Soul'd Out [Import]

1. You Make Me Wanna [Extended Version] - Usher

2. I'll Be Missing You - 112, P. Diddy, P. Diddy

3. Step by Step - Whitney Houston

4. Waterfalls - TLC

5. There You Are - Sam Salter

6. Nobody Knows - The Tony Rich Project

7. Right Here [Human Nature Remix] - SWV

8. Too Close - Next

9. Romeo and Juliet - Chill,

10. Feel So Good - Mase

11. Mo Money Mo Problems - Mase, The Notorious B.I.G., P. Diddy, P. Diddy

12. Don't Take It Personal

13. Rose Is Still a Rose - Aretha Franklin

14. Never, Never Gonna Give You Up - Lisa Stansfield

15. Love Don't Live Here Anymore - Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans

16. Hard to Say I'm Sorry - Az Yet

17. How Could an Angel Break My Heart - Toni Braxton, Kenny G.

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

634-5789
Here I Am
The Dark End Of The Street
99 1/2
I Was Made To Love Her
When A Man Loves A Woman
Groove Me
Two Steps From The Blues
Mustang Sally
I Thank You
I Found A Love

Customer Reviews:

R&B PAVAROTTI........1999-05-12

a voice like no other, jc is the coolest thing since power steering. as gymnastic as any vocalist you'll hear in THIS lifetime, i'd willingly listen to his renditions of 'three blind mice,' and 'the hokey pokey.' not having this record is like calling down a plague. don't tempt fate. buy one and have your friends buy one. otherwise all the flowers will die.

You've got to hear it to believe it!.......1999-04-29

John Cowan is singer that you can't be told about. You have to hear him to believe him. Everytime I turn a friend onto this guy they are hooked! Buy the CD and then look for him your area. You will not only be entertained but literally blown away!

Awesome!.......1999-03-04

John Cowan has the greatest voice I have ever heard. I have seen him perform live dozens of times and he is unbelievable. You can feel his voice, it's that powerful! There really are no other words to describe it. Get this CD you will love it! You will never hear anyone..ANYONE.. that can sing better than John Cowan. A must have.

John Cowan can do no wrong, groove me all night long........1999-02-12

John Cowan is one of the most versatile voices to come along in years. Whether it is blues, soul, rock, country, or bluegrass he can sing them all wonderfully. One of Nashville's best kept secrets!

Average customer rating:

Old Fashioned Sincerity
One of the worst recordings ever made
Pete's Dad

Handel's Messiah

Manufacturer: Golden Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | 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
ASIN: B00013ND8M
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Overture
Comfort Ye My People
Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted
And the Glory of the Lord
Thus Saith the Lord of Hosts
But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?
And He Shall Purify the Sons of Levi
Behold a Virgin Shall Conceive
O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion
For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth
People That Walked in Darkness
For Unto Us a Child Is Born
Pastorale Symphony
There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Field
Glory to God in the Highest
Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion
Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Open'd
He Shall Feed His Flock Like a Shepherd
His Yoke Is Easy, His Burden Is Light
Behold the Lamb of God

Tracks:

He Was Despised and Rejected of Men
Surely, He Hath Borne Our Griefs
And With His Stripes We Are Healed
All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray
All They That See Him, Laugh Him to Scorn
He Trusted in God That He Would Deliver Him
Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart
Behold, And See If There Be Any Sorrow
He Was Cut Off Out of the Land of the Living
But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell
Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates
How Beautiful Are the Feet of Them
Why Do the Nations So Furiously Rage
Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder
He That Dwelleth in Heaven
Thou Shalt Break Them With a Rod of Iron
Hallelujah - London Philharmonic Chorus
I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
Since by Man Came Death - For as in Adam, Even So in Christ
Behold, I Tell You a Mystery
Trumpet Shall Sound
Worthy Is the Lamb That Was Slain
Amen

Customer Reviews:

Old Fashioned Sincerity.......2006-12-30

This is not the best recording of Messiah but it is by no means a disaster. Susskind was an able conductor with a valid view of this great piece. The recording from the 1950s is more than adequate (there is some roughness in the treble but it is full and clear - though some edits are very obvious indeed). The orchestra is excellent and the choir sing well. The soloists - all of them - are superb, among the very best in any version of Messiah! Susskind's tempos are slow by modern standards but there is good rhythmical bounce and a genuine sense of the greatness of the piece. If you can adjust to the broad tempos and the big scale conception then you will discover important aspects of this masterpiece in this performance - and the set costs next to nothing!

One of the worst recordings ever made.......2006-05-10

This is only my second one star review. And I am rather generous with stars. But this recording is just horrible, especially considering that all of the participants are legendary musicians. First of all, this is extremely old fashioned Handel. The textures are way too heavy for music of the baroque. But worst of all, the performance just sits there like mud on your tires that won't come off. Yes, the price is very low, but whatever you do, do not buy this recording.

Pete's Dad.......2005-12-11

I have had a CD of the London Philharmonic version of the Messiah conducted by Fredrick Jackson for several years and enjoyed listening to it. However, the quality of the recording leaves something to be desired.

Average customer rating:

Alive
Soul'd Out
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Japan | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

International | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000E6GBS0
Release Date: 2006-03-20

Tracks:

Deep Space (Intro)
Alive
Tokyo
Pop N' Top
Dressing Room (Interlude)
Catwalk
Japanese Title
Japanese Title
Shuffle Dayz
A Spacious Floor
Sick
Fire Rhymer
Japanese Title
Morning (Outro)

Average customer rating:

"We Can't Be Stopped" it's not (2.5/5)
Classic!!
willie d is the best . i want this cd.
Amazon is the only place you can get this CD.

I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier
Willie D.
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Southern Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000W82
Release Date: 1995-04-25

Tracks:

Profile Of A Criminal
I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier
Pass Da Piote'
Die
Clean Up Man
U Ain't No Ganksta
Trenchcoats-N-Ganksta Hats
Rodney K.
Campaign 92'
Go Back 2 School
U Still A Aggin
Little Hooker
Yo P My D
Backstage
What's Up Aggin
My Alibi

Customer Reviews:

"We Can't Be Stopped" it's not (2.5/5).......2007-01-30

After the national success of Geto Boys' excellent 1991 LP "We Can't Be Stopped," member Willie D soon left the group and released his second solo album, "I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier," within a year. It's pretty evident that Willie was trying to capitalize on the success of that album, because many elements of that album are also present here. The bare bones production, yelling chants for hooks, and delivering lyrics that are extremely controversial. But the problem is that none of the material on this album is even close in quality or effectiveness as the music on "We Can't Be Stopped." Where all of that album comes across as heartfelt and relevant, "I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier" is rarely so. I believe Willie D to be an excellent MC, and I have always loved his Geto Boys work and really love him because he's so multi-dimensional. But on this release, he is actually quite one dimensional. Every song here is an angry, crazy effort to come across as wild and controversial. I really like Willie when he's crazy like that, but I also like the songs where he digs deeper and shows a little social consciousness, and there's not really any of that here. You sort of get the feeling that he's trying to be controversial simply for the sake of it. The production actually sounds quite dated for a 1992 release, mostly lacking the southern-fried simple genius of "We Can't Be Stopped." There are certainly a handful of good songs on "I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier," a few that capture the fist-pumping rebelliousness of the best Geto Boys songs, but the lack of original subject matter and repetitiveness make it an album that would be okay to pass on.

After the intro, the album begins with the title track, which may well be the best on the album. It's one of the few that really recaptures the charismatic anger of the early Geto Boys group albums, and Willie's delivery and rhymes are quite effective. "Pass the Piote" is actually quite good as well, drawing in the listener with a good hook chant and opening rap. Things begin to slow down on "Die," a lethargically slow and predictable threatening song that isn't original. "Clean Up Man" has a terrible chorus and is poorly executed. "U Ain't No Ganksta" shows decent production and delivery, but Willie's rhymes feel very familiar. "Trenchcoats-N-Gangsta Hats" is a highlight on the album, a rallying cry for the mobster attire of the old days. "F... Rodney King" was obviously this album's most controversial song, a song condemning the social leader as an Uncle Tom and a softie. This song is pretty effective, but I think it could be better, and the outro that depicts Rodney being murdered on the street is a little distasteful. "Go Back 2 School" is a pretty good but forgettable song telling kids to get an education. "U Still a N..." is an odd and awkward mix of reggae and rap. "Little Hooker" condemns a certain woman, and the awful "Yo P My D" is just painful. The album ends with the just-decent "What's Up N..." and one of the better songs, "My Alibi."

