Fantasies

1. Theme From Rain Man

2. Ebben/La Wally

3. Libiamo/Brindisi

4. Time To Say Goodbye

5. Un Bel Di Vedremo

6. La Donna E Mobile

7. Conquest Of Paradise

8. Chariot Of The Sun

9. Habanera

10. Miss Sarajevo

11. Scene Et Legende De La Fille Du Paria

12. Sous Le Dome Epais Le Jasmin

13. Pomp & Circumstance Opus 39. No.1 D-Major

Fantasies,Trance Opera,Zyx/Dance Street,5"CD Singles,Dance

Average customer rating: Iona Brown was very special Superb this England! tallis and lark smooth as silk

Vaughan Williams: Fantasies; The Lark Ascending; Five Variants Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Marriner, Sir Neville | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Fantasia on Vaughan Williams - Serenade to Music · Five Mystical Songs · Fantasia on Christmas Carols · Flos Campi / Sixtieen Soloists · Thomas Allen · Nobuko Imai · Corydon Singers · ECO · Matthew Best Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on Greensleeves; English Folk Song Suite; In the Fen Country; Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works ASIN: B000004CVM Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
2. Fantasia On Greensleeves
3. The Lark Ascending
4. Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus'

Amazon.com

Marriner's evergreen 1972 recording of favorite shorter works by Vaughan Williams has yet to be surpassed for warmth of conception and smoothness of execution. The soloists in these accounts (among them William Bennett in the Greensleeves Fantasia and Iona Brown in the Lark Ascending) are all first-rate, and the Academy's strings play with polish and great beauty of sound. The analog recording is excellent, and Marriner's remarkable empathy for the music comes across effortlessly. Some listeners may prefer the richer sonority and arrestingly mystical manner of Marriner's 1993 digital remake of the Tallis Fantasia for Philips, but this disc offers the most desirable coupling of other works and remains a first choice for those interested in getting to know the composer's finest short essays. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Iona Brown was very special.......2007-06-11

The Iona Brown recording of "Lark" here is famous in Britain and justifiably so. Brown, who died in 2004, grew up in the English countryside and had a deep experience of what Vaughan Williams was trying to capture. The rest of the CD is lush, crisp and wonderful -- the Academy's renowned strings at their early 70s peak. It's an analog recording (1972) and the sound is terrific. I don't think this recording has ever been out of print -- how many thousands of us owned the LP and bought the CD as soon as it came out.

Superb.......2007-03-16

This is an essential recording for any classical music collection. I've probably played this CD a thousand times, and I never grow tired of it. Wonderful music beautifully played - buy it.

this England!.......2006-12-14

It is perhaps impossible to hear Vaughan Williams' short works performed more beautifully and unforgettably than in this 1972 ADRM/Argo recording. Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields acquit themselves above reproach. Vaughan Williams - you love him or hate him - must be loved for his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, that haunting and almost religiously uplifting setting of Medieval plainsong that is capable of shifting a driver to the side of the road in open-jawed amazement at the sheer evocative beauty of it.

Greensleeves is emblematic of the English countryside and its melody, easily dismissed as the primped-up stuff of 'Rule Brittania' shops but so much more worthwhile than all that. Iona Brown's violin on 'The Lark Ascending' sounds as though crafted to play this piece once - enduringly- and then tossed like unused Eucharistic wine.

How, one wonders in aesthetic and rationally unguarded moments, could a nation that produced such music have lost an Empire? Or, more accurately, how could a people capable of such lyricism have done otherwise than believed - for an historical blink of an eye - in its own superiority?

That a coterie of *English* musicians should produce the definitive recording of these works is poetically appropriate.

That listeners of many tongues should listen and wonder at Williams' temperamental genius is simply a musical fact on the ground.

Begin Vaughan Williams with this recording. The rest are derivative.

tallis and lark.......2006-10-06

Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis was a piece of music John Williams discovered in a house of sorts during the war in a dresser.He loved to visit small villages to hear local music. This piece and Lark Ascending are, in my mind, the finest music ever written. I love Beethoven, Willie and Lobo, Miles Davis, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nina Simone, Pat Metheny, Patrick O'Hearn, John Lee Hooker, I can go on. But it's these 2 pieces that completely consume the listener, pull you in and stop you dead in your thoughts....to dream. Lark Ascending was literally a piece of music written with the author watching a lark(bird) in a small, cozy valley rising up from the floor, singing all the way up. I have given away these CD's 6 and 7 times over because guests at my house are so touched after the music is over, especially after a jug of wine. Thank you for reading, Greg-Fresno, CA.

smooth as silk.......2006-09-30

I too fell for this music in college long ago, and carry it inside me everywhere I go. I have listened to Lark and Tallis many times when I was worried about school or work, and hum them in my mind when I need an emotional lift. Interesting comment about the Japanese connection -- when listening to Lark I sometimes imagine an English countryside with stream, and sometimes a Japanese.

Marriner is a genius at small orchestra. I like the famous Barbirolli version of Tallis too, but it was Marriner's I fell in love with. A great collection to own. If you love this, don't miss RVW's Serenade to Music on Hyperion - an awesome musical setting of Shakespeare that is as satisfying as Lark and Tallis.

Average customer rating: great CD At best, a sincere attempt by a layperson Lovely piece of wrting played very well Unbelievable... unforgettable! Richard Joo is the pianist in the world - I heard him live!!!

Billy Joel: Fantasies & Delusions, Op. 1-10 Billy Joel , and Richard Joo Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Billy Joel - Fantasies and Delusions: Music for Solo Piano, Op. 1-10 Streetlife Serenade The Bridge Cold Spring Harbor Storm Front ASIN: B00005Q6KS Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

1. Reverie (Villa D'Este)
2. Waltz # 1 (Nunley's Carousel)
3. Aria (Grand Canal)
4. Invention In C Minor
5. Soliloquy (On A Separation)
6. Innamorato
7. Suite For Piano (Star-Crossed)
8. Sorbetto
9. Delusion
10. Waltz # 2 (Steinway Hall)
11. Waltz # 3 (For Lola)
12. Fantasy (Film Noir)
13. Air (Dublinesque)

Amazon.com

For nearly a decade now, Billy Joel has devoted himself to writing instrumental classical music. The results heard on Fantasies & Delusions show the "Piano Man" firmly rooted in Romanticism and short, expressive works that cover a range of moods. There are hints of Schumann and Chopin throughout the 10 solo piano compositions; Joel may wear his influences on his sleeve, but at least he has great influences. Some critics may scoff, but this is a solid debut--not a "classical crossover" attempt filled with infectious pop melodies, but an impressive recording of new piano works played solidly by Richard Joo. As with his pop creations, Joel doesn't strive for the cutting-edge and he certainly doesn't traverse the depths of human emotions (though the 11-minute "Soliloquy, Op.1" sounds a little overwrought). This is still a pleasant classical album that's infinitely listenable (and head and shoulders above recent "classical" works penned by Paul McCartney and other pop stars). --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

great CD.......2007-05-09

Amazing. It is very light, not serious. A very enjoyable CD

At best, a sincere attempt by a layperson.......2007-03-01

I understand that Joel has a limited classical background. It shows in all of the pieces. They are, however, a sincere attempt at classical composition. He tries different approaches, like drama, wistfulness, and even a motoric element. But it's obvious that he needs to listen to more classical discs and brush up on his knowledge of classical repertoire.

Nice try though.

Lovely piece of wrting played very well.......2006-12-31

For all that say this is a hollow initation of past composers should remember that there has been little groundbreaking compsition for the last 50 years (maybe 100) and what is groundbreaking I can barely stand listening to. It is not Chopin .... it not supposed to be.

Listen for what it is and you will find it lovely piece of wrting played very well.

Unbelievable... unforgettable!.......2006-12-01

Wow! This is a great classical album. It's perfection. A hundred years from now, if only one recording of Billy Joel survives, I hope it's this one.

Richard Joo is the pianist in the world - I heard him live!!!.......2006-03-07

I have to say that the performance on the CD by Richard Joo is impeccable! However, I have had the fortune to hear him perform live and I must say that he is absolutely the BEST pianist that I have ever heard!!!! I have been in the classical music business for years and have heard countless pianists, but RICHARD JOO is in a league of his own. Especially when he performs "serious" classical pieces. So, if you ever get a chance to hear him live, DON'T MISS IT!!!! I have definately become his fan.

Average customer rating: I hate this CD! One phenomenal artist! Argerich According to Taste One of the best Schumann performences

Robert Schumann: Kinderszenen/Kreisleriana Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Argerich, Martha | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Argerich, Martha | ( A ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich Debut Recital / Martha Argerich Chopin: 26 Préludes, etc / Martha Argerich Schumann: Kinderszenen Op15 ASIN: B000001G4S Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Kinderszenen Op.15: About Foreign Lands And Peoples
2. Kinderszenen Op.15: Curious Story
3. Kinderszenen Op.15: Catch Me If You Can
4. Kinderszenen Op.15: Pleading Child
5. Kinderszenen Op.15: Happiness
6. Kinderszenen Op.15: Important Event
7. Kinderszenen Op.15: Dreaming
8. Kinderszenen Op.15: At The Fireside
9. Kinderszenen Op.15: Knight Of The Hobby Horse
10. Kinderszenen Op.15: Almost Too Serious
11. Kinderszenen Op.15: Frightening
12. Kinderszenen Op.15: Child Falling Asleep
13. Kinderszenen Op.15: The Poet Speaks
14. Kreisleriana Op.16: Agitatissimo
15. Kreisleriana Op.16: Con Molta Espressione, Non Troppo Presto
16. Kreisleriana Op.16: Molto Agitato
17. Kreisleriana Op.16: Lento Assai
18. Kreisleriana Op.16: Vivace Assai
19. Kreisleriana Op.16: Lento Assai
20. Kreisleriana Op.16: Molto Presto
21. Kreisleriana Op.16: Vivace E Scherzando

Customer Reviews:

I hate this CD!.......2004-12-12

I hate this CD! I choose to listen to it primarily for the Kreisleriana, one of my favorite pieces of Schumann -- and then, to my chagrin, I get sidetracked by Kinderscenen, the first piece on this disc. Once I hear the lovely opening strains of "From foreign lands and peoples," I am "hooked" and must finish listening to this piece in its entirety before I get to hear the Kreisleriana. What a horrible predicament . . . to have two stunning performances of two entirely different works by the same composer and same artist on a single CD!! Seriously, though, while Martha Argerich needs no endorsement -- certainly not from a mere mortal like me -- the interpretations on this disc are nothing short of extraordinary. The alternately gentle ease, whimsical jerkiness, and general loveliness with which she plays the Kinderscenen truly presents this as a piece not for children, but for adults about children with all of their profound yet innocent thoughts and delights. One loses oneself in this musical panorama of childhood brought forth by Ms. Argerich. Regarding Kreisleriana, it is best that I say nothing and simply insist that everyone who loves music owes himself or herself the hearing of this romantic, mysterious, yet subtle masterpiece of Schumann brought forth through the mind and fingers of Ms. Argerich. (I truly feel indebted to her, knowing her aversion to solo playing, that she has graced us with these recordings, of which the purchase price is as nothing when compared with the inestimable value of the production.) This is a performance that is at once intensely passionate and caressingly beautiful. Thunderously powerful and quietly mysterious -- all as Schumann intended . . . but almost never realized in the concert hall, so difficult is the performance of this work both technically and interpretively. In closing, while I still adore the (justly) legendary Kreislerianas of Kempff and Horowitz, there's just something about Argerich here that makes the heart beat a bit faster.

One phenomenal artist!.......2004-09-26

For those fortunate enough to have heard Martha Argerich in concert are well aware of her innate musicality and brilliance of execution. Though she is usually associated with the "barn-burner" repertoire she has always been equally at home in the gentler tenderness of such works as in this recordings Kinderszenen by Robert Schumann (paired with an equally successful reading of the Kreisleriana). Yes, she does have her own ideas about tempi and dynamics, but this music is, after all, form the Romantic Era when just such personality traits were de rigueur with performers (and composers performing their own works!). Argerich never gets in the way of the composer's markings, she just leans into the inner voices and there finds interpretations that sing. Her nonchalant (read 'unfussy') opening of 'Von fremden Landern und Menschen' is childlike innocence itself, and when she approaches 'Ritter con Steckenpferd' we are on a wild ride of technical finesse. The balance of the recording (made in 1984) is up to the old standards set by DGG. This is an enormously satisfying CD of two wonderful cycles from Schumann's repertoire for the piano alone.

Argerich According to Taste.......2000-06-19

Last Summer I finally had the opportunity to hear Argerich live in concert (Prokoviev, not Schumann -- but it hardly mattered). I felt my musical appreciation life was complete. As recent New York Times articles have said, Argerich in concert inspires something very like the 'Lisztomania' phenomenon in the 19th century. Live, sitting at the piano, fingers often moving so fast they can't be followed with the eye, yet always poised like doing this were the most natural thing in the world, Argerich seems more an elemental force or goddess than a human pianist...at least to people who become involved in her music making. (At the concert I attended she received a 15-20 minute nonstop standing ovation -- no exaggeration -- so it seemed everyone was involved.)

This is all by way of saying that Argerich's recordings don't in my experience -- possibly can't -- live up to her live performances. And so what some people hear as 'virtuosity for its own sake' (quoted from above review), may be the most thrilling music ever heard by the people in the studio at the time she recorded it. Or maybe she needs a concert hall audience, and the studio technicians heard brilliant virtuosity.

As to this recording, I find it to be for the most part vintage Argerich. There are passages that are either too briskly stormed through or that didn't translate onto record and needed to be heard live (microphones are not ears and do change the sound -- that's why there's no perfect stereo system). But if you are able to get into Argerich's sound world -- one of profound emotional intelligence and dynamism -- then what could sound like caprice begins to thrill. The Gramophone reviewer noted Argerich's identification with the child's point of view in Kinderszenen, and I hear that as well. That performance is full of wonder and impulse and 'seeing what's on the other side of that door.' The Kriesleriana is a wild, passionate ride, but with great concentration and intensity in the slow movements. Her tempi, as always, are fast -- almost like the rest of the world is moving in slow motion to her. The sound on the LP was crystal clear, a little light in the bass, neither rich and warm nor cold nor brittle -- just raindrop clear: a typically good DG recording.

If you like Argerich, this is a marvellous disc. If you often have reservations about her playing, you will almost certainly have them again here; though I heartily recommend attending at least one of her concerts at the earliest opportunity.

One of the best Schumann performences.......2000-06-02

I loved Argerich's interpretation of those pieces. No Doubt that this is one of the best recordings of the 20th century! a must.

Average customer rating:

Stories Of Schumann And Grieg Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Etudes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Etudes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Fantasies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Fantasies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Story of Schubert Story Of Chopin In Words And Music The Story Of Brahms Mendelssohn In Words And Music The Story of Tchaikovsky ASIN: B000001KCV Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 3 In E-flat Major, Op. 97: 'Rhenish' - Lebhaft
2. Andante And Variations In B-Flat Major
3. Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13
4. Toccata In C Major, Op. 7
5. Kreisleriana, Op. 16
6. Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 54: Allegro Vivace
7. Carnaval, Op. 9
8. 'Dedication', Op. 25/1
9. Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120: Introduction - Vivace
10. Papilons, Op. 2
11. Op. 25-3: 'The Nut Tree'
12. Symphony No. 3 In E-flat Major, Op. 97: 'Rhenish' - Lebhaft-Schneller
13. Piano Quintet In E-flat Major, Op. 44: Allegro ma non troppo
14. Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 54: Allegro affettuoso
15. Carnaval, Op. 9: Waltz
16. Album For The Young, Op. 68: The Merry Farmer
17. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: Dreams
18. Cello Concerto In A Minor, Op. 129: Nicht au schnell
19. Symphony No. 3 In E-flat Major, Op. 97: 'Rhenish' - Feierlich
20. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, No 1
21. Lyric Suite, Op. 54-2: Norwegian Rustic Dance
22. Op. 12 No. 4: Elf Dance
23. Op. 35, No. 1: Norwegian Dances
24. Elegiac Melodies
25. Op. 64, No. 4: Symphonic Dances
26. Op. 35, No. 2: Norwegian Dances
27. Op. 5-3: 'I Love Thee'
28. Op. 43, No. 1: Butterfly
29. Op. 65, No. 6: Wedding Day At Troldhaugen
30. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, No. 3: Anitra's Dance
31. Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55, No. 4: Solveig's Song
32. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, No. 4: In The Hall Of The Mountain King
33. Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 16: Allegro moderato; Allegro marcato
34. Holberg Suite, Op. 40: Prelude: Allegro vivace
35. Lyric Suite, Op. 54, No. 3: Dance Of The Dwarfs
36. Homage To Chopin
37. Sigurd Jorsalfar Suite, Op. 56, No. 3: Homage March
38. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: Morning Mood
39. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: The Death Of Aase
40. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: Anitra's Dance
41. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: In The Hall Of The Mountain King
42. Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55: III The Return Of Peer Gynt
43. Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55: IV Solveig's Song

Average customer rating: Nice CD

Great Film Fantasies (Hybrid SACD] Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Telarc SACD Sampler: Sound and Vision Telarc SACD Sampler: The Absolute Sound Epics [Hybrid SACD] Concord Records SACD Sampler 1 (Multichannel Hybrid SACD) Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition ASIN: B000EGDB8I Release Date: 2006-03-28

Customer Reviews:

Nice CD.......2007-03-01

I do like this film scores on this SACD. They have been well recorded. I don't find myself listening to them all the time, but these make great background songs for any home movie/photo projects. The surround processing sounds good. I was not just totally impressed however, so I give this one only 4 stars.

Average customer rating: The Definitive Kreislerianna Horowitz was good...only. perfection

Schumann: Kinderszenen Op15 Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Robert Schumann: Kinderszenen/Kreisleriana Schumann: Carnaval; Kinderszenen; Waldszenen Schumann: Album für die Jugend, Op. 68 Schumann: The 4 Symphonies Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 51 ASIN: B0000026GD Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Toccata Op. 7
2. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: I. From Foreign Lands And Peoples
3. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: II. A Curious Story
4. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: III. Blind Man's Buff
5. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: IV. Pleading Child
6. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: V. Happiness
7. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: VI. An Important Event
8. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: VII. Dreaming
9. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: VIII. At The Fireside
10. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: IX. Knight Of The Hobbyhorse
11. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: X. Almost Too Serious
12. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: XI. Frightening
13. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: XII. Child Falling Asleep
14. Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15: XIII. The Poet Speaks
15. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: I. Ausserst bewegt
16. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: II. Sehr inning und nicht zu rasch
17. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: III. Sehr aufgeregt
18. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: IV. Sehr langsam
19. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: V. Sehr lebhaft
20. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VI. Sehr langsam
21. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VII. Sehr rasch
22. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VIII. Schnell und spielend
23. Arabesque, Op. 18
24. Blumenstuck, Op. 19

Customer Reviews:

The Definitive Kreislerianna.......2005-11-01

Everything on this disc is what you'd expect from one of the greatest pianists of all time: superb. But the treasure is the Kreislerianna, of which this is the definitive recording. I've searched in vain for a more recent, sonically better version. There is, for example, a decent recording of the piece by Perahia, a mediocre one by Brendel, and an awful one by Argerich (arghhh!), but nothing matches this. Radu Lupu's comes the closest, but it lacks the definition and vision of Horowitz's, especially in the opening section. People sometimes berate Horowitz as too much a technician, much as they did Gould. But how they can say that in the face of a deeply felt interpretation such as this is beyond me. I first heard this recording when I was about 16 (luckily, since this isn't your average bedtime classical sampler, and it needs the right interpreter) and have loved it ever since. The Kreislerianna, incidentally, is also among Schumann's most lovely works, melodic, and complex.

Horowitz was good...only........2004-11-26

Horowitz in my opinion epitomized the typical virtuoso pianist expected by the unknowledged majority. Horowitz was great with some of the most difficult pieces of music. His technique was grand, but his musicality lacked purity and warmth. A great man once said that it is ok to drop your voice at the end of a sentece, but too loose it completely was simply pushing the boundries. Horowitz is not my choice for playing the Kinderzenen, but the rest of the program was his to conquer.

perfection.......1999-08-08

an essential Schumann CD. Kreisleriana especially is mind-blowing

Average customer rating: More of the bland stagnance of Takemitsu's later symphonic work Really enjoying this one A fine collection of late works and an ideal introduction Another world Takemitsu draws you into his dream world

Toru Takemitsu: Quotation of Dream (20/21 series) - London Sinfonietta / Oliver Knussen Oliver Knussen , Paul Crossley , Peter Serkin , London Sinfonietta , Sebastian Bell , Michael Collins , Andrew Crowley , Gareth Hulse , Joan Atherton , Rebecca Hirsch , and Timothy Lines Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Takemitsu | Takemitsu, Toru | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Takemitsu: A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden Takemitsu: Requiem; Twill by Twilight Takemitsu: A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden Takemitsu: Chamber Music Takemitsu: To the Edge of Dream / Folios for Guitar / Toward the Sea / Transcriptions for Guitar ASIN: B00000I0L6 Release Date: 1999-02-09

Tracks:

1. Quotation Of Dream: Day Signal
2. Quotation Of Dream
3. Quotation Of Dream: How Slow The Wind
4. Quotation Of Dream: Twill By Twilight
5. Quotation Of Dream: Archipelago S.
6. Quotation Of Dream: Dream-Window
7. Quotation Of Dream: Night Signal

Amazon.com

Sometimes, even while you are listening, it can be very difficult to understand how Takemitsu created such exquisitely beautiful music using so much dissonance. As the brief Day Signal opens the disc, for example, you're more likely to think of the glory of sunrise than of the discords. And Quotation of Dream, which quotes freely from Debussy's La Mer, is nearly as beautiful as its source. Rather than waste time figuring out how Takemitsu's spacing of notes and imaginative scoring influences our perceptions, it's much more rewarding just to relax and let the music wash over you. Knussen, who leads amazing performances here, has programmed the disc for a continuous listening experience, although the novice should probably listen only to a couple of pieces at one sitting. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

More of the bland stagnance of Takemitsu's later symphonic work.......2007-06-03

It's inexplicable that so little of Takemitsu's extraordinary film music has been released in affordable editions outside Japan, while compilations of his boring, overtly derivative late orchestral output have enjoyed inclusion on releases by the likes of DG. Then again, DG hasn't had a good string of releases since the late '70s, so I don't expect too much from that fallen giant.

"Quotation of Dream" is easily one of Takemitsu's worst compositions and an absolute waste of time: a meandering exercise that tediously quotes Debussy's "La Mer" and recycles portions of Takemitsu's own "Dream/Window." Technically, this piece is as expertly constructed as all of Takemitsu's work, but that doesn't make it any less counterfeit of its' source material, or any less embarrassing for it. Why should I listen to this tiresome pablum when the compositions it borrows from are readily available?

"How Slow the Wind," "Twill by Twilight" and "Archipelago S." are typical examples of Takemitsu's late orchestral works: they assume a lovely sound and were composed with ingenious design, but that doesn't make them even remotely interesting or memorable.

There are a few works on this disc that are worth hearing. The aforementioned "Dream/Window" is a brilliant, beautiful twelve-tone composition that's infused with the drifting, dreamlike sonority common of his works - an aesthetic which is almost anathema to the rigorous character of most serialist compositions.
Also notable are "Day Signal" and "Night Signal," a pair of dissonant, evocative fanfares that bookend the album's content. These brass-voiced compositions seem almost facile to the ear at first listen, but repeated plays distinguish the cleverness of these little pieces as antiphonal movements.

None of the negative comments of this review should obscure the fact that Takemitsu was a truly gifted and intuitive composer. But it's inexplicable that so much of his best (and in many cases, most accessible) works of film, piano, chamber and electronic/tape music remain either out of print (often since being released on LP) or entirely unavailable for domestic consumption of his North American and European listeners when the least of his orchestral oeuvre is readily on hand.

There's nothing that I can say against these performances by Knussen conducting the LS. They're excellent, informed executions of mostly mediocre compositions. However, I'd much rather hear Knussen performing the best of his own small (but distinguished) oeuvre!

The production is decent: as transparent and pristine as most of the best digital recordings. These compositions don't demand any venture into extreme registers, but the soft passages are capably, audibly reproduced without any loss of their inherent subtlety.

Really enjoying this one.......2006-04-29

I have only recently begun listening to Takemitsu. Was introduced at a guitar recital. I have been slowly accumulating more of his compositions. For me, this is possibly the best.

Composition intrigues me perhaps more than any other aspect of music, and this fellow was clearly inspired. I would liken his music to that of Alan Hovhaness, but without some of the more brash moments of that composer. I can also hear the influence of Debussy, but Takemitsu takes the listener in many enjoyable directions throughout this CD.

The playing and recording are also top-notch.

A fine collection of late works and an ideal introduction.......2004-12-11

QUOTATION OF DREAM is the first of Deutsche Grammophon's several collections of pieces by late Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, who thankfully has been getting ever-more attention since his untimely death in 1996. Takemitsu was a mainly self-taught composer, and because of this there seems to be little that connects him to his serialism- or minimalism-inspired colleagues. Nevertheless, Takemitsu's own path is fascinating, exploring Japanese and Western compositional principles in isolation and in combination and striving to transcend them both. These pieces, several of them related by shared thematic materials. are lovingly performed by the London Sinfonietta conducted by Oliver Knussen, who was a friend and admirer of Takemitsu.

The disc is framed by two antiphonal fanfares written in 1987, "Day Signal" and "Night Signal", together called "Signals from Heaven". They are closely related, both using dissonance to suggest the changing of the skies, but with one inverted from the other to suggest an opposite tone.

A quip of Takemitsu was "I am self-taught, but I consider Debussy my teacher." The first major work here, "Quotation of Dream - Say sea, take me!" (1991), is a tribute to Debussy using quotations from his "La Mer" as if the composer was trying to recreate the piece he had just woken up from dreaming. The title also refers to its use of some material from "Dream/Window", an earlier composition present on this disc. "Quotation of Dream" is a lovely tribute to the composer's greatest inspiration, but the majority of the work comes only from Takemitsu. His use of a zig-zag of harmony, of orchestral colour that comes forth and recedes like waves is nothing you have ever heard before in orchestral music.

"How Slow the Wind" (1991), inspired by a poem by Emily Dickinson, is rather more brooding. It's most interesting moments occur toward the end, when cascading woodwind sounds and the faintly mechanical notes of two Swiss cowbells transform the work into something different. This is one of Takemitsu's most impressive works,

"Twill by Twillight (in memory of Morton Feldman)" (1988) is an experiment with a musical "tapestry", where a theme "weaves" through the piece. The piece is pretty music, but does little to make itself memorable and for me remains the low point of this collection.

The title of "Archipelago S." for twenty-one players (1993) refers to the landscapes of Seattle, Stockholm, and the islands of the Sato Inland Sea . The piece has an innovative stage layout, with the players grouped into five "islands": a five-person brass group, two mixed seven-piece groups, a clarinet sitting to the right, and a clarinet sitting to the left. The effect is indeed somewhat nautical and this recording exploits the space well.

"Dream/Window" (1985) is probably the most important composition on this disc. Every note of this piece is of the greatest delicacy, and the work as a whole is so crystalline and fragile that one feels one will break it just by listening to it. Though Takemitsu's later works are impressive, they have never seemed to me to acheive the perfection of "Dream/Window". What is surprising is that this work is true twelve-tone music, yet with Takemitsu's skill it does not sound dull or scientific.

If you ever think that modern-classical music is written only by dispassionate ivory-tower robots like Pierre Boulez, the works of Takemitsu will show you that contemporary techniques can, under the right hands, touch the emotions as much as the intellect. While it takes some time to get used to (nearly six months for me), this is probably the single best introduction to the music of Toru Takemitsu. And one should certainly listen to this before getting the other DG "20/21" discs, which are rather more specialised (with, for example, one having traditional Japanese pieces and the other flute and guitar works).

Another world.......2003-10-18

Toru Takemitsu was one of the late 20th century's most individual composers whose scores use primarily the traditional instruments of western classical music. Perhaps in part because he wrote film scores in addition to concert pieces, his art is highly communicative and un-academic. It has the double merit of being about as far as you can get both from gnarly, dissonant modernism and from pretty-pretty New Age ear candy.

Quotation of Dream includes seven pieces from the last decade of Takemitsu's life (he died in 1996), including the premiere recording of the title piece. The disc begins and ends with fanfares that, while perhaps effective as aural bookends, are to my ears undistinguished. The music that lies in between, however, is extraordinarily compelling.

Takemitsu's style in these works is generally meditative, with frequent slow, quiet passages, strings predominating. But there are dramatic incidents and color as well: flaring brass, rising like a mountainous island from a tropical sea; raindrops of chimes; drawn-out woodwind lines weaving sinuously through swirls of massed violins. The music sometimes pivots around silent pauses, like the empty spaces in Zen painting. In Quotation of Dream, twin pianos (played by Paul Crossley and Peter Serkin, respectively) dominate the foreground with gentle cascades of notes while orchestral clouds form in the background.

The musical language is often reminiscent of Debussy and Ravel; in mood (though not in technique) it can resemble the slowest and most mysterious moments in music of the second Viennese school (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern et al.). The subtlety and elusiveness probably owe something to the composer's Japanese heritage. But this is no cut-and-paste job; the overall impression is startlingly original.

I have not read the liner notes, and have no idea of what Takemitsu is trying to "say," or what these scores "mean." I would also suggest that those considerations are pretty irrelevant: the important thing is the sound world that he has created, which is both other-worldly and bracing.

Oliver Knussen, a contemporary British composer and a friend of Takemitsu, conducted the London Sinfonietta in these recordings. It is apparent that that he helped the players, who sound expert, get "inside" the music.

Anyone who already knows and appreciates Takemitsu's sensibility need not hesitate to acquire this disc. It can also be recommended for all but the most determinedly "mostly Mozart" classical devotees.

The presentation is not ideal. Deutsche Grammophon has never excelled at digital recordings, and the sound of this disc, while detailed and transparent, is a bit bright and clinical. The disc is contained in one of those cardboard containers that some labels are now trying to get you to accept in lieu of the standard jewel case because it's cheaper to produce (but not cheaper for you to buy). The atmospheric sepia-toned photo on the cover has a fat round sticker on it that shouts "World Premiere Recording"; if you try to peel off the sticker, it leaves ineradicable shreds. The plastic tray with the central claw ring is glued to the cardboard. Take care not to break the plastic, because there is no way you can replace it.

Takemitsu draws you into his dream world.......2002-04-07

These pieces from Takemitsu's maturity represent the pinnacle of achievement for this gifted composer. Without regard to trends and fashion in contemporary music has has created his own sound universe. A peaceful, yet oddly non-somnolent, serenity informs virtually every bar of these wonderful pieces. The music is beautiful, lush and imaginative at every turn and despite strong ties to the French impressionists it is creative and unique and infused with Takemitsu's personal stamp and his nature-mystical aesthetic. The sound and the performances are first rate and Oliver Knussen must be congratulated on doing such a fine job in bringing these excellent pieces to life. If you love Takemitsu, you will love this CD. If you are new to Takemitsu, this is a wonderful introduction to one of the 20th century's finest composers.
Recommended without reservation.

Average customer rating: Scottish fantasies at their best really, really good

Scottish Fantasies for Violin and Orchestra with Rachel Pine (2 CDs) Max Bruch , Sir Alexander Mackenzie , and Sir John Blackwood McEwen Manufacturer: Cedille ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Bruch | Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sarasate | Sarasate, Pablo de | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Brahms & Joachim Violin Concertos Instrument of the Devil Solo Baroque Itzhak Perlman - Bruch: Scottish Fantasy & Violin Concerto No 02 Hilary Hahn: A Portrait ASIN: B0009VI5GG Release Date: 2005-06-28

Tracks:

1. Max Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46
2. Pablo de Sarasate: Airs ecossais, Op. 34

Tracks:

1. Sir Alexander Mackenzie: Pibroch Suite, Op. 42
2. Sir John Blackwood McEwen: Scottish Rhapsody ("Prince Charlie")
3. Rachel Barton Pine.Alasdair Fraser: Medley of Scots Tunes
4. Video Documentary: "The Making of Scottish Fantasies"

Album Description

Rachel Barton Pine's brand new disc of Celtic flavored works is the first to present Bruch's beloved Scottish Fantasy in an insightful and virtuosic interpretation that highlights its Scottish roots. The album also features Sarasate's Airs Ecossais* and two pieces by Scottish composers: Mackenzie's Pibroch Suite and McEwen's Scottish Rhapsody "Prince Charlie."* Ms. Pine's own Medley of Scots Tunes,* arranged and performed with famed Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser is also included.

As a bonus, the package includes a video documentary on the making of Scottish Fantasies.

Customer Reviews:

Scottish fantasies at their best .......2006-11-15

This double CD is a real treasure, and a showcase of both the musicianship and scholarship. Rachel Barton Pine has researched both the composers and the history of the performances of the works she has recorded. She has produced the most attractive booklet which goes with the CDs, in which she teaches the subject in an effective, friendly and captivating way. Particularly interesting is her documentation of Sarasate's familiarity with Scottish fiddling. Rachel Barton Pine has also a very attractive and informative web site on which one can find information about this project. Just "Google" her and her site comes right up. I think that her web site is great. One can find the schedule of her concerts and all sorts of interesting educational things. I only wish that all great performers would do the same.
Rachel Barton Pine is a virtuoso, but her musicianship shines and it makes her virtuosity just a tool. She is so much more than the flying fingers. In a winning combination with Maestro Alexander Platt, an immensely talented conductor, they have produced a classic which will be listened to for years to come. There may never be a comparable Scottish Fantasy and Pibroch Suite performance. Mr. Platt leaves no note unexpressed. As opposed to the lesser conductors, who sometimes overpower the soloist, or who seek their own limelight at the expense of the soloist, Mr. Platt achieves a perfect union of the soloist and the orchestra, just as it should be. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is also at its best.
These records' main value is in the interpretation, which is insightful and elegant. There are no over-interpretations, however, in which the soloist or orchestra would push their own detailed view of this music. Instead, certain dreaminess is allowed, and the listeners can build their own Scottish Fantasies and become active participants in this music.
Sarasate's Airs écossaise is a totally charming piece. The Medley of Scots Tunes, by Rachel Barton Pine and Alasdair Fraser, a master Scottish fiddler, is an event. I admit to listening to it consecutively eight times, and would have listened to it more times, but was afraid of a total addiction.
The great art of fiddling, the artists' dreams about their countries of origin, pictures of beautiful Scotland, and the musical finesse and musicianship are all the impressions you will come out with after listening to these great recordings.
This review is dedicated to Dr. Andrew B. Dempster for his birthday. Andrew has shown me his native country, Scotland, and guided me through its history. I came back with wonderful memories, and a book of music sheets on Scottish fiddling, my most precious music sheets ever.

really, really good.......2005-06-30

A very pleasant, often lively, evocative and enjoyable set of CDs. The video documentary included in the second CD tells about how Barton Pine studied Celtic/Scottish music before making her recording, and the extra work shows in her ability to render the Bruch as a far lovelier recording than any other violinst has. She finds the tensions, the delicacies and the warmth of this piece. Add to that, the Sarasate is also beautifully done -- sorry it was so short a piece. On the second CD, the Mackenzie and the McEwen, not heard that often, are also really well done. This isn't fiddling -- you get true classical versions of the folk tunes hidden in these selections. Because of that, Barton Pine brings out nuances that were never before explored, and she does it by showing you just how good, how rich, this music can be. The final piece, Barton Pine's arrangement of scottish tunes, is also enjoyable --a fun way to end an album that is both relaxing and delightful. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating: Surprising Variety in Modern A Capepella Choral works Mostly unlistenable.... a handful of great Ligeti works. brilliant choral music Exquisite use of the voice

György Ligeti Edition 2: A Cappella Choral Works - London Sinfonietta Voices Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music A Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: György Ligeti Edition 4: Vocal Works (Madrigals, Mysteries, Aventures, Songs) - The King's Singers / Philharmonia Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard György Ligeti Edition 6: Keyboard Works (Piano, Harpsichord, Organ) - Irina Kataeva / Pierre-Laurent Aimard / Elisabeth Chojnacka / Zsigmond Szathmáry Ligeti: Mechanical Music ASIN: B0000029OX Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

1. A Cappella Choral Works: Night
2. A Cappella Choral Works: Morning
3. A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 1
4. A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 2
5. A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 3
6. A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 4
7. A Cappella Choral Works: Solitude
8. A Cappella Choral Works: Two Canons 1
9. A Cappella Choral Works: Two Canons 2
10. A Cappella Choral Works: Kings of Bethlehem
11. A Cappella Choral Works: The Fugitive
12. A Cappella Choral Works: Lux aeterna
13. A Cappella Choral Works: Wedding Song
14. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 1
15. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 2
16. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 3
17. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 4
18. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 1
19. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 2
20. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 3
21. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 4
22. A Cappella Choral Works: Widow Papai
23. A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 1
24. A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 2
25. A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 3
26. A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 1
27. A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 2
28. A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 3
29. A Cappella Choral Works: Heigh, Youth! 1
30. A Cappella Choral Works: Heigh, Youth! 2
31. A Cappella Choral Works: Easter
32. A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 1
33. A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 2
34. A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 3
35. A Cappella Choral Works: From a high mountain rock
36. A Cappella Choral Works: Double-Dance from Kallo 1
37. A Cappella Choral Works: Double-Dance from Kallo 2

Amazon.com essential recording

A vast audience received its first exposure to the music of György Ligeti through Stanley Kubrick's use of his haunting "Lux Aeterna" (despite the composer's lack of consent) in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. This collection--part of Sony's invaluable Ligeti edition--places "Lux aeterna" in the context of Ligeti's other a cappella choral works, which together provide an overview of the evolving phases of one of the 20th century's most intriguing composers. In his booklet notes to the disc, Ligeti recalls the influence of Bartók and Kodály on his early folkloric compositions, from arrangements of traditional material to free, polyrhythmically inflected inventions on Hungarian folk texts, a format that allowed him some degree of experimental freedom from the strictures of "socialist realism" before he fled the Hungarian Communist regime. The breakthrough "Lux aeterna" is a classic example of Ligeti's trademark technique of "micropolyphony," enveloping the listener in mesmerizingly dense textures of cloudlike harmonies. From Ligeti's late period comes a triptych of "Hölderlin Phantasies." Their 16-voice polyphony transcends the simplistic distinction between tonality and atonality to explore "new kinds of half diatonic, half chromatic harmonies." The resulting sound world of fragmentary, dislocated epiphanies mirrors the unfathomable richness of the great visionary poet to uncanny effect. Throughout, the acoustical balance and conviction of the London Sinfonietta Voices give vivid shape to Ligeti's genius. -Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Surprising Variety in Modern A Capepella Choral works.......2006-08-24

This 'A Cappella Choral Works', the second volume in a collection of Gyorgy Ligeti compositions contains one of the pieces of music which contributed to making '2001, A Space Odyessy' such a profoundly interesting film. This piece, 'Lux aeterna' which is the textbook example of 'SciFi' music, is very different from many of the other pieces on this recording. In fact, one is really impressed by the wide variety of styles, where you have some peasant songs which sound a lot like sea chantys and other pieces which are definitely liturgical. One can certainly thank Stanley Kubrick for bringing Ligeti to our attention.

Mostly unlistenable...........2006-08-23

Not even good for background music/noise as the voices get really loud in certain parts and almost silent.

I bought this CD and am returning it. It's just more & more of the sameness throughout the whole CD.

I realize that Ligeti is avant garde but I heard that if you like Gregorian chant (which I do) this CD is similar. I don't think it is. It's very disquieting and full of tension (great, if that's the mood you're looking for).

a handful of great Ligeti works........2004-09-06

As a compilation, musically speaking, Edition 2 is probably my least favorite of the Sony Ligeti Edition collection. Many of the pieces come from traditional Hungarian sources, conceived while Ligeti was still in his early years. They are pretty, but also pretty straightforward and conventional, and other than their simple pleasantness and occasionally yummy dissonances, they aren't really mindblowing like the best Ligeti. They are often very beautiful though. However, Edition 2 DOES feature one of the most harrowing, apocalyptic compositions of 20th century Western music, _Lux aeterna_. The profound tension in the quiet web of micropolyphonic voices is just devastating. Also great are the other later pieces, _Drei Phantasien nach Friedrich Holderlin_, three wild polyphony pieces from German literature, and _Magyar Etudok_, three very complex Hungarian etudes for 16 voices. Those pieces are all outstanding but honestly I think everything I've heard by Ligeti is worth hearing. Check out Ligeti edition 4 for more vocal works, some of which are the best of Ligeti's works.

brilliant choral music.......2003-07-21

This cd is beautiful to listen to.From Ejszaka to Kallai Ketto
is brilliant. Ligeti choral works is the first cd have got choral music on it and i love it.Now im going to get the other two cds in the ligeti edition.
(the vocal works & le grand marabre)

Exquisite use of the voice.......2002-07-11

Bringing Ligeti's works to a wider public was one of the great services Stanley Kubrick performed for the world when Lux aeterna was included in the soundtrack for 2001: a Space Odyssey.

This album is a collection of a cappella choral works and which highlights Ligeti's great talent and skill in the use of the voice as a musical instrument. He, together with Yoko Ono, have excelled in this field though from different, sometimes conflicting directions.

When I listen to this I revel in it's glory. The sounds are ethereal and atmospheric, ghostly and angelic in a way that no-one but the composer can make them sound. I never want those sounds to end and in a way it is like having a sort of dependence.

I could go on and on and on about this but I had better stop. This is one essentila component of anyone's classical music collection yet it really defies categorisation. This is timeless, awesome music, not just for a generation but for a world. Lest Zeus strike me with a thunderbolt, these voices are sweeter and more angelic than the voices of the angels themselves.

Exquiiste. Words are insufficient to describe such beauty.

Average customer rating: Don't Waste your Money Great Album, Similar Import Available plus 3 songs Just thought you'd like to know . . . The strangest pairing of the 60s

Fairy Tales & Fantasies: The Best Of Nancy & Lee Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Baroque Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000032BN Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
2. Elusive Dreams
3. Greenwich Village Folk Song Salesman
4. Summer Wine
5. Storybook Children
6. Did You Ever?
7. Sundown, Sundown
8. Jackson
9. Some Velvet Morning
10. Sand
11. Lady Bird
12. I've Been Down So Long (It Looks Like Up To Me)
13. Down From Dover
14. Paris Summer
15. Arkansas Coal (Suite)

Customer Reviews:

Don't Waste your Money.......2006-09-19

This is available on iTunes for 9.99. Wait until Amazon gets this back in stock. Don't waste your money.

Great Album, Similar Import Available.......2006-06-09

I don't know why this album has not been mass-released on CD. I have it on an old LP and listen to it and enjoy it frequently, as Hazlewood's music is catchy and the way he and Sinatra's voices work together is magic. Recently, while surfing on eBay, I came across an import CD release which has 9 of the 11 songs from 'Nancy & Lee" plus another 11 that Nancy did solo, and even one with Frank "Something Stupid". This CD ran about $6.95 and is digitally remastered and plays great. It's listed simply as Nancy Sinatra Greatest Hits or something close to that. I agree that paying over $100 for a CD is crazy when you can get an import for 6.95 or download the songs off itunes for a buck apiece. So why doesn't whoever owns Reprise Records realize they are losing some serious money by not re-releasing this great record. In the meantime, eBay's cheaper import, though not quite the same (check the song list), or itunes, are great backups.

plus 3 songs.......2006-05-25

I have the original albumn "The Hits of Nancy & Lee" which has the same picture that is being used on this cd. This cd has the same songs plus 3 extra: Down from Dover, Paris Summer & Arkansas Coal (Suite). I was planning to get a cd copy until I saw the price it was being offered at. I think I will just make a cd copy for myself. I haven't listened to this record for a long time but I really enjoyed it when I used to & plan to start listening to it again.

Just thought you'd like to know . . . .......2006-01-05

Let me preface this by saying this is a wonderful compilation of the best of Nancy and Lee, but no matter how great the music is it's not worth dropping 80 to 100 dollars on. Thankfully, you can get all of these songs as well as the rest of the "Nancy and Lee Again" album tracks for around $20 on I-Tunes. I don't want to use a review space to advertise something else, but I realize a lot of people would love to have these songs and (like me) think the current asking price is rather, um, high. Plus, you will get the tracks for "Nancy and Lee" and "Nancy and Lee Again" in the original order if that's important to you. Oh, and it's remastered. Why they don't just rerelease both these albums on cd is beyond me, but for now I-Tunes has it. Just thought you'd like to know:)

The strangest pairing of the 60s.......2005-09-11

Back in the 60s Nancy paired up with Lee Hazlewood to make a collection of interesting songs. To which highlights include Jackson (gives Johnny and June Carter a run for the money), and Some Velvet Morning, my favorite track off this album (if you want weirdness check out the Vanilla Fudge version). Other fun stuff includes a stoned take on You Lost Your Loving Feeling, Greenwich Village Folk Song Saleman (Lee having lots of fun on this one). This album is very hard to find thanks to Art Bell and company, but if you ever find the CD under ten bucks, you may want to make a investment to get it, cuz if you blink, somebody will get it before you do.

BTW. The Nancy And Lee album (Reprise RS 6273)
1. You Lost That Loving Feeling
2. My Elusive Dreams
3. Greenwich Village Folk Song Salesman
4. Summer Wine
5. Storybook Children

Side two
1. Sundown, Sundown
2. Jackson
3. Some Velvet Morning
4. Sand
5. Lady Bird
6. I've Been Down So Long (It looks like up to me)

and the album cover art is the same as the CD itself.

Album Review:

1. Farstucker [Explicit Lyrics]
2. Fluoro - Mixed By Paul Oakenfold [IMPORT] [Import]
3. Foundations
4. Future Sounds of Jazz, Vol. 9
5. Galvanize [CD-single]
6. Gotteskrieger
7. Ho Ho Ho
8. I Could Have Been a Contender [Box set] [Import]
9. I Watch You [CD-single] [Import]
10. Igizeh

Album Review

album review

Album Review

Toto [Import] [Limited Edition] [Original recording remastered]

Cinema Classics, Vol. 10

Burning Tree

Music: Randy Rhoads Tribute [Import]

Board Boogie: Surf'n Twang from Down Under

Damage Done

Crystal Clear

Best of Opera (Box Set) [Box set]

Blue Sky Boys on Radio, Vol. 2

Bio Ritmo

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Central Park [Import]

Deep Trance, Vol. 3 [Import]

John Adams, David Lang; Works for Wind Ensemble

Stealth