Buxtehude: Membra Jesu Nostri

Advantages: Brilliant, stirring, excitingly unpredictable, fresh performance; "genius" is not hyperbole in Argerich's case.
Disadvantages: Reflecting its LP origins, the CD lasts only 50' 16"!

...-2 Some definitions… TOCCATA - [Ital.,=touched], type of musical composition. Early examples were written for various instruments, but the best-known form of toccata originated about the beginning of the 17th cent. Free in form, it was one of the first attempts at idiomatic writing for keyboard instruments, in contrast to the strictly contrapuntal pieces of the Renaissance. The toccata was usually rhapsodic, often interspersing rapid passages of brilliant figuration with fugal sections. Andrea Gabrieli, Frescobaldi, Sweelinck, Froberger, Buxtehude, and Bach were outstanding masters of the toccata style. Schumann wrote a toccata for piano in sonata form. As a brilliant showpiece the toccata persists today in organ composition. (from http://www.bartleby.com/65/to/toccata.html, Columbia Encyclopedia) - musical form for keyboard... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Lovely music that soothes the soul
Disadvantages: I certainly can not find any

...and quality of this youngster’s voice. It is stated that one of Charlottes favorite songs on this CD is Pie Jesu. Charlotte sings this in Latin and it is certainly soothing and a wonderful piece. Charlotte is a soprano which I usually don’t enjoy listening to songs song only by a soprano voice sorry gals, but a lot of times the high pitch just hurts my ears, but Charlotte voice is of such good quality and smoothness it perks my ears up to say wow I like what I hear. Unfortunately since I do not Latin I am not sure what the song is saying but it is still a delight to listen too. It is possible the reason this is one of Charlottes favorite songs is it helped get her discovered. She sang this song over the phone to some producers of a T.V. show who where running a talent search in her area and they immediately signed her up after hearing her sing... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great performances of popular favourites and some rare gems
Disadvantages: Barely none, with perhaps slight issues with sound.

...", the recording of the Gothenburg Symphony under Neeme Järvi is one of the best I have heard (as are the other rhapsodies in the set from which this has been taken from), being rich, sonorous, and jubilant. This is followed by Leroy Anderson's comical "The Typewriter," one of the numerous light pieces that Anderson wrote in his life, and features the tapping of a typewriter to great effect. It's a perfect "pops" lollipop and provides endless hours of fun after drinking a bit of… ummm… happy beveriges. Johann Sebastian Bach is represented by two pieces. "Jesu bleibet meine Freude" is not exactly that exilarating; it is not far removed from the usual string orchestra arrangement it is often heard in, this performance only adding what sounds like 2-4 trumpets for providing some accents. Of more interest is the legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful