Only One [EP] [Import]

Only One [EP] [Import]

Track Listings

1. Play That Funky Music

2. Only One

3. My Brother Jane [Taken from the Trident Sessions]

4. I'm One [Taken from the Trident Sessions]

5. Like a Satellite [Taken from the Trident Sessions]

6. Once in a Lifetime [Taken from the Trident Sessions]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Japanese Exclusive Tour EP. Features Material to Be on their Forthcoming LP, Along with Unreleased Alternate Versions, and B Sides of Past Singles.

Only One,Thunder,Jvc Japan,Hard Rock,Heavy Metal,Pop,Rock

The One and Only
Average customer rating:

LIl Wyte's third release

DA 1 AND ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Lil' Wyyyyte!!!!"

You Thought Your Boy Done Overdosed!

ANOTHER HCP CLASSIC

The One and Only
Lil Wyte
Manufacturer: Asylum/Hypnotize Minds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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From Me to You

Epiphany

Trill Entertainment Presents: Trill Fam

We the Best

ASIN: B000P6R95S
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

The One And Only
We Ain't Kool
I Got Dat Candy
That's What's Up
Talkin' Ain't Walkin'
Get High
It's On
Feelin' Real Pimpish
Get Wrong
Chappa On Da Back Seat
Gettin' Money Boy
Cake
Got'm Lookin
Fu*k'd Up
Suicide
Ghostin'
Do It Fluid
Dat Boy
Gun Do Da Talkin'
Outro

Album Description

Three 6 Mafia is ready to present Lil Wyte. The One and Only features collaborations with the notorious rap group as well as joint ventures with everyone's favorite hood rat, Project Pat. Featuring hits like "I Got That Candy" and "Ghostin'" Lil Wyte breaks onto the scene with full force.

Customer Reviews:

LIl Wyte's third release.......2007-07-30

Great beats and realistic lyrics from lil wyte again!! Most tracks are awesome. Tracks, 7, 16, 17, and 19 are the best in my opinion. If you know anything about life as people like lil wyte, you will definitely identify with the lyrics on weed, pills, acid, and life on the streets.

DA 1 AND ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-07-24

MAN I BEEN A FAN OF ANYTHING H.C.P. 4 A WHILE NOW. THEY GOT DEM ARTISTS DAT APPEAL TO REAL N****S OUT THERE AND LIL WYTE IZ MOST DEFINITELY A SOURCE OF DAT REAL MUZIK. FROM DOUBT ME NOW, TO PHINALLY PHAMOUS, ALL DA WAY UP TO THE 1 AND ONLY LIL WYTE KEEPS BRINGIN DEM CLASSICZ DAT U CAN PLAY FROM INTRO 2 OUTRO W/OUT SKIPPIN 1 TRACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!. SO IF U A REAL N***A DAT WANT REAL MUZIK U DEFINITELY NEED TO GET DIS ALBUM, AND ANY OTHER LIL WYTE CD U DON'T HAVE.

P.S. IF U AINT GOT NO OTHER H.C.P. CD'Z COP DEM 2

"Lil' Wyyyyte!!!!".......2007-06-28

I agree with all the other reviews of this album...Just do me a favor and have alot of highway ahead of you when u put this in your cd-player...It's just marva-lous...Songs like "Get High"(listen to the violins) makes me feel glad to be alive and free..They move my soul.. "Suicide" (when it's 2:00 A.M) and your on the road by yourself, just ridin, chillin, headin to the house or something, and "Fu*k'd Up", (when you reachin your destination of your road-trip).Ima HUGE Hypnotize Mindz fan, Three 6 fan, etc.. Got ALL they muzik, even some underground.. I only wish 106 & Park, BET, MTV, etc would give Three 6 the credit they deserve, but their music is targeted to a specific group of people ( Real Niggas) not EVERYBODY like that bull-**** that's out there now.... Sorry.....uhh,, BUY THIS ALBUM!!!!!

You Thought Your Boy Done Overdosed!.......2007-06-27

As the Hypnotize Minds label (and Three 6 Mafia specifically) gets thinner and thinner, there is still talent left on their short roster. Lil Wyte, a mostly underground MC who broke through with tracks like "Oxycotton" and "Acid", has remained very consistent with his music. Even though his "hits" probably never got play on the radio, you can almost guarantee every dirty south Hip-Hop fan knows the name Lil Wyte. With two successful albums already under his belt (2003's "Doubt Me Now" and 2004's "Phinally Phamous"), Wyte is back with his 3rd studio album, "The One and Only". As always, DJ Paul and Juicy J are behind the boards to deliver the raw production that they always come with. Rather suprisingly, Lil Wyte doesn't have guests on the album, with the exception of Project Pat on three cuts where he's on the chorus. Other than that, it's just Lil Wyte doing his thing.

Some of the standout cuts on here are "Feelin' Real Pimpish" with Project Pat delivering a perfect chorus, and the laid back production really compliments Wyte's flow well. "I Got That Candy" has a smooth chorus with Wyte giving his ode to candy paint. "Suicide" is a track where Wyte spits fire about how he feels and how he wants to end his life. "Get Wrong" has that intensity you're going to feel when listening to a Lil Wyte album, and so does "Choppa On Da Back Seat", "We Ain't Cool", and "Talking Ain't Walking". He delivers his mandatory drug raps on "F***** Up", "Get High", "Do It Fluid". He lets you know he has paper on "Cake" and "Gettin Money Boy". I really can't say there is a bad song on here. If you're a fan of Hypnotize Minds and Three Six Mafia, then pick up Lil Wyte's third album. It won't disappoint.

ANOTHER HCP CLASSIC.......2007-06-16

This album is another Three 6 Mafia Produced BANGER! If you Love Three 6/HCP your gonna love this one beats are hot lyrics go right along wit it NICE ONE WYTE U 3-0 HOME BOY ...

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The Final Amazing Concert!
Extraordinary-One Night Only

One Night Only
The Bee Gees
Manufacturer: Reprise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Very Best Of
One
Number Ones
Bee Gees - One Night Only (DTS Edition)
Their Greatest Hits: The Record

ASIN: B000EXZI14
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Tracks:

Intro - You Should Be Daning/Alone
Massachusetts
To Love Somebody
Words
Closer Than Close
Islands In The Stream
Our Love (Don't Thrown It All Away)
Night Fever/More Than A Woman
Lonely Days
New York Mining Disaster 1941
I Can't See Nobody
And The Sun Will Shine
Nights On Broadway
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
Heartbreaker
Guilty
Immortality
Tragedy
I Started A Joke
Grease
Jive Talkin'
How Deep Is Your Love
Stayin' Alive
You Should Be Dancing

Album Description

Brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb made musical history for close to four decades with their magnificent vocal harmonies and ever-evolving styles. Masters of orchestral pop, blue-eyed soul and R&B, dazzling dance grooves, and disco fever alike—as well as uniquely blended hybrids of all these genres and more—the Bee Gees delivered album classics and top chart hits throughout their enduring career. On this newly remastered edition, the amazing genetics of their harmonies shine, as does the ongoing artistic evolution that's made them one of contemporary music's most successful and legendary acts.

Customer Reviews:

The Final Amazing Concert!.......2007-07-02

"One Night Only" is a good a masterpiece of live recording as 1977's "Here At Last...Bee Gees...Live" was. All the great songs are here, plus a few odd album cuts that truly make this set shine. Highlights include, "Grease" with a thunderous crowd roaring approval; "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away', a true tearjerker with prerecorded Andy Gibb singing with his brothers and "Immortality", with a wonderful Celine Dion backed by the brothers. The CD is crisp, clean and clear. It is amazing to hear such fantastic producers who's studio recordings sound the same in concert. This is a classic CD!

Extraordinary-One Night Only.......2007-04-10

The previous reviews we read before getting this production fell short to what we got...not only a flashback to our 'Saturday Night Fever' times but also the lasting impression it has left in our 11-yr old kid. He has managed to learn & sing all the selections, particularly "Words", "Lonely Days" and the "New York Mining Disaster". Absolutely EXTRAORDINARY!

One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found

Average customer rating:

More important than the bible
Young, female, and unknown
Superb Overview Of The Girll Group Era
Outstanding!
SIMPLY BRILLIANT!

One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977)

ASIN: B000B5KRV6
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

Needle in a Haystack
He's Got the Power
Nobody Know What's Goin' On (In My Head But Me)
I'd Much Rather Be with the Girls
Keep Your Hands Off My Baby
Nothing But a Heartache
You Don't Know
Boys
Big Bad World
Out in the Streets
Is It True
Please Don't Wake Me
I'll Keep Holding On
Oh No Not My Baby
May My Heart Be Cast into Stone
Magic Garden
I Never Dreamed
He's a Bad Boy
Happy, That's Me
Dream Boy
Try the Worryin' Way
I Can't Let Go
Go Now
You're No Good
Opportunity
Life and Soul of the Party
Break-A-Way
What Am I Gonna Do with You
He Did It
Baby That's Me

Tracks:

I Adore Him
Train from Kansas City
Please Go Away
Let Me Get Close to You
I Have a Boyfriend
I'm into Something Good
I'll Come Running
If There's Anything Else You Want (Let Me Know)
When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes
It Comes and Goes
Baby, Baby (I Still Love You)
Girl Don't Come
That's When the Tears Start
What a Lonely Way to Start the Summertime
Don't Drop Out
One You Can't Have
I'm Nobody's Baby Now
You're So Fine
When You're Young and in Love
My One and Only, Jimmy Boy
Friend of Mine
Chico's Girl
Cause I Love Him
Bye Bye Baby
First Cut Is the Deepest
I Won't Tell
Egyptian Shumba
I Sold My Heart to the Junkman
Walking in Different Circles
Hideaway

Tracks:

Trouble with Boys
Lookin' for Boys
Dream Baby
Condition Red
Should I Cry [Alternate Take]
I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)
I've Been Wrong Before
Love's Gone Bad
Nightmare
She Don't Deserve You
Will You Be My Love
Take Me for a Little While
Funnel of Love
I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy
Terry
Untrue Unfaithful (That Was You)
Sophisticated Boom Boom
Saturday Night Didn't Happen
Don't Ever Leave Me
Don't Forget About Me
Wanna Make Him Mine
Only to Other People
Big-Town Boy
Daddy You Gotta Let Him In
After Last Night
How Can I Tell My Mom & Dad
Too Hurt to Cry, Too Much in Love to Say Goodbye
Up Down Sue
When I Think of You
Good, Good Lovin'

Tracks:

When the Boy's Happy (The Girl's Happy Too)
Don't Drag No More
I'm Afraid They're All Talking About Me
That's How It Goes
Some of Your Lovin'
Peanut Duck [#]
Thank Goodness for the Rain
Steady Boyfriend
He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'
I Know You Love Me Not
Whatever Happened to Our Love
Heart
I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You
He Makes Me So Mad
I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face
Crying in the Rain
We Don't Belong
You Don't Love Me No More
Hey, Tell Me Boy
Brink of Disaster
Who Do You Love
I'm 28
They Never Taught That in School
Dressed in Black
Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya
Every Little Bit Hurts [Del-Fi Version][Version]
Mister Loveman
Make the Night a Little Longer
Mixed Up, Shook Up, Girl [Live]
Good Night Baby

Amazon.com

Girl groups have enchanted humankind since the era of the ancient Greeks, when legend has it the Sirens attempted to lure wayfarers Odysseus and Jason to their fates; Persephone's chanteuses would eventually even lose a battle of the bands to the Muses. A couple millennia later, female singers would become a dominant force in the pop and rock of the `60s, the era anthologized on this four-disc, 120-track collection from Rhino. If the "group" tag is something of a misnomer (many of the acts here are solo artists), the vibrant female pop spirit of the times gets showcased in rare fashion by a collection that eschews the obvious to revel in showcasing rarities and surprises at every turn: the bittersweet, life-is-over-when "I'm 28" musings of a two-decades-pre-"Mickey" Toni Basil; a healthy sampling of gems by the Cookies and their various alter-egos, including the Palisades' fervent ode to uber-necking, "Make the Night Just a Little Bit Longer"; the Shangri-Las' mini-epic, "Out in the Streets"; hit songwriter Ellie Greenwich's solo turn on the haunting "You Don't Know." An impressive collection with an inclusive bent, its tracks range across the classic r&b of the Marvelettes, Chiffons and Irma Thomas, country-crossovers Skeeter Davis and Wanda Jackson, the blue-eyed soul of Jackie DeShannon and Dusty Springfield and wounded white-girl pop of Lesley Gore and Connie Francis. It's all contained in one of Rhino's most elaborately designed packages yet: each disc comes in a mock compact; its extensive liner notes and track info printed as a mini-diary; all housed in a smart replica of a vintage hat box--a treasure-packed delight for lovers of the genre and curious novices alike. -- Jerry McCulley

Album Description

It's the kiss that will be heard 'round the world: Rhino salutes the fabulous girl group genre with what is-amazingly and historically-the first boxed set ever to do so! This supersized collection luxuriates through almost five hours of the plethora of sounds, styles, and subjects that represent the beautiful, vibrant, and influential music women were making in the early to mid-60's. A footnote to the pop and rock of the day no longer, the raw emotion and spirited savvy of girl group greatness finally gets its due. Compilation producer Sheryl Farber notes, "Fans have always known how rich and varied this music is-how the sound encompasses soul, garage, Bacharach-style pop, countrypolitan, the British take on the American girl group sound, and more." Now the world will know and fall in love with girl group music too!

Customer Reviews:

More important than the bible.......2007-03-09

First, the downside: no Phil Spector. But, plenty of Shadow Morton and "wall-of-soundalikes." Decent mix of ballads and uptempo numbers. If you like the Detroit Cobras, come find all the originals here! Oh, and the booklet (hell, more of a book than a "-let") has got info on every song and every artist, plus pictures galore. The folks at Rhino continue to add to their superlative reputation for box sets and reissues. Buy or die!!!

Young, female, and unknown.......2007-02-24

ONE KISS CAN LEAD TO ANOTHER * GIRL GROUP SOUNDS LOST & FOUND is truly one one the most unique box sets ever issued. It's also definitely not for everybody, not even all fans of late '50s - early '60s AM radio stuff.

DESIGN:
Remarkable-- simply outstanding. A miniature heavy board glossy hatbox, complete with a sturdy pull string that holds the box lid in place-- inside are four CDs surrounded by gray foam. They're stored on plastic holders that are covered by hard-paper books. Each of these packages has silver paper inside the front cover, and the overall look is of four differently styled powder compacts. Also included is a luxurious 204-page book that sets the standard for all-time. The jewel case sized book, made from heavy stock semi-gloss paper is replete with studio and other photos, advertisement and 45 label repros, and some of the most detailed text ever.

CONTENT:
This is where not all will be interested in this set. It's ideal for the obscurity collector, but not necessarily the TOP 40 fan-- there's only a sprinkling of commonly known tunes here. A lot of these tracks are unknown for a good reason-- some aren't even 'B' side quality. A good percentage of artists in this collection are as obscure as the songs they perform, and for the familiar groups or vocalists, many of their songs may not ring a bell either. This collection is called "LOST AND FOUND" for a good reason.

TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
DISC ONE -- 77:34
DISC TWO -- 76:19
DISC THREE -- 75:17
DISC FOUR -- 75:50

Superb Overview Of The Girll Group Era.......2007-02-19

With this superb collection of some hits, and many misses during the 'girl group' era that really stretched between 1960 to 1969. The sound pretty much peaked in 1965 while the British Invasion more or less took over the American Top 40 charts, replacing teen anguish and a woman's point of view of growing up in love to what men really wanted to say. That is actually a flip-flop of what men were saying before the 'girls' had their turn, when Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, and other male teen idols dominated the charts. So, in essence, it was the 'girls' turn after male teen idols were growing older, and the girls had to give some answers.
This set, which is highly imaginative in packaging, includes some rather rare tracks that one would at times would need to find the original 45 release to get in order to hear.
I won't dwell on the obvious tracks here, like by the Shangri-Las, Darnells, Chris Clark, etc., but a few are worth the price of the whole.
My favorite is the contribution by Dolly Parton, "Don't Drop Out". Her voice seems so appropriate, but as we know which direction she chose, this track is one of the best unheard of gems, which is sad, as it should have done something.
Another classic is the 'stereo' version of Alder Ray's "Cause I Love Him", which in sound is alot different than the mono 45 version I possess. Crystal clear in sound, it still packs a punch.
One last great track that this package includes is Reparata & The Delron's "I'm Nobody's Baby Now". This track literally jumps out and bites. Not a Phil Spector sound-alike in intention, but does have a Righteous Brothers "Lovin' Feelin'" to it. Again, another clear and clean production.
I will say that with any package, there will be a few tracks that seriously should have been omitted, like "Egyptian Shumba" by The Tammys, which could have been replaced by another rarity that is not included, like Suzy Walli's "Be My Man" a powerful David Gates production from 1965, but everyone has different tastes. I for one admit that despite the few clunkers, this package is an excellent example of a time when girl groups and girl singers were everywhere.
Consider the fact that about 200 singles were released a week, and only a handful were graced on the Pop Charts. There are bound to be many that are excellent songs, but without the proper advertising, radio play, and touring, the obvious would happen. A good single that bombs.
One of my favorite artists is included, April Young. A shame that this package only inlcuded one track, "To Be Loved By You". It is a good song, but her energetic and rather forceful "Gonna Make Him My Baby" still sounds fresh.
Maybe in time Rhino will release a companion to this set. Sure, there are literally thousands of girl group records that were released in the 60's, like Marcia Strassman's "Out Of The Picture". Who's she? She later played the wife of Mr Kotter in 'Welcome Back Kotter", or "He's My Dreamboy" by Maria Antoinette, and other great girls like Beverly Warren, Roberta Day, Candy & The Kisses, The Joys, The Gleams, Carol Connors, etc. Can go on and on, but this package is worth the price, even to the most infrequent listener of the 'girl group' genre.
There are 4 cd's, so my advice is to just take a lazy afternoon, and while listening to the tracks, read the diary that is supplied. It's a good read, and at times rather refreshing, especially the rare pictures and even the pictures of the rare labels that sometimes one has never seen before.
Like i said, this package is worth the price.

Outstanding!.......2007-01-16

I'm a fanatic for the sound of the girl groups of the early 1960s.
Before it goes out of print, you need to pick up this incredible Rhino box
set.
One little problem is that Rhino's definition of "girl group" was too broad; some songs are female solo recordings on which backup singers play little or no role. And in an apparent attempt to appeal to the British market, they put on some British songs by people such as Cilla Black. The English had no handle on the girl-group sound at all; it was strictly an American phenomenon.
But with four CDs and 30 songs on each CD, who can complain? Some songs, such as several Shangri-Las rip-offs, are hilarious. Then
there's one called "He Makes Me So Mad" by the Hollywood Jills on which the lead singer is reciting her complaints about her boyfriend, and after each gripe the rest of the group comes in with a sarcastic reply. Example: "He told the gang that I swim raw." The reply: "Well, don't you?" Classic!
There's a great Wall of Sound-type song called "Bobby's Come a Long Long Way," produced by Al Kooper. I can't make out any of the lyrics, but
supposedly the song is about Bob Dylan!
You won't regret buying this box.

SIMPLY BRILLIANT!.......2007-01-04

Who ever thought of this, is a GENIOUS! There's so much good stuff in here it's like an overdose of REAL GOOD music. So many great female groups in here, like the Supremes (of the 60's), Reparata & the Delrons, the Marvelettes, Goldie and the Gingerbreads, the Lovelites, the Blossoms (I love their harmonies), and on, and on, and on. GREAT stuff! you wont be dissapointed.

Jerry Hadley - Golden Days - Tenor hits from the Golden Age of Operetta

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Jerry Hadley - Golden Days - Tenor hits from the Golden Age of Operetta

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003FQQ
Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

Song of the Vagabonds
I'm Falling in Love With Someone
Streets of New York
Neapolitan Love Song
Desert Song/One Alone
Every Day Is Ladies' Day with Me
Donkey Serenade
Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
Drinking Song
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I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin
I Might Be Your Once-In-A-While
Marianne
Serenade
Indian Summer
When I Grow Too Old to Dream
Gypsy Love Song
Golden Days - Jerry Hadley, Mario Lanza

Average customer rating:

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

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
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Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
What to Listen for in Music

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Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

Your Song - Elton John
Save The Best For Last - Vanessa Williams
I'm Not In Love - 10cc
Never My Love - The Association
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - Bee Gees
True - Spandau Ballet
I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
Make It With You - Bread
More Than Words - Extreme
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
I'll Stand By You - The Pretenders

Tracks:

Nassau/Baby, I Love Your Way - Peter Frampton
I'd Really Love To See You Tonight - England Dan & John Ford Coley
Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills
Without You - Harry Nilsson
Reunited - Peaches & Herb
Get There - Oleta Adams
Fernando - Abba
All Out Of Love - Air Supply
How Much I Feel - Ambrosia
Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues
Reason To Believe - Rod Stewart

Customer Reviews:

Women dig it.......2001-04-04

My friend got this cd for my birthday and it works great! All the ladies that hear these soothing love songs totally dig it... and then they dig me. Even though this is a 2 cd set, the music usually runs out before we're done. I with they had a volume 2 or something.

Thanks, JenH.

Definitely the best love album!!!.......1999-09-09

I bought this a year ago when it was first released,and I still find myself listeneing to it everyday,and falling asleep to it everynight. The ballads on here are beautiful and touching. Especially,"I'm Not in Love"by 10cc & "I Wanna Know What Love is" by Foreigner. I recommend this album to everyone!

Excellent as compilations go.......1999-03-03

Excellent selection of songs is transformed into a must have by the inclusion of the FULL versions of these songs. I have purchased many compilations from Amazon, but this is one of a select few that actually contain the full versions of the songs (with the notable exception of Nights in White Satin): 10cc's "I'm Not in Love" is 6 minutes, Stephanie Mills "Never Knew Love Like This Before", and Peaches & Herb's "Reunited" is 5:42. I only wish it had "Sara Smile" by Hall & Oates. Recommended.

Passion - Most Famous Orchestral Spectaculars [20 CD Set]

Average customer rating:

A good gift for novice

Passion - Most Famous Orchestral Spectaculars [20 CD Set]

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Box Sets at 30% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B00012QLTQ
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Album Description

Music can be both calming and relaxing, or invigorating and passionate...this phenomenal 20-CD set is definitely the latter. This amazing collection brings together for the first time the most passionate music of all time, from Ravel's Bolero, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Wagner's Magic Fire Music to Ravel's La Valse, Orff 's Carmina Burana and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. This is a must have collection for every passionate music lover.

Customer Reviews:

A good gift for novice.......2007-05-12

This was a good gift for somebody learning about Classical music in Japan.

Average customer rating:

Sublime and ridiculous
Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwww
Better than I thought it would be
Brava Renee
Art is always new.

Haunted Heart
Paul McCartney , Gustav Mahler , Joni Mitchell , Emile Paladilhe , Arthur Schwartz , James ("Jimmy") Van Heusen , Various Composers , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Jimmy Webb , Richard A. Whiting , Stevie Wonder , Guy Wood , Bill Frisell , Fred Hersch , and Renée Fleming
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sacred Songs
Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss
Renée Fleming
Handel
Renee Fleming: By Request

ASIN: B0007Z9QUS
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

Haunted Heart
River
When Did You Leave Heaven?
You've Changed
Answer Me
My Cherie Amour
In My Life
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Wozzeck/The Midnight Sun
Liebst du um Schit
My One And Only Love/This Is Always
Can do Amor
Psych
Hard Times Come Again No More

Amazon.com

While countless fans flock to see soprano Renee Fleming's performances of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro because she's got the voice and the dramatic ability to handle such meaty roles, the versatile singer throws her fans a curveball on Haunted Heart, singing popular standards and ballads as well as a few altered classical pieces. In her liner notes, Fleming calls this album a "look back at the road not taken" -- she played a weekly gig in a jazz club while in school. Nonetheless, her feel for the material here is undeniable. Interestingly, she drops her voice a full octave from her usual tessitura, and the change reveals a robust gospel-oriented approach filled with dramatic breaths and moans. The lyrical Fred Hersch (piano) and the idiosyncratic Bill Frisell (guitar) provide support, and both are adventurous jazz players who create subtle and uniquely haunting backdrops. It adds up to an interesting cross-section of ideas well carried off by the generous talents of all involved. --Tad Hendrickson

Interview with Renee Fleming
Renee Fleming speaks about recent projects, including her memoir The Inner Voice and her recent Handel CD, in our interview.

Customer Reviews:

Sublime and ridiculous.......2007-06-13

The sublime: much of the artistry of this recording is about sound, and the subtle blending/responding of voice with guitar sounds and / or piano sounds. It is in the sensitive musical interplay between the artists where this effort shines. Definitely not recommended for road trips!

The ridiculous: Fleming ended the majority of most phrases in most of the songs with a guttural of some sort which for me becomes irritating to the point of distraction. These punctuations are mostly quite awful: really tasteless, clumsy, and overused big time and I'm amazed at how this ever got released. Without these ersatz testifyin' noises this CD would be stunning.

So, if you have the ability and inclination to edit out this garbage from your perception as you listen I think you'll be glad you experienced these artists at work together. (Unfortunately I'm not up to it).

Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwww.......2007-06-06

Ugh. Like a manufactured home vs. a stick-built house, Fleming's manufactured (aka "training and technique") blues voice compares unfavorably to other jazz/blues singers/lounge acts. Would not, COULD not, listen to this recording straight through--one big long, breathy, minor key train wreck in the making. Took the CD on a road trip and had to pull over and remove from queue--either that or drive into a wall.

Better than I thought it would be.......2007-04-10

I have to admit, Haunted Heart was a lot better than I thought it would be,especially her recordings of "River", "The Moon's a Harsh Mistress, "My Cherie Amour" and "In my life".
I think this is the most artistically successful recording of Pop/Jazz by a classical singer. I enjoyed it even better than the Anna Sophie Von Otter'/ Elvis Costello CD.
The perspective I am coming from is that of a classical singer who started out as a pop singer/songwriter. I perform and teach cross-genre but love a world class instrument such as Flemming's
I wanted to get the perspective of a friend who used to sing jingles and is also a trained singer but is usually critical of any attempts that opera singers make at crossing -over.
My friend is very familiar with Flemming's voice, but did not recognise it in this context when I played the CD for her. Her reaction was very complimentary, although she did comment that the diction was a bit strange.
She then played it for her brother a well known jazz singer and arranger who had a somewhat negative reaction.He found the singing to be overly dark and round. He prefers a cleaner more 'spoken' approach to this style of singing. I understand this perspective and therefore personally prefer Ella to Sarah as well, but let's not get too picky. Obviously, Rene Flemming is of the Sarah Vaghan School of jazz singing, which is not too shabby.

I will continue to enjoy this CD and will wait for another opera diva to top this one. But, somehow I think the next really good CD of Pop/ jazz from an opera star will also come from Rene.

To those who have been unreasonably mean and negative towards her, I can only say you are not fit to polish her shoes!

Brava Renee.......2007-04-09

This talented woman can sing anything. I really enjoyed this cd with the lights turned down and a glass of wine to relax after a very stressful day at work. Renee could definitely have another singing career outside of opera should she choose. Hearing her drop that gorgeous voice down one octave rivals the best chanteuses in the business - Cassandra Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Regina Belle, Sarah Vaughan, etc. This cd of different musical styles reminds me of Nina Simone and Cassandra Wilson, two great singers whom could interpret any song genre and make their versions special. I loved all the songs and the standouts here are "Haunted Heart", "River", "My One and Only Love", "My Cherie Amour", "Cancao do Amor", and Beatles "In My Life", and "Hard Times Come Again No More".
I hope Renee keeps recording whatever catches her fancy because I'll certainly always listen.

Art is always new. .......2007-03-10

Renee Fleming is an artist bringing us something new, and beautiful. The poor will always be with us as manifest in those who resent other's movement from their established zones. Renee Fleming is a great female voice with accomplishments her detractors will never have, but in their dreams.

I welcome Renee's elan demonstrated with her recent recordings, Love sublime with Brad Mehldau, and Haunted Heart with Fred Hersch and Bill Frissell. Bravery, fun, and talent combined by artists and for people who are listening. Hearing long time favorites Mehldau, Hersch, and Frissell is all the more sublime.

Average customer rating:

I disagree with the consensus here
Don't hesitate to get this set
Superb interpretations by Katchen
A little rushed sometimes, but beautiful
Radiant and inspired recordings

Brahms: Works for Solo Piano

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
Liszt: Piano Works
Chopin: The Piano Works
Works for Solo Piano
Brahms: Concertos for Piano No. 1 & 2, Fantasia Op. 116

ASIN: B0000042GM
Release Date: 1997-11-11

Tracks:

Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op.35: Book 1 - Heft 1
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op.35: Book 2 - Heft 2
Variations And Fugue On A Theme By G.F. Handel, Op.24: B Flat Major
4 Ballades, Op.10: Andante
4 Ballades, Op.10: Andante
4 Ballades, Op.10: Intermezzo. Allegro
4 Ballades, Op.10: Andante con moto

Tracks:

Works For Solo Piano: Ziemlich langsam
Works For Solo Piano: Poco larghetto
Works For Solo Piano: Allegro
Works For Solo Piano: Walzer Nr. 1 - 8
Works For Solo Piano: Walzer Nr. 9 - 16
Works For Solo Piano: Scherzo es-moll

Tracks:

Works For Piano Solo: Allegro
Works For Piano Solo: Andante
Works For Piano Solo: Scherzo. Allegro molto e con fuoco
Works For Piano Solo: Finale. Allegro con fuoco
Works For Piano Solo: Allegro non troppo ma energico
Works For Piano Solo: Andante con espressione
Works For Piano Solo: Scherzo. Allegro
Works For Piano Solo: Finale. Introduzione (sostenuto) - Allegro non troppo e rubato
Works For Piano Solo: Agitato
Works For Piano Solo: Molto passionato, ma non troppo allegro

Tracks:

Works For Piano Solo: Allegro maestoso
Works For Piano Solo: Andante espressivo - Andante molto
Works For Piano Solo: Scherzo. Allegro energico
Works For Piano Solo: Intermezzo. Andante molto
Works For Piano Solo: Finale. Allegro moderato ma rubato
Works For Piano Solo: Presto energico
Works For Piano Solo: Andante
Works For Piano Solo: Allegro passionato
Works For Piano Solo: Adagio
Works For Piano Solo: Andante con grazia ed intimissimo sentimento
Works For Piano Solo: Andante teneramente
Works For Piano Solo: Allegro agitato

Tracks:

Works For Solo Piano: 8 Pieces, Op.76 - I Capriccio in F sharp minor
Works For Solo Piano: 8 Pieces, Op. 76 - II Capriccio in B minor
Works For Solo Piano: 8 Pieces, Op. 76 - III Intermezzo in A flat major
Works For Solo Piano: 8 Pieces, Op. 76 - IV Intermezzo in B flat major
Works For Solo Piano: 8 Pieces, Op. 76 - V Capriccio in C sharp minor
Works For Solo Piano: 8 Pieces, Op. 76 - VI Intermezzo in A major
Works For Solo Piano: 8 Pieces, Op. 76 - VII Intermezzo in A minor
Works For Solo Piano: 8 Pieces, Op. 76 - VIII Capriccio in C major
Works For Solo Piano: 6 Pieces, Op. 118 - I Intermezzo in A minor
Works For Solo Piano: 6 Pieces, Op. 118 - II Intermezzo in A major
Works For Solo Piano: 6 Pieces, Op. 118 - III Ballade in G minor
Works For Solo Piano: 6 Pieces, Op. 118 - IV Intermezzo in F minor
Works For Solo Piano: 6 Pieces, Op. 118 - V Romanze in F major
Works For Solo Piano: 6 Pieces, Op. 118 - VI Intermezzo in E flat minor
Works For Solo Piano: 4 Pieces, Op. 119 - I Intermezzo in B minorn B
Works For Solo Piano: 4 Pieces, Op. 119 - II Intermezzo in E minor
Works For Solo Piano: 4 Pieces, Op. 119 - III Intermezzo in C major
Works For Solo Piano: 4 Pieces, Op. 119 - IV Rhapsody in E flat major

Tracks:

Works For Solo Piano: Andante moderato
Works For Solo Piano: Andante non troppo e con molto espressione
Works For Solo Piano: Andante con moto
Works For Solo Piano: g-moll
Works For Solo Piano: d-moll
Works For Solo Piano: F-dur
Works For Solo Piano: fis-moll
Works For Solo Piano: fis-moll
Works For Solo Piano: Des-dur
Works For Solo Piano: F-dur
Works For Solo Piano: a-moll
Works For Solo Piano: e-moll
Works For Solo Piano: E-dur
Works For Solo Piano: d-moll
Works For Solo Piano: d-moll
Works For Solo Piano: D-dur
Works For Solo Piano: d-moll
Works For Solo Piano: B-dur
Works For Solo Piano: f-moll
Works For Solo Piano: fis-moll
Works For Solo Piano: D-dur
Works For Solo Piano: h-moll
Works For Solo Piano: e-moll
Works For Solo Piano: e-moll

Customer Reviews:

I disagree with the consensus here.......2007-07-11

I was disappointed by this set and would not recommend it. It's great that all of Brahms' piano works are included here and the boxed set includes some difficult to find works (like those Op. 21 variation sets) as well as the better known and wonderful later piano pieces and the Op. 39 Waltzes.

The problem is that Katchen's performances are flawed and often unpleasant. The worst problem is that he bangs the keys a lot. Fortissimo passages are ideally not supposed to be noisy; they are intended to be loud and forceful without being unpleasant. It's a key distinction that Katchen fails to realize. I also think that Katchen's technique is a bit patchy. He blurs the passagework and there is a lack of both accuracy and delicacy in the fast passages. To take an example, the Op. 76 set is marred by both of these problems: a lack of accuracy and a tendency to bang on the keyboard. I also found many of the passages that didn't suffer from these problems to be interpretationally uninteresting (the slow parts of the Paganini Variations, Bk II are undistinguished, to take an example). Big thumbs down.

I did some direct comparison of sets to the Katchen performances and in every case Katchen was far inferior.

Take the Op. 39 Waltzes: Leon Fleisher's old recording is wonderful and much more sensitive and interesting than Katchen.

I also listened to Radu Lupu's recording of the Opp. 117-119 pieces (THAT is a wonderful recording - if you are looking for a superb recording of Brahms piano music, get that one and save yourself the aggravation of the Katchen set) and it's simply no contest.

I also sampled the terrific Op. 79 Rhapsodies and the Paganini Variations as played by a favorite pianist of mine, the lesser-known French pianist Nicholas Angelich, and Katchen's sloppy and undirected interpretations pales before the versions by a "non-superstar" pianist.

So while I admit I haven't listened to every portion of the Katchen set, I found every reason to avoid it when compared to some alternatives available.

Don't hesitate to get this set.......2007-07-04

It's a good thing I waited to write this until I'd heard these CDs a few times. I would have been guilty of understatement. Katchen's work grows on me in much the same way Brahms' music itself does. It is rich in nuance and insight, and never fails to please.

I'll confess, I bought this set to fill the gaps in my piecemeal collection. What a delightful surprise to find my "stopgap" set more than holds its own against recordings by the likes of Richter, Rubinstein and Gilels. To help the reader overcome any reluctance I offer a few comments on the few "downsides" mentioned by others:

Yes, Katchen does play fast, but not always, and certainly not out of inability to hold the listener's attention through more artful means. Katchen's track times are often slower than Rubinstein's or even Gilels'; but where the spirit moves him, he can go like a rocket. He's generally fastest in the earlier works, where a case can be made for playing them with youthful ardor; Katchen does this to a T. This applies to the first 2 sonatas, the Paganini variations (why would anything associated with Paganini lack splash and dazzle?) and to a much lesser extent, parts of the Handel variations. The main thing is, it works. The very few places where I felt Katchen was rushing the music are heavily outnumbered by places where the added energy seems to "fit" like a glove.

Yes, in an exhaustive set you inevitably endure the "bottom of the barrel." I'm surprised how little of this 6-CD set strikes me as anything less than indispensible. Every track is worth hearing. Katchen has been surpassed here and there, but he doesn't put in a bad performance in the whole batch.

Yes, the recordings are more than 40 years old. They will not satisfy the most jaded audiophile (there's not quite the "presence" of a good recording today). But they are amazingly clean and lifelike for their age (even the 3 tracks that are mono). They sound noticeably better than the popular Rubinstein recordings of equal vintage. At first I thought I heard a touch of bass-heaviness, but now I just think Katchen gives us a strong, clear bass line. Once again, it works. The sound is simply not a problem for a normal listener.

Finally, there's the small stuff. Getting the CDs out of their tight-fitting sleeves without putting your fingerprints on the playing surface is well-nigh impossible, unless you give in and apply a letter opener to solve the problem once and for all. Is that any reason not to get this much wonderful music at such a low price? London has even revived the old practice of offering different program notes in different languages, so that multilingual readers can benefit from more than one set of comments. All around it's a winner!

Superb interpretations by Katchen.......2006-11-16

Katchen's performace throughout this collection are excellent.Brahms integrates many of Schumann's,Bach's and Beethovens compositional ideas into his own works.He is a master of the appoggiatura(suspension of the dominant chord).And the ghosts of Bach,Schumann,and Beethoven appear at intervals throughout this collection of his piano works.The VARIATIONS ON AN ORIGINAL THEME is an ethereal experience,and the Op.09 VARIATIONS ON A THEME BY SCHUMANN, composed after his death,Brahms's pathos,especialy in the slower variations, make you aware of his sadness of Schumann passing, as there is vivid sense of despair and remorse you can hear throughout.It is well documented the profound influence Shumann had on Brahms's compositional process.OP.76 is a passionate performance by Katchen.You also have short piano works culminated in Op116,Op 117,Op.118,which includes the great masterpiece in Ebminor,and Op.119.The Pagganini Variations,Variations on a theme by Haydn,the Ballads Op. 10.And both volumes of the HUNGARIAN DANCES,the 2 Rhapsody's,and VARATIONS ON A THEME BY HANDEL.It quite remarkable that such music could be created by such a young man in the astonishing Sonatas,OP.1,OP.2,and OP.5.The slow movements in all three sonates are very inspiring,and heart fealt.It makes you glad to be alive in order to hear such remarkable music.A well balanced performance throughout.If your a Brahms lover,this is a must for your collection.Enjoy

A little rushed sometimes, but beautiful.......2005-02-03

To be honest, I can't really figure out how much I like Katchen's performance. It's hard to gauge because Brahms's piano music is inherently exceptional played by just about any performer.

I feel that the ballades, op. 10 are played way too fast (although I'm not exactly sure how close Katchen is to Brahms's tempi indications). I've heard them by several other performers and, being a Gould fan, would have to say that his slower interpretation really captures how beautiful the pieces are more than anyone else. I also enjoy Kempff's performances of many later works. Katchen really seems so rushed for some reason. To me, that really takes attention away from the fine details, which I think are so essential to Brahms's piano music. He's not quite delicate enough with some of the pieces.

This faster speed is only very slight for the rest of the set, but pretty consistently. I think he does a better job with more intense pieces like many of his larger-scale variations and the sonatas. Those I would give 5 stars, but only 4 stars for the op. 116-119, for they're a little too fast.

My only other qualm is the arrangement of the set. It would be nice to have all the sonatas together on a disc, 116-119 on a disc, etc., going along with the whole chronological thing..

However, all these things are personal preference. I would definitely recommend this set. It's made up about 1/2 of my music listening for the past couple months. It's not expensive at all for what you're getting, and if you get just one Brahms piano cd, you're going to want to get more, so you should just get it over with and have this whole set, it's fabulous music. Just keep in mind that this is not the only interpretation that should be considered.

Radiant and inspired recordings.......2004-09-19

If there is a more effervescent , idiomatic , innovative and resplendently performance of the Handel Variations , I have not heard it . Katchen emphasizes with colossal scrupulosity the wide doe and the diversity spectre of the orchestral instruments . You must marvel at the technical equipment of Katchen playing .
The other outstanding version of these Variations is of Michael Ponti (live preformance)
gifted with a major emphasis in the striking and color tone ; but the point to remark is that in both performings the approach is similar ; every one of the Variations must be played as a microcosmos in itself ; with nuance , grace , majesty, powerful imagination, sense of the span and above al ; savoir vivre . If you intend to play with authoritative precision without Mediterranean dewy and radiant mood ; you are destined to fail with these Variations and becoming unbearable for the audience and the listener . Lamentably , there are many of them in the actual market but I think you can guess them .
The two Rhapsodies are performed with the highest commitment . Melodic flight and arresting lyricism .
The Sonatas are superbly performed . The Sonata No. 3 may find serious matchers with Clifford Curzon and Paul Badura Skoda .
The intermezzos are depicted with the adequate illuminating . These intimate pages must be played with the perfect balance of light and shadows ; think in Chopin Nocturnes for instance . Only Glenn Gould gets close to him in the Intermezzo Op. 117 No. 2 .
The Ballades may be the weakest works of this fundamental set . Benedetti Michelangeli and Emil Gilels recorded brilliant and eloquent versions.
Finally The Paganini Variations find in Benedetti Michelangeli a serious and unbeatable adversary .
To be honest , this set is widely recommendable for you , to know the whole and intimate world of Johannes Brahms , the beloved son of Hamburg.
Katchen also recorded a powerful Islamey and an unforgettable Rachmaninoff No. 2 .

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Average customer rating:

A good value
The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann
Good mix of film music
A mixed collection of movie music
Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Herrman