Classical music reviews

Listening to James Chirillo's Sultry Serenade CD leaves me completely satisfied, and yet, wanting a little more. I have had it on for background music at dinner parties and I've listened to it alone with complete concentration: it works both ways. Mr. Chirillo hits his quarter notes with the precision worthy of an astronaut making a manual re-entry. And his selections, among them ' If I only had a Brain', 'Lush Life', and 'Fancifree', make this CD a perfect addition to my jazz collection. James Chirillo has the touch which makes one think of perfection and effortlessness simultaneously.
I look forward to his next CD, in fact, I'll be first in line

This album is a showcase for the substantial musical talents of guitarist James Chirillo. He is a master musician with great range, an adventurous spirit, impeccable technique, and a sly sense of humor. I like so much about this album that it's hard to single out any particular track, but I do think Chirillo's tasty rendition of "Lush Life" is a definitive statement - in fact, the album is worth the price of admission for this track alone. And there's much more. Chirillo is a magnificent musician who deserves a wider audience. This is the real stuff. A terrific album. A discovery.

This album is a showcase for the substantial musical talents of guitarist James Chirillo. He is a master musician with great range, an adventurous spirit, impeccable technique, and a sly sense of humor. I like so much about this album that it's hard to single out any particular track, but I do think Chirillo's tasty rendition of "Lush Life" is a definitive statement - in fact, the album is worth the price of admission for this track alone. And there's much more. Chirillo is a magnificent musician who deserves a wider audience. This is the real stuff. A terrific album. A discovery.

I don't want to say more about her since she is too famours to introduce. I just bought two of her cds recently, which I had big expection for her.

Undoubtly, she has beautiful voice and wonderful coloratura style, I was amazed by the flexiblity in her voice. However I was slightly disappointed by the weakness in her high notes. It seems that she never has strong high notes, and those high notes can't last as long as Dilber's or Organasova's.

Sorry to say this to the pretty Sumi.

Sumi Jo said that she likes Belcanto the most and I truely think that her voice is stunning in this CD! One of my favourite opera CD!

This is, without doubt, the most beautiful bel canto recital disc since Dame Joan's Art of the Prima Donna. Sumi Jo is without equal in this repertoire today. Her interpretations are immaculately rendered and her technique (just incredible) is beyond reproach.

This disc is worth ever penny because it contains the best Elvira ever recorded. Sumi's angelic (albeit small) voice floating above a chamber orchestra creates one of the most intimate operatic portraits of Elvira in recent history. Callas gave us penetrating pyscholgical insights into Elvira, Dame Joan gave us vocal fireworks, but Sumi Jo IS Elvira. She's simply exquisite.

Wow.

In the last year I have transformed into an opera Maniac with the help of the cd. It's got all the greats - Pavarotti, Fleming, more Pavarotti - as well as the other greats - Puccini, Mozart, Verdi - compiled to produce the single most inclusive 2-pack set of operatic music I have ever bought. This is extensive, not expensive, and wonderful. I thoroughly recommend it.

Becky, from CT

But I really have enjoyed this disc. What more do I have to say.

If you were on a quest to search for the highest quality in opera music, then I am pleased to say that you may end your search. Not only are the best operatic tunes from the most beloved operas of all-time included here, but they are performed by talented stars, such as Luciano Pavarotti. He has the honor of singing Nessun Dorma from Turandot.

Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997) was one of the greatest and most recorded pianists of the 20th century. He played with virtuosic technique, beautiful tone, and great imagination. Richter was largely self-taught which may account for the personal, idiosyncratic character of many of his performances, including some aspects of the performances in this compilation.

This compliation is part of an outstanding series devoted to the great pianists of the 20th century. It consists of Richter's recordings of six Beethoven piano sonatas, out of the composer's 32 works in this form, together with the "andante favori" and an early concert rondo for piano and orchestra. The recordings date from 1961-1963 and 1993.

The six Beethoven sonatas in the collection include three early to middle period works on the first disc together with Beethoven's final three sonatas on the second disc. The final three sonatas were recorded live in 1993. The sonatas themselves date from 1800 to 1822.

The collection opens with the sonata in a-flat major, opus 26 which dates from about 1800. This is one of my favorite Beethoven sonatas even though it is less well-known than the works with popular names. It is a four-movement work of an improvisatory character (none of the movements are in sonata form) in which Beethoven expanded the scope of writing for the piano. The work opens with a set of variations on a meditative them, but it is best known for the third movement, a funeral march, which is a predecessor of the funeral march in Beethoven's third symphony and in Chopin's second piano sonata. Richter plays this great sonata with a light, clean touch. He takes the final movement at an unusually fast pace.

The disk continues with the "Tempest" sonata, opus 31 no. 2, written in 1802. This work is in three movements and features an opening movement which integrates sections of widely varying tempos and emotional characters. The middle portion of this movement features two piano recitifs played pianissimo in a distant voice of unearthly sorrow. Richter plays them beautifully. The final movement of this work is a rondo on a rolling theme in the minor full of smoldering passion.

The first disk concludes with the "Appassionata" sonata, opus 57, written in 1803, a major work of Beethoven's "heroic" period. It is the best known of the Beethoven sonatas in this compliation and has been recorded many times. This is a work for piano virtuosity and Richter plays it to the hilt. It is also a work of deep sorrow combined with an angry determination. Richter captures the force and fury of this great music.

The second CD consists of Beethoven's final three piano sonatas, opus 109, 110, and 111. These sonatas were written as a trilogy and date from 1820-1822. Beethoven was totally deaf at the time of the composition of these works, all of which reflect a deep inward character. These are notoriously difficult and complex works, but I am aware of no music which has the spiritual force of these late compositions.

The opus 109 sonata is my own favorite of these works and of Beethoven's piano sonatas. It is in three movements and features a concentrated lyricism in its opening movement and a meditative set of variations for the conclusion. Beethoven gave expressive markings to the movements of these last works and directed that the theme of the last movement be played "songlike, with the greatest inwardness of feeling."
This is spiritual, introspective, meditative music like none other.

The four-movement opus 110 sonata in a-flat major includes a shattering slow movement marked "song of lament" which is juxtaposed with a final, triumphant fugue.

The last of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas, opus 111 in c-sharp major is in only two movements, the first of which consists of a slow, majestic introduction reminiscent of the sonata pathetique followed by an allegro. The final movement is another song-like theme with variations, similar in some ways to the variation movement of opus 109.

The compiliation here comes with program notes which focus on Richter's playing rather than on Beethoven's music. I found the works beautifully and thoughtfully performed. They will allow the listener to appreciate Richter's pianism and, more importantly, to get to know the Beethoven piano sonatas. The emphasis in this collection is on the final three sonatas which still have a somewhat forbidding reputation and remain unfamiliar to many listeners. This disk will help the listener know and love this music.

Yes, the first CD with the "Appassionata" is wonderful. However, the real treasure for me is the second CD with the three last sontatas - and a LIVE performance at that. This is what live music making is about. Taking chances - sometimes failing (there are stumbles - BUT WHO CARES!) and yet at times creating miracles!

If you love piano playing I don't see how you wouldn't want to listen to these disks over and over again. Each time I listen to them I learn more about the instrument I love. And while I haven't listened to or played as much Beethoven in the past few years as I did long ago these disks have sparked my digging out the music and reading through them again and looking over the last sonatas in depth for the first time.

All the performances on this collection are nothing less than wonderful While, by anyone else's standards, thie CD would be a miraculous achievement, Richter has made even greater recordings of these Beethoven Sonatas. The miraculous performances of Opp 109-111 on the Music and Arts CD "Richter In Leipzig" make the present Philips versions, distinguished though they are, look staid in comparison. And Richter's powerful view of the "Appassionata" is better heard on the Moscow recording available on BMG/Melodiya than on the BMG/RCA recording presented here. For the Tempest, try Richter's recording on Praga, rather than the EMI one available on this 2CD package. No one buying this set would be disappointed, but you could find even greater satisfaction elsewhere.

I love drumming albums, but I've never heard anything like this. The recording is clean, the booklet it comes with is extremely informative, and the melodies of the drums awesomely beautiful, both lively and soothing. It is a masterpiece. (I wouldn't use the words "eerie" or "creepy" like another reviewer has, but that description seems to appeal to that particular reviewer.)

I like to go to sleep listening to Pandit Kamalesh Maitra play, but the album also makes a great background for meditation & prayer, writing, lounging around talking with friends, etc.

Mixes well with other Indian music (e.g. sitar music) or other drumming albums from around the world.

You will not be sorry if you buy this album. It's truly amazing.

A solid addition to your world music collection.

This cd is incredible! Kamalesh Maitra and his tabla tarang playing produce some of the most eerie, creepy, and beautiful Indian music I have ever heard.

There's just something about the tone of these drums and the melodies being improvised. Listening to this cd makes me feel like I have stumbled upon some sort of sacred Hindu ceremony that Westerners were never supposed to witness.

A previous reviewer likened this music to gamelan. While I do think there are times when this cd does evoke a mood somewhat similar to Javanese gamelan (not Balinese gamelan at all though) this music is completely different from all gamelans in many ways. That's not good or bad, it just "is".

There is an intimacy about this recording that is absolutely magical. I really can't think of any other way to say it... this cd really does make me feel like I am in a cave in India, taking part in, or witnessing the most sacred and secret of Hindu ceremonies.

Whether you have all the sarod, sitar, and sarangi cd's in the world or not, there is still an amazing part of the north Indian music puzzle missing for you if you have never heard Kamalesh Maitra play the tabla tarang. I must also mention that Trilok Gurtu provides perfect tabla accompaniment here. This is the best recording I've heard him take part in.

As a separate recommendation I'd like to mention a cd called White Elephants And Golden Ducks: Enchanting Musical Treasures From Burma. If you'd like to hear other sorts of tuned drums, Burma's major set is called pat waing and there is an extremely cool pat waing solo track on White Elephants And Golden Ducks, as well as ensemble examples of pat waing and other Burmese tuned percussion.

Just to spice things up I would have liked to also recommended my favorite Javanese gamelan recording but it has been out-of-print now for a couple years.

My high-end system (Denon, Martin-Logan) is unforgiving. The performance is wonderful (I've always liked Graffman) but I do get some distortion in the tuttis.

I couldn't have been more pleased when I found this recording of the First Concerto reissued on CD. I've worn out my original LP recording! When this recording was first issued I believe critics used words like "pure gold". I can only wish that the other two Tchaikovsky concerti that Maestro Graffman recorded will also be re-issued. What a treat that will be!

Just when you think you have heard all the "great" performances of this warhorse, you listen to this one and it becomes a new piece again! Honestly, the excitment generated by Graffman, Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra is palpable. There is plenty of romantic fervor to be sure, the but razor-edged attacks and responsive playing will leave you exhausted. The truly amazing thing about this recording is that what you hear is basically the result of the first recorded take. Szell insisted upon recording complete movements, and the soloist and orchestra recorded each of the movements, rerecorded some spots for "cover" and called it a day! This is an awesome disc!

I'm new to ballet and I can picture myself getting hooked - if only I could see what's going on with all this beautiful music. Tchaikovsky has always been one of my favorite composers. The recording is well done. I find Swan Lake and The Nutcracker much more enchanting than Sleeping Beauty.

In the Double-Decca issue of Swan Lake, the danse des coupes in Swan Lake has been cunningly abridged to free up space for the accomodation of the unnumbered Russian dance in Act III. So while all the numbers are included in that double-disc set, making it "officially" complete, score-wise it actually isn't!

What this means is that if you to wish to have Bonynge's Swan Lake absolutely complete you will have to buy THIS 6-disc set, and not that abridged Double-Decca issue. This is important, especially if the danse des coupes is one of your favorite pieces.

Richard Bonynge at his best!

I own multiple recordings of most of the works on Georg Solti's Thunder & Lightning, but I always hold this collection as my reference. Not only with his beloved Chicago Symphony Orchestra, but several other world class ensembles, the Maestro shows his monumental interperative talents to make old warhorses sound as if we've never heard them before. He could inspire an orchestra to "open the heavens or open a flower" with his baton. His presence is missed, but his work is forever.

If you wish to relax using this CD set after work, you are buying the wrong album. But, if you MUST drive between one and six in the morning, this set, by repeating all just once, can keep you awake on the road, however boring it is. Trust me, TRUST SOLTI!

Solti shows here why he is one of the best interpreters of classical music. while conducting Wagner is his best work, here he shows that he can interpret well just about any composer. also, in this 2-disc set, there is a nice wide range of music, so for those who are just getting into classical music, this is a good place to start.

I notice that here on Amazon most of the reviews for Celibidache's posthumous recordings are five-star raves, giving little indication about the actual difference between one recording and the next. Because he had a 'method' that he thought was superior to any other condccutor's, Celi took the same approach to all music. This in itself isn't a sign of genius, but he had so much innate talent that at times his broad, deep, highly emotional approach did become incandescent.

I wouldn't say this was such an occasion. Drawing the first movement of the Pathetique out to 25 min. when Mravinsky takes 17 min. in his classic reading on DG from 1960 brings no gain in depth or intensity. True, Celi is intense; these aren't slack readings, they just miss the spirit of the work. His greatest impact comes in the devastating finale (13 min. compared to Mrvinsky's 9:45), which accomplishes what Bernstein misses in his famous reading on DG with its extremes of pathos and wrenching self-pity (at 17 min. it makes Celi look reasonable).

I'm not sure that one great movement is enough to justify this whole performance. We get a dull second movement waltz and a Scherzo that direly needs speed and excitement. The Munich Phil. plays with total commitment for their adored maestro, and EMI's sound is full and rich. Even so, I'd save this one for Celibidahe fans only.

I have listened to this symphony for perhaps 15 years, and over those years collected numerous recordings by all the notable orchestras and conductors. I must say, however, that none of them come anywhere close to matching the intensity and emotion in this recording. The first movement, especially, is almost painful to listen to, it is so gripping. This recording is not for the faint of heart, but if you want to hear the message Tchaikovsky was trying to give, this is the one recording of this piece you must have. All my other copies are gathering dust.

Extraordinary music making. Celibidache's Tchaikovsky is on a plateau that is both `spiritual' and visceral. An almost impossible task for our more terrestrial conductors.
An absolute recommendation for the seasoned connoisseur of great music making.

I love sopranos so of course I ordered this CD even though the singers are all b-team performers. I do believe that I listened to a different recording from the one described by the other reviewers. Each of the performers falls flat at least once while trying to reach for a note beyond her range. I felt myself cringe several times. Several of the arrangements are pathetic where the arranger tried accommodate three voices where at most one voice is appropriate. At times each soprano is holding fast to a note that clashes sadly with the other two notes. If you buy this, rerecord the play list. Skip the opening number which is the worst of the lot. DO NOT listen to Sempre Libera. You will weep for the wrong reasons. But by all means do enjoy the show tunes. This is where the ladies shine.

This may be the cleanest recording of a live concert I've ever heard, making it an exceptional showcase for such beautiful voices. I've heard Cynthia Lawrence live and this CD presents her voice with complete accuracy, preserving every last emotive nuance while still showcasing her thunderous power. (Cassello and Esperian's voices are equally impressive, of course, I've just never seen either one in live performance). Even after playing this CD at least 25 times, I still can't listen to Lawrence's "My Man's Gone Now" without it sending a chill down my spine. With due respects to the Three Tenors, I have to say the ladies put on an even more thrilling show.

This recording is an absolute must. The selection of arias and songs is impeccable and beautifully matched to the singers. Of particular note "O Mio Babbiano Caro" will bring tears to your eyes for sheer exquisite beauty. Also Kathleen Cassello's performance on "Sempre Libera" and "Summertime" will take your breath away with pure crystalline beauty. This performance is a wonderfull way to introduce the novice listener to the world of opera. I find this performance superior to the the much hyped " Three Tenors" and I hope someday a followup performance will be in the works.