Plays the Classics

Plays the Classics

ASIN: B000065C57

Track Listings

1. Flint Hill Special

2. Dear Old Dixie

3. Turkey in the Straw

4. Clinch Mountain Backstep

5. Roll on Buddy

6. T for Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1)

7. Foggy Mountain Special

8. Rawhide

9. Daybreak in Dixie

10. Shuckin' the Corn

11. Katy Hill

12. Foggy Mountain Breakdown

13. Under the Double Eagle

Tracks:

Années de pèlerinage I - Suisse, S 160; No. 6 La vallée d'Obermann
Années de pèlerinage II - Italie, S. 161; No. 2 Il penseroso
St François d'Assise, S. 175; No. 1 La prédication aux oiseaux
Bagatelle sans tonalité, S. 216a
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13, S. 244/13
Années de pèlerinage II - Italie, S. 161; No. 1 Sposalizio
Prelude in F minor after Bach "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen", S. 179
Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, S. 173; No. 7 Les Funérailles
La lugubre gondola (Trauergondel) No. 2, S. 200/2
En rêve (Nocturne), S. 207

Customer Reviews:

Volodos the Artist.......2007-05-31

When Liszt was made Director of the new Musical Academy of Budapest, he insisted that all piano students study composition and improvisation. Very few pianists these days have ventured to mix composition and piano playing; the last known few were Busoni, Rachmaninoff, and even Horowitz. All legends of the pianoforte. When Volodos released his first CD, Piano Transcriptions, he set himself apart from the new age of piano virtuosos. He was a singer and conductor before venturing into piano playing. His Turkish March and Cello Paraphrases are musical gems that are rarely seen in this day and age. He has no fear of including his own cadenzas to the pieces that the composer suggests.
After 3 years of complete silence, Volodos returns with an all Liszt CD. And not the commonly known pieces: Valle d'Oberman, Sposalizio, and the atonal Bagatelle. All played perfectly and evocating the deepest memories of Liszt's emotions. Volodos does not need to struggle with such things as technique, he works directly with the sound and the images they convey. He would have been a perfect pupil of Liszt.
After having purchased all of his discs, I'd recommend the Transcriptions and Rach 3 concerto CDs for further Volodos listening. Let us hope more CDs from the blessed hands of Volodos.

Arcady Volodos, plays Franz Liszt + SACD = Liszt reincarnate?.......2007-05-27

Listening to this SACD in multiple channels, I felt faint.

For starters, a listener simply has to hear this recital quite a few times before it even begins to sink in, as music. Like some deity with multiple arms, Volodos exhibits a sheer and athletic physical command of the Steinway keyboard so high and effortless that few players, indeed, could even move into a nearby technical neighborhood. His playing somehow seems to evoke combined associations with Alpine glacier skiing, luge, Houdini-like death-defying escapes, myth about King Midas golden touch, the finest possible human or animal gymnastics, ballet, modern dance, and maybe even the ancient Greek myth of Icarus.

Whew.

After a few spins, I stopped sitting in my listening room, jaw dropped and mind completely numbed by the sheer, vertiginous physical presto-chango of it all. Letting my ears and mind and heart seep past those outer flash barriers, then I could begin to get an inkling of this Liszt recital as music.

Whew, what music.

We continue to have an vaguely fond and enduring image of Franz Liszt - part genius, part virtuoso, part charlatan. Like one of those extremely well-read figures that used to pop up in novels or theater, an itinerant alcoholic (more often than not) who knew Shakespeare exhaustively without erring from memory, but who couldn't resist hamming it all up, every single time. We have grown a tad wary and cautious these days when Liszt gets programmed into a recital or concert. We rather regularly anticipate that one part genius to two parts glitz and blitz will be par for the musical course.

Not here and not with Arkady Volodos.

Vallee d'Obermann erupts at times from the Steinway keyboard as if we were reliving Vesuvius and the ancient panoramas of Pompeii. But Volodos' high-minded focus on the immense scale of the musical narrative never falters. He always finds the lyrical through lines of even the most complex or animated passages. Hearing him do this so consistently is a bit like being able to ride lightning, thanks to an Oppo touch of a button. Suddenly the arch-Romantic Era notion of the soul as an angel of embodied fire seems entirely less far-fetched and fanciful than before I put this SACD on for the first of many spins.

Whew, what a composer.

Could any number of later, great musical figures have dug so deep into musical color, musical electricity or magnetism or atonal dark matter - without Franz Liszt cracking open all these doors, just so? Note to Sony BMG marketing: Volodos must do the Scriabin piano sonatas as soon as he can manage recording them. Unless he says, No and has other fish to fry.

Pensoroso moves into other realms. The fires in this piece are completely banked, transforming all the extrovert mad feeling of the preceding work into something so sad and inward that it is difficult to grasp intellectually, and probably the only way to hear it is to let it take hold of you as you listen, and make you feel ethereal atmospheres which cannot quite be apprehended. Is this thought really a thought? A sensation? A perception? A mood? A feeling? Before one can figure it all out, the work is finished, and we are on to the next track.

Saint Francis preaching to the birds opens yet another, distinctive and fantastic musical vision. Volodos has his incredible way with the birds speaking, and perhaps under this magic spell a listener may be forgiven for believing that, like Siegfried after he has tasted Fafner's spilled blood, we really do hear and understand something Nature is saying to us, utterly beyond practical words rooted in socialization and culture. The religious overtones are clear - but never render the saint's sermonizing in any religiously amateurish or overly sentimentalized manner. Imagine Franz Liszt glimpsing realms within which modern French composer Olivier Messiaen would later take mystical and musical wing.

The Bagatelle without Tonality simply shows us how easy it already was in music by the composer's era to start floating free of the received legacy tonal hierarchies. The ability of the piece's harmonic aura to shift gears, turning deftly on a single note reminds one of Beethoven's abilities in this regard; but Liszt is reaching far beyond Beethoven's enharmonic or other key changes. A sprite breathes upon us in this seemingly improvised encounter. Can we trust our eyes or ears? Do we partly realize how wispy and homespun the brain's perceptions really are, of a constantly-changing and transforming world that is not at all solid?

Hungarian Rhapsody 13 returns us to the culturally rooted Franz Liszt, proud of his Hungarian ethnic heritage. Volodos has made his own arrangements of the original, suited ever so artfully to his own special high abilities. Now it takes a certain respect and technical reputation to get away with this sort of thing, at minimum, and Volodos obviously in this regard is the closest living performer who could stand without the slightest glare or embarrassment in the lineage of, say, Vladimir Horowitz.

