Mood & Moods, Vol. 2 [Import]

Disc: 1

1. Tubular Bells [Opening Theme] - Mike Oldfield

2. Sweet Lullaby - Deep Forest

3. Sole

4. Adiemus - Adiemus

5. In a Stone Circle - Ian Anderson

6. Nirvana

7. Mahk Jchi (Heartbeat Drum Song) - Robbie Robertson

8. Traditional - B-Tribe,

9. Heart Asks Pleasure First - Michael Nyman

10. Theme from "Caravans" - Vanessa-Mae

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Classical Gas - Vanessa-Mae

2. Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

3. Aria - Yanni

4. Carrickfergus

5. Theme from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me - Angelo Badalamenti

6. Cariquima - Illapu

7. Marina - Chico & The Gypsies,

8. Only You - Praise

9. Sadeness, Pt. 1 - Enigma

10. Moonlight Shadow [Extended Version] - Mike Oldfield

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Mood & Moods, Vol. 2,Various Artists,EMI Int'l,Contemporary Instrumental,Ethnic Fusion,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Relaxation

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Average customer rating: Better than it ought to be I'm gonna wear this one out Tony Bennett It really swings Not bad but the voice is going--sorry

Duets: An American Classic Tony Bennett Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Sony | Computers Brands | Computers Features | Electronics | Desktops | Monitors | Networking | Notebooks Similar Items: From This Moment On Awake Love James Taylor at Christmas Wintersong ASIN: B000H0MKGU Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

1. LULLABY OF BROADWAY duet with Dixie Chicks
2. SMILE duet with Barbra Streisand
3. PUT ON A HAPPY FACE duet with James Taylor
4. THE GOOD LIFE duet with Billy Joel
5. THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE duet with Juanes
6. RAGS TO RICHES duet with Elton John
7. THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU duet with Paul McCartney
8. COLD, COLD HEART duet with Tim McGraw
9. IF I RULED THE WORLD duet with Celine Dion
10. THE BEST IS YET TO COME duet with Diana Krall
11. FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE duet with Stevie Wonder
12. ARE YOU HAVIN ANY FUN? duet with Elvis Costello
13. BECAUSE OF YOU duet with k.d. lang
14. JUST IN TIME duet with Michael Bubl
15. THE BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS duet with Sting
16. I WANNA BE AROUND - duet with Bono
17. SING, YOU SINNERS duet with John Legend
18. I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO
19. HOW DO YOU KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING? duet with George Michael

Amazon.com

At this point, who else but Tony Bennett would have the clout to round up stars on the scale of Elton John, Paul McCartney, Bono, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand for some duets? (Note also that unlike some similar projects, all the parties involved on this CD were alive when it was recorded!) The material consists of relatively obvious classics in standard big-band arrangements, and Bennett himself is in top form at age 80, so much so that he doesn't need anybody else to handle "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." But the fun comes from checking out how his collaborators fare. The Dixie Chicks provide wonderful Andrews Sisters-type harmonies on the percolating version of "Lullaby of Broadway" that opens the festivities. The best songs tend to be the ones where Bennett's slightly craggy voice is juxtaposed to smooth female ones, like Diana Krall on "The Best Is Yet to Come," familiar accomplice k.d. lang on the sultry "Because of You" and Streisand—-perhaps Bennett's only equal in stature at this point—on "Smile." Among the less expected guests, soulman John Legend is a revelation on the hard-swinging "Sing, You Sinners," while George Michael confirms he's quite the crooner on "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" Elvis Costello, Celine Dion or Juanes don't sound as comfortable, and sometimes it feels as if they overdo it to compensate, but overall this collection is among the best of its kind, with most guests rising to the occasion. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Amazon.com

Perfecting the art of excellence for over six decades, with 105 albums selling over 50 million copies, Tony Bennett has come to represent the essence of elegance, tradition and artistic accomplishments. Tony celebrates his 80th birthday recording Duets of his greatest hits with today's greatest artists: Bono, Michael Bublé, Elvis Costello, Celine Dion, Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel, Elton John, Juanes, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, John Legend, Paul McCartney, Tim McGraw, George Michael, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, and Stevie Wonder.

More from Tony Bennett

The Art of Romance	A Wonderful World (with k. d. lang)	Perfectly Frank: An American Classic Celebrates 80
Basie Swings, Bennett Sings (DVD)	The Movie Song Album	The Classic Collection (Box Set)

Customer Reviews:

Better than it ought to be.......2007-07-24

I bought this cd because I am a shameless hoarder of everything Diana Krall touches, plus I love the Dixie Chicks, and I am a flight attendant who leaves my heart in San Francisco with every take-off. I am not a huge Tony Bennett fan, but I love vocal jazz and the songbook of standards, so I figured how bad could it be? Going in with very moderate expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by this cd. It is fun to listen to because it was obviosuly fun for the artists to make. On almost every track, the mutual admiration and bottomless talent of Bennett and each of his guests allows the artists to relax and play with the music, with eminently listenable results. I have always hated "The Best is Yet To Come" until I heard T.B. and D.K. get together on it. Now it's one of my favorite songs! (as long as I listen to this version...) Sting amazes as a torch singer, and if you have ever doubted Michael Buble's chops, he'll make you believe on "Just in Time." If this is your style of music, you won't be disappointed.

I'm gonna wear this one out.......2007-07-19

What a great disc! Not only wonderful Tony, but some other great singers, as well. I listen to it in my car and then bring it in at home so I can listen some more. I fell in love with Tony Bennett in 1953 - even wrote him love letters. I was 13 and was thrilled when I received a signed glossy 8x10 photo from him. I belonged to his fan club. His "Rags to Riches" was on the radio a lot, and I had a little 45 player in my room to spin his records on. What a thrill to fall in love with him all over again in my old age! This album is a keeper. My favorite is his duet with Stevie Wonder, whose timing and sound are excellent. I wish there was a whole album of them together. Same with Diana Krall. Buy it. You won't be sorry.

