The Art of the Oboe
Albinoni's best 
For those who are not familiar with Albinoni, Concerto in D Minor, Op 9 Number 2, Adadio; for me--I find many documentary films that want to cause your heart to stop and listen--this song is the one that stirs my emotions of all the music on this CD. The artist, has to use much discipline in his breath to make the notes seemless. Bravo.
Best of Vanessa-Mae
Great combination of classical and modern fussion!
This CD is very eclectic and exciting! Her arrangements on the classics are beautiful and the fussion numbers are original and excellent! My favorite is absolutely her version of Puccini's "Nessun Dorma".
Wonderful modern classical music
This is a compilation of Vanessa Mae's most awesome works. I love the mix of funky electronica and soulful interpretations of classics. My favorites on this album are the energetic "Bach Street Prelude" and the sentimental "Aurora". I can't wait for her to release her next album!
I prefer accoustic violin
Very talented artist, just not quite what I expected. I little too techno-pop for me.
The Mozart Sessions
Amazon.com
Bobby McFerrin's signature falsetto envelops a poignant, wordless melody, embellished by piano flourishes that uncomfortably tow the line between classical decorum and Chick Corea's airy, modal jazz style. Suddenly the music segues into the opening of Mozart's D Minor Concerto. The A Major Concerto (K. 488) is similarly introduced. While the smooth, thick orchestral fabric suggests forces larger than a chamber aggregation, McFerrin clarifies important woodwind details (the elusive bassoon, for instance, in K. 488's slow movement) and infuses the outer movements with controlled brio. By contrast, Corea's Latin-tinged, improvised cadenzas (and overeager embellishments during solos and tuttis) lose their novelty over repeated hearings. Elsewhere, Corea's literal, dutiful phrasing smacks more of a talented student than a daring and vibrant pianist whose impact on jazz is unassailable. --Jed Distler
Beautiful album
Don't listen to the other idiots on here. If you actually read the other reviews, you will see that they were all just "Don't Worry, Be Happy" fans who have no idea what a concerto is, don't listen to classical music(nor want to), and simply thought they were getting 60 minutes of improvised voice by Bobby McFerrin. Maybe we ought to have read the track listing? Should we have seen that it was "Mozart" not "McFerrin"?
But as for the album itself it is a beautiful rendition. I even liked it better than most. The improvising is excellent on both musicians parts! It is very invigorating for someone who never gets to hear things like that. McFerrin's interpretation is great. I even liked this better than many other classical conductors. He really seems to keep it at a good tempo, and brings out parts in the orchestra that are often times just kind of drowned out. So, great job on his part. And his improvisations (especially the one at the end with Mr.Corea) are amazing!
Corea's performance is excellent as always. Although I'm used to hearing him as a jazz artist he performs this very well. His time is perfect. His technique and interpretation are again beautiful. And his cadenzas are amazing! It's really something to hear a beautifully performed classical piece, and then an actually improvised cadenza!
I'd recommend this to any classical music lover (though net necessarily a strictly McFerrin lover)! This is something any Mozart fan could appreciate. A brilliant performance!
misleading marketing
I guess I fall into the category of listeners who feel somewhat cheated by this album.
Based on their previous collaborations and by the cover art, there is no indication that McFerrin would take such a back seat to primarily conduct while leaving Corea to create the music itself. To address another reviewer's slight, it is not the outdated perception of McFerrin as the guy who sings "Don't Worry Be Happy" that I sought, but rather McFerrin's ephemeral and versatile jazz vocalize melding with Mozart's incredible creations as performed by Corea which drew me to purchase this album. Based on their prior collaborations, the combination of all three seemed ripe for brilliance.
Instead, what I received was basically another recording of Mozart's music pretty much done the way I've always heard Mozart's music. Now - I will be the first to admit that I am not a classical music connoisseur. When Corea is riffing on and improvising around Mozart, I don't know the music well enough to know the difference.
Classical performances strike me as the equivalent of various cover bands playing the same songs over and over again for centuries. Detracting nothing from the brilliance that was Mozart's work, I simply do not appreciate that, as described in the liner notes, there's usually a break where musicians readjust and cough before starting the next segment. Corea moving through without a break is simply defying well ingrained expectations held by the initiated, not really creating something beautiful that can stand on its own to capture the visceral emotion that music can sometimes do. Sure there was more energy behind it than normally exists simply because the orchestra was caught off guard. I guess if that is enough, then this album may be perfectly suited for you.
I'm not taking anything away from Corea's performance or McFerrin's conducting - certainly a more discerning ear attached to a person who knows Mozart's work in and out could make a strong argument for the subtle innovation in this interpretation. It was simply lost on me and probably would be on any casual classical music listener.
If that makes me an unsophisticated brute, then so be it. But I didn't pay to just hear another orchestra perform the same music orchestras have been performing for centuries. I paid to hear McFerrin integrate his vocal talents as a prominent instrument amidst what Corea does so well with conventional instrumentation. Nothing in the exterior presentation of the packaging indicated such an opportunity would be limited to a mere 2 minutes or so. Perhaps that slight of hand was done on purpose to boost sales. After all, how many McFerrin fans would pay to hear him conduct? Either way, I was disappointed.
the one from the old audi commercial
If you're looking for the cool piece from the old Audi commercial, it's the first part of the 466 -- Allegro. Apparently you have to buy the whole piece to get it on iTunes. Very pretty.
Handel - Messiah / Harper, Watts, Wakefield, Shirley-Quirk, LSO, C. Davis
Amazon.com essential recording
This 1966 reading from Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony is a classic. A noble, compassionate interpretation, it represents a very successful melding of the English oratorio tradition with the then-emerging notion of an authentic performance style emphasizing lightness of texture and firm rhythmic underpinning. In its latest incarnation, as a Philips "Duo" offering (two CDs for the price of one), it's an especially good bargain. --Ted Libbey
Good recording - very complete
I really like this recording even though I grew up with a couple of different recordings of The Messiah. I especially like that it's got pieces I've never heard before. The accompanying notes on the history of The Messiah are interesting as well.
subdued and disappointing
From the opening Sinfonia, this Messiah is far too subdued. While it may be nuanced and even, it lacks passion, grandeur and any sense of the sacred, and has little narrative drive. The Choruses, except for the Hallelujah Chorus, have little majesty. There is also something wrong with the sound mix. I can't quite put my finger on it but somehow the bass-treble balance is just off. I tried the special anniversary 24 bit rerelease and found that the sound of it was, oddly enough, even worse. I would instead very highly recommend Sir Colin Davis' other recording of The Messiah, with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra. It is a bit difficult to find but just spectacular.
A Safe Harbor
Maestro Davis employs modern instruments, a relatively small chorus and orchestra and first rate soloists in a performance that's not wacky, weird or wayward. Sincere expression and tasteful ornamentation are emphasized-there aren't any life and death struggles going on here. Yet the spiritual elements are not slighted-consider for example, Heather Harper's wonderful "I know my Redeemer liveth.." She sings with great purity and no artifice. The chorus has good diction and is vigorous when it needs to be. Sir Colin's conducting flows and allows the listener to get "caught up" in the performance. He doesn't impose any particular interpretative viewpoint but allows this masterpiece to speak for itself. For forty years this has been a top choice.
The London Concert: Haydn/Hummel/Mozart/Fasch
Marsalis delivers again
If you like trumpet concertos, you cannot go wrong with this album.
This is a perfect album...
People may solely know Marsalis as a world-class Jazz musician, but he's... at worst... pretty darn good on Classical works too. He does have a strong background in both Jazz and Classical. And he played all of the pieces very well, including those requiring killer high notes. Forget all the negative responses; he does an absolutely great job!
This album features some of the most beloved works for trumpet, all which were composerd during the Baroque and Classical era. The original release has him performing concertos by Haydn, Leopold Mozart (Wolfgang's dad), and Hummel, as well as a concerto for trumpet and 2 oboes by Fasch. The Haydn is above all a classic for all Classically trained trumpet players.
The bonus tracks not included in the former releast, however, makes it even better; two exciting concertos requiring killer high notes (even up to a high A!), and another one featuring two trumpets (even though Marsalis played both parts using multitrack - would have been nicer if he worked with another trumpet player, perhaps Maurice Andre). Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, the latter of the works with high notes, is a piece you're likely to hear in one place or another, and it's a must for every trumpet player to check it out. All works in general require a great deal of virtuosity and musicality, so like any Maynard Ferguson piece, it's pretty darn hard to master.
This is a perfect album whether you're a Wynton Marsalis fan, or enjoy listening to any hard-core trumpet music regardless of genre.
Schubert: The Complete Impromptus
Super Chamber Music
As I was listening to this while gardening, I forgot for a moment that I was listening to Schubert, and thought 'My, what good Chopin this is!'. Well, I caught myself and realized my little slip revealed the fact that even though solo piano may not have been Schubert's strongest suit, he still managed to do it as well or better than the great classic Mr. Piano Man himself. This is an excellent bargain package with two CD's for the price of one and a complete set of a major composer's genre. I'm not a student of piano style, but Alfred Brendel seems to realize these in a better than workmanlike fashion. He may not be Murray Perahia, but he's no slouch.
Great Schubert, but add some schmaltz please!
I was greatly disappointed with my reaction to these CDs. There is nothing specific that I can say against the CDs, but....I was completely and totally uninvolved. I tried multiple listening, but it did not help. I was standing outside the music, and was examining it like I would an ant under the microscope. I know it is not my reaction to Schubert's impromptus, simply because I just adored them when I heard them performed by Krystian Zimerman.
The only thing I figured out is that Mr. Brendel was just too elegant and detached here for my taste. To use a metaphor, he was as elegant as a black cocktail dress, while a dress with some frills, colors, lace, and something soft would have been more appropriate here, I felt. In my view, even some schmaltz would be welcome here.
I guess it all depends on how you would be affected by this CD, so I do encourage you to try it!
Brendel displaying his greatness
I've always heard Brendel was a great interpreter of Beethoven, but have not heard his recordings before this work of Schubert. Brendel is an amazing pianist, and Schubert an inspiring composer. Some say this work by Brendel doesn't bring out the fullness of Schubert, but if this isn't one of the best recordings of Schubert, I'll eat my hat.
Mahler: Symphony No. 5
A Solti performance for those who don't like the conductor
I purchased this recording recently in part because of the favorable reviews listed here. I was not disappointed. Over the years I have been ambivalent about Solti: his interpretations of standard repertoire are often exciting, but rarely nuanced and frequently relentless. His studio account of the Mahler fifth from the '70's (also with the CSO) has always struck me as tight-fisted and unsympathetic to Mahlerian irony. This newer live performance, vividly recorded in Vienna, is undeniably thrilling. The CSO, challenged by Solti from the first note to the last, provide some stunningly virtuosic playing (and a couple of ragged moments as well). They are clearly energized by the occasion, and play as if their lives depended on it. Solti's interpretation has deepened considerably since the earlier recording; the Scherzo, particularly, is both more uplifting and more atmospheric (with Mahler's ingenious contrapuntal textures superbly clarified). The first and second movements are appropriately gripping without any hint of vulgarity. The adagietto is leisurely but not cloying (with some gorgeous playing from the CSO strings), and in the finale Solti and his band really go for broke, leaving the listener somewhat exhausted in the end--but better that than a tepid response.
In sum, then, here is a Solti performance for those who have their doubts about him (or about the ability of the sometimes spiky CSO to provide sensuous allure). Solti recordings seem to be going for a song these days (both new and used--check Amazon's listings), and collectors who find this recording congenial might want to look up his Haydn London Symphony cycle (another of the conductor's better ventures), his Beethoven symphony cycle (much better than its reputation), his Schubert "Great" C Major (another thrilling, but also intelligent, performance), and his Handel *Messiah* (believe it or not, Solti did Baroque music particularly well--not for him limp rhythms and anemic textures). Perhaps it's time for a reconsideration of this much-maligned figure.
A Wonder Fifth
I bought the original LPs of this recording (which also included a selection from Songs of a Wayfarer, I believe) shortly after they were issued and I am always impressed by the passion of the reading. For me the recording sounds dangerous, as if the orchestra might derail; Georg Solti did like aggressive playing and this probably is a great example.
There are many excellent recordings of Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony and I have had several other recordings over the years, notable among them being Bruno Walters recording from the 1940s: this recording is one that I would not part with. Unfortunately, the Walter recording has such a dry sound that I don't play it very often but the conductor takes the Adagetto at the faster speed that Mahler preferred and shaves at least two minutes off of the usual tempo taken by the majority of conductors. In this Georg Solti does not differ, and the movement is well-played with great depth of feeling.