Unlike even Horowitz, however, Volodos yields not a moment's sense of strain or effort. He manages the rhapsody so well that when he lets his fingers rise to break free of Planetary Gravities, we feel that freedom is the inevitable fulfillment of the earthbound restraint and pull that makes things cohere. What keeps this rhapsody from being nothing but a tasty bon-bon is the immense fun and joy that Volodos has in his way with it. Like running outside on a very fine Spring day, with the breezes let loose and the saps of Nature running, full flow. One feels very green, very young, juiced.

Oops. Space is running out for comments. Get this disc now unless you are terribly allergic to the piano or to Liszt.

The rest of the SACD is every bit as wonderful as the first has been.

Fabulous Liszt.......2007-05-08

This is without question the best recording of Liszt's piano music I have ever heard. Many of the selections are late works that tend to be rarely played, and certainly not played with this amount of skill. I now find myself appreciating these pieces much more than I had before. Volodos makes this music sound beautiful and visionary. While I hope in the future to hear Volodos' take on the Sonata and the Petrarch sonatas, and other of the more popular Liszt works, I think this CD is a magnificant achievement, a landmark recording.

Beyond Stunning .......2007-05-02

Arcadi Volodos is the pianist to watch. He seems to believe the 88 keys of the piano are not enough. This recording is gorgeous - beyond stunning. I have been a fan of the wide range of Liszt's keyboard and orchestral music for decades: this recording is the finest I have ever heard - beyond Bolet, Arrau, Horowitz, Brendel, Richter, Nyiregyhazi, Wild. Only Cziffra is close, in interpretation. Volodos mingles passion, introspection, technical brilliance and a sense of Liszt's importance to the musical traditions from which he emerged and which drew from him. Liszt is rare in that his life (from 1811 - 1886) enabled him to reflect and influence generations of composition. You can hear the stirrings of Debussy, Gershwin and Rachmaninoff in his music.

Volodos plays pieces from various parts of Liszt's career. These selections are most judiciously chosen. For those who like their Liszt at white heat, with fireworks and brio, the disc is a delight: Volodos is amazing. He has superlative command of the keyboard. But Liszt, a true Romantic and an abbe in the Catholic Church, was also capable of rare sensitivity, calm, introspection, and humility. His religious music, though sometimes simple and sweet, is profoundly moving. Volodos again reaches depths many pianists have not plumbed, with an effect that gives this music a power far beyond words. It is overwhelming how much emotion, experience and insight are found in this single recording. It will take several sessions to sit and listen to these pieces and let them sink in. Playing it all at once is simply too much to absorb. I had to put it aside for a day to let it sink in but I am eagerly awaiting the chance to be transported again by any of these mesmerizing works. Volodos is the greatest thing to happen to the piano since Horowitz and Richter, rolled into one. He is in his 30's. There should be much more from him. Already his recordings sound like more. I have simply been amazed at his recordings of Rachmaninoff, Schumann, Schubert and Scriabin, among others. And the sound - ! This is a hybrid super audio CD. It is exquisite even if you do not have a super-audio CD player and the added speaker(s). I agree entirely with the other reviewer. You will not regret buying this.

More thrilling Liszt would be hard to imagine.......2007-04-18

Volodos made a huge impact with his first CD ten years ago, an unknown ?Russian of 24 who had acquired a technique equal to Horowitz. All the more remarkable was the fact that he had started seriously studying the piano at age 16, his previous background being in singing and conducting. There's such a plethora of Russians with lightning fingers that something more is nee4ded, and Volodos offered sensitive musicanship, a natural ability to phrase, and gorgeous tone. He has remained at the top of the profession form the day he first appeared.

Here Volodos leans into strength with Liszt, whose Second Hungarian Rhapsody was one of the knockouts on his first CD. The program includes a cluster of Lidzt's gnomic, terse late works, three great pieces taken from the Annees de pelerinage series, and a scatterig of showpieces and rarities. It's a very agreeable mix, and Volodos plays with enormous sonority, captured extremely well by the vivid close-up recording that takes us into the heart of the instrument. Pianists could only dream of such sonic realism even a few years ago--the thundering octaves of Vallee d'Obermann send chills down the spine.

Vallee d'Obermann opens the recital, and Volodos makes a triumph out of its long, long melodic lines and spare fingering. This is one of the most convincing versions I've heard in years. As much as I hate to disparage Kissin, Volodos in many ways has gone where Kissin should have gone--inward. Both have technique to burn, but Volodos makes you think and feel in a way that only the younger Kissin did. Perhaps Volodos is a touch too serious; he wants to convince us that Liszt's music isn't flash and fireworks, which qite often it is, even in the best pieces. But I doubt anyone will have complaints. It would be hard to imagine a more thriling recital.

Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording

Average customer rating:

Lost is Found, finally
Martha Argerich CD
Fabulous recording
Excellent
A restored jewel in the Argerich catalog

Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording
Martha Argerich
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

$9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

$9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

$9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Debut Recital / Martha Argerich
Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 / Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich
Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concertos / Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra
Chopin: 26 Préludes, etc / Martha Argerich

ASIN: B00000IWVS
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: I. Allegro maetoso
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: II. Scherzo: Molto vivace
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: III. Largo
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: IV. Finale: Presto, non tanto
Mazurka No.36 In A Minor, Op.59 No.1
Mazurka No.37 In A-flat, Op.59 No.2
Mazurka No.38 In F-sharp Minor, Op.59 No.3
Nocturne No.4 In F, Op.15 No.1
Scherzo No.3 In C-sharp Minor, Op.39
Polonaise No.6 In A-flat, Op.53

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

Record-label politics prevented this awesome recording of Argentinean pianist Martha Argerich from being released for 34 years. The spitfire musician delivers a powerful set of Chopin's best-loved works that still sounds riveting today. Intense and gorgeous. --Jason Verlinde

Amazon.com essential recording

How can it be that a recording by one of today's indisputably unequaled pianists performing some of her prime repertory--made fresh within months of her triumph in the 1965 Warsaw International Chopin Competition--could languish for decades in the vaults before its official release? Chalk it up to the exclusivity clauses of rival recording companies and legal constraints from which not even Wotan with the help of Loge could extricate himself. Thankfully this belated EMI release--recorded in a few sessions at the Abbey Road studios--is finally available.

It's a significant complement to Argerich's other accounts of Chopin on disc. From the white-hot intensity of Argerich's way with the composer, you can easily extrapolate a sense of what had recently wowed the jury in Warsaw. The Argentinean pianist undertakes the Third Sonata as a vast, big-voiced, far-reaching statement that encompasses both molten power and moments of almost unbearably intimate lyricism (listen closely to her gestures of illumination in the Largo). With a characteristically unforced spontaneity, Argerich sounds the shattering chords that launch the finale (recorded in one take); her sense of flow in the Nocturne No. 4 is a perfect mesh for the illusion of improvising that is so central to Chopin. She commands the logic--both emotional and musical--of the composer's skittish turns in the Scherzo No. 3 and crafts three of the mazurkas into perfectly chiseled character pieces. The sheer force of Argerich's personality might seem overwhelming to those accustomed to a tamer Chopin--listen to how she dives into the A-flat Polonaise--but it's always at work dusting off tired clichés and uncovering the music's expressive wealth. For those who know about Argerich's artistry, this disc is indispensable; anyone who has yet to make that enviable discovery will find it (together with the Argerich anthology in Philips' Great Pianists series) a great place to begin. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Lost is Found, finally.......2007-07-08

This Argerich Chopin performance, recorded by EMI in 1965 while she was actually under contract to DG is formidable for an artist so early in her career. Both the artistry and sound are superb and it's a shame we fans had to wait so long for this recording to appear. These Chopin performances completely justify the competition judges decision to award her the grand prize at the 1965 Warsaw International Chopin Competition. It's a collection must have!

Martha Argerich CD.......2007-06-12

Excellent service -- speedy, just as described, well-packaged. I'd definitely buy from this seller again.

Fabulous recording.......2007-04-12

A most interesting history in the liner notes and a fabulous recording. One of the best for a piano CD collection.

Excellent.......2007-04-12

Only one word: Excellent.
Though someone might have different feeling, I'm crazy on this 1965 recording.

A restored jewel in the Argerich catalog.......2006-09-03

If I had to pick a single CD to win awed admiration for Martha Argerich, this Chopin recital would be it. Only 24 when she made these long-suppressed recordings, Argerich's musicality and dazzling technqiue defy belief. Every ounce of praise for her Third Sonata is deserved--it's spontaneous, flexible, intense, by turns tender and declamatory. The most blessed quality is that she doesn't bang or harangue us--not always the case in later years. Her sense of urgency doesn't become eckless; the bursts of excitment aren't oerly explosive.

My only caveat would be for audiophiles. Although an Abbey Road studio recording, you get the feeling somewhat that Argerich is performing in a boomy hall. Also, in the loudest fortes there's mircophone shatter. For many listeners these drawbacks won't matter a whit, not in the face of an undisputed keyboard genius.

Gabriela Montero plays Chopin, Falla, Ginestera, etc. [Includes Bonus CD]

Average customer rating:

Gabriela Montero CDs
Non-professional Review
Absolutely Magnificent!
Improvisations Unbelievable!
A beautiful breath of fresh air!

Gabriela Montero plays Chopin, Falla, Ginestera, etc. [Includes Bonus CD]

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Bach & Beyond - Gabriela Montero
Gabriela Montero en Concert à Montréal
Montero Plays Chopin
Bach & Beyond [United Kingdom]
The Carnegie Hall Concert

ASIN: B0009VK0LO
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Moment Musical In E Mino Op. 12 No. 4
Prelude In G Op.32 No.5
Etude-Tableau In D Op.39 No.9
Prelude in D Flat Op.17 No.3
Prelude In E Flat Minor Op.16 No.4
Prelude In G Op.13 No.3
Etude in C Sharp Minor Op.42 No.5
La Vida Breve: First Spanish Dance - Manuel De Falla
Goyescas: Quejas O La Maya Y El Ruisenor
Danza Del Viejo Boyero
Danza De La Moza Donosa
Danza Del Gaucho Matrero
Nocturne In D Flat Op.27 No.2
Fantaisie-Impromptu In C Sharp Minor Op.66
Mephisto Waltz No.1

Tracks:

On Rachmaniov: Vocalise
On The Theme From Bach 'Goldberg Variations'
On Chopin: Nocturne In D Flat
On Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2
Inspired By Scriabin
On Duermete Mi Nino
In The Style Of Tango
On Granados: 'Quejas O La Maya El Ruisenor'
In The Style Of Bach
On Chopin: Prelude In A
'Improvisation in Blue (Gabriela Montero)'
'Song for Natalia and Isabella (Gabriela Montero)'

Customer Reviews:

Gabriela Montero CDs.......2007-06-12

Excellent service -- speedy, just as described, well-packaged. I'd definitely buy from this seller again.

Non-professional Review.......2007-03-27

Okay, I listen almost exclusively to classical music, but I do so simply for the pleasure and nothing more. I cannot tell you about Gabriela Montero's technique, and, when she improvises, I have no ability to judge the music's intrinsic value, authenticity, or whatever. I can only tell you this: while I own many dozens of albums, running the full spectrum of the classical genre, I value none of them above Montero's Bach and Beyond and her Piano Recital. Pure listening joy!

Absolutely Magnificent!.......2007-03-09

I first saw Gabriela Montero on 60 Minutes a few months ago and was taken by her playing ability as well as her ability to improvise on the classics. Ms. Montero's fingers fly over the keyboard, playing Rachmaninoff more dramatically and key-perfect than I've heard in a long time. I decided to purchase this CD and have not been disappointed.

Improvisations Unbelievable!.......2007-01-26

Gabriela Montero is a tremendous talent, both in standard classical repertoire, and improvisation. I have know her since she was a young girl, and she was by far the best pianist around, even then. She is an undersung pianist of our age, and should rise to the top very soon!

A beautiful breath of fresh air!.......2007-01-20

What a sheer delight hearing her play. I've never heard anyone quite like her. A phenomenally gifted player, and it's a rare treat to hear someone who defies pigeonholing. I had heard her on the radio, and knew I was onto something when her improvisation on a very simple theme gave me the chills. I love both CD's in this collection.

It's interesting hearing the negative response coming from some classical musicians and fans. At times it can seem to roughly follow the stages of grief as proposed by Kubler-Ross. I'm a professional guitarist, and it's funny because it's almost identical to how guitarists react to hearing another guitarist, but with an big class-conscious overlay (all very civilized, of course). Think of the "guitarist screwing in a lightbulb" joke. To paraphrase and extrapolate on what someone might say upon hearing her improvisation:

1. Shock: Wow, he's good. Oh, and it's a woman!? And you say it's improvisation??

2. Denial: That can't possibly be improvisation. Classical musicians don't engage in that untidy process. What she's playing must be written out, and I can tell! Don't ask, I just know it.

3. Anger: This stuff is no good. Only permanent music is of value through the ages, and that's why classical music (and only the European kind) is better than any other music. Besides, I can't improvise, so I reject it - and only THOSE people engage in improvisation.

4. Depression: She can play all the classical music, and seemingly can improvise, or at least pass her stuff off as such. Not only that, she's getting attention and money, and we're not. Why is the world unfair?

5. Acceptance: (sort of) Well, I guess she's selling CD's, and is becoming successful. She is, I hate to admit it, a great player. Even if she is a faker. Of course, they're begging my Muffy to become artist-in-residence in Spoleto....

The other reviewer has a point when he says that she may be viewed as a curiosity. Because she's crossing genres, people may not know what to make of it, and this often causes reflexive hostility. As an improvisor, I would agree that it's hard to say that something is 100% improvised - players tend to have pet phrases and favorite general ideas they return to. But to me, Gabriela's playing is at the highest level of skill, beauty, and feeling, whether improvising or playing written pieces.

Average customer rating:

This Kid's Good!
Kissin and Chopin are a perfect match
Again?
How is Kissin doing today?
Kissin - Wisdom with Age

Evgeny Kissin Plays Chopin

Manufacturer: Sony Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | 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:

Evgeny Kissin & James Levine: The Carnegie Hall Concert
Scriabin: Sonata No. 3; Five Preludes; Medtner: Sonata Reminiscenza; Stravinsky: Three Movements from Pétrouchka
Volodos Plays Liszt
Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1
Evgeny Kissin Plays Brahms

ASIN: B000KX0I54
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Tracks:

Polonaise in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 26, No. 1
Polonaise in E-Flat Minor, Op. 26, No. 2
Impromptu in A-Flat Major, Op. 29
Impromptu in F-Sharp Major, Op. 36
Impromptu in G-Flat Major, Op. 51
Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66
Polonaise in C Minor, Op. 40, No. 2
Polonaise in A-Flat Major, Op. 53

Amazon.com

Recorded live, this Chopin program featuring three Impromptus, four Polonaises, and the Fantasie-Impromptu has all the electricity of a performance. Kissin, who captivated the world two decades ago as a sensational prodigy, is today a spectacular pianist and compelling personality. His virtuosity is by now taken for granted, but perhaps most extraordinary is his uncanny ability to change mood and expression instantaneously and to pace and build up climaxes. This is a matter not only of technique but of emotional concentration and involvement, yet it would be impossible without his mastery of touch, color, and nuance. Kissin's tone is beautiful: he can make the piano sing in long, sustained lines and his runs are brilliant and fleet but perfectly clear. The left-hand octaves in the A-flat major Polonaise are a miracle of speed and feathery lightness. As always, Kissin plays with great expressive and rhythmic freedom, but his liberties are not as spontaneous as they used to be: though poised, they stay the same in all repeats and are often excessive, as if they had become entrenched through too many performances. There is no hint of the improvisatory quality implied in the title "Impromptu." Can it be that Kissin's former sense of freshness and wonder has fallen victim to the pace of his career? --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

This Kid's Good!.......2007-04-25

Just saw Kissin at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, in a recital that included works by Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms and Chopin. The house was packed, and he played eleven encores (lasting nearly as long as the concert!). I haven't heard the Chopin disk (and I'll buy it), but I can't imagine the performance differs that much from the one I attended. Watching Kissin play, the keyboard seemed to "melt" and become something pliable for his hands to mold. Can any other artist play that range of dynamics, achieve a seamless legato and flesh out the harmonies, regardless of the technical difficulties of a passage? I doubt it. The Chopin was the highlight. In my opinion, his playing was overly indulgent in the slow movements of the Schubert, for example, and this wasn't a factor in the Chopin. Of course, it's a matter of taste- but if you don't think Evgeny Kissin is the greatest pianist of his generation, just wait. After all, the images of Horowitz, Rubenstein and Serkin we carry in our heads aren't exactly those of fresh faced kids!

Kissin and Chopin are a perfect match.......2007-03-26

For sheer technical ability Kissin is still among the very best and when coupled with his sensitivity to this composer's works it is hard to do better.

Again?.......2007-03-07

I know it may sound outrageous, but I think we had enough of these pieces. Why would anyone bother - especially if one happens to be as gifted and distinct a pianist as Kissin - to churn out one more recording of, for instance, Chopin's Polonaise Héroïque, if not for easy and big profits? Taking into account that - just to mention a few - such towering figures as Rachmaninov, Argerich, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Pollini, Yundi Li and even Kissin himself in the recent past (1994, 2000) have already been there, some of them several times, I guess his talent would be much better served if he only decided to give less-known composers and/or works a chance. It's actually far more easy than it seems, it's ultimately just a matter of imitatio dei - why not follow the steps of God himself who's out there committing to record works by Sorabji, Kapustin, Villa-Lobos, Alkan and even Godowsky's complete Études (which are basically Chopin boosted to higher voltages)? God has broken the path; it's time for the creatures to follow it. Now, if you don't even know who God is, I really feel sorry for you. :)

This recording suffers from the same problems and handicaps as many others which are put out in hundreds by the record companies: it adds nothing, absolutely nothing new to our understanding of these pieces. Kissin is neither original nor daring; he's utterly conventional, and his playing resembles that of many other pianists who tackled the Polonaises before him. And, truth to be told, I guess we already have the whole gamut of possible and plausible interpretations of these pieces; the whole ground has been very well covered. If you like aristocratic readings of the Polonaises, well, you have none other than Rubinstein; if you want to feel all their power and grandeur, Martha Argerich will send chills down your spine; but maybe you're a more introverted person who'd rather listen to an intimate account of these otherwise ''little epic pieces'' - well, here you've got none other than Horowitz! And there are many, many others who are worth listening to. There's no doubt Kissin's talent - i'm not one of those who think he's all hype. He's a serious, gifted and wonderful pianist who's still very young and hopefully will get to blossom to his fullest potential.

How is Kissin doing today?.......2007-03-01

It's been a great pleasure to follow Kissin from child prodigy to adult superstar, even though along the way there have been stumbles so far as musical growth goes. This live Chopin recital from 2004 earns raves here at Amazon and with the audience, which goes crazy at the end, but The Gramophone hated it, calling Kissin's four Polonaise performances "the most lugubrious on recrds." (They don't feel that slow, and it must be said that KIsssin takes all repeats.)

The pianism here is phenomenal, it goes without saying, in everything technical that could be imagined. Tone and touch are mesmerizing, control is superhuman, and so on. Since Kissin produced two great live Chopin recordings from Carnegie Hall for RCA, it's great to have new works in this recital from the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, which seems to have become a favorite among top-flight musicians.

I admit to being a bit uncomfortable with Kissin's current status; he is so prodigious that there's a risk of overpowering Chopin with dazzle and display. The Polonaises are not among Chopin's intimate works, yet they are so individual that interpreting them is dfficult. Pollini's only failure on CD in Chopin, as far as I'm concerned, was his overly aggressive disc of the Polonaises. Kissin is more flexible and yielding, and his forte inerjections aren't harsh. Therefore I like these versions very much, and the 'Heroic' Polonaise is particularly appealing in its rhythmic freedom.

