The Craft

1. World of Vibrations - Blackalicious, Ledisi

2. Supreme People

3. Rhythm Sticks

4. Powers

5. Your Move

6. Lotus Flower

7. My Pen and Pad

8. Side to Side

9. Automatique

10. Fall and Rise of Elliot Brown

11. Black Diamonds and Pearls

12. Give It to You

13. Ego Sonic War Drums

14. Craft

The Craft,Blackalicious,Anti,Hip-Hop,Pop,Rap & Hip-Hop,Underground Rap,United States of America,West Coast Rap

Average customer rating: Robert Craft & Stravinsky: 3 Ballets on Themes of Greek Mythology A Return to the Greeks a la Stravinsky Absolute Caftsmanship Very good rendition Fine Performances of Three Fine Stravinsky Ballets

Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus) Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stravinsky: Pulcinella; The Fairy's Kiss Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex; Les Noces Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms/Symphony in 3 Movements Kurt Weill: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2; Lady in the Dark - Symphonic Nocturne ASIN: B0008JEKCW Release Date: 2005-05-17

Tracks:

1. Prologue: The Birth Of Apollo - London Symphony Orchestra
2. Apollo's Variation - London Symphony Orchestra
3. Pas D'Action: Apollo And the Muses - London Symphony Orchestra
4. Variation Of Calliope - London Symphony Orchestra
5. Variation Of Polymnia - London Symphony Orchestra
6. Variation Of Terpsichore - London Symphony Orchestra
7. Variation Of Apollo - London Symphony Orchestra
8. Pas De Deux: Apollo And Terpsichore - London Symphony Orchestra
9. Coda: Apollo And the Muses - London Symphony Orchestra
10. Apotheosis: Apollo And the Muses - London Symphony Orchestra
11. Pas De Quarte - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
12. Double Pas De Quarte - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
13. Triple Pas De Quarte - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
14. Prelude - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
15. First Pas De Trois: Saraband-Step - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
16. Gaillarde - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
17. Coda - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
18. Interlude - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
19. Second Pas De Trois: Bransle Simple - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
20. Bransle Gay - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
21. Bransle Double (Bransle De Poitou) - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
22. Interlude - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
23. Pas De Deux/Piu Mosso/L'Istesso Tempo/Refrain - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
24. Coda/Doppio Lento/Quasi Stretto/Coda - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
25. Four Duos - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
26. Four Trios - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
27. Lento Sostenuto - London Symphony Orchestra
28. Air De Danse - London Symphony Orchestra
29. Dance Of the Angel Of Death - London Symphony Orchestra
30. Interlude - London Symphony Orchestra
31. Dance Of The Furies - London Symphony Orchestra
32. Air De Danse - London Symphony Orchestra
33. Interlude - London Symphony Orchestra
34. Air De Danse - London Symphony Orchestra
35. Pas D'Action - London Symphony Orchestra
36. Pas De Deux - London Symphony Orchestra
37. Interlude - London Symphony Orchestra
38. Pas D'Action - London Symphony Orchestra
39. Apotheosis - London Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Robert Craft & Stravinsky: 3 Ballets on Themes of Greek Mythology.......2006-12-20

Naxos is doing us all a most welcome favor by re-releasing the Robert Craft performances of Stravinsky (and some Webern, and some Schoenberg) that earlier passed through on labels like MusicMaster and Koch Classics.

On this disc we get three of the later ballets that the composer did, based on Greek themes in mythology.

The earliest of these works is the ballet, Apollo. Or Apollon musagete. (1928) Craft seems to have had a complex relationship to the master, part family, part soul-mated colleague, and maybe part worshipper of the muses. He leads a deft and balanced reading of Apollo with the LSO. Do not let yourself be misled by the mainly diatonic, or major-key based, nature of this neo-classically fresh music. It is euphonius, and transcends its analytical means.

After visiting for a day with the composer, the Russian impresario Diaghilev wrote to a friend, "...it is, of course, an amazing work, extraordinarily calm and with greater clarity than anything he has done: filigree counterpoint around transparent, clear-cut themes, all in a major key, music not of this world, but from somewhere above ..."

Diaghilev got it, then, and so do Robert Craft and the players.

Second comes the latest of these 3 ballets, Agon. (1957) By this time the master was going serial, or twelve-tone, in his very own special way. He finished Agon close to his 75th birthday, and there is little or nothing quite like it in most of the published twelve-tone literature. Somehow, Stravinsky finds the intense economies that we associate with Webern while staying true to himself. There is no published scenario to Agon, as if the music were its own reason for being a ballet. The Orchestra of St. Luke's is smaller than the LSO, but no less musically gifted. Yet again, Robert Craft's leadership is astute, and he seems to have an ear no less incisive than Pierre Boulez when it comes to pitch, texture, and rhythm. What he offers that Pierre Boulez sometimes does not, at least as recorded, is a certain warmth and involvement, a certain sensory richness and physicality.

The last ballet on this disc is the one written in between Apollo and Agon: Orpheus (1946). The choice of subject originated with Georges Balanchine who was much taken with the Orpheus myth, but ballet stage designer Isamu Noguchi also deserves credit for bringing the work to life as dance, as scene, and as total art work. Stravinsky's genius was supported and nourished by the other two, and so we get a sort of return of the younger composer, all that much wiser for being able to embrace sensuality again after having survived two world wars and ending up settled amid the posturing glitz of Hollywood and southern California. Craft leads the LSO in another fine reading.

Apollo and Orpheus were caught in Abbey Road, U.K., and Agon in an auditorium at SUNY, Purchase. The sound matches the clarity, brilliance, and sensual heft of these three performances. Never flashy. No kitsch. But generous and scintillating, nonetheless.

Check out the whole Robert Craft series of recorded Stravinsky. This disc is just one among a string of finely matched pearls, waiting for the black velvet of your listening room's expectant quiet.

A Return to the Greeks a la Stravinsky.......2006-06-24

This marvelous CD presents three Stravinsky ballets that deal with Greek mythology and span Stravinsky's output from 1927 through 1957 allowing us to hear the manner in which Stravinsky continued to grow with the musical changes of the times (if not invent them!). The conductor is Robert Craft, Stravinsky's longtime colleague and promoter and in these recordings, each made originally on separate sessions, he conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Lukes, both ensembles having an affinity for these works.

'Apollon musagete, ballet in 2 scenes for string orchestra' (1927) is probably the finest of his neoclassical period works for orchestra alone. It can be steely cool in other's hands, but here Craft draws an achingly beautiful sound from the London Symphony. It is meditative, serenely poignant and ethereal.
'Agon, ballet for twelve dancers & orchestra' (1957) is one of Stravinsky's twelve tone works that manages to go beyond the usual constrictions of that form to become an unusually melodic work. Craft and the Orchestra of St. Lukes offer a performance that gives all of the sixteen variations individual importance.

'Orpheus, ballet in 3 scenes for orchestra' (1947) concludes the recital with the admixture of both Stravinsky's neoclassicism with his early penchant for seething romantic melody lines. This is the work of the three that will find widest audience appeal for those not yet captivated with the Stravinsky 'cerebral works' and it makes a fine way to complete this exploration into Greek themes so cleverly programmed by the reconstructors of this first class CD. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, June 06

Absolute Caftsmanship.......2005-07-17

Robert Craft was one of Stravinkij's best friends and worked closely with him in several circumstaces over the course of the years until the composer died. Craft was almost like a borther for Stravinsky (he lived with the russian composer's family both in California and later in New York City, and shared with him many ideas and projects which eventually culminated in a artistic relationship. Crafts wrote the libretto for The Flood and became the major biogarpher and Stravinskij's scholar publishing several numbers of books and essays on Starvinsky's ouvres and asethetic.

In this recording Craft is actually the best interpreterof Starvinsky's ballet music. Before I listened to this extraordinary Naxos CD, I thought tha Ansermet went farther than anybody else did --even more than Stravinskij himself. Craft made me change my mind: when you listen to his intepretation of this music, you have the feeling that he is talking to his longstanding friend Igor while conducting his music.

This recording will mark a milestone in revealing the beauty of Stravibnskij's music. Buy it, you won't regret it!

Very good rendition.......2005-07-01

I am so glad to find all three of these ballets on one CD.

The performance is beautiful. I could find nothing wrong with the interpretation, and I can assure you I am quite picky.

Anyway, I highly recommend this CD.

Fine Performances of Three Fine Stravinsky Ballets.......2005-06-10

Whoever had the idea of putting these performances of three of Stravinsky's ballets based on classical Greek themes on the same CD should get a medal. They are plucked and combined from several Koch Classics releases of a few years ago. Naxos seems to be reissuing all of Robert Craft's Stravinsky performances from the Koch label, and that's good. Craft, who has an unwarranted reputation as a dry-as-dust conductor, actually puts quite a bit of juice in these lovely scores. Similar as they may be in thrust, these three scores are really quite different from each other. 'Apollo' (1927-28) is for strings alone and is quintessential neoclassicism. 'Orpheus' (1947), for full orchestra, mixes neoclassicism with old-fashioned lyrical romanticism; indeed it is Stravinsky's first work since 'Firebird' to use the marking 'espressivo.' 'Apollo' and 'Orpheus' are narrative ballets but 'Agon' (1957) is plotless. It is very nearly atonal and varies the orchestration for nearly all the sixteen variations; the full orchestra is never used for any of them. Yet, within a few notes anyone familiar with Stravinsky's sound will immediately identify the composer of any of these works. It's always seemed amazing to me that a twelve-tone work by Stravinsky still sounds like him.

In 'Apollo' (or 'Apollon musagète' as it is called in French) all violence and abrasiveness (as one might expect from the composer of 'The Rite of Spring') are eschewed. Rather the work coolly and lyrically limns the birth and life of Apollo in music that is like some 18th-century court ballet filtered through 19th-century French ballet composers like Adam and Delibes. Delicious. And deliciously performed here by the London Symphony under Craft.

'Orpheus' was commissioned by Lincoln Kirstein for George Balanchine who had suggested the subject. It was originally intended to be coupled with 'Apollo' in performance but in fact that did not happen at its première. Although narrative, it is intensely hieratic and uses neobaroque gestures including canon, other kinds of counterpoint, restless bass lines, ostinati and the like. It is more austere than 'Apollo' but lyrical nonetheless. It, too, is given a lovely, flexible, suave performance by the LSO.

'Agon' (Greek for 'contest') is essentially a dance contest before the gods. Not really quite atonal, but making use of a 12-tone row, it combines Renaissance dances (including a galliard in C major with a canon featuring harp and mandolin), coupled with what Stephen Walsh in Grove's calls 'high-speed stream-of-consciousness chromaticism.' Its première was conducted by Robert Craft, and here, conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's, he leads a fast-moving performance that occasionally gets a little out of breath, but is energetic and energizing for all that.

There have been other recordings of these works, including those conducted by Stravinsky himself, but these are satisfying and in modern sound.

Recommended.

TT=77:45

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating: great soundtrack to a great movie. Music Fits Movie Perfectly I liked the movie... take it from there Best Sountrack Teen Movie with an Adult Soundtrack

The Craft: Music From The Motion Picture Various Artists Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Alternative General | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Soundtracks General | Soundtracks | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Soundtracks General | Soundtracks | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Alternative Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Craft (Special Edition) Charmed: The Soundtrack Practical Magic: Music From The Motion Picture The Craft: Original Motion Picture Score Charmed: The Book of Shadows ASIN: B000002BKB Release Date: 1996-04-30

Tracks:

1. Tomorrow Never Knows - Our Lady Peace
2. I Have The Touch - Heather Nova
3. All This And Nothing - Sponge
4. Dangerous Type - Letters To Cleo
5. How Soon Is Now? - Love Spit Love
6. Dark Secret - Matthew Sweet
7. Witches Song - Julianna Hatfield
8. Jump Into The Fire - Tripping Daisy
9. Under The Water - Jewel
10. Warning - All Too Much
11. Spastica - Elastica
12. The Horror - Spacehog
13. Bells, Books, And Candles - Graeme Revell

Amazon.com

Our Lady Peace delivers a trippy "Tomorrow Never Knows," Heather Nova neuters Peter Gabriel's "I Have The Touch," and Juliana Hatfield can't locate the dark soul in Marianne Faithful's "Witches Song." Also notable are tracks by Jewel, Love Spit Love (covering The Smiths), and Matthew Sweet (with guest riffs by Lindsay Buckingham). --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

great soundtrack to a great movie........2007-07-29

If you don't like the movie, I wouldn't recommend getting the soundtrack, unless you like darker, edgy 90's music.

If you do like it though, like I do, then you should get this along with Graeme Revell's score (which is beautiful. Please see my review for that).
The soundtrack is not chronological, where the songs play as they were in the movie, but that isn't the problem with it. The only problem I had with it was that it wasn't long enough! The Craft is one of my favorite movies, so naturally, I love the soundtrack (especially Love Spit Love's cover of "How Soon is Now?" which went on to be the theme song for Charmed). There isn't one "light & fluffy" song on the album, which is what gives it that darker, teenage-angsty feel to it, which is what the movie really had going for it. Even Jewel's song "Under the Water" isn't a typical Jewel song - its a bit darker, which made it perfect for the movie.

If you're still unsure about getting the score, listen to track 13 - "Bells, Books & Candles" by Graeme Revell. This track isn't on the score album, but gives you a taste of what it is all about.

Overall, a great soundtrack to a great movie.

Music Fits Movie Perfectly.......2007-04-16

Every single song on this cd brings each individual scene into my head.
Amazing compilation.

I liked the movie... take it from there.......2006-12-14

So,

A previous reviewer had this to say about Heather Nova's rendition of "I Have The Touch":

Heather Nova neuters Peter Gabriel's "I Have The Touch," --Jeff Bateman

I have to more than completely disagree!!!

Heather's rendition was probably THEE MOST heartfelt rendition of ANY Peter Gabriel song that has EVER been recorded by A WOMAN!

HUGE KUDOS TO HEATHER!!!

AWESOME JOB!!

CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT!!!

YOU ROCK GIRL!!!

KEEP DOIN' IT!

Best Sountrack.......2006-11-13

Coupled with the Orignal Score, they create an unprecidented ood set for each scene. I dont know a real Wiccan that doesnt like the music. Several Songs... especially Bells, Books and Candles can sync energies within and even assist drawing energies....sometimes too well for the higher deregree of Witches. I downloaded the songs, but I want the orignal CD for my "special collection" I was 18 when this was realesed and I am now 30 and still love this movie and its soundtrack. Becuase of these reasons, and for withstanding the test of time, I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Teen Movie with an Adult Soundtrack.......2006-09-17

Sure, The Craft may have been a teen movie based in Witchcraft, comparable to today's The Covenant, rife with cinematography issues and plot holes... The film aside, the music was very archetypal of the turmoil of the 90's.

However, this soundtrack features music that was quite prominently played in scenes (which is sometimes quite rare.)

Are the songs unique? Perhaps, but they are unique in the way that they have been interpreted by these popular bands of their time. Why? Because most of the songs are covers by other groups, classic songs that have been redefined and restyled.

Love Spit Love and their ode to The Smiths with their version of "How Soon is Now?" evoking an interpretation that almost seems original and genuine. Our Lady Peace and their wonderful rendition of the Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows", I know I will never look at the original song quite the same way. Even lesser known groups such as Letters to Cleo offered their reditions of classics and featured their cover of The Cars classic "Dangerous Type" and Heather Nova with her tribute to Peter Gabriel's classic "I Have the Touch."

However, aside from the covers of classic rock songs, it features new music from artists we never heard of again, such as Warning and Juliana Hatfield.

Groups that you may not have heard of, shaping music in the 90's with the new at the time alternative rock genre. This soundtrack really is quintessential 90's at its best. How else can you say the 90's without Spacehog writing our soundtracks?

An overall wonderful and ecletic mix of songs to "witchen" anyone's mood.

Average customer rating: Robert Craft Gives Us Special Stravinsky Choral Works

Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | 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 General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus) Stravinsky: Pulcinella; The Fairy's Kiss Shostakovich: The Golden Age Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete Original Version); Petrushka (Revised 1947 Version) Classical Evolution: Rite of Spring ASIN: B000I2IUSO Release Date: 2006-10-31

Tracks:

1. Otche Nash (Pater Noster) - The Gregg Smith Singers
2. Ave Maria - The Gregg Smith Singers
3. Credo - The Gregg Smith Singers
4. Kyrie - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
5. Gloria - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
6. Credo - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
7. Sanctus - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
8. Agnus Dei - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
9. A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus I; Prelude) - Fred Sherry
10. Ricercar I: 'The Maidens Came' - Fred Sherry
11. A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus II; 1st Interlude) - Fred Sherry
12. Ricercar II: 'Tomorrow Shall Be' - Fred Sherry
13. A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus III; 2nd Interlude) - Fred Sherry
14. Westron Wind - Fred Sherry
15. A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus IV; Postlude) - Fred Sherry
16. Babel - David Wilson-Johnson
17. Psalm 38, Verses 13 And 14 - Philharmonia Orchestra
18. Psalm 39, Verses 1 To 5 - Philharmonia Orchestra
19. Psalm 150 (Entire) - Philharmonia Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Robert Craft Gives Us Special Stravinsky Choral Works.......2007-02-07

This CD is a grab bag, but a very special one. It contains five choral works, garnered from fairly recent recordings on the Koch and MusicMasters labels, sung and played by exceedingly sensitive musicians and led by surely the best Stravinsky conductor we have, Robert Craft. These are among the best recordings I've ever heard of these works.

Probably the most important, and certainly the best known, work here is placed last: the Symphony of Psalms, with the Simon Joly Chorale and the Philharmonia Orchestra. This performance very much emphasizes that the work is for chorus with orchestra, not an orchestral work with incidental chorus, and it is generally gentler than most performances one hears. The Simon Joly Chorale is simply sensational here, with subtle inflections and dynamics, clear diction and impeccable intonation. Craft wisely lets the music unfold without any special rhetorical flourishes and in this respect it resembles Stravinsky's own classic recording. The very slow opening ('Alleluia. Laudate.') of the final movement, Psalm 150, is ecstatic, making the irruption of the agitato section all the more effective. This is a superior Symphony of Psalms.

The disc opens with a cappella works, Three Russian Sacred Choruses, sung in Slavonic versions of the Pater Noster, Ave Maria and Credo. Texts with translations for these and the other works here are not in the Naxos booklet but can be found at www.naxos.com/libretti/symphonyofpsalms.htm . Craft conducts them slightly faster than Stravinsky does in his classic recording but they actually gain from that. The Gregg Smith Singers are the chorus.

Mass (1944-48) was written in New York but there is absolutely no new world influence in the work, unlike other things he was writing at the time. It is sung by The Gregg Smith Singers, the group who also recorded the work in 1960 and who have sung it innumerable times since. This is glorious performance that I prefer by a slight margin to Stravinsky's own version, not only because it is in much better sound but also because the choral soloists are better. They are given superb support by members of the Orchestra of St. Luke's. The orchestration is especially inventive, consisting as it does of two quintets, one of oboes and bassoons and one of trumpets and trombones.

Cantata (1951-52) is based on early English verses including the Elizabethan bridal song, 'The Maidens Came' and the traditional 'Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day.' Written hard on the heels of Stravinsky finishing 'The Rake's Progress', the solos were written for two of the singers in that opera's premiere, Hugues Cuénod and Jennie Tourel. The musical forces, in addition to the tenor and mezzo soloists, are a female chorus (from The Gregg Smith Singers) and an instrumental quintet of two flutes, two oboes and cello. The excellent vocal soloists are Mary Ann Hart and Thomas Bogdan. The redoubtable Fred Sherry is the cellist.

Finally, there is the brief 'Babel' that recounts the Genesis story of the building and destruction of the Tower of Babel. The piece was originally part of a suite of works by several composers (including Schoenberg) that retold Genesis texts. The work has a narrator who reads from Genesis, Chapter 11, verses 11-19, with one chorus sung (by the Simon Joly Chorale) to 'Behold the people is one, and they all have one language.' The orchestra, quite prominent in the work, is the Philharmonia at the top of their form. I had not listened to my old recording of Stravinsky conducting the work in many years, but on comparison with it I find that narrator David Wilson-Johnson is much superior to John Calicos on the old recording, largely because he is less overtly, how shall I say, hammy.

This issue is impeccably presented and recorded. I would urge Stravinsky fans, even those who have earlier recordings, including those of the composer himself, to grab it.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating: Best Hip Hop Album of the year The gift to rip Perfecting the craft Another round of creative genius... uneven enough for 3.5 stars but gains momentum

The Craft Blackalicious Manufacturer: Anti ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Blazing Arrow The Mouse and the Mask Nia Same !@#$ Different Day You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having ASIN: B000AMJDDI Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

1. World Of Vibrations
2. Supreme People
3. Rhythm Sticks
4. Powers
5. Your Move
6. Lotus Flower
7. My Pen & Pad
8. Side To Side
9. Automatique
10. The Fall & Rise Of Elliot Brown
11. Black Diamonds & Pearls
12. Give It To You
13. Egosonic War Drums
14. The Craft

Amazon.com

This is the kind of album that divides fans. On one side, there are the ones that will see the Bay Area hip-hop duo composed of rapper Gift of Gab and producer Chief Xcel taking a logical step forward, recruiting high-profile guests (George Clinton, Floetry) and banking on a more commercial sound with effervescent R&B tracks like "Powers," "World of Vibrations" and "Lotus Flower." Then there are those that will lament the passing of the band's vintage, more meaningful sound. As if the crew was expecting the cynics to turn up to the party, midway through the album dramatically shifts gears--out goes the pop and in comes the soul via "The Fall & Rise of Elliot Brown" and "Black Diamonds & Pearls." You might suspect West Coast conscious rap contemporaries Black Eyed Peas stood at the very same crossroads before they sold their first million. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

With their third full-length, Blackalicious have produced a record of such sonic depth and lyrical ambition that it can proudly stand alongside the work of Bay Area funk fathers Sly Stone and Shuggie Otis, or hip-hop classics like Outkast's "Aquemini" and The Roots' "Things Fall Apart". But "The Craft" isn't nostalgic for some golden era that never existed. Lyricist Gab moves beyond the introspection of earlier albums, and musically, Xcel accomplishes beats that touch on classic funk sidling cosily alongside the orchestral sweep of Stereolab. Features guest appearances by George Clinton, Floetry, Lateef The Truth Speaker, and Pigeon John. Blackalicious's 2002 breakthrough, "Blazing Arrow" has scanned 230,000 units.

Customer Reviews:

Best Hip Hop Album of the year.......2006-09-29

This album is excellent. The beats are top notch and MC Gab's lyrics and flow are immaculate. In a world where 'shake your laffy taffy' gets radio play, this cd makes you appreciate what hip hop can really be. This is a smart cd which is a breath of fresh air.

The gift to rip.......2006-09-16

"I could have quit so quick, I don't know what I did to deserve a rap like this." Next to Blazing Arrow this is one of the best alternative hip-hop albums around. Given that Blackalicious has done nothing less that release superior album after the last, they deserve your time to investigate this crew. Truely unique and if you like Dan the Automator's Deltron, then you should go looking for Blazing Arrow. However The Craft is more modern than the futuristic styles found in Deltron and Blazing Arrow. Still this is voted by so many mags as one of the best alternative hip-hop albums around and it shows. Just listen to the first and last track. Those kinds of tunes demand space on your iPod.

Perfecting the craft.......2006-08-25

The hip-hop duo Blackalicious (composed of rapper Gift of Gab and producer Chief Xcel) caused enough commotion to garner themselves plenty of acclaim in the underground scene. But back in 2002, mainstream radio was tuning in to them, most likely because their album at the time, Blazing Arrow, was a joint release from MCA Records as well as the duo's home, Quannum Records. After MCA was bought out by Geffen Records and David Geffen chose not to pick them up, they continued to do their thing on Quannum, who released The Craft last year.

First off, if you're a big fan of Nia or Blazing Arrow, I'm not sure you'll be able to get into this album. True, Gab and Xcel have showcased something of a futuristic vibe from time to time (especially on Gab's solo album), but it's more so on this album. Still, there are highlights aplenty, like "Your Move" and the title track. Speaking of the latter, though, it's kind of unnecessary for there to be a computerized vocal saying "the craft" at the end of most of the songs.

Anyway, standouts continue to flourish, as evidenced by "My Pen and Pad", which is really one long verse. But as far as my favorites, I'm torn between "Give It to You" and "Rhythm Sticks". I couldn't get into "Powers" as much as everyone else, though; and as my brother said, "Egosonic Warriors" is just TOO weird.

While this isn't as accessible as Blackalicious' previous albums, it's still great. Some fans may not be interested in rap that doesn't include profanity (or at least not enough to warrant an "explicit content" sticker), but at any rate, The Craft is definitely an album worth owning.

Anthony Rupert

Another round of creative genius..........2006-08-15

... from one of the most creative and soulful duos in hip hop. I have trouble deciding which is better every time, the awesome tracks put together by Chief Xcel or the lyrical acrobatics and new flows Gift of Gab brings on every outing.

uneven enough for 3.5 stars but gains momentum.......2006-08-10

Most of the previous reviews lamenting the loss of the classic Blackalicious sound are appropriate. More pop/funk sound instead of XCel's stellar production is always a BAD thing. The flow by Gift Of Gab is solid, but when a song is bad, it's pretty embarrassing. "Powers" "Lotus Flower" and "Side To Side" are really awful - Quannum would never have put out songs like those.

That being said, when the album hits its stride in the last third the results are impressive. "Your Move" "Automatique" "Black Diamonds" and "The Craft" are all smooth tracks that sound like the Blackalicious of old - great sounds to bounce to. Too bad it takes so long to get to those songs.

If you're a Blackalicious fan there might be enough here to enjoy, but if you're new GET 'NIA' FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll thank me.

Average customer rating: A Fabulous Introduction to Igor Stravinsky!!

The Essential Igor Stravinsky Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | 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 Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cleveland Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stravinsky: Works for Piano Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms/Symphony in 3 Movements Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus) Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring, Fireworks, Petrouchka / Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Chicago Symphony Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments, etc. ASIN: B00008NGAW Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

1. Fireworks, Op.4 - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
2. Danse Infernale De Tous Les Sujets De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
3. Berceuse (L'Oiseau De Feu) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
4. Reveil De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
5. Mort De Kastchei - Profonds Tenebres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
6. Disparition Du Palais Et Des Sortileges De Kastchei, Animation Des Chevaliers Petrifies Allegresse Generale - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
7. Opening - Philharmonia Orchestra
8. The Shrove-tide Fair - Philharmonia Orchestra
9. The Charlatan's Booth - Philharmonia Orchestra
10. Russian Dance - Philharmonia Orchestra
11. Petrushka's Room - Philharmonia Orchestra
12. Introduction - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
13. Les Augures Printanieres (Danse Des Adolescentes) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
14. Jeu Du Rapt - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
15. Rondes Printanieres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
16. Jeux Des Cites Rivales - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
17. Cortege Du Sage - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
18. Adoration De La Terre (Le Sage) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
19. Danse De La Terre - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
20. I. Andante - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
21. II. Napolitana - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
22. III. Espanola - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
23. IV. Balalaika - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
24. Ragtime For 11 Instruments - Toni Koves
25. Marche Royale - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
26. Petit Concert - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
27. Piano Rag Music - Igor Stravinsky
28. Sinfonia (Ouverture) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
29. Gavotta Con Due Variazioni - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
30. I. Sinfonia - London Sinfonietta
31. III. Allegro - Philippe Entremont

Tracks:

1. Part I. Exaudi Orationem Meam - London Symphony Chorus
2. IV. Capriccio - Cho-Liang Lin
3. Chant Sants Paroles - Israel Baker
4. Premiere Donne - Cleveland Orchestra
5. I. Tempo Giusto - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
6. III. Allegretto - London Symphony Orchestra
7. The Star-Spangled Banner - The Festival Singers Of Toronto
8. I. Intrada - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
9. Circus Polka (For A Young Elephant) - CBC Symphony Orchestra
10. Scherzo A La Russe - Philharmonia Orchestra
11. III. Con Moto - London Symphony Orchestra
12. I. Allegro Moderato - Benny Goodman
13. Good People, Just A Moment - Colin Tilney
14. Tango - Columbia Jazz Combo
15. Greeting Prelude (For The Eightieth Birthday Of Pierre Monteux) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
16. II. Ma Tu, Cagion Di Quella - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
17. Elegy For J.F.K. - Charles Russo
18. Fanfare For A New Theatre - Robert Nagel
19. II. Exaudi - Donald Gramm
20. III. Dies Irae - Donald Gramm
21. IV. Tuba Mirum - Donald Gramm
22. The Owl And The Pussycat - Robert Craft
23. Stravinsky In His Own Words - John McClure

Customer Reviews:

A Fabulous Introduction to Igor Stravinsky!!.......2004-05-19

Sony Music's "The Essential Igor Stravinsky" truly lives up to its title. This double-CD set includes nearly every important piece of work (either in part or in whole) by the great Russian composer. The set also presents the pieces in chronological order beginning in 1908 with "Fireworks" and ending in 1966 with his final piece, the short but simple "Owl and The Pussycat". In between, there are excerpts from Stravinsky's most famous works including the first part of "The Rite Of Spring" and highlights from the "Firebird" and "Petrushka" ballets. There are also lesser-known works included as well as his harmonically rearranged version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (a rendition which caused a stir in the early 1940's). The entire collection concludes with a rare recorded interview with Igor Stravinsky himself in which he remembers the infamous premere of "The Rite Of Spring".
The CD booklet includes detailed liner notes as well as a written tribute by Trey Anastasio of the band Phish. The sound quality of the recordings is amazing (even on the historic 1934 recording of "Piano Rag Music"). All in all, this an excellent collection of works by the great Igor Stravinsky. In a sense, this compilation gives the composer the 'rock musician' treatment. It's a 'greatest hits' album and a career-spanning retrospective that serves as an ideal introduction to Igor's music. Even if your not a fan of Classical music, it isn't difficult to listen to the works of Stravinsky and not be stirred.
Definitely The Essential Igor Stravinsky!!!

Average customer rating: "New" Stravinsky

Stravinsky: The Soldier's Tale Manufacturer: Sony Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Mahler: Symphony No. 5 [Hybrid SACD] Piano Quintet in F Min / Complete String Quartets (1, 2, 3) Becket Ace in the Hole - Criterion Collection Huang Ruo: Chamber Concerto Cycle ASIN: B000GKH26E Release Date: 2007-05-29

Tracks:

1. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Part 1. Introduction. The Soldier's March (Marche du Soldat
2. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Music for Scene One (Airs by a Stream) (Music de la Première Scène. Petits airs au bord du ruisseau
3. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Soldier's March (Marche du Soldat) (reprise)
4. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Music for Scene Two (Pastorale) (Musique de la Deuxième Scène. Pastorale)
5. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Airs by a Stream (Petits airs au bord du ruisseau)
6. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Music for Scene Three (Airs by a Stream) (Music de la Troisième Scène. Petits airs au bord du ruisseau)
7. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Part 2. The Soldier's March (Marche du Soldat)
8. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Royal March (Marche Royale)
9. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Little Concert (Petit Concert)
10. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Three Dances (Trois Danses) 1. Tango
11. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); 2. Valse
12. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); 3. Ragtime
13. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Devil's Dance (Danse du Diable) (Album Version)
14. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Little Chorale (Petit Choral)
15. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); The Devil's Song (Couplets du Diable)
16. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Great Choral (Grand Choral)
17. The Soldier's Tale (Histoire du Soldat); Triumphal March of the Devil (Marche Triomphale du Diable)
18. Symphonies of Wind Instruments (rev. version 1947)

Album Description

A New Recording of Stravinsky by Stravinsky! Masterworks' long and storied relationship with composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky has an exciting new chapter. Throughout the 1960's, Stravinsky re-recorded all of his works in stunning stereo productions for Columbia Masterworks. In 1967, he recorded the interludes and underscoring of The Soldier's Tale, to complete his 1961 recording of the suite. The masters were never released, and the components of the completed version lay forgotten in the vaults.

Now, 40 years later, and in time for Stravinsky's 125th birthday, one of the greatest compositions of the 20th century is available as it should be heard, for the very first time. Edited by Grammy® Award winning producers Steven Epstein and Simon Rhodes and Grammy® Award winning engineer Richard King, this definitive CD features a delicious new narration by Academy® Award winning actor, Jeremy Irons.

The extensive liner notes include a new essay by renowned Stravinsky scholar, Richard Taruskin, new interviews with the 1961 and 1967 session musicians and producer and Executive Producer Warren Wernick's account of how the final "new" recording was realized.

Customer Reviews:

"New" Stravinsky.......2007-06-03

After years of being lost in Sony's (formerly Columbia/CBS) vaults, Stravinsky's own version of The Soldier's Tale has finally been issued in complete form. The main body of the performance is from the already released Suite recorded in 1961, with bridge sections recorded in 1967. The spoken portion was recently recorded by actor Jeremy Irons.

Apparently, Stravinsky hesitated to commit the narrated version to disc because he was not satisfied with the English translation of the French text. The present version uses a new narration, but to my American English biased ears, the standard translation "works" better. While Irons has a pleasing voice, he is unable to delineate the three characters (the narrator, the soldier, and the devil) the way three separate actors can. For that reason, when recommending this piece to others, I will continue referring to the superb version featuring Ian McKellen, Sting, and Vanessa Redgrave. (ASIN: B000009HYG)

As a filler, Sony has offered Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments in a fine performance conducted by the composer's assistant, Robert Craft.

The remastered sonics are excellent in every respect. It's hard to believe these recordings share provenance with the rather anemic sounding Stravinsky recordings issued in the 1960s.

Average customer rating: I hoped for more that I got. Be inspired to follow your heart! modern day joni mitchell Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad Right Outta Nowhere...and into your CD player

Right Outta Nowhere Christine Kane Manufacturer: Firepink ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Rain & Mud & Wild & Green A Thousand Girls This Time Last Year LIVE The Red Thread ASIN: B00022351W Release Date: 2004-05-18

Tracks:

1. Right Outta Nowhere
2. Made of Steel
3. Now That You Know
4. I'm With You
5. Overjoyed
6. Nowhere Left to Go
7. Four Legs Good. Two Legs Bad.
8. Whole Other World
9. Falling in Love with the Wind
10. The Good You Do
11. Mary Catherine's Ash Wednesday Journal Entry

Album Description

Christine Kane's fifth CD is titled "Right Outta Nowhere," but Christine is coming from anywhere but nowhere. In a career that has spanned ten years and thousands of miles on the road, Christine has released four CDs on her own record label, Firepink Music. With growing record sales and increasing national exposure, her label is now a thriving business with its own in-house publicist and booking agent.

Christine's last CD "Rain & Mud & Wild & Green" was named Best of 2003 (Folk category) by Borders Books & Music and was critically acclaimed by national and local press, from "The Washington Post" to "The Dallas Morning News." The raw mix of acoustic textures and rhythms, Christine's earthy and elegant voice and her poignant lyric purity all combined to provide a refreshingly real work of art that has given her a place among the most popular touring acts in the acoustic world. Produced by Ben Wisch, "Rain & Mud & Wild & Green" continues to be a sales success.

Her new release, "Right Outta Nowhere" promises to continue the upward momentum with a full national radio and press campaign and is already garnering high praise from within the music industry. Produced by Christine and Dave Pomeroy, and featuring some of Nashville's most prominent musicians, "Right Outta Nowhere" is a convergence of lyrical poetry, song craft, and acoustic perfection. Songs like "Overjoyed" and "The Good You Do" celebrate both the vulnerability and strength of the human spirit with haunting grace, while others like "Nowhere Left to Go" and "Whole Other World" (co-written with veteran hit songwriter Steve Seskin) leap effortlessly into the realm of mass market appeal. The end result is a testimony to an artist on the verge of deserved national recognition who comes seemingly "Right Outta Nowhere."

Customer Reviews:

I hoped for more that I got........2005-12-03

I first heard Christine Kane in 1997. It was a small concert venue, and she was really inspiring -- both her lyrics and her stage personality. I still love my autographed copy of "A Thousand Girls."

But I have been so disappointed with her two most recent albums. The music keeps getting more sophisticated and beautiful. The lyrics are stuck, thematically and emotionally, in the same place they were in 1997. As a result, this music no longer sounds fresh to me, and no longer inspires.

I bought Right Outta Nowhere hoping that R&M&W&G was just an anomaly. From the opening lines of the first track, I thought, "It's another Christine Kane song about a woman trying to get away from the oppressive expectations of her family so she can be true to herself." Maybe this is unfair. After all, how many songs are there about there about people having been left by their loves, or finding true love, or regretting lost opportunities, or whatever? But there seems to be a deeper rut here. "Four Legs Good Two Legs Bad" is fun, but the cat hair in the tofu seems an awful lot like it's been sitting around since it did its duty in the kitchen on "(No Such Thing As) Girls Like That" on R&M&W&G.

So, in all, I'm disappointed. From the one live track on Right Outta Nowhere, I think I would still really enjoy seeing Christine in concert. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to matter a whole lot what's on the playlist.

Be inspired to follow your heart!.......2005-06-20

This album is profound and inspiring. I stumbled into a performance by Christine in Fairfax, VA and bought the CD. I love it! The lyrics put into the words many of the feelings and thoughts I have. The CD will inspire you to take a chance and the leap of faith you have been wanting or needing to take.

modern day joni mitchell.......2005-04-12

and I say that because of the influence her music is having on people's lives. Not only is the music beautiful, but it's written with the purpose of serving others. You're bound to feel refreshed/empowered after meditating on the lyrics of "Right Outta Nowhere", "Overjoyed", and "Made of Steel".

Buy both of her albums and back up copies to spare. Chances are you'll let a friend borrow it and they won't give it back!

Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad.......2004-12-02

This cut alone is worth the price of the CD. Any gal who's ever loved a critter, this one's for you.

Right Outta Nowhere...and into your CD player.......2004-07-31

If you are going to buy one album this year, this is the one! (And if you're going to buy two, get Christine's last album, Rain and Mud and Wild and Green, if you don't already have it...) Christine's music speaks of all the world's greatest beauty, and serves as a revival for everyone who values friendships, earth, animals and the importance of a good deed. Her unique blend of humor and contemplation can let the average person know they are making a difference in the world, simply by following their heart and doing what is right. On top of that, she is a knockout singer/musician and this album showcases her most subtly sophisticated songwriting arrangements to date. You won't regret owning an album from this songwriter who is quickly making a name for herself.

Average customer rating: Two masterpieces at a bargain price, but . . . Stravinsky, Les Noces (Svadebka) Oedipus: 3 stars; Les Noces: 5 stars

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex; Les Noces Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus) Stravinsky: Pulcinella; The Fairy's Kiss Les Noces in Full Score Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex Les Noces: Russian Village Wedding Songs ASIN: B000675OGM Release Date: 2005-01-18

Tracks:

1. Prologue
2. Introducing Creon
3. Introducing Tiresias
4. Introducing Jocasta
5. Introducing The Messenger
6. Epilogue
7. Scene One
8. Scene Two
9. Scene Three
10. Scene Four

Customer Reviews:

Two masterpieces at a bargain price, but . . ........2006-05-21

For casual buyers the waters have gotten muddied over Robert Craft's still incomplete Stravinsky cycle, which began on MusicMasters in 1991, switched over to Koch International when the first label folded, and has now transferred to Naxos, who picked up the Koch recordings (all remakes of the MusicMasters titles, I believe). Craft has been recording a Schoenberg orchestral cycle with his new lable, but whether more Stravinsky installments are planned I don't know.

In any event, this Oedipus and Les Noces are both London remakes dating from 2001, and in the decade since Craft first recorded them on MusicMasters, he had lost quite a bit of energy and incisiveness. The earlier Oedipus also had better solo singers; here, Martyn Hill and Jennifer Lane sound wobbly, insecure, and a bit old for their parts. It's unfortunate that the superior Craft performance is only available on an out-of-print 2-CD set (Vol. 1 in the MusicMasters series, coupled with the Rite of Spring and a handful of shorter works--it's well worth seeking out on the used market).

As for Les Noces, the situation is a bit reversed; the solo singers are better on this remake (though not dramatically) than their NY counterparts. I don't find Craft a superior Stravinsky conductor, despite his lifelong association with the composer, but he takes an agrreably lyrical and less barbaric approach to Les Noces than one often encounters. In sum, you can get better recordings of both these masterpieces, yet not at this bargain price.

Stravinsky, Les Noces (Svadebka).......2005-04-23

Haven't heard the Naxos record, but the Craft Koch Les Noces (Svadebka) (out of print and now licensed from Koch to Naxos) is a GREAT performance of one of Stravinsky's most profound and Russian works. Don't miss it unless you can get the Koch disk, which also includes a great performance of Stravinsky's Threni (and an uncompetitive Symphony of Psalms).

Oedipus: 3 stars; Les Noces: 5 stars.......2005-02-21

These two performances led by Stravinsky's protégé, Robert Craft, were previously released in, I believe, 2001 on Koch International, but with different couplings. I'm not entirely sure why they are now re-appearing so soon on Naxos, but it is nice that the reissue is at a bargain price. For my money, the two performances are wildly dissimilar and thus my title line. 'Oedipus Rex' is given a non-competitive performance; 'Les Noces' is among the best I've ever heard.

'Oedipus Rex' is clearly one of Stravinsky's masterpieces. Scorned and shunned for a couple of decades after its premiere in Paris in 1927, it has since been recognized as one of Stravinsky's finest works and it has had a profound influence on the writing of many subsequent composers, primarily those in the French ambit (Honegger, Martinu, Milhaud). The notion that an oratorio sung in Latin would create a greater sense of occasion and grandeur was Stravinsky's. He prevailed on Jean Cocteau to write the libretto in French and then he had it translated into archaic Church Latin by a Catholic cardinal, Jean Danielou. Stravinsky collaborated with Cocteau on the libretto and insisted he rewrite it twice, each time tightening and eliminating verbiage. As he said, 'I am a topiarist at heart, and my love for clipping things sometimes amounts to a mania.' As well, the narration is cut to the bare minimum on the assumption that people already knew the basic outline of the Oedipus tragedy and didn't need too much exposition. Stravinsky insisted that in any performance the narration should be spoken in the language of the audience. He asked E. E. Cummings to write an English translation of Cocteau's narration, but he and Robert Craft, then practically a member of Stravinsky's household, didn't like it and they wrote their own. A comparison of the two versions of the narration shows clearly that Cummings's is superior. In this performance, conducted by Craft, not surprisingly we get his and Stravinsky's version, to our disadvantage. Anyone who has ever read much of Craft's writing will know that he is not an elegant writer. This performance is not helped by the rather schoolmasterly narration by the British actor, Edward Fox.

What of the musical performance of 'Oedipus'? Well, one must remember that this work has had numerous recordings, including two led by Stravinsky himself (one of them with the French narration). Bernstein, Salonen, Abbado, Levine and others have recorded it. The young Colin Davis led an incandescent performance in the 1960s on EMI (with Sir Ralph Richardson electrifying us with the narration). I only once heard the French version led by Stravinsky, many years ago, but it remains an indelible memory. The subsequent recording for CBS/Sony/Columbia (whatever it's called these days) was later and it remains my favorite of reasonably easily available versions. Consider the soloists: George Shirley as Oedipus, Shirley Verrett as a towering Jocasta, Donald Gramm as Creon, John Reardon as the Messenger. And the leaden narration is nonetheless read with considerable drama by John Westbrook. In the present recording none of the soloists measures up to that cast. The best of the lot is Jennifer Lane as Jocasta (and her Wood Dove in Craft's recently released 'Gurre-Lieder' is outstanding). Martyn Hill is adequate as Oedipus, but only just. David Wilson-Johnson is miscast as Creon; he has neither the lower vocal range nor the rhythmic sense of the great Donald Gramm; he also sings the Messenger, more or less adequately. The real high point for this recording is the presence of the Simon Joly Male Chorus; they sing well, with drama and heft. Their pronunciation of the Latin is a bit puzzling (as, come to think of it, is true of the soloists; I wonder if that is Craft's doing?). I think they are mimicking what is thought to be 'classical' Latin pronunciation, rather than the Italianized Latin used by most singers these days. But it is jarring to hear such things as 'Oydipus' and 'c' always pronounced as a 'k.'

Craft, in his booklet notes, quotes the famous Norton Lecture assertion by Leonard Bernstein that Stravinsky was influenced in his writing of 'Oedipus' by Verdi's 'Aïda.' It really makes sense; this is surely one of the most nearly operatic of Stravinsky's mid-period works; in spite of it generally being performed unstaged, its official designation is 'opera-oratorio.' Unfortunately, Craft seems to ignore this insight and conducts it as if it were a religious rite, not a dramatic story. Stravinsky does not make that mistake in his own recordings.

But now we come to a joyous and exhilarating performance of 'Les Noces.' This is a score rarely heard in concert because of its unusual instrumentation (four pianos, seventeen percussion instruments). Special performances are also rare because it is not long enough to take up an entire evening and there are very few works by other composers that partake of similar instrumentation. I was once fortunate to see a performance that featured native Russian dancers and actors (the Pokrovsky Ensemble) who portrayed the action of the peasant wedding. It remains a vivid memory. As Andrew Clements has stated, in this work 'Russian musical inheritance is presented without any civilizing filters.' Nothing like Western art music development or form intrudes. This is raw, powerful, evocative music. Some people find it crude and intolerable. I find it exhilarating. There have been few recordings of 'Les Noces,' although there was one many years ago that featured as pianists the eminent American composers Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, Lukas Foss and Roger Sessions. Unfortunately, the singers and percussionists were not first-rate. No such problem here. All participants are fully up to the task. As I follow the score I note that the tricky rhythms are managed extremely well, better even than the composers mentioned above! The pianists here are Elizabeth Bergmann, Marcel Bergmann, Jeroen van Veen and Maarten van Veen who make up the International Piano Quartet. The percussionists are the 'Tristan Fry Percussion Ensemble,' a group of six players that I gather is an ad hoc group; whatever they are, they're terrific. The Simon Joly Chorale manage the complex rhythms and fast-moving Russian text fluidly (although I must admit my Russian doesn't allow for much more than simply following the words in the score as they fly by). The excellent vocal soloists are Alison Wells, soprano; Susan Bickley, mezzo; Martyn Hill, tenor; and the cavernous-voiced basso Alan Ewing.

What to do? At this price, I would recommend the CD for 'Les Noces.' I cannot recommend 'Oedipus' when there are better versions out there--although some of the ones I mention might require some searching.

TT=76:29

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating: Mr. Gould: the Genius of Recorded Music! The definitive interpretation of Schoenberg piano works Keep listening The "least dry" Schoenberg ever A Master Pianist Plays His Favorites

Schoenberg: Piano Works Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Schoenberg | Schoenberg, Arnold | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Gould, Glenn | ( G ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Glenn Gould Edition: Berg, Krenek, Webern, Debussy & Ravel Hindemith: The 3 Piano Sonatas Glenn Gould Edition: Chopin / Mendelssohn / Scriabin / Prokofiev Mozart: The Complete Sonatas; Fantasias, K397 & K475 Gould Meets Menuhin ASIN: B0000028O6 Release Date: 1995-02-07

Tracks:

1. Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11: Massige
2. Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11: Massige
3. Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11: Bewegte
4. Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Sehr langsam
5. Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Sehr rasch
6. Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Langsam
7. Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Schwungvoll. Massige
8. Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23: Wlazer
9. Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Leicht, zart
10. Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Langsam
11. Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Sehr langsame
12. Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Rasch, aber leicht
13. Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Etwas rasch
14. Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19: Sehr langsam
15. Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Praludium. Rasch
16. Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Gavotte. Etwas langsam. nicht hastig - Musette. Rascher - Gavotte da capo
17. Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Intermezzo
18. Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Menuett. Moderato - Trio - Menuette da capo
19. Suite for Piano, Op. 25: Gigue. Rasch
20. Two Piano Pieces, Op. 33- A & B: Massige
21. Two Piano Pieces, Op. 33- A & B: Massig langsam

Tracks:

1. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra, Op. 42: Andante -
2. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra, Op. 42: Molto allegro
3. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra, Op. 42: Adagio
4. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra, Op. 42: Giocoso
5. Phantasy For Violin And Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47: Grave - Piu mosso - Meno mosso - Lento - Grazioso - Tempo I - Piu mosso -
6. Phantasy For Violin And Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47: Scherzando - Poco tranquillo - Scherzando - Meno mosso - Tempo I
7. Ode To Napoleon Buonaparte, Op. 41
8. Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Mondestrunken
9. Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Colombine
10. Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Der Dandy
11. Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Eine blasse Wascherin
12. Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Valse de Chopin
13. Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Madonna
14. Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21: Der kranke Mond

Customer Reviews:

Mr. Gould: the Genius of Recorded Music!.......2005-01-31

Gould was playing Schoenberg in the 1950s--just shortly after the composer's death. He realizes the Op. 11 pieces in a very late-Brahmsian manner, in keeping with his gestalt of turn-of-the-century Modern music, viz., Brahms, Strauss, Scriabin, Schoenberg, Hindemith, et al.

The Op. 25 Suite is an exquisite refraction of a Bach French Suite--but done in Schoenberg's 12-tone form. Here Gould plays Schoenberg as he does Bach!

Gould's realization of Schoenberg's Piano Concerto is very secco (dry), and intentionally miked very closely: i.e., the recording was made with microphones placed close to the performers, rather than way back out in the audience area of a hall. This was Gould's idea, and the results are outstanding: the best Schoenberg Piano Concerto available--pace, Uchida and Brendel, et al.

Gould's Pierrot is his first attempt at conducting, and one wishes he had completed it and done more. In the end, Gould conducted Wagner's Siegfried Idyll with outstanding results.

This is a great set.

The definitive interpretation of Schoenberg piano works.......2003-12-27

While other pianists dabbled at these fine pieces, none other than Glenn Gould provides the definitive interpretation of Schoenberg's piano works. Thoroughly studied, Gould presents the serialism clearly and presents the dimensions of the revolutionary works.

By detaching yourself from the tonality of traditional tonal music, and immersing in the world of Schoenberg, the shape and lines of the music will gradually become clear. Gould is perhaps the greatest advocate and messenger of Schoenberg's distinct language.

Keep listening.......2000-09-13

These are difficult pieces for me. They require concentrated listening, and challenge my understanding of music. Sometimes, I don't like what I hear, and other times, it's just too much work to listen to very much of this. However, when I am able to devote some time to listening with an understanding mind, I am amply rewarded. I have listened to this CD for several years and I will probably never understand this music. I do enjoy listening and learning from it, though. I am thankful that someone as talented as Glenn Gould has interpreted these pieces. If you are interested in one of the most important composers of the twentieth century, or one of the greatest legends of the keyboard, this CD will interest you. To paraphrase what Moby wrote on his CD, Animal Rights, "Please listen to this CD completely at least once."

The "least dry" Schoenberg ever.......1999-11-10

I believe wholeheartedly that, for the uninitiated, this disc is difficult to truly appreciate without having heard other pianists attempt these pieces (e.g., Pollini). To enjoy listening to Schoenberg necessitates a certain familiarity with prolonged "dissonance", just like strong coffee or unfiltered beer--it takes some getting used to. If you're already there, it's not "dissonant", it's "music" (just like other alternate melodic conceptions-raga, gamelan, mbira, partch, etc.), and Gould's passionate readings here display his love for and understanding of the music's heart. Go Glenn.

A Master Pianist Plays His Favorites.......1999-04-08

Schoenberg's rigid mathematics, his triads, his serialism, his tonal abilities, when demonstated through his piano pieces (especially through these piano pieces) allow a pianist with the mechanical ability and inspired play of Glenn Gould the chance to demonstrate how to hear, feel and convey a music that, to many listeners, often reflects, upon fist listen, chaos. But the music on this 2 CD set is not to be listened to merely once. Glenn Gould, master pianist, is playing his favorite works by one of his favorite composers. The Schoenberg basher will hear more chaos than in other recordings of these piano pieces, merely because Gould's sure fingers, his hands, are as revolutionary as the music he is playing.

Average customer rating: Ballet Hits Two of Stravinsky's Most Popular Works, Beautifully Done

Stravinsky: Pulcinella; The Fairy's Kiss Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus) Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete Original Version); Petrushka (Revised 1947 Version) Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring: The Nightingale Rorem: Flute Concerto; Violin Concerto ASIN: B000CEVU4E Release Date: 2006-01-17

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Serenata: Mentre L'Erbetta
3. I. Scherzino/II. Allegro/III. Andantino/IV. Allegro
4. Allegretto: Contento Forse Vivere
5. Allegro Assai
6. Allegro (Alla Breve): Con Queste Paroline
7. Largo: Sento Dire No' Nce Pace
8. Chi Disse Ca La Femmena
9. Allegro: Nce Sta Quaccuna Po'
10. Presto: Una Te Fa La 'Nzemprece
11. Larghetto
12. Allegro Alla Breve
13. Allegro Moderato: Tarantella
14. Andantino: Se Tu M'Ami
15. Toccata
16. Allegro Moderato: Gavotta With Two Variations (Allegretto, Allegro)
17. Vivo
18. Minuet: Pupillette, Fiammette
19. Finale: Allegro Assai
20. Scene I
21. Scene II
22. Scene III
23. Scene IV

Customer Reviews:

Ballet Hits.......2007-03-10

Naxos comes to the rescue again, taking two superb out-of-print recordings and reissuing them on its own label. Stravinsky outdid himself when he rescued some lesser known works by Pergolesi and Tchaikovsky and used his own magic to create a pair of memorable ballets. The perfomances are conducted by Robert Craft, one of the composer's closest friends, and could not be bettered. The mid-1990s sound is first class. At Naxos prices, this CD is a real bargain.

Two of Stravinsky's Most Popular Works, Beautifully Done.......2006-01-31

These mid-90s performances of Pulcinella and The Fairy's Kiss (Baiser de la Fée) conducted by Robert Craft were previously issued on Koch International with different couplings. But issuing them together is a good idea because they are two of Stravinsky's most tuneful, most easily assimilated works based as they are on music of earlier composers and they are given sensational readings here. (I will admit that these works are two of my very favorites by Stravinsky.) One immediately thinks of Pulcinella, based on music by Pergolesi and other early Italians, as being brash and witty, and The Fairy's Kiss as elegant. But in fact each of the works has both of those qualities albeit in somewhat different proportions. Pulcinella is often recognized by folks who don't otherwise know the work well when the 'Vivo' movement is played; that's the section with those sassy trombone smears and the mock-melancholic double bass figures. The Fairy's Kiss, on the other hand, taken as it is from Tchaikovsky themes, sounds in spots almost like an echt-Tchaikovsky ballet until Stravinsky does his witty things with meter and instrumentation. Throughout, though, this is music that could not have been written by anyone other than Stravinsky.

Robert Craft has known this music for fifty years and more. He was, as most know, Stravinsky's acolyte and nearly constant companion in his latter years. He is sometimes thought of as a somewhat pedantic conductor, but in actuality he is not so much pedantic as true to his master, observing all there is in the score - rhythm, nuance, balances, dynamics. And in these two works he conducts them with all the juice they contain. These are lovely, artful, sophisticated performances with immediacy and vitality. Although I own Stravinsky's own recordings of these works, I actually think I prefer these performances, not least because they are in modern sound. But also because they don't hesitate to throw in a little cholesterol which Stravinsky tended to eschew.

It should be pointed out that the fine soloists in Pulcinella are the lovely-voiced soprano Diana Montague (who can forget her recording of Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris?), tenor Robin Leggate and basso Mark Beesley. The brashly vital orchestral playing for Pulcinella is by the Philharmonia. The elegant playing for The Fairy's Kiss is by the London Symphony Orchestra.

You cannot go wrong with this CD.

Scott Morrison

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