Little Bird

Track Listings

 
1. Krisztusom Kívüled... Reggeli Imádság (Christ, No One Else... Morning P
2. Szól a Kukuk, Szól... Párosító (The Cuckoo Calls... Children's Pair Wis
3. Ne Aludj el... Hajnalkiáltó Ének (Don't Fall Asleep... Girl's Pre-Weddi
4. Hej, Dunna, Dunna... Zoborvidéki Lakodalmas, Ágyvivésnél (Hey, Feather
5. Hajnal Hasad... Hajnalkiáltó Ének (Dawn Is Breaking... Girl's Pre-Weddi
6. Hej, Madár, Madár... Zoborvidéki Bájolás (Hey Bird, Bird... Love Incant
7. Hej, Révész, Révész... Menyasszonykikéro (Hey Ferryman, Ferryman... Ask
8. Adjátok, Adjátok... Lakodalmas (Give Us, Give Us... Wedding Song)
9. Patakot Folyóvíznek Hívják... Menyasszonysirató (They Call the Stream R
10. Segélj el... Koszorúköto Ének (Help Us Go _ Girls Song for Making Brida
11. Gömöri Muzsika (Gömör Music)
12. Az Árgyélus Kismadár... Gyertyavivésnél (Little Bird Árgyélus... Ancien
13. Elmegyek, Elmegyek... Gömöri Muzsika (I'm Leaving, I'm Leaving... Music
14. Katnanóták... (Soldier's Songs)
15. Aludj el... Altató (Go to Sleep... Lullabye)
16. Amott Van Egy Nagy Ház... Rabének (There Is a Big Building... Prisoner'
17. Ráolvasás Igézet Ellen... (Incantation for Breaking a Spell)
18. Jaj, Párocskám... Sirató (Oh My Spouse... Grieving Song)
19. Megszabadultam Már... Halottas Ének (I Am Already Freed... Funeral Song
20. Krisztus Ki Vagy Nap És Világ... Esti Imádság (Christ You Are Day and W

Little Bird,Gyongyi Ecsi,Fono Records,Hungarian,Int'l & World Music,Pop,Russia / Eastern Europe,World Music
You Are My Little Bird
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Perfect for kids/adults alike...
  • Another great choice for kids and adults!
  • Hasn't left our CD changer since we got it
  • I adore this CD
  • Very sweet album
You Are My Little Bird
Elizabeth Mitchell
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. You Are My Sunshine
  2. You Are My Flower
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ASIN: B000GKZN9M
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Tracks:

  1. Little Liza Jane
  2. Whos My Pretty Little Baby
  3. Zousan (Little Elephant)
  4. Little Bird, Little Bird
  5. Three Little Birds
  6. What Goes On
  7. Pom Na Tu Ri (Springtime Outing)
  8. Buckeye Jim
  9. Peace Like a River
  10. Los Pollitos (The Little Chicks)
  11. Winters Come and Gone
  12. Little Wing
  13. Lily Pond
  14. The North Wind
  15. If You Listen
  16. Down in the Valley
  17. Grassy Grass Grass

Product Description

This CD features homespun renditions of songs by Woody Guthrie, Bob Marley, The Velvet Underground, Vashti Bunyan, Gillian Welch, and more. Elizabeth Mitchell stands consciously and directly in the tradition of children's music that Folkways has carried for nearly 60 years. Her lovely voice brings a fresh sound to cherished American folk songs and other melodies from around the world. In a peaceful yet powerful way, she reintroduces us to the songs we thought we knew so well. This CD is 34 minutes and includes a 28 page booklet. Includes songs such as Little Liza Jane, Three Little Birds, and Buckeye Jim.

Amazon.com

Elizabeth Mitchell is to children's music what a band like True Love is to indie rock: an insider's darling. Which can only mean one thing: any day now, she's going to blow up huge. You Are My Little Bird, Mitchell's third kids' CD and her first on the well-respected Smithsonian Folkways label, hews closely to the folkie-but-never-hokey sensibility she laid out so beautifully on the first two records. Here are 17 short, soft, sweet, homespun-sounding songs, some of them easily recognizable ("Peace Like a River," "Three Little Birds," "Down in the Valley"), some of them inexplicably obscure (Neil Young's "Little Wing," Gillian Welch and David Rawling's "Winter's Come and Gone," Francois Hardy's magical "If You Listen"). Throughout, even on tracks where her young daughter joins in, Mitchell's warm whisper of a voice compels a close listen, not just because the production is so spare you can practically feel her breath on your cheek but because there's something in her phrasing that suggests an old, wise soul. Miraculously, the bird concept never gets clunky; two exotic foreign-language songs--one Korean and one Japanese--help, but the real credit belongs to this all-around superb disc's sole stab at the subversive: Mitchell's stamp on "What Goes On," the Velvet Underground favorite, practically sails off the disc with its sunniness. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Perfect for kids/adults alike..........2007-07-08

We love this album! It has a fabulous folk sound and I enjoy it as well as the kids as the tunes are not condescending to children. The album consists of a variety of classics including a few from other cultures. Mitchell's voice is lovely and unpretentious. A perfect album to any children's collection.

