Classical music reviews

In addition to the other reasons to own this Brandenburg set, brass players should consider the first rate clarino (valveless trumpet) playing of Thomas Freas in the Brandenburg Concerto No.2. A baroque specialist with his own early group, Fanfare Consort, he is one of the few really good clarino players around. The 2nd is usually played on a piccolo trumpet, half the size of a modern trumpet, because the high register is so difficult. A clarino is almost twice the size of a modern trumpet, yet plays in the very high range, and few modern players have mastered clarino work.

Right when it was first published. I was 12 years old at the time and I just wanted to find some good relaxation music (plus I played some bach on my tiny 1/2 violin). I mentioned my age cause frankly I didn't have much of a clue about classical music (or music in general) other than the fact that I liked Bach because his music was very logical and helped me to think (isn't that what all the fugues and stuff are for?). Well surprise! I loved it. Eventually I opened up my eyes wider and realized, wow there are like 500 editions of the brandenburgs. So I looked at a lot, listened to some, but I still like this one. This music is a great start on the road to real musical bliss. Achieving a balance between pop that seems to ALWAYS get you in your groove (it's short for popular anyway), and the local artists, the people who really touch your heart but sometimes get on your nerves.

I know a lot of people don't want to admit it, but classical music ain't so classical anymore. It's been modernized. I am even thinking of getting the yamaha silent electric violin (which I'm not quite sure amazon.com has in stock yet.. if so get it!). Music has been broken down into a science. We have several different versions of strings, but they all use machine crafted metal. Some computerized (MIDI) music even sounds almost as if it's real or even better than real playing if you use the right SoundFont. And then we have winamp/sonique and other players/plugins that can change tempo and pitch, rather than just speed, and, add echo, bass and treble effects with equalizers and echo effects, choral effects, fidelity, the headphones you listen to have a range of x-xxxx hertz (the human cochlea can hear from approximately 20-20,000 hz)... the sound drivers in your speakers are so important to sound reproduction and very prone to fault, there's treble, woofer, subwoofer, crossfire between speakers, surround sound, equal sound distribution, sound distortion, magnetic distortion, mid-channels, 5.1 systems... THE LIST GOES ON FOREVER! With all of my knowledge and experience with music I'd have to say that I think this CD is just as much a technological achievement as it is a musical achievement. The way the violin is played, the kinds of violins they chose to play on, the strings, the exact distance from the recording mics these guys were from (some brandenburg concertos merely have this problem of awesome playing not being recorded correctly)... it all deliers very crisp sound. How do I know? Well, if you record these songs into MP3 using ASPI (instead of recording analog) you'll be able to preserve the song digitally on your computer. Since the computer doesn't have problems reproducing sounds exactly, try cranking the volume up on a high bit rate MP3 or just a plain WAV file (around 320kbps-760kpbs dual channel stereo), you'll notice the other recording start getting fuzzy but these recordings are just great. It's especially noteworthy to say that when adding equalizer effects and sound effects (like with the sound blaster audigy/live card or with your portable mp3/minidisc/cd players nowadays) the hissing also gets equalized or echoed.

I know most people out there aren't as much into the sound quality as I am, but the reason why I'm almost fanatical about music started back when my family got our first surround system. Listening to all of the speakers, it was an awakening of near-religious magnitude! Don't settle for those "[composer] for [babies, adults, relaxation, kids, teenagers, study]" CD's! I even buy CD's from foreign countries with people you've never heard of. Hopefully you too can buy music by people I've never heard of! Stick with what works and perhaps big monopolies like Sony will realize that it's the music that counts, not gimmicks!

I've heard a number of The Brandenburg Concertos even the one conducted by Mr.Karajan, but thats another story. These recordings were one of the first i bought of Bach's works and today still has'ent lost its charm and glow, speeds are a bit on the fast side but that is compensated by a great recording and a truly great performance. Well worth you time and money.

I give Pablo Casals' recordings of Bach's BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS the highest marks - 5 stars - for great playing, sensible tempos, soul and passion. Nothing is overdone, and this is a real antidote to the sanitized, prissy performances of these works so popular today, largely by the period instrument crowd.

For my thoughts on Casals' Bach, see my review for ORCHESTRAL SUITES 2 and 3 by Casals/Marlboro Festival Orchestra. The same applies here: highest recommendation.

J. Sebastian Bach was a very virile, full-blooded man who worked all his life, had two wives, and sired about 20 children. Casals' realizations of Bach's music illustrate Bach's virility and vivacity. Casals conducts the Bach Concerti & Suites as he [Casals] plays the Bach Sonatas: with vim, vigor, and vitality; with rhythm, color, and accent; with dash, esprit, and intellect. In short, these are the very best realizations of the Brandenburgs available--or will ever again be available.

By the way, in these sessions and at rehearsals, Casals conducted sitting down with his cello on which he illustrated the tempi, accents and inflections he wanted for the orchestra, and used his cello bow as a baton. This is as real as it gets!

The soloists are wonderful. The recorded sound is bright and clear. The price is incredibly cheap. What are you waiting for?

I love Bach, and I particularly love the Brandeburg Concertos, and I've never heard a recording of them as good as this one. The sound quality is also first rate. Even if you already own a recording of the Brandenburg Concertos you owe it to yourself to buy this one.

I have owned this set for several years now and the performances never cease to move and amaze me. Mr. Aldwell brings such care and attention to each prelude and fugue, and makes each one into a very special individual. The thought and emotion put into his interpetations show his extreme love for this music. Very highly recommended!

I have heard quite a few recordings of The Well Tempered Clavier, and none is quite like this one. Aldwell gives a performance that draws emotion and feeling out of what are lifeless exercises to all too many other performers. His playing is emotional and serene when it needs to be, as in the C major prelude, and fiery and fast as in the C-sharp minor prelude. He definitely has the ability to play this material with virtuosity and verve. More than this, though, is the extraordinary knowledge Aldwell brings to his playing. He is one of the lead music theorists of our time, author of a text that I and many other music students use in class week after week at universities across the country. This theoretical knowledge shows in his playing, as he brings out key melody lines, accentuates certain harmonies, and uses highly appropriate tempi. The fugues are especially magnificent, as their performance truly demands a theoretical knowledge of the music and of the structures of the pieces. Subjects and countersubjects are clear and give this half of the disc what I see as extra performance value. In short, this is an excellent disc with an excellent rendering of some truly wonderful pieces.

This is a marvelous release. I've never heard WTC:1 sound so light-fingered and humane. Aldwell's lyical use of voice-leading, tempo, rubato, and touch-sensitivity succeed in freeing these often times motor-note pieces from "metronome hell". They really do breathe.

All you have to do is compare Jando's well-reviewed Naxos version of "Prelude in C" with Aldwell's to hear the profound difference between "playing the notes" and "making music". Even with this deceptiveliy simple piece, Aldwell brings a lithe vulnerability to the same arpeggios with which Jando barrels up and down the keyboard in rigid precision. Rest assured that Aldwell's playing throughout WTC:I remains just as intelligent and sensitive to the poetry of Bach's music.

Mera's voice is certainly different from our leading American counter-tenors, such as David Daniels and Brian Asawa. The later tend to sound more like mezzos whereas Mera produces a sound which I would describe as a very high tenor. The difference must lie in timber as well in techniques. And so I venture to impart my tuppence's worth.

I may be wrong on the follwoing points since I arrived at them by simply listening to CD's. Mera tends to use his chest register, non falsetto voice (as some prefer to call it) more often than certain other counter-tenors and he uses it not really as a device for drama, rather as a means to extend his lower range naturally. And he is able to do it so naturally and un-discernibly! Also Mera uses his range with great care and reservation too. He seems trying to achieve that "very high tenor" effect. This impression is also due to the fact that Mera produces an even sound with very narrow vibrato. Also, he is quite free of nasal resonance which, in some counter-tenors' cases, compromises the diciton.

