3 Cello Sonatas

1. Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in G major ("Regen"), Op. 78 Transcribed for cello in D minor
Composed by Johannes Brahms
with Emile Naoumoff , Dominique de Williencourt

2. Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38
Composed by Johannes Brahms
with Emile Naoumoff , Dominique de Williencourt

3. Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99
Composed by Johannes Brahms
with Emile Naoumoff , Dominique de Williencourt

3 Cello Sonatas,Brahms,Williencourt,Naoumoff,Pierre Verany,Classical,Classical Music

Average customer rating: Yes, perfect Mozart-A prisoner of his own time. Good music and good value Five and a half hours of joy for not much bucks FINALLY

Mozart: Piano Sonatas Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Eschenbach, Christoph | ( E ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Eschenbach, Christoph | ( E ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Mozart: The Violin Sonatas Brahms: Works for Solo Piano Schubert: The Piano Sonatas Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet ASIN: B00002DEH1 Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 46d: 1. Allegro
2. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 46d: 2. Menuetto I - II
3. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 46e: 1. Allegro
4. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 46e: 2. Menuetto
5. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 279: 1. Allegro
6. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 279: 2. Andante
7. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 279: 3. Allegro
8. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 280: 1. Allegro assai
9. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 280: 2. Adagio
10. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 280: 3. Presto
11. Piano Sonata In B Flat Major, K. 281: 1. Allegro
12. Piano Sonata In B Flat Major, K. 281: 2. Andante amoroso
13. Piano Sonata In B Flat Major, K. 281: 3. Rondeau. Allegro
14. Piano Sonata In E Flat Major, K. 282: 1. Adagio
15. Piano Sonata In E Flat Major, K. 282: 2. Menuetto I - II
16. Piano Sonata In E Flat Major, K. 282: 3. Allegro

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata In G Major, K. 283: 1. Allegro
2. Piano Sonata In G Major, K. 283: 2. Andante
3. Piano Sonata In G Major, K. 283: 3. Presto
4. Piano Sonata In D Major, K. 284: 1. Allegro
5. Piano Sonata In D Major, K. 284: 2. Rondo en Polonaise. Andante
6. Piano Sonata In D Major, K. 284: 3. Andante - Thema - Variations I-XII
7. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 309: 1. Allegro con spirito
8. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 309: 2. Andante un poco adagio
9. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 309: 3. Rondeau. Allegretto grazioso
10. Piano Sonata In D Major, K. 311: 1. Allegro con spirito
11. Piano Sonata In D Major, K. 311: 2. Andante con espressione
12. Piano Sonata In D Major, K. 311: 3. Rondo. Allegro

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata In A Minor, K. 310: 1. Allegro maestoso
2. Piano Sonata In A Minor, K. 310: 2. Andante cantabile con espressione
3. Piano Sonata In A Minor, K. 310: 3. Presto
4. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 330: 1. Allegro moderato
5. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 330: 2. Andante cantabile
6. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 330: 3. Allegretto
7. Piano Sonata In A Major, K. 331: 1. Andante grazioso - Thema - Variations I - VI
8. Piano Sonata In A Major, K. 331: 2. Menuetto - Trio
9. Piano Sonata In A Major, K. 331: 3. Alla turca. Allegretto

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 332: 1. Allegro
2. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 332: 2. Adagio
3. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 332: 3. Allegro assai
4. Piano Sonata In B Flat Major, K. 333: 1. Allegro
5. Piano Sonata In B Flat Major, K. 333: 2. Andante cantabile
6. Piano Sonata In B Flat Major, K. 333: 3. Allegretto grazioso
7. Fantasia In C Minor, K. 475: Adagio - Allegro - Andantino - Piu allegro - Primo tempo
8. Piano Sonata In C Minor, K. 457: 1. Molto allegro
9. Piano Sonata In C Minor, K. 457: 2. Adagio
10. Piano Sonata In C Minor, K. 457: 3. Allegro assai

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 533: 1. Allegro (K. 533)
2. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 533: 2. Andante (K. 533)
3. Piano Sonata In F Major, K. 533: 3. Rondo. Allegretto (K. 494)
4. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 545: 1. Allegro
5. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 545: 2. Andante
6. Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 545: 3. Rondo. Allegretto
7. Piano Sonata In B Flat Major, K. 570: 1. Allegro
8. Piano Sonata In B Flat Major, K. 570: 2. Adagio
9. Piano Sonata In B Flat Major, K. 570: 3. Allegretto
10. Piano Sonata In D Major, K. 576: 1. Allegro
11. Piano Sonata In D Major, K. 576: 2. Adagio
12. Piano Sonata In D Major, K. 576: 3. Allegretto

Customer Reviews:

Yes, perfect.......2007-07-11

Fabulous music. Simple, direct, un-affected peformances that are a delight to listen-to over and over again. At times the playing is utterly sublime. These performances are technically perfect in a smooth sense - and totally absorbing.

Mozart-A prisoner of his own time........2006-09-08

If you were to clump all of the composers of the classical era together, mix them up, and listen to them willy-nilly in a blind hearing test, you'll never be able to tell the difference between them... until you hear Mozart. Mozart's era was not rich in harmony. To me, Haydn wrote the same symphony over and over. Stamitz and Gossec... love 'em, but they were also prisoners of this classical harmony. But Mozart was able to put his fingerprint on all of his music. You can pick his music out blindly with ease because it is unmistakingly Mozart. That's why we have a mostly Mozart festival and not a mostly Kraus (who?) festival.

As this cd shows, Mozart's music was sublime. But even he struggled with using this "harmony of the day". If you were to study the catalogues of Mozart's symphonies, sonatas, and chamber music, let's face it; you would hear a lot of turkies before you made it to the peacocks. We would have to wait until Chopin until the harmonies fattened up a little.

Having said that, you have to completely hail Mozart for taking what was available to him in his day and creating some of the most sublime music with it. It would be like for the next ten years all the world had available to eat was peas, and 200 years from now one man became immortal for the many interesting ways he was able to manipulate peas into a meal.

Good music and good value.......2006-08-28

Bought this for my son who is learning to play piano. Lots of good music, not too expensive.

Five and a half hours of joy for not much bucks.......2005-11-11

This is just about the best money I've ever spent on music. I love Eschenbach's interpretations: tenderness and emotional intimacy in spades---and dazzling effects without self-consciousness or "athletic" display of technique. I would say that he "lets Mozart be Mozart," except that these interpretations have so much personality that Eschenbach's own life-energy must be coming through. I just think that his own personality complements Mozart's perfectly.

FINALLY.......2004-08-05

I've searched the world over for a box set of all of Mozart's piano sonatas that I liked. The first one I heard was the Glenn Gould version, which in retrospect was not so smart. I like his playing but he hums into the mic during the recording. Real smart.

Anyways, Eschenbach plays these with all the virtuosity and feeling they demand. My favorite piano sonata is Mozart's 12th and he plays it flawlessly; the only thing remotely lacking is that he doesn't quite dig in as much as Alicia de la Roccha does when she plays it on the Allegro movement, but he more than makes up for it with his playing on the Adagio movement.

If it's not your cup of tea it might be worthwhile getting the de la Roccha box set, but personally I think the Eschenbach recording is the best out of all of them.

Average customer rating: Excellent overall Wonderful Unbelievable!

Bach: Cello Suites, Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin - Christian Tetzlaff & Ralph Kirshbaum (4 CD's) Christian Tetzlaff , Ralph Kirshbaum , and Johann Sebastian Bach Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Tetzlaff, Christian | ( T ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Tetzlaff, Christian | ( T ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Brahms: Sonatas for Piano and Violin Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Violin Romances Sibelius: The Complete Works for Violin; Christian Tetzlaff Mozart: Violin Concertos 3, 4 & 5 Bartók: Violin Sonatas ASIN: B00030FJ9Y Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

1. 1. Adagio - Christian Tetzlaff
2. 2. Fuga (Allegro) - Christian Tetzlaff
3. 3. Siciliana - Christian Tetzlaff
4. 4. Presto - Christian Tetzlaff
5. 1. Allemanda - Christian Tetzlaff
6. Double - Christian Tetzlaff
7. 2. Corrente - Christian Tetzlaff
8. Double (Presto) - Christian Tetzlaff
9. 3. Sarabande - Christian Tetzlaff
10. Double - Christian Tetzlaff
11. 4. Bourree - Christian Tetzlaff
12. Double - Christian Tetzlaff
13. 1. Grave - Christian Tetzlaff
14. 2. Fuga - Christian Tetzlaff
15. 3. Andante - Christian Tetzlaff
16. 4. Allegro - Christian Tetzlaff

Tracks:

1. 1. Allemanda - Christian Tetzlaff
2. 2. Corrente - Christian Tetzlaff
3. 3. Sarabanda - Christian Tetzlaff
4. 4. Giga - Christian Tetzlaff
5. 5. Ciaccona - Christian Tetzlaff
6. 1. Adagio - Christian Tetzlaff
7. 2. Fuga - Christian Tetzlaff
8. 3. Largo - Christian Tetzlaff
9. 4. Allegro Assai - Christian Tetzlaff
10. 1. Preludio - Christian Tetzlaff
11. 2. Loure - Christian Tetzlaff
12. 3. Gavotte En Rondo - Christian Tetzlaff
13. 4. Menuet 1/Menuet 2 - Christian Tetzlaff
14. 5. Bourree - Christian Tetzlaff
15. 6. Gigue - Christian Tetzlaff

Tracks:

1. 1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
2. 2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
3. 3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
4. 4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
5. 5. Menuet 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
6. 6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum
7. 1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
8. 2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
9. 3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
10. 4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
11. 5. Bourree 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
12. 6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum
13. 1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
14. 2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
15. 3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
16. 4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
17. 5. Gavotte 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
18. 6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum

Tracks:

1. 1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
2. 2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
3. 3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
4. 4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
5. 5. Menuet 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
6. 6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum
7. 1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
8. 2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
9. 3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
10. 4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
11. 5. Bourree 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
12. 6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum
13. 1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
14. 2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
15. 3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
16. 4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
17. 5. Gavotte 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
18. 6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum

Customer Reviews:

Excellent overall.......2006-03-28

The two works presented in this bargain set represent Johann Sebastian Bach's greatest contribution to the solo string reportoire.

Although usually marginalized, the Cello Suites are hidden diamonds in the solo literature, requiring a depth of humanity and musicality that few performers actually achieve, so concerned as they are with simply hacking away at this seemingly simple music. Kirshbaum's reading is full of warmth and power, and his instrument (from Bach's time period) sings almost of its own accord. Tempi are just right; the sense of pacing in the G Major Prelude is magnificent, giving the piece a gently rocking feel. Kirshbaum's double stopping (as called for by many of the Allemanda movements) is impeccable and very clean; the harsh, biting sound such double-stopping requires from other performers is not present here.

The focal point of the set is, of course, Christian Tetzlaff's reading of the Six Solos. In comparison with the "big names," such as Perlman, Milstein, and Grumiaux, Tetzlaff cannot quite compete. His tempi are exceedingly swift, and he lacks much of the humanity present in Milstein and Menuhin. As a result, the quicker movements, such as the E Major Preludio and the B minor Doubles, sound less like the masterpieces they are and more like simple etudes to be sawed away on.

Tetzlaff's traversal of the Chaconne, however, is a breathless, exciting journey, and he is in top form during the massive fugues in each sonata. The recording location, while resonant, allows the violin's sound to sing without losing it in a sea of reverb. Although he suffers from tempi issues, Tetzlaff's technique is never in doubt, and he is solid and secure (perhaps even a bit too secure) during this recording.

Overall, despite issues with tempi in the Six Solos, this set is a great bargain, and hopefully Tetzlaff will decide to record these pieces again later in life.

Wonderful.......2006-01-10

I've been listening to and studying Bach's solo cello and violin works for over 30 years. Although I love this music dearly, it's rare that I'm surprized by it anymore. However, listening to Tetzlaff and Kirshbaum, I felt as if I were hearing them for the first time all over again. Both musicians are such masters of their instruments that their "technique" never intrudes on the music. These are really breathtaking performances.

Unbelievable!.......2005-10-19

Both these artists are exceptional. I have always had trouble listening to "anybody else's interpretation" of the bach cello suites, being a cellist myself. This one is truly outstanding. The excellent Bach solo violin interpretation by Christian Tetzlaff is just an added plus -- I was most impressed that my father listened through all the way and just made one or two comments about how the music was "alive". He was rapt. My father doesn't do that easily.

Average customer rating: really like it

Cello Adagios Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bloch | Bloch, Ernest | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Boccherini | Boccherini, Luigi | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Borodin | Borodin, Alexander | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bruch | Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kreisler | Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Paganini, Niccolò | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Rheinberger, Joseph | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Nocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Bassoon | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Harrell, Lynn | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Violin Adagios Guitar Adagios Baroque Adagios Movie Adagios Romantic Adagios ASIN: B0001WU1QK Release Date: 2004-05-11

Tracks:

1. Carnival Of The Animals - Bruno Canino
2. Vocalise, Op.34 No.14 - Lynn Harrell
3. Thais - Julian Lloyd Webber
4. Adagio - Janos Starker
5. Apres Un Reve - Bruno Canino
6. Adagio - Julian Lloyd Webber
7. Ave Maria - Julian Lloyd Webber
8. Adagio - Julian Lloyd Webber
9. Traumerei (Dreaming) - Bruno Canino
10. Notturno: Andante - Julian Lloyd Webber
11. Sicilienne - Bruno Canino
12. An Die Musik, D547 - Bruno Canino
13. Reverie - Julian Lloyd Webber
14. Prayer - Bruno Canino
15. Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Bruno Canino
16. Salut D'amour, Op.12 - Bruno Canino
17. Valse Sentimentale, Op.15 No.6 - Samuel Sanders
18. Kol Nidrei, Op.47 - Julian Lloyd Webber

Tracks:

1. Air (Air On A G String) - Julian Lloyd Webber
2. Clair De Lune - Julian Lloyd Webber
3. Elegie, Op.24 - Jullian Lloyd Webber
4. Andante - Heinrich Schiff
5. Romance In D Minor, Op.62 - Julian Lloyd Webber
6. Beau Soir - Bruno Canino
7. Sicilienne, Op.78 - Bruno Canino
8. Panis Angelicus - Julian Lloyd Webber
9. Nocturne In E Flat Major, Op.9 No.2 - Julian Lloyd Webber
10. Cantabile - Samuel Sanders
11. Liebesleid - Samuel Sanders
12. Adagio Ma Non Troppo - Janos Starker
13. Bereuse - Julian Lloyd Webber
14. Cantilena - Julian Lloyd Webber
15. Melodie, Op.20 No.1 - Julian Lloyd Webber

Customer Reviews:

really like it.......2007-03-05

This is the first classical cd I have ever bought. The two-disc album was a great price. I really love the performance of Lynn Harrell. I like the collection of Adagios because they are perfect to fall asleep to or study to.

Average customer rating: Consistently and superbly musical Lovely Cello Sonatas with a Wonderful Surprise at the end.. Absolutely superb!!!

Beethoven: The Cello Sonatas Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Harrell, Lynn | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Harrell, Lynn | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 1; Itzhak Perlman; Vladimir Ashkenazy; Lynn Harrell Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 2; Itzhak Perlman; Vladimir Ashkenazy; Lynn Harrell Beethoven: The Violin Sonatas Bach J.S: 6 Suites for Cello Mozart: The Violin Sonatas ASIN: B00004WGEX Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

1. Cello Sonata No. 1 In F Major, Op. 5 No. 1: I. Adagio sostenuto-
2. Cello Sonata No. 1 In F Major, Op. 5 No. 1: Allegro
3. Cello Sonata No. 1 In F Major, Op. 5 No. 1: II. Rondo: Allegro vivace
4. Cello Sonata No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 5 No. 2: I. Adagio sostenuto ed espressivo-
5. Cello Sonata No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 5 No. 2: Allegro molto, piu tosto presto
6. Cello Sonata No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 5 No. 2: II. Rondo: Allegro

Tracks:

1. Cello Sonata No. 3 In A Major, Op. 69: I. Allegro ma non tanto
2. Cello Sonata No. 3 In A Major, Op. 69: II. Scherzo: Allegro molto
3. Cello Sonata No. 3 In A Major, Op. 69: III. Adagio cantabile-
4. Cello Sonata No. 3 In A Major, Op. 69: Allegro vivace
5. Cello Sonata No. 4 In C Major, Op. 102 No. 1: I. Andante-
6. Cello Sonata No. 4 In C Major, Op. 102 No. 1: Allegro vivace
7. Cello Sonata No. 4 In C Major, Op. 102 No. 1: II. Adagio-
8. Cello Sonata No. 4 In C Major, Op. 102 No. 1: Tempo d'andante-
9. Cello Sonata No. 4 In C Major, Op. 102 No. 1: Allegro vivace
10. Cello Sonata No. 5 In D Major, Op. 102 No. 2: I. Allegro con brio
11. Cello Sonata No. 5 In D Major, Op. 102 No. 2: II. Adagio con molto sentimento d'affetto
12. Cello Sonata No. 5 In D Major, Op. 102 No. 2: III. Allegro - Allegro fugato
13. Horn Sonata In F Major, Op. 17: I. Allegro moderato - Barry Tuckwell
14. II. Poco adagio, quasi andante- - Barry Tuckwell
15. Rondo: Allegro moderato - Barry Tuckwell

Customer Reviews:

Consistently and superbly musical.......2004-05-17

There is little more one could ask for in these buoyant, dramatic, glowing and felicitous performances by cellist Lynn Harrell and pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. They simply take off because of their marvelously unforced style of play, which at various moments can be commanding, poetic and even aristocratic. Both soloists also manifest an extremely satisfying instrumental tone, especially Harrell, whose cello sounds absolutely golden, and who frequently demonstrates the ability to truly sing and soar. And with Ashkenazy's wonderfully fluid approach, the two offer readings that, for me, outdo Rostropovich/Richter and Tortelier/Heidsieck, who both present fine offerings. Though Rostropovich possesses that wonderful, big sounding tone, in these sonatas he tends to pass over phrases too quickly for me. I prefer a bit of lingering here. At times, Richter also plays too fast. With regard to the Tortelier/Heidsieck duo, they tend to render marginally more extended pauses, deliberate accents and a slower, more deliberate pace. Also, while an excellent cellist, Tortelier lacks Harrell's opulent tone that I so revel in. There are so many satisfying moments in this Harrell/Ashkenazy set that it would take me longer than I would like to point them out, but listen, in particular, to the splendid opus 69 Third Sonata. Perhaps, this represents the two players at their finest in terms of both quality of expressiveness and instrumental interplay. Some real magic unfolds here. Overall, you will find it difficult to do better than these uplifting and extremely pleasurable accounts of these musical gems from Beethoven. Incidentally, the recorded sound on these discs is very fine, and exceeds that which is afforded the others in their presentations.

Lovely Cello Sonatas with a Wonderful Surprise at the end.........2004-02-19

This was the first time I met these Sonatas.
Actually, when I bought this disc, Because of the Title:
Cello Sonatas
I thought I was going to hear Sonatas for Cello Solo,
Like the Suites By Bach...
I Quickly fell in love with the Cello Sonatas, esspecially
the last three...
And what a Beautiful surprise it was to hear the Magnificent
and Charming Horn Sonata Op. 17 !
The Three Musicians Play extremly well!
esspecially Ashkenazy with his light touch
and Tuckwell with his inthusiastic (I hope I spelled it right)
Playing!

Absolutely superb!!!.......2003-12-19

A truly wonderful recording,with the right combination of technical perfection coupled with emotion. And the addition of the Opus 17 Horn sonata was a good choice. Ashkenazy and Harrell are in top form (as is Tuckwell). This collection is an absolute must.

Average customer rating: Mostly good Look at the List of Performers First this "masterworks" series is available much more cheaply from Amazon France You heard guy below: Beethoven needs the royality checks! Buy my box Set!

Beethoven: The Masterworks (Box Set) Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Brilliant Classics | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set) Bach: Complete Works - 155 CD Box Set Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set) Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set] Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set) ASIN: B00062FLHE Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Mostly good.......2007-05-26

A bit of a mixed bag. The symphonies are superb. This is one of the great symphony cycles. The piano sonatas are good, very good (analog) sound. The quartets are well recorded indeed, but there are better cycles out there. The rest is OK, and the sound is genrally good.

Look at the List of Performers First.......2006-11-17

If you want most of Beethoven sitting on one bookshelf, this is a great bargain (especially if you shop for it on amazon.de). But few if any of the performances represent the pinnacles of interpretation that most listeners demand when Beethoven is the composer. The symphonies for instance: can Blomstedt be compared to Furtwangler or (if you lean toward historically informed instrumentation) Gardiner? Most amazingly, the artists who perform the quartets -- the heart of Beethoven's music -- are not even named in the listing.
On the other hand: Vivaldi: The Masterworks is a collection including the very best interpreters, such as Fabio Biondi! Bach Edition (complete Bach) is a fabulous selection of recordings made over 20 years, and almost the same praise can be given the Complete Mozart.

this "masterworks" series is available much more cheaply from Amazon France.......2006-05-28

there are several sets in this series and it's much cheaper to buy these from Amazon France.

included are bach, beethoven, vivaldi, brahms, dvorak, schubert, handel, hayden, and mendelssohn.

they're even cheaper than the list price once u go through the checkout (VAT is removed for overseas (out-of-france) purchases).

**also, the 'complete works of mozart' set is much cheaper there (or at Amazon Germany), too. the 'complete works of bach' is due out later this year.

You heard guy below: Beethoven needs the royality checks! .......2006-04-07

There is quality beyond the Austrian green cardboard (which is lovely to look at, to say the least). In fact, the performance of the symphonies (Dresden Staatskapelle and Herbert Blomstedt) is alone worth the price. The Staatskapelle is a solid group, and Blomstedt, although less wellknown, holds his own. It should be mentioned that Blomstedt recorded many of the most celebrated 20th composition CDs on the market, and definitely knows his stuff. Peter Wohlert recorded mostly for compiliation lables, but to be selected by the Berlin Phil shows that he is a formdiable conductor in rank as well.

Should you buy this collection then? Given the fact that each CD cost $1.75, there is definitely the bargin factor. However, Beethoven's music desveres the top interpreters and musicians of our time - and this applies for all of his music, not just the symphonic. If you are into bargins, then proceed to buy this collection. However, if you save up a bit more, you can buy Karajan's 1963 Beethovens symphonies along with Kempff's 1956 sonata cycles for just a bit more than 70 bucks. Shop around for the string quartets, and the complete overtures should range anywhere from 15 to 30 bucks depending on the conductor/ensemble.

Overall, this is certainly an exceptional bargin. However, quality matter more than money. Besides, chicks dig people with sophisticated tastes.

Buy my box Set!.......2006-03-21

Awesome deal, 40 CD box set of me, Beethoven! There are 3 principle reasons you should buy this box set:

This box is QUALITY my friend, made of the finest, Austrian cardboard with a lovely green finish, it is made to last! You can just set it on your dresser and whenever you need a Beethoven fix you can just pull a CD out. But don't you hate getting your CDs out of order so you can't find what the hell you're looking for?! Not with this set! They are well organized into symphonies, concerti, sonatas and such, so you can find EXACTLY what your looking for, and they have big numbers on them so you can put them right back where they belong.

And the music! Need we go into this, composed through the inspiration of God himself and penned by the greatest composer who ever walked the streets of Vienna, me, Beethoven! Top notch, all done by top performers and recorded at high, clear, digital quality, stick one in your stereo and rock out man! All of my great and mighty works are here, absolutely sublime!

Lastly, you'll be supporting me, I need those royalty checks to keep rolling in!

Buy it if you love me or just buy it if you want people to think that you're sophisticated (the chicks also dig it, I should know: Antonie Brentano, giggity!), you can't go wrong!

Average customer rating: The one collection I cannot imagine being without MASTERY Magisterial... mystical Beethoven + Arrau = Divinity Beethoven himself would be proud.

Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos Claudio Arrau , Janos Starker , Ludwig van Beethoven , Bernard Haitink , Eliahu Inbal , Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam , New Philharmonia Orchestra , and Henryk Szeryng Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Arrau, Claudio | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Liszt: Piano Works Schubert: The Piano Sonatas Chopin: The Piano Works Brahms: Works for Solo Piano Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier ASIN: B00000C2F7 Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: 1 Allegro
2. Piano Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: 2. Adagio
3. Piano Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: 3. Menuetto. Allegretto
4. Piano Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: 4. Prestissimo
5. Piano Sonata No. 2 In A, Op. 2 No. 2: 1. Allegro vivace
6. Piano Sonata No. 2 In A, Op. 2 No. 2: 2. Largo appassionato
7. Piano Sonata No. 2 In A, Op. 2 No. 2: 3. Scherzo. Allegretto
8. Piano Sonata No. 2 In A, Op. 2 No. 2: 4. Rondo. Grazioso
9. Piano Sonata No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 10 No. 1: 1. Allegro molto e con brio
10. Piano Sonata No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 10 No. 1: 2. Adagio molto
11. Piano Sonata No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 10 No. 1: 3. Finale. Prestissimo
12. Piano Sonata No. 19 In G Minor, Op. 49 No. 1: 1. Andante
13. Piano Sonata No. 19 In G Minor, Op. 49 No. 1: 2. Rondo. Allegro

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.3 In C, Op.2 No.3: 1. Allegro con brio
2. Piano Sonata No.3 In C, Op.2 No.3: 2. Adagio
3. Piano Sonata No.3 In C, Op.2 No.3: 3. Scherzo. Allegro
4. Piano Sonata No.3 In C, Op.2 No.3: 4. Allegro assai
5. Piano Sonata No.4 In E Flat, Op.7: 1. Allegro molto e con brio
6. Piano Sonata No.4 In E Flat, Op.7: 2. Largo, con gran espressione
7. Piano Sonata No.4 In E Flat, Op.7: 3. Allegro
8. Piano Sonata No.4 In E Flat, Op.7: 4. Rondo. Poco allegretto e grazioso
9. 6 Piano Veriations In F On An Original Theme, Op.34

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.6 In F, Op.10 No.2: 1. Allegro
2. Piano Sonata No.6 In F, Op.10 No.2: 2. Allegretto
3. Piano Sonata No.6 In F, Op.10 No.2: 3. Presto
4. Piano Sonata No.7 In D, Op.10 No.3: 1. Presto
5. Piano Sonata No.7 In D, Op.10 No.3: 2. Largo e mesto
6. Piano Sonata No.7 In D, Op.10 No.3: 3. Menuetto. Allegro
7. Piano Sonata No.7 In D, Op.10 No.3: 4. Rondo. Allegro
8. Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 'Pathetique': 1. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
9. Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 'Pathetique': 2. Adagio cantabile
10. Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 'Pathetique': 3. Rondo. Allegro
11. Piano Sonata No.9 In E, Op.14 No.2: 1. Allegro
12. Piano Sonata No.9 In E, Op.14 No.2: 2. Allegretto
13. Piano Sonata No.9 In E, Op.14 No.2: 3. Rondo. Allegro comodo

