911 [CD-single] [Import]

Track Listings

1. 911 [Radio Edit]

2. 911 [Ghetto Love Remix]

3. Younger Days - Wyclef Jean

4. It Doesn't Matter [Remix] - Hope, Wyclef Jean

911,Wyclef Jean & Mary J. Blige,Sony Int'l,Pop,Rap & Hip-Hop,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues

911 [CD-single] [Import]

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

Average customer rating:

Mill. Classical review
classical music for the unitiated
Some little gems there that I had forgotten!
A very helpful collection
Excellent!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000K1C9
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Tracks:

Brandenbutg Concerto No.3 In G First Movement
Overture No.3 In D Second Movement
Violin Concerto In E First Movement
Prelude In C minor
Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Chorus From Cantata No.147)
Overture No.2 In B minor Minuet And Badinerie
Oboe Concerto In D minor Second Movement
Brandenburg Concerto No.4 In G Third Movement
Musical Offering - Fuga canonica
Easter Oratorio - Overture
Minuet In D minor
Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel herunter(From Choral Prelude BWV 650
Brandenburg Concerto No.1 In F Second Movement
Art Of The Fugue - Contrapunctus 9
Concerto For Flute, Violin, Harpsichord And Strings. Triple Concerto - Third Movement
Overture No.4 In D - Réjouissance
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Water Music - Alla Hornpipe
Xerxes - Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
Messiah - And The Glory Of The Lord
Concerto Grosso In A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 - Larghetto Affettuoso
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 4 Allegro
Water Music - Air
Messiah - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Concerto Grosso In B flat, Op. 3, No. 2 - Largo
Salomon - Sinfonia, Act 3
The Choice Of Hercules - While For Thy Arms
Water Music - Allegro (Suite No. 1)
Suite No. 5 In E - Air With Variations
Jephtha - How Dark, O Lord
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 5 Alla Siciliana - Presto
Mi Palpita Il Cor (Solo Cantata) S'un Di M'adora
Water Music - Andante Allegro Da Capo
Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra in E-flat: First Movement
Symphony No. 94 in G: Surprise Symphony-second movement
Concerto for Violin No. 2 in D: Third Movement
Flute Trio No. 31 in G: Second Movement
Symphony No. 31 in D: Hornsignal-First Movement
String Quartet No. 17 in F, Op. 3, no. 5: Serenade Quartet-Second Movement
Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat for Violin, Cello, Oboe, Bassoon and Orchestra-Third Movement
Concerto for 2 Horns & Orchestra in E-flat: Second Movement
Symphony No. 88 in G: Fourth Movement
String Quartet No. 77 in C: Kaiser Quartet-Poco adagio cantabile
Notturno No. 1 in C: Second Movement
Symphony No. 98 in B: Londoner No. 4-Fourth Movement
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - first movement
Piano Concerto in A - second movement
Flute Concerto in D - Rondeau
Serenade - Minuet
Violin Concerto - first movement
Symphony No. 40 in G minor - first movement
Clarinet Concerto - second movement
Turkish March
Divertimento - Minuet
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat - first movement
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67-First Movement
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, no. 2: Moonlight Sonata-First Movement
Overture
O welche Lust (Prisoners' Chorus)
Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarros's Aria)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Second Movement
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 61: Third Movement
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: Pathétique-Second Movement
Sympony No. 6 in F, Op. 68: Pastorale-First Movement
Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 80: Choral Fantasy - Finale
German Dance No. 1 In C
Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3 In G-Flat
Heidenroslein
Ave Maria
Der Lindenbaum
Quintet In A 'Trout Quintet' - Andante
Mass No. 6 In E-Flat - Kyrie
Die Schone Mullerin Des Mullers Blumen
German Dance No. 2 In G
Piano Sonata In B-Flat
Nachtgesang Im Walde
Winterreise - No. 15: Die Krahe
German Mass - Zum Sanctus (Heilit, Heilig Ist Der Herr)
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished' - Second Movement
Waltz No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 18 Grande Valse brillante
Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, no. 2
Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, no. 5
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21-Second Movement
Mazurka in D minor, Op. 33, no. 2
Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28, no. 15 Raindrop
Etude in C, Op. 10, no. 1
Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, no. 2
Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 Fantasy Impromptu
Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35-Third Movement
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor - first movement 113.String Seranade - Waltz
Violin Concerto - second movement
The Sleeping Beauty - Waltz
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Swan Lake - Waltz
Eugene Onegin - Polonaise
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers
Orchestral Suite No. 4 - Mozartiana - Third Movement
Swan Lake - Dance of the Swans
Symphony No. 6 in B minor - Pathétique - Third Movement
Hungarian Dance No.5
Lullaby
Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op. 68 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in E-flat, Op.117, no. 1
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77 - Third Movement
Waltz, Op. 39, no. 15
Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83 - Second Movement
String Quintet in G, Op. 111 - Second Movement
Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op. 98 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 76, no. 7
Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
German Requiem Selig sind die Toten (Final Chorus)
Die Fledermaus - Overture
Kaiser Waltz, Op.437
Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324
Roses From The South Waltz, Op. 388
AnnenPolka, Op. 117
Vienna Blood Waltz, Op. 354
Eljen A Magyar Polka, Op. 332
Wine, Women and Song Waltz, Op. 333
On The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 134
Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Overture
Tannhauser - Die Pilger sind's (Pilgims' Chorus)
Tannhauser - O du mein holder Abendstern (Wolfram's Aria)
Lohengrin - Act 3 Prelude and Bridal Chorus
The Flying Dutchman - Jo-ho-he Traft ihr das Schiff (Senta's Ballad)
The Flying Dutchman - Steuermann, lass die Wacht (Sailors' Chorus)
Die Walkure - Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond (Siegmund's Aria)
Die Walkure - Ride of the Valkyries
Siegfried Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! Schmiede mein Hammer (Siegfried's Forging Song)
Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod
Thus sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (excerpt)
Don Juan, Op. 20
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, I.Nacht
Don Quixote, Op.35, first movement: Introduction
Salome, Op. 54, Dance Of The Seven Veils
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, Finale: Hab' mir's gelobt ihn lieb zu haben
Piano Concerto 2 In C minor, Op. 18 - First Movement
Vocalise, Op.34, No. 14
Prelude In G Sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12
Piano Concerto No. 4 In G minor, Op. 40 - Third Movement
Symphony No. 2 In E minor, Op. 27 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F sharp minor, Op. 1 - Second Movement
Rhapsody, Op. 43 On A Theme By Paganini
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Liebestraum No.3 in A-flat
Piano Concerto No.1 in E-flat - third movement
Angelus
Mephisto Waltz No.1 (Dance in a Village Tavern)
Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
Dante Symphony - Finale. - Purgatorio - Magnificat
Les Préludes
Boléro
Daphnis et Chloé first movement: Nocturne
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Shéhérazade - first movement: Asie
Ma Mère l'Oye - fourth movement: La Belle et la Bête
Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet
La Valse
Slavic Dance No. 1 in C, Op. 46, no.1
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World' - second movement
Humoresque, Op. 101
Slavic Dance No. 8 in G minor, Op. 46, no. 8
Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 22 - second movement
Romance for Violin and Orchestra In F minor, Op. 11
Symphony No. 7 in D minor - third movement
Melodie (Songs My Mother Taught Me)
Carneval Overture, Op. 92
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104 - third movement
Symphony No.4 In A, Op. 90. Italian - First Movement
Frühlingslied In A, Op. 62, No. 6
Wedding March (From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61)
Duetto In F, Op.30, No.6 (From Songs Without Words)
String Symphony No.9 In C. Schweitzer Symphony - Third Movement
Concerto For Violin, Piano And String Orchestra No. 1 In D minor - Second Movement
Symphony No.3 In A minor, Op.56 Scottish - Third Movement"
Notturno (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14
String Symphony No. 12 In G minor - First Movement
Venetian Gondola Song In F Sharp minor, Op.30, No.6
Scherzo (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Violin Concerto In E minor, Op.64 - Third Movement
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - Morgenstimmung
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - I. Prelude. Allegro vivace
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - IV. Air. Andante religioso
Arietta, Op. 12, no. 1
Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Solveig's Song
Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6
The Last Spring, Op. 34, no. 2
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op 46 - Anitra's Dance
Nordic Melody Op. 63
Notturno, Op. 54, no. 4
Elegie, Op. 47, no. 5
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Arabic Dance
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 - Allegro
Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97 - Rhenish - first movement
Traumerai (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)
Mondnacht (from Eichendorff-Liederkreis, Op. 39)
Aufschwung (from Fantasietucke, Op. 12)
Triolett, Op. 114, no. 2
Tanzlied (No. 1 from Duets, Op. 78)
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120 - second movement
Frühlingsgruss
Abschied (from Waldszenen Op. 82)
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - Im wunderschonen Monat Mai
Manfred Overture, Op. 115
Romance in F sharp, Op. 28, no. 2
Die Rose stand im Tau
Liebesgarten (from Four Duets, Op. 34)
Warum? (from Fantasiestucke, Op. 12)
Kennst du das Land, Op.79, no. 29 (from Lieder der Mignon, Op. 98a)
Von fremden Landern und Menschen (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)

