About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Considering her recording career barely lasted a dozen years, seeing that Jacqueline du Pré's complete EMI recordings fill 17 full CDs is another testament to her impressive and formidable career. Anyone enamored with du Pré's unmistakable sound would do well to have this set. Although many of the recordings contained in it are still readily available on individual discs, there are some -- such as the early recording of the Brahms "F major Sonata," the Beethoven clarinet and piano trios, and the Couperin "Les Gouts-Reunis" -- are more difficult to come by. As this is indeed a complete collection, it also includes her 1971 recordings of the Chopin and Franck sonatas, as well as her 1973 recording of the Lalo concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra. By this time, the inevitable decline brought on by her illness was already well underway, and listeners will notice with reverence the struggle she was facing against her own body. Anyone who has not yet been exposed to this extraordinary artist will still benefit from her definitive recording of the Elgar concerto, as well as her magnificent interpretations of the Schumann and Dvorák concerto, all of which demonstrate her enviable ability to draw unearthly amounts of sound from her instrument. Mike Brownell, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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