The Young Bach - Organ Music & Early Influences by Böhm, Pachelbel & Buxtehude

On this CD:

1. Prelude and Fugue for organ in C
Composed by Georg Bohm
Performed by Douglas Hollick

2. Christum wir sollen loben schon, for organ
Composed by Georg Bohm
Performed by Douglas Hollick

3. Vater Unser Im Himmelreich, chorale partite for organ
Composed by Georg Bohm
Performed by Douglas Hollick

4. Capriccio for organ in D
Composed by Georg Bohm
Performed by Douglas Hollick

5. Toccata for organ in F major
Composed by Johann Pachelbel
Performed by Douglas Hollick

6. Chorale for organ ("Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ")
Composed by Johann Pachelbel
Performed by Douglas Hollick

7. Work(s) Vom Himmel hoch
Composed by Johann Pachelbel
Performed by Douglas Hollick

8. Toccata for organ in E major
Composed by Johann Pachelbel
Performed by Douglas Hollick

9. Fantasia for organ in E minor
Composed by Johann Pachelbel
Performed by Douglas Hollick

10. Magnificat Primi Toni for organ, BuxWV 204
Composed by Dietrich [composer] Buxtehude
Performed by Douglas Hollick

11. Chorale Prelude for organ in G Minor, BuxWV 211, "Nun komm der Heiden Heiland"
Composed by Dietrich [composer] Buxtehude
Performed by Douglas Hollick

12. Nun lob, mein Seel' den Herren BuxWV. 212
Composed by Dietrich [composer] Buxtehude
Performed by Douglas Hollick

13. Passacaglia for organ in D Minor, BuxWV 161
Composed by Dietrich [composer] Buxtehude
Performed by Douglas Hollick

14. Chorale fugue for organ ("Meine Seele erhebet den Herren"), ("Fugue on the Magnificat"), BWV 733
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Douglas Hollick

15. Chorale prelude for organ ("Vater unser im Himmelreich"), BWV 737
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Douglas Hollick

16. Chorale prelude for organ ("Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her"), BWV 701
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Douglas Hollick

17. Chorale prelude for organ ("Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend"), BWV 726
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Douglas Hollick

18. Chorale prelude for organ ("Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend"), BWV 709
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Douglas Hollick

19. Chorale prelude for organ ("Wir Christenleut habn jetzund Freud"), BWV 710
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Douglas Hollick

20. Fantasia and Fugue for organ in G minor ("Great"), BWV 542
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Douglas Hollick

Tracks:

Requiem: Dies Irae
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
The Planets: Mars
The Ride Of The Valkyries
Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves
Fanfare For The Common Man
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1
Aida: Grand March
Summer - Four Seasons: Presto
Te Deum: Prelude
The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor
Symphony No. 5: First Movement
Spartacus: Adagio
Sabre Dance
Symphony No. 40: First Movement
Zadok The Priest
Turandot: Nessun Dorma

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathoustra
Romeo And Juliet: Dance Of The Knights
Requiem: Dies Irae
1812 Overture
Piano Concerto
Spring - Four Seasons: Allegro
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
The Royal Fireworks: La Ruissance From Music
Flight Of The Bumble Bee
Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold
Carmen: Overture
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Jerusalem
The Planets: Jupiter
Symphony No 9, 'Ode To Joy'
Swan Lake: Scene
Enigma Variations: Nimrod
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini [Variation 18]
Pictures At An Exibitions: Promenade
Symphony For Organ No 3: Finale, Symphony For Organ No 3

Customer Reviews:

perfect selection for commencement/ graduation.......2007-06-11

We were concerned after reading some other reviews that this version of Pomp and Circumstance wouldn't be the correct movement or the full length version. This selection has the song for graduation AND the extended length, so it gives plenty of time for processionals. If this is what you need, this is the CD to get.

Great Starting Point for Classical Music Novices.......2004-08-13

"Simply the Best Classicial Anthems" is exactly what the title indicates. This is a collection of what the CD says are "36 of the most powerful classics on Earth". My review of this CD comes from someone who is a Classical Music Novice. I'm familiar with some of the composers, musical styles, musical periods, and some of the terminology that is key to understanding Classical Music. By no means am I an expert. I have basically popped in this two CD collection into my player and have enjoyed the sounds it produces. If you are in the same category as I am or maybe just wanting to be introduced to Classical Music - this is going to be a very good CD to have in your collection. For the more seasoned Classical Music fan, this could be either enjoyable or overkill.

The CD contains 36 songs composed by the legends of Classical Music Composers from the past. The bulk of the works come from Composers in the the 19th and 20th century, but there are works from the Romantic and Classical eras of the late 18th and early 19th century (such as Beethoven and Mozart). In general you will find most of the major names of Composers you would expect to find - names such as Tchiakovsky, Handel, Verdi, Strauss, Elgar, and Bach are all there. The only major composer who I would have expected to see on this CD that I don't see is Frederic Chopin. The composers of the late 20th century are not included on this collection - so you won't see Leonard Bernstein or John Williams on this set. While these Composers are excellent, I do think style of the tracks on this collection pre-date their style.

The recordings themselves are done by the great Orchestras around the world. For the most part, European Orchestras were used to deliver the tracks. There are a few exceptions: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra delivers "The Ride of the Valkyries"; The Toronto Symphony Orchestra delivers "Dance of the Knights"; and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra delivers Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Some of the European Orchestras that are well known include: BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, Choeur Philhamonique de Strasbourg, and more. Also included are performances by well known names in the Classical space such as Marie-Claire Alain (Bach's "Toccate and Fogue in D Minor" and Saint-Saens' "Symphony for Organ No 3"), Piero Toso (Vivaldi's "Allegro From Spring - Four Seasons"), and Placido Domingo appears on Puccini's "Nessun Dorma".

The 2 Disc collection contains a total of over 2 hours and 6 minutes of music. The selections that are included in the set will sound very familiar to you when you play them. You probably have both heard and seen the names of tracks such as: Oref's "O Fortuna"; Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"; Beethoven's "First Movement from Symphony Number 5" and "Ode To Joy"; Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance", and Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Many of the other tracks will also sound familiar, but maybe not so much by name - such as Wagner's "The Ride of the Valkyries", Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathoustra"; Grieg's "Piano Concerto", and "Dies Irae" (versions included by Mozart and Verdi - you can compare the two and judge for yourself). As for the Discs themselves, I think most of the casual fans will like the selections on Disc Two better, but Disc One is still very good. On a sidebar, the Israel Philharmonic's version of "1812 Overture" is by far the best you will hear - particularly at the end, the booming drums create almost a 3 dimensional vision of fireworks being launched into the air.

There one big negative on this collection is some of the recording quality. The clarity of the recording is there, but some of the recording levels leave a lot to be desired. On some of the softer parts, it is barely audible without significantly turning up your volume. This is very evident on "O Fortuna" where you will hear almost dead silence during from the 30 second to 1:30 mark of the track unless you crank your volume up. Same with the first few seconds of Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathoustra" and Tchiakovsky's "1812 Overture". When the volume is cranked up you will hear them - but then the other sections will be way too loud. I'm surprised with modern technology that this couldn't be addressed better.

The liner notes are pretty thin. You do get the Composers, Performers/Orchestras, and recording dates. There isn't any more details than that and you won't learn anymore insight on the tracks than this information. Despite some of the shortcomings of the liner notes and recording volume, I still think this is an excellent place to start and do recommend this CD if you are a novice to Classical Music and are looking for a great place to start listening to what the Classics have to offer.

**An Exquisite Album**.......2004-02-21

Simply The Best Classical Anthems

Simply The Best Classical Anthems is a compilation album of `36 of the most powerful Anthems on Earth'. But, it is also said to be something else. It is said to be a gateway. A gateway to another world. A world where our imagination can run free without being shackled down by any borders or boundaries or rules or limits. A world that we have all seen or perhaps more accurately have all heard of but for many of us a world that we have never dared to enter. Never dared to enter because of fear. The fear of being ostracised and shunned by our community.

