Bach Highlights

On this CD:

1. Suite for orchestra No 3 in D major, BWV 1068 Gavotte
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

2. Cantata No. 182, "Himmelskönig, sei willkommen," BWV 182 March and Chorus
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

3. Cantata No. 156, "Ich steh mit einem Fuss im Grabe," BWV 156 Sinfonia in F major
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

4. Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, motet for chorus & continuo, BWV 226
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

5. Cantata No. 21, "Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis," BWV 21 Seufzen, Tränen, Kummer, Not
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

6. Suite for orchestra No 3 in D major, BWV 1068 Air
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

7. Liebster Herr Jesu!, for voice & continuo (Schemelli Gesangbuch No. 874) BWV 484
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

8. Jesu, Jesu, du bist mein, for voice & continuo (Schemelli Gesangbuch No. 741), BWV 470
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

9. Cantata No. 147, "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben," BWV 147 Chorale, Jesus bleibet meine Freude
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

10. Cantata No. 190, "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied," BWV 190
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Christina Hogman
Conducted by Anders Ohrwall

Tracks:

Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Minuet I & II
Gigue
Aria: 'Bist Du Bei Mir', BWV 508 Stl - Lorraine Hung Lieberson
Aria: 'Willst Du Mein Herz Mir Schenken', BWV 518 - Lorraine Hung Lieberson
Solo Per Il Cembalo
Polonaise In G Minor
March In D Major
March In E Flat Major
Rondeau In B Flat Major
Chorale: 'Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott Lasst Walten', BWV 691
'Goldberg' Variations: Aria, BWV 988
Recitative: 'Ich Habe Genug', BWV 82 - Lorraine Hung Lieberson
Aria: 'Schlummert Ein', BWV 82 - Lorraine Hung Lieberson
Aria: 'Gedenke Doch, Mein Geist', BWV 509 - Lorraine Hung Lieberson
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Prelude No. 1 In C Major, BWV 846
Polonaise In G Major
Polonaise In D Minor
Polonaise In G Minor
Polonaise In F Major
Two Minuets
Musette In A Major
'Menuet Fait Par M. Bohm'
Minuet In G Major

Customer Reviews:

lovely music, but . . . . ........2007-07-03

No one doubts that Bach's music is beautiful, and so many of the pieces in this album, favorites of his second wife, are lovely. Here are my objection. First of all, nowhere on the outside of this CD does this indicate that these are only *highlights* of the Anna Magdelena notebook. Furthermore, many of the tracks (from French Suites #1 & #2, from the Well-Tempered Clavier, from the Goldberg Variations) are pieces I already own in high quality recording by virtuosi. This CD does not limit itself, say, to pieces that Bach composed originally for this collection; in other words, there is nothing scholarly about the pieces that were chosen for these highlights. Rather, it is essentially selling a "Bach's Greatest Hits" kind of CD under a more respectable name. For those whose classical collections consist primarily of "Greatest Hits" collections of various composers, you might as well toss in this CD. For the discriminating collector, though, interested in collecting serious works by Bach, this CD is entirely unworthy.

Anna Magdalena Notebook-- a treasure trove of Baroque music.......2006-03-20

This is music for contemplating number and time and not realize you are doing that. These pieces from Anna Magdalena Bach's notebook are a significant part of the history of western culture, and the music is brilliant, lucid, and passionate. Just as, I suppose, Bach's wife was. Played on harpsichord and clavichord, the work-- not all by Bach-- seems rigourously, mysteriously modern, and the anonymous "Musette in A Major" one could even say had in it the roots of ragtime piano. Last but not least, it's quite possible that Lorraine Hunt Lieberson can never be less than sublime.

Music for Bach's Katy.......2005-03-31

Luther had his Katy who supported him and the Reformation magnificently and faithfully. Bach who was real student and follower of Luther's, had his second wife, Anna Magdalena who was so much for him and his family and music.

Here great notebook of the music she enjoyed immensely so we can as well.

Especially fond of harpsichord music, this has marvelous selection of that, but fond of Rondeau in B-flat major. Minuet in G major is one of my favorites. New to me are the Arias, especially "Bist du bei mir" and ""Ich habe genug". If you're not conversant in German, do go on the website the liner notes provides and get the translation in English for these are marvelous testimonies of their faith in words and song.

Charming and beautiful.......2004-12-13

This CD is a collection of music from the notebook of Bach's wife, who was a singer. It includes dances, arias and other favorite songs. Most of the pieces range from peppy little dance tunes(like Musette in A Major) to delicate baroque airs (like Prelude no.1), all played on the harpsichord, clavichord or cello. The pieces that really stand out are the arias, sung beautifully by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson in German. Most are religious, but there is one that is a nice love song "Willst du mein Herz mir schenken." The website on the back of the liner notes has the lyrics for the arias and they are worth reading. Besides the fact that this is good music, it also provides interesting insight into Bach's life and family and the liner notes have some interesting information about Anna and her notebook. This is a charming collection of music that is a great and cheap addition to any classical music collection.

