Adele

This is my new favorite CD. And not only mine, but people in my office have highjacked it as well. People who's musical tastes are completely different to mine love this CD. Can't wait for the next one.

Possessing perhaps one of the most gorgeous voices to come out of popular music in recent times, Adele is full of soul and (perhaps most importantly) heart. If you want a change from the Britneys, Kellys, even Beyonces and Rhiannas, do yourself a favor and give this profoundly talented songstress a good long listening to. Her music may lack the synthetic pop polish of most female artists these days but I do not find that to be a flaw in even the smallest way.

Personal Favorites:
* Track 12: Hometown Glory
* Track 1: Daydreamer
* Track 3: Chasing Pavements
* Track 9: Make You Feel My Love
* Track 8: Right as Rain

Least Favorite:
* Track 6: Melt My Heart to Stone - put here simply because it is my least favorite, but I do not dislike it by any means.

I first saw Adele when she made her appearance on Saturday Night LIve and I, literally, stopped ehat I was doing and listened to her voice with my mouth agape. Her vocal style is absolutely flawless...and she was actually singing (not lip synching). The next day, I bought the album 19 and was, once again, floored with the amazing tone of her voice and how all of her songs would simultaneously get stuck in my head. I found a few live performances including a Live Video she shot for "Melt My Heart To Stone" and she was even BETTER live than on her album.

She may get compared to Amy Winehouse, but Adele has such class and control of her voice, and her songs filled with such passion and feeling, that I think that soon, Amy Winehouse will get compared to Adele...and Adele will blow her out of the water!

I was thrilled to fine Adele. She's very talented and the more I listen to this CD the more I like it. She writes the songs, plays instruments and has lived the life she's singing about. I really like that she appreciates her chances at stardom and works hard. Anyone that compares her to Whiny Crackhouse is deaf. And what a huge insult to Adele. I'm a big fan Adele!

I am a huge fan of all 3 and have all of the albums. It is not fair to compare them as we all have. But for me Adele's 19 has the most to offer. I absolutely love 2 songs on both of Duffy and Winehouse's albums. I cant get enough of 7 out of the 12 songs on the album. She is also much more enjoyable on stage than the other two as well. I look forward to hearing more!
I would like it if all 3 would be a little more upbeat. It must be a Brit thing. Between Duffy, Winehouse, Adele and Imogen Heap makes you want to slit your wrists. But I still love the Brittish output of music of late.

For now, we'll have to make do with just one song from Adele, already a critics' favorite in the UK. Only 19, Adele's captivating voice suggests a much older chanteuse, the spirit of a long-ago torch/jazz singer transported to the modern age.

Adele has been dubbed the "new Amy Winehouse," and there are indeed some unmistakable vocal similarities (Mark Ronson even produced a track for her debut disc). But this new singer-songwriter has arrived at the station sans baggage; unlike Winehouse (who I do dearly love), there's no need to separate the musical product from the personal drama.

A friend described Adele's music as something both she and her father can enjoy. And therein lies the magic of this discovery, I think. Her full-length debut, 19, is set to be issued this summer by Columbia Records. Of course, if you like "Chasing Pavements," consider springing for the import--Adele's take on this new London Soul sound is worth every pound.

Hi I think this is a great song and she's a great singer, BUUT the cd took ages to come and I think $12 plus is way too much to pay for a single I thyought I was buying the album not happy

Adele is the latest (and perhaps one of the greatest) voices from the contemporary British blue-eyed soul movement. At age nineteen, this young woman has a voice filled with a maturity rarely heard in people twice her age. "Chasing Pavements" is sultry, expressive and melodious. It showcases Adele's flair for interpreting great instrumental and bringing it to life. I can't wait to hear more from her!

This is my new favorite CD. And not only mine, but people in my office have highjacked it as well. People who's musical tastes are completely different to mine love this CD. Can't wait for the next one.

Possessing perhaps one of the most gorgeous voices to come out of popular music in recent times, Adele is full of soul and (perhaps most importantly) heart. If you want a change from the Britneys, Kellys, even Beyonces and Rhiannas, do yourself a favor and give this profoundly talented songstress a good long listening to. Her music may lack the synthetic pop polish of most female artists these days but I do not find that to be a flaw in even the smallest way.

