Scott Joplin Music

....In some of her other albums, Nadja takes things a bit too slowly for my taste, but these small "encore" pieces are right up her alley. This record is 71' 12" of pure entertainment. Not that they're easy to perform....

I'll mention a few highlights of the great music Nadja and Sandra Rivers made together....for me, the high point is Georg Kroll's "Banjo and Fiddle"...six of the fourteen tracks are Fritz Kreisler pieces to which Nadja does full justice...the title cut is superbly done, as is the other Gershwin piece, and the one Scott Joplin offering [I wish there had been more].

This is a wonderful album; if you heard Nadja's Brahams Concerto, are ready to forgive her, and give her another chance, this record is for you...you won't be sorry.

Salerno-Sonnenberg's passionate, elegant, heartbreaking interpretations of these wonderful selections is perfectly paired with Sandra Rivers at the piano. I shall never forget their performance of "Claire de lune," the Kreisler pieces, or the exquisite Rachmaninov "Vocalise." In her hands, the violin becomes voice and reeds and brass -- transcending itself and taking the audience right along.

Making great music lies in the ability to express things words can't, to touch the soul, capture the moment and move the heart.

It takes a great artist to perform great music!

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg is such an artist and this release is one of her many gifts to the music loving world!

Check out Track #5 - Liebesieid - for a small sampling of the tremendous emotional pull of Nadja's playing. I have several CDs of Itzhak Perman, and Anne-Sophie Mutter, but no violinist matches Nadja's gift of making each piece her own - you know that she truely feels the music - it flows through her - and it isn't just a dry technical playing of the piece.

Yes, she does: her sound is horribly thin, and she can't play the highest notes strong enough, so that they wither away and disappear into silence. Even the darkest, lowest notes come out weakly, so one can't argue that she has trouble just with the upper registers: her whole playing is terribly bad. She does have
a good vibrato, but I fear that if her sound were not thin, the vibrato would make even the darkest melody sound pathetic.

Hahn is all right (not excellent, nor good, just right for
some provincial recital hall) as long as she keeps to the lower pitch range (perhaps she should be playing the bass fiddle!), Shaham does everything only passably, and Chang has some passion and feeling but no strength to express it, but Salerno-Sonnenberg is bad across the board. There maybe a passably competent technique in her playing (that is, she can get the melody across), but she plays out of tune - the sound is disgusting!

I know how crazy this piece of writing must sound among so many raves, but there's no other way to explain the horribly weak, thin sound of the violin in this recording. Perlman, who suffered all his life from weak health, even in such difficult pieces as Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata was able to produce a full-bodied sound - and this, when he was well past his sixties.

But then again, Salerno-Sonnenberg is not alone in showing such a lack of... no, this is not about inborn talent. I doubt some child can pick up a violin and play in tune without first listening to a competent elder's playing. After the most basic education in music performance, it is just a question of getting a good recording of a piece, and practicing till one gets a relatively equal sound.

I harbored great hopes for Salerno-Sonnenberg when I read about her troubled life, the attacks she had to face from critics, her attempted suicide. I was letting myself be deceived by that old Romantic cliché, that pain makes for good art. But this is not about discovering or rediscovering unknown masterpieces, but about interpreting establish ones, and a Paganini doesn't have the "extended techniques" present in many postmodern pieces where noise passes for music, so in this case a standard called in-tune playing exists, and she doesn't perform up to it. But this judgement depends on my senses. If you don't believe me, you can find out whether I am right, or whether I am just another flea-like critic from the incestuous music business, by comparing Salerno-Sonnenberg's playing to that of any famous solo violinist whose career started in the 60's or 50's - when gesticulating wasn't equated with playing.

John Williams is one of the world's best guitarists, but you'd never know it by listening to this album. He basically plucks out the melody. I think I hear more complex playing in the background, but if that's what it is, it's mixed so as to be barely audible. On the other hand, it's very nice background music. I hope brisk sales support Williams' more serious efforts.

I like this CD very much, I have looked for it for 5 years since I listened its MP3, I got it now, thanks!

While this album is pleasant enough, it is more orchestra music than classical guitar. John Williams is a great classical guitarist, but the guitar part on this album could have been played by any competent guitarist. If you want nice background music, this album is ok. If you want classical guitar music, look elsewhere.

If you like film music, this CD is for you; if you like guitar music, this CD is for you. John Williams brings his guitar virtuosity to bear masterfully on the scores of a number of popular films, which span a period of 60 years.

