Can there be a more prodigiously gifted and versatile musician in the world today than Daniel Barenboim? Symphonic and opera conductor as well concert pianist, recitalist, chamber musician, Lieder accompanist par excellence, the Argentinian-born Israeli Renaissance man of music is also one of the most extensively recorded artists of all time. Sony Classical is proud to present the first complete retrospective collection of his albums for CBS/Sony Classical and RCA Red Seal on 46 CDs and DVDs. Barenboim the pianist made his first commercial recordings in 1958 and soon began documenting his refreshing, vital interpretations of Mozart and Beethoven on disc. Before long he had added conducting to his already intensive musical activities, in 1965 beginning a close relationship with the English Chamber Orchestra. Much of that collaboration is to be found in Sony’s vast new set, notably Mozart concerto recordings in which Barenboim’s deep understanding of the composer is placed in the service of violinists Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman. Soon Barenboim was conducting virtually all the leading European and American symphony orchestras. Among the ensembles spotlighted in the new collection is the London Philharmonic, with whom he made a series of distinguished Elgar recordings, including “a red-blooded passionate performance” (Penguin Guide) of the Second Symphony: “The playing of the LPO is superb throughout and the orchestra responds to Barenboim’s every whim … Music seldom brings actual tears to my eyes, but I confess that the playing of the very soft last bars, from the molto lento, did” (Gramophone). Another treasurable Barenboim/LPO project found him partnering the legendary Arthur Rubinstein in the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos (when his own recording as a soloist accompanied by Otto Klemperer had already become a catalogue landmark). Of this 1977 Grammy winner for “Best Classical Album”, Gramophone wrote: “Have the Beethoven concertos ever been better accompanied, if accompaniment is the right word? … In each work [Barenboim and the orchestra] provide an opening tutti of such weight, richness of characterization and beauty of sound that the entry of the soloist, so splendidly prepared for, comes almost as an anti-climax. It is a little while before even Rubinstein's personality can match the splendour of the scene which has been set for him.” The list of Barenboim’s other remarkable collaborations in this set is too long to be detailed here. A few examples must suffice: with Itzhak Perlman, the Brahms Violin Sonatas – not only on CD, but now for the first time on DVD; with Isaac Stern, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (New York Philharmonic) and Saint-Saëns Third Concerto (Orchestre de Paris); with Jacqueline du Pré, the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra; with Pinchas Zukerman, the Elgar Violin Concerto (London Philharmonic) – “a reading which gloriously combined the virtuoso swagger of a Heifetz with the tender, heartfelt warmth of the young Menuhin. Barenboim is a splendid partner” – and viola soloist in Berlioz’s Harold in Italy (Orchestre de Paris); with John Williams, guitar concertos by Rodrigo and Villa-Lobos (English Chamber Orchestra); and with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Mahler song cycles (Berlin Philharmonic). The wide range of symphonic works in this collection finds Daniel Barenboim conducting Tchaikovsky’s Fourth (New York Philharmonic); Beethoven’s Seventh from the legendary 1989 Berlin Wall concert , Schubert’s “Unfinished” and Berlioz’s “Fantastique” (Berlin Philharmonic); and Schoenberg’s Pelleas und Melisande (Orchestre de Paris). Barenboim the soloist can also be heard in piano concertos by Brahms (with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic) and Beethoven (conducting the Berlin Philharmonic himself from the keyboard). There’s also a large-scale choral work, the Berlioz Te Deum, in an imposing recording made in St. Eustache with Orchestre de Paris forces. The video releases in the new collection are especially enticing. As already mentioned, there is a first DVD release of the Brahms Violin Sonatas with Itzhak Perlman, coupled with Brahms’s Horn Trio (with the Chicago Symphony’s famed Dale Clevenger). And Barenboim’s unusually imaginative and varied Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert from 2014 – one of the most highly praised of these occasions in years – is also included on DVD as well as CD. The Times of London remarked on its special qualities: “Recent New Year’s Day concerts have been flat affairs, but the champagne spirit flows freely in Daniel Barenboim’s second stint on the podium… The plums (encores apart) are a seductive Tales from the Vienna Woods (Johann II) and a gorgeous ‘Moonlight Interlude’ from Capriccio”, while Presto Classical wrote: “Despite his associations with more heavyweight Austrian composers, Barenboim never overplays his hand and has the idiom absolutely off-pat… he shapes and paces things quite beautifully, revealing all sorts of detail.”
A**H
Truly Wonderful Set
I bought this box set largely on account of the De Pre/Barenboim Elgar Cello concerto which most people might already own but which is also in this box set and I am not disappointed by the contents. The box is very sturdily built and the CDs themselves have the titles of the tracks on the proper cardboard sleeves so when stood with that side up it is easy to locate a particular recording without reference to the booklet. The CDs are also listed on the bottom of the box which has a sturdy lift off cover. The CDs are in original type sleeves with the LP style notes on the back that are hard to read without a glass. The CDs are a lovely work of art with LP stying and original RCA/Columbia labels. The booklet contains all the details needed as to when the recording was made and originally released.It gives the impression of being very professionally put together and I am pleased to say the music lives up to the quality of the presentation.I particularly liked the 5 Beethoven Piano Concertos with Arthur Rubenstien on Piano and the same composer's Voilin Concerto with Isaac Stern.There is a lot of Elgar, not just the aforementioned Cello Concerto, but also both Symphonies, Enigma Varations, Sea Pictures and a memorable Serenade, all of which greatly pleases this Worcestershire based reviewer.Schubert fans will love the set of nine symphonies as well.There are three DVD's which are largely duplicated on the CDs but nice to have especially the one recorded in Berlin after the fall of the Wall.If you buy this set I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Andrew Smith
A**N
Is it worth to add another box on your overload self? Definetly yes.
Definetly yes and this box set deserved to self anyone who do and do not appreciate classical music.The 7 cd of Elgar is worth the price for f this box set.The sound is crystal clear and you will enjoy it.Listen to the piano sound of Beethoven piano concerto.If you chose the content of 15 cd then buy the box set.Excellent box set and there are so many on the market and this is worth it.Highly recommended.
N**E
Classic tracks, excellent records are not complete but cheap
It is a collection of good quality, worthy of collection.
C**N
Great Music, Good Value
Very reasonably priced box, with some classic recordings. Very strongly recommended/.
A**R
Sentido musical oncomparable
Barenboim es uno de los más grandes intérpretes de los últimos 60 años. Su toque es excepcional como su fraseo y su técnica. Está más allá de los mitos de moda como Richter o ashkenazy...
C**N
Bellissimo cofanetto
Bellissima raccolta, da non perdere, e bella l'idea delle copertine degli LP da cui sono prese le registrazioni riproposte in formato per cd.segnalo i 5 concerti di Beethoven per piano suonati da Rubinstein, e la cadenza del primo.
M**N
Barenboim's complete Sony/RCA recordings make a treasurable collection
The contents of this collection follow my review.Daniel Barenboim has produced many treasurable recordings over the years on multiple labels. His recordings with Jacqueline du Pre are renowned for their beauty and interpretive excellence, for example. His recordings conducting Wagner, Elgar and Bruckner are superb. He has an innate knack for the late-Romantic literature, boasting an excellent ear for instrumental balance and tonal beauty which makes him an ideal conductor of unusually large orchestras. His solo piano recordings of Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Brahms are uniformly acclaimed. His Mozart concerto recordings are some of the finest available.As Barenboim celebrates his 75th birthday this year, Sony is in a celebratory mood and has released the complete Sony and RCA recordings in their original-jackets format. This is a favorite format for collectors like myself, who value the cover art and informative liner notes that graced the original vinyl releases. The set contains 43 CDs, with 7 LP's appearing on CD for the first time. These are remastered from the original analogue tapes. There are also 3 DVDs, including the 1989 Berlin Wall concert, a Brahms recital featuring Barenboim and Itzhak Perlman and the New Year's Concert 2014. The entire collection sounds superb with remasterings done at 24/192 high-def resolution.Highlights of the collection are Barenboim's brilliant conducting of Elgar, including the masterful Cello Concerto with Jacqueline du Pre, his set of Schubert Symphonies conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, the Beethoven Piano Concertos, the Mozart Violin Concertos, the Berlioz and Strauss recordings and the two monumental Brahms Piano Concertos. The set features Barenboim as both performer and conductor but his conducting takes center stage in this collection, and it is an opportunity to hear just how fine a conductor he has become. This collection is excellent and definitely worth acquiring.The box is a sturdy cube that can be held in one hand. It contains an informative (if not exhaustively so) booklet with rudimentary discographical information. The real information treasure horde are the liner notes that appear on the rear of each jacket. The type is very small so bring your magnifying glass. The extra effort that's required to read the liner notes is most definitely worth the trouble.The box contains the following:DISC 1 MS 7179Berg: Chamber Concerto for Violin, Piano & 13 Wind Instruments (Boulez, Pierre, Daniel Barenboim, piano; Saschko Gawriloff, violin)Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6 (Boulez, Pierre)Berg: Altenberg Lieder, Op. 4 (Boulez, Pierre Halina Lukomska, soprano)DISC 2: M 30055Mozart: Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219, “Turkish” (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)Mozart: Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K. 218 (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)DISC 3: M 30572Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36DISC 4 M 31369Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat Major, K. 364 (Isaac Stern, violin; Pinchas Zukerman, viola)Stamitz: Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in D Major (Isaac Stern, violin; Pinchas Zukerman, viola)DISC 5 M 31997Elgar: Symphony No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 63DISC 6 M 32599Elgar: Falstaff (Symphonic Study) for Orchestra, Op. 68Elgar: Overture “Cockaigne” (In London Town), Op. 40DISC 7 M 32807Elgar: Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 55DISC 8 M 32301Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, K. 207 (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216 (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)DISC 9 M 32936Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance Marches, Op. 39Elgar: The Crown of India – Suite, Op. 66Elgar: Imperial March, Op.32DISC 10 M 32937Mozart: Concertone in C Major for Two Violins and Orchestra, K. 190 (Isaac Stern, violin; Pinchas Zukerman, violin; N. Black, oboe)Pleyel: Sinfonie concertante in B-Flat Major for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra, Op. 29 (Isaac Stern, violin; Pinchas Zukerman, violin; N. Black, oboe)DISC 11 M 33206Mozart: Concerto No. 2 in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 211 (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)Mozart: Rondo in C Major, K. 373 (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)Mozart: Adagio in E Major, K. 261 (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)Mozart: Rondo in B-Flat Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 269 (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)DISC 12 M 33208Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez (John Williams, guitar)Villa-Lobos: Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra (John Williams, guitar)DISC 13 M 33584Elgar: Chanson de Matin, Op. 15, No. 1Elgar: Chanson de Nuit, Op. 15, No. 2Elgar: Elegy for Strings, Op.58Elgar: Serenade for Strings, Op.20Elgar: Salut d’amour, Op.12Elgar: Romance, Op. 62 for Bassoon & Orchestra (Martin Gatt, bassoon)Elgar: RosemaryElgar: CarissimaElgar: Sospiri, Op. 70DISC 14 M 33587Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra In D Major, Op. 61 (Isaac Stern, violin)DISC 15 CRL5-1415Beethoven: Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 15 in C (Arthur Rubinstein, piano)Beethoven: Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 19 in B-flat (Arthur Rubinstein, piano)DISC 16 CRL5-1415Beethoven: Concerto No. 3 for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 37 in C Minor (Arthur Rubinstein, piano)Beethoven: Concerto No. 4 for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 58 in G (Arthur Rubinstein, piano)DISC 17 CRL5-1415Beethoven: Concerto No. 5 for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 73 in E-flat (Arthur Rubinstein, piano)DISC 18 M 34500Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe, Suite No. 2Chabrier EspańaDebussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a FaunIbert EscalesDISC 19 M 34517Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)DISC 20 M 34530Elgar: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E Minor, Op. 85 (Jacqueline Du Pré, cello)Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme for Orchestra, Op. 36 “Enigma”DISC 21 M 34536Berlioz: Te Deum, Op. 22DISC 22 M 34541Berlioz: Harold en Italie, Op. 16 (Harold in Italy) (Pinchas Zukerman, viola)DISC 23 M 34550Saint-Saens: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61 (Isaac Stern, violin)Chausson: Počme, Op. 25 (Isaac Stern, violin)Frauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (Isaac Stern, violin)DISC 24 M 35112Berlioz : Chasse royale et orage/Royal Hunt and StormBerlioz: Roméo et Juliette, op. 17 SuiteDISC 25 M 35160R. Strauss: Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra (Neil Black, oboe)R. Strauss: Le bourgeois gentilhomme: Suite, Op. 60 (Peter Frankl, piano)DISC 26 M 35880Elgar: Sea Picture for Contralto and Orchestra, Op. 37 (Yvonne Minton, soprano)Elgar: In the South Overture, Op. 50, “Alassio”DISC 27 M 35885Brahms: Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra in B-Flat Major, Op. 83 (Mehta, Zubin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)DISC 28 M 35884Brahms: Concerto No. 1 in D Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 15 (Mehta, Zubin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)DISC 29 M 38557Schoenberg : Pelleas Et Melisande: Symphonic Poem, Op. 5DISC 30 IM 39859Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14DISC 31 IM 39676Schubert: Symphony No. 2 in B-flat Major, D. 125Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 “Unfinished”DISC 32 IM 39671Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D Major, D. 200Schubert: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, D. 485DISC 33 M 42072Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 (Boulez, Pierre, Barenboim, Daniel)DISC 34 M 42316Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 (“The Great”)M 42322R. Strauss: Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 53, TrV 209 (Mehta, Zubin)R. Strauss: Burleske in D Minor for Piano and Orchestra, TrV 145 (Mehta, Zubin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)DISC 35 M2K 42489Schubert: Symphony No. 1 in D Major, D. 82Schubert: Rosamunde, D. 797 (Excerpts)DISC 36 M2K 42489Schubert: Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D. 417 “Tragic”Schubert: Symphony No. 6 in C Major, D. 589DISC 37 SK 45830Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92DISC 38 SK 44922Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone)Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone)DISC 39 S2K 44504Schubert: Sonata (Sonatina) For Piano and Violin, Op. Posth. 137, No. 1, D. 384 (Isaac Stern, Violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)Schubert: Sonata (Sonatina) For Piano and Violin in A minor, Op. Posth. 137, No.2, D.385 (Isaac Stern, Violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)Schubert: Sonata (Sonatina) For Piano and Violin in G minor, Op. Post.137, No. 3, D.408 Isaac Stern, Violin, Daniel Barenboim, pianoDISC 40 S2K 44504Schubert: Sonata (Duo) For Piano and Violin in A Major, Op. 162. D. 574 (Isaac Stern, Violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)Schubert: Fantaisie For Violin & Piano in C Major (“Sei mir gegrusst!”), Op. Post.159, D. 934 (Isaac Stern, Violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)Schubert: Rondo (Rondeau Brillant) For Piano and Violin in B minor, Op.70, D. 895 (Isaac Stern, Violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)DISC 41 SK 45819Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78 (Itzhak Perlman, violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100 (Itzhak Perlman, violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 (Itzhak Perlman, violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)DISC 42/43The New Year’s Concert 2014DISC 44 DVDThe Berlin Wall Concert 1989DISC 45 DVDBrahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78 (Itzhak Perlman, violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100 (Itzhak Perlman, violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 (Itzhak Perlman, violin, Daniel Barenboim, piano)Brahms: Trio for Violin, Horn And Piano in E- flat Major, op. 40DISC 46 DVDThe New Year’s Concert 2014
E**D
Vielseitig
Eine sehr gute Auswahl. Zeigt wirklich der Künstler
S**K
pour Dany
ce coffret très économique nous permet de retrouver le jeune Barenboim dans des enregistrements difficilement accessibles à ce jour- avec l'orchestre de Paris notamment qui sonnait encore "français" : les Berlioz, Ravel, Debussy, Ibert, Chabrier et Saint-Saëns sont vraiment magnifiques - la somme Elgar avec au sommet une version des Sea Pictures sublime (Yvonne Minton à son sommet), et des Mozart peut-être moins intéressants - concertos avec Zukerman - et un ensemble Beethoven avec Rubinstein particulièrement émouvant.Voilà c'est sans doute un peu" vintage", mais cela vaut le détour et mérite de constater que le jeune Barenboim était à la trentaine déjà un très grand chef.
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