Fortuna (Sanremo 2003) [Import]

1. Sai Dove Trovarmi

2. Fortuna

3. Non Era Molto Tempo Fa

4. Mai Perfetto

5. Amore Per Me

6. Guerra E Pace

7. Qualcosa Di Te

8. Mille Cuori

9. Al Lupo Al Lupo

10. Giocattoli

11. Luce

12. Tacabanda

Tracks:

Adagio In G Minor
Jesu, Joy OF Man's Desiring
Moonlight Sonata - Adagio sostenuto
March Of The Toreadors (Carmen)
Celebrated Minuet
Polovtsian Dance No. 1 (Prince Igor)
Cradle Song
'Minute' Waltz
Suite Bergamasque: Clair de Lune
Largo
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1
Rhapsody In Blue - Andante And Finale
Peer Gynt Suite: Morning
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
Liebestraum
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March
'Masterpiece Theater' Theme: Rondau (First Symphonic Suite)
The Great Gate Of Kiev

Tracks:

Eine klein Nachtmusik - Allegro: Eine kleine Nachtmusik - Allegro
Orpheus In The Underworld: Cancan
Carmina Burana - O Fortuna
Canon In D
Lietenant Kije Suite - Troika
Turandot: Nessun dorma
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini - 18th Variation: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini- 18th Variation
Bolero - Conclusion
The Tale Of Czar Sultan: Flight Of The Bumblebee
William Tell Overture - Finale
Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan
Gymnopedie No. 3
Ave Maria
Blue Danube Waltz
Thus Spake Zarathustra - Sunrise
Firebird Suite - Finale
1812 Overture - Finale: 1812 Overtune - Finale
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves'
Anvil Chorus (II Trovatore)
The Four Seasons - Largo From 'Winter'
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries

Amazon.com

For those who want the most remembered passages of classical music's best-loved works, here's a package for you. On this bargain priced double-CD, you'll find music from 40 different classical composers; for the most part, the recordings excerpted here are some of the very best. Of course, you only get one Bach sampling (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, played by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra) and one Mozart (A Little Night Music conducted by Herbert von Karajan), but this is still a nice collection--perhaps the starting point for a budding collection of classical music. This set's downfall? Unfortunately, though the liner notes discuss the evolution of classical music chronologically, the tracks are programmed in alphabetical order by composer's last name. This makes for some startling transitions! Emil Gilels's reflective performance of the Adagio from Beethoven's "Moonlight" sonata is followed by the crashing cymbals and bombast of Carmen's "March of the Toreadors," a recipe for a heart attack if there ever was one. Still, there's something here for everyone and the liner notes even explain what movies this music can be found in. A nice touch. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Waste of money.......2006-01-12

Watch out for the volume leveling mentioned in another review. Surely the compliers could have come up with a better sort order than by composer. The change in tempo/volume between pieces makes it impossible to enjoy. My two CD's ended up in the trash.

Ken

Great Music Compilation.......2005-08-15

This is a great CD full of many songs that you will recognize and enjoy. If you are someone who likes classical music but doesn't necessarily know which songs or which composers you like, then this CD is for you. You will likely recognize many of the songs as the classical songs you would have picked out to be your favorites.

If you like classical music don't buy this CD........2005-03-11

Most of the tracks were chopped down to 3-4 minutes so some of the best parts of the compositions are missing. I don't know what I was thinking trying to buy 40 classical songs on two CD's. If you really want to enjoy the music you would do better to purchase a CD with fewer, but better quality tracks.

A must for anyone wanting the staples of classical music.......2005-02-23

In my years of experience teaching Fine Arts to high school students, I know that the majority, if not all, of the music included on this album is commonly used in collge music appreciation courses. This is an excellent sample of truly all the "greatest hits" of classical music. My students enjoy listening to the music and have later told me when take their required music apreciation courses in college that they "already know it all" because of this CD! The recordings are clear, the selections are passionate, and the listener will gain a familiarity with all of the most commonly heard classical music used in tv commercials, movies, etc.
I recommend this album, along with the boxed set, "Age of the Classics" for anyone who is interested in becoming familiar with the most famous staples of classical music.

A great compilation.......2005-02-09

This cd somes up some of the greatest pieces of instrumental (and is some cases choral) music ever written. It is a great starter for a beginning classical music lover or a quick and easy all-in-one for those of us who study classical music for a living. I highly recommend this cd to anyone who wants to love or already does love classical music.

Average customer rating:

Loved "Summon the Heroes"
Inspirational music during awards
Rousing but....
Enjoyable romp through Olympic Themes
One of the most uplifting and motivating albums!!!

Summon the Heroes

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

American Journey - Winter Olympics 2002
By Request: The Best Of John Williams And The Boston Pops Orchestra
John Williams - Greatest Hits 1969 - 1999
The Music of John Williams: 40 Years of Film Music
Stars & Stripes: Fanfares, Marches & Wind Band Spectaculars

ASIN: B00004WK4E
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

Summon The Heroes - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Bugler's Dream/Olympic Fanfare And Theme - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Canto Olympico: Ode To Zeus - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Javelin - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Olympic Hymn - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Festive Overture, Op.96 - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Conquest Of Paradise (Theme) - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Ben Hur: Parade Of Charioteers - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Toward A New Life - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Chariots of Fire (Theme) - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
The Olympic Spirit - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Loved "Summon the Heroes".......2007-03-17

Great soul-stirring music! Highly recommended for anyone who loves Olympics orchestral and similar music.

Inspirational music during awards.......2007-01-22

I use the music on this CD as background when I give awards during track. It's very inspirational & uplifting to the athletes. They love it.

Rousing but...........2006-02-24

This CD, with John Williams at the baton, summons the heroes in a rousing manner with a wide range of Olympic as well as "heroic" (e.g., "Parade of the Charioteers" from "Ben Hur")selections. Three of the twelve tracks were written by Williams himself with his "Olympic Spirit" being recorded for the first time. The electrifying "Ode to Zeus" by Mikis Theodorakis is probably the single greatest selection.
In an amazing oversight, however, this CD does not include the Olympic Theme.

Enjoyable romp through Olympic Themes.......2005-09-01

In the US at least, John Williams is known more for his movie scores (Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark to name a few), but he has put his stamp on the Olympics with his several themes and fanfares for the Olympics. Dating back to 1984, Mr. Williams has composed many well known fanfares to the Olympics, and this compilation contains several of his fanfares in addition to music used in other Olympics. The original release for the disc was 1996, which makes it current through the Atlanta Games; if you're looking for the work that John Williams composed for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics (2002), you have to go with American Visions (I believe that's the title).

On the whole, the music is well done, but I'm more used to the faster pace of the Parade of the Charioteers found on Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops' Hollywood's Greatest Hits Vol. 1.
One other quibble (minor, really) is that people tend to think of the 1984 Olympic Fanfare as being always merged with the traditional Olympic Fanfare, but you can find it separately on By Request by John Williams and the Boston Pops. You'll also have to hunt around for the full composition of what people consider the traditional Olympic Fanfare on another disc, but that's a minor issue.

One nice item on the disc is The Olympic Spirit, which was composed for the NBC Broadcast of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, but never used. My children really like that piece a lot, and usually request it to be replayed when it finishes.

One of the most uplifting and motivating albums!!!.......2005-07-19

When I first listened to this album, I was in awe of the beauty and grandness of the music composed/performed by John Williams. John can make composing music an exalted art. His music is purely genius and captures the ideas of the album in which the score is in. Back to the album . . . it is AWESOME! This includes many well-known songs but also many undiscovered treasures. Of the twelve songs, I especially enjoyed:
Track One-Summon the Heroes
Track Three-Bugler's Dream/Olympic Fanfare and Theme
Track Twelve-The Olympic Spirit
Bottom Line: BUY THIS ALBUM!!!!!!!! A TREASURE!!!!!

The Power & The Majesty: Essential Choral Classics

Average customer rating:

Wonderful choir music CD
Best of American Choral Singing!
A good album, but--
Awesome

The Power & The Majesty: Essential Choral Classics
Robert Shaw Festival Singers , and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Choruses
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

Choral Masterpieces
Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration
The #1 Choral Album
Sea Shanties
O Magnum Mysterium

ASIN: B000003D10
Release Date: 1995-01-24

Tracks:

Dies Irae
Tuba Mirum
Pie Jesu
O Fortuna
Dies Irae
Rex Tremendae
Confutatis
Lacrimosa
Polovtsian Dances
Missa: Kyrie Eleison
Hallelujah Chorus
The Shepherd's Farewell
Sanctus
The Heavens Are Telling
'Va, pensiero' (Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves)
Nyne Otpushchayeshi (Now Let Thy Servant Depart)
Dies Irae

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful choir music CD.......2007-07-12

I just enjoy in it very much. The best of the choir music in very good performance.

Best of American Choral Singing!.......2003-02-08

This CD could be the cornerstone of your choral music library! Wonderful performances of all of the essential choral pieces give a wonderful introduction to choral music for someone new to it, and also give a nice sampler of the best pieces for someone already familiar with the music. Listening to each excerpt may inspire you to purchase the entire work!

As you would expect of performances by Robert Shaw's groups, these performances are really extraordinary and show the best of American choral singing.

A good album, but--.......2001-12-28

The three stars I have given this album are not for the performances, which are all tremendous and deserve five stars or more, but for the idea of releasing this sort of compilation. Every single one of these selections is part of a larger Shaw-recorded work already released by Telarc, and you are far better off seeking the complete recordings that all these pieces are from, than just buying a mere "sampler". (Shaw, however, never did get around to recording the complete " L' Enfance du Christ".) Of course, that can be very expensive for some people, and if one cannot afford all those recordings, I suppose this is the next best thing. One can't shake off the feeling, however, that because Shaw is no longer with us, Telarc is desperately trying to give the impression that "new" Shaw recordings are constantly being released by them, when the truth is that nearly all the new ones are mere recyclings. (The last complete Robert Shaw album released by Telarc was Dvorak's "Stabat Mater", a CD well worth buying.)

Awesome.......2000-04-04

This album is so up-lifting. As the music soars, so do your spirits.

Average customer rating:

wallpaper
simply beautiful, so just enjoy it
Sloppy renditions and amateurish
Great songs reinvented, with a twist
Praise for Beyond Imagination

Beyond Imagination
Opera Babes
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Opera Band
Defined
Renaissance (Eng)
Summer
Etterna

ASIN: B00007MB2F
Release Date: 2003-01-14

Tracks:

One Fine Day (Un Bel Di From Madame Butterfly)
Sempre Ricordo (Piano Concerto in A minor)
There's A Place (From The New World Symphony)
Beyond Imagination (From A Midsummer Nights Dream)
O Fortuna (From Carmina Burana)
Lakm2O (Flower Duet)
Ebben?..Ne Andro Lontano (from La Wally)
You Live On In My Heart (Cinema Paradiso)
Chanson Boh (From Carmen)
Remember Me
Stranger In Paradise (From Kismet)
Ode II Joy (From Symphony No. 9)
1001 Nights (From The Nutcracker Suite)
Barcarolle (From The Tales Of Hoffman)
LakmVibeTribe Mix)
Ave Maria
Vittoria! (Aida 2002)

Amazon.com

Plucked from a wet afternoon of busking Bizet and Puccini to passersby on the Piazza in Covent Garden in the spring of 2001, soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo Karen England soon found themselves singing in slightly larger venues: the FA Cup and Champions League soccer finals. That the management company doing the plucking had recently performed a similar Cinderella crossover act for Russell Watson offered portent, and indeed the Babes--the moniker began as a joke--were soon on their way to this recording debut. The marketing shtick and its soccer connections may offend purists, but it's the football hooligans that the Babes are trying to win over here; can Borodin soothe the savage Manchester United fan? Their classically trained voices mesh gloriously, with England's warm mezzo showing particular character in her solo turns.

The repertoire choices here cover material that may already be familiar to fans of Charlotte Church (i.e., Delibes "Flower Duet") and other crossover acts, but they do include some pleasant surprises, like Offenbach's Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann and "You Live On in My Heart," a reworking of Ennio Morricone's enchanting Cinema Paradiso theme with lyrics by Knight. But in a rush toward the musical middle of the road, it's the productions themselves that sometimes overwhelm the Babes with bathos ("Ave Maria"), hollow thunder ("Aida 2002"), and electro club kitsch (the 'Vibe Tribe' mix of "Flower Duet"). Former Art of Noise mainstay Anne Dudley's tastefully restrained coloring of Tchaikovsky's "1001 Nights" is one of the notable exceptions. They're babes, they sing opera--with fair promise--for the masses, and if they turn one in a hundred from football hooliganism to a well-mannered appreciation of Grieg and Dvorák, won't it all have been worth it? --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

wallpaper.......2007-07-12

overorchestrated, overproduced aural wallpaper...that said, still, these women have wonderful voices and are worth hearing. They are oversold,too...Opera Babes! Indeed. Folks who like Enya will like this.

simply beautiful, so just enjoy it.......2007-06-11

my daughter has taught me to love opera. this immediately captured me. the Babes' voices blend so beautifully. I love it! who cares about Puccini, Classic Opera, blah, blah, woof, woof. I love this album

Sloppy renditions and amateurish.......2007-05-15

I heard one of the selections on Sirius and liked it so I bought the CD. Upon hearing the entire CD I was disappointed that the only selection I liked was the one that prompted me to buy the product. The voices are nice but they are simply adding voice to opera masterpieces that do not fit. They are certainly not of the caliber of Sarah Brightman or Charlotte Church and don't look for that. Their sound is mellow, dim and without the emotion that does an inservice to the opera pieces they sing. I found the CD lackluster and in all honestly very "amateurish".

Great songs reinvented, with a twist.......2006-09-30

Expanding upon the recent interest in Gregorian chant fusion as well as rich-voiced solo vocalists such as Josh Groban, operatic soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo soprano Karen England offer full-vibratoed, somewhat modernized interpretations of favorite classical themes. Backed by chorus, orchestras, keyboards and drums, they draw from such diversely satisfying works as Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly," Grieg's "Piano Concerto in a minor," Dvorak's "New World Symphony," Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream," Orff's "Carmina Burana," Delibe's "Lakme," Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite," Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffman," Schubert's "Ave Maria," and Verdi's "Aida." Some of the arrangements are fairly traditional, while others are noticeably enhanced. The emphasis tends to be on pretty pieces with sweet melodies, though a few are more intense in nature (#1, 4, 5, 15 and 17). A couple of pop songs, still sung in operatic style, are thrown in for good measure, although they don't have the same appeal and mystique as the old favorites. All of the selections feature both vocalists together, singing in lovely, close harmony. The arrangers of this elegantly hip music include Jon Cohen, Noely, Frank Gallagher, Deni Lew and Anne Dudley, with multi-language lyrics (for the adaptations of instrumental works) by Rebecca Knight and others. I have to admit that I occasionally found myself longing for the modern additions to be more consistently interesting and distinctive--in other words, equaling the artistry of the classics that they're accompanying. Track #1, which really shines, is a well-done example. Alternately, perhaps the source songs might have been better off left in their pure, original styles rather than watered down with schmaltzy, predictable underpinnings that don't add much to the music. But like Enigma did for medieval chant, the Opera Babes are endeavoring to bring some wonderful, time-tested music to a wider audience, fusing it with modern idioms in way that is artistic and generally appealing. For more opera fusion, compare the work of Amici Forever (a group of five singers, both male and female), and the oddly packaged but similar-in-concept album "Coco de Mer" by Adam Plack.

Praise for Beyond Imagination.......2006-02-26

What I really enjoyed about this album was its distinctive sound and arrangement of the material. I enjoy classically performed opera and was surprised how much I like the Opera Babes' versions. Of course, the wonderful voices added immensely to the high quality of this product.

Average customer rating:

perfect selection for commencement/ graduation
Great Starting Point for Classical Music Novices
**An Exquisite Album**
Samples
Great Sampler!

Simply the Best Classical Anthems

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | 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

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

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Thunderous Classics
Thunder & Lightning
25 Thunderous Classics
Time Life Presents: Classical Thunder
Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

ASIN: B00004SUVI
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Requiem: Dies Irae
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
The Planets: Mars
The Ride Of The Valkyries
Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves
Fanfare For The Common Man
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1
Aida: Grand March
Summer - Four Seasons: Presto
Te Deum: Prelude
The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor
Symphony No. 5: First Movement
Spartacus: Adagio
Sabre Dance
Symphony No. 40: First Movement
Zadok The Priest
Turandot: Nessun Dorma

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathoustra
Romeo And Juliet: Dance Of The Knights
Requiem: Dies Irae
1812 Overture
Piano Concerto
Spring - Four Seasons: Allegro
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
The Royal Fireworks: La Ruissance From Music
Flight Of The Bumble Bee
Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold
Carmen: Overture
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Jerusalem
The Planets: Jupiter
Symphony No 9, 'Ode To Joy'
Swan Lake: Scene
Enigma Variations: Nimrod
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini [Variation 18]
Pictures At An Exibitions: Promenade
Symphony For Organ No 3: Finale, Symphony For Organ No 3

Customer Reviews:

perfect selection for commencement/ graduation.......2007-06-11

We were concerned after reading some other reviews that this version of Pomp and Circumstance wouldn't be the correct movement or the full length version. This selection has the song for graduation AND the extended length, so it gives plenty of time for processionals. If this is what you need, this is the CD to get.

Great Starting Point for Classical Music Novices.......2004-08-13

"Simply the Best Classicial Anthems" is exactly what the title indicates. This is a collection of what the CD says are "36 of the most powerful classics on Earth". My review of this CD comes from someone who is a Classical Music Novice. I'm familiar with some of the composers, musical styles, musical periods, and some of the terminology that is key to understanding Classical Music. By no means am I an expert. I have basically popped in this two CD collection into my player and have enjoyed the sounds it produces. If you are in the same category as I am or maybe just wanting to be introduced to Classical Music - this is going to be a very good CD to have in your collection. For the more seasoned Classical Music fan, this could be either enjoyable or overkill.

The CD contains 36 songs composed by the legends of Classical Music Composers from the past. The bulk of the works come from Composers in the the 19th and 20th century, but there are works from the Romantic and Classical eras of the late 18th and early 19th century (such as Beethoven and Mozart). In general you will find most of the major names of Composers you would expect to find - names such as Tchiakovsky, Handel, Verdi, Strauss, Elgar, and Bach are all there. The only major composer who I would have expected to see on this CD that I don't see is Frederic Chopin. The composers of the late 20th century are not included on this collection - so you won't see Leonard Bernstein or John Williams on this set. While these Composers are excellent, I do think style of the tracks on this collection pre-date their style.

The recordings themselves are done by the great Orchestras around the world. For the most part, European Orchestras were used to deliver the tracks. There are a few exceptions: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra delivers "The Ride of the Valkyries"; The Toronto Symphony Orchestra delivers "Dance of the Knights"; and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra delivers Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Some of the European Orchestras that are well known include: BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, Choeur Philhamonique de Strasbourg, and more. Also included are performances by well known names in the Classical space such as Marie-Claire Alain (Bach's "Toccate and Fogue in D Minor" and Saint-Saens' "Symphony for Organ No 3"), Piero Toso (Vivaldi's "Allegro From Spring - Four Seasons"), and Placido Domingo appears on Puccini's "Nessun Dorma".

