Bach Unaccompanied set will also have to look to their own tastes in deciding whether Fischer fits the bill. Have you long since acquired, and exhausted, the classic Milstein performances? Did you find Perlman nicely polished, or just a bit too slick? Did you respond well to Kremer's impetuosity and drama, or consider his approach overly rough and improvisatory?

In the liner notes, Ms. Fischer tells us that for years she has warmed up every day with these pieces. It shows. She is obviously familiar with them, and her technical security and sense of "what comes next" have benefited. But with familiarity comes a certain complacency, and warmups can encourage a performer to emphasize sheer mechanics: pitch accuracy, evenly smooth bowing, perfect finger coordination, etc. That is what I personally hear as a guiding principle in most of these interpretations. They are soft-edged, maintaining steady tempi, using the middle third of the bow, employing subtle and consistent accents, phrasing, and dynamic emphases.

Nothing wrong with those choices. In many aspects, they may lie closer than some others to what Bach had in mind. But I found myself respecting Fischer's efforts rather than becoming involved in the music itself. In the end I went back to Hilary Hahn's debut disc (which includes some but not all of these works) in order to hear controlled and thoughtful Bach performances with more passion, more bite (bowing at the frog when needed), and more overall humanity.

The SACD recording is quite good, but if anything it emphasizes the mellow, moderated quality of these performances with a violin timbre that is never unpleasant but seldom provides the range of colors that one might hope to hear, even in Bach. Especially in Bach?

I think Ms. Fischer is heard to better advantage in her Pentatone recording of the Russian concertos -- maybe she didn't feel a "Romantic" approach was as appropriate for Baroque music. The result sounds curiously old-fashioned, however, especially given the recent tendency in historically informed Baroque performance to emphasize drama and individualistic expression (e.g., Rachel Podger, Andrew Manze). By comparison, Julia Fischer's Bach comes off as a careful effort by a recent conservatory graduate. Still worth hearing, but perhaps more as an emblem of her undeniable promise.

Bach by Julia Fischer.......2006-08-04

You must listen to this with SACD kit to do justice to the recording. OK CD layer is not too bad but with sensitive equipment you can hear so much more with the SACD it is unbelievable.
She is one of the best performers of Bach solo pieces if not the best. Milstein, Kagan, Grumiaux, Perlman are good. But she is something else. Timing, fluidity, expression I can go on and on. This is the most "musical" interpretation of these pieces I have heard so far.

very good........2006-06-11

At first I was stunned on how good it was to listen to these pieces in a great format as SACD. However, miss Fischer should pay more attention to the details instead of get every note just right. There aren't huge mistakes, which makes it worthy, but it isn't perfect. The booklet says that she's quite young to perform all of this pieces and I believe it's true. She can improve in the future.

What a Surprise!.......2006-03-09

I never thought this young violinist could play Bach in such a matured way. My version at home was Milstein, Szegeti, Kremer (not very good), and Grumiaux. But Julia Fischer's Bach has won so much praise and I just wonder why. Therefore I bought this pricy double SACD (no ordinary CD available).

I was surprised. It doesn't sound like she is young at all. According to Fisher, she played Bach every day. And she has been studying Bach since she was a little girl. No wonder she has attended to the details of it. The speed she took was relatively slow, especially for the Preludes and Sarabande. Her technique was impeccable, but it all sounded so natural. I once listened to Heifitz and I didn't quite like it. It sounded not like Bach. Fisher surely captured the elegance and warmth of one of Bach's most intelligent and intellectual works.

If you like Bach's Unaccompanied Sonata and Partita for Solo Violin, buy this. You won't regret. The recording quality was superb, too!

Average customer rating:

Bryn Terfel's beautiful voice.
Why do people think this guy can sing??
Relaxing
Bryn Terfel's Simple Gifts
A Heartfelt Offering Reminiscent of An Earlier Era

Bryn Terfel - Simple Gifts

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Renee and Bryn: Under the Stars

ASIN: B000B8ISN2
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Ave Verum Corpus, K.618 - Adapted by Chris Hazell
Deep River - Arranged by Chris Hazell
The Lord Bless You and Keep You
I'll Walk Beside You - Arranged by Chris Hazell
Stabat Mater
Still, Still, Still Weils Kindlein Schlafen Will
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How Great Thou Art
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Bless This House - Arranged by Chris Hazell
Ave Verum Corpus
Cavatina - Arranged by Chris Hazell
The Rose
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God's Mercy
Morning Has Broken - Arranged by Chris Hazell
Nearer My God To Thee - Arranged by Chris Hazell
Ave Maria
Send In The Clowns - Arranged by Jonathan Tunick
God Will Be With You

