Music Is Magic

Track Listings

1. Music Is Magic

2. Bought Me A Cat

3. I Am Special

4. Dr. Dingle

5. My Best Friend Lars

6. Love To Sing

7. Peanut Butter 'N Jelly

8. Alligator Pie

9. No Way!

10. Seasons

11. Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

12. Friends Are Good

13. Oo Ee

14. The Beach Song

15. This Little Light of Mine

16. My Gal's A Corker

17. Be Yourself

18. Friend's Sleepin' Over Tonight

19. Slimy Mud

20. Say When

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Frets Magazine
Magical Music Express... offers vivacious vocals and sparking arrangements that feature guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, dulcimer and other instruments...

About the Artist
Greta Pedersen and Pam Donkin, of the award winning Magical Music Express, have been heard on national radio including Pickleberry Pie and We Like Kids, and they have appeared on television's Romper Room and Cartoon Classics. Their music video, "Music Is Magic," was licensed to The Learning Channel as a part of their "Ready, Set, Learn" series, and their music is endorsed by the Child Advocacy Council. Magical Music Express recordings are used in classroom and teachers seminars across the... read more

Album Description
Music IS Magic! Right before your very ears, these songs are sure to raise voices - and spirits - at home, at school, and in the family car. This delightful recording is a compilation of Greta and Pam's first two recordings, Love To Sing and Magical Music!

Music Is Magic

Tracks:

Story Continues
Frank Dies
Quidditch World Cup
Dark Mark
Foreign Visitors Arrive
Goblet of Fire
Rita Skeeter
Sirius Fire
Harry Sees Dragons
Golden Egg
Neville's Waltz
Harry in Winter
Potter Waltz
Underwater Secrets
Black Lake
Hogwarts' March
Maze
Voldemort
Death of Cedric
Another Year Ends
Hogwarts Hymn
Do the Hippogriff
This Is The Night
Magic Works

Amazon.com

Big news on the Harry Potter musical front: After scoring the first three installments in the series, John Williams has been replaced by Patrick Doyle. Still, Williams never feels far away. His main theme pops up here and there, and a track like "Voldemort," which eloquently illustrates the soul of a blacker-than-black wizard with thunderous cymbal crashes, shrieking horns, tumultuous strings, and a stately finish, firmly belongs in the Williams mode. Overall, Doyle acquits himself well. He can do light when needed ("The Quidditch World Cup," which starts out like some kind of jig), but mostly he's required to be ominous ("The Quidditch World Cup," which ends in martial war chants). Among the highlights are the aforementioned "Voldemort," but also the frantic, overpowering "The Dark Mark." Note that the CD concludes on a jarringly different note with three songs by the Weird Sisters, the group that performs at Hogwarts' Yule Ball. Led by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, the ad hoc band also includes members of Radiohead and Cocker's side project Relaxed Muscle. "Do the Hippogriff" is a fast-paced rocker that somehow comes across like a grungy hybrid of Billy Idol's "White Wedding" and "Dancing with Myself." The other two songs--"This Is the Night" and "Magic Works"--are less obvious, and much better. Still, the contrast between these tracks and the instrumental score that precedes them may not be to everybody's taste. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth film (and soundtrack album) in the massively successful Harry Potter franchise-nearly $1 billion in U.S. box office alone-features a score by Academy Award-nominated composer Patrick Doyle and three songs written by modern rocker Jarvis Cocker, and performed by Cocker, Jonny Greenwood, Phil Selway, Steve Claydon and Jason Buckle-with all these musicians also appearing in the movie.

Customer Reviews:

Harry Potter moves on.. and so does the music.......2007-05-23

As a collector of movie soundtracks, it was unthinkable not to get this fourth album of the Harry Potter series. After reading the mixed reviews, I was apprehensive as to whether it would sit on my shelf collecting dust or get a good workout in the CD player.

I own all four albums, and as avid a fan as I am of John Williams, I would have to say "The Goblet of Fire" rates up there with "The Philosopher's Stone" (which really did set the standard for the rest of the following albums). In fact, I would have to say that "The Goblet of Fire" is my favourite. The music is quite simply beautiful and atmospheric. Standouts are "Harry In Winter" (this particular track I can't help but have on repeat mode in the car), "Death of Cedric" and "Foreign Visitors Arrive". "The Quidditch Cup" makes me want to catch the next plane to Ireland! And call me old-fashioned, but "Neville's Waltz" and "Potter Waltz" are pleasant and lovely to the ear.

As for the rock songs at the end, I usually bypass them. Some complain about the jarring disconnect between the orchestral aspect of the soundtrack and the loud rock of the end - well, at least they're at the end and not in the middle! And let's face it. How many people would have grumbled that those songs that featured at the Winter Ball were left out?

I've always loved the work of Patrick Doyle (e.g. "Sense and Sensibility" and "Much Ado About Nothing"), and this soundtrack is no exception. He didn't 'fill' John Williams' shoes on this score. He pretty much created a new pair. Harry's story and personality have shifted on. It would be remiss of us to think the music wouldn't evolve as well.

So has this soundtrack lost that feeling of magic? I would have to say a resounding 'no'. It's certainly a lot more listener-friendly than "Chamber of Secrets"!

The Magic is Gone.......2007-05-10

John Williams is not simply a hard act to follow...he's THE hard act to follow. Nonetheless this score falls far short. There was once magic in the land of Hogwarts.. themes were stated boldly and elevated the story, flurries of woodwinds nurtured scenes of flight. Doyle's score does dare to quote William's melodies at 3 points in this score. They are harmonized poorly and treated even worse. The rest of the score just goes downhill from here. He does introduce his own new "themes." These are presented as boring quarter note string lines that you can't seem to remember 10 seconds after you hear them. The rest of the scoreat it's best is a prime example of dated cliches. The dialogue scenes are overly sappy and the action scenes become hokey in an almost silent film music stlye. Watch the graveyard scene again and laugh, check out the dance scene where characters get lifted in the air as simple scales comically mirror their moves. The most common reaction to the music after viewing the film is "I don't really remember it as being good or bad." If you go back and watch it again I think you story will change. The magic is gone.

Atmospheric...But That's About All.......2007-03-31

One of the joys for me of the John Williams "Harry Potter" scores are the lush, melodic leitmotifs. On "The Chamber of Secrets" album alone there are wonderful themes for Fawkes, Dobby and Gilderoy Lockhart, not to mention Colin, Hedwig and The Flying Car. They're charming, evocative pieces that stand alone apart from the moodier, more percussive tracks composed to accompany the actual movie. Unfortunately, there's nothing that even comes close to these in Doyle's "Goblet of Fire" score. There's certainly drama ("The Maze") and pathos ("Death of Cedric"), but nothing thematic that you'd want to hear over and over again. And what themes there are ("Neville's Waltz" for instance) I find woefully banal. (And don't get me started on the acid rock songs that close the album.) So this is a true movie score in the sense that it's pretty much all background music; it certainly creates atmosphere and serves as a reminder of the film's superlative visuals. But what works well in the theater doesn't translate very well for the home audio listener.

Musically Spellbinding.......2007-01-09

This album is a must for an Harry Potter fan, both young and old, from the mild to the extreme. I also recommend the entire collection of soundtracks to the movies. Each one is full of calm, soothing melodies we have come to enjoy from Harry Potter.

Wonderful as always.......2007-01-04

It is easy to become totally absorbed in this rendition. Believable voices.

Average customer rating:

awsome CD
Versatile Singer
il divo ancora music
Amazing...
His wrost CD

Encore
Russell Watson , and Leonard Bernstein
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Russell Watson · The Voice
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ASIN: B00006JI9W
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Tracks:

Va, Pensiero (Verdi)
Volare
The Prayer
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Ave Maria
Mattinata (Leoncavallo)
You Are So Beautiful
Somewhere
Che Gelida Manina (Puccini)
E Lucevan Le Stelle (Puccini)
Magic Of Love
Catch The Tears
Is Nothing Sacred?
Bohemian Rhapsody
Celeste Aida (Verdi)
Where My Heart Will Take Me (from "Enterprise")

Amazon.com

Following up on the release of his debut CD, The Voice, Russell Watson is back with Encore, another mix of opera favorites and popular songs. By now Watson has become virtually a household name--he sells out large concert venues and remains on the top-seller charts. On Encore, we find Puccini and Verdi sharing the billing with Lulu and Lionel Ritchie on the CD's 16 tracks, which range from the much-loved Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria" to "Where My Heart Will Take Me," the theme for Enterprise (the latest Star Trek TV series). Indeed, a more fitting title might have been The Voices, since Watson explores opera, sacred works, film, television themes, and pop songs. The orchestral arrangements on tracks such as "Va, Pensiero" may not win him any fans from the opera contingency, but Watson reveals a captivating sound on pop ballads, including "You Are So Beautiful" and "Somewhere." If you enjoyed The Voice, you're certain to want an encore. --Rebecca Agnew

Customer Reviews:

awsome CD.......2007-06-09

This CD is overall a wonderful sellection of music. I bought it for the one song and have enjoyed all of the songs on the CD.

Versatile Singer.......2007-03-30

Russell Watson has an incredible voice range & a very versatile singer. He even made me appreciate opera!

il divo ancora music.......2006-11-10

The book is wonderful. I love playing their music, its so great. Worth the money, no doubt.

Amazing..........2006-05-05

Russell Watson is amazing. It is truly a delight to hear him sing both the pop and the arias, for he performs both equally well. His rendition of Volare is very fun, and when he sings Somewhere, it's simply breathtaking. His duet with Lionel Richie was also splendid. They really did sound fantastic together. The two low points for me were The Prayer, because I couldn't stand Russell's duet partner, Lulu, and Don't Know How I Got By, because the song just didn't seem to suit Russell's voice. However, the other tracks more than make up for those few inferior selections. Russell Watson truly is a talented man, and I highly recommend this album.

His wrost CD.......2005-01-12

I have all 4 of Russell's Cd's and this is by far his wrose.
The Classical stuff is great but The pop stuff is some of the wrose pop stuff he has even done.

Average customer rating:

Awsome Instrumental Music
The Bing Crosby songs are very good but....
AMAZING! Hauntingly beautiful...
A great soundtrack for a lover of WKW films
as gorgeous as the film!

In the Mood for Love (2000 Film)
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Manufacturer: Higher Octave OmTown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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2046
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Mis Mejores Canciones: 19 Super Exitos
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ASIN: B000050G51
Release Date: 2000-11-06

Tracks:

Yumeji's Theme - Umebayshi Shigeru
Mo-wan's Dialogue - In The Mood For Love ST
Angkor Wat Theme I - Michael Galasso
ITMFL I - Michael Galasso
Aquellos Ojos Verdes - Nat King Cole
Shuang Shuang Yan - Deng Bai Ying
ITMFL II - Michael Galasso
Radio Zhou Xuan Announcement/Hua Yang De Nian Hua - Zhou Xuan
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Nat King Cole
Bengawan Solo - REBECCA PAN
ITMFL III - Michael Galasso
Si Lang Tan Mu - Tan Xin Pei
Shuang Ma Hui - Zhang Yun Xian/Hou Li Jun
Blue - Michael Galasso
Hong Niang Hui Zhang Sheng - Zheng Jun Mian/Li Hang
Li-zhen's Dialogue/Te Quiero Dijiste (Magic Is The Moonlight) - Nat King Cole
Angkor Wat Theme II - Michael Galasso
Yue Er Wan Wan Zhao Jiu Zhou - Chiu Wai Ping
Casanova's Flute - Michael Galasso
Yumeji's Theme/Li-zhen's Dialogue - Umebayasi Shigeru
Angkor Wat Theme Finale - Michael Galasso

Amazon.com

Soundtracks are a mixed bag at best. Some are little more than an assortment of pieces, but others hang together effectively on their own, like this one. The idea of Chinese music--both popular and operatic--juxtaposed with the sounds of Nat King Cole performing Latin music might seem bizarre, but it works beautifully, sustaining a lush, romantic mood created both by the strings and the '40s Chinese music, itself a tinkling Hollywood pastiche. But as atmospheric as all this is, one track stands out above the others: "Blue," actually a version of the classic "St. James' Infirmary," takes on another dimension in Chinese hands. While familiar but completely alien at the same time, the slithering Asian sonorities mesh perfectly with the African-American form to create something evocative but with a sadness that goes beyond blues. The movie is of a time and place; the soundtrack is of a mood and yearning. Listen at night, with someone you love close by. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

Awsome Instrumental Music.......2007-03-09

The soundtrack is really good; I didn't like some of the songs (the Chinese ones) but there are only 3 in the whole CD. The instrumental music is awesome making the soundtrack an average good.

The Bing Crosby songs are very good but...........2006-07-17

In my opinion it`s the Bing Crosby-songs that makes this album worth buying, but these songs can be bought on compilations. The rest of the music is for people with special interest for backgroundmusic in films.

AMAZING! Hauntingly beautiful..........2006-05-09

So beautiful and emotional, it makes you want to cry! The score for the film and the collection of music together is absolutely breathtaking....

A great soundtrack for a lover of WKW films.......2006-03-22

I loved the film, so I love the soundtrack, which brings back memories of the film. WKW uses period music to evoke the emotions and feel of the time period of the film.

as gorgeous as the film!.......2006-02-11

Film soundtracks are often disappointing---there are songs from the movie that are not on the CD, songs on the CD that were not in the film, different versions of songs on the CD than in the film, etc.

Happily, this soundtrack is absolutely faithful to the film, and it is masterfully interwoven with dialogue excerpts from the film which complement and build on the music instead of being obtrusive. I don't understand a word of Chinese but still enjoyed listening to the actors' voices, and also liked the bits of traditional Chinese music as well. There are some tracks that I don't remember from the film but they are not throw-away filler in any way, just beautiful extras in the same vein.

Average customer rating:

You 're The One That I Want
Prepare to be transported to Summer Nights
Great Soundtrack & Fun Extras from an Enduring Musical.
If You Love Grease, You'll Love This - Only 1 Major Flaw
Grease CD Reveiw

Grease - Deluxe Edition
Olivia Newton-John , John Travolta , and Stockard Channing
Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000C16OQ
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

Grease - Fankie Valli
Summer Nights - Olivia Newton-John
Hopelessly Devoted To You - Olivia Newton-John
You're The One That I Want - Olivia Newton-John
Sandy - John Travolta
Beauty School Drop-Out - Frankie Avalon
Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee - Stockard Channing
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Rock N' Roll Is Here To Stay - Sha-Na-Na
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Born To Hand-Jive - Sha-Na-Na
Tears On My Pillow - Sha-Na-Na
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Freddy, My Love - Cindy Bullens
Rock N' Roll Party Queen - Louis St. Louis
There Are Worse Things I Could - Stockard Channing
Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise) - Olivia Newton-John
We Go Together - Olivia Newton-John
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing (Instrumental) - Sammy Fain
Grease (Reprise) - Frankie Valli

Tracks:

Grease (Instrumental Version) - Gary Brown
Summer Nights (Sing-A-Long Version) - Jim Jacobs
Hopelessly Devoted To You (Sing-A-Long Version) - John Farrar
You're The One That I Want (Sing-A-Long Version) - John Farrar
Sandy (Sing-A-Long Version) - Louis St. Louis
Greased Lightnin' (Single Version) - John Travolta
Rydell Fight Song (Instrumental) - Jim Jacobs
Greased Up And Ready To Go (Instrumental) - Jim Jacobs
Grease Megamix: You're The One That I Want/Greased Lightnin'/Summer Nights - Olivia Newton-John
Grease Dream Mix: Grease/Sandy/Hopelessly Devoted To You - Olivia Newton-John
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You're The One That I Want (Martian Remix) - Olivia Newton-John

Amazon.com

There's no better example of American pop culture's hall-of-mirrors ethos than producer Alan Carr's relentlessly buoyant 1978 film adaptation of the stage musical Grease. Inspired by that decade's rampant 50's nostalgia, it now paradoxically evokes the campy 70's excesses that spawned it. That sense of recycled decades in collision is underscored repeatedly on this deluxe, double-disc Grease-fest, especially on the set's second disc of bonus materials that spans vintage singles of the title track (its instrumental B-side) and "Greased Lightnin'," some sing-along karaoke tracks, and a handful of alternately slick/techo-savvy remixes (originally produced for the film's 20th anniversary) that are testament to its enduring, era-defying appeal. The original soundtrack itself has been treated to a stellar digital remastering that fills disc one, and remains a joyous monument to camp, sheer ambition, and exuberant nostalgic illusions. Includes a slip-cased, double-fold-out case and new booklet with complete song lyrics. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

You 're The One That I Want.......2007-04-03

The complete Grease experience. This cd is a two disc-set with disc one being the complete soundtrack, while disc two is all bonus material including the popular Grease Megamix. Fans of the movie would want to make this cd an essential part of their music collection.

Prepare to be transported to Summer Nights.......2006-03-26

Well here we are with a great piece of history.

This album has not only captured the spirit of the movie but the essence of a 1970's version of the 1950's. I have seen this play live and yes some things are different. Yet I grew up on the movie. I even find myself singing some of the songs now and then. Of course you will never see me singing "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee." However I do keep this in my car as great driving music. This album is not you can pick apart and say things like missing songs, in the wrong order etc. It sounds and feels just right. There will be many versions yet this one is the Grease - Deluxe Edition [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [SOUNDTRACK] gives you more information about each of the tracks allowing you to feel that you have inside information and to feel that you know more of what went into the making of each song.

Great Soundtrack & Fun Extras from an Enduring Musical........2004-07-06

I'm enjoying listening to this great soundtrack that I loved as a child after a long hiatus. I had it on 8-track 25 years ago. So it's fitting that I should get the 25th Anniversary Edition on CD. The 24 songs from the movie are just as everyone remembers them, so I'll talk about the Bonus Disc, which contains 10 alternative versions of the songs plus 2 previously unreleased instrumentals from the film.

Track 1 on the Bonus Disc is an instrumental version of the film's theme, "Grease", written and produced by Barry Gibb. Frankie Valli's voice has been replaced by a saxophone. The chorus is vocal, but the voices are not those in the original song. You could use this as a sing-along version, as it would be easy to sing over the sax. Tracks 2-5 are officially sing-along versions. "Summer Nights" includes the chorus vocals from the film and sounds good. "You're the One That I Want" has new chorus vocals of questionable merit. "Sandy" is a new arrangement. It's not as good as the film version, but you can sing along. Track 6 is the single version of "Greased Lightning" that you may have heard on the radio back in the day. It's differs from the original in that the bad words have been replaced for radio airplay. Tracks 7-8 are previously unreleased instrumentals from the film. "Greased Up and Ready to Go" is lively. Tracks 9-10 are mixes that I occasionally hear on the radio. The "Grease Megamix" and the "Grease Dream Mix" are fun, if awkward. Tracks 11-12 are Martian Remixes of "Summer Nights" and "You're the One That I Want". They retain the original vocals, but set them to a Latin rhythm. They make pretty good dance tracks.

This 2-disc set isn't in a jewel case. The case is paperboard with 4 panels that fold out. This is inside of a clear vinyl slip case on which the tracks are written. This isn't convenient packaging. On the bright side, the case won't crack in the mail. Tucked inside one of the panels is a booklet that contains lyrics and credits.

The "Grease: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" is a terrifically fun soundtrack to one of the all-time great movie musicals. And for all those preteen girls who go wild over the movie with each new generation, the bonus material is perfect for parties and horsing around.

If You Love Grease, You'll Love This - Only 1 Major Flaw.......2004-05-15

Disc 1 is like the original album, which I also own. 1 major flaw is that "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" cuts off at the very end of it! I was upset by this, hence the 3 stars instead of 4. Disc 2 is a lot of fun w/some remixes and sing-a-longs, all in all, I'm pretty happy with it being that I'm a HUGE Grease fan. If you like Grease, you'll love this, it's fun. Too bad when they "remastered" it, they didn't catch there 1 mistake. Oh well, at least I have it on another album.

Grease CD Reveiw.......2004-04-26

This Grease CD is the best! I listen to it every week. I just love Your The One That I Want.:) Amazon.com has everything!Olivia Newton-John and the boy singer have the best voices. Now thatnks to Amazon.com I can listen to it! The Grease CD is the best!:)

Average customer rating:

I Believe in You. Your Magic Is Real
YACHT
Manufacturer: Marriage Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000OYC38E
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Tracks:

So Post All 'Em
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We're Always Waiting
Platinum
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Drawing In the Dark
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Album Description

"YACHT's Jona Bechtolt makes glitched-out pop dance experiments that neither digress into monotonous beats nor get weighed down by vocal filler." -- SF BAY GUARDIAN

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

Mass in C major K. 317 'Coronatoin' Mass: I. Kyrie
Mass in C major K. 317 'Coronatoin' Mass: II. Gloria
Mass in C major K. 317 'Coronatoin' Mass: Ave verum corpus KV 618 - K. 618
Requiem KV 626 (Auszuge) - K. 626: Dies irae
Requiem KV 626 (Auszuge) - K. 626: Lacrimosa
Requiem KV 626 (Auszuge) - K. 626: Agnus Dei
Requiem KV 626 (Auszuge) - K. 626: Lux aeterna
Ave Maria
The Creation: Terzett: 'In holder Anmut stehn'
The Creation: Terzett mit Chor: 'Der Herr ist gross in seiner Macht'
Locus iste
Ave Maria
Abendsegen
Pueri concinite
Messiah: No. 03 Chorus: ' And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed'
Messiah: No. 06 Chorus: 'And he shall purify'
Messiah: No. 42 Chorus: 'Hallelujah'
Messiah: No. 51 Chorus: 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain' - 'Amen'

Tracks:

The Blue Danube
Annen - Polka Op. 117
Walzer - Tales from the Vienna Woods, Waltz
Tritsch - Tratsch Polka
Village Swallows from Austria
Pizzicat - Polka
Morning papers, waltz
Radetzky - Marsch
Thousand and one night, waltz
Heidenroslein
The Magic Flute: Trio
Innsbruck, I must leave thee
Aba Heidschi Bumbeidschi
Edelweiss
Do - Re - Mi

Customer Reviews:

This is awesome!.......2002-12-13

I love this bos set, especially the second one Edelweiss is simply great, it's filled with passion and truly shows the beauty of music.But if you had already bought Ave Maria and Edelweiss please don't buy this one, they are the same, this CD is just perfect!

Awesome CD!!.......2002-06-07

Wow...That was my first word when I listend to this CD.

I like classical numbers more than like traditional songs of
other countries, so the 1st one was wonderful
(Of course as well as the second one.)

When you want to relax, you may choose the 1st one, but
if you want to be excited, choose 2nd one!!

You will feel as if you were out of this world.

I absolutely LOVE this!.......2002-02-20

When I received this album, I found that it was much, much more than I had expected. The angelic, pure, innocent yet DEFINED voices of these boys add the spark to your day. (at least to mine!)

The first CD is absolutely beautiful choral music which is really relaxing. I DO prefer boys' singing to adults, because it just sounds so much better.
When I bought the CD, I wasn't expecting much out of the second CD because I bought it for the first CD's sake, but the second CD turned out to be my real favorite.
Not that I don't adore the first one, but the second one is SO IRRESISTABLY CUTE!! whenever I listen to it, I keep on smiling and going "awww. isn't this cute!"
It is REALLY sweet and fun to listen to. I just LOVE this CDs and want to give 10 stars out of 5, but obviously there are limitations, so..

Well, if you like choral music, you won't regret getting this one.

Vienna Boys do it again.......2001-08-18

Their performance is just superb. If you like classical music. I find this elevating my spirits.

Wow.......2000-09-06

What can really be said about this two CD set except "Wow." The tone quality and emotion contained in the music is incredible, and I don't think there's another boys' choir out there who can match it. The rendition of Schubert's "Ave Maria" alone is worth buying the CD. Amazing. Between the two CD's there is a great variety of music as well, ranging from the soft, sad "Locus Iste," to Johann Strauss' polkas. There is a piece for every mood. These CDs are more than worth the money and rank among the favorites in my collection.

Average customer rating:

not enough Galway
Too Good to Last

Henry Mancini -The Ultimate Collection
James Galway
Manufacturer: Bmg Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Days of Wine and Roses
Baby Elephant Walk
Theme from Hatari
Charade - Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini
Thorn Birds Theme - National Philharmonic Orchestra
Blue Satin
Two for the Road
Mr Lucky
Theme from the Molly Maguires - National Philharmonic Orchestra
Moment to Moment
As Time Goes By - Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini
Shot in the Dark
Misty
Theme from Love Story
Pennywhistle Jig - National Philharmonic Orchestra
Everything I Do (I Do It for You) - Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini
Moonlight Sonata
Tender Is the Night - Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini
Theme from "Mommie Dearest" - Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
Crazy World
Mona Lisa

Tracks:

Peter Gunn
Unchained Melody - Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini
Summer Knows
Experiment in Terror
Windmills of Your Mind
Till There Was You
Speedy Gonzales - Henry Mancini,
Sweetheart Tree
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Lonesome
Pie in the Face Polka - National Philharmonic Orchestra
Love Is a Many Splendored Thing
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Dear Heart
Charade [Opening Titles]
Shadow of Your Smile
One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) - Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini
Breakfast at Tiffany's
That Old Black Magic
Evergreen
Midnight Cowboy

Album Description

1995 compilation on RCA Victor featuring 46 of the composer's finest & most memorable recordings from 1956-1991on two digitally remastered, full color picture CDs. Contains 'The Pink Panther Theme', 'Moon River', 'A Shot In The Dark', Wine And Roses', 'Baby Elephant Walk', 'Peter Gunn', 'Everything I Do (I Do It For You)', 'Mona Lisa', 'Unchained Melody', 'Midnight Cowboy' and much more. Well over two hours of easy listening ecstasy! Double slimline jewel case. The full title is 'In The Pink: The Ultimate Collection'.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Double Anthology of the Pop and Soundtrack Composer from the 50's and 60's. Perhaps his Best Counterpart of Today Would Be John Williams. A Film Maker Could Always Rely on Mancini to Deliver a Composition that Hit the Mark for a Film and Conveyed Exactly What was Required and More. He also Filled the Role of an American Mantovani, Recording 'muzak' Versions of Popular Hits. He was Handsome, Personable, but Most of All, Well Respected for his Craft.

Customer Reviews:

not enough Galway.......2003-10-02

There are only four songs with James Galway. The way this recording is presented is misleading and buyers should be aware that this is NOT a joint effort between these two great artists.. I was totally disappointed. I think Henry Mancini is wonderful but was expecting to hear a collaboration. So if you're looking for flute music this isn't it. However it's a great collecton of Henry Mancini's work.

Too Good to Last.......2000-03-03

I heard this on PBS. Galway and Mancini may be two of the most talented musicians of our century. Galway for his complete mastery of the flute and Mancini for his ability to arrange , produce and in this instance direct the orchestra while Galway performs. They do several duets of a comical nature as well. This is important because it is one of Mancini's last efforts prior to his unfortunate passing.

Average customer rating:

Brings back visit to Hawaii
I judge all my other slack key cds against this one...

Slack Key Guitar
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Palm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

Hawaii | Pacific Islands | International | Styles | Music

Pacific Islands | Compilations | International | Styles | Music

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Slack Key Guitar Volume 2
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Black Sand
6 & 12 String Slack Key

ASIN: B00000J10I
Release Date: 1998-09-01

Tracks:

Give a Lei, Bryan Kessler
Island Style, Randy Lorenzo
Dolphin Days, Charles Michael Brotman
Kiho'alu Jam, Sonny Lim
Hi'ilawe, Sonny Lim
Milili'i Slack Key, Ken Emerson
Mehameha, Sonny Lim
Kaulana Na Pua, John Keawe
Saddle Road, Kevin Teves
Pu'uanahulu, John Keawe
Hapuna Sunset, Charles Michael Brotman

Album Description

"Ki ho'a lu," or slack Key guitar, refers to the altered tunings of the acoustic guitar that are unique to the musical heritage of Hawaii. The beautiful slack Key sound is synonomous with the majic of the Hawaiian Islands. This collection of solo performances features 7 well known slack key guitarists.

Customer Reviews:

Brings back visit to Hawaii.......2005-12-10

I had no idea what Slack Key Guitar was until finally took the wrapper off this CD and played it. Love this CD. Very relaxing. Great backgound music-can let it play all day. Brings back the memories of our visit to Hawaii.

I judge all my other slack key cds against this one..........2000-06-02

Bought it on May 17. Ended up buying 11 (and counting) other slack key music cds. But still my favorite overall. I can't sing, but do want to learn to play slack key, so this instrumental cd of solo (no other instrument) slack key inspires me. You will not go wrong buying this one!

The mellow performances match my personality, and bring to mind images of balmy breezes and swaying trees.

I've been looking for another instrumental cd of solo slack key performances, but have yet to find one that matches this one...except maybe Ozzie Kotani's, and Ledward Kaapana's live CD.

Tracks:

Antony & Cleopatra: 'Give Me My Robe' - Leontyne Price
Fidelio: 'In des Lebens Fruhlingstagen...' - Ben Heppner
Fidelio: Act II Quartet: 'Ach, du bist gerettet...' - Deborah Voigt
Norma: 'Casta Diva' - Rosa Ponselle
Candide: 'Glitter And Be Gay' - Harolyn Blackwell
Candide: 'Make Our Garden Grow' - Jerry Hadley
Carmen: Flower Song - Placido Domingo
Carmen: Habanera - Rise Stevens
Carmen: Toreador Song - Robert Merrill
Les pecheurs de perles: Duet: 'Oui, c'est elle, c'est la deesse...' - Robert Merrill
Mefistofele: 'Ecco il mondo' - Samuel Ramey
La Wally: 'Eben, ne andro lontana' - ONLY OPERA CD YOU'LL EVER NEED
Lakme: Bell Song - Lily Pons
L'Elisir d'Amore: 'Una furtiva lagrima' - Tito Schipa
Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Chi mi frena in tal momento...' - Carlo Bergonzi
Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Spargi d'amaro pianto' - Anna Moffo
Martha: 'M'appari tutto amor' - Jussi Bjoerling
Porgy & Bess: 'Summertime' - Leontyne Price
Porgy & Bess: 'Bess, You Is My Woman' - William Warfield
Andrea Chenier: 'Come un bel di di maggio' - Ben Heppner
Romeo et Juliette: Juliette's Waltz; 'Je veux vivre' - Ruth Ann Swenson
Salammbo: Aria - Kiri Te Kanawa
Hansel & Gretel: 'Suuse, liebe Susse - Helen Donath
I Pagliacci: 'Vesti la giubba' - Enrico Caruso
Cavalleria Rusticana: 'Viva il vino' - Jussi Bjoerling
Cherubin: 'Lorsque vous n'aurez rien' - Dawn Upshaw
Manon: 'Ah! Fuyez, douce image' - Richard Crooks
Cosi fan tutte: 'Come scoglio immoto resta' - Leontyne Price
Don Giovanni: 'La ci darem la mano' - Edith Mathis
Don Giovanni: 'Deh! vieni alla finestra' - Ezio Pinza
Don Giovanni: 'Non mi dir' - Carol Vaness
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Non piu andrai...' - Alan Titus
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Porgi, amor' - Carol Vaness
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Deh vieni, non tardar' - Bidu Sayao
Die Zauberflote: 'Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon' - Fritz Wunderlich
Die Zauberflote: Der Holle Rache - Zdislawa Donat
Die Zauberflote: Papageno - Papageno Duet - Christian Boesch
Boris Godunov: 'I v ljutomgore, nisposlannom Bogom...' - Alexander Kipnis
Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle - Montserrat Caballe
La Gioconda: 'Cielo e mar' - Beniamino Gigli
La Boheme: 'Che gelida manina' - Giuseppe Di Stefano
La Boheme: 'Mi piaccion quelle cose...' - Licia Albanese
La Boheme: 'Fremon gia nell'anima' - Luciano Pavarotti
La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song - Judith Blegen
Gianni Schicchi: 'O mio babbino caro' - Angela Gheorghiu
Madama Butterfly: 'Ah, ti serro palpitante' - Placido Domingo
Madama Butterfly: 'Un bel di' - Leontyne Price
Manon Lescaut: 'Donna non vidi mai' - Jussi Bjoerling
La rondine: 'Chi il bel sogno di Doretta - Anna Moffo
TOSCA: 'Recondita armonia' - Placido Domingo
TOSCA: 'Vissi d'arte' - Irina Oudalova
TOSCA: 'E avanti a lui...' - Zinka Milanov
TOSCA: 'E lucevan le stelle' - Mario Lanza
Turandot: 'Signore, ascolta' - Renata Tebaldi
Turandot: 'In questa reggia' - Birgit Nilsson
Turandot: 'Nessun dorma' - Jussi Bjoerling
Dido & Aeneas: 'When I Am Laid In Earth' - Leontyne Price
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Largo al factotum' - Robert Merrill
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Una voce poco fa' - Roberta Peters
Samson et Dalila: 'Mon coeur s'ouvre' - Christa Ludwig
The Bartered Bride: 'Wenn ich das einmal erfahre' - Teresa Stratas
Elektra: 'Agamemnon' - Inge Borkh
Der Rosenkavalier: 'Ist ein Traum' - Erna Berger
Salome: 'Nicht in der Welt...' - Inge Borkh
Eugene Onegin: Lenski's Aria - Placido Domingo
Eugene Onegin: Tatiana's Letter Scene - Leontyne Price
Aida: 'Celeste Aida' - Jussi Bjoerling
Aida: 'Ritorna vincitor!' - Leontyne Price
Aida: 'Gloria all'Egitto' - John Alldis Choir
Aida: 'O patria mia' - Leontyne Price
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'O docezze perdute! O memorie...' - Robert Merrill
Don Carlo: 'Dio, che nell'anima infondere' - Placido Domingo
Ernani: 'Emani, involami' - Leontyne Price
La forza del destino: 'Or muoio tranquillo...' - Robert Merrill
La forza del destino: 'Pace, pace mio dio' - Zinka Milanov
Nabucco: 'Va, pensiero' - Oleg Reshetkin
Otello: 'Credo' - Tito Gobbi
Otello: Willow Song - Leonie Rysanek
Otello: 'Niun mi tema' - Jon Vickers
Rigoletto: 'Qesta o quella' - Alfredo Kraus
Rigoletto: 'Caro nome' - Anna Moffo
Rigoletto: 'La donna e mobile' - Jan Peerce
Rigoletto: 'Bella figlia dell'amore' - Alfredo Kraus
La Traviata: Brindisi - Montserrat Caballe
La Traviata: 'Di provenza' - Sherrill Milnes
La Traviata: 'Sempre libera' - Eleanor Steber
La Traviata: 'Addio del passato' - Anna Moffo
Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus - Moscow Classical Chorus & Ensemble
Il Trovatore: 'Di quella pira' - Placido Domingo
Il Trovatore: 'Tacea la notte placido - Leontyne Price
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlicht leuchtend' - Set Svanholm
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries - Staatskapelle Dresden
Die Walkure: Wotan's Farewell - Lawrence Tibbett
Siegfried: Song Of The Forest Bird - Norma Sharp
Gotterdammerung: 'Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort' - Kirsten Flagstad
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus - Robert Shaw Chorale
Lohengrin: 'In fernem Land' - Lauritz Melchior
Tannhauser: 'Dich teure Halle' - Waltraud Meler

Customer Reviews:

Not worth buying!.......2007-05-29

I found this recording basically worthless. It contains only very short excerpts of the song. Not enough to get into and enjoy!

Don't waste your money.......2007-01-18

This is the worst purchase I have ever made. It is a truly dreadful piece of work.I was so disgusted with it that I threw it into the trash can.

Perfect for "drop the needle" style tests.......2006-11-19

If you want to hear full recordings of arias, then this disc is not for you. It plays only tidbits of 99 arias. Contrary to the title, this is definitely not the only opera disc you'll ever need. You shouldn't take it seriously. This disc has next to no value for an opera neophyte. But for opera fanatics, there has never been a better test of your knowledge of operatic repertoire and singers. It's a great challenge for opera buffs. Sit down with your opera loving friends for an hour, play this disc, and try to be the first to identify the singer, composer, opera, and piece. If you're a music professor, this disc would make for an awesome pop quiz. Find out how well your students really know their opera repertoire.

A CD with Attention Deficit Disorder.......2006-10-02

I don't know anyone who would enjoy this CD. It will drive opera fans nuts with a hundred exerpts that run about 30 seconds each, then fade out without the singers even finishing a single verse. It's more like an index of arias, or a volume of teasers that hucksters might use to sell opera CDs.

I never realized how much Bernstein's "Glitter and be gay" sounded like Delibes' "Bell Song" until I heard 35 seconds of one, followed 23 seconds of the other.

Maybe the TV show 'Jeopardy' could use this CD. 'What is "Hush little baby don't you..."??'

What a waste of beautiful voices and great music. 38 seconds of Enrico Caruso, followed by 31 seconds of Jussi Bjoerling, followed by 38 seconds of Dawn Upshaw.

My copy is going to go sailing into the wastebasket as soon as I finish this review.

This sucks..........2006-03-31

I should only blame myself for not checking out more reviews... this is a CD filled with short, little snippets of great operas songs... and I mean SHORT, LITTLE snippets of 30 seconds or so, each. Don't buy this CD... it is a complete rip off... and that is saying ALOT since it is only $4.00... Again, my fault for not reading the reviews but I trusted that something called a "Music CD" would actually have complete songs... What else does this company offer? A "Music CD" that only has the intros or applause tracks to great songs...?

Move on to something else... Amazon has a great selection... just not this one.

Music Album:

Music Album

1. Music Is Magic
2. Bought Me A Cat
3. I Am Special
4. Dr. Dingle
5. My Best Friend Lars
6. Love To Sing
7. Peanut Butter 'N Jelly
8. Alligator Pie
9. No Way!
10. Seasons
11. Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
12. Friends Are Good
13. Oo Ee
14. The Beach Song
15. This Little Light of Mine
16. My Gal's A Corker
17. Be Yourself
18. Friend's Sleepin' Over Tonight
19. Slimy Mud
20. Say When