Complete Works for 2 Pianos

1. Suite No. 2, for orchestra, Sz. 34, BB 40 (Op. 4)
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

2. Bulgarian Rhythm, Seven Pieces from Mikrokosmos, for 2 pianos No. 1, Sz. 108/1, BB 120/1
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

3. Chord and Trill Study, Seven Pieces from Mikrokosmos, for 2 pianos No. 2, Sz. 108/2, BB 120/2
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

4. Perpetuum Mobile, Seven Pieces from Mikrokosmos, for 2 pianos No. 3, Sz. 108/3, BB 120/3
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

5. Canon and Inversion, Seven Pieces from Mikrokosmos, for 2 pianos No. 4, Sz. 108/4, BB 120/4
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

6. New Hungarian Folk-Song, Seven Pieces from Mikrokosmos for 2 pianos No. 5, Sz. 108/5, BB 120/5
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

7. Chromatic Invention, Seven Pieces from Mikrokosmos, for 2 pianos No. 6, Sz. 108/6, BB 120/6
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

8. Ostinato, Seven Pieces from Mikrokosmos, for 2 pianos No. 7, Sz. 108/7, BB 120/7
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

9. In Hungarian Style, Mikrokosmos for piano Vol. 2/43, Sz. 107/2/43a, BB 105/43a
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

10. Contrary Motion II, Mikrokosmos for 2 pianos Vol.2/44, Sz. 107/2/44, BB 105/44
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

11. Sonata, for 2 pianos & 2 percussion, Sz. 110, BB 15
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Soeren Monrad , Ingryd Thorson , Julian Thurber

Complete Works for 2 Pianos,Bartok,Thorson,Thurber,Monrad,Jensen,Olympia,Chamber Music & Recitals,Classical,Classical Composers,Classical Music

Average customer rating: Good... Interpretations that look forward to the 20th Century ... not back to the 19th perhaps consider these thoughts before purchasing Substandard Dead cheap ... but , unfortunately , a waste of money

Complete Piano Works of Scriabin Michael Ponti , and Scriabin Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Scriabin: Complete Sonatas Horowitz Plays Scriabin Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music Scriabin: Complete Symphonies The Complete Preludes and Etudes for Pianoforte Solo ASIN: B00007J4SI Release Date: 2002-12-10

Tracks:

1. Etude
2. Prelude
3. Impromptu A La Mazur
4. F Sharp Minor
5. A Major
6. Canon In D Minor
7. Fugue
8. Albumleaf In A Flat Major
9. Albumleaf In F Sharp Major
10. Nocturne In A Flat Major
11. Fantasy For 2 Pianos
12. Egoroff Variations
13. Allegro Appassionato Op. 4
14. Vivace
15. Allegretto
16. Vivo
17. Lento
18. Andante Cantabile
19. Allegro
20. Allegro Assai
21. Allegro Agitato
22. Andantino
23. Andante
24. Allegro Assai
25. Andante
26. Lento
27. Presto
28. Lento
29. Misterioso
30. Allegretto
31. Allegro Agitato
32. Affettuoso
33. Appassionato
34. Andante
35. Lento
36. Vivo
37. Presto
38. Waltz In G# Minor Op. Posth.
39. Waltz In D Flat Major Op. Posth.
40. Waltz In F Minor Op. 1

Tracks:

1. Allegro
2. Capriccio
3. Tempestoso
4. Piacevole
5. Brioso
6. Con Grazia
7. Presto Tenebroso
8. Lento (Tempo Rubato)
9. Alla Ballata
10. Allegro
11. Andante Cantabile
12. Patetico
13. Patetico (Alternative Version)
14. Presto
15. No. 2 In F# Minor
16. Prestissimo
17. Andante
18. Affanato
19. Esaltato
20. Agitato
21. Allegro
22. F Major
23. B Minor
24. Tempo Giusto
25. Allegretto Non Tanto
26. Allegretto
27. Moderato
28. Doloroso
29. Scherzando
30. Con Passione
31. Con Moto
32. No. 9 In G# Minor
33. Sotto Voce

Tracks:

1. Prelude In C# Minor
2. Nocturne In D Flat Major
3. No. 1 In G# Minor
4. No. 2 In F# Minor
5. No. 1 In F# Minor
6. No. 2 In A Major
7. No. 1 In F# Major
8. No. 2 In B Flat Minor
9. Maestoso
10. Allegro
11. Andante
12. Allegro
13. Allegro
14. Presto
15. No. 1 In B Major
16. No. 2 In F# Minor
17. Andante
18. Vivo
19. Allegro Assai
20. Andantino
21. Andante
22. Andante
23. Allegro
24. Andante Cantabile
25. Lento
26. Allegretto
27. Allegretto
28. Presto
29. Andante
30. Lento
31. Presto
32. Andante Doloroso
33. Allegro Assai
34. Allegro De Concert Op. 18

Tracks:

1. Polonaise Op. 21
2. Andante
3. Andante
4. Allegretto
5. Andantino
6. Allegro
7. Allegretto
8. Lento
9. Vivo
10. Agitato
11. Allegretto
12. Moderato
13. Allegretto
14. Mesto
15. Patetico In G Minor
16. Andante In B Major
17. Fantasie In B Minor Op. 28
18. Andante
19. Con Stravaganza
20. Presto
21. Lento
22. No. 1 In E Major
23. Vagamente
24. No. 3 In C Major
25. Ardito Bellicoso
26. No. 1 In D Flat Major
27. No. 2 In B Flat Major
28. No. 3 In C Major
29. Mesto
30. Maestoso Fiero
31. Andante
32. Irato Impetuoso
33. Allegro
34. Elevato
35. Languido
36. No. 4 In A Flat Major
37. Impetuoso Fiero
38. Poetico Con Delizio
39. Capricciosamente Affannato
40. Festivamente

Tracks:

1. No. 1 In F# Major
2. No. 2 In D Major
3. Poeme Tragique Op. 34
4. Poeme Satanique Op. 36
5. Poeme Op. 41
6. No. 1 In C Major
7. No. 2 In C Major
8. Feuillet D'Album
9. Poeme Fantastique
10. Prelude
11. Scherzo Op. 46
12. Etude
13. Prelude
14. Reverie
15. Waltz In A Flat Major, Op. 38
16. Quasi Waltz In F Major, Op. 47
17. Allegro In D Flat Major
18. Piacevole In F# Major
19. Fragilite
20. Prelude
21. Poeme Aile
22. Danse Languide
23. Poeme
24. Enigme
25. Poeme Languide
26. Prelude
27. Ironies
28. Nuances
29. Etude
30. Desir
31. Caresse Dansee
32. Albumleaf Op. 58
33. Poeme
34. Prelude
35. Poeme-Nocturne Op. 61
36. Masque
37. Etrangete
38. Allegretto
39. Allegretto
40. Andante
41. Presto

Customer Reviews:

Good..........2007-07-13

Michael Ponti is definitely a virtuoso, and it's pretty amazing that he played through the whole Scriabin catalog. I felt that his tempos were a little all over the place. His Etudes were kind of abrupt and rushed. Overall I think his interpretations were pretty consistent, and overall he did a great job. He's just not Horowitz or Richter.

Interpretations that look forward to the 20th Century ... not back to the 19th.......2007-07-02

The wide divergence of review comments about this CD set reflects the difference of opinion and preference for how Scriabin's music should be played. As a member of the Scriabin Society of America, I've personally seen and heard many different interpretations of many of the etutes, preludes and other pieces in this large set ... I've also heard many strong opinions voiced both pro and con these various performances.

In the end, it all comes down to whether you like your Scriabin lean and taut, or prefer him broad and expansive. I come down on the "lean" side, which is why I enjoy these performances. Michael Ponti misses some notes here and there, but when your Scriabin is almost going off the edge, that's what happens. Scriabin should never sound "pretty" in the manner of Chopin, which is where so many pianists get it wrong. Yes, he owed much to Chopin, Balakirev and other pianist-composers, but that was merely the jumping off place for Scriabin as he plunged headlong into the 20th Century. Yes, there are moments of sheer exquisiteness to savor, but ultimately Scriabin's is music that stretches the bounds of tonality and rattles the structural cage, trying to break free.

When you listen to this set, you'll discover that not all of Scriabin's compositions are top-drawer (no big surprise when you consider the massive number of works he composed over many years). And it's also true that when one single pianist is tackling it all, not every interpretation is going to be equally inspired. But once you've heard Ponti's special way with these pieces -- bright piano and all -- you'll never again be satisfied with a merely "correct" or "poised" reading. That's selling Scriabin WAY too short ... but it's what 80% of the other pianists do. (Oh yeah, but they might get all the notes correct.)

