We Begin

1. Melancholy of Departure

2. Ceremony in Starlight

3. We Begin

4. Lord Ananea

5. Surface and Symbol

6. Sweet Circle

7. Fanfare

We Begin,Mark Isham,Art Lande,Polygram Records,Chamber Jazz,Crossover Jazz,Jazz,Jazz Music,Progressive Electronic

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Average customer rating: A Legendary Singer. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's Bach: The mind of God revealed!! Glorious singing to treasure for decades Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (1954-2006), supreme Handelian The Stellar Hunt Lieberson

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: Handel Arias Manufacturer: Avie ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Bach: Cantatas BWV 82 and 199 Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs Music of Peter Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto Lorraine Hunt - Handel Arias Bach - Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook (highlights) / Hunt-Liberson, McGegan ASIN: B00022LZW8 Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

1. Ah! Whither Should We Fly...
2. ...As With Rosy Steps The Morn
3. O Bright Example Of All Goodness!...
4. ...Bane Of Virtue, Nurse Of Passions
5. The Clouds Begin To Veil The Hemisphere...
6. ...Defend Her Heav'n!
7. Lord, To Thee Each Night And Day
8. She's Gone, Disdaining Liberty And Life...
9. ...New Scenes Of Joy
10. Cantata
11. Cantata
12. Cantata
13. Cantata
14. Cantata
15. Cantata
16. Cantata
17. Cantata
18. Se Bramate D'amar, Chi Vi Sdegna
19. Frondi Tenere E Belle...
20. ...Ombra Mai Fu

Amazon.com

If you think you've heard Handel's "Ombra mai fu" (known as his "Largo") so often, and in so many different arrangements, and sung by so many different voices, that you can no longer be moved or surprised by it, think again. This CD of Handel arias, mostly from his Theodora or the cantata La Lucrezia, ends with "Ombra mai fu," and as sung by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, it is so tender, so beautiful, so impeccably shaded, that you'll think you're hearing it for the first time. But that's only four of this disc's 67 minutes---a follow-up to Hunt Lieberson's extraordinarily successful CD of Bach cantatas. There's not a dull or disinterested moment to be heard anywhere. As the violated Lucrezia, Hunt Lieberson alternately rages against the man who raped her and turns her grief inward; the former is terrifying in its intensity, the latter makes us almost feel as if we're eavesdropping. The five arias for Irene, Theodora's friend, confidante, and the upholder of Christian beliefs are all magical prayers or statements of faith, and from Hunt Lieberson, they become real, with each word honestly conveyed and colored. The voice itself is unfailingly beautiful---warm, lush, never forced, agile when necessary---and her breath control is stunning. She is backed ideally by Harry Bicket and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the string soloists in the ensemble---the viola da gamba player, lutenist, etc.---are as gifted as she is. If you want proof that Handel was a great dramatist with a special gift for communicating emotion, all while listening to sublime sounds, this CD is a must. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A Legendary Singer........2007-03-07

I simply don't have the heart to review Mrs. Lieberson's works.
If we call Ms. Bartoli a 'great' singer, then the description of 'legendary' more aptly depicts Mrs. Lieberson.
If ever a truly good artist lived, Mrs. Lieberson is one such.
The only singer that could be recalled singing in such style is Teresa Berganza; but still, they are different.
This is one of my favourite interpretators of Haendel. Having been 'treated' by those coloraturas of arias of Haendel's period by Ms. Bartoli and others, I find the singing of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson a great relief - at last, this is what Haendel would want it to be. And I equally enjoy the singing of soprano arias by Mrs. Lieberson - the timbre is warmer, but still with all the shimmer - so different from the dark mushy tones of other celebrated 'lyrical soprano' around.
Don't want to say more. Mrs. Lieberson's leaving last year is too heavy a news for me.

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's Bach: The mind of God revealed!!.......2007-01-06

These deeply felt performances of two of Bach's most moving cantatas show this transcendent singer's combination of emotional honesty and profound musicality, all combined to reveal the very mind of God through divine redemption from suffering. The disc is to be treasured even more in light of the Ms. Lieberson's recent untimely death from cancer. I'm an agnostic, but this music makes me envious of those who can believe. Roy in Pope Valley, California

Glorious singing to treasure for decades.......2006-07-11

By any measure, America's Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is at least the equal of Italy's premier diva, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, although she does not have the same superstar status. It is difficult to recall past mezzos with clearer enunciation of English text, (as favoured in nine excerpts from Theodora), the richness of voice, displayed in full-throated fortissimo and sharply contrasted pianissimo of utmost delicacy, evokes fondest memories of the tragically doomed Kathleen Ferrier. Masterfully chosen to display every facet of Hunt Lieberson's consumate command of Handel's dauntingly difficult music, the disc's repertoire - recitatives and linkig arias from the operas Theodora and Serse, and the cantana La Lucrezia - is stunning. An unsung mezzo who makes the senses tingle!

Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (1954-2006), supreme Handelian.......2006-07-06

I have never heard a voice purer of tone, more flexible in phrasing, and so gorgeously produced in a homogeneous column of sound such as this artist in Handel's repertoire. It is very tastefully sung (unlike a certain person whose name begins with R and ends with enaaay Fleming) and so dramatically touching that one could not help but feel that this repertoire finally has found its instrument. And how sad it is to know that this instrument has passed away two days ago. Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson died two days ago in her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico of breast cancer. It is such a huge loss to the opera world, as she is an artist who is still experiencing the prime of her career. The voice is just so beautiful, the tone so pure, that I lament that we can no longer hear any great roles from this artist. She will be missed.

The Stellar Hunt Lieberson.......2006-03-19

Simply put, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is one of the very best classical singers alive. She combines vocal elegance and purity with an emotional delivery that raises her above the crowd of technically proficient singers who just don't possess her depth of musical understanding or emotional commitment. Hunt Lieberson is a true artist who resists easy classfication except to say she is perfect in what she does.

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.

Average customer rating: The Wonderful Randy Crawford

Everything Must Change/Now We May Begin Randy Crawford Manufacturer: Wounded Bird Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: Miss Randy Crawford/Raw Silk Windsong/Nightline Secret Combination Permanent Rich and Poor ASIN: B0007IO6SC Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

1. Everything Must Change [Live] - Randy Crawford,
2. I Let You Walk Away
3. I'm Easy
4. I Had to See You One More Time
5. I've Never Been to Me
6. Don't Let Me Down
7. Something So Right
8. Soon as I Touched Him
9. Only Your Love Song Lasts
10. Gonna Give Lovin' a Try - Randy Crawford,
11. Last Night at Danceland
12. Tender Falls the Rain
13. My Heart Is Not as Young as It Used to Be
14. Now We May Begin
15. Blue Flame
16. One Day I'll Fly Away
17. Same Old Story (Same Old Song)
18. When Your Life Was Low

Customer Reviews:

The Wonderful Randy Crawford.......2007-02-06

As a fan of Ms. crawford since she began her career, this CD is only a reflection of her great talent.

Average customer rating: More does not necessarily mean better

The Boston Pops: Romance Classics Alex North , Marvin Hamlisch , Johnny Alfred Mandel , Henry Mancini , Michel Legrand , Georges Auric , John Williams , Sammy Fain , Barbra Streisand , Nino Rota , Leonard Bernstein , Max Steiner , Francis Lai , Boston Pops , and Arthur Fiedler Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Rota, Nino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mancini | Mancini, Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Very Best Of The Boston Pops Swing Swing Swing Pops in Love Fiedler Greatest Hits Best of the Boston Pops: 20th Century Masters the Millennium Collection ASIN: B0000041FY Release Date: 1997-01-28

Tracks:

1. Unchained Melody (Ghost)
2. The Way We Were - The Shadow Of Your Smile (The Sandpiper)
3. Moon River (Breakfast At Tiffany's)
4. Days of Wine and Roses
5. The Summer Knows (Summer Of '42)
6. Where is Your Heart? (Moulin Rouge)
7. Superman - Love Theme
8. Love is a Many Splendored Thing
9. Evergreen (A Star Is Born)
10. Romeo And Juliet
11. West Side Story
12. The Godfather
13. A Summer Place - Love Theme
14. Tara Theme (Gone With The Wind)
15. Where Do I Begin (Love Story)

Customer Reviews:

More does not necessarily mean better.......2005-09-21

This recording sounds less like the Boston Pops and more like 101 Strings. (That's not a compliment.) In fact, I know there are better performances of each one out there. These are actually all pleasant, familiar pieces which I like. I'm not at all sure they should all be on the same album. If you want background music while you're reading, or making love, this is perfect. If you're driving late at night and trying to stay awake, not so good! In short, the sum is less than the total of its parts. But I'm giving it a 3, because I do like most of the individual pieces, and I never give more than 4.

Average customer rating: Another Great CD from Scott McCaughey Lost greatness An amazing Double CD A hidden gem Scott McCaughey's double disc mid-life crisis?