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.10 In G, Op.14 No.2: 1. Allegro
2. Piano Sonata No.10 In G, Op.14 No.2: 2. Andante
3. Piano Sonata No.10 In G, Op.14 No.2: 3. Scherzo. Allegro assai
4. Piano Sonata No.11 In B Falt, Op.22: 1. Allegro con brio
5. Piano Sonata No.11 In B Falt, Op.22: 2. Adagio con molta espressione
6. Piano Sonata No.11 In B Falt, Op.22: 3. Minuetto
7. Piano Sonata No.11 In B Falt, Op.22: 4. Rondo. Allegretto
8. Piano Sonata No.12 In A Flat, Op.26: 1. Andante con Variazioni
9. Piano Sonata No.12 In A Flat, Op.26: 2. Scherzo. Allegro molto
10. Piano Sonata No.12 In A Flat, Op.26: 3. Marcia Funebre sulla morte d'un Eroe
11. Piano Sonata No.12 In A Flat, Op.26: 4. Allegro
12. Piano Sonata No.25 In G, Op.79: 1. Presto alla tedesca
13. Piano Sonata No.25 In G, Op.79: 2. Andante
14. Piano Sonata No.25 In G, Op.79: 3. Vivace

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.13 In E Flat, Op.27 No.1: 1. Andante - Allegro - Tempo I
2. Piano Sonata No.13 In E Flat, Op.27 No.1: 2. Allegro molto e vivace
3. Piano Sonata No.13 In E Flat, Op.27 No.1: 3. Adagio con espressione
4. Piano Sonata No.13 In E Flat, Op.27 No.1: 4. Allegro vivace - Tempo I - Presto
5. Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight': 1. Adagio sostenuto
6. Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight': 2. Allegrettro
7. Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight': 3. Presto agitato
8. Piano Sonata No.15 In D, Op.28 'Pastorale': 1. Allegro
9. Piano Sonata No.15 In D, Op.28 'Pastorale': 2. Andante
10. Piano Sonata No.15 In D, Op.28 'Pastorale': 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
11. Piano Sonata No.15 In D, Op.28 'Pastorale': 4. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo
12. Piano Sonata No. 22 In F, Op.54: 1. In Tempo d'un Menuetto
13. Piano Sonata No. 22 In F, Op.54: 2. Allegretto

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.16 In G, Op.31 No.1: 1. Allegro vivace
2. Piano Sonata No.16 In G, Op.31 No.1: 2. Adagio grazioso
3. Piano Sonata No.16 In G, Op.31 No.1: 3. Rondo. Allegretto
4. Piano Sonata No.17 In D Minor, Op.31 No.2 'Tempest': 1. Largo - Allegro
5. Piano Sonata No.17 In D Minor, Op.31 No.2 'Tempest': 2. Adagio
6. Piano Sonata No.17 In D Minor, Op.31 No.2 'Tempest': 3. Allegretto
7. Piano Sonata No.18 In E Flat, Op.31 No.3: 1. Allegro
8. Piano Sonata No.18 In E Flat, Op.31 No.3: 2. Scherzo. Alllegretto vivace
9. Piano Sonata No.18 In E Flat, Op.31 No.3: 3. Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso
10. Piano Sonata No.18 In E Flat, Op.31 No.3: 4. Presto con fuoco

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.21 In C, Op.53 'Waldstein': 1. Allegro con brio
2. Piano Sonata No.21 In C, Op.53 'Waldstein': 2. Introduzione. Adagio molto - Rondo. Allegretto moderato - Prestissimo
3. 15 Piano Variations And Fugue In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica' Variations: Inroduzione col Basso del Tema. Allegretto vivace
4. 15 Piano Variations And Fugue In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica' Variations: Variazioni I-XV
5. 15 Piano Variations And Fugue In E Flat, Op.35 'Eroica' Variations: Finale. Alla Fuga. Allegro con brio - Andante con moto
6. 32 Piano Variations In C Minor On An Original Theme, WoO 80
7. Rondo In G, Op.51 No.2

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.23 In F Minor, Op.57 'Appassionata': 1. Allegro assai
2. Piano Sonata No.23 In F Minor, Op.57 'Appassionata': 2. Andante con moto
3. Piano Sonata No.23 In F Minor, Op.57 'Appassionata': 3. Allegro ma non troppo
4. Piano Sonata No.24 In F Sharp, Op.78 'For Therese': 1. Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo
5. Piano Sonata No.24 In F Sharp, Op.78 'For Therese': 2. Allegro vivace
6. Piano Sonata No.26 In E Flat, Op.81a 'Les adieux': 1. Das Lebewohl. Adagio - Allegro
7. Piano Sonata No.26 In E Flat, Op.81a 'Les adieux': 2. Abwesenheit. Andante espressivo
8. Piano Sonata No.26 In E Flat, Op.81a 'Les adieux': 3. Das Wiedersehn. Vivacissimamente
9. Piano Sonata No.27 In E Minor, Op.90: 1. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
10. Piano Sonata No.27 In E Minor, Op.90: 2. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen
11. Piano Sonata No.20 In G, Op.49 No.2: 1. Allegro, ma non troppo
12. Piano Sonata No.20 In G, Op.49 No.2: 2. Tempo di Menuetto

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.28 In A, Op.101: 1. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung. Allegretto, ma non troppo
2. Piano Sonata No.28 In A, Op.101: 2. Lebhaft. Marschmassig. Vivace alla Marcia
3. Piano Sonata No.28 In A, Op.101: 3. Langsam, und sehnsuchtsvoll. Adagio, ma non troppo, con affetto
4. Piano Sonata No.28 In A, Op.101: 4. Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit. Allegro
5. Piano Sonata No.29 In B Flat, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': 1. Allegro
6. Piano Sonata No.29 In B Flat, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': 2 Scherzo. Assai vivace - Presto - Prestissimo - Tempo I
7. Piano Sonata No.29 In B Flat, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': 3. Adagio sostenuto. Appassionato e con molto sentimento
8. Piano Sonata No.29 In B Flat, Op.106 'Hammerklavier': 4. Largo - Allegro risoluto

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.30 In E, Op.109: 1. Vivave, ma non troppo - Adagio espressivo - Tempo I -2. Prestissimo
2. Piano Sonata No.30 In E, Op.109: 3. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo
3. Piano Sonata No.31 In A Flat, Op.110: 1. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
4. Piano Sonata No.31 In A Flat, Op.110: 2. Allegro molto
5. Piano Sonata No.31 In A Flat, Op.110: 3. Adagio ma non troppo
6. Piano Sonata No.31 In A Flat, Op.110: 4. Fuga. Allegro ma non troppo
7. Piano Sonata No.32 In C Minor, Op111: 1. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato
8. Piano Sonata No.32 In C Minor, Op111: 2. Arietta. Adagio molto semplice e cantabile

Tracks:

1. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Tema : Vivace - Variation I. Alla marcia maestoso
2. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation II Poco allegro
3. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation III L'istesso tempo
4. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation IV Un poco piu vivace
5. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation V Allegro vivace
6. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation VI Allegro ma non troppo e serioso
7. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation VII Un poco piu allegro
8. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation VIII Poco vivace
9. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation IX Allegro pesante e risoluto
10. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation X Presto
11. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XI Allegretto
12. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XII Un poco piu moto
13. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XIII Vivace
14. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XIV Grave e maestoso
15. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XV Presto scherzando
16. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XVI Allegro
17. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XVII
18. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XVIII Poco moderato
19. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XIX Presto
20. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XX Andante
21. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXI Allegro con brio - Meno allegro - Tempo I - Meno allegro
22. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXII Allegro molto alla 'Notte giorno faricar' di Mozart
23. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXIII Allegro assai
24. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXIV Fughetta. Andante
25. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXV Allegro
26. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXVI
27. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXVII Vivace
28. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXVIII Allegro
29. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXIX Adagio ma non troppo
30. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXX Andante sempre cantabile
31. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXXI Largo, molto espressivo
32. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXXII Fuga. Allegro - Poco adagio
33. 33 Piano Variations In C On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli, Op.120: Variation XXXIII Tempo di minuetto moderato

Tracks:

1. Piano Concerto No.1 In C, Op. 15: 1. Allegro con brio
2. Piano Concerto No.1 In C, Op. 15: 2. Largo
3. Piano Concerto No.1 In C, Op. 15: 3. Rondo. Allegro scherzando
4. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat, Op.19: 1. Allegro con brio
5. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat, Op.19: 2. Adagio
6. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat, Op.19: 3. Rondo. Molto allegro

Tracks:

1. Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op.37: 1. Allegro con brio
2. Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op.37: 2. Largo
3. Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op.37: 3. Rondo. Allegro
4. Piano Concerto No.4 In G, Op.58: 1. Allegro moderato
5. Piano Concerto No.4 In G, Op.58: 2. Andante con moto
6. Piano Concerto No.4 In G, Op.58: 3. Rondo. Vivace

Tracks:

1. Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat, Op.73 'Emperor': 1. Allegro
2. Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat, Op.73 'Emperor': 2. Adagio un poco mosso
3. Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat, Op.73 'Emperor': 3. Rondo. Allegro
4. Triple Concerto For Piano, Violin And Cello In C, Op.56: 1. Allegro
5. Triple Concerto For Piano, Violin And Cello In C, Op.56: 2. Largo
6. Triple Concerto For Piano, Violin And Cello In C, Op.56: 3. Rondo alla Polacca

Amazon.com

Claudio Arrau played with seriousness of purpose that could make other pianists seem like dilettantes and with respect for the composer's score that bordered on veneration. He had nothing but scorn for pianists who played the opening of Beethoven's Opus 111 with two hands instead of one because there were fewer risks. If something was technically difficult, Arrau assumed that the composer had written it that way because the difficulties had an expressive value that it was the interpreter's duty to find.

Arrau's devotion to Beethoven is memorialized by this budget-priced, 14-CD collection of his recordings, mostly from the 1960s, of the composer's 32 sonatas, five concertos (with Bernard Haitink conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam), and most important sets of variations. His Beethoven is not always successful. His sometimes ponderous seriousness keeps early works, such as the Sonata No. 3 and the Concerto No. 2, from smiling, and his lack of spontaneity makes the whimsy in Sonata No. 26 and the "Diabelli Variations" sound labored. But in the composer's weightiest works, Arrau can produce revelations. Certainly, no one plays Sonata No. 32 better. The first movement sounds like thunder that comes ever closer and the finale's chains of trills, played with exquisite finish and expressive perfection, transport the listener to a higher realm. If Arrau could be single-minded in his devotion to the composer's score, he also believed that music could encompass everything. When Arrau was at his best--as he frequently is in this set--it does. --Stephen Wigler

Customer Reviews:

The one collection I cannot imagine being without.......2007-01-30

It would be absurd to recommend recommending one Beethoven cycle to the exclusion of all others, yet it is Arrau's cycle to which I repeatedly return, despite some flaws mentioned by other reviewers.

They are flaws which can be forgiven. Scherzi which would be brimming with mirth & vitality in the hands of others may come up short, but it is more than compensated for by the revelations to be found as Arrau explores every aspect of Beethoven at his most profound. There always seems to be something new to be discovered. Flabby? It is hard to imagine how someone could come to this conclusion.

Even the sound quality for recordings dating back into the 1960's has been remastered so as to be acceptable to all but the most spoiled of listeners, who apparently are satisfied only with the most seamless homogenized studio sound. Those who can't get past the slightly imperfect sound quality are focusing on the wrong details.

If the greatness of the performance were not enough, the price should be enough to convince any serious music lover to add these to a CD collection. One cannot overstate how rewarding this collection will be to anyone who does not yet know the artistry of Arrau.

MASTERY.......2007-01-26

One man's viewpoint: Arrau amazes me as he sets the notes down with such clean deliberation! Total command. No matter how fast Beethoven is charging along. And as Arrau gets every note, we find the real Beethoven genius shining through - after all, as raw material, this is some of the finest piano music anywhere. Of course, this playing delivers passion and heart-and-soul communication too. And a sense of commitment and strength.
I suggest this set - with about nine stars! Mastery in art. *** For a lighter, more joyful touch - and great tone - ALSO get hold of O'Conor's set of the 32. I suggest this set - with about nine stars!

Magisterial... mystical.......2006-11-03

I've been listening to Beethoven's sonatas for fifty years and have heard all of them by some, and some of them by all the available recorded performers. Overall, Claudio Arrau is my favorite interpreter of the sonatas. To me he has an inner affinity with Beethoven that is uncanny. Beethoven was a man of great character. And that greatness, detached from his person in the form of musical ideas, enters the listener through intermediaries such as Arrau. When it is done right, it works a sort of righteous therapy, and makes the listener a better person for the hearing.

Arrau describes Beethoven's greatness in his essay "Thoughts on Beethoven" in the 33 1/3 Philips LP edition. "Beethoven has always stood for the spirit of man victorious. His message of endless stuggle concluding in the victory of renewal and spiritual rebirth...his life was an existential fight for survival...In the sense that he mastered both his life and his art to reach the ultimate heights of creation and transfiguration, he will last as long as man's spirit to prevail lasts on this earth." Part of the greatness of Beethoven's character came from his ability to be intimately close and at the same time at an infinite distance above his listener. Arrau possesses this same character, and his qualities as a man and artist are why he is able to so aptly render the greatness of Beethoven.

A book titled "Conversations with Arrau" was written by Joseph Horowitz to celebrate the artists's 80th birthday in 1982. I've only read the extracts published with the Philips edition, but there is enough information to get a feel for Arrau's character. He guarded the purity of his environment. He shunned parties and avoided small talk. He never drank or smoked, never learned to drive a car, boil an egg, or even operate a phonograph. His only hobby was gardening. Horowitz describes him as the embodiment of the nineteenth-century model of the artist as solitary, suffering hero. He was small (5'6") and frail, but in 1982 at age 80 he was still playing more that 70 concerts a season.

Rather than launch a discussion of his individual works (this has been done admirably by many of the reviewers) I will remark on just a few. I never properly appreciated the Fourth and the Seventh Sonatas until I heard Arrau's reading of these works. His Fourth takes 31 minutes, 30 seconds. Annie Fischer, another great interpreter of Beethoven, plays it in 27 minutes, 30 seconds. And Ms. Fischer does not play at a hurried tempo.

Yes, Arrau plays the sonatas at a slower tempo than any other interpreter. He also achieves a mystical quality in his interpretations that is unmatched. The second movement of the Seventh comes in at 10 min, 30 seconds. It is the greatest 10 1/2 minutes of piano music ever conceived. When interpreted by Arrau it becomes a microcosm of Beethoven's life and work. The second movement of the Appassionata is a sacred hymn.

Arrau's five piano concertos are splendid. I've heard no other renditions of the concertos with slow movements that equal Arrau's. No one plays the middle movements with his expressiveness and sense of the numinous. And his rendition of the "Eroica Variations" is on a par with the top few recordings of this piece.

If you have any interest in Beethoven, at whatever level, this bargain is outstanding.

Beethoven + Arrau = Divinity.......2006-10-29

If you love Beethoven, Arrau's interpretation will certainly be a joyful addition to your classical music collection. For me, his is the definitive Beethoven.

Though some will likely disagree, I have listened to many other great pianists' recordings of Beethoven sonatas, and they are great (don't get me wrong). Yet Arrau is unique in his ability to bring to light subtleties in the melodies that no one else can, and these often turn out to be the most enlightening and resonant of passages. His Op. 111 is indeed unparalleled, and his recording of the 2nd movement is one of my favorite pieces in the world. On top of that, his rendition of the Moonlight Sonata, his Waldstein, his Concertos, every recording on this boxed set is a testament to the depth Arrau worked diligently and consciously to achieve; depth that transcends technical showmanship and for the intuitive listener can certainly elicit fleeting glimpses of divine ecstasy.

At any price, it's a steal - beauty of this magnitude is all too rare.

Beethoven himself would be proud........2006-06-19

This is a masterpiece. Don't listen to the one negative review, as this guy is tone deaf. This compilation of Beethoven's music is a treasure to behold. A bargain at twice the price, this is well worth the money. Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!

Average customer rating: Jaroussky has a gifted voice a voice teacher and early music fan Jaroussky is exceptional A pleasant surprise Another Fine Countertenor Lights Up The World!

Vivaldi: Virtuoso Cantatas Philippe Jaroussky , Unspecified , Antonio Vivaldi , Ensemble Artaserse , and Claire Antonini Manufacturer: Virgin Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Vivaldi Heroes Beata Vergine Vivaldi: Griselda Vivaldi: Bajazet [Includes Bonus DVD] Un Concert Pour Mazarin ASIN: B0006IQM4O Release Date: 2005-04-12

Tracks:

1. Aria: Alla Caccia Dell'alme E De' Cori
2. Recitativo: Ma Sia Crudele O Infida
3. Aria: Preso Sei Mio Cor Piagato
4. Recitativo: Qual Per Ignoto Calle
5. Aria: Quel Passagier Son Io
6. Recitativo: Deh, Piu Non Regni Nel Tuo Gentil Petto
7. Aria: Qual Dopo Lampi E Turbini
8. Piangero Sinche L'onda - Ruggiero
9. Prelude After Vivaldi (Theorbo Solo)
10. Aria: Care Selve, Amici Prati
11. Recitativo: Ben Mal'accorto E Folle All'or Io Fui
12. Aria: Placido In Letto Ombroso
13. Largo
14. Allegro
15. Largo
16. Allegro
17. Recitativo: Perfidissimo Cor! Iniquo Fato!
18. Aria: Nel Torbido Mio Petto
19. Recitativo: Cosi Dunque Tradisci Chi Contenta
20. Aria: Piu Amar Non Spero, No
21. Di Verde Ulivo - Vitellia
22. Recitativo: Pianti, Sospiri E Dimandar Mercede
23. Aria: Lusinga E Del Nocchier
24. Recitativo: O Ingannato Nocchiero
25. Aria: Cor Ingrato Dispietato

Customer Reviews:

Jaroussky has a gifted voice.......2006-06-21

In early polyphony, the contratenor was a voice part in melodic counterpoint against the tenor. It was written roughly in the same range as the tenor. In the 15th century, contratenor split into contratenor altus and contratenor bassus, which were respectively above and below the tenor. By the 16th century, however, the term became obsolete as Latin lost popularity. In Italy, the contratenor altus became simply alto; in France, haute-contre; in England, countertenor.