If only the Impromptus sounded more spontaneous--as the Amazon reviewer says, maybe some of the wonder has gone out for Kissin. There's a veneer of impersonal expertise here--compare Kissin's readings to Yundi Li's on DG, who seems more personally involved in the poetry. The Fantasy-Impromptu is arresting, yet I miss the younger Kissin's freshness. We'll jsut have to see where this supreme pianist is headed. In sum, this is one of his best recent outings.

Kissin - Wisdom with Age.......2007-02-03

First off, this is a fascinating all-Chopin recital, and a worthy addition to the ever-growing Kissin discography. I recently read a less than enthusiastic editorial review of this record on another website (written by Jed Distler) which criticized Kissin's use of rubato (amongst other things), saying that it was somewhat sporadic and seemed to be without rhyme or reason. I can't say that I agree. The rubato which Kissin uses is totally compelling, and really helps to shed new light on these oft recorded pieces. Here we have Kissin melding the innovative and aristocratic playing of Arrau and Perahia, with the stone cold accuracy of Pollini; in other words, downright great Chopin playing.

I have been listening to Pollini's recording of the polonaises for years, but as soon as I heard op. 26 no. 1, I was in awe. It was as if I was hearing a completely new piece of music. The "heroic" polonaise, op. 53 gets a white-hot presentation; and although no one for me can match Horowitz in this piece, Kissin really gives a wonderful and distinctive performance. The impromptus are comparable to Perahia's famed recording, with Kissin giving each one an exact, yet heartfelt interpretation. The only weak-link for me was the impromptu op. 51 , which seemed to get a somewhat cold and straightforward performance; but this a minor weak spot, and should be a deterrent to none.

Any new Evgeny Kissin CD is bound to do well (in terms of selling). The reason for this is that Kissin really brings something new to everything he does, and this is evidenced through every one of his past records. He has a distinct tone that he extracts from the piano, just as Horowitz, Gould, Arrau, and many other of the greats did. You could always tell without looking when they were playing; I believe this is true of Kissin as well.

So, all in all, this is a great recital - truly stunning Chopin playing which would be a great addition in anyone's collection. As for the detractors, who say Kissin's better days have passed him by, well, hopefully this recital will help them reassess their position.

Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin [Box Set]

Average customer rating:

THE GREATEST OF CHOPIN PIANISTS
The greatest interpretation
Not such a great album
Love it.
RECORDING QUALITY IS A FACTOR

Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin [Box Set]

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Box Sets at 30% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Arthur Rubinstein: Ludwig Van Beethoven Piano Sonatas
Arthur Rubinstein - Chopin 19 Nocturnes (Vol. 49)
Great Recordings Of The Century - Dinu Lipatti
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos

ASIN: B000002S59
Release Date: 1994-03-15

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In E minor, Op. 11: Allegro maestoso risoluto
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E minor, Op. 11: Romanze (Larghetto) -
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E minor, Op. 11: Rondo vivace
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F minor, Op. 21: Maestoso
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F minor, Op. 21: Larghetto
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F minor, Op. 21: Allegro vivace
Waltz In C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2
Nocturne No. 1 In B Flat Minor, Op. 9 No. 1
Nocturne No. 2 In E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2
Nocturne No. 3 In B Major, Op. 9 No. 3

Tracks:

Nocturne No. 4 In F Major, Op. 15 No. 1
Nocturne No. 5 In F Sharp Major, Op. 15 No. 2
Nocturne No. 6 In G Minor, Op. 15 No. 3
Nocturne No. 7 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 1
Nocturne No. 8 In D Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2
Nocturne No. 9 In B Major, Op. 32 No. 1
Nocturne No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 32 No. 2
Nocturne No. 11 In G Minor, Op. 37 No. 1
Nocturne No. 12 In G Major, Op. 37 No. 2
Nocturne No. 13 In C Minor, Op. 48 No. 1
Nocturne No. 14 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 48 No. 2
Nocturne No. 15 In F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1
Nocturne No. 16 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 No. 2
Nocturne No. 17 In B Major, Op. 62 No. 1
Nocturne No. 18 In E Major, Op. 62 No. 2
Nocturne No. 19 In E Minor, Op. 71 No. 1 (posth.)

Tracks:

Waltz In A-Flat Major, Op. 34, No. 1
Mazurka In F-Sharp Minor, Op. 6, No.1
Mazurka In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 6, No.2
Mazurka In E-Major, Op. 6, No.3
Mazurka In E-Flat Major, Op.6, No.4
Mazurka In B-Flat Major, Op. 7, No. 1
Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 7, No.2
Mazurka In F-Minor, Op. 7, No. 3
Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 7, No.4
Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 7, No. 5
Mazurka In B-Flat Major, Op. 17, No.1
Mazurka In E-Minor, Op. 17, No. 2
Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 17, No. 3
Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 17, No. 4
Mazurka In G-Minor, Op. 24, No. 1
Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 24, No. 2
Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 24, No. 3
Mazurka In B-Flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4
Mazurka In C-Minor, Op. 30, No. 1
Mazurka In B-Minor, Op. 30, No. 2
Mazurka In D-Flat Major, Op. 30, No. 3
Mazurka In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 30, No. 4
Mazurka In G-Sharp Minor, Op. 33, No. 1
Mazurka In D-Major, Op. 33, No. 2
Mazurka In C-Minor, Op. 33, No. 3
Mazurka In B-Minor, Op. 33, No. 4
Mazurka In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 41, No. 1
Mazurka In E-Minor, Op. 41, No. 2
Mazurka In B-Major, Op. 41, No. 3
Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 42, No. 4
Mazurka In G-Major, Op. 50, No. 1
Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 2
Mazurka In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 50, No. 3

Tracks:

Mazurka In B-Major, Op. 56, No. 1
Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 56, No. 2
Mazurka In C-Minor, Op. 56, No. 3
Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 59, No. 1
Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 56, No. 2
Mazurka In F-Sharp Minor, Op. 56, No. 3
Mazurka In B-Major, Op. 63, No. 1
Mazurka In F-Minor, Op. 63, No. 2
Mazurka In C-Sharp minor, Op. 63, No. 3
Mazurka In G-Major, Op. 67, No. 1
Mazurka In G-Minor, Op. 67, No. 2
Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 67, No. 3
Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 67, No. 4
Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 68, No. 1
Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 68, No. 2
Mazurka In F-Major, Op. 68, No. 3
Mazurka In F-Monor, Op. 68, No. 4
Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. Posth. (A son ami Emile Gaillard)
Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. posth. (Notre temps)
Scherzi In B-Minor, Op. 20
Scherzi In B-Flat Minor, Op. 31
Scherzi In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 39
Scherzi In E-Major, Op. 54

Tracks:

Barcaolle In F-Sharp Major, Op. 60
Berseuse In D-Flar Major
Polonaise In C-Sharp Major, Op. 26, No. 1
Polonaise In E-Flat Major, Op. 26, No.2
Polonaise In A-Major, Op. 40, No. 1
Polonaise In C-Minor, Op. 40, No. 2
Polonaise In F-Sharp Major, Op. 44
Polonaise In A-Flat Major, Op. 53 (Heroic)
Polonaise In A-Flat Major, Op. 61 (Polonaise-Fantaisie)
Andante splanato & polonaise brillante In E-Flat Major, Op. 22

Customer Reviews:

THE GREATEST OF CHOPIN PIANISTS.......2007-03-01

These are the earlier discs of Rubinstein's Chopin, recorded by HMV in London during the 1930's. It is less complete than his later recordings for RCA - no Sonatas, no Ballades, no Etudes. The sound is naturally of its time - but in many ways more natural than the sharply-lit, slightly edgy piano sound RCA favoured in the 50's and 60's. Nevertheless, these are the Chopin performances I return to most.

Rubinstein's natural affinity with Chopin is legendary. He seemed always able to capture precisely the right degree of rubato at exactly the right moment in these pieces. And he had a unique ability in his countryman's music to balance the lyrical with the impassioned, what seems completely spontaneous with what is clearly deeply considered. The Nocturnes here are, I think, the best you'll hear anywhere on disc. In the greatest of them - the Opp.37 & 48 sets, for example - Rubinstein gets the contrast between the dreamy nocturnal outer sections with the darker, more impassioned central sections just right. These are not salon miniatures in his hands but big works, if not in length then in content. And no-one can match Rubinstein in the elusive diversity of this complete set of Mazurkas. The two Concerti both have Barbirolli as the sympathetic conductor, following Rubinstein's lead in the ebb and flow of phrases and whole sections of these gorgeous and often maligned works. Interestingly the recording of Concerto No.2 (actually the first composed) dates from before the pianist's famous withdrawal from public performance to reconstruct his technique and his approach, that of Concerto No.1 from after. Perhaps one can detect a touch more maturity and refinement in his approach to the latter, but they are both ravishing performances.

Many of the performances on these 5 discs are the greatest Chopin you're likely to hear. And the ear soon adjusts to the somewhat old-fashioned recorded piano sound. This is a highly desirable set for any lover of Chopin and/or great piano playing.

The greatest interpretation.......2007-02-17

The interpretation is stunning. Mono - but no matter for solo piano - and a wee bit hissy but still quite superb.

Not such a great album.......2007-01-12

This album was recorded from records as you can hear the scratches and skips. Don't recommend it!

Love it........2006-06-22

This is my favorite album. I think that not even Rubinstein's later recordings attain this quality of musical involvment.

There is a fair amount of background noise, but the music helps to forget it rather quickly overall.

RECORDING QUALITY IS A FACTOR.......2005-02-10

Otherwise, I would have given 5 stars. The fact that these have a hiss (and you can practically hear him close the piano on several numbers) should be mentioned. I guess we are spoiled to audio quality, but this is an expensive collection and this fact was glaringly omitted. That said, I have enjoyed the recordings, in spite of the very audible hiss.

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, etc. (Box) [Germany]

Average customer rating:

excellent but obscure!
The Art of Michelangeli

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, etc. (Box) [Germany]
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Manufacturer: Documents Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Vol. 2 [Germany]
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas [Germany]
Lazar Berman Edition (Box Set)
Historic Russian Archives Emil Gilels Edition [Box Set]
Emil Gilels Plays Beethoven (Box Set)

ASIN: B0009QYPBA
Release Date: 2006-05-04

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No.15 In B Flat Major, Kv450
Piano Quartet In E Flat Major, Kv493
Scherzo No.1
Scherzo No.2
Ballade No.1
Piano Sonata No.2, Op.35
'marche Funebre'
Fantasie In F Minor, Op.49
Waltzes
Mazurkas
Carnaval, Op.9
Faschingsschwank Aus Wien, Op.26
Piano Sonata No.11
Piano Sonata No.12
Piano Sonata No.32
Four Ballades, Op.10
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op.35
Children's Corner
Images I
Images Ii
Preludes
Livrei (Excerpts)
Italian Concerto In F Major, Bwv 971
Seven Sonatas
Sonata V In C Major
Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op.54
Totentanz (Dans Macabre) For Piano And Orch., S126
Symphonic Variations For Piano And Orchestra
Concerto In A Minor, Op.16

Customer Reviews:

excellent but obscure!.......2007-02-09

I have all of michelangeli,s recordings on the bigger labels. deutsche grammopon,EMI these recordings are top rate. they are done from euro radio and tv shows. most all the matrial is from 1962-1990. the last disk was done in the forty's this disk is not very good but all the others are par excellence! the debussy images,the brahms.schumann,beethoven and most of the chopin,these recordings put the big labels to shame. this set is not a bargin its simply a giveaway! Buy it NOW!

The Art of Michelangeli.......2006-11-09

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
This 10-CD set represents the recordings of the great Italian pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, from the maestro's earlier, post-World War years to the 1990's, spanning half a century of outsanding pianism and musicianship.

Michelangeli was an eccentric, a truly special personality in the world of music who offered surprises and delights at every turn. His concert repertoire was insignificant and limited compared to those of his contemporaries Richter and Arrau, and he cancelled concerts at the slightest whims. His playing was equally unpredictable; it was at times extremely beautiful, colorful, and divinely expressive; on the other hand, it could also be robust, sturdy, and deafeningly powerful. His Debussy offered a transparent, watery atmosphere splashed with delicious sweetness and surreality, yet his Beethoven was direct and vigorous; his Chopin involved elements of both. Simply put, the art of Michelangeli was a fusion of sheer brilliance and an unmovable, forceful personality.

The track listings are as follows:
CD 1 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (64:12)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.15 in B-flat Major, KV.450
Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, KV.493

CD 2 - Frédéric Chopin (76:48)
Scherzo No.2 in B-flat minor, Op.31
Ballade No.1 in G Minor, Op.23
Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante in E-flat Major, Op.22
Berceuse in D-flat Major, Op.57
Piano Sonata No.2 in B-flat Minor, Op.35
Mazurka in F-sharp Minor, Op.59/3
Valse in E-flat, op. posth.

