Grand Piano: Liszt & Chopin

On this CD:

1. Réminiscences de Don Juan (I & II), for piano (after Mozart: Don Giovanni), S. 418 (LW A80)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Ignaz Friedman

2. Hungarian Rhapsody, for piano No. 14 in F major, S. 244/14 (LW A132/14)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Ignaz Friedman

3. La Campanella II, etude for piano in G sharp minor (Grand Paganini Étude No. 3), S. 141/3 (LW A173/3) No 3
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Ignaz Friedman

4. Overture zu Tannhäuser, transcripion for piano (after Wagner), S. 442 (LW A146)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Ignaz Friedman

5. Nocturne for piano in B major, Op. 62/1, CT 124
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignaz Friedman

6. Polonaise for piano in B flat major, Op. 71/2, CT 158
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignaz Friedman

7. Nocturne for piano in G minor, Op. 37/1, CT 118
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignaz Friedman

8. Waltz for piano in D flat major ("Minute"), Op. 64/1, CT 212
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignaz Friedman

9. Ballade for piano No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52, CT 5 (Four Ballades)
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Ignaz Friedman

Tracks:

Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat Major
Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Funilles
Rniscences de Don Juan
La campanella
Die Forelle
Erlkonig
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C Sharp Minor

Tracks:

Consolation No. 3
Sonetto 104 del Pentrarca
Les Jeux d'eau a Villa d' Este
Au bord d' une source
Gnomenreigen
Un sospiro
Rigoletto
Sonata In B Minor - Lento assai
Andante sostenuto
Fugato

Customer Reviews:

Don't downrate a CD because of a missing piece - please!.......2005-07-15

This is an excellent representative 2-CD bargin set of Liszt's piano works played by a recognized expert pianist in this repertoire. The other reviewers (i.e. those w/ 5* ratings) have made their points well. What continues to bother me in many of these classical CD reviews is 'downgrading' a CD by several stars, if not more in some cases, because the listener is irked at the lack of a feature that has nothing to do w/ the performance on the recording. Such is the case here - a 3* rating because one piece was mislabelled is ridiculous - rate the music & performance first, please. If there is a problem unrelated to the performance (sound quality, liner notes, etc.), then simply state that in your review. I often look at the overall rating to determine if I even want to consider a classical CD & read the reviews - knocking off a star or two because of petty complaints is not justified.

Bolet is outstanding.......2005-01-23

There are many Liszt performers, and while Bolet was known to never substitute technical perfection for feeling, there is a great balance to his playing. 'Un Sospiro' is played on the slow side, every melody note can be heard perfectly, while his interpretation and rubato are heart stopping. While I don't agree with his Liebstraum (the honor of greatest playing is held for Cliburn on this piece, if you haven't heard him play it, go buy the CD, now), the lesser played works such as the Elf King transcription more than makes up for it. If you want a technically perfect, clear, sometimes very moving performance of Liszt, Bolet is for you (I prefer him infinitely over Cziffra, although I may be alone on that one). Postscript: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 is NOT No. 2, this is an error on Amazon's part, and also on the other Bolet albums, it is indeed no. 12 and not 2.

Great selections; technically great but dull performance.......2004-04-09

I know this pianist Jorge Bolet is supposed to be one of the world's greatest. But I bought this as a replacement set when I temporarily lost my Phillips "Best Of Liszt" set and couldn't live without Liszt. I was sadly disappointed on the selections that overlap. While some of my favorite selections (Liebestraum, Mephisto Waltz) are actually longer here, they simply do not stir my soul as much. The pressure of the notes, the timing, something indefinable just isn't the same in this recording as in the Phillips one. The quality of sound reproduction is fine, the piano-playing is certainly correct and crisp (maybe TOO crisp?), and again, the variety of the pieces chosen is commendable, but I recommend the Phillips 2-disc set over this one. There ARE some very interesting selections of not just Liszt's original works but also some of his arrangements or adaptations of other's works, i.e., the Shubert pieces and La campanella (from Paganini).

Great Liszt compilation.......2003-12-23

Bolet's finest moments on this two-fer are the Schubert-Liszt transcriptions - you'd almost think 'Who needs a voice?' But he's equally good in the aforementioned Mephisto Waltz, and the operatic journey through Mozart's Don Giovanni.

The cons are here too: Bolet's RCA Liszt recital has better, less cautious versions of Liebestraum, Un sospiro and Funerailles. The Sonata is tremendous overall but in the end I'd rank it just a little below the best - particularly Brendel, Richter and Arrau. Yet all these renditions have great merits - even the ones Bolet surpassed himself. This Liszt compilation is overall very good.

Missing The Famous Hungarian Rhapsody #2.......2003-05-27

Although the listing at Amazon.com says this CD contains Hungarian Rhapsody #12, A.K.A #2, it does NOT have the famous #2 in C Sharp Minor. It is indeed #12. Since I bought this CD specifically for Hungarian Rhapsody #2 in C Sharp Minor, I was disspointed that it was not included. It is Liszt's most famous song, at least in my opinion. If you are looking for this song, I would suggest Hungarian Rhapsodies Vol. 1, by Jeno Jando.

Average customer rating:

CD review
Excellent

Liszt: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002A9K
Release Date: 1995-06-13

Tracks:

Mephisto Waltz
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E-Flat Major: Allegro maestoso
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Liebestraume (Nocturne No. 3 In A-Flat Major)
Etude No. 3 In G-Sharp Minor 'La campanella'
Sonetto 47 del Petrarca
Hungarian Fantasia For Piano And Orchestra
Les Preludes

Customer Reviews:

CD review.......2003-04-06

This CD is a mediocre compilation of liszt pieces. I have a few complaints, however. I was disappointed when I heard the Hungarian Rhapsody no.2 The piece was transcripted to orchestra. I play the piano, and wanted the piano version, which is the original version. The selection of pieces were not that great neither. It contains no excerpt from the Piano sonata in Bminor, one of Liszt's greatest masterpieces. The performances are more than satisfactory, however, and the recording is overall good.

Excellent.......2000-06-14

This CD begins with an energetic Mephisto Waltz, flawlessly conducted with a minute and meticulous attention to detail by the illustrious Eugene Ormandy. The waltz is followed by the first momvement of Liszt's first piano concerto, a foreboding, majestic monument to ingenuity and technical challenge and brilliance, played perfectly by Emanuel Ax. After gaining the listener's attention with two intense energetic pieces, the cd cools itself with a beautiful and flowing Hungarian Rhapsody (number 2 to be precise.) The Liebstraume evokes a gentle, peaceful night scene that evolves into a thunderous, tempestous storm, raging through the night sky. Perfomred to perfection by Hiroko Nakamura. Next, to show the brilliant technician and transposer side of Liszt, is the beautiful, virtuosic, and exhillerating Etude number three (La Campanella) after Paganini, which is an amazing piano equivalent of one ofPaganini's famous and infamously difficult caprices. This is my personal favorite of the pieces, which is performed with breathtaking ease by Kazune Shimizu. This masterpiece is followed by one of Liszt's lesser piano works, a slow, soft piece that is so delicately shaded it seems to lose itself in its lack of structure, although performed quite admirably by Vladimir Feltsman. this weak spot of the CD is followed by the amazing Hungarian Fantasia for piano and orchestra, which is another of my favorite works on this CD, although it does not live up to this remark on the first listen. This track begins with gently rolling hills of melody which lead into small valleys, then, with the piano and orchestra brilliantly leading each other into the next segment, lead to majestic and stupendous mountains and cliffs. This piece has excellent segments of intense virtuosity in which the listener is left gasping in a way which only Liszt, Rachmanninoff, and Beethoven can move one. An excellent CD, well worth twice the price.

Average customer rating:

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound
A great collection of Liszt treasures
An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations.
Liszt for the ages.

Liszt: Piano Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005ND3L
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C-Sharp Minor
Liebestraum No.3
Mephisto Waltz No.1
Funerailles (No.7 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Rigoletto: Conc Paraphrase
La Campanella

Tracks:

Die Forelle
Der Muller Und Der Bach
Wohin?
Lebe Wohl!
Das Wandern
Der Lindenbaum
Horch, Horch, Die Lerch
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
Die Post
Aufenthalt
Lob Der Tranen
Erlkonig
I. Allegro Con Fuoco
II. Adagio
III. Presto
IV. Allegro

Tracks:

Lento Assai - Allegro Energico -
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro Energico - Andante Sostenuto - Lento Assai
Valse Impromptu
I. 'Hohe Liebe' In A flat
II. 'Selinger Tod' In E Flat
III. 'O Lieb' In A Flat
Grand Galop Chromatique

Tracks:

I. Sposalizio
II Penseroso
III. Canzonetta Del Salvator Rosa
IV. Sonetto 47 Del Petrarca
V. Sonetto 104 Del Patrarca
VI. Sonetto 123: Del Petrarca
VII. Apres Une Lecture De Dance (Fant Quasi Son)

Tracks:

I. La Chapelle De Guillaume Tell
II. Au Lac De Wallenstadt
III. Pastorale
IV. Au Bord D'une Source
V. Orage
VI. Vallee D'Obermann
VII. Eglogue (Hirtengesang)
VIII. Le Mal Du Pays
IX. Les Cloches De Geneve

Tracks:

I Gondoliera
II. Canzone
III. Tarantella
Les Jeux D'eau A La Villa D'Este (No.4 Of Annees De Pelerinage, Troisieme Annee)
Benediction De Dieu Dans La Solitude: (No.3 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Ballade No.2 In B

Tracks:

I. Preludio: Presto
II. Molto Vivace
III. Paysage: Poco Adagio
IV. Mazeppa: Allegro
V. Feux Follets: Allegretto
VI. Vision: Lento
VII. Eroica: Allegro
VIII. Wilde Jagd: Presto Furioso
IX. Ricordanza: Andantino
X. Allegro Agitato Molto
XI. Harmonies Du Soir: Andantino
XII. Chasse-Neige: Andante Con Moto

Tracks:

Zwei Konzertetuden: I. Waldesrauschen
Zwei Konzertetuden: II. Gnomenreigen
I. Il Lamento
II. La Leggierezza
III. Un Sospiro
I. Andante Con Moto
II. Un Poco Piu Mosso
III. Lento Placido
IV. Quasi Adagio
V. Andantino
VI. Allegretto Sempre Cantabile
Reminiscences De Don Juan

Tracks:

Reminiscences De Norma
Totentanz (Danse Macabre)
Malediction
Fant On Hungarian Folk Themes

Customer Reviews:

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound.......2006-09-29

Piano playing of extraordinary romantic depth and breadth. Bolet is inside Liszt's mind, as Liszt's romantic self unfolds on the keyboard. It is as if Bolet is the master himself. Superlative recordings to boot!

A great collection of Liszt treasures.......2004-01-12

The booklet of this set has an interesting explanation of why Jorge Bolet stayed out of the spotlights for so long before taking up his -glorious- career. It was his devotion to Liszt. By then, in the 1950s, Liszt was still regarded as a B-composer (There are still people who tend to think so: I read someone who called Liszt `the father of all bar pianists'. Now, if you know a worse offence...). Only after Liszt's reputation had increased, Bolet could enter his `Indian summer', which lasted from about 1975 until his passing away in 1990. During this period, he was finally able to perform his favourite music as much as possible. This fine 9-disc set may indeed be Bolet's most important testament. Additionally, it's one of the most important Liszt collections on the market. But beware: there's much more than just Bolet, considering Liszt's piano works. I can't say this is the perfect set or near it. Still five stars, for some astonishing piano playing that we don't come across very often nowadays.

Bolet won a Gramophone Award for his 1st book of Années de Pelerinage, which is not strange when listening to the recordings. This is a portrait of a man who's entirely on his own, looking for his soul while wandering trough the beautiful Switzerland - I can't say it better than B. Johnson already did. It's Romantic nonsense, of course, but in Liszt's days it was a common idea, and it can still sweep me away. Bolet's superior tonal colouring - beautiful, but not too far-driven, for the risk it would almost be too intimidating - and his peaceful nature lift this music to the greatest heights. My only complaint would be the `Orage' piece: Bolet's technique can't quite handle it, and its aggressive nature is much less overwhelming as a result. Nevertheless, the rest of the pieces show him at his very best. So does the second year of the Années (that is oddly placed in the set before the first year by Decca). The Dante Sonata, one of Liszt's greatest pieces, fares very well under Bolet's hands.

Equally excellent were the Schubert Song Transcriptions. The transcriptions aren't very different from the original songs, but they are definitely interesting. Especially when someone like Bolet takes them under his hands! All songs are terrifically played, with real standouts like `Auf dem Wasser zu singen', `Der Mueller und der Bach' and `Erlkoenig'. Bolet's romantic touch (he may have been the last of his kind) lets the music unendingly flow. Brilliant!

These comments also apply to Liszt's Consolations, which are placed on another disc. Liszt shows here how much he's in debt to Schubert, and wrote music of a disarmingly lyrical nature. Bolet gives almost naively innocent readings of these pieces. Talking about singing music, why not include the Liebesträume, `Venezia e Napoli' and many, many other pieces as well. Although some people still regard Liszt as a bombastic composer, he was in fact much more active on the spiritual and lyrical area. It is largely this nature of Liszt that is put into the spotlights by Bolet. He is really terrific whenever music ought to sound peaceful and meditative.

But Liszt was also a stunning virtuoso. People may eschew him for that, but that's often without any good ground. The B minor Sonata and the Transcendental Etudes, to give some names, are not only pianistically but also musically amazing works. It takes to be both a good technician and a musician to play them well, and this is where Bolet occasionally fails. He was over 65 when he made these recordings, and I can't help but say that his technique was not anymore what it used to be. In many pieces you can hear him struggle.

In what may be the most difficult music Liszt wrote, the Transcendental Etudes, Bolet takes tempi that are almost too easy (e.g. no.10 should be `Allegro molto agitato' but Bolet plays it very moderately), perhaps because his technique was by then too limited to give the pieces a really impressive treatment. Even then, I do feel a ertain nobility in Bolet's slow approach that gives every study a dignified stature (and that's something you won't find with Kissin or Cziffra!). The sonata is similarly noble and yet tremendously powerful in its scope, even though Bolet may lack some technial control at isolated spots.

Anoter treacherous piece is the `Reminiscences de Don Juan', which is a transcription of no less an opera than -of course- Don Giovanni! Bolet plays this 20-minute piece with a lot of humour and swing: it's a great way to clean up your mind! Also recommendable are the Etudes de Concert (e.g. Waldesrauschen), whose light spirit is very well captured.

A treasure trove set overall, I can recommend it without any limitations. There's no other composer that suited Bolet as well as Liszt, and the vice versa may be true as well. But the pianist also has his weaker points, particularly regarding his technique, that wasn't what it used to be. Oh, and the piano sound is not always equally convincing: the instrument sounds a little shrill at times. But there's an amazing amount of colour in the instrument, and it allows Bolet to reachfor the deepest, darkest sonorities you've heard. This collection is therefore not just THE best Liszt: there are many more pianists who made supreme recordings of him (e.g. Arrau, Brendel, Richter) and I definitely recommend searching them out as well. After you've heard this!

An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations........2003-12-03

I was very impressed with Bolet's playing. His rendition of La Campanella is the best I've ever heard.

Liszt for the ages........2001-12-05

Both for those that would like to find out for the first time what Liszt is all about, and for those few that are very familiar with the Paganini of the 88: LOOK NO FURTHER!

It doesn't get any better than this.

After I heard throughout the seventies about this "unknown" great of the romantic repertoire, I was fortunate enough to see him for the first time about a month after he recorded the first issue of this now legendary Liszt series. While his technique may not have exactly been what it used to be before (e.g. Orage in Suisse of Les Annees), all the performances benefit from the wisdom of many, many years. While all the performances are of a uniform Olympic level, two issue stand out in my mind.

First, there is the cd of Schubert Liszt transcriptions. Bolet really sets the standards for "singing" on the piano. His version of "Der Muller und der Bach" has to be believed to be heard.