Speaking of diction. Mera is very good, especially in German. Notwithstanding, I regret to say that he is somewhat stiff. This becomes quite obvious in his French and English from his album "Romance".

I love his style so very much.

Yoshikazu Mera's voice is lush, gentle, and pure. In an audio dictionary, he would be the perfect accompaniment for the term "clarion tone"-"brilliantly clear." I am in awe of his voice. His take on the Messiah selections is awesome: slower, simpler, refined, and stellar. I also recommend his CD "Romance." This is music that will soothe, inspire, and amaze you.

Like other reviewers, I have listened to this disc over and over, and I never got bored. Mera controls his voice wonderfully with beautiful nuances. His delicate voice creates such a serene atmosphere throughout the disc. The orchestra too, Bach Collgium Japan's lucid performance is simply beautiful. Also all the songs are well chosen and cleverly ordered. Sometimes this sort of omnibus disc can be very tacky and pointless, but this one is well produced. Each track compliments each other, and going through song to song is a wonderful journey of discovery.

This is an amazing collection of songs, all performed with such skill that even my 8-year-old son likes this CD. Brahms and Beatles, Mozart and Ellington, there is something here for everyone. And thank you, thank you, thank you for "Bassoonist's Holiday."

I delight in the bassoon! What a unique and great sound, throaty and thrillingly coarse, yet soaring to sound at times like sax, like oboe, like cello, like a bunch of bassoonatics!

This is delightful collection of musical styles played by this innovative and talented quartet. Choosing to select pieces that are not typically of the bassoon repertoire, we go from Waltz to Gershwin to Broadway to Motzart to Lennon/McCartnye to Sibelius to most of us unknowns such as Mitchell Clarke to Duke Ellington.

All played with passion and gusto and excellent tonality, phrasing and tempo.

Bassoon Me again!

This would have to be the best bassoon ensemble cd on the market. The arrangements are stylish and clever, and the performances brilliant! Fraser Jackson must be the most accomplished contrabassoonist I have ever head. This cd is a must for any bassoonists collection be you amateur or proffessional.

Diabelli was a minor composer and music publisher. He had a brilliant idea for promoting himself and his publishing company by recruiting fifty of the most illustrious composers of the Austrian Empire to supply a single variation on a waltz he had written. Everyone who was anyone in the music world responded. The work was published in 1824 as the"Vaterl�ndische K�nstlerverein" and included composers such as Liszt, Czerny, Schubert, Hummel, Kalkbrenner, and Mozart's son, Wolfgang.

Beethoven, one of the supreme masters of the variation form, began working on some ideas for this "cobbler's patch" of a waltz, as he called it. He soon had several good ideas and continued developing these into one of the major works of his late period and one of the great examples of the variation form of all time. A pianist as important as Alfred Brendel has referred to "The Diabelli Variations' as the greatest of all piano works. The collected set of variations were published in 1824. Beethoven's set was also published in that year, but as a separate volume. Its importance was immediately recognized and maintained its stature ever since, no matter the musical fashions.

Muarizio Pollini has long been heralded for his technical wizardry and he has many fans who also love his approach to the music he plays. Others find that they feel held at a distance and that his playing lacks the warmth and friendliness of other great artists. No matter which side you fall on, you can find this recording brilliant and insightful. This is widely acclaimed recording and it deserves the praise it gets.

While I do believe that it is wrong to criticize and author for not writing the book you want or the artist for not taking your preferred approach to the music, I do have one quibble with Pollini's interpretation. One of the very important aspects of this work is its humor. This is a masterwork with very serious musical aspects as analysts have been pointing out since its publication, but they also note that it is funny. No, Beethoven is not a cheap joke maker, but the work does have some laugh out loud moments.

One of the things a pianist needs to pull this work off, is the ability to tell a joke and Pollini may lack that ability. The pianist must not only be able to smile, but have be able to communicate a knowing wink with his listeners. I shouldn't fault him for that, and I really don't, because he brings so much great work to this recording. But I have never felt the humor in this recording. Plenty of transcendence, but not a single nudge to the ribs. Nor have I read anything about this recording commenting on its humor, or heard anyone tell me they laughed at this or that variation. For me, the dizzying aspects of the work begin from the waltz itself. Every variation has such wide contrast, or such witty parody, or anything else Beethoven spins off that it is hard not to think of this work as a huge mystical scherzo.

Still, if you love this work, this is a recording you should hear and enjoy. However, I will keep looking for a pianist who "gets it".

I'm sure this recording will serve as another document in the Great Pollini Debate (one of the greatest pianists of all time or "mere mechanicus," as Mozart put it?). As one who's been on the "anti-Pollini" side, let me say at once that this is one of the greatest performances of the Diabelli Variations I've ever heard. What impresses first of all is the clarity and power of Pollini's playing--for example the left hand in 16 and the right hand in 17, the miraculous articulation of the right hand triplets in 7 and the left hand runs in 25. But Pollini is also capable of great tenderness--the flowing simplicity of the fughetta (24) and the beautiful balancing of chords in 20 and 29. Best of all are the last three variations: the dignity of 31, the bracing and energetic (but not hectic) fugue, and the delicacy of 33 (Maurizio, you ol' charmer!). Recorded sound is not exactly sensuous, but it fits Pollini's playing to a T. The only down side is Pollini's singing, which is becoming more intrusive with time. The odd thing about his singing is that it's most intrusive in loud passages (6, 9, the loud chords in 17). I imagine he thinks we can't hear him when the music's loud. Perhaps some producer ought to say, "MAURIZIO, WILL YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" But honestly this is a minor porblem in just a few variations. All told, this great performance belongs in the collection of every Diabelli lover.

Pollini's greatest achievement in this recording is to let Beethoven flow in all its complexity to show us how deeply he has studied this masterpiece and how it was concocted: In 1819, the Viennese music publisher Anton Diabelli circulated a waltz of his own invention to 50 composers, each of whom was requested to contribute a variation to the collective project. Beethoven at first disdained the theme as a "cobbler's patch" on account of its mechanical sequences, and then overreacted to Diabelli's invitation, conceiving not one, but 23 variations, 10 fewer than the final number. Recent study of Beethoven's musical manuscripts from 1819 has cast a revealing light on the structure and import of this great work, his longest and one of his most cognitively and emotionally demanding pieces for piano. After having set the composition aside for several years, Beethoven expanded his draft from within in 1823, adding variations 1-2, 15, 23-26, 28-29, and 31 to the pre-established order, while greatly elaborating on the conclusion.

No other work by Beethoven is so rich in allusion, humour, and parody. Trivial or repetitious features of the waltz, such as the C major chords repeated ten-fold in the right hand in the opening bars, can be mercilessly exaggerated, as in variation 21, or dissolved into silence, as in variation 13. Inconspicuous elements of the theme, such as the ornamental turn heard at the outset, can assume astonishing importance, as in variations 9 and 11, which are based throughout on the turn. Several variations allude to Mozart, Bach, and other composers. The most obvious of these is the reference, in the unison octaves of variation 22, to "Notte e giorno faticar" from the beginning of Mozart's Don Giovanni. This allusion is brilliant not only through the musical affinity of the themes -which share, e.g., the same descending fourth and fifth- but through the reference to Mozart's Leporello. Beethoven's relationship to his theme, like Leporello's relationship to his master, is critical but faithful. And like Leporello, the variations after this point gain the capacity for disguise. Variation 23 is an �tude-like parody of pianistic virtuosity alluding to the Pianoforte-Method by J.B.Cramer, whereas variation 24, the Fughetta, shows an affinity in its intensely sublimated atmosphere to some organ pieces from the third part of the Clavier�bung by Bach.

The work as a whole consists of one large form with three distinct regions. The opening variations remain close to basic parameters of the theme (such as its metre) and show gradually increasing freeedom, which at last turns into dissociation in the contrasting canonic variations Nos. 19 and 20, and in No. 21, in which the structural parts of each variation half are themselves placed into opposition. In performance time, these variations represent the midpoint. A sense of larger formal coherence is created through unusually direct reference to the melodic shape of the original waltz in three variations inserted in 1823 -Nos. 1, 15, and 25. In No. 25 the waltz is reincarnated as a humorous German dance, but this image is gradually obliterated in the interconnected series of fast variations culminating in No. 28, in which harsh dissonances dominate every strong beat throughout.

After Variation 28, we enter a transfigured realm, in which Diabelli's waltz, and the world it represents, seem to be left behind. A group of three slow variations in the minor culminates in Variation 31, an elaborate aria reminiscent of the decorated minor variation of Bach's Goldberg set, while also foreshadowing the style of Chopin. The energetic fugue on E flat that follows is initially Handelian in character; its second part builds to a tremendous climax with three subjects combined simultaneously before the fugue dissipates into a powerful dissonant chord. An impressive transition leads to C major, and to the final and most subtle variation of all: a Mozartian minuet whose working-through through rhythmic means leads, in the coda, to an ethereal texture, strongly reminiscent of the famous Arietta movement of Beethoven's own last sonata, Op 111, composed in 1822. Herein lies the final surprise: the Arietta movement, itself influenced by the Diabelli project, became in turn Beethoven's model for the last of the Diabelli Variations. The end of the series of allusions thus became a self-reference and final point of orientation within an artwork whose vast scope ranges from the ironic caricature to sublime transformation of the commonplace waltz.

A Great performance of these truly beautiful string quartets, I simply love this CD. These two string quartets that Beethoven composed in his latter years are stunning and though every track on this CD is amazing the one track that stuck out to me the most was the third movement of the string quartet in A minor (op.132) the first time I heard this piece of music I was mesmerized.

The late quartets are undoubtedly the most revolutionary works Beethoven ever penned. Not only do they totally break the structural mold by having more than just four movements, they also introduce new harmonic, melodic, and contrapuntal techniques which Beethoven uses to elicit extremes in emotion, the likes of which music had previously never experienced. Beethoven said of his late quartets that they were not meant for his time but rather another time. Perhaps now is that time. We have come to an age where we can finally begin to understand the emotion and sentiment that this music is infused with, and we can finally appreciate these masterpieces that his contemporaries viewed as nothing more than the last attempts of a deaf man to keep his legacy alive. These quartets are simply spectacular, and the Quarteto Italiano do an incredible job of playing these masterpieces. They play the music immaculately and they bring for the emotional extremes that Beethoven intended. The playing is really just perfect. I guess the one issue with these recordings is that they're from the 1970s, which means that there is a slight balance issue (as with all recordings of the era) in that the treble is slightly more emphasized than the ever important bass. However, this is a minor blemish and is not enough to detract from the overall good sound quality and the exceptional playing. This is a recommended CD, as is its sister CD, which features the incredible Grosse Fuge.

I agree with the other reviewers. These are exceptional performances and the sound quality is quite good. Just listen to the excerpts and you will hear how beautiful they sound. Beethoven would be proud of these performers.

I also concur with the honors piled on these legendary performances. These recordings of Opus 59, No.1 & Opus 59, No. 2 are pure perfection, with a fiery intensity and a old world enchantment. Sure there is the occasional intonation slip up, but I find it rather charming and a simple reminder that this stuff is hard to play. In addition, you need not have reservations about the sound quality. In fact, I wish more chamber music sounded this clean and direct with not so much reverb blended into the mix. As one Amazon reviewer said - Enjoy the honest sound, the quality is marvelous. These are magnificent chamber works of Beethoven. There's also a companion Sony Essential Classics CD to this one (Op. 59, No.3, Op. 74 & Op. 133) and both are a must-have for any respectable LVB collection! Such great music at such a acceptable price. A no-brainer! Oh, and just for the record, Op. 133; known as the Grosse Fugue is the best version I've ever heard.
The Budapest Quartet never drop the ball on this one.
Treasure `em!

