Harp & Vibes Holiday

Harp & Vibes Holiday

ASIN: B00004R7F7

Track Listings

1. Carillon

2. El Noi de la Mare

3. Jingle Bells

4. Greensleeves (What Child Is This)

5. Hark the Herald Angels Sing

6. Silent Night

7. The Holly and the Ivy

8. Carol of the Bells

9. O Come, Little Children

10. The Hanukkah Song

11. At First Light

12. Patapan

13. Villanesca

14. Frozen December

15. White Christmas

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Harp&Vibes came into existence that day in 1980 when Beverly needed to rehearse a harp-and-flute concerto and told Joe, "You're a flute. Play the flute line." The sound of vibes and harp together was so stunning that the duo was born in those first few measures. From Bach to Brubeck, this versatile duo lends a unique color and style to both classics and jazz.

Band members: Joe Venuto is a New York recording artist and a former percussionist for Radio City Music Hall, the Sauter-Finnegan Orchestra, the Bell Telephone Hour, and the ABC-TV staff orchestra. His recording credits include albums by Benny Goodman, Leonard Bernstein, and Gene Krupa. Two of his recordings have been re-released on CD: "The Best of Sauter-Finnegan," and "Harp, Skip, and Jump." After moving to Reno he became Principal Percussionist with the Reno Philharmonic and the Nevada Opera. His jazz trio can be seen in the movie "Hard 8" starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

Beverly Colgan is Principal Harpist with the Nevada Opera and the Reno Philharmonic, and the Nevada Festival Ballet. She has performed for Luciano Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra, Loretta Lynn, Sammy Davis, Jr.,Toni Tenille, and many other visiting artists. She is a soloist with the Reno Chamber Orchestra, and teaches harp at the University of Nevada.

Product Description
Harp & Vibes Holiday--"Merry favorites with a new twist."

Harp and vibraphone give shimmer and excitement to traditional carols, classical, jazz, and New Age holiday music.

Tracks:

Leave The Pieces
Way Back Home
The Good Kind
Tennessee
My, Oh My
Stand Still, Look Pretty
Cigarettes
Hard To Love You
Lay Me Down
One More Girl
Rain
Only Crazy People

Amazon.com

The Wreckers are Grammy-winning songstress Michelle Branch and friend/journeywoman Nashville singer-songwriter Jessica Harp, a team whose solid craftsmanship and soaring, airtight harmonies often lift their hook-smart contemporary country stylings above what's too often mere fizzy, pop-crossover formula. They may have entered the public consciousness via the wide exposure of "Good Kind" on the primetime soap opera One Tree Hill, but the bracing, back-porch charms of the single "Leave the Pieces" should find them a following well beyond that series' teen audience. The reflective title track, gritty folk charms of "Tennessee" and giddy crowd-pleaser "My, Oh My" are suffused with a lyrical maturity that's the perfect counterpoint to the duo's sturdy musical constructs. Solid songs all, delivered with a muscular vocal conviction that does considerably more than merely sell them. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

The Wreckers are about creation, not destruction. Bringing together two young, fearless female singersongwriter-acoustic guitarists—Grammy®-winning, platinum-selling Michelle Branch and collaborator Jessica Harp—The Wreckers' debut album, Stand Still, Look Pretty, blends Branch's pop-rock sensibility with Harp's country-folk style. Edgy yet rootsy, on Stand Still, Look Pretty, The Wreckers have a ball.

Customer Reviews:

Okay.......2007-07-09

As many of you probably have, I listened to this album because it had Michelle Branch in it. I have to say that the vocals with Jessica Harp are fantastic and the sound of the songs are nice, but most of the songs aren't that great. Leave the Pieces is a nice song, but not that great. The only ones I enjoyed are Lay Me Down, Rain, The Good Kind, and Tenessee. The rest is mediocre. My, Oh My for instance is just plain boring. Rain is a great song, which sounds exactly as if it came off Hotel Paper, and isn't country at all. Lay Me Down isn't a truly great song, but I really enjoyed it. The Good Kind is a nice sounding song, and the melody reminds me of Breathe. Tenessee is a really good song.
I hope this review was helpful.

Wow.......2007-05-28

I love that Michelle Branch can be successful with mainstream and well as country music. She has such a transitional voice and is well suited for both genres. This CD is amazing!

Great debut.......2007-05-23

Overall, I really liked this album. Some of the songs were surprisingly short and sounded the same, but all in all this is a great start for the Wreckers.

Chick with rockabilly.......2007-05-22

Good album that is as easy on the ears. A good blend of country rock

I love this album!!!.......2007-05-08

I bought this album because I like one of the girls (the rock girl) and I am not disappointed :) I really like this album and I hope there's more to come.

Average customer rating:

Excellent resource for wedding planners
Great item!
Preview your wedding day
25 WEDDING FAVORITES
25 Wedding Favorites

25 Wedding Favorites

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Wedding Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Classical Wedding
A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day
Bride's Guide to Wedding Music
The Knot Collection of Ceremony and Wedding Music Selected by the Knot's Carley Roney
Modern Bride Presents the Wedding Album

ASIN: B00004Y6T1
Release Date: 2000-09-05

Tracks:

Wedding March (Lohengrin)
Allegro I (Water Music) - Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Trumpet Voluntary
Minuet (Music For The Royal Fireworks)
Canon in D Major
Spring - Susan Lautenbacher
Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba (Solomon)
Air (Water Music) - Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Sheep May Safely Graze (Cantana No. 208)
Arioso
Bist Du Bei Mir' (Anna Magdalena Notebook)
Panis Angelicus
Weichet Nur' (Wedding Cantata)
Silent Worship (Tolomeo) - Mary Ann Hart
Ave Maria
Sehet In Zufriedenheit' (Wedding Cantata)
Ave Maria
Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring
Air On The G String - Mainz Chamber Orchestra
Pastorale (Messiah) - Eastman Chorale
Nocturne - Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Wedding Day At Troldhaugen - Utah Symphony Orchestra
Hornpipe (Water Music)
Wedding March
Toccata (5th Symphony)

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource for wedding planners.......2007-04-05

I work regularly with people planning church weddings who want the service to be dignified, traditional and formal. Often they have "ear memory" of music they've heard in other weddings, but no idea about its composer or title. This CD is the best compilation I've found of music that fits those requirements. Selections include great music and performances make it easy to imagine how they would sound in a particular church or other setting. Includes works by Protestant, Catholic and secular composers.

Great item!.......2007-03-29

Great CD! Perfect when planning your wedding music. There are a variety of songs from various composers.

Preview your wedding day.......2006-08-14

This CD was inexpensive, and provided a great way to preview songs for my wedding. The CD had a good song selection. My fiance and I were able to get a better idea of how the songs would be at our wedding. Definitely an inexpensive tool that is worthwhile.

25 WEDDING FAVORITES.......2006-07-20

My daughter had to move her wedding 3 weeks before the event and the music she had arranged could not be there. I purchased this CD and we were thrilled with the price, the selections on the cd and how quickly it arrived. Thanks for providing the music for a beautiful wedding.

25 Wedding Favorites.......2006-02-24

This is an excellent CD for a formal wedding, so-so for a casual one.

The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!

Average customer rating:

Lives Up To The Title, Fine Variety Of Genre's.
Good for relaxing pregnant women
Too much opera
Does what it set out to do, very well
TRULY The most relaxing and beautiful music ever written.

The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!
Johann Sebastian Bach , Léo Delibes , Gabriel Fauré , Erik Satie , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Edvard Grieg , Johann Pachelbel , Claude Debussy , Felix Mendelssohn , Camille Saint-Saens , Henryk Gorecki , Antonio Vivaldi , Edward Elgar , Jocelyn Pook , Sergey Rachmaninov , Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni , Luigi Boccherini , Jules Massenet , Ludwig van Beethoven , Jacques Offenbach , Pietro Mascagni , Antonin Dvorak , Giacomo Puccini , Ralph Vaughan Williams , Alexander Borodin , Joaquin Rodrigo , and Samuel Barber
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Caballe, Montserrat | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II
The Most Relaxing Piano Album in the World...Ever!
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe
25 Classical Favorites
Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

ASIN: B00000I93Z
Release Date: 1999-03-30

Tracks:

Air 'On the G String' - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Morning - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Canon In D - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Gymnopedie No.1 - City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
II. Andante - Stephen Hough
Viens, Mallika - Mady Mesple
In Paradisum - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Clair De Lune - Dame Moura Lympany
II. Andate - Yehudi Menuhin
The Swan - Osian Ellis
II. Lento E Largo - Tranquillissimo - Zofia Kilanowicz
II. Andantino - James Galway
II. Largo - Yehudi Menuhin
Nimrod - London Symphony Orchestra
Blow the Wind - Pie Jesu - Jocelyn Pook
Variation 18 - Cecile Ousset
Pavane Op.50 - Gareth Morris

Tracks:

Zion Hort Die Wachter Singen - South German Madrigal Choir
Adagio In G Minor - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Minuet - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
II. Largo - Andrei Gavrilov
Meditation - Hans Kalafusz
I. Adagio Sostenuto - Dame Moura Lympany
Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'amour (Barcarolle) - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
II. Andante - Nigel North
II. Adagio - Jack Brymer
Intermezzo - Philharmonia Orchestra
I. Moderato - London Chamber Orchestra
O Mio Babbino Caro - Montserrat Caballe
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Sinfonia Of London
II. Adagio Sostenuto (Opening) - Cecile Ousset
Nocturne - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
II. Adagio (Opening) - Julian Bream
Adagio For Strings Op.11a - The Philadelphia Orchestra
Entr'acte To Act III - Orchestre National De France

Amazon.com

You want relaxing classical music that'll soothe your soul but won't lull you into sleep? Here's a double CD for you. The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World ... Ever! does its best to cover both well-worn classical favorites (Bach's "Air on the G String," Pachelbel's "Cannon," Debussy's "Clair de Lune") and some eclectic left-field choices (an excerpt from Górecki's Symphony No. 3, Jocelyn Pook's "Blow the Wind," and Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. The performances of most of these excerpts are top-notch--artists include Sir Neville Marriner, James Galway, Jacqueline du Pré and the Philadelphia Orchestra--and there's enough variety here for everyone. --Edward Garabedian

Customer Reviews:

Lives Up To The Title, Fine Variety Of Genre's........2007-02-04

This CD is a great way to enjoy a large variety of Classical Composers & many of their best known pieces. Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," is an all time favorite. There are vocals, Piano pieces, & some fine Violins. I found the latter the most enjoyable. Here you can find Rodrigo & Pachelbell. Samuel Barber's haunting Adagio will make your skin tingle. This may not be to everyones taste, but if you wish to relax? Give this a couple of listens.

Good for relaxing pregnant women.......2007-01-17

I stumbled onto this album whilst searching bit torrent websites for classical music. I don't normally listen to classical music but thought it might be relaxing for my pregnant wife. After hearing the quality of the performances, the arrangement, and the recording I decided to buy the album from amazon. All the songs you would expect from a "best album in the world" are there and they are not boring to listen to like a lot of other classical albums. I now play this album in the car constantly and the wife requested it be played at the hospital during the birth.

Too much opera.......2007-01-10

If it wasn't for the opera this would be a great CD.

Does what it set out to do, very well.......2006-11-15

So i'm a classical music veteran, someone who prefers to collect a complete work, rather than classical compilations. I probably would not have listened to this album at all if my dad didnt buy it for me as a gift. By now, i own the complete works that over half of the excepts on this disc come from. I am a purist if ever there was one.

That said, i totally adore this set because i have learned to take it on its own terms. These discs weren't meant for expert classical listeners, so a review from that sort of mindset is useless. This set was meant for pure, easy listening, and for a basic starters kit for classical newbies. Most of all, it was just meant to do what the title says, to relax the average human being. classical expert or not.

Yes, some of these pieces have been altered or shortened, like Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto Andantino, but they have been edited for a good enough reason: the full versions would have been too long to flow with the rest of the album. And also, the full versions contain so much development that they don't become easy listening anymore. The shortened versions work in the context of the album. Most essentially, the shortened versions on the discs still convey the main flavor the composers were going for. The melodies and themes remain unchanged.

To sum up, it is true that when i want to actually listen deeply to classical music, this album would never be a choice. I would want to hear the complete works like the composers intended. But at certain times when i simply don't mind about that stuff, when i just need to loosen up and free my mind of stress with some nice melodies, this set does the job well enough.

Last but not least: being a purist and a classical buff, i am very particular about performance quality. I was very glad to find that EMI did not get lazy about this. All the artists are world-class, and all the performances are at least exceptional. Some performances are even quite excellent, like the Clair De Lune, which is one of the best i've heard. (Credit to Dame Lympany, the pianist.)

So once again, recommended for its stated purpose, to relax. I am a purist, a classical buff, and i still enjoy this disc. That says something.

TRULY The most relaxing and beautiful music ever written........2006-11-10

This album along with Volume 2 are now the two most valued albums in my music collection. I have all of the songs contained on these two albums but they are scattered through at least a dozen different albums and several are not performed by artists such as those that recorded this album and Volume 2.
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Lively and comforting CD!
Baby loves this music!
Baby Mozart
great gift - thank you
Great music for baby AND mom

Baby Mozart
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Buena Vista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

CDs Under $7 | Children's Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music

All Bargain Titles | Children's Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music

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

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

CDs | Music & Video | Products |
Similar Items:

Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics
Baby Beethoven
Baby Bach
Baby Neptune
Baby Einstein: Playtime Music Box

ASIN: B000065VCG
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

Tune Up And Fanfare Based On Themes From 'The Magic Flute'
Piano Sonata In C, K545, 1st Movement
Piano Sonata In C, K330, 1st Movement
Variations On 'Ah Vous Dirai-je, Maman,' No. 1, 8, And 11, K265/300e
Piano Sonata In D, K576, 3rd Movement
Concerto For Flute And Harp In C, K299, 1st Movement
Piano Sonata In A, K331, 3rd Movement
Piano Sonata In C, K545, 2nd Movement
Sonata In D For Two Pianos, K448, 1st Movement
Piano Sonata In C, K330, 3rd Movement
Divertmento No. 17 In D
Piano Sonata In B Flat, K570, 3rd Movement
Piano Sonata In F, K533, 3rd Movement
The Magic Flute, K620, Papageno Arias No. 2 And 20
Symphony No. 41 In C, K551, 4th Movement

Product Description

Recipient of the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval, Baby Mozart music CD is a 15-track, 28-minute collection designed as a playful introduction to the genius of Mozart, the child prodigy from Salzburg. Bring to life the Classical Period (1750-1830) with the brilliance and grace of classical music by Wolfgang Mozart and enrich your child's life by exposing them to melody, harmony in this audio journey of some of Mozart's best work. Re-orchestrated for little ears, this collection is sure to bring joy to your little one's playtime or bedtime. Tracks from this delightful CD are featured on our Baby Mozart video and DVD.Musical Selections:1. Tune up and fanfare based on themes from The Magic Flute2. Piano Sonata in C, K545, 1 st movement3. Piano Sonata in C, K330, 1st movement4. Variations on Ah vous dirai-je, maman, No. 1, 8 and 11, K265/300e5. Piano Sonata in D, K576, 3rd movement6. Concerto for Flute and Harp in C, K299, 1st movement7. Piano Sonata in A, K331, 3rd movement8. Piano Sonata in C, K545, 2nd movement9. Sonata in D for Two Pianos, K448, 1st movement10. Piano Sonata in C, K330, 3rd movement11. Divertmento No. 17 in D12. Piano Sonata in B flat, K570, 3rd movement13. Piano Sonata in F, K533, 3rd movement14. The Magic Flute, K620, Papgeno Arias No. 2 and 2015. Symphony No. 41 in C, K551, 4th movementAge: birth +Product Award: Billboard Magazine Top Midline Classical Albums (#1) - 2004

Amazon.com

Of all the reasons you'll click the Add to Shopping Cart button next to Baby Einstein's Baby Mozart--and there are many--the best one is that playing this record for babies doesn't feel weird. Instead of subjecting tiny, tender ears to the kind of Mozart that can make adult classical fans wilt when tackled by a maestro who means business, this is Mozart lite, mixed and mastered by a dad, Bill Weisbach, who's clearly hung around for his share of crib-side cooing. The slightly tinny sound of a child's piano sweeps the sting out of Piano Sonata in B Flat's third movement; the first movement of Concerto for Flute and Harp in C floats by, birdlike; variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" translate to a fancy-sounding (but adorable) "Twinkle, Twinkle"; and Piano Sonata in F's third movement snuggles so deeply into its childlike setting that if you close your eyes, you'll see a pastel parade of animals floating by overhead. Other pieces (more aptly called fragments, since only one track stretches beyond the three-minute mark), like Symphony No. 41's fourth movement, wander into more robust Mozart territory, but it's here the claims about classical music enhancing young kids' abstract reasoning skills and spatial intelligence crystallize. Babies strapped in for a roller coaster of sounds that gracefully dips, swerves, and high-jumps like this version, do have to process what they're hearing somehow (and a case could be made that the instruments Weisbach's chosen--the vibraphone, glockenspiel, and music box among them--make it more appealing for them to do so). Followers of Julie Aigner-Clark's Baby Einstein empire, many of whom opted out of the fan club once Disney bought the company in 2001, won't trip over a single Mickey Mouse-ified sound here. This is pure, plugged in, and muted Mozart, and if it doesn't make your baby smarter, it'll at least sound awfully sweet issuing from your nursery's speakers. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Lively and comforting CD!.......2007-06-12

This CD is inspiring and comforting! I have listened to it a lot since I got it and will continue to share it with junior when he arrives.

Baby loves this music!.......2007-02-17

Puts our 6-week old daughter to sleep. What more could you ask for!

Baby Mozart.......2007-02-14

Although the selection of music was good, I was disappointed at the synthesized sounds of the music. I have heard much of the "Mozart Effect" for stimulating learning in young minds, but why market it this way? Just turn on your radio to your local classical music station and give your child the benefit of the real thing without having to put more money in Disney's pockets.

great gift - thank you.......2007-01-18

thankyou - I gave this as a gift - they loved it

Great music for baby AND mom.......2006-04-18

I bought this CD with a gift card, because I wanted some soothing music for my daughter's naptime. In looking at the titles of the pieces, I didn't recognize very many, but in listening to the CD I found that I recognize much of the music. I was pleased at how calming it was and found myself humming various pieces throughout the day.

I would recommend this CD, and plan to purchase other Baby Einstein music!

Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet

Average customer rating:

A wonderful Beethoven cycle
A LONG TIME COMING AT THIS PRICE
What more can be said?
With the Best of the Best
What sound problems????

Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven , Alban Berg Quartet , and Gerhard Schulz, Hatto Beyerle, Thomas Kakuska, Valentin Erben Günther Pichler
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Box Sets at 30% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim
Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos
Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 14 - 23
Shostakovich: The String Quartets
Complete String Quartets

ASIN: B000026D4J
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: I: Allegro Con Brio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: II: Adagio Affettuoso Ed Appassionato - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: III: Scherzo (Allegro Molto) & Trio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: IV: Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 59 No. 1 In F Major 'Rasumovsky': I: Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 59 No. 1 In F Major 'Rasumovsky': II: Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 59 No. 1 In F Major 'Rasumovsky': III: Adagio molto e mesto : IV: Allegro (Th russe) - Alban Berg Quartett

Tracks:

Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: I: Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: II: Adagio cantabile - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: III: Scherzo (Allegro) & Trio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: IV: Allegro molto, quasi presto - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: I: Allegro con brio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: II: Adagio, ma non troppo - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: III: Scherzo (Allegro) & Trio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: IV: Adagio (La Malinconia) - Allegretto quasi Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 135 In F Major: I: Allegretto - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 135 In F Major: II: Vivace - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 135 In F Major: III: Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 135 In F Major: IV: Grave, ma non troppo tratto - Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett

Tracks:

Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: I. Allegro
Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: II. Andante con moto
III. Allegro
Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: IV. Presto
Op. 18 No. 5 in A Major: I. Allegro
Op. 18 No. 5 in A Major: II. Menuetto & Trio
Op. 18 No. 5 in A Major: III. Andante cantabile
Op. 18 No. 5 in A Major: IV. Allegro
Op. 95 In F Minor: I. Allegro con brio
Op. 95 In F Minor: II. Allegretto ma non troppo
Op. 95 In F Minor: III: Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso

Tracks:

Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: I. Allegro ma non tanto
Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: II. Scherzo (Andante scherzoso quasi Allegretto)
Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: III. Menuetto (Allegretto) & Trio
Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: IV. Allegro
Op. 130 in B flat Major: I. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro
Op. 130 in B flat Major: II. Presto
Op. 130 in B flat Major: III. Andante con moto, ma non troppo
Op. 130 in B flat Major: IV. Alla danza tedesca (Allegro assai)
Op. 130 in B flat Major: V Cavatina (Adagio molto espressivo)
Grosse Fuge In B Flat Major, Op. 133
Op. 130 in B flat Major: VI. Finale (Allegro)

Tracks:

Op. 59 No. 2 In E Minor 'Rasumovsky': I: Allegro
Op. 59 No. 2 In E Minor 'Rasumovsky': II: Molto Allegro
Op. 59 No. 2 In E Minor 'Rasumovsky': III: Allegretto
Op. 59 No. 2 In E Minor 'Rasumovsky': IV: Finale (Presto)
Op. 127 In E Flat Major: I: Maaestoso - Allegro
Op. 127 In E Flat Major: II: Adagio ma non troppo, molto cantabile
Op. 127 In E Flat Major: III: Scherzando vivace
Op. 127 In E Flat Major: IV: Finale

Tracks:

Op. 59 No. 3 In C Major 'Rasumovsky': I: Introduzione (Andante con moto) - Allegro vivace
Op. 59 No. 3 In C Major 'Rasumovsky': II: Andante con moto quasi allegretto
Op. 59 No. 3 In C Major 'Rasumovsky': III: Menuetto (Grazioso) & Trio
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: I: Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: II: Allegro molto vivace
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: III: Allegro moderato
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: IV: Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: V: Presto
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: VI: Adagio quasi un poco andante
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: VI: Adagio quasi un poco andante

Tracks:

Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': I Poco adagio - Allegro - Beethoven
Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': II. Adagio ma non troppo - Beethoven
Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': III. Presto - Beethoven
Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': IV: Allegretto con Variazioni - Beethoven
Op.132 In A Minor: I: Allegro sostenuto - Allegro - Beethoven
Op.132 In A Minor: II: Allegro ma non tanto - Beethoven
Op.132 In A Minor: III: Molto adagio - Beethoven
Op.132 In A Minor: IV: Alla marcia, assai vivace - Beethoven

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful Beethoven cycle.......2007-06-18

This is a fine recording, remastered for the reissue. Intelligent, driving, finely played. Excellent musicianship. Buy it. You won't be sorry you did.

A LONG TIME COMING AT THIS PRICE .......2007-06-02

On LP I own any number of complete Beethoven String Quartets by the great masters of that genre. I bought them all as a teenager and in college. When I started buying CDs a complete Beethoven set for over $100 by a great quartet became out of my price range at the time. To find the Berg Quartet, (a favorite group of mine), surveying these great works at this price from Amazon is one of the best bargains going.

I went immediately to Op. 135 and found it marvelous in concept, execution and recording. I've now listened to almost all the quartets, and the consistency is wonderful. Because I'm in the business I'm using only high end professional equipment for playback and the sound is truly "You Are There". The recordings capture the upper overtones of all the instruments without the least harhsness, no mean feat. The blend of the group and the hall is articulated in a way that happens on only a very few recordings. Ocassionally one can hear a minor difference in what might be placement of microphones, even from movement to movement. This could, in fact, be the result of a temperature or humidity change in the recording venue. You have to pay very close attention to notice this and it does nothing to diminish these sonic wonders) Worth thrice the price.

What more can be said?.......2007-02-03

There are many wonderful performances of these remarkable pieces. Which is the finest? Only God, in his wisdom, will ever be able to answer such a question, but I'm sure with his celestial headphones on he'll be listening to the Alban Berg Quartet. For me this quartet is able to "read" each individual quartet with such clarity, from the light hearted humor of the Op.18 to the intense and darkly passionate Op.95 through to the strangely happy yet unearthly Op.135, with many other wonderful moments, that I can hardly imagine any better. You won't go wrong buying this.

With the Best of the Best.......2006-12-14

I know it's saying a great deal with the excellent full sets of these quartets to choose from, but these overall are my favorites. The playing is excellent, balanced and perfectly toned. There are unquestionably the deep emotional commitment of the Vegh Quartet, the intelligence of the Juilliard, the parlor intimacy of the Talisch and the muscular intensity of the Italiano. And the serious collector needs to listen to these sets, or selections of, for a rounded understanding of these works. But for a consistency of quality and feeling throughout a traversal of all the quartets I believe the Berg set wins an arguably close contest--at least for me.

What sound problems????.......2006-11-14

I am only writing this review in dispute of RB Townsend remarks below.
I have been listening to this mostly Live set for a few years now on high end Audiophile equipment and notice NO problems with sound at all.
It is clear, clean, crisp, transparent and rich with no "glare" at all.
if it is "well lit", this would suit Beethoven's strings perfectly.
An absolutely stunning performance with a Superb sound stage and sound.
All the other reviewers and the buyers who agree with their assessments (a hundred of them) can't be wrong.
With all due respect, Perhaps Mr. Townsend is listening to this on an Aiwa bookshelf System. Perhaps.

Average customer rating:

Grandmother's Review
great cd!
Absolutely Love It!!!
My daughter loved this before she was born
enjoyable

UltraSound - Music for the Unborn Child

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Price, Leontyne | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

$7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Mozart for Mothers-To-Be: Tender Lullabies for Mother and Child
Build Your Baby's Brain
Beethoven for Babies
Tune Your Brain: Pregnancy and Childbirth
The Mozart Effect: Music For Babies: Nighty Night

ASIN: B00000IIUP
Release Date: 1999-04-13

Tracks:

Reverie
Suite No. 3: Air On The G String
Kinderszene-Traumerei
Thais-Meditation
Sonata For Two Pianos, K.448-II: Andante
Lullaby: Cradle Song
Nocturne For Harp
The Nutcracker: Dance Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy
Concerto, Op. 8, No. 4 'Winter': II. Largo
Clair e lune
Eine kleine Nachtmusik-II. Romanze: Andante
Berceuse
Russian Lullaby
Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
Lyric Pieces, Op. 68, No. 5: Cradle Song
Madama Butterfly: Humming Chorus
Ave Maria

Amazon.com

While many hospitals across the country send new mums and babes home equipped with discs of classical music to soothe and gently stimulate babies' tender minds, Ultrasound brings together a delightfully well-rounded set specifically chosen for those still in the womb. Expectant moms will appreciate the effects of the mellow strains of Bach's Suite No. 3, the delicate playfulness of Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy," and Mozart's proven-to-make-you-smart Sonata for Two Pianos featuring André Previn. Debussy's "Clair de lune" is especially lovely as conducted and fluted by James Galway, and Leontyne Price is a warm blanket of comfort giving voice to Schubert's "Ave Maria." Indeed, these songs are aural balm to both parent and child long after birth. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

Grandmother's Review.......2007-05-21

I purchased this product for my expectant daughter, and she says that it is the best gift she has ever received. She, herself, finds the music very soothing and relaxing, and she is certain that it is wonderful for her child.

great cd!.......2007-05-14

This is a fantastic product! I bought it to play for my unborn daughter and I started it when I was around five mos. pregnant. She moves all over the place when I put the headphones on my belly and I can even tell by her movements that she likes some songs more than others. I have done a lot of research into playing music for unborn babies, including the helpfulness as far as birthing positions when the music is played regularly. This cd fits the bill for all of the research I've done. It is completely worth the money!

