I have all his symphonies recorded under I believe the CPO label. Wonderful recordings. I also love his piano concerto and his flute concerto. He also wrote a Zarzuela piece that's nice.
RIPE FOR REISSUE: a real and pleasant surprise was my first encounter with the Quintetto Boccherini in a selection of Boccherini's string quintets. They are out on 3 single cds (vol 1-3) on Testament. Albeit in (good) mono, these performances are exquisite, little gems every one and each of them - full of delicate, sensuous phrasing, play with subtle chiaroscuro effects in the realm of tone and dynamic, and ..... I could carry on for ever .... suffice to say: grab these recordings, while you can! Ps. I read somewhere, that EMI - now Warner - allegedly has other recordings by Quintetto Boccherini shelved, that haven't seen the light of day in the cd- era. May we hope for a complete box of their EMI recordings?!
Boccherini definitely needs more hearing. He should be labelled as the 'father of the string quintet' since Haydn is the father of the string quartet. As a trivia aside, Luigi's brother Gastone Boccherini was also in Vienna. He wrote opera librettos for Salieri and others.
I have the Jacqueline du Pre performance of the Cello Concerto in B-flat in the Grutzmacher orchestration, with Daniel Barenboim (of course) and the English Chamber Orchestra. Now this certainly qualifies as a Romantic, modern interpretation. Perhaps so far from the original that it violates some natural law or other, but it is wonderful in my opinion, especially the Adagio.
I think you have spoken about the devaluation of cds. I bought this box recently in a charity shop, no sign of having been played, for five pounds gbp, even with the plummeting pound, a little over five bucks.
@davesclassicalguide Greetings, Dave. Thanks, as always, for your entertaining and informative review. I recently acquired this set, supplementing it with the symphony and string quartet box sets on cpo. Do you have any other recommendations to fill gaps or provide superior versions to what the Brilliant box offers? Thanks again!
Dave, I agree. A very talented, yet underrated, composer. Wonderful music!
The more I hear Boccherini the more I love Boccherini. He was a Romantic!
I enjoy your Boccherini videos the best. His music is sumptuous. Thanks for featuring him.
Glad you like them!
I have all his symphonies recorded under I believe the CPO label. Wonderful recordings. I also love his piano concerto and his flute concerto. He also wrote a Zarzuela piece that's nice.
RIPE FOR REISSUE: a real and pleasant surprise was my first encounter with the Quintetto Boccherini in a selection of Boccherini's string quintets. They are out on 3 single cds (vol 1-3) on Testament. Albeit in (good) mono, these performances are exquisite, little gems every one and each of them - full of delicate, sensuous phrasing, play with subtle chiaroscuro effects in the realm of tone and dynamic, and ..... I could carry on for ever .... suffice to say: grab these recordings, while you can!
Ps. I read somewhere, that EMI - now Warner - allegedly has other recordings by Quintetto Boccherini shelved, that haven't seen the light of day in the cd- era. May we hope for a complete box of their EMI recordings?!
Boccherini definitely needs more hearing. He should be labelled as the 'father of the string quintet' since Haydn is the father of the string quartet. As a trivia aside, Luigi's brother Gastone Boccherini was also in Vienna. He wrote opera librettos for Salieri and others.
Ha! I knew nothing about Boccherini…hmm - specializing in a sensuality of sound - intriguing 😎
I have the Jacqueline du Pre performance of the Cello Concerto in B-flat in the Grutzmacher orchestration, with Daniel Barenboim (of course) and the English Chamber Orchestra. Now this certainly qualifies as a Romantic, modern interpretation. Perhaps so far from the original that it violates some natural law or other, but it is wonderful in my opinion, especially the Adagio.
I think you have spoken about the devaluation of cds. I bought this box recently in a charity shop, no sign of having been played, for five pounds gbp, even with the plummeting pound, a little over five bucks.
Oh my gosh what a bargain!!
@davesclassicalguide Greetings, Dave. Thanks, as always, for your entertaining and informative review. I recently acquired this set, supplementing it with the symphony and string quartet box sets on cpo. Do you have any other recommendations to fill gaps or provide superior versions to what the Brilliant box offers?
Thanks again!
Do you have any plans to also review the Brilliant Classics Haydn Edition (160 CD set)?
No.