Dream Scene

Amazon.com
No one knew it at the time, but the sessions for Dream Scene were probably the last recording project of the Seldom Scene. The death of co-founder John Duffey has left the band's future in doubt, but this album serves as a fitting farewell gesture from one of the greatest acts in the history of bluegrass. The group's trademark virtues are all in evidence--the sparkling, unhurried picking, the gorgeous vocal harmonies and a mix of material that manages to bridge the oldest of rural traditions and the most accessible modern pop. --Geoffrey Himes

Dream Scene,The Seldom Scene,Sugarhill [Country],Bluegrass,Country,Pop,Progressive Bluegrass

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Average customer rating:

Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V)

Not one of his bests, but very close

John Williams' finest work

A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy

Williams is slumming it

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Star Wars Trilogy

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

ASIN: B000850IS6
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

Star Wars and The Revenge Of The Sith
Anakin's Dream
Battle Of The Heroes
Anakin's Betrayal
General Grievous
Palpatine's Teachings
Grievous and the Droids
Padme's Ruminations
Anakin vs. Obi-Wan
Anakin's Dark Deeds
Enter Lord Vader
The Immolation Scene
Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious
The Birth Of The Twins and Padme's Destiny
A New Hope and End Credits

Amazon.com

John Williams' lovely and moving score for the sixth Star Wars film brings thirty years of collaborating on George Lucas' beyond-popular intergalactic franchise to a close. (Is this really the end of Star Wars? Can't Lucas and Williams work together on a prequel to these prequels? Let us hope so, and that Jar Jar Binks is nowhere near it.) As this music accompanies the most exciting Star Wars film in many a moon, the soundtrack itself is more fun, more evil, more nasty and bumpy. Many of the heroic, anthemic themes woven throughout Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith will necessarily be familiar to any fan of the series, from the "Imperial March" to the main theme. It's remarkable how stirring the latter can be, no matter how many times you've heard it, and even for those who do not have all their money invested in S.W. memorabilia. There is a lot of new music here, and the lush, extensive range of both Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra is on display, most notably in the menacing, percolating "General Grievous" and the rousing "New Hope" end theme. --Mike McGonigal

The Force Is Also with:

Star Wars Trilogy soundtrack box set
Star Wars Episode II sountrack
Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Trilogy on DVD
Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Customer Reviews:

Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V).......2007-06-21

product: Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V), included as bonus disc in Episode III soundtrack.

The bonus dvd with this soundtrack was the reason I purchased. I enjoy film soundtracks, and science fiction, but this dvd was a real highlight for me. I got the soundtrack cd out of the local library. The cd was missing from the case, but I found this wonderful dvd instead that I went out to purchase later.

With optional segments of dialog from Ian McDiarmid, this film is a stunning visual and musical overview of the full epic story of episodes I-VI of Star Wars. For those of us who felt that eps. IV-VI fell short of our expectations, this film presents them well as parts of the whole story. The Musical Journey also stands as a summary of the entire SW opus for someone who is not familiar with the Star Wars characters and plot. Highly recommended.

Options: no subtitles or other options.

Not one of his bests, but very close.......2007-05-21

The Episode III soundtrack is very good. Not great, but very, very good. You can tell that Williams is getting old, but he still manages to weave together a very memorable score.

My favorite tracks are "Battle of the Heroes," "Anakin's Betrayal," Palpatine's teachings, "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan," and the "Immolation Scene."
The others are very good as well, but these are especially nice. "Battle of the Heroes" is Dual of the Fates for Revenge of the Sith. "Anakin's Betrayal" is a very sad track that is, in my opinion, one of William's most powerful pieces. "Palpatine's Teachings" is really, really neat. It's very dark and moody, a perfect piece for the evil emperor. The only weird thing is the end. "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan" is the action piece that plays during the battles of Anakin and Obi-Wan, and Yoda and the Emperor. Finally, "The Immolation Scene" is another sad piece, even more so than "Anakin's Betrayal."

Although I really like this CD, there are some things that are missing (as usual). First, the whole sequence where the droids are looking for Obi-Wan after he was shot. You see Obi-Wan in his ship with Senator Organa on the Hologram (or whatever it is), and Obi-Wan says that his clones turned on him. That was some pretty awesome music that OF COURSE was left out of the CD. Then there was Dual of the Fates in the movie, but completely absent from the CD. And probably the most annoying was that whole piece of music before Obi-Wan and Anakin fight. It was so touching and sad and I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LEFT IT OUT! Absolutely amazing. Also, did anyone notice that some little bits were cut out? For example, in Anakin vs. Obi Wan, they cut out about a second or two of choir. What?! What the heck is with that? It's when Anakin is running on the long thing and jumps on the droid on the lava. Also, there was some pretty cool drumming when you see Yoda and the Emperor fighting, and you can see the whole stadium (the big room). There's also drumming in "Enter Lord Vader" that is muted in the soundtrack.

Oh well...if I'm going to collect movie scores, I'm going to have to get used to the fact that in almost all cases there's not going to be every bit of music. I've experienced this in both Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park I (there was very little left out on this score), and almost everything else. At the moment, I'm just waiting for the 22nd, for the Pirates of the Caribbean 3 soundtrack. It's gonna be amazing.

See Yu

John Williams' finest work.......2007-04-20

There is little more I can say that hasn't already been said about the soundtrack to Episode 3, especially what Amazon contributor Dan Mohr wrote in his review of the soundtrack on 2/2/2006. His review captured almost all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions I had when I first listened to the soundtrack, and was, IMO, the best review of John Williams' greatest masterpiece.

Having said that, I will say that few soundtracks have ever so perfectly captured the underlying emotional currents of their respective movie; in the case of ROTS, the contemporaneous tragedies of Anakin's fall to the Dark Side, the extermination of the Jedi, and the rise of the oppressive Empire. The listener is confronted with the depth and totality of the evil that has beset the entire galaxy to a degree that the film could not reach in only 2 hours.

Bravo, Dan Mohr, and BRAVO John Williams!

A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy.......2007-04-07

This is a great work of art. I rank it 4th among Star Wars soundtracks after A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and The Phantom Menace. I had a hard deciding which I thought was better, The Phantom Meance or Revenge of the Sith, but I decided that The Phantom Menace lays the foundation for so much that is in this soundtrack and is thus the more masterful work. But that doesn't mean that this score still isn't great. Every piece is a thrill to listen to and pace never lets up. "Battle of the Hereos" is an amazing piece and the rendition of the "Funeral Theme" from Episoded I captures the film's tragety magnificently. Also I do not think John Williams could have portrayed the Jedi's extinction more perfectly than he did in "Anakin's Betrayal". This is without a doubt the best score of 2005 and one of the best of the decade.

Williams is slumming it.......2007-04-01

Williams's score for Revenge of the Sith is almost entirely overbearing, lacking any emotional subtlety. The music is overcomplicated and even a bit confusing, especially in the tracks that correspond to action sequences in the movie. His overuse of choral tracks and vocals is too bombastic and irritating to be listened to without the explosions and laser blasts of the soundtrack to soften them. (Yes, this music is actually softened by the sounds of warfare.) Worst of all, much of the music has simply been lifted from earlier scores. At times his self-imitation was so blatant that I actually wondered whether the editor who had complied this score had made a mistake and I was listening to The Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope. Also suffers from not including the entire score, in some cases cutting out musical segues in obvious and awkward ways.

Average customer rating:

Topol is best as the Papa
Love it
CP as Grandmother Tzeitel
Never Ending Joy!
Great a classic

Fiddler on the Roof
Jerry Bock , Sheldon Harnick , and Topol
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Fiddler on the Roof (Special Edition)
My Fair Lady (1964 Film Soundtrack)
The King and I (1956 Film Soundtrack)
The Music Man (1962 Film Soundtrack)
South Pacific (1958 Film Soundtrack)

ASIN: B00005OB07
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Prologue/Tradition/Main Title
Matchmaker
If I Were A Rich Man
Sabbath Prayer
To Life
Miracle Of Miracles
Tevye's Dream
Wedding Procession
Sunrise, Sunset
Wedding Celebration/The Bottle Dance
First Act Finale
Entr'acte
Do You Love Me?
Far From The Home I Love
Chava Ballet Sequence
The Rejection Scene
Anatevka
Finale
Any Day Now

Amazon.com

This new version of the Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack coincides with the movie's 30th anniversary (which is also celebrated by a special edition DVD). The CD is notable for several instrumental tracks by John Williams, as well as for "Any Day Now," a previously unreleased song performed by Perchik/Paul Michael Glaser (better known for his starring role in TV's Starsky and Hutch). The soundtrack is often compared unfavorably with the original 1964 cast album, in which Zero Mostel played the part of Tevye (here performed by Topol, who had been in the 1967 London production). But this CD has a lot going for it, including glossy remastering and, of course, Isaac Stern as the fiddler. In the end, whatever version you decide to pick up, Fiddler remains one of the most enduring musicals of all time. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Topol is best as the Papa.......2007-07-15

I have other versions of CDs of "The Fiddler of the Roof" but Topol is the best and this is one of the best CDs with Topol. As far as "The Fiddler On the Roof" goes, that is a thumbs up 5 star anytime story and songs.

Love it.......2007-05-16

I had looked everywhere for this CD. I am so happy to have found the "real" Fiddler on the Roof!

CP as Grandmother Tzeitel.......2007-03-30

At first, I thought this musical was weird but then I grew to like it. It has a sad ending but the thems in the movie are really interesting. Life really is like being a fiddler on the roof. In a musical coming up at my school, I am playign the part of Grandmother Tzeitel in Tevye's dream. I am excited to play the part and I think our musical will go very well!

Never Ending Joy!.......2006-11-22

The music from Fiddler on the Roof is exciting, fun, interesting and funny! This CD is mixed with humor, music from different cultures and a wide mix of different songs. Each song is so different that I can listen to it for hours. I was surprised how enjoyable and pleasent it really is. Although...it is easy to get this music stuck in your head!

-Christian Fobian, Author of Why Christ?

Great a classic.......2005-11-08

Totally enjoyable. After a few listens you can't help but sing along.

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

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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:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

De Profundis - Nova Schola Gregoriana
Alleluia - O Virga Mediatrix - Oxford Camerata
Gloria - Oxford Camerata
Pavane - Red Byrd
Canon - Capella Istropolitana
Vivace - Grave - Capella Istropolitana
Prelude - Laurence Cummings
Allegro - Takako Nishizaki
Adagio - Miroslav Kejmar
Air On The G String - Capella Istropolitana
Hallelujah Chorus - Scholars Baroque Ensemble
Menuetto: Allegretto - Capella Istropolitana
Andante - Failoni Orchestra
Allegro - Capella Istropolitana
Adagio - Jeno Jando
Andante - Ernst Ottensamer
Quis Est Homo - Hungarian State Opera Chorus

Tracks:

Ave Maria - Ingrid Kertesi
Un Bal - Pinchas Steinberg
Wedding March - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Minute Waltz - Idil Biret
Larghetto - Alexander Rahbari
Ride Of The Valkyries - Uwe Mund
Prelude - Alexander Rahbari
Hungarian Dance No.3 - Budapest Symphony
Scene - Ondrej Lenard
Slavonic Dance No.1 - Balazs Szokolay
Nimrod - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Clair De Lune - Keith Clark
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Opening) - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Prelude In C Sharp Minor - Idil Biret
Fountain Of The Villa Medici At Sunset - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Overture - Bournemouth Sinfonietta
O Fortuna - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Playful Pizzicato - Bournemouth Sinfonietta
Violin Concerto - Adele Anthony

Amazon.com

Is it a two-CD set with a particularly thick booklet, or a 562-page book with a compilation album attached? Either way, the unpretentious text by Keith Anderson offers an introduction to the lives and works of dozens of composers, together with recommended recordings from the Naxos and Marco Polo catalogs. Anderson includes a useful 59-page glossary of musical terms and an extensive listing of classical pieces used in films. The odd thing about the 36 extracts and complete pieces on the CDs is that they do not form an A-to-Z at all. Rather, they are arranged chronologically, from 1,000-year-old Gregorian chant to the opening movement of contemporary composer Philip Glass's Violin Concerto. Between these two points is the early music of Palestrina and Byrd; the Baroque glories of Vivaldi and Bach; the 19th-century Romantic masters, from Beethoven to Tchaikovsky; and such 20th-century greats as Rachmaninov and Stravinsky. Opera, song, and chamber music are barely represented, but only so much can fit into 151 minutes. Essentially a deluxe sampler of the vast Naxos catalogue, the discs offer a good introduction to some of the most famous and melodic music ever composed, while the book will be very useful to newcomers to the potentially confusing world of classical music. --Gary S. Dalkin

Album Description

A-Z of Classical Music is a remarkable 562-page, illustrated bok, detailing the lives of all the great composers as well as many less known, but equally fascinating, musical masters. Like the Naxos range of recording itself, A-Z of Classical Music is a rich source of inspiration for anyone either just embarking on a lifetime of musical enjoyment or for whom classical music has long been a way of life. Included within is an extensive glossary of musical terms plus a unique guide to classical music used in acclaimed films. Two-and-a-half hours of the finest music from across the centuries are contained in the accompanying CDs.

Customer Reviews:

LETTER PERFECT CLASS(ICAL) ACT!.......2003-01-19

It's only natural we sometimes hit the high seas....make that Cs. This is one box set about which we sing praises. This set features more than two hours of the finest music from across the centuries by such composers as Schubert, Chopin, Mozart, Handel, Stravinsky and Glass. The set also comes with a 562-page illustrated book, detailing the lives of hundreds of composers, a
glossary of musical terms and a unique guide to the classical music used in 360 top films.

Great Tracks -- Great Value -- Great Book, Who Can Complain?.......2002-08-30

Naxos is a fabulous label -- you will not get samples of the best classical music through the ages at no better price. These tracks are as good as any of the over-priced major orchestras and in some cases better. This is a great starter set for a beginner or anyone who just wants to "taste" the classics. If you prefer Opera I would suggest the A to Z of Opera -- most of the tracks on A to Z Classical are orchestral. I was so impressed with this collection that I purchased the Discover the Classics Vol's 1-3 which will give you a more detailed look at the great classics. Take a look at the Naxos web site at NAXOSUSA.COM -- what you will see will blow your mind -- there are literally thousands of pieces that you could listen too!

At this price, how can one complain?.......2001-09-30

This is pretty much a CD version of a mini-Naxos and Marco Polo catalog. All the pieces and extracts are ordered chronologically on the 2 CDs and are of very acceptable quality, but don't expect excellence in every track. Personally, I was particularly disappointed with one of my favourite Pachelbel pieces. The Naxos Canon & Gigue lacks all the emotion of my favourite versions.

