Aromatherapy, the quiet moments of classical music. And in the fourth volume, Music of the Night, there’s the ‘Barcarolle’ from Offenbach’s ‘Tales of Hoffmann’, slow movements from String Serenades by Mozart, Dvorak and Suk and of course, Chopin’s night music, celebrated by his popular D flat major Nocturne, Op. 27 No. 2.
Aromatherapy, the quiet moments of classical music. And the seventh volume is a collection of music inspired by the countryside. This album takes a tour of many and varied landscapes beginning with the English countryside as seen through the eyes of Vaughan Williams, coupled with the Vienna Woods, in Johann Strauss II’s popular waltz, France’s […]
A fun collection of American classics with all those classic ‘pops’ from the ‘Pink Panther’ theme to ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’ on a single CD. The performances are simply dazzling with all the pizzazz you’d expect from the man of the movies, John Williams.
Written to entertain a certain, Count Keyserlingk, in his waking hours, Bach’s ‘Goldberg Variations’ is a tour de force of keyboard writing and this represents one of its greatest recordings. Also on the programme are two popular ‘Fantasies’ plus the jolly ‘Italian Concerto’.
A showcase of some of Vivaldi’s most popular concertos for wind instruments. From the many hundreds of concertos he wrote, the selection represented here, features some of his most lyrical and most energetic. Needless to say, the performances are classics of their kind. I Musici’s Vivaldi recordings over several years for Philips, from which these performances […]
Ballet music was very much part of the great operas, sometimes inserted later for a bit of relief from the drama. Together with popular overtures – Rossini’s ‘Thieving Magpie’, Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ – this is a collection of some of those best-loved instrumental moments, some of which have even eclipsed the whole opera in popularity.
Two of Beethoven’s most popular middle-period String Quartets are coupled here in critically-acclaimed performances for Deutsche Grammophon by the Amadeus Quartet.
Debussy’s ‘Preludes’ represent one of the great cultural ‘events’ of the 20th century, exploring both the vivid and near-invisible colours of the piano. A feast of sound and sensations, this recording is unique in presenting all 24 ‘Preludes’ on a single disc.
Schubert’s sacred works rarely get an outing and these benedictory performances of two of his best-loved masses are here given refined and affectionate performances in echt-Viennese idiom by the superb Vienna Boys’ Choir.
Schumann’s fleeting ‘Arabeske’ is here coupled with two of the composer’s most passionate, autobiographical musings (‘Kreisleriana’ and ‘Fantasie’) in performances that range from quiet dignity to storminess from Wilhelm Kempff.
Warm and relaxed readings of two of Schubert’s best loved symphonies, this recording is completed with two of his most songful Overtures.
Taken from Anda’s much-vaunted complete recordings of Mozart’s concertos, Nos. 18 & 19 are here presented in performances that have held their sway for limpidness, clarity and unforced beauty.