Countertenors remained in the niche of sacred vocal music, in part because women were banned from singing in church services. However, they were not prominently featured in the rise of opera. Handel would occasionally write a part specifically for a countertenor, but the castrati were vastly more popular. As a result, the countertenor voice was found only in cathedral choirs and the occasional early music ensemble for a few centuries.

The most visible icon of the countertenor revival was Alfred Deller, an English singer and champion of authentic early music performance. Deller initially called himself an "alto", but his collaborator Michael Tippett recommended the archaic term "countertenor" to describe his voice. In the 1950s and 60s, his group, the Deller Consort, increased audiences' awareness of (and appreciation for) renaissance and Baroque music. Benjamin Britten wrote the role of Oberon in his setting of A Midsummer Night's Dream for him. Deller was the first modern countertenor to achieve such celebrity, but he would not be the last. Russell Oberlin was Deller's American counterpart, and another early music pioneer. Oberlin's success was entirely unprecedented in a country that had seen little exposure to anything before Bach, and it paved the way for the next generation of countertenors.

Today, countertenors are much in demand in many forms of classical music. In opera, many roles originally written for castrati are now sung by countertenors, as are some trouser roles. Modern composers write countertenor parts, both in choral works and opera. Men's choral groups such as Chanticleer and the King's Singers employ them to great effect in a variety of genres, including early music, gospel, and even folk songs.
A few countertenors have a range comparable to a female soprano. They are usually called sopranists, and often sing higher castrato arias. As there are not many of them, Jaroussky is the latest countertenor and should the word "gifted" for him suits his special talent, this CD deserves a 4 star.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-05-20

The vocal selections on this disc include 2 arias from Vivaldi operas. However, at that time the cantatas and the operas were very closely aligned using the same instrumentation and truthfully it would be difficult to tell the difference between them had I not been previously informed. Jaroussky has excellent vocal technique;in fact in some passages he astounds the listener. His aria :Cor ingrato dispietato (from an opera) displays amazing breath control and clean clear notes. If there is something lacking it is in slow passages that demand more intensity and emotion; age and experience will certainly help!!!And his voice sounds better when the music has a high tessitura. He's a fresh new voice in the world of countertenors. My appreciation knows no bounds for the "Ensemble Artaserse";they are truly excellent and skilled on their instruments; wonderful to hear. This is really a great disc!!!!

Jaroussky is exceptional.......2005-09-07

Jaroussky's singing adds to the growing interest in Vivaldian opera. His performance of "Qual Dopo ..." is both a demonstration of the great technique and artistry of his beautiful voice. For those curious to explore his singing range, try his masterful deliverance of arias such as "Tu m'offendi",from La Verita en Cimento, and "Sol da te", from "Orlando Furioso" where he honors the composer with the nuances, adornments, and melodic draws of his voice. This CD would have showcased the cantata genre much better had the musical selection been more diverse in note and tempo. Nonetheless, Jaroussky is at his best!

A pleasant surprise.......2005-05-20

Countertenor is not this reviewer's favorite range of male singer. That's probably so because it is both unfamiliar and underperformed and, when it is sung, never comes off as quite natural to the singer himself. In many respects, it really is an outdated male vocal range that should have gone the way of castrati. Interestingly, it seems to going in just the opposite direction. At least Virgin Classics must think so because last month it released a new CD by countertenor Philippe Jaroussky singing Vivaldi Cantatas, with the Ensemble Artaserse -- and it is surprisingly good. The CD consists of a couple quite beautiful period solo ensemble selections, theorbo etc. (See cut #9 "Prelude to Vivaldi") and vocals that demonstrate the best of what a countertenor sounds like, most notably Piangero Sinche L'onda, Ruggiero. Mr. Jaroussky's voice is both agile and open and his diction is punctuated and enhanced by a smooth delivery that is passionate enough, such that each piece comes off as a personal story that truly captivates the listener. An added plus is the fact that the thematic organization of this CD is even. In other words, you won't be reaching for the "skip" button here. The quality of the recording, too, is excellent. Although many listeners prefer the live aspect of concert performances, the very thing that attracts, can also produce a hollow, almost metallic sound in a live hall. In Cantatas, you won't find any unevenness or harsh selections. You might even find that you are pleasantly surprised by how intriguing it is.

Another Fine Countertenor Lights Up The World!.......2005-04-13

This exciting recording of Vivaldi cantatas for solo voice and instrumental ensemble is one of the more compelling releases of the year to date! While the music of the glorious Venetian Antonio Vivaldi is well known, especially the standard repertoire `The Four Seasons' and the choral works and chamber works - even some operas - the cantatas are rarely performed and this CD of his best ones should change that.

Philippe Jaroussky is yet another fine countertenor who is rather recent on the scene. With the growing popularity of musicians courageous and gifted enough to become successful in the countertenor repertoire (just pause for a moment and think of the significant number a star quality countertenors on the stages today), the numerous pieces for this range of voice continue to appear. Vivaldi's cantatas are refined, beautifully embellished, demanding consummate artistry of not only the high hurdles for the voice but also for the accompanying forces. Jaroussky seems to have endless breath, singing the long extended lines with total ease. His embellishments alter with each da capo as to the period born! This is a voice a great power and warmth and one that feels married to the texts.


Providing brilliant collaboration is the Ensemble Artaserse and period instruments. The variety of color is awe-inspiring and the technique of these unique musicians is impeccable. In their solo portions they produce a richly elegant - yes, Venetian sound. And in tandem with Jaroussky the complete effect is one of single purpose, line, and harmony.

This is a new CD to treasure and the sampling is generous. For this reviewer this is a new repertoire to explore and it would be difficult to imagine forces better suited to these treasures than those on this CD. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 05

Average customer rating: Spectacular recording of spectacular music Disappointing Sound Quality Very touching performance. Casals and Serkin play Beethoven for the Gods Deeply-probing classic interpretations (but not *quite* complete)

Casals Edition - Beethoven: Complete Cello Sonatas Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Bach: Cello Suites Franz Schubert: Quintet/Symphony No.5 Great Recordings of the Century: Beethoven "Archduke" Piano Trio and Schubert Piano Trio in B flat J. S. Bach: Suites for Cello, 1, 2 & 3; Pablo Casals Johannes Brahms: Sextet No. 1/Piano Trio No. 1 ASIN: B0000029L7 Release Date: 1994-02-22

Tracks:

1. I. Adagio Sostenuto - Allegro-Adagio-Presto
2. II. Rondo. Allegro Vivace
3. I. Adagio Sostenuto E Espressivo/Allegro Molto Piu Tosto Presto
4. II. Rondo. Allegro
5. I. Andante - Allegro Vivace
6. II. Adagio - Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

1. I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
2. II. Scherzo. Allegro Molto
3. III. Adagio Cantabile - Allegro Vivace
4. I. Allegro Con Brio
5. II. Adagio Con Molto Sentimento D'affetto
6. III. Allegro - Allegro Fugato
7. 7 Variations On/Uber/Sur 'Bei Mannern, Welche Liebe Fuhlen' From/Aus/De Mozart's 'Die Zauberflote'/ < > WoO.46
8. 12 Variations On/Uber/Sur 'Ein Madchen Oder Weibchen' From/Aus/De Mozart's 'Die Zauberflote'/ < > WoO.66

Customer Reviews:

Spectacular recording of spectacular music.......2007-06-08

I didn't even know that Beethoven wrote sonatas for cello and piano until I came across this recording; both the music and the musicians are spectacularly good. Get it today!

Disappointing Sound Quality.......2007-01-09

I have heard of these sonatas for years, but had never heard them. I chose the Casals/Serkin set because of my familiarity with other performances by him. Although Casals and Serkin are unassailable as interpreters and performers, I found this set disappointing because of what I can only describe as ugly sounds - there is a harshness to the sound quality, at least in places, which I think is probably to be ascribed to the age of the recording rather than the performance. Still, I found it jarring, and it marred my enjoyment.

Very touching performance. .......2007-01-03

This album is one of the most beautiful music experiences I had in many years; I'm amateur listener but I can say that both interpreters are playing these compositions with such a passion and love that is probably not too common these days anymore. Originally I felt that the technical quality of this mono recording is bit distracting, but after a few weeks of listening this album over and over I don't mind the sound at all - the quality of music makes up for it, and I actually like the recording as it is presented to us, wouldn't want any change. I very much recommend this album. I'm planning to buy another copy as a gift for someone close.

Casals and Serkin play Beethoven for the Gods .......2006-03-29

This set is desert island gorgeous. Playing with passion, elegance, at times abandon, the performers are completely in tune with each other. This is elevated chamber music playing of an aristocratic order.

You can hear Casals grunting and moaning with pleasure through the performances - it sounds as though he's making love to his cello. Serkin's playing is simply beautiful - lucid and warm with some of the best trills I've heard - his playing in opus 60 is thrilling. Good clear sound allows you to listen unencumbered by distraction to this spectacular music-making.