Tony Bennett.......2007-07-16

Great duets, enjoyed every song on the CD!! He still continues to amaze me with that silky voice. He's a legend....

It really swings.......2007-07-14

All classics with new voices. I bought it after seeing the special on PBS.

Not bad but the voice is going--sorry.......2007-06-27

I would say "OK" but it is not of the quality of the Ray Charles' duets. Tony is fantastic but time diminshes the quality of the voice.

Average customer rating: Higgins second album shines brightly for most, but barely gives off a spark (for me) On a Clear Night...dont compare it with The Sound of White...you will only be disappointed. Impossible to fault Beautiful Music from an Outstanding Singer/Songwriter Another Great Record.

On a Clear Night Missy Higgins Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Australia & New Zealand | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Steer The Sound of White Little Voice Twentythree All for Believing ASIN: B000P298EW Release Date: 2007-05-07

Tracks:

1. Where I Stood
2. 100 Round the Bends
3. Steer
4. Sugar Cane
5. Secret
6. Warm Whispers
7. Wrong Girl
8. Angela
9. Peachy
10. Going North
11. Forgive Me

Album Description

Missy higgins kept a very low public profile in 2006 but that doesn't mean she hasn't been keeping busy. In fact with her typical lack of fuss and fanfare the former triple j unearthed winner spent the second half of last year in los angeles recording here brand new album 'on a clear night'. The highly anticipated release is currently scheduled for the end of april in australia. The album was recorded with acclaimed producer mitchell froom who helmed the recent finn brothers cd and the first 3 crowded house albums plus discs for such acclaimed singer-songwriters as ron sexsmith, elvis costello and suzanne vega. The first song to be lifted from the album is 'steer' - a positive and life affirming song which missy previewed live during the us and uk touring she did in mid-2006. Missy's debut cd, 'the sound of white', remains in the australian top 40 over two years after its release. The album is now certified 9 times platinum and is one of the highest selling australian albums of all time!

Album Details

The Album was Recorded with Acclaimed Producer Mitchell Froom who Helmed the Recent Finn Brothers CD and the First Three Crowded House Albums plus Discs for Such Acclaimed Singer-songwriters as Ron Sexsmith, Elvis Costello and Suzanne Vega. The First Song to Be Lifted from the Album is 'steer' - a Positive and Life Affirming Song which Higgins Previewed Live During the Us and UK Touring She Did in Mid-2006.

Customer Reviews:

Higgins second album shines brightly for most, but barely gives off a spark (for me).......2007-06-16

As an Australian, it seems part of the culture to stand up for and admire Missy Higgins. I have yet to meet someone in real life and not from the internet that dislikes Missy's music.

So, I have to give this cd a one star rating simply because the songs all sound the same apart from '100 Round The Bends' and 'Steer' which are the greatest songs on the album.
Her lyrics you can't deny are beautiful and meaningful, and her voice registers much emotion as she sings, but it's just not a very interesting listen...
The songs on 'A Clear Night' which are overly mellow and slow are not particularly catchy or memorable unlike the song 'Ten Days' in her previous effort, which has just enough beauty to push through the barriers of bland and have a place in listeners who usually wouldn't listen to this kind of music's heart.
There's no doubt Missy Higgins seems like a lovely girl who cares about her music not being commercial and sticks up for causes like vegetarianism and anti-war, so this isn't a review having a go at her, but when it comes to her music, you'll either be into it straight away or not. It's not really an album that grows as such...
I strongly recommend 'The Sound Of White' album if you're a newcomer into the world of Missy Higgins - it's just an all-around better album.

Missy Higgins - never understood the hype about her music and never will, sorry. Honestly, Amiel Daemion, I believe is a much worthier singer to be placed on a pedastal and worshipped musically with this category of soft, almost acoustic music. However she doesn't get the attention she deserves, sweeter and less gritter voice, too.
And that's my review!

On a Clear Night...dont compare it with The Sound of White...you will only be disappointed........2007-06-02

Well I really thought that this album would blow "The Sound of White" away before I heard it. The truth is, it doesn't. This is because it is not in the same field as TSOW.
Her previous album was much more piano driven. This is much more upbeat guitar driven. At first listen, it was a major disappointment, but after a few full listens I can confidently say I love this album more than her first.
The songs have their own identity and I dont mind listening to any of them.. well maybe just 1 track (Secret), but even so I love all of these tracks.
Where I Stood is a track which probably mirrors her previous album more than any other, it is a great song which features more piano than anything. 9/10
100 Round The Bends is a much more upbeat song driven by funky guitars with great lyrics. A great upbeat track. 8.5/10
Steer, another guitar driven track..the 1st single. I loved it from the first listen and I still love it. Uplifting and positive. 9/10
Sugarcane goes back into the piano with light guitar and it is a pretty song. Deep lyrics and a pleasure to listen to at anytime. 8/10
Secret is a track which I dont love, but dont hate. I can tolerate it but it isnt my favourite. Its driven by guitar and its really bluesy. 7/10
Warm Whispers is a huge favourite of mine. I love the simplicity of it and the great lyrics. An absolute gem. 10/10
The Wrong Girl has to be my 2nd least favourite track, it is just flat to me, nothing different or unique about this track. 6/10
Angela is an awesome song! It is really folksy and really takes you away with its enchanting simple country music and pretty lyrics. Love it. 10/10
Peachy is a great upbeat guitar driven song with great angry lyrics and with real emotion put into it. Another favourite of mine. 10/10
Going North sounds like something off Gilmore Girls to me! haha its a great Australian-esque country-ish song with simple guitars and backing vocals with some other guy near the end which fits in great with the track. This album is getting better and better! 9/10
Forgive Me, wow this is the simplest a song can get. The term simple, yet effective applies 150% to this track. With a simple guitar and eerie echo, this track gleams with powerful vocals and emotive lyrics. This album couldn't have closed with a better track. I WANT MORE! 9.5/10

So incase you couldnt tell, the 2nd half of the album really hit it with me and I truly believe after a few listens you will love this album and appreciate all the things going for it like the music, lyrics and vocals.
Pick this up. The only reason people are so majorly disappointed by this is because they are directly comparing it to The Sound of White and not judging it individually as its own body of work. Please try it out, you are missing out on some true gems!

Essential tracks:
Where I Stood
100 Round The Bends
Steer
Warm Whispers
Angela
Peachy
Going North
Forgive Me
4 ½ stars from me!

Impossible to fault.......2007-05-29

I really thought Aussie singer/songwriter Missy Higgins might have a struggle on her hands to better her excellent 2004 debut The Sound Of White. But with her second release, On A Clear Night, she may well have done just that. Her latest batch of songs are, in a word - gorgeous, and their appeal grows with each listen. Opener 'Where I Stood' is an immediate highlight, a song which shivers with emotion, pulling the listener in with a trademark Higgin's tail of lost love/lost identity over a beguiling, yearning melody. Other standouts are the single 'Steer', the breathlessly beautiful 'Warm Whispers' and the 'The Wrong Girl' which seems to have set up permanent residence in my brain - not that I mind one bit. I've only been in possession of On A Clear Night for a couple of weeks, but I sense already, that I'm gonna keep coming back to this album time and time again. Missy Higgins has again shown us just what a genuine talent she is - one of the most gifted and luminescent singer/songwriters to have graced the scene in some time.

Beautiful Music from an Outstanding Singer/Songwriter.......2007-05-12

Entering at #1 on the Australian charts upon its release in April 2007, "On A Clear Night" is Missy Higgins' second studio album and a thoroughly enjoyable follow up to her highly successful debut, "The Sound of White". A more tightly packaged collection of material than the latter, "On A Clear Night" contains the same perfect combination of velvet vocals, emotive lyrics, top-quality songwriting and production that her debut did. The lead single "Steer", a #1 single in Australia, is catchy and engaging. But there is much better on this album. "Where I Stood", "Sugarcane" and "Warm Whispers" are beautiful and timeless songs that demonstrate the abundance of musical talent which Missy Higgins possesses - these three songs alone qualify "On A Clear Night" as a truly quality recording. The more acoustic tracks "Secret" and "Forgive Me", and the folk-like "Going North", are additional bonuses that add to an already fine collection of original tracks. Along with the spectacularly gifted Tina Arena, Missy Higgins is an outsanding ambassador for Australian music at the global level and she deservedly has a long recording future ahead of her. 5/5.

Another Great Record. .......2007-05-09

Missy Higgins is a fantastic singer and songwriter, which is just as evident on her second record as it was on her first "The Sound of White." It will be all but impossible for her to match the hype and buzz surrounding her freshman record, but in my eyes the quality of "On a Clear Night" is right up there with it.

The album is less piano driven then "The Sound of White" a fact that Missy says is due to her constant touring behind the success of the first album. She says that it's harder to write songs on the piano when you are on the road, so she stuck to writing on the guitar, but the songs don't suffer because of it. They may sound a bit different then the tracks on her first record, but it's in a good way.

The first single from "On a Clear Night" is "Steer", which is a very upbeat, positive song which talks about taking control of your life. Other tracks like "Going North" and "100 Round the Bend" also focus on themes of empowerment and destiny all the while featuring toe tapping rhythms and masterful playing.

The record has some darker, more haunting and serious tracks like "Forgive Me" and "Where I Stood" and "Secret." These tracks are not all autobiographical, and Missy says she has taken leave of making all of her songs sound as if they are her inner feelings yearning to break free. She creates characters and makes them the star of her songs, like in "Angela" which was inspired by seeing an old black and white photo of Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable. She thought that despite Vivian's apparent submissiveness and dependence on Clark, it was in face Vivian that was in control the whole time. Missy says she knows a lot of women like that, and so the song was born.

In the end this record is in fact different from her first, but it's indicative of a person who's grown in her craft and, in my mind at least, keeps getting better. Her beautiful voice is still there, complete with her Aussie accent, and the production is top notch as well. This makes for a fantastic listen; if you buy it you won't be sorry.

Average customer rating: Never Disappointed A Romantic CD to Listen With a Loved One... Getting In The Mood just sit back and enjoy As good as ever

I'm in the Mood For Love...The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time Kenny G Manufacturer: Arista ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Essential Kenny G At the Movies At Last...The Duets Album The Greatest Holiday Classics The Romance Of Kenny G ASIN: B000IOM1QY Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

1. You're Beautiful
2. The Way We Were
3. Yesterday
4. I'm In The Mood For Love
5. If
6. The Way You Look Tonight
7. If I Ain't Got You
8. Love Theme From "Romeo & Juliet"
9. It Had To Be You
10. The Shadow Of Your Smile
11. Fly Me To The Moon / You Make Me Feel So Young
12. As Time Goes By
13. You Raise Me Up

Amazon.com

I'm in the Mood for Love...The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time is Kenny G's twist on the trend that's found artists, from Rod Stewart to Gladys Knight to Barry Manilow, repurposing classics for modern consumption. Or is it? A scan of the track selection is as likely to get listeners wondering whether he's covered these songs before as it is to drum up curiosity about how they'll sound spiraling out of his signature sax. For instance: silky as "The Way We Were," the Barbra Streisand chestnut, comes across, it stirs a sense of déjà vu as much as wonderment; as does the Sinatra medley "Fly Me to the Moon/You Make Me Feel So Young." Such familiarity is without doubt the product of impeccable taste and a seasoned ear--somebody, whether it's Kenny G or a behind-the-scenes studio type, knows what works for the curly-topped jazzman and what's better left un-saxed. Still, such scrutiny can make for a disc that's aurally matchy-match; a stab at an out-there number--Etta James' "At Last" or U2's "With or Without You"--might have worked, too. That said, hats off to the G-man for pronouncing a couple of recent hits among the most romantic of all time: Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You" deserves it especially, and is mesmerizing here. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Never Disappointed.......2007-07-27

I have always enjoyed the artistry of Kenny G. This album is no exception.

A Romantic CD to Listen With a Loved One..........2007-05-29

For me, Kenny G's albums are a hit or miss. This is a hit. Here we got 13 songs, ranging from standards to torch songs. Kenny G also plays tenor saxophone a bit more than his previous recordings.

Highlights include "You're Beautiful", "Yesterday", "I'm in the Mood for Love", The Way You Look Tonight, & an interesting version of Alicia Keys's "If I Aint Got You" (however alto saxman Eric Darius's version is better).

The surprise tracks however is "The Shadow of Your Smile" & "Fly Me to the Moon/You Make Me Feel So Young". The former has a bossa nova favor to it while the latter is done behind a big band.

This album will not appear to everyone; most purists & anti-Kenny G people won't touch this with a 39 1/2 foot pole. For the rest of us, this is great for those nights with that special someone.

Getting In The Mood.......2007-05-29

Everyone gets in the mood for love every now and then.So when that mood hits you it"s so nice to have Kenny G"s "I"m In The Mood For Love" comming to your rescue.Along with that someone special in your life.Compiling a list of great romantic melodies is no easy task.With so many great romantic melodies to choose from.But Kenny G does manage to put together a good list of songs.Kenny G mixes some old songs in with some not so old songs.And the end result is a wonderful melody of sound.All design to get and keep you in that special mood for love.Now all these songs have been recorded before.But on this album Keeny G gives us his very own romantic interpertations of classics like "I"m In The Mood For Love","If" and "The Way We Were".The album gets off to a good start with James Blunt "You"re Beautiful" very nicey done by Mr G.And he takes it soft and easy on the songs "Yesterday" and "The Shadow Of Your Smile".He picks it up a bit on the songs "Fly Me To The Moon" and "You Make Me Feel So Young".These two songs bring back memories of Frank Sinatra.And the song I like the most on the album "The Way You Look Tonight" I think this song as a great feeling to it.I ready like this album but like so many other Kenny G fans.I can"t wait until he does his next album of original music.But until then just sit back with a cool glass of wine and enjoy this music by yourself or with someone you love.

just sit back and enjoy.......2007-05-26

This latest cd by Kenny G is one that will make you just sit back and enjoy. That special someone and a glass of wine helps to add to the mood that is set when listening to this cd. This cd might just bring back some of those special memories. Can't go wrong with this one. True romantics will love this cd.

As good as ever.......2007-02-11

If you have always liked Kenny G's music, you will like this album. He has taken a long break from new studio recordings, but this album proves he hasn't ignored his instrument during his hiatus! Everyone is doing standards these days, and they lend themselves well to Kenny G's style. Recommended!

Average customer rating: More than a niche singer.... Nancy tugs the heartstrings! Lush and delicious thud "This song don't tell no lies..." and neither does she!

Ruby's Torch Nanci Griffith Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Calling I've Always Needed You West A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection Pretty Little Stranger ASIN: B000IOM0QU Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

1. When I Dream
2. If These Walls Could Speak
3. Ruby's Arms
4. Never Be The Sun
5. Bluer Than Blue
6. Brave Companion Of The Road
7. Grapefruit Moon
8. Please Call Me, Baby
9. Late Night Grande Hotel
10. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
11. Drops From The Faucet

Amazon.com

Folk/country singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith shifts into chanteuse mode on this lovely outing. The sumptuous string-drenched arrangements are a change from Griffith's typically stark recordings featuring acoustic guitar and skeletal backing, but it's a natural progression in her nearly three-decade career. She has previously worked with an orchestra, on 1999's The Dust Bowl Symphony, but those results were mixed, due to the instruments' nearly overwhelming presence. On Ruby's Torch, the accompaniment is more organically integrated, and the sound supports Griffith instead of vice versa. No stranger to covers, Griffith taps Tom Waits for three of his older ballads, Jimmy Webb for one, and a few less famous tunesmiths: Donagh Long, Frank Christian, and Charles Goodrum, whose "Bluer than Blue" is a highlight. The durable "Late Night Grande Hotel," one of Griffith's most enduring originals, also makes an appearance in what could be its defining version. This is beautiful music for somber, but not depressing, moods, and closing-time last calls. The chestnut "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," best known in its classic rendition by Frank Sinatra, fits perfectly in this company, and the opening "When I Dream," written by Sandy Mason, sets the tone of regret and longing, both in life and love, that dominates the album. This lush, reflective work is a wonderful vehicle for Griffth's yearning, supple voice. It shows her to be as commanding a torch-song interpreter as a guitar-strumming roots veteran, and points the way for future projects in this vein. --Hal Horowitz

Album Description

Rounder Records is pleased to announce the release of Ruby's Torch, a new album by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and "folkabilly" artist Nanci Griffith. Ruby's Torch is a collection of intimate torch songs, some penned by Griffith, others by some of her musical heroes. "Recording an entire record of torch songs has been a dream come true for me," says Griffith, "and something my listeners have been asking me to do for many years."

Rather than relying on tried-and-true torch standards, she pays homage to an eclectic array of influences. "When I Dream" has been performed by Crystal Gayle and Willie Nelson, and represents country balladry at its most powerful. Griffith also tips her hat to Jimmy Webb, whose masterful songwriting is at its peak in the touching "If These Walls Could Speak." Griffith offers lush interpretations of three Tom Waits numbers: "Grapefruit Moon," "Ruby's Arms," and "Please Call Me, Baby."

Also included is "Bluer Than Blue," the bittersweet ballad penned by Charles Goodrum and popularized in the late '70s by one of the masters of mellow country-pop, Michael Johnson. Griffith also offers her take on the bluesy, winsome "Drops From the Faucet," written by former Blue Moon Orchestra Guitarist Frank Christian, as well as the delicate yearning of "Never Be the Sun" by Irish baladeer Donal MacDonagh Long.

The one track with a genuine torch pedigree, "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" (popularized by the inimitable Frank Sinatra), fits in seamlessly, thanks to Griffith's ability to mesh her many inspirations and deliver them with her own charismatic style.

"The challenge in performing these songs is that you have to somehow remain true to the spirit of the song but infuse it with your own story," Griffith explains. "If you don't fill the song with your own emotions, then you really are just going through the motions."

Backing Griffith on this collection is the Blue Moon Orchestra, which has been with her since 1986. Over the past two decades these musicians have evolved with Griffith every step of the way. Which is what makes the reinvented versions of "Brave Companion of the Road" (from Griffith's 1989 album, Storm) and the title track to her 1991 album, Late Night Grand Hotel, so fascinating.

"Sometimes you find whole new personalities in songs when you perform them in a new setting," Griffith observes. "It's like looking at a landscape from different angles. You can really appreciate all the textures and features of the terrain if you approach it from different directions."

Griffith has been described as a singer-songwriter's singer-songwriter, but the accolade really rings true if you consider some of her biggest fans: Bob Dylan (who requested that Griffith sing "Boots of Spanish Leather" at his Madison Square Garden anniversary concert) as well as Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson, who have performed Griffith's songs. And then there are the awards: five Grammy nominations (including a win for 1993's Other Voices, Other Rooms) and two more for her dazzling performances on albums by the Chieftains.

Customer Reviews:

More than a niche singer...........2007-04-30

It amazes me how narrow minded some of the reviewers are about her work.....my God...the risk is the reward...is it about comfort food ????? This is not at all uncharacteristic in relation to the total body of her work, either. She may sing about Loretta, but she ain't her!!! Keep on Torchin', Nanci!!!!!!

Nancy tugs the heartstrings!.......2007-04-11

I wouldn't normally go for this kind of schmalz, but Nancy carries this off with passion, and restraint. Beautifully orchestrated, understated arrangements, and Oh That Voice! Fantastic in the car, but please remember...don't cry and drive!

Lush and delicious.......2007-04-01

I admit it. I am totally prejudiced when it comes to Nanci Griffith. I first discovered her music in the mid-1980s when she was a relative newcomer and I was kinda depressed, in need of a special friend. Well, I've been hooked ever since. Nanci's songs are, indeed, like a good friend. They have seen me through both good times and bad times. I love all her albums, some admittedly more than others. Her latest, "Ruby's Torch", is no exception.

Nanci Griffith's new album evokes memories of an earlier one, "Dustbowl Symphony", which was a major departure in style for her at the time. The main differences, of course, are that most of the songs on "Ruby's Torch" are covers and the orchestra is not as overwhelming. It is still lush and delicious, however. But get out your handkerchiefs. By the third song, Tom Waits's "Ruby's Arms", you may just go over the edge. My personal favorite on this album is Donal Long's "You'll Never Be the Sun." And Nanci's own "Late Night Grande Hotel" is always a good one for turning on the waterworks. It really hits close to home for me.

Whether you are a longtime Nanci Griffith fan or are just discovering her, you will not be disappointed in "Ruby's Torch." You may need a teensy hit of Prozac afterward, though. LOL. I can't wait to see Nanci in person in a few weeks as she swings by on her latest tour. It will be interesting to see if she has a string orchestra or just the usual band of Blue Moon suspects led by the fearless James Hooker.

thud.......2007-03-26

Nanci is not a torch singer--this was an unfortunate decision to make this album. It is not what the genre tag suggests--alternative country, texas music--it is another feeble attempt at pop. This listener longs for Nanci's early days.

"This song don't tell no lies..." and neither does she!.......2007-03-11

I have to confess, this isn't quite what I was expecting when I heard Nanci Griffith was making an album of torch songs. That did seem like a pretty good fit for her, and I'm not sure exactly what I did expect, but not this. Which is perhaps why it took me a few listens before I found myself enjoying it. But first impressions can be wrong, and it's definitely grown on me.

For a heavily orchestrated set, there are still moments of more characteristic spareness. This is especially noticeable in the beautiful opening track, "When I Dream." It features waves of soaring strings, but also moments of just Nanci and her guitar between them, and the mix works remarkably well. To varying degrees, that happens again and again throughout the album. There are a number of other standout songs along the way, particularly the three from Tom Waits: "Ruby's Arms," "Grapefruit Moon," and "Please Call Me, Baby." (Waits might seem like an unlikely source for torch songs, but here as always, his songs are far more versatile than his own recordings would have you think.)

As is often the case, we are also treated to a couple of reworkings of her own songs, and "Brave Companion of the Road" has never sounded better. I'm less impressed with the updating of "Late Night Grande Hotel," if only because the original was already so brilliant - and torch-y enough in its own right. Still, it's a natural fit for this set. So is "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," which fits much better here than it did on the Clock Without Hands album. (I haven't listened to that one in so long that I can't tell if this is the same recording or not. I'm guessing it's probably not, since she has changed labels since then. To be fair, I seem to recall reading that she only included it on that set because it was her mother's favorite song and she was ill at the time.) Finally, "Drops from the Faucet" might be the best closing track on any of her albums, and it's not quite like anything else she's ever done.

It's not perfect. "Bluer than Blue" is a bit too pop for my tastes, and its contemporary style doesn't quite fit with the overall sound of the album in my opinion. But overall, it's a great set, traditional and original all at once, from a songstress who can usually be counted on for that.

Average customer rating: Astrud Gilberto Fan What a great way to combat winter! another time, another place Harmonious Music My favorite Astrud Gilberto disc, oozing with carefree ambiance

Astrud Gilberto's Finest Hour Astrud Gilberto Manufacturer: Umvd Labels ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Bossa Nova | Latin Music | Styles | Music Brazilian Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Getz/Gilberto The Silver Collection: The Astrud Gilberto Album Wave Jazz Samba The Girl from Ipanema: The Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook ASIN: B00005A7WY Release Date: 2001-05-15

Tracks:

1. Goodbye Sadness (Tristeza)
2. The Girl From Ipanema
3. Meditation
4. The Face I Love
5. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Star)
6. So Nice (Samba De Verao)
7. A Felicidade
8. Photograph
9. It Might As Well Be Spring
10. Wish Me A Rainbow
11. Fly Me To The Moon
12. Crickets Sing For Anamaria
13. Who Needs Forever?
14. Insensatez
15. Berimbau
16. Come Softly To Me/Hushabye
17. Trains And Boats And Planes
18. Canto De Ossanha (Let Go)
19. I'm Nothin' Without You
20. In The Wee Small Hours

Customer Reviews:

Astrud Gilberto Fan.......2007-05-14

If you are loking for a disc representative of the best of Astrud Gilberto and what makes her unique sound so attractive then this is a good one to begin with.

What a great way to combat winter!.......2007-04-10

Although I was a bit "put off" by some of the pop tunes, her summery voice & the warm arrangements held the snow at bay!

another time, another place.......2007-01-19

I love this cd. Smooth, jazzy, '60's coolness wrapped up the warmth and simple sounds of Astrud. this so completely sets a mood; late afternoon after a warm day at the beach, nice wine and good company ... what more could you want?

Harmonious Music.......2006-12-14

I bought this CD exclusively for the song, "Girl From Ipanema." I didn't expect to fall in-love with the other wonderful, relaxing, and smooth songs in this CD. I have taken this CD with me to Hawaii, Europe, and even Antarctica. I never get tired of listening to it. Astrud makes me reminisce about the warm calm beaches with her innnocent laid back voice. And on other times, she makes me think that I'm in a Martini bar, sipping Martini and just lounging around. I don't travel anywhere without this CD.

My favorite Astrud Gilberto disc, oozing with carefree ambiance .......2006-11-12

I must confess, only this year have I reacquainted myself with Astrud Gilberto's vocal work of the 1960's. After buying several Verve collections featuring the Brazilian singer, I have settled on this one as my personal favorite. While it's lacking some memorable tunes like The Shadow of Your Smile and Non-stop to Brazil, it more than makes up for this by including obscure recordings not generally found in your typical compilation of greatest hits. The last six numbers are in this category, showcasing Astud's versatility.

When I want to dissolve away the day's stresses I pop in this disc. Set it spinning while you're preparing dinner and marvel how effortless the task becomes. Soon you realize a remarkable carefee ambiance of smouldering sensuality has stealthily posessed you. Time stops as an otherwise ho-hum evening transforms into a delightful escape...

Astrud's voice exudes rapture. Other discs of hers I listen to often are The Silver Collection and Jazz 'Round Midnight. But Finest Hour is my out and out choice for the ultimate Astrud Gilberto single disc collection currently available.

Average customer rating: Good Music to Sleep By Enjoyment Best Music to Have on When You Work Excellent for Massage! MOZART FOR MEDITATION

Mozart for Meditation Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Divertimentos | Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music French Horn | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | New Age General | New Age | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Beethoven at Bedtime: A Gentle Prelude to Sleep Debussy for Daydreaming: Music to Caress Your Innermost Thoughts Bach at Bedtime: Lullabies for the Still of the Night Baroque at Bathtime: A Relaxing Serenade to Wash Your Cares Away Mozart at Midnight ASIN: B0000041CD Release Date: 1995-01-17

Tracks:

1. Flute Concerto No. 1 In G
2. Piano Concerto No. 23 in A
3. Horn Concerto No. 4 In E-Flat
4. Symphony No. 31 In D: Symphony No. 31 In D - Andante
5. Piano Concerto No. 15 In B-Flat
6. Violin Concerto No. 4 In D
7. Wind Serenade No. 12 In C Minor - Andante: Wind Serenade No. 12 In C Minor
8. Concerto For Flute And Harp I - In C - Andatino
9. Piano Concerto No. 27 In B-Flat
10. Symphony No. 34 In C: Symphony No. 34 In C - Andante Di Molto
11. Fantasia In D Minor

Customer Reviews:

Good Music to Sleep By.......2007-06-08

Well, as far as music for meditation goes, I'm not so sure about this product for that purpose. When I meditate, I tend to need more monotonous sounds to do it by - however, this CD is GREAT for relaxation and sleeping. So I still give it 4 out of 5 stars even though I won't be using it for its stated purpose. Still well-worth the money.

Enjoyment.......2007-05-07

All the pieces are the perfect ones for the relaxation. As a collector I am impressed of the selections chosen for this album.

Best Music to Have on When You Work.......2007-01-22

When I am working and I need to block out sounds to concentrate on what I am doing, I always put on this CD. Besides the fact that it is easy to listen to, it doesn't distract me from my work, and I never get bored or tired of the music. I'm reluctant to purchase a similar album in the fear that it won't be as good as the Mozart Meditation.

Excellent for Massage!.......2006-04-06

I'm a licensed massage therapist, and I absolutely adore using this CD during my sessions! It's a great alternative to the new age-y music styles that are so pervasive in the relaxation music scene -- my clients find this CD soothing & relaxing, and not at all "weird". This music suports a "relaxed but focused" atmosphere -- it serves as excellent white noise in the lobby area, and I even use it at home as a soothing backdrop for reading/ sewing/ paperwork/ etc. Excellent arrangements & clarity -- DON'T MISS!

MOZART FOR MEDITATION.......2005-09-07

Excellent CD. Love to have it playing in the background of my daily schedule. Soothing. Gentle. Contemplative. HIghly recommend it.

Average customer rating: The Sea - San Sebastion Strings Still hits me in the heart. Finally!! some kind of pinnacle of insipidness Reliving days gone by

The Sea San Sebastian Strings Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Home to the Sea Rod McKuen - Greatest Hits The Soft Sea For Lovers Summer ASIN: B000002KAD Release Date: 1990-02-02

Tracks:

1. My Friend The Sea
2. While Drifting
3. Gifts From The Sea
4. The Time Of Noon
5. Afternoon Shadows
6. Do You Like The Rain ?
7. The Days Of The Dancing
8. Pushing The Clouds Away
9. You Even Tast Like The Sun
10. The Storm
11. The Ever Constant Sea
12. The Gypsy
13. Beyond The Bend Ahead
14. The Sea

Customer Reviews:

The Sea - San Sebastion Strings.......2007-05-26

I actually recieved this as a record album in a 3 record set ( The Earth, The Sea, an The Air) as a gift when I was in High School. I almost wore these out. I have been able to find The Sea in CD but not the other 2. If you like Rod McKuen at all these 3 are the BEST!

Still hits me in the heart........2007-05-13

It was, of course, the melding of Anita Kerr's music with Rod McKuen's poetry that made these albums special. It is still as wonderful as it was then. The music is some of the most peaceful and meaningful music I've ever heard, even after almost 40 years. Maybe the poems aren't as profound as we thought when we first heard these recordings of The Sea, The Earth and The Sky, but they still hit in the heart and that's what it's all about anyway.

I do wish The Earth and The Sky were also available on CD.

Finally!!.......2007-04-04

Been waiting for this album to come out in CD. Now, when will "The Earth" and "The Sky" be on CD?

some kind of pinnacle of insipidness.......2007-03-11

Here is what spaceagepop.com has to say: "The San Sebastian Strings, arranged by Anita Kerr during her Hollywood years, backed the pop poet Rod McKuen on three "environmental" albums that represent some kind of pinnacle of insipidness: The Sea, The Sky, and The Earth. You can find them for a buck or less in virtually every thrift store in America. Then, after listening, you can place them in The Recycling Bin."

Reliving days gone by.......2007-01-05

What a thrill to find "The Sea" on CD! When I was young and a student, this was a favorite of all the girls in my dorm -- all of us full of romantic notions and ready to launch our lives. Not only does this CD bring back all those memories but the music of the San Sebastian Strings and the words of Rod McKuen still evoke enough emotion to be able to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the sand between my toes. Great therapy for a gloomy New England winter day!

Average customer rating: Wonderful!!! Relaxes your mind. Relaxing music from a great composer Better than just an introduction Great CD

Grieg: Greatest Hits Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Debussy's Greatest Hits Sergei Rachmaninoff: Greatest Hits Saint-Saëns: Greatest Hits Liszt: Greatest Hits Rimsky-Korsakov: Greatest Hits ASIN: B000002A21 Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

1. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: Morning Mood
2. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: Ase's Death
3. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: Anitra's Dance
4. Peer Gynt Suite No.1: In The Hall Of The Mountain King (Peer Gynt Suite #1)
5. Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op. 16: I Allegro molto moderato
6. Norwegian Dance, Op. 35 No. 2
7. Sigurd Jorsalfar: Homage March
8. Jeg elsker dig, Op. 5: Jeg elsker dig, Op. 5 (Ich liebe dich)
9. Lyric Suite, Op. 54: No. 3: Norwegian March
10. Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34: No. 1: Heartwounds
11. Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34: No. 2: The Last Spring
12. Lyric Suite, Op. 54: No. 4: March of the Trolls
13. Peer Gynt Suite No. 2: I The Abduction of the Bride - Ingrid's Lament (Peer Gynt Suite No. 2
14. Peer Gynt Suite No. 2: II Arabian Dance
15. Peer Gynt Suite No. 2: III Solvejg's Lullaby
16. Peer Gynt Suite No. 2: IV Peer Gynt's Return Home

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!!!.......2007-05-14

I bought this for my husband but fell in love with it myself. I had never heard of it but now consider Edvard Grieg my favorite composer. It is magnificent.

Relaxes your mind........2005-12-30

The peer gynt suite is very delicate and it relaxes me. Whenever I hear the first movement of Peer Gynt, I feel as if I am walking along the forest at dawn with sunshine passing through the tall trees. It calms me and I usually close my eyes to imagine Grieg's creative masterpiece. What also interests me the fourth movement. It starts with slow and quiet and then slowly the music accelerates with power. Like the title, "Mountain King," says itself, you can feel the grandness of the music toward the end.

The piano concerto in a minor is my favorite. This music seem to convey the full spectrum from quiet and delicate or gracious feel of music to more powerful and magnificent all proportionally adequately. It is very enjoyable. Whenever I listen to this music, I feel as if I am resting in the high mountainn looking at the full panorama. Anyway, that's just my imagination I feel from his music and of course, yours can be very different from mine.

As for the CD quality, I hear no distraction sound and it is recorded well, I think. The little cover booklet can be informative about Grieg. Also nice price from Amazon.

Relaxing music from a great composer.......2005-08-02

I absolutely loved the string music on Track 3. I remembered it from an old PC RPG called Quest for Glory IV. I was disappointed to find out that Track 4 was only a minute and a half long, because I grew up loving that song from the various places I heard it (Fantasia and a kid Detective PC game from the late 80's).
Overall, though, Grieg's greatest hits is a must-have for collectors of classical music. Grieg is revered as Norway's greatest composer of all time and he certainly has a knack for creating imagery of bustling fjords and majestic mountainsides with interlaced river ravines.

Better than just an introduction.......2004-04-28

This CD goes beyond just introducing Grieg. It is a truly beautiful and for me, invaluable collection of this excellent composer. Grieg had an inimitable gift for exploring emotion, often sadness and nostalgia. However, he also had a large touch of the virtuoso, as demonstrated by the famous Piano Concerto. True, the last 2 movements are not included here; however, the first is still stunning. The Peer Gynt Suites are wonderfully played, and Ase's Death and Heartwounds are especially noteworthy - the lush orchestral sounds of these gorgeous pieces unfold exquisitely. Homage March is a nice change of pace, upbeat and with a memorable theme, and Leonard Bernstein moves at a devilish pace in March of the Trolls. This CD will not disappoint you - buy it today!

Great CD.......2002-01-29

For an intro to Greig, this is great. The "hall of the mountain king" is done very well.

Average customer rating: Awsome Instrumental Music The Bing Crosby songs are very good but.... AMAZING! Hauntingly beautiful... A great soundtrack for a lover of WKW films as gorgeous as the film!

In the Mood for Love (2000 Film) Various Artists - Soundtracks Manufacturer: Higher Octave OmTown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: In the Mood for Love - Criterion Collection 2046 2046 Mis Mejores Canciones: 19 Super Exitos 2046 ASIN: B000050G51 Release Date: 2000-11-06

Tracks:

1. Yumeji's Theme - Umebayshi Shigeru
2. Mo-wan's Dialogue - In The Mood For Love ST
3. Angkor Wat Theme I - Michael Galasso
4. ITMFL I - Michael Galasso
5. Aquellos Ojos Verdes - Nat King Cole
6. Shuang Shuang Yan - Deng Bai Ying
7. ITMFL II - Michael Galasso
8. Radio Zhou Xuan Announcement/Hua Yang De Nian Hua - Zhou Xuan
9. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Nat King Cole
10. Bengawan Solo - REBECCA PAN
11. ITMFL III - Michael Galasso
12. Si Lang Tan Mu - Tan Xin Pei
13. Shuang Ma Hui - Zhang Yun Xian/Hou Li Jun
14. Blue - Michael Galasso
15. Hong Niang Hui Zhang Sheng - Zheng Jun Mian/Li Hang
16. Li-zhen's Dialogue/Te Quiero Dijiste (Magic Is The Moonlight) - Nat King Cole
17. Angkor Wat Theme II - Michael Galasso
18. Yue Er Wan Wan Zhao Jiu Zhou - Chiu Wai Ping
19. Casanova's Flute - Michael Galasso
20. Yumeji's Theme/Li-zhen's Dialogue - Umebayasi Shigeru
21. Angkor Wat Theme Finale - Michael Galasso

Amazon.com

Soundtracks are a mixed bag at best. Some are little more than an assortment of pieces, but others hang together effectively on their own, like this one. The idea of Chinese music--both popular and operatic--juxtaposed with the sounds of Nat King Cole performing Latin music might seem bizarre, but it works beautifully, sustaining a lush, romantic mood created both by the strings and the '40s Chinese music, itself a tinkling Hollywood pastiche. But as atmospheric as all this is, one track stands out above the others: "Blue," actually a version of the classic "St. James' Infirmary," takes on another dimension in Chinese hands. While familiar but completely alien at the same time, the slithering Asian sonorities mesh perfectly with the African-American form to create something evocative but with a sadness that goes beyond blues. The movie is of a time and place; the soundtrack is of a mood and yearning. Listen at night, with someone you love close by. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

Awsome Instrumental Music.......2007-03-09

The soundtrack is really good; I didn't like some of the songs (the Chinese ones) but there are only 3 in the whole CD. The instrumental music is awesome making the soundtrack an average good.

The Bing Crosby songs are very good but...........2006-07-17

In my opinion it`s the Bing Crosby-songs that makes this album worth buying, but these songs can be bought on compilations. The rest of the music is for people with special interest for backgroundmusic in films.

AMAZING! Hauntingly beautiful..........2006-05-09

So beautiful and emotional, it makes you want to cry! The score for the film and the collection of music together is absolutely breathtaking....

A great soundtrack for a lover of WKW films.......2006-03-22

I loved the film, so I love the soundtrack, which brings back memories of the film. WKW uses period music to evoke the emotions and feel of the time period of the film.

as gorgeous as the film!.......2006-02-11

Film soundtracks are often disappointing---there are songs from the movie that are not on the CD, songs on the CD that were not in the film, different versions of songs on the CD than in the film, etc.

Happily, this soundtrack is absolutely faithful to the film, and it is masterfully interwoven with dialogue excerpts from the film which complement and build on the music instead of being obtrusive. I don't understand a word of Chinese but still enjoyed listening to the actors' voices, and also liked the bits of traditional Chinese music as well. There are some tracks that I don't remember from the film but they are not throw-away filler in any way, just beautiful extras in the same vein.

Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD) The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) Study of Orchestration, Third Edition What to Listen for in Music ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meditation Music:

1. Music Inspired by the film K2 [Soundtrack]
2. Nature Whispers: Enchanted Forest
3. Nature Whispers: Flowering Meadow
4. Nature Whispers: Mountain Stream
5. Nature Whispers: Sea of Tranquility
6. Nature Whispers: This Green Planet
7. Nature Whispers: Thunderstorm Suite
8. Near Dark [Soundtrack]
9. New Acoustic Music
10. Order of Magnitude

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Beguile [Enhanced]

David Oistrakh Collection, Volume 2

Colin Tilney Plays Mozart, Vol. 4

Music: Harpsichord Works 2

Colours [Import]

Clubber's Guide to 2005 [Explicit Lyrics] [Import] [Limited Edition]

Entre Amigos

Flip Squad Allstar DJs

Crossroads

French Chamber Music For Woodwinds, Volume Two

Giant Steps [Import]

Berimbau De Cipo Imbe [Import]

DS Foundation [Explicit Lyrics]

No House Big Enough

The Transcription Sessions 1935