The recording has been nicely transferred for CD; the balance was very good on the LPs and is still marvelous. There is come slight distortion when the side drum is played in the great climaxes in the Scherzo, for example, but this hardly detracts from my enjoyment of the recording, and actually, for me, adds to the excitement. This recording is one to hear.
Solti's live remake of the Mahler Fifth is one of his best
Solti took the Mahler Fifth on the road with the Chicago Sym. for two decades--I heard them in Boston in the early Seventies and was flabbergasted at the orchestra's virtuosity. It was a thrilling show, and here we have it from Vienna in 1990. Solti is rarely given credit for growth. It's always assumed that he will press fiercely ahead, drive the tempo, and choose blatant showmanship over depth and emotion. But by 1990 he was no longer revving his engines at supersonic speed, and although an intense and fast-paced reading, this live concert Fifth keeps its thrills going while also letting us hear Mahler's score. (P.S.--Having heard both Solti and Barenboim live in the Fifth, I much prefer Solti.)
Solti's studio effort from 1970 has been scorned by Amazon reviewers for its garish spotlit sonics, and I agree. But here we get detailed, natural digital sound of very high quality. The brass are still prominent, but that was the CSO style under Solti. Anyway, the brass parts tend to lead the way in Mahler's score, so this is an appropriate vehicle for them--and they know it. The execution here by all the winds is stupendous.
I find no exceses in the first three movements, but in the Adagietto there is some controversy. The Gramophone reviewer feels that Solti reverses course and ladles on sentiment after giving us none up until this point. First of all, at 9:42 min., the reading is not slow or soupy. To my ears Solti shapes the melodic line much more than before, but this lovely song calls for it, and I can't fault him for finding a heartfelt reprieve from all the banrstorming. The finale reverts back to Solti's usual extroverted style, but again, it's nowhere near as driven as you might assume.
Overall I would rate this an excellent recording, wonderfully played and recorded. In addition, it's far more accurate than either Bernstein reading and has more inner life than the recent version from Berlin under Simon Rattle (EMI). Solti ended his Mahler recording career with a winner.
Carmen-Fantasie
Amazon.com essential recording
Anne-SophieMutter obviously had fun making this disc. In the quiet pieces (Massenet, Ysaÿe, Fauré) which serve as interludes, she plays with her usual exquisite taste. In the showpieces, though, she goes to town, sliding, scooping, exaggerating, and letting all the stops out. The gypsy inflection she uses in Ravel's Tzigane and Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen is delicious. Even a ridiculous orchestral arrangement of Tartini's Devil's Trill Sonata is more amusing than offensive. With James Levine and the Berlin Philharmonic providing uncommonly alert and powerful support, and Deutsche Grammophon's realistic sound, this disc is a real treat for violin lovers. --Leslie Gerber
Best I've heard so far
Many musicians play with with brains, only few do with hearts - And even fewer pour their hearts out with consistency are legends. Mutter had seemingly rewritten the arrangement and absorbed it so solidly which led to a performance that blooms with such great passion and distinct personality aided by her transcendental techniques. I had felt an instant connection with her the very first time I heard it. It's also sonically pleasing even to the audiophiles. It's a recording for music fans who truely understand and appreciate music on a very sophisticated level...
Buy this, you'll love it!
If you have never heard Anne-Sophie this is the CD you should buy first. Its fun! Its exciting! Its dynamic! Anne-Sophie brings this music to life in the way only she can. I'm not a technical expert when it comes to music, I just know that I like this CD.
Note: The first time I played this CD in my office (I'm very noisy in my office) I had people run in to ask who was the violinist. They wanted to buy this CD. You should buy it too.
Heart's Delicacy
I got this CD a long time ago & i remember the first time I heard the 1st song i knew I was into something different. Mutter is very expressive & the sound is crystal clear U could hear every note retaining in its originality. The Show stopper for me is & will alwayz be compositions by Pablo De Sarasate.(I also like Fritz Kreisler) I like his compositions because they sound so fun his music was not as serious as that of Bruch but very similar. Pablo had a different style & teases the mind & heart to such an extent I thought my heart could not take any more of these simple magnifique delicacys of the soul. Sophie Anne Mutter knows exactly how to bring that style that captures the ear & mind. "carmen fantasy" will make u love violin guaranteed.This is a MUST HAVE in your collection.DO NOT BE ALAYED BY THE BAD REVIEWS IN THIS CD THEY ARE SIMPLE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT APPRECIATE CLASS.
Grieg: Piano Concerto - Sonata Op. 7, Lyric Pieces Opp. 43, 54 & 65
First Rate Bargain
Lief Ove Andsnes gives a solid performance of the Concerto, well backed by Dimitri Kitayenko and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. There is nothing bland about either's approach. Andsnes attacks the piece with an agreeable fervor which is ultimately involving.
The Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7 is an excellent work, well-crafted by a young Grieg, if not as great a masterpiece as his Ballad in G minor, Op. 24. Andsnes makes the most of the score; his reading is convincing.
Excepts are included of the Poetic tone pictures, Op. 3 (Nos. 4-6), and Album leaves, Op. 28 (Nos. 1 & 4). Complete recordings of these two opuses may be found in Volume 3 of Einar Steen-Nokleberg's survey for Naxos (Grieg: Piano Music, Vol. 3).
The second CD covers Books 3, 5, and 8 of Grieg's delightful Lyric Pieces. These books cover many of the more famous pieces, including "Butterfly," "Solitary Wanderer," the six pieces of Op. 54 (the majority of which Grieg later orchestrated), and "Wedding day at Troldhaugen." All are played with charm and a lyrical musicality.
Overall, Andsnes is a pianist of convincing ability, performing Grieg's music without visible fault. If there was ever one album of Grieg's piano music to buy, this is it. Timing - CD 1: 64'21"; CD 2: 60'50"
Great Greig collection!!
So far there is a unanimous Amazon 5-star vote for this CD so I'm going to add my voice to the choir, and add to what other reviewers have said.
Aside from the Piano Concerto, Peer Gynt Suites, and a few lyric pieces here and there, Greig's music is largely overlooked. So it is very refreshing to find such a great *double* album that presents so much great piano music. Yes, the piano concerto is here, and it is an excellent recording, however, you should own this album for the performance of the rare Sonata, op. 7, the three sets of Lyric Pieces (op. 43, 54, & 65) and other beautiful piano miniatures here. The Sonata, timing about 20 minutes, is a full blown romantic work that could join the canon of great sonatas with those of Schubert, Chopin, and early to middle Beethoven (while leaving late Beethoven and Brahms in a class by themselves). The first movement of the sonata is short but epic in its emotional scope and thematic development, and the other movements are similarly excellently composed without going into the details. This is definitely a piece that more pianists should be familiar with.
The program choice to include full sets of Lyric Pieces is also very pleasing. Often, these works are presented individually. It is pleasant to hear them as complete sets in the published order, which brings out the contrasting characters and colors which the composer certainly had in mind when he published them. Greig's music is indeed a distinct breed: rhapsodic impulse and subtle harmonic touches originating from his Norwegian heritage often hint towards Debussian impressionism and late Brahms, but always maintain their distinct voice. Among the special gems here are the Butterfly (op. 43, no. 1) with its flittering right hand movements; 'To Spring' (op. 43, no. 6); Norwegian Dance (op. 54, no. 2), where a carefree opening turns into a thumping syncopated peasant dance; The March of the Trolls (op. 54, no. 3) which scampers left and right; and the famous Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (op. 65, no. 6) which brings the second disc to a rousing conclusion. Excerpts from Greig's Poetic Tone Pictures, op. 3 and Album Leaves, op. 28 (nos. 1 & 4) are also gorgeously played.
Though Andsnes has, in recent years, delivered impressive recordings of Schubert Sonatas, and Mozart and Rachmaninoff concerti (the latter with the Berlin Philharmonic) and has achieved tremendous international renown, these Grieg recordings from the early part of Andsnes' career (late 80s, early 90s)--which demonstrate pianistic subtleties, stunning technique, incredible character, fluid and poetic phrasing, and a strong overriding sense of form and structure--could be enough to convince you that Andsnes belongs in the pantheon of great living pianists: Argerich, Brendel, Kissin, Bronfman, Ax, Pollini, Barenboim, etc. This music is not often played by musicians of Andsnes stature and global reputation. The sound quality from the Virgin engineers is perfect--clear, crisp and full. This is a sensational album of piano music that show both the composer and performer in the best possible light: a must for piano-philes and Greig fans, and very highly recommended for everyone else. I believe the Amazon price of this *double* album (more than 2 hours!) is $7.97. Which means you can't afford to pass it up.
Andsnes Gives Grieg Back to Contemporary Audiences
Leif Ove Andsnes is a once-wunderkind of the piano who has matured into one of the finest pianists of today. His ability to finesse the subtleties of Mozart and Haydn, find the visceral flow of the Romantic composers such as Brahms, Schumann, Chopin, Schubert, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff, and still open the way for new works by contemporary composers such as Kurtag and Dalbavie is evidence of his enormous musicality and intelligence. But the joy of hearing Andsnes resurrect Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto, once the staple of every orchestra season but now generally and mistakenly dismissed as second class music, is cause for celebration. His current degree of insight and elegance in his interpretation of this concerto is strongly evident in his performances with the LA Philharmonic and Esa-Pekka Salonen as he begins a long artist in residence period. The collaboration is majestic and deeply moving.
This recording dating back to 2000 and performed with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dmitri Kitayenko is strong but lacks the conviction of his current interpretation. That could be in part due to the less than rich sounding orchestra and somewhat pedestrian conducting. But still, Andsnes illuminates the Grieg with full-bodied sound, facile technique, allowing the music to come solidly from his hands and heart, proving that this concerto is simply not passé. With Andsnes it is truly important.
The bonus of this generous and reasonably priced 2 CD set is the inclusion of the 'Piano Sonata in E Minor, Op. 7', three excerpts from 'Poetic Tone-Pictures Op. 3', two excepts from 'Album Leaves Op. 28', the 'Agitato for piano', and 17 of the 'Lyric Pieces'. Andsnes traverses the various moods and technical challenges of these works with ease and conviction. He simply understands this repertoire better than anyone performing today. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 05
Shining Light, Music from Aquitanian Monasteries
At Christmas, shine the light indeed!
Along with their other Christmas CD called Aquitania, Shining Light is also full-packed with medieval Latin Christmas songs with another generous 73 minutes of play. This is simply the follow-up of the other Sequentia's Christmas CD. Both CDs are accompanied by sung texts and english translations. At Amazon's price, do yourself a favor and get both at once. These are ideal Christmas gifts for you and those you love.
- Maurice Canada
Relaxing Alternative Music for the Winter Season
"Shining Light" will lift your spirits during the gloomy winter months, and is a great alternative to over-played commercialized Christmas music. This is a wonderful collection of ancient music that provides a soothing and meditative experience.
Incidental liturgical music. Great listening.
'shining light' performed by Sequentia, the Ensemble for medieval music, is an excellent collection, running for over 70 minutes, of fragments of instrumental music and vocal music in Latin from monasteries in and around the southwestern French city of Limoges.
While this may not rate five stars as an academic piece, it is certainly worth the ranking as music easy on the ears, combining instrumental, male, and female choral music.
I wlll let the scholars fight it out. I simply find it an excellent collection of early music performances.
Celestial Christmas: Special Collection Seasonal Music
Album Description
Celestial Christmas is a richly textured musical tapestry that gracefully weaves together selections of sacred choral and instrumental music from the High Renaissance and Baroque eras. The recording journeys through moods of tenderness, solemnity, and joy, as expressed by Johann Sebastian Bach in the numerous choral selections from his Christmas oratorios and cantatas, including the beloved 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring' and 'Sleepers, Awake!' as well as the prayer for peace from the glorious 'Mass in B Minor'. Bach is also the featured composer in the many joyful instrumental pieces for harpsichord, flute, and organ. Also included in the program are many exceptionally beautiful pieces, both choral and instrumental, by Claudio Monteverdi, Orlande de Lassus, Henry Purcell, William Lawes, Carlo Farina, Johann Pachelbel, and Georg Friedrich Händel.
About the Artist
Almost all of the pieces are performed by two of the world's most highly regarded ensembles of Baroque choral and instrumental music: the Concentus musicus Wien under the direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and the Leonhardt-Consort directed by Gustav Leonhardt. Both groups are specialists in the music of Bach, and in consort music of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Their performances on Celestial Christmas deliver, from start to finish, magnificent and highly spirited renditions of some of the most precious gems in the Western classical repertoire.
Clestial Christmas worth a million stars
I have had this collection on cassette and have listened to it faithfully for years. I did not have a CD player at the time, and then it went out of print, so I am thrilled to find it here. The album is a sensitively made collection of music for Christmas, not all of it familiar, but all very well performed with a peaceful spirit. This CD is well worth the effort to get it.
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ"; Dukas: L'Apprenti Sorcier (The Sorcerer's Apprentice)
Amazon.com
James Levine's is currently the hottest version of the Sorcerer, rivalling the old Toscanini account in impetuosity, but far better recorded. The choice of companion piece is a good one, though the length (47:05) is unpleasantly short for a full-price disc. --Ted Libbey
Awesome in its beauty
Before purchasing this disc, I scoured Amazon and other sites to find the definitive recording of this work. A consensus that I found was that the Boston Symphony recording with Charles Munch was the benchmark, and I checked out a copy of that recording, as well as one by Jean Martinon, from the library. Giving them a listen, I found that I definitely preferred the Munch, but I couldn't get past the dated audio quality. I wanted pristine sound as well as performance.
Hence began a search of as many online samples I could find to make a determination, using of course the "Maestoso" as the point of comparison. The Berenboim recording sounded fine to me, but at a $30+ price point, I decided against it. Then I tried the Karajan, which sounded totally wrong to my ears. Lastly, I tried this Levine recording, and I found it to be sublime. The strings over the arpeggiated piano was magical, and then the organ comes in and sends you soaring. The sound was crystalline. I knew this was the recording for me.
The entire symphony sounds gorgeous, and the Sorcerer's Apprentice is a great bonus (much better than the unfortunately hiss-filled track on my Fantasia album). I can see where this could be considered to have a heavy "Germanic" sound that may not be exactly proper for a French Romantic composition, but with a recording this lush, I don't care. In fact, I think I prefer it.
I can't speak for purists, being ignorant in such matters, but as a casual listener, I can't give this disc a higher recommendation.
Levine brings down da house
Before listening to S.S.'s symphony "with organ" , I thought of him as mainly a composer of short pieces and symphonic poems with virtuoso parts for piano or violin, but after listening to this work, I wonder what other marvels maybe hidden among his other almost completely unknown symphonies. His use of counterpoint and experimentation with harmony, together with complex thematic development, reminds me of Berlioz, Schubert and late romantic composers like Bruckner, but it is set apart from these by a tendency to be concise, and to play more with harmony, this last pointing forward to modernism, specially that portrayed by Debussy. To me S.S. is at his most innovative in the second movement, where the slow rhythm allows him to try different harmonies while languorously developing the movement's subtly melancholic theme, which makes me think of loss, amplified by the sombre, piano tone of the organ. The third and fourth movements are more traditional, but the fourth uses the organ's and brass' harmonic potential to full effect, coming to its absolute zenith in the final, victorious coda.
This is also the first time I listen to Levine conducting, as I associated him mostly with opera, a form I am not very familiar with, and I was really surprised by his interpretation - specially by his emphasis on clear phrasing through almost perfect coordination between the different sections of the orchestra, together with a willingness to take on fast tempos, something lacking in many composers these days, who want to emphasize the dramatic merely by slowing down, to the point of - if I may exaggerate -sometimes turning an allegro into an andante. In this, his interpretation resembles what many agree is the best performance of this work, that of Ormandy with the Philadelphia, which achieved even faster tempos AND better, clearer phrasing across the entire orchestra. This recording stands above the Ormandy/PO's in its denser color, which at least one reviewer finds to be too Brucknerian - I suppose because of the emphasis on the heavy brass and the darker overtones of the organ's bass register. It is not an unfair criticism - but I don't think the sound of the strings and woodwinds has been overwhelmed by this emphasis.
