Music

Average customer rating:

"DO!"
One of the finest living cellists
In my opinion, the finest solo cello work since Bach.
Don't!
Very high quality indeed

Kodály: Music for Cello

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Kodály: Music for Cello, Volume 2
Cello Sonatas 2 & 3
Brahms: Cello Sonatas
Virtuoso Cello Encores
Kodály: Music for Cello and Piano

ASIN: B00000145D
Release Date: 1996-12-17

Tracks:

Three Chorale Prld: Ach Was Ist Doch Unser Leben
Three Chorale Prld: Vater Unser Im Himmelreich
Three Chorale Prld: Christus Der Uns Selig Macht
Son, Op.8: Allegro Maestoso Ma Appassionato
Son, Op.8: Adagio (Con Grand' Espressiono)
Son, Op.8: Allegro Molto Vivace
Son, Op.4: Fantasia: Adagio Di Molto
Son, Op.4: Allegro Con Spirito/Molto Adagio

Customer Reviews:

"DO!".......2007-04-04

While I do agree in part with the review by MartinP, I think this recording is a good mirror to hold the wispelwey recording to. I found Wispelwey's rubato passages far more irritating, but was surprised to hear Kliegel hesitating in the last movement. She has such incredible, unbelievably gorgeous and effortless technique in her recordings of the shostakovich cello concerti in the same year as this recording, I was pretty sad to hear her falter and use slower tempi in the third movement of this piece. And yes, there is a whole page missing.

But, I do like her tempo in the 2nd movement far better than the veeeeryyyy slow tempo chosen by Wispelwey, for whatever reason.

When it comes right down to it however, this piece is so very subjective. When a cellist works on it (and I now have spent 20 years off and on, thinking about it and working on it), it becomes a part of them even as the Bach solo suites. So, when one hears another cellist taking liberties with "their" piece, inevitable umbrage results.

I would say buy both, and buy the starker too while you're at it. His rendition, in my opinion, has very little emotion but his typical effortless technique that makes it sound like a walk in the park, so the three together should provide a wide range of possibility.

One of the finest living cellists.......2005-12-20

Naxos is a hit or miss label, but this disc and the other Kodaly cello disc with Maria Kliegel are absolute bullseyes, a value at any price. A student of both Rostropovich and Janos Starker, Kliegel combines some of the best of both masters but still has her own sound and style. These discs are beautifully recorded, with virtuosic playing that's fully up to the extraordinary demands of Kodaly's scoring.

In my opinion, the finest solo cello work since Bach........2002-12-31

Zoltán Kodály's Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8, must rank as one of the greatest tour de forces ever written for a solo instrument, stringed, keyboard or otherwise. In a phrase, it utilizes every conceivable technique (frequently two or more of them simultaneously) over its three movements covering a duration of thirty minutes: "Off-tuned" strings, double-stops, triple-stops, multiple harmonics, pizzicato (both without and with simultaneous bowing), col legno (playing with the wood of the bow against the strings), arpeggios of incredible range and difficulty, and anything else that I might have overlooked. The work truly explores the limits of the instrument, and in fact achieves results that no previous such cello work had ever done, and very few since have.

Despite (or perhaps because of) its great technical difficulty, the Sonata comes off in many spots as sounding highly imrpovised, rather than written down. And, while there are hints of folk dances in some of the rhythms (particularly in the last movement) that give the work a superficial sense of being Bartókian, rather than a work by Kodály, this is more by accident (of location and culture) than design; after all, Bartók and Kodály worked very closely together over a period of years, collecting and cataloging folk songs throughout Hungary and Rumania. At the same time - despite the technical challenges and the largely "rustic" nature of the material, all of this work - every note of it - is fine music as well: fully tonal and not particularly difficult to understand and appreciate on its musical merits alone. Not since Johann Sebastian Bach wrote his Suites for Unaccompanied Cello has such a solo cello work of such all-encompassing musical material been written.

The technical demands require a cellist of ferocious virtuosity, absolutely fearless in performing the work if it is to be realized appropriately. While I can imagine that the work might be perfect for Janos Starker, that great Hugarian cellist (and in fact may have one of his several recorded versions of the work misplaced where I presently cannot find it), I also find that Maria Kliegel - as little known in the west as she might be - provides an absolutely bravura performance of the work. This Naxos CD is, so far, the only album of cello works I have that are performed by Ms. Kliegel, but it is enough to convince me that she is a great cellist, one to be reckoned with. This is not a work to be undertaken by the timid, and Ms. Kliegel pulls out all the stops in realizing the techniques and simply flying over the technical hurdles that the work presents to the artist, all the while providing a full, resonant tone where called for and almost unerringly accurate intonation everywhere, under every playing condition thrown out at her by the work and its difficulty.

Kodály's Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 4, by comparison, is almost serene (and in fact is, in many spots). It is an absolutely ravishing work, frequently reminding us that not only Bartók but Kodály as well was heavily influenced by the music of Claude Debussy when young. The opening Fantasia: Adagio di molto might well have come from the pen of Debussy, both harmonically and in terms of its free-flowing rhythms. And the second (and concluding) movement, Allegro con spirito - Molto adagio, is not all that far removed from the Debussy connection somewhat more obvious in the first movement. It closes - in the adagio - with equally ravishing sounds as those with which the work opened. Maria Kliegel and Jenó Jandó are perfectly matched in this youthful near-impressionistic work.

The three Chorale Preludes, written in the style of Bach (somewhat along the lines of Fritz Kreisler's solo violin salon pieces "written in the style of Pugnani"), are seemingly much more virtuosic for the pianist than the cellist, and the pianist is very much in the foreground, both musically and in terms of the acoustic perspective. In fact, a fair portion of the piano writing comes across not unlike the piano transcriptions that Ferruccio Busoni did of Bach's works (the most famous of which may well be Busoni's arrangement of the Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue for organ in C major, BWV 564, performed for all eternity by Vladimir Horowitz in his historic 1965 return to Carnegie Hall). Here, Jenó Jandó is stunning in his keyboard work, with articulation every bit as crisp as that of Horowitz, and Ms. Kliegel - here quite in the background and more restrained than in the other two works - is equally affecting and effective. These Chorale Preludes are very accessible works, not that the two main works aren't, and they are very likely to remind keyboardists (as I earlier stated) of the Busoni transcriptions of Bach works.

In all, an inexpensive Naxos traversal of most of Kodály's compositions for cello, in performances and recorded sound that need no apology whatsover.

Bob Zeidler

Don't!.......2002-12-21

I will grant that any cellist who is simply technically able to play this solo sonate deserves our respect, and no doubt Kliegel belongs to this group. As a poor little amateur I have spent many an hour listening to recordings of this piece while staring at the score, wondering about fingerings and how to bring it all off with only two hands... However, the recording industry has turned me into a spoilt brat, and then there are nowadays more cellists around able not only to play this piece, but to play it well, than some of my fellow reviewers would have you believe. Kliegel is simply not up to the standars set by, say, Wispelwey (Channel Classics)or, even more impressive, Claret on Harmonia Mundi. The Spaniard plays the piece with a relaxed ease and a depth of feelings that almost defy belief, whereas Wispelwey offers unsurpassed virtuosity and great passion. Listening to Kliegel after these two, you can plainly hear that though she can play it, it's hard work for her. There is little beauty of tone, and unwarranted and not very graceful 'grace notes' insert themselves during rapid string changes. Details in the many doublestopped passages tend to get blurred. On top of that Kliegel has a tiring and predictable rubato that gives me the same kind of queasiness as sitting in a car that is constantly accelerating and then slowing down again. The sound has a certain grayness, which maybe (partly or entirely) due to recording technics. In short, I have been greatly surprised by all the praise lavished on this recording, not only by some fellow reviewers, but also by Gramophone Magazine and the Penguin CD guide. More so because this recording is in fact INCOMPLETE! An entire page from the finale is simply skipped! An editing failure, maybe? But with or without that, you don`t need this recording. For the same coupling, Claret offers something far more beautiful, still at very low costs too. I wouldn't miss out on Wispelwey either if I were you, who offers as a companion piece one of the best readings ever of Shostakovich's First Cello concerto!

Very high quality indeed.......2000-05-06

Normally going for quality rather than quantity, I avoid economising, and only bought this CD because I (mistakenly) thought that Kliegel's was the only recording of the sonata for 'cello solo.

Nevertheless, I am very satisfied with this Naxos production - the sound quality is absolutely fine, and the playing is...well, fiery is understating it. You can't play the core piece without sounding fiery...but then again, hardly anyone CAN play it, and the quality of sound that Kliegel produces is marvellous and awesome. I hesitate to give 5 stars because I am not familiar with the Starker recording, but this counts as one of those rare pieces that can satisfy all three groups of classical-CD buyers - admirers of the composer, lovers of 'cello music or classical music in general, and those interested in listening to something without a drum beat. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Cello master
Beautiful recording of music I wasn't familiar with
A great follow up to Vol. 1

Kodály: Music for Cello, Volume 2

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Kodály: Music for Cello
Kodály: Music for Cello and Piano
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Dohnanyi: Sonata for cello in Bfm; Konzertstück in D
Brahms: Cello Sonatas

ASIN: B000038I7R
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Tracks:

Prelude
Fugue
Sonatina For Cello And Piano
Adagio For Cello And Piano
Capriccio For Solo Cello
Hungarian Rondo For Cello And Piano
I. Allegro Serioso, Non Troppo
II. Adagio
III. Maestoso E Largamente, Ma Non Troppo Lento - Presto

Customer Reviews:

Cello master.......2005-12-20

As I mentioned in a short review of the other Kodaly cello disc from Naxos, this is spectacular music played by one of the finest living cellists. If you have the slightest interest in Kodaly or cello music in general both discs are absolute must buys.

Beautiful recording of music I wasn't familiar with.......2004-08-18

I bought this on a whim and really liked it, particularly the Hungarian Rondo. Now I'm going back and buying Vol. 1, and other cello music performed by Maria Kliegel.

A great follow up to Vol. 1.......2000-01-19

Quite simply, well performed versions of well crafted, attractive pieces

Average customer rating:

Postcards is Profound

The Postcards

Manufacturer: Reference Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
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Mozart Concertos
Reference Jazz Etc.: First Sampling
Mephisto & Co.
Bolero: Orchestral Fireworks
30th Anniversary Sampler

ASIN: B00000159T
Release Date: 1995-01-13

Tracks:

Blow Ye The Trumpet
N'Kosi Sikelel' i Afrika
Spaseniye sodelal
Wo ai Yang guang
Sakura
Gamelan
Pueri Hebraeorum
Gracias a la Vida
Cantique de Jean Racine
Geist der Liebe
Geographical Fugue
Betelehemu
Insalata Italiana
Cindy

Customer Reviews:

Postcards is Profound.......2005-02-12

This recording exemplifies why the Turtle Creek Chorale is the premier men's chorus in the country. Each track on this album demonstrates their mastery of several different choral styles and cultural nuance. Breathtaking!

Average customer rating:

J.S. Bach: The Works for Organ, Vol. 14

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Musettes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Bach: Works for Organ, Vol. 13

ASIN: B00005QX6U
Release Date: 2001-11-13

Average customer rating:

The royal music!

Organ Works Complete
Johann Sebastian Bach , and Christopher Herrick
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006L3WC
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Customer Reviews:

The royal music!.......2003-11-05

Organ king's music performed by a prominent organist at his best on ones of the best organs in the world!

Bach 2000: The Complete Bach Edition (Includes Commemorative Book) (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Bach is priceless
Buy the works you like....
Poor Bach
A Treasure Trove
147 out of 153 ain't bad!

Bach 2000: The Complete Bach Edition (Includes Commemorative Book) (Box Set)
Nikolaus Harnoncourt , Robin Gritton , Giovanni Antonini , Gustav Leonhardt , Ton Koopman , Alice Harnoncourt , and Zehetmair, Thomas
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Canons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00001IV8B
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Tracks:

Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern
Du Wahrer Gottes und Marien Sohn
Erfuellet, ihr himmlischen goettlichen Flammen
Ein irdscher Glanz, wein leiblich Licht
Unser Mund und Ton der Saiten
Wie Schon Leuchtet Der Morgenstern, BWV 1: Chor: 'Wie Bin Ich Doch So Herzlich Froh' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Chor: 'Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Recitativo: 'Sie Lehren Eitel Falsche List' - Kurt Equiluz
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Aria: 'Tilg, O Gott, Die Lehren' - Paul Esswood
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Recitativo: 'Die Armen Sind Verstort' - Max Van Egmond
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Aria: 'Durchs Feuer Wird Das Silber Rein' - Kurt Equiluz
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Chor: 'Das Wollst Du, Gott, Bewahren Rein' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Chor: 'Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Choral Recitativo: 'Wie Schwerlich Lasst Sich Fleisch Und... - Wiener Sangerknaben/Hans Gillesberger/Paul Esswood/Kurt Equiluz/Max Van Egmond...
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Aria: 'Empfind Ich Hollenangst Und Pein' - Max Van Egmond
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Recitativo: 'Es Mag Mir Leib Und Geist Verschmachten' - Kurt Equiluz
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Aria: 'Wenn Sorgen Auf Mich Dringen' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Hans Gillesberger/Paul Esswood
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Chor: 'Erhalt Mein Herz Im Glauben Rein' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger

Tracks:

Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erloesen
O Schmerz, o Elend, so mich trifft
Solls ja so sein
Ach lege das Sodom der suendlichen Glieder
Hier aber tut des Heilands Hand
Ich Elender Mensch, Wer Wird Mich Erlosen, BWV 48: Aria: 'Vergibt Mir Jesus Meine Sunden' - Kurt Equiluz
Ich Elender Mensch, Wer Wird Mich Erlosen, BWV 48: Chor: 'Herr Jesu Christ, Einiger Trost' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Sinf - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Aria: 'Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen' - Ruud Van Der Meer
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Recitativo Ed Arioso: 'Mein Mahl Ist Zubereit'' - Ruud Van Der Meer/Peter Jelosits
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Aria: 'Ich Bin Herrlich, Ich Bin Schon' - Peter Jelosits
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Recitativo: 'Mein Glaube Hat Mich Selbst So Angezogen' - Peter Jelosits/Ruud Van Der Meer
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Aria (Duetto): 'Dich Hab Ich Je Und Je Geliebet' - Peter Jelosits/Ruud Van Der Meer
Nun Ist Das Heil Und Die Kraft, BWV 50: Chor: 'Nun Ist Das Heil Und Die Kraft' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Aria: 'Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen!' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Recitativo: 'Wir Beten Zu Dem Tempel An' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Aria: 'Hochster, Mache Deine Gute' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Chor: 'Sei Lob Und Preis Mit Ehren' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Aria: 'Alleluja!' - Marianne Kweksilber

Tracks:

(Caro) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Alto, Tenore) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Soprano) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Basso) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Alto) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
Was Gott Tut, Das Ist Wohlgetan, BWV 100: Chor: 'Was Gott Tut, Das Ist Wohlgetan' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Chor: 'Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott' - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Aria: 'Handle Nicht Nach Deinen Rechten' - Kurt Equiluz
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Recitativo-Chor: 'Ach! Herr Gott, Durch Die Treue Dein' - Wilhelm Wiedl
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Aria: 'Warum Willst Du So Zornig Sein?' - Philippe Huttenlocher
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Recitativo-Chor: 'Die Sund Hat Uns Verderbet Sehr' - Kurt Equiluz
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Aria (Duetto): 'Gedenk An Jesu Bittern Tod!' - Wilhelm Wiedl/Paul Esswood
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Chor: 'Leit Uns Mit Deiner Rechten Hand' - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Chor: 'Herr, Deine Augen Sehen... - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Recitativo: 'Wo Ist Das Ebenbild' - Philippe Huttenlocher
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Aria: 'Weh Der Seele' - Paul Esswood
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Arioso: 'Verachtest Du Den... - Philippe Huttenlocher
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Seconda Parte: Aria: 'Erschrecke Doch, Du... - Kurt Equiluz
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Seconda Parte: Recitativo: 'Beim Warten Ist... - Paul Esswood
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Seconda Parte: Chor: Heut Lebst Du, Heut... - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden

Tracks:

Sinfonia
Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich
Doch bin und bleibe ich vergnuegt
Leite mich in deiner Wahrheit
Zedern muessen von den Winden
Nach Dir, Herr, Verlanget Mich, BWV 150: Chor: 'Meine Augen Sehen Stets Zu Dem Herrn' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Nach Dir, Herr, Verlanget Mich, BWV 150: Chor: 'Meine Tage In Dem Leide' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Aria: 'Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt' - Sebastian Hennig
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Recitativo: 'Erfreue Dich, Mein Herz' - Max Van Egmond
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Aria: 'In Jesu Demut Kann Ich Trost' - Paul Esswood
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Recitativo: 'Du Teurer Gottessohn' - Kurt Equiluz
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Chor: 'Heut Schleusst Er Wieder Auf Die Tur' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Con - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Aria: 'Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn' - Thomas Hampson
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Recitativo: 'Der Heiland Ist Gesetzt' - Thomas Hampson
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Aria: 'Stein, Der Uber Alle Schatze' - Christoph Wegmann
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Recitativo: 'Es Argre Sich Die Kluge Welt' - Thomas Hampson
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Duetto: 'Wie Soll Ich Dich, Liebster Der Seelen, Umfassen?' - Christoph Wegmann/Thomas Hampson
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Chor: 'Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind' - Tolzer Knabenchor//Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Recitativo: 'Mein Liebster Gott' - Stefan Rampf
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Aria: 'Furchte Dich Nicht, Ich Bin Mit Dir' - Thomas Hampson
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Recitativo: 'Du Sprichst Zwar, Lieber Gott' - Kurt Equiluz
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Chor: 'Und Ob Gleich Alle Teufel - Tolzer Knabenchor//Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Aria: 'Sturmt Nur, Sturmt, Ihr Trubsalswetter' - Kurt Equiluz
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Recitativo: 'Getrost! Mein Herz, Erdulde Deinen... - Thomas Hampson
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Aria: 'Soll Ich Meinen Lebeslauf' - Stefan Rampf
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Chor: 'Drum Will Ich, Weil Ich Lebe Noch' - Tolzer Knabenchor//Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden

Tracks:

Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht
Auf, Sterbliche, lasset ein Jauchzen ertoenen
So bald, als dir die Sternen hold
Es streiten, es siegen die kuenftigen Zeiten
Bedenke nur, begluecktes Land
Die Zeit, Die Tag Und Jahre Macht, BWV 134A: Aria: 'Der Zeiten Herr Hat Viel Vergnugte Stunden' - Michael Chance
Die Zeit, Die Tag Und Jahre Macht, BWV 134A: Recitativo: 'Hilf, Hochster, Hilf' - Michael Chance/Paul Agnew
Die Zeit, Die Tag Und Jahre Macht, BWV 134A: Chor: 'Ergetzet Auf Erden' - The Amsterdam Baroque Chor/Ton Koopman
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Recitativo: 'Durchlauchtster Leopold' - Lisa Larsson
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Guldner Sonnen Frohe Stunden' - Lisa Larsson
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Leopolds Vortrefflichkeiten' - Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Unter Seinem Purpursaum' - Lisa Larsson/Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Recitativo: 'Durchlauchtigster, Den Anhalt Vater Nennt' - Lisa Larsson/Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'So Schau Des Holden Tages Licht' - Lisa Larsson
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Dein Name Gleich Der Sonnen Geh' - Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Chor: 'Nimm Auch, Grosser Furst, Uns Auf' - Lisa Larsson/Klaus Mertens

Tracks:

Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Laudamus te
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Gratias Agimus Tibi - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Domine Deus - Angela Maria Blasi/Kurt Equiluz
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Qui Tollis - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Qui Sedes - Jadwiga Rappe
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Quoniam To Solus - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Cum Sancto Spiritu - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner

Tracks:

Singet dem Herrn ein neres Lied
Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf
Komm, Jesu, komm
Jesu, meine Freude
Fuerchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir
Lobet Den Herrn, Alle Heiden, BWV 230 - Stockholm Bach Chor/Anders Ohrwall

Tracks:

Fantasia et Fuga in g BWV 542
Fuga in g BWV 578
Canzona in d BWV 588
Praeludium et Fuga in h BWV 544
Praeludium et Fuga in a BWV 543
Fant in c, BWV 562 - Ton Koopman
Prld Et Fuga in C, BWV 531 - Ton Koopman
Fant in G, BWV 572 - Ton Koopman
Fant in C, BWV 570 - Ton Koopman
Passacaglia in c, BWV 582 - Ton Koopman

Tracks:

Inventio 1 BWV 772
Inventio 2 BWV 773
Inventio 3 BWV 774
Inventio 4 BWV 775
Inventio 5 BWV 776
Inventio 6 in E, BWV 777 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 7 in e, BWV 778 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 8 in F, BWV 779 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 9 in f, BWV 780 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 10 in G, BWV 781 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 11 in g, BWV 782 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 12 in A, BWV 783 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 13 in a, BWV 784 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 14 in B flat, BWV 785 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 15 in b, BWV 786 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 1 in C, BWV 787 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 2 in c, BWV 788 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 3 in D, BWV 789 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 4 in d, BWV 790 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 5 in E flat, BWV 791 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 6 in E, BWV 792 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 7 in e, BWV 793 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 8 in F, BWV 794 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 9 in f, BWV 795 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 10 in G, BWV 796 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 11 in g, BWV 797 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 12 in A, BWV 798 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 13 in a, BWV 799 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 14 in B flat, BWV 800 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 15 in b, BWV 801 - Zuzana Ruzickova

Tracks:

Prelude and Fugue in A minor: Praeludium
Prelude and Fugue in A minor: Fuga
Prelude and Fughetta in E minor: Praeludium
Prelude and Fughetta in E minor: Fuga
Prelude in G major BWV 902a
Fant And Fugue in a, BWV 904: Fant - Zuzana Ruzickova
Fant And Fugue in a, BWV 904: Fuga - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in C, BWV 924 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in D, BWV 925 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in d, BWV 926 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in F, BWV 927 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in F, BWV 928 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in g, BWV 930 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in a, BWV 931 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Prld in E, BWV 937 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Prld in C, BWV 939 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Prld in d, BWV 940 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Applicatio in C, BWV 994 - Zuzana Ruzickova

Tracks:

Suite in G minor BWV 995: Prelude
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Allemande
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Courante
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Sarabande
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Gavotte I - Gavotte II en Rondeau
Ste in g, BWV 995: Gigue - Luca Pianca
Ste in e, BWV 996: Prld (Passagio-Presto) - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Allemande - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Courante - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Sarabande - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Bourree - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Gigue - Michele Barchi
Ste in c, BWV 997: Prld - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca
Ste in c, BWV 997: Fuga - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca
Ste in c, BWV 997: Sarabande - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca
Ste in c, BWV 997: Gigue-Double - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca

Tracks:

Concerto for two violins BWV 1043: Vivace
Concerto for two violins BWV 1043: Largo, ma non tanto
Concerto for two violins BWV 1043: Allegro
Concerto BWV 1042: Allegro
Concerto BWV 1042: Adagio
Con in E, BWV 1042: Allegro Assai - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in a, BWV 1041: Allegro - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in a, BWV 1041: Andante - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in a, BWV 1041: Allegro Assai - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1056R: (Allegro) - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1056R: Largo - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1056R: Presto - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1060R: Allegro - Jurg Schaeftlein/Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1060R: Adagio - Jurg Schaeftlein/Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1060R: Allegro - Jurg Schaeftlein/Alice Harnoncourt

Amazon.com

The Bach renaissance--which began in earnest in the early 19th century thanks to the efforts of Felix Mendelssohn and others--inspired an endeavor of far-reaching significance. It led to the founding of the Bach Society in 1850, with the goal of gathering and publishing the composer's complete works, and thus set into motion one of the great projects of musical scholarship. That effort has continued and been refined throughout the 20th century, ultimately influencing not only our perception of how to perform early music but fundamental ideas of musical history, evolution, and reception as well.

