Customer Reviews

Concerti Grossi

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A really disappointing offering from Klein & the Hamburg Soloists, who have provided us with an excellent set of Haydn's Divertimenti. The playing is beautiful and totally immaculate, but these are old-school German performances...slow, heavy and virtually guaranteed to cause sleepiness. Now I am not fanatical on authentic performance practices, but one thing I do appreciate is the quick tempos and accent on liveliness the authenticists have brought. Klein is more along the lines of the old Karajan/Ritcher school of the 50s and 60s, emphasizing weightiness and dignity. If you like that kind of playing, you will like these performances. Otherwise, you will not (as I have not). Next purchase...Opus 6 by I Musici de Montreal.

...disappointing.

Despite immaculate playing, beautiful string sound, and excellent engineering, you get...

. . .precious performances that feel like they are being served under glass. Don't touch. It's not real...alive...it's just, well, there. And it lasts a very l o n g time. Much longer than what three CDs usually play for...... Very s l o w.

Disappointing, given that Klein and these forces have given us some good to excellent recordings. Oh well. One must try Manze and the Academy of Ancient Music (Harmonia Mundi) for a musical feast that delights the ears, the mind, and the heart. Save your nickels for that set!