Absolutely Love It!!!.......2007-04-02

I have a 6 month old daughter. I first purchased this CD when I was pregnant and would place my earphones on my belly for her to listen. I now use it in her room at bedtime and I absolutely love it. I have a collection of other CD's, but honestly this is my favorite. It is a very nice blend of songs. It is soothing for baby and parents. If you only buy one CD I would recommend you make it this one.

My daughter loved this before she was born.......2006-12-15

When I was about 18 weeks pregnant I bought this and two other CDs of gentle classical music and played one of them for her every 2nd or 3rd night, putting headphones on my belly. I was actually skeptical about this being "music for the unborn" but she really did react to this one much more than anything else I ever played for her. If she hadn't been very active that day I could always lay down in the evening with the headphones and play her music, and she's wriggle around. She especially liked #5 and #10. :)

She didn't seem to have much connection to it after she arrived, but she does enjoy music in general. (She's currently almost 11 mo old.)

enjoyable.......2006-08-03

I have enjoyed this cd thus far. If you have the money to spend, this is relaxing and enjoyable, however you can get similar music for free on your local classical station. So if you would rather save your money...just tune in on your radio dial. I am glad I bought the cd for the familiarity of the songs, but I also love just plain old classical radio.

Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces

Average customer rating:

Gorgeous music, bad quality cd.
Great music, low quality reproduction
A nice introduction
Mozart is the reference point for good classical music.
Mozart's music

Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Essential Bach
Essential Beethoven
Essential Tchaikovsky
Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 1
Beethoven Collection: Symphonies Nos. 1-9, Complete Recording (Box Set)

ASIN: B00005A8JZ
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K525: Allegro - Academy Of St Martin-In-The-Fields
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K467: Andante - Radu Lupu
Le nozze di Figaro: Voi che sapete - Cecilia Bartoli
Clarinet Quintet In A Major, K581: Largetto - Peter Schmidl
Ave verum Corpus, K618 - James Vivian
Vesperae solennes de confessore in C major: Laudate Dominum - Emma Kirkby
Concerto For Flute And Harp In C Major: Andantino - Lisa Beznosiuk
Le nozze di Figaro: Overture - London Philharmonic Orchestra
Cosi fan tutte: Trio: Soava sia il vento - Renee Fleming
Symphony No.39 in E-flat Major, K495: Andante con moto - Chicago Symphony
Horn Concerto: Rondo - Barry Tuckwell
Don Giovanni: Serenade Deh, vieni alla finestra - Bryn Terfel
Contredanse In C Major, K609 No.1 'Non piu andrai' - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
German Dance, K605 No.3 'Sleigh Ride' - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Piano Concerto No.23 In A Major, K488: Adagio - Vladimir Ashkenazy
A Musical Joke, K522: Presto - Vienna Mozart Ensemble

Tracks:

Symphony No.40 In G Minor, K550: Molto allegro - Vienna Philharmonic
Piano Sonata No.16 In C Major: Allegro - Andras Schiff
The Magic Flute: Queen Of The Night: Der Holle Rache - Sumi Jo
Clarinet Concerto In A Major, K622: Adagio - Franklin Cohen
Don Giovanni: La ci darem la mano - Cecilia Bartoli
Serenade in Bb Major, K361: Adagio - London Wind Soloists
Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja - Hermann Prey
Le nozze di Figaro: Dove sono - Kiri Te Kanawa
Violin Concerto No.3 in G Major, K216: Adagio - Joshua Bell
Requiem, K626: Lacrimosa - Vienna Philharmonic
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento: Dulcissimum convivium - Margaret Marshall
Piano Sonata No.11 In A Major, K331: Rondo alla turca - Andras Schiff
Don Giovanni: Champagne aria: Fin ch'chan dal vino - Bryn Terfel
Divertimento No.17 in D Major, K334: Minuet & trio - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Exsultate, jubilat, K165: Alleluja - Leontyne Price
Symphony No.41 In C Major, K551 'Jupiter': Finale: Molto allegro - Vienna Philharmonic

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous music, bad quality cd........2007-04-13

The music is Mozart's and is fantastic. The last piece on the first disc
stutters halfway through, and seizes up my system. I don't have time to return items to Amazon. On the positive side, most of the time Amazon provides quality products and service. I gave 3 stars because I love the music.

Great music, low quality reproduction.......2007-01-30

this is a great collection of his work... the only problem i have found so far is that my copy has irritating "clicks" over the recording.

A nice introduction.......2006-02-22

This is a good well rounded collection to dip you into the classical world of Mozart.

Mozart is the reference point for good classical music........2005-10-20

A good collection of his best work and I find it helps me focus when I'm writing or contempating life.

"We exposed these animals [rats] in utero and then sixty days after birth to different types of auditory stimulation and then we ran them in a spatial maze. And sure enough, the animals that were exposed to the Mozart completed the maze faster and with fewer errors. And now what we're doing is we're removing their brains so we can slice them and see neuro-anatomically precisely what has changed as a function of this exposure. So it may be that this intense exposure to the music is a type of enrichment that has similar effects on the spatial areas of the hippocampus of the brain." --Dr. Frances Rauscher

Dr. Frances Rausher sums up what I feel happening when I expose myself to this incredible composer (Mozart).

I have yet to grow tired of any of the tracks yet, but I will invest in more of his work soon.

Mozart's music.......2005-10-17

This is a review of Mozart's music, not the cd. Mozart is praised to the skies by all and sundry, including most musicians, including my father, who no doubt has his reasons. But my feeling about Mozart has always been that there is nothing in Mozart's music that is other than music. There is no logical impressionism, there are no events that seem to be transpiring as in, for example, Beethoven. Mozart is just music. Mozart is to music as pure mathematics is to science. It hints of nothing else and has no application. I find some of his music irritatingly trivial, for example, Eine Kleine Nachtmuzic. This is mechanical music that one can imagine being piped in by a totalitarian government that insists everyone be cheerful. If Disneyland was an eighteenth century totalitarian state, Mozart would be its Muzak. The populace would be awakened, like Chinese train passengers, at 6AM by the strains of some allegro. They would arise and busy themselves with their ablutions in a state of thoughtless cheer, never for one moment leaving the surface of things. That being said, the second movement of Mozart's clarinette concerto is the music that one will hear on going into heaven.

Average customer rating:

excellent second album
Self-consciously coquettish overintellectualized indie schmuck
raw yet refined
Everything you don't expect and more...
Ys

Ys
Joanna Newsom
Manufacturer: Drag City
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Milk-Eyed Mender
The Crane Wife
Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks)
The Letting Go
Yellow House

ASIN: B000I2K9M4
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

Emily
Monkey & Bear
Sawdust & Diamonds
Only Skin
Cosmia

Amazon.com

Joanna Newsom's voice--a piercing flutter that's pitched somewhere between Björk and a hand brake--is an acquired taste. But to the uninitiated, it's not nearly as impenetrable as her cosmic poetry or, for that matter, baroque music. The 24-year-old Californian harpist's second album is a five-track concept piece loosely based on its namesake, the mythological drowned city of the Bretons. We say "loosely" because she leaves plenty of room for digressions on meteoroids and birds flying into windows. While Ys was recorded by minimalist Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey), it includes lush string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks (Brian Wilson) and the final mix was done by sonic experimentalist Jim O'Rourke (Sonic Youth, Tortoise). The result is an album that sounds unlike anything else. And despite containing spectacularly beguiling songs that stretch out past 15 minutes, every second seems to drip with magic. You certainly don't get that with Ashlee Simpson. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

excellent second album.......2007-07-01

Joanna Newsom has composed the music and wrote the lyrics that are complex, unique and beautiful. She is on the most talented new artists today and I was happy to discover her music. I would warmly recommend this album, as well as her first CD, "Milk-Eyed Mender".

Self-consciously coquettish overintellectualized indie schmuck.......2007-06-29

What is it with every woman in "underground" music insisting on being cute and smart and falsely weird? (The word "underground" is in quotes because any album that costs more than $250,000 to make and tops every single best-of list of its release year cannot really be considered under the radar.) It's like they have such horrible self-image problems that they must always wear a cute outfit, play an unexpected instrument, and sing in a disaffected manner, and they are absolutely GUSHED over in the press. This is just one aspect of the Pitchforkization of music, a faux democratization of taste that results in nothing but hype and backlash--no substance, all fear, just cycle after cycle like a dog who can't tell its own tail from a stick.

Now that I've gotten that rant out of the way, onto the record: I've been listening to this for several months, and I cannot figure out why Newsom is creating what she is and why people (self included) are actually listening to it.

--Does she tell compelling stories? No, not really--the language is obscured and veiled, and even then you know exactly which side she's on in her morality tales. There's nothing complex or surprising about a bear being manipulated and taken advantage of by a monkey, even in Newsom's words, and the obvious plot ending solidifies the fact that Newsom cannot and will never be able to process the moral ambiguities that most great artists--including many that she professes to admire, like Neil Young--can create. Why should I care about a bear? Even if it is an allegory, and a piss poor one at that, I think the whole song should've spared us all and jumped into the water with Ursula.

--Does she use language in interesting ways? On occasion she does, I'll give her that. I have to say that "Sawdust and Diamonds" contains one of the loveliest descriptions of a birth this side of Patti Smith's "Kimberly"--"I was all horns and thorns, sprang up fully formed, knock-kneed and upright." (Funny, though, that when I think of the term "fully formed," being knock-kneed doesn't immediately come to mind.) But the rest of the song's trite meditation on puppeteering and meandering, uselessly vague pastoral imagery render that line, which might have been a good start to something far more interesting, absolutely pointless. And that's what so much of this is. She also has a terrible thesaurus addiction, and will drop an awkward passage without even reconsidering it. You know who else, more famous than Newsom and also praised in her early career, did this? That's right, Alanis Morissette. Perhaps Newsom should stand naked in the street for her next video to make the comparison more apt, because at least Alanis lets it all lyrically hang out while Newson gives none of herself to her art.

