Old Style

1. Marching Through Georgia

2. Black-Eyed Suzie

3. Riley and Spenser

4. Sweet Mountain Laurel

5. Homestead on the Farm

6. Memory Waltz

7. Ballad of Carolina Dave

8. Rose of Sharon

9. Fork Ridge

10. Dear Old Southern Home

11. Riding Down the Canyon

12. Every Knee Shall Bow

13. Ground Hog

14. Myrtle

15. Deep River Blues

16. Uncle Will

17. Paper and Bow

Old Style,Bristol Brothers,Dynamic Recording,Folk & Traditional,Pop,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: A Breath of Fresh Air Excellent Tunes Perfect Pure Alberta Country !

Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer Corb Lund Manufacturer: Stony Plain Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Similar Items: Five Dollar Bill Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch Snake Farm Unforgiving Mistress ASIN: B000ARKVIE Release Date: 2006-09-19

Tracks:

1. Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer
2. The Truck Got Stuck
3. Always Keep An Edge On Your Knife
4. The Rodeo's Over
5. Hurtin' Albertan
6. Big Butch Bass Bull Fiddle
7. All I Wanna Do Is Play Cards
8. The Truth Comes Out
9. Counterfeiters' Blues
10. Good Copenhagen
11. Trouble In The Country
12. Little Foothills Heaven
13. The Truck Got Stuck Talkin' Blues

Product Description

1. Hair In My Eyes Like
A Highland Steer
2. The Truck Got Stuck
3. Always Keep An Edge
On Your Knife
4. The Rodeo's Over
(featuring Ian Tyson)
5. Hurtin' Albertan
6. Big Butch Bass Bull Fiddle
7. All I Wanna Do Is Play Cards
8. The Truth Comes Out
9. Counterfeiters Blues
10. Good Copenhagen
11. Trouble In The Country
12. Little Foothills Heaven
13. The Truck Got Stuck Talkn' Blues
(featuring Ramblin' Jack Elliott)


Format: CD

Amazon.com

Corb Lund and his crackerjack band, the Hurtin' Albertans, lassoed a pen full of awards in the recent Canadian Country Music Awards (and the Western Canadian Music Awards), and for anyone just coming to Lund's brand of ranchin' and ropin' tunes, this album (ironically recorded in Nashville) serves as a fine introduction. The baby-faced Canuck blends a prairie upbringing with 10 years as an indie rocker in his last group, the Smalls, and throws in a smattering of acoustic blues, folk, rockabilly, ragtime, and country-rock to balance his traditional cowpoke leanings. While his subject matter generally hangs around the chutes and the plains, or follows the white line down the highway, Lund is so lyrically and rhythmically inventive that special guests Ian Tyson, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and Riders in the Sky's Ranger Doug and Too Slim probably begged to ride herd. Put your boots up, pull out a can of chew, and get acquainted with the brightest new star under the western moon. --Alanna Nash

Customer Reviews:

A Breath of Fresh Air.......2007-05-21

I first got hooked on Corb Lund after purchasing his last release ( Five Dollar Bill) and have been anticipating more.
Well, "Hair in my Eyes Like a Highland Steer", does not dissapoint to say the least.
Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans mix the introspective ( The Truth Comes Out, The Rodeo's Over) with the witty ( The Truck Got Stuck, Hurtin' Albertan) to produce a great album full of hooks you will be humming all day.
As a Texan and a rancher, I find it reassuring our "neighbors to the North" share many of our experiences and outlooks. "The Truck Got Stuck" in particular caught my ear, as I have had similar experiences in muddy pastures ( minus the canola seed.)
While these are mainly "cowboy" songs, I think anyone with a love of the West and rural life will find them enjoyable.

Excellent Tunes.......2007-01-15

If you are all about real country music then,you would love this CD!!!
I was very impressed that it was here before the scheduled date of arrival.
Thank you so much
BUY IT ALL YOU COUNTRY PEOPLE!!!!
Shelia Sale/VA

Perfect.......2006-07-09

I heard Corb Lund described as Canada's answer to Cake, but that's not really true. The Corb Lund band is as rooted in Alberta as Cake is in California, and both have smart lyrics, but (even though I don't much like country music) I have to give the nod to this album. Great musical hooks, wonderful lyrics, songs that get stuck in your head and make you smile for days afterward.

I think I'd compare Corb Lund more to Steve Earle, with a catchier bass/banjo line. BRILLIANT album.

Pure Alberta Country ! .......2005-10-18

I was in Canada this weekend and heard the 'The Truck Got Stuck" and I was hooked. I bought the CD and laughed and smiled from the beginning until the end. Buy this CD and ENJOY!

Average customer rating: poor recording Travel to the Old Vienna Only Kreisler Can Play Kreisler ***** Perfection disappointing technical quality

Fritz Kreisler Plays Kreisler Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Kreisler | Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Film Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Heifetz Showpieces Kreisler plays Kreisler The Kreisler Album Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos The Kreisler Album ASIN: B000003G1K Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

1. Liebesfreud
2. Liebesleid
3. Tambourin chinois, Op.3
4. Caprice viennois, Op.2
5. Chanson Louis XIII And Pavane
6. Variations On A Theme Of Corelli
7. Rondino On A Theme By Beethoven
8. Schon Rosmarin
9. The Old Refrain - Wiener Volkslied - Le vieux refrain
10. Andantino
11. Berceuse romantique, Op.9
12. Aubade provencale (In The Style Of Couperin)
13. Apple Blossoms: Who Can Tell?
14. Toy Soldiers' March
15. Aucassin And Nicolette (Medieval Canzonetta)
16. Shepherd's Madrigal - Altdeutsches Schafermadrigal - Madrigal du berger
17. Gypsy Caprice - Zigeuner Capriccio
18. Polichinelle
19. La precieuse (In The Style Of Couperin)
20. La gitana
21. Marche miniature viennoise
22. The King Steps Out: Stars In My Eyes
23. Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta

Customer Reviews:

poor recording.......2007-04-30

Besides the bacground hiss, I found I had to turn the volume up to max just to hear it. So when you play more than one CD the others will be normal volume but when Kreisler starts you hear nothing and have to turn the volume all the way up to have it at low normal levels. So I recommend passing on this one.

Travel to the Old Vienna.......2006-01-26

Sometimes the author isn`t the best performer of his own works. That`s not the case. I completely agree with the previous reviewer: yes, only Kreisler can play Kreisler.
While listening to this music you so wounderfully feel the spirit of the old Vienna, that most technically perfect record couldn`t compare with this impressions. Treat surface noise of the records made in 1912-1946 as the scent of that distant time (by the way, nearly the age gone) - and you would be completely satisfied, because the playing by Kreisler is so scincere and soulful. So if you like Kreisler - don`t think twice. This is CD for you.

Only Kreisler Can Play Kreisler *****.......2005-05-08

What can I say? Only Kreisler can play Kreisler. Get a discography of Fritz Kreisler and start hunting down everything you can find by this man. You can compare violinists; Heifetz has astounding technique, Milstein's always wonderful, Oistrakh is a favorite of many, Kogan can play anything, etc., etc., etc.. But Kreisler... is a unique personality of the violin. Yehudi Menuhin said of him in his autobiography, there are many great violinists with perhaps greater technique in this area or that; but "Kreisler mystifies me." Bruno Walter, the great conductor, said of Kreisler, "He did not play the violin; he BECAME the violin." and this is true. There is something special about Kreisler that transcends violin playing itself. Something heavenly is communicated by him with his instrument. Transfers from old disks are always of varying quality. Kreisler lived a long time ago and recording techniques were very primitive; but Kreisler even seems to rise above the pops and the clicks. Other artists are drowned out by them but Kreisler soars above them and makes one forget they are there. You're focused on the beauty and the background noise seems to disappear entirely. Other violinists have tried
to play Kreisler and perhaps get the notes right, most notably among them, Zino Francescatti (who plays Kreisler better than any other man except Kreisler), but only Kreisler can play Kreisler.
If you want to hear it best, put up with the background hiss. It's worth it. If you want a modern recording, see if you can find Francescatti's tribute album to Fritz Kreisler. it's OOP, but an LP in mint condition sometimes appears on an online auction service. Why the Francescatti album ever went OOP I do not know. He is the only modern violinist that ever really tapped into the soul of 'Fritz' when he plays Kreisler. If the disk is ever again released, snap it up before it goes OOP again. In the final analysis, modern violinists, at most, will give you a representative selection of only about 16 tracks and usually you get the worn chestnuts over and over again. Enough of Kreislers own recordings are still available that you can still get the whole gamut of his discography if you just look. Do so!

Perfection.......2004-03-08

No crap...really? OF COURSE THIS RECORDING IS A TRANSFER! YOU THINK THEY HAVE DIGITAL RECORDING TECHNOLOGY BACK THEN???? Man, that review from Delaware annoys me.

Go with the first review. This recording is a must. It is one of the great violin recordings. Even my old violin teacher advise me to play some of Kreisler stuff to improve techniques. Kreisler is a legend. Lesson and appreciate the beauties of the violin.

disappointing technical quality.......2000-08-29

I realize that this cd was a transfer, but I have other music that was transferred from old recordings, and they sound much better than this. The disappointing technical quality of the sound on this CD disturbs me. In fact, it sounds worse than the vinyl I already own. Very loud hissing, some popping. The music doesn't actually sound like it's been recorded in a tunnel, but the sound is not as full as I had hoped.

On the other hand, I bought this after comparing Kreisler's performance with Joshua Bell on the samples; and I find I always prefer Kreisler. With no disrespect to Mr. Bell, I find I prefer the composer performing his own music.

Average customer rating: Korngold reworks his THE PRINCE & THE PAUPER (WB 1937) score for for Violin Concerto in D, Op.35 Perlman Back In Print

Sibelius & Korngold Violin Concertos-Sinding Suite Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Korngold, Erich Wolfgang | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Korngold, Erich Wolfgang | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Perlman, Itzhak | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Dvorák: Violin Concerto; Romance; Sonatina; 4 Romantic Pieces Paganini: Violin Concerto Vo. 1; Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy Sibelius/Tchaikovsky: Violinkonzerte Itzhak Perlman: Violin Encores Paganini: 24 Caprices ASIN: B0000AF1KO Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

1. I: Allegro Moderato
2. II: Adagio Di Molto
3. III: Allegro Ma Non Tanto
4. I: Presto
5. II: Adagio
6. III: Tempo Giusto
7. I: Moderato Nobile
8. II: Romance (Andante)
9. III: Finale (Allegro Assai Vivace)

Amazon.com

On this disc, the playing's the thing and it is fabulous. Originally made in 1979 and 1980, these recordings capture Perlman at his incomparable peak. The effortless perfection of his technique leaves you gasping in disbelief; even the infamously unplayable passages in the Sibelius Finale are tossed off with easy nonchalance, and he avoids the false accents often heard in the treacherous opening theme. And Perlman's toneis warm, mellow, pure, and constantly expressive; its golden glow is like burnished copper on the low strings, like radiant sunshine up high, and he can vary it instantaneously with bow and vibrato to fit the music. Of the three works, the Sibelius is, of course, the best and most familiar; underplaying its extroverted flamboyance without sacrificing its virtuosity, Perlman brings to it an unusual degree of inwardness. Another striking feature of the performance is the clarity of the orchestral texture, which allows generally unnoticed lines and details to come out. The Sinding Suite begins with a marathon run-around, goes into a sentimental ballad up the G string, and ends with what sounds like a parody of a baroque dance.

Of all the European emigré composers who found refuge in Hollywood, Korngold was probably the most talented and best known. His film scores deservedly brought him fame and fortune but little artistic satisfaction; he continually attempted, to write "serious" music but found his old style passé and the new styles incomprehensible. Perhaps this disappointment eroded his inspiration; all his American concert compositions fall back on material from his film music. The violin concerto, premiered by Heifetz, who championed several European Hollywood composers, is ingratiating and somewhat derivative. The melodies swoop and soar, the form is episodic, the orchestration colorful, the style overripe, sentimental, atmospheric and evocative: one can easily imagine a film around it. The solo part is ferociously difficult but very effective, exploiting every resource of the instrument; Perlman plays it with incredible virtuosity, a glorious sound, and completely serious, honest expressiveness. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Korngold reworks his THE PRINCE & THE PAUPER (WB 1937) score for for Violin Concerto in D, Op.35.......2007-01-26

Erich Wolfgang Korngold came to the U.S. in 1934, leaving behind him in his native Austria an incredible body of work, including operatic and concert successes. As a composer of film music, he was nominated for the Academy Award four times, receiving an Oscar twice, for his original scores for ANTHONY ADVERSE (1936) and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938). After composing scores for 18 major Warner Bros. features, Korngold retired from films in 1946 to continue his career of serious composition.

This selection begins with a chase-like theme, as the First Lord rushes out of Westminster Abbey during the Coronation of beggar-boy Tom Canty and races through the streets of London to Windsor Castle to collect the Great Seal of England, which will prove the true identity of Prince Edward, who has just appeared in rags proclaiming himself to be king. Followed by a romantic interlude and the majestic Main Title. All brilliantly performed and remastered.

Perlman Back In Print.......2004-05-22

"The Perlman Edition" is a new CD series from EMI which collects many of the violinist's most celebrated recordings for the label. These performances of the Sibleius and Korngold Violin Concertos, and the Sinding Suite, with conductor Andre Previn and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from 1979-80, are among the best. The material on this title has been available on CD previously -- the Sibelius and Sinding were coupled on one disc, while the Korngold was paired with the Goldmark, which has yet to be reissued. In my opinion, Heifetz owned these three works, however only his recording of the Sibelius is available in stereo (and as a performance, it plays second fiddle to his mono account with Beecham available on Naxos). With that being said, it is great to hear a world class violinist like Perlman tackle these works in the prime of his career in stereo. While I don't see myself buying all of the "Perlman Edition" discs, it is certainly good to have them back in print, particularly this one.

Average customer rating: Time to switch to Corb Lund Five Dollar Bill One of Canada's Finest

Five Dollar Bill Corb Lund Band Manufacturer: Stony Plain Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer Unforgiving Mistress Modern Pain Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer Shoot Out at the Ok Chinese Restaurant ASIN: B000069HUR Release Date: 2003-03-18

Tracks:

1. Five Dollar Bill
2. Expectation And The Blues
3. Short Native Grasses (Prairies Of Alberta)
4. 4 No Roads Here
5. Apocalyptic Modified Blues
6. Heavy And Leaving
7. Intro/ Jack Of Diamonds
8. Time To Switch To Whiskey
9. Roughest Neck Around
10. Daughter Don't You Marry
11. (Gonna) Shine Up My Boots
12. Buckin' Horse Rider
13. She Won't Come To Me

Product Description

1. Five Dollar Bill
2. Expectation And The Blues
3. Short Native Grasses (Prairies of Alberta)
4. No Roads Here
5. Apocalyptic Modified Blues
6. Heavy And Leaving
7. Intro/Jack of Diamonds
8. Time To Switch To Whiskey
9. Roughest Neck Around
10. Daughter, Don't You Marry No Guitar Picker
11. (Gonna) Shine Up My Boots
12. Buckin' Horse Rider
13. She Won't Come To Me

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Time to switch to Corb Lund.......2006-02-23

What's extraordinary with country music, is that owing to its large diversity, it allows us to discover bands like the Corb Lund Band. This Canadian band around Corb Lund is really surprising, their compositions are varied and original, telling a world they know well : the ranchers. Sheer bliss! That's the country music we like, sometimes influenced by whiskey with the splendid "Time To Switch To Whiskey" or the Canadan prairies with "Short Native Grass". 13 songs likely to give you a nice change of surroundings and really cheer you up for good. It's a piece of his soul that Corb Lund offers in this album, well, four generations of rodeo riders have left their marks. The Honky-Tonk influence is undisputable, but it is hard to classify this album where bluegrass stands next to more modern country tunes. That will keep a lot of people satisfied.This album is to listen to with one's ears as much as with one's heart. A real treat!
FACM ( French Association of Country Music - http://facm.free.fr)

Five Dollar Bill.......2005-11-14

One of a very few original, contemporary cowboy songwriters, Corb Lund's "Five Dollar Bill" is well-worth twenty bucks Canadian to anyone who can appreciate hands-on humor and imaginative musical scores. His lyrics are not laments about how things used to be, nor twenty-gallon rhymes for the Nashville scene, but upbeat and clever perspectives from the wide-open and semi-tamed spaces of Alberta that work just as well south of the Canadian border. Halter in hand, his ode to a hard-to-catch mare, "She Won't Come To Me," is a jewel while "Roughest Neck Around" walks the politically incorrect edge of the oilfields with due respect. Corb has an unusual way of incorporating introspection and humor that celebrates life, and he can put together fun songs like "Time To Switch To Whiskey","(Gonna) Shine Up My Boots" and "Buckin' Horse Rider" that never get boring. I've packed this CD in the pickup for ten months straight and continue to marvel at its originality that seems to fit any ranch landscape.

One of Canada's Finest.......2003-08-01

Corb Lund brings us country with a unique flavour. If you ever get the chance to see him live, you'd understand exactly what he can give to the audience. This stripped down album captures Corb's sound perfectly. Nothing interferes with his voice and guitar, the production of the album allows Corb's true musicality to shine through. "Five Dollar Bill" is a fun album; a great album to drive, drink, party, relax, (hopefully not at the same time). Corb captues Alberta and the prairies like no other artist can. You know he's well aqainted to the big sky of the prairies, the open roads, and the partying spirit we all cherish. This album is probably one of the best country albums I have had the pleasure to listen to. I highly recommend this addictive album to anybody, especially if you're not a country fan. You just might find yourself hooked to Corb's wonderfully catchy voice, and his simple, strong songs.

Average customer rating: Technical and Artistic Brilliance from Two Master Pianists Beyond Words The Gospel of Nikolai Kapustin is further spread! Hamelin plays (with) Kapustin. Remarkable works, Hamelin shines

Nikolai Kapustin: Piano Music Nikolai Kapustin , and Marc-Andre Hamelin Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Hamelin, Marc-André | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Kapustin: Piano Music Kaleidoscope Catoire: Piano Music Marc-Andre Hamelin: It's All About the Music Medtner: Complete Piano Sonatas, Forgotten Melodies / Hamelin ASIN: B00026W640 Release Date: 2004-07-13

Customer Reviews:

Technical and Artistic Brilliance from Two Master Pianists.......2007-04-14

Nothing inspires and challenges a piano virtuoso like Hamelin as much as discovering a magic repertoire of another technical virtuoso. Kapustin's monumental technical capabilities, which few of us had the opportunity to hear directly, are presented by Hamelin with percussive athleticisn and intricate precision of execution. For all of us who want to be an inspired devotee to what can best be described as an early "post modern" take on pianoforte, which is Kapustin's legacy, this first collection from Hamelin egages the listener, then inspires, awes and satisfies with flawlessly executed technique, sensitive mood shifts, and dynamic voicing that confidently and potently declares, 'this is the new world, and you are in it'!Nikolai Kapustin: Piano Music

Beyond Words.......2004-12-21

These are too incredible. Hamelin is not just the best pianist of his generation, but a pianist for the ages. In his hands, Kapustin's musicality reaches its perfect voice ... it can only be listened to do it justice.

The Gospel of Nikolai Kapustin is further spread!.......2004-12-18

I have Marc-Andre Hamelin to thank for introducing me to Kapustin's music. He played a work of his as an encore on one of his concerts, and the whole audience was just floored! After much searching I was able to find recordings and printed music. His music is the closest to Gershwin as I have been able to find. His fusion of Jazz and Classical music is a wonder in itself. Hamelin picks some very difficult as well as a couple of rather easy pieces of Kapustin's to record. The Toccatina is the simplest piece of all, very jazzy and almost "cute". The Variations is a mini-catalog of all of Kapustin's styles, from the romantic to boogie-woogie to Errol Garner-style jazz. With the etudes, Kapustin moves more towards the etudes of Lyapounov and Medtner. There are Latin influences, Broadway show tunes, you name it! All very difficult! I've learned some of them and played them in concert and in competition. Do not be afraid of this music-he is a major discovery and we need to spread the gospel of Kapustin around the world! You can find other recordings on Ebay, and at HMV in Japan by Kapustin himself. Groth Music in Bloomington also sells his piano music and our website is www.grothmusic.com. It's hard music, but it's worth the effort! More recordings, please!

Hamelin plays (with) Kapustin........2004-08-18

It is a pity that the highly accessible music of the Russian jazz-classical hybrid composer Nicolai Kapustin still awaits appreciation by the broader audience. While the composer has been putting out records of his own music for years, the appearance of Steven Osborne's excellent album on Hyperion did help to break the barricades of anonymity. Let's hope that this overwhelming album by history's most dexterous pianist will extend the circle of Kapustin fans. While Hamelin has been playing Kapustin for years and has had audiences break down the walls by playing the finale of the former's Second Sonata while sight reading (!), we finally get a generous full disc of jazzy delights.

There is a lot of discussion whether Kapustin is a jazz or classical composer, yet to quote Peter Schikele quoting Duke Ellington: "when it sounds good, it is good". Still, for the performer there is a choice on how the approach the works. Should it be in the spirit of classical music closely following all of the composer's markings, or in the jazz approach of regarding the score as a starting point of an interpretation. Hamelin clearly follows the classical approach in following the at times frighteningly difficult scores with the kind of precision required for playing a Boulez Sonata. Yet, thanks to his unmatched technique and equally impressive sense of rhythm, this is the most jazzy Kapustin that I have heard.

Comparing the three Kapustin players that I have on the shelf, I consider Kapustin himself to give his music a Prokoviev flavor. His rhythms are angular, with a tendency towards the mechanic compensated with a strong personality. Osborne approached the music a bit more from a Rachmaninov perspective, more melodic than mechanic, and clearly outdid the composer in the first Sonata and some of the slower preludes. While taking fewer liberties than Osborne, Hamelin's Kapustin reminds me of a very jazzy Strawinsky in one of his French moods.

Many of the works on this cd can be compared head to head with interpretations by the composer. Hamelin is clearly helped by a much better, more spacious recording, which is an important factor in the more laid back result. While he does not deviate significantly from the tempos and accents set by the composer, he does take the works to a higher level. This because of two reasons: 1 (not so surprising) his techniques is clearly superior. On the one hand this results in more clarity at the most difficult moments and superior left hand figurations - years of left hand torture in the Godowsky-Chopin Etudes does pay of. Moreover, thanks to his speed, he is always in time, which results in a more relaxed atmosphere and allows him to highlight all the interesting French bits that I had not previously recognized in the score. 2 (surprising for a "classical" pianist) Hamelin has by far the best sense of jazz of the three pianists. While some pianists like Thibaudet have shown mastery of a couple of jazz genres, Hamelin shows proficiency in the lingos of Ellington, Garner, Professor Long Hair and Bill Evans, just to name a few.

After Kapustin's ode to Strawinsky in the opening theme and variations things are really starting to heat up in the Eight Concert Etudes, which blow away anything Gershwin ever wrote. These are my favorite pieces of the disc and belong in the standard repertoire. From the first Etude on Hamelin's interpretation sizzles and reminds you of the big Alkan Sonata. The man is having fun, and then some. While interesting, I consider his Suite as lesser material. The liner notes talk about the hybrid of Gospel music and a Bach French Suite. To me it is more of an attempt towards a Tombeau de Duke Ellington in the vein of Ravel's Tombeau the Couperin. Still, the slow movement in Hamelin's hands can compete for the title "best Kapustin on record", and the ease with which the man from Philly makes his way through the often highly complex neo-baroque embellishment will make many pianists fly over the cuckoo's nest. The Sixth Sonata gets a relaxed and humorous approach, with a final movement full of sturm and stride that makes you forget how difficult this score is. Next, to paraphrase Benny Goodman, we get Mr. Haydn goes to town. Kapustin's little Sonatina is a comic gem and in this beautifully light and humorous interpretation not only shows you Kapustin's expertise in blending jazz and classical, but also indicates the links between Haydn's compository approaches and 20th century jazz practices. The album closes with the "interval" etudes. All pieces are extremely challenging and get ideal interpretations. As always Hamelin stays cooler than Joe Montana having three defensive line men and an equal number of linebackers storming at him. I especially liked the final Etude, an ode to Debussy's final Etude. For all those of us who still have a tough time getting all those parallel octaves of Liszt' sixth Hungarian Rhapsody in proper alignment, Hamelin's trip through this octave jungle seems to come from another dimension.

In all, another great album by Hamelin, well recorded. Kapustin rules!!!

Remarkable works, Hamelin shines.......2004-08-03

True, Russian composer Nikolai Kapustin is not a household name, but with CDs like this, hopefully his time will come (and soon). How should this album be recommended? The draw will either be Kapustin or Hamelin (or both) - and review boards are already flooded with superlatives for Marc-Andre Hamelin, the Canadian sensation with a mind-boggling technique. That said, I'll say what I can about Kapustin's works to offer a recommendation, as there is far less about him and his compositions.

Kapustin is often labeled as a 'jazz-' or a 'crossover-' composer. I think that the latter is a more appropriate label. True, many of his compositions are jazzy, but he certainly does not limit himself to this style, and the idiomatic well from which he draws is so deep, that no listener will be displeased. Reviewers often mention Art Tatum, Gottschalk, Jelly Roll Morton, Gershwin, Joplin, and Zez Confrey as those whose sounds are evoked in Kapustin - his works range over blues, jazz, ragtime, and 'cocktail bar nonchalance' themes in addition to delving into more modern ideas.

The Variations Op. 41 and 8 Concert Etudes, Op. 40 are indicative of the more jazzy side, as is the Bagatelle No. 9. The Suite in the Old Style, Op. 28 and Sonata No. 6 are, while excellent compositions, more on the borderline, thematically, between jazz and 20th-century. Recordings of these works already exist (all of them performed by Kapustin, on Russian labels), so the real gems of Hamelin's disc are the Sonatina, Op. 100 and 5 Etudes for Piano in Different Intervals, Op. 68. The Sonatina is a delightful Haydn-esque romp, very light, and the Interval Etudes are some of the most difficult, harrowing, and breathtaking etudes I've heard. The final 'Etude in Octaves' is, as another reviewer put it, "the octave study to end all octave studies," which Hamelin plays to perfection.

Yes, I'll admit I am a fan of Kapustin's music (I own 7 or 8 albums) so my recommendation is slightly biased, but all those whom I've leant this CD to have been astonished. I fully recommend this album - but have a listen to some audio samples first to judge for yourself. Tower Records has streams of all the tracks, as well as Steven Osborne's wonderful Hyperion Kapustin album. The Boheme Music website has 2 whole albums available to stream with Kapustin himself as the composer, including works featured on this disc. Check them out. Not convinced? As for a proper review of this album (this is my first; apologies to all!) and more information, please visit the Hyperion Records website for Jed Distler's comments. Happy hunting!

Average customer rating: A good introductory album Early Beamer Sounds Great

Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar in the Real Old Style Keola Beamer Manufacturer: Mountain Apple ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Hawaii | Pacific Islands | International | Styles | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Pacific Islands | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Soliloquy: Ka Leo O Loko The Best of Keola & Kapono Beamer Moe`uhane Kika: Tales From The Dream Guitar Kolonahe: From the Gentle Wind Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters Collection, Vol. 2 ASIN: B000008QRA Release Date: 1996-03-12

Tracks:

1. Real Old Style
2. Pua Lili Lehua
3. Hawaiian Cowboy
4. Kawohikukapulani
5. Guava Tree
6. Wi Ha
7. Kaulana Na Pua
8. The Beauty of Mauna Kea
9. Lovely Hula Hands
10. Adios Ke Aloha
11. Pupu Hinuhinu

Album Description

Keola's gift for musical invention and the creative flair of Keola in a solo setting, where his total talent is exposed without the sometimes protective screen of other musicians and instruments.

Slack key guitar playing is unique to Hawai'i. It found its beginning during the 1880's. Over the years the form was handed down from player to player, with each new player adding new embellishments. Overly simplified, slack key means the loosening of some of the strings, with the thumb playing the bass notes while the other fingers play the melody on the upper strings.

Customer Reviews:

A good introductory album.......2001-06-22

This is a re-release of Keola Beamer's introductory album. It was a precursor of what was to come, but at only 31 minutes long, it leaves you wanting more. He was only 21 when this album was recorded, and the vocals are not as self-assured as they were later to become. But never the less, this is a lovely album...slack key guitar played by one of the masters. The booklet contains notes about Keola, and also about the art of Slack Key, plus a note about each song, 4 of which were written by Keola.

Early Beamer Sounds Great.......2000-07-16

An enjoyable album of Keola's early solo talent. The vocals aren't as polished as on recent recordings, but you can hear what a great musician he was even in 1972. A few of the tunes are so lovely they were also recorded on later albums: "The Beauty of Mauna Kea" , "Pupu Hinuhinu".

Average customer rating:

Kreisler: Original Compositions & Arrangements Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Kreisler | Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fritz Kreisler Plays Kreisler Kreisler plays Kreisler The Kreisler Album The Complete Concerto Recordings, Vol. 1: Beethoven & Mendelssohn Jascha Heifetz: The Supreme ASIN: B000AQACW0 Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

1. Caprice Viennois
2. Tambourin Chinois
3. Schon Rosmarin
4. La Gitana
5. Liebesleid
6. Liebesfreud
7. Polichinelle
8. Rondino
9. La Precieuse
10. Chanson Louis XIII & Pavane
11. Scherzo
12. Gavotte
13. The Londonderry Air
14. Ballet No.2
15. The Old Refrain
16. Poupee Valsante
17. Andante Cantabile
18. Humoresque
19. Serenade Espagnole
20. Larghetto
21. Midnight Bells
22. Chanson Hindoue
23. Lotus Land
24. Danza Espagnola

Average customer rating:

The Art of Ruggiero Ricci Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bruch | Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ernst, Heinrich Wilhelm | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Goldmark | Goldmark, Karl | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Hindemith | Hindemith, Paul | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Lalo, Edouard | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Paganini, Niccolò | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sarasate | Sarasate, Pablo de | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tartini | Tartini, Giuseppe | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wieniawski | Wieniawski, Henri | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Milstein (4CD Set) The Art of Ivry Gitlis Leonid Kogan Edition [Box Set] Ivry Gitlis [DVD Video] Lazar Berman Edition (Box Set) ASIN: B0001NPTX4 Release Date: 2005-10-18

Average customer rating:

Norwegian Violin Favourites Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Halvorsen | Halvorsen, Johan | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Grieg: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3 Finnish Orchestral Favorites Swedish Orchestral Favourites Bull: Herdgirl's Sunday Sibelius: Violin Concerto; Sinding: Violin Concerto No. 1 ASIN: B000038I7W Release Date: 2000-02-22

Tracks:

1. Saeterjentens sondag (The Herd-Girl's Sunday)
2. Suite im alten Stil, Op. 10: Presto
3. Suite im alten Stil, Op. 10: Adagio
4. Suite im alten Stil, Op. 10: Tempo giusto
5. La Melancolie
6. Romance In G Major, Op. 26
7. Norske danser Nr. 1 & 2 (Norwegian Dances Nos. 1 & 2): I. Allegro con brio
8. Norske danser Nr. 1 & 2 (Norwegian Dances Nos. 1 & 2): II. Allegretto
9. Veslemoys sang (Maiden's Song)
10. Den gamle fiskers sang (The Old Fisherman's Song)
11. Adagio From The Concerto In E Minor
12. Bryllupsmarsj, Op. 32, No. 1 (Wedding March)
13. Jeg elsker dig, Op. 5, No. 3 (I Love Only You)
14. Andante religioso
15. Baren, Op. 34, No. 2 (Last Spring)

Average customer rating: sublime and fascinating Insomnia- No Way! This one is hot! Insomnia? No Way-This is for the living!

Insomnia Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Cage, John | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Part | Part, Arvo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Rota, Nino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schnittke | Schnittke, Alfred | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Takemitsu | Takemitsu, Toru | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Film Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: John Cage: In a Landscape John Cage: Music for Prepared Piano, Vol. 2 Indeterminacy 4'33" Cage: Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano ASIN: B000026CMT Release Date: 2000-02-08

Tracks:

1. Haru No Umi
2. Nocturne
3. Stanza 2
4. Insomnia
5. Les Fils De Etoiles: Prelude Du Premier Acte 'La Vocation'
6. Cinque Piccoli Duetti: Preludio
7. Cinque Piccoli Duetti: Pastorale
8. Cinque Piccoli Duetti: Canzonetta
9. Cinque Piccoli Duetti: Sogno
10. Cinque Piccoli Duetti: Rondo
11. 'Daphne' Etude
12. Six Melodies: No. 1 (Rubato)
13. Six Melodies: No.2 (Legastissimo)
14. Six Melodies: No.3
15. Six Melodies: No.4
16. Six Melodies: No.5
17. Six Melodies: No.6
18. Spiegel Im Spiegel
19. Il Padrino
20. Suite In The Old Style: Pantomime

Amazon.com

This may be one of the least abrasive albums of contemporary music you'll ever hear. On this culture-melding disc, violinist Gidon Kremer and harpist Naoko Yoshino explore the dizzying roots and offshoots of modern compositions from the Far East and Europe. Every work on Insomnia--whether written by John Cage, Arvo Pärt, or Richard Strauss--seems to share influences and similarities with the next. While Japanese composer Michio Miyagi (1894-1956) was looking to France for influences on Haru no umi, Erik Satie (1866-1925) was looking to the East on the preludes to Le Fils des Étoiles. The comparisons are fascinating, and Kremer and Yoshino make this difficult music sound easy and hypnotic. Especially effective: Pärt's gorgeous Spiegel im Spiegel and Schnittke's almost New Age-sounding "Pantomime" (from Suite in the Old Style). Great stuff for modern lovers. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

sublime and fascinating.......2006-02-25

I could not agree more with the next reviewer: this is one of the most cohesive collections I've heard; each track segues effortlessly into the next. While the dissonance and atonality of much modern music grates on me; this CD is devoid of such things. The compositions are wonderfully luminous and the performer(s) approach rivets the listener. Excellent night-time composition music, seduction music- what have you. I strongly encourage you to take a chance on this!

Insomnia- No Way! This one is hot!.......2000-06-16

The title is misleading if not down right dubious. This is one hot album. Gidon Kremer is a performer of rare ability and he is at his best with the broad range of composers featured here. He is accompanied by an excellent harpist Naoko Yoshino who adds her own special charm to these pieces. They work well together and their skills are clearly evident. This album is not for everyone; it challenges the listener and forces you to pay attention but it is worth it.

Insomnia? No Way-This is for the living!.......2000-06-15

Gidon Kremer is at his most provocative best! The wide range of composers played here require all of his skill and he comes through. This album is not for everybody but those who want something new won't be disappointed. Naoko Yoshino's contributions on the harp are a delight in themselves and shouldn't be missed. From a musical point of view this is not for quiet nights! It gets you up and keep you up This album may challenge some people but that's one of its charms. Need a challenge go for it; its truly an adventure.

Music Album:

1. One Lifetime's Not Enough
2. Oregon Stories
3. Over the Rainbow
4. Proscenium
5. Pulse of Brasil
6. Ready Set Go
7. REAL LIVE American Music
8. Restless Soul
9. Right Here
10. Riverdance and other traditional Irish Jigs and Reels [Cast Recording]

Music Album