Wolf Magic

Track Listings

1. Yukon Timberline

2. Footprints In The Snow

3. Across The Great Divide

4. Mystic Mountain

5. Springtime

6. The Chase

7. Winter Pups

8. Windrunner

9. Meeting At The River

10. Ode To The Wolf

11. King Of The Wilderness

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Breathtaking contemporary music blends with the mystical, magical voice of the wolf, revealing the true nature of this majestic creature.

Wolf Magic,Nature's Harmony,Life! Beats

Wolf Magic

Wolf Magic

Average customer rating:

the magic position

Special!

A Viable Performer!

BRILLIANT PATRICK WOLF DAZZLES WITH HIS LATEST

The WolfMagic

The Magic Position
Patrick Wolf
Manufacturer: Fontana Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000NJVX5O
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

Overture
The Magic Position
Accident & Emergency
The Bluebell
Bluebells
Magpie
X
Augustine
Secret Garden
Get Lost
Enchanted
The Stars
Finale

From Amazon.co.uk

Standing at 6 feet 4" tall with a shock of bright red hair, 23 year old Patrick Wolf is something of a statement even before he opens his mouth. His two albums to date--2003's Lycanthropy and 2005's Wind in the Wires--have showed him to be more than a pretty face, however, with songs that strike an attractive balance between the imaginative and the indulgent. His third album, The Magic Position, is undoubtedly Wolf's 'pop' moment. The rollicking romp of "Get Lost," the upbeat "Accident and Emergency," and the celebratory title track all underline new levels of accessibility and--dare we say it--optimism. There are hints of the old Wolf too of course, especially in the eclectic choice of instrumentation and the off-kilter song arrangements; for every pop-perfect track there's a slice of raw darkness ("Bluebell") casual introspection ("Augustine") or sidereal rock-tronica ("The Stars"). Less a dramatic reinvention than a sideways turn into the world of adult emotions and mainstream accessibility, The Magic Position is nonetheless Patrick Wolf's most accomplished work to date. --Paul Sullivan

Customer Reviews:

the magic position.......2007-07-23

i saw him on a late night show, not the type of music i normally listen too, fell in love with his energy and style. i love the cd, my granddaugter thinks i am regressing. good for me !!

Special!.......2007-07-22

this CD is very special with all kinds of special effects
One should listen a few times to appreciate the music!

A Viable Performer!.......2007-06-27

In my never ending search for what is good out there and the possible surpirse of finding a really tasty talent (no, I am not going to eat it, just and expression!)I keep looking for highly rated albums for each year and I use AMG, Metacritic (which I do like a lot), Rolling Stone, Spin whatever is available and that so far I respect their opinions. Patrick Wolf I found in Rolling Stone "artists to watch for" and since I became intrigued I bought "The Magic Position". Overall, I fairly assigned 4 stars to the CD. Since my collection as of late is growing at a rapid rate (blame that to musical boredom and a need to listen more and new acts)I only have heard this album 1 time but there are enough good sounds to call it a "keeper". Some of the instrumentation is deceptively appealing and quite melodic. From his looks on the cover I did not know how the waters run with Patrick Wolf but in the end his music did all the talking and I enjoyed it. There were a couple of intimate songs that were very very nice. Obviously Patrick Wolf listens to his own "drummer" and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. A Viable Performer and who knows? When the rotation includes this album again might be twice as enjoyable, after all the very best grows after two or three listens. 4 Stars for "The Magic Position".

BRILLIANT PATRICK WOLF DAZZLES WITH HIS LATEST.......2007-06-26

Patrick Wolf dazzles with his third and latest album, "The Magic Position," a brighter, bolder work than his previous, but no less extraordinary, "Wind in the Wires." With remarkable breadth and depth, he focuses on various states and stages of relationships, from the ebullient title song to the mournful "Bluebells" to the striking "Accident & Emergency," the light "Let's Get Lost" and the reverential "The Stars." It all kicks off with "Overture's" mounting pulse and alluring message to "open up now" and "let the light in."

The music ranges from symphonic to spare, but always seems multi-layered and rich. Wolf's lyrics are stirring, descriptive and drenched in wisdom and insight.

Wolf is truly in a class by himself. As a singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, performer and visual artist, he possesses an extraordinary talent, vision and appeal--all of which are realized on this amazing album.

The WolfMagic.......2007-06-02

Along with Feist's The Reminder and Mika's Life in Cartoon Motion, Patrick Wolf's 3rd outing The Magic Position is nothing short of being charismatic. The album is a whimsical mix of electro-pop, dance, rock and classical music. As an young artiste who single-handedly plays over 40 instruments, his music is immediately varied and arresting.

The opener Overture begins with some serious deep beats before breaking into a rock song. The title track is a boisterous child-like track that brings with it a cheerful disposition. Accidents and Emergency contains an irresistible hook consisting of horns and sirens. Magpie perfectly demonstrates his classical leanings. His deep baritone voice is a stark contrast to his flamboyantly loud image on the album art.

With The Magic Position, Wolf shakes off the dark imagery of his previous releases and emerges with greater faith and conviction. One of the year's best! (A+)

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

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.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Peter and the Wolf
Average customer rating:
Peter and the Wolf
Stephen Simon
Manufacturer: Magic Maestro Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000RO8Q3W
Release Date: 2007-06-01

Tracks:

Peter and the Wolf
About the Composer
A Russian Peter
About the Music
Peter and the Wolf
Invitation to Grandfather's Party
Kalinka

Product Description

Peter and the Wolf, the greatest of all works for narrator and orchestra, joins Magic Maestro Music® s delightful Stories in MusicTM series, as the London Philharmonic, conductor Stephen Simon and narrator Yadu, create a magical listening experience. This new version is beautifully framed with additional information about the work, the composer, and the influence of Russia on this greatest of all stories in music. Additional tracks about Prokofiev, what to listen for in the music, and wonderful Russian folk music with the Trio Voronezh, transform this new version into a modern classic. A 24-page program book, with information and fun activities, is included.

Average customer rating:

The Magic Position
Patrick Wolf
Manufacturer: Universal/Polydor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Libertine
Tristan
The Magic Position
Myths of the Near Future

ASIN: B000NOKF30
Release Date: 2007-04-09

Tracks:

Magic Position
Marriage

Album Description

2007 CD single, the title track taken from the Irish singer/songwriter's third album. Features 'Magic Position' plus 'Marriage'. Polydor.

Album Details

Patrick Wolf is 23 Year Old Precociously Talented Musician Based in London. The Roots of Wolf's Music Embrace Everything from Pj Harvey to Stockhausen and English Folk Music to the Legendary Jazz Trumpet Player and Singer Chet Baker. Uncut Magazine Says "Like David Bowie Or Kate Bush Before Him, Wolf Has Feasted on a Myriad of Influences Yet Has the Drive and Vision to Sound Like Nobody but Himself". Includes Exclusive B-track, "Marriage".

Average customer rating:

50 Kids Favorites

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ecossaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Classics for Kids (Box Set)
Classics for Kids
25 Thunderous Classics

ASIN: B000AAF23U
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Tracks:

Rondo in C Major
Canonic Adagio in F,
Clarinet Quintet in A/Larghetto
Divertimento in D, K. 205/Movt. 3
"Musical Sleigh Ride"/Andante Molto
Flute Concerto No. 1 in G/Minuet
Flute Concerto No. 2 in D/Minuet
Concerto for Flute and Harp/Allegro
Clarinet Quintet in A/Finale
Gran Partita/Serenade No. 10 in B
Magic Flute/Overture
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A/1. Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor/3rd Movt.
Symphony No. 25 in G Minor/1st Movt.
Rondo Alla Turka
Piano Sonata No. 20 in G/Tempo de Menuetto
Variations on "God Save the King"
Variations on a Swiss Air in F
6 Eccossaises
Fur Elise
Quintet for Piano and Winds/Rondo
Quintet for French Horn and Strings/3. Allegro
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik/4. Presto
Symphony No. 29 in A/1. Allegro
Symphony No. 34 in C/Finale

Tracks:

March of the Tin Soldiers
Variations on "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
Nutcracker/Dance of the Reed Flutes
Nutcracker/Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Sorceror's Apprentice
Peter and the Wolf/(extract)
Invention No. 8 in F
Invention No. 11 in G Minor
Invention No. 13 in a Minor
Prelude and Fugue No. 21 in BB (Book 1)
Sonata for 2 Pianos in D, K 448/1st Movement
Piano Concerto No. 17 in G K. 543/3. Allegretto
(Kinderszenen)/Of Strange Lands and People
(Kinderszenen)/Curious Story
(Kinderszenen)/Entreating Child
(Kinderszenen)/Perfect Happiness
Carnival of the Animals/Introduction and Royal March
Carnival of the Animals/The Elephant
Carnival of the Animals/Kangaroos
Carnival of the Animals/The Aquarium
Carnival of the Animals/Cuckoo in the Woods
Carnival of the Animals/Birds
Carnival of the Animals/Fossils
Carnival of the Animals/The Swan
Carnival of the Animals/Finale

Zoo Bar Collection, Vol. 5: Highway Is My Home

Average customer rating:

Awesome live cd!
A recording which does this Chicago bluesman justice.
Consummate party album

Zoo Bar Collection, Vol. 5: Highway Is My Home
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Manufacturer: Wolf Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Raw Magic
44 Blues
See What You're Doin' to Me
Zoo Bar Collection, Vol. 4: Spider in My Stew
Anything Can Happen

ASIN: B00000AGDG
Release Date: 1998-01-13

Tracks:

My Buddy Buddy Friends
Cold Women With Warm Hearts
Highway Is My Home
Mustang Sally
Not The Same Person
Let Me Love You Baby
'Possum In My Tree
Reelin' And Rockin'
She Belongs To Me
Hide Away

Customer Reviews:

Awesome live cd!.......1999-11-29

A great live cd with incredible guitar playing. A few songs are a bit long, but overall this is a fantastic cd. I think Magic Slim is the best bluesman around.

A recording which does this Chicago bluesman justice........1999-07-10

Having seen Magic Slim live in Chicago, one can easily agree that he (and his band) are a top-notch representation of today's Chicago Blues. The band is tight and sounds just like they have been playing night after night together in blues clubs around the world (which in fact they have). Magic Slim's infectious, blues drenched guitar and vocals which are so well suited to the material he sings will just about captivate even any a half-serious blues lover listening to this very well rounded recording. I think it's one of his best and certainly the song content is extremely tasteful.

Consummate party album.......1999-05-22

This album has not disappointed late night partygoers for over ten years, it just keeps rockin'. The only thing better is catching a live show in Lincoln or Chicago.

An die Musik [2 CD & DVD Limited Edition]

Average customer rating:

An excellent overview of Dietrich Fischer Dieskau with Deutsche Grammophon

An die Musik [2 CD & DVD Limited Edition]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Art of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Schubert - Winterreise / Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Alfred Brendel, Sender Freies Berlin
Legend: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau [CD & DVD]
The Magic of Wunderlich [Includes Bonus DVD]
Schwarzkopf, Seefried & Fischer-Dieskau Sing Mahler, Richard Strauss & Schubert (EMI Classic Archive 21)

ASIN: B0008064XY
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Customer Reviews:

An excellent overview of Dietrich Fischer Dieskau with Deutsche Grammophon.......2005-11-08

"An die Musik", aptly named after the famous Schubert lied of the same title, is an excellent overview of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's recorded output for Deutsche Grammophon over the past 56 years. On the CDs, there are six Schubert lieder from Fischer-Dieskau's 21 disc set with pianist Gerald Moore, (dating from ca. 1970) and other lieder by Wolf, Richard Strauss, Brahms, and Schoeck. Also included are two chansons of Claude Debussy, and arias from Mozart's "Die Zauberflote" and "Don Giovanni", both conducted by Ferenc Fricsay; small part of Fricsay's Orff "Carmina Burana" (rec. 1949), Schubert's "Dichterliebe" cycle with pianist Jorg Demus; and the 4 Ruckert lieder with Karl Bohm/Berlin Philharmonic. Fischer-Dieskau is amazing, with such a wide repertory, and such enthusiasm for singing such varied and different styles of music.

The bonus DVD, lasting about 28 minutes, is very interesting to watch and listen to. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and pianist Sviatoslav Richter peform 8 famous Schubert lieder in the great room of a hotel in a remote Bavarian village, in utterly charming and rather informal surroundings. The camera work is minimal, the sound, very fine but a little low level mono: filmed in 1978. Fischer-Dieskau looks alot younger here than more recent photos of him, but a little older and more classy than the photos I'm used to seeing of him, which date from the late 1960s. Fischer-Dieskau and Richter work as one, and their partnership and great working relationship is evident from measure 1. There is no doubt watching this that they had alot of fun performing for the cameras.

I am grateful DG released this set: 2 very full discs at over 70 minutes of music each, + the DVD of a telecast not seen since 1978. The sound is very good, even in the mono tracks, and if you like lieder and opera excerpts, you will be delighted. I mention this as one who's experienced Fischer-Dieskau's recordings for 25 years, and been usually delighted by them.

Average customer rating:

Love the Blues? Please buy this CD

Tin Pan Alley
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Manufacturer: Wolf Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Blues | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Anything Can Happen
That Ain't Right
In the Natural State
My Heart's in Texas
Rattleshake

ASIN: B0002N69YQ
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

Tell My What You Got On Your Mind
Cold-Hearted Woman
Please Don't Leave Me
Born In The Country
Baby Please Don't Say Goodbye
She Was Walking Down Through The Park
Bad Luck
Texas Flood
Close To You
Goin' To California
Tin Pan Alley
Cold Women With Warm Hearts

Album Description

"Magic Slim is one of the great icons of the blues. Considered to be one of the greatest living practictioners of Chicago's classic electrified Mississippi blues style, Magic Slim continues to blow blues audiences away with his powerful delivery of what many consider to be 'real Chicago blues.'" - CRUZINBLUZ

"Magic Slim is a large man. His voice is, if anything, even larger. The native Mississippian is a better-than-average guitarist as well...[on this] excellent disc showcasing Magic Slim's aggressive, take-no-prisoners style, those two attributes are fully evident." - METROACTIVE

"Magic Slim is not slim…and he plays blues just like he looks: formidably. His musical world is small, but within it he is a master. He plays a Fender Jazzmaster through a tube amp that gives him a beautiful and soft, yet simultaneously tinny and full, sound. Combined with his booming and gruff voice, Magic can fill up any club with sound." - POPMATTERS

"Magic Slim & The Teardrops proudly uphold the tradition of what a Chicago blues band should sound like. Their emphasis on ensemble playing and a humongous repertoire that allegedly ranges upwards of a few hundred songs give the towering guitarist's live performances an endearing off-the-cuff quality: you never know what obscurity he'll pull out of his oversized hat next." - ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Blues singer and guitarist Magic Slim is one of the best-known representatives of the West Side Chicago blues. Tin Pan Alley includes brand-new studio recordings and great live recordings from this popular winner of SIX W.C. Handy Awards!

Customer Reviews:

Love the Blues? Please buy this CD.......2007-02-10

I have been a Magic Slim fan forever. Last year I heard him in a local club that probably seats 60 people. How he makes a living doing this mystifies me. Yet he started at 9 and played until 1AM, obviously loving it. Tin Pan Alley is typical Magic Slim. It is consistent with playing and singing of the first order. All of his CDs are dynamite. This one is no exception. Buy it.

Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 18: Live on the Road

Average customer rating:

Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 18: Live on the Road
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Manufacturer: Wolf Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music

Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Zoo Bar Collection, Vol. 5: Highway Is My Home
44 Blues
Raw Magic
Grand Slam
Gravel Road

ASIN: B00003L26K
Release Date: 1998-06-17

Tracks:

Walking Down Broadway
Gold Tailed Bird
Don't You Know
Down The Road
Sweet Home Chicago
Look Under Yonder's Wall
What's On Your Mind
There's Some Pretty Girl
Long Distance Call
On Wee Baby

Average customer rating:

BRILLIANT PATRICK WOLF DAZZLES WITH HIS LATEST
in concert
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
He just keeps on getting better
magic position indeed!

The Magic Position
Patrick Wolf
Manufacturer: Universal/Polydor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sound of Silver
Wind in the Wires
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Armchair Apocrypha
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

ASIN: B000LRY9WM
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Tracks:

Overture
Magic Position
Accident & Emergency
Bluebell
Bluebells
Magpie
X
Augustine
Secret Garden
Get Lost
Enchanted
Stars
Finale
Bluebells [*][Multimedia Track]

Album Description

Enhanced 2007 album from the talented Irish singer/songwriter, who mixes British folk with Chamber Pop and modern studio trickery and has garnered praise from critics around the world. 14 tracks including the enhanced video for the hit single 'Bluebells'. Polydor.

Album Details

Includes UK Bonus Video Track "Bluebells". Patrick Wolf is 23 Year Old Precociously Talented Musician Based in London. The Roots of Wolf's Music Embrace Everything from Pj Harvey to Stockhausen and English Folk Music to the Legendary Jazz Trumpet Player and Singer Chet Baker. Uncut Magazine Says "Like David Bowie Or Kate Bush Before Him, Wolf Has Feasted on a Myriad of Influences Yet Has the Drive and Vision to Sound Like Nobody but Himself". Packaged in UK Super Jewel Box.

Customer Reviews:

BRILLIANT PATRICK WOLF DAZZLES WITH HIS LATEST.......2007-06-29

Patrick Wolf dazzles with his third and latest album, "The Magic Position," a brighter, bolder work than his previous, but no less extraordinary, "Wind in the Wires." In "Magic," Wolf focuses on various states and stages of relationships, from the ebullient title track to the mournful "Bluebells." It all kicks off with "Overture's" mounting pulse and alluring message to "open up now" and "let some light in." Other gems include "Accident & Emergency," "Let's Get Lost" and "The Stars."

The music ranges from symphonic to spare, but always seems multi-layered and rich. Wolf's lyrics are stirring, descriptive and drenched in wisdom and insight. In a word, poetry. And then there's that unique voice that's as strong as it is versatile.

A fearless and original artist, Wolf is truly in a class by himself. As a singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, performer and visual artist, he possesses an unusual amount of talent, vision and appeal--all of which are realized on this amazing and unforgettable album.

in concert.......2007-05-30

I just saw Patrick Wolf in concert at Sasquatch Music Festival. I was suprised to find that while I loved the performances of groups like Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear and Citizen Cope, Patrick Wolf was my favorite. He was magically entertaining, humble, charismatic and incredibly talented. I am looking forward to his work to come with bated breath. In a nutshell: He's an up and coming artist that is definitely worth paying attention to.

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.......2007-05-03

Don't let his pretty face and young age fool you, Patrick is a very very classically trained yet incredibly risky and dynamic artist. This album proves it, I was very into Lycanthropy and felt it was a unique sound I hadn't come across with many artists, the folksy dance stuff is one of my obsessions now, I'm not really a trendy music listener but it's nice to bob your head a bit while you're enjoying some delicious guitar cuts. Patrick Wolf delves deeper here into that style, but he owns it. I mean he really really masters his craft with such grace and subtlety, each song melds into the next, you constantly look at the track your on because before you know it the album has started over again. It's just that good.

The Magic Position sounds like if he was running a circus, it's all over the place but it's magical

Accident and Emergency will make you think a police car is following you, which can be annoying at times but hey it's Patrick Wolf, his music demands you stop your car and listen. They're sirens but heavily distorted and effected.

Augustine is a very silky and mounful ballad, it makes you truly fall in love with this girl he's singing about, and you realize with a name like Augustine, she must be worth this song, he's got conviction in his lyrics and singing, he has the unique ability to make you understand.

All in all, waiting for this to break big, I've been waiting for him to catch on here in America for a while now, who knows if it'll ever happen, but he has that power to appeal to the snobs and the idiots. He's Patrick Wolf and he's amazing.

He just keeps on getting better.......2007-04-05

I liked his debut album, "Lycanthropy," but I find that there are only a small handful of songs that I can listen to relatively often: "Wolf Song," "Bloodbeat," "To The Lighthouse," and "Don't Say No." The rest either don't do much for me or flat-out annoy me (no offense to Patrick!). "Wind In The Wires" was a big improvement. Though there were still a few definite standouts (the three singles, along with "Teignmouth" and "Gypsy King."), I really enjoyed the album as a whole. Now we have "The Magic Position," and I must say it's absolutely phenomenal, topping both his previous albums. For whatever reason, it didn't click with me on the first listen and I was a little disappointed, but shortly into the second time around, I was like, "What was I thinking? This is brilliant!" True, it has a happier, more positive, more romantic vibe, but the sound is still undoubtedly his. I would hardly call this album commercial. For those unfamiliar with Wolf, it could still be a bit challenging, but once you let him in, he utterly enchants you.

I didn't think "To The Lighthouse" could ever be replaced as my favorite Wolf song, but I'm pretty sure "Accident & Emergency" has taken that spot now. It's amazing. I can't get enough. The other two singles ("Bluebells" and "Magic Position") are very close behind, and following not too far behind them are the beautiful "Augustine," the unexpected romantic crooner tune "Enchanted," the epic "The Stars," which harkens back to the spastic electronic beats of his debut, and the powerful opener "Overture," which is so much more than the name would have you believe. Yeah, there are a lot of great songs here. Sure, there are a few brief interludes and instrumentals (as there were on "Wind In The Wires"), but for the most part they lend to the general mood and flow of the album. The exception is the rather annoying (but thankfully short) "Secret Garden," which consists mostly of jolting bass and fuzz. I'm not quite sure what he was thinking here, but oh well - It's a minor flaw in an otherwise flawless masterpiece.

People, please give this guy a chance. Spread the love. Patrick Wolf is so unlike anyone else out there, and he's so brilliant. And his style...and his content...everything about him rocks. Me thinks I'm in love.

magic position indeed!.......2007-03-21

Well well well, I must say, I am very surprised to see that I'm the first person reviewing this gem. :) I am an American and while I'm probably not supposed to own this album yet (hits the States in May), I preordered it like some smart few as an import from the UK. So when it arrived March 2nd, I threw my hands in the air and danced around my kitchen, grinning profusely and having the sudden desire to bake cookies, fly kites, have water balloon fights with three-year olds, and maybe wear floaties to the beach. It is just that happy. A fan of fine lad's older stuff, I knew this album would be... erm... peculiar... but oh my. Peculiarity is good. It is splendid. If anything, I am impressed that an artist such as sweet Patrick can be so incredibly diverse. He is incredibly talented, every song is unique, and every song has its own bit of creative flare that I have hoped to find floating around the music world for years. I might be selfish to say that I want to keep him all to myself, but this album definitely has potential to go mainstream, and I will be happy for Patrick for whatever success he receives. :) Here's a review I wrote for a class assignment:

* * * * *

If befriending a gypsy in the gardens of a Parisian cemetery is what one has to do in order to ensure for a brilliant musical future, Wolf has quite literally done so, and with his third full-length Britpop folky masterpiece, he has indeed been put under a fantastic spell.

His debut, Lycanthropy, was a discothèque opera of ferocious alter-egos and Wind in the Wires was 2004's seaside requiem of ukuleles and accordions. After a few startling press photographs of Wolf in shiny boots with electric red hair, his fan base prepared for a carnival of flashy optimism, and Wolf did not want to disappoint.

The Magic Position opens with "Overture," the classic self-confident, cheery adventure tune that is sung with a smile so grandiose, one can't help but admire Wolf's Candy Land-like approach into track two, the infamous track so delightful he named the entire album after it. It's as giddy as kindergarten jump rope rhymes, and it is with such wonderfully charming attitude that Wolf can profess himself about his sexual pastimes, unashamed and really quite flamboyantly.

It's only eight-and-a-half minutes into the album and one realizes that Patrick is not only flamboyant, he is sassy. "Accident and Emergency" would be Wolf's cry for help if he needed one, but clearly he doesn't because there is enough catchiness involved in this single alone to cure even the most dreadful states of the doldrums. He is both brazen and positive, singing "If you never lose / how you gonna know when you've won? / And if it's never dark / how you gonna know the sun / when it shines?" over a tumultuous parade of horns, ambulance wails, and xylophone.

And just when one is content to hear about this happiness all the time, Wolf switches his tone completely to take on a sound more similar to that of his days spent by abandoned lighthouses. "Bluebell" and "Bluebells" express a deeper, more morose side of this young, sensitive sprite of a boy. He reflects on the cold nature of a bitter former relationship, and hopes instead for the blossoms of a forthcoming spring. But it is his everlasting sanguinity that leaves a listener with hope, realizing how involved this album is. It reads like a more mature fairy tale, commenting gleefully on the joys of being in love yet truthfully telling of the effect it can have when it is gone.

And like the plot of all complex fairy tales, Patrick Wolf's fairy godmother appears in "Magpie," an eerie graveyard echo of a song that depicts loneliness with frightful honesty. The godmother is actually Marianne Faithful and her vocals, while haunting and strange, provide for beautiful underlay to Wolf's cries. "Kiss" is the first of three instrumentals, and its simplicity prepares for what could be the most emotional song he's ever written, "Augustine."

The first lines are sung so smoothly and such a gorgeous image is described, it is as if the listener really is transported into sleep when Wolf sings, "I pass out into a dream / of whooping cranes and wooden beams." One wants to know who this Augustine is that he is moaning about, but all the same, one knows whoever it is, they are Wolf's secret. He is questioning the future - something that needs to be done with talent like his, and he compares his feelings to both a mother and a maid, nurtured and caring yet having to clean some terrible mess despite the age it adds to his knees. It is a metaphor of the handsome harm of love, one that can only be found in the thick bushes and roots of Wolf's own "Secret Garden," the second instrumental that sounds a storm of electricity puncturing stone walls and water ripping through vines.

But Wolf does not drown in misery yet - in fact he pounces right back into loveliness in "Get Lost," an inviting darling of a song that speaks of movies and bicycles and running away like rebellious, enthusiastic children.

"Enchanted" is Patrick's lounge serenade, and as if he were channeling Sinatra he widens his throat over a lounge piano and bells, expressing the magic that he does indeed feel from whomever his love is.

Just as he is feeling adult and established, "Stars" brings him back to being a boy underneath the great black blanket, admiring the world for all of its changes, amazed by the very varieties he has felt in his short life. It is a beautiful ending to the album, summing the fact that each faculty of the human heart is its own microcosm in the universe, swirling in space debris and just waiting for gravity to make it alive. It twinkles, it shimmers, it is universal, and it is powerful. "Finale" caps it marvelously with a few mysterious strums on a slow violin, ending the album but opening a spectrum of light and possibility. Wolf is at ease.

The Magic Position is so refreshingly different from his past two masterpieces, one is almost in wonderment that Patrick has so many tales to tell and so many ways of telling them. He is the self-proclaimed prince of a kingdom painted with unicorns and butterflies. He drives a chariot whose wheels hum nursery stories, glittery and fantastic. Patrick Wolf lives in a world pulsing with sincerity and yet heaving with passion. He is a truthful troubadour learning the policies of love, and translating them for himself and for his adoring audience into a musical symphony of epically magnificent proportions.

* * * * *

A classic popfolk record by a classically fabulous artist.

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