Best Baroque Dance Suites
Giuliano Carmignola, backed by the Venice Baroque Orchestra led by Andrea Marcon offer a program of such thrilling energy and virtuosity that it's impossible not to get caught up in their passion for the music.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderful music!!"
"A nice addition to our collection."
"Really beautiful...I listen to this often."
"I have a large classical music collection and a wide range of favorites but this album is a continual favorite."
"I highly recommend this CD and Concerto Veneziano (#1 fabulous!)."
"One can easily imagine this entorage playing in the very special small churches and other venues in Venice that surround the Ospedale della Pieta (the orphanage where Vivaldi was employed for most of his composing lifetime)."
Early Mexican music resounds in this joyful program featuring over two centuries of festive Christmas dances and villancicos from the great cathedrals of Puebla and Mexico City.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Gave to mexican priest."
"Great anytime music really ."
"The item arrived quickly."
"This wasn't exactly what I hoped, which was music more heavily laced with sounds of indigenous music."
"The music is gently embraced, performed with joyfullness and excellent taste, allowing to listener to enter fully into its enjoyment."
"Great for listening to on cold winter days , while baking Christmas cookies or writing out Christmas cards."
"Took me until this Christmas to purchase it and it certainly did not disappoint."
"This was a great recording that I added to my cultural music collection."
BACH/SANZ/SOR/BREAM - BAROQUE GUITAR - CD.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Gaspar Sanz pieces that start the disc contain material incorporated by Joaquin Rodrigo into his very well-known Concierto de Aranjuez."
"Bream, I think, is doing something very different: He is getting it down in a near-perfect form, playing for the ages, not creating a special moment for one listener in the room. Bream moments are for the listener at some remove, to absorb, or just attend, worth as much of your attention as you care to give."
"I love this recording."
"But Julian Bream breathes, does not put the accent on virtuosity but more on musical phrasing, takes a slightly slower tempo sometimes (the lovely Bach prelude in d). Unlike other reviewers, I'm not at all bothered by the recording quality, it's perfectly adequate; although there is no attempt to dissimulate the hiss due to shifting between positions, there isn't as much of it to disrupt listening, and the sound is otherwise rich and full with harmonies. The most dynamic pieces (Sanz' Canarios, Bach's Prelude and fugue, Weiss' Fantasy, Bach's suite allemande, bourree and gigue) alternate with more pensive, almost lethargic pieces by de Visee."
"Ilke this CD a lot!"
"There is nothing to criticize in this man's playing."
"A true "Must Have" for the lover of classical and guitar music!"
Best Allemandes
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A CD ROM is also included with History and other interesting facts plus the complete Libretto. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to the Mass in B Minor from the collection performed by The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra."
"It is just amazing to sort through the variety of Bach's work just by instrument and voice. I agree that you could find a better Brandenburg Concertos, as I have, but it is still good enough to stand a listen."
"I just received this set this evening and have listened to three CDs chosen at random. Given that Bach is by far my favorite composer, and that I prefer performances on period instruments, I am much more than impressed with what I have heard so far. Normally I would wait longer to review a purchase, but it will take at least a couple of months to listen to the entire set, and I am very pleased already. UPDATE: Wish I had checked the price on Amazon.UK, which sells it for about twenty dollars less, including delivery, making it about fifty-five cents per disc."
"Be advised however that a handful of items are missing: First of all, although the documentation mentions the St. Mark Passion (CD V-22 and V-23) and the St. Luke Passion (CD V-24 and V-25), these items are not actually included in the set -- they are not even listed in the directory of vocal works on the inside lid (and these CDs contain other selections). I have now been listening to these for one full year, typically while I am driving to/from work or while hiking."
Best Courantes
To celebrate its 50th Anniversay, harmonia mundi presents 50 masterworks in the development of Western classical music, performed by undisputed masters in their field. Whether you are an inquisitive novice or a discerning connoisseur, you will be thrilled to experience the sonic triumphs of the world's most innovative independent label. This imaginative collection offers exceprts from some of the label's most memorable albums, featuring such artists as William Christie, Isabelle Faust, Rene Jacobs, and Andrew Manze. ". Anonymous 4, Alfred Deller, Andrew Manze, Rene Jacobs, and Phillippe Herreweghe among them, this is a special treat.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I sat on the fence for a long time before purchasing this Harmonia Mundi 50th anniversary box set. The works themselves range from those you have probably heard, or know to some extant (Bach / Matthew'sPassion, Art of Fugue, Chopin Ballads, Schubert Sonata D960, Fantasy in C etc) to those you are probably not as familiar with (Purcell/ King Arthur) to those that are completely unfamiliar (Keiser / Croesus). Herreweghe's first recording of Matthew's Passion was a gorgeous, soulful interpretation of this masterwork that has me seeking out his other performances. Fretwork's interpretation of the Art of Fugue was nothing but delightful, and complements the versions on the shelf featuring piano, string quartet and organ (you know who) without replacing them."
"No matter where you live, Amazon UK is offering this superb boxset at an unbeatable price (the original European retail)."
"Imagine my good fortune, and surprise, when this arrievd at my house! I have been picking out and listening to CDs that immediately appealed to me, either because of the composer, or the orchestra/artist playing it, or the venue where it was recorded (there are several CDs that have a Belgian connection, and I am from Belgium originally)."
"I have been thoroughly surprised to enjoy 98% of the music on the 30 CDs."
"Wonderfully varied selection of works, a treasure trove - everyone will discover something new, about 90% was new to me."
"I have found this interesting and informative."
Best Gigue
Mozart Edition: The Complete Works will make a great gift this Holiday season for the music lover in your life or someone who is hard to buy for.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you are loading some of the works into your iTunes library for use on an iPod, as I am, there are inconveniences in variability of the disc labeling such that the format of the labeling varies between parts of the same opera so that iTunes loads the tracks on one part out of order in the library. You will have to manually correct the labeling of each track in order to get the tracks of the operas affected by this problem in correct order for iTunes and your iPod to play them in correct order. For instance, the CD in the envelope labeled part 3 of Cosi Fan Tutte, volume 9 CD 40 with the CD itself labeled part 3, volume 9 CD 40, actually contains the tracks for part 1, volume 9 CD 38, so you get a duplicate of CD 38 but no CD 40, thus missing the last tracks of Cosi Fan Tutte. There are also several cases so far of tracks that "freeze" and cycle the read head in the CD drive and preventing ejection of the CD without closing iTunes and starting it up again with the offending track unchecked to cause iTunes to bypass it. So far (about 60% of the discs reviewed) the errors have occurred on only a few discs, with manual relabeling correcting all but a couple of incorrect track content problems."
"It is hard to justify spending $120 for one opera, but if you do buy this Mozart box set you will be rewarded with a delightful Così fan tutte. Huub Claessens brings the correct blend to Don Alfonso -- a character actor's comic patter plus a lyrical ability to actually sing the music. Soile Isokoski tosses off Fiordiligi's "Come scoglio" without making it sound like an Olympic routine on the uneven parallel bars. While her trouser impersonations of the doctor and notary are somewhat sloppy (albeit for intentional comic purposes), I'll take her chesty blustering over the standard drill of ear-piercing nasality. Don Giovanni is quite good, although the cast is not as strong as for Così, and the tempos seem out of proportion in the Act One finale. I like Le nozze di Figaro despite its flaws -- blatant nepotism is perpetrated by Marie Kuijken (the conductor's wife? I have found a few unfamiliar (to me) treasures in the box set: The Divertimenti of Volume 3 make pleasant background music while I am working."
"Mozart, along with all piano music composers/players of that period, would have given his right arm for a modern piano; well maybe not an arm, but possibly a leg. Most of those are very well done as well, although I must point out to those performers as well as all other "period practice" cultists, that Bach did not write for countertenors."
Best Sarabande
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If they can now be found, I actually prefer the later re-makes from the 1990s by de Leeuw of Satie's early works Piano Music [3 CD/DVD Box Set] -- they are played for the most part at marginally faster tempi, and I like the sound better (there are other reviewers that report audio short comings. These later versions are also paired with some of Satie's songs from an earlier LP, and a DVD of an artsy Satie film from the early 90s, which has a sound track also played by de Leeuw (alas, I believe this 4-disc set is very long out-of-print, find it if you can). For Satie played at just the right pace, the "golden mean" perhaps, one may wish to check out the work of Håkon Austbø Satie: Gymnopédies, Gnossiennes, who also tends to play rather slow, but not in the shocking manner of de Leeuw."
"These renditions are played incredibly slowly--that is the key feature of this recording, and if a listener is used to how these pieces are generally played, they may find the slow pace disconcerting."
"Compelling performances of the gymnopedies AND the much less known Gnostic fantasies."
"I feel de Leuuw's interpretation of Satie to be the most beautiful and satisfying."
"Very good recording if you like the style of the artist."
"Mr. de Leeuw's slow, spacious interpretations have caused some controversy."
"The best Gymnopdies and Gnossiennes performance."
"This is the man that brought real basic dark music to the piano."
Best Classical Dances
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My 8 yr old son LOVES these."
"This was a gift and the recipient was delighted to receive it; she had a very happy day and plays it often."
"We have this set, as well as volume 1."
"a must have for long car rides... great stories about composers and their music for the family."
"bought as a gift for nephew's family."
"My son listens to these over and over since he was 5 and he is now 13. if you pic any classical children's cds, pick these!!!"
"I love these Classical Kids CDs."
Best Ballets
For us home listeners, though, this is a superb way to hear Tchaikovsky's complete score and to remind ourselves of how much good music isn't included in the familiar suite.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Maybe I know nothing about music, but I was disappointed with how the sound was mixed for this."
"Excellent recording."
"Her sister took ballet for 10 years and she used this CD to practice for her different roles to her appropriate music."
"This is a complete recording of Nutcracker needed for a ballet production for a class in Central America."
"Beautiful music, good quality."
"One either loves the music and dancing or they do not."
Best Bourées
Item Specifications Color Silver Material Alloy Hub Drilling 32 Rear Axle Type 10x1 Cassette Body Type Threaded Standard Hub/Brake Compatibility Rim Brake Valve Standard Schrader ISO Diameter 622 / road / 29 Valve Length Schrader Wheel Size 700c Tire Type Clincher Rear Wheel Type Road Rear Hub Spacing 135 Spoke Info DT Swiss Industry Rim Alex Y2000 Skewer Included Yes Defined Color Silver.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Addictive, enthralling, bewitching..."
"Ashkenazy used to be a hero of mine (starting with his performance of Rachmaninov's preludes)."
"My son, for whom I bought this, absolutely loves this complete set."
"I have listened to the works of a number of composers, but Chopin always stands out with his remarkable ability to translate raw human emotion into musical tones from the piano. The music of Chopin contains so much pure poetic beauty, but I think his true genius comes through in pieces written in the minor keys. For the piano, it requires subtle technique with dynamics and license in meter (which Chopin was occasionally criticized for) to truly translate the emotion."
"This is a great set to own to get a good feeling for the entirety. of Chopin's output."
"His ability to write such technically difficult pieces that are also melodic and pleasing to the ear is truly incredible."
"What a great set - 13 discs of Chopin delivered with technical elan and profound feeling."
Best Gavottes
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I purchased this cd because I liked the 3rd symphony so much that I wanted to add the others to my library. Not only has this unnumbered symphony become my favorite from Saint-Saëns, it has become my favorite symphony (though I do prefer the first 3 movements to the last, which I find to be less distinctive). I have noticed that often times his phrases actually overlap, which might explain the natural flow, or which may just indicate that he took greater caution with his transitions that others did."
"My only quibble is that the Third Symphony is divided into only two tracks, the actual two movements as composed, not into the four sections customarily separated on CD recordings of this work."
"Yes, I do find listening to Saint Saens' Symphonies a wonderful musical experience although I do know it's not considered to be too musically "cool" to enjoy the Saint Saens' Symphonies, I really DON'T CARE! This two disc set (each disc running well over 70 minutes) of the Saint Saens' Symphonies is filled with some lovely late romantic charmers--Saint Saens' complete 5 symphonies. No, these symphonies ain't Mahler and no they don't require deep serious "brain-cramp" inducing contemplation; however, these symphonies by Camille Saint Saens are a real listening pleasure being so very easy to mentally grasp that I just allowed myself to be swept away in the sheer romantic sounds of the works. The most famous of Saint Saens' Symphonies is, of course, the "Organ" Symphony (the third) and it is indeed very exciting with the pipe organ at times full throttle up against a full orchestra at full throttle too. EMI sound engineers have done a great job of capturing the sound of these rather large orchestra works (Symphonies 1-3 plus two un-numbered symphonic works--Symphony in F major "Urbs Roma" and the Symphony in A major.)."
Best Musettes
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A CD ROM is also included with History and other interesting facts plus the complete Libretto. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to the Mass in B Minor from the collection performed by The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra."
"It is just amazing to sort through the variety of Bach's work just by instrument and voice. I agree that you could find a better Brandenburg Concertos, as I have, but it is still good enough to stand a listen."
"I just received this set this evening and have listened to three CDs chosen at random. Given that Bach is by far my favorite composer, and that I prefer performances on period instruments, I am much more than impressed with what I have heard so far. Normally I would wait longer to review a purchase, but it will take at least a couple of months to listen to the entire set, and I am very pleased already. UPDATE: Wish I had checked the price on Amazon.UK, which sells it for about twenty dollars less, including delivery, making it about fifty-five cents per disc."
"Be advised however that a handful of items are missing: First of all, although the documentation mentions the St. Mark Passion (CD V-22 and V-23) and the St. Luke Passion (CD V-24 and V-25), these items are not actually included in the set -- they are not even listed in the directory of vocal works on the inside lid (and these CDs contain other selections). I have now been listening to these for one full year, typically while I am driving to/from work or while hiking."
Best Pavanes
The Piano Guys have become a YouTube sensation with their clever and inspiring takes on popular music and creative videos that accompany them. Their debut album on Sony Masterworks includes songs featured in their hit videos, including their latest viral smash, a distinctive take on One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful." The deluxe release of their self-titled 2012 album, with 3 bonus tracks plus an accompanying DVD containing 8 of their most popular music videos.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is excellent music to work by, especially if you work with words. There's not much singing, the music is uplifting without being exhausting (Hans Zimmer soundtracks, I'm looking at you here), it's like a mental massage while you work."
"I can't remember who first introduced me to The Piano Guys, but I saw them first on YouTube."
"We really enjoy listening to these two musical geniuses."
"I love the upbeat quality of some of my favorite classical pieces blended with more contemporary music."
"Lest that makes them sound stuffy, it was precisely because they were so completely different from anything I'd heard before that I wanted to know if I was really hearing them accurately. My favorite piece involves a topless piano so they can pluck the strings, play percussion with their hands on the side of the piano from the inside, carry a beat by lightly hitting the keyboard cover to the full-up position in rhythm to, yes, someone actually playing the keys on the keyboard."
"Their sound is. deep, soulful, and expressive, which only comes from truly gifted and trained artists."
"Whatever, "Piano Guys" is at least as much "Cello Guys" as piano."
"This album is a good value for your money."
Best Polonaises
A classic collection of 11 CDs that compiles every recording that the late Arthur Rubinstein released on the RCA label from 1946-1967!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I always believe Rubinstein's Chopin performance is the greatest."
"A must-have for Chopin lovers."
"I'm not that professional, well I like the ballade No.1 very much when first listening to it on a plane."
"I have to admit that i am addicted to the Nocturnes."
"Rubenstein and Chopin."
"This is a gift for my birthday for my husband to give me!"
"Marvelous!"
Best Ecossaises
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My 8 yr old son LOVES these."
"This was a gift and the recipient was delighted to receive it; she had a very happy day and plays it often."
"We have this set, as well as volume 1."
"The CDs arrived promptly, and my niece loves them!"
"a must have for long car rides... great stories about composers and their music for the family."
"bought as a gift for nephew's family."
"My son listens to these over and over since he was 5 and he is now 13. if you pic any classical children's cds, pick these!!!"
Best Mazurkas
A classic collection of 11 CDs that compiles every recording that the late Arthur Rubinstein released on the RCA label from 1946-1967!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I always believe Rubinstein's Chopin performance is the greatest."
"A must-have for Chopin lovers."
"I'm not that professional, well I like the ballade No.1 very much when first listening to it on a plane."
"I have to admit that i am addicted to the Nocturnes."
"Rubenstein and Chopin."
"This is a gift for my birthday for my husband to give me!"
"Marvelous!"
Best Minuets
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My 8 yr old son LOVES these."
"This was a gift and the recipient was delighted to receive it; she had a very happy day and plays it often."
"We have this set, as well as volume 1."
"a must have for long car rides... great stories about composers and their music for the family."
"bought as a gift for nephew's family."
"My son listens to these over and over since he was 5 and he is now 13. if you pic any classical children's cds, pick these!!!"
"I love these Classical Kids CDs."
Best Galliardes
6 CDs feature collaborations with his famous colleagues Sigiswald Kuijken, Frans Bruggen and Anner Bylsma, the Leonhardt-Consort and Harry van der Kamp.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is always a great pleasure to listen to Gustav Leonhardt playing baroque music at cembalo and organ."
"I bought it for my husband because reviews stated that Leonhardt's version of Bach's Goldberg Suite was the best."
"Masterly performances from the great masters of early music."
"A no brainer for the price."
"Excellent quality production almost as good as Archiv."
"Leonhardt was always so faithful to the scores - I give it 5 for my utmost respect for the man, but I don't like all the cds (9 or 10) equally well, but none are bad."
"My God, could this guy play."
"Wonderful music beautifully played."
Best Waltzes
A classic collection of 11 CDs that compiles every recording that the late Arthur Rubinstein released on the RCA label from 1946-1967!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I always believe Rubinstein's Chopin performance is the greatest."
"A must-have for Chopin lovers."
"I'm not that professional, well I like the ballade No.1 very much when first listening to it on a plane."
"I have to admit that i am addicted to the Nocturnes."
"Rubenstein and Chopin."
"This is a gift for my birthday for my husband to give me!"
"Marvelous!"
Best Tangos
While the result isn't your essential Piazzolla album (that would have to include more of the composer's own playing), it's an atmospheric and convincing collection, perhaps a good introduction for those who don't know the music.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have better sounding CD's from Yo Yo Ma."
"After reading "The Gods of Tango" I decided to learn more about the music that was so much a part of the novel."
"Beautiful soulful music to listen to, love it."
"La delicadeza de la interpretacion y los arreglos de YO-YO-MA, es sinigual."
"The first song on this CD superbly captures the Argentina tango."
"What can you say about a musical icon, fantastic."
Best Galops
On the 150th anniversary of his death, Deutsche Grammophon released this impressive box set featuring the complete works of Frédéric Chopin. The majority of the set's nine volumes contain some music newly produced for this undertaking, and a few items (Chopin's songs, for instance) were recorded specifically for this collection. Chopin's songs, seldom heard and filled with elements of Polish folk dances and the less-than-stellar lyrics of the composer's friend Stefan Witwicki, get a college try here by soprano Elzbieta Szmytka.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This DG set is a unique, too, in that the recording technology does not "get in the way." From the moment you start, you are immersed in the delightful sounds that are uniquely Chopin's."
"This is the best version and the one you should buy...I did a in depth-review on youtube about it.. just search The Best Chopin Compilation 17 CD Set Review if you want to watch it."
"In it one can appreciate the wondrous manner in which Chopin at once appeased the conservative appetites of the Paris salon set while revolutionizing the genre of piano music in both traditional and more intimate forms. An unwieldy rubato rules the day here, and distorts the harmonic language to the point that it sounds like Debussy or Ravel's frequent (and unshakeably French-sounding) evocations of Spain. Properly supplemented in the more familiar repertory (mazurkas, impromptus, sonatas, in particular), I believe this set is indispensable to anyone who appreciates or seeks a broader understanding of Chopin the composer."
"Some of the reviewers here, didn't like Luisadas performances of the Mazurkas. I hold the heretical opinion that Jean-Marc Luisadas performances are much better than Rubinsteins (I possess the three different complete Mazurka recordings of Rubinstein)."
Best Polkas
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I could listen to this music every day, and so many of the pieces were familiar."
"But if you can appreciate quality music played with REAL INSTRUMENTS & not SYNTHESIZURES, than you will relax & enjoy this CD!"
"Best versions of great music."
"A beautiful sounding set."
"My favorite collection of perfectly choreographed Johann Strauss ll as well as his father Johann Strauss, and his brother Josepf."
"A superb, comprehensive collection."