Songs of the Sea

1. Silver Sea

2. Fisherman's Son - The Rankin Family

3. Bay of St. Ann's - Max MacDonald

4. Black Rock - Rita MacNeil

5. Let Me Fish off Cape St. Mary's - Denis Ryan

6. Rollin' on the Sea

7. Flow Time - The Barra MacNeils

8. Atlantic Blue - Ron Hynes

9. Sea People - Richard Burke

10. Believing in Better - Lennie Gallant

11. Make and Break Harbour - Stan Rogers

12. Atlantic Queen - Tom Leadbeater

Songs of the Sea,Various Artists,Stephen Mcdonald,Folk & Traditional,Pop,Sea Shanties,Singer/Songwriter

Average customer rating: Fun--but not great aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh! Disappointment would be an understatement Zzz... another set of hopes are smashed

Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys Various Artists Manufacturer: Anti ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Scottish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings The Harry Smith Project: The Anthology Of American Folk Music Revisited (2 CD/2 DVD BOX SET) American Sea Shanties and Songs Orphans [Fold-out Digipak with 24-page booklet] Shanties & Songs of the Sea ASIN: B000GGSMD0 Release Date: 2006-08-22

Tracks:

1. Cape Cod Girls - Baby Gramps
2. Mingulay Boat Song - Richard Thompson
3. My Son John - John C. Reilly
4. Fire Down Below - Nick Cave
5. Turkish Revelry - Loudon Wainwright III
6. Bully In The Alley - The Old Prunes
7. The Cruel Ship's Captain - Bryan Ferry
8. Dead Horse - Robin Holcomb
9. Spansih Ladies - Bill Frisell
10. High Barbary - Joseph Arthur
11. Haul Away Joe - Mark Anthony Thompson
12. Dan Dan - David Thomas
13. Blood Red Roses - Sting
14. Sally Brown - Teddy Thompson
15. Lowlands Away - Rufus Wainwright & Kate McGarrigle
16. Baltimore Whores - Gavin Friday
17. Rolling Sea - Eliza McCarthy
18. Haul On The Bowline - Bob Neuwirth
19. Dying Sailor to His Shipmates - Bono
20. Bonnie Portmore - Lucinda Williams
21. The Mermaid - Martin Carthy & the UK Group
22. Shenandoah - Richard Greene & Jack Shit
23. The Cry Of Man - Mary Margaret O'Hara

Tracks:

1. Boney - Jack Shit
2. Good Ship Venus - Loudon Wainwright III
3. Long Time Ago -White Magic
4. Pinery Boy - Nick Cave
5. Lowlands Low - Bryan Ferry w/Antony
6. One Spring Morning - Akron/Family
7. Hog Eye Man - Martin Carthy & Family
8. The Fiddler/A Drop Of Nelson's Blood - Ricky Jay & Richard Greene
9. Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold - Andrea Corr
10. Fathom The Bowl - John C. Reilly
11. Drunken Sailor - Dave Thomas
12. Farewell Nancy - Ed Harcourt
13. Hanging Johnny - Stan Ridgway
14. Old Man of The Sea - Baby Gramps
15. Greenland Whale Fisheries - Van Dyke Parks
16. Shallow Brown - Sting
17. The Grey Funnel Line - Jolie Holland
18. A Drop of Nelson's Blood - Jarvis Cocker
19. Leave Her Johnny - Lou Reed
20. Little Boy Billy - Ralph Steadman

Amazon.com

Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski hatched the idea for Rogue's Gallery while filming "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"--that idea being to cast genteel rock superstars like Bono, Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Andre Corr, and Sting to reinterpret gritty seafaring standards for an exhaustive 43-track double-disc set produced by Hal Wilner. Throw in a bunch of credible folk stars (Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson), their offspring (Rufus, Teddy) and a string of other curious characters (Jarvis Cocker, Antony) and what results is one of the strangest compilations in recent memory, if not exactly the most historically authentic or, well, digestible. Nick Cave embraces the role just a little too hard on "Fire Down Below," while Ferry can't help but sound like he's singing for the cast of "The Love Boat," but cut through the chaff and there is some real bootie here: Bono's "Dying Sailor to His Shipmates," Jolie Holland's "The Grey Funnel Line" and "Boney" by a mysterious tramp called Jack Sh**, which must be some kind of anagram for Johnny Depp. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

While working on the two "Pirates Of The Carribean" films, Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski became fascinated with the lore and fable of the pirates and sailors who ran the high seas. Enter legendary producer Hal Wilner, who brings his knack for matching maverick musicians with extraordinary material. Artists on this double disc set include Bono, Sting, Nick Cave, Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed, Richard Thompson, Lucinda Williams, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, and many more. "Rogue's Gallery" offers a look at the hardships, the horrors, the lusts and lurid depths, and the crystal beauty that led men to the sea in ships for hundreds of years.

Customer Reviews:

Fun--but not great.......2007-07-03

What a concept--a pirate song co-produced by Verbinski and Depp inspired by the "Pirates of the Carribean" series. It should be great and in places, it is. The big question I came away with is--who is Jack Sh**? That one definitely has me guessing.

I won't belabor the song content or the production value. I think the most notable reviews have got that down pat, although I'm not marking down as far as they have because I'm giving points for originality being a fan of Spike Jones and some other truly demented people.

One thing to note: this is not a CD you'd buy if you were looking for something to amuse your kids. Some of the content is very bawdy and Mom and Dad would have some serious 'splaining to do to the little pirates. There's both some language and some situations that are more twisted than a Hangman's knot.

aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!.......2007-06-09

Some of the songs are quite good(mellow)others a little odd. Its what I expected, but not what you would expect.

Disappointment would be an understatement.......2007-06-04

It is not unusual to find sea shanties performed by not the greatest musicians or singers in the world. It is not unusual to find shanties sung by people who have difficulty keeping perfect pitch, or tempo. But at least they understand what the music is about, and sing it with heart and enthusiasm and a love for the genre.

Hal Wilner should stick to whatever genre it is that made him know enough to be approached by labels, because he clearly has no understanding, and less enthusiasm for *this* genre.

If you love lively music from the maritime era, you can only be bitterly disappointed by this collection. Out of 43 tracks, I found 15 that were salvageable. Sort of.

I've already tossed this onto the pile to go to the resale shop. It wasn't worthy the cost of shipping.

Zzz..........2007-04-04

I have to admit that I have no idea what kinds of music the pirates sang aboard their ships. I know it probably wasn't "yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me," but I expected something different than this. I think my expectations have been colored by groups like The Pogues, Flogging Molly, The Tossers, and the Real McKenzies. I have an annual Pirate Party and I was hoping to find some good music here to get people in the mood for a treasure hunt or pirate liar's dice, but instead, the music on this CD is something I'd put on if the party went on too long and I wanted to encourage people to leave. Some of it is actually awful and the rest is too slow and plodding to inject much energy into any situation.

I appreciate what was attempted here (contemporary artists paying homage to sea chanteys in the spirit of our romanticized version of the pirate era) but it just doesn't really work. The effect is similar to what would be achieved if the London Philharmonic Orchestra attempted to play rap "music" with Luciano Pavarotti rhymin' while flashing gang signs.

another set of hopes are smashed.......2007-03-29

the selection of titles attracted me. The quality of the arrangements, the voices, and the music---are all quite bad.

It is VERY sad that these same titles, could not have been produced for quality. They sound like a nightmare.

Average customer rating: Fun, Catchy tunes. Disappointing Cool! Yo Ho Ho Thar be treasure galore on this CD!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Swashbuckling Sea Songs Various Artists Manufacturer: Disney ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Disney | Children's Music | Styles | Music Sing-A-Longs | Children's Music | Styles | Music Disney Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Great Pirate Music: Music Inspired By Pirates of the Caribbean Bedtime Stories for Pirates Pegleg Tango Battle Songs of the Toucan Pirates Pixar Buddy Songs ASIN: B000M06U4I Release Date: 2007-02-13

Tracks:

1. Away, Away, Away
2. Treasure
3. The First Mate Is a Monkey
4. Welcome to the Caribbean
5. Stowaway
6. The Legend of Davy Jones (Forty Fathoms Deep)
7. Shiver My Timbers
8. Yo, Ho, Ho (And a Bottle of Rum)
9. Sailing for Adventure
10. Blow the Man Down
11. The Pirate King
12. Pirates of the Black Tide
13. Davy Jones' Locker
14. Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)

Amazon.com

By the looks of the cartoony cover art, Disney's Swashbuckling Sea Songs is meant to be a consolation prize for kid brothers and sisters who couldn't convince their parents they'd come away from "Pirates of the Caribbean" (name your installment) without developing nightmares. That's not to say that bigger kids won't whistle yo-ho-ho merrily after a casual listen, too: salty classics like "Blow the Man Down" set the mood for a plastic sword fight in the basement; "Pirates of the Black Tide" and "Stowaway" deliver mutinous tales made mild by friendly-sounding flutes and fiddles; "The Pirate King" sallies forth with regal, dramatic flair; and "Shiver Me Timbers" and "The Legend of Davy Jones" are sufficiently menacing-sounding to keep the whole thing afloat with kids who'd sooner walk the plank than be caught listening to a kiddie CD. The packagers didn't forget that any pirate worth his eye patch expects a little buried treasure with his purchase: Pirate lore--cool tidbits on flags, secret identities, and so forth--fill the liner notes. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Fun, Catchy tunes........2007-05-31

This collection of songs is fun and appropriate even for young children.

Disappointing.......2007-05-17

Not very many good tunes for kids to sing. The Yo Ho song at the end was why we bought this and it's actualy the exact recording from the ride.
Having been on the ride probably more than 20 times over 30 years I can say this.

Cool!.......2007-05-16

I'm 19 and I love this cd!!! Jeez, Im a loser!! But really, this cd is fun for kids and adults alike.

Yo Ho Ho.......2007-05-13

Tis good eyes tells ya. Both fer parties or jest listenin to.

Thar be treasure galore on this CD!.......2007-05-01

Bought this on a whim and absolutely love it! Yeah...I know it's a kid's CD but who cares!! Within a week I knew all the songs by heart and I sing along at the top of my lungs while I'm cruisin down the highway. It's the best "feel good" CD I've bought in a long time.

Average customer rating: We absolutely adore this!! charming! Excellent CD, and well worth the price. Sailing the Seas Well done and most enjoyable!

Shanties & Songs of the Sea Johnny Collins Manufacturer: Arc Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Folk General | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Folk General | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Folk General | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Folk | Imports | Stores | Music 4-for-3 International | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Sailors' Songs & Sea Shanties Blow the Man Down Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Roast Beef of Old England (Traditional Sailor Songs) Sailing & Whaling Songs of 19th Century ASIN: B00001OHA5 Release Date: 1999-09-28

Tracks:

1. Blow The Man Down (Flying Fish Sailor) (Halyard Shanty)
2. Haul Boys Haul (Sea Song)
3. Blood Red Shoes (Halyard Shanty)
4. South Australia (Pump Shanty)
5. Leave Her Johnny (Pump Shanty)
6. Randy Dandy (Capstan Shanty)
7. Fire Marengo (Hauling Shanty)
8. Shallow Brown (Halyard Shanty)
9. Eliza Lee (The Bulgine Run) (Capstan Shanty)
10. Goodbye Fare Thee Well (Hauling Shanty)
11. Maui (Sea Song)
12. Old Billy Riley (Halyard Shanty)
13. Bold Reilly-O (Halyard Shanty)
14. Down The Bay To Juliana (Hauling Shanty)
15. The Wild Goose (Halyard Shanty)
16. Hard On The Beach Oar (Riverboat Song)
17. Roll The Wood Pile Down (Capstan Shanty)
18. Dogger Bank (Sea Song)
19. Sailor's Prayer (Sea Song)
20. Farewell Shanty (Sea Song)

Customer Reviews:

We absolutely adore this!!.......2007-01-16

We're weekend sailors with a small craft at the local marina. These shanties have become not only a favorite of ours (to sing along to as we sail along with the CD at full volume) but has become a favorite of the entire marina!! This is a lot of fun!

charming!.......2006-10-13

well recorded-strong voices. Great sound for this genre. Buy it if you like the shanties!

Excellent CD, and well worth the price........2006-02-17

They picked a good selection of shanties for this CD. The recording is crisp and clear, and sounds decently authentic, if a bit too structured. The lack of instruments such as the concertina is an interesting touch, but the tracks sounds good without it. If you're looking to get into shanties, this is a great place to start. Highly recommended.

Sailing the Seas .......2005-10-26

This CD takes you on board with the sailors of old. One can picture them raising the sails and doing other hard labor chores singing these shanties. Some are upbeat and others have a melancholy feel, especially those sung as the sailors head out to sea. Life was hard on these ships, and the sailors' music and shanties helped make life more bearable. It is all so very authentic and done superbly by Johnny Collins and crew, who do not use accompanying music. If you love the sea, buy this CD.

Well done and most enjoyable!.......2005-01-27

100% Pure sea shanty sung with true feeling in a traditional manner! A bunch of familiar halyard, pump, capstan, hauling shanties (`Blow the Man Down', `South Australia', `The Bulgine Run', `Blood Red Roses', `The Wild Goose' and more) along with a well-performed selection of some other sea songs like `Old Maui', `Dogger Bank', `Sailor's Prayer', etc.

This CD offers good, pleasing harmony and solo male vocals throughout, all well recorded and engineered. If you're expecting any instrumental accompaniment you won't find it here but it doesn't detract a whit from these recordings.

If you like traditional sea shanties, add this to your collection.

Average customer rating: A True Delight Finally a great Burl Ives compilation!

Lavender Blue: Songs of Charm, Humour & Sincerity Burl Ives Manufacturer: Jasmine Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Burl Ives The Wayfaring Stranger Burl Ives Sings Little White Duck (And Other Children's Favorites) Return of the Wayfaring Stranger A Little Bitty Tear ASIN: B00005080L Release Date: 2000-11-14

Tracks:

1. The Doughnut Song
2. Blue Tail Fly
3. I Know My Love
4. Lavender Cowboy
5. The Big Rock Candy Mountain
6. The Little White Duck
7. The Goat And The Train
8. Mr. Rabbit
9. The Fox
10. It Makes No Different Now
11. Cowboy's Lament (Streets Of Laredo)
12. I've Got No Use For Women
13. Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)
14. Venezuela
15. I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes
16. On the Grand Canyon Line
17. Sweet Betsy From The Pike
18. Mr. Froggie Went A-Courtin'
19. Rodger Young
20. Foggy, Foggy, Dew
21. Little Mohee
22. Frankie And Johnny
23. The Riddle Song
24. Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend)
25. I'm Goin' Down The Road

Customer Reviews:

A True Delight.......2007-06-12

This CD is advertised as having charm, humour and sincerity. All true. My husband has been telling me for over 20 years about Burl Ives singing Ghost Riders in the Sky, but I didn't pay much attention. I mean, I have heard that song by other artists before, and it didn't impress me. Then finally, one day I was trying to think of some little gift for him to show that I love him so much, and this song came to mind. I went on Amazon, typed in the song and artist, and there it was. Clicked "Buy It Now", and promptly forgot about it. In short order, there it was in the mailbox, and hubby out of town. I opened it (remember, it was bought as a present for HIM), and just sat and smiled and smiled and smiled as I listened. The Riders In the Sky brought tears to my eyes. I have heard that song before, but never like this version!! Every song is a feast to the ears. Pure listening pleasure. I suspect I will have to order my own since we have separate offices!!!

Finally a great Burl Ives compilation!.......2004-02-29

Burl fans have waited years for a quality CD which includes most of his great songs. Though this compilation omits a few of his treasures, it's still the best Greatest Hits package out there. If you own only one Burl Ives album, then make it this one. Unfortunately, current marketers rehash many of Ives' worst songs, the ones geared towards small children, basically novelty songs. Unfortunately, there are a couple of these clunkers of this album, but you can easily skip over those.

Most of this is an adult album with some of the most common-sense and beautiful singing you will ever hear. Many of the cuts were recorded in 1960 with just Burl, his guitar and a few special effects. The songs are American standards and Burl's interpretation is marvelous throughout. His penetrating, unique voice will send shivers down your spine with his rendition of Riders in the Sky. There are some curious omissions, like Mule Train, John Henry and Lindy Lou. You can buy "Wayfaring Stranger" for those gems.

Ives is a master at singing these songs and this is a honest, stripped-down, unadorned masterpiece. They don't make music like this anymore, and as far as this genre goes, this is as good as it gets.

Average customer rating: Defective DVD Norman Luboff Choir - Soothing and Inspirational Beautiful Songs for not less Beautiful Voices transfixed horror Another collectors dream

Songs Of The South/Songs Of The Sea Norman Luboff Choir Manufacturer: Collectables ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Songs of the World, Vols. 1 & 2 Sea Shanties Ticket to the Movies Irish Folk Songs Battle Cry of Freedom ASIN: B00000K2MF Release Date: 1999-11-23

Tracks:

1. My Old Kentucky Home
2. I Must Walk That Lonesome Valley
3. Sweet Lorena
4. Salangadou
5. Nobody Knows The Trouble I'Ve Seen
6. Kemo Kimo
7. Deep River
8. Carry Me Back To Old Virginny
9. Tender Love
10. Down In The Valley
11. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
12. The Ballad Of Boll Weevil
13. Black Is The Color Of My True Love'S Hair
14. Un Deux Trois
15. Dixie
16. Homeward Bound
17. One More Day
18. Shenandoah
19. Rio Grande
20. Rollin' Home
21. Blow The Man Down
22. Goodbye, My Lover
23. A-Roving
24. Lowlands
25. Clear The Track
26. The Dark-Eyed Sailor
27. To Boston Come All Ye
28. Goodbye, Fare Ye Well
29. Eternal Father

Customer Reviews:

Defective DVD.......2007-03-09

The music is great, but the recording is not good. After returning the first copy because of dead spots and a repeat, I received a second copy that was still defective. I decided to keep this second copy as one defect cured itself and the other is just a brief skip. Amazon's handling of the problem was fine as they did replace it and then offered a refund.

Norman Luboff Choir - Soothing and Inspirational.......2006-10-01

All of this music I find soothing and uplifting. Some of it evokes a nastalgic journey back to my youth. I love the harmonic blend of voices.

Dang, I wish the Songs of the West album would be released on CD !

BB

Beautiful Songs for not less Beautiful Voices.......2006-08-09

They're beautiful songs with not less beautiful voices, it's a great pleasure to hear them all, they're very well sung and the Choir is perfectly conducted by Mr. Luboff.
My only Wish is that Columbia Records or Collectables bring out again on CD every recording they had with Songs of the West.

transfixed horror.......2006-03-15

The deep sickness manifested by this kind of music can not be described, it must be heard. Norman Luboff had a talent for taking wonderful old folk songs and stirring spirituals, sapping the life from them like a vampire drains the blood from a comatose victim, and making them sound as if they were being sung by a church choir on quaaludes. Listening to it is akin to gawking at a traffic accident or a freak-show monster, with a reaction of transfixed horror.

Another collectors dream.......2006-02-28

Norman Luboff was one the most outstanding arranger/ producer of music that i have ever listen to. I come from a musical family and when i heard his comusition and arrangements. i fell in love with them. I had the original LPs and they got lost in a move. For years i look looked for his albums. I even wrote his producers andthey stated that it would be at least 5 yrs before any of his music would be on cd, and that was 5 years ago. Amazon you have out done yourself again. Thank you for bringing back into my life that part of me that was wrapped up in Luboff's music.

Average customer rating: On any list of great "kids" CDs you will love too. great for kids, great for adults! favorite Disappointing Great CD for kids and adults

Sea Music Dan Zanes & Festival Five Folk Manufacturer: Festival Five Rec. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Folk Music | Children's Music | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Parades and Panoramas: 25 Songs Collected by Carl Sandburg Night Time Catch That Train! Rocket Ship Beach House Party ASIN: B0001XAMU4 Release Date: 2004-04-27

Tracks:

1. Strike The Bell
2. Farewell Nova Scotia
3. Cap Cod Girls
4. Shenandoah
5. Blow Ye Winds In The Morning
6. All For Me Grog
7. Leaving Of Liverpool
8. Windy Old Weather
9. Sloop John B
10. Long Time Ago
11. Mingulay Boat Song
12. Deep Blue Sea
13. The Mermaid
14. Rolling Home

Amazon.com

On Sea Music, former Del Fuegos frontman turned kid's music songster Dan Zanes performs a set of old sea shanties in a rough-hewn but charming manner. He takes songs that have been worn smooth from constant use, artfully scuffs them up, and restores them to their former "ragged but right" glory. His performance of "Shenandoah," for example, features some fine Leadbelly-style 12-string guitar picking and an anguished vocal that almost erases the memory of the polite, formal choral arrangements that usually smother the song. And his "Sloop John B" sails along on jaunty banjos and mandolins rather than the slick harmonies of the Beach Boys' version. These shanties were originally created by sailors as work songs, and consequently they have choruses that are perfect for singing along. Zanes is joined on many tracks by an enthusiastic chorus of kids who are obviously having a wonderful time belting out the sometimes salty lyrics. As with all of Zanes's recordings for children, adults are likely to find themselves listening to this wonderful music even when the kids aren't underfoot. --Michael John Simmons

Customer Reviews:

On any list of great "kids" CDs you will love too........2007-03-28

My personal favorite of DZ's "kids" records.

This one *is* great for sing-alongs with the kids, but is a fine old timey record of sea songs that can be enjoyed by anyone. Loose-limbed versions of "Shenendoah", "Sloop John B" and "Cape Cod Girls" are fine and fun.

"Strike The Bell", "Blow Ye Winds", "Leaving of Liverpool" and others are fun sing-alongs as well as good history lessons. My 3.5 year-old and I enjoy this record equally.

It's particularly nice that Zanes' website has the lyrics AND chords -- really helps extend the listening and playing pleasure. I also appreciate that DZ doesn't dumb down the music for kids at all -- you get a real feel of the folk tradition of handmade music here.

great for kids, great for adults!.......2007-02-27

for a fun cd of classic sea shanties, and a kids' cd that you won't get sick of, this is the one. we've given this to many kids (2 and up) and all parents have been very thankful! we've had it for 2 yrs. and we listen to it all the time.

favorite.......2007-01-10

This cd stays in our car stereo for weeks and weeks. We sing a long and our 3 yr old likes it too.

Disappointing.......2006-06-01

I like anything to do with the sea and I bought this CD on the strength of the glowing reviews. Having lived in a port city in England that hosts an annual Sea Shanty festival, I was fortunate to hear some of the best shanty singers around. I had high expectations for Dan Zales and was sorely let down. The music is basic and unpolished, which should be a good thing. Shanties are supposed to be raw, gutsy. But the quality of the music here is downright amateurish -- merely a sing-a-long with the children in the kitchen. I wanted more for my money.

Great CD for kids and adults.......2006-03-29

I played this CD in the car while taking my great granddaughter (8 mos) to work yesterday. The songs were so irresitable I found myself singing along, even with chanties I'd not heard before. Then, from the back seat, I heard loud cooing and chortling noises in a little voice. Morgan was singing along too. Guess this CD is a hit with everyone.

Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 What to Listen for in Music Study of Orchestration, Third Edition The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. 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.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. 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...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. 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
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. 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.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. 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.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. 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.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. 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)
42. 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....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. 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...
32. 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)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. 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).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. 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
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. 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.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. 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.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. 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...
15. 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)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. 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.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. 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.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. 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
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. 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.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: Successful crossing over from East to West One of the best solo guitar albums I have ever heard Virtuoso playing and an unusual repetoire

Si ji (Four Seasons) Manufacturer: Gsp Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Romance de Amor Paul Galbraith: French Impressions Mel Bay presents Ana Vidovic: Guitar Virtuoso A Jug of Wine and Thou David Russell: Art of the Guitar ASIN: B000AXWHEY Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

1. Wang Huiran: Yi Dance
2. He Luting: Shepherd Boy with Flute
3. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Intonation
4. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Long Out-stretched Pier with its Shadows
5. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Wind on The Hill
6. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Waiting for Guests
7. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Land Circus
8. Traditional - Heavenly Bird
9. Tradional - Lantern Song
10. Traditional - Mayila
11. Evan Hirschelman: Meditation No.2
12. Evan Hirshelman: Meditation No.1
13. Stephen Goss: The Blue Kite
14. Stephen Goss: Yellow Earth
15. Stephen Goss: Farewell My Concubine
16. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 1 T'ai
17. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 3 Lin
18. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 4 T'ung len
19. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 5 Huan
20. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 6 K'uei
21. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 7 Chieh
22. Stephen Funk Pearson: South China Sea Peace
23. Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Spring
24. Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Summer
25. Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Autumn
26. Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Winter

Customer Reviews:

Successful crossing over from East to West.......2007-07-06

Nowadays many classical musicians move to 'cross-overs' between Western classics to exotic works, and Chinese musicians and composers pioneer in cross-overs from Chinese music to Western.
Alas, not all attempts are successful. Either there has not been enough nurturing in the Chinese repertoire, or the western playing style has not yet been fully developed.
Ms. Yang is a young classical guitarist. Gathering from what she said in her own introduction to this disc, she is a musician with a great ambition. It is true that the classical guitar may not have a substantial repertoire as other western instruments like the violin and piano. Hence drawing materials from other culture in a guitarist's repertoire is both a necessity and an endeavour.
A guitarist from Beijing, Ms. Yang is familiar with classical Chinese instruments like the gu qin, the zheng and the pipa. These ancient Chinese instruments are like the guitar- all are played by plucking strings set on wooden surfaces. So as Ms Yang herself noted - the guitar originated from the Middle East, a 'cross-over' area of Eastern and Western culture.
In many of the modern works recorded in this disc, Ms Yang played the guitar to the effect of those ancient Chinese instruments, and this is quite stunning. Her familiarity with the Eastern musical style is fully demonstrated, adding the requisite flavour of authenticity to her interpretation. There are a number of great compositions of the gu qing, the zheng as well as the pipa, and I truly look forward to Ms Yang's transcriptions of those to the guitar in due course.
A highly recommended recording for guitar players, guitar lovers and Chinese music fans alike.

One of the best solo guitar albums I have ever heard.......2006-10-06

One of the most original CDs I've ever heard. This CD is full of incredible music. Yang XueFei plays with sensitivity, creativity and passion.
When I played this CD for my guitar teacher, he commented that it was rare for him not to have heard at least one piece on any particular classical guitar CD, yet all these pieces were new to him. Carlo Domeniconi (who wrote the masterpiece "Koyunbaba") has composed an outstanding suite based on the I Ching. The 3 pieces by Stephen Goss, which are based on Asian films, are themselves cinematic: "The Blue Kite" is a work of minimalist beauty. There are many other talented composers lending their gifts to this CD. Most of the selections are either composed for Yang Xuefei or are arrangements by her. All are inspired by Chinese culture and music. My favorite piece is "Long Outstretched Pier with its Shadow" (by Dietmar Ungerrank); it is elegantly written and the execution is sensual and rich.
Yang XueFei's technical agility, especially the right hand, (as in "Yi Dance") goes beyond that of her contemporaries. As impressive as this is, the passion she imbues into each work is what connects her to the songs and ultimately to the audience. Technique is there to help her express what is inside of her. It is as if the guitar is her lover. This just isn't a great guitar album; it is a great album period. Its emotional complexity deepens with each listening. Buy it!
I've also purchased "Romance de Amor" which is extremely good as well (listen to her version of "Requerdos de la Alhambra" as compared to one of her heroes, John Williams on "The Guitarist"), but "Si Ji" is totally unique. Don't miss it.
As an aside, If you do end up buying and enjoying this CD, you might listen to Lily Afshar. The influence of her Persian heritage is similar in effect to "Si Ji" by Yang XueFei. Both artists have breathed life into the modern repertoire of guitar music.

Virtuoso playing and an unusual repetoire.......2005-10-26

I am a classical guitar student, and an over-the-top consumer. So I have a lot (many dozens) of classical guitar CDs. They are for the most part quite good, but they tend to blend. I might be able to distinguish Tennant's Rodrigo or Barrueco's Scarlatti, but too many guitarists play an awful lot of the same repetoire, and they play it quite similarly.

This CD is quite different. The pieces are all Asian in flavor and by composers I had never heard of. And they are quite beautiful. Ms. Yang appears to be quite young, so this could be the start of a long and interesting career. But at least one of the pieces was written for her, so she has already apparently developed a solid reputation.

Average customer rating: Music from the empire The British and their music A good choice of tunes A beautiful CD!

Rule Britannia and Other Music from Last Night of the Proms Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Arnold | Arnold, Malcolm | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Walton | Walton, Sir William | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | 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 $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Arnold, Malcolm | ( A ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Walton, Sir William | ( W ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Ultimate Last Night of the Proms Royal Salute Rule Britannia Music from the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II The Last Night of the Proms ASIN: B00000AEL9 Release Date: 1998-08-25

Tracks:

1. Crown Imperial
2. Jerusalem
3. Enigma Variations, Op 36, Variation No 9 (Nimrod)
4. Fantasia on British Sea Songs: The Saucy Arethusa
5. Fantasia on British Sea Songs: Tom Bowling
6. Fantasia on British Sea Songs: Jack's The Lad
7. Fantasia on British Sea Songs: Farewell Ye Spanish Ladies
8. Fantasia on British Sea Songs: Home Sweet Home
9. Fantasia on British Sea Songs: See The Conquering Hero
10. Fantasia on British Sea Songs: Rule Britannia
11. Overture: 'Tam O'Shanter', Op. 51
12. I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me
13. Orb And Sceptre
14. Pomp and Circumstance, Op. 39, March No. 1

Customer Reviews:

Music from the empire.......2007-06-01

From the 1700s to the mid-1900s, Britian ruled most of the world at some time or another. Part of this experience was the exportation of the English language, English bureaucracy, and the British school system (headmasters, uniforms, standardized testing) to places as disparate as Canada, Singapore, India and Egypt. Yet somehow, music students around the world learn to play Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, or some other continental composer. British music did not get widespread attention until the Beatles. This is surprising given that English composers produced music in ballets, symphonies, overtures, operas and just about every other style and form known. Maybe the reason why is that many locals' first taste of British music was imperial music played upon the entrance of their overlords, or in military parades meant to cower them. Samples of such music are provided in this CD from naxos. Offering works from various English composers from the 1800s to early 1900s, this album leaves out the more melodic and evocative works of English music such as Vaughn-Williams' Greensleeves, Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance, or Jupiter by Holst. Instead, the focus is on music played at ceremonies, whether they be parades, crownings, burials, etc... The result is a nicely-themed CD that is unique in its contents. The sound quality is great, though the orchestration is only good. For example, title piece of Rule Britannia is played much better on other albums. Note that the works on this CD are pure British; no Irish, Scottish or Welsh influences. Overall, a nice CD to listen to.

The British and their music.......2007-05-30

This CD offers an excellent sampler of traditional British music. If you have watched Chariots Of Fire you will recognize Jerusalem By Parry(the final scene at Harold Abraham's funeral). This is a beautiful selection. The Tam O'Shanter Overture dispells the often unjustified characterization of the stuffy Englishman and is a rousing piece. All in all a very enjoyable CD. Buy it!

A good choice of tunes.......2005-06-29

It is a good choice of tunes played often in England. The quality of recording is good, the choice of tunes is good too and the orchestration is good too. It is a good CD to buy.

A beautiful CD!.......2001-12-16

This one is for all those who want a splendid introduction to the music this CD offers. It would make a lovely Christmas present for the discriminating listener. My favorite is "Jerusalem!"

Average customer rating: The Very Best of Janet Baker is simply the very best! Grace Incarnate A Rare & Glorious Singer

The Very Best of Janet Baker Manufacturer: EMI Classics 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 Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Duruflé, Maurice | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Warlock | Warlock, Peter | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | 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 General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Great Recordings Of The Century - Janet Baker Sings Mahler / Barbirolli, et al Philips and Decca Recordings, 1961-1979 (Limited Edition) Very Best of The Very Best of Lucia Popp The Very Best of Victoria de los Angeles ASIN: B00005UUOW Release Date: 2002-04-09

Tracks:

1. Christmas Oratorio: Bereite Dich, Zion
2. Messiah: He Was Despised
3. Elijah: O Rest In The Lord
4. Alto Rhapsody
5. Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen
6. L'Invitation Au Voyage
7. Pie Jesu (From The Requieum Op.9)
8. Sea Pictures Op.37: I. Sea Slumber-Song
9. Sea Pictures Op.37: II. In Haven
10. Sea Pictures Op.37: III. Sabbath Morning At Sea
11. Sea Pictures Op.37: IV. Where Corals Lie
12. Sea Pictures Op.37: V. The Swimmer
13. The Angel's Farewell - Ambrosian Singers

Tracks:

1. Linden Lea
2. A Boy Was Born, Op.3: Corpus Christi Carol
3. Pretty Ring Time
4. Prison
5. Soir
6. Clair De Lune
7. Ave Maria (Ellens Gesang III)
8. Gretchen Am Spinnrade
9. Wiegenlied (Schlafe, Schlafe)
10. Die Forelle
11. Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
12. An Die Musik
13. An Sylvia
14. Nacht Und Traume
15. Heidenroslein
16. Du Bist Die Ruh'
17. Auf Flugeln Des Gesanges
18. Liederkreis, Op.39: Mondnacht
19. Frauenliebe Und -Leben Op.42: Du Ring An Meinem Finger
20. Geistliches Wiegenlied
21. Befreit
22. Morgen!

Amazon.com

While it is impossible to really squeeze The Very Best of Janet Baker onto just two CDs, this two and a half hour anthology is a fine portrait of the British mezzo-soprano. Central to CD 1 is Elgar's Sea Pictures, a definitive account with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. While other British music is represented by Vaughan Williams's "Linden Lea," Britten's "Corpus Christie Carol," and Warlock's "Pretty Ring Time," CD 2 balances the program with 10 Schubert songs accompanied at the piano by either Gerald Moore or Geoffrey Parsons, which range from "Ave Maria" to Shakespeare. The set lends equal weight to orchestral and more intimate song, as well as to works in English--a very moving reading of Handel's "He was despised" from Messiah--and European landmarks, including Mendelssohn's On Wings of Song and Brahms's Alto Rhapsody, the latter with a superlative London Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult. In an age of technically dazzling but sometimes bland singers, this release is a reminder of emotionally intense musicianship that retains vocal clarity and commitment to the composer's intentions over superstar ego. The word great is often used all too easily, but it could not be more appropriate for this outstanding collection of a great singer. --Gary S. Dalkin

Customer Reviews:

The Very Best of Janet Baker is simply the very best!.......2005-02-09

This cd and this amazing musician are an absolute must have for any music lover or music snob alike! Her voice is amazing!

Grace Incarnate.......2002-09-02

If there is one singer who has ever truly been able to master the singer's art of interpretation, this is her. She is a gift to music, I truly believe this. A few words, or glowing adjectives could not accurately describe the singing of a woman who epitomizes art. And music. Grace and beauty.
Each track on this cd is a perfect union of poetry, melody and technicality. Dame Janet Baker fully immerses herself into each piece, and delivers highly commited, intelligent & emotional performances.

A Rare & Glorious Singer.......2002-06-10

This is a pretty good cross-section of Dame Janet's output from the prime of her career. There are few if any singers like her around today. There are many mezzos who can sing beautifully, with great articulation and finesse, but they lack the moral and musical integrity Dame Janet always brought to her singing. The voice is ardent, seeking, yearning, finding, exulting. Listen to the excerpt from "Dream of Gerontius" or the third of the "Sea Pictures" to see what I mean.
She does not sing to show off. She sings to enlighten, to illuminate, to reveal, to enter into. Her voice carries us off, near to Heaven.
Dame Janet has been neglected of late. This recording shows us why, in these perilous times, we need her more than ever.

Music Album:

1. Souvenirs from Denmark
2. Standing In The Shadows
3. Steeple on the Common 2
4. Strong Women Rule the World
5. Taste of the West [Import]
6. Ten Thousand Charms
7. The Best of Molasses Creek: 1993-2000
8. The Lady and the Unicorn/The Hermit [Import]
9. The Miracle Cure
10. The Time Has Come [Import]

Music Album