Classical music reviews

the program notes say it all: super-virtuoso. excellent performances of both etudes and waltzes. no technical problems present themselves, etudes and waltzes are both played perfectly. This disc is a great value.

the program notes say it all: super-virtuoso. excellent performances of both etudes and waltzes. no technical problems present themselves, etudes and waltzes are both played perfectly. This disc is a great value.

I listened Abbey SIMON on a Philips record during 1970's years with the 2nd Beethoven concerto for piano. A few month later,
i dicovered Abbey simon with the CHOPIN music for piano and orchestra in 1974. After i found all CHOPIN'S recodings, and now, i buy the collection of Abbey SIMON'S cd records. The vyniles are nos pieces de collection as we say in FRANCE, and in PARIS, not possible to find those records. I think , in a few months , i will find PETER FRANKL'S integrale op the 16 Polonoaises de CHOPIN in the same collection

I have to admit I bought this because it is competitively priced, but I listen to all these discs becuase of the great interpretaitons.

I do not own any other complete sets of the 32, but I have most of them on vinyl from many other painists. Perl's interpretaions are, to me, conservative stylistically (nothing eccentric) but he brings great warmth to each and every note.

The sonics are very good, as well. As far as room ambience is concerned, if you had a 1 to 10 scale where 1 is a typical Glenn Gould record and 10 is one of those Nimbus records with gobs of room echo (like the sound of a pianist playing for a ballet class) I would place these recordings at about a 6, which is slightly more room ambiance than I would like, in the louder passages, but it adds something to the quieter passages.

I think that these recordings will stand the test of time.

Thanks to Arte Nova and the artists for giving us top-quality Beethoven performances (symphonies, string quartets, and piano sonatas) at below-top prices. The Perl piano interpretations are comparable to those of Kovacevich and Brendel. The sound quality of these CD's is excellent, and I feel Perl plays the lyrical and dramatic passages of the sonatas just right. If you are interested in getting acqainted with all the Beethovem piano sonatas and the Diabelli variations (op. 120), this is the set to buy. This collection also makes a great gift to a music-loving friend!

I complete this set buying one by one, for the price, too, but i had a great suprise when I listened the vol. 2 (Moonlight sonata) and the Diabelli variations. Perl is relationed with th classic and romantic repertoires (hear his Liszt!), and in these interpretetions are in the spirit of Brendel, Pollini and Arrau, leaving to the climax of each sonata and give a timeless impression of the works. Maybe is not too fogous, but the music introduces in our souls forever, like all the music of Beethoven. Highlits: "Moonlight", "Waldstein", "Hammerklavier" and op. 109. Good price, and the only less positive point, is the recording. I'm sure that this interpretation will be better in the future. Listen to Beethoven. Note: En espa�ol, ver los volumenes en separado

There are no words adequate to describe the feelings I have when I close my eyes and listen to the music of Giovanni. I am trying desparetly to find his other album, "Always". that album is also too beautiful to describe. Why is it so hard to get? Music that beautiful should be around all the time. Help in locating it would be greatly appreciated. (Not Always & Forever;I have that)

My husband and I love this cd so much we are wearing it out playing it. We have several of giovanni's cds and can't get enough. He loves what he does and it is evident.

I am so thrilled with this CD, as it is relaxing, comforting and absolutely wonderful music!

I've been reading about Hoagy Carmichael and listening to his songs and music. My research brought me here.

These selections are generally meditative in character, though John Alden Carpenter's "Sea Drift" does contain a bit of flash. Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings", the only workhorse here, receives a loving performance. Thomas Canning's warmth filled "Fantasy on a Hymn Tune of Justin Morgan" is somewhat reminescent of Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis" and is a gem.

Closing out this program is another gem -- Hoagy Carmichael's suprizingly delightful selection from his "Johnny Appleseed Suite" -- warm, lyrical, rich, hopeful. Why the entire work has not been recorded, here or elsewhere, is a mystery. This six minute selection makes me want to hear the entire twenty minute work. The full score does exist at Indiana University's Hoagy Carmichael Collection.

The performances and sound quality of this recording are top notch. This is the only Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra recording I own and I must say they are fabulous! The ISO and Leppard are to be applauded for recording these neglected American classics. This is a most welcome compilation!

This is a very lovely collection of underplayed and under appreciated American works. I concure with the other reviewers. Leppard leads the Indianapolis Symphony in some sumptuous playing of these tender but emotionally charged works. Especially the Fantasy on a Hymn Tune which is deftly performed. If your are looking for an alternative to Ives and Schuman, this is a great disk to expand your horizons.

This recent release from Decca Records has some of the familiar but also relatively unknown American works. The recorded sound is quite lovely, a very warm string sound, and some charming solo playing, especially coming from the English Horn player in the work by Hoagy Carmichael. In a era when most recordings and artistic attention is awarded to the largest American orchestras, having a chance to hear what some of the smaller and lesser known ensembles in the USA can do is quite amazing and well worth having available. Many of these works have never been recorded before, and they as a collection represent a slice of America that many people having been yearning for and have been missing. HATS OFF TO THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOR THIS PROJECT!

The calming, peaceful sounds of the Native American flute are perfect for use in the classroom! My high school students don't know what to think of it at first, but after a while, they begin to develop an appreciation for it. The soothing music helps them relax and focus their minds. I have several Nakai CDs and I play a different one everyday. This CD is an excellent addition to my collection!

By far, Nakai's best recording. This is the most haunting and beautiful CD I own. Wonderful for meditation, painting, relaxing, or drifting off to sleep. What dreams this man conjures. This far surpasses anything in the often incoherent genre of New Age Music and should not be classified as such. Nakai is in a realm all his own.

On the rare occasion this CD leaves the player beside my bed, it's usually in the player in my painting studio.

BUY IT NOW!...

Nakai produces a romantic, healing, while vaguely haunting music that gently transports you back to a time when music was more than just entertainment. Nakai emulates the traditional music of his Navajo-Ute in a way that is both touching and mystic. Be prepared to be taken on a journey where you will be introduced to the feelings an impressions that Nakai himself experiences. He will show you through his music what the world around his means to him, and he will instill that awe of life in you.

Nakai doesn't fall into the trap of giving the musical tourist exactly what he expects. There is no chanting or jingling bells, no corny sound effects or war cries. Instead he simply taps into that inner peace that we all look for. Perhaps that's the reason so many people have come to appreciate his music. The universal understanding of, and need for, peace and insight.

This is an outstanding recording that does full justice to the beauty of German pre-Bach song. Scholl is unparalleled in the subtle way he treats every single song. The listener gets carried away by the different moods the tunes carry: once brooding and sad, other times very exuberant and full of joy. Having grown up with the music of Schutz and Buxtehude in a northern German medieval town, I have heard many weak renderings of this music that do not do justice to its inherent pious beauty. Scholl lets it sparkle and shine the way it deserves to be sung.

This was my first Andreas Scholl CD, I purchased it immediately after hearing it played in a store. From the first listen over a year ago until now it still profoundly affects me. Alternatingly slow and brooding to more uptempo, the beautiful music and haunting voice are the perfect accompaniment to those moments of pensive introspection.

I loved Heroes, but this is my favorite Scholl collection so far. Alternatingly exuberant, forceful, and delicate, his enchanting voice is refined and controlled yet emotive. Countertenor fans will not be disappointed.

This cd is excellent. I had never liked opera. I'm not really into classical music, but Thomas Quasthoff's voice transcends all genres of music and touches the soul. It is the most amazing voice, I don't have the words to describe. You have to hear it for yourself.

It is a triumph of spirit, talent, and a testimony that art truly has magical powers. To opera fans impressed so far only by Thomas Quasthoff's gorgeous voice, I want to recommend an article by Elizabeth Gleick in Time magazine published June 30 1997. This article was the first in the US, I believe, to alert the public that a singer of phenomenal magnitude has arrived. Without going into the odds that Thomas Quasthoff beat with seeming ease, let's just say that here we have an incredible personality and, as a result, an incredible artistry. Do not miss this CD -- it will bring you endless wonder and delight.

From the first listen, it is apparent that no vocal challenges present any difficulty to Quasthoff; with his impeccable technique he makes Mozart's notoriously difficult, coloratura-laden arias seem as natural as skirt-chasing for Don Giovanni. My favorite has to be "Rivilgete a lui lo squardo", a rare aria, sometimes included in Cosi fan Tutte. Quasthoff hits all the high notes with such accuracy, it's only more staggering to hear him sing Sorastro right in the next track. The power of his voice is astonishing; this is the kind of voice suitable for Dutchman or Don Quixote (both Massenet's and Ravel's). But just when you think you understand the way it is set up, he delivers the most charming account of Papageno, a role usually reserved by light, high baritones. I am fantasizing about hearing him in Verdian roles, what a treat it would be to hear his Simon Boccanegra!

It is all but impossible to describe Thomas Quasthoff's phenomenal artistry in a couple of short paragraphs. I predict numerous books and articles will appear soon, although to even get a glimpse of understanding we first need to listen to his recordings. This one is not to be missed for anything!

