Folk: The Life, Times & Music Series

Folk: The Life, Times & Music Series

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
14 classic tracks by America's foremost folk music pioneers. Includes Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, The Carter Family, Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, The Weavers, Odetta, The Kingston Trio, Tom Paxton, Peter LaFarge, Phil Ochs, The Freedom Singers, and The Byrds.

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

The Impossible Dream (from Man of La Mancha)
Night and Day
(My Grandfather's) Immigrant Eyes
Isle of Hope Isle of Tears
He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother
What's Another Year
When I Look At You
My Irish Molly '0
Musica Prohibita
No One Is Alone
You Raise Me Up
Danny Boy
Both Sides Now
Smile
Life, Love & Happiness/I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Angel

Amazon.com

The term Irish tenor may be fraught with as many wrong-headed, anachronistic characterizations as any phrase in music. But Ronan Tynan not only returns here to the PBS airwaves that helped spread his fame as a member of the Irish Tenors trio, but he overturns a few clichés while delivering a live concert (recorded at the Royal Dublin Society in June 2002) that encompasses everything from Broadway and pop chestnuts to Italian operatic repertoire. Tynan rewards Irish traditions old and new (a medley of Brian Kennedy's and U2's "Life, Love & Happiness"/"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For") and even makes left turns into folkie songstress territory (Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," Sarah McLachlan's "Angel"). Backed by RTE Orchestra, the unlikely international star invests himself completely in all of it, his strong, crystalline voice playing off the traditions, while forging strong new bonds with the contemporary. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Simply Wonderful.......2005-08-29

This CD is just as great as the more recent "Ronan" CD. I clicked on 3 stars in error. This is a 5++ star album! His voice is sheer perfection, and the songs are wonderful. I also highly recommend the DVD of "The Impossible Dream," even though I didn't care at all for the London Community Choir who sing four songs. Note: The American version of the DVD doesn't have the 25-minute "Dr. Courageous" extra on it that the Irish version does. I saw him in concert last month, and besides having a voice that soars to the rafters, he is warm, funny and endearing.

Music like this could make me a convert.......2005-08-17

I've always been a rock and roll fan since back in the 60's. Listening to this cd could easily convert me into a classical music fan as well. Wow what a voice.

Powerful!.......2003-01-22

Having seen Ronan in person recently in the U.S., I was impressed first and foremost by his singing ability, and second by his stage presence and warmth. He is a special performer and human being. I am proud to be a Ronan Tynan fan.

Tenor terrific.......2003-01-18

I am not a fan of this kind of music, but I bought this after hearing a few sound snippets at amazon and WoW! what a find. Excellent song selection, powerful singing, fine music quality for a live recording. Expand your horizons and enjoy. (get this wayno)

oh molly oh.......2002-12-15

ronan tynan is a great role model for adults and children alike. he was born with a deformity and made a decision he would make something of himself, he had a goal and he surpassed it. no one puts as much of their heart into as he. he puts the audience into his songs, he makes us feel he is singing to each one of us individually. HE IS THE GREATEST IRISH TENOR I HAVE EVER HEARD, INCLUDING JOHN MC CORMAC the great irish tenor of the 30's

Average customer rating:

Guys really like it
Davinci's Notebook Rocks!
I couldn't stop laughing!
Buy it now
Awesome, VERY funny, talented, amazing!

The Life and Times of Mike Fanning
Da Vinci's Notebook
Manufacturer: Davinci's Notebook Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

A Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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Brontosaurus
Bendy's Law
Opening Band
News to Us
Gift Wrapped: Best of

ASIN: B000046PX2
Release Date: 2000-01-18

Tracks:

Ally McBeal
Seaside Lament (Sand)
Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Title of the Song
Road Rage
Saggy Diaper Blues
Three Little Words
Secret Asian Man
Baby Please
Jump in the Line
Kingdom in the Sky
Dreidel Song

Customer Reviews:

Guys really like it.......2007-01-03

Bought this for my husband. He really likes the "Kingdom in the Sky" song. He also gets a giggle from the "Thress Little Words" song.

Davinci's Notebook Rocks!.......2004-01-21

I'm a DVN fan... they're great! The Life and Times has a few songs that I'm really in love with... mostly, "Kingdom in the Sky" (I'm a Mickey Mouse fan). I've seen the group several times in person, and of their 3 current albums (Bendy's Law, Life and Times of Mike Fanning, Brontosaurus), I'm hard pressed to choose between Life and Times and Brontosaurus for my favorite. Anyway... if you want something extremely funny to listen to, that you can play over and over again without getting bored with it, you definitely want to invest in Davinci's Notebook.

Word of warning, though... a few of their songs have 'explicit' lyrics, so if you're easily offended or have small children, you might want to skip over those (you'll be able to tell by the name of the songs).

On their website (http://www.davincisnotebook.com) they do have some 'tidbits' of some of their songs... so if you want to see what they're all about, you should definitely stop by their site.

I couldn't stop laughing!.......2002-09-10

The music was great to listen to that you almost forget that it's supposed to be a comedy album! Everyone can identify with at least one song on this CD - it was great!

Buy it now.......2002-08-29

Do you still sing, "On Top of Spaghetti?" Do you love parody, doo-whop, and close harmony? If so, buy this CD. It's the best you will do without seeing them live--and seeing them live is highly entertaining!

Note: I am not paid by DVN, though Bernie's wife makes excellent chocolate chip cookies and I'm hoping someday to get another!

Awesome, VERY funny, talented, amazing!.......2002-03-23

I was lucky enough to twice see this group perform when I lived in Washington, DC. They are beautiful acapella singers and hysterically funny. Every single song on this CD is amazing. "Kingdom in the Sky" is a hysterical Disney World interpretation of the gospel. "Secret Asian Man" will have you rolling on the floor. The "Saggy Diaper Blues" is a hysterical blues style song from the infant generation. "Title of the Song" is a great mockery of every boy band song ever written. The whole CD will have you laughing, grooving, and relaxing.
If you live on the East Coast make sure you check out their website to see when you can see them live. Their live shows are wonderful.
Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Chuck Hits A Home Run

The Baseball Ballads
Chuck Brodsky
Manufacturer: Chuckbrodsky.Com
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Radio
Diamond Cuts: Seventh Inning Stretch

ASIN: B00006BSV1
Release Date: 2002-05-20

Tracks:

Ballad of Eddie Klepp
Gone to Heaven
Lefty
Dock Ellis' No-No
Letters in the Dirt
Bonehead Merkle
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Moe Berg: The Song
The Unnatural Shooting of Eddie Waitkus
Whitey & Harry

Album Description

Nine highly acclaimed original baseball story-songs. Among the characters covered on this cd are Eddie Klepp (first white man to play in the Negro Leagues), Moe Berg (a catcher who also was a US spy just before WWII), Max Patkin (Clown Prince of Baseball), Dock Ellis (who pitched a no hitter under the influence of LSD), Richie Allen (booed by racist Philadelphia fans, he'd write "b-o-o" in the dirt in response), Fred Bonehead Merkle (whose baserunning error cost the NY Giants the pennant in 1908), and Eddie Waitkus (shot by a female stalker, his story was the basis for the movie "The Natural").

Customer Reviews:

Chuck Hits A Home Run.......2005-03-02

I had the pleasure of seeing Chuck perform some of these songs one fine sunny afternoon before a Tourists' game at McCormick field. The music on the CD will make you feel as though your sitting in the bleachers at Wrigley Field in 1967 and the wind is blowing out, and Richie Allen is coming to the plate for the Phillies and you just know that the Cubs are going to lose again, but, hey, the beer is cold and it's not February. It's not all sunshine and apple pie, however, as Chuck covers some of baseballs darker and infamous stories most notably "Letters In The Dirt". Chuck writes with a light and clever touch. You can't help but doff your cap to him.

Average customer rating:

More Lovin' than John

Life and Times 1964-1999
John Sebastian
Manufacturer: Raven [Australia]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
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Groovin': The Genius of Arif Mardin
80's Soul #1's (Eco-Friendly Packaging)
Live In Dublin
The Warmth of the Sun
Palms & Runes, Tarot & Tea: A Michael Penn Collection

ASIN: B000MTOLGS
Release Date: 2007-04-09

Tracks:

Evolution Mama - The Even Dozen Jug Band
Good Time Music
Do You Believe in Magic
Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?
Younger Girl
You Didn't Have to Be So Nice
Daydream
Didn't Want to Have to di It
Jug Band Music
Summer in the City
Rain on the Roof
4 Eyes
Darlin' Companion
Nashville Cats
Coconut Grove
Darling Be Home Soon [From You're a Big Boy Now]
You're a Big Boy Now [From You're a Big Boy Now]
Six O'Clock
Money
She Is Still a Mystery
Younger Generation
Pow [From What's Up, Tiger Lily?]
She's a Lady - John Sebastian
Rainbows All Over Your Blues - John Sebastian
Apple Hill - John Sebastian
Stories We Could Tell - John Sebastian
Welcome Back - John Sebastian
Stealin'
My Passing Fantasy

Customer Reviews:

More Lovin' than John.......2007-05-04

Any John is welcomed but the title is deceiving. Of the 29 cuts only 7 are John solo. Pretty much leaves us without the 35 years of his great career after The Spoonful.

The Life and Times of Country Joe & the Fish

Average customer rating:

Great purchase!
Country Joe still the best.
Get it before it disappears!!!!
A Great Starter...
Great group; HORRIBLE compilation

The Life and Times of Country Joe & the Fish
Country Joe & the Fish
Manufacturer: Vanguard Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic Rock | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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The Collected Country Joe & the Fish
C J Fish
Here We Are Again
Live! Fillmore West 1969
I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die

ASIN: B000000EBM
Release Date: 1991-09-16

Tracks:

I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag
Bass Strings
Flying High
Porpoise Mouth
An Untitled Protest
Who Am I
Grace
Waltzing In The Moonlight
Death Sound Blues
Janis
Sing Sing Sing
Superbird (Tricky Dick)
Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine
Marijuana
Rock and Soul Music/Love
Crystal Blues
Masked Marauder
Love Machine
The 'Fish' Cheer: I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag

Customer Reviews:

Great purchase!.......2007-03-10

I am very, very, very happy with my purchase. It's a great album and definitely underrated.

Country Joe still the best........2006-08-09

Excellent compilation of the Fishes early work. In my opinion they were psychedelia's best band.

Get it before it disappears!!!!.......2006-02-25

I finally upgraded my cassette of this double album to CD. I have played this sucker a lot over the years. The live tracks smoke and are only available on this compilation (as far as I know). The studio part includes some of the choice cuts off their studio albums. An Untitled Protests never fails to send shivers down my spine and I've never seen it on another collection. I couldn't believe this was still in print, get it while you can...you won't be sorry

A Great Starter..........2004-08-02

If you are just discovering Country Joe & The Fish, this is the album (err...CD) to start with. Half studio and half live, if you don't own anything by Country Joe & The Fish, this is a great sampler to indoctrinate you to one of the great political and one of the most infamous (thanks to the "FISH" Cheer) band of the mid-to-late 1960's.

The studio selections include a demo of "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag", Joe's ode to Janis Joplin, entitled simply "Janis", the haunting anti-war "Untitled Protest" and the wonderful "Sing Sing Sing" from the band's swan song (which, unfortunately, only included Country Joe and Barry Melton from the original lineup).

The live set, culled from various Fillmore (East and West) concerts and previously unreleased tracks from the Woodstock festival, is excellent. "Superbird (Tricky Dick)" is a great jab at Richard Nixon, who was running for president at the time.
The absolute kicker is the two songs from the Woodstock set: Barry Melton's "Love Machine" and a totally, kick-ass electric version of the perenial "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag", which absolutely outshines the original studio version.

This serves best as a sampler so you can decide whether or not you'll like CJ & The Fish. They are an acquired taste and many will take a listen and say "No Thanks", but for many of us, this is the springboard album to the rest of the CJ & The Fish library.

Great group; HORRIBLE compilation.......2002-05-21

This compilation features both live and studio cuts. The eleven studio tracks are excellent songs with okay sound quality (this was an early generation cd). Unfortunately, the last eight tracks are embarrassing live tracks that are awful in every way, both in terms of the performance and sound quality. Try the "Electric Music..." or "Fixin' to Die" cds for starters, or the other compilation ("Collected"), but avoid this at all costs. Now that Vanguard has begun remastering their catalogue, hopefully they will see fit to discontinue this cd and give Country Joe and the Fish a compilation disc they can be proud of.

Last Rights: The Life & Times of Townes Van Zandt

Average customer rating:

Gone But Not Forgotten

Last Rights: The Life & Times of Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Manufacturer: Gregor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music

Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music

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Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

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Townes Van Zandt - Be Here to Love Me
A Gentle Evening with Townes Van Zandt

ASIN: B000001Z8L
Release Date: 1997-06-10

Tracks:

Blaze's Blues
The Homeless- Dialog
Marie
Life-Dialog
The Hole
Cowboy Junkies Lament
Pancho & Lefty Story-Dialog
Panco & Lefty
Lightin' Hopkins-Dialog
Brand New Champion
Tecumseh Valley
Wedding Song & Hits-Dialog
If I Needed You
I'll Be Here In The Morning
Waitin' Round To Die
Seeds, Roots & Sprouts
One man House Band At The Jester Lounge
Early Influences
Under The Influences
Pancho, Lefty & Townes
Somebody Had To Write It
Exiles, Exists & Endings
Ghost Harp & Concertina

Amazon.com

Last Rights is an odd but enlightening "CD documentary" of the Texas singer-songwriter's life and work produced by Chinga Chavin, a crazed Texan in the Kinky Friedman mold. Given its sepulchral title and the fact that it was recorded the year before he died, this set has the feel of a farewell note. Throughout its 23 cuts, newly recorded solo versions of Van Zandt's best-known tunes--"Tecumseh Valley" and "If I Needed You" among them--are interspersed with poignant and honest comments. He tells the story of how he wrote "Pancho & Lefty" and explains how Lightnin' Hopkins influenced his music. The Hopkins interview snippet is followed by "Brand New Companion," the memorable tribute tune Van Zandt wrote to Hopkins using many of the Houston bluesman's most identifiable songwriting characteristics. Another highlight is a version of "Cowboy Junkies Lament," a tune he wrote to the Canadian band after a shared tour. The final interview segments offer wonderful insight into how bright and emotionally intuitive this irreplaceable songwriter really was. Ultimately, Last Rights is a valuable addition to any serious Van Zandt fan's collection. --Robert Baird

Customer Reviews:

Gone But Not Forgotten.......1999-12-24

Townes Van Zandt, put simply, was a poet and song writer extraordinaire. Besides the great music there are dialouge excerpts with Townes telling stories behind his music. The famed writer of 'Pancho and Lefty' also adds 'Cowboy Junkies Lament,' 'Marie' and 'Waitin' Round To Die.'

To listen is to understand why he ranks as one of the favorites of Texas' newest generation of country music singer-songwriters such as Pat Green and Cory Morrow. He has been gone close to three years, but his legacy lives on through his music.

I Got a Bullfrog: Folksongs for the Fun of It
Average customer rating:

My toddlers and I dance like crazy!

The cat came back again and again

Not For Children Only

Folk fun

I Got a Bullfrog: Folksongs for the Fun of It
David Holt
Manufacturer: High Windy Audio
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music
General | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
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Grandfather's Greatest Hits

Live and Kickin' at the National Storytelling Fest

Let It Slide

ASIN: B000008RYP
Release Date: 2000-02-09

Tracks:

Doodle Daddle Day
The Cat Came Back
Blackeyed Susie
Ain't No Bugs On Me
C-H-I-C-K-E-N
Mole In The Ground
Who Broke The Lock?
I Got A Bullfrog
The Glendy Burke
Cindy
Long John
Keep On The Sunnyside
Sail Away Ladies
Yes, Papa
When The Train Comes Along
This Little Light Of Mine

Customer Reviews:

My toddlers and I dance like crazy!.......2007-03-20

This CD is a huge hit with our family--the songs are catchy, memorable, and fun to dance to. If you like folk/bluegrass, buy it!

The cat came back again and again.......2006-03-02

I bought this CD for my 3yr daughter. She loves music and I wanted to expose her to different kinds in a kid friendly way. She absolutely loves it, I have constant requests for "The cat came back" song. I really enjoy it too. The whole CD is fun to listen to.

Not For Children Only.......2000-04-28

I checked this CD out of the library for my five year old but it quickly became one of my favorites (I'm forty!). Very well done.

Folk fun.......1999-01-23

David Holt is a consummate performer, master of banjo, guitar, spoons and a wonderful drum suit. This cd shows how much fun music can be. On the cut I Got A Bullfrog he and the band burst into spontaneous laughter twice- when I last saw him he said he left the outtake on to let the audience know what a good time he has performing. The cuts Aint No Bugs On Me and Doodle Daddle Day are light and footstomping good! The whole tape will delight children of all ages.