Still, any possible weaker performances are of little importance after you get your hands on the fat booklet with over 500 pages. The booklet offers a short intro about the great composers, a glossary of musical terms, a list of works used in films and dozens of illustrations of several composers.

Overall, at this price, this is a must-have pack for any beginner, and might be useful for the occasion "quick check" of the work of many composers. Do not expect many detail, nor references to all the works of some composers; I often got frustrated with the lack of detail in some cases, but in general, the booklet is very effective for a quick reference.
You will need more titles that offer more complete information, and you won't truly learn to love classical music just by reading it, but it is small and compact.

It really puzzles me why Naxos did not include a full index of composers, a serious omission. To find a particular composer you will have to look for it yourself in over 500 pages. Also, the separation of the text is not so good, making the search even a bit slower. The lack of the index is truly annoying and I am sure it will be corrected in future editions.

Even with a few weaker pieces and the lack of the index, at this price, there isn't much to argue about. This is truly a bargain that you should not miss. I would also recommend the A-Z of Opera, which offers a bigger booklet with over 700 pages, focusing on opera works and mentioning several composers that are absent from the A-Z of Classical. That other booklet has a very complete index, and much clearer text layout and separation, that's the way both booklets should have been designed.

Customer Reviews:

Uneven quality but great value.......2007-04-30

Brilliant Classics has found a niche with their extremely low-price multi-disc collections of the work of a single composer or performer. The Bach, Mozart and Chopin Complete Editions are legitimately considered to be artistic and economical triumphs. But the Masterworks series are more uneven. Currently available from Amazon France at about a buck per CD, they're still a bargain for those interested in quickly building a music library. But it's worth keeping a few things in mind. Unlike the Bach and Mozart Editions, these are not always historically informed performances. In this Mendelssohn set, the Hanover Band puts in a cameo (in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), but most of the ensembles use modern instruments, techniques and proportions. This doesn't always work out, as in the case of the ponderously heavy recordings of the String Symphonies by an apparently full complement of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig strings (Mendelssohn likely wrote these early works for a much smaller group). The caliber of the performances varies too, ranging from good to poor, and from marquis musicians such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to a few Dutch who-dats. The chamber musicians generally acquit themselves well (though the Octet recording is marred by an engineering flaw in the last movement, distortion, at least on my copy). But the symphonies suffer from some substandard performances, such as the Italian Symphony's live recording with not only audience noise but also ensemble flaws such as a distracting clarinet squeak in the first movement's recapitulation. Another strike is the lack of program notes. Brilliant's Complete Editions provide a booklet or CD-ROM with program notes, but here you'll need to do your own research.

Despite these shortcomings, this set is still good value (at least at Amazon France's current price of 31 Euros). And it's a fine way to become acquainted with Mendelssohn's music.

A superb collection of Mendelssohn.......2007-03-24

Let me preface this by saying that most of these works were not new to me - I own many other Mendelssohn CDs and have enjoyed his compositions for some time now. Also, this set is available much cheaper elsewhere, particularly from European retailers.
The symphonies are well-performed. 'Reformation' is an inspired live recording. The 12 string symphonies, written in Mendelssohn's youth, are also included. The concertos are exceptional - the violin concerto is as good as you'll find anywhere. The oratorios Elijah and Paulus are included, as well as the complete chamber works and a diverse assortment of choral works. The last few discs include the Lied ohne worte, the epic organ sonatas, and excellent renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Fingal's Cave. While there are a few sketchy performances in the choral and chamber works, the performances and recordings are generally very solid, and the body of work couldn't be better.

Average customer rating:

Correction
Fritz Wunderlich can do no wrong....
The Wonder of Wunderlich
I wish I could give this release more than 5 stars: it's terrific!!!

The Art of Fritz Wunderlich

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Magic of Wunderlich [Includes Bonus DVD]
Fritz Wunderlich: Great German Tenor
Schumann: Dichterliebe / Wunderlich, Giesen
Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin, 3 Lieder / Fritz Wunderlich
Carlo Bergonzi - The Sublime Voice ~ 40 Tracks from the Legendary Tenor

ASIN: B0009PLMQW
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Duetto And Chorus: Kommt, Eilet Und Laufet
Aria: Sanfte Soll Mein Todeskummer
Recitative And Chorale: O Schmerz! Hier Zittert Das Gequalte Herz
Aria With Chorus: Ich Will Bei Meinem Jesu Wachen
Recitative: Mein Jesus Schweigt Zu Falschen Lugen Stille
Aria: Geduld!
Duet: Et Misericordia
Aria: Deposuit Potentes
Recitative: So Stehe Denn, Du Gottergeb'ne Seele
Aria: Adam Muss In Uns Verwesen
Chorus: Jauchzet, Frohlocket, Auf, Preiset Die Tage
Recitative: Es Begab Sich Aber Zu Der Zeit
Aria: Frohe Hirten, Eilt, Ach Eilet
Aria: Ich Will Nur Dir Zu Ehren Leben
Recitative: Und Liess Versammeln Alle Hohenpriester
Terzetto: Ach! Wann Wird Die Zeit Erscheinen
Recitative: Und Gott Befahl Ihnen Im Traum-Genug, Mein Schatz Geht Nicht Von Hier
Aria: Nun Mogt Ihr Stolzen Feinde Schrecken

Tracks:

Overture
Aria: Hier Soll Ich Dich Denn Sehen
Recitative And Aria: Konstanze, Dich Wiederzusehen, Dich!/O Wie Angstlich, O Wie Feurig
Aria: Wenn Der Freude Tranen Fliessen
Quartet: Ach! Belmonte! Ach, Mein Leben!
Aria: Ich Baue Ganz Auf Deine Starke
Recitative And Aria: Welch Ein Geschick!/Wie, Du Solltest Fur Mich Sterben!
Aria: Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
Zum Ziele Fuhrt Dich Diese Bahn
Wie Stark Ist Nicht Dein Zauberton
Der Welcher Wandert Diese Strasse Vol Beschwerden
Tamino Mein! O Welch Ein Gluck!

Tracks:

Duet: Strahlt Auf Mich Der Blitz Des Goldes - Hermann Prey
Duet: Hier Nimm Den Ring Der Treue
Scene And Duet: Ich Denk Ihn Lieber Mir Von Meinem Stande/Liebe Ist Seligkeit, Ist Licht Und Leben
Toast: O Freunde, So Leeret In Vollen Zugen - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Duet: Ich Sah Euch Lieblich Und Engelsschon - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Duet: O, Lass Uns Fliehen Aus Diesen Mauern - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Scene And Duet: er Ist's! Carlos! Mein PRinz!/Gott, Der Entflammte Der Liebe Heisse Glut - Hermann Prey
Duet: Infame Feder! Welch Scheusslicher Pinsel/Ach, Geliebte! Nie Kehrst Du mir Wieder! - Hermann Prey
Aria: Und Es Blitzten Die Sterne
Scene: Nicht An Mich, Geliebter, Denke
Duet: Du Sussester Engel, Wie Herrlich Hast Du Geteufelt!
Leukippos, Du?
Arioso: Ja, Ich Lieb Sie, Olga
Aria: Wohin Seid Ihr Entschwunden

Tracks:

Recitative And Arioso: Holdes Laubgezewig, Du Schones/Schattige Ruh, Nie Gab Natur Sie Mir
Aria: Der Gedanke An Die Flammen Der Liebe
Aria: Bleibt Ihr Treu Dem, Der Euch So Verachtet?
Aria: Finstre Furie, Ihr Geister Der Holle
Aria: Nur Einen wunsch, Nur Ein Verlangen - Hermann Prey
Recitative And Duet: O Unverhofftes Gluck/Das Hore Ich Von Dir, Von Meinem Freunde? - Hermann Prey
Ma Se Il Nostro Gioir/Alcun Non Sia
Perche A Lo Sdegno/Padre Cortese/Si Non Vedro
Aria: Erwacht In Meinem Herzen
Duet: Nur Weinen Lernte Ich/Nur Klagen lernte Ich
Aria: Keine Schlange Lasst Sich Toten
Romance: O Schweige Still, O Lasse Dich Erbitten
Trio: Doch Nun Zu Dir/Trenne Nicht Das Band Der Liebe - Hermann Prey
Aria: Man Wird Ja Einmal Nur Geboren
Song: Lebe Wohl, Mein Flandrisch Madchen - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Recitative And Duet: Du Stehst Wirklich Vor Mir/Der tempel Brahmas Strahlt - Hermann Prey

Tracks:

I. Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai
II. Aus Meinen Tranen Spriessen
III. Die Rose, Die Lilie, Die Taube, Die Sonne
IV. Wenn Ich In Deine Augen Seh
V. Ich Will Meine Seele Tauchen
VI. Im Rhein, Im Heiligen Strome
VII. Ich Grolle Nicht
VIII. Und Wussten's Die Blumen, Die Kleinen
IX. Das Ist Ein Floten Und Geigen
X. Hor Ich Das Liedchen Klingen
XI. Ein Jungling Liebt Ein Madchen
XII. Am Leuchtenden Sommermorgen
XIII. Ich Hab Im Traum Geweinet
XIV. Allnachtlich Im Traume Seh Ich Dich
XV. Aus Alten Marchen Winkt Es
XVI. Die Alten Bosen Lieder
Zartliche Liebe: 'Ich Liebe Dich' WoO 123
Adelaide Op.46
Resignation WoO 149
Der Kuss Op.128
Was Ist Silvia, Saget An
Lied Eines Schiffers An Die Dioskuren D 360
Liebhaber In Allen Gestalten D 558
Der Einsame D 800
Im Abendrot Op. Post. D 799
Leise Flehen Meine Lieder
An Die Laute D 905
Der Musensohn D 764
An Die Musik D 547

Tracks:

Granada
Mattinata
Funiculi-Funicula
O Sole Mio
Vergiss Mein Nicht
Ein Lied Geht Um Die Welt
Du Bist Die Welt Fur Mich
Ich Kusse Ihre Hand, Madame
Caro Mio Ben
Ave Maria
Plaisir D'Amour
La Danza
Serenade: Fern Im Weiten Land, Dort Unten Im Suden
Be My Love
Santa Lucia
Tiritomba
Heute Nacht Oder Nie

Tracks:

Wien, Wien, Nur Du Allein
Denk Dir, Die Welt War Ein Blumenstrauss
Ich Kenn Ein Kleines Wegerl Im Helenental
In Wien Gibt's Manch Winziges Gasserl
Draussen In Sievering
Ich Weiss Auf Der Wieden Ein Kleines Hotel
Ich Muss Wieder Einmal In Grinzing Sein
Im Prater Bluhn Wieder Die Baume
Herr Hofrat, Erinnern Sie Sich Noch?
I Hab Die Schonen Maderln Net Erfunden
Es Steht Ein Alter Nussbaum Drausst In Heiligenstadt
Wien Wird Bei Nacht Erst Schon
Wenn Es Abend Wird/Gruss Mir Mein Wien
Ob Blond, Ob Braun, Ich Liebe Alle Frau'n
Weine Nicht, Bricht Eine Schone Frau Dir Das Herz
Mein Herz Ruft Immer Nur Nach Dir, O Marita
Eine Kleine Fruhlingsweise
Schlaf Ein, Mein Blond-Engelein
Annchen Von Tarau
Still Wie Die Nacht

Customer Reviews:

Correction.......2006-12-13

Now folks, both of what the two other reviewers wrote about the tragical death of Fritz Wunderlich is wrong. Wunderlich died in hospital at September 17 1966. He had broken his skull, when he fell down the stairs in the hunting-house of a friend. Late in the evening of September 16, Wunderlich, as usual when not at home, had phoned his wife in Munich. He was very tired from strolling through the forest the whole day, making out the ideal locations for the hunt, which should start early in the next morning (Wunderlich was a passionate hunter). After he had wished his wife a good night, he went to the staircase in order to go down to his bedroom at the first floor. He still wore his heavy hunting boots - with open shoestrings! As walking downstairs, Wunderlich struggled over the open shoestrings and grabbed for the banisters, which was not more than a rope, fixed to the wall. The banisters teared out, and Wunderlich fell down the whole stairs. Fritz Wunderlich died in hospital the next day. It was only short before his 36'th birthday. An exceptional singing career had come to an untimely end. Some people believe that Wunderlich was drunken at the time of accident. If this is true can't be proven any more. But still this is not what his close friends said, regarding his accident and his death. In my opinion Wunderlich was the last of the really great tenors of the last century. All the tenors which came to fame after him (sorry folks, even such maestros as Pavarotti and Domingo) lack a certain quality in singing. It's the ease of breath flow, or singing on the breath without pushing the voice, it's the overtones, the legato, the mezza voce, the messa di voce and many more things - in short: the overall beauty of the voice through both registers. Wunderlich was the last tenor who had all this. Other examples are Caruso, McCormack, Gigli (despite the sobbing in his later recordings) and of course the wonderful Jussi Björling. But these are only some few names. If you listen for example to the cd's in the box "Famous tenors of the past" you will find that there were many very good and outstanding tenors in the first half of the 20'th century and - as we can only assume - in the time before the invention of the grammophone. Take a close look at todays famous tenors (I know, there are some quite good and promising ones) but what are they in comparison to those tenors (or better to say, to their voices and singing) I just mentioned before?

Please make your own decision.

Fritz Wunderlich can do no wrong...........2006-05-05

... okay, maybe. It's just that I've never heard a recording I didn't love. And I prefer that he sing everything in German even when that means not using original language.

This is a bit strange because I'm most often bugged by Don Carlos and Vepres in Italian (just a personal quirk). Of course, I'm also bugged by dropping the "s" in Don Carlos, which is always incorrect. The man's name IS Carlos whether in Italian or French.

I tried to write Mr. Avila a personal note, but could not, so let me say that Fritz Wunderlich did not die of cancer, but a dreadful accident in Scotland (I'll not go into the whys and wherefores, I just wanted to set PART of the record straight.)

The Wonder of Wunderlich.......2005-11-22

Deutsche Grammophone does it again! This is an extensive 3-cd compilation album featuring the artistry of the great German tenor Fritz Wunderlich in a variety of vocal repertoire - Baroque cantata/oratorio, opera and Lieder. Like the other critic pointed out, I first heard Fritz sinigng a superb Tamino in the Karl Bohm Magic Flute, although I have also heard him sing Lieder opposite the mezzo soprano Christa Ludwig and baritone Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, who were his contemporaries and colleagues. Wunderlich died tragically in 1966 of cancer. He inspired a generation of purely lyric tenors or "tenors di grazie" whose charming voice would never roughen and lack grace. His Germanic style earned him popularity in World War II Europe and he was the leading exponent of Lieder in the 50's. His tenor voice is glorious, as close to a male angel as possible. On this recording, we are treated to sumptuous arias from Bach's Christmas/Easter Oratorios, and movements from 2 cantatas. Also noteworthy are the unsurpassed performances of Mozart tenor heroes- such as Belmonte from "Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail" (Abduction from the Seraglio) and his unbeatable Tamino from Die Zauberflote The Magic Flute. He sings bel canto opera arias fo tenor, from master composers Rossinni, Bellini and Verdi. While I don't much like that he is singing Italian arias in German, one must remember that at this time, in the LP Era of World War II Germany and Austria, German-born opera singers sang Italian opera in German translation/revisions. While many German singers could indeed sing in Italian, they were mostly trained to sing it in German because of excessive national pride and because Germans viewed Italian opera as course and un-melodic. Still, there have been superb German singers who sang in Italian like Wagner diva Birgit Nilsson,baritone Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, tenor Peter Schreier, soprano Edda Moser, baritone Walter Berry, tenor Herman Pretty, all post-Wunderlich sensations. Wunderlich sings Lieder in one CD with great and unrivaled musicianship. Especially impressive are the Viennese pieces. Further to the cd's this album is equipped with photos of Wunderlich and his family and a detailed profile biography.

I wish I could give this release more than 5 stars: it's terrific!!!.......2005-10-28

I knew little about the German tenor Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966), except reading the accolades given to his recordings and performances by reviewers in "American Record Guide" over the past 13 years. I knew Wunderlich recorded the role of Tamino in the famous DG recording of Mozart's "Die Zauberflote", with Karl Bohm/Berlin Philharmonic (Now on DG Originals CDs), but was not aware of what a wide range of repertoire he had until hearing this release.

This release has a wide variety of Wunderlich's discography, including Bach arias from his Christmas and Easter Oratorios, and movements from 2 cantatas; his Mozart roles in "Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail" (Eugen Jochum/Bavarian Radio Orchestra) and "Die Zauberflote" (Karl Bohm/Berlin Philharmonic); a variety of arias and duets by Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Richard Strauss, mostly sung in German, and with Hermann Prey, baritone and Erika Koth, soprano in many of the duets; Baroque arias by Handel, from "Xerxes" (including the famous "Ombre mai fu" sung in German) and "Julius Caesar", selections from Monteverdi's "Orfeo" (an early track from 1955 sung in Italian); Schumann's "Dichterliebe", 4 Beethoven Lieder, including "Adelaide" and "Der Kuss"; and 9 Schubert lieder, including "An der Musik," and "Der Musensohn", all with Hubert Giesen, piano; Popular songs such as "Granada" and Viennese songs, with chamber orchestra accompaniment. There are no texts for the songs, but you may have text booklets with other CD releases, so don't really need them when you hear Wunderlich's beautiful voice.

There is a booklet with articles about Wunderlich's career, including a preface by his widow, Eva Wunderlich, photos of Wunderlich as a boy and young man, with his wife Eva in 1965, and children Constanze, Wolfgang, and Barbara. I enjoy reading and looking at the booklet, even apart from listening to the beautiful recordings.

Wunderlich was a genius, and his voice sounds great in every track, mono (some, but not a majority) and stereo (most of the tracks in the 7 discs are stereo) alike. If you love great music, and opera, but like me aren't often of a mind to sit still for 3 hours to listen to one, get this. It's a great release, and reasonably priced to boot. I'm thankful to God for great music, for the ability to hear and feel, and for Fritz Wunderlich and his service to music lovers everywhere.

Meditation: Classical Relaxation (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Relaxing music at its finest!
Get it for $9.99 at Sam's Club!
Beautiful, moving music! You'll recognize many of the pieces
Meditative, But Not Boring
A Bargain and Beautiful

Meditation: Classical Relaxation (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Masters of Classical Music (Box Set)
Chopin For Relaxation
Classics for Relaxation and Meditation
Beethoven for Relaxation
Vivaldi for Relaxation

ASIN: B000001VUT
Release Date: 1991-10-11

Tracks:

Canon
Andante From Piano Concerto No. 21: Elvira Madigan
Coppelia: Notturno
String Quintet In C: Adagio - Schubert
Orchestral Suite No. 3: Air - Bach
Clarinet Concerto: Adagio
Symphony No. 8 'Unfinished': Andante con moto - Schubert
Concerto, Op. 9 No. 2: Adagio
Orpheus And Eurydice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits

Tracks:

Thais: Meditation
Romance In G, Op. 26
The Last Spring
Minuet
Serenade, Op. 3 No. 5
Poeme, Op. 41 No.6
Elegiac Melody No. 1
Serenade For String Orchestra: Elegia
I Love You
La Gioconda: Dance Of The Hours

Tracks:

Adagio
Romance In F Minor, Op. 11
Peer Gynt: Solveig's Song
Romance For Violin No. 2 In F, Op. 50
Rosamunde: Ballet Music In G
Symphony No. 5: Adagietto

Tracks:

Peer Gynt: Morning
Standchen (Serenade)
Mozartiana Suite: Preghiera (Ave Verum)
Moonlight Sonata: Adagio sostenuto
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A: 2nd Movement
Rosamunde: Intermezzo
Violin Concerto In E Minor: 2nd Movement
Serenade For String Orchestra: 1st Movement
L'Arlesienne, Suite No. 2: Intermezzo
Concierto De Aranjuea: 2nd Movement
Trout Quintet: Theme And Variations

Tracks:

The Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle
Valse Triste
Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat
Minuet
Oboe Concerto In D Minor: Oboe Concerto In D Minor (Excerpt)
Piano Sonata No. 8: Pathetique: 2nd Movement
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo sinfonico
Christmas Oratorio: Sinfonia
Ave Maria
Horn Concerto No.3: 2nd Movement
Symphony No. 1: 3rd Movement
Traumerei
Peer Gynt: Ase's Death
Xerves: Largo
Symphony No. 9: From The New World: 2nd Movement

Tracks:

Swan Lake
Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Romance
Nocturne In B Major, Op. 9 No. 3
Madama Butterfly: Humming Chorus
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Notturno
Symphony No. 35: Haffner: Andante
Carmen Suite No. 1: Intermezzo
Piano Sonata In B-Flat Major, D.960: Andante sostenuto
Sinfonia Concertante In E Flat Major: Andante
Piano Concerto No. 2: Larghetto

Tracks:

Impromptu In G Flat Major
Evening Song
Serenade No. 1: Adagio non troppo
The Merry Peasant
Flute Quartet In G Major
Symphony No. 7: Allegretto
Cradle Song
Quartet in G Major: Theme And Variations
Barcarolle: The Seasons: June
Symphony No.36 'Linz': Poco adagio

Tracks:

Prelude In C Minor - Meditation
Piano Concerto In A Minor: Adagio - Meditation
Flute Concerto No. 2: Adagio non troppo - Meditation
Andante - Meditation
Impromptu In B Flat Major - Meditation
Clair de lune - Meditation
Divertimento In D, K.251: Andantino - Meditation
Caro mio ben - Meditation
Piano Concerto No. 9: Jeunehomme: Andante - Meditation
Theme And Variations - Meditation

Tracks:

The Sleeping Beauty: Panorama
Waltz, Op.39 No.15
Flute Concerto In G Minor: Andante
Impromptu In A Flat
Violin Concerto No. 5: Adagio
Symphony No. 3: Allegretto
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2: Andante
Piano Sonata No. 3: Largo
Suite No. 1: Intermezzo
Piano Concerto No. 3: Largo

Tracks:

La Traviata: Act 1: Prelude
Kinderscenen: Foreign Countries And People
Chanson triste
Symphony No. 5: Andante
La Campanella
Flute Concerto in B Flat: Adagio
Piano Sonata No. 2: Funeral March
Symphony No. 94: Surprise: Andante
Concerto for Flute and Harp: Andantino
Symphony No. 6: Pathetique: Adagio lamentoso

Customer Reviews:

Relaxing music at its finest!.......2005-10-14

This is a GREAT 10-CD set!The performances are top-notch, the music is varied, and the feelings engendered are wondrously beautiful.

Get it for $9.99 at Sam's Club!.......2005-06-22

Very nice set of CD's, very beatiful and relaxing, but don't pay $27, get it for $9 at Sam's Club. I know this will be censored but come on, how can you guys charge those saps that much! Amazon should try to find the best price for its customers, even if it sends them to different vendors. Censoring this message is a crime, DON'T DO IT. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Beautiful, moving music! You'll recognize many of the pieces.......2004-02-24

John Cheng's review, below, said it's "an undeniable bargain," and I whole heartedly agree! I especially LOVE Volume 5. I have a Typing/Resume business, and I listen to Volume 5 ALL the time on my computer while I'm doing my work. It inspires me to be creative and calms me down when I'm stressed.

I would say I've _easily_ listened to Volume 5 at least 100 times, and I'm still not tired of it. That's amazing for me, because I'm also a musician (singer/pianist) and I get bored easily. I actually found the Volume 5 CD at a Thrift store, and loved it so much that I bought the whole set recently. So I've only listened to a few of the other CD's in this set, so far, and they're also great.

This is NOT boring music. My clients and family have heard it also, and they've also mentioned how soothing and wonderful these pieces are. Most of you will probably recognize a lot of these songs! You'll be saying, "OH! I remember THIS one! I haven't heard this for YEARS!!!"

It's well worth the money for 10 very full CD's!!! Try it! You won't be disappointed!

Happy listening!
Betty, Owner of Betty's Desk Typing Service and Quality Resumes

Meditative, But Not Boring.......2002-06-21

Here's the deal: If you check out the individual CDs of this collection, you'll pay way too much. That said, compare this price, and realize it is a steal at twice the price.

The list of selections is immense. 101 selections. Most of it you've heard before, but that's OK. Despite the various cute names -- quite creative -- "Vol. 9"!... you can load your CD player and enjoy them without feeling a transition of style.

It's true these aren't meditative in the sense of a Gregorian chant. Anyone familiar with classical music will recognize the composers and various movements to know this. What is true is that you can sit down and write Amazon reviews with it in the background quite comfortably. No weird interpretations, just the music as you know it.

It is also meditative in the sense of popping on it your portable player as you go for a Sunday afternoon walk. The music has just the right pacing: no quite aerobics class, but not ready for the office elevator either.

The box and jewel cases are not that flimsy kind of thing often associated with box sets. It sounds silly to review the jewel cases, but I'm frustrated with the ones I've received lately that have no meat to them. This'll do the job.

I fully recommend "Meditation: Classical Relaxation, 10 Volume Set [BOX SET].

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

A Bargain and Beautiful.......2002-02-28

This is a wonderful collection of some of my most favorite classical selections. Most I already own, but still like having these all together. I could only wish that the recording level was the same for all selections. Yes, some are written to be softer, but I found it often necessary to turn the volume up or down for different selections. But aside from this minor preference, the quality, the choices, and the price are all super.

Average customer rating:

One of the Best Recordings of 19th Century Ballet Music Ever Produced
Great Conducting for Dancing
The full Quijote
Delightful recording of neglected composer
It is an excellent full length version of Minkus 'Ballet.

Léon Minkus: Don Quijote

Manufacturer: Capriccio
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Don Quixote / Baryshnikov, Harvey, American Ballet Theatre
Minkus: Don Quixote
Leon Minkus - Paquita/La Bayadere
Minkus: La Bayadère
Glazunov: Raymonda

ASIN: B000001WS6
Release Date: 1995-12-12

Tracks:

Don Quijote: Overture
Don Quijote: Prologue - Allegro
Don Quijote: Prologue - Auftritt (Appearance of Don Quijote)
Don Quijote: Prologue - Allegro assai
Don Quijote: Prologue - Sancho Thanks Don Quijote For The Salvation
Don Quijote: Act 1 - A Square In Barcelona
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Appearance Of Kitri
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Kitri and Basilio
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Moreno Dance
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Scene: Lorenzo, Kitri and Basilio
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Appearance of Gamasch
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Seguidilla
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Street Dancer And Toreador Espada
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Dance Of Espada
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Allegro: Scene Of Toreadores
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Street Dancer
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Coda
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Presto assai. Allegro mestoso. Meno mosso. Tempo di Marcia
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Sancho Pansa And Girls
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Girlfriends Of Kitri
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Scene
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Variation: Basilio And Girlfriends
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Variation: Kitri
Don Quijote: Act 1 - Coda
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Taverna: Introduction
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Taverna: Appearance Of Kitri And Basilio
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Taverna: Spanish Dance
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Taverna: Spanish Dance Of Mercedes
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Taverna: Karmencitta
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Taverna: Solo a gitana - Dance Of Espada
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Taverna: Sailors' Dance
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Taverna: Scene
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Taverna: Coda

Tracks:

Don Quijote: Act 2 - Gypsy Camp: Gypsy Dance 1
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Gypsy Camp: Gypsy Dance 2
Don Quijote: Act 2 - Gypsy Camp: Theater Of Marionettes: Performance Scene, Madness Of Don Quijote
Don Quijote: Act 3 - Dream: Scene In The Forest
Don Quijote: Act 3 - Dream: Dream Of Don Quixotte
Don Quijote: Act 3 - Dream: Allegretto
Don Quijote: Act 3 - Dream: Variation: Dryads' Mistresses
Don Quijote: Act 3 - Dream: Dryads' Mistresses ('Souvenir du Ball')
Don Quijote: Act 3 - Dream: Amour
Don Quijote: Act 3 - Dream: Variation: Dulcinea (Kitri)
Don Quijote: Act 3 - Dream: Coda
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: March
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Scene
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Amour
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Classical Variation 1
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Classical Variation 2
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Entree
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Adagio
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Variation: Basilio
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Variation: Kitri
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Variation: Kitri (Version Of No. 9)
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Coda
Don Quijote: Act 4 - Duke's Temple: Finale: Spanish Dance

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best Recordings of 19th Century Ballet Music Ever Produced.......2005-10-15

Finding recordings of old ballets from the 19th century is usually a feat within its self. Just about every ballet company today performs them, but the orchestra hardly ever records thier music. The old composers of the ballet before Tchaikovsky are, in my opinion, the most underrated creators of music ever. Alot of this has to do with the fact that they did not write music for showing off the orchestra or even the conductor, but for showing off the ballet dancer. The Ballet Master would set down strict instructions of time, tempo, and even scoring so that the music would fit like a glove to the dances and dramatic scenes. These composers are often dismissed for thier very 'un-symphonic' approach to composing. It is rare, that an orchestra sits down to record peices that were written soley for the ballet dancer. Delibes's or Tchaikovsky's music has more symphonic qualities, and the two are more famous. This results in thier music getting recorded more often (to often if you ask me).
Among these composers, the most famous is Leon Minkus. He was, before Tchaikovsky came along, the resident composer of ballet music for the Russian Czar's Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg. With the great choreographer Marius Petipa (who would later create "La Bayadere", "The Sleeping Beauty", "Nutcracker", "Swan Lake" among others) they created a ballet very loosley based on the Cerevantes novel "Don Quixote". The ballet premiered in Moscow, Russia in 1869 for the Bolshoi Ballet. It was taken to St Petersburg in 1872 for a more lavish and formal staging and has been performed there ever since. The work was much revised and reworked throughout Petipa's lifetime and well afterward. Among these was the staging by the great dancer Alexander Gorsky in 1900. "Don Quixote" (or "Don Quijote" as its spelled on the packaging) has been tinkered with a great deal throughout the 20th century. It is these versions that have been passed down to us.

The music, true to 19th century tradition, was added to and revised by several composers, mostly at the behest of the ballerinas that danced its leads, and the fact that revisions of the work went on well after Minkus's death. Most of the additional music is recorded here (at least the important additions), and Spassov does a first rate job in his conducting. The music is played exactly as it would sound if you were in the theatre and had dancers right in front of you.

I was so excited when I saw this item a few years back for sale and quickly snatched it up. There is another recording done by the Victoria Orchestra of the Austrailian Ballet, with the Minkus score revised and refurbished by John Lanchbery, a version used for Nureyevs sumptuous staging (its only available on the orchestra Victoria site for purchase). Spassov's conducting is one of the best performances of ballet music ever put on disc. It should be owned by all dancers and balletomanes alike. Five Stars!

Great Conducting for Dancing.......2000-08-18

Spassov is a boon to ballet dancers. Excellent tempos and phrasing for the dancer. It's such a joy to have the full-length recording.

The full Quijote.......2000-02-11

I was pleased to find the full length recording of this ballet that is rarely seen in its entirety. I enjoyed the recording, however, I found the orchestra less than full-bodied, especially during the Grand Pas de Deux towards the end of the CD. It seemed a little tinny, a little too fragile during Kitri's variation, which does not suit her passionate, voluptuous nature. Aside from these drawbacks, I found the music very entertaining. I am still waiting for a full length version by a more robust orchestra, but in the meantime, this Don Quijote recording will do.

Delightful recording of neglected composer.......1999-09-04

This recording of DON QUIXOTE (the only relatively complete recording of the ballet) is a must for all lovers of ballet. While some of the orchesteral playing tends toward the insensitive oom-pah-pah side Leon Minkus's lilting score loses none of its charm or vivacity. This recording is also interesting in that it records much music which is rarely performed in American productions of the ballet. It is a delight to be able to hear the hauntingly beautiful vision scene whenever one wishes as the three variations (four if you count the recording of the original Dryad Queen's pas seul) are each masterpieces. The programme notes, unfortunately, are poorly translated and less complete than one would like. All in all I can not reccomend highly enough this fine recording of a neglected composer's work. One can only hope that other 19th century Russian ballets will be recorded. The reputations of Ceasare Pugni, Leon Minkus, and Riccardo Drigo as hack composers are completely undeserved.

It is an excellent full length version of Minkus 'Ballet........1999-05-11

Usually, people who feel a strong predispotition for ballet music, have hard times in order to find on the commercial CD classical music, works by ballet music composers of the end of the last century. Minkus work has been negleted, but in the present version it is possible to listen to sensitive music which was predecesor of Tchaikovsky 's great ballet. I bougth this full length version at London city on 1995 and I know that in my country, Argentine, is quite hard to find Cappriccio CD version. I hope that Cappricio is keeping on with full length Ballet's version, hoping to listen a full length Version of L'Corsario as the production of Kirov Ballet and the Full length version of the Ballet La Source by Minkus-Delibes.

Average customer rating:

Another coup for Abravanel. Nobody cleanses the palate like Satie.

Homage to Satie

Manufacturer: Vanguard Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Music Of Satie: Orchestra, Piano, Voice
Benjamin Britten - The Turn of the Screw / Padmore · Milne · Wyn Davies · Montague · City of London Sinfonia · Hickox
Dreamgirls (Two-Disc Showstopper Edition)
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series
Casino Royale (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0007IA56Y
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Customer Reviews:

Another coup for Abravanel. Nobody cleanses the palate like Satie........2006-02-04

Let's first say that I was not predisposed to like Satie, given my love for counterpoint (from Bach to Hindemith) and my respect for the nobility of the musical enterprise, as opposed to superficial fluff. So my 2,500+ collection of classical CDs is packed with "monumental" items (tons of Bruckner & Mahler versions, complete works of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Hindemith, etc.), most of which tends toward the heavy, thick side (if not sonically, then in terms of musical values and aesthetics). But I listened to these two Satie disks totally enthralled, breaking out into spontaneous smiles at what Satie has achieved. The "breath of fresh air" that critics have ascribed to Satie's works isn't mere hype, at least insofar as Satie is accurately represented in this orchestral set list: this truly is some of the most gorgeously crafted music I've ever heard. Most of the movements are concise to the extreme (which makes Satie something of the Anti-Bruckner), but this formal structure works to the advantage of the music, where elegant ideas are presented without excessive hyper-rationalization. Even the humorous, parodistic parts of the ballets are well-crafted.

The performances are outstanding across the board. The surprise, sonically, is the virtual absence of tape hiss, and the crystal clarity of this dynamic recording. It sounds better than several hundred digitally-recorded CDs in my collection! Too bad more analog era recordings don't receive so excellent a transfer and re-mastering (none of which are even credited on this CD). The engineers were apparently humble as well as perfectionists. (If their humility was involuntary, oh well.)

If you have preconceptions about Satie's "lack of depth," etc. (as I once did), this recording will realign your priorities. Satie's depth is found in a different place. In their own way, the various miniatures he has crafted are actually as intensely packed as any Webern movement for string quartet. Satie has stripped the music back to what HE regarded as the essentials. The result, far from being stark or austere, comes across as embodying musical joy in an utterly unpretentious manner. This is a CD I will likely break out every other month just to cleanse the palate. You HAVE to respect a composer who can bring a smile to your face, and you have to respect a conductor who knows how to bring such elemental music to vibrant life as Abravanel has done here. Highly recommended.

The John Adams Earbox: A 10-CD Retrospective

Average customer rating:

Moved to tears
Nonesuch delivers.Again
harmonia in excelsis
Our greatest living composer
Wonderful CD

The John Adams Earbox: A 10-CD Retrospective

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Minimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Steve Reich 1965-1995
Naive & Sentimental Music
John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur/My Father Knew Charles Ives
25 Years: Retrospective
Century Rolls

ASIN: B00001SID1
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Tracks:

Lollapalooza
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Judah To Ocean
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Toot Nipple
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Dogjam
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Rag The Bone
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Habanera
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Stubble Crotchet
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Hammer & Chisel
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Alligator Escalator
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Judah To Ocean (Reprise)
Slonimsky's Earbox

Tracks:

Two Fanfares For Orchestra - Tromba Lontana
Two Fanfares For Orchestra - Short Ride In A Fast Machine
Common Tones In Simple Time
El Dorado - Part I. A Dream Of Gold
El Dorado - Part II. Soledades

Tracks:

Harmonielehre - Part I
Harmonielehre - Part II The Anfortas Wound
Harmonielehre - Part III Meister Eckhardt And Quackie
Violin Concerto - Part I
Violin Concerto - Part II Chaconne:
Violin Concerto - Part III Toccare

Tracks:

Chamber Sympony - Mongel Airs
Chamber Sympony - Aria With Walking Bass
Chamber Sympony
Hoodo Zephyr - Tundra
Hoodo Zephyr - Dissappointment Lake
Hoodo Zephyr - Hoodo Zephyr
Gnarly Buttons - The Perilous Shore
Gnarly Buttons - Hoe-Down (Mad Cow)
Gnarly Buttons - Put Your Loving Arms Around Me

Tracks:

Ensemble - I Was Looking At The Ceiling And Then I Saw The Sky
A Sermon On Romance
Consuelo's Dream
Mike's Song About Arresting A Particular Individual
Tiffany's Solo
Song About The On-Site Altercation
Song About The Bad Boys And The News
Your Honor My Client He's A Young Black Man
Leila's Song; Alone (Again Or At Last)
Three Weeks And Still I'm Outta My Mind
Crushed By The Rock I Been Standing On
Dewain's Song Of Liberation And Surprise
!Este Pais! / This Country
One Last Look At The Angel In Your Eyes
Finale

Tracks:

Lollapalooza
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Judah To Ocean
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Toot Nipple
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Dogjam
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Rag The Bone
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Habenera
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Stubble Crotchet
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Hammer & Chisel
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Alligator Escalator
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Judah To Ocean (Reprise)
Slonimsky's Earbox

Tracks:

Harmonium - Negative Love
Harmonium - Becuase I Could Not Stop For Death
Harmonium - Wild Nights
Shaker Loops - Shaking and Trambling
Shaker Loops - Hymning Slews
Shaker Loops - Loops and Verses
Shaker Loops - A Final Shaking

Tracks:

The Chairman Dances - Foxtrot For Orchestra
Grand Pianola Music - First Movement
Grand Pianola Music - Second Movement
Grand Pianola Music - Third Movement: On The Dominant Divide
Fearful Symmetries

Tracks:

Nixon In China - Opening
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Landing Of The Spirit Of '76
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Cheers
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Opening
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -

Tracks:

The Wound-Dresser
Christian Zeal And Activity
Five Songs - Thoreau
Five Songs - Down East
Five Songs - Cradle Song
Five Songs - At The River
Five Songs - Serenity
Eros Piano

Amazon.com

Having earned his composing stripes after the 1960s, John Adams had the pioneering work of Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Terry Riley close at hand as he ventured into his trade. And, while minimalism's historical continuum helps place Adams, he used Reich, Glass, and Riley (among others) only as a starting point. And here's proof: a 10-CD retrospective of nearly all Adams's recorded compositions on Nonesuch Records, the label that also issued Steve Reich 1965-1995 and Kronos Quartet: 25 Years. Adams's Harmonium, a choral work of startling energy and effervescence, appears here in a new recording, as do distillations of both The Death of Klinghoffer and Nixon in China, two path-clearing operas. Over the span of a career covered by Earbox, Adams has returned minimalism to traditional instrumental ensembles as well as to projects that at once advanced a political commentary and took that commentary back to orchestral audiences. And so, in far less time than his predecessors, Adams created works that now play like standard repertoire pieces: The Wound Dresser and Shaker Loops and the Violin Concerto--all of them are here. What these works demonstrate is a fierce creativity on the one hand and perhaps a hunger for commercial advances on the other. Adams may at times be a bustling free thinker, but he sounds ever conscious of what audiences are listening to. As for the works themselves, they remain every bit as daunting as when written.

Some may object to particular selections. I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky, for example, hardly ranks with Adams's best work. But this box isn't a mere best-of; it's an almost-all-of. At times terrifically American--especially in the news-aware operas and their narrative pragmatism--Adams well deserves a major box set, and its coverage is appropriate to his varied, stylistically diverse output. As with any large-scale retrospective, Earbox--which fairly bristles with Adams's new composition, Slonimsky's Earbox--has spots where fans might balk at the quality of the composer's writing. But it's got a fantastic accompanying booklet along with its many hours of inarguably modern and thoroughly listener-friendly music. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Moved to tears.......2004-03-18

Never before in my life was i moved so intensely and directly by classical music. I put the first cd in my player and a few minutes later tears are flowing. I find myself dancing and moving to a rythm i already seem to know. Wow, i just have to share that.

Nonesuch delivers.Again.......2002-11-27

John adams is one of the most popular living composers of"modern" classical music[I believe the cutoff point, though arbitrary is usually WWII}.I came to him late, through my husband. Modersn classical music , I said? What the hell is that?My husband kept playing bits and pieces of adams for me, and more and more i found myself amazed. and swayed. His operas have been groundbreaking{Nixon in China} controversial{Death Of klinghoffer},his compostions sublimely beautiful{shaker Loops or harmonium].HIS STATURE IS WORTHY THEN OF SUCH A MONUMENTAL CAREER SPANNING BOX SET.This 10 disc set[great value, again from NONESUCH}encompasses Adams' entire career,and though there are some misses here{I was looking at the ceiling and then i saw the sky doesnt quite fit},it is still magnificent. the Highlights are ,{for me} the Wound Dresser, Chamber symphony,Violin Concerto, of course, Shaker Loops and Harmonuim are wonderful. The true jewels here are Nixon in China,the Chairman dances and the Death of Klinghoffer,which is simply a masterpiece. The set comes with a wonderful book, which contains essay's by Robert Hurwitz {An Uncommon Man}renaud Machart[John adams as seen from europe} and Essays before an earbox by Adams himself.A Chronology and dicography are included. A wonderful study of an American original,worth the investment, Highly highly recommended

harmonia in excelsis.......2001-11-12

I must agree with Mr. Bartlett, particularly with regard to "Ceiling." It may well be because his Violin Concerto and Harmonielehre are so powerful. 4.5 stars.
Interesting, and likely intentional, is that two names in the extensive liner book fail to mention two great and glaringly obvious precursors: Carl Orff and Raymond Scott. Without "Carmina Burana," there would be no "Harmonium." Orff has his mark all over Adams's gifted and epic compositions. Similarly, though there are glib references to "cartoon music," the polymath engineer/musician Scott is a seminal figure in American music, and casts a large shadow over the witty juxtapositions and sense of play one loves in Adams's work. In all, an excellent career overview.

Our greatest living composer.......2001-07-22

As a composer, I'm staggered that anyone could fail to be gripped by this music.

That anyone can use the words "spoiled, overrated" amazes me. I emphatically disagree with "A music fan"'s review.

I don't think it's "mind-numbing"; I think it's spiritual and exciting. To me it's the most substantial music being created in our times.

I'm really sorry that anyone could fail to enjoy it, and really recommend others to listen for themselves.

Wonderful CD.......2000-04-02

This compilation should turn even the most curmudgeonly listerner into a fan. Beautifully recorded, great notes -- and it's a heck of a bargain!

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