Symphony 9 / Vltava

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 9 in E minor ("From the New World," first published as No. 5), B. 178 (Op. 95)
Composed by Antonin Dvorak
Performed by Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Vaclav Neumann

2. Vltava (The Moldau), symphonic poem (Má Vlast No. 2), JB 1:112/2
Composed by Bedrich Smetana
Performed by Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Vaclav Neumann

Tracks:

Variations (Twinkle, Twinkle), K265/300e
Minuet In G From Anna Magdalena
Piano Sonata In C, K 545, 2nd Movement
Spring Song
Piano Sonata In D, K 576, 3rd Movement
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring, BWV 147
Canon
The Moldau
Preludes Book II, Clair De Lune
Sonata No.14 (Moonlight), 2nd Movement, Op.27
Symphony No.9, New World
Fur Elise, WoO 59
The Four Seasons, Winter, RV267, 2nd Movement
Orchestral Suite No.3 In D, Air, BWV 1068
Sonata No.8 (Pathetique), 2nd Movement, Op.13
Kinderscene, Op.15
Waltz No.15, Lullaby

Product Description

The Lullaby Classics A Concert for Little Ears music CD is a 17-track, 35-minute concert featuring a collection of soothing classical melodies perfect to calm little ones as they wind down for nap time, bedtime or a bit of quiet time. Each piece, re-orchestrated for little ears by the Baby Einstein Music Box Orchestra, was specially selected to lull babies into sweet, blissful dreams. Lullaby Classics opens with ?Ç£Twinkle, Twinkle?Ç¥ variations by Mozart and includes calming and delightful melodies from composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Dvorak and Debussy. It ends with Brahms' ?Ç£Lullaby?Ç¥ tucking baby in for a cozy, restful sleep.Musical Selections:1. Variations (Twinkle, Twinkle), K265/300e, Mozart2. Minuet In G From Anna Magdalena, Bach3. Piano Sonata In C, K 545, 2nd Movement, Mozart4. Spring Song, Mendelssohn5. Piano Sonata In D, K 576, 3rd Movement, Mozart6. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring, BWV 147, Bach7. Canon, Pachelbel8. The Moldau, Smetana9. Preludes Book II, Clair De Lune, Debussy10. Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight), 2nd Movement, Op. 27, Beethoven11. Symphony No. 9, New World , Dvorak12. Fur Elise, WoO 59, Beethoven13. The Four Seasons, Winter, RV297, 2nd Movement, Vivaldi14. Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D, Air, BWV 1068, Bach15. Sonata No. 8 (Pathetique), 2nd Movement, Op. 13, Beethoven16. Kinderscene Op.15, Schumann17. Waltz No 15, Lullaby, Brahms Age: birth +Awards:* Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award (2005)* National Parenting Center Seal of Approval (2004)* National Parenting Publications Awards (2004)

Customer Reviews:

Lame.......2007-07-22

I was really disappointed in this CD. I was expecting a toned-down version of real classical music, but it sounds really fake and tinkley and weird. Not soothing at all.

Sounds like a cheap plastic toy.......2007-06-20

I have these DVD's and I can tell you that they will not be a huge part of my baby's development. I received them as a gift from someone that thinks that all you need to do is plunk your child in front of a TV all day without giving the baby any attention. You can see why these DVD's are popular at Day Care Centers or what I like to call, "Concentration camps for baby's with lazy parents", because they know that they can sit their kid/baby in front of the TV and let them turn into a thoughtless zombie while they listen to Baby Einstein totally ruin classics by Bach and DeBussy by playing the music with very cheap midi keyboards. I can get better quality music by whistling Dixie with a mouth-full of saltine crackers.

Also, it has been proven that classical music has nothing to do with the cognitive development of young people. Now, teach them how to play piano or violin and you have yourself an actual YOUNG EINSTEIN, but listening to this kind of music does nothing for the development of the brain. It is just for lazy parents that can't sit down with their kids and play with them or read them a book.

would make you sleepy.........2007-06-15

its a good product with very fine music and my toddler realizes that it is sleep time, if I play it. he goes to bed and sleeps after a couple songs. I have trouble in some songs are some months.. dont know why.

Kid's Music.......2007-06-08

I bought this CD for my grandniece, but after listening to it, I determined that no one would ever play this for her except me. I would have kept it for myself but I have the grown-up versions of each of the classical masterpieces on this CD. So, I ended up returning it for a full refund. If you want your kids to be exposed to classicl music, it's a great buy. But if you don't think they will get to listen to it, don't waste your time.

Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics

Not soothing.......2007-06-07

These synthesizer versions of classical songs get really old, really fast. Worse yet, the songs are sometimes not soothing at all, especially the very first song. The song seems to get particularly loud and uptempo, which is precisely what you don't expect in a lullaby. Please listen to the sample of the first song at least before you buy.

Dvorák: Symphonie No. 9; Smetana: Moldau

Average customer rating:

Beautiful melodies
top notch
Excellent recording and a fine effort by old man Karajan
Five stars for the sound
The "New World" Symphony

Dvorák: Symphonie No. 9; Smetana: Moldau

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000001GJU
Release Date: 1993-10-12

Tracks:

Symphonie Nr. 9 E-moll, Op. 95: Adagio - Allegro Molto
Symphonie Nr. 9 E-moll, Op. 95: Largo
Symphonie Nr. 9 E-moll, Op. 95: Molto Vivace
Symphonie Nr. 9 E-moll, Op. 95: Allegro Con Fuoco
Die Moldau

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful melodies.......2007-05-17

I'm obviously not as "into" classical music as I should be as I wasn't familiar with The New World Symphony until I happened to hear the National Symphony perform it in March 2007. But it's a beautiful piece of music with not one, but several, beautiful melodic lines that I recognized, but hadn't previously associated with this piece of music. "Oh, that's from the New World Symphony!" It's gorgeous stuff.

One thing that's sort of interesting about this symphony is that Dvorak doesn't repeat his melodic themes very often. There are some beautiful strains, but you'd best catch them when they arise because he clearly doesn't have a lot of repeats built into the score. On the plus side, this characteristic of the music encourages re-playing the CD.

Let me also say a few words about Smetana's "Moldau." This CD is more expensive than some other "New World" CDs, but I think it's worth the price premium due to "Moldau." "Moldau" is, as I understand it, the national song of the Czech Republic. It's a lovely tune, you can almost hear the river flowing through Prague.

I've found myself playing this CD a lot, which is the ultimate testimony to its virtues.

top notch.......2005-10-21

The Smetana on this CD was the highpoint for me. The Dvorak is a great work and I have heard many excellent productions of it. This one is very enjoyable and the sound is fabulous. All soloists are clearly heard and the stereo image is great. The surprise for me was the Smetana which it turns out is a lovely piece of music played and recorded beautifully here. The beginning in which he tries to reproduce the movement of water in a stream is captivating. That is followed by one of the more hummable tunes I have encountered in music. Recommended highly.

Excellent recording and a fine effort by old man Karajan.......2005-09-24

I don't need to tell you anything about the music, you'd have to have lived in a cave for your entire life to have never heard this. A few points on the performance - excellent pacing, great sound and the brass in the final movement is room-shaking. A great version for sure, with the added bonus of Smetana's Die Moldau from his symphonic poem, Ma Vlast. Kubelik's and Kertesz's readings of the 9th are probably better and more individualistic, but in terms of sonics this recording blows those out of the water. Expensive but worth every penny.

Five stars for the sound.......2002-11-18

In his final days Herbert von Karajan was just crankin' 'em out, sometimes his third or fourth reading of a certain piece, just to try and get as much of his repertoire recorded digitally as possible. This recording - which was also used for one of his Telemondial video productions - is one of those. The Vienna Philharmonic the ensemble used this time after his fallout with the Berliners shortly before. I've had older renditions of this work on vinyl recorded with the Berlin Phil that were quite exceptional. I've always thought, why not just digitally re-master a 20 or 30-year-old recording from the late 50's through the early 70's when he was really in his prime, as opposed to issuing another rendition just to make a digital version of it? Nonetheless, these are still very fine readings of The Dvorak and the Smetana, and after reviewing a library copy, I would still be tempted to buy myself one of this 1985 issue just for the sound quality alone. The Deutsche Grammophon Original-Image Bit-Processing digital sound on this recording will blow you away.

The "New World" Symphony.......2000-04-07

I have heard a few other recordings of this symphony, but I am no musicologist. As soon as I heard this recording, though, I never went back to any other disc. Karajan's majestic control and depth of exploration, two of his many magnificent hallmarks, are beyond sublime. I consider the "New World" Symphony and the "Moldau" some of the most powerful music ever written, and Karajan presents this awesome quality with such natural ease as he always does. The Vienna Philharmonic is not one whit behind him, and this stellar, long-venerated orchestra delivers a flawless recording.

Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Collectors Edition) (Box Set)

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Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Collectors Edition) (Box Set)

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Binding: Audio CD

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Classical Music Start-Up Kit, Vol. 2: 1825-1945

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Classical Music Start-Up Kit, Vol. 2: 1825-1945

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ASIN: B00005YCX6
Release Date: 1996-01-04

Tracks:

Scherzo - Jeno Jando
Waltz In C# Minor - Peter Nagy
Song Without Words, Op.102, No.5 - Peter Nagy
'The Fountains Of The Villa D'Este' - Jeno Jando
Scherzo - Jeno Jando
'March To The Scaffold' - Pinchas Steinberg
Finale - Adrian Leaper
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Excerpt) - Adrian Leaper
The Moldau (exc) - Slovak PO/Barry Wordsworth
Final Movement Of Symphony No.9 'From The New World' - Stephen Gunzenhauser
'Bydlo' - Jeno Jando
'Flight Of The Bumblebee' - Balazs Szokolay
'Polovtsian Dances' - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Finale - Adrian Leaper
Finale - Takako Nishizaki
'Liebestod' - Johannes Wildner
Finale - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Intro To Also Sprach Zarathustra - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Uranus, The Magician - Adrian Leaper
'Jeux De Vagues' - Alexander Rahbari
'Sunrise' - Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Chorus
Adoration Of The Earth (Finale) - Alexander Rahbari
March From Love For Three Oranges Suite, Op.33: March - Andrew Mogrelia
Scherzo - Alexander Rahbari
Finale - Alexander Rahbari

Dvorak: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9; Smetana: The Moldau

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Set For Lovers of Czech Repertoire

Dvorak: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9; Smetana: The Moldau

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008CLNR
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Set For Lovers of Czech Repertoire.......2005-08-24

Dvorak's last two symphonies and Smetena's The Moldau were among favorite works of Karajan's wide repertoire.He recorded these works several times...No.8:in 1979 with BP for EMI,in 1985 with WP for DG...No.9:in 1964 with BP,in 1985 with WP for DG and in 1977 with BP for EMI...The Moldau:in 1967 and 1980's with BP,in 1985 with WP for DG,in 1970's with BP for EMI.This two CD consists of his DG recordings:No.8(1985-with WP),No.9(1964-with BP),selected parts from Slavonic Dances(1959-BP),The Moldau(1967-BP),Vysehrad and etc...I have almost all important recordings of these works(Kubelik,Giulini,Munch,Keilberth,great Klemperer & B.Walter,A.Fiedler,Szell,Solti,Ormandy,Kertesz,Maazel,Mackerras, Neumann,Sawallisch,Ancerl,Bernstein,Kondrashin,Dohnanyi,Jansons).Especially No.8 is my favorite interpretation and recording by far.Well- balanced rythmic figures,powerful string parts and blazing trumpets.No conductor(except Giulini)recorded this work such wonderful.No.9(1964)is good (particularly Largo).If you are lover of 'From the New World',this is a must for your collection,if not,you can find better recordings.My favorites for all times:Karajan-1977,BP and 1985,WP;Giulini's Chicago(1970's) and Concertgebouw(1992)recordings;Keilberth-1960's with Bamberg;Arthur Fiedler with Boston for BMG/RCA and Kubelik-1972 with BP.Some listeners don't like Karajan's performings because of more powerful than usual readings.They says:'Dvorak is not Bruckner or Wagner'.This may be true but not exactly.Dvorak's works(particularly Nos.7,8,9) includes structural and orchestral inspirations from Wagner and Bruckner.In short Karajan is always true conductor for Dvorak and Smetana lovers.All his performings in this set are powerful,authoritative,essential and undoubtly romantic!Very good price for two CD.Do not miss.

Rafael Kubelik conducts Dvorák, Smetana, Mussorgsky, Bartók, Hindemith, Schoenberg

Average customer rating:

The Mussorgsky is a Delight
A nice collection of performances, but mixed sonics from 50 years ago
Kubelik's Classic MLP Recordings Are Back!

Rafael Kubelik conducts Dvorák, Smetana, Mussorgsky, Bartók, Hindemith, Schoenberg

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Binding: Audio CD

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I. Adagio-Allegro
II. Andante
III. Presto
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III. Andantino
IV. Marsch
I. Premonitions
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V. The Obbligato Recitative
Variations On A Hungarian Folksong 'The Peacock' - Antal Dorati
Suite From 'The Miraculous Mandarin' - Antal Dorati

Customer Reviews:

The Mussorgsky is a Delight .......2006-10-26

I am not an "audio expert", but I do know what I like. And I love this CD. I heard this recording of Mussorgksy's "Pictures From an Exhibition" on an NPR program from The Chicago Symphony. I was very taken with the clarity of sound. I searched for the recording through Amazon and I am absolutely delighted. It is a four dsic set, but I haven't gone on to the other recordings (yet) becasue I keep re-playing this lovely piece. I hope you enjoy it.

A nice collection of performances, but mixed sonics from 50 years ago.......2006-06-01

Audiophiles adore the Mercury Living Presence series issued throughout the early Fifties and Sixties, but for those of us who aren't specialty collectors, it's pretty clear that not evreything on MLP is a gem. This valuable colleciton (mono only) from the doomed tenure of Rafael Kubelik with the Chicago Sym.--he lasted only a few years before the local critic's stinging rebukes sent Kubelik packing in favor of Fritz Reiner--deserves detailed appraisal.

CD 1: Kubelik was a lively, stylish Mozartean, and this 1953 Sym. #38 is quite lovely. It's more streamlined than Walter's recordings of the "Prague," but cut form the same affectionate cloth. The recording, however, is thin and shrill. I found it uncomfortable to listen to except at low volume.

Kubelik recorded Dvorak's "New World" musltiple times; this Chicago reading dates from 1951 and is caught in sharp mono sonics with a bit too much stinging treble for my ears. Even so, there are those who think this lively, rather lean performance is one of Kubelik's best. I'm not sure that it's so special that one should do without stereo, but the choice is personal. The CSO plays superbly, and the general contour of the interpretation is straightforward.

CD 2 is entirely given over to Smetana's Ma Vlast, another Kubelik specialty that he recorded multiple times. This 1952 recording sounds identical to the Dvorak on CD 1--a deep soundstage with lots of dynamic range. The interpretation is essentially moderate and unexaggerated. It's certainly stylish and has real sweep, too. In terms of dramatic impact CD 2 is far ahead of CD 1.

CD 3: Curiously, there are audiophile purists who insist that the Golden Age of 50's mono produced better sound than any current digital recording. If that's a viable position (few outside the cult agree), the works on this CD are prime evidence. Kubelik's Pictures at an Exhibition and Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta were recorded in the spring of 1951. They are vivid and colorful, with tangy wind choirs and plenty of dynamic impact. Kubelik proves a restless, almost nervous interpreter of the Mussorgsky, which refreshes this warhose. Neither the recording nor the CSO's playing really matches the later, legendary RCA performance under Reiner, but Kubelik's reading has more sinew and rhythmic spring to it. He brings the same qualities to the Bartok, which gets a wiry "modernist" interpretation that's very appealing, less offical-sounding than the famous Reiner account.

CD 4: At the start of this CD we are back to the thin sound of CD 1 (both were recorded in 1953 with the same Telefunken 201 micropone). For some reason, however, this disc can be played at louder volume without treble sting. Kubelik's Hindemith Symphonic Meatmorphoses is lean and propulsive. This is a refreshing take, but without gorgeous stereo sound the coloristic aspects of this showpiece can't be fully apreciated.

Being too much of a modernist was a prime factor in getting Kubelik fired, which is all the more unfair because his Schoenberg Five Pieces for Orchestra is a standout, almost the performance of a lifetime. I hope somebody in the conservative Chicago audience appreciated how seductive and witty this performance was; if Schoenerg's masterpiece has ever sounded more like Daphnis and Chloe, I don't know when.

The last two works were recorded in 1954, at the tail end of Kubelik's stay, and the sound remains a bit shrieky. But his itnerpretations of Kodaly's Peacock Variations and Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin Suite are excellent, full of energy and fierceness in the Bartok, making it as scary as the composer intended. Playing the shrill mono recording at full volume is impossibly masochistic on the ears, but the reading is terrific.

Chicago was lucky--they exchanged a near-great conductor for a great one. Mercury, however, lost the best conductor it would ever have, moving on to Dorati and Paray and even more audiophile cult delights.

Kubelik's Classic MLP Recordings Are Back!.......2005-09-14

Those familiar with my reviews on Amazon know of my great love for the Mercury Living Presence series. Equally great is my disgust that so many of these brilliant recordings have been deleted in the last few years! Thankfully, some of these legendary performances are resurfacing, and while the single disc titles are unfortunately listed at full-price, it is wonderful to see the various multi-disc sets basically being sold at budget line. With this 4CD reissue, Rafael Kubelik's legendary recordings with the Chicago Symphony are restored to the catalog, as only his 1952 rendition of Smetana's "Ma Vlast" was currently in print. (Please note that the performances of Kodaly's "Peacock Variations" and Bartok's "Miraculous Mandarin" Suite are with Antal Dorati leading the same orchestra.) To illustrate how prized these recordings are by collectors, the extremely rare original CD issue coupling the Moussorgsky/Ravel "Pictures at an Exhibition" with Bartok's "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta" has been known to fetch twice the price of this new set in the Amazon Marketplace! Buying this collection for the Pictures performance alone is worthwhile, as it was the recording that led a critic to coin the phrase "Living Presence," from which the Mercury named its series. Of course getting memorable accounts of Dvorak's 9th and Mozart's 38th Symphonies, Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis" and Schoenberg's Five Pieces, Op. 16 is just icing on the cake. Once again, Mercury Living Presence lives!

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music, Vol. 6-10

Average customer rating:

Great collections, with poor quality sound
The Greatest Collection Of Romantic Era Music
Somewhat lacking

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music, Vol. 6-10

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1868: Cradle Song - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1875: The Moldau - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1870: Ride Of The Valkyries - From 'The Valkyrie' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1876: Morning, From 'Peer Gynt' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1875: Les Toreadors, From 'Carmen' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1870: Notturno, From 'Coppelia' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1876: Marche Slave, Op. 31 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1872: L'Arlesienne - Intermezzo - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1867: The Blue Danbue - Waltz - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1878: Polonaise, From 'Eugene Onegin' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1893: Symphony No. 9, 'From The New World' - 2nd Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1892: Waltz Of The Flowers, from 'The Nutcracker' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1887: Alborado, From 'Capriccio Espagnol' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1886: The Last Spring - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1886: Slavonic Dance No. 2 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1889: The Sleeping Beauty - Introduction - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1877: Siegfried's Death And Funeral March, From 'Twighlight Of The Gods' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1880: Songs My Mother Taught Me - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1889: Emperor Waltz - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1896: Also sprach Zarathustra - Fanfare - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1902: Symphony No. 5 - Adagietto - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1899: Finlandia - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1900: Dance Of The Bumble Bee - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1894: Meditation, From 'Thais' - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1901: Pomp And Circumstance - March No. 1 - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1894: Humoresque - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1903: Valse Triste - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1899: Vienna Blood - Waltz - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1928: Bolero - Various Artists

Customer Reviews:

Great collections, with poor quality sound.......2003-01-09

I expected to listen to great professional classical orchestra ...for this classical music collection, but the quality of the music is not too good.

There are a lot of great music collections, but they will sound better when they record it right.

It is good when you just want to have more classical music, but for a CD, the sound quality is like a [poorley made] CD.

I give 3 stars for this product.

The Greatest Collection Of Romantic Era Music.......2002-09-05

The Top 100 Classical Music series is a must have for novices of classical music, or someone already into the classics but wishes to amassa an "essentials" collection. This particular cd's span the Romantic Era, and although the 19th century saw much more music than what is covered on these recordings, this is nevertheless a brilliant and essential body of works. The Wedding March of Mendelsshon's Midsummer Night's Dream (played in weddings all over the world I'm assuming), Franz Lizst Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (The Looney Tunes Theme Music by the way) and other jewels of the era, such as the Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss, the operetta overtures of Franz Von Suppe, Verdi's preludes to such operas as Nabucco and La Traviata, Wagner's intense, dramatic music for his Ring of the Nibelung operas, regarded as the epitome and the zenith of Romantic Era opera, and the music of other composers such as Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Sibelius, Rimsky Korsakov and many others. I highly recommend this cd to anyone wanting to sample and taste what Romantic Era music was all about. Five stars all the way.

Somewhat lacking.......2001-03-28

(referring to the entire collection)

Tracks:

Movement 1: Allegro Con Brio - Bela Drahos
Movement 4: Marche Au Supplice (March To The Scaffold) - San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Movement 1: Allegor Maestoso - Tempo Giusto - Joseph Banowetz
Polonaise In D Minor, Op.71 No.1 - Idil Biret
Gretchen At The Spinning Wheel - Lynda Russell
The Hebrides - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Movement 4: Allegro, Ma Non Troppo - Jeno Jando
Intermezzo In A Major, Op.118 No.2 - Idil Biret
Nacqui All'affanno E Al Pianto - Hungarian State Opera Chorus
Spargi D'amaro Pianto - Luba Orgonasova
E Lui... Dio Che Nell'alma Infondere - Giacomo Aragall

Tracks:

Prelude And Liebstod - Johannes Wildner
Kamarinskaya - Anthony Bramall
Movement 1: Allegro - Stephen Gunzenhauser
Movement 2: Allegro Con Grazia - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Vltava - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Slavonic Dance In C Major, Op.46 No.1 - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Romance In B Flat For Violin And Piano - Pascal Devoyon
In The Hall Of The Mountain King - Jerzy Maksymiuk
Solemn And Measured, Without Dragging - Michael Halasz
Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op.3 No.2 - Idil Biret
Variation 9: Nimrod - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Super-Budget Way to Gain Some Understanding of Romantic Era.......2005-03-05

This 2CD set from Naxos at super-budget price is a wonderful way for teens or adults to acquaint themselves with the Romantic Era of classical music. It contains complete movements from works ranging from Beethoven (the 'Eroica' Symphony that started the Romantic era) to Elgar (the Nimrod variation from the 'Enigma Variations'). And pegged to those selections is an extensive and clearly-written 100-page essay by David McCleery that gives all kinds of background information as well as blow-by-blow descriptions of the pieces being played [e.g., in Schubert's song, 'Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel', "when she imagines kissing him the piano stops its repetitive spinning motif, indicating that she is so overcome by the thought that she has stopped working."]. Accompanying the text are pictures of the composers as well a quotation from most of them, from the sober [Mahler: 'To write a symphony is, for me, to construct the world.'] to the humorous [Grieg: 'I am sure my music has the taste of codfish in it.']. Also, there are reproductions of historical documents that illustrate the social currents of each period of time, from the Declaration of Independence, illustrating the spread of the idea of democracy, to a letter from Dvorák to his music publisher taking him to task for his anti-Czech sentiments.

Composers represented by their music are Beethoven, Berlioz, Liszt, Chopin, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Wagner, Glinka, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, Smetana, Dvorák, Fauré, Grieg, Mahler, Rachmaninov and Elgar. Among the musical selections are all sorts of music, from the Beethoven symphony movement, chamber music of Schumann, a song by Schubert, an operatic duet (from 'Don Carlo') by Verdi, Fauré's Romance for Violin and Piano, the first movement of Mahler's First Symphony, a Chopin polonaise, and a Liszt piano concerto. The recordings of all these works are excerpted from Naxos's huge library of releases of classical music, and the performances are universally quite acceptable and in good stereo sound.

Provided as a kind of background for the newcomer to classical music is a Timeline of the Romantic Era (music, history, art, literature) so they can place various composers and their works in a cultural context. There are extensive suggestions for further listening, a listing of Romantic era composers including many more than those whose works are included here, and a helpful glossary of musical terms written in everyday language.

This is a very thoughtfully done short-course in the Romantic era that will not only answer questions of casual classical music listeners but also stimulate interest in further exploration. I recommend it highly.

2 CDs TT=2hrs30mins and 161 page booklet in a slipcase

Scott Morrison

Bizet: Symphony in C Major/Mendelssohn: A Midsummer's Night Dream Incidental Music/Smetana: The Moldau

Average customer rating:

95 Year-Old Stokowski Delivers!
Another Gem in the Sony Essential Classic Series

Bizet: Symphony in C Major/Mendelssohn: A Midsummer's Night Dream Incidental Music/Smetana: The Moldau

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4; Hebrides Overture

ASIN: B0000027XJ
Release Date: 1992-11-17

Tracks:

The Moldau (Vltava)
A Midsummer Night's Dream Incidental Music, Op. 21: Overture, Op. 21
A Midsummer Night's Dream Incidental Music, Op. 61: Scherzo, Op. 61 No. 1
A Midsummer Night's Dream Incidental Music, Op. 61: Nocturne, Op. 61 No. 7
A Midsummer Night's Dream Incidental Music, Op. 61: Intermezzo, Op. 61 No. 5
A Midsummer Night's Dream Incidental Music, Op. 61: Wedding March, Op. 61 No. 9
Symphony No. 1 In C Major: I. Allegro Vivo
Symphony No. 1 In C Major: II. Adagio
Symphony No. 1 In C Major: III. Allegro Vivace
Symphony No. 1 In C Major: IV. Allegro Vivace

Amazon.com

Bizet's jolly little symphony was only discovered and premiered in the 1920s, and it immediately established itself as a repertoire staple. Obviously neoclassical in outlook, and scored for a more modest orchestra than Mozart or Haydn would have found familiar, it has an absolutely irresistible charm and melodic appeal. It resembles Prokofiev's Classical Symphony in so many ways that you would think that the composers were contemporaries, rather than separated by more than half a century! Leopold Stokowski was something like 90 when he recorded this sizzling performance. How the man did it was anyone's guess. Just be glad that he did! --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

95 Year-Old Stokowski Delivers!.......2006-07-26

Contrary to the Amazon.com review, Leopold Stokowski was 95, not 90, when he made this recording of the Bizet Symphony in C with the National Philharmonic Orchesta (born April 1882, recorded May, June 1977). This was one of the very last (if not the last) recordings he made before his death in September of 1977. Well, his age sure doesn't show in this performance! It is an energetic, exuberant, and melodic performance that takes its place alongside the classic accounts by Beecham, Bernstein, and Martinon (it may outclass all three of those in sound quality, though). If you like this symphony, then you need this recording.
The CD also features the best orchestral excerpts from Mendelssohn's incidental music for "A Midsummer Night's Dream." If you do not enjoy choral or vocal music, then this is the best way to listen to some of Mendelssohn's best music. George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra turn in a performance that features qualities for which they have become known: precision and virtuosity (not to mention tunefulness). They also provide a truly excellent account of "The Moldau," the best known section of Smetana's Ma Vlast.
With near-perfect performances of three very enjoyable works, captured in great sound and at a budget price, this CD is one of the very best gems in the Sony "Essential Classics" series. Get it while it's still available!

Another Gem in the Sony Essential Classic Series.......2003-06-21

In the 1950s and 60s, CBS/Columbia (now Sony Classical) had the great fortune to have three of America's best orchestras and their conductors on their recording roster -- Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. Nearly a half-century later, only Leonard Bernstein remains a name that even the non-classical music world knows. But in the world of the compact disc, this is a wonderful thing, because while Leonard Bernstein analog stereo recordings sell at mid-price, classic performances by Ormandy and Szell are regulated to the budget line. Well, my friends there is justice in the world because the vast majority of these "budget line" recordings are not only amazing, but some are still considered definitive more than 40 years later! This Sony Essential Classics title features terrific accounts by Szell and Cleveland of "the Moldau" from Smetana's "Ma Vlast" and excerpts from Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Lastly, is the great Leopold Stokowski, quite late in life, performing Bizet's Symphony in C. It isn't the most natural combination of compositions, but getting them all on the same disc at such a small price is a real treat. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

FABULOUS SELECTION OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

Classics for Relaxation and Meditation

Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Meditation: Classical Relaxation (Box Set)
Most Relaxing Classical Piano Music in the Universe
Bach for Relaxation
Rachmaninoff for Relaxation
Chopin For Relaxation

ASIN: B000000LOH
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

BWV 992: Jeusus Is Always My Gladness
Concerto In B Flat Major: Adagio
Organ Concerto In G Major: Largo
Moonlight Sonata In C Sharp Minor Op. 27-2: Quasi Una Fantasia (Adagio Sostenuto)
Mass In E Minor: Kyre Eleyson
Piano Concerto No. 26 In D Minor K537: Larghetto
Symphony No. 8 In Minor D 759: Andante Con Moto
Fantasy Op. 73: Tender And With Expression
The Moldau: Sympohic Poem
Valse Triste: Op. 44, 1 From 'Kuolema'
Oboe Concerto In C Major K314: Adagio - Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 21 In C Major K467 'Elvira Madigan': Andante

Tracks:

Souvenir De Florence In D Minor Op. 70: Adagio Cantibile - Tchaikovsky
Raindrop Prelude In D Flat Major Op. 28 - 15
Symphony No. 4 In A Major Op. 90 'Italian': Andante con molto
Love Dream No. 3 In A Flat Major Op. 62
Lullaby - Berceuse Op. 105
Berceuse: Lullaby Op. 57 - Chopin
Wind Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 88-2: Andante grazioso
Cello Concerto In G Major: Romance
Concerto For Flute, Harp And Orchestra In C Major K299: Andantino - Mozart
Sonata In C Minor Op. 13 'Pathetique': Adagio cantabile - Beethoven
Divertimento No. 1 In B Flat Major 'Chorale St. Antoni': Andante - Haydn _

Tracks:

Stabat Mater Op.58: Virgo Virginium Praeclara - Dvorak
Divertimento No. 1 In B Flat Major: Chorale - Haydn _
Consolation In E Major - Liszt
Symphony No. 5 In D Major, Op.107 'Reformation': Finale
Execution Transcendante: Evening Harmony - Liszt
Overture In D Major: Air BWV 1068 - Bach
Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - Gluck
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major Op. 15: Largo - Beethoven
String Quartet No. 62 In C Major, Op.76, 3 'Emperor': Adagiop cantabile - Haydn _

Customer Reviews:

FABULOUS SELECTION OF CLASSICAL MUSIC.......2001-05-16

Whether or not you are a fan of classical music, the truth is that everyone enjoys a few hours of peace and relaxation. This CD provides a wide selection of music from famous composers like Mozart to lesser known classical composers, which makes it the perfect CD to play on your stereo during those rare moments of peace. Play it while reading a favorite novel, or just simply sit down and meditate with the help of this classical CD. Beethoven's widely popular "Moonlight Sonata" for the piano and Chopin's extraordinary "Raindrop" are just two examples of musical pieces that will not only calm but enrich your life. With a total of three discs included at a phenomenal value, this is one CD that you cannot afford to pass up.

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