VIII [Import]

Track Listings

 
1. Way In
2. Back Track
3. Strollin On Sunday
4. Trippin On The Moon
5. Rendez-Vous
6. Anybody Can Do Anything
7. Supernature
8. Stop On By
9. Way Out

8,Cerrone,Unidisc Records,Dance,Dance Music,Pop
Liquid Mind VIII: Sleep
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Puts me to sleep.
  • Drift consciously into sleep without realizing it.
  • Perfect for napping
  • Really helps put me to sleep
  • Definitely makes you drowsyzzz zzzzz zzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Liquid Mind VIII: Sleep
Liquid Mind
Manufacturer: Real Music / Chuck Wild Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
MeditationMeditation | New Age | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Liquid Mind VII: Reflection
  2. Liquid Mind VI: Spirit
  3. Liquid Mind V:Serenity
  4. Liquid Mind IV : Unity
  5. Liquid Mind III: Balance

ASIN: B000ELJAW4
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Tracks:

  1. Night Light
  2. Moment of Grace
  3. Journey to Peace
  4. Breathe in Me
  5. Adagio for Sleep
  6. Touching Calm

Amazon.com

Music in the Liquid Mind series changes little from one recording to the next--good news for contented fans of the long-running bliss-out series created by keyboardist/composer Chuck Wild. The former Missing Persons keyboardist and studio colleague of famed producer Ken Scott (David Bowie, Supertramp) has evolved into a premier space-music specialist whose relaxing, gentle soundscapes artfully evoke the softer side of the cosmos. His eighth Liquid Mind installment, subtitled Sleep, is a lovely, slo-mo spacewalk through serene, gravity-free realms that consistently yields a sustained sense of well-being and calm. Deserving of a spot at the head table with ambient music's most sophisticated sound designers, Wild creates slowly unfolding, universe-at-rest textures using few of the supplemental sonic dimensions (space winds, angelic voices) often employed by fellow stargazers Jonn Serrie and Jon Jenkins. And he sidesteps the small dramas and mysterious fractals that sometimes add a hint of uncertainty to the otherwise like-minded works of Brian Eno or Harold Budd. Happily, you'll hear no new-agey crystal bowls or plucked harps, either; just a warm, resonant, faintly classical glow skillfully designed for relaxation and peace. Pull up a cloud, lie back, and enjoy. --Terry Wood

Album Description

"Mr. Wild successfully creates a soothing and calming atmosphere which could be an excellent addition to one's nightly sleep regimen." William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D. Director of Sleep Disorders and Research Center Stanford University School of Medicine

"The titles of the first seven Liquid Mind albums have honored values important to me on my life's journey. This eighth album honors the need in all of us for a healthy and regenerating rest each night. I hope you'll enjoy my music, and use it in good health." Chuck Wild

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Puts me to sleep........2007-07-22

If I listen to this lying down, I only make it to the 2nd or third section. Very relaxing.

5 out of 5 stars Drift consciously into sleep without realizing it........2007-06-27

Liquid Mind music is truly universal. And while I may not be able to name which album a certain piece comes from; the music on each CD seems to encourage the feeling or state of mind named in the title. This album, Sleep, does help me drift of to sleep. The other albums, likewise, support Meditation, lifting of the Spirit, and other states of mind. Perhaps they are inter-changeable; in any event, this album's selections help me relax and prepare for sleep.

5 out of 5 stars Perfect for napping.......2007-05-18

Some new age music albums get it; some don't. I do not buy new age music to hear third rate melodies (that quickly become annoying), annoying beats and clicks, drumming, chanting, etc. I buy it to help me relax and chill out. Sometimes I use it to filter out noise from outside my home or in my office. Sometimes I use it to help me sleep. Good sleep music should lull - it shouldn't demand attention. It should draw you in enough so that you will stop fretting about your problems at work or at home but not so much that your mind is anticipating a predictable melodic pattern. Liquid Mind has figured out how to do what new age music should do. This album has gently changing tones that ease in and out, cascade, and encircle the listener. Think of it as pleasant white noise. This is definitely sleep inducing. If you feel like youa re sleep deprived but are too wired to nap, put this on your headphones and just listen. You won't be able to focus on any sound in particular - there is enough shifting to keep you from doing that. But you will find yourself being lulled into dreamland. Very good.

5 out of 5 stars Really helps put me to sleep.......2007-05-07

I have no trouble staying asleep, but for years I've struggled to fall asleep. I've used several relaxing CDs, some commercial and some I've put together myself. Most of them helped, but eventually they had less effect, so I changed to another one for a few months. I started using Liquid Mind VIII recently, and it has easily been the most effective sleep CD I've used. Most nights I'm asleep by the fourth or fifth track (15-20 minutes, which is very good for me).

Other than the obvious fact that the music is fairly nondescript and very soothing, I don't know why it works so well, but it does.

Highly recommended if you have problems falling asleep.

5 out of 5 stars Definitely makes you drowsyzzz zzzzz zzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......2007-04-21

I happened to hear this on XM Radio in the car. Oh my goodness. This is not the thing to be listening to while driving. I happened to have on the Vision (New Age music) channel and this came on in broad noon daylight as I was running some errands. Within minutes, I was as calm as a lake on a windless day and heading for nod-off time. Change the channel..but quick, make a note of the album.

I tried it (safely) at home. It has a warning; do not operate machinery or drive while listening to this cd. It does really work. I put it in the cd player in my alarm clock and put it on low before I went to bed. I think I fell asleep in 4 minutes.

The trick is the slow tempo. The music is almost complete phrases, no discernable tune but also not simply noises that sound spacey.

If you want something effective to calm yourself during yoga, to sleep to or to calm a fussy baby or put down the toddlers, this is it. Zzzzzz
Glassworks
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • He works magic in film.
  • Glassworks is an amazing album
  • Great experiment of questionable musical value
  • Love - Hate Relationship
  • A Few Words on Glassworks
Glassworks

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Solo Piano
  2. Glass: Violin concerto
  3. Philip Glass: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3
  4. Philip Glass : Orion
  5. Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass

ASIN: B0000CD5GV
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Tracks:

  1. Glassworks
  2. Glassworks
  3. Glassworks
  4. Glassworks
  5. Glassworks
  6. Glassworks
  7. In The Upper Room
  8. In The Upper Room
  9. In The Upper Room
  10. In The Upper Room
  11. In The Upper Room

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars He works magic in film........2007-03-25

Perhaps it is true that the work of Phillip Glass has been of ambiguous nature; many different subconsciousness that would be drawn to his music and many alike would be pulled back in similiar impact or just simply stand in plain confusion. His music works perfect for the medium of film, not because there is another medium 'filling up the void' in his style, but it's the commentary that it makes on the story while the film runs on its own. This music leaves much to the imagination of those filled with it, to tell their own story. It can handle almost anything one throws at it; irony, contradiction, pain, relief, comedic, anything, it will almost seem to work out well perfectly for certain individuals. Minimalism is a common label on this music, however it is precisely minimalism that leaves the mind to explore on its own. Classical greats like Bach, although in a similiar vein, still lay down the scenery in a more conspicuous manner than Glass. After all, this is contemporary art; and it will not work out well for those who do not have the audacity to create their own mental scenes but rather rely more on music for a more solid comprehension to come through.

5 out of 5 stars Glassworks is an amazing album.......2006-11-12

Although I'd heard of Philip Glass I was quite unaware of his music until I attended a performance of The Upper Room by the Washington Ballet in October 2006. The music is by Philip Glass and the choreography by Twyla Tharp. It was one of the most memorable artistic experiences of my life. It was incredible.

I subsequently purchased Glassworks and find the music to be extremely powerful. I recommend this album absolutely. I find most of the pieces on the album to be profoundly moving. The last movement from "The Upper Room" is especially powerful and significant.

2 out of 5 stars Great experiment of questionable musical value.......2006-01-30

Yes, arpeggios are great! Thank you, Philip. That is called harmony. But there also exists such thing as melody, you know. Maybe, you've heard of it. It's what some composers are famous for. I see that you know what it is. But you should definitely use it more often!

Let's start again... I absolutely love Opening. It's emotional, it's haunting, it's beautiful, and it's atmospheric. But what follows next... Really, Philip Glass could be a great etude composer. When I'm playing piano etudes, I'm always reminded of Glass' music. Some people say it's atmospheric, I say it's repetitive and boring. Hints of melody and style pierce the arpeggiated clouds on Island and Facades. But that's it.

If you want some good atmospheric minimalism, listen to Harold Budd or Brian Eno. If you want good post-modern influenced compositions, buy James Newton Howard's The Village score. You may want to buy Philip Glass' Glassworks if you can't live without the opening theme or want to find out what his music is about. I've found out. But right now I don't want to go any further...

5 out of 5 stars Love - Hate Relationship.......2006-01-17

Simply, the question is of the following: Is P. Glass one of the 20th century's most creative artists, lending a sublte poignancy to his pieces; or, on the other hand, is Glass merely the most overrated hack in classical music today, utilizing almost endlessly repeating arpeggios to the chagrin of the listener's ear (not to mention, patience)?

From my rating, I clearly fall into the first camp. However, the pleasure you will derive from this CD is undoubtedly personal and subjective, based upon both experience and taste. No doubt, the arguments on both side of the question are passionate and entrenched. I suggest, instead, that you listen to the tracks that Amazon provides. This will give you a sense as to whether you will love or hate the music.

As for my experience with the music, I agree with several fellow reviewers: Glass's methodology is wholeheartedly expressive, providing the composer with ample space to slowly build and play on different moods within the work, making the listener conscious of individual notes, instruments, and rhythms within the ensemble. The only thing I can think to compare this with is, perhaps, flavors. Either you can eat a piece of chocolate hurriedly and grasp the totality of its flavor; or you may calmly savor it and, perhaps, find a nice caramal center, unmask the interplay of various textures, and discover satisfaction in its simplicity.

Bear in mind, however, I approached Philip Glass after having a large exposure to Ravi Shankar and 'classical Indian' music. Some, not all, of the music is rhythmically repetitive. This experience, I think, predisposed me to liking Glass's compositions.

4 out of 5 stars A Few Words on Glassworks.......2005-12-21

In a joke email about the Mozart effect that a friend of mine recieved, the effect of several other composers' music on children was discussed as if it had an effect on the children like Mozart's music does. In "The Glass Effect", "a child tends to repeat him or herself over and over and over and over and over and over and over again." This is true, Glass's music, "Glassworks" in particular, is alarmingly repetitive. The reason that most people knock this set of pieces is because they are totally missing the point. Glass's music has been categorized in the realm of "minimalism." The point of minimalism is to do as much as possible with the least amount of music. Glass executes this agenda quite well with "Glassworks." Most people don't exactly realize what Glass is doing by repeating himself over and over again.

First of all people have to realize a few things about this music. Philip Glass did not intend on having this music being played in the background at your next dinner party. Leave that up to Bach and Mozart. What Glass did want with this piece was for mature listeners to realize what he has done with texture and simplicity. Also, Glass's works are not about melody. They are about texture and mood and atmosphere. Each piece has its own shape little additions keep the piece from becoming overly monotonous. I think that Glass has made a great musical statement with his set of pieces that should be carefully digested with an open mind.

For the most part, Glass's concept works. However, the second movement "Floe" could probably be axed or revised. This is the only movement that seems to get unbelivably monotonous. It's also a lot to digest at the beginning of the suite. If it came more towards the end before the closing as opposed to after the opening where it functions as more of a rhythmic pie in the face. Some of the movements could also stand to use a little more variation but for the most part, Glass keeps the pieces interesting.

