Romantic Mexico [Box set]

Track Listings

Disc: 1
1. Coronelas
2. Perlitas
3. De Torreon a Laredo
4. Mexico en Polka
5. Teatro Principal
6. Echale un Cinco Al Piano
See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2
1. Sin Ti
2. He Sabido
3. Triunfamos
4. Celoso
5. Caminemos
6. Bajo un Palmar
See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3
1. Amor Eterno
2. No Vale la Pena
3. Te lo Pido Por Favor
4. Se Me Olvido Otra Vez
5. Me Nace del Corazon
6. Inocente Pobre Amigo
See all 10 tracks on this disc

Romantic Mexico,Various Artists,Columbia River Ent.,Int'l & World Music,Mexican,Mexico,Pop,World Beat Collections,World Music
Instruments of the Orchestra
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 Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
  2. What to Listen for in Music
  3. Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
  4. The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
  5. The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

3 out of 5 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.
Fennell Conducts Sousa
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Fennell Brings Out the Best in Sousa 's Marches
  • A solid Sousa album that comes up a bit short
  • The Mastery of Fennell
  • MASTERFUL RENDITIONS IN GLORIOUS RECORDED SOUND
  • A Classic well preserved
 Fennell Conducts Sousa

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by SousaAll Works by Sousa | Sousa, John Philip | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
MarchesMarches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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MarchesMarches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Fennell Conducts Hands Across the Sea
  2. Screamers (Circus Marches)
  3. British and American Band Classics
  4. Sousa: Marches; Band of HR Royal Marines; Lt. Col. G.A.C. Hoskins
  5. Frederick Fennell & the Eastman Wind Ensemble: Sullivan; Rossini-Respighi...

ASIN: B0000057LB
Release Date: 1992-03-10

Tracks:

  1. Sound Off
  2. Nobles Of The Mystic Shrine
  3. Sabre And Spurs
  4. The Picadore
  5. Our Flirtation
  6. The High School Cadets
  7. The Invincible Eagle
  8. Bullets and Bayonets
  9. The Liberty Bell
  10. Riders For The Flag
  11. Solid Men To The Front!
  12. The Gallant Seventh
  13. The Rifle Regiment
  14. The Pride Of The Wolverines
  15. Golden Jubilee
  16. The Gridiron Club
  17. New Mexico
  18. Sesqui-Centennial Exposition
  19. The Black Horse Troop
  20. The Kansas Wildcats
  21. Manhattan Beach
  22. Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company
  23. The National Game
  24. The Glory of the Yankee Navy

Amazon.com

This is the Sousa record for people who are serious about marches. Sousa was the greatest march composer in the history of, well, marching, and this disc includes many fresh and interesting pieces that will likely be unfamiliar, as well as a couple of favorites (including "The Liberty Bell," famous as the theme to Monty Python's Flying Circus). But by and large, this disc focuses on the less well known pieces, though there's not a dud in the lot. Sousa had a special gift for orchestration and for writing tunes with real rhythmic interest; his marches never sound dull. Frederick Fennell is the simply the best wind band conductor around, and these performances are standard- setters. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Fennell Brings Out the Best in Sousa 's Marches.......2004-02-21

This is an outstanding CD. The sound quality is very good. The instrumental balance is very good. It's interesting to compare the rather subtle difference in the percussion section performance between the two recording dates, particulalarly the cymbalist.
Sousa had an uncanny ability to score the cymbal strike at places which add significantly to the listening experience.
Hats off to Sousa, Fennell,and the Eastman Wind Ensemble

4 out of 5 stars A solid Sousa album that comes up a bit short.......2003-01-26

In the 60s, Fennell and the Eastman Wind ensemble recorded a good amount of marches by Sousa, many released on this album, and the rest (as far as I know) on the album Hands Across the Sea. As many of Sousa's best marches are on that later album, this one falls a bit short of greatness -- but not my much.

Sousa knew his marches, writting something like 200 of them, and almost every one of these is a great example of how to write a good march. Indeed, The Liberty Bell and Manhatten Beach are two of my alltime favorite marches. However, being prolific often means that there will be misses, and many here, while written well, just aren't all that memorable. I'd be hard pressed to be able to identify such pieces as The Gallant Seventh, New Mexico, or the Black Horse Troop unless I had just listened to them.

Still, one has to admire the creative way Sousa sometimes put his music together. The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company uses the song 'Aude Lang Syne' for its trio, and it fits so well that it's hard to believe he didn't write it himself. The Liberty Bell uses tubular bells in *just* the right spots that it makes an impact every time one listens. And Sabre And Spurs uses wook blocks to simulate horses, which also works great.

So overall, this is a solid album that has its ups and downs. The sound quality is great, haveing a certain amount of 'bite' that's almost impossible with digital recordings, the playing impecable, and there's plenty of variety.

5 out of 5 stars The Mastery of Fennell.......2002-01-28

I've owned this CD for several years, and bought a copy recently as a Christmas gift. Frederick Fennell is a modern master of band and marches, and I own several of his recordings. What makes this CD a standout for me is the Mercury Living Presence recording and remastering method. I own over two dozen of this series because Living Presence does indeed represent a different method of producing music for the recorded media. It DOES sound more lifelike to me than conventional multimike recordings. To anyone considering purchase of this CD I'd recommend also ordering 'Screamers', the Living Presence CD of circus marches. To me this is feel-good music at its best, and terrific for listing in the car! Additionally, the Living Presence series stands out for its excellent liner notes with explanations of the Living Presence method. This CD is a keeper. Incidentally, the recipient of this CD has since gone out and bought several other Living Presence CD's after hearing this!s

5 out of 5 stars MASTERFUL RENDITIONS IN GLORIOUS RECORDED SOUND.......2001-11-16

An utterly masterful set, containing many of Sousa's unjustly neglected works. (An integral recording of his complete marches is overdue by a good half-century.*) Fennell conducts with incredible verve, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble responds in kind, with immaculately tight and polished performances. The recording is demonstration-class. Sousa has never sounded better, and probably never will.

*EDIT: Actually, a nearly-complete recording of the marches has been available, as of the time of this review, for at least a good quarter-century--first on LP, now on CD: that being, a series of analog recordings by The Detroit Concert Band, led by Leonard B. Smith. Currently available from Walking Frog Records (on five CDs), the DCB/Smith collection unfortunately suffers from some serious problems--not the least of which is the highly variable and substandard quality of the recorded sound.

5 out of 5 stars A Classic well preserved.......2001-09-28

This one's a Classic and the sound is remarkable considering
when it was recorded. Viva Mercury Records!

I do wish more of the familiar Sousa stuff was included.
Verdi: Aida (complete opera live 1951) with Maria Callas, Mario del Monaco, Oliviero de Fabritis, Orchestra & Chorus of del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Why 5... Find Out!
  • Callas Aida, Mex. City, 1951
  • Callas's most famous Aida -- all I can say is wow
  • All hail to the E Flat Goddess
  • Nuclear Aida!!!
 Verdi: Aida (complete opera live 1951) with Maria Callas, Mario del Monaco, Oliviero de Fabritis, Orchestra & Chorus of del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
  2. Puccini: Madama Butterfly (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Nicolai Gedda, Herbert von Karajan, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
  3. Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
  4. Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
  5. Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (complete opera) EMI's Great Recordings of the Century with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Tullio Serafin

ASIN: B0000BWTKC
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

  1. Preludio
  2. Si, Corre Voce Che L'Etiope Ardisca
  3. Se Quel Guerriero Io Fossi!
  4. Celeste Aida
  5. Quale Insolita Gioia Nel Tuo Sguardo!
  6. Vieni, O Diletta, Appressati
  7. Alta Cagion V'aduna
  8. Su! Del Nilo Al Sacro Lido
  9. Ritorna Vincitor!
  10. Possente Ftha...Tu Che Dal Nulia Hai Tratto
  11. Immenso Ftha!...Mortal, Diletto Ai Numi
  12. Nume, Custode E Vindice
  13. Chi Mai Fra Gl'inni E I Plausi
  14. Dance Of The Moorish Slaves
  15. Vieni, Sul Crin Ti Piovano
  16. Fu La Sorte Dell'armi A' Tuoi Funesta
  17. Pieta Ti Prenda Del Mio Dolor
  18. Su! Del Nilo Al Sacro Lido...Numi, Pieta
  19. Gloria All'Egitto, Ad Iside
  20. Triumphal March
  21. Ballet
  22. Vieni, O Guerriero Vindice
  23. Salvator Della Patria
  24. Che Veggo! Egli? Mio Padre!...Anch'io Pugnai...Ma Tu, Re, Tu Signore Possente
  25. Il Dolor Che In Quel Volto Favella
  26. O Re, Pei Sacri Numi...Gloria All'Egitto

Tracks:

  1. O Tu Che Sei D'Osiride
  2. Vieni D'Iside Al Tempio
  3. Qui Radames Verra!
  4. O Patria Mia
  5. Ciel! Mio Padre!
  6. Rivedrai Le Foreste Imbalsamate
  7. Pur Ti Riveggo, Mia Dolce Aida
  8. Nel Fiero Anelito Di Nuova Guerra
  9. Fuggiam Gli Ardori Inospiti...La, Tra Foreste Vergini
  10. Ma Dimmi: Per Qual Via
  11. L'aborrita Rivale A Me Sfuggia
  12. Gia I Sacerdoti Adunansi
  13. Ohime! Morir Mi Sento!
  14. Spirto Del Nume
  15. A Lui Vivo, La Tomba!...Sacerdoti: Compiste Un Delitto!
  16. La Fatal Pietra Sovra Me Si Chiuse
  17. Vedi? Di Morte L'angelo...Immenso Ftha
  18. O Terra, Addio

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Why 5... Find Out!.......2006-10-12

This Aida is perhaps the best I've ever heard. Even in the libretto it states that it is a full-blooded performance. I whole-heartedly agree. Callas, once again giving her exciting performances in Mexico City, turns her Aida into the stuff of legend. Again. Del Monaco is the best of any Radames. Yes, Domingo had the dramatic capability, but Del Monaco's overpowering voice should well be the trademark of the overpowering Egyptian military leader. Dominguez is the best of any Amneris I've heard, and also is mentioned in the libretto as having "opulent" tones. The word "opulent" doesn't begin to describe the effect she had on me in "L'aborrita rivale a me sfuggia". In the "Rivedrai le foreste imbalsamate" duet with Aida and Amonasro, Giuseppe Taddei tops all expectations, blowing back even Tito Gobbi. Altogether, this recording is a must even for people who hate Callas. 5 stars.

5 out of 5 stars Callas Aida, Mex. City, 1951.......2006-07-21

Everyone is on fire in this performance. Singers today do not have that "fuoco". Thanks to recordings like these, opera fans of the post Callas era, like myself, can get a "glimpse" into her glorious past. Callas and Del Monaco soar over everything else in the second act! And of course, the famous E flat! O. Dominguez as Amneris! I became an instant fan; hard to find other recordings of her. Some of the reviewers refer to Anmeris as Simionato, it is Dominguez! Taddei is perfect as Amonasro - great visceral singing- no baritones like him around anymore. Who cares if the sound is not perfect? I like all the environmental sounds, it makes me feel like I am right there. I only listen to live stuff anyway, because it is the real deal; I find most studio recordings boring. It is the best AIDA I have heard. Get it!

5 out of 5 stars Callas's most famous Aida -- all I can say is wow.......2006-02-17

This 1951 Mexico City performance of Aida has become legendary, largely due to Callas's unbelievable performance in the title role. Aida was not a role strongly associated with Callas (the way, say, Norma was). She dropped it from her repertoire in 1953, only making a studio recording in 1955, which I always found to be a disappointment.
But in this 1951 Mexico City performance, Callas was on fire. Her voice of course never had the glowing beauty of a Tebaldi or Price, but Callas makes her Aida a firy princess. Her "Ritorna vincitor" might be the best sung version I've ever heard. Rosa Ponselle and Giannina Arangi-Lombardi and Renata Tebaldi may sound more beauty but Callas inflects the text to great emotional effect. Her "O patria mia" is a rough moment -- high C was always a rough note for Callas, and she can't sing it "dolce" as marked in the score. But her Act 3 duets with del Monaco and Taddei are remarkable, as is her "O terra addio." And of course, she caps off the Triumphal Scene with the famous E-flat that lasts 7 seconds (yes I've counted). Legend has it that in 1950, when she sang Aida at Mex City with Kurt Baum, she was so annoyed with the tenor that she did the E-flat at the Triumphal Scene. It worked so well that the next year she tried the same stunt.
The rest of the cast is strong. I prefer a Radames who is better able to control dynamics like Franco Corelli or Carlo Bergonzi. Mario del Monaco seems to sing in two ways -- loud and louder. But del Monaco is certainly stentorian and heroic and there just aren't voices like him anymore. Giuseppe Taddei is a wonderfully nasty Amonasoro. His voice practically drips hatred and bitterness. And Oralia Dominguez is not as well-known as the rest of the cast but she's terrific nonetheless, with a beautiful, powerful mezzo voice.
The sound is admittedly bad, but the performance more than makes up for it.

5 out of 5 stars All hail to the E Flat Goddess.......2005-08-23

I have always love Aida I have heard 3 versions but nothing can compare to this. Although the recording quality is terrible, this 1951 gala captures The La Divina in the prime of her vocal prowess. The first time I heard the e flat in the Triumphant schene, my jaw dropped.I could not describe the feeling I had that time. I just closed my eyes and thank the Creator above for giving the world "Maria Callas the greatest suprano in living memory".

5 out of 5 stars Nuclear Aida!!!.......2005-03-18

Ever imagine a large voiced Callas singing Aida? Here it is! Ever wanted her paired with an amazing Radames with a large, robust voice? You have it here! What about an explosive Amneris? Oralia Dominguez is also cast in this performance! What about a 12-second, interpolated E-flat? Callas sings it, and with a huge blazing voice too! Very unlike the standard canary E-flats you hear today! What about a great performance and a dramatically convincing Aida with Giuseppe Taddei as Amonasro? Well, this is it! Although her fabulous studio Aida wasn't as accepted as the Price Aida, this live recording from Mexico puts Leontyne's recording to second place. No other Aida will be able to achieve such a miraculous job of singing the role with that kind of forza, and with that kind of passion. The studio recording with Callas is recommended too, if you want to hear the several colors of Aida.
Latin American Classics, Vol. 1
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Latin-American maestros at their very best
  • Exquisite Performance
  • beautiful mexican music
 Latin American Classics, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
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  4. Revueltas: Orchestral Music
  5. Latin American Classics [Australia]

ASIN: B0000013Z5
Release Date: 1994-12-13

Tracks:

  1. Huapango
  2. Sensemaya
  3. Estrellita
  4. Vals Poetico
  5. El Trenecito (Bachiana Brasileira No. 2)
  6. Malambo
  7. Sobre Las Olas (On The Waves)
  8. Festive Overture
  9. Sarabande For Strings
  10. Sones De Mariachi

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Latin-American maestros at their very best.......1999-09-09

This recording brings the music of great composers from Mexico,Brazil,and Argentina.The Huapango by Moncayo is played beautiful and a well performed solo for trumpet and trombone.Sensemaya is played with virtuosity."Estrllita" is the best known of all Mexican song here arrenged for strings is very charming.The "Trezinho do Caipira" by Villa-Lobos is performed here to great effect by the orchestra and its percussion section.The Obertura Festiva by Halfter is performed with grace.Galindo's "Sones Macriachi" is also a piece where a mariachi gorup is immitated also to great effect by the orchestra and I think that Mr.Galindo captured the spirit of Mexico very well here.Its a great recording.Thank you Naxos... Well done Mr. Batiz

5 out of 5 stars Exquisite Performance.......1999-08-03

Batiz does a magnificent job, especially with respect to Huapango. The orchestra is full and vibrant. As a brass player (trumpet), I listen especially close to this section of the orchestra. I must say that the brass met my expectations: they have great volume and lose neither control nor focus on fortissimo passages. All instruments with solo parts do an excellent job of finding a balance between projecting their sound and maintaining musicality. The trumpets in particular possess that "sizzling" or vibrating quality which characterizes the better players.

5 out of 5 stars beautiful mexican music.......1999-04-03

great music interpreted by a great director, maestro Batiz
Giuseppe Di Stefano: Historical Recordings 1952 - 1963
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Very good CD for the price
  • A musical history
  • Only for die-hard Di Stefano fans
 Giuseppe Di Stefano: Historical Recordings 1952 - 1963

Manufacturer: Gala
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001XLS
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

  1. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
  2. Rigoletto: Questa O Quella
  3. La Forza Del Destino: La Mia Vita E Inferno All' Infinito
  4. Lucia Di Lammermoor: Fra Poco A Mi Ricovero
  5. Lucia Di Lammermoor: Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali
  6. Cavalleria Rusticana: Viva Il Vino Spumeggiante
  7. Cavalleria Rusticana: Mamma, Quel Vina E Generoso
  8. La Traviata: Un Di, Felice, Eterea
  9. La Traviata: De Miei Bollenti Spiriti
  10. Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile
  11. Turandot: Nessun Dorma
  12. Aida: Se Quel Querrier Io Fossi.. Celeste Aida
  13. Un ballo in maschera: La Rivedra Nell'estasi
  14. Un ballo in maschera: Di Tu Si Fedele
  15. Un ballo in maschera: E Scherzo O E Follia
  16. Turandot: Non Piangere Liu
  17. 'L'elisir d'amore': Quanto E Bella, Quanto E Cara
  18. 'L'elisir d'amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima
  19. Luisa Miller: Quando Le Sere Al Placido

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Very good CD for the price.......2000-08-14

I have just listened to the whole CD and except for three tracks I think Pippo's singing is excellent.We have to listen to this CD for what it really is.A re-recording of live performances dating back almost 50 years.We can't expect today's digital quality recordings sound.On the first track,we hear Che Gelida Manina from a 31 year old Pippo who obviously was having a bad night,which is not uncommon with most singers.Tracks 18 & 19 definitely show Pippo in decline,but I didn't find band 18 as bad as another reviewer did.I counted only two vocal flaws.The rest of the aria is sung not that bad for a declining Pippo.Track 19 is sung well,but as in track 18 the voice sounds like it's getting tired.The rest of the singing on the CD,I enjoyed,especially the Addio Alla Madre.I would say that is my favorite on the CD.In my opinion,it's an ecellent CD for the price and it does contain some excellent singing and also is of historical value.

Pippo's Biggest Fan.

4 out of 5 stars A musical history.......1999-12-12

I purchased this recording when it first became available. It is an important for as a historical document on one of the greatest tenors in the history of opera. Yes, his voice has a very apparent decline. And yes track 18 (Una furitiva lagrima) has cracked notes and other obvious vocal flaws. What the other reviewer has missed (but the audience didn't - which is why the aria was greeted with such enthusiasm) was the passion, the emotion that Di Stefano put into his singing. I make no excuses, I am an ardent Di Stefano devotee. His early singing was glorious, pure beauty. His later singing lost it's pure beauty, but gained passion and emotion.

This disc is important because it traces this transition.

3 out of 5 stars Only for die-hard Di Stefano fans.......1999-03-24

I picked up this CD on a whim. The liner notes are useful, and describe the meteoric rise and fall of DiStefano's career, his temperment and ego.

The CD covers a period of only 11 years, but the deterioration of his voice during that period is frightening. Track 1 (1962) 'Che Gelida Manina' showcases a much fresher voice, but he strains terribly for the high 'C' and never even gets close. Track 18 (1963) 'Una furtiva lagrima' is full of embarrassments- chokes, flat notes, etc. - yet the live audience eats it up.

Di Stefano had stopped singing by the time I became an opera fan. This disk clearly shows why. Being a famous operatic tenor is not always about vocal quality (James McCracken, anyone?), and Di Stefano was certainly an exciting siger. There is some beautiful music on this CD, but I find it to be of mostly historical interest.
Bizet: The Complete Orchestral Works
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Bizet: The Complete Orchestral Works

    Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    RomanticRomantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    OverturesOvertures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    RomancesRomances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    FrenchFrench | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B0000695QS
    Release Date: 2002-06-25

    Tracks:

    1. Prelude-Aragonaise
    2. Intermezzo
    3. Seguedille
    4. Les Dragons D'Alcala
    5. Les Toreadors
    6. Marche Des Contrebandiers
    7. Habanera
    8. Nocturne
    9. Chanson Du Toreador
    10. La Garde Montante
    11. Danse Boheme
    12. Prelude
    13. Patrie, Overture Op. 19

    Tracks:

    1. Ouverture
    2. Minuetto
    3. Adagietto
    4. Carillon
    5. Pastorale
    6. Intermezzo
    7. Minuetto
    8. Farandole
    9. Prelude
    10. Serenade
    11. Marche
    12. Danse Bohemienne
    13. Marche-Trompette Et Tambour
    14. Berceuse-La Poupee
    15. Impromptu-La Toupie
    16. Duo-Petit Mari, Petite Femme
    17. Galop-Le Bal

    Tracks:

    1. Allegro Vivo - Royal Philharmonic
    2. Adagio - Royal Philharmonic
    3. Scherzo, Allegro Vivace - Royal Philharmonic
    4. Allegro Vivace - Royal Philharmonic
    5. Andante Tranquilloallegro Agitato - Royal Philharmonic
    6. Allegretto Vivace - Royal Philharmonic
    7. Andante Molto - Royal Philharmonic
    8. Allegro Vivacissimo - Royal Philharmonic
    Le Meilleur de l'Opérette
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Melodies to miraculously cure the moribund!!!
    • FROM OFFENBACH TO LOPEZ
    		 Le Meilleur de l'Opérette

    Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by OffenbachAll Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Strauss Jr., JohannStrauss Jr., Johann | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    FrenchFrench | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    OperettasOperettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B000053W6K
    Release Date: 2002-04-02

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Melodies to miraculously cure the moribund!!!.......2005-09-10

    This 2000 3-CD set is a new edition of 2-CD set from 1990 titled "Opérette-Passion" from EMI France. By popular request, this adds to the already mirific collection a third CD containing some of the real glories of mid-XXth century French operettas: Maurice Chevalier, Tino Rossi, Fernandel, Alibert, Denise Duval, Luis Mariano, Georges Guétary, Bourvil, Mathé Altéry, Anny Cordy, Gise Mey and Armand Mestral. The selection is not exhaustive - that would be impossible* - but it does give any listener a major incentive to go ferretting for more of the same and the complete score of some of those genuine masterpieces of charm, humour and melody by Fancis Lopez or Maurice Yvain (among many others). For students of the French language and French opera, this collection is priceless as it gives a very good impression of what makes the French singing voice different from any other: something called "le phrasé", which unfortunately cannot be duplicated or improvised by international stars who simply dabble in French (except maybe the multi-talented Petula Clark). The recordings range from a restored antique of the 20's by Chevalier to full stereo scores from the 70's. The result is a package whose value will never be duplicated in discriminating choice, sound quality and sheer listening enjoyment. One very minor reservation : The dates of the recordings are not indicated as they were in the "Opérette-Passion" collection and the names of the lyricists are not given. The liner notes are composed of a 2-page essay which gives a general outlook of the evolution of French operetta (in French) but could have been a little longer, in my humble opinion. Details like this would have made the difference between a wonderful album for connoisseurs and a genuinely educational tool. * The operettas of Vincent Scotto are not represented. WARNING: These recordings are genuine treasures and are never available for long either individually of collectively, so buying this collection is an absolute no-brainer.

    5 out of 5 stars FROM OFFENBACH TO LOPEZ.......2002-08-16

    Yesterday ,before going to sleep,you told your wife:I have nothing against FRENCH operettas,but what i want to hear is the songs ,not the dialogue that goes with the genre when you listen to complete works.Here in that collection,all the composers who created that particular form of light music are represented.It is so much more entertaining than traditional opera.Among the highlights are songs from OFFENBACH's works like LA BELLE HÉLENE and LA PÉRICHOLE;MESSENGER's VERONIQUE and MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE;the famous LA VEUVE JOYEUSE that was successfull around the world;CHRISTINÉ's PHI PHI created the day after armistice in 1918.One of the pleasant surprize for me was hearing songs from LES MOUSQUETAIRES AU COUVENT and one from LA FILLE DE MADAME ANGOT (JADIS,LES ROIS)and another from CIBOULETTE(NOUS AVONS FAIT UN BEAU VOYAGE).MADY MESPLÉ,one of the best singers of the genre is featured on seven songs,and she is always a joy to hear in any role of the repertoire.FRANCIS LOPEZ, who is remembered as the last important composer is well honoured with eight selections with singers like BOURVIL,GEORGES GUÉTARY and LUIS MARIANO.Don't try to resist THE MERRY WIDOW ,she'll get to you one way or another.
    Bravo Domingo: The Best of Plácido Domingo
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Bravo Domingo: The Best of Plácido Domingo

      Manufacturer: EMI Latin
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      All Works by PucciniAll Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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      Domingo, PlacidoDomingo, Placido | ( D ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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      Puccini, GiacomoPuccini, Giacomo | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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      Lara, AgustinLara, Agustin | H to L | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      Capua, Eduardo diCapua, Eduardo di | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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      Romantic (c.1820-1910)Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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      2. The Best of Domingo
      3. Italia, ti amo
      4. Por Fin Juntos
      5. De Mi Alma Latina

      ASIN: B0000CG8BP
      Release Date: 2003-10-07

      Tracks:

      1. Nessun Dorma!
      2. Quiereme Mucho
      3. E Lucevan Le Stelle
      4. Paloma Querida
      5. Donna Non Vidi Mai - Giacomo Puccini
      6. Aquellos Ojos Verdes
      7. Tu Me Acostumbraste/Contigo En La Distancia
      8. Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!...Celeste Aida
      9. Capullito De Alheli/Cuando Calienta El Sol/Guantanamera
      10. De Mexico A Buenos Aires
      11. O Sole Mio - Luciano Pavarotti
      12. Sabra Dios/Un Minuto De Amor/Sabor A Mi
      13. No Puede Ser (La Tabernera Del Puerto)
      14. Cuando Sale La Luna
      15. Romanza: Amor, Vida De Mi Vida
      16. Granada
      Fauré: Violin Concerto
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Fauré: Violin Concerto

        Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
        Incidental MusicIncidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
        Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
        General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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        ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B0000030RI
        Release Date: 1993-12-16

        Tracks:

        1. Con - Rodolfo Bonucci
        2. Berceuse, Op.16 - Rodolfo Bonucci
        3. Elegie, Op.24 - Viocheslav Ponomarev
        4. 'Masques Et Bergamasques', Op.112: Ov
        5. 'Shylock', Op.57: Nocturne
        6. Pelleas Et Melisande - Ste, Op.80: No.1: Prld
        7. Pelleas Et Melisande - Ste, Op.80: No.2: Andantino Quasi Allegretto
        8. Pelleas Et Melisande - Ste, Op.80: No.3: Sicilienne
        9. Pelleas Et Melisande - Ste, Op.80: No.4: Molto Adagio
        Between Friends
        Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
        • Average performances
        • Vargas is excellent, but his 'friends' are a mixed bag
        		 Between Friends
        Ramón Vargas , Manuel Lanza , Roberto Frontali , Vassily Gerello , Davide Baronchelli , Emidio Guidotti , Georges Bizet , Gaetano Donizetti , Giacomo Puccini , Gioachino Rossini , Giuseppe Verdi , Vjekoslav Sutej , Vesselina Kasarova , Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi , Barbara Lavarian , Miriam Gauci , and Alberto Rota
        Manufacturer: RCA
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        All Works by DonizettiAll Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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        Vargas, RamonVargas, Ramon | U to Z | Featured Performers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
        MexicoMexico | International | Styles | Music
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        Similar Items:
        1. Ramón Vargas - L'amour, l'amour / Viotti
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        3. In My Heart - 17th and 18th Italian Songs
        4. Rolando Villazon: Opera Recital
        5. Ramon Vargas - Canzoni (Neapolitan Songs and other Italian Classical songs)

        ASIN: B0001AU702
        Release Date: 2004-02-24

        Tracks:

        1. Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Ramon Vargas Vassily Gerello
        2. In Questi Estremi Istanti
        3. Ardir! Ha Forse Il Cielo Mandato...Voglio Dire, Lo Stupendo Elisir
        4. E Lui! L'Infante...Dio, Che Nell'alma Infondere Amor - Vassily Gerello
        5. Solenne In Quest'ora
        6. In Un Coupe?...O Mimi, Tu Piu Non Torni
        7. All'idea Di Quel Metallo
        8. E Dessa!...Ma Lassu Ci Vedremo

        Customer Reviews:

        3 out of 5 stars Average performances.......2005-12-01

        I like Ramon Vargas quite a bit. He does have one of the better lyric tenor voices available today and I only hope he continues to improve. Here are my thoughts are the tracks on this CD.

        Pearl Fishers - every lyric tenor has to have a try at this famous duet and Vargas does some beautiful singing. This is perhaps the best performance I've heard of it in a long time. It doesn't rival the great Bjoerling-Merrill recording however.

        Maometto II - interesting trio and well sung. I wish there were more rarities like this on this disc.

        L'Elisir d'Amore - well sung performance but not much fun. This music is fun and should be sung as such even if the characters are in earnest. I find Nucci better than Vargas in this regard. Listen to Valletti & Poli on the old Cetra recording.

        Don Carlo - well sung but not better than Bjoerling & Merrill or many others.

        La Forza del Destino - The best performance on this CD, sung with feeling and tenderness. Vargas even sings the grace notes so often omitted. Excellent and recommended.

        Boheme - Good performance.

        Barber of Seville - Vargas does not seem to observe all of the coloratura markings, sliding over many of them in the first part of the duet. Lanza doesn't have as good a voice as many other Figaro's. Neither of them seem to be having much fun with this wonderful duet. Very much of a disappointment. Listen to how Cesare Valletti and Robert Merrill sing it on the Leinsdorf recording if you want to hear a well sung version.

        Don Carlo - ok rendition of this famous duet. Carlo is one of Vargas' more recent roles and he handles it pretty well, but not well enough to erase memories of Bjoerling, Domingo or Alagna in the role. Gauci's voice is unstable and she has difficulty sustaining a nice line, not to mention a beautiful one. Listen to Caballe & Domingo on the Giulini set to hear a gorgeous performance.

        All in all, it's a worthwhile CD and probably a good representation of Ramon Vargas' singing today.

        4 out of 5 stars Vargas is excellent, but his 'friends' are a mixed bag.......2004-08-23

        The lovely Mexican lyric tenor Ramon Vargas uses his new recording 'Between Friends' to explore the role of friendship in opera. In 7 popular duets and one rare Rossini trio, Vargas and six other singers reveal many operatic aspects of that 'divine and honorable sentiment'. Not surprisingly, many of Vargas' partners on this recording are indeed friends of his, as well as longtime colleagues. While this makes for excellent rapport between the singers, it is a shame that few of them can match Vargas for either voice or artistry. Fortunately, the tenor himself has one of the most beautiful voices of our time, rich and sweet as caramel, and he always sings with class and elegance.

        The CD begins with what may be the most famous and popular tenor/baritone duet in opera, 'Au fond du temple saint' from 'The Pearl Fishers'. Vargas is joined here by Russian baritone Vassily Gerello, who I had the pleasure of seeing at the Met as Tomsky in 'The Queen of Spades' and Marcello in 'La Boheme' opposite Vargas' Rodolfo. Although they sing very well, Gerello's voice isn't really smooth or lyric enough for Zurga. Both singers also could use some work in French (Gerello's is strongly Russian-accented), and the recording tends to favor Vargas too much.

        Before his branching out into the more 'standard' lyric tenor roles and the ascendancy of Juan Diego Florez, Vargas was possibly the finest bel canto tenor around. He returns to these roots in 'In questi estremi momenti' from Giocchino Rossini's 'Maometto II', the finest selection on this album. Here he plays Erisso, the father of Anna, who begs him to marry her to her fiance Calbo before she is captured by her enemy and suitor Maometto. The great Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Vesselina Kasarova is luxury casting as Calbo with her rich voice and dark passion, and Barbara Lavarian, a clear-voiced soprano with a strong bottom and a bright top, is a fine Anna.

        I've always thought that Italian baritone Leo Nucci was a bit of a dull dog in Verdi, but he has a real gift for comic roles and his Dulcamara is wonderfully bombastic and sneaky. Like his contemporary Roberto Alagna, Vargas is a more intelligent and thoughtful (if gullible) Nemorino than is usually portrayed. Staying with comic repertory, Vargas revisits what is perhaps his greatest role, Count Almaviva in 'The Barber of Seville' (his complete recording on Naxos is essential). He is here joined by a fellow Mexican, baritone Manuel Lanza. While Lanza has a nice, bluff voice and generally characterizes well, he doesn't have enough charisma to convince that Figaro is controlling and manipulating (or attempting to) everything that is going on, perhaps the barber's most essential quality.

        Speaking of Figaro, it was in that role that I first saw Roberto Frontali at the Met in 1995, opposite Vargas' Almaviva. The Italian baritone was bright and likeable on that occasion, but as with Nucci, I've never found him to be an impressive Verdian. His singing is pleasant but tends to go in one ear and out the other. He is slightly better suited to Marcello in 'La Boheme' than Don Carlo in 'La Forza del Destino', but still doesn't make a very positive impression. Rodolfo is one of Vargas' best roles, and his part in 'O Mimi, tu piu non torni' is full of sweetness, passion, subtlety and detail. As for his Alvaro, in my review of Vargas' 'Verdi Arias' album I expressed concern that some of the more dramatic Verdi roles might be too heavy for his very lyric voice. Because 'Solenne in quest'ora' is one of the most lyric sections of this score, it comes off well here - I note some wonderful piano singing - but I doubt Vargas is up to the entire role, even on record. His sense of conflict and vulnerability is ideal for Don Carlo, but that is about as heavy as Vargas should go in Verdi, and he would be better suited to the vocally lighter French version or to singing it in a relatively small theater. For 'Dio, che nell'alma infondere', Vargas is once again joined by Gerello, whose voice suits Rodrigo better than Zurga, but he doesn't have quite the dramatic urgency Vargas does. While Maltese soprano Miriam Gauci made a fine CD of soprano arias for Naxos 12 years ago, she is considerably less impressive in the final Carlo-Elisabetta duet which concludes this CD. I will give her credit for her rich, dark middle voice and dramatic alertness, but her rapid vibrato is very distracting and her top refuses to bloom. I would have preferred that the vastly underrated, superb Latvian soprano Inessa Galante (who has recorded for BMG/RCA) could have been the Elisabetta instead. Some decent but unspectacular basses as Phillip, the Inquisitor, and Charles V bring the opera to its conclusion.

        I continue to be impressed with the young, enthusiastic and accomplished players of the Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra of Milan. Vjekoslav Sutej's conducting tends to be a bit on the slow side, which detracts from the comedy, but his work in the 'Maometto II' and 'La Boheme' excerpts is fine. The documentation includes full texts and translations, brief comments by Vargas, and an essay/synopsis of the operas and scenes in question. Unfortunately, there are no biographies of any of the artists - including Vargas - which is particularly a shame in the case of Lavarian, who I am totally unfamiliar with.

        Although Vargas and Kasarova are always worth hearing and I think Gerello is very promising (he made a nice CD of Ukranian songs) many of these pieces have been recorded by far greater singers - not the least of whom are Jussi Bjorling and Robert Merrill for most of the tenor/baritone duets. Therefore, non-Vargas/Kasarova fans might want to listen to this CD ahead of time and judge their reactions to the other singers before spending any money.



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