Personal Favorites:
* Track 12: Hometown Glory
* Track 1: Daydreamer
* Track 3: Chasing Pavements
* Track 9: Make You Feel My Love
* Track 8: Right as Rain

Least Favorite:
* Track 6: Melt My Heart to Stone - put here simply because it is my least favorite, but I do not dislike it by any means.

I first saw Adele when she made her appearance on Saturday Night LIve and I, literally, stopped ehat I was doing and listened to her voice with my mouth agape. Her vocal style is absolutely flawless...and she was actually singing (not lip synching). The next day, I bought the album 19 and was, once again, floored with the amazing tone of her voice and how all of her songs would simultaneously get stuck in my head. I found a few live performances including a Live Video she shot for "Melt My Heart To Stone" and she was even BETTER live than on her album.

She may get compared to Amy Winehouse, but Adele has such class and control of her voice, and her songs filled with such passion and feeling, that I think that soon, Amy Winehouse will get compared to Adele...and Adele will blow her out of the water!

I was thrilled to fine Adele. She's very talented and the more I listen to this CD the more I like it. She writes the songs, plays instruments and has lived the life she's singing about. I really like that she appreciates her chances at stardom and works hard. Anyone that compares her to Whiny Crackhouse is deaf. And what a huge insult to Adele. I'm a big fan Adele!

I am a huge fan of all 3 and have all of the albums. It is not fair to compare them as we all have. But for me Adele's 19 has the most to offer. I absolutely love 2 songs on both of Duffy and Winehouse's albums. I cant get enough of 7 out of the 12 songs on the album. She is also much more enjoyable on stage than the other two as well. I look forward to hearing more!
I would like it if all 3 would be a little more upbeat. It must be a Brit thing. Between Duffy, Winehouse, Adele and Imogen Heap makes you want to slit your wrists. But I still love the Brittish output of music of late.

A friend of mine got this for her son about 3 years ago and he's still listening to the stories. Its calming and interesting. Its great in the car. The story goes along with the movements of the piece and really brings classical music and a great story to children. I now get this for all my friends with babies and small children.

I was hoping for more music - there's just too much storytelling for my and my kids' taste. We love the Beethoven's Wig series and were hoping this would be similar.

Product arrived in ample time overseas and was pleased with quality of product!

i bought this item after reading some of the reviews on amazon for my nephews who are 2 and 4 years of age. two months after christmas their mom was explaining how they request the cd everytime they are in the car. she groaned when i was in the car and they boys wanted to show me how much they liked the cd. during the trip i witnessed a mother humming along to the music with her children, the boys singing to excerpts, and an overall execptional learning experience about music, culture, and history. if you are looking for something that all children will like, passes the time on a road trip, and teaches important lessons about life without being pretentious then get this cd, it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

This CD is awesome, the music great, the story captivating. But it's Mozart, you already know about the music. Other reviewers have already discussed the story and I agree with their assessments that it's very good. The reason for this review is to say that my very active, never stopping, constantly in motion 5 year old SAT DOWN AND LISTENED without fidgeting or fiddling for a full 20 minutes and then sat but fiddled for the remainder of the CD. Maybe this is not a big deal to moms of "normal" energy level children -- but this simple act of being still for 20 minutes moved me to tears. I said nothing before putting the CD in, I just put it in while he was doing his running around. Within seconds of hearing the story start he sat down on the floor, crossed his legs, and listened while looking at the speakers. I have never seen this behavior from my child before, ever. Please note that this is a child who is not ADD, he just cannot be still. He listens to hundreds of hours of stories we read to him -- while he's doing something else. He "watches" videos -- while he's doing something else. He reads, while clapping or tapping out the beat of the syllables. I cannot remember my child ever stopping what he was doing to JUST LISTEN. When it was over he said, "That was a cool story," and got up to run around. That was it, but that's high praise from this child. To see my child sitting still for a full 20 minutes, you cannot begin to imagine my awe. I am running right out to get the rest of the series! Bravo to the producers!

if you're looking for music that sounds like a soundtrack for a movie you'll forget in 5 minutes, buy this disc. this music is really bad. at one point a violin line sounds like a vivaldi rip off, and you know what stravinsky said about vivaldi: "vivaldi was a very boring man who wrote the same concerto over and over." in a nutshell, glass's compositions sound like a second year piano student playing appegiated triads over and over and over and over............

Albeit Glass is not for everyone (my girlfriend says he sounds like an alarm clock) but his minimalism (or more accurately, as he prefers, "theatre music") is accessible, simple and passionate. Glass provides marvelous music that sustains emotions for long amounts of time. His works are ideal for creative work (such as writing or painting) and I find that they are extremely inspirational and motivate me to draw or write sonnets.

Glass' violin concerto is the core of this selection and the reason why I bought it. Glass can be magnificently meditative at his best and Tasmanian Adele Anthony pulls this out brilliantly with the sort of pure tone and crisp playing this piece needs.

The problem is with the accompanying pieces. Company, which precedes and the two excerpts from Akhnaten, which follow, are fine in their way. In fact the Prelude to Akhnaten is one of the finest pieces of one of the finest operas of recent times. It's just that the trouble with Glass is that be can be so... well, repetitive. The filler works sound too much like the Violin Conerto to be paired successfully with them. If Naxos were to pair this off with something suitably mellow by another contemporary composer - say Rutter or Pärt - they'd have a much stronger proposition.

As a Belfast man born and bred, I might be biased, but the Ulster Orchestra and their principal guest conductor Takuo Yuasa gave a good enough account of themselves here, and given the super budget price of this CD, the competition would have to be something special to justify the extra cost.

I am a huge Philip Glass fan. At the same time, I realize that his work is not for all tastes. Working in the minimalist style, Glass' music is a unique sound experience. For those who are not familiar with his music, Naxos publication of Company, his Violin Concerto, and the overture and dance from Akhnaten, is a great, nonthreatening introduction to this composer. Company is a collection of four short pieces that are meditations on death, played by a string quartet. His Violin Concerto is the highlight of the CD, and the Second Movement is to date one of my favourite pieces of his.

My first encounter with the Glass Violin Concerto was in the form of a dance piece devised by the fringe choreographer Mavin Khoo.The Glass worked brilliantly within this context but i doubted it would stand on it's own without the marriage with movement.
I was proven wrong as i've found the whole piece arresting from start to finish.Glass's trademark minor key arpeggiations sound marvellously idiomatic on the soloist and the slow movement is deeply affecting without being sickly sweet in any way.
Quite unexpectedly (I generally go for the more hard line modernist stuff)i've been won over so this Naxos CD is definitely a good place to start if you've never heard a piece of this guys music.
'Company' and the 'Dance' from Akhnaten are rather plodding by comparison with the Violin concerto but the Akhnaten prelude has a mysterious aura which immediately alerts ones attention.

This is my new favorite CD. And not only mine, but people in my office have highjacked it as well. People who's musical tastes are completely different to mine love this CD. Can't wait for the next one.

Possessing perhaps one of the most gorgeous voices to come out of popular music in recent times, Adele is full of soul and (perhaps most importantly) heart. If you want a change from the Britneys, Kellys, even Beyonces and Rhiannas, do yourself a favor and give this profoundly talented songstress a good long listening to. Her music may lack the synthetic pop polish of most female artists these days but I do not find that to be a flaw in even the smallest way.

Personal Favorites:
* Track 12: Hometown Glory
* Track 1: Daydreamer
* Track 3: Chasing Pavements
* Track 9: Make You Feel My Love
* Track 8: Right as Rain

Least Favorite:
* Track 6: Melt My Heart to Stone - put here simply because it is my least favorite, but I do not dislike it by any means.

