Amazon.com essential recording

Don't let the startling double-time opening of this Gloria putyou off--listen with an open mind and you'll be surprised at how much sense itmakes. Rinaldo Alessandrini's reading has many such surprises; some movements aretaken very quickly, others surprisingly slowly, yet his choices seem freshinstead of perverse. The Magnificat is lesser known and thus lesssurprising, but it's every bit as lively. The soloists all sing nicely (althoughBiccire doesn't blend well in the soprano duet); the clear-voiced York andvigorous Mingardo provide imaginative ornaments. The excellent French chorusAkademia and Alessandrini's orchestra don't miss a single one of Alessandrini'sbeats. --Matthew Westphal ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Gloria buy
This Gloria is the same as Amazon recommend as an essential on that special page but it has another front, is cheaper in price (a bargain) and an extra disc too (at least my copy has an extra disc).

Gloria starts VERY fast but Allesandrini give us a very special Gloria with great singing (and he slow it down after a while... tempi is probably something you find veryy odd, special but he seems to give us a new great dimension of this work AND it works). This must be one of the best Gloria versions out there.

Magnificat was a big surprise for me never heard before and it is gorgeous, splendid performed.

Sound and overall quality is superb. This was my first Opus 111 set (record company) and I am more than satisfied.

Awesome
i am 19 years old and i usually don't buy classical music but i have wanted lately to get into some classical music. so i ask our classical guy at my work for a good CD that had vocals on it. and he gave me this CD. and i was blown away with what i heard. the vocals go so well with the music that it is hard for me to stop the CD. this is truly a great piece of work. a good buy and it is only $8. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent representation
This a wonderful collection of recordings from a by-gone era, and one that for some was the true "Golden Age of Singing." Whether the singers were really all that much better than those we have today is debatable. However, it can never be said that singers of this time period were without personality, or sang like the faceless impressions we often are subject to enduring today. Schumann-Heink was a GOlDEN AGE singer. Her's was a voice to be reconned with. Many great singers took her as a role model, including Rosa Ponselle. Her technique was excellent (even if it was not perfect, but then, what we are getting by the time of these recordings is really a voice not in its prime, though still incredible), and her interpretations legendary. It is said that at her last performance on stage, in Wagner's Das Rhinegold (she sang Erda) that the listeners listened with such amazement that even after her character had sunk into the earth, it took many moments to return one's throughts to the goings on at hand that were transpiring on the stage.

Schumann-Heink was a large woman, and because of that fact, many stories have ciculated, even in respectable musical writings, about her inability to stop eating, of knocking down orchestral players to get through because she was so wide. Even seeing her photos of her career, one never sees anyone of that magnitude of obesity. Research has proven the stories false.

When one studies her life, one is awarded with the real struggle this woman went through to become the "Great Schumann-Heink" she would become (and her struggles weren't all musical; imagine having sons fighting on opposite sides during WWI). Her apprenticeship was LONG, and she did sing many bel canto roles for a lot of years (and a lot of other "Fluff") until she really took off. Of course, we know her now mostly for her Wagnerian interpretations. Even though she was a very large woman, she could act, and well. Few commentators commented much on that aspect of her performances; it was usually her voice, and the richness of it, the fullness of the sound, the power of it, and the depth of emotional intensity it conveyed.

For those of us who have come to understand past singers only through the written word, it is so nice to have recordings of one to see just what everyone was talking about. This collection really does give us a good picture of what Schumann-Heink was capable of doing. Of course, the sound quality, though exceptional for remasterings of this sort of recording, is horrible. One must listen through hisses, scratches, and all that. Yet, in spite of everything the old recording technology did to rob us of a real impression of this singer, the qualities she brought to music come through, like a ghost from a distant land informing us of some great thing from a forgotten age.

Unlike many reissuings of old recordings, this one comes with a wonderfully informative booklet, translations, and well, everything we would expect. We are not left in the dark at all. That is very helpful, especially for those who are buying such reissues out of curiosity and not a long detailed study of the life of the singer. You get the chance to really get to know about this singer, her time frame in the history of music, and the music she is singing without having to spend years going over dusty old books and newspaper clippings to learn this or that small detail. I think the booklet is really first rate, and is a great help to those who are just coming to these old recordings out of a desire to just hear what it was all about.

As for collectors, well, this is definitely something you should be adding to your collection. It is a wonderful documentary in sound of a wonderful career of a completely fascinating woman, and a woman who in a sense was the "great mother" of all Americans, especially at Christmas time when her singing of "Silent Night" was considered an American Institution.

2cd Set Showcases Golden Age Contralto's Long Career
Perhaps better than any other cd set available featuring the recordings of Mme Ernestine Schumann-Heink, this Stanford Archives Series 2cd Set is a treasure trove of beautifully transferred selections, from the first 1900 recording to the live performance of "Stille Nacht" made just before her last Christmas in 1935 and introduced by the artist herself! A stunning live performance (January, 1931) of the St Paul aria "But the Lord is mindful of his own" is most remarkable for its clarity and fidelity, often lacking in the recordings of Golden Age singers!

The career is beautifully represented with all of the favorite lieder and operatic selections and very little of the scratch, hiss and thumps that come with vintage recordings. An added bonus is the informative booklet with lyrics and translations of the selections.

For the serious collector of recordings of Golden Age singers, this is an essential album! The voice and personality of the singer ring thru every note and her personal comments. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Sung by an Angel.
Food for the soul,no matter how corny.
As a 20-something,non-religous person is it gratifying to have this to fall back on when faced with everyday life and all the hazards it brings.
What did the singers those days have that's so visibly absent from today's?
Definitly not better technique or better recording enviroments.
Could it be be that they were more well-rounded artistically,and that they had the space and TIME to do what they passionately believed in?
Were they allowed to delve a bit deeper than the ones today?
Coming back to the CD.
Some people slag de los Angeles off as a soprano that should'nt have happened.But how could it not when you hear the'simpatico'and womanliness in that voice.
Her German and English isn't idiomatic,but give me her spontanous chirping on the opening lines of Handel's'So shall the lute and harp awake'anyday,compared to the bland offerings today!

Pure Delight
"...for perfect, really grand tradition, exquisite, almost divine singing, go to Victoria de Los Angeles in 'Baroque and Religious Arias,'" said Robert Levine in the January 1997 issue of Classical Pulse. And I cannot agree more. After listening to her Mozart, you wonder why her Mozart performances have been so under-represented on discs. Testament has done a tremendous job in bringing this extraordinary artist's buried treasures from the EMI archive. And one looks forward to more. Any documentation of her Elsa, or Donna Anna -- roles she is known to have performed? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good disc of choral music for beginning classical listener
This disc contains short works and movements from bigger works by famous composers from the Renaissance era (Allegri and Palestrina), Baroque era (Bach and Handel), and the Classical era (Mozart). Most of these works are well known among seasoned classical fans and some have achieved the status of being overplayed (Handel's "Messiah," Bach's "Mass in B minor," Allegri's "Miserere mei," Mozart's "Requiem," and the original choral version of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," usually heard in an instrumental arrangement of some kind).
Some of these versions are not quite at the level of many more famous recordings, but I think they are decent enough if you're not ready for an entire work.
Sampler discs like this one will most likely not appeal to hard-core classical fans, but this disc should be perfectly satisfactory for someone who is looking for a cheap overview of some great choral works of the 17th and 18th centuries. Lastly, some sampler discs don't have full movements, only snippets. This one contains the full movements. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Thoughtful, Passionate Bach
King is a baroque passionate nut! He is so into this, that it comes out in his conducting.

This is just outstanding performance on period instruments with wonderful choir and soloists.

The pieces are never hurried, but this interpretation is clear, clean, flowing, balanced and nuanced.

Especially into the well done Adagio from the Concerto in C minor for oboe and violin, and the magnificent organ work on SInfonia to Cantata 169.

You'll be dazzled by this collection of this colossus of music.

Wonderful
The King Consort, under the direction of Robert King has done an excellent job on this recording. This is what Johann Bach's music is meant to sound like. The interpretations are thoughtful, intelligent, and alive. Not a note is missed, overdone or rushed. The performances will captivate you and leave you in amazement of just how great composer/genius Bach was. The sound quality is great - you will feel as though the choir is there with you and you will feel the true beauty and spirit of this music. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Impressive, entertaining Masterpiece--Not just for Xmas.
From beginning to end, this Oratorio is extremely well-played & consistently entertaining. It nevers flags or fails to impress.

If the guy did nothing else, this would be his masterpiece.