Amazon.com

Everything about Bryn Terfel is over-life-size: his physique, his personality, his breath-control, and of course his extraordinarily beautiful voice. This recording displays his stunning vocalism and versatility to full advantage, but its title belies its content. Alhough it does include some simple pieces, the execution is fussy, overdone, and calculated for maximum external effect. The program ranges from Mozart, Pergolesi and pseudo-Bach to Sondheim in arrangements that are pure Hollywood, complete with throbbing strings and rolling drums, often destroying the spirit as well as the letter of the original compositions. It begins with Mozart's heavenly "Ave verum" arranged for baritone solo and chorus, frustratingly cut off after a few phrases (another setting of the same text by Karl Jenkins, written for Terfel, is more satisfying, being complete and original). The splendid baritone Simon Keenlyside joins him here as well as in the opening number of Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater;" originally for soprano and alto, this must be the baritones' revenge on female singers who usurp songs written for men, like Schubert's and Schumann's cycles. Franck's "Panis angelicus" also inexplicably becomes a duet; unfortunately, Terfel's and tenor Aled Jones' voices do not match. Bach-Gounod's popular "Ave Maria" is all swells and exaggerations. The rest of the program consists of folksongs, hymns, show and film tunes, inflated to operatic proportions and generally ending in a fade-out or a flourish. Even the title song is anything but simple. This record is not for purists who like their music performed the way the composer wrote it, but aficionados of great singing will love it. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Bryn Terfel's beautiful voice........2007-05-13

Bryn Terfel has a beautiful voice. Listening to him is very pleasant and definitely something to look forward to. I read a review saying he would replace tenor Pavroti. However, I believe that Mr. Terfel is a Baritone and not a Tenor. That does not detract from the fact that he should be considered one of the world's top male singers. His voice is truly impressive. This CD by Bryn Terfel is one from our collection that is outstanding and a favorite.

Why do people think this guy can sing??.......2007-04-27

Sorry, I think this guy is one of the most overrated singers out there today. He always sounds like he is singing holding his nose shut. VERY nasal sounding.

If you want to listen to an incredibly beautiful voice, buy one of Josh Groban's CD's--you won't regret it! He has the voice of the century!

Relaxing.......2007-02-03

Excellent selection of music. It covers many different types. My wife likes being able to hear the words with out instruments drowning out the vocals. I find it relaxing and many of the songs are familiar and very well done.

Bryn Terfel's Simple Gifts.......2006-02-25

Simply superb. I don't know what our local (Wash DC) paper was talking about when they said Deep River was the weakest link. I was enthralled from beginning to end. I have had the pleasure of hearing Bryn Terfel live in recital at the Kennedy Center. I can assure you that his voice has only improved with age. He was wonderful then and is spectacular now!

A Heartfelt Offering Reminiscent of An Earlier Era.......2006-02-15

Bryn Terfel harkens back to earlier American operatic stars such as Richard Tucker and Robert Merrill who crossed grenres to satisfy their unquenchable need to sing any and all songs that moved them to an appreciative public. These great singers all had their origins singing sacred music from their respective religions and learned to lay their considerable talents before the altar of the simple inspirational song.

This recording is wonderful on many levels. The selections are an unusual mixture of classical sacred music, spirituals, hymns, Lieder, Austrian Christmas and Gaelic songs, musical numbers and movie theme songs harmoniously combined to touch the soul of the listener in a gentle ebb and flow of devotion, intensity and tenderness. All of these songs are beautiful in and of themselves and in his hands, we experience them anew.

Bryn Terfel sings with the commitment necessary to make the awesome challenge of simplicity look easy. To my way of thinking, he is the most communicative and articulate singer today, bar none. He is a poet who savors the sound, feeling and meaning of each and every word and marries it uniquely and faithfully to the music. He transports the listener into the life of a song and transfixes us each and every moment. His enormous talent is not overwhelming or distractive and is inextricably and wholly intertwined with the music. This is greatness and it is very, very rare today.

I like the inclusion of the choir in several of the numbers as it reflects on the nature and context of the songs. I am less fond of the selections with the guest soloists as I feel they do not match his ability to "get inside" a song. The orchestra and orchestations are sensitive and enhancing.

This recording is simply wonderful and should have a broad appeal. It will move and inspire the believer, satisfy and fulfill the otherwise spiritual, calm the troubled and renew a flagging soul.

Average customer rating:

forgotten masterpieces
Eclipsed
A style made for Mozart
A nice pair
Nobody like Artur Grumiaux for Mozart violin music!

Mozart: Complete String Trios & Duos

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Tracks:

Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Allegro
Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Adagio
Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio
Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Andante
Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio I - II
Allegro
Duo For Violin And Viola In G, KV 423: 1. Allegro
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Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat, KV 424: Andante cantabile
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat, KV 424: Tema con variazioni. Andante grazioso - Allegretto - Allegro

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Sonate (Trio) In B Flat, KV 266: Adagio
Sonate (Trio) In B Flat, KV 266: Menuetto, Allegretto
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 1 In D Minor: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 1 In D Minor: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No.2 In G Minor: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No.2 In G Minor: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 3 In F: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 3 In F: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 4 In F: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 4 In F: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 5 In E Flat: Largo
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 5 In E Flat: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 6 In F Minor: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 6 In F Minor: Fuga

Customer Reviews:

forgotten masterpieces.......2007-02-22

I was a little surprised to see so many reviews for this CD, most of them are full of praise. As I, too, am full of praise I can be brief.
First I must confess that, after listening to Mozart for well over 40 years, it is only very recently that I came accross any of the works on these CDs. I heard the last movement of the string trio and went straight to the computer to get it. As last year was Mozart's 250th birthday and we were deluged with his music this is incredble.
The string trio K563 is a late work by a mature Mozart, it is a very fine work, beautifully played by Arthur Grumiaux and friends. The two duos for violin and viola is another great find for me, more superb Mozart. These do not have a bass line, the composition is so good that they don't need one, indeed I was well into them before I noticed that there wasn't one. In all of these works all the instruments are equals, there is lots of work for the viola and the cello too has an important role. The six preludes and fugues again were new to me, but I am getting to know them and love them.
This is another excellent recording of Mozart's chamber music from Philips Duo, and well worth full marks. I recommend it highly, especially for Mozart lovers. If you are not well versed in Mozart I might suggest that you start with his concertos and instrumental works before you buy these Cds.

Eclipsed.......2006-08-04

For me the point here is the K.563, and while I have loved Grumiaux's playing for decades, and this is a nice older [1967] recording, it is completely blown away by the recent recording by Yo Yo Ma, Gidon Kremer, and Kim Kashkashian. On the other hand, the latter recording is defective in that the technicians managed to make the violin sound shrill and harsh -- the usual suspects are of course recording engineers who've spent much of their careers blowing out their high-end hearing listening to and working with "rock and roll" recordings, and thus needing to boost the highs in order to hear them; at the same time, it was miked much too closely. At least the Philips recordings were done in an era when the engineers were older folks who had spent their careers listening to and recording music. My choice: the Ma / Kremer / Kashkashian CD, but with my treble control cranked down....

A style made for Mozart.......2005-08-26

Here is yet another great Mozart Philips recording featuring the elegant playing of Arthur Grumiaux. The String Quintets and Violin Concertos are other ones. When you hear Grumiaux play Mozart like this, you think, "Now, how can one top that?" Such a dignified, galante and poised style as his is perfect for Mozart's music. These two CD's provide a cournacopia of Mozart delights played magnificantly by Arthur Grumiaux and friends: three string duos, the one and only great string trio (K.563) and a rather unique collection of preludes and fugues mostly transcribed from Bach's "Well Tempered Clavier" for violin and viola. Each work also has an interesting story behind it as does most of Mozart's music.

Two of the late duos Mozart wrote were "ghost written" for a terribly ill Michael Haydn - a comtemporary and great friend of Mozart. As history goes, Haydn had promised a series of six duos for the impatient Archbishop Colloredo and was two short. Mozart's continual visiting the ill Haydn and lightening-fast composing of these two duos reveal the compassionate, warm-hearted side of Mozart. In each you can hear both Haydn and Mozart by the various musical mannerisms, but they eventually passed off as Haydn's works just fine.

The trio is a late work (K563/626) that was written in 1788 - the year that Mozart's popularity with the fickle Vieneese dwindled and life strarted to fall apart. But, one would never know this from the skill and stature of the great work. Having a full six movements lasting a full 45 minutes, the string trio is a work of grand scale and rich diversity that does not once become bogged down, repetitive or dull. The equality of the part writing is especially notable as much as is the complex sonorities, intelligent design and lyrical charm. It ranks right up there with his quintets as Mozart's most accomplished chamber works.

Perhaps the surprize delight of the set are the six preludes and fugues, most of which are transcribed from JS Bach (and one each from JC Bach and Mozart). It is said that Mozart's wife Constanze adored the fugues of Bach and Handel upon first hearing them in 1782 and supposedly begged her husband to compose such music - which apparently he obliged with these works here. Of course they sound like Bach as they mostly are Bach. The Grumiaux Trio makes them sound glorious from their rich and nuanced playing and the fine Philip's sound quality. Overall, a rich, rewarding listening experience.

If you are new to Mozart's chamber music, these Philips DUO sets are excellent CD's to collect. The most recommended Philips Mozart CD's are: The Great Piano Concertos Vol I, II, the Violin Concertos, Great Quintets Vol. I and II, the Piano Trios and String Trios/Duos here. Then, the Great Seranades, the six 'Haydn' String Quartets, the two Piano Quartets and Great Violin Sonatas Vol. I, II are also fine music.

A nice pair.......2005-06-22

Not much to add here: 1st CD: The string trio K. 563 is a peer to Mozart's greatest quartets and quintets. Period! The string duos K. 423 and 424 are simple in sound, but rich in texture; the simplicity of means calls for advanced composing and Mozart doesn't dissappoint. 2nd CD: The trio K. 266 is less interesting, but the six preludes and fugues are really great, fusions of Mozart and Bach. All the playing is excellent.

Nobody like Artur Grumiaux for Mozart violin music!.......2004-07-19

Joseph Szigetti gave a towering surprise with the ten violin sonatas , but Grumiaux was a real fighter for this Mozart music so plenty of lyricism.

The vibrato and musicality given for Grumiaux is out of this world. His playing is kindness enjoyable extremely cantabile and above all deeply idomatic , loaded with majesty and charm and intimacy.

This belgium violinist was a pupil of Georges Enesco . Pleas acquire also the trio Kv 563 . I've never a recording that rivalizes with that.
Certainly Grumiaux was a champion master in this field!

If you take a look around about the most remarkable string Trios, you will find out that these are not so many. Before that immense Mozart's Divertimento in E flat Kv. 563, written in 1788, we just find a dozen of Trios by Bocherini and after, Beethoven Piano Trios, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Brahms. Dvorak Dohnayi, Webern, Roussel and Schoenberg. In this sense and taking into account the brief set it's obvious to state we are in presence of the most significant, pyramidal and complete string Trio ever written, not only because it was a true milestone in what concerns to structural complexity, lyrical density and enjoyable mood.

Surprisingly, it does not use to appear among the most extraordinary musical achievements ion the enormous musical legacy of the beloved son of Salzburg. But measure by measure, I wouldn't hesitate just for a second in what respects to include it among the ten best works of Mozart throughout his opulent and extraordinary production.

And particularly this version possesses that touch of genius and dazzling luminosity, filled of kind spirits, cheerful energy and rhythmic vitality.

This masterpiece by itself justifies plainly your inversion in this double CD, but additionally you will find out another treasures of highest level as both Duos for violin and viola, The Kv. 266 The six preludes and fugues for violin, viola and cello written as a profound and heartfelt homage in Bach's memory are astonishing and notable compositions by themselves.

So I think not to sin of exaggerate when I recommend you this extraordinary set, one of my most beloved albums of my personal collection and wishing for you to have. You will agree with me once you have acquired and enjoyed over and over.

It's almost useless to talk about the purity of spirit of Artur Grumiaux, one of the most distinguished, refined and honest violinists ever born as well as one of the maxim exponents of Mozart's repertoire for violin, and I don't think to sound exaggerate to affirm this record was one of his highest artistic peaks as musician.

J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich

Average customer rating:

No hummer
Kevin Lee
Mystic crystal revelation, and the mind's true liberation
Dramatic infusion
Highest Recommendation for Bach on Piano

J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concertos / Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra

ASIN: B00004R7X0
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Amazon.com

A lot of pianophiles have been waiting for the reissue of this 1980 LP, Argerich's only Bach recording. She played the same Partita at her Carnegie Hall recital in the Spring of 2000, suggesting that she just doesn't play much Bach. These performances have the pianist's typical intensity of approach. Her fingers do the talking, with some dazzling clear articulation reminiscent of Glenn Gould on a good day, and she seldom blurs any of the textures. She also has a very good feeling for Bach's dance rhythms; the closing Gigue of the Partita makes you want to jump up and put on your dancing shoes. Argerich uses an unusually wide dynamic range for Bach, and some of the dreamy slow movements won't be to the taste of all listeners. Nobody, though, will be able to ignore these performances; while they are playing, they seem like the only way to do it. The 1980 sound is still fine, and although the disc is LP length (50 minutes), the price is right. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

No hummer.......2007-07-22

Do you think humming along with your piano playing is charming? If not try this recording by Martha Agerich--just the right amount of sostenuto. Also for the Partitas--Richard Goode is a must-have.

Kevin Lee.......2007-02-21

She was so wonderful. I highly recommend it to anyone is learning or being interested in Bach keyboard work.

Mystic crystal revelation, and the mind's true liberation.......2006-10-26

When Martha Argerich recorded this music in 1980 it must have been the Age of Aquarius. What a beautiful recording. Her rendition of Bach's Toccata BWV 911 surpasses any of Bach's keyboard music I've heard. Dubravka Tomsic's Toccata BWV 912 is also great, but Argerich's 911 is greater. Glenn Gould would have to come in third with these pieces.

Why is Argerich the best? Because she has heart. She plays with love of Bach and love of humanity. (This may be redundant.) Tomsic's precision is not without feeling, but Gould is not humane. He was a genius, of course, and he could make your mind dance. But Glenn Gould could not enter your heart nor the heart of Bach.

About four minutes into the Toccata Argerich plays the first of Bach's counterpoint passages on this disc and enters the realm of mystic crystal revelation. The space-time continuum is transcended. As time stands still Argerich and Bach create perfect forms of sound - nothing like the world mess and ourselves in it. Such transcendences occur frequently throughout this recording.

Martha Argerich was born in 1941 in Argentina . She was a child prodigy, playing the piano at age three and giving her debut concert at age eight. In 1965 she made her first recordings, including works by Chopin, Brahms, Ravel, Prokofiev and Liszt. Her technique has been described as "formidable" and has been compared to that of Vladimir Horowitz.

She has had a life-long aversion to the press and to publicity. As a result, she has remained relatively unknown to the general public. But to lovers of classical piano she is widely recognized as one of the great piano virtuosos of our time.

Just about the time of this Bach recording, Argerich frequently remarked that she felt "lonely" during solo performances. She then started focusing on orchestral and chamber music, accompanying instrumentalists in concertos and sonatas. This is her only solo recording of Bach. She performed one more recording of Bach, cello sonatas with Mischa Maisky, which is also excellent. These are her only two Bach recordings. They are priceless gems.

And love will steer the stars

Dramatic infusion .......2005-07-25

Given Martha Argerich's career, you would not expect Bach to be at the forefront - and it isn't - but when she put her mind to the Baroque master in this recording, the result was brilliant. Right from the opening first few bars of the C-minor Toccata, Ms. Argerich sets a tone of great excitement and anticipation of what is to come - and by the time she is into the great fugue, you realize you a hearing an exceptional approach to Bach. Her tone here is one of supreme confidence and a feeling of authority that brings to the imagination the historical images we have of Bach's daughting and larger-than-life keyboard playing.

Yet, a standard Argerich critique of "overdriving" the tempos does not seem to apply here as far as a negative effect. Even though her tempos are often quicker, they do not seem overdone, Romanticised or out-of-place but create a fresh excitement and dramatic infusion. After all, pieces like the toccatas were flamboyant works to show off the keyboardist's virtuosity and technique, and Argerich rises fully to that purpose (apparently disregarding Bach's tempo indications in places) and going all out - perhaps reminding us of the power of Bach's untouchable playing. While her aggressive (but quite interesting) approach to the noble-minded Courante might not bode well for some, she almost makes up for it with surprisingly tender and almost hypnotic sarabandes - movements in which she does seem to capture the subtle, inner qualities.

As much as I normally prefer Angela Hewitt's Bach recordings, I have to say I really like Martha's spunk and extravertness here even more at times - especially in the Toccata with her bold and confident galloping triplet rhythms that seems to nicely capture the free-spirited nature of this work (ditto for the Partita). This is superb music by any measure that is recorded in full, dynamic sound on DG. It is also really a historic recording for both Bach lovers and Argerich fans because it is some of the only Bach Ms. Argerich recorded. Judging from the 18/19 Amazon reviewers so far who gave this CD Five Stars, I would say this CD is a special treat to be savored.

Highest Recommendation for Bach on Piano.......2005-04-10

This recording would make an interesting blind listening test, given the pianist's reputation for passion. Those who assume Martha's Bach will be spoiled by romantic excess are in for a big surprise. This CD is as good as any Bach on piano I've ever heard, and rivals Savall's Art of Fugue as an essential Bach recording.

Like Glenn Gould, Argerich attempts to emulate a harpsichord on the piano, by limiting the pedals and variations in tone, volume, and rhthym. She is clear, dry, and imparts a fugue or dance movement with dazzling energy and control. The result is very consistent with authentic baroque interpretation, and more listenable to my ears than an actual harpsichord, which I prefer to hear in ensemble rather than solo.

Also recommended: Gould's French Suites (now on 1 CD), Bylsma's Cello Suites, Podger's Violin Sonatas, Pinnock's Harpsichord Concertos (DG Trio), and of course, Savall's Art of Fugue.

Average customer rating:

Solid Basic March Collection
Bold and brassy mixes well with the rest
40 Famous Marches - a great collection!!
Classics on Parade
Too, too much Philip Jones Ensemble

40 Famous Marches

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000040OX5
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Tracks:

Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1 In D Major - London PO; Solti, G.
Karelia Suite: Alla marcia - Philharmonia Orchestra
Jubel March - Vienna PO; Boskovsky, W.
Funeral March Of A Marionette - Orchestra Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Tannhauser: Grand March - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble; Howarth, E.
Rinaldo: March - English Chamber Orchestra
Saul: Dead March - English CO; Bonynge, R.
Aida: Grand March - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Radetzky March - Vienna PO; Boskovsky, W.
Marche militaire - Wiener Philharmoniker
Athalia: War March Of The Priests - Vienna PO; Dohnanyi, C.v.
The Nutcracker: March - National Philharmonic Orchestra
The Love For Three Oranges: March - London PO; Weller, W.
Le Prophete: Coronation March - London Philharmonic Orchestra
La Damnation de Faust: Hungarian March - Chicago SO; Solti, G.
Persian March - Wiener Philharmoniker
Aladdin Suite: Oriental Festive March - San Francisco SO; Blomstedt, H.
The Ruins Of Athens: Turkish March - Carlo Curley
The Occasional Oratorio: March - San Francisco SO; Blomstedt, H.
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 4 In G Major - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

Crown Imperial (Coronation March) - London PO; Norrington, R.
Music For The Funeral Of Queen Mary: Funeral March - Baroque Brass Of London
Prince of Denmark's March (Trumpet Voluntary) - London PO; Norrington, R.
March - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Marche triomphale - London PO; Norrington, R.
Egyptian March - Wiener Philharmoniker
Joyeuse March - Swiss Romande Orch; Ansermet, E.
Napoleon March - Wiener Philharmoniker
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March - Montreal SO; Dutoit, C.
Russian March - Wiener Philharmoniker
Carmen, Suite No.2: Marche des contrebandiers - Montreal SO; Dutoit, C.
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: March - London Symphony Orchestra
Mlada: Procession Of The Nobles - Kingsway Orch; Camarata, S.
Spanish March - Wiener Philharmoniker
Things To Come: March - National PO; Herrmann, B.
Washington Post - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Entry Of The Gladiators - National PO; Herrmann, B.
Colonel Bogey - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
The Dam Busters - National PO; Herrmann, B.
The Stars And Stripes Forever - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble

Customer Reviews:

Solid Basic March Collection.......2006-08-07

Great solid basic collection, a real bargain with mostly outstanding performances. Having played several in bands and orchestras and sung one (the Rimsky Mlada), I have a good idea how they should go. As other other commentators say, there are better individual recordings, such as anything by Fennell and the Eastman band. The organ pieces just don't do this music justice, although a real cathedral organ can come close, but that's beyond these discs. The Nielsen Aladdin March is the new one for me. Berlioz by Solti is great! Buy it!

Bold and brassy mixes well with the rest.......2004-08-14

I am impressed most by the variety in 40 Famous Marches on 2 CDs, a Double Decca release. The performers include Philharmonic Orchestras, a Brass Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, organ, Symphony, and for nine selections, the Wiener Philharmoniker. I am not sure if the word schmaltzy ought to be applied to any of this, but the Wiener Philharmoniker often exhibits a unique sound which is not quite the same as any of the other selections. The final five selections are all performed by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble under Elgar Howarth in ADD/DDD format in 1983 and 1985. Two of those five are rousing marches by John Philip Sousa, another called `Entry of the Gladiators' is typical of songs played by live bands at circuses, and the remaining two are from movie soundtracks. `Colonel Bogey' is famous from the movie about British prisoners of war building a railroad bridge for the Japanese in World War Two, the Bridge over the River Kwai.

The major source of variety in these 40 selections is that many of them are taken from operas and even a ballet, Tchaikovsky's famous `The Nutcracker--March.' I originally found this collection when I was searching for `Funeral March of a Marionette' by Charles Gounod (1818-1893) which has a theme that is famous from its use by a television series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. If you can't remember how that goes, you ought to buy this collection and listen for it early: it is selection 4 on the first CD. The main theme was fun to play and easy to learn in a book of piano lessons, but the rest is quite whimsical and worth listening to, and people who play organ with pedal notes might still be able to find music for playing the entire arrangement, difficult though it is for someone like me, who becomes confused when too many things are going on at the same time.

There was something on this CD that sounded weird, and I had to check to see what it was, and it was just someone playing the organ, but he was trying to play `The Ruins of Athens -- Turkish March' by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).

Something by Handel sounds so much like the beginning of a movie that I expect someone to start singing, `The hills are alive with The Sound Of Music,' but this CD is something else. The first CD starts and ends with marches from `Pomp and Circumstance' by Edward Elgar, so people who have been to a lot of graduation ceremonies will be expecting plenty of familiar music. The 6:32 time is slightly longer than the Wagner's `Tannhauser -- Grand March' on the first CD, but long graduation ceremonies may play it even longer, until all the diplomas are handed out.

Verdi, Strauss, Schubert, Prokofiev, Berlioz, these famous composers might be recognized by people who know music, but the `Wedding March' by Felix Mendelssohn is famous with everybody for what it is used for. If you haven't heard it lately, maybe you should hear it a few times so you won't be so nervous the next time it comes around.

40 Famous Marches - a great collection!!.......2003-11-21

This is a wonderful collection. What a wide collection of exciting pieces, all in one affordable package!! It encompasses so many composers and styles, from the majesty of Elgar and Walton, to upbeat Sousa to schmaltzy Strauss. It also includes such classic marches as Meyerbeer's Coronation, a pinnacle of the French opera style, the timeless Wedding March of Mendelssohn, and the brilliant organ piece, Marche Triomphale of Sigfrid Karg-Elert. There are also some interesting oddball selections like the mysterious Things to Come of Bliss (composed for the H.G. Wells film), the jaunty Chabrier marche, and oriental flair of Nielsen's Aladdin.
In reading some of the other criticisms, it is true that the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble perhaps is not the best or most noted ensemble. However, overall, the pieces they play are either Sousa or patriotic-sounding tunes. Their only forays into the true classical realm are the Grand Marches from Tannhauser and Aida, and they are not half bad. So don't let those pieces keep you from buying the CD - 1) because most of the songs they do play are great and 2) they only play in 1/4 of the music....

Classics on Parade.......2003-05-01

If you're looking for a collection of marches from classical music, this would be a fine one to get.
It contains recordings made from 1958 to 1996 by some of the world's great orchestras, plus several numbers by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, and four arranged for organ.
The first 35 marches include many of the best-known classical marches, plus three "coronation" marches, written as far back as the end of the seventeenth century (The Prince of Denmark's March) up to 1954 (The Dam Busters). The last five pieces are "popular" marches played by the Jones Ensemble.
The liner notes give a nice history of marches, including where most of the ones in this collection fit into that scenario.
A great collection of marches by classical and popular music "masters".

Too, too much Philip Jones Ensemble.......2003-04-17

A mixed bag of music, 40 FAMOUS MARCHES compiles a good many marches - some not too common.

The CD has it's high points:
1. Chicago Symphony (under Solti!) playing Berlioz's Hungarian March (love that trombone excerpt - BAM!)
2. London Philharmonic playing Prokofiev's "The Love for Three Oranges" March
3. Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 (also London Philharmonic)

BUT... There's some real stuff on here, too. I must concur with a prior reviewer: FAR TOO MUCH Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. Case in point - Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever, as played by PJBE is completely devoid of the energy and fire it needs. The trombone countermelody at the end is just NOT THERE (you'll strain to hear it). There's just no way this is right. PBJE is great in their setting, but this is just not it.

