Natural Bridge

Amazon.com
Béla Fleck's 1999 return to acoustic planet reminded us all that he has few peers as a banjo player, but perhaps more significantly, how inventive his original bluegrass-oriented songs can be. Those talents seemed to be in place as far back as 1982, the year this superb album was recorded. On this, only his second solo affair, Fleck shows full command of his instrument as well as a supreme gift for composing fresh and compelling tunes based in, but not beholden to, the bluegrass style. Backed by the usual stellar assortment of "newgrass" virtuosi, Fleck puts forth traditional-style tunes full of energy and flair; modal-jazz vamps ripe with improvisational possibilities; delicate, charming lullabies; quirky waltzes; and classically influenced passages. Throughout, his banjo work is incredibly versatile, strikingly unique, and impressively intricate yet utterly poised and effortless all the same. --Marc Greilsamer

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.

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

The Natural Bridge
Average customer rating:

Worth The Wait

Masterpiece

Incredible.

Shines with a human eye

Very gifted band

The Natural Bridge
Silver Jews
Manufacturer: Drag City
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Rock | Styles | Music
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Tanglewood Numbers

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Ys

ASIN: B0000019QS
Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

How To Rent A Room
Pet Politics
Black And Brown Blues
Ballad Of Reverend War Character
The Right To Remain Silent
Dallas
Inside The Golden Days Of Missing You
Albemarle Station
The Frontier Index
Pretty Eyes

Customer Reviews:

Worth The Wait .......2006-08-31

I got this album a few months ago and to be honest was a little dissapointed the first
time I listened to it, mainly because on the first few listens the understated nature of many of the tracks caused them to slip right past me. This album is definately worth getting, after many listens it has become one of my favourites; beautiful lyrics ("I believe that stars are the headlights of angels driving from heaven to save us...they're flying from heaven into your eyes") and extremely subtle musicianship, particularly the soft guitar licks in 'Dallas'.

Great music to paint to, get ready to go out to, sleep to, wake up to... or just about anything

A must have album for any alternative/folk/soft-rock fan.

Favourite tracks (although none get skipped)
*Pet Politics - "Adam was not the first man, though the bible tells us so, there was one created before him who's name we do not know, he also lived in the garden but he had no mouth or eyes, one day Adam came to kill him and he died beneath these skies"
*Dallas - "I passed out on the 14th floor, the CPR was so erotic" (One of the best opening lines ever).
*Albemarle Station - "Bad roads, bad snow, bad bridges could turn a once bad man religious"
*Pretty Eyes - "I can see you in your room at night pictures on your walls, little forest scenes and highschool halloweens but they don't come to you, they don't come to you at all"

Masterpiece.......2005-09-24

This is my favorite Silver Jews album of all time, but more importantly, my favorite album, by any artist, of all time! DC Berman writes how most of us dream. If you haven't listened to the Silver Jews yet, start with American Water. The Natural Bridge takes a bit longer to get into, but is very rewarding in the end. DC Berman's genius continues to amaze me!

Incredible........2005-03-26

In the view of some, it was actually the bewildering perfection of this disc that drove Malkmus to disband Pavement (there's an apocryphal story that he admitted they'd never make an album as good as this one.)
Berman's a songwriter's songwriter, and it's no wonder he's got such a loyal cult following. This album encapsulates a worldview and a loneliness so vast and profound that listening to it, you just fall inside. If you're the kind of person who drives all night, you'll never feel the same way about the world after you hear it. All the other SJ albums are good -- Starlite Walker (the previous album) especially -- but none has the degree of imagery and startling revelation that this one carries from start to finish.

Shines with a human eye.......2002-04-09

Nothing beats this record for isolated late-night reflection. Its 10 melancholy meditations on life and death in our bewildering, incomprehensible world hit with an emotional depth that's unmatched on any other Jews outing. This is my favorite of his/their records overall, probably because its songs fit together so well and easily--like big chunk pieces of a puzzle whose combination forms an endlessly captivating collage of observations, feelings, and foe-biographical sketches. For me it's like leaving a city where you have bunches of responsibility and obligation, or obtaining a blurry overview of something whose details you suddenly realize don't much matter to you anyway.

Very gifted band.......2000-01-08

This album features some of the most intelligent and witty lyrics that you'll find in any record. The gloomy tone is extremely easy to relate to and very relaxing. Yet, the melodies lack much variation and get a little drawn out at times. Still a definite "must-have" for the rare poetic songs and deepness.

Average customer rating:

A fabulous experience!
This Album Is Not A Farce
This Album Is Not A Farce
A sophmore effort for the ages
Now I understand all the fuss over Bela Fleck!

Natural Bridge
Béla Fleck
Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00004C4PU
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Tracks:

Punchdrunk
Flexibility
Dawg's Due
Daybreak
Bitter Gap
October Winds
Crossfire
Applebutter
Old Hickory Waltz
Rocky Road
The Natural Bridge Suite

Amazon.com

Béla Fleck's 1999 return to acoustic planet reminded us all that he has few peers as a banjo player, but perhaps more significantly, how inventive his original bluegrass-oriented songs can be. Those talents seemed to be in place as far back as 1982, the year this superb album was recorded. On this, only his second solo affair, Fleck shows full command of his instrument as well as a supreme gift for composing fresh and compelling tunes based in, but not beholden to, the bluegrass style. Backed by the usual stellar assortment of "newgrass" virtuosi, Fleck puts forth traditional-style tunes full of energy and flair; modal-jazz vamps ripe with improvisational possibilities; delicate, charming lullabies; quirky waltzes; and classically influenced passages. Throughout, his banjo work is incredibly versatile, strikingly unique, and impressively intricate yet utterly poised and effortless all the same. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

A fabulous experience!.......2005-12-09

I knew about this ensemble five years ago, thanks to a melomaniac friend: Pavlov. From the first bars I engaged with his admirable expressiveness and wondrous lyricism. The country taste and enraptured rhythms make of this album one of the best choices for you.

Bela has expanded his musical sphere and now constitutes a reference pattern at the moment you wish to enjoy the freshness and captivating bewitch of this notable country folk musician.

The album is simply sumptuous: buy it and you will never regret it.

This Album Is Not A Farce.......2002-08-25

Recently I read a review of Natural Bridge (not on this page) which simply referred to this record as a farce. This is completely wholeheartedly and unequivocably untrue. I recently looked up the word "farce" in the dictionary and it read: "The surface of the front of the head from the top of the forehead to the base of the chin and from ear to ear." I can tell you, this album is, if anything, the opposite of this and I don't honestly think this reviewer knew what he was talking about. If I were to give a definition it would be that this is an album which is a light dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters, and often slapstick elements are used for humorous effect. I am a genius.

This Album Is Not A Farce.......2002-08-25

A sophmore effort for the ages.......2001-11-27

This is Bela's second solo album and it is absolutely unbelievable. He composed and arranged all of these tunes while in his early 20's and received help from basically a who's who in the bluegrass/newgrass community for this recording. Every time I listen to Natural Bridge I am blown away. I am amazed at just how great Bela was on his 5 string at this stage in his career. There are progressive bluegrass songs, a banjo/dobro duet, a waltz, two straight up jazz pieces, and definitely some tunes where the Dawg's influence is prevalent. After all, Grisman himself along with several members of the early David Grisman Quintet make their presence known on this recording. Mark O'Connor, who most people associate with virtuoso fiddle work, is the primary flat-picker for the album and does an awesome job. Finally, the last song, which is a two part suite, is one gorgeous tune that somehow incorporates all of the above mentioned styles into a work, that never fails to fill me with joy.

Now I understand all the fuss over Bela Fleck!.......2000-06-22

This is far and away his best CD, from what I've seen/heard. The music litrally transcends, it's absolutely wonderful and of that high impact. This is probably the 4th Bela Fleck CD I've bought and own, based on recommendations of friends and because I always hear people say how great Bela Fleck is. Up to now I've liked them, maybe to the tune of 3 stars. This is purely instrumental, no Flecktones at all, and it puts his other CDs to shame. I'm a convert, and am so glad this was remastered so that I thought I was buying a new CD, when in fact I was buying core artistry. Several people who have heard me play have gone out to buy it, nobody has been disapointed yet.

Average customer rating:

and 1/2 ... This band picks well-established material with a vengeance

Larry Keel & Natural Bridge

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

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Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000AMJD0Q
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Customer Reviews:

and 1/2 ... This band picks well-established material with a vengeance.......2005-11-04

Playing Time - 39:48 -- Larry Keel's old Gibson guitar looks like it's been around, rode hard and put up wet. But it sure can put out some sound when he races through a flatpicking classic like "Farewell Blues." Fronting a quartet that plays "American Mountain Music," Keel is dedicated to preserving a traditional bluegrass sound with its rough vocal edges that actually lend to the band's charm. Natural Bridge is Mark Schimick (mandolin), Andy Thorne (banjo) and Jenny Keel (bass). All four band members sing. Keel's vocalizes with growling gusto, and some of the other band members occasionally sing the lead vocals such as Keel on "Gatherin Flowers." The CD jacket is remiss in not clearly identifying the vocalists on each song. Songwriter credits are not included either with only a statement that "all songs [are] traditional." Of course, some stem from the repertoires of Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, and Grandpa Jones. Another suggestion that would've enhanced this material would have been to enlist the support of a guest fiddler.

Larry Keel was born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains, grew up around music, played bluegrass at Tokyo's Disneyland, and won the Telluride guitar contest a couple times. Larry met his wife, Jenny, at a bluegrass show in Lexington, Va. She's been playing bass for nearly a decade. Like Larry, North Carolinian Mark Schimick was exposed to bluegrass early in life. He pursued formal musical training (choir singing and classical piano) and later was a drummer in various bands before taking up mandolin about ten years ago. Banjo-player Andy Thorn may be only in his 20s, but he shows a strong aptitude and skill with the 5-string. He's played with Big Fat Gap, the Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band, and took first place at the Rockygrass banjo contest in Lyons, CO. He's currently studying jazz guitar at UNC.

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge's debut album shows that this band can pick with a vengeance. They draw from the well-established bluegrass canon that has plenty of support. Keel's vision is to nurture and preserve America's musical heritage while letting it inspire his own writing and playing. So, in that sense, this talented band is walking on a "natural bridge" that stretches from the old tradition to their own musical epilogue today that builds on this heritage. The Keels also just happen to hail from Natural Bridge, Va. at present. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

Average customer rating:

Natural Bridge
Danilo
Manufacturer: Music Connection Machine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000EMKXWE

Product Description

Danilo performs 12 pieces on acoustic and digital piano and various performers on quena, guitar, and trumpet accompany him on several of the tracks. Pieces range from Luna Misionera to White Geese, Santa Catarina, the World and the Flower, etc.

Average customer rating:

Blown Away!
Top notch entertainment - new sound you've got to get
Fierce lyrics, killer riffs

Graffiti Death Threat
Graffiti Death Threat
Manufacturer: Entry Label, LLC
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

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Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000309YTA
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

Selling Out
High Speed Chick Trap
Big Man
Bully & Boy
Cairo '96
I'm Gonna (feat. BC)
My Lady (feat. Savannah Paine)
Cry Baby
Truck Stop Dinner Date
Potions
False Peaks (feat. BC)
Big Man Returns!
On & Off
Death Row
Sensitive Mr.

Customer Reviews:

Blown Away!.......2004-11-14

I was able to see these guys live recently and besides the fact that they are all super hot and had sick infectious energy, I couldn't wait to get home and read every lyric on the album. Finally, something different that never seems to get stale! Cry Baby is my first pick as favorite song on the CD but really no track is unworthy of being called the best!

Top notch entertainment - new sound you've got to get.......2004-10-29

This is the best joint on my Ipod. I can't wait to see these guys live. The description above is accurate - punk rock and rap, but done in a new way - incredible turntable skills, raw crunching but tight guitars, smart underground rap lyrics (you'll grab for the liner notes just to follow MC Skoolz' dazzling word play) and old school punk refrains. The music has a new energy, sense of humor, and all the good things from the two genres it embodies. This is one complete album - no filler from first track to last.

Fierce lyrics, killer riffs.......2004-10-14

If you like the lyrical complexity of hip-hop and the aggressive immediacy of punk guitars, this band will rock you!!

Music Album:

Music Album