The trouble with anthology recordings of this kind is that at root, just as with any other kind of music, a great classical performance depends less on a set of abstract qualities of excellence than on a creative response to a given set of circumstances. That said, this six-disc outing does better than most with the particularly difficult problem of offering a reasonable sample of Beethoven's music. Britain's EMI label has a deep catalog of recordings under its control, and the set can reach back to the late '50s for ...
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The trouble with anthology recordings of this kind is that at root, just as with any other kind of music, a great classical performance depends less on a set of abstract qualities of excellence than on a creative response to a given set of circumstances. That said, this six-disc outing does better than most with the particularly difficult problem of offering a reasonable sample of Beethoven's music. Britain's EMI label has a deep catalog of recordings under its control, and the set can reach back to the late '50s for genuine classics like Walter Gieseking's effortlessly fluent Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 ("Pathétique"), or as far forward as the 1990s. That work and several others are presented complete; the lack of complete works is a bane of Beethoven samplers, and a point in favor of this one even if the full works are, except for the "Pathétique," on the light side. The six CDs are each devoted to a single instrumental genre, with the first disc offering from one to three movements of each...
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Seller's Description:
Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality. Includes disc(s), case, booklet, and back artwork. Disc(s), case, booklet, and back artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. Case and artwork may show some wear. Case may not be an original jewel case. All disc(s) are authentic.
