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The most romantic and beautiful Works for Piano and Orchestr

Dr. P. Schulte | Recklinghausen, Germany | 04/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my favourite CD with romantic Works for Piano and Orchestra . I have a large Collection of about more than

200 Piano Concertos.( Nearly all that are available from the romantic era! ) - The Piano Concerto of Joachim Raff 1822-1882 has the most beautiful slow Movement with sometimes very quick pearly cords , a lyricism derived from Chopin moved with ingenious orchestration to a trancendental perfection.

The Concert Peace Ode to Spring beginns with a beautiful interplay of an Cello and the piano playing becomes during this peace with the Orchestration faster like an intensifying Springstorm ,just marvellous. Its not only the piano playing that shines , also the Orchestration works very well.The hole works have a strong lyricim , witch offers after several repeated listening his full beauty.-These works have enough Melody, that it pleases from the first listening on.

I can hear this CD again and again without getting tired of it.There are only very few works, where i have this feeling. I can only very highly recommend this. The CD with the Cello Concertos by Joachim Raff is also very recommenable, but this works are the highest rating i can give ,its like a painting!

Realy Masterpeaces , very highly recommenable !!!"

Welcome Addition To Repetoire

Robert Thomas | Los Angeles, CA | 06/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After hearing this CD for the first time, my initial impression was that this is a GREAT performance of a GOOD piano concerto.

Owing to the extraordinarily high quality of Raff's symphonic and chamber works, my expectations were very high, especially considering that half of Raff's enormous output was written exclusively for the piano. Although I enjoyed the work, I confess that the initial hearing was not enough to win me over in a big way.

My conclusion was, however, a bit premature.

A 2nd and 3rd listening proved to me that my initial thinking was entirely backwards. This was in fact a GOOD performance of a GREAT piano concerto.

Not that Peter Aronsky turns in a less than superb rendering, but let's face it, he's no Byron Janis or Horowitz.

And as for the piano concerto being a GREAT work, it is truly deserving of such a title, if for no other reason than the stunning 2nd movement, which is so exquisitely sublime, so achingly beautiful that you just may find yourself fighting back tears.

Oh, and as for the Ode to Spring for piano and Orchestra, it's a lovely appetizer.

Highly recommended.

Enjoy!"