Before making your next classical music CD purchase, read these reviews to find out which classical music CD's are worth buying.
Released on Sept. 25, 2009, Joshua Bell's At Home with Friends, as the album title suggests, features music performed by Bell and various guest artists including Kristen Chenowith, Sting, Marvin Hamlisch, Chris Botti, and more. Learn more about Joshua Bell - At Home with Friends in this classical music CD review.
Since his debut album in 2001, Josh Groban has enjoyed great success. Like
Andrea Bocelli, Groban isn't an operatic singer, but his classically influenced voice has mesmerized and captured the hearts of many people around the world, selling over 23 million albums worldwide.
A classical music CD review of the Ahn Trio's "Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac," featuring fantastic modern music for violin, cello, and piano.
Andrea Bocelli's unique voice has become synonymous with romance, passion, and emotion. With guest appearances by Kenny G, Christina Aguilera, and Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli's Amore offers its listeners a unique selection of songs.
Haydn: Complete String Quartets, performed by the Angeles String Quartet, is a relatively large investment, but well worth the cost. Read this review of this album before you spend your money.
A classical music CD review of Avo Part's "In Principio". Part's modern day masterpiece features a selection of his works dating back to 1989, some new and some revised. It's a sublime blend of both choral and symphonic music.
This album features a flawless performance of Beethoven's piano trios. The Kalichstein/Laredo/Robinson Trio may not have a catchy name like the Emerson String Quartet, but their musicianship is right on par.
Classical Music CD review of Opera Arias by Bryn Terfel. Terfel, world renowned baritone, brings depth and clarity to each aria on this CD.
A review of the classical music album "Shall I Compare Thee?" by Chicago a cappella. No matter how fantastic the performer is, unfortunately, some music just can't be made to sound good.
A review of The Cleveland Orchestra's performance of Bruckner's Symphony No. 5 presented by PBS on June 11, 2008. Recorded at the Abbey of St. Florian in Linz, Austria, during the 2006 Brucknerfest, conductor Franz Welser-Most and the Cleveland Orchestra perform Bruckner's thrilling Symphony No. 5.
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, one of America's highly esteemed African-American 20th Century composers, earned degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Princeton University. On this classical CD you will find a handful of works composed by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson throughout his years as a composer.
A classical music CD review of The Ricardo Viñes Collection by David Korevaar, piano. This album is chock-full of great French piano music created by composers somewhat overshadowed by Debussy and Ravel. If you're looking to add a new piano CD to your collection, look no further.
A classical music review of Easley Blackwood Chamber Music for Piano and Strings. If you are looking for something new, something less traditional, then this album is perfect for you. Easley Blackwood,Charles Pikler and Gary Stucka play their respective instruments marvelously, despite the few "under-performed" tracks.
A classical music CD review of Eighth Blackbird's Fred. Abstract. Contemporary. If you like the music of Philip Glass and Steve Reich, you’ll like this music by Frederic Rzewski (pronounced ZHEV-skee).
Far from your typical walk in the park, Strange Imaginary Animals, much like the title portrays, is an abstract album evoking sounds of wildlife and even delivery trucks.
A Classical CD Music review of American Orchestral Works performed by the Grant Park Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Kalmar. This album features 20th century contemporary music that may not be enjoyable for those searching for the traditional classical music like the works of Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach.
Featuring three works by three 20th century composers, the music on this album is far from Mozart and Haydn. While most people will find the music too abstract, there are some who'll find it altogether delightful.
Classical music CD review of Jennifer Koh's Schumann's Sonatas for Violin and Piano. It's a spectacular, Grammy worthy performance you'll definitely need to check out.
Jorge Federico Osorio brilliantly performs Debussy's Preludes Books 1 & 2 and Listz's 3 Sonetti del Petrarca, Les jeux d'auz a la Villa d'Este, and Valee d'Obermann.
The charming and delightful classical music album, Mexican Piano Music by Manuel M. Ponce, performed by Mexican born piano virtuoso, Jorge Federico Osorio, entrances the audience with romantic European styles combined with a Latin flavors.
A classical music CD review of Joshua Bell - Vivaldi, The Four Seasons - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Joshua Bell, one of the world's most celebrated violinists, takes his virtuosic talents to a level I've never encountered. He makes the violin do things I never thought was possible. Throughout the album, prepare to be amazed and astonished.
A classical music CD review of Lionheart, chant and polyphony of Renaissance Spain. Great recordings of the Spanish Renaissance composers Francisco Guerrero and Cristobal de Morales are often hard to find. Luckily, Lionheart has simplified the task by taking matters into their own hands - they recorded their own album.
A classical music CD review of Ludovico Einaudi's 'Divenire'. This is a polyphonic masterpiece with the ability to draw you inside yourself wholeheartedly.
This is truly a refreshing album. M. Zachary Johnson's compositions are brilliant and refined. The saxophone's smooth velvety sound combined with the piano is like chocolate and peanut butter - they just belong together. If your looking for something new, something different, this album is a must have.
Classical Music CD Review of Maya Beiser's "Almost Human." A thought provoking album full of charm, whit, charisma, and introverted melodies, its avant-garde lyricism paired with fantastic narration and vocals make this a truly unique and enjoyable piece of music.
Looking for a way to introduce composers and their music in an interesting educational way to your children? Look no further. Dennis Kobray stars in this riveting series of DVD's performing and story telling in period costumes.
Mozart's "Gran Partita" is a smooth and stately serenade for a 13 piece wind and double bass violin ensemble. Its elegant harmonic structures and flowing melodic lines will enrapture your senses from start to finish. The performance by Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings, conducted by H. Robert Reynolds, was spectacular.
Those with an affinity for music by Bach or exquisite piano performance will no doubt like Murray Perahia's Bach Partitas 2, 3, and 4. Those of you looking for a performance of the Partitas on the instrument for which they were intended (the harpsichord), keep looking.
Nathan Gunn has an extremely beautiful, rich, and well-rounded baritone voice, but "Just Before Sunrise" falls short of creating a unique and believable listening experience.
Classical music CD review of Beethoven Middle String Quartets performed by the critically acclaimed Orion String Quartet. If you do not own any recordings of Beethoven's string quartets, or any decent ones for that matter, look no further. You'll love Orion String Quartet's performance.
If you don't know, I don't particularly favor modern classical works, but this album, well, at least Janacek's String Quartet No. 2, is superb.
Flawless performances, expert musicianship and perfect blend and balance all packaged in a three disk set. What more could you ask for in a classical music album?
American Songs is a collection of music from twelve different American composers (all are still living), chosen in part by soprano, Patrice Michaels. Her passion and love for American art song is present throughout the album.
A classical music CD review of Philip Glass "Portrait" performed by Angele Dubeau & La Pieta. With delicate melodies, lush orchestrations, and stirring rhythms, you'll no doubt fall in love with Glass's music, especially as it is performed by Angele Dubeau & La Pieta.
You don't need a Super Audio CD player to enjoy this music. Under the baton of Marek Janowski, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra captures the subtleties and complexities of Brahms Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 with two brilliant performances. Update your Brahms collection with this album.
A sublime album for three exquisite instruments. "Poetic Inspirations" has been one of the best classical CDs so far this year. I highly recommend this album.
Quartetto Gelato's Favorite Flavours is a "best of" album combining their fans' favorite works from their previous five albums. Quartetto Gelato performs the favored classical and folk music in a refreshing and captivating new style.
Violin enthusiasts and appreciators of fine music will find Rachel Barton Pine's "American Virtuosa - Tribute to Maud Powell" a wonderfully delightful and timeless classical music CD with eighteen different pieces of music.
Joshua Bell performs John Corigliano's Red Violin Concerto. With qualities similar to the compositions of Gustav Mahler, Corigliano's music is wonderfully orchestrated, full of color - harmonically and rhythmically, and heavy with mood.
This is the Reneé Fleming you've never heard before. Reneé Fleming's "Haunted Heart" is a soulful jazz album with songs in English, French, Spanish and German. This album is truly unique - a must have!
Sebastain Currier's "On the Verge" is an intellectual feast of modern music. Inspired by life's ordinary phrases, words, and events, the movements of Currier's works articulate their given titles: Sleepless, Remote, Bipolar, and Starlight (just to name a few).
The world premier recording, Twilight of the Romantics, is delightfully fresh music by two extremely talented composers of the Late Viennese era. Although dwarfed by Brahms and Mahler, their music equally compares in style, texture, and melody.
The Ultimate Divas Album is a compilation CD including artists such as Kathleen Battle, Joan Sutherland, and Renee Fleming, performing well known arias by Mozart, Verdi, Bellini, Puccini, and others. This is a must have for any collection.
For the most part, I am impressed with this album. The musicians perform enthuastically and intuitively, and though a couple of the movements were more "theater" than music, the album as a whole was enjoyable and interesting.
This album by the talented Vermeer Quartet, with famous oboist, Alex Klein, features three works by Benjamin Britten and Arthur Bliss. Upon first listening to Britten and Bliss, I wasn't immediately drawn in. However, listening to Britten's Phantasy Quartet No. 2 and Bliss's Quintet for Oboe and Strings a second time through was such a delight
This relatively unknown female Czech composer composed the works of this album all before turning the young age of twenty-six. If you are looking for highly sophisticated piano music rich in texture, clarity, and depth, look no further.
Vittorio Grigolo's self-titled debut album was a huge hit in the UK, earning the number 6 spot in the Top 10 Albums. Read the review of his debut album, Vittorio.
If you're looking for something less mainstream, these two modern works are anything but modern sounding. Menotti's operatic Missa has been rightfully compared to Verdi's Requiem, while Vierne's Messe Solennelle has been compared to Faure's Requiem. Both works exhibit passion and beauty, and, although contrasting in style, compare in intensity and color.
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