Instrumental Odyssey - Volume Two

Track Listings

1. DREAM GARDEN

2. ODYSSEY

3. ZIBA'S SONG

4. EASTERN SUNRISE

5. SEQUOIA

6. JOY OF LIFE

7. DESERT OASIS

8. WHITE ROSE

9. MOON DANCE

10. ANOTHER BIRTHDAY

Editorial Reviews
Entertainment department, Universal Studios
"Music that sounds the way life should feel"

Product Description
When listening to Instrumental Odyssey, we can't help but feel that these captivating musical creations were divinely inspired. The music is an extended adventurous journey with many multi-cultural and spiritual influences. This album is a beautiful translation of life's sweetest thoughts and deepest feelings, through the eyes of an artist. By combining the versatility and range of electronic textures with the power and majesty of symphony orchestra, an entirely new sound has been created, a sound specifically designed for a world audience

Instrumental Odyssey - Volume Two

Instrumental Odyssey - Volume Two,Mehdi,Soothing Music

Instrumental Odyssey - Volume Two

Sugo Music Collection Volume Two
Average customer rating:
Sugo Music Collection Volume Two
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sugo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Sugo Collection, Vol. 3

ASIN: B0000005ZX
Release Date: 1995-03-28

Tracks:

Voyage - Brad White & Pierre Grill
Her Flying Horses - Steven Pasero & Christopher Bock
Maui - Stephen Jacob
Premdo - Antar Sudhananda
Catch The Wind - Steve Reid
No Problem - Michelle Sell
Night And Day - Jim Bajor
Music Of The Night - Bettine Clemen
Pathetique Op.13: Adagio - Nina Postolovskava
Matsuri - Brad White & Pierre Grill
She Lives Inside - Steven Pasero & Christopher Bock
Dad's Theme - James Patrick Dunne
Oregon - Antar Sudhananda
Serengeti Sunset - Steve Reid & David Scheffler
Can't Stop The Wind - Michelle Sell & Don Sciff
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Jim Bajor
Marble Halls - Bettine Clemen
Waltz in C#, Op.64 No.2 - Nina Postolovskava

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Some phenomenal rarities paired with some disappointments

Opera for Piano 4 Hands Volume 1

Manufacturer: Globe
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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ASIN: B000025YMR
Release Date: 2006-05-22

Customer Reviews:

Some phenomenal rarities paired with some disappointments.......2007-01-23

What a strange disc this is. It contains nothing but world premiere recordings for two pianos of operatic transcriptions/paraphrases/fantasies/souvenirs. That's a rare thing in itself, but this piano duo chose two 1864 Erard concert grands (and in a few pieces, a wood block and a triangle) to showcase these operatic piano works. The technical and interpretative powers of these pianists are not that exceptional. There is nothing weak about their style but nothing outstanding either. Julian Reynolds and Peter Lockwood are coordinated and share the same level of passion and rigorous energy. But their efforts with the Liszt Norma fantasy were totally lacking. Even Leslie Howard plays it better. There are actually some great masterpieces on here, though, that will intrigue the pianophiles out there. The whole disc surveys a wide range of composers and piano styles: Wagner, Mussorgsky, Verdi, both Johann and Richard Strauss, Faure and Liszt; what a smorgasbord. Some pieces here are, unfortunately, lackluster, or at least in my view, not appealing based on my personal preference. But first, let me discuss the superb achievements:

The arrangement of Wagner's Die Meistersinger overture is an exemplary work that turns out to be a triumphant success on the piano. The mighty polyphony and heavy textures of this piece sound rich, sonorous, and completely clarified through the piano tones. There is only one minor technical problem that prevents more praise. The recording of this particular piece has occasional static and muffled sounds during the forte passages, as if the loudness is drowning out the speakers. It's definitely not my own stereo; someone didn't do their job right here. Ultimately, it's not too distracting but I still think a better quality of sound is required for accommodating the dynamics of two pianos, especially old Erards.

My favorite work and perhaps the supreme achievement here is the haunting and visceral two piano arrangement of Mussorgsky's Coronation Scene from Boris Godounov. Some of the most powerful orchestral-sounding effects are conjured up from the deep bass. These deep chords mimick an eerie and sinister tolling of bells, almost as proficiently as Liszt's many fine evocations. The hymn-like music that succeeds the tolling bells provides a nice respite. But then both themes, the tolling bells and the hymn, unite to create a monumental unstoppable force of music. Mussorgsky's music is dark, raw, simple, but always fascinating. This piece is no exception; I implore any Mussorgsky fan to pounce on the disc if it's only for this one piece.

The other good works include two-piano arrangements of Liszt's Reminiscences of Norma, Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours and Verdi's La Forza del Destino overture. Liszt's Reminiscences de Norma is simply one of the greatest operatic fantasies ever written, in my opinion. Liszt edited the material from his 18-minute solo fantasy to 13 minutes when he rewrote it for two pianos. The music is passionate, beautiful, eloquent, always magnificently structured and unyielding in drama. It wasn't just Liszt's virtuosity that made women (and men) faint; his music has a colossal grandiose element to it which is exemplified here. Unfortunately, Reynold and Lockwood give a staid and robotic interpretation. Only the great music saves it. The Ponchielli Dance of the Hours will be instantly recognizable to anyone; it's cute and delightful on two pianos. Verdi's overture, La Forza del Destino, is a dramatic stream of serious music. Verdi's lyricism, melody and other lovely flavors transfer well to the tones of the piano. Indeed, I enjoy this version as much as the orchestral.

The rest on here are either unappealing (to my tastes) or lackluster. Don't get me wrong: I congratulate this piano duo for being the *first* to record these, since we need more proponents of operatic piano rarities today. But some of these are not so interesting... or lets say they are "ok." The J. Strauss transcriptions are the "ok" pieces. The Tik-Tak polka is catchy if not superficial. It seems like the piano duo is just taking a break from being serious in order to have fun with the Strauss. At the end of this polka, a wood-block accompanist adds a few notes, a quasi-cadenza before the pianists end the piece. Why? It was kind of lame to reserve these last few notes for a wood block just for the sake of it. In the Fledermaus-Quadrille arrangement, a triangle was used during the performance. Again, the music was stale waltzy stuff and the triangle only trivializes it more. Richard Strauss's Concert Waltz from his Der Rosenkavalier is slightly better but still not to my taste. Nonetheless, the arrangement for pianos is excellent and certainly worth being recorded. I found the Chaubrier Souvenirs somewhat disappointing. He takes themes from Wagner's great 'Tristan und Isolde' and weaves them together into a piece with the mood of a scherzo. Hearing the Liebestod in a dance-rhythm was disturbing, but perhaps it's just me. Maybe the 19th century public loved it. Pianistically, it emphasizes interesting dissonances and rhythms, but I'm not impressed beyond that. Faure's own Souvenirs feature short (less than a minute) frivolous parodies on Wagner's themes. Again, while this is not to my taste, it may appeal to others.

Bottom line: Although my review stresses some disappointments, I still retain 4 stars for this CD due to the outstanding quality of music from Mussorgsky, Liszt, Verdi, Ponchielli and Wagner. The Liszt Norma fantasy is unparalleled for its virtuosity and orchestral depth that exists in the dynamics of the piano. The Mussorgsky arrangement is simply sublime; a glorious rarity. The arrangements of the overtures of Wagner and Verdi come next and serve as pianistic tour-de-forces. Recommended only for pianophiles, curious 19th century fans, and possibly Mussorgsky completists (I'm telling you, the Coronation arrangement is spellbinding).

Average customer rating:

American Piano Music, Volume 1

Manufacturer: Et'Cetera
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Tangos | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000000N3
Release Date: 2004-03-22

Tracks:

Proclamation
Midday Thoughts
Sentimental Tango No.1
Sentimental Tango No.2
Senza Espressione
Phillip RameyThinking
Six Prlds
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Tierra Mojada
Orosi
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Huapango No.2
Ballade, Op. 46 - Bennett Lerner B
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Pno Fant

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Jazz Spirit - Volume Two
Willie Pickens
Manufacturer: Southport Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Jazz Spirit - Volume One

ASIN: B000EOTAPI
Release Date: 2006-02-14

Tracks:

Fairest Lord Jesus (6:49)
O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How (7:13)
Down By The Riverside (8:04)
O Lord You Are My God and King(5:15)
We Are Marching in the Light of God (6:32)
Wade in the Water (5:31)
God of Grace and God of Glory (5:25)
When Peace Like a River (5:09)
Lord, Whose Love Through Humble(7:59)
My God Is So High (2:53)

Product Description

Southport Records and Hyde Park Union Church in Chicago present JazzSpirit, Volume 1 and Volume 2, with pianist/composer/educator and arranger Willie Pickens with his acclaimed interpretations of sacred music in a jazz setting. The 20 compositions, positioned within 2 separate CDs combines Mr. PickensÂ’ life history of jazz.

Songs You've Never Heard - Light Volume Two

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Manufacturer: Ocean Records Ocean Entertainment
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
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Driving guitars in a chorus exploding melodic, harmonies, and tones intertwined taking you to an imaginary place in your mind.

Valsas Brasileiras (Brazilian Waltzes) for Piano, Volume Two

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Valsas Brasileiras (Brazilian Waltzes) for Piano, Volume Two
Alexandra Mascolo-David
Manufacturer: Independent release
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Solo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000MR9CVO
Release Date: 2007-01-18

Tracks:

The Brazilian Waltzes: No.13 in c minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.14 in c# minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.15 in d minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.16 in eb minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.17 in e minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.18 in f minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.19 in f# minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.20 in g minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.21 in ab minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.22 in a minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.23 in a# minor
The Brazilian Waltzes: No.24 in b minor

Product Description

With this release, pianist Alexandra Mascolo-David completes the set of the 24 Brazilian Waltzes of Francisco Mignone. Both recordings of the Brazilian Waltzes of Francisco Mignone, volumes 1 and 2, are quite significant, in that it is the first time that these waltzes have been recorded in their entirety outside of Brasil. The compositions of Francisco Mignone, like much of the Brazilian art music of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, show the influence of the three cultures that form the country s complex heritage. European music, Amerindian music, and African music collided, mixed, and gave rise --over the course of centuries-- to a uniquely Brazilian idiom. Mignone s life as a composer contains well-defined periods that demonstrate a microcosm of this cultural history: his earliest works showcase his Italian-French training, while his mature output gives voice to a new genre of Brazilian art music, rich in folk tonalities within Romantic structures. Although Mignone explored serialism and atonality in his later years, he is best known for his nationalistic works, especially his orchestral pieces and art songs. Yet, he was equally accomplished as a composer of music for solo piano. Mignone wrote over two hundred pieces for pianoforte, in which the evolution of his style, as well as the quality and versatility of his writing, show his mind as one of an exceptional artist. Among his piano compositions are études, preludes, legends, sonatinas, sonatas, and waltzes. All of Mignone s waltzes carry the influence of his youthful practice of serenading in the streets of São Paulo, improvising choros (popular songs, often with a nostalgic character) on his flute, to the accompaniment of cavaquinhos (ukeleles) and violões (guitars). Consequently, he makes frequent musical allusions to guitar figurations in his waltzes. In some cases, Mignone implies the analogy by the characteristics of the musical writing, while in others, he specifically notates imitando o viol

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Sounds Like Summer - Volume Two

Manufacturer: Starlife
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B0009FBL2M

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tracks: Vamos a la playa//Strong enough//maria//You're not alone//Fiesta//Denn dortbelm Ballerman//Diese spanische nacht//Wish i could fly//Hab keine Angst//We're going to Ibia//Tarzan & Jane// Oye//So ist mallorca//Hande zum Himmel//Up and down//Hijo de la Luna//Goodbye//