Three for One

Three for One

ASIN: B0000DD57F

Track Listings

1. Springdale

2. Miss Take

3. Sem Falar

4. On Green Dolphin Street

5. Sussex Garden

6. Either Way

7. Waltz for Walter

8. Christmas in Rio

9. Diana

10. Avacado

Three for One,Claudio Roditi,Klaus Ignatzek,Jean-Louis Rassinfosse,Nagel-Heyer,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings
Average customer rating:

Beautiful

Awesome

Excellent Music tracks from Movie

Complete?

Great Collection, Poor Packaging

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings
Howard Shore
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Film Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - The Complete Recordings

Ringers - Lord of the Fans

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Theatrical and Extended Limited Edition)

ASIN: B000BNI90O
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Tracks:

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Prologue: One Ring ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Shire
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Bag End (Featuring ...)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Very Old Friends
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Flaming Red Hair
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Farewell Dear Bilbo
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Keep It Secret, Keep ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/A Conspiracy Unmasked
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Three Is Company
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Passing of the Elves
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Saruman the White
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/A Shortcut to Mushrooms
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Strider
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Nazgul ...

Tracks:

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Weathertop
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Caverns of Isengard
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Give Up the Halfling
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Orthanc
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Rivendell
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Sword That Was ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Council of ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Great Eye
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Gilraen's Memorial
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Pass of Caradhras
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Doors of Durin
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Moria
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Gollum
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Balin's Tomb

Tracks:

Khazad-Dum
Caras Galadhon (featuring Lament for Gandalf, performed by Elizabeth Fraser)
The Mirror of Galadriel
The Fighting Uruk-hai
Parth Galen
The Departure of Boromir
The Road Goes Ever On (part 1)
May It Be (composed and performed by Enya)
The Road Goes Ever On (part 2. featuring In Dreams, perfomed by Edward Ross)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Khazad-D
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Caras Galadhon ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Mirror of Galadriel
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Fighting Uruk-Hai
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Parth Galen
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Departure of Boromir
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Road Goes Ever ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/May It Be
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Road Goes Ever ...

Amazon.com

As fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy know, each film exists in two versions: the theatrical one and the extended one that appeared on DVD. This luxurious box set--which also comes with a detailed essay on the movie's musical themes--features the full extended score, so many cues not on the CDs of the individual movies are included. Granted, the majority of listeners will be perfectly happy with the shorter versions of the scores--it's a safe bet that most people can live without hearing, say, Ian McKellen's 35-second-long ditty "The Road Goes Ever On" at the beginning of "Bag End," or Viggo Mortensen's performance of his own composition, "The Song of Lúthien," within the track "The Nazgûl." But if you're a completist and/or a devotee of Howard Shore's pounding tympani and overwhelming choral compositions (featured particularly prominently on disc 3, a large chunk of which is devoted to a battle scene), then this set is a dream come true. Audiophiles should note that the fourth disc, a DVD, offers the score in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Fire up those speakers so the whole shire can hear. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

An epic film score receives epic treatment with The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings. Released for the first time on CD, the complete score for the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy contains more than 180 minutes of music on three CDs plus a DVD-Audio disc of the entire score in Surround Sound. Breathtaking and majestic, the 2001 Oscar and Grammy winning score compsted by Howard Shore also includes Enya's Oscar nominated "May It Be." For fans of any of The Lord of the Rings films, the Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings is an essential experience.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-06-15

I picked up this set because I am both a LOTR fan, movies and books and I need music to help me work. There are some tracks that I skipped over, like the short little ditties in the bar, but many of the songs, such as the Elvish chants are easy to get lost in - its just too bad they don't last longer. The packaging really is well done, though the DVD disc was loose when I received it in the mail, but unharmed. I will have to wait until the price on the second set comes down a little more, but I can't wait for ROTK.

Awesome.......2007-06-12

This is by far the editon to get if you loved the lord of the rings soundtrack. It has every song on it from the extended edition. and the DVD-A version is very nice.

Excellent Music tracks from Movie.......2007-05-03

Brings the movie back as you listen to the full version of the track.

Complete?.......2007-04-07

This CD collection is wonderful; it has much of the material from the movie that was only included in the extended edition DVD, but it is far from complete. While it does have the complete version of "The Passing of the Elves" and two versions of "The Road Goes Ever On", many of the songs are highly incomplete and inferior to the originals. "Aniron," the theme for Aragorn and Arwen performed by Enya, is incomplete and the lyrics are hard to match to what is being sung. The sound quality for this song is even worse on the accompanying DVD, which is supposed to have all of the music in "superior sound". The song "Prophecy" is reduced to two barely-audible lines and "May It Be" is shortened and different than the original. $60 for this when there are more complete songs on the original soundtrack is ridiculous.

Great Collection, Poor Packaging.......2007-04-03

I realy can't add to what others have said about this set, the music is simply the best LOTR soundtrack collection out there! It is all here, and the contents of this set will make any LOTR fan happy and the music DVD is a great one disc addition if you want to hear the entire score in one sitting (to which I have done a number of times already).
My only complaint is the somewhat flimsy cardboard box that houses the contents of this musical treasure. Mine came damaged, and considering the price, I expected better packaging. This is a minor quabble on my part and NO, I havent returned it due to the fact that the music itself Is what I truly treasure, It just would have been nicer to have recieved it undamaged.

Music-5
Packaging-3

*for the record I had rated this Item 5 stars not the 3 stars that is showing at the top of my review*

Average customer rating:

A Must Have
Broad Spectrum Virtuosity
Cool Pairing for Meyer/Fleck Fans
Bela Fleck + Edgar Meyer = strange mixture
Virtuosity Knows No Musical Boundaries

Music for Two (Bonus DVD)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Telluride Sessions
The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2
Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suites: Performed on Double Bass

ASIN: B0001XAMS6
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Tracks:

Bug Tussle
Invention 10, BWV 796
Pile Up
Prelude No.24, BWV 869
Solar
Blue Spruce
Canon
The One I Left Behind
V. Menuet I - II, BWV 825
Prelude No.2, BWV 847
Palmyra
The Lake Effect
Largo/Allegro Vivace
Allegro Vivace
Wrong Number
Woolly Mammoth
Wishful Thinking

Amazon.com

On Music for Two, banjo wizard Béla Fleck and stand-up bass maestro Edgar Meyer effortlessly sail through a challenging program that includes compositions by Bach, a sonata by Henry Eccles, a Miles Davis tune, and a number of self-composed finger twisters. The amazing thing about this varied selection is not its eclecticism--which is only to be expected with these two--but that it all blends together so seamlessly. Fleck's jazz-tinged compositions (like "The Lake Effect") and Meyer's bluegrass-inspired tunes (like "Wishful Thinking") sit so comfortably next to Bach's baroque jewels and Davis's cool jazz that it makes you question the entire of concept of musical classification. (In fact, the Bach preludes, inventions, and partitas translate so well to the banjo/bass arrangements, you have to wonder if old JSB might not have had a bit of bluegrass in his soul.) Music for Two was recorded live at a series of 2001 concerts, where Fleck and Meyer proved conclusively that the banjo and the bass were capable of remarkable subtlety and not just twang and boom. --Michael John Simmons

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have.......2007-04-25

These two really sound good together. If you're not so impressed with the music when you first hear it (I don't know if that's possible), check out the DVD that comes with it. You will gain such an appreciation for the music that's being played. Watch out for the guy making the banjo jokes. This CD is really an incredible work, I can't say it enough. Very relaxing music.

Broad Spectrum Virtuosity.......2007-04-23

This album runs the gamut of styles and genre. It is hard to get bored when a musical turn is but a few notes away. The two musicians integrate their instruments with incredible skill. I hate to give it a four star rating. The music is worth the 5. The loooooong, live applause tracks detract from the album. The asides by the musicians are sometimes hard to hear. Minor aggravations aside,this album plays frequently, very frequently, in our home,car, iPods, etc.

Cool Pairing for Meyer/Fleck Fans.......2007-01-02

I've seen both Edgar Meyer and Bela Fleck live (unfortunately not together) and I really think this album just captures the magic of their live shows: I can almost see them in my living room together! For those not so familiar with the music of one or both the inclusion of classical tunes with those composed by Meyer/Fleck and other contemporary songwriters is a cool drink of water. Music for Two is a good intro to the world of cozy bluegrass.

Bela Fleck + Edgar Meyer = strange mixture .......2006-11-10

Bela Fleck is one of the my jazz favorites... And hi with combination called Edgar Meyer are... great music!!!

Virtuosity Knows No Musical Boundaries.......2006-10-22

Béla Fleck & Edgar Meyer are both extraordinarily accomplished musicians who spend much of their time in very different worlds: Fleck in his newgrass space and Meyer in a more classical mode. But each has travelled in the other's territory before, and on this CD they connect around more genres than you can shake a stick at. In addition to their own compositions they tackle many of their joint favorites. The affection shows in the passion of the playing and the obvious camaraderie. And the accompanying DVD is a treat. Don't miss this one.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic!
Loved the movie, love the score
4.5 Stars for The Greatest Game Ever Played
One of Brian Tyler's best

The Greatest Game Ever Played
Brian Tyler
Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000ASDGHQ
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

Main Title Overture
Immigrant's Theme
Determination
The Amateur
Broken Dreams
A Call To Arms
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Dog Leg
Angel
Invitation
Broken Dreams Reprise
Ouimet Trails By One
Ride The High Country
Indecision
Heads Turn
The Game Is Afoot
An Unlikely Outcome
A Chance Encounter
And Then There Were Three
Ride The High Country Reprise
True Valor
A Quiet Dignity
Duel
Showdown
Sunset
Angel - Dawn Upshaw
The Band Played On - Amick Byram
Hello Hello Who's Your Lady Friend? - Joe Jackson
End Title Overture

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2007-01-09

As a movie soundtrack fan, I was immediately drawn to 'The Greatest Game Ever Played,' and when I got it just a few weeks ago, I wasn't dissapointed.
At first it sounds much like James Horner's 'Legends of the Fall,' but it is by no means a repeat of it. It is a beautifull soundtrack on it's own, with many different themes that keep it exciting. The music has the same early 1900's feel as the movie while stil maintaining a variety of music styles; from soaring strings to intense violin pieces to period vocals like "And the Band Played On." Like the movie, it has a very inspirational feel, and I would definately recommend it to anyone, whether fans of the movie or soundtrack lovers.

Loved the movie, love the score.......2006-03-17

I saw The Greatest Game Ever Played in the theater and became enchanted with this film, based on the true story of Francis Ouimet, a low-class amateur golfer who emerges from complete obscurity to win the U.S. Open. By the end of the movie, I realized how much I was enjoying the music and decided that I just had to buy the soundtrack.

As I have listened to this soundtrack again and again, I've been captivated by this music. The beauty and power of Brian Tyler's composition is most impressive. As an intent listener, I've been deeply moved by the expansive musical landscape that is covered in this soundtrack. The central motif, a majestic and magnanimous melody which forms the essence of the main title, is woven into tracks throughout the disc, tying everything together as part of a musical (and theatrical) storyline. Indeed, it seems like an incomplete experience if I don't listen to the entire soundtrack, start to finish, in sequential order. If you take the time to do that, you'll find it's a very rewarding listen.

4.5 Stars for The Greatest Game Ever Played.......2006-03-11

This was an excellent 10 dollar purchase from iTunes, to put it mildly. As much as I loved Tyler's The Final Cut, Darkness Falls, Timeline and Constantine scores, this tops them all. It's a loving tribute to the main character of the film and good ol' fashioned film scoring in general. I haven't seen the movie and therefore cannot comment on wether or not it works in the context of the film. I can, however, say with great pleasure what a joy it is to listen to as a solo album.
The album picks up with the main title track, and what a great track it is. Some people will say it is Horner reminiscent, and while many themes on this CD do remind me of James Horner's best work, I actually think the closer resemblance is John Debney. I'm serious - this score is in many ways similar to The Passion of the Christ. It has pounding drums and wonderful percussion and isn't afraid to go all out with the string and brass section. It's a thrilling, heroic, melodramatic and operatic score that I've enjoyed listening to repeatedly. A highly recommended score for anyone who enjoys breathtaking and moving and powerful and heroic sometimes lighthearted and always thrilling music.
cheers
KZ

One of Brian Tyler's best.......2005-10-01

Brain Tyler says of this score that "the orchestral music was influenced by the popular music of the end of the 19th Century and the start of the 20th Century - Debussy, Sibelius, Strauss, and Mahler. To me, the sound we know as 'American' was a combination of the styles of so many of these great European composers." As far as I'm concerned, this score was a lot more influenced by James Horner -- certain bits sound strikingly similar to Legends of the Fall. But don't let that put you off, because the rest of the bits don't. This score is beautiful, lively, energetic, exciting and ebullient Americana throughout -- an odd contrast to Tyler's last score, the dark beast that was Constantine. Despite the occasional "nods" to Horner, though, Greatest Game Ever Played is one of Tyler's best and most thoroughly enjoyable scores, well orchestrated and well recorded also. If it's not quite Children of Dune, it's certainly better than his best since, such as Timeline and The Final Cut, on par with his other score for Bill Paxton, Frailty, though obviously in a very different genre and with a very different sound. So if you're a fan of Brian Tyler or good, uplifting, exciting film music in general, definitely check out this score.

Brahms at Bedtime: A Sleepytime Serenade

Average customer rating:

pre bedtime music
Great For Bedtime
A true disappointment
Naptime
A good choice for quiet time and nap.

Brahms at Bedtime: A Sleepytime Serenade

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach at Bedtime: Lullabies for the Still of the Night
Beethoven at Bedtime: A Gentle Prelude to Sleep
Mozart for Meditation
Mozart at Midnight
Debussy for Daydreaming: Music to Caress Your Innermost Thoughts

ASIN: B0000041FU
Release Date: 1996-10-15

Tracks:

Lullaby
Piano Concerto In B-Flat - Piu adagio
Violin Concerto In D - Adagio
'Double' Concerto In A Minor - Andante
Clarinet Quintet In B Minor - Adagio
Piano Quartet In C Minor - Andante
As Melodies Were Passing By
Sonata In D Minor - Adagio
Trio In C Minor - Andante grazioso (Excerpt): Piano Trio In C Minor - Andante grazioso (Excerpt)
Intermezzo No. 1 In E-Flat
Fantasy No. 4 In E
Variations & Fugue On A Theme By Handel - Variation V
Waltz No. 15 In A-Flat
Lullaby: Lullaby (Reprise)

Customer Reviews:

pre bedtime music.......2007-05-30

Great music for helping you unwind after a long day so you can be more relaxed at bedtime.

Great For Bedtime.......2005-12-15

A few years ago I started having trouble sleeping at night. It was probably due to my new husband's snoring! I remembered how when I worked at a daycare, we would play classical music while the children took naps. So I thought I would give it a try. I have tried a couple different CD's and so far this is my favorite! All of the music is soothing. There aren't any songs that get loud or fast. The only weird thing is that the first and last song are the same. I repeat the CD all night and it really does help me to sleep! If the power goes out I notice immediately because my soothing music is gone! I highly recommend this CD!

A true disappointment.......2004-11-04

Amazingly this compilation has managed to get together some of the most untallented performances of Brahms' music. With a few exceptions the moto of this CD can be summed up as 'no understanding and appreciation for a musical genius'. The choice of music is also quite perfunctory. There are many Brahms pieces that could have served better the bedtime purpose. Buy at your own risk. My only fear is that some people will get their first impressions of Brahms from this CD...

Naptime.......2003-04-18

I love to listen to this cd if I'm tired and need to take a nap or just rest for a while. It is very soothing.

A good choice for quiet time and nap........2000-09-27

This is one of my favorite nap and quiet time choices. It is very mellow and soothing. My three year old frequently falls asleep listening to it, and even turns it on again for herself if she wakes up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep!

Average customer rating:

Ultimate Wedding Album
The Best!
A beautiful CD - wedding or not
The best of my Wedding CD's
When they say Ultimate, they mean it!

The Ultimate Wedding Album

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000427S
Release Date: 1995-03-14

Tracks:

Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Sheep May Safely Graze
Suite No.3 In D: Air On The G String
Xerxes: Largo
The Water Music: Air
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
Trumpet Voluntary (The Prince Of Denmark's March)
Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Canon In D
Ave Maria
Panis Angelicus
Ave Maria
Because
West Side Story: One Hand, One Heart
Be My Love
The Water Music: Hornpipe In D
Fifth Symphony: Toccata
Trumpet Tune And Air
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March

Customer Reviews:

Ultimate Wedding Album.......2007-06-01

The perfect album for anyone planning a wedding. Both traditional and contemporary wedding favorites. Sound quality is excellent.

The Best!.......2007-05-24

Send this to every future bride and groom - yes. But even better, send a copy to the PARENT(S) of the future bride and groom!!! It gets everyone in the mood and filled with excitement! Also, it allows them to hear some choices other than "Here Comes the Bride." This CD can also be a lasting pre-wedding shower gift.

A beautiful CD - wedding or not.......2007-01-11

Whether you're getting married, attending a wedding or just want some sweet music to listen to - this album is it. A terrific collection of some of the most beautiful music ever written.

The best of my Wedding CD's.......2007-01-10

I purchased quite a few Wedding CD's but for me, this Album has the most elegant and classic pieces. Ultra modern, trendy girls...don't you dare go here. Classic, beautiful, refined women...this is your CD.

Pamela

When they say Ultimate, they mean it!.......2006-03-14

This album really is great. As of writing the review I haven't gotten married yet, but I am definetly using it in my June wedding. It has all of the classics that we always associate with weddings and only weddings ("Bridal Chorus" for the bridal processional, "Wedding March" for a recessional, etc.) PLUS plenty of other music for the wedding party processional, unity candle lighting, prelude music, etc. I purchased another CD, but only because that music was used in EVERY ceremony at my high school and it has sentimental value to me. I didn't need to, as the album cover even sorts the tracks by Prelude, Processional, Ceremony, and Recessional.

The songs are so peaceful, well performed, and just plain pretty. Those with organ truly remind me of being in church as a child. I plan to keep the CD in my IPod and listen to it when I need some "chill out" time. Those which are not AS specific to weddings ("Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," "Air on the G String," etc.) sort of make you feel like you're in a classy coffee shop or in a bakery in an Italian villa.

Overall, a very well-rounded album. You could get by with this CD alone for all of your ceremony music and save hundreds of dollars on hiring an organist and soloist. With a decent sound system at your ceremony site, guests who didn't know any better would wonder where the orchestra is.

Berlioz: La Marseillaise - Love Scene from Roméo & Juliet - The Damnation of Faust, Three Excerpts, etc... / McNair, Leech, Zinman

Average customer rating:

All This Music Is Better Served Elsewhere
The production of a music genius
Wake up music
A middle of the pack offering--nothing magic, nothing tragic

Berlioz: La Marseillaise - Love Scene from Roméo & Juliet - The Damnation of Faust, Three Excerpts, etc... / McNair, Leech, Zinman
Hector Berlioz , Baltimore Symphony Orchestra & Chorus , Sylvia McNair , Richard Leech , and David Zinman
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)
Syriana (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000003CUS
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Benvenuto Cellini: Overture
Love Scene
Minuet Of The Will-O'-The-Wisps
Dance Of The Sylphs
Rakoczy March
Le Corsaire Overture
Les Troyens: Trojan March
Royal Hunt & Storm
La Marseillaise

Customer Reviews:

All This Music Is Better Served Elsewhere.......2006-05-04

On paper at least, this seems like an attractive sampler. And it is, as far as the music is concerned. These bits and pieces are some of the most inspired music from Berlioz's long masterworks for voices and orchestra such as Damnation de Faust, Romeo et Juliette, Les Troyens, and Benvenuto Cellini. In sterling performances, they're really enlivening music. Here, for a variety of reasons, they don't make the impact they usually do. First of all, Zinman, whom I usually admire, doesn't seem to warm up to the music. Maybe it's not his cup of tea--more of a Beethoven-and-contemporary music man, based on the stuff I've heard that he does really well. Also, as recorded here, the Baltimore Symphony doesn't seem to have the heft for Berlioz's dazzling orchestral display. Next to, say, the Montreal Symphony, which has done a lot of this music very successfully on disc, the Baltimore is lacking.

Then, as I suggest, a large part of the problem is the recording. Telarc's legendary recording technique don't seem to translate well to the Meyerhoff Hall, at least not in this recording; there's even some distortion in thickly scored passages. Argo/Decca got the measure of the hall better in their later and far more successful recordings from Baltimore.

So I say, shop around. You'll do far better with Dutoit, Davis, Nagano, Plasson, Nelson, et al.

The production of a music genius.......2005-08-06

Really really terrific!
I prefer to do not say more... terrific!

Wake up music.......2001-03-18

This is a good CD but not a great one. Mr. Zinman gives a decent rendition of some of the French "classics" and the Baltimore symphony is up to the task. In the defense of Mr. Zinman one must recognize that there is probably no real good way to play Berlioz. But the real value of this CD is to introduce one to Berlioz who still today does not rate as high as one would like; not to mention its status of "only one opus composer" that the Symphonie Fantastique seems to give him sometimes. The inclusion of Berlioz transcription of the Marseillaise is a curious touch. Berlioz tried to dignify what was after all a soldiers motivational anthem to go and kill into a more respectable piece suitable for a serious country. Nice try. However it is still an interesting and hyperactive piece and if we must listen to it on occasion we might as well do it here. In sum, here we have a nice mix that can be played as background music when we need to be energized.

A middle of the pack offering--nothing magic, nothing tragic.......2001-02-17

If you've heard Toscanini's snappy Rakozcy March, then the lumbering version on this disc will just leave you frustrated. The Marseillaise here is pretty turgid, too. Not much else leaves even that much of a lasting impression. Okay if you can get it budget-priced.

Average customer rating:

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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What to Listen for in Music
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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

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:

Opening: I Hope I Get It - Company
I Can Do That - Wayne Cilento
At the Ballet - Carole Bishop, Kay Cole, Nancy Lane
Sing! - Renee Baughman, Don Percassi
Montage, Pt. 1: Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love [Expanded Vers - Baayork Lee, Cameron Mason
Montage, Pt. 2: Mother - Patricia Garland, Ron Kuhlman
Montage, Pt. 3: Gimmie the Ball - Ronald Dennis, Michael Stuart
Nothing - Priscilla Lopez
Dance: Ten; Looks: Three - Pamela Blair
Music and the Mirror - Donna McKechnie
One - Company
What I Did for Love - Priscilla Lopez, Company
One (Reprise)/Finale

Amazon.com

Michael Bennett's 1975 tale of Broadway's gypsies--the chorus dancers--resonated with audiences as few shows ever have, examining with both hilarity and heartbreak the grueling life of ordinary performers always auditioning for an opportunity to be members of a faceless chorus line. And along the way, it picked up the Pulitzer, the New York Drama Critics Award, and nine Tonys, and became the longest-running show in Broadway history. The original cast (eight of whom contributed their real-life memories to the show) included no major stars, but are unmatched on this cast recording of Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban's score, including Priscilla Lopez's poignant "Nothing," Donna McKechnie's yearning dance number "The Music and the Mirror," one of Broadway's most famous torch ballads in "What I Did for Love," and the ultimate high-kicking chorus number, "One." Fans of the show will welcome the 1998 remastered CD, which adds two and a half minutes to "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love." While still incomplete, the montage now includes "Four-foot ten," "Little brat," and "The worst thing in school...." --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

great soundtrack for a great show............2007-06-09

I first heard this soundtrack on my cousin's CD player, back when she was pursuing musical theater, as a young teenager (at least ten years ago). Some of the greatest songs from the musical repertoire are here: "What I Did For Love," "One," and "Nothing." It's always a great sign when a score (in this case, by the talented duo of Hamlisch and Kleban) works so well that people don't have to see the musical to know what it's about from just a few musical numbers. That isn't to say that the show isn't wonderful, too. To make long stories [very] short for the sake of the increasingly decreasing attention spans of my readers who just want to know "Should I buy this," A CHORUS LINE is the story of a group of singer/dancers from diverse backgrounds, coming together on one Broadway stage for the same reason. They all want a crack at being a part of a dancing chorus line on The Great White Way, that could be their big break. There are other dramas going on, behind that, of course (and we hear all of their stories, complete with monologue, song and dance number). The drama is high, but so is the infectiousness. You really build attachments and interests in each of the characters, and the story is so well-written, you'll be compelled to stick through the songs and follow the stories, just to see who is "The One." This is truly a great example of storytelling in musical theater. There is a reason it was one of the longest running shows on Broadway.

A Chorus Line.......2007-05-31

Makes you recall the thrill of attending this terrific musical. You experience the glory and the pain and love every minute of it again.

What They Did For Love.......2007-02-12

A Chorus Line was an unlikely Broadway hit--there were no big name celebrities to brighten up the stage, no elaborate sets, and, according to the liner notes, "almost no plot." However, A Chorus Line shined brightly because it highlighted the lives of the people who are in the chorus line of a Broadway musical. By focusing on the people who normally don't make the leap into stardom, A Chorus Line paradoxically gained remarkable strength and popularity. A Chorus Line ran for fifteen years; and this CD shows why.

The CD begins with the track entitled "Opening: I Hope I Get It." Too many actors and actresses have arrived to compete for jobs in a chorus line in a Broadway production. Zach, the man who must chose the people who make the final cut, stuns the actors by requesting them to talk about themselves. This provides the premise for the rest of the music of the show. One by one the actors open up and share their life stories in song; and the music by Marvin Hamlisch enhances their songs greatly.

Several memorable stories told in song by the actors include "I Can Do That" in which Mike, performed by Wayne Cilento, tells about how he swiped his sister's dance shoes to race to a dance rehearsal; the beautiful ballad about escaping the heartache of real life at the theater entitled "At The Ballet" performed by Carole Bishop, Nancy Lane and Kay Cole; "Montage, Part 3: Gimme The Ball" performed by Michel Stuart and Ronald Dennis as Greg and Richie respectively; and "Dance: Ten; Looks Three" performed by Pamela Blair in the role of Val. Excellent!

Other numbers on this original cast recording deserve very special mention. "What I Did For Love" is delivered flawlessly by Priscilla Lopez and Company; in this song Priscilla's character Diana Morales sings beautifully of how she would have no regrets if she could never dance again. Priscilla Lopez also performs the memorable balled "Nothing" about how she simply did not profit from a course she took with an acting professor several years earlier.

The finale, a reprise of the smash number "One," features the cast singing together as polished professionals instead of the somewhat clumsy chorus line hopefuls they were before. I still remember feeling chills up and down my spine when I saw this number in the show at New York's Schubert Theater in 1979.

The liner notes have an excellent essay by Marc Kirkeby and the photos of the cast are a real treat. The notes indicate which actors performed each song and the artwork will impress you.

The sound is excellent even on my portable CD player. There is very little, if any, surface noise.

A Chorus Line represents a sophisticated look at the real lives of struggling actors and actresses. These people scramble for jobs in their chosen profession so that they can be happy and well fed at the same time. The catchy melodies by Marvin Hamlisch will delight you; and the lyrics by Edward Kleban display forethought and sheer brilliance.

I highly recommend this CD for fans of the theater and for people who love the outstanding music of Marvin Hamlisch. People who enjoy convincing exposés of the real lives of struggling actors will also enjoy this CD.

God, I hope you get it..........2006-11-28

I Just saw the new Broadway revival (which is fantastic), knew I had to give the original a re-listen, and have come to the conclussion that while it does not inspire deep thought or endeavor to change the world, A Chorus Line is a musical everyone, not just dancers and singers, can relate too. The central conceit of the show is the audience being invited to sit in on auditions for the dancing chorus of a broadway musical. Slowly the cast of hopeful auditionees dwindles to a victorious 8, who eventually earn roles and reveal much about their struggle for success. Yes, on the whole, it is a musical dancers will identify with, but it is not solely about dancing. A Chorus Line is about why and how we are able to do what we love. As we watch the audition play out on stage and hear the stories of the characters, one can't help but feel the same fear and pressure, and the cd masterfully captures the intimacy of "A Chorus Line".
A Chorus Line begins with the famous, pulse-pounding "GOD I HOPE I GET IT", where we hear the dancers inner thoughts while learning the choreography. This is a mostly danced number, but it is energetic, effecting and a brilliant opening.
More great numbers are "AT THE BALLET", which has three dancers taking down their "audition facades" and describing the therapy dance provided during troubled childhoods. The "MONTAGE" numbers are a funny mixture of painful, embarrassing, and entirely too real memories of teenage years. "DANCE 10, LOOKS 3" Is a hillarious yet sadly true song about the power of appearance. "WHAT I DID FOR LOVE" is one of the most original love songs of all time, about the sacrafices made not for the people we love, but for ourselves. It sumarizes the whole musical: Why we do what we do for the things we love.
The idea of A Chorus Line has become a little cliche after years and years of exposure and performance, but it is deffinately worth the praise it receives and fame it has accumilated. A must have for every lover of musical theatre.

a great musical.......2006-11-06

I enjoy listening to the original broaadway musical A Chorus Line. However I didnt realize I was purchasing the broadway version. I was actually looking for the film version.

Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967

Average customer rating:

A memento of a conductor lost in the golden age
Remembering Ansermet in style
Ansermet is Awesome, and...

Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies

ASIN: B000JU7N7Y
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Customer Reviews:

A memento of a conductor lost in the golden age.......2007-06-20

This 6-CD set gives uninitiated listeners a fair introduction to a conductor they never knew while he was alive or in his heyday. Ernest Anserment (1883-1969) was born in Switzerland and was a contemporary of both Furtwängler and Klemperer, although he was of a far different school of music than either German. Originally a mathematician, Ansermet founded Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Swiss Radio Orchestra) during World War I, toured with them worldwide after the war, and rose to prominence after World War II when he and the orchestra developed a recording contract with Decca Records.

Ansermet was most at home in coolorful scores, 20th century French music, in the works of his countrymen Honegger (born French but spent time in Zurich) and Frank Martin, and in the Russians Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. But, as represented here, his expertise began with Bach and went well into the 20th century.

Ansermet's strengths were clarity in execution and delivery, strict adherence to original scoring (he opposed Stravinsky's tendency to revise his own works), and a romantic bent that was in vogue in the postwar years. Stated another way, Anserment's work captured the essence of what today might be characterized as a "romantic period performance" style whose chief proponent may be Martin Perlman in Boston.

For me, Ansermet's conducting in the mainstream German classics was equally engaging. He was expert in capturing the full blown romance of Brahms, Beethoven and other romantics through the rigors of exposing every instrument in the orchestra and ensuring all contrapuntal lines could be heard. His Beethoven set included a dazzling performance of the Symphony No. 2 and a draft of the "Choral" symphony most collectors would enjoy today (it's still avaiable in Japan).

While recordings of Ansermet's Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky have rightly stayed in the catalog and been hailed by critics for decades, his greatest recording of romantic repertoire, in my opinion, is neither included in this box nor avaialable anywhere worldwide. That is his pairing of the Franck D Minor Symphony and the St. Saens "Organ" Symphony which Decca paired early in the CD era on a Weekends Classic recording. It has been out of print everywhere for some time and is a great loss for all of us.

Still today, I treasure Ansermet's box of Beethoven symphonies (also out of print everywehere; No. 4, is represented here) for its clarity, romance and elocution. I will never forget buying this box at my local LP store about 1972; what a revelation it was after exposure to the Beethoven of all the high cholesterol German romantics! Ansermet's combination of score adherence, clarity in orchestral detail, and blooming romance in interpretation led to my most satisfying performances of the most recorded symphonies in history during the period when the greatest conductors of the recording era were all represented in this repertoire.

The latter point is, I believe, the linchpin to Ansermet's career. I don't think there's any question that, if a conductor came along today with his combination of skills, sensitivity and technique, he or she would be regarded as a wunderkind combining the best traits of the current and bygone eras. In his lifetime, however, Ansermet was never regarded in this way. I think that's because he existed on a plane or two below all the acknowledged giants of the podium that were active or in their prime in his day.

While Ansermet was making the recordings in this box, Wilhelm Furtwangler was conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, dying, and being replaced by an up and coming German named Karajan that would go on the become the most recorded conductor in history. Klemperer was one of the giants in Germany with Bohm, Jochum and others sharing the spotlight. Among Europe's rising stars of the day were Colin Davis and Bernard Haitink, who had recently taken over for Beinum in Holland. Elsewhere, Leonard Bernstein was in the midst of his titanic career on the other side of the Atlantic and other American orchestral posts were manned by Ormandy, Szell, Solti, Mehta, Monteaux and another young, up and coming condcutor, Lorin Mazzel. Stokowski was in his prime making stereo recordings in this era, too.

This was the epoch of Ansermet's maturity. He was in the same position as a number of great conductors of his era such as Rudolf Kempe -- great men at the podium cast in the shadow of giants. While Ansermet was a member of the Decca stable, he nonetheless was cast in a secondary role as Decca also had new recordings by Solti and Maazel that were outselling anything Ansermet put forth. Simultanously, collectors could also find all the recordings of legendary conductors including Toscanini, Bruno Walter and Beecham. It was surely a crowded time in the record business and the most difficult time in history for a conductor to make his name.

In baseball terms, Ansermet had some of the affect of Sammy Sosa, whose 600 home runs came in the shadow of Mark McGwire's record-breaking season in 1998 and while Barry Bonds would first break the all-time single season record and, second, chase Hank Aaron's home run record. The metaphor may not be competely satisfactory for Ansermet was probably not the third greatest conducting home run hitter of his day.

But he was one of the great conductors with his own orchestra, a unique style, a broad repertoire, and a delivery mechanism underrated due to the shadow cast on him by other greats of the day. We are fortunate, living in the late digital era, to have this testament of his work before us. Now a new generation of listeners can hear what many did a half-century ago with new ears developed in the period performance practice era.

Of the contents of this set, my favorites are the Haydn Symphony 22, Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite, the orchestrated Schumann Carnaval (which I had never heard before), both Resphigi suites -- Pines of Rome and Rossiniana -- Honneger's Pacific 231 and Frank Martin's Concerto for 7 Wind Instruments, Timpani, Percussion and String Orchestra, an interesting, powerful and lively 20th century concerto. I agree with an earlier reviewer that said this set cherry picks certain pieces, teasing you with portions such as the Borodin Polovtsian Dances and Dukas La Peri selections. Still, there's enough here to satisfy both Ansermet enthusiasts and newcomers to the conductor.

Remembering Ansermet in style.......2007-03-01

Ernest Ansermet was one of Decca's most prolific artists, to whom they consigned dozens of Stravinsky works, the standard Russian repertoire, and all French music. We've been steadily getting reissues of this output, and here's the latest batch. Newcomers may be surprised at how good even the earliest sound is, but they should also expect less than virtuosic playing from the Suisse Romande orchestra; the lack in execution is made up for by the special tang of French winds and brass, a constant pleasure throughout.

CD 1: Ansermet conducted very good Bach and Brahms but is little known for that. Here we get a sampling of his skill in German music. The snippet of orchestral music from Bach's Cantata #31 is a prelude to a fresh, lively Haydn Sym. #22 "The Philosopher" (named for its sober opening Adagio) that's performed in the same gentle, loving style as Bruno Walter's Haydn. The same soft-grained approach applies to the Beethoven 4th Sym., but in this case the scrawniness of the string section compares badly with great German and American orchestras, and one also feels that Ansermet really should dig in more. But if you want a feminine reading of a symphony often called feminine by older critics, this is a fine one. This generous disc ends with three overtures many listeners won't already own: Weber's Ruler of the Spheres and Preciosa Over., plus the more familiar Mendelssohn Ruy Blas. The performances are lively to the point of brashness, and very enjoyable.

CD 2: This disc is Russian and Finnish. For many French conductors Russian music comes as second nature, and this is true for Ansermet. His suite of Polovtsian Dances from Borodin's Prince Igor is light, fast, and pointed. Rendering a pops staple with such detailed delicacy really refreshes it; Ansermet's version is worthy to stand beside Beecham's minor classic. In the same vein is Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite, which as Mr. Richman points out, is different from the complete score performed by Ansermet on Decca's box set of his Stravinsky recordings. The stereo sound is rather narrow and thin, but this Pulcinella is a model of how to avoid heaviness and over-emphasis in this music. Nobody would expect the Sibelius Fourth to follow, nor is Ansermet noted for being a Sibelian. His reading is super-clear, lean, and light-textured. It works very well in this pastoral music, although for intensity and better execution one has to look elsewhere.

CD 3: From here on out the music is primarily French, the area of Ansermet's greatest renown. Decca has kindly provided some rarities to everybody but committed collectors. This disc starts out with pops chestnuts, however, including one excerpt each from Coppelia and Sylvia (why bother?) and then the more unusual Saint-Saens Chasseur Maudit tone poem. Given that the ballet snippets are sparkling, as always from this conductor, while the Saint-Saens lacks atmosphere and panache, the choice is dubious. After bits of Chabrier and Faure we arrive at a curiostiy, an orchestration under the title of Coquette (for ballet) of Schumann's Carnaval. Nobody plays these transcriptions anymore, but I msut confess to being delighted with this one, which is full of vivacity and sounds like Offenbach--you'd swear a can-can or two has been thrown in.

CD 4: When Faure's orchestral music gained a flurry of popularity in the Sixties, Ansermet led the way. This version of Masques et Bergamesques is all that anyone could desire. The mock-classic idiom isn't that far removed from Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin, music I usualy don't have much patience with--it sounds dainty and precious--but Ansermet's reading is winning in its directness. I was quite ready to leave wispy Gallic nostalgia behind, but next comes more of the same--Debussy's Petite Suite and other atmospheric bits from him. This disc was the first to lose my atention, even though on its own terms the musicmaking is expert, if not as charismatic as Beecham's way with trifles. The disc ends with a light, bright reading of Respighi's Fountains of Rome blessedly free of vulgarity.

CD 5: Honegger gained wide popularity with two religious oratorios, Joan of Arc at the Stake and this King David, even though both works have slipped out of the repertoire outside France. King David uses cinematic Orientalism and modal harmonies to describe ancient Jerusalem, a style that seems a bit cheap and slithery nowadays. But the combination of spoken narration, vocal soloists, and choruses, all in highly accessible music that never challenges the first-time listener, has its appeal. Ansermet's was one of the classic versions in stereo, and here it is, elegantly displaying Honegger's dramatic intentions. However, for me the total effect was like kindergarten Stravinsky.

CD 6: Dukas' admireres point to his opera La Peri as a minor masterpiece, and here we get a hint via the Fanfare and one dance, followed by a pops march from Rimsky's Dubinushka, a rare item for certain. More familiar is the suite of Rossini excerpts known as Rossiniana (antoher ballet), and I can't imagine anyone doing it with quite the same elegant polish of Ansermet. The recorded sound is extremely detailed in its transparency, which made it an early audiophile classic. Back to Stravinsky for a colorful but fairly leaden Scherzo a la russe, not a striking effort. But what follows is striking and perhaps the best thing in the set, Frank Martin's Concerto for 7 Wind Instruments, Percussion, and Strings, a nod to the orchestra's Swiss-ness. The playing is pointed and eager, and Ansermet conducts so well that the work is jsutified as being a minor masterpiece of Poulenc-inspired whimsical elegance.

What to say overall? This box set has no bad performances and many striking ones. I think judgment comes down to one's tastes in music. Mine don't tend toward ballet and French pops, or to Honegger's religious crossover style, so I'm not the best one to recommend what is in any case a very enjoyable listen from beginning to end.

Ansermet is Awesome, and..........2007-02-22

Generally I am a big fan of the Original Masters box sets, but with this latest collection Decca/UNI has gone too far. Don't get me wrong there are some wonderful rare recordings on "Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967" -- Haydn's 22nd Symphony, Beethoven's 4th, Sibelius' 4th, Respighi's Fountains of Rome, an entire CD of Honegger performances, and even Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite, a different version from the full account contained on Ansermet's Stravinsky box (see my review). But way too much of the rest of this set is just repackaged previously available material. In fairness much of it has been out of print, or only available in Japan, but that won't do much to satisfy the serious collectors to whom this series is aimed, and who have gone to great lengths to track down those previous CD incarnations. What makes matters worse is the sampling is so far and wide that not only is the sequencing haphazard, but it is infuriating for those of us that have purchased other Ansermet titles in the past. For example, reprised from his "Double Decca" Rimsky-Korsakov title we get one lousy four minute selection, "Dubinushka." Why bother to include it? Just go buy the two-fer!!! They mention Ansermet's pioneering stereo recording of "Antar" in the liner notes, so why not include that here instead. The only other way to currently get the "Antar" is with an often reissued account of Scheherazade as a Decca Legend import, which no one buys because it duplicates their collections. Another example is the Debussy Six Epigraphes, which was recently reissued on Testament -- why include it? For that matter why tack on Borodin's Polovtsian Dances when they are already on his great CD with Borodin's 2nd & 3rd Symphonies? Why include another four minute track -- Stravinsky's Scherzo a la Russe -- when it is on the aforementioned Stravinsky box? I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that the Delibes, Franck, Faure, Ravel, Martin and other Debussy selections have all been available elsewhere. Of course, since Decca/UNI has only picked a couple of tracks at most from those original titles, it's not like you can just discard or sell the old CDs you own, or burn the remaining selections you need. With so many other rare Ansermet recordings lingering in the vaults or only on expensive imports -- Beethoven, Berlioz, Bizet, Brahms, Lalo, Roussel, Schumann, etc. -- surely a more cohesive reissue strategy could have been applied by Decca/UNI. If you plan on eventually giving us the "Complete" Decca Ansermet recordings over time, through various OM volumes, all of my fussing is moot, however I seriously doubt that is in their marketing plans. Next time, instead of making us an expanded "Great Conductors of the Century" title or some sort of awkward "Greatest Hits" collection, concentrate on the rare performances that a connoisseur would want, and stick them all on one limited edition box, with fewer discs if necessary.

Tune Your Brain: Pregnancy and Childbirth

Average customer rating:

Beautiful !
proud father to be
Terrible!!
TUNE YOUR BRAIN: PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH

Tune Your Brain: Pregnancy and Childbirth

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00004YR3F
Release Date: 2000-09-19

Tracks:

Theme From 12 Vars On 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star', K.256 - Christoph Eschenbach
Nocturne in E flat, Op.9 No.2 - Tamas Vasary
Vc Son No.2 in D, BWV 1028: Adagio - Mischa Maisky/Martha Argerich
Don Giovanni: Ser - Netherlands Wind Ens
Scenes From Childhood: About Foreign Lands And People - Wilhelm Kempff
Vn Con No.4, K.218: Andante Cantabile - Gidon Kremer
Dolly Suite: Lullaby - Boston SO/Seiji Ozawa
Xerxes: Act 1. Largo - Orpheus CO
Magic Flute: Papageno's Aria - Heinz Holliger/Ursula Holliger/Gabriel Burgin
Ser For Strs: Valse - Orpheus CO
Ser, K.320 'Posthorn': Rondeau - Walter Singer
Vc Son No.1 in G, BWV 1027: Allegro Ma Non Tanto - Mischa Maisky/Martha Argerich
Pno Son in C, K.545: Allegro - Christoph Eschenbach
Divert in D, K.131: Menuetto - Orpheus CO
Canon In D - Orpheus CO
Pno Con No.14 in E flat, K.449: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Geza Anda
Brandenburg Con No.4 in G, BWV 1049: Presto - Michel Schwalbe/Karlheinz Zoeller/Matthias Rutters
A Musical Joke, K.522: Presto - Orpheus CO
Don Giovanni: Champagne Aria - Netherlands Wind Ens

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful !.......2006-12-31

This is a beautiful and relaxing cd to listen to. I bought it while i was pregnant and still love it now that my daughter is 3 months old. It is so calming and what mother doesn't need that? :-)

proud father to be.......2004-01-01

I found this cd after my wife gave birth to our first child unfortunately. Now my wife is expecting our second child. I am a big believer in classical music for unborn babies, delivery rooms, all the way to kindergarten. My four year old daughter hears 'twinkle twinkle little star' anywhere and she about faces instantly! Pachelbel's Canon is another personal favorite. I respect anything Deutsche Grammophon puts their endorsement on, too. Highly recommended for pregnancy stress reduction, labor jitters, and little toddlers.

Terrible!!.......2002-01-29

The CD opens with "Twinkle, Twinkle. Little Star" - Now, that should tell you everything. . . YUK!

This compilation is a huge let down and has nothing to do with pregnancy or childbirth. I could have put my own tape together better from my own CD collection instead of wasting my money on this lousy one.

TUNE YOUR BRAIN: PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH.......2001-09-30

This is an incredibly relaxing and tranquil album not only for pregnancy and childbirth but for anyone with an ear for classical music. The pieces are soothing and moving, and the varied selections make for a placid work that calms and relaxes. Plus, it puts the little one right to sleep!

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music