Tracks:

Singet Dem Herrn Ein Neues Lied
Wie Sich Ein Vater Erbarmet - Gott, Nimm Dich Ferner Unser An
Lobet Den Herrn In Seinen Taten - Alles, Was Odem Hat
Der Geist Hilft Unser Schwachheit Auf
Der Aber Die Herzen Forschet
Du Heilige Brunst, Susser Trost
Jesu, Meine Freude
Es Ist Nun Nichts Verdammliches
Unter Deinem Schirmen
Denn Das Gesetz Des Geistes
Trotz Dem Alten Drachen
Ihr Aber Seid Nicht Fleischlich
Weg Mit Allen Schatzen
So Aber Christus In Euch Ist
Gute Nacht, O Wesen
So Nun Der Geist
Weicht, Ihr Trauergeister
Furchte Dich Nicht, Ich Bin Bei Dir
Ich Starke Dich, Ich Helfe Dir Auch
Furchte Dich Nicht, Denn Ich Habe Dich Erloset - Herr, Mein Hirt, Brunn Aller Freuden
Komm, Jesu, Komm, Mein Leib Ist Mude
Der Saure Weg Wird Mir Zu Schwer
Du Bist Der Rechte Weg
Drum Schliess Ich Mich In Deine Hande
Lobet Den Herrn, Alle Heiden
Denn Seine Gnade
Alleluja
Ich Lasse Dich Nicht, Du Segnest Mich Denn
Ich Lasse Dich Nicht - Weil Du Mein Gott Und Vater Bist

Customer Reviews:

Hilliard on Bach.......2007-06-09

I enjoyed the Hilliard's contribution on an earlier album with Bach's BWV 4, and have many of their albums of earlier material. Expectations were set high.

If I had any issues with the interpretation it's with the women singers... in my favorite Motet, BWV 227, the phrasing isn't as smooth and flawless in intonation as the men; I compare this too with my recording with my Harmonia Mundi recording by Herreweghe.

I also get the sense that no one is directing the ensemble... this is not important, unless you hear it... I think with Bach, you have to bring out the lines... and what I do like is the one/part setting. Some double the voices with instruments; only an organ is used here, for one motet.

The recording is beautiful, and well-recorded in a resonant space. By any account it is well done, but I wish certain singers had more wisdom/guile/foresight to sing "out" from the ensemble.

There is some shaping of the dynamics in some numbers, but sometimes the texture becomes dominated with the soprano line.

The sound is easy to beomce addicted to, as is the sound with other Hilliard recordings. Clean, sonorous, and pure. Much to enjoy despite a few reservations.

Average customer rating:

Horowitz: The Last Recording
absolutely outstanding
The Last and One of the Very Best
Some Enchanted Evening ...
Last, but Not Least

Horowitz: The Last Recording

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000009IG6
Release Date: 1990-03-30

Customer Reviews:

Horowitz: The Last Recording.......2006-03-27

This album was the last ever made by this awesome legend of piano-playing. Recorded at his own home in six sessions over twelve days, it is stunning to realise that this performance comes from a man of 86 years of age. I thought I had heard just about everything he had ever recorded. This album includes music he had never before played publicly at least not in the USA - or recorded.
Haydns Eflat Sonata No 49 sparkles from start to finish, full of typical Horowitzian colour and drama, yet classical in flavour and beautifully balanced.
A Mazurka, two Nocturnes and two Etudes by Chopin, and Liszts arrangement of Wagners Liebestod follow, each pianistically fabulous in terms of colour, multiple singing melodic lines, textural richness and clarity.
The popular and much-hackneyed Fantasie Impromptu flows unexpectedly quieter than one usually hears it played, which is rather refreshing. I took a while to get used to the absence of sentimentality in the middle section.
The Weinen Klagen Praeludium is a gem. This late Liszt composition is not particularly well-known. In his later years Liszt explored and developed visionary harmonic ideas, which are exemplified in the richly chromatic Praeludium. Horowitz brings its darkly exquisite harmonies to life with turbulent intensity. Although it comes second to last, I understand this was the last piece of music recorded for this disc, therefore the last ever recorded by the maestro. This recording was completed on 1st November 1989. The maestro died on November 5th 1989.
A few quirky features here and there, but it would not be vintage Horowitz without those. Essential listening for piano music lovers and especially Horowitz fans.

absolutely outstanding.......2006-02-24

There are a few "bests" here in my opinion so lets list them one by one. This is the best Haydn by far. Horowitz really brings the piece to the summit of artistry but also interpretation. It so hard to comprehend how a pianist can take the aristrocratic and relatively reserved Haydn sonatas and turn them into a potpourri of colors. Everything is here - the typical surreptitious Haydnian staccato - a slow movement with real cantabile. Its a shame that Horowitz didn't record more Mozart and Haydn.
Horowitz playing of both of the etudes here are just sensational. How creative can you get?!!! Bringing out inner voices and colliding/merging them with others. Also the first nocturne is the best I have ever heard.
I must be frank and say that the fantasie-impromptu didn't make me too happy. Its played a little bit sloppy and I don't understand what he is trying to convey with the middle section which plays kind of fast and loud. I think this might have to do witht the fact that the piece is overplayed but who knows.

This is a pianist that has no limits. He can play 1000 different types of staccato, legato, etc... but he also has emotion. Horowitz is up there in heaven looking down and shaking his head at all the immitators.

The Last and One of the Very Best.......2005-11-23

It is truly amazing to think that Horowitz was 86 years old when he made this recording. The virtuoso passages of Chopin that require fingertip pyrotechnics are played with flawless precision and a sense of nuance and shading that is exquisite. At his very best, Horowitz took music to a level where he made the piano into his palette and painted a marvelously subtle musical picture. On the slower passages, every note and even the intervals between the notes exhude a calm self-assured artistry. This is not just wonderful music; it is sheer poetry. As Murray Perahia writes in his touching essay in the CD insert, Horowitz felt that what made a composer truly classical was "an intensity and purity of expression where every note matters, every note has meaning." One certainly hears and feels that intensity and purity on this CD.

There is also a noticeable improvement in sound quality on this CD, that was recorded digitally, in comparison to earlier Horowitz recordings I have heard from the analog era. How fortunate we should all feel that he lived into the digital era and was still playing at such a sublime level into his final years, so that he could leave us this musical legacy. My personal favorite on this CD is track 6, the "Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66 of Chopin, which is played with dazzling scintillating brilliance and, at the same time, superb control, subtlety, and deep emotion. However, a close second for me is the tenth track, Liszt's "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" a Prelude based on a theme from Bach's Cantata No. 12. Horowitz's performance of this composition is achingly beautiful. The CD booklet has an excellent essay by Murray Perahia in English, with German, French and Italian translations. A wonderful CD and fitting memorial to one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century.

Some Enchanted Evening ..........2004-01-28

I make the case that Chopin is the father of modern music in my review of Horowitz's "The Last Romantic" ..... and this CD provides more evidence ..... think of the extraordinarily haunting melody and chords of "Some Enchanted Evening" ..... this song was lifted directly from Chopin's Etude 1 No. 25 and you can hear it on this disc.... beautifully played by Chopin's greatest interpreter (in my opinion). The disc also includes "Fanatasie Impromptu" ... one of the tunes that opened the ears of this pop and jazz fan to 'classical' or 'romantic' music.

Last, but Not Least.......2003-04-27

Vladimir Horowitz had just celebrated his 86th birthday when sessions for this recording began in October of 1989. He had recently been lured to Sony Classical by their new director, Gunther Breest, who had signed Horowitz on at Deutsche Grammphon in 1985. One advantage that Sony carried, besides a bigger paycheck, was the latest technology. This recording utilized Sony's then new 20-bit technology, which resulted in a more defined sound picture for this most subtle of pianists.

The contents of this CD were all new to the Horowitz discography. By the late 1980s, Horowitz had refined and stripped down his art to the essentials. There are none of the histrionics of his early recordings, nor any of the attempts to prove to the listener that he could still play the fastest and the loudest which marred some of his recordings from the 1970s.

Horowitz was stimulated by Haydn's diverse pianistic textures and whimsical changes of mood. The first movement, a bouncy Allegro, is a perfect demonstration the "controlled freedom" of Horowitz's late period. While following the same basic pulse, Horowitz introduces tiny alterations of tempo which keeps the music flowing coherently, without sounding metronomic. The rapidly ascending scale passages here are played with a dazzling evenness of touch. The slow movement, a true cantabile, is phrased as though it were being sung rather than played. The minor key outburst is, for a rarity, truly shocking. The Finale is played with a gentle virtuosity which never goes beyond the bounds of appropriate Haydn style.

Horowitz recorded more of Chopin's music than that of any other composer. He was justly famous for his performances of Chopin's Mazurkas, which seamlessly blended the dance and poetic elements. The performance of the C minor Mazurka here makes one regret he didn't record many more.

Horowitz was fanatically passionate about Ignaz Friedman's performances of the Nocturnes, but recorded surprisingly few himself. Many of his earlier recordings of the Nocturnes were played on too large a scale, with a prevalent note of hysteria. The two Nocturnes presented here are another story indeed. There is a rare sense of repose, at times an almost deathly calm, about these performances. There is also Horowitz's rare ability to weight the various elements of melody, harmony, and accompaniment, down to the smallest micron. Horowitz' floating of the top, middle, and lower lines, interweaving them effortlessly, is in many ways more stunning than any kind of thundering virtuosity.

But if it's the more obvious kind of virtuosity you want, it is amply demonstrated in the Fantasie-Impromptu. Played at an extremely fast tempo, Horowitz demonstrates here that fidelity and freedom with regard to the score can coexist. He is one of the few pianists who bothers to repeat the first phrase as a quieter echo of the forte statement--as indicated in the score. He also preserves the structure of the piece by maintaining the initial tempo in the central section rather than slowing down to chase rainbows--and he adds some tiny embellishments along the way.

Horowitz is technically and musically on top of the A-flat Etude, but the E Minor Etude suffers from an overstressed ending.

Horowitz was very selective about which Liszt he chose to preserve on recordings. For this recording, he chose the rarely played Prelude from Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, a desolate reworking of a theme from J. S. Bach's Cantata No. 12. Horowitz masterfully alters the mood for each variation, while maintaining the inner continuity of the piece.

Naturally, the Wagner/Liszt Liebestod (literally, "Love/Death") would have extramusical implications due to the circumstances of the recording. It is true, Horowitz plays the aria as if he knew this would be his swansong, giving the performance all the eroticism, lyricism, and thundering virtuosity he could muster, for the last time. He died on Sunday, November 5th, four days after the Liebestod was taped.

This recording is a must for all Horowitz admirers, indeed, for all those who value great piano playing. The informative and moving liner notes are by Horowitz's friend and junior colleague Murray Perahia, who was with the Maestro the day before he died.

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