I first saw Adele when she made her appearance on Saturday Night LIve and I, literally, stopped ehat I was doing and listened to her voice with my mouth agape. Her vocal style is absolutely flawless...and she was actually singing (not lip synching). The next day, I bought the album 19 and was, once again, floored with the amazing tone of her voice and how all of her songs would simultaneously get stuck in my head. I found a few live performances including a Live Video she shot for "Melt My Heart To Stone" and she was even BETTER live than on her album.

She may get compared to Amy Winehouse, but Adele has such class and control of her voice, and her songs filled with such passion and feeling, that I think that soon, Amy Winehouse will get compared to Adele...and Adele will blow her out of the water!

I was thrilled to fine Adele. She's very talented and the more I listen to this CD the more I like it. She writes the songs, plays instruments and has lived the life she's singing about. I really like that she appreciates her chances at stardom and works hard. Anyone that compares her to Whiny Crackhouse is deaf. And what a huge insult to Adele. I'm a big fan Adele!

I am a huge fan of all 3 and have all of the albums. It is not fair to compare them as we all have. But for me Adele's 19 has the most to offer. I absolutely love 2 songs on both of Duffy and Winehouse's albums. I cant get enough of 7 out of the 12 songs on the album. She is also much more enjoyable on stage than the other two as well. I look forward to hearing more!
I would like it if all 3 would be a little more upbeat. It must be a Brit thing. Between Duffy, Winehouse, Adele and Imogen Heap makes you want to slit your wrists. But I still love the Brittish output of music of late.

Of course there should have been much more. I remember there been a Metropolian Opera series called CAST ALBUMS- 100 YEARS that was put out for a limited time only and had like five volumes.
As Peter Filichia noted they left out SHE LOVES ME, BRIGADOON and SWEENEY TODD. Also nothing from PACIFIC OVERTURES, BIG RIVER, CHESS, CRAZY FOR YOU, JEKYLL & HYDE, TITANIC, THE SCARLET
PIMPERNEL, FOOTLOOSE- THE MUSICAL, THE FULL MONTY, URINTOWN...
But they couldn't have put it all. I would have done without Lee Remick's
"Anyone Can Whistle", because the show was a flop. I guess because it was Sondheim's first "serious" show...

The first three discs were only OK. I had forgotten how much better the later Broadway musical recordings were. The last two discs were very good, maybe because I could relate better to the shows or perhaps the productions were better.

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

This is an excellent set of Mahler's symphonies, the Kindertotenlieder, three Ruckertlieder, and the adagio of the tenth. But these are not the only Mahler symphonies conducted by Bernstein, and Bernstein is not the best. but if you want to get all of them at once, this is the way to do it. I think Bruno Walter or Herbert von Karajan might be better, and there is a new set that David Zinman is working on right now.

I have other recordings of the first, second, fifth, sixth, and eighth. So of these I can give more educated criticisms.

The first is impressive, and I like it more than Zinman's. I can hear more in Bernstein's than in Zinman's.

In the second, the singing starts off sounding like a rubber band. I know this is an odd comparison, but I can't think of anything else. I remember being more impressed by Zubin Mehta's and Bruno Walter's recordings than this one; although Walter's chorus isn't great either, it is due more to the recording than the chorus.

The fourth movement of the sixth is more effective than the fourth of Karajan's, but I like Karajan's first three movements better than Bernstein's.

I prefer Solti's eighth much more than Bernstein's, the chorus is much louder and more awake sounding in Solti's.

The ninth is probably Mahler's greatest symphony, but by no means my favorite. The first movement is beautiful, the second is lively, the third demonic, and the fourth peaceful. I think this is just the effect it is supposed to have.

If you already have individual symphonies, I would not recommend getting this set, but if you have little or nothing by Mahler, then this is a good investment. One irritating thing is that most of the symphonies are seperated into many different tracks (28 for the ninth). This is alright if you are listening straight through or if you know when a movement starts or stops, but if you are new, it might be annoying.

In general, I don't find "complete symphonies" of anybody with the same conductor satisfying overviews (exceptions that break the rule, Beethoven: Karajan's from the 1960s, Harnoncourt's, and Furtwangler's compilations which include the wartime Eroica from Berlin and the Pastorale from his return to the BPO concert). Conductors as a rule are better at some than at others. Specifically with Mahler, I need to admit that I don't like all the symphonies equally, nor do I find any one conductor doing them equally as well, so overall, I suggest don't get this box but look for individual items. Let's take one symphony at a time:

First: not one of my favourites, I think it's very loud. Bernstein brings out the klezmer aspects which are cute, but perhaps more subdued highlighting would be enough. It's the "Titan," not the "Jewish" symphony. The performance I enjoy, given that I'm not a fan of the work, is Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orch which includes the Blumine movement (excised by Mahler after the premiere), and shows the later Philadelphia sound at its best.

Second: The earlier movements of the symphony are insufferable, as well as parts of the last.... just when you hope Mahler is through with gaucheries, along comes another embarrasing little march. Notwithstanding shortcomings, by the time the chorus comes in, it becomes sublime. No one can top Klemperer/Wilhelm Pitz, serious music making at its best. Abbado from Lucerne a close second. Rattle from Birmingham a refreshing third.

Third: Have not heard fabled Horenstein, so regrettably, not part of this survey. Otherwise, Abbado from Vienna (Jessie Norman), slower, Abbado from Berlin (Larsson),a bit sprightlier, Essa Pekka Salonen from LA (Larsson), great clarity and passion. This is one of my favourite Mahler symphonies.

Fourth: Reiner with the CSO and Lisa della Casa, to my knowledge his only Mahler symphony, and a great one it is, lyrical and powerful. This symphony has lovely moments, even if the end is a bit saccharine/silly, nonetheless, it is quite fine. Bernstein on DG is fine, but having a boy soprano (Alan Bergius, whom he also used in live concert with the VPO in New York) just doesn't work and is distracting.

Fifth: Another of my favourites and hors de concours go to Karajan. He totally commands the structure of the entire piece and brings it all to bear in the climactic conclusion. ..... a stunning, moving job. Barbarolli is more leisurely but persuasive in a somewhat muted way. Bernstein brings his sense of drama to this sprawling work, very effective in individual parts but does not convey a feeling that one has travelled a musical journey from the first note to the last. The later recording is preferable to the NY Philhamonic.

Sixth: For a budget price incredible buy, there's George Szell with the Cleveland in a live performance who keeps you at the edge of your seat. It's Tragic going on Hysterical, but a thrill to hear. Karajan excels as do Bernstein and Boulez.

Seventh: I've yet to fully make this symphony work for me. Nonetheless, Abbado with the BPO does as much for it as I have been able to grasp, closely followed by Boulez. Bernstein makes much drama out of the music which to my ears, just makes it sound even more hollow, to paraphrase WS much sound and fury, signifying nothing. To summarize my feelings about this symphony, it sounds like a second rate, ingenious composer trying to write a symphony that will sound as if by Mahler. I've changed my mind about specific pieces of music in the course of my life, but every time I've heard this symphony, even with renowned conductors and orchestras, it reinforces what I have felt in the past.

Eighth: Solti and the CSO recorded in Vienna. No one comes close. The Veni Creator movement noisy and musically messy as always and as with everybody. Once we get to Goethe it is sublime.

Ninth: Karajan's live performance with the BPO is powerful verging on sublime. An entirely different approach, with double underlining whenever he can, Bernstein's ONE performance with the BPO is the best ninth he ever recorded. Extraordinarily moving overall, except some accents to which one reacts: Lenny no, it's just a bit too much, nonetheless a great performance. His with the Concertgebouw is also fine. The Walter/VPO is a must for historical reasons and it is a good performance, even if orchestral discipline is spotty.

Tenth: Rattle seems to have staked a claim on this reconstructed work and does quite efficient work with it. However, I am very fond of the Ormandy version (the first ever made of the Cooke fleshing out). He conducts it as a feast for Phildelphia Sound..... and succeeds splendidly. It's a joy to hear and endures repeated hearings.