Teldec's mammoth Bach 2000 box set represents a kind of culmination of that original attempt to come to terms with Johann Sebastian Bach's unparalleled legacy. This set brings together performances recorded over the last several decades--a small percentage of the recordings are previously unreleased--of all the extant works determined by modern scholarship to be authentic. There are also some pieces the authorship of which is still in question and a few now deemed "inauthentic" but familiarly associated with the composer. Bach was a prodigious reviser of his compositions, and alternate versions of a particular work have been included "where the changes seemed sufficiently important," such as the glorious Magnificat. No doubt manuscripts will continue to be unearthed here and there in various archives (Bach 2000 contains, for example, the "Neumeister chorales," which were rediscovered in 1984), but the set does not represent the many fragments of music that consist of just a few bars; however, there are some reconstructions of lost concertos (such as one for three violins reconstructed by Christopher Hogwood from an extant concerto for harpsichords).

Of course a truly comprehensive recorded edition of every note Bach wrote remains a utopian impossibility--about one-third of his cantatas, for example, have not survived. Even so, the dimensions of Bach 2000 are staggering. With its 12 boxes comprising 153 CDs, the set can be compressed into fewer boxes to save shelf space yet is still about ten times as long as the Ring cycle. (It should be noted that the packaging--using thin cardboard sleeves for the CDs--is distinctively unattractive.) That adds up to just under 160 hours of music--but a lifetime of discovery. Each box (grouped according to genre) contains a booklet with excellent notes on individual works and--for all the choral works--texts and translations. Tracking indexes are useful and thorough. Also included is a profusely illustrated hardbound volume of 24 Inventions, in which journalist Wolfgang Sandberger uses the composer's biography as a peg for some enigmatic and fascinating musings on the meaning of Bach today.

The presiding philosophy behind this project and its approach to musical interpretation can be largely ascribed to Nikolaus Harnoncourt, a true musical pioneer and galvanizing force of the "period performance" movement. Harnoncourt's epoch-making recordings of the sacred cantatas (using, for instance, boy sopranos and choristers according to the practice in Bach's time) with the Concentus musicus Wien and colleague Gustav Leonhardt comprise the first four volumes here (those who already own them can turn to the Bach 2000 Light edition, which contains everything sans the cantatas). These recordings--which were not remastered for this set--have long been controversial and are notably uneven, embracing some magnificent accounts as well as others that lack fire and seem clearly underrehearsed. But Harnoncourt is one of the most fascinating conductors of our era, and his interpretations amply bear out his assertion: "I have never felt that Bach worked in a routine manner, that he repeated himself in his works." Harnoncourt--who has articulated many of his ideas in his book The Musical Dialogue--displays his gifts as a cellist in a remarkably probing performance of the Cello Suites (originally recorded in 1965) and in his concertizing for a number of chamber works. For the St. Matthew Passion, you get Harnoncourt's groundbreaking earlier account from 1970, while his 1986 recording of the sublime B Minor Mass is also represented here (the St. John Passion included is Harnoncourt's 1995 acount).

Other artists included are colleague Gustav Leonhardt, whose thoughtful if occasionally dry harpsichord artistry is heard in the Goldberg Variations as well as in the concertos and chamber music. The harpsichord is in fact used throughout in preference to piano for the keyboard works. Ton Koopman (himself the conductor of an ongoing complete cantata series and of the Easter Oratorio included here) performs the organ works, including some newly recorded offerings, while Il Giardino Armonico's well-known high-energy account represents the Brandenburg Concertos. Violinist Thomas Zehetmair is exceptionally compelling in the unaccompanied sonatas and partitas, and the Concentus musicus Wien--again under Harnoncourt--perform a superb Musical Offering that richly repays frequent listening.

The result of Bach 2000 as a whole is an aptly encyclopedic grappling with the infinite legacy of this most compendious of composers, whose works are on one level a summation of all the styles available to him. Bach was once thought to represent a "terminal point" (to use Albert Schweitzer's famous formulation), the end of an era; today he is at least equally recognized as a fertile source of inspiration for composers since. To be sure, individual recordings of particular works will be found to be preferable, and it would be misguided to consider Bach 2000 any kind of "final" or "definitive" word. Instead, it's an indispensable starting point that represents a monumental achievement for our own contemporary understanding of Bach. --Thomas May

Album Description

Volume 1, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas Nos. 1-14, 16-47; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 2, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas Nos. 48-52, 54-69, 69A, 70-99; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 3, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas Nos. 100-117, 119-140,143-149; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 4, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas BWV 150-159, 161-188, 192, 194-199; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 5, 11 Discs
Secular Cantatas App. Sacred Cantatas; 11 CDs; Koopman, Harnoncourt, Koopman, Goebel and others

Volume 6, 14 Discs
The Sacred Vocal Works Masses,Magnificat, Passions, Oratorios; 14 CDs; Harnoncourt, Koopman, Corboz and others

Volume 7
, 7 Discs
The Motets, Chorales & Songs Kirnberger Chorales,Schemelli Songs, Quodlibet

Volume 8, 16 Discs
The Organ Works; 16 CDs; Ton Koopman

Volume 9, 11 Discs
The Keyboard Works (I) The Well-Tempered Clavier, English & French Suites, Partitas etc; 11 CDs; Curtis, Ross, Wilson, Ruzickova

Volume 10, 11 Discs
The Keyboard Works (II) Goldberg Variations, Toccatas, Fugues, Italian Concerto, etc; 11 CDs; Staier, Barchi, Leonhardt, von Asperen, Baumont, and others

Volume 11, 13 Discs
The Chamber Music Violin Sonatas & Partitas, Flute Sonatas, Works for Lute, Art of Fugue, Musical Offering, etc; 13 CDs; Harnoncourt, Pianca, Tachezi, Brggen, Zehetmair, and others

Volume 12, 10 Discs
The Orchestral Works The Concertos & Orchestral Suite; 10 CDs; Il Giardino Armonico, Harnoncourt, Leonhardt

Customer Reviews:

Bach is priceless.......2006-11-10

I believe, as another reviewer has stated, Bach's music may be the best ever written. Also, I think the cantatas are not where Bach placed his heart and soul. He was, after all, employed as a canter and in a position he did not wish for, but was forced to take to feed his large family. (I recommend "Bach and the High Baroque" lecture series by TTC.) What really stands out on this collection are all works in volumes 8 and above. Some of these works are hard to find and having them all in this collection and preformed on original instruments is great. Bach is priceless and so then is this collection.

Buy the works you like...........2006-01-11

If you love Bach, which you must if you are looking at this particular item, you probably own a couple of his works already. Perhaps some of them are on the Teldec label. There is nothing wrong with Teldec if you are just getting into "classical" music. You will probably enjoy the music thoroughly. I know I did, as one of the first "classical" releases I bought was on Teldec, and it was Bach. I was amazed how great Bach was. Then my brother showed me the same recording, performed by another group, on another label. It had a lot more passion, and the instrumentalists were obviously of a higher level. Pardon my rambling, but what I'm trying to say is, the recordings found in this boxset are not the "cream of the crop." They are perfectly acceptable, easily listenable renditions of what many consider the greatest music...EVER. Take it from me, someone who has leapt into boxset land one too many times: Save your money, buy the individual albums. Take your time, talk to record store clerks (read Amazon reviews), do your research. If you are lucky enough to have a decent record store around, listen to multiple versions of the same work. No one said you had to buy it all at once. It can take a lifetime to fully realize the potency of this music, so enjoy the discovery as long as possible.

Poor Bach.......2005-11-26

In Antony & Cleopatra, Shakespeare wrote: "I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness...."

I am 99% in favor of original instrument performances, but there are limits. Just imagine if we had the same sort of thing going on with Shakespeare's plays -- men and boys playing all of the women's parts. And if we *really* wanted to be original, they would be squeaking boys "I' th' posture of a whore" (Shakespeare's words). Such performances would knock Monty Python
right out of business.

The Cantatas, which are the lion's share of this collection, are sung by boys, boys, boys. If you want to ruin boy choirs for yourself, then go for it. It might still be a novelty by the fifth CD but by the fiftieth, you will want to throw your &*%$ wig at the squeaking speakers, just as the exasperated Bach famously did with his own wig and his own boy choir. (For which he was reprimanded.)

Does Harnoncourt really, honestly think that Bach would have picked a boy choir if he could have had women? Does anyone seriously believe that Shakespeare would have preferred his parts played by boys instead of women?

If you buy this set, don't buy it for the Cantatas, unless (unlike Bach) you can tolerate immature voices with "wig-tossingly" inconsistent intonation. Hold out for Suzuki or Koopman. Stay away from the Rifkin perfomances, mostly because the recording quality is second and third rate by today's standards. Not that historical performances should be shunned, but you might want to think twice about 60 odd CDs worth of second rate sound.

A Treasure Trove.......2004-03-07

This set is the culmination of several decades of work on the part of the West German record label Teldec (formerly known as Telefunken-Decca). With their early-music subdivision Das Alte Werk (similar to DG's Archiv or Decca's L'Oiseau-Lyre), Teldec have been in the forefront of exploring the world of period instruments and authentic performance practice, with special emphasis on the works of J.S.Bach. The lion's share of recordings here was originally made for Das Alte Werk, with the odd exception here and there licensed from other labels in order to fill in the gaps. The centerpiece of the set is the famous recording of the 199 church cantatas by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt. If you're not familiar with the cantatas, there's a whole world of drama, color and expression right here waiting for you. You'll also be surprised to learn how many of the "tunes" you know from popular arrangements, like "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Sleepers Awake" are actually movements from cantatas. The names of Harnoncourt and Leonhardt pop up again and again; they were both mainstays of the Teldec roster. Leonhardt gives us his 1965 Goldberg Variations on a Dulcken harpsichord whose every tone is like a bell, and Harnoncourt's "home" recording of the Cello Suites (never intended for general release) shows the ferment of a great musical mind. Ton Koopman gives us his provocative and controversial re-thinkings of the organ works, and Thomas Zehetmair's performances of the unaccompanied violin sonatas and partitas are like dramatic scenes spoken by a solo violin. Here are the uniquely bizarre Brandenburg Concertos by Il Giardino Armonico; the rhetorical and transparent performance of the motets conducted by Harnoncourt (perhaps his best-ever recording); Leonhardt's relaxed and smiling versions of the harpsichord concertos; Alice Harnoncourt's tawny, leonine performances of the sonatas for violin and harpsichord; Harnoncourt's chiaroscuro-filled performance of the Christmas Oratorio, and so on. This set is one of the most worthwhile CD buys you could make. You will never be bored with this to dip into over the years.

147 out of 153 ain't bad!.......2001-04-29

Having listened to the complete set, I can confidently recommend it, if you would use a complete set of Bach's works.

If you really like Bach, it is well worth getting. You will read disparaging reviews which will tell you that there are better performances of individual works. But this is a great opportunity for a Bach lover to get very good versions of his entire oeuvre.

In the set of 60 CDs of sacred cantatas, there are about 6 duds, which feature out of tune boy sopranos! If you are not crazy about sacred cantatas, you can buy a set which omits them, which may be advised!

I love the version of the Mass in B minor, though it is very different from our set by Munchinger [which we really enjoy].

The Brandenburgs are great. THe first movement of the first concerto is a knock out! Very brassy and bombastic: quite different from the 3 or 4 other versions I have previously enjoyed.

We are a piano family and have many CDs of Bach keyboard works played on piano [though we also have the Well Tempered Clavier on harpsichord and clavichord] The keyboard performances in the set are all on harpsichord and are lively and very enjoyable.

It takes some getting used to the authentic Baroque flute performances: especially occasional out-of-tuneness. But these are also interesting and musically played.

If you would use a set of all of Bach's extant works, it is a great choice. It is competitively priced and I love the packaging.

Average customer rating:

Schubert: Quartets For Four Solo Voices

Manufacturer: Arabesque Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000000T9N
Release Date: 1997-04-22

Tracks:

To the Sun, D.439
Spirit of Love, D.747
Guide of Destiny, D.763
The Nightingale, D.24
Hymn to the Infinite One, D.232
The Night, D.983
Prayer, D.815
Contradiction, D.865
Psalm XXIII
God the Creator of the World, D.986

Average customer rating:

One of the great CD sets of all time
One of two "keepers"
Bach the organ works
Peter Hurford gives incisive readings
EMPHATICALLY 5 stars!

Bach: The Organ Works
Johann Sebastian Bach , and Peter Hurford
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000041KD
Release Date: 1995-07-10

Tracks:

Toccata And Fugue In F Major: Toccata
Toccata And Fugue In F Major: Fugue
Prelude And Fugue In G Major
Prelude And Fugue In E Minor: Prelude
Prelude And Fugue In E Minor: Fugue
Prelude And Fugue In C Major
Prelude And Fugue In C Minor
Prelude and Fugue in D major: Prelude
Prelude and Fugue in D major: Fugue
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor: Toccata
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor: Fugue

Tracks:

Toccata, Adagio, And Fugue In C Major: Toccata
Toccata, Adagio, And Fugue In C Major: Adagio
Toccata, Adagio, And Fugue In C Major: Fugue
Fantasia And Fugue In C Major
Prelude And Fugue In E Minor
Prelude And Fugue In A Minor
Kleines harmonisches Labyrinth
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor: Toccata
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor: Fugue
Trio In C Minor
Fantasia And Fugue In G Minor: Fantasia
Fantasia And Fugue In G Minor: Fugue

Tracks:

Fantasia In G Major
Fugue In B Minor
Trio In D Minor
Prelude And Fugue In G Minor
Fantasia In C Minor
Fugue In G Major
Fantasia And Fugue In C Minor: Fantasia
Fantasia And Fugue In C Minor: Fugue
Fugue In G Major
Fugue In C Minor
Fugue In G Major
Fantasia And Fugue In C Major
Pedal-Exercitium
Passacaglia And Fugue In C Minor: Passacaglia
Passacaglia And Fugue In C Minor: Fugue

Tracks:

Clavier Ubung III: Prelude In E Flat Major
Clavier Ubung III: Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit
Clavier Ubung III: Christe, aller Welt Trost
Clavier Ubung III: Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist
Clavier Ubung III: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
Clavier Ubung III: Dies sind die heilgen
Clavier Ubung III: Wir glauben all' an einen Gott
Clavier Ubung III: Vater unser im Himmelreich
Clavier Ubung III: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam
Clavier Ubung III: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
Clavier Ubung III: Jesus Christus unser Heiland, der von uns
Clavier Ubung III: Fugue In E Flat Major

Tracks:

Clavier Ubung III: Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit
Clavier Ubung III: Christe, aller Welt Trost
Clavier Ubung III: Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist
Clavier Ubung III: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
Clavier Ubung III: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
Clavier Ubung III: Dies sind die heilgen sehn Gebot'
Clavier Ubung III: Wir glauben all' an einen Gott
Clavier Ubung III: Vater unse im Himmelreich
Clavier Ubung III: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam
Clavier Ubung III: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
Clavier Ubung III: Jesus Christus unser Hieland, der von uns
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Ach Gott und Herr
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Ach Gott und Herr
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Wo soll ich fliehen hin
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Christ lag in Todesbanden
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Christum sollen wir loben schon
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes Sohn
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Nun komm', der Heiden Heiland
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Das Jesulein soll doch mein Trost
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Gottes Sohn ist kommen
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Lob sei dem allmachtigen
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Ich hab' mein Sach' Gott heimgestellt
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Ich hab' mein Sach' Gott heimgestellt
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Wir Christenleut
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: In dich hab' ich gehoffet, Herr
Chorale Preludes From The Kirnberger Collection: Jesu, meine Freude

Tracks:

Sonata No. 1 In E Flat Major: I Allegro moderato
Sonata No. 1 In E Flat Major: II Adagio
Sonata No. 1 In E Flat Major: III Allegro
Sonata No. 2 In C Minor: I Vivace
Sonata No. 2 In C Minor: II Largo
Sonata No. 2 In C Minor: III Allegro
Sonata No. 3 In D Minor: I Andante
Sonata No. 3 In D Minor: II Adagio e dolce
Sonata No. 3 In D Minor: III Vivace
Sonata No. 4 In E Minor: I Adagio - Vivace
Sonata No. 4 In E Minor: II Andante
Sonata No. 4 In E Minor: III Un poco allegro
Sonata No. 5 In C Major: I Allegro
Sonata No. 5 In C Major: II Largo
Sonata No. 5 In C Major: III Allegro
Sonata No. 6 In G Major: I Vivace
Sonata No. 6 In G Major: II Lento
Sonata No. 6 In G Major: III Allegro

Tracks:

Chorale Variations: Ach, was soll ich Sunder machen
Chorale Variations: Christ, du bist der helle Tag
Chorale Variations: O Gott, du frommer Gott
Chorale Variations: Canonische Veranderungen: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
Chorale Variations: Sei gegrusset, Jesu gutig

Tracks:

Choralvariationen: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
Schubler Chorale Preludes: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
Schubler Chorale Preludes: Wo soll ich fliehen hin
Schubler Chorale Preludes: Wer nur den lieben Gott labt walten
Schubler Chorale Preludes: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren
Schubler Chorale Preludes: Ach bleib' bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ
Schubler Chorale Preludes: Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter
Chorale Preludes: Liebster Jesue, wir sind hier
Chorale Preludes: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
Chorale Preludes: Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich
Chorale Preludes: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren
Chorale Preludes: Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein
Chorale Preludes: Valet will ich dir geben
Chorale Preludes: Valet will ich dir geben
Chorale Preludes: Vater unser im Himmelreich
Chorale Preludes: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
Chorale Preludes: Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern
Chorale Preludes: Wie glauben all' an einen Gott

Tracks:

Concerto No. 1 In G Major: (Allegro)
Concerto No. 1 In G Major: Grave
Concerto No. 1 In G Major: Presto
Concerto No. 2 In A Minor: (Allegro)
Concerto No. 2 In A Minor: Adagio
Concerto No. 2 In A Minor: Allegro
Concerto No. 3 In C Major: (Allegro)
Concerto No. 3 In C Major: Adagio
Concerto No. 3 In C Major: Allegro
Concerto No. 4 In C Major
Concerto No. 5 In D Minor: (Allegro) - Grave e fuga
Concerto No. 5 In D Minor: Largo e spiccato
Concerto No. 5 In D Minor: (Allegro)
Concerto No. 6 In E Flat Major
Chorale Preludes: Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
Chorale Preludes: Herzlich tut mich verlangen
Chorale Preludes: Jesus, meine Zuversicht
Chorale Preludes: In dulci jubilo

Tracks:

Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich (Ein Kindelein so lobelich)
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Wir Christenleut
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Das alte Jahr vergangen ist
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel auf
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: O Jesu, wie ist dein Gestalt
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Christe, der du bist Tag und Licht
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Ehre sei dir, Christe, der du leidest Not
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Wir glauben all' an einen Gott
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Aus tiefster Not schrei ich zu dir
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Ach, Gott und Herr
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Ach Herr, mich armen Sunder (Herzlich tut mich verlangen)
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Du Friedefurst, Herr Jesu Christ
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Wenn dich Ungluck tut greifen an
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Jesu, meine Freude
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Gott ist mein Heil, mein Hilf und Trost
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Jesu, meines Lebens Leben
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Als Jesus Christus in der Nacht
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Ach Gott, tu dich erbarmen
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: O Herre Gott dein gottlich Wort
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Nun lasst uns den Leib begraben
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Christus, der ist mein Leben
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Ich hab mein Sach Gott heimgestellt
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Herr Jesu Christ, du hochstes Gut
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
Neumeister Chorale Preludes: Alle Menschen mussen sterben

Tracks:

Neumeister Chorales: Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Gut
Neumeister Chorales: Werde munter, mein Gemute
Neumeister Chorales: Wie nach einer Wasserquelle
Neumeister Chorales: Christ, der du bist der helle Tag
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Komm, heiliger Geist
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Komm, heiliger Geist
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: An Wasserflussen Babylon
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: O Lamm Gottes unschuldig
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Nun danket alle Gott
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Von Gott will ich nicht lassen
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'

Tracks:

'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Jesus Christus, unser Heiland
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Jesus Christus, unser Heiland
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Komm, Gott, Schopfer, heiliger Geist
'The Eighteen' Chorale Preludes: Vor deinen Thron (Wenn wir in hochsten Noten sein)
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: O Lamm Gottes unschuldig
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Ach Gott und Herr
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr'
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Christ Lag in Todesbanden
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Ein' festeBurg ist unser Gott
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Erbarm' dich mein, o Herre Gott
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Gottes Sohn ist kommen
Miscellaneous Chorale Preludes: Herr Gott, wir loben dich

Tracks:

Eight Short Preludes And Fugues: Prelude And Fugue In C Major
Eight Short Preludes And Fugues: Prelude And Fugue In D Minor
Eight Short Preludes And Fugues: Prelude And Fugue In E Minor
Eight Short Preludes And Fugues: Prelude And Fugue In F Major
Eight Short Preludes And Fugues: Prelude And Fugue In G Major
Eight Short Preludes And Fugues: Prelude And Fugue In G Minor
Eight Short Preludes And Fugues: Prelude And Fugue In A Minor
Eight Short Preludes And Fugues: Prelude And Fugue In B Flat Major
Trio In G Major
Prelude and Fugue in F minor: Prelude
Prelude and Fugue in F minor: Fugue
Trio In G Minor
Prelude and Fugue in A major: Prelude
Prelude and Fugue in A major: Fugue
Prelude and Fugue in G major: Prelude
Prelude and Fugue in G major: Fugue
Allabreve In D Major
Prelude In G Major
Fugue In D Major
Prelude and Fugue in D minor: Prelude
Prelude and Fugue in D minor: Fugue

Tracks:

Prelude And Fugue In C Minor: Prelude
Prelude And Fugue In C Minor: Fugue
Prelude In C Major
Fugue In G Minor
Canzona In D Minor
Prelude In A Minor
Fugue In C Minor
Pastorale In F Major
Fantasia In G Major
Aria In F Major
Prelude and Fugue in C major: Prelude
Prelude and Fugue in C major: Fugue

Tracks:

Toccata And Fugue In E Major: Toccata
Toccata And Fugue In E Major: Fugues I & II
Fantasia In B Minor
Prelude and Fugue in A minor: Prelude
Prelude and Fugue in A minor: Fugue
Prelude and Fugue in B minor: Prelude
Prelude and Fugue in B minor: Fugue
Prelude and Fugue in C major: Prelude
Prelude and Fugue in C major: Fugue
Trio In G Major
Prelude, Trio And Fugue In B Flat Major: Prelude
Prelude, Trio And Fugue In B Flat Major: Trio
Prelude, Trio And Fugue In B Flat Major: Fugue
Ricercar A 6 In C Minor
Prelude And Fugue In G Minor

Tracks:

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
Gottes Sohn ist kommen
Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes Sohn
Lob sei dem allmachtigen Gott
Puer natus in Bethlehem
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her
Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar
In dulci jubilo
Lobt Gott, ihr Christen allzugleich
Jesu, meine Freude
Christum wir sollen loben schon
Wir Christenleut
Helft mir, Gottes Gute preisen
Das alte Jahr vergangen ist
In dir ist Freude
Mit Fried' und Freud' ich fahr dahin
Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel auf
O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
Christe, du Lamm Gottes
Christus, der uns selig macht
Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund
O Mensch, bewein dein Sunde gross
Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ
Hif Gott, dass mir's gelinge
Christ lag in Todesbanden
Jesus Christus, unser Heiland
Christ ist erstanden
Erstanden ist der heil' ge Geist
Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag
Heut triumphieret
Komm, Gott, Schopfer, heiliger Geist
Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
Dies sind die heilgen zehn Gebot
Vater unser im Himmelreich
Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt
Es ist da Heil uns kommen her
Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ

Tracks:

In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr
Wenn wir in hochsten Noten sein
Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten
Alle Menschen mussen sterben
Ach wie nichtig, ach wie fluchtig
Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh' darein
Ach Herr, mich armen Sunder
Ach, was ist doch unser Leben
Auf meinen lieben Gott
Aus der Tiefe rufe ich
Christ ist erstanden
Christus, der uns selig macht
Gott der Vater wohn' uns bei
In dulci jubilo
Jesu, der du meine Seele
Liebster Jesu wir sind hier
Nun freut euch
O Herre Gott, dein gottlich Wort
O Vater, allmachtiger Gott
Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele
Vater unser im Himmelreich
Vater unser im Himmelreich
Vater unser im Himmelreich
Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern
Wir glauben all' an einen Gott
Christus, der uns selig macht
Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn
Fugue In G Minor

Amazon.com

When it comes to organ music there's Bach, and there's everyone else. The actual amount of organ music that he composed is in dispute for a couple of reasons. On issue is attribution: much of the music exists only in copies from Bach's pupils and family members, and so the question of authorship may be in doubt. The other issue is which instrument Bach actually intended some of the keyboard music to be played on. Although scholars agonize over this problem, the fact is that Bach's music usually sounds fine played even on kazoos--it's almost indestructible--so the organ suits it in any case. This collection is one of the most comprehensive available, and it's excellently played and recorded. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

One of the great CD sets of all time.......2006-02-08

Like another reviewer here I grew up on Helmut Walcha's DG set on LP, and was also familiar with a number of other "great Bach organ work" collections.

One can cavil over the way Hurford takes some of the pieces, I suppose, but his flair, imaginative registrations, and sheer musicality are hard to beat, and the recording too is fantastic.

It's quite easy to listen to three or four CDs from this set in a row, which says something about how fertile Bach's imagination, but also how absorbing Hurford's performance, and how willing he is to avoid generic and worthy church-like interpretations. This is music and music-making of the highest quality.

One of two "keepers".......2005-07-02

A lot of reviews rave about this set. I just wish they would say why it's so good and I hope they're, well, comparing it to something. Most seem to like the "choice of registration" which maybe one way an organist sizes another up.

Preferences in interpretation generally reflect the emphera of a time, and not absolutes. Choice one for this guy is probably Walcha. Dignified and insightful playing probably much more in line with what was expected of, and provided by, Bach way back when.

This set is flashier and lighter in some ways, more bombastic in others--very much a late Twentieth Century effort. Superficial. It suits a less thoughtful approach to the music which isn't a bad thing and isn't necessarily "damning with faint praise." I just doubt if this is really what the music should sound like and I don't mean that in the same way when I say that about Gould's playing. Gould was highlighting an intense part of Bach's craft, pointing the way into the music so to say.

This is a good set for those who like to shake the timbers with organ music; when it was first released in the early digital era it was marketed that way. Bach's music is pretty bullet-proof so it can stand this kind of approach. If you're not a hyper-critical listener, a period instrument hardliner, or a professional organist with strong well thought out opinions this is probably the set for you as the Walcha will sound dry and academic. On the other hand, if you are a powerful admirer of rock and roll classical this might actually be way too much Bach for you. I generally play this set (or Stokowski transcriptions) when I'm in a brain-dead mood and I want Bach-like stimulation without any work on my part. It's really quite nice.

Bach the organ works.......2004-11-23

A poor, jumpy, amateurish and unimaginative rendition of the pedal exercitium in g minor is what sticks to mind. Although its only an exercise i think it's worth more than that. More interesting stop combinations could have been used here. The toccata and fugue in d minor was too 'fancy' and was a boring affair overall with a silly choice of stops. I expected more from Peter Hurford. If this is the first time you've heard organ music please don't run away beacause of this. It can be so much more intersting.

Overall i dont think these performances do Bach Justice. Better versions can be found at virtuallybaroque.com (not my site)and better still competely free.

Peter Hurford gives incisive readings.......2004-04-05

Peter Hurford's traversal of the entire organ literature for London Decca is truly one of the greatest recorded achievements. All of the performances in this seventeen-disc set are immaculately played and perfectly performed. His vision, technicality, and sensibility make him a sensitive and authoritative interpreter of J.S. Bach's organ works. The records are mostly digital, crystal clear, and quite powerful. Hurford's command of his technique is astounding. I cannot stress how important this set truly is. I HIGHLY recommend buying this compilation. At about 8 dollars a CD, this is most certainly a steal.

EMPHATICALLY 5 stars!.......2004-02-27

Bach's organ works place incredible demands on the performer, both physically (consider the endurance it takes to play the massive Toccata in F major), technically (the Trio Sonatas, among many others), and interpretationally. Peter Hurford triumphantly meets those demands in a spectacular set of recordings.

To those who are doubters: listen to the (in)famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, that overplayed warhorse. Hurford brings to it an electricity that makes you feel you are hearing it for the first time again. He also has an amazing ear for registrations, one of the most underestimated difficulties of an organist's art, never wearying the ear, but using a wide palette of colors. [Bach himself was widely known for his innovative registrational practices. Contemporaries remarked that when he was testing organs he would pull combinations of stops that they were certain would sound badly together, only to find that he had created an entirely new sound. Thus, creative registrations should not offend purists in any way.]

Hurford's approach to these works obviously takes into consideration, but is certainly not bound by, historically informed performing practices. His phrasing is immaculate, and consistently interesting. In all, this is a stunning accomplishment.

GET THIS WHILE IT REMAINS AVAILABLE. The classical recording industry is in trouble, and the deletions axe is constantly falling. Large, expensive sets like this are sure to go. While the price itself appears high, it is really very reasonable, running under $8 per disc.

The Hyperion Schubert Edition 28 - An 1822 Schubertiad / Ainsley, Koningsberger

Average customer rating:

An 1822 Schubertiad
what a wondferful cd

The Hyperion Schubert Edition 28 - An 1822 Schubertiad / Ainsley, Koningsberger
Franz Schubert , John Mark Ainsley , Maarten Koningsberger , Graham Johnson , Christine Schäfer , Patricia Rozario , Catherine Denley , Paul Agnew , Ian Bostridge , Jamie MacDougall , Simon Keenlyside , Michael George , The London Schubert Chorale , and Stephen Layton
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Hyperion Schubert Edition 27 / Matthias Görne, Graham Johnson
The Hyperion Schubert Edition 31 / Christine Brewer, Graham Johnson
The Hyperion Schubert Edition 33 - The Young Schubert / McLaughlin, Murray, Wyn-Rogers, Langridge, D. Norman, A. Thompson, Koningsberger, Varcoe; Graham Johnson
The Hyperion Schubert Edition 29 - Marjana Lipovsek, Graham Johnson
The Hyperion Schubert Edition 26 - An 1826 Schubertiad / Schäfer, Ainsley, Jackson

ASIN: B000002ZFM
Release Date: 1997-07-08

Tracks:

Versunken D715
Im Gegenwartigen Vergangenes D 710
Mahomets Gesang D721
Geheimes D719
Johanna Sebus D728
Mignon *Heiss mich nicht reden) D726
Die Nactigall D724
Sei mir gegrusst! D741
Fruhlingsgesang D740
Der Wachtelschlag D742
Geist der Liebe
Die Liebe hat gelogen D751
Du liebst mich nicht D756
Todesmusik D758
Selige Welt D743
Ihr Grab D736
Schatzgrabers Begehr D761
Der Musensohn D764
Am Flusse D766
An die Entfernte D765
WIllkommen und Abschied D767
Des Tages Weihe D763

Amazon.com

Volume 28 of Hyperion's unique project to record all of Schubert's 600-plus songs takes us back to the wonderful year 1822, and a Schubert evening ("Schubertiad") that features quite a few songs about love and death, not necessarily in that order. Assisting tenor John Mark Ainsley and pianist Graham Johnson are baritone Maarten Koningsberger, sopranos Christine Schäfer and Patricia Rozario, and a large cast of series "regulars," including the London Schubert Chorale in the songs with chorus parts. What a way to kill an evening! --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

An 1822 Schubertiad.......2000-08-06

Schubert: an 1822 Schubertiad

This disc contains some of Schubert's most - loved music, including settings of Goethe such as the incomparable "Der Musensohn," the unjustly neglected "Im Gegenwärtigen Vergangenes" and the adorable "Geheimes," and many of the performances amongst the 22 tracks do full justice to these miraculous songs. However, some listeners will be puzzled as to why our introduction to the baritone Maarten Koningsberger should be so lengthy, since he is given no fewer than ten songs here, including some of the most familiar in the repertoire - puzzled, because, although his voice is soft and pleasant to the ear, it lacks any special distinction and, for this listener, had the effect of sending me back to Fischer-Dieskau with renewed admiration, especially for "Am Flusse" and "An die Entfernte."

Amongst the many very fine performances here, two stand out - Christine Schäfer's "Der Musensohn" and John Mark Ainsley's "Geheimes. " The former is ideally youthful, sung with lovely tone and Schäfer's characteristic attention to words, and Graham Johnson's playing is perfectly judged; he writes that Schubert intended this song to "excite the listener with its irrepressible gaiety" and this is exactly what he achieves.

Johnson writes brilliantly about "Geheimes;" - describing this music as "suggestive as a wink, and as delicate as a blush," he tells us that he knows people who, to his distress, "laugh out loud" at Peter Pears' recording of it. I have to confess to being one of those who tend to blush with embarrassment at some versions of this perfect little song, but the present version induces only admiration and the desire to hear it again and again. To quote Johnson again, "the word - setting alone is a miracle of inventiveness," and Ainsley does it full justice. He conveys that characteristic Schubertian hesitancy sweetly yet without a trace of archness - there is something ingenuous about his voice, so that, whilst he cannot resist just a hint of a lisp at "bedeute," he is able to convince us of his eagerness and rapture, and his phrasing and diction in the last line "Ihm die nächste süsse Stunde" with its lovely stress on "süsse" is utterly captivating.

Koningsberger is most successful in "Sei mir gegrüsst!" where he manages to hold the listener's attention throughout the lover's many protestations, and in "Du liebst mich nicht" where he evokes the desperation and hopelessness of the speaker without crossing the line into over-acting. The following track is "Todesmusik" which is, to me, one of Schubert's finest songs; sadly, Koningsberger is not really up to either the intense drama or the technical demands here, and this rendition cannot be compared to that of Fischer-Dieskau.

The same is true of "Wilkommen und Abschied" which Ainsley sings with plenty of testosterone but, unusually for him, the phrasing is rather hectic and the words seem mostly indefinite in their emphasis, although he does rise to the occasion at "Ich hofft es, ich verdient' es nicht" with its characteristically heartfelt emphasis on "verdient."

Modified rapture, then, but still deserving 5 stars.

what a wondferful cd.......1999-12-30

once again. graham johnson amaze all of us with this schubert edition. the singer is superb. i can stop hearing this cd.

Average customer rating:

A five star recording by any measure!
A Gentle Disagreement with Tertius
Neutral

Schubert: Male Choruses

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004TXTR
Release Date: 2000-06-28

Customer Reviews:

A five star recording by any measure!.......2001-04-10

Its plain and simple - this CD contains some of the most beautiful music ever written for male chorus and is performed by one of the finest male choruses ever assembled. Blend and intonation are exquisite. The performances are so clean and polished that nothing stands between the listener and the pure beauty of Schubert's music. I have listened to every available CD recording of these works and I like this one best - hands down! In the USA we have a some great men's choruses - such as Chanticleer, the Harvard Glee Club (under Prof. Jim Marvin) and the Washington Men's Camerata (under former Chanticleer Assoc. Director Frank Albinder). If you like those groups - you'll love Orphei Drangar. They prove Robert Shaw's maxim that a chorus of dedicated and talented amatuers is truly the ultimate vehicle for the performance of choral music.

A Gentle Disagreement with Tertius.......2001-03-28

Male chorus singing seems to be in the final stages of its afterglow. Therefore, when one hears a superb example of this genre, it is astounding. I am purchasing this album based upon one hearing of one selection on Public Radio.

Unlike Tertius writing earlier--and despite hearing the work on my car radio--I found the performance exacting: In terms of diction, in the selection I heard, phonemes were performed precisely (almost as perfectly as Fischer-Dieskau). I did not hear individual deviations among the singers. I found the performance of the German to be impeccable, albeit with a miniscule Swedish accent. Intonation was superb; the basses did their job of supporting the entire chorus and illustrated Schubert's countrapuntal bass line against his more obvious melodic lines.

Of course, I reserve the right to revise the review once I hear the album in its entirety. Still, I would buy the album for just the outstanding performance I heard on the radio.

Neutral.......2001-01-11

Joel Kasow gave this disc a neutral review in Fanfare 24(2):340, finding small faults in style, soloists, and notes. For more complete selections of male choruses he suggests a 4-CD soloist collection by Sawallisch on EMI or a 7-CD medium-sized-group collection by Ortner on Teldec. For a single dic sample I love Knothe's 1987 rendition for small groups (including 4 songs with or by women's chorus) on Capriccio 10 152: this is one of my all-time favorite CDs, for its very Germanic early Romantic singing of a varied and dynamic Schubert program. Absolutely luscious. However, I can't seem to find it on Amazon....

Music:

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