Remembrances

Remembrances

Remembrances

ASIN: B000003GH9

Editorial Reviews
Jazz Times
[Jon Faddis's] work as music director of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band has brought to light a deep sympathy for this music's traditions and evolving styles. Here we hear Faddis working through charts by Carlos Franzetti on a set composed mostly of well-known jazz pieces, set for an unusual orchestra: Faddis plus three brass, seven winds and rhythm.

Remembrances,Jon Faddis,Chesky Records,Bop,Jazz,Pop
Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellently performed, Not much Variety
  • A Classy CD
  • Great Music BUT - Stupid Sony CD
  • Very good but not what I heard live in Cerritos
  • Fantastic Marriage of Two Worlds
 Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Obrigado Brazil
  2. Tango: Zero Hour
  3. Astor Piazzolla - The Soul Of Tango: Greatest Hits
  4. Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet
  5. Classic Yo-Yo

ASIN: B0000029XQ
Release Date: 1997-10-02

Tracks:

  1. Libertango
  2. Tango Suite: Andante
  3. Tango Suite: Allegro
  4. Tango Suite: Sur: Regreso Al Amor
  5. Tango Suite: Le Grand Tango
  6. Tango Suite: Fugata
  7. Tango Remembrances
  8. Mumuki
  9. Tres Minutos Con La Realidad
  10. Milonga Del Angel
  11. Cafe 1930

Amazon.com essential recording

Yo-Yo Ma might seem like an unlikely protagonist for the tango, but this intrepid musical explorer has taken his task seriously, collaborating with experienced tango musicians. Ma even participates in a posthumous collaboration with one 1987 Piazzolla recording. Furthermore, while he's obviously the headliner here, he doesn't dominate the arrangements nearly as much as he does the billing and photography of the disc. While the result isn't your essential Piazzolla album (that would have to include more of the composer's own playing), it's an atmospheric and convincing collection, perhaps a good introduction for those who don't know the music. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Excellently performed, Not much Variety.......2007-01-12

Yo-Yo Ma leads an all-star cast in his "Sould of the Tango" project. He offers fresh new arrangements of Piazzolla's masterpieces including "Libertango," "Tango Suite," "Fugatta," and more. The arrangements are expertly performed and the playing is exciting and energetic. There is a lush palatte of sound colors coming from guitars, cellos, pianos and the bandoneon. The music is beautiful and flashy. Pieces are reorchestrated such as the "Tango Suite" pieces which are originally guitar duos now with a cello in the mix and the last track on the album, "Cafe 1930" was originally flute and guitar but Ma performs it on cello and bandoneon. The result is freshly interpreted Piazzolla masterpieces that feature new sound color and new perspective. The music is really quite enchanting.

The only problem with this particular recording is that I think Piazzolla is better heard in moderation. Piazzolla wrote in such a constrianed genre, (classical tango), and thus a whole hour of Piazzolla is a little much to take. This great album doesn't make for much of a great straight through listen, but is much better as a plesant surprise when the computer library or iPod is on shuffle.

5 out of 5 stars A Classy CD.......2004-06-23

Great intro to tango, great to relax and read to.

1 out of 5 stars Great Music BUT - Stupid Sony CD.......2003-07-16

I love this music - plays great on my CD player, but when I tried to play it on my computer at work, I wouldn't work. Sony wanted me to install something that didn't work on my machine (my computer is farely new), so I ended up having a friend copy the music over to a new CD without all that SONY stuff they use to stop pirating probably. Now I can listen at work and it is wonderful. BUT BEWARE ON BUYING CDs like this!

4 out of 5 stars Very good but not what I heard live in Cerritos.......2003-03-05

When I first heard Yo-Yo Ma live in Cerritos several years ago, his closing piece was from the yet released Soul of the Tango.
With that music, the subdued audience was enlightened. With only a Cello and a Piano, the music that was created was unbelievable. It was several months before the CD came out and I was a little disappointed that the energy that was present in the live concert did not translate to the CD. I hope that a Live recording or DVD will eventually be released which does capture the real Soul of the Tango.

5 out of 5 stars Fantastic Marriage of Two Worlds.......2003-03-05

I have always thought that Tango deserved a more elevated standing with both professional and amateur music lovers and what better way to attain that wish than having Yo Yo Ma join in for a session.(Is that a question or statement?) This is a remarkable CD that ranges a wide spectrum of Tango music, most of it exciting, sensual and daring.

Piazzolla, a transcendent artist, was determined to broaden Tango's appeal and he did so admirably. Lovers of jazz and classical now appreciate this fusion and nowhere is it expressed better than this offering. Ma admits he was delighted with the chance to work with the other artists and though he is the star it is never totally given over to the cello. As much as I like the cello, it cannot hold a candle to the bandoneon, perhaps the closest thing to a human voice outside of humanity.

Some of these works are magnificent interpretations and in the case of Tango, what is important is staying true to the spirit and not the letter of the note. I love the subtle, whining melodies, the rising and falling of the "voice"...the continual yearning.

An added bonus is that this CD contains an introduction for the PC. One can watch an interview with the performer, view photos or watch a video that intersperces the playing of Yo Yo Ma with cutouts from the movie. But this is something I discovered two full years after listenting to the CD. Get this recording and enjoy.
Grieg: Lyric Pieces (Performed on Grieg's Piano)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Andsnes the piano man
  • Sensitive modern pianism
  • Suspicious Reviewer
  • A great pianist?
  • A voyage to the coast of Norway!
 Grieg: Lyric Pieces (Performed on Grieg's Piano)

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Grieg: Lyric Pieces / Emil Gilels
  2. Schumann & Grieg: Piano Concertos; Leif Ove Andsnes
  3. Grieg: Piano Concerto - Sonata Op. 7, Lyric Pieces Opp. 43, 54 & 65
  4. Horizons - Leif Ove Andsnes
  5. Leif Ove Andsnes ~ Haydn - Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B00005UUOC
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

  1. No.1 Arietta
  2. No.2 Waltz
  3. No.6 Norwegian Melody
  4. No.5 Folk Melody
  5. No.8 Canon
  6. No.6 Elegy
  7. No.7 Waltz
  8. No.3 Melody
  9. No.3 March Of The Trolls
  10. No.4 Notturno
  11. No.2 Gade
  12. No.3 Illusion
  13. No.6 Homesickness
  14. No.6 Homeward
  15. No.4 The Brook
  16. No.5 Phantom
  17. No.1 Sylph
  18. No.5 Cradle Song
  19. No.6 Wedding Day At Troldhaugen
  20. No.4 Evening In The Mountains
  21. No.3 At Your Feet
  22. No.2 Summer Evening
  23. No.6 Gone
  24. No.7 Remembrances

Amazon.com

Grieg's 66 Lyric Pieces range from simple pretty tunes like the early "Arietta" that opens this disc to more extended pieces like the dashing "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen" to impressionistic miniature tone poems like the late "Summer Evening." Here, Andsnes plays 24 of them, well-chosen to cover a representative selection from the complete sets. He plays them beautifully, with a lovely tone, virtuoso polish when such is called for, as in the express ride of "March of the Trolls," and poetic depth of feeling, as in "The Brook," where in his interpretation you can almost smell the grass and see the light ripples of the water. Gilels's selection on DG, with minimum overlap, is still unmatched, but Andsnes's well-recorded recital is a source of endless pleasures. Of added interest, the recording was made at Grieg's home, now a museum, on his 1892 Steinway. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Andsnes the piano man.......2007-01-08

Just finished listening to the disc and very pleased - lots of light and airy works some towards the end are very *soft* with surprising CRESENDOS at the end to wake u up! Another super disc to add to the andsnes collection !

5 out of 5 stars Sensitive modern pianism.......2006-01-19

Borrowing a phrase from the contemporary political philosopher Fukuyama a case can be made that the world of classical piano music has reached "the end of history". This notion is based on the often heard idea that it only takes two clicks to get superior performances of any piece worth recording at home and that this part of the universe has reached a state of completion. Add to that the ongoing decline in the appreciation of "classical" music and its economic repercussions and you end up thinking twice before advising your children to pursue a career in this field of employment.

Yet, while a catalog with Horowitz' Scarlatti, Gould's Bach, Kempff Schubert, Bolet's Liszt, Pollini's Chopin, Michelangeli's Schumann, Gieseking's Debussy, Schnabel's Beethoven, Casadesus' Ravel, Seeman's Mozart and Backhaus' Brahms has set historic standards that are hard to equal or surpass, a cd of standard regularly performed repertoire like this one refutes any fear that we have reached the day that the music died.

For starters, piano technique has significantly improved over the last 25 years. Likely due to the standards that the aforementioned pianists set, the next generation is of superior dexterity. While I grew up in times that Horowitz' performances of Liszt, his own Carmen Fantasy and Stars and Stripes transcriptions, and Gould's highly articulate light speed Bach were considered supernatural phenomena, these times are long past. And although the former's sense of tone and the latter's feel for counterpoint may not yet have found their match, most participants in any of the endless number of competitions have basic skills that are just as high and in many cases repertoires that are much wider.

Before coming to the review of this disc, one more personal side note. Since the piano is an instrument that anyone with two functional hands can master to such a degree that quite a number of masterpieces in the repertoire are within reach, I expect recordings to reflect technical mastery. As such, I do not belong to the group of those pianophiles who consider Fischer's Bach "acceptable", Cortot's Chopin "monumental" and Horowitz "live in Moscow" version of his standard Scriabin etude "earth shattering".

Thus we come to the present disc, which I consider a prime example of contemporary pianism. Playing on Grieg's own euphonic, but decidedly mellow piano, in the composer's own "piano room" that imposes significant sonic limitations on the resulting recording quality, his fellow country man Leif Ove Andsnes revisits his juxtaposition of the modern and the authentic that we encountered earlier in his superior Haydn piano concerto disc. While the orchestral part in that recording had clear "authentic" traits, the piano and its performance were truly 21st century. Especially in the light of earlier performances of these Grieg pieces by the likes of Gilels and Gavrilov, Andsnes approach is more restrained and, based on credible historic documentation that comes to use by oral history, less authentically romantic.

Is there something like "the importance of being authentic"? Based on the movement that initially tried to ban all professional musicians from performing baroque music, there certainly is. Nobody will argue that it is of importance to have a good understanding of the performance practices of a particular era. Yet, the mere fact that Bach is still performed worldwide more than 2.5 centuries after his death clearly refutes the notion that his music could only be appreciated within a certain set of parameters. Leaving aside the great dichotomy between the fervor with which the "authentics" have defended "the rules" and the clarity and precision with which they were committed to paper centuries ago, there is no convincing argument that a contemporary should not be able to enjoy Gould's Bach on the piano over Leonhardt's "authentic" performances on the harpsichord.

Released of the shackles of authenticity, aware of the historical record, and fluent in Grieg's lingo from early childhood Andsnes has made a both highly sensitive and textually very accurate reading of the Norwegian's small scale character pieces. Helped by a technique, that is at least as good as all of the luminaries that I mentioned in the second paragraph, this recording shows the virtues of the "less is more" approach. Previous reviewers have harped on the Gilels comparison. While I admire the late Russian lion's performances, I greatly prefer Andsness. Although, Gilels could play fast and slow, soft and loud I considered his technique often of the lazy kind. Especially when it came to use of the sustain pedal he often chose to correct with his right foot, that what he preferred his hands/fingers to save energy on. While some consider this over-pedaling to be an essential part of the romantic mysticism, I am glad that the new generation of pianists does no longer need it to suggest fluency.

Limiting the use of the right pedal often leads to a much better characterization of a composer's sonic signature and this recording is no exception. While it is clear that Grieg was aware of contemporaries like Schumann, Brahms, Chopin and Liszt, Andsnes like no other "nails" the Norwegian's own distinctive voice. What results is a restrained, yet highly sensitive and intimate reading. While the room limits the clarity in the louder passages, it does provide a historically correct context for these lyric pieces.

Andsnes, without a doubt, is one of the stars of the next generation. While mediocre clowns like Lang Lang may entertain the circus crowds, it is comforting to know that musicians like the young Norwegian will keep the eternal flame alive and are likely to add chapters to an as of yet never ending history.

3 out of 5 stars Suspicious Reviewer.......2005-10-19

I am sure Emil Gilels' recording cannot be surpassed but why not get both? After all, there isn't much of overlap.

By the way, I can't help questioning the intention of one of the reviewers named Dag Johansen. He is proactively reviewing most of Andsnes' CDs and giving them very poor rating. In fact, all he is reviewing are Andsnes', no other.
I don't mind that if it is truly his honest opinion but there's something fishy here... why does he keep buying Andsnes' CDs if he hates his playing so much? It's as if he is trying to damage the artist's reputation... Shady....

I have not actully heard this CD or any of Andsnes'. Just felt I needed to report on this.

