One Two Three Four

One Two Three Four

Track Listings

1. Super Zero

2. Big Blue Sky

3. Baby Inchworm

4. The Broken Muzzle

5. Needlessly

6. Jezebel

7. Parasite

8. Seven Black Crows

9. Lifeboat

10. The Sleeping Giant

11. Candle Opera

12. One Two Three Four

Editorial Reviews
BABYSUE, March 2005 issue
"Thoughtful, pensive, reflective, intelligent soft folk/pop...unforgettable...This one's a real TREAT. Highly recommended." (Rating: 5+++)

Product Description
One of the many rave reviews of New York City singer-songsmith Linda Draper's third album PATCHWORK proclaimed: "The strength of her output increases with each record and it's obvious that she's on the brink of achieving something great…" (Splendid ). Now with her much anticipated fourth album, titled " One Two Three Four" (PSRCD-033), this prediction is clearly evident. Joining forces once again with legendary downtown icon and music producer Kramer (Galaxie 500, Low, Sonic Youth, Urge Overkill, and founder of Shimmy Disc Records ), "One Two Three Four" is from start to finish, a truly divine and timeless listening experience, presenting Linda Draper's atmospheric space folk style.

The overall atmosphere of Linda Draper's latest LP flows with a subtle grace as well as its steady timing and deliberate pace, hence the title, "One Two Three Four." From the outset, the warmth and directness of Linda's voice draws you in - what makes you stay is the sincerity and integrity of her lyrics - and what keeps you coming back for more is the timeless quality of the music. "One Two Three Four" was recorded in downtown NYC at Tribeca Recording as well as in the more intimate setting at Noise New York. Apart from producing and engineering, Kramer contributes his unique musical style with his own lush and harmonious instrumental arrangements - accentuating the purity and brilliance of Linda Draper's angelic voice, lyrics, and her accomplished distinct guitar-playing style. Acoustic and bass guitar lines ebb and flow on songs such as the opening track, "Super Zero" with it's waltz-like tempo and catchy sing-along quality. The album also includes the haunting "Baby Inchworm" where Draper's choir-like vocals are sprinkled with bits of accordion sounds - truly elegant but chilling. "Needlessly" a sad yet hopeful love song, will inevitably stick in your head, with it's simple vocal/acoustic guitar arrangement. "Candle Opera", the penultimate number, where gentle drums rolls and church bells provide an irresistible intensity and epic like quality. "Seven Black Crows", has been described as a beautiful song to a dying loved one and a person's soul journeys to unfathomed places beyond this world. It's a moving piece with its passion and eloquent grace. In between, the LP features 12 beautifully crafted songs. The title track closes the LP with its counting off of One Two Three Four…

One Two Three Four

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:

Lullaby
Piano Concerto In B-Flat - Piu adagio
Violin Concerto In D - Adagio
'Double' Concerto In A Minor - Andante
Clarinet Quintet In B Minor - Adagio
Piano Quartet In C Minor - Andante
As Melodies Were Passing By
Sonata In D Minor - Adagio
Trio In C Minor - Andante grazioso (Excerpt): Piano Trio In C Minor - Andante grazioso (Excerpt)
Intermezzo No. 1 In E-Flat
Fantasy No. 4 In E
Variations & Fugue On A Theme By Handel - Variation V
Waltz No. 15 In A-Flat
Lullaby: Lullaby (Reprise)

Customer Reviews:

pre bedtime music.......2007-05-30

Great music for helping you unwind after a long day so you can be more relaxed at bedtime.

Great For Bedtime.......2005-12-15

A few years ago I started having trouble sleeping at night. It was probably due to my new husband's snoring! I remembered how when I worked at a daycare, we would play classical music while the children took naps. So I thought I would give it a try. I have tried a couple different CD's and so far this is my favorite! All of the music is soothing. There aren't any songs that get loud or fast. The only weird thing is that the first and last song are the same. I repeat the CD all night and it really does help me to sleep! If the power goes out I notice immediately because my soothing music is gone! I highly recommend this CD!

A true disappointment.......2004-11-04

Amazingly this compilation has managed to get together some of the most untallented performances of Brahms' music. With a few exceptions the moto of this CD can be summed up as 'no understanding and appreciation for a musical genius'. The choice of music is also quite perfunctory. There are many Brahms pieces that could have served better the bedtime purpose. Buy at your own risk. My only fear is that some people will get their first impressions of Brahms from this CD...

Naptime.......2003-04-18

I love to listen to this cd if I'm tired and need to take a nap or just rest for a while. It is very soothing.

A good choice for quiet time and nap........2000-09-27

This is one of my favorite nap and quiet time choices. It is very mellow and soothing. My three year old frequently falls asleep listening to it, and even turns it on again for herself if she wakes up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep!

Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Berlin Phil., Karajan [Highlights]

Average customer rating:

Opera
Best All-Around Boheme
Tebaldi=95% perfect, Freni=110% perfect!!!
Incredible!
a great recording, but what about Beecham?

Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Berlin Phil., Karajan [Highlights]
Giacomo Puccini , Elizabeth Harwood , Nicolai Ghiaurov , and Rolando Panerai
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Puccini: Tosca (Highlights) / Freni, Pavarotti
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Bizet: Carmen (Highlights) / Solti, Troyanos, Domingo

ASIN: B0000041TR
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

La Boheme, Act 1: Non sono in vena
La Boheme, Act 1: Che gelida manima
La Boheme, Act 1: Si. Mi chiamano Mimi
La Boheme, Act 1: O soave fanciulla
La Boheme, Act ll: La commedia e stupenda.... Quando me'n vo'
La Boheme, Act lll: O mia vita!... Donde lieta usci
La Boheme, Act lll: Dunque e proprio finita
La Boheme, Act IV: In un coupe?... O mimi, tu piu non torni
La Boheme, Act IV: Vecchia zimarra
La Boheme, Act IV: Sono andati
La Boheme, Act IV: Che avvien?

Amazon.com essential recording

These excerpts were taken from the recording that has established itself as the standard by which all others should be measured. Herbert von Karajan's orchestra is no less than perfect, as much a virtuosic performer as the singers, evoking each moment's unique mood. Can there be any doubt that Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni were born to sing Puccini? Their sweet, creamy voices splendidly blend, creating a complete aural portrait of the bohemians' souls. Elizabeth Harwood is a wonderfully high-strung Musetta, with the vocal talent to support her many moods. After hearing these highlights, you won't be able to resist the whole set, which is the greatest recording ever of the world's most beloved opera. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Opera.......2007-07-07

I ordered this after I heard Paul Potts perform a song from this opera on "Britain's Got Talent". He won, by the way, performing it beautifully.

Best All-Around Boheme.......2007-04-11

Karajan's 1973 stereo version is the best all-around Boheme available. It stars his favorite soprano, Mirella Freni, and a young Luciano Pavarotti at his peak (unlike his post-climatic self these last decades). There is no faulting this version and an ideal way to explore Puccini and Italian opera generally.

Tebaldi=95% perfect, Freni=110% perfect!!!.......2003-10-12

I second what Des Greux said, although I own a set of highlights of Tebaldi (with Bergonzi) in Boheme and feel that it is very close to ideal. In my mind Freni will always be the perfect Mimi, with her perfect phrasing, vocal acting, and pure tones. What more the timbre of her voice optimally suggests a character of vulnerability. Tebaldi sings Mimi very well, but one can't help feeling her big, full voice to suggest health rather than tuberculosis. I enjoy both Freni and Tebaldi in the role of Mimi, but Freni is a step higher. As for Beecham/Bjorling/De Los Angeles. I'd say that version is 90% perfect. I like Los Angeles as Mimi, but she really doesn't hold a candle to Freni OR Tebaldi (or even Callas).

Incredible!.......2003-04-06

The reviewer that criticized Freni doesn't know anything about singing. Freni can sing circles around Tebaldi. This is the best Boheme available. However, get the complete recording. You won't want to miss anything!

a great recording, but what about Beecham?.......2001-09-18

there is little doubt that this is a great recording, but don't let the editorial review blind you to the fact that there is considerable dispute over whether this is the "greatest recording ever" of this opera. Beecham's classic 1950s recording with De Los Angeles and Bjorling is very much in contention. Beecham's vocal performances are superior, and even though it is in mono this does not detract from the sheer quality of the recording. I have both sets, and enjoy the differing qualities of each, Karajan's orchestra is better, but then again opera is all about voice....listen to both sets, it will give you more perspectives of this wonderful opera.

Average customer rating:

Relaxing and wonderful music
Excellent CD for bedtime

Classical Music

Manufacturer: Twin Sisters Prod.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Traditional Lullabies
Nature Sounds
Hymns & Bible Songs
Softly We Sing
The Power Of Classical Music

ASIN: B000006MZI
Release Date: 1998-04-21

Tracks:

Canon In D
Fur Elise / Ode To Joy
Sonata In C Major - (Mozart's Lullaby)
On The Beautiful Blue Danube
Andante Con Variazioni
Two German Dances
Rondino
Sonata In C Minor
Largo
Minuet / Organ Fugue In G Minor
Waltz (Opus 39-No. 15)
Serenade
To A Wild Rose
Spring Song

Product Description

Studies prove that playing music to children at a young age will set them up for a lifetime of learning achievement. Play music to: Increase IQ Performance Enhance Spatial Reasoning Inspire Creative Development Watch Minds Grow Listen to original artistic arrangements of the renowned music of Bach, Mozart, Pachelbel, Beethoven, Strauss, Haydn, Brahms and other famous composers. Simple melody lines coupled with creative instrumentation provide children with a refreshing classical music introduction and experience. Perfect for playtime, dinnertime, travel time or bed time! Canon in D (Johann Pachelbel) Fur Elise/Ode to Joy (Ludwig Van Beethoven) Sonata in C Major/Mozart's Lullaby (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) On the Beautiful Blue Danube (Johann Strauss) Andante con Variazioni (Karl Maria von Weber) Two German Dances (Franz Joseph Haydn) Rondino (Antonio Diabelli) Sonata in C Minor (Domenico Scarlatti) Large (George Frederick Handel) Minuet/Organ Fugue in G Minor (Little Fugue) (Johann Sebastian Bach) Waltz (Opus 39-No.15) (Johannes Brahms) Serenade (Franz Schubert) To a Wild Rose (Edward MacDowell) Spring Song (Felix Mendelssohn) Approximate running time: 60 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Relaxing and wonderful music.......2002-12-11

I bought this cd when I was pregnant with my baby and listened to it frequently and I also used it during and after labor to help relax. It was the perfect thing. And I have played it for my baby ever since at naptime and bedtime. She is a year old now and it still relaxes her.

Excellent CD for bedtime.......2001-09-03

My daughter and I have listened to this CD hundreds of times since she was born. It is very soothing and great for bedtime and naptimes. The songs just flow along and put her (and sometimes me) right to sleep.

Unsung Musicals - The Ultimate Collection

Average customer rating:

Great gems from musicals that dissapeared
some gold mixed with dross

Unsung Musicals - The Ultimate Collection

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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Unsung Musicals II (Studio Cast)
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ASIN: B00005K9SG
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Tracks:

Smile (from "Smile") (Hamlisch-Ashman) - Harry Groener et al.
Hero (from "Babe") (Menken-Ashman) - Debbie Gravitte
Didin't Leave It Here (from "Brownstone") (Larson-Rubins) - Kristine Fraelich and Jolie Jenkins
Starfish (from "La Strada") (Lawrence-Charnin) - Judy Kuhn
Sherry! (from "Sherry!") (Rosenthal-Lipton) - Christine Baranski and Jonathan Freeman
Smashing New York Times (from "A Broadway Musical") (Strouse-Adams) - Jason Graae
Silverware (from "We Take the Town") (Karr-Dubey) - Lee Wilkof and Timothy Jerome
Hundreds of Hats (from "Diamonds") (Sheffer-Ashman) - Jason Workman
At the Same Time (from "Freaky Friday") (Rodgers-Forster) - Tammy Minoff and Patrick Levis
When It Happens to You (from "The Red Shoes") (Styne-Stryker) - Lynne Wintersteller
Lawyers (from "A Broadway Musical") (Strouse-Adams) - Gregory Jbara and Lee Wilkof
At My Side (from "Welcome to the Club") (Coleman-Hotchner) - Sally Mayes and Michael Rupert
In a State (from "A Wonderful Life") (Raposo-Harnick) - Brent Barrett
Disneyland (from "Smile") (Hamlisch-Ashman) - Jodi Benson
Reveille Sun (from "Here's Where I Belong") (Waldman-Uhry) - Glory Grampton
The Memory of Tonight (from "Arthur, The Musical") (Skloff-Kauffman-Crane) - Carolee Carmello and Gregg Edelman
Stomp the Blues Away (from "Honky Tonk Nights") (Valenti-Allen-Campbell) - Melba Joyce et al.
New Words (from "One, Two, Three, Four, Five") (Yeston) - Liz Callaway

Customer Reviews:

Great gems from musicals that dissapeared.......2004-11-30

Songs from 1987's "Smile" make this well worth the price. The previously unreleased material from the late, great Howard Ashman deserves to have it's moment in the spotlight.

Also, there's Judy Kuhn's beautiful performance on "Starfish", Christine Baranski's vampy turn on "Sherry".

Finally, there's" New Words" from "One, Two, Three, Four, Five". This show has been restaged, by small theatre groups, under the title "History Loves Company". "New Words" is by far the best number of this show and Liz Callaway's voice fills with love as she sings this lullaby.

For a consummate musical theatre fan who's heard it all, this disc is a refreshing look at what has been lost over the years.

some gold mixed with dross.......2003-12-21

Some of these songs desrve to be unsung. But then you get a showstopper like Sherry and you wonder how could this show have flopped? That number alone makes this cd worth purchasing.I also enjoyed Marvin Hamlisch's toe tapping title song - Smile.There are also a few other lovely melodies which makes this cd a nice addition to a Broadway collection.

Average customer rating:

slipping
A spiritual rather than musical attempt
Oh Nelly

Life

Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Garden of Mirrors
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To the Evening Child
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ASIN: B0002ZLFG6
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Tracks:

Narration One And The Master's Question
The Temple
Narration Two
The Monk's Answer
Narration Three
The Master's Anger
Narration Four
The Monk's Question
The Sky
The Master's Answer

Customer Reviews:

slipping.......2006-05-20

I have been a big Stephan Micus fan for quite a few years, but I have to think that his last three CDs show signs his musical inventiveness is progressively slipping. This latest effort retains his honest, commercialism-be-damned approach--for which he should continue to be congratulated--but not very much in the way of listenable musicality. Honesty and spirit are one thing, but entertainment, even in honest and spiritual terms, is another. Here, the koan has taken center stage, in my opinion at the expense of the music(al entertainment). I hate to criticize the plan, but perhaps the first, rather long, narration should have been stretched longer yet to embrace the entire koan (to twenty plus minutes, that is), leaving the rest of the program open to material of greater accessibility. I'm afraid I can only take so much in the way of Zen chants, and I have never considered Micus' vocal powers one of his greatest assets to begin with.

A spiritual rather than musical attempt.......2005-08-05

Micus has always been a genre of his own, representing a unique way of musical expression in an otherwise musically dry 20th century. He dares to explore equipped with his vast knowledge of instruments and his never ending spiritual wandering. All these are more than enough to place him among the most important modern musical figures.

Nevertheless, I tend to believe that his last work crossed a certain threshold: The spirit dominated senses. He uses (or rather, exploits) music to convey his spiritual and rather esoteric message. It would have been quite acceptable should we were talking about a purely religious effort, or about something more inspired like his "Athos" work. But Micus stands for more than this.

I hope that soon we will be back experiencing the sheer magnificence of works like "Towards the Wind", "East of the Night" or "Wings over Water"

Oh Nelly.......2005-07-30

Not the best Micus album...hence the 4 stars, but let me say this...have you ever found yourself wandering aloft amongst the clouds wondering how you got there, wondering what happened to transport you through your own skin to something other than yourself? Well, if not, this album will get you there.

A very emotional journey, a nice blend of a variety of implements allows Micus to challenge us to break through our defenses. You will see that after listening to this album, like the man walking on the cover, you have been stripped of your past and your future, and are left with very little but a desire to warm up with your true self and the home you have been missing.

Micus gets "it", people. Thank God there are people like him to show us the way, at least musically....Peace.

Average customer rating:

The Best Ring Intro and Highlights Recording
Incredible, even if only highlights
Highlights From The Classic Live Performance
Good introduction to the Ring; good value.
Fire! Fire!

Wagner: The Best of the Ring

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wagner: Tristan und Isolde/Parsifal/Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg/Lohengrin/Tannhäuser
Ring of the Nibelung

ASIN: B0000041EJ
Release Date: 1996-04-09

Tracks:

Das Rheingold: Prelude
Das Rheingold - Scene One: Weia! Waga! Woge, du Welle!
Das Rheingold - Scene One: Garstig glatter glitschriger Glimmer
Das Rheingold - Scene One: Wallala! Lalaleia! Leialei!
Das Rheingold - Scene Four: Bin ich nun frei?
Das Rheingold - Scene Four: Schwules Gedunst schwebt In der Luft
Das Rheingold - Scene Four: Zur Burg Fuhrt die Brucke
Das Rheingold - Scene Four: Rheingold! Rheingold!
Die Walkure - Act One: Prelude
Die Walkure - Act One, Scene 3: Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond
Die Walkure - Act One, Scene Three: Wehwalt heisst du furwahr? Siegmund heiss ich
Die Walkure - Act II: Prelude to Act II
Die Walkure - Act II, Scene Four: Siegmund! sieh auf mich!
Die Walkure - Act II, Scene Four: Du sahest der Walkure sehrenden Blick
Die Walkure - Act III, Scene One: Hojotoho! Heiaha!

Tracks:

Die Walkure - Act III, Scene Three: Leb wohl, du k herrliches Kind!
Die Walkure - Act III, Scene 3: Loge, hLausche hieher!
Siegfried - Act I, Scene 3: Hoho! Hoho! Hohei!
Siegfried - Act I, Scene 3: Den der Bruder schuf, den schimmernden Reif!
Siegfried - Act II, Scene 2: Aber, wie sah meine Mutter wohl aus?
Siegfried - Act II, Scene 2: Du holdes Vin! Dich hort' ich noch nie
Siegfried - Act II, Scene 2: Es schweigt und lauscht
Siegfried - Act II, Scene 2: Siegfrieds Horn-call
Die Walkure - Act III, Scene 3: Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich
Gotterdammerung - Prologue: Orchestral Interlude
Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 2: Brde, heilige Braut
Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 2: Orchestral Interlude: Funeral March
Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 3: Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort
Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 3: Mein Erbe nun nehm ich zu eigen
Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 3: Grane, mein Ross, sei mir gegr
Gotterdammerung - Act III, Scene 3: Zurm Ring

Customer Reviews:

The Best Ring Intro and Highlights Recording.......2006-03-23

CAST: DAS RHEINGOLD:
Gustav Neidlinger (baritone, Alberich) Theo Adam (baritone, Wotan) Wolfgang Windgassen (tenor, Loge) Annelies Burmeister (mezzo-soprano, Fricka) Hermin Esser (soprano Froh) Ruth Hesse (soprano Flosshilde) Helga Dernesch (soprano Wellgunde) Dorothea Siebert (soprano, Woglinde)

DIE WALKURE: James King (tenor, Siegmund) Leonie Rysanek (soprano, Sieglende) Theo Adam (Wotan) Birgit Nilsson (soprano, Brunhilde) Danica Mastilovic (soprano, Fricka) Sieglende Wagner (soprano, Schwertleite) Liane Synek (soprano, Helmwige) and the Valkyries Elisabeth Schartel (Grimgerde) and Anneliese Burmister (Siegrunde)

SIEGFRIED: Wolgang Windgassen (Siegfried) Birgit Nilsson (Brunhilde) Erwin Wohlfahrt (Mime)

GOTTERDAMMERUNG: Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried) Birgit Nilsson (Brunhilde) Josef Greindl (bass-baritone, Hagen)...* Conductor Karl Bohm, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra

If you're already an opera fan but have not yet discovered Wagner and wish to be introduced to his biggest most famous opera cycle- Der Ring Des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelungs) then this CD is one you should definately own. From live performances at Bayreuth on July of 1967, these same operas are available on seperate CD's and on a box set from the Phillips label. With a cast of brilliant, experienced Wagnerian singers such as baritone Theo Adam (Odin) soprano Birgit Nilsson (Brunhilde) and tenor Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried) you can't go wrong with this set. These singers represent a style of Wagnerian singing that no singer alive today can measure up to. Powerful, invective yet lyrical, passionate voices are equally in balance with dramatic acting. They lived their roles so that everytime I hear the Ring operas, I can't think of a greater Brunhilde than the unbeatable Birgit Nilsson or a greater Odin than that of Theo Adam. Maestro Karl Bohm was a prominent Wagner conductor and a Bayreuth icon in the 60's. He allowed enough natural "fresh air" for his singers, and the orchestra never truly drowns out their voices nor becomes overpowering. Nevertheless, Bohm provides the score, layered with dozens of leitmotifs, with spirituality, grandeur, nobility and the typical Wagnerian fatalism. Bohm understood Wagner more than any other conductor of his time. Although the George Solti studio Ring set is largely considered the greatest, I think this set is possibly better. There is more of a sense of tradition in this recording, since, after all, these are Bayreuth performances. The music and singingremains true to Wagner's original concept and this is not a "conductor's Ring" it is truly Wagner's Ring. The Ring of the Nibelung can become a complex, overanalyzed work of music but beneath its many layers it is an epic panorama of heroes, gods and villains. Its theme is the folly of man in his greedy lust for power, as represented by the titular ring.

Das Rheingold: The first opera deals with the greedy, deformed dwarf Alberich, who foresaking any chance of ever finding love, steals the Gold of the Rhine River from the Rhinemaidens. Baritone Gustav Neidlinger is possibly the greatest interpretor of Albrecht. This is a baritone role that is not in any way meant to be sung beautifully. Neidlinger sounds harsh and ugly, he is in full character. The music for Alberich is equally ugly and dissonant. In contrast, the Rhinemaidens are sung by beautiful, lyric sopranos who must evoke youthfulness, playfulness and a slight sexual flirtation. Their music is at first playful and flirty but after the gold is stolen, their song becomes a lament and remains melancholy in consequent motifs even up to Gotterdammerung when they reappear to reclaim their stolen gold from "the ashes of Brunhilde's Immolation". Donner, the Bridge Keeper of Valhalla, is a high bass who must step up to the exclamations of "Heda! Heda Hedo!", one of the great scenes in this opera, in which the gods enter the newly built glittering palace called Valhalla. But Odin, king of the gods, and suposed god of oaths, has broken his own oath (he promised the spring goddess Freya to the Giants who built Valhalla but didn't keep his word) And the tragedy is set in motion......

Die Walkure: In tenor and soprano James King and Leonie Rysanek, we get the most dramatic and golden Siegmund and Sieglende. More than others who have sung this romantic pair, King and Rysanek become involved, even lost in the music of their characters and are by far the most passionate interpretors. First of all, James King was endowed with a huge, heroic voice so perfect for Wagner. He is also featured in the Solti studio Ring recording but here, he is in better shape and sings with intensity, vocal heft and dramatic prowess. Also, his Siegmund is romantically sung, as if he could just as easily be a Verdi hero. His German diction never falters and he has command of the voice and melodic line. He passed away recently and left behind numerous recordings, including a Parsifal he recorded late in his career, which is still quite amazing. Leonie Rysanek actually screams out during the Love Duet in which Siegmund shows her his great sword Nothung. She was made famous not only for that hair-raising scream but for her powerful, dramatic voice and her first-rate performances as Strauss' Salome (also under Karl Bohm) Elektra and Verdi's Lady Macbeth which she first sang as a replacement to an ill and indisposed Maria Callas. Rysanek died of cancer in the mid 90's, and she was still singing then. In Die Walkure, we are first introduced to Odin's daughter, the lead Valkyrie goddess Brunhilde (she's the gal in the winged helmet, wielding a spear and flying on a horse). Birgit Nilsson owned this role, no doubt about it. Long after she had retired, she could still belt out the Hojo-to-hos (Valkyrie War Cries). She identified with Brunhilde's Nordic roots (Nilsson was born in Sweden) and she understood Wagner and dramatic German opera. All her huge successes were in German opera- Salome, Elektra most notably. She is also the Brunhilde of Solti's ring but here she is singing a hell of a lot better and she isn't overpowered by the Vienna Phil and its gargantuan musical forces. At the end of the opera, Odin punishes Brunhilde for sympathizing with the lovers Siegmund and Sieglende and saving Sieglende (pregnant with Siegfried). She is to sleep inside a ring of fire on a mountain or rock and only a great hero can awaken her and claim her as his bride. Theo Adam as Wotan is by far the best. He has a huge voice and is able to stir our emotions as he bids his daughter farewell in that great final scene.

Siegfried and Gotterdammerung: The son of Siegmund and Sieglende, he grows up not knowing his heritage as a hero. He discovers Nothung, his father's sword, kills Mime, yet another greedy, power-hungry dwarf and slays the dragon Fafner. He is now able to communicate and bond with nature as one of his special powers. He confronts Odin himself and saves Brunhilde from her nearly eternal sleep. Wolfgang Windgassen sang in the old-school Wagnerian tenor style which meant he had the "Bayreuth bark". He could throw his voice high above the big Wagnerian orchestra but it was a voice that was in no way attractive or emotional. It was cold and at times too harsh. But he is the only tenor to truly master the difficult role of Siegfried. Nowadays, some tenors can either sing the Siegfried of Siegfried or the Siegfried in Gotterdammerung, but rarely can they sing both like Windgassen. In addition, Windgassen achieved success in other Wagner heroic roles like Tristan and Tannhauser. In Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods), Wagner's music has never been more fatalistic. Siegfried bids farewell to Brunhilde and sets out on an adventure down the Rhine river. He is captured by the vindictive and evil Gibechung giants, drugged and forced to wed Gutrune. And it gets worse. The Gibechungs also kidnap Brunhilde and force her to marry one of the giants. Eventually, Siegfried is slain by the cruel giant Hagen. The last minutes of singing are left to Brunhilde (it aint over till the fat lady sings). And what great singing it is. In the Immolation Scene, Brunhilde orders for a funeral pyre to be made for Siegfried. She curses the gods for breaking their oaths, declares that the end is near and summons Grane her old Valkyrie horse. Straddling him, she leaps into the funeral pyre and brings about the Ragnarok- the end of the gods. Valhalla is consumed by a firestorm, the Rhine overfloods and the world of man is destroyed. Birgit Nilsson's high, heroic voice has never sounded better in this scene.

Affordable price, great music, great singing. Please don't hesitate to get this recording if you are interested in hearing The Ring the way it should be sung and if you wish to get only chunks and pieces from an otherwise long 4 opera cycle. Enjoy!!

Incredible, even if only highlights.......2004-12-20

I have to say, usually I HATE highlights of anything, but in this case, I will say, I am impressed. It is so hard to choose what should be included, and often the things I want in highlights are the things that are NOT there (example is the highlights of Nabucco with Sintow, the really hard arias are gone; the same with her highlights of Macbeth, no sleepwalking scene). In this case, I was gladly surprised. Most all the really telling moments of the various operas are there. It is a great introduction for those who are just coming to Wagner's Ring. I would say like the Tolken books of Lord of the Rings (stories completely not related, though elements of this are in that), one has to prepare to enjoy them to get the full affect. Wagner is the same. His operas are extremely long, and there are long moments where nothing much is actually happening at all. To come to him unprepared can prove the end of even trying to understand his works at all. This highlight version is simply great. We are introduced to the Rhinemaidens right off and the drama begins. Just enough of each opera is there to give a really good feel for the works, and unlike most highlights with an aria or two, these are full scenes that are presented to us. I have to say, the editors did a masterful job at choosing the "exciting parts" to whet our desire for Wagner. Ending the entire set with the uncut version of the Immolation Scene is simply wonderful. So often when it is recorded as a highlight we begin only on the ending pronouncements where Brunhilde addresses her horse thus bringing the end to the opera. Here we are treated to the entire scene from beginning to end so we can follow the drama (interestingly, while singing the scene, stage actions are going on, for the pyre is prepared, Siegfried's body brought in, Brunhilde removes the ring, his body is put on the pyre, Grane, Brunhilde's horse is brought in -- well, in the score he is called for, but in most performances one has to imagine him being there, and if there, the singer never rides him into the fire as Wagner wanted; I think the only time that happened was with Marjorie Lawrence --- and the entire world is destroyed, including Valhalla, the Rhine overflows and the rhinemaidens get their ring/gold back).

This is a masterful choosing of highlights and they work to present the work as a whole in a wonderful way. When one then buys the entire ring, there are going to be many wonderful parts now fully appreciated and loved that will come up and the work will not seen as long.

For those of us who love Wagner, well, there are days we don't wish to get out all the CD's of each opera to listen to the few scenes we want to hear, and this highlight set is great to hear those moments that one would find exciting to hear when not in the mood to listen to the whole. The only scene I would have added, because it is exciting and good to listen to, is the oath scene (trio between Gunther, Hoggan, and Brunhilde) that ends Act 2 of Gotterdammerung. It is quite exciting and makes a wonderful contrast to the orchestra of the Rhine Journey that begins the Gotterdammerung highlights and the death of Siegfried which on the highlights follows the Rhine Journey. I know only so much can fit on a CD, but one could have begun that trio with the words "Siegfried's Todd" sung by Gunther and then the trio would not have been so long.

However, great introduction of a massive work.

Highlights From The Classic Live Performance.......2003-12-30

In the sixties, conductor Karl Bohm found himself treading on the ground that most conductors would think twice because of the huge risk factor - conducting Richard Wagner's The Ring Of the Nibelung (Das Ring Des Nibelungen) a series of four operas dealing with the ancient Norse saga of the legendary ring of power coveted by gods, mortals and giants. The myth also tells the love story of Siegfried and Brunhilde and the end of the world. For Wagner, this would be his ultimate masterpiece. These four opera cycle goes beyond everything he had ever composed musically and for the theatre. Only Tristan and Isolde and Parsifal reach such dramatic heights and is as musically masterful.

This classic recording has value, even if it is the highlights and excerpts from the operas. There is a full recording in its entirety with Karl Bohm conducting and with the same singers- Birgit Nilsson as Brunhilde, Wolfgang Windgassen as Siegfried, Leonie Rysanek as Sieglende, James King as Siegmund and Theo Adam as Wotan, king of the gods. These singers were regarded as the best interpretors of their day. Certainly, Birgit Nilsson was born to sing Brunhilde. She has all the drama just in her voice. The inflection is dramatic, her stage presence was commanding, and a voice that even Maria Callas would kill for. Maria Callas sang Brunhilde once in the 40's, but it was never good nor became her signature role. Callas was primarily an Italian singer and she had complications singing German. In Callas' day, Kirsten Flagstad was the reigning Brunhilde interpretor. But Birgit Nilsson's voice far surpasses even Flagstad. Birgit Nilsson has all the heigh notes, the passion, the fire and the Wagnerian touch to a fine art. Theo Adam makes a superb Wotan- imperious, commanding, greedy, regial. His voice was well-trained in German and in the art of Wagner music drama. The same applies to James King, a top-notch German heldentenor who made such roles as Siegfried and Theseus (from Strauss' Ariadne) his own.

To sing Wagner is no walk in the park. Only the best heldentenors and Wagnerian soprano divas are employed in this recording. Among them the diva Leonie Rysanek, whose vocals and theatrics on stage was always to her advantage. Here she sings the role of Sieglende- Siegfried's mother and wife of Siegmund. In her dramatic duet with Siegmund, Leonie Rysanek heightens the drama of the moment by actually SCREAMING. It's brilliant. It was well known that Rysanek would always scream her lines when warranted. She has sung other heavy German repertoire- such as Strauss' Salome.

Karl Bohm has been criticized for overemphasizing the music, for directing at lightning speed and making a "sloppy", disappointing score for Wagner's Ring. Most fans of the Ring favor George Solti, who was the first to produce the first studio recording of the Ring. Still others prefer Furtwangler, who was a native German and who knew the music so well because for a long time he had been associated with Wagner's descendant family who operate the Bayreuth Festival Opera House. But Karl Bohm, despite his failure in some portions, has his moments. His strength lies in conducting Gotterdammerung's final scene- the Immolation and end of the world. Brunhilde, the last bearer of the cursed ring, has lost her beloved Siegfried to death by traitorous murderer- giants, curses the gods and commits suicide by throwing herself into Siegfrie'ds funeral pyre. The curse of the ring is lifted, the palace of the gods in Vallhalla is consumed in a devastating fire and the world is flooded by the overflowing Rhine river.

The theme of the Ring is not too complicated to understand. In much the same vein as J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" novels, and the recent film adaptations, the curse of a powerful ring is that of corrupted power. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, in the words of philosopher John Locke. The ring, who entitled its beare to total power, was desired by everyone in the opera- from an ugly dwarf (Albrecht) who was willing to sacrifice sexual relations and love for possession of the ring. Albrecht is the instigator. Stealing the gold of the Rhine from the mermaid-like Rhinemaidens, he begins to build a mine and city under the earth. The gods of Valhalla have their own troubles- the giants who built Valhalla want to claim their promised reward- Wotan's wife, the goddess Freya. The powerful god Wotan will not accept the terms. This occurs in the first opera - Das Rhinegold (The Rhinegold). In the second installment, "Die Walkure (The Valkyrie) we are introduced to Siegmund and Sieglende. Because theirs is an illicit romance, Freya convinces Wotan to decree their deaths. But Brunhilde, Wotan's divine daughter opposes the decree and even saves the life of Sieglende who gives birth to the hero Siegfried. Brunhilde is the Valkyrie warrior woman (she is the stereotypical Wagner opera singer wearing a horned helmet , spear, shield, breast plate and battle costume. When Brunhilde's defiance is discovered, Wotan puts a spell over her. She is to sleep inside a ring of fire until the kiss of a demi-god hero awakens her. In this opera, the famous "Ride of the Valkyries" is featured, a dramatic music which has been used time and again in movies and television, most notably in the film "Apocalypse Now". In Siegfried, we follow the quest of Siegfried. He pulls his father's sword from a tree (like King Arthur does in Excalibur only Arthur pulls the sword from a stone and anvil). Siegfried, with the help of the mentor dwarf Mime, journeys into Albrecht's layer, defeats him and slays the vile dragon Falfner. Of course, he kisses Brunhilde and breaks the spell. In the last opera, Gotterdamerung or "Twilight of the Gods", the saga comes to an end when Siegfried is slain by the Gibechung giants. Brunhilde has her famous Immolation Scene and the world of mortals, and even the gods, die during the end of the world. The highlghts here include Siegfried's Rhine Jounrey and Siegfried's Funeral March (this March was used in John Boorman's Excalibur) and the concluding music.

Good introduction to the Ring; good value........2001-09-11

I'm recommending this 2-disc set because it's the best way I know of at the present time to get an inexpensive, manageable, accessible introduction to Wagner's masterpiece, Der Ring des Nibelungen, commonly called the Ring. The Ring is a sequential cycle of four operas, Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung. With the exception of Das Rheingold, they are all of great length (Wagner was a colossal egotist who seemed to believe that no opera could be too long if he was its composer). As a result, acquiring and getting familiar with the entire Ring is an expensive and time-consuming proposition (my choice among complete Ring recordings, the landmark Solti/Vienna Philharmonic set on Decca/London, is 14 CDs costing around $145-$160). Wagner purists will object to any attempt to excerpt "highlights" from the Ring, and they do have a point: unlike the standard Italian and French operas, which are readily divisible into recitatives, arias, duets, etc., the Wagner operas do not lend themselves to excerpting, with the result that "highlights" sets like this one are a collection of "bleeding chunks" torn from the body of the whole work.

Nevertheless there is a need for a way to approach the Ring, to be introduced to it and to get its flavor, and this generously filled (2 hours 28 minutes of music) 2-disc set fills that requirement reasonably well. These are excerpts from all four Ring operas from live 1966-67 performances (the second Wieland Wagner production) at Bayreuth, the famed Wagner Festspielhaus in Bavaria; they are not studio recordings. They are not great performances, but they are good, capable, workmanlike ones. The sound is not the equal of the better studio recordings (like the Solti and von Karajan cycles), but it is good enough: clear and never objectionable. The conductor, Karl Bohm, was not a great Wagnerian; he gives a competent reading, favoring brisk tempos, generally lacking repose, keeping things moving along in a business-like manner, but the result is that he seems more interested in moving on to the next scene than in shaping the scene at hand to realize its full potential. His performance overall is characterized by persistent, even relentless, forward pressure. Sometimes this works, sometimes not; if he can be accused of insensitivity, of failing to make the most of his opportunities, he can't be accused of lingering, melting, dawdling, going slack. He is certainly not in the class of Solti or Furtwangler as a Wagner conductor. The notes all get played, but there is little magic fire coming from the pit here.

Most of the singers are able and well suited to their roles, and they are all singers who actually sang their roles on the operatic stage (not just in the recording studio). Outstanding are Birgit Nilsson and James King. Here is a chance to hear Nilsson, the greatest Wagnerian soprano of the second half of the twentieth century, "live" in her most celebrated role, Brunnhilde (who figures in the last three Ring operas), and that is an opportunity not to be sneezed at. She offers ringing vocal power, amplitude, stamina, with a brillliant, secure top, an unusual combination that is rarely found in Wagnerian sopranos, and she has no competition in any of the other complete sets except the Solti, where she is competing with herself. When it comes to unleashing her huge voice and letting it soar out over the potent Wagner orchestra, she has no peer, and reminds us of what great Wagnerian singing, heroic singing, used to be all about. James King is the Siegmund in Die Walkure (as he is in the Solti set), and his bright, attractive tenor and musicianly singing are a treat after the ersatz, makeshift Heldentenorizing we've usually had to make do with in Wagner since Melchior retired in 1950. Compare his singing here with the dry, threadbare, underpowered Siegfried of Wolfgang Windgassen--whose creditable performance is a triumph of professional skill over lack of natural resources--and you will see what I mean. Theo Adam as Wotan knows his stuff (he was a well-regarded Wotan) but his vocal endowment is not prepossessing either; he too, like so many Wagner singers of the post-Flagstad-Traubel-Melchior era (i.e., after 1950), is underpowered for the role.

This 2-CD set has direct, head-on competition from a similar (and similarly priced) Deutsche Grammophon 2-CD set of highlights from the Ring. The DG set is from the Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic studio recordings of the Ring operas (1967-1970). Here's how I stack up their pros and cons: The Bohm set has generally superior, more involved singing, including Nilsson as Brunnhilde, by singers who sing the same roles throughout (no switching horses in midstream, as in the Karajan, which has two different Wotans, two different Brunnhildes, and two different Siegfrieds), and who actually sang their roles in the opera house, not just in the recording studio (this is a problem with the more "artificial" Karajan set). Also, since the performances are "live," there is a certain sense of vividness, immediacy, and excitement missing in a studio recording. On the other hand, the Karajan set offers generally superior conducting and orchestral playing; his studio recording can be more note-perfect (with its opportunities for re-takes); and the sound of Karajan's set is better than that of Bohm's live performances (although still not as good as Solti's Ring, or the best more recent opera recordings).

So, between the Karajan and Bohm 2-CD Ring highlights sets, there is not a clearcut winner. To make choosing more difficult, both are priced the same and both offer very generously filled CDs (both have about two and a half hours of music). I marginally prefer the Bohm "live" performances, but I couldn't argue with anyone who listened to them both and preferred the Karajan.

Fire! Fire!.......2000-08-23

Taken from live performances of "Der Ring des Nibelungen" at Bayreuth in 1967, this double-disc compilation of excerpts from Wagner's epic provides a generous selection for persons who want to explore the Ring beyond the usual "highlights" albums without taking on the entire cycle. Although not necessary for those familiar with the Ring, the liner notes contain a brief history of its development, historical and social context, and a synopsis. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one's attitude towards Wagner's prose style), the notes do not provide translations of the excerpts for neophytes.

Tracks:

Lollapalooza
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Judah To Ocean
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Toot Nipple
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Dogjam
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Rag The Bone
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Habanera
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Stubble Crotchet
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Hammer & Chisel
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Alligator Escalator
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Judah To Ocean (Reprise)
Slonimsky's Earbox

Tracks:

Two Fanfares For Orchestra - Tromba Lontana
Two Fanfares For Orchestra - Short Ride In A Fast Machine
Common Tones In Simple Time
El Dorado - Part I. A Dream Of Gold
El Dorado - Part II. Soledades

Tracks:

Harmonielehre - Part I
Harmonielehre - Part II The Anfortas Wound
Harmonielehre - Part III Meister Eckhardt And Quackie
Violin Concerto - Part I
Violin Concerto - Part II Chaconne:
Violin Concerto - Part III Toccare

Tracks:

Chamber Sympony - Mongel Airs
Chamber Sympony - Aria With Walking Bass
Chamber Sympony
Hoodo Zephyr - Tundra
Hoodo Zephyr - Dissappointment Lake
Hoodo Zephyr - Hoodo Zephyr
Gnarly Buttons - The Perilous Shore
Gnarly Buttons - Hoe-Down (Mad Cow)
Gnarly Buttons - Put Your Loving Arms Around Me

Tracks:

Ensemble - I Was Looking At The Ceiling And Then I Saw The Sky
A Sermon On Romance
Consuelo's Dream
Mike's Song About Arresting A Particular Individual
Tiffany's Solo
Song About The On-Site Altercation
Song About The Bad Boys And The News
Your Honor My Client He's A Young Black Man
Leila's Song; Alone (Again Or At Last)
Three Weeks And Still I'm Outta My Mind
Crushed By The Rock I Been Standing On
Dewain's Song Of Liberation And Surprise
!Este Pais! / This Country
One Last Look At The Angel In Your Eyes
Finale

Tracks:

Lollapalooza
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Judah To Ocean
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Toot Nipple
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Dogjam
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Rag The Bone
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Habenera
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Stubble Crotchet
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Hammer & Chisel
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Alligator Escalator
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Judah To Ocean (Reprise)
Slonimsky's Earbox

Tracks:

Harmonium - Negative Love
Harmonium - Becuase I Could Not Stop For Death
Harmonium - Wild Nights
Shaker Loops - Shaking and Trambling
Shaker Loops - Hymning Slews
Shaker Loops - Loops and Verses
Shaker Loops - A Final Shaking

Tracks:

The Chairman Dances - Foxtrot For Orchestra
Grand Pianola Music - First Movement
Grand Pianola Music - Second Movement
Grand Pianola Music - Third Movement: On The Dominant Divide
Fearful Symmetries

Tracks:

Nixon In China - Opening
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Landing Of The Spirit Of '76
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Cheers
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Opening
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -

Tracks:

The Wound-Dresser
Christian Zeal And Activity
Five Songs - Thoreau
Five Songs - Down East
Five Songs - Cradle Song
Five Songs - At The River
Five Songs - Serenity
Eros Piano

Amazon.com

Having earned his composing stripes after the 1960s, John Adams had the pioneering work of Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Terry Riley close at hand as he ventured into his trade. And, while minimalism's historical continuum helps place Adams, he used Reich, Glass, and Riley (among others) only as a starting point. And here's proof: a 10-CD retrospective of nearly all Adams's recorded compositions on Nonesuch Records, the label that also issued Steve Reich 1965-1995 and Kronos Quartet: 25 Years. Adams's Harmonium, a choral work of startling energy and effervescence, appears here in a new recording, as do distillations of both The Death of Klinghoffer and Nixon in China, two path-clearing operas. Over the span of a career covered by Earbox, Adams has returned minimalism to traditional instrumental ensembles as well as to projects that at once advanced a political commentary and took that commentary back to orchestral audiences. And so, in far less time than his predecessors, Adams created works that now play like standard repertoire pieces: The Wound Dresser and Shaker Loops and the Violin Concerto--all of them are here. What these works demonstrate is a fierce creativity on the one hand and perhaps a hunger for commercial advances on the other. Adams may at times be a bustling free thinker, but he sounds ever conscious of what audiences are listening to. As for the works themselves, they remain every bit as daunting as when written.

Some may object to particular selections. I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky, for example, hardly ranks with Adams's best work. But this box isn't a mere best-of; it's an almost-all-of. At times terrifically American--especially in the news-aware operas and their narrative pragmatism--Adams well deserves a major box set, and its coverage is appropriate to his varied, stylistically diverse output. As with any large-scale retrospective, Earbox--which fairly bristles with Adams's new composition, Slonimsky's Earbox--has spots where fans might balk at the quality of the composer's writing. But it's got a fantastic accompanying booklet along with its many hours of inarguably modern and thoroughly listener-friendly music. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Moved to tears.......2004-03-18

Never before in my life was i moved so intensely and directly by classical music. I put the first cd in my player and a few minutes later tears are flowing. I find myself dancing and moving to a rythm i already seem to know. Wow, i just have to share that.

Nonesuch delivers.Again.......2002-11-27

John adams is one of the most popular living composers of"modern" classical music[I believe the cutoff point, though arbitrary is usually WWII}.I came to him late, through my husband. Modersn classical music , I said? What the hell is that?My husband kept playing bits and pieces of adams for me, and more and more i found myself amazed. and swayed. His operas have been groundbreaking{Nixon in China} controversial{Death Of klinghoffer},his compostions sublimely beautiful{shaker Loops or harmonium].HIS STATURE IS WORTHY THEN OF SUCH A MONUMENTAL CAREER SPANNING BOX SET.This 10 disc set[great value, again from NONESUCH}encompasses Adams' entire career,and though there are some misses here{I was looking at the ceiling and then i saw the sky doesnt quite fit},it is still magnificent. the Highlights are ,{for me} the Wound Dresser, Chamber symphony,Violin Concerto, of course, Shaker Loops and Harmonuim are wonderful. The true jewels here are Nixon in China,the Chairman dances and the Death of Klinghoffer,which is simply a masterpiece. The set comes with a wonderful book, which contains essay's by Robert Hurwitz {An Uncommon Man}renaud Machart[John adams as seen from europe} and Essays before an earbox by Adams himself.A Chronology and dicography are included. A wonderful study of an American original,worth the investment, Highly highly recommended

harmonia in excelsis.......2001-11-12

I must agree with Mr. Bartlett, particularly with regard to "Ceiling." It may well be because his Violin Concerto and Harmonielehre are so powerful. 4.5 stars.
Interesting, and likely intentional, is that two names in the extensive liner book fail to mention two great and glaringly obvious precursors: Carl Orff and Raymond Scott. Without "Carmina Burana," there would be no "Harmonium." Orff has his mark all over Adams's gifted and epic compositions. Similarly, though there are glib references to "cartoon music," the polymath engineer/musician Scott is a seminal figure in American music, and casts a large shadow over the witty juxtapositions and sense of play one loves in Adams's work. In all, an excellent career overview.

Our greatest living composer.......2001-07-22

As a composer, I'm staggered that anyone could fail to be gripped by this music.

That anyone can use the words "spoiled, overrated" amazes me. I emphatically disagree with "A music fan"'s review.

I don't think it's "mind-numbing"; I think it's spiritual and exciting. To me it's the most substantial music being created in our times.

I'm really sorry that anyone could fail to enjoy it, and really recommend others to listen for themselves.

Wonderful CD.......2000-04-02

This compilation should turn even the most curmudgeonly listerner into a fan. Beautifully recorded, great notes -- and it's a heck of a bargain!

Average customer rating:

Classics Explained: Rite of Spring
Stravinsky , Rahbari , and Brt Po Brussels
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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