THE MYTH
`Classical Music!', I can hear some of you cry. `That isn't another world. That's just music for the upperclass, the high-brow, and the pompous.' Surprisingly, I too felt this way for a long time until I accepted the invitation made to me by Simply The Best Classical Anthems. I always felt that Classical Music was nice to listen to as background music for a Levis ad or a Car ad but I would consider people strange if they chose to hear it on its own. However, after having listened to this album I realised how wrong I was in my assumptions.

THE TRUTH
Music as with all forms of amusement helps to take you away from where you are now. It helps to relax you when you are stressed with anger; it helps to give you strength when you are vulnerable; it helps to keep your spirits up when you have faced tragedy or loss. It helps. And, for me the type of music that best conjures up the most passionate emotions (love, hate, courage and anger) at our most testing times is Classical Music.
How? I don't know.
Why? I don't know.
I can only promise you that in my experience it does.

THE CHEST
The album, in visual terms, is very difficult to overlook amongst the plethora of records that may surround it. This is because the album has a very distinct purple sleeve cover. Not any kind of purple mind you but the Cadbury's kind of purple. The kind of purple that carries with it an invitation. An invitation that if accepted promises you a treasure inside.
And since, I have always enjoyed the treasure within the purple Cadbury's Dairy Milk wrapper, I asked myself why would an album carrying the same invitation promise to be anything different? Thus, I parted with my tuppence worth and went back home to open this purple chest of promised treasures.

THE PROMISED TREASURE
As you may have guessed, the contents of the album are somewhat different to the contents of a Cadbury's bar. When I opened the album, I was presented with two compact discs. At first glance, there did not seem to be anything special about them. They were just your average, everyday, run of the mill compact discs. To tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed because I suppose I had hoped for something more.
However, looks can be deceptive. (Afterall, a Cadbury's Dairy Milk does not seem very appetising until you taste it!) And, also come November each year, I am always bemused and surprised at how the shabby contents of a cardboard box can both light up the sky and light up the faces of the neighbourhood. Thus, I pushed aside my assumptions and I ignited the discs (not literally of course, I just pressed the play button on the CD player). And, I let the fireworks begin.

THE KEY
From the very beginning, you will feel like you have unlocked the doorway to something special. And, after a full two hours of listening to both discs, you will feel like you have been taken out of this world and transported to another. Welcome to the world of Classical Music.

GUIDANCE
In the beginning, continue to listen to both discs in one go (i.e. one after the other). After a while, you will know which tracks you enjoy listening to the most. For those tracks you enjoyed the most make a promise to yourself that you will listen to the whole of the piece from which that track came from.
Good Luck on your quest if you choose to accept it.
Ride amongst the Valkyries, listen to the Flight of the Bumblebees, and use The Planets to keep you on the path.

I am not a good reviewer because as with all of my reviews I refuse to comment too much about what is inside the product but rather more about what effect the product has had on me. (Me, me, me. Vain & Egotistic, I know, so my friends and family keep telling me). But, I just want to cause a raucous about the product, enough not to spoil but enough of a raucous to let you experience it for yourself.

So my final words are:
Simply The Best Classical Anthems is an invitation. An invitation to the world of classical music. A world where you can begin a never-ending quest of curiosity. A curiosity that will always be rewarded with fulfilment.

Do you accept such an invitation?

Hope you found this review helpful.

Samples.......2003-11-23

The samples are too short and the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Having said that the choices are wonderful and the price is great. If you're looking for a overview of the best of classical music then this is for you. However if it's quality you're looking for then spent the extra money and look at other choices.

Great Sampler!.......2002-03-20

This is a good sampler, since it covers what you would want in a classical music CD. Looking at the tracks, it has the classic hits, such as "Ride of the Valkyries," "Toccata and Fugue," "Fanfare for the Common Man," "'Jupiter' from `The Planets,'" "Eine Klein Nachtmusik," and "Hallelujah Chorus."

There are also some new pieces that I have fallen in love with, such as "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," "'Promenade' from Pictures at an Exhibition." The compilers did an interesting double take by including both Verdi's and Mozart's "Dies Ire." I'm not sure which is better.

This music is good for the brain and good for the soul. There is a power and passion that the blaring and glaring music that makes up most of the FM band. I'm reminded of the religious man who said that there is no music in hell. Probably because they wouldn't appreciate it there.

Tracks:

Canon In D Major - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Piano Concerto No.21 'Elvira Madigan': Andante - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Madame Butterfly: Un bel di - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Romeo And Juliet: Fantasy Overture - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Polovstian Dances 8 And 17: Prince Igor - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Tristan And Isolde: Overture - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Symphony No.3, 'Organ': Poco adagio - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS

Tracks:

Air For The 'G' String - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Moonlight Sonata: Adagio sostenuto - Dubravka Tomsic
Swan Lake: Suite - Scene: Enchanted Lake - London Festival Orchestra
Piano Concerto No.2: Adagio sostenuto - Garrison Kent
Clair de lune - Anna Lelkes
Aida: Celeste, Aida - Jose Perez
La Boheme: Che gelida manina - Jose Perez
Symphony No.9, 'From The World': Largo - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
Martha: Ach, so Fromm - Jose Perez
The Planets, Op.32: Venus (The Bringer Of Peace) - Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Bolero - Radio Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

'Peer Gynt' Suite: Morning Song - Slavonic Philharmonic Orchestra
Xerxes: Largo - London Festival Orchestra
Piano Concerto No.20: Romance - Svetlana Stanceva
The Nutcracker Suite: Arabian Dance - Berlin Festival Orchestra
Pavan - London Festival Orchestra
The Afternoon Of A Faun: Prelude - London Festival Orchestra
Giselle: Adagio: Waltz - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London
The Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan - London Festival Orchestra
Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Romanze: Andante - Camerata Academica
The Tales Of Hoffman: Barcarolle - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - London Festival Orchestra
Daphnis And Chloe - Slavonic Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

The Sleeping Beauty Suite: Pas d'action: Andante - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Scheherazade: The Young Prince And Young Princess - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Clarinet Concerto In A Major: Adagio - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
On The Beautiful, Blue Danube - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Dawn Until Noon On The Sea: La Mer - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmen: Intermezzo - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmen: Seguidilla - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmen: Habanera - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmen: Nocturne - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmina Buraba: Omnia sol temperat - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmina Buraba: Amor volat undique - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmina Buraba: Dies, nox et omnia - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Symphony No.6, 'Pathetique': Adagio lamentoso: Andante - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS

Customer Reviews:

Greatest Collection of Classical I have........2006-12-14

I don't care much for compilation CDs. Usually they are someone else's favorite set of songs from that genre or composer. I usually like the songs, but when I get into listening to the other songs in the genre or by the same composer I find songs that I'm more fond of.

This collection is different.

I try not to be too generous with my top ratings in iTunes for songs, I don't give out a four or five stars to just anything, but many of the songs from this collection make up a good chunk of my top rated songs. I just love this collection.

This is not a good digital recording.......1999-07-27

There is a 'record player' hum in the background when you try to listen to various tracks on these CDs. The compilation is wonderful. The Quality of the recording is very disappointing. The outside of the album cover reads DDD which I thought to mean clean and clear all digital recording. Don't be deceived by the cover.

Classical Music Start-Up Kit, Vol. 1 (1500-1825)

Average customer rating:

Good

Classical Music Start-Up Kit, Vol. 1 (1500-1825)

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Classical Music Start-Up Kit, Vol. 2: 1825-1945
Discover the Classics, Vol. 2
Classical Music Experience
Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music!

ASIN: B0000014CD
Release Date: 1996-01-04

Tracks:

The Young Person's Guide to the Orch: Final Fugue - Czechoslovak RSO/Ondrej Lenard
Pope Marcellus Mass: Kyrie - Oxford Camerata
Galliard a 5 - Capella Istropolitana/Adrian Leaper
Les Barricades Misterieuses - Alan Cuckston
Con Grosso, Op.6 No.4: Adagio-Allegro - Capella Istropolitana/Jaroslav Krechek
The Four Seasons: 'Spring' - Takako Nishizaki
Toccata and Fugue in d - Wolfgang Rubsam
Brandenburg Con No. 3: Allegro - Capella Istropolitana/Richard Edlinger
Cant No.208: 'Sheep May Safely Graze' - Phil SO/Hayman
Water Music: Bourree - Capella Istropolitana/Bohdan Warchal
Messiah: Hallelujah Chor - Bratislava City Choir
Rcr Ste in a - Jiri Stivin
Sym No.104 in D, 'London' - Capella Istropolitana/Barry Wordsworth
Pno Con No.21 in C, K.467: Second movt - Jeno Jando
Sym No.35 in D, K.385: Thrid movt - Capella Istropolitana/Barry Wordsworth
Cl & Orch in A, K.622: Rondo from Con - Ernst Ottensamer
Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: First movt - Zagreb Phil/Richard Edlinger
Sym No.9 in d, 'Choral': Finale - Gabriele Lechner/Michael Pabst/Diane Elias/Robert Holzer