5 out of 5 stars Another great choice for kids and adults!.......2007-06-24

This is another great album by Elizabeth Mitchell. We have several of her CD's now and they are filled with songs that your kids will enjoy and so will you. Mitchell's voice has such a nice quality to it and your kids will want to sing along to this collection. If you're looking for something different that won't make you feel like you want to stick a screwdriver in your ear (like some of the music geared toward the preschool set), then this is a great choice.

4 out of 5 stars Hasn't left our CD changer since we got it.......2007-06-05

My 3-year-old and I first found Elizabeth Mitchell when I bought her fantastic CD with Lisa Loeb, "Catch the Moon," so I was excited to hear she had a new release. My daughter loves it so much, this CD hasn't left the changer in my car since I got it last year. And best of all, Mommy likes to listen to it, too.

5 out of 5 stars I adore this CD .......2007-05-19

This is our third Elizabeth Mitchell CD, and I cannot get enough of it. All of her songs are so melodic and soothing. I appreciate the history of the music as well. Ms. Mitchell tells why she chose the songs she did on the insert included with the CD. She points to the great singers and songwriters of our past and helps us see how the music then is still relevant and enjoyable today. I highly recommend all of her CDs, you will not be disappointed.

4 out of 5 stars Very sweet album.......2007-05-09

We helped the Easter Bunny buy this for our daughter. She's 7, and our middle one, so new kids' music is a must every now and again. This is a lovely album.
You Are My Sunshine
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Charming, Catchy, Timeless Tunes you WANT to have in your head all day!
  • lovely listening
  • happy, gentle music
  • Love it!
  • You Are My Sunshine
You Are My Sunshine
Elizabeth Mitchell
Manufacturer: Little Bird Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  2. You Are My Flower
  3. Catch the Moon (Book & CD)
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ASIN: B00007LB2W
Release Date: 2002-12-10

Tracks:

  1. So Glad I'm Here
  2. Skip To My Lou
  3. Ladybug Picnic
  4. Hey Bo Diddley
  5. Crawdad
  6. Alphabet Dub
  7. Car Car
  8. Ooby Dooby
  9. You Are My Sunshine
  10. Goin Down the Road
  11. Black Jack Baby
  12. Jubilee
  13. Here Comes My Baby
  14. Three Is the Magic Number
  15. Froggy Went A Courtin
  16. Irene Goodnight

Amazon.com

Elizabeth Mitchell is a smidge less locked into the no-frills folkie formula on You Are My Sunshine than on her debut, You Are My Flower. In fact, if you subtract the A-list collaborators (and, OK, the dulcimers, mandolins, and human beat boxes), Mitchell starts to look a lot like the female Dan Zanes. The same rootsy sensibility rules both artists' recordings, as does a reverence for tried-and-true folk tunes ("Good Night Irene," "Skip to My Lou") and clean production. More significantly, slivers of Zane-like adventurousness shine through here: "Alphabet Dub" set the ABCs to a reggae beat; "Hey Bo Diddley" tips its hat to the rock & roll pioneer; and the kids are called in to spice up "Crawdad." Counting kids' artists who are genuinely cool still requires fewer than 10 fingers, but with Flower and Sunshine, Mitchell proves she's among the elite. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Charming, Catchy, Timeless Tunes you WANT to have in your head all day!.......2007-07-13

I love this album, and her other two also. I listen to her music in the car sometimes when I don't even have a child around! Elizabeth Mitchell's voice is amazing. The guitar music accompaniment is great. There are multiple songs on her discs that have become a permanent part of our bedtime song ritual. My son especially loves "Ladybug Picnic", and I like her version of "3 is the Magic Number". For all parents annoyed by obnoxious kids music, this album is a wonderful oasis.

4 out of 5 stars lovely listening.......2007-04-13

I bought this when I was looking for something that my 2.5 year-old daughter and I could both enjoy. It's been a big hit for our daily commute.

5 out of 5 stars happy, gentle music.......2007-01-10

I find Elizabeth Mitchell's voice very soothing and pretty, and my kids like it too. Great for car rides.

5 out of 5 stars Love it!.......2006-12-31

I started singing You Are My Sunshine to my son when he was born(07-29-06) so I thought I should get a cd with the song on it and this version is the best. I keep it in the car mainly and when he starts getting a little fussy I pop in the cd song number 9 and he quiets right down and falls asleep. Its a godsend.

5 out of 5 stars You Are My Sunshine.......2006-12-22

I heard this song on the series finale of Queer As Folk and I thought it was fantastic. On the cd I purchased this version is unnumbered and the last track. Elizabeth is a fantastic folk artist and as President and CEO for the reactivated Cashbox Magazine I am looking for her to move forward in her career.
Man of La Mancha: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Album (Original 1965 Broadway Cast)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Check out Other Versions. Don't be swayed by Others' Reviews.
  • beautiful music for a haunting story.....
  • Man of LaMancha As Good As Ever
  • Don Quixote
  • Magnificent voices
Man of La Mancha: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Album (Original 1965 Broadway Cast)
Mitch Leigh , Joe Darion , Richard Kiley , and Joan Diener
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. The Music Man (1957 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005A8KE
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

