Maya

Editorial Reviews
All Music Guide
"Twice Grammy Nominated, Avgerinos is one of the giants of New Age ambience".

Product Description
Welcome the spirit of this most ancient and elegant Mayan ritual, rich with devotion and the renewal of life.

Maya,Paul Avgerinos,Round Sky Music," Grammy Nominated, Avgerinos is one of the Giants of New Age Ambience " All Music Guide,Ethnic Fusion,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Progressive Electronic

Maya

Tracks:

Moment Musical In E Mino Op. 12 No. 4
Prelude In G Op.32 No.5
Etude-Tableau In D Op.39 No.9
Prelude in D Flat Op.17 No.3
Prelude In E Flat Minor Op.16 No.4
Prelude In G Op.13 No.3
Etude in C Sharp Minor Op.42 No.5
La Vida Breve: First Spanish Dance - Manuel De Falla
Goyescas: Quejas O La Maya Y El Ruisenor
Danza Del Viejo Boyero
Danza De La Moza Donosa
Danza Del Gaucho Matrero
Nocturne In D Flat Op.27 No.2
Fantaisie-Impromptu In C Sharp Minor Op.66
Mephisto Waltz No.1

Tracks:

On Rachmaniov: Vocalise
On The Theme From Bach 'Goldberg Variations'
On Chopin: Nocturne In D Flat
On Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2
Inspired By Scriabin
On Duermete Mi Nino
In The Style Of Tango
On Granados: 'Quejas O La Maya El Ruisenor'
In The Style Of Bach
On Chopin: Prelude In A
'Improvisation in Blue (Gabriela Montero)'
'Song for Natalia and Isabella (Gabriela Montero)'

Customer Reviews:

Gabriela Montero CDs.......2007-06-12

Excellent service -- speedy, just as described, well-packaged. I'd definitely buy from this seller again.

Non-professional Review.......2007-03-27

Okay, I listen almost exclusively to classical music, but I do so simply for the pleasure and nothing more. I cannot tell you about Gabriela Montero's technique, and, when she improvises, I have no ability to judge the music's intrinsic value, authenticity, or whatever. I can only tell you this: while I own many dozens of albums, running the full spectrum of the classical genre, I value none of them above Montero's Bach and Beyond and her Piano Recital. Pure listening joy!

Absolutely Magnificent!.......2007-03-09

I first saw Gabriela Montero on 60 Minutes a few months ago and was taken by her playing ability as well as her ability to improvise on the classics. Ms. Montero's fingers fly over the keyboard, playing Rachmaninoff more dramatically and key-perfect than I've heard in a long time. I decided to purchase this CD and have not been disappointed.

Improvisations Unbelievable!.......2007-01-26

Gabriela Montero is a tremendous talent, both in standard classical repertoire, and improvisation. I have know her since she was a young girl, and she was by far the best pianist around, even then. She is an undersung pianist of our age, and should rise to the top very soon!

A beautiful breath of fresh air!.......2007-01-20

What a sheer delight hearing her play. I've never heard anyone quite like her. A phenomenally gifted player, and it's a rare treat to hear someone who defies pigeonholing. I had heard her on the radio, and knew I was onto something when her improvisation on a very simple theme gave me the chills. I love both CD's in this collection.

It's interesting hearing the negative response coming from some classical musicians and fans. At times it can seem to roughly follow the stages of grief as proposed by Kubler-Ross. I'm a professional guitarist, and it's funny because it's almost identical to how guitarists react to hearing another guitarist, but with an big class-conscious overlay (all very civilized, of course). Think of the "guitarist screwing in a lightbulb" joke. To paraphrase and extrapolate on what someone might say upon hearing her improvisation:

1. Shock: Wow, he's good. Oh, and it's a woman!? And you say it's improvisation??

2. Denial: That can't possibly be improvisation. Classical musicians don't engage in that untidy process. What she's playing must be written out, and I can tell! Don't ask, I just know it.

3. Anger: This stuff is no good. Only permanent music is of value through the ages, and that's why classical music (and only the European kind) is better than any other music. Besides, I can't improvise, so I reject it - and only THOSE people engage in improvisation.

4. Depression: She can play all the classical music, and seemingly can improvise, or at least pass her stuff off as such. Not only that, she's getting attention and money, and we're not. Why is the world unfair?

5. Acceptance: (sort of) Well, I guess she's selling CD's, and is becoming successful. She is, I hate to admit it, a great player. Even if she is a faker. Of course, they're begging my Muffy to become artist-in-residence in Spoleto....

The other reviewer has a point when he says that she may be viewed as a curiosity. Because she's crossing genres, people may not know what to make of it, and this often causes reflexive hostility. As an improvisor, I would agree that it's hard to say that something is 100% improvised - players tend to have pet phrases and favorite general ideas they return to. But to me, Gabriela's playing is at the highest level of skill, beauty, and feeling, whether improvising or playing written pieces.

Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Average customer rating:

opening titles music?
Great Indian Mystery, well-done
I love Indian Music
Kama Sutra = Beautiful Movie, Beautiful Music
Captivating!!!!

Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Manufacturer: Tvt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love
Exotica: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Monsoon Wedding (Score)
Language of Love: Music for the Kama Sutra
Beneath the Veil

ASIN: B000000GTR
Release Date: 1997-02-11

Tracks:

Omiya
Maya's Theme
Maya Takes Revenge
Aphrodisiac
Wedding Song
Jai's Flower
The Eternal Triangle - Mychael Danna/L. Subramaniam
Expulsion (Sajan Begha Ghar Aiye Ho)
All Pure Spirit
A Jewel Of The Gutter
Red Hibiscus On Skin
The Glory Of God Is In You - Ustad Vilayat H. Khan
Gold Dust Bacchanalia
Marriage Of The Flying Spirit
Examining, Examining
Biki Is Insulted
Come Paint My Breasts With Sandalwood - Indira Varma
Markings
A Cry From The Heart - Ustad Vilayat H. Khan
My Flower
The Execution - Mychael Danna/L. Subramaniam
The Toona Song - Shubha Mudgal
Off To New Horizons Of Love You Go (Ulfat Ki Nayi Manzil Ko Chala) - Iqbal Bano

Customer Reviews:

opening titles music?.......2006-02-08

Hi.

Does anyone know what is the music from the opening titles of the movie?It is before the song Omiya starts.It is not included in the CD and i'd like to know the title.

Great Indian Mystery, well-done.......2005-07-16

This is a very nice album for esoteric enthusiasts to add to their Indian mix.

I love Indian Music.......2005-07-05

I love the movie Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. Indira Varhma and Sarita Chowdery are very, very beautiful women. And the music in the movie was hott! Especially the song at Princess Tara's wedding where everyone is dancing and Maya is serving the guests in her beautiful red sari. It had a cool beat and I felt like dancing, Indian style!

Kama Sutra = Beautiful Movie, Beautiful Music.......2005-06-27

Love the movie...cinematography is wonderful, a truely beautiful movie, everything is a feast for the eyes. The soundtrack is just as good, perfect blend of exotic music that can be enjoyed lounging around or even bellydanced to.

Captivating!!!!.......2003-09-05

The songs are sensual, calming, meditative and spiritual. If you appreciate different cultures, this album is for you. Whenever i play this album i turn all the lights out, and light candles, burn incense and meditate. I highly recommend this album with monsoon wedding soundtrack. Everyone i know loves this album. Get it.

Average customer rating:

Masterpiece
Equally as beautiful as the book
"Two Treasures of Pure Pleasure"
Compulsory reading
Truly Equal!

Vikram Seth: An Equal Music

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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An Equal Music
Bach: The Art of Fugue
Two Lives
From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet
Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony

ASIN: B00003OO0L
Release Date: 2000-08-22

Tracks:

Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006: Preludio
String Quintet in C minor, op.104: Allegro con brio
String Quintet in C minor, op.104: Andante cantabile con variazioni
String Quintet in C minor, op.104: Menuetto: Quasi allegro
String Quintet in C minor, op.104: Finale: Prestissimo
Quartet in A major, op.20 no.6, Hob.III-36: Allegro di molto e scherzando
Quartet in A major, op.20 no.6, Hob.III-36: Adagio: Cantabile
Quartet in A major, op.20 no.6, Hob.III-36: Menuetto: Allegreto
Quartet in A major, op.20 no.6, Hob.III-36: Fuga a 3 soggetti: Allegro
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 1
Sonata for piano and violin in E minor, K304-300c: Allegro
Sonata for piano and violin in E minor, K304-300c: Tempo di Menuetto
Quartettsatz in C minor, D703: Allegro assai

Tracks:

Piano Quintet In A Major, D667 'The Trout': Allegro vivace
Piano Quintet In A Major, D667 'The Trout': Andante
Piano Quintet In A Major, D667 'The Trout': Scherzo: Presto
Piano Quintet In A Major, D667 'The Trout': Theme & Variations: Andantino
Piano Quintet In A Major, D667 'The Trout': Finale: Allegro giusto
String Quintet in C major, D956: Scherzo: Presto - Trio: Andante sostenuto
'Manchester Sonata' No. 1 for violin and piano in C major, RV 3: Largo
Piano Quintet In A Major, D667 'The Trout': The Lark Ascending
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 1

Amazon.com

Vikram Seth's novel An Equal Music is as evocative a portrait of the world of chamber music as you could wish for, but Seth is the first to say that words "can only attempt to describe what cannot truly be described." This two-CD set adds the inevitably missing dimension to a great book, with performances of works featured in the story. They include the world-premiere recording of Beethoven's String Quintet in C minor, an obscure work that is central to the plot.

This piece, like the other selections, is beautifully played and recorded, for this is not a collection of second-rate recordings cobbled together to suit the theme. Vikram Seth himself has chosen the performances, and with performers of the stature of Iona Brown and Andras Schiff, the playing is as good as it gets. Included in the selection is Schubert's celebrated Trout Quintet. If the book gives a taste for the music, and vice versa, these CDs will also get us delving further into this delightful and infectious repertoire. --Keith Clarke

Customer Reviews:

Masterpiece.......2006-11-11

The book is a masterpiece of literature on music, and the music itself are masterpieces

Equally as beautiful as the book.......2006-03-17

A beautiful collection of music ideal for lovers of Seth's stunning novel - a perfect introduction to classical music .

"Two Treasures of Pure Pleasure".......2004-09-21

I purchased the book "An Equal Music" by Vikram Seth, not knowing that there existed a CD that was meant to accompany it. I was about a third of the way through the book, and Vikrams story was so captivating, that I longed to hear the musical pieces that his characters where so passionate about. So I set forth on a quest of my own trying to track down and put together each piece of his repertoire. During my search, I discovered this CD, purchased it, and stopped all reading until its arrival. I slipped it into the disc player, settled in with liner notes in hand, closed my eyes, and found a new appreciation and passion for the classical genre. Exceptional was track 8 of disc 2, "The Lark Ascending" composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams, an absolutely enchanting piece! Not to say that the other tracks are not of equal caliber, they are, just of a different mood.

This compilation is a brilliant companion to the book, yet alone, it stands proudly on its own merits. Bach, Beethoven, Hayden, Schubert, Vivaldi, and of course Williams are all featured on this CD, names all renowned in the world of classical music. The difference between this CD, and say another classical compilation, is that through the inspiration and support of the book, what once one could not identify nor differentiate between in the works of the above, begins to unfold with a keen grasp of each. This assemblage will definitely help you to recognize and feel each composer's unique style.

In the book, the Maggiore Quartet members expose to you, through beautifully interpreted prose, their driving passion behind performing each piece as they become consumed in each note. This caused me to listen intensely not only to each composition, but also to the individual score of each instruments harmonious part. Bringing a deeper connection with not only the characters in this book along with the featured musical selections, but also with the professional musicians themselves whose lives are music.

Mr. Seth should be commended for this creative marriage of fervent fodder. A brilliantly moving novel enhanced and brought to life through this CD. My next stop, an evening out savoring a live performance!

Compulsory reading.......2004-03-30

This amazing book MUST be read by any person who is even slightly interested in music. if you have ever been in a string quartet, you will love the way that this book perfectly captures the delicate balance of emotions within such a close kint group. the love story is alternated with lyrical and descriptive passages, often about something of little significance. The book is a rich and heartwrenching story of love, music and loss. absolutely fabulous!

Truly Equal!.......2004-02-03

Vikram Seth casts a melacholic spell with his novel. This is the first time I am reading a work of fiction woven around chamber musicians, which leads one to explore the inner workings of their thoughts.
The accompamying CD is truly marvellous. Listen to Iona Brown soar away in Vaughan Williams 'Lark Ascending'. The others are also truly 'equal'.

Average customer rating:

A Joyful Noise!
NOT VERY GOOD AT ALL
arrant garbage
Still holding out hope
boring, repetitive, unimaginative

Steve Reich: You Are (Variations)

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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From The Kitchen, Archives No. 2: Steve Reich and Musicians, Live 1977
Philip Glass : Orion
Reich: Different Trains, Electric Counterpoint / Kronos Quartet, Pat Metheny
Lamentate
Osvaldo Golijov: Ayre

ASIN: B000A3OX3M
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

You Are Wherever Your Thoughts Are
Shiviti Hashem L'Negdi (I Place The Eternal Before Me)
Explanations Come To An End Somewhere
Ehmor M'Aht, V'Ahsay Harbay (Say Little And Do Much)
Cello Counterpoint

Amazon.com

This new CD of Steve Reich's music pairs two unusually scored pieces. "You Are (Variations)" is set for three sopranos, an alto and two tenors, with flutes, oboe, English horn, two marimbas, clarinets, four pianos, vibraphone and strings. The texts, in Hebrew and English, are philosophical meditations: "You are whoever your thoughts are," "Say little and do much," etc. The resulting work is fascinating, the textures unique and fresh, the experience haunting and captivating, with the voices used as another significant instrumental part. Equally fine is the second work, "Cello Counterpoint," scored for eight cellos (seven pre-recorded and one played "live" by soloist Maya Baiser), which is noteworthy for its complex rhythms, use of counterpoint, and handsome lyrical solo cello line floating above it all. Reich fans will love this; the uninitiated will want to give it a try. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A Joyful Noise!.......2007-01-11

Many years ago I saw a performance of Steve Reich's "Drumming". I remember it exciting me. But it's not the kind of music you walk out humming, certainly not if you're a near layperson like I. So I didn't think much more about Steve Reich until hearing a report on NPR about the Steve Reich Festival in New York celebrating his 75th birthday. I got motivated and ordered this CD.

And what a thrill. It's easy to presume composer like Reich - because his music is complex - to be inaccessible. But I put the CD on and was swept away by the pure joyous force of it. The driving, indescribable rhythms for which Reich is famous (just how do these musicians manage to play them?) are overlain with broad, thrilling chording performed by chorus, marimba and a small arsenal of other instruments. The "You Are" variations - settings of short texts from Psalms, Pirkei Avot, Rebbe Nachman of Bratzlav and Ludwig Wittgenstein that work together remarkably well - pulse with exultation. Far from inaccessible, this music immediately grabbed me and left me feeling uplifted.

NOT VERY GOOD AT ALL.......2006-11-04

I love Steve Reich's music, but now he's old and doesn't have much to say, but has to keep cranking it out. It's not very good at all! Hang it up Steve...you've done more than enough! (Does it get any funkier than Four Organs?}

arrant garbage.......2006-07-16

Others who have said that piece is poor and boring are correct.
Reich, just like Philip Glass, has lost his original style that we all loved to hear in the first place. He has replaced his original style with something that must be an attempt to make his music more palpable to a commercial audience. Unfortunately,
this "new Reich" is very bovine and greatly insipid. I can only hope Reich returns to his true roots =and makes something for his real fans instead of pandering to yuppies.

Still holding out hope.......2006-05-11

I have to respond to "D. Flynn"'s assessment of current/late Reich. I tend to reluctantly agree with most of it. I've noticed the pattern of several of my favorite composers, notably George Crumb, losing their way and losing the distinct power of their compositional voices late in life. I was hoping Reich was an exception and I still hold out hope. Like you, I've been underwhelmed by most of the post-"Trains" music, though one huge exception is "Proverb" which I find absolutely exquisite, timeless & spell-binding. Likewise, "City Life" excited me, as it represented a major step forward in the style he began with "Trains". I feel that "City Life" works because he finds new aesthetic uses for the "Trains" technique of integrating the sampled voices and sounds compellingly into an instrumental texture, and advances that technique significantly forward, to stunning effect. I find it moving & evocative of its subject. Perhaps not as brutally moving as "Trains" but then again, neither is the subject.

Most of the other late works you mention did leave me unmoved, but I try to sympathize with composers who have carved out immortal, distinct voices for themselves, in their unenviable task to go beyond that, not repeat themselves, and yet live up to the level they've already established. It's a tall order. Someone like Philip Glass doesn't even attempt to alter an already boring/lifeless style and just makes lots of money rewriting the same piece for 30 years on end. I have more faith in Reich than that and can overlook a few duds if they represent a path he needs to work through to get to more jewels like "Proverb" and "City Life". However, I must reluctantly admit that his track record is slipping.

boring, repetitive, unimaginative.......2006-04-05

i too welcomed steve reich and philip glass in the 1970s, modern composers with something new to say. but the minimalist, variations on a theme, has become tiresome, weary. and to me shows a lack of imagination, creativity, and invention. It is a one trick pony. He has nothing (new) to say. Sit down at a keyboard, pick a sequence of notes, and play them for 20 minutes. bring in a cello or other instrument to help you out, add some variety, and keep playing your sequence. it is sophomoric, simplistic, passing for erudition and complexity. it is not. You want to hear how a genius does this, listen to a few bars from Tristan und Isolde, how Wagner takes a single motive (motif) and weaves it with complexity and inventiveness. Steve could use a few lessons and ideas from the master.

Average customer rating:

A Steve Reich 70th Birthday Present from Nonesuch
Budget priced overview of newer recordings

Steve Reich: Phases

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur/My Father Knew Charles Ives
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Ys
Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians

ASIN: B000H3095G
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

Music For 18 Musicians

Tracks:

Different Trains
Tehillim
Eight Lines

Tracks:

(You Are) Variations
New York Counterpoint
Cello Counterpoint
Electric Counterpoint
Triple Quartet

Tracks:

Come Out
Proverb
The Desert Music

Tracks:

Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ
Drumming

Album Description

Phases: A Nonesuch Retrospective is an essential CD companion to the extraordinary range of events in the United States and Europe on October 3rd, 2006 celebrating Steve Reich's 70th birthday.

Customer Reviews:

A Steve Reich 70th Birthday Present from Nonesuch.......2006-10-22

If you are a big Steve Reich fan, you probably already have most or all of these recordings. These are not rarities, PHASES is not for collectors -- this 5-disc box is aimed at those of us who have been curious, but not convinced enough to buy multiple Reich recordings. I, for instance, consider MUSIC FOR 18 MUSICIANS to be a masterpiece of late 20th century music (the original ECM recording), but I haven't been nearly as impressed by the other Reich music I've heard. I consider this box to be a gift, and now I have finally satisfied my curiosity about one of the most important and influential composers of our time.

Here we have, for less than the price of any two of these discs as previously marketed, the pioneering COME OUT (1966), a 1987 recording of the 1971 piece DRUMMING, a 1996 recording of the 1976 masterpiece MUSIC FOR 18 MUSICIANS by the Steve Reich Ensemble, the original recordings of DIFFERENT TRAINS (1988) and the TRIPLE QUARTET (1999/2000) with the Kronos Quartet, the original recordings of DESERT MUSIC (1984) and TEHILLIM (1993) for choir and orchestra, ELECTRONIC COUNTERPOINT (1987) with Pat Metheny, PROVERB from 1998, and the entire YOU ARE (VARIATIONS) album of 2005, and more.

I am not that impressed with the vocal compositions. Similarly, I don't think minimalism suits the string quartet format, though the TRIPLE QUARTET was better live when I heard the Kronos Quartet perform it at LSU in Baton Rouge in the spring of 2005. The concept of DIFFERENT TRAINS is powerful, the composition less so. COME OUT is a stunning work which ends, after the phase shifts separate, with a throbbing electronic rhythm track. DRUMMING is the next best thing to 18 MUSICIANS. I always assumed it was all drums, but as it turns out, it also includes marimbas, glockenspiels and vocals, which are added in turn to stunning effect.

You may know that Reich's music since the 1980s has been strongly shaped by his Jewish faith -- did you know he is an Orthodox Jew? Does it strike you as intriguing that such a radical, innovative composer is devoutly Orthodox? It certainly makes me even more interested in his music. (Thanks to David Schiff and his 11/6/06 article in The Nation for this insight.)

Happy Birthday, Steve, and shalom -- peace.

Budget priced overview of newer recordings.......2006-10-15

Reich suffers much the same problem as Riley (or even Cage and Stockhausen) where classic recordings remain unavailable and what can be found (easily) on the shelf are newer, 'tamer' recordings that fail to express the more challenging dimensions of the pieces. While much has been done to fix this problem with Riley, the best recordings of Reich remain unavailable.

This set collects the newer performances presented on Nonesuch (recordings dated from the late 80's to the present), and are not what many collectors are looking for. On the other hand, at ~$30 (the price of two CDs), this 5 disc set is nearly give-away and is difficult not to pick up based on this premise alone.

The set does contain a decent (though not terribly informative booklet), and the design of the set is functional and pleasent to look at. For those who want an idea of what Reich did and are willing to accept these rather mild recordings, this isn't a bad investment at all.

Here is what is included in the set (sort of unfortunate it isn't actually listed on the box):

Music for 18 Musicians (Recorded 1996)
Different Trains (1988)
Tehillium (1993)
Eight Lines (1996)
You Are (2005)
New York Counterpoint (1997)
Cello Counterpoint (2003)
Electric Counterpoint (1989)
Triple Quartet (1999/2000)
Come Out (1987)
Proverb (1998)
The Desert Machine (1985)
Music for mallet instruments, voices and organ (1990)
Drumming (1987)

Average customer rating:

Pärt fans take note
Profound and intense
A contemporary tour de force

World To Come

Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tango | Latin Music | Styles | Music
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Kinship
Oblivion
Osvaldo Golijov: Ayre
Osvaldo Golijov: Ainadamar
Golijov: Yiddishbbuk

ASIN: B0000CABC4
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Osvaldo Golijov: Mariel
David Lang: World To Come I
David Lang: World To Come II
David Lang: World To Come III
David Lang: World To Come IV
Arvo Part: Fratres for Four Cellos
John Tavener: Lament for Phaedra

Customer Reviews:

Pärt fans take note.......2005-08-12

Beyond the musical composition there is an intangible, almost mystical quality to many of Pärt's albums, especially my personal favorite - Tabula Rasa. Maya's version of Fratres is what initially attracted me to this album. However, this cut is actually now one of my least favorites. Track #1 alone would make this album worth the price. Maya's playing captures something that is beyond words and beyond any attempts to evaluate it based solely on its musicality. Buy it.

Profound and intense.......2005-03-23

It is impossible to describe this music, but suffice it to say that this CD contains some of the most compelling and interesting new music I've ever heard. The compositions have great emotional/spiritual depth and intensity, and Beiser's playing is strong and authoritative.

A contemporary tour de force.......2003-11-04

Maya Beiser's new recording is a sensational exploration into the world of multi-track recording. "Mariel" is a spiritual work, centered around what sounds like a South American folk song. "World to Come," by far the largest work on this disc, with vocals and multiple tracks of cellos, is inspirational and hopeful. A really enjoyable disc.

Average customer rating:

stupid and not Eno. Zero stars.
Eno gone wild
Mostly good
Takes the recording out of the studio
not what i expected!

Music For Airports

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ambient 1: Music for Airports
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Discreet Music
Ambient 4: On Land
Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks

ASIN: B0000069CI
Release Date: 1998-02-24

Tracks:

Amazon.com

An avant-garde ensemble playing the 1978 Brian Eno piece which put ambient music on the map. Eno's idea was to make a series of tape loops into tightly composed Muzak. He wanted a sonic backdrop for bland public spaces that would reward close listening. Bang on a Can, playing acoustic and electric instruments, breathe life into it, making the music's neutrality seem coldly beautiful. The piece is divided into four parts, each consisting of a few gentle, minimal figures, calmly repeated and shifted. Rhythm is eliminated and time seems to stretch. What is revealed is the sensuousness possible in a single note. Music has never been the same. This is the best place to hear where it changed. --Steve Tignor

Customer Reviews:

stupid and not Eno. Zero stars........2006-12-28

Its not an Eno album, but its credited to him.

Yes, I know, its "bang on a can", but it lists him as primary regardless. It should not.

The compositional process for the original is Algorithmic. treating it like a reproduceable composition is like trying to repaint Pollack's "Blue Poles". You could, but why?

As a lifetime fan of Eno, I find this product absurd and misleading.

Airports is a masterpiece.
This is a piece of something else.

Eno gone wild.......2005-09-27

Bang On A Can's version of "Music for Airports" adds a jangly depth to Eno's more compressed version. They've managed to use the studio to create space in an already swiss cheese like piece. But the key difference here is the space is much more stark than Eno, thanks to the startling presence of their instruments, which rattle and drone and twitter expressively. The quiet becomes the space for anticipation of the instruments. so rather than the steady rolling pulse of Eno's, you get more up and down with BOAC's version.

It doesn't improve on Eno's piece. I think in some way, it vindicates Eno's abilities as a composer.

Mostly good.......2005-04-25

I have known the original Eno version intimately for years, so I approached this CD with a question: Does it add anything to the original? The short answer is one part does, two maybe do and one part doesn't. The first part (arranged by Michael Gordon) is the least satisfying. It doesn't seem to add anything to the original Eno version apart from an unsettling deep piano chord at the start. It sounds awkward and clumsy, and it lacks the smooth beauty of the original. Part two consists of mostly aetherial voices, as did Eno's, but on this version David Lang has fleshed it out with subtle additions that work quite well. Third section brings out a slight jazz flavour to the original, which is interesting although I have yet to decide whether I like that angle or not! The best part is the final part, which certainly adds to the original Eno composition. Eno's rich, chorale of synths has been enhanced by the addition of some interesting instruments, e.g. plucked instruments, that really brings out some novel textures in the piece. So, overall, three stars - one for each reasonable piece on the album.

Takes the recording out of the studio.......2003-09-26

By taking Brian Eno's legendary ambient cornerstone album "Music for Airports" out of the studio, i.e. by recording it with live musicians in real time, avant-garnd ensemble Bang on a Can present us with quite a masterpiece, considering the original work was conceived as a piece solely with synthesizers and tape loops in mind (and at hand) when the music was first put together over two decades ago.

After interpreting works of the great minimalists Steve Reich and Terry Riley it would only seem appropriate for them to be the most appropriate pick to give new life to Eno's seminal ambient work, and they do an extraordinary job at it, in my opinion. The result is an album (an exec. production by Philip Glass, by the way) that is true to the source while adding new instruments to it in a process that counted with Eno's blessing all along the way.

not what i expected!.......2003-05-15

so, i bought this CD thinking i was getting the 'brian eno' version... but no; it was the 'bang on a can' version! hmmm, 'bang on can' doesn't exactly conjure up "ambient" music.
well, i gave it try and man am i impressed! i'm not sure how this stacks up to the original, but this is awesome mood music!
highly recommended! ranks right up there with eno's "apollo" disk.

Average customer rating:

My Twentieth Century

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Essential Martin Bresnick [CD+DVD]
Augusta Read Thomas; Jacob Druckman; Stephen Hartke
Frog's Eye
Tristan Murail: Gondwana; Désintégrations; Time and Again

ASIN: B000ASATOY
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Tracks:

Grace - Pendula and the Center of Gravity
Grace - Of the Heaviness of Matter
Grace - Grace Will Return
Tent of Miracles
Songs of the Mouse People - Common Squeaking (made apparent by its delicacy)
Songs of the Mouse People - That Peace We Yearn For
Songs of the Mouse People - Every Disturbance Is an Opportunity
Songs of the Mouse People - A Thousand Shoulders Tremble (under a burden actually meant for one)
Laughter Stops (when we see Josephine)
Fantasia on a Theme by Willie Dixon
My Twentieth Century

Product Description

Martin Bresnick (b. 1946) has long been an influential teacher of music composition at Yale but over the past few years he has begun to receive recognition as an important composer in his own right. On the occasion of Bresnicks receiving the first Ives Living Award, John Harbison averred, His music is formally clear, and it has a combination of a direct expressivity and a rigorous method, as well as a real sense of sonic immediacy. His versatility and ecumenical approach to the materials of his art are evident throughout this program of several of his most recent compositions. Bresnicks music aims to calmly convince rather than to incite. Mostly scored for various-sized chamber ensembles, his most public, large-scale works are conspicuously unflamboyant. What is striking is not the surface but rather the underlying architecture that supports itinvariably a faultless model of compositional craft, of palindromes and pitch rotations, inversional symmetriesof governing logic recapitulated on all structural levels, of minutely planned proportions unfolding across a rich and varied temporal canvas. Bresnicks consummate professionalism results from an intimate familiarity and intense study of five centuries of musical literature as well as an apprenticeship with the uncompromising modernist György Ligeti, whose works are similar tours de force of elegance and refinement. It is this legacy that his compositional work celebrates and which he has transmitted to his many students. As Bresnicks artistic identity has come into sharper focus, his position as a Janus, simultaneously looking back from modernist rigor and ahead to post-modern eclecticism has become increasingly evident.

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Music from Heaven
Never thought I'd hear an album like this
Almost Five Stars
Great CD-Great Artists
Melodious Poetry of the First Order

Been Found
Ashford & Simpson with Maya Angelou
Manufacturer: Ichiban Old Indie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Miss Calypso
Black Pearls: The Poetry Of Maya Angelou
Collection
Best Of Ashford & Simpson
And Still I Rise

ASIN: B000000N11
Release Date: 1996-10-15

Tracks:

Been Found
I Remember All
Made for Me
Where We Come From
This Time It's Real
What If
Just Talking
Keeps on Getting Better
Sweet Thing
It's Your Love
Why Shouldn't It Be Me

Customer Reviews:

Music from Heaven.......2004-02-07

I consider myself very lucky to have discovered this CD almost by accident, when it was first released in about 1996 or 1997. It is still in my top two or three CD's ever. The combination of lyrics too moving to be called simply songs, the soulful sounds of Ashford & Simpson and Maya Angelou's amazing voice is incredible. This must be what angels sound like!

Never thought I'd hear an album like this.......2002-06-26

I bought this, unheard, as the combination of these artists seemed so perfect and I was so right. The CD has hardly been off my machine since it arrived. A true little prize.
I have always loved Valerie Simpson since I heard her solo album a gazillion years ago and now totally unavailable(unless there is somebody out there knows different?!) Maya Angelou's voice is one of planet Earth's most prized possessions I would listen to her reading the telephone directory. This combination which probably should not work, so works. The counterpoint between Maya's spoken words and A&S soulful vocals must find its way into your collection. This is a true must-have album

Almost Five Stars.......2001-05-27

Ashford and Simpson have not lost their touch. Their music is still the best, and they still put emotion into their lyrics and voices better than anyone else. I have nothing against Maya Angelou, but I think they made a mistake by recording this album as a trio. I find spoken lyrics in songs to be very annoying. One or two lines is okay, but two of three verses is too much. Some songs sound like Nick and Valerie are just singing backup to Maya's poetry recitation. "Made for Me," "It's Your Love," and "Keeps on Getting Better" are the best songs on the album. Those are also three of the four duets. "Been Found" is an overall good album and worth buying. I will definitely try to replace my CD if something happens to it.

Great CD-Great Artists.......2000-05-25

I purchased the CD in 1997 and played it so much, it wore out. I am desperately looking for another copy. I can't understand why it didn't get any airtime on R& B stations. Ashford and Simpson are one of the premier songwriting teams of all times. With Maya thrown into the mix, this CD was something special. This one should have "Been Found" by a wider audience.

Melodious Poetry of the First Order.......2000-04-01

Legendary songwriting team of Ashford and Simpson and literary luminary Maya Angelou have woven a seamless blend of lyric and music in this most satisfying release. From the opening strains of the title cut to the last beat, "Been Found" makes the listener experience every carefully crafted nuance, every soulful phrase, and every stimulating word that borders on the uplifting and the sensuous. Ms. Angelou's distinctive voice is complemented by the passionate vocals of the husband and wife team who always sound as if they are really soulmates for life. I cannot believe that this four-year-old composition did not spawn a follow up. It certainly deserved Grammy recognition upon its initial release. Although all tracks are suberb, the cuts "Where We Come From," "What If," and the final "Why Shouldn't It Be Me" are reminiscent of the classic tunes penned by the couple for themselves and many other artists. Why they aren't being utilized by contemporary singers is one mystery to me. I guess there isn't "Nothing Like the Real Thing."

Cantigas De Santa Maria (Alfonso X El Sabio)

Average customer rating:

please make a more inclusive listing!
Wonderfull fusion
Transcendent
Alfonso's/Cohen's Cantigas

Cantigas De Santa Maria (Alfonso X El Sabio)
Alfonso X (el Sabio) , Joel Cohen and Mohammed Briouel , Francoise Atlan , Anne Azema , Hayet Ayad , Equidad Bares , and Said Chraibi
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music
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Joel Cohen: Music and Memory

ASIN: B0000206A9
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Tracks:

Nawba Ramal al-Maya Bughya (Overture),: Nawba Ramal al-Maya Bughya (Overture), Instrumental
Cantiga 100: Santa Marstrela do Dia
Cantiga 406: Benvennas mayo
Cantiga 370: Loemos muit'a virgen
Cantiga 90: Sola fusti senlleiira
Cantiga 52: Mui gran dereit, Instrumental
Nawba Gharibat al-Husayn Tushiyas: Nawba Gharibat al-Husayn Tushiyas (Prelude) Instrumental
Cantiga 230: Tod'ome deve dar loor
Cantiga 130: Quen entender quiser
Cantiga 56: Gran dereit
Nawba Iraq al-Ajam Mizan Darj-Sana 'Kouli Lmalihti': Nawba Iraq al-Ajam Mizan Darj-Sana 'Kouli Lmalihti', Intrumental
Cantiga 320: Santa Maria leva
Cantiga 200: Santa Maria Loei
Cantiga 417: Nobre don e muy precado
Nawba Gharibat al-Husayn Mizan Bacit-Sana 'Kad nilto hibbi'
Cantiga 140: A Santa Maria dadas
Nawba Rasd al-dhil Mizan Koddam-Sana 'Allah hoo Yalamo'
Cantiga 250: Por nos virgen madre

Customer Reviews:

please make a more inclusive listing!.......2002-05-23

Just for your information, there are two ensembles participating here: The Andalusian Orchestra of Fez, Morocco, directed by Mohammed Broiel, and the Camerata Meditrranea, directed by Joel Cohen. The overall conception is the work of Joel Cohen.

This CD won the 2000 Edison Prize in the Netherlands for best early music release.

Wonderfull fusion.......2000-06-08

This is the best example of three cultures living together in armony. The toledo -Spain-, of Alfonso X el sabio -the wise- , was the perfect place for this fusion and richnest of music and art. The music take you there, with a great armony and invention, this music for virgin Maria makes the lisener even more interested, yet we could belive is a pagan music and never for the stric catolic religion. then again this music is just perfect.

Transcendent.......2000-05-17

Just to add a note to the previous reviewer's comments: the last song--"Por nos virgen madre," a solo by Anne Azema with harp--is the most beautiful song I have ever heard in my life; it brought tears to my eyes with its tender passion. Forget those classical composers with their gigantic orchestras; Anne Azema always seems to work miracles in subtlety and grace with the most minimal accompaniment. This great recording is NOT to be missed.

Alfonso's/Cohen's Cantigas.......2000-03-02

This is one of the finest performances I have heard of the Cantigas de Santa Maria. By focusing on the "loores" (every tenth cantiga, Alfonso's personal praises of the Virgin Mary) the disc takes on a very personal tone, and by the end, the listener is inside the mind of Alfonso X. The choices of instruments and when to use them (or not to use them) is extremely judicious, and the playing and singing is very fine. The pronunciation of the Galician is also excellent, and none of the songs are cut in order to shorten the performance time. Though the influence of eastern music on the Cantigas is very controversial, its deliberate use here, in the microtones and rhythmic patterns, is extremely effective and gives the whole disc an atmosphere of authenticity not many have. On top of all that, it is a very "listenable" disc (unless you absolutely can't stand these eastern influences). The juxtaposition of a song in Arabic with "A Santa Maria dadas" is shocking, but again, effective. These kinds of educated guesses are the closest we will get to hearing what the Cantigas have to tell us, and this disc seems to be not far off the mark.

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