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."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great to have JS Bach's COMPLETE works!"
"My main reason for purchase was the sacred Cantatas, presented here in 1999 recordings by the Holland Boy Choir, Netherlands Bach Collegium (period instruments) and soloists including Ruth Holton and Bas Ramseller directed by Pieter Jan Leusink. If you already have the Cantatas led by John Eliot Gardiner (SDG), Helmuth Rilling (Hanssler) or Masaaki Suzuki (BIS), you don't need this."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The recording quality of keyboard works is poor although the interpretation is OK."
"Company was very responsive to 1 DVD issue in this massive collection."
"I have to say this is truly a great find."
"all of the greatest works of music done beyond reproach for less than a dollar a disc."
"This box of Bach is a treasure box.This box can fill all the spaces in our soul and mind, melodies and harmonies, inspired compositions, truly a classic , a classic treasure.Johann Sebastian bach a genious of music!!!"
"To our ears the modern reproductions of period harpsichords used for these disks sound quite authentic -- and we've numerous performances on actual period harpsichords at the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments so we have some notion what the real things sound like."
"I've been a devoted Bach fan since my teenage years and have owned recordings of most of the important instrumental works for awhile. But I was still largely unfamiliar with Bach's vast corpus of sacred and secular vocal works (filling 94 CDs or about 60% of this set). I've long wanted to collect all of Bach's works but the task of tracking down good recordings of every piece without too much overlap seemed daunting and expensive. The latest version of Brilliant Classics' Bach Complete Edition (BCE) brings several new recordings and other new material together in an incredibly priced box set. If your Bach collection is missing at least half of the music in this set like mine was, then the BCE is by far the easiest and most affordable way to fill in the gaps with decent recordings. The rest of this review presents a very detailed look at what is included in the Bach Complete Edition and gives my impressions of many of the individual performances. OVERVIEW. This is at least the third version of Brilliant Classics' Bach Edition and this 2010 release features a redesigned box and cardboard sleeves for the discs. Most importantly however, BC has replaced several of the "lower quality" recordings with new ones (see below) making this the best version of their Bach Edition to date. The program notes have not been updated since previous releases so they still use the old numbering scheme and there are no translations of the German or Latin texts, but they are still very informative. The new sleeves are much more uniform in appearance than previous versions and feature a simple background pattern (in a different color for each section) without artwork. The inside lid of the box does contain a helpful short title for each disc (although the organ CDs only list BWV numbers here). Many familiar names also appear in the St. Matthew and St. John Passions which are directed by Stephen Cleobury leading the Choir of King's College (Cambridge) and the Brandenburg Consort with Roy Goodman. Roy Goodman directs the European Union Baroque Orchestra and Ring Ensemble of Finland for the St. Mark Passion. As far as I can tell from online information, replacement recordings since the original Bach Edition include the B minor Mass and Christmas Oratorio (Diego Fasolis: Coro Della Radio Svizzera, 1997 & 2003), the Magnificat (Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra, 1957), the violin concertos (Dmitry Sitkovetsky: English Chamber Orchestra) and cello suites (Jaap ter Linden, 2006). Some of those pieces are lost or incomplete and an increasing number of them are now attributed to other composers or are considered of doubtful authenticity by modern scholars. However, don't worry, about thirty-odd, well-known spurious works such as the Eight Little Preludes & Fugues for organ (553-560) and the ever-popular Minuets in G from the Anna Magdelena Notebook were not left out. Included here are the complete transcriptions of concertos for harpsichord or organ, plus most of the sonatas and trios Bach transcribed for keyboard. Bach's "parody" of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater (1083) is included but not the Credo (1081) or Suscepit Israel (1082) that he composed to augment music by Bassani and Caldara. Also missing are Gloria in excelsis Deo (BWV 191), three Sancti (237, 239 & 240), the four German motets from the earlier version of the Magnificat (243a), the Fugue in G minor for violin and harpsichord (1026), the Trio in F (1040), an aria for bass (1088), a few keyboard and organ pieces (896, 921, 956, 1085) and a few others depending on what you consider "authentic". The first thing I listened to was the Christmas Oratorio (Diego Fasolis: Coro Della Radio Svizzera) and I was very impressed from the first lightning fast chorus through to the last jubilant chorale. The instrumentalists and soloists are all pretty good too, with Klaus Mertens and an uncredited trumpetist giving a rousing "Grosser Herr". In the St. Matthew, Rogers Covey-Crump is a perfect evangelist and Emma Kirkby and Michael Chance blend beautifully on their duet. All three passions utilize countertenors for the alto parts and the St. Mark has a boy "treble" for the soprano solos, but it also has a smaller chorus with women. All of the sacred cantatas plus the Ascension Oratorio and "Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden" (BWV 1083) are performed by the Holland Boys' Choir and the Netherlands Bach Collegium under the direction of Pieter Jan Leusink. In one notable exception, I find countertenor Sytse Buwalda, who sings all of the alto solos, to be rather disappointing due to problems with tone and intonation. There is lots of variety in the instrumental and vocal forces used and some interesting programming choices regarding texts and the ordering of the chorales. You still may not want to listen to an entire CD of these at once but they are far from boring and make great material for shuffling or programming your own playlists. Some people complained about the use of a natural horn in the original Bach Edition to play the trumpet part of Brandenburg no. The lute works, canons, both versions of the Musical Offering, Viola da Gamba and Trio Sonatas in this set will probably see a lot of play. A few of the organ works are the only place in the BCE that I have clearly heard the unequal temperament (keyboard tuning) that would have been common in Bach's day. This confused me at first because the opening chorus is different and the DVD menu had the usual "Herr, unser Herrscher" listed for the title. In the end, being able not just to hear, but to watch some of the music being performed adds yet another way to experience Bach to this set that some people may find illuminating. WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD. The Magnificat (Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra) is easily the worst recording in the set. The instrumental playing on the Easter Oratorio is quite good but the soloists shriek, "huff and puff" unmusically, and are generally too operatic for my taste. In the sacred cantatas, the Holland Boys' Choir is OK much of the time for simple parts but more difficult passages can be a mess. Both the sopranos and the altos are occasionally very flat throughout a movement to the point that it almost sounds like they are singing parallel minor seconds. For a set of this size, I've noticed very few misprints in the track listings and there are no major errors such that any of the CDs could be considered defective."
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 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 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 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 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 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 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."
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 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)."
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."