Hora & Blue

Hora & Blue

Track Listings

1. Hinei Ma Tov

2. Hora and Blue

3. Iti Milvanon

4. Dona, Dona

5. Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen

6. Shein VI Di Levology

7. Belz

8. Di Mizinke Oygegebn/The Krenzl Dance

9. Tzena Tsamba

Tracks:

Alleluia Beatus Vir Qui Suffert (Modo I)
Mandatum Novum Do Vobis
Media Vita In Morte Sumus
Laetatus Sum
Veni Creator Spiritus
Genuit Puerpera Regem
Kyrie Fons Bonitatis
Nos Autem
Super Flumina
Qui Manducat
Salve Regina
Salve, Festa Dies
Rorate Saeli De Super
Jacta Cogitatum Tuum
Jucundare
Veni Sancte Spiritus
Respice, Domine
Alleluia, Oportebat

Tracks:

Christus Factus Est Pro Nobis
Puer Natus Est Nobis
Ave Mundi Specs Maria
Spiritus Domini
Os Iusti
A Solis Ortus Cardine
Oculi Omnium
Alleluia, Dies Santificatus
Viderunt Omnes
Puer Natus In Bethlehem
Verbum Caro
Tui Sunt
Pueri Herbraeorum Portantes
Improperium
Tristis Est
Una Hora
Traditor Autem-Benedictus
Ubi Caritas

Amazon.com

This set contains the two CDs that, it must be acknowledged, just about started the Chant craze in 1994. The music was actually recorded in the 1970s and 1980s (this new set has been remastered and sounds better than the 1994-95 releases did) and was on sale in Spain and offered at the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos for some time before it became "hot." Since then, hundreds of CDs of chant and similar music have appeared, many more polished then these, but perhaps these were so special because they weren't performances: they caught actual Monks in the act of praying, and the meditative quality is undeniably real. Whatever the case, this is music for reflection, calming down, re-fueling and getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life--which may be even more needed now than they were 10 years ago. Texts are not supplied and you won't need them; it's all about reverence and mood. Doing nothing but listening to this in 25-minute chunks will allow your breathing to slow and re-energize you. Each 55-minute CD will probably put you to sleep--and this isn't meant as a criticism. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Superb relaxation.......2007-04-01

This is a wonderful compilation. I greatly enjoy listening to it when I'm working on painting or another activity where lower blood pressure is a must. Having two albums in one makes the deal even sweeter. If you alreaddy own Chant I and II, then there's no real value added, but with mine lost in a move, it was a great return of music I enjoy.

What a recording.......2006-12-01

Mystic,eternal, and meditative is how I would
describe these chants, a most perfect gift
for Christmas. This reissue sounds even better
than the ones released in the mid 90's.
I would highly recommend this recording to anyone.
The only rule is sit down, or lay back and enjoy.

FANTASTIC!!.......2006-01-25

BUYERS BE WARNED - this set should not purchased in lieu of the two original Chant CDs but rather as a supplement to them. Because although both the Amazon.com editorial review and one of the two reviews available for the Anniversary Edition both indicate it is nothing more than a remastered version of the original two Chant releases from 1994, a thorough check of the track listings at Amazon.com (and at angelrecords.com) demonstrates that this is not the case. The sequence of tracks is completely different and there are numerous tracks that appear on one of the original Chant CDs but not on the Anniversary Edition and vice versa. The most complete is the first of the two original discs as all but two of its nineteen tracks appear on the Anniversary Edition. Chant II has less than half a dozen of its tracks appearing on the Anniversary Edition.

However, this complaint aside, I love the Anniversary Edition. Although the track sequence is different from the original Chant CD and I find myself expecting certain chants to follow others, I will in time get used to the differences.

Moving on, this is not complicated material. There is no polyphonic, raucous, symphonic accompaniment. There are no rowdy, raging guitar riffs from the likes of Pepper Keenan or Jeff Loomis. There are no ultra-funky looped drum beats, booming bass, or rapped socio-political venom from the likes of the Ice Cube or Public Enemy. There is neither a Cecilia Bartoli nor a BB King to sustain things by sheer virtuosity. There are only the exquisitely simple, melodic sounds of monks singing/chanting in Latin in a great, grand hall with nary a trace of echo to be heard. This is gorgeous, sublime, invigorating music to soothe the sores of the soul and heal the hardened heart. The raw honesty and utter conviction of the `performers' on these two discs drive these pieces home with a power that more practiced and polished performers dare not dream of. Even with no transcription or translation of the chants inside the booklet, this is music to be enjoyed by everyone.

My recommendation is to procure Chant: The Anniversary Edition immediately and be thankful that such simple and supremely powerful music exists to bring some light into our seemingly ever-darkening world.

Thanks for reading.

Please ignore the other review on this product!.......2005-07-21

The other reviewer obviously does not realize that this is a re-release of both Chant I and Chant II. They have also been remastered. I highly recommend purchasing this 2-CD set because the quality is better than the originals, and the price is usually better than buying the first two separately. I wouldn't be without this in my music collection. Please do no let the ignorance of others keep you from experiencing this beautiful, ethereal music.