Be sure to purchase this set along with the companion 2-CD set of the complete sonatas that also includes a few late, late works. Ponti's performances of the sonatas are even more effective, IMHO.

perhaps consider these thoughts before purchasing.......2007-05-12

I've listened to this recording for 6 months now, and I have a few thoughts to share. It might help to consider this recording is NOT the complete piano music of Scriabin. Actually it is not even close to the complete recording. What is missing takes up another 2 CDs. Second, the playing is adequate, somewhat expected given the technical demands. I'll explain. Scriabin's work is full of colorful dynamics; it is also poignant, covering a broad range of emotion. Taken together, each and every song demands from the pianist in a way that can overwhelm, and, in this case, I think it did. For me, the emotional messages of pain, fear, desire, and so on were missing, and these emotional messages are at the heart of Scriabin's work. Finally, I prefer a piano sound that is not so bright. At times, when the song reached its climax, I cringed a bit at what I experienced as a unpleasant piercing sound. In the end, I still encourage you to explore this recording for yourself if you are so inclined. I think listening to many recordings by different artists helps us all refine our taste in music. A recording, in my opinion, is never a complete waste of money.

Substandard.......2007-04-16

There are two performances that stand out in this set: The Op. 71 poems. The sound quality throughout is marginal (very thin old analog that makes Horowitz's muffled Third Sonata sound great), and one reviewer even said he/she thinks the piano was out of tune, which wouldn't surprise me.

Ponti's Scriabin is sloppy and umusical in general. Only the Op. 71 poems make this set worth getting. Start with Robert Taub's sonatas, Horowitz Plays Scriabin (on RCA and Sony), and Glemser Vol. 1.

Dead cheap ... but , unfortunately , a waste of money.......2005-06-14

Recorded in the mid '70s , this 'CD' has as much hiss as piano on it . What piano there is , is slightly distorted and far too bright .
This is the complete catalogue , but , honestly , you'd be better off with midi files .
I can't believe a record company actually released this **ap .
Reminds me of those old 'classics' the tobacco companies used to sponsor in the seventies .
Except , most of the collection sounds like it was recorded on an early Phillips cassette recorder .
Cigarettes are better value than this product .

Average customer rating: An overlooked set

Louis Lortie Plays Ravel's Complete Works for Solo Piano Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ravel: Music for Four Hands ASIN: B0000VM3Y0 Release Date: 2004-01-20

Tracks:

1. Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
2. I Prelude
3. II Fugue
4. III Forlane
5. IV Rigaudon
6. V Menuet
7. VI Toccata
8. Serenade Grotesque
9. Jeux D'eau
10. I Adelaide. Modere - Tres Franc
11. II Assez Lent - Avec Une Expression Intense
12. III Modere
13. IV Assez Anime
14. V Presque Lent - Dans Un Sentiment Intime
15. VI Vif
16. VII Moins Vif
17. VIII Epilogue. Lent
18. La Valse

Tracks:

1. I Ondine. Lent
2. II Le Gibet. Tres Lent
3. III Scarbo. Modere
4. Majestueusement
5. Mouvement De Menuet
6. Allegro Giusto
7. Paraphrase Sur Un Air De Gounod - Allegretto
8. Assez Lent Et Tres Expressif
9. I Noctuelles. Tres Leger
10. II Oiseaux Tristes. Tres Lent
11. III Une Barque Sur L'ocean. D'un Rythme Souple
12. IV Alborada Del Gracioso. Assez Vif
13. V La Vallee Des Cloches. Tres Lent
14. I Modere
15. II Mouvement De Menuet
16. III Anime

Customer Reviews:

An overlooked set.......2006-05-04

Lortie's technique is assured and (I say this as a compliment) his approach seems to take Ravel's advice to heart: it suffices to perform the music rather than [over]interpret it. Ranks up there with Simon, Thibaudet, and Casadesus among other sets. Very good recorded sound.

Average customer rating: Superlative Performances

Debussy, Ravel: Complete Works for Piano Duet and Two Pianos Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ravel: Complete Works for Solo Piano Milhaud: Scaramouche; Le Bal Martiniquais; Paris Encore! Fauré: Piano Music complete [Box Set] Gladrags ASIN: B0007RA7AY Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

1. I. En Bateau
2. II. Cortege
3. III. Menuet
4. IV. Ballet
5. Marche Ecossaise Sur Un Theme Populaire
6. I. Pour Invoquer Pan
7. II. Pour Un Tombeau Sans Nom
8. III. Pour Que La Nuit Soit Propice
9. IV. Pour La Danseuse Aux Crotales
10. V. Pour L'Egyptienne
11. VI. Pour Remercier La Pluie Au Matin
12. Lindaraja
13. I. Avec Emportement
14. II. Lent - Sombre
15. III. Scherzando
16. Prelude A L'apres-Midi D'un Faune
17. I. Nuages
18. II. Fetes
19. II. Entre-Cloches

Tracks:

1. I. Pavane De La Belle Au Bois Dormant
2. II. Petit Poucet
3. III. Laideronnette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes
4. IV. Les Entretiens De La Belle Et De La Bete
5. V. Le Jardin Feerique
6. Frontispice: For Two Pianos And One Hand
7. Mouvement De Vaise Viennoise
8. I. Prelude A La Nuit
9. II. Malaguena
10. III. Habanera
11. IV. Feria
12. I. L'Escarpolette
13. II. La Toupie
14. III. La Poupee
15. IV. Les Chevaux De Bois
16. V. Le Volant
17. VI. Trompette Et Tambour
18. VII. Les Bulles De Savon
19. VIII. Les Quatre Coins
20. IX. Colin-Maillard
21. X. Saute-Mouton
22. XI. Petit Mari, Petite Femme!
23. XII. Le Bal
24. L'Apprenti Sorcier

Customer Reviews:

Superlative Performances.......2007-03-07

Superlative Duo in superlative music - really sums up these performances. The Debussy is sublime from the "Six Epigraphes antiques" the exotic,"Lindaraja", the spirited,"Marche Ecossaise",the charming, "Petite Suite", to the modern abstract,"En Blanc et noir". The Ravel is as ravishing and the music's strong linear sweep is revealed in two pianos or four hands(with Ravel's "Frontispice" for two piano with one hand - an unusual combination). This is music that brightens up your aural realm!

Average customer rating: Salon music at its best.

Complete Orchestral Works Ravel , London Symphony Orchestra , and Claudio Abbado Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Debussy: Complete Chamber Music Debussy: Complete Works for Orchestra Rimsky-Korsakov: The Complete Symphonies; Russian Easter Festival Overture; Capriccio Espagnol [Germany] Fauré: Piano Music complete [Box Set] Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies & Tone Poems ASIN: B000065TUZ Release Date: 2002-06-11

Customer Reviews:

Salon music at its best........2004-07-28

What a perfect match! Ravel, a composer who can produce nothing serious but salon music, Abbado, a conductor who almost brought the once venerable Berliner Philharmoniker to a salon band, and the LSO, though still performing respectable works, a regular feature in salon music production.

Average customer rating: Close to perfect

Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 8; Makrokosmos Books I & II, Otherwordly Resonances Manufacturer: Bridge ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by George Crumb | Crumb, George | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Complete Crumb Edition 9; Ancient Voices of Children, Madrigals Books I-IV, Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik Complete Crumb Edition, Volume 5: Easter Dawning, Celestial Mechanics, A Haunted Landscape, Processional Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 6 - Echoes of Time and the River, Gnomic Variations, Four Nocturnes, Lux Aeterna Complete George Crumb Editon, Volume 7 - Unto the Hills, Black Angels Crumb: Zeitgeist, Music for a Summer Evening ASIN: B0002W18OI Release Date: 2004-09-28

Tracks:

1. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
2. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
3. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
4. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
5. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
6. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
7. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
8. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
9. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
10. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
11. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
12. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
13. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
14. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
15. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
16. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
17. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
18. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
19. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
20. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
21. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
22. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
23. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
24. Makrokosmos, Volumes 1 & 2
25. Otherwordly Resonances

Album Description

The latest volume in BRIDGE'S award-winning survey of George Crumb complete works presents a new recording of a major Crumb cycle and the premiere of a new composition for two pianos. Makrokosmos I and II have come to be regarded as landmark compositions in the piano repertoire, requiring the pianist to display a virtuoso's control of both the keyboard and the inside of the piano. In addition, the performer is asked to whistle, speak, and sing, while simultaneously playing some of the most dramatic and fantasy-filled piano music of the late twentieth century. Robert Shannon, a leading exponent of Crumb's music, gives the 67 minute cycle of 24 "zodiac" pieces a spectacular reading. The duo piano team, Quattro Mani, has also had a long association with Crumb's music, and can be heard playing Crumb's music on BRIDGE 9105, a disc that received `Best of Year' honors from Fanfare, and highest ratings from France's Repertoire, and the USA's ClassicsToday.com. ! In 2002, Crumb composed "Otherworldy Resonances", a 10 minute quasi-passacaglia for Quattro Mani. Based on a hypnotic four-note motif, this 10 minute composition marks Crumb's return to writing piano music after a hiatus of nearly 15 years. Both of these recordings, as with the rest of this series, were supervised by the composer.

Customer Reviews:

Close to perfect.......2007-05-29

The first book of Makrokosmos was my introduction to Crumb's music and despite hearing about half of his entire output now, it still remains my favorite. The title is closely related and pratcially ripped off from Bartok's Mikrokosmos, but they're nothing alike. Mikrokosmos is a set of progressive studies for children to learn piano. These are most certainly not exercises. They're much more like Debussy's Preludes -- 2 books of 12 brutally hard pieces that have short descriptions by the composer.

I once read a comment by Michael Walsh (music critic for Time Magazine) claiming that Makrokosmos is better if performed by a man. In general, I think he's right -- the shouting and speaking from the pianist in the various pieces just carry more gravitas with a deeper voice. I would also add the caveat that it should be an English-speaking pianist, too -- the recording of Bojan Gorisek on Audiophile Classics (if it's out there anymore) has its distractions thanks to Gorisek's heavy Slavic accent.

Since the recording here has an American man playing, and it's superb. It's not good because he's a man and he's American, but because the whole package is here. The recording quality and phrasing is excellent -- Mr. Shannon paces things perfectly so that you can hear and savor the resoanance that comes from inside the piano. The nutty piano techniques show their edge amazingly well -- for example, in the Phantom Gondolier movement, you can just imagine how hard Mr. Shannon scrapes his thimble-capped fingers on the strings inside the piano to produce the hair-raising sounds. Book 2, which I like less, also comes up a winner. It feels a little recycled after going through the 35 minutes of Book 1, but how often can one hear a coherent piece that demonstrates the effect of placing paper on strings of the piano?

My one gripe is that Mr. Shannon is not a strong vocalist. In some parts of both books, the score asks for "shouting" from the pianist, and he comes up quite short. In the Crucifixus movement of Book 1, his shout of "Christe!" is hardly the jolting climax from the depths of a deathly silence it's supposed to be. And this happens on several occasions. His whistling isn't bad, though.

Otherwordly Resonances seems quaint after getting through the string-plucking and knocking in Makrokosmos. It's pleasant enough, but it definitely takes second fiddle to the headliner on this CD. Which is a shame, because the performers of this work, Quattro Mani, do amazing things with the Makrokosmos III and IV on other Crumb CDs.

I wish Mr. Crumb would have made more comments about what techniques he actually used in his works. Without a score to look at (and they're HUGE, awkward, and expensive), how on earth is anyone supposed to know what we're listening to? The sounds generated from a prepared piano are just as interesting as learning how to prepare the piano in the first place.

I still think this CD is fabulous. It shows Elliott Carter's garbled messes from the same period have some worthy competition.

Average customer rating: Imaginative & engaging music

Alexis-Emmanuel Chabrier Complete Piano Music / Rena Kyriakou (2 CDs) Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chabrier | Chabrier, Alexis Emanuel | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Impromptus | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music | Baroque | Classical | General | Modern & 20th Century | Romantic | Sinfonia | Sinfonia Concertante Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Airs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music ASIN: B000001K4C Release Date: 1994-08-22

Tracks:

1. Pieces Pittoresques: Paysage
2. Pieces Pittoresques: Melancolie
3. Pieces Pittoresques: Tourbillon
4. Pieces Pittoresques: Sous-Bois
5. Pieces Pittoresques: Mauresque
6. Pieces Pittoresques: Idylle
7. Pieces Pittoresques: Danse Villageoise
8. Pieces Pittoresques: Improvisation
9. Pieces Pittoresques: Menuet Pompeux
10. Pieces Pittoresques: Scherzo-Valse
11. 5 Pieces: Aubade
12. 5 Pieces: Ballabile
13. 5 Pieces: Caprice
14. 5 Pieces: Feuillet D'Album
15. 5 Pieces: Ronde Champetre
16. Bourree Fantasque

Tracks:

1. Capriccio
2. Inpromptu
3. Habanera
4. Air De Ballet
5. Ste De Valse
6. Marche Des Cipayes
7. Trois Valses Romantiques
8. Cortege Burlesque
9. Souvenirs De Munich - Rena Kyriakou/Walter Klien

Amazon.com

Chabrier's music isn't exactly essential for life, but it is extremely lighthearted and entertaining most of the time. This set, advertised as complete, may be missing some trivial brief items. But the essential Chabrier for piano, including his pieces for four hands, is all here, in performances whose spirit matches the essence of the music. Kyriakou's playing on most of the solo pieces matches Alain Planès performance on Harmonia Mundi HMC 901465, but Kyriakou's single disc costs more than this set. And don't miss the four-hand Souvenirs de Munich, a delightful nose-thumbing parody of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Imaginative & engaging music.......2007-03-09

Great composers cast a shadow that often obscures lesser but still excellent talents. Emmanuel Chabrier seldom gets his due as a piano composer, and that's a shame. His music is well crafted, imaginative, and engaging. In the hands of a good artist, it can't fail to please. Greek pianist Rene Kyriakou (1918-1994) was just the right artiist for the job. Though not well known today, Kyriakou was a fine pianist with a sure feel for Chabrier's music. (It didn't hurt that she was a composer herself.) And she and Walter Klien play as one in the piano duets.

