Search - Bach :: Masterworks

Fantastic Bargain - 20 CDs!!

Slobberer | Astoria, NY United States | 05/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since Amazon doesn't have any information about this Box Set (I don't know why they don't do a better job of selling their merchandise) I'll give a brief rundown of the contents of this set:

This set consists of historical performances from 1930 up throught the 50s. They have been digitally remastered. I have not listened to the entire set, but what I have listened to is surprisingly good sonically. They are, of course, all monophonic recordings but mostly noiseless transfers of famous musicians of their day.

It includes The Well-Tempered Klavier Books I and II played by Edwin Fisher (on piano) from 1933-36
Partita No. 1 in B-flat by Dinu Lipatti from 1947

Italian Concerto BWV 971 by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli from 1943

Choral Preludes arranged for Piano by Vladimir Horowitz from 1934

Hermann Scherchen conducting the Art of the Fugue (for orchestra) from 1949

Albert Schweitzer (!!) on 2 CDs playing various Organ Works (Toccata & Fugue, Prelude & Fugue, Choral Preludes, etc)

Wanda Landowska playing the Harpsichord in 2 CDs - 1 - the Goldberg Variations, and Chromatic Fantasy, English Suite and French Suite, and

with Yehudi Menuhin (violin) Sonata for Violin & Cembalo

WAIT! There's more!

Beautiful singing - particularly Hans Hotter singing Bach arias, Gerard Souzay singing songs and arias, John McCormack, Marian Anderson,

1949 recording of the Magnificat
The entire Matthew Passion from 1941 with Choir of St. Thomas Church, Leipzig and the Gewandhaus orchestra under Günther Ramin.

Fritz Reiner conducting the Brandenburg Concerti (2 CDs)

Sheesh! This set is astounding!"