CD 3 - Robert Schumann (57:45)
Carnaval, Op.9
Faschingsschwang aus Wien, Op.26

CD 4 - Ludwig van Beethoven (72:05)
Piano Sonata No.11 in B-flat Major, Op.22
Piano Sonata No.12 in A-flat Major, Op.26
Piano Sonata No.32 in C Minor, Op.111

CD 5 - Johannes Brahms (46:56)
4 Ballades, op.10
Variations on a theme by Paganini, Op.35

CD 6 - Claude Debussy (77:24)
Children's Corner
Images, Livres I & II
Préludes, Livre I (9 Excerpts)

CD 7 - Bach/Scarlatti/Galuppi (70:54)
Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1004 (trans. Busoni)
Italian Concerto, BWV 971

Seven Sonatas

Presto in B-flat major
Sonata V in C Major

CD 8 - Frédéric Chopin (70:36)
Scherzo No.1 in B Minor, Op.20
Fantaisie in F Minor, Op.49
3 Valses
7 Mazurkas

CD 9 - The Concertos in Vatican City for Pope John XXIII (63:56)
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op.54
Liszt: Totentanz

CD 10 - Schumann/Franck/Grieg (74:51)
Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op.54

Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra

Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op.16

Average customer rating:

more wonderous with each passing year
Pinnacle
The Perfect Storm
Parkening Play Bach and Plays Him Stunningly!
Masterpiece

Christopher Parkening plays Bach

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Simple Gifts: Christopher Parkening
In the Spanish Style / Christopher Parkening
Christopher Parkening - The Great Recordings ~ By America's Preeminent Guitar Virtuoso
Christopher Parkening - A Tribute to Segovia
Christopher Parkening Plays Vivaldi Guitar Concertos & Warlock Capriol Suite

ASIN: B000002RNJ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Canata 147: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Sonata VI For Violin, E Major Partita: Gavotte
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude I
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude VI
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude IX
Cantata 208: Sheep May Safely Graze
Prelude, Fugue And Allegro In E Flat Major For Clavier, Original For Lute): Prelude and Allegro
Cello Suite V: Gavotte I And II
Cello Suite VI: Gavotte I And II
Cantata 140: Sleepers, Awake
Parkening Plays Bach And Music Of Handel, Scarlatti, Couperin And Others: Sarabande And Variations
Samson: Minuet in D
Parkening Plays Bach And Music Of Handel, Scarlatti, Couperin And Others: Giga
Parkening Plays Bach And Music Of Handel, Scarlatti, Couperin And Others: Passacaglia
Ordres, Book II: Les Barricades mysterieuses
Parkening Plays Bach And Music Of Handel, Scarlatti, Couperin And Others: Preambulo And Allegro vivo

Customer Reviews:

more wonderous with each passing year.......2006-11-13

Most of the reviewers have said (and better than I can) what makes this album so special. I remember having this on cassette and wearing it out. People who have no interest (and sometimes I can't blame them...) in classical music might grow fond of this if they give it a try. You don't need any kind of background or knowledge, just a willingness to open your heart and ears to something so sublime it is beyond words. Bach is our true musical spiritual leader!

Pinnacle.......2005-10-24

I can't over-exaggerate the impact this album had on me when my Dad played it for me when I was about 6. It encouraged me to become a guitarist, and hearing it was my first truly profound musical experience that I can remember.

I love all kinds of music, but nothing has touched me like this album in the 19 years since then. Parkening's reading of Bach arranged for the classical guitar is flawless on this recording; no one, not even his mentor has matched it.

"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", "Sheep May Safely Graze" and especially "Sleepers Awake" are the best renditions of these songs that I've heard, regardless of the arrangement. His control and dynamics are just staggering.

I can't explain where this album or music came from. It's my absolute favourite album. It's part of human evolution and the continually unfolding Great Work.

The Perfect Storm.......2005-04-07

The are times when the musician, the composer, and the instrument just match perfectly; this disc is an example of that.

Nevermind that Bach never wrote a single note for the guitar, many of his pieces actually work better on the guitar than they would the clavier. The guitar provides much more opportunity for the musician to impart emotion by varying volume and tone. And Parkening capitalizes on that opportunity beautifully.

His playing is clean, thoughtful, and competent. This is, in my opinion, clearly Parkening's best recording. I highly recommend it. (I also recommend his In the Spanish Style, another of my favorites).

Parkening Play Bach and Plays Him Stunningly!.......2005-02-18

I have loved this recording for over 20 years. I had it on vinyl and was thrilled when it was released in 1985 onto CD along with 6 extra cuts. Originally a Bach interpretive LP of 10 tracks, the CD release added 6 compositions from Couperin, Handel, Weiss, Scarlatti and Visee.

This is now a rare recording, so get it while you can. It's peaceful, highly skilled and simply Christopher Parkening, playing bare and alone, and shining like the sterling musician he is!

Masterpiece.......2003-09-24

The music of J. S. Bach seems to bring out the best in Christopher Parkening. Mr. Parkening understands Bach, and plays his music with grace, intelligence and sensitivity. He displays those qualities magnificently on this collection.

The selections here represent a wide variety of Bach pieces: portions of cantatas, solo cello works, and pieces from the Well-Tempered Clavier. All of the pieces are transcribed skillfully for solo guitar, and every track flows naturally into the next. Standouts among the Bach pieces include "Sheep May Safely Graze" and "Sleepers Awake"--two meditative cantata selections which were so brilliantly arranged and performed that you'd almost think they were originally written for guitar.

And the additional baroque works presented here are not just "filler." Mr. Parkening gives stunning performances of great pieces composed by baroque giants like Handel, and he closes the recording in great style, with a passionate performance of Scarlatti.

Tracks:

Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Allegro
Andante
Allegro Assai
Adagio
Allegro Non Molto (Quasi Andante)
Larghetto
Allegro
Adagio
Prelude For Lute In D Minor BWV 999
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring

Customer Reviews:

Warmth.......2005-08-16

Kudo's to Ms. Isbin, her masterful playing brings warmth to the classical pieces thus removing the pretense and stiffness generally assoicated with classical music

Likely to Become Bach Favorite for Guitar.......2003-04-29

I've always enjoyed Parkening and others who do Bach on the guitar. Here, noted classic guitarist Isbin provides a beautifully crafted and performed set of baroque favs on guitar.

She plays with controlled passion and clarity, and to my ear her Bach is even more clean and phrased superior to Parkening's.

The selection is well chosen, with great addition to instrument's reportoire of Vivaldi's Concerto in A major.

I find her Albioni's Adagio very well done! The dynamics are well done as well as tempo in this spirited rendiiton.

Tracks:

Concerto in D part I, RV93: I Allegro giusto
Concerto In D: II Largo
Concerto In D: III Allegro
Capriol: I Basse-Danse
Capriol: II Pavane
Capriol: III Tordion
Capriol: IV Bransle
Capriol: V Pieds-en-l'air
Capriol: VI Mattachins
Concerto In C, RV 425: I Allegro
Concerto In C, RV 425: II Largo
Concerto In C, RV 425: III Allegro
Trio In C, RV 82: I Allegro non molto
Trio In C, RV 82: II Larghetto
Trio In C, RV 82: III Allegro
Suite In D Terpsicore: I Courante
Suite in D: II Ballet
Suite In D Terpsicore: III Gavotte
Suite In D Terpsicore: IV Spagnoletta
Suite In D Terpsicore: V Bransle double
Suite In D Terpsicore: VI Courante I & II
Suite In D Terpsicore: VII Volte

Customer Reviews:

The most beautiful piece of music in the world........2006-03-22

Christopher Parkening is fantastic. Today there are a lot of good guitarplayers in the world, good technic, musicality and so on, but Parkening take the word music to a new dimension. It is so much more than just music.
Close your eyes and relax and let the music give you harmony.
Tomas from Sweden.

