Mediterranea

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The notion of flamenco music approached in a polite, genteel manner may sound inherently contradictory to some, but Canadian-born guitarist Johannes Linstead accomplishes the task with admirable grace and poise. As with his four previous recordings, Linstead's Mediterranea is short on the fire, sweat, and florid technique found in the work of Jesse Cook and other nouveau flamenco contemporaries. Instead, Linstead leans more on heart, melodicism, and adroit fingering to craft a lively yet dignified sound that, while perhaps tame to some ears, elevates his instrumentals beyond simple easy-listening fare. Linstead (Spanish guitar, bouzouki, keyboards) is an accomplished player (for evidence, consider his energized licks on "Sangre del Toro") whose arrangements create a colorful, accessible sound well-suited to listeners with a taste for what could be termed "smooth flamenco." Two notable tracks, in fact, lean a bit further than usual toward the pop spectrum: "Adelita," a warm, lovely piece he dedicates to his mother, and the sun-warmed "Tabu." A pleasant listen. --Terry Wood

Product Description
1. andalucia 2. evening embrace 3. sangre del toro 4. ambrosia 5. andelita 6. tabu 7. hour of the lamps 8. Motika 9. Estrellas sobre ella 10. journey to alcazaba

Mediterranea,Johannes Linstead,Earthscape Media,Contemporary Instrumental,Meditation,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Mediterranea

Mediterranea

Average customer rating:

Album unity makes this Johannes' best album

A GEM of a recording

Utterly Magnificent!

the good stuff

Great Musician and Composer

Mediterranea
Johannes Linstead
Manufacturer: Earthscape Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music
Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0002U6DMM
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

Andalucia
Evening Embrace
Sangre Del Toro
Ambrosia
Adelita
Tabu
Hour Of The Lamps
Motika
Estrellas Sobre Ella
Journey To Alcazaba

Product Description

1. andalucia 2. evening embrace 3. sangre del toro 4. ambrosia 5. andelita 6. tabu 7. hour of the lamps 8. Motika 9. Estrellas sobre ella 10. journey to alcazaba

Amazon.com

The notion of flamenco music approached in a polite, genteel manner may sound inherently contradictory to some, but Canadian-born guitarist Johannes Linstead accomplishes the task with admirable grace and poise. As with his four previous recordings, Linstead's Mediterranea is short on the fire, sweat, and florid technique found in the work of Jesse Cook and other nouveau flamenco contemporaries. Instead, Linstead leans more on heart, melodicism, and adroit fingering to craft a lively yet dignified sound that, while perhaps tame to some ears, elevates his instrumentals beyond simple easy-listening fare. Linstead (Spanish guitar, bouzouki, keyboards) is an accomplished player (for evidence, consider his energized licks on "Sangre del Toro") whose arrangements create a colorful, accessible sound well-suited to listeners with a taste for what could be termed "smooth flamenco." Two notable tracks, in fact, lean a bit further than usual toward the pop spectrum: "Adelita," a warm, lovely piece he dedicates to his mother, and the sun-warmed "Tabu." A pleasant listen. --Terry Wood

Customer Reviews:

Album unity makes this Johannes' best album.......2006-08-18

I first heard of Johannes and this album on a streaming radio station. The song "Journey to Alcazaba" was playing, and I was amazed at Johannes' superb techincal mastery of his instrument. I bought a couple more songs off the album from iTunes and eventually wound up buying the CD.

I had already bought "Hour of the Lamps" and "Journey to Alcazaba," so I was expecting more of the same. When I found the other tracks were relatively more restrained, I was initially disappointed. However, the album began to grow on me. I realized that the tracks were not just a random collection of songs; they are integrated as a whole.

The album starts with the laid-back, optimistic tracks "Andalucia" and "Evening Embrace." They are then offset by the fiery and fast "Sangre del Toro," which is tempered by the slow and "sarcastic" (for lack of a better word) "Ambrosia." The album begins to get more serious here. "Adelita" and "Tabú" keep some of the laid-back optimism that the earlier tracks had, but also have more of a bittersweet tone. At "Hour of the Lamps," Johannes starts to unleash his virtuosity as the tracks become more fully developed, longer (6-7 min as opposed to 3-4 at the beginning), and use a penatonic minor key. "Motika" is a fun salsa piece started off by a uniquely recorded piano. This piece is faster and shorter (3:22), bearing more in resemblance to the earlier pieces. If there is one piece that is out of place, it is this one. The entry of "Estrellas Sobre Ella" returns the album to the serious tone of "Hour of the Lamps." The violin and guitar have previously only playfully dueled each other. Now, they are much more restrained and work together to produce a luscious soundscape. Various female vocals are present (not singing - vocal accents) that add to the graveness and beauty of the track. A key change in the middle of the song (2:48) is perfectly executed and left me dazzled and speechless. The album concludes nicely with "Journey To Alcazaba" - an Indian-influenced track with plenty of raw percussion and guitar/sitar virtuosity. Things get very fast at the end - this ends the album on a more upbeat, but still serious, tone.

I now realize that this album is masterfully laid out - the tracks are arranged and composed in such a way that they take you on a musical journey. Listening to the tracks out of order and one at a time will destroy this experience. They are laid out in a way for a reason.

After thoroughly enjoying this album, I proceeded to buy all of Johannes' other albums. It is interesting to see his journey from having just mastered flamenco technique in "Sol Luna Tierra" to getting a more percussive influence in "Zabuca", to finally moving away from studio keyboards to a more percussive style in "Mediterranea." Many of Johannes' other albums do not have the "album unity" that I have described here, though. "Mediterranea" is Johannes at his best.

A GEM of a recording.......2005-12-12

Let me preface this review by saying that I have been a fan of 'nouveau flamenco'-style guitar music for about 13 years now. It has taken less than TWO of those years for Johannes Linstead to become my FAVORITE flamenco guitar player, HANDS DOWN! Though this is his most recent recording, it is the one I bought first. Boy am I glad I did. ALL the tracks on here are excellent and they each have their own unique flavour, sound and style, so you never feel like you heard 'the same song' twice. Each one is a truly unique and very special treat for the ears, as well as for the heart, of a listener.

1. Andalucia - For me, the best word to describe this opening tune is "joyous". The opening melody is catchy and makes me feel really happy. The rhythm and all the melodies of this tune are exuisitely crafted and go together splendidly. The song in its entirety is filled to the brim with beauty, life, and power... the power to make you smile, and to make you want to get up and dance, and celebrate just being alive. It captures the splendour of the region of Spain that some have called the 'heart'of flamenco music. The 'dance' performed in this song between Johannes' guitar and the violin is especially noteworthy to me.

2. Evening Embrace - This tune is a bit more laid back. It is considerably slower, but it is a GREAT tune nonetheless. Despite the title, this does not put me in the mind of hugging somebody. Instead, it paints pictures in my mind of walking hand in hand with a special someone, taking a romantic stroll under the moonlight and the stars through a setting that is both exotic and picturesque.

3. Sangre Del Toro - Translated as: "Blood Of The Bull", this is an awesome tune. As far as tempo it fluctuates between mid-range and moderately fast. In other songs on this CD, the guitar and the violin do a terrific 'dance' with each other. This time, they 'duel'. This furious 'duel' in my mind perfectly captures the pageantry and spirit of the life-and-death struggle that is a bullfight. Sit back, relax.... and enjoy, but also, be envigorated.

4. Ambrosia - Once again, here we have a 'middle-of-the-road' tempo tune to grace our ears. As always, the guitar and other instrumentation is first rate. The guitar the violin dance again in places, but this one, to my ears, has a seductive and just SLIGHTLY Middle-Eastern sound and flavour. I love it.

5. Adelita - This is another great piece. It was written particularly for Johannes' mother. A mid-tempo but jouyous and buoyant guitar melody is joined by a lovely female voice. It gives me the feel of looking at a beautiful sunrise... or perhaps into the smiling eyes of your mother, seeing her love for you written in them, and smiling because you know you are cherished. This one puts a smile not just on my face, but a smile in my heart too.

6. Tabu - To my ears, this one is just a LITTLE bit faster than "Adelita". It feels like a very happy piece of music, perfectly suitable for putting the top down and 'cruising' down the highway with the wind stirring your hair. It's great and makes me smile on the inside.

7. Hour Of The Lamps - This features heavy interplay between the flamenco guitar and what sounds like a mandolin or perhaps a more Middle-Eastern type of stringed instrument. The Middle-Eastern feel or influence is VERY strong in this song, and it's a very 'danceable' number, switching back and forth in tempo from mid-to-high-range to blazingly fast. The swirling, seductive melody can really pull you into this piece. It's awesome. Don't just take my word for it though. Give this tune a listen for yourself and find out just how good it really is.

8. Motika - This is another great dance number. The tempo is fairly quick. The percussion in this tune is steady, and in my ears it calls a heartbeat to mind. The augmentation by piano is really quite nice. Get on the dance floor. You don't want to miss the fun. That's what this piece is to me... it's fun.

9. Estrellas Sobre Ella - Here it is, ladies and gentlemen. I have ALL of the CD's that Johannes Linstead has put out so far. That's five CD's with more than fifty songs in total, and HERE is my FAVORITE tune of them all. I LOVE this piece. To me, the word "beautiful" just does NOT do this song justice. I prefer to call in "heavenly". Yes, you read that right... heavenly. This song is FILLED with a beauty and with a bliss that will reach straight into your heart, touch it, and break it to pieces, while healing it and 'putting it back together' and soothing it at the same time, making you FEEL it's beauty and its power. The tempo is slow and gracefully sedate. The melodies are absolutely GORGEOUS. This time, the guitar and violin do not 'dance' with each other. This time, they sing beautifully to one another, with a song that will break your heart and yet it will also heal it and lift it up as well. They are accompanied for a little while in places by a hauntingly beautiful female voice. This tune moves me to tears EVERY time I hear it and it makes me THANK GOD for ears that work, so that I might always hear something so lovely as this song.

10. Journey To Alcazaba - This starts off with interplay between guitar and Middle-Eastern stringed instrumentation. Heavy arabesque percussion soon kicks in. This begins slowly but can get fast and FURIOUS before the end. I love the guitar melodies in this. To me, it's a musical drive through a quaint and picturesque desert town.

To close, I won't say much. I'll try to keep it short. If you LOVE flamenco guitar music like I do, you MUST get this CD. You OWE it to yourself to give Johannes Linstead a listen. This music just might captivate you, just like it has done to me. Happpy listening, and God bless you... always.

Utterly Magnificent!.......2005-06-11

I just returned from the Vancouver area on vacation where my wife and I rented a convertible and drove around the country side. By chance we came across this beautiful CD and played it everywhere we drove. We will never forget the sheer ecstasy created by the combination of the sun, the wind, the trees, the mountains, the water, and Linstead's music. It has that quality of making you remember where you were when you first heard it. I have many of Linstead's CDs, as well as other nouveua flamenco artists' music, playing from my laptop at the office. Often people will stop by and ask what's the beautiful music they're hearing. It's usually Linstead. It has a magnetic quality to it that's so rare in contemporary music. It's therapeutic. Sit and listen and see if you're not changed by it!

the good stuff.......2005-03-03

I own all of this great musician's cds and never tire of listening to them, can't decide which cd is my favorite, it's usually the one i'm currently listening to. He needs to put out more cds sooner, can't wait for the next one! If you like this music, try jesse cook, luis villegas, eric hansen, willie and lobo,esperanza, daveed..........

Great Musician and Composer.......2004-10-21

I love all his CD's. Very pleasant to listen to in the office and my car. I like the violin introduced in a few songs. Very unique, and never get's boring because each song has different style. Love it!!!

Average customer rating:

Different...as in "special"
Buy the entire Benise collection
MEDITERRANEA CD-BENISE
How can anyone not enjoy this cd?
Outstanding composition

Mediterranea
Benise
Manufacturer: Rosanegra Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000E4QQHI
Release Date: 2002-01-01

Tracks:

Rhumba Rhumba
Mediterranea
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Monserrat
Santa Barbara
Sangria
Noches de Fuego
Sunday Morning
Guitarria
Tribal
Bridge of Sighs

Product Description

Fiery Spanish guitars, gypsy violins, and exotic rhythms combine in lush soundscapes. World music at its best. As seen on PBS! Venture into the spicy land of romance and sweet persuasions. Feel the cool breeze of Spanish guitars against lush rhythms that will soothe your soul and make you dance with sensual delite. The allure of Spanish guitars will seduce you. "Mediterranea" is not just a place - it's a state of mind.

Customer Reviews:

Different...as in "special".......2006-07-04

Having a selection of Benise's CDs as well as having seen them perform live,I can tell you that this is a very special group,
with both a quality of musicianship as well as a variety of
musical influences that set them apart from the rest of the
"world-music" crowd...if you like South American/Latin American
music,with a healthy dose of spanish guitar and exotic percussion ,with a rhythm section that is both tasty AND tight,
check out everything in the Benise catalog...you'll really enjoy it!

Buy the entire Benise collection.......2006-06-13

Benise is a must have. If you want to experience a new kind of music that will take you on a range of emotions and a musical journey like no other artist can then you must add Mediteranea to your collection.

Judy,
Jacksonville, FL

MEDITERRANEA CD-BENISE.......2006-06-09

I am a Benise fan and supporter.

Mediterranea is a CD filled with wonderful rhythms, and a feeling of being transported to a place where you can let your imagination run freely.

Amazing how an artist has been so gifted with the ability to write such moving music in which the listener can take the time to relax, get away from everyday pressures to be taken to another part of the world which he/she chooses.

From the sensuous Monserrat to the deep "Bridge of Sighs" every piece has its significance.

Santa Barbara is a catchy tune which actually makes me feel like I am there enjoying all the sights.

Mr. Benise puts passion into every piece of music he composes and the listener can feel it. I think that is what makes him such a blessing to the music industry. We need music like his.
Thanks Mr. Benise.

I recommend this CD!!

How can anyone not enjoy this cd?.......2006-04-06

This Benise CD will transport you to the beaches of the world, if you let it take you. Just close your eyes and let the beautiful music wash over you and carry you far away. That's what I do! When I listen to this CD I travel to the Mediterranean Sea, along the coast of Spain. I have fantasies of dancing in the sand by a fire out near the water on a warm night, while Benise plays in a nearby cove. The music of Benise stimulates the imagination and creativity, at least in me. Of course my favorite track on this particular Benise CD is Santa Barbara. The track Sangria also gets a lot of play at my house, because the percussion is awesome. This is one of my favorites in the Benise CD library because not only does it take me to different places in my mind it also takes me to different places in my heart.

Outstanding composition.......2006-03-27

I've been listening to this for 3 years, and it's one of my favorite CDs of all time. I find the composition incredibly original and melodious, and I love the varied percussion.

All of Benise's music is definitely "highly accessible". You don't already have to be a nouveau flamenco fan or a world music fan to like it. It's "ethnically flavored" nouveau flamenco, and some purists may hate it...to each their own. Mediterranea has a Mediterranean influence, while "Carnaval" is Brazilian and "Spanish Nights" is more traditional (Spanish).

There are no samples here as of this review writing, but you can go to Benise's website (http://www.benise.com/music.htm) to listen to a few tracks and judge for yourself whether or not this is for you. Check out the title track and "Santa Barbara".

Mediterranea: Songs of the Mediterranean

Average customer rating:

nice
Mediterranean Music
Comment on "Gemçis Güzel Günerli" and more
Gecmis Guzel Gunleri is actually Armenian
The Meditarranean Soul Captured in One CD!

Mediterranea: Songs of the Mediterranean

Manufacturer: Sounds True Direct
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sumiglia
Terra Nostra
Mondo Greece
Di Efchon
Putumayo Presents Greece: A Musical Odyssey

ASIN: B00004UES8
Release Date: 2000-08-15

Tracks:

Why Little Bird Do you Not Sing
You On A Hill, I On A Hilll
Pinguli Pinguli Giuvacchinu/The Door
The Girl From Nuoro
Sardinian Dance
Gentle Hand
When The Lissome Girl Appeared
Glory To The Word Of God
The Jasmine
Smyrnaean Air
In The Beautiful Bygone Days
Dawn Has Broken
And A Mother
Lullaby
The Boatmen
La Finforletta
O, Wave
God Has Afflicted Me/Why Little Bird Do You Not Sing

Customer Reviews:

nice.......2007-05-30

She has a very beautiful voice the songs are just not strong enough. I found 3 songs that I find myself listening to over and over. She dose have a great voice but the songs just don't show that off.

Mediterranean Music.......2006-11-03

An exquisite collection of songs from the countries surrounding the Mediterranean, the White Sea, in original languauges. S Yanatou has an angelic voice. Strongly recommended.

Comment on "Gemçis Güzel Günerli" and more.......2005-05-01

First off, this is the best Savina Yannatou CD I've heard to date -- her voice is in terrific form here. (Though you'll get to hear a lot more of the band on her latest release, Sumiglia.)

Second, track 11 ("Gemçis Güzel Günerli") *is* a Turkish song, written by an Aremenian citizen of Turkey, Hrant Kenkulian, or "Udi Hrant," as he's often known -- this is mentioned in the liner notes to Mediterranea. ("Udi" is an honorific prefix meaning that he was a master player of the ud, a Middle Eastern lute.) If you're interested in exploring his music further, there are several recordings of his work (voice, ud, and violin) on the Traditional Crossroads label. (Type "Udi Hrant" into the search engine on this site and you'll find the CDs very easily.)

Turkey was -- and still is -- an ethnically mixed country, which is a legacy of the Ottoman Empire. There were Armenian Turkish composers and musicians at the courts of the Ottoman sultans, and there were those who also excelled at light classical and popular song. Hrant Kenkulian was a master of classical and popular music -- if you explore further, you'll find out that he's one of many 20th-century Armenians who were involved in the development of Turkish music.

Yannatou is an inheritor of Turkish tradition, too. Modern Greece was occupied by the Ottomans for many centuries, and there is a very strong Turkish tinge to much of the Greek music she performs. (And vice versa, as she performs Pontic Greek music from the Black Sea coast of Turkey; also songs from Smyrna -- now called Izmir -- on Turkey's western coast.)

What I love most about her work is her peerless way with all of the songs she chooses. Many people have tried to come up with pan-Mediterranean discs, but Yannatou is one of a handful of people who has succeeded at it.

Gecmis Guzel Gunleri is actually Armenian.......2004-09-22

My professional background is in ethnomusicology. I am not Greek, Turkish or Armenia so I have no axe to grind. One reviewer below, apparently of Turkish background, seems to take offense that Gecmis Guzel Gunleri is not listed as "Turkish Traditional." there is a simple reason for that, it isn't orignially a Turkish song. It is a well known Armenian song, with the same melody for hundred of years. Indeed this rendition is in Turkish, but to call it "Turkish traditional" would be innacurate.

Inded it belongs to, adn illustrates, a whole body of non Turkish music from Turkey which actually speaks to the ethnic cleansing that occured the in the 1900-1920's period.

Few people in today's Turkey, which has been purged of knowledge of the roots of its own tradional music, are aware of the multiethnic roots of its music. It was for years criminal to even suggest that many songs were orignially Greek, Kurdish or Armenian.

So I am glad that my Turkish friend likes the Armenian ballad Gecmis Guzel Gunleri ("The Beautiful Past Days") and am only sorry that he never heard the original recordings by an long dead artist now know in Turkey as Udi Hrant, but whose non stage name was Udi Hrant Kenkulian. His family was murdered in the Turkish Genocide against the Armenians, which makes his song more ever poignant - as the title suggests..

The Meditarranean Soul Captured in One CD!.......2002-04-02

Savina Yannatou has an indescribable soprano voice which captures the sounds and emotions of the Meditarranean people whether Italian, Greek, French (Corsica), Hebrew or Turkish (I may have missed a country or two present on the CD). The wedding song from the Greek island of Kalymnos and the Turkish "aman" song are my favorites. All the songs are so beautifully sung, it is hard to say that one is better than another ... I have heard these two songs before and am familiar with how they should sound: her singing is traditonal with a tenderness and sincerity that is a uniquely her own. Savina's voice is ethereal and "other worldly" - totally living up to her name, after a saint from the Meditarranean, Italy, I think.

I first heard Savina Yannatou on Mondo Greece and knew I must have one of her CDs. I discovered this one and was compelled to buy it. It is filled with the music of Primavera de Salonika, playing kanun, santouri, lyra, and other authentic intstruments that complement Savina's voice. Her voice is beyond description ... totally captivating, exceptional, without comparison. Listen and be amazed - then buy the CD!!! Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Average customer rating:

Napoli Mediterranea
Pietra Montecorvino
Manufacturer: Discmedi Blau
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Orphans [Fold-out Digipak with 24-page booklet]

ASIN: B0002L57PK
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Tracks:

Guaglione
O Sole Mio
Luna Rossa
Comme Facette Mammeta
Va Sta Musica Va
Palomma E Notte
Dove Sta Zaza
Mare Di Napoli
Sole Sole
Aspettanno
Ninna Nanna 2002
Maruzzella
Oi Vita Mia
Senza Voce

Album Description

You probably have never heard many things like Pietra Montecorino's voice. It's raw, gruff, bewildering and amazing! With the help of Italian producer Eugennio Bennato (Taranta Power), Montecorvino has created one of the most astonishing Mediterranean-flavored albums of the year.

Tracks:

Passata Dell'Armata
Smoderati Insolenti
Dormi O Cara
Porgetemi La Spada
Son Le Tue Leggi Amore/Godiam Dunque Godiamo!
D'Hipparco/Lasso Io Vivo/Di Chi Mi Lamento?
Rendetemi Euridice!
Piante Fiorite
Fortunato Mio Cor
A Dio
Io Moro
Oh Ritrovato Padre
D'Amor Non Si Quereli
Delitie E Contenti
Son Qui/Son Gobbo Son Demo/Linguaggio Curioso
Ecco Il Fatal Castello/Ti Lascio
Infelice
Godi Isifile
Piacere Maggiore
Piangete
Erme E Solinghe/Lucidissima Face
Dolcissimi Baci
Mio Tonante

Customer Reviews:

What a wonderful recording!.......2005-08-15

This recording features arias, duets and some instrumental sinfonias and ritornello from five of Francesco Cavalli's operas: Didone (1641), Egisto (1643), Ormindo (1644), Giasone (1649) and La Calisto (1651).
Five singers are featured and all bring something to this music. In particular, I liked the voice of the countertenor, Gianluca Belfiori Doro. He has a rather attractive and strong sounding alto voice. The baritone, Roberto Abbondanza, is in excellent voice and the tenor, Mario Cecchetti, and the two women, Gloria Banditelli (mezzo-soprano) and Rosita Frisani (soprano) sing well.

The instrumental ensemble, Mediterraneo Concento, features period instruments - strings, brass and basso continuo. I hope I hear more from this ensemble soon.

Maestro Sergio Vartolo directs from the harpsichord and he brings the music to life. Bravo, signor!

If you bought this CD, please consider Sergio Vartolo's very stylish and expressive recording of "Toccatas and Correnti" by Michelangelo Rossi (NAXOS 8.557321). Cavalli and Rossi were both born in 1602.

This new Cavalli CD is an excellent sampler of Cavalli's operatic music and I am sure that those who already own some recordings of Cavalli's complete operas will find much to enjoy on this new disc.

Average customer rating:

Very Authentic Southern Italian Folk Music

Legend of the Italian Tarantella
Arakne Mediterranea
Manufacturer: Arc Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tarantella (Spider Dance)

ASIN: B0000APVBP
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Tracks:

Te Pizzicau
Pizzaca Taranta
Tarantata
Tarantella Murgiana
Pizzaca de Core
Tarantella del Gargano
E Nu Diciti (Rirollala)
Me Pari Beddha (Serenata)
Ahi Lu Core Meu
Kalinitta

Customer Reviews:

Very Authentic Southern Italian Folk Music.......2006-05-23

If you liked the movie "Sangue Viva" or yearn to become familiar with the authentic traditional folk groups of Campagnia, Puglia, Calabria, or Sicily, this CD is for you. This is one of the best performing and sounding groups across all of the regions formally known as the "Kingdom of Two Sicilies". The legendary sound of Arakne Mediterranea is characteristically portrayed in this album. Instead of travelling to the University of Lecce to learn about this genre, one can find the ensemble of authentic instruments and voices well-preserved in these carefully produced tracks. Throw your Italian dictionary away, as the group sings in Pugliese-Salentino-Sicula languages, the same spoken by many from the wave of Italian immigrants to America. Close your eyes, and imagine being there to hear and see the traditional tarantella dances and songs from very old.

The convenient insert educates those unfamiliar with the Pizzica-Taranta, Pizzica de core, and Pizzica de Scherma styles of the tarantella. Photographs of the group in dance also highlight the brochure.

Average customer rating:

Priceless
Fun, entertaining, and wonderful

Lo Gai Saber

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005E7Q
Release Date: 1992-05-07

Tracks:

I. Del Gran Golfe De Mar: Ondas do mar; Altas undas que venez suz la mar... - Fulton/Cohen/Azema
I. Del Gran Golfe De Mar: Del gran golfe de mar - Francois Harismendy
II. Proensa: Pos tornats sui en Proenza - Francois Harismendy
II. Proensa: Ab l'alen tir vas me l'aire - Jean-Luc Madier
III. Ab Joi Et Ab Joven: Er, quan renovella e gensa - Camerata Mediterranea
III. Ab Joi Et Ab Joven: Bel m'es, quan vei chanjar lo senhoratge - Francois Harismendy
III. Ab Joi Et Ab Joven: Ab joi et ab joven - Anne Azema
IV. Novel Amor: Interlude; Danca dels dos domnas - Cheryl Ann Fulton/Shira Kammen
IV. Novel Amor: Sirvens sui avutz et arlotz - Francois Harismendy
IV. Novel Amor: Dona, tant vos ai preiada - Anne Azema/Jean-Luc Madier
IV. Novel Amor: Domna, pos vos ai chausida - Jean-Luc Madier
IV. Novel Amor: Ab la dolchor del temps novel - Francois Harismendy
IV. Novel Amor: nouvele amor qui si m'agree - Camerata Mediterranea
V. Ben Es Dreihz Qu'eu Planha: Lancan vei la folha - Anne Azema
V. Ben Es Dreihz Qu'eu Planha: Dirai vos senes duptansa - Jean-Luc Madier
V. Ben Es Dreihz Qu'eu Planha: Ar mi puesc ieu lauzar d'amor - Joel Cohen
VI. Ar Em Al Freg Temps Vengut: Interlude : Lo freg temps. ar em al freg temps vengut - Fulton/Kammen/Madier
VI. Ar Em Al Freg Temps Vengut: Be'm degra de chantar tener - Anne Azema
VI. Ar Em Al Freg Temps Vengut: Un sirventes novel vueill comensar - Francois Harismendy/Camerata Mediterranea
VI. Ar Em Al Freg Temps Vengut: Judicii Signum (Chant de la Sibylle) - Jean-Luc Madier
VI. Ar Em Al Freg Temps Vengut: Esperanza de totz ferms esperans. Ondas do mar - Azema/Fulton/Cohen

Customer Reviews:

Priceless.......2006-12-05

This recording first turned me on to early european music when it was released. If you are at all interested in this type of music or even just curious it is money well spent.

Fun, entertaining, and wonderful.......2005-09-27

This is another stellar production by Erato, of the Camerata Mediterranea, under the direction of Joel Cohen. In my collection, I treat this disc as a companion piece to the collection 'The Sacred Bridge' by the Boston Camerata, which has sacred music from the Jewish and Christian traditions in the Middle Ages. This disc concentrates on secular music of the age of the minstrels and troubadours. Much is anonymous, both in lyric writing and musical composition. Indeed, according to Cohen, 'virtually all the minstrels' instrumental music of the troubadour period has been lost, and was perhaps never written down.' Musicians and musicologists have to rely on the folk tunes and later compositions known to incorporate themes to reconstruct as best they can the music from this period.

The performances of troubadours was sometimes a capella, but more often accompanied by plucked string sounds such as harp and viola. Cohen argues that the wind and percussion instruments of many recordings are less likely to be authentic. These are story/text driven songs.

One of the interesting aspects of authentic troubadour music is that performers were recruited not on the basis of music merit, but rather on connection with Occitan/Provencal as a primary consideration. For this recording, Anne Azema, Francois Harismendy, and Jean-Luc Madier have living Occitan connections. Joel Cohen, Cheryl Ann Fulton and Shira Kammen round out the players.

The songs (chansons) are divided into six main story lines, with improvised musical interludes. Troubadours told stories with their songs, and this disc is no different.

The performances are wonderful, lively, fun and full of energy. One can imagine being in a medieval chamber being entertained.

Schubert: Die Zwillingsbruder / Maag, Philharmonia Mediterranea, et al

Average customer rating:

Schubert: Die Zwillingsbruder / Maag, Philharmonia Mediterranea, et al
Petra Labitzke , Hubert Schmid , Matthias Schaltezky , Sonke Marback , Philharmonia Mediterranea , and Solisti Cantori
Manufacturer: Bongiovanni
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000I598
Release Date: 1999-02-15

Tracks:

Ov - Philharmonia Mediterranea/Peter Maag
Introduzione: Coro: 'Vergluhet Sind Die Sterne' - Hubert Schmid/Soloisti Cantori
Declamato: 'Freundlich Weckten Wir Die Holde Braut' - Petra Labitzke/Hubert Schmid
Duetto: 'Vor Dem Busen Moge Bluhen' - Petra Labitzke/Hubert Schmid
Declamato: 'Meine Tochter, Guten Morgen!' - Georg Heckel/Petra Labitzke
Aria: 'Mag Es Sturmen, Donnern, Blitzen' - Georg Heckel/Sonker Morbach
Declamato: 'Endlich Bin Ich Am Ziele' - Sonker Morbach
Aria: 'Mag Es Sturmen, Donnern, Blitzen' - Georg Heckel/Sonker Morbach
Declamato: 'Und Nun Sage Mir, Freund' - Georg Heckel/Sonker Morbach
Quartetto: 'Zu Rechter Zeit Bin Ich Gekommen' - Georg Heckel/Sonker Morbach/Petra Labitzke/Hubert Schmid
Declamato: 'Nun Ist Meine Geduld' - Georg Heckel/Sonker Morbach/Petra Labitzke/Hubert Schmid
Aria: 'Liebe, Teure Muttererde' - Sonker Morbach
Declamato: 'Meine Hoffnung Hat Mich Nicht Betrogen' - Sonker Morbach/Petra Labitzke
Duetto: 'Nur Dir Will Ich Gehoren' - Petra Labitzke/Sonker Morbach
Declamato: 'Nun Ist Meine Geduld Am Ende!' - Sonker Morbach/Matthias Schaltezky/Georg Heckel/Petra Labitzke
Terzetto: 'Wagen Sie, Ihr Wort Zu Brechen?' - Petra Labitzke/Hubert Schmid
Declamato: 'Teuerster Herr Spiess' - Petra Labitzke/Sonker Morbach
Quintetto: 'Packt Ihn, Fuhrt Ihn Vor Gericht!' - Georg Heckel/Petra Labitzke/Hubert Schmid/Matthias Schaltezky/Sonker Morbach
Declamato: 'Ich Bin Doch Neugierig, Ob Sie Ihn Zwingen' - Georg Heckel/Petra Labitzke/Hubert Schmid/Matthias Schaltezky/Sonker Morbach
Finale: 'Die Bruder Haben Sich Gefunden' - Soloisti Cantori/Peter Maag

Amazon.com

Schubert's ninth opera (or rather, singspiel--in which music is interspersed with spoken dialog) will be most attractive to fans of Schubert's other, equally unsuccessful stage works, such as Rosamunde. The libretto, a comedy in which a pair of twins complicate the lives of other simple country types, is set to distinctly noncomedic music; Schubert's charming melodies, no matter how lovely, in no way reflect what is happening on the stage. The spoken German dialogue occupies nearly 20 minutes of this 55-minute CD, which may put off many potential listeners. The "live" performance is strong vocally, but rather fuzzy orchestrally. It is not helped by noticeably dull sonics. For some reason, the liner notes and jewel box both misidentify the work as D. 190 (D. is for Deutsch's catalog of Schubert's compositions). The correct attribution is D. 647. --Paul Turok

Average customer rating:

Montsalvatge: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Xavier Montsalvatge: Piano Music
Yoshimatsu: Cello Concerto "Centaurus Unit"; The Age of Birds; Chikap
Maw: Hymnus/Little Concert/Shahnama
Yoshimatsu: Symphony No. 2; Guitar Concerto; Threnody to Toki, Op. 12
Hans Werner Henze: Streichquartett 1-5

ASIN: B00000JCG1
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Laberinto: I. Por El Camino Que No Conduce A Nignuna Parte: Moderato Sostenuto
Laberinto: II. En El Encuentro De Theseo Y Ariadna: Moderato Risoluto
Laberinto: III. Para La Exaltacion De Minotauro: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Folia Daliniana - Johanne Valerie Gelinas/Salvador Mir/Radovan Cavallin/John Potts/Andrej Gilszewski
Sortilegis
Sinf Mediterranea: First Movt: Andante Sostenuto
Sinf Mediterranea: Second Movt: Adagio Espressivo
Sinf Mediterranea: Third Movt: Allegretto Espressivo
Sinf Mediterranea: Fourth Movt: Andante Vigoroso