Album Description

An extraordinary 20-CD collection of great works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, J. Strauss, R. Strauss, Schumann, Wagner, Dvorak, Grieg and Liszt. It also features worldrenowned artists such as Sir Neville Marriner, Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelich, Hermann Prey, Reiner Goldberg, Sylvia Sass, Jochen Kowalski, Peter Schreler and many more. This exquisite, copper metallic, deluxe boxed set is the perfect gift for the classical music neophyte.

Customer Reviews:

Mill. Classical review.......2007-05-13

This is a great set of recordings for the money, the only problem was I've had to clean some of the CD's before they played correctly.

classical music for the unitiated.......2007-04-01

This set is a good way to start listening to classical music. It's very well produced and easy to listen to. I purchased it to use as part of my world history high school class. It would have been nice to have some bio information on the composers. However, the product is exactly as advertised and good value for the money. The students were intrigued by how many of the excerpts they had heard before.

Some little gems there that I had forgotten!.......2007-03-30

Although I studied classical music at school, I had all but forgotten it until I bought this set. I heard several tracks I haven't heard for over 30 years, and I had been humming Brahms's 'Hungarian Dance no. 5' for years without ever knowing what it was and it was on the disc, so that was nice.

I found it to be a very good selection overall, but I felt too much had already been heard on TV, which of course is what lots of newcomers to classical music might appreciate. I managed to find about 2 hours of tracks that I wanted to keep, which works out quite expensive per disc, but I did find some wonderful music I had completely forgotten about, so it was worth it. All in all, it represents good value, and I have only knocked one star off as so much of it had been used in adverts.

It is definitely a good introduction to classical music, and it has made me want to listen to more of it, so I don't regret this 'expensive' purchase one bit!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

A very helpful collection.......2007-03-24

I define this set as an excellent way to find out who you like, and who you don't, among 20 of the important composers. It opens the door to purchasing more complete pieces by composers you do like, and can save a lot of time and money in the process.
To criticize the set for not containing more composers, or more than just snippets of those who are in the set, is missing the point: it is a helpful introduction to finding your way in the huge maze of classical music. It succeeds admirably in this.
Sound quality is uniformly very good on an audiophile system.
Highly recommended.

Excellent!.......2007-03-08

A great way to start a classical music collection. It's nice to have a full CD of each composer. It makes it easy to keep track of selections/composers I already have and what composers I still need to puchase to complete my collection.

Schubert: Die Winterreise / Fischer-Dieskau

Average customer rating:

A haunting cd for those winter days !
Schubert's Winterreise
Hearing Schubert's Winterreise
A Great Interpetation
good but he surpasses himself in 1971

Schubert: Die Winterreise / Fischer-Dieskau

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Great Recordings Of The Century - Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin / Fischer-Dieskau, Moore
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Schumann: Dichterliebe / Wunderlich, Giesen
Schubert: Schwanengesang; 4 Lieder
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

ASIN: B000001GQE
Release Date: 1996-02-13

Tracks:

Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Gute Nacht
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Die Wetterfahne
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Gefrorne Trn
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Erstarrung
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Der Lindenbaum
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Wasserflut
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Auf dem Flusse
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Ruckblick
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Irrlicht
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Rast
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Fruhlingstraum
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Einsamkeit
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Die Post
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Der greise Kopf
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Die Krahe
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Letzte Hoffnung
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Im Dorfe
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Der sturmische Morgen
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Tauschung
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Der Wegweiser
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Das Wirtshaus
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Mut!
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Die Nebensonnen
Winterreise D 911, Op.89: Der Leiermann

Amazon.com essential recording

Any great concert singer is likely to have a lifelong obsession with Schubert's greatest song cycle, which tracks the winter journey of a jilted lover wandering into the snow finding ever-greater depths of alienation. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau seemed to record the piece every 10 years or so, but this 1966 outing is said to be his favorite, and it's easy to understand why. All of his customary intelligence is in full evidence, but the voice is particularly resplendent. While this carries an obvious sensual appeal--and every two minutes or so he does something that takes your breath away--the voice also illuminates his overall interpretive concepts with a clarity that can be achieved perhaps only by a voice in its absolute prime. Particularly gratifying is his emotional directness; later performances could be so refined, so worked over that the emotionalism (such an important part of this piece) seemed more remembered than felt. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

A haunting cd for those winter days !.......2007-04-10

This is one of the best versions of schubert's winterreise.It has been remastered in state of the art sound,and is very lovely to listen to.The baritone sings very expressive and intelligently.Fischer-dieskau has a very rich tone to his voice here,which reminds me of a stroll through the gardens of a bavarian castle on a cloudly and gloomy winter's day.
A classic!

Schubert's Winterreise.......2006-11-07

I'll keep this short and sweet.
This is Schubert's greatest song-cycle and I've yet to find a better album to listen to in the middle of winter.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau probably has more vocal control, sensitivity and tonal colour than any vocalist I've ever heard. I've never heard a recording of his that didn't amaze me and I believe this to be the best thing he's ever done. And that's saying something considering the wealth of material he's recorded.
The atmosphere on this is, quite frankly, a miracle. There has never been an album shrouded in such a wintery chill.
I could listen to this everyday for a long period of time and never tire of it. Believe me because I've done just that. So go ahead and check it out. You'll regret not doing it sooner.

Hearing Schubert's Winterreise.......2006-07-03

For reasons I don't fully understand, I have developed a custom over the past several years of listening to Schubert's Winterreise at around the time of the Fourth of July. Perhaps it is the contrast between the hot summer days and the icy, wintery setting of Schubert's songs. In addition, the one-day summer break, encouraging reflection in the midst of a busy year, draws me to Schubert's music. But more so, while occupied with public celebrations, such as fireworks, parades, and company (which I also enjoy), I find it valuable to do something private,pensive, and deeply sad. It is the feeling of being alone. Thus, this year, as in several years past, I have reheard "Winterreise".

Winterreise is a cycle of 24 poems by Wilhelm Muller that Schubert set in 1827, just months before his death. The singer is a man who has just been rejected by a woman he has met in a town to which he has wandered. "A stranger I arrived/ a stranger I depart again", he sings at the outset of the work. The work covers a range of feelings from rejection through loneliness, despondency, self-criticism, anger, dashed hope, thoughts of suicide, heartbreak, and, at the end, madness. It is wrenching music, utterly sad. It captures feelings that those who have been alone will know, regardless of musical sophistication. For all the sadness of the score, I never fail to feel restored upon hearing it.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau recorded at least seven studio versions of "Winterreise" during a long career. I am most familiar with his recordings with his long-time accompanist, Gerald Moore; but I find that this recording, dating from 1966, with pianist Jorg Demus surpasses the versions with Moore. The phrasing, dramatic power, and passion of Fischer-Dieskau's singing on this recording are extraordinary. In virtually all of these songs, Fischer-Dieskau displays contrasts in the protagonist's mood and feelings. Many of the songs begin with slow and melancholy lines as Fischer-Dieskau works up to climactic passages of fury and despondency and then, frequently, falls back again. He makes great contrast between a declamatory singing style, almost approaching speech, and a flowing lyricism. Demus's accompaniment is smoldering and subdued. He sets the stage for Fischer-Dieskau with the many preludes Schubert composed for the songs, some of which are tone-paintings for the falling of the snow, the coldness of ice, the blowing of the wind, the flying of crows, and the isolation of the heart.

Among the songs that moved me on this hearing of "Winterreise" were no. 4, "numbness"; no. 5. "Der Lindenbaum", the most famous work of the cycle; no. 12, "Loneliness"; no. 14. "the hoary head" ; no. 15, the haunting "the crow"; no. 19, "deception" with its heartbreaking line "Ah, anybody as wretched as I/ yields gladly to this bright deceit"; and the two final songs of madness, nos. 23 and 24, "The Phantom Suns" and "The Organ Grinder."

Anyone who know what it is to be alone will love "Winterreise" regardless of the time of year. This recording is an unparallelled way to get to know this music.

Robin Friedman

A Great Interpetation.......2006-02-22

Fisher-Dieskau is at his best, portraying so much emotion it's almost hard to believe. The listener feels so connected to the story, and you just can't wait for the next piece to start. Highly reccommended to anyone who is serious about voice. Take note of how he nails the phrasing and uses it to portray all of the emotion.

good but he surpasses himself in 1971.......2005-12-15

DFD has a great voice here, yes. but I yhink in 1971, with still great vocal flexibility, achieves greater richness in phrasing (1st song as an example). And Demus!!! With repeated listening he plays quite boringly for my taste. For me a great combination is pregardien-staier (1825 fortepiano, with fantastic colours not available in modern steinways) or that 1971 DfD-Moore. Buy this only if you are a completist or can`t find these 2 recommendations. This is very good, but he recorded later a better version.

Average customer rating:

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound
A great collection of Liszt treasures
An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations.
Liszt for the ages.

Liszt: Piano Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Chopin: The Piano Works
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Works for Solo Piano
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ASIN: B00005ND3L
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C-Sharp Minor
Liebestraum No.3
Mephisto Waltz No.1
Funerailles (No.7 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Rigoletto: Conc Paraphrase
La Campanella

Tracks:

Die Forelle
Der Muller Und Der Bach
Wohin?
Lebe Wohl!
Das Wandern
Der Lindenbaum
Horch, Horch, Die Lerch
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
Die Post
Aufenthalt
Lob Der Tranen
Erlkonig
I. Allegro Con Fuoco
II. Adagio
III. Presto
IV. Allegro

Tracks:

Lento Assai - Allegro Energico -
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro Energico - Andante Sostenuto - Lento Assai
Valse Impromptu
I. 'Hohe Liebe' In A flat
II. 'Selinger Tod' In E Flat
III. 'O Lieb' In A Flat
Grand Galop Chromatique

Tracks:

I. Sposalizio
II Penseroso
III. Canzonetta Del Salvator Rosa
IV. Sonetto 47 Del Petrarca
V. Sonetto 104 Del Patrarca
VI. Sonetto 123: Del Petrarca
VII. Apres Une Lecture De Dance (Fant Quasi Son)

Tracks:

I. La Chapelle De Guillaume Tell
II. Au Lac De Wallenstadt
III. Pastorale
IV. Au Bord D'une Source
V. Orage
VI. Vallee D'Obermann
VII. Eglogue (Hirtengesang)
VIII. Le Mal Du Pays
IX. Les Cloches De Geneve

Tracks:

I Gondoliera
II. Canzone
III. Tarantella
Les Jeux D'eau A La Villa D'Este (No.4 Of Annees De Pelerinage, Troisieme Annee)
Benediction De Dieu Dans La Solitude: (No.3 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Ballade No.2 In B

Tracks:

I. Preludio: Presto
II. Molto Vivace
III. Paysage: Poco Adagio
IV. Mazeppa: Allegro
V. Feux Follets: Allegretto
VI. Vision: Lento
VII. Eroica: Allegro
VIII. Wilde Jagd: Presto Furioso
IX. Ricordanza: Andantino
X. Allegro Agitato Molto
XI. Harmonies Du Soir: Andantino
XII. Chasse-Neige: Andante Con Moto

Tracks:

Zwei Konzertetuden: I. Waldesrauschen
Zwei Konzertetuden: II. Gnomenreigen
I. Il Lamento
II. La Leggierezza
III. Un Sospiro
I. Andante Con Moto
II. Un Poco Piu Mosso
III. Lento Placido
IV. Quasi Adagio
V. Andantino
VI. Allegretto Sempre Cantabile
Reminiscences De Don Juan

Tracks:

Reminiscences De Norma
Totentanz (Danse Macabre)
Malediction
Fant On Hungarian Folk Themes

Customer Reviews:

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound.......2006-09-29

Piano playing of extraordinary romantic depth and breadth. Bolet is inside Liszt's mind, as Liszt's romantic self unfolds on the keyboard. It is as if Bolet is the master himself. Superlative recordings to boot!

A great collection of Liszt treasures.......2004-01-12

The booklet of this set has an interesting explanation of why Jorge Bolet stayed out of the spotlights for so long before taking up his -glorious- career. It was his devotion to Liszt. By then, in the 1950s, Liszt was still regarded as a B-composer (There are still people who tend to think so: I read someone who called Liszt `the father of all bar pianists'. Now, if you know a worse offence...). Only after Liszt's reputation had increased, Bolet could enter his `Indian summer', which lasted from about 1975 until his passing away in 1990. During this period, he was finally able to perform his favourite music as much as possible. This fine 9-disc set may indeed be Bolet's most important testament. Additionally, it's one of the most important Liszt collections on the market. But beware: there's much more than just Bolet, considering Liszt's piano works. I can't say this is the perfect set or near it. Still five stars, for some astonishing piano playing that we don't come across very often nowadays.

Bolet won a Gramophone Award for his 1st book of Années de Pelerinage, which is not strange when listening to the recordings. This is a portrait of a man who's entirely on his own, looking for his soul while wandering trough the beautiful Switzerland - I can't say it better than B. Johnson already did. It's Romantic nonsense, of course, but in Liszt's days it was a common idea, and it can still sweep me away. Bolet's superior tonal colouring - beautiful, but not too far-driven, for the risk it would almost be too intimidating - and his peaceful nature lift this music to the greatest heights. My only complaint would be the `Orage' piece: Bolet's technique can't quite handle it, and its aggressive nature is much less overwhelming as a result. Nevertheless, the rest of the pieces show him at his very best. So does the second year of the Années (that is oddly placed in the set before the first year by Decca). The Dante Sonata, one of Liszt's greatest pieces, fares very well under Bolet's hands.

Equally excellent were the Schubert Song Transcriptions. The transcriptions aren't very different from the original songs, but they are definitely interesting. Especially when someone like Bolet takes them under his hands! All songs are terrifically played, with real standouts like `Auf dem Wasser zu singen', `Der Mueller und der Bach' and `Erlkoenig'. Bolet's romantic touch (he may have been the last of his kind) lets the music unendingly flow. Brilliant!

These comments also apply to Liszt's Consolations, which are placed on another disc. Liszt shows here how much he's in debt to Schubert, and wrote music of a disarmingly lyrical nature. Bolet gives almost naively innocent readings of these pieces. Talking about singing music, why not include the Liebesträume, `Venezia e Napoli' and many, many other pieces as well. Although some people still regard Liszt as a bombastic composer, he was in fact much more active on the spiritual and lyrical area. It is largely this nature of Liszt that is put into the spotlights by Bolet. He is really terrific whenever music ought to sound peaceful and meditative.

But Liszt was also a stunning virtuoso. People may eschew him for that, but that's often without any good ground. The B minor Sonata and the Transcendental Etudes, to give some names, are not only pianistically but also musically amazing works. It takes to be both a good technician and a musician to play them well, and this is where Bolet occasionally fails. He was over 65 when he made these recordings, and I can't help but say that his technique was not anymore what it used to be. In many pieces you can hear him struggle.

In what may be the most difficult music Liszt wrote, the Transcendental Etudes, Bolet takes tempi that are almost too easy (e.g. no.10 should be `Allegro molto agitato' but Bolet plays it very moderately), perhaps because his technique was by then too limited to give the pieces a really impressive treatment. Even then, I do feel a ertain nobility in Bolet's slow approach that gives every study a dignified stature (and that's something you won't find with Kissin or Cziffra!). The sonata is similarly noble and yet tremendously powerful in its scope, even though Bolet may lack some technial control at isolated spots.

Anoter treacherous piece is the `Reminiscences de Don Juan', which is a transcription of no less an opera than -of course- Don Giovanni! Bolet plays this 20-minute piece with a lot of humour and swing: it's a great way to clean up your mind! Also recommendable are the Etudes de Concert (e.g. Waldesrauschen), whose light spirit is very well captured.

A treasure trove set overall, I can recommend it without any limitations. There's no other composer that suited Bolet as well as Liszt, and the vice versa may be true as well. But the pianist also has his weaker points, particularly regarding his technique, that wasn't what it used to be. Oh, and the piano sound is not always equally convincing: the instrument sounds a little shrill at times. But there's an amazing amount of colour in the instrument, and it allows Bolet to reachfor the deepest, darkest sonorities you've heard. This collection is therefore not just THE best Liszt: there are many more pianists who made supreme recordings of him (e.g. Arrau, Brendel, Richter) and I definitely recommend searching them out as well. After you've heard this!

An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations........2003-12-03

I was very impressed with Bolet's playing. His rendition of La Campanella is the best I've ever heard.

Liszt for the ages........2001-12-05

Both for those that would like to find out for the first time what Liszt is all about, and for those few that are very familiar with the Paganini of the 88: LOOK NO FURTHER!

It doesn't get any better than this.

After I heard throughout the seventies about this "unknown" great of the romantic repertoire, I was fortunate enough to see him for the first time about a month after he recorded the first issue of this now legendary Liszt series. While his technique may not have exactly been what it used to be before (e.g. Orage in Suisse of Les Annees), all the performances benefit from the wisdom of many, many years. While all the performances are of a uniform Olympic level, two issue stand out in my mind.

First, there is the cd of Schubert Liszt transcriptions. Bolet really sets the standards for "singing" on the piano. His version of "Der Muller und der Bach" has to be believed to be heard.

Most importantly though, there is "Suisse" the first year of Liszt's years of pilgrimage. I own this disc from the day it appeared on the shelves and still listen to it every month. Surely, there are more technically brilliant versions. For the true "Liszt Nuts", I would certainly advise Leslie Howard's version of "L'Album d'un voyageur", that contains the first version of many of the "Suisse" pieces, and some additional pieces that Frenz (for reasons that escape me completely) excluded from the later Suisse. Yet, nobody, not even Brendel or Berman, have come close to Bolet on delivering on the central theme of Suisse, man finding himself back in an exploration of nature.

While they stem from the earlier days of digital recording the recordings are still more than respectable and benefit greatly from Bolet's attention for color, aided by his favorite Bechstein.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing but hits.......2001-01-31

As with their first collection of label highlights, Hyperion's new two-disc collection provides a broad sampling of their exceptional catalogue and performers. Particularly rewarding are the selections from Beethoven (Scherzo from String Trio in C minor, op 9 no 3, performed by the Leopold Trio) and Thomas Tallis (Salvator mundi I, performed by the Winchester Cathedral Choir), but experienced and novice listeners alike will find much to enjoy on these discs. It's also a good value--more than 2 1/2 hours of music for less than $10.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Winterreise
I must be out of step
A Mild Winter
Just adding my praise to the fray of more eloquent voices
A Journey Through the Winter of Schubert and Muller

Schubert: Winterreise

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Die Schone Mullerin
Ian Bostridge - Schubert Lieder, Volume II
Ian Bostridge - Liederkreis Op. 24, Dichterliebe Op. 48 & 7 Lieder
Ian Bostridge - Schubert Lieder, Volume I
Ian Bostridge - Songs of Faure, Debussy & Poulenc

ASIN: B0002I8UGG
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

Gute Nacht
Die Wetterfahne
Gefror'ne Tranen
Erstarrung
Der Lindenbaum
Wasserflut
Auf Dem Flusse
Ruckblick
Irrlicht
Rast
Fruhlingstraum
Einsamkeit
Die Post
Der Greise Kopf
Die Krahe
Letzte Hoffnung
Im Dorfe
Der Sturmische Morgen
Tauschung
Der Wegweiser
Das Wirtshaus
Mut
Die Nebensonnen
Der Leiermann

Amazon.com

The Bostridge-Andsnes team has emerged as one of the top lieder recital duos on disc, and their devoted fans will want their controversial interpretation of Schubert's greatest song cycle. The controversy lies in what many will feel is Bostridge's excessive emphasis on textual explorations. For his admirers, this is his great strength, and here he sings Schubert's grim cycle with a dramatic intensity that portrays the desperation of the young protagonist. This is indeed a frozen winter's journey, presented with an admirable sense of drama and intimacy. But some will find it difficult to make the trip, considering Bostridge's staccato dramatics more an acting than a singing performance. In several songs, including "Auf dem Flusse" and "Rückblick," he ventures perilously close to the edge of what many listeners will accept. The singer contributes a booklet note that explains his interpretive stance and his textual changes. Andsnes, on his part, contributes some stunning pianism that's worth hearing. A fascinating journey then, if too individual a trip for many lieder fans to take. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Winterreise.......2007-01-10

I own the version with Dietrich Fisher-Dieskau and could never really get into it. I thought I would give this version a try because of positive reviews because Winterreise is so famous. I am glad I did. I find Ian Bostridge's singling to be subtle, yet dramatic and emotional. I am a big fan of pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. His playing brought out melodies in the music that I just didnt hear before.A soft, non-bombastic recording that retains the melancholy and drama.

I must be out of step.......2007-01-08

Since Ian Bostridge and Leif Ove Andsnes both garner their fair share of raves at Amazon, I doubt I'll influence anyone by differing. EMI has a long-term commitment to these artists, a token of their standing in the world of clasical msuc, but I find their Winterreise (which I also heard live in Carnegie Hall) wrong-headed. In Lieder singing there has to be a balance between natural songfulness and artistic license. For me, Bostridge crosses the line. He overstates every emotion, underlines every point he makes, and projects every word of Mueller's not exactly great poetry with intense drama.

But I am not a fair judge. The reason I flew to NY to heqr this concert was, in part, to see if I really did find Bostridge's voice creepy. I did and do. There's no accounting for these quirks of personal taste. As for Andsnes, I sat and listened for any particular insights much less revelations, but all I heard was recessive, polite playing that was only a cut or two above any outstanding professional accompanist. So there it is. Fling your arrows.

A Mild Winter.......2006-07-12

I have been a fan of Ian Bostridge for many years, and have always been most enamored of his numerous recordings of Schubert lieder. Needless to say, I was thrilled to pick up a copy of his recording of Winterreise. Before I bought this disc I was already in posession of two other recordings of this cycle (Hampson and Goerne, respectively). It was impossible for me to not compare Bostridge's attempt with that of Goerne and Hampson. While I've enjoyed both the aforementioned recordings equally, I found the Bostridge considerably less palatable. This is not to say that the entire recording was a disaster; a song cycle as immense as Die Winterreise often becomes a collection of small triumphs and small failures.

To me the Andsnes/Bostridge version is just a bit too uneven to garner a full five stars. It pains me to say that most of the gaps in quality come from Bostridge rather than Andsnes. There are occasions in the cycle in which Bostridge affects a style of singing that is far too mannered to be effective. Die Post is perhaps the biggest sore thumb in the cycle. The whole song comes off as plodding and labored, with Bostridge's vocal swells often resulting in compromised pitch accuracy. Bostridge's thick voiced interpretation of the song must have rubbed off on Andsnes whose ordinarily crisp, effervescent style sounds chunky and rhythmically imprecise. A minor distraction throughout the entire work is Bostridge's tendency to spit out his German, making one think that some of the more consonant rich songs may have required a toweling off of the mic after they were recorded.Der Leiermann is a rather perplexing interpretation of a stark song with stark imagery. To those familiar with standard versions, Bostridge's take is surprisingly clipped,a sound as barren as the landscape of Winterreise. Whether or not this is effective is up to the listener to judge.

In short, this is a recording that takes many risks vocally, and doesn't totally succeed. While Bostridge was most likely trying to create an emotional rendition of Die Winterreise, it sometimes tips the scale, becoming rather ham-fisted. Be aware, however, that thare are still some wonderful moments on this CD. Bostridge's superb sotto voce makes its normative round of appearnces, and Andsnes' accompaniment is nothing if not stellar (with the above mentioned exception). I'll end here with a caveat to the buyer: This is a Winterreise that will challenge the listener, as much a difficult journey for the listener as the singer.

Just adding my praise to the fray of more eloquent voices .......2005-09-04

I have listened to this disc only a few times but already Ian and Leif Ove have both given me an appreciation, even a liking, of Schubert that I had not expected. Grady Harp has noted Ian's emphasis on the poetics, and I think that this aspect is actually what makes me like it so much. One has the impression that the music and the text are given equal consideration by the performers and that Ian is very conscious of what he is singing. I am tempted to call it an intellectual interpretation, not that such a description would detract from the musicality or musicianship of these artists.

My only complaint is that Ian tends to aspirate very heavily on consonants at the end of words, so the T and S in particular are very sharp, almost spat/hissed. At times it can be distracting or even annoying (I don't remember German ever sounding like that). Nevertheless, this disc will be inhabiting my CD player for quite some time to come.

A Journey Through the Winter of Schubert and Muller.......2005-04-01

WINTERREISE is not only a demanding song cycle for the listener with its dramatic implosions and dark verse relentlessly sad; it is likewise a treacherous work for both singer and pianist. The twenty-four songs that comprise this cycle challenge the extremes of both baritone and tenor ranges and though it has been recorded frequently, it has rarely found the right voice that can convey the power of both the music and the poetry.

Until now. Ian Bostridge owns a voice that surveys the highs and lows of the range Schubert seemed to cruelly challenge the performer. Whether his is an extended tenor voice or an extended baritone voice is for the individual to decide. His high notes are clarion: his low notes are robust and rich. The real marker of success for this particular cycle however is the marriage of words to music, and it is this power of communication that sets Bostridge apart. While others have tried to convey the pathos of these songs, they usually resort to mannerisms that simply become annoying. It is true that Bostridge concentrates on word values and succeeds where others fail, and if some find this poetic emphasis demeaning to the musical line then there are other versions available.

As far as the total experience of the 'Winterreise' credibility, it depends greatly on the musicianship on both the keyboard as well as the vocal cords. Whoever is responsible for the partnership idea of placing Bostridge and Leif Ove Andsnes together deserves kudos. Their temperaments are so similar that it is uncanny. While other pianistic collaborators offer solid support, Andsnes is an equal voice. His mastery of the 'Schubertian sound' is amazing. The journey here is truly a partnership and it is hard to imagine another as effective for this cycle. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, March 05

Average customer rating:

Surprised
You will be transfixed...
Soft, Real, and Very Good
An elegant classical offering from a pop icon

The Classical Nana

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Nuestras Canciones
Ma Verite
Nana Latina
Ode To Joy
Vielles Chansons de France

ASIN: B000001FPM
Release Date: 1989-07-14

Tracks:

Adagio Notturno- Op. Posth. 148 D. 897: Only Time Will Tell
Norma: Qual Cor Tradisti
Danse Espagnole, No.5- Andalouse: La Andaluza
Adagio Per Archi Ed Organo: Adagio
Maitre Pathelin: Romance
Suite No.11- Sarabande: Gloria Eterna
Aranjuez: En Aranjuez Con Mi Amor
Le nozze di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete
Carmen: Habanera
Nabucco: Song for Liberty
Elixir Of Love: Una Furtiva Lagrima
Moise En Egypte: Mon Dieu
Serenade_: Serenade
La Celestine: Plaisir d'Amour
Norma: Casta Diva
Winterreise: Der Lindenbaum
Recuerdos De La Alhambra
Ave Maria, Op. 52, No.6- 1825: Ave Maria

Customer Reviews:

Surprised.......2004-05-04

I am an opera fan and normally detest the sound of non-opera singers trying out their pipes on Mozart, Verdi, Rossini, Puccini, etc. I bought this disc years ago and it's been collecting dust. But since breaking it out, I can't stop listening. Nana's voice doesn't have the classical quality that I am used to from the likes of Kiri Te Kanawa and Mirella Freni, but she makes up for it with her unique style, although she gets a tad shrill on a couple of the songs. But considering she was about 55 when this was recorded it's amazing she still had such range and quality. The arrangements, orchestrations and chorus are breathtaking. Rodrigo's Concierto Aranjuez, with words, was a real surprise. The second movement has to be one of the all-time beautiful melodies ever written and what a perfect voice to sing it. Verdi's "Song for Liberty" from Nabucco is my favorite cut on the disc but there isn't one dud out of 18 tracks and that in itself is a marvel.

You will be transfixed..........2003-07-23

...when you hear Nana Mouskouri's rendition of the Bellini aria from Norma. This artist has been recording for at least 30 years or so-- and I have yet to hear her sing something badly-- she sings in Greek, English, French-- every language-- with astonishing beauty. Excellent

Soft, Real, and Very Good.......2001-10-17

I am sorry to say that I had never heard of Nana before. That is to my detriment. This album is supurb. The music is real, the orchestration is very good, and Nana's voice is unequaled for this type of music. Based exclusively on this album, I plan to buy every one of her CD's I can find.

An elegant classical offering from a pop icon.......1999-11-19

I'm program director of a classical music radio station, and this disc has become a favorite with our morning drive audience -- less idiosyncratic than Sarah Brightman's popular but over-hyped offerings, and Mouskouri's voice is richer (though with less power) as well. Mouskouri has always been more popular in Europe than the US but has had a strong following in America anyway. Even her most ardent fans must have been surprised when this disc was released a few years ago, for it is a surprisingly elegant and moving interpretation of classical melodies. A few retain their original lyrics, and Mouskouri has added lyrics to some works that were originally instrumental, but everything is handled with grace and style. And that voice! Fluid, silky, always balanced -- it's a wonderful disc.

Average customer rating:

Bach Would be Smiling
Did not like it at all
Hewitt tames the Toccatas
Good, average...
A.H. is among the very bests

Bach: The Toccatas
Johann Sebastian Bach , and Angela Hewitt
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Bach: Fantasia in C minor; Two-Part Inventions; Three-Part Inventions; Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue
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Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2

ASIN: B000069CVA
Release Date: 2002-08-13

Tracks:

Toccata in C minor
Toccata in G major
Toccata in F sharm minor
Toccata in E minor
Toccata in D minor
Toccata in G minor
Toccata in D major

Amazon.com

A toccata--from the Italian word meaning "to touch"--was originally a glorified keyboard warm-up, in which scales and arpeggios were tossed off with improvisatory abandon. But as Angela Hewitt shows, Bach's youthful forays into this genre were finely wrought gems, masterpieces in miniature. This dazzling CD matches the extraordinarily high standards she has set herself in the complete keyboard Bach she is building up year by year. Her touch is springy and muscular, her pulse rock-steady; the more anarchic Bach's fancy becomes, the more rigorously she controls its expression. Taking her cue from the absence of autograph manuscripts, she puts these works into a satisfying running order, so we can savor them as we would at a recital. The liner notes are--as usual with this coruscating communicator--a performance in themselves. Musical commentary is seldom so fresh, or so illuminating for those who want to follow in her footsteps. And yes, she makes a brilliant case for the piano in Bach: in these 65 glorious minutes, there's not one dull moment. --Michael Church

Customer Reviews:

Bach Would be Smiling.......2006-12-22

Listen to the Fugue from BWV 915 (No 6 on this Album) and try not to smile. It is pleasant and bouncy and irresistable. I keep playing this part over and over. Angela Hewitt plays it freely and boldly like a child skipping in the park.

She plays cleanly and accutrately, but what adds to the beauty is how improvisational she sounds; and we know the Baroque masters excelled at improvisation.

Did not like it at all.......2006-09-12

I really did not like it at all. It looks like all the magic that Gould did put in those pieces is gone. Gould's interpretation is an introspective journey in a music that seems to be just born under his fingers.
A total dispointment after reading other reviews.

Hewitt tames the Toccatas.......2005-08-17

Many know the famous story of how an eager, young Bach journeyed 10 days by foot to a distant village to hear the great organist Buxtehude, staying many months longer than he was given permission. It is fortunate probably that he stayed so long to learn from this master - for such early yet luminous works like the toccatas here clearly show the influence of this virtuositic organist and his free, improvisatorial manner of composing (termed "stylus fantasticus"). In her abundant and well-written liner notes, Hewitt quotes one authority on this style: "It is the most free and unrestrained method of composing; it is bound to nothing, neither to words nor to a melodic subject; it was instituted to display genius and to teach hidden design of harmony and the ingenious composition of harmonic phrases and fugues." While not purposely written as a grouping or teaching tool, these seven so-called Toccatas were assembled together based on these characteristics. They are free displays of virtuosity with daring runs of scales, arpeggios and the like - music full of vitality yet free of form for the most part.

The 2005 Gramophone Guide gave this CD the top "Gold Star" rating (3/3 stars) and concluded: "Her performances could hardly be more stylish or impeccable, more vital or refined. Hewitt's playing is personal and characterful without resorting to self-serving or distorting idiosyncracy." Moreover, the Penguin Guide summarized this recording this way: "We have no hesitation in declaring this the most stimulating and rewarding CD of these complex and episodic works on any instrument, consistently showing Bach's youthful explorations at their most stimulating."

Indeed, there is much variety, inventiveness and drama in this music that Angela Hewitt brings out to the fullest - from the songful and even contemplative slower interludes to rippling demisemiquaver scales that open some pieces to the powerful, complex fugues. Perhaps the richest aspect of Hewitt's playing here is her ability to skillfully and subtly shape the repeating episodes within the fugues by her nuances of color and dynamics. Many of these fugues have short themes that Bach incessently repeats throughout the piece (a famous trait of Bach that he is able to pull off to great effect). With most composers or playing, such repeated motiffs would quickly become monotonous or grating to the ear - as some Toccatas can be on the harpsichord as Hewitt points out. But, with Bach's skillful contrapunctal writing and Hewitt's imaginative playing, she transforms these repetative fugal sections into music of wonderous appeal and fascination - building an unfolding drama within the piece to great effect. The G-minor and D-minor Tocattas are fine examples of how Hewitt's subtle touches transforms these incessent fugues into lumanscent wonders.