Amazing what an acoustic guitar can do!.......2003-01-22

I'm just learning guitar and a friend who plays classical guitar reccommended Peter Warlock's Capriol. This CD blew me away and has encouraged me to practice harder and to play more.

Great Playing of Guitar Concertos.......2001-08-01

This is just a marvelous collection of well-done performance of one great classical guitarist. From the compositions of Vivaldi (two are included), the world premiere recording of Peter Warlock's Capriol and Praetorius' Suite in D, Parkening puts forth a marvelous effort.

His playing seems effortless but full of passion and spirit. Especially pleasing to my ear is the piece by Warlock and Praetorius.

You will not tire of listening to this variety of Concertos with its varying styles as well as pace.

Great guitarist, great music.......2000-03-01

Christopher Parkening is a wonderful guitarist. On this release one can hear how wonderfully subtle a soloist he is. His phrasing on the largo movement of Vivaldi's Concerto in D (track 2) is particularly poetic. The Vivaldi pieces here are my favorites; I especially like the Trio in C (tracks 13-15). The combination of harpsichord, violin, and guitar is magical, making for some delicious baroque chamber music. In short, I highly recommend this recording.

Average customer rating:

an absolute master
The Sensation of the Great
Emil Gilels: Possibly the USSR's Greatest Achievement

Emil Gilels Plays Beethoven (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Historic Russian Archives Emil Gilels Edition [Box Set]
Historic Russian Archives: Sviatoslav Richer in Concert
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, etc. (Box) [Germany]
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas [Germany]
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Vol. 2 [Germany]

ASIN: B000667FVA
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Customer Reviews:

an absolute master.......2006-12-13

For me to write a review on Gilels is almost ridiculous, since he was one of the best pianists of the century. For me, Richter and Gilels are the best pianists I've ever heard.

This set is made up of live recordings - which as the title suggests - taken from old Russian archives. As such, the sound is sometimes not that great, but I'll take these recordings over any digital recording, even Brendel's, which I own and love. The contercos are masterfully played, I especially like Gilels in the 3rd concerto. He plays the cadenza better than anyone I've ever heard, Richter included.

Gilels' style is perfectly suited to the powerhouse sonatas, the hammerklavier and appassionata. The hammerklavier is obviously amazing, but the appassionata alone is worth the price of the whole set. I've never heard such power in the first and third movements, he plays the fortissimo passages so heavily that I wonder how the piano can withstand such an onslaught. This is exactly how I imagine Beethoven would have wanted it in this sonata, after all, his own pianos couldn't take the punishment he dished out. The third movement is completely wild, as aggressive as you'll ever hear, but you never think that it's over done, I think it suites the mood of the music perfectly. Once he hammers the final chords of the final movement, you're out of breath, completely amazed at what you've just heard. There are some smudged passages near the end and some wrong notes here and there (he was human after all... sort of) but with the tempo he takes, and playing as loudly as he is at the end, it's impossible to be perfect in a live recording. That being said, I have an old Russian lp of Richter playing a live appassionata in Moscow in 1960, where he adopts the same tempo as Gilels at the end of the third movement and plays the hell out of it and it's a lot cleaner than Gilels. But overall, I think this recording of the appassionata is my favorite, slightly edging out Richter's live recording. I also have studio recordings of the appassionata with Arrau, Brendel, Backhaus, Fischer, and Horowitz, none of them measure up to Gilels either.

Only one gripe: in the third movement of the appassionata, Gilels doesn't play the repeat in the first subject. And since his playing is so good, it's a shame that the third movement is about three minutes shorter than it should be.

This set would be a treasure at any price, let alone the modest price being asked for it here. Don't be fooled by the fact that this is on the Brilliant Classics label, even though the recordings haven't been remastered, it's a document of the kind of incredible piano playing that I'm afraid we'll most likely never see again.

The Sensation of the Great.......2006-03-28

The set is wonderful, yet I will remark two movements: the third of the Moonlight Sonata and also the third of the 23 Appasionata. The problem with third movements is virtuosismo and lack of music. In general. But:

Gilels is a master, perhaps because the master speaks through his fingers. The third of the No. 14 is seldom understood, and usually played mechanically or with meaningless ritardandos, crescendos, etc. You can listen to Barenboim or any other and that particular movement will always fail. However, Gilels plays a unity, a sense...

Again, for the same reason, the 23 excels. All the sonata; however, the third movement is mad. Interpretation is abstract to the highest degree and virtuosismo really finds itself at the service of music (I can assure that Gilel's virtusismo is outstanding; I have not seen anything like it -no Pollini, Solomon, etc...).

Unfortunately the recording, due to its age (or who knows) perhaps has not the brightness necessary to enjoy the mere sound, especially the pianissimos. It is worth having in any case, beyond any doubt. Since I bought it I have never listened to other Moonlights or Appasionatas (the first of the Moonlight is brilliant!). I have remarked the two third movements above, because they exemplify the understanding of the music. Interpretation is brilliant throughout. If you buy the blue 10 cd-set, you will see this again in Chopin's Nocturne 48... but that is another matter. Have a look at the "Emil Gilels" DVD edited by via.

Emil Gilels: Possibly the USSR's Greatest Achievement.......2006-01-31

You will love it or hate it; you will shed tears or throw these at the wall: because Gilels presents the listener with a classic black and white interpretation. Violently caressing, dangerously pure, these are the thoughts which arise after hearing Gilel's interpretations. And this is what makes them unique. Many pianists would not dare to offer up such strikingly bold renditions--for reasons we need not go into but which easily come to the fore when dwelt upon. Gilels was himself. But then again, perhaps Gilels was purging himself of Beethoven's spirit? Well, that sounds quite non-sensical. But once you hear this set, you will know what I mean!

One really just needs to give it a chance. You need to hear the aggressive Russian Symphony Orchestra in its 'Rachmaninov-ness', if you will, as Gilel pours out the tumultuous notes; you need to hear the original fingerwork and truly unique renderings of Beethoven's masterworks.

These renditions are easily comparable to Fleischer's, Brendel's, Gieseking's, et al. It is a truly remarkable listen. I can't promise that you'll like the set. But what I can promise you is this: you'll fall in love with it or truly hate it. Einfach wunderbar!

Album Review:

Album Review

Album Review