Bach; Kurtág; Schubert - Quasi una Fantasia

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: Outstanding playing, interesting repertoire
Disadvantages: Full price disc

...This disc from Murray Perahia on the Sony label is quite simply one of the best solo piano discs to be released in recent years. Containing four Bach/Busoni transcriptions, excerpts from Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words and some of Liszt's transcriptions of Schubert songs, the disc shows off Perahia's astounding technique and musicality simultaneously. I've listened to this disc almost every day for the past two months and I'm STILL not bored with it! It seems to have a piece of music for every mood, from the upbeat, almost jazzy feel of the Bach to the sombre gallop of Schubert's Erl-King. This is the first disc of Perahia's that I've really got into - can't wait for his forthcoming disc of Bach's Goldberg Variations!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Superb collection of beautifully recorded pieces
Disadvantages: Nothing particularly abstract, few 'original' interpretations

...'t particularly wish to delve into the academic realms of study but is perfectly content being able to listen to it whenever able. This is to be expected of a compilation CD, though- it gives a taster of many different periods and whether as a new listener wishing to acquire some musical grounding or as a more experienced devotee the CD offers some superb recordings of well-known music. Some may salivate over the track listings; the Beethoven Sonata "Quasi una fantasia" (Moonlight), the Chopin "Emperor Piano Concerto", others may wish to avoid it due to the lack of 'less well-known' pieces. The educated listener may have preferred some Messiaen or a similarly understated composer to be brought to the fore, but to a casual listener or one wishing to build up a recognised repertoire there are fewer more crystal-clear recordings that all please the ear... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful