Bach: Brandenburg Concertos, 1-3; Suites - excerpts

Advantages: Beautiful relaxing music. Rich instrumentation. Played with passion.
Disadvantages: Not all instruments are from the period.

...If I was ever asked to select my "desert island discs", top of my list would be Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. (I wonder if there's a category in the ciao café?. . . ) The six Brandenburg concertos, each with their distinct quality and sound requiring a different combination of instruments, are not only a delight to listen to but exemplify the intellectual musical genius of their composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. All six are composed in major keys creating and maintaining a cheerful, vivacious collection. The modulations of key demanded by the baroque conventions are skilfully completed and Bach's predilection for numbers and ornate touches are evident. I could say more but this isn't a musical analysis . . . I am not alone in my high estimation, The Brandenburg concertos are now probably the best loved and most frequently performed works... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Everything you could ever want from a classical CD
Disadvantages: none

...by Aaron Copland 47. Die Walküre Composed by Richard Wagner 48. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in B flat minor Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky 49. (6) Brandenburg Concertos Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach 50. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in D minor Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov 51. 1812 Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky 52. Symphony No. 9, 'Choral' in D minor Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven 53. Carmen Composed by Georges Bizet 54. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5, 'Emperor' in E flat Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven 55. Pomp and Circumstance Composed by Sir Edward Elgar... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: everything
Disadvantages: nothing

...:39 3 Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov: The Flight of the Bumble-bee 4:24 4 Antonio Vivaldi: Allegro (La primavera (Le Quattro Stagioni)) 3:05 5 Georg Friedrich Handel: Zadok the Priest (Coronation Anthem No. 1, HWV 258) 6:01 6 Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.3 BWV 1048: Allegro 5:15 7 Ludwig van Beethoven: Allegro con brio (Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67) 6:32 8 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Rondo (Allegro vivace) (Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat major, K495) 3:32 9 Johann II Strauss: An der schonen, blauen Donau, Op.314 3:45 10 Edvard Hagerup Grieg: Allegro molto moderato (Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16) 4:25 11 George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (1924) 4:38 12 Gustav Holst: The Planets: Jupiter - excerpt 4:47 13 Sergei Prokofiev: Montagues and Capulets (Romeo and Juliet, Op.64) 1:50 14 Peter Ilyich... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average not helpful