Canzoni [Import]

1. Vattene Amore - Mietta, Amedeo Minghi

2. Amore

3. Farfalla

4. Cuore Di Metallo

5. Immenso

6. Vattene Amore

7. Piccolissimi Segreti

8. Niente

9. Canzoni

10. Come Goccia

Tracks:

Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Dulcis Jesu
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Son Pian E Forte
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Jubilate Deo
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Son a 14
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: O Jesu Mi Dulcissime
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Canzon
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Hic Est Filius Dei
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Son Con Tre Violini
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Son a 22
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Miserere Me Deus - Gloria Patri
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Canzon In Echo Duodecimi Toni
Canzonas, Sonatas And Motets: Audite Principes

Tracks:

Intonationi D'Organo, 1593: Intonatione Del Nono Tono
Sacrae Symphoniae II, 1965: In Ecclesiis
Motetti In Lode D'Iddio Nostro Signore, 1620: Adoramus Te, Christe
Ghirlanda Sacra, 1625: O Quam Tu Pulchra Es
Sonate Concertate, Libro Secondo, 1629: Sonata Seconda
Arie De Diversi, 1624: Exulta, Filia Sion
Sonate, Libro Terzo, Op.8, 1663: Son Da Chiesa A 3, Op.8 No.8 'La Bevilaqua'
Crucifixus
Clarae Stellae, Scintillate, RV625: Aria: Clarae Stellae, Scintillate: Aria: Clarae Stellae, Scintillate
Clarae Stellae, Scintillate, RV625: Aria: Clarae Stellae, Scintillate: Recitativo: Coeli Repleti Iam Novo Splendore
Clarae Stellae, Scintillate, RV625: Aria: Clarae Stellae, Scintillate: Aria: Nunc Jubilare
Clarae Stellae, Scintillate, RV625: Aria: Clarae Stellae, Scintillate: Alleluia
Crucifixus
Ghirlanda Sacra, 1625: Currite Populi
Montetti In Lode D'Iddio Nostro Signore, 1620: Christe, Adoramus Te
Canzoni Et Sonate, 1615: Canzon VIII
Berlin, Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, MS Lynar A1: Fuga Del Nono Tono
Sacrae Symphoniae II, 1615: Magnificat

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-04-01

Polychoral music-music written for several groups of musicians separated spatially-was not peculiar to Venice, but it was associated with the Basilica of San Marco and ceremonial events in the Venetian cultural calendar.
Chordal writing reached its peak in the polychoral works of Giovanni Gabrieli(1555-1612), the principal church composer in Italy of the progressive development. He not only increased the number of choirs to four and the total pitch range to over four octaves, but also juxtaposed passages of conventional rhythm with strikingly jagged suncopated motifs. These dramatic contrasts were further intensified by occasional chromatic harmony and unusual dissonances and, more significantly, by the use of instruments that alternated or combined with the voices. All of these traits are well demonstrated in the music on disc 1 of this set. His music is wonderfully exciting!!!!
Upon his death, Monteverdi succeeded him, and took his own direction musically; much different from Gabrielli. It is not just that their styles are different, but the instrumentation is much different as you will hear upon listening to disc 2.
Two subsequent directors of music represented here are Legrenzi and Lotti, both primarily opera composers.
Vivaldi had no direct connection with the basililca; he worked at the 'Pieta', and his motet 'Clarae stellae' was written for a 'Signora Gertruda, a singer who sang at the Pieta. This is one of the most attractive pieces on disc 2, and is often recorded by countertenors (altos)but on this disc is sung by Randi Stene, mezzo soprano, who sings it quite well. Andreas Scholl has recorded this, and I do personally prefer Scholl's countertenor quality for this particular piece.
Monteverdi's 'Currite populi' is another favorite of mine, and its excellently performed herein.
There is just so much to enjoy on these two discs for the early music lover. The instruments are very skillfully played and the styles of the various composers are adhered to all the time. The balance between the voices and the instruments is perfect as one might expect from Parrott's performers. The soloists: Emily van Evera (soprano), Randi Stene (mezzo) and Jeffrey Thomas (tenor) all sang with the correct emotional investment. Certainly worth listening to!!!!

A "Regular People" Review .......2007-01-09

Venetian Church Music?....never thought I'd be listening to that, anyway this music is for those who seek it out, If thats not you this probably won't interest you (but you can try some renaissance/baroque experimental listening to see if you'd like it!). If your into this though, this is a good deal.

exceptional tone quality.......2006-03-28

When I purchased this recording, I had not yet had the pleasure of owning an Andrew Parrott/Taverner Consort recording. I was so impressed! Andrew really excercises an understanding of this genre, an understanding that I haven't often seen. In particular I was quite pleased with this rendintion of Gabrieli's "In ecclesiis" (although the Bass, I don't know his name, is too lacking in volume). Other than that, I just adore this CD set. I also recommend Andrew Parrot for anything predating Bach (*not including Bach!). There is a 5 CD of particular interest and quality called "From Monteverdi to Vivaldi" by this same ensemble that you might consider purchasing instead of this set (almost exact same price, and one of the CDs- the better of the two in this set- is included in the 5CD set).

The Fabulous Andrew Parrott.......2005-08-04

Who else but Andrew Parrott?! The fabulous adventurer in the field of early music, Parrott has time and again unearthed unknown masterpieces, shedding light on their original luster through a keen sense of the historical settings, employment of the proper historic instruments & period vocal style, and his own inspired musicianship. Throughout the 2nd half of the 20th century music lovers like me knew the works of Gabrieli through the appropriations by well-meaning ensembles of modern brass instruments: Chicago Symphony Brass, Canadian Brass, etc. Parrott has been the first to perform and record many of these works with early 17th century instruments, providing a restored sonic image for the 21st century connoisseur. Bravo! Encore, please!

Fabulous introduction to Venetian sacred music.......2003-07-24

This fantastic collection of music is probably one of the best introductions to Venetian Baroque (early to late) on offer.
The first disc, devoted to Giovanni Gabrieli, is nothing short of amazing. Cornetts, Baroque violins, tenor cornetts, sackbuts and multiple organs (try the first track - the huge Dulcis Jesu patris imago à 20 voci) can be heard on this disc and they are all played with great panache, style and, most importantly, expression. I bought both of these discs when they were issued on EMI Reflex over ten years ago - and I have never stopped loving these magnificent and colourful performances.

If you want only one recording of Giovanni Gabrieli's music - then this might be the one for you! The other might be the Gabrieli Consort's 'A Venetian Coronation'? (if you want two Gabrieli recordings in your collection!)

The second disc contains a very tasty selection of music by Legrenzi, Monteverdi, Vivaldi and, again, Giovanni Gabrieli (the star of the show!).

Tracks:

Abblasen - Don Smithers
Rondeau - Wynton Marsalis
Allegro Assai - Thomas Stevens
I. Allegro - Maurice Andre
II. Largo - Maurice Andre
III. (Allegro) - Maurice Andre
I. Andante - Hakan Hardenberger
II. Allegro Moderato - Hakan Hardenberger
I. Allegro - John Wilbraham
II. Largo - John Wilbraham
III. Allegro - John Wilbraham
I. Adagio - Maurice Andre
II. Allegro - Maurice Andre
I. Allegro - Aldoph Herseth
II. Andante - Adolph Herseth
III. Finale. Allegro - Adolph Herseth
I. Allegro Con Spirito - John Wilbraham
II.Andante - John Wilbraham
III. Rondo - John Wilbraham
La Virgen De La Macarena - Ronald Romm
Theme & Variations On 'The Carnival Of Venice' - John Wilbraham

Tracks:

Reiterfanfare - Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble
XXI: Sonata A 3 - Michael Laird
Sonata A 7 - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
March For 3 Trumpets And Timpani - The London Festival Brass Ensemble
I. Allegro - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
II. Andante - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
III. Vivace - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
I. Moderato - John Wilbraham
II. Menuett - John Wilbraham
III. Larghetto - John Wilbraham
IV. Vivace - John Wilbraham
Fanfare For St. Edmundsbury - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Quiet City - Thomas Stacy
Concertino For Trumpet, Piano And Strings - Pierre Thibaud
Fanfare For A New Theatre - Raymond Mase
Marche Royale - ARMANDO GHITALLA
Etude Characteristique - Elgar Howarth
Hora Staccato - Rafael Mendez
Czardas - Rafael Mendez

