Best Classical Rondos
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!!!"
Beethoven's Wig is a performing group and a series of musical CDs, which set lyrics to the greatest masterpieces of classical music.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My personal favorites on this one are "Midnight Snack" (Habanera from Carmen, Bizet), "I Want My Diploma" (Pomp and Circumstance March #1, Elgar) and "Beep, Beep, Beep" (Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven)."
"My 3 yr old grandson is into classical music and loved it."
"Very fun, the kids love it."
"Haven't used as much as I thought I would."
"I bought these for weekly music classes at our church's daycare center."
"I was hesitant to buy Beethoven's Wig 4 because some people wrote that it wasn't as good as the first two, however I was pleasantly surprised at how much my kids and I enjoyed it."
"This album like the earlier ones in series is a fun way of enjoying classical music especially if we or our children think such music is only for other people."
"The songs are funny and if you explain to the kids exactly what they are saying, they end up loving them too."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With the already very reasonable price slashed by half, you can now purchase all six Horowitz discs making up his recordings for DG for a little over twenty-five dollars. Instead, perhaps channeling late Liszt, Horowitz seems at his best here when playing music requiring reflection and poetry."
"Very happy with this cd box set ."
"So the Great Grandkids can also enjoy one of the greatest classical pianist of all time."
"Nothing V. Horowitz does is short of etherial."
"What one expects of Horowitz and DG, greatness."
"Very good material at a very reasonable price, fast and efficient shiping,would deal with this merchant without any reservations whatsoever."
"Ce merveilleux coffret édité à prix doux chez D.G comble de bonheur ; Horowitz est habité par l'aisanece et la facilité ; tout semble simple en l'acoutant jouer ce répertoire qu'il maitrise à fond pour l'avoir interprété mendant tant d'années ; il est incomparable dans Mozart, Schumann, et dans ces sonates de Sacarlatti si difficiles à jouer en dépit de leur simplicité apparente."
"I am not interesting at PIANO,so it is Symphonies.but this CDs HOROVITZ especially PIANIST for me."
Best Classical Trios
Aside from the technical mastery and beautiful tone that are absolutes in all of his playing, one is dazzled by his curiosity and ability to adapt to so many forms and types of music. His Bach and Vivaldi are pellucid and played with non-sentimental crispness, his tango music gritty and rhythmically pungent, his jazz seemingly spontaneous, the "Meditation" from Thais simply ravishing, "Anything Goes" a romp, and the Appalachian music performed with both respect and a great twang, while the traditional Chinese music is fascinating.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Excellent recording of this master of the cello."
"A very good value as it is two CDs with something for every taste, from classical to folk to "show tunes" to world music, and of course all impeccably performed."
"I bought this album primarily for Alison Krauss singing "Simple Gifts," one of the finest (and hard to find) renditions of that wonderful song that is often badly covered, both instrumentally or vocally."
"What a fabulous and diverse collection: Classical, American traditional, Chinese traditional, Appalachian, Brazilian, baroque, and jazz."
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 Classical Concerto Grossi
TREVOR PINNOCK/ENGLISH CONCERT - BACH: BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS - 3 CD SET.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Excellent rendition!!"
"I was looking for a recording by Trevor Pinnock."
"great performance, clear and crystal sound, as Bach deserves."
"As usual, Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert give a musically and scholarly splendid performance."
"My very first real taste of Bach, now I am an addict."
Best Cantatas
Aside from the technical mastery and beautiful tone that are absolutes in all of his playing, one is dazzled by his curiosity and ability to adapt to so many forms and types of music. His Bach and Vivaldi are pellucid and played with non-sentimental crispness, his tango music gritty and rhythmically pungent, his jazz seemingly spontaneous, the "Meditation" from Thais simply ravishing, "Anything Goes" a romp, and the Appalachian music performed with both respect and a great twang, while the traditional Chinese music is fascinating.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Excellent recording of this master of the cello."
"A very good value as it is two CDs with something for every taste, from classical to folk to "show tunes" to world music, and of course all impeccably performed."
"I bought this album primarily for Alison Krauss singing "Simple Gifts," one of the finest (and hard to find) renditions of that wonderful song that is often badly covered, both instrumentally or vocally."
"What a fabulous and diverse collection: Classical, American traditional, Chinese traditional, Appalachian, Brazilian, baroque, and jazz."
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 Virelais
The second Gothic Voices recording was something of a milestone: the first recording of 14-century music performed by voices alone.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Guillaume de Machaut wrote some of the finest medieval music I've ever heard. Some of the tracks such as "Foy Porter," and "Tuit Mi Penser" are monophonic; that is to say that only one voice is present, sometimes male, sometimes female. These monophonic songs are extrememly pretty; they have very pleasing and interesting melodies and rhythms -- just as sophisticated as anything one might hear in later periods, but different in style both compositionally and in terms of performance. The range of pitches is pretty wide, yet even the higher registers are smooth and natural, not overwhelming or grating like some opera sopranos can be at times. There are four- and five-part harmonies that are out of this world, mixing male and female voices in a manner one might describe as an otherworldly, Francophonic, medieval barber shop quartet/quintet."
"Wonderful material, intelligently presented, sung by gorgeous voices with perfect pitch control."
"Results: both good, but "The Mirror" is more intense, more passionate, and more artful in articulating the hockets and other effects of Ars Nova heterophony."
"This is a fabulous example of medieval a capella singing."
"The poetry is beautiful in itself."
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 Songs & Lieder
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in The Universe, the 1st 2-CD set in the & Most Relaxing, series features some of the most well known classical pieces of all time, including Canon in D, Clair De Lune, Fur Elise, Ave Marie, Moonlight Sonata, Adagio for Strings, Greensleeves, and More!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This collection of Classical music is superb."
"I love listening to this on the speake's of our travel trailer."
"Very good for relaxing."
"love this collection of classical music."
"Added this to my collection of relaxing music to fall asleep to."
"great music, very soothing."
Best Te Deum
Though these pieces are typical of Pärt's style, they seem less bleak than those on previous discs.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love the Arvo."
"The booklet accompanying the CD carries a generous set of black & whites from the sessions, and the atmosphere and richness of the background come through of the photographs, which show Part collaborating with the Tonu Kaljuste and the performers. When I first heard the Te Deum, it immediately struck me as an exceptional contemporary piece, sprawling and ambitious, rising very gradually from the depths of silence – a full 15 seconds passes before the music becomes audible -- to a climax and then fading away into sacred oblivion. There are monophonic antiphons interspersed among ensemble sections, including a refrain high up in the women’s voices that may be the Te Deum’s signature theme. I found this to be an attractive and easy to listen to work but, based on my many experiences with contemporary music, also a fairly ordinary one, without any of the distinctive ardor of Part’s other pieces. I think of Part’s style as a floating admixture of minimalism, archaic references to ancient music and a fervent mystical Christianity."
"Part's work creates a bridge between Gregorian chant in a monastery and Prokofiev."
"04-21-2015 This ECM CD contains four orchestral works by the contemporary Estonian composer Arvo Part. The Tallinn Chamber orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Choir perform, led by Tonu Kaljuste. The total disk time runs a healthy 65:27. ARTISTC IMPRESSIONS AND IDEAS. Shortly after graduating from Indiana University as a Nuclear medicine Technologist, I accepted an offer over the phone to practice in San Jose, for a generous amount of cash, took it and moved my gang West from Chicago. My advise is this------Buy this CD and simply listen to it, closely, and try, very hard not to let your mind wander, but take note of the structure, form and effect of the composer's skills. I feel comfortable saying this, because I am a VERY careful collector, no longer wooed by the "new," "unique and austere voice" that simply MUST he heard."