Touch a Life

Touch a Life

ASIN: B00004TIRP

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Julie Ingram has been preparing for a career in music most of her life. Growing up in Kansas, Julie at age 11 could play five different instruments. "From the beginning I knew my heart belonged to music; my father purchased my first guitar, and I played Yellow Rose of Texas for all of his friends! That's when I knew my soul belonged to country music."

During her high school years, she gave a great deal of thought to what direction her life should take. She dreamed of one day entertaining large audiences. She took her first steps toward this dream by entering the Junior Miss Pageant as Centralia High's representative. From there she earned such titles as Miss Arlington, Miss Yellow Pages, and Miss Urban Cowgirl in conjunction with KPLX Radio and CBS Records, and was a finalist for Miss World and Miss Kansas.

It was only logical that upon graduation, her dream to have a career in modeling required formal instruction and training. Barbizon School of Modeling and Bauder Fashion College were her next steps toward stardom, so much so that she eventually formed her own modeling agency.

Appearing in the television series Dallas, a national Pro-Arts poster and many radio/voice over commercials has always given her name credit, making her very identifiable. Her expertise in front of the camera and interviewing skills made her "not just another pretty face."

Julie has chaired numerous events and served on many charitable organization boards in the Dallas/Fort Worth Community. Those closest to her heart and "just a natural part of her life" are TACA (the largest fund raiser for all the performing arts), The Science Place and TI Founders IMAX Theatre at Fair Park, and Northwood University National Woman's Board.

Product Description
Touch a Life was written for Northwood University and all college students today. It's fun, yet touching, and makes us think! Memories..that's what it's all about..describes it best!

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

Gone With The Wind: Overture
Citizen Kane: Overture
Casablanca: As Time Goes By
It's A Wonderful Life: It's A Wonderful Life
The Third Man: The Harry Lime Theme
The Searchers: Suite
The Bridge On The River Kwai: Colonel Bogey March
Vertigo: Prelude
Touch Of Evil: Main Title
Ben-Hur: Parade Of The Charioteers
North By Northwest: Prelude
Psycho: Suite
The Magnificent Seven: The Magnificent Seven
Lawrence Of Arabia: Overture

Tracks:

To Kill A Mockingbird: Suite
The Great Escape: Main Title
Doctor Zhivago: Main Title & Lara's Theme
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Once Upon A Time In The West: Jill's Theme
2001: A Space Odyssey: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Midnight Cowboy: Midnight Cowboy
Get Carter: Main Title
A Clockwork Orange: Ode To Joy
The Godfather: Waltz & Love Theme
Jaws: Jaws
Rocky: Gonna Fly Now
Taxi Driver: Suite
Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope

Tracks:

Superman: Main Theme
Alien: End Title
Raging Bull: Intermezzo From Cavalleria Rusticana
Raiders Of The Lost Ark: Raiders March
Blade Runner: End Titles
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial: Adventures On Earth
Once Upon A Time In America: Deborah's Theme
Back To The Future: Main Theme
Witness: Building The Barn
Aliens: Main Title
Cinema Paradiso: Cinema Paradiso
Glory: Charging Frot Wagner
Dances With Wolves: The John Dunbar Theme
Unforgiven: Claudia's Theme

Tracks:

The Piano: The Heart Asks Pleasure First
Schindler's List: Main Theme
Braveheart: End Credits
Titanic: My Heart Will Go On
Saving Private Ryan: Hymn To The Fallen
American Beauty: Any Other Name
Gladiator: Now We Are Free
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring: The Fellowship
The Girl With The Pearl Earring: Griet's Theme
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl: Suite
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban: Suite
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events: The Letter That Never Came
Finding Neverland: Impossible Opening
The Incredibles: Overture

Customer Reviews:

Six Decades of Film Music.......2007-05-13

This is film music for the classical music lover. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra presents excellent arrangements of a number of classic film themes (although several pieces of the 56 film classics selected for this 4 CD set are not orchestral arrangements, but rather specialty arrangements). Besides great film composers such as John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, Ennio Morricone, and James Horner, classical composers such as Richard Strauss and Pietro Mascagni make an appearance. On several of the numbers the Crouch End Festival Chorus adds the human voice to the power of the full symphonic orchestra to create true movie magic. If you like the sound of a full symphony orchestra playing some of the most recognized themes ever written, you'll love these CDs.

Excellent collection with fine performances.......2007-03-28

Silva Screen Records, based in England, has been issuing some fine collections of film scores, more in one box than we have the right to expect. This four-CD box contains scores by many of the best writers, including Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tomkin, Kenneth J. Alford (The Bridge on the River Kwai), Elmer Bernstein, Maurice Jarre, Ennio Marricone, John Barry, Nino Rota, John Williams, James Horner, and more. We can all think of additional film scores we wished were included, but then there's no way this collection could be all-inclusive. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, supplemented by Crouch End Festival Chorus on some numbers, does a very competent job...The liner notes give the basic information without any commentary, and as far as I can see, contain only one error. Am I wrong or are tracks 9 and 10 on the fourth CD mislabeled? Track 9, which runs 7:33, seems to have the excitement of "Pirates of the Caribbean" (which I did not see) and track 10, which runs 4:22, the more sedate "The Girl with the Pearl Earring (which I also did not see). Listings seem to have them reversed.

"essential film scores from 1939 to 2004 ~ Incredible Music".......2005-05-16

When I think of the "Golden Age" of Hollywood, many composers come to mind...you gave the usher your ticket in the theater and sat down, knowingly you were going to get your moneys worth...when the curtain opened and you heard those first few notes...you sat back, watched and listened as the film score and orchestra worked their magic...now we have the ultimate from Silva Screen Classics "The Incredible Film Music Box", featuring a four disc set of the essential film scores of the past 60 years...covering several decades from 1939 through and up to the present 2004

There are compilations and then there are "Compilations" beginning with a classic that even the youngsters today recognize "GONE WITH THE WIND" (1939) (Max Steiner), sweeping score that captures the tragic history of the South during the Civil War, one great cue after another, it doesn't get any better than this, nominated by the Academy for Best Original Score...and closing on Disc 4 with "THE INCREDIBLES" (2004) (Michael Giacchino), the big hit in computer animation from Walt Disney & Pixar that once again pit Super-Heroes against the forces of evil...our family of five Supers prove crime doesn't pay, but box-office receipts do...gotta love it!

Silva Screen Classics as usual, has put quality into this 4-CD-Set featuring The City Of Prague Philarmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus conducted by Kenneth Alwyn, Bill Ashton, Paul Bateman, James Fitzpatrick, Mario Klemens, Derek Wadsworth, and Nic Raine. Recorded in "Dolby Surround" with the new technology of "HDCD", this is a "film-score-buffs" dream, one to treasure now and years to come.

Some selections are missing, but when you think of what Silva has included, it is impossible to please everyone...was happy to see "TOUCH OF EVIL" (1958) from composer Henry Mancini, as I feel this composer deserves all the recognition that has been overlooked recently in the music world...This collection is aimed directly at the "Serious Film Score" music fans and collectors...Silva is as always, perfect in every way...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 4-CD-Set ~ Silva America 1181 ~ (5/10/2005)

Average customer rating:

Kurt Weill: Re-discovery...
Incredible Live Album

Kurt Weill: The Centennial
Kurt Weill , Brock Peters , Carole Cook , Charlotte Rae , Nancy Dussault , Norm Lewis , Peter Becker , Rod McKuen , Shirley Jones , Tim Curry , and Steve Orich
Manufacturer: Lml Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Life Upon the Wicked Stage
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ABC (Adler, Bock, Coleman)
Over The Rainbow: The Music Of Harold Arlen (1995 Benefit Concert Cast)
Dream: The Lyrics and Music of Johnny Mercer

ASIN: B00005U8HM
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Tracks:

Act 1: Pirate Jenny - Charlotte Rae
Act 1: I'm A Stranger Here Myself - Jodi Stevens
Act 1: Economics - Jane A. Johnston
Act 1: Is It Him Or Is It Me? - Pam Dawber
Act 1: Barbara Song - Linda Purl
Act 1: Lullaby - Kathryn Skatula
Act 1: That's Him - Nancy Dussault
Act 1: Don't Look Now - Sharon Lawrence
Act 1: Apple Jack - Norm Lewis
Act 1: Speak Low - Sally Kellerman
Act 1: September Song - Rod McKuen
Act 1: Ice Cream Sextet - David Holladay

Tracks:

Act 2: Wouldn't You Like To Be On Broadway? - David Holladay
Act 2: What Good Would The Moon Be - Melissa Dye
Act 2: It Never Was You - Hugh Panaro
Act 2: We'll Go Away Together - Hugh Panaro
Act 2: Tschaikowsky - Jack Noseworthy
Act 2: The Saga Of Jenny - Carole Cook
Act 2: Surabaya Johnny - Tim Curry
Act 2: My Ship - Shirley Jones
Act 2: Mack The Knife - Loretta Devine
Act 2: Lost In The Stars - Brock Peters

Customer Reviews:

Kurt Weill: Re-discovery..........2006-11-10

I am so impressed and pleased to have found this recording on Amazon.com. I am always amazed when I find these seemingly obscure recordings, and thrilled to know they exist. What a wonderful history of our musical world---and what a chance to hear interesting, challenging, and unusual performances from so many well-known people. The songs live on--the composer is 'new' again, and this recording becomes part of history re-discovered. Thank you Amazon.com for your continued professionalism and for having these recordings available.

Incredible Live Album.......2002-02-10

This incredible concert (which i attended) benefitting The Actors' Fund of America, contains some absolute MUST performances for any Broadway collector.

For me, the highlights are HUGH PANARO ("It Never Was You"), NANCY DUSSAULT ("It's Him") and TIM CURRY singing "Surabaya Johnny" in German!

Tracks:

Die Sieben Tods Prologue
Die Sieben Tods No. 1 Faulheit (Sloth)
Die Sieben Tods No. 2 Stolz (Pride)
Die Sieben Tods No. 4 Zorn (Anger)
Die Sieben Tods No. 5 Vrei (Gluttony)
Die Sieben Tods No. 6 Unzucht (Lust)
Die Sieben Tods No. 6 Habsucht (Avarice)
Die Sieben Tods No. 7 Neid (Envy)
Die Sieben Tods No. 8 Epilog
My Ship
One Life To Live
Buddy On The Nightshift
Nannas Leid
Bilbao - Song
Surabaya - Johnny
Das Leid Von Der Harten Nuss
Je Ne T'amie Pas
Schickelgruber
Der Abscheidsbreief
Foolish Heart
Speak Low
I'm A Stranger Here Myself

Amazon.com

Kurt Weill's ballet with songs is one of this century's greatest theatrical works. It has all the wit and melodic appeal of The Threepenny Opera and social conscience of Mahagonny, but more warmth and musical sophistication than either. It's also all over with in about 40 minutes. Some critics believe the piece was intended as a sort of love poem to Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya; given the tenderness of much of the music, it's hard to disagree. Lenya herself recorded the piece in the 1950s (a recording recently reissued by Sony) and this very much newer performance is welcome particularly for Anne Sofie von Otter's highly intelligent and musical way with the text. The other songs, from both Weill's Berlin and Broadway periods, make the perfect filler. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Very Good.......2006-01-03

This is a very nice selection of Weill pieces showing the full range of his output. These range from the ambitious Seven Deadly Sins to songs from Happy End to some of his Broadway work. All are very interesting. The performers, particularly Von Otter, are excellent. Recommended strongly.

Excellent Weill Alternative to Lenya and Lemper.......2005-09-29

`Speak Low Songs by Kurt Weill' is a great addition to the performances of Herr Weill's works by the prominent mezzo-soprano, Anne Sofie Von Otter. I have listened to many performances by Weill specialists from the archetype, Weill's wife, Lotte Lenys, for whom many of the songs were originally written to Ute Lemper and Gisela May, who lean heavily toward Lotte Lenya's gravel-voiced interpretation of Weill's songs.

Anne Sofie Von Otter breaks with this tradition and gives us what are easily the sweetest interpretations of Weill's songs from both his German and English works, which I have heard anywhere.

The flagship performance on this disc is `Die Sieben Todsunden' (`The Seven Deadly Sins') which was a cycle of songs to be sung on the stage, accompanied by dances done by a second performer. This takes the first nine (9) tracks and is at least as good as what I have heard from Weill specialist, Lemper. This album is the first time I have noticed that there are two versions of this work, and that Ms. Von Otter is performing the version for soprano.

But, I think the most moving performances come later, especially in von Otter's performances of the three numbers from `Happy End', `Bilbao-Song', `Surabaya-Johnny', and `Das Lied von der harten Nuss' (Song of the Big Shot). I have heard these done by many people, but never so sweetly. These numbers are so lovingly performed that I insist that you ignore the fact that the lyrics are in German. The accompanying booklet gives English translations, which I simply ignore and enjoy the musical talent with no filter. My understanding German has nothing to do with this, as I do the same with French, which I can just barely make out.

Kurt Weill may not be the most important influence on American musical theatre in the 20th century, but he is easily in the top five, along with the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and collaborators, and Cole Porter.

Ms. Von Otter is ably accompanied on this disk by her favorite pianist, Bengt Forsberg plus the Norddeutch Rundfunk orchestra directed by John Eliot Gardiner. While I really like her selection on this disk, the collection makes me wish Ms. Von Otter would do some more Weill and spend less time hanging out with Elvis Costello, but that's a different story.

Everything is right but the style.......2005-09-24

Weill and Brecht defined a nasty age with nasty art, writing some of the grittiest satire in the history of music. In this CD von Otter misses that edge, skirts all the dangerous, sleazy implications, and ultimately sounds too much the opera singer slumming it for an hour. Her earnestness is no subtitute for the right period style, a la Lotte Lenya.

Intelligent reading from both singer and conductor.......2005-01-27

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS is such a brilliant mini-masterpiece (and, to me, the pinnacle of the Brecht-Weill years) that it is hard to screw up. It is a testament to the staying power of this work (and to the brilliance of Weill's music in general) that it can be performed by the likes of Lotte Lenya, Julia Migenes, Ute Lemper, Judy Kaye, Marianne Faithfull, Teresa Stratas, and -- as here -- Anne Sofie von Otter, and STILL work... and EACH of these women are totally successful in the piece on their own terms.

Here, Anne Sofie von Otter gives us an intelligent (and highly musical) rendering of the text, keeping the musical line very much intact. She sings with vibrato at times, and then will turn around and use straight-tones at moments where it is dramatically appropriate to do so. She balances the performance well, shifting gears between cool detachment (which she is often criticized for) and impassioned outbursts (which her critics often fail to notice).

John Eliot Gardiner surprised me with how easily this music seemed to come to him, especially as he seems to be a man more at home with "Period-Instrument-Mozart" than highly charged 20th century works. However, his reading of "The Rake's Progress" by Stravinsky was totally staggering. For example, his choice beginning the climactic moment of the score ("Envy") as slowly as he does caught me very much off guard at first, and I didn't really care for it at all. However, with each successive listen, I find myself "getting" this choice more and more.

Finally, the "filler." As to be expected, she is more successful with the European material than she is with the songs from Weill's Broadway years. But this is the case with about 99.9% of all opera singers who try to sing Weill's Broadway scores. You will never hear any singer give "Je ne t'aime pas" a more hauntingly beautiful, passionately intense performance than Anne Sofie von Otter. Truly, the ultimate interpretation of one of my favorite Weill songs. "Nannas Lied," "Der Abschiedsbrief," and the HAPPY END selections. However, "My Ship" and "One Life to Live" seem to fail at catching fire -- the former because it is marred by an attempt to sound like a "pop singer," the latter because von Otter sings English better than native speakers (she knows where the ACTUAL emphasis in the phrase "nothing: the thing is to have fun" goes, as opposed to where Ira Gershwin placed it). I also -- surprisingly enough -- don't care for her performance of "Schickelgruber" -- she just seems totally lost to me. (I really think that this song is foreign territory to 'legit' sopranos and mezzos -- I don't even care for the Stratas rendition.) Just when I thought I would have to suffer through another bad batch of "opera-crossover," Anne Sofie turned around and surprised me by giving highly successful performances of the numbers from ONE TOUCH OF VENUS (especially on "I'm Stranger Here Myself").

All in all, a worthy purchase: highly recommended to all fans of THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS and Kurt Weill enthusiasts.

Brilliant--The best of the 7 Deadly Sins recordings.......2002-10-12

Weill, and particularly anything Brecht-Weill, has suffered for too long with interpertations based on tired ham theatrics, burlesques of Lenya's style, to the point where we have come to expect it as the only way to sing this music. Lenya herself is said, late in life, to have commented that a better singer (specifically Stratas at that time) would be more appropriate for properly interpreting Weill's music.

Here, after countless CD releases of the Seven Deadly Sins, is the first recording sung in the key the composer originally intended! The result is relevatory, sublime and magnificent.

Ms. Von Otter interprets the rest of the songs with mixed results--all are lovely, several are excellent, though several others have been handled better by singers with more "theatrical" talents. Nevertheless, this recording stands alone, head and shoulders above the others.

Average customer rating:

Her voice is every color of dream
Stratas is sublime
It is dangerous to use words like "definative," but....
Amazing
The One

Stratas Sings Weill

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Teresa Stratas - The Unknown Kurt Weill
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Sings Kurt Weill, Vol. 2

ASIN: B000005IXU
Release Date: 1991-06-25

Tracks:

One Touch of Venus: I'm A Stranger Here Myself
Ausfstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny: Havanna - Lied
Happy End: Surabaya-Johnny
One Touch of Venus: Foolish Heart
Der Silbersee: Ich bin eine arme Verwandre (Fennimore's Song)
Lady In The Dark: One Life To Live
Marie Galante: J'attends un navire
Happy End: Das Lied von der harten Nuss
Street Scene: Lonely House
Marie Galante: Le Roi d'Aquitaine
Ausfstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny: Denn wie man sich bettet
Marie Galante: Le Train du ciel
Die Dreigroschenoper: Das Lied von der Untulanglichkeit menschlichen Strebens
Knickerbocker Holiday: It Never Was You
Happy End: Der kleine Leutnant des lieben Gotten

Amazon.com

Revealing an affinity for Weill, Teresa Stratas fulfills her promise to Lotte Lenya on her deathbed to "carry on the torch for Kurt Weill's music." Stratas's glorious soprano has never sounded better as she applies her operatic expertise to deliciously caress this music without losing any of the underlying subtext. Lacking the grittiness of other interpreters, she captures the emotional angles by letting her beautiful voice express the tortured heart beneath it; where others shout at you, Stratas sings at you. She casually bounces off the cheerier selections from One Touch of Venus and Happy End, letting Gerard Schwarz's brilliantly conducted orchestra display their wit. Program notes include a fascinating interview with Stratas. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Her voice is every color of dream.......2005-12-03

I don't care who knows it--I've been in love with Teresa Stratas since I was a senior in high school and saw her as Mimi in La Boheme one Friday night in 1961. That obsession preceded and outlasted my marriage:-). I lost a lot of years away from opera, then discovered that Stratas' recorded output is shamefully small. A difficult performer, probably, renowned for some unendearing quirks. But. What's there is gold. I have heard recordings I should not of her as Suor Angelica, Butterfly, and Melisande. I have seen her famous Zefirelli Boheme and Traviata. And Amahl. But the Weill material...it's unbelievable. When Lenya "ordained" her as her successor after seeing a performance of Mahagonny, the old lady knew what she was doing. Stratas has the perfect temperament for Weill's music. The voice coos, snarls, belts, and weeps. My favorite of all Weill songs, "Surabaya Johnny," is a mini-drama of love, hate, rage and despair. The only person who comes close to her in that song is the late Cathy Berberian.

Yes, get this. Get "The Unknown Kurt Weill." Lobby the Met to release her broadcasts, esp. The Bartered Bride. She was absolutely magnetic and the field isn't quite gone yet.

Stratas is sublime.......2005-03-27

Teresa Stratas is one of those singers whose reputation as a temperamental diva precedes her. Well, in my book, if it takes being temperamental to accomplish a collection like this, the end justifies the means. She is a singer of tremendous vocal and emotional range, and Weill's music provides what seems to be a perfect vehicle for both.

I've had this CD for at least 12 or 13 years and, no matter how many times I listen, I still notice new details in her interpretations.

It is dangerous to use words like "definative," but...........2004-04-04

Stratas's interpretations make one rush headlong into that danger.

Many singers have done beautiful Surabaya Johnnys but have any been as shattering as Stratas? Though years later she stumbled with her ill-concieved and eccentric Seven Deadly Sins, this CD is Stratas at in her prime, making bold choices about the material that blows the cobwebs off song we thought we knew. Even 15 years later, this album is fresh, uncliched, deeply affecting, and enthralling.

Stratas proves herself not only a great singer, but a great actress as well.

Amazing.......2000-06-29

Until I heard this and the Unknown Weill, I was a "stranger myself here,' as Stratas sings in the first selection. I simply did not appreciate nor understand the immediacy and importance of Weill to our musical heritage. Stratas simply transcends and reveals this music so intuitively that it is amazing.

The One.......2000-06-01

Stratas is the Weill singer, and everyone else is an also-ran. Ute Lemper is just a poser, and while Lenya was an important figure for Weill and she has her charms, but Weill wanted trained, operatic voices to sing his music, but not in the style of Verdi or Mozart. Here, Stratas delivers the composer's wish. Her voice is beautiful and cultivated in the best way, but it is her manner that is so important; straightforward, sincere, artless. From the opening "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" her affinity for this music is fully apparent. The selections span Weill's career and are delivered in many English, French and German, and regardless of the language, Stratas communicates completely. The orchestra plays the original orchestrations, and the sound is simply wonderful, nostalgic and modern all at once. This is where all Weill listeners and lovers should start.

Average customer rating:

Melancholic, inspiring, graceful, dignified
fantastic
classic
Criminally Underappreciated
Perfect Tension and Release Dynamics

WhatFunLifeWas
Bedhead
Manufacturer: Touch & Go Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Macha Loved Bedhead
Music from the film Hell House
4-songEP19:10
Pygmalion
Young Team

ASIN: B000056O2T
Release Date: 2001-02-20

Tracks:

Liferaft
Haywire
Bedside Table
The Unpredictable
Landlord
Crushing
Unfinished
Powder
Foaming Love
To The Ground
Living Well
Wind Down

Customer Reviews:

Melancholic, inspiring, graceful, dignified.......2006-09-15

You may wonder why so many reviewers are ranking this unfortunately little-known CD five stars when so few albums even by the most acclaimed artists deserve such accolades. Bedhead's self-effacing, restrained, and somber mien hides, if imperfectly, a steady pulse, a marching waltz-beat married to wistful vocals that come off not fey or strained but genuinely emotive. Low (Trance), Velvets (Syndicate), Seam (layers of sound stacked and growing), REM (South leaning by Southwest) all may come to mind, but there is more here: a dessicated, wide-open prairie spaciousness that seeps in to these panoramic portrayals of longing.

That much of this album is carried off neither at a whispery slowcore pace or a frenetic shouting bark, but that the golden, if often also greyly muted, mean recalls both extremes by its own moderation is no small feat, and I do not know how these five Texan young men hit the target this time, but they did.

Before I heard this, I thought their final CD, Transaction de Novo, was their pinnacle, but after repeated listenings, WhatFunLifeWas matches its peaks and gains a bit in the dead heat due to its more consistent mood. There's not a sound wrong on either record. (Also, find the records by their distinguished musical aftermath, "The New Year.") There are a couple of weaker songs, by comparison, especially "Foaming Love;" about a third of the songs on the CD sound as if the band's taking after Red House Painters in their marathon mopes, Replacements in their waning years, or REM in their muddled stage. None of these songs, however, are that weak, although I think I would rank the album lower than 5, about 4.5 overall.

But, as music for the morning after or after the night before, this should take the very short shelf of CDs to have by your bedside, or, for me, a long early-morning, pre-dawn commute, ideally on a still, overcast, expectantly silent atmosphere that wraps the music into its own hesitant air, as if waiting for a release of tension that will never arrive, but a state of expectation so deliciously sustained. The magic here is in the journey each song maps out.

fantastic.......2005-04-18

this is a great album, truly worthy of five stars. it's somewhere in between the velvet underground/mbv/low/weddingpresent but more subdued. really good on headphones.

classic.......2005-01-08

i've never heard any other band succeed (much less try) in creating a sound that is quiet, sometimes morose and ecstatically lush all at the same time. and then somehow as comfortable as an armchair. there is an easiness to each song as if the band just breathes them out. beautifully produced. listen to it as much as you can until you are saturated with the sound. it's been one of my favorites for years. saw them live 10 years ago (?) with stars of the lid, who are great as well.

i can't remember how i discovered this band but wish i did so i could buy a drink for whoever told me about them. be sure to tell all fans of slowdive, explosions in the sky, iron and wine, codeine to check out bedhead. and, fans of bedhead, check out seam "the pace is glacial" if you haven't.

Criminally Underappreciated.......2004-01-25

The vocals are delightfully low-key; the guitars ring and intertwine with eachother while complementing the vocals - when there are any vocals - perfectly; the bass is often subdued but rises and falls with immediacy when the song demands it. An incomparably melodic mix of post-rock tinted with alt-country, avant, punk... Imitated but never surpassed.

Perfect Tension and Release Dynamics.......2003-06-20

Understated, Velvets-inspired vocals dance along the surface of three layered guitars as they jangle, chime, and chug their way from a whisper to a roar. Each note is carefully chosen: the indie rock answer to Miles Davis.

Kurt Weill from Berlin to Broadway - a selection

Average customer rating:

Kurt Weill from Berlin to Broadway - a selection

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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Kurt Weill: The Centennial
Lotte Lenya Sings Kurt Weill / Levine, Lenya, Armstrong, Gilford, et al
Kurt Weill / Songs Volume 2 - A Centennial Anthology
Kurt Weill / Songs Volume 1 - A Centennial Anthology
Knickerbocker Holiday

ASIN: B00004WZTK
Release Date: 2000-10-24

Tracks:

The Threepenny Opr: Mack The Knife - Harald Paulsen With Orch
The Threepenny Opr: Cannon Song - Harald Paulsen With Orch
The Threepenny Opr: Pirate Jenny - Lotte Lenya With The Lewis Ruth Band/Theo Mackeben
The Threepenny Opr: Babarasong - Lotte Lenya With The Lewis Ruth Band/Theo Mackeben
The Threepenny Opr: Lied Von Der Unzulanglichkeit Menslichen Strebens - Bertolt Brecht With Theo Mackeben And His Orch
Happy End: Mandalay Song - Lewis Ruth Band
Happy End: Surabaya Johnny - Lotte Lenya With Pno
Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny: Moon Of Alabama - Lotte Lenya With The Three Admirals And Orch
Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny: Denn Wie Man Sich Bettet - Lotte Lenya With Pno
Knickerbocker Holiday: September Song - Walter Huston With Orch/Maurice Abravanel
Knickerbocker Holiday: There's Nowhere To Go But Up - David Brooks With Orch/Maurice Abravanel
Knickerbocker Holiday: The Scars - Walter Huston With Orch/Maurice Abravanel
Lady In The Dark: One Life To Live - Gertrude Lawrence With Orch/Leonard Joy
Lady In The Dark: The Princess Of Pure Delight - Danny Kaye With Orchestra/Maurice Abravanel
Lady In The Dark: And Other Russians - Danny Kaye With Chor And Orch/Maurice Abravanel
Lady In The Dark: The Saga Of Jenny - Gertrude Lawrence With Chor And Orch/Leonard Joy
Lady In The Dark: My Ship - Gertrude Lawrence With Chor And Orch/Leonard Joy
One Touch Of Venus: I'm A Stranger Here Myself - Mary Martin With The 'One Touch Of Venus' Orch/Maurice Abravanel
One Touch Of Venus: Westwind - Kenny Baker With The 'One Touch Of Venus' Orch/Maurice Abravanel
One Touch Of Venus: Foolish Heart - Mary Martin With The 'One Touch Of Venus' Orch/Maurice Abravanel
One Touch Of Venus: Speak Low - Mary Martin/Kenny Baker With The 'One Touch Of Venus' Orch/Maurice Abravanel
One Touch Of Venus: That's Him - Mary Martin With The 'One Touch Of Venus' Orch/Maurice Abravanel
Ulysses Africanus: Lost In The Stars - Walter Huston With Orch/Victor Young
Ulysses Africanus: Lover Man - Lotte Lenya With Pno
One Touch Of Venus: Very, Very, Very - Kurt Weill
One Touch Of Venus: Wooden Wedding - Kurt Weill
One Touch Of Venus: Jersey Plonk - Kurt Weill
One Touch Of Venus: The Trouble With Women - Kurt Weill

Average customer rating:

Chuck Hits A Home Run

The Baseball Ballads
Chuck Brodsky
Manufacturer: Chuckbrodsky.Com
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

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General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Color Came One Day
Tulips For Lunch
Last of the Old Time
Baseball's Greatest Hits
Diamond Cuts: Seventh Inning Stretch

ASIN: B00006BSV1
Release Date: 2002-05-20

Tracks:

Ballad of Eddie Klepp
Gone to Heaven
Lefty
Dock Ellis' No-No
Letters in the Dirt
Bonehead Merkle
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Moe Berg: The Song
The Unnatural Shooting of Eddie Waitkus
Whitey & Harry

Album Description

Nine highly acclaimed original baseball story-songs. Among the characters covered on this cd are Eddie Klepp (first white man to play in the Negro Leagues), Moe Berg (a catcher who also was a US spy just before WWII), Max Patkin (Clown Prince of Baseball), Dock Ellis (who pitched a no hitter under the influence of LSD), Richie Allen (booed by racist Philadelphia fans, he'd write "b-o-o" in the dirt in response), Fred Bonehead Merkle (whose baserunning error cost the NY Giants the pennant in 1908), and Eddie Waitkus (shot by a female stalker, his story was the basis for the movie "The Natural").