The 2 Disc collection contains a total of over 2 hours and 6 minutes of music. The selections that are included in the set will sound very familiar to you when you play them. You probably have both heard and seen the names of tracks such as: Oref's "O Fortuna"; Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"; Beethoven's "First Movement from Symphony Number 5" and "Ode To Joy"; Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance", and Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Many of the other tracks will also sound familiar, but maybe not so much by name - such as Wagner's "The Ride of the Valkyries", Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathoustra"; Grieg's "Piano Concerto", and "Dies Irae" (versions included by Mozart and Verdi - you can compare the two and judge for yourself). As for the Discs themselves, I think most of the casual fans will like the selections on Disc Two better, but Disc One is still very good. On a sidebar, the Israel Philharmonic's version of "1812 Overture" is by far the best you will hear - particularly at the end, the booming drums create almost a 3 dimensional vision of fireworks being launched into the air.

There one big negative on this collection is some of the recording quality. The clarity of the recording is there, but some of the recording levels leave a lot to be desired. On some of the softer parts, it is barely audible without significantly turning up your volume. This is very evident on "O Fortuna" where you will hear almost dead silence during from the 30 second to 1:30 mark of the track unless you crank your volume up. Same with the first few seconds of Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathoustra" and Tchiakovsky's "1812 Overture". When the volume is cranked up you will hear them - but then the other sections will be way too loud. I'm surprised with modern technology that this couldn't be addressed better.

The liner notes are pretty thin. You do get the Composers, Performers/Orchestras, and recording dates. There isn't any more details than that and you won't learn anymore insight on the tracks than this information. Despite some of the shortcomings of the liner notes and recording volume, I still think this is an excellent place to start and do recommend this CD if you are a novice to Classical Music and are looking for a great place to start listening to what the Classics have to offer.

**An Exquisite Album**.......2004-02-21

Simply The Best Classical Anthems

Simply The Best Classical Anthems is a compilation album of `36 of the most powerful Anthems on Earth'. But, it is also said to be something else. It is said to be a gateway. A gateway to another world. A world where our imagination can run free without being shackled down by any borders or boundaries or rules or limits. A world that we have all seen or perhaps more accurately have all heard of but for many of us a world that we have never dared to enter. Never dared to enter because of fear. The fear of being ostracised and shunned by our community.

THE MYTH
`Classical Music!', I can hear some of you cry. `That isn't another world. That's just music for the upperclass, the high-brow, and the pompous.' Surprisingly, I too felt this way for a long time until I accepted the invitation made to me by Simply The Best Classical Anthems. I always felt that Classical Music was nice to listen to as background music for a Levis ad or a Car ad but I would consider people strange if they chose to hear it on its own. However, after having listened to this album I realised how wrong I was in my assumptions.

THE TRUTH
Music as with all forms of amusement helps to take you away from where you are now. It helps to relax you when you are stressed with anger; it helps to give you strength when you are vulnerable; it helps to keep your spirits up when you have faced tragedy or loss. It helps. And, for me the type of music that best conjures up the most passionate emotions (love, hate, courage and anger) at our most testing times is Classical Music.
How? I don't know.
Why? I don't know.
I can only promise you that in my experience it does.

THE CHEST
The album, in visual terms, is very difficult to overlook amongst the plethora of records that may surround it. This is because the album has a very distinct purple sleeve cover. Not any kind of purple mind you but the Cadbury's kind of purple. The kind of purple that carries with it an invitation. An invitation that if accepted promises you a treasure inside.
And since, I have always enjoyed the treasure within the purple Cadbury's Dairy Milk wrapper, I asked myself why would an album carrying the same invitation promise to be anything different? Thus, I parted with my tuppence worth and went back home to open this purple chest of promised treasures.

THE PROMISED TREASURE
As you may have guessed, the contents of the album are somewhat different to the contents of a Cadbury's bar. When I opened the album, I was presented with two compact discs. At first glance, there did not seem to be anything special about them. They were just your average, everyday, run of the mill compact discs. To tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed because I suppose I had hoped for something more.
However, looks can be deceptive. (Afterall, a Cadbury's Dairy Milk does not seem very appetising until you taste it!) And, also come November each year, I am always bemused and surprised at how the shabby contents of a cardboard box can both light up the sky and light up the faces of the neighbourhood. Thus, I pushed aside my assumptions and I ignited the discs (not literally of course, I just pressed the play button on the CD player). And, I let the fireworks begin.

THE KEY
From the very beginning, you will feel like you have unlocked the doorway to something special. And, after a full two hours of listening to both discs, you will feel like you have been taken out of this world and transported to another. Welcome to the world of Classical Music.

GUIDANCE
In the beginning, continue to listen to both discs in one go (i.e. one after the other). After a while, you will know which tracks you enjoy listening to the most. For those tracks you enjoyed the most make a promise to yourself that you will listen to the whole of the piece from which that track came from.
Good Luck on your quest if you choose to accept it.
Ride amongst the Valkyries, listen to the Flight of the Bumblebees, and use The Planets to keep you on the path.

I am not a good reviewer because as with all of my reviews I refuse to comment too much about what is inside the product but rather more about what effect the product has had on me. (Me, me, me. Vain & Egotistic, I know, so my friends and family keep telling me). But, I just want to cause a raucous about the product, enough not to spoil but enough of a raucous to let you experience it for yourself.

