Life's Aquarium

Amazon.com
The world has plenty of R&B vocalists, but when it comes to actual R&B bands--you know, the ones with actual musicians playing actual instruments--the pickings are on the slim side. With Tony Toni Tone AWOL, Mint Condition are not only the template for contemporary R&B bands but practically the only contenders in the category. Yet the lack of competition hasn't made them any less eager or hungry. In fact, the band's fifth CD, its first on Elektra, is its most focused to date. Written and produced by the band, Life's Aquarium finds Mint Condition in a more sexually aggressive mood than on their previous CDs. That assertiveness is evident on cuts such as the rugged "Touch That Body," the jittery bump-and-grind of "Who Can You Trust," and the soft wet kisses of "Pretty Lady" (the latter featuring a cameo from the Gap Band's Charlie Wilson). Where once Mint Condition showed off their chops by launching into extended but aimless jazz-fusion riffs, or tried to impress the listener with chord changes and arpeggios straight out of a music-comp course, they now bypass the showboating and stick to simple but effective songs. All of which makes Life's Aquarium satisfying, soulful, and the best music to date from a band that has earned its stripes. --Amy Linden

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating:

Life's Aquarium

SWIMMING IN LIFE'S AQUARIUM

Satisfied Customer

Never Disapoints

They JUST Missed The Mark...

Life's Aquarium
Mint Condition
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
General | R&B | Styles | Music
General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
New Jack | R&B | Styles | Music
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Livin' the Luxury Brown

Meant to Be Mint

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Sons of Soul

House of Music

ASIN: B00000K3GR
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

Touch That Body
Be Like That Sometimes
Pretty Lady
Who Can You Trust
If You Love Me
Spanish Eyes
Is This Pain Our Pleasure
Call Me
This Day, This Minute, Right Now
Just The Man For You
Tonight
Leave Me Alone

Amazon.com

The world has plenty of R&B vocalists, but when it comes to actual R&B bands--you know, the ones with actual musicians playing actual instruments--the pickings are on the slim side. With Tony Toni Tone AWOL, Mint Condition are not only the template for contemporary R&B bands but practically the only contenders in the category. Yet the lack of competition hasn't made them any less eager or hungry. In fact, the band's fifth CD, its first on Elektra, is its most focused to date. Written and produced by the band, Life's Aquarium finds Mint Condition in a more sexually aggressive mood than on their previous CDs. That assertiveness is evident on cuts such as the rugged "Touch That Body," the jittery bump-and-grind of "Who Can You Trust," and the soft wet kisses of "Pretty Lady" (the latter featuring a cameo from the Gap Band's Charlie Wilson). Where once Mint Condition showed off their chops by launching into extended but aimless jazz-fusion riffs, or tried to impress the listener with chord changes and arpeggios straight out of a music-comp course, they now bypass the showboating and stick to simple but effective songs. All of which makes Life's Aquarium satisfying, soulful, and the best music to date from a band that has earned its stripes. --Amy Linden

Customer Reviews:

Life's Aquarium.......2007-01-05

Mint condition does everything so well and this CD proves to be added to their outstanding musical abilities. Don't let this one slip you by!

SWIMMING IN LIFE'S AQUARIUM.......2006-05-11

I hear a lot of griping from fans of classic R&B artists such as Teddy Pendergrass, Al Green, and Marvin Gaye that the new class of R&B singers aren't real. They say they're studio-enhanced, backed up by all electronic instruments, and no one plays their own instruments or is backed by a live band anymore.

Mint Condition makes these folks eat their words. With 4 of the best records to bless R&B in the 90's and beyond, Mint Condition is a multi-talented group of men who can have anyone who loves the classics vibing to their tracks.

"Life's Aquarium" is their fourth offering (there first on Elektra Records), and it comes through just as lovely as everything they've put out before. The first single, "If You Love Me" is a beautiful track showcasing the feelings of a man who needs reassurance of the affections his woman says she has for him. "This Day, This Minute, Right Now" is another beautiful ballad, this time with Stokeley (MC's lead singer) professing his undying love, beginning right now. Other tracks that are unbeatable are "Pretty Lady", featuring the legendary Charlie Wilson, of Gap Band fame. The uptempo "Be Like That Sometimes" deals with life's trials and tribulations, and "Just The Man For You" is yet another sweet ballad, this time with Stokley attempting to convince a woman that they're made for each other.

If you've never listened to a Mint Condition album, this would be a good one to introduce you to their style. I would recommend this for any R&B fan, especially those fed up with all the "digitized" artists that are out there now.

Satisfied Customer.......2006-02-28

I enjoyed the cd of Mint Condition very much because I was able to share it with my sister who is a BIG Mint Condition fan. She was unable to get a copy of it until I ordered it from you. She was soo happy.
Thanks again. Thumbs up!

Never Disapoints.......2004-12-02

With Life's Aquarium, Mint Condition add another CD full of sensual grooves to their reporite. Standout tracks include Pretty Lady, If You Love Me,Pain or Pleasure and Tonight.

They JUST Missed The Mark..........2002-08-26

When I first picked up this album, I would've never guessed how close Mint Condition were to coming up with their first 5-star effort in their entire recording history. I'm serious, the only gripe I had with Life's Aquarium which also continues to drive me up the wall with this band is the fact that THEY DON'T PLAY AS A BAND OFTEN ENOUGH! As a result the few cuts that sound like they were mainly done with the aid of studio gimmickry made for some unnecessary filler. Shoot, I was feelin' Mint ALL THE WAY on Be Like That Sometimes (was hoping Chris "Daddy" Dave would handle the drumming on this one and not some state-of-the-art beat machine though), Pretty Lady, If You Love Me, Spanish Eyes, Is This Pain Our Pleasure (live drums would've been PERFECT on this cut as well!), This Day This Minute Right Now, Just The Man For You, and Leave Me Alone (ending to this one should've been done properly IMHO) because those were the songs I truly felt they would be able to pull off on stage. Even the bonus tracks were hittin' it with the island-flavored instrumental DeCuervo's Revenge and the downright funky If We Play Our Cards Right (my favorite cut on the whole album!). I was left wondering why those two weren't included on the original track sequence in the first place.

