Beethoven & Mendelssohn: String Quintets

Advantages: Haunting, passionate music to get lost in.
Disadvantages: It's classical and this puts people off before they even try it.

...It is entirely due to Floon’s enthusiastic review of Schubert’s Quintet that I am writing this. I was browsing the classical reviews seeking some recommendations to try and happened upon this. I only have one example of Schubert in my collection (Rosamund) and quite enjoy it so thought I would give this a go too. So off to the Library I went and returned clutching The Raphael Ensemble’s superb rendition of the String quintet. Oh joy – Oh heaven I seem to have hit the jackpot of chamber music. Schubert’s life is the quintessential example of the romantic notion of the neglected genius who dies in obscurity. An entire generation passed before his most substantial achievements even saw the light of day. The quintet is among them. It was one of his last works written only weeks before he died at such a tragically young age of 31. Although... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Great music, fantastic value for money and fine performance
Disadvantages: Onepiece with slightly overbearing clarinettist...?

...for the totally amazing price of just £3.99. Wow! That's the cost of 2 Unhappy Meals at McD's - and the music will give a lifetime of enjoyment rather than chronic indigestion and a place on the NHS waiting list for your local cardiology ward. I was especially pleased at my "bargain", as the combination of music on the CD is a little unconventional with the result that out of the 4 pieces, I was thrilled to realise that I didn't have recordings of 3 of them, which made it an even more spectacular buy. Whilst Beethoven and Schubert are mainstream classical composers, their music as featured here is from the much less frequently heard fringes of their compositional output and as a result definitely well worth exploring. The Mendelssohn Octet on the other hand, is far better known and often performed or broadcast - but fits perfectly... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

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