Over the years I've heard this album described as slept-on, and it's true that it didn't get the right promotion or attention for a Geto Boys project, but as far as I'm concerned for an album to be slept on it actually has to be a great album. The truth is that "I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier" is a weak effort from a great MC, an album of standard and predictable 1992 gangsta fare without anything to really set it apart. It might be a cliché, but I'd say to stick with the classics in this case, as "We Can't Be Stopped" and fellow Geto Boy Scarface's classic album "The Diary" are far superior efforts to this, and as this is now out of print paying $50+ would simply be outrageous. This isn't one of those lost gems of the Rap-a-Lot/Geto Boys catalog. For those looking for a Willie D solo album, I might suggest his 1994 effort "Play Witcha Mama," an album far superior to this one.

Classic!!.......2005-07-04

I still have the original cd that I got in '92! This album brings back alot of memories of my crazy and wild days! I'm from the Philly area, and I think me and my boys were the only ones around that knew about Willie D and the Geto Boys. My favorite songs on the album would be "Trenchcoats & Gangster hats" and "My Alibi" But over all definatly a sentimental favorite from my teenage days! Great album from Beginning to end Willie D never pulls any punches! He's a wild dude!

willie d is the best . i want this cd........1999-08-05

his music is great i have listened to his music ever since hes been singing. ive bought this cd and controversy but ive lost them i would like o get them again.

Amazon is the only place you can get this CD........1999-04-03

Willies style of rapping is far different than any one elses he mixes up somany different tunes and lyrics. I mean one minute he'l be singing in a rasta tune and talkin about passin the Paeody, and the next he'l be singin in a porno kind of beat talkin about stealin some guy's girl. But as for the cd it is as good as they get.

Average customer rating:

Dupré: Works for Organ, Vol. 9

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | 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:

Dupré: Works for Organ, Vol. 7
Dupré: Works for Organ, Vol. 3
Dupré: Works for Organ, Vol. 13
Marcel Dupré: Works for Organ, Vol. 5
Dupré: Organ Works Vol.10

ASIN: B000038I7V
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Tracks:

Son in a, Op.60: Allegro Marcato - Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Son in a, Op.60: Allegro Moderato - Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Son in a, Op.60: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Trio, Op.55: I. (Withoug Movt Indication) - Timothy Durbin/Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Trio, Op.55: II. Lento - Timothy Durbin/Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Trio, Op.55: III. (Energico-Largo-Presto) - Timothy Durbin/Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Qt, Op.52: Prld - Timothy Durbin/Jennifer Rende/Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Qt, Op.52: Scherzando - Timothy Durbin/Jennifer Rende/Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Qt, Op.52: Larghetto - Timothy Durbin/Jennifer Rende/Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Qt, Op.52: Rondo - Timothy Durbin/Jennifer Rende/Clyde Beavers/Bruce Neswick
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 31. Lord God Now Open Wide Thy Heaven
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 32. Lord Jesus Christ, Turn To Us
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 33. My Soul Longeth To Depart In Peace
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 48. Descend, O Jesus, From Heaven To Earth
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 49. Kyrie, God The Everlasting Father
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 50. Kyrie, Christ The Comforter Of The World
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 51. Kyrie, God The Holy Ghost
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 52. Beloved Jesus, Here We Stand
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 53. Praise The Lord Almighty
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 54. Praise God, All Ye Christians
Chorales, Op.28, Nos.31-33, 48-54 & 57: 57. Now Thank We All Our God
Regina Coeli, Op.64
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 58. Rejoice Now, Beloved Christians
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 59. Come Now, Saviour Of The Heathen
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 60. O Gracious God
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 63. The Child Was Born In Bethlehem
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 64. Deck Thyself, O Beloved Soul
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 68. Out Of High Heaven Have I Come
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 69. From Heaven Come Angels
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 70. I Will Never Part From God
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 71. Before Thy Throne I Will Appear
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 72. Awake! Hear The Call Of Watchmen
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 73. He That Suffereth God To Guide Him
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 74. How Bright Shineth The Day-Star
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 75. We Christians
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 76. We Thank Thee, Lord Jesus, For Thy Redemptive Death
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 77. We All Believe In One God
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 78. We All Believe In One God
Chorales, Op.38, Nos.58-60, 63, 64 & 68-79: 79. Whither Shall I Flee?

Amazon.com

Marcel Dupré is an important historical as well as musical figure, his compositional freedom linking the golden age of Widor and Vierne with the radical rethinking that Messiaen saw through in his great organ cycles. Never doing things by halves, Naxos has reached Volume 9 of the complete organ works--mainly chamber pieces involving organ. Most substantial is the "Trio for Violin, Cello, and Organ," in one sense a throwback to the Baroque line of trio sonatas, but with a harmonic richness that indicates a late-19th-century inheritance--thoughtful, undemonstrative music, persuasively realized by Bruce Neswick and colleagues. The "Quartet" adds a viola to the lineup, but a delightful scherzando apart is a lesser affair, while the "Sonata for Cello and Organ" is a modest but interesting work (at least for the way Dupré makes a telling contrast between the sonorities of the two instruments). Again, perceptive playing from Neswick, whose Indiana organ has a clear, bright sound that makes the generous selection of Chorales interesting for the listener as well as the player. At the price, a worthwhile collection of some unusual repertoire. --Richard Whitehouse

Average customer rating:

An AntiWar Masterpiece
Visceral power & beauty coupled with stunning performances!!
One of the best and most easily grasped of modern operas

Tippett: King Priam

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000AXV
Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

King Priam: Prelude
King Priam: Hecuba: What Is It, Nurse?
King Priam: Priam: Old Man Of Troy, You're Welcome
King Priam: Hecuba: Then Am I No Longer Mother To This Child
King Priam: Priam: A Father And A King
King Priam: Priam: The Queen Is Right
King Priam: First Interlude - Nurse, Old Man: Thus Shall A Story Begin
King Priam: 1st Huntsman: The Bull Is Away Over There
King Priam: Paris: They Have Taken My Bull
King Priam: Hector: Father, He's A Shepherd Boy
King Priam: Priam: So I'd Hoped It Might Be
King Priam: Second Interlude - Nurse, Young Guard, Old Man: Ah, But Life, Life Is A Bitter Charade
King Priam: Helen, Paris: Ah, Ah ...
King Priam: Hermes: Divine Go-between, That's Who I Am
King Priam: Paris: Lady Athene, If I Honor You ...
King Priam: Paris: Lady Hera, If I Honor You ...
King Priam: Paris: Aphrodite, If I Honor You ...
King Priam: Hector: So You've Given Up Fighting!
King Priam: Priam: So Trojans Honor Menelaus ...
King Priam: First Interlude - Old Man: Hermes, Hermes, With The Winged Feet Come Quick!
King Priam: Achilles: O Rich-soiled Land
King Priam: Achilles: Why Are You Weeping, Patroclus?
King Priam: Second Interlude - Old Man: O, O, What A Threat To Troy
King Priam: Hermes: A Hero In Achilles Armour ...
King Priam: Hector: All Trojans, All Fought Bravely

Tracks:

King Priam: Serving Woman: Lady Andromache, Should We Not Light The Fire?
King Priam: Hecuba: Daughter Andromache, You Must Go Out ...
King Priam: Andromache: Did You Hear?
King Priam: Helen: Let Her Rave
King Priam: Hecuba: O That My Ears Should Hear Impiety So Gross!
King Priam: Andromache: Now You Shall Go
King Priam: First Interlude - Serving Women: No ... No ... No ... We Have It From The Runner
King Priam: Priam: What Is Happening?
King Priam: Young Guard: A Crime
King Priam: Nurse: The Soul Will Answer From Where The Pain Is Quickest
King Priam: Second Interlude
King Priam: Achilles: Priam! Here! What Is This?
King Priam: Priam: I Clasp Your Knees, Achilles
King Priam: Achilles: Old Man, I Am Touched
King Priam: Third Interlude -
King Priam: Paris: Where Is My Father, Where Is Priam?
King Priam: Chorus: Ah, Ah! Ah, Ah!
King Priam: Chorus: Ah, Ha, Ha, Ha
King Priam: Chorus: Ah, Ah!

Customer Reviews:

An AntiWar Masterpiece.......2002-08-26

Tippett and Britten were composers who, though very different in temperment and style, had many interests in common. One of the overiding concerns with both composers was the moral response to war and it's horrors. For Britten, the War Requiem and Owen Wingrave are his very clear moral response to war. Tippet, in his fashion is much more psychological in this work, which must rank as one of Tippett's best and most powerful operatic statements.

King Priam is a dramatic tour de force. Based on the Illiad as seen through the eyes of the Trojans, the work is a meditation on the inevitability of fate in mass movements like war. Priam, though illdisposed to the war, is unable to stop or control it as it takes both of his sons, his kingdom and then finally his own life. He emerges as a figure of moral power and grandeur, but ultimately as impotent and tragic. This libretto is one of Tippett's best and most clear statements.

Musically, Priam is a powerhouse, inaugurating Tippett's second major style. Priam is constructed in a mosaic style. Small chamber groups of instruments with defined musical content are assigned to characters. As the work develops, these small groups combine and recombine in a shifting maze of patterns that seems to endlessly reinvent itself. The music starts out as largely tonal, but the tonality breaks down as Fate takes over and dooms the Trojans. The work is never serial, but it takes an almost Bergian view of tonality, sometimes more and sometimes less tonal as the dramatic situation warrants. The vocal lines are mostly declaimed, but with moments of lyricism that are unfogettable, such as Priam's first aria, A Father and a King, or the beautiful scene between Priam and Achilles in the third act. And Achilles war cry at the end of act two is bone chilling!

This is a great performance of this piece. Many of the singers originated the roles and sing them with power and authority. Phillip Langridge is terrific as Paris. Robert Tear is a marvelous Achilles. David Aetherton conducts this difficult score with precision and a fine ear for balances.

This is a profound opera by a major 20th century composer. If you like Britten, you should own this as well. It is increasingly looking like Tippett's masterpiece.

Visceral power & beauty coupled with stunning performances!!.......2001-06-13

I bought this on a whim, having heard only the slightest bit of Tippett's orchestral music and none of his operas. I expected the music to be "difficult," and the performances stilted, but I was oh so wrong! Yes, this is definitely late 20th century music -- often dissonant and atonal, but it is utterly beautiful, emotionally moving music. I'm a huge fan of Britten's operas, and judge all modern opera composers by his standards, and (pardon my gushing) Sir Michael is more than up to the challenge. First of all, he takes on the daunting task of adapting the Iliad into a opera libretto and manages to compress the drama beautifully into 3 acts that tell the story imaginatively, comprehensively and in a wholly theatrical manner. Second, he uses the music to heighten the sense of character by giving each persona a unique style of vocal line and orchestration (yes, this is what all composers do, or try to do, but Tippett succeeds in a way few others do). Several of the characters are accompanied by solo instruments (bravura parts of concerto-like difficulty performed brilliantly) -- Achilles by solo guitar, Helen by solo cello, King Priam by violin, etc. Three characters form a sort of Greek chorus who comment on the action and bring a sense of questioning morality to the whole.

All of the solo singers are astutely cast and sing with amazing power. Standouts (difficult to single out any of them, they're all so brilliant): Phillip Langridge is first-rate as Paris, Priam's second son -- he sings with enormous power and pathos at the same time. Felicity Palmer is velvety sex personified as Helen. Norman Bailey as Priam has a raw edginess to his sound, which lends such a sense of reality to a man pushed to the edge by fate and his warring sons. The London Philharmonia gives a virtuoso performance, led sensitively and intelligently by David Atherton. The digital sound is crystal clear and beautifully engineered: the sound couldn't be better live at the Met! Take a chance on this one, and enter into an operatic world you will never forget.

One of the best and most easily grasped of modern operas.......1999-02-27

Contemporary opera was never the same after King Priam, a suitable irony given that the Opera is perhaps the most easily grasped by the listening public of the 5 Tippett Operas. Even so, the "crisis of King Prian" stylistically and emotionally is the germ-seed for the eccentrism yet to come in "The Knot Garden", "The Ice Break", and "New Year". Tippett's theme is the futility of choice and the nature of the impact of choice on humanity in the micro-sphere of the individual and the macro-sphere of the community and history. Tippett's unusual yet perfectly conceived recasting of the Iliad from the Trojan persepctive does more than summarize plot, but pauses to comment on the universal human potential implicit therein. A must-buy for Tippett fans and for anyone who likes opera, Greek Mythology, classical music, or a good story.

Customer Reviews:

great, great!!!.......2006-12-05

This is the way ,I think, Purcell should sound. No pomp and surcomstance but only great music.

ALL THE MUSIC YOU EVER NEED!!.......2003-05-23

This boxed set is by far one of the best purchases I have ever made. As a Purcell freak, this hits every button I have. The cast of characters include the inequitable Robert King, New College Choir, Bowman, and a host of other venerable persons. Likewise the attention to period performance of these works makes it an essential addition to the library of any serious anglophile/Musicologist etc. Now if only the Britten Realizations of all Purcell's songs could be recorded alongside the originals! You will Love this set!