L'amour a La Musique [Import]

1. Jou Jou

2. Nous Voulions

3. Mon Corps

4. Haiti Cherie

5. Un Jour Tu Es Parti

6. Une Cousine

7. Venz Danser

8. Espagne Au Coeur

9. Idee Folle

10. L'amour A La Musique

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

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

Bizet: Carmen [Highlights]
Average customer rating:

The Greatest By Far

Absolutely the Best Carmen

No, please

L'amour est un oiseau rebelle

Bizet: Carmen [Highlights]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001G52
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Carmen: Prelude
Carmen: Act 1: Sur la place (Micaela)
Carmen: Act 1: Avec la garde montante
Carmen: Act 1: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 1: Parle-moi de ma mere (Don Jose, Micaela)
Carmen: Act 1: Pres des remparts de Seville (Carmen, Don Jose)
Carmen: Act 2: Les tringles des sistres tintaient (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: Dialogue
Carmen: Act 2: Vivat! vivat le Torero! (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre (Escamillo, Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Don Jose)
Carmen: Act 3: En vain, pour eviter les reponses ameres - Parlez encore, parlez, mes belles (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 3: A dos cuartos!
Carmen: Act 3: (musique de transition)
Carmen: Act 3: C'est toi! - C'est moi! (Carmen, Don Jose)

Customer Reviews:

The Greatest By Far.......2006-03-09

Agnes Baltsa [Carmen] ** José Carreras [Don José] ** José van Dam (baritone) [Escamillo] ** Katia Ricciarelli [Micaëla] ** Christine Barbaux (soprano) [Frasquita] ** Jane Berbié (soprano) [Mercédès] ** Alexander Malta (bass) [Zuniga] ** Mikael Melbye (baritone) [Moralès] ** Gino Quilico (baritone) [Le Dancaïr] ** Heinz Zednik (tenor) [Le Remendado] ** Michel Marinpouille (tenor) [Andrès] ** Berlin Philharmonic ** Herbert von Karajan (conductor]

There is no doubt in my mind that this studio recording is by far the most powerful Carmen I've ever heard. This 80's recording captures both the lush, beautiful musicality of this opera-comique and the intense visceral "verisimo" drama, thanks to the efforts of Karajan and his illustrious Berlin forces and the great singing from Agnes Baltsa, Jose Carreras, Katia Ricciarelli and Jose Van Dam.

Karajan had previously recorded Carmen in the 70's, in a more dramatic, overblown fashion when he conducted the Vienna Phil with the voices of Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli. Although that recording has its individual merit, it was not really his best effort. He had scored greater success with Grace Bumbry in the lead role and Jon Vickers as Don Jose, productions he conducted at the Salzburg Festival in the late 60's. In the 80's he was a white-haired old man, the image many younger music lovers remember him from after seeing videos and recording covers he was in fact experiencing the last phase of his career before his death in the late 80's. He is nevertheless a supremely gifted conductor, masterful and able to bring out the best from his orchestra. The Berlin is actually better than the Vienna Phil in his earlier recording with Leontyne Price. The Berlin forces weave great music, capturing the colorful slices of life in this steamy, sordid opera. Yes, it is of the "grand opera" and verisimo vein and not the more simplistic, opera-comique Carmen but it is absolutely powerful in its wake. Karajan has never done a better job. It is his second recorded Carmen and his best.

Each of the singers bring a vitality and nuance to their performance and sing with the freshness of their prime. It is not surprising to find Jose Carreras and Katia Ricciarelli in the same cast. Theses two worked well together and recorded and performed operas throughout the 80's, even carrying out an affair together. Ricciarelli and Carreras as Don Jose and Micaela sing with glorious harmony, making their romance all the more tragic because Don Jose rejects the purity of her love and destroys himself in his passionate relationship with the temptress Carmen. Their duet in the beginning feels prolonged but that's a great thing because their voices are so beautiful to hear together.

From the beginning, Jose Carreras sings with a darker voice. He understands that Don Jose becomes obscessed with Carmen and develops a psychosis. It is a rich, powerful and masculine voice, albeit darker and edgier than even Jon Vickers and Placido Domingo. He sings everyting with great passion, despite the fact that his voice may not have done what he may have wanted it to. He is somehow, strangely, through sheer force of will, the best Don Jose, the most dramatically satisfying. His detractors and critics claim he was in bad vocal shape, at least in regards to his age (he was past his prime, he had been operated for leukemia, etc) and worse, his Don Jose has been called "melodramatic, hysterical". I whole-heartedly disagree. Carreras sings with so much integrity to the character's essence that he single-handedly blows all other contenders away. I've heard them all- Franco Corelli (in the Leontyne Price recording) Placido Domingo (in the Berganza recording and the Obraztsova, and Migenes movies) and Jon Vickers (in the recording and film with Grace Bumbry). His tenor voice is right on target for the darker side of Don Jose. He is passionate, yet lyrical in the first part and by the climatic finale he is understandably pushed to the edge. There is definate chemistry between Carreras and Baltsa and they would also make a film of the Metropolitan Opera stage production, which is wonderful. Please give Carreras a chance. He is the best Don Jose I've ever heard.

Ricciarelli is a very nuanced, soulful Micaela, bringing passion and grandeur to the role, instead of singing the role like a shrinking violet. This Micaela is willing to fight to get her man back from Carmen. In this way, she is a lot like Mirella Freni, who also sang a feistier Micaela. Ricciarelli is in great vocal form, and her rendition of "Je Dis" is beautiful and heart-felt. Those who have criticized her for what they feel is forced singing didn't really listen to the recording. She is mannered, she is mellow and in control. She has a genuinely dramatic way of singing, but then again, I've already made the comparison to Mirella Freni, whose Micaela is also dramatic. Quite frankly, this is the way Micaela should be sung. She is still a soprano, usually the lead in an opera and Ricciarelli understands that if she doesn't impress in the few moments she has in the opera, then she is letting the mezzo-soprano take all the glory. Ricciarelli is wonderful here and Micaela is one of her greatest roles, despite the fact she moved on to sing heavier roles like Tosca, Leonora, Aida and Turandot. She is probably better in the subdued lyrical roles then the heavier roles.

Jose Van Dam's Escamillo is dark, "butch" and strongly sung. He has a sharp musical intelligence and recognizes that Escamillo is also not the star but has his moments of radiance. He sings the famous Toreador Aria with great gusto and power. Karajan's slow conducting and colorful orchestration allows his few moments in the opera to really burst with maximum energy. Upon hearing Jose Van Dam's Escamillo, one can understand why Carmen jilts the now lackluster Don Jose. Van Dam is absolutely superb.

Last but certainly not least, there is Agnes Baltsa's Carmen. She was born to sing this role. It is a Carmen of several levels- she is playful (listen to how she slides her voice in the Habanera and Seguidilla) she is feminine but wordly. If she sounds mature and not youthful this is still to her credit. Carmen is a wordly, experienced libertine. Baltsa lives the character in ever scene. She sings with great power and beauty. The Death Card Aria has a tragic quality to it and she sings with a resigned spirit, acknowledging her fate. More than any other mezzo-soprano who has sung Carmen on record, to my knowledge, she really acts the hell out of that final scene. She is singing with grand flair, dramatic to the point she is boiling over with rage. Listen to how she emotes when she declares "Libre Elle Nee e Libre elle Morra" (I was born free and I shall die free!) and "E Bien! Frappe-Moi Donc, Or Lassez Ma Passe! (Very Well Then! Kill Me! Or Let Me Pass!). Finally, she nearly cracks her voice with the high, anguished cry of "C'este Autefrois Que Tu Me Vais Donne - TIENS!!!" (This ring you once gave me - TAKE IT!!!). Both Carreras and Baltsa take the trophy when it comes to dramatically belting out this famous scene in opera.

Once upon a time I thought that Jon Vickers and Grace Bumbry were the greatest Carmen/Don Jose interpretors. I don't believe that anymore after hearing Jose Carreras and Agnes Baltsa.

Absolutely the Best Carmen.......2004-12-14

This CD is not only for opera lovers, but for anyone with an appreciation of classic voice music. I have seen productions of Carmen the world over, in Paris, in Vienna, multiple times at the Met in New York and many local companies. None has come close to the perfection of the voices on this recording. The emotion and quality of L'amour est un oiseau rebelle, one of the most recognized arias in all of opera, is unsurpassed. The gypsy dance which begins act 2 (Les tringles des sistres tintaient) is rich with fevor and lust. The music leaps off the CD and provides excellent insight into the intensity of this work.

This CD is for everyone, from the novice to the expert, and will be appreciated by all. It is the best opera recording I have heard and has stood the test of time. This should be a required addition to the collection of anyone with an appreciation of fine music.

No, please.......2000-06-10

This is an surprisingly boring recording, especially when looking at the star-cast, of one of the most enjoyable operas ever. I think the greatest problem with it lies in Karajans conducting.

The kindest thing I can come up with about this highlights recording is just the fact that it's a highlights edition - you don't have to listen to the whole debacle. Karajan has done a much, much better recording for RCA (Price, Corelli & Freni), where he doesn't suffocate his singers in an unengaging search for nothing but beauty. This search makes me lose my hair, and for example disturbes much of Carmen's music. Carreras here is not even close to the vocal prime he was in ten years earlier. His voice surely is soft and beautiful in the more quite parts, but he avoids using it to full power, even when called for, and his performance therefor gets rather boring. Baltsa probably would have done much better if she'd been supported instead of opposed by Karajan. Van Dam is definately the best of the cast in the role of Escamillo.

My very favorite of Carmen is the Beecham (de los Angeles, Gedda on EMI) set. You can also try a highlight of either Karajan (RCA - Price, Corelli) or Abbado (DG - Berganza, Domingo), which both give different but very good accounts of Carmen - use the Amazon.com possibility to listen to samples of these version to find out which one you prefer.

L'amour est un oiseau rebelle.......2000-06-09

This highlights CD happilly dismisses most of the dialogues and has an hour-plus of great music. The complete version is also available on amazon.com. Maestro Von Karajan achieves his trademark perfection with the Berliners and with the cast of ideal singers for Biset's masterpiece. Greek mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa is simultaneously playful, witty, self-indulgent, and, for all purposes, dangerous Carmen. She has a very long vocal phrase and plenty of power; listen to fiery rendition of "Les tringles des sistres tintailent"! Jose Carreras shows Don Jose's character development extremely well, from ardent and passionate, ready-to-leave-everything young soldier to a man obsessed; gradually you begin to believe Don Jose could kill. His Flower Song is very gentle and tender, as opposed to the war-cries often displayed by others. The final scene is so vividly enacted, I had "tingles down my spine". Katia Ricciarelli is fully "at home" with a role of angel-like Micaela, her 1st Act duet with Carreras is one of the most beautiful things one could ever hear. Van Dam brings out everything we like to see in Escamillo: single-mindedness, arrogance, and swagger. Karajan uses an interesting orchestral arrangement of the Toreador Song before "Tout d'un coup, on fait silence..." making you imagine the pause just before the bull charges. He also slows it down a bit, increasing the tension throughout and the last chords of it are like wineglasses clashing triumphantly together. Supporting roles are taken by some impressive vocal powers, including Jane Barbie and Gino Quilico. Btw, there is a Carmen video featuring Baltsa and Carreras, also from DG, fantastically sang and recorded.

Rameau - Overtures / Christophe Rousset, Les talens lyriques

Average customer rating:

Unexpectedly 'new' Style
A great walk-through Rameau's ouvertures
Cold heat
A constant pleasure
excellent

Rameau - Overtures / Christophe Rousset, Les talens lyriques
Jean-Philippe Rameau , Les talens lyriques , and Christophe Rousset
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Release Date: 1997-07-15

Tracks:

Ouvertures: Les Fetes de Polymnie
Ouvertures: Les Indes galantes
Ouvertures: Zais
Ouvertures: Castor et Pollux
Ouvertures: Nais
Ouvertures: Platee
Ouvertures: Les Talens lyriques (Les Fetes d'Hebe)
Ouvertures: Zoroastre
Ouvertures: Dardanus
Ouvertures: Les Paladins
Ouvertures: Hippolyte et Aricie
Ouvertures: Le Temple de la Gloire
Ouvertures: Pigmalion
Ouvertures: Les Surprises de l'Amour - Prologue (Le Retour d'Astree)
Ouvertures: Les Fetes de l'Hymen de l'Amour, ou Les Dieux d'Egypte
Ouvertures: Les Surprises de l'Amour - Acte I (L'Enlevement d'Adonis)
Ouvertures: Acante et Cephise, ou La Sympathie

Amazon.com essential recording

Rameau waited until he was nearly 50 before writing his first opera, but after that there was no holding him back. One of the great masters of the Baroque orchestra (if not the greatest), he wrote overtures to theater works that call on a lavish array of instruments and use them all with an extraordinary feel for color and style. Although he was the major musical theorist of his day, Rameau's works sound wholly fresh and spontaneous, with numerous surprising twists and turns of phrase where you least expect them. Christophe Rousset leads his enthusiastic band of authentic instrument players in performances that will enchant all Baroque music fans. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Unexpectedly 'new' Style.......2007-01-20

I am not very familiar wiht Jean-Philippe Rameau's music, so when I looked at his dates, I expected something which sounded a lot like Henry Purcell. I was quite taken aback when the music I heard was nowhere near as wooden or 'mannered' as Purcell's work, almost all of which sounds like another version of the piece used as the theme to Masterpiece theatre.

The greatest surprise was saved until the end, with the Overture to 'Acante et Cephise, ou La Sympathie'. The surprising tympany accents made it sound positively 19th century, and the fluid strings supported that notion. It almost sounds as if Rameau skipped right over Mozart to Beethoven. Of course, Rameau is not nearly as delicate or sweet as Mozart, but this is still a welcome gift from the 18th century.

A great walk-through Rameau's ouvertures.......2006-09-10

Jean-Philippe Rameau was certainly a vastly greater composer of orchestral music than Handel, that's for sure!

This excellent and beguiling collection of ouvertures is nearly complete, as far as I can tell - very few of the opera ouvertures Rameau wrote are not here. The performances are first class colourful and alive. There are those delicate and expressive moments we come to expect from a French Baroque composer, movements of great energy and the occasional fiery manifestations of "Sturm und Drang", too. Rameau's earliest ouvertures, Hippolyte et Aricie and Les Indes Galantes, show us a fully formed composer at the height of his powers - those powers only seemed to increase through Rameau's operatic career and his most daring, adventurous and fresh music composed in his old age.

Unlike Handel's ouvertures, which usually features oboes, bassoon, strings and basso continuo, Jean-Philippe Rameau used an orchestra sometimes featuring: piccolo, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani, percussion and string orchestra - in fact an orchestra larger and more diverse than anything normally available to Franz Joseph Haydn or W. A. Mozart.

I have listened to this album many times since I first bought it and it always a delight to return to it. It can be "dipped into" or listened to in its entirety.

I hope Christophe Rousset and his talented Les Talens Lyriques eventually records some complete opera of Rameau for CD or DVD. Rousset's Monteverdi "L'incoronazione di Poppea" DVD is excellent and possibly the best DVD recording of that work currently available.

Cold heat.......2002-09-08

The French Baroque Roccoco School of music has suffered in comparison to the most vibrant Italian competition, or Bach and Handel dexterity and brilliance, not to mention soul enhancing character of their works. That is unfortunate since some of the graduates of that French period like Rameau have a record that is far from insignificant. But Rameau wrote for a public that liked mental games, was more subdued and courtly. The fire had to be contained. But the intelligence and brilliance did not have to be contained. If you want to be convinced of this, do yourself a favor and get this record. I will warn you, you might need to listen to it a few times, to let it grow on you, but next thing you know you might be purchasing some of these great operas. Oh! And the quality of the recording is impeccable, though a little bit low for my taste.

A constant pleasure.......2000-12-14

A collection of overtures to operas written by a Baroque composer whose name is well known but whose music is lesser known may not be high on everyone's 'want' list, but I urge you to take a chance on this CD. I obtained this disc as part of a 15-free-CDs introductory offer to a mail order CD club but it has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. This is music that seems to get better the more you hear it and ruminate over it afterward. Rameau is obviously a composer of considerable ingenuity and resource. These ouvertures positively bubble with effervescence and there is a refreshing lack of sameness among them. The period instrument group Les Talens Lyrique (named after one of the ouvertures on this CD) are obviously enthusiastic about this music and their playing is a joy. There is an appealing, analogue-like warmth about the recording, too.

excellent.......2000-12-08

My favorite CD in my collection, but I lost the disc so I have to order a new copy!

Average customer rating:

Rameau: Les Boréades [Highlights]

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000005EE9
Release Date: 1995-06-06

Patricia Petibon ~ French baroque arias (Rameau, Lully, Charpentier, Grandval) / Les Folies Françoises, Cohen-Akenin

Average customer rating:

Man, That woman really can sing !
Delicious singing, gorgeous music... this is a must-have.
I would give this CD seven stars if I could!
Perfect!
Affect and early music performance

Patricia Petibon ~ French baroque arias (Rameau, Lully, Charpentier, Grandval) / Les Folies Françoises, Cohen-Akenin
Jean-Philippe Rameau , Marc-Antoine Charpentier , Jean-Baptiste Lully , Nicolas Racot de Grandval , Patrick Cohen-Akenine , Patricia Petibon , and Les Folies Françoises
Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Tragédiennes
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

ASIN: B00005IA1U
Release Date: 2002-02-12

Tracks:

Platee: Air De Clarine: Soleil, Fuis De Ces Lieux
Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Ariette De L'Amour: Volez, Plaisirs, Celebrez Ce Beau Jour
Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Entree Des Egyptiens
Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Ariette De L'Egyptienne: L'Amant Que J'Adore
Les Fetes De L'Hymen Et De L'Amour: Ariette De L'Egyptienne: Amour, Lance Tes Traits
Platee: Air De Folie: Formones Les Plus Brillants Conc...Aux Langueurs D'Apollon
David Et Jonathas: A-t-on Jamais Souffert Une Plus Rude Peine?
Armide: Prld/Armide: Enfin, Il Est En Ma Puissance
Armide: Le Perfide Renaud Me Fuit
Les Indes Galantes: Air De Phani: Viens, Hymen
Les Indes Galantes: Air De Zima: Regnez, Plaisirs Et Jeux
Les Indes Galantes: Chaconne
Rien Du Tout

Amazon.com

This program of scenes and arias by Rameau, Charpentier, Lully, and Grandval is well designed to display Patricia Petibon's consummate vocal technique and historically informed artistry. Her florid coloratura, going up to high D- and E-flat (in the low period-instrument tuning) is clearly articulated and perfectly in tune. She can change color, nuance, and expression on a single note, and her mastery of the style is complete. She captures the seriousness as well as the humor in Rameau's two cantatas, the sorrow of Jonathan's lamentation in Charpentier's "David and Jonathan," the vacillation between reluctant attraction and furious vengeance in Lully's dramatic scene "Armide," and the rollicking fun in the final tour-de-force, Grandval's "Rien du tout"--a wicked parody of all singers and singing styles.

The voice itself takes some getting used to. In keeping with period practice, it is mostly lacking vibrato and so cool and bright as to seem shrill and strident. In the Lully, however, it becomes warmer, darker, and truly expressive. A large group of strings, winds, and percussion supports her splendidly, sometimes with only one or two instruments, sometimes with full orchestral effects that set the stage and underline mood and atmosphere. The musicians come into their own in the numerous instrumental sections, which are played with great verve, rhythmic incisiveness, character, and a wonderful sound. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Man, That woman really can sing !.......2006-11-09

In addition to Veronique Gens that is..........

Delicious singing, gorgeous music... this is a must-have........2004-04-30

Fine champagne fizzing from a French goblet... exquisite use of flirtation's fan behind cocquettish eyes... bitter-sweet laments and sighs over love and life... all with unmistakable French style and elegance. This is how Patricia Petibon has conveyed her performances of these fine baroque French arias.

As a fellow soprano specialising both in early music and other later classical vocal styles, I am extremely fastidious in my likes and dislikes when it comes to singers. When, therefore, I find a singer whose voice, intelligence and musicality produce ravishing quality like this, I am in alt...

In contrast to some of the comments here, I do not find Ms Petibon's voice shrill or white (except when she uses it so deliberately in order to create a particular emotional or stylistic effect). On the contrary, it is of a crystalline purity which she is able to tinge with warmer colours when necessary. I was hugely impressed by this recording, a worthy follow-up to the unbelievably beautiful recording of the Couperin Leçons de tènèbres which was sung by Petibon and Sophie Daneman.

What a sense of fun Patricia Petibon has! It's marvellous to hear baroque music performed with such stylish humour and grace, instead of the tediously uninterpreted choir-boy style which is considered by some to be the "correct" way of singing this type of aria. I listened with particular closeness to the arias from "Armide", which I had just performed myself - and was enchanted by Petibon's singing of them. Even though her voice is light in colour, she is perfectly adept at conveying vengeful hatred, despairing love, and a right royal snarling bad humour!

The accompanying instruments are taut, graceful, and beautifully recorded. The result is a treat to hear.

This CD is most highly recommended by me - and believe me, sopranos are tough critics of each other...!

I would give this CD seven stars if I could!.......2004-04-24

The beautiful and talented Patricia Petibon is simply stunning in this recording! If you've never listened to much Baroque opera this would be a great place to start! The music ranges from deeply emotional to whimsical. Petibon sings everything with style, panache, pizzazz and a deep commitment to the music and the composers.
The Baroque orchestra that accompanies her is new to me and they play with great verve.

What is so wonderful about this disc is that it is a genuine first - it is, as far as I know, the only disc in existence devoted the arias of Rameau, Lully, Charpentier and Grandval from a single singer. Bored with predictable collections of Opera Seria arias? Fed up with all the collections of the same Handel arias made by various sopranos, mezzos, countertenors, et cetera? Wondering what, exactly, the French were doing while the rest of Europe was worshipping castrati?

Well, look no further! You have it all here on this one marvelous CD! Here new 'French Touch' CD (on DECCA) shouldn't be missed either!

Long live Patricia Petibon!

Perfect!.......2003-11-19

This was one of the first opera aria recital CD's that I've ever purchased, and it got me hooked on Baroque opera, French or otherwise. I picked up this record originally because I found the singer very attractive; not the deepest reason, but the MUSIC turned out to be immnesely enjoyable, even if they would've put artwork or a photo of an opera-house on the cover.

To begin with, Petibon's voice is beautiful. As the other reviewer(s) put it, it is a cool, vibrato-less voice that might SEEM shrill, but her voice is never unpleasant. In fast or slow pieces, she is always a pleasure to listen to. Besides the sheer beauty of timbre of her voice, her musicanship is incredible: her interpretations are always appropriate, coloring the piece with humor, excitment, sex appeal (especially the Armida piece), anger, you-name-it. Technically she is very impressive, and handles the disc's runs, cascades, top-notes, etc. very well. (This disc is by no means a firweworks display though).

The orchestra plays with the same degree of musicianship, technicality and beauty. In some of the Rameaus pieces (especially the march), the instrumental textures really show off the great harmonies and voicings that Rameau is famous for; this disc is a great introduction to the composer's music, I wish she recorded Rameau more often.

Finally, the music itself is unique, interesting and entertaining all at the same time. The 2 two excerpts from Lully are not conventional arias, but they display how well the composer was able to blend drama into music. His music is both at the same time, and it soudns cliched but you have to hear it to treally understand it. The piece from Charpentier from "David and Jonathan" is stirring, and shows off what a talented singer and skilled orchestra can do with good music: it is musical, stirring, anguished and not something you will (probably) ever hear at the Met.
A wordy review, but this is one of my favorite records, one that I think everyone who has an intrest in the Baroque period should listen to. If you''re looking for an introduction to this very unique corner of classical music, try this CD.

Affect and early music performance.......2003-04-24

Patricia Petibon's performance on this recording seems wholly appropriate for the Baroque era repertoire she is singing. Early music performance in general stresses that the musician clearly present the affect of the piece. This, Petibon does. She is not afraid to sound thin, shrill or even ever so slightly out of tune. These artistic allowances, I'm sure are all intended and allow for word painting. She has a versatile style, sounding warm and serene, cold and sharp, and even overly-dramatic and funny.
In the small company of early music performers who strive to be authentic as possible, she is welcome.

Rameau: Règne Amour - Love Songs from the Operas

Average customer rating:

The beauty and grace of French Baroque Opera
A beautiful addition to any baroque music-lover's collection
Good, but I would have cut back on the instrumental movements
A Beautiful Introduction to Rameau's Operas
Excellent introduction to Rameau

Rameau: Règne Amour - Love Songs from the Operas

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001ZXMNQ
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Customer Reviews:

The beauty and grace of French Baroque Opera.......2007-04-29

I hadn't heard of Carolyn Sampson before I bought this CD, and since there aren't any sample tracks for this CD, I was sort of going out on a limb when I bought this CD...but I wanted a Rameau aria CD badly, so I decided just to go ahead and buy it. One of the best buys I ever made. Carolyn Sampson's voice is not the typical colorless, vibratoless, dull voice that you sometimes get with a baroque recital. Instead her voice has radiance, resplendence, and resonance. She has a quick, fluttery, but even vibrato, which is ideal for these arias. But she doesn't use her vibrato on every tone...for example, sometimes she will hit and sustain and crescendo on a note in her upper register without using any vibrato at all and it is one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard come out of the human throat. She has a very agile voice, which every singer who attempts any kind of baroque singing should have. Her runs are clean and precise. Her voice is "french" sounding, but it isn't weak or limp...it has a considerable amount of power, and she wields it with an enviable amount of professionalism. The music, of course, is sheer beauty and elegance. I'll take any one of Rameau's simple, lovely melodies over the heavy, dramatic "screamo" arias of Wagner or Verdi. The CD's sound quality is crystal clear. The Ex Cathedra Chorus and Orchestra deliver Rameau's music beautifully and effortlessly. This disc deserves to be played only in your finest stereo.

P.S. Track 17 was recently featured in the 2006 movie "Marie Antoinette"...It's one of my personal fav's :-)

A beautiful addition to any baroque music-lover's collection.......2007-03-03

The lovely voice of Carolyn Sampson is well suited to the truly gorgeous music of Rameau, of which a nice selection is included on this CD. The music itself poses no difficulty for Ms Sampson, and she negotiates the elegant lines and tuplet-endowed sections, along with the intrinsic embellishments of the arias, with ease.

There are many beautiful things in the CD, and for the sheer loveliness of the voice, what a pleasure it is to hear.

As the previous reviewer mentioned, there is a bit of cross-over between this and the delicious "Airs baroque français" by Patricia Petibon - and that is an album I strongly recommend in addition to this. I do personally prefer Petibon's recording, although this CD by Ms Sampson is also charming.

There are a number of reasons for that. Firstly, Petibon is French, and she sings (of course) in perfect French. Ms Sampson's French does not sound entirely French (however, most listeners won't be worried by this). Secondly, Patricia Petibon's understanding of the language also enables her to paint the words and music to convey meaning to an extent that is not equalled by Carolyn Sampson. Again, this won't matter a great deal to most listeners who will primarily be ravished by the lovely sounds of Carolyn Sampson's singing. Thirdly, it's true that there are quite a few purely instrumental pieces on this recording. Not that I particularly object... I love both Rameau's vocal music and his instrumental music, but in general when one purchases a vocal recital album, that's what one wants - a vocal recital.

The differences between the two singers' approach is exemplified mostly in the arias which are sung by each - that is, Rameau's "Soleil, fois de ces lieux !" and "Formons les plus brillants concerts... Aux langeurs d'Apollon". There is more "coeur" in Petibon's singing, but Ms Sampson offers her own attractions in her singing, of course. It's the lovely clarity of her voice that will appeal - it's a light and well-focused soprano timbre with considerable agility and a beautiful evenness throughout the range.

I enjoyed this album very much, and Carolyn Sampson's fresh and shining voice is extremely attractive to listen to. I have listened with pleasure to almost everything this very gifted singer has recorded, and she is certainly a singer whose recordings are worth collecting.

Recommended.

Good, but I would have cut back on the instrumental movements.......2006-09-18

I like this CD a lot and I have listened to it many times since I bought it. Carolyn Sampson has a fine soprano voice and a great vocal technique. I have enjoyed her singing for some time and her contributions to the King's Consort recordings of cantatas by Kuhnau, Zelenka, Knüpfer and Schelle were highlights for me.

I have few complaints about this disc, but I would have liked a few more vocal works and slightly less instrumental movements from the operas. However, as a "walk through" Jean-Philippe Rameau's operas, this CD is first class. There are so many Handelians around these days, endlessly singing the praises of the "Beloved Saxon", it is easy to forget that Rameau was easily as great as Handel in most areas and he certainly was a much more imaginative and skilled composer of orchestral music than his British-based peer. Whenever Handel had more instruments at his disposal, what did he do? He had the extra instruments play in unison with existing musical lines.
I digress.

I also have Patricia Petibon's incredible "Virtuoso French Baroque Opera Arias" CD, which is, in my opinion, utterly beyond any serious criticism. I was eager to compare Ms Sampson's interpretations with Mademoiselle Petibon's slightly older recording. Carolyn Sampson does well, however, in "Aux langueurs d'Apollon", it is clear to me that she just can't touch Patricia Petibon in realm of imagination, characterisation, wit and style. Sampson's La Folie seems to be polite and charming - as opposed to Petibon's La Folie, who really is quite mad.

Sampson does use more vibrato than Petibon, who uses virtually none. Listeners who aren't attracted to HIP interpretations of Baroque music will probably thus favour Sampson's interpretations over Petibon's.

Carolyn Sampson's interpretations of the slower and less extrovert arias are very good indeed. Her "Soleil, fuis de ces lieux" is very attractive and not inferior to Petibon's in any way. I just wish someone had brought the great aria "Triste apprêts, pâles flambeaux" from Castor et Pollux to her attention. Ms Sampson would have done something very nice with that great Baroque aria.

I love this CD and it makes for some great listening. Needless to say, the experience of Patricia Petibon in French Baroque opera gives her a considerable edge, but Sampson's is a highly worthy recording.

A Beautiful Introduction to Rameau's Operas.......2006-04-25

I had the pleasure of hearing high tenor Jean-Pierre Fouchard and the Opera LaFayette perform a recital of Rameau's operatic music during a snowy February afternoon concert at the University of Maryland. I wanted to hear more Rameau opera and found this excellent CD with a program similar to the one I heard live, but for a soprano voice. This CD on Hyperion, "Love Songs from the Operas" features soprano Carolyn Sampson and Jeffry Skidmore conducting the choir and orchestra of Ex Cathedra, an English early music ensemble, similar to the Opera LaFayette of my own home town, that performs in period style on period instruments. The CD is a wonderful way to get to know Rameau.

Jean-Phillipe Rameau (1687 -- 1764) began composing operas at the age of 50. (Together with his near-contemporary, Domenico Scarlatti, Rameau shows there is hope yet for us late-bloomers)
With their emotional passion, harmonic daring, and unmistakable rhythms, Rameau initiated a new age in French opera. A figure of the Enlightenment in music, Rameau went far towards initiating the classical style of Gluck and Mozart. French opera during Rameau's time was largely a mixture of dramatic stage material and musical interludes known as divertissiments. Thus, his musical accomplishment can legitimately be approached by a selection from his various operas, as offered on this CD and in the live performance I mentioned above.

Sampson and Skidmore offer selections from seven Rameau operas, including his first opera Hipolyte et Acis of 1733, and including as well Les Indes galantes, Les Paladin, Plate, Zoroastre, Dardanus, and Pygmalion. Many of the works include collections of musical interludes from the divertissiments, while others are solo selections. There is a great variety of music on the recording, including a surprising amount of comedy material and, in Platee, Rameau's satire of the florid, melismatic style of Italian opera. Much of appeal of Rameau's music results from the interplay between simple melodic lyricism and the variety of his orchestration, particularly for winds. Flute, oboe, bassoon, and percussion are all well in evidence here. I particularly enjoyed some of the slower more serious ariettes, including "Soleil fuis du ces lieux" from Plate and "Regne Amour" from Zoroastre. Several of the selections show the origins of French baroque music in the dance and feature lively orchestral introductions followed by solos. There are two fine examples in the opening divertissiment from Les Indes Gallantes. Strongly structured and rhythmic orchestral interludes are offered in "Tambourin" from Dardanus and in the minuet and rondo from "Les Indes Gallantes." And the choir is featured in selections from Plate. But Ms Sampson's clear, passionate, and idiomatic soprano remains the chief attraction of this CD.

In his study, "French Baroque Music", James Anthony observed (p. 129) that "In terms of musical statement, there is no question but that [Rameau] is the greatest composer of the French eighteenth century; there is also no question that, among all the first line composers of that century of giants, he is the one least appreciated today." For those who lack the good fortune I had in hearing a live recital of Rameau, this CD provides an introduction to the beauty and power of his operatic music.

I am pleased that this CD has already attracted the attention of two excellent and thoughtful reviewers.

Robin Friedman

Excellent introduction to Rameau.......2006-01-09

I just want to add a few comments on this disc, which has already been very well reviewed: I've enjoyed some of Rameau's keyboard music, but can't say I've been thoroughly captured by his operas. This disc proved to be an excellent exploration of Rameau's vocal music, and I highly recommend it. Carolyn Sampson has a light, fresh voice with great appeal. The selections include pieces from several of the lesser-known operas that are real gems, along with more well-known items (within the Rameau orbit, which is arguably underappreciated). The accompaniment, by Jeffrey Skidmore and Ex Cathedra, is superb--delicate when required, or bustling along, but never intrusive, and lacking that "Original Instruments" edginess that some of us find irritating at times. The sound is typical Hyperion--first rate, if slightly recessed.

If you have any interest in this repertoire, but haven't found the right place to dive in, this ought to do the job.

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Musique Adorable Complete Songs
Chabrier , Lott , Varcoe , Johnson , and Polyphony
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ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Concert Legrand

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First Time Available on CD. Originally Recorded in 1976.

Aria: The Finest Sacred & Secular Arias from 1600 to 1800

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