Because We Hate You/Let the War Against Music Begin The Young Fresh Fellows , and The Minus 5 Manufacturer: Hollywood Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Lonesome Death of Buck McCoy I Don't Know Who I Am (Let the War Against Music Begin, Vol. 2) In Rock Old Liquidator At the Organ ASIN: B000059RVX Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

1. Great News Around You - The Minus 5
2. Got You - The Minus 5
3. Ghost Tarts Of Stockholm - The Minus 5
4. The Rifleman - The Minus 5
5. You Don't Mean It - The Minus 5
6. A Thousand Years Away - The Minus 5
7. The Amazing Dolphin Boy - The Minus 5
8. Thirsty Bird - The Minus 5
9. One Bar At A Time - The Minus 5
10. John Barleycorn Must Live - The Minus 5
11. Desperate For Someone - The Minus 5
12. Your Day Will Come (Parts 1&2) - The Minus 5
13. Ballad Of Only You & The Can Prevent Forest Fires, Tha

Tracks:

1. Barky's Spiritual Store - The Young Fresh Fellows
2. Lonely Spartanburg Flower Stall - The Young Fresh Fellows
3. I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite - The Young Fresh Fellows
4. For The Love Of A Girl - The Young Fresh Fellows
5. Fuselage - The Young Fresh Fellows
6. My Drum Set - The Young Fresh Fellows
7. Worthless - The Young Fresh Fellows
8. She's A Book - The Young Fresh Fellows
9. Good Times Rock 'N' Roll - The Young Fresh Fellows
10. Little Bell - The Young Fresh Fellows
11. Summerland - The Young Fresh Fellows
12. Mamie Dunn, Employee Of The Month - The Young Fresh Fellows
13. Your Truth, Our Lies - The Young Fresh Fellows
14. The Ballad Of Only You And The Can Prevent Forest Fires - The Young Fresh Fellows

Amazon.com

Scott McCaughey's two bands here deliver a bargain package of a full-length CD each. Given their enjoyably shambling live shows, the Minus 5 are hardly the first outfit you'd expect to turn in an album as magnificently crafted as Let the War Against Music Begin. McCaughey and a cast including Peter Buck, Posies Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer, and Robyn Hitchcock render perfectly wistful widescreen pop loaded with direct lyrics, loving vocal harmonies, vintage electronic-keyboard sounds, and a Spector-esque propulsion. A winner that recalls and betters McCaughey's beloved Beach Boys discs So Tough and Holland, its counterpart finds the Young Fresh Fellows returning to the studio for the first time in several years. Unsurprisingly more haphazard than the Minus 5 record, Because We Hate You nonetheless has its share of lyrical moments ("Worthless," "Summerland") mixed in with the gleeful dork-rock mini-epic "My Drum Set," an amped-up cover of Boyce & Hart's "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite," and the speaks-for-itself "Mamie Dunn, Employee of the Month." --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Another Great CD from Scott McCaughey.......2006-11-29

Scott McCaughey's two bands have put together a double disc of fun, catchy pop/rock songs.

The Minus 5 Disc ("Let the War Against Music Begin") opens with "Great News Around You," which sounds as if it were taken straight out of the Beach Boy's classic "Pet Sounds." "Got You" is another catchy number with a darker meaning behind what initially seems to be bright lyrics. Other highlights include, "You Don't Mean It", "1000 Years Away" and "One Bar At a Time."

For their turn at bat, the Fellows put out an album's worth of tunes not all that far removed from the Minus 5 disc, but a little more amped up. Some favorites include the insanely catchy cover of Boyce & Hart's "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight," the equally infectious "For the Love of a Girl", the dorky but lovable "My Drumset" and "Good Times Rock N Roll." And if that isn't enough to make you buy the album, they throw in a song devoted to a Krispy Kreme waitress.

Both discs feature a number of songs that could appear comfortably on the other, but both also retain their own spirit and unique feel. What really holds them together is the fact that both feature the powerful song writing of Scott McCaughey. This guy has been making music for many years now, and he knows what he's doing. Some musicians churn out a bunch of great songs early in their career only to burn out and release second rate garbage in their middle to late career. Scott McCaughey isn't one of those musicians. He keeps trying new things, but rest assured anything the man touches turns to gold. If some long-time fans of the Fellows are disappointed by this offering, it is probably due to the fact that it is different than McCaughey's early work. And making different music is a bit of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it assures that your music won't become boring. But it can also be a bit of a slap in the face to people who've listened to your music for years and want something similar to what attracted them to the music in the first place.