Customer Reviews:

Chuck Hits A Home Run.......2005-03-02

I had the pleasure of seeing Chuck perform some of these songs one fine sunny afternoon before a Tourists' game at McCormick field. The music on the CD will make you feel as though your sitting in the bleachers at Wrigley Field in 1967 and the wind is blowing out, and Richie Allen is coming to the plate for the Phillies and you just know that the Cubs are going to lose again, but, hey, the beer is cold and it's not February. It's not all sunshine and apple pie, however, as Chuck covers some of baseballs darker and infamous stories most notably "Letters In The Dirt". Chuck writes with a light and clever touch. You can't help but doff your cap to him.

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Rock n Roll the way it was meant to be!

Mine To Remember
Waz
Manufacturer: WAZ Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0002J88QW
Release Date: 2004-01-04

Tracks:

Nothing Lasts Forever
Mine To Remember
Runaway
Summer Love
Wait Another Sunday

Album Description

Pete Yorn's former guitar player has released an impressive five song demo, turning life experiences into songs filled with heart-felt lyrics, lush acoustic melodies, and a touch of pop-sensibility

Customer Reviews:

Rock n Roll the way it was meant to be!.......2004-09-08

I have heard many artists who try to write simple, straight from the heart pop songs in the vein of Paul Westerberg and Tom Petty, but few can pull it off like WAZ. These songs have hooks that will be stuck in your head for days. It's catchy rock n roll with no BS! Buying this CD will only make your life better.

Average customer rating:

Bravos belong to beloved baritone Howard Keel

Bless Yore Beautiful Hide

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
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And I Love You So
Howard Keel
The Incomparable...
Only Make Believe: My Life in Show Business
Lovely to Look at

ASIN: B0007KTBH6
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Tracks:

My Defences Are Down - Adolph Deutsch, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Girl That I Marry [From Annie, Get Your Gun] - Adolph Deutsch, Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
They Say It's Wonderful [From Annie, Get Your Gun] - Adolph Deutsch, Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Anything You Can Do [From Annie, Get Your Gun] - Adolph Deutsch, Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Pagan Love Song [From Pagan Love Song] - Adolph Deutsch, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
House of the Singing Bamboo [From Pagan Love Song] - Adolph Deutsch, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Tahiti [From Pagan Love Song] - Adolph Deutsch, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Make Believe [From Show Boat] - Adolph Deutsch, Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
You Are Love [From Show Boat] - Adolph Deutsch, Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Why Do I Love You? [From Show Boat] - Adolph Deutsch, Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Young Folks Should Get Married [From Texas Carnival] - Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra,
Lovely to Look At [From Lovely to Look At] - Carmen Dragon, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
You're Devastating [From Lovely to Look At] - Carmen Dragon, Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Touch of Your Hand [From Lovely to Look At] - Carmen Dragon, Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Higher Than a Hawk [From Calamity Jane] - Ray Heindorf, Howard Keel,
I Can Do Without You [From Calamity Jane] - Doris Day, Ray Heindorf, Howard Keel,
So in Love [From Kiss Me, Kate] - Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra, Andrrevin,
Were Thine That Special Face [From Kiss Me, Kate] - Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra, Andrrevin,
Wunderbar - Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra, Andrrevin,
I've Come to Wive It Wealthily in Padua [From Kiss Me, Kate] - Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra, Andrrevin,
Where Is the Life That Late I Led? [From Kiss Me, Kate] - Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra, Andrrevin,
Right Place for a Girl [From Rose Marie] - Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra, Georgie Stoll's Trio
Rose Marie [From Rose Marie] - Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra, Georgie Stoll's Trio
Bless Yore Beautiful Hide [From Seven Brides for Seven Brothers] - Adolph Deutsch, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
Sobbin' Women [From Seven Brides for Seven Brothers] - Adolph Deutsch, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra
When You're in Love [From Seven Brides for Seven Bothers] - Adolph Deutsch, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra, Jane Powell
Your Land and My Land [From Deep in My Heart] - Adolph Deutsch, Howard Keel, MGM Studio Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Bravos belong to beloved baritone Howard Keel.......2005-08-30

Travel back in time to an era when songs were created to enjoy like a rich desert that your mom would make. Howard Keel and his various duet partners have done just this! This CD has a wonderful selection from the great musicals of the 1950's and makes you smile....sigh....and seek to hear them again and again. I would encourage you to add this to your collection as I have. I've even shared it with many of my friends who have come back with the same remarks of great music from one of the great singers of our recent past.

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