Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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254 of 257 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just cheap, an enjoyable bargain set, May 29, 2006
This set is so inexpensive (for 170 CDs) that you may be suspicious about the quality. I have now played about 25-30 of the 170 discs in this set. I have had fun exploring the lesser-known pieces, often just making a random blind grab from the box. I have found the music generally enjoyable, well-played and well-recorded.
I cannot claim that the performances are necessarily the equal of the very best recordings of individual works. For example, I generally prefer the Perahia piano concertos, the Uchida piano sonatas, the symphonies conducted by Mackeras, Szell, etc., to the versions included in this box. But that seems entirely beside the point when this 170 CD set costs so little. I can enjoy listening to a good performance of good music, even if I know that there might be a better performance out there. If your expectations are adjusted to the price point, as mine were, your reaction upon receiving the set may be similar to mine -- pleasant surprise that so much of the music is so well played and recorded. Some of the musicians -- many Dutch -- were unfamiliar to me, but sprinkled through you will find Sir Colin Davis, Gerd Seifert, and some other names that you may recognize.
I have discovered various obscure masses and chamber music that I had not previously collected but that I definitely would play again. So far, I have found only one disc that I would be unlikely to repeat, the single disc containing "Der Schauspieldirektor", a singspiel opera. (My complaint lay not with the performance, or the recording, but with the dated work itself, which has little appeal to me. Der Schauspieldirektor consists of a few short musical numbers embedded in about 40 minutes of tedious spoken German). But I listened (with a little fast forwarding) and, at least, I now know why it is not played today.
The majority of the recordings appear to be digital, with some of the operas being earlier analog recordings of the 1960s or 1970s. I thought the quality of the sound was generally fine.
Although the CDs in this set are inexpensively packaged in paper envelopes, with no jewel cases, there are some advantages to the packaging. The set is compact upon your shelf. The music is color-coded by category, and numbered and labeled within each category. The inside top cover of the attractive cardboard box that contains all of the CDs and envelopes provides a printed listing of the contents. Frankly, I found myself wishing that the rest of my collection was organized similarly.
There are no booklets or printed essays but there is a CD-ROM with essays on the works and artist bios. The detailed essays are more than I would have expected in a bargain set. However, they are not especially handy on a CD-ROM. Nevertheless, there was probably no other feasible alternative at this price, and it is better to have the essays in an inconvenient place than not to have them at all.
Many of the recent reviews here for this complete Mozart set concentrate mostly on price, specifically, where to find the best deal among the Amazon web sites in different countries. Those reviews are definitely worth reading although I believe the price advertised right here on the US Amazon.com site may have fallen since some of those reviews were posted.
Overall, a very pleasant surprise and a good value, in my opinion.
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673 of 695 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Initial impressions., July 25, 2006
Performances: 1-5 stars, Value: 5 stars.
Although undeniably inexpensive, being cheap does not make the set worth owning, as a collection of dreadful performances would not be worth having. So the question is, how good are the performances?
First, though, let us consider the packaging. The box is only about a foot long, and not much taller or deeper than a CD. This is a very small space for 171 CDs (the "1" is a CD ROM instead of having booklets). On each of the paper envelopes that contain each of the CDs there is printed what is on the disc, and who performed it. In the top of the lid to the cardboard/fiberboard box there is a list of each piece that is on each disc. The set is divided into types of music; e.g., the symphonies are the first part, the operas are the last part. I miss having booklets, and would greatly prefer them to the CD ROM that has pdf files (with Adobe Reader, if you need it). They can be printed out, and are formatted to be an appropriate size for CDs. But I have not done so. Also, the libretti are not translated into English. I think it is worthwhile to consider purchasing a book with all of Mozart's libretti with English translations (so if any of you know of any such book that I should get, please let me know). Most of the other text on the CD is in English, but there are occasional parts in German that should be translated into English.
Much of it was recorded for Brilliant Classics, but some was licensed from other companies from previous releases.
I have listened to only a small amount of the music, but enough to form an initial impression. Of course, if I replay some of the pieces below a few times, I may change my mind about them; these are merely initial impressions, formed from listening to each piece one time.
I started with the first disc (Vol. 1 CD 1), and played Symphony No. 1 (KV 16). It is performed by the Mozart Akademie Amsterdam, conducted by Jaap ter Linden. It is well played, which I expected from the online reviews of the symphonies, though I prefer Neville Marriner on the Philips set, who conducts a performance with elegance and grace. Still, it is difficult to compare, as this set is performed on period instruments, and the Philips set is not. I suppose I should have mentioned that at the start; this Brilliant Classics set is period performances, which you may or may not like. The tonal qualities of the instruments are different from modern ones, which, if you are not accustomed to them, may be a bit of a surprise.
After the above, I decided it would be best to listen to pieces from each section of the set, rather than simply continue with the symphonies, as it would give a better overall impression of the set. Even that, however, must fail to fully represent the set as, for example, there are completely different performers on some of the operas, and, for this initial impression, I think it would take too long to listen to several operas to be able to give an impression in a timely manner. I also decided to listen to pieces of which I own at least one other performance with which I may compare. Of course, I am aware of the tendency to prefer what one is used to hearing, and I cannot guarantee that such matters will not influence my judgment.
I next listened to a selection from Vol. 2, CD 15, the Horn Concerto in E flat major (KV 417). It is performed by the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Roy Goodman, with Herman Jeurissen on horn. It is also well played, though Jeurissen is no Dennis Brain (no one is). Still, it was quite enjoyable, as was the symphony mentioned above.
Next came Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade in G major, KV 525) on Vol. 3 CD 2. It is performed by the Kurpfälzische Kammerorchester Mannheim, conducted by Florian Heyerick. This was competently played, though I found it somewhat disappointing. Neville Marriner does this better, which should not be surprising, given his reputation with Mozart.
Next came the Piano Quartet in G minor (KV 478) on Vol. 4 CD 5, performed by Bart van Oort (piano), Tjamke Roelofs (violin), Bernadette Verhagen (viola) and Jaap ter Linden (cello). This was an unexpected pleasure. I have a very fine recording of this performed by the Beaux Arts Trio with Bruno Giuranna, which is a beautifully polished performance that borders on the sublime. I would not call the van Oort et al. performance better, but it is very interesting and very enjoyable. I felt as though I were gaining some great insight into the music during certain passages (though of course I cannot say what those "insights" might be). There are a few times during the Rondeau when they seem a bit off, and I would have re-recorded it had I been making such decisions. Perhaps they did, but decided that this was their best take, which would be easy to believe, given the moments of greatness in it. It is definitely a less polished performance than the Beaux Arts Trio, but, still, a very fine performance indeed, which is well worth adding to one's Mozart collection. I am very glad to have it. I am looking forward to listening to these performers some more, but I decided to continue with my plan on listening to a bit of each section and letting you know my initial impression.
Vol. 5 CD 1, String Quintet in B flat major (KV 174), performed by the Orlando Quartet with Nobuko Imai, viola. This is excellent. Both my wife and I like this better than our recording by the Budapest String Quartet with Walter Trampler, viola II (the absence of my wife in my previous comments means nothing, as she was not present when they were played). I like the recording I have with the Budapest String Quartet, and was not looking for anything better, but the Orlando Quartet performance is better. I would say that I don't know how it could be any better than this recording with the Orlando Quartet, but I recall having similar feelings about some symphonies of Mozart conducted by Neville Marriner, only to find a recording conducted by Herbert von Karajan that was better. Anyway, this performance by the Orlando Quartet with Nobuko Imai is truly all that one could reasonably want.
Vol. 6 CD 5, Piano Sonata No. 17 in B flat minor (KV 570), performed by Klára Würtz. This is lovely, just what one would normally expect if performed by a professional without excessive mannerisms. I look forward to hearing more of her.
Vol. 7 CD 1, Requiem (KV 626), performed by the Chamber Choir of Europe conducted by Nicol Matt. This is evidently the version completed by Süssmayr (which is what is most commonly heard; some, however, have tried to subtract his efforts to get only Mozart, which, of course, can never be exactly right, as Mozart did not complete the work and one cannot know what he would have done to complete it). This is a period performance, and has a smaller orchestra than is commonly used for modern performances. It therefore has a "thinner" sound. The soloists are disappointing; the female soloists more so than the male ones. It has its moments that are nice, but not nice enough to make up for the rest of it. It does get better as it progresses, though, so one would not want to judge it based upon only the first few minutes. And the performance seems to 'cohere' and make more sense as it progresses; there was method to what they were doing, even though it is ultimately less than satisfactory. I have another period performance of this piece, conducted by Hogwood, in which an attempt was made to remove the contributions of Süssmayr. I don't much care for that one either, though the soloists are better. The best I have heard of this is conducted by Peter Schreier for Philips (it is not on period instruments), and is, I think, the version included in their complete Mozart edition. Anyway, I don't think one should buy this Brilliant Classics set for the Requiem, which is disappointing, though not wholly unexpected, as people online have said that it leaves much to be desired.
Vol. 8 CD 1, Adagio (KV 410), performed by the Chamber Choir of Europe conducted by Nicol Matt. For Vol. 8, I could not follow my plan of playing only pieces of which I had another recording, as I could find nothing in my collection that appears in this section (Vol. 8). This Adagio is a strange little piece, performed well. I think I will find many curiosities in this set.
Vol. 9 CD 43-44, La Clemenza di Tito (KV 621), performed by André Post (tenor - Tito), Claudia Patacca (soprano - Vitellia), Francine van der Heijden (soprano - Servilia), Cécile van de Sant (soprano - Sesto), Nicola Wemyss (soprano - Annio), Marc Pantus (bass baritone - Publio), the Vocal Ensemble Cocu, Musica ad Rhenum, conducted by Jed Wentz. I selected this opera to play first because it is the only one of which I have another period performance. If this opera is representative of the other opera performances on this set, the set is worth its purchase price for the operas alone. I had intended to only play a few minutes of it to be able to give an impression of it, but it was so good, after a few minutes I decided to put the second CD into my CD changer while the first disc was still playing (a very nice feature in a CD changer). The playing is lively and spontaneous, with lovely phrasing, and with style and grace. In a couple of places, a soloist seems to strain a little for the note, but no more than one would expect to occasionally happen in a live performance, and not enough to significantly detract from the overall experience. So it is not a perfect performance; it is merely superb. Indeed, I think I like it better than my other recording, which is somewhat surprising, given the big names involved in it; it is performed by Uwe Heilmann (Tito), Cecilia Bartoli (Sesto), Delia Jones (Vitellia), Barbara Bonney (Servilia), Diana Montague (Annio), Gilles Cachemaille (Publio), the Academy of Ancient Music Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Christopher Hogwood, on L'oiseau-Lyre (the period name for London/Decca/Polygram). It uses a period piano instead of the harpsichord; the Brilliant Classics edition uses a harpsichord, which I prefer in the recitatives. The Hogwood et al. version is, perhaps, more polished, but I prefer Wentz et al., much to my surprise, as I had no intentions of replacing the Hogwood version, which is quite good.
Overall, I like the Brilliant Classics complete Mozart set and am very glad I purchased it. I highly recommend it to all Mozart lovers, though I recommend rich Mozart lovers also buy the Philips set (which can sometimes be had on eBay about for about a grand; too bad that is more than I care to spend at the moment), as well as a few discs from other sources (such as the third CD release [it has been remastered twice] of the Brain recording of the Horn Concerti, and anything Horszowski recorded). It is a good set, and a remarkable value. I am really looking forward to hearing the rest of it.
Some of the recordings in the sets are licensed from other companies, though most of the recordings were made specifically for these sets. So the recording quality of one piece does not necessarily represent the recording quality of the entire set. So far, the recording quality has been fine. With the recordings made for this set, it would appear that they placed the microphones at a little distance to catch some of the ambiance of the room (or they were simply using a very "live" room, or they added, with great skill, such effects). I think I would have preferred the microphones closer, but it has much less reverberation than on some recordings I own. This does not cause the sound to be muddled; indeed, the recordings are more sharp and clear than most, which, I suspect, is due to less processing applied to the sound, though that is a guess (though the less they processed it, the less expensive it would be to make it). I am satisfied with the quality of the recordings so far. Indeed, it is a wonder that they could make it so inexpensive.
The performances recorded for this set tend to have a spontaneous, rather than polished, sound, probably due to the fast paced recording sessions, as they needed to get through a lot of music in a short period of time. I think I like this better than having the pieces overly polished, as it gives it more of a "live" sound, as if you were there for an actual performance instead of hearing something that was rerecorded over and over until they achieved what they imagine to be perfection, or as close as they ever expect to get.
Someone else in his or her review claimed that part of the Haffner Symphony was missing. That is not correct. On Vol. 1, CD 8, there are only 10 tracks instead of the 11 listed. However, track 10 is longer than it is supposed to be, and contains both the third and fourth movements of the symphony.
To sum up: The performances range from dreadful to superb, as well as in between. Some are as bad as one would ever expect from professionals (as opposed to, say, a high school band), and others are probably as good as you will ever hear, live or in other recordings. It is well worth buying (for under 100 euros from some European sites; see other people's reviews), but a true Mozart lover will want to buy other versions of some of the pieces. Still, some of the performances are as good or better than others I have heard. Truly, this is one of the best bargains available. Brilliant Classics also has a complete Bach set...
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135 of 136 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant Editions can have Missing CDs, so be careful!, May 6, 2006
(UPDATE - now I've bought 6 Brilliant sets and 4 of the 6 sets had missing CDs!!! The latest in Nov. 2007, the 100 CD Beethoven set also had a missing a CD!) I've bought 5 Brilliant sets so far - the 170 CD Mozart and 4 of the 40-CD sets of other composers - and in three of the five purchases there was a CD missing! One of the 170 Mozart CDs was duplicated with another CD instead, and the same thing happened in two of my 40 CD sets. And Brilliant doesn't make a replacement easy. So check every CD number against the CD number on the slipcase right after you purchase it so you can return it in time! I checked my Mozart set after purchasing it and thought all was well, but after 2 bad Brilliant 40-CD sets I checked my 170-CD Mozart set again tonight several months after buying it and sure enough, it too was missing a CD! So quality control is a BIG Brilliant problem at least as far as assemblage goes. The music is mostly pretty good quality... if you manage to get a complete set!
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~ Ludwig van Beethoven
~ Ludwig Van Beethoven (composer)
~ Frédéric Chopin
~ Haydn
is mainly Ballet, with hints of Opera”
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