CD-Charts Position 1
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The Essential Classics Collection

by: Myung-Whun Chung Géza Anda Rudolf Baumgartner Trevor Pinnock Karl Böhm Eugen Jochum Ferdinand Leitner Ferenc Fricsay Neeme Järvi Claudio Abbado

Release Date July 03, 2000
I bought this as a gift for my niece, since I wanted her to be educated about classical music as she was on her way to college. Ended up buying two copies as I found I loved it so much. Normally I like to pick and choose my orchestras, composers, and conductors, but this collection has jujst about everything. Also, I'd never bought some of the more "popular" items (Strauss and Grieg) as I'd heard them a million times, but now I have them and the performances are all great. This truly has a smattering of it all, and if you're not a classical music lover, it's bound to turn you on to the stuff.

CD-Charts Position 2
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Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 29, 33, 35 "Haffner", 38 "Prague", 41 "Jupiter"

by: Orchestra Mozart Claudio Abbado

Release Date July 14, 2008
I bought this as a gift for my niece, since I wanted her to be educated about classical music as she was on her way to college. Ended up buying two copies as I found I loved it so much. Normally I like to pick and choose my orchestras, composers, and conductors, but this collection has jujst about everything. Also, I'd never bought some of the more "popular" items (Strauss and Grieg) as I'd heard them a million times, but now I have them and the performances are all great. This truly has a smattering of it all, and if you're not a classical music lover, it's bound to turn you on to the stuff.

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

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The Classic Christmas Album

by: Claudio Abbado Kurt Herbert Adler Carlo Maria Giulini Damián Sanchez John Eliot Gardiner Herbert Karajan Ion Marin James Levine Paul Daniel Uwe Christian Harrer

Release Date January 19, 2004
I bought this as a gift for my niece, since I wanted her to be educated about classical music as she was on her way to college. Ended up buying two copies as I found I loved it so much. Normally I like to pick and choose my orchestras, composers, and conductors, but this collection has jujst about everything. Also, I'd never bought some of the more "popular" items (Strauss and Grieg) as I'd heard them a million times, but now I have them and the performances are all great. This truly has a smattering of it all, and if you're not a classical music lover, it's bound to turn you on to the stuff.

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

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Mozart: The Violin Concertos; Sinfonia Concertante

by: Giuliano Carmignola Danusha Waskiewicz Orchestra Mozart Claudio Abbado

Release Date July 14, 2008
I generally prefer 'period performances,' Rachel Podger's Mozart violin sonatas for instance, and so I have long been looking for a good 'gut string' version of Mozarts violin concertos. Monica Huggett's 'early music' version (Virgin Records) was lush and expansive, but rather anodyne. Who better, I thought, to put some excitement into these old warhorses than Carmignola? After two thorough listenings I must answer this question both a yes and a no. The recording is clear and the sound generally crisp and vibrant and Carmignola's playing is all that one could ask for. However, as Carmignola happily crows in the liner notes, these are very FAST, up tempo versions. It certainly differs them from their competition, but to what end? The energy is ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
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The Best of Maxim Vengerov

by: London Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Release Date November 20, 2006
I generally prefer 'period performances,' Rachel Podger's Mozart violin sonatas for instance, and so I have long been looking for a good 'gut string' version of Mozarts violin concertos. Monica Huggett's 'early music' version (Virgin Records) was lush and expansive, but rather anodyne. Who better, I thought, to put some excitement into these old warhorses than Carmignola? After two thorough listenings I must answer this question both a yes and a no. The recording is clear and the sound generally crisp and vibrant and Carmignola's playing is all that one could ask for. However, as Carmignola happily crows in the liner notes, these are very FAST, up tempo versions. It certainly differs them from their competition, but to what end? The energy is ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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Mozart - Flute and Harp, Clarinet Concertos; Flute Concerto No. 1

from: EMI Classics

Release Date April 02, 2001
I generally prefer 'period performances,' Rachel Podger's Mozart violin sonatas for instance, and so I have long been looking for a good 'gut string' version of Mozarts violin concertos. Monica Huggett's 'early music' version (Virgin Records) was lush and expansive, but rather anodyne. Who better, I thought, to put some excitement into these old warhorses than Carmignola? After two thorough listenings I must answer this question both a yes and a no. The recording is clear and the sound generally crisp and vibrant and Carmignola's playing is all that one could ask for. However, as Carmignola happily crows in the liner notes, these are very FAST, up tempo versions. It certainly differs them from their competition, but to what end? The energy is ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

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The Art of Cecilia Bartoli

by: Cecilia Bartoli

Release Date November 04, 2002

Although released some time ago now (2002) this collection of opera extracts remains an ideal introduction to the singing voice of Cecilia Bartoli, most of the tracks having been taken from her previous album releases.

The choices of music lean towards the more familiar and traditional pieces from the world of opera, thus allowing the listener to concentrate on familiarising themselves with the dramatic, exciting and passion-filled style of Bartoli's vocals.

Included are works by Handel, Vivaldi, Gluck, Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti and Verdi, and there are guest appearances by Bryn Terfel and Luciano Pavarotti on 5 of the tracks.

The CD shows some lovely photographs of the singer (again from previous ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
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The Art of Anne Sofie Von Otter

by: ANNE SOFIE VON, OTTER

Release Date July 22, 2002
This is a wonderful collection of songs/arias that Anne Sofie Von Otter is well know for. Her singing is faultless her voice is pure and she is an excellent mezzo. Sweden have the fab Anne sofie whilst we have the likes of Katherine Jenkins trying to represent our opera scene.....
I promise once you have heard this CD you will hunt down all of her other recital CD's

CD-Charts Position 9
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The Flight of The Bumblebee - Spring Music

from: Universal Classics

Release Date June 21, 2004
This is a wonderful collection of songs/arias that Anne Sofie Von Otter is well know for. Her singing is faultless her voice is pure and she is an excellent mezzo. Sweden have the fab Anne sofie whilst we have the likes of Katherine Jenkins trying to represent our opera scene.....
I promise once you have heard this CD you will hunt down all of her other recital CD's

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

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Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos.17 & 21

by: Maria João Pires Chamber Orchestra of Europe Claudio Abbado

Release Date October 05, 2000
This is a wonderful performance of these 2 concerti, with excellent ensemble from the CEO and Abbado.

It is up there with Perahia, Schiff et al. Especially better because of the embracing of dynamics and passion, perhaps it bears better comparison with Ashkenazy.

Anyway, the only reason this is not better known is because it is not part of a boxed set, Pires just has not done that thing. This is outstanding Mozart playing, and is not 'just another mozart concerto recording'. Deserves a place on the critical mozartian's shelf.

And the sound is top notch, very transparent with an absence of highlighting of instruments, but with enough presence.