Das Lied von der Erde: With a deep historical bow to Kirsten Thorborg, Kathleen Ferrier, Patzak, Walter and the VPO, in more modern sound we have three superlative recordings, each with Christa Ludwig, who probably understands this music better than any other solo around, and for the longest time had the richness, intelligence, heft, evennes, and tessitura to do it full justice: Klemperer with Wunderlich, Karajan with Kollo, and, on DVD with Bernstein with Kollo and the Israel Ph. from the Vienna Kontzerthaus. The DVD is particularly moving. Nan Merriman with Eugen Jochum, and Maureen Forrester with Reiner are also fine options.

Thus, don't settle on one conductor....... there was Mahler before, during and after Bernstein. My reluctance to endorse Bernstein wholeheartedly, though I find much to appreciate there, is that the hyper-emotionalism more often than not is episodic, thereby taking from the musical structure of the pieces as a whole and, ironically, thereby diminishing their emotional impact. I guess it all becomes too much about Lenny and not about the piece.

Recorded 1960-67, this is the first complete cycle of Mahler's numbered symphonies (1-9 + no. 10 Adagio), and, as such, an essential purchase. Add Bernstein's 1966 classic recording of Das Lied von der Erde (Decca), and you get a piece of recording history: the development of the Mahler boom in the sixties.

How do these recordings stand today? The interpretations of the third, fourth, and seventh are very fine, even exceptional, and, despite their age, the recordings are sonically impressive as well. NYPO plays marvellously. The seventh, in particular, is a reference disc.

The remaining recordings are not really for the desert island, however. The fifth, for instance, is very unsuccessful and badly recorded too. Bernstein's later account on DG is clearly an improvement. The same holds for the second symphony, which you also find on DG in a later, much improved and moving interpretation. But here we have also a crowded field of classic performances, such as Klemperer's second (EMI) and Walter's fifth (SONY). Both are preferable to Bernstein's recordings, old or new.

The first, sixth, eight and ninth are quite good but not exceptional. No one beats Kubelik's first (DG). Mitropoulos (BMG Great Conductors) and Barbirolli (EMI) own the sixth. The eight - well, here we have Horenstein (BBC) and Mitropoulos (Orfeo) as classic, first choices. And for the ninth, Ancerl (Supraphon), Barbirolli (EMI), Klemperer (EMI) and Walter (SONY) sound far more attractive and fresh than Bernstein's mannered account.

If you're a collector this box is of course essential - regardless all critical considerations. But if you just look for an excellent and consistent Mahler box, go for Gary Bertini's cycle on EMI, which you get for a super-bargain price. It's a contemporary and future classic.

Thus I recommend a pick of individual Bernstein SONY CDs: the third, the fourth and the seventh. Add his seventh, sixth, fifth and second from his DG recordings, and his 1966 Das Lied von der Erde (Decca). These recordings are what I take to be the "essentials" of the Bernstein Mahler legacy.

I think is very important for a Mahler Fan to hear carefully all his work. This compilation allows you to enjoy that experience. A better sound quality for some symphonies could be a great plus, but you have to consider that this is a remasterized old record.

Leonard Bernstein just express the true passion that Mahler put on his work. It's incredible that (using the 8ve Symphony as an example) with fewer instruments than in the Abbado version, the feeling is even better. Simply outstanding.

Great price, great compilation. Lot of Mahler.

Most buyers aren't in the market for a complete Mahler cycle by a single conductor, but if they were, the two from Bernstein contain many great performances. I've reviewed the contents of this Sixties cycle on Sony and the later one from the Eighties (contianing many live performances) on DG, taking them one symphony at a time. But it's worthwhile to give a sense of the strongest and weakest parts of each set.

Cycle #1:

By general consensus the performance of Sym. #3 is one of the glories of this cycle and perhaps the most inspired Mahler condcuting Bernstein did on disc. It has all the freshness of discovery--LB was new to Mahler in 1961. Sony's 20-bit remastering makes the original analog sound quite good. In fact, there's no need to fear the sound quality of these NY Phil. recordings, none of which are bad. Expect the deep sound stage and wide stereo separation that Columbia Records favored at the time.

Bernstein also put his stamp on Sym. #7 in such a way that no one would ever hear it the same again. Previously, 'The Song of the Night,' as this work was dubbed, had almost no life either on disc or the concert stage (a Mahler champion as prominent as Bruno Walter never performed it). Not only did LB prove that this was coherent music, he made an unforgettable drama out of the Seventh. This is his signature recording of the work.

Two other great performances stand out: Sym. #2 and #4, each rendered with amazing imagination and a huge range of emotions. The accusation that LB went over the top in the Second is unjustified--he is often tender and delicate--but there's no doubt that he takes an apocalyptic view of the finale. Whatever you think about his approach, he single-handedly revolutionized the way that the Resurrection Sym. was played. In Sym. #4 the classic recording was by Bruno Walter, but LB added more depth, imaginaiton, and excitement. Lyric soprano Reri Grist has come in for a good deal of criticism in the vocal finale, but I think she fits beautifully into LB's overall conception.

In the middle of the pack, as it were, we get LB's readings of Sym. #1 and #9. He went on to conduct greater readings of both works, especially the Ninth. In person LB's First was a real showpiece, but somehow Sony's sonics are not up to the conductor's vision. In the cse of the Ninth, the NY version would qualify as an outstanding performance if there weren't so many truly great ones from Karajan, Bruno Walter, James Levine, and Barbirolli, among others. Bernstein himself would add two of the greatest, both on DG.

I find a few problems wiht Sym. #5, #6, and #8 in the first cycle. For many critics all three are great recordings. For some reason, I have never warmed up to either of LB's versions of Sym. #5, where for once he does manipulate and exaggerate to the point that the spirit of the work seems lost in histrionics. Sym. #6 is too brisk in the first movement to let the music expand to its visionary potential, and in the other movements Bernstein seems less expressive than he could be. The Eighth is unmathced in the excitement and joyousness of Part 1, and for some listeners the whole symphony remains on that exalted level. I find that LB is too studied in Part 2, and my attention wasn't held. He does elicit very beautiful singing and playing, however. It should be noted that this performance is with the London Sym. and a host of fine English singers.

To the end of his life Bernstein resisted Deryck Cooke's completion of the Tenth Sym., agreeing to conduct only the shattering Adagio. which Mahler had essentially finished in full score. Bernstein's reading with the NY Phil. is one of the most searing accounts this magnificent fragment has ever received, equaled by his later live reading with the incomparable Vienna Phil.

Cycle #2:

It should be said right off that DG's digital sonics are in a different league from what LB got in New York. Even though several venues were involved (Vienna, Amsterdam, New York), and many recordings were under live concert conditions, the DG engineers triumphed. They favor closer mike posiitons, solo highlighting, and a vivid sound stage compared to their predecessors in New York. As to the interprettions, with a few exceptions--the most prominent being Sym. #6--Bernstein did not drastically change his views from the first cycle, and in some cases the readings feel almost identical (Sym. #2 and #7, for example).

The most interest centers on the works where LB clearly outdoes his younger self. At the top of the list I would put Sym. #6 and #9. In the former he achieved one of the classic Mahler reacordings of the modern era. His Sixth has slowed down by 2 min. in the first movement, giving the music room to expand properly. The Andante is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The finale is an explosion of genius on Mahler's part that LB resonates with perfectly. Almost the same can be said of the Ninth, where the conducting reaches deeply moving areas of expression. The finale is drastically slow (as is Levine's, to similar devastating effect), which some critics find excessive. But it's a truism that no tempo is right or wrong; everything depends upon being drawn into the world of the music. LB achieved a great Ninth but would surpass himself with a live performance from Berlin in 1979, also on DG.

Almost as great is Sym. #1, which on DG receives a flawless performance packed with excitement. I'm not sure that LB's reading actually changed, but the superlative sonics and the spine-tingling playing of the Concertgebiuw weren't matched in New York.

The next thing to ask is where Bernstein fell short of his earlier versions. The Sym. #2, #3, and #4 from New York were one of a kind, representing LB's early and most exciting explorations of Mahler's world. Their counterparts on DG are also strong, but I don't think they rise to the heights he achieved earlier. The only sharp criticism I have is with the use of a boy soprano in the finale of the Fourth; musical as he is, a boy is too undeveloped to capture what Mahler intended. It should be said, however, that if the earlier NY versions didn't exist, these would be outstanding performances.

I feel much the same about Sym. #7, where LB's first recording set a standard that only two or three rivals have come close to, but his DG remake, which was a return to the NY Phil. in oncert from Lincoln Center(as are Sym. #2 and #3), feels fractionally less overwhelming. It's in better sound, however. The one symphony I can't compare is the Fifth, which doesn't satisfy me in either cycle. The DG version with the Vienna Phil. convinces many listeners, and some critics call in unsurpassable, but I am not on its wavelength.

That leaves Sym. #8, which Bernstein didn't live to record for commercial release. DG reached into its vaults for a live 1975 radio tape from Vienna, and although it has flaws in execution, including some rough singing in Part 2, LB's conducting is superlative, more ocmpelling than his version from London. Paired with this symphony is a 1974 reading of the Adagio from Sym. #10, also with the Vienna Phil. As you'd expect, it's an inspired, searing reading, just like the NY version.

How ot sum up? If money were no object, I'd own both cycles for the pleasure of Bernstein's unqiue inspiration. If I had to pick and choose, I'd take Sym. #2, #3, and #4 from New York, Sym. #8 from London, and the rest form the DG cycle.

It's only natural we sometimes hit the high seas....make that Cs. This is one box set about which we sing praises. This set features more than two hours of the finest music from across the centuries by such composers as Schubert, Chopin, Mozart, Handel, Stravinsky and Glass. The set also comes with a 562-page illustrated book, detailing the lives of hundreds of composers, a
glossary of musical terms and a unique guide to the classical music used in 360 top films.

Naxos is a fabulous label -- you will not get samples of the best classical music through the ages at no better price. These tracks are as good as any of the over-priced major orchestras and in some cases better. This is a great starter set for a beginner or anyone who just wants to "taste" the classics. If you prefer Opera I would suggest the A to Z of Opera -- most of the tracks on A to Z Classical are orchestral. I was so impressed with this collection that I purchased the Discover the Classics Vol's 1-3 which will give you a more detailed look at the great classics. Take a look at the Naxos web site at NAXOSUSA.COM -- what you will see will blow your mind -- there are literally thousands of pieces that you could listen too!

This is pretty much a CD version of a mini-Naxos and Marco Polo catalog. All the pieces and extracts are ordered chronologically on the 2 CDs and are of very acceptable quality, but don't expect excellence in every track. Personally, I was particularly disappointed with one of my favourite Pachelbel pieces. The Naxos Canon & Gigue lacks all the emotion of my favourite versions.

Still, any possible weaker performances are of little importance after you get your hands on the fat booklet with over 500 pages. The booklet offers a short intro about the great composers, a glossary of musical terms, a list of works used in films and dozens of illustrations of several composers.

Overall, at this price, this is a must-have pack for any beginner, and might be useful for the occasion "quick check" of the work of many composers. Do not expect many detail, nor references to all the works of some composers; I often got frustrated with the lack of detail in some cases, but in general, the booklet is very effective for a quick reference.
You will need more titles that offer more complete information, and you won't truly learn to love classical music just by reading it, but it is small and compact.

It really puzzles me why Naxos did not include a full index of composers, a serious omission. To find a particular composer you will have to look for it yourself in over 500 pages. Also, the separation of the text is not so good, making the search even a bit slower. The lack of the index is truly annoying and I am sure it will be corrected in future editions.

Even with a few weaker pieces and the lack of the index, at this price, there isn't much to argue about. This is truly a bargain that you should not miss. I would also recommend the A-Z of Opera, which offers a bigger booklet with over 700 pages, focusing on opera works and mentioning several composers that are absent from the A-Z of Classical. That other booklet has a very complete index, and much clearer text layout and separation, that's the way both booklets should have been designed.

The two sets complement each other very well. Highly recommended.