So my final words are:
Simply The Best Classical Anthems is an invitation. An invitation to the world of classical music. A world where you can begin a never-ending quest of curiosity. A curiosity that will always be rewarded with fulfilment.

Do you accept such an invitation?

Hope you found this review helpful.

Samples.......2003-11-23

The samples are too short and the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Having said that the choices are wonderful and the price is great. If you're looking for a overview of the best of classical music then this is for you. However if it's quality you're looking for then spent the extra money and look at other choices.

Great Sampler!.......2002-03-20

This is a good sampler, since it covers what you would want in a classical music CD. Looking at the tracks, it has the classic hits, such as "Ride of the Valkyries," "Toccata and Fugue," "Fanfare for the Common Man," "'Jupiter' from `The Planets,'" "Eine Klein Nachtmusik," and "Hallelujah Chorus."

There are also some new pieces that I have fallen in love with, such as "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," "'Promenade' from Pictures at an Exhibition." The compilers did an interesting double take by including both Verdi's and Mozart's "Dies Ire." I'm not sure which is better.

This music is good for the brain and good for the soul. There is a power and passion that the blaring and glaring music that makes up most of the FM band. I'm reminded of the religious man who said that there is no music in hell. Probably because they wouldn't appreciate it there.

These CDs has a good transfer from the analogue tapes; there is no hiss or fuzziness. The packaging hearkens back to 2001: A Space Odyssey, with the black monolith. And appropriately, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" is the opening track on Disk 2.

Orff: Carmina Burana
Average customer rating:

Not my cup of tea

Brilliant

Medieval and modern bash heads beautifully ...

The best alternative to Jochum

Simply the best Carmina

Orff: Carmina Burana

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Orff | Orff, Carl | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Levine, James | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana

Orff - Carmina Burana: Battle, Allen, Lopardo, Ozawa, Berlin / Beethoven - Symphony No. 9: Schwanewilms, Groves, Dever, Hawlata, Ozawa, Saito Kinen Orchestra

Orff: Carmina Burana

Carmina Burana: Vocal Score

ASIN: B000001G5X
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna
Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: Fortune plango vulnera
I Primo Vere: Veris leta facies
I Primo Vere: Omnia Sol temperat
I Primo Vere: Ecce gratum
Uf dem Anger: Tanz
Uf dem Anger: Floret silva
Uf dem Anger: Chramer, gip die varwe mir
Uf dem Anger: Reie Swaz hie gat umbe Chume, chum, geselle min! Swaz hie gat umbe
Uf dem Anger: Were diu werlt alle min
II In Taberna: Estuans interius
II In Taberna: Olim lacus colueram
II In Taberna: Ego sum abbas
II In Taberna: In taberna quando sumus
III Cour d'amours: Amor volat undique
III Cour d'amours: Dies, nox et omnia
III Cour d'amours: Stetit puella
III Cour d'amours: Circa mea pectora
III Cour d'amours: Si puer cum puellula
III Cour d'amours: Veni, veni, venias
III Cour d'amours: In trutina
III Cour d'amours: Tempus est iocundum
III Cour d'amours: Dulcissime
Blanziflor et Helena: Ave formosissima
Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna

Customer Reviews:

Not my cup of tea.......2007-02-18

Maybe I am not ready to appreciate this, but for the moment, this cd is just awful to my ears. Sorry for the die hard fans.

Brilliant.......2007-01-12

Joseph's Levine's production of Carmina Burana is brilliant. Although most everyone will recognize O Fortuna from "Excalibur" or other Hollywood fare, there is a tremendous depth and power in all of this masterpiece.

Medieval and modern bash heads beautifully ..........2006-01-09

Carl Orff may not have attained "household name" status, but the dazzling "Carmina Burana" has become a staple in the modern classical music repertory. The work has appeared in so many concert halls, recordings, movies, television spots, rock concerts, and presentations that it may rank as one of the twentieth century's most famous classical pieces. And this CD presents a great recording of Orff's most famous work.

But "Carmina Burana" doesn't always sound like twentieth century music. "O Fortuna", the blaring ominous opener, sounds like a blend of classical, medieval, and modern. And the themes of fortune, Spring, Love (and lust), and drinking sound anything but modern. The latin text doubtless lends a large part of the medieval flavor, but German also appears throughout the song cycle.

The text comes from a now famous 11th-13th century collection of some 1,000 poems and songs. Historians believe that the "goliards" (wandering freethinking poets) composed these poems, which laid undiscovered until 1803. In the 1930s these secular and sometimes bawdy songs caught the attention of the very Roman Catholic Orff. "Carmina Burana" premiered in Nazi Germany in 1937 to great acclaim (though some found it "degenerate"). Initially written as accompaniment for elaborate theater stagings, the work usually gets performed in concert halls without the visuals. The music definitely warrants such a performance. It stands completely on its own; ranging from the inexorably powerful to the delicate and lovely. Orff pulled out all the stops when he composed this incredible music.

"O Fortuna" remains justifiably famous with its riveting rhythms and staccato chorus. This tune bookends the entire song collection, suggesting that the work as a whole deals with the ineffable viscissitudes of life. Next, Spring arrives and brings with it dancing (track 6 will get any feet moving), drinking, and the pursuit of sensual pleasures. Though some gain from this happiness, some wallow in misery. "Olim lacus colueram" ("Once I Lived On Lakes") tells a ghastly story from the point of view of a swan roasting on a spit. The tenor solo sings with the perfect amount of agony as the music provides appropriately horrifying accompaniment. "Floret silva nobilis" ("The Noble Woods are Burgeoning") finds a lover bemoaning the parting of her lover. The music punctuates her woe with horse hoof beats fading into the distance. Woes of Fortune and the changes brought with springtime provide the thematic structure for the songs. In the end, the refrain of "O Fortuna" provides a reminder that our pleasures and our misery remain fleeting and subject to the wiles of fortune. Thematically, the piece is timeless.

James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra pull off quite a performance on this CD. Anyone looking for a solid straight through recording of this famous work will find it here. The CD booklet doesn't give much information on Orff or on the work, but it does contain all of the lyrics in Latin/German and English. Regardless, the music prevails and this recording will not disappoint.

The best alternative to Jochum.......2005-08-08

While Eugen Jochum's definitive recording of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana concentrated on a rustic, unrefined presentation of the miraculous choral hodgepodge, James Levine's modern, Grammy Award-winning 1984 recording gives the hypnotic work a smooth, meticulous treatment. Levine, a notoriously "glossy" conductor, is in excellent form here, taking the twenty-five mini-masterpieces that comprise the work somewhat slower than Jochum with three of the best soloists ever to be recorded.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus are in terrific order. The choral selections (the primitive "Fortune plango vulnera," the jovial "Ecce gratum," the appropriately flowery "Floret silva," and, of course, the calamitous "O Fortuna!") are presented with almost perfect accuracy and calculation. The pacing is only occasionally disappointing; the Tanz, which contains excellently elaborate percussive sections, is taken too quickly and most of the rich subtleties are lost.

Philip Creech's rendition of the song of the roasting swan, "Olim lacus colueram," is a hilarious and slightly disturbing instance of petrified and bizarre caterwauling. Bernd Weikl, a rather rough-hewn baritone-bass, is a somewhat unsteady but altogether satisfying choice for the baritone soloist. "Ego sum abbas" is definitely his best moment; it is presented accusingly and voraciously, easily juxtaposed to the supercilious ravings and fire-and-brimstone-preaching of a Biblical prophet. June Anderson is simply a treasure as the soprano soloist. Gundula Janowitz, the Jochum soprano, has a less dense, more ethereal voice, which was more fitting for the orgiastic "Stetit puella." However, due to one of Levine's more inspired (and slow) moments, Anderson is able to uncover some of the solo's most invigorating and atmospheric subtleties. She also survives "Dulcissime," a brief but extraordinarily tiring piece that causes most sopranos to languish.

Simply the best Carmina .......2005-05-03

When I bought this CD, I expected a beautiful, powerful, austere, haunting, loud piece all rolled into one CD. The CSO, bless their hearts, obliged me here. The brass, as usual are painstakingly precise( as is the chorus when the score calls for staccato passages such as the pianissiomo section on the first track)as seen in tracks such as track 10, the last part of Uf dem Anger. Of course I cannot diminish the other parts of the orchestra but my mind often freezes up when doing these reviews because I have so much I want to say and don't want you to think I'm a babbling idiot. Anyway, really, the only detraction to this recording is the tenor, Creech I believe it is. I find his sqawking irritating( I am speaking specifically of the Roasted Swan Song). I cannot attest to whether that's what Orff actually wanted as another critic here suggests. If that is what Orff wanted, then shame on him. Regardless of that minor flaw, the disc is a proud testament to what happens when Levine meets the CSO.

Average customer rating:

the flying dutchman andre rieu
The Flying Dutchman
Content Excellent but marred by poor video.
The Flying Dutchman
Wonderful Performance

The Flying Dutchman

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Tuscany
Live In Dublin
The Homecoming
Andre Rieu in Concert
The Vienna I Love, Waltzes From My Heart

ASIN: B000AYEI2C
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

Entry Of The Gladiators - J. Fu
Vienna, City Of My Dreams - R. Sieczynski
Wiener Praterleben - S. Translateur
Blaze Away - A. Holzman
The Laughing Song (Die Fledermaus) - J. Strau
Triumphal March (A) - G. Verdi
Snowwaltz - Traditional
The Wild Rover - Traditional
Somewhere Over The Rainbow - H. Arlen
Habanera (Carmen) - G. Bizet
Moonlight (Kojo no tsuki) - R. Taki
Manhe Carnaval - L. Bonfa
Volare - D. Modugno
The Limburg Anthem - H. Thijssen
O Fortuna (Carmina Burana) - C. Orff

Customer Reviews:

the flying dutchman andre rieu.......2007-06-08

Love the talent and the music of this talented gentleman

The Flying Dutchman .......2006-09-02

A ndres DVDs get better, an excellent show in wonderful surroundings, I have his latest.

Content Excellent but marred by poor video........2006-04-18

I was dissapointed in this video from the viewpoint of very poor video quality. Barely on a par with VHS. I have a 480P front projector with an 80" diagonal picture and it was unwatchable on that system I had to view it on my 36" tv to have an acceptable picture and even then it was not great. I have several Andre Rieu videos and have never run into that before. According to other reviews Denon has put out a very poor product this time.

The show itself is terrific as Andre always is.

The Flying Dutchman.......2006-04-06

Excellent CD to listen to and relax, to listen while I'm working, and at any time of the day. Andre Rieu is good music!

Wonderful Performance.......2006-03-03

Andre's Flying Dutchman was a delight to watch. Filmed in Limberg, this concert is beautifully pieced together with a lovely array of music. The voices of his beautiful soloists add to the atmosphere of this wonderful concert. Something I would highly recommend.

Average customer rating:

Great sounds
Fresh air!
*BEST* Traditional Music CD of Andes/S.America/Incas
Wonderful mood uplifter
A great CD to play along to.

Land of the Incas
Inkuyo
Manufacturer: Fortuna Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Andes | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music

South & Central America | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Double-Headed Serpent
Window to the Andes
Temple of the Sun
Flute Music of the Andes
Andean Legacy

ASIN: B0000007UL
Release Date: 1991-10-16

Tracks:

Wipala
Camino A Inkuyo
Una
A La Virgen De Los Penas
Tierra Callawaya
Amanece En Visviri
Khusillo
Jach'a Marka
Samay
Flor De Mamina
Cultura Andina
Apu
Selection Of Tinkus
Ponchos Rojos/Mi Mala Suerte
Surco
Peshte Longuita
El Carnaval
Silencio
Carnaval Cruceno

Customer Reviews:

Great sounds.......2007-02-24

I really enjoy the CD it is great music to listen to while driving to work. I plan on purchasing other CDs from this group.

Fresh air!.......2007-02-22

Listening to this album makes me feel that delicious fresh air has entered my stuffy winter room! I guess that makes sense, considering the music is from the high Andes. Whooda thunk it? That music would carry the character of its area of origin... seriously it happens a lot. Neato.

Most of the cuts sound pretty much traditional, but there's a little well-done updating here and there; not enough to be offensive or take the performance out of the realm of representative folk, but enough to give a little kick. I really enjoy the sounds of the "quena" flute and "siku" panpipes, which to me give an otherworldly sound, enhanced by the various indigenous percussion instruments and the tinkling stringed "charango". Inkuyo's music renews my hope to travel to the Andes and quietly absorb the local culture.

*BEST* Traditional Music CD of Andes/S.America/Incas.......2004-06-28

Heard Inkuyu's "Land of the Incas" in a "Natural Wonders" Store about 15 years ago and it has been my favorite CD of South America music ever since. The traditional instruments, rhythms and melodies are played with authenticity and joyful exuberance. The liner notes are superb for interpreting the history and origin of the songs. Truly ancient rituals, festivals, and ordinairy life of the Incas come alive in the imagination of the listener. One is transported to another time and culture.

Music in the the diablada, kantu, saya, yaravi, huayao, carnaval, and San Jacinto, rhythms played on the panpipes, quenas, and stringed instruments transmit the energy, beauty, flow of life, joy, sadness and harmony of this unique part of the world. If you can not afford a trip to the Andes Mountains to hear the traditional music of the hidden villages live ... this is the next best thing! Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Wonderful mood uplifter.......2003-12-11

In this album Inkuyo plays a medley of traditional and contemporary compositions with traditional Andean instruments (flute, panpipes, guitar and drums). The tunes are mostly joyful with a few melancholy ones.The music, which is purely instrumental (except for one track),is through and through traditional with no concessions made to New Age or Pop styles.

It is however my opinion that Inkuyo has removed some of the rough edges of popular Andean music to better please our Western ears, at least this is what I feel when I compare the songs on this cd with other folk-music from the Andes that I have.But this is an improvement , not an impoverishment.

The quality of the recording is outstanding and the music a real delight for the ear and the heart. Besides, this is a very long cd:68 minutes! And unlike other albums that only have one or two good songs, every single track of "Land of the Incas" is beautiful and worth listening to. If you like Peruvian music or are looking for music to lift up your spirits, this is definetely a great buy.

A great CD to play along to........2003-07-03

I have been learning to play the panflute for a few months, so I am always on the lookout for new panflute music to play along to. This
CD is by far the best performed and liveliest panflute CD that I have found, and I am having great fun playing along to it.

Average customer rating:

LETTER PERFECT CLASS(ICAL) ACT!
Great Tracks -- Great Value -- Great Book, Who Can Complain?
At this price, how can one complain?

A to Z of Classical Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods