Mahler: Symphony No. 3
This live Third, taped by the BBC during a visit by the Berlin Philharmonic in 1999, is a welcome addition to the growing list of outstanding Mahler Thirds on CD, Bernstein's 'hot' version and Gielen's cooler one, among them. Abbado's new one is superior to his first go at the symphony, thanks to superb orchestral playing and a ripening of his interpretation of the work. He makes it sound as wildly revolutionary as it must have been to ... Regular Price : $25.98
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Dvorak: Symphony No9
This, the first of Leonard Bernstein's two recordings of this symphony, is vastly superior to his remake on DG. It's a vital, impulsive performance, with a daringly fast tempo in the Scherzo, and a very satisfying culmination in the closing pages. It's simply another reminder of what a reliable, and above all musical, conductor Bernstein was. This mid-price series, called 'Bernstein Century,' is a real collectors' edition. Great stuff.
Dvorak, in this symphony, invests his essential ... Regular Price : $11.98
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The Wedding Album
Most of the 'wedding' albums are filled with a 15 - 30 of the 50 or so greatest classical wedding hits. Sample the albums on line before you buy. In fact, if the budget is tight, you can do the whole selection process on line by just playing the samples. First consider the instruments that you plan to use - organ, piano, guitar, brass ensemble, whatever. The instrument of course will have ... Regular Price : $9.98
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Mahler: Symphony No9
Mahler's Ninth is the epitome of his symphonic writing. It is in four movements: a 30-minute, discursive but highly polyphonic treatment of several extended melodies and striking rhythmic motives; a 15-minute dance-like movement with three distinct themes in different tempos; a riotous, 13-minute scherzo that pits energetic motives against each other fugally; and a 27-minute adagio with a gorgeous opening that returns several times, each more powerfully scored than the last, only to ... Regular Price : $17.98
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Mahler: Symphony No. 5
Mahler called himself a 'summer composer,' writing most of his music in the countryside he loved during vacations from his duties as director of the Vienna Opera. His Fifth Symphony was composed in 1901 and 1902 in his new summer home at the lovely Carinthian Wörther Lake, just after his marriage to the famous beauty Alma Schindler. His happiness is reflected in the second part of the symphony: a tender, humorous, exhilarating Scherzo, (really a Ländler, that characteristically ... Regular Price : $16.98
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Amadeus: The Complete Original Soundtrack Recording
Director Milos Forman's rewarding 1984 film adaptation of playwright Peter Shaffer's Tony-winning play won no fewer than 10 Academy Awards (including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Director); only Wolfgang himself (and his filmic counterpart, Tom Hulce) seemed to get overlooked by the Academy. This expanded three-disc set contains all of Sir Neville Marriner's crisp, accurate readings of the excerpted Mozart symphonies, concertos, serenades, and operas (including marvelous portions of The Abduction of Seraglio, Don Giovanni, and ... Regular Price : $39.97
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Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 9/Overtures
This is one of the greatest recordings of the famous Ninth Symphony. It has long been overshadowed by Karajan's three recordings for the same label, as well as Bernstein's version with the same orchestra. But put them all on your CD player and compare, and this is the one you'll be coming back to. Böhm was the least glamorous of conductors, but he approaches the Ninth with messianic zeal and a fanatical gleam in his eye. The opening ... Regular Price : $17.98
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Tchaikovsky: Symphonies no 4, 5, & 6 / Karajan, Berlin PO
This moderately priced package gives you the best of Herbert von Karajan's Tchaikovsky performances, and when he was 'on' with this composer, he was very impressive indeed. These are exceptionally well played, exciting, even noble versions of the composer's three most popular symphonies, and although Karajan recorded each of them four or five times, this least expensive edition is still the one to get.
Generally DG's sound from this time period ... Regular Price : $17.98
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The Queen Symphony
Tolga Kashif is a London-based composer, and for this CD he has orchestrated some of the rock group Queen's songs into a six-section symphony. The effect is definitely more classical than popular. Kashif sometimes uses almost entire songs as the basis for a section, while at other times he takes a piece of a song here, a piece of a song there. He builds on these melodies in his own symphonic voice, which is closer to the Romanticism of ... Regular Price : $17.98
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Beethoven for Relaxation
This is a very good CD for anyone who likes to use classical music to unwind. I wouldn't recommend playing it while trying to fall asleep, as some of the tracks can be a bit loud and busy, but it is excellent when you just need a break from daily stress. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars rather than 5 is because if you are using headphones to listen to the disc, there is a problem ... Regular Price : $9.98
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