Best Classical Scherzo
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"His exquisite control of tone and timbre, his sense of dramatic timing, his effortless fluency, his dedicated and intelligent musicianship, all conspire to make one fall in love anew with this thrice-familiar music. As many critics have opined, this pianist's rubato as well as his agogic stresses and hesitations can sound either revelatory or arbitrary depending on one's tastes and mood. Every pianophile should hear these performances, which convey such effortless virtuosity and such authentic involvment with the music that Arrau's distinctive interpretive gestures scarcely obrtude, and one can even forgive Inbal for making the long ritornelli in the two concertos seem interminable. Not only is the price right, but the remastering is splendid, correcting some of the tubbiness that afflicted the original LPs (and earlier CD incarnations) and bringing this great artist right into one's listening space."
"I have several recordings of Chopin by different artists and appreciate them all....I used to love to listen to Askenazy live in Toronto in the 1970's as he was a regular performer there and still like his recordings. To have seen him and heard him play live ( as I did) was a mesmerizing thing of beauty..I shall never forget the live performances....(I feel so fortunate)."
"I am no Chopin expert, and I am sure there are better exponents than Claudio Arrau, but I have owned this set for a few years now, and each time I listen to it, I feel like I am still only scratching the surface of its beauty."
"The good people of Chile need to know - in fact the whole world needs to know - that in Claudio Arrau they produced one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Chopin interpreter of all time."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Firebird is one of my favorite pieces of classical music, and the direction of this by Stravinsky is superb."
"The Cd is the full version of the suite and while other composers don't always fare well in the conductors seat, Stravinsky is excellent."
"My interest was piqued after hearing the selections from the recording on NPR, and upon listening to the entire recording, I was impressed."
"So it's not the latest DDD recording with all the bells and whistles; I can still hear details here that I never heard on the LP."
"Who knows Petrushka and Firebird better than Stravinksky himself."
"Stravinsky at his best."
"I've love this Suite since I was very young; listening to it (esp."
Cross the openhearted geniality of Dvorák with the large scale and experimental fervor of Mahler and you have Josef Suk, a pupil of Dvorák whose life was changed forever when his wife (Dvorák's daughter) died young.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The "Fantastic Scherzo" was on my list for more than a year, and I'm so pleased to have it now to play more than just in my head!"
"Asrael had been a kind of philosophical working out of his grief; then its sequel, Summer Tale, recorded here by Sir Charles Mackerras and the Czech Philharmonic, demonstrated he had overcome his heartbreak through, as he said, "the healing power of nature." Although the disc's accompanying booklet insert describes Summer Tale as an antidote to the "bleakness of much of Asrael," it is still fairly gloomy, with only a glimmer of sweetness at the very end. It sounds melancholy and repetitious, possibly inspired by Suk's coming across a real group of blind musicians endlessly repeating a mournful tune. Decca's 1999 sound for Mackerras and the Czech Philharmonic appears somewhat subdued, perhaps as befits the music itself, but turned up a bit it produces some good color, contrast, and depth."
"In addition to the influences of Dvorak and Czech folk in general, and the more obvious echoes of Strauss' tone poems and Mahler's Angst-laden symphonies, you will also hear similarities to the sound world of French Impressionist school; Suk often creates an atmosphere redolent of Ravel and Debussy."
Best Classical Suites
New product.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Simply transcendent!"
"Great music."
"Great cello pieces to listen to when stressed out!"
"I listen to this while painting and truly feel elevated and ennobled, which is then embedded into my painting, in which I seek to dignify life."
"Yo - Yo Ma is spectacular, and of course the Bach Cello suite is spectacular as well."
Best Classical Sonatas
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"Enjoyable and helps to unwind the day's events."
"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 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!!!"
Best Classical Etudes
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"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 Classical Fugues
No Description Available. No Track Information Available Media Type: CD Artist: BACH,J.S.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Listening to the Art of the Fugue is a nearly daily ritual for me."
"Best recording of this ensemble."
"Wonderful new reading of a classic!"
"I am a Bach fan and found this an excellent addition to my library."
"Had never heard of Emerson String Quartet before (I'm a piano fan) but knew this set from several other performances such as Tatiana Nikolaeva & Glenn Gould."
"Hypnotic."
"The Emerson string quartet is one of the tops in the world and their presentationof this work is exceptional."
Best Classical Canons
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderful baroque beautiful Music."
"Great recording, good value."
"i love this album.."
"This is a beautiful recording of a beautiful collection of music; I bought it on a whim without knowing much about it."
"Baroque as I've never heard it."
Best Classical Concertos
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 Classical Short Forms
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"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 Classical Ballads
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 Classical Toccatas
This Collection of Three Centuries of Trumpet Music Ranges from Baroque Concertos by Vivaldi and Albinoni and Cornerstones of the Trumpet Repertory Such as the Concertos by Haydn and Hummel, to Contemporary Classics Such as Luciano Berio's Sequenza for Trumpet.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Hakan Hardenberger is a FANTASTIC trumpet player....this cd is FULL. of songs with his exceptional finesse."
"Wonderful CD- Don't pass it up!"
"The person who got this was happy to receive this."
"Super performance, and sound."
"Arrived in good shape and ahead of time."
"Born in 1961, and originally schooled at the Paris Conservatory, Haredenberger is a fantastic performer--The Times once called him "The greatest trumpet player on Earth", and his own website confirms that he is the greatest trumpet soloist today, so it must be true. He performs an impressively wide repertorie, from the baroque to the present--the 5 CDs in this collection include one of the Classical concerti I've mentioned; two of baroque music; one of unaccompanied modern pieces, and one of works from various periods for trumpet or cornet and piano. But I have to admit to feeling let down by someone who bills themself as the greatest trumpet soloist today, if that's all I'm going to get."