Customer Reviews:

Hot Lips Trumpets.......2007-01-10

I appreciate this CD, it is high quality and a great variety and I enjoy it very much.
Vernon M. Dean

"Abblassen" Used in "Sunday Morning".......2006-02-01

The CBS News show "Sunday Morning" is using "Abblassen" as their theme music.

fun trumpets.......2005-09-13

"Masters of The Trumpet" is a simple and accurate title for this 2- disc collection. The recordings cover trumpet/cornet literature ranging from Gabrieli to Stravinsky.
Especially enjoyable moments are Don Smithers playing Reiche's "Abblasen" & Armando Ghitalla's work on Stravinsky's "Marche Royale" (L'Histoire du Soldat).
Rafael Mendez sounds as though he has more fun playing than should be legal...exciting!..and Adolph Herseth is a pleasure to hear whether he's playing in "delicate mode" or shattering asteroids with his power.
Get this recording.

dj

Average customer rating:

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

Best of L.A.G.Q.

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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

ASIN: B00000DCXY
Release Date: 1998-09-22

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isabel Bayrakdarian ~ Pauline Viardot-Garcia (Lieder, Chancon, Canzoni, Mazurkas)

Average customer rating:

Puts the "E" in "Exquisite"
Isabel Bayrakdarian Continues To Please and Enlighten
Charming Songs Charmingly Sung

Isabel Bayrakdarian ~ Pauline Viardot-Garcia (Lieder, Chancon, Canzoni, Mazurkas)
Pauline Viardot , Isabel Bayrakdarian , and Serouj Kradjian
Manufacturer: Analekta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Isabel Bayrakdarian ~ Azulão
Isabel Bayrakdarian ~ Joyous Light
Isabel Bayrakdarian ~ Cleopatra
Mozart: Arie e Duetti
A Long Journey Home

ASIN: B0006U6PWG
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Serenade
Bonjour Mon Coeur
Hai Luli !
L'enfant Et La Mere
Havanaise
Madrid
Filles De Cadix
Des Nachts
Rathsel
Die Sterne
Die Beschworung
Seize-Ans, D'apres La Mazurka No.31 An La Bemol Majeur, Op.50 No.2 De Frederic C
Aime-Moi, D'apres La Mazurka No. 23 En Re Majeur, Op.33 No.2 De Frederic Chopin
Fete, D'apres La Mazurka No.4 En Mi Bemol Mineur, Op.6 No.4 De Frederic Chopin B
Plainte D'amour, D'apres La Mazurka No.1 An Fa Diese Mineur, Op.6 No.1 De Freder
Chanson De La Pluie
Grands Oiseaux Blancs
Desespoir
Sylvie
Moriro
L'afflitta
Chevelure, Chanson Napolitaine
Ti Voglio Amar, Canzone D'amore

Customer Reviews:

Puts the "E" in "Exquisite".......2007-02-22

Pauline Viardot had such charm and talent most of her contemporary male French composers fell in love with her, even though she was not a classic beauty. Clara Schumann wrote that she was the most talented woman she'd ever met. This intelligent charm comes through in her many well-crafted songs and this recording is by far the most outstanding Viardot song collection available that I've heard. The subtleties and varieties of expression are here like no other. This esquisite recording is to be enjoyed like fine wine with a fine meal.

Isabel Bayrakdarian Continues To Please and Enlighten.......2005-05-22

Isabel Bayrakdarian is a rising star in the field of opera and recital and this most interesting recording of the songs written by the legendary Pauline Viardot-Garcia, a singer whose wide vocal range is a bit of operatic legend, gratefully reinforces the early suggestion that this is an artist who thinks beyond the stage lights and curtain calls.

Beautiful of presence as well as of voice, Bayrakdarian illuminates the stage as well as the intimate concert recital hall. As in her thoughtful and successful recording of songs focused on the character Cleopatra, here she turns to the rarely heard (and to many unknown) songs written by the singer who had it all in her day of bel canto. In keeping with the tradition of her time Pauline Viardot-Garcia's songs were composed primarily as salon music and she admittedly usurped the style of her favorite composers in creating these lovely songs to an audience that always included luminaries in the arts of her time.

Bayrakdarian, with the sensitive collaboration of her husband Serouj Kradjian at the piano, tosses off these songs in many languages and many moods written to the poetry of such divers writers as Gauthier, Pushkin, Goethe, Turgenev, etc with ease of technical finesse and sensitive interpretation. Hers is a voice while not large has the quality that commands the listener's ear and attention. And surprisingly for the rather extreme range of these works she is comfortable in every portion of the vocal palette. These are refreshing, lovely, if not always great, songs and Bayrakdarian sings them with aplomb and respect.

One wonders what her next venture into the recorded field will be. She is an amazingly gifted artist who seems to be pacing an important career with much intelligence. Grady Harp, May 05

Charming Songs Charmingly Sung.......2005-02-11

I've been a fan of the Armenian-Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian from the first moment I heard her voice. Just now thirty, she has exploded onto the operatic and recital stage in the last two or three years, singing at many of the world's opera houses (e.g., two roles thus far at the Metropolitan) and foremost recital halls. And she has recorded for just as long. Her story is all the more amazing in that she didn't study singing until she had just about finished her degree with honors in Biomedical Engineering at a Canadian university. I have reviewed two earlier CDs ('Azulão' and 'Cleopatra,' both available here at Amazon) and not surprisingly gave them both raves.

Here we have a collection of songs by another remarkable woman, Pauline Viardot-Garcia (1821-1910) who was a world-famous singer whose voice comprised the range from contralto to high coloratura soprano. She was from what has been called the Royal Family of Singing of the 19th century. Her father was singer and singing teacher (and the first-ever Figaro in Rossini's 'Barber of Seville') Manuel Garcia Sr, her sister the legendary Maria Malibran, her brother Manuel Garcia Jr. As a physician I am always pleased to note that Manuel Jr, aside from being a singer and then a teacher of such singing stars as Jenny Lind and Mathilde Marchesi, was also the inventor of the laryngoscope, that medical instrument that allows one to see the vocal cords. Wouldn't you know it was a singing teacher who came up with that idea!

As a composer, Viardot wrote well over 100 songs in at least five languages to texts by such writers as Turgenev, Musset, Pushkin, Gautier, Goethe and Mörike. She set twelve of Chopin's mazurkas to texts by Louis Pomey, and Chopin is reported to have been delighted with them. Four of those are included on this disc. Her music is expertly crafted but makes no pretensions of being much more than exceedingly charming salon music. I will admit that I had not known more than a few of them, but I've been listening to this disc repeatedly over the last few days and keep finding delightful things in them. The songs are helped by the simply lovely singing of Miss Bayrakdarian. She has a silvery, flexible, lyric soprano that is even from top to bottom. The quality of her voice reminds me, if I had to compare her with anyone, of Elly Ameling, a long-time favorite of mine (and the world's). She has something else that Ameling had--a smile in the voice. I cannot explain what that means technically but I know it when I hear it. One has the sense that Bayrakdarian has enormous pleasure from singing and that comes across.

Some highlights on this disc: 'Havanaise' with its feathery coloratura (how does any singer manage to sing florid triplets at such a speed?), the four Chopin mazurkas included here, the utterly sweet lullaby 'L'Enfant et la Mère,' the lover's plaint 'Haï Luli,' the pastorale 'Chanson de la Pluie,' the nocturnes 'Des Nachts' and 'Die Sterne,' the desperate cry of the jilted lover, 'Morirò' ('I shall die'). If I had to place the musical style of Viardot-Garcia, I'd put it in the general ambit of Gounod and Bizet, with a bow to Mendelssohn.

Bayrakdarian's performances are nuanced but not overly so. These are not deathless poems and they don't require that sort of emphasis. As far as I can tell the only defect, if you call it that, in her voice is that her trill is just a bit rudimentary. But this is definitely a voice to treasure. Not having heard her live, I don't really know how big the voice is, but its purity and sheen almost certainly would help make it heard in a larger house. Her pianist is a fellow Armenian-Canadian, Serouj Kradjian. He is a sensitive accompanist and his piano is recorded very well. [Bayrakdarian and Kradjian, I've just learned, were married in the summer of 2004.]