Angela Hewitt recently recorded an excellent all Chabrier CD. With Kyriakou, however, you get all his piano music, including the piano duets, in top flight performances. Although these recordings were made in 1965, the sound is good. Coupled with Vox's low price, you can't go wrong. Treat yourself to this wonderful music.

Average customer rating:

Shostakovich: Complete Works for Piano Duo Manufacturer: Cpo Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Shostakovich - Moskva, Cheremushki / Rozhdestvensky Hamlet ASIN: B00000I7SJ Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

1. Con Op.94 in a
2. Ste Op.6 in f#: Prld
3. Ste Op.6 in f#: Fantastic Dance
4. Ste Op.6 in f#: Nocturne
5. Ste Op.6 in f#: Finale
6. The Filmusic To 'The Gadfly': Tarantella
7. The Ballet 'The Golden Age': Waltz & Polka: Waltz
8. The Ballet 'The Golden Age': Waltz & Polka: Polka
9. Con Per Due Pianoforte Soli 1935: Con Moto
10. Con Per Due Pianoforte Soli 1935: Notturno
11. Con Per Due Pianoforte Soli 1935: Quattro Variazioni
12. Con Per Due Pianoforte Soli 1935: Prld E Fuga
13. Schubert Waltz Ste
14. Hora Staccato

Average customer rating: Decent performances but terrible sound quality Proto-Modern Music COMPLEMENTS STEPHEN HOUGHT SAINT SAENS CONCERTOS

Saint-Saëns: Complete Works for Piano Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gavottes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Bagatelles | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fauré: Piano Music complete [Box Set] Complete Piano Works of Scriabin Dvorák: Complete Piano Music [Box Set] Scriabin: Complete Sonatas Smetana: Piano Music (Complete Czech Dances, Polkas, Dreams) ASIN: B00008X5B5 Release Date: 2003-05-27

Amazon.com

This series of Saint-Saëns' piano music, recorded in 1974, will be of interest to the composer's admirers, but it's not likely to win any awards. Most of the music consists of glittering generalities, with few memorable moments and a lot of padding. Saint-Saëns had inspirations, but he didn't waste many of them on his solo piano music. In the few cases when a piece has become familiar, we can tell that Dosse's performances are mostly just adequate, seldom exciting or insightful. She gets around the keys well enough, and the last of the Six Etudes (based on the composer's own Fifth Piano Concerto) is pretty dazzling, but elsewhere she seems to be just going through the motions. The solo piano music, recorded by the wonderful Elite team of Nickrenz & Aubort, has splendid sound quality. But the duets, recorded in Stuttgart, sound boxy and flat--except for "Carnival of the Animals," with the sparkling chamber orchestra. This certainly isn't a bad set, but it's only a compelling purchase for lovers of this composer who can't get enough of his piano music. Well, now they can. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Decent performances but terrible sound quality.......2007-06-01

The performances on this collection were decent, although it is somewhat hard to judge them, not being familiar with most of the items. However, the sound quality is way below expectations for something that was originally recorded in ca. 1974 (more like what one would expect from the 1920s or 1930s). There are inexplicable bumps and pops (no pits or scratches obvious on the CDs), and the general acoustics are very subdued (as if the transfer were done using a tape recorder on a monophonic turntable). One cannot claim that it this way because of the budget price - other labels have managed to do much better in their offerings at this price point (such as the D. Scarlatti sonata selection by Pletnev on Virgin Classics which I had purchased in the same order as this CD set).

Proto-Modern Music.......2004-05-21

Saint-Saens didn't believe that music must express deep emotion to be worthwhile. He was more interested in beautiful surfaces than in profundity. The composer's aesthetic, which might be described as "decorative," justifies certain limitations and is not all that different from Milhaud's or Poulenc's, although the musical idiom is more 19th century than 20th century.

Because this is a "complete works" set of CDs, the quality of the compositions is predictably uneven. Several of the many pieces included are too protracted, formulaic and even dull, but few are without any interest. Almost all seem impersonal and dispassionate. That said, much of the music is lovely, frequently colorful and occasionally dazzling. Saint-Saens piano writing is almost always transparent, elegant, ironic and wry. Some pieces, like the Scherzo for Two Pianos (which is organized as a palindrome), the Valse Gaie and the Etude en Forme de Valse, are stunning mixtures of modern musical language and traditional gestures. There is truly no other music like this.