Perfect is the only word that can describe this rendition. There's solemnity when it's required, panache when permissible, vigour when it's warranted - in short, "just as the Master intended". The first and last movements of op. 59 #2 of this performance moves one to tears. There's a fiery intensity combined with a sensitive understanding in all these performances that makes this a definite buy.

There's a certain je ne sais quoi about perfect renditions which makes it extremely difficult to describe their qualities in words. These particular recordings have that stamp of perfection about them - it's almost magic, the way the transitions between passion, delicateness, and blitheness are done.

About the music itself - the Razumovskys, I feel, are talked about less than they should be. #1 is almost a symphony, with the resolution in the final movement as perfect as any. #2 is dense, the buildup patient and painstaking, the scherzo wonderfully diverting, and the climax heart-wrenchingly passionate. This climax - mvt. 4 of #3 - is one of my top-15 pieces of music, if one may be permitted to maintain such a list.

I listened to it on another sound system and the recording was OK, not too harsh as I said... At this price you can afford to experiment!

When I first thought I might be interested in classical music, I asked a conservatory teacher to recommend a starting point. He pointed to two recordings of the Brandenburgs, both on period instruments. This was a perfect recommendation to me, as I am often most appreciative of tradition and history. I bought them both, took them in, so they became intimately known to me. Then one day on a whim, I picked this version up, and I thought geez! piano instead of harpsichord? flute instead of recorder? Shouldn't someone be policing these practices? How audacious! Rock n' Roll, baby!

I tend to like a more tightly structured, geometric approach to this music, but this recording has its own beauty -- it's definitely of a different era. Modern instruments are just fine, but I do find myself wishing for a recorder instead of a flute in #4 -- to me a flute is just wrong for this music. Otherwise 5 stars -- some passages move me very deeply.

J. Sebastian Bach was a very virile, full-blooded man who worked all his life, had two wives, and sired about 20 children. Casals' realizations of Bach's music illustrate Bach's virility and vivacity. Casals conducts the Bach Concerti & Suites as he [Casals] plays the Bach Sonatas: with vim, vigor, and vitality; with rhythm, color, and accent; with dash, esprit, and intellect. In short, these are the very best realizations of the Brandenburgs available--or will ever again be available.

By the way, in these sessions and at rehearsals, Casals conducted sitting down with his cello on which he illustrated the tempi, accents and inflections he wanted for the orchestra, and used his cello bow as a baton. This is as real as it gets!

The soloists are wonderful. The recorded sound is bright and clear. The price is incredibly cheap. What are you waiting for?

The chorus goes in and out of tune, from the Kyrie on. The soloists are sharp in a noticeably Jewish way. The orchestra has intonation issues and its attack is weak in many spots. The pace is slow and boring; you could get up, fix yourself a sandwich, and return to the stereo, all without missing much. In short, this recording is overpraised (one suspects a coordinated and informal PR effort). Get the Gardiner instead. It's the real deal.

I have always enjoyed listening to masses and requiems. This is one of the best masses I have ever heard. The chorus and orchestra are well balanced and both are filled with an overwhelming amount of emotion. The soloists are perfect. I love Rosa Mannion's voice, her high notes are amazing, she is by far one of the best sopranos I have heard. The Credo, usually a boring section of the mass, is without a doubt the most uplifting. The Sanctus is amazing! I love the way the soloists fade to nothing only to be overcome by the powerfull "pleni sunt coeli". I also love the Benedictus. The violin solo is absolutly beautifull! The Benedictus is by far the best part of the eniter mass. Beethoven definetly accomplised his goal!

I first heard the Missa Solemnis while watching a concert on tv. I found many problems with it, the orchestra and chorus was not well balanced and the alto soloist sounded like a man. However, when i found this recording I was thrilled! I have heard a few others and this is the absolute best! The soloists are amazing, I especially love Rosa Mannion's beautiful voice. He high notes really complete the sound. The chorus and orchestra are well balanced and one never overpowers the other. I am also very fond of the Benedictus. The violin solo is very emotional and and serves as an excellent intro for the soloists. The Agnus Dei ends the entire maserpiece perfectly, leaving you with an overwhelming feeling of faith.