Not the best but some first rate performances at a bargain price.
931076
I was going to give this 4 stars but the price (99 cents) nudged it up a notch.  You might find better performances of the individual works here (I'm partial to Ormandy in the symphonies and especially in the Symphonic Dances, Reiner in "Isle of the Dead", Janis & Reiner in Concerto #1 and Ashkenazy and Ormandy in Concerto #3) but so far (and I haven't listened to all 8 (or 9) hours), I've heard nothing here that isn't less than very good and you have a number of out of the way items, like the "Youth" Symphony and Prince Rostislav.  I was prepared to not be a fan of Abbey Simons' performances of the concertos, remembering how they sounded on some Turnabout LPs in the 1970s but they come up much better here and I really liked Concerto #4.

So go for it!  And try to sample some of the other recordings I mentioned.
3468873
What can you say? Performance is well done. Recording could be better.
499779
This set is mostly attractive but overpriced.  All of the performances are available  less expensively elsewhere with
the possible exception of the Herman Krebbers  violin concerto. It is on the leisurely side but beautifully played. I prefer
Grumiaux/Van Beinum. Schneiderhan/Jochum, Menuhin/Furtwangler and Kogan/Kondrashin.  The Kovacevich/Davis concerti
are quickly paced in the outer movements, poetic and unrushed in the slow movements. The weak link is the stodgy Triple
Concerto which looks more attractive than it sounds. Better to search for a Saphir disc (LVC 001047) with the best Triple
that I have heard with Jorg Demus, Michael Schnitzler (violin) and Wolfgang Herzer (cello), and conducted by Eugen Jochum.
It is Jochum's only recorded Triple and is electrifying, especially in the Polacca section of the Finale which is revelatory.
I also recommend the version with the Beaux Arts Trio/Haitink/Philips, especially for the playing of Menahem Pressler
2771401
Mediocre play quality, but great for the price.
2636594
This is my first DVD player so I can't compare the performance to another higher quality/price model. My initial impression is that it works well enough to provide a good DVD movie experience for the user. The performance and quality as compared to the VCR sitting next to it is wonderful.
If that's all you're looking for it will suffice. Being a PC tech-head, I can get around the remote having a clumsey interface. It also has a short range and you'll sometimes need to enter commands two or three times to get them accepted and executed. The interface for setup with the DVD options is OK, but you'll need to read the manual carefully at first because it is by no mean intuitive.
The actual performance is OK. I'm not happy about the occasional frame-lock which occurs. I would agree with the above reviewers in that you'll see this happen about 2xs a movie. As I am not one to sit still through an entire DVD it's not a big deal, but it may prove irritating to some, and rightfully so.
Other than these points, I'm satisfied that I didn't spend more than ... on the purchase of this item. If you're looking for a player to give you a good experience for less $, then this is a good choice barring the points I've brought up. If you're looking for optimal DVD performance and features, look somewhere else. Good luck!
1408114
If you want better performances of Telemann's Tafelmusik than the ones here, you're almost certainly going to have to pay much more for them. Considering their amazingly low price, these are very enjoyable CDs. Some people might find the one-instrument-to-a-part approach rather lightweight, especially in the "grander" pieces,  but frankly I nearly always find I prefer it when applied to Baroque music. Too many instruments gives a sound that is too homogenous for my taste, though the effect is lessened when "period" instruments are used. And this is, after all, meant to be dinner music. People usually like to enjoy conversation during dinner and, let's face it, if you can't hear what your fellow diners are saying it spoils the whole dining experience. There are indeed occasional flaws in the ensemble playing but they still don't detract from  an overall highly enjoyable set of wonderful music from a composer who is still not rated as highly as he deserves.
1948522
Dvorak's last three symphonic masterpieces are beautifully recorded here but fall short in performance when compared with the competition.

In number 7 Neumann's close attention to balances show off the Czech Philharmonic's winds to wonderful effect, but the more successful sevenths tend to display a hefty string tone with strong rhythmic accents. Neumann is also interpretively unimaginative compared with, for example, Giulini's highly inflected performance with the London Philharmonic on EMI. Szell, with the Cleveland orchestra, is more propulsive than either Neuman or Giulini but the orchestra's burly string tone and the close-up recording gives his performance considerable texture and interest. In comparison to these, Neumann's effort seems low keyed.

In number 8 Neuman is just too relaxed. Again compare this to Giulini with the Philharmonia which if measured by the clock is slower than Neumann but has more momentum because of his rhythmic vitality and emotional sweep. Szell's straight forward interpretation is very exciting and his last movement makes you want to stamp your foot in time to the strong rhythms.

Neumann does very well in the Ninth but Giulini does it better because of his ability to generate tension and modify tempos without jarring the listener. Szell is more straightforward, swift but very powerful.

If you want to hear a milestone ninth consider Talich's with the Czech Philharmonic from 1954 in good mono. Listen especially to the last movement. Maestro Tallich never lets the strings wander from the listener's consciousness (one can feel every tremor in the tremolos) thus creating a constant inner tension throughout the movement. A masterpiece of a performance and a great example of focus and concentration on the part of the conductor and the orchestra-extraordinary.

A reviewer noted that the Neumann/Suprahon recording splits the Eighth Symphony between two discs and offers no fillers. At this price this is inexcusable-the Seventh and the Eighth could have been easily accommodated on the first disc with room on the second for the ninth and some fillers.

The Giulini performances mentioned in this review are available on EMI as part of that label's Gemini series. Symphony movements are not split and the two-disc set includes Giulini's performances of the Carnival Overture and the Scherzo Capriccioso-a bargain at $12.00.

Szell's twofer on Sony includes his great Carnival Overture, his wonderful performance of the Bartered Bride Overture (in mono) and his own orchestral arrangement of Smetana's Quartet in E minor also in mono.