It sounds like all the other chant cd's out there.......2005-03-16

There is nothing special about this CD - buy Chant 1, save 5 bucks, and call it good

Itzhak Perlman - Live in the Fiddler's House

Average customer rating:

A great collection of klezmer favorites!
Best Klezmer album
This was a fun C.D.

Itzhak Perlman - Live in the Fiddler's House
Itzhak Perlman , Klezmatics , Andy Statman , Klezmer Conservatory Band , and Brave Old World
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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In the Fiddler's House
Jews With Horns
Rhythm & Jews
The King of the Klezmer Clarinet
Yiddish-American Klezmer Music 1925-1956

ASIN: B000002SMI
Release Date: 1996-11-12

Tracks:

Bukovina 212
Lekho Neraneno
Doina Naftule
A Hora mit Branfn
Healthy Baby Girl Hora
Golem Tants
Honga Encore
Nigh
Bulgars-The Kiss
Meron Nign-In the Sukke
Sholom Aleykhem
Khaiterma
Andy's Ride
A Heymisher Bulga-Wedding Dance
Kale Bazetsn (Seating the Bride)-Khusidl (Khasidic Dance)
Fun Tashlikh
A Yingele fun Poyln (A Young Man from Poland)-Di Mame iz Gegangen in Mark Arayan (Mother went to the
Processional/Klezmer Suite-Ale Brider (We Are All Brothers)

Customer Reviews:

A great collection of klezmer favorites!.......2006-09-30

Premiere violinist Itzhak Perlman is joined live in concert by four premiere klezmer groups: Brave Old World, The Klezmatics, Andy Statman, and the Klezmer Conservatory Band. Vibrant, poignant and distinctly old-world, klezmer is the musical style that developed among Eastern European Jews. Featuring the soulful fire of violin, clarinet, accordion, mandolin and vocal leads, accompanied by cimbalom (a hammered-dulcimer), piano, drums. There are a few soulful slow tunes mixed in amongst the fiery dances, but most of the selections on "Live in the Fiddler's House" are fun and up tempo, full of the instrumental virtuosity one would expect both of this genre, and of a concert violinist of Itzhak Perlman caliber. Klezmer is some of the world's best good-time music, right up there with Irish jigs, Cajun two-steps and country banjo pickin'. But it's not all sweetness and light; inherent in the mournful, minor mode of this traditional music is blend of opposites--both the sorrow of persecution and defiant sense of fun-in-the-moment inherent of a culture displaced, trying to maintain its identity in an ever-changing and often hostile world. And therein lies klezmer's appeal to the soul. For more great Jewish music, try any of the separate releases by Brave Old World, The Klezmatics, Andy Statman and his band, and the Klezmer Conservatory Band. You might also enjoy "The Hidden Gate: Jewish Music Around the World," the traditional Sephardic music of the group Voice of the Turtle, and the unplugged world fusion of Basya Schechter and Pharoah's Daughter in "Out of the Reeds."

Best Klezmer album.......2004-11-16

To me, this is the best klezmer album I've ever listened to (and I have quite a few). And it's a live album. Although it's a kind of live version of "In the Fiddler's House", the repertoire is not the same (they only share one or two songs). The bands accompanying Itzhak Perlman are at their best (they are the best klezmer performers!). I prefer, personally, Andy Statman's clarinet and mandolin (Andy's Ride and Meron Nign/In the Sukke are my favorites); then there are great moments with Brave Old World (Doina Naftule and A Hora mit Branfn are beautiful pieces) and the Klezmatics, of course. The 12 minute finale is an absolute well crafted medley, under Klezmer Conservatory Band's leader, Hankus Netsky. I did'n want it to end.
I don't like at all the women voices of Klezmer Conservatory Band, although the instrumental pieces (like Khosidl) are amazing.
There is not a second in this album which is not top klezmer.

This was a fun C.D........1999-01-16

For people who are into Klezmer music this is the finest C.D.! For Klezmer music lovers, this is a masterpiece.

Average customer rating:

Good Hungarian Music, Even Though It Falls Slightly Short
can you say cacophony?
Mixed bag
Csardas Hungarian Gyspy Music
Gypsy fire!

Csardas Hungarian Gypsy Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Music from Hungary
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May I Kiss Your Hand: Hungarian & Gypsy Fiddle Music & Songs

ASIN: B000001413
Release Date: 1995-03-21

Tracks:

Csardas Music
Csardas (Monti)
Hungarian Songs
Romanian Folk Dances
Whistle Hora
Hungarian Songs
Kuruc Songs
Hungarian Songs
Doina and Hora
Skylark (Dinicu)
Hungarian Songs
Quick Csardas
Hungarian Songs
Hungarian Songs
Lightning Csardas

Customer Reviews:

Good Hungarian Music, Even Though It Falls Slightly Short.......2007-04-01

Being Hungarian myself, the son of a musician (my father plays the cimbalom) and a musician myself, I'd be lying if I said this CD by Santa Ferenc is great. Good? Yes. And well worth the price, but I've heard better Hungarian gypsy violinist in my time. If you really want to hear great Hungarian music try to find LPs by the lengendary Babai Bela, Lakatos Sandor, Berki Laszlo, and Banyak Kalman. Santa Ferenc has some good arrangements but lacks the feeling and depth of these other musicians. Although it probably isn't fair to him to compare him to others and is best if we judge his music purely on its own merits.

If you are familiar with Hungarian music you'll probably recognize many of the songs on the CD. They consist mainly of standard Hungarian and some Romanian gypsy songs. Track three which is titled on here merely as "Hungarian Songs" starts off with a song called "Gloomy Sunday" a song once deemed a suicide theme. We then have "Whistling Hora" a Romanian tune which has a nice arrangement and allows for some good solos. One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Doina and Hora" which is Romania but I believe the piece is really titled "Giabaralele" at least it sounds awfully close to it. It is a cimbalom solo, which unfortunately the album doesn't give credit to the other members in Santa's band. Whomever is on the cimbalom is quite good. He also has a good solo on another Romanian piece "The Lark" or as it is known in Romanian "Ciocirlia".

I've read some people have complained about the "sound" of the album, claiming it is not authentic Hungarian music. I honestly have no clue what they are talking about. I can honestly say, without exaggeration, I have listen to this music every day of my life since as far back as I can remember and this CD sounds pretty much like what you'd expect a Hungarian gypsy album to sound like.

Again, while it's not fair to compare Santa Ferenc (whom for the sake of complete honesty I should admit knows my father) to other Hungarian musicians, I still feel Santa merely plays the songs and doesn't add much emotion to them, the CD is still one most fans of Hungarian music should enjoy. *** 1\2 out of *****

Bottom-line: While not a great CD and not a great musician Santa Ferenc does have some good arrangements and good musicians backing him up plus a nice collection of famous Hungarian and Romanian songs. While he doesn't compare to other great musicians, for the price it is well worth it and doesn't need to compare.

can you say cacophony?.......2007-03-20

Let me preface this review with the disclaimer that I *almost* know nothing about hungarian gypsy music - BUT I purchased this cd based upon the positive customer reviews found here. Don't believe any of it - this cd completely lacks ANY depth or richness expected of traditional gypsy music - most songs are fully overwhelmed by a single instrument of extremely annoying high-pitched screeching clearly produced by some solo egomaniacal musician not interested in texture but inducing suicidal tendencies in the listener, not unlike being subjected to a full hour of screaming cats in heat in the alley. Luckily you can just throw the cd in your garbage instead of having to hurl garbage at stray cats to shut the gawdawful noise up.

Mixed bag.......2007-01-17

My grandfather listen to alot of this music as I was growing up and I was hoping this cd would be like revisiting a stay at his house. On some levels it was, the basic sound was there, and some of the songs sounded right but there was not that fevered pitch that I was used to in Hungarian Gypsy Music. Some of the songs sounded totatly different from what I expected, there was one that broke down into this atonal, disjuncted fiddle and horns combo that I had never incountered before.

Not what I was expecting and wanting but still brings back fond memories.

Csardas Hungarian Gyspy Music.......2006-03-10

The music is what I expected and the delivery and price were very acceptable. All was in excellent condition when it arrived.

Gypsy fire!.......2006-03-06

This music is amazing. Authentically captures the spirit of traditional gypsy folk music wonderfully. I guess the best way to describe this music is to tell you what the liner notes say: "Popular Hungarian gypsy music owes much of its form to earlier aristocratic encouragement. In particular the csardas, which makes use of folk elements, provided entertainment for the nobility, among whom it was supposed that the csardas, which derives its name from the word csarda, a country inn, was danced on Sunday afternoonns by the peasantry. The dance was introduced to polite society in the late 1830s, notably, it is said, by Count Bela Wenckheim, who coined the name. The csardas is similar in form to the verbunkos or recruiting-dance, with its slow opening section and rapid second section, and has come to epitomize Hunagarian gypsy music. It was Franz Liszt who, in the heyday of musical nationalism, seized on the csardas as a source for his Hungarian Rhapsodies, wrongly supposing this to be an example of real Hungarian folk music, rather than the hybrid form that it was. It was left to Bela Bartok and Kodaly in a later generation to collect and classify the true folk music of Hungary and neighboring regions, distinguishing this from the form of popular music provided by the gypsy bands. The bands themselves have long history, whether providing music for the Esterhazy family at their great palace of Esteraza in the time of Franz Josef Hadyn or for later generations in less distinguished surroundings. Basic instrumentation continues very largely the traditions of the 18th Century, with a solo violin carrying the improvisatory melodic burden, accompanied by a second violin or viola, double bass and cimbalom, with the additional use of the the tarogato, an instrument similar in timbre to the clarinet, which sometimes replaces it. The tarogato has a long association with Hungarian nationalism and was at one time banned by the Austrian authorities for that very reason. The music of Ferenc Santa and his gypsy band includes examples of the csardas, with the famous use of the form by the Italian violinist Vittorio Monti (1868-1922), who made his later career in Paris. Also included is Skylark by the Romanian violinist and Carl Flesch pupil Grigoras Dinicu (1889-1949), who arranged a number of popular Romanian melodies and is well remembered for his famous Hora Staccato, using the traditional dance-form, also coupled here with a traditional doina, a popular improvisatory form. In addition to the prominent sol violin, the gypsy band also provides variety in solos for the cimbalom, with reminiscences of material used by Kodaly in his Hary Janos, and for the characteristic tarogato." So there you have a bit of history behind these folk tunes. It is strangely evocative, fiery, nationalistic music that has influenced Western music in several ways. I even sensed some jazz-type rhythms in track 3. Check out Ligeti's Old Hungarian Parlor Dances - seems like he draws much of this piece from these gypsy rhythms, especially track 8. Wonder if this Ferenc Santa ever tours as I would love to hear him and his band perform live - just you dare try to keep your feet still when listening to this! Pick this Naxos gem up today, especially if you have some Hungarian roots like me - this music will come alive for you, it's in your blood. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully captivating music by the tango master
When styles mix
Explains It All To Those Wounded in Love
Great sex music! Comes from the heart!
Piazzolla's Unofficial Interpreter

Hommage A Piazzolla

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Tango | Latin Music | Styles | Music

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Tango: Zero Hour
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ASIN: B000005J48
Release Date: 1996-09-24

Tracks:

Milonga En Re
Vardarito
Oblivion
Escualo
Histoire Du Tango: Cafe 1930
Concierto Para Quinteto
Soledad
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Celos
El Sol Sueno (Hommage A Astor Piazzolla)
Le Grand Tango

Amazon.com essential recording

Gidon Kremer, who plays the standard violin repertoire so well, has remained a restless explorer of music. Here is his first album of Piazzolla arrangements, introduced by a moving and perceptive assessment of Piazzolla by composer John Adams. Kremer has completely steeped himself in the spirit of the tango, and of Piazzolla's transformation of this music into concert works. The selection (mostly larger-scale Piazzolla works), the varied arrangements, and the compelling quality of the playing make this one of the best albums of this music not involving the composer's own performances. And if you love it, you'll be glad to know that Kremer's second Piazzolla album is also available. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully captivating music by the tango master.......2005-10-25

I was introduced to the music of Astor Piazzolla by the more than great violinist Gidon Kremer when he played a virtuosic tango as an encore. Whenever a rich new vein of wonderful music is opened to me, well, it makes for a bright and happy day. Not long after I picked up this CD and I can recommend it to you highly. This is more than just tango dance music, these are serious and contemplative compositions that use the Tango as the vehicle just as the classical and especially Baroque composers used their dance music for instrumental compositions. The music is full of mood, sensuality, rhythm, lush harmonies, dissonance, love, and pain. It is a music of contrasts and never gets too fussy or complicated. It wears its heart on its sleeve and draws us in because it is so charming.

Each piece has its own varied ensemble and the musicians in that ensemble also arrange the music for that track. Kremer leads from the violin in all of them, after all it is his album and his hommage to Piazzolla. However, the instruments used depend on the musical materials and mood of the piece. The piano is used quite a bit, and at times there are wind instruments. The bandoneón is required in tango, as well. It is a kind of concertina that was developed and made in Germany, but adopted in Argentina for the Tango. It has a wonderfully reedy sound and is played with buttons on each side of the bellows. Depending on the model, the note can change or stay the same whether you are pulling the bellows out or pushing them in, but in all of them there are two voices always at the octave and gives the bandoneón its characteristic sound.

The only composition not by Piazzolla is a very interesting tango included as a tribute to the master entitled "El sol sueño" by Jerzy Peterbushsky.

This is good music and a very enjoyable change of pace.

When styles mix.......2005-09-07

I bought this record following a live performance by Gidon Kremer et al. at the Verbier Festival. The mixture of classical music with a dose of jazz on a Latin base produces an interesting result that is quite surprising at first. However, the more one hears, the more the result grows on the listener, just as at the live show where the audience, somewhat stunned at the outset, gave a standing ovation at the end.

Overall, the mélange is pleasant, chill listening to be appreciated by fans of any of the three styles of music.

Explains It All To Those Wounded in Love.......2005-01-16

Ever have a moment where you loved someone so much you hated him?

Ever have a relationship you could not get out of your mouth, your mind, your heart, your system, but that you knew was over and done with forever and ever, and you'd never even see the other again?

Ever feel so happy you wanted to cry? No, sob? Wrenching, wracking sobs? From happiness, now.

Yes?

Have I got a CD for you: Hommage a Piazzolla, featuring Gidon Kremer.

Like many, I suspect, I have a mixed relationship to tango. When I put on a tango CD, I fear I'll be hearing something that sets my teeth to jangling and makes me want to slap someone in the face.

This isn't that. You could listen to most of this while sitting perfectly still, on a window sill, in fact, with the lights down low in your apartment, as you stare out at the rain-slicked city at night. A drink sits on a nearby table, unfinished...you have no will to finish it.

(It's hard not to imagine these things while listening to this music; really, it's all so poetic, cinematic, irresistable.)

At some point, though, you're probably not going to be able to sit still any more, and you'll have to put that rose in your teeth and cut a few moves.

Tango often sounds, to we non-Argentinians, like a parody of itself.

This CD does not.

Rather, when I put it on, not at all sure what to expect, I had one of those epiphanies that art can give you.

I had been brooding over a vexed relationship, one I did not understand, but knew was hurting me, not with any immediacy, but like a sore tooth that could stand to go a few more months before you get over your fear of the dentist to get it fixed.

What bugged me most of all was that I did not understand what was hurting. Rationally, I had no reason to feel troubled.