The Schnabel - Fournier set of these pieces is quite wonderful, too - spunky and sparkling with Schnabel's great paced and joyous playing. The Schnabel virile luminosity is all there, partnered by Fournier's richly expressive and dignified cello. While it sounds like the historic performance it is, I rarely mind or notice. Art is what counts and the beauty of these performances shines through with radiant surrender. Who cares about a little interference - it adds to the wonder of the experience, knowing that this was recorded almost 60 years ago and we are priviliged to hear it today....

The dvd with Rostropovich and Richter playing Beethoven's cello sonatas is also splendid - Rostropovich is a marvelous musician to watch - he's in an altered state and quite uninhibited about his relationship with his instrument. Yes there are some incorrect notes played, but who cares? Rostropovich is demonically possessed at times and it's fascinating to watch his transformations and responses as he literally attacks his cello, especially in the rondo of opus 5 no. 2. Richter is a large man nearly bursting out of his tails. With his enormous hands he looks more like he could be unloading freight down at the docks, yet he plays these sonatas with such refined manners and sensitivity that it's heart rending to see this big, uncomfortable man playing such magnificent music.

Deeply-probing classic interpretations (but not *quite* complete).......2005-10-25

I was recently listening to this set and the new Schiff-Perenyi recordings on ECM for the purpose of comparing them and writing a review about my impressions. "Compare and contrast the sets, class, and write a review for Monday. Minimum of five pages, single-spaced, typed. --And don't ask your parents for help, because I can always tell."

Well, I was weird as a school kid, because I always loved assignments like that and never was inclined to ask my parents or anyone else. Not that we ever got to write about Beethoven cello sonatas--usually it was on something boring like Beowulf. So I've been comparing Serkin and Casals to Schiff-Perenyi, and, in the interest of efficiency, was going to write a review dealing with both sets and paste two copies on Amazon, one under this recording and one under the Schiff-Perenyi disc, thereby scoring two reviews with one effort. Then I discovered that apparently the ECM isn't available in America--or at least not through Amazon's American website. (It is on their UK page.) So much for my attempt at efficiency. At any rate, you can consider this a review of both recordings, and maybe I'll even mosey on over to the UK side and post this review with them.

Anyway, after listening to the two sets, it's clear the Serkin-Casals stands head and shoulders above Schiff-Perenyi. What's frustrating is trying to explain why the latter, despite immacualte playing (or maybe because of it?) is devoid of meaning, while the former, despite finger-slips and lapses of intonation (as well as more cautious tempi and less free abandon) displays a deep understanding of the works' structures and nuances. Take, for just one small example, the second movement of Op.5, No. 2: in the hands of less skilled interpreters, the waltz seems to be repetitious and too long, distended from the rest of the work. I always thought it was that way, and figured Beethoven just hadn't really mastered proportion yet.

Well, perhaps he hadn't, but Casals and Serkin make us believe he has. They find infinite variety in the theme, so that it doesn't sound redundant as it keeps returning. And I don't just mean they vary the dynamics or insert a pause here or there; they find just the proper weight for the pieces as it morphs from section to section. No one else has convinced me so much in this music, not even Heidsieck-Tortelier (a set I am very enthusiastic about nonetheless).

Some other moments are just unforgettable. Listen to the opening of Op. 102, No. 1: does anyone play music this way anymore? Pay attention to the way Serkin answers Casals in the introduction's main phrase. Then listen to the low tremolos in Serkin's left hand, with Casals the background, just before the main theme begins. It's positively heartbreaking! After a plaintive introduction like that, it seems logical to me that the main theme should have to *fight* for its very existence when it appears, and this is just how Casals and Serkin take it. (Listen to the dynamic interplay!) By contrast, Schiff-Perenyi play it relatively straight-laced, without much dynamics, and don't convince me they have anything to say; their mission seems to be just to play prettily. ("For extra credit class, contrast their handling of the last murmuring bars of the introduction with Serkin-Casals. Which one makes your hair stand up on your back?") When the latter two get to the first movement's second theme, that struggle from the terse introduction is absent, and the whole dramatic "point" of the piece is lost, to my ears. These musicians are more convincing in the facile works, such as the Op. 66 Magic Flute Variations--they're pretty, sweet-sounding, and not as deep as the triple-digit opus works.

I think the best way to put it is to say that I feel that Schiff-Perenyi have thought about the notes, and play them perfectly. They can play rings around Casals and Serkin, and generally do. But Casals and Serkin spent their study time thinking about the music, what it meant, why Beethoven started this one with a brooding introduction but not that one; how the absense of such an introduction changes the qualities of the movement's secondary theme, when the works get "dark" and when they get "light," and so on. So many of today's musicians, unfortunately, see the little squiggles on paper as technical obstacles to be hurdled; Casals and Serkin saw them as clues to divine what was inside the composer's head. And if they didn't always clear the hurdle--and sometimes they don't--so what? You understood what they meant.

I guess in the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that while the Schiff-Perenyi are in immaculate sound, the Serkin-Casals recordings were made in the early 50s and are mono. This shouldn't stop anyone from buying them, but if you must have everything in your collection writ in large DDD letters, you should look elsewhere. And it will be your loss.

My only slight complaint is the titling of the Casals and Serkin set "The Complete Edition." Not quite. Missing is the little-known sonata in F Major, Op. 17, a transcription, as well as a theme and variations on Handel's Judas Maccabaus, WoO 45. These aren't major omissions that should dissuade you from buying the set, but it's not "complete," either. But even my beloved Heidsieck-Tortelier lacks the Op 17 sonata. Only the ECM has every last scraping of Beethoven's cello music.

Okay, that's my comparative essay. Hope you give me an A.

Average customer rating: Focus on the Recordings This is a fantastic deal! Excellent, Broad Selection $70....when was this??? $70/40... you do the math.

Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set) Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Trio Sonatas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Bassoon | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piccolo | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Recorder | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Brilliant Classics | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set) Bach: Complete Works - 155 CD Box Set Beethoven: The Masterworks (Box Set) Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set] Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set) ASIN: B00062FLHY Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Focus on the Recordings.......2007-07-23

I've made this small review of the Vivaldi Masterworks set because it is SO difficult to find a review of such a big collection.

The price is killer and you HAVE to buy it, but be warned: these are not the best recordings, you get what you pay for.

First of all, I'm not a Vivaldi expert, but I've heard his compositions throughout my life in so many different places and recordings and have a vague idea of how some have to be played. Secondly, I'm not a classical music connoisseur, but I love it and have over 300 discs of various composers and styles. Third, I know what a good audio recording should sound like and this will influence my critique of some discs in the collection. Finally, it's easy to get lost among all the tracks contained, so in some cases I will give you my favorite tracks in a disc.

I'm sorry, but I've only reached disc 20 of the box-set, as I listen to more this review will be expanded.


DISC 1:
Why would you use an AAD recording as a first impression for a 40 disc box-set and for the "Four Seasons", which is probably Vivaldi's best know work. The concertos are played enthusiastically, but lack any additional virtuosity to put it ahead of other much better recordings out there.

DISC 2:
Same as DISC 1, played and recorded by the same people.

DISC 3:
The pieces in this disc are VERY well played, nonetheless, you can hear heavy breathing from the soloist which can be a bit annoying.

DISC 4:
Very well performed as well, heavy breathing is less present.

DISC 5:
A very good recording, excellent execution by the hapsichord and good by the recorder.
Tracks 4, 6, 7 and the whole "La Notte" are extraordinary.

DISC 6:
Exquisitely recorded and performed by the Budapest Strings.

DISC 7:
Marvelous performance on the whole disc.
Tracks 22 & 24 are non-plus-ultra.

DISC 8:
Great performance too.
Suggested tracks: 7, 12, 15, 24

DISC 9:
To have an original baroque organ playing is a plus.
Solo strings are lacking in quality (for example: tracks 6 & 7).
Suggested tracks: 1, 4, 8, 15

DISC 10:
Despite being and ADD recording, the quality is fairly good. The cello is very well played.
Suggested tracks: 3, 4, 12
Excellent track: 13

DISC 11:
Same musical group and soloist as DISC 10. The contrabass is extremely distorted sometimes, and if you take into consideration that this is an ADD recording, it can get pretty bad. Some background noise is perceived.
Suggested tracks: 3, 6, 9

DISC 12:
The compositions are somewhat boring, either way the performance is plain decent.
Suggested tracks: 10, 12

DISC 13:
Good performance and sound quality.
Suggested tracks: 1, 4, 6, 7
Excellent track: 12

DISC 14:
Good performance and sound quality too.
Suggested tracks: 10, 14, 16
Excellent track: 5

DISC 15:
Badly mixed, the basoon is blocking the whole ensamble by being in the foreground.
The playing precision is lacking.
An AWEFUL thing about this recording is that you can hear the basson key-sticking with the instrument and the saliva. It's horrible.
Such a pity, the sound of the basson with other instruments can be pretty interesting.

DISC 16:
Violins sound a bit off tempo.
Suggested tracks: 4, 8

DISC 17:
Good sound quality and performance.
Suggested tracks: 1, 7, 9

DISC 18:
Despite being an old recording, it is a very welcome one.
The performance is very well above par. Tempo is fantastic.
The quality of the recording could have been better due to some string plucking that is heard and which can become bothersome.
These are some of Vivaldi's best know tunes.
Suggested tracks: 4, 6, 13
Excellent tracks: 1, 3

DISC 19:
Lively recording.
Track 6 is the same piece found in another disc in the collection, but with a better performance.

