The Complete Recordings Of Chopin

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Solomon's Chopin is characterized by firm yet flexible rhythm, emotional health, unmannered expression, bedrock fingerwork, and just the right blend of delicacy and strength. His F Minor Fantasy and Berceuse belong on anyone's short list of great Chopin recordings. It's also interesting to hear this "literalist" fill in the left hand chords when the main theme of the A Major Polonaise recapitulates. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

badly remastered.......2007-06-25

"The Complete Rachmaninoff', at 2-3 times the price is a better deal. This version is re-mastered in a way that reduces surface noise, but, at the same time, removes much of the pianists' tone quality that comes through so well on the original LP release, as well as the more expensive set. Also, this album is lacking the documentation of recording dates that the LP and 'The Complete Rachmaninoff' provide. For the neophyte, the re-mastering reduces the magic of Rachmaninoff's tone. I would expect the connoisseur to be even more disappointed. There are bargains out there, but for this album, you get what you pay for.

Rachmaninov is the master.......2007-05-15

Some people like the recordings and some dont, but as a fan of Rachmaninov it would be a shame not to own these recordings. To hear a master composer from history play his own works is not that common. Just put the cd in your player put your headphones on and watch the black and white images appear in your mind as though you were at a concert in the 1930's looking on at the man sitting at the piano carefully but with feeling pounding each note into the air of time. If you don't like the scratchy recordings then obviously you are a spoiled brat who doesnt appreciate fine art.

A Master of Musical Love.......2007-01-18

There have been other brilliant composers and genius pianists as Rachmaninoff lived and afterwards. Yet, in my opinion, he is the real central figure of his days and, as far as I can feel, what there is of most modern up to now in classical music. I do not think it exaggerated to say that, after all these decades, someone is still to pick up the torch from his hands at that level of inspiration, just as he picked it up from Tchaikovsky. It is true that a few of his compositions seem quirky and cerebral: but more than a few are the masterpieces. His second Concerto is the concert of the century. And where do we find, for instance, a match for his etude tableau 39/5 in one hundred years? Or a simply revolutionary piece as his prelude 32/12 is?

One could go on with a list of marvelous compositions either created or played by him and many reviewers already pointed so much of great in his recordings. So a good thing to do here is what a previous reviewer also did: to say something special about one favorite piece of the box-set. My forerunner pointed to Rach's rendering of Haendel's "Harmonious Blacksmith" and I agree with each word he wrote about it. Now I should like to declare my amazement about his version of "Leise flehen", initially a Swansong written by Schubert and later transcribed by Liszt.

Hopefully Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and other singers will not mind my saying this, but Rachmaninoff unveils and exposes such a treasure in this song that now its original lyrics only seem to obstruct the inestimable wealth in piano notes below them at all other known recordings: the piece is infinitely more beautiful when left to the pianist alone. Rach's playing is warm and generous, just like Schubert's creative Geist, and the result is light-years ahead of the usual rough, squared, catacomb mood with which people bring the composition along with singers.

Impossible not to love, but there is more to that. After listening so many times to this piece that never ceases to stun me, I came to conclude that in fact very few people could manage to play the `leise flehen' like this, even among good pianists. As expressed here, its notes speak to their listener in such frank, open, and direct way - like a true friend making an important confession - that only a man with Rachmaninoff's `heart of gold' could manage to convey its meaning.

Ahhh, maybe we're talking about technique... To have a most noble heart, then, is THE decisive technical prerequisite for communicating these notes, otherwise they will simply not come out at all.

Notes: Here are a few opinions about the pieces mentioned above; hopefully they will be helpful for persons who don't know Rachmaninoff's works and stimulating for those who already know them. 1) As far as I am aware, besides Rachmaninoff only Valentina Lisitsa recorded the Leise flehen in a solo version. It can be found in her 2005 DVD with the Swan Songs program. 2) The etude tableaux 39/5 is not in this box set; many performers have played it, but none as Van Cliburn, who simply operates a miracle in the CD "My Favorite Rachmaninoff". His playing and the vertigo sensation it leaves behind are so powerful that I am sometimes afraid to listen to him. 3) Horowitz, the wizard, masters the prelude 32/12 in his CD "Horowitz Plays Scriabin" and in his legendary 1986 Moscow recital; the prelude is also in Rach's box-set. 4) About the second concerto, there are so many recordings, most of which I have not heard; my favorite performer is Benno Moiseiwitsch, a sublime piano poet much admired by Rachmaninoff himself. None of the recordings I've heard of the concerto, including the two available by its own composer, reach the climax of its third movement as Moiseiwitsch does in a 1944 movie called "Battle for Music". It is only a short excerpt from one of his wartime presentations with the LSO, but long enough to show how it sounds when perfectly done. The excerpt is also in the movie "The Art of Piano", in which the entire footage involving Rachmaninoff and Moiseiwitsch is simply a gem (however much historically unprecise).

Classic Historic Rachmaninoff........2006-01-14

If you're a tad bit confused between this boxed set and "The Complete Recordings" boxed set from 1992, fear not. Both this and "The Complete Recordings" are exactly the same. The only difference is in the cover art and packaging. Also, the price of this recent reissue is half as much as the original edition. If you have the original edition, there's no need to buy it again. If you don't own this already, then this present edition is the one to get mainly because of its reduced price tag.
With this out of the way, onto the music itself:
The Rachmaninoff Complete recordings collection includes everything the great Russian composer/pianist recorded between the years 1919 and 1941. Besides recording historic versions of his own classic Piano Concertos, his "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paginini" as well as conducting his own Third Symphony and Isle of the Dead, Rachmaninoff also recorded arrangements of works by such great composers ranging from Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert to most importantly, Chopin. These recordings are also included in this mammoth set alongside more obscure works by Mussorgsky, Daquin, Henselt and Dohnanyi.
The sound quality varies throughout the set ranging from highly listenable to sounding as if it were transferred by placing a microphone directly into the horn of an old grammophone. Despite the variants of sound quality, one cannot deny that this music as well as these recordings are important and historic.
The CD booklet gives a brief insight to Rachmaninoff's history as a recording artist as well as a breakdown of the tracks themselves. The only major flaw with this present edition is the fact that there are no recording dates listed anywhere in the liner notes. Considering that these are historic recordings dating from the very birth of the recording age, it would've definitely been helpful to be able to identify the year in which each work included here was recorded. Considering that I do not own the original edition of this set, there's a good chance that the first edition included the dates of the recordings. Not so here though. This is the reason why this reviewer docked this set one star.
Apart from this, this present edition or Rachmaninoff's complete recordings is a must for the die-hard Rachmaninoff fan. You get to hear the genius at work not only with his own material but with works by others as well. There are also a few note worthy collaborations such as a full disc of duets with legendary violinist Fritz Kreisler, an appearance by mezzo soprano Naddejda Plevitskaya on the arrangement of the traditional tune "Powder and Paint" and a fabulous four-hand piano rendition of Rachmaninoff's own "Italian Polka" with his daughter Natalie as second pianist (which actually sounds like a homemade wax-cylinder recording).
With this said, if you can get around guessing when these recordings were made, this is some great and historic music from one of the very best composer/musicians of our time - the one and only, the great Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon

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MUST HAVE THIS IN YOUR COLLECTION OF HOROWITZ
Horowitz: A Digital Legacy

Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008RWRI
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Customer Reviews:

MUST HAVE THIS IN YOUR COLLECTION OF HOROWITZ.......2007-07-13

If you have any Horowitz music in your collection. THEN YOU MUST GET THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS ON DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON. Quality of recording is superb.

Horowitz: A Digital Legacy.......2004-11-15

This set includes all of the recordings Vladimir Horowitz did for Deutsche Grammophon in the 1980s, including his historical concert in Moscow.

While the context of his return in Moscow is moving, the studio recordings are simply wonderful. The sound quality is impeccable. The Steinway piano sounds warm but yet crisp and sharp. Horowitz still has plenty of power, and if you don't have a good sound system, you will notice that your speakers will literally fail, due to the overwhelming wall of sound that Horowitz creates in the intense parts.

The tender moments are just as exciting, as they are enhanced by the very quiet and clear digital recording process. Liszt's Standchen and Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23 are only two of a myriad of highlights contained on this boxed set. Having these high quality digital recordings of this piano legend is a blessing that you can't afford to miss. And at this price, it's simply irresistible.

Tracks:

Salome, Op. 54: Final Scene
Tosca - (Act I): 'Perche chiuso?...Mia gelosa'
Tosca - (Act II): 'Vissi d'arte'
Don Giovanni - (Act I): 'Don Ottavio, son morta!...Or sai, chi l'onore'
Don Giovanni - (Act II): 'Crudele! Ah no, mio ben... Non mi dir, bell'idol mio'
Die Fledermaus: 'Czardas'
Der Zigeunerbaron: 'Habet Acht' - (Gypsy Song)
Four Last Songs: 'Fruhling'
Four Last Songs: 'September'
Four Last Songs: 'Beim Schlafengehen'
Four Last Songs: 'Im Abendrot'

Tracks:

Op. 43, No. 1: 'Von ewiger Liebe'
Op 105, No. 1: 'Wie Melodien Zieht Es Mir'
Op. 84, No. 4: 'Vergebliches Standchen'
'Die Mainacht'
'Meine Liebe ist grun'
Op. 2: 'Gretchen Am Spinnrade'
Op. 43, No. 1: 'Die Junge Nonne'
Schwanengesang: 'Liebesbotschaft'
Op. 32: 'Die Forelle'
Myrthen, Op. 25, No. 1: 'Widmung'
Liederkreis, Op. 39, No. 5: 'Mondnacht'
Myrthen, Op. 25, No. 3: 'Der Nussbaum'
Zigeunerlieder,Op. 103: No. 1
Zigeunerlieder,Op. 103: No. 2
Zigeunerlieder,Op. 103: No. 4
Zigeunerlieder,Op. 103: No. 7
'Mne Grustno'
''Mel'nik'
'Gde ti, zvezdochka?'
'Hat Dich Die Liebe Beruhrt'
'Valse De Chopin'
'Dei Nacht' - Op. 10, No. 3
'Cacilie' - Op. 27, No.2
'Ich atmet' einen linden Duft'
'Blicke Mir Nicht In Die Lieder'
'Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen'
'Um Mitternacht' - (Incomplete)

Amazon.com

Ljuba Welitsch had a short career, her stardom spanning the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s. Perhaps this is because she gave so much of herself--even on records you feel she's operating on all cylinders. Her most famous role, Salome, is represented here by the closing scene with Fritz Reiner and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, recorded at the time of her triumphant New York debut. She was also a great Donna Anna, her rendition of the big arias from Don Giovanni full of fire and thrust. Tosca's "Vissi d'arte" is a passionate reading, one of the best on disc. The song disc is more variable but always interesting. A great singer, captured in her prime. -- Dan Davis

Amazon.com

Half of Bulgarian soprano Ljuba Welitsch's Columbia output stems from her salad days at the Met, when her silvery voice cut across the footlights like liquid fire. The 1950 Tosca and Don Giovanni selections, as well as her incomparable Salome Final Scene with the fiery Fritz Reiner at the helm, sound more potent than ever in these 20-bit transfers from original source material. Also memorable are two delicately scaled Joseph Marx lieder and a peerless Strauss Cacille. Sadly, the 1952-3 lieder sessions find Welitsch in dire straits: her voice has acquired a papery edge, with perceptive decline in intonation and breath control. Give Paul Ulanowsky credit, though, for admirably maneuvering through the thankless, Crisco-thick piano "deorchestrations" of Strauss' Four Last Songs. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Enigimatic Flame!.......2003-11-14

This woman moved me! I felt exitement, finality, pain, passion, victory, sensuousness, and nostalgia of a time unknown to me. The Salome aria is the most convincingly and beautifully sung I have ever heard by far. The thread of sound is never broken. The lieder selections are very lovely and interestingly personal, not at all detached or serious; a joy. Strauss' Four Last Songs done with piano are quite effective as such.

The recorded sound is very impressive; a clean, full-bodied sound. Columbia's mono recordings are absolutely superior.

This soprano seemed to have something very important to say. There is an ever present urgency in her delivery, a haste, and a desperation that clings to the heart. As she sings, she invokes compassion, mystery, fear and joy.

Please hear this woman!

perhaps the most sensual of German lieder singers.......1999-08-22

This collection of Ljuba Welitsch's singing Strauss is an great example of a singer's cultural connection to a composer giving her an almost eerily innate feeling for the music. Welitsch's voice can only be described as sexy, in a pre-war German sort of way, silvery hard and focused in tone combined with a sensuality of expression that is unique. She breathes life and fire into this music in a way that later singers -- even the great Elisabeth Schwarzkopf -- could not.

Complete Masterworks Recordings, 1962-1973

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Horowitz: good. Amazon: good. Sony Classical: BAD.
ARE YOU CRAZY RICH OR CRAZY STUPID?
merely spectacular!
I have never regretted buying this...
The greatest 20th Cent. pianist at his best!

Complete Masterworks Recordings, 1962-1973

Manufacturer: Sony
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Tracks:

Sonata In E Major, K 531 (L430): Allegro
Sonata In A Major, K322 (L483): Allegro
Sonata In G Major K455 (L209): Allegro
Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': II. Adagio cantabile
Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': III. Rondo. Allegro
Impromptu In G-flat Major, Op. 90 (D899) No. 3: Andante
Etude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12: Allegro con fuoco
Etude In C-sharp Minor, Op. 25 No. 7: Lento
Scherzo No. 1 In B Minor, Op. 20: Presto con fuoco
3 Preludes - From Book II: IV. Les fees sont d'exquises danseuses. Rapide et leger
3 Preludes - From Book II: V. Bruyeres. Calme
3 Preludes - From Book II: VI. General Lavine - eccentric.
Poeme In F-sharp Major, Op. 32 No. 1: Andante cantabile
Etude In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: Andante
Etude In D-Sharp Minor, Op. 8 No. 12: Patetico

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No.2 In B- Flat, Op.35: I. Grave- Doppio movimento
Piano Sonata No.2 In B- Flat, Op.35: II. Scherzo
Piano Sonata No.2 In B- Flat, Op.35: III. Marche funebre. Lento
Piano Sonata No.2 In B- Flat, Op.35: IV. Finale. Presto
Etude-Tableau In C, Op.33 No.2: Allegro
Etude-Tableau In C, Op.33 No.2: Appassionato
Arabeske In C, Op.18: Leicht und zart
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: 1. Von fremden Landern und Menschen
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 2. Kuriose Geschichte
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 3. Hansche-Mann
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 4. Bittendes Kind
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 5. Gluckes genug
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 6. Wichtige Begbenheit
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 7. Traumerei
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 8. Am Kamin
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 9. Ritter vom Steckenpferd
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 10. Fast zu ernst
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 11. Furchtenmachen
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 12. Kind im Einschlummern
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 13. Der Dichter spricht
Toccata In C, Op.7: Allegro
Hungarian Rhapsody No.19 In D Minor: Lento patetico (Lassan)- Vivace (Friska)

Tracks:

Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante moderato
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegretto
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante e cantabile
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante e cantabile
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante moderato
Keyboard Sonatas: Vivo
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro

Tracks:

Toccata, Adagio And Fugue In C, BWV 564: I. Preludio, quasi improvvisando. Tempo moderato
Toccata, Adagio And Fugue In C, BWV 564: II. Intermezzo. Adagio
Toccata, Adagio And Fugue In C, BWV 564: III. Fuga. Moderamente sherzando, un poco umoristico
Fantasie In C, Op.17: I. Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschalflich vorzutragen
Fantasie In C, Op.17: II. Massig. Durchaus energisch
Fantasie In C, Op.17: III. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten
Piano Sonata No.9, Op.68 'Black Mass': Moderato quasi andante-Molto meno vivo-Allegro-Piu vivo-Allegro...
Poeme In F-Sharp Major, Op.32 No.1: Andante cantibile

Tracks:

Mazurka In C-sharp Minor, Op. 30. No. 4: Allegretto
Etude In F major, Op. 10 No. 8: Allegro
Ballade No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 23: Largo - Moderato - Meno mosso - Presto con fuoco
Serenade For The Doll. Allegro ma non troppo
Etude In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: Andante
Etude In A-Flat Major, Op. 72 No. 11: Presto e con leggierezza
Traumerei
Sonata No. 11 In A Major, K.331: I. Tema.Andante grazioso e variazioni
Sonata No. 11 In A Major, K. 331: II. Menuetto - Trio
Sonata No. 11 In A Major, K. 331: III. Rondo alla Turca
Polonaise-Fantaisie In A-Flat Major, Op. 61: Allegro maestoso

Tracks:

Mazurka In B minor, Op. 33 No. 4: Mesto
Nocturne In E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1: Andante
Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 70: Moderato - Allegro - Puissant, radieux - Allegro - Piu vivo - Presto - Moderato
Piano Sonata In F Major, Hob. XVI: 23: I. Allegro
Piano Sonata In F Major, Hob. XVI: 23: II. Adagio
Piano Sonata In F Major, Hob. XVI: 23: III. Finale
Blumenstuck In D-Flat Major, Op. 19: Leise bewegt
L'ISLE JOYEUSE: Quasi una cadenza - Tempo.
Vallee d'Obermann: Lento assai - Piu lento - Un poco piu di moto ma sempre lento - Presto - Lento

Tracks:

Ballade No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 23: Largo - Moderato - Meno mosso - Presto con fuoco
Nocturne In F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1: Andante
Polonaise In F-Sharp Minor, Op. 44: Tempo di polacca - Doppio movimento, tempo di Mazurka - Tempo I
Sonata In E major, K 380 (L23): Andante commodo
Sonata In G major, K 55 (L335): Allegro
Arabeske In C Major, Op. 18: Leicht und zart
Etude In D-Sharp Minor, Op. 8 No. 12: Patetico
Traumerei
Variations On A Theme From Bizet's Opera 'Carmen'

Tracks:

Sonata In E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 2: III. Rondo
Adagio sostenuto In F Major
Sonata In B-Flat Major, Op. 25 No. 3: II. Rondo
Sonata In A Major, Op. 50 No. 1: II. Adagio
Corale Prelude 'Lch ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ'
Sonata In F-Sharp Major, K 319 (L35): Allegro
Sonata In G Major, K 260 (L124): Allegro
Sonata In C Major, HOB. XVI: 48: I. Andante con espressione
Sonata In C major, Hob. XVI:48: II. Rondo
Sonata No. 28 In A Major, Op. 101: I. Allegretto ma non troppo
Sonata No. 28 In A Major, Op. 101: II. Vivace alla Marcia
Sonata No. 28 In A Major, Op. 101: III. Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto - Allegro

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight': I. Adagio sostenuto
II. Allegretto
Piano Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2'Moonlight': III. Presto agitato
Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major, Op. 53 , 'Waldstein-Sonata': I. Allegro con brio
Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major, Op. 53 , 'Waldstein-Sonata': II. Introduzione. Adagio molto - attacca
Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major, Op. 53 , 'Waldstein-Sonata': III. Rondo. Allegro moderato - Prestissimo
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, 'Appassionata': I. Allegro assai
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, 'Appassionata': II. Andante con moto -attacca
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, 'Appassionata': III. Allegro, ma non troppo - Presto

Tracks:

Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17 No. 4: Lento, ma non troppo
Etude in G-flat major, Op. 10 No. 5: Vivace
Introduction & Rondo In E-Flat Major, Op. 16: Introduzione. Andante - Rondo. Allegro vivace
Waltz in A minor, Op. 34 No. 2: Lento
Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53: Maestoso
Mazurka in F-sharp minor, Op. 59 No. 3: Vivace
Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op. 50 No. 3: Moderato
Mazurka in D-flat major, Op. 30 No. 3: Allegro non troppo
Mazurka in E minor, Op. 41 No. 2: Andantino
Mazurka in D major, Op. 33 No. 2: Vivace
Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10 No. 4: Presto
Etude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3: Lento, ma non troppo
Etude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12: Allegro con fuoco
Prelidu In B Minor, Op. 28 No. 6: Lento assai

Tracks:

Posonaise in A major, Op. 40 No. 1: Allegro con brio
Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 28 No. 15: Sostenuto
Etude in E-flat minor, Op. 10 No. 6: Andante
Etude No. 2 in A-flat major from 'Trois Nouvelles Etudes': Allegretto
Mazurka In F Minor, Op. 7 No. 3
Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2: Tempo giusto
Variations On A Theme By Clara Wieck From Sonata No. 3 In F Minor,Op. 14: Andantino
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: I. Ausserst bewegt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: II.Sehr innig
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: III. Sehr aufgeregt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: IV. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: V. Sehr lebhaft
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VI. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VII. Sehr rasch
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VIII. Schnell und spielend

Tracks:

Impromptu In A-Flat Major Op. 90 (D899) No. 4: Allegretto
Impromptu In F Minor Op. 142 (D935) No. 1: Allegro moderato
Impromptu In A-Flat Major Op. 142 (935) No. 2: Allegretto
Impromptu In E-Flat Major Op. 90 (D899) No. 2: Allegro
Consolation In E Major S. 172 (R.12) No. 2
Pour les arpeges composes: Dolce e lusingando
La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune: Lent
Etude In A Minor Op. 104b No. 3: Allegro vivace
Scherzo & March S. 177 (R.20)

Tracks:

Feuillet d'album In E-Flat Major Op. 45 No. 1: Andante piacevole
Etude In F-Sharp Minor Op. 8 No. 2: A capriccio, con forza
Etude In B-Flat Minor Op. 8 No. 11: Andante cantabile
Etude In D-Flat Major Op. 8 No. 10: Allegro
Etude In A-Flat Major Op. 8 No. 8: Lento (Tempo rubato)
Etude In F-Sharp Major Op. 42 No 3: Prestissimo
Etude In F-Sharp Major Op. 42 No. 4: Andante
Etude In C-Sharp Minor Op. 42 No. 5: Affannato
Etude Op. 65 No. 3: Molto vivace
No. 1: Allegretto
2 Poemes Op. 69: No. 2: Allegretto
Vers la flamme Op. 72: Allegro moderato
Feuillet d'album Op. 58
Fairy Tale In A Major Op. 51 No. 3
Sonata No. 2 In B-Flat Minor Op. 36: I. Allegro agitato
Sonata No. 2 In B-flat, Minor, Op. 36: II. Non allegro
Sonata No. 2 In B-Flat Minor, Op. 36: III. Allegro molto
Prelude In G-Sharp Minor Op. 32 No. 12: Allegro
Moment musical In B Minor Op. 16 No. 3: Andante cantabile
Etude-Tableau In E-Flat Minor Op. 33 No. 5: Non allegro - Presto
Etude-Tableau In C Major Op. 33 No. 2: Allegro
Etude-Tableau In D Major Op. 39 No. 9: Allegro moderato (Tempo di Marcia)

Amazon.com

It may surprise you to learn that, despite his untouchable reputation with the public, Vladimir Horowitz enjoyed a certain dubious reputation with the critics. For many, he was the epitome of the witless virtuoso, all technique and vulgar display, and no brains. There was some truth in this to the extent that he really could be variable on record, but by general consensus his Masterworks recordings show him at his absolute best. Aside from his famous Carnegie Hall concerts from 1965, you get stunning performances of music by Schumann, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Scriabin, and above all, Scarlatti--the composer that Horowitz, more than anyone, put back on the map for pianists the world over. A great set. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Horowitz: good. Amazon: good. Sony Classical: BAD........2004-05-24

I bought this set in December, and because I have so many classical CD's (more than 300), it took me 5 months to realize that the set contained TWO volume 8's and NO volume 9's. Worried that it might be too late, I e-mailed Amazon. Their first reply was that the replacement was already on its way (with return shipping paid for as well). Wow, that was a relief!

When I got the new set, I decided to study it closely and make sure that everything was good. It turns out that several of the discs (in both sets) had holes through the aluminum reflective layer -- which seemed to be because it was too thin to begin with. One disc was cracked, and another looked like the aluminum was "rotting out" on the edge. You would think that for $230, Sony Classical would put more quality into their discs. So what good is "Super Bit Mapping" and "High Definition Remastering" if the discs are so cheap that the player will misread the data? And I don't have much confidence that the discs will last many years, either.

Fortunately I got to pick the best discs from the 2 sets, so I won't need to replace this one for another. But I certainly lost respect for Sony Classical.

And kudos to you Amazon; you're really looking out for your customers!

ARE YOU CRAZY RICH OR CRAZY STUPID?.......2002-08-25

Why would any one in the right mind plunk down [money] for 13 CDS by the same pianist? Is it so you can brag about owning 11 years' worth of the same old thing? Or did you get it as a gift designed to impress but not really to listened to? Now you could probably get [money] for it whether you used it or not. Columbia Masterworks should have brought along new and younger talent. For my bet I can't think of many American pianists who are currently recording. Do we have to recycle Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, Scriabin, and others over and over? This is the Twenty-first Century. We should at least be thinking of Twentieth Century piano works. I can get 10 CDs by 10 pianists currently recording if I look to Europe.

merely spectacular!.......2001-03-10

I've only had this set about a week and have already indulged three complete listenings; it's a gold mine! - the power of preaching is persuasive in the Temple of Horowitz! I'm taken aback by the unity and continuity of sonics, an excellent and remarkable display of high engineering art. Everything important is here (almost! I wish some of the Scriabin Preludes had been included). There are sketches of incomparable pianism and supreme intelligence in these discs: Liszt's 'Vallee d'Obermann', and the Consolations; Debussy's 'L'isle joyeux' - so 'russian playing french'! - Scriabin's 'Vers le flamme' and the Black Mass sonata - one simply can't climb out of the volcano, it's terrifying and beautiful! - and the Scarlatti and Chopin. Only Gilels approaches Horowitz's indigenous understanding of Chopin. In the course of thirteen discs the glory can start to crash in around you, but at the last moment of endurance along comes 'Serenade of the Doll', or one of the Consolations. The Bach-Busoni is cerebral and fine. Horowitz gets rapped for the wrong romanticism - it's the romanticism of artistic intelligence that his art claims! I love that famous C clunker at the beginning of the Bach-Busoni in the Return to Carnegie Hall recital; more than that, I appreciate how Horowitz played his public pride in it, no retouches, etc. Shrewd, and very real, I think. He was a pianist of enormous humility on the inside, so completely knowing of his gifts - one of the reason his playing was something special. He possessed the often disregarded ability to stand completely outside his playing and admire it as one might a beautiful woman, with complete humility. It affords us the privilege of reaping joy after joy of a remarkable art the likes of which will surely stand true for a long time. 200 bucks is a lot of money, I probably would have thought it too much for the convenience of a collection; I'm glad someone else didn't feel that way, and gave me the set! - now I find it curiously too clever a package to be considered merely a consolidation of recordings into a 'set' - there is something indefinably congruent about these recordings. They fit together with harmonious intent, and shine and shadow the land with a marvelous music. Highest recommendation without reservation.

I have never regretted buying this..........2000-08-22

Considering that this set is devoted to a single instrument played by one artist in a 12-year period, the depth is mind-blowing. If variety is the spice of life, than this set is a very warming set indeed.

For the most part, Horowitz communicates a deep respect for the specific style of each composer: his Scarlatti is done articulately and without any smear with the pedal. His Liszt is demonic. His Rachmaninov is dazzling, with all of the "superfluous" notes (!) and Russian virtuosity in tact. Horowitz's Schumann is sensitive, passionate and Romantic.

And then there are his interpretations of Chopin. To me, Vladimir Horowitz is one of Chopin's best ambassadors. In particular, I draw attention to the Polonaise-Fantaisie in Vol. 3 and the mazurkas and etudes of Vol. 7.

For a good summary of this collection, listen to Vol. 4, "The Legendary 1968 TV Concert." Applause is omitted between selections, and the repertoire is tailored to Horowitz's pianistic gifts.

The first disc of Vol. 3 (Including the Bach-Busoni Toccata and the Schumann Fantasy) is not top-notch piano-playing... It's a little sloppy and inaccurate. I'm sure there are other minor slips elsewhere in this collection, but here they are most obviously seen.

Regardless, this collection is a MUST for Horowitz fans. Save up your money little by little and go and buy it. It is truly the most rewarding purchase of classical music I have ever made.

The greatest 20th Cent. pianist at his best!.......2000-04-15

If you were to take a set of piano music from only one performer to a desert island, this would be the set. Vladimir Horowitz was a pianist of incredible, almost unique, technical prowess capable of creating wonderful piano textures and tone colorings, and possessing his own dark, distinctive sound on a wonderful Steinway he had transported to each of his concerts or studio recording sessions. Of almost limitless ability, he suffered criticism from music critics because he severely limited his performing repertoire and stayed away from the concert stage for several prolonged periods because of his terrible insecurity and stagefright. He was especially criticized in his early years for bravura performances which were brilliant, but loud and not always tasteful. He was known for giving his enthralled audiences what they wanted, but it should be remembered that he championed Scarlatti and almost single-handedly brought him back into the performing world from near-oblivion, and it was Horowitz who premiered several important works by twentieth century composers such as Barber and Khatchaturian. He kept the works of the mysterious and exotic Alexander Scriabin from disappearing from piano benches in the conservatories, and he created some of the most imaginative and thrilling encore transcriptions ever heard in the concert hall. In later years, his repertoire expanded and he played some wonderful Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, much of which is featured in this set. The highlight of this disc collection from the early 60's through about 1973 is the historic return concert at Carnegie Hall in 1965. After a self-imposed exile from public performing for 12 years, he made this famous recital which is one of the most memorable in the history of recorded piano performance. Although he made several nerve-induced mistakes in the opening Bach piece, he settled down quickly and delivered a thrilling performance, highlighted, for me, at least, by the Chopin Ballade in G minor, which took away my breath and featured one of the most dazzling climaxes I have ever heard on a piano. His incredible performance possessed a youthful vitality which belied his 62 years. Throughout the other discs in this set one hears Horowitz at his best: still technically awesome yet more musically mature and capable of producing little miracles from pieces well-known, and less-known. No longer pandering to the expectations of the audience, he gave as his encore at the Carnegie Hall return concert, a precious, child-like Traumerei from Kinderszenen. The Schumann featured on these discs includes some of the most beautiful offerings available anywhere of this composer, including a wonderful Fantasy in C and perhaps the best performance ever on record of Kreisleriana. The Schubert impromptus are little miracles, and the Debussy that's thrown in makes us fantasize about the other French music he could have given us! His wonderful Chopin reminds us there are other views besides Rubinstein's to this most-important-of-all piano literature, and his Rachmaninoff is glorious. Performing into his eighties, he was a wonder of music and the 13 discs offered here give a personal record of a dazzling career from his very best years. It might be pointed out that several pieces are offered more than once in the set as they were recorded in several concerts and studio sessions and it is interesting to hear the differences in his performances. One might wish that his piano oeuvre had included more composers and a wider range of pieces, but this collection certainly highlights the work he was best known for, including as it does the various Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Schumann, Scarlatti, Scriabin, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Clementi, and Beethoven gems he was noted for throughout his long career. Anyone loving the piano, or just beautiful music must hear these discs!

The First Recordings of Ginette Neveu; The Complete Recordings of Josef Hassid

Average customer rating:

True genius
Well, very cool collection
Pathos and beauty luminate in Hassid's complete recordings
Wow
Only second to Tossy Spivakovsky...

The First Recordings of Ginette Neveu; The Complete Recordings of Josef Hassid

Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Ginette Neveu Plays Brahms
Ginette Neveu
The Art of Ivry Gitlis
The Art of Violin
Complete Recordings/1912 Recordings

ASIN: B000003XHT
Release Date: 1993-10-27

Tracks:

Grave in c - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Four Pieces, Op.17 No.3 (Uno Poco Triste) - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Four Pieces, Op.17 No.2 (Appassionata) - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Nocturne No.20 in c#, Op. Posth. - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Orfeo Ed Euridice: 'Melodie' - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Sicilienne - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Vars On A Theme Of Corelli - Ginette Neveu/Gustaf Beck
La Capricieuse, Op.17 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Melodie (Souvenir D'Un Lieu Cher), Op.42 No.3 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Thais, Act 2: 'Meditation' - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Humoreske, Op.101 No.7 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Playera, Op.23 No.1 (Danzas Espanolas No.5) - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Zapateado, Op.23 No.2 (Danzas Espanolas No.6) - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Hebrew Melody, Op.33 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Caprice Viennois, Op.2 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
La Capricieuse, Op.17 - Josef Hassid/Ivor Newton

Customer Reviews:

True genius.......2006-04-18

The number of stars won't say anything about Hassid's playing. His heritage consists of these few tracks but those 8 pieces stand as a reference and the Beauty that speaks through his violin, is the size of Universe.
Words are powerless to describe what makes Hassid's voice so speaking, so organic, so effortless and so true. The violin speaks with such simplicity that it touches deeply. At this point, virtuosity does not describe Hassid's art. There is not an inflection of the bow that is meaningless or just a filler. Everything is meaningful, natural and intelligent. "La Capricieuse" under Hassid's fingers becomes as important as a major concerto. These pieces are a must hear for anyone who really wants to understand the essence of what music is all about. Measuring anyone else with the Hassid yardstick offers you the best chance to spot true musicians...
Five thousand stars to you, Josef!

Well, very cool collection.......2006-03-10

Amazing that Ginette Neveu is mentioned only casually in all of the reviews below. She DID beat David Oistrakh, the "king of violinists" at the Wieniawski violin competition. Her playing is of the top caliber.

In any case, this disk is interesting as both a historical artifact and as a wonderful recording. It is a good sampling of Hassid's lush playing, but doesn't begin to cover Nevau's carrer. You can get her recordings elsewhere.

Another brilliant violinist who died young, Michael Rabin.

Pathos and beauty luminate in Hassid's complete recordings.......2005-11-20

I have grown up listening to many, many violinists, but was never exposed to Josef Hassid until a few months ago, after watching the "Great Violinists of the 20th Century," a documentary. Hassid was mentioned briefly in the section of the film devoted to child prodigies--a short clip of Achron's Hebrew Melody (which is on this cd) played in the background as a black and white photograph of Hassid slowly faded out. The Melody was so haunting, tragic, and passionate it convinced me to look into this young violinist who died from a brain operation in an asylum.
I was not disappointed. Hassid's only recordings here are beautiful beyond words, and nearly perfect--the Humoresque is enough to bring tears to your eyes, while the Kreisler pieces are played with empathy and a suave sort of urgency; the Tchaikovsky piece is gorgeous--Hassid sings with the violin like no one I have ever heard. The dynamics and rubato of his interpretations are so natural and emotional it is almost hard to believe he was 16 years old when this recording was made. Personally, Josef Hassid is my favorite violinist of all time, and this includes Perlman, Heifetz, Menuhin, Oistrakh and anyone else. I base this opinion on these 8 or so tracks.
Neveu, another tragedy, is good as well, although her playing is not of as high a quality as Hassid's. Some of the repetoire presented is, however, very interesting (for instance, the Chopin transcription). But this cd is more a beautiful and tragic testiment to a brilliantly gifted young man, whose name, if things had been different, we might have recognized as easily as Heifetz or Perlman.

Wow.......2004-11-07

Hassid plays like an angel- what a awful shame he didn't live longer. These recordings made when he was a teenager reveal an extraordinary artist. His tone is out of this world, and he plays with such pure style and sincerity. Neveu's playing is also excellent. Buy this CD.

Only second to Tossy Spivakovsky..........2002-01-29

Spectacular playing, only second to the vastly under-rated Tossy Spivakovsky, especially playing Sibelius' Violin Concerto.

Vladimir Horowitz, The Complete Masterworks Recordings 1962-1973, Volume VII: Early Romantics

Average customer rating:

The Schumann Kreisleriana is worth everything, and the Chopin is magical
Chopin + Schumann + Horowitz = Unforgettable Playing
Classic Chopin

Vladimir Horowitz, The Complete Masterworks Recordings 1962-1973, Volume VII: Early Romantics

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Vladimir Horowitz, Complete Masterworks Recordings 1962-1973, Vol. I: The Studio Recordings 1962-63
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The Complete Masterworks Recordings, Vol. 4: The Legendary 1968 TV Concert
Horowitz: The Historic Return Carnegie Hall 1965; The 1966 Concerts

ASIN: B00000290G
Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17 No. 4: Lento, ma non troppo
Etude in G-flat major, Op. 10 No. 5: Vivace
Introduction & Rondo in E-flat major, Op. 16
Waltz in A minor, Op. 34 No. 2: Lento
Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53: Maestoso
Mazurka in F-sharp minor, Op. 59 No. 3: Vivace
Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op. 50 No. 3: Moderato
Mazurka in D-flat major, Op. 30 No. 3: Allegro non troppo
Mazurka in E minor, Op. 41 No. 2: Andantino
Mazurka in D major, Op. 33 No. 2: Vivace
Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10 No. 4: Presto
Etude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3: Lento, ma non troppo
Etude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12: Allegro con fuoco
Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 No. 6: Lento assai

Tracks:

Posonaise in A major, Op. 40 No. 1: Allegro con brio
Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 28 No. 15: Sostenuto
Etude in E-flat minor, Op. 10 No. 6: Andante
Etude No. 2 in A-flat major from 'Trois Nouvelles Etudes': Allegretto
Mazurka in F minor, Op. 7 No. 3
Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2: Tempo giusto
Variations on a Theme by Clara Wieck from Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 14: Andantino
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: I. Auberst bewegt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: II. Sehr innig
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: III. Sehr aufgeregt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: IV. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: V. Sehr lebhaft
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VI. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VII. Sehr rasch
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VIII. Schnell und spielend

Amazon.com essential recording

Schumann and Chopin were staples of Horowitz's repertory, and this late 1960s-early 1970s collection finds him at his mature peak, playing with elan and imaginative fantasy. The Kreisleriana is one of his greatest recordings, trumping rivals with its spectacular pianism and complete identification with the composer. The Chopin set typifies Horowitz's approach--big and bold, with personalized editorial emendations and an energy that shatters the conventional salon approach. But he also sings Chopin's touching melodies as few others can, making the lovely Op. 10 No. 3 Etude an achingly touching poem. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

The Schumann Kreisleriana is worth everything, and the Chopin is magical.......2005-12-20

This is a must have dual CD set of one of the great pianists of all time playing some of his favorite music. Later in life Horowitz made a TV show that became a best selling VHS tape entitled "Horowitz: The Last Romantic". If you ever heard him play, you know that title is appropriate and what the grand piano style was all about.

I have often referred to recordings of music as photographs of music. And just as photographs of people a wonderfully valuable, they are not the real person and do not capture the real person. Even a movie or documentary distorts the reality of the person. Still, we treasure our home movies, photos, and recordings. And we should. We just need to remember what they really are and that they are representations of reality (or of fictions if that is what they are) rather than real life.

It was my good fortune to hear Horowitz in recital three times; twice here in Ann Arbor and once in East Lansing. While I have heard dozens of great pianists, and hundreds of very fine quality, Horowitz (and Rubenstein) had a special charisma that was totally involving. His playing had special qualities that were unique to him. He played more quietly and yet was able to send that whisper of sound to the farthest rows in Hill Auditorium. I believe the secret of his power was that he had so many shades of pianissimo. While we clearly here a great dynamic range in these recordings, the compressed nature of recordings cannot capture the full range of what we heard in live performance.

The other thing he had was the ability to not only keep the voices clear in the music he was playing, but to give each voice its own character and sound. The recording of Schumann's fabulous Opus 16, Kreisleriana included here captures this ability to a stunning degree. This recording should be in your collection and studied carefully. While these phantasies are full of contrasts that make listening to them seemingly easy, there is so much quality and interesting music that they will reward as much close listening and study as you can lavish on them.

The other Schumann work included is the "Variations on a theme by Clara Wieck" (who became Schumann's wife and was a superb and important pianist).

The Chopin pieces included here are a wonderful collection of etudes, mazurkas, the two famous polonaises, preludes, waltzes, and the wonderful but not often heard "Introduction and Rondo in E-flat major Op 16". These are all full of magic and will hold your imagination closely. I find myself saying, "Oh, I LOVE this piece" and then the next one comes on, and I say the same thing again and then again for the next one. They are all pieces I have learned to play or want to learn (like the Intro & Rondo).

Get a hold of these disks if you can. Just a number of wonderful listening experiences.

Chopin + Schumann + Horowitz = Unforgettable Playing.......2003-04-12

Volume Seven of Sony's Horowitz reissue contains very convincing performances of Chopin and Schumann, Romantic composers whose music was sympathetic to the pianist's interpretive style.

It was not uncommon for Horowitz to bring to light a rarely played work by a well known composer, which is the case with Chopin's Introduction & Rondo in E-flat. This early composition (probably written for Chopin's most advanced pupils) abounds with glittery passagework and technical configurations similar to his Concertos (which Horowitz never recorded). Under Horowitz's hands, the work exceeds the boundaries of mere salon piece and emerges as a virtuoso tour de force.

Horowitz (who had a Polish grandmother and was fond of pointing out that he was "half as much a Pole as Chopin") considered the Mazurkas to be Chopin's greatest works, and often stated that there was more music in the shortest Chopin Mazurka than in the longest Mahler Symphony. The pianist treated the Mazurkas less as dance pieces than as "dance-fantasies" and his playing of the works was freer than the more straightforward Rubinstein. Highlights of this set include a seductive F-sharp Minor, Op. 59 No. 3.

Horowitz made several recordings of the ever popular A-flat Polonaise, and this one adheres most closely to Chopin's text. The introduction is very sparsely pedalled (as if Horowitz were saying "Look! I can play the tricky introduction without using the pedal to cover up insufficient fingerwork. Take THAT, Rubinstein!"). The remainder of the piece goes with gusto and flair (too fast to be a Maestoso), but he somehow misses the grandeur which Rubinstein brought to the piece--and which Horowitz himself would attain in his last years. The A-major Polonaise is also taken at a fast clip, but this somehow seems more appropriate to this work, and one is reminded of Chopin's remark that if he were able to play the piece the way he meant it to be played, the piano would lay in ruins afterward.

If anyone thought Horowitz, then approaching 70, had lost any of his fire, their worries were quickly dispelled with the Etudes included here. The C-sharp Minor goes at a rapid clip, but unlike many pianists, there is no loss of clarity. The famous Revolutionary Etude is given a more outwardly virtuosic performance then the pianist's 1963 recording, yet somehow the piece has less impact here.

The ubiquitous C-sharp Minor Waltz is from the Boston concert of April 7, 1968. Three days previously, the Reverend Martin Luther King had been murdered in Memphis. At the beginning of this concert, Horowitz came onstage with an African-American minister, and played Chopin's Funeral March in memory of Dr. King.

Horowitz learned Shumann's Kreisleriana in the 1930s, but did not play it in public until 1968. Several attempts to record the work in concert were not successful, and Horowitz came to the conclusion that he needed the peace and quiet of a recording studio to achieve the concentration for a performance suitable for posterity. Horowitz recorded the work at one inspired session on December 1, 1969, and this may well be the most successful Kreisleriana ever recorded. Ironically, Horowitz, who often had trouble holding together a Beethoven Sonata, makes this structurally splintered work emerge as one piece. This is one Kriesleriana which is never rambling or boring. There is virtuosity here, but never for its own sake, and there is poetry in plenty. This stands alongside the 1932 Liszt Sonata and 1951 Rachmaninoff Third Concerto as one of Horowitz's greatest recordings. However, it should be pointed out that this reissue of Kriesleriana uses a few alternate takes, which are markedly different from the original LP and an earlier CD issue (MK42409). Although the performance is basically similar, there are several differences in detail.

Schumann's Variations on a Theme by Clara Wieck, originally included as a filler for the Kriesleriana record, is given a straightforward reading here. It a lovely little work, but it is even more beautiful in its original context: as the third movement from the composer's Sonata in F Minor, another rarely played work Horowitz would bring to light in 1975.

The sound is more than acceptable here, and especially fine in the Schumann works.

Classic Chopin.......2000-11-23

Volume Seven of Vladimir Horowitz's "Complete Masterworks Recordings" ("Early Romantics") compiles almost two discs worth of classic Chopin performances. There's a little bit of everything here -- Polonaises, Etudes, Mazurkas and Preludes, but sadly no Nocturnes. The Chopin renditions here are as good as, if not better than, anything available -- Rubinstein, Kissin, Pollini and Cliburn included. And just when you thought the highlight of this collection was the Chopin material, on come two amazing pieces by Schumann, "Variations on a Theme by Clara Wreck" and "Kreislerania." The latter piece is a particular favorite of mine -- a wild and turbulent, and at times poetic and lovely, masterpiece which Horowitz captures in all its brilliance. In all, "Early Romantics" is a thoroughly enjoyable couple of discs that anyone should love.

Average customer rating:

One of the greatest recordings of anything - ever
Go ahead, far beyond the graves!

The Complete Chopin Recordings

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Great Recordings Of The Century - Dinu Lipatti
Dinu Lipatti: Besancon Recital
Dinu Lipatti plays Chopin, Enescu, Ravel, Liszt & Brahms
Piano Concertos
Chopin: Waltzes Nos. 1-14

ASIN: B0007Z0Y6S
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Tracks:

No. 4 In F Op. 34 No. 3
No. 5 In A Flat Op. 42
No. 6 In D Flat Op. 64 No. 1
No. 9 In A Flat Op. 69 No. 1
No. 7 In C Sharp Minor Op. 64 No. 2
No. 11 In G Flat Op. 70 No. 1
No. 10 In B Minor Op. 69 No. 2
No. 14 In E Minor Op. posth.
No. 2 In A Minor Op. 34 No. 2
No. 8 In A Flat Op. 64 No. 3
No. 12 In F Minor Op. 70 No. 2
No. 13 In D Flat Op. 70 No. 3
No. 1 In E Flat Op. 18
No. 2 In A Flat Op. 34 No. 1
Barcarolle In F Sharp Op. 60
Nocturne In D Flat Op. 27 No. 2
Mazurka In C Sharp Minor Op. 50 No. 3

Tracks:

I: Allegro Maestoso
II: Scherzo (Molto Vivace)
III: Largo
IV: Finale (Presto Non Tanto)
I: Allegro Maestoso
II: Romanze (Larghetto) -
III: Rondo (Vivace)
Etude In E Minor Op. 25 No. 5
Etude I G Flat Op. 10 No. 5

Customer Reviews:

One of the greatest recordings of anything - ever.......2006-03-19

So many of the reviews on Amazon are raves it is difficult to pile on sufficient superlatives where they are really in order.

The first CD here is the same recording of waltzes that appeared early in EMI's great recordings of the century series - and this is one of the best in even that distinguished series. This disc is one of the all-time highlights of the gramophone - we're talking the league of the Callas/De Sabata Tosca; of Jacqueline DuPre's Elgar Cello Concerto; of Kubelik's Die Meistersinger. This is a universally critically acclaimed disc - Penguin Rosette and Key Recording, Gramophone Top 100 CDs of all time and top rating.

Quite simply, sparkling, faultless, self-effacing piano playing. Lipatti plays like a true gentleman - not aloof but full of the simultaneous warmth and poise that speak of genuine class.

The second disc contains still more treasures - Chopin's Piano Sonata No.3 and first piano concerto, with a couple of Etudes to close. All are vintage Lipatti and sheer delights.

EMI's remastering brings them all up marvellously, though of course the limitations of dynamic range are most keenly felt in the piano concerto - which also has the disadvantage of being the only item here not produced by Walter Legge.

A slight correction to the previous review - Lipatti lived 1917-1950 (so he was 33 when he died, not born in 1933). The Waltzes and Piano concerto are taken from his last year, before he succumbed to leukaemia - a tragic loss to the piano world comparable to the death of Fritz Wunderlich for singing. One can only imagine the delights taken from us... don't let those we do have escape you!

Go ahead, far beyond the graves!.......2005-10-28

This collection of Chopin works is an absolute imperative for every person who really loves the music. Despite the painful and very brief existence of Dinu Lipatti (1933-1950), the destiny could not tame the artistic legacy of this sublime artist of the keyboard. His name will be shining in the reduced universe of supreme genius of the piano though the years and even centuries.

My most sincere acknowledgment for the Sound Engineers who made possible this outstanding remastering process.

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Magnificent Playing!
One of the Topmost Pianists of the Golden Age

Lhevinne: The Complete Recordings

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ecossaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Rosina Lhevinne Plays Chopin
Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing
Piano Playing: With Piano Questions Answered
Frédéric Chopin: Piano Works
The Complete Chopin Recordings

ASIN: B00006669J
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Allegro Con Spirito
Andante
Allegro Molto
Toccata In C
Fruhlingsnacht
Etude In E Flat, Op. 10, No. 6
Etude In G Sharp Minor, Op. 25, No. 6
Etude In B Minor, Op. 25, No. 10
Etude In A Minor, Op. 25, No. 11
Prelude In A Flat, Op. 28, No. 17
Prelude In B Flat Minor, Op. 28, No. 16
Polonaise In A Flat, Op. 53
Blue Danube Waltz
Fetes
Ecossaises
El Contrabandista
Trepak
Prelude In G Minor

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent Playing!.......2005-07-15

I first heard most of the selections contained on this CD on an LP issued in the early 1970's on RCA, "Josef Lhevinne: Master of the Romantic Piano." As, indeed, he was. I have rarely heard such outstanding, luminous Chopin playing. Rubinstein is the only one I can compare him to in that regard. The piano transcription of Strauss' "Blue Danube Waltz," which Lhevinne frequently played as an encore, is delightful, campy fun, and his duets with his wife, distinguished pianist and teacher Rosina Lhevinne, give a new dimension to his artistry. I read once that Van Cliburn, Mme. Lhevinne's most famous student, expressed his admiration of the Debussy duet to her, and was astonished to learn that the Lhevinnes recorded this complex duet as an afterthought, in one take, at the end of the Mozart session!

All in all, an excellent collection at the perfect price. Highly recommended to anyone who admires great romantic pianism at its best.

One of the Topmost Pianists of the Golden Age.......2004-12-19

Are there any real comparables in our time? Arrau is close, so is Richter or even Casadesus, all Titans of our time. But it seems obvious that as a whole, none is quite his equal. Earlier on, Dohnanyi has long been brushed aside by the younger audience, so has Hofmann and Backhaus, and Rachmaninov is simply unreachable and then Busoni's recording is so abhorring... So, Lhevinne shall for sure prevail.

Why? Give this CD a chance in telling you why. Despite the fact that this is a 30's recording is even inferior to Cortot's remastered records, it is more than adequate in touching your heart strings, if not knocking you out. Furthermore, this is Lhevinne's complete recordings. In case you are not prepared to get his Philips Great Pianist double CD album with his wife, this budget set may be the one for you.

Garrick Ohlsson: The Complete Chopin Piano Works Vol. 10 - Etudes

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