Tracks:

The Circle of Life - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
I Just Can't Wait To Be King - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Can You Feel the Love Tonight - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
The Lion Sleeps Tonight - City of Prague Phil/Colin Frechter
Hakuna Matata - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Carnival of the Animals: Introduction-Royal March of the Lion - American PO/Barry Faldner
Carnival of the Animals: Wild Asses - American PO/Barry Faldner
Carnival of the Animals: The Aquarium - American PO/Barry Faldner
Carnival of the Animals: Aviary - American PO/Barry Faldner
Carnival of the Animals: The Swan - American PO/Barry Faldner
Carnival of the Animals: Finale - American PO/Barry Faldner
William Tell Overture - Ljublijana SO/Anton Nanut
Radetsky March - Sofia SO/Barry Faldner
Give a Little Whistle - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
When You Wish Upon A Star - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
I've Got No Strings - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Turn Of The Old Music Box - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Hi Diddle-dee-dee (an Actor's Life for Me) - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
When You Wish Upon A Star (reprise) - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Symphonie Fantastique: March of the Scaffold - Ljublijana SO/Anton Nanut
Hebrides Ov Op.26: Fingal's Cave - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
The Magic Flute Ov, K.620 - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih

Tracks:

(Just) Whistle While You Work - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
I'm Wishing - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
With A Smile And A Song - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Some Day My Prince Will Come - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
One Song - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Heigh-Ho - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
The Nutcracker Ste, Op.71a: Miniature Ov - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
The Nutcracker Ste, Op.71a: March - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
The Nutcracker Ste, Op.71a: Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
The Nutcracker Ste, Op.71a: Russian Dance - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
The Nutcracker Ste, Op.71a: Arabian Dance - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
The Nutcracker Ste, Op.71a: Chinese Dance - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
The Nutcracker Ste, Op.71a: Dance of the Pipe Flutes - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
The Nutcracker Ste, Op.71a: Waltz of the Flowers - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
Colonel Hathi's March - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
The Bare Necessities - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
I Wanna Be Just Like You - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
Poet and Peasant Ov - Ljublijana SO/Anton Nanut
'L'Arlesienne' Ste No.2: Farandole - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
The Love of Three Oranges March - American PO/Barry Faldner
Finlandia - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' (A Little Night Music) (Ser in G, K.525 Allegro) - Ljublijana SO/Alexander Von Pitamic

Tracks:

Belle - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Beauty and the Beast - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Be Our Guest - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Ste, Op.66: Introduction, The Tree Fairy - Volgograd SO/Edward Serov
The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Ste, Op.66: Adagio, Pas d'action - Volgograd SO/Edward Serov
The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Ste, Op.66: Pas de caricature - Volgograd SO/Edward Serov
The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Ste, Op.66: Panorama - Volgograd SO/Edward Serov
The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Ste, Op.66: Waltz - Volgograd SO/Edward Serov
Arabian Nights - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Prince Ali - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
A Whole New World - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
One Jump Ahead - Kingston SO/Glen Fast
Scheherazade, Op.35: The Sea and Sinbad's Ship - Ljublijana SO/Anton Nanut
Dumbo Overture - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
March Militaire - Sofia SO/Barry Faldner
'Peer Gynt' Ste No.1, Op.46: In The Hall of the Mountain King - Ljublijana SO/Andrew Schenck
Light Cavalry Ov - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih

Tracks:

If I Knew You - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
Just Around The River Bend - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
Colours Of The Wind - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Andantino (Peter) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Allegro (The Bird) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Moderato No.11 (The Cat) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Poco Pin Andante No.15 (The Grandfather) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Andantino, Come Prima No.17 (Peter) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Andante No.18 (The Grandfather) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Andante Molto No.19 (The Wolf) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Andante No.24 (The Duck) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Vivo No.30 (The Bird) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Poco Meno Mosso-Moderato No.35 (Peter) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Allegro Moderato No.39 (The Hunters) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Andante No.41 (Peter) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Sostenuto-Listesso Tempo No.48... - American PO/Barry Faldner
Peter and the Wolf (Symphonic Tale for Children), Op.67: Andante-End No.53 (Peter) - American PO/Barry Faldner
Swan Lake Ballet: Scene (moderato) - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
Swan Lake Ballet: Waltz - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
Swan Lake Ballet: Swan Dance (allegro moderato) - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
Swan Lake Ballet: Scene (andante) - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
Swan Lake Ballet: Czardas (moderato) - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
Bibbidi-Bobbodi-Boo - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
We Can Do It - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
So This Is Love (Cinderella Waltz) - City of Prague PO/Colin Frechter
'Carmen Ste' No.1: The Toreadors - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
In the Steppes of Central Asia - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
1812 Ov, Op.49 (finale) - Ljublijana SO/Marko Munih
Marriage of Figaro Ov, K.492 - Ljublijana SO/Anton Nanut

Customer Reviews:

A little something different.......2007-01-10

I enjoyed this music and am using some of it to choreograph a little different "Disney" for my students.I think it will come in handy in the future as well.