Posts tagged as "ludwig-van-beethoven"

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 8, 14 & 21

May 25, 2016

Peerless performances – both, deeply moving and fleet of finger – of three of Beethoven’s most popular piano sonatas. Radu Lupu, the ultimate poet among pianists, is a musician’s musician. His concerts are attended by capacity audiences who never cease to be amazed by the magic of his interpretations and his all-too-few recordings are gems. […]

Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas – Vol. 2

May 25, 2016

A compendium of marvellous performances from the grand old Beethovenian, Wilhelm Backhaus. These performances have all the gravitas traditionally associated with this pianist but also youthful fire in such pieces as the ‘Appassionata’. The three ‘big name’ sonatas frame two ‘little’ ones – the charming Op. 78 and 79, respectively  – ‘A Therese’ and ‘Alla […]

Aromatherapy – Vol. 1

May 25, 2016

Aromatherapy, the quiet moments of classical music. And the first volume, Music for Relaxation, offers a miscellany of classical pieces from piano (the first movement of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata) to orchestral music by Grieg, Elgar and Borodin.

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4

May 4, 2016

Herbert von Karajan’s famed 1960s recordings of the Second and Fourth of Beethoven’s symphonies. Of his recordings of the Fourth, the present one is perhaps the fiercest and the most obviously lyrical. Grecian and golden-toned, the spirits of Dionysus and Apollo held in a rapturous balance.  

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Choral Fantasy

April 29, 2016

A Beethoven extravaganza, coupling two of his works using the piano & other forces. The ‘Choral Fantasy’ receives one of its most powerful performances and the ‘Triple Concerto’ one of its most ennobling.

Homage to Fritz Kreisler

April 29, 2016

The first CD release of a recording that was a legend in its lifetime. Campoli was, besides his many concert-platform accomplishments, a salon violinist of the first rank and naturally this easy ability to switch between the two domains gave him the edge over many other violinists of his day in this charming repertoire. When […]

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8

April 29, 2016

There is a celebrated letter from the year 1810 in which Bettina Brentano enthuses to the poet Goethe about a recent meeting with Beethoven. ‘When I open my eyes’, Beethoven had announced to her, ‘I must sigh … I must despise the world which does not know that music is a higher revelation than all […]

Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies

April 29, 2016

The classic recording of the nine Beethoven Symphonies – Karajan’s 1960s effort – returns to the catalogue now on Eloquence at super-budget price.

Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 2, 5 & 9

April 29, 2016

A relaxed and eloquent ‘Spring Sonata’ contrasts with a lean and athletic performance of the ‘Kreutzer’ from two expert Beethovenians. In between comes the Op. 12 No. 2 – a sonata that greatly puzzled its audience at the time of its composition.

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6

April 29, 2016

Lorin Maazel’s early DG and Decca recordings were landmarks and this disc offers what is unquestionably two of the finest performances of these two symphonies. The Fifth has really thunderbolt impact and the Berlin strings and winds in the ‘Pastoral’ sing gloriously

Beethoven: Famous Overtures

April 29, 2016

Blazing and saturated sound – of the aptly-described ‘gold brick’ variety – characterises these celebrated performances of eight of Beethoven’s best-loved Overtures. All the favourites are there and the recordings have been stunningly remastered for this release.