--Does it sound good? Well, not really. I used the word "meandering" earlier, and so much of the music on this record does just that. Poor Van Dyke Parks, trying to shine a turd. The composition is so self-aware and cloying, and if there were words to listen to and actual ideas on this record they wouldn't be allowed to breathe. Perhaps it's all a smoke screen to distract from the fact that Joanna Newsom has nothing to say.

Why do I think that Newsom is fraught with naught? Yes, this is only her second album, and yes, she is young and fresh out of creative writing school, but when I hear her sing the word "desire" there's absolutely none there. It's the audio equivalent of getting up every morning and going to work in an office about which you are ambivalent and apathetic. And even the least paid, least hip cubicle grunts know what desire is, surely! Hell, Rimbaud's career as a writer was over by the time he was 24, but his throwaways had far more depth than the best Newsom can do here.

So if I don't like it so much, why am I giving this two whole stars? Because Joanna Newsom is the same age as me, has recorded two albums, and has made enough money to buy a house, which is far more than I've been able to do in an equal amount of time (though unequal opportunities were available, which could lead me to a discussion of her connections and social status/economic disparities from which I will spare you). I suppose she deserves some credit for having her finances in order, without having to resort to grunt work. And yes, I am jealous that someone who created something so insipid is now famous and wealthy. So it goes.

raw yet refined.......2007-06-23

This is my second attempt at posting a review here. The first review had the phrase "my arse" in it (using the other word for "arse") so I can only assume that's why it didn't get posted. I am appalled at some of the things said of Joanna Newsom and her album on Amazon. Some people go so far as to personally attack the artist herself for being privileged (??), for playing a harp in an attempt to be different, and for wearing "cute dresses." Hmmm...

This album holds a special place in my collection. Never have I heard such ambitious, moving, and consistently powerful lyrics on a single album. This is a difficult album to understand for many people, but I find dissecting the lyrics and researching the musician's intent much more interesting and rewarding than anything on the radio these days. As for the music itself, being no music theory major, I can only say that it consistently pulls an emotional response from me; viscerally and intellectually, I find it cathartic, stimulating, raw (no thesaurus used here, guys and girls.) Joanna Newsom certainly does a terrific job on the harp, in composition and execution, and Van Parks' complementary pieces add a certain largeness of sound to the album that matches its largeness of vision.

The vitriol I have seen against Newsom in a few of the reviews here is unnerving and worrying. I would hope that those who do not like her album will in future attempt to logically explain why without succumbing to posting hateful and sexist insults. This does nothing to inform would-be buyers of the album's strengths and weaknesses (if you think the album has any--I personally think it doesn't: it is exactly what it should be.)

Five stars all the way.

Everything you don't expect and more..........2007-06-07

This is probably one of the most creative projects I've ever heard. Newsom plays the harp and writes epic song with lush orchestrations behind them. You hear every instrument and color on this album except what you expect to hear. Newsom's harp trickles through the chords while the songs are colored by lush strings, subtle brass and even an occassional banjo or jawharp. Newsom's songs are very different from traditional pop songs. She divorces the traditional song structure and gives each song a wider arc allowing her to tell the story at hand. The lyrics are very narrative and incredibly poetic. The texts drip with imagery poetic devices that just don't get used enough in mainstream music. This album is incredibly refreshing with its innovative instrumentations, lush orchestrations, masterful songwriting, poetic lyrics and fantastic production. Even with all of this I think that anyone may find fault with one particular aspect of the record:

Joanna Newsom's voice.

I'm not going to lie, it's kind of annoying. Her vocal quality is some kind of strange combination between abrasive and whinny. Images of a pre-pubescent Bjork may come to mind. One thing that I consistently noticed was that when Newsom sang the word, "and" or other words with a similar vowel sound higher in her regester, there was a very distinctive squeek of her voice, kind of like her vocal chords decided to do just a little bit of bumping and grinding. However, as absolutely bizarre as Newsom's voice is, I think it kind of works. Granted, she sounds like a crazy old lady gathering the village children around to sing them a story, but with the style of the music and the content of the lyrics, I think it is strangely appropriate.

Whether you like her voice at all, there is no denying that this project is incredibly unique and creative. You may have noticed that this album doesn't have a great rating from the pooled average of Amazon users. This is not from a consistent pile of mediocre reviews, but polarized reviews from people who adore this album and others who hate it. Obviously, I am one of the former. This album is very hit-or-miss. I've told you what I think, but the only way to tell what you really think about this very debated album is to take a listen for yourself and be the judge of your own tastes.

Ys.......2007-06-07

Ys was a bold move for Joanna Newsom. How could something that begins with the words "The meadowlark and the chim-choo-ree" not be? Yet Ys is an exemplar of a musical gamble that worked, both a logical progression and a quantum leap into unexpectedly majestic territory. Let's start with the developments: Newsom's voice has improved tremendously, moving from an unlistenable cackle to a much more palatable (and appropriate) purr. So have the production and instrumentation--now worlds richer --as well as the song structures, which clock in at epic times but contain multiple movements as in a fable with scenes of differing action and tone. What hasn't changed is Newsom's affection for all things whimsical and her penchant for storytelling--a good thing, since Newsom is a more adventurous tale-spinner than just about all of her singer-songwriter contemporaries. Those who once balked at The Milk Eyed Mender should definitely think twice about skipping out on Ys's magic carpet ride.

Beethoven's Wig 3: Many More Sing-Along Symphonies

Average customer rating:

Worse than BW 1 and 2
We love it!
Beethoven's Wig 3
Good overview of orchestral instruments
Fun exposure to classical music

Beethoven's Wig 3: Many More Sing-Along Symphonies

Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Sing-A-Longs | Children's Music | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:<