DISC 20:
By now you've heard all of this pieces before in the other discs. Nothing new here, nor better.

This is a fantastic deal!.......2007-02-25

If you are a fan at all of the Four Seasons you should love this music. I will admit right now that I am a classical music fan. I don't write or perform it. I am a novice listener. I have never taken any music lessons(though I am leaning in that direction) and certainly have not gone through any university music training. I started out in rock and roll but found classical as I got older and fell in love with it a few years ago.

With that context in mind I do hope I am able to recognize quality and this work is of the highest. It helps when you are starting with good ingredients in the first place. You can't bake great bread without great ingredients and Vivaldi's music library has some of the greatest musical ingredients of the last 300 years. They are very much the foundation for modern western culture and music. His talent is woven through what we are

The first 26 CDs are instrumental starting with the four seasons and working through many of the Master's many popular works. I will admit the four seasons are not the best interpretation I have heard but it is definitely acceptable. The rest of the music shows us many facets of the Baroque style and you can see themes emerging through some of the pieces that give us a 'fingerprint' of Vivaldi's style and the parameters of the stylistic leanings of the genre at the time. If you want to immerse yourself in 18th century music this is your chance

This music would be ideal for someone who owns a store and is looking for background music. With over 26 CDs of instrumental music alone you could have those constantly looping and you'd probably never get bored of them(OK I may be stretching it a little there). The reason is that the music does not leave a bad 'aftertaste' in your mind. It fits into the background as easily and naturally as it is to listen to it consciously in the foreground. If you are a fan of classical Baroque you don't usually need to be in the mood for this, it will adjust your mood to itself and Vivaldi's music is almost always of an uplifting sort if this collection is any indication. If you want something to listen to at your job 8 hours per day this is good for the mind and it would take you over a week to get through it if you listened to it every minute of every work day. You will also work without the worry of the music distracting your concentration. I find it enhances it when I'm working. I don't know how well this would work on school kids but teachers might want to try playing this during school time. You may create a few geniuses, we certainly could use more!

If you are looking for something to ease your sleep and oil your dreams I have put these CD's on in the background. Not only can I easily fall asleep when they are playing quietly in the background but it helps you sleep and you wake up in a very pleasant atmosphere if the music is still playing quietly when you wake(you probably would need to rip them to your MP3 player to do that). It's like napping at a classical music concert without the worry of being nudged by your spouse or offending the other concert goers with your snoring. That will be quite a unique experience for you and possibly give you some real sweet dreams. It has for me

So to wrap it up this is very intelligent, uplifting music that is great for your mind and your soul. It is definitely worth the purchase if you are a fan of the Four Seasons and the Baroque genre in my novice classical music fan's opinion

Excellent, Broad Selection.......2007-01-25

This 40-cd collection affords me a rare pleasure almost daily: the thrill of hearing something new by Vivaldi. Despite my best efforts over the years, I've managed to miss hearing a lot of great works by the master. Listening to a single CD now and then, catching tunes on the radio... you can't possibly get a comprehensive understanding of Vivaldi's output that way.

But when you work your way systematically from CD 1 through 40, you're sure to find many pleasant surprises. I've been skipping through everything I already know -- in some cases, it has only taken me about a minute to get through a whole CD (first 3 seconds of each track is usually enough). But then I stop and listen carefully three or four times to anything that's new.

Ah, what a pleasure. I've already acquired some new favorites. And some old standbys have proved even more rewarding, e.g. at first I thought RV 127 (CD 7, tracks 10-12) was performed too slowly (Naxos No: 8.553742 is much faster), but now I'm not sure; maybe it's BETTER that way! I can't recommend this set highly enough.

$70....when was this???.......2006-11-25

Wish the cost was $70 now. Guess the record producer (or Amazon) got tired of making less than $2 per CD.

$70/40... you do the math........2006-04-07

No, I don't own this collection...yet. However, the price of the collection compels me to review it beforehand. Never have I seen such a complete collection of Vivaldi compositions at such an incredibly low price. At $1.75 dollars a CD, the record producer (Brilliant Classics) isn't making much of a profit. The compilation pulls some of its works from DG Achiv Produktion's vault (see Standage), such as the violin concertos, as well as from unknown producers (the Poland Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra is heavily featured). The collection is so complete that it is academic, and I would not be surprised if music libraries quickly emptied it from Amazon's shelves. The collection is simply worth it for the incredible price (English Concert's recording of the violin concertos cost nearly 30 bucks, and is exactly featured here). Overall, the price alone makes this collection exceptionally attractive, and the ensembles featured aren't bad either.

Average customer rating: Piano poorly captured What a pity Not-so-Baroque Bach Too much sustaining pedal Just Heavenly

Bach: Sonatas for Cello & Piano Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich Schumann: Cello Concerto Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording Chopin: 26 Préludes, etc / Martha Argerich Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich in Concert ASIN: B000001G6L Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027: 1. Adagio
2. Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027: 2. Allegro ma non tanto
3. Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027: 3. Andante
4. Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027: 4. Allegro
5. Sonata No. 2 In D Major, BWV 1028: 1. Adagio
6. Sonata No.2 In D Major, BWV 1028: 2. Allegro
7. Sonata No. 2 In D Major, BWV 1028: 3. Andante
8. Sonata No. 2 In D Major, BWV 1028: 4. Allegro
9. Sonata No. 3 In G Minor, BWV 1029: 1. Vivace
10. Sonata No. 3 In G Minor, BWV 1029: 2. Adagio
11. Sonata No. 3 In G Minor, BWV 1029: 3. Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Piano poorly captured.......2006-08-04

Its hard to decide how to rate this CD. I agree with most other reviewers that the performance is 5 stars. But the piano is both too low in volume and too thin sounding to my ear. And in this work the piano part is just as important as the cello. For what to me sounds like perfect balance between soloist and piano see Schumann: Song Cycles, Op.24, 42 & 48, with Leon Fleisher. Excerpts are available on Amazon.

What a pity.......2006-04-01

What a pity Martha didn't use less piano sustaining pedal in this cd!

Not-so-Baroque Bach.......2005-12-20

These three sonatas - composed originally for the viola da gamba and harpsichord - are very musically-appealing compositions. And unlike previous Baroque cahmber-music tradition, the harpsichord is not relegated to mere continuo but projected into the spotlight as co-soloist - perhaps to showcase some of Bach's keyboard virtuosity. There are several fine period recordings of these works on viola da gamba and harpsichord (Savall, Peri, Crum, Wispelwey) or modern cello with harpsichord (Ma, Tortelier). But if your taste favors all modern instuments (cello, piano), then this circa-80's CD by the legendary Martha Argerich and Misha Maisky is the ticket.

What is immediately striking about the recording is Maisky's lush and sensual cello tone and graceful progression through the music. Perhaps to some, it is not "Baroque enough" a sound with more Romantic flavor. Regardless, it is beautiful and emmensely likeable playing. Maisky's partnership here with Miss Argerich is seamless and well judged - both share enthusiastically the contrapuntal voices with equal weight and balance. Argerich's tempos and style are in-synch with both Bach's intent and Maisky's poised playing, so you won't find her sometimes "overdriven" tempos or bravura here as she finds the right center of gravity for Bach's music. Equally attractive is the bright, full and perfectly balanced sound from DG. Penguin Guide rated this 3/3 stars, noting that those who prefer modern over period instruments will delight in this partnership and fine recording. I tend to prefer this sensual-sounding Bach recording for certain times, but, in other times - when I crave pure Baroque period sounds - I prefer the other mentioned recordings of the viola da gamba and harpsichord (of which, Jordy Savall is usually the top pick). A treat for Argerich fans. 5 stars assuming you prefer more modern timbres.

Too much sustaining pedal.......2005-11-23

This cd should be beatiful without the sustaing pedal on piano (vibrato on cello, dynamic and agoge bearables)...

Just Heavenly.......2003-10-10

This one has finally supplanted the Leonard Rose - Glenn Gould recording as main dish in my soul food banquet.

Track Listings:

1. 3 Romantic Waltzes
2. 6 Concertos for Organ & 6 Instruments
3. 6 Cti for Bassoon & Strings
4. 6 Sonatas for Pianoforte
5. Airs & Dances of Old Europe
6. Artur Schnabel, Vol. 1: Piano Piece in Seven Movements; Piano Sonata
7. At the End of the Old Regime
8. At the Time of Louis Xiv
9. Bach: Clavierübung III - Chorales and Duets for Organ/Harpsichord
10. Baroque Chalumeau

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Brain Over Muscle

Elgar: Anthems and Motets (Worcester Cathedral Choir/Willcocks & others)

Give Me Time

You Are #6: More Music for Six Musicians

Dancin & Romancin [Import]

Cuz we Kin [Explicit Lyrics]

Dream Songs

D'Anglebert: Complete Original Works for Harpsichord, vol. 2

Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Cuban Patio / The Music Of Cuba

For You My Dear [Enhanced] [EP]

Elements, Pt. 1 & 3 [Box set] [Limited Edition] [Import]

Da Hype/Stupidisco/E Samba

Dvorák: Piano Concerto, Op. 33; The Water Goblin, Op. 107

Everlasting