No Class [Import]

No Class [Import]

Track Listings

1. Overkill

2. No Class [Live]

3. Please Don't Touch - Girlschool, Motörhead

4. (We Are) The Road Crew

5. Motorhead [Live]

6. Orgasmatron

7. Stay Clean

8. Eat the Rich

9. Dirty Love

10. Hammer

11. Deaf Forever

12. Emergency - Girlschool, Motörhead

13. Tear Ya Down

14. I Got Mine

15. All the Aces

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Lemmy's headbanging warriors are at their loudest & lewdest on this prime-era picking of their back catalogue. From their infamous Girlschool liaison ('Please Don't Touch', 'Emergency') to their 'Eat The Rich' anthem, this is an ear-crushing memoir of the ultimate power rockers. 15 tracks.

Tracks:

Sabre Dance
Danse Bacchanale
Farandole
Festive Overture
Aragonaise
Procession Of The Sardar
Pie Jesu
Romanian Rhapsody
March
Allegretto
Russian Sailors' Dance
Berceuse
Overture To Candide
Saturday Night Waltz
Cancan

Customer Reviews:

Amazing! The reason I decided to become a music major!.......2002-11-18

This is one of the most inspirational CD's I have ever listened to. Not only is the playing perfect, the choice in music for the CD is perfect. It provides the listener with several different styles, and yet many similar styles. The group plays the traditional Russian pieces with flair and great musicianship, such as the Stravinsky and the Shostakovich. The main reason that I enjoy this CD is that each player is performing their best for this album. Each player sounds even more amazing than they usually do. I especially enjoy when Sam takes the tuba solo from Russian Sailors' Dance down an octave. Each performer from this group is one of the best in the world on their respective instruments. In conclusion, all I can say is that this CD is amazing.

Utterly Necessary.......2000-10-24

This was the first brass quintet cd I ever purchased, and it has been by far the best. This group's sound is seriously unparalleled by any other quintet, including Canadian Brass. The blend and unity of style is so perfect that one is encompassed by the music, hearing each part individually and as part of the whole at the same time. Playing arrangements of excellent orchestral music, the Empire Brass Quintet truly demonstrates its virtuosity.

Average customer rating:

Superb Music

In a Summer Garden: The Music of Delius

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Delius: Orchestral Works
Delius: Florida Suite RTvi/1; Pieces RTvi/19
Frederick Delius: Orchestral Works
Delius: Paris, the Song of a Great City; Double Concerto; Cello Concerto
Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring

ASIN: B0000647HU
Release Date: 2004-03-02

Tracks:

Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: Introduction (Slow. Pastoral)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: I. Theme & Variations 1-6 -
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: II. Interlude (Slow And Very Quietly)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Variations 7-12
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV. Variations 13-17 -
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: Coda (Very Quietly)
In A Summer Garden
Eventyr (Once Upon A Time)
A Song Of Summer
Summer Night On The River - London Philharmonic Orchestra
A Song Before Sunrise - London Philharmonic Orchestra
A Village Romeo And Juliet: The Walk To The Paradise Garden - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Superb Music.......2005-03-20

This Classics For Pleasure CD is a new release of older material from two previous albums. Unlike previous releases this contains nearly 80 minutes of music so it is excellent value.

Delius is often described as a British composer, which is slightly inaccurate. He had German parents, he lived in the United States, travelled to France and Germany as well as other parts of Europe before settling in France. He was in many ways an International Composer. His music may seem curiously eclectic. Think of Debussy with a bit of a Grieg melody and Wagnerian drama thrown in. Yet his music seems all the more distinctive because of it.

Vernon Handley's interpretation of these pieces have often been regarded as a bit too emotional, much like other British Conductors like Barbarolli and Beecham who recordings are yardsticks which others are measured. Yet Brigg Fair has an incredible lyricism and the rare Eventyr combines the Debussian impressionism with drama. The use of percussion and the shouting voices, presumably from the orchestra itself, in the hands of Handley come across so vividly. This piece alone with Handley's direction brought Delius to my attention. I now enjoy Delius' music more than I do say Elgar, Holst and Vaughan Williams.

This is a great introduction to Delius' music and can be recommended with enthusiasm.

Average customer rating:

My all time favorite CD
Beautiful!!

Class Brass

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Class Brass - On The Edge
King's Court and Celtic Fair
Royal Brass: Music from Renaissance & Baroque
Empire Brass: Greatest Hits
The World Sings: An Empire Brass Christmas

ASIN: B000003CW6
Release Date: 1989-11-21

Tracks:

Procession Of The Nobles
Polovetsian Dances
Buckaroo Holiday
Dance Of The Comedians
Anitra's Dance
Morning Dance
Simple Gifts
Wedding/Troika
Arabian Dance
Neopolitan Dance
Triumphal March
Pavane
Toreador Song
Slavonic Dance No. 8
Hungarian Dance No. 5
Estancia
Pavane For A Dead Princess
Great Gate Of Kiev

Customer Reviews:

My all time favorite CD.......2004-01-11

Perfect. The best performance of the best music.

Beautiful!!.......2001-11-10

This album is an absolute joy to experience! The recording proves to all who may doubt, that brass quintet is a medium capable of musical miracles! The pieces here are taken from the orchestral repetoire and have been arranged for five brass voices. Trumpeter Rolf Smedvig and his ensemble perform in a manner that is always immaculate, tasteful and above all, musical. The precision of the enemble playing here is in a word, astonishing. On track #1, 'Procession of the Nobles', for example, there is a moment where the 2nd trumpet begins an ascending line that is overtaken and completed by the 1st trumpet. The transition is so liquid and seemless that the casual listener will not even be aware that the line wasn't played by one person! Tubist Samuel Pilafian offers a lovely arrangement of Copland's 'Simple Gifts' that shows off a wide range of sound from soft and sweet to bold and grand. Another favorite is the joyous 'Slavonic Dance No. 8' with its rollicking, sunny feel and inspiring dynamic contrast. Brass enthusiasts, purchase this recording with confidence! It is amazing!

Léhar: The Land of Smiles; The Merry Widow; The Count of Luxembourg (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

Arguably "The Best" English "Merry Widow "

Léhar: The Land of Smiles; The Merry Widow; The Count of Luxembourg (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus; The Gypsy Baron (Highlights)
Offenbach: Orpheus in the Underworld / Burgess, Watson, etc (Highlights)
Offenbach: La Belle Helene; Orpheus in the Underworld; La Vie Parisienne (Highlights)
The Best of Operetta, Vol. 3
The Best of Operetta, Vol. 2

ASIN: B00009KHY2
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Customer Reviews:

Arguably "The Best" English "Merry Widow ".......2006-09-12

This is the "Merry Widow" with English translation by Christopher Hassel sung by June Bronhill. I loved this rendition ever since I first heard it in about 1960. What's to love? First the translation is the best I've heard. The language doesn't sound "stilted" as some others. And, you can understand almost every word sung. Plus, the famous song, "Vilja" has some wording that moves me every time I hear it: The soprano sings, "Love me and I'll DIE for you!" with the word "die" somewhat emphasized. I don't know, there's just something "powerful" about someone saying they'd "die" for love! AND, at the end of "Vilja" the chorus and soprano raise to a crescendo hitting a high note together. In many renditions the chorus is heard but not the soprano on the final high note. In THIS version, the soprano, June Bronhill, can be heard rising to the final high note with an incressing crescendo and fortissimo louder than the chorus and holding the final high note---which gives a very thrilling effect as she holds that final note, I assure you!

The "problem" is that this June Bronhill, Reid, and Hassel version is hard to find on CD. For example, this CD is made in Holland and "there is one left" so it says on Amazon. But, if you can find it, I think it would be very much worth a listen. Then, after hearing it, if you think there's a "better" Merry Widow, please let ME know! Thanks. Email:boland7214@aol.

Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture; Symphony No. 3 "Scottish"; Symphony No. 4 "Italian"

Average customer rating:

Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture; Symphony No. 3 "Scottish"; Symphony No. 4 "Italian"

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005Q5L9
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Average customer rating:

Excellent performer
A unique project
Gershwin historical, manic, perfect, archival
Definative

Authentic George Gershwin, Vol. 1-4

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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George Gershwin: His Life and Work

ASIN: B0001Z2RSC
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Tracks:

Swanee
Come To the Moon
I Was So Young (You Were So Beautiful)
Tee-Oodle-Um-bum-Bo
Nobody But You
Limehouse Nights
Drifting Along With The Tide
Rhapsody In Blue
Oh Lady Be Good!
Fascinating Rhythm
Hang On To Me
I'd Rather Charleston
The Man I Love
The Half Of It, Dearie, Blues
So Am I
Kickin' The Clouds Away
Concerto In F

Tracks:

Sweet And Low-Down (I)
That Certain Feeling (I)
Looking For A Boy
When Do We Dance?
Sweet And Low-Down (II)
That Certain Feeling (II)
Irish Waltz
Do, Do, Do
Someone To Watch Over Me
Clap Yo' Hands
Maybe
Three Preludes: I. No.1: Allegro Ben Ritmato E Deciso / II. No.2: Andante Con Moto / III No.3: Allegro Ben Ritmato E Deciso
Meadow Serenade
My One And Only
'S Wonderful/Funny Face
He Loves And She Loves
An American In Paris
Liza
Strike Up The Band
Embraceable You
I Got Rhythm (I)
I Got Rhythm (II)

Tracks:

Of Thee I Sing
Jilted
Second Rhapsody
For You, For Me, For Evermore
Cuban Overture
Isn't It A Pity?
Variations On 'I Got Rhythm'
I. Catfish Row: Introduction - Jazzbo Brown - First Chorus, 'Summertime'
II. Porgy Sings: 'I got Plenty O' Nuthin' - 'Bess, You Is My Woman Now'
III. Fugue: Murder Of Crown, Act III Scene 1
IV. Hurricane: Introduction, Act II Scene 3 - Hurricane, Act II Scene 3
V. Good Morning, Brother: Occupational Humoresque, Act III Scene 3 - 'Good Morning, Brother' - Children's Song 'Sure To Go To Heaven' - 'I'm On My Way' (Finale)
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Our Love Is Here To Stay

Tracks:

Girl Crazy Overture
French Ballet Class
Dance Of The Waves
Slap That Bass
Walking The Dog
I've Got Beginner's Luck
They All Laughed
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Shall We Dance
By Strauss
I Can't Be Bothered Now
The Jolly Tar And The Milkmaid (1st Version)
Put Me To The Test
The Jolly Tar And The Milkmaid (2nd Version)
Stiff Upper Lip
A Foggy day (In London Town)
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Things Are Looking Up
I Was Doing All Right
Love Walked In

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performer.......2007-03-09

This plates are wonderful. I was charmed, and when I close my eyes now, I see scenes with American in Paris or Porgy and Bess but my favorite piece of music is Rhapsody in Blue. It's more than excellent is fantastic. Jack Gibbons perfectly feels the unique tone Gershwin's music, the mixture rythms of jazz with influences of impressionists and clear and beauty melodies.
I'm fascinating.

A unique project.......2006-11-23

Gibbons' undertaking is unique: to reconstruct and then execute and record the note-for-note playing of Gershwin as documented on the composers' piano rolls, sound recordings and certain published arrangements. I agree with the reviewer who points out that the result is like a library and not a recital you sit back and listen to (or get up and dance to). In fact Gibbons does some editing of his "library" now and then, and clearly documents it in his liner notes: in some reconstructions he augments accompaniment effects and even the melodic line itself. I don't mind that at all, especially as Gibbons scrupulously accounts for such tampering in his liner notes; but it seems to me that it is in this area of "tampering" that Gibbons the artist is asserting himself...which of course undermines the "library", the "historical archive": you have to search and read a bit to find out when you're hearing only Gershwin and when you're hearing some added Gibbons. I don't mind; Gibbons is a remarkable artist in his own right, not merely an impeccable documentarian. For sheer generosity of production Gibbons' Gershwin must also be unique: 4 cd's, scholar-level liner notes (yes, you need a magnifying glass to read them), and rock-bottom bargain price.

Gershwin historical, manic, perfect, archival.......2006-06-12

First: this is 4 high-end produced cd's (in low-end jewel cases) for the price of 2. The liner notes of all 4 cd's are condensed in a booklet of microscopic print, so you may need to spend the savings on a magnifying glass. MONEY WELL SPENT.
Second: Jack Gibbons plays (and has recorded) the Alkan op 39 etudes (he probably plays a lot more Alkan than that). For those of you not in the know, this is to say he has world-class chops, indeed history-class (Liszt, who never played his friend Alkan, at least in public). But it's also to say that Gibbons knows how to interpret and personalize fantastically difficult piano music. For me, his Alkan op 39 is personal and passionate and real (contrast the facile and over-pedalled Hamelin and the just-the-notes-ma'me Ringeissen). An appreciation of Gibbons' Alkan is important here because while his Alkan is uniquely personal (as such music must be, no matter how hard it is to play) his Gershwin is deliberately impersonal...which is to say: no pianist, no singer would want to reproduce what Gibbons has given us in these 4 cd's, and in fact few listeners will be able to listen for long to these 4 cd's without a respite, a break , some silence, some minimal styling from somebody (anybody) else...which brings me to
Third: This is an archive, not a recital. This is a library, not a program. There is no track-by-track contrast of moods here, no track-by-track concession to easy listening, varied delight, any more than a library shelf of novels is alphabetized by authors' last names as a concession to mood or fancy or taste of the searching patron. This is the documented Gershwin in his recording mode: manic, notey, clever, "on", and never, as generations of stylists found in him, ravishing, tender, longing, sweet, glad, hopeful...person-to-person, in a word. I can listen to these cd's about half an hour at a time, max. This is Gerwhsin, not Gibbons. And this is just one side of Gershwin. He died at 38, in the summer. Brain tumor. A lot of pain.
Finally, Jack Gibbons has given the world a uniquely valuable and easily available resource. Gibbons could now do us a service by playing us some Gershwin as he feels it, as it hits him and makes him sing (as Gershwin, our American Schubert, does to all of us, and as I think Alkan has done to Gibbons). I would love to see a Gershwin stylings by Gibbons now that Gibbons himself has made sure Gershwin in his authenticity is safe and sound.

Definative.......2005-07-23

Here's the whole Gershwin catalog at a great price... Five plus hours of bliss. Definately five stars!

Gibbons, according to a family friend and biographer Edward jablonski "recreates Gershwin's style." I'll never know. I can say this is a lively recording and has the perfect balance. It's neither stuffy and plodding or cute.

Piano Concerto No. 5 Grosse Fuge Stephen Kovacevich

Average customer rating:

Piano Concerto No. 5 Grosse Fuge Stephen Kovacevich

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000BWTKQ
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Tracks:

Grosse Fuge In B Flat, Op.133
I. Allegro
II. Adagio Un Poco Mosso -
III. Rondo (Allegro)

Average customer rating:

Great masterpieces

Dvorák: Symphonies 7-9

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Mendelssohn: Symphonies 3 & 4 / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Mozart: Symphonies 40 & 41 / Bernstein
Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Tchaikovsky / Karajan, Rostropovich,

ASIN: B00006JC6X
Release Date: 2002-11-06

Tracks:

I. Adagio-Allegro Molto
II. Largo
III. Scherzo (Molto Vivace)
IV. Allegro Con Fuoco
I. Allegro Maestoso
II. Poco Adagio
III. Scherzo (Vivace)
IV. Allegro

Tracks:

Romance In F Minor Op. 11
I. Allegro Con Brio
II. adagio
III. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
IV. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Theme
Vars. !-3 (Un Poco Piu Mosso, Quasi Allegretto)
Vars. 4-6 (Piu Allegro)
Vars. 7-9 (Tempo I)
Vars. 20-12 (Vivace-Meno Mosso, Quasi Tempo I-Poco Andante)
Vars. 13-15 (Allegro-Lento-Masetoso. L'istesso Tempo)
Vars. 16-18 (Vivace-Scherzo: Allegro Vivace-Larghetto)
Vars. 19-21 (Tempo Di Valse-Piu Animato-L'istesso Tempo)
Vars. 22-24 (L'istesso Tempo-[L'istesso Tempo]-Andante)
Vars. 25-27 (piu Mosso, Quasi Allegretto-[L'istesso Tempo]-Moderato. L'istesso Tempo)
Finale (Allegro Maestoso)

Customer Reviews:

Great masterpieces.......2007-06-17

Antonin Dvorak was one of the most prolific composers of the Romance period, and probably the most famous to come from the area of Europe now known as the Czech Republic. His most famous works were his last three symphonies, especially number 9. This 2-disc set contains these three symphonies, along with his Symphonic Variations and Romance Concerto. The last two are great orchestral pieces in their own right. Together, they make this set a great buy. Both dics have over an hour of music, and the sound quality and orchestration is flawless on both.

Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies; Job (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

RESTORES ONE'S FAITH IN HONEST MUSIC MAKING
Excellence throughout

Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies; Job (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Vaughan Williams: Symphonies 1-9 / Boult
Vaughan Williams: Complete Concertos
Bax: The Symphonies
Vagn Holmboe: The Complete Symphonies
Kurt Atterberg: The Symphonies (Box Set)

ASIN: B00006J3LP
Release Date: 2002-11-06

Tracks:

A Sea Symphony
A London Symphony
Symphony No. 8 In D Minor
English Folk Song Suite
A Pastoral Symphony
Symphony No. 4 In F Minor
Flos Campi
Oboe Concerto In A Minor
Symphony No. 5 In D
Symphony No. 6 In E Minor
Symphony No. 9 In E Minor
Fantasia On "Greensleeves"
Serenade To Music
Partita For Double String Orchestra
Sinfonia Antartica
Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
Five Variants Of Dives And Lazarus
Job - A Masque For Dancing

Customer Reviews:

RESTORES ONE'S FAITH IN HONEST MUSIC MAKING.......2007-03-29

Thank God for Tod Handley. I vividly recall a year or two back, feeling particularly jaundiced after a succession of glitzy, superficial concerts by conductors far starrier and younger, having my faith in real music making restored by a Handley concert which included a scintillating Schubert Little C Major and a profoundly moving VW Sea Symphony.

That work, of course, is the springboard for this cycle of complete VW symphonies. And a very satisfying journey through this inspiring canon of nine it is, too. Handley's affinity with English music needs no reiterating, but his relationship with Vaughan Williams in particular is a special one. More than most, he is alive to the changing and developing nature of the different symphonies through Vaughan Williams life - from the rich Romantic panoply of the 1st, taking in the influence of study with Ravel in the 3rd, the violence of Nos.4 & 6 and the idealisation of his Pilgrim music as well as that of his beloved Tudor composers in the Fifth, right through to the exploration of new sonorities and form in 7, 8 and 9. Throughout the cycle, this is music making that is honest, perceptive, communicative and frequently illuminating and inspiring.

Handley's Sea Symphony has terrific sweep in the opening movement, ideal rhythmic crispness in the scherzo and real depth in the long, questing Finale. Its one drawback is perhaps the somewhat cramped acoustics of Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall compared to, say, the fuller sound of the Kingsway Hall in Boult's second recording. His London Symphony is as fine as any, though I do now miss the passages opened out in Hickox's recording of the Original Version.

I'm inclined to think this the best Pastoral of any on disc: it finds Handley very sensitive to all the overtones of VW's experiences of the Great War that lie behind its overt pastoralism - Flanders Fields as much as English ones. This is followed by a stunning Fourth, matched only by the composer's own performance. The grinding dissonances of its motto motif, the bounce of the jazzier rhythms, the dark Beethovenian transition to the Finale are all perfectly realised: "I don't know if I like it, but it's what I meant" in VW's famous phrase and I feel sure Handley's performance is just what he meant.

The Fifth finds fierce competition from Boult (twice), Barbirolli (twice) and Haitink (most purely symphonic of all). But Handley strikes a fine balance between the Pilgrim's Progress antecedents of much of the material and the `absolute music' arguments to which it is subjected. This disc is almost worth it for the glorious horn counterpoint at the climax of the first movement alone, picked out by Handley as by no other conductor in my experience. His Sixth is another blistering reading to set beside that of his mentor, Boult, in mono for Decca. Handley's pp final movement here is too mystical to be mistaken for the post-nuclear landscape it's often compared to - it seems closer to VW's great friend, Holst's, Neptune. Pacing and colour are the strengths of this Antarctica, but only Haitink really succeeds in making it sound truly symphonic. And No.8 was always the domain of its dedicatee, `Glorious John' Barbirolli, who seemed to have the secret of its somewhat obtuse Variations without a Theme opening movement, its Bartokian Strings only and Wind only inner movements and the clangour of its Finale with `all the phones and spiels know to the composer'. However the elusive 9th is one of the best of Handley's set. He really seems to understand its deep, dark, Hardyesque mysteries, grounded as those novels seem to be in the very earth and land of England, as well as its further explorations of intriguing sonorities with the use of flugelhorn and saxophones.

The fill-ups from the original discs are here as well, including a fine Job and a superb Flos campi, another elusive work that seems to speak of secrets that are not to be found in the VW biographies. These are all considerable performances that reflect Handley's long-standing empathy with and authority in this music. And all at a bargain price.

Excellence throughout.......2004-10-16

On balance, this is probably the best set of Vaughan Williams symphonies out there today. Vernon Handley was a protege of Adrian Boult and you can hear a likeness in the way the two approach the music of their countryman. Boult may have had an advantage, being alive at a time Vaughan Williams was composing and premiering a number of the symphonies after they were composed.

The passage of time has left us two outstanding sets of Vaughan Williams symphonies by Boult, including a latter stereo version. I have heard both sets and they are wonderful. I prefer this one, however. Handley does things with some of the lesser played Vaughan Williams scores that, I believe, gives him an edge as the best of today's interpreters.

His version of the "Sea" Symphony No. 1 -- which is not a favorite of mine -- stacks up with anything out there. It avoids the bombastic approach taken by some conductors that do not completely understand the music or Vaughan Williams style. Even the new Atlanta Symphony version of the "Sea" Symphony does not exceed the vigor, loveliness and fine singing on parade under Handley's baton.

Handley also does wonderful things with the lesser known Symphonies 8 and 9, which some critics went wow over when Bernard Haitink recorded them together on one CD a few years back. Personally, I never heard the message of the dramatic 8th Symphony until I listened to this set.

Handley is hardly at a loss in the more well-known symphonies, either. His renditions of the "London" Symphony 2, "Pastoral" Sympony 3, Symphony 4 and "Antarctica" Symphony 7 are up with the best versions ever recorded. Handley's version is the first time I ever heard the chimes of Big Ben in the "London" symphony. His trip to Antarctica in Symphony 7 is probably the best one out there today and rivals the famous mono version Boult did 50 years ago, less the spoken tracts at the beginning and between sections.

Handley is equally fine in Vaughan Williams two violent symphonies, Nos. 4 and 6. In Symphony 4, he is especially visionary, understanding that the composer was not really writing about the impending world war when he penned the symphony in the late 1930s. Vaughan Williams said it was more about human interaction and communication and you hear this from Handley, who eschews much of the needless violence other conductors put into the score.

It is only the Symphony No. 5 where I find a clear preference to versions by Andre Previn in either of his stereo versions. Previn's 1988 Telarc recording also includes "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis", perhaps Vaughan Williams' best-known melody. This is preferable to Handley's Symphony 5 diskmate, the "Flos Campi" Suite, which provides another moment for the Liverpool Philharmonic Choir to shine. Previn endows the wonderful symphony with more romance and emotion than Handley.

That's not to say Handley's recording is a dog. Hardly! His is an exquisite recording of some of the world's most beautiful music. It lacks little and competes with the best out there. All told, this is a five star set with beautiful and, when appropriate, powerful and visceral playing from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

There are other fine Vaughan Williams set extant -- both Boult sets, the exceptionally well-recorded Thomson on Chandos, various recordings by Previn & Hickox and those by Bakels on Naxos -- but no complete set quite captures Ralph Vaughan Williams as three dimensionally as this one. My only complaint is Classics for Pleasure could have mated Handley's equally brilliant version of "Job: A Masque for Dancing" with one of the shorter symphonies and did not.

Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus; The Gypsy Baron (Highlights)

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Die Fledermaus/Gypsy Baron CD

Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus; The Gypsy Baron (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Léhar: The Land of Smiles; The Merry Widow; The Count of Luxembourg (Highlights)
Offenbach: La Belle Helene; Orpheus in the Underworld; La Vie Parisienne (Highlights)

ASIN: B00009KHY5
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

Overture - Alexander Young
It's The Talk Of The Town...I'll Be At The Ball Tonight - Alexander Young
Then I Must Leave...Ah, Woe Is Me - Alexander Young
Drain A Draught Of Wine With Me - Alexander Young
What A Feast - Alexander Young
I Always Feel Beholden (Chacun A Son Gout!) - Alexander Young
My Dear Marquis (Laughing Song) - Alexander Young
What A Tonic, What A Beauty (Watch Duet) - Alexander Young
Brother Mine, Brother Mine And Sister Mine - Alexander Young
Romantic And Secluded - Alexander Young
The Clink Of Champagne Glasses - Alexander Young

Tracks:

Overture - Derek Hammond-Stroud
Since I Was Left An Orhan Lad - Derek Hammond-Stroud
A Suitor For The Bride...A Suitor For My Hand - Derek Hammond-Stroud
There's No One In The World (Gypsy Song) - Derek Hammond-Stroud
Here In This Dear Land - Derek Hammond-Stroud
The Trace Of Dawn - Derek Hammond-Stroud
I Dreamed I Wondered By The River - Derek Hammond-Stroud
Who Made Us One? - Derek Hammond-Stroud
Come And Join The Gay Hussars! - Derek Hammond-Stroud
For Gay Times At Night - Derek Hammond-Stroud
We Raise Our Voice And Rejoice - Derek Hammond-Stroud
Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Op. 214 - Johann Strauss II

Customer Reviews:

Die Fledermaus/Gypsy Baron CD.......2007-02-08

Die Fledermaus has long been a favourite of mine and this CD coupled with highlights from the Gypsy Baron makes it outstanding. I'm thoroughly enjoying listening to it. Judy

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