Rachmaninov's Chopin Recordings

1. Sonata for piano No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT 202
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

2. Nocturne for piano in E flat major, Op. 9/2, CT 109
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

3. Nocturne for piano in F sharp major, Op. 15/2, CT 112
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

4. Waltz for piano in E flat major, Op. 18, CT 207
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

5. Waltz for piano in F major, Op. 34/3, CT 209
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

6. Waltz for piano in A flat major, Op. 42, CT 211
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

7. Waltz for piano in D flat major ("Minute"), Op. 64/1, CT 212
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

8. Waltz for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 64/2, CT 213
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

9. Waltz for piano in A flat major, Op. 64/3, CT 214
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

10. Waltz for piano in B minor, Op. 69/2, CT 216
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

11. Waltz for piano in G flat major, Op. 70/1, CT 217
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

12. Waltz for piano in E minor, KK IVa/15, CT 222
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

13. Scherzo for piano No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39, CT 199
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

14. Ballade for piano No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47, CT 4 (Four Ballades)
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

15. Mazurka for piano in A minor, Op. 68/2, CT 97
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

16. Mazurka for piano in F major, Op. 68/3, CT 98
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Sergey Rachmaninov

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

Average customer rating:

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

Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | 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

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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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.

Amazon.com

This seems to be RCA's attempt to create the perfect Horowitz sampler. It's a pretty good try. The Tchaikovsky First Concerto, considered definitive in its day, seems more of a technical than musical accomplishment today, but there's no denying the hyper-excitement generated by Horowitz and Toscanini. The Rachmaninov Third is one of Horowitz's great accomplishments, stunningly played and superbly accompanied by Reiner. The solo disc generally plays to Horowitz's strengths, with marvellous playing of such specialties as Schumann, Scriabin, Scarlatti, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Clementi. (Horowitz was the only major pianist to appreciate Clementi, bless him.) The Chopin items include an unfortunately steely-sounding Polonaise-Fantaisie(along with a beautiful Mazurka), and the Liszt Mephisto Waltz gets pretty frantic at moments. Still, hearing this set will give you a well-rounded picture of Horowitz's art. RCA's producer-engineer Jon Samuels has gotten remarkably fine results with some of these antiquities. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Best of Horowitz.......2006-02-22

Those of us who were fortunate to SEE as well as hear pianist Vladimir Horowitz perform in concert will long remember the quiet, nervous, and rather timid man who slowly walked on the stage. When I saw him at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland in 1978, he hadn't played on the West Coast in many years. Actually, Horowitz was absent from concert halls for years, only making recordings, either for RCA Victor or Columbia.

His Oakland appearance was recorded by RCA and portions of the concert were included in the commercial releases; the engineers would take the best from various performances and cleverly edit them together to give a strong performance. Actually, Horowitz was absolutely dazzling once he sat down at the piano. Despite the initial tentative appearance, he really came to life when he began to play. He was a living legend by 1978 and he did not disappoint the audience. Fortunately, recordings such as those included in this two-CD set give excellent examples of his virtuoso playing.

The 1941 recording session of Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto was made in Carnegie Hall with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Horowitz's father-in-law, Arturo Toscanini. Yes, Horowitz had married Wanda Toscanini. One wonders what Toscanini thought about having Horowitz in his family. It's clear, however, the Toscanini and Horowitz had great respect for each other and they worked well together. This is quite apparent in this celebrated, very popular recording, originally issued on 78-rpm discs.

By 1941 RCA Victor had reached a new standard in high fidelity, which was only limited by the surface noise of the shellac discs. This digital remastering has reduced the noise slightly while maintaining as much of the fidelity as possible. The performance is very exciting throughout. Given the difficulty of the solo passages, it is amazing how well Horowitz played this music. Toscanini, who only occasionally conducted the music of Tchaikovsky, saw to it that the NBC Symphony provided strong accompaniment throughout. The memorable orchestral interlude in the first movement is especially dramatic and powerful. An interesting comparison is Horowitz's live concert performance (also in Carnegie Hall) with Toscanini and the NBC Symphony from 1943, also released by RCA Victor; that performance is more "fluid" and there is one section in the second movement where Horowitz and the orchestra got a little "out of synch" for a few moments.

