Mysteries

Mysteries

Track Listings

1. Mysteries of Science

2. Lord Franklin

3. Little Cowboy's Lullaby

4. Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father

5. August of Our Years

6. Music to Me

7. Hard Times (Come Again No More)

8. Years That Come to Pass

9. It's Only a Paper Moon

10. Willy O'Winsbury

11. You Just Believe

Tracks:

The Man from Snowy River (Bruce Rowland)
The Winds of War (Bob Cobert)
Blue Velvet (Angelo Badalamenti)
Witness (Maurice Jarre)
Raising Arizona (Carter Burwell)
Pee Wees Big Adventure (Danny Elfman)
Halloween (John Carpenter)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (Charles Bernstein)
The Fly (Howard Shore)
RoboCop (Basil Poledouris)
The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams)
The Right Stuff (Bill Conti)
The Final Conflict (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Abyss (Alan Silvestri)
Brainstorm (James Horner)
Peggy Sue Got Married (John Barry)
My Left Foot (Elmer Bernstein)
The Dead (Alex North)
Stanley & Iris (John Williams)
The Milagro Beanfield War (Dave Grusin)
Driving Miss Daisy (Hans Zimmer)

Tracks:

Steel Magnolias (Georges Delerue)
Unforgiven (Lennie Niehaus and Clint Eastwood)
Raggedy Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Grifters (Elmer Bernstein)
Green Card (Hans Zimmer)
City Slickers (Marc Shaiman)
Father Of The Bride (Alan Silvestri)
While You Were Sleeping (Randy Edelman)
Babe (Nigel Westlake)
The Adventures Of The Great Mouse Detective (Henry Mancini)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Laurence Rosenthal)
The Secret Garden (Zbigniew Preisner)
A Little Princess (Patrick Doyle)
Rudy (Jerry Goldsmith)
Iron Will (Joel McNeely)
Memphis Belle (George Fenton)
Eye Of The Needle (Mikl)
Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
Back To The Future Part III (Alan Silvestri)

Tracks:

To Die For (Danny Elfman)
The Player (Thomas Newman)
Black Robe (Georges Delerue)
Medicine Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
2001 (Alex North)
Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Joel McNeely)
The Crow (Graeme Revell)
Blade (Mark Isham)
The Omen (Jerry Goldsmith)
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)
Scream (Marco Beltrami)
The Sixth Sense (James Newton Howard)
Xena: Warrior Princess (Joseph LoDuca)
Air Force One (Jerry Goldsmith)
Starship Troopers (Basil Poledouris)
The Matrix (Don Davis)
The Iron Giant (Michael Kamen)
Youve Got Mail (George Fenton)
A Little Romance (Georges Delerue)
Pleasantville (Randy Newman)

Tracks:

Sunset Boulevard (Franz Waxman)
L.A. Confidential (Jerry Goldsmith)
Rounders (Christopher Young)
The Score (Howard Shore)
The Replacements (John Debney)
Gone In 60 Seconds (Trevor Rabin)
The Bourne Identity (John Powell)
Rush Hour 2 (Lalo Schifrin)
XXX (Randy Edelman)
Die Hard (Michael Kamen)
The Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones)
Moby Dick (Christopher Gordon)
The Mists Of Avalon (Lee Holdridge)
Cleopatra (Alex North)
Life As A House (Mark Isham)
Emma (Rachel Portman)
In The Bedroom (Thomas Newman)
Cast Away (Alan Silvestri)
One True Thing (Cliff Eidelman)
Unfaithful (Jan A.P. Kaczmarek)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Ice Age (David Newman)
Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell)

Customer Reviews:

A good value.......2007-05-17

I wasn't expecting to have 4 discs for this price, and the music is a quality selection of film music, giving a good scope of the genre, and a very listenable transfer.

The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann.......2006-07-25

This collection is bound to capture your heart and evoke a tin ear on successive tracks. I found much to like and some duds - easy to skip over.
Very good value.

Good mix of film music.......2006-07-02

Good mix of films!
I'm a big fan of this soundtrack music and will be looking for more CD's like this.

A mixed collection of movie music.......2006-02-23

For the price, this CD is a great bargain. The musical selections, as you might expect, are mixed in quality ranging from extraordinary to so so, the balance being worthwhile and interesting. Sonically the CD is excellent.

Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens.......2006-01-06

I have been listening to great scores for many years and this collection is truly inspirational in so far as the choice of different scores takes you on a journey of listening pleasure matched by only a few collections.The price is incredibly reasonable for hours of listening pleasure. Don't pass this one up

Average customer rating:

Mysteries of the Light
The power of the Rosary...
The best CD!
A Must Have CD to Pray the Rosary

The Rosary (The Mysteries of Light)
Robert Kochis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Rosary [2 Cd Set]
Prayer of the Church/ The Rosary
May Angels Welcome You/ Catholic
The Rosary
The Best of Robert & Robin Kochis

ASIN: B00009NRO6
Release Date: 2003-04-10

Tracks:

Ave Maria/ Opening Prayers
1st Decade (The Baptism of the Lord) / Come to the Water
2nd Decade (The Wedding Feast at Cana) / Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest
3rd Decade (The Proclamation of the Kingdom)/ Blest Are They
4th Decade (The Transfiguration)/ O God of Loveliness
5th Decade (The Institution of the Eucharist)/ Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All
Hail Holy Queen (prayer)/ Salve Regina
Immaculate Mary
O Sanctissima
Hail Mary, Gentle Woman
Hail Holy Queen
Mother Dear, O Pray for Me
The Magnificat (Holy Is His Name)
Hail Queen of Heaven

Album Description

INCLUDES ALL 20 DECADES OF THE ROSARY!!! Pope John Paul II declared 2003 the Year of the Rosary and announced a new set of decades to meditate on while praying the Rosary - they Luminous mysteries, also known as the Mysteries of Light. This 2-disc CD contains all 20 mysteries - each preceded by a scripture meditation or short reflection, with instrumental background by David Phillips. One verse of a hymn is sung at the conclusion of each decade. Following the Rosary is medley of cherished Marian hymns including: Immaculate Mary * O Sanctissima * Hail Mary, Gentle Woman * Hail Holy Queen * Mother Dear, O Pray For Me * Holy is His Name * Hail Queen of Heaven. The same price as a single CD, this 2-disc set is a real value and a great way to inhance your prayer experience.

Customer Reviews:

Mysteries of the Light.......2005-05-11

I love this CD! I use it for my Rosary group each month and find it to be soothing, inspiring and gives us all alot of Hope knowing the Blessed Mother intercedes for us. I highly recommend this CD.

The power of the Rosary..........2005-04-25

I recently had a family crisis which left me numb and anxious. Robert's CD focussed my energies on praying the Rosary instead of worrying about my problems. And, of course, the Blessed Mother interceded for me and helped to get things back on track. If we could re-direct all of our negative energies on prayer, life would be instantly improved.

The best CD!.......2005-04-05

This CD is a must for those who are familiar and unfamiliar with the Rosary. I play it and pray daily with my 6 year old grand-daughter. It has been an invaluable teaching tool. Robert's voice is so soothing. It helps us all to relax and meditate upon our day.

I wake to the CD in the morning also and start my day praying the Rosary to their angelic voices. It is the best way to start the day. No loud music, bad news and bad weather or traffic reports for me.

I have given several copies to friends and some family members this year who have found peace in their last days. Just before their passing on to heaven they said they felt so much more closer to God after praying to this CD.

We use his CD for our Rosary group on Sunday morning once a month. That's where I was introduced to the work of this great artist!

I hope I have met your guideline reviews. I'm not very good with words.

A Must Have CD to Pray the Rosary.......2003-10-31

I'm a non-catholic and recently taught myself to pray the Rosary. The CD is absolutely magnificent. Robert Kochis and Helena Buscema alternate reciting the msyteries. Each mystery is followed by song. A must for those who can use a little assistance to pray the Rosary. I've prayed daily while using the CD. Excellent for car use as well. Perfect for guided meditation. While the CD contains the Mysteries of Light versus the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries, I still find it an excellent purchase.

Beyond Chant: Mysteries Of The Renaissance

Average customer rating:

Great literature... but thats about it
Essential listening.
Captivating!
Lofty music
Slow down Maestro !

Beyond Chant: Mysteries Of The Renaissance

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Voices Of Ascension: From Chant To Renaissance
The Greatest Choral Music of Palestrina: Prince of Music
Duruflé: Requiem Op.9/Messe Cum Jubilo,Op.11
Josquin Desprez: Motets & Chansons
Mysteries Beyond: Songs and Chants in Praise of Mary

ASIN: B0000006ZN
Release Date: 1994-05-23

Tracks:

Sicut Cervus
Ave Maria
Justorum Animae
Jesu Rex admirabilis
Exultate Deo
Exultate Justi
Jesu,Dulcis Memoria
Ave Verum Corpus
Psalm 90
Psalm 96
Hodie Christus Natus Est
O Maria Virgo Pia
Tu Pauperum Refugium
O Sacrum Convivium
If Ye Love Me,Keep My Commandments
Hosanna To The Son Of David
O Quam Gloriosum
Selig sind die Toten
Heu Nos Miseros
Exaltabo Te
O Sing Joyfully
O Magnum Mysterium
Laudate Nomen
Cantate Domino

Amazon.com

Go right to the first track and prepare for one of the most masterful and stylish performances of Palestrina that you'll ever hear. It's not flashy music nor is the singing especially virtuosic, but the unified phrasing, ideal balance among sections, and overall ensemble technique is impressive, and Palestrina's little motet simply opens and displays itself like a beautiful flower. The rest of the program, which includes a variety of beautiful flowers from composers such as Josquin, Sweelinck, and Tallis, maintains the same standard. Anyone looking for an introduction to Renaissance sacred choral music will find much here to encourage further exploration--standards like Byrd's "Ave verum corpus" and Victoria's "O magnum mysterium"-- and lesser known tiny masterpieces such as Victoria's "Jesu, dulcis memoria." The Voices of Ascension ranks with the world's finest choirs, and this recording reflects both the highest standard of choral singing and the highest standard of choral composition during the Renaissance. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Great literature... but thats about it.......2007-06-17

This cd was mildly dissapointing, to say the least. The literature is fantastic. Some of the greats are featured on here with some of their best works. No doubt a great taste of the Renaissance, especially for someone new to it. However, I'm sorry to say that the performance is second-rate, at best. Dennis Keene apparently is either unaware, or just simply understudied when it comes to the Renaissance. He shows an incredible lack of messa di voce, which was what drove the counterpoint of the Renaissance. His interpretations rob this music of its deeply personal purpose. I would suggest the Hilliard Ensemble over any ensemble for Renaissance literature, and find it dissapointing that so many people praise such emotionless, understudied Renaissance ensembels such as the Voices of Ascension, the Tallis Scholars, and the Oxford Camerata, just to name a few. Very good literature... But always pick the Hilliard Ensemble or Anthony Rooley's Consort of Musike when you have the option. It seems like Paul Hillier and Anthony Rooley are the only two true Renaissance scholars currently conducting ensembles.

Essential listening........2007-03-05

This was my first CD of Renaissance choral music, as it undoubtably has been for a great many people. It offers the best possible introduction to the genre for 2 main reasons: 1. No other CD of Renaissance choral music contains such a varied cross-section of early to late Renaissance sacred music styles. 2. The performance and recording quality are fabulous.

Keene uses a variety of different voicings and numbers of singers according to the needs of each particular piece, sometimes with only 2 on a part. The ensemble heard on this recording is a select professional core of The Voices Of Ascension, one of the best choral groups in the country. The voices are all very rich and resonant, and the intonation through the entire CD is unquestionably on par with the best in the world. The singing is, for the most part, completelly vibratoless and extremely smooth, which creates a gorgeous purity that allows this music to shine. However, it does become strident at times, which may put off some choral conductors who are strongly against straight-tone singing.

Of particularly high quality and beauty are the Viadana "Exultate Justi", Byrd's "Ave Verum Corpus", Tallis' "O Sacrum Convivium", and the Victoria and Sweelinck pieces. Another extraordinary track is Leonardo Leo's "Heu Nos Miseros", a late Baroque piece included because of its influence from earlier styles. It is a 9 part double choir piece full of extravigant dissonances and emotion, performed breathtakingly.

Captivating!.......2006-04-12

I was christened as a choral music fan once, as a college student, I heard the music of the Cambridge Singers. Inundated with classical music for years, how could I never have heard such music?! It was as if my musical senses were born anew: for it was with the same awe as a child encountering the world for the first time, that I discovered this novel and fascinating world of a cappella choral music. There were landmark discoveries along the way: Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge; Concordia Choir; St. Olaf Choir; the Dale Warland Singers; the Kansas City Chorale; Kantorei; the West Coast Mennonite Chamber Singers...and (as you expected!) I must end with the Voices of Ascension. The clarity of their pure voices can only be paralleled by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. Chant haters, do not avoid this CD - you will find no chants here! Chants hold absolutely NO intrigue for me and I cannot endure listening to them for long periods of time. By contrast, this music, aptly named "Beyond Chant," truly does uncover hidden musical treasures of the Renaissance for those who would ordinarily avoid such music. The intricately woven a cappella harmonies are captivating and satisfying. I highly recommend this CD to all choral music fans.

Lofty music.......2005-10-14

Some of the earliest pieces of Christian music are the various kinds of chant. These hearken back to synagogue singing; there were various kinds of chant, including Gregorian, Old Roman, Mozarabic, Cistercian and Anglican chant. These tend toward the monophonic, singing with a single 'tune' or lone. They are generally without regular beats or set meters. However, in the Renaissance, monophonic chant grew into a polyphonic form, and this is one of the most glorious eras of music. (My shelves at home are filled with CDs of this sort.) Composers in this era include many represented on this disc - Palestrina, Desprez, Victoria, Lassus, Byrd, Gibbons and Tallis were some of the leading lights of the time. Lesser known but still glorious include Tye, Viadana, Sweelinck, Hassler, Batten and Schutz.

One of the interesting features of this disc is that it includes three pieces by Sweelinck, two psalm settings and 'Hodie Christus Natus Est'. (Sweelinck is very under-represented in recording and performance today). Some pieces are very well known - Byrd's 'Ave Verum Corpus' is perhaps one of the most familiar pieces from this period, as is Palestrina's 'Exultate Deo'. This is a collection that draws from the breadth of the Western Christian tradition of music from this time, with composers from Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Spain.

The composers here wrote liturgical music for Masses and other worship services, as well as other pieces - motets and other kinds of new music. This disc represents music that is two or three steps removed from plainsong and basic forms of chant - some are quite a bit distant. Viadana's composition for 'Exultate Justi', for example, was actually composed later, and despite being done in a more Renaissance style, shows decided influences of the Baroque (this might also be part of the performance of the Voices of the Ascension that gives this impression).

The Voices of Ascension, under the direction of Dennis Keene, grew out of the choir of the Church of the Ascension in New York City. Many of the singers are active soloists in addition to being part of this group (whose numbers vary, but often around 40). Keene is a conductor, organist and teacher (not an uncommon combination). Trained at Juilliard, he has led the Voices of Ascension through many outstanding recordings and performances.

This is a performance that is definitely uplifting, and a good collection of music in its breadth to introduce the glories of Renaissance polyphony to those who with little exposure to it. The recording quality is very good, and the choir is quite full and well suited for the music. Some have commented upon the tempo, but this was not a concern for me, and did not stand out as unusual or a problem upon listening (indeed, there were a few points at which I might wish for it to be a bit faster, rather than slower).

A collection that soars!

Slow down Maestro !.......2004-01-04

Another reviewer writing about another album by Dennis Keene wrote:

"Yet the performance is not the slowly flowing honey usually served up by, say, the Tallis Scholars (as good as that is). Particularly in the Gloria and Credo of the Mass, Dennis Keene deliberately de-emphasizes the rise and fall of the different voices' lines in favor of a more naturally speech-like declamation of the long Latin texts. This means a surprisingly fast tempo--and some rhythmic spring and syncopation one might not expect in Palestrina. Some (not all) of the motets get a similar treatment: it works well in joyous pieces like the Pentecost motet Dum complerentur, but listeners might miss that melodic rise and fall in some of the slower works. The singers of Voices of Ascension are quite skillful, and the slight edge in their tone helps make the different melodies unusually audible. Very worthwhile, but not your father's Palestrina."

As a matter of fact, I used to like this album quite much although it was certainly not my favorite. That was until I listened to Robert shaw's "O Magnum Mysterium", which is amedley of Renaissance, negro spiritual, Russian and Western contemporary religious music. I was struck by Shaw's profoundly spiritual interpretation of the pieces by Victoria and Tallis that are also recorded on "Beyond Chant".

From then on I could no longer listen to this cd without feeling feeling increasingly dissatisfied. I tried to find a precise reason and not being a music specialist I was quite at a loss until I found the review above. Maybe the quick tempo is the key to my dislike.

I definitely feel that Dennis Keene and his singers do not have the depth of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers although the booklet accompanying the cd claims that the audience was spellbound by their performance, which took place in a cathedral in New York.

Customer Reviews:

Ah, the early nineties.......2006-01-21

Heh. Anyway, if you can get past that, the music on this album is pretty good, especially Keep The Candle Burning and That's The Way It's Meant To Be. Again: Highly Recommended.

Sing your songs, Point of Grace!.......2005-04-14

It's a fact: Some CDs simply never get old. Count Point of Grace's LIFE, LOVE & OTHER MYSTERIES among these classics.

After nearly 10 years, Point of Grace's third album still remains their best and most timeless creation. Here, the girls have created a diverse sound that explores pop, rock, gospel, soul, and tender ballads.

The album's title track opens with a simple, beautifully-harmonized reminder of God's omnipotence. The soulful, gospel-tinged "Keep the Candle Burning" reminds listeners to remain faithful during times of hardship. Catchy "That's the Way It's Meant to Be" affirms the awesomeness of God's plan.

Also well-harmonized, "Gone Are the Dark Days" and "You Are the Answer" are a powerful, soaring pair of songs that rejoice in God's redemptive powers.

Point of Grace also manages to create gentle, moving ballads. "Jesus Doesn't Care" is a reminder that forgiveness is always available to humanity. "God Forbid" exalts God's power and urges His children to fear and respect Him. Point of Grace pays tribute to Jesus's faithful disciples in "Any Road, Any Cost." The album's final track, "Circle of Friends," celebrates the day when friends can meet in Heaven.

Consider LIFE, LOVE & OTHER MYSTERIES a worthwhile investment. After all, how many CDs never lose their novelty after 10 years in a CD player?

"YOU ARE THE ANSWER AND THE MEANING OF LIFE".......2004-04-19

Point of Grace has been a staple in Christian music since their debut in 1993 and with faith hope and the love of God they continue to be one of the most powerful Christian bands of all time and still continues to be a favorite among young and old alike. On their third cd life love and other mysteries Point of Grace shows their affection and love of God through their souls out to their fans. The cd's rock fused title track {which recieved limited airplay on christian stations} tells us that not only if you believe in yourself and no other person God will be your friend and help you in times of need. Then comes the powerful Keep the candle burning which is a beautiful ballad about even though some goals are hard to achieve you have to believe with a steady heart. Be sure to listen for the aweome guitar solo. The album's third single You are the answer {The first song i liked from life love and other mysteries} is a Clay Aikenish type song with inspirational lyics and a message that tells us that if we can believe in anything God will be the answer to all our questions {You are the answer is the song where the title of my review is from}. In addition to more great songs not to mention a GREAT cover of Earth wind and fire's sing a song there is also a advertisement for Mercy Ministries a charity that provides homes and money for poor children and family in a space of their own for free and also a order form to order Point Of Grace merchandise. The follow up cd Steady On is very good but it doesn't compare to life love and other mysteries.(...)

Awesome CD!.......2004-01-14

A former girlfriend gave me this CD (without it's case or artwork) 2 years ago. I put it in my CD player & it was great! The group really swings on every song. In other words there's not a bad song on the whole CD. In fact I liked it so much I bought every CD the group has made since including this one as I wanted the CD artwork.

Yep, this CD is a definite winner. I always play it all the way through. You want a group that praises the Lord? Then get this one. You won't go wrong.

Life, Love and Other Mysteries.......2003-09-30

I love this album. They have beautiful voices. My favorite songs are "That's the way it's meant to be", "Any road, any cost" and "Life, love, and other mysteries." They really have a genius for creating songs that touch you where you are! Oh, and the song "God forbid" was especially beautiful. There were only one or two songs I was disappointed with, "Gone are the dark days" and "Sing a song".
In short, I recommend this album to anyone who likes beautiful harmonies and sometimes fun, sometimes very emotional songs.

The Ligeti Project I: Melodien / Chamber Concerto / Piano Concerto / Mysteries of the Macabre - Schönberg Ensemble / ASKO Ensemble / Reinbert de Leeuw

Average customer rating:

Great Project, great CD.
A Brilliant Recording of Some of Ligeti's Finest Works
Current Favorite
A collection of excellent chamber works
A good mixture of Ligeti works

The Ligeti Project I: Melodien / Chamber Concerto / Piano Concerto / Mysteries of the Macabre - Schönberg Ensemble / ASKO Ensemble / Reinbert de Leeuw
Reinbert De Leeuw , and Schonberg Ensemble
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Ligeti Project II: Lontano / Atmosphères / Apparitions / San Francisco Polyphony / Concert Românesc - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Jonathan Nott
The Ligeti Project III: Cello Concerto / Clocks & Clouds / Violin Concerto / Síppal, Dobbal, Nádihegedüvel
The Ligeti Project IV: Hamburg Concerto (Horn Concerto) / Double Concerto / Ramifications / Requiem
György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet

ASIN: B000059QW8
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

Melodien - Schonberg Ens/Reinbert De Leeuw
Chm Con: I. Corrente (Fliessend) - Schonberg Ens/Reinbert De Leeuw
Chm Con: II. Calmo, Sostenuto - Schonberg Ens/Reinbert De Leeuw
Chm Con: III. Movimento Preciso E Meccanico - Schonberg Ens/Reinbert De Leeuw
Chm Con: IV. Presto - Schonberg Ens/Reinbert De Leeuw
Pno Con: I. Vivace Molto Ritmico E Preciso - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Pno Con: II. Lento E Deserto - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Pno Con: III. Vivace Cantabile - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Pno Con: IV. Allegro Risoluto, Molto Ritmico - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Pno Con: V. Presto Luminoso - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Mysteries Of The Macabre - Peter Masseurs

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

This first of a projected five-disc series of Ligeti's music is a perfect introduction to the sound-world of the man who is arguably our greatest living composer. It opens with Melodien, a one-movement, 13-minute piece that begins with swirling, high-pitched winds whose sinuous lines turn into a flowing stream of iridescent instrumental colors. The Chamber Concerto, completed a year earlier, is for 13 instrumentalists treated as virtuosic soloists. Each of its four movements has a distinct profile, from the polyphonic first movement, where the instruments play at different speed, to the chorale-like second, hammering third, and the final presto that builds from a menacing ostinato to the siren squeal of the clarinet at the close. Aimard is the superb soloist in the Piano Concerto. He just about owns this piece, having recorded it with Boulez and Eotvos a decade ago. It's in five movements of endless inventiveness, particularly the second, which moves from desolate quietude to energetic outbursts and peters out with a quiet wind phrase. Mysteries of the Macabre is a reworking for solo trumpet and chamber orchestra of arias from Ligeti's opera, Le Grand Macabre. An essential disc of indispensable music, brilliantly performed and recorded. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Great Project, great CD........2006-06-15

It's not easy to write about György Ligeti today, as he has just passed away last Monday, so this is the first review I write about his works with Ligeti death... We know it could happen because of his very weak health, but it hurts when finally it's confirmed that he is not with us... We have his works and that's the most direct way to the immortality, that one Ligeti is living now in our memory and in our ears, those that were filled so many times with his extraordinary music, one of the best I know in the XXth Century, that finally will be Ligeti's century, as his work is quite complete written in that period.

Teldec continued some years ago Sony series of Ligeti music, a break that didn't suffer too much of that change, adding enormous artists like those you can listen in this CD. All the series is an outstanding thing, an some performances are really the best. This was the first CD they launched and it was a really surprise because of the very good performances we can listen, the great recording and the marvellous presentation. Anyway, it was a broken way, because, although Ligeti's series continued till the end, with the 5 volumes, New Line is a project that didn't work very well, with a few CDs released only.

Melodien has the best performance I know in this CD. We had a very interesting one on Atherton hands with the London Sinfonietta, in a very hard to find CD in Decca label, now re-released on DG 20 21 Echo, but I really think this one is much more better, with the enormous precision the Schoenberg Ensemble use to have, and with the taste of the contemporary groups, that really have this works as they basic language. Very good performance of an interesting work, that is not between my favourites of Ligeti.

Kammerkonzert is a piece I really love, from I time in which the Hungarian master was composing some of his most impressive compositions, like his Requiem or the Cello Concert. This Chamber Concerto tries to explore different sound combinations, densities, instruments research, tone limits, mechanical rhythms, etc; in a way very close to his Second String Quartet. The performance we listen here is fluid, technical and beautiful, probably a bit more natural than Ensemble Modern one, that is more sharp and direct, but still my favourite. My rank for this concert nowadays would be: 1. Ensemble Modern / Peter Eötvös (Sony). 2. Schoenberg Ensemble / de Leeuw (Teldec). 3. Ensemble InterContemporain / Pierre Boulez (DG).

The Piano Concerto (1988) is a work from Ligeti's final period (now we finally know it's the final one), a part of his catalogue I really don't like so much like the `50s, `60s and `70s one. Influenced by Nancarrow and the piano studies of the American, Ligeti works again with reminiscences of the folk tunes and the popular rhythms, researching poly-rhythms and breaking the lines he was following during many years, reinventing himself in some way, something that received critics from other composers, like Lachenmann's words on this `turning back' of Ligeti. Anyway, this Concert has very interesting moments, even terrifying, like the second movement, which really seems a walk on the night through the Transylvanian paths, with the sound of the wolves around us. The performance by Aimard and the ASKO Ensemble is superb, outstanding; Aimard do it so well like he did with Boulez (DG), and the ensemble playing is marvellous in all the senses. The colours, the instruments, the atmosphere... all is perfect.
Mysteries of the macabre is a work I don't like really very much compared with other works by Ligeti. There's a very good recording on DG, with Boulez, but this one, with the outstanding player Peter Masseurs is really wonderful.

Perfect recordings, really natural, clear and precise, in an outstanding CD you should buy, like the complete series on Sony and Teldec, if you want to know deeply Ligeti. He is lucky of having those two marvellous series, together with some other marvellous CDs by Eötvös, Boulez, Atherton, etc.

A Brilliant Recording of Some of Ligeti's Finest Works.......2006-01-19

The music of György Ligeti is enjoying much performance success these days as works by the master are appearing more often on the season repertoires of the major orchestra. This superb recording, the first in the excellent survey series of Ligeti's music, opens the cycle with some of the most accessible and most beautiful of the composer's works.

Beginning with the ethereal 'Melodien' the Schönberg Ensemble as conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw plays with such transparent clarity that it feels as though the listener is in the midst of the orchestra. The 'Chamber Concerto for 13 Instrumentalists' is aptly titled as Ligeti gives utterly equal importance to each of the 13 players in their solo portions: keyboards include harpsichord, organ, piano and celesta; strings - two violins, double bass, viola and cello; trombone, horn, bass clarinet, clarinet, oboe/English horn/oboe d'amore; flute/piccolo. The four movements evolve naturally and inventively. Seeing this work performed is half the glory, and a recent performance by the LA Philharmonic New Music Group conducted by Alexander Mickelthwate was a revelation.

The Piano Concerto is brilliant as a work and here played with total authority and style by Pierre-Laurent Aimard with the ASKO Orchestra. It would be difficult to imagine a more perfect reading. The 'Mysteries of the Macabre' is an interesting transcription of arias form Ligeti's opera, here performed by trumpeter Peter Masseurs and the ASKO Orchestra. The opera succeeds on every level: the transcriptions, while of great interest, don't maintain the impact of the voice as focal point.

In all, this is a very important CD and one that encourages us to continue with the entire cycle. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

Current Favorite.......2005-06-15

Even though I've listened to this since it came out, I never tire of it. The Piano Concerto is truly a wonderful work, both "masterpiece" and joke, and why not? Well, maybe not a joke; though, if you listen carefully, you're bound to chuckle at some point. Beethoven, the classical composer Ligeti reminds me most of, had a sense of humor combined with a taste for complexity also.

In fact, I feel as though I am hearing quotations of Beethoven in the cadenza right near the end of the Concerto, but I just can't place them.

The rest of the disc is just as good. These pieces have all been recorded before; even though "Mysteries of the Macabre" is a orchestral premiere, I've got a Roland Pontinen/Hakan Hardenberger version for piano/trumpet I might prefer. But the other performances are the best I've ever heard of these works. Well-recorded too.

A collection of excellent chamber works.......2004-06-24

"The Ligeti Project" released by Warner Classic seeks to continue Sony's inexplicably halted "Gyorgy Ligeti Edition" collecting the composer's complete works. This first installment brings together four chamber pieces.

The opening "Melodien" is an ironic piece. While early Ligeti works, such as "Musica Ricercata" resisted the creative vacuity of Hungary's Stalin-imposed socialist realism, this 1971 piece rebels against the excesses of his own avant-garde fellows. While many contemporary composers where eschewing melody, Ligeti gives us here over 10 minutes of pure melodies, with a beautiful colour which Ligeti has called "iridescent and metalic". The highs get higher and the lows get lower, and the work eventually diffuses into nothingness. I find this performance by the Schoenberg Ensemble slightly unimpressive, preferring the superb 1970's London Sinfonietta performance recently rereleased in DG's Echo 20/21 series.

The "Chamber Concerto" was written at the end of the 1960's, and is clearly linked to the bulk of Ligeti's micropolyphonic work of that decade, especially his "Atmospheres". The opening is aggressive, with stewing melodies and a hammering outburst. The third movement is rhythmic like clockwork, and extremely reminiscent of Ligeti's second string quartet. Ultimately the work doesn't hold my interest as much as other pieces from the same time.

The "Piano Concerto" of 1988 is probably the high point of the disc. Throughout the 1980's Ligeti was fascinated by new means of rhythmic expression, an outgrowth of his studies of African music and jazz piano. Stylistically this concerto is related to his "Trio for Horn, Violin, and Piano" and first book of Piano Etudes, but it is far more frenetic than both. The playing of Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Ligeti's favourite pianist, is what strikes the listener first. However, repeated listenings have made be very appreciative of the players of the ASKO Ensemlble, especially their trumpet player Peter Masseurs.

Finally, "Mysteries of the Macabre" is a light-hearted excerpt from Ligeti's bizzare opera "Le Grande Macabre", set for chamber orchestra. The version here uses a trumpet and piano, though there also exists a thrilling setting for coloratura soprano. At first I thought the trumpet version lackluster, having fond memories of Sybille Ehlert's vocal performance on Gyorgy Ligeti Edition 4: "Vocal Works". The more I listen to the trumpet, though, the more I find I like it, and am beginning to see it as prototypical of Peter Eotvos' recent jazz-like compositions. The performance here can be considered definitive, and is much more captivating than a performance recently rereleased by DG in its Echo 20/21 series.

The liner notes are generally excellent, featuring some words from Ligeti himself on the origin of the pieces, and also an enlightening commentary by Aimard on approaching the Piano Concerto, which Aimard calls the composer's masterpiece.

This is a great coverage of some of Ligeti's larger chamber works, and is highly recommended. This is perhaps not the ideal place to start, one might try instead The Ligeti Project IV with his famous "Requiem" or Gyorgy Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets. However, this is all essential music, and worth getting early in one's acquaintance with Ligeti's music.

A good mixture of Ligeti works.......2003-11-21

In this disc, Teldec take up where Sony's Ligeti edition left off, recording a group of four works for chamber orchestra--two with soloists.

Melodien is one of the finest of Ligeti's mid-period works. The musical material is--as the title would suggest--a collection of melodies, which are contrapuntally set against each other in a dense weave. Ligeti then starts to clarify the harmonic material until at the midpoint of the work it clears into wide open octaves. Following this, the process is reversed and the music becomes more and more complex again. The performance here is very good, but Atherton's 1970s recording--recently reissued in DG's 20/21 series--is slightly preferable.

The Chamber Concerto is one of Ligeti's most popular works. It is in four movements, the first of which burbles up melodies as if from underwater; in contrast, the second, slower movement is more focused on harmony. The third movement is a hilarious sequence of clockwork rhythms and melodies, some of which go horribly wrong, while the finale takes the ideas of the first movement to insane levels of virtuosity. The disc here is in direct competition with Boulez's recording on DG--I prefer Boulez's interpretation which (despite generally faster speeds) gives the work more space to breathe: on the other hand, the sound is greatly superior here and the playing is marginally more accurate.

The Piano Concerto seems to be one of Ligeti's most popular pieces. I've never totally agreed with this view--though I know I'm in the minority--finding the odd-numbered, faster movements to be slightly routine, containing similar material to the Etudes without quite the same aural imagination or harmonic interest. I've got no complaints about the second and fourth movements, though--the second is an astonishing, bleak, powerful elegy and the fourth is a remarkable exercise in near-fractal orchestral writing. This is Pierre-Laurent Aimard's second recording of the work--if you already have his DG recording you probably don't need this one, even if it is fractionally cleaner and more lucid.

The disc ends with a minor out-take from Ligeti's opera Le Grand Macabre. Mysteries of the Macabre is an arrangement by Elgar Howarth (who premiered the opera and was the first to record it) of the three coloratura arias from it. Peter Masseurs is an excellent trumpet soloist, but this arrangement does not add anything to the original work.

Tracks:

Sym No.1, Op.20: I. With Majesty
Sym No.1, Op.20: II. With Humour
Sym No.1, Op.20: III. With Serenity
Sym No.1, Op.20: IV. With Gaiety
Sym No.2, Op.35: I. Intro And Song (Slow, With Deep Emotion - Moderately Slow)
Sym No.2, Op.35: II. Interlude And Dance (Moderately Slow - Moderately Fast)
Sym No.3, Op.48 ('Three Mysteries'): I. The Nativity (Lento - Allegro Moderato)
Sym No.3, Op.48 ('Three Mysteries'): II. The Crucifixion (Adagio)
Sym No.3, Op.48 ('Three Mysteries'): III. The Resurrection (Lento Moderato - Allegro Ma Calmo)

Amazon.com

Paul Creston (1906-1985) was a younger participant in the "flowering" of American classical music in the 1930s and 1940s. But rather than aligning himself with the nostalgic, lyrical Romanticism of Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, and Howard Hanson, Creston aligned himself with the rugged, more dynamic aspects of Modernism found in the music of Walter Piston, Peter Mennin, and Samuel Barber. These three symphonies contain none of American Romanticism's melancholia or homesickness, for example, but they do remain mostly tonal and buoyant, soaring with their own energy and inventiveness, particularly Symphony No. 3 (Three Mysteries), written in 1950. Praise must also be given to the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and conductor Theodore Kuchar for their feel for Creston's music--altogether another achievement in Naxos's American Classics series. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

All Creston Symphonies.......2006-01-23

Paul Creston is generally regarded as one of the 20th century's great American composers who came from virtually nothing, but through the help of other composers and conductors, achieved merit on his talent in composing. Although he wrote in many genres, this disk features his first three symphonies written between 1940 and 1950.

His first symphony, at 23 minutes, is in four movements, each with descriptions (majesty, humor, serenity, and gaiety). The opening majesty pits strings against brass with a stately theme. The humor has whimsical woodwinds and brass commentary, set in a clumsy-sort of dance. The lush middle section contrasts the whimsy with sweeping Romanticism before the opening returns. Serenity is portrayed by a gently lilting rhythmic feel, first by strings alone, brass, and woodwinds, and the entire ensemble has a gentle serenade, with pastoral elements of lyrical woodwind solos, and deep, lush string and brass sonorities rising and falling. The lightning quick final movement, the showcase of the work, shows Creston at his most energetic, with use of perpetual motion, jazzy syncopations, and catchy melodic writing. Highly dramatic, the work ends in a rousing conclusion.

The second symphony has only two movements (Introduction & Song, and Interlude & Dance). The scoring in the symphony, aside from a fair bit of percussion, also has a role for piano. The Introduction has some counterpoint for strings, gives way to the winds, and eventually unison full ensemble, before the song. The actual song portion is kind of cinematic; it builds in intensity with a charming and somewhat expansive theme. Undulating winds, brass fare, and sweeping strings builds to a climax before settling in a calm. The following interlude has a craggy and angular melody in unison which leads to the final dance. The final portion has such unbridled passion, it reminds me of Bernstein. A flashy showcase for the ensemble, it is jazzy, with an almost Spanish rhythmical feel; flourishes and cinematic string melodies give a grand conclusion.

Symphony No. 3, subtitled Three Mysteries, is an orchestral symphony with a religious theme, uncommon even today. The three movements are each titled (The Nativity, The Crucifixion, and the Resurrection). The opening Nativity, after some brief shimmering strings and harp glissandi, has such an innately innocent and joyous melody, put into such varied and imaginative orchestrations, the pure joy makes the listener smile. The buoyant rhythms and boundless energy contribute to the gaiety. A painfully throbbing bass line under plaintive melodies takes up most of the Crucifixion. Eventually, the great orchestra hits musically depict the scene, and it concludes somewhat peacefully with thick double-basses and violin harmonics; extraordinarily inventive colors. Although Gregorian chant is used in each of the movements, it is the third in which it is the most apparent. An ancient quality, with modal harmonies, permeates much of the beginning. The noble ending caps the symphony, not in your face virtuosity or bombasticity, but a stately affirmation of the Resurrection.

The three symphonies of Paul Creston each have their own taste and atmosphere, although Creston's love of rhythmic vitality, modest and enjoyable melodies, inventive colors and ideas, sometimes dissonant modernism included, are all positive qualities present in the works. Theodore Kuchar gives importance to melody and rhythm, along with a feeling of forward movement. You can't even find all of his symphonies on one disk, but even if you piece together various Schwarz performances on Delos, these by far surpass those performances. That being said, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine is not perfect on this recording, occasional inconsistencies; but it is bristling with energy and enthusiasm, where this disk succeeds. Plus having all three symphonies on one disk at budget price can't be beat. Interesting American music, worth a try.

An American romantic with neoclassical sensibilities.......2005-04-24

Based on this very good recording, they know a lot in the Ukraine about being an American. American Theodore Kuchar and the National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukraine turn in very good work on three symphonies by 20th century American Paul Creston, a composer of romantic sensibilities whose influences include Grofe, Hanson and possibly Piston.

His Symphony No. 2, composed in two movements, is the most substantial work herein. In composition, style and sound it is a mate for Walter Piston's Symphony No. 2 and the Symphony No. 3 of William Schuman. The opus is just as original as the two more famous and accomplished symphonies, in part because it covers much of the same philosophically dramatic ground.

Creston's rambunctious Symphony No. 1 is a roller coaster ride of a symphony full of infectious rhythm, big catchy tunes, stops, starts and twists. At the risk of sounding disingenuous, it seems like it must have been a great deal of fun for the composer to write this work, especially that dipsy doodle first movement. The Ukraine brass players all get quite a workout in this wonderful music.

The final piece on the CD, Creston's Symphony No. 3, subtitled "Three Mysteries", is a Gregorian chant-inspired portrait of the birth, crucifixion and ressurection of Christ. The liner notes say Creston wrote the work to project his own beliefs and that Ormandy premiered the work in 1950.

In my view this is the weak sister of the three. As religious drama it pales when compared to the thousands of musical compositions written about Christ and the ressurection including everyone's Stabat Mater and passions. This opaque music doesn't do anything for me, a true believer that recently performed Bach's St. Matthew Passion.

But with one of Naxos's better recordings and the always reliable Kuchar and Ukraine symphony carrying the day, this CD will be a welcome respite to most fans of orchestral music, especially those that want to expand their understanding of American music.

Marvelous introduction to the works of Paul Creston.......2004-05-06

In many ways, the late Paul Creston epitomized the American Dream. Born to a poor Italian family in New York and lacking the resources or financial wherewithal for further study, Creston taught himself to become a composer. His accomplishments are truly stunning. His grasp of form is remarkable, especially in the Symphony No. 2.

In this repertoire, Theodore Kuchar shows himself to be the equal of Gerard Schwarz. Schwarz's recordings are valuable, and they contain works not on this CD. Schwarz was a composition student of Creston's, and this lends him a certain expertise with Creston's works. However, for someone seeking an introduction to Creston, this is the perfect CD. It is inexpensive and exceedingly well done.

Ho-Hum American Neo-Romanticism.......2001-04-22

Creston was the son of a poor Italian immigrant; his real name was Giuseppe Gustoveggio. As he grew to manhood he changed his name to Paul Creston, I suppose in order to pass muster as a WASP. A self-taught composer, his early compositions caught the attention of Virgil Thomson. Thomson helped to champion his cause by giving his First Symphony a favorable review. From then on, for some twenty years, Creston enjoyed relative acceptance among the exclusive old-boys' club of composers in the New York region.

His fortunes began to reverse during the 50's and 60's, however. The so-called "New Music" had begun to take over the New York scene. The neo-romanticism of composers such as Barber, Hanson, Creston, and Copland began to appear very outdated, and soon was ignored altogether. While some composers, such as Copland, tried to adapt to this new music style, others like Creston stubbornly clung to the old neo-romantic style, and reacted with bitterness toward the new music.

While the symphonies on this album are all very beautiful works, and are enjoyable to the ear, I myself found relatively little depth to this composer's music. Creston seems not to have evolved much as a composer over the course of his life. All three symphonies sound largely the same. Though I have not heard any of his later works, it would be interesting to compare the later symphonies with the earlier ones on this album. Still, I was not too impressed with this music.

Worthwhile hearing.......2001-02-06

This is approachable New Deal Era music from a serious self-taught New York composer, whose later career was in TV show music. The symphonies feature motif development in a modern cyclic and mildly dissonant idom, predating the post-WWII brutalist excursion. Remarkably, this is the first recording of prize-winning Symphony 1 (1940) (another victim of the war years and the post-war modernist European invasion?). The three short symphonies are highly varied in structure, primarily at a mezzoforte dynamic, more lyrical than not, while not particularly tuneful. Creston's music is US in its light and accessible feeling rather than by devices like folk tunes or jazz rhythms. Whatever his origins, Theodore Kuchar is an American-trained conductor working out of Colorado and leads a fine orchestra. The music is enjoyable, if not especially memorable to my ears.

Average customer rating:

Lovely and meditative
best rosary audio cd
Good Content but Diffiult to Hear
Wonderful~
Soooo Prayerful

The Rosary
Gretchen Harris
Manufacturer: Overhead Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Spoken Word | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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Sing of Mary
The Rosary [2 Cd Set]
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Song
Prayer of the Church/ The Rosary
The Rosary (The Mysteries of Light)

ASIN: B00061K2MY
Release Date: 2004-09-03

Tracks:

THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
The 1st Joyful Mystery
The 2nd Joyful Mystery
The 3rd Joyful Mystery
The 4th Joyful Mystery
The 5th Joyful Mystery
THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
The 1st Luminous Mystery
The 2nd Luminous Mystery
The 3rd Luminous Mystery
The 4th Luminous Mystery
The 5th Luminous Mystery
THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
The 1st Sorrowful Mystery
The 2nd Sorrowful Mystery
The 3rd Sorrowful Mystery
The 4th Sorrowful Mystery
The 5th Sorrowful Mystery
THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
The 1st Glorious Mystery
The 2nd Glorious Mystery
The 3rd Glorious Mystery
The 4th Glorious Mystery
The 5th Glorious Mystery

Album Description

This is the long-awaited Rosary CD that Gretchen Harris has referred to so many times in the past. This is a special one because it is led by holy priests - four different priests leading each of the four sets of Mysteries (including the Luminous!) - and four different musical accompaniments depending on the mood of the Mystery. Gretchen does the responses and announces the Fruits of the Mysteries to add to the meditational experience. Each Rosary is about 18 minutes in prayer, and they are all included on one CD. Says Gretchen, "I am so blessed and honored to pray with each and every person who buys this CD. My heart and soul is with them, and I feel this privilege very deeply." This is a wonderful gift for people who pray the Rosary and for people who would love to learn how to join in this beautiful prayer!

Customer Reviews:

Lovely and meditative.......2007-05-14

This is a basic rosary CD with the recitation only. There are no Bible references, just announcements of each mystery.

You just can't have too many rosary CDs! Each is wonderful and unique and lovingly carries us to the Blessed Mother. I own and play several rosary CDs and this is one of my favorites. Ms. Harris's voice is sweet but it sounds to me sometimes like she's trying to alter her natural voice to come across as being sweet and angelic. I prefer a more natural speaking tone. Personally, I prefer the different priests' voices and recitations. The glorious mysteries are led by a priest whose meditative style of recitation can transport me to the sublime realm - and I have to be careful when playing this in my car while driving!

I would rate this CD as 5 stars for the priests and 4 stars for Ms. Harris.

best rosary audio cd.......2007-05-08

My husband and I listen to it daily. There are alternative voices and spiritual music as background. The pace is perfect. i.e. not too fast nor too slow. It is a great way to recite the rosary while you are commuting!!

Good Content but Diffiult to Hear.......2007-04-15

I love the meditations and fruits of the mysteries on this CD, but it is difficult to hear at least half of the priests, due to either the quietness of their voices or poor quality sound recording. I always have to adjust my speakers as well as increase the volume in order to actually hear the words. On one of the mysteries (I think it's the last one), in the middle of it I actually have to do even more adjusting because it keeps getting lower and lower in volume.

So I recommend this CD for it's content, but only if you don't mind fiddling with your stereo knobs a lot so that you can hear what's being said.

Wonderful~.......2006-10-30

I ordered this CD to use for my daily Rosary that I have started to do again in my walk of Faith with God. The music in the background is wonderful. It does not distract in any way at all. The 4 priests along with Gretchen makes saying the daily Rosary a very easy thing to do filled with Grace and the longing to continue to pray the Rosary as our Mother Mary would like for us to do. You won't be disappointed in Gretchen's Rosary CD. You will love listening to her voice and praying along with her too. Enjoy!

Soooo Prayerful.......2006-09-30

A part of everyday prayer... this CD is a trusted friend. Gretchen's voice is as soothing as an angel...5 stars!

Average customer rating:

Seductive Sensual Music
The sacred drums of trance
If you love drums...
This is my favorite!
Voodoo Ambience

Luna
Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors
Manufacturer: Raven
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

Healing | New Age | Styles | Music

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Trance
Ritual
Bones
Initiation
Zone Unknown

ASIN: B0000000CG
Release Date: 1994-05-15

Tracks:

Mother Night
Persephone's Song
Seducing Hades
Elusinian Blue
Labyrinth
Luna

Customer Reviews:

Seductive Sensual Music .......2005-04-23

This CD contains seductive ambient music, created by the rhythmic beat of either a pony drum, congas, talking drum or tom toms, which captures the conscious and unconscious mind weaving a spell of contentment and deep primal awareness in the listener. Additional instruments in each track add subliminal satisfaction to capture the listener's every emotion and transform the energy into deep wells of universal potential.

"Elusinian Blue" composed by Jai Uttal starts with an ancient primival tom tom beat which then has the ethereal Indian sitar-like or santur plucked instrument added ... creating a mysterious Asian aura to which male vocals add a distant powerful instinctual magnetic appeal. "Labyrinth" is a soothing combination of balaphone (an African hammered dulcimer-like instrument), pony drum, and occasional harp ... where the melody meanders into a delightful path of extraordinairily natural pleasure. The music flows like a babbling brook. It delights the senses like watching a natural waterfall ... All of the music on this CD creates a milieu of primival energy and sound that is highly seductive and hypnotic. The magnificent array of instruments combine to create a connection to nature's source of energy. The listener remains surrounded by a sense of contentment long after the CD finishes playing.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

The sacred drums of trance.......2003-03-09

_Luna_ is an album of music by a small instrumental troupe. Drums are the most prominent instruments; there are also winds, a bit of bass, an occasional human voice, and some synthesizer. When I first heard the album, I felt the tracks were too repetitive. But upon further listening, I realized _Luna_'s repetitive rhythms had their own charm. This is a CD to listen to as you meditate or do some sort of ritual. It makes me want to dance, and to get out my own drums and play along. It also makes good background music when I want something pleasant and ambient that won't distract me the way music with lyrics can.

My favorite tracks are "Persephone's Song" (pretty and lyrical with lots of winds), "Seducing Hades" (very strong sexy beat, bass guitar, and human voices making moaning sorts of sounds toward the end of the song), and "Labyrinth" (trancelike, with a marimba part that evokes the unrolling of Ariadne's famous thread). "Luna" is the only song I'm not particularly fond of, and that's just because the bouncy synthesizer noise repeated several times is the exact same noise my old Nintendo made whenever Mario jumped. A little distracting.

If you love drums..........2002-07-31

I ran into this CD on accident through a friend, and immediately fell in love with it! The drums are awesome, peaceful and full of power. The entire cd is good to listen to for meditation or long drives, although some tracks are a little bit cheesy. I look forward to buying Gabrielle Roth's other works soon. As you can see, they are all on my wish list. :)

This is my favorite!.......2001-09-18

There are some CDs about the Moon, but this is the one that manifests her. Nice to celebrate Nights.

Voodoo Ambience.......1998-05-19

Very organic, whooshing, whirling sounds never quite touch the quiet swamp rhythms. This music is a dance.

Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology [2-CD Set]

Average customer rating:

haunting, soulful, beautiful, exquisite
Sweet Honey
Awesome
Better than...
Awesome double (acoustic) Martin at his best

Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology [2-CD Set]
John Martyn
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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One World
The Church With One Bell
Glorious Fool
Solid Air
On the Cobbles

ASIN: B000001E4I
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

Bless The Weather
Head And Heart
Glistening Glyndebourne
Solid Air
Over The Hill
Don't Want To Know
I'd Rather Be The Devil
May You Never
Fine Lines
Eibhli Ghail Chiuin Ni Chearbhaill
Make No Mistake
One Day Without You
Lay It All Down
Root Love
Sunday's Child
Spencer The Rover
You Can Discover
Call Me Crazy

Tracks:

Couldn't Love You More
Certain Surprise
Dancing
Small Hours
Dealer
One World
Some People Are Crazy
Lookin' On
Johnny Too Bad
Sweet Little Mystery
Hurt In Your Heart
Baby Please Come Home
Sapphire
Fisherman's Dream
Angeline
Send Me One Line

Amazon.com

His whisky-grained vocals and alternately sweet, stinging acoustic guitar have made Scottish troubador John Martyn a seductive but sadly overlooked original among British folk performers since his emergence in the late '60s. That oversight is answered by this intelligent two-CD anthology of Martyn's rich catalog of albums for Island Records, which document his triple threat as a distinctive guitarist, soulful singer, and compelling writer and interpreter. Martyn's moody legacy includes winsome ("May You Never," covered by Eric Clapton) and harrowing ("Solid Air," his plea to friend Nick Drake) examples of abundant craft, notable for his rich vocals and spare, elegant arrangements featuring Richard Thompson, Danny Thompson, Phil Collins, and other better-known English musicians who savored Martyn's musical gifts.--Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

haunting, soulful, beautiful, exquisite.......2006-01-26

where did this guy come from? i happen to hear "one world" on satellite radio (thank you XM!) and immediately looked him up. martyn has the whiskey-soaked voice of (fellow scotsman) rod stewart with louie armstrong thrown in, the spiritual intensity of van morrison and the jazzy folk sound of joni mitchell.
i've never heard anything quite like it. all of his songs are melodic and interesting and some, like "one world," "small hours" are transcendent and as beautiful as any music i've ever heard. trust me -- check this guy out.

Sweet Honey.......2005-06-22

This is the place to savour John Martyn's mellifluous music. He has a warm voice, at times, searching at others, celebratory. There's an altogether sumptuous melding of folk and jazz in his phrasing and playing. He was into this blend probably prior to Joni Mitchell, and to my ears, he made a more peruasive, more resolved fusion of the genres. Why people prefer Nic Drake over Martyn is more to do with media hype than talent, I suggest. The domain of the solitary soul was never more eloquently charted than here on this great compilation. Pity,'Grace & Danger', didn't cut with the producers. But 'Sweet Little Mystery', 'Solid Air', and ,'Johnny Too Bad' are in tact and to be savoured like your favourite juice smoothy, through a long straw. An excellent investment!

Awesome.......2001-10-14

I am so pleased with this awesome collection of great music. It is truly the best of the best.

Better than..........2000-09-10

I came to JM after Clapton, Winwood, et al and he is so much better. The secret is that he is so consistent throughout the phases of his career that are sampled on this album. Even the likes of EC and Bowie have dimples on their pimples, but it seems that JM just keeps on doing the same great stuff over and over. And like Van Morrison, he is less mainstream and therefore seems to not be inflicted with superstar ego ambitions. A career to start to be appreciated...

Awesome double (acoustic) Martin at his best.......2000-06-09

Martin plays a mean acoustic guitar and his slap-style is second to none. On a lot of his later albums he plugs the guitar into a box ----that to my mind, takes away a lot of the intrinsic beauty. This album is pure guitar, cool lyrics and John's awesomely slurred vocal renditions. He is totally brill in concert---this album matches his energy there.

MFSB & Gamble Huff Orchestra/Mysteries of the World

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MFSB's final two albums from 1978 and 1980.
MFSB & Gamble-Huff Orchestra/Mysteries of the World...
Gamble & Huff Orchestra
Thank God!!!!!!!
Sounds As Smooth As Silk & Ice Cream

MFSB & Gamble Huff Orchestra/Mysteries of the World
MFSB
Manufacturer: Edsel
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009S4VKI
Release Date: 2005-07-04

Tracks:

Dance With Me Tonight
To Be In Love
Let's Party Down
Wishing On A Star
Use Ta Be My Guy
Way I Feel Today
Is It Something I Said
Redwood Beach
Manhattan Skyline
Mysteries Of The World
Tell Me Why
Metamorphosis
Fortune Teller
Old San Juan
Thank You Miss Scott
In The Shadow

Album Description

MFSB (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother) were essentially Philadelphia International's studio band. Based in the Sigma Sound Studios, these Musicians played on virtually every record released on the Philadelphia label. They also found time to make their own albums for the label. These two date from 1978 and 1980, and feature contributions from Gamble and Huff themselves, as well as Dexter Wansel and Cynthia Biggs, and Jack Faith. Featured tracks are a reworking of Rose Royce's 'Wishing On A Star' and The O'Jays' hit 'Use Ta Be My Girl' and the UK hit 'Mysteries Of The World'. This package is fully annotated with photos. Diablo. 2005.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Edition that Combines the Tracks of Two Original Classic LPs by Mfsb on to a Single Compact Disc.

Customer Reviews:

MFSB's final two albums from 1978 and 1980........2007-02-24

MFSB was Philadelphia International Records' famed house band and these two underrated albums were their last outings for PIR. An invigorating and at times smooth mix of disco, R&B and smooth jazz is the best way to describe this great music. MFSB played on virtually all PIR releases of the 1970s and these two albums' musical standards are very high--and all tracks are eminently enjoyable.

MFSB & Gamble-Huff Orchestra/Mysteries of the World..........2007-01-12

Philadelphia was one lucky city to have these muscians that helped define the "Philly" sound. What a talented bunch! Real musicians w/real skills. Take a listen for yourself! Five stars!!

Gamble & Huff Orchestra.......2006-11-04

Fantastic Music! Some previously unreleased. If you like MFSB, you'll like this.

Thank God!!!!!!!.......2006-10-05

I am so excited. MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD is already on CD. But to find THE
GAMBLE & HUFF Orchestra is truly amazing. To my knowledge the first LP,the self titled MFSB was released in 1973. It was my senior year of high school. In my immediate school clique of african american hippies, were turned on by this new funky but jazzy groove this duo turned out.
While in the classroom, luch room and while walking the halls of Calumet High School back home in Chicago with MFSB blasting from my cassette deck boosted our popularity. My English, Drama and Art teachers all bought the album from listening to mine. The next year while in the Navy in 1974 G/H realeased MFSB: LOVE IS THE MESSAGE. The consciousness of Gamble & Huff took instrumentals to an all new high for listening. I'm disappointed LOVE IS THE MESSAGE hasn't been relased on CD yet. 1975 brought thr release of PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM, still captivating us with the same but progressive sound from album to album. PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM still has not been released on CD. Then came UNIVERSAL LOVE; still not released on CD. 1976 brought about SUMMERTIME; still not released on CD. THE GAMBLE & HUFF ORCHESTRA just released on CD. 1980 gave us MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD which has been released on CD. So on CD you can get: MFSB (1973), THE GAMBLE & HUFF ORCHESTRA (1978), and MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD (1980). What you can't get on CD is LOVE IS THE MESSAGE (1973), PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM (1975), UNIVERSAL LOVE (1975) and SUMMERTIME (1976). If and when they become available, I'll be the happiest man alive. Quincy Jones got his props. Berry Gordy got his props. But Gamble & Huff never got their props. I would love to interview them.

Sounds As Smooth As Silk & Ice Cream.......2006-06-03

MFSB was Gamble & Huff's personal creation and with reason. They played on every single album. People that came from miles around to have them play on their albums.
These two gems are really good. My personal faves are Mysteries Of The World, Tell Me Why, Metamorphosis, Dance With Me Tonight, To Be In Love, Wishing On A Star & The Way I Feel.
Finding these two was hard, but when I gave it a listen, I was immediately hooked. Not one for listening to instrumentals, this twofer gave me a broader scope for my muscial future. Get this, U won't be sorry. Grade: A

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