Bach's wifes' collection of her favorite pieces.......2001-06-10

Yes Music of JS Bach chosen by his wife who was a singer. This collection is a lovely and beautifully performed collection of harpicord and intimate pieces that were Anna's most cherished favorites composed by her husband. What a lovely addition to any chamber music lovers collection. It affords not only wonderful selections but a rare window into the behind the scenes aspect of Bachs life and the commanding role music played in his and his family's life. The performances range from delicate to sublime and are beautifully recorded. It is an amazing bargin to have such an esoteric collection of Bachs' work so well done and so cheap. My god run and get the whole series; I have and when I want a perfect day I just pile them in my CD and press the forward button. The result is a day of glorious music on a scale to be both background as well as a breathtakingly elegant listening experience.

Average customer rating:

This is a MUST for anyone who enjoys classical music ...
PDQ Bach -- The Spike Jones of Classical Music
Recaptured (Twisted) Youth
I store it in the CD changer in my car.
New Horizons in Music Appreciation Indeed...

The Wurst of P.D.Q. Bach

Manufacturer: Vanguard Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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P.D.Q. Bach on the Air

ASIN: B000000EDR
Release Date: 1993-12-03

Tracks:

Allegro/Tema Con Variazione/Menuetto Con Panna E Zucchero
Aria/Recitative/Ground/Recitative/Aria
New Horizons In Music Appreciation Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
Larghissimo-Allegro Boffo/Menuetto Con Brio Ma Senza Trio/Adagio Saccharino/Yehudi Menuetto/Presto Hey Nonny Nonnio
What's My Melodic Line?
Madrigal, 'My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth'

Tracks:

IV Andante-Allegro
I. Introduction/II. Overture/III. Recitative And Aria, 'Now Is the Season'/IV. Trio, I'm Sure I'd Be'/V. Opera Whiz/VI. Synopsis Of Plot/VII. Finale Of Opera
Fugue In C Minor (Fuga Vulgaris) For Calliope Four Hands
Oratorio, 'The Seasonings', S. 1/2 Tsp.

Customer Reviews:

This is a MUST for anyone who enjoys classical music ... .......2006-06-07

...BUT not if you take it SO seriously that you have lost your sense of humor.

Peter Schickele (with whom I am occasionally confused - we apparently look alike!) - has got to be one of my all-time favorite composers. When I was in graduate school, I took considerable abuse from my fellow music lovers for actually having MORE albums by P.D.Q Bach than by J. S. Bach (though I think it was barely a one-point margin, really...)

But the "New Horizons in Music Appreciation" approach to Beethoven's 5th symphony is not only a musical analysis of the piece as it is being played, but a slam on the constant "blah-blah-blah" that one hears during ANY sports event.

"My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth" has got to be my all-time favorite spoof of the overly pompous "art song" oratorio. I've encouraged one of my colleagues (who directs the college chorale where I teach) to include it in a program, to no avail. One of these days, I'll put my money where my mouth is - and buy sheet music for the entire chorale.

This is one of only two albums that I have in (a) vinyl, (b) tape, and (c) CD format. That should be some indication of how very, very special I believe this to be. [The other, for those who are interested, is Joan Baez' "Diamonds and Rust."]

This has been around for years, and there's a good reason. Schickele is not only funny when he wants to be, but a supremely accomplished composer and musician, with dozens and dozens of serious musical scores to his credit as well.

PDQ Bach -- The Spike Jones of Classical Music.......2006-03-16

For the classical music lover, this is an amazing spoof. For those who do not know classical music well, this is still highly entertaining.

Recaptured (Twisted) Youth.......2003-03-31

My friend and I saw the good Prof. Schickele here in Pasadena last night (March 29th-- AND the conductor of the Pasadena Symphony is Jorge Meister!)-- and the last number on the program was the WONDERFUL "The Seasonings"-- I had a very hard time even after all these years of first hearing this on a REAL record of not singing along with every little tune!!! This piece last night, being sung by singers whom I do not doubt were not even born when I first heard a recording of it, were as good as the ones I remember from my decadent youth on the original recording. Buy this C.D. if only for this piece!

I store it in the CD changer in my car........2002-10-06

My favorite single line of music from this is from "The Unbegun Symphony". Who would think to combine "You are my sunshine", a
tune I have always thought of as sappy sweet, played on violins,
with a background of horns, (I don't know what piece, but it
makes me thing of something noble and civilized) making it a
definitive statement of a benevolent sense of life.
PDQ Bach's other works are delighfully absurd, as are Peter
Schickele's commentaries. (Well I have a new set of friends now)

New Horizons in Music Appreciation Indeed..........2002-08-08

It was while sitting in Music Appreciation in college that I was first introduced to the work of P.D.Q. Bach, specifically the track "New Horizons in Music Appreciation: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," in which Professor Peter Schickele and Robert Dennis serve as the announcers for a spirited game involving the first movement of that particular work. Not only was it funny ("He's playing a cadenza! He's out of his mind! He thinks its an oboe concerto!") it was also more informative than the professor ("I get the feeling we are going to hear a lot of that four note motif, Bob").

One of the things about P.D.Q. Bach is that the more I learned about classical music the funnier I found it. Yes, I have enough memories of my mother insisting on playing the Texaco Opera quiz throughout the house on a Saturday afternoon to appreciate why "What's my Melodic Line?" and its exploration of the mysteries of the Baroque is funny, but it was not until I saw "Amadeus" and listened to "The Marriage of Figaro" that I understood why the recitatias in the Cantata "Iphigenia in Brooklyn" were hysterical (I was tempted to share this story of Iphigenia with my Classical Mythology class, but given their tentativeness to explore Euripides I did not think it wise to have them get neck deep in Schickele). Then again, the Madrigal "My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth" really needs no explanation, so there is something for everybody here, no matter what you level of understanding of classical music.

In discussing the works of P.D.Q. Bach with others it becomes clear that you can no more put together an idea collection of his "best" work than you can for lesser composers like Mozart or Beethoven. But you are certainly going to find a few old favorites and maybe one or two pieces that you have hitherto managed to avoid.

Tracks:

Four Seasons: 'The Spring': Allegro
Canon In D
Water Music: Alla Hornpipe
Arioso
'Brandenburg' Concerto No. 3: Allegro
Flute Concerto, Op. 44, No. 11: Largo
Piano Concerto No. 21: Andante ('Elvira Madigan' Theme)
String Quintet In E Major, Op. 13, No. 5: Minuet
Impromptu In A-Flat Major
'Emperor' String Quartet, No. 3: Poco Adagio
Swan Lake: Scene: Enchanted Lake
On The Beautiful Blue Danube: Excerpt
The Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan
The Afternoon Of A Faun: Prelude
Appalachian Spring: Variations On A Shaker Dance

Tracks:

'Brandenburg' Concerto No. 5: Allegro
Air For The 'G' String
'Xerxes': Largo
Concerto For Two Violins And Orchestra, 'Double': Vivace
Sheep May Safely Graze
'Moonlight' Sonata: Adagio sostenuto
'Eine kleine Nachtmusik': Romanze: Andante
Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral': Andante molto mosso
Polovstian Dance No. 17: Excerpt
Symphony No. 9m 'From The New World': Largo
'Cavalleria rusticana': Intermezzo
La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz
Trois Gymnopedies: Lent et douloureux

Tracks:

Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Orchestral Suite No. 2: Minuet And Badinerie
Prelude And Fugue In C Major
Adagio For Strings And Organ
Violin Concerto In E Major: Allego assai
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Fur Elise
Clarinet Concerto: Adagio
Violin Concerto: Allegro
Peer Gynt: Dawn
Symphony No. 4, 'Italian': Introduction
Serenade For Strings: Waltz
Thais: Meditation
Concierto de Aranjuez: Adagio

Tracks:

Canzona per Sonare No. 2
Orchestral Suite No. 3: Overture
Highlights From Oboe Concerto: Adagio
Highlights From Oboe Concerto: Presto
Harpsichord Suite No. 5: Air And Variations ('The Harmonious Blacksmith')
Symphony No. 40: Molto allegro
Piano Concerto No. 20: Romance
Symphony No. 1: Adagio molto; Allegro con brio
Various Waltzes: No. 1, Op. 18
Various Waltzes: No. 7, Op. 64
Various Waltzes: No. 11, Op. 70
Voices Of Spring
Aida: Celeste Aida (Heavenly Aida)

Bach: Christmas Oratorio - Highlights (Weihnachts Oratorium) (de Noël)

Average customer rating:

The one and only
An enjoyable recording

Bach: Christmas Oratorio - Highlights (Weihnachts Oratorium) (de Noël)

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000040ZW
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.1 Chor 'Jauchzet, Froshlecket!' - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Joseph Scmidhuber
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.4 Aria: 'Bereite Dich Zion' - Brigitte Fassbanender
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.7 Choral & Rezitativ: 'Er Ist Auf Erden Kommen Arm'-'Wer Will...' - Elly Ameling/Hermann Prey
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.10 Sinf - SO Des Bayerischen Rundfucks/Eugen Jochum
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.12 Chor: 'Brich An, Du Schones Morgenlicht' - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Joseph Scmidhuber
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.15 Aria: 'Frohe Hirten, Eilt Ach Eilet' - Horst R. Laubenthal
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.17 Chor: 'Schaut Hin, Dort Liegt Im Finstern Stall' - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.19 Aria: 'Schlafe, Mein Liebster' - Brigitte Fassaender
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.23 Chor: 'Wir Singen Dir In Deinem Heer' - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Joseph Scmidhuber
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.39 Aria: 'Flosst, Mein Heiland, Flosst Dein Namen' - Elly Ameling/Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Joseph Scmidhuber
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.47 Aria: 'Erleucht Auch Meine Finstre Sinnen' - Hermann Prey
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: No.51 Terzetto: 'Ach, Wann Wird Die Zeit Erscheinen?' - Elly Ameling/Brigitte Fassaender/Hermann Prey
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: Chor: 'Ich Steh An Deiner Krippe Hier' - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Joseph Scmidhuber

Customer Reviews:

The one and only.......2005-09-16

I am happy to differ from the music fan; too me this is top of the pile, moreover, it is the one and only possible Christmas oratorio; and be sure I have tried a lot of those original instrument, so-called historically informed, versions. No one does, no one delivers. The only trouble about this one CD edition is that we don't get the full story; what we need is the original 3CD. But what music! Jochum gives us a Bach in Christmas spirit, celebrating with dignity, ceremony, festive style; he has the right pacing, the right phrasing, natural perfection, relaxed serenity, elegance and yet emotion. It is a majestic yet sensitive Christmas celebration.
Speaking about Gardiner's Christmas oratorio, I never get used to his short of breath rhythm, his frantic tempi, although I find him more agreeable than Harnoncourt, Jacobs or Suzuki. When will it be understood that the spirit of the baroque era was taking courtly elegance and dignity for granted? If you listen to Gardiner's «Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen» (Let your glory be sung out, oh God), you may understand what I mean; which glory for the lord can it be at that speed? I don't think Bach was in such a hurry; I don't think people of the baroque era felt glory as a matter of speed; the more speed the more glory.
When it comes to traditional interpretations of the oratorio, I consider Jochum even greater than Richter. If you feel disappointed by the too great forces of his b-minor mass, I tell you that his Christmas oratorio has great singers and clear sound, even if the opening chorus feels really as the heavens open and the hosts of angels are singing... If you can get the 3CD version of this Christmas oratorio, consider yourself lucky!

An enjoyable recording.......2001-12-30

OK, so it's not top of the pile - that honor belongs to John Eliot Gardiner, whose version knocks spots off every other recording. However, although it's made by a "full" orchestra with "operatic" voices, and although it sometimes sounds ponderous, it has a charm and grandeur all of its own - and the late Hermann Prey's rendering of the aria "Grosser Herr und starker König" is toe-curlingly beautiful and worth the price of the discs alone.

Bach- St. Matthäus-Passion/Te Kanawa, von Otter, Rolfe-Johnson, Blochitz, Krause, Solti (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

Brilliant
An ideal melding of music, vocalists, and conductor
A contender!

Bach- St. Matthäus-Passion/Te Kanawa, von Otter, Rolfe-Johnson, Blochitz, Krause, Solti (Highlights)
Kiri Te Kanawa , Anne Sofie von Otter , Chicago Symphony Orchestra , Tom Krause , and Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Otter, Anne Sophie von | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000041WG
Release Date: 1990-03-30

Tracks:

Matthaus-Passion: Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen (Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Wiewohl mein Herz in Tranen schwimmt (Soprano recitative)
Matthaus-Passion: Ich will dir mein Herze schenken (Soprano aria)
Matthaus-Passion: O Schmerz! Hier zittert das gequalte Herz! (Tenor Recitative Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen (Tenor Aria And Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen (Soprano-Alto Duet And Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: O Mensch, bewein dein Sunde gross (Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Erbame dich, mien Gott (Contralto Aria)
Matthaus-Passion: Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen (Chorale)
Matthaus-Passion: Er hat uns allen wohlgetan (Soprano Recitative)
Matthaus-Passion: Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben (Soprano Aria)
Matthaus-Passion: O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden (Chorale)
Matthaus-Passion: Ach, Golgatha, unsel'ges Golgatha! (Contralto Recitative)
Matthaus-Passion: Sehet, Jesus hat die Hand (Contralto Aria And Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Am Abend, da es kuhle war (Bass Recitative)
Matthaus-Passion: Mache dich, mein Herze, rein (Bass Aria)
Matthaus-Passion: Nun ist der Herr zur Ruh' gebracht (Recitative: Soloists-Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Wir setzen uns mit Tranen nieder (Chorus)

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2005-09-03

A number of years ago, maybe 17, I had two seats at the Chicago Symphony with Sir Georg Solti the resident conductor emiritus and 2 floor seats to see Michael Jordon, Scottie Pippen and John Paxson at the Bulls. It was a heady season and I probably saw more of Jordon but only because I had more tickets.

Sir Georg was an institution, like Mazur and Bernstein. He lacked the flamboyance of the latter, and of course Kurt Mazur would on occassion address the orchestra pit with neither podium nor music sheets nor baton. That was pretty impressive too the first time I saw him (Fantasy Overture, NYP).

But it seems to me that Matthew Passion brings a need for unison between the conductor and the musicians and the chorus dare I say slightly more than other efforts and repeatedly, it seems that Solti's brilliance elevates him over others.

In the "Come, ye daughters" beginning we are both caught and mesmerized and anything else that could absorb our attention is discarded. And of course Kiri is as always, magnificent. The tenor, Mr. Johnson is equal to Bach's criteria.

Like other reviewers, I love this work and the beautiful timing between all. 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury

An ideal melding of music, vocalists, and conductor.......2002-09-23

Johann Sebastian Bach's "St. Matthew Passion," one of his great choral works, is a meditation on the death of Christ. Here, Sit Georg Solti works with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to produce a superb rendition of the arias and choruses of this rich and contemplative work.

On the opening piece, "Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen" ("Come, ye daughters, share my mourning"), the chorus perfectly captures the combination of knowingness, sadness, and dazed disbelief regarding the crucifixion. The strings are especially fine here, providing a delicate, almost spiderweb-like underpinning for the choral verses. The tenor aria "Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen" ("I would beside my Lord be watching"), the chorus backs up tenor Anthony Rolfe Johnson's supple, unshowy singing with an ghostly, almost otherworldly tone.

The soprano/alto duet of "So ist mein Jesu non gefangen" ("Behold, my Savior now is taken") features Kiri Te Kanawa and Anne Sophie van Otter, who are matched seamlessly in terms of volume, technique, and crystalline purity of tone. Their weary litany of sadnesses is punctuated vigorously with the choral vereses of "Last ihn, haltet, bindet nicht!" (Loose him, leave him, bind him not!"). It's a thrilling piece, especially when it transforms itself into the thundering waterfall of sound that forms "Sind Blitze, sind Donner in Wolken vershwunden" ("Have lightnings and thunders their fury forgotten?"). The power in this piece alone is absolutely awe-inspiring.

I can't recommend this CD highly enough. It truly is a superlative recording of the "St. Matthew Passion" highlights, featuring as it does these great soloists, this talented conductor, and this amazingly on-the-ball chorus and symphony.

A contender!.......2001-07-26

There is no ideal "St. Matthew Passion." But this one ranks with the best of 'em. "Solti?," you ask? That's right: Solti. I've heard all of the other ones except for Klemperer's, and this one satisfies on a consistent level. Some of the others I only listen to one disc at a time; this one, all the way through. Not too fast, not too slow, not too solemn, not too sprightly. I guess Solti isn't known as a "Bach specialist," but the "Bach specialists" whose CDs I own could learn a thing or two about making a satisfying recording like this one.

60 Years 60 Flute Masterpieces (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

60 Years 60 Flute Masterpieces
There'll always be a Galway

60 Years 60 Flute Masterpieces (Highlights)

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Very Best of James Galway
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ASIN: B00000K2F3
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Tracks:

Suite No. 2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Menuet
Suite No. 2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Badinerie
Concerto In E, Op. 8 No. 1, 'Spring': Allegro
Allegro
Concerto No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 31: Polacca
Concerto for Flute & Harp In C, K.299: Andantino
Flute Quartet in A, K.298: Rondeau: Allegretto grazioso
Grand duo concertant In A, Op. 85: Scherzo
Il carnevale di Venezia, Op. 77
Sonata in A: Allegretto poco mosso
La Flute de Pan, Op. 15: Pan et les bergers
Syrinx
Concerto For Flute & Orchestra: Allegro vivace
Fantasia para un gentilhombre: Canario
Three Shanties For Wind Quintet, Op. 4: Allegro vivace
Concerto For Flute & Orchestra, Op. 39: Presto

Customer Reviews:

60 Years 60 Flute Masterpieces.......2005-10-12

Everything this man does is great, so putting many years together in one place could only be the same.

There'll always be a Galway.......1999-10-10

Of course this is a 5-star production, but I deducted a star only because any one who has been collecting Galway recordings already has all or most of the selections on this CD. As with other artists, BMG has been repackaging earlier Galway offerings under many names and excuses; is the simply the latest (though certainly not last) in the series. The music is the usual mixture of short pieces that can stand on their own and movements that cannot out of the context of the larger works from which they are lifted.

Tracks:

Missa: Kyrie Eleison
Missa: Gloria In Exelsis. Et In Terra Pax
Missa: Laudamus Te
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Cum Sancto Spiritu
Symbolum Nicenum: Et In Unum Dominum
Symbolum Nicenum: Et Incarnatus Est
Symbolum Nicenum: Crucifixus
Symbolum Nicenum: Et Resurrexit
Osanna, Bendictus, Agnus Dei Et Dona Nobis Pacem: Osanna In Exelsis
Osanna, Bendictus, Agnus Dei Et Dona Nobis Pacem: Agnus Dei
Osanna, Bendictus, Agnus Dei Et Dona Nobis Pacem: Dona Nobis Pacem

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre performance and sound for this B minor Mass.......2003-09-20

The compensating virtue of this version is it's low cost. However performance is average in my layman's opinion. Sound too is only fair being generally vague and sometimes distant.

Many music lovers would conclude that this magnificant work warrants a full, higher quality version of the work.

Indifferent performance and sound for B minor Mass.......2003-09-20

Mediocre overall. Performance, in my layman's opinion, is OK at best, and in the case of soprano, Lucia Popp, a bit less than that sometimes. The sound tends to be a bit vague and distant.

Spend a little more and get a better a better version of this magnificant work.

Bach Mass from Leipzig.......2001-06-21

I couldn't discover when this recording was made, but it doesn't matter. I was drawn to it by the presence of Lucia Popp and the excellent chorus, known during the Cold War as one of Germany's finest. The selection of movements is imaginative, and I find the whole production outstanding. If I were shopping for a complete Bach Mass, I'd definitely consider this one (I think it's available).

Powerful, Moving Rendition of Bach's Mass in B.......2001-02-20

Selections are somewhat questionable, but they certainly resound with pace and force, a remarkable interpretation. Soloists are exceptionable! Great value of a CD!

Brilliant and magnificent recording/interpretation........1998-09-23

It's not fair that there is no way for you to know that this is Peter Schreier's conducting and it's not fair that the full work is not available on CD. But this is a revelation in sound and performance. The tempi are brisk, the chorus is exuberant, the orchestra is sharp, clear and wondrously exciting. This is the way Bach should be conducted, not in the slow, boring, reverential manner. This is a GREAT recording and you can't beat the price.

Average customer rating:

Just enough of the entire oratorio (Highlights)
If we must have maimed Bach...
Somewhat perfunctory
HUNGARIAN DELIGHT
An Outstanding Version of the St. Matthew Passion

Bach: St. Matthew Passion (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli, Missa Aeterna

ASIN: B000001463
Release Date: 1995-05-09

Tracks:

St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 1, Chor mit Choral: Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen!
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 6, Arie (Alt): Buss' und Reu'
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 8, Arie (Sopran): Blute nur, du liebes Herz!
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 13, Arie (Sopran): Ich will dir mein Herze schenken
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 20, Arie (Tenor): Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 23, Arie (Bass): Gerne will ich mich bequemen
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 27, Arie (Sopran and Alt) mit Chor: So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen!
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 29, Choral: O Mensch, bewein dein Sunde gross
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 39, Arie (Alt): Erbarme dich, mein Gott!
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 42, Arie (Bass): Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder!
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 52, Arie (Alt): Konnen Tranen meiner Wangen nichts erlangen
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 54, Choral: O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 65, Arie (Bass): Mache dich, mein Herze rein
St. Matthew Passion: Nr. 68, Chor: Wir setzen uns mit Tranen nieder

Customer Reviews:

Just enough of the entire oratorio (Highlights).......2003-05-25

This Naxos version of the St. Matthew Passion (Highlights) is a masterpiece of choral, duet and solo artistry.

Period instruments (recorder, oboe, strings) are used throughout.

The recording is clear and vibrant. The musicians are at their fullest. The composition is versatile, expressive and carries the story to a great degree. There is four-part harmony of ancient German hymns deftly placed at various intervals.

I especially enjoyed the soprano duets but the bass solos rival any others on any other CD. The diction (German) is the finest you can find on Amazon.

Given the subject matter of the CD, much is not most of it is in a minor key. The choir is very apt and delivers the content in fine fashion. The soprano section is strong and offsets and complements the other sections well.

This is truly a Naxos production of the highest order. It is the Hungarian Festival Choir and the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra. Playing time is 75'13". It was recorded in February of 1993.

If we must have maimed Bach..........2001-10-18

Extracts from the huge operas of Wagner are notoriously dismissed as 'bleeding chunks', but the damage done to the work of JS Bach is even more violent, a composer for whom precise, intricate architecture and musical expression are synonymous. this violence is compounded in a narrative work like 'St Matthew passion', where the most 'extractable' bits have little to do with the story, which is carried by the less glamorous recitative. By removing the narrative power of the recitative, the impact of the many beautiful choruses and arias, commenting on the action and affirming Christian faith in this traumatic ritual, is diluted.

However, the cash/credit-strapped like myself will have to make do with this set, especially since Naxos seem to have withdrawn their full 3-CD version. The compilers reverse the usual practice by favouring arias over choruses, presumably because the non-recitative choruses are pretty uniform, or maybe because the Hungarian State Choir aren't quite up to the soloists or musicians - the famous opening chorus, hurling us immediately into the anguish, piercing flutes shattering the grieving choir, is a little sluggish, although the mirroring final chorus, flute-free, in which confusion and despair have given way to resignation and hope, is much better.

The arias, however, are little miracles of sensitive playing. These can be divided into two types: stark pieces, in which the soloist is accompanied by a single dominant instrument over a disturbing bass; or those with string or orchestral accompaniment. Some of these latter are like mini-Brandenburg concertos; no. 39, lamenting Peter's betrayal, mourning violins over descending bass, is as moving as Albinoni's similar 'Adagio'. These apparently simple pieces constantly change tempo and mood, so charged are they with emotion - the long lines of no. 6 interrupted by staccato weeping; no. 8, responding to Judas' introduction, has a bass slithering like a serpant; no. 27 breaks down the clarity of earlier arias to deal with Judas' betrayal, culminating in a jagged choral curse, spewing out the Hell they invoke.

you could of course complain about what's left out (my own favourites are arias nos. 49 and 57, the latter a goose-pimpling viola de gamba solo), but hopefully this compilation will encourage listeners to seek out the whole Passion, and submit to one of the most overpowering experiences art can offer.

Somewhat perfunctory.......2001-06-25

This is a fairly good recording of the St. Matthew Passion, but it is fairly perfunctory, not as heart-felt as, say, the Rilling version. "You are playing the notes, but not the music" (Pablo Casals), it seems here, to me at least.

HUNGARIAN DELIGHT.......2000-10-19

Another Naxos value-for-money delight. This all-Hungarian performance encapsulates light and dark, passion and calm, beauty and tears. The full seventy-five minute selection is of the best loved arias and chorales from the whole. There are no stand-out star individual performers, just excellent, passionate individual contributions. The Hungarian Festival Choir and the Children's Choir do all that could be asked of them. The whole is a delightful and moving blend: a miniature masterpiece. It fills me with awe at the beauty of it all. Ungiven as I am to panegyrics, I unreservedly recommend it.

An Outstanding Version of the St. Matthew Passion.......2000-10-18

This is an absolutely outstanding version of the St. Matthew Passion. It is played on modern instruments but observes period practice emphasis on quick tempos and rhythmic drive. The recording is very good, with balances between orchestra, soloists and choir well managed. What lifts this version is, however, the outstanding team of soloists...especially bass Peter Koves and tenor Jozef Mukk. Both are excellent throughout, although the choir and orchestra hold their own in all respects.

The outstanding tracks (for me) are too numerous to mention, but if I am allowed to praise one individually it would be Koves singing "Mache dich, mein Herze rein" (Make thee clean, my heart, I will bury Jesus). His combination of control and passion are breathtaking...and worth the price of this CD alone.

Tracks:

Aria
Variation
Variation 2
Variation 3. Canon On The Unison
Variation 4
Variation 5
Variation 6. Canon On The Second
Variation 7
Variation 8
Variation 9. Canon On The Third
Variation 10. Fughetta
Variation 11
Variation 12. Canon On The Fourth
Variation 13
Variation 14
Variation 15. Canon On The Fifth
Variation 16. Overture
Variation 17
Variation 18. Canon On The Sixth
Variation 19
Variation 20
Variation 21. Canon On The Seventh
Variation 22. Alla Breve
Variation 23
Variation 24. Canon On The Octave
Variation 25
Variation 26
Variation 27. Canon On The Ninth
Variation 28
Variation 29
Variation 30. Quodlibet
Aria Da Capo
Highlights From 'Glenn Gould Discusses His Performances Of The Goldberg Variations With Tim Page'

Customer Reviews:

The final word.......2007-03-21

Before reaching the age of 49, the sum of which numbers makes 13 and represented an ill omen, Glenn Gould decided to revisit the piece, that had launched him 26 years earlier to immediate prominence. In the interview that accompanies the video portraying this second interpretation of the Goldbergs, Gould said that he had never played this work since his retirement from the concert stage. After listening to his first version, he said that he liked the performance, but that its overall tendency was a little too romantic for his later tastes. In addition he wanted to apply his theory of rhythmic continuity, to give the work one constant pulse, heart beat, throughout its aria and variations. He justified his re-recording further by mentioning improvements in the technology of musical recording.

While the recording quality is superior to the first version, with a good sense of presence, placement in the soundstage and weight, there are quite a few distractions: Gould varies between singing and humming; his stool makes awful noises; there is a complete encyclopedia of unrelated noises.

The interpretation. The emphasis in Gould's second Goldbergs is on the unity within the work. Such an approach is justified since Bach wrote the set on the framework of 10 sets of 3 variations, each closing with a canon. Each of the canons using a different interval between leading and following voices. Even the many people who do not appreciate the final result have to concede that Gould's approach results in fulfilling Aristoteles' postulate: Art is an ordered system. More importantly the sense of unity does not obstruct differentiation between the different variations, and it is Gould's unique blend of intellect, dexterity, and artistic spontaneity that bring this piece to life like no other interpretation.

Gould's critics have argued that an interpretation like this could never be what Bach had in mind around 1744. I can disprove this assessment to the same extent that the critics can prove it. No matter what books like that of Bach's son CPE may help in gaining insight from a distant perspective, they simple don't allow conclusions like right and wrong. More importantly, though, a search for which interpretation is right and which one is wrong, simply misses the point of art. It is striking how much better theater performance expresses a sense of the lasting value of art, than the (authentic) musical scene.

Paul Meyers, who made quite a few of Gould's earlier recordings once said: "Gould is not so much a musician, as a composer who pays tribute to other composers". Based on knowing the Goldberg variations for about 40 years, and Gould's second interpretation for almost 25, I can only consider this recording as the greatest tribute ever paid to the ultimate composer. If this world would come to an end and only one object of human creativity could remain, it should be this interpretation.

The Most Over-rated Performance in History.......2007-02-22

I ordered this remastered Gould Goldbergs because I've been criticized for dismissing piano performances of Bach. When the disk arrived, I listened to it (on high end equipment) straight through. Well, it's as bad as I remembered, but it's not the piano that ruins the music; it's Gould's inept and self-indulgent technique. 1. He exaggerates ornaments in an arbitrary hammer-heavy manner which distorts the melodic line. The unity of Bach has to be rendered melodically rather than harmonically, and each line of polyphony needs to breathe with its own syntax independently. Gould appears to conceive of polyphony as a "top line" ornamented by counter-lines, which have no rhetoric of their own to express. 2. His rubato is excessive and arbitrary. His constant abandonment of the tempo for "romantic" effect also has the effect of disrupting "horizontal" melodic forms. 3. He growls along with his "top" line and contrary to a fan-club myth, he is NOT improvising a countermelody. He is simply singing out of tune. 4. He drops notes! In a vivid live performance, bad notes may pass, but on a studio recording numerous wrong notes are unacceptable. Indifference to the composer's MUSICAL intention is Gould's fatal flaw. 5. He shows no awareness of the historical dance structures that ground the successive variations. Once again, he ignores JS Bach in his adulation of G Gould.
Post-script: I've been taken to task for offering no alternative to Gould.
My first choices would all be harpsichordists, notabaly Bob van Asperen and Pieter-Jan Belder. I have reviewed performances by other pianists elsewhere; none of them are very convincing, but several of them are more pleasing to the ear than Gould's.

Average customer rating:

Masterworks Heritage Highlights

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Sayao, Bidu | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000029UL
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

'Votre Toast, Je Peux Vous Le Rendre' (Chanson Du Toreador) From Carmen, Act III - Giuseppe Campanari/Charles Adams Prince
Scherzo-Valse (Piece Pittoresque No.10) - Eugene Ysaye/Camille DeCreus
'Sapphische Ode,' Op.94 No.4 - Alexander Kipnis/Arthur Bergh
Finale From Don Quixote, Op.35 - Gregor Piatigorsky
'Sao-Joao Da Ra-Rao' From Flok Songs Of Brazil - Bidu Sayao/Milne Charnley
Entr'acte No.1, From Thomos, Konig in Agypten - Minneapolis SO/Dimitri Mitropoulos
Hungarian Rhap No.8 in f#, 'Capriccio' (Exceprt) - Claudio Arrau
Ste No.1 in D, Op.43 V. Marche Miniature - Pittsburgh SO/Fritz Reiner
Con in e, Op.64: III. Allegretto Ma Non Troppo-Allegro Molto Vivace - Zino Francescatti
'My Heart Ever Faithful' From Cantata No.68. 'Also Hat Gott Die Welt Geliebt' - Eleanor Steber
'Ich Ruf Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ,' BWV 1l77 - Philadelphia Orch/Leopold Stokowski
Queen Mab Scherzo From Romeo Et Juliette, Op.17 - New York Philh/Dimitri Mitropoulos
Str Qt in a, Op.51, No.2: III. Quasi Menuetto, Moderato-Allegretto Vivace - Budapest Str Qt
Waltz No.15 in A, Op.39 - Leon Fleisher
Sym No.2 in C, Op.61: II. Scherzo. Allegro Vivace-Trio I-Trio II - Cleveland Orch/George Szell
Canzon Septimi Toni No.2 - Philidelphia Brass Ens/Clevelalnd Brass Ens
V. 'Exhortation' From Les Choephores, Op.24 - Vera Zorina
'D'Amor Sull'ali Rosee' From II Trovatore, Act IV - Eileen Farrell
'Di Quella Pira' From II Trovatore, Act III - Richard Tucker

Music Review:

Music Review

Devil's Rag: The Saxophone in 12 Pieces

It's Wonderful

Field Of Dreams: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Soundtrack]

Cuba Y Salsa V.1 [Import]

Blind Faith [Original recording remastered]

Hotel Roselynn

Concert Tour 2002 Home Sweet Home [Import]

Fingerbreaker

East Coast Standards Time

Cha Cha Cha

Eye Candy [Import]

Brahms: Symphony No. 1; Tragic Overture; Academic Festival Overture [Hybrid SACD]

The Number of the Beast