Just ten years later, Horowitz recorded Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto with a "pick-up" orchestra of New York musicians conducted by Fritz Reiner. This was recorded in Carnegie Hall on magnetic tape and the sound is much improved. The performance was the second of three recordings that Horowitz made of the concerto and it may be the best of them. Certainly Rachmaninoff himself had admired Horowitz's performances of his music and this clearly demonstrates why.

The other disc includes numerous shorter works, all briliantly played and all evidence of the wonderful playing of Horowitz. Some of them are taken from live performances and have the extra value of showing how well Horowitz played in concert. A special treat is Horowitz's popular arrangement of music from Georges Bizet's "Carmen," one of the most dazzling pieces the pianist ever played. I also enjoyed his fiery performance of Lizst's "Mephisto Waltz," clearly a devilish piece inspired by part of the Faust legend.

This is a wonderful compilation and a good introduction to the excellent playing of Vladimir Horowitz.

Truly Legendary...with icing on the cake..........2005-07-07

This cd is one of the best Horowitz compilations that exists. It is indeed Legendary. The recording of the Rach 3 here is the top, greatest reading of the piece, how Rachmaninoff himself would have approved. The Tchaikovsky with Toscanini is my favorite, even though Horowitz does not take many chances in tempo and whatnot because, afterall, he was playing with his great, fiery-tempered father-in-law. Now, on to the second disk. Despite what some people say about the Polonaise-Fantaisie, I believe it is a great reading, and Horowitz never drags the tempo like Ashkenazy often does. The Mazurka is beautiful indeed (the 1965 version is better) and the forever famous Nocturne can bother people who are used to Rubinstein's interpretation. The reading of the Nocturne is somewhat like Cortot's - different. The schumann Traumerei is beautifully done (it was toped, however, by the version in Horowitz in Moscow). The Scriabin preludes are full of color, but what really is fascinating is the Etude op.8 no.12 (not op. 18, as the cd cover says). This version is slower than Horowitz's usual tempo, and there are finger slips and mistakes. There are some "neurotic" sections, and all this is explained by the fact that Horowitz, at the time, was going through a period of uncertainty and failure, I guess you could say, because of all the medicine he was taking. It is, however, beautiful instead of powerful, and Horowitz is in control. The favorite encores Etincelles and Carmen variations are excellent, and the Rachmaninoff prelude is the most beautiful, deep, and searching reading I have ever heard. The Mephisto Waltz is a showpiece, and Horowitz plays it like it is intended to be, a little out of control in some places however.

Overall, this is an excellent 2-cd compilation. BUY IT!

Highs and Lows.......2005-07-04

Although the Tchaikovsky is "viscerally exciting" as one reviewer put it, it is unfortunately much too fast. While Horowitz certainly has the technical skills to pull this off, some of the grandeur of this concerto is lost along the way. It's too bad they couldn't instead have included Horowitz's incredible 1943 performance (also with Toscanini) of the concerto, which has all of the power and none of the rushing.

The second half of the first CD is an incredible performance of Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto, somehow managing to contain both the power and grandeur of that work. The only flaw is a sound which (like in Cliburn's recording of the Rach 2 with Reiner) lacks a bit at times in terms of balance.

The second disk is a similar mixed bag, with both high points (the Rachmaninoff G-Major prelude is just gorgeous) and lows (I'm not a big fan of the Mephisto Waltz as recorded here). Nevertheless, there's certainly more than $17.98 worth of 5-star music on this set, so I conder it worth a 5-star rating.

Called "Legendary" for a reason.......2004-06-10

This set includes numerous staples of Horowitz's repertoire, most formidably the two concertos, complimented by the three Chopin pieces, Traumerei, Etincelles, and the Rachmaninoff prelude. It also includes three relatively unplayed composers whose music Horowitz championed: Clementi, Poulenc and Scarlatti. Other less publicly-performed pieces in Horowitz's repertoire are included on this disc, the Scriaban pieces, Horowitz's own arrangement of Bizet's Carmen, the Prokofiev Toccata and the Mephisto Waltz.

The two concerto recordings are quite possibly the best ones of the respective pieces, except for Cliburn's Tchaikovsky concerto performance in 1958. The piano sounds almost metallic in the Polonaise-Fantaisie, a fault of RCA's. Most everything else on the second disc is flawless, excluding the Mephisto Waltz. Horowitz is widely acclaimed to bring the most tones out of the piano, but, in the Mephisto Waltz, there are lots of places where the tone is simply . . . bad. It is labeled as "Horowitz's retouching of the Busoni transcription". I, first of all, do not even agree with most of the Busoni transcription, and, as a result, do not agree at all with Horowitz's interpretation. In my opinion, Cliburn's and Kapell's versions are far superior.

So, buy the disc for the well-known Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Prokofiev, and the lesser-known Poulenc, Clementi and Scarlatti. Do not listen to the Mephisto Waltz! In fact, the first time I heard it I screamed out, "What were you thinking!?".
But maybe I am a little uptight about these sorts of things.

What More Can I Say That Hasn't Been Said?.......2003-12-11

Drake, the reviewer above or below this review, made me purchase this CD ... I advice you to do the same.

The two major concertos on the first disc were for me the main attractions, and they do not disappoint. The Rach 3rd especially is a must in your collection. It's indeed the one with Reiner (the most praised of all the Horowitz readings).

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!

Decca Recordings, 1965-1972 (Limited Edition)

Average customer rating:

Stokowski in Phase 4 land, Vol. 1
Stupendous Stokowski

Decca Recordings, 1965-1972 (Limited Edition)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Original Masters: Leopold Stokowski: Decca Recordings 1964-1975 [BOX SET]
Pierre Monteux Decca & Philips Recordings, 1956-1964
Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967
Dvorak: Symphony No7;Symphony No8;Symphony No9
CARL SCHURICHT Decca Recordings 1949-1956

ASIN: B0000B0A0P
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Customer Reviews:

Stokowski in Phase 4 land, Vol. 1.......2006-09-22

Decca has pulled a lot of Stokowski's gaudy Phase 4 recordings off the market so that they can reappear in this box set, but the company had already licensed many out to another label, Cala, that specializes in all things Stokowski. So if you pick and choose, you can buy your favorites recordings individually with a little effort. Of the two volumes in the Original Masters series, this one is the more interesting musically.

For one thing, it features two of the conductor's great strengths: his incomparable Bach transcriptions (no one else performs them with the same total commitment) and his Debussy and Ravel. Admittedly, this La Mer and Daphnis and Chloes have been multi-miked within an inch of their lives, and neither represents Stokowski as wonderuflly as his EMI Debussy collection, but if you love the old magician, you'll love these readings.

Aslo very appealing are the Enigma Variations, which Stokowski recorded only once, and the Franck D minor Sym., though don't expect world-class execution in either case. Stokowski championed early Messiaen in l'Ascension, and here is his last version, along with a swooning and seductive Scriabin Poeme d'Extase.

You have to adore recorded excess to swallow this Symphonie fantastique and Firebird, both gorgeous in a kind of Las Vegas neon billboard sort of way. But for geneations of listeners, that's what Stokowski is all about. What he's not about, sadly, is the wretchedly eccentric and nearly unlistenable Tchaikovsky Fifth Sym., the only performance in this whole set that made me hold my nose.

In all, thee are enough goodie here to justify buying the whole box, unless you want to pick and choose, in which case turn to Cala's excellent reissues.

Stupendous Stokowski.......2004-03-30

This five disc box set featuring the Decca Recordings (1965-72) of conductor Leopold Stokowski is among the latest batch of releases in the limited edition "Original Masters" series. While parts of this particular collection have been available on CD in the past (in the old "Phase 4" and "Weekend Classics" series), some of this material is being made available for the first time internationally. Those performances include Franck's Symphony (Hilversium RPO, 1970), Elgar's Enigma Variations (Czech PO, 1972), Ravel's "Fanfare" (Hilversium, 1970) and Messiaen's "L'Ascension" (London SO, 1970). Other highlights include an entire disc (CD1) of Stokowski's Transcriptions, and a delightful reading of Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" with the New Philharmonia Orchestra from 1968. In all, another great set in the "Original Masters" series.

Average customer rating:

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
Similar Items:

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.

Average customer rating:

Super-human virtuosity of young Horowitz

Recordings 1930-1951

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Horowitz Plays Schumann
Horowitz Plays Rachmaninoff/Concerto for Piano in Dm; Sonata for Piano No2/Vladimir Horowitz, Pianist
Horowitz Plays Mussorgsky, Scriabin, Prokofiev, and others
So Far from Real
Horowitz: The Last Recording

ASIN: B000002S1W
Release Date: 1990-07-18

Tracks:

Choral Prld, BWV 734: Nun freut euch, leiben Christen
Son in b, KK 87
Son in G, KK 87
Son in a, KK 188
Son in A, KK 188
Son in E flat
Etude in c#, Op.10
Etude in G flat, Op.10
Etude in F, Op.10
Etude in F, Op.25
Impromptu in A flat, Op.29
Nocturne in e, Op.72
Mazurka in f, Op.7
Mazurka in e, Op.41
Mazurka in c#, Op. 50
Mazurka in E, Op. 54
Etude No.11: 'pour les arpeges composes'
Pastourelle (L'Eventail de Jeanne, No.8)
Toccata (3 peices for pno, No.2)

Tracks:

32 Vars in c, WO 80
Arabeske, Op.18
Toccata in C, Op.7
Traumeswirren (Fantasiestucke Op.12 No.7)
Presto passionato (Original Finale of Son No.2 Op.22)
Funerailles (Harmonies poetiques et religieuses, No.7)
Son in b

Tracks:

Con for pno in d, No.3 Op.30: I. Allegro
Con for pno in d, No.3 Op.30: II. Intermezzo-Adagio
Con for pno in d, No.3 Op.30: III. Finale (Alla breve)
Prld in g, Op.23 No.5
The Flight of the Bumble-Bee
Petrouchka: Danse Russe
Toccata, Op. 11

Amazon.com

The drawback to this comprehensive feast of prime Vladimir Horowitz is EMI's overzealous noise reduction, which smoothes the edges off of the great pianist's unique sonority. This is less bothersome in the 1951 sessions, which produced two delicious Scarlatti Sonatas not reissued elsewhere. The high-voltage Horowitz of the thirties was a more direct, less mannered artist than his older self. But his classic Liszt Sonata, Chopin Fourth Scherzo, and other solo EMI jewels are best heard via APR's superior (albeit more expensive) transfers. This erratic but exciting Rach 3 (with cuts, and a momentary third movement memory lapse) still awaits a CD transfer to match that of a bygone Seraphim LP. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Super-human virtuosity of young Horowitz.......2007-06-15

I give 5 stars for this 3CD set despite the old recording sound. Sound of piano itself is reasonably well for the day once you are used to the background noise, good enough to convey the subtlty and delicacy of his playing.

Prokofiev's Toccata is still fastest and most exciting on records, verging on super-human. Rachmaninov's 3rd concerto is the best performance by Horowitz with more argency and intensity than his later recordings. The incandescent account of Liszt Sonata is one of the most compelling and beautiful along side Richter and Pogorelich's classic accounts.

Haydn and Scarlatti sonatas, Beethoven variations, Schumann's Toccata, Chopin Etudes, Stravinsky's Petrushka and so much more display Horowitz' keen sense of tonal colours and mind blowing fluency of playing.

Average customer rating:

La Darre, la magnifique

Jeanne-Marie Darré: Early Recordings

Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | 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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003LJY
Release Date: 1994-10-24

Tracks:

Etude, Op. 10: No. 1 In C
Etude, Op. 10: No. 2 In A Minor
Etude, Op. 10: No. 4 In C Sharp Minor
Etude, Op. 10: No. 5 In G Flat, 'Black Key'
Etude, Op. 25: No. 1 In A Flat, 'The Aeolian Harp'
Etude, Op. 25: No. 6 In G Sharp Minor
Etude, Op. 25: No. 8 In D Flat
Etude, Op. 25: No. 9 In G Flat, 'Butterfly'
Three Ecossaises, Op. 72 Nos. 3 - 5
Tarantelle In A Flat, Op. 43
Andante Spianato e Grand Polonaise Brilliante In E Flat, Op. 22
Etude, Op. 111 No. 6 In F, 'Toccata d'apres le cinquieme concerto'
Concerto No.2 In G Minor, Op. 22: 1st Movement - Andante sostenuto - Molto animato
Concerto No.2 In G Minor, Op. 22: 2nd Movement - Allegro scherzando
Concerto No.2 In G Minor, Op. 22: 3rd Movement - Presto
The Gypsy Baron: Schatz Waltz

Tracks:

Prelude From Partita For Violin Unaccompanied, No. 3 In E
Sonata No. 1 In C, Op. 24, 4th Movement - Presto - Perpetuum mobile
Romance In F Sharp, Op. 28 No. 2
Prelude, Op. 104a No. 3 In D
Song Without Words: Op. 19 No.1 In E, 'Sweet Rememberance'
Song Without Words: Op. 53 No. 4 In F, 'Berceuse'
Song Without Words: Op. 62 No. 6 In A, 'Spring Song'
Song Without Words: Op. 67 No. 4 In C, 'the Spinning Song'
Paganini Etude No. 5 In E, 'La Chasse'
Paganini Etude No. 3 In A Flat Minor, 'La Campanella'
Paganini Etude No. 3 In A Flat Minor, 'La Campanella'
Transcendental Etude No. 5, 'Feux Follets'
Transcendental Etude No. 11, 'Harmonies du soir'
Polonaise No.2 In E
Liebestraum No. 3 in A Flat
Caprice In Double Notes In F Sharp
Op. 3 No. 2 In C Sharp Minor: Prelude
Op. 23 No. 5 In G Minor: Prelude
Toccata

Customer Reviews:

La Darre, la magnifique.......2001-12-21

Out here in Denver we used to wonder why this great virtuosa would want to stop by our humble province and treat us to her amazing recitals and concerts. When we found out that she was quite an outdoor and mountain enthusiast, we understood. And having her old pal Golschmann as conductor of the orchestra made her a regular on our cartelloni.

After one luxuriates in these old Pathe things together, Darre comes into focus on the world stage. The Saint Saens eclipses her later one with Fourestier; here she has Paray. It's a significant difference, because with her sense of line, inner-voicings, and fanatic attention to timbral qualities and overtones, one can hear that she is the pianistic equivalent OF Paray. Here we come face-to-face with what Paris musical life was like when Darre and Paray were both in town. The results are engrossing and original without going outside the mark set by Saint Saens himself (who had been dead aorund 20 years when Pathe did this). There is a dynamism here that is unique and right, and immortal.

We also have forgotten this pianist as a supreme interpreter of Chopin who shows up here with a snazzy bravado that is akin to Novaes, but with more refinement. The carillon highs come through strongly on the old recordings, the bass drops off...but since you know it's there, your mind can fill in the aural info. Like her much later Vanguard recordings, the incredibly agile midrange voicings are front and center without punching you. These are amazing performances, characteristic, admirable.

All of her other repertoire more or less affect the listener the same way--like her counterpart Paray, Darre never, ever tries to archly make a piece more than it is, but brings out the maximum the work has to offer. And that can be considerably more than what we might divine from the program on paper.

Really, folks, there'll never be another one like Darre. There will never be an elegant, athletic, stunning lady in silk pants who walks purposefully on stage, chucks her bejeweled bolero on a stagehand, and sits down for a couple of hours of enchantment, letting us in on her magic, including us listeners as if we're in her salon where she is hostess to the composers themselves nursing their drinks.

Tracks:

Etude In C Sharp Minor Op.10 No.4
Etude In G Flat Major 'Black Key' Op.10 No.5
Etude In F Major Op.10 No.8
Etude In F Major Op.25 No.3
Mazurka No.7 In F Minor Op.7 No.3
Mazurka No.27 In E Minor Op.41 No.2
Mazurka No.32 In C Sharp Minor Op.50 No.3
Scherzo No.4 In E Major Op.54
Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor 'Funeral March' Op.35
Funerailles: Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses, S173 No.7
Lento Assai-Allegro Energico-Grandioso
Andante Sostenuto-Quasi Adagio
Allegro Energico-Piu Mosso
(Cantando Espressivo)-Stretta Quasi Presto-Presto-Prestissimo
Andante Sostenuto-Allegro Moderato-Lento Assai

Tracks:

Sonata In B Minor L33/Kk87
Sonata In G Major L487/Kk125
Chorale Prelude 'Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen Gmein' BWV734
Allegro
Adagio
Presto
32 Variations On An Original Theme In C Minor WoO80
Presto Passionato In G Minor
Arabeske In C Major, Op.18
Traumes Wirren
Toccata In C Major Op.7
Etude XI: Pour Les Arpeges Composes
Pastourelle
Toccata
The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee
Danse Russe
Prelude In G Minor Op.23 No.5
Toccata In C Major Op.11

Customer Reviews:

The Young Horowitz.......2007-05-11

Vladimir Horowitz's earliest recordings, believed by some to be his finest, have been reissued numerous times since their initial appearance over 70 years ago.

This latest reissue contains some classics. The Liszt Sonata has never been equaled and is a must for any serious collector, as is the Funerailles. It's hard to imagine in this day and age that Horowitz's version of Haydn's E-flat sonata was a world premiere recording, but indeed it was. Its relaxed elegance continues to charm, and it remains more musicologically "correct" than Horowitz's 1951 live version. Horowitz was also an early champion of Scarlatti, and the two sonatas here are among the first of "pure" Scarlatti. The pianist preferred his Bach "un-pure", and the Choral Prelude as transcribed by Busoni is a miracle of line separation and clarity. Horowitz's early foray into Beethoven, the 32 Variations in C minor, is more straightforward and successful than many of his later attempts with this composer

Horowitz's early Schumann, though technically impeccable, did not quite plumb the depths as in his later recordings. So much the better then, that the pianist limited himself to recording shorter works, including an Arabeske with unmatched legato, an effortless Toccata, and whimsical Traumeswirren. Originally intended as the finale for Schumann's G minor sonata, the Presto Passionato was rejected by the composer's wife as unplayable. Horowitz makes it sound like child's play. (The piece is marred, however, by a clumsily handled 78RPM side change. Of all the reissues I've heard of this recording, only Pearl's gets the side change right.)

Horowitz once referred to Chopin and "the only truly great composer for the piano" and he invariably included a selection of the Polish master's music in his recitals. The sampling here includes four technically impeccable Etudes, three Mazurkas, and a remarkably up-tempo Scherzo in E major. Also included is a structurally solid first movement from Chopin's b-flat Sonata, which was never completed due to Horowitz's first retirement. Had fate not intervened, this would have been one of the great recordings of the piece.

Horowitz also championed "modern" composers like Rachmaninoff, Poulenc and Prokofiev. It says much about the changing mores of performing that Horowitz (often condemned these days for violating composers' intentions) received nothing but praise from the many composers he knew personally. Prokofiev's Toccata, intended as a filler for Rachmaninoff's Third Piano concerto, was replaced at the last moment in favor of Rachmaninoff's G minor Prelude (a rather sloppy performance). The irony of the two Russian composers sharing an album could not have been lost on Horowitz, given how they disliked each other.

Though advertised as all new transfers from optimum sources, the remastering here sounds suspiciously like EMI's 1990s Horowitz issue (which would explain the bad side change in the Presto Passionato). The sound heavily favors the midrange, the highs are a bit capped, and the bass has very little depth. Unless you have your heart set on the Chopin Sonata movement and Prokofiev Toccata, go with the Pearl.

Vladimir Horowitz, Complete Masterworks Recordings 1962-1973, Vol. I: The Studio Recordings 1962-63

Average customer rating:

Horowitz at his Musical and Technical Prime
Delightful First Volume

Vladimir Horowitz, Complete Masterworks Recordings 1962-1973, Vol. I: The Studio Recordings 1962-63

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | 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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ASIN: B00000290A
Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35: Grave-Doppio movimento
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35: Scherzo
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35: Marche funebre. Lento
Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35: Finale. Presto
Etude - Tableau In E Flat Minor, Op. 39 No. 5: Allegro
Etude - Tableau In E Flat Minor, Op. 39 No. 5: Appassionato
Arabeske In C Major, Op. 18: Leicht und zart
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Von fremden landern und Menschen
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Kuriose Geschichte
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Hansche-Mann
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Bittendes Kind
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Gluckes genug
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Wichtige Begbenheit
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Traumerei
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Am Kamin
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Ritter vom Steckenpferd
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Fast zu ernst
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Furchtenmachen
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Kind im Einschlummern
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: Der Dichter spricht
Toccata In C Major, op. 7: Allegro
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 19 In D Minor: Lento patetico (Lassan) - Vivace (Friska)

Tracks:

Sonata In E Major, K 531 (L430): Allegro
Sonata In A Major, K322 (L483): Allegro
Sonata In G Major K455 (L209): Allegro
Piano Sonata No 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
Piano Sonata No 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': Adagio cantabile
Piano Sonata No 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': Rondo. Allegro
Impromptu In G Flat Major, Op. 90 (D 899) 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: IV Les fees sont d'exquises danseuses. Rapide et leger
3 Preludes: V Bruyeres. Calme
3 Preludes: VI General Lavine - eccentric. Dans le style et le mouvement d'un Cake-Walk
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

Amazon.com essential recording

This collection features wide-ranging repertory, including Russian Romantics like Rachmaninoff and Scriabin that were Horowitz's concert staples, all stunningly played. The Chopin "Funeral March" Sonata is taken at a flowing pace, with a crisp, touching march. Schumann's Kinderszenen is fetchingly done with disarming simplicity and heartfelt poetry. He "improves" Liszt's 19th Hungarian Rhapsody with doubling and rewriting, but it's no less exciting for all that. A stylish Beethoven "Pathetique" Sonata is treasurable for singing tone reined into a classical framework. A good overview of Horowitz's style and repertory with many delights. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Horowitz at his Musical and Technical Prime.......2003-01-06

Volume One of Sony's reissue of Vladimir Horowitz's Complete Columbia Masterworks Recordings contains studio recordings from 1962-63. His first three LPs for Columbia (Columbia Presents Vladimir Horowitz, The Sound of Horowitz, and In His First Recordings of...) were conceived as mini-recitals and have been carefully resequenced to fill two CDs.

By 1962, Horowitz had not performed in public for nine years. Frustrated with the repertoire restrictions, poor sound and lack of marketing he was receiving from RCA, he abandoned Little Nipper and signed on with Columbia Masterworks, headed by the legendary Goddard Lieberson. Thomas Frost was assigned as Horowitz's producer, and the two clicked immediately. The fine results they obtained can be heard here.

For decades Horowitz had a problematic relationship with Chopin's Second Sonata. A 1936 attempt to record the piece was aborted due to the pianist's first nervous breakdown (the first movement survives). Horowitz's 1950 recording for RCA is a bizarre collection of details, with a Funeral March that sounds like a Russian boat song on steroids. This 1962 recording is highly successful, however. Horowitz is obviously on top of the piece, technically, with his spare pedaling highlighting Chopin's use of counterpoint. The Funeral March is, for once, played with a crisp rhythm, the central section exquisitely balanced. He performed this work several times in the 1970s, but not as convincingly. The other Chopin works fare as well, including a passionate "Revolutionary" Etude and a tightly controlled B-minor Scherzo with a characteristically Horowitzian touch: Interlocking octaves replace Chopin's chromatic scales in the coda.

