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Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
Alexander Borodin, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, ...
Decca, 1999
Karajan joins the classic Scheherazades, but not at the very top
+ Fine Playing
+ Perfect!
All the virtues mentioned by other reviewers are certainly here, but this warhorse has received at least half a dozen great performances, and quite a few are either in better sound or give a more Slavic flavor. For sheer vulgar impact--why not?--nothing surpasses Stokowski on London's Phase 4, with ...
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Beethoven, Brahms: Violin Concertos
Leonard Rose, Ludwig van Beethoven, ...
Sony, 1995
Great music, excellent performance,
First, the music performed here is simply magnificent - Beethoven's op. 61 and Brahms' op. 77 are some of the best violin concertos for my opinion. The other 2 concertos are great as well. There are many exciting, thrilling (and familiar!) moments all the way. No doubt you'll enjoy the music. Then ...
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Chopin: 4 Ballades, 4 Scherzi / Ashkenazy
Frederic Chopin, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Decca, 2000
Brilliant!..........!
+ Ashkenazy at his best
+ Elegant, Understated Chopin
Only three exclamation marks can express how powerful Ashkenazy's playing is. These days everybody plays the Ballades and Scherzi so it's hard to sift the "good" from the "bad". Of course, it's always a matter of taste, but few would say that Ashkenazy is a poor performer. He really is a hero ...
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Rachmaninoff: Preludes (complete)
Sergey Rachmaninov, Alexis Weissenberg
RCA Victor Europe, 1990
A majestic performance
+ Simply DEFINATIVE
+ Weissenberg as great as usual
+ I'm no expert, but this works for me
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Shostakovich: The String Quartets
Dmitry Shostakovich, Fitzwilliam String Quartet
Decca, 1998
Opportunity Waits for No Hominid! Do it! Buy!
+ Hum a little Shostakovich
+ Not just a bargain--a must-have
Shostakovich's string quartets are as much the supreme masterworks of 20th Century music as Beethoven's were of the classical period. I hardly dare say more about them; they are profound on every level, and like Beethoven's, they grow more profound with every listening.
Shostakovich, in a sense, ...
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The Magic of Horowitz [CDs+DVD]
Johann Sebastian Bach, Frederic Chopin, ...
Deutsche Grammophon, 2003
The piano as an extension of consciousness
+ The tradition of the new!
+ Truly Magical
+ Stunning
+ Horowitz is God
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Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3; 5 Études-tableaux
Sergey Rachmaninov, Paavo Berglund, ...
EMI Classics, 2004
Sublime!
+ High caliber pianism!
H. Jonkers basically said it all, so read that review :)
I just thought that I'd add my ruminations here for good measure. My only other experience with the Rach 3 is the composer's own recording on the RCA label, and I find it hard to listen to because of the tinny acoustics, which to me ...
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Schubert: Sonata D845; Schumann: Sonata, Op. 11
Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann
Dg Imports, 2002
Masterful interpretations by Pollini, DGs "Original Series"
+ Schubert, Schumann revealed; incredible
This has to be one the 5 best solo piano disks I've ever heard. Actually, I should say that combined with Universal catalog #447451-2 (Amazon asin #B000001GR1), you have two of the best available. The Schubert A minor Sonata D845 was originally coupled with the an equally compelling performance of ...
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Smetana: Má Vlast
Bedrich Smetana, Rafael Kubelik, ...
Supraphon, 1998
The last, warm-hearted Ma Vlast from Kubelik in 1990
+ Don't miss this Ma Vlast
+ You will always tell that this is the most emotional Ma Vlast
+ An Excellent Performance!!!
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Liszt: Transcendental Studies; Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Franz Liszt, György Cziffra
EMI Classics, 2004
WOW
+ One of the most notable and fierce lions of the keyboard!
+ Must have
+ Liszt: Transcendental studies
+ Great Pioneering account of Liszt's Transcendentals.
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Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole; Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto No. 5; Saint-Saëns: Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso ...
Shlomo Mintz
Dg Imports, 1998
Good set of Masterworks
The whole performances on this cd is beautifully done but I want to tell you about the Vieuxtemps one... Minz's performance has enormous dash, and real lyrical magic too, both in the lovely secondary theme of the first movement and in his meltingly ethereal playing of the Gretry theme (from the ...
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Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas / Vladimir Ashkenazy
Ludwig van Beethoven, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Decca, 1997
Nothing I have heard comes close to these!
+ Vladimir plays Ludwig
+ Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas / Vladimir Ashkenazy
+ All the essentials on two discs
+ Pure genius, in composition and in performance
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French Violin Sonatas
Claude Debussy, Francis Poulenc, ...
Naxos, 1992
Brilliant collection of violin sonatas
+ I think this might be my favorite Naxos disk
Very well played. The Ravel is especially good.
And at 8.99, it is a steal!! Keep up the good work, Naxos.
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Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture/Capriccio Italien/Beethoven: Wellington's Victory
Ludwig van Beethoven, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, ...
Philips, 1995
Brilliant
+ Beautiful
+ Booming cannon makes your feet vibrate
+ The Choir is missing!
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Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5 / Kempff, Leitner
Ludwig van Beethoven, Ferdinand Leitner, ...
Deutsche Grammophon, 1996
A definitive 4th (and probably the 5th, too)
+ 10/9
+ one of the best Bethoven's "Emperor" Concerto
+ The definitive 5th and terrific 4th
+ William Kempff plays Beethoven's Fourth and Fifth Concertos
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we recommend
The last, warm-hearted Ma Vlast from Kubelik in 1990
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