Paganini/Saint-Saëns: Violin Works

Advantages: Makes you feel like a viking god !
Disadvantages: You get arrested for breaking the speed limit ;-)

...Yngwie J Malmsteen is a virtuoso guitarist. Those who appreciate classical music may love what he has to offer - try Paganini at 100,000 watts! Pure classical genius and a real athlete on the guitar! Yngwie uses a style of playing originally meant for the violin that lends itself so well to the guitar. Paganini's violin playing was painstakingly worked out to push the violinist to the limits of physical endurance and concentration and gave forth such an aura of power that people thought he was in league with the devil! If you imagine this classical skill in the possession of someone with the spirit of a viking coupled with today's modern technology and a crowd that is "moved" to a state of trancendental appreciation - you have an Yngwie J Malmsteen concert. I like it - if you buy one album of his, make it this.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: A definite easy listen
Disadvantages: Maybe too easy

...exactly say im 'into' it, i jus fancied a change. Its a good CD if u want to relax or for background music if u have sophisticated dinner parties! Not one of the most used CDs iv bought. In fact i only listen to it about once evry 2 months so it isn't exactly excellent value for money. Below is a list of the tracks incase ur interested. The CD is priced around £19.99 and available from most music stores such as HMV and Virgin Megastore. CD 1 Vivaldi - The Four Seasons Pachelbel: Canon JS Bach - Air 'on the G string' Mozart - Ave verum corpus Handel - Largo JS Bach - Jesus bleibet meine Freude Mozart - Clarinet Concerto Beethoven - 'Emporer' Concerto Mascagni - Intermezzo Bruch - Violin Concerto Rutter - The Lort is my shepherd Saint-Saens - Aquarium Holst - Venus Chopin - Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor Faure - Pie Jesu Shostakovich... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Beautifully sung and played. Gorgeous seasonal treasure
Disadvantages: Very heavily cut

...This is a glorious work and my Christmas listening is incomplete without it. The recording is first rate with wonderful soloists and fine playing. My only gripe is that it is very heavily cut, with probably about a third of the total running time missing. King Herod fares particularly badly, with only one verse of his show steeling helentenor aria included. The ballet music (very much in the style of the Bachanale from Saint Saens' 'Samson et Dalila') is also sadly missing. I sang first Shepherd and Zarathustra in the 2005 New London Opera Group production and realised just what a powerful piece it is. However, for all my gripes about cuts, this piece really needs to be more widely heard. If you don't have a lump in your throat when the third shepherd gives the baby Jesus his mittens, you have no soul!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful