Schumann: String Quartet, Op. 41, No. 1/Brahms: String Quartet, Op. 67

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No. 3 in B flat major, Op. 67
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Stefan Fehlandt, Stephan Forck, Frank Reinecke, Tim Vogler

2. String Quartets (3), Op. 41 No. 1 in A minor
Composed by Robert Schumann
Performed by Stefan Fehlandt, Stephan Forck, Frank Reinecke, Tim Vogler

Customer Reviews:

The "Clinker" of the bunch.......2006-12-19

Having collected the entire "The Masterworks" series (including the Bach and Mozart Complete Works) this set is the 'clinker' of the bunch. First off... 6 CD's of Lieder 'historic' (pre-historic) recordings. No Overtures, No Orchestral Seranades, No Haydn Variations?? The performances of the Symphonies and the Concertos are shakey and not very well recorded. Brilliant Classics, who has done such a wonderful job with the Hadyn Complete Symphonies (licensed from Nimbus), the Mozart and Bach Complete sets, has stumbled a bit with this release.

The Essential Gift Pack (Box Set) (includes book: The A to Z of Classical Music)

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The Essential Gift Pack (Box Set) (includes book: The A to Z of Classical Music)

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: Allegro con brio - Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia (Budapest)
Bagatelle in A minor, WoO23, 'Fur Elise' - Balazs Szokolay
Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, 'Eroica': Scherzo: Allegro vivace - Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia (Budapest)
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, 'Pathetique': Adagio cantabile - Jeno Jando
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 61: Rondo: Allegro - Takako Nishizaki
Piano Sonato No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2, 'Moonlight': Adagio sostenuto - Jeno Jando
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, 'Pastoral': Allegro ma non troppo - Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia (Budapest)
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73, 'Emperor': Rondo: Allegro - Stefan Vladar
Overture to Egmont - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125, 'Choral': Finale: Presto - Robert Holzer, bass

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor, Op. 23: Allegro con fuoco - Bernd Glemser
Symphony No. 5 In E Minor, Op. 64: Andante cantabile con alcuna licenza - Moderato con anima - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Eugene Onegin: Polonaise - Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava)
Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. 19, No. 4 - Maria Kliegel
Sleeping Beauty: Waltz - Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Kosice)
Violin Concerto in D Major: Canzonetta: Andante - Takako Nishizaki
The Nutcracker: Russian Dance (Trepak) - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
1812 Festival Overture, Op. 49 - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Swan Lake: Scene (Swan Theme) - Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava)
The Seasons, Op. 37b: Barcarole (June) - Ilona Prunyi
Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48: Waltz - Vienna Chamber Orchestra
Symphony No. 6 In B Minor, Op. 74, 'Pathetique': Allegro molto vivace - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice)

Tracks:

Serenade No. 13 in G major, K.525, 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik': Allegro - Capella Istropolitana
German Dance, K.605, No. 3, 'Sleigh Ride' - Capella Istropolitana
Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K.183: Allegro - Capella Istropolitana
String Quartet No. 17 in B flat major, K.458, 'Hunt': Minuetto - Eder Quartet
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, K.447: Allegro - Milos Stevove
Symphony No. 40 In G minor, K.550: Molto allegro - Capella Istropolitana
Clarinet Concerto In A Major: Adagio - Ernst Ottensamer
Divertimento In D major, K. 136: Allegro - Capella Istropolitana
Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major: Rondo - Herbert Weissberg
Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K.331: Alla turca - Jeno Jando
Oboe Quartet in F major, K.370: Adagio - Jozsef Kiss
Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K.216: Rondeau: Allegro - Takako Nishizaki
Piano Concerto No. 21 In C Major, K.467: Andante - Jeno Jando
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K.551, 'Jupiter': Menuetto: Allegro - Capella Istropolitana

Tracks:

The Four Seasons: 'Spring', RV269: Allegro - Takako Nishizaki
Concerto in G major for Two Guitars: Andante - Budapest Strings
Flute Concerto in D major, RV 428, 'Il Cardellino': Allegro - Jiri Valek
Flute Concerto in D major, RV 428, 'Il Cardellino': Cantabile - Jiri Valek
Flute Concerto in D major, RV 428, 'Il Cardellino': Allegro - Jiri Valek
The Four Seasons: 'Spring', RV269: Largo e pianissimo sempre - Takako Nishizaki
Oboe Concerto in A minor, RV461: Allegro non molto - Stefan Schilli
Oboe Concerto in A minor, RV461: Larghetto - Stefan Schilli
Oboe Concerto in A minor, RV461: (Allegro) - Stefan Schilli
The Four Seasons: 'Summer', RV315: Largo e pianissimo sempre - Takako Nishizaki
Concerto in C major for Two Trumpets, RV537: Allegro - M. Meekes
Concerto in C major for Two Trumpets, RV537: Largo - M. Meekes
Concerto in C major for Two Trumpets, RV537: Allegro - M. Meekes
The Four Seasons: 'Autumn', RV293: Adagio molto - Takako Nishizaki
Cello Concerto in C minor, RV401: Allegro non molto - Raphael Wallfisch
Cello Concerto in C minor, RV401: Adagio - Raphael Wallfisch
Cello Concerto in C minor, RV401: Allegro ma non molto - Raphael Wallfisch
The Four Seasons: 'Winter', RV297: Largo - Takako Nishizaki
Flautino Concerto in C major, RV443: Allegro - Jiri Stivin
Flautino Concerto in C major, RV443: Largo - Jiri Stivin
Flautino Concerto in C major, RV443: Allegro molto - Jiri Stivin
Violin Concertor in A minor, RV522: Largo - Jindrich Pazdera
Bassoon Concerto in E minor, RV484: Allegro poco - Frantisek Hermann
Bassoon Concerto in E minor, RV484: Andante - Frantisek Hermann
Bassoon Concerto in E minor, RV484: Allegro - Frantisek Hermann

Tracks:

Piano Sonato No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 'Appassionata': Allegro ma non troppo - Presto - Jeno Jando
Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: Allegro molto vivace - Takako Nishizaki
String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76, No. 3 'Emperor': Poco adagio, cantabile - Kodaly Quartet
La Boheme: Si, mi chiamano Mimi - Luba Organasova, soprano
Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra in B Minor, Op. 104: Finale: Allegro moderato - Andante - Allegro vivo - Maria Kliegel
Waltz No. 12 in E major, Op. 39, No. 12 - Idil Biret
Symphony No. 2 In C Major, Op. 61: Scherzo: Allegro vivace - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Spanish Dances: Rondella aragonesa - Norbert Kraft
Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: Allegro molto - Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia
La Messe de Nostre Dame: Gloria - Oxford Camerata
Drottningholmsmusiken: Allegro - Uppsala Chamber Orchestra

Schumann: String Quartet, Op. 41, No. 1/Brahms: String Quartet, Op. 67

Average customer rating:

Schumann: String Quartet, Op. 41, No. 1/Brahms: String Quartet, Op. 67

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000003FDB
Release Date: 1993-06-08

Tracks:

Op. 67 In B-Flat/B-Dur/Si Bemol Majeur: Vivace
Op. 67 In B-Flat/B-Dur/Si Bemol Majeur: Andante
Op. 67 In B-Flat/B-Dur/Si Bemol Majeur: Agitato: .
Op. 67 In B-Flat/B-Dur/Si Bemol Majeur: Poco Alleg
Op. 41 No.1 In A Minor/A-Moll/La Mineur: Intro. ..
Op. 41 No.1 In A Minor/A-Moll/La Mineur: Scherzo..
Op. 41 No.1 In A Minor/A-Moll/La Mineur: Adagio
Op. 41 No.1 In A Minor/A-Moll/La Mineur: Presto

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60 Best-Loved Classics

Manufacturer: Martingale
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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25 Classical Favorites

ASIN: B000679MYM
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

Allegro
Miniature Overture
Clair De Lune
Andante
Largo
Andante
Allegro
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Andante Con Moto
Water Music Suite 3 In G Major 'Riguadon'
Adagio Cantabile
Scherzo (Molto Vivace)
Presto, Presto
Apres Un Reve
Allegretto
Allegro Assai
Nocturne No. 2 In E Major Op. 62
Allegro
Gavotte/Musette/Gavotte
Songs My Mother Taught Me

Tracks:

Peer Gynt, Suite 1 'Morning' Op. 46
Menuet/Trio/Da Capo/Trio/Da Capo
Adagio
Allegro Con Spirito
Bewegt
Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso
Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Allegretto
Allegro Non Molto
Allegretto Grazioso (Quasi Andantino)/Presto Ma Non Assai
Intermezzo
Petit Mari, Petit Femme
Rondo-Allegro Vivace
Sinfonia In C Minor BWV 21
Water Music Suite 2 In D Major 'Menuet'
Introduction
Finale: Allegro
The Rejoicing
Panorama
Wie Melodien

Tracks:

Andante
Adagio
Allegro
Adagio Sostenuto
Scherzo/Tri, Piu, Lento
Feierlich
Spiritoso
Adagio
The Swan
Andante
Allegro Maestoso
Air
Traumerei
Largo
Menuetto/Allegro Vivace
Mazurka Op. 63 No. 3 In C-Sharp Minor
Allegro
Swan Lake, Act I 'Scene'
Beau Soir
Menuetto/Allegretto

Album Description

60 Best Loved Classics contains over four hours of the finest in Classical music from composers such as Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Handel, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin among others. These familiar selections are performed by leading American and European orchestras, ensembles and solo performers, all collected in one beautiful 3-CD set for less than the cost of most single classical releases.

Flonzaley Quartet Plays Romantic Masterpieces

Average customer rating:

historical recordings, outstanding Schumann piano quintet
Technique That Transcends Time

Flonzaley Quartet Plays Romantic Masterpieces

Manufacturer: Biddulph Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001ZF2
Release Date: 1997-09-18

Amazon.com

Two of the greatest pianists of the Golden Age join the greatest string quartet of its time in this aptly named collection of "Romantic masterpieces." These musicians began their careers when Brahms was still alive, and while there are certainly other good ways to play the music, theirs is authentic and moving. Ossip Gabrilowitsch made even fewer recordings than Harold Bauer, so his presence is especially welcome. His gently romantic Schumann is an interesting contrast with Bauer's heroic Brahms. There isn't a note in this set that's less than compelling, and the antique recordings, expertly transferred, don't sound bad at all. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

historical recordings, outstanding Schumann piano quintet.......2006-08-10

To me the most outstanding item in the valuable set (in excellent sound) is the Schumann piano quintet with Ossip Gabrilowitsch. It has a forward momentum that no other subsequent version that I know (Serkin-Budapest, Rubinstein-Guarneri, Bernstein-Juilliard, Entremont-Berg, Zacharias-Cherubini) even approaches. In the first movement the Flonzaley's initial tempo is brisk, and moreover, unlike all the others I mentioned, they never slam the breaks and linger when the lyrical second theme comes in and where Schumann doesn't instruct to do so. These people had understood a lesson that seems to have been forgotten since : the lyricism of a musical phrase should be expressed and will be all the more poignant within a given (and rather swift) tempo, and not by slowing down, coaxing the phrase and trying to rub it in (Bernstein, alas, is the worst in that respect, though his scherzo has a fabulous drive). The "funeral march" has all the wanted weight and the scherzo and finale again display the same kind of forward drive - all of which also makes me wonder what Leslie Gerber hears that he qualifies "gently romantic". This is rather "passionately romantic".

The Brahms quintet (with Harold Bauer) is good also, though not nearly as good and (especially in the finale) as profound as the Serkin-Bush from a few years later. As for the rest -Schumann's first, Brahms' third (shorn of most of its finale) and Schubert 15th quartets - be prepared for an interpretive style that sounds its age : plangent tone, some degree of portamento, "gemütlichkeit" rather than drama. I find that the Schubert is the one that suffers the most in such an approach. And be aware that that the latter is also heavily cut - but elegantly as well, and it won't be noticed unless you have the score or a good knowledge of the piece !

Anyway, Biddulph deserves be thanked for bringing back these historical interpretations to our attention.

Technique That Transcends Time.......2004-07-01

I am aware of what the late historian E. P. Thompson meant by the condescension with which we tend to regard the past. I don't know what I was expecting when I bought this album, other than a document of an earlier day, but I was quickly put in my place. The Flonzaley are not merely one of the first string quartets to make a living playing music, they are amazing technicians and their artistry is impressive. These are notable performances. While the sound is not stellar, it is surprisingly decent and I have relished listening to these pieces as they flashed by, played with enthusiasm, passion and dash. If only some of the modern ensembles that pride themselves on fleetness of finger were as committed to the music as these artists.

The Rubinstein Collection (Limited Edition) [Box Set]

Average customer rating:

There were greater talents.
This Is No Lesson in Economics...
CLASSICAL MUSIC AT ITS MOST EXPENSIVE (AND BEST)
It's actually not so expensive
A Superb Reissue

The Rubinstein Collection (Limited Edition) [Box Set]

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00001O2XZ
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com

A retail price of $1,600 for a box set? Granted, it's not something most of us can afford. But, for piano buffs and fans of Artur Rubinstein, this mammoth limited-edition 94-CD set might be an investment to consider. For starters, BMG has collected all of the approved studio recordings of Rubinstein (including 200 or so that have never been on CD) and added a handful of previously unreleased recordings and some interviews. The lot has been remastered for this collection using the latest technology (RCA's disc-and-a-half Highlights sampler actually showcases some of the more dramatic remasterings)--a good thing, when you consider that many of these master tapes have a lifetime's worth of surface noise. You get a lavishly illustrated book with essays and photographs and a nice case to store the works; everything but the credit plan is included, really. Of course, it's up to you to decide whether you want 706 recordings of 347 pieces played by the same great pianist. And, though owning Rubinstein's three complete cycles of Beethoven's concertos might sound tempting, will you really listen to each of them? Probably not, but if you need 'em, here they are. (His Chopin cycles, on the other hand, you will listen to repeatedly!) It's easily one of the most impressive and comprehensive box sets that classical music has seen: a true career overview with excellent remastering and handsome packaging that reflects the collection's price tag (unlike some box sets that are just that: CDs in boxes). Do you need it? Probably not. Will you want it? You bet. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

There were greater talents........2005-05-30

I must confess that I hate Rubinstein's sound as a pianist, but his dedication and verve were notable. Think though of Claudio Aurru's gifts, remarkable... I feel that to love Rubinstein one must love a world of safe emotional borders and sameness; sorry A.R fans. jb

This Is No Lesson in Economics..........2004-10-10

It is a natural tendency when reviewing items in this price-point to contemplate cost-effectiveness first and foremost. Considering that CDs have no nutritional value and cannot keep kids off crack, I am uncomfortable recognizing, much less crossing, some line in the sand where space ordinarily reserved for record-reviews must yield to amateur musings on the evils of conspicuous consumption or macroeconomic conceptions of social justice. Let's assume for the moment that this box set is free, removing from our purview the materialistic thrill or global economic blight one might seek and/or wish to stave off in purchasing it.

Rubinstein's "official" recorded output is astounding. It spans 5 decades, and encompasses significant forays into the oeuvre of dozens of composers. Though technique is generally expected to decline with age, few pianists live to be 96 years old. Rubinstein the pianist and Rubinstein the musician reached their highest collective summit when Rubinstein the man was well into his 60s. The "late-bloomer" aspect of his career places a considerable quorum of his most polished recordings squarely within the stereo era. Some of this material had made its way onto CD prior to this release, most notably his Chopin. Unfortunately, Rubinstein's well-deserved public acclaim as Chopin's supreme torchbearer unjustly limits his reputation along "expresio unius est exclusio alterius" lines. For example, though Rubinstein chose to record only a small handful of Beethoven sonatas, it is doubtful that one might hear them better played, even by his Beethoven specialist contemporaries Schnabel and Kempff. Rubinstein also ardently championed French and Spanish music, and is said to have loved performing Brahms most of all. This release places many of his most accomplished recordings before the ears of the listening public for the first time since their original release on vinyl.