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2000-12-27

This CD is great. It covers a lot of different areas of classical and uses songs that act as a good introduction.

Average customer rating:

Listen,Learn, & Grow: Playtime
Grandkids love it!

Listen, Learn, & Grow: Playtime

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | 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

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Compilations | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Children's Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Children's Music | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
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Listen, Learn and Grow Lullabies
Listen, Learn and Grow
Classical Music for Children: A Toddler's Introduction to Classical Music
Children's Favorites

ASIN: B00005LMZT
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
The Four Seasons: Autumn: Allegro
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral': Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Symphony No.41 'Jupiter': Menuetto Allegro
Fair At Sorochintsy: Gopak
La Gioconda: Dance Of The Hours
Carnival Of The Animals: Aquarium
La Mer: Play Of The Waves
Humoresque
Sheep May Safely Graze
Masques Et Bergamasques: Ouverture
The Gadfly: Barrel-Organ Waltz
The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Fugue
Symphony No.104 'London': Allegro Finale

Tracks:

Orpheus In The Underworld: Can-Can
William Tell: Overture
Four Overtures: Rakoczy March
Perpetual Motion: A Musical Joke
Pizzicato Polka
Minute Waltz
Concerto For Two Horns: Vivace
Pomp And Circumstance
Parade Of The Sandwich Board Men
Thunderbird Suite: Wolf Song
Indian Scenes: On The Jocko
Lieutenant Kije
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro
Radetzky March
The Tale Of The Tsar Sultan: Flight Of The Bumblebee
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Walkyries
The Bartered Bride: Dance Of The Comedians

Tracks:

Gayane: Sabre Dance
Carmen Suite: March Of The Toreadors
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 In D Minor (Excerpt)
Suite No.2: Badinerie
Fireworks Music: Allegro Finale
Children's Corner Suite: Golliwog's Cake Walk
Parade Of The Tin Soldiers
Carnival Of The Animals: Fossils
Sleeping Beauty: Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Giselle: Allegro
Giselle: Gallop
Peter And The Wolf: Peter In The Meadow/The Bird
Pictures At An Exhibition: Ballet Of The Chickens
Masquerade: Gallop
Sylvia: Pizzicato
Italian Polka
The Red Poppy: Russian Sailor's Dance
Shepherd's Hey
Emperor Waltz
Peer Gynt: In The Hall Of The Mountain King
A Night In The Tropics: Festa Criolla
Hungarian Dance No.5

Customer Reviews:

Listen,Learn, & Grow: Playtime.......2007-05-14

The music is excellent, with high quality sound. Not irritating as some classical music can be. Plus the tempo's are varied which is great depending if you need something fast paced or more slow. Best of all, the kids enjoyed it!

Grandkids love it!.......2007-01-03

How to gently insert a little culture into the grandkids' lives without Mom freaking out.....send this set of CDs for Christmas. Dad's into heavy metal and Mom, although she has a long history of listening to Classical music as a child, is now into Country. Nothing wrong with that, but how are the three little ones going to hear any of the Classics with Grandma living more than 600 miles away? "Play this in the background while they're having creative time," said I, "and see if they don't enjoy it." When I talked with them a week later the 4 year old couldn't wait to tell me how much he liked the "playtime music" I'd sent him. The quality of the recording is good and the variety of rhythms and tempos make it interesting. Yes they're a little trite and you're going to have to explain that the theme to "the Bad News Bears" really is Classical, but that's okay. If they skipped the genius of Mozart as an infant, or even if they teethed to "the Magic Flute", these CDs will give them a taste of a variety of good music and who knows how far into the Classical realm it may send them as they mature?