I put on this CD, with the relationship way in the back of my mind, and I just, immediately thought, "That's it. This music is explaining it all; this music is articulating everything."

Not bad.

This kind of music, music that allows in the true bittersweet of life, the unsolvable, the passion, is all too rare. If music that addresses those qualities is what you crave, this CD might be just what you need.

Great sex music! Comes from the heart!.......2004-07-21

The music and perforamance are so sensually played and achingly beautiful, the hairs on my neck and arms stand up on end. Listen to the opening track and tell me this is not great sex music. Yes, tango is a very sensual art form and this CD is great for those very intimate moments. Of course, sex aside, the music is nothing short of a miracle unto itself. That I was to discover this CD just last year meant I was without it for 7 years since it was released. My life is richer for this and other Piazzolla works done by Kremer.
This CD has become one of those "island" CDs that you would take if you wer so to become deserted on one. You should be so lucky!

Piazzolla's Unofficial Interpreter.......2001-04-12

I first became aware of this CD several years ago as its melancholy strains wafted through the air of a bookstore through which I was browsing. My ears perked up...Piazzolla!!! Upon inquiry, I was shown the CD and I immediately purchased a copy. I couldn't wait to get home and listen to it at elevated volume. What a recording!! Kremer has captured and distilled the essence of Piazzolla's music. Every song is a masterpiece and nearly all of my favorite mid-period Piazzolla compositions are contained within. A special treat is the magnum opus which closes the set, a 12-minute rendering of Le Grand Tango with just Kremer's violin and the restrained passion of Vadim Sakharov's piano to lead your mind into another musical dimension. Gidon Kremer has since recorded a number of Piazzolla-related CDs and in so doing has set himself up as the unofficial interpreter of El Maestro's music. If you like Piazzolla, you are sure to enjoy this CD. I give it my highest recommendation.

Average customer rating:

Perfect
Outstanding

Masters of the Bow

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000060O2V
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Tracks:

Introduction And Rondo Capriccioso For Violin And Orchestra - Itzhak Perlman
Violin Concerto No.2 In D Minor, Op.22: Romance (Andante) - Gil Shaham
Zigeunerweisen, Op.20 - Ruggiero Ricci
Violin Concerto No.2 In B Minor, Op.7: Rondo A La Clochete 'La Campanella' - Salvatore Accardo
Thais: Meditation - Joshua Bell
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Preludio - Nathan Milstein
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Gavote And Rondo - Gidon Kremer
The Four Seasons: Concerto No.2 In G Minor, RV 269 'Summer': Presto - Pinchas Zukerman
Sonata No.4 In G Minor, Op.1 'The Devil's Trill' - Gil Shaham
Violin Sonata No.3 In D, Op.9 No.3: Tambourin (Presto) - Henryk Szeryng
Minuet In G, WoO 10 No.2 - Arthur Grumiaux
Songs Without Words: Spring Song, Op.62 No.6 - Christian Ferras
24 Caprices For Solo Violin: Caprice No.9 In E Major - Shlomo Mintz
24 Caprices For Solo Violin: Caprice No.17 In E-Flat Major - Ruggiero Ricci
24 Caprices For Solo Violin: Caprice No.24 In A Minor 'Tema Quas' - Salvatore Accardo

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In D, Op.35: Canzonetta (Andante) - Nathan Milstein
Polonaise No.1 In D, Op.4 - Leila Josefowicz
Ave Maria, D 839 - Christian Ferras
Hungarian Dance No.1 In G Minor - Samuel Sanders
Humoresque, Op.101 No.7 - Arthur Grumiaux
The Legend Of Tsar Saltan: Flight Of The Bumblebee - Henryk Szeryng
Hebrew Melody, Op.33 - Ruggiero Ricci
Salut D'amour, Op.12 - Phillip Moll
Waltz 'La Plus Que Lente' - Henryk Szeryng
Three Old Viennese Dances: Liebesfreud - Joshua Bell
Three Old Viennese Dances: Liebesleid - Phillip Moll
Baal Shem: Nigun - Arthur Grumiaux
Berceuse, Op.16 - Anne-Sophie Mutter
Tzigane - Concert Rhapsody For Violin And Piano - Gerhard Oppitz
Danzas Espanola, Op.37: Andaluza (Dance No.5) - Arthur Grumiaux
Hora Staccato - Christian Ferras
Six Romanian Folk Dances, Op.Sz 56 - Henryk Szeryng

Customer Reviews:

Perfect.......2005-02-15

I love classical music but I dont own very much of it, so I thought I would start my collection with Masters of the Bow. What a beautiful selection it was. I just love the sound of a Violin, Joshua Bell is my favorite,I would love to hear more from him. This collection really helps you get to know the masters. Lovely Lovely!

Outstanding.......2004-08-17

I love the violin and this collection is one of my favorites. A great choice for someone like me who doesn't know enough about music and never knows what to buy. It has introduced me to some artists and pieces that I knew nothing about and will help me know what to look for in violin music in the future. This is my favorite but I would also recommend The Cello and Voice CDs in the "Masters of" series. I can't wait for more in this series.

Average customer rating:

Uneven quality but great value
A superb collection of Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set)

ASIN: B00062FLJ2
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Uneven quality but great value.......2007-04-30

Brilliant Classics has found a niche with their extremely low-price multi-disc collections of the work of a single composer or performer. The Bach, Mozart and Chopin Complete Editions are legitimately considered to be artistic and economical triumphs. But the Masterworks series are more uneven. Currently available from Amazon France at about a buck per CD, they're still a bargain for those interested in quickly building a music library. But it's worth keeping a few things in mind. Unlike the Bach and Mozart Editions, these are not always historically informed performances. In this Mendelssohn set, the Hanover Band puts in a cameo (in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), but most of the ensembles use modern instruments, techniques and proportions. This doesn't always work out, as in the case of the ponderously heavy recordings of the String Symphonies by an apparently full complement of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig strings (Mendelssohn likely wrote these early works for a much smaller group). The caliber of the performances varies too, ranging from good to poor, and from marquis musicians such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to a few Dutch who-dats. The chamber musicians generally acquit themselves well (though the Octet recording is marred by an engineering flaw in the last movement, distortion, at least on my copy). But the symphonies suffer from some substandard performances, such as the Italian Symphony's live recording with not only audience noise but also ensemble flaws such as a distracting clarinet squeak in the first movement's recapitulation. Another strike is the lack of program notes. Brilliant's Complete Editions provide a booklet or CD-ROM with program notes, but here you'll need to do your own research.

Despite these shortcomings, this set is still good value (at least at Amazon France's current price of 31 Euros). And it's a fine way to become acquainted with Mendelssohn's music.

A superb collection of Mendelssohn.......2007-03-24

Let me preface this by saying that most of these works were not new to me - I own many other Mendelssohn CDs and have enjoyed his compositions for some time now. Also, this set is available much cheaper elsewhere, particularly from European retailers.
The symphonies are well-performed. 'Reformation' is an inspired live recording. The 12 string symphonies, written in Mendelssohn's youth, are also included. The concertos are exceptional - the violin concerto is as good as you'll find anywhere. The oratorios Elijah and Paulus are included, as well as the complete chamber works and a diverse assortment of choral works. The last few discs include the Lied ohne worte, the epic organ sonatas, and excellent renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Fingal's Cave. While there are a few sketchy performances in the choral and chamber works, the performances and recordings are generally very solid, and the body of work couldn't be better.

Average customer rating:

James Galway Enchants with "Dances for Flute"
Unusual but outstanding flute music

James Galway - Dances for Flute

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Very Best of James Galway
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ASIN: B000003F7F
Release Date: 1993-02-09

Tracks:

Suite Of Three Pieces, Op.116: Waltz
Waltz In D-Flat, Op.64 No.1: 'Minute' Waltz
La Plus Que Lente
Suite No.2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Polonaise
Suite No.2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Menuet
Suite No.2 In B Minor, BWV 1067: Badinerie
Crowley's Reel
Masquerade: Waltz
Brian Boru's March
Belfast Hornpipe
Concerto In D: Polacca
The Great Rose: Pie In The Face Polka
Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre: Canario
Jamaican Rumba
Divertimento in D,K.334: Menuetto
Petite Suite: Ballet
Concerto In D, Op. 10, No. 3 'Il cardellino': Cantabile
Hora Staccato
Tambourin
Schoen Rosmarin
The Molly Maguires: Pennywhistle Jig
Gayaneh: Sabre Dance

Customer Reviews:

James Galway Enchants with "Dances for Flute".......2003-03-11

I purchased this CD after hearing a couple of tracks on our local fine arts radio station, but was completely unprepared for the richness and beauty to be found therein. Galway is a past master of the flute.

The selections on this CD, both familiar and new to this reviewer, are lovely. And more than one is positively haunting. I tell myself each day that I will remove the disk from the changer, to save for another day. But I cannot. I must have my daily dose of Galway.

Such is the enchantment that he weaves.

Unusual but outstanding flute music.......2001-01-30

This is one of a number of cd's bought for my wife (an avid flute lover) which have turned out to be among my favorites.

Galway plays with his normal crispness and energy, but here some unusual pieces one doesn't hear often. The two Khachaturian songs are haunting and the Belfast Hornpipe is so neat!

Tracks:

Abblasen - Don Smithers
Rondeau - Wynton Marsalis
Allegro Assai - Thomas Stevens
I. Allegro - Maurice Andre
II. Largo - Maurice Andre
III. (Allegro) - Maurice Andre
I. Andante - Hakan Hardenberger
II. Allegro Moderato - Hakan Hardenberger
I. Allegro - John Wilbraham
II. Largo - John Wilbraham
III. Allegro - John Wilbraham
I. Adagio - Maurice Andre
II. Allegro - Maurice Andre
I. Allegro - Aldoph Herseth
II. Andante - Adolph Herseth
III. Finale. Allegro - Adolph Herseth
I. Allegro Con Spirito - John Wilbraham
II.Andante - John Wilbraham
III. Rondo - John Wilbraham
La Virgen De La Macarena - Ronald Romm
Theme & Variations On 'The Carnival Of Venice' - John Wilbraham

Tracks:

Reiterfanfare - Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble
XXI: Sonata A 3 - Michael Laird
Sonata A 7 - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
March For 3 Trumpets And Timpani - The London Festival Brass Ensemble
I. Allegro - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
II. Andante - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
III. Vivace - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
I. Moderato - John Wilbraham
II. Menuett - John Wilbraham
III. Larghetto - John Wilbraham
IV. Vivace - John Wilbraham
Fanfare For St. Edmundsbury - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Quiet City - Thomas Stacy
Concertino For Trumpet, Piano And Strings - Pierre Thibaud
Fanfare For A New Theatre - Raymond Mase
Marche Royale - ARMANDO GHITALLA
Etude Characteristique - Elgar Howarth
Hora Staccato - Rafael Mendez
Czardas - Rafael Mendez

Customer Reviews:

Hot Lips Trumpets.......2007-01-10

I appreciate this CD, it is high quality and a great variety and I enjoy it very much.
Vernon M. Dean

"Abblassen" Used in "Sunday Morning".......2006-02-01

The CBS News show "Sunday Morning" is using "Abblassen" as their theme music.

fun trumpets.......2005-09-13

"Masters of The Trumpet" is a simple and accurate title for this 2- disc collection. The recordings cover trumpet/cornet literature ranging from Gabrieli to Stravinsky.
Especially enjoyable moments are Don Smithers playing Reiche's "Abblasen" & Armando Ghitalla's work on Stravinsky's "Marche Royale" (L'Histoire du Soldat).
Rafael Mendez sounds as though he has more fun playing than should be legal...exciting!..and Adolph Herseth is a pleasure to hear whether he's playing in "delicate mode" or shattering asteroids with his power.
Get this recording.

dj

Average customer rating:

Simply Breath-Taking
full of energy worth savouring
Versatile virtuoso outshines musically uneven material
A Towering Musical Achievement
Beautiful Harp Album

Crossing the Stone

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Harpist
Because I Love You So
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Free

ASIN: B0000AM6IX
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Tracks:

Mountain Dance
Harpers Bizarre
James
Crossing The Stone (Tros Y Garreg)
Prelude From Partita No. 3
Third Movement From Electric Counterpoint
Eternal Dream
The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba From Solomon
Cafe Vamp Latino
Spain
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Clair De Lune
Prelude In C/Ave Maria
Thingamujig
Suo Gan
Palladio (1st Movement)

Customer Reviews:

Simply Breath-Taking.......2007-03-05

Being a harpist myself, I can truly admire Catrin Finch's talent, style and choice of music selections for her first album.

Some songs are truly a revelation for the harp as an instrument using New Age style accompaniment, while there are still pieces with a classical vibe.

Well Done!

full of energy worth savouring.......2004-12-13

The artist is able to deconstruct the traditional image of harp as an instument. The texture and the hue of the music is rich and full of lustre. very creative and versatile.

Versatile virtuoso outshines musically uneven material.......2004-02-01

There's a reason Charles, Prince of Wales, revived a long-dormant (since 1871) tradition and presented Catrin Finch a Royal Appointment as his harpist. At age 23 she is a remarkable talent, with pristine technique and a fluency in the languages of both classical and contemporary music.

If only the material on her debut disc were equal to her talent.

While Finch is extraordinary, the music is a mixed bag of modern jazz/pop tunes, re-tooled classical favorites, and several hit-and-miss arrangements by Finch's musical partner, composer Karl Jenkins.

It's all starts and stops, ups and downs. In the jazz/pop genre, Dave Grusin's infectious "Mountain Dance" and the relaxed groove of Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays' "James" are perfectly suited for harp, while Chick Corea's "Spain" just never catches fire. Among the contemporary, experimental compositions, Jenkins' minimalist but tuneful "Harpers Bizarre" is far more interesting than Steve Reich's "Third Movement from Electric Counterpoint" - a tedious ostinato that never develops into anything. In a more traditional vein, "Crossing the Stone," taken from Jenkins' double harp concerto, is a rich, lovely setting of a Welsh folk tune, but two other selections from the concerto - "Eternal Dream" and "Caf? Vamp Latino" - don't relate musically at all. And while Finch, unaccompanied, is flawless on Bach's "Prelude from Partita No. 3," her performance of Handel's "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" is marred by the decision to include some noisy Middle Eastern percussion, as is Debussy's "Clair de lune" by an intrusive, soporific voice-over.

On the upside again, Bach/Gounod's "Ave Maria" and the Welsh lullaby "Suo Gan" team Finch nicely with solo voices (though countertenor Terrance Barber's vibrato is perhaps an acquired taste), and Jenkins' "Thingamujig" is a fun, lively jig.

Concluding the album, the first movement of Jenkins' "Palladio" (featured for years in TV commercials for DeBeers diamonds) in a dull dance remix has none of the energy of the original version for string quartet and is a totally gratuitous inclusion.

From Finch's liner-note comment that "I've never really been stuffy about classical music ... I'm open to everything, really," it's apparent that some tracks are an attempt to make a "classical" instrument more accessible to listeners of contemporary music. Again, Finch is terrific, but listeners would be better served by a recording of the harpist that displays her virtuosity in a single genre - whether classical, contemporary or experimental - instead of this hodgepodge.

Give the performer five stars, the material two, and look forward to hearing this talented young artist for many years to come.

A Towering Musical Achievement.......2003-10-29

While biographies disguised as reviews are tiresome, some background is in order, in this case. At the age of 23, Catrin Finch has been playing the harp for 18 years. She was appearing on British television and with major orchestras by the time she was 10, and was appointed the Royal Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales (a.k.a. Prince Charles) at the age of 20. Bottom line: This lady has more than enough credentials to be regarded as a major musical talent.

But does having a long list of credentials translate to making a great album? In this case, you bet it does. On "Crossing The Stone," Catrin Finch combines piles of technical expertise with surprising and even stunning musical choices. Sure, she covers classical music (such as Bach's 'Prelude from Partita #3' and Handel's 'The Arrival of The Queen of Sheba') brilliantly, but you'd expect that from an alumnus of The Royal College of Music. But would you expect to hear a piece by jazz pianist Dave Grusin done on the harp? How about music by guitarist Pat Metheny, or a Chick Corea composition?

Catrin Finch is an incredible talent, and she has created a beautiful, eclectic album that demands (and will receive) repeated listening. Unfortunately, it's also an album that you probably won't find in your local music store. This album has not received a lot of publicity, and I have yet to walk into a CD store and find it sitting on the shelf. Save yourself a lot of tedious shopping: buy it here and now.

Beautiful Harp Album.......2003-08-26

I first heard Catrin Finch on a free sample CD I received and when I listened to it, I couldn't believe that the instrument that she was playing was the harp! It was so vibrant and full of life. It felt like I had opened the windows and let the sun shine in. The harp is the world's oldest - and most difficult instrument, but in Ms. Finch's power it is sounds both contemporary effortlessly played. It is a wonderful buy for any appreciate of music, and the most electric harp album ever produced.

Average customer rating:

Amazing
Typical Piazzolla...Extraordinary
A Christlike Performance
superb playing of great music

Los Tangueros

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Piazzolla: Song of the Angel

ASIN: B0000029TY
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Revirado
Fuga y misterio
Milonga del angel
Decarissimo
Soledad
La muerte del angel
Adios Nonino
Libertango
Verano porte
Michelangelo '70
Buenos Aires hora cero
Tangata

Amazon.com essential recording

Like his frequent partner, Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Emanuel Ax has become infatuated with the tangos of Astor Piazzolla. Ax sought out pianist Pablo Ziegler, a long-time member of Piazzolla's ensemble, to make these arrangements and perform them with him. With his innate musicianship and Ziegler as a tutor, Ax has entered wholeheartedly into the world of the New Tango. These performances have just the right feeling for rhythm and color. Whether you need an album of Piazzolla on two pianos is another question. I'd say get some of Piazzolla's own recordings first. But for piano tango this album is a total success. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2005-07-16

There is a certain intensity in Piazzola's music that is hard to describe. It can be very powerful and nostalgic at the same time, very energetic and extremely mellow. Rumor has it that when Piazzola was studing music, his teacher pesuaded him to go back to his natural instrument, the bandoneon, as Piazzola had proven to play it with a special sensitivity.
While played in the bandoneon , Piazzola's music reaches all its Argentinean identity and character, but in the piano- in this case two of them- his music transforms and gets a richness that is really imppresive. I can't imagine two better piano players to deliver the passion of Piazzola's music. Emmanuel Ax and Pablo Ziegler are amazing together. Los Tangueros is a classic for all the Piazzola fans.

Typical Piazzolla...Extraordinary.......2003-03-05

The quintessential Piazzolla is presented here in a rapturous performance by several artists in their own right. I was attracted to this recording because I play the piano and the idea of Emanual Ax and Pablo Ziegler (another one of those classical-Tango joint venture a la Yo Yo Ma) performing Tango was too much to pass up.

The transcriptions are very, very good. In fact, though one can readily distinguish the sound from the classic Tango ensemble, the music is seamless. It works! Of particular interest is "La muerte del angel". One wishes that the "angel" trilogy could be presented in one package instead of spread out over several recordings. And speaking of transcripts, a German firm now distributes piano versions of Piazzolla tangos in three volumes.

While I'm wishing, it would be great if someone recorded the entire body of Piazzolla compositions in one collection.

A Christlike Performance.......2000-08-02

I was unfamiliar with Emanuel Ax, very familiar with Pablo Ziegler, and ultra familiar with the work of Astor Piazzolla, so I decided to give this CD a try. The only disappointment is that there are only 12 songs on this recording. It must have been difficult for Piazzolla acolyte Ziegler to decide which of the hundreds of worthy Piazzolla compositions to record. In the end, he did a great job not only in selecting a variety of Piazzolla styles, but also in selecting those which fit his conception of this project. Its hard to choose a favorite here though if pressed, I'd name the stately Soledad followed closely by the equally majestic Tangata. Ziegler's arrangements are impeccable. He proves that a lot of music can spring from two pianos with no other instrumentation needed when the arrangements are right. I heartily recommend this album not only to Piazzolla fans, but to fans of the piano. I hope that Ax and Ziegler soon offer an encore to this Christlike performance.

superb playing of great music.......1999-08-07

Piazzola does for tango what Gershwin did for the blues. And there is no better medium to hear what Piazzola is up to than these splendid arrangements for two pianos. Emanuel Ax, of course, is one of America's best living pianists. With Ziegler, he forms an unforgettable team. Highly worthwhile.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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