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Maria Callas at Juillard: The Masterclasses
from: EMI Classics
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Rubinstein Colection, Vol.37 - Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor/ Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
from: RCA
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Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas
from: Nimbus Records
: :Rather than present the sonatas in chronological order, each disc is refreshingly arranged as a mini-program that juxtaposes contrasting works. While Bernard Roberts doesn't quite command the flexible technique of Sviatoslav Richter or the individual point of view set out in cycles by Schnabel, Arrau, Kempff, or Yves Nat, those wishing a super-bargain Beethoven cycle will not be disappointed. --Jed Distler
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Beethoven: Complete Symphonies
from: EMI Classics
: :Rather than present the sonatas in chronological order, each disc is refreshingly arranged as a mini-program that juxtaposes contrasting works. While Bernard Roberts doesn't quite command the flexible technique of Sviatoslav Richter or the individual point of view set out in cycles by Schnabel, Arrau, Kempff, or Yves Nat, those wishing a super-bargain Beethoven cycle will not be disappointed. --Jed Distler
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Haydn: Complete String Quartets
: 's Best of 2001:A massive set--67 string quartets on 21 discs in a budget-priced, shelf-friendly, compact box. So the obvious question is: do you need it? The equally obvious answer is a resounding 'yes' if you love these endlessly inventive quartets and if you appreciate superbly played performances that capture both the letter and the spirit of Haydn's genius. The Angeles String Quartet isn't as well known as some ensembles that have recorded complete Haydn sets, but they are superior to all, with the arguable exception of the Tatrai Quartet. They demonstrate technical ...
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Complete Webern
: :Pierre Boulez's Complete Webern Edition appears just over two decades after his last traversal. Well, it's not literally complete, but does have enough early works to set the mature ones in the right context. These days, Webern is no longer seen so much as a new music guru as he is a major composer, pure and simple--his expression as concise as it is intense. Performancewise, there's a quality of musicianship here that few previous recordings have matched; familiarity with the idiom certainly plays its part, but so does Boulez's belief that what we're ...
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Haydn: The 'Sturm und Drang' Symphonies
from: Archiv Produktion
: :Pierre Boulez's Complete Webern Edition appears just over two decades after his last traversal. Well, it's not literally complete, but does have enough early works to set the mature ones in the right context. These days, Webern is no longer seen so much as a new music guru as he is a major composer, pure and simple--his expression as concise as it is intense. Performancewise, there's a quality of musicianship here that few previous recordings have matched; familiarity with the idiom certainly plays its part, but so does Boulez's belief that what we're ...
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Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 45
from: RCA
: :Rubinstein's is not the only way to play Chopin. Ignaz Friedman, Cortot, Horowitz, Wild, Cherkassky, and others have given us Chopin performances of incredible artistry and individuality, but Rubinstein's more objective interpretive stance set the model for succeeding generations of Chopin players. This welcome reissue from RCA's monster set of the pianist's complete recordings helps explain why his Chopin is still revered. The 1959 version of the Ballades is memorable thanks to his big, bronze tone, subtle rubato, and ability to make the keyboard sing like a great operatic diva. The great G ...
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Artur Rubinstein - The Chopin Collection: The Nocturnes
from: RCA
: :Whether you are a musical scholar in search of artistic perfection, or an ordinary soul wanting to create a romantic mood, this complete collection of Chopin's nocturnes delivers. The nocturnes, which by definition are dreamy, pensive compositions, are fully realized by Artur Rubinstein's indescribably delicious interpretation. He captures all the fantastic imagery with crisp, dynamic playing, never once entering the realm of bathos. A must-have for any classical collection worth its weight in G clefs. --Barbara Eisner Bayer
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Miklós Rózsa: A Centenary Celebration
from: Varese Sarabande
: :Whether you are a musical scholar in search of artistic perfection, or an ordinary soul wanting to create a romantic mood, this complete collection of Chopin's nocturnes delivers. The nocturnes, which by definition are dreamy, pensive compositions, are fully realized by Artur Rubinstein's indescribably delicious interpretation. He captures all the fantastic imagery with crisp, dynamic playing, never once entering the realm of bathos. A must-have for any classical collection worth its weight in G clefs. --Barbara Eisner Bayer
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Diesel vehicles have nearly a 50-percent market share in Europe, thanks to tax incentives and diesel-friendly legislation across the EU. Diesels are so passé there that you can buy a BMW 730d and no one will think it odd that your luxury car burns oil. Pull up in a diesel 7-Series in America and people would leer at you like you've alighted from an amphibious vehicle reeking of saltwater and dead trout.