Often the excellence of the performers is awe-inspiring.
A bit expensive, but at over 70 minutes a disc, this is really a piece of work. It runs 2 hours, 27 minutes and I get caught up in listening each time I put it on. A+ ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Baroque collection - everyone should have this!
This is a remarkable collection of Baroque music. I've heard a lot of Baroque music and I am very discriminating about performance and sound quality. This set is a winner and a fantastic bargain... Somehow they've managed to choose what is truly "best" from the period (for example I've always felt Bach's Brandenburg Concertos # 2, 3, 5 were the best of the six, while 1,4,6 were relatively weaker - and lo and behold this collection includes 2,3,and 5) while missing very little if anything that "should have" been here (of course a 10 or 12 CD collection would have been even better, but you have to stop somewhere).

The performances here are excellent, and the recording quality is very high. I disagree with the person who claims this isn't "audiophile quality", because I don't think it could get much better unless it were on another medium such as SACD. I didn't particularly notice coughing on Handel's "Messiah" but Messiah fans would likely prefer a complete performance of that particular work anyway (the excerpts from Messiah here are complete pieces, but this set doesn't include the entire 2 hour or whatever Messiah). These do not sound like "outtakes", what kind of a comment is that? Somebody worked very hard to put this collection together, and they did a fantastic job (and I have zero affiliation with this, I just feel the truth as I see it should be told).

Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" is presented in it's entirety (ok, it's not the entire Vivaldi Opus 8, but it is the entire Four Seasons as normally found on any "Four Seasons" CD). There are so many great works here, which a lot of people will recognize even if they didn't know the actual piece or composer (or even that it was from the Baroque era). There's even the Mouret fanfare made famous as the "Masterpiece Theater" theme music. Yes this is a great "introduction" at a great price - which might get people to explore Baroque music further, but it's also a fairly complete collection which will suit a lot of people as such (i.e. for everyone who appreciates most any type of music these works should be "essential", but also the 4 CD collection might be all that a casual listener would "need" from the Baroque era). I feel that most people would be thrilled with this set; about the only way it might have been better would be to include information about each piece and about the Baroque era in general (there is no "text" at all with this set).

Entry level baroque
Nice cheap way to get into Baroque music. Unfortunately it's not the best recording you can get but it should be adequate enough for a non-audiophile. I've been unable to bring myself to listening to it again since I noticed that someone coughs in the background (very noticeably) during Handel's Messiah. Wonder if this is an outtakes CD. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Cape Canaveral of Baroque Music
The world of baroque music is its own fascinating cosmos, and one of its leading cosmonauts is Andrew Parrott, who, with his ensemble Taverner Players in full strength, has here returned to earth, so to speak, to build a perfect starting-ramp for others who might be interested in joining him in the vast reaches of 17th and 18th century harmony. Together with Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” (which Parrott has recorded twice, both for EMI and for the Japanese label Denon), the music recorded here (in 1987 at London’s Abbey Road studios) is possibly the most accessible and definitively the most popular of the baroque period and is guaranteed to take anyone listening to it into orbit and probably also on a journey that will introduce him to many other baroque composers who, for reasons of space and time, cannot be included on this disc. Handel’s “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” from the oratorio “Solomon” and his “Harp Concerto” (here wonderfully played by soloist Andrew Lawrence-King) provide an irresistible entrée; these are followed by some short extracts from music by Henry Purcell, Britain’s short-lived Restoration genius. In similar vein, there is Pachelbel’s “Canon and Gigue” in a delightfully clear interpretation; then, last but not least, excerpts from some of Bach’s cantatas, including the ever-present “Sinfonia” from Part 2 of his Christmas Oratorio and also the chorale “Jesus bleibet meine Freude”, better known in English as “Jesu, joy of man’s desiring”. The brilliant quality both of the original-instrument playing and the audio sound are surely just what is needed to win hearts and minds for this glorious musical epoque. If you are new to the baroque, buy it and enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Bach renaissance--which began in earnest in the early 19th century thanks to the efforts of Felix Mendelssohn and others--inspired an endeavor of far-reaching significance. It led to the founding of the Bach Society in 1850, with the goal of gathering and publishing the composer's complete works, and thus set into motion one of the great projects of musical scholarship.That effort has continued and been refined throughout the 20th century, ultimately influencing not only our perception of how to perform early music but fundamental ideas of musical history, evolution, and reception aswell.

Teldec's mammoth Bach 2000 box set represents a kind of culmination of that original attempt to come to terms with Johann Sebastian Bach's unparalleled legacy. This set brings together performances recorded over the last several decades--a small percentage of the recordings are previously unreleased--of all the extant works determined by modern scholarship to be authentic.There are also some pieces the authorship of which is still in question and a few now deemed "inauthentic" but familiarly associated with the composer.Bach was a prodigious reviser of his compositions, and alternate versions of a particular work have been included "where the changes seemed sufficiently important," such as the glorious Magnificat. No doubt manuscripts will continue to be unearthed here and there in various archives (Bach 2000 contains, for example, the "Neumeister chorales," which were rediscovered in 1984), but the set does not represent the many fragments of music that consist of just a few bars; however, there are some reconstructions of lost concertos (such as one for three violins reconstructed by Christopher Hogwood from an extant concerto for harpsichords).

Of course a truly comprehensive recorded edition of every note Bach wrote remains a utopian impossibility--about one-third of his cantatas, for example, have not survived. Even so, the dimensions of Bach 2000 are staggering.With its 12 boxes comprising 153 CDs, the set can be compressed into fewer boxes to save shelf space yet is still about ten times as long as the Ring cycle. (It should be noted that the packaging--using thin cardboard sleeves for the CDs--is distinctively unattractive.) That adds up to just under 160 hours of music--but a lifetime of discovery. Each box (grouped according to genre) contains a booklet with excellent notes on individual works and--for all the choral works--texts and translations. Tracking indexes are useful and thorough. Also included is a profusely illustrated hardbound volume of 24 Inventions, in which journalist Wolfgang Sandberger uses the composer's biography as a peg for some enigmatic and fascinating musings on the meaning of Bach today.

The presiding philosophy behind this project and its approach to musical interpretation can be largely ascribed to Nikolaus Harnoncourt, a true musical pioneer and galvanizing force of the "period performance" movement. Harnoncourt's epoch-making recordings of the sacred cantatas (using, for instance, boy sopranos and choristers according to the practice in Bach's time) with the Concentus musicus Wien and colleague Gustav Leonhardt comprise the first four volumes here (those who already own them can turn to the Bach 2000 Light edition, which contains everything sans the cantatas).These recordings--which were not remastered for this set--have long been controversial and are notably uneven, embracing some magnificent accounts as well as others that lack fire and seem clearly underrehearsed. But Harnoncourt is one of the most fascinating conductors of our era, and his interpretations amply bear out his assertion:"I have never felt that Bach worked in a routine manner, that he repeated himself in his works." Harnoncourt--who has articulated many of his ideas in his book The Musical Dialogue--displays his gifts as a cellist in a remarkably probing performance of the Cello Suites (originally recorded in 1965) and in his concertizing for a number of chamber works. For theSt. Matthew Passion, you get Harnoncourt's groundbreaking earlier account from 1970, while his 1986 recording of the sublime B Minor Mass is also represented here (the St. John Passion included is Harnoncourt's 1995 acount).

Other artists included are colleague Gustav Leonhardt, whose thoughtful if occasionally dry harpsichord artistry is heard in the Goldberg Variations as well as in the concertos and chamber music. The harpsichord is in fact used throughout in preference to piano for the keyboard works. Ton Koopman (himself the conductor of an ongoing complete cantata series and of the Easter Oratorio included here) performs the organ works, including some newly recorded offerings, while Il Giardino Armonico's well-known high-energy account represents the Brandenburg Concertos.Violinist Thomas Zehetmair is exceptionally compelling in the unaccompanied sonatas and partitas, and the Concentus musicus Wien--again under Harnoncourt--perform a superb Musical Offering that richly repays frequent listening.

