Wagner: Great Orchestral Music from "The Ring"

1. Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), opera, WWV 86a Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
   Conducted by George Szell
   
   
2. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b The Ride of the Valkyries
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
   Conducted by George Szell
   
   
3. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Magic Fire Music
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
   Conducted by George Szell
   
   
4. Siegfried, opera, WWV 86c Forest Murmurs
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
   Conducted by George Szell
   
   
5. Die Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), opera, WWV 86d Dawn
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
   Conducted by George Szell
   
   
6. Die Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), opera, WWV 86d Siegfried's Rhine Journey
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
   Conducted by George Szell
   
   
7. Die Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), opera, WWV 86d Siegfried's Funeral Music
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
   Conducted by George Szell
   
   
8. Die Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), opera, WWV 86d Final Scene
   Composed by Richard Wagner
   Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
   Conducted by George Szell
   
   

Wagner: Great Orchestral Music from "The Ring",Richard Wagner,George Szell,Cleveland Orchestra,Sony,Classical,Classical Music,German/Austrian Romantic Opera,Opera

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Average customer rating: Great Sampling Collection Six Decades of Film Music Excellent collection with fine performances "essential film scores from 1939 to 2004 ~ Incredible Music"

The Incredible Film Music Box Manufacturer: Silva America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Herrmann | Herrmann, Bernard | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( 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 Nyman | Nyman, Michael | ( N ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Rota, Nino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vangelis | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection Epics: The History of the World According to Hollywood The Ultimate Movie Music Collection Jerry Goldsmith: 40 Years of Film Music ASIN: B0007S687Y Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

1. Gone With The Wind: Overture
2. Citizen Kane: Overture
3. Casablanca: As Time Goes By
4. It's A Wonderful Life: It's A Wonderful Life
5. The Third Man: The Harry Lime Theme
6. The Searchers: Suite
7. The Bridge On The River Kwai: Colonel Bogey March
8. Vertigo: Prelude
9. Touch Of Evil: Main Title
10. Ben-Hur: Parade Of The Charioteers
11. North By Northwest: Prelude
12. Psycho: Suite
13. The Magnificent Seven: The Magnificent Seven
14. Lawrence Of Arabia: Overture

Tracks:

1. To Kill A Mockingbird: Suite
2. The Great Escape: Main Title
3. Doctor Zhivago: Main Title & Lara's Theme
4. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
5. Once Upon A Time In The West: Jill's Theme
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey: Also Sprach Zarathustra
7. Midnight Cowboy: Midnight Cowboy
8. Get Carter: Main Title
9. A Clockwork Orange: Ode To Joy
10. The Godfather: Waltz & Love Theme
11. Jaws: Jaws
12. Rocky: Gonna Fly Now
13. Taxi Driver: Suite
14. Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope

Tracks:

1. Superman: Main Theme
2. Alien: End Title
3. Raging Bull: Intermezzo From Cavalleria Rusticana
4. Raiders Of The Lost Ark: Raiders March
5. Blade Runner: End Titles
6. E.T.: The Extraterrestrial: Adventures On Earth
7. Once Upon A Time In America: Deborah's Theme
8. Back To The Future: Main Theme
9. Witness: Building The Barn
10. Aliens: Main Title
11. Cinema Paradiso: Cinema Paradiso
12. Glory: Charging Frot Wagner
13. Dances With Wolves: The John Dunbar Theme
14. Unforgiven: Claudia's Theme

Tracks:

1. The Piano: The Heart Asks Pleasure First
2. Schindler's List: Main Theme
3. Braveheart: End Credits
4. Titanic: My Heart Will Go On
5. Saving Private Ryan: Hymn To The Fallen
6. American Beauty: Any Other Name
7. Gladiator: Now We Are Free
8. Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring: The Fellowship
9. The Girl With The Pearl Earring: Griet's Theme
10. Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl: Suite
11. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban: Suite
12. Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events: The Letter That Never Came
13. Finding Neverland: Impossible Opening
14. The Incredibles: Overture

Customer Reviews:

Great Sampling Collection.......2007-07-29

Over the past thirty years, my father and I have been collecting film music on various formats--vinyl, tape, reel-to-reel, CD, recording it from the movie, even. This collection is a great starter for someone who wants to start owning movie music. Lots of big hitters, including Hermann, Barry, Conti, Mancini, and Goldsmith as well as some contemporary scores that are great, too. This is the type of collection I would make for a friend who asks "what scores should I start with?"

Six Decades of Film Music.......2007-05-13

This is film music for the classical music lover. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra presents excellent arrangements of a number of classic film themes (although several pieces of the 56 film classics selected for this 4 CD set are not orchestral arrangements, but rather specialty arrangements). Besides great film composers such as John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, Ennio Morricone, and James Horner, classical composers such as Richard Strauss and Pietro Mascagni make an appearance. On several of the numbers the Crouch End Festival Chorus adds the human voice to the power of the full symphonic orchestra to create true movie magic. If you like the sound of a full symphony orchestra playing some of the most recognized themes ever written, you'll love these CDs.

Excellent collection with fine performances.......2007-03-28

Silva Screen Records, based in England, has been issuing some fine collections of film scores, more in one box than we have the right to expect. This four-CD box contains scores by many of the best writers, including Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tomkin, Kenneth J. Alford (The Bridge on the River Kwai), Elmer Bernstein, Maurice Jarre, Ennio Marricone, John Barry, Nino Rota, John Williams, James Horner, and more. We can all think of additional film scores we wished were included, but then there's no way this collection could be all-inclusive. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, supplemented by Crouch End Festival Chorus on some numbers, does a very competent job...The liner notes give the basic information without any commentary, and as far as I can see, contain only one error. Am I wrong or are tracks 9 and 10 on the fourth CD mislabeled? Track 9, which runs 7:33, seems to have the excitement of "Pirates of the Caribbean" (which I did not see) and track 10, which runs 4:22, the more sedate "The Girl with the Pearl Earring (which I also did not see). Listings seem to have them reversed.

"essential film scores from 1939 to 2004 ~ Incredible Music".......2005-05-16

When I think of the "Golden Age" of Hollywood, many composers come to mind...you gave the usher your ticket in the theater and sat down, knowingly you were going to get your moneys worth...when the curtain opened and you heard those first few notes...you sat back, watched and listened as the film score and orchestra worked their magic...now we have the ultimate from Silva Screen Classics "The Incredible Film Music Box", featuring a four disc set of the essential film scores of the past 60 years...covering several decades from 1939 through and up to the present 2004

There are compilations and then there are "Compilations" beginning with a classic that even the youngsters today recognize "GONE WITH THE WIND" (1939) (Max Steiner), sweeping score that captures the tragic history of the South during the Civil War, one great cue after another, it doesn't get any better than this, nominated by the Academy for Best Original Score...and closing on Disc 4 with "THE INCREDIBLES" (2004) (Michael Giacchino), the big hit in computer animation from Walt Disney & Pixar that once again pit Super-Heroes against the forces of evil...our family of five Supers prove crime doesn't pay, but box-office receipts do...gotta love it!

Silva Screen Classics as usual, has put quality into this 4-CD-Set featuring The City Of Prague Philarmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus conducted by Kenneth Alwyn, Bill Ashton, Paul Bateman, James Fitzpatrick, Mario Klemens, Derek Wadsworth, and Nic Raine. Recorded in "Dolby Surround" with the new technology of "HDCD", this is a "film-score-buffs" dream, one to treasure now and years to come.

Some selections are missing, but when you think of what Silva has included, it is impossible to please everyone...was happy to see "TOUCH OF EVIL" (1958) from composer Henry Mancini, as I feel this composer deserves all the recognition that has been overlooked recently in the music world...This collection is aimed directly at the "Serious Film Score" music fans and collectors...Silva is as always, perfect in every way...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 4-CD-Set ~ Silva America 1181 ~ (5/10/2005)

Average customer rating: Conversion Not to be missed Greatly improved sound, excellent performances Szell and Karajan were freinds!!! A classic Szell recording beautifully restored

Great Orchestral Highlights from The Ring of the Nibelungs / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD) Wagner , Cleveland Orchestra , and George Szell Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cleveland Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Dvorák: The Slavonic Dances [SACD] Dvorak Symphony No. 7 & Carnival Overture & Smetana Die Moldau / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD) Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 39 & 40; Exsultate, Jubilate [SACD] Bach: The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues [SACD] Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, A Night on Bald Mountain, and Other Russian Showpieces [Hybrid SACD] ASIN: B000044U19 Release Date: 2000-01-11

Customer Reviews:

Conversion .......2005-03-07

This is a very good recording of these works - all from Wagner's Nibelungen operas. Prior to purchasing this SACD, I did not totally agree with Szell's approach to Wagner. His approach, I thought, was too clear, too lacking on the bass line, and the accoustic at Severance Hall didn't help much. This SACD clarifies Szell in a very favorable way. Severance Hall doesn't sound nearly as bad of a place to record as I previously thought (though it's still debatable whether Szell's modifications to the hall in the late 50's were an improvement...) and the listener hears a much more balanced orchestral sonority, one which is without any congestion, clear as a bell, so to speak.

The performances themselves are top-flight - no question, by the late 1960's, the Cleveland Orchestra was the best orchestra in the U.S., outgunning everyone else. Szell lets the music speak for itself - no indulging in one's own self-centered interpretations here. Tempi are as specified and there are no orchestral rearrangements as there were in his Schumann recordings.

Now, if only Sony would release the rest of Szell's Wagner recordings on SACD, I'd be really happy to buy it.

Not to be missed.......2004-12-02

Hard to believe that these old Columbia/Epic LPs had this kind of sound in them. The sound stage is deep and wide and the string sound truly analogue. I find some of the ring excerpts not particularly to my liking musically, but the Tristan Prelude? A great recording by any measure. I was mesmerized by Szell's performance and have listened many, many times. SACD is so phenomenal. No ear fatigue and musically so involving. I haven't enjoyed listening so much since my LP days. This is the full measure of digital sound.

Greatly improved sound, excellent performances.......2004-09-17

I have been comparing this (non-hybrid, stereo-only) Sony SACD with the old Sony/CBS CD set - the 2 discs Maestro series from 1990, I've never heard a more recent Essential Classics CD incarnation coupled with some Ormandy Wagner. I suspect that was the same remastering.

The SACD replicates the second CD from that set (Ring excerpts plus the Tristan Prelude and Liebestod) and adds the Meistersinger Prelude, giving a total timing of 76'47.

I compared the tracks I know very well: the two Gotterdammerung excerpts. Unlike the other Szell SACD I have compared (Schumann Symphonies No 2 & 4, where the difference was discernible but slight), here the new disc sounds clearly different, and I think better.

On CD I always felt it was perhaps the slight aural 'edge' and hint of constriction that made these performances so thrilling (even though the sounds was rather flat in terms of front to back perspective), but this SACD removes that acerbity to some extent, to advantage I feel. There is much more depth to the sound and it is richer - and the orchestra sounds closer (perhaps even a tad smaller?) with greater detail. Strings sound more in focus. Maybe some of the ambience has changed, but perhaps this more realistically conveys the true acoustic of Severance Hall. Hearing the brief fanfare at 5'13ff in the Rhine Journey, here it is more rounded and realistic.

Tape hiss is absent from the SACD. In the Funeral March the advantage is clearer: the detail is much finer (the timpani strokes sound clearly at 2'55ff, whereas on CD they were blurred and the lighter ones inaudible).

For Wagnerians and Szell fans I think this SACD is worth getting as a supplement to the normal CD - I will of course retain the CDs as the SACD cannot be played elsewhere like the car changer.

Szell and Karajan were freinds!!!.......2004-06-07

In a recent bio on Karajan I was surprised to read the two were very good freinds and shared a alot in common. They also had similar approaches to orchestral sonority...

Suprisingly enough the approach to the Wagner here is very alike Herbert in some regards...I like the way Szell approaches the music in a more intense approach.

Karajan did get to do the Ring...but alas we may get to hear Szell with the Met from the 40s which some believe does exist in archive. As to the playing this is the finest Wagner record of exerpts out there.

It surpasses Herbert's any day!!!

The wonderful thing is how Cleveland is so transparent in it's textures...not as unlike Klemperer as one would think!!!

A classic Szell recording beautifully restored.......2002-01-25

There is very little to add to the excellent preceding review on this recording. I would just add an observation that the DSD transfer onto SACD brings a far greater level of realism and transparency as compared to the original LP or any subsequent CD transfer. We get as close as we likely ever will to hearing Szell's original intentions in the studio, which were obscured by Columbia's notoriously poor transfers of the original reel-to-reel master tape onto LP. In those days Columbia would artificially boost the mid-range on a recording to make it sound better on mediocre equipment -- not exactly an audiophile technique! This DSD transfer, by contrast, is untampered electronically, not even by noise reduction, which is also notorious for robbing analogue recordings from this vintage of their ambience and warmth. The result is a small amount of tape hiss, which I will gladly accept to be given the chance to hear what Szell and his fabulous Clevelanders actually recorded.

Average customer rating:

Orchestral Excerpts for Trombone Manufacturer: Summit(Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bruckner | Bruckner, Anton | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Hindemith | Hindemith, Paul | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( 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 Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | 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 Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Sauer: Orchestral Excerpts for Trombone Vol. 2 Orchestral Excerpts for Bass Trombone, Tenore Tuba, Bass Trumpet Orchestral Excerpts For Trumpet Orchestral Excerpts For Horn Orchestral Excerpts for Tuba ASIN: B0000038JF Release Date: 1994-05-31

Tracks:

1. Requiem
2. Hungarian March/Sym Fantastique
3. Con
4. Sym No.9
5. Prld Act III, Lohengrin/Ride Of The Valkyries/Tannhauser Ov
6. Bolero
7. Sym No.3
8. Sym No.3
9. Sym No.1 & 2
10. Sym No.5
11. William Tell/La Gazza Ladra
12. Sym No.3
13. Sym No.6
14. Firebird Ste/Petrouchka
15. Russian Easter/Scheherazade
16. Till Eulenspiegel/Ein Heldenleben/Sprach Zarathustra
17. Sym No.4 & 7
18. Mathis Der Maler/Symphonic Metamorphosis

Average customer rating:

Engineer's Choice Bela Bartok , David Diamond , Ottorino Respighi , Falla, Manuel de , Ravel, Maurice , James DePreist , Schwarz, Gerard , Wagner, Roger , Shifrin, David , and Davidovich, Bella Manufacturer: Delos Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Falla | Falla, Manuel de | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grofé, Ferde | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Hanson | Hanson, Howard | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Piston | Piston, Walter | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Respighi | Respighi, Ottorino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Engineer's Choice II ASIN: B00000071F Release Date: 1992-05-22

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 10: Scherzo
2. Gimpel The Fool: 'Jester's Song And Mazel Tov'
3. Through The Looking Glass: Looking-Glass Insects
4. Grand Canyon Suite: Sunset
5. Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
6. Symphony No.6: Movements III. And IV.
7. Piano Concerto: Adagio
8. Wassail Song
9. Fleurs
10. Menuetto
11. Symphony No. 51: Finale (Allegro)
12. Suite For Skip And Sadie: Good Morning
13. Piano Trio: Tema con Variazioni
14. Treestone: Tristopher Tristian
15. Prelude In G Minor
16. A Quaker Reader: Movements IV and VIII
17. Symphony No. 6: Scherzo (Leggerissimo vivace)
18. The Miraculous Mandarin: The Miraculous Mandarin (excerpts)
19. Symphony No. 2: Finale (Allegro vigoroso) (Excerpt)
20. Roman Festivals: Roman Festivals (excerpts)
21. Nights In The Gardens Of Spain (excerpts)
22. Daphnis And Chloe: Daphnis and Chloe (excerpt)

Average customer rating: Bombastic Intro to Classical

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Tracks:

1. Also sprach Zarathustra: Fanfare - Bamberger Sym/Horst Stein
2. Behold, The Sea Itself (from A Sea Symphony) - Philharmonia Chor/Leonard Slatkin
3. Ride of the Valkyries (from Die Walkure) - Staatskapelle Dresden/Marek Janowski
4. Night on Bald Mountain - Dallas SO/Eduardo Mata
5. Montagues and Capulets (from Romeo and Juliet) - Philharmonia Orch/Claus Peter Flor
6. Final Scene (from Turandot) - Eva Marton/Bavarian Radio Chor
7. Trepak: Russian Dance (from The Nutcracker) - St. Louis SO/Leonard Slatkin
8. Fanfare for the Common Man - St. Louis SO/Leonard Slatkin
9. Pomp & Circumstance March No. I - St. Louis SO/Leonard Slatkin
10. Introit for a Feast Day - Gerre Hancock/Musica Sacra/Richard Westenburg
11. Baba Yaga: The Great Gate of Kiev (from Pictures at an Exhibition) - RPO/Yuri Temirkanov
12. O fortuna (from Carmina Burana) - St. Louis Sym Chor/Leonard Slatkin
13. Sacrificial Dance (from The Rite of Spring) - St. Louis SO/Leonard Slatkin
14. William Tell Ov: Finale - Bamberger Sym/Guiseppe Patane
15. Festive Prld - Bamberger Sym/Horst Stein
16. 1812 Ov: Finale - Leningrad PO/Leningrad Military Orch/Yuri Temirkanov

Customer Reviews:

Bombastic Intro to Classical.......2005-11-06

For the novice, this album is a LOUD, bombastic, in your face way to get you hooked into opera. Opening the album is Richard Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra: Fanfare, which enjoyed enormous fame as the "Theme to 2001 A Space Odyssey". Behold The Sea Itself from "A Sea Symphony" is a spectacular musical account of the ocean in all its majesty. Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries is the most famous work of classical music with fortissimi passages and made famous through the film Apocalypse Now. Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain is an intense, gritty piece describing a harrowing, haunted night on the supposedly spooky mountain in Russia. Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" Fantasy Overture includes a thunderous, intense section depicting the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. Other music on here include the stunning, climatic finale to Puccini's opera Turandot with soprano Eva Marton as Turandot, Mussorgky's Great Gate at Kiev, O Fortuna the chilling hcorus from Orff's Carmina Burana, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, which is a staple of 4th of July concert programs. All in all, a great album of thunderous classical music that invades your stereo with its powerful sound.

Average customer rating: A Rose By Any Other Name... "Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay! Free at last! I Love This Recording The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered

Wagner: The Rhinegold English National Opera Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English) The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English) Wagner: The Valkyrie ASIN: B00005B550 Release Date: 2001-05-22

Customer Reviews:

A Rose By Any Other Name..........2007-07-02

The figure of speach may not be completely correct in this instance, but, well, I hope you get the point. In any case, for a Dutch speaking person, like I, to hear 'The Ring' in a language other than the original German feels - almost shockingly(?) - natural. Certainly, this modern English translation, to me, is as least immediate, and probably even more immediate, than the original (archaic) German text. And in music drama, immediacy is essential. Maybe it is also the wonderfully natural translation, I don't know, but it works for me, the Ring in English.
But most of the credit has to go to the music, the singers, and the recording as such. I believe that this (originally analogue) remastered recording has one of the best recorded sounds and acoustics of any Ring, studio or 'live'. It is wonderfully clear but warm, kind of velvety (very unlike Solti), with beautifully natural balaces between voices and orchestra. Audience noises can be heard (including a delightful little ripple of laughter) but never really obtrusively so, thankfully. And I love the thunderclap-sound effect when Donner strikes his hammer against the rocks - very tastefully done, and lending extra power to the scene.
All the time one reads in reviews everywhere of the very slow speads at which the music is conducted by Sir Reginald Goodall. Well, that may be so, but I, for one, am certainly endeared to Sir Reginald Goodalls 'caressing' of the music, as a result of which wich the Leitmotifs come out more clearly than ever. The slow - but nonetheless very concentrated, and always involved - playing has, to me, an almost mesmerizing effect. Certainly, compared to many other recordings, the music may sound stretched almost beyond breaking point. But in the end, I think it is really just that: a matter of speed, no more. The concentration never falters and the dramatic arc never saggs. There is live 'music magic' going on here, I feel, even if the English National Opera Orchestra may not be (as precise or as diciplined as) a Wiener Philharmoniker or a Bayreuther Festspielorchester. Certainly, Sir Reginald Goodall must have loved this music and these opera's: one feels a slowly beating but constant loving pulse that energizes the drama and the music.
But we also have the singers. And what a great singers! While the best may be yet to come (with Alberto Remedios as Siegmund and Siegfried, and Rita Hunter as Brunnhilde), we here, in The Rhinegold, already have one of the most commanding of Wotans (Norman Bailey, with wonderful burnished timbre). Also, Emile Belcourt stands out as a wonderfully sleek but full-voiced Loge. Derek Hammond-Stroud's Alberich may not be as black as Gunther von Kannen's (for Barenboim), for example, but there is enough anguish, frustration and anger to lend his character a convincing reality and depth. And the giants too, are a winning pair. Especially Fafner (Clifford Grant) is as imposing and powerful as one may ever wish.
With all the rave reviews, here and elsewhere I can't wait to hear The Valkyrie, (especially) Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. This certainly is a winning 'Ring', to be kept alongside any other 'great' recorded 'Ring' out there, IMHO. To me, it can hold its own alongside any other favorite recordings.
Please, sample this Ring (try for example the Chandos website for fragments of all of the music) and decide for yourself. Highly recommended.

"Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay!.......2007-06-12

Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Goodall, Boulez, Janowski, Levine, Haitink, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:

TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Boulez's Ring: 13 hours, 40 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Haitink's Ring: 14 hours, 10 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes

CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.

Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.

Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.

Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: nothing is faster than andante. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.

Boulez: Here it is, folks - the controversial Centennial Ring. To fit the Ring Cycle in the industrial age, Boulez gives it a very Schoenbergian, Bartokian atmosphere. Much of his tempi are very quick, very Bohm-like, though they're still not as fast as Bohm. Keep in mind, though, this live Ring works only if you hear AND see it (the DVD's work best).

Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".

Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.

Haitink: This might be seen as a disappointment. If you want great conducting, then this is for you. If you want a persuasive array of singers, look somewhere else. Haitink's conducting saves this work from being a total flop. There is nothing quite like his Rheingold & Gotterdammerung ("Siegfried's Rhine Journey" is a bit forced, but magnificent nonetheless).

Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.

ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.

Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.

Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.

Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act Two Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.

Boulez's Bayreuth Festival: While it doesn't really pack the same punches as Bohm's Bayreuth, it still delivers a stunning performance. Orchestral interaction between characters (Ex. Siegfried's motifs mixed in with Mime's motifs) fares better than Berlin's and English National's. Rhine maiden motifs are given more wit, while the Dragon motifs are played with less eeriness. Beauty makes up for the irritatingly quick "Wotan's Farewell".

Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Boulez's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are heard clear in this Ring. The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.

Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

Haitink's Bavarian Radio Symphony: This may very well be like Metropolitan, only this sounds much more poignant. The strings sound better and the percussion sound clearer. The leitmotivs are almost never screwed up. First scene of Rheingold will take one's breath away.

Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.

SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).

Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.

Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".

Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.

Boulez: If you watch Donald McIntyre on the Centennial Ring production, then you can tell that he's a fine "industrial" Wotan. If you just hear him on CD, then you'll be disappointed. His diction is weak, his emotions are forced, and his voice sounds robotic. The DVD's will do.

Levine and Haitink: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's and Haitink's Ring.

Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.

-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.

Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).

Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."

Boulez: How can anyone not be impressed by the Brunnhilde of Gwyneth Jones? One can almost feel her excitement during Siegfried Act Three, and her fear in Walkure Act Three. Her weakest point is probably during her Gotterdammerung Prologue (a bit too stressed).

Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.

Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).

Haitink: Hmph. I was hoping that Eva Marton would do well here. I was seriously let down by her strained singing. She does okay in "Annunciation of Death", but she is at her worst in "Immolation".

-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm, Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Peter Hoffman for Boulez, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, Reiner Goldberg for Haitink, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jeanine Altmeyer for Boulez, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, Cheryl Studer for Haitink, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Three exceptions, though: Goldberg and Schunk don't sound heroic enough, and Norman for Levine doesn't sound young and innocent enough.

-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.

Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.

Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.

Boulez: Is Manfred Jung a good tenor? Yes. Is he a good Heldentenor? NO. He doesn't have that heroic voice like Windgassen and Remedios. Again, the DVD's are your safest bet.

Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.

Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Kollo or Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.

Haitink: Have you ever seen Siegfried Jerusalem on the Levine/Metropolitan DVD? Well, here he is again, and this time, he sings with more valor and enthusiasm. Bravo!

-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").

Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.

Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.

Boulez: What we have here is the weak Alberich of Hermann Becht. When he's in Nibelheim, the authority isn't there. When he's in the Neid-Hohle forest, the creepiness isn't there. And when he's near the Gibich house, the misery isn't there. Even on DVD he's unsatisfactory.

Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.

Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

Haitink: No offense, but Theo Adam as Alberich? Come on . . .

-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.

Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.

Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.

Boulez and Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. He is equal to Zednik when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.

Haitink: Peter Haage sounds like he's entertaining young kids. His version of Mime is a bit childish, and the dark humor that the dwarf brings out sounds-over-the-top here. Nonetheless, he is still entertaining to listen to ("Wer halfe mir?" has never sounded better).

Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.

-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on during the Trilogy.

Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Again, another Loge that's marred by lack of cunning.

Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. He has the wit, the craftiness, and the untrustworthiness that the character deserves. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.

Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.

Boulez and Haitink: I can summon Heinz Zednik's performance in just three words: Brilliant Beyond Belief!

Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt and Zednik depend only on vengeance and deviousness, Stolze only imagination and deviousness, Windgassen and Svanholm only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.

Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Zednik. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.

-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings. Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). Anja Silja is the most memorable Freia (Bohm), while Kurt Moll makes the most fabulous Hunding yet (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm, Goodall, and Boulez. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.

CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation, Neuhold's Badische version, and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss, etc.), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the industrialized Boulez, the truthful Janowski, the unhurried Levine, the abnormal Haitink, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.

The Box Set: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Free at last!.......2004-09-18

I've enjoyed listening to the Ring cycles by Solti, Bohm, and Furtwangler, but my pleasure has always been dampened by the necessity to follow the dramas with a German/English libretto. This performance freed me from that burden and allowed me to listen to the Ring with my ears alone for the first time. And what a delightful experience it was! I found I could understand about half the words the first time through. but that was enough for me to understand what the characters were saying and concentrate on Wagner's great music. Some of the characters (Loge and Alberich, for example) are almost perfectly comprehensible, while others (Fricka in particular) might as well be singing in German. The sound itself is superb, with perfect balances between orchestra and voices. Goodall's conducting is famously slow (about half an hour longer than usual), but he is never slack and he reveals a wealth of detail in the orchestration. The singers are a mixed lot, with Loge, Alberich, and Mime particularly effective. Bailey is hardly the grandest of Wotans, but he is solid and convincing. In any event, for us non-German listeners, this recording is a real treat. I would not recommend it as a first Ring (Bohm is a good choice, though some of his tempi are rather hectic), but as a supplement to a recoding in the original language, it is hard to beat. Give it a try! As for me, I'm ready to go on to "Die Walkure" (pardon me, "The Valkyrie").

I Love This Recording.......2002-04-05

I was a little suspicious when approaching this English-language version of Das Rhinegold. I was considering assembling this as my third RING set (behind Solti and Levine) and had listened to THE VALKYRIE (Die Walkure) with a little initial disappointment. Although the live sound quality was very interesting, the tempo was much slower than I was used to and thus a little disconcerting, and the English words were harder to understand than I had hoped. Nevertheless, I persevered and listended to THE RHINEGOLD (probably my favorite of the four RING operas, although I know this puts me in a minority) and was amazed. Best of all, after listening to this album I revisited the Goodall VALKYRIE and discovered a new appreciation! Now the Goodall set ranks as one of the best I've heard. It just needed to get under my skin a bit.

What's so good about it? Three things stand out for me: First, the slow tempi that were a litle rough at first actually allow, upon repeated listenings, a new discovery and understanding of Wagner's unfathomable genius. Every nuance is slowed down just enough to be fully accessible. Second, the modern English translation really does make this a different experience...my initial mistake was thinking that English lyrics could allow me to listen to this as background music, and that's not the case. However, if one devotes the same attention to this as a German recording, the time wil be richly rewarded. Finally, the smaller orchestra creates an almost chamber music-esque setting, which compliments the music in an undefinable way. Despite being in English, this is almost more Germanic than original-language recordings.

I still probably wouldn't get this as the first foray into Wagner's RING (I still think Solti or Levine are the choices for that). But for someone who already has some familiarity with the work, this will provide a lifetime's enjoyment. Cudos to Chandos for resurrecting these recordings!

The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered.......2001-06-08

I have been curious about this for years. When I saw the packaging, I wondered whether this was the same Ring that has been kicking around for a couple of decades from the Sadler's Wells performances of the mid-70s. News flash: It's the same. However, the box says that it's been re-mastered with something called 24-bit digital mastering. Since I never heard the old records, I have no idea if this is better. Judged on its own, the sound is terrific. This live recording really places the listener in the theater with clarity and authentic spaciousness. So often, a live recording will capture the audience up close, then the orchestra, then the singers, cataloguing every throat being cleared and every bow being tapped. Somewhere in the distance, the singers voices follow their heavy tread over the stage. Not here. There is an intimacy to the sound here that approximates sitting in about the tenth row back in a large hall. It doesn't sound like the opera's being played in your room; it sounds as though your room has been transformed into a medium sized theater. I found it uncanny.

As to the experience of the drama in English, that too is remarkable, at least for someone like me whose home-tongue is English. The drama takes on an immediacy that I have never experienced before. This factor alone is why you should explore this Ring. I can't overemphasize the impact on me that this recording had on me because it was in English and because it was well-acted. Surely this is what Wagner meant, at least dramaturgically (obviously allowing that you can't actually see the action).

Overall, the singing is competent, and in some places, it's excellent. None of the cast really stands out musically. Norman Bailey's wobbly Wotan could have certainly benefitted from a deeper, richer tone. Still, and perhaps more importantly, he creates a god who is clearly unsure of where the moral highground is, even when he's standing on "an open space on a mountain summit." Everyone, for that matter, is dramatically convincing, especially Emile Belcourt (Loge) and Derek Hammond-Stroud (Alberich) and Robert Lloyd (Fasolt), all of whom, by the way, have excellent diction. And speaking of diction, I almost could have done without the libretto when the men were singing. Not so with the women, whose diction was uniformly wanting.

Goodall's pace is notoriously glacial. Still, it's interesting to hear it parsed in this way, and I never had the feeling that I was going to fall off the world. Which is to say that the tempos were deliberate, not affected. This was definitely a labor of love for RG and the English National Opera. The orchestra is a little thin sounding, and perhaps, not entirely up to the score. Occasionally a horn mis-blew and a cello creaked. This is unavoidable in live performances, I suppose. Still, there is a surprising sense of smallness to the ensemble, even though there's never a moment when the balance between singers and players is lost. As a result, the overall effect is a balance of clarity and urgency that is clearly the upside of Goodall's idiosyncratic "vision" of the score. Not a huge or "erotic" sound, but always committed, intelligent, and sometimes impassioned.

For all of its flaws, this is an astonishing and, for me, an indispensible recording because it made me listen to this opera with new ears. While it's not the most lyrically pleasing recording (Karajan) or musically authoritative (that would be Solti, IMHO), dramatically, this Rhinegold excells any recording I know of. I will definitely buy the rest of the set.

Average customer rating: Powerful orchestral interpretation of Wagner...

Wagner: Great Orchestral Music from "The Ring" Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cleveland Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra ASIN: B00000DRXE Release Date: 1990-10-25

Customer Reviews:

Powerful orchestral interpretation of Wagner..........2007-05-25

The "Great Performance" series contained many great artists interpreted for the ages by some of the worlds best conductors. This compilation of some of Wagner's greatest is outstanding. Though the choral voices are missing, the power is not.

Every orchestral interpretation is presented with the gravitas and majesty that is Wagner. The "Ride of the Valkyries" and "Sigfried's Funeral" are powerful.

For those that are looking for great interpretations of Wagner, this is the one to start with.

Average customer rating: resurrection of excellence! Great Conductors of 20th Century = Best Reissues of the 21st

Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Artur Rodzinski Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( 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 Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | 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 Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Hermann Scherchen Igor Markevitch Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Fritz Reiner Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Rafael Kubelik Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Ataúlfo Argenta ASIN: B0000AKPIB Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

1. Concert Overture
2. Prelude
3. I Largo - Allegro Moderato - Moderato
4. II Allegro Molto
5. III Adagio
6. IV Allegro Vivace
7. Overture

Tracks:

1. Der Walkurenritt
2. Feuerzauber
3. Morgendammerung Und Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt
4. Trauermarsch
5. Prelude To Act I
6. Isoldes Liebestod
7. Tanz Der Sieben Schleier
8. Tod Und Verklarung, Op. 24

Customer Reviews:

resurrection of excellence!.......2006-05-27

The "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" series is one of the best "deals" to be found in classical selection. All the recordings are amazingly remastered, and even where the sound quality is poor, there is the unmistakable quality of a past standard of excellence, both in orchestration and production, that is difficult to match today, despite so much technology. It is as though global fascination and reliance on technology has dehumanized much of cultural expression. In fact, a perfect metaphor for this entire series lies in Strauss' tone poem "Tod und Verklarung," so beautifully presented on this particular CD (Volume 31) of the great Artur Rodzinski: the "resurrection" of these rare recordings at least sweetens, however lamentably, the "death" of their times.

Great Conductors of 20th Century = Best Reissues of the 21st.......2003-11-14

It's sad that the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" reissue series has not gotten more attention, because it has my vote for the best reissue program thus far of the 21st Century. Drawing from the archives of all the major classical labels (EMI, Sony, BMG, DG, Decca, Philips, Supraphon, etc.), EMI and IMG Artists have assembled a wonderful series of affordable two-disc sets by the leading conductors of the last century. And unlike its counterpart, "The Great Pianists of the 20th Century," which are basically compilations of material already available on other CDs, the "Great Conductors" features rare and, for the most part, previously unreleased performances! And as if that wasn't enough, the most recent volumes (beginning with no. 25) are now available at mid-line instead of full-price!

This particular CD, Volume 31, features the great Artur Rodzinski, and as the track information is not very clear above, allow me to tell what is contained in this fine collection. This 2CD set begins with Rodzinski performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Rimsky-Korsakov's "Russian Easter" Overture and Mussorgsky's "Khovanshchina" Prelude (both from recorded in 1958). Next we go back in time to Rodzinski's tenure with the New York Philharmonic and an excellent account of Rachmaninov's 2nd Symphony, though from 1945 it is the collection's poorest in terms of sound quality. CD1 wraps up with Rossini's "William Tell" Overture (Columbia SO, 1950). The second disc is dedicated in its entirety to the works of Wagner and Strauss. The selections from "The Valkyrie" and "Twilight of the Gods" were recorded in 1955 with the Royal Philharmonic, while the "Tristan und Isolde" excerpts are with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1947. The Strauss recordings, along with the Russian works on disc one, are among Rodzinski's final recordings, in this case with the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1957-8.

Whether you are a serious collector of classical music or a beginner, the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" has something for everyone. If the prized, rare performances don't excite you, then use this as an opportunity to check out one of the greatest conductors ever recorded. Chances are, since stores are offering increasingly homogenized classical music sections, this conductor might not be in your collection. And that would truly be a shame.

Average customer rating: An excellent sampler to get into classical music Ten cd's for one incredible price.

Silver Screen Classics: Great Classical Music from Great Movies Richard Strauss , Samuel Barber , Alfredo Catalani , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Gustav Mahler , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Gaetano Donizetti , Franz Liszt , Antonio Vivaldi , Johann Pachelbel , Georges Bizet , Gioachino Rossini , Johann Sebastian Bach , Richard Wagner , Franz Schubert , Maurice Ravel , Aram Il'yich Khachaturian , Pietro Mascagni , Felix Mendelssohn , Giacomo Puccini , Edward Elgar , Matthieu-Frederic Blasius , Ludwig van Beethoven , Camille Saint-Saëns , Johann Strauss II , Giuseppe Verdi , and Claude Debussy Manufacturer: Delta ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. 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Tracks:

1. Also sprach Zarathustra: Opening Fanfare (2001 - A Space Odyssey) - Silver Screen Classics
2. Adagio For Strings Op.11: Adagio For Strings, Op. 11 (Platoon) - Silver Screen Classics
3. The Sleeping Beauty: Waltz (Rollerball) - Silver Screen Classics
4. Wally's Aria, Act I.: La Wally (Diva) - Silver Screen Classics
5. Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March (Midsummer Night's Dream) - Silver Screen Classics
6. Symphony No. 5: Adagietto (Death In Venice) - Silver Screen Classics
7. Piano Concerto K.365: III. Rondo Allergo (Amadeus) - Silver Screen Classics
8. L'Elisir d'Amore: Aria 'Una Furtiva Lagrima' (Lorenzos Oil) - Silver Screen Classics
9. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) - Silver Screen Classics
10. Symphony No. 6 'Pathetique': Adagio Lamentoso (The Music Lovers) - Silver Screen Classics

Tracks:

1. The Four Seasons: I. Spring (allegro) (The Four Seasons) - Silver Screen Classics
2. Canon In D: Canon In D (Ordinary People) - Silver Screen Classics
3. Carmen: Habanera (Carmen Jones) - Silver Screen Classics
4. William Tell: Soldier's Dance (E La Nave Va) - Silver Screen Classics
5. Clarinet Concerto: Adagio (Out of Africa) - Silver Screen Classics
6. Violin Concerto No.2: III. Allegro assai (Love Story) - Silver Screen Classics
7. Lohengrin: Prelude Act 1 (Ludwig) - Silver Screen Classics
8. The Pearl Fishers: Duet ' Au Fond du Temps Saint' (The Pearl Fishers) - Silver Screen Classics
9. Slymphony No.8 (Unfinished): II. Andante con moto (Notturno) - Silver Screen Classics
10. Bolero: Bolero (10) - Silver Screen Classics

Tracks:

1. Gayaneh: Sabre Dance (Punchline) - Various Artists
2. Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo sinfonico: Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo Sinfonico (Raging Bull) - Various Artists
3. Symphony No. 4 'Italian': IV. Saltarello - Presto (Breaking Away) - Various Artists
4. Madama Butterfly: Love Duet ' Viene La Sera' (Mona Lisa) - Various Artists
5. Pomp & Circumstance: March No. 1 (A Clockwork Orange) - Various Artists
6. Gianni Schicci: Aria 'O Mio Babbino Caro' (A Room With A View) - Various Artists
7. Twilight Of The Gods: Funeral March (Excalibur) - Various Artists
8. Sinfonia concertante K. 364: I. Allegro maestoso (Amadeus) - Various Artists
9. Moment Musical D.780 No. 3: Moment Musical D.780 No. 3 (E La Nave Va) - Various Artists
10. Flute Sonata In F Major K.13: I. Allegro (Love Story) - Various Artists
11. Symphony No. 7 In A Major: II. Allegretto (Immortal Beloved) - Various Artists

Tracks:

1. Ride of the Valkyries: Ride Of The Valkyries (Apocalypse Now) - Various Artists
2. Piano Concerto No. 21: II. Andante (Elvira Madigan) - Various Artists
3. Dance Of The Toy Flutes: Dance Of The Toy Flutes (E La Nave Va) - Various Artists
4. William Tell: Overture (A Clockwork Orange) - Various Artists
5. Madama Butterfly: Finale 'Con Onor Muore' (Fatal Attraction) - Various Artists
6. String Quartet In C D.956: II. Adagio (Notturno) - Various Artists
7. Aufschwung: Aufschwung (Heat and Dust) - Various Artists
8. Idomeneo: March (Barry Lyndon) - Various Artists
9. Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan (E La Nave Va) - Various Artists
10. Emperor Waltz: Emperor Waltz (The Last Emperor) - Various Artists

Tracks:

1. Tocatta In D Minor: Tocatta In D Minor (Rollerball) - Various Artists
2. Mandoline Concerto: Mandoline Concerto (Kramer Vs. Kramer) - Various Artists
3. Symphony No 29 In A Major K.201: I. Allegro moderato (Amadeus) - Various Artists
4. Symphony No 9 In C Major: II. Andante con Moto (Notturno) - Various Artists
5. The Force Of Destiny: Overture (E La Nave Va) - Various Artists
6. Manon Lescaut: Aria: 'Sola, perduta, abbadonata' (Hannah And Her Sisters) - Various Artists
7. Clair de Lune: Clair de Lune (E La Nave Va) - Various Artists
8. Carmen: Seguedille of Carmen 'Pres de remparts' (Carmen) - Various Artists
9. Symphony No. 9 'Choral': 4th Movement (Excerpts) (Dead Poets Society) - Various Artists
10. Fur Elise: Fur Elise (Immortal Beloved) - Various Artists

Tracks:

1. The Marriage Of Figaro: Overture (Trading Places) - Various Artists
2. Concerto for 2 violins: II. Largo ma non tanto (Children Of A Lesser God) - Various Artists
3. Quintet In F Major 'Trout Quintet': I. Allegro vivace (Notturno) - Various Artists
4. Oboe Concerto In D Minor: II. Adagio (Lorenzos Oil) - Various Artists
5. Tales From The Vienna Woods: Tales From The Vienna Woods (Heat And Dust) - Various Artists
6. Symphony No. 9 'Choral': 2nd Movement (A Clockwork Orange) - Various Artists
7. l'apres midi d'un faune: Prelude (Nijinsky) - Various Artists
8. The Thieving Magpie: Overture (A Clockwork Orange) - Various Artists
9. Symphony No. 6 In F Major 'Pastorale': IV. Allegro - The Storm (Immortal Beloved) - Various Artists

Tracks:

1. Rhapsody In Blue: Rhapsody In Blue (Manhattan) - Various Artists
2. Madama Butterfly: Aria: 'Un bel di vedremo' (Fatal Attraction) - Various Artists
3. Adagio: Adagio (Gallipoli) - Various Artists
4. Turandot: Aria: 'Nessun dorma' (The Witches Of Eastwick) - Various Artists
5. The Marriage Of Figaro: March (Amadeus) - Various Artists
6. Piano Trio No. 2 In E Flat Major: II. Andante con moto (Notturno) - Various Artists
7. Requiem: Introitus (Amadeus) - Various Artists
8. Requiem: Dies Irae (Amadeus) - Various Artists
9. Requiem: Rex Tremendae (Amadeus) - Various Artists
10. Requiem: Confutatis (Amadeus) - Various Artists
11. Requiem: Lacrymosa (Amadeus) - Various Artists
12. Symphony No. 5 In C Minor: I. Allegro conbrio (Immortal Beloved) - Various Artists

Tracks:

1. Strike Up The Band: Strike Up The Band (Manhattan) - Silver Screen Classics
2. La Boheme: Aria: 'Che Gelida Manina' (Moonstruck) - Silver Screen Classics
3. '1812': Overture (The Music Lovers) - Silver Screen Classics
4. Ave verum corpus: Ave Verum Corpus (Lorenzos Oil) - Silver Screen Classics
5. Carmen: Escamillio's Song 'Votre Toast' (Carmen) - Silver Screen Classics
6. La Boheme: Aria: 'Addio...D'onde lieta usci' (Moonstruck) - Silver Screen Classics
7. The Abduction From The Seraglio: Finale (Amadeus) - Silver Screen Classics
8. Piano Concerto No. 20 In D Minor: II. Romanze (Amadeus) - Silver Screen Classics
9. Symphony No. 25: Allegro con brio (Amadeus) - Silver Screen Classics
10. The Marriage Of Figaro: Finale 'Pace, pace' (Amadeus) - Silver Screen Classics

Tracks:

1. Peer Gynt: Morning (Song Of Norway) - Silver Screen Classics
2. Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Menuetto Allegretto - Rondo Allegro (Ace Venture - Pet Detective) - Silver Screen Classics
3. Xerxes: Largo (Les Liaisons Dangereuse) - Silver Screen Classics
4. The Magic Flute: Aria: 'Der Holle Rache'; Aria Queen Of The Night (Amadeus) - Silver Screen Classics
5. Symphony No. 6 'Pastorale': II. Andante molto mosso (Fantasia) - Silver Screen Classics
6. La Gioconda: Dance Of The Hours (Fantasia) - Silver Screen Classics
7. Ave Maria: Ave Maria (Fantasia) - Silver Screen Classics
8. Andrea Chenier: Aria: 'Come se amare' - 'La mamma morta'; Aria Of Maddalena, 3.Akt (Philadelphia) - Silver Screen Classics
9. Semiramide: Overture (Unfaithfully Yours) - Silver Screen Classics
10. Piano Concerto No.5 'Emperor': II. Adagio un poco mosso (Immortal Beloved) - Silver Screen Classics

Tracks:

1. Messiah: Hallelujah (Look Who's Talking Too) - Various Artists
2. Serenade 'Gran Partita': III. Adagio (Amadeus) - Various Artists
3. Stabat Mater: 'Quando corpus morietur' (Amadeus) - Various Artists
4. The Magic Flute: Aria: 'Ein Madchen Oder Weibchen' (Amadeus) - Various Artists
5. A Night On The Bare Mountain (Fantasia) - Various Artists
6. Tannhauser: Pilgrims Chorus (Unfaithfully Yours) - Various Artists
7. Francesca da Rimini: Francesca Da Rimini (Unfaithfully Yours) - Various Artists
8. Blue Danube Waltz (Champagne Waltz) - Various Artists

Customer Reviews:

An excellent sampler to get into classical music.......2002-07-02

So often we hear classical music in the movies and wonder "What is that called?" Well now it's here - a chance to find it and listen again to something that caught your ear and your heart. While normally I'm not a big fan of sampler complication albums, I love this set because of the breadth of works represented here. While not explicitly instructional (the liner notes are non-existent, and there is no real explanation of the works beyond their appearance in a specific movie), it lets you experience many famous, and lesser known pieces of classical music. Besides just giving you a nice album to put on and relax to, it also lets you find someone that you may not have heard before, listen to a piece and maybe go off in search of more by the same composer.

The bottom line is that for this price, you have a bargain of CD's of fine quality, and extraordinary breadth, with an anchor to the movies to help put them in a place. Besides, where else can you look for a specific film to try and find out what was that piece that is stuck in your head?

Ten cd's for one incredible price........2001-08-26

Not only do you receive an entire collection of ten cds for a phenomenal value, but you get the best classical music ever composed. These are songs that have been featured in widely popular films, including Apocalypse Now, which brought fame to Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries. This will make a priceless gift for any lover of the cinema or of classical music. All of the songs that are included range from a variety of eras. In addition, famous composers from Mozart to Strauss make an appearance in this musical collection. These songs will remind you of the great movies that you've seen.

Average customer rating:

Great Classical Film Hits Manufacturer: Delta ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( 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 Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | 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 French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000003SN1 Release Date: 1998-05-19

Meditation Music:

1. Wagner / Nilsson, Knappertsbusch, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
2. Wagner: Overtures
3. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
4. Wallace - Maritana / M. Cullagh · L. Lee · P.C. Clarke · I. Caddy · RTE Phil. · O'Duinn
5. Wiener Staatsoper Live, Vol.22
6. A Night at the Opera: A Mozart Gala
7. Alfredo Kraus / Las Mejores Arias, Rigoletto, El Barbero De Sevilla
8. Arlecchino
9. Bartok: Bluebeard's Castle
10. Beethoven: Fidelio / Norman, Goldeberg, Moll, Coburn, Blochwitz, Wlaschiha, Schmidt; Haitink

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Powtin' on the Outside, Pawty on the Inside

Bach (arr. Ton Koopman): St. Mark Passion

Andrea Luchesi: Anteprima Mondiale - Live Recording

Music: Unexpected Lovers [Import]

Absolutely Mad [Enhanced]

Arular [Clean]

Bei Uns Doheim [Import]

Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs

All in All

2400 Fulton Street: An Anthology

Allan and Allen

20 Secretos de Amor [Import]

2000 [Explicit Lyrics]

Winter Moon

Complete Recordings