Sibelius/Prokofiev/Glazunov - Orchestral Works
Sibelius/Prokofiev/Glazunov - Orchestral Works
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Classical music - The Boston Globe
104.9 XLNC1 Radio - Classical Music
Pavarotti - The Ultimate Collection
Pavarotti - The Ultimate Collection
Customer Reviews
THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 8 Sep 2007
By Mr Frank Lee Bland (Carmarthen / Caerfyrddin) - See all my reviews
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes
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The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 7 Sep 2007
By Mart Classic Review (UK) - See all my reviews
Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti’s most popular performances. The word ’special’ should really be included before the front cover’s mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.
The album opens with ‘Nessun Dorma’, the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti’s subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.
Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way’.
This is a fine example of Pavarotti’s skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.
A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.
Pavarotti’s finest, 17 Mar 2004
By “thestupidman” - See all my reviews
HE’S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL
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Satie: Piano Music
Satie: Piano Music
Customer Review: MUSIC WITHOUT SAUERKRAUT
I feel that it’s worth calling attention to this disc for the sake of the part of it (roughly two-thirds) that I actually know. The selection that Peter Lawson performs is still available here and there to determined collectors on a disc of its own, but a reissue is more than welcome, particularly with this set filled out to reasonable length for a cd.
Peter Lawson is now 55. He originally recorded these pieces in London’s Wigmore Hall in 1979, the recording engineer being the formidable Mr Bear. For reasons of health as well as personal temperament Peter has not elected to follow the international virtuoso circuit, which he would have graced in a major way had he so chosen. He is an enthusiastic proponent of certain modern composers, many of whom make greater calls than does Satie on the virtuoso technique that he possesses in abundance, but if you like Satie I can only suppose that you will enjoy this recital greatly. Satie was a bit of a sad figure, hopelessly inept at any kind of interpersonal relations, and comporting himself in a ridiculous way when he could not hide from human contact entirely. This side of him shows through in a number of the titles he gives to the pieces here that are simply buffoonery. Others of these titles, it seems to me, can be taken quite seriously - the trois gymnopedies are slow and grave in expression, not unlike Debussy’s Danseuses de Delphes in some ways. With others again I simply don’t know. ‘Medusa’ in Greek just means ‘princess’, for instance. It doesn’t have to refer to the sorceress who turned beholders to stone, but I don’t suppose Satie knew that. That is who he is likely referring to, but what possible relationship the name has to the music I have no idea - probably indeed none.
Give or take the titles of the pieces, there is no buffoonery in the music itself. Some of it has a light and ironic feel (not uncommon in French music of any era), but it does not aim to be ‘witty’ or ‘amusing’ music in the later manner of Poulenc or Francaix, and for that relief much thanks say I. These pieces are polished and thoroughly artistic miniatures that grace the art of music and do not diminish it. The harmonic idiom is basically tonal, though with some suggestions of Debussy at times. What it is above all is unmistakably French music. The composer remarked to Debussy that they needed to have their own music ‘without Sauerkraut’. What Peter Lawson conveys with particular beauty and sensitivity is its delicate Frenchness, less robust and much more fragile than the music of Faure, Debussy or Ravel.
It would of course be a great weight on my conscience if the other contributions to the disc were seriously unsatisfactory, or if the recorded quality had plummeted for some strange reason. These possibilities seem to me remote to vanishing, and I remain confident that I’m showing more public-spiritedness than if I held my tongue about the part of this record that I am familiar with. Peter Lawson’s work is not entirely unknown to the musical public, and in particular there is a notable disc from him of modern American piano sonatas as well as some more out-of-the-way material. Admirers of Satie, and any who are simply curious about him, can surely be recommended this disc with absolute confidence.
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The Kirov Ballet - The Magic Of The Russian Ballet
The Kirov Ballet - The Magic Of The Russian Ballet
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American Classical Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World…Ever!
Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Edvard Grieg (Composer), Johann Pachelbel (Composer), Erik Satie (Composer), Sir Neville Marriner (Conductor),
Excellent Classical Compilation Album, 11 Feb 2007
By John R. Murdoch (Scotland)
2 CDs with good recordings of 36 gentle classical tracks of varying styles which come nicely packaged with background information about all the music. A lot of the music can be found on similar compilations, however the tracks on this album are often slightly shortened versions which do not compromise the music and have the advantage of using less hard disk space if converting to MP3. With Windows Media Player 11 a lot of detail is added under track title which is helpful but frustratingly composer is placed under contributing artist instead of the performer.
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..the original and still the best, 12 Feb 2006
Reviewer: A music fan
much ‘relaxing’ classical music is depressing, overly centimental or dominated by one style eg. Mozart - However this collection is a stunning exception - I am a classical music buff but if you left me on a dessert island with only one cd - this would be it - really really really handpicked choones from composers at different times, from different places. I had to buy a 2nd copy because my 1st cd seemed to delaminate - the fact that I must have listened to it several hundered times probably wore it out. Try to look for the 4 CD limited edition and dont be tempted by lookalikes - go for the real thing.
A superb collection, but shop around, 24 Jan 2003
Reviewer: A music fan
There are lots of these “relaxing classics” albums around at the moment and they can all seem identical.
Already owning most of Classic FM’s back catalogue in the “relax with…” series as well as several others, it might seem strange to buy yet another compilation album, but there are some absolute “must have” tracks on this collection that are hard to find elsewhere (Delibes’ Flower Duet, Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony, Pook, Massenet, and so on)
So, if you just want to own one collection of relaxing tracks - keep looking around, get the mix of tracks that suits you best. BUT, if you want to round off a collection with some truly lovely and hard-to-find tracks or just want a slightly more “off the beaten track” selection, then it’s time to reach for that credit card!
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Classical Music: Classical Music: The New Yorker
Gabriel Prokofiev's Nonclassical club night breaks with tradition
