Bach, CPE: Sonatas and Fantasias

Advantages: A definite easy listen
Disadvantages: Maybe too easy

...- Romance Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Elgar - Chanson de matin Beethoven - Pastoral Symphony CD 2 Mozart - 'Elvira Madigan' Piano Concerto JS Bach - Sheep may safely graze JS Bach - Keyboard Concerto No 5 in F minor Handel - Water Music Vivaldi - Concerto for lute and two violins JS Bach - Aria Grieg - Piano Concerto JS Bach - Double Violin Concerto Monteverdi - Beatus vir Chopin - Etude in E 'Tristesse' Elgar - Serenade in E minor Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No 2 Barber - Adagio for String Faure - In paradisum - Schubert - String Quintet Faure - Berceuse x-x-x... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: MacGregor's chameleon-like arrangements render every piece interesting, appealing.
Disadvantages: She remains in obscurity in the US.

..., ghostly, hollow sounds that seem to emanate from the vast interior of a ship's hull sitting on the bottom of the sea. An actress speaks Hungarian phrases (both Hungarian text and English translation are found in the CD booklet). For those in desperate need of a few safety lines to the familiar to hang onto amid a sea of seemingly strange creatures, MacGregor includes a number of works that will definitely satisfy the "regular" listener. There's the relaxed and beautifully performed bit of J. S. Bach (1685-1750) in the Allemande taken from the master's Partita No. 4 in D major (whose liner notes consist solely of a short Rumi poem, the briefest of the lot). The Forlorn Hope Fancy of John Dowland (predecessor of Bach, 1563-1626) sure fooled me into thinking it was simply another fugue by the Baroque giant. In MacGregor’s words, it’s a "fantasia... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Soothing,relaxing,calming :)
Disadvantages: None

...around you, without you feeling you need to give all your concentration and energy to the piece. I'm going to mention the most recognisable tracks on the disks, just to give you a taster of what relaxing tracks are here. Disk 1: Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves: Everyone knows Greensleeves! And no, Henry VIII didn't write it! This version is a string orchestra and harp at the start, and is followed by extremely delicate woodwind and is just beautiful. Einaudi: Le Onde: Ludovico Einaudi is becoming more popular with performers and players- his hypnotic piano music is very easily recognised and it's used in some TV adverts. Franck: Panis Angeligus: This is sung by the well known and well liked Lesley Garrett and is a sacred choral work which I'm sure a church choir near you would have sung it at some point! Disk 2: J. S. Bach... Read review

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