O.C.M.S.

O.C.M.S.

O.C.M.S.

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
During the "folk music-scare" of the early 1960s, a bunch of white middle-class youths with names like the Greenbriar Boys and the Even Dozen Jug Band discovered the mountain music of the Stanley Brothers, Skillet Lickers, and Uncle Dave Macon and set about introducing it to the country's college kids. Four decades later, the members of OCMS fit the profile of those early revivalists, yet if anything they have tapped deeper into the primal elements of an American art form. As demonstrated on their debut, they have assimilated not just the sound--banjos, harmonicas, acoustic guitar and bass--but more importantly the haunting spirit of music that was made to keep hard times at bay. How else to explain their ability to take a well-worn chestnut like "CC Rider" and infuse it with an energy that reveals once again why it is a classic? Not content to live completely in the past, they wrote "Big Time in the Jungle," which, though it is about Vietnam, could easily be transposed to 2004's desert conflicts. Kindred spirit and producer David Rawlings (Gillian Welch's longtime collaborator) has kept their energy intact, but one can only wonder what sort of magic they must deliver live. --Michael Ross

O.C.M.S.,Old Crow Medicine Show,Nettwerk Records,Contemporary Folk,Folk,Jug Band,Neo-Traditional Folk,Pop,Rock,String Bands
O.C.M.S.
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Old Crow Medicine Show
  • OCMS
  • Great CD
  • Awesome!
  • Wagon Wheel
O.C.M.S.
Old Crow Medicine Show
Manufacturer: Nettwerk Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Old-Time CountryOld-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional FolkTraditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00019JQHI
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

  1. Tell It To Me
  2. Big Time In The Jungle
  3. Poor Man
  4. Tear It Down
  5. Hard To Love
  6. CC Rider
  7. Trials & Troubles
  8. Hard To Tell
  9. Take 'em Away
  10. We're All In This Together
  11. Wagon Wheel

Amazon.com

During the "folk music-scare" of the early 1960s, a bunch of white middle-class youths with names like the Greenbriar Boys and the Even Dozen Jug Band discovered the mountain music of the Stanley Brothers, Skillet Lickers, and Uncle Dave Macon and set about introducing it to the country's college kids. Four decades later, the members of OCMS fit the profile of those early revivalists, yet if anything they have tapped deeper into the primal elements of an American art form. As demonstrated on their debut, they have assimilated not just the sound--banjos, harmonicas, acoustic guitar and bass--but more importantly the haunting spirit of music that was made to keep hard times at bay. How else to explain their ability to take a well-worn chestnut like "CC Rider" and infuse it with an energy that reveals once again why it is a classic? Not content to live completely in the past, they wrote "Big Time in the Jungle," which, though it is about Vietnam, could easily be transposed to 2004's desert conflicts. Kindred spirit and producer David Rawlings (Gillian Welch's longtime collaborator) has kept their energy intact, but one can only wonder what sort of magic they must deliver live. --Michael Ross

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Old Crow Medicine Show.......2007-06-12

These guys are too young to sound like old hillbilies. I was looking for a little bit more current genre.

5 out of 5 stars OCMS.......2007-03-28

These are very talented young men, their voices, their visions. With this combination of traditional and self-written music, Old Crow has given us a lively and poignant sense of life. And did I mention that they have talent? Check the insert; see who is playing which instrument.
If you have the opportunity to see these guys perform live, go. They are a gift.

4 out of 5 stars Great CD.......2007-01-16

Great CD. I love most of the songs. One or two are a bit too blue grassy. Overall great CD good pick up.

5 out of 5 stars Awesome!.......2007-01-09

Old Crow Medicine Show is awesome. I love all the songs on the CD. Especially wagon wheel. That has to be my fav. Keep on rockin' guys!!

5 out of 5 stars Wagon Wheel.......2006-11-07

i just wanted to clear this up as a review mentioned that wagon wheel is a rip-off of a dylan tune. well... it's a poor assumption. the chorus from wagon wheel was written by dylan for the movie "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" for which they gave Dylan writing credit. The chords were used for the rest of the song [which is not a crime considering that the progression used (1 5 6 4) is VERY common and is used in a countless number of songs including "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Dylan himself] and the rest of the song's lyrics were written by OCMS with a different melody. if it was a rip-off, they wouldn't have purposely given Dylan some credit for the song. In fact, if you look in the album sleeve it gives Dylan FULL credit for the song. So... if you believe Wagon Wheel is a rip-off, i don't think you really KNOW what a RIP-OFF is.
Instruments of the Orchestra
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 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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Similar Items:
  1. Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
  2. The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD)
  3. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD)
  4. What to Listen for in Music
  5. Study of Orchestration, Third Edition

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

3 out of 5 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.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

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

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

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

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.
The Very Best of Franco Corelli
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • If you love beautiful voices...
  • If you want to know Corelli's art, this is the right CD
  • excellent gift
  • Greatest Tenor of This Century!
  • Ah... Franco :}
The Very Best of Franco Corelli

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli
  2. The Very Best of Giuseppe di Stefano
  3. Carlo Bergonzi - The Sublime Voice ~ 40 Tracks from the Legendary Tenor
  4. The Very Best of Nicolai Gedda
  5. Franco Corelli: Corelli in Concert

ASIN: B00008V5VV
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

  1. A Te, O Cara
  2. Meco All' Altar Di Venere... Me Protegge, Me Difende
  3. Ah Si, Ben mio...De Quella Pira
  4. Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!...Celeste Aida
  5. Pur Ti Riveggo, Mia Dolce Aida
  6. Intanto Amici... Viva Il Vino Spumeggiante
  7. Mamma, Quel Vino E Generoso
  8. Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba
  9. No, Pagliaccio Non Son
  10. Colpito Qui M'avete...Un Di All'azzuro Spazio
  11. Credo A Una Possanza Arcana
  12. Legray!... Andrea Chenier!...Si, Fui Soldato
  13. Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio
  14. Vicino A Te

Tracks:

  1. Donna Non Vidi Mai
  2. Recondita Armonia
  3. E Lucevan Le Stelle
  4. Non Piangere, Liu... Ah! Per L'ultima Volta!
  5. Nessun Dorma
  6. Favorita Del Re!... Spirto Gentil
  7. Cielo E Mar
  8. L'anima Ho Stanca
  9. Non Lunge Della Torre... Bianca Al Par Di Neve Alpina
  10. Ange Adorable
  11. L'amour, L'amour.. Ah! Leve-Toi, Soleil!
  12. O Nuit Divine!
  13. C'est La! Salut! Tombeau!
  14. Fronde Tenere... Ombra Mai Fu
  15. Ave Maria
  16. Domine Deus
  17. Core 'Ngrato
  18. Torna A Surriento

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars If you love beautiful voices..........2007-04-30

and passionate singing, you won't be disappointed. While Corelli certainly had his flaws, they are minor in the larger picture of this unique, magnificent force of nature. Then get this set for your friend who thinks Andrea Bocelli is a great tenor.

5 out of 5 stars If you want to know Corelli's art, this is the right CD.......2007-03-10

Franco Corelli had one of the powerful tenor voices of the twentieth century. Think Mario del Monaco with more beauty and grace; think Richard Tucker with a smoother voice. He had annoying touches in his singing, such as those "catches" here and there. But, with Tucker, he is, in my estimation, one of the two most powerful and attention riveting tenors in the past century. Other tenors were more artistic, provided better characterization (think Domingo, Gigli, Pavarotti, Gedda, Caruso, and some others).

But Corelli was a wonder of nature! Some samples: "Ah si, ben mio. . .Di quella pira." If there were an aria made for Corelli, this would be it. His big, rich, powerful voice fits this cut nicely. Not much subtlety here. In "Di quella pira," he hits the high notes in a stentorian manner. There are those mannerisms, but they are so easily forgiven, taking into account that rich, lustrous voice.

"Celeste Aida" is another representative cut. This is a powerful version. Also, note how he goes from forte to piano at the end of this aria. A powerful effect indeed.

Then, there are the twin arias from "Tosca." In "Recondita armonia," his rich voice is well manifest. He exhibits a smooth line in his singing. This is a powerful version of this well known aria. "E lucevan le stele" displays again that rich voice. At one point, he goes from forte to piano in a mesmerizing manner (Who'd have thought it?). His final "la vita" grabs one's attention.

Finally, "Nessun dorma." Well, smoothly, and powerfully sung. The final "vincero" is powerfully rendered, leaving goose bumps on the spine.

This is the very best of Franco Corelli. Those who want to get a sense of the vocal prowess of one of the most powerful tenors of the 20th century should attend to this double CD set.

5 out of 5 stars excellent gift.......2007-02-09

I gave it to my father and he says Its an amazing cd.

5 out of 5 stars Greatest Tenor of This Century!.......2007-02-03

Franco Corelli is the greatest tenor of this century. Although there are many fine tenors including Carlo Bergonzi - no tenor comes close to singing with the pure heart and animal magnetism of Franco Corelli. Surprisingly, he was also quite comfortable with bel canto, listen to the incredible "A te o'cara". I've heard "Nessun Dorma" sung by many excellent tenors and hands down, none can touch the sublime beauty of Corelli's version. This 2cd set of his greatest arias is a wonderful gift for any opera fan. "Recondita Armonia" is my personal favorite. His thrilling vocal beauty and intensity of performance is truly unforgettable.

5 out of 5 stars Ah... Franco :}.......2007-01-10

Such a pleasing voice. I can't believe the clarity and perfection. He was well before my time and others have become more 'popular' since then, but for some reason his voice seems better than the more current singers. I do not know much about opera so I will have to rely only on my own ears. I happily recommend this double album. I like to have it playing on the 5 CD changer with other opera cds, mixing through them...it is a perfect saturday morning accompaniment. enjoy.
Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Mill. Classical review
  • classical music for the unitiated
  • Some little gems there that I had forgotten!
  • A very helpful collection
  • Excellent!
Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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FluteFlute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
OboeOboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
Berlin Philharmonic OrchestraBerlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Hungarian National Philharmonic OrchestraHungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Vienna Philharmonic OrchestraVienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000K1C9
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Tracks:

  1. Brandenbutg Concerto No.3 In G First Movement
  2. Overture No.3 In D Second Movement
  3. Violin Concerto In E First Movement
  4. Prelude In C minor
  5. Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Chorus From Cantata No.147)
  6. Overture No.2 In B minor Minuet And Badinerie
  7. Oboe Concerto In D minor Second Movement
  8. Brandenburg Concerto No.4 In G Third Movement
  9. Musical Offering - Fuga canonica
  10. Easter Oratorio - Overture
  11. Minuet In D minor
  12. Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel herunter(From Choral Prelude BWV 650
  13. Brandenburg Concerto No.1 In F Second Movement
  14. Art Of The Fugue - Contrapunctus 9
  15. Concerto For Flute, Violin, Harpsichord And Strings. Triple Concerto - Third Movement
  16. Overture No.4 In D - Réjouissance
  17. Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
  18. Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
  19. Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
  20. Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
  21. Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
  22. Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
  23. Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
  24. Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
  25. Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
  26. Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
  27. Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
  28. Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
  29. Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
  30. Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
  31. Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
  32. Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
  33. Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
  34. Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
  35. Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
  36. Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
  37. Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
  38. Water Music - Alla Hornpipe
  39. Xerxes - Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
  40. Messiah - And The Glory Of The Lord
  41. Concerto Grosso In A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 - Larghetto Affettuoso
  42. Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 4 Allegro
  43. Water Music - Air
  44. Messiah - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
  45. Concerto Grosso In B flat, Op. 3, No. 2 - Largo
  46. Salomon - Sinfonia, Act 3
  47. The Choice Of Hercules - While For Thy Arms
  48. Water Music - Allegro (Suite No. 1)
  49. Suite No. 5 In E - Air With Variations
  50. Jephtha - How Dark, O Lord
  51. Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 5 Alla Siciliana - Presto
  52. Mi Palpita Il Cor (Solo Cantata) S'un Di M'adora
  53. Water Music - Andante Allegro Da Capo
  54. Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra in E-flat: First Movement
  55. Symphony No. 94 in G: Surprise Symphony-second movement
  56. Concerto for Violin No. 2 in D: Third Movement
  57. Flute Trio No. 31 in G: Second Movement
  58. Symphony No. 31 in D: Hornsignal-First Movement
  59. String Quartet No. 17 in F, Op. 3, no. 5: Serenade Quartet-Second Movement
  60. Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat for Violin, Cello, Oboe, Bassoon and Orchestra-Third Movement
  61. Concerto for 2 Horns & Orchestra in E-flat: Second Movement
  62. Symphony No. 88 in G: Fourth Movement
  63. String Quartet No. 77 in C: Kaiser Quartet-Poco adagio cantabile
  64. Notturno No. 1 in C: Second Movement
  65. Symphony No. 98 in B: Londoner No. 4-Fourth Movement
  66. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - first movement
  67. Piano Concerto in A - second movement
  68. Flute Concerto in D - Rondeau
  69. Serenade - Minuet
  70. Violin Concerto - first movement
  71. Symphony No. 40 in G minor - first movement
  72. Clarinet Concerto - second movement
  73. Turkish March
  74. Divertimento - Minuet
  75. Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat - first movement
  76. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67-First Movement
  77. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, no. 2: Moonlight Sonata-First Movement
  78. Overture
  79. O welche Lust (Prisoners' Chorus)
  80. Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarros's Aria)
  81. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Second Movement
  82. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 61: Third Movement
  83. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: Pathétique-Second Movement
  84. Sympony No. 6 in F, Op. 68: Pastorale-First Movement
  85. Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 80: Choral Fantasy - Finale
  86. German Dance No. 1 In C
  87. Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3 In G-Flat
  88. Heidenroslein
  89. Ave Maria
  90. Der Lindenbaum
  91. Quintet In A 'Trout Quintet' - Andante
  92. Mass No. 6 In E-Flat - Kyrie
  93. Die Schone Mullerin Des Mullers Blumen
  94. German Dance No. 2 In G
  95. Piano Sonata In B-Flat
  96. Nachtgesang Im Walde
  97. Winterreise - No. 15: Die Krahe
  98. German Mass - Zum Sanctus (Heilit, Heilig Ist Der Herr)
  99. Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished' - Second Movement
  100. Waltz No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 18 Grande Valse brillante
  101. Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, no. 2
  102. Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, no. 5
  103. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21-Second Movement
  104. Mazurka in D minor, Op. 33, no. 2
  105. Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28, no. 15 Raindrop
  106. Etude in C, Op. 10, no. 1
  107. Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, no. 2
  108. Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 Fantasy Impromptu
  109. Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20
  110. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35-Third Movement
  111. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - Third Movement
  112. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor - first movement 113.String Seranade - Waltz
  113. Violin Concerto - second movement
  114. The Sleeping Beauty - Waltz
  115. Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
  116. Swan Lake - Waltz
  117. Eugene Onegin - Polonaise
  118. The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers
  119. Orchestral Suite No. 4 - Mozartiana - Third Movement
  120. Swan Lake - Dance of the Swans
  121. Symphony No. 6 in B minor - Pathétique - Third Movement
  122. Hungarian Dance No.5
  123. Lullaby
  124. Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op. 68 - Third Movement
  125. Intermezzo in E-flat, Op.117, no. 1
  126. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77 - Third Movement
  127. Waltz, Op. 39, no. 15
  128. Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83 - Second Movement
  129. String Quintet in G, Op. 111 - Second Movement
  130. Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op. 98 - Third Movement
  131. Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 76, no. 7
  132. Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
  133. German Requiem Selig sind die Toten (Final Chorus)
  134. Die Fledermaus - Overture
  135. Kaiser Waltz, Op.437
  136. Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324
  137. Roses From The South Waltz, Op. 388
  138. AnnenPolka, Op. 117
  139. Vienna Blood Waltz, Op. 354
  140. Eljen A Magyar Polka, Op. 332
  141. Wine, Women and Song Waltz, Op. 333
  142. On The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 134
  143. Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Overture
  144. Tannhauser - Die Pilger sind's (Pilgims' Chorus)
  145. Tannhauser - O du mein holder Abendstern (Wolfram's Aria)
  146. Lohengrin - Act 3 Prelude and Bridal Chorus
  147. The Flying Dutchman - Jo-ho-he Traft ihr das Schiff (Senta's Ballad)
  148. The Flying Dutchman - Steuermann, lass die Wacht (Sailors' Chorus)
  149. Die Walkure - Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond (Siegmund's Aria)
  150. Die Walkure - Ride of the Valkyries
  151. Siegfried Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! Schmiede mein Hammer (Siegfried's Forging Song)
  152. Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod
  153. Thus sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (excerpt)
  154. Don Juan, Op. 20
  155. Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, I.Nacht
  156. Don Quixote, Op.35, first movement: Introduction
  157. Salome, Op. 54, Dance Of The Seven Veils
  158. Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, Finale: Hab' mir's gelobt ihn lieb zu haben
  159. Piano Concerto 2 In C minor, Op. 18 - First Movement
  160. Vocalise, Op.34, No. 14
  161. Prelude In G Sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12
  162. Piano Concerto No. 4 In G minor, Op. 40 - Third Movement
  163. Symphony No. 2 In E minor, Op. 27 - Third Movement
  164. Piano Concerto No. 1 In F sharp minor, Op. 1 - Second Movement
  165. Rhapsody, Op. 43 On A Theme By Paganini
  166. Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
  167. Liebestraum No.3 in A-flat
  168. Piano Concerto No.1 in E-flat - third movement
  169. Angelus
  170. Mephisto Waltz No.1 (Dance in a Village Tavern)
  171. Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
  172. Dante Symphony - Finale. - Purgatorio - Magnificat
  173. Les Préludes
  174. Boléro
  175. Daphnis et Chloé first movement: Nocturne
  176. Rhapsodie Espagnole
  177. Shéhérazade - first movement: Asie
  178. Ma Mère l'Oye - fourth movement: La Belle et la Bête
  179. Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet
  180. La Valse
  181. Slavic Dance No. 1 in C, Op. 46, no.1
  182. Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World' - second movement
  183. Humoresque, Op. 101
  184. Slavic Dance No. 8 in G minor, Op. 46, no. 8
  185. Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 22 - second movement
  186. Romance for Violin and Orchestra In F minor, Op. 11
  187. Symphony No. 7 in D minor - third movement
  188. Melodie (Songs My Mother Taught Me)
  189. Carneval Overture, Op. 92
  190. Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104 - third movement
  191. Symphony No.4 In A, Op. 90. Italian - First Movement
  192. Frühlingslied In A, Op. 62, No. 6
  193. Wedding March (From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61)
  194. Duetto In F, Op.30, No.6 (From Songs Without Words)
  195. String Symphony No.9 In C. Schweitzer Symphony - Third Movement
  196. Concerto For Violin, Piano And String Orchestra No. 1 In D minor - Second Movement
  197. Symphony No.3 In A minor, Op.56 Scottish - Third Movement"
  198. Notturno (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
  199. Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14
  200. String Symphony No. 12 In G minor - First Movement
  201. Venetian Gondola Song In F Sharp minor, Op.30, No.6
  202. Scherzo (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
  203. Violin Concerto In E minor, Op.64 - Third Movement
  204. Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - Morgenstimmung
  205. Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - I. Prelude. Allegro vivace
  206. Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - IV. Air. Andante religioso
  207. Arietta, Op. 12, no. 1
  208. Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56
  209. Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Solveig's Song
  210. Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6
  211. The Last Spring, Op. 34, no. 2
  212. Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op 46 - Anitra's Dance
  213. Nordic Melody Op. 63
  214. Notturno, Op. 54, no. 4
  215. Elegie, Op. 47, no. 5
  216. Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Arabic Dance
  217. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 - Allegro
  218. Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97 - Rhenish - first movement
  219. Traumerai (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)
  220. Mondnacht (from Eichendorff-Liederkreis, Op. 39)
  221. Aufschwung (from Fantasietucke, Op. 12)
  222. Triolett, Op. 114, no. 2
  223. Tanzlied (No. 1 from Duets, Op. 78)
  224. Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120 - second movement
  225. Frühlingsgruss
  226. Abschied (from Waldszenen Op. 82)
  227. Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - Im wunderschonen Monat Mai
  228. Manfred Overture, Op. 115
  229. Romance in F sharp, Op. 28, no. 2
  230. Die Rose stand im Tau
  231. Liebesgarten (from Four Duets, Op. 34)
  232. Warum? (from Fantasiestucke, Op. 12)
  233. Kennst du das Land, Op.79, no. 29 (from Lieder der Mignon, Op. 98a)
  234. Von fremden Landern und Menschen (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)

Album Description

An extraordinary 20-CD collection of great works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, J. Strauss, R. Strauss, Schumann, Wagner, Dvorak, Grieg and Liszt. It also features worldrenowned artists such as Sir Neville Marriner, Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelich, Hermann Prey, Reiner Goldberg, Sylvia Sass, Jochen Kowalski, Peter Schreler and many more. This exquisite, copper metallic, deluxe boxed set is the perfect gift for the classical music neophyte.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Mill. Classical review.......2007-05-13

This is a great set of recordings for the money, the only problem was I've had to clean some of the CD's before they played correctly.

4 out of 5 stars classical music for the unitiated.......2007-04-01

This set is a good way to start listening to classical music. It's very well produced and easy to listen to. I purchased it to use as part of my world history high school class. It would have been nice to have some bio information on the composers. However, the product is exactly as advertised and good value for the money. The students were intrigued by how many of the excerpts they had heard before.

4 out of 5 stars Some little gems there that I had forgotten!.......2007-03-30

Although I studied classical music at school, I had all but forgotten it until I bought this set. I heard several tracks I haven't heard for over 30 years, and I had been humming Brahms's 'Hungarian Dance no. 5' for years without ever knowing what it was and it was on the disc, so that was nice.

I found it to be a very good selection overall, but I felt too much had already been heard on TV, which of course is what lots of newcomers to classical music might appreciate. I managed to find about 2 hours of tracks that I wanted to keep, which works out quite expensive per disc, but I did find some wonderful music I had completely forgotten about, so it was worth it. All in all, it represents good value, and I have only knocked one star off as so much of it had been used in adverts.

It is definitely a good introduction to classical music, and it has made me want to listen to more of it, so I don't regret this 'expensive' purchase one bit!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

5 out of 5 stars A very helpful collection.......2007-03-24

I define this set as an excellent way to find out who you like, and who you don't, among 20 of the important composers. It opens the door to purchasing more complete pieces by composers you do like, and can save a lot of time and money in the process.
To criticize the set for not containing more composers, or more than just snippets of those who are in the set, is missing the point: it is a helpful introduction to finding your way in the huge maze of classical music. It succeeds admirably in this.
Sound quality is uniformly very good on an audiophile system.
Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent!.......2007-03-08

A great way to start a classical music collection. It's nice to have a full CD of each composer. It makes it easy to keep track of selections/composers I already have and what composers I still need to puchase to complete my collection.
Most Romantic Classical Music in the Universe
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • very romantic to make love by
  • Great Mood Music
Most Romantic Classical Music in the Universe
Gabriel Faure , Felix Mendelssohn , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Fryderyk Chopin , Franz Liszt , Erik Satie , Robert Schumann , Antonin Dvorak , Gustav Mahler , Sergey Rachmaninov , Leos Janacek , Cesar Franck , George Frideric Handel , Jules Massenet , Sergey Prokofiev , Catalan Traditional , and Various Artists
Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

BalletsBallets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by BeethovenAll Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by ChopinAll Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by DebussyAll Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by HandelAll Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Janácek, LeosJanácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by LisztAll Works by Liszt | Liszt, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by MahlerAll Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by MassenetAll Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by MendelssohnAll Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by SatieAll Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Robert SchumannAll Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by TarregaAll Works by Tarrega | Tarrega, Francisco | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by TchaikovskyAll Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by ProkofievAll Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by RachmaninovAll Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
BalladsBallads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
EtudesEtudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
PreludesPreludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Serenades & DivertimentosSerenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music | Divertimentos
BagatellesBagatelles | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
NocturnesNocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
SonatinasSonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Ballets & DancesBallets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Ballets & DancesBallets & Dances | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GuitarGuitar | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Folk SongsFolk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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  4. The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!
  5. The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II

ASIN: B00011V890
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

  1. BIZET Aragonaise from Carmen
  2. DEBUSSY Clair de Lune
  3. SAINT-SAS The Swan
  4. BEETHOVEN Moonlight Sonata, Adagio
  5. TARREGA Recuerdos
  6. FAURE Aprun rrie
  7. ,MENDELSSOHN Song without Words Op. 19 #6
  8. TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade for Strings, Elegia, Larghetto elegaico
  9. CHOPIN Ballade No. 1
  10. LISZT Liebestraume
  11. SATIE Gymnopedies No. 1
  12. SCHUMANN Abendlied
  13. MENDELSSOHN Song without Words Op. 62 #5
  14. DVORAK Serenade for Strings, Larghetto
  15. BEETHOVEN Fse

Tracks:

  1. MAHLER Symphony No. 5, Adagietto
  2. RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2, Adagio
  3. JANACEK Idyll for Strings, Adagio
  4. FRANCK Violin Sonata, Recitativo-Fantasia
  5. HANDEL Largo from Xerxes
  6. CHOPIN Etude in E Major
  7. TCHAIKOVSKY Swan Lake (excerpt)
  8. MASSENET Meditation from "Tha
  9. PROKOFIEV Romeo & Juliet
  10. TRADITIONAL Nocturne in F
  11. TCHAIKOVSKY Nocturne in F
  12. RACHMANINOFF Prelude

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars very romantic to make love by.......2007-06-11

The music is seductive and promotes an atmosphere of feeling uninhibited when you are making love.

5 out of 5 stars Great Mood Music.......2006-08-11

This is a great CD to compliment any romantic situation. A meal by candle light, champagne on the veranda, or a Jacuzzi for two! Very soothing.
One Hundred Greatest TV Themes
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Two tracks I really like
  • Quantity Over Quality
  • Mediocre
  • One Hundred Greatest TV Themes
  • Pretty close to original recordings
One Hundred Greatest TV Themes

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by SchifrinAll Works by Schifrin | Schifrin, Lalo | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by SousaAll Works by Sousa | Sousa, John Philip | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by ManciniAll Works by Mancini | Mancini, Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
MarchesMarches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Movie ScoresMovie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Movie SoundtracksMovie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Television SoundtracksTelevision Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Star TrekStar Trek | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
MarchesMarches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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  1. All-Time Top 100 TV Themes
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  4. NBC: A Soundtrack of Must See TV
  5. Best of TV Quiz & Game Show Themes

ASIN: B00005Y49F
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Tracks:

  1. The A-Team - Nic Raine
  2. The Addams Family - Nic Raine
  3. The Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe - Nic Raine
  4. Airwolf - Derek Wadsworth
  5. The Avengers - Mike Townend
  6. Barnaby Jones - Jerry Goldsmith
  7. Batman - Nic Raine
  8. Battlestar Galactica - Nic Raine
  9. Baywatch - Derek Wadsworth
  10. Beverly Hills 90210 - Derek Wadsworth
  11. Bewitched - Nic Raine
  12. Between The Lines - Mark Ayres
  13. The Bill - Nic Raine
  14. Bonanza - The Philharmonia Orchestra
  15. Brideshead Revisited - Derek Wadsworth
  16. Buck Rogers In The 25th Century - Nic Raine
  17. Burke's Law - Derek Wadsworth
  18. Cagney And Lacey - Derek Wadsworth
  19. Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons - Mark Ayres
  20. Casualty - Mark Ayres
  21. Cheers - Mark Ayres
  22. Dallas - Nic Raine
  23. Dangerman (Secret Agent) - Mike Townend
  24. Doctor Who - Mark Ayres
  25. Doctor Kildare - Jerry Goldsmith

Tracks:

  1. Doogie Howser, M.D. - Derek Wadsworth
  2. Dynasty - Nic Raine
  3. The Equalizer - Derek Wadsworth
  4. Falcon Crest - Derek Wadsworth
  5. Fireball XL-5 - Derek Wadsworth
  6. The Fugitive - Nic Raine
  7. Hawaii 5-0 - Mike Townend
  8. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - Nic Raine
  9. The High Chaparral - Nic Raine
  10. Highway To Heaven - Derek Wadsworth
  11. Hill Street Blues - Derek Wadsworth
  12. The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy - Mark Ayres
  13. The Incredible Hulk - Derek Wadsworth
  14. Jason King - Mike Townend
  15. Jesus Of Nazareth - Paul Bateman
  16. Joe 90 - Derek Wadsworth
  17. Johnny Staccato - Derek Wadsworth
  18. Knight Rider - Derek Wadsworth
  19. Kojak - Mike Townend
  20. L.A. Law - Derek Wadsworth
  21. Land Of The Giants - Nic Raine
  22. Little House On The Prairie - Derek Wadsworth
  23. Lonesome Dove - Nic Raine
  24. Lost In Space - Nic Raine
  25. Lou Grant - Derek Wadsworth

Tracks:

  1. Magnum, P.I. - Derek Wadsworth
  2. A Man Called Ironside - Mike Townend
  3. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - Derek Wadsworth
  4. M*A*S*H - Nic Raine
  5. Miami Vice - Mark Ayres
  6. Mike Hammer - Derek Wadsworth
  7. Mission Impossible - Mike Townend
  8. Monty Python's Flying Circus - Nic Raine
  9. The Munsters - Derek Wadsworth
  10. Murder She Wrote - Derek Wadsworth
  11. Newhart - Derek Wadsworth
  12. North And South - Derek Wadsworth
  13. Northern Exposure - Derek Wadsworth
  14. NYPD Blue - Mark Ayres
  15. The Outer Limits - Nic Raine
  16. Perry Mason - Mike Townend
  17. The Persuaders - Mark Ayres
  18. Peter Gunn - Mike Townend
  19. Police Squad - Nic Raine
  20. The Prisoner - Mike Townend
  21. Quantum Leap - Derek Wadsworth
  22. Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - Mike Townend
  23. Red Dwarf - Mark Lambert
  24. The Rockford Files - Mike Post
  25. Roseanne - Dan Foliart

Tracks:

  1. The Saint - Mike Townend
  2. Seaquest DSV - Nic Raine
  3. Space 1999 - Derek Wadsworth
  4. Star Trek - Mike Townend
  5. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Derek Wadsworth
  6. Star Trek: Voyager - Nic Raine
  7. St. Elsewhere - Derek Wadsworth
  8. The Streets Of San Francisco - Nic Raine
  9. Stingray - Barry Gray
  10. Taxi - Derek Wadsworth
  11. Thunderbirds - Derek Wadsworth
  12. Thirty Something - Derek Wadsworth
  13. The Time Tunnel - Nic Raine
  14. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - The Philharmonia Orchestra
  15. The Twighlight Zone - Nic Raine
  16. Twin Peaks - Derek Wadsworth
  17. U.F.O. - Derek Wadsworth
  18. The Virginian - Nic Raine
  19. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea - Nic Raine
  20. Wagon Train - Paul Bateman
  21. The Waltons - Jerry Goldsmith
  22. The Wild Wild West - Derek Wadsworth
  23. Young Riders - John Debney
  24. Xena: The Warrior Princess - Paul Bateman
  25. The X-Files - Mark Ayres

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Two tracks I really like.......2007-07-21

The Mission Impossible theme is performed well.
The Fireball theme is actually much improved on this version. I prefer the orchestra and the vocals over the original.

2 out of 5 stars Quantity Over Quality.......2007-01-15

As a musician myself, I know too well that one of the most important ingredients in ANY performance (live or recorded) is passion. The recordings here generally lack the same passion and sheer drama of the originals. Much of the instrumentation has been reduced to a cheezy, thin, plastic synthesized replica. The performances are simply a watered-down lackluster version of the classic originals. If it were not for the sheer volume of tracks compiled here, I would have rated the comp only "one star".

3 out of 5 stars Mediocre.......2006-05-17

The sound quality for this collection isn't much better than the samples offered by Amazon.

4 out of 5 stars One Hundred Greatest TV Themes.......2005-08-06

I have watched almost all the shows that are on these 4 cd's. Many were made before I started watching TV. Most I've seen once or twice before.

4 out of 5 stars Pretty close to original recordings.......2005-07-24

Definitely not as good as the originals. You'll probably notice the slight differences since it's stuff you saw and listened to every week or everyday in reruns growing up, but it's still an amazing collection.
100 Best Opera Classics
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Superlative collection
  • Great value for the money
  • Great for the money and a good starter on opera....
  • Amazing Value
100 Best Opera Classics

Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by BeethovenAll Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Bellini, VincenzoBellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by BerliozAll Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by DonizettiAll Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by GluckAll Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by GounodAll Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Lalo, EdouardLalo, Edouard | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by MascagniAll Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by MassenetAll Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAll Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by MussorgskyAll Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by OffenbachAll Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by PucciniAll Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by StraussAll Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by ThomasAll Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by VerdiAll Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by WeberAll Works by Weber | Weber, Carl Maria von | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by RossiniAll Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Allen, ThomasAllen, Thomas | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Berlin Philharmonic OrchestraBerlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
London Philharmonic OrchestraLondon Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
National Philharmonic Orchestra LondonNational Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Paris Symphony OrchestraParis Symphony Orchestra | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Vienna Philharmonic OrchestraVienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
RomancesRomances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910)Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
FrenchFrench | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GermanGerman | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ItalianItalian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
RussianRussian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
OperettasOperettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ClassicalClassical | Imports | Stores | Music
Opera & VocalOpera & Vocal | Imports | Stores | Music
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  1. The Most Famous Opera Arias
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ASIN: B0007QOERC
Release Date: 2007-05-14

Tracks:

  1. Voi Che Sepate - Teresa Berganza
  2. Porgi Amor - Heather Harper
  3. Deh, Vieni Alla Finestra - Thomas Allen
  4. Batti, Batti, O Bel Masetto - Elizabeth Gale
  5. Der Holle Rache - Edda Moser
  6. O Isis Und Osiris - Cornelius Hauptmann
  7. Temerari...Come Scoglio - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
  8. La Calunnia E Un Venticello - Ruggero Raimondi
  9. Nei Giardin Del Bello - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
  10. Casta Diva - Maria Callas
  11. Se Quel Guerrier...Celeste Aida - Franco Corelli
  12. Tenesta La Promessa...Addio Del Passato - Beverly Sills
  13. Niun Mi Tema - Jon Vickers
  14. Un Bel Di Vedremo - Renata Scotto
  15. E Lucevan Le Stelle - Placido Domingo
  16. Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi - Mirella Freni
  17. In Quelle Trine Morbide - Montserrat Caballe
  18. Signore, Ascolta - Kiri Te Kanawa
  19. Recitar...Vesti La Giubba - Jose Carreras
  20. Amor Ti Vieta Di Non Amor - Roberto Alagna

Tracks:

  1. Le Veau D'Or Est Toujours Debout - Boris Christoff
  2. Ou Va La Jeune Hindoue? - Mady Mesple
  3. L'Amour, L'Amour...Ah! Leve-Toi, Soleil - Alfredo Kraus
  4. Allons! Le Faut...Adieu Notre Petite Table - Ileana Cotrubas
  5. Toute Mon Ame Est La Pourquoi Me Reveiller - Nicolai Gedda
  6. Quand La Flamme De L'Amour - Jose Van Dam
  7. L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Victoria De Los Angeles
  8. A Cette Voix...Je Crois Entendre Encore - Alain Vanzo
  9. Une Puce Gentille - Gabriel Bacquier
  10. Je Vais Mourir...Adieu, Fiere Cite - Regine Crespin
  11. Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A Ta Voix - Rita Gorr
  12. Wie Todesahnung...O Du Mein Holder Abenstern - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
  13. Johohoe! Traft Ihr Das Schiff Im Meere An? - Anja Silja
  14. In Fernem Land - Chor Der Wiener Staatsoper
  15. Heil Dir, Sonne! - Siegfried Jerusalem
  16. Mild Und Leise - Helga Dernesch

Tracks:

  1. Che Faro Senza Euridice? - Agnes Baltsa
  2. Der Vogelfanger Bin Ich Ja - Walter Berry
  3. Finch'Han Dal Vino - Nicolai Ghiaurov
  4. E Susanna Non Vien!...Dove Sono - Barbara Hendricks
  5. Abscheulicher! - Christa Ludwig
  6. Ne M'Abandonne Pas, Espoir De La Vengeance...Asile Hereditaire - Nicolai Gedda
  7. Largo Al Factotum - Tito Gobbi
  8. Ella Giammai M'Amo! - Ruggero Raimondi
  9. La Donna E Mobile - Alfredo Kraus
  10. Di Quella Pira - Franco Corelli
  11. Esultate! - James McCracken
  12. Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar - Placido Domingo
  13. Vissi D'Arte, Vissi D'Amore - Maria Callas
  14. In Questa Reggia - Ghena Dimitrova
  15. Tanto Amore - Janine Micheau
  16. O Mio Babbino Caro - Montserrat Caballe
  17. Ed Anche Beppe Amo - Luciano Pavarotti
  18. Poveri Fiori - Maria Callas
  19. Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio - Roberto Alagna

Tracks:

  1. Les Grands Seigneurs...Ah! Je Ris De Me Voir Si Belle - Victoria De Los Angeles
  2. Marie, Avec L'Enfant Jesus - Jules Bastin
  3. Heureux Petit Berger - Janine Micheau
  4. Connais-Tu Le Pays - Jane Rhodes
  5. Elle Ne Croyait Pas Dans Sa Candeur - Nicolai Gedda
  6. Votre Toast, Je Peux Vous Le Rendre...Toreador - Victoria De Los Angeles
  7. Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille - Mady Mesple
  8. Maintenant, Chantons...Devant La Maison De Celui Qui D'Adore - Gerard Souzay
  9. Depuis Le Jour - Beverly Sills
  10. Da Geht Er Hin - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
  11. Einsam In Truben Tagen - Regine Crespin
  12. Dich, Teure Halle - Hildegard Behrens
  13. Leb Wohl, Du Kuhnes, Herrliches Kind - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
  14. Hojotoho! Hojotoho! - Ute Walther

Tracks:

  1. Non Piu Andrai - Thomas Allen
  2. La Ci Darem La Mano - Graziella Sciutti
  3. Duo: Pa-Pa-Pa - Andreas Schmidt
  4. Soave Sia Il Vento - Delores Ziegler
  5. Mira, O Norma - Maria Callas
  6. Il Dolce Suono - Edita Gruberova
  7. Com'e Gentil - Alfredo Kraus
  8. Una Voce Poco Fa - Maria Callas
  9. Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici - Alfredo Kraus
  10. Gualtier Malde!...Caro Nome - Michele Pertusi
  11. Ritorna Vincitor - Birgit Nilsson
  12. Ave Maria - Katia Ricciarelli
  13. Nessun Dorma - Franco Corelli
  14. Che Gelida Manina - Nicolai Gedda
  15. Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Barbara Hendricks

Tracks:

  1. Mes Amis, Ecoutez L'Histoire - Nicolai Gedda
  2. Mieux Vaut Mourir...Amour Sacre De La Patrie - Alfredo Kraus
  3. Ah! Je Veux Vivre Dans Ce Reve - Mady Mesple
  4. Puisqu'on Ne Peut Flechir...Vainement, Ma Bien-Aimee - Henry Legay
  5. Suis-Je Gentille Ainsi?...Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins - June Anderson
  6. Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour - Jessye Norman
  7. La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee - Jose Carreras
  8. C'est Toi!...Au Fond Du Temple Saint - John Aler
  9. Werther, Werther, Qui M'Aurait Dit...Ces Lettres! - Tatiana Troyanos
  10. Viens, Mallika - Mady Mesple
  11. Ah! Je Suis Seule Enfin...Dis-Moi Que Je Suis Belle - Beverly Sills
  12. Alerte, Alerte!...Anges Purs, Anges Radieux - Nicolai Ghiaurov
  13. Boris's Farewell - Boris Christoff
  14. Schreckensschwur! - Gary Lakes
  15. Die 'Selige Morgentraum-Deutweise'...Selig, Wie Die Sonne - Peter Schreier
  16. Was Am Besten er Kann...Nothung! Nothung! - Siegfried Jerusalem

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Superlative collection.......2006-10-11

A collection of 100 individual arias and ensembles from the EMI catalogue of complete works recorded between 1955 and 2003. It includes selections from operas by Italian, Austrian, German, Russian and French composers. The French composers are especially well represented unlike most such anthologies. And there are several more obscure contributions, such as an aria from Catalani's La Wally. A well-judged balance of musical periods and styles, and the very best singers of the last half of the last century. And remarkably, the whole collection of 6 CDS, over 7 hours of music, is being sold for the cost of only 1 CD !

5 out of 5 stars Great value for the money.......2006-04-23

This is simply the best collection of opera arias that I have seen. It's not 100% in that there are a few well-known arias that are not here, but what is here is simply a treasure. The organization is a bit strange, but there's some logic. For example, Disk 6 is mostly from French operas. A seemingly endless amount of glorious music. Just fabulous. You won't be disappointed.

4 out of 5 stars Great for the money and a good starter on opera...........2006-01-07

This cd is a splendid collection of songs, and the price is unbeatable; I have but a few minor complaints about the overall product. The cd would have been much more enjoyable if they had put the music in some sort of order, rather than jumping around from artist to artist sporatically. My only other complaint would be that they could have chosen some better vocalists to play some of the songs. For example, in CD 6, track 3: Romeo et Juliette, the singer was not nearly as strong and definative as she should have been and I've definately heard in various other versions that were way better than this. This disappointed me greatly. But even with these few small complaints, this collection is still great and the price is amazing. It includes MOST of the famous opera pieces, as well some great songs that are often overlooked such as the beautiful song from Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (CD 6, track 16) along with others.

5 out of 5 stars Amazing Value.......2005-08-23

I am so impressed by this collection that I must share my joy at getting so many beautiful arias, duets, et al in one collection. It captures many of the great operatic voices in stellar performances spanning the last 50 years. If you are enchanted by beautiful operatic highlights, removed from their operatic storylines, this set is for you. Hours of gorgeous music for practically pennies!
Michael Murray At The Cathedral Of St. John The Divine: Works By Franck, Widor, Dupré, Bach and Others
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Devine
  • Vibrant sound and Performance, some questionable interpretetations
  • Good, but not the best ever
  • Highly recommended
Michael Murray At The Cathedral Of St. John The Divine: Works By Franck, Widor, Dupré, Bach and Others

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by J.S. BachAll Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Dupré, Marcel | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Benedetto MarcelloAll Works by Benedetto Marcello | Marcello, Benedetto | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Purcell, HenryPurcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
OrganOrgan | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
4-for-3 Classical4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 All Music4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Wanamaker Legacy
  2. The Willis Organ at Salisbury Cathedral
  3. Great Toccatas
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ASIN: B000003CUX
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Agincourt Hymn
  2. The Emperor's Fanfare
  3. Psalm 19
  4. Trumpet Tune
  5. Finale
  6. Prelude And Fugue In E Minor, BWV 533, 'Cathedral'
  7. Meditation
  8. Prelude
  9. Chorale No. 2 In B Minor
  10. Cortege And Litany, Op. 19, No. 2
  11. Final

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Devine.......2007-07-31

I'm a big fan of Mr. Murray's organ playing. In fact I love it as much as I detest his fellow American Newman.

The acoustic of this huge cathedral is captured nicely on this wonderful CD ... especially the ear splitting State Trumpet (listen to tracks 1 and 2). There is a delicious account of Widor (one of the movements from Symphony 6 is perfect and makes me hanker for the whole cycle on this monsterous organ.

It's a shame that organ CDs seem to be hotch potch collections of famous music, but I think that's just the nature of the beast. Sadly, not ever piece on this CD thrilled me as much as the Widor, but that's just personal. I'll most definitely look out for more CDs from St. John the Devine as the organ is to be heard to be believed!

4 out of 5 stars Vibrant sound and Performance, some questionable interpretetations.......2006-05-29

This particular michael murray recording makes up for the lack of recordings of the magnificent organ in St. John Divine. It is perhaps one of the greatest and largest American organs, notably the very powerful state trumpet stop located underneath one of the rose windows (This is one of the few stops of its kind in existence). The Agincourt Hynm really shows off what this stop is capable of. There is some good variety in this recording, although sometimes I felt that the State Trumpet was used in excess (it became annoying at points, simply because it was so powerful and overused). The biggest downfall of this recording is the interpretation of the Widor Symphony VI Finale. I felt the tempo was extremely too slow, and due to this, was lacking the excitment of this wonderful piece (For a more exciting, no holds-barred recording of the Widor 6th, check out David M. Patrick's recording). Overall, this recording is very powerful and really shows off what this famous, yet, not so very often recorded organ can do.

4 out of 5 stars Good, but not the best ever.......1999-11-08

This disc has on it one of America's foremost organists playing one of the largest organs ever constructed. The result is a mix of good music well played with some rather irritating bits. Firstly, the Dunstable and the Purcell (actually by Jeremiah Clarke) make use of the incredible State Trumpet stop; whilst this makes for an excellent first track, in which it appears briefly at the start and end in a sort of fanfare motif, the use of this stop in the Trumpet Tune becomes ear-splitting and tiresome. Murray also has an apparent predilection for slower speeds (though in the main there is nothing wrong with that). Perhaps the most annoying thing is the second Vierne track (the Prelude in D major)- the sleeve notes make a clear point that "any music can be played on this organ", but whether as a result of the recording equipment or the gigantic acoustic or the instrument, it is as if this track was recorded through thick cotton wool from a distant room in the Cathedral. However, even with all these points, this is an interesting programme rendered with genuine sensitivity on a challenging instrument. Worth listening to.

5 out of 5 stars Highly recommended.......1999-06-27

I bought this CD several years ago, and I never get tired of listening to it. Michael Murray gives his usual brilliant rendition of some of the world's greatest organ music in a setting with vibrant accoustics as St. John the Divine is one of the largest churches in the US. This should be required listening for any organ enthusiast.
The Art of Joan Sutherland
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Valuable compendium
  • Rareties available on CD at last!
  • Heavenly
  • WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?
The Art of Joan Sutherland

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by ArneAll Works by Arne | Arne, Thomas Augustin | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Bellini, VincenzoBellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961
  2. The Art of the Prima Donna
  3. Serate Musicali
  4. The Voice of the Century
  5. La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland

ASIN: B000654OUQ
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Valuable compendium.......2007-01-24

This set is extremely valuable, not only as an overview of Dame Joans career but because it contains three complete LP sets that have been very hard to find. The sets are the 2 LP French opera (operetta) set, the Mozart album and the Wagner album. Although some of these do not show her to her best advantage (the Wagner set) they all have some very beautiful things and the French items are superb. The annotations and photos are interesting as well and there are some piano songs with Bonynge that are released here for the first time along with a scene from a live Covent Garden Norma.

5 out of 5 stars Rareties available on CD at last!.......2006-03-29

While Joan Sutherland has recorded a number of impressive aria collections throughout the many years of her recording career, they tend to get lost in the shuffle of the countless reissues Decca/London has endlessly repackaged. While some of the original collections have appeared intact on CD--"The Art of the Prima Donna," "The Age of Bel Canto," "Love Live Forever" (her operetta collection that was originally titled "The Golden Age of Operetta"), to name a few--others are currently represented in the CD catalogue by only a few selections on discs that also include excerpts from complete opera recordings or duplicates of selections from other original collections. As a result, it has been impossible to assemble a CD collection of her recordings without a LOT of duplication, and some of the most interesting collections are still unavailable (e.g. "Command Performance" and "Serate Musicale").

While this newest set does include a lot of bits of this and that, ranging from her very first LPs to excerpts from complete recordings most Sutherland fans already have and a few "live" performances, what is perhaps most significant about it is that it features the complete contents of the "Sutherland Sings Wagner" LP--a real repertoire departure for her--and the double-LP album called "French Opera Gala" (in the U.S.--the British title was "Romantic French Arias"), neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, has been available on CD before. "Opera News" magazine once ran an article in which they asked various stars to name the one album that they felt best represented their artistry for future generations, and Dame Joan selected the "French Opera Gala," so for Sutherland fans, this is a long-awaited treat.

I'm not going to waste space saying how miraculous I consider Dame Joan's artistry. If you are familiar with her work already, you know whether you adore her or not; and if you aren't, this massive set is probably not the best place to start (that would be "The Art of the Prima Donna" album that introduced her to most listeners decades ago)--especially since this newest set doesn't contain the lyrics, a must for newcomers. Let's hope Decca/London gets around to releasing the rest of her recordings intact instead of endlessly scrambling and repackaging the same selections over and over.

5 out of 5 stars Heavenly.......2006-01-31

I first heard of Dame Sutherland while on the internet while listening to a internet radio station. I was instantly a fan, her control, technique, and tone is perfectly executed and rivals the equally fantastic Maria Callas. She has a powerful voice and presence that will evoke every emotion from her listeners. Highly recommended to all Opera Diva fans.

5 out of 5 stars WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?.......2005-04-10

This is Decca's second multi disc evaluation of this fantastic singer's long career and many recordings. True that a lot on the first set is duplicated here, but there are a few exceptions here and there that make it a worthy addition. Of particular interest are the very early items of Handel and Italian baroque arias, some forgotten song recordings and a live performance of the duet from Norma. It can't be said too many times - who can sing like this today? For sheer vocalism it's hard to find anyone on the same wavelength. This set will give very young opera goers an idea of what they missed.
Rolando Villazon - Gounod · Massenet Arias
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • the way teens are to Britney or Madonna....
  • Villazon finds his niche...go French
  • Bad diction, engineering gimmicks besot otherwise noble effort
  • Bean sings?
  • A fine romantic interpreter
Rolando Villazon - Gounod · Massenet Arias
Rolando Villazon , Natalie Dessay , and Evelino Pido
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Italian Opera Arias
  2. Rolando Villazon: Opera Recital
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ASIN: B0006IQM5I
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Tracks:

  1. Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini... O Souverain
  2. Enfin, Manon... En Fermant Les Yeux
  3. Oui, Ce Qu'elle M'ordonne... Lorsque L'enfant Revient
  4. L'amour! L'amour!... Ah! Leve-toi, Soleil
  5. Source Dcieuse
  6. Faiblesse De La Race Humaine!... Inspirez-moi, Race Divine
  7. Voix Qui Me Remplissez D'une Ineffable Ivresse
  8. Je Suis L'oiseau
  9. Traduire... Pourquoi Me Riller
  10. Anges Du Paradis
  11. Salut, Tombeau
  12. Salut, Demeure Chaste Et Pure
  13. Je Suis Seul!... Ah! Fuyez, Douce Image
  14. Je Vais La Voir!
  15. Ah! Parais!

Amazon.com

Rolando Villazon's follow-up CD to his sensational debut recital of Italian arias is devoted to music by Gounod and Massenet: some as familiar as Faust's, Romeo's and Des Grieux's arias, some as rare as pieces from Gounod's Polyeucte and La Reine de Saba and Massenet's Roma and Le Mage. But almost more important than the interesting repertoire, familiar or otherwise, is Villazon's handling of the music. In Werther's passionate Act II outburst to God about suicide, which is almost never excerpted, Villazon manages, in four minutes, to create a complete character, with all his neuroses, mania, and desperation--and he caps it with a ringing high B natural which is as beautiful as it is heartfelt. He sings both of Des Grieux's arias with feeling and tenderness (aided in "Le reve" by Natalie Dessay!). An aria from La Reine de Saba turns out to bequite a showpiece, with a drop-dead high C at its close. As singing and as interpreting, this CD is a must-have. Villazon's dark-hued, expressive tone is always used in the service of the music, and following his career will be a joy for all lovers of great tenorizing. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars the way teens are to Britney or Madonna...........2007-01-04

Villazon brings out the teenybopper in me. I could wear the grooves out!~just as I did with my early heros at 12 and 13 years of age. Seriously, his sound, phrasing and timbre are transcendent and ethereal. May the music never end.

5 out of 5 stars Villazon finds his niche...go French.......2006-02-25

Rather than beefing up his voice for the big (money-paying) Italian roles that are one size too large for him, Rolando Villazon naturally excels in these roles from Gounod and Massenet. The narrow French vowels add a needed edge and vibrancy to his voice, the placement of the music in the head tones brings out Villazon's best timbre, and he seems temperamentally suited to refined heros. In fact, it's remarkable to hear the transformaiton here when comparing him in the recent DG La Traviata, where his Alfredo was convincing but hard work. French opera is rhtorical and poetic rather than visceral and passionate. I think Villazon fits that mold, as nearly eery aria here domonstrates.

2 out of 5 stars Bad diction, engineering gimmicks besot otherwise noble effort.......2006-02-02

A tenor very quickly on the rise, this is Villazon's second recital disc, one devoted to arias by Gounod and Massenet, all in sets of three, three for Massenet, and two for Gounod. While still showing great promise, some concerns that were mildly serious with the first disc are even more so, in the French repertoire, in part because diction comes up so short here.

"O souverain" from Le Cid continues to show Villazon's command of line and squeezed but adequately forceful upper register, so that the volume boosts from the control room are really unnecessary. Diction here is already an issue, as many `u' vowels get dipthonged, especially when Villazon's sound is placed back for added weight and volume. `La reve' from Massenet's Manon is comfortably floated, with support from Natalie Dessay as Manon enhancing the intimacy of feeling to this number. Would Villazon been able to sing the short aria by Alain (who appears to the heroine at first to perhaps be little more than an apparition - shades of Frau ohne schatten perhaps? - in almost a chamber opera), from Massenet's Griselidis (track 8), at least as softly and lightly, as both the music and dramatic situation require, this could have also been very successful. He instead turns the ABA shape of this mere chanson inside out and makes a wreck of it.

The less often excerpted "Lorsque enfant" from Werther closes out the first Massenet set, as does "Pourquoi me reveiller" the second. Villazon's identification with the distraught main character of this opera is abundantly clear in both. He capitalizes well on the quixotic emotions and dreamy tendencies of the distraught main character especially well in the first selection, and he is also less intruded upon by the producers or sound engineers there as well.

It is quite curious how the control room follows the tenor up a crescendo on a line that closes out the first section of the excerpt here from Massenet's Roi de Lahore, featuring a hero (from Hindu myth) that bound to certain stipulations, has literally returned from the dead. Not quite as ostentatious as Massenet's near remake of Lohengrin, Esclarmonde (but with female protagonist instead), it is one of Massenet's most colorful scores. It has only been recorded complete once commercially, with Joan Sutherland, Luis Lima, and appearing only ten minutes apart, James Morris, and for the part of General unfortunately eliminated from this scene here, John Tomlinson, along with one other cut to Villazon's part. It would've been more valuable to have all this complete instead of one or two other arias. He captures the incipiently worried tone of Alim well, but his coloring up the vowel sounds makes it seem that he has come from a place as remote from French culture as where the opera takes place.

Most successful of the Gounod selections are two of the three rarities. The first is Source delicieuse from Polyeucte, based on the Corneille play. It opens very well with a minute of orchestral cortege. It perhaps has only been recorded once before and well, by Roberto Alagna ten years ago; Villazon conveys the heroism of the piece somewhat well, if not as securely as Alagna. Anges du paradis from Mireille (which Mirella Freni championed and recorded complete for EMI), is third, perhaps a study for Ah leve toi, soleil (Romeo), several years down the road. The second Gounod rarity on this disc is "Inspirez-moi, race divine," said to be a Caruso favorite, from Reine de Saba. Its text indicates King Solomon's prize hired builder, Adoniram, to be a very confident, if mildly haughty chap. Villazon's interpretation seems to portray a hero that constantly has to look behind his back, with all the incipiently yet controllably vibrato ridden throb and backphrasing Villazon engages in here. The high C at the end, however, is convincing. Such device as in the above, also accents and colors most phrasing in the tomb scene from Romeo et Juliette.

"Ah! leve toi soleil" opens the first Gounod set, and is sung with the right ardor, conventionally marked by tiny captured scoops, coming off phrases. Villazon's entrance and two later lines catch for having placed so far back in the throat, and intonation gets momentarily derailed. "Salut, demeure" from Gounod's Faust quickly becomes expressively leaden and monochrome.

Recitative and the beginning of the aria, "Ah! fuyez" from Manon begin well nuanced enough, and for the aria, truly softly as a change from so much else on this disc, but all-purpose bench pressing and volume boosts intrude before long. That leaves two truly atmospheric selections from two Massenet rarities, to close this recital - first, an aria from Roma, Massenet's swan song for the lyric theater and "Ah! parais" from Le Mage, opera with plot line similar to that of Verdi's Aida, following. The melody, introduced by the cellos at the outset for the latter, somewhat takes after "Pays merveilleux" from Meyerbeer's Africaine, but in more voluptuous color, such as in Thais, and Villazon and Pido both capitalize well on its opulence. Pido's work, on numerous other numbers on this disc, seems heavy, lumbering, cloying, or just simply out of his idiom, so to speak.

Word has it that Villazon, while not having a big voice, is dramatically exciting on stage and probably more immediately engaged with the content of what he is singing. How this picked up a major award from Gramophone, for the specific problems this disc has, and over two more qualified nominations (Ciofi/Di Donato Handel Duets and a Florez album) is mystifying. So much digression here is over the very specific demands that French opera makes on singers. There's much reason for hope for this tenor, but this disc, for two-thirds of it, does little to help fulfill it.

5 out of 5 stars Bean sings?.......2006-01-05

A friend lent me Villazon's debut album as an introduction to the man. I loved it - but this is the one I have bought. If, like me, you have tired of the comparisons between Villazon and others (esp Domingo) fear not, this artist is an original. I must confess that on seeing the cover I wondered if Brit comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean / Black Adder - now there's a new comarison!) had strayed into the wrong studio, but a few tracks into either disc and you'll know you're listening to the real thing. True, he has baritonish notes in the lower register, and an easy reach for the upper notes but I honestly have not heard anyone quite like him before. His is a warm voice with an early maturity that should ensure he has a long career ahead of him. His diction is excellent, without the staccato enunciation or lack of French interpretation abilities that mar lesser singers' performances. Such vocal ease makes the sung word seem as natural as the spoken word is to us lesser mortals. That his song selection moves away from the 'usual suspects' of the tenor repertoire is to his great advantage; he knows what suits him and he brings each piece to new life. The overly familiar tracks of which there are thankfully few serve only to highlight through comparison to those we know Villazon's unique timbre and interpretation. This collection includes inspired music choices, incomparable renditions, marvellous orchestration and leaves the listener keenly anticipating his next release. The recording and production are impeccable (worth ***** in their category). It does not get much better than that. Atkinson may make you laugh (or not) - Villazon will make you smile and keep you feeling that way.

4 out of 5 stars A fine romantic interpreter.......2005-12-20

If not quite a poet in the manner of, say, Edmond Clément, Rolando Villazón is a first rate romantic interpreter. His French is surprisingly good and he really understands how this school of writing needs to be lived and phrased, so that he doesn't summarily yell through all phrases like some "Italian" second-rater: he shades and molds the music in the elegant style of great French tenors of a bygone era: Clément, Franz, Dalmorès, Beyle, Vaguet, Scaremberg, D' Arkor, Thill...

Just like the damned record companies to give us a mere CD of Rolando Villazón's lovely art, whilst recording the above "Italian" second-rater in every complete French rôle under the sun!

Villazón's voice itself is more like a Spanish tenor's in timbre, none too pellucid, but a manly, resonant instrument of middle weight, which he never forces.

I don't know who Evelino Pido is, or how he got through school with that name, but he is a damned sight better than the much-touted Pappano (as in EMI's horrible latest Manon.) There are no metronomic run-throughs [RUIN-throughs!] on this disk.

If you adore Gounod and Massenet as I do, this CD will be very good news indeed to you.

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