1 out of 5 stars A great pianist?.......2005-02-27

To be called a great pianist doesn't necessarily mean you are a great pianist. What on earth is great with this pianist? I actually don't know. Neither do a lot of people with whom I've talked. Several Norwegian pianists play these lyric pieces of Grieg better than Andsnes. His playing is actually boring. He is not telling me anything. Well, he sure has tremendous technique, brilliant understanding of form, he dress correct, smile at you from behind the piano and so forth, but at the same time he totally lack the creative force that is so important in piano-playing. Yes, his playing is utterly smooth, correct and nice, but unfortunately lack the mysterious extra, this personal touch we always look for in classical music. Never the less he is called great! What kind of great is this! Some say he is a new Horowitz. Well, it must be a Horowitz without a heart and musical imagination - a perfect piano machine. Or perhaps I've missed the point. I really don't know. One thing I know for sure; Andsnes is not a great pianist. I'm sorry.

5 out of 5 stars A voyage to the coast of Norway!.......2003-05-09

I never truly understood Grieg until Leif ove Andsnes revealed him. The notturno was especially touching!
The Best of Astor Piazzolla
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • It's the best for my heart
  • disappointing
 The Best of Astor Piazzolla

Manufacturer: Fabulous
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Tango: Zero Hour
  2. Astor Piazzolla - The Soul Of Tango: Greatest Hits
  3. La Camorra
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  5. Libertango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla

ASIN: B0006B655M
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Tracks:

  1. Jeanne y Paul
  2. Peno
  3. Oblivion
  4. Enrico IV
  5. Ave Maria
  6. Cavalcata
  7. Rememberance
  8. Adios Nonino
  9. Suite Punta del Este [Theme from 12 Monkeys]
  10. Escualo
  11. Years of Solitude

Album Description

Nice price collection of tracks from 'Cadaveri Eccelenti'. Acrobat.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars It's the best for my heart.......2007-06-27

Maybe it is not a perfect recording,
maybe you can find some poor sound quality (not about play itself),
But it's the best play for my soul.
I think it's the cure for your sadness. Not for happy people.

2 out of 5 stars disappointing.......2006-06-28

Such a title should deserve better quality... Other CDs of Piazzolla are much better.
Margaret Brouwer: Aurolucent Circles; Mandala; Sizzle
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Margaret Brouwer: Aurolucent Circles; Mandala; Sizzle

    Manufacturer: Naxos American
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B000CEVU6C
    Release Date: 2006-01-17

    Tracks:

    1. Floating In Dark Spaces
    2. Stardance
    3. Cycle And Currents
    4. Journey
    5. Sand Mandala
    6. Pulse: A 50th Anniversary Fanfare
    7. Remembrances
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    Critic's Choice: Leonard Maltin's Best Movie Themes of the '90s
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • A great CD for those who appreciate movie themes
    		 Critic's Choice: Leonard Maltin's Best Movie Themes of the '90s

    Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Elfman, DannyElfman, Danny | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B00004SVHW
    Release Date: 2000-04-25

    Tracks:

    1. Critic's Choice Theme
    2. Titanic Suite: Distant Memories/Southampton/Rose/Take Her To Sea Mr. Murdoch
    3. Basic Instinct: An Unending Story
    4. Maverick Suite
    5. The Firm: Main Title/Ray's Blues
    6. Ed Wood: Main Title
    7. Shakespeare In Love Suite: The End/The Beginning Of The Partnership
    8. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Orchestral Suite
    9. The Mask Of Zorro Suite: The Plaza Of Execution/Zorro's Theme/Love Theme
    10. Saving Private Ryan: Hymn To The Fallen

    Tracks:

    1. First Knight Orchestral Suite: Arthur's Fanfare/Main Title/End Credits/Camelot/Arthur's Farewell
    2. Fast, Cheap & Out Of Control: Eternal Future II
    3. As Good As It Gets
    4. The English Patient: Rupert Bear/As Far As Florence
    5. American Beauty: Dead Already/Any Other Name
    6. Braveheart: End Credits
    7. Life Is Beautiful: Buon Giorno Principessa/Abbiano Vinto
    8. John Grisham's The Rainmaker: Kelly's Theme
    9. The Lion King Orchestral Suite
    10. Schindler's List: Theme From Schindler's List/Jewish Town/Remembrances

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars A great CD for those who appreciate movie themes.......2000-10-06

    I enjoyed this CD because Leonard Martin does a good job in selecting the scores of movies that are special in itself, outside from the context of the movie. His selection is diverse, in the sense that it includes scores of not only the big blockbusters of the 90s (Titanic, Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart), but also of the movies that have already been forgotten (Fast, Cheap and Out of Control, and The Rainmaker). There is reasoning behind such a selection, according to Martin: "Some scores wear well over time and provide a rewarding experience long after the movie begins to recede in one's memory."

    Martin selects the scores from a variety of film genres (drama, dark comedy, suspense,for example) which translates into a well rounded compilation of musical pieces (classical,spanish-inspired, blues, etc). He also includes liner notes reagrding each selection and composer, which serves as a brief, yet interesting, background regarding each selection.

    The only qualm that I have with the CD is the abscence of some of my personal favorites, which are certainly memorable both as films and as scores. Reagarding such statements Martin states that "Lists, of course, are highly arbitrary and designed to provoke argument." Moreover, Martin acknowledges that selections are not the only great scores of the past decade; they are, however, among his favorites. I definitely agree with him on this statement.

    Purchase the CD for not only your favorites but for the nice variety that Martin put together. You will be surprised that you will love the scores, even of the movies you may not have seen!
    Previn: From Ordinary Things: Cello Sonata, Four Songs, Two Remembrances, Vocalise
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • From nothing ordinary
    • A very fine rendering of some equally fine music.
    		 Previn: From Ordinary Things: Cello Sonata, Four Songs, Two Remembrances, Vocalise
    André Previn , Yo-Yo Ma , Jeff B. Francis , Sandra Church , and Sylvia McNair
    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    1. Alone: Ballads for Solo Piano
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    ASIN: B0000029NW
    Release Date: 1997-02-25

    Tracks:

    1. Sonata For Cello And Piano: I. Vivace - Andante espressivo - Allegro
    2. Sonata For Cello And Piano: II. Adagio
    3. Sonata For Cello And Piano: III. Allegretto - Fast
    4. Four Songs For Soprano, Cello And Piano: I. Mercy (Slowly)
    5. Four Songs For Soprano, Cello And Piano: II. Stones (Bright And Sassy)
    6. Four Songs For Soprano, Cello And Piano: III. Shelter (Gently)
    7. Four Songs For Soprano, Cello And Piano: IV. The Lacemaker (Slowly)
    8. Two Remembrances For Soprano, Alto Flute And Piano: I. A Love Song
    9. Two Remembrances For Soprano, Alto Flute And Piano: II. Lyric
    10. Vocalise For Soprano, Cello And Piano

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars From nothing ordinary.......2006-10-28

    This is such a special recording. Even though it's almost ten years old now, it continues to amaze. Andre has matured into a master composer. He seems to habitate a 20 or 30-year slow explosion of musical ideas; so much so that he can discard whole compositions and restart from scratch with seeming impunity. See the liner notes in which he describes his experience with the Vocalise. A vocalise by definition "tells its story" without verbage, and the present example is textbook. A simple sonata form ABA structure, the harmonies nevertheless devolve into dark, slightly threatening crunches of sound behind Sylvia McNair, to then emerge back into the light. Andre, in a subsequest recording with Barbara Bonney, treats the music to a full orchestration. Don't ask me which I prefer - I would hate to make such a choice.

    The song settings for some of Toni Morrison's poems in Four Songs are the masterpieces of the album. Many think Ms. Morrison is the greatest living writer in the English language today. The partnership with Andre's music has to be one of the happiest synergies ever heard. Stones, and especially Mercy, are perfect marriages of words and music. Similarly, Sylvia captures the attitude of Stones, the reassurance of Shelter, and the catharsis of Mercy (Mercy like a shore) with seemingly effortless grace and power.

    Finally Yo Yo Ma!!!!!!!!!! I think he's at his very best in these intimate, collaborative settings. The Sonata for Cello and Piano has an organic feel, an aura and intensity of improvisation. You KNOW you will never hear it quite this way again.

    5 out of 5 stars A very fine rendering of some equally fine music........1999-09-14

    Mr. Previn has created some extraordinary pieces here. The Cello Sonata is in turns haunting and uplifting. The Four Songs are quite simply divine. Previn's sensitive settings of Morrison's wonderful texts are sublime. McNair, Ma and Previn make a stunning collaborative team! The Vocalise is just gorgeous and performed beautifully. What a treasure.
    John Williams: Treesong
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • It's not supposed to sound like Star Wars
    • Shaham's Playing is Fine, But....
    • weak music, for the most part
    • Film = Modern Opera
    • Unique Sound Worlds
    		 John Williams: Treesong
    John Williams , Gil Shaham , and Boston Symphony Orchestra
    Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    Shaham, GilShaham, Gil | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
    Deutsche Grammophon: MusicDeutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Williams: The Five Sacred Trees (Bassoon Concerto) / Takemitsu: Tree Line / Hovhaness: Symphony No. s, Op. 132 "Mysterious Mountain" / Picker: Old and Lost Rivers
    2. Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams
    3. 20th Century Concerti
    4. Walter Piston: Symphony No. 4; Three New England Sketches; Capriccio for Harp and String Orchestra
    5. Discover Music of the 20th Century

    ASIN: B00005M05E
    Release Date: 2001-09-18

    Tracks:

    1. TreeSong: Dreamly. 'Doctor Hu And The Metasequoia'
    2. TreeSong: Dreamly. Twice As Fast - Deciso. 'Trunks, Branches And Leaves'
    3. TreeSong: Dreamly. Tempo Primo. 'The Tree Song'
    4. Con: Moderato
    5. Con: Slowly (In Peaceful Comtemplation)
    6. Con: Broadly (Maestoso) - Quickly
    7. Three Pieces From 'Schindler's List': Theme. Lente
    8. Three Pieces From 'Schindler's List': Jewish Town (Krakow Ghetto - Winter '41). Andante
    9. Three Pieces From 'Schindler's List': Remembrances. Andante

    Amazon.com

    Though best known for his film scores, John Williams also has to his credit numerous orchestral works and concertos for string and wind instruments, which were often tailored to specific players. One of these is TreeSong, composed and premiered in 2000 by its dedicatee, the splendid violinist Gil Shaham. Clearly written to his strengths, it exploits Shaham's brilliant technique with two cadenzas and lots of fast passages, which display his sumptuous, beautiful tone in warm, singing melodies and its silvery radiance in long stretches in the highest register. The piece begins and ends in dreamy languor. It is full of sound effects, but despite an explanatory note by the composer, its connection to the ancient tree that inspired it is not perceptible to the naked ear. The orchestrations are inventive and colorful, and both here and in the Concerto, written in 1974 and revised in 1998, there are substantial, massive orchestral interludes, while the solo passages are carefully scored for maximal transparency. The Concerto is somewhat reminiscent of Prokofiev, especially in the angularity of the fast sections and the shimmering stratospheric ones. It is dedicated to Williams's late wife, but only the end of the slow movement has an elegiac air, then the orchestra leads into the Finale with all stops out. The Three Pieces from Schindler's List are well known. Shaham, though he slides a lot in keeping with the style and quasi-Jewish idiom, plays them with great feeling but so much nobility that the lamentatiousness never becomes cheap or sentimental. --Edith Eisler

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars It's not supposed to sound like Star Wars.......2005-02-28

    If you're not familiar with any of John Williams' concert music, may the listener beware. It sounds nothing like his film scores. It is dissonant, and often difficult to listen to. But it is usually a rewarding experience. What it lacks in melodic themes, it makes up for in colorful orchestations and moments of striking beauty. The third movement of Treesong is a good example of this. It begins on a note that seems out of place, but eventually resolves.
    Not everything can or should sound like Star Wars. Film music, by its very nature requires a differnet kind of writing. There is certainly room for Williams to write concert music in a modernistic style that departs from the Wagnerian influence of his movie scores. Oh well. If you prefer his soundtracks check out Close Encounters of the Third Kind; now thats pretty modern!

    3 out of 5 stars Shaham's Playing is Fine, But...........2002-12-30

    Diehard fans of John Williams's music will certainly want to acquire this CD, but fans of Gil Shaham's playing may not be disappointed either. Shaham's performances demonstrate much of the passionate lyricism I've heard from him elsewhere, shown to good effect in these three John Williams pieces. Unfortunately, the most successful is the concert suite from the "Schindler's List" score; the other works sound more like ill-fated efforts at conjuring Webern's, Schoenberg's, or even Boulez's music, than significant violin works belonging to the current modern musical canon. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is in fine form too, especially in the "Schindler's List" suite.

    3 out of 5 stars weak music, for the most part.......2002-04-05

    ...this CD is simply not very good music. I have the utmost respect for Williams' film scores (regardless of perhaps legitimate claims that much of his themes and motifs fall just short of plagiarism of earlier music). But he seems to have saved ideas from the bottom of the barrel for his concertpieces. This is not the Korngold Concerto, in which a beloved film composer has written an excellent work in sweeping, cinematic style. Williams' violin concerto drags on interminably, with little of any real interest contained within. Treesong is somewhat better, largely due to the more interesting orchestrational color, but the work is still not on par with Williams' film music. Shaham's always-fine playing is the only thing that makes either piece bearable. The addition of music from Schindler's List, one of Williams' best scores, is helpful, but too little too late. Skip this disc (and his equally dreary Five Sacred Trees). Buy the Star Wars soundtrack. You can't go wrong there.

