Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No 2; Concert Fantasy

Advantages: Beautiful, carefree winding melodies, memorable sequences, wonderful for the christmas season.
Disadvantages: Absolutely none.

...and up depending on the seating, and the overall calibre of the theatre. Tchaikovsky The man behind the Nutcracker, aswell as many other beautiful compositions is Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky was born in the remote Russian Ural mountains during 1840. He displayed an immense talent for music from an early age, and set about creating pieces in his own unique style. His style was to be a hub of inspiration for many later composers, it being vivid, sensual and hugely romantic. Like so many gifted persons of the time, his works were not to be fully appreciated and recognised till after his death in 1892. The media of the time shunned most of his works, even his fellow composers could find no kind words for Tchaikovskys then-unique style. So heavy was the criticism towards his first Piano Concerto he flew into despair, he begun... Read review

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Advantages: One of the most Romantic concertos around, full of beautiful melodies and passion
Disadvantages: over-recorded

...by the Moscow Philharmonic Society and conducted by Alexander Siloti with Basil Sapellnikov at the piano, was a huge success. Other new works presented at the concert also included the Cello Sonata, the cantata Spring, a piano prelude in G minor and the twelve songs of Op.21. The Concerto was dedicated to Dr. Dahl, and it is through this work that his name is best remembered today. The Second Concerto is cast in C minor, and it is this work that defined the sound of Rachmaninov for years to come. Gone were the more modern aspects of his First Symphony, and instead Rachmaninov created a virtuoso concerto in the 19th century Romantic tradition of Tchaikovsky, full of pathos, heart-on-sleeve romanticism and magnificently lyrical melodies around every turn. It is this pure melodic writing that appealed to the general public and established Rachmaninov... Read review

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Advantages: Everything you could ever want from a classical CD
Disadvantages: none

...Beethoven 5. Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 6. Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor Composed by Sir Edward Elgar 7. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov 8. Concierto de Aranjuez Composed by Joaquín Rodrigo 9. Swan Lake Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky 10. Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" in E minor Composed by Antonín Dvorák 11. Variations on an Original Theme, 'Enigma' Composed by Sir Edward Elgar 12. Sonata for Piano No. 14, 'Moonlight' in C sharp minor Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven 13. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in C minor Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov 14. Adagio for Strings Composed by Samuel Barber 15. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 21, "Elvira M in C Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 16... Read review

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