Schumann was Horowitz's favorite German composer. Here we have a swift Arabeske, painted in delicate watercolors, and a reflective Kinderscenen, featuring some remarkable voicing. Less successful is the Toccata, which is pianistically unstable and was spliced together virtually bar-by-bar (this remastering smoothes out the edits much better than previous issues).

Horowitz was less fond of Beethoven. He admired the Master's musical ideas and architecture, but was frustrated by Beethoven's piano writing, and many of Horowitz's Beethoven recordings are not convincing--although none could be classified as "bad." This version of the Pathétique (the only Sonata named by Beethoven himself) is one of the best ones, with a perfectly paced opening movement, a beautifully weighted Andante, and an unrushed Finale. Likewise with the lovingly voiced Schubert Impromptu, which is a great improvement over his 1953 recording which was performed in the wrong key!

Horowitz seldom played Debussy and recorded no Ravel. One wonders why, listening to the three Preludes from Book II included here. Horowitz's ability to control the lower levels of dynamics, playing soft-softer-softest, and his deft tone painting suit this music perfectly.

Of course, no Horowitz recital would be complete without Scarlatti, Scriabin and Rachmaninoff. The three Scarlatti Sonatas document Horowitz's increasing concern with authenticity, coupled with his ability to play with infinite grades of detachment and color. The Rachmaninoff and Scriabin illustrate Horowitz's huge dynamic range and unique understanding of Russian rhetoric.

Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 19 is a rather monotonous piece in the original version, but Horowitz's arrangement of it here unquestionably improves the piece. Not only is the work more spectacular with Horowitz's additions, but the pianist's editing maked the structure more coherent. This was originally the last piece on the first LP he made for Columbia, and it's obvious his intent was to show that although he had mellowed and matured, he could still play "like Horowitz" when he chose. He proved his point.

These recordings were produced at Columbia's legendary 30th Street Studio (actually a converted church) and the "360-degree" sound was widely praised in its day. The remastering has opened up the dynamics, and brought forth a fuller, more natural sound, reducing noise without overly capping the high frequencies.

Delightful First Volume.......2000-11-12

"The Studio Recordings 1962-1963" is the first of Vladimir Horowitz's incredible nine CD volumes of the Complete Masterworks Recordings, which are available individually or as a boxed set. Volume One features solo piano works by an amazing array of composers -- Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Scarlatti, Scriabin, Schubert and Schumann. Several of these pieces I was not familiar with prior to purchasing this disc, especially Schumann's "Kinderszenen" and Horowitz's own transcription for Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 19, and they are wonderful additions to my collection. Some of the other pieces I do have other versions of, and it is delightful to hear the subtle differences in Horowitz's style and interpretation. I always thought Rubinstein was the best at playing Chopin, but Horowitz really gives him a run for his money. The Etudes and the Scherzo are played like they are Horowitz's old friends, and the "Funeral March" flows beautifully between the somber and revelatory passages. I might even have to give Horowitz's rendition the nod over Van Cliburn's version (see my review of that title). Horowitz handles Debussy's three Preludes (from Book II) with all the majesty of Walter Gieseking's classic recordings. And Horowitz's reading of Beethoven's "Pathetique" Sonata is equal, if not superior, to the version by Daniel Barenboim that is coupled with Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony. Finally, Horowitz captures three Scarlatti sonatas (not featured on Volume 2) in the brilliant manner that only he could. This two-disc set is an essential purchase for the new and veteran classical music fan alike.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Manic Expressive [Import]

Schubert and the Sea

Revelation Blues

Live in Paris [Extra tracks] [Import]

Shine [Import]

The Chronicles [Explicit Lyrics]

Songs from Jim Henson's Bear in the Big Blue House [Soundtrack]

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"; Capriccio italien

The American Way [Enhanced]

Shades of New Orleans

The Early Year: Pine Box & Dance the Night Away

Spiders 67 [Import]

Stadion Hits [Import]

Jesus Will Never Say No

Danity Kane