Waltz of the Willow

Waltz of the Willow

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Johnny Bellar has to be one of the finest resophonic guitarists the world has ever known. Many of these tunes are melodies he's carried around in his head while serving on the road with the Stonemans, Wilma Lee Cooper and many others. Produced by Tabby Crabb and Johnny Bellar.

Tracks:

The Crush Collision March
Combination March
Harmony Club Waltz
Original Rags
Maple Leaf Rag
Swipesy Cakewalk
Reacherine Rag
Sunflower Slow Drag
The Augustan Club Waltz
The Easy Winners
Cleopha
A Breeze From Alabama
Elite Syncopations

Tracks:

The Entertainer
The Strenouous Life
March Majestic
Something Doing
Weaping Willow
Patr Leaf Rag
The Favorite
The Sycamore
The Cascades
The Chysanthemum
Bethena
Bink's Waltz
The Rosebud March

Tracks:

Leola
Eugenia
Antoinette
The Ragtime Dance
Searchlight Rag
Gladiolus Rag
Lily Queen
Rose Leaf Rag
Heliotrope Bouquet
The Nonpareil
Fig Leaf Rag
Sugarcane
Pineapple Rag

Tracks:

Wall Street Rag (1909)
Solace (1909)
Pleasant Moments (1909)
Country Club (1909)
Euphonic Moments (1909)
Paragon Rag (1909)
Stop-Time Rag (1910)
Felicity Rag (1911)
Scott Joplin's New Rag (1912)
Kismet Rag (1913)
Magnetic Rag (1914)
Reflection Rag (1917)
Silver Swan Rag (1917)

Customer Reviews:

Great collection of Scott Joplin's piano rags.......2007-08-02

John Arpin delivers excellent performances of Joplin's rags. Not too much interpretation and not a flat presentation exhibited by piano rolls. Perfect for me. I believe Arpin has truly captured Joplin's essence.

The Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin.......2007-06-08

John Arpin does a great job with these pieces. The songs carry a consistent sound and are played very close to as-written, which comes and goes with old ragtime pieces. The stamping on Stop-Time Rag doesn't have a consistent sound to it, can be a little distracting. Everything else is great, overall I think that it's a great buy, I'm very happy with it.

Another Performer Rewrites Joplin's Masterpieces.......2007-05-31

Once again, another performer feels the need to rewrite the music of the King of Ragtime. Scott Joplin spins in his grave each and every time this recording is played.

Again, to those who believe that concert music is meant to be rewritten by each and every performer I ask, is the same treatment also acceptable for Chopin's and Rachmaninoff's music? Would "Moonlight Sonata" sound better if played at twice the tempo and with a reprise of the first Adagio movement thrown in at the end? Obviously, the answer to these questions is a resounding NO!, so why does one of America's greatest composers get such disrespect?

Interpretation is an integral part of every performance. Adding one's own notes, phrases and chords where none should be is not. Randomly changing the structure of the piece is not. Playing a piece at twice the indicated tempo is not.

One the plus side, the depth of this collection is outstanding. Joplin's lesser known pieces like "Harmony Club Waltz" really shine. The recording is decent in quality, although a bit bassy in places.

While its been stated before, I feel its worth repeating: Buy Joshua Rifkin's performances of Joplin in order to hear how the Master intended his pieces to sound.

complete piano music of Scott Joplin on 4 CD's.......2007-02-14

Although all of the music is terrific it is rather a lot of a similar sound. I think I would have preferred 2 CD's of selected piano works of Scott Joplin. But I did get the music at a good price.

Ragtime Marvel.......2005-10-09

This collection of Scott Joplin's piano music is outstanding. As a lover of ragtime which was a prelude to jazz, I am thoroughly enjoying this collection. If you are not a lover of jazz, you may be a lover of ragtime. Jazz can sometimes be grating on the nerves, whereas ragtime lifts the spirit.

Average customer rating:

Available at retailers for about $18
A classic compilation
A dis-service to Joplin
Unique
Great set

Scott Joplin: His Complete Works

Manufacturer: Bescol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Ragtime | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin: Piano Rags
Entertainer: Classic Ragtime from Rare Piano Rolls
Joplin: Treemonisha
Joplin: Piano Rags

ASIN: B000001RR2
Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

Please Say You Will - Richard Zimmerman
A Picture Of Her Face - Richard Zimmerman
The Great Crush Collision March - Richard Zimmerman
Harmony Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
Combination March - Richard Zimmerman
Original Rags - Richard Zimmerman
Maple Leaf Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Swipesy - Cake Walk - Richard Zimmerman
Sunflower Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
Peacherine Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Augustan Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
The Easy Winners - Richard Zimmerman
Cleopha - Richard Zimmerman
The Strenuous Life - Richard Zimmerman
I Am Thinking Of My Pickanniny Days - Richard Zimmerman
The Ragtime Dance - Richard Zimmerman
A Breeze From Alabama - Richard Zimmerman
Elite Syncopations - Richard Zimmerman

Tracks:

March Majestic - S. Joplin
The Entertainer - S. Joplin
Something Doing - S. Joplin
Weeping Willow - S. Joplin
Little Black Baby - S. Joplin
Palm Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
The Favorite - S. Joplin
The Sycamore - S. Joplin
The Cascades - S. Joplin
The Chrysanthemum - S. Joplin
Rosebud March - S. Joplin
Bethena - S. Joplin
Leola - S. Joplin
Sarah Dear - S. Joplin
Binks Waltz - S. Joplin
Eugenia - S. Joplin
Antoinette - S. Joplin
Snoring Sampson - S. Joplin

Tracks:

Gladiolus Rag - S. Joplin
Searchlight Rag - S. Joplin
The Nonpareil (None to Equal) - S. Joplin
When Your Hair Is Like The Snow - S. Joplin
Rose Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
Heliotrope Bouquet - S. Joplin
School Of Ragtime - S. Joplin
Fig Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
Sugar Cane - S. Joplin
Pine Apple Rag - S. Joplin
Wall Street Rag - S. Joplin
Solace - S. Joplin
Pleasant Moments - S. Joplin
Country Club - S. Joplin
Paragon Rag - S. Joplin
Euphonic Sounds - S. Joplin
Stoptime Rag - S. Joplin
Felicity Rag - S. Joplin

Tracks:

Highlights From Treemonisha - Richard Zimmerman
A Real Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
Prelude To Act 3 - Richard Zimmerman
Frolic Of The Bears - Richard Zimmerman
Lovin' Babe - Richard Zimmerman
Scott Joplin's New Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Kismet Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Magnetic Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Reflection Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Silver Swan Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Lily Queen - Richard Zimmerman
Sensation - Richard Zimmerman

Customer Reviews:

Available at retailers for about $18.......2006-12-21

Excellent collection - but there are re-sellers listed here that are selling this for as much $50 or $60. Yikes, most major retailers are selling this complete set for $18 - so beware.

A classic compilation.......2006-10-07

This collection is one of my most treasured possessions. (My father gave me the original 5-album set in the 70's when it was originally released on vinyl.)

This is the definitive collection of Scott Joplin's work. Richard Zimmerman provides wonderful performances that accurately reflect Joplin's intentions. (As evidence beyond my personal opinion, I submit the recent releases of digital recordings made from Joplin's piano rolls.)

A few points to consider regarding negative comments you may encounter in other reviews:
* This is a digital recording from an analog master. Lack of quality in the recording does not imply a lackluster performance.
* This is a complete collection. Some similarity is due to Joplin re-exploring melodic themes. But some is due to the fact that these are "rags". One might as well complain that all 50's doo-wop (or all 70's disco) sounds the same.
* Many pieces of the period exhibit formal musical structures, such as the marches of John Phillips Sousa. (Both Sousa and Joplin performed at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.) Actually, Joplin is responsible for extending the formal boundaries of ragtime to concert waltzes (Bethena) and opera (A Guest of Honor, Treemonisha)
* This is probably one of the few collections which will include selections from "Treemonisha". It is my understanding that after the initial release, one of Joplin's descendants made a copyright claim that was upheld in court. (I presume the issue was that Joplin had to finance "Treemonisha" himself, and therefore the customary performance clearances did not cover those selections.)

For ragtime students and enthusiasts, this is a "must-have" collection at a very affordable price.

A dis-service to Joplin.......2006-02-01

Sadly, the only virtue this set possesses is completeness.

The pianist does not play Joplin's pieces "as written", the piano is of poor quality, and not properly in tune.

This is emphatically NOT the set to buy. A far better set, beautifully annotated and well played on a good concert grand piano, is the complete works played by Guido Nielsen on the Basta Label.

This set is a dis-service to Joplin and his music. He deserves better, and gets it elsewhere.

Unique .......2004-10-19

I have several cd sets of Joplin's music: Rifkin, Arpo, Nielsen, and Zimmerman. All have their excellent qualities. What sets Zimmerman's set apart is the inclusion of excerpts from Joplin's opera, Treemonisha---especially "A Real Slow Drag." Why the other sets do not include excerpts from Treemonisha, I don't know---because they are some of his most beautiful and joyful pieces of music. Of course, you can hear the orchestrated version of Treemonisha in the Houston Grand Opera recording, and it is spectacular. But Zimmerman's piano version, especially of "A Real Slow Drag," is not to be missed.

Great set.......2001-10-16

I guess this will be a rather one sided review. I have been a fan of Scott Joplin since I first learned to play a piano.

I was shocked to see that one reviewer thought it all sounded the same. How silly. All of Frank Sinatra's music sounds like Frank Sinatra. All of Led Zeppelin sounds like Led Zeppelin. So, if the songs were drastically different, I would question if the same author composed them. As it is, though, each song on this set is fantastic!!

I don't know that I have heard of Richard Zimmerman, and I was a little leary as to what I would be getting, I certainly was impressed. Without a doubt the best renditions of "Weeping Willow" and "Bethena" I have heard, and at least a dozen songs I didn't know Joplin wrote.

Tracks:

From The Shores Of The Mighty Pacific: Rondo Caprice
Sounds From The Hudson: Valse Brillante
Willow Echoes
The Carnival Of Venice: Fantaisie And Variations
At The Beach: Concert Waltz
The Debutante: Caprice Brillante
Slavische Fantasie
The Bride Of The Waves: Polka Brillante
Cousins
Exposition Echoes: Polka
The Maid Of The Mist: Polka
Trombone Family: A) Shoutin' Liza Trombone - One Step (Mose Tombone's Ah-finity) B) Teddy Trombone - A Brother To Miss Trombone (Trombone Solo)
The Cascades: Polka Brilliant

Customer Reviews:

It doesn't get better than this........2001-08-01

I first bought this recording on vinyl back in 1975. Gerard Schwartz has since moved on to a career in conducting, but as this recording shows, he's a true Master of his craft. I'm a trumpet player and I know what a good sound is. This guy's got it!

More than technical perfection, the tunes are delivered with delicacy, grace and power.

starting over.......2001-07-03

This is a very good cd for a trumpet player. Many songs of Herbert L. Clarke and Jean Babtiste Arban are there in their familiar versions. If you get this cd, you ought to get Cornet Favorites also. The solos on both cd's stick to the versions found in Arban's Complete Conservatory Method and Clarke's 24 Charateristic Studies, so you can follow them note for note. Carnaval has wind symphony accompaniment and Cornet Favorites has piano accompaniment.

starting over.......2001-07-03

If you have the Arban Complete Conservatory Method and Herbert Clarke's 24 Characteristic Studies, then you have the versions of the solos that are played on this cd, and can benefit from hearing them played. All songs use piano accompaniment so you will have no trouble hearing the cornet. Carnaval (Winton Marsalis) has some of the same songs, but the cornet is harder to hear because of the wind symphony accompniment.

excellence.......2000-05-30

This is the best verison of Carnival I have heard. Classic Wynton also provides a fantastic interpretation on the most difficult trumpet solo of all time. But Schwarz shows amazing control, fantastic percision, and baffling dexterity. The Debutante and the Bride, etc. are also impressive. Its a shame Schwarz gave up trumpet to conduct. Having played these songs myself, I definitely recommend it to any classical trumpet enthusiast/student

Cornet Favorites.......1999-12-28

I enjoyed the cd because of the literature being performed. However, Schwarz's performance is mediocre and lacks luster. The sound is dull and uninviteing.The tempos were unusal and it felt there was no ensemble with the trumpet and piano performance.
I felt there was not a musical product produced in this recording.

Average customer rating:

Not worth buying!
Don't waste your money
Perfect for "drop the needle" style tests
A CD with Attention Deficit Disorder
This sucks...

Only Opera CD You'll Ever Need

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Most Famous Opera Arias
The Most Famous Opera Duets
The Best of Italian Opera
The #1 Opera Album
The Best Opera Album in the World...Ever!

ASIN: B000003GA0
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

Antony & Cleopatra: 'Give Me My Robe' - Leontyne Price
Fidelio: 'In des Lebens Fruhlingstagen...' - Ben Heppner
Fidelio: Act II Quartet: 'Ach, du bist gerettet...' - Deborah Voigt
Norma: 'Casta Diva' - Rosa Ponselle
Candide: 'Glitter And Be Gay' - Harolyn Blackwell
Candide: 'Make Our Garden Grow' - Jerry Hadley
Carmen: Flower Song - Placido Domingo
Carmen: Habanera - Rise Stevens
Carmen: Toreador Song - Robert Merrill
Les pecheurs de perles: Duet: 'Oui, c'est elle, c'est la deesse...' - Robert Merrill
Mefistofele: 'Ecco il mondo' - Samuel Ramey
La Wally: 'Eben, ne andro lontana' - ONLY OPERA CD YOU'LL EVER NEED
Lakme: Bell Song - Lily Pons
L'Elisir d'Amore: 'Una furtiva lagrima' - Tito Schipa
Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Chi mi frena in tal momento...' - Carlo Bergonzi
Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Spargi d'amaro pianto' - Anna Moffo
Martha: 'M'appari tutto amor' - Jussi Bjoerling
Porgy & Bess: 'Summertime' - Leontyne Price
Porgy & Bess: 'Bess, You Is My Woman' - William Warfield
Andrea Chenier: 'Come un bel di di maggio' - Ben Heppner
Romeo et Juliette: Juliette's Waltz; 'Je veux vivre' - Ruth Ann Swenson
Salammbo: Aria - Kiri Te Kanawa
Hansel & Gretel: 'Suuse, liebe Susse - Helen Donath
I Pagliacci: 'Vesti la giubba' - Enrico Caruso
Cavalleria Rusticana: 'Viva il vino' - Jussi Bjoerling
Cherubin: 'Lorsque vous n'aurez rien' - Dawn Upshaw
Manon: 'Ah! Fuyez, douce image' - Richard Crooks
Cosi fan tutte: 'Come scoglio immoto resta' - Leontyne Price
Don Giovanni: 'La ci darem la mano' - Edith Mathis
Don Giovanni: 'Deh! vieni alla finestra' - Ezio Pinza
Don Giovanni: 'Non mi dir' - Carol Vaness
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Non piu andrai...' - Alan Titus
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Porgi, amor' - Carol Vaness
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Deh vieni, non tardar' - Bidu Sayao
Die Zauberflote: 'Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon' - Fritz Wunderlich
Die Zauberflote: Der Holle Rache - Zdislawa Donat
Die Zauberflote: Papageno - Papageno Duet - Christian Boesch
Boris Godunov: 'I v ljutomgore, nisposlannom Bogom...' - Alexander Kipnis
Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle - Montserrat Caballe
La Gioconda: 'Cielo e mar' - Beniamino Gigli
La Boheme: 'Che gelida manina' - Giuseppe Di Stefano
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La Boheme: 'Fremon gia nell'anima' - Luciano Pavarotti
La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song - Judith Blegen
Gianni Schicchi: 'O mio babbino caro' - Angela Gheorghiu
Madama Butterfly: 'Ah, ti serro palpitante' - Placido Domingo
Madama Butterfly: 'Un bel di' - Leontyne Price
Manon Lescaut: 'Donna non vidi mai' - Jussi Bjoerling
La rondine: 'Chi il bel sogno di Doretta - Anna Moffo
TOSCA: 'Recondita armonia' - Placido Domingo
TOSCA: 'Vissi d'arte' - Irina Oudalova
TOSCA: 'E avanti a lui...' - Zinka Milanov
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Turandot: 'In questa reggia' - Birgit Nilsson
Turandot: 'Nessun dorma' - Jussi Bjoerling
Dido & Aeneas: 'When I Am Laid In Earth' - Leontyne Price
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Largo al factotum' - Robert Merrill
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Una voce poco fa' - Roberta Peters
Samson et Dalila: 'Mon coeur s'ouvre' - Christa Ludwig
The Bartered Bride: 'Wenn ich das einmal erfahre' - Teresa Stratas
Elektra: 'Agamemnon' - Inge Borkh
Der Rosenkavalier: 'Ist ein Traum' - Erna Berger
Salome: 'Nicht in der Welt...' - Inge Borkh
Eugene Onegin: Lenski's Aria - Placido Domingo
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Aida: 'Celeste Aida' - Jussi Bjoerling
Aida: 'Ritorna vincitor!' - Leontyne Price
Aida: 'Gloria all'Egitto' - John Alldis Choir
Aida: 'O patria mia' - Leontyne Price
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'O docezze perdute! O memorie...' - Robert Merrill
Don Carlo: 'Dio, che nell'anima infondere' - Placido Domingo
Ernani: 'Emani, involami' - Leontyne Price
La forza del destino: 'Or muoio tranquillo...' - Robert Merrill
La forza del destino: 'Pace, pace mio dio' - Zinka Milanov
Nabucco: 'Va, pensiero' - Oleg Reshetkin
Otello: 'Credo' - Tito Gobbi
Otello: Willow Song - Leonie Rysanek
Otello: 'Niun mi tema' - Jon Vickers
Rigoletto: 'Qesta o quella' - Alfredo Kraus
Rigoletto: 'Caro nome' - Anna Moffo
Rigoletto: 'La donna e mobile' - Jan Peerce
Rigoletto: 'Bella figlia dell'amore' - Alfredo Kraus
La Traviata: Brindisi - Montserrat Caballe
La Traviata: 'Di provenza' - Sherrill Milnes
La Traviata: 'Sempre libera' - Eleanor Steber
La Traviata: 'Addio del passato' - Anna Moffo
Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus - Moscow Classical Chorus & Ensemble
Il Trovatore: 'Di quella pira' - Placido Domingo
Il Trovatore: 'Tacea la notte placido - Leontyne Price
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlicht leuchtend' - Set Svanholm
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries - Staatskapelle Dresden
Die Walkure: Wotan's Farewell - Lawrence Tibbett
Siegfried: Song Of The Forest Bird - Norma Sharp
Gotterdammerung: 'Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort' - Kirsten Flagstad
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus - Robert Shaw Chorale
Lohengrin: 'In fernem Land' - Lauritz Melchior
Tannhauser: 'Dich teure Halle' - Waltraud Meler

Customer Reviews:

Not worth buying!.......2007-05-29

I found this recording basically worthless. It contains only very short excerpts of the song. Not enough to get into and enjoy!

Don't waste your money.......2007-01-18

This is the worst purchase I have ever made. It is a truly dreadful piece of work.I was so disgusted with it that I threw it into the trash can.

Perfect for "drop the needle" style tests.......2006-11-19

If you want to hear full recordings of arias, then this disc is not for you. It plays only tidbits of 99 arias. Contrary to the title, this is definitely not the only opera disc you'll ever need. You shouldn't take it seriously. This disc has next to no value for an opera neophyte. But for opera fanatics, there has never been a better test of your knowledge of operatic repertoire and singers. It's a great challenge for opera buffs. Sit down with your opera loving friends for an hour, play this disc, and try to be the first to identify the singer, composer, opera, and piece. If you're a music professor, this disc would make for an awesome pop quiz. Find out how well your students really know their opera repertoire.

A CD with Attention Deficit Disorder.......2006-10-02

I don't know anyone who would enjoy this CD. It will drive opera fans nuts with a hundred exerpts that run about 30 seconds each, then fade out without the singers even finishing a single verse. It's more like an index of arias, or a volume of teasers that hucksters might use to sell opera CDs.

I never realized how much Bernstein's "Glitter and be gay" sounded like Delibes' "Bell Song" until I heard 35 seconds of one, followed 23 seconds of the other.

Maybe the TV show 'Jeopardy' could use this CD. 'What is "Hush little baby don't you..."??'

What a waste of beautiful voices and great music. 38 seconds of Enrico Caruso, followed by 31 seconds of Jussi Bjoerling, followed by 38 seconds of Dawn Upshaw.

My copy is going to go sailing into the wastebasket as soon as I finish this review.

This sucks..........2006-03-31

I should only blame myself for not checking out more reviews... this is a CD filled with short, little snippets of great operas songs... and I mean SHORT, LITTLE snippets of 30 seconds or so, each. Don't buy this CD... it is a complete rip off... and that is saying ALOT since it is only $4.00... Again, my fault for not reading the reviews but I trusted that something called a "Music CD" would actually have complete songs... What else does this company offer? A "Music CD" that only has the intros or applause tracks to great songs...?

Move on to something else... Amazon has a great selection... just not this one.

Entertainer: Classic Ragtime from Rare Piano Rolls

Average customer rating:

Best interpretation...is NO interpretation

Entertainer: Classic Ragtime from Rare Piano Rolls

Manufacturer: Shout Factory
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Scott Joplin: Piano Rags

ASIN: B00009PJSH
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Tracks:

Maple Leaf Rag
Something Doing
Weeping Willow Rag
The Entertainer
The Easy Winners
Pine Apple Rag
Solace
Gladiolus Rag
The Ragtime Dance
Sugar Cane
The Crush Collision March
Bethena - A Concert Waltz
Combination March
A Breeze From Alabama

Customer Reviews:

Best interpretation...is NO interpretation.......2007-02-24

This is as PLAIN a Ragtime CD as I've ever heard. No frills, no added notes, no interpretation going on here. Not everyone would like this style-without-a-style, but for me it's the best. I like to listen to these recordings with the sheet music in front of me, to see whether I can catch every note. (OK, so I do the same thing with Palestrina...I'm too left-brained to appreciate music the way musical people do.)
If you enjoy the solace of great ragtime, get a Joshua Rifkin or Dick Hyman CD. But if you crave the essence of Joplin's genius in the straightest, blandest form possible, this is the CD for you.
Also, don't dismiss the possibility of listening to a track on this CD, then on the Rifkin CD to develop a keener appreciation of Rifkin's unparalleled Joplin style. "Bethena" is a good one for this, as Rifkin brings so much PASSION to his interpretation. Well, a mechanical piano roll is not going to do that....

Average customer rating:

Classical, not Ragtime
Excellent
Absolutely Brilliant!
Stellar
Sounds great

Scott Joplin on Guitar
Giovanni De Chiaro
Manufacturer: Centaur
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mel Bay Presents Complete Works of Scott Joplin: 52 Piano Rags, Waltzes & Marches Transcribed for Guitar Solo

ASIN: B0000057W1
Release Date: 1993-09-01

Tracks:

The Entertainer
The Heliotroppe Bouquet
Eugenia
A Concert Waltz
The Pine Apple Rag
The Weeping Willow
The Sunflower Slow Drag
A Mexican Serenade
Elite Syncopations
The Chrysanthemum
The Maple Leaf Rag

Customer Reviews:

Classical, not Ragtime.......2004-10-17

De Chiaro's obviously a classically-trained guitarist, as the renditions here are very crisp and precise without a hint of soul. Classical musicians rarely succeed when trying to play jazz or folk; you can't notate the "feel" so they tend to not have any. De Chiaro is technically flawless here, but in so doing he makes Joplin's music curiously dry and academic.

The beauty of Joplin's music is the gentle alternation between blues and Chopinesque virtuosity. In De Chiaro's hands these rags sound like Bagatelles unfortunately removed from their wistful origins. It's pleasant enough, in a Segovia-like way but not what I was hoping for. Dave Laibman and Stefan Grossman have both done better -- though not nearly enough.

Excellent.......2001-01-06

I was fortunate enough to hear Giovanni de Chiaro in person when he came to French Camp, MS, two or three years ago. He is superb - I'd say almost, if not as good as, Christopher Parkening. His fingering is lightning-fast, and he captures the proper Joplin Scott spirit. A must-have for any music fan.

Absolutely Brilliant!.......2000-12-06

Who would have thought anyone could arrange Joplin for guitar? It sounds as if Joplin wrote for the guitar, Giovanni de Chiaro has done a fantastic job in his arrangements on this CD! I have heard he did all of Joplin's works and that this will soon appear on CD, so I am waiting for that.

Check this one out in the meantime.

-JZ

Stellar.......2000-06-07

This CD, as well as all of De Chiaro's works, transport one, musically & emotionally.Where words leave off, his music begins.His transcriptions of Joplin's works are available. The artist can be contacted at The University of Southern Mississipi School of Music, Box 5081, Hattiesburg, Mississipi 39406-5081, PH:601-266-5401,FAX:601-266-6185.

Sounds great.......2000-05-07

He briefly describes that Joplin took inspiration from Sousa marches and local mandolin choirs. This guy really starts hot-rodding it on some of these songs. He can play fast and when you combine that with Scott Joplin's songs you get a real lift with a relaxing feeling. Never mind that it was a breakthrough to play a band's worth of parts on the piano, this guy puts it on the guitar! I hope someone will transcribe it to a book so the rest of us can be thouroghly humbled.

Joan Sutherland ~ The Art of the Prima Donna

Average customer rating:

Like a walk in the clouds!
It reach the highest status, just how high? you be the judge
Sutherland's greatest achievment, need I say more
Since int's inception in 1960, this is the standard
Dazzling display of coloratura singing by La Stupenda

Joan Sutherland ~ The Art of the Prima Donna

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Sutherland, Joan | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000042EK
Release Date: 1997-07-15

Tracks:

Artaxerxes: The Soldier Tir'd
Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
Norma: Sediziose voce ... Casta diva...Ah! bello a me ritorna
I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa
Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce sua soave... Vien, diletto
La Sonnambula: Care compagne... Come perme sereno... Sovra il sen
Faust: O Dieu! que de bijoux... Ah! je res

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Je veux vivre
Otello: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella... Piangia cantanco
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Martern aller Arten
La Traviata: E'strano... Ah fors'e lui... Sempre libera
Hamlet: A vos jeux, mes amis
Lakme: Ah! Ou va la jeune Indoue
Les Huguenots: O beau pays de la Touraine!
Rigoletto: Gualtier Malde... Caro nome

Amazon.com

One customer calls this CD "simply the greatest recording of a coloratura soprano's art ever"--a kind of superlative and a level of enthusiasm that critics try to avoid. But looking through a century of recorded sound, not a single recording is a clearly better coloratura example. Joan Sutherland's voice is young, fresh, agile, superbly controlled, and rich in tone. To ask for more expressive power would be missing the point; that is not what this music is about. It is perfectly chosen to display the best qualities of Sutherland's voice at its peak. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Like a walk in the clouds!.......2004-07-13

What can one say about one of the greatest soprano recitals ever. Despite all her later achievements, this early recital is Sutherland's most significant contribution to operatic discography.

This recital is full of her huge but always sweet high notes. This is after all, what made them so special. When I listen to these high notes it's as if a bird is taking me on a trip to the sky. Her coloratura abilities are jaw dropping to say the least. You have no idea what a trill or staccato means if you haven't heard Joan singing! Everything here is stunning but my favourites are her Bell Song, Care compagne and The soldier Tir'd.

I've never been Sutherland's greatest fan due to her mushy enunciation, which fortunately is restricted to the minimum here but this early recital never stays far from my cd player! Indeed the art of a primadonna, Sutherland's art!

It reach the highest status, just how high? you be the judge.......2003-07-30

The recital by one Australian diva recorded in 1960 by a young and unknown soprano that has taken the world by storm. She not only became the most celebrated coloratura soprano the world had ever known, she became the most loved.
16 arias...the test of every coloratura skills known to mankind. Does she past, or fall short? You be the judge. I say she sings the most incredible recital ever recorded in the history of the grammophone. A gigantic claim. A claim that is substantuated by her singing.

Sutherland's greatest achievment, need I say more.......2003-07-30

Sutherland's first and finest moments in her reign as one of opera's most beloved sopranos. I need not say more. Her name and reputation speaks for itself. She is La Stupenda.

Since int's inception in 1960, this is the standard.......2003-07-28

The best selling recital by a coloratura soprano ever released. That includes Callas. Now it's time to upgrade to this remaster of the most astonishing singing on record.
The old cd "Art of the Prima Donna" is of course, the last world for stupendous singing. But this is a remaster version of it. The flaws with the non remaster cd in nothing comparing to the sonic of this gem.
You will hear Sutherland as never heard before. IN full voice, an her dynamic range is finally capture on CD. Before when the soprano hits a D or E, the sound is not capture properly by Decca's engineer, her high notes are just too big and vibrant.. Here, you get to hear the real Sutherland, the engineers at decca allows you to hear La Stupenda as she really it. You hear the full Sutherland range, form low G to the F above high C. I have to recommend this. It is the last world in bel canto.

Dazzling display of coloratura singing by La Stupenda.......2003-07-27

I adore this recital done by La Stupenda in 1960. It is a true feat of Bravura for Dame Joan Sutherland, and I am thrilled to death to have it on cd. I already have this on cassette
and lp, but this is my first Cd with Sutherland because I'm a starving artist. But it is superb, far more
luminous than the lp or the cassette. The sound is so life-like! Finally, a medium that allows the
Sutherland voice to be heard as it should be. Every aria is a tour de force of the highest caliber.

The most remarkable thing is the huge top. It is both enormous and has a brilliant vibrato. Funny
thing that as Sutherland ages, the high notes got smaller and smaller. But not here, this is Sutherland
at her best. I think if Birgit Nilsson had an E flat, that's what it would sound like, Wagnerian in size.
Almost every aria has an high E flat or E. Besides the high notes is the most true to form of a trill that
exist. An actual trill, not a tremolo like other divas.

I believe that when Donizetti and Bellini wrote for Pasta, Grisi, and Malibran, this is the kind of
soprano he had in mind when he wrote these near impossible arias. A true diva from the golden age.
Of course, the difference between these divas of the past and Sutherland is the enormous size of
Sutherland's instrument. Plus the fact that all those divas of Bellini's time transpose these arias down
one full step or more.

Sutherland doesn't do that. Even though she has a right to do so because the tones today are now
almost a full tone higher than they were in the 17th century, so a high C then is only a B flat today.
So an E flat today is much higher than an E flat in Donizetti's time. So all of Sutherland's E flats are
actually high Fs! Imagine that.

If there is a single cd I can have on a desert island, this would be it. This is, without a doubt, the
most taxing program that any prima donna has attempted in a single recital, every arias is a tour de
force, stretching the limits of the human voice in all but Sutherland. In fact, this seems easy for her -
it's effortless. I challedge anyone to find a coloratura today, or anyday, who can match up to La
Stupenda.

Tracks:

Tea For Two
St. Louis Blues
Tiger Rag
Aunt Hagar's Blues
Humoresque
Sweet Lorraine
Get Happy
The Jitterbug Waltz
Tatum Pole Boogie
Cherokee
Lover, Come Back To Me!
Elegy
Hallelujah
Willow Weep For Me
Emaline
Yesterdays
I Know That You Know

Album Description

Art Tatum, arguably the greatest pianist in the history of jazz, combined Harlem stride, ingenious pianistic extensions, humor, harmony that stretched its language to the limits and the subtlest of improvisational techniques. The Afro-American pianist Art Tatum was nearly blind from childhood. He made an early reputation for himself as a solo player and in his recordings, as well as with various bands. His achievement lay in his development of the New York Harlem Stride school of jazz-playing, under the influence of Fats Waller. This collection presents improvised and embellished (jazz-style) versions of classic tunes in the style that Art Tatum made famous. Credited by the New York Times with "piano playing at its most awesome," Steven Mayer has brought jazz greats Art Tatum, Jelly Roll Morton and James P. Johnson to listeners world wide, together with acclaimed interpretations of Ives, Liszt and Mozart.

Customer Reviews:

Improvisations.......2007-05-12

Exceptionally fine selections and performances of this genre of Americana.
However there is a similarity, one piece to the next, that detracts slightly. Happy to have it in my collections.

A very good reproduction!.......2005-09-11

Steven Mayer did in my view a very good job in reproducing the sound of Tatum. The tracks are all very interesting to hear for a Tatum admirer. Mayer plays most of the songs a little bit slower than Tatum did. No problem at all. The decreased speed allows one to hear even better how good Tatum was, and how well-formed his improvisations were. Essential in imitating Tatum is the ability to play tenths with your left hand, which most pianist can not. Mayer plays tenths and tenth-based big chords effortless. Most of the tracks seem to have been played from the transcriptions in "The Art Tatum Collection" (publisher Hal Leonard, available here with Amazon.com). Mayer has proven that you don't have to be Tatum to play like Tatum. Who's next?

An Homage That Strides, Boogies and Swings!.......2004-10-20

There is certainly no desperate need for recordings of new non-Tatum performances of Art Tatum's fantastic jazz improvisations since most of his recordings from the 1930s through the 1950s exist in multiple CD reincarnations. But as an act of homage (and intense work on his part, I must say) pianist Steven Mayer has recorded seventeen of Tatum's improvisations note-for-note, transcribed by ear from Tatum's recordings and played with real panache here. His renditions are not precisely identical to Tatum's and therein lies part of their value. Although all the notes that Tatum laid down are there, there are little variations in accentuation, rhythmic and dynamic, as well as slight tempo alterations, that make these performances worth having because of one's ability to hear these improvisations anew. Add to that Mayer's impressive virtuosity and the excellent modern sound caught in these recordings (not to mention Naxos's budget price) and you have reason enough, I feel, to invest in them if you are, as I, a big fan of Tatum's incredible artistry.

I imagine that some people buying this CD will not have a collection of Tatum's own originals. And are they ever in for a delightful time of it! Tatum's stride basses, right hand tracery at supersonic speed, increasingly complex harmonies, unfailing sweetness and humor are in full evidence here. He always acknowledged his debt to Fats Waller and, like Waller, there is a joie de vivre in his music that simply can't be denied. Mayer catches that tone admirably.

I can't comment on all the tracks here, but some do invite a word or three. Since I come from the classical music side of things, I must point out the droll and yet lovely interpretation of Dvorák's 'Humoresque,' which starts out fairly 'straight' (albeit with flippant alterations of rhythm that make one chuckle) and then all heck breaks loose in the second chorus. I have to imagine Dvorák, with his experience of the exuberance of American music, would be smiling. And then there is Tatum's treatment of Massenet's sappy 'Élegie,' which Tatum starts at its lugubrious original tempo, but is barely into the second phrase before it's as if he says 'enough of this' and speeds things up, layers in absolutely miraculous right-hand filigree leading to breakneck stride (with those amazing walking tenths in the left hand) and makes something entirely original and invigorating of it.

Among the real classics here is Tatum's 1940 'Sweet Lorraine,' which is so sophisticated in its subtle alterations in the tune at each reappearance that 'a first time listener who comes in the room in the midst of the solo almost cannot be sure that he is not hearing the actual tune,' as Mayer says in his enlightening booklet notes. This is another of Tatum's delicately sweet improvisations that somehow manages to swing at the same time as it caresses us with its gentle sentiment. Finally, simply because I worry about becoming too enthusiastically long-winded here, I'll end by singling out 'Lover, Come Back to Me,' which is so harmonically rich and subtle that I can't but think that Tatum's illustrious successors such as Bill Evans, George Shearing and Denny Zeitlin (and probably countless others) must have memorized the changes to use in the development of their own styles. It is stunning evidence of Tatum's continuing evolution as an artist over the years until his tragic and untimely death from uremia at 47 in 1956.

Steven Mayer, a classical virtuoso of the first stripe--if you don't believe me, you should listen to his recently released recording of Ives's 'Concord Sonata'--has made something of a career of mixing High Art of the European variety with the High Art of American jazz pianist/composers like Tatum, James P. Johnson and Jelly Roll Morton. One hopes there will be many more CDs like this one. My goodness, there's still a lot of Tatum to record, Mr Mayer! And wouldn't I love to hear your take on Meade Lux Lewis and Earl 'Fatha' Hines and Erroll Garner and even that Russian slyboots Nikolai Kapustin!

Strongly recommended.

TT=62:00

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Joplin-recorded tracks are excellent
indispensable old time music - one of the roots of jazz

Entertainer: Classic Ragtime from Rare Piano Rolls

Manufacturer: Biograph
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Ragtime | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Scott Joplin, Elite Syncopations, Classic Ragtime From Rare Piano Rolls

ASIN: B000003HLB
Release Date: 1993-11-19

Tracks:

Maple Leaf Rag
Something Doing
Weeping Willow Rag
The Entertainer
The Easy Winners
Pine Apple Rag
Solace
Gladiolus Rag
The Ragtime Dance
Sugar Cane
The Crush Collision March
Bethena - A Concert Waltz
Combination March
A Breeze From Alabama

Customer Reviews:

Joplin-recorded tracks are excellent.......2007-06-02

The first three tracks of this CD are audio recordings from piano rolls cut by Scott Joplin himself in April and May of 1916. They are excellent and give any pianist great insight as to how Joplin meant the pieces to be played, both in terms of tempo and phrasing. Joplin also includes embellishments that are not reflected in the printed sheet music. These recordings are thus great resources for advanced pianists ready for bigger challenges.

The remaining tracks are unfortunately rather mechanical and lifeless -- at least when contrasted to those played by Joplin himself. For this reason, I rate the CD at only four stars. Nonetheless, I strongly recommend the CD to anyone who is serious about playing Scott Joplin's pieces or simply loves his music.

indispensable old time music - one of the roots of jazz.......2001-09-16

Like on the other Biograph CD of Joplin's work,"Elite syncopations",we are sure that Scott Joplin (1868-1917) plays on the first three rolls.The others were produced in the sixties by a collector,Mr Hal Boulware.Once again,Joplin's talent for writing explodes in each tune; of course, there are well known themes,"maple leaf rag" and "the entertainer";but to me, these tunes,although everyone knows them since "the sting" was filmed,are not Joplin's best efforts.Listen to the beautiful melodies of "weeping willow rag","the easy winners",or "Bethena".Part of "the ragtime dance" has been included in Scott Joplin's greatest and desperate effort,an opera called "Treemonisha",which doesn't seem to be reissued on CD.This is great old time music,with a particular flavor of melancholy and timeless feeling.And even if it seems far from jazz,it's one of jazz's roots,and before that, a great moment in the history of music.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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