One recording of the Toccata in C-minor that is quite interesting by comparison is that of Martha Argerich. While not noted for her playing of Bach, Miss Argerich in the early 80's put to disc a dynamic performance of this Toccata (along with a Partita and English suite on DG). Where Ms. Argerich's bold performance reminds one of Bach's legendary powerful tone and command, Hewitt's touch is worlds apart in its subtltry, charm, inflection and nuance. Hearing Argerich's version along side Angela Hewitt's performance helps to illuminate Miss Hewitt's style more clearly - which is one of longer, more-lyrical flow with a notably beautiful tone and something intangible that might be best called a "heartfelt quality." Hewitt's C-minor Toccata exudes a more songful flow and subtle artistry compared to Argerich's more punchy and "intellectual" reading. Actually, Hewitt's reading can easily be described as "pretty" by comparison (perhaps too pretty for some). She is always a pianist and utilizes the greater expressive range of her Steinway to achieve maximum emotional qualities and tonal beauty.

So, overall, Angela Hewitt's Toccatas are at the top of the class as Penguin Guide and Gramophone notes. With repeated listening, it has become a favorite of her entire discography - part for Bach's fascinating composing and part from Hewitt's sparkling and full-of-life pianism. Compositions - 5 stars; Performance - 5 stars; Sound quality - 4.5 stars.

Good, average..........2005-07-07

All things considered, this performance is far less impressive and interesting than Gould's. Counterpoint lacks, very quiet and smooth playing, no flagrant and uprising dynamics shifting. No take offs, no surprise. Ideal as muzak, in elevator or restaurant.

A.H. is among the very bests.......2005-04-15

First I sent my opinion to my friend, a man of erudition -he was who bid me to publish it here. Maybe this is premature a bit.

To form a better opinion of these recordings I had to listen several times with maximum attention. So now I can write more about the two Hewitt discs, the Bach Toccatas (comparison: Glenn Gould) and the Italian Concerto etc. disc.
The latest development in Bach pianism (and also in playing Beethoven Quartets) is that perfect technique is not an unreachable goal but an obvious point of origin. Looking at today's greatest Bach master, Koroljev, he reached , we believe, unsurpassable perfection exactly this way. To achieve this, several months of seclusion and monastic concentration is required.
Hewitt is also among the giants. Different from Koroliev, she doesn't worry about one-hundredth of seconds, but instead we are rewarded with an increased joy of life. This is Bach we dream about, we know about but couldn't attain. Koroliev's Bach is heavenly, but Glenn Gould's Toccatas are examples of a deeply involved and serious savage subjectivity.
Hewitt knows that seriousness is not the voice of passion. Homage, but not worship. The piano toccatas lead us into a different world than the organ toccatas. The organ toccatas in spite of all their grandeur are still just organ pieces. The piano toccatas, however, are stylized; they are like suites and serious tests of endurance. This CD is the opposite side of the Capriccios, but Hewitt's both sides are wonderful. She understands the Bach spirit completely. She is not hammering, but not too light hearted either. Has weight, but not heavy like of the previous generation, say Brendel. Just as much as needed. Maybe this is her real strength.

Horowitz: The Private Collection, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

A Bach rarity.
Stunning Live Performances from Horowitz

Horowitz: The Private Collection, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Horowitz: The Private Collection, Vol. 2
Horowitz: Discovered Treasures
Horowitz: The Last Recording
Horowitz Rediscovered
Horowitz Encores

ASIN: B000003FPW
Release Date: 1994-10-11

Tracks:

Toccata, BWV 911, In C Minor: Toccata
Toccata, BWV 911, In C Minor: Fugue
Sonata, Op.33 No. 1, In A-Major
Sonata, Op.36, No.1, In A: Presto
Sonata, Op.24, No.2-Op.47, No.2, In B-Flat: I. Allegro con brio
Sonata, Op.34, No.1, In C: II. Un poco andante, quasi allegretto
Lieder ohne Worte-Songs Without Words, Op. 67:: No.3 In B-Flat
Fantaisie, Op.49, In F Minor
Polonaise, Op.26, No.1 In C-Sharp Minor
Mazurka, Op.30, No.2, In B Minor
Consolation No. 4 In D-Flat
Consolation No. 5 In E
Etude-tableau, Op. 39, No.7, In C Minor

Customer Reviews:

A Bach rarity........2001-10-01

Being a great Horowitz fan, I just had to find out how the master would fare in a non-transcribed Bach work.

Just like Michelangeli, Horowitz was of the opinion that a pianist should study the whole reperoire, but be selective in the works to be played in front of an audience.

While his Bach-Busonis do not represent the heights of his discography -just compare with Lipatti-, I do consider Horowitz' Scarlatti as one of the milestones in the history of recorded sound.

So how is the Bach? Very interesting!

We are currently in the (post-)authentic era. After the romantics like Horowitz and Fischer, the objectivists like Walcha and Karl Richter, the authenticists like Leonhardt and Harnoncourt, we are currently in a post-paradigmatic stage. It took them a while, but even the Gilberts, Koopmans, van Asperens, Tans, etc. etc. have finally figured out that their "authentic" approach was often more romanticized, than the one they despised in their predecessors. For those in doubt just listen to this performance.

Comparing Horowitz' Toccata to versions by Gould and Argerich highlights what a skilled and original artist he was. This Toccata represents an early work of the greatest master and often substitutes theatrical drama for more mature contrapunctual skill. This is ofcourse right down Horowit' alley. He plays the piece highly imaginative, dramatic, and with great clarity. A true blockbuster.

This recording highlights how modern Horowitz was. He is often portrayed as the last romantic, but just compare this Bach to Rachmaninov's Sarabande of Bach's fourth Partita in the complete Rach. recordings.

All the other works are available in technically better versions that I strongly prefer based on the dismal sonics of this disc.

Buy this disc. The Bach by itself warrants the price of admission.

Stunning Live Per