| |
|
Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius
Edward Elgar, David Hill, ...
Naxos, 1997
Not even a third-choice
There aren't many reasons for getting this budget-priced set now that multiple recordings are available at mid-price. Admittedly, this was my first recording, which I bought about six or seven years ago when I didn't know much about Elgar's music .... I enjoyed the work, but was less than thrilled ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection"; Rattle, Auger, Baker
Gustav Mahler, Sir Simon Rattle, ...
EMI Classics, 1990
Outstanding and thought-provoking
+ Exceptionally good!
+ A "must hear" Performance
This is an outstanding disc, even by the consistently high standards set by the rest of Simon Rattle's (now complete) Mahler series. He has lived with this symphony since his teenage years when he organised his own performance of the work. Clearly time has not staled it for him.
He sets out his ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
The Berlin Gala ~ A Salute to Carmen / Alagna, von Otter, Terfel, Pletnev, Shaham, Berlin Phil., Abbado
Georges Bizet, Claudio Abbado, ...
Deutsche Grammophon, 1998
Unbelievable piano playing...
+ Three cheers for Mikhail Pletnev!
+ Never has a CD so instantly became my favorite!
This kind of "gala" concert is not normally my taste but my word, what a line-up. I actually have the DVD of the concert and it is superb in every respect. The selection from Carmen is outstanding with Bryn Terfel particularly so. Gil Shaham is a superb if not entirely perfect soloist in the ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Schubert: Songs; Wolf: Songs from the Spanisches Liederbuch
Franz Schubert, Hugo Wolf, ...
Nonesuch, 1992
The diverse artistry of Jan Degaetani
Of all the many treasurable discs of the late mezzo and her musical partner Gilbert Kalish, this is perhaps my favorite, since it showcases not only the technical and interpretive mastery that made her such an ideal interpreter of modern music, but also the sheer beauty of the voice itself. ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Dagma Pecková
Johannes Brahms, Arnold Schoenberg, ...
Supraphon, 2000
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde - Violeta Urmana / Michael Schade / Wiener Philharmoniker / Pierre Boulez
Gustav Mahler, Pierre Boulez, ...
Deutsche Grammophon, 2001
Fresh, Honest and Genial
+ One for the ages
Whether or not this is the way in which Das Lied von der Erde 'should' be played in the first place, I don't know. Mahler didn't know it either, but what he DID know for sure was that if this music be performed really, really well, wouldn't the only alternative be to just... end one's own life? ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Bach Complete Cantatas Vol. 3 / Koopman
Johann Sebastian Bach, Ton Koopman, ...
Elektra / Wea, 1996
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Rossini - Il barbiere di Siviglia / Prey · Berganza · Alva · Dara · Montarsolo · LSO · Abaddo
Gioachino Rossini, Claudio Abbado, ...
Deutsche Grammophon, 1998
VHS
+ Bufa without being buffoonish
+ Abbado's 1971 BARBER has never been out of the catalogs....
+ Brilliant!
+ The most wonderfull Barber
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Kleiber, Coburn, Perry, Bayerische Staatsoper
Eberhard Wächter, Pamela Coburn
Umvd Labels, 2001
You will love this "Fledermaus"
+ Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Kleiber, Coburn, Perry, Bayerische Staatsope
+ Beautiful except Act III and Kleibers ego
+ "Supremely Delightful"
+ kleiber conducts fledermaus
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Rossini: La Cenerentola / Larmore, Gimenez, Quilico, Corbelli, Scarabelli, Polverelli, Miles, Rizzi
Gioachino Rossini, Jennifer Larmore, ...
Teldec, 1995
The 'Gramophone' reviewer is full of it.
+ One of the Best Versions of Rossini's Masterpiece
+ Buy This If You Like Rossini!
+ Very Good Performance
+ An excellent recording
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Rachmaninov - The Miserly Knight · Aleko · Francesca da Rimini / Aleksashkin · von Otter · Larin · Chernov · ...
Sergei Rachmaninov, Neeme Järvi, ...
Deutsche Grammophon/Special Im, 1998
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Grieg: Peer Gynt; Sigurd Jorsalfar (Complete Recording)
Carl-Gustaf Holmgren, Urban Malmberg, ...
Polygram Records, 1990
If you thought the familiar Suite version was awesome...
+ Awesome in the best sense of the word
+ Excellent
... think again! You're missing more than half of what Mr. Grieg has to offer of the story of the Norwegian Faust, Peer Gynt. Much of the music in this complete version is not to be ignored. Seriously folks, some of the musical scenes not present in the Suite version will knock your socks off!
...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Britten - A Midsummer Night's Dream / McNair, Asawa, Lloyd, Bostridge, Ainsley, Summers, Watson, Sir Colin ...
Benjamin Britten, Sir Colin Davis, ...
Philips, 1996
A Beautiful Opera, and Quite a Few Beautiful Voices
+ A very good recording in a field with two great ones
+ As Magical as Shakespeare's Play
Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream is a work of genious even if it is not exactly melodic. It poses beautiful and intellectually stimulating harmonies and parts for pretty much all different voice parts (and I mean that when I say it; with the leads being countertenor, coloratura, and baritone ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Rossini - Tancredi / Podles, Jo, Olsen, Spagnoli, di Micco, Lendi, Zedda
Gioachino Rossini, Alberto Zedda, ...
Naxos, 1995
Beautiful opera, great performance, excellent sound
+ Fabulous!
+ Tancredi, the very best!
+ Podles magnifica! Jo superba!
+ Great! Great! Yippee! Gimme more!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Larmore, Hong, et al
Vincenzo Bellini, Donald Runnicles, ...
Elektra / Wea, 2000
A New Standard for I Capuletti e i Montecchi
+ Bellini a plagiarizer!!!
+ I Capuleti e it Metechhi/Larmore
+ Great bel canto opera, beautifully sung.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| products you might be interested in |
|
|
 |
we recommend
You will love this "Fledermaus"
|
|