Most importantly though, there is "Suisse" the first year of Liszt's years of pilgrimage. I own this disc from the day it appeared on the shelves and still listen to it every month. Surely, there are more technically brilliant versions. For the true "Liszt Nuts", I would certainly advise Leslie Howard's version of "L'Album d'un voyageur", that contains the first version of many of the "Suisse" pieces, and some additional pieces that Frenz (for reasons that escape me completely) excluded from the later Suisse. Yet, nobody, not even Brendel or Berman, have come close to Bolet on delivering on the central theme of Suisse, man finding himself back in an exploration of nature.

While they stem from the earlier days of digital recording the recordings are still more than respectable and benefit greatly from Bolet's attention for color, aided by his favorite Bechstein.

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor: 1. Allegro ma non tanto
Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor: 2. Intermezzo. Adagio
Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor: 3. Finale. Alla breve
Polonaise No. 6 In A Flat, Op. 53 (Heroic)
Kinderszenen, Op. 15: No. 10 Fast zu ernst
Prelude In D Flat, Op. 28 No. 15 (Raindrop)
6 Etudes d'execution transcendante d'apres Paganini: No. 3 La campanella
Gloria In D, RV 589: Gloria In excelsis Deo - Allegro

Tracks:

19 Hungarian Rhapsodies: No. 2 In C Sharp Minor
Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op.3 No.2
Suite From 'The Tale Of Tsar Saltan': The Flight Of The Bumble-bee
Symphony No.9 In D Minor, Op. 125 (Choral): Presto - Allegro assai (Ode To Joy)
3 Etudes de concert, S. 144: No. 3 Un sospiro
Nulla In mundo pax, RV 630

Customer Reviews:

An Inspirational CD for an Inspirational Movie!.......2000-08-16

The movie for this CD actually played a large part in my decision to become a serious pianist! The CD itself portrays all the pieces used in the movie wonderfully with the top recordings by the most talented artists. The Rachmaninov piano concerto no.3 is extremely exciting to listen to. If you enjoy exciting and romantic classical music, then this is the CD for you!

Awesome CD!.......2000-08-09

When I first saw the movie "Shine", I knew I had to get the soundtrack right away. When I got to the store, I was hoping that the soundtrack will include the complete list of all the songS. Many times, I get disapointed when I buy soundtracks (espeically classical music) because they tend to include only the part that they used in the movie. But when I saw this CD, I knew this was IT!!! And when I listened to it, it was even better than I expected. I love classical music and a lot of times, I am very disappointed by the presentation of the music in many CDs. It seems as if they hired someone who barely understand the piece to play the song. But from the first song you hear, you know this CD isn't that case. You can "feel" every song. Every time I listen to this CD, I get emotional. If you love classical music, I guarantee that you will love this CD. MUST HAVE!!

notwithstanding.......2000-02-01

This is a wonderful collection of classical music. Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Chopin pieces are featured with such an artistic interpretation. Notwithstanding the cut made in movement 3, Rafael Orozco's version of Rach3 touches your soul. And this is coming from a Vladimir Horowitz fan, and a pianist!

Outstanding!.......1999-04-09

Just a grand selection of classical music, very fitting and complementary to this this marvelous film. The Rach III is exceptional; it really allows you to appreciate the struggle Helfgott endured as a child, as well as a young adult. A very complete collection compared to the actul movie soundtrack. Well worth buying!

Wonderful!.......1999-01-07

The full version of everything you heard in "Shine." The pieces are played very beautifully, and I listen to the CD all the time. You'll like it!

Steinway Legends: Grand Edition/Various (Box)

Average customer rating:

What results do you get when you mix Decca, Philips, Deutsche Grammophone, and Steinway????.....I'd call them GRAND!!
Steinway Ledgends

Steinway Legends: Grand Edition/Various (Box)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000ICLSWO
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

Sonata for Piano no 17 in D minor, Op. 31 no 2 "Tempest" by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Hélène Grimaud (Piano)
Andante spianato et Grand polonaise brillante in E flat major, Op. 22 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Yundi Li (Piano)
Hungarian Rhapsodies (19) for Piano, S 244: no 2 in C sharp minor by Franz Liszt. Performer: Lang Lang (Piano)
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Valses oubliées (4) for Piano, S 215: no 1 in F sharp major by Franz Liszt. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 13 in B flat major, K 333 (315c) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Moments musicaux (6) for Piano, D 780/Op. 94: no 3 in F minor by Franz Schubert. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Consolations (6) for Piano, S 172: no 3 in D flat major, Lento placido by Franz Liszt. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Polonaise for Piano in A flat major, B 147/Op. 53 "Heroic" by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Mazurkas (4) for Piano, B 77/Op. 17: no 4 in A minor by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Scherzo for Piano no 1 in B minor, B 65/Op. 20 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Schwanengesang (Schubert), S 560: no 7, Ständchen "Leise flehen" by Franz Liszt. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Impromptu for Piano in F sharp major, S 191 "Nocturne" by Franz Liszt. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Etudes (15) de virtuosité, Op. 72 "Per aspera ad astra": no 6 in F major by Moritz Moszkowski. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Characteristic Pieces (8), Op. 36: no 6, Etincelles by Moritz Moszkowski. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Military Marches (3) for Piano 4 hands, D 733/Op. 51: no 1 in D major by Franz Schubert. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Rondo for Piano no 1 in D major, K 485 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Impromptus (4) for Piano, D 935/Op. 142: no 3 in B flat major by Franz Schubert. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Impromptus (4) for Piano, D 899/Op. 90: no 4 in A flat major by Franz Schubert. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 by Robert Schumann. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Pieces (3) for Piano, Op. 2: no 1, Etude in C sharp minor by Alexander Scriabin. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 8: no 12 in D sharp minor by Alexander Scriabin. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Preludes (13) for Piano, Op. 32: no 5 in G major, Moderato by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Preludes (13) for Piano, Op. 32: no 12 in G sharp minor, Allegro by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Lachtäubchen (Behr) "Polka de W.R." by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Sonata for Harpsichord in E major, K 380/L 23 by Domenico Scarlatti. Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 no 2 "Moonlight" by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Rondo for Piano no 3 in A minor, K 511 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Allegretto for Piano in C minor, D 915 by Franz Schubert. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Sonata for Piano in B minor, S 178 by Franz Liszt. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Oriental Fantasy for Piano, Op. 18 "Islamey" by Mily Balakirev. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Impromptu for Piano no 1 in A flat major, B 110/Op. 29 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Impromptu for Piano no 2 in F sharp major, B 129/Op. 36 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Impromptu for Piano no 3 in G flat major, b 149/Op. 51 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Impromptu for Piano no 4 in C sharp minor, B 87/Op. 66 "Fantaisie-Impromptu" by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 by Robert Schumann. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Variations (15) and Fugue for Piano in E flat major, Op. 35 "Eroica" by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 21 in C major, Op. 53 "Waldstein" by Ludwig van
Symphonic Etudes for Piano, Op. 13 by Robert Schumann. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Pétrouchka: Three movements for Piano by Igor Stravinsky. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Variations for Piano, Op. 27 by Anton von Webern. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Arabeske for Piano in C major, Op. 18 by Robert Schumann. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Berceuse for Piano in D flat major, B 154/Op. 57 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 25: no 1 in A flat major by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 25: no 7 in C sharp minor by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 25: no 9 in G flat major by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 25: no 10 in B minor by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 25: no 11 in A minor by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 25: no 12 in C minor by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Sonata for Piano in B minor, S 178 by Franz Liszt. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Book 2: no 9, Pour les notes répétées by Claude Debussy. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Book 2: no 10, Pour les sonorités opposées by Claude Debussy. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Book 2: no 11, Pour les arpèges composées by Claude Debussy. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Book 2: no 12, Pour les accords by Claude Debussy. Performer: Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Sonata for 2 Pianos in D major, K 448 (375a) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Prelude for Piano in C sharp minor, B 141/Op. 45 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Scherzo for Piano no 4 in E major, B 148/Op. 54 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Mazurkas (3) for Piano, B 157/Op. 59: no 2 in A flat major by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Dumka for Piano in C minor, Op. 59 "Russian rustic scene" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 5 in F sharp major, Op. 53 by Alexander Scriabin. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Etudes-tableaux (9) for Piano, Op. 39: no 1 in C minor by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Etudes-tableaux (9) for Piano, Op. 39: no 2 in A minor by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Etudes-tableaux (9) for Piano, Op. 39: no 5 in E flat minor by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 30 in E major, Op. 109 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Sonata for Piano in D major, D 850/Op. 53 "Gasteiner" by Franz Schubert. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Pieces (10) for Piano from "Romeo and Juliet", Op. 75: no 10, Romeo and
Pieces (10) for Piano from "Romeo and Juliet", Op. 75: no 5, Masks by Sergei Prokofiev. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Prelude and Fugue in G sharp minor, Op. 29 by Sergei Taneyev. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)
Rondo for Piano no 3 in A minor, K 511 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Fantasia for Piano in D minor, K 397 (385g) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Impromptus (4) for Piano, D 899/Op. 90: no 4 in A flat major by Franz Schubert. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Variations (32) for Piano in C minor on an Original Theme, WoO 80 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 by Robert Schumann. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Book 2: no 11, Pour les arpèges composées by Claude Debussy. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Book 2: no 10, Pour les sonorités opposées by Claude Debussy. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Book 2: no 9, Pour les notes répétées by Claude Debussy. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Etudes (12) for Piano, Book 2: no 8, Pour les agréments by Claude Debussy. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Sonata for Piano, Op. 1 by Alban Berg. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 18 in D major, K 576 "Hunt" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Sonata for Piano in C major, D 840 "Reliquie" by Franz Schubert. Performer: Mitsuko Uchida (Piano)
Sonata for Harpsichord in C minor, K 11/L 352 by Domenico Scarlatti. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Sonata for Harpsichord in A major, K 322/L 483 by Domenico Scarlatti. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Sonata for Harpsichord in C major, K 159/L 104 by Domenico Scarlatti. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 4 in E flat major, Op. 7 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Ballades (4) for Piano, Op. 10: no 1 in D minor "Edward" by Johannes Brahms. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Images for Piano, Set 1: no 1, Reflets dans l'eau by Claude Debussy. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Images for Piano, Set 2: no 2, Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fût by Claude Debussy. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Images for Piano, Set 2: no 3, Poissons d'or by Claude Debussy. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Children's Corner by Claude Debussy. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Ballade for Piano no 1 in G minor, B 66/Op. 23 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Scherzo for Piano no 2 in B flat minor/D flat major, B 111/Op. 31 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Mazurkas (4) for Piano, B 115/Op. 33: no 4 in B minor by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Prelude for Piano in C sharp minor, B 141/Op. 45 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 by Robert Schumann. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Sonata for Piano in A minor, D 537/Op. 164 by Franz Schubert. Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Piano)
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Jesu bleibet meine Freude "Jesu, joy of man's desiring" by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Fantasy for Piano in C minor, K 475 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a "Les Adieux" by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Pieces (3) for Piano, D 946 by Franz Schubert. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Nocturnes (3) for Piano, B 54/Op. 9: no 3 in B major by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Impromptu for Piano no 3 in G flat major, b 149/Op. 51 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 by Robert Schumann. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Scherzo for Piano in E flat minor, Op. 4 by Johannes Brahms. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Pieces (4) for Piano, Op. 119 by Johannes Brahms. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Legends of St Francis (2), S 354 by Franz Liszt. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 8 in C minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique" by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140: Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performer: Wilhelm Kempff (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 18 in E flat major, Op. 31 no 3 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Fantasy for Piano 4 hands in F minor, D 940/Op. 103 by Franz Schubert. Performer: Elena Gilels (Piano), Emil Gilels (Piano)
Sonata for Piano in G minor, Op. 22 by Nikolai Medtner. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Ballades (4) for Piano, Op. 10: no 1 in D minor "Edward" by Johannes Brahms. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Ballades (4) for Piano, Op. 10: no 2 in D major by Johannes Brahms. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Fantasia for Piano in D minor, K 397 (385g) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 3 in B minor, B 155/Op. 58 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Lyric Pieces (8), Book 2, Op. 38: no 1, Berceuse by Edvard Grieg. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Lyric Pieces (6), Book 3, Op. 43: no 1, Butterfly by Edvard Grieg. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Lyric Pieces (7), Book 4, Op. 47: no 2, Albumblatt by Edvard Grieg. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Lyric Pieces (7), Book 4, Op. 47: no 4, Halling by Edvard Grieg. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Lyric Pieces (6), Book 5, Op. 54: no 4, Notturno by Edvard Grieg. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Lyric Pieces (6), Book 9, Op. 68: no 2, Grandmother's Minuet by Edvard Grieg. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Lyric Pieces (6), Book 9, Op. 68: no 3, At Your Feet by Edvard Grieg. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Lyric Pieces (7), Book 10, Op. 71: no 1, Once upon a Time by Edvard Grieg. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Lyric Pieces (7), Book 10, Op. 71: no 3, Puck by Edvard Grieg. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 3 in B flat major, K 281 (189f) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Emil Gilels (Piano)
Toccata in C minor, BWV 911 by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 2 in G minor, Op. 22 by Robert Schumann. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Rhapsodies (2) for Piano, Op. 79 by Johannes Brahms. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Hungarian Themes and Rhapsodies (21) for Piano, S 242: no 6 in G minor, Lento by Franz Liszt. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Sonata for Piano in B minor, S 178 by Franz Liszt. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Prelude for Piano in C sharp minor, B 141/Op. 45 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Barcarolle for Piano in F sharp major, B 158/Op. 60 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Scherzo for Piano no 3 in C sharp minor, B 125/Op. 39 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Prelude for Piano in A flat major, B 86 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Jeux d'eau by Maurice Ravel. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Gaspard de la nuit by Maurice Ravel. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Toccata for Piano in D minor, Op. 11 by Sergei Prokofiev. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Symphonic Dances, Op. 45: no 1, Non allegro by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Andante spianato et Grand polonaise brillante in E flat major, Op. 22 by Frédéric Chopin. Performer: Martha Argerich (Piano)
Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903 by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Sonata for Keyboard no 60 in C major, H 16 no 50 by Franz Joseph Haydn. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Fantasia for Piano in C minor, K 396 (385f) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Pieces (3) for Piano, D 946: no 2 in E flat major by Franz Schubert. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Nuages gris for Piano, S 199 by Franz Liszt. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Nocturne for Piano, S 207 "En rêve" by Franz Liszt. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
R. W. - Venezia, S 201 by Franz Liszt. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Années de pèlerinage, deuxième année, S 161 "Italie": no 7, Après une lecture du Dante by Franz Liszt. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 23 in F minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata" by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Bagatelle for Piano in A minor, WoO 59 "Für Elise" by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Phantasiestücke (8) for Piano, Op. 12 by Robert Schumann. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)
Sonata for Piano no 10 in C major, K 330 (300h) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performer: Alfred Brendel (Piano)

Album Description

THE STEINWAY LEGENDS GRAND EDITION Steinway & Sons, for over 150 years the maker of the world's finest pianos and the symbol of quality and excellence to generations, joins forces with Universal Classics, home to history's greatest pianists on the Deutsche Grammophon, Decca and Philips labels, to present the Steinway Legends Grand Edition, an impressive box that holds all 10 Steinway Legends packages in the series in a unique "Steinway Series D" Piano Box. Boxed set includes the complete Steinway Legends series on 20 compact discs (that's 301 tracks!) plus a special bonus CD. Each title features "spot-on" repertoire choices of legendary pianists that have strong associations with Steinway & Sons, along with informative notes and unique packaging. Each album includes two long-playing CDs housed in high gloss black digipacks with Steinway & Sons logo & iconography embossed in gold brass on the cover--just like on the real Steinway piano! Bonus CD--Steinway Legends in the Making--features three great pianists from the current generation of Steinway artists--HÃ¨lÃ©ne Grimaud, Yundi Li and Lang Lang. Only available as part of the Grand Edition boxed set. Souvenir Photo Album--Boxed set includes a big (10˝ x 6˝), full color 40-page booklet that offers a rare glimpse into the world of Steinway & Sons - chock full of rare photos, unique memorabilia, autograph reproductions and testimonials all from the personal archive of Steinway & Sons and more! Packaging--CDs and booklet housed in a beautiful reproduction of a Steinway Series D Grand Piano--with incredible detail--including full keyboard, working piano lid and sweeping body that is the unmistakable look of a Steinway. Grand Edition includes these great titles: Steinway Legends Martha Argerich, Steinway Legends Claudio Arrau, Steinway Legends Vladimir Ashkenazy, Steinway Legends Alfred Brendel, Steinway Legends Emil Gilels, Steinway Legends Vladimir Horowitz, Steinway Legends Wilhelm Kempff, Steinway Legends Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Steinway Legends Maurizio Pollini, Steinway Legends Mitsuko Uchida, and Steinway Legends in the Making.

Customer Reviews:

What results do you get when you mix Decca, Philips, Deutsche Grammophone, and Steinway????.....I'd call them GRAND!!.......2007-04-16

Yes, GRAND, indeed is the word for this spectacular collection of solo piano recordings by the creme-de-la-creme of Decca's, Deutsche Grammophone's, and Philips' vaults.........AWESOME by ALL measure!

Two discs each, in individual deluxe folders, from the archives of Decca, DGG, and Philips........featuring Claudio Arrau, Mitsuko Uchida, Vladimir Horowitz, Maurizio Pollini, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Emil Gilels, Martha Argerich, Wilhelm Kempff, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, and Alfred Brendel........what a list, huh?

And, Wait!.....It gets Better!!! Included on each individual collection are rare, long out of print, recordings....the best of each artist's familiar recordings, and....unknown, never-released recordings.....could it get any better than this???

YES! A bonus disc of "Steinway Legends in the Making".......featuring the incredibly gifted artists Lang Lang, Helene Grimaud, and Yundi Li....how great it is to hear these young artists against their towering predecessors of keyboard artistry.

Also included is a forty page deluxe book with tons of photos and memorabilia from Steinway. Remember, all these pianists were solid, dedicated, Steinway artists, and would not play anything else.

While the presentation of these recordings simply could never match or meet the level of the performances themselves (lucky us that they were recorded and preserved so we may hear them again and again, just as fresh and wonderful as the first time), the package IS pretty darned AWESOME!!! The whole collection, book included, fits inside a perfectly proportioned Steinway Piano shaped box, complete with opening lid and support to hold it up, revealing the frame and strings below, which also lifts up to reveal the booklet and individual folders and discs beneath. The entire "piano" itself slips into an oversized slipcase.

What a unique and beautiful set this truly is. Sadly, it was released as a deluxe set in very few numbers. But, luckily, the individual two disc sets by each artist are available separately, so at least the recordings are available still to those who want them.***

Luckily, I knew about this collection many many months before it's limited release and had pre-ordered my set (very happy bear, indeed). It's a joy just to look at this set, and also to know that these "performances" are here in my home for me to enjoy over and over again and again.

To my knowledge, I am unaware of individual companies working together before (Decca, DGG, Philips, and Steinway in this case) to present this type of collection as a "unified" set, and we truly are very lucky beneficiaries of this wonderful partnership of these companies.

My only "complaint"......the outer slipcase that the "piano box" slides into is made of a very inferior weight of paperboard to support such a heavy presentation as this, and is so flimsy that it will not stand up to much use before it simply disintigrates. Sort of too bad, as the rest of the set/presentation is so first rate...shame on you folks...I can't think of anybody who would not have paid a few dollars more for a suitable slipcase for this beautiful set. ~operabruin

***June 22, 2007...I just found out that this set is now, once again, available! Do yourself a favor, and get a copy NOW, before it is gone again! I just found it on another site [classical only online seller], and when I came back here to amazon to make this notation, I also see that they have it in stock again!!! What a stroke of luck for those of you who want this set. Trust me, it is just beautiful, and one of the most unique items you have ever seen! ~operabruin

Steinway Ledgends.......2007-03-09

The quality of the pianos and recording is breath taking says my friend, a professional tuner and former buyer of American & European pianos . And I was just stunned by the playing of these masters...the Liszt pieces of Kempff were were a revelation as was Gilels, and the supreme Horowitz..What is astounding to me is the presence of the piano ( played with a moderately good system only); it is as if they were there in the room.

Average customer rating:

I love this CD!
Disappointment and irritation

Cartoons Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mad about Cartoons
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The Carl Stalling Project, Volume 2: More Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons 1939-1957
The Carl Stalling Project: Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons, 1936-1958

ASIN: B0000029PS
Release Date: 1996-05-14

Tracks:

Powerhouse (excerpt) (Bugs Bunny In 'Bugs Bunny Cartoons')
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: Morning Mood (Ralph Wolf & Sam Sheepdog in 'A Sheep In The Deep')
Spring Song (Op. 62 No. 6)
The Nutcracker: Dance Of The Suger-Plum Fairy (In 'Fantasia', Ren & Stimpy In 'Haunted House & Ren's Toothache')
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2: Friska (Bugs Bunny In 'Rhapsody Rabbit')
Overture To 'The Barber Of Seville' (Bugs Bunny And Elmer Fudd In 'The Rabbit Of Seville')
In An 18th-Century Drawing Room (Bugs Bunny In 'Bugs Bunny And The Three Bears')
La Gioconda: Dance Of The Hours
Willaim Tell Overture: Morning And Finale (Mickey Mouse In 'The Band Concert'; Ren & Stimpy In 'Fire Dogs')
Grand Canyon Suite: On The Trail (In 'The Mighty Hunters')
Flight Of The Bumble Bee (In 'Melody Time')
The Blue Danube (Tom And Jerry In 'Johann Mouse')
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries (Bugs Bunny & Elmer Fudd In 'What's Opera, Doc?')
Gayne: Sabre Dance (Ren & Stimpy In 'The Cat That Laid The Golden Hairball')
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565 (In 'Fantasia'; Ren & Stimpy In 'Haunted House')
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Mickey Mouse In 'Fantasia')

Customer Reviews:

I love this CD!.......2001-09-13

I have been searching for a CD to accompany my balloon mime show for a long time, and when I found this, it was a dream come true. The songs are happy sounding, chirpy and fun, especially the souped up version of the PowerHouse. Comes with a burp in front that I could react to! If you like happy sounding instrumental music, this would be it!

Disappointment and irritation.......2000-08-01

This CD contains 16 tracks, some from Walt Disney "Fantasia" and one (track #11) presented as the recording of "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" from the full length cartoon-movie "Melody Time". Beware: it has got nothing to do with that enthusing performance, in boogie-woogie rhythm, by an excellent piano soloist (Freddie Martin? Teddy Wilson?) accompanied by a string-and-winds orchestra. It is, rather, a very banal rendition of Rimsky-Korsakoff's piece. Considering that I ordered this CD just for this piece (I have all others of classical music, from "Fantasia" in excellent recordings, I was disappointed and irritated when I tried to listen to the jazzed-up rendition of RK's music. This is a misrepresentation on part of the label (Sony). I don't think it's casual that the title of this piece, presented on the detail page as track #11 in the "List to Samples" section, disappears altogether from the following section ("On This CD"). If you are keen on Bugs Bunny and other rabbits, go ahead and buy this record. I'll be grateful to anybody (to the tune of $10) who can tell me where I can find a recording of the piece, such as I heard it on "Melody Time".

Average customer rating:

Major Orchestras, Major Conductor, Major Power!
Thunder and Lightning
Wonderful
Big, Beautiful Music!
Solti at his best!!

