Soiree

Track Listings

1. Sad Ballerina

2. Final Lights

3. Sultry Leaves

4. Fivers

5. Creation

6. Keepsake

7. Venetian Mystery

8. Scythia

9. Cantilena

10. Oregon Trail

11. Passacaglia

12. Gazebo

13. Passepied

14. Fallen Flower

15. Noblesse Oblige

16. Hope of Ages

17. Obezag

18. Rain Suite

19. After You Left

20. Summer's Journey

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
1999 & tenth installment in this series of solo recordings by Genesis' original guitarist. Subtitled 'Soiree', this set is a collection of 20 piano pieces.

Soiree,Anthony Phillips,Blueprint UK,Easy Listening/Vocal,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop,Solo Instrumental

Soiree

Tracks:

The Glendy Burke
Nelly Was A Lady
Melinda May
The Soree Polka
The Moustache Song
O Willie, Is It You, Dear?
Mr. & Mrs. Brown
Gem From Lucia No.1
Wilt Thou Be Gone?
The Voices That Are Gone
Ole Black Joe
Maggie By My Side
Camptown Ladies
Hard Times
Gems From Lucia No.2, No.3
The Shanghai Chicken
Beautiful Dreamer
Ah! May The Red Rose Live Away
Nelly Bly
I Dream Of Jeannie
O Susannah & Some Folks

Customer Reviews:

Amid fine work, a new star!.......2004-09-28

Baird, Russell and Van Buskirk give fine performances in a splendid
program, but tenor Frederick Urrey [his Foster recording debut?] is a sensation! A glorious voice, with a perfect command of style in
operatic, ballad, ensemble and even comic scenes, his Melinda May is breathtaking, his Beautiful Dreamer is the best on records, his
duets charm and his drunken husband is a gas! He has it all!! In my 25 years of total immersion in Foster and his era, I have never
even dreamt of hearing an artist of such stature. Foster was said to have a fine voice and to sing his music better than any other.
I pray we now hear more of SF's songs as he must have sung them!

Stephen Foster Would Be Proud.......2004-02-26

Linda Russell is a remarkable woman. I have every CD she has done and I've never been disappointed in the high quality recordings she releases. I consider her every bit of an historian as the authors of history books.
This collection of Stephen Foster tunes, one of two that Russell has partaken in, is a rousing collection of the musical sounds of the mid-19th century. Soprano Julianne Baird and tenor Frederick Urrey join in with Ms. Russell's alto vocals to make a truly remarkable ensemble (including the musicians playing the mountain dulcimer, fortepiano, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, recorder, and accordion - all on authentic antique instruments). All combined show off the genius that Stephen Foster was - the 19th century's top songwriter who wrote music for ALL time, not just his time.
But if it wasn't for the musical reenactors (on CD at least) of Russell and company many of these long lost gems might have stayed hidden, sadly unheard. Some choral music, a feel of opera, a bit of traditional folk all mixed together to make what I feel is an authentic piece of musical history.
Here's hoping that Linda Russell and friends continue in the making of traditional music - Christmas and popular.
Ms. Russell, do you ever tour? We'd love to see you here in Michigan!

Foster at his simple best.......2002-01-22

What a delicious surprise this little album is, and from the ..... date, it appears to have been around for a few seasons, but is utterly new to me. I am a Julianne Baird fan from the get-go, but was pleasantly taken aback at her appearance on an album of American songs with folk balladeer Linda Russell (who plays dulcimers, mountain fiddles and all manner of country instruments and sings with the earthy texture of Judy Collins). But as usual Baird finds a way to integrate her own exquisite sensibilities and artistry into the assignment and makes a touching case for the simple and heart-rending Foster tunes--this is, after all, "early music" in which she excels--American "Early Music." Tenor Fred Urrey is another find and he likewise blends wonderfully into the surroundings. In fact, the three diverse artists hit their stride in a haunting trio rendition of Old Black Joe. Keyboard and string instruments have a ghostly and authentic ring to them as well. indeed, after the pompous and overblown Foster CDs of better-known opera singers in the bins today, this is so welcome. A treasure!
Get it today.

Well-rounded and convincing.......2000-10-27

This is an excellent rendition of Stephen Foster's songs, capitalizing on the duality inherent in the repertoire: the beautiful parlor ballads and the rowdy folk-inspired tunes. Especially remarkable is the fact that the performers bring to the music the "early music" sensibility (Julianne Baird is renowned as a performer of Elizabethan lutesongs)--this sensibility urges the performers to be as historically accurate as possible, performing on original/reproduction instruments. Also of note is the fact that it is a collaboration between classical and folk musicians: soprano, alto, tenor, fortepiano, fiddle, mountain and hammered dulcimers, harmonica, recorder, and accordian. Linda Russell (alto, mountain dulcimer) is lyrical and moving with her "folkie" voice, perfectly complementing the other "cultivated" voices and grounding them on the occasions they come together in poignant harmony.

Tracks:

Introduction
Introduction and Fandango: Fandango
Folias
El Amor Brujo: Introduccion y escena
El Amor Brujo: En la cueva -- La noche
El Amor Brujo: Cancion del amor dolido
El Amor Brujo: El aparecido
El Amor Brujo: Danza del terror
El Amor Brujo: El circulo magico -- Romance del pescador
El Amor Brujo: A media noche -- Los sortilegios
El Amor Brujo: Danza ritual del fuego (Para ahuyentar los malos espiritus)
El Amor Brujo: Escena
El Amor Brujo: Cancion del fuego fatuo
El Amor Brujo: Pantomima
El Amor Brujo: Danza del juego de amor
El Amor Brujo: Final (Las campanas del amanecer)
La soiree dans Grenade (Evening in Granada)
Capriccio espagnol: I Alborada
Capriccio espagnol: II Variazioni
Capriccio espagnol: III Alborada
Capriccio espagnol: IV Scena e canto Gitano
Capriccio espagnol: Fandango Asturiano

Customer Reviews:

Classical Guitar.......2007-03-15

It was a gift for my father who turned 88 on March 1st.
I sent it to him in Spain. He has been a guitar teacher all his life and still has students now in his ripe old age. He loved it, loved the music, loved the way they play.

These fiery renditions surpassed my expectations!.......1999-11-19

Once again the L.A.G.Q. triumphs with their transcriptions of the very well known works included here. All of the music lends itself very well to the instrument, especially in the hands of this phenomenal quartet. This debut recording of the Ian Krouse selection is dramatic, dynamic and generally astounding. This is absolutely one of my favorite guitar recordings.

Average customer rating:

I love these guys!!!
Excellent album
This is only a warning
Recent Purchase that I'm Joyed to Find and Enjoy
Simply Amazing

Best of L.A.G.Q.

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

For Thy Pleasure
LAGQ: Latin
LAGQ's Guitar Heroes
L.A. Guitar Quartet: Evening In Granada
L.A. Guitar Quartet: Dances from Renaissance to Nutcracker

ASIN: B00000DCXY
Release Date: 1998-09-22

Tracks:

Hoe-Down
Jumpin' At The Woodside
Nutcracker Suite, Waltz Of The Flowers
El Amor Brujo, Danza Del Juego De Amor
El amor brujo, Danza del juego del fuego (Para Ahuyentar Los Malos Espiritus)
Black Horse Troop
Capriol Suite, Pieds-en-l'air
Capriol Suite, Mattachins
Traditional: Shenandoah
Simple Gifts
Corral Nocturne
Introduction & Fandango, Introduction
Introduction & Fandango, Fandango
My Lord Of Oxenfordes Maske
Canzon Per Sonar Primi Toni
Dance Suite, Gavottes 1,2,3 & 6
Dance Suite, Volte II
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, III: Allegro
La SoirDans Grenade (Evening In Granada)
Main Street Electrical Parade (Baroque Hoedown) Disneyland in the Style of Vivaldi

Customer Reviews:

I love these guys!!!.......2007-01-02

At first I did not know anything about LAGQ. I was taking an intro to guitar class on the campus of USC. One of my assignments was to attend two guitar performances happening on campus and write about each. I was so fortunate to have picked LAGQ. I fell in love with their music and their humor. I was amazed by the variety of sounds coming out of the guitars. Although guitar playing is a hobby for me... these guys inspire me to study the guitar more seriously. This is the first album of theirs I bought. Their rendition of Shenandoah is the best. It is so beautiful I fall asleep to it. Simple Gifts is the most lovely version too. Jumpin' at the Woodside is another favorite... it jazzy bounce makes it a popular choice for background music to any situation. The Main Street Electrical Parade never fails to delight me and surprise my friends when I play it. These guys are silly...but in a good way. Its 2007 now and I still go back to the songs on this album. Great variety. This is a good starter to a LAGQ collection. Go see them live if you can!!!

Excellent album.......2004-11-23

Recently I learned about LAGQ and bought this album. I have been impressed by the arrangements and interpretation, the texture, innovative touches and originality. It is a treat!

This is only a warning.......2004-09-19

The LAGQ are fine players, and the music here is first rate as a summary of what they do, or for any purpose. HOWEVER, the transfer to CD on my disc was very poorly chosen, so that the top octave and a half was mostly missing (worse on some pieces than others, though). This takes the snap! out of guitar strings and notably attenuates your ability to tell what the 4 are doing with guitar timbre and the like. So, if you have wide-range audio gear, you might want to look elsewhere for an introduction to these players.

Recent Purchase that I'm Joyed to Find and Enjoy.......2001-01-27

Not until recently did I know about this guitar four. Hearing a number of their songs on internet classical radio, I decided I'd try this one.

What a great surprise --- their arrangements of Copeland to Sousa to Praetorius are excellent and in taste. I'll be venturing into their other works.

Simply Amazing.......2000-06-12

LAGQ is wonderful and this CD is a great compilation of some of their best work to date. Extremely versatile musicians, they perform swing music, Sousa march music, a Main Street Electrical Parade tune from Disneyland, as well as music by Copland and Praetorius. It's amazing how they are able to produce the sounds they do. A great compilation and one that would nicely add to your LAGQ collection or a great CD to start that collection!

Average customer rating:

Trader John's Crawfish Soiree
Dr. John
Manufacturer: Blue Label
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Piano | Blues | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Goin' Back to New Orleans
My Name Is Buddy
Mercernary
In a Sentimental Mood
Right Place, Right Time: Live at Tipitina's

ASIN: B000MTOQ7C
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

You're Just Too Square (You Ain't Nowhere)
Trader John
Cat & Mouse Game
Helping Hand
Go Ahead On
Loser For You
One Night Late
I Pulled The Cover Offa You Two Lovers
New Orleans
The Ear Is On Strike
Just Like A Mirror
Della (Part 1)

Tracks:

Crawfish Soiree (Bring Your Own Along)
Tipitina
In The Night
Woman Is The Root Of All Evil
The Time Had Come
Shoo Raa
Zu Zu Man
Baldhead
Mean Cheatin' Woman
Make Your Own Bed Well
A Little Closer To My Home
Della (Part 2)

Album Description

A great boogie and blues pianist with a growl of a voice, Dr. John's most enduring achievements have fused New Orleans R&B, rock and Mardi Gras craziness to come up with his own brand of "Voodoo" music. He's also enjoyable when sticking to purely traditional forms of Blues and R&B.

This double CD collection consists of two hard to find albums, Trader John's and Crawfish Soiree, previously released on the Australian AIM label in 1998 and 1996 respectively. Crawfish Soiree includes demo versions of songs which Dr. John chose for his 1965 debut in Los Angeles, the album Zu Zu Man. Most of the music on that album was Dr. John in boogie-woogie, R&B mode but Zu Zu Man, a version of which is included here, augurs the voodoo feel and textures of his 1968 cult classic Gris Gris album. Although the performances are not perfect, they capture these Dr. John obscurities in pure and raw form. Crawfish Soiree is a compilation of rare and unreleased 70s studio recordings. The Blue Label version is digitally remastered with greatly improved sound quality and is housed in deluxe fold out packaging including historical notation on Dr. John by Martin Celmins.

Songs by Stephen Foster, Vol. 1-2
Average customer rating:

Time Capsule

Unexpected

An album to treasure

A classic recording of American songs

The sessions of sweet silent thought stirred

Songs by Stephen Foster, Vol. 1-2

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Folk | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Stephen Foster Songs: Parlor & Minstrel Songs, Dance Tunes & Instrumentals

Stephen Foster Song Book

American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason

Swanee: The Music of Stephen Foster

DOO-DAH: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture

ASIN: B000005IYE
Release Date: 1992-05-28

Tracks:

Songs By Stephen Foster: Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Songs By Stephen Foster: There's A Good Time Coming
Songs By Stephen Foster: Was My Brother In The Battle?
Songs By Stephen Foster: Sweetly She Sleeps, My Alice Fair
Songs By Stephen Foster: If You've Only Got A Moustache
Songs By Stephen Foster: Gentle Annie
Songs By Stephen Foster: Wilt Thou Be Gone, Love?
Songs By Stephen Foster: That's What's The Matter
Songs By Stephen Foster: Ah! May The Red Rose Live Alway
Songs By Stephen Foster: I'm Nothing But A Plain Old Soldier
Songs By Stephen Foster: Beautiful Dreamer
Songs By Stephen Foster: Mr. & Mrs. Brown
Songs By Stephen Foster: Slumber My Darling
Songs By Stephen Foster: Some Folks
Songs By Stephen Foster: We Are Coming, Father Abraam, 300,000 More
Songs By Stephen Foster: Linger In Blissful Repose
Songs By Stephen Foster: There Are Plenty Of Fish In The Sea
Songs By Stephen Foster: Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming
Songs By Stephen Foster: The Soiree Polka
Songs By Stephen Foster: Better Times Are Coming
Songs By Stephen Foster: Katy Bell
Songs By Stephen Foster: The Hour For Thee And Me
Songs By Stephen Foster: Summer Longings

Customer Reviews:

Time Capsule.......2006-11-30

The voices and instruments, like the songs, are straight from the mid-19th century. If you want to be transported back in time 150 years to a wonderful parlor performance of Foster's songs, this is the album to do it. The voices are marvelous and trained, and one must imagine that the strict phrasing and style are what one would have expected at the time. The cheap upright piano is perfect.

But the one perfect moment for me is the ONLY good extant rendition of "Was My Brother in the Battle?". Accompanied on a harmonium or pump reed organ, if this song doesn't tempt a tear, you simply aren't a romantic.

Very highly recommended.

Unexpected.......2005-11-26

Quality of this recording is fantastic! Performances are superb! However, they don't fit being an example of Foster's music and times. I was expecting banjos and a Mississippi Sound - therfore, very, very disappointed in this CD and consider and a waste of money. Be sure to LISTEN to a few examples to match what you are looking for and what the CD offers. I, unfortunately did not listen before I bought. I rate this low only because my expectations were shattered. This IS a fine CD if opera styles are ok for an example of this southern, 1800's composer's work.

An album to treasure.......2004-09-23

The landmark Library of Congress album, now on enhanced CD. Years
ago, I went on a six-months field assignment to a remote area of
Africa, where I could take only what music I could carry in a vest
pocket. I chose a tape player and two albums: a recital by Perlman
and this album on tape, and was content. If you love American
music, sung poetry, beautiful singing and deeply moving musicality,
this is an album you will treasure for a lifetime.

A classic recording of American songs.......2004-08-22

What can I say that hasn't already been said below? I only wanted to reiterate how wonderful this album is and assure the reader the sound is spectacular on CD. This is a live recording, and intentionally so, as the idea was to create a "parlor" experience as these were parlor songs to be sung by family and friends around the old upright piano. I especially liked the comment about the upright piano which, indeed, does croak and clank throughout the performance adding a note of "authenticity" without becoming obtrusive.

If only Ms. DeGaetani had graced my parlor...

The sessions of sweet silent thought stirred.......2003-11-22

I have never heard such unadulterated extraworldy sound emanate from two human voices and what would otherwise be firewood (the period instruments played by Gilbert Kalish). It stirs profound patriotism and a deep sentimentality for our early days when a civilized people pined to find virtue by examining its own body-- the north and the south, the small town, the simple flag, and the beauty of gentile manly and womanly love expressed through equisite song. There is no other music I would rather hear 'when summoning up the remembrance of things past.' The ghost of the early American parlor will prick your skin through these simple hymns and you may escape for a moment our troubled and busy times.

Romantic French Music for Guitar and Orchestra

Average customer rating:

The finest music for guitar and orchestra NEVER written

Romantic French Music for Guitar and Orchestra

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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The Best of Erik Satie
The Best of Fauré

ASIN: B0000013SG
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

La fille aux cheveux de lin
Arabesque No. 1
Clair de lune
Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
The Little Shepherd
Golliwog's Cake Walk
Pavane
Sicilienne
Soiree dans Grenade
Reverie
En Bateau
Ballet
Gymnopedie No. I
Gymnopedie No. III
Je te veux

Customer Reviews:

The finest music for guitar and orchestra NEVER written.......2003-03-25

Here excellent Naxos guitarist Gerald Garcia (check out his "Latin American Guitar Festival" and "Brazilian Portrait" CDs) teams up with conductor/arranger Peter Breiner to produce a highly enjoyable collection of music for guitar and orchestra.

Here Breiner takes some of the best known piano works of Debussy and Satie, plus some items from Faure's orchestral output, and presents them in lush original arrangements for guitar and orchestra. The arrangements work best when they are simple. On a few they're a bit over the top, and for that the recording loses one star, but for the most part Breiner provides fine backings for Garcia's beautiful and sensitive playing.

Highlights include the two Satie "Gymnopedies", Debussy's "Le Fille Auz Cheveux de lin", "Arabesque", and "Reverie", and Faure's "Pavane" and "Sicilienne": all beautifully played and arranged.

Tracks:

Polonaise for Vn and Orch in B flat D 580
Five German Dances: 1. Deutscher Tanz in C-Trio I-Trio II
Five German Dances: 2. Deutscher Tanz in G-Trio I-Trio II
Five German Dances: 3. Deutscher Tanz in D-Trio
Five German Dances: 4. Deutscher Tanz in F
Five German Dances: 5. Deutscher Tanz in C-Trio I-Trio II-Coda
Rondo for Vn and SO in A D 438
Five Menuets from D 89: 1. Menuett in-C-Trio I-Trio II
Five Menuets from D 89: 2. Menuett in F
Five Menuets from D 89: 3. Menuett in G-Trio I-Trio II
Five Menuets from D 89: 4. Menuett in G
Five Menuets from D 89: 5. Menuett in C-Trio I-Trio II
Con Movement for Vn and Orch in D

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2005-09-23

It's surprising that there have been no reviews written for this album before mine. I chanced upon this CD and it is now defintely one of my favourites. I'm not particularly a fan of Schubert so I was pleasantly taken aback by this CD. Among the many classical CDs that I own, this is definitely one that uplifts the spirit. Enjoy it!

Average customer rating:

Grimy
Punk
boring cd
Best Album Ever
Very cool

Penance Soiree
Icarus Line
Manufacturer: V2 Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

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Sincere

ASIN: B0001FVEFY
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Tracks:

Up Against The Wall Motherfuckers
Spit On It
On The Lash
Caviar
Spike Island
Kiss Like Lizards
Getting Bright At Night
Big Sleep
White Devil
Meatmaker
Virgin Velcro
Sea Sick
Party The Baby Off

Customer Reviews:

Grimy.......2007-07-03

jagged, loud, intoxicated, innovative, well mixed. good tracks
sounds like the L.A. sun beating down on a ghetto,and I'm walkin down the street, stoned

Punk.......2007-01-10

This album is by far one of the most unintelligable albums ever...and I love it. The lyrics are completely smothered by slurring and screaming, but it's emotional. If you like noise, and even if you don't, I recommend this album for at least one listen. If you don't like it after that, listen to it again, and if you still don't like it, try one more time...if after that third (and for the adventurous ones, fourth) time, then keep it anyway. The Icarus Line, and their album Penance Soiree are among the best you could have in a collection.

boring cd.......2005-11-19

this cd is so boring, after the first listen I wanted to sell it already, on amazon marketplace. the singing is boring, the lyrics are mindless and misguided. therefore when I listen to bands like Death From Above 1979 and blood brothers, I wonder why I bought this crap instead

Best Album Ever.......2005-10-10

I really think that people who don't like this album simply don't like rock music. With this record, the Icarus Line take influences ranging over the entire spectrum of rock 'n' roll and manage to push them forward into a sound that is breathtaking in its originality. Do you like The Stooges? Or My Bloody Valentine? What about The Jesus Lizard? Or Born Against, Funkadelic, Suicide, Spiritualized, Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground, Ink & Dagger? Do you like music at all?

The guitars of Aaron North and Alvin DeGuzman clash against each other like some demon cocktail of Fugazi and the MC5. The rhythm section of Don Devore (a legend in his own right) and Jeff Watson is unbeatable - they attack each song like bulldozers, each going into wild new structures dead on. And on top of all the mayhem, Joe Cardamone sings like a bastard child of Iggy Pop and Mick Jagger who grew up listening to the Dwarves.

This album is a landmark record. No one liked Funhouse when that album came out. Now it's looked at as one of the most revolutionary records ever released. In 30 years, everyone will be looking back at this album and wondering how the Icarus Line could produce such awe-inspiring material.

Very cool.......2005-04-14

I gotta both agree and disagree with the previous review. The Icarus line do take alot of influences and "cut and paste" them into their music but unlike maybe older listners I really don't have the time to be going through 100s of old Iggy Pop albums to find these similarities. Bands like the Icarus line have to be given due credit as they're the ones that carry this music foward. I mean dude I can't exactly travel into the past to an Iggy concert, but I can see bands like the Icarus Line when they tour and maybe experience some of that energy.

Debussy: Clair de lune & Other Piano Favourites

Average customer rating:

The perfect rain music, but I wish for more
Debussy Favorites in OK Performances, Variable Sound

Debussy: Clair de lune & Other Piano Favourites

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Clair de lune
Debussy: Piano Works
Call Me Irresponsible

ASIN: B0001N9ZCA
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Tracks:

Clair De Lune
La Plus Que Lente
Arabesque No.1
Le Petit Negre
The Snow Is Dancing
The Little Shepherd
Golliwog's Cakewalk
La Soiree Dans Grenade
Jardins Sous La Pluie
Arabesque No.2
Valse Romantique
Danse (Tarantelle Styrienne)
Toccata
Reflets Dans L'eau
Poissons D'or
Mazurka
Reverie
La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
Minstrels
La Cathedrale Engloutie

Customer Reviews:

The perfect rain music, but I wish for more.......2007-04-26

Collections are tricky. Either they fulfill your needs perfectly, leading to you wanting more, or they don't fulfill enough, leading to you wanting more. Either way, you're left with the uncomfortable feeling that "something"'s missing. Is that the case with this "favorites" CD? Yes.

Oh, this is a nice enough collection to get you into a Debussy mood, but after listening to it, I felt frustrated. Why, I thought, did I buy a collection? Now I would have to find MORE. Yes, I got the generic favorites. I now have "Clair de lune" and "Reverie" (my reasons for purchasing the CD), but the musical beauty made me want more and more, to the point where I got very frustrated. After all, collections only give you a taste. Now I need to find... MORE.

The rain quality can be either a plus or a minus. By "rain quality" I'm referring to a slightly fuzzy sound. Not the best quality, that is. It sounds like the radio on a rainy day, so while getting you in the mood perfectly, it's a bit... well. It's of lower quality, though it does enhance the mood. I personally like it, but facts are facts.

While I listen to this CD often, I think that it's probably better just to jump straight to full CDs. No snippets. While enjoyable, it's not amazing and it leaves you with the slight sense of, "...well?". So... well?

Debussy Favorites in OK Performances, Variable Sound.......2004-05-24

Francois-Joël Thiollier has recorded much of Debussy's piano music for Naxos. This CD appears to be a 'favorites' album drawn from several previous issues. The most familiar and probably the best-loved Debussy pieces are here, beginning with a dreamy (but somewhat soupily-recorded) 'Clair de lune' ('Moonlight'). [The cover illustration is a nice reproduction of Eugène Boudin's gorgeous 'The Effect of the Moon.'] As of yet Amazon has not listed the contents, so I shall do so: Clair de lune, La plus que lente, Arabesque Nos. 1 & 2, Le petit nègre, excerpts from The Children's Corner (The snow is dancing, The little shepherd, Golliwog's cakewalk), La soirée dans Grénade, Jardin sous la pluie, Valse romantique, Tarantelle styrienne, Toccata, Reflets dans l'eau, Poissons d'or, Mazurka, Révérie, The Girl with the Golden Hair, and The Engulfed Cathedral.

Thiollier often takes slower than usual tempi, and he often sounds rather deliberate or even stodgy as a result. This is not to say there aren't some quicker tempi taken: 'Le petit nègre' starts off with a real Gottschalkian verve, but when he comes to the second theme he backs off. 'Poissons d'or' ('Goldfish') swim excitedly (and beautifully). 'The snow is dancing' all right, but it seems to be doing a sarabande. These are pretty straight interpretations; one misses the drama or sadness in, say, Golliwog's Cakewalk. I think one problem in all these performances is a lack of crisp articulation. Debussy's soft-edged harmonies can lead a pianist to play in a flaccid, dreamy fashion and that works for some of the pieces, but on the whole Debussy requires more rhythmic spine, and that is often lacking here.

The primary thing going for this compilation is the price. But I couldn't recommend it to anyone other than someone on a sharply restricted budget and who wants these particular pieces. For somewhat more outlay, one could have performances by say, the fabled Michelangeli or the spectacular Kocsis or the legendary Gieseking.

TT=78:10