Bearing that in mind, I would recommend this collection to Minus 5 fans over Young Fresh Fellows fans. If you've been listening to some of the other albums McCaughey has made in recent years (particularly 2006's self-titled Minus Five Release), you will enjoy this record because it has a similar 60's pop/rock vibe. If you are expecting the more lo-fi, less elaborately produced sound of the Fellows in the 80s, you may not like what you hear. Of course, most fans of either band has probably already heard this disc so I'm primarily speaking to people just discovering McCaughey and his two bands. And to you I can only say that McCaughey is one of the most under-appreciated musical geniuses of this age.

If you are considering purchasing this, just do it. You can get a used copy for as low as $2.00, and that's for two discs worth of material! Even if you only end up enjoying a few of the more immediate tunes, you can't really go too wrong for that kind of price. Give it a try. You won't regret it.

Lost greatness.......2004-11-18

I cannot believe that this is out of print when so many lousy albums are in print. It is an injustice to the world when two of the best albums I have heard in recent years, packaged together no less, are not available through amazon.com. Well, lucky me, a local indie record shop had this in their used department in mint condition. From the moment I stuck disc one (Minus 5 was what I went to first) in my car stereo I was hooked. This is some classic pop in line with the Beach Boys, the Ramones, and 80s "college rock." Tuneful to the extreme, lots of real soul, and the freedom to goof around that comes of low commercial expectations. The songs are smart, funny, uplifting and insightful. In an alternate reality it would be a big, big hit with everyone. It would be blasting from loudspeakers in the streets. But here we are in 2004 America where no one cares enough even to keep it in print. Evrybody has lost out without even knowing it.

-HW

An amazing Double CD.......2002-10-22

I concede that I bought this CD out of sheer curiosity. I never heard them -both bands- before. Now it stands between my most beloved CD's, and believe me, I do have a 'beloved' category for my most appreciated CD's. I lost the count on how many times I've heard it since yesterday. Both bands have that nice 60's sound that you think was forgotten even by yourself until you rediscover it by listening to this double CD. 'The Minus 5' are more 60's oriented, while the 'Young Fresh Fellows' combine that 60's psychodelic sound with some edgy punk -some songs sounds almost hardcore, like 'She's a Book'. So, if you happen to be looking for something really surprising, and it happens that you came to this page, welcome. Don't hesitate. Give this CD a chance and don't forget to mark these my words: It will be really worth it. So check this out. Enjoy.

A hidden gem.......2001-07-09

I picked up this CD after hearing a brief review of it on NPR. I wasn't expecting much, but I was completely blown away. The two CD concept is quite clever, and each album has some really great tunes. Most of the lyrics are too smart for mainstream radio these days, but the combination of wit and excellent melody lines make this set a steal.

Scott McCaughey's double disc mid-life crisis?.......2001-03-07

Scott McCaughey fans are like Jonathan Richman fans: they think their fave's mediocre stuff is more enjoyable than 95% of the music out there. There's a lot to like on both discs of this release, but it pales in comparison to Young Fresh Fellows '80s output. Still, "Ghost Tarts of Stockholm" is better than anything released in last year, and the Fellows do their best Sex Pistols imitation on "Your Truth (Our Lies)" or something like that. Truth be told, this is a must for old Fellows fans but really only a 2+1/2 star album at most. Just make sure you get all the old YFF first: Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest, Topsy Turvy, The Men Who Loved Music and This One's For The Ladies are among the greatest rock and roll records ever made. Better yet, catch these guys on tour (check the Mammoth records site - mammoth.com ? - for details) - I saw them on a triple bill (Young Fresh Fellows/Minus 5/Fastbacks, Mike Mills joined in so most of REM was there, too!) three nights ago and even though most of these musicians are now 40-somethings, they still rock harder and better than ANY band on the planet. "In Dennis's room with the black and white, we know it's gonna' be another long night, they're taking the earthlings for fools, we say: 'Godzilla's been attacked by the killer shrews', and someday, oh someday, it's all to be so easy for me."

Average customer rating: Highly recommended

Ultimate Movie Album Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Dukas | Dukas, Paul | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schifrin | Schifrin, Lalo | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kamen | Kamen, Michael | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Forms & Genres | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Soundtracks | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores Reel Love: The Cinematic Romance Album Reel Chill: The Cinematic Chillout Album The Incredible Film Music Box The Queen ASIN: B00005QC28 Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