  1. Overture
  2. Man Of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)
  3. It's All The Same
  4. Dulcinea
  5. I'm Only Thinking Of Him
  6. I Really Like Him - Joan Diener
  7. What Do You Want of Me - Joan Diener
  8. Little Bird, Little Bird
  9. Barber's Song/Golden Helmet
  10. To Each His Dulcinea (To Every Man His Dulcinea)
  11. The Impossible Dream
  12. The Combat (Previously Unreleased Reissue Track)
  13. Dubbing (Knight of the Woeful Countenance) - Joan Diener
  14. The Abduction
  15. Aldonza - Joan Diener
  16. A Little Gossip
  17. Dulcinea (Reprise) /The Impossible Dream (Reprise) /Man of Mancha (Repr - Joan Diener
  18. Finale (The Impossible Dream) - Joan Diener

Amazon.com

Man of La Mancha, the show that introduced "The Impossible Dream" to the world (and lounge singers everywhere), was the hit of the 1965 Broadway season. Richard Kiley is magnificent in his career-defining performance as the deluded wannabe knight Don Quixote. His leading lad Joan Diener sings the role of the kitchen wench Aldonza with just the right balance of dignity and vulgarity. Irving Jacobson turns in a fine comic performance as the Don's faithful squire, Sancho Panza. The score, with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, was revolutionary in its time. The orchestra had no violins--just brass, woodwinds, percussion, and flamenco guitars. Man of La Mancha is one of Broadway's most inspiring musicals and it well deserves its high reputation. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Check out Other Versions. Don't be swayed by Others' Reviews........2007-06-09

I've never seen this show on stage and my first exposure to the music was the Sony CD Man of La Mancha featuring Placido Domingo, Pandy Patankin, and Julia Migenes-Johnson. Despite lackluster reviews of the disk, I enjoy it, and when I saw this version at a second hand book/music store, I decided check it out too. My initial impression was that the Sony version was the better disk but decided to compare both versions by setting up a playlist in Media Player, playing tracks from both version back-to-back.

After that test, I have to agree with the reviews here that Richard Kiley is the superior Don Quixote. Domingo's voice is, of course wonderful, but Kiley acts the role better on the CD and Domingo's accent is a major distraction.

In the role of Aldonza - no contest. Julia Mingenes-Johnson's singing and performance on the Sony version is far superior to Joan Diener's. I didn't have to hear the tracks back-to-back to realize that. Ms. Diener's performance just grated on my ears from the beginning.

Bucking the crowd, I prefer Mandy Patankin's Sancho (Sony version) to Irving Jacobson's. I may be biased, having had more exposure to the Sony version, but Patankin seemed to be trying to inject a bit more feeling into the character. Jacobson, singing in an annoying, scratchy voice, came across almost like a cartoon trying to fit in among live characters. It seems like most people either like Patankin or hate him. Guess I'm one of the former.

The Orchestration does seem brighter/clearer in this version compared to the Sony version, but, in general, the tempo on most tracks seems slower than the same tracks on the Sony version. I preferred the up-tempo, Sony versions of "The Barber Song", "Little Bird, Little Bird", "The Dubbing" and "A Little Gossip".

In Summary: For Kiley's Don Quixote, you'll probably want this version, but for tracks featuring Aldonza (and maybe Sancho) you'll want to check out the Sony version. Since I have both disks, I will probably come up with a mix of my favorite tracks, in general, favoring the Sony disk but substituting the tracks that feature Richard Kiley's Don Quixote where I can.

5 out of 5 stars beautiful music for a haunting story............2007-06-07

I remember reading excerpts from Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE, as a Spanish student, way back in junior high school. The saga of the madman fighting windmills and pursuing his illusions [and delusions] was very sad, but very romantic at the same time. When the musical adaptation, MAN OF LA MANCHA, was brought to the stage in 1965, Richard Kiley (as the title character, Don Quixote) absolutely transfixed the audience with his sensitively heartfelt portrayal of the tragic madman. The plight of Don Quixote, who travels on horseback, with his faithful companion, Sancho Panza (Irving Jacobson), and absolutely lovestruck by kitched wench Aldonza (Joan Denier), is alternately pathetic and profound. Perhaps one of the best known (and most remade) songs in the repertoire from LA MANCHA, is "The Impossible Dream." Richard Kiley really make it his own, here, and after you hear his version, it's hard to listen to others' versions of it. It's just not the same. Though, this story is anything but joyful, the music will glide through your ears and carry you on a surrealistic journey through attempted triumph and (ultimately) tragedy.

5 out of 5 stars Man of LaMancha As Good As Ever.......2007-05-07

Very pleased with ourchase of this item. Quality is great as was the price. Delivery was timely. Easy transaction! A++++++++

5 out of 5 stars Don Quixote.......2006-09-14

Back in High School my band leader, Mr. DeYoung, decided (agianst much opposition from those of us in the band let me tell you) to have us perform select pieces from this musical

I hated the idea. But when we began to play, he even had us watch the musical, I fell in love with the melody. The many songs of a man who believes the best in the world. YOu find that in Dulcinea, The Impossible Dream, etc.

From one maginificently rendered song to another, you can be lost in its melodic elegance.

My favorite song is the initial rendition of 'Little Bird, Little Bird'. It's a soft song, sung as a love ballad. In the musical you discover it's being sung to a local whore by a bunch of randy men. Despite that, I still like it.

This along with others are among the great works of the stage!

5 out of 5 stars Magnificent voices.......2006-07-05

Voices and music make a revival of this beautiful play. Full of passion.
You Are My Flower
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Not as good as Elizabeth's You Are My Sunshine cd
  • Even nanas love it!
  • Not my favorite
  • Great cd kids and adults love it!
  • Great Music
You Are My Flower
Elizabeth Mitchell
Manufacturer: Little Bird Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000067VOO
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

  1. This Little Light of Mine
  2. You Are My Flower
  3. John the Rabbit
  4. 1 Day, 2 Days, 3 Days Old
  5. Freight Train
  6. Shoo-fly
  7. Little Sack of Sugar
  8. Rock and Roll
  9. Jingle Bells
  10. Lovers Lane
  11. Sylvie
  12. Pony Boy

Amazon.com

Elizabeth Mitchell goes with what she knows on You Are My Flower. Here a selection of sturdy, old-fashioned songs are delivered with a clear, clipped voice accompanied by a single guitar. The result is an album most parents would make for their own kids if they possessed Mitchell's talent. Mitchell delivers unsullied renditions of songs from the oeuvres of Woody Guthrie, Elizabeth Cotten, and the Carter Family, and tosses in a version of "Jingle Bells" that would be welcome in June. Pop the CD in and a lovely, simple, peaceful vibe swells inside. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Not as good as Elizabeth's You Are My Sunshine cd.......2007-05-12

All the songs are really great, but it's not as entertaining as the Your Are My Sunshine cd. Elizabeth Mitchell has a great voice and makes it easy and fun to listen to kids' music.

5 out of 5 stars Even nanas love it!.......2007-05-12

My 2 year old grand daughter loves Elizabeth Mitchell. Every time we talk on the phone we sing "Freight Train" and "Shoo Fly". Elizabeth Mitchell is intentional in her love and respect of kids. Her music is simple and sweet. It is totally void of merchandising and her appeal crosses generations. I ordered "You Are My Flower" for myself!

3 out of 5 stars Not my favorite.......2007-04-07

I have all of Elizabeth Mitchell's CD's and this one is my least favorite. There are a couple of cute songs on there, but we hardly ever listen to it, b/c my son absolutely loves her other CD's better (Little Bird & You are my Sunshine). If you're deciding which one to get, I'd go with the two above that I mentioned!

4 out of 5 stars Great cd kids and adults love it! .......2007-01-18

I just heard about EM and I love it so do my kids. It is very pleasant to listen to she has a beautiful voice. There is one bad son - it sounds just like somebody forgot to stop recording while her kids were playing but other than that 1 I love it.

I hate Amazon though becuase I put things in my shoppin bag in early Decmber and each week they went UP in price as it got closer to Christmas. THe shipping took a while and everything seemed to come in separate boxes. I have had better luck with Ebay or other retailers through Amazon.

4 out of 5 stars Great Music.......2007-01-12

Elizabeth Mitchell is kids music that adults can listen to over and over again without losing their minds. My daughter is a year old and we have been listening to Elizabeth Mitchell since she was born and we are not tired of it yet. We have all her cds and our favorite is her latest release, You Are My Little Bird.
Wicked Little High
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Hauntingly Beautiful & Wickedly Wonderful
  • Splendid Feast for the Soul
  • Fresh, Absorbing - A New Voice and Sense of Music
  • DELICIOUS FOOD FOR YOUR SOUL
  • A musician that can also act
Wicked Little High
Bird York
Manufacturer: Narada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000E5LF78
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Tracks:

  1. Had A Dream
  2. Remedy
  3. Wicked Little High
  4. Open Wider
  5. In The Deep (from the film, "Crash")
  6. Freedom
  7. Hold On, Im Coming
  8. Save Me
  9. Lovely Thing
  10. Come Be With Me
  11. Up In Flames
  12. Have No Fear

Amazon.com

With Wicked Little High, a familiar face looks set to become a familiar voice. A busy actress with a long list of credits--including a recurring role on The West Wing--Kathleen "Bird" York had a bit part in best picture winner Crash. More significantly, she wrote and performed the Oscar-nominated theme song "In the Deep" (an honor shared with co-writer Michael Becker). There's more where that mesmerizing number came from on the striking redhead's seductive Narada debut. Take the title track, for instance, in which York can't resist the charms of a Mr. Wrong who's like "the fifth drink before a long drive home," but "desire is such a wicked little high when the one you want is blind to you." Sounding like Sia's sexy older sister, York wraps her smoky alto around 11 other tales of lust and loss, including the Isaac Hayes-penned r&b classic "Hold On, I'm Coming"--a top 10 hit for Sam & Dave--here reinvented as blue-eyed soul with a trip-hop beat. On other tracks, she assumes the voice of a teenage runaway in the grips of young love ("Open Wider") and an elderly widow grappling with loneliness ("Save Me"). A revamped version of 2003's The Velvet Hour ("Freedom" and "Hold On" replace "Haunting You" and "Never Gonna Find Us"), Wicked Little High features contributions from producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Peter Gabriel) and guitarist Steve Caton (Tori Amos). --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Hauntingly Beautiful & Wickedly Wonderful.......2007-03-30

This is my new favorite CD, & I would recommend this CD to anyone who has loved and lost a loved one. The lyrics are haunting & beautiful. A fabulous CD one that you will be still be reaching for in 10 years, because one of the songs will remind you of someone you love or have loved & lost.

This is absolutely the best cd, anyone has put out in years; do yourself a favour & buy a copy for yourself , and copies for anyone you care about.

5 out of 5 stars Splendid Feast for the Soul.......2007-02-12

This is, by far, the most unique of all of the music I've come across in quite some time. Reminiscent of Sarah McLachlan with just a bit of Enya and Sia, the music is fresh, with delicately haunting melodies.

Her voice seduces and relaxes, while enlightening. The moods are dark, but there is always a light at the end of the introspective tunnel. Magnificent. It is hard to categorize this music, filled with sophisticated imagery - a feast for the spirit, by way of the ear.

5 out of 5 stars Fresh, Absorbing - A New Voice and Sense of Music.......2006-11-09

This is the best and most interesting CD I've listened to in years! Bird's voice is beautiful and flexible, the words ever-intriguing, and the music so good you just have to stop what you're doing and LISTEN! And it gets better the more you listen. The music has great energy, rhythmic but not the usual predictable patterns. Into the Deep is simple and compelling - it's a fine ending for the movie Crash. Every track is a present. Thanks, Bird. I can't wait for your next CD.

5 out of 5 stars DELICIOUS FOOD FOR YOUR SOUL.......2006-09-22

Ms. Birdy, as she likes to call herself sometimes, is NOT a clone of our celtic warbler Tori Amos. Singing about an octave lower than Ms. Amos, and with a voice so creamy smooth and sultry you could have it for dessert, Bird York is a new voice that shouldn't be missed. Get it because you won't regret it! She'll take you to paradise.

c.d.

5 out of 5 stars A musician that can also act.......2006-07-21

I'm probably like many people, who've seen Bird York's thespian alter ego Kathleen, in television portraying the congresswoman ex-wife to Toby Ziegler on The West Wing, The O.C., Murder One and many other appearances.

She also had a small feature role in the movie Crash, which featured her music side with the Oscar nominated song from the same movie.

Many times, I see a talented actor that has decent musical chops, but not one I would rush out to get their music.

I think you will be most impressed with Bird's music. I think she actually falls under the category of a musican who has acting skills.

Her music arrangements and band provide a variety of textures to her music and her voice is great. I think she joins a unique group of low key vocal musicians, such as Kiki Ebsen, that provide something of substains that is off the mainstream music stream.

Instruments of the Orchestra
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
  • Beginner or Expert
  • Very Informative and Enjoyable
  • Frank's view
  • Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra
Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  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.
The Classical Child at the Opera
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent teaching tool
  • I have only one complaint about this CD
  • What every kid (and parent needs!)
  • What's Opera Doc?
  • Lots of Fun Music
The Classical Child at the Opera

Manufacturer: Classical Child
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy-My Favourite Opera For Children
  2. World's Very Best Opera for Kids... in English!
  3. Classical Music for Children: A Toddler's Introduction to Classical Music
  4. Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies
  5. Mozart's Magnificent Voyage

ASIN: B00000J29D
Release Date: 2001-05-04

Tracks:

  1. Children's March [From Carmen]
  2. Doll Song [From Tales of Hoffmann]
  3. Anvil Chorus [From II Trovatore]
  4. Bird Catcher Am I [From the Magice Flute]
  5. Papagena! Papagena! Papagena! [From The Magic Flute]
  6. Pa, Pa, Pa, Pa [From the Magice Flute]
  7. Flower Duet [From Lakm
  8. Largo Al Factotum [From the Barber of Seville]
  9. Three Little Maids from School [From the Mikado]
  10. Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze [From the Mikado]
  11. Tit-Willow [From the Mikado]
  12. Brother, Come Dance With Me [from Hansel and Gretel)
  13. I Am the Little Sandman [from Hansel and Gretel)
  14. Children's Prayer [from Hansel and Gretel)

Album Description

OPERA IS FOR EVERYONE and so, The Classical Child At the Opera was created to give children a taste of the magic, majesty and humor of this glorious art form. Well-known songs and arias have been selected that appeal to young sensibilities, while easy-to-follow English translations bring these delightful stories and characters to life. Care has been taken by the singers to present the music in a way that is light hearted and accessible sometimes gentle, sometimes raucous, but always positive and engaging.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent teaching tool.......2006-05-10

I use this CD is my classroom for a wide variety of activities including art instruction for which it is ideally suited. It is hard to recommend this CD enough! Thanks for putting it together.

5 out of 5 stars I have only one complaint about this CD.......2006-04-16

My one complaint is that after I listen to this CD, the catchy tunes get stuck in my head! And then I want to keep listening to it more and more. I love the selections on this CD, the fact that the songs are in English (I always wondered what the "Figaro, Figaro, Figaro" song was about!), and that a little background is given to each piece as well.

5 out of 5 stars What every kid (and parent needs!).......2004-02-06

All I can say is my family LOVES this CD! We have a blast singing along, dancing, etc. It's made opera a new discovery for all of us.

3 out of 5 stars What's Opera Doc?.......2003-03-29

No, this isn't Bugs Bunny's version of opera. It is, however, an excellent introduction to opera, for young and old alike. The the translations to English are quite clever, and the singers' voices are, for the most part, excellent and clear (overly florid voices can be such a turn-off). Grant Doyle, the baritone, is a particular stand-out: rather than sing "at" you, he manages to convey humor and emotion in his parts... you can almost *see* the funny bird catcher, Papageno, in the three songs from Mozart's "Magic Flute", which happent to be my 5-year old's favorite tracks. Doyle's turn as Figaro in "Largo al Factorum" from "The Barber of Seville" is pure joy. The children's chorus in "The Children's March" from "Carmen" is also delightful, and Gabriella Santinelli's(?) voice as the doll from Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffman" is simply amazing.

As much as I enjoy this album, I question the inclusion of the last three songs, which come from "Hansel and Gretel". The voices on the songs are of the overly florid nature, and I can see my daughter lose interest. I think it would have been more interesting to include more "Carmen," or arias from other such popular operas "Rigoletto" or "Aida". Or if the album needed to end on a slower note, the overcoat song from "La Boheme."

IAC, I have caught my daughter humming bits and pieces from the operas. Even I have managed to amaze people by correctly identifying the Flower Duet from "Lakme"! I strongly recommend this album.

5 out of 5 stars Lots of Fun Music.......2002-11-29

Our baby seems to enjoy this operatic CD almost as much as her parents enjoy it. Maybe she doesn't even really hear it, but she does see her parents acting silly and singing along to the catchy opera songs. I think we'll be listening to this one for many years to come. You'll probably really enjoy this CD if you have an appreciation for opera already.
Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great CD
  • Simply the Best
  • Inconsistent, but mostly excellent
  • "Celebration" is not strong enough a word
  • A maginificent evening, a magnificent album
Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Betty Buckley , Paul Gemignani , Patti LuPone , Liza Minnelli , and Bernadette Peters
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Sondheim Evening: A Musical Tribute (1973 Concert Cast)
  2. Side By Side By Sondheim (1976 Original London Cast)
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  4. Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
  5. Sondheim, Etc.: Bernadette Peters Live at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B000003FDW
Release Date: 1993-02-23

Tracks:

  1. Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
  2. Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
  3. Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
  4. Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
  5. Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
  6. Being Alive--Patti LuPone
  7. Good Thing Going--The Tonics
  8. Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
  9. Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
  10. Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
  11. Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
  12. Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble

Tracks:

  1. Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
  2. Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
  3. Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
  4. Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
  5. The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
  6. Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
  7. I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
  8. With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
  9. Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
  10. Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
  11. Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
  12. Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
  13. Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great CD.......2006-08-06

This is a wonderful double CD of fabulous musical numbers performed by theatre greats and directed by a legandary musical director.

5 out of 5 stars Simply the Best.......2005-06-29

First, to the person who criticizes the recording b/c of "Broadway Baby." Daisy Egan (who sings in in this recording) sounds like she's 10 becuase she IS young. She had just appeared on Braodway in Secret Garden and won a Tony for it. It's a joke...Broadway BABY...hello, it's a joke.

In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.

In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.

If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.

4 out of 5 stars Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21

I am sure no knowledgeable person would deny how absolutely perfect all these songs are. However, the performances on this album are extremely inconsistent. It will go from an excellent rendition (Waiting for the Girls medley, Sunday, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Sooner or Later, Green Finch, Send in the Clowns, Pretty Lady) to the weird (I never Do Anything Twice), to the bad (Broadway Baby, Our Time). I still have absolutely no idea how they managed to butcher one of the best songs ever written--Good Thing Going--and turn it into smooth jazz elevator music. Why would they give Broadway Baby to someone who sounds like she's 10? That said, Liza Minelli, Glenn Close, Karen Ziemba, Dorothy Laudon and the "Waiting for the Girls" performers are all very good. And ending with Bernadette Peters and "Sunday" ends the set on a absolutley fabulous note.

5 out of 5 stars "Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30

This review is by Crosley.

I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.

There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.

I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.

5 out of 5 stars A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16

There's something to be said for the first concert you ever see at Carnegie Hall. I was fortunate enough to have this be my first. This entire evening was devoted to his genius and the performers did not disappoint.

This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.

My favorite song is, without a doubt, Dorothy Louden and her wonderful medley of "Losing My Mind" into "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" followed very closely by the recently departed Madeline Kahn singing "Getting Married Today."
Florence Foster Jenkins & Friends: Murder on the High Cs
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Must be heard to be believed
  • This is the definitive FFJ!
  • Sounds Like A Vacuum Cleaner Ingesting An Owl
  • comedy classic
  • The "joke", never funny, is now painfully shabby
Florence Foster Jenkins & Friends: Murder on the High Cs
John Charles Thomas , John Charles Thomes , Robert Merrill , Alexander Kipnis , Ezio Pinza , Florence Foster Jenkins , Jack Barnett , Earl Cahn Sammy / Brent , Felicien David , and Leo Delibes
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. The Glory (????) of the Human Voice
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  4. "Jonathan & Darlene Edwards - Greatest Hits, Vol. 2"
  5. Jonathan and Darlene's Greatest Hits

ASIN: B0000AE7AO
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

  1. Queen of the Night Aria [From The Magic Flute]
  2. Serenata Mexicana
  3. Musical Snuff Box
  4. Like a Bird
  5. Bell Song [Lakme Dub]
  6. Charmant Oiseau [Perle du Brl]
  7. Adele's Laughing Song [Die Fledermaus]
  8. Biassy [Prelude XVI]
  9. Valse Caressante
  10. Little Jack Horner - Alexander Kipnis
  11. Sing a Song of Sixpence - John Charles Thomas
  12. Blue Danube - Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra, Josephine Tumminia
  13. Little Old State of Texas - Ezio Pinza, The Sons of the Pioneers
  14. Fireman's Bride [Up in Central Park] - Jeanette MacDonald, Robert Merrill
  15. Song's Gotta Come from the Heart - Jimmy Durante, Helen Traubel
  16. Real Piano Player - Jimmy Durante, Helen Traubel
  17. Please Don't Say No [Thrill of a Romance] - Lauritz Melchior

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Must be heard to be believed.......2006-04-09

Even the brilliant Judy Kaye in the recent play "Souvenir" about Ms. Jenkins couldn't quite match the unique sound of this singer, although she came close. For those who like this sort of thing, this is the real thing. The sound on this Naxos CD is superior to RCA's "Glory of the Human Voice??" which covers most of the same territory. The Naxos CD also restores the piano intro to the Bell Song and the heretofore rare Valse Caressante of which only a few pressings are known to exist.

That said, the rest of the (non-Florence) cuts are mostly forgettable. More kitch than camp. Annoying music abounds but the in the realm of the truly, stupendously awful Florence Foster Jenkins remains in a class by herself. No one can really compete with Ms. Jenkins on her own camp grounds and there is no sense in trying. The one exception being the sung "Blue Danube" with Josephine Tumminia and the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra which falls in the "what could they have been thinking?" department.

Personally a little of this sort of thing goes a long way. The Faust Travesty on the RCA set holds a bit more interest (but not all that much). I think a more interesting compliation would consist of "straight" renderings of the various arias and pieces contrasted with Madame Florence's so the listener may fully savor what she achieves in these performances.

Florence gets five stars but the rest of it gets a minus one, so it ends up with four.

5 out of 5 stars This is the definitive FFJ!.......2005-01-09

A fellow reviewer has not paid close attention to the contents of "Murder On The High C's": this release actually contains every recording that FFJ made. She recorded 9 arias and released them on 5 78's (the fifth, "Valse Caressante", was split), all of them gathered here for the first time. What this album omits from the previous cd release ("The Glory??? of the Human Voice") is the arias by an almost equally incompetent baritone. "Murder..." more than compensates for this with the inclusion of some unbelievably tragic recordings by artists who could actually sing but found themselves saddled with shockingly bad material; it's an absolute feast for those who love outsider music. The 'nursery rhyme' songs provoke bewilderment, the swing version of "Blue Danube" must be heard to be believed, and the excellent liner notes accurately describe Lauritz Melchior's valiant performance of "Please Don't Say No" as "the single worst recording of anything ever made by an opera star who should have known better". "Murder On The High C's" is an insanely delirious treasure.

3 out of 5 stars Sounds Like A Vacuum Cleaner Ingesting An Owl.......2004-10-15

Florence Foster Jenkins was a socialite who enjoyed singing in vast disproportion to her musical talent. This CD has some of her greatest works (so to speak) although the disc pales in comparison to her masterwork "The Glory (????) of Human Voice." (In fact several of the songs on this CD are available on that recording.) Particularly ear-shattering are "Musical Snuff Box" (watch out for that last note if you have pets, they will seriously dislike it), "Bell Song" which is essentially a series of a cappella pentatonic scales by and large, and finally the unique rendition of "Valse Caressante" (which was actually released as a single!) which will leave any listener in a near delirium.

In short, these rare Jenkins masterworks are amazing and hilarious. I can't recommend them highly enough to anyone even mildly curious about outsider music. Why the three star rating? It is certainly not due to Florence's participation, rather due to the packaging. The cover boasts "Florence Foster Jenkins and Friends." Little will most people suspect that the "friends" make up about half of the CD, and are totally unrelated to Jenkins except for possessing no musical talent. Some of the songs are merely boring (like the Jimmy Durante selections), and some are quite laughably funny like the dreadful "The Fireman's Bride," and "Please Don't Say No." Finally there is the real puzzler from the "what were they thinking?" file, "Little Jack Horner," an operatic retelling of the classic children's tale. The other reason I only give this disc three stars is because four of the nine Jenkins' songs are available on "The Glory (????) of Human Voice." I had expected different material on this CD.

The bottom line is that this CD is for Florence Foster Jenkins completists. (Ponder that.) People who want more exposure to Florence should buy her delightful "The Glory (????) of Human Voice," which I can't recommend highly enough.

5 out of 5 stars comedy classic.......2004-05-27

In the summer of 2003, I had the luck of hearing Florence's recordings. Even though no one is quite sure whether she meant to be funny or not, listening to her cds always puts me in the best mood. Hearing her try to reach those high notes and missing terribly is the funniest thing in the world!! My family and I love Florence!!!

1 out of 5 stars The "joke", never funny, is now painfully shabby.......2004-03-07

It is sad that a person who apparently had too much money and time to waste could have done so in preserving for an unsuspecting posterity such awful sounds. The so-called friends who flocked by invitation to her concert to relish an event of mockery were at least as much to blame as the poor woman herself for having encouraged such eccentric egocentricity.

The whole matter stinks of making fun of a person afflicted by illness. What a cruel species we were - and still are.
Sings Sondheim
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Patinkin Live
  • Sondheim recital
  • Also a very dissapointed fan
  • Adequate performance; poor entertainment
  • a very disappointed fan
Sings Sondheim
Mandy Patinkin
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal PopTraditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00006JP2C
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Tracks:

  1. Opening
  2. Lesson #8
  3. Another Hundred People
  4. When?
  5. Someone Is Waiting
  6. Johanna
  7. Green Finch and Linnet Bird
  8. Pretty Women
  9. Finishing the Hat
  10. If You Can Find Me, I'm Here
  11. Live, Laugh, Love
  12. Live Alone and Like It
  13. Everybody Says Don't
  14. Rich and Happy, Part 1
  15. Our Time
  16. Broadway Baby
  17. Rich and Happy, Part 2
  18. Uptown, Downtown
  19. Liaisons
  20. Send in the Clowns
  21. Live, Laugh, Love (reprise)
  22. You Could Drive a Person Crazy

Tracks:

  1. Free
  2. Company
  3. Waiting For The Girls Upstairs
  4. Pleasant Little Kingdom/Too Many Mornings
  5. Not While I'm Around
  6. All Things Bright and Beautiful
  7. It Takes Two
  8. In Someone's Eyes
  9. Beautiful
  10. Losing My Mind
  11. Take the Moment
  12. Sunday

Amazon.com

Recorded live at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, this double CD is one heck of an extensive tribute to Stephen Sondheim. Backed only by Paul Ford on piano, Mandy Patinkin gets through nearly three dozen songs penned by the Broadway master. Some are obvious (excerpts from Sunday in the Park with George, in which the singer created the title role), others less so ("If You Can Find Me I'm Here" from Evening Primrose). Patinkin is often mocked for his shivering falsetto, but here, it's actually when his voice explores a lower register that it falters. What's more interesting is when he tackles songs usually sung by women, such as Follies' "Broadway Baby" and Company's "Another Hundred People" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy"--the latter hammed up so much that you can hear the chewing of the scenery. A distinctively mannered interpreter, Patinkin remains an acquired taste, but fans of his will be in heaven with this set. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Patinkin Live.......2007-07-19

I am a huge Mandy Patinkin fan, and this is, without a doubt, one of the best CDs in my collection. The transitions between songs are excellent and seamless, plus the song selection was top-notch.

5 out of 5 stars Sondheim recital.......2007-01-22

Probably the best way to approach these disks is to treat them like a recital in a concert hall. Rather as you would listen to a Schubert or Schumann song cycle. Taken together this way, we come to hear Sondheim as one of our finest composers, serious, comic, manic, depressive, always dead on target no matter what the subject matter. And Patinkin is perfect for these songs; he understands the meaning and value of every note and every word, just as a fine concert singer would do, and he makes his listeners understand, too. One of the most intriguing concept albums in recent memory, and a joy all the way through. Bob Finley, Palm Springs, CA.

2 out of 5 stars Also a very dissapointed fan.......2003-08-22

I too LOVE Mandy and Stephen Sondheim and own just about everything both has ever made! I also have been to 6 of Mandy's live performances. This was truly a big dissapointment to me. Every concert I have seen Mandy in has been filled with emotion and his personality just grabs hold of you for an evening of wonderful escape-ism. This to me was very un-entertaining and I actually became irritated after awhile of listening to it. It seemed to drone on with out the wonderful feelings and emotions and soaring voice that Mandy typically puts into his music. I gave this as a gift too (since my friend and I had missed Mandy at his Sondheim review in DC last year) and felt badly that I had. There are so many other great recordings of Mandy...Kidults, Saturday in the Park with George, The Secret Garden, Mandy sings Rogers & Hammerstien and Sondheim. This one has just sat on my shelf after I played it through twice hoping to warm up to it...while my other recordings are very worn out with years of playing!

2 out of 5 stars Adequate performance; poor entertainment.......2003-05-04

I received this disc the same day a "Philip Quast Live at the Donmar". The Quast disc has its own flaws (and I dont wish to compare the two performers) but it has been strung together in a more thoughtful manner, with witty imagination and using a more dangerous in the choice of songs, which is really where this disc fails. The songs here are generally enjoyable though rather standard, and the lack of cohesion (running the songs together doesnt count) means I just dip into the discs listening to a few favourites, rather than enjoying the whole show.

2 out of 5 stars a very disappointed fan.......2003-02-05

I have every recording Patinkin appears on, even if he's only on one track; I adore his voice, his flair, his emotion, his ability to deliver a song.

But (much of) this recording is disappointing, mainly because Mr. Patinkin's voice in the lower range sounds muddled and forced, as though he's lost ability to control it (however, the more falsetto sounds are as clear and sharp as ever).

And I don't care for the format of this performance. Live recordings should have live audience reactions: one (often unrelated) song after another without applause had me wondering when--if ever--was the audience was going to be allowed to react.

Also, while I've never had the privilege of attending a Patinkin concert, I imagined that--above all-- he would be passionate. Perhaps he was. But what (mostly) comes across on the CD is a somber--almost technical--performance.

I hope he's healthy, that mixed quality of singing on this recording was just a fluke, and that his next CD will be a Five-star as all his previous ones have been

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