The legendary Wanda Landowska was really the first to popularize the harpsichord for twentieth century audiences, and this bargain priced, seven-disc, boxed set containing all of the Johann Sebastian Bach recordings she made for RCA Victor bears witness to one way she did it. Highlights here include the complete Well-Tempered Clavier (WTC) and Two-Part Inventions as well as the Goldberg Variations.

Her rendition of the WTC is required listening for anyone with even the slightest interest in music of the baroque period. With her Pleyel, custom-built B-29 of a harpsichord this Polish born virtuoso could generate more excitement in one of old J.S.B.'s pieces than most keyboard artist ever thought possible. Her sense of rhythm and timing was impeccable, her registration (the harpsichord counterpart of orchestration), colorful to say the least and her dynamics, staggering. Just listen to the concerto after Antonio Vivaldi's violin concerto, Op. 3, No. 9. She plays with such authority that you'll have the feeling she never made a mistake in her life.

Granted these are monaural recordings dating from 1946 through 1959, but who cares because there's only one instrument and the transfers are as immaculate as one could ever expect from recordings of this vintage.

Landowska lovers will also be delighted with another concurrent release on Testament of her doing some very infectious Polish dances and a treasury of keyboard masterpieces by a variety of other, outstanding, baroque composers (see the newsletter of 9 February 2006).

While we're on the subject of keyboard artists, make sure you also investigate another, companion boxed set documenting everything that Sergei Rachmaninov recorded for RCA Victor (see below). (P060302)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

The big moment has finally come for the Philips folks to rerelease their former "Complete Mozart Edition," which pricewise ran to four figures (left of the decimal point that is), in separate, bargain, boxed sets. This is an absolute godsend for those of us who consider the recordings of Wolfgang Amadeus' orchestral music (excluding the concertos) the real high point of this Mozartian repository; and, that's exactly what the first three volumes of this new offering are devoted to.

Number one, containing twelve discs, includes all of his symphonies in performances with Sir Neville Marriner, who at that time was considered one of the finest Mozart conductors alive. No wonder he was chosen as music consultant for the "Academy Award Winning" film Amadeus. Not only that, but his orchestra is the famed Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (ASM), which back then was one of the finest ensembles when it came to music of the classical period.

Well, that's just peachy, you say, but who needs all of those symphonies! The simple truth is, you do, because even the very early ones, many of which were inspired by Johann Christian Bach, have an elegance and sheer genius of melodic invention that belie the fact that Wolfie was only eight years old when he wrote his first. This album is an amazing document, particularly at this price, and certainly one of the high points in the current classical catalog.

Make sure you also investigate the second and third volumes in this series (see below), which between them will give you all of Wolfgang's dances, marches, divertimentos and serenades (including the cassations). Sir Neville and the ASM are featured in these too as well as the great Willi Boskovsky conducting the Vienna Mozart Ensemble, and the Holliger and Netherlands Wind Ensembles with the latter under Edo de Waart.

The recordings date from a time when the Philips audio engineers were doing some of their best work. (P060301)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

The big moment has finally come for the Philips folks to rerelease their former "Complete Mozart Edition," which pricewise ran to four figures (left of the decimal point that is), in separate, bargain, boxed sets. This is an absolute godsend for those of us who consider the recordings of Wolfgang Amadeus' orchestral music (excluding the concertos) the real high point of this Mozartian repository; and, that's exactly what the first three volumes of this new offering are devoted to.

Number two, containing thirteen discs, includes all of the dances and marches plus many of the serenades (including all the cassations). The great, named serenades, including Haffner, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Posthorn and Serenata notturna are here in performances with Sir Neville Marriner, who at that time was considered one of the finest Mozart conductors alive. No wonder he was chosen as music consultant for the "Academy Award Winning" film Amadeus. Not only that, but his orchestra is the famed Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (ASM), which back then was one of the finest ensembles when it came to music of the classical period.

All of the dances and marches are here too as done by the great Willi Boskovsky and his Vienna Mozart Ensemble boys in lively, foot-stomping performances that'll have you cutting a rug! This album is an amazing document, particularly at this price, and certainly one of the high points in the current classical catalog.

Make sure you also investigate the first and third volumes in this series (see above and below respectively), which between them will give you Wolfgang's remaining serenades plus all of his divertimentos and symphonies. Sir Neville and the ASM are featured in these too as well as the Holliger and Netherlands Wind Ensembles with the latter under Edo de Waart.

The recordings date from a time when the Philips audio engineers were doing some of their best work. (P060228)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

The big moment has finally come for the Philips folks to rerelease their former "Complete Mozart Edition," which pricewise ran to four figures (left of the decimal point that is), in separate, bargain, boxed sets. This is an absolute godsend for those of us who consider the recordings of Wolfgang Amadeus' orchestral music (excluding the concertos) the real high point of this Mozartian repository; and, that's exactly what the first three volumes of this new offering are devoted to.

Number three, containing eleven discs, has the serenades that are not in volume two plus all of the divertimentos. High points include the Gran Partita for winds and the absolutely hilarious Ein Musikalischer Spass. Some may recall that in the "Academy Award Winning" film Amadeus, it was the fourth movement of the former piece that Antonio Salieri (played by F. Murray Abraham) extolled the virtues of, in his moving asylum soliloquy honoring the recently deceased composer. The latter selection is a classical put-down worthy of the "Hoffnung Festval," where Wolfie makes fun of the many, incompetent, village musicians and composers that were so common in his day.

All of the performances are exceptional. Some are with Sir Neville Marriner, who at that time was considered one of the finest Mozart conductors alive. No wonder he was chosen as music consultant for Amadeus. Not only that, but his orchestra is the famed Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (ASM), which back then was one of the finest ensembles when it came to music of the classical period. The Holliger and Netherlands Wind Ensembles with the latter under Edo de Waart are also featured.

This album is an amazing document, particularly at this price, and certainly one of the high points in the current classical catalog. Make sure you also investigate the first and second volumes in this series (see above), which between them will give you Wolfgang's remaining serenades (including all the cassations) plus his complete dances, marches and symphonies. Sir Neville and the ASM are featured in these too as well as the great Willi Boskovsky conducting the Vienna Mozart Ensemble.

The recordings date from a time when the Philips audio engineers were doing some of their best work. (P060227)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

Those who love Sergei Rachmaninov's piano works owe it to themselves to get this bargain priced, ten-disc, boxed set of the complete recordings he did for RCA Victor. With the exception of one fairly recent version of his four piano concertos and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, his renditions of these pieces will come as revelations to those hearing them. Instead of the bombastic, virtuosic self-aggrandizing and melodic taffy-pulling tactics displayed by many of today's soloists performing these works, there's a sincerity here which gives new meaning to this music.

No matter how many times you've heard the ever popular second (two versions are included), third and rhapsody you'll be astounded by the intricate phrasing and sureness of touch with which the composer approaches these pieces. As done by him, the less frequently heard first and fourth seem to make much more musical sense and are bound to win new admirers. The Philadelphia Orchestra, which the composer was closely associated with, provides outstanding support under the direction of Eugene Ormandy (first, third and fourth) and Leopold Stokowski (second and rhapsody).

But, that's just the tip of the iceberg considering all of the other goodies here. Seven of the discs document his truly remarkable flexibility as a solo pianist doing not only many of his own pieces, but those by other, great composers too numerous to mention. Suffice it to say that his Frederic Chopin and Robert Schumann interpretations are one-of-a-kind.

There's even a disc of Rachmaninov conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra in exemplary readings of his "Vocalize," "Isle of the Dead" and third symphony. The latter is particularly interesting in that the Dies Irae pervades the entire work. Sergei obviously had a preoccupation with this thirteenth century, plainsong melody because he makes reference to it in a remarkable number of his compositions, including the aforementioned rhapsody.

As far as historical recordings are concerned, this release is a must and the transfers are as immaculate as one could ever expect from recordings of this vintage.

While we're on the subject of keyboard artists, make sure you also investigate another, companion boxed set documenting all of harpsichordist Wanda Landowska's Johann Sebastian Bach recordings for RCA Victor (see above). (P060226)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

As far as noteworthy, historical performances of Giuseppe Verdi's works are concerned, this bargain priced, twelve-disc, boxed set belongs in every opera-lover's collection. It includes everything of his that Arturo Toscanini recorded for RCA Victor. And although the sound may be dated, you'll soon forget the fact with performances like these!

When it came to Verdi's music, Toscanini had a way of inspiring his performers to heights that even they themselves never dreamt possible. Quite honestly, the Falstaff, Othello and Messa da Requiem included here are definitive. The Aida, La Traviata and Un ballo in maschera are legendary to say the least and, if you've never heard them, will add new meaning to these operatic masterpieces.

There are some fascinating teasers too from I Lombardi, Luisa Miller, Nabucco and Rigoletto that'll only make you wish you could hear complete versions of these as done by this master maestro.

As if all that weren't enough, the overtures to I vespri siciliani and La forza del destino are also present in what might aptly be described as demonic renditions that only a Toscanini could conjure up.

The album is filled out with a rarely heard performance of Hymn of the Nations. Granted this is a bit of an international potboiler, but from the pen of a great composer like Verdi, one can regard it as a rather effective, early plea for world peace.

For those interested in historical performances, this release is a must and the transfers are as immaculate as one could ever expect from recordings of this vintage.

By the way there are two other, companion, bargain priced, boxed sets of historical performances that also merit your attention. One features all of harpsichordist Wanda Landowska's Johann Sebastian Bach recordings for RCA Victor (see above), and the other, everything that Sergei Rachmaninov did for them (see above). (P060225)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)