1. Bridget Jones's Diary: Out Of Reach - Gabrielle
2. Gladiator: Now We Are Free - Gavin Greenaway
3. Moulin Rouge: One Day I'll Fly Away - Nicole Kidman
4. Notting Hill: When You Say Nothing At All - Ronan Keating
5. American Beauty: Dead Already - Thomas Newman
6. Braveheart: Main Theme - For The Love Of A Princess - London Symphony Orchestra
7. Four Weddings And A Funeral: You're The First, The Last, My Everything - Barry White
8. O Brother Where Art Thou: Down To The River To Pray - Alison Krauss
9. Hannibal: Vide Cor Meum - Gavin Greenaway
10. The Shawshank Redemption: Courtyard Theme: Che Soave Zeffiretto (Marriage Of Figaro) - Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin
11. The Thomas Crown Affair: Windmills Of Your Mind - Sting
12. Platoon: Adagio - Neville Marriner
13. Ghost: Unchained Melody - Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
14. Fantasia: The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Montreal Symphony Orchestra
15. The Big Lebowski: Just Dropped In (To See What My Condition Was In) - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
16. Philadelphia: La Mamma Morta - Monserrat Caballe
17. Snatch: Hernando's Hideaway - The Johnstone Brothers
18. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels: Eighteen With A Bullet - Lewis Taylor And Carleen Anderson
19. A Room With A View: O Mio Babbino Caro - Sylvia McNair

Tracks:

1. Billy Elliot: Cosmic Dancer - Marc Bolan & T-Rex
2. Captain Corelli's Mandolin: Pelagia's Song - Orchestra
3. Four Weddings And A Funeral: Love Is All Around - Wet Wet Wet
4. Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves: Maid Marian At The Waterfall/Everything I Do - Michael Kamen
5. Dances With Wolves: John Dunbar Theme - John Mauceri
6. American Beauty: Any Other Name - Thomas Newman
7. Gladiator: The Battle (Excerpt) - Gavin Greenaway
8. The Silence Of The Lambs: Goldberg Variations (Aria) - Andrei Gavrilov
9. Notting Hill: She - Elvis Costello
10. Pulp Fiction: Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
11. Mission Impossible: Main Theme - Orchestra
12. Waking Ned: Let The Draw Begin - Orchestra
13. Out Of Africa: Love Theme - John Williams
14. Shine: Piano Concerto No.3 In D Minor, Op.30 - Concertgebouw Orchestra
15. The Godfather Part III: Intermezzo From Cavalleria Rusticana - Pavarotti
16. The Mexican: End Credits Medley - The Hollywood Film Chorale
17. Body Heat: Main Theme - John Williams
18. Apocalypse Now: The Ride Of The Valkyries - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
19. Star Trek: The Final Frontier - Main Theme & March Of The Klingons - John Williams

Album Description

UK compilation featuring a combination of hit songs & theme music from some great soundtracks. Tracks include, Gabrielle 'Out Of Reach' (Bridget Jones Diary), 'Now We Are Free' (Gladiator), 'Dead Already' (American Beauty), Alison Kraus 'Down To The River To Pray' (O Brother Where Art Thou), Ronan Keating 'When You Say Nothing At All' (Notting Hill) & many more. 35 tracks on 2 CDs. 2001.

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended.......2002-08-20

This pricey UK import CD filled a lot of gaps in my music collection and is an excellent overview of notable music of (mostly) recent films. It's difficult to find consistently listenable soundtrack collections like this, by that I mean free from the obligitory Whitney Houston or Celine Dion embarrassments. Usually rights issues prevent comprehensive compilations like this in the US, too. While I enjoy a lot of soundtrack music, there aren't so many complete soundtracks that I would care to own, some examples of exceptions being Ennio Morricone scores and the About a Boy Soundtrack. While certainly most of these tracks are the actual recordings used in their respective films, I noticed that "La mamma morte" from Philadelphia is not the Maria Callas version. There might be other cases like this, I'm not sure. And "Unchained Melody" from Ghost is an orchestral version, not the pop song (but I consider this a plus). This collection seems to focus on the subtle and quirky, yet melodic music of indie films, with less emphasis on the loud sweeping orchestral scores of major Hollywood hits, but of course there are a few like Gladiator and Braveheart, which are welcome here because like I've said, I probably wouldn't listen to the whole score. I love the two Thomas Newman compositions from American Beauty, and it's good to have some music from films by the Cohen Brothers here. My only complaint would have to be the order of the songs. You would think they would avoid jumping back and forth between pop songs, orchestral scores, and quiet music, but it just seems thrown together by random. I would compare this collection to the excellent "Miramax Films Greatest Hits" but the makers of that album knew to group the two pop/rock songs at the end.

Average customer rating: A smooth voice in a smooth repertoire. Delightful collection of songs performed by great artist

Cesare Siepi Sings Cole Porter and Italian Songs Manufacturer: Myto Records Italy ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Porter | Porter, Cole | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Cesare Siepi: Classic Recitals - Operatic Arias for Bass ASIN: B000009ONP Release Date: 2000-09-09

Tracks:

1. Night And Day
2. So In Love
3. I've Got You Under My Skin
4. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
5. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
6. Wunderbar
7. Begin The Beguine
8. Easy To Love
9. I Get A Kick Out Of You
10. I Love You
11. In The Still Of The Night
12. Blow, Gabriel, Blow
13. Malia
14. Occhi Di Fata
15. Non T'amo Piu
16. Serenata
17. Mia Sposa Sra La Mia Bandiera
18. E Canta Il Grillo
19. Visione Veneziana
20. L'Ultima Canzone

Customer Reviews:

A smooth voice in a smooth repertoire........2004-04-04

Cesare Siepi's bass voice is greatly underrepresented in the CD catalogue. This album lets us know what an artist he was. His interpretations are always just right, and never over the top. Only an occasional accent slips in. His English diction should be a model for all singers. I lost no more than 5% of the words. The wonderful way he caresses his way into "Night and Day" or sails through "Begin the Beguine" are wonderful examples of his artistry. Siepi includes the often omitted verses to each song, and that is a plus.

The sound quality is more than acceptable. It isn't digital, but here the fidelity comes from the artistry and not the sound itself. In fact the sound quality is a lot better than the 1955 recording date might indicate. I was not bothered in the least ... in fact I was pleasantly surprised.

There are unfortunately lots of typos in the notes that should have been corrected. Myto should review such things before putting them out on the market.

Siepi's way with the Italian songs is equally enjoyable. How nice to have someone sing them instead of bawling them to the rafters. This is a winner album, and it would be 5 stars if the sound were a little more modern.

Delightful collection of songs performed by great artist.......1999-05-24

Despite the inferior sound quality of this CD, it is pleasing to have this unusual collection available. Cesare Siepi is a great artist, with the best English diction of any classical Italian singer within memory. Although I remember him best as the most dashing and truly seductive Don Giovanni at the Met, he is equally convincing with a popular song. A rare achievement! Siepi, I love you as much today as I did when I was an infatuated teenager.

Average customer rating:

The Essential Wedding Collection Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Monk, William Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mancini | Mancini, Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Pachelbel | Pachelbel, Johann | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Rota, Nino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kamen | Kamen, Michael | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Classical Wedding Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings 25 Wedding Favorites Call Me Irresponsible Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition) ASIN: B0001U0GCG Release Date: 2004-05-11

Tracks:

1. Sheep May Safely Graze - Stuttgarter Kammerorchester
2. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Stuttgarter Kammerorchester
3. Aria (Air On The G String) - Stuttgarter Kammerorchester
4. Air - Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
5. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - Richard Farnes
6. Canon in D major - Stuttgarter Kammerorchester
7. Bridal Chorus - Stephen Cleobury
8. The Prince Of Denmark's March - Michael Laird Brass
9. Trumpet Tune And Air - Peter Hurford
10. Panis Angelicus - Luciano Pavarotti
11. Ave Maria - Wandsworth School Boys' Choir, National Philharmonic Orchestra and Luciano Pavarotti
12. Exsultate, Jubilate, K. 165 - Leontyne Price
13. Water Music - Stephen Cleobury
14. Wedding March - Peter Hurford
15. The Lord's My Shepherd - Huddersfield Choral Society
16. Laudate Dominum - Wren Orchestra
17. Let The Bright Seraphim - Dame Joan Sutherland
18. Abide With Me - Anthony Way
19. Ombra Mai Fu - Anthony Way
20. On Wings Of Song - Utah Symphony Orchestra
21. Toccata - Stephen Cleobury
22. Praise, My Soul, The King Of Heaven - Richard Farnes

Tracks:

1. My Heart Will Go On - James Horner
2. I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton
3. Love Theme - Nino Rota
4. Up Where We Belong - Will Jennings
5. As Time Goes By - Herman Hupfeld
6. Take My Breath Away - Giorgio Moroder
7. Can You Feel The Love Tonight? - Elton John
8. Evergreen - Barbra Streisand
9. Love Is All Around - Reg Presley
10. Maid Marian At The Waterfall (Everything I Do) I Do For You - Seattle Symphony Orchestra
11. Moon River - Henry Mancini
12. Where Do I Begin - Francis Lai
13. When A Man Loves A Woman - Andrew Wright
14. The Way We Were - Marvin Hamlisch
15. Unchained Melody - Hollywood Bowl Orchestra

Average customer rating: Champagne Music!

Offenbach: La Belle Helene; Orpheus in the Underworld; La Vie Parisienne (Highlights) Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus; The Gypsy Baron (Highlights) Léhar: The Land of Smiles; The Merry Widow; The Count of Luxembourg (Highlights) Offenbach: Orpheus in the Underworld / Burgess, Watson, etc (Highlights) ASIN: B00009KHY3 Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. The Happy Bride Never Stumbles
3. You've Gone Too Far!
4. May I Make Myself Known?
5. My Death Appears Divinely Smiling
6. When Diana Leaves The Mountains
7. To Arms!
8. When Jupy Feels The Inclination
9. Here Comes Orpheus
10. When I Was King Of The Boeotians
11. I Thought That I Felt On My Shoulder
12. What Heavenly Joy Is Mine
13. Minuet And Galop
14. Overture
15. How Sad We've Made The Marchioness
16. Well Isn't That Just Life All Over?
17. I'm The Guide For Every Tourist
18. I Am A Native Of Brazil
19. In This Enchanting Queen Of Cities
20. I Am A Dab At Carving Pork
21. We Have Seen Sights Since Eleven... I'm A Colonel's Widow
22. Dinner Is Served

Tracks:

1. Oh, Little Cloud
2. When She Goes Out... Her Petticoats Go Frou, Frou, Frou
3. Does He Know He's Splitting Down The Back
4. Nobody Would Call Me A Rover
5. I'll Have So Much To Say
6. It's Most Important You Should Show
7. Here You See The Place
8. My Friends, I'm Most Delighted To See You
9. In Songs And Shouts... Paris Blooms Like A Flower
10. Introduction
11. To Bow To Jupiter We Gather At The Shrine
12. We've Had A Night Out
13. On Mount Ida Three Great Ladies (The Judgement Of Paris)
14. March And Entry Of The Kings
15. Entr'acte
16. We All Begin By Truly Trying
17. It Is Her That Has Sent This Sweet Love Dream
18. Come Here, You Kings Of Greece
19. When All Of Greece Has Been Ravaged
20. Do You See?

Customer Reviews:

Champagne Music!.......2006-07-09

Thank goodness that these well filled CDs of selections from three of Offenbach's most entertaining and tuneful operettas are available. Exactly the thing to provide some hearty nourishment for Winter nights. Ideal also for a Summer barbecue. In both cases, a glass of champagne, or at least some other bubbly beverage, would be good to have at hand - everything here no doubt will call for a toast or several.

It is so nice to be able to hear in these translations the witty words, sung with welcome clarity and meaning by these admirable artists. As I recall, there were no microphones in sight, and perhaps not even used, when this production of Orpheus In The Underworld was brought to Australia, with a few cast changes but the same sparkle as shown here. Crisp diction and lively, often lovely, singing - a great recipe for enjoyable listening indeed.

The recording sounds a bit shrill here and there, but what a churlish quibble; to Hades with such curmudgeonly qualifications! This is music to raise the spirits, and not just those from Hades.

Average customer rating: a voice teacher and early music fan The greatest American bass Good, but one dimensional Primo basso assolutto!!

Samuel Ramey: Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye: Songs of Barber, Samuel Barber , Stephen Foster , Charles T. Griffes , George Gershwin , Edwin Gerschefski , Paul Bowles , Cole Porter , Samuel Ramey , and Warren Jones Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Griffes | Griffes, Charles T. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Porter | Porter, Cole | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Date With the Devil Samuel Ramey - Operatic Arias Samuel Ramey on Broadway - So in Love No Tenors Allowed: Famous Duets for Baritone and Bass The Very Best of Thomas Hampson ASIN: B000002C08 Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

1. No. 6 from Hermit Songs, Op. 29: Sea-Snatch
2. I Hear An Army
3. Sure On This Shining Night
4. Bessie Bobtail
5. If You've Only Got A Moustache
6. Gentle Annie
7. Don't Bet Your Money On The Shanghai
8. Evening Song
9. An Old Song Re-Sung
10. No. 1 From Three Poems, Op. 11: The Lament Of Ian The Proud
11. Song Of The Dagger
12. A Damsel In Distress: Nice Work If You Can Get It
13. Shall We Dance?: They All Laughed
14. Girl Crazy: Embraceable You
15. The Goldwyn Follies: Just Another Rhumba
16. They Cannot Stop Death - Blue Mountain Ballads
17. Heavenly Grass
18. Lonesome Man
19. Cabin
20. Sugar In The Cane
21. Anything Goes: Blow, Gabriel Blow
22. Jubilee: Begin The Beguine
23. Seven Lively Arts: Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
24. FIFTY MILLION FRENCHMEN: The Tale Of The Oyster

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-26

This is such a great collection of 20th century songs, that it behooves me to say something brief about each composer on this disc. I think that by doing so the listener gains more insight and thus more appreciation of all aspects of the song material.

The music of Samuel Barber (1910-1981), whether his symphonies, concertos,operas, chamber music or songs, is notable above all for a pronounced and refined lyricism. Barbr wrote songs thruout his career, and his published vocal output, though relatively small, is perhaps the most distinguished of an American composer. He preferred lyrical , romantic poetry, and his word-setting was perfect.
Stephen Foster (1826-1864) published his first song when he was 18 and by dint of hundreds more became, in the words of Aaron Copland,"our own national hero (who) had a naturalness and sweetness of sentiment that transformed his melodies into the equivalent of folk song." He was truly a songwriter rather than a composer, for he wrote no concert works or operas.
Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884-1920) assimilated Debussian impressionism and,somewhat later, Oriental exoticism. During his brief career, he composed 64 songs, including four song-cycles.
George Gershwim(1898-1937) began his career in Tin Pan Alley and eventually, with works such as 'Rhapsody in blue' for piano and orchestra and some other works, brought Jazz into the concert hall.
Paul Bowles (1910- ) has long enjoyed celebrity status as an author,a writer of novels, short stories and essays. After a brief study with Aaron Copland, he made a considerable reputation as a composer of incidenal music. Virgil Thompson once described Bowles's songs as "enchanting for their sweetness of mood, their lightness of texture, for in general their way of being wholly alive and right".
Cole Porter (1891-1964) had the rare ability to invent superior catchpenny tunes; deceptively simple, often elegant melodies that stay in the ear. Consequently,he became one of the most successful American songwriter of his era.

As to Samuel Ramey's performance of these songs, one can only say 'business as usual', and that means great sound, great diction, great interpretation and always with that extra something that only a few bassos have!!!!The variety of works is varied and interesting and, if you please, is NOT a cross-over album. There are too many songs that denote the classical element. He was wise enough to vary his selection to avoid that particular situation. I really like this disc!!!!!

The greatest American bass.......2007-01-10

Ramey fans will not be disappointed by this charming collection of vocal gems.

Good, but one dimensional.......2000-04-26

Samuel Ramey is undoubtedly one of the finest and most versatile opera singers of his generation. However, these songs do not show his voice off at his best. One of Ramey's main faults is a lack of variety and vocal colour which is ABSOLUTELY needed in a song recital. This lack of colouring means that most of the songs come out sounding the same. The other major concern is that Mr Ramey's vibrato is quite pronounced. Most opera singers can get away with this when singing with an orchestra, but when he just has piano accompaniment it is much more noticeable. Still, it is good to have a recording of some of these lesser known songs and it is still an enjoyable cd.

Primo basso assolutto!!.......1998-11-17

Having attended Mr. Ramey's recent recital in Chicago where he sang a number of the songs on this recording, I can say that there is simply no bass today to rival him for sheer vocal glory. Whether it is the bel canto repetoire, baroque decorations, or as here, the American literature, Ramey is THE bass of the day. Unlike the former days when bassos were relagated to either buffoon, rich uncle, or some other supporting role, Ramey has almost single-handedly elevated the basso to star status. Roles that languished for years because there was no one up to their demands are now staples of Ramey's catalogue. Warren Jones is a sensetive and intelligent accompanist. In fact he played the entire recital from memory.

Meditation Music:

1. Wind in the Wheat
2. Windham Hill Sampler '81
3. Witch Doctor
4. World Visions
5. A Sense of Place
6. Above the Clouds
7. Aeterna
8. Ageless Pathways: The Journey
9. Atmospheres & Affirmations
10. Beckoning

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Celtic Passion: The Songs of Roy Orbison

Strauss: Don Quixote, Vier Letzte Lieder

Sonoridade Mario Eugenio [Import]

Music: Part II

Slinky World Class [Import]

Spitfire [EP] [Import]

Sanctus: Musica Instrumental Para Reflexao E Celebracoes [Import]

The Day After Hell Broke Loose [Explicit Lyrics]

Stick Game Songs of Paiute World

Strauss: Sonate for cello and piano, Op. 6 / Grieg: Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 36

Siamese Dream [Explicit Lyrics]

Stalling From Fear

Straight from Da Sewer [CD-single]

Simone Hines

Unorthodox Behaviour