Classical
Albums
6
albums sorted by Date: from newest to oldest and filtered by The Qobuz Ideal Discography
From
CD$10.49
Luigi Boccherini : Stabat Mater & Symphonies
Chiara Banchini
Sacred Vocal Music - Released January 1, 2006 | harmonia mundi
Distinctions
Diapason d'or -
The Qobuz Ideal Discography
Supremely lovely and deeply beautiful, the performances on this two-disc set devoted to the music of Luigi Boccherini are compelling proof that the Italian-Spanish composer was more than a Rococo bantam weight. Beyond his well-known Minuet, Fandango, and "La Ritirada di Madrid" and his enormous number of cheerful cello concertos and sonatas written for the cello-playing Spanish king, Boccherini was also a composer of quartets, quintets, symphonies, and sacred works that rival those of his contemporary Haydn. This coupling of four symphonies, a string quintet, and the Stabat Mater by the Ensemble 415 led from the violin by Chiara Banchini is a wonderful introduction to Boccherini's art. In the three-movement symphonies, Banchini leads strong but sensitive performances that bring out the music's lyrical themes, subtle colors, and elegant shapes. With sweet-voiced soprano Agnés Mellon, Banchini finds within a strict sequence of recitatives and arias the sorrow, pity, and unshakable faith in the Stabat Mater. But perhaps best of all is the Quintet in C minor, Op. 31/4. The immensity of its grief, the austerity of its themes, and the intensity of expression is musically and emotionally overwhelming. Recorded in 1988 and 1991 in Harmonia Mundi's clearest, coolest sound, this two-disc set should be heard by anyone with an interest in music in the second half of the eighteenth century.© TiVo
From
CD$19.77
Joseph Martin Kraus : Symphonies
Concerto Köln
Symphonic Music - Released November 3, 2009 | Phoenix Edition
Booklet
Distinctions
The Qobuz Ideal Discography
Werner Ehrhardt and Concerto Köln's recordings of the symphonies of Joseph Martin Kraus, originally released as two separate discs on the Capriccio label in the early '90s, helped lead the charge for the reintegration of Kraus into the classical canon. By 2009, when these Concerto Köln are being reintroduced on the Phoenix Edition label as a single, two-disc set, Kraus has become one of the most frequently recorded late eighteenth century composers whose name isn't Haydn, Beethoven, or Mozart. While some of these performances are not as snappy and alert as those for Naxos by Petter Sundkvist and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, they still pack a punch. Ehrhardt's reading of the Sinfonia da chiesa is superb as he grasps its near Brucknerian sense of architectonics and his Symphonie funèbre is appropriately grim, hushed, restrained, and patient. Both of these are on the first disc of the set, and it's still true, as when these were single Capriccio issues, that the second disc (now reordered as first) is a little better than the other one. The early digital recordings are still fine, though a bit warmer than is the standard for Kraus, though that's not a bad thing at all. The final factor on the Phoenix Edition reissue -- and this may well be the determinant one for many consumers -- is that the two discs are being sold for the price of one; while these do not constitute all of Kraus' symphonies, it is a consumer-friendly way to get acquainted with roughly half of Joseph Martin Kraus' symphonic output.
© TiVo
From
CD$30.09
Mozart : Symphonies Nos. 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41
Karl Böhm
Classical - Released January 1, 1975 | Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
Distinctions
The Qobuz Ideal Discography
Karl Böhm's set of the last Mozart symphonies, recorded for Deutsche Grammophon between 1959 and 1966, rank among the greatest performances of these extraordinary works. The Berlin Philharmonic brings genuine warmth and vitality to the symphonies, yet maintains a poise throughout, which, in terms of balance and measured phrasing, is decidedly Classical. Böhm's rendition of the Symphony No. 35 "Haffner" is exciting in the outer movements, but steadily paced in the Andante and the stately Menuetto. The Symphony No. 36 "Linzer" is admirable for its clarity of form and sturdiness, though the performance is briskly paced to keep the music from seeming rigidly architectural. The Symphony No. 38 "Prager" glows with amorous feeling and humor, and Mozart's orchestral palette is at its most colorful in the Andante. After an intensely dramatic introduction, the Symphony No. 39 proceeds in a relaxed, gemütlich manner, and the slower tempi allow the winds to be fully resonant. In the Symphony No. 40, tenderness and pathos are emphasized over anxiety and drama, and Böhm's dynamics are carefully gauged to make this distinction clear. The Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter" is grand and energetic, and the Berlin Philharmonic's performance of the miraculous finale is this set's crowning achievement.© TiVo
From
CD$15.09
Mozart : Requiem
Karl Böhm
Classical - Released January 1, 1971 | Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
Distinctions
The Qobuz Ideal Discography
From
CD$30.09
Haydn : Die Schöpfung (The Creation)
Herbert von Karajan
Classical - Released January 1, 1957 | Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
Distinctions
The Qobuz Ideal Discography
' Nobody can do everything, joke and upset, provoke laughter and deep emotion, and all at the same time, like Joseph Haydn ...' said Mozart about his friend. The Creation is an example. Haydn spent a lot of time composing it — a year and a half of work — asking God to give him the strength to carry it out. He worked on the project to the point of exhaustion, and following the premiere he fell ill for a long time — he provided the explanation that he had done so much because 'he knew his composition would last a long time'. The first public performance conducted by Haydn himself was held in Vienna at the former Burgtheater on 19 March 1799 and was a resounding success. Today, many consider this act of his religious faith to be his greatest masterpiece. Now a reference version, this legendary recording from 1969, captured at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche in Berlin during rehearsals for the concerts planned at the Berlin Philharmonic, brings together many assets. First, a sovereign Wiener Singverein supported by Karajan's breath at his most inspired and great, which also radiates on all the sections of the Berlin Philharmonic where particularly sublime winds instruments rise. Then, equally best-in-class, the rare homogeneity of the quartet is as much to report as the remarkable individual vocal quality of the soloists : Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Walter Berry, and also Fritz Wunderlich... While the recording is almost finished, it is suddenly interrupted September 17, 1966 by the accidental death of the 35-year-old tenor (a fall on a staircase at a friend's house). Recording sessions will resume in 1968 and 1969 with young tenor Werner Krenn who will replace Fritz Wunderlich mainly for recitatives. (© Qobuz / GG)
From
CD$37.59
Mozart : Don Giovanni
Joseph Krips
Full Operas - Released January 1, 1955 | Decca Music Group Ltd.
Distinctions
The Qobuz Ideal Discography