Power of the Night

Power of the Night

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Import reissue of the heavy metal act's 1985 album includes 2 bonus tracks 'Power Of The Night' (live-recorded at the Clevland Agora, Oct. 15th 1987) & 'Sirens' (live-recorded in Dallas, April 22, 1990). 2002 Steamhammer.

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

Dies Irae
Tuba Mirum
Pie Jesu
O Fortuna
Dies Irae
Rex Tremendae
Confutatis
Lacrimosa
Polovtsian Dances
Missa: Kyrie Eleison
Hallelujah Chorus
The Shepherd's Farewell
Sanctus
The Heavens Are Telling
'Va, pensiero' (Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves)
Nyne Otpushchayeshi (Now Let Thy Servant Depart)
Dies Irae

Customer Reviews:

I made my son listen to it !!!.......2007-07-28

A wonderful album. I have several copies of Handel's Messiah, but the performance of the Hallelujah Chorus by Robert Shaw's singers is exceptional, outstanding. I was inspired to have my young son listen to this album: Verdi's "Dies Irae", Orff's "O Fortuna", and Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus".

Notice that there are 3 versions of "Dies Irae" on this album. It's nice to hear others. I am not normally a fan of Requiems. I will say that I do like Bach's Mass in B Minor and the Kyrie Eleison excerpted here is beautiful.

Wonderful choir music CD.......2007-07-12

I just enjoy in it very much. The best of the choir music in very good performance.

Best of American Choral Singing!.......2003-02-08

This CD could be the cornerstone of your choral music library! Wonderful performances of all of the essential choral pieces give a wonderful introduction to choral music for someone new to it, and also give a nice sampler of the best pieces for someone already familiar with the music. Listening to each excerpt may inspire you to purchase the entire work!

As you would expect of performances by Robert Shaw's groups, these performances are really extraordinary and show the best of American choral singing.

A good album, but--.......2001-12-28

The three stars I have given this album are not for the performances, which are all tremendous and deserve five stars or more, but for the idea of releasing this sort of compilation. Every single one of these selections is part of a larger Shaw-recorded work already released by Telarc, and you are far better off seeking the complete recordings that all these pieces are from, than just buying a mere "sampler". (Shaw, however, never did get around to recording the complete " L' Enfance du Christ".) Of course, that can be very expensive for some people, and if one cannot afford all those recordings, I suppose this is the next best thing. One can't shake off the feeling, however, that because Shaw is no longer with us, Telarc is desperately trying to give the impression that "new" Shaw recordings are constantly being released by them, when the truth is that nearly all the new ones are mere recyclings. (The last complete Robert Shaw album released by Telarc was Dvorak's "Stabat Mater", a CD well worth buying.)

Awesome.......2000-04-04

This album is so up-lifting. As the music soars, so do your spirits.

Average customer rating:

TURN YOUR HEAD AND SEE THE FIELDS OF FLAME
truly amazing
Great fast german power metal at its finest
EXCELLENT
Perfect combination of talent and ambition

A Night at the Opera
Blind Guardian
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Imaginations From the Other Side
Tales from the Twilight World
Somewhere Far Beyond
Demons & Wizards

ASIN: B000062Y98
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Tracks:

Precious Jerusalem
Battlefield
Under The Ice
Sadly Sings Destiny
The Maiden and The Minstrel Knight
Wait For An Answer
The Soulforged
Age Of False Innocence
Punishment Divine
And Then There Was Silence
Mies Del Dolor

Album Description

This monumental album was in the writing stages for over two years and the band spent the better part of 2001 in the studio recording it. Featuring some of the most majestic and ambitious metal compositions ever recorded. Includes the bonus track 'Mies Del Dolor' not available on the import version. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

TURN YOUR HEAD AND SEE THE FIELDS OF FLAME.......2007-04-23

Reams of time and energy were expended on putting _A Night at the Opera_ toghether, more so than is common for anything in the class of power metal. For the most part, it certainly shows. Blind Guardian's writing is so sophisticated that few bands match their acumen, and the attention afforded this release is certainly to their benefit.

At least for the most part. The production is perhaps the only nagging flaw in this otherwise pristine work of typical Blind Guardian awesomeness. I miss Flemming Rasmussen's unmatched production for _Imaginations from the Other Side_ and _Nightfall in Middle-Earth_. People like the rag the poor guy because he `butchered' Metallica's _...And Justice for All_ (allegedly), but Blind Guardian was never better served. Although there are vastly more vocals on display here, peaking with the 100+ vocal tracks on "And Then There Was Silence", Rasmussen's production still managed to give the massive choral onslaughts more `oomph.' When the choruses kick in on songs like "Into the Storm", "Script from My Requiem", or "Imaginations from the Other Side", it's like a punch in the gut -- there might as well be a hundred men singing those lines. Here on _A Night at the Opera_, the overall sound seems softer and choruses lack the same explosive effect.

This should not be too emphasized, for there might be an element of relativity given the sheer amount of vocals on this album. Hansi's voice is rarely heard alone, usually backed by multitracked vocal armies, which hits the peak of intensity on "And Then There Was Silence", Blind Guardian's best song brimming with fifteen minutes of choral exclamations and orchestral guitar arrangements. The other songs are of the usual BG standard, with the ethic of not repeating anything unless it is rearranged or given different inflection repeated on a grander scale. In bringing their music an even greater degree of enormity, Blind Guardian cranks the amount of solemn drama which gives their music such addictive qualities. And since _Imaginations..._, Blind Guardian has been progressively mastering their inventive construction of song structures using various tempos, arrangements, and melodic twists. Also, where the biggest shining point of Blind Guardian songs is almost invariably the choruses, almost more exciting here is not the chorus themselves, but how the choruses are arrived at through sweeping vocals, weaving metal scales and distorted crunch.

This is a masterful album, and judging by the subsequent release _A Twist in the Myth_, executed at a scale we might not see again. Enjoy it!

truly amazing.......2007-04-08

my friend pointed this band out to me a while ago, and i am glad he did, this is one of the most amazing bands i have heard in a long time. great musicianship shines throughout this album. and in my opinion this is their best album. nightfall on middle earth was also a great album but i think this one is just a little bit better. every song on this album shines and is like a symphony of awesomeness flowing through my ears. the best songs on the album are definatly battle field and the epic monster that is one minute of silence.

trust me on this folks. if you are a fan of any type of metal you need to get not just cd but all the cds this band has put out. these guys are the reigning champs of power metal.

Great fast german power metal at its finest.......2007-03-30

Well I have recently just purchased this album and after listing to all of it, I must say it was well worth the time. This surely was a masterpiece; from it's shredding guitars and guitar solos to the incredible bone crunching drumming, to the fast nearly insane keyboards; you can tell they have spent a great amount of time composing this album, not only musically but lyrically as well. The songs tell a story of wonder and might that is a great thing to hear.

Now on to my top five favorite songs:

5.)"battlefield" - 9/10 Great song very upbeat and the lyrics great too.

4.)"precious Jerusalem" - 9/10 Awesome well thought lyrics and a great chorus make this one of my favorites.

3.)"Punishment Divine" - 9/10 A great song, with very poetic lyrics, over-all good riffs, nice drumming, and good vocals, plus a mind-boggling chorus, that thrusts you back into a time where dragons needed slaying and maidens needed rescuing.

2.)"Soulforged" - 9.5 /10 Now this song is blazing fast at times, soothingly slow at others and has the BEST verse in my opinion of any blind guardian song. Truly a shining jewel of wonderment.

1.)"Sadly Sings Destiny" - 10/10 Now on to my favorite song on Night at the Opera, "Sadly Sings Destiny". This superb song combines ferocious guitar and keyboard work, along with thought provoking lyrics, an even better chorus than "Soulforged", and near perfect power metal vocals, making this one of the best power metal songs, NAY albums ever made.

And i must say, it was a real pleasure to hear it. So i ask of you, please treat yourself to a one of a kind experience and purchase this album, you surely will not be disappointed.

EXCELLENT.......2006-12-30

THIS IS EASILY ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS I'VE HEARD IN MY LIFE. I ESPECIALLY LIKE "UNDER THE ICE". DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND A VIDEO (IF THERE IS ONE)?

Perfect combination of talent and ambition.......2006-10-16

A Night at the Opera is easily Blind Guardian's most ambitious and controversial album to date. Sure, you see a lot of 4 and 5-star reviews here recently, but when this album was released in 2002 the reception was a bit less enthusiastic. This is due in some part to the fact that a Night at the Opera had the unenviable task of following up Blind Guardian's career-defining 1998 epic Nightfall in Middle Earth. For those expecting Nightfall Part II, the wall of sound that is a Night at the Opera must have come as quite a shock!

With this album, Blind Guardian did what all good bands are supposed to do - they matured and progressed. Instead of resting on their well-deserved laurels, the band went to work incorporating new elements to their sound. The trademark Blind Guardian's epic power metal sound is still intact, but the emphasis this time around is on more orchestral arrangements and a much greater use of vocal tracks. As suggested by the album's title, the band was heavily influenced by Queen. Think "Bohemian Rhapsody" applied to a power metal album and you get the general idea.

A Night at the Opera has a big BIG sound. I can absolutely see how it would throw listeners off at first, but if given the chance the songs here have a way of creeping into your head and taking root. They are, as usual, based on fantasy, history, mythology and folklore, and once again the band manages to cover this kind of subject matter without getting too cheesy, unlike a certain other band I will not name here (OK, it's Rhapsody).

This is a remarkably solid album with few, if any, weak moments. There are plenty of strong songs to choose from, but the obvious standout is the epic 14-minute "And Then There Was Silence." This song represents the character of the whole album. If you love the song, you'll love the album. If you think it's too complicated, pretentious, or grandiose, then you're probably not going to be a fan of the album. Personally, I think it's just complicated and grandiose enough to make it the best Blind Guardian song ever. This is the best example of a truly great band challenging themselves to outdo their previous achievements.

Once again, Blind Guardian has released an excellent album that showcases their talents as well as their ambition, and has proven again why they are the absolute best power metal band in the world.

Average customer rating:

one of the most true of heart power metal albums ever recorded
Raise the fist of the metal child!
Top Ten Classic Heavy Metal Album of All Time!
A Very Underestimated Album
Contains some classic Savatage tunes

Power of the Night
Savatage
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Hall of the Mountain King
Gutter Ballet
Sirens
Streets: A Rock Opera
Fight for the Rock

ASIN: B000002IHS
Release Date: 1990-06-15

Tracks:

Power Of The Night
Unusual
Warriors
Necrophilia
Washed Out
Hard For Love
Fountain Of Youth
Skull Session
Stuck On You
In The Dream

Album Description

1997 reissue on Edel of their 1985 Concrete album with anacoustic version of 'Sleep' added as a bonus track, for atotal of 11 selections. The album also carries a 'ExplicitLyrics -- Parental Advisory' disclaimer on the back.

Album Details

Includes Never Before Released Bonus Track: 'SLEEP'.

Customer Reviews:

one of the most true of heart power metal albums ever recorded.......2007-06-23

hello metallians, this cd belongs in every metal collection there is, this cd is one of the most true and die hard power metal albums you will ever hear, it is classic, like helloweens walls of jherico, and priests painkiller, and megadeths rust in piece. this is a true classic that will stand the test of time as one of the most inspirational albums ever of its kind. the guitars on this album thanks to the god himself(r.i.p. bud) are some of the best riffs and solos ever recorded, his fingers had to have gushed blood like a fountain after the recording session. some of the most timeless power metal songs ever can be found on this album. like shes unusual, or the title track, or the anthemic rocking ballad in the middle. this is one of the center pieces in my huge power metal collection and is sure to be playing in my cd player when i am old and in a home. your friend and brother in metal brandon whitson 25 of north carolina.
ps. if you like this you absolutely have to get gutter ballet and hall of the mountain king and edge of thorns. and dont forget sirens

Raise the fist of the metal child!.......2006-07-03

Power of the Night was Savatage's third release, and follows the same path as Sirens and Dungeons Are Calling. Forget spandex and power ballads, this is metal for metal's sake. Songs like Power of the Night and Warriors are pure metal anthems, and are great representatives of the early American power metal sound. The Oliva brothers continue to improve their songwriting abilities, though there are a few less than stellar moments (i.e. Skull Session). Savatage had not yet moved into their epic rock opera stage, so enjoy Power of the Night for what it is - fast and furious power metal madness!

NOTE: While the standard version of Power of the Night is a bargain at $9.98, you may want to spend a few more dollars on the German import reissue by SPV. It hasn't been remastered, but the 2002 SPV reissue does have a few extras that make it a better buy. It features 2 additional tracks - live versions of Power of the Night and Sirens, but the real bonus is that the liner notes have been expanded to include several pages of very detailed information about the band during this particular stage of their career. When added to the chapters from the other SPV Savatage reissues, you'll get the real story behind one of the best (and most underrated) metal bands of all time.

Top Ten Classic Heavy Metal Album of All Time!.......2006-02-22

For some reason this album was overlooked as a classic, but I'm here to tell you this album has to be rated as one of the best classic hard rock albums of all time! Great guitar work by Criss Oliva, not to mention the instantly recognizable power vocals of his brother, Jon Oliva! Superb arrangements; overall a stellar production by awesome musicians!

A Very Underestimated Album.......2004-06-09

This Album really ROCKS!!!! The first 4 songs makes the money that you spend for it well spent, no mentioning the others. If you liked Albums like "Hall of the Mountain King" or "Dungeons Are Calling", You MUST have this album. When I heard the guitar intro of the "Power Of The Night" I had to bought it... And it was the right choice. Listen to me, if you call yourself a metalhead, you gotta have this record, you won't be disappointed!

Keep On Rocking The World!!

Contains some classic Savatage tunes.......2004-05-13

This is the first Savatage album that I bought about 20 years ago so it holds a special place in my heart. The standout tracks are Power Of The Night, Warriors, Necrophilia, Hard For Love, and In The Dream. I could do without Washed Out and Skull Session though. I would say that HOTMK is their best album overall but this album is a close second. Criss's guitar howls throughout and John's vocals are classic. I think the people that gave this album less than three stars should listen to it more. It is definitely worth getting. 4.5 Stars, Raise the fist of the metal child!

Average customer rating:

90s albums this great are hard to come by.
needs better vocals
Metal to the max
NO REMORSE!!! ITS TOO LATE!!!
Musical masterpiece

Night of the Stormrider
Iced Earth
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Iced Earth
Burnt Offerings
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Dark Saga
Horror Show

ASIN: B000005HL6
Release Date: 1992-04-28

Tracks:

Angels Holocaust
Stormrider
Path I Choose
Before the Vision
Mystical End
Desert Rain
Pure Evil
Reaching the End
Travel in Stygian

Album Description

Remastered & remixed reissue of the prog-metaller's classic second album, originally released in 1991, it features new cover art & revised layouts! Century Media.

Customer Reviews:

90s albums this great are hard to come by........2007-03-16

Iced Earth are easily one of the best bands to debut on a record label in the 90s. If I wouldn't of known any better, I'd think this was an 80s classic/thrash metal album. They really capture that 80s heavy metal feel on this album. In my opinion it sounds like a mixture of Slayer, Metallica, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden most of the way through. But all the way, they have a very unique sound that is their own. Believe me when I say they are no imitators of the above bands. They have a style all their own influenced by the classic, great metal bands. The guitar easily stands out the most here. Jon Schaffer writes extraordinary music and riffs on NOTSR. He has some of the fastest hands I've ever heard on guitar, especially for a rhythm guitarist. He is definitely one of the most talented, underrated rhythm guitarists out there. There are so many classics on this album that will be stuck in your head after just a listen or two.

My favorite track on the album is the epic album closer- Travel In Stygian. It is so fast and the tempo and riffs keep changing the whole way through. The chorus is easily one of the best, if not the best on the album. My favorite riff on the entire album comes at 4:40 on this song when Schaffer just shreds on guitar. Other favorites of mine also include Stormrider(which I was surprised at how awesome Schaffer's voice was, as he sings on this one),Angels Holocaust, and Mystical End. There are two short acoustic songs which act kind of as intros for the song afterwards. Those two songs are Reaching The End and Before The Vision. Both are excellent, but the later of the two is better I personally think. Greely's vocals really shine on these two. John Greely does an amazing job on vocals for this album. His vocals are very dynamic, going from a nice, smooth, clean voice to an extremely heavy metal voice. He can also hit those high notes. He was an excellent choice by Schaffer. Is he as good as Matt Barlow? Probably not, but he's very close in my opinion.

This is an epic, dark, concept album. Whats not to like about that? To tell you the truth, I really can't find any problems with NOTSR whatsoever. Everything is just solid in all aspects. I was expecting a good album, but what I found was that this exceeded my greatest expectations. So that makes for an easy 5 star album.

needs better vocals.......2007-01-08

This is the first really good Iced Earth album. It has only one weak area, the vocals!!! You should get the Matt Barlow versions of the songs. The best songs are Angels Holocaust (my favorite Iced Earth song), Desert Rain, Pure Evil, and Travel in Stygian. This is also a great concept album telling a dark and sad story.

Metal to the max.......2006-11-22

Obviously, Iced Earth has never heard of "The Sophmore jinx". Because albums usually don't sound THIS good. An absolute clasic, to the end. There are many classics that are played to this day such as "Stormrider" and "Travel In Stygian". I recommend this to anyone who likes Iced Earth or any other metal band. Best metal album in my book, and hopefully in your book too.

NO REMORSE!!! ITS TOO LATE!!!.......2006-08-04

This is by far my favorite Iced Earth album to date, next to Burnt Offerings, Dark Saga, Horror Show, Something Wicked, Glorious Burden(although it took a while for Ripper to grow on me), hell, all the Iced Earth albums are f-ing amazing.

What distinguishes this album from their later releases is the the complexity, probally making this album the most complex from an American band at that time. Plenty of palm-muting and driving guitars and drums make this CD instantly-satisfying, and while the vocals arent Matt Barlow, he is better than alot of vocalists who where around at that time (especially James Hetfield when he mellowed his growl). The vocalist goes from operatic to downright Tom Araya-ish.

As for the songs, there is literally no bad songs, a trend that wont be stopped until Glorius Burden (I really, really hated all the 9/11 stuff, even though they have a great theme of patriotism.) My favorites, though, are Angels Holocaust/Stormrider, The Path I Choose, Pure Evil, Mystical End, and Travel in Stygian, probally the greatest closer to an Iced Earth album next to "Dantes Inferno".

Fans of metal in general should enjoy this. Also get IE's aforementioned albums.

Musical masterpiece.......2006-07-28

An awesome concept album, about a dammed warrior who brings death and destruction to Earth and in the end, hell awaits his unforgiving soul.
This there second album with new singer {this band has changed singers a # of times} John Greely who does an excellent job and a new drummer.
American Power Metal with a dark mood....the music really blends nicely for this dark concept album.
Travel In Stygian..... Man, wow!!!! What a song. Was the first Iced Earth song I heard years ago. I ran down to the record store {back then that is how you got music} No" they didn't have the tape so I bought there first album and had to wait months to order this one on CD from a mailorder catalog.
This album truly has that heavy metal magic that makes a classic and for me that magic would not really show back up with further Iced Earth releases till "Alive in Athens",
Stormrider is a must must must buy for any metalhead. Man I love this type Power Metal...

Average customer rating:

the joy of beauty
the joy of beauty
Lush and lovely music from the past

The Faerie Isles

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Carolan's Welcome
The Peacock's Feather

ASIN: B00000HYTK
Release Date: 1999-01-26

Tracks:

Bonny Portmore, Fanny Power
Blind Mary
The Peacock's Feather,The Parting Glass
The Minstrel's Adieu
King Of The Fairies
Lord Mayo
Irish Lullaby
Hugh O'Donnell
Brian Boru's March
All Through The Night
Carolan's Welcome
Jimmy's Return
The Blossom Of The Raspberry
Black Rosebud
Home Ruler
She Moves Through The Fair
Gentle Annie
O'Carolan's Farewell To Music

Customer Reviews:

the joy of beauty.......2001-04-08

"The meadows are clothed with flocks And the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing." (Psalm 65:13)

In all of my days spent on this journey up until now, I have never heard more beautiful music than that of Carol Thompson's Harp playing. It echoes with the music of the Celtic landscape as well as the hearts of the Celtic people from whom many of these songs descend. It is a wonder.

The Bible speaks of the boy David playing his harp to soothe the wrath of King Saul. If David's playing was anything like Thompson's playing of this music...I can see how something like that might work.

From the opening strains of Bonny Portmore to the last note of O'Carolan's Farewell, Thompson's CD "The Faerie Isles" is filled with the utter joy of beauty. It is no secret that Dorian is my favorite label...I have yet to be disappointed by one of their discs--but this one is exceptional indeed.

I give "The Faerie Isles" my highest recommendation.

the joy of beauty.......2001-04-08

"The meadows are clothed with flocks And the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing." (Psalm 65:13)

I give "The Faerie Isles" my highest recommendation.

Lush and lovely music from the past.......2000-01-20

Perhaps some day Dorian Recordings will turn out a poor CD, but among their more recent releases are four sets that feature harpist Carol Thompson. The artist was born in this country of Anglo-Welsh-Irish background (as the copywriter tells us). Part of her technique is to let her ornamentation come out of the melody rather than merely appending it, and to execute her chords with a "downward roll" rather than an upward as in classical harp playing.

So with Amazon.com's permission, I will submit this same write up to each of the four webpages that deal with these albums.

. (DOR-90013) has Ms. Thompson accompanied by another harpist and a wooden flute; and the extra coloration is welcome. Here we have 18 cuts (64 minutes) of Celtic harp music, the more familiar of which are "Brian Boru's March" and "Gentle Annie." The notes are of a general nature.

The subtitle of (DOR-90120) shows the program (53 minutes) to be much like the other sets, including the familiar "All Through the Night" and "The Ash Grove." I spot even one or two selections among the 19 here that appeared on earlier recordings. But it is all so winningly played that one must not carp. The notes are in several languages and a bit shorter than usual to keep the booklet from being too thick.

(DOR-90176) has 71 minutes consisting of 21 cuts such as "She Moves Through the Fair" and "Snow on the Hills." This set tends to be more satisfactory than the last one because of the presence of accordion, concertina, wooden flute and second harp; although by now one tune is starting to blur into the other.

The fourth Dorian set in order of recording is (DOR-90240) in which our harpist goes it alone with a short program (51 minutes) of 12 cuts, half of which are medleys. Included are "Twisting of the Rope," "Blind Mary" and the title song. This time the notes give information about each song.

Again I must emphasize the excellence of the playing and how beautiful each CD is by itself. But as with so many artists that concentrate on a small part of the music spectrum, each new offering tends to be predictable and one gets a strong feeling of déjà vu. But to be fair, these sets were released with considerable time between them and only people like reviewers now and then get to hear them all at once.

So which to choose? I would go for the two where you get more than the sound of a single harp first. But I really think that enthusiasts of British music will want to have all of these sets sooner or later.

Tracks:

Future Shock
False Messiah
Black Night
Witch-Hunt
Fire Dance
Fright Night
Night Screamer
Darkness
Goodbye

Album Description

Reissue of their very first album from 1989. Import only!

Album Details

1994 Reissue of the Band's Original 1984 Release, this is the First Studio Album featuring Timo Tolkki on Vocals.

Customer Reviews:

The best Stratovarius album? Hmmm... well not for me anyways........2006-08-08

Well... I would call this CD an average CD but this isn't really for me entirely. It came out in 1989, but it sounds a lot older than that. It sounds like something a band would come out in the very early 80s. Although I am a big fan of a few old school metal bands (like old Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Slayer) this really doesn't do it for me. It's not really that heavy for a power metal album. Certainly not for people who care for heavyness in their music. I'm not saying that softness is a bad thing in music I just think that this album would have sounded better if the production increased the sound volume a lil more. So what I am saying then, if you like something that sounds in the line of Black Sabbath and Black Label Society you well probably love this album. As for me, it just didn't do it for me. I got three albums from them so far. They are Visions (amazing album), Elements Pt. 1 (only liked a few songs here but the ones that I like are my favorites), and Episode (another awesome album). I know that they were different in the past so I was prepared to expect the difference (I love both old and new Arch Enemy, same goes for In Flames). Do not get me wrong of this but I STILL LIKE IT but just not wowed is all. If your gonna start off with this band start off with Visions. It's definitly the best way you can go.

Song ratings: 1 = lowest 10 = highest (in my opinion)

Future Shock: 6/10 Not a bad intro to the album. It kicks things up with a bang.

False Messiah: 7/10 This song has a beat that makes the album feel like it's still starting up while it's getting stronger at the same time.

Black Night: 5/10 My least favorite on here. It's not that bad but the vocalist annoys me when he says "no no no no no no".

Witch Hunt: 10/10 This song is stuck in my head so I really have no choice but to give it a 10. It's an awesome song and the rhythm will get stuck in your head for days.

Fire Dance: 9/10 The half way point of the album. It's an awesome instrumental and it launches you into the second half of the album. The drummer is a shining sun on this instrumental.

Fright Night: 10/10 Best song off the album without a doubt. It's the longest and heaviest song off the album. Very great. Sometimes I just skip to Fire Dance, listen to this song next, then just turn off the album because I just feel like listening to this gem.

Night Screamer: 10/10 Very good song. Deserves another 10.

Darkness: 7/10 Not bad. Very enchanting feeling.

Goodbye: 8/10 It's an outtro. I love albums that have these instrumentals in it cause it keeps the pace of the album will either ending of beggining it. It's a nice way to end this album. After this song ends I feel pretty majestic yet disapointed at the same time.

So this maybe wasn't my cup of tea. I probably had too much death metal is all but anyways. These are just my faults for the album. Others I'm sure will enjoy it since a lot of people enjoy the old school feeling this album brings. I woundn't recommend it to someone who likes really heavy bands such as Necrophagist, Obituary, Carcass, Death, and you get the point. I highly recommend it though to people who love old school metal. Just be warned it's not for everyone at all. Dangerously overhyped.

It lets "Twilight Time" eat dust !.......2005-11-03

If you don't know, Twilight time or Stratovarius II was the group's second cd. It's only average, despite the good songs
(Break the ice or Out of the shadows for example).
Fright Night is the band's rarest studio album, but the best with
Timo Tolkki on vocals if we make the good track percentage. (Debut too)
With the exception of the filler Goodbye ( acoustic instrumental)
this work has NO DOWNS. Almost no keyboards, but inventive riffs
and AWESOME guitar solos by Tolkki as always. Tuomo Lassila ( ex-drummer) doesn't let the repetition ghost, that haunts Jorg Michael, get near.It's heavier overall but didn't lose the melodic metal attributes.

Future shock: Looks like Timo put clothes nailer on his nose to sing, but don't be afraid: it doesn't mean untuning.

False Messiah: It contains something that Jari Kainulainen doesn't do in Strato songs : bass solo (short,but well placed).
The beat varies much (thanks, Lassila!). Good chorus. One of my favourites.

Black Knight: Go, go, go ,go, go ,go! Black Knight! Tolkki's energy in this track called my attention. That guitar stroke in 2:20 ...... fabulous! He does some David Murray-esque(Iron Maiden guitarist) linking solos (turbo)in the beggining. Listen, man!

Witch hunt: Tuomo does an interesting drum solo at start, check it out.

Fire Dance: Well worked instrumental. 47 seconds mark: a rhythm that remembers the army, I like it. As in standard Strato instrumental songs, Tolkki abuses of his playing abilities.How great!

Fright Night : It's like the 2nd track ,many tempo variations.
It came closer to the progressive style.
It has my favourite riffs in the album. One word sums it all:
perfect

The 7th and 8th tracks are worthwhile too.
If you can't buy it in your country try downloading it from internet.

Masterpiece for melodic metal fans!.......2003-09-06

This is absolutely Stratovarius best album! There are no weak lenks. Tolkki sings better can you imagine. Instrumental tracks are just great ( Fire Dance and Goodbye ). My favourites songs are False Messiah and Fright Night, which are melodic heavy classics. Why I can't find these songs of Chosen Ones best of collection. This album is must buy for every Stratovarius fan and those people. Keyboards player is a real professional and he plays like a heavy metal god. Tolkki can play guitar like a master!

I Love This Album!.......2002-11-14

Being that this was the first album put out by Stratovarius, I have to say that I am impressed to hear that they were good even back then. I absolutely love this album! Obviously, its not really like their newer stuff (except for the solos, which you can obviously tell is by Timo Tolkki) but it is still one of my favorite albums of all. Every song on this one is great. The songs are unlike anything I've ever really heard. Believe me, I'm not saying this album is great only because its Stratovarius and I have to say its good no matter what, I truly mean it. Maybe not everyone would agree this album is incredibly good, but for those of you who are open minded, like Stratovarius' other albums, and appreciate early metal, you should give it a try. Besides, if you really don't like it that much, just remember, their are many other people out there who would love to have this rare album.

Frightfully genius!.......2000-07-13

This was the last edition to my Stratovarius collection. At first, skepticism took hold of me...not for long. The melodies may not be as dramatic as on some of their newer, more symphonic albums yet the unique Strato sound is not lost. I guarantee that if you enjoy the newer music put out by this band, then this CD belongs with you!

Average customer rating:

The Gods of the Sunset Strip
Not The '80s VH-1 Wants You To Remember
What does your rant have to do with THIS RECORD?
One of the best live albums...EVER
Pure energy! Wow!

One Night in America
The Plimsouls
Manufacturer: Oglio Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Power Pop | Rock | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000A2H85S
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Tracks:

Hush Hush
Now
How Long Will It Take
I Want What You Got
A Million Miles Away
Time Won't Let Me
In This Town
One More Heartache
Help Yourself
I'll Get Lucky
Dizzie Miss Lizzie
Come On Now
Sorry

Customer Reviews:

The Gods of the Sunset Strip.......2007-05-19

Somewhere on Tour, Maybe Cleveland, One of Many,Many Nights that all flow into One. The Plimsouls were on a Stage. Well, we got lucky at last !!! The Energy of One of those Nights, is Captured Right here on CD. YAAAH !!!

This was the 80's that Nobody told you about, the Smelly, Sweaty Nights of Live Rock Bands that played in these Dark Little dives for Lot's of Fame but little Fortune.

And the Songs: "A Million Miles Away", "Time Won't Let Me", "Hush, Hush", "In this Town" ...This Music is PURE and it's American. This Music was Played in 1966 and somebody will be out there in 2026 Playing it all over again, thank you Peter, Lou, Eddie and David-O for letting us Peek into your World...

This is a very Cool CD...

Not The '80s VH-1 Wants You To Remember.......2006-01-09

If you were a complex multi-celled being in the early '80s (i.e., more than just a sperm and egg), you probably recall "A Million Miles Away," the most ubiquitous radio and movie soundtrack (Valley Girl, The Last American Virgin) hit from The Plimsouls. But like The Knack, Cheap Trick and other guitar rock bands lost in the sea of synthy '80s new wave, The Plimsouls were best heard live. So here's your chance until the boys down in the lab get the flux capacitor into the Delorean to send you back to 1981.

What does your rant have to do with THIS RECORD?.......2005-10-10

This is the long-overdue cd issue of the plimsouls live album.
In short, this release is the release that fully does the Plimsouls justice. Purchase this album.

As for Mr. Eric Brown - who seems to feel the need to express the same "Paul Collins-is-amazing" sentiment on an any Paul Colins related project (even asking why Paul Collins is NOT on the release if he's not included on a random power pop comp?!?)-
why not just start a Paul Collins page instead of cutting and pasting the same generic Paul Collins piece about his acheivments, blind to the release you you're (not) critically commenting on.

I don't think you've ever commented on any of these releases except noting what Paul Collins has done. And that he was in
The Nerves with Peter Case of The Plimsouls.

One of the best live albums...EVER.......2005-08-22

In the 1983 film "Valley Girl" Nicholas Cage's character slams a Valley girl for what he describes as her love of "gutless" music. It is only appropriate that Cage's dialogue happens to be delivered as one of the world's greatest live bands plays in the background. And just what was the name of that decidedly non-gutless band helping Cage make his point? Why it was The Plimsouls, of course! The Plimsouls have two excellent 'scenes' in 'Valley Girl' and it is from this film that most people outside of L.A. became aware of the group.

As lead Plimsoul Peter Case more or less admits in his liner notes to "One Night in America," the group's studio albums never quite fully captured the spirit and energy of the band's live performances. This incredible release (which is a far superior sounding version of the French import release from 1988) (It also comes with a bonus track of "Sorry") should be purchased immediately by anyone who likes "non-gutless" rock and roll. It is a 13 track time capsule of pristine power pop from 1981 that will remain permanently lodged in your car CD player. Yes, it is THAT good. Oglio and the Plimsouls should be applauded for making this music available. PLEASE buy this CD so that the label will follow through on its promise to release a second installment (next year) in the live performance history of the one and only PLIMSOULS!

Pure energy! Wow!.......2005-08-17

As Peter Case indicates in the liner notes to this CD, you just need to hear the Plimsouls live to really appreciate how good this band really was. This show, from a 1981 gig (Cleveland?), highlights the band at its raw best - live in concert! It wouldn't do this disc justice to mention highlights as the ENTIRE disc rocks from start to finish, including my personal favorite "A Million Miles Away". Concerned about how good the quality might be from a show that was taped 24 years, ago? Don't be? The sound quality is excellent and the rawness of the sound makes you feel like you're right there in the front row. If you're a Plimsouls fan or a fan of the L.A. punk scene of the early 80's, get this CD now. You will NOT be disappointed. Turn the dial up on this baby. This thing cranks!

And to top things off, Peter indicates there's another disc coming next year. Next year can't come fast enough.

Songs by Dvorak: Biblical Songs Op. 99; Songs on Folk Tunes / Martinu: Songs on One Page for voice & piano, H. 294 / Janacek: Moravian Folk Poetry in Songs

Average customer rating:

Songs by Dvorak: Biblical Songs Op. 99; Songs on Folk Tunes / Martinu: Songs on One Page for voice & piano, H. 294 / Janacek: Moravian Folk Poetry in Songs

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

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Average customer rating:

great material not so great sound
Evergrey soars to greatness
I can hardly wait for the DVD
Emotions Runs High!!!!
awsome

A Night to Remember: Live 2004
Evergrey
Manufacturer: Inside Out U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Evergrey - A Night To Remember: Live 2004
Monday Morning Apocalypse
In Search of Truth
Recreation Day
The Inner Circle

ASIN: B0007Q6PZQ
Release Date: 2005-03-21

Tracks:

Intro
Blinded
End Of Your Days
More Than Ever
She Speaks To The Dead
Rulers Of The Mind
Blackened Dawn
Waking Up Blind
As I Lie Here Bleeding
Mislead
Mark Of Triangle

Tracks:

When The Walls Go Down
Harmless Wishes
Essence Of Conviction
Solitude Within
Nosferatu
Recreation Day
For Every Tear That Falls
Touch Of Blessing
The Masterplan

Album Description

Inside Out Music is extremely pleased to announce the release of A Night To Remember, the first live CD from Evergrey. Sweden's titans of dark, melodic metal are back to follow up on last year's extremely successful studio release, The Inner Circle. Powered by US tours with Arch Enemy and Iced Earth respectively, as well as heavy airplay of 3 of their videos on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball, Evergrey have set the stage (literally) for a release that captures the band at their ferocious best - live in concert.

Recorded at the famed Storan Theater in Gothenburg, Sweden, Evergrey tears through 20 of their best loved songs such as Blinded, Recreation Day, Touch Of Blessing and The Masterplan on this specially priced 2-CD set. The release of the CD will also serve to set the stage for the spring release of the A Night To Remember DVD, shot during the very same concert with 15 hi-definition cameras and produced and directed by Patrick Ullaeus, whom has also done work with Lacuna Coil, Dimmu Borgir, and In Flames. Stay tuned!!!

Customer Reviews:

great material not so great sound.......2005-05-09

Well maybe 4.5 stars, evergrey is an awesome band, their music is truly kick ass. I am no sound engineer but the mixing on this effort is abit off. Did the sound guy go to the bathroom and record from there, because thats what it sounds like. Buy this cd for the music and you will be happy.

Evergrey soars to greatness .......2005-04-04

Evergrey have finally released their long-awaited double live album recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden last year. A Night to Remember is a splendid live release covering songs from the band's all five studio albums. Live albums are usually difficult to pull off; because some fans want to hear the songs rendered close to their original versions, while some others look for novelties. In Evergrey's case, it seems this won't be a problem, since Tom Englund and the band him behind easily manage to keep the unique Evergrey sound intact through the whole concert, still adding touches of new ideas.

The sound quality is simply excellent. Tom Englund and Henrik Danhage's guitar sound is thick and richly nuanced. They trade off solos like they do on their studio releases and their playing ranges from emotionally charging solos to crushing metal riffage depending on the songs. Englund's voice is absolutely amazing; he delivers each and every piece exactly the same way he does on the albums conveying emotions of fear, confusion and aggression. It could be that there are some overdubs on this album, but even if that's the case, they are no where close to being derivative.

New drummer Jonas Ekdahl had got me confused for a moment with his competent yet rather straightforward drumming on the last Evergrey album, The Inner Circle. However, the songs on A Night to Remember find Ekdahl kicking ass, doing the previous songs justice and playing them exactly the way they should be played. Even his tone fits with the rest of the instruments seamlessly -- check out his rhythm workout on "As I Lie Here Bleeding" and you'll see what I mean. The first disc is a bit more varied as it contains songs from all albums. My favourites would be the In Search of Truth numbers as they're more progressive and textured; "Mislead" is one of the longest tracks here and Rikard Zander plays a blindingly beautiful keyboard solo. He also shines on "Mark of the Triangle", another favourite song. "Rulers of the Mind", however, along with the final track is the ultimate climax of this 112-minute live album.

The Gothenburg Symphonic Orchestra helps Evergrey create their huge sound, especially on The Inner Circle tracks. Three female vocalists, including Englund's wife, also support the band, adding impressive vocal melodies. Englund and his wife duet on "For Every Tear That Falls", a song from the band's underrated debut disc. The female vocalists are also amazing on "End of Your Days" and "More Than Ever".

The second disc starts off with "When the Walls Go Down", a song I'd never think they'd do live, since it's basically an instrumental track with punctuated voice-over parts. If there's anything that seems slightly out of place here, it's this tune. The band quickly goes back to its thunderous heaviness though. "Solitude Within" and "Nosferatu" from the band's second release both open up with a killer main riff supported by powerful bass, chaotic drumming and imposing keyboard lines. Even the violin on the former track is present in the music to stay true to the song's original format. "The Masterplan", spanning over 10 minutes, is an aural gratification displaying the great audience singing the chorus of the song. Tom Englund introduces his bandmates in the breakdown and they finish off the track by merging the keyboard-oriented parts into heavier guitar passages. A Night to Remember is a great live album from a great band -- check it out.

I can hardly wait for the DVD.......2005-03-28

The Good
After the obligatory intro, we're treated to "Blinded"; a twin guitar and keyboard aural assault. There are two types of vocalists in the power metal genre; very high pitched or deep registering. Englund falls into the lower register, but shows of plenty of melody and range. The over-the-top chorus will compel you. Englund is a little more forceful with his vocals on "End of Your Days". It's on this track where you realize the importance of the choir in the background. Everygrey mixes up the breaks with a keyboard solo during the first one and a guitar solo on the second.

The crowd really gets into the monstrous riffs and double-kick drums of "More Than Ever". The combination of sustained keyboards and the choir, give the track a movie soundtrack feel. The ballad "Waking Up Blind" starts off with tender piano and enduring vocals. With just one tap of the drums, the crowd kicks in with rhythmic clapping. Danhage lays down a great melodic solo. Rhythmically pounding drums and subtle piano set the pace for "As I Lay Here Bleeding". Speed metal style soloing gives way to an in-your-face climax. The seven minutes epic "Misled" runs the gamut of prog-metal styles; changing tempos, dueling guitar and keyboard solos, and potent vocals.

"When The Walls Go Down" starts off the second disc. It takes driving keyboards, warm strings, and audio clips to get its message across. "Essence of Conviction" combines a chugga-chugga riff with piercing keyboard runs. The outset of the fast-paced "Solitude Within" is loaded with plenty of quick licks and pounding drums that quickly shift to a vocal heavy track. Eventually the dual guitar attack kicks in to fire this one up. "Every Tear That Falls" is another emotional ballad with just vocals set to piano that ends in typical power ballad fashion. The crowd goes crazy for the announcement of the final track "The Masterplan", and so they should! It's eleven minutes of tempo changes galore and crowd participation.

The Bad
Nothing

The Verdict
Based on the energetic live performance and crowd reaction that can be heard on this release, I can only imagine how amazing it was to witness it. I can hardly wait for the DVD. A Night to Remember...indeed!

Emotions Runs High!!!!.......2005-03-27

I love Evergrey in everywhere.. This live cd just makes me so emotional especially songs from The Inner Circle cause I have been listening and embracing the album since its release. I am a person who is able to connect anything with my emotion. Listening to the live cd with Tom's Voice at its peak and the choir giving their very best performance makes me weep endlessly. The crowd roars and the band plays as if this is their last show just makes me felt like I was there in Evergrey's World!!! I really do not know how I would react once the DVD comes out!!!! Only time will tell!!!

awsome.......2005-03-18

they play a great proformince here. they play songs from all their albums. on of the best live albums put out in a long time.

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