Oeuvre

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Q-Burns Abstract Message is the rather unwieldy pseudonym of Florida-based Michael Donaldson. On Oeuvre, the third release under the Q-Burns moniker, Donaldson's touch is nearly perfect. His mixes, full of wide-open spaces and deep, chilly pools of electro gurgle, are extravagant landscapes that allow for a sense of three- dimensional space but also waste no time zipping from point to point, idea to idea. While Q-Burns is certainly one of electronic music's most potent scene painters, he's not too shabby when it comes to bustin' out the neck-snapping beats and breaks either. Looking for a record dedicated to wringing out the soggy parts of the brain while also keeping the hips more than occupied? Here it is. --S. Duda

Oeuvre,Q-Burns Abstract Message,Astralwerks,Dance Music,IDM,Pop,Techno
Rapture: Opera's Most Heavenly Moments
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Opera for Aficianados as well as Newbies
  • superb!
  • beatiful music
  • Best Opera CD ever
  • Rapture
 Rapture: Opera's Most Heavenly Moments

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006L3K2
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Tracks:

  1. Casta Diva - Renee Fleming
  2. Barcarolle - Edita Gruberova
  3. Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Maria Chiara
  4. Intermezzo - Herbert Von Karajan
  5. Letter Duet - Edith Mathis
  6. Che Faro Senza Euridice - Grace Bumbry
  7. Va Pensiero - Giuseppe Sinopoli
  8. Una Furtiva Lagrima - Gosta Winbergh
  9. Porgi Amor - Gundula Janowitz
  10. Humming Chorus - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
  11. Soave Sia Il Vento - Kiri Te Kanawa
  12. Overture (Excerpt) - Philharmonia Orchestra
  13. Un'aura Amorosa - Hans-Peter Blochwitz
  14. Un Bel Di - Mirella Freni
  15. Depuis Le Jour - Montserrat Caballe
  16. La Ci Darem La Mano - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
  17. Quando Le Sere Al Placido - Placido Domingo
  18. Mir Ist So Wunderbar - Lucia Popp

Tracks:

  1. Flower Duet - Joan Sutherland
  2. The Pearl Fishers Duet - Bryn Terfel
  3. Lascia Ch'io Pianga - Kiri Te Kanawa
  4. Prelude - Bayerisches Staatsorchestra
  5. O Silver Moon - Renee Fleming
  6. When I Am Laid In Earth - Tatiana Troyanos
  7. Miserere - Placido Domingo
  8. Vissi D'arte - Mirella Freni
  9. Intermezzo - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
  10. Softly Awakes My Heart - Grace Bumbry
  11. Ombra Mai Fu (Largo) - Bryn Terfel
  12. Pilgrim's Chorus - Chorus Of The Bayreuth Festival
  13. Ruhe Sanft - Kiri Te Kanawa
  14. Flower Duet - Teresa Berganza
  15. Entr'acte - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
  16. Mira O Norma - Marilyn Horne
  17. Hochsten Heiles Wunder - Chorus Of The German Opera Berlin

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Opera for Aficianados as well as Newbies.......2007-06-11

If you are looking for peaceful, beautiful music this is for you. It is a delightful mix of some of opera's most memorable moments. Long time opera fans will be familiar with most of the arias and newcomers to opera will recognize music that has become identified with movies and commercials.

5 out of 5 stars superb! .......2007-05-12

If you love wonderful operatic moments then this cd is a great buy for all of the wonderful and spectacular music on it. You get two cds for the price of one great opera cd, and all of the talented singers that were taken and put on these tracks do definate justice to all of the composers listed. A great cd to add to your collection especially if you are an aspiring singer or a student in music. Absolutely Fantastic!

5 out of 5 stars beatiful music.......2007-02-23

former reviews are no exaggeration, this is the most beautiful music I have come across. I have many opera CDs but this is one I never tire of.
I listen to the CD everyday and it is always soothing, uplifting and inspiring. I wish I could find another as wonderful.

5 out of 5 stars Best Opera CD ever.......2007-02-16

I have orderd plenty of classical CD's and DVD's on this webside.
Most were phantastish but this one is the best.
I listen so often to this CD that it should have grooves.
I never get tired of it.
I recommend this CD highly.
Roswitha

5 out of 5 stars Rapture.......2007-01-24

Wonderous---Melodious----
This compilation of Opera's finest moments is positively wonderful!!!!Unquestionably the best buy I have made in Opera Music..No kidding,I have trays full of CDs covering every facet of Opera,but none as beautiful...A full 2 1/2 hours of the best of the best....Heavenly Moments says it ALL...I vote 6 stars!!!!!
Debussy: The Complete Piano Music
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Debussy with a difference!
  • One Star for Charity's Sake
  • Beautifully interpreted
  • Complete Debussy
 Debussy: The Complete Piano Music

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Brahms: Works for Solo Piano
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  5. Ravel: Piano Works

ASIN: B0001Z2RSM
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Tracks:

  1. Reverie
  2. Prelude
  3. Menuet
  4. Clair De Lune
  5. Passepied
  6. Lent (Melancolique Et Doux)
  7. Tres Vite
  8. Prelude
  9. Sarabande
  10. Toccata
  11. Reflets Dans L'eau
  12. Hommage A Rameau
  13. Mouvement
  14. Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles
  15. Et La Lune Descend Sur Le Temple Qui Fut
  16. Poissons D'or

Tracks:

  1. Arabesque No.1
  2. Arabesque No.2
  3. Danse Bohemienne
  4. Ballade Slave
  5. Tarantelle Styrienne
  6. Valse Romantique
  7. Mazurka
  8. Nocturne
  9. Danseuses De Delphes
  10. Voiles
  11. Le Vent Dans La Plaine
  12. Les Sons Et Les Parfums
  13. Les Collines D'Anacapri
  14. Des Pas Sur La Neige
  15. Ce Qu'a Vu Le Vent D'Ouest
  16. La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
  17. La Serenade Interrompue
  18. La Cathedrale Engloutie
  19. La Danse De Puck
  20. Minstrels

Tracks:

  1. L'isle Joyeuse
  2. Pagodes
  3. La Soiree Dans Grenade
  4. Jardins Sous La Pluie
  5. D'un Cahier D'esquisses
  6. Morceau De Concours
  7. Masques
  8. Brouillards
  9. Feuilles Mortes
  10. La Puerta Del Vino
  11. Les Fees Sont D'exquises Danseuses
  12. Bruyeres
  13. General Lavine - Eccentric
  14. Les Terraces Des Audiences
  15. Ondine
  16. Hommage A S. Pickwick Esq. PPMPC
  17. Canope
  18. Les Tierces Alternees
  19. Feux D'artifice

Tracks:

  1. Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum
  2. Jimbo's Lullaby
  3. Serenade For The Doll
  4. The Snow Is Dancing
  5. The Little Shepherd
  6. Golliwog's Cake-Walk
  7. Hommage A Haydn
  8. Le Petit Negre
  9. La Plus Que Lente
  10. Berceuse Heroique
  11. Elegie
  12. Page D'album (Piece Pour Le Vetement Du Blesse)
  13. Pour Les Cinq Doigts
  14. Pour Les Tierces
  15. Pour Les Quartes
  16. Pour Les Sixtes
  17. Pour Les Octaves
  18. Pour Les Huit Doigts
  19. Pour Les Degres Chromatiques
  20. Pour Les Agrements
  21. Pour Les Notes Repetees
  22. Pour Les Sonoritees Opposees
  23. Pour Les Arpeges Composes
  24. Pour Les Accords

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Debussy with a difference!.......2007-03-10


Do not let the dismissive review below make you dismiss this amazing and breath taking complete set. Like his Scriabin recordings, Gordon Fergus-Thompson works wonder with the well known piece like Clair de Lune, Arabesque and Reverie, and breathes new life into the music by his keen sense of tonal colours and delicacy. When it comes to impressionist music, no pianists can match Richter, who played Clair de Lune, Pavane or miroirs like a miracle, but Fergus-Thompson creats his own unique soundscape.

He is one of very few pianists alive who pay careful attention to how a note produced on the instrument decays and merges with other notes, while most of pianist nowadays focus mostly on starting point of the sound. That's a secret of the richness of colours and expression in his pianism.

He is often criticised for lack of technical prowess, compared to past masters like Gieseking or Michelangeli, but I can not detect even a hint of technical weakness or instability in this set. This is simply a different and highly personal interpretation, and it is a shame to miss out this magical music making simply because it is different from the mainstream interpretation.

1 out of 5 stars One Star for Charity's Sake.......2007-03-01

Avoid this set!!! The man is a gifted pianist but has no understanding on how to interpret the music. This is the nadir of all the Debussy piano sets. With Walter Gieseking's superlative set available why would you want dog food when you can eat supreme cuisine!!!

5 out of 5 stars Beautifully interpreted.......2007-02-13

Gordon Fergus-Thompson does an amazing job of playing and interpreting Debussy's music. I have been playing piano for years--especially Debussy--and this CD really captures the essence of the music. I'd recommend this to anyone.

5 out of 5 stars Complete Debussy.......2006-12-13

These recordings are some of the highest quality Debussy you'll find. There is a freedom that comes across in Fergus-Thompson's playing that you won't find in other so-called great recordings. Instead of trying to sound "Debussy-like", the music is played naturally while maintaining accuracy and original intent of the composer. Recording quality is up to date. Box set is 4 discs, with the body nicely separated into larger works with dates included.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Debussy · images, études ~ complete works for piano, vol. 2
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Superior recordings and performances
  • BEAUTIFUL
  • Evocative and mesmerizing if a little distorted in places
  • Mesmerising and musically imaginative performances
 Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Debussy · images, études ~ complete works for piano, vol. 2

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004SDRF
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Tracks:

  1. Images - Serie I
  2. Images - Serie I
  3. Images - Serie I
  4. Images - Serie II
  5. Images - Serie II
  6. Images - Serie II
  7. Le Petit Negre
  8. Children's Corner
  9. Children's Corner
  10. Children's Corner
  11. Children's Corner
  12. Children's Corner
  13. Children's Corner
  14. La plus que lente
  15. Valse romantique
  16. Ballade
  17. Danse (Tarantelle styrienne)
  18. Mazurka

Tracks:

  1. Suite bergamesque
  2. Suite bergamesque
  3. Suite bergamesque
  4. Suite bergamesque
  5. Hommage a Haydn
  6. Elegie
  7. Berceuse heroique
  8. page d'album
  9. Etudes - Livre I
  10. Etudes - LIvre II
  11. Etudes - LIvre II
  12. Etudes - LIvre II
  13. Etudes - LIvre II
  14. Etudes - LIvre II
  15. Etudes - Livre II
  16. Etudes - Livre II
  17. Etudes - Livre II
  18. Etudes - Livre II
  19. Etudes - Livre II
  20. Etudes - Livre II
  21. Etude retrouvee

Amazon.com

Jean-Yves Thibaudet is not a pianist to be pigeonholed. Alongside the recordings of his fellow countrymen Debussy and Ravel, he has recorded a tribute to a jazz giant, Conversations with Bill Evans, and he plays on the soundtrack of the film Portrait of a Lady. Perhaps this catholic approach accounts for the freshness of his Debussy playing. Not for him the "stick the pedal down and make an impressionistic wash of sound" approach. His playing is clean and refreshing without losing any of the voluptuous sensuality of Debussy at his most beguiling. There are lollipops to be found among the extensive repertory on these two discs, including the celebrated "Clair de Lune" from the Suite Bergamasque and the "Golliwogg's Cake-Walk" from Children's Corner. The mainstay of the release is the two sets of Images and the two books of Études, 12 studies whose demands are not for the faint of heart. Luckily for us, Thibaudet's heart is strong. He offers virtuosic, thoughtful performances of pieces that, while written to help develop pianists' technique, stand up magnificently as music to be listened to. --Keith Clarke

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Superior recordings and performances.......2005-09-18

The Penguin Guide to CDs and DVDs has Thibaudet's sets of the complete Debussy solo piano music at the top of the digital recordings, and this is certainly high quality.

We have several recordings of the Preludes and some other works, but there is nothing to come close to Thibaudet for great performances and superior recording quality.

The liner notes are very helpful, and in the first set you get different articles in English, French, German and Italian. Great if you are multilingual, but only of marginal interest to me. The second set has one article and translations, not separate articles.

Well worth purchasing.

5 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL.......2002-11-17

AAAAAH Beautiful This guy is awesome. He is the first piano player with whom I experienced Debussy's work.I am happy with this cd.

4 out of 5 stars Evocative and mesmerizing if a little distorted in places.......2001-04-21

I shall try to be as brief as possible. My standards in Debussy are Alfred Cortot and Walter Gieseking, but unfortunately they didn't record everything and the sound of their recordings is getting a little dated. I own Cortot's recordings of Debussy songs with Maggie Teyte and Gieseking's recordings of the Preludes, but was looking for good modern recordings of "La plus que lente," "Suite Bergamesque," "Images" and the "Children's Corner Suite." After listening to excerpts on the Amazon site, I bought this recording.

Thibaudet has a gorgeous tone and touch. His musical styling, however, is sometimes accurate, sometimes phlegmatic. He plays the Song of the Doll in "Children's Corner" a little too fast, and in both "Golliwog's Cakewalk" and "Clair de lune" he employs an odd sort of rubato that seems to add a half-beat to certain measures. (In these pieces I know because I used to play them). Despite these quirks, however, his playing has charm, color and a dashing technique reminiscent of Gieseking. The reason I only gave this set 4 stars instead of 5 is because the Etudes are trashy music, mere technical exercises without any redeeming (to me) musical value. If you feel differently, however, I suppose you will rate this as a 5-star album, but to me it was a half-hour of listening time totally wasted. Otherwise, a beautiful album that you will listen to again and again.

5 out of 5 stars Mesmerising and musically imaginative performances.......2000-06-30

Jean-Yves Thibaudet may not be the ideal pianist for every kind of music that he plays. His Rachmaninoff is disappointingly tepid and his Chopin uninteresting. His Liszt recordings, while being technically assured, often lacks a sense of abandon and frisson (or should I say "showmanship") which, in my view, is an indispensable element in that kind of music, and his Schubert (as heard in the soundtrack for ) sounds contrived and mannered.

However, he is definitely a force to be reckoned with in his native French repertoire, as shown by his marvellous traversal of Ravel's piano pieces in 1992, a set which has won lots of accolades and unanimous praise from critics. He then embarked on a project to record all the solo piano works of Debussy and, in 1996, released the first instalment thereof, a 2-CD set which includes the Preludes, Estampes and Pour le piano. While these recordings aren't able to efface one's memory of the legendary recordings of Walter Gieseking, they're convincing interpretations which further confirm Thibaudet's stature in this repertoire.

Decca has now released the 2nd (and concluding) volume of Debussy's solo piano pieces with Thibaudet, and the results are, if anything, even better. As Thibaudet employs the pedal comparatively sparingly, he doesn't perhaps command the magically luminous and shimmering tone which is the hallmark of Gieseking's Debussy recordings (as can be heard in a 4-CD set released by EMI). Nevertheless, Thibaudet offers here an extraordinary wide range of tonal colours (mostly achieved by the pianist's fingers alone, and is therefore no less impressive from a technical perspective), as well as great sensitivity in phrasing and tempo adjustments that always sound natural and even enchanting while at the same time bringing out the music's many possibilities. Besides, in certain instances (for example in some of the pieces in Children's Corner and the Valse romantique), there exist a degree of charm, wit and sarcastic humour which are mostly absent in Gieseking's recordings of the same pieces.

Thibaudet's performance of the Images is mesmerising. His reading is wonderfully evocative and deeply atmospheric and his tonal gradations and sense of control are both cause for marvel. Under Thibaudet's crisp fingers and sensitive hands, the Etudes are not merely virtuosic pieces composed in an innovative idiom, but are also subtly expressive and musically imaginative vignettes, making one wonder why these gems of the keyboard aren't being performed (and recorded) more often. Indeed, such is the standard of the performances here that, besides some faster than average tempo choices for a few of the pieces (which, however, still sound convincing even if they may not actually be sanctioned by Debussy's markings in the relevant scores), this reviewer has hardly any reservation throughout the 151 minutes of music on offer in this 2-CD set. In fact, the recordings, which are well supported by the Decca engineers, are so musically fascinating and tonally alluring that this reviewer was immediately transported to a trance like state when listening to them for the very first time! This, surely, is one of the most enjoyable new piano releases that have come out in the past few years.

Highly recommended and definitely a set worthy of being investigated by pianophiles.
Les 100 Chefs-d'Oeuvre de la Trompette
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Les 100 Chefs-d'Oeuvre de la Trompette
    Maurice Andre
    Manufacturer: EMI
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Trompette et Orgue
    2. Maurice André
    3. Wow! The Formative Years
    4. M.F Horn 4 & 5 - Live at Jimmy's

    ASIN: B000IMVNGA
    Release Date: 2007-01-04

    Tracks:

    1. I. Allegro - Janos Rolla
    2. II. Andante - Janos Rolla
    3. III. Allegro Assai - Janos Rolla
    4. I. Allegro
    5. II. Largo E Piano
    6. III. Vivace
    7. I. Ouverture
    8. II. Gigue
    9. III. Air (Minuetto)
    10. IV. Bourree
    11. V. Marche
    12. I. Allegro
    13. II. Larghetto
    14. III. Vivace
    15. I. Allegro
    16. II. Andante
    17. III. Allegro

    Tracks:

    1. I. Allegro Moderato
    2. II. Adagio
    3. III. Allegro
    4. I. Grave
    5. Allegro
    6. II. Adagio
    7. III. Allegro
    8. I. Allegro Moderato
    9. II. Adagio
    10. III. Rondo
    11. I. Adagio-Allegro
    12. II. Largo
    13. III. Allegro-Andantino-Allegro
    14. I. Allegro
    15. II. Adagio
    16. III. Allegro

    Tracks:

    1. I. Grave-Allegro
    2. II. Rondo
    3. III. Sarabande
    4. IV. Bourrees 1 & 2
    5. V. Polonaise & Double
    6. VI. Menuet
    7. VII. Badinerie
    8. I. Adagio
    9. II. Allegro
    10. I. Adagio
    11. II. Allegro Moderato
    12. I. Maestoso E Deciso
    13. II. Larghetto E Cantabile
    14. Allegro (Alla Polonese)
    15. I. Allegro Con Spirito
    16. II. Andante
    17. III. Rondo

    Tracks:

    1. Fanfare
    2. Adagio
    3. Gavotte En Rondeau
    4. Largo (Extrait De Serse)
    5. Air 'Mein Glaubiges Herze'
    6. Gloria In Excelsis Deo
    7. Ave Maria
    8. Trumpet Voluntary
    9. Allegro Spiritoso
    10. Air
    11. Trumpet Tune
    12. Bourree
    13. Ave Maria
    14. Alleluia
    15. The Queen's Dolour
    16. 'Jesus Que Ma Joie Demeure'
    17. Choral 'In Allen Meinen Taten'
    18. Adagio
    19. Choral 'Jesu, Meine Freude'
    20. Choral Du Veilleur: 'Wachet Auf! Ruftuns Die Stimme'

    Tracks:

    1. La Flute Enchantee: Air De La Reine De La Nuit 'Der Holle Rache'
    2. L'Elixir D'amour: Romance De Nemorino 'Une Furtiva Lagrima'
    3. Rigoletto: Chanson Du Duc 'La Donna E Mobile'
    4. Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Chanson D'Olympia 'Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille'
    5. Carmen: Seguedille 'Pres Des Remparts De Seville'
    6. Swanee
    7. Un American A Paris (Ouverture)
    8. The Man I Love
    9. Les Moulins De Mon Coeur
    10. Caravan
    11. One Note Samba
    12. Jeux Interdits
    13. Night And Day
    14. 'Round Midnight

    Tracks:

    1. Fantaisie & Variations Sur Le Carnaval De Venise
    2. ParisiAN DREam, Suite Concertante D'apres 'La Vie Parisienne'
    3. Tritsch-tratsch Polka
    4. Postillon D'amour, Polka
    5. Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
    6. Adagio De La Symphonie 'Du Nouveau Monde'
    7. Hora Staccato
    8. Old Man River
    9. Meditation De Thais
    10. Concerto De Aranjuez
    11. Le Vol Du Bourdon
    12. Grande Marche D'Aida
    13. Les Feuilles Mortes
    14. La Vie En Rose
    15. Je T'ai Donne Mon Coeur
    16. La Strada
    Satie: L'Oeuvre Pour Piano
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • The Simple, the Sublime, and the Surreal
    • Great complete set
    • the BEST
    		 Satie: L'Oeuvre Pour Piano

    Manufacturer: EMI Classics
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    Ciccolini, AldoCiccolini, Aldo | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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    1. Debussy: Complete Works For Piano
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    ASIN: B00005IA09
    Release Date: 2002-02-12

    Tracks:

    1. Trois Gymnopedies: I. Lent Et Douloureux
    2. Trois Gymnopedies: II. Lent Et Triste
    3. Trois Gymnopedies: III. Lent Et Grave
    4. Heures Seculaires Et Instantanees: I. Obstacles Venimeux
    5. Heures Seculaires Et Instantanees: II. Crepuscule Matinal (De Midi)
    6. Heures Seculaires Et Instantanees: III. Affolements Granitiques
    7. Les Trois Valses Du Precieux Degoute: I. Sa Taille
    8. Les Trois Valses Du Precieux Degoute: II. Son Binocle
    9. Les Trois Valses Du Precieux Degoute: III. Ses Jambes
    10. Avant-Dernieres Pensees: I. Idylle
    11. Avant-Dernieres Pensees: II. Aubade
    12. Avant-Dernieres Pensees: III. Meditation
    13. Trois Gnossiennes: I. Lent
    14. Trois Gnossiennes: II. Avec Etonnement
    15. Trois Gnossiennes: III. Lent
    16. Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: Maniere De Commencement
    17. Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: Prolongation Du Meme
    18. Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: I. Lentement
    19. Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: II. Enleve
    20. Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: III. Brutal
    21. Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: En Plus
    22. Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: Redite
    23. Croquis Et Agaceries D'Un Gros Bonhomme En Bois: I. Tyrolienne Turque
    24. Croquis Et Agaceries D'Un Gros Bonhomme En Bois: II. Danse Maigre (A La Maniere De Ces Messieurs)
    25. Croquis Et Agaceries D'Un Gros Bonhomme En Bois: III. Espanana (Sorte De Valse)
    26. Trois Nocturnes: I. Doux Et Calme
    27. Trois Nocturnes: II. Simplement
    28. Trois Nocturnes: III. Un Peu Movt
    29. La Belle Excentrique, Fant Serieuse: I. Grande Ritournelle
    30. La Belle Excentrique, Fant Serieuse: II. Marche Franco-Lunaire
    31. La Belle Excentrique, Fant Serieuse: Valse Du Mysterieux Baiser Dans L'Oeil
    32. La Belle Excentrique, Fant Serieuse: Cancan 'Grandmondain'

    Tracks:

    1. Descriptions Automatiques: I. Sur Un Vaisseau
    2. Descriptions Automatiques: II. Sur Une Lanterne
    3. Descriptions Automatiques: III. Sur Un Casque
    4. Veritables Prlds Flasques: I. Severe Reprimande
    5. Veritables Prlds Flasques: II. Seul A La Maison
    6. Veritables Prlds Flasques: III. On Joue
    7. Vieux Sequins Et Vieilles Cuirasses: I. Chez Le Marchand D'or (Venise XIIIe Siecle)
    8. Vieux Sequins Et Vieilles Cuirasses: II. Danse Cuirassee (Periode Grecque)
    9. Vieux Sequins Et Vieilles Cuirasses: III. La Defaite Des Cimbres (Cauchemar)
    10. En Habit De Cheval: I. Choral
    11. En Habit De Cheval: II. Fugue Litanique
    12. En Habit De Cheval: III. Autre Choral
    13. En Habit De Cheval: IV. Fugue De Papier
    14. Sports Et Divertissements: Choral Inappetissant
    15. Sports Et Divertissements: La Balancoire
    16. Sports Et Divertissements: La Chasse
    17. Sports Et Divertissements: La Comedie Italienne (A La Napolitaine)
    18. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Reveil De La Mariee
    19. Sports Et Divertissements: Colin-Maillard
    20. Sports Et Divertissements: La Peche
    21. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Yachting
    22. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Bain De Mer
    23. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Carnaval
    24. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Golf
    25. Sports Et Divertissements: La Pieuvre
    26. Sports Et Divertissements: Les Courses
    27. Sports Et Divertissements: Les Quatre Coins
    28. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Pique-nique
    29. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Water-chute
    30. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Tango
    31. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Traineau
    32. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Flirt
    33. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Feu D'artifice
    34. Sports Et Divertissements: Le Tennis
    35. Chapitres Tournes En Tous Sens: I. Celle Qui Parle Trop
    36. Chapitres Tournes En Tous Sens: II. Le Porteur De Grosses Pierres
    37. Chapitres Tournes En Tous Sens: III. Regrets Des Enfermes (Jonas Et Latude)
    38. Apercus Desagreables: I. Pastorale
    39. Apercus Desagreables: II. Choral
    40. Apercus Desagreables: III. Fugue
    41. Embryons Desseches: I. D'Holothurie
    42. Embryons Desseches: II. D' Edriophtalma
    43. Embryons Desseches: III. De Podophtalma
    44. Trois Sarabandes: No.1
    45. Trois Sarabandes: No.2
    46. Trois Sarabandes: No.3

    Tracks:

    1. Prlds Flasques: I. Voix D'interieur
    2. Prlds Flasques: II. Idylle Cynique
    3. Prlds Flasques: III. Chanson Canine
    4. Prlds Flasques: IV. Avec Camaraderie
    5. Reverie De L'enfance De Pantagruel
    6. Les Pantins Dansent
    7. Passacaille (Oeuvre Posthume)
    8. Le Piege De Meduse (Oeuvre Posthume): Quadrille/Valse/Pas Vite/Mazurka/Un Peu Vif/Polka/Quadrille
    9. Menus Propos Enfantins: I. Le Chant Guerrier Du Roi Des Haricots
    10. Menus Propos Enfantins: II. Ce Que Dit La Petite Princesse Des Tulipes
    11. Menus Propos Enfantins: III. Valse Du Chocolat Aux Amandes
    12. Enfantillages Pittoresques: I. Petit Prld A La Journee
    13. Enfantillages Pittoresques: II. Berceuse
    14. Enfantillages Pittoresques: III. Marche Du Grand Escalier
    15. Peccadilles Importunes: I. Etre Jaloux De Son Camarade Qui A Une Grosse Tete
    16. Peccadilles Importunes: II. Lui Manger Sa Tartine
    17. Peccadilles Importunes: III. Profiter De Ce Qu'il A Des Cors Aux Pieds Pour Lui Prendre Son Cerceau
    18. Pieces Froides, No.1 - Trois Airs A Faire Fuir: I. D'Une Maniere Particuliere
    19. Pieces Froides, No.1 - Trois Airs A Faire Fuir: II. Modestement
    20. Pieces Froides, No.1 - Trois Airs A Faire Fuir: III. S'inviter
    21. Pieces Froides, No.2 - Danses De Travers: I. En Y Regardant A Deux Fois
    22. Pieces Froides, No.2 - Danses De Travers: II. Passer
    23. Pieces Froides, No.2 - Danses De Travers: III. Encore
    24. Prld En Tapisserie
    25. Trois Gnossiennes: No.4 Lent
    26. Trois Gnossiennes: No.5 Modere
    27. Trois Gnossiennes: No.6 Avec Conviction Et Avec Une Tristesse Rigoureuse
    28. Nouvelles Pieces Froides: I. Sur Un Mur
    29. Nouvelles Pieces Froides: II. Sur Un Arbre
    30. Nouvelles Pieces Froides: III. Sur Un Pont
    31. Premiere Pensee De La Rose+Croix
    32. Sonneries De La Rose+Croix: I. Air De L'Ordre
    33. Sonneries De La Rose+Croix: II. Air Du Grand Maitre
    34. Sonneries De La Rose+Croix: III. Air Du Grand Prieur
    35. Deux Reveries Nocturnes: I. Pas Vite (Revez Doucement)
    36. Deux Reveries Nocturnes: II. Tres Moderement

    Tracks:

    1. Petite Ov A Danser
    2. Quatre Prlds: I. Fete Donnee Par Des Chevaliers Normands En L'Honneur D'Une Jeune Demoiselle
    3. Quatre Prlds: II. Prld D'Eginhard
    4. Quatre Prlds: III. 1er Prld Du Nazareen
    5. Quatre Prlds: IV. 2eme Prld Du Nazareen
    6. Le Fils Des Etoiles, Wagnerie Kaldeenne Du Sar Peladan: Prld Du 1er Acte: La Vocation
    7. Le Fils Des Etoiles, Wagnerie Kaldeenne Du Sar Peladan: Prld Du 2eme Acte: L'Initiation
    8. Le Fils Des Etoiles, Wagnerie Kaldeenne Du Sar Peladan: Prld Du 3eme Acte: L'Incantation
    9. Jack In The Box: I. Prld
    10. Jack In The Box: II. Entracte
    11. Jack In The Box: Final
    12. Desepoir Agreable
    13. Effronterie
    14. Poesie
    15. Prld Canin
    16. Profondeur
    17. Songe Creux
    18. Prld De La Porte Heroique De Ciel
    19. Musiques Intimes Et Secretes: Nostalgie
    20. Musiques Intimes Et Secretes: Froide Songerie
    21. Musiques Intimes Et Secretes: Facheux Exemple
    22. Carnet D'esquisses Et De Croquis (Air - Essais - * - Notes - Notes - Le Prisonnier Maussade...

    Tracks:

    1. Premier Menuet
    2. Nocturne No.4
    3. Nocturne No.5
    4. Trois Petites Pieces Montees: De L'Enfance De Pantagruel (Reverie)
    5. Trois Petites Pieces Montees: Marche De Cocagne (Demarche)
    6. Trois Petites Pieces Montees: Jeux De Gargantua (Colin De Polka)
    7. Ogives: Premiere Ogive
    8. Ogives: Deuxieme Ogive
    9. Ogives: Troisieme Ogive
    10. Ogives: Quatrieme Ogive
    11. Danses Gothiques: No.1 A L'Occasion D'Une Grande Peine
    12. Danses Gothiques: No.2 Dans Laquelle Les Peres De La Tres Veritable Et Tres Sainte Eglise Sont...
    13. Danses Gothiques: No.3 En Faveur D'Un Malheureux
    14. Danses Gothiques: No.4 A Propos De Saint-Bernard Et Sainte-Lucie
    15. Danses Gothiques: No.5 Pour Les Pauvres Trespasses
    16. Danses Gothiques: No.6 Ou Il Est Question Du Pardon Des Injures Recues
    17. Danses Gothiques: No.7 Par Pitie Pour Les Ivrognes, Honteux Debauches, Imparfaits, Desagreables...
    18. Danses Gothiques: No.8 En Le Haut Honneur Du Venere Saint-Michel, Le Gracieux Archange
    19. Danses Gothiques: No.9 Apres Avoir Obtenu La Remise De Ses Fautes
    20. Sonatine Bureaucratique
    21. Poudre D'Or, Valse
    22. Pages Mystiques: I. Priere
    23. Pages Mystiques: II. Vexations
    24. Pages Mystiques: III. Harmonies
    25. Douze Petits Chorals

    Amazon.com

    Pianist Aldo Ciccolini garnered lots of attention in the late 1960s and early 1970s when he recorded all of Erik Satie's original piano music for EMI. The cycle remains first choice for Satie fans, who certainly will welcome its first complete (as opposed to excerpted) reissue on CD. Ciccolini's interpretations are paradigms of expressive economy and directness, and happily eschew the "let's see how slow and important I can make these works" attitude that sometimes prevails among younger Satie practitioners. Ciccolini's diamond-edged sonority, sparkling technique, and willingness to accept the composer's high quirk quotient at face value further enhance these performances. While Ciccolini admirably overdubs himself in the piano duet works, one misses the added color and ensemble give and take gained from Ciccolini's digital remakes partnered by Gabriel Tacchino. For the price, though, Satie fans can hardly go wrong. Don't let EMI's French-only annotations prevent you from acquiring this classic cycle. Get it while you can. --Jed Distler

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars The Simple, the Sublime, and the Surreal.......2007-03-27

    This collection makes for good listening. There is a great deal of variety and character (Oh, is there character!) to be found in the various pieces. While most people have likely heard one or more of Satie's Gymnopedies at the very least in the background music of a TV ad, this collection pulls together the rarely-heard piano pieces as well. One that I had been seeking, Vexations, is a short piece to be repeated 840 times.

    The titles of the pieces bear witness to Satie's sense of humor, rebellion against conventions of the day, and his pleasure in the surreal. Translations help to enjoy the unusual titles (who could not love "Piece in the Form of a Pear"?), some of which are reminiscent of Magritte's monikers.

    Aldo Ciccolini's performances are clear, with definite respect for the composer's works. There was a noticeable distinction between the tempi of the works that come "in threes", such as the Gymnopedies.

    I found that this collection fit nicely on my iPod, allowing me to take it on the road and enjoy it wherever the mood struck me. In some cases, the juxtaposition of Satie's music with my whereabouts provided yet another dimension of surreal-ity that had to be savored. The fact that most of these piano pieces are brief lends them to shuffling with other styles.

    While this collection is not for the casual listener to classical music, it does allow you to come into closer contact with one of the more unconventional minds of classical music. If you are serious about late 19th- or early 20th-century music, especially French music, or the influence of popular music on serious music, then this is not only for you, but a bargain as well.

    4 out of 5 stars Great complete set.......2004-11-21

    This is the definitive Satie collection for piano. Well-recorded and well played. I am a fan of French Impressionism in all of its incarnations and appreciated getting a full set of Satie under one cover. However, not all of these interpretations are my favorites. The best Gnossienne, IMHO, is that of Reinbert de Leeuw. He takes it slow and draws everything out of that piece. Ciccolini's interpretation is rushed and not as melodic. However, the Ciccolini tempo works well on other pieces, such as the other Satie favorite, Gymnopédies.

    All in all, this collection is well worth having for any Satie fan.

    5 out of 5 stars the BEST.......2003-04-21

    Satie is a weirdo. Often overlooked by serious classical enthusiasts for a variety of reasons, he was an eccentric person and a very original composer. His quirky, playful temperament gave his pieces the intrigue they still hold today.

    Aldo Ciccolini is the perfect pianist for these pieces. He seems to be the quintessential Satie interpreter. His playing is dazzling, crisp, and delightful. Aldo has a real knack for these sorts of french artists, and really seems to understand their style.

    Unlike many other pianists, he does not try to over-romanticize these works. He plays them appropriately - briskly, and brimming with energy. Even on such lulling pieces as the Gnossienes and Gymnopedies he plays with an essential awareness. His confidence is winning, and his understanding of the pieces makes them shine and scintillate. And at such a generous price, how can you go wrong? This is well worth it.
    L'Oeuvre de Luth
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • A less stressful Bach
    • just amazing!
    		 L'Oeuvre de Luth

    Manufacturer: Astree
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    LuteLute | Instruments | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B000067FG3
    Release Date: 2002-10-08

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars A less stressful Bach .......2005-03-16

    I throughly enjoyed these versions of Bach's Lute suites. They seem more natural on Lute. If you want a guitar version, check out Sharon Ibsen's recording, Bach: Complete Lute Suites. I have both. I find the Hopkins Smith recording are a bit more sedate, but also more relaxing.

    5 out of 5 stars just amazing!.......2002-10-30

    I just bought this cd from my local cd store, and i was blown away! The music is just great. The sound of the recording is perfect, and the way this guy plays.... The pieces are a bit slower than i was used to in the gould, williams or bream recordings, but the tempo fits great, the record has a calm feel to it that serves very well the kind of spiritual nature of bach's music, and it gives time to every voice and sound to be perceived and enjoyed. But don't get it wrong, the interpreter gives us quite a bit of musical and emotional range here... I could go on and on, but let me just say that if it only were for the Praeludium Fugue und Allegro BWV998 this set would be worth the price... If you like bach on guitar i think you sould have this one to, no doubt!
    Ravel: L'oeuvre Pour Piano [United Kingdom]
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Ravel Piano Music If Debussy Was Playing
    • A piano poet !
    • Samson Francois at his best
    		 Ravel: L'oeuvre Pour Piano [United Kingdom]
    Ravel , and Francois
    Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B00006487G
    Release Date: 2002-08-05

    Tracks:

    1. Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
    2. Modere, Tres Franc
    3. Assez Lent
    4. Modere
    5. Assez Anime
    6. Presque Lent
    7. Vif
    8. Moins Vif
    9. Epilogue: Lent
    10. Prelude
    11. Jeux D'Eau
    12. Menuet Sur Le Nom De Haydn
    13. Noctuelles
    14. Oiseaux Tristes
    15. Une Barque Sur L'Ocean
    16. Alborada Del Gracioso
    17. La Vallee Des Cloches
    18. A La Maniere De Emmanuel Chabrier
    19. A La Maniere De Borodine

    Tracks:

    1. Ondine
    2. Le Gibet
    3. Scarbo
    4. I. Modere
    5. II. Mouvement De Menuet
    6. III. Anime
    7. Prelude
    8. Fugue
    9. Forlane
    10. Rigaudon
    11. Menuet
    12. Toccata
    13. Menuet Antique

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Ravel Piano Music If Debussy Was Playing .......2006-09-07

    Samson Francois has long been accorded near mythic status among many, particularly the French. His way with Ravel seems in part a throwback to the days when Ravel was considered an impressionist and his music sounded indistinquishable from that of Debussy. Vertical Harmony is here promoted to the head of the class, and the results are fascinating. This is certainly in contrast to how Ravel's music appears today: more classically inspired and horizontal than Debussy, and far less interested in abstract effects.
    Thus Francois in Ravel may be a bit offsetting to anyone familiar with most modern performers of Ravel. Tempos are uniformally slower than we are used to. Francois does not downplay the melodies so much as emphasis the incidentals. Yet he is always very intellectual and patrician in his approach, thus keeping the performances from losing all formal elements and lapsing into little more than pretty piano detailings.
    The great Jeux d'eau is here performed as if it were a late Debussy Prelude. Francois' approach is richly conceived with an astonishing multitude of dazzlingly and surprising changes in balance and melody from what we are used to hearing. Richter's performance of Feux d'artifice comes to mind - though Francois doesn't equal Richter's explosive fortes the Jeux d'eau does contain a like mesmerizing variety. Endless changes in form are emphasized at the expense of the piece's linearity and the listener is transfixed by the richness of poetry lurking in these playing waters. Francois was always wonderful with Gaspard de la nuit; individual moments are performed with a freedom from the classic constraints of most Ravel performances, and a never-ending series of purely Debussy-like piano effects come to dominate the usually straightforward music-making.
    This horizontal sensibility runs risks - the Pavane at times calls to mind Ravel's playful reminder to a young paino student, "I wrote a Pavane for a Dead Princess, not a Dead Pavane for a Princess." But generally the slower speeds Francois adapts are forgotten as he shows off the wealth of colors and contrasts inevitably downplayed for the sake of balance. Some of this can be almost amazingly different from, say, the fine much more classic performances of Robert Casadesus. Ondine from Gaspard is over a minute longer; Une barque sur l'ocean almost two minutes longer! Although Casadesus does sometimes come in faster (the Minuets, for example) it's clear Francois felt it necessary to slow down several of the larger pieces to show them off to best advantage.
    The sound of this set is less than great stereo. If you need the latest in high fidelity you might look elsewhere. No doubt Argerich in Gaspard de la nuit should be on anyone's short list of Ravel. But if you're interested in hearing Francois in a more "Debussy" style of Ravel, with the emphasis on poetics you should like this. Just remember not to wince at some of the initial tempos - in this case patience is it's own reward.

    5 out of 5 stars A piano poet !.......2004-08-09

    Ravel sounds in the hands of Samson Francois unique . The incorporean and imaginative impressionist approach of the Ondine or the nobleness of Pavana para una infante difunta for instance, or the Noble and Sentimental Waltzes are played with enigmatic approach , exquisite lyricism and sligh pianissimos giving the exact atmosphrere demanded for Federic Ravel .
    Remember that Francois inherited the legitimate ravelian mood, since he was a Cortot ' s pupil .
    If you like Ravel piano music and you are looking for scorching performances , this album is for you .
    Francois death in 1970 when Samson was in 46 , left orphan the musical stage and his place still remains alone , pitifully .

    5 out of 5 stars Samson Francois at his best.......2004-04-28

    Samson Francois was at his best playing French music. His Debussy is excellent and so is this complete recording of Ravel's compositions for solo piano. "Gaspard de la nuit" was his signature piece, but the "Valses" are also amazing. The "Prelude", a very brief piece, is exquisite; it is the quintessence of Ravel's sophisticated nostalgia. There are eccenticities, but all in all these are extraordinary performances, embued with the artist's unique musical personality.
    Blavet: Sonates pour flûte et basse continue, Oeuvre 2
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Blavet: Sonates pour flûte et basse continue, Oeuvre 2

      Manufacturer: Atma Classique
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B00004SRG0
      Release Date: 2000-05-09
      Debussy: Images
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Sublime Debussy
      		 Debussy: Images

      Manufacturer: Philips
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B0000C24J6
      Release Date: 2004-10-12

      Tracks:

      1. Reflets Dans L'eau
      2. Hommage A Rameau
      3. Mouvement
      4. Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles
      5. Et La Lune Descend Sur Le Temple Qui Fut
      6. Poissons D'or
      7. D'un Cahier D'esquisses
      8. L'Isle Joyeuse
      9. Arabesque No.1
      10. Arabesque No.2
      11. Hommage A Hayden
      12. Reverie
      13. Page D'album (Pour L'oeuvre Du )
      14. Berceuse Heroique

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Sublime Debussy.......2007-03-02

      If you must have only one current album of this music - let it be this one. Zoltan Kocsis is one of the greatest living Debussyan. The two books of Images are works that evoke such aural pleasure even with their eventual end with Goldfish. Kocsis draws you into the magic of this music. Just get this album - it will provide a lifetime of musical pleasure.
      Massenet: Thaïs / Sills, Milnes, Gedda; Maazel
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • Lapsing Faith and Lost Beauty
      • Stylish Thais Set
      • AN UNDER-APPRECIATED GEM
      • A fad
      • Lovely but too late
      		 Massenet: Thaïs / Sills, Milnes, Gedda; Maazel
      Jules Massenet , Lorin Maazel , Beverly Sills , Nicolai Gedda , New Philharmonia Orchestra , John Alldis Choir , Sherrill Milnes , and Norma Burrowes
      Manufacturer: EMI Classics
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B000002S67
      Release Date: 1995-09-26

      Tracks:

      1. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Voici le pain...Et le sel (Cenobites, Palemon)
      2. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Le voici! Le voici! (Cenobites, Athanael, Palemon)
      3. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Helas! enfant encore (Athanael)
      4. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Ne nous melons jamais, mon fils (Palemon, Cenobites, Athanael)
      5. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Vision (Orchestre)
      6. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Toi, qui mis la pitie dans nos ames (Athanael)
      7. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Mon fils, ne nous melons jamais (Palemon, Athanael, Cenobites)
      8. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Prelude (Orchestre)
      9. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Va, mendiant chercher ailleurs ta vie! (Serviteur, Athanael)
      10. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Voila donc la terrible cite (Athanael)
      11. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Ah! Ah! Ah!...Athanael, c'est toi!
      12. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Ah! Ah! Ah!...Je vais donc te revoir (Crobyle, Myrtal, Nicias, Athanael)
      13. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Gorde-toi bien! Voici ta terrible ennemie! (Nicias, Choeur)
      14. Thais: Act I - Scene II : C'est Thais, I'idole fragile (Thais, Nicias)
      15. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Quel est cet etranger (Thais, Nicias, Athanael)
      16. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Qui te fait si severe (Thais, Nicias, Choeur)
      17. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Non! Non! je hais vos fausses ivresses (Athanael, Thais, Nicias, Choeur)
      18. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Ah! je suis seule, seule enfin!
      19. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Dis-moi que je suis belle (Thais)
      20. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Etranger, te voila comme tu l'avais dit
      21. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Eh bien, fais-moi connaitre tout cet amour
      22. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Je suis Athanael, moine d'Antinoe! (Thais, Athanael, Nicias)
      23. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Je n'ai pas plus choisi mon sort que ma nature (Thais, Athanael, Nicias)
      24. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Meditation Religieuse - Symphonie (Orchestre)

      Tracks:

      1. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Pere, Dieu m'a parle par ta voix,
      2. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Non loin d'ici, vers I'occident
      3. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Considere, o mon pere (Thais, Athanael)
      4. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Suivez-moi tous, amis! (Nicias, Choeur, Crobyle, Myrtal)
      5. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Divertissement (i) (Orchestre)
      6. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Voila I' Incomparable! (Nicias)
      7. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Celle qu vient est plus belle (Crobyle, Myrtal)
      8. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Divertissement (ii) (Orchestre)
      9. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Eh! c'est lui!...Athanael! (Nicias, Choeur, Athanael)
      10. Thais: Act II - Scene II : II dit vrai! (Thais, Nicias, Athanael, Choeur)
      11. Thais: Act III - Scene I : L'ardent soleil m'ecrase
      12. Thais: Act III - Scene I : Ah! des gouttes de sang coulent de ses pieds (Thais, Athanael)
      13. Thais: Act III - Scene I : O messager de Dieu, si bon dans ta rudesse (Thais)
      14. Thais: Act III - Scene I : Baigne d'eau mes mains et mes levres (Thais, Athanael, Choeur)
      15. Thais: Act III - Scene I : La paix du Seigneur soit avec toi (Athanael, Albine)
      16. Thais: Act III - Scene I: Mon oeuvre est accomplie! (Athanael, Thais, Albine, Choeur)
      17. Thais: Act III - Scene II : Que le ciel est pesant! (Cenobites, Palemon, Athanael)
      18. Thais: Act III - Scene II : C'est lui qui vient! (Athanael, Palemon)
      19. Thais: Act III - Scene II : Qui te fait si severe (Thais, Athanael, Choeur)
      20. Thais: Act III - Scene II : Thais va mourir! (Athanael)
      21. Thais: Act III - Scene III : Seigneur, ayez pitie de moi (Choeur, Albine)
      22. Thais: Act III - Scene III : Sois le bienvenu dans nos tabernacles (Albine, Athanael, Choeur)
      23. Thais: Act III - Scene III : C'est toi, mon pere! (Thais, Athanael)

      Amazon.com

      This set is primarily for devoted fans of Beverly Sills, for fans of Sherrill Milnes in his prime, and for those who must have the uncut version where it's available. The estimable Ms. Sills was in less than ideal voice for the making of this recording, which is unfortunate, but the artistry still shines through. Mr. Milnes sings with rich tone. But Lorin Maazel's conducting is leaden and out of empathy with the score. --Sarah Bryan Miller

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars Lapsing Faith and Lost Beauty.......2006-09-23

      The reason I assign the recording four stars rather than five is that the pathos of the opera strikes me as too extreme. The same combination of exquisite beauty and suffocating pathos turns up in Barbra Streisand's song "The Way we Were." Beverly Sills sings the pathetic part of Thais to the hilt; and Massenet's familiar "religious meditation" does the rest. All of these intensely pathetic operas including Pagliacci and Tosca derive from the epoch-making example of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde with its unrelieved love-and-death sorrow. As a Christian I associate this powerful tradition with lapsing faith in Europe after 1865. Massenet's opera treats the early Christian monks of Egypt as caught up in tragic error. Thais is a supremely beautiful woman won from a life of immorality to Christianity by a well-intentioned monk who knew her in his earlier days. As the converted Thais lives and dies for the abstract reward of heaven, the monk grieves over the beauty he has destroyed. The real spiritual solution to the dilemma posed by the opera lies in the correlation between future resurrection, universal vitality and intense beauty; but theologians have generally missed he point and shown more interest in heaven than in concrete resurrection. In any case there was no way out for Massenet and his source.

      5 out of 5 stars Stylish Thais Set.......2005-10-16

      This 1976 recording of Thais is my favorite of the two recordings I have - the other being the Fleming/Hampson. Sills' vibrato is a little more pronounced here than it was a few years earlier, but it doesn't bother me. She still has a gorgeous voice and brings this conflicted character vividly to life. Having studied with the likes of Mary Garden as a young singer, Sills has an innate understanding of the French style, and uses her voice with much imagination and flair. Also, the character of Thais is not supposed to be a young girl - an aging courtesan of 30ish or so... Sherrill Milnes, in a departure from his usual Italian repertoire, sings a most impassiaoned Athaneal - the voice full and resonant, the character's obessiveness wonderfully realized. I think he never did anything better on disc. Nicolai Gedda is a little past his best here, but like Sills understands the French style and delivers the vocal goods as required. Maazel conducts an exciting performance (even playing the solo violin in the Meditation himself) and the sound is excellent. The Fleming/Hampson set is beautifully sung, but I feel the drama of the story is not fully realized somehow - hard to put my finger on what's missing there. This Thais is one of my favorite French opera recordings - recommended highly.

      5 out of 5 stars AN UNDER-APPRECIATED GEM.......2004-12-03

      Late 19th-century French opera is often disparaged these days, which isn't really fair. Delibes had some beautiful melodies, and Massenet was a much better composer than many give him credit for. And although "Manon" and "Werther" may be more famous, to me, his late opera "Thais" is his masterpiece. There are three major recordings of this opera, one with Anna Moffo, Gabriel Bacquier and Jose Carreras, a recent one with Renee Fleming, Thomas Hampson and Giuseppe Sabattini, and this 1976 recording with Beverly Sills, Sherill Milnes, and Nicolai Gedda. All three versions have their strengths and weaknesses. The Moffo/Bacquier vesion, although excellent and showing Carreras in his prime, is unavailable. (I'm not sure it was ever issued in CD.) The Fleming/Hampson recording is also excellent--Fleming has a gorgeous and luscious voice, and Hampson a silky smooth baritone--but I find myself reaching for the Sills/Milnes version most often.
      Sills was past her prime when she recorded this, and her high notes are a little thin and sometimes wobbly. Nevertheless, her artistry is so great that she infuses the role of the courtesan with the tremendous drama the role requires. Thais' radical change of character, from the insouciant hedonist to the redeemed penitent, is gloriously demonstrated in Sills' portrayal.
      And this opera is as much about Athanael as it is Thais. Milnes, at the height of his career when he recorded this in 1976, brings tremendous power and vitality to the role of the priest, whose reverse progression from moralistic religious surety to tortured doubt parallels that of Thais, the object of his forbidden love. Nicolai Gedda's singing is, as always, stylish and graceful, and Loren Maazel's reading of the score is well paced and forceful. This recording belongs in all opera collections.

      1 out of 5 stars A fad.......2004-05-21

      This Thais is ruined by Sills. Buy Renee Fleming's Thais instead. She has the big voice, the looks and the talent. Sills didn't, all she can do is make my ears bleed. Shame on that shrieker!

      3 out of 5 stars Lovely but too late.......2004-02-24

      I have a live-recording with Sills which is MUCH better. Sills was always at her best live on stage. For studio-recordings get the Fleming-set or the sadly cut recording with the divine Renee Doria. (My favourite Thais)

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