For baritones anywhere, Thomas Quasthoff's Mozart CD is a "must-have" in the collection. His voice rivals those of Fischer-Dieskau, Hampson, Van Dam, and other opera greats. I can't say much else than the person from Texas, other than the fact that it is hard to believe that such a wonderful, rich, warm tone comes from the small frame of this man. As a baritone myself, I can only hope with more years of practice and maturity, that I shall be producing this quality of voice. One last note to make... Shame, shame on Amazon for yet again not giving people a good sample of his work on this CD, and just having samples of the first 5 tracks, instead of a glimpse into the different operas. Either way though, one can still hear Quasthoff's magnificent overtones and phrases, making this CD a joy to hear and own.

The Harris is reproduced here with a very decent performance, but less than ideal sound . . . constant tape hiss is distracting. The piece itself is like Copland without the hooks. It does, however, have some of its own charm, including some odd sound effects that were later made famous in the TV sitcom Bewitched (as the "appear" and "disappear" sounds). The Thompson was written in fulfillment of the requirement for Doctor of Music degree. While I am a big fan of Thompson's chamber music, I found this piece to be pretty much what I'd expect from someone eager to please committee members and get the heck out of grad school....safe, formulaic, with a fourth movement that begins humbly with the unmistakable first notes of "Have yourself a merry little Christmas." It eventually finds itself, and goes on to assert itself convincingly, but a little too late to save the whole work. The Diamond is pure Diamond. The man can do little wrong and has done hardly any here. The work is free of gimmicks and defiantly hybrid-like, taking the best elements of two eras and making them his own. Bernstein's tempo is spot on. While the sound is marred by tape hiss (again), it is still greatly enjoyable. P.S. Naxos also has a budget priced Diamond 2,4 combo that may prove worth owning.

Excellent performances. Leonard Bernstien with the New Yorkers at their best in these home grown pieces. Considering the age of the original recordings the remastering to CD is excellent.

Roy Harris's Third Symphony is, without a doubt, the greatest American symphony ever composed and one of the greatest symphonic statements of all times. There are essentially five performances to choose from: Koussevitsky, which is a great performance but the 1939 sound quality makes it uncompetative; Jarvi/Detroit, easily the worst recording available: Jarvi rushes through the entire thing without conveying any emotion or drama, almost as if he was in a hurry; Mata/Dallas, very good sound, solid performance, a good third choice; Bernstein's 1985 live recording for DG (now available on a budget CD with William Schuman's Third Symphony and the Barber Adagio for Strings), quite good but not as good as-; Bernstein's 1961 studio recording for Sony (this CD), the best of them all.
What makes the earlier Bernstein performance the best of the lot is the way in which Bernstein holds the work together, building tension as it develops, and never letting you forget that this is a one movement symphony in which each of the sections develops naturally from the last one. The drama and tragedy is all there, with a particularly rousing "big tune" in the middle, making it one of the most memorable tunes in all of American music. The closing bars of the symphony are shattering in their intensity. Bernstein's later performance for DG does not maintain this level of intensity throughout and, compared to the earlier one, actually sounds a bit (just a bit) lackluster at times. (I say this despite the fact that I usually prefer Bernstein's later recordings, including his later recording of Copland's Third Symphony for DG, recorded at the same 1985 concert as he recorded the later Harris Third!) The development section at the beginning is not held together as well as in the earlier Sony recording. The emergence of the "big tune" is not as exciting in this later performance, nor are the tragic last bars as hard hitting. The digital sound on the DG recording is nice, but the remastered Sony recording does not pale in comparison. In fact, it is one of the best remastered recordings I've ever heard from Sony. It is very clear, with a very strong dynamic impact, and minimal tape hiss. I was actually surprised the recording sounded so good, given when it was recorded. So while it's worthwhile to get the DG recording for the Schuman Third and Barber it is coupled with, the ultimate Harris Third will forever be this Sony recording.
The Thompson Second Symphony is a truly wonderful piece of American music, anything but dull. It is easy to enjoy and remains quite memorable long after it's over. It may not be as deep as the Harris, but it's an American masterpiece nonetheles. I am not a huge fan of the Diamond Fourth Symphony, but it is interesting, and deserves to be heard. Both of these symphonies are played to perfection by Bernstein and the NY Philharmonic.
In sum, this CD is a must own for lovers of American symphonic music, and it contains what is undoubtedly the best recording of Roy Harris's Third Symphony you'll ever hear.

Most people who like hearing classical guitar, but who do not play or are rank amateurs, prefer a classical guitar album where the guitar sounds like it could be playing in the room. Technology since the 60's has made that possible for the classical guitar.

However, while this album is a treat to serious classical guitarists because it hallmarks the early days of the legend Segovia, the sound quality, although amaziningly clean sounding, won't satisy the average person.

That being said, the obvious highlight of the album is the fact that it represents how Segovia interpreted the popular guitar pieces back in his early days, before age and experience taught him to prioritize feeling and soul above playing everything at 100 miles per hour.

If I heard this without already knowing who was playing, I would hazard a guess that it must be some young guy who certainly has the chops to blast through the hard stuff real fast, but who is still so low on maturity that he doesn't "feel" the song or let it "flow" from his guitar. Audiences will always applaud fast scales executed swiftly and with precision, as Segovia once said, but I would add this: Their applause is always more enthusiastic when you make the song sing TO the people (la la la la laaaaaa), not AT the people (datdatdatdatdatdat).

Serious guitarists will love this album for allowing them to see how that Segovia's awesome ability already existed in 1927, before most of their parents were even born.

Although the audio quality is not the best, being from 1927-1939, it is nevertheless suprisingly clean, given how most music recorded in that period sounds.

A note to guitarists: You won't be able to play along with this CD even if you are as good as Segovia: his guitar is tuned much higher than normal. I don't know if it was a result of the original records he recorded on having defects, or if Segovia just liked the feel of super-tight strings as he played (as do I).

All in all, this is super-great stuff for guitarists who love Segovia and wish to delve into those early days and see what the legend was like while he was in the making.

But for non-guitarists looking for quality sound and for songs to be played with feeling instead of being played at the speed of light, I'd suggest passing on this one and picking up "Spanish Guitar Favorites" by world-renowned classical guitarist John Williams. The sound on that album is superb, and so is the playing.

Better sound can be heard on "The Seville Concert".

And if you are serious audiophile and wish to have the absolute best modern clarity for a classical guitar album, nothing comes close to John Williams other album "From the Jungles of Paraguay: John Williams plays the music of Augustine Barrios".

That CD represents the best of modern technology to make a classical guitarist sound like he is actually sitting in your living room and playing in front of you. This album is also hated by most serious classical guitarists precisely because it is so utterly clean sounding, whereas, earlier recordings, not using 20-bit technology, thus have a "warmer" sound.

Note to the serious guitarists: If you listen carefully, you can hear the clicks, pops, and white noise that inevitably comes from a record, on each song. Segovia obviously recorded directly to a record while it's grooves were being cut, because they didn't have tapes back then. That extra bit of noise preserves the original authentic sound of the recording. They didn't have perfectly clean digital sound back in those days, and therefore I think the digital remastering technicians who do the work of transposing records onto cd's, have a duty to keep some of the authentic originally intended sound to preserve it's true historical place.

It doesn't get the full 5 stars, because Segovia's youth here caused him to play most of the pieces at lightning speed, and no seasoned guitarist will agree that playing everything at the speed of light is a 5 star record. 5 star ratings are for guitar albums which manage to make their guitar sing TO the audience, not AT the audience.

skepticdude@hotmail.com

Folks, most of these recordings are from before my mother was born (and she was "born a long long time ago" -Beatles) and the sound quality is not equal to what my spoiled ears are used to. But I assure you, these are recordings of the finest classical guitar music ever performed. I've heard many of the late Segovia's recordings, earlier and later in his life, the latter are more mature and crystal clear, measured and beautifully precise. It is however, the roughness and raw power of genious that is captured here, like the birth of a supernova, here is where Segovia's dubbing "the poet of the classical guitar" truely explains itself. But who doesn't know about the greatest maestro this world will ever know? What CD would you keep with you if it was the last one and only one you could ever own?

This is the best classical guitar CD I've ever heard. I think the old recording adds to its greatness. Segovia demonstrated who he is to become. I have been playing for the last 17 yrs & heard other guitarists play the pieces on this CD. Listning to Segovia palying them is just like hearing them for the 1st time. No one compares to him. It is a true classic.

Nathan Milstein, besides being a great violinist, was a great musician. He had the technique, the intonation, the phrasing, the tone and the high musical ideal which he was able to transfer from the mind to the hand. I've heard most of these tracks in the past. I recently heard the Beethoven concerto, included here, and I must say that it is one of the most beautiful performances of this work, the only others rivaling it
being Kreisler's 1936 recording with all the hisses and pops and
Francescatti's (which I think is taken a trifle too fast, even though in execution, perfect). This set is a treasure that must
be had even though I think the price is rather dear. You will love Nathan Milstein.

To me, Milstein was the greatest violinist of the twentieth century. He was a great technical player and was an eqauly good muscian. I love his playing! He plays most of the great violin concertos and plays them beuatifully. His recordings of the Brahms, the Tchaikovsky, the Beethoven, Saint-Saens 3, an Introduction and Tarantelle are my favorites. This CD is pricey, but at least put it on your Christmas list. I don't actually own I've just listened to it and it's great so buy it if you can afford it.

This volume set clearly highlights the musical giant that is Milstein. Piquantly and thoughfully phrased with such a clear sense of motion... a must have for any musician!