    4 out of 5 stars Film = Modern Opera.......2002-02-24

    Think about it Jose, film is our modern-day opera. Opera was "pop music" 1-2 hundred years ago. People say we have no major modern classical composers...in fact the MEDIUM has changed.

    5 out of 5 stars Unique Sound Worlds.......2001-11-21

    As a life-long fan of Williams' film music, I have only recently discovered his more "serious" pieces. Like many versatile composers before him (think Korngold, Waxman, etc.), Williams is able to function in both worlds, writing rousing, effective scores and introspective, yet extremely dynamic works for concerto and orchestra. Treesong, in particular, is a masterful evocation of the wonders of nature, though many might not find any obvious signs of "nature" in the music. Williams chooses to evoke an altogether different environment, relying less on derivative new-agey techniques than the musings of a solo instrument as it encounters a strange and fantastic realm of "trunks, branches, and leaves." The sound world Williams conjures up is completely original in my mind and bears his distinctive stamp (as does his other piece for trees, Five Sacred Trees). The earlier Violin Concerto is from the same stylistic world, yet seems to probe deeper into personal emotions, with a profoundly melodic core. While Bartok's Violin Concerto can be seen behind it, it, too, is an extremely unique piece and only grows with repeated listenings. The addition of three pieces from Schindler's List was charming and highly appropriate, especially as a means of showing of Gil Shaham's talent.
    In short, a wonderful disc that does justice to the seemingly inexaustible talents of John Williams, one of our most brilliant and remarkable composers. 5 stars.
    Miecio: Remembrances of Mieczyslaw Horszowski
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Horszowski CD and Book
    		 Miecio: Remembrances of Mieczyslaw Horszowski
    Horszowski , Bach , Beethoven , and Chopin
    Manufacturer: Dynamic Italy
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Bach: French Suite No. 6; Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 6
    2. Bach: French Suite No. 6; Schumann: Papillons; Chopin: Preludes; Mazurka
    3. Bach Recital

    ASIN: B00006L3OX
    Release Date: 2002-09-12

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Horszowski CD and Book.......2002-12-15

    The Horszowski CD contains a magnificent performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto #4, now my very favorite. Other recordings are very enjoyable. These performances aren't available any other way.

    The book that comes with the CD, "Miecio," is not for everyone's taste. It contains mostly diary entries. You'll be amazed by his life. (He performed for 90 years and climbed mountains in his 80's.) If you think you can enjoy reading letters and short diary entries for 400 pages, with some narration by his wife Bice, this book is wonderful. You'll learn about "Maestro" (Toscanini) and Maitre (Casals), both his good friends. I loved it. Miecio Horszowski was a great pianist and a great man. This was a five combination of book and cd for me. I gave four stars because I'm not sure fits everyone's taste.
    Peer Gynt Suites, Holberg Suite, Piano Concerto, Lyric Pieces
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Peer Gynt Suites, Holberg Suite, Piano Concerto, Lyric Pieces
      Edvard [composer] Grieg , Herbert von Karajan , Sir Colin Davis , Neeme Jarvi , Stephen Kovacevich , and Emil Gilels
      Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Grieg, EdvardGrieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      BalladsBallads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      Character PiecesCharacter Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      NocturnesNocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      RomanticRomantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      ScherzoScherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
      PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
      Berlin Philharmonic OrchestraBerlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      Lullabies & BerceuseLullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      AirsAirs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      Deutsche Grammophon: MusicDeutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
      ASIN: B00004W3IR
      Release Date: 2000-10-17

      Tracks:

      1. Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, Op. 46: Morning Mood - Berliner Philharmoniker
      2. Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, Op. 46: Ase's Death - Berliner Philharmoniker
      3. Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, Op. 46: Anitra's Dance - Berliner Philharmoniker
      4. Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, Op. 46: In The Hall Of The Morning King - Berliner Philharmoniker
      5. Peer Gynt: Suite No. 2, Op. 55: The Abduction Of The Bride - Ingrid's Lament - Berliner Philharmoniker
      6. Peer Gynt: Suite No. 2, Op. 55: Arabian Dance - Berliner Philharmoniker
      7. Peer Gynt: Suite No. 2, Op. 55: Peer Gynt's Return Home - Berliner Philharmoniker
      8. Peer Gynt: Suite No. 2, Op. 55: Solvejg's Song - Berliner Philharmoniker
      9. From Holberg's Time, Op. 40: Praludium. Allegro vivace - Berliner Philharmoniker
      10. From Holberg's Time, Op. 40: Sarabande. Andante - Berliner Philharmoniker
      11. From Holberg's Time, Op. 40: Gavotte. Allegretto - Musette. Un poco mosso - Gavotte - Berliner Philharmoniker
      12. From Holberg's Time, Op. 40: Air. Andante religioso - Berliner Philharmoniker
      13. From Holberg's Time, Op. 40: Rigaudon. Allegro con brio - Berliner Philharmoniker
      14. Sigurd Jorsalfar: Three Pieces For Orchestra: Prelude to Act II: In the King's Hall - Berliner Philharmoniker
      15. Sigurd Jorsalfar: Three Pieces For Orchestra: Intermezzo: Borghild's Dream - Berliner Philharmoniker
      16. Sigurd Jorsalfar: Three Pieces For Orchestra: Homage March - Berliner Philharmoniker

      Tracks:

      1. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16: Allegro molto moderato - Stephen Kovacevich
      2. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16: Adagio - attacca: - Stephen Kovacevich
      3. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In A Minor, Op. 16: Allegro moderato molto e marcato - Quasi Presto - Andante maestoso - Stephen Kovacevich
      4. Lyric Pieces: Arietta, Op.12 No. 1 - Emil Gilels
      5. Lyric Pieces: Butterfly , Op. 43 No.1 - Emil Gilels
      6. Lyric Pieces: Solitary Traveller, Op. 43 No.2 - Emil Gilels
      7. Lyric Pieces: Norwegian Dance, Op.47 No.4 - Emil Gilels
      8. Lyric Pieces: Notturno, Op. 54 No.4 - Emil Gilels
      9. Lyric Pieces: Scherzo, Op. 54 No.5 - Emil Gilels
      10. Lyric Pieces: Homesickness, Op.57 No.6 - Emil Gilels
      11. Lyric Pieces: Brooklet, Op.62 No. 4 - Emil Gilels
      12. Lyric Pieces: In Ballad Vein, Op. 65 No. 5 - Emil Gilels
      13. Lyric Pieces: At The Cradle, Op.68 No.5 - Emil Gilels
      14. Lyric Pieces: Remembrances, Op. 71 No. 7 - Emil Gilels
      15. Norwegian Dances, Op. 35: Allegro marcato - Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
      16. Norwegian Dances, Op. 35: Allegretto tranquillo e grazioso - Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
      17. Norwegian Dances, Op. 35: Allegro moderato alla Marcia - Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
      18. Norwegian Dances, Op. 35: Allegro molto - Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
      Remembrances of Ottoman Composers
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Remembrances of Ottoman Composers
        Ihsan Ozgen
        Manufacturer: Golden Horn
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
        TurkeyTurkey | Middle East | International | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
        ASIN: B00004SG6N
        Release Date: 2000-04-11

        Tracks:

        1. Opening Taksim
        2. Segah Peshrev (Neyzen Yusuf Pasha)
        3. Beyond Makams, Master's Selection
        4. Shehnaz Peshrev/Ey But-I Nev-Eda Ismail Dede Efendi/Hicaz Humayun Peshrev
        5. Yegah Taksim
        6. Evc Saz Semai/Taksim On Makam Evc
        7. Bayati Peshrev/Hicaz Humayun Peshrev
        8. Taksim On Makam Shevk-Efza/Acemashiran Peshrev/Taksim On Makam Acemashiran
        9. Variations On A Zeybek
        10. Taksim On Makam Shehnaz
        11. Variations On A Piece In Rast Naksh Beste
        12. Ozgen - A Short Monologue

        Jazz Music:

        1. Saracen No Yume [Import] [Limited Edition]
        2. Sea Breeze [Live]
        3. Song For
        4. Sound of Bix: A Salute to Bix Beiderbecke
        5. Strayhorn - A Mitchell-Ruff Interpretation
        6. String Quartet Tribute to John Cougar Mellencamp
        7. Swing Tanzen Verboten!: Swing Music and Nazi Propaganda
        8. Tales of Time and Space
        9. That Old Black Magic [Import]
        10. The Beat Goes On/The Herbie Mann String Album

        Jazz Music

        Jazz Music