The use of the guitar gives a different sound to number of the selections, and shows that a good piece of music will shine, no matter what the instrumentation.

How can anyone compare Bryan Adams' work to the elite performances of John Williams.... This man is quite a genius and second to none.... I, as a classical guitar player have found that this presentation has assisted me greatly... Let's see some more John.. Thanks a lot

Je suis très déçue de cette réception non par le produit lui-même mais :
- le coffret était cassé
- il manquait la jaquette et (éventuellement) le livret.
Est-il possible de la recevoir ?

I've found this CD to be especially good with begining level ballet classes. It's been one of my favorites!

This guy plays piano with a lot of pizzazz. I especially like his thoughtful "Ragtime Nightingale" and his fresh yet conservative take on "Maple Leaf Rag." He adds few new twists to keep the ubiquitous "Maple Leaf" fresh - a godsend to those of us who have heard this rag billions of times. Thankfully, these twists are not too extreme - Watkins is neither a stodgy ragtime conservative nor an eccentric iconoclast. A tasteful ragtime interpreter in my opinion.

My favorite track is "Eatin' Chocolates," an obscure Iowa rag from 1903, written for a local candy company. Kudos to Mr. Watkins for discovering this rare gem.

My only complaint is that the CD cover is misleading. It shows a bunch of men sitting in a parlor, looking like they are falling asleep. What are they listenbing to? Maybe Satie, maybe Debussy, maybe Kenny G. They are certainly not listening to Brent Watkins, because if they were, they'd be tapping their feet or swaying.

For the "Heroes of Parlor Town," pianist Brent Watkins has put together a mouthwatering selection of well-known and obscure ragtime and early jazz piano solos. In sixteen selections, the disc covers twenty-five years of ragtime, from Scott Joplin's "The Maple Leaf Rag" (1899) to Jelly Roll Morton's "Mamanita" (1924). The pieces are roughly arranged in chronological order, allowing the listener to hear how ragtime developed into jazz. Unfortunately, there are no liner notes with the disc outside of a brief couple paragraphs on the tray card which explain that the "heroes of Parlor Town" were the "men of color who defined musical culture for white America."

The disc is very well recored on a great-sounding grand piano. No sore ears from out-of-tune honky-tonk uprights here! In general, Watkins's performances are excellent: he tackles the uptempo pieces with vigor and pep, and the gentler pieces are a little more relaxed. Watkins rips through Clarence Wiley's fiery "Carbarlick Acid" (1903) particularly well; it just leaps out of my stereo with fantastic energy (and some audible foot stomps from Watkins) -- it is my favorite track on the disc, one I find myself playing over and over. Scattered throughout the disc are a few rhythms which feel a bit unstable, and a few "messy" notes (and anyone who knows how difficult some of these pieces are can easily forgive those). On the whole the pieces are played with great skill and Watkins's passion for the music shines through.

Fans of ragtime and early jazz will enjoy this disc. I notice that it's listed as "Volume 1." Let's hope that Volume 2 isn't far off! Recommended.

I've pondered the title of this fine classical collection for quite some time (far longer than is warranted, to be sure), and I've yet to come to a conclusion as to why this album is called CANDLELIGHT FAVORITES. While some selections are solemn (Enigma Variations), romantic (Variations on a Waltz), and intense (Concerto for 2 Oboes), far more pieces are bright (Water Music) and even whimsical (The Entertainer). Though it didn't exactly set the mood I was anticipating, this album will by no means be collecting dust on my shelf.

This collection surpasses many classical variety albums in its overall quality, regardless of the excellent price. The performances of the respective pieces are excellent as is the audio engineering, which is crisp and clear. What suprised me most, after a couple listens, was how well the widely varied pieces fit together as an album. The selections cross time from the early Baroque period into the 20th century, and they all have a certain continuity. This gives the album added value, as you'd have to purchase many albums to have the wide range of music represented here. CANDLELIGHT FAVORITES gives a mixture of instantly recognizable tunes with some "deeper cuts". It's essentially a classical "mix tape" of sorts, and it works well for both background and purposeful listening.

So excuse the cheesy cover design and the slight title misnomer, and you've got a very affordable and welcome addition to your classic music collection. CANDLELIGHT FAVORITES comes recommended for those seeking a good, varied classical album.

Let's clear up something here that Amazon and LaserLight have not--this disc DOES NOT contain the complete works of Scott Joplin. This is just one disc from a set of five that LaserLight put out containing the complete published piano music of Scott Joplin played by Richard Zimmerman. Unfortunately, LaserLight has not numbered the five discs in the set, so each one purports to contain the "complete" works. Very poor organization. (Besides Joplin wrote more than piano music... no Joplin set should be considered "complete" without a full recording of his opera "Treemonisha.")

The playing on this disc is fairly good-I've seen Richard Zimmerman perform in person and he's certainly capable of playing ragtime well-but by no means are the recordings here the best interpretation of Joplin's music. Sometimes I feel Zimmerman plays too fast, at other times it sounds jerky, and at other times wrong notes are painfully obvious. Additionally, the sound quality varies from track to track, with some being marred by heavy tape hiss or distortion. These were originally recorded for budget LP's label back in the 1970s (I've seen them on Olympic and Murray Hill labels) and LaserLight has not done much to improve the sound quality. The music's there, and for casual listening on a boombox or car stereo, one might not notice the technical flaws, but on a good stereo system, they significantly detract from the overall listening experience.

If you're in the market for Joplin's music, you'd do yourself a favor to ignore this disc (even if the price is inviting) and invest in a better set like Joshua Rifkin's Joplin CD or William Albright's Joplin 2-CD set. Pianist Scott Kirby is currently releasing a complete Joplin set in four volumes, and I'd highly recommened looking into getting those before buying this disc.

A CD purporting to be Joplin's complete works would certainly have more than 14 tracks. Instead try "The Complete Piano Music Of Scott Joplin," ASIN B000003QWN; four disks containing 52 tracks! I think this would be far more likely to be his "complete works" though I think even this one must be leaving out some of the compositions of this prolific ragtime composer. I know for a fact 14 songs wouldn't be his complete... anything! If you just want an introduction to his music, this CD may be all the Joplin you need, but be sure to rub out the word "complete" when your CD arrives. :)

A CD purporting to be Joplin's complete works would certainly have more than 14 tracks. Instead try "The Complete Piano Music Of Scott Joplin," AISN B000003QWN; four disks containing 52 tracks! I think this would be far more likely to be his "complete works" though I think even this one must be leaving out some of the compositions of this prolific ragtime composer. I know for a fact 14 songs wouldn't be his complete... anything! If you just want an introduction to his music, this CD may be all the Joplin you need, but be sure to rub out the word "complete" when your CD arrives. :)

Don't listen to all those elitists who gave Zimmerman a negative review- his playing is so unique and full of emotion. Contrary to what others have said, Zimmerman's tempo is much slower and better than many other artists' tempos. Though he doesn't play everything true to the sheet music, I feel that he wonderfully captures the spirit of ragtime. If you listen to some of Joplin's own recordings (via player piano), you will find that he himself added some jazzy improvisations. Although Zimmerman makes some mistakes, it somehow seems to add authenticity to his interpretation. The bad sound quality also adds this unique feeling of authenticity. Everything--his style, the piano, the sound quality--works together to create a truly wonderful recording. If you want a comprehensive, beautifully played, rendition of Joplin's works, then I highly recommend this box set!

I enjoy the chronologically arrangement of tracks. It's interesting to see the evolution of Joplin's style.

I've always been a fan of ragtime, but not particularly an expert. This artist is either playing a completely faithful rendition of the music, or he stutters sometimes. This does not detract from the music at all, it's probably just the artist's playing style.

The set is jam-packed with pieces I've never heard before, so it was quite an experience. The last disc in particular features an opera-style suite!

Adds welcome diversity to my Classic Rock collection. Understand that this isn't the last word on Joplin - it's more like a really good first. It's not a complete work-up, with quartet accompaniment, like Marvin Hamlisch's "The Sting" soundtrack. It's just Zimmerman on piano, and sometimes he doesn't play so great. I mean, if you compare "The Entertainer" between the two - you'll think you fell off a cliff.

However, it is a complete Joplin - 66 songs, including every major Rag and other stuff, such as waltzes, marches, and pieces of "Treemonisha", his failed opera. What I wanted was a player piano, with a complete set of paper scrolls, you know what I'm talking about? Even if I could find one, I can't afford it. Maybe this is the next best thing?

So I definitely recommend it for the Joplin novice - it's something to strongly encourage. But is this the last Joplin you'll ever buy? I doubt it - it's merely adequate, not great. Joplin for 40 cents a pop, you won't find a better value.

Well done, with the only drawback that Joshua Rifkind is not at the piano. Sometimes the pace is too frenetic.

This is a wonderful collection of Scott Joplin's music. Delightful to own, to play over and over and over.