I am frequently intoxicated by the earliest recordings from the 30s and 40s. Some of them, like his first traversal of the Chopin scherzi, are bite-your-nails-til-they-bleed thrilling. On the other hand, the initial limitations of the recording process required this (and every) pianist to make bothersome compromises with respect to tempi and dynamics at times. Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste. I am more consistently drawn to Rubinstein the wise-master than Rubinstein the young Turk.

RCA invested undisclosed sums of time and money into restoring, remixing, and remastering all of the recordings for this release. Some of the earlier recordings have been available on CD for quite some time (e.g. Chopin's Op. 28 Preludes, the Ormandy/Philadelphia Grieg concerto). Despite the intervention of acoustical restorationist-par-excellence Ward Marston, the remastering undertaken in the course of this project has not dramatically improved the sound on these releases. Short of traveling several decades into the past and placing more sensitive microphones in more strategic locations, there was probably little else that could have been done. Marston's brilliance is far more obvious in restoring to near original luster many deteriorating tape recordings from the late 40s and early 50s. The stereo recordings also sound fuller.

I am pleased with my purchase because having access (and, most importantly, having listened to) all of these recordings is a moving experience. It allows me to contemplate this extraordinary artist as a man, whose performance is inevitably colored by the accumulation of experience, the expanding flexibility of the recording process, the onset of maturity, and (perhaps sadly) declining physical powers. There are multiple recordings of most pieces in this collection, but I rarely find it difficult to cull a favorite among them. At this point, I play some of the records frequently, and others rarely. If your aim is to hear Rubinstein at his best, this set provides the resources you need to make what are at turns obvious, and others hopelessly personal choices. This set includes detailed (and mostly newly written) liner notes for each record as a well as an engaging hardcover book providing no fewer than 3 complete indices to the recordings (by date of recording, Composer, and Volume number). The box itself is a work of art, looks stunning on a shelf, and never requires polishing. Most of the 81 volumes are sold separately, and have been made available for download on the Apple Music Store.

While I will not claim that Rubinstein's interpretations are equally effective, I cannot think of any other pianist, now living or forever deceased, who could approach such a broad repertoire with the unwaivering technical finesse and prophetic musicianship evident in the bulk of his recorded output. If you never see the likes of a "Rubinstein Collection" on the shelf again, do not dismiss it as another textbook illustration of price elasticity. To do so is to dwell on on the vagaries of consumerism when the more important issue is that the next Rubinstein may never be.

CLASSICAL MUSIC AT ITS MOST EXPENSIVE (AND BEST).......2003-05-30

You have two choices: Starve the kids or skip the mortgage payments for a month or two. How else can you afford this 94 (!) disc set that captures every studio recording the classical icon ever recorded. Trust us: The kids are fat enough.

It's actually not so expensive.......2001-06-06

Provided you have the time, listening to this collection not only helps you better appreciate Rubinstein's supreme talent but also gives you some idea of his unfolding genius--how his technique and interpretation changed through the years. There's enough room in music for every kind of interpretation, as long as you take the music first, and all the interpretations Rubinstein offered are interesting. Of course this set is expensive, but it's nearly 100 CDs plus liner notes, so the price is not that bad. Besides, if you decide to really listen to this set the way it deserves, it's going to be years before you buy another CD.

A Superb Reissue.......2000-04-30

A friend of mine was able to aquire the Rubinstein Collection and I have been borrowing from it liberally.

RCA deserves to be commended on going the extra mile and releasing ALL of the authorized Rubinstein recordings, well organized and superbly remastered in this comprehensive edition. Hopefully, RCA will also release the individual volumes for those who are not completists or who simply cannot afford the entire set. True, this set is at full price. A source who was connected with this reissure has told me that RCA planned to issue the set at mid price, but the cost of this mammoth edition went far overbudget--and the full price was dictated by their production costs. Certainly, the money was well spent. The ramastering, particularly in the earlier recordings, must be heard to be believed. The packaging, documentation, and liner notes are all first class.

It is fascinating to trace Rubinstein's evolution as an interpreter--from the devil-may-care early days through the mature recordings of the 1950s, into the 1970s, when his playing on record tended to be a bit cautions.

Music Review:

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