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Haydn: Complete Piano Trios

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
from: Universal Classics

November 11, 1996
These works for piano, violin and cello have been greatly neglected for various reasons. Starting with Robert Schumann's negative comments of Haydn, these works along with many other masterpieces of Haydn have suffered all through the 19th and 20th century from scholarly and performer's neglect. They include more than a dozen masterpieces, neglected basically because they were considerd to be simply accompanied piano sonatas or written in what was considered to have been an old-fashioned style, where the cello part reproduces the piano part( a carry-over of the basso-ostinato) or simply accompanies the piano part.Historically this is because in the time of Haydn the pianoforte was weak in the bass and needed reinforcing. And they have been ... Read More:

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Solo Piano

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Philip Glass

March 10, 2003
Metamorphosis is a masterpiece. All five songs leave you breathless. Would not suit people with prejudices on what classical music has to be. This is purely expressive, sad, and devastating but quiet melodies, where simplicity and minimalism were meant to be.

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The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the World

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Cambridge King's College Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovak Symphony Orchestra, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

June 06, 2005
My knowledge of classical music is not so advanced, but it is a breed of music you must learn to appreciate if you get what I mean. I am to keen to expand my knowledge of classical music, so buying this album is a great starting point. Classical music is a breed of music which existed long time ago and is really old fashioned, but a real pleasure to listen to. It is very much instrumental orientated. You can hear the piano, violin or the flute with their distinctive sounds in the background.

The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the World is an excellent album featuring and honouring the talents of all the major acts to embrace their names in classical music combined in four CDs. Remember The Four Seasons, Fantasia, Concerto For Two ... Read More:

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Elgar: Enigma Variations

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
from: Deutsche Grammophon

June 12, 1990
Norman del Mar was a much-loved and usually very effective conductor. He recorded very little, which is a pity, but his reputation was never front-rank whatever his qualities, and it's names that sell records of familiar repertoire. So it is very nice to have this excellent account of 'Enigma' backed by these spirited marches. The Variations are beautifully played and very well characterised with well-judged tempi and phrasing that is neat and/or lyrical as required. When I first heard the recording (on the radio years ago) I did not know who was conducting and immediately thought of some very big names. Well, del Mar wasn't one of those, but this is still one of the best versions in the catalogue.

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Una Mattina

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Ludovico Einaudi

September 06, 2004
Absolutely beautiful! I was first interested by Einaudi's work after hearing Dietro Casa in the concluding scenes of This Is England. Waited a couple of minutes and the credits revealed the artist and song. I haven't stopped listening to his work since. I am gutted to realise that he has recently been to the Royal Albert Hall, and that i missed it. Here's hoping for a hasty return to England...

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Bizet: Carmen

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Teresa Berganza Plácido Domingo Claudio Abbado

March 07, 2005
Not too impressed with the quality of the recording... I was really hoping for something MUCH better than that. If someone could recommended a brilliant audio recording of Carmen that would be just fantastic. This one lets me down I think. The singing is "top-drawer" though.

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Mozart for Your Mind

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
from: Philips

July 08, 1996
This is a great introduction to Mozart and some nice musical masterpieces that will just help you unwind! However, this CD will not do any better or worse job than anything by Mozart - and I would recommend a collection compiled by Teresa Berganza, Sony. It is affordable and quite extensive.

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Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Various


It has to be said that all(non live) recordings of Le Mis have their faults.For one thing they cannot re~create the atmosphere of a live performance(as these discs do).
Not only that,this recording gathers together the best of (many) Le Mis casts from around the world,and manages to give us the electric feeling that a staged performance does.
Add to this the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,which reveals the true emotion,breadth and sweep of Boublil & Schonberg's wonderful score.
As a sidenote,I don't quite know what disc of Le Mis(previous reviewer) Mr Oram was listening to.I have just listened to both discs on headphones(which are merciless for showing up recording faults) and can find none.
If anything can be described as ... Read More:

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Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Hvorostovsky, Vargas, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007]

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
starring: Renee Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ramon Vargas, Valery Gergiev, Elena Zaremba
directed by: Robert Carsen

February 04, 2008
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Hvorostovsky, Vargas, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007]

For me the great qualities of this performance conducted by Valery Gergiev are completely undermined by the staging.

As an opera lover that welcomes modern interpretations (I appreciate the majority of the Zagrosek "Ring") this is just plain misguided.

The costumes are traditional and the sumptuous ball gowns are so enormous the dresses appear to be wearing the singers, nevertheless a joy to behold.

The stage set is an unchanging bare cube made up of three panels and augmented by the odd piece of essential furniture for each scene, and in the first act with a thick layer of (plastic?) autumn leaves ... Read More:

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Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Various Artists, Richard Wagner

May 25, 1998
This is a two-CD collection of some of the finest orchestral moments in Wagner's operatic repertoire. It is in many respects the perfect introduction to the power of his music.

The first CD focuses on "music of power, conflict and death" (as the blurb states), whilst the second concentrates on "music of love, ecstasy and redemption". We can all take this with a pinch of salt, of course, but that is not to deny the power of the music.

The extracts are from the Deutsche Grammophon and Decca catalogues, featuring top orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and the Philharmonia, conducted by the likes of Karajan, Bohm and Sinopoli.

It's not a perfect collection. For example, many of the tracks are extracts from larger ... Read More: