| 1. Pray |
| 2. Deadliner |
| 3. Question of Faith |
| 4. Desire |
| 5. Scar |
| 6. Love and Napalm |
| 7. You Walk in My Soul |
| 8. Magic |
| 9. Bleed |
| 10. Seed of a Lie |
Sacrifice,Gary Numan,Numa,Electronic,New Romantic,New Wave,Synth Pop
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Sweet Sacrifice
ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000PE0LWS Release Date: 2007-05-08 |
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Ill-Conceived PDQ Bach Anthology
Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00000FDBK Release Date: 1998-11-24 |
Tracks:
- This Is Professor Pete
- 1712 Overture (S. 1712)
- Introduction
- II. Aria With Chorus: 'Howdy There'
- Recitative: 'It Wasn't Long'
- III. My Heart
- Recitative: 'When Oedipus Heard'
- VI. Chorale And Finale
- Introduction
- Love Me
- WTWP Station ID
- Oo-La-La Introduction
- Oo-La-La: Cookin' French Like The French Cook French - Dana Krueger
- Introduction: The Musical Sacrifice (S. 50% Off)
- I. Fuga Meshuga - Susan Palma
- Introduction
- Classical Rap (S. 1-2-3) - Grandmaster Flab
- Introduction
- I. C Major - Christopher O'Riley
- Introduction
- II. Simply Grand Minuet
- Introduction
- Little Bunny Hop Hop Hop
- Introduction
- Minuet Militaire
- Enough Already
Customer Reviews:
Witty and Charming.......2000-08-15
This is Professor Pete- Peter Schickele introduces himself as well as P.D.Q.
1712 Overture- A takeoff of the 1812 overture of course, with snatches of some famous folktunes thrown in here and there.
Oedipus Tex- A parady of the Greek Myth Oedipus Rex where he murders his father who is the King. Oedipus Tex lives a life like his brother but in Texas style.
The next tracks are more comedy than exactly music like the WTWP station giving options over the phone about how you would like to hear a certain peice of music. Cooking French... is a woman cooking a French gourmet meal but flubbing up the entire time.
What I have already said pretty much sums it up. The rest of the tracks are equally hilarious and as witty as all the others. If you buy this CD you will not regret it no matter what type of music you listen to.
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Sacrifice
Motörhead Manufacturer: Sanctuary Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000001YB1 Release Date: 1998-01-13 |
Tracks:
- Sacrifice
- Sex and Death
- Over Your Shoulder
- War for War
- Order/Fade to Black
- Dog Face Boy
- All Gone to Hell
- Make 'Em Blind
- Don't Waste Your Time
- In Another Time
- Out of the Sun
Customer Reviews:
Motorheads 1990's bullseye.......2007-07-21
1995's Sacrifice is in my opinion the highest point of the post Clarke era. It's probably their most consistent album of the 90s. There are probably some songs on other albums that I like better, but as a whole, I find that this is an album where I seldom skip anything.
It's also notable for being probably Motorheads heaviest. Of course all Motorhead albums are "heavy" but Sacrifice replaces the more normal sharp "attacky" guitar tone with a low frequency rumble guitar tone. It's also a bit darker and gloomier than usual. I consider Motorhead primarily a rock and roll band at heart, with the more serious, Sabbath-esque a lesser aspect. Here though it sounds as if the rock and roll is of less importance although of course it's still there in healthy doses!
A highly recommeded album for Motorhead fans. If you like Sacrifice, 2004's Inferno is in a similar spirit and of similar high quality.
This is Motorhead!.......2005-05-30
power chords, mean riffs and drums! All the songs are fast and hard hitting. This disc goes through you like a bullet, the first five tracks are one the money (Sacrifice, Sex and Death, War for War, Order). Pure Motorhead, accept no substitutes!
Awesome album, highly recommended.
A classic Motörhead album.......2004-06-14
Sacrifice is the last album that has the two-guitar line-up with Würzel. Sacrifice is also a great demonstration from drummer Mickey Dee, whose role in Motörhead has become very important. His style of playing is FAR BETTER than Phil Taylor's (or Pete Gill's), and without him, there couldn't be songs like Sacrifice or Make 'em Blind.
The title track is probably the greatest Motörhead song written for more than a decade. The album is very strong, typical Motörhead, though I don't think that it is quite as good as the previous album, Bastards, which I think is their greatest ever.
Oh no!.......2003-01-31
as good as ace of spades.......2002-03-28
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Sacrifice
Alaine Manufacturer: Avex ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000QEIVC4 Release Date: 2007-07-16 |
Tracks:
- Rise In Love
- Sacrifice
- Ride Feat. Tony Matterhorn
- Baby Love
- Deeper
- Wine
- Make Me Weak
- Obsessed
- Heavenly
- No Ordinary Love
- Keep Lovin You
- Ya Ya (I Want It)
- Give You
- Anything
- Earth Cry
- Sacrifice Tc Movements Remix
Customer Reviews:
Rise in Vibes.......2007-07-16
All that being said, one of the single most anticipated releases for me personally comes in the form of one of the freshest breaths of air dancehall has seen in quite some time. The US born, Jamaican blooded and grown Alaine Laughton has established herself as THE current female dancehall singer of preference in the past two years following such wonderful names as Chevelle Franklyn and Nadine Sutherland (who herself has a nice album this year as well, the excellent Call My Name) (and arguably sharing the role with Ce'cile who sings almost as much as she DJ's). Guided by one of the finest young minds and production talents in the music, Donovan `Vendetta' Bennett, the young singer has made her name backed by some of the most lush and fluid riddims of this generation, Alaine has made a beautiful style of music which is accessible to both reggae fans, and MUSIC fans alike. Her music even more so blends the r&b stylized dancehall with more mainstream vibes, although she is seemingly just as comfortable riding hardcore riddims (most notably those produced by Vendetta and young dancehall production trio, Daseca) which are likewise given to some of the harshest male dancehall DJ's in the game, like Vybz Kartel and Busy Signal. I myself have rather enjoyed Alaine's rise to prominence, particularly as she has mixed and collaborated with some of the more hardcore styles of dancehall. I cannot tell you how many compilations have been saved by Alaine's vibes! Through listening to riddim albums and other hardcore compilations, an Alaine tune can blend in with the rest on a riddim and yet not interfere at all with the overall vibes of a riddim. Check either of Vendetta's riddims, the Sweat of the Justice albums as evidence of Alaine giving a nice woman`s touch to some of the more harsh dancehall riddims. On the other side, the softer more rootical vibes is where Alaine truly excels and exactly what she does on that type of vibes is DEFINITELY something to hear. Drawing a line which is closer to her dancehall counterparts than her more rootical ones, Alaine creates GEMS of romantic and laid back songs which had been missing for quite awhile in the dance. The dancehall love song is a song which is always appreciated, but many of its greatest performers in recent times, most notably the legendary Beres Hammond, haven't been as active or accessible as one would hope (wouldn't it be soooooooooo nice if Beres would put out an album yearly?) and not to mention that many have been. . . Men. Alaine represents ultra consistently (and she has a very very nice song with Beres, Love Sound, which will probably be included in his next album) for the women, arguably making some of the strongest lover's material seen in the dancehall in quite a long time. She is very active, very consistent, and if you can't tell, I kind of like her just a little!
Taking the Japanese route as many of her peers have in recent years, Alaine brings forth her highly anticipated debut album for Avex Records of Japan. Apparently the label, along with another Japanese label, Victor, has some sort of working relationship with western reggae giant VP Records as they both have been at the helm of several very anticipated albums as of late, most recently, in March, hardcore dancehall veteran Spragga Benz made his long awaited return with the album Live Good (which I'm still trying to get down here); also in recent years, VP artists Da'Ville and Voicemail have made their true debuts months before making their `debuts ` with the label itself on Japanese labels and dancehall production group Ward 21 FINALLY returned last year with their third album, the awful King of the World, also for a Japanese label. Alaine takes the same road with her Sacrifice, named after her MASSIVE current hit of the same title. Of course, the album is produced by Vendetta with the majority of productions coming from Vendetta and "Daseca". What would be the real complaint here, as is the case with many reggae albums released internationally is that Sacrifice is full of older songs. Any fan would most likely already be familiar with roughly 90% of sixteen tracked Sacrifice. However, unlike many other albums built on the same practice, what can be said about sacrifice is that most of the songs here are not only just good songs, but are PROVEN hits. And if you are fan of the artist, much like myself, you really won't mind too much (and I know that's sounding a little two faced considering I ripped several albums, including Ward 21's for having albums which were old and stale a full year before they were actually released) because Alaine makes such wonderfully beautiful material. Then there's her voice! In reggae you have very few artists whose tone is more applicable to the style of music which they make, definitely Beres Hammond falls into that category as his cool and docile vocals flow effortlessly over his. . . Cool and docile songs; Alaine's laid back, yet strong voice which has several levels beyond what she typically uses is custom fit to her songs of varying degrees an styles.
My favorite Alaine song is also my choice for Sacrifice's best offering and its saying a lot because, as I mentioned, the album Is full of hits. Vendetta's Season's riddim is the backdrop for one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard as the songbird creates a vibe so strong on her No Ordinary Love, that it is fully my intention to play the song at my wedding! No Ordinary Love, despite her career to date and developing in the future is sure to be Alaine's signature love song. It was one of the finest songs on the riddim which is saying a lot as even the riddim itself, full of hits like Jah Cure's epic Love Is, Wayne Wonder's excellent I Believe, Sean Paul's international hit Never Gonna Be the Same and Natural Black's Jamaican #1 hit, Far From Reality; Alaine's No Ordinary Love more than holds its own with any of those tracks. The `supporting' cast is full of tracks which I probably voted as the best tracks on any given number of compilations over the past couple of years. One such a track is Deeper! Deeper is a song with an abundance of beauty, it could lend some beauty to another song, and still be a beautiful track! It was one of her bigger hits and having had the opportunity and utter joy of seeing Alaine perform the song live, it loses none of its luster in live situation. Another such song is the gorgeous Rise In Love over Arif Cooper's equally gorgeous Guardian Angel riddim, if this album were released two or three months ahead of when it actually was, it probably would have been titled Rise in Love, a very fitting titled to the album still and somewhat a term by which Alaine's entire career has projected to the head of dancehall. And there's also Heavenly! Over Vendetta's riddim of the same title and despite the presence of Richie Spice's excellent hit, Brown Skin, rather easily the best track on the riddim. Currently Alaine is riding high with the title track. The song was a one-off for producer Vendetta who pushed it greatly making it arguably the biggest hit of her career to date. Sacrifice actually leaves the arena where I could simply call it `beautiful' or `lovely' and armed with a wonderfully done video, directed by local video kingpin Ras Kassa, I would call the song, sexy, first and foremost, it is a song, love will be made to!
On the other side, the harsher side of the vibes, check Anything,. Anything flows easily over Daseca's Anger Management riddim (which was the same riddim which backed Full Clip from Busy Signal and Mavado, and Mavado's own signature track, Real McKoy, and she feels just as home over the vibe as her bullet crazy male peers scoring a shot which ranks amongst the albums best and the riddim makes virtually no changes or accommodations to Alaine, but she shifts her own vibes to fit it. Check Wine, an earlier hit from the singer over Vendetta's Sweat riddim and I remember in reviewing the album for the Sweat riddim saying how a couple of the newcomers had actually outshined their well veteran counterparts (the other being Alaine label mate Munga). Her newest dancehall shot comes over Vendetta's Back Ache riddim with Ya Ya (I Want It) which is a nice mix up with the vibes as it shows Alaine genuinely having a fun with the riddim, it almost comes off as a complete freestyle with her going to Spanish even at times. And check Make Me Weak which rides the same infectious Smash riddim made famous by Tony Matterhorn's Dutty Wine.
From the newer material on Sacrifice check Earth Cry which is probably the song which best shows Alaine's true lovely voice in all of its forms over a smooth acoustic riddim. The song builds nicely over its 3:44 and she blows the lid off her voice nicely at least once during its course. And Keep Loving You, one of Sacrifice's stronger tracks built over a bubbly but laid back "Daseca" track (and listen to the first second of the track to see why I call it "Daseca"). The album fittingly ends with a very nice remix of the title track which incorporates more of a jazz sound into the vibes and of course, the track still works.
I'm definitely recommending Sacrifice, not only to reggae fans and fans of Alaine's but to r & b fans as well. I can definitely Alaine's vibes being appreciated in the r & b/ pop genres as well and just anyone who really enjoys strong music. Of course it helps if you love reggae, this is still Jamaican music, albeit with a slightly progressive sound. Of course, I admit to my own partiality, I'm a large fan of Alaine's and having had the pleasure of meeting the singer I can say that she's a nice person as well. Do yourself a favor, pick up her NICE album.
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Lo the Full Final Sacrifice & Other Choral Works
Finzi , Robinson , Whitton , and Choir St John's Collg Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006RHPP Release Date: 2003-01-21 |
Tracks:
- God Is Gon Up, Op.27, No.2
- Magnificat, Op.36
- My Lovely One, Op.27, No.1
- Welcome Sweet And Sacred Feast, Op.27, No.3
- Thou Didst Delight My Eyes, Op.32
- Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, Op.35
- I Praise The Tender Flower
- I Have Loved The Flowers That Fade
- My Spirit Sang All Day
- Clear And Gentle Stream
- Nightingales
- Haste On, My Joys!
- Wherefore Tonight So Full Of Care
- Lo, The Full, Final Sacrifice, Op.26
Customer Reviews:
Ravishing Music, Ravishingly Sung.......2003-04-09
The disc leads off with what is probably Finzi's most popular sacred choral work, 'God is gone up with a triumphal shout,' set to a text by Edward Taylor. The opening organ fanfare is followed by sung fanfares with men's voices echoing those of the trebles. [The choir in this recording is that of St. John's College, Cambridge, and as such follows the Anglican tradition choirs consisting of boy sopranos, male altos, tenors and basses. There are some who dislike this sound but I find it very attractive, and of course it is the sound that Finzi surely heard in his mind's ear as he was writing these pieces.] The piece has colorful choral and organ writing that mirrors such words as 'Methinks I see Heaven's sparkling couriers fly.'
This is followed by 'Magnificat,' Op. 36 (Finzi's only American commission, written for the choirs of Smith and Amherst Colleges), a moving setting without the usual concluding 'Gloria', that begins with an exulting 'My soul doth magnify the Lord' and ends on the words 'for ever and ever' gradually dying away to the final 'Amen.'
'God is gone up' is the second of three sacred pieces in Opus 27. The other two are included (although not in consecutive order). They are 'My lovely one,' and 'Welcome sweet and sacred feast.' The latter is a setting of Henry Vaughan's poem celebrating the poet's redemption through religious conversion ('Dead was I, and deep in trouble'). It contains a meltingly beautiful passage on the words 'O rose of Sharon! O the Lily of the Valley!'
There are two part-songs for male voices, the a cappella 'Thou didst delight my eyes,' Op. 32, and one set to the famous passage from Ecclesiastes, 'Let us now praise famous men,' Op. 35. The latter, in two-part harmony, is notable for its Elgarian treading bass in the organ.
'Seven Unaccompanied Partsongs,' Op. 17, are set to texts by Robert Bridges. They are lyrical and tender and the part-writing is especially grateful to sing. The joyous 'My Spirit Sang All Day' is a particular favorite of small choirs. (For American readers/singers I will add that these songs remind me harmonically and in tone of those in Randall Thompson's 'Frostiana.')
The final and longest piece here is 'Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice,' Op. 26, a 14-minute festival anthem set to Crashaw's elegant translation of Aquinas's 'Adoro te' and 'Lauda Sion.' It starts with a longish organ introduction and features a cappella and accompanied passages and short solos following the poetry's verse structure. There are some ecstatically lovely melodies, particularly at the words 'Jesu, Master, just and true' and at the final 'Amen.'
The singing here is impeccable and stylish. The recorded sound is all one could ask. Another triumph for St. John's, Cambridge, its conductor, Christopher Robinson, and for Naxos.
A hearty recommendation.
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Two Pianos Are Better Than One
Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003D0F Release Date: 1994-09-27 |
Tracks:
- Introduction
- I. Shake Allegro
- II. Andante Alighieri
- III. Presto Changio
- Introduction
- I. Antemezzo
- II. Mezzo
- III. Intermezzo
- IV. L'Altro Mezzo
- Introduction
- Chaconne A Son Gout
- Introduction
- I. Fuga Meshuga
- II. Sort Of Little Trio Sonata: Andante; Allegro Molto; Lento...
- III. Three Canons
- IV. Chorale Prelude: 'Da Kommt Ja Der Schurke'
- V. Four More Canons
- VI. The Grossest Fugue
- Closing
Customer Reviews:
A great, fun collection.......1999-11-25
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Live and Let Die
Various Artists , and George Martin Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000087DRN Release Date: 2003-02-11 |
Tracks:
- Live And Let Die (Main Title)
- Just A Closer Walk With Thee / New Second Line
- Bond Meets Solitaire
- Whisper Who Dares
- Snakes Alive
- Baron Samedi's Dance Of Death
- San Monique
- Fillet Of Soul-New Orleans / Live And Let Die
- Bond Drops In
- If He Finds It, Kill Him
- Trespassers Will Be Eaten
- Solitaire Gets Her Cards
- Sacrifice
- James Bond Theme
- Gunbarrel / Snakebit
- Bond To New York
- San Monique (Alternate)
- Bond And Rosie
- The Lovers
- New Orleans
- Boat Chase
- Underground Liar
Customer Reviews:
Favorite Bond Film.......2007-04-26
The Solitaire melody is dreamy and romantic and often moody.
"Bond Goes to New York' is sharp yet out-witted. "Live and Let Die", a sacrament to testimony. Too good to pass up.
Finally! The complete Live and Let Die Soundtrack.......2005-09-13
Only so much music could be recorded on a record. This album finally satisfies all of us who wanted all of the music. Sir George Martin does a wonderful variation to the classic 007 theme as well as great action sequences with different variations of the main title and then some original songs. Sir Martin was the first to score for Bond since Barry who had scored all of the previous movies unavailable for this one. The music was a fabulous introduction to the new Bond Roger Moore.
This Album will stand the test of time when good music was being made for the series.
Best Sound Track Ever.......2005-03-20
Live and Let Delight.......2004-08-12
The musical chemistry between McCartney and Martin is obvious as the title theme music is blended throughout the soundtrack. As a matter of trivia the movie producers originally planned to use McCartney's title theme with a female vocalist before the former Beatle showed his mettle as a negotiator. In the end, Paul McCartney and Wings performed the title track. LIVE AND LET DIE also proved to be a hit Apple/Capitol single as well.
There are a couple things missing from the CD. When some of the James Bond soundtracks were re-released a couple years ago they included selected soundbytes and an analog movie trailer. Apparently the remastered LIVE AND LET DIE soundtrack did not rate these extra features.
Oh well, Live and Let Die. In the meantime, live and go buy.
Why weren't these tracks included in the first place?.......2003-04-16
George Martin took over from John Barry to write the score for Live and Let Die and he more than admirably did the job. First of all, (take note David Anrold), is that he incorporate the theme song into the score even though it wasn't written by him...thus continuing the tradition of Bond music set by John Barry. Second, he wrote another piece for Solitaire which is also used extensively throughout the score. In all, George Martin wrote a score worthy of Barry himself....
Which is what makes the original release such a disappointment because many of the best music was left out. The re-master remedied that and includes virtually the entire score: the music for the pre-title sequence (gun barrel/snakebit), other notables are Bond and Rosie, The Lovers, Bond to New York, and many of the cues for action/chase sequences. There is an alternate cue for San Monique which I think is better than the one on the original release.
But why the 3 stars rating?
We have to wait for Bond's 40th anniversary for the soundtrack's proper release, AND rebuy the soundtrack (I have it in cassette and CD and now the Re-master). Call me bitter, I think the people who runs the Bond empire should stop treating us fans so shabbily.
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Wintereich [IMPORT]
Immortal Souls Manufacturer: Fear Dark ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000BKSFGU |
Product Description
Wintermetal - The Essence; Immortal Souls blows the frost in and dust the snow out of your stereo. Cold landscapes of north are present in the bands storming. This is the reason why this music has been called wintermetal.. Since the beginning of their existence Immortal Souls has been known as a underground name, playing fast paced death metal with attitude. Fear Dark, label from the Netherlands released album Ice Upon the Night in March 2003, that was licenced to Facedown Records and album was released in USA and Canada in March 2004. Collection "Once Upon A Time in the North", featuring the first album, EP and demo songs in remastered form, was released in august 2005. Band has recorded the new album "Wintereich". Album will be released in first half of 2007. ..and the Mission continues..Customer Reviews:
Finnish Metal Masterpiece.......2007-05-17
progress in winter metal.......2005-11-23
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Conceived in Fire
Living Sacrifice Manufacturer: Solid State Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006JJ35 Release Date: 2002-09-24 |
Tracks:
- Imminent War
- Symbiotic
- 3X3 We Carried Your Body
- The Poisoning
- Send Your Regrets
- Subtle Alliance
- Into Again
- Separation
- Black Seeds
- Ignite
- Distrust
- The Martyr
- Reach For The Sky
Customer Reviews:
Turning Over a New Leaf.......2007-05-09
Christian metal that is heavy as hell.......2007-05-04
It'z about time!!!!!!.......2006-11-24
Their best work.......2006-06-30
good and consistant "death" metal.......2006-05-30
If your Christian, get it to support this style of music. If your into death metal it still rocks. I've seen Pantera live several times and It's a shame I'll never get to see LS live.
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Takemitsu: A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0006VXF32 Release Date: 2005-02-08 |
Tracks:
- For Clarinet, Violin, Violoncello, Piano And Orchestra
- A Flock Descends Into The Pentagonal Garden
- Stanza I
- Sacrifice
- Ring
- Valeria
Customer Reviews:
Important middle-period works in historical performances happily reissued.......2006-12-03
The earliest four pieces, dating from the 1960s, are chamber works and are performed by an ensemble of leading Japanese musicians conducted by Hiroshi Wakasugi. The first three, "Ring", "Sacrifice" and "Valeria" form a trilogy, while "Stanza I" is an independent work from Takemitsu's most overtly modernistic period.
"Ring" for flute, terz guitar, and lute (1961) is an interesting use of aleatorism much like that of Boulez's third piano concerto. The work consists of four sections, "General Theme", "Retrograde", "Inversion", and "Noise", which can be played in any order (here it is R-I-N-G). Within each of the sections, there's few fixed indications of tempi, dynamics, or articulation. "Sacrifice" for flute, lute, and vibraphone (1962) goes even further with aleatorism, where the players are essentially independent from each other each according to his whim, yet the result is surprisingly natural and harmonious. Finally, "Valeria" (1965, rev. 1969) consists of several sections each of which is based on the addition of certain novel timbre, first exotic string effects, then electric organ, then a duo of piccolos.
"Stanza I" (1969) is the most rhythmically complex work here. The supple pulse and its scoring for guitar, harp, piano/celestra, and vibraphone makes it sound remarkably like Boulez's "Pli selon pli". But when a mezzo-soprano enters, singing a text from Wittgenstein, the work becomes more overtly dramatic, even with something of the spirit of a "happening", unlike the somewhat frozen music of the French composer. It's my favourite piece here due to its engaging spirit and wit.
The later two pieces, dating from the second half of the '70s, are orchestral works written to highlight the capabilities of four American performers. These are Peter Serkin (piano), Ida Kavafian (violin), Fred Sherry (cello), and Richard Stoltzmann (clarinet), together known as the TASHI ensemble. They perform here with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa.
The concerto for four-player ensemble and orchestra "Quatrain" (1975) is, as its title suggests, abounding with references to the number four. There are four soloists, sections are built with groups of four bars, and the intervals involve the number. It's also something of a hommage to Messiaen, one of Takemitsu's great heros, as TASHI was originally formed to play Messiaen's "Quatuor". Indeed, it sometimes seems an expanded version of Messiaen's great work, with the melodic lines of the quartet accompanied by chords in the orchestra. One might even see it as Takemitsu's great postmodernistic statement.
"A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden" (1977) is a single-movement work that may be seen as the first piece of the "late Takemitsu", where he entirely leaves behind the avant-garde style of the early 70s and embarks on that "sea of tonality" that was to last for the rest of his life. Like "Quatrain", it too is based around a single number, in this case five. Takemitsu says that he dreamed of a flock of white birds entered a pentagonal garden lead by one black bird, and this inspired him to create one of the most strictly serialised pieces of his career. It begins with a pentatonic scale, as if only the black keys of the piano were used, and eventually the seven "white notes" join it.
As for whether the piece is enjoyable without doting on its formal scheme, I'm uncertain. The problem is not that it sounds rigorous and mathematical--Takemitsu was a master of writing twelve-tone works that sound gentle and calm--but rather that it doesn't differentiate itself much from other works. Takemitsu's late pieces tend to all sound the same, and even those who have championed his music, such as Oliver Knussen, admit that they all seem cut from the same general roll. While some late works such as "Dream/Window" and the percussion concerto "From me flows what you call Time" stand out as sure masterpieces, "A Flock Descends..." has little to recommend it outside of some occasional use of aggressive percussion, a violence wholly absent from later work.
The liner notes here are fairly uninformative. Fans of the composer would do well to seek out Peter Burt's THE MUSIC OF TORU TAKEMITSU (Cambridge University Press, paperback 2006). One also regrets that "Ring", "Sacrifice", and "Valeria" are not split into multiple tracks on the CD according to their sections. If you know little about the music of this great Japanese composer, the chamber music disc on Naxos makes a great introduction. And if you're drawn to further explore his intriguing body of work, this DG reissue is a good purchase.
A Welcome Re-Issue of Takemitsu's View of the Natural World.......2005-07-21
elements.
This recording was made in the 1970s with longtime Takemitsu admirer Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony with guests clarinetist Richard Stolzman and the chamber ensemble Tashi. The opening work 'For Clarinet, Violin, Violoncello, Piano And Orchestra' is pure chamber music in nature with extension of sound colors into the orchestral fabric. 'A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden' (note: his titles are some of his finest poetic constructions!) is an elegant admixture of East and West, with the strings of the orchestra manipulated in ways resembling Oriental forms, a leading characteristic of his 'sound'. The tonalities focus then flow out of focus, become ethereal at one moment then edgy the next.
The chamber works included on this recording include his trilogy Sacrifice/Ring/Valeria and Tashi gives a profound reading, somehow making the work organic despite its tendency to wander like air over water.
Takemitsu's music is best heard on programs that complement the unique use of the orchestra with other more tonal, traditional pieces, and for the novice this recording may be just a bit too much of a good thing. But for those who are searching for historically significant and well-performed examples of Takemitsu's output, then this collection is one of the best. Grady Harp, July 05
Meditation Music:
- Scents and Sounds : Wonders of Nature - Water
- Scents & Sounds: Thundering Skies - Echinacea
- Second Chants
- Simon
- Sirens
- Sounds Of Water
- Star of Wonder
- Starscape, Vol. 2
- Suite St. Petersburg A Piano Portrait
- Summer Place
Meditation Music
Capital Letters: the Best of [Import]
Mozart: Piano Concertos 9 & 27 / Melvyn Tan
Light Cavalry and Other Romantic Overtures
Music: Nicolai Gedda, The First Ten Years 1952-1962
It's a Finger Lickin Thang, Vol. 2
Rapper's Delight/Apache [Import]
Mozart: Violin Concerto, K219; Symphony No. 35 "Haffner"; Haydn: Symphony No. 92 "Oxford"
Motorcycle Emptiness [CD-single] [Import]