Admirers of French music are fortunate that Vox decided to reissue these performances, which range from adequate to excellent.

COMPLEMENTS STEPHEN HOUGHT SAINT SAENS CONCERTOS.......2003-08-12

I AM LISTENING TO THE FOURTH OF FIVE CDS PLAYED ON THE PIANO BY FRENCH WOMEN MARYLENE DOSSE AND ANNIE PETIT. THEY ARE EXCELLENT ESCAPISMS. I DON'T KNOW ONE FROM THE OTHER, BUT JUST LAY BACK ON A SULTRY DAY AND ENJOY.
I THOUGHT I MAY HAVE DUPLICATED SAINT-SAENS COMPLETE WORKS FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA BY SAKARI ORAMO UNDER STEPHEN HOUGH OF THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM ORCHESTRA, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. WITH VOX I GOT 5 CDS AT HALF THE PRICE OF THE HOUGH TWO CDS. SO THE SELECTIONS AREN'T FAMILIAR. WHO NEEDS MORE OF THE SAME?

Average customer rating: Copland violin Works Buy it

Copland: Complete Works for Violin and Piano Manufacturer: Naxos American ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000069KFK Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

1. Andante Semplice
2. Lento
3. Allegretto Giusto
4. Nocturne (Lento Moderato)
5. Ukelele Serenade (Allegro Vivo)
6. Vitebsk (1929): Study On A Jewish Theme For Piano, Violin And Cello
7. Prelude No. 1 For Violin And Piano (1917)
8. Prelude No. 2 For Violin And Piano (1917)
9. Flowing
10. Poetic, Somewhat Mournful
11. Lively, With Bounce
12. Hoe Down From Rodeo (1942): Arr. For Violin And Piano (1945)
13. Waltz (Molto Moderato)
14. Celebration (Allegro)

Amazon.com

Copland didn't write a CD's worth of music for violin and piano, so the performers had to exercise ingenuity to fill the disc. They came up with two virtually unknown Preludes from 1917 (very early but attractive music), two later short pieces, a Trio (adding the cellist), and some transcriptions. The performances and recording are less ingenious than the programming, though. In the duo works, the piano consistently overbalances the violin, a rather annoying flaw. The conclusion of the 1978 Duo, originally for flute, is lacking the ecstatic poetry it can have, and the arrangements from Rodeo and Billy the Kid don't have the raucous energy they need. Vitebsk, the 1929 trio based on Jewish folk style, has its stinging dissonance intact, and the recorded balance is fine here. This disc is worth its low price for the novelties and adequate presentation, but it's not one of Naxos's better bargains. Sony's valuable two-disc set, which includes Copland's own performances of the Duo (in its original version) and Vitebsk, shows how they should be done. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Copland violin Works.......2007-05-13

Very nice CD. Copland is played very well by Peter Zazofsky, great violinist and wonderfull pianist too!

Buy it.......2002-08-15

This is a wonderful recording of Copland's music for violin
and piano. The piece I'm most familiar with is the Sonata, having played the piano part. When studying it I made reference
to the recording that Copland made with Issac Stern. Always go right to the source. I have to admitt that the playing on this disc is better, the third movement in particular is much more convincing. Copland himself authorized variant interpertations of his music, this piece in particular. My guess is that he would be very pleased with this disc.
The other pieces range from the all too familiar Rodeo excerpts (though not the way they are played here) to the completely unknown Preludes.
This is great playing

Average customer rating: y-y-yawwwn! Some people just don't like modern music Technically Brilliant... the piano?not where Berio's imagination bears fruit.

Luciano Berio: The Complete Works for Solo Piano - David Arden Manufacturer: New Albion Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Berio, Luciano | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Luciano Berio: The String Quartets Luciano Berio: Corale (Sequenza VIII), for Violin, 2 Horns & Strings / Chemins II (Sequenza VI) / Chemins IV (Sequenza VII) / Ritorno degli Snovidenia, for Cello & Small Orchestra / "Points on the Curve to Find...", for Piano & 22 Instrumentalists - Pierre Boulez 20/21 - Berio: Sequenzas / Ensemble InterContemporain Luciano Berio: Laborintus 2 Pierre Boulez: Pli selon pli; Livre pour cordes ASIN: B000000R4D Release Date: 1996-11-08

Tracks:

1. Cinque Variazioni
2. Wasserklavier
3. Sequenza IV
4. Rounds
5. Erdenklavier
6. Luftklavier
7. Feuerklavier
8. Brin
9. Leaf
10. Pettite Suite: Prelude
11. Pettite Suite: Petite Air
12. Pettite Suite: Gavotte
13. Pettite Suite: Petite Air II
14. Pettite Suite: Gigue

Amazon.com

Though Italian composer Luciano Berio is best known for his Sinfonia, this collection of his solo piano compositions is a decisive overview of his musical achievements. The centerpiece is the fourth of Berio's Sequenzas, a series of virtuoso-level compositions written for solo performers. Pianist David Arden takes one of Berio's most gently clustered works to new levels, making the long, sustained note shine while fast, bolting notes leap around the resonant echoes. Arden's execution presages Berio's long-form compositions, especially the numerous juxtapositions that Arden presents so beautifully. Jumps in dynamics from quiet to loud and light to heavy occur in all of Berio's shorter compositions. And for those who like a bit of tradition, Berio's first solo piano composition, Petite Suite (1947), closes this recording. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

y-y-yawwwn!.......2005-06-25

This music i cannot hear it is boring unlike cage or stockhausen or ligeti ok? My parents are entrepeneurs musicales bassoon and dulcimers

oh i'm jeannette i am 6

Some people just don't like modern music.......2003-06-11

The last reviewer gave this CD one star, complained of Arden's repertoire choice, and, I assume, would be equally unhappy if Arden played Ligeti or Stockhausen or even Stravinsky. Some people just don't like modern music. Too bad. This recording is great if you've got ears.

Technically Brilliant..........2002-01-06

David Arden is a world class musician from San Diego, California. His keyboard mastery is evident throughout the entire CD. Arden's choice to record Berio compositions, however, is unfortunate.

the piano?not where Berio's imagination bears fruit........2000-04-22

Luciano Berio's imagination for music expression was uncontestably the human voice, and he has contributed greatly and profoundly in that genre, not only Sinfonia, which really is not a work for the singing virtuoso voice, but his Epifanie Coro, the Sequenza #3, Circles,FolkSong arrangements,Calmo,Canticum Novissimi Testamenti, as well as two Operas,In Re Ascolto, the early tape works Visage, Omaggio a Joyce,for which his wife(now deceased) Cathy Berberian played such a collaborative role. Adorno once said somewhere that a creator pays a price to attenuate their creativity,and I believe Berio paid that price in not writing interesting piano music. The early Five Variations actually for my money is his best piece here in this fine collection. And there we find expressionist designs from the early 1950s,with bare,raw lines,usually two voices pitted against each other. His music then still revealed his immaturity, but that perhaps renderes these Variations all the more interesting in this sonic exposure by happenstance rather than vision, or some call it intuition. The Piano Sequenza he wrote after having experienced Stockhausen's impressive Klavierstuck, and Berio's piano hasn't nearly the sonic scope,shape, nor textural or structural design of complexity of the Stockhausen. I am keeping well in front of me the Berio aesthetic when I'm comparing with Herr Stockhausen. The other piano works were dedications Erdenklavier,Leaf to professors who he got to know during his numerous residencies at universities across the United States,so this music is like birthday celebration,token gifts and conversational pieces,goodbye pieces, thanks for the memeory pieces. The Piano Sequenza however has fascinating features with its dialectic of dialogue between two sonic opposites the struck chord to the arpeggiated one. And the fact that Berio knew how to pace his materials, foreshadowing, and short changing his phrases saving the musical argument for downstream. This Sequenza admirably does that.

Track Listings:

1. De Falla: El Amor Brujo / El Sombrero de Tres Picos
2. Der Schatz
3. Duruflé: Sacred Choral & Organ Works, Vol. 1
4. Echos of Argentina
5. Famous Composers Playing Their Own Works: Welte Mignon Piano
6. Felix Mendelssohn & Fanny Mendelssohn: Piano Music for Four Hands
7. Ferguson: Dream of the Rood Op19; Partita Op5
8. Fibich: Moods, Impressions & Souvenirs
9. Frank Martin: Les Quatre Elements (The Four Elements)/In Terra Pax
10. Frederick Stock & The Chicago Symphony

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

You make me feel like dancing

Cantigas

Bluesology

Unicorn [Import]

Departure [Import]

For the Love...

Comin' Home Baby! [Import]

Berlioz: Romeo et Juliette (Dramatic Symphony - Complete)/Bizet: Carmen and L'Arlesienne Suites

Country Classics

Byrd and Brass

Breathe [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import] [Limited Edition]

Concert Classics, Vol. 1 [Live]

Dance Fever V.5 [Import]

Rev. W.M. Mosley: 1926-1931

Frequency and Phase