The Energy of Sound

Amazon.com
Enigma's Michael Cretu and Jens Gad comprise Trance Atlantic Air Waves, an outlet in which the duo can give the light dance/new age treatment to their favorite songs from other bands. This album of covers includes remakes of the theme from Beverly Hills Cop ("Axel F."), Space's "Magic Fly," and even the Miami Vice theme ("Crockett's Theme") and the Alan Parsons Project's "Lucifer." A soft drum & bass sound underlies most of these compositions, along with Cretu's all-too-familiar trademark keyboard. Some of these tunes do work well. "Magic Fly" and "Pulstar" (the big Vangelis hit from way back when) are two of the more upbeat numbers, equally suitable background music for either dancing or relaxing. In the end the novelty starts to wear thin, but if the Propellerheads can show the influence of John Barry on their sleeves, why can't Enigma do the same with their favorite acts? --Jason Verlinde

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.

Intimo
Average customer rating:

ON FIRE AGAIN!

Super guitar album

Great album

Like nothing else in the genre!

Intimo

Manufacturer: Incendio Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music
General | New Age | Styles | Music
General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Incendio

Dia y Noche

Seduction

Misterioso

Illumination

ASIN: B000083JS6
Release Date: 2003-01-15

Tracks:

Jaco y Paco
Espiritu
Cities of Gold
Tango para Abel
Temple of the Sun
Midnight for Maya
Los Rios
Vamos Ya
Rhythm of the Heart
Vuelo del Aguila
Barcelona
The Sorcerer

Album Description

INTIMO was recorded live in the studio and features many new songs that are not available on any previous INCENDIO recording. To date, this is the closest thing to a live recording by the Billboard charting Latin Guitar World Fusion group INCENDIO!

Jim Stubblefield ~ flamenco guitar (left channel)
Jean-Pierre Durand ~ flamenco guitar (right channel)
Liza Carbe ~ bass
Joe Shotwell ~ drums
Nicole Falzone ~ percussion

Customer Reviews:

ON FIRE AGAIN!.......2003-09-08

I am not going to call this my favorite album because I dont really have a favorite. All of Incendio's albums are AMAZING, but this is the next best thing to hearing them live.
Jim and JP play with such Passion that the listener is taken on a journey around the world and filled with the same Fire that makes Incendio what it is. Joe Shotwell brings the Heart of Incendio directly to the listener's ears with his amazing drumming. The soul of Incendio is portrayed by the amazing talent of the bassist Liza Carbe', and Nicole Falzone adds a little bit of Spice to the mix with percussion. Together the talents of these Artists create a sound that ensnares the heart and soul. Even without "Studio Magic" this CD has a magic all it's own.
All I can say is go see Incendio live it's an outing you will never forget.

Super guitar album.......2003-06-24

If you're into guitar music of any kind (I love Eric and Jimmy Page and many others) or you're into "Latin" music, you will love this album. In my dreams I can play guitar like these guys. Oh well, maybe in another life. Super, super stuff. Their live performances are better, catch them if you can.

Great album.......2003-05-09

I love this album! Incendo came to our famrmer's market in SLO and ended up convincing me to run to the atm in order to buy this cd. They were amazing to watch live. Most of the people in the crowd ended up puchasing a cd. These guys have skills, great music, and are friendly people. Highly recommended.

Like nothing else in the genre!.......2003-01-16

Incendio's new CD Intimo is incredible. Every song is great. Unlike many guitar records of this sort, there is a raw and reckless abandon to the playing of Jim and Jean-Pierre. The rhythm section does not hold back either. This music is great for driving on long road trips or background music for a hip party! Everyone I play this CD for wants it! I have all Incendio's and Jim Stubblefield's CDs and this one really shows that these guys can play without the help of any "studio magic". I hope they do more CDs like this in the future. VIVA INCENDIO!

Average customer rating:

Red Molly EP
Red Molly
Manufacturer: Red Molly
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Endless Highway - The Music Of The Band

ASIN: B000CAKFS0
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

Yellow House
Long Island Cowboy
Darlin Corey
Are You Lonesome Tonight

Average customer rating:

Raw Electric 1979-1980
R.L. Burnside
Manufacturer: Inside Sounds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Delta Blues | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Acoustic Stories
Sound Machine Groove
First Recordings
My Black Name A-Ringin'
Well Well Well

ASIN: B00005YX7Z
Release Date: 2001-12-15

Tracks:

My Woman Done Left Me
You Don't Love Me
Dust My Broom
Pretty Woman
Last Night (I Lost the Best Friend I Ever Had)
Slippin' and Sliddin'
Going Down South
Rolling and Tumbling
How Many More Years
Well, Well, Well
Leave Me and My Woman Alone (Friend Of Mine)
My Baby Caught The Train (Who's Been Talkin')
Scrambling For My Shoes (Walking Blues)
Sitting On Top Of The World
Searching For My Baby
Going Away, Baby
Jumper Hanging Out On The Line

Album Description

R.L. Burnside is one of the most recognized bluesmen in the world. For years he has mesmerized audiences with his unique North Mississippi hill country blues style and has influenced a new generation of blues musicians. Memphis-based Inside Sounds has had a history of working with blues scholar David Evans, who recognized Burnside's extraordinary talent while he was still working in the cotton fields in North Mississippi. The seventeen tracks on "Raw Electric 1979-1980" have never been released before. Most of the recordings were made at Burnside's home near Independence, Mississippi, with a live audience participating. Although he is now known for a more refined studio sound, this CD depicts Burnside and his family band, The Sound Machine, approaching their music with a raw energy more akin to live performance. Song by song descriptions and rare photographs are included in the sixteen-page booklet.

Average customer rating:

Cool!!
An Excellent remix album
The Energy of Sound
What can I say, I'm buying it. ;)
Awesome Airwaves...

The Energy of Sound
Trance Atlantic Air Waves
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Invisible Man
Legionaere
A Posteriori
Le Spa Sonique
Die Chinesische Mauer

ASIN: B000007TES
Release Date: 1998-07-14

Tracks:

Lucifer
Axel F.
Crockett's Theme
Dance With The Devil
Addiction Day
Magic Fly (Wonderland Mix)
Chase
Twelve After Midnight
L-42
Pulstar

Amazon.com

Enigma's Michael Cretu and Jens Gad comprise Trance Atlantic Air Waves, an outlet in which the duo can give the light dance/new age treatment to their favorite songs from other bands. This album of covers includes remakes of the theme from Beverly Hills Cop ("Axel F."), Space's "Magic Fly," and even the Miami Vice theme ("Crockett's Theme") and the Alan Parsons Project's "Lucifer." A soft drum & bass sound underlies most of these compositions, along with Cretu's all-too-familiar trademark keyboard. Some of these tunes do work well. "Magic Fly" and "Pulstar" (the big Vangelis hit from way back when) are two of the more upbeat numbers, equally suitable background music for either dancing or relaxing. In the end the novelty starts to wear thin, but if the Propellerheads can show the influence of John Barry on their sleeves, why can't Enigma do the same with their favorite acts? --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Cool!!.......2004-08-30

Definitely not an Enigma album, but a must have for Enigma fans.
It's great to hear some covers AND originals from Jens Gad and
Michael Cretu.

An Excellent remix album.......2001-10-22

I didn't listen to this album the first time I got it, but a few months later I was listening to it at a music store with a freind who makes techno music. I realized this CD was the best remix album of several obscure but probably the first few "new age" tracks ever made. Michael Cretu does in this album what he does best: add new sounds and beats to a piece of music (have you listened to the remixes of some of the work he has done as "Enigma"?). This is a great album that is not typical or generic techno, and that is what makes it so special. This is a great album for those who want to experiment in New Age/techno music fusion.

The Energy of Sound.......2001-09-30

First and foremost - THIS IS NOT ENIGMA. That's why it's called 'Trance Atlantic Air Waves'. It's a side project by Michael Cretu and Jens Gad - and it's a definite buy. Two of the most prominent artists in the world have gotten together (once again) to create a masterful work that combines modern electronics with some electronic covers from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. This is an amazing piece of work. Buy it - buy it now.

What can I say, I'm buying it. ;).......2000-06-24

This is a good ablum to add to any collection, especially theEnigma fan's shelf . Crockett's theme alone is worth buyingthe CD for. Very relaxing, moody tune to say the least.

Awesome Airwaves..........2000-06-21

To say that musicians,producers, and writers Michael Cretu and Jens Gad of Enigma fame have breathed new life into some of these instrumental pop classics is an understatement!While re-working other artists' tunes is not an original idea, Cretu and Gad pay quite an homage to the original artists with first rate renditions. Just imagine never hearing the originals and you would swear this is all new and innovative material for the first time; This is how Cretu and Gad operate. They're masters at not only creating original work but enhancing the work of other artists.

Also, it is not another cheap techno, ambient, dance club collection. Though the elements tend to give that impression for the re-writes, T.A.A.W goes beyond this by giving the listener actual visual mental images never before imagined with the originals.

This project can be looked at from two different angles. One is for those who were complaining that Cretu's Enigma project lacked any "energy or pizzazz". Two, this is not intended to be an Enigma album; It is just a side project! Yes, there are similar keyboard sounds and guitar riffs;Consider the source...

Two original tracks such as Twelve After Midnight and L-42 (Lullabye for Two, taken from Sandra Cretu's import Fading Shades album)have a very ethereal and haunting nature to them.

Tracks:

Cycle of Nod
Slow Wave Sleep
Sleep Spindles (Stage One)
Suspension of Consciousness
K-Complexes
Sleep Spindles (Stage Two)
Delta Waves
Sonic Pillow
Emergence (Pt. 1)
Emergence (Pt. 2)

Album Description

Explore your dreams, by stretching the boundaries of your imagination. When you sleep, your brain waves go through a pattern of certain changes, classified as stages. These stages are know as the Sleep Cycle. A very low and slow frequency is sent from the front portion of the brain when you are in your deepest sleep or rest. Dreaming or desynchronized sleep is called Emergence. All mammals and birds have brain waves that show Emergence and the Sleep Cycle. During this cycle of rest, powers of the body are restored.

Customer Reviews:

Minimal ambient for maximum mood.......2004-11-26

Brannan Lane is less famous than Robert Rich and Steve Roach, but his best stuff is as good as either of these luminaries. On this CD he is at his most minimal and moody. Lane bills this CD as music to sleep to, and I suspect it would be good for that, provided you like to nod off with dark, pensive thoughts in your head. The mood is decidedly brooding and melancholic, and this music would be a great while reading a scary novel, or lying in a dark room contemplating your mortality.

Absolutely intoxicating!.......2002-01-07

"The music is absolutely intoxicating! The gentle pastoral ambience provokes brain wave activity. Deep and careful listeners will feel the neurotransmitters shooting across the synapses as the organic minimalism surrounds them."

A Sonic Teddy Bear.......2001-08-03

Brannan Lane from Tennessee, an unlikely wellspring for ambient music, has created quite an understated gem. The music, no suprise, mirrors the vagaries of the human sleep cycle. This is more than functional music, however; despite the fact that the recording was made "softer and more warm sounding" than Brannan's previous projects, it is just as delightful in the foreground as it is when serving as a sonic teddy bear. With this release, Brannan Lane has started to get the recognition he deserves on ambient music newsletters and forums. Sweet dreams!

Average customer rating:

Great Jazz!
Dazzling...

Lalo

Manufacturer: Kadooga Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006L4ZD
Release Date: 2002-09-06

Tracks:

LFG Walks In
Little Friendly Giant
Traveling
Dance: Lucy's Story
Revolving Door
Clockmaker
Dance: Majesty
Chameleon
Dance

Album Description

Vibraphonist Laura Friedman (aka Lalo), bassist Kermit Driscoll, and drummer/percussionist Todd Isler bring an innovative sound, rock-like energy, and world music influences to Lalo's original jazz compositions.

Customer Reviews:

Great Jazz!.......2007-05-19

As the previous reviewer stated, this is a "buy it" CD - great jazz, technically excellent musicians and music that just draws you right in and makes you want to listen again and again. I highly recommend it!

Dazzling..........2005-06-01

This album is simply amazing. It is hands down the best "jazz" music I have ever heard, which is most probably due to the fact that this music is so intricate and involved that it can't really be classified as just "jazz." It is so much more than that; it is emotion in musical form. Key tracks include:
1)Little Friendly Giant
2)Dance: Majesty (With lovely vocals by Kyler England)
3)Chameleon

Do yourself a favour and buy this CD, you won't regret it.

Ministry of Sound Hard Energy: Xxxtreme Night Out

Average customer rating:

Ministry of Sound Hard Energy: Xxxtreme Night Out
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Energy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000RPCE2K
Release Date: 2007-07-09

Tracks:

Shine [Hypnasonic Remix] - Booty Luv
Break Up [Cascada Remix] - Kim Sozzi
Destination Calabria [Drunkenmunky 2007 Remake] - Alex Gaudino, Crystal Waters
Miracle [Northstarz Remix]
Better Day [Bounce Brothers Remix] - GBT Inc., Alison Wade
Music [Kindervater Extended Mix]
Tomorrow Can Wait [Cascada Extended Mix]
Only the Night - Karen Danzig,
It's Not Right [Hypasonic Remix] - Dennis Christopher
Feel Your Love - Angel Eyes
My Desire [Bounc Brothers Remix]
Hands in the Air
Bounce [Totale Controle Remix]
Show Me
Naked in the Rain
Show Me Love [Hypasonic vs Jamie Agar Mix]
Again - Kim Leoni
Wonderland [Sound Selectaz Remix]
Our Future
Beautiful, Rich & Horny

Tracks:

Put Your Hands Up for Detroit [Wideboys Remix] - Fedde Le Grand
Creeps [Friday Night Posse Remix] - Camille Jones, Fedde Le Grand
Rush Hour [Boss Slammers vs Catch 22 Remix] - Jane Wiedlin
24/7
Faith [Club Enforcer Remix] - Bliss Inc, Carlotta Chadwick
Bodyrock [Hands Up! Remix] - Lara McAllen
Kinda New [Alex K Klubbed Remix] - Spektrum
Sincce U Been Gone [Da Franco Remix Edit] - The Real Booty Babes
Listen to Your Heart [Hixxy Remix] - D.H.T.,
Space 2007 - Slipmatt
Boten Anna [Instrumental] - Basshunter
Never Ever - Alistair Storm
You Got the Power [Sound Selectaz Remix] - Karen Danzig,
Rock This Place [Sound Selectaz Remix] - Slipmatt
Boogie 2Nite [Hypasonic Remix] - Booty Luv
Leave a Light On
Love U More [PPS Remix]
Think About the Way - Dizzy Deejays
Smd#1 [2007 Remix]
Body Slam [Sparky's Donk Mix]

Tracks:

Perfect (Exceeder) [Hit House Remix] - Princess Superstar
Time to Burn [D Boosh vs Nokandu Remix]
Your Body [Quadrasonic Remix] - Michael Marshall, Tom Novy
Put 'Em High [Slipmatt Remix] - Stonebridge,
Fade [Slipmatt & Billy Bunter Remix] - Kimblee, Solu Music
Guilty [3Style Remix] - De Souza,
Every World [Billy Daniel Bunter & Sparky Remix] - Tyken
Pump Up the Jam [D Boosh vs DJ Absolute Remix]
Way (Put Your Hand in My Hand) [Slipmatt Remix]
Make Your Move (Dare Me) [Hit House Remix] - Dave Armstrong
Lollipop [Bad Behaviour Remix]
Your Love
Keep Warm [Stompin System Remix] - Jinny
Shine [Acappella] - Booty Luv
Put Your Hands Up for Detorit [Acappella] - Fedde Le Grand
Destination Calabria [DJ Tool Remix] - Alex Gaudino

Album Description

Three CDs filled with powerful feet-thumpin' butt-bumpin' energetic Electronic dance music guaranteed to kill off a few brain cells while you're making moves out on the dancefloor. 60 stimulating tracks including cuts from Booty Luv, Cascada, Fracesca, Dennis Christopher, Kim Leoni, Fede Le Grande, SJB Featuring Jane Wiedlin, Angel City, The Real Booty Babes and many others. Ministry Of Sound. 2007.