What Is It? Musical Math & Science

School Library Journal, January 2004
"A must-have for preschool and kindergarten classrooms and primary collections, parents and caregivers will also appreciate its entertainment value."

Product Description
NAPPA Gold Award! Dr. Toy's Best Children's Vacation Product for 2004! Parents' Choice Approved AwardiParenting Media Award! Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence!

Drawing inspiration from children's picture books, "WHAT IS IT? Musical Math & Science" introduces children to the building blocks of math and science through 18 lively story-songs.

The songs acquaint young listeners to an eclectic, entertaining mix of musical styles, from jazz and reggae to folk and country. Several acclaimed World Music recording artists are featured: Jamaican "Father Goose," Ghanian Jordan Mensa, and Nicaraguan Jairo Sequeira, who performs two selections in Spanish.

With dynamic kid and grownup voices leading the way, anyone can sing along to these tunes, and bonus tracks of select instrumentals encourage listeners to create and sing their own lyrics.

A beautifully illustrated lyric booklet is included, detailing the name of the books that inspired each song and the math and/or science skills found within its lyrics. Lyrics and subject matter are appropriate for children 3-7 and beyond.

This is the second release in coordination with Mother Goose Programs (TM), an early education literacy and professional development series affiliated with the Library of Congress Center for the Book. "Mother Goose's Never-Ending Tea Party" is the first award-winning release in the series.

What Is It? Musical Math & Science

What Is It? Musical Math & Science,The Re-Bops,Re-Bop Records,Fun, singable math and science story-songs, inspired by picture books, in an eclectic, entertaining mix of musical styles, from jazz and reggae to folk and country.

Average customer rating: AWSOME CD!!!!!!!!!!! Great Deal!

High School Musical 2: What Time Is It Manufacturer: Disney ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Disney | Children's Music | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: High School Musical 2 Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus High School Musical, The Concert - Extreme Access Pass Hairspray (Soundtrack to the Motion Picture) High School Musical 2: The Junior Novel (Junior Novelization) ASIN: B000QFCD72 Release Date: 2007-07-17

Tracks:

1. Untitled Track

Customer Reviews:

AWSOME CD!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-07-21

I just got this CD-Single in the mail yesterday!!!! It was awsome, though it only has one track! But it's a great track

High School Musical 2: What Time Is It (CD-Single)

CD Includes:
-"What Time Is It" Cast of High School Musical
-"High School Musical 2" Movie Sneak Preview (Enhanced CD Feature)
-Special Offers on Hannah Montana Soundtracks, High School Musical 2 Soundtrack & More!!!
-Lyrics to "What Time Is It"
-Really Cool Fold-Out Poster
-And over all A COOL DESIGN!!!!

AND OVER ALL [OF THAT] THIS CD WAS AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND IT'S NOT THAT EXPENSIVE

**If you liked this CD-Single, then check out these other CDs

1.High School Musical
2.Disney's Karaoke Series: High School Musical
3.High School Musical
4.High School Musical: The Concert
5.High School Musical: We're All in This Together
6.High School Musical Cast: Breaking Free
And Coming August 14th

1.High School Musical 2

**Then Check Out These GREAT DVDs

1.High School Musical (Encore Edition)
2.High School Musical (Two-Disc Remix Edition)
3.High School Musical, The Concert - Extreme Access Pass

Great Deal!.......2007-07-19

This is the new Cd single from High School Musical-2. It features the whole
gang singing What Time Is It?- which is a fun ,upbeat, summer song that
features a marching band. You will love to sing along and dance to this song!
The Cd is enhanced -so if you put it in your computer you can see a preview of the movie.
Finally,there is a poster of the six young stars of the movies!
It's a great deal for anyone who loved the first movie and can't wait for the second! Like me and probably you!

Average customer rating: Mm-hmm! I can smell that funky music! WHAT IT IS ?.....NOTHING BUT A NON STOP PARTY! Amazing. Mind blowing. Worth every penny. And so on. Never a dull moment Soul-tastic... All Hail Rhino! Nobody knows box like Rhino knows box

What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977) Various Artists Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Soul | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk and Rockabilly Hooker Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration Orphans [Fold-out Digipak with 24-page booklet] Cold Heat: Heavy Funk Rarities 1968-1974, Vol. 1 ASIN: B000GIWS4W Release Date: 2006-10-03

Tracks:

1. Spreadin' Honey -- Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band
2. Soul Finger -- Bar-Kays
3. The Shadow Of Your Smile -- Brother Jack McDuff
4. Gangster Of Love (Parts 1 and 2) -- Jimmy Norman
5. The Memphis Train -- Rufus Thomas
6. Get Out Of My Life Woman -- Grassella Oliphant
7. Live Right Now -- Eddie Harris
8. Pig Snoots, Part 1 -- Natural Bridge Bunch
9. Soul Sound System -- The Freedom Sounds featuring Wayne Henderson
10. Snatching It Back -- Clarence Carter
11. Stoned Soul -- Artie Christopher
12. Getting The Corners -- The T.S.U. Tornadoes
13. Sexy Coffee Pot -- Tony Alvon & The Belairs
14. Don't Come Around Here Anymore -- Mark Putney
15. Keep On Dancing -- The Commodores
16. Right On Brother--Part 1 -- The Southshore Commission
17. Pop, Popcorn Children -- Eldridge Holmes
18. It's Your Thing -- Cold Grits
19. It's All In Your Mind -- Soul Angels
20. Funky John -- Johnny Cameron & The Camerons
21. Help Me Make Up My Mind -- Joyce Jones
22. Rock Me Baby -- Lou Johnson
23. Sing A Simple Song -- The Noble Knights
24. Do You Dig It -- Titus Turner
25. Funky Canyon -- Phil Moore Jr.
26. Jan Jan -- The Fabulous Counts
27. Tampin -- The Rhine Oaks

Tracks:

1. Gossip -- Cyril Neville
2. Somebody In The World For You -- The Mighty Hannibal
3. Stanga -- Little Sister
4. Jumpin' Jack Flash -- Ananda Shankar
5. The Deacon -- Brute Force
6. Sookie Sookie -- Don Covay & The Jefferson Lemon Blues Band
7. Right On -- Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers
8. (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go -- Curtis Mayfield
9. Stepping Stones -- Johnny Harris
10. I'm Just Like You -- 6ix
11. Funky Thing--Part 1 -- The Unemployed
12. Messie Bessie -- Shirley Scott
13. Fairchild -- Willie West
14. Cold Bear -- The Gaturs
15. I Can't Get Next To You -- Mongo Santamaria
16. Feelin' Alright -- Lulu
17. Soul Bowl -- Memphis Horns
18. Tuane -- Hammer
19. Take It Off--Part 2 -- Johnny Tolbert & De Thangs
20. Seeds Of Life -- Harlem River Drive featuring Eddie Palmieri & Jimmy Norman
21. Engine Number 9 -- Wilson Pickett

Tracks:

1. Hard Times -- Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters
2. What So Never The Dance--Pt. 1 & 2 -- Houseguests
3. Headless Heroes -- Eugene McDaniels
4. Spinning Wheel -- Wade Marcus
5. Bad Tune -- Earth, Wind & Fire
6. Mr. Cool -- Rasputin's Stash
7. Don't Cha Hear Me Callin' To Ya -- Junior Mance
8. Hang On In There -- The Stovall Sisters
9. Funky Nassau (Part 2) -- The Beginning Of The End
10. Whatever's Fair -- Mark Holder & The Positives
11. Face It -- Ed Robinson
12. Wah Wah Man -- Young-Holt Unlimited
13. Rock Steady (alternate mix) -- Aretha Franklin
14. Won't Nobody Listen -- Black Haze Express
15. Goin' Down -- Allen Toussaint
16. Suavecito -- Malo
17. You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin' -- Charles Wright
18. Mo Jo Hanna -- Tami Lynn
19. Ridin' Thumb -- King Curtis
20. Almendra -- Macondo
21. Nuki Suki -- Little Richard

Tracks:

1. Getting Uptown (To Get Down) -- United 8
2. 8 Days On The Road -- Howard Tate
3. Moon Shadow -- Labelle
4. Let It Crawl -- Society's Bag
5. Wanaoh -- Black Heat
6. If It Was Good Enough For Daddy -- Clarence Reid
7. Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky -- Claudia Lennear
8. Cosmic Sea -- The Mystic Moods
9. Kissing My Love -- Cold Blood
10. Flute Thing -- Seatrain
11. Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Push N' Shove) Part 2 -- The Meters
12. Funky To The Bone -- Freddi/Henchi & The Soul Setters
13. Try It Again -- Bobby Byrd
14. . Teasin' -- Cornell Dupree
15. (Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away -- Dr. John
16. Chicken Heads -- Oscar Brown Jr.
17. Rien Ne Va Plus -- Funk Factory
18. Cajun Moon -- Herbie Mann
19. Improve -- Darrow Fletcher
20. Riding High -- Faze-O
21. Four Play -- Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns
22. California Dreamin' -- Eddie Hazel

Amazon.com

Too many reissue compilations are content to merely slice 'n' dice familiar catalog choices in not particularly original ways. But this four-disc, 91-track trove of obscure '70s R&B and funk from Warner-distributed labels great and small argues there's still treasure to be gleaned from studio vaults--a five-hour groove-fest that's as interested in shaking booty as in opening ears. Even the genre's groundbreaking usual suspects (Wilson Pickett, the Bar-Kays, Curtis Mayfield, Earth, Wind & Fire, et al) are represented by selections that aren't immediately familiar, while Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin serves up a radically different, previously unreleased take of "Rock Steady." Still other stars contribute their sonic touches to some of the lesser-known cuts, as witnessed by the patent trippiness of Sly Stone alter-egos 6ix and Stanga on "I'm Just Like You" and "Little Sister," respectively; the stark, party-not-so-hearty contrast of the Mayfield-written-and-produced "Hard Times" by Baby Huey & Baby Sisters; and the Meters' version of "Tampin'," released under the moniker of the Rhine Oaks.

Sequenced in rough chronological order, it's a savvy window into a musical evolution as well, with the rhythmic guitars, organ swells, and horn flourishes of traditional '60s R&B giving way to sinewy synths and increasingly chunky bass lines as the decade grooves on. While savvy hip-hoppers will note that many of the rarities here have already been repurposed by shrewd mixers, it's a revelation to hear them in their original form. A compelling deconstruction of an often clichéd and too-narrowly-defined genre, this is an anthology that showcases music that has influenced such contemporary artists as Tupac, the Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West, annotated by many of the original musicians who set the dance floor in motion. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

91 tracks deep and five hours long, this multi-artist, 4CD set mines rare, renowned, legendary, and little-known grooves from the vaults of Atlantic, Atco, and Warner Bros Records!

Customer Reviews:

Mm-hmm! I can smell that funky music!.......2007-06-18

Rare indeed; I can't imagine where you would find original 45s or even LPs containing all of these songs. That would be one lifetime task. The good folks at Rhino Records with their remarkable and creative tastes took out all of that hassle for us and now offers a rather unique set of rare funky music from the vaults of Atlantic/Atco and Warner/Reprise dating 1967-1977 with 91 tracks spanning across 4 filled-to-the-brim discs. Any soul music fan will no doubt want to explore this area of the R&B category (funk and I mean pure funk), but at times the flow of the music could seem a bit too much to handle. Some of the cuts go more than 3 1/2 minutes and sound like they might not end any time soon. The other case would be some tracks sound bizarre or unusual in terms of sound due to instrumentation, arrangements, etc. Such "bizarre" tracks are the sitar-laced rendition of "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Steppin' Stones" with a crazed flautist leading the way on a very blazing and dizzy-sounding track. The good outweigh the not-so-good remarkably, though. So get ready to hear punchy horns, infectious, simplistic and driving drumbeats, super funky bass lines, crunchy guitars, oozing organs and ultra-soulful vocals. On disc one, some noteworthy tracks are "Spreadin' Honey", "Get Otta My Life Woman", "Snatchin' It Back", "Sexy Coffee Pot" and "Help Me Make Up My Mind" (an answer to "Can I Chane My Mind"). Be sure to check out "Sookie Sookie", "Feelin' Alright" (done by Lulu (To Sir With Love)!), and "Engine Number Nine" on disc two, "Face It" (love the female backup singers on this), "Wah Wah Man", an alternate extended mix of "Rock Steady", "Suavecito", and "Nuki Suki" (from Little Richard) on disc three as well as "Moon Shadow", "Kissing My Love", "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky", "Chug Chug-A-Lug", "Everybody Wanna Get Rich Rite Away", and "Chicken Heads" on disc four. Those were just some of my favorite tracks, so I may have missed some. Many are instrumentals, but there are a handful with vocalists singing about love, dancing, partying, social concerns, etc. Bottom line: worth checking out and worth the discovery. You definitely won't hear this stuff on commercial radio. Only about three or four songs you'll recognize; the rest is like a surprise. If you're into R&B and want to explore the funk side of it, you can't find a better pick, and about 90% of these songs aren't available (some or many) together anyplace else. The real deal of funk; that is "what it is!"

WHAT IT IS ?.....NOTHING BUT A NON STOP PARTY! .......2007-02-10

This set right here could very well be the holy grail of rare and hard to find grooves. This box set is funkier than a high school locker room! Every track on here is certified stank(aka funky). The most amazing thing about these tracks is that they capture the spirit of the times better than a lot of their more popular comtemporaries(at least in my opinion). "What it is" feels like an audio documentary of underdogs making the funkiest music and having a great time doing it. If you listen to how these tracks are sequenced, you'll feel like a story is being told - rather than just listening to another compliamation of vintage r&b music.

I'm only 25 years old. Every time I play this set, I feel like I'm at a 70's block party, chillin' in a long black cadillac fleetwood and scoping out some foxy mamas with hot pants and thigh high leather boots
(that's how good the music sounds). With 20 plus tracks each per disc, you can't help but be amazed with the consistent quality of the music.

All I gotta say is buy this set and let the funk be your guide to love, happiness, and your rites of passage to throw it on down and dance your
a-- off!!! If you ain't diggin on this, you're diggin a hole for yourself!

Long live the funk baby!

Amazing. Mind blowing. Worth every penny. And so on........2007-02-04

This is the real deal folks. Music with grit and soul and feeling, before the shining distraction of drum machines, computers, samplers, bling, and "MTV's Cribs". I saw an ad for this and went to several book and record stores such as Borders, and to my local hip indie CD store (headquarters to the local music scene circle-jerk), trying to describe it to various clerks. Which was about like trying to teach a card trick to a basset hound. Save yourself the agony of trying to interest a white twenty-something body-piercing pincushion in ordering this set for you, and just get it here. You'll be glad you did. The sheer quantity of great music on this is staggering. I love the mix of instruments with vocal tracks, and the mix of "name" artists like Aretha or The Meters with many very obscure ones. Whoever compiled this did a great job in selecting the track order, so it makes it perfect for a long party. Everyone will be getting up and shaking their groove thang. This is priceless music from a lost era, so grab it before it disappears again.

Never a dull moment.......2007-01-28

I am a funk fan who is still by all means learning...With the passing of James Brown recently, I have tried to speed up this process a little and take as much in as possible. I think this collection of "underground" funk is phenomenal, 4 discs and never a dull moment.

Soul-tastic... All Hail Rhino! Nobody knows box like Rhino knows box.......2007-01-14

I stumbled over this set just a few days ago, and I have to say that it's easily one of the top 10 best random-artist compilations I've ever heard in my life, and I own hundreds of them.

I won't say there's no filler--by filler I mean the cover tunes--and I'm confused as to why "What So Never The Dance" is credited to the Houseguests when this is a longtime Bootsy Collins track? What, is Bootsy in trouble with Warner Brothers and can't re-release his own stuff under his own name anymore?

But disc one is an absolute gem--you can't make your own mix better than they've done it here. If you're a fan of James Brown, Parliament, Otis Redding, Sly Stone, the aforementioned Bootsy, Tower Of Power, Prince, early Stevie Wonder, Motown, Isaac Hayes, then you shouldn't be without this set.

Absolutely worth buying.

Average customer rating: AWESOME!! MacRae and Jones soar in this tragic R&H musical Great Music Response to David Pabian's review below Gummed up an Original

Carousel (1956 Film Soundtrack) Shirley Jones , Claramae Turner , Robert Rounseville , Cameron Mitchell , Barbara Ruick , Robert Rounseville , Richard Rodgers , Oscar Hammerstein II , and Gordon MacRae Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: Oklahoma! (1955 Film Soundtrack) The King and I (1956 Film Soundtrack) South Pacific (1958 Film Soundtrack) The Music Man (1962 Film Soundtrack) Camelot (1960 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B00005A7XD Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

1. Introduction - Gordon MacRae/William Le Massena
2. Main Title: The Carousel Waltz - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman
3. You're A Queer One, Julie Jordan - Barbara Ruick/Shirley Jones
4. When I Marry Mr. Snow - Barbara Ruick
5. If I Loved You - Shirley Jones/Gordon MacRae
6. June Is Bustin' Out All Over - Claramae Turner/Barbara Ruick
7. June Is Bustin' Out All Over Ballet - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman
8. Soliloquy - Gordon MacRae
9. Blow High, Blow Low - Cameron Mitchell
10. When The Children Are Asleep - Robert Rounseville/Barbara Ruick
11. A Real Nice Clambake - Barbara Ruick/Claramae Turner/Robert Rounseville/Cameron Mitchell
12. Stonecutters Cut In On Stone - Cameron Mitchell
13. What's The Use Of Wond'rin - Shirley Jones
14. You'll Never Walk Alone - Shirley Jones/Claramae Turner
15. Ballet - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman
16. If I Loved You (Reprise) - Gordon MacRae
17. You'll Never Walk Alone (Finale) - Shirley Jones
18. Carousel Waltz (LP Version) - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman

Amazon.com

Richard Rodgers always considered Carousel his favorite score, even though it didn't generate the number of popular hits of some of the other shows he produced with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. Their adaptation of the Ferenc Molnar play Liliom is marked by three especially sublime moments. "The Carousel Waltz," Rodgers's alternative to the traditional Broadway overture, serves as an orchestral backdrop to the opening scene and is one of the best miniatures ever written for the theater. "If I Loved You," which establishes the romance of carnival barker Billy Bigelow (Gordon MacRae, a late replacement for Frank Sinatra) and nice girl Julie Jordan (Shirley Jones), is a musical minidrama in which the pair's discussion of how they are not in love reveals just how much they are in love. "Soliloquy" is Billy's powerful solo that foreshadows the action to come in Act II. Add the inspirational anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone," and you have Rodgers and Hammerstein's most extraordinary, near-operatic score. On the soundtrack for the 1956 film, MacRae and Jones are in exceptional voice (following their success in 1955's Oklahoma) and the orchestra sounds glorious, but unfortunately some of the numbers were shortened, most notably "If I Loved You." Extensive production notes, an interview with Jones, and a synopsis are included. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME!!.......2007-05-12

LOVE SOUND TRACTS FROM OLD MOVIES - SING ALONGS AND THE BEST ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE TRAVELING AND CAN SING LOUD. IT IS A KEEPER

MacRae and Jones soar in this tragic R&H musical.......2007-02-11

This film adaptation of Carousel came shortly after the Oklahoma! film and reunited Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones. Although the film was not well-received at the box office, the soundtrack shows MacRae, Jones and the superb cast performing their roles to their heart's content. Their performance helps bring out the pathos in this tragic R&H musical, which Rodgers himself considered his favourite of all his works.

MacRae shines vocally as Billy Bigelow, bringing an open-hearted musicality and sincerity to his stout-hearted portrayal. MacRae stands out in Billy's pivotal Soliloquy, which some reviewers have considered one of the finest vocal performances of the 20th century. He is well-partnered by Shirley Jones, who lends her tender voice and personality to her portrayal as Julie. Listen to the chemistry they exude during the pivotal If I Loved You duet, as if they're overcoming their shyness and drawing sustenance from each other with their love. The supporting cast also gives its all in performing their roles. Claramae Turner's hearty Nettie brims with sincerity, warmth and tenderness, and she leads a rousing rendition of June is Bustin' Out All Over and renders You'll Never Walk Alone touchingly. Barbara Ruick and Robert Rounseville are superb as Carrie and Mr. Snow, although I admit I would have liked a little more humour. I also admit I would have liked Cameron Mitchell as Jigger to sound more sinister, like Fisher Stevens did in the 1994 Broadway revival recording. But even as it is, everyone sings gloriously and is given sumptuous backing from Alfred Newman's superb arrangements and the 20th-Century Fox Orchestra, when it shines out in the ballets.

If I'm adding to the praise of these critic-proof performance, you'll wonder, why am I giving only 4 stars? Well, it's because the extra sound effects from the unreleased sequences tend to jar after a while. I know some of you are complaining that the dance sequences are plagued by extraneous sound effects and noise. I share the same feelings too and also wish that the producers had utilised the original studio pre-recordings for a sumptuous listening experience. However, let us at least be grateful that Didier Deutsch and his production team have made these unreleased sequences available on a soundtrack CD reissue. At least it's a step in the right direction before the entire canon of R&H film soundtracks (yes, including South Pacific and The Sound of Music) gets its due as deluxe 2-CD sets, complete with underscore.

However, don't let this gripe dissuade you from buying this soundtrack. It offers a complete musical experience that one could only dream of in the previous CD reissues of the soundtrack. And it demonstrates the element that Rodgers & Hammerstein were discovering in their musicals.

Great Music.......2007-01-04

Rogers and Hammerstein were in a different league when it came to writing musicals. Their music, lyrics and story are never alike. These two partners were exceptional and their music shows it. Carousel is a tragic story but also shows that human nature can rise above adversity. The music is wonderful and the characters believable. A great movie.

Response to David Pabian's review below.......2004-06-30

Response to David Pabian's review:

My review was not in error, as Mr. Pabian expects. The review was for the original CD release, not this expanded version. Amazon lifted it out of that spot and dropped it here, which of course makes it anachronistic. Why they did it without reading it is certainly an inept decision.

Gummed up an Original.......2003-06-10

This overblown "completeitis" has got to stop. The original soundtrack album Carousel Waltz is now relegated to Appendix status, and terrible sonics accompany dancers' footstomping in the "new" expanded musical sequences, taken directly from the soundtrack rather than from still-existing musical tracks. There was a reason soundtrack recordings were studio performances. The proportions were right, the timings were correct for an overall BALANCED listening experience. These gawdawful expanded editions, often with dialogue thrown in, completely throw off those balances. An argument might be made for expanded sequences appropriate to a CDs longer playing time than the standard L.P. 45min., but possibly only if those sequences are from their original studio-recorded, pre release-print mix -- which could have easily been done in this case. A quick word on one of the above reviews: This is not the first time the complete Carousel Waltz is heard in stereo. There were two previous CD remasterings of the original soundtrack whereon it was included. And the reprise of "If I loved You" was part of every soundtrack release, mono and stereo.

Average customer rating: not funny An Amazing Find Urinetown the Musical Not for Everyone "DON'T BE THE BUNNY!"

Urinetown (2001 Original Off-Broadway Cast) John Cullum , Mark Hollmann , Danny Marcus , and Hunter Foster Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Contemporary Musicals | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Urinetown: The Musical Urinetown: Vocal Selections The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005 Original Broadway Cast) The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Avenue Q (2003 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B00005LZR8 Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Too Much Exposition
3. Urinetown
4. It's A Privilege To Pee
5. Mr. Cladwell
6. Cop Song
7. Follow Your Heart
8. Look At The Sky
9. Don't Be The Bunny
10. Act One Finale
11. What Is Urinetown?
12. Snuff That Girl
13. Run, Freedom, Run!
14. Why Did I Listen To That Man?
15. Tell Her I Love Her
16. We're Not Sorry
17. We're Not Sorry (reprise)
18. I See A River

Amazon.com

"How about a bad title?" wonders Spencer Kayden's Little Sally in "Too Much Exposition." "That could kill a show pretty good." It's a tribute to the skill deployed by the Urinetown creative team (Mark Hollman, music and lyrics; Greg Kotis, book and lyrics) that its title doesn't kill the show. Set in a near-future in which water depletion has led to a ban on private toilets, this may be the only musical in history in which one of the leads makes a fortune on pee. But the show (which originated Off-Broadway before graduating to the big league) limits its subversive intent to subject matter and is refreshingly classic in approach and structure--think Weill-meets-Lewis Carroll. Backed by a small ensemble, the cast (with John Cullum in a turn nothing short of brilliant as the evil urinal magnate) has a field day with Kotis and Hollman's frequently hilarious score. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

not funny.......2007-07-25

I'd heard such rave reviews about this musical, but kept passing on chances to see it. I was turned off by the title -- and this is strange for me, a person not afraid of scatological humor. But maybe I knew something I could not say.

The funniest thing about the musical, I am now convinced, is the premise. Urinetown is a place where you have to pay to pee. A conglomerate has taken over all toilet facilities, and if you don't pay, you don't pee -- unless you go into the bushes, and risk getting arrested.

But it's just not funny. It's supposed to be a satire, but it just doesn't work. Why? I don't know. But I listened to many songs on the CD, and none of them had that true spark that makes you want to laugh. The opening number is "Too Much Exposition" making fun of musicals that open by explaining too much with words instead of action. And perhaps this song is in there to deflect criticism for the main reason this musical doesn't work -- it's too busy explaining, instead of getting on with the business of being funny.

My humor tastes: I watch the Daily Show, Colbert Report, South Park, Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook (so-so), Frasier reruns. Never watched Friends, or Everybody Loves Raymond, or Family Guy, but did watch Seinfeld (although it's not funny to me anymore). The two most recent things I saw that made me laugh out loud were 1) Larry Wilmore doing his n*gg*r skit on Daily Show and 2)an early Chappelle episode where Sesame Street characters talk about drug use

An Amazing Find.......2007-04-03

I just recently discovered this gem of a musical. It's a stand out show with a unique touch. If heard a few outside musicals (The Rocky Horror Show, Hedwig and the Angry Inch...) but this one stands out from them. The music is amazing, the lyrics are creative, and the humor is ripe.

With a chamber music-esque overture, the tone is set. 'Too Much Exposition' is a great introduction to Urinetown (the musical). Officer Lockstock addresses the audience about what they should expect from the show. Little Sally wants to let the audience in on the water shortage but Lockstock stops her. ("You're too young to understand it now, but nothing can kill a show like too much exposition." "How 'bout bad subject matter? Or a bad title, even? That could kill a show pretty good.")

I've read what others have written: you don't get the whole humor of the show unless you've seen it. I haven't seen it, but this recording is enough to get me see it. (That is, if a production nearby, even a high school production, is put on.)

The songs that I find myself listening to over and over are:

Too Much Exposition (not really a song, but still...)
Urinetown
It's A Privilage to Pee
Mr. Cladwell (a wonderfully sweet villain song)
Cop Song (a wonderfully fun villain song)
Follow Your Heart
Don't Be the Bunny
Act 1 Finale
What Is Urinetown?
Run, Freedome, Run!
Why Did I Listen to That Man?
We're Not Sorry (a great 20's sound, reminds me of 'Chicago')
I See A River (I really love this song... the feeling gotten across, before Lockstock comes out to comment, is 'Oh, everything is going to be okay', but Lockstock informs us that all is NOT well)

With a cry of "Hail Mathus!" the show ends. I just have to listen again, after making a trip to the bathroom.

Urinetown the Musical.......2007-03-10

This CD has all the songs from the show. The show is great and this rendition is about the best.

Not for Everyone.......2006-12-28

This musical is a great piece for the 21st century no doubt, that being said it takes some getting used to. The musical cannot be taken at face value, there are lots of things happening under the surface and it takes some bites at things musical theater doesn't usually take, like itself. On the surface it is strange, and not really something people would listen to over and over. However, once you figure it out, it's fun to listen to it again to find all the things that are really going on. It is very funny, and says some good things about the current state of the world. For musical theater fans this is questionable, if you just like the toe-tapping happy go lucky feel, this isn't it. But if you like the social commentary that goes along with that toe tapping, this is a must. NOT FOR FIRST TIME BROADWAY LISTNERS. Favorite Song: "Look at the Sky"

"DON'T BE THE BUNNY!".......2006-12-04

My son, a high school senior, told me his first show of this year's theatrical season was going to be "Urinetown". My response was something like ... No, really, what shows are you doing this year? Then he brought home a recording of it, and I was hooked right away by the lyrics. Over the years my son has been involved in many performances, but he and the rest of the cast had a real blast preparing for, and performing, this show! He wanted Lockstock, but was cast as Cladwell ... Owned it ... Loved it!
I am no Broadway expert by any stretch of the definition, but this show is wonderfully entertaining! You will see (and hear) snippets from other shows, you will pick up on some of even the more subtle stabs at musicals as a whole, you will groan, you will laugh and you will enjoy ... But only if you try not to take it too seriously.
Get past the title (in this case I certainly think it did not "...kill a show pretty good"), relax, and be entertained. And for goodness sake, if you have a chance to see it performed live, do so! A musical that pokes fun at itself? Yes, a refreshing departure from the norm, and worth the price of admission.

Average customer rating: harem New to Sarah Brightman Stranger in Paradise - More Like Stranger in a Lost Cause No voice like hers in the world Brilliant Brightman, Her best CD.

Harem Sarah Brightman , and Frank Peterson Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Middle East | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Brightman, Sarah | A to B | Featured Performers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Interviews | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Dance & DJ | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Eden (US Release - 16 tracks) La Luna Time to Say Goodbye Sarah Brightman Classics Dive ASIN: B00008W2QZ Release Date: 2003-06-10

Tracks:

1. Harem
2. What A Wonderful World
3. It's A Beautiful Day
4. What You Never Know
5. The Journey Home
6. Free
7. Mysterious Days
8. The War Is Over
9. Misere Mei
10. Beautiful
11. Arabian Nights
12. Stranger In Paradise
13. Until The End Of Time
14. You Take My Breathe Away

Amazon.com

If one's notion of "world music" promises a touch of the exotic and indigenous, often overlooked is the fact that the influence of western pop music has seeped into every corner of the globe, creating a hybrid that's often more than merely the sum of its influences. Theater vet Brightman steps into that pan-cultural hall of mirrors here, wedding her fascination with the music and rhythms of the "forbidden places" (the title's Arabic meaning) of the Middle East to her own oft ethereal vocal charms and rock-solid sense of drama. And if the diva's equally sound crossover sensibilities (and that of longtime producer Frank Peterson) sometimes mire it in familiar world-beat pastiche, Brightman's charmed muse manages some transcendent moments nonetheless. Her musical borrowings (Borodin for the title track; Puccini's *Madame Butterfly* for "It's a Beautiful Day") are as compelling as her choice of collaborators: classical violin star Nigel Kennedy and Iraqi vocalist Kadim Al Sahir add compelling touches to the weary timeliness of "The War is Over." The musical influences range from Europe across the Mediterranean and as far East as the Indian roots of "Bollywood" composer A.R. Rahman's "The Journey Home" and Brightman's own "You Take My Breath Away" to evocative recastings of the emblematic standards "Stranger in Paradise" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," while ex-Killing Joke keyboardist Jaz Coleman provides the savory East-meets-West orchestrations that ensure Brightman's star turns the seamless foundations they deserve. --Jerry McCulley

Amazon.com

Sarah Brightman Photos

More from Sarah Brightman

Time to Say Goodbye	Diva: The Singles Collection	Eden
Diva: The Video Collection	Live from Las Vegas	La Luna (Live in Concert)

Customer Reviews:

harem .......2007-05-28

As usual a quick and effecient service ,especially for people who live abroad.Keep up the excellent work John Williams.

New to Sarah Brightman.......2007-03-12

I'm very new to Sarah brightman's music and I enjoy this CD. I think she has an amazing voice. Very talented young woman and this cd was very relaxing and joyful to listen to. I like to learn and heard more from Sarah Brightman.

Stranger in Paradise - More Like Stranger in a Lost Cause.......2006-12-30

I'm not throughly pleased with this album! This CD is only good if you know how to dance in a Middle-Easters fashion. About half of each track is dominated by all orchestrations and no Sarah. Plus, Pop-Sarah isn't really for me. I much prefer the Classical-Sarah. Some of the tracks are okay, like "Harem", "The Journey Home", "Beautiful", and "Stranger in Paradise". Really, this is a good CD for your collection, but I wouldn't listen to it on a 24/7 basis.

No voice like hers in the world.......2006-10-01

I own this cd. I saw her in person at the "Harem" concert. Never had I heard or seen any voice like this. What a performer, best concert I'd ever seen. Beautiful voice, I can never get enough of Sarah Brightman's music. It is so comforting at times. I have all her music and this cd makes you wonder, how can she top this? Thank you Sarah Brightman for giving us your beautiful gift of music.

Brilliant Brightman, Her best CD........2006-09-18

Sarah is just the best, she can hit any note and her individuality shines on this CD. She sings "The Journey Home" from the musical Bombay Dreams and her voice just soars. "Harem", "Mysterious Ways" and "You Take My Breah Away" are songs that take me to dreamland. Amazing! A master piece!

Average customer rating: YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS Chilli Sauce!!! a flashback bomb from around the way Somebody Bring Me A Mirror ! Pretty Good

What Time Is It? The Time Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Time Ice Cream Castle The Color of Success The Glamorous Life Controversy ASIN: B000002KXX Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Wild And Loose
2. 777-9311
3. Onedayi'mgonnabesomebody
4. The Walk
5. Gigolos Get Lonely Too
6. I Don't Wanna Leave You

Amazon.com

Junking '70s-funk cliches for a stripped-down sound (keyboards and synthesizers replaced the horns) built around a hard-rockin' guitar and a tougher-than-tough rhythm section--all topped off with a heapin' helping of humor--this Minneapolis-based sextet was once the best funk band in the land. This second LP is the best single album from the act, which soon imploded, owing to an over-abundance of talent. Bug-eyed vocalist Morris Day and guitarist Jesse Johnson went on to semi-successful solo careers; keyboardist Jimmy Jam and bassist Terry Lewis became a mega-platinum writing/production team (Janet Jackson, most notably); drummer extraordinaire Jellybean Johnson and keyboardist Monte Moir were the other members. Co-produced by Day and Jamie Starr (a.k.a. Prince), this six-song 1982 effort sports three wall-rattling party-starters: the self-explantory "Wild and Loose," the tongue-in-cheek dance tune "The Walk," and the still-percolating, knotty-but-nice rhythms of "777-9311." Toss in a "New Wave"-style rocker, a droll take on the obligatory love-man ballad, and the band's straight-faced answer to the titular question ("Time to fix your clock!") is O-B-V-I-O-U-S. --Don Waller

Customer Reviews:

YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS.......2007-07-13

I THINK THAT THIS IS THEIR BEST ALBUM, BUT YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THE TIME.

Chilli Sauce!!!.......2007-04-12

Ok...we all know that Prince, the genius that he is ,is responsible for all the music , backup vocals, instruments etc...but if we can look beyond that...this is just one big sexy party album. I agree that "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" is just begging to be re-made!!! (i think J.T. would be cool wit it) 777-9311 show cased just how Cool Morris Day was. It may have been Prince Behind the scenes but Morris was the only choice to make for the front man 4 the Time. This era in music did more than influence what we listened to but also how we dressed and talked! it was cool...Yayyess!!! Memories of sliding sideways in Stacey Adams at the Prom Yelling "Chilli Sauce"

a flashback bomb from around the way.......2007-02-24

money well spent if you like the old school beats.

Somebody Bring Me A Mirror !.......2006-11-19

The Time without a doubt is one of the funkiest R&B groups to come out of Minnesota and the best side project Prince ever had a hand in. At only six tracks the disc can easily go toe-toe with most R&B discs released today. The huge hit 777-9311 is guaranteed to get an old school party started as is the self-explanatory dance song The Walk. Going with more epic jam-orientated songs through out the entire disc the group does plenty of partying. Fiannly Morris Day even manages to offer a respectable ballad with "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" which is just itching to be remade. The Time may not have been the most soulful band to come out of Minnesota that titles goes to Mint Condition but they sure are the funkiest.

Pretty Good.......2006-09-25

this era of Prince was his best to me in terms of the sounds&vibe he was creating through the time. none of these songs are particular memorable,but the instrumentation is still remembered. the Bass Solo on "777-9311" along with the Drum programming that Prince was coming up with was tight. "the Walk" was cool. we will never know just how god the time truly could have been because prince was worried about them big time. The Time showcased themselves more on Stage, than on Record. Time Records were mainly Prince,Dez Dickerson,&Morris Day& some other minor contributions here&there. 1982 to me was the last time Prince had his sound together.he was in the Groove back at that time.

Average customer rating: Great CD An amazing voice and a worthwhile message! Absolutely Wonderful! Great music anxiously awaiting

Since I Let You Go Eric Dodge Manufacturer: Racing Snail Records RSR ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Why Not Today Body Clutter: Love Your Body, Love Yourself Practically Perfect in Every Way Saving Dinner Basics: How to Cook Even If You Don't Know How Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink! ASIN: B000CA8PMS Release Date: 2005-11-01

Tracks:

1. Anything For You (Eric Dodge)
2. What Would Elvis Do (Eric Dodge)
3. Since I Let You Go (Eric Dodge)
4. Mama Never Told Me (Eric Dodge)
5. My Best (Eric Dodge)
6. The Dash (Eric Dodge)
7. That's Who I Wanna Be (Eric Dodge)
8. It Ain't Love (Eric Dodge)
9. I Blame Me (Eric Dodge)
10. What A Concept (Eric Dodge)
11. When I Was Your Age (Eric Dodge)
12. It Ain't Gonna Happen (Eric Dodge)
13. Up A Creek (Eric Dodge)
14. Unchained Melody (Eric Dodge)

Product Description

The Debut Country music Nashville release by Eric Dodge.

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2006-11-01

This CD is awesome. I was lucky enough to hear Eric play in Utah and he has an amazing voice. There is no foul language and it is entertaining for the whole family.

An amazing voice and a worthwhile message!.......2006-10-27

I love this CD - Eric's songs range from the thought-provoking, to the nostalgic, to the just plain fun! I'm not even a big country fan, but I think that his music appeals to a wide range of audiences! To top it all off, everything I've heard about him and seen of him during interviews, shows him to be a very sweet, down-home, humble kind of guy, who just happens to have extraordinary talent!

Absolutely Wonderful!.......2006-10-24

I loved this CD. It has a good mix of songs on it from several fun and light-hearted songs to songs that provoke deep thought and reflection on life. Eric is very talented and I recommend this to everyone.

Great music.......2006-10-16

I love to listen to Eric Dodge's music and this is a great cd. It has been so inspiring to me. His music is not only entertaining, but it makes me want to be a better person - to really think about what I'm doing with my life...

anxiously awaiting.......2006-10-16

I was so lucky to see Eric in St Louis at a Flyfest and he sang a few songs. He is really talented and a great guy. I ordered the cd and cant wait for it to arrive. All I have heard is wonderful things. I am sure he will not disappoint.

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 General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD) The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) Study of Orchestration, Third Edition The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. 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.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. 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...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. 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
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. 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.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. 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.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. 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.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. 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)
42. 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....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. 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...
32. 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)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. 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).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. 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
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. 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.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. 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.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. 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...
15. 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)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. 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.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. 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.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. 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
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

1. Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
2. Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
3. But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
4. Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
5. The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
6. An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
7. Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
8. Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
9. Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
10. Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
11. Mahler's Sleighbells
12. Symphony No.4 (Opening)
13. A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
14. Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
15. Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
16. Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
17. National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
18. And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
19. And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
20. The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
21. The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
22. The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
23. The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
24. The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
25. The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
26. The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
27. The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
28. There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
29. The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
30. Nocturnes
31. Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
32. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
33. The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
34. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
35. The Oboe As Duck
36. Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
37. The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
38. The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
39. The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
40. Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
41. Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
42. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
43. Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
44. The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
45. A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
46. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
47. A Thunderstorm In A Million
48. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
49. the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
50. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
51. Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
52. The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. 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.

Average customer rating: Moody, haunting, beautiful -- brilliant! tapestry of color Excellent Score -- Very Unique One of the few good things about this wretched film The score elevates the film

The Village Manufacturer: Hollywood Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Signs (Score) Lady in the Water Unbreakable The Village (Widescreen Vista Series) The Sixth Sense: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ASIN: B0002IQJSC Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

1. Noah Visits
2. What Are You Asking Me?
3. The Bad Color
4. Those We Don't Speak Of
5. Will You Help Me?
6. I Cannot See His Color
7. Rituals
8. The Gravel Road
9. Race To Resting Rock
10. The Forbidden Line
11. The Vote
12. It Is Not Real
13. The Shed Not To Be Used

Amazon.com

In the wake of his Sixth Sense triumph, young director M. Night Shyamalan shrewdly marketed himself as a marquee draw, a thriller auteur in the vein of Hitchcock and DePalma. In the process he's also run headlong into one of Hollywood's truest adages: There's no such thing as a sure thing. But while his tale of an isolated hamlet ringed by mysterious, threatening 'others' met with tepid reviews and disappointing box office, it also underscored another filmmaking truism: So-so films can still be blessed with magnificent musical scores. This hauntingly beautiful, yet thoroughly contemporary orchestral soundtrack by James Newton-Howard distinguishes itself at every turn, becoming a clear standout in the ongoing collaboration between the composer and Shyamalan. While similar fusions of minimalist and post-modern musical influences can sometimes seem not much more than hollow intellectual exercises, Newton-Howard inhabits his hypnotic arpeggios and droning rhythms here with an evocative undercurrent of the mysterious and mystical. The composer leans heavily on solo violin to conjure a mock folk tradition of indistinct origins, wedding it to a contemporary classical sense that's as seamless as it is distinguished. -- Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Moody, haunting, beautiful -- brilliant!.......2007-08-02

James Newton Howard's Oscar-winning score for M. Night Shyamalan's remarkable film, The Village, is one of my personal favorites. By turns haunting, thrilling, and absolutely creepy, it completely embodies the spirit of the film.

The common thread woven throughout most of the score is a simple, monophonic melody on the violin, heart-rendingly lifted from the page by the talented Hilary Hahn. The melody strongly evokes Gregorian plainsong, which is very appropriate to the subject matter of Shyamalan's film. It may also remind listeners of twentieth-century composers who have returned to and incorporated those older musical modes (particularly the medieval Phrygian mode) into their own music; I'm thinking of people like Arvo Pärt and Ralph Vaughn Williams (also a film composer). Even more striking, however, is the debt Mr. Howard owes to Philip Glass. Listen to his (Glass's) Violin Concerto or to his own score for the film, The Hours, and see if you don't hear it. The minimalist arpeggiation on the violin is unmistakable.

A couple of the other tracks (e.g., "Those We Don't Speak Of" and "It Is Not Real") will absolutely make your hair stand on end. They still give me goosebumps every time I listen to them. It's some of the most effect "fear" scoring I've ever heard, making particularly good use of the percussion section. Altogether, this is a versatile, remarkable score I can very highly recommend.

tapestry of color.......2007-07-28

Rich, powerful and moving, Howard's score is an interweaving tapestry of a constant haunting undercurrent of a theme with Hilary Hahn's beautiful obligato's soaring above. This soundtrack will take you to the brink of yourself as you can feel your soul being pulled along with the music. An absolute `must have' for any serious music lover. If you doubt its majesty, sit down and listen - it's well worth your time.

Excellent Score -- Very Unique.......2007-02-22

I have long been a film-score aficionado. My favorite composers are Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams -- only the best of the best. I had always known about James Newton Howard and his work, and always respected his unique abilities and talents.

It was with this score that he really caught my attention. The central theme of the film is a love story, and the characters just happen to be caught up in a nightmarish scenario. The score reflects this perfectly; some of the pieces are classically romantic, quiet pieces, while others are thunderous and frightening to reflect the danger and terror portrayed in the film.

James Newton Howard's later works, like "King Kong" (2005) and his co-score with Hans Zimmer on "Batman Begins" (2005) continued to show that he is rightly considered one of Hollywood's A-list composers for big films.

One of the few good things about this wretched film.......2006-11-05

I admit I absolutely hated "The Village". The film started out rather good. The build up in suspense was flawlessly executed but then the second half of the film totally went downhill for me. One of the few things I enjoyed about "The Village" is the film score by James Newton Howard. The combination of the orchestral film score and dark cinematography was perfect. Both complimented each other. Violinist Hilary Hahn was what really gravitated me to the music. A lot of film scores have a terrible tendency to be loud and bombastic (like John Williams and Hans Zimmer) but James Howard Newton's score is subtle and never overwhelming to a person's ears.

The score elevates the film.......2006-08-09

'The Village' was panned pretty harshly in critical circles, but whatever you think of the film, James Newton Howard's score for it is a beautiful piece of work. It lends a haunting, lyrical quality to the film, and it is wonderful to listen to by itself, whether or not you like or have even seen the movie.

While there are a couple pieces in the score that are a little more high-octane in terms of suspense, most of the music is very low-key. Still suspenseful, even spooky at times, but in a very understated and thoughtful way. In some ways similar to Howard's score for 'Signs', which also used repeated rhythms and themes throughout in different ways, the music for 'The Village' differs from the standard "scary movie" score by having pieces which establish a real emotional depth and presence. 'The Village' is a film about love and loss, and much of the music expresses those themes perfectly.

A big part of how the music gets to the depths of emotion is the solo violin performances of Hilary Hahn, present to some extent in almost every piece. From the opening strains of "Noah Visits," the first piece on the CD, her violin speaks the language of the heart and draws the listener into a beautiful world of haunting music, inescapable and compelling. I am amazed by her versatility here. From the fast rhythmic notes of "The Gravel Road" to the high strains of "I Cannot See His Color" to the final, bittersweet tones of "The Vote," Hahn's violin creates a steady thread through the whole score, unifying it and making it unique at the same time. I've listened to several of Hahn's classical performances as well, but I have to say that of what I've heard, her performance for 'The Village' may be her most unique and most compelling yet.

The combination of James Newton Howard's compositions and Hilary Hahn's lush performance have created some beautiful music for 'The Village'. Whether you love the movie or hate it, or even if you're just looking for some rich orchestral music with a beautiful violin performance, this score is well worth owning and listening to many times over.

Average customer rating: Absolutely peerless once-in-a-lifetime greatness We love this album Simply great Porgy and Bess

Porgy & Bess Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Porgy and Bess Gershwin: Porgy & Bess [With Members of the Original Cast] Porgy & Bess: High Performance Ella & Louis Again (Dig) George Gershwin - Porgy & Bess / Trevor Nunn · Sir Simon Rattle · W. White · C. Haymon · Glyndebourne Opera ASIN: B0000046Z5 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Summertime
3. I Wants To Stay Here
4. My Man's Gone Now
5. I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
6. Buzzard Song
7. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
8. It Ain't Necessarily So
9. What You Want Wild Bess?
10. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
11. Oh, Doctor Jesus
12. Medley: Here Come De Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, Deh's So Fresh And Fine (Strawberry Woman)
13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
14. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
15. Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

Amazon.com

Getting the two most personable voices in jazz to sing an hour's worth of George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess (Ella doing all the female parts, Satchmo all the male) was a good idea, but not quite as great as it sounded. Armstrong savors the down-and-dirty Charlestonisms that inspired the cadences of the music and lyrics, and they fit his happy rasp like an old shoe; Fitzgerald, conversely, sounds almost prissy every time she has to sing the word "ain't," though her melodic genius gets Gershwin's bold, supple tunes over. The arrangements are full-throttle Broadway, with a few leaps into Dixieland (including some fine Armstrong trumpet solos), but the disc works best when the vocalists break character and let their jazz side out. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely peerless.......2006-11-17

"Porgy and Bess" has just opened (with some controversy) in London's West End, though as a musical and not as an opera as it was originally conceived. Reviews have been promising and I aim to go down and see it soon. I decided to listen to this CD to put myself in the mood. I hadn't listened to it for years and I'd completely forgotten how good it actually is. Ella's voice blends with Louis' perfectly and Russell Garcia's orchestration gives them a dreamy landscape to perform against. I have one or two other CDs by Louis and Ella but this one is by far my favourite. The CD opens with "Overture" and its orchestral performance of classics like "Summertime", "I Wants To Stay Here", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Neccessarily So" set the tone nicely, leaving one ever so keen for the vocal versions. Louis Armstong has a very rough tone to his voice but the emotion he packs with it is moving, most especially on the mournful "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" And we get all this and Louis' wonderful trumpet playing too?

Gershwin and Gershwin must be among the top composers of the last century and this opera showcases their talents more than anything I've heard. Ella and Louis are peerless as a vocal duo and though I doubt the West End performance will capture the magic in the same way they did, I still remain very keen to go see it. Is it opera or is it a jazz performance? I don't really know. I just know that I love it. And strongly recommend it.

once-in-a-lifetime greatness.......2006-10-06

Two thousand five hundred musicians have recorded "Summertime" --- it's a classic. (I bet most Americans can name Janis Joplin and no other singer.) As for "Porgy and Bess," the folk opera from which "Summertime" springs, it's such a classic that it's hard to believe anyone ever had a harsh word to say about it.

But after its premiere in 1935, no less than Duke Ellington said, "It has grand music and a swell play, but the two didn't go together. It does not use the Negro musical idiom --- the times are here to debunk Gershwin's lampblack Negroisms."

A quarter of a century later, the producers of the film version had trouble assembling a cast. Harry Belafonte rejected their offer to play Porgy. Sidney Poitier took the part --- and wished he hadn't. Poitier later wrote that the movie insulted black people; when he chose clips of his best performances for his tribute at the American Film Institute, he picked nothing from "Porgy and Bess."

And in 1985, when Grace Bumbry was a sensation as Bess in a Metropolitan Opera production, she slammed the opera: "I thought it beneath me, I felt I had worked far too hard, that we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935."

All that may be. All I know is that I have, in a long life, rarely been confronted with more genius than in the Fitzgerald/Armstrong recording of "Porgy & Bess." Set aside the achievement of George and Ira Gershwin in transforming DuBose Heyward's novel into a folk opera. Let's just focus on Armstrong and Fitzgerald, who were at the peak of their popularity when this record was made in 1957.

"Summertime" --- the first song --- sets the tone. A baleful horn figure, then violins. And then Armstrong's trumpet: slow, steady, dignified. But wait --- here comes a slurred note. And a cool little improvisation. Just enough of each. Very tasty.

Fitzgerald sings a verse. She is cool and formal. A lady. Not to be taken lightly. Now it's Armstrong's turn. Tender, but let's not kid ourselves --- this is not singing as others define it. This is melodic speech: rough, gutteral. And thus he is ideally cast: His Porgy may have his charms, but he'll have to stretch to keep Bess.

And so it goes throughout the CD. Trumpet mastery --- Armstrong has dazzling control. His tone is bright, but never shrill; there's a warmth in his playing no one else could produce. And Fitzgerald is just a study in inevitability; to hear her is to wonder how anyone could sing these songs any other way.

"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'." "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York." "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."

All brilliantly conceived, orchestrated and recorded.

The greatest trumpet player in this history of jazz.

The father of scat singing.

The queen of the jazz vocal.

There are no-brainers, and then there is this Ella Fitzgerald-Louis Armstrong collaboration --- music that imprints on your soul.

We love this album.......2006-08-22

We hope they will someday bring this beautiful story back to the stage

Simply great.......2006-03-04

The fusion between the great two voices and the orchestra is just brilliant. Very good brass and violins that accompany Fitzeralds and Armstrongs magic voices leaves you with your mouth open.

A must have for everyone!

Porgy and Bess.......2005-10-14

Could not find this anyway locally. It is a great recording

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