T-M.A.C.N.(Makin All the Chips Networkin)

About the Artist
MACN has been in the game for quite some time now. After starting up his record label ECR MACN felt it was time to go for self and pooling all his recources has left his former label and has now started MACN Entertainment. With a growing roster of artist and two compalations and one film in the works MACN ENTERTAINMENT has been laying the foundation of a power house Entertainment company.

Product Description
A solo artist from Bremerton WA putting it down on trax with a slew of artist from B-Legit to DAZ DILLINGER. Getting ready to make his mark on the world with his own Flair! Producing for a variety of differnet artist in his region, also producing 6 trax off his own album MACN displays his drive to be the regions best.

T-M.A.C.N.(Makin All the Chips Networkin),T-M.A.C.N.

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Average customer rating: 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 General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD) The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) Study of Orchestration, Third Edition What to Listen for in Music 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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating: Superlative collection Great value for the money Great for the money and a good starter on opera.... Amazing Value

100 Best Opera Classics Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Lalo, Edouard | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weber | Weber, Carl Maria von | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Allen, Thomas | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Paris Symphony Orchestra | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Most Famous Opera Arias Best Classics 100 The Most Famous Opera Duets The Best of Italian Opera The #1 Opera Album ASIN: B0007QOERC Release Date: 2007-05-14

Tracks:

1. Voi Che Sepate - Teresa Berganza
2. Porgi Amor - Heather Harper
3. Deh, Vieni Alla Finestra - Thomas Allen
4. Batti, Batti, O Bel Masetto - Elizabeth Gale
5. Der Holle Rache - Edda Moser
6. O Isis Und Osiris - Cornelius Hauptmann
7. Temerari...Come Scoglio - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
8. La Calunnia E Un Venticello - Ruggero Raimondi
9. Nei Giardin Del Bello - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
10. Casta Diva - Maria Callas
11. Se Quel Guerrier...Celeste Aida - Franco Corelli
12. Tenesta La Promessa...Addio Del Passato - Beverly Sills
13. Niun Mi Tema - Jon Vickers
14. Un Bel Di Vedremo - Renata Scotto
15. E Lucevan Le Stelle - Placido Domingo
16. Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi - Mirella Freni
17. In Quelle Trine Morbide - Montserrat Caballe
18. Signore, Ascolta - Kiri Te Kanawa
19. Recitar...Vesti La Giubba - Jose Carreras
20. Amor Ti Vieta Di Non Amor - Roberto Alagna

Tracks:

1. Le Veau D'Or Est Toujours Debout - Boris Christoff
2. Ou Va La Jeune Hindoue? - Mady Mesple
3. L'Amour, L'Amour...Ah! Leve-Toi, Soleil - Alfredo Kraus
4. Allons! Le Faut...Adieu Notre Petite Table - Ileana Cotrubas
5. Toute Mon Ame Est La Pourquoi Me Reveiller - Nicolai Gedda
6. Quand La Flamme De L'Amour - Jose Van Dam
7. L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Victoria De Los Angeles
8. A Cette Voix...Je Crois Entendre Encore - Alain Vanzo
9. Une Puce Gentille - Gabriel Bacquier
10. Je Vais Mourir...Adieu, Fiere Cite - Regine Crespin
11. Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A Ta Voix - Rita Gorr
12. Wie Todesahnung...O Du Mein Holder Abenstern - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
13. Johohoe! Traft Ihr Das Schiff Im Meere An? - Anja Silja
14. In Fernem Land - Chor Der Wiener Staatsoper
15. Heil Dir, Sonne! - Siegfried Jerusalem
16. Mild Und Leise - Helga Dernesch

Tracks:

1. Che Faro Senza Euridice? - Agnes Baltsa
2. Der Vogelfanger Bin Ich Ja - Walter Berry
3. Finch'Han Dal Vino - Nicolai Ghiaurov
4. E Susanna Non Vien!...Dove Sono - Barbara Hendricks
5. Abscheulicher! - Christa Ludwig
6. Ne M'Abandonne Pas, Espoir De La Vengeance...Asile Hereditaire - Nicolai Gedda
7. Largo Al Factotum - Tito Gobbi
8. Ella Giammai M'Amo! - Ruggero Raimondi
9. La Donna E Mobile - Alfredo Kraus
10. Di Quella Pira - Franco Corelli
11. Esultate! - James McCracken
12. Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar - Placido Domingo
13. Vissi D'Arte, Vissi D'Amore - Maria Callas
14. In Questa Reggia - Ghena Dimitrova
15. Tanto Amore - Janine Micheau
16. O Mio Babbino Caro - Montserrat Caballe
17. Ed Anche Beppe Amo - Luciano Pavarotti
18. Poveri Fiori - Maria Callas
19. Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio - Roberto Alagna

Tracks:

1. Les Grands Seigneurs...Ah! Je Ris De Me Voir Si Belle - Victoria De Los Angeles
2. Marie, Avec L'Enfant Jesus - Jules Bastin
3. Heureux Petit Berger - Janine Micheau
4. Connais-Tu Le Pays - Jane Rhodes
5. Elle Ne Croyait Pas Dans Sa Candeur - Nicolai Gedda
6. Votre Toast, Je Peux Vous Le Rendre...Toreador - Victoria De Los Angeles
7. Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille - Mady Mesple
8. Maintenant, Chantons...Devant La Maison De Celui Qui D'Adore - Gerard Souzay
9. Depuis Le Jour - Beverly Sills
10. Da Geht Er Hin - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
11. Einsam In Truben Tagen - Regine Crespin
12. Dich, Teure Halle - Hildegard Behrens
13. Leb Wohl, Du Kuhnes, Herrliches Kind - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
14. Hojotoho! Hojotoho! - Ute Walther

Tracks:

1. Non Piu Andrai - Thomas Allen
2. La Ci Darem La Mano - Graziella Sciutti
3. Duo: Pa-Pa-Pa - Andreas Schmidt
4. Soave Sia Il Vento - Delores Ziegler
5. Mira, O Norma - Maria Callas
6. Il Dolce Suono - Edita Gruberova
7. Com'e Gentil - Alfredo Kraus
8. Una Voce Poco Fa - Maria Callas
9. Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici - Alfredo Kraus
10. Gualtier Malde!...Caro Nome - Michele Pertusi
11. Ritorna Vincitor - Birgit Nilsson
12. Ave Maria - Katia Ricciarelli
13. Nessun Dorma - Franco Corelli
14. Che Gelida Manina - Nicolai Gedda
15. Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Barbara Hendricks

Tracks:

1. Mes Amis, Ecoutez L'Histoire - Nicolai Gedda
2. Mieux Vaut Mourir...Amour Sacre De La Patrie - Alfredo Kraus
3. Ah! Je Veux Vivre Dans Ce Reve - Mady Mesple
4. Puisqu'on Ne Peut Flechir...Vainement, Ma Bien-Aimee - Henry Legay
5. Suis-Je Gentille Ainsi?...Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins - June Anderson
6. Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour - Jessye Norman
7. La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee - Jose Carreras
8. C'est Toi!...Au Fond Du Temple Saint - John Aler
9. Werther, Werther, Qui M'Aurait Dit...Ces Lettres! - Tatiana Troyanos
10. Viens, Mallika - Mady Mesple
11. Ah! Je Suis Seule Enfin...Dis-Moi Que Je Suis Belle - Beverly Sills
12. Alerte, Alerte!...Anges Purs, Anges Radieux - Nicolai Ghiaurov
13. Boris's Farewell - Boris Christoff
14. Schreckensschwur! - Gary Lakes
15. Die 'Selige Morgentraum-Deutweise'...Selig, Wie Die Sonne - Peter Schreier
16. Was Am Besten er Kann...Nothung! Nothung! - Siegfried Jerusalem

Customer Reviews:

Superlative collection.......2006-10-11

A collection of 100 individual arias and ensembles from the EMI catalogue of complete works recorded between 1955 and 2003. It includes selections from operas by Italian, Austrian, German, Russian and French composers. The French composers are especially well represented unlike most such anthologies. And there are several more obscure contributions, such as an aria from Catalani's La Wally. A well-judged balance of musical periods and styles, and the very best singers of the last half of the last century. And remarkably, the whole collection of 6 CDS, over 7 hours of music, is being sold for the cost of only 1 CD !

Great value for the money.......2006-04-23

This is simply the best collection of opera arias that I have seen. It's not 100% in that there are a few well-known arias that are not here, but what is here is simply a treasure. The organization is a bit strange, but there's some logic. For example, Disk 6 is mostly from French operas. A seemingly endless amount of glorious music. Just fabulous. You won't be disappointed.

Great for the money and a good starter on opera...........2006-01-07

This cd is a splendid collection of songs, and the price is unbeatable; I have but a few minor complaints about the overall product. The cd would have been much more enjoyable if they had put the music in some sort of order, rather than jumping around from artist to artist sporatically. My only other complaint would be that they could have chosen some better vocalists to play some of the songs. For example, in CD 6, track 3: Romeo et Juliette, the singer was not nearly as strong and definative as she should have been and I've definately heard in various other versions that were way better than this. This disappointed me greatly. But even with these few small complaints, this collection is still great and the price is amazing. It includes MOST of the famous opera pieces, as well some great songs that are often overlooked such as the beautiful song from Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (CD 6, track 16) along with others.

Amazing Value.......2005-08-23

I am so impressed by this collection that I must share my joy at getting so many beautiful arias, duets, et al in one collection. It captures many of the great operatic voices in stellar performances spanning the last 50 years. If you are enchanted by beautiful operatic highlights, removed from their operatic storylines, this set is for you. Hours of gorgeous music for practically pennies!

Average customer rating:

Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set) Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Trio Sonatas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Recorder | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Brilliant Classics | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set) Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set] Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set] Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set] Schubert: The Masterworks [Box Set] ASIN: B00062FLI8 Release Date: 2004-11-30

Average customer rating: Excellent introduction to Tebaldi's art Wonderfull Classic Renata

Classic Puccini Recordings Puccini , and Tebaldi Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Andrea Chenier Giacomo Puccini: La Rondine Verdi: La Forza del Destino Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera The Complete Recordings, 1902-1920 (Box Set) ASIN: B00006IU8W Release Date: 2003-03-11

Album Details

Italian Soprano Renata Tebaldi was One of the Most Important Post-war Sopranos to Tackle a Wide Range of Puccini Roles, and During the 1950s She Recorded Several Complete Opera Recordings. Some of the Operas were Recorded Twice — in Mono and Then in Stereo. Amongst Those which Tebaldi Committed to Disc in the Recording Studio on Two Occasions Must Be Included La Bohème and Madama Butterfly. It is the Earlier, Mono Recordings of These Two Operas which Are Included Here and They Reveal a Fresh-voiced Tebaldi in Recordings Which, Despite the Stereo Remakes, have Stood the Test of Time.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent introduction to Tebaldi's art.......2005-09-29

This set covers the entire productive years of Tebaldi's recording career. Turandot, Butterfly and Boheme are from her earlier career while Tosca is from her later career. Since this Tosca recording is now out of print and is somewhat hard to find, this recording itself almost worth the cost of the set. In Turandot, you will find Tebaldi at her fresher voice, lovely and melting. Eventhough I would still rate Callas' first recorded Tosca as my first choice, this Tosca comes very close. Enjoy.

Wonderfull.......2005-08-19

Fantastic recordings at a very good price. Tebaldi and Del Monaco rule. You should definetely own this set.

Classic Renata.......2005-03-16

To say that these 12 disks contain some of the finest singing ever committed to disk is no exaggeration, but a simple statement of fact. Historical fact. In the 100 years (more or less) that Puccini operas have been around, only a few sopranos in each generation have been the equal of Renata Tebaldi. One cannot objectively say that anyone has surpassed her. Some opera lovers find her peerless in many of these performances. Personal tastes in singers vary, but no one ever sang these roles better. Few anywhere nearly so well. There is not a single note on any of these recordings that is not heartfelt to the core of her being. Like Maria Callas and Franco Corelli, she was luminous, gargantuan in her talent that personified an age. This is one of the great compilations.

Average customer rating: Not a flawless version, but one to be REALLY loved The best of a mediocre-to-bad lot Hoffman contines to elude the recording world Excellent but not definitive O Dieu, de quelle ivresse embrasse-tu mon âme?

Offenbach - Les Contes d'Hoffmann / Alagna, van Dam, Dessay, Vaduva, Jo, Lascarro, Dubosc, Ragon, Sénéchal, Bacquier, Lamprecht, Nagano Jacques Offenbach , Roberto Alagna , Natalie Dessay , Kent Nagano , Choeur et Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon , Leontina Vaduva , Sumi Jo , José van Dam , Catherine Dubosc , Gilles Ragon , Gabriel Bacquier , Doris Lamprecht , and Juanita Lascarro Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Alagna, Roberto | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Donizetti: Lucie de Lammermoor; Natalie Dessay, Roberto Alagna Russian Album ASIN: B000005E4D Release Date: 1996-10-29

Tracks:

1. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Prelude - Kent Nagano
2. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Act 1, Scene 1: Glou! Glou! - Kent Nagano
3. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets de la muse: La verite, dit-on, sortait d'un puits - Kent Nagano
4. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Elle est sur la scene, un peuple l'acclame - La Muse - Kent Nagano
5. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 2: Le conseiller Lindorf, morbleu! - Lindorf, Andres - Kent Nagano
6. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 3: Vayons? Pour Hoffmann! - Kent Nagano
7. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets: Dans les roles d'amoureux - Kent Nagano
8. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Deux heures devant moi - Scene 4: Vite, vite, qu'on se remue! - Lindorf, Luther - Kent Nagano
9. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 5: Choeur des Etudiants - Drig, drig - Kent Nagano
10. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Vrai Dieu! Mes amis - Kent Nagano
11. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Eh! Luther! Ma grosse tonne - Lindorf, Luther, Nathanael, Hermann, Wolfram, Wilhelm - Kent Nagano
12. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 6: Bonjour, amis! - Kent Nagano
13. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets and Andante: Va pour Kleinzach! - Kent Nagano
14. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Peuh! Cette biere est detestable! - Kent Nagano
15. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Duo: Et par ou votre Diablerie - Kent Nagano
16. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Simple echange de politesse - Kent Nagano
17. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Je vous dis, moi - Kent Nagano
18. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ma maitresse? - Kent Nagano
19. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Final: Messieurs, on va lever le rideau! - Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Lindorf, Luther, Nathanael, Hermann, Wolfram, Wilhelm - Kent Nagano
20. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Act 2: Entracte - Kent Nagano
21. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 1: La! Dors en paix - Spalanzani - Scene 2: Ah! Bonjour! Enchacte! - Spalanzani, Hoffmann - Scene 3: Fais allumer partout! - Spalanzani, Cochenille - Kent Nagano
22. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 4: Allons! Courage et confiance! - Kent Nagano
23. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Pardieu! J'etais bien sur - Kent Nagano
24. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets: Une poupee aux yeux d'email - Nicklausse, Hoffmann - Kent Nagano
25. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 5: C'est moi, Coppelius! - Kent Nagano
26. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Je me nomme Coppelius - Kent Nagano
27. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: J'ai deux jeux, de beaux yeux - Kent Nagano
28. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Serviteur - Kent Nagano
29. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Ange du ciel, est-ce bien toi? - Nicklausse, Hoffmann, Coppelius - Kent Nagano
30. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 6: Hein! Vous! - Hoffmann, Coppelius, Spalanzani - Kent Nagano
31. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 7: Choeur des Invites: Non aucun hote vraiment - Kent Nagano
32. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Vous serez satisfaits, messieurs - Hoffmann, Spalanzani, Nicklausse - Kent Nagano
33. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 8: Mesdames et Messieurs - Kent Nagano
34. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Mesdames et Meisseurs, fiere de vos bravos - Kent Nagano
35. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Air: Les oiseaux dans la charmille - Kent Nagano
36. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Mon ami! Quel accent! - Hoffmann, Spalanzani, Nicklausse, Olympia, Cochenille - Kent Nagano
37. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 9: Ils se sont eloignes! Enfin! - Kent Nagano
38. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Vivre deux! - Kent Nagano
39. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Tu me fuis? - Hoffmann, Olympia - Scene 10: Eh! morbleu! modere ton zele! - Hoffmann, Nicklausse - Kent Nagano
40. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 11: Voleur! Brigand! Quelle deroute! - Coppelius - Kent Nagano
41. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 12: En place les danseurs - Kent Nagano
42. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Voila! Assez, assez, ma fille - Kent Nagano
43. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Quoi? L'homme aux lunettes, la! - Spalanzani, Cochenille, Hoffmann, Olympia, Nicklausse, Coppelius - Kent Nagano

Tracks:

1. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act 3: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
2. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Elle a fui, la tourterelle - Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
3. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Malheureuse enfant! - Crespel, Antonia - Scene 3: Desespoir! Tout a l'heure, encore! - Crespel - Scene 4: Frantz! n'ouvre a personne! - Crespel, Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
4. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 5: Jour et nuit je me mets en quatre - Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
5. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 6: Frantz, c'est ici! - Hoffmann, Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
6. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 7: Enfin je vais savoir pourquoi - Jacques Offenbach
7. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Romance: Vois sous l'archet fremissant - Jacques Offenbach
8. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: C'est une chanson d'amour - Hoffmann, Antonia, Nicklausse - Jacques Offenbach
9. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 8: Ah! Je le savais bien - Jacques Offenbach
10. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! J'ai le bonheur dans l'ame - Jacques Offenbach
11. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Pourtant, o ma fiancee - Jacques Offenbach
12. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Viens la comme autrefois - Jacques Offenbach
13. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Qu'as-tu donc? - Antonia, Hoffmann - Scene 9: Rien! J'ai cru qu'Hoffmann etait ici! - Hoffmann, Crespel, Frantz, Miracle - Jacques Offenbach
14. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 10: Pour conjurer la danger - Jacques Offenbach
15. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Allons, parle! et sois bref! - Jacques Offenbach
16. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: J'ai la certains flacons - Miracle, Crespel, Hoffmann, Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
17. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 11: Ne plus chanter - Hoffmann, Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
18. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 12: Tu ne chanteras plus? - Jacques Offenbach
19. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! Quelle est cette voix? - Jacques Offenbach
20. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ta mere, oses-tu l'interroger? - Jacques Offenbach
21. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Non! Assez! - Jacques Offenbach
22. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ja cede au transport qui m'enivre! - Miracle, Antonia, La Voix - Jacques Offenbach
23. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 13: Mon enfant, ma fille! - Crespel, Antonia, Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Miracle - Jacques Offenbach

Tracks:

1. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act IV: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
2. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Messieurs, silence! - Jacques Offenbach
3. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Recit et Chant bachique: Et moi, ce n'est pas la - Jacques Offenbach
4. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Amis, l'amour tendre et reveur - Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
5. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Je vois qu'on est en fete! - Schlemil, Giulietta, Pitchinaccio, Hoffmann - Scene 3: Au premier reve je t'enleve - Nicklausse, Hoffmann - Jacques Offenbach
6. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 4: Tourne, tourne, miroir - Dapertutto - Jacques Offenbach
7. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 5: Cher ange! - Dapertutto, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
8. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 6: Melodrame: Vivat! J'ai tout gagne! - Giulietta, Schlemil, Dapertutto - Jacques Offenbach
9. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 7: Giulietta, palsembleu! - Jacques Offenbach
10. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Air de Giulietta: Vous ne jouez pas? - Jacques Offenbach
11. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Que dit-elle? - Jacques Offenbach
12. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Giulietta, je vous jure! - Jacques Offenbach
13. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Oui, fut-ce au prix de ma vie - Jacques Offenbach
14. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Sextuor and Choeur: Helas! Je vais encore la suivre - Jacques Offenbach
15. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Morbleu! - Jacques Offenbach
16. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Il a ma cle - Jacques Offenbach
17. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Ton ami dit vrai! - Jacques Offenbach
18. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Romance: O Dieu, de quelle ivresse - Jacques Offenbach
19. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Jusque-la, cependant - Jacques Offenbach
20. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Si ta presence m'est ravie - Jacques Offenbach
21. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! Tu m'as defiee - Giulietta, Hoffmann, Dapertutto, Pitchinaccio - Jacques Offenbach
22. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Alerte, Hoffmann! - Jacques Offenbach
23. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Voyez! Il n'a plus le moindre reflet! - Jacques Offenbach
24. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Je n'aime pas qu'on me defie! - Jacques Offenbach
25. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ainsi, tu mentais! - Nicklausse, Hoffmann, Dapertutto, Pitchinaccio, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
26. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act V: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
27. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Choeur: Folie! Oublie tes douleurs - Jacques Offenbach
28. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Voila quelle fut l'histoire - Jacques Offenbach
29. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Choeur des Esprits et des Etudiants: Glou! Glou! - Hoffmann, Luther, Lindorf, Nathanael, Nicklausse - Jacques Offenbach
30. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Stella, Stella! - Jacques Offenbach
31. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Couplet: Pour le coeur de Phrygne - Jacques Offenbach
32. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Denouement: Hola! Quelqu'un de fort pour emporter Hoffmann! - Jacques Offenbach
33. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ingrat! Et moi? - Jacques Offenbach
34. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Adieu! Je t'abandonne - Andres, Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Stella, La Muse, Lindorf - Jacques Offenbach

Amazon.com

Of all the revisionist Hoffmanns, this one is the best, using the latest (and one trusts) last version of Michael Kaye's edition, based on sketches recently discovered for the unfinished opera. Most of the changes are in the Giulietta act; it now tracks better dramatically, and unlike some restoration attempts, its length is sensible. In the title role, Roberto Alagna is full of imaginative touches of characterization, singing the famous Kleinzach song with an intentional vocal roughness in a worthy effort to convey the Hoffmann's debauched state. As the mechanical doll Olympia, Natalie Dessay proves she's not only a phenomenal singer but a great comedienne. Kent Nagano deploys his Lyon Opera forces with great stylistic authority. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Not a flawless version, but one to be REALLY loved.......2006-05-09

This is a recording with significant highs and lows. But in overall it is an excellent account of this wonderfully tuneful and beloved opera.
First, about the edition. The Kaye edition restores a lot of music including recitatives written by Offenbach and a number of musical numbers. It also goes for the Guiraud recitatives which some versions totally omit and replace by the dialogues which Offenbach likely might have intended. Compared to, say, the historical Sutherland/Domingo/Bonynge version, this version is significantly longer and more substantial, musically speaking. With more than 30 minutes of music compared to the Bonynge edition, it is understandable why the Kaye version needs up to 3 CDs to bear the substantial amount of music.
While fans of Contes d'Hoffmann would likely be grateful at the ressurrection of so much musical material, I personally find this version sometimes just too painfully long. The Guiraud recitatives sometimes simply are bland and cause the opera to just drag along. Yes, Guiraud obviously has a lot of skills and bright ideas in these recitatives, mostly shown by the quoting of music by Offenbach in these recitatives to give the opera a better sense of unison. But compared to the simpler recitatives that Offenbach himself wrote, the Guiraud sometimes just seems aloof. Unless you really have a lot of time, you might want to stick to the more important musical numbers. Also, the new ending, with Hoffmann facing the Muse in the apotheose is a wonderful ensemble, with sounds from the church organ that gives the scene its necessary "holy" feel.
Now to the singers. Alagna has a masculine voice and is dramatically very effective. He also has a perfect French diction-crisp, idiomatic and a real joy to listen to. His instrument naturally is not very beautiful; and I personally find his Hoffmann a bit beefy and hysterical; but his good understanding of the role still helps him come across as a better Hoffmann. The best Hoffmann is in my opinion either Domingo or Schicoff.
The ladies are provided with quite a luxury cast. Natalie Dessay's Olympia is perhaps second only to Sutherland and Sills. To everyone who honors La Stupenda's E flats, listen: Dessay presents the role of the mechanical doll with FOUR Gs, yes 4 full-voiced, stunning, jaw-dropping Gs!!! Musically speaking, Dessay is not as comedic as Sutherland; her tone is a little thin and nasal but her coloratura and lovely portrayal of the role is simply untterly convincing.
Vaduva's Antonia is excellent: excellent diction, girly tone and very successfully portrays the youngsinger's vulnerability and sensibility. She however lacks power in the trio and that C sharp falls flat. Her "Elle a fui la tourterelle" is however wonderfully touching and moving. The best Antonia, in my opinion, is Victoria de Los Angeles. To one of the reviewers here, Vaduva is not a Slavic singer. She is a French singer of Romanian origin. A totally Latin singer!
Sumi Jo portrays a very convincing Giulietta with very believable spinto qualities, which she provides effectively with chaning in tone. The rediscovered coloratura, with a couple of E flats and spellbinding runs, well, brings the wonderful Korean coloratura soprano to her prime best. Her French is surprisingly idiomatic.
Lascarro's got a small role as Stella. I personally don't like her tone; but she is good enough in the beautiful apotheose ensemble.
Jose Van Dam's quartet villain almost matches Bacquier's famous portrayal. His voice is not as dark or evil-sounding as Bacquier's but still gives a top-notch interpretation. His doctor Miracle might have been the best on record if he took some of those melodramatic laughs in the Trio. His reluctance, combined with Vaduva's small voice, creates a flat Trio. This being said, the French bass's quartet of villains stills ranks among the undisputed best. My favorite villain quartet, Gabriel Bacquier has a cameo role here as Crespel, which he does a great job.
Gilles Ragon's a good tenor and his stuttering in the portrayal of Cochenille is very convincing. I however find him a bit too serious and heavy for these tenore buffo roles. The same can be said for Senechal's Spalanzani. Compared to Charon's Spalanzani on the Bonynge recording, he is very unfunny. The "brigand! Bandit!" quarrel after the destruction of the doll is bland and lifeless.
Catherine's Dubosc has a lovely voice and does great job as Nicklausse. There is nothing to criticize about her singing qualities. My only objection is that the casting of this trouser role for a soprano harms the overall balance of the opera: 5 soprano roles and 1 mezzo role (the voice of the mother): this is not a good balance. The Barcarolle duet, in particular, suffers from both a misbalance and a ridiculous fast tempo.
Kent Nagano's conducting does not have the solid tempos of Bonynge and sometimes overwhelms the singers: most notably in that C sharp of the Trio. But he has really interesting ideas and provides invaluable support.
With the exception of a bland Spalanzani, some strange tempos and the unusual length of the edition, this is a very good Hoffmann. Together with the Bonynge version, this is another very good all-around recording. The set is a tad expensive, but given the substantial amount of music and a very informative booklet, this is a recording to really consider. It will provide a lot of listening pleasures. You will not be disappointed.

The best of a mediocre-to-bad lot.......2003-10-30

I have heard six recordings of "Hoffmann," an opera that is particularly dear to me for sentimental reasons. None of them are perfect, all have flaws, but on balance this is the best of the lot.

Now that musicologists have finished playing with the Mahler 10th Symphony (which ended rather well) and the Beethoven 10th (which ended rather badly), they have been taking a whack at "Hoffmann," rushing to revise music the composer never sanctioned and adding music found in buckets and boxes long after his death. My personal feeling was, if it ain't broke, don't fix it: you're not Offenbach, and to speak for him requires a tremendous amount of chutzpah. And a lot of the revisions, to my ear, simply do not work well, such as turning Giulietta into a coloratura soprano, spinning out an aria that ends much like Olympia's doll song as on this recording.

I'm also not fond of switching the Antonia and Giulietta acts from their traditional positions for both dramatic and musical reasons. To begin with, having the "tales" end with Antonia gives Hoffmann's character a certain sense of redemption that simply isn't there the other way. Also, the Giulietta act is musically the weakest: as primiarily an operetta composer, Offenbach simply had a hard time creating music for this act which is darker and more tensely dramatic than anything else in the work. The superp trio that climaxes the Antonia act, on the other hand, is one of the most brilliant and transcendent things he wrote.

That being said, there is much to admire in this set. Kent Nagano conducts briskly, which is his wont, thereby tying together the music in a cohesive and satisfying way where others (particularly Cluytens and Cambreling) sound slow and rambling. On the other hand, his chorus of the spirits, though light and brisk, just misses the rapt, enchanting sound achieved by Bonynge; and though it was probably Offenbach's intent to have only a few strings play the violin motif in the Antonia trio, they sound too thin, not sweeping or driven enough, for the dramatic situation. Nagano also conducts the famed "Barcarolle" at a shade-too-fast tempo, thus robbing the music of its mysterious charm (even Arthur Fiedler made a better recording of the instrumental version). These moments point to a lack of "theatricality" in Nagano's conducting style that Bonynge, Rudel and even Beecham managed to capture.

Alagna is not as suavely beautiful or haunting in the role as Robert Rounseville or Stuart Burrows were. This is something of an abrupt, nervous reading, though if one knows something about E.T.A. Hoffmann and his tales it is perfectly in keeping with his character. (I have yet, however, to see ANY tenor perform the role made up to LOOK like Hoffmann, a scrawny little man with a square jaw, popping eyes and a shock of unruly, frizzy hair. I guess no tenor really wants to look like that!)

This is unquestionably the finest performance Dessay has ever recorded: her voice is brilliant, in focus, on pitch and wonderfully secure. Only Bond in the Beecham performance and Sutherland come close, though I personally feel that Sutherland was funnier in the role. She had a real flair for comedy, whereas she did not possess enough personal warmth for Antonia or Giulietta.

The Sutherland recording also had the best "villains" in Gabriel Bacquier in his prime, but to my ears Van Dam is an excellent second. (Treigle, in the Sills set, was good but not great, his somewhat gruff voice rather overwhelimg the roles with too much histrionics.)

Vaduva has a pretty tone but your typical "Slavic wobble," more noticeable in the early and late parts of her act. For some reason, the voice is better focused in the middle sections, but she does not efface memories of de los Angeles who was the best Antonia ever.

Jo is surprisingly good as Giulietta: though her voice is even smaller than Dessay's, it had a fuller lyric sound in the mid-range which captured well on records. (I have beel told that her "live" career is just about over on stage as the voice is too small to carry in most modern theaters.) I liked Margherita Grandi in the old Beecham film, but a chesty, spinto Giulietta is apparently persona non grata in the new Michael Kaye edition of the work.

Dubosc is a good Nicklausse, though I preferred Tourangeau and the singer (I forget her name) from the Beecham film. Bacquier, with far less voice, is still predictably good as Crespel; the timeless Senechal is a classic Spalanzani; Ragon is an excellent Cochenille, not so memorable as Franz. (I miss Andrea Velis, the old Met comp, who was brilliant in these roles but was never recorded in them.) The other small roles range from excellent (Tezier as Schlemil) to poor (Juanita Lascarre as Stella).

An ideal modern "Hoffmann" would have Elisabeth Vidal as Olympia, Hong as Antonia, Fleming as Giulietta, Alvarez as Hoffmann, Rene Pape as the three villains, and someone like Pappano or Plasson conducting.....but we can dream all we want. The era of complete opera recordings, according to many inside sources, is over as we know it--even the Bobby & Angela act is being shelved--so we must pick from what we have, and this is simply the finest over all "Hoffmann" on record, with Bonynge's being a good second choice, though I do not like Domingo's hard-voiced, beefy Hoffmann.

Hoffman contines to elude the recording world.......2001-10-03

This is a very good Hoffman, with the new edition of the score and a lot more music than in earlier editions. There is MUCH here to be admired and enjoyed as there is in the classic Domingo/Sutherland recording.

I prefer Domingo's more passionate Hoffman to Alagna's workmanlike effort, which is still quite fine.

On the other hand, having different female vocalists, as this recording does is preferable to my ear than having the same throughout as the Domingo/Sutherland recording does. The three female leads here range from good (Dessay) to excellent (Jo). Having heard Sumi Jo sing Olympia on record and in person, I find it hard to enjoy Dessay's quite as much. Jo is here as Antonia however.

No single recording of Hoffman is clearly preferable and listening to each is recommended. In the meanwhile, there is still an opening here for a more fully satisying Hoffman.

Excellent but not definitive.......2001-04-20

This recording has given me many hours of listening pleasure. Pretty much every artist featured in it gives an excellent performance, and the greatness of Offenbach's opera is conveyed more fully than can be done by other performances that contain less of what he composed for "Hoffmann" before his untimely death. However, the recording has several specific faults that result in my giving it only 4 stars, even though it is among my favorite operatic recordings.

First, the good points. Listening to this recording one definitely thinks of the opera's characters rather than the artists portraying them.... I find Alagna's voice quite beautiful on this recording and feel that he portrays the character of Hoffmann with spectacular success....

Van Dam is one of the recording's great assets as the villains. The three main heroines are each memorable(.).......(Jo's) interpretation of Giulietta's long-lost coloratura aria is spectacular and features a spine-chilling moment in her climactic cadenza ...she sings a rising series of notes almost identical to one sung by Dessay as Olympia in Act II, emphasizing the connection of the heroines. ...Lascarro does a very good job in the small role of Stella (....Dubosc is excellent as the Muse and Nicklausse, giving a truly memorable performance of nearly the entire role. Unfortunately, Nicklausse's Antonia-act aria, arguably the artistic and emotional heart of the entire opera ...,seems somehow disappointing on this recording. Dubosc's voice does not cut through the orchestra as it should when she sings in her lower register, and as a result the aria fails to have the cathartic impact on me that it has when I have heard it in Metropolitan Opera broadcasts. .... Ragon gives an excellent, highly memorable performance in the four "grotesque" roles.

Now I may turn to the disappointing features of this recording. ....(T)his recording contains no extra-musical sound effects whatsoever. To a certain extent this is a valid approach to recording an opera. The problem is that "Hoffmann" contains an unusually high number of passages which were composed with the extra-musical sounds that would be heard from the stage in mind and which lack some of their intended impact without sound effects. The effectiveness of the students' drinking song is reduced when we don't hear them banging their glasses together and on the tables, and without the winding-up sound the pauses in Olympia's song when she runs down make less sense. We also should hear Coppelius smashing Olympia, Hoffmann and Schlemil moving around heavily as they duel, the death-gasp of another character who dies in the new ending of the Giulietta act (I won't spoil the unfamiliar twists of plot here), and various other sound effects which would add to the drama of the story. Moreover, Van Dam's villains never laugh except when their laughter is notated in the score, even though the libretto specifies some additional evil laughs, notably the one as Dr. Miracle disappears and Antonia falls dying at the end of the trio for Miracle, Antonia and the voice of Antonia's mother.

One of the main problems with the recording is that Van Dam, Ragon and Dubosc are the only performers to play multiple roles. Not only are the heroines played by four different sopranos, but none of the artists who play Luther and the students reappear in other roles in the acts devoted to Hoffmann's three stories. All of this goes against what are presumed to be Offenbach's wishes for his opera, despite the fact that this is a recording of Kaye's critical edition (in its "grand opera" version). Moreover, this recording was, unfortunately, made before Offenbach's own finished finale for the Giulietta act, written very shortly before his death, became available for inclusion in Kaye's edition. ....

Finally, it seems bizarre that the aria "Scintille, diamant," which has been one of the most popular numbers in the opera for a long time, is not included on this recording. ....

Despite these flaws, this recording is recommended. It is extremely enjoyable and represents the totality of Offenbach's intentions for "Hoffmann" more fully than any other recording currently available. One hopes that a new recording of Kaye's edition, with the definitive ending for the Giulietta act and with a single soprano playing all four heroines, will be made in the not-too-distant future.

O Dieu, de quelle ivresse embrasse-tu mon âme?.......1999-11-21

Comme un concert divin ta voix m'a pénétré!....

This recording is undoubtedly one of the two benchmark recordings of this opera, the other one being the classic Sutherland/Domingo/Bonynge set. It is the most complete set with the "newly-discovered" Giuletta ending, and even includes the terrific but apocryphal sextet that is missing in the Bonynge recording. Alagna is the true star here, reflecting the spirit of Hoffmann throughout the opera, and singing in a very ideomatic French (unlike Domingo). The four heroines are marvellous, even though I prefer a single soprano singing all the four roles. Van Dam is great as the four villians, but he could have been more sinister in the trio in the Antonia act. Nagano is fine, but has some problems with the tempi at times.

Average customer rating: 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 All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Maazel, Lorin | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Massenet: La Navarraise / Horne, Domingo, Milnes, Bacquier, Zaccaria, Davies, LSO, Lewis Massenet: Le Cid (Complete) [Germany] Massenet: Manon Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) 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)

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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:

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.

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.

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.

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!

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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Grandi Voci: Régine Crespin Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000422I Release Date: 1994-11-15

Tracks:

1. Cette nuit...O toi qui prolongeas mes jours
2. D'amour l'ardente flamme (Romance de Marguerite)
3. O ma lyre immortelle
4. La voila...L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera)
5. Seguidilla
6. Portez armes...J'aime les militaires
7. Dis-moi Venus
8. Tu n'es pas beau...Je t'adore
9. O mon cher amant, je te jure (Air de lettre)
10. Ah! quel diner
11. Moi je m'appelle
12. Y'a des arbres...C'est sa banlieue
13. Ah! cher monsieur, excusez-moi
14. J'ai deux amants
15. Saison d'amour
16. Je ne suis pas
17. Je t'aime

Average customer rating: If you like African American Spirituals you will love this one.

United We Sing Manufacturer: Turtle Creek Chorale ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B00005YC0A Release Date: 1995-01-24

Tracks:

1. N'Kosi Sikelel I'africa
2. Amen Siakadumisa
3. Betelehemu
4. Something Inside So Strong
5. Over My Head
6. Soon-Ah-Will Be Done
7. Keep Your Lamps
8. This Little Light of Mine
9. Hush, Hush
10. Little Innocent Lamb
11. Ring Dem Bells
12. Witness
13. Elijah Rock
14. Deep River
15. Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho
16. Balm in Gilead
17. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
18. Rainbow Round My Shoulder
19. Hope for Tomorrow

Tracks:

1. Ride on King Jesus
2. Oh Mary, Don't You Weep
3. Psalm 133:1 Brethen in Unity
4. Holy Spirit
5. Available to You
6. I've Got Something This World Can't Take Away
7. Call Him Up
8. I'm a Testimony
9. Shadow of Your Wings
10. Make a Joyful Noise
11. Perfect Praise
12. Call Him Up (Reprise)

Customer Reviews:

If you like African American Spirituals you will love this one........2005-09-07

Large male chorus singing traditional African American spirituals with great harmony and arrangement.

Average customer rating: Awesome musicality Fabulous? Yes!!!

The Fabulous Victoria De Los Angeles Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bach, Johann Christian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chausson, Ernest | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Falla | Falla, Manuel de | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Granados, Enrique | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Alessandro Scarlatti | Scarlatti, Alessandro | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Turina | Turina, Joaquin | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Madrigals | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Songs Of Spain / De Los Angeles, et al The Very Best of Victoria de los Angeles Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs ASIN: B000002S5G Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

1. Sheherazade: Asie
2. Sheherazade: La Flute enchantee
3. Sheherazade: L'Indifferent
4. Cinq Melodies populaires grecques: Le Reveil de la mariee
5. Cinq Melodies populaires grecques: La-bas vers l'eglise
6. Cinq Melodies populaires grecques: Quel galant m'est comparable
7. Cinq Melodies populaires grecques: Chanson des cueilleuses de lentisques
8. Cinq Melodies populaires grecques: Tout gai!
9. Duex Melodies hebraiques: Kaddisch
10. Duex Melodies hebraiques: L'Enigme eternelle
11. L'Invitaiton au voyage
12. Phidyle
13. L'Enfant Prodigue: Recit. & Air de Lia: L'annee en vain chasse l'annee
14. Poeme de l'amour et de la mer: La Fleur des eaux
15. Poeme de l'amour et de la mer: Interlude
16. Poeme de l'amour et de la mer: La Mort de l'amour

Tracks:

1. Cinco Canciones Negras: Cuba dentro de un piano
2. Cinco Canciones Negras: Punto de habanera
3. Cinco Canciones Negras: Chevere
4. Cinco Canciones Negras: Cancion de cuna para dormir a un negrito
5. Cinco Canciones Negras: Canto negro
6. Coleccion de canciones amatorias: Llorad corazon
7. Coleccion de canciones amatorias: Iban al pinar
8. Cuatro madrigales amatorios: Con que la lavare?
9. Cuatro madrigales amatorios: Vos me matasteis
10. Cuatro madrigales amatorios: De donde venis, amore?
11. Cuatro madrigales amatorios: De los alamos vengo, madre
12. Cinco canciones playeras espanolas: Rutas
13. Cinco canciones playeras espanolas: Pregon
14. Cinco canciones playeras espanolas: Las 12
15. Cinco canciones playeras espanolas: El pescador sin dinero
16. Cinco canciones playeras espanolas: Coplilla
17. Quatre cancons: Canco de grumet
18. Quatre cancons: Cancon incerta
19. Quatre cancons: Maig
20. Quatre cancons: Anacreontica
21. La Dama d'Arago
22. El can dels ocells
23. Canco de Sega
24. El combat del somni: Damunt de tu nomes les flors
25. El combat del somni: Aquesta nit un mateix vent
26. El combat del somni: Jo et presentia com la mar
27. Triptic de Mossen Cinto: L'Harpa Sagrada
28. Triptic de Mossen Cinto: Lo violi de Sant Francesh
29. Triptic de Mossen Cinto: Sant Fransech i la cigala

Tracks:

1. Chansons de Bilitis: La Flute de Pan
2. Chansons de Bilitis: La Chevelure
3. Chansons de Bilitis: Le Tombeau des Naiades
4. Fetes galantes: En sourdine
5. Fetes galantes: Fantoches
6. Fetes galantes: Clair de lune
7. Noel de enfants qui n'ont plus de maisons
8. Chants populaires: Chanson espagnole
9. Chants populaires: Chanson francaise
10. Chants populaires: Chanson italienne
11. Chants populaires: Chanson Herbraique
12. Trois jours de vendange
13. Le Rossignol des lilas
14. Tristesse, Op. 6, No. 2
15. Au bord de l'eau, Op. 8, No. 1
16. Les Roses d'Ispahan, Op. 39, No. 4
17. Troujours (No. 2 de Trois Poemes d'un jour, Op. 21)
18. Siete Canciones populares espanolas: El pano murano
19. Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Sequidilla murciana
20. Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Asturiana
21. Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Jota
22. Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Nana
23. Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Cancion
24. Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Polo
25. Doce canciones gallegas: As florinas dos toxos
26. Triptico, Op. 45: Farruca
27. Villancicos: Pastorcito santo
28. Psyche
29. Soneto a Cordoba

Tracks:

1. Proserpina: E dove t'aggiri
2. Le violette
3. Joshua: Oh! had I Jubal's lyre
4. Der Tod und das Madchen, D. 531
5. Die schone Mullerin, D. 795: No. 2: Wohin?
6. D. 547: An die Musik
7. Op. 59, No. 8: Dein blaues Auge
8. Op. 84, No. 4: Vergebliches Standchen
9. Op. 27, No. 1: Chanson d'amour
10. Op. 46, No. 2: Clair de lune
11. Let Us Wander
12. Lost Is My Quiet
13. Schlaf in deiner engen Kammer
14. Ah! lamenta, oh bella Irene
15. Irish Songs: Oh! Would I Were But That Sweet Linnet
16. Irish Songs: He Promised Me At Parting
17. Irish Songs: They Bid Me Slight My Dermot Dear
18. Welsh songs: The Dream
19. Mignon und der Harfner, D. 877: Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
20. Les Fleurs des landes: Le Trebuchet
21. Moglichkeit
22. Der Apfel
23. Schottische Ballade
24. Pastorale
25. Pleurs d'or
26. Sapphische Ode
27. La Partenza

Amazon.com

The word "fabulous" seems vulgar when applied to the Spanish diva whose delicately shaded voice encompassed music from the middle ages to the present. This four-disc compilation emphasizes her song repertoire, to which she brought warmth, intelligence, linguistic integrity and irresistible sincerity. Her dignity makes listeners want to come to her, and she rewards them with an intimate, personal experience, especially in this small-scale repertoire by Ravel, Debussy, Duparc, Fauré, lots of Spanish composers and German masters such as Schubert and Brahms. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Awesome musicality.......2006-07-26

This 4-CD set is a tribute to the concert career of the great Victoria de Los Angeles. The first 3 CDs show her totally at home in the art song of France and of her native Spain. In the French art songs, her silvery, creamy tone, her legendary legato and her perfect French diction make for wonderful and unforgettable performances. These include a sensual Scheherazade, magnificient singing in the Duparc songs and a phenomenal Poeme de L'amour et de la mer of Chausson (try to keep your eyes dry by the end of La mort de l'amour). In the Chausson, while de Los Angeles does not opt for the intensely Wagnerian approach, her sensitive singing more than does justice to the poetry and the feelings of the character. The Spanish songs showcase de Los Angeles at her most natural, flamboyant and attractive singing. The tunes are catchy, full of bouncy rhythms and De Los Angeles's fabulous voice never ceases to amaze. The 4th CD shows the wonderful chemistry between de Los angeles and the great Gerald Moore. While she does not erase memories of Fischer-Dieskau and Schwarzkopf in the Schubert selections, the Brahms songs are excellent and her Faure songs here are earth shaking in their elegance and refinement. The Italian and the famous Handel aria helps to prove De Los Angeles's reputation as an excellent bel canto singer. Her duets with Fischer-Dieskau are absolutely memorable and gorgeous.
The set comes with booklet including full words plus translations, helpful notes on De Los Angeles's concert career and a dozen of beautiful and rare black and white photos. Victoria de Los Angeles's concert career was as prolific as her legendary operatic performances and continued well after her retirement from the operatic stage. This introspective and almost encycopledic release is a real treat and is absolutely recommended. I totally agree with the editor's review who states that the word "fabulous" fails in every respect to fully capture the artistry of the Spanish soprano. Victoria de Los Angeles is definitely one of the most wonderful lyric sopranos of the 20th century and is one of the most heavenly artists to have ever graced the concert scene. A must-have for any collection.

Fabulous? Yes!!!.......1999-09-13

The album is a marvelous sampling of this great singer's artistry. Her performances of the French and Spanish composers are something special. The De Falla "Seven Popular Folksongs" are powerful, passionate; the last song, "Jota," raised the hair on the back of my neck.

I was delighted to see Faure's "Claire de lune" on the album, and equally delighted with De Los Angeles' elegant rendition of this work. The only recording of the song I've liked better is from an LP featuring Frederika Von Stade.

As an added bonus, several duets with the great baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau are featured on Disk #4. These include some charming settings of Irish songs by Beethoven, and a gorgeous arrangement of "Let Us Wander" by Henry Purcell. I remember hearing these duets years ago on an LP recording, and it was a pleasure to hear them again.

Average customer rating:

500 Classic Masterpieces Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. 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Christian Music:

1. Tangleroot (Self-Titled)
2. The Best of Sade
3. The Diary of Alicia Keys
4. The Emancipation of Mimi
5. The Irrationals
6. The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
7. The Solution to Love
8. The Very Best of Aaron Neville
9. The Voice
10. The Way It Is [Explicit Lyrics]

Christian Music

christian music

Christian Music

Polk Salad Annie [Import]

The Three Tenors

Today!

Paperhalo

Urban Chill Session One

Waterscapes

Wenn Der Senator Erzahlt [Import]

Waiting for My Rocket to Come

Vanilla [Import]

The Song Remains the Same [Live]

Uh Huh Her [Explicit Lyrics]

T-Nice

Van Full of Pakistans

Symphony in a Major / Sym G Minor / Sym D Major

Happy Time