The result of Bach 2000 as a whole is an aptly encyclopedic grappling with the infinite legacy of this most compendious of composers, whose works are on one level a summation of all the styles available to him. Bach was once thought to represent a "terminal point" (to use Albert Schweitzer's famous formulation), the end of an era; today he is at least equally recognized as a fertile source of inspiration for composers since. To be sure, individual recordings of particular works will be found to be preferable, and it would be misguided to consider Bach 2000 any kind of "final" or "definitive" word. Instead, it's an indispensable starting point that represents a monumental achievement for our own contemporary understanding of Bach.--Thomas May ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Treasure Trove
This set is the culmination of several decades of work on the part of the West German record label Teldec (formerly known as Telefunken-Decca). With their early-music subdivision Das Alte Werk (similar to DG's Archiv or Decca's L'Oiseau-Lyre), Teldec have been in the forefront of exploring the world of period instruments and authentic performance practice, with special emphasis on the works of J.S.Bach. The lion's share of recordings here was originally made for Das Alte Werk, with the odd exception here and there licensed from other labels in order to fill in the gaps. The centerpiece of the set is the famous recording of the 199 church cantatas by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt. If you're not familiar with the cantatas, there's a whole world of drama, color and expression right here waiting for you. You'll also be surprised to learn how many of the "tunes" you know from popular arrangements, like "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Sleepers Awake" are actually movements from cantatas. The names of Harnoncourt and Leonhardt pop up again and again; they were both mainstays of the Teldec roster. Leonhardt gives us his 1965 Goldberg Variations on a Dulcken harpsichord whose every tone is like a bell, and Harnoncourt's "home" recording of the Cello Suites (never intended for general release) shows the ferment of a great musical mind. Ton Koopman gives us his provocative and controversial re-thinkings of the organ works, and Thomas Zehetmair's performances of the unaccompanied violin sonatas and partitas are like dramatic scenes spoken by a solo violin. Here are the uniquely bizarre Brandenburg Concertos by Il Giardino Armonico; the rhetorical and transparent performance of the motets conducted by Harnoncourt (perhaps his best-ever recording); Leonhardt's relaxed and smiling versions of the harpsichord concertos; Alice Harnoncourt's tawny, leonine performances of the sonatas for violin and harpsichord; Harnoncourt's chiaroscuro-filled performance of the Christmas Oratorio, and so on. This set is one of the most worthwhile CD buys you could make. You will never be bored with this to dip into over the years.

147 out of 153 ain't bad!
Having listened to the complete set, I can confidently recommend it, if you would use a complete set of Bach's works.

If you really like Bach, it is well worth getting. You will read disparaging reviews which will tell you that there are better performances of individual works. But this is a great opportunity for a Bach lover to get very good versions of his entire oeuvre.

In the set of 60 CDs of sacred cantatas, there are about 6 duds, which feature out of tune boy sopranos! If you are not crazy about sacred cantatas, you can buy a set which omits them, which may be advised!

I love the version of the Mass in B minor, though it is very different from our set by Munchinger [which we really enjoy].

The Brandenburgs are great. THe first movement of the first concerto is a knock out! Very brassy and bombastic: quite different from the 3 or 4 other versions I have previously enjoyed.

We are a piano family and have many CDs of Bach keyboard works played on piano [though we also have the Well Tempered Clavier on harpsichord and clavichord] The keyboard performances in the set are all on harpsichord and are lively and very enjoyable.

It takes some getting used to the authentic Baroque flute performances: especially occasional out-of-tuneness. But these are also interesting and musically played.

If you would use a set of all of Bach's extant works, it is a great choice. It is competitively priced and I love the packaging.

An important and wonderful recording.
This is one of the most important releases of all time. All of Bach's music recorded and in one package. There are many extraordinary performances here. But even the mediocre performances still provide us with the ability to hear and love Bach's amazing music.

If you have the money, buy this set and you can spend the rest of your life listening to it. Bach's music will transform you; it is one of the most beautiful achievements of mankind.

booger
I hated it. Only in the 20th century could we overkill an artist like Bach and package his art so plastically as recorded music. Teldec would be better off publishing all of the Bach music and selling that....for nothing is more real than live music. That's how you "get into Bach's head".

It is beautiful music. Its not only for experts.
I grew up trying to play a guitar, adoring the Beatles and The Doors. Now jazz and classical music has my attention. I love good music. This is good music. I don't think Bach ever did a crummy song. You don't have to be an expert ear to enjoy Bach. This HUGE CD project takes a year to hear...I'm almost half through it. If you plain love Bach, this is a fabulous collection. Some of the critics must have the type of ears that hear minute faults. Or they actually learned to play an instrument. I didn't. I just can't get enough of Bach! This music covers religious singing (in German, that adds to the mystical quality) that is definitely cathedral choir quality- it sends shivers through me - and operatic music, grand organs, polyphonic and counterpoint orchestral melodies that sound intelligent and clever and miraculous to me (I had to ask someone who knew about music about what the parts that I love are called). I'm one of the musically ignorant, but I'm glad I bought this. It is GRAND music. Turn it up and enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Worth its weight in gold
I purchased a boxed set (5 cds) over 6 years ago and my family never tires of the absolute beauty in this set. I have given this boxed set as a gift many times. I see that it is not available in a boxed set at present, but each cd is more than worth its weight in gold. They are absolute bliss. ... Read more