Caliban

Caliban

Editorial Reviews
Rob Weir, Sing Out! Magazine, Oct 1998
a pastiche of Celtic and Scandinavian stylings, which makes for unpredictable twists in the arrangements

Product Description
So the record's a mix of stuff," Lief offers. "I sing one song, 'Jeg Lagde Meg Sa Silde', in my native Norwegian language. It's an old 16th century ballad I've known for many years, which I rearranged for this recording. It's a diversity of ethnic roots really, because we've got everything from a Scottish march, to Irish reels, dance tunes. We've got a Norwegian song, a British murder ballad done acappella, and then we've got some contemporary songs, so it's definitely a cross-section."

Caliban

Caliban,Caliban,Magna Carta,Celtic,Celtic Folk,Folk & Traditional,Int'l & World Music,Ireland,Norway,Pop,Popular Music,Traditional Celtic

Awakening
Average customer rating:

Sixth Album The Best By Far . . .

SO MUCH BETTER!!!!

Awakening
Caliban
Manufacturer: Roadrunner
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hypersensitive

Resistance: Fall Of Man

PlayStation 3 (60GB)

ASIN: B000O76PFI
Release Date: 2007-06-04

Customer Reviews:

Sixth Album The Best By Far . . ........2007-07-23

The fact that I had to order the album from Germany to California was the best $40.dollars spent on good music. Sure I'm a fan, but no U.S. release date for the album has got much Caliban fans unhappy. Anyways, this by far is the best album. The first track is a gear up to beating your chest in as the next three finish you off. Track number nine though I must say can easily be one of the best songs they have ever wrote. The bonus song with Anders of In Flames was a real treat. To be honest, it was hard to really get into Caliban before this album. Much of their albums you will hear on other metalcore albums from Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, and others. This one is unique in many ways. I can't imagine how their next will sound. American metal fans will have to turn their heads when this gets released over here. Good job fellas, Cali loves you guys.

SO MUCH BETTER!!!!.......2007-06-13

This album is SO much better than Opposite From Within, I wouldn't even know where to begin. The songs are not nearly as predictable structurally, the clean & screaming vocals are WAY better, and the production on this album is by far the best Caliban has ever sounded. Keep it up, guys!

Average customer rating:

The Awakening
Caliban
Manufacturer: Roadrunner
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Deliver Us
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Threads of Life

ASIN: B000PA9PHO
Release Date: 2007-07-30

Album Description

Release postponed in the U.S.! 2007 release from the German Death-Core band, unleashed ten years after the band originally formed. They have been a major influence on bands like Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, etc. and continue to break new ground with each release. 12 tracks including 'I Will Never Let You Down', 'I'll Show No Fear' and 'Let Go'. Roadrunner.

Average customer rating:

Caliban not quite Killswitch
Just wanted to clear something up
Caliban "the Great"
Better live
Caliban - Shadow Hearts

Shadow Hearts
Caliban
Manufacturer: Prosthetic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Opposite from Within
The Undying Darkness
Vent
The Split Program, Vol. 2
Small Boy and a Grey Heaven

ASIN: B00007L4P8
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Tracks:

Dark Shadows
Forsaken Horizon
Storm Of Rage
Vicious Circle
Bad Dream
The Seventh Soul
Scream From The Abyss
Detect Your Liberty
Fire Is My Witness
Between The Worlds
A Piece Of My Life

Customer Reviews:

Caliban not quite Killswitch.......2005-04-01

Yes, it's true, Caliban and Killswitch Engage have very similar sounds, but no, Caliban is not better, nor are they any less repetetive. The screaming vocals are almost identical to that of Killswitch, and Booster (Caliban's lead singer) doesn't have anything close to the quality of voice as that of Howard Jones (Killswitch lead). Both being good bands, Caliban is definitely a good buy.

Just wanted to clear something up.......2004-11-06

If any of the people who wrote reviews actually did some research into Caliban, you would know that Andy only does the screaming, and it is one of the guitarists who actually does the clean vox. Nice try though. Overall the album is a metal masterpiece. It is very heavy, yet does not compare to the sheer brutal sound of the likes of Norma Jean. It is an album that fans of any genre of metal can listen to and enjoy. Their newest release entitled "the opposite from within" is the best album to date, but all are great works of metal and should be experienced by any metal head.

Caliban "the Great".......2004-02-14

You must have this album and you must have their first full lenght album A Small Boy and Grey Heaven. They deserve support !!!!

Caliban rocks.

Better live.......2003-08-14

I saw this band live and was blown away. Immediately, I picked this CD up from them. All I have to say is that I was highly disappointed. The songs are good and have great potential, but the entire disc was horribly recorded. They definitely needed to boost the guitar levels on this album. I could barely make out what they were playing.

Caliban - Shadow Hearts.......2003-06-07

Ok, to start off, im just going to tell everyone that Caliban is one of the greatest metal bands around. Thats not just my opinion, you can listen for yourself. Their guitar riffs are awesome. they are fast all the way up until they break down into a slow, intense, metal mosh. Andy is the best singer/screamer out of every metal band. he can sing and hit notes that some singers cant reach. and he screams so amazingly good that you listen to the songs over and over again. the songs on Shadow Hearts are very, very good. "Forsaken Horizon" is the first single off of Shadow Hearts. it is one of the best songs on the album. If you like Caliban's Shadow Hearts, then youll definatley like their other albums just as much, Vent is a very good album and A Small Boy and A Grey Heaven is just as good. Go out and bye these albums, you wont be disappointed!!!

Average customer rating:

Not a KSE rip off people!!
ok..
Some good solid metalcore
A temporary solution for insomnia?
Germany's best kept metalcore secret, may leave you wondering Killswitch Engage who?

Opposite from Within
Caliban
Manufacturer: Abacus
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Antigone

ASIN: B0002Y4TSI
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Tracks:

Beloved and the Hatred
Goodbye
I've Sold Myself
Stand Up
Senseless Fight
Stigmata
Certainty... Corpses Bleed Cold
My Little Secret
One of These Days
Salvation
Diary of an Addict
100 Suns

Customer Reviews:

Not a KSE rip off people!!.......2007-01-11

To the people who think that Caliban took a look at KSE's playbook and ripped them off, you need to do your homework. Caliban RELEASED their self-titled debut in 1998. It was most likely recorded in 1997, 3 whole years before KSE released their self-titled debut. SO...those people don't now what they are talking about. The Opposite From Within is Caliban's sixth (6th) studio release, and by my count KSE only have four, do the math, it's that simple. Caliban are a very underrated band playing some brutal metalcore that only the German's know how. As far as I'm concerned they are the campions of German metalcore. Awesome, awesome CD buy it, you will not be disappointed. Another sick metalcore band (more emphasis on the METAL, then on the CORE) is Cataract. Buy all of their albums as well. Brutally heavy stuff!

ok.........2006-08-10

don't get me wrong here.. im not one of these people saying caliban are a killswitch engage ripoff but.. ever since they sold themselves to roadrunner these german metallers have been doing something thats not really them (or wasn't really them).. theres a fine line between melody and brutality and making the two have just the right balance (killswitch's first two albums did it perfectly).. its not that any of the songs are particuarly bad its just they sound so FAKE.. its like they wrote 2 minutes of heavy stuff and some roadrunner exec. came along and said: 'we need to insert melodic bits with boyband vocals here, here and here'.. and hey presto! we have a caliban album.. and its not just caliban that are guilty because so many metalcore bands are doing it now and none of it sounds very natural (demon hunter's new album is another obvious example).. despite all of that its alright to listen to for a couple of days but im not expecting it to join the likes of tool, gojira, isis, (early) metallica, etc. on my permanant playlist.. theres just nothing particuarly deep about it for a repeated listening experience..

Some good solid metalcore.......2006-06-21

First off and straight to the point this is a very good cd. Caliban are insane, but there is one thing that annoys me and that is f#*kheads that write music reviews about genres they dont even like. WTF!!!! the music is obviosly gonna suck if you don't like metalcore. If your into metalcore then i suggest you have a listen.

A temporary solution for insomnia?.......2005-12-06

After reading all those positive reviews of if like Killswitch Engage, then you'll like Caliban. So I bought the album hoping to hear some similarities of music. Boy was I disappointed! I disgree to the comparison to KsE because they don't even sound remotely similar at all.

After listening to "Opposite from within", I realised that they are trying way too hard to sound metal & should stick to what they do best (not sure if they know); hard rock style nu-metalish songs. The screaming style singing sounds pretty much monotonous throughout the albums. Not sure if he (Andy Dorner)is confused of being in a metal or emo band? (very evident in his voice). I reckon that Denis Schmidt's voice is the preferred sound for this band as it is clear & a lot deeper than Andy's. Then again he's got the voice that's perfect for those hard rock style nu-metalish songs. This can be heard on track #7 "Certainly...corpses bleed cold" & not hard to understand why this song is the best song on the album. Other alright songs are track #1,4 & 5.

I'm giving it 2 stars for creating wicked darkish music. Overall if you require background music or can't get some snooze, I recommend this album.

Germany's best kept metalcore secret, may leave you wondering Killswitch Engage who?.......2005-09-20

Caliban's "The Opposite From Within" is just one of those records that comes along so unexepectedly. Easily matching some of the top metalcore releases of 2004 (most notably Unearth's "The Oncoming Storm" and Killswitch Engage's "The End Of Heartache"), Caliban brings much to the table and completely annihilates a lot of the competition. Caliban doesn't do anything drastically different from the melodic metalcore style we've all grown accustomed to by now, they easily show their musicianship over younger newer bands just cropping up in the scene. Having more than 7 years of being a band under their belt, Caliban offers a record that any fan of the genre will fall in love with. But What surprises me the most is that these guys are relatively unknown, even at a time when Metalcore is at it's Zenith. I could easily see these guys getting the kind of attention Killswitch Engage or As I Lay Dying does. All I can think is that they most be alot bigger in Europe than they are here.

Ok first off, a lot of people are gonna tell you "yea they sound like a german Killswitch Engage", which is kinda true and kinda not. It's true that the two bands share a lot of similarities, most notably their nact for writing beautifully aggressive music, but I wouldn't see much more of a comparison than that. Actually to me, Caliban is much heavier than Killswitch Engage, and much more melodic at times. That may sound almost blastphamous to some (keep in mind I am also a huge KSE fan), but it's entirely true. Caliban shows throughout the entire cd, they can play some of the most blisteringly melodic metalcore around. "The Beloved And The Hatred", the opening track, shows this illustration perfectly. Seemlessly switching between tortured screams, and beautiful melodies, Caliban basically introduces you to what they are about. The clean vocals are actually done by one of the guitar players, not the main vocalist/screamer Andreas (which if anyone has seen the video for "The Beloved And The Hatred" or the band's live show, you would know). Tracks like "Goodbye" and "Senseless Fight" are a couple of my personal favorites, but honestly it's so hard to choose favorite songs on this cd, as I can't really find a bad one on here. Caliban's breakdowns are even pretty interesting, and easily fit in with the beautifully crushing music, and are sure to ensight dance floors everywhere they are played. I constantly find myself listening to this cd entirely, it's just that good. After 4 albums of perfecting their style, Caliban have reached their pinacle with this masterpiece, and I can only see the band going up from here.

If you're a fan of heavy metal or hardcore, then I highly recommend this cd to you. It was easily one of the best records of 2004, and more than a year after it's release I find myself still listening to it just as much as I did right when it came out. If you like any kind of melodic metalcore, especially Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying, I guarantee you'll love these guys. With Metal and Hardcore being so big right now, I wouldn't be surprised if these guys see at least some kind of success. They don't necessarily re-invent the wheel, but with "The Opposite From Within", Caliban definitely perfects it.

Average customer rating:

Things that crawl inside your mind . . . . and sing to you 4ever
An Antti Keisala Comment: Magical
The soundtrack really supports the movie

Prospero's Books

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041VH
Release Date: 1991-11-12

Tracks:

Full Fathom Five
Prospero's Curse
While You Here Do Snoring Lie
Prospero's Magic
Miranda
Tweleve Years Since
Come Unto These Yellow Sands
History Of Sycorax
Come And Go
Cornfield
Where The Bee Sucks
Caliban's Pit
Reconciliation
The Masque

Customer Reviews:

Things that crawl inside your mind . . . . and sing to you 4ever.......2007-03-29

This music will haunt you, it will wander through your dreams. It will sing to you from the dark corners of the night. It will be the ghost at your shoulder whispering of magic things that mortals can only faint imagine. . . Once you let such as this get into your head, it will change your standards for what film music should and could be. It will change them for the far, far better. Only the likes of Howard Shore could come close to this glorious flight of fancy. Oh, for more strange works of wonder such as this! (LOL, this review makes this sound like some sort of wild drug dream! And even so it doesn't come close to what wonders await listeners herein.)

An Antti Keisala Comment: Magical.......2007-03-14

I don't know about your film life, that is I don't know what you demand of films and of film music. But to me a film has to be visual first and not literal, and film music has to somehow attract our imagination and refer to that visual quality. That makes a strong internallay visual cross-reference, as music creates images (impressions) in our mind already on its own. This notion added to the visual space of cinema shapes a possibly unique experience.

So the best composers have a strong visual identity. I don't mean a cinematic identity but the kind which inspires and ultimately makes our mind to refer to time and place when we hear a melody that burns deep into our memory. We attach them to our daily lives, and they not only strengthen our moods, they help to create them. This really shows how powerful music really can be.

Cinema is powerful but in a slightly different way. It isn't like literature or music in which the impressions are highly subjective in the way that we never really see or hear the same passage in the same way twice. This is true of cinema in a peculiarly meta-abstract way, but I suppose you get the point. The point is this: cinema has to refer to something more abstract than just solidify images to stone in our mind. It has to be lucid, at least the cinema I invite to my own life. And Greenaway's cinema is, and the great thing is that Shakespeare's art is, and so is Nyman's.

This I consider Nyman's best work, a work of an artist who works the other way around with directors - his work strengthens and the film strengthens his. This is rare and the collaborative richness of the Greenaway/Nyman axis is even rarer: two genuinely intelligent artists grouped together, both understanding each other.

You might know of the falling apart that happened between the two after this particular album. Tragic for us, as I think Nyman has never really been the same, although his work with Winterbottom is genuinely inspiring. Greenaway has made cinematically inspiring films, but that one dimension is now missing. It is Nyman's ability to refer to that oblivious area in our mind in which the images and the musical impressions meet to shape a coherent experience, both of them intertwining and folding into themselves. "Prospero's Magic" might be the most triumphant piece of music written on the cinematic age. Most of the stuff is Nyman that has been pulled out of its former context to fill the Shakespearean one (more on the film in a comment I wrote about it some time ago) but it works so well it brings tears to my eyes. And "The Masque" is already a fitting end not only to the film but to the partnership that's unmatched.

This is the perfect soundtrack for your life.

With best regards,
AK

The soundtrack really supports the movie.......2004-12-10

I am not a huge fan of all the pieces on this disc, but "Prospero's Magic" will not get out of my head. I don't know what it is about this simple harmonic progression, but it is quite effective. Nyman 's orchestration often creates a tension in otherwise consonant passages.

The scene in the movie where this occurs is just brilliant. Peter Greenaway has this continuous camera shot that keeps rolling to the right and everything is choreographed brilliantly. It is one of my favorite sequences in all of film history.

Average customer rating:

They're not KILLSWITCH rip-offs!
german metalcore originators
Slowly Fading Away
Caliban Engage?
(3.5 stars) Not groundbreaking, but decent nonetheless

The Undying Darkness
Caliban
Manufacturer: Abacus
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000ERU5FO
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Tracks:

Intro
I Rape Myself
Song About Killing
It's Our Burden To Bleed
Nothing Is Forever
Together Alone
My Fiction Beauty
No More 2nd Chances
I Refuse To Keep On Living...
Sick Of Running Away
Moment Of Clarity
Army Of Me (Bjork Cover)
Room Of Nowhere

Customer Reviews:

They're not KILLSWITCH rip-offs!.......2006-11-01

This band is much heavier than killswitch people. Sure they sing the choruses and the songs are somewhat catchy, but KSE are much more mainstream than this band. This album is brutal metal-core at its finest. From track 1 to the last, they don't let up. It is much better than their last cd which I thought was just another metal-core cd. This one is different and it has a little extra something. I love this album and you might too if you'll stop listening to these idiots saying they have ripped KSE off. This band has been around for ten years! They were before KSE. Ilove killswitch as much as the next guy, but I also love CALIBAN and this is a ferocious album that deserves to be heard. Long live METAL-CORE!

german metalcore originators.......2006-08-28

this band has been around since 1996 (before you knew what hardcore was)they were one of the poineering bands in the german hardcore scene. bands like kse are good and all but kse is no aftershock (aftershock the original band of the members who founded kse, adam and strozel and with adams brother toby on vocals). but yea back ta caliban dood. german metalcore originators along with bands like jane, aclys, acme, or any of the other german bands on per koro and lifeforce records back then. get it right people. and yea its not a good as it used to be, what is.

Slowly Fading Away.......2006-08-08

Metalcore is fast becoming an extremely crowded and tired genre. It's a shame when bands who have long been the innovators in the game seem to be simply drifting along with the current trends instead of breaking new ground as they once did. Thus is the case with Caliban, who were once one of the leading bands of the German metalcore scene, and over the last couple years have seen some crossover popularity worldwide. While their last record, 2004's "The Opposite From Within", broke absolutely no new ground, it was an excellent listen and a prime example of the metalcore movement as a whole; Epic, melodic choruses, fierce verses, a slew of chugging breakdowns, plenty of swedish-melodeath riffs, and enough double bass to pound even the heaviest person's chest. Now with virtually every band under the sun immitating this style of music, how would Caliban respond?

Not very well it seems. Well to be fair Caliban owe a bit of their popularity to a band called Killswitch Engage. The record before TOFW, "Shadow Hearts" (arguably their best), while containing a slight bit of melody (done in a very creepy and atmospheric way though, making it light years ahead of how the band does it now), was as fierce as it came. When Caliban decided to move in KSE direction for their last outing (adding a big, epic chorus in almost every song), they pretty much did themselves in. While this formula is tried and true, it basically leaves no room for growth. And it grows old quick. Really quick. Scream the verse, sing the chorus may work well in a few places, but after 12 songs of it, one is going to grow extremely tired. Not to mention no chorus on here is really that great or "epic" (meaning not many will get stuck in your head and make you want to listen again). Most of the time it just feels like the band felt like they should throw in this melodic chorus just because. Not to mention the lyrics are an extreme downward spiral this time around. Granted the lyrics on TOFW weren't exceptional, but at least they seemed more thought out. "Song About Killing?" Are you kidding me? "I Rape Myself?" Is this a joke? If I hadn't heard of this band and I looked at the track list I'd probably immediately guess this was an emo or screamo band. Even if the songs are better than their titles, the lyrics are a big inhibiting aspect of this disc.

Now yes I also do know that Caliban has been around longer than both KSE and AILD (as one previous reviewer wanted to point out, although he got it wrong, KSE formed in 1999 and their first record came out in 2000 through Ferret records, and AILD formed in 2000 releasing an album in 2001 through Pluto Records). Although the record can feel a bit tired and stale in some places, there a few glimmers of hope. "I Rape Myself" and "My Fiction Beauty" are probably the best songs the record has to offer, with their intense verse and big refrains. When the riffs hammer, they definitely hammer as showcased by "Moment Of Clarity" and "song About Killing." The breakdowns are still heavy, and for anyone looking to incite a dance floor, this record will have plenty to offer you in the mosh department. The melodic singing is decent, although nothing special, and in a few select places it actually works quite well.

Overall though "The Undying Darkness" just isn't anything spectacular. Sure if you love metalcore you might find a few songs on here that are promising, but overall Caliban just feels more like immitators instead of innovators now. The only people I can really recommend this as a necessary purchase to are those who either: a) Love metalcore or b) love Caliban. Casual fans just stick with the previous records, because this is absolutely nothing new. It hurts even worse when it feels like some of the songs don't even have the feeling behind them. Could have been a lot better.

Caliban Engage?.......2006-05-22

I have trouble listening to this album; every song sounds near identical to KsE or As I Lay Dying, just not as good. I guess it's actually a pretty solid album, if you don't mind the repetitiveness of the songs and lack of inspiration. Some people may recall that not too long ago, Caliban had their own sound, but this record and the previous have turned them into just another metalcore band.

(3.5 stars) Not groundbreaking, but decent nonetheless.......2006-05-02

In 2004 (or thereabouts), the heavy music scene was already over-saturated with metalcore bands. Now, two years later, a few more bands have sprouted up, and the genre has officially been run into the ground. It's obviously hard for bands to break the mold of other hardcore influenced metal bands, so it's also difficult for the listener to discern between some bands, and tell which ones are good or not. But, on the other hand, I enjoy metalcore and its popularity also has a plus side. Some groups (i.e. Bleeding Through) claim that this is only the current fad, and that it's on its way out the door. But as long as a few new metalcore bands keep popping up, this genre should remain popular for a nice long while to come.

Caliban are one of those bands that bring nothing new to the table. They follow the same blueprint as nearly every heavy metal outfit which is popular at the present time (which means they sound like an almost uncountable number of other groups). Some modern metal bands, like Bullet For My Valentine, stand apart from the rest of the pack by tossing in a few guitar solos, but Caliban don't take this route. The only real way Caliban stands out from other New Wave of American Metal bands that they're German-based. (Here's a tip for you, if you're in a metalcore band looking to make it big: try including an audible bass part or two, a guitar or bass solo, or try making your music more technical and math-y than that of other bands.)

One band this five-piece closely resembles is Killswitch Engage, because nearly every song on Caliban's sixth full length follows the same format (heavy, raging verses continually segueing into big, melodic choruses). So Caliban are definitely not new or fresh, but that doesn't mean can't still be better than most other metalcore bands. Unfortunately, it's apparently quite difficult to improve upon Killswitch Engage's sound. KsE have a singer who is capable of writing poetic lyrics and belting them out with an impressively soulful upper register. Since Caliban don't have this, the melodic parts "Undying Darkness" aren't even greatly catchy, memorable, or all-around impressive. And, with nine out of these twelve songs following the same format, the melodic choruses eventually grow become tired and expected, and get stretched thin.

"Undying Darkness" does offer a few exceptions to this rule of heavy-soft song structures, but not many. The aptly titled "Intro" is a predictably soft first track which just consists of gentle piano keys. And there are two tracks, "Song About Killing" (which is backed by pummeling, blowtorch riffs) and "No More 2nd Chances" (which has a blistering guitar lead, a pick slide, and puking vocals), which are heavy all the way through. This disc could have benefitted from more of these types of songs. Groups like As I Lay Dying make a type of metalcore which is mostly deficient of melody, making it all that more special when there is a song with a melody guitar line or clean-backing vocal refrain. Unfortunately, Caliban are, again, not like this. These songs' verses manage to work up quite a bit of energy, but it's usually just a matter of time before that momentum is slowed down by a soaring chorus.

With all that said, "Undying Darkness" actually makes for a very enjoyable listen. It's held together by hooks, exceptional riffs and all-around strong musicianship, and great excitement. And there are still plenty of good songs on here, and songs which are worth your time and money. "I Rape Myself" puts scorching riffs atop a booming rhythm; "It's Our Burden To Bleed" is a fast, almost buzzsaw onslaught of guitars and drums; "Together Alone" features a thunderous rhythm with machine gun power chords; "My Fiction Beauty" is composed of pounding, cascading riffs; and "Moment Of Clarity," which features a brief cameo by Kreator (who are also a German-based band) singer Miland Petrozza.

So, is "Undying Darkness" innovative? No. Not even close. But is it a bad album? No. Not at all, actually. If you're looking for an exhilarating, catchy, fairly intense album, I don't see why you shouldn't pick this up. Caliban do little to attract the attention of casual metalcore fans, but if you are one, and you happen to stumble upon this C.D., you should almost definitely enjoy it. Just beware that this is the type of record which is best in small doses, so you shouldn't listen to "Undying Darkness" and something like Killswitch Engage's "The End Of Heartache" back-to-back.

Average customer rating:

Even my kid likes this!
Bassoon Me!
Brilliant Bassoonastics
OUTSTANDING QUARTET
Simply fantastic!

Bassoonatics!

Manufacturer: Musica Viva
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000067V1
Release Date: 1998-02-17

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Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: II
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: III
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: IV
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: V
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: VI (Vivace)
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: VII
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: VIII
Little Suite From The Tempest, Op.109: I - Prospero
Little Suite From The Tempest, Op.109: II - Ariel
Little Suite From The Tempest, Op.109: III - Miranda
Little Suite From The Tempest, Op.109: IV - Caliban's Song
Three Postcards: L'ange Verrier
Three Postcards: Faunesse Dansante
Three Postcards: Les Noces Du Duc De Joyeuse
Madrigal
Sonatine No. 1, Op. 67: I - Allegro
Sonatine No. 1, Op. 67: II - Largo
Sonatine No. 1, Op. 67: III - Allegro Moderato
Gigue, K574
Bassoonists' Holiday
I Got Rhythm
I'm In The Mood For Love
Caravan
Oh! Darling
Tango (1940)
Tango (1995)
Youkali
Tango (1984)
Azure

Customer Reviews:

Even my kid likes this!.......2005-11-07

This is an amazing collection of songs, all performed with such skill that even my 8-year-old son likes this CD. Brahms and Beatles, Mozart and Ellington, there is something here for everyone. And thank you, thank you, thank you for "Bassoonist's Holiday."

Bassoon Me!.......2004-08-09

I delight in the bassoon! What a unique and great sound, throaty and thrillingly coarse, yet soaring to sound at times like sax, like oboe, like cello, like a bunch of bassoonatics!

This is delightful collection of musical styles played by this innovative and talented quartet. Choosing to select pieces that are not typically of the bassoon repertoire, we go from Waltz to Gershwin to Broadway to Motzart to Lennon/McCartnye to Sibelius to most of us unknowns such as Mitchell Clarke to Duke Ellington.

All played with passion and gusto and excellent tonality, phrasing and tempo.

Bassoon Me again!

Brilliant Bassoonastics.......2003-09-27

This would have to be the best bassoon ensemble cd on the market. The arrangements are stylish and clever, and the performances brilliant! Fraser Jackson must be the most accomplished contrabassoonist I have ever head. This cd is a must for any bassoonists collection be you amateur or proffessional.

OUTSTANDING QUARTET.......2002-04-14

This disc is really superb!!! Not only is the playing at an extremely high level by the group, the arrangements are also outstanding. The Brahms is abolutely beautiful. The group goes from lightning fingers bravura to sweet soulful singing. It is a joy to listen to again and again.

Simply fantastic!.......2001-10-26

I simply love the Caliban Quartet! They breath new life into bassoons! The way they bring out the music is simply magical. Not only do they sound good, their technical abilities are simply amazing!

Average customer rating:

The Inimitable Sir Thomas

Sibelius: The Tempest; Finlandia; etc.

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DO4Y
Release Date: 1993-11-16

Customer Reviews:

The Inimitable Sir Thomas.......2005-05-02

This 1993 Capitol CD (mine is actually the earlier 1990 EMI "Beecham Collection" edition) is a desirable purchase for both lovers of Sibelius and admirers of Sir Thomas Beecham. The earliest item (1938) is the Finlandia (with the London Philharmonic). This is one of the slowest acccounts I have encountered - and one of the most magical. It's a fascinating contrast to other readings in my collection, which include Rosbaud (DG), Otterloo (Mercury LP), Silvestri (Disky), Barbirolli (EMI), and Collins (Beulah). The other contents here (recorded 1945-1955) are two suites from the incidental music to The Tempest, the Festivo Overture and two other of the Scenes historiques, and the Intermezzo & Alla Marcia from the Karelia Suite. These are all with the Royal Phil. except the Intermezzo (BBC Symphony).

The main item here is Beecham's irresistable account of the Tempest (in a peculiar order of the conductor's own choosing). The only real oddity is Beecham's breathless account of the Karelia march - the fastest I have ever heard.

An indispensable CD from one of the great Sibelius conductors.

Kaija Saariaho: From the Grammar of Dreams

Average customer rating:

Trust me, you want this.
fish the night

Kaija Saariaho: From the Grammar of Dreams

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Kaija Saariaho: Du Cristal...À la Fumée; Sept Papillons, Nymphéa
Kaija Saariaho: Château de l'âme / Graal Théâtre / Amers
Saariaho: Private Gardens / Dawn Upshaw
Kaija Saariaho: Cinq Reflets de L'Amour de Loin; Nymphea Reflection; Oltra Mar
Musik Fur Streichinstrumente

ASIN: B00004ZEBW
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

You Went, Away - Anu Komsi/Jouko Laivuori
Prld - Anu Komsi/Jouko Laivuori
Confession - Anu Komsi/Jouko Laivuori
Postlude - Anu Komsi/Jouko Laivuori
Miranda's Lament - Anu Komsi/Heikki Nikula/Reija Bister/Jukka Rantamaki/Timo Ahtinen/Hannu Lintu
Caliban's Dream - Petteri Salomaa/Heikki Nikula/Heikki Hamalainen/Timo Korhonen/Reija Bister/Timo Ahtinen/Hannu Lintu
From The Grammar Of Dreams: I - Anu Komsi/Piia Komsi
From The Grammar Of Dreams: II - Anu Komsi/Piia Komsi
From The Grammar Of Dreams: III - Anu Komsi/Piia Komsi
From The Grammar Of Dreams: IV - Anu Komsi/Piia Komsi
From The Grammar Of Dreams: V - Anu Komsi/Piia Komsi
It Is Raining - Anu Komsi/Reija Bister
Farewell - Anu Komsi/Hanna Juutilainen/Timo Korhonen
The Grammar Of Dreams - Anu Komsi/Riika Rantanen/Hanna Juutilainen/Helja Raty/Reija Bister/Tuula Riisalvo...
Vista - Anu Komsi/Helja Raty/Timo Korhonen/Jukka Rantamaki/Tomas Djupsjobacka

Customer Reviews:

Trust me, you want this........2005-09-04

I loved this recording. Anu Komsi, the soprano in 14 of the
15 tracks, has one of those voices that are a real thrill to
hear. Her voice is pure, with a full-throated presence
that just grabs your attention. Also, her intonation is superb, and
her phrasing is always ideal from a purely musical point of view, even
in the most difficult passages, with never an ugly note. At the same
time, her diction is quite fine in four languages, and her nuances
respect their natural rhythms, so that it is quite easy to be drawn
into the poems. Hannu Lintu's conducting is rhythmically taut and
unaffected, and the other performers are likewise flawless, as is the
recorded sound.

Voice with small instrumental ensemble is one of the best media for
expressing musical ideas about tone color, for the texts give point to
the unusual combinations of sound, the instruments are at their most
characteristic, and the essential aspects of music are emphasized --
melody, counterpoint, rhythmic variation. As such, the music on this
disk is more appealing to me than much of Saariaho's orchestral music,
which can get repetitive in its rhythms and thick in texture, and also
somewhat static. My favorite piece here is Miranda's Lament, which
enters into a sound world similar to Debussy's Sonata for Flute,
Viola, and Harp, and seems along with its companion piece to perfectly
recreate the mysterious mood of Shakespeare's Tempest. Yet every piece
here is excellent, and I cannot say with confidence which is truly best
or worst. This was chosen Record of the Year by the Finnish Broadcasting
Company, and proves that somebody there has taste.

fish the night.......2003-06-30

I loooooove Saariaho, but I couldn't get into this album the first few times I listened to it. The main reason is that I personally loathe the sound of the human voice in constructions such as lieder, or "songs", etc. And apparently Saariaho's early compositions were vocal ones. Now, her case is different. Her use of the voice in mostly sonic environments is really sublime, like the vocal techniques used in Maa, her ballet piece. So, I thought, what the hell? This must be good too. Unfortunately, the pieces on this CD are composed for traditional instruments, guitar, flute, harp, etc. and must represent some new trend in S.'s music. However, I gave it another chance and it is slowly growing on me, even the songs in English, which is a terrible language for such things anyhoo, methinks. Now I can say that it was worth purchasing it, as all of S.'s works are.

Average customer rating:

Thank you CBC
Best bassoon quartet ever!

Feast
Bill Douglas , and The Caliban Quartet of Bassoonists
Manufacturer: Northern Lights
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sky
Bassoonatics!

ASIN: B00005N6LH
Release Date: 2001-07-24

Tracks:

Feast
Banana
Farewell to Stromness
Highland
Steppin' Out With My Baby
Tango Melancolico
Funk for Spain
Powerhouse
Yesnaby Ground
Emigrant's Farewell
Valstango
Odes to the Americas: I Good Times
Odes to the Americas: II Blue Souls
Odes to the Americas: III With You I Dance
Jewel
Bassango
Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals

Customer Reviews:

Thank you CBC.......2007-07-15

Often I listen to Canadian radio, for a different perspective on news and entertainment, and they play a lot of Canadian musicians which I otherwise wouldn't get to hear. Case in point, the marvelous Caliban Bassoon Quartet from Toronto, which was featured earlier this week. I've always loved the bassoon, with its expressive and harmonically complex voice (Lindsay Cooper of Henry Cow, Brian Guilland of Gryphon, Susan Nigro). So deep joy to be introduced to a whole quartet of talented bassoonists, "playing all the good parts" where "you can never be sure who it is playing the lead at any one time." There's even a contrabassoon in most of the tracks, a wonderfully weird instrument which sounds like a phlegmatic goose with congestive pneumonia! Add piano and percussion to most tracks and you have a thoroughly entertaining disc.

Best bassoon quartet ever!.......2001-10-26

The second CD by the Caliban Quartet is a "must-get" CD for bassoon lovers! The music in this album is very different unlike their first album. We get to hear the voices behind the beautiful instruments! I've to say my favourite track in this CD is Bill Douglas' "Jewel".

Music Review:

Music Review

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