Thunder & Lightning

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Release Date: 1998-11-10

Tracks:

William Tell Overture: Galop - Georg Solti
Ga Parisienne: Cancans 1 & 2 - Georg Solti
La Gioconda: Dance of the Hours - Georg Solti
Russlan And Ludmilla: Overture - Georg Solti
Die Walkide of the Valkyries - Georg Solti
Carmen: Prelude, Act I (March of the Toreadors) - Georg Solti
1812 Overture: Finale - Georg Solti
Les Preludes: Finale - Georg Solti
Symphony No. 6 in F: 'Pastoral' - Storm - Georg Solti
Aida: Triumphal Chorus & Grand March - Georg Solti
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III - Georg Solti
Prince Igor: Polovtsian dances - Georg Solti
Requiem: Dies irae - Georg Solti
Requiem: Tuba mirum - Georg Solti
Symphonie Fantastique: March to the Scaffold - Georg Solti
Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasia: Montagues and Capulets, Love Theme and Finale - Georg Solti
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Hut on Hens' Legs - Georg Solti
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Great Gate of Kiev - Georg Solti

Tracks:

Also sprach Zarathustra: Sunrise - Solti
The Planets: Mars - Solti
Romeo And Juliet Ballet Suit: Dance of the Knights - Solti
Symphony No. 4 In F Minor: IV. Allegro con fuco - Solti
A Night On The Bare Mountain - Solti
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D - Solti
Damnation Of Faust: Hungarian March - Solti
Tannhauser: Fest March (Entrance of the Guests) - Solti
Enigma Variations: Troyte (Variation No. 7) - Solti
Enigma Variations: E.D.U. (Variation No. 14) - Solti
Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus - Solti
Bolero: Conclusion - Solti
Symphony No. 9: Ode To Joy - Solti
The Twilight Of The Gods: The Immolation Of The Gods - Solti

Customer Reviews:

Major Orchestras, Major Conductor, Major Power!.......2004-06-16

I own multiple recordings of most of the works on Georg Solti's Thunder & Lightning, but I always hold this collection as my reference. Not only with his beloved Chicago Symphony Orchestra, but several other world class ensembles, the Maestro shows his monumental interperative talents to make old warhorses sound as if we've never heard them before. He could inspire an orchestra to "open the heavens or open a flower" with his baton. His presence is missed, but his work is forever.

Thunder and Lightning.......2004-02-22

If you wish to relax using this CD set after work, you are buying the wrong album. But, if you MUST drive between one and six in the morning, this set, by repeating all just once, can keep you awake on the road, however boring it is. Trust me, TRUST SOLTI!

Wonderful.......2002-05-23

Solti shows here why he is one of the best interpreters of classical music. while conducting Wagner is his best work, here he shows that he can interpret well just about any composer. also, in this 2-disc set, there is a nice wide range of music, so for those who are just getting into classical music, this is a good place to start.

Big, Beautiful Music!.......1999-05-17

This collection is great fun. I can't imagine a better way to drive home from work on a Fri afternoon than listening to Solti's "Thunder and Lightning" LOUD on an excellent car stereo. Order and ENJOY!!:)

Solti at his best!!.......1999-05-13

A wonderful collection of Solti's intensity and drive in this music. He is at his best here and how nice to hear a variety of orchestras. Good "sampler" for future purchases.

Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor; Paganini Etudes; Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13; Transcendental Etude No. 10

Average customer rating:

Watts is the Man!
I AM NOT A LISZT PURIST
A big technique, but Watts is a low-key Liszt interpreter
Sad.
A well-tempered recording.

Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor; Paganini Etudes; Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13; Transcendental Etude No. 10

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1/Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No.2
The Royal Edition - Brahms: Piano Concerto no 2
MacDowell: Piano Concerto No.2/Liszt: Piano Concertos No.1 & No.2
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 13, 14 & 23 'Appassionata'
Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

ASIN: B00005NEZU
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Tracks:

No. 1 In G Minor
No.2 In E Flat Major
No.3 'La Campanella'
No. 4 In E Major
No.5 'La Chasse'
No. 6 In A Minor
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 In A Minor
En Reve - Nocturne
Transcendental Etude No.10
Lento Assai
Andante Sostenuto
Fugue - Coda

Customer Reviews:

Watts is the Man!.......2006-12-29

I highly recommend this cd. Mr. Watts does a excellent job of interperting the Paganini Etudes-especially La Campanalla, in my opinion Watts plays it better than Kissin. Even though Kissin plays it 13 sec. faster, but with less emotion. Rhapsody No. 13 is played with virtuosity and power. he plays the Transcendental Etude differetly than most people, but it is still nice. The Sonata was a little dissapointing, some parts weren't as exciting as Naida Cole's verison. For the Sonata get Cole's verison. But over all a very good buy! Nice job Mr. Watts!

I AM NOT A LISZT PURIST.......2006-11-05

AND THEREFORE AM PUZZLED WHY THE FIRST TWO REVIEWERS THINK A BUDGET RELEASE SHOULD HAVE TO 'DELIVER' "ABSOLUTE PERFECTION"! SPEND MORE $$$ AND CHECK OUT THE REVIEW BOOKS, FOR GODS SAKE!

CZIFFRA IS ONE THING YET I FIND THIS CD TO BE EXCITING, BEAUTIFUL, NEVER BORING, AND VERY WELL RECORDED. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THE PRICE!

A big technique, but Watts is a low-key Liszt interpreter.......2006-06-16

Mr Wilkinson has gotten his wrist slapped for writing such a blunt review, but even for a listener who is sympathetic to Andre Watts, still the most famous Afro-American classical pianist in the world after forty years, it's discouraging that his impressive technique didn't lead to musical growth. Many of his best recordings date from the beginning of his career. This flashy Liszt recital includes all the notes, but as Wilkinson says, it's all a bit muddled and aimless musically.

He's also right to point out that Watts displays none of the flashing brilliance and fire of a Volodos or Kissin, and La Campanella is indeed tinkly in his hands. The great B minor Sonata is given a flabby run-through, as is everything else here. I am giving three stars in sympathy with Watts' intentions, too guilty to award what he really deserves.

Sad........2005-09-25

I find it shocking that Mr. Watts chose to tackle a project like this. He is clearly and sadly out of his league. Why, oh why, when recordings of the great Cziffra (the master Liszt interpreter) survive to put this poor effort to shame and when a dazzling talent like Kissin can play "La Campanella" with so much power, grace, and precision, would Mr. Watts choose to embarrass himself with these tinkling, muddled, hesitant, and contrived interpretations? Mr. Watts, "You have been lied to!"
Oh, Volodos, where are you?

A well-tempered recording........2005-03-08

Andre Watts accomplishes the difficult task of giving elegant musicality to pieces which, to a great extent, are technically demanding for the sake of being technically demanding. With the Paganini Etudes in particular, it's easy for an interpreter to be distracted by the sheer technical difficulties(such as the relentless jumps in "La Campanella" ), and neglect to highlight the nuances of the piece's harmonics, rhythm, dynamics, etc.
The only reason I've decided to give this recording 4 stars is a glaring, repetetive error in Paganini Etude No. 3, in the section where the right hand plays the theme, which alternates with a mordent an octave higher. For some reason, Watts decided to play the mordent in sloppy, erroneous fashion. In a recording by a professional of his stature, such a distorted passage is puzzling. It is the only obstacle standing in the way of this being my favorite interpretation of La Campanella.
For a truly superior version, be sure to check out Jorge Bolet's Liszt recordings.

Average customer rating:

Excellent performance, selections not what I hoped for
Gorgeous collection of piano solos

Water Music Of The Impressionists
Claude Debussy , Charles Tomlinson Griffes , Franz Liszt , Maurice Ravel , Carol Rosenberger , and Bosendorfer Imperial Concert Grand
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Reverie: Carol Rosenberger
Night Moods
Singing on the Water
Perchance to Dream
Reflections in the Water

ASIN: B0000006V4
Release Date: 1992-05-22

Tracks:

Les Jeux D'eaux A La Villa D'Este
The Fountain Of The Acqua Paola
Jeux D'Eau
Ondine
La Cathedrale Engloutie
Jardins Sous La Pluie
Reflects Dans L'Eau
Poissons D'or
Ondine

Product Description

Piano: Solo

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performance, selections not what I hoped for.......2007-01-12

I can't possibly fault Carol Rosenberger's playing. She has the master's deft touch and finely tuned ear for musical nuance; and the piano, in her more-than-capable hands, becomes a magnificent vehicle for transferring considerable thought into beautifully realized interpretation. Ms. Rosenberger plays without unnecessary drama, conveying the mood one imagines the composers passionately hoped their audiences would hear.

My one quibble with this recording is very subjective: I had hoped that every track would be soothing to frazzled nerves. Instead, Rosenberger opted for diversity and includes some pieces that are more challenging to the listener. Many listeners will appreciate that aspect of the collection, I think, but it just wasn't what I was looking for.

Gorgeous collection of piano solos.......2002-09-17

I love this album, not only because I play piano and especially French composer. I love this because there are some rather rare pieces here (Ondine, by Ravel in particular) and because the mix works so well.

Tracks:

La Campanella, Grande Etude De Paganini No. 3
Nocturne No. 3 In A Flat Major, Reve D'Amour
Mephisto Valse (D'Apres Le Faust De Lenau)
Les Jeux D'Eau A La Villa D'Este
Valse Oubliee No. 1
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Valse Impromptu
La Ronde Des Lutins, Etude De Concert No. 2
Grand Galop Chromatique
Apres Une Lecture Du Dante, Fantasie Quasi Sonata (Extrait From 'Les Annees De Pelerinage')

Tracks:

Polonaise D'Eugene Oneguine (Tchaikovsky)
Rigoletto, Paraphrase De Concert (Verdi)
Tarentelle De Bravoure Sur Des Theme De 'La Muette De Portici' (Auber)
Valse De Faust (Gounod)
Improvisation Sur Les Themes De Guillaume Tell (Rossini)
Valse Triste (Vecsey)
Tritsch Tratsch Polka (Johann Strauss)
Le Beau Danube Bleu, Paraphrase (Johann Strauss)
Danse Hongroise No. 5 (Brahms)
Fantaisie Roumaine (Improvisation Dans Le Style Tzigane)
Le Vol Du Bourdon (Rimsky-Korsakov)

Tracks:

Islamey, Fantaisie Orientale
Toccata In C Major, Op. 7
Andante Et Rondo Capriccioso In E Major, Op. 14
Rondo In E Flat Major, Op. 11
Polonaise In C Major, Op. 89
Rondo A Capriccio In G Major, Op. 129
Andantino In B Minor
Bourree In E Flat Major
Sonata In C Major, K159
Le Tic Toc Choc ,Ou Les Maillotins
Les Barricades Mysterieuses
L'Anguille
La Bandoline
Les Petits Moulins A Vent
Les Folies Francaises Ou Les Dominos
La Poule
Le Rappel Des Oiseaux
Gavotte En Rondeau

Tracks:

Variations In C Major, Sur 'God Save The King', WoO 78
12 Variations In A Major, Sur Un Theme Russe (Wranitzky), WoO 71
32 Variations In C Minor, WoO 80
Fantaisie In F Minor, Op. 49
Book 1 - Variations Sur Un Theme De Paganini, Op. 35
Book 2 - Variations Sur Un Theme De Paganini, Op. 35

Tracks:

I. Grave - Allegro Molto E Con Brio, Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13
II. Adagio Cantabile, Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13
III. Rondo, Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13
I. Allegro - Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14
II. Andante - Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14
III. Scherzo -Allegro Assai - Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14
I. Andante Con Variazioni - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
II. Scherzo (Allegro Molto) - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
III. Marcia Funebre (Andante Maestoso) - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
IV. Allegro - Sonata No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 26
I. Andante - Allegro -Allegro Molto Vivace - Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27
II. Adagio Con Espressione - Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27
III. Allegro Vivace - Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27

Tracks:

Preambule Carnaval Op9
Pierrot Carnaval Op9
Arlequin Carnaval Op9
Valse Noble Carnaval Op9
Eusebius Carnaval Op9
Florestan Carnaval Op9
Coquette Carnaval Op9
Replique Carnaval Op9
Papillons Carnaval Op9
A.S.C.H., S.C.H.A., Lettres Dansantes Carnaval Op9
Chiarina Carnaval Op9
Chopin Carnaval Op9
Estrella Carnaval Op9
Reconnaissance Carnaval Op9
Pantalon Et Colombine Carnaval Op9
Valse Allemande - Intermezzo: Paganinni Carnaval Op9
Aveu Carnaval Op9
Promenade Carnaval Op9
Pause Carnaval Op9
Danse Des Davidsbundler Contre Les Philistins Carnaval Op9
I. Des Abends Fantasiestucke Op12
II. Aufschwung Fantasiestucke Op12
III. Warum? Fantasiestucke Op12
IV. Grillen Fantasiestucke Op12
V. In Der Nacht Fantasiestucke Op12
VI. Fabel Fantasiestucke Op12
VII. Traumeswirren Fantasiestucke Op12
VIII. Ende Vom Lied Fantasiestucke Op12
I. Allegro - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
II. Romanze - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
III. Scherzino - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
IV. Intermezzo - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26
V. Final - Carnaval De Vienne, Op. 26

Tracks:

Fantaisie Hongroise In F Major For Piano And Orchestra
Totentanz, Paraphrase Sur Le 'Dies Irae' Pour Piano Et Orchestre
Variations Symphoniques Pour Piano Et Orchestre
I. Allegro Molto Moderato - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16
II. Adagio - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16
III. Allegro Moderato Molto E Marcato - Andante Maestoso - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16

Tracks:

I. Adagio Sostenuto Assai - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
II. Allegro Agitato Assai - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
III. Allegro Moderato - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
IV. Allegro Deciso - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
V. Marziale, Un Poco Meno Allegro - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
VI. Allegro Animato - Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra In A Major
I. Allegro Maestoso - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
II. Quasi Adagio - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
III. Allegretto Vivace - Allegro Animato - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
IV. Allegro Marziale Animato - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In E Flat Major
I. Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Maestoso - Allegro Con Spirito - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In B Flat Minor, Op. 23
II. Andante Semplice - Prestissimo - Tempo 1 - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In B Flat Minor, Op. 23
III. Allegro Con Fuoco - Concerto No. 1 For Piano And Orchestra In B Flat Minor, Op. 23

Customer Reviews:

Stunning. . . . .......2007-01-10

I bought this set with some trepidation, since I didn't know what to expect from Cziffra's playing of composers other than Liszt. I had only heard him in his mercurially brilliant Lisztian incarnation, and didn't know how he would do with a less flamboyant style.
I have been very pleasantly surprised, especially at his Beethoven and his Schumann. I found that he kept the spontaneity of his Lisztian interpretations, but channelled it chronologically into insightful and spontaneous Beethoven interpretations, while respecting most of the rules and performance practices of the Classic era.
His Schumann was mercurial and spontaneous in a Romantic fashion, also, and - of course - brilliantly digitally played. As to the Liszt, it's par excellence; I've never heard that music played with such spontaneity and
digital fluency.
The sound quality is surprisingly good, altho somewhat uneven. I highly recommend this set to anyone who loves great piano-playing. My favorite pianist is still Richter, but Cziffra takes first prize in his Liszt, and runs a close second with other composers' music.

PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST.......2006-10-15

The eight discs making up this set are invaluable to anyone interested in this extraordinary musician and pianist. His career was cut tragically short, and while it lasted he was most in demand to display his astounding technique in Liszt. He did it because he could. Not being enormously attracted to Liszt I was slow in coming to know Cziffra, but when I did what struck me forcibly was that the picture I had been given of him was seriously misleading. Any suggestion that he was a wilful virtuoso who turned the standard classics into something of his own is 180 degrees wide of the mark, and this selection enables us to hear what his playing was really like in music ranging from Lully and Couperin to the late 19th century, taking in on the way Rameau, Scarlatti, C P E Bach, Beethoven, Hummel, Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schumann. Liszt is here in the shape of the two concertos, the Totentanz and the Hungarian Fantasy plus some solos, my collection of least favourite romantic concertos is enhanced with his renderings of the Grieg and Tchaikovsky, but relief from these is provided with Franck's symphonic variations. Among the non-Liszt solo pieces we are given a number usually thought to call for exceptional virtuosity, namely Schumann's toccata, Mendelssohn's rondo capriccioso and Brahms's Paganini variations. Balakirev's Islamey is here too, but in a version of Cziffra's own, and so are some of his own virtuoso arrangements including one of the Flight of the Bumblebee as well as four similar efforts from Liszt.