What I don't think is fair is a criticism based on some hazy concept of national musical traditions: those who call Levine's interpretation as "too Germanic" have to remember that Berlioz, no less a Frenchman than S.S., was one of the main influences on Wagner's gargantuan sonorities (check out the orchestration for Berlioz's Requiem Mass, with its four brass choirs each with up to four each of trumpet, tuba and trombone; 12 pairs of horns and a percussion section made up of more than a dozen different drums). So this talk of "Gallic charm" and too "Germanic" interpretations seems too subjective and vague to be of any value. And one shouldn't forget that both Bruckner and Saint-Saëns (and Franck, another Frenchman, whose symphony in D minor also makes heavy use of fortissimos on the brass) were virtuoso organists - perhaps the key to a faithful interpretation lies there.
Dukas' "Sorcerer's Apprentice" is an impressive symphonic poem that achieves its dramatic effect by its gradual increase of the orchestra's sonority, demanding more intensity from the brass at key moments later in the piece, and saving the fortissimos for then instead of saturating the audience with loud music, which diminishes their dramatic effect. Levine conducts it with the same energy and search for perfection present in his interpretation of S.S.'s symphony "with organ."
An incisive, dramatic performance, in better sound than Karajan's
Every breakthrough in audio technology calls for this show-off piece to be recorded again. James Levine's reading of Saint-Saens' massive "Organ" Sym. #3 was DG's bid for a sonic spectacular, even though they already owned Karajan's magisterial version with the same Berlin Phil. Despite some digital glare in the upper strings and brass at loud volume, they succeeded in advancing the knock-out power of organ, pianos, and massed brass in the finale, the payoff movement. Simon Preston interprets the organ part very musically--it isn't just amorphous thunder--and Levine's overall approach is crisp and brisk. That's a help in a work that can sound tubby and whose slow movement is a rather uninspired semi-dirge. Karajan didn't have sound this good, and his reading by comparison has a touch of pomposity. The filler is a Sorcerer's Apprentice played with wonderful panache. Highly recommended for audio buggs, even if you already own a classic like Munch and the BSO on RCA.
John Rutter: Music for Christmas
John Rutter: Music for Christmas
Excellent Christmas CD. I especially liked the "Angles Carol" track!
Would recommend this CD to one and all.
"Mr. Choral Christmas's Finest"
Anyone who truly loves the choral and carol traditions of Christmas cannot miss Mr. Rutter's work. He is truly possessed of extraordinary talent and this fine recording puts it on proper display. The collection here houses the best of Mr. Rutter's original/edited works for the Christmas season, and one can sense the composer's affinity for the spirit of the holidays of which he has written so prolifically and well.
At the Top of My Christmas Playing List!
This is just an outstanding collection of choral, Christian selections. The majority are composed by Rutter, who it turns out was led into this field for which he is so well known and loved when in school, he was motivated by a fellow student who was composing a Christimas carol to do the same. Thanks be to God for that motivation!
Rutter's work simply in this humble reviewer has no other contemporary peer. He is reverent, fresh and excellent theology to boot! This collection has his best, including my favorites: "Shepherd's Pipe Carol, What Sweeter Music, The very best time of year, Angels' Carol."
To his compositions, added is Kirkpatrick's "Away In a Manger" and of course, Gruber's "Silent Night", both skillfully arranged and performed. Bonus selections of traditional pieces such as "I Wonder as I wonder."
The City of London Sinfonia conducted by Stephen Layton provides the orchestra background marvelously for Polyphany, the outstanding choir on this work.
You will be delighted to add this CD to your collection, and it will rise in most collections to near the top.
Well worth
Mozart for Massage: Music with a Soft, Gentle Touch
soothing for the mind and body
I love this CD. It's everything I was hoping for. I actually use it to sleep to and its perfect. A great length, such soothing music that I fall asleep in no time! There's nothing like relaxing to the classics! Highly recommended!
They really know how to choose music!!!
I bought this CD and put it in a digital photo frame i bought for my grandparents' 50's anniversary. They really loved it!!! They said the music were great too. The music were relaxing. I also put it in my MP3 players and in my cars and I listen to them everyday. It's great when you are tired or stressed. Great value, don't hesitate and buy it!!!
I'd give it ten stars if possible!!!
Very relaxing and therapeutic!
I'm a professional massage therapist, and I use this disc in many of my sessions. My clients love it! It lets me concentrate with no unwelcome interruptions, and my clients can relax and focus on their bodies without any surprises (or wierd nature-y new-age noises). Length-wise, it's perfect for an hour-long session. I have other discs from this series as well, and they're all great!