"This was a gift to my brother, and within 24 hours of giving it to him, he was already raving about it."
Best Classical Preludes
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"Enjoyable and helps to unwind the day's events."
"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 Classical Inventions
In the capable hands of Carlos, Bach's keyboard masterpieces sound like they were made for the otherworldly blurps, farts, and chimes of a Moog synthesizer. Whether performing Bach's "Two-Part Inventions," "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," or "Wachet Auf," Carlos offers one-of-a-kind interpretations, her synthesizers still sounding as otherworldly as they did in 1968.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Modern synths can do a lot of things the older ones can't, but there is a sound quality the old ones had that the new ones just cannot touch."
"If you are at all interested in "classical" music, you should grab this."
"Word was that the great organist and Bach scholar, E. Power Biggs, was extremely pained to witness the Master's work being so desecrated. ); almost got into a fist fight over whether this was genuine music or a coarse mechanical device imitating art and making a fast buck for the artist."
"I remember people had never heard of Walter Carlos, & a short while later no one did again, for he'd returned as a she named Wendy."
"Different than the LP i have from years ago, but fun listening all the same."
"Wendy Carlos, with the perfectionism that drives all great artists, explores vintage tunings in this offering, but the result leaves the untrained listener somewhat non-plussed."
"For those who remember, this was and IS a great album."
"When it was still in an experimental stage, Wendy (back then it was Walter) Carlos, achieved a flawless orchestration with bits and pieces of electronics."
Best Classical Fantasies
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"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 Classical Variations
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 am new to classical music but i must say this cd is fantastic."
"I love listening to this on the speake's of our travel trailer."
"Very good for relaxing."
"Added this to my collection of relaxing music to fall asleep to."
"great music, very soothing."
Best Classical Improvisation
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We loved these collections years ago when our kids were much younger and we listened to the stories on cassette tapes in our very first mini-van on long trips to visit family."
"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."
"My grandsons love DVDs with a story behind each composer and I enjoy listening with them."
"My 8 yr old son LOVES these."
"The CDs arrived promptly, and my niece loves them!"
"I remember distinctly my youngest identifying a musical sound bed underneath an Audi commercial by exclaiming "that's bibaldi!" All of our kids grew up playing several instruments and singing in choirs."
"a must have for long car rides... great stories about composers and their music for the family."
Best Classical Lullabies & Berceuse
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"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 Classical Serenades & Divertimentos
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 Classical Requiems, Elegies & Tombeau
4 in E Flat; Rondo for Horn and Orchestra in E Flat; Serenade in G "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"; Divertimento in D , and more, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Georg Solti; Neville Marriner, and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderful music for seeping and listening."
"I'm not a connoisseur, but this seems like a terrific buy to me."
"This is just what I wanted."
"The set offers exactly what I wanted, a wide range of Mozart pieces."
"Amazing collection; I bought this set to listen to with my baby and he loves it :)."
"Nice collection of music, well performed, at a very reasonable price."
"Meet my expectations."
Best Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
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"Enjoyable and helps to unwind the day's events."
"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 Oratorio
No Description Available. No Track Information Available Media Type: CD Artist: HANDEL,G.F.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is Handel's masterpiece, performed by the best orchestra, soloists and choir that I ever heard."
"it seems to be ok but the plastic case was badly damaged in shipping."
"Excellent, excellent service -- in all aspects."
"Great music!"
"I have had the album for over twenty years and this is my absolute favorite version."
Best Symphonies
Led by conductor David Parry, the LPO performed 50 pieces selected from every classical era & every thinkable composer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"32: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity. Debussy: Suite bergamasque, L 75: Clair de lune. Verdi: Nabucco: Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, "Va pensiero, sull'ali dorate". Mozart: Concerto No. 95, "From the New World": Largo. Strauss: An der schönen blauen Donau (On the Beautiful Blue Danube), Op. 1. Mozart: Requiem, K. 626: Lacrimosa dies illa. Beethoven: Bagatelle in A Minor, WoO 59, "Für Elise". Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance, Op. 125, "Choral": An die Freude. Offenbach: Les contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann): Barcarolle. Albinoni: Adagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ. Mozart: Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik": Allegro. Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville): Overture. Beethoven: Sonata No. 27:2, "Moonlight Sonata": Adagio sostenuto. Smetana: Má Vlast (My Fatherland): Vltava (The Moldau River). Boccherini: String Quintet in E Major, Op. 11 in A Major, K. 331: Rondo: Alla turca. Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620: Overture. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56: Hallelujah Chorus. Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 34. Mozart: Messa da Requiem: Dies irae - Tuba mirum. Mahler: Symphony No."
"I listen to this music as I drive to and from work."
"Every human on the planet should know about our classical geniuses and forget the deplorable rhythms of rap and hip-hop which somehow seem to return the evolution at the cavemen era."
"This is regrettable both since, if you're a musical novice like me, you may not always be aware of who you're listening to and enjoying (in the sense of the original source) and because it can't be used as a potential means of moving from these pieces to pursuing more deeply individual composers and their work."
"I walk to this every morning!"
"A fun listen and all of the classical songs you've heard your whole life, but don't get if you're looking to explore newer music by classical artists."
"This box set is perfect for any lover of classical music, containing 50 wonderful pieces performed beautifully by the London Philharmonic Orchestra."
"I'm not actually a fan of "greatest hits" albums, far preferring to listen to complete works."