Cziffra himself didn't aid popular comprehension by saying that he couldn't play Beethoven. I already owned his Waldstein, but here we have four more sonatas plus some smaller pieces, all early works. If I have a fault to find with his Waldstein it's that it is rather understated. What I don't fault at all is his sense of Beethoven's idiom, and the only flash of Cziffra's phenomenal technique comes where there can be no objection in the up-and-down octaves near the end. These are normally played glissando, because to finger them in strict time is impossible, allegedly. Even Horowitz can't do that - but Cziffra can. This really sums up his way of doing things - the technique is exercised strictly when needed, and then not in a showy way unless the sense of the music demands that. Try the Mendelssohn rondo here - light-fingered in the main rondo theme, relaxed in the episodes - then hear Serkin on Aura in his 1957 recital in Lugano, high-tension and full-speed-ahead. Serkin brought the audience to its feet, Cziffra is simply enjoying the piece, and very Mendelssohnian he sounds. Or again the Schumann toccata. Richter won raptures from the critics for his handling of the rat-tat fortissimo chords near the end while making no concessions to the tempo. He does that no better than Cziffra, if as well. The difference is that Richter `makes more' of the supposedly virtuoso sequences earlier. Now how about Cziffra's Beethoven here? It is natural, idiomatic and kept within a certain volume-level. There is no showing off let alone messing around. If Cziffra recalls anyone it is Kempff, and these performances would be safe models for teachers. In Schumann it's the same story. Not everyone could play Traumeswirren like this, and here and there the finger-work had me rubbing my eyes, but I keep sensing that Cziffra is not even aware that he's doing anything exceptional. The idiom is dead right, the rubato is natural, the lyricism is spontaneous if less `warm' than some, the sense of the overall structure is effortless - and I could say all that about Chopin's F minor fantasy too.

I can't avoid Liszt, but some comparisons are interesting. This high-powered Totentanz has been rightly praised, but both in this work and in the first concerto I feel that Michelangeli beats Cziffra at what is supposedly Cziffra's own game. I hear Michelangeli as Cziffra's solitary equal as a technician, but in second-rate music like this spontaneity and dexterity are trumped by an above-it-all Olympian aloofness, and Cziffra undoubtedly does not take the ultra-care that Michelangeli takes over perfect evenness of touch, sublime poise in the rhythm and super-perfection in the trills. (In the matter of trills, you can hear what Cziffra can do when he puts his mind to it in the fiendish 4th variation in book 1 of Brahms's Paganinis). In the 2nd concerto Cziffra is the best I have yet heard. In sheer technical address neither he nor anyone surpasses Richter, but where I like Cziffra better is in an aspect of his playing that gets too little attention, namely his natural and unaffected lyricism. In the Hungarian Fantasy, the Liszt solos and the various arrangements I imagine Cziffra is unsurpassed and unsurpassable, not that I propose to research that matter much.

The Grieg and Tchaikovsky concertos are here too. Cziffra adopts moderate tempi in the outer movements of the Grieg as the composer directs. The first movement of the Tchaikovsky is done as I like it, insofar as I like it at all. The introduction is taken fast, rather as Horowitz and Toscanini take it although I miss Toscanini's direction. The last movement however is taken at a very moderate pace, with the excitement saved for the end. Later performances are of some French music. In these pieces, as in the Scarlatti sonata, I wouldn't say that Cziffra stands out particularly - with one telling exception, Couperin's Barricades Mysterieuses, atmospheric and bewitching. Was this what they told you to expect from Cziffra?

He was a natural, a child of the gods. The near-unbelievable technique was an important part of his gift, but what I prize most is his lyric manner - simple, innocent and clear-eyed. His actual touch is not one that you could identify within seconds, as you could identify that of Horowitz, Serkin, Richter or Michelangeli, but it is utterly free from affectation. The better you know him, the more you will love him.

A world-changing musician.......2006-01-30

I've not a lot to add to Alan Thorpe's review except to say that to be young when Cziffra burst upon the world in 1956 after he left Hungary & started playing in western Europe was sheer intoxication--and it wasn't all Liszt either! Like Richter, who appeared at the same time, he played Schumann in a way that opened up entire new fields of tonal & interpretive possibility. I must say, too, that from the start, I admired his Beethoven--I like lyrically played Beethoven! Why shouldn't Beethoven sing as well as growl? He did write some lovely songs, after all. Cziffra's versions of Op.13, Op.14/2 & Op.26 on this set are very satisfying--I just wish they had managed to include a recording of his version of the Waldstein, too.

CZIFFRA - A Keyboard Phenomenon.......2001-05-26

Issued in 1991 by EMI France to celebrate Cziffra's 70th birthday this 8 CD boxed set is a bargain. The first CD is all Liszt and contains some of the most spellbinding playing you are ever likely to hear. Fire and brimstone reign as Cziffra tears up the keyboard in the Dante Sonata's demonic moments; surely a whiff of sulphur as he spontaneously combusts during the Mephisto-Valse; the Rhapsodie espagnole and Grand Galop chromatique {see him sweat playing this on Philip's `Great Pianists of the 20th Century video.}. As a contrast, be seduced by his heart-melting rendering of the third Liebestraume; the caprice of the Valse-Impromptu; and have the waters of `Les Jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este' ever cascaded so onomatopoeically and with such a transcendental variety of touch and nuance. More diablerie follows on disc 2 with transcriptions by Liszt and those {in} famous ones by Cziffra himself. I have never heard a more demonic Gounod/Liszt ` Valse de Faust'; Auber/Liszt `Tarantelle de bravura'; or Tchaikovsky/Liszt Polonaise from `Eugene Onegin'; as for Cziffra's playing of his own transcriptions and paraphrases, especially the Strauss `Tritsch-tratsch polka' and Rimsky-Korsakov `Flight of the Bumble-bee; well, they are in a class of their own. Both Katsaris and Volodos recorded the latter pieces but I'm afraid they cannot compare with Cziffra's sheer electricity and panache. You will now need an ice pack as disc 3 opens with Balakirev's Islamey which starts steadily enough compared to say Simon Barere's famous account {now on APR} but increases in excitement as Cziffra adds all kind of gypsy embellishments as he builds to a fiery conclusion. Excitement is also the key to the next piece; Schumann's Toccata, which Cziffra plays with effortless abandonment and joie de vivre as he also does Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso. Cziffra loved to play Baroque music and the rest of this disc is taken up by mainly short but characterful pieces by Couperin, Lully, Rameau and Krebs. Many were recorded in the 1980s and sound better if played back at a reduced volume level as they were obviously too closely miked. Cziffra once said that he couldn't play Beethoven so preferred to leave it to others who could. He did record a number of sonatas and this selection includes very fine accounts of the `Pathetique'; No. 13 in E flat Op27/1 {companion to the `Moonlight'};and Op. 26 in A flat. He brings a full cantabile to the latter works opening movt. and to the Adagio of the `Pathetique'. Elsewhere he plays with refinement and elegance; everything is in the best possible taste and there is nothing to offend, but those who like their Beethoven a bit more rough and gruff could be a bit disappointed as they might also be with Cziffra's Brahm's Paganini Variations which are technically stunning but find Cziffra musically out of sorts. The Schumann disc finds him on top form. Like many great artists Cziffra loved to play Schumann and he was equally at home with Eusebius { the dreamer} as he was with Florestan { the impetuous side of his character} and this is self evident in his brilliantly characterful accounts of Carnaval, Fantasiestücke, and Carnaval de Vienne - the latter piece highly praised by Cortot after he heard Cziffra during a Paris radio broadcast in the late 1950s. Discs 7 and 8 are all concertante works and show Cziffra at the very height of his stupendous powers. Again Cziffra has his demon up in the most astounding Liszt Totentanz ever recorded; a Hungarian Fantasy with all the improvisational colours of a band of gypsy fiddlers and an ideally recreative performance of the second concerto to make all others sound four-square . To cap this there is a fabulous Grieg concerto in which Cziffra dares to improvise the end of the Lisztian style cadenza; a meltingly beautiful slow movt with an excitingly brilliant finale. Last but certainly not the least, a very poetic reading of Franck's Symphonic Variations and a Tchaikovsky first concerto which combines thrilling virtuosity with all those individual touches that only a genuinely recreative artist can bring to such a familiar masterpiece. This collection is a splendid tribute to one of histories greatest pianists - an artist who knew the authentic meaning of ` bravura'.

Music Review:

Music Review

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Balearic Sunrise [Import]

Frescobaldi: Il Primo Libro de' Madrigali

Dvorák: Slavonic Dances; String Serenade

Circles of Our Lives: Journey

City of dreams

Castillo De Naipes [Import]

Fantasy Island [CD-single] [Import]

Favorite Instrumental Works and Classical Elegance (Doppler; Gluck; Bach; Faure; Debussy; Tchaikovsky; Drigo; Martini; Lenoir; Grieg)

Now's the Time