I cannot say much about the other work, "In the Other Room" that appears on this album, because I own the original Glassworks album. I just wanted to clear up some of the misconceptions that many have about this different music. It's hard to say whether or not Glass's music will stand up to the same test of time as the music of the greats like Mozart's and Bach's, but things are not looking good for Glass, not because the music isn't good, but becuase too many ignorant people immediately dismiss it as garbage. It seems that if people openly knock this music like they do, the same people that put those parental advisory stickers on CDs might want to instigate a separate rating system. This one should be stickered with: "CDMA: Mature Audiences Only."
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Another Rick Wakeman Triumph
  • amazing
  • Rick's finest solo album
  • A great album
  • Thank you, Rick Wakeman
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Rick Wakeman
Manufacturer: Fontana a&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Myths & Legends Of King Arthur & The Knights Of The Round Table
  2. Journey to the Centre of the Earth
  3. Tales from Topographic Oceans
  4. Return To The Centre Of The Earth
  5. Songs of Middle Earth: Inspired by The Lord of the Rings

ASIN: B000002GBJ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Catherine Of Aragon
  2. Anne Of Cleves
  3. Catherine Howard
  4. Jane Seymour
  5. Anne Boleyn 'The Day Thou Gavest Lord Hath Ended'
  6. Catherine Parr

Amazon.com

What is the exact connection with Henry VIII and his wives? Hard to say. Why does the track dedicated to Anne of Cleves resemble the Hollies' "Bus Stop?" Who knows. It sounds to me like Italian horror film soundtrack music. Here is Wakeman's solo debut in 1972 in all its glory: state-of-the-art keyboard technology running free in the dandelion-strewn meadow of the classical-rock pastiche. Did Wakeman directly or indirectly influence Spinal Tap's Viv Savage--listen and decide. Next stops: Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur. --David Wolf

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Another Rick Wakeman Triumph.......2007-07-15

After having been thoroughly impressed with Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth, I picked up "The Six Wives of Henry VIII," based mostly on the positive reviews here at Amazon. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. This is Rick's debut album as a solo artist and, in my opinion, it stands shoulder to shoulder with his work from Yes. Each of the six tracks (all of which are instrumental) have their own unique sound. Mr. Wakeman is a master keyboard player, and this album makes that quite apparent. If you enjoy progressive rock, you should own this album.

4 out of 5 stars amazing.......2006-11-03

Heard this many years back , when I had it on spool tape. Getting the cd was fantastic. Rick Wakeman is magical

5 out of 5 stars Rick's finest solo album.......2006-09-16

This 1973 debut was the album that my friends and I got excited about in high school. In fact, with perhaps the single exception of Criminal Record (1977), The Six Wives of Henry VIII stands as Rick's finest solo album. Apparently, the album reflected his attempt to match up the personalities of the six wives of King Henry the VIII with music. I do recall reading the descriptions of each wife while listening to the music and occasionally finding little to no relationship - then again, I really did not care too much (it's the thought that counts). When coupled with his work with Yes, this album stands as a testament to his superior skills as a keyboardist and influenced virtually scores of other keyboardists, most notably Rick van der Linden of the Dutch band Trace.

Rick plays no fewer than eight keyboard instruments on this album including a Steinway piano; Hammond C3 organ; pipe organ; RMI electric piano and harpsichord; mini moog synthesizer; A.R.P. synthesizer; and mellotron model 400-D. He is joined on this album by members of Yes (Alan White - drums; Bill Bruford; drums; Chris Squire - bass; and Steve Howe - guitar). Unfortunately these guys only play on a few tracks including the opening piece, although Bill only plays on Ann Boleyn. As you can imagine the opening track is my personal favorite and features Squire, White, and Howe. The remaining musicians include Strawbs members Chas. Cronk (bass) and Dave Cousins (electric banjo) along with several other bassists, drummers, percussionists, guitarists, and vocalists (a choir including female vocalists with more of a blues/gospel/soul style). If that last bit caused some panic don't worry - this album is 98% instrumental and the vocal parts work pretty well with the material. Speaking of which, the playing is excellent and there are some pretty exhilarating moments where Rick rips away on a majestic-sounding pipe organ (Jane Seymour).

The music is generally very good and for the most part, this is a great album that features some very classically influenced playing and supremely haunting and brooding melodies (especially on Catherine Howard). Rick's playing really shines on all of the tracks, although the album is not merely a vehicle for his remarkable skills. He works in a range of dynamics, moods, tempi, and playing styles, which makes for a very interesting and enjoyable listening experience. Furthermore, he does a great job integrating the properties of each keyboard into the pieces to accentuate certain moods, e.g. mellotron = sadness etc.

Overall this is Rick's finest solo album and is highly recommended to all proggers along with Criminal Record (1977) and all of Rick's work with Yes (yes, Tormato too!). For those of you that are interested, the band Trace seems to have based their entire approach to prog on The Six Wives... In fact, the albums Trace (1974) and Birds (1975) might prove enjoyable. By the way, Rick van der Linden (of Trace) is an incredible player and has the same style as Wakeman.

5 out of 5 stars A great album.......2006-03-02

A cd filled with all instrumentals often times can get boring to me, but not this one. I was very pleasantly surprised. Mr. Wakeman has enough creative and composition skills to put together an album that not only is thematically cohesive, but does not wear on the ear. There's real music here, not just notes strung together. Well done Mr. Wakeman, and I highly recommend this cd to anyone.

5 out of 5 stars Thank you, Rick Wakeman.......2006-02-05

From the very first time I heard "Catherine Howard" more than 30 years ago, I've always been able to picture her sad story as I listen to the various segments of what continues to be one of my favorite songs of all time.

As the track begins, Catherine meets and marries her king, followed by passion and wedded bliss (0:20) as Catherine assumes the duties and perks of the Queen of England. Later, the youthful queen dances through the castle with her entourage as she leads them to a large wooden door, behind which King Henry is meeting with his advisors. Catherine bursts in playfully, interrupting her husband's business, for which he scolds her (1:20) and sends her away.

Catherine withdraws to her chambers (1:40), embarrassed by her public humiliation. A male member of the court, witnessing Catherine's dejection, secretly enters her room (1:50) and comforts his queen. Soon the two embrace in the throes of passion (2:04).

Suddenly, the chamber door opens and the king enters, discovering the infidelity (2:31). A great argument ensues, with the cuckolded king verbally lashing out at his wife. Catherine tries to defend herself against Henry's onslaught (2:58), but to no avail. The argument between husband and wife, which seems to go on forever, morphs into the subsequent trial of the queen, accused of both adultery and treason (3:55). Catherine's eyes dart around the courtroom, looking in vain for her lover... or anyone supportive of her... but only the grim, accusing faces of those loyal the king meet her gaze (4:10).

The next scene finds Catherine in a dark, dank cell in the Tower of London (4:24), where she quietly awaits her fate. Not surprisingly, the verdict is guilty (4:43), and Catherine collapses, crying.

The final scene is of the doomed queen, slowly ascending the steps of the wooden platform which has been constructed for her beheading (5:07). Catherine kneels before the executioner, forgives him for what he is about to do (5:25), and turns her eyes upward as she pleads to God for her own forgiveness. As she prays, the camera follows the executioner's upraised arms, focusing momentarily on the axe's blade before continuing its way skyward (5:48). A momentary glint fills the screen (6:11) as we imagine the falling of the axe, followed by a white dove that passes through the frame on its way to heaven.
Instruments of the Orchestra
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
  • Beginner or Expert
  • Very Informative and Enjoyable
  • Frank's view
  • Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra
Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
  2. The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD)
  3. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD)
  4. What to Listen for in Music
  5. Study of Orchestration, Third Edition

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

  1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
  2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
  3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
  4. Hungarian Dance No.7
  5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
  6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
  7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
  8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
  9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
  10. Csardas Music
  11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
  12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
  13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
  14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
  15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
  16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
  17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
  18. Tzigane
  19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
  20. Caprice No.24
  21. 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.
  22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
  23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
  24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
  25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
  26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
  27. The Violin Muted
  28. Clair De Lune
  29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
  30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
  31. The Pizzicato Violin
  32. Pizzicato Polka
  33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
  34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
  35. 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...
  36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
  37. 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
  38. Hungarian Dance No.4
  39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
  40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
  41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
  42. Bolero
  43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
  44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
  45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
  46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
  47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
  48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
  49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
  50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
  51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
  52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
  53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
  54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
  55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
  56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
  57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
  58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
  59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
  60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
  61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
  62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
  63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
  64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
  65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
  66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
  67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

  1. Introduction To The Viola
  2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
  3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
  4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
  5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
  6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
  7. 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.
  8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
  9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
  10. Cypresses (No.9)
  11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
  12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
  13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
  14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
  15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
  16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
  17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
  18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
  19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
  20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
  21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
  22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
  23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
  24. Elfentanz, Op.39
  25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
  26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
  27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
  28. Flamenco
  29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
  30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
  31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
  32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
  33. 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.
  34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
  35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
  36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
  37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
  38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
  39. 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.
  40. Capriccio Di Bravura
  41. 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)
  42. 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....
  43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

  1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
  2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
  3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
  4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
  5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
  6. Sa'Dawi
  7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
  8. Chamber Music No.II
  9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
  10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
  11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
  12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
  13. A Variety Of Techniques
  14. Chamber Music No.II
  15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
  16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
  17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
  18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
  19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
  20. Naelden, Naelden
  21. The Bachian Oboe
  22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
  23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
  24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
  25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
  26. The Swan Of Tuonela
  27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
  28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
  29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
  30. Bolero
  31. 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...
  32. 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)
  33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
  34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
  35. 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).
  36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
  37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
  38. ...And Quite Low.
  39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
  40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
  41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
  42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
  43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
  44. Introduction To The Saxophone
  45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
  46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
  47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
  48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
  49. Bolero
  50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
  51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
  52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
  53. Sax-O-Phun
  54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
  55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
  56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
  57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
  58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
  59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
  60. Bolero
  61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
  62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
  63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
  64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
  65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
  66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
  67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
  68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
  69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
  70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
  71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
  72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
  73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
  74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
  75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
  76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

  1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
  2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
  3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
  4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
  5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
  6. Fanfare For The Common Man
  7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
  8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
  9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
  10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
  11. 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
  12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
  13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
  14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
  15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
  16. Billy The Kid
  17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
  18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
  19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
  20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
  21. The Birth Of The Trombone
  22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
  23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
  24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
  25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
  26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
  27. 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.
  28. Hosannah
  29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
  30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
  31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
  32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
  33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
  34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
  35. The Horn And The Hunt
  36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
  37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
  38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
  39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
  40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
  41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
  42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
  43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
  44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
  45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
  46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
  47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
  48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
  49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
  50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
  51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

  1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
  2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
  3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
  4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
  5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
  6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
  7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
  8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
  9. Den Hoboecken Dans
  10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
  11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
  12. 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.
  13. Gymnopedie No.2
  14. 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...
  15. 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)
  16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
  17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
  18. 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.
  19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
  20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
  21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
  22. The Birth Of The Bongo
  23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
  24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
  25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
  26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
  27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
  28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
  29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
  30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
  31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
  32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
  33. 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.
  34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
  35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
  36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
  37. Ravel And The Xylophone
  38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
  39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
  40. Introducing The Vibraphone
  41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
  42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
  43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
  44. Folk Dances
  45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
  46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
  47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
  48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
  49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
  50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
  51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
  52. Introducing The Celeste
  53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
  54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
  55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
  56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
  57. 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
  58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
  59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
  60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
  61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
  62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
  63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

3 out of 5 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.
Signum
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Romantic Medieval Dancing / Festive Music
  • Medieval
Signum

Manufacturer: Dancing Ferret
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009IOS24
Release Date: 2007-07-16

Tracks:

  1. Al jorn - alonso
  2. A voi gente
  3. Trotto
  4. Audite
  5. Alle psallite
  6. Razon
  7. Owe war sint verswunden
  8. Sine nomine
  9. Al jorn - carceres
  10. Non e gran cousa
  11. Cry de la mort
  12. Quen na virgen
  13. Estampie VIII
  14. Non devemos
  15. Bona condit
  16. Al jorn - triana

Album Description

Authentic medieval languages, songs and over fifteen instruments take the listener on an hour-long journey back through time. Lush, beautiful female vocals, sometimes in contrast with choral arrangements, deliver a harmonious and warm feel throughout the album. This captivating yet comforting sound belies the often dark subject matter of the lyrics (all in Latin save one piece in medieval German), which focus primarily on medieval man's concept of the apocalypse.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Romantic Medieval Dancing / Festive Music.......2006-08-26

About the Band:
Estampie is a German medieval band named after a style of dance from the Middle Ages which involved lots of hopping and stomping of the feet. For those of you not familiar with this style of music, simply think of music you might associate with a castle (think Lord of the Rings). True to the name, Estampie provides joyful and energetic music that you'll want to skip to. Featuring an ensemble of talented musicians, with key members including Syrah (Sigrid Hausen) and Michael Popp of Qntal and Ernst Schwindl, Estampie can be characterized by their exclusive use of an extensive array of traditional instruments (no electronics) including harps, various pipes and flutes, an array of drums, and numerous stringed instruments.

About the Album:
Long before I bought Signum, I've heard Estampie on many middle ages (or mittlealters in German) compilations. The album is nearly a full hour in length and an absolute joy to listen to. Most of the tracks feature multiple vocalists, which though typical of heavenly voices and neo-medieval music, is always a treat. Various percussion instruments are used to establish a welcoming beat, while the pipes and/or stringed instruments used build out a romantic melody.

Recommended Tracks:
- A Voi Gente
- Alle Psallite
- Razon
- Al Jorn - Carceres
- Cry del la Mort

If you enjoy bagpipes, then you'll love Sine Nomine. Sometimes I've been able to talk DJs into playing Estampie at goth / industrial clubs, but I must point out that the band is appropriately named, as tracks like Sine Nomine are so fast that you will be tempted to dance estampie style (skip and hop). However, in contrast to the fast paced tracks, the Signum also features slower and calm choral tracks such as Al Jorn - Carceres (which tend to be my favorites).

Finally I must point out that Signum features both male and female vocals, often sung together. It is a rare treat to pull so many talented vocalists and musicians together in one period band.

Similar Artists:
- Corvus Corax
- Irfan
- Qntal
- Love Is Colder Than Death
- Moon Far Away
- Das Zeichen

5 out of 5 stars Medieval.......2005-05-31

Estampie, the musical collaboration of singer Sigrid Hausen (Syrah) and mastermind Michael Popp (Qntal), is deemed to be the leading medieval music act. Their haunting interpretations of old music found fans in many countries, amongst aficionados of Classical music as well as within the world music and independent music scenes. Estampie always spearheaded the popular medieval scene and are referred to as a source of inspiration by a lot of bands playing medieval music. Their eighth album titled "Signum" offers again music from the 12th to the 15th Centuries rife with insistent mysticism and stirring drive with technical perfection. The ambitious arrangements are a result of a long lasting dealing with this kind of music and are crowned with choirs and particularly with Syrah`s transcendental voice. A one-of-a-kind listening pleasure!
Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Great souvenir of a fantastic game
  • Might be worse if you haven't played the game
Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Final Fantasy VIII
  2. Final Fantasy IX: Original Soundtrack
  3. Final Fantasy X: Original Soundtrack
  4. Final Fantasy VI: Original Sound Version
  5. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Original Soundtrack

ASIN: B000G6EYHS

Product Description

Contains all the music included in the enormous hit video game "Final Fantasy VII." All tracks written by maestro Nobuo Uematsu. Box set contains 85 total tracks on 4 Discs.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great souvenir of a fantastic game.......2007-02-16

I love this album, in fact the only problem with the Final Fantasy 7 soundtrack is undoubtedly it's primitive synthesized production values. Well, they are primitive compared to the soundtracks to FF8 onwards, but still a lot better than many other PSX game soundtracks out there. I need to get this in perspective though, as FF7 came out quite early in the PSX's history, and at that time, it was impossible to fit too much data on the discs, so the music had to be produced to rather lower specifications than may have been preferred.

This is not to say, however that it is not COMPOSED well, because in this department, it excels. More than any other Final Fantasy game since, you will hear fans continually praising the unforgettable themes that appeared in this adventure. Covering 4 discs, a lot of the emphasis is on industrial reactors, pollution, and war. Most of the music on disc one has a gritty, "battle alert" feel to it, with the actual random battle music itself being the best of all, a terrific rollercoaster of fanfares and urgent sounding riffs that make it still my favourite battle theme of the whole series. The music of the slums and the decaying towns continues for most of discs 1 and 2, although disc 2 begins with the famous world map theme, sometimes also listed as the "FF7 Main Theme". This is a great, airy, reflective track that really puts you right back in the game no matter how long it's been since you played it.

But when I play this album, I'm always in a hurry to get to disc 3 because it opens with one of my favourite tracks of all, which is "Valley of the Fallen Star". I think this slow moving, tribal beat-lead tune is the most evocative of all the game's location themes, it so aptly matches the setting that it accompanies, plus the reprise (used in the game when Red XIII discovers the truth about his father) underscores such an intensely emotional moment that it gives me goosebumps every time I play it. However, most fans of the game have been united in their vote for the most emotional track of all, and that is, of course, "Aeris' Theme" . Composer Nobuo Uematsu can surely be proud of himself in creating a piece of music that is imprinted on so many people minds. Of course, it accompanies the part of the game that EVERYONE always speaks about when they reminisce over it's impact, so that's of little surprise! This achingly sad composition has taken on almost legendary status now among fans, which threatens to swamp it's humble simplicity, but once you hear it you'll know why.

On to disc 4 then, and by the time you've battled your way up to the hardest parts of the game you'll have heard plenty of contrasting music, including the casino style "Gold Saucer" theme, the sunny calypso lilt of "Costa Del Sol" and the cartoonish cuteness of the Chocobo themes. Disc 4 contains the tracks that accompany the most challenging battles of all, and the final "point of no return" in the game leads you into a fantastic clutch of musical themes. There's only really one that has gone down in history though, and that's "One Winged Angel", the music to the last battle of all. Almost shocking in intensity when heard in the setting of playing the game, this doom-laden track has but one message in it's strident chords..."You are SOOOOOO Dead!". A demonic sounding theme for an apocalypse is how I would describe it...once heard never forgotten.

I only hope buyers of this CD have first heard the music it contains while playing the game. To experience "Aeris' Theme" or "One Winged Angel" on a CD player without knowing first what they mean as part of the game experience would be a tragedy. Although that said, they both do stand up as impressive compositions in their own right. Final Fantasy 7 fans are so fortunate to have a soundtrack of this quality available...it means revisiting the game can be done at any moment just by playing the music, and the excellence of Nobuo Uematsu's vision means this CD has been a firm favourite with fans around the world ever since.

4 out of 5 stars Might be worse if you haven't played the game.......2006-08-13

If you haven't played the game, then the music might not be as enjoyable, making a 3.8/5. It all depends, but it's good no matter what.
At the time the game came out, this was Nobuo Uematsu's best work (now it is defeated by multiple other soundtracks of his). However, its impressive quality and sound remain excellent. All the tracks are midi-style (thus reducing their score), but are still very good. One problem with this soundtrack is that only half of the tracks are actually something you would want to actively listen to. The rest are boring or poorly written fillers. The good half, however, range from good to awesome. These are some of the best pieces of the soundtrack:
"One-Winged Angel": AWESOME! This is easily one of the greatest video-game pieces ever written (defeated mainly by its future variations), and one of the greatest pieces in general. Despite being synthesized, the instruments sound almost real, giving this orchestral/choral song much more impact than the others. Speaking of the choir, it sounds awesome and powerful. They proclaim the villain's name between the lines of latin; "Sephiroth!" they proclaim, "Sephiroth!" My heart started pounding and I could feel the power billowing up in me the first few times of hearing it (it was on surround-sound speakers at a pretty decent volume, but still. That's a queue for you to do the same!).
"Cid's Theme": It's the theme of a spitting, hairy, redneck; his good, emotional side, that is! It sounds cool, powerful, and emotional. Sort of orchestral and military-sounding.
"J-E-N-O-V-A": This piece is hard to fit into any category, but it sounds electronic, and sort of dramatic and desparate (sort of). It's just cool, trust me.
"Special Battle/Still More Fighting": Also hard to categorize, this piece has some VERY fast keyboard work, and an interesting upbeat, jazzy (a little) sound. A great, though different, battle piece.
"Credits": This wannabe orchestral piece combines multiple themes from the game to make a very epic and dramatic piece. Very well-written, and an excellent close to the game.
Though midis, this soundtrack is still cool, tearful, and powerful. Nobuo Uematsu proved himself as a professional musician with this work. Definitely worth the buy (though there are better things for less. "FFVII: Advent Children" soundtrack, "FFX Original Soundtrack," to name a couple)
Chicago VIII
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • CHCAGO V111
  • With Bonus Tracks, The Album Is Finally Complete
  • Better album than I remembered!!
  • VIII
  • The Formula Has Spoiled..............
Chicago VIII
Chicago
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Rhino RecordsRhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Chicago VII
  2. Chicago VI
  3. Chicago X
  4. Chicago V
  5. Chicago Xi

ASIN: B00006LJ6Z
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

  1. Anyway You Want
  2. Brand New Love Affair - Part I & II
  3. Never Been In Love Before
  4. Hideaway
  5. Till We Meet Again
  6. Harry Truman
  7. Oh, Thank You Great Spirit
  8. Long Time No See
  9. Ain't It Blue?
  10. Old Days
  11. Sixth Sense (Rehearsal)
  12. Bright Eyes (Rehearsal)
  13. Satin Doll (Live, 1974)

Album Description

Expanded & Remastered features the original albums 10 more pop-oriented tracks, including the hits 'Old Days,' 'Harry Truman' and 'Brand New Love Affair.' Also includes 3 bonus tracks 'Sixth Sense' (rehearsal version), 'Bright Eyes' (rehearsal version) & 'Satin Doll' (live, 1974). Rhino. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars CHCAGO V111.......2006-08-01

Excellent album, this album was recorded when the band was with its original members Featuring Terry Kathy(Fantastic guitar player) who taught Jimi Hendrex things he did not know about the guitar. The song on this album called Oh thank you great spirit was in memory of Jim Hendrex written by Terry Kathy and perfomed with a lot of heart. The other tracks were well written and featured exceptional brass as only Chicago could deliver. If you are a Chicago fan and have not purchased this album for your collection then you must purchase it now. Chicago at its best!!!!

Eric J Mazzi

4 out of 5 stars With Bonus Tracks, The Album Is Finally Complete.......2006-06-15

I love these bonus tracks. Chicago VIII had always seemed to be missing something to me. After the epic Chicago VII, this effort was, to put it mildly, underwhelming. I disagree that it had turned the corner to too much "pop". Anyway You Want and Thank You Great Spirit are worthy rockers. And a lot of people seem not to get Harry Truman. It's a tongue-in-cheek retro song, a la Your Mother Should Know by the Beatles.

The production throughout is seamless - nearly perfect crafting. The problem is that it all just seems, well, flat. Chicago is a rock-jazz band. You must not follow VII with straight middle of the road rock-pop.

But the three bonus tunes fix that once and for all. And I love Satin Doll. Get over it, folks, and just enjoy it! With the bonuses, Chicago VIII can finally almost attain the heights of VII.

A word, too about the absence of horns. It always surprised me that the purists didn't get that Hideaway and TYGS are a look back to the classic power quartet songs that everybody loves so much from CTA thru Carnegie Hall. It definitely is Chicago!

Laudir is now a full member of the band. They continue to create amid the altitudes of the Rockies, and here, in the middle of their second era, the boys are doing nothing if not having fun. Don't be so serious, everybody! Drop in Chicago VIII, sit back, relax, and smile!

I recommend this album for all music lovers.

3 out of 5 stars Better album than I remembered!!.......2006-06-10

An album that has been criticized way too harshly, Chicago VIII holds up well 30 years later. Coming after the diverse and superb Chicago VII, it's understandable that many people would have been underwhelmed by VIII at first, and some of the criticism that 'this was the beginning of the decline' for Chicago IS true, for here is where the first signs of age and fatigue are beginning to show for the band, but having listened to it for the first time in years, I was surprised that it was better than I remembered it.

It opens with the Peter Cetera rocker "Anyway You Want". There's nothing spectacular about this track, but it moves nicely and is an enjoyable listen. Next is one of the best tracks on the album, James Pankow's two-part "Brand New Love Affair". Here we begin to see the first signs of the production overtaking the band with the lush string arrangements, but it fits this track nicely. There's some nice jazzy chord changes, and Terry Kath's soulful vocal in the first part is one of his best. The second part rocks with Cetera's soaring vocals. A great track.

Next up is Robert Lamm's "Never Been In Love Before" which shows Lamm pulling out all the stops trying to craft a contemporary ballad. Here it works. A nice ballad with some great production touches throughout. The weakest track is Cetera's "Hideaway", a lame attempt at a hard rock song that is barely listenable. Side 1 (for those of us who remember the original LP) is ressurrected with Kath's sweet "Till We Meet Again"--a two minute ballad featuring nothing but his voice and accoustic guitars that is maybe the very best of these sort of ballads Kath had on nearly every album.

Side 2 opened up with "Harry Truman"--Robert Lamm's almost prerequisite political statement song and one that is more than a little inspired by Randy Newman. This was a Top 20 hit for the band at the time, but the political nature of it dates itself, and it's pretty clear the band doesn't think too much of it since it's never appeared on any of the numerous Greatest Hits albums (except for the boxed-sets) that they've released. It has little relevance today, but it's a nice nostaligia bit for those of us that remember the single.

The surprise of the album is Kath's "Oh, Thank You Great Spirit". I didn't really get this song when I had first bought the album when I was 14--it's seven-minutes long, has no hook, no horns, and just didn't feel like a Chicago song to me at the time. But this is a great track--one of Kath's very best--that clearly shows his Hendrix influence. In fact, this could have been from "Axis: Bold As Love" or "Electric Ladyland". It slowly builds for the full seven minutes and the rhythm section is just jamming and rocking by the end. For anyone that ever doubted that Chicago was a ROCK band---here's the proof.

Up next is Lamm's "Long Time No See". A bit of a throwaway, but miles above the filler that started to crop up on their next albums. After that is Lamm's "Ain't It Blue?", a great rocking track featuring Kath and Cetera trading-off lead vocals that could have easily been on Chicago II or III--it's as good as any of the best rockers on those albums. The album closes with Pankow's "Old Days"--one of the band's biggest hits and one I think best exemplifies the band at this period: on one hand, this is a great track--Pankow's chord changes, melodies and horn arrangements are all top-notch, Cetera's singing is great and it's a great catchy single. On the other hand, to a certain degree, the band is almost TOO good at this stuff by this point--things are starting to sound a bit too polished and insincere. This would be nearly the last big hit single to come from Pankow--from this point on, he began to dry up as a hit songwriter.

The CD offers 3 bonus tracks: "Sixth Sense", a Kath-penned tune that seems to have been dropped before the vocals were recorded or even written; "Bright Eyes" a rather dull Robert Lamm song that deserves to be a bonus track; and their live version of Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" from the Dick Clark New Year's Rockin' Eve show of 1974. They're a bit loose on this one, but it's a nice track to hear and I'm glad they included it.

3 out of 5 stars VIII.......2006-05-15

I find this chicago record to be kind of rushed. During this time period Chicago was releasing an record almost ever 10 months.
When you have an classic record like VII it's really tough, to follow it up.
"Brand new love affair pt 1 & 2" and "Oh, Thank you Great spirit", shows Terry at his very best. He was concidered the white Ray Charles. He shows that he not just an great guitarist he is also an excellent vocalist.
This was also the time when Peter started to take more active role in the group. "Never been in love Before" and "Old days" shows the talented vocalist Peter is.
Robert Lamn also shines in "Harry Truman", eventhough I find this to be one of weekest singles during that era.
Walt Parazaider shine in his flute solo in "Ain't it Blue".
My favorite part about this Cd is creative album cover. It's my favorite Chicago album cover.
This record has some really great songs and some not great songs. This is a lower mid-card Chicago record.

2 out of 5 stars The Formula Has Spoiled.....................2006-04-14

Other than "Old Days" and possibly "Harry Truman" this is crap and the transition album that would never again see Chicago write songs as good as "Beginnings"......call this one "Endings" and forget everything that followed.....because the aftermath wasn't pretty.
Lute Music, Vol. 2
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Good, but not great
  • Pure Renaissance Lute Music Delight !
  • Pure Renaissance Delight
Lute Music, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Hmf Classical Exp.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Baroque Dance SuitesBaroque Dance Suites | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music | Allemandes | Courantes | Gigue | Sarabande
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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$6.99 and Under$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
All Classical Music BlowoutAll Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
InstrumentalInstrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Baroque Lute Music, Vol. 1
  2. Early Venetian Lute Music
  3. Portrait
  4. Weiss: Sonatas for Lute, Volume 1
  5. Italian Renaissance Dances

ASIN: B00005MNIY
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Good, but not great.......2005-08-07

The playing is very good. But, the music itself leaves something to be desired. The pieces lack variety, and after listening to a few many amongst us would be able to see the same tonal structures appearing over and over again.

I think the music of Weiss (recorded by Robert Barto on Naxos) is a far better example of well played and truly well written lute music.

5 out of 5 stars Pure Renaissance Lute Music Delight !.......2002-03-20

O'Dette's interpretation of this wonderful set of songs is amazing and delightful. Pieces such as Fantasia ( Castelfranco MS ), Pourquoy Allez-Vous Seullette, La Tradittora - only to quote a few-, are simply unbelievable experiences of the refined and high sense of art which emanates from O'Dette's ability to touch his instrument.

I strongly recommend this recording to everyone interested in lute music ! Enjoy it !

5 out of 5 stars Pure Renaissance Delight.......2002-03-18

O'Dette's interpretation of this set of carefully chosen pieces is quite amazing and delightful. Piece's such the virtuoso Fantasia - Castelfranco MS, Pourquoy Allez-Vous Seullette and La Tradittora - among others-, are only a few examples of the "clearest case of genius ever to touch his instrument ", as O'Dette is known among the specialized musicians of the highest level of technique and feeling.

This true opus must be listened in a wide room, with the lights turned off. Just light a stick of opium incense, taste a hot cup of mint tea, and you'll travel in time. To that time when music wasn't played loud, 'cause it's essence relied upon it's delicacy and sweetness.

That's what this set of really pure early renaissance lute music brings to you, listener. Enjoy it !
Nino Rota: Music For Film
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • You've never heard "The Godfather" like this
  • Italian Scala and Muti feels Rota!
Nino Rota: Music For Film
Nino Rota , and Riccardo Muti
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Rota, NinoRota, Nino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Nino Rota: Concerto for Strings; "La Strada" Suite; Dances from "Il Gattopardo"
  2. The Essential Nino Rota Film Music Collection
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  4. Film Music of Nino Rota
  5. Fellini Rota: Music from the Classic Films of Federico Fellini

ASIN: B0000029ZF
Release Date: 1998-01-13

Tracks:

  1. The Godfather: I. Sicilian Pastorale
  2. The Godfather: II. The Immigrant (The Godfather II)
  3. The Godfather: III. The Pickup
  4. The Godfather: IV. Kay (The Godfather II)
  5. The Godfather: V. Love Theme
  6. The Godfather: VI. A New Carpet (The Godfather II)
  7. The Godfather: VII. Godfather's Waltz
  8. The Godfather: VIII. End Title (The Godfather II)
  9. 8 1/2: La passerella di addio
  10. La Dolce Vita: La tromba di Polydor
  11. Prova D'Orchestra: I. Risatine Maliziose (Malinconiche)
  12. Prova D'Orchestra: II. I Gemelli allo Specchio
  13. Prova D'Orchestra: III. Valzerino No. 72
  14. Prova D'Orchestra: IV. Attesa
  15. Prova D'Orchestra: V. Galop
  16. Prova D'Orchestra: VI. Risatine Maliziose (Finale)
  17. Rocco E I Suoi Fratelli: I. Titoli
  18. Rocco E I Suoi Fratelli: II. Canzone Barese ('Paese mio')
  19. Rocco E I Suoi Fratelli: III. Milano e Nadia
  20. Rocco E I Suoi Fratelli: IV. Terra Lontana
  21. Rocco E I Suoi Fratelli: V. Finale - Nadia
  22. IL GATTOPARDO: I. Titoli
  23. IL GATTOPARDO: II. (No.6) Viaggio a Donnafugata
  24. IL GATTOPARDO: III. (No.19) Angelica e Tancredi
  25. IL GATTOPARDO: IV. (No.11) Angelica e Tancredi
  26. IL GATTOPARDO: V. (No.7) I Sogni del Principe
  27. IL GATTOPARDO: VI. (No.3) Partenza di Tancredi
  28. IL GATTOPARDO: VII. (No.21) Amore e ambizione
  29. IL GATTOPARDO: VII. (No.22) Quasi in porto
  30. IL GATTOPARDO: IX. Finale

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars You've never heard "The Godfather" like this.......2003-08-13

For me the highlight of this disc is a short suite from "Rocco and His Brothers," with some pungent accordion work and 1950's jazz influences. This is glorious and rarely performed music, and conductor Riccardo Muti and the fine La Scala musicians should be thanked for presenting it so beautifully. (The film itself, available on DVD, is one of Visconti's best and well worth seeking out.) But there isn't a stale moment anywhere.

The melancholy themes from "The Godfather" have probably never been played so well. The famous opening trumpet solo, combining loneliness and menace in equal parts, is beautifully done, as are the relatively upbeat selections from "8-1/2" and "La Dolce Vita." Throughout the production, it is marvelous to hear these scores played with such passion and commitment, and the La Scala musicians sound sweepingly involved.

But for many listeners the highlight will be the dazzling and haunting waltzes from "The Leopard," with their melodic arcs echoing the grand scale of Visconti's masterpiece. This is truly evocative film writing.

An excellent introduction to Rota's music, played with suave intensity by one of the best conductors in the world. (For those interested, Muti and La Scala recorded another Rota CD with additional dances from "The Leopard," as well as music from "La Strada" and the "Concerto for Strings" -- also highly recommended.)

5 out of 5 stars Italian Scala and Muti feels Rota!.......2001-07-25

Perhaps this is the most powerfull collection of film music of Nino Rota, and Muti knows and feel this music. Splendid perfomance and sound.
Music for the Spanish Kings
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Addition to My Collection
Music for the Spanish Kings

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Baroque Dance SuitesBaroque Dance Suites | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music | Allemandes | Courantes | Gigue | Sarabande
Gombert, NicolasGombert, Nicolas | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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GeneralGeneral | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Secular Music from Christian and Jewish Spain
  2. Isabel I: Reina de Castilla
  3. Spanish Music of Travel and Discovery/ The Waverly Consort
  4. Armada: Music from the Courts of England and Spain
  5. Villancicos y Danzas Criollas

ASIN: B000059LOK
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Tracks:

  1. Zappay
  2. Viva, Viva Rey Ferrando
  3. De Tous Biens Plaine
  4. Donde Estas Que Non Te Veo
  5. Figlie Guilielmin
  6. Amor, Che T'o Fat Hio
  7. Puis Fortuna
  8. Qu'es Mi Vida Preguntays
  9. Collinetto
  10. Dindirindin
  11. O Dio Se Vede Chiaro
  12. Il Re Di Spagna
  13. Dezilde Al Caballero
  14. Diferencias Sobre El Canto Del Caballero
  15. Cingari Siamo Venit'a Giocare
  16. Fantasia I - Fantasia II 'Salve Regina'
  17. Ay Luna Que Reluzes
  18. Gallarda Napolitana
  19. Vecchie Letrose

Tracks:

  1. Himno XIX Pange Lingua IV
  2. Pour Un Plaisir
  3. Diferencias Sobre 'La Dama Le Demanda'
  4. Tiento II. Cuarto Tono
  5. Pavana Con Su Glosa
  6. Fabordones Del Sexto Tono
  7. Tiento VIII
  8. Quien Llamo Al Partir, Partir?
  9. Tres Sobre La Alta
  10. Un Gay Bergier
  11. Diferencias Sobre 'Las Vacas'
  12. Tiento IX. Quinto Tono
  13. Para Quien Crie Cabellos
  14. Tiento XIII. Fuga A Cuatro
  15. Tiento VII. Cuarto Tono
  16. Diferencias Sobre La Pavana Italiana
  17. Je Fille Quant Dieu Me Donne De Quoy
  18. Tiento III. Primer Tono

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great Addition to My Collection.......2006-10-29

Jordie Savall and Hesprion XX do it again. I've yet to hear a CD of his that I didn't love. Most of my collection of 15th-17th Century music is English, French, German, and Italian, and I am happy to see the Spanish masters taking their place alongside them.

Album Review:

  1. West Coast Excursion
  2. What's Next [Explicit Lyrics]
  3. You Can't Go Home Again/Disavowed/Treach Battle Beat [CD-single]
  4. You've Come a Long Way, Baby [Import]
  5. Basic Channel
  6. Bass Is Maternal
  7. Bombay Beats [Box set]
  8. BRITs25 Album: The Music Event of 2005 [Import]
  9. Can Can You Party
  10. Casino [CD-single] [Import]

Album Review

album review

Album Review

Dance Attack, Vol. 2 [Import]

Music for Self-Enhancement: The Mind

Maurice André At The Opera

Music CD: Black Gold [Import] [Original recording remastered

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome [Soundtrack]

Korn [Explicit Lyrics]

Kamakiriad

Journey To Youphoria [Explicit Lyrics]

Home Is Where the Heart Is [Import]

Hugard: Missa "Ridde Mihi Lętitiam"

Lucumi

Latin Music: 15 Exitos

Monster Jam [Import]

Back on My Feet

Evangelista