The Talich Ninth is available on a single disc along with his 1951 performance of the Eighth.

If sound is a primary consideration, Neuman's performances make a good choice. However, if you want more out of your Dvorak consider some of the alternatives that are available in sets and in singles.

Update- January 2009

The price of this set has been substantially reduced since I reviewed it last year. My overall rating remains at 4 stars but given the quality of the sound and the present price it represents a great bargain for Neuman fans and for fans of the Czech Philharmonic.
4250586
As a Savoyard, I was intrigued by the idea of a "new" G&S light opera, but was put off by the high price.  However, I managed to get a copy eventually for a price I was willing to pay on spec.

The good news is, despite the description, this is a two CD set, not a singleton, which makes the list price a bit more reasonable.  It contains the complete opera, including dialogue.  What the creators of this have done is to take a W.S. Gilbert short story for the plot.  For the music, all the songs are taken from the G&S Canon, mostly the more obscure ones, sometimes with slightly altered lyrics.

It's not great and it's not terrible.  All the singers have serviceable voices and deliver their spoken lines adequately.  No orchestra, electronic music is used for the scoring.  It's not going to make anyone forget Pinafore or Mikado, or even Ruddigore or Princess Ida, but if you are a true Savoyard, it's worth a listen.  I thought I got my money's worth.  So recommended, with the indicated reservations.
631544
These are little half-hour westerns with familiar names. Acting is perhaps best in these four shows. Among them are some who are not that common in westerns. The best is The traveling salesman with George Montogomery and Alan Hale. Others are watchable, but not much more. The stories are a bit different than usually in western shows. It would be interesting to see other similar collections of westerns. The dvd quality is not particularly good, but is passable.
210362
I enjoyed watching and listening to these performances.  The sound at times is minutely behind the execution.  But it is so slight that I was still able to ascertain the main objective I bought this DVD for and that was style and bow distribution of the concertos.  These musicians performed in the Mozart style of even tones and open strings.  It has crisp articulations for the most part.  The dynamics and musical phrasing were overall present true to the Mozart style.  I have about 4 other CD recordings of these concertos and interpretation is slightly different on all recordings.  When Kremer went from piano to forte it was not quite so rough.  It was still pretty.  There were a few times when a note here and a note there disappeared when the soloist crossed from the E String notes to the A String notes in third position.  I thought the orchestra was a touch too loud in some of the mid-range of the violin solo.  The violin/viola duet was well played, but again some of the viola solo notes disappeared just a little on the lower strings in mid to low range.  The overall performances are very good.  I am glad I bought it.  I bought the cheap one which I am sure it is generic, but it suited my purpose.  Suffice to say the more expensive ones may be better quality.  There is not enough info on the Amazon site to tell one if this is a fact.
1387160
Over all good performances, yes some of the occurrences seems a bit...interpretive, but that's what you get when you watch these kinds of films.
4486264
Highly acclaimed performances by great artists of the past. The sound reproduction is not the best, limited dynamic range i
4288200
This recording has its good points and its not-so-good points. Overall, I'd say the good outweighs the bad, but you may see things differently.

The good: A terrific performance, a historical recording, and a pretty darn good bargain at under $2 for a complete performance (1 hour, 48 minutes) of the Gurrelieder by a top-flight orchestra.

The not-so-good: It was recorded in 1932. The recording was state of the art for its day, but there were some important fundamental limitations in the sound technology. It's a bit muted and dull-sounding -- the brightness and clarity just isn't there. I haven't heard 1932 sound much better than this, but it's still very far from modern standards.

Stokowski took pride in bringing avant-garde pieces from Europe to America, and he was one of the big early popularizers of Schoenberg and Stravinsky in the US. This recording is a memorial to that history, and to the kind of exciting thinking that was going on in music back in the early Depression era.

If you're interested in early Stokowski, or just a cheapskate, this recording is a great deal. Just know what you're getting into.
3031808
I admit to a weakness regarding Schumann Symphonies, already having some nine sets in my CD collection. This one is reasonably well played and conducted, but offers little to the collector in terms of revelatory conducting, or visual attractiveness. The industrial venue provides little feast for the eyes, and the camera is not always where you would want it to be at the time. In addition, the sound has a rather homogenized quality, that loses detail and lacks full presence. It's all decent enough, but better to stick to some of the great CD recordings.
374311
Low cost production , good acting and  has its  moments-- not realistic , but fun to watch.
1529887
Let me say it up front - I love Leontyne Price, and I love this opera.  However, this whole is less than the sum of its parts.  First, it's not the complete opera, which I've seen and listened to so many times; I'm not necessarily a purist, but when you've become accustomed to hearing certain things that are not in this recording, you miss them.  Second, much of the dramatic stuff that makes this an unusual if not unique recording is unintelligible; the sound is quite good for a live recording made in the 1950s, but that doesn't mean much when all you hear in some scenes is shouting or drum beats.  And last is the quality of singing.  My adored Ms. Price is good, but this is a voice-in-training, and she doesn't bring the heft to the role that she would bring in later recordings of this piece and so many others.  I think her acting is good, but that's where the poor acoustics come into play.  William Warfield is good as Porgy, but I've heard him to much better advantage in other recordings.  Cab Calloway is actually about the best there is, which is very good.

But overall, this is much better as an historical item than as a great recording.
2009337
This performance does convey some of the serene beauty, but little of the excitement, of Prokofiev's score. Ashkenazy on Decca, which includes Glazunov's The Seasons, a wonderfull work for its own part, is more dramatic and better recorded.
There are several recordings of the 'highlights' but I'm not aware of many other recordings of the entire work. There is probably a Soviet era recording or two, although past experience with those suggests a trade-off in orchstral polish and recording quality vs. visceral excitement.