Average customer rating:

Well done and interesting
Wonderful biography, needs more proportion in the music

Life & Works of Bach
Bach , Siepmann , and Shrapnel
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
Life & Works
The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin
The Life and Works of Joseph Haydn
The Life and Works of Franz Schubert

ASIN: B0000666A8
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

Family Background And Early Years
Music: Capriccio On The Departure Of His Beloved Brother
Bach And The Organ
Music Toccata And Fugue In D Minow, BWV 565
Bach In Trouble
Music: Trio Sonata In E Flat, BWV 525
Bach The Husband And Father
Music: Vivaldi/Bach: Concerto In A Minor For Four Harpsichords
Bach The Younger Composer
Music: Prelude And Fugue In A Minor, BWV 543
Bach In Weimar (And In Jail)
Music: Prelude In E Flat Minor (The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1)
Bach Leaves Weimar
Music: Violin Concerto In E Major (Finale)

Tracks:

Bach At Cothen
Music: Concerto For Two Violins (Largo Ma Non Tanto)
Bach And The Brandenburgs
Music: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 In D (First Movement)
From Grief To Joy Through Faith
Music: 'Et Resurrexit' (B Minor Mass)
New Beginnings: Bach Remarries And His Family Grows
Music: Aria In G
Goldberg Variations And Anna Magdalena's Notebook
Music: Stolzel: Bist Du Bei Mir
Domestic Happiness And The Move To Leipzig
Music: Magnificat
Bach's Duties At Lepzig
Music: Cantata No. 80 (Duetto)
Bach The Teacher
Music: Sinfonia (Three-Part Invention) In E Flat
The Great Keyboard Works On Educational Agenda
Music: Italien Concerto
A Letter To The King
Music: Cantata No. 147 (Opening Chorus)

Tracks:

Bach Takes Up The Poet's Pen
Music: Partita No. 1 In B Flat BWV 825 (Courante)
Bach's Frustration At Leipzig
Music: Singet Dem Herrn, BWV 225
Frustrations Intensify
Music: St John Passion (Opening Chorus)
Bach's Efforts To Leave Leipzig
Music: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 (First Movement)
The King Of Poland's Jubilee
Music: Suite No. 3 In D, BWV 1068
The Ernesti Affair
Music: Prelude In D Major, BWV 532
Adolf Scheibe's Scathing Views On Bach
Music: Concerto In C For Three Harpsichords (Finale)

Tracks:

Bach And Opera
'Coffee' Cantata (Excerpts)
'Peasant' Cantata (Excerpts)
The Twilight Years
Music: The Art Of Fugue
Bach's Visit To Frederick The Great
Music: The Musical Offering
Decline And Death
Music: Mass In B Minor

Customer Reviews:

Well done and interesting.......2005-02-22

This recording alternates extended selections of Bach's music (complete pieces or movements) with a narrated and sometimes dramatized biography of Bach. The music selections are excellent and the biography itself is well done and interesting. The lengthy accompanying booklet is also very nice.

My only reservation comes from a feeling that the music and the narration are not as well integrated as they could be. The narrator identifies the musical selections and may give a sentence or two of background for the selection but never really discusses it. Instead, the narration is focused almost entirely on the events of Bach's life. I would have preferred more of a "music appreciation" approach that discussed the music, and had trouble getting used to the bifurcated nature of production. The extended free-standing music selections do mean that the four discs are a sort of "best of Bach" anthology and you can re-listen to just the music by skipping every other track.

Naxos also produces a 2-disc set called An Introduction to Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 4 & 5 (ASIN: B0000666A9), also by Mr. Seipmann, which closely analyzes the actual music of these two concertos. I found that the two sets are complementary with no overlap, except for part of the booklets, and I would recommend getting both if you have an interest in Bach and are also interested in understanding what to listen for in his music. In addition (or as an alternative), I would also recommend the lectures by Robert Greenberg on "Bach and the High Baroque" produced by the Teaching Company, which are much longer, more detailed, and more focused on the "music appreciation" aspect. They are also much more expensive.

Overall, this item is very worthwhile and a good value, like most of Naxos's products.

Wonderful biography, needs more proportion in the music.......2002-08-21

Naxos continues to do a wonderful job with its "Life and Works" series. Quite some time ago, we had a Life/Works of Mozart, one of Chopin and then two more, Liszt and Beethoven. he latter are even better packaged than are the earlier sets, with a thick booklet that offers us essays on the historical background, the position of the composer in his time, a look at the major works, a listening plan, recommended readings, personalities, a calendar of the artist's life, a glossary, and a discography. This booklet is worth the price of the set alone.

Now we have two more entries in this amazing series, again written and narrated by Jeremy Siepmann: "Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky" (8.558036-39) with a playing time of 4 hrs. 5 min. and "Johann Sebastian Bach" (8.558051-54) with a playing time of 4 hrs. 34 minutes. (Please see my comments for the Tchaikovsky on that webpage.)

In direct contrast to the tortured personality of Tchaikovsky, we have the life-loving J.S. Bach, he who lost his temper only when he ran up against ineptitude. Again, the biographical details are fascinating. But also again, the musical examples are far too few--especially for this prolific composer--and some are simply far too long. We do not really need a complete rendition of the famous "Toccata and Fugue" and certainly not of the "Prelude and Fugue in A minor" to which is devoted a 13 minute track.

Tracks:

Prelude And Fugue In C Major, BWV 531 'Fanfare'
Prelude And Fugue In G Minor, BWV 535
Allegro - Grave - Presto
Prelude And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 539 'Fiddle'
Tres Vitement - Grave - Lentement
Prelude In C Major, BWV 567
Fugue In G Minor, BWV 578 'Little'
Canzona In D Minor, BWV 588
In Dulci Jubilo, BWV 751

Customer Reviews:

Perfection.......2003-11-05

I'm an organ buff and a Bach buff, and I'd like to say up front that of all the distinguished series of Michael Murray organ CDs on Telarc, this one is my favorite. I find it a virtually perfectly CD: a master organist playing great music on exactly the right organ, captured in state-of-the-art sound. What more could you ask? This is one of my desert-island CDs.

First, the organ: "Built according to classical precepts and akin in size and tone to some of the organs Bach knew as a young man, the Gabriel Kney organ in the chapel of the College of St. Thomas [St. Paul, Minnesota] has three manuals, 41 stops in 56 ranks, and 2,787 pipes." It was completed in 1987 (and this recording was made in 1988; it is 58:17 in length). Mr. Kney was born and raised in a German cathedral town long known for organ building; he learned his trade there and eventually moved to Canada, starting his own business as an organ builder, where he has specialized in organs with mechanical action. This organ is an ideal choice for Bach, not too large, and not located in a cavernous, over-resonant space, with wonderful clarity, articulation, and beauty of tone (no tonal hardness, steeliness, or edginess is ever to be heard from it). It has been recorded flawlessly, with such transparency and immediacy that you feel that you have a front row center seat. (Note for audiophiles: This organ has no pipes larger than 16 feet, so the lowest note to be heard is 32 Hz. But that note, and indeed all the bass notes produced by this organ, are heard here cleanly and clearly; bass quality is excellent.)

Michael Murray is one of the pre-eminent organists of our day and a superb interpreter of Bach. He is a sound musician; his playing is never flashy or trendy or eccentric; and he never tries to show off: although he is an accomplished technician, his technique is there to serve the music, not the other way around (as one critic wrote, "He is definitely for us, we who listen to music first and organ fingerwork second"). I have long found him to be one of the most deeply satisfying Bach organists on record. This CD contains nine works by the young Bach (a refreshingly unhackneyed program that avoids the perennial warhorses) in performances as compelling as any you will find. Murray's tempos and his registrations are beyond reproach; they have just the right amount of gravitas, avoiding ponderousness on the one hand and lightness on the other. (He does tend to favor slower tempos, so those who like their Bach to move swiftly may be less pleased than I am.) The notes are by the highly literate Murray, who has often written his own notes, as well as books on his teacher Dupre, Schweitzer, and French masters of the organ.