I can't wait for Bayrakdarian's next recording.

TT=69:06

Scott Morrison

Carlo Bergonzi - Italian Songs ~ Bellini · Verdi · Danza · Tosti · Donizetti · Rossini · Mascagni · Puccini

Average customer rating:

Another dazzled listener
Exquisite Music
Carlo Bergonzi - the tenor's tenor
Sheer Perfection!
glad i came across this one!

Carlo Bergonzi - Italian Songs ~ Bellini · Verdi · Danza · Tosti · Donizetti · Rossini · Mascagni · Puccini
Vincenzo Bellini , Giuseppe Verdi , Luigi Denza , Gaetano Donizetti , Stefano Donaudy , Pietro Adolfo Tirindelli , Gioachino Rossini , Pietro Mascagni , Francesco Paolo Tosti , Arturo Buzzi-Peccia , Ernesto de Curtis , Giacomo Puccini , Opera Orchestra of New York , Carlo Bergonzi , Eve Queler , and John Wustman
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Carlo Bergonzi - The Sublime Voice ~ 40 Tracks from the Legendary Tenor
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Giuseppe Di Stefano Sings Neopolitan & Other Songs
The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli
The Very Best of Nicolai Gedda

ASIN: B00000FCKS
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Tracks:

Vaga luna che inargenti
Stornello
Se. . .
Me voglio fa 'na casa
O del mio amato ben
Vaaghissima sembianza
O primavera!
Occhi di fata
La promessa
Serenata
Tormento!
L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra
Ideale
Lolita
Non ti scordar di me
La danza
EDGAR: 'Orgia, chimera dall'occhio vitreo'

Customer Reviews:

Another dazzled listener.......2006-12-12

All the other reviewers love this disc because it is, quite simply, dazzling. Twenty five years ago the voice of Carlo Bergonzi on a record borrowed from the library (along with those of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau) made me realize that opera was something worth listening to.... Things haven't changed. Bergonzi was among the handful of true greats and this recording does justice to his intelligent and passionate voice.

Exquisite Music.......2005-11-15

This CD is a favorite of mine for two reasons, Bergonzi is magnificent and the Italian songs are gorgeous. Moreover, these wonderfully crafted Italian songs are arranged in a straightforward manner--the tenor sings with a piano accompaniment--which allows the listener to focus directly on the beauty of the music. Bergonzi is simply extraordinary, he has such subtle vocal control combined with real warmth. The result is refined, but lush music.

Carlo Bergonzi - the tenor's tenor.......2005-07-28

This CD is for lovers of Italian "classical" Ballads, and is highly recommended. Most of the songs are sung by Carlo with a piano accompaniment, so don't expect to hear grand opera.

A very lovely CD

Sheer Perfection!.......2002-09-25

This album is quite simply put, exquisite! Bergonzi shows in this collection that even late in his career he could still produce that wonderful lyric beauty he was so famous for. My favorite song on this abum Donaudy's "Vaghissima sembianza" is so perfect, so shimmering, just so very beautiful. This song is worth the price of the album itself. Bergonzi's stylings on de Curtis' "Non ti scordar di me" will send one back to the recording of Beniamino Gigli, and favorably so. Begonzi also demonstrates a musicianship on this album that is second to none. Bergonzi was truly a "class act". This is one of the most beautiful, most perfect Neapolitan collections ever. This CD is a must have for lovers of Bergonzi, for lovers of Neapolitan songs, or just lovers of perfect singing!!

glad i came across this one!.......2002-01-18

I love this CD and recommend it to anyone who loves opera and clear, beautiful singing. The variety of songs ranges from meltingly romantic to playful and flippant. My Italian is not very good but his diction is so perfect I feel like I understand every word. Bergonzi's big, athletic voice gives the illusion of being barely under control. But of course it is under complete contol, never bellowing. John Wustman's supple, slender accompaniment is perfect, each introduction whets the listener's appetite for the song, which he then gently frames and supports. He does get to shine on "La Daza". This would be a great CD for those new to opera and is worth it for "Vaga luna" alone!

Canzoni e Danze: Wind Music from Renaissance Italy

Average customer rating:

Triumphant!
Excellent Renaissance Faire. Buy it!
Definitely Worth the Listening
Superb musicianship on ancient instruments....
Piffaro Renaissance Band Superb

Canzoni e Danze: Wind Music from Renaissance Italy
Joan Ambrosio Dalza , Heinrich Isaac , Francesco Bendusi , Giorgio Mainerio , Rossino Mantovano , Costanzo Festa , Anonymous , Fillippo Azzaiolo , Jacques Arcadelt , Vincenzo Ruffo , Orazio Vecchi , Lodovico Agostini , Giovanni Ferretti , Cesario Gussago , Aurelio Bonelli , Eric Anderson , Grant Gerreid , Adam Gilbert , Joan Kimball , Gwyn Roberts , Robert Wiemken , Thomas Zajac , Piffaro , and The Renaissance Band
Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Chansons et Danceries (French Renaissance Wind Music)
Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music
Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music
Panorama: Dances of the Renaissance
Music From the Odhecaton

ASIN: B0000057EX
Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

Piva
Palle, Palle - Ne piu bella di queste - La mi la sol
Recorders: Pass'e mezo ditto il Romano - Moschetta - Bandera
La Parma - Un sonar de piva in fachinesco (Lirum bililirum)
Regem archangelorum - Alma, che scarca dal corporeo velo
Aldi, dolce ben mio - Bona via faccia barva (Venetiana) - Gentil madonna, del mio cor padrona
Donna, quando pietosa - El travagliato - La gamba in basso e soprano - Amor e foco e ghiaccio
Putta nera ballo furlano
All'arm', all'arm' - Com'al primo apparir - Sonata 'La facca'
Canzona 'Istrina' - Sonata 'La fontana' - Canzona 'Licori'
la morte de la ragione (Pavane) - La traditora (Gagliarda) - Bel fiore - La rocha el fuso (Gagliarda) - El desperato (Saltarello) - La lavandara (Gagliarda)

Amazon.com

Piffaro discs make this sedentary fool want to get up and dance. Renaissance dance music is a much-underrated source of general delight, anyway. You don't have to be the kind of specialist listener who loves medieval masses to get a kick out of this tasty, highly rhythmic music--the disco of an earlier era. The tunes are appealing, the sounds of the varied instruments consistently delightful. I rate discs of Renaissance dances not so much by their authenticity, a debatable matter anyway, but rather by their danceability. Piffaro discs rank consistently high in this respect, and they are realistically recorded. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Triumphant!.......2006-12-01

This is truly one of the best albums of Renaissance music currntly available! Purely instrumental! Much of it appears to be music for a royal court event or the like, with much use of brass and wind instruments. There are also many selections for the festival setting, usually involving the bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy. Too many albums of ancient music "pad" the content with monotonous choral polyphonic selections, perhaps starting out with one or two really good instrumental pieces. However, they did not do that in this one!

Excellent Renaissance Faire. Buy it!.......2005-11-15

'Piffaro The Renaissance Band' is a Philadelphia group who has done several superior albums of Renaissance music for the label 'Archiv', late of Deutche Grammaphone, now part of Polygram. I was astonished when I heard from a student of one of the directors, Robert Wiemken, that the band is paid virtually nothing to make the record and have it distributed. While I would expect that from a minor label, it is surprising that an act should make it to Deutche Grammaphone and not be paid for their recording. I go into this minor digression because I am especially impressed by this recording and all their others as well.

I do take issue with it's being labelled a recording of 'wind' music, as there is ample representation from the family of string instruments, most famously the guitar and the hurdy gurdy.

Although I really enjoy 'old music', I'm not an expert on it, but I set out to distinguish this music from modern stuff, and the two I can find are the presence here of a lot of drone instruments such as the bagpipe and the hurdy gurdy and the absence of instruments such as the clarinet which give us that lushly woody tenor we hear in pieces such as 'Rapsody in Blue' or in some of Kurt Weill's German stage pieces. We also certainly miss the rich sounds of the piano, as the pianoforte has not been invented yet.

If you like old music, this band is a 'must hear'!

Definitely Worth the Listening.......2004-01-26

Simply lovely. Some whimsical, some more technically serious. In all, definitely worth the money and the time. One of my new favorites.

Superb musicianship on ancient instruments...........2001-10-03

I wish composers were still writing for hurdy-gurdy @ crumhorn...what a wonderful sound. I especially liked "La Parma". I do believe a modern tunesmith has taken that melody @ recently made a rather haunting popular song from it; a female vocalist, I think. If anyone out there can remember what the name of that modern tune is @ will post it here, it will save me some on-going mental annoyance. You won't go wrong in buying this album!

Piffaro Renaissance Band Superb.......2001-05-20

This CD has me dancing in the streets. I have played holes in the recording. The musicianship is extraordinary with excitement, love and a great warm sense of pleasure taken by everyone involved. Renaissance instruments are not generally known for subtlety or nuance, but these players work miracles. The percussion sections are also integral to the whole and thrilling, where appropriate. Piffaro, please keep your music coming.

Average customer rating:

The Great Lanza Shows he that he was "The American Caruso"
A voice is a person
Love Lanza, not my favoirte collection
Wonderful voice, disputable arrangements, lack of texts
The best work of Lanza's life.

The Great Caruso/Sings Caruso Favorites

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mario Lanza Sings Songs From The Student Prince & The Desert Song / Romberg
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Lanza: Greatest Hits
Mario Lanza: At His Best!

ASIN: B000003EV1
Release Date: 1989-08-25

Tracks:

Rigoletto: Questa o quella
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile
Rigoletto: Parmi veder le lagrime
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar
Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba
Vieni sul mar
Senza nisciuno
Musica proibita
Vaghissima sembianza
Serenata
Lolita
Luna d'estate
L'alba separa dalla luse l'ombra
Pour un baiser
La mia canzone
Ideale
Santa Lucia

Customer Reviews:

The Great Lanza Shows he that he was "The American Caruso".......2007-03-13

Some of Mario Lanza's best classical opera work is in this album. It shows the richness of his operatic voice and why he was the greatest tenor of all time. One who has listened to other great tenors needs to compare with Lanza for the depth and breath of his operatic talent. They will see that he was second to none as this set of recordings shows. It also proves that if he had taken the route to the stage he would have been among the greatest performers of opera of his generation and even ours. That he chose the silver screen, recordings and concerts is a benefit to us who can still enjoy his vast talent. I recommend this for Lanza lovers and those who want to hear the best.

A voice is a person.......2006-09-10

This recording makes it clear that rumours at the time of Mario Lanza's death of his `deteriorating voice' were gossip. The Caruso-album reveals on the whole a large, strong and gifted voice that responds duly to Sir Peter Pears' saying `A violin is a violin, and a piano is a piano, but a voice is a person'. Lanza's egality is unstressed from top to almost bottom, and he appears so humble towards his material - no overextended pitch notes -, that one may wonder whether he should not have committed himself fully to the opera. The arias from the Caruso-film carry his fresh, lively personal trade mark which hyper-aesthetics may call bad taste as much as they like, but which in fact reveals the personality. The Caruso Favourites, however, recorded just shortly before his death vary notably in quality with some Morricone's arrangement of especially Tosti's and Gabriele d'Annunzio's `L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra' (The dawn separates shade from light) as the bottom. This song which is perhaps the best, Tosti ever wrote, is disgracefully sweetened by violinistic candy-floss that makes one long fiercely for the interpretations by Jussi Björling (see below) or Carlo Bergonzi (Sony 01 060785-10). On top is Gastaldon's `Musica Proibita' which Lanza sings with so much warmth and genuine sweetness that it reminds one of Björling's lovely `Visa kring slånblom och månskära' (Ballad of blackthorn and moonlight) recorded in 1953 (EMI 7243 5 66306 2 8). Mario Lanza renders us himself purely and entirely, and it is RCAVictor who is to blame for the lack of texts in the cover and the unsuitabe arrangement mentioned above

***(*)

Love Lanza, not my favoirte collection.......2001-07-24

