Beethoven at Bedtime: A Gentle Prelude to Sleep | Ludwig van Beethoven, Colin Davis, ... |...

Beethoven at Bedtime: A Gentle Prelude to Sleep | Ludwig van Beethoven, Colin Davis, ... | An interesting CD with fine music, more to listen vs. sleep

classical music:

Beethoven at Bedti...

	Beethoven at Bedtime: A Gentle Prelude to Sleep Ludwig van Beethoven, Colin Davis, ... Philips, 1995 average customer review:based on 17 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Beethoven Soothes the Soul

I think Beethoven was a masterful composer when it came to the adagios and more peaceful movements. He is quite good at creating an atmosphere of tranquility and meditation. This is a bit unusual considering Beethoven had a stormy and distressed life. How can a tempestuous deaf man.. DEAF man, create such beautiful melodies ? He was as gifted in music as the child prodigy Mozart. Beethoven's slow movements from his symphonies, violin music (quartets and concerto) and the lovely Moonlight and Pathetique sonatas, reflect the eye of a storm. They are soft and soothing.. if you're under stress.. this music can help you out. Or if you want to relax, read a book, vegetate or sleep, this music is a brilliant prelude, in the same way that Brahms does with his Lullaby or Mozart with his slow Romanzas, Adagios and Andante or same way Mahler did in the Adagietto of his 5th symphony. I highly recommend this excellent and inexpensive cd. Don't let these series fool you. The colors and the pictures may appear silly and unproffesional but the music is great. Buy others in the series.. the Mozart in the Morning, Brahms for Book Lovers, etc. The orchestras are marvelous. The English Chamber Orchestra are virtuosic in Baroque music and Sir Neville Marriner appears in many of these cd's, conducting the St. Martin'n- the best interpretors of Mozart music as any music lover would agree. Viva Ludwig van Beethoven ! A composer full of passion and soul and let him soothe your soul with his brilliant music.

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An interesting CD with fine music, more to listen vs. sleep

Playing this CD for the first time, my perceptions were quickly changed. I had conceived of this CD as one with lots of standard fare played in an uninspiring way and with tonal quality to lull one to sleep. Was I wrong! I would revised the title and call this CD: "Beethoven at the CPU." I should have rated this CD as 4 1/2**** but went up rather than down because of the pleasant surprises.

For example, Track 8, the Larghetto movement fom the Violin Concerto in D was played superbly by Arthus Grumiaux. Likewise, Claudio Arrau played the Adagion sostenuto movement from the "Moonlight" Sonata with gentle beauty. The CD's first track, the Larghetto movement from Symphony No. 2 in D lets one know that this is a lively CD that is worth listening to. At the same time its beauty and everchanging sweet flow makes the CD fine to play while writing or researching.

There are many CDs that can put one to sleep and some of these create a mindset so a person seeks immediate relief from the sandman. This CD is quite a pleasant surprise. While better stereo sound could have been used, the CD is supposed to lull one to sleep, not keep awake. Turn the volume up a bit. The lovely tones flow but in a quiet, peaceful yet lively manner. This could be good background music for music lovers while dining or even sharing romantic words by candlelight.

I am delightfully surprised and highly recommend this CD. I have many CDs that would gladly be sold, including some other Beethoven versions. This CD is a keeper.

Thank you.

Dr. Alan D. Kardoff, Melbourne, Florida US

PS With nine tracks, the total playing time is 72.36

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too gorgeous to waste on sleeping

This is a stunningly beautiful compilation of Beethoven's musical genius. It does not however lull one too sleep. It does pull you into his world of both the grand and the sublime. It is much better for those long workdays when music is the only inspiration to remember how beautiful life and the senses can be. The drawback to sleeping is the expansive orchestral beginning to this album. Once I heard it I woke right out of my apathy and began noting how sonorous and lovely and powerful the piece was. Couldn't consider sleeping till I had heard every last note on the CD.

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Beethoven's best

Despite the title, this cd contains some of the world's most magnificent classical pieces, which can cause listeners to play it twenty four hours a day. The collection of Beethoven's most relaxing, sweet and elaborate music is a true gem, not to mention the great price. Due to the fact that pieces such as the popular Moonlight Sonata and soothing Emperor Sonata are so spectacular, this cd certainly does not cause me to go to sleep because I sincerely enjoy listening to Beethoven's powerful compositions. The haunting Adagio Cantibile is wonderfully played on the piano. Therefore, pieces for the piano and for entire symphony orchestras are included in this cd.

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If you know Beethoven, you don't need this.

This is a fair-to-middling CD, containing no real gems or duds. Of course, it has "Fur Elise" and "Moonlight Sonata," but you can get those tunes on ANY Beethoven comp. I bought this because it was the cheapest CD I could find with the "Pathetique" piano sonata on it--the one Karl Haas uses as the theme to his "Adventures in Good Music." I used it for a weeding album. So it's pop, so what?
The bottom line here is that most of the music WILL put you to sleep--because it's not Beethoven's best work; but, the CD is cheap and, if it has anything you want on it, it's worth it on the cost-effective front.

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reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4

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