Romantic Moments, Vol. 6: Mozart

1. Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 Adagio
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra with Bela Kovacs
Conducted by Janos Rolla

2. Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 Adagio
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with Daniel Gerard , Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Conducted by Herbert Kraus

3. Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 Andante
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Salzburg Mozart Orchestra Conducted by Hans Graf

4. Clarinet Quintet in A major ("Stadler") K. 581 Larghetto
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with Hans-Detlef Lochner

5. Symphony No. 24 in B flat major, K. 182 Andantino grazioso
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Salzburg Mozart Orchestra Conducted by Hans Graf

6. Fantasia for piano in D minor (fragment), K. 397 (K. 385g)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with Jeno Jando

7. Concerto for flute, harp & orchestra in C major, K. 299 (K. 297c) Andantino
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with Angelica Berger , Hans Friedrich , Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Conducted by Herbert Kraus

8. Symphony No. 38 in D major ("Prague"), K. 504 Andante
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Salzburg Mozart Orchestra Conducted by Hans Graf

Customer Reviews:

Curzon and Solti: Tchaikovsky's nightmare.......2007-06-26

Heavyhanded Solti and the VPO and Curzon who's tempi unsettled Solti, unorganic, affected, ridiculous are the words that come to mind! This is almost as bad as Toradze and Gergiev! Do not waste your money: Solti and Tchaikovsky do not go hand in hand and Curzon has nothing to say with this piece.
On LP the recorded sound is not bad although the piano has some very strange tone in low midrange register.
I'll take the perhaps too lively Katchen/Gamba anytime over this stale, pompous effort!

More Classic Curzon.......2006-02-14

After enjoying (and reviewing) the previous two installments of pianist Clifford Curzon's Decca Recordings in the "Original Masters" series, I was delighted to pick up Volume 3 over the holidays. The performances on this six disc set span nearly thirty-five years, from a 1937 orchestrated account of Schubert's "Wanderer" Fantasy with Sir Henry Wood and the Queen's Hall Orchestra, to a final disc of all Schubert, the majority of which was made in 1971. In between are many brilliant concerto recordings, and though some have been previously available on CD, all have been out-of-print for some time. The true gems are paired on disc four -- the 1959 stereo Grieg with Fjeldstad and the London SO (my personal favorite -- I had the old "Classic Sound" series CD), and the 1957 mono Brahms No. 2 with Knappertsbusch and Vienna. Coming in a close second is disc three's coupling of the Tchaikovsky 1st, with Solti leading Vienna in stereo from 1958, and the Rachmaninov 2nd, with Boult and the LPO in mono from 1955. The remaining two Concerto performances -- Mozart's 23rd and Brahms' 1st -- are regrettably from the 1940s and suffer from both mediocre sound and comparatively uninspired conducting (Neel and Jorda respectively). Rounding out this set are 1952 performances of the two Mozart Piano Quartets with members of the Amadeus Quartet, and an entire disc (no. 5) of stereo Liszt solo piano works. In all, this is a great collection, and here's to hoping there is enough material in the vaults to produce a Volume 4!

Sergei Rachmaninoff: The Complete Recordings

Average customer rating:

Save some $ money! Get the newer January 2006 reissue set instead.
6, or Even 7 Stars!
A must have for Piano and classical music lovers
Ah, Rachmaninoff, brilliant star of music, how we adore you
Review from a spoiled modern listener

Sergei Rachmaninoff: The Complete Recordings

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Beethoven: 29 Piano Sonatas / Gilels
Rachmaninov Plays Rachmaninov--Ampico Recordings (1919-29)
Liszt: Piano Works
Shostakovich: The String Quartets
Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff

ASIN: B000003FB7
Release Date: 1992-09-15

Tracks:

Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Moderato; Allegro
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Adagio sostenuto
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Allegro scherzando
Concerto No. 3, Op. 30 In D Minor: Allegro ma non tanto
Concerto No. 3, Op. 30 In D Minor: Intermezzo: Adagio
Concerto No. 3, Op. 30 In D Minor: Finale: Alla breve

Tracks:

Concerto No. 1, Op, 1 In F Sharp Minor: Vivace
Concerto No. 1, Op, 1 In F Sharp Minor: Andante
Concerto No. 1, Op, 1 In F Sharp Minor: Allegro vivace
Concerto No. 4, Op. 40 In G Minor: Allegro vivace
Concerto No. 4, Op. 40 In G Minor: Largo
Concerto No. 4, Op. 40 In G Minor: Allegro vivace
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Introduction: Allegro vivace
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation I: (Precedente)
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Tema: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation II: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation III: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation IV: Piu vivo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation V: Tempo precedente
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation VI: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation VII: Meno mosso, a tempo moderato
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation VIII: Tempo I
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation IX: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation X: Poco marcato
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XI: Moderato
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XII: Tempo di minuetto
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XIII: Allegro
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XIV: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XV: Piu vivo scherzando
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVI: Allegretto
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVII: (Allegretto)
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVIII: Andante cantabile
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XIX: A tempo vivace
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XX: Un poco piu vivo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXI: Un poco piu vivo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXII: Un poco piu vivo (Alla breve)
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXIII: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXIV: A tempo un poco meno mosso

Tracks:

Isle Of The Dead, Op. 29
Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14
Symphony No.3, Op. 44 In A Minor: Lento; Allegro moderato
Symphony No.3, Op. 44 In A Minor: Adagio ma non troppo
Symphony No.3, Op. 44 In A Minor: Allegro

Tracks:

Sonata, Op. 30, No. 3 In G: Allegro assai
Sonata, Op. 30, No. 3 In G: Tempo di minuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso
Sonata, Op. 30, No. 3 In G: Allegro vivace
Sonata D. 574 In A: Allegro moderato
Sonata D. 574 In A: Scherzo: Presto; Trio
Sonata D. 574 In A: Andantino
Sonata D. 574 In A: Allegro vivace
Sonata, Op. 45 In C Minor: Allegro molto ed appassionato
Sonata, Op. 45 In C Minor: Allegretto espressivo alla Romanza
Sonata, Op. 45 In C Minor: Allegro animato

Tracks:

Partita No. 4, BWV 828: Sarabande
Harpsichord Suite No. 5: Air And Variations - 'Harmonious Blacksmith'
Sonata, K. 331: III: Turkish March
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Thema: Allegretto
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation I
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation II
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation III
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation IV
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation V
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation VI
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation VII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation VIII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation IX
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation X
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XI
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XIII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XIV
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XIX
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXIII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXIV
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXV
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXVI
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXVII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXVIII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXXI
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXXII
Return Home
Polish Songs: The Maiden's Wish
Die schone Mullerin: Das Wandern
Schwanengesang: Serenade
Polonaise No. 2 In E
Songs Without Words, Op. 67: Spinning Song
Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 4 In A Flat
Concert Etude No. 2: Gnomenreigen
Orfeo ed Euridice: Melodie
Etude, Op. 104b, No. 2 In F
Etude, Op. 104b, No. 3 In A Minor
Spanisches Liederspeil: The Smuggler
Minuet, Op. 14, No. 1 In G
Liebesfreud

Tracks:

Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 'Funeral March': Grave; Doppio movimento
Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 'Funeral March': Scherzo
Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 'Funeral March': Marche funebre
Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 'Funeral March': Presto
Carnaval, Op. 9: Preambule
Carnaval, Op. 9: Pierrot
Carnaval, Op. 9: Arlequin
Carnaval, Op. 9: Valse noble
Carnaval, Op. 9: Eusebius
Carnaval, Op. 9: Florestan
Carnaval, Op. 9: Coquette
Carnaval, Op. 9: Replique
Carnaval, Op. 9: Sphinxes
Carnaval, Op. 9: Papillons
Carnaval, Op. 9: A. S. C. H. - S. C. H. A. (Letteres dansantes)
Carnaval, Op. 9: Chiarina
Carnaval, Op. 9: Chopin
Carnaval, Op. 9: Estrella
Carnaval, Op. 9: Reconnaissance
Carnaval, Op. 9: Pantalon et Colombine
Carnaval, Op. 9: Valse allemande
Carnaval, Op. 9: Pganini (Intermezzo)
Carnaval, Op. 9: Aveu
Carnaval, Op. 9: Promenade
Carnaval, Op. 9: Pause
Carnaval, Op. 9: Marche des 'Davidsbundler' contre les Philistins
Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2 In E Flat
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 2 In C Sharp
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 3
Ballade No. 3, Op. 47 In A Flat
Mazurka, Op. 68, No. 2
Waltz, Op. Posth. In E Minor

Tracks:

Partita No. 3, BWV 1006: Preludio
Partita No. 3, BWV 1006: Gavotte
Partita No. 3, BWV 1006: Gigue
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Scherzo
Liebersfreud
Die schone Mullerin: The Brooklet
Polka de V.R.
Etude-tableau, Op. 39, No. 6 In A Minor
Prelude, Op. 3, No. 2 In C Sharp Minor
Sorochintsy Fair: Hopac
Lullaby, Op. 16, No.1
Tsar Saltan: Flight of the Bumblebee
The Ruins Of Athens: Turkish March
Scherzo In A Flat
The Seasons: November: Troika
Prelude No. 8, Op. 11, No. 8 In F Sharp
One Lives But Once
Powder and Paint
Polka italienne (Piano 4 Hands)

Tracks:

Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Maderato; Allegro
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Adagio sostenuto
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Allegro scherzando
Prelude, Op. 23, No. 10 In G Flat
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 3 In E Major
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 7 In F Major
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 6 In F Minor
Etude-tableau, Op. 33, No. 2 in C Major
Etude-tableau, Op. 33, No. 7 In E Flat
Daisies, Op. 38, No. 3
Oriental Sketch
Melodie, Op. 3, No. 3 in E
Serenade, Op. 3, No. 5 In B Flat
Humoresque, Op. 10, No. 5 In G
Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5
Moment Musical, Op. 16, No. 2 In E Flat

Tracks:

Mazurka, Op. 63, No. 3 In C Sharp Minor
Nocturne, Op. 15, No. 2 In F Sharp
Waltz, Op. 18 'Grande valse brilliante' In E Flat
Waltz, Op. 34, No. 3 'Valse brilliante' In F
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 1 'Minute'
Waltz, Op. 69, No. 2 In B Minor
Waltz, Op. 70, No. 1 In G Flat
Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39 In C Sharp Minor
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 1 'Minute' In D Flat
Le coucou
L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1: Minuet
Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan
Songs Without Words, Op. 67: Spinning Song
Waltz
Lyric Pieces, Op. 12: Elfin Dance
Etude, Op. 28, No. 6 In F Minor
If I Were a Bird
La jongleuse
Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum
Children's Corner: Golliwogg's Cakewalk
The Seasons: November: Troika
Humoresque, Op. 10, No. 2 In G
Waltz, Op. 40, No. 8 In A Flat

Tracks:

Prelude, Op. 23, No. 5 In G Minor
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 12 In G Sharp Minor
Prelude, Op. 3, No. 2 In C Sharp Minor
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 5 In G
Serenade, Op. 3, No. 5 In B Flat
Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5
Polichinelle, Op. 3, No. 4 In F Sharp Minor
Polka de V.R.
Liebesleid
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Pastorale In E Minor
Theme and Variations
Waltz, Op. 42 'Two - Four' In A Flat
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 3 In A Flat
Polka de V.R.
Bacarolle, Op. 10, No. 3 In G Minor
Prelude, Op. 3, No. 2 In C Sharp Minor

Amazon.com

We remember Rachmaninov today mostly for the music he wrote. But as this set quickly reveals, he was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, able to play his own music and a great variety of others with tremendous personality and a technique that is still astonishing. There's no point picking highlights from this set, since they are everywhere. But if you've never heard Rachmaninov play Schumann's Carnaval, try starting there for one of the most imaginative recreations of a piece of music ever recorded. The set also includes Rachmaninov's only recordings as a conductor in two of his own major works. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Save some $ money! Get the newer January 2006 reissue set instead........2006-05-17

At the time of this review, whenever you search for a phrase such as "Rachmaninoff Complete", amazon's search engine always lands on this out-of-print recording (ASIN: B000003FB7) . It's also no fun to see that it costs more than a hundred bucks! But if you type "B000A2AD2S" in the search box, you'll see the new reissued set for half the price. It's the exact same 10 CDs. Just the cover art is different.

Unfortunately, this situation is a common pattern with amazon's listing of classical music: when you use your intuition and type in common-sense search phrases for Bach, Mozart, etc, you often get the ultra-expensive out-of-print ships-in-4-weeks items as the default item. It takes a lot of detective work to find the newer reissue recordings. For example, to find the new reissue without knowing the ASIN, I had to enter just "Rachmaninoff" in the search text (deliberately left the word "Complete" out of the search) so it would no longer lock me into this item page that you're looking at and give me a full listing instead. I then sorted the listing by "Original Release Date" and found it on the 2nd page. There's no picture on the new item which doesn't give you any confidence that you found the right one. Don't worry, B000A2AD2S is what you want.

For product research, it's good to have both ASIN product listings because the older out-of-print B000003FB7 has the sound samples (and also all the helpful customer reviews) while the new B000A2AD2S has the better price and availability.

To make things even more confusing, the amazon staff sometimes copies entire customer reviews to the new item which would then make THIS review seem strangely out of place. If that happens and I notice it, I will delete this review for B000003FB7.

(In another strange twist, amazon searches in rock/pop usually points you to the newer cheaper remastered/repackaged/reissued/whatever of a particular recording. I don't know why it works the opposite way in classical music?!?!)

6, or Even 7 Stars!.......2005-06-04

Hofmann hit the nail on the head when he said Rachmaninov had "arms of steel and heart of gold". From this album, we can have a clear picture of Rachmaninov's vison of music, of his musical mind and thoughts and moreover his own playing.

While Kempff's playing would often remind of the protestant church music, Rachmaninov bring to our mind the chanting of the Orthodox church, which is much thicker and darker. On top of that, his playing is orchestral which is so powerful and full colours. Yet, it is nothing like Richter, where often the whole piece is just one phrase.

Here each piece has it's own life and identity each with a focal point. It is water tight compact and yet very much natural and alive, never as hair-raising as Horowitz. But, it is not natural in Arrau's way. It is somewhere in between, closer to Argerich but with more consistency and depth. And like Casals' playing, it keeps our attention from the first note up to its focal point until its very end. But unlike Casals, he touches our hearts. It is very emotional but never to the point of being sentimental-- the performance of his own concertos, for example, can tell you that.

Sure, he did have fingers of steel that helped him to bring out whatever colour or atmostphere as appropriate. And despite that fact that there are some minor alterations on the scores like his Chopin, he is one of the few pianists who could really show you every note on the score counts and, above all, how it counts...

His Chopin may not be as neurotic as Cortot. Nonetheless, he sheds light on the dark and nervous side of Chopin so well: a very throbbing interpretation that is so unique. We also have him accompanying Kreisler on some violin sonatas, something that one could turn to time and again, year after year. What a great chamber musician and accompanist he was...!

The recorded sound of the CDs do vary, and some are more acceptable than the others. But for genuine music lovers, they should be able to get over this very soon: how else would they benefit from one of the greatest legacies of a genuinely great musician!

