Message in the Music

Product Description
Reissue of three of the hit soul group's top 30 LPs for Philadelphia International on two CDs, 1976's 'Message In The Music', 1977's 'Travelin' At The Speed Of Thought' & 1979's platinum 'Identify Yourself'. A combined total of 24 tracks, including the chart hits 'Forever Mine', 'Message In Our Music' & 'Darlin' Darlin' Baby'. Also features the original cover art of each record. Double slimline jewel case. 1999 release. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Message in the Music,The O'Jays,The Right Stuff,Philly Soul,Pop,Pop-Soul,R&B,Soul,Soul/R & B,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues

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Average customer rating: Great for starting from scratch Happy with "Message in a Box" its the police i agree, not complete All that you need

Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings The Police Manufacturer: A&M ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Vinyl Records | American Punk | British Punk | Emo | Garage Punk | Hardcore | Post Hardcore | Proto Punk | Punk | Punk Revival | Punk-Pop | Riot Grrl | Ska Punk | Straight Edge New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Live The Dream of the Blue Turtles Nothing Like the Sun One Train Later: A Memoir Ten Summoner's Tales ASIN: B000002G23 Release Date: 1993-09-28

Tracks:

1. Fallout
2. Nothing Achieving
3. Dead End Job
4. Next To You
5. So Lonely
6. Roxanne
7. Hole in my Life
8. Peanuts
9. Can't Stand Losing You
10. Truth Hits Everybody
11. Born In The 50's
12. Be My Girl, Sally
13. Masoko Tanga
14. Landlord (Live)
15. Next To You (Live)
16. Landlord
17. Message In A Bottle
18. Reggatta De Blanc
19. It's Alright For You
20. Bring On The Night
21. Deathwish

Tracks:

1. Walking On The Moon
2. On Any Other Day
3. The Bed's Too Big Without You
4. Contact
5. Does Everyone Stare
6. No Time This Time
7. Visions Of The Night
8. The Bed's Too Big Without You (Mono)
9. Truth Hits Everybody (Live)
10. Friends
11. Don't Stand So Close To Me
12. Driven To Tears
13. When The World Is Running Down, You Make The...
14. Canary In A Coalmine
15. Voices Inside My Head
16. Bombs Away
17. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
18. Behind My Camel
19. Man In A Suitcase
20. Shadows In The Rain
21. The Other Way Of Stopping

Tracks:

1. A Sermon
2. Driven To Tears (Live)
3. Shambelle
4. Spirits In The Material World
5. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
6. Invisible Sun
7. Hungry For You (Jaurais Toujours Faim De Toi)
8. Demolition Man
9. Too Much Information
10. Rehumanize Yourself
11. One World (Not Three)
12. Omegaman
13. Secret Journey
14. Darkness
15. Flexible Strategies
16. Low Life
17. How Stupid Mr. Bates
18. A Kind Of Loving

Tracks:

1. Synchronicity I
2. Walking In Your Footsteps
3. O My God
4. Mother
5. Miss Gradenko
6. Synchronicity II
7. Every Breath You Take
8. King Of Pain
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Tea In The Sahara
11. Murder By Numbers
12. Man In A Suitcase (Live)
13. Someone To Talk To
14. Message In A Bottle (Live)
15. I Burn For You
16. Once Upon A Daydream
17. Tea In The Sahara (Live)
18. Don't Stant So Close To Me '86

Amazon.com

"This is it: Everything the Police released," boasts the notes in the 66-page booklet included with this box set. Obsessive fans have already written to rock magazines indignantly pointing out the omission of this or that obscurity. But everyone else will find that these four discs include all the Police they'd ever want to own. The first two discs include all of Outlandos d'Amour, Reggatta de Blanc, and Zenyatta Mondatta in their original order, interspersed with live rarities and singles B-sides. Discs 3 and 4 are more satisfying, including the band's well-crafted studio high points, Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity, plus more outtakes and live tunes. The set ends with "Don't Stand So Close to Me '86," a dismal remake of the early favorite. By this point, the musician's egos were running rampant and they were barely speaking. If anyone wonders why the group called it quits so abruptly, this tune makes it clear that the split was smart and timely. --Jim DeRogatis

Customer Reviews:

Great for starting from scratch.......2007-07-25

We were going to the Police Concert and realized that while we had some Sting on CD, all our Police music was on Cassette Tapes! Luckily, we had a tape deck in the car we were taking to the concert, but I went to go check out getting some on CD for the next week and saw this box set - its worked out great since now we have all that great music on CD

Happy with "Message in a Box".......2007-05-28

This product is great! I love having the complete recordings of The Police in one collection. Having the B-side and the live versions of songs is very nice. I'm an even bigger fan since opening this collection!

its the police.......2007-03-28

it's good if you like the police. bad if you don't. simple enuff.

i agree, not complete.......2007-03-10

I don't own this, but from just looking and listening to what is on these CD's, I know that there are more than one version of some of these songs (like message in a bottle which sting performed solo as well, and in fact sounds better that way). I think masata tango has a slightly different version as well. Other songs (such as "Tea in Saraha"), imo, sound better when there are not live.
That being said, I suspect that some of these songs you might not be able to get on CD (maybe, maybe not - depends on the song).
A very good collection nonetheless if you are a Police fan.

All that you need.......2007-03-05

This box set is excellent. It has all five of their studio albums, b-sides, live tracks, and a few unrealeased cuts. It also has a book on their history with photos. Perfect for the fan who doesn't have ecverything.

Average customer rating: BEWARE ONE IMPORTANT SONG MISSING - WARNING SPOILER! Sappy & commercial, slick & subpar A PERFECT 10.0 Beautiful !!! I Truly Was Sooo Touched by this CD

Message In A Bottle: Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture Various Artists , and Gabriel Yared Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Message In A Bottle: Original Motion Picture Score (1999 Film) City Of Angels: Music From The Motion Picture For Love Of The Game: Music From The Motion Picture Sweet November (2001 Film) Hope Floats: Music From The Motion Picture ASIN: B00000HZFQ Release Date: 1999-02-09

Tracks:

1. I Could Not Ask For More - Edwin Mccain
2. No Mermaid - Sinead Lohan
3. Let Me Let Go - Faith Hill
4. I Will Know Your Love - Beth Nielsen Chapman
5. Only Lonely - Hootie & The Blowfish
6. Don't - Yve.N.Adam
7. Carolina - Sheryl Crow
8. I Love you - Sarah McLachlan
9. Fallen Angels - Marc Cohn
10. Somewhere In The Middle - Nine Sky Wonder
11. What Will I Do - Clannad
12. I'll Still Love You Then - Anna Nordell
13. One More Time - Laura Pausini
14. Theresa & Garret - Gabriel Yared
15. Message In A Bottle - Gabriel Yared
16. Dear Catherine - Gabriel Yared

Amazon.com

Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn, and Paul Newman star in this romantic tale about a sailor who dispatches love letters to sea in memory of his late wife. Just as the love letters are viewed as among the most touching ever written, the soundtrack is equally sentimental--16 tracks that evoke wistful days spent staring out of windows pining for lost love. Edwin McCain delivers Diane Warren's surprisingly modest "I Could Not Ask for More," a song written specifically for the movie. Sheryl Crow and Sarah McLachlan turn soft and spooky with their whispery "Carolina" and "I Love You," respectively. Sinéad Lohan and Beth Nielsen Chapman backlight their middle-of-the-road sensibilities with dance beats. Hootie & the Blowfish's "Only Lonely" is far closer to country music (Glen Campbell-style) than country artist Faith Hill's "Let Me Let Go." Gabriel Yared contributes the instrumental title track as well as two other pieces of overswelling movie music. Redefines the term mellow. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

BEWARE ONE IMPORTANT SONG MISSING - WARNING SPOILER!.......2007-03-01

I have both of the Message in a Bottle cds. They are each filled with wonderful music. Unfortunately my absolute favorite song from the movie, "Beyond the Blue" a duet by EmmyLou Harris and Patty Griffin is NOT on either cd. Beware!

It seems I am forever tracking down an errant song. Oftentimes the song is a critical heartbeat moment of the film - as in this case. Why such an important song is missing confounds me.

If you are considering this cd because you want THAT CRITICAL SONG played during the montage showing Theresa and Garret finding their lives hopeful after years of despair and loneliness, you won't find it on either of the Message in a Bottle cds. You need to add to your cart the soundtrack for the movie, Where the Heart is. That beautiful song also played at the very end of that movie AND THOSE FOLKS had the sense to put it ON THEIR SOUNDTRACK! I have not found it on any of EmmyLou Harris' or Patty Griffin's cds. Maybe it was a licensing thing, I don't know... I don't really care. Just figured I would offer a heads up and a helpful hint!

Sappy & commercial, slick & subpar.......2002-08-19

A couple nice tunes. Overall not worth buying. You won't listen to the entire album more than twice. You won't need too, it ain't worth it.

A PERFECT 10.0.......2002-02-08

If I could give this a perfect 10 rating I would. I loved this CD with it's mixture of beautiful vocals, especially the rarely heard "Carolina" by Sheryl Crow, and instrumentals so much that I purchased the Original Motion Picture Score as soon as it became available and I'd rate that a perfect 10 as well. I never go anywhere without them.

Beautiful !!!.......2002-01-11

I happen to buy a lot of Movie Soundtracks and I can say that is one of my all time favorites. Great ensemble better than the movie, in fact I liked it so much more that once I got the soundtrack I appreciated the movie more. There are so many songs on this CD that I can't possibly list them all but I can say that if you enjoy soundtracks that make the movie you will not be dissapointed in this one. I must also mention that the some of the songs are tear jerkers so BEWARE and have your box of kleenex available. Some of the artists are also on "Anywhere but here" and "Pratical Magic"

I Truly Was Sooo Touched by this CD.......2001-12-18

It's a mixture of various artists with 'A Message In A Bottle'. It soothed my Soul to No End. I just Love the emotions one feels when listening to this Touching CD. And Being In Love, I could hardly resist The Inspiration I felt from the Depth of Such Passion. Music can be such a moving experience, something our every day life seems to take away. Emotion. I had to cry when I heard 'One More Time', 'I Love You' and 'Let Me Let Go'. I just couldn't resist the depth it took me and yet Lifted me into Inspiration. Yes All Music has an Appreciation, but this one has 'A Delight To The Senses' that is unbelievable. It's A Must Have. You Could Almost Fly...I think I did ,.) Oh soo Very Touching..buy IT. Your Princess xxO

Average customer rating: Confusing situation regarding CDs Soundtrack was better than the movie Lovely......... Inspired from Brooklyn, NY It is breathtaking!

Message In A Bottle: Original Motion Picture Score (1999 Film) Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Message In A Bottle: Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture For Love Of The Game: Original Motion Picture Score Possession City Of Angels: Music From The Motion Picture Message in a Bottle ASIN: B00000IK5S Release Date: 1999-04-20

Tracks:

1. To All The Ships At Sea
2. New Dreams
3. Separate Lives
4. Theresa
5. Launch
6. Images Of The past
7. Blue Atlantic Mystery
8. Finding The Bottle
9. Tell Me About Catherine
10. Some Lives Form A Perfect Circle
11. Where The Boundaries Are
12. Sail With Me Tonight
13. The One Person In The World
14. Storm
15. Calm After Storm
16. The Outer Banks
17. Last Letter

Customer Reviews:

Confusing situation regarding CDs.......2007-03-18

The image shown on Amazon indicates on the CD cover that it is the Orignal Score from the movie. Yet, the item I received from a seller shows the same cover art (on the beach), but the actual contents and even the wording on the cover are "music from and inspired by the motion picture" which obviously is not the original score.
Not quite sure who is to blame for this mix-up. It may be simply a packaging problem. However, I do like this CD, but love more the movie score. I'll be sure to contact a seller before trying to purchase this item again to ensure it is the score and not music inspired by the movie.

Soundtrack was better than the movie.......2004-12-10

And the movie wasn't half bad, either. Gabriel Yared did an outstanding job telling the movie's tale in lyrics. Selection of the artists such as Marc Cohn, Sheryl Crow, Sinead Lohan, and Sarah McLachlan was particularly inspired. The movie is so-so. I don't own it and would not see it again, but I do revisit the soundtrack often. You'll have a much richer experience just listening to the story as the music unfolds.

Lovely................2003-09-20

If you have ever experienced being in love, thought of being in love, where your soul has been touched..this CD is for you! This CD stirs so many memories for me. It also helps me dream of a love that is to come. Yes, I know, I sound corny! I fell in love w. this CD before I've seen the movie. The samples do this CD no justice.....If you like to dream, fantasize, this CD is the one!

Inspired from Brooklyn, NY.......2001-04-10

I had never listened to musical scores, much less purchased one until a friend recommended this one. It is simply the most beautiful CD I have ever heard and it has taken a permanent place in my CD changer. I never grow tired of it and it has prompted me to buy more musical scores.

It is breathtaking!.......2000-08-18

I know Gabriel Yared's score of the Talented Mr. Ripley was nominated for an Academy Award, but I will always think it should have been Message in a Bottle. The music is beautiful, emotional, and captures the thrill and drama of sailing and the ocean. From the very first notes, the music grabs you and doesn't let go. Yared has a timeless winner here!

Average customer rating: Innovative Expressive, Engaging, and ExtraOrdinary! Must-have album for acoustic lovers!

Chasing the Sun Manufacturer: Sonic Grapefruit ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Montana Skies Lift Sunset Meditation Michel Legrand by Michel Legrand To Love Again ASIN: B0006AZO28 Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

1. Tunnels
2. Gringo Flamenco
3. House of the Rising Sun
4. Soulstice 21
5. Xeroscape
6. El Gitano
7. Message in a Bottle
8. Chasing the Sun
9. Canarios
10. Three
11. The Altman Boogie
12. What are you doing the rest of your life
13. Ashokan Farewell

Album Description

"Montana Skies"--cello and guitar--This CD is an homage to the "road trip". Not only the literal road trip, but also the metaphorical "road trip" of life. We've learned a lot on both so far, but mostly we've learned that it's never about the place, but always about the people. Much of this music was written and arranged on our cross country tour in the spring of 2004 and draws from the sights and sounds that we absorbed as we crisscrossed the US. We hope you'll enjoy the ride...

Customer Reviews:

Innovative.......2007-05-19

This duo is one of the most innovative and creative ensembles performing today. The cello/guitar combination is refreshing and inventive. Rich textures and imagery abound. Great music; highly recommended.

Expressive, Engaging, and ExtraOrdinary!.......2005-03-10

With beautiful sound, Montana Skies flawlessly combines cello and guitar into melodies that depart from the ordinary classical. One can feel the passion they have for their music. The music resonates within one, long after the last note. I find myself humming the tunes all the time! There is something for everyone on this album. In these stressful times I use it at work and in the car to relax and detach from the hectic day-to-day. Aptly named "Chasing the Sun" brings some sun into my day every time I play it.

Must-have album for acoustic lovers!.......2005-01-23

This album is the follow-up to their self-titled debut, and it is just as fun, melodic and enchanting as the first...only better. Truth be told, I am a musician myself have begun touring with these guys, tagging along wherever I can as their pianist....that's how much I enjoy their music and working with them! This CD is a great addition to your acoustic collection and a great way to discover Montana Skies. I keep this CD in my car and find myself turning it often on a long drive.

Average customer rating: Excellent performances of one of our greatest symphonists. Unbelievable Sound Quality A Tale of Two Eighths Best "Sinfonia Antartica" Currently Available Pure music

Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 7 "Sinfonia antartica" & 8 Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Vaughn Williams: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 9 Vaughan Williams: Phantasy Quintet/String Quartets 1 & 2 Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony (original 1913 version) / Butterworth: The Banks of Green Willow - London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Hickox Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 2; The Wasps Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 3 "Pastoral" & No. 6 ASIN: B00000AELD Release Date: 1998-08-25

Tracks:

1. Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Prelude: Andante maestoso - Lento - Poco animato - Piu mosso - Tranquillo - Andante moderato con moto - Largamente
2. Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Scherzo: Moderato
3. Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Landscape: Lento -
4. Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Intermezzo: Andante sostenuto - Allegretto - Pesante - Tempo primo tranquillo
5. Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Epilogue: Alla marcia, moderato (non troppo allegro) - Andante maestoso
6. Symphony No. 8 In D Minor: Fantasia (Variazioni senza Tema): Moderato - Presto - Andante sostenuto - Allegretto - Andante non troppo - Allegro vivace - Andante sostenuto - Largamente - Tempo primo ma tranquillo
7. Symphony No. 8 In D Minor: Scherzo alla Marcia (per stromenti a fiato): Allegro alla marcia - Andante - Tempo primo
8. Symphony No. 8 In D Minor: Cavatina (per stromenti ad arco): Lento espressivo
9. Symphony No. 8 In D Minor: Toccata: Moderato maestoso
10. Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: Prometheus Unbound: Prelude: 'To Suffer Woes Which Hope Thinks Infinite' (Percy Bysshe Shelley)
11. Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: Book Of Common Prayer, Psalm 104: Schezro: 'There Go The Ships'
12. Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: Hymn Before Sunrise, In The Vale Of Chamouni: Landscape: 'Ye Ice Falls!' (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
13. Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: The Sun Rising: Intermezzo: 'Love, All Alike,' (John Donne)
14. Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: Message To The Public: Epilogue: 'I Do Not Regret This Journey;' (Captain Robert Falcon Scott)

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performances of one of our greatest symphonists........2004-04-28

The posthumous fate of Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) has not always been a kind one. After his death, his music passed through a prolonged period of being deeply unfashionable. Stodgy, tweedy Vaughan Williams--who could get into that?! But, like Elgar, whose music is also cast in a stuffy, stereotypically "British" light, there is much more to Vaughan Williams than one might think.

First, the man was a superb melodist. He was not a mere tunesmith, to be sure, but crafted works that are primarily conceived in terms of melodic development, and this makes his work immediately appealing. Second, he was a highly original thinker who used his colossal technique (he had a doctorate in composition and studied with Ravel) for surprisingly modern ends. His music can at times sound like a mixture of Bach and Debussy, but it is always unmistakably Vaughan Williams. He had a penchant for modal counterpoint, and his streams of parallel chords place his work squarely in the 20th century.

Vaughan Williams' unique talent for scoring is evident throughout this excellent recording of his 7th and 8th symphonies. The "Sinfonia antartica" is based upon a film score he supplied for a film about the explorer Robert Scott. It is by turns brooding and wistful--an ideal introduction to this magnificent composer. Symphony No. 8 is a more eclectic affair, brighter in temperament overall, but a rewarding example of the surprises that lurk around every corner of RVW's work.

Was he the greatest symphonist of the 20th century? The jury's still out. He certainly created a body of symphonic work that is second to none in its richness, diversity, and consistency. Mahler, Sibelius, and Shostakovich are usually considered the most important symphonists of the last century, but for those who seek other fare, you can't do better than Vaughan Williams.

Unbelievable Sound Quality.......2002-03-17

The "Antarctica Symphony" portion of this disk has been called "the best digital recording ever made", and is often recommended for use as a demonstration disk on high-end audio equipment. One listen and you'll understand why...this is truly a sonic marvel.

Not a bad accomplishment for budget-price label Naxos!

A Tale of Two Eighths.......2001-07-30

I think many listeners (and reviewers) will focus more on the seventh symphony; so I leave the seventh to them, although I greatly enjoy this recording of the seventh, and am even modestly grateful that the recited superscriptions are included at the end, where they do not interrupt the sequence of the symphony itself.

The Vaughan Williams eighth symphony exhibits a few interesting parallels with the eighth symphony of the composer whose oeuvre established the "rule of nine" in the writing of symphonies: Beethoven.

Beethoven's Opus 93 strikes some listeners as both "a step backwards" from the rambunctious and expansive seventh (with its electrifying "double scherzo" and achingly intense theme-and-variations slow movement), and a mystification before the grandiose Opus 125. It is something of a look back towards Haydn; it is charming, and elegant, and seems to do entirely without the dramatic musical rhetoric of which Beethoven's third, fifth and seventh symphonies provide ample and potent illustration. It is the sort of thing which "musical progressivists" say we composers cannot do; you can almost hear the phrase spoken, "you can never go back."

Yet, in his eighth symphony, Beethoven succeeds, marvelously and musically; he does, and does not, "go back." Vaughan Williams does something of the same, in his eighth. Even though Vaughan Williams' seventh was composed originally as film music, and then adapted as a symphony in his `cycle' (or perhaps because of this), the eighth seems like a deliberate step away from musical dramtization, and into the realm of abstract, `pure' music, a music which functions on its own, not driven by any extra-musical `program.'

Now, the `point' to which Beethoven does and does not go back, is Haydn; the generation before, and a composer with whom Beethoven had taken lessons. The `point' to which Vaughan Williams does and does not go back, is musical Impressionism, and specifically Ravel. Vaughan Williams had taken some lessons with Ravel; and the `return to pure music' in the eighth is doubly apt here, as part of Ravel's Impressionism is a sort of `romantic neo-classicism' exemplified in "Le Tombeau de Couperin" and the piano concertos.

That Vaughan Williams made his eighth with the Beethoven-parallel in mind, seems to me confirmed in the opening of the second movement. Vaughan Williams' all-winds scherzo begins with too much of a `metronomic' gesture for this to be coincidental. This parallel does not become burdensome, because the `metronomic piece' functions differently in the two eighth symphonies: it is the slow movement in the Beethoven Op. 93, followed by the lovely Menuet and Trio (good heavens! didn't Beethoven realize how passé this was?), while in Vaughan Williams' eighth it serves as a scherzo followed by a richly beautiful slow movement for strings alone (in timbral balance of the string-less scherzo).

Where Vaughan Williams `does not go back' is, about two-thirds into the first movement, where, after some moments of trumpet-&-string doublings which seemed to evoke the sound-world of Prokofiev, the relatively smooth calm of most of the movement yields to the sort of orchestral menace normally associated with Shostakovich. This fury lasts but a moment, and gives way again to the idyllic calm of the opening material, but here is a musical point at which you wonder if it is really possible to `go back' ....

The last movement of the Vaughan Williams' eighth is bright and resplendent. It is almost mis-labeled; `toccata' traditionally means a `touched' piece, a keyboard work with figurations more characteristic of two hands at a keyboard, rather than a large ensemble of single-line instruments. But Vaughan Williams has a history of adapting the idea of the Toccata, as in his Toccata Marziale for band; and my musicological quibble does not get in the way of the piece, which reminds me more of a jubilant carillon.

--Karl

Best "Sinfonia Antartica" Currently Available.......2000-10-24

The classic recorded performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Sinfonia Antartica" (completed 1952) is Sir Adrian Boult's on EMI from the mid-1960s; a slightly later performance on RCA led by André Previn boasted superior sound but misjudged by prefacing each movement with spoken versions of RVW's epigraphs. (Thus interrupting the musical continuity in a score that depends heavily on a seamless transition from one mood to another.) Bernard Haitink (also on EMI) issued an "Antartica" about fifteen years ago, very close to Boult's in merit, but - in this day of classical-music démorale - "no longer available." Haitink's countryman, Kees Bakels, has "burned" a CD cycle of the RVW symphonies for Naxos, with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and one entry therein couples the Eighth with the "Antartica" (ordinally the Seventh). As James Day notes in his book on RVW, the "Antartica" calls on the largest orchestra that the composer ever stipulated, with parts for organ, wind-machine, an enormous percussion battery, and wordless soprano-solo with female choral vocalise. The "Antartica" shares with the "Pastoral" and the Sixth the evocation of inhuman nature and of human courage pitted (heroically but vainly) against such nature. Boult grasped this aspect of the work, but the limited capacity of mid-60s analogue recording took its toll on the realization of his understanding. (The vinyl pressings also posed an obstacle. I owned the American Angel pressing as well as an EMI import; neither struck me as adequate.) Bakels, like Boult, sees that this is a grim account, a genuine sequel to the tragic E-Minor Symphony of 1947. Notice how he takes the crescendi in the Prelude, with the great climax at 1.50: It's truly "majestic," as the score says it should be; the ensuing Lento, with prominent xylophone and wordless voices, sounds very icy and haunted indeed. The Scherzo presents the danger of sounding too comical; Bakels avoids this pitfall. Of the symphony's core, the "Landscape" (Third Movement), Bakels makes just the inhuman, implacable, frigid monster that RVW must have had in mind, although the organist (beginning at 8.30) does not achieve quite the hard-edged quality that I recall from Boult. The Eighth Symphony is a less monumental score, but possesses a playful seriousness all its own. The Finale can become a welter of sound, as it did unfortunately in the Boult/EMI; but here it sounds forth in all its polyphonic glory, with the tuned percussion caught with great definition by the engineers.

Pure music.......1999-07-26

As with Beethoven each of Vaughan Williams' nine symphonies has a distinct character of its own. the eighth is the most lighthearted one, ranging in mood form energetic to festive to downright comical, with a measure of gentle melancholy thrown in for contrast.The 2nd and 3rd movements- a funny march for winds and a beautifull cavatina for strings- show VW at his best.So what if he does not grab fate by the throat in this symphony? This is music in its best and purest form. The other work on the CD-Symphonia Antarctica- has its moments but it remains essentially what it is: a glorified movie-score.Director Kees Bakels proves again that he is one of the best Vaughan Williams interpreters of this time.

Average customer rating: Almost angelic Great choir, but mostly recycled material Glittering Chrismas Music The Spirit of Christmas On CD Superb voices!

Cambridge Singers Christmas Album Manufacturer: Collegium ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | 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 Sweelinck | Sweelinck, JanPieterszoon | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tavener | Tavener, John Kenneth | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Warlock | Warlock, Peter | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Similar Items: The John Rutter Christmas Album Christmas Star Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity The Holly and the Ivy: Carols from Clare College John Rutter Collection ASIN: B0000DJEOL Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

1. The holly and the ivy (arr. H. Walford Davies)*
2. Blessed be that maid Mary (arr. David Willcocks)
3. Somerset Wassail (arr. John Rutter)
4. Shepherds, in the fields abiding (French, arr. Willcocks)*
5. The Infant King (Basque, arr. Willcocks)
6. What is this lovely fragrance? (French, arr. Healey Willan)
7. Gabriel's message (Basque, arr. Willcocks)*
8. Still, still, still (German, arr. Rutter)
9. Quittez, pasteurs (French, arr. Rutter)
10. Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle (French, arr. Rutter)
11. Personent hodie (German, arr. Rutter)
12. The shepherds' farewell (Hector Berlioz)
13. O holy night (Adolphe Adam)
14. O magnum mysterium (T. L. de Victoria)
15. Hodie Christus natus est (J. P. Sweelinck)
16. For unto us a child is born (G. F. Handel)
17. In dulci jubilo (Samuel Scheidt)
18. Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child (Kenneth Leighton)*
19. A New Year Carol (Benjamin Britten)
20. Balulalow (Peter Warlock)
21. I saw a fair maiden (Peter Warlock)
22. The Lamb (John Tavener)
23. Fantasia on Christmas Carols (Ralph Vaughan Williams)

Album Description

Christmas Never Sounded So Good!

For more than a decade, John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers have shared the Joy of Christmas with the world. The ethereal sound of perfectly blended voices, singing the most beautiful seasonal music ever composed never fails to touch the heart or lift the spirit. This year, John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers have assembled a NEW collection - compiled from the archives, including FOUR NEVER BEFORE RELEASED TRACKS! This is a holiday feast you will NOT want to miss!

Customer Reviews:

Almost angelic.......2007-01-18

Choral music by the Cambridge Singers is always top-notch. An older album that might have sounded better with newer technology but no complaints. Has great vocals and orchestral support.

Great choir, but mostly recycled material.......2005-12-16

I have the utmost respect for John Rutter and his Cambridge Singers, probably the best choir in the world (at least, the English-speaking world). I have almost all their CDs. Two of their Christmas CDs are "desert-island" class for this listener.

Unfortunately, I cannot give this otherwise excellent CD the same high marks. If they wanted to release a "best of Cambridge Christmas" CD, this would not be it. It does a few of the absolute best Christmas selections, including Sweelinck's "Hodie", Willcocks's breathtaking arrangement of "The Infant King", and Rutter's own quirky reading of "Personent Hodie". And it does contain a few tracks not previously released.

However, if you want the best of Cambridge and Christmas, start with "Christmas Night", which is always the first CD I pull out the day after Thanksgiving. The sound of the famliar Persall setting of "In Dulci Jubilo" sets my holiday in motion. And that CD also has Rutter's own magical "There is a flower". After that CD, get "Christmas with the Cambridge Singers", which has "The Infant King" and some other treasures.

So, you can't really go wrong with this CD, especially if you just want an introduction to how this fine ensemble addresses the most choir-friendly holiday of all. But if you're serious about getting all the good stuff, start with the other two mentioned above, then add "Christmas Day in the Morning" and the early "Christmas Star".

Glittering Chrismas Music.......2005-11-15

I own virtually all of the CD's of John Rutter (whom I greatly admire) and the Cambridge Singers, and I am a fan of English Choral music in general. If I were asked to recommend only one of the many Cambridge Singers Christmas albums, or indeed one of any English Christmas album, a hard choice, this would be it. As others have noted, this CD is a compilation of songs from previous cds with four new releases. It is, I believe, longer playing than the other Cambridge albums. In style, it is a mostly quiet sounding collection--in fact several carols are sung a cappella-- with pieces ranging from carols such as "The Holly and the Ivy" to the more robust "Fantasia on Christmas Carols". In sum, this is a sensitively arranged and performed collection of beautiful Christmas music.

The Spirit of Christmas On CD.......2005-06-02

I have never been disappointed by any Cambridge Singers release, so it isnt surprising that I thoroughly enjoyed this offering as well. This CD is a compilation of songs from previous cds with one or two new tracks, so check your library to make sure you arent duplicating your collection in the order to complete your collection. I purchased this disk to obtain a copy of the Fantasia On Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughn Williams which was originally released on Christmas Day In The Morning. As usual, every song is performed in a precise yet heartfelt manner. If you dont own any cds by the Cambridge singers I would personally recommend Christmas Night as the first disk to own, but if you know and love the Cambridge Singers as I do, then you will enjoy having this wonderful addition to your library.

Superb voices!.......2003-12-22

This CD was beautifully sung by the Cambridge Singers, a boys/mens choir, mostly a' capela. It's the first Christmas CD I've bought that really tempts me to crank up the volume so I can revel in every note.

Average customer rating: A wonderful tradition a voice teacher and early music fan Truely inspirational!!!! Don't let this recording pass you by! A Shining Star

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols King's College Choir , and Stephen Cleobury Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rutter | Rutter, John | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tavener | Tavener, John Kenneth | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Walton | Walton, Sir William | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Organ | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Similar Items: O Come All Ye Faithful: Christmas Carols at King's College, Cambridge Carols from Trinity Noel: Christmas at Kings Carols From King's / Choir of King's College, Cambridge · Stephen Cleobury Songs of Angels - Christmas Hymns and Carols ASIN: B00002CF12 Release Date: 1999-11-02

Tracks:

1. Once In Royal David's City
2. Bidding Prayer
3. Up! Good Christen Folk, And Listen
4. The Truth From Above
5. First Lesson
6. Adam Lay Yhounden
7. Second Lesson
8. Sussex Carol
9. In The Bleak Mid-Winter
10. Third Lesson
11. In dulci jubilo
12. God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
13. Fourth Lesson
14. A Tender Shoot
15. The Lamb
16. Fifth Lesson
17. Gabriel's Message
18. Joys Seven
19. Sixth Lesson
20. Dormi, Jesu
21. Riu, riu, chiu

Tracks:

1. Seventh Lesson
2. The Fary fax Carol
3. While Shepards Watched
4. Eighth Lesson
5. I Saw Three Ships
6. Illuminare Jerusalem
7. Ninth Lesson
8. Adeste, fideles
9. Prayer And Blessing
10. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
11. In dulci Jubilo

Amazon.com

This disc could be more succinctly titled Christmas for Anglophiles. Few sounds are more British than the boy soprano-dominated Choir of King's College in Cambridge. And the group is heard--in some sections recorded live--in an actual Christmastide service amid the generous reverberation of a cathedral acoustic with little more than a tasteful though austere organ accompaniment. The repertoire isn't just conservative, traditional hymns and carols. One is harmonized by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and there are a number of contributions by contemporary composers Thomas Adès, Judith Weir, and John Tavener, all of which are probing, sincere, even personal examples of their art (and some are daringly liberated, harmonically speaking). The downside for some listeners--at least on repeated hearings--is that the entire service is heard, sermons and all. Others may take this in the spirit of a Paul McCreesh liturgical reconstruction, with congregational singing included. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful tradition .......2007-01-18

A great experience combining Christmas carols with the reading of Holy Scripture (the lessons). It's a beautiful Christmas worship service in the Anglican tradition. I highly recommend it.

In our age when thing change so fast, it's good to know that some great traditions continue. This recording is one of them.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-12-06

Listening to this one and one-half hour recording is one way to experience the meaning of Christmas. It must be a joy for those who can attend such a service as the "Festival of nine-lessons and carols". To hear the beautiful voices of the King's College Choir and their marvelous organist, Benjamin Bayl. This is all under the direction of Stephen Cleobury, and provides a treat for music lovers everywhere. The carols are related directly to the scripture readings that tell the Christmas Story in its entirety, all read skillfully by various people involved in the program. They are not lengthy, but quite to the point. The related carols are varied as to composer and mood, running the gamut from the traditional to the more recent such as : 'The Truth from above'(Vaughan Williams)-'Illuminare,Jerusalem' (Judith Weir)- and 'The Lamb' (John Tavener). The soloists include:Edward Moore (treble)-Thomas Bullard (baritone)-Adrian Kelly (tenor)-Edward Harries (treble)-and Julian Perkins (baritone). All sang well as did the entire choir. The English sound, that is boy sopranos and male altos, appeal to me personally and show up very well in this particular group. It's all quite emotional and very moving, especially to those who celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. I've had this disc for several years, and would not think of celebrating Christmas without listening to it several times during the season.

Truely inspirational!!!!.......2001-12-23

A holiday classic. It has been a tradtion in our family for years. This is the first time I've seen it available on CD. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Don't let this recording pass you by!.......2001-07-10

Do yourself a favor and buy this CD - even if you don't think you like Christmas music. People stand in line for hours to hear the Choir of King's College's annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, and when you hear this recording, you will understand why. Rarely does a choir sound quite as pure, smooth, and "together" as they do on this recording. The selection of music is wonderful. You get a few traditional favorites like "O Come All Ye Faithful", recorded live with the choir and the congregation singing along (I thought this would annoy me but it really doesn't - it only makes me feel the spirit of the ceremony even more). You also get plenty of wonderful choir-only pieces that you've probably never heard before unless you're a big cathedral music enthusiast. It all begins, of course, with a single choirboy singing the first verse of "Once in Royal David's City". It's impossible for me to pick an absolute favorite from this recording. I find "The Fayrfax Carol" by Thomas Ades to be particularly haunting and beautiful. Vaughan Williams' "The Truth from Above" is also very, very lovely. And how could you not enjoy "Up! Good Christen folk, and listen"? There is also Ord's short, but beautiful, "Adam lay ybounden". I like all of these pieces in and of themselves, but I think having them sung so expertly and sweetly by the choir makes me like them even more.

To top it all off, you get about 20 minutes worth of readings and prayers recorded live at the service, interspersed among all of the music. I suppose this could be seen as the recording's only drawback (people talking), but I think it makes the recording much more authentic as a representation of the world-famous service. The readings make the recording more than just a musical experience, but a complete Christmas experience - which is what the ceremony is supposed to be. Besides, if you really hate the talking, that's what the skip button is for.

Go ahead and buy this -- you'll be very glad you did.

A Shining Star.......2000-11-21

To the other fine and informative reviews here, I would add the following. Though the Festival service and the recording are 80% musical, the "lessons", which are brief scripture passages given moving dramatic readings by college personnel, are the backbone of the Festival and the riverbed through which the carols flow. There is a chronological order to the lessons, beginning in Genesis, and each musical selection is tied to the reading which preceded it. This synthesis makes listening to this CD a very spiritual experience that transports one well beyond what is felt listening to other recorded compilations of carols.

The music is primarily drawn from traditional British Christmas repertoire. Well-known British composers over centuries and King's College's organists and music directors over the past century wrote or arranged most of the selections. Several texts are in Olde English or Latin. Three recent compositions are here, too, but the first priority of the Festival director is clearly the tradition and the history of this service and of Christmas in England. There is nothing, however, "musty" about this CD. The tempi are modern and sprightly where indicated, and the performances are transcendent. The Choir of King's College, directed by Stephen Cleobury, consists of 35 young men chosen by highly competitive audition, and they are among the finest choral ensembles in the world. A superb pipe organ played by Benjamin Bayl is the only supplement to the voices.

The sound of the recording is a major improvement from radio broadcasts and earlier (now out-of-print) releases of this service. For this CD, the four-and-a-half hymns in which the congregation sings with the choir were recorded during services in December 1998. The balance of the recording was made in the same chapel in July 1999, without the congregation present, so the coughing and shuffling heard during live broadcasts and earlier live recordings is happily absent. The only small problem is that the reverberating acoustics of the chapel, though gorgeous, make many lyrics difficult to discern. Keep the booklet handy. Highest recommendation.

Average customer rating: My Opinions A cool dance AND worship Album Wow! The exercise gospel A great vision

Jumping in the House of God World Wide Message Tribe Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Similar Items: We Don't Get What We Deserve Revived Frantik Heatseeker The Real Thing ASIN: B000002N6Q Release Date: 1996-07-16

Tracks:

1. The Real Thing - World Wide Message Tribe
2. Kik-Start - World Wide Message Tribe
3. Joy - Sani
4. Jesus, Name Above All Names - Shine
5. Jumping In The House Of God - World Wide Message Tribe Vs. Hog
6. Holy - Hog, Doug Walker And Shine
7. Hear My Prayer - Lynsey Berry
8. Reach For Heaven - World Wide Message Tribe
9. Hosanna - Sani
10. The Year Of The Lord's Favour - World Wide Message Tribe
11. Be Still - Simon Jinadu And Sani
12. Glory - World Wide Message Tribe

Customer Reviews:

My Opinions.......2004-07-10

There are two versions of this cd. The first one I purchased was the US version. The songs are awsome. The second one I recently purchased is the UK version and I like it a lot better. The songs on the UK version are new to me, unlike some of the songs that are on The US version. Both covers look the same but the UK has a total of 18 songs.

A cool dance AND worship Album.......2002-02-04

This cd is cool and great to dance to and when you ever want to worship God you should pop this cd in! Here are my song ratings:
#1-5/5 my favorite song on here because it's fast and has great voices singing it with a great tune and instruments! Our youth group has played this song in our meeting room! This song is cool to play at a dance party!A popular song in my youth group!
#2-5/5 a cool fast song that has lyrics that can make you dance and worship God at the same time!
#3-4/5 has a good tempo that is danceable
#4-4/5 a more jazzy song that starts out slow but isn't a fast enough tempo to dance to. It is a pretty song!
#5-5/5 a fast song that also makes you dance and worship at the same time! A popular song in my youth group!
#6-4/5 not much of a sweet dance song but has an okay tempo and tune.
#7-4/5 same as #6 only more slow and prettier.
#8-5/5 a cool dance tune! Also a help to worship!
#9-5/5 a very cool beaty tune version of the well known classical worship peice(maybe not that classical) Hosanna!
#10-5/5 A fast very cool dance song with a pretty tune!
#11-3/5 my least favorite song that has a slow beat and I really don't think is awasome but it has an okay tune.
#12-5/5 this is a reprise of Hosanna only it just has people singing Hosanna and Glory. Has a beaty tune!
As you read above this is a powerful danceable cd that has good enjoyable tunes! If you like dance music and worship, here's a cd with both of them mixed together! Enjoy!

Wow!.......2001-08-11

My youth group has this cd and our dj played the first song lot's of times. One night I asked to borrow it and took it home. When I listened to the whole cd, I thought it was really cool! The Real Thing is my favorite song off the album and there are really cool fast dance songs on this cd. #6,7,11 are sorta slow but they are still good songs.Most of the songs make you wanna dance. You would think it's cool when you first play it.

The exercise gospel.......2000-11-22

The reason that I am so in love with this CD is because, the music just keep you moving and groving. I would also recomend this CD for those who are finding it hard to praise God and who would like to get stress and day to day problems as far as possible from them. I am going to buy it for myself that is the reason that I am recomending people to buy it. Love and Peace.

A great vision.......2000-05-29

this cd and the people behind it have helped spread the vision of the work God is doing in European countries. it has greatly encouraged me in my world view.

Average customer rating: Must-have recording Outstanding performances of important contemporary quartets dark, rich and splendid! New Music which Dares to make an Impact Directly to the bottom

Musik Fur Streichinstrumente Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: György Kurtág: Signs, Games and Messages Kurtag: Jatekok / Marta and Gyorgy Kurtag Kafka-Fragmente Op. 24 György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet Kaija Saariaho: Du Cristal...À la Fumée; Sept Papillons, Nymphéa ASIN: B000024R1O Release Date: 2000-02-01

Tracks:

1. Aus der Ferne III
2. Officium breve in memoriam Andrezervzky
3. Ligatura - Message to Frences-Marie (The answered unanswered question)
4. Quartetto per archi op.1 / I Poco agitato
5. ' II Con moto
6. ' III Vivacissimo; Lento
7. ' IV Con spirito
8. ' V Molto ostinato
9. ' VI Adagio
10. Hommage ih Andr 12 Mikroludien / I
11. ' II
12. ' III
13. ' IV Presto
14. ' V Lontano, calmo, appena sentito
15. ' VI
16. ' VII
17. ' VIII Con slancio
18. ' IX Pesante, con moto / Leggiero
19. ' X Molto agitato
20. ' XI
21. ' XII Leggiero, con moto, non dolce
22. Ligatura - Message to Frances-Marie (The answered unanswered question)

Customer Reviews:

Must-have recording.......2006-12-27

I heard the Boston Symphony play an orchestral piece of Kurtag's several years ago. I was impressed by the piece, and frankly have no idea why it took me so long to purchase this CD. There are a great many noteworthy string quartets of the last hundred years, and Kurtag's in some ways are the most unusual. While formidable technique and discipline are required to play them, the overall effect is not highly virtuosic, as you might remark about say, Bartok. The overall effect is more darkly contemplative, although there are certainly moments of great drama. Harmonically, they're quite wonderful, with much of the harmony in very low registers. The sparseness of the writing may bring Webern to mind, but the resemblance is only superficial. Kurtag speaks with his own distinct voice.
The reading by the Keller Quartet is excellent. It is both restrained and emotional. The quality of the recording is excellent, as one would expect from ECM.

Outstanding performances of important contemporary quartets.......2004-01-07

Having released several discs featuring his music, ECM have played a major role in the in the recent buzz surrounding the Hungarian composer György Kurtág. This disc of his three string quartets--all key works in the composer's oeuvre--by the outstanding Keller Quartet may well be the finest of all these recordings.

The String Quartet, opus 1, was written in 1959, when Kurtág was 33. (It is perhaps a sign of the composer's lack of conventional self-confidence that none of his previous works had merited an opus number.) Written in six movements, it is composed in a language that is very obviously derived from Bartók and Webern, though even here (unlike, say, in the earlier Viola Concerto) Kurtág is clearly his own composer. The first movement is a brief, ambivalent exposition, the second plays with vigorous ostinati and the third is almost a conventional scherzo (though with slower passages interrupting). The fourth movement is perhaps a negation of the third: it is a slow movement with vigorous outbursts fragmenting the flow; while the fifth movement mirrors the second in its ostinato writing. The slow finale takes the material of the opening but extends it to more than four times the length of the first movement.

If the String Quartet was an assured debut, the Twelve Microludes, opus 13, written in 1977 and 1978, demonstrate how much Kurtág was to grow as a composer in the next two decades. Even more miniaturised than the Quartet (its twelve movements last a mere ten minutes), it also contains a much greater variety of expression. The music includes several chorale-like movements and some that play with ostinati as in the Quartet, but the heart of the work is surely the fifth movement, whose haunting folk-like melody is heard as from afar, garlanded by fragmentary motifs on the other instruments.

Officium breve, opus 28, is an instrumental requiem for the Hungarian composer Andre Szervánszky, written in 1988 and 1989. The work is in fifteen movements--which play without a break--and exhibits something of a collage form. The two linchpins of the work are an incomplete quotation from Szervánszky's Serenade for Strings and the remarkable canon that ends Webern's Second Cantata (a transcription for string quartet of which is the tenth movement of the quartet). Two movements, the third and the twelfth, both based on the Szervánszky quote, are transcribed directly from Szervánszky homages in the piano collection Játékok. The work ends with ferociously dissonant varations on the Szervánszky quote that lead directly into the final movement, which is nothing more than that quote itself. This luminously tonal, Romantic music provides a sudden peripeteia, and sheds unexpected new light on what had come before.

The disc also includes two miniatures. Aus der Ferne III, a homage to Paul Sacher on his 90th birthday, has appeared in a number of versions (two violins, piano four-hands) before this string quartet version. The Answered Unanswered Question (Homage-Message à Frances-Marie) is heard twice on this disc. Commemorating Frances-Marie Uitti and her bizarre double-bowing cello technique, this brief work, for two violins, two cellos and celesta, features the composer playing the celesta part.

Both Officium breve and the Twelve Microludes strike me as amongst the finest of post-war quartets, and they deserve the strongest possible advocacy. Happily, the playing of the Keller Quartet is quite outstanding, and gets to the heart of the music in a way that the rival version from the Arditti Quartet cannot match. Even with the rather short (less than 50 minutes) playing time, this is an essential recording for anyone interested in postwar music.

dark, rich and splendid!.......2001-07-28

This is an exquisite recording of some of the best in modern music. The three major pieces are Kurtag's String Quartet (op. 1) of 1959, the second quartet, 12 Microludes (op. 13), of 1977-78, and the third quartet, Officium Breve (op. 28) of 1988-89. Three shorter pieces are included as well, including two versions of Ligatura, with Kurtag on celesta. Kurtag clearly fuses Webern and Bartok, producing dark, rich music that is never exhausted through repeated listening.

How does this 1996 KQ/ECM recording compare to the 1990 recording by the Arditti Quartet of Kurtag's three string quartets on Montaigne, supervised by Kurtag? (see my review) The KQ takes the tempos slightly slower, and this produces a suitably dramatic effect. The tempo difference is likely one chief cause of the difference in affect -- the AQ sounds more anguished overall, whereas the KQ is slightly more restrained, more stoic. Of course the KQ is treated to Manfred Eicher's patented production, with its noticeable resonance, and this produces a darker tone, it seems. The Montaigne production of the AQ is more natural, with a clean, clear surface. The KQ adds three short Kurtag pieces for an all-Kurtag set, while the AQ adds Lutoslawski's 25-minute quartet (his only one), and the 10-minute Second Quartet by Gubaidulina. ECM's graphics and packaging are stunning, as usual, with black-and-white photography.

It is fascinating to hear the alternative interpretations, and Kurtag's works certainly warrant more! But if you hear only one, the Keller Quartet's recording is outstanding.

New Music which Dares to make an Impact.......2001-01-11

As a member of a professional string quartet, I'm always on the lookout for new repertoire for my group to perform. I'd noticed that several Kurtag pieces had been performed (by the Emerson and Orion quartets, most recently) and wanted to see what all the buzz was about. Turns out, it was worth the purchase of this fine CD. I've always been a fan of Webern and Ligeti, and Kurtag seems to me to embody the best of these two composers' styles, while remaining very much his own distinct musical personality. The Keller Quartet plays these pieces with great virtuosity, but not at the expense of passion and what I can only describe as a "avant garde bel canto". If you have any interest in new music, and especially new music which is extraordinary, look no further than this disc.

Directly to the bottom.......2000-08-17

The words expressed by the Spanish fan music (in Barcelona) resume the feelings Kurtag evokes.

The intensity of the emotions provoked by Kurtag's music on me are also based on the contrast with my Mediterranean personality and values, what demonstrates the inmense power of music: there are no nations, no races, no room to disagreement when listening to the language of the bottom.

Average customer rating: Simply gorgeous Angelic Music Top list Christmas CD Wonderful Christmas CD traditional, and comfortingly so...

The Holly and the Ivy: Carols from Clare College Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Michael Praetorius | Praetorius, Michael | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rutter | Rutter, John | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | 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 General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Holiday Music | Miscellaneous | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Holiday Music | Miscellaneous | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music $7 - $10 | Today's Deals | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Carols From Clare College The John Rutter Christmas Album Christmas Star Cambridge Singers Christmas Album Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity ASIN: B0000041VV Release Date: 1990-05-30

Tracks:

1. King Jesus Hath A Garden
2. Up! Good Christian Folk, And Listen
3. Gabriel's Message
4. Donkey Carol
5. Wexford Carol
6. Cradle Song
7. Child In A Manger
8. Mary's Lullaby
9. Ding! Dong! Merrily On High
10. Quelle est cette odeur agreable?
11. I Saw A Maiden
12. In dulci jubilo
13. In The Bleak Mid-Winter
14. I Saw Three Ships
15. The Noble Stem Of Jesse
16. The Crown Of Roses
17. Jesus Christ The Apple Tree
18. Omnis mundus jocundetur
19. Wassail Song
20. The Holly And The Ivy

Amazon.com

Initially released in 1979, this album built on the success of the legendary Carols for Choirs volumes in establishing John Rutter's name with the wider public, and it gave a strong hint that he was more than just a talented composer-arranger. As the many subsequent releases on the Collegium label have also shown, Rutter is a deeply sensitive and musical conductor, alive to the color of words, always allowing phrases to breathe naturally. The accomplished Clare College Choir features male and female voices, the latter providing a more rounded alternative to those world-famous neighbors in Cambridge. Included are many of Rutter's own easy-listening carol arrangements ("King Jesus Hath a Garden" and "Wexford Carol," for example), plus others by the likes of Vaughan Williams and David Willcocks, while "Donkey Carol" and "Mary's Lullaby" are quintessential Rutter originals. Only a few numbers can be classed (statistically) as all-time Christmas faves--the likes of "The Holly and the Ivy" and "Ding Dong Merrily on High"--but this needn't deter anyone from snapping up what is the perfect album to accompany Christmas pud mixing (preferably by candlelight, imagining the twilight scene in Ely Cathedral's Lady Chapel, whose glorious acoustic graces the sound). --Andrew Green

Customer Reviews:

Simply gorgeous.......2007-04-10

I bought this album through Columbia mail order, and it instantly became one of my favorite CDs in my collection of over 2000. When it was scratched beyond playability, I immediately re-purchased it. I have almost everything else John Rutter has put out, as well as the Dale Warland singers from the US.
The music is simply ethereal, and the songs are not the overplayed tunes we hear over and over and over.
My two complaints with the album are that some of the tracks are hard to hear because the singing is so quiet and the sound level is uneven between tracks, and some of the tracks have Rutter's cutesy, saccharine arrangements drowning out the singing (Donkey Carol is the protoypical, and one I frequently skip).
However, the album is so beautiful otherwise, with the Wexford Carol, and the nearly inaudible Jesus Christ The Apple Tree, and several other tracks, that I still have to give it a 5 star rating.

Angelic Music.......2007-01-16

Lovely. So classic and ethereal. Perfect with Christmas dinner, or quiet card games by the fire.

Top list Christmas CD.......2006-12-12

The Holly and the Ivy is one of two absolutely must-have Christmas CDs from Clare College. This is a traditional English choir with adult male and female voices, trained in the utmost clarity and sweetness of voice that is rarely found elsewhere in the singing world. Clare College Choir is coupled with a most delightful orchestral score that seamlessly melds voices and orchestra into something surprisingly merry, uplifting, and completely satisfying. There are both familiar and lesser known carols here, and every single one is a joy.

Wonderful Christmas CD.......2006-11-15

Too many people are overwhelmed with the more modern Christmas songs out there today and are unaware of the wonderful music available on CDs like this. John Rutter proves his brilliance in arranging and conducting. The music overwhelms the senses and the joy of Christmas overcomes you as you listen. This is one of the most peaceful Christmas CDs I have ever heard. "Wassail Song" is incredible, and if you are ever in a small vocal ensemble, this song is a must to perform. You will not be disappointed when you purchase this CD.

traditional, and comfortingly so..........2005-08-23

In a world where new is better and change occurs at an ever-increasing rate, it seems logical that seasonal music would be included in the rush toward mass marketing and commercial airplay. It is amazing, but not surprising, that "carols" which extol the virtues of an electrically-illuminated ungulant, or which humourously recall the tragic events surrounding the collision of an elderly woman and another ruminating creature of the forest should be featured so prominently in the playlists of the popular culture.

Tired as I am of such artistic efforts, Rutter's efforts in leading the Clare College Choir and Orchestra on this collection come at the right time and to the right place. This is true and beautiful music of the season: it is performed well and interpreted with Rutter's master's touch. For those of us whose tastes run to the traditional, this is welcome stuff indeed.

Christian Music:

1. Miracles/Change of Heart [Original recording remastered]
2. More Hits/Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland [Original recording remastered] [Import]
3. Motown Anthology [Import]
4. MTV Unplugged NYC 1997 [Live]
5. N'Dea Davenport
6. N.E.W.S
7. New Power Soul
8. No More Parades
9. Pleasure [Import]
10. Posh

Christian Music

christian music

Christian Music

Tropic Island Hum [UK CD] [CD-single] [Limited Edition] [Import]

Provenzale: Passione; Vespro

Southern Lips

Live in Copenhagen [Live]

Respect

Sentinel

Sambadelic

Speed of Sound [CD-single] [Import]

Sparkle Me [EP]

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

Super Black Market Clash [Original recording remastered]

Sanger Om Kvinnor [Import]

Quinta Esencia [Import]

Ian Moore's Got the Green Grass

Very Best of Kenny Ball