A must have for Piano and classical music lovers.......2005-04-04

To respond to a review about the sound quality-for those people who have no experience with historical performances i.e cortot-hofmann-etc these discs are for the most part much better recorded. There are the inevitable pops and hisses but if these things disturb you, or you cant get past them, then you shouldnt be listening to this kind of thing anyway. the importance here is in the playing, and the playing is extra ordinary. I you want to buy a disc for the reperatoire then i can think of hundreds of performances that will satisfy, but only people with a true interest to hear and study these pieces will be beyond satisfied. I know that may not sound like a lot of fun, but these discs are fun, great, and for me, almost too good to be true. Again, if sound disturbs you, then you may be listening to the music for the wrong reasons. Take from it the playing, the revelations that Rach provides to his pieces, and how fortunate we are that it sounds as good as it does.

Ah, Rachmaninoff, brilliant star of music, how we adore you.......2003-09-14

The music of Rachmaninoff is beyond words, furthermore, beyond imagination. He was a genius, no doubt, and nobody will ever understand how incredibly lucky we are to be blessed with his compositions. Furthermore, it is truly astonishing to hear Rachmaninoff play his own work. There is nothing so beautiful on this earth and there never will be.

Review from a spoiled modern listener.......2003-07-13

I'll admit that I'm a spoiled modern listener, accustomed to having the bang and hiss edited out of a recording, and it took me a while to warm to these. Rachmaninoff's performances are splendid, but if you can hardly hear them over the cacophony of background noise, what's the use? His performance of his own, often overlooked Concerto No. 4 finally made me sit up and listen, even though I've owned two versions of this piece for a number of years (Ashkenazy & Wild).

Legacy, Vol. 5: First Recital in the West

Average customer rating:

Legacy, Vol. 5: First Recital in the West

Manufacturer: Doremi Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Emil Gilels Legacy, Vol. 6

ASIN: B00005RGKX
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Tracks:

Sonata In C Minor, K 457: Molto Allegro
Sonata In C Minor, K 457: Adagio
Sonata In C Minor, K 457: Allegro Assai
Sonata In F Minor Op.57, Appassionata: Allegro Assai
Sonata In F Minor Op.57, Appassionata: Andante Con Moto
Sonata In F Minor Op.57, Appassionata: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Sonata No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 14: Allegro, Ma Non Troppo
Sonata No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 14: Scherzo (Allegro Marcato)
Sonata No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 14: Andante
Sonata No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 14: Vivace
Moment Musical In D Flat, Op.16/5: Adagio Sostenuto
Islamey (Oriental Fantasy)
Recuerdos De Viaje, Op.71/6: Malaguena
Navarra

Amazon.com

When Emil Gilels made his first appearance in the West--in Florence on June 11, 1951--at the height of the Cold War, he must have felt the weight of history riding on his shoulders. He was the first Soviet musician sent to perform for Western audiences since Sergei Prokofiev had been entrusted with a similar mission 30 years earlier. As we can judge from Volume 5 in Doremi's Emil Gilels Legacy series, Gilels rose to the occasion magnificently. He opens Beethoven's "Appassionata" with great (though unexaggerated) pathos and progresses to climaxes of tremendous grandeur. His gale-force tempos in the finale may not scrupulously observe the composer's cautionary "Allegro ma non troppo," but Gilels never shortchanges the music's passion. He accelerates to an even more phenomenal tempo for the "Presto" in the coda, while negotiating it with laser-beam accuracy. The pianist plays the Russian works (by Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, and Balakirev) with his characteristic beauty of sound and magisterial command. Even in the furious onslaught of Islamey, Gilels still manages to make Balakirev's exotic textures luminous, glinting with colors that seem to come from another galaxy. The then 35-year-old pianist was not yet the stylish Mozartean he was to become 20 years later. Nevertheless, he invests each note in Mozart's anguished C Minor Sonata with a wealth of emotion. The result is a magical web of sounds--not authentically Mozartean by current standards, perhaps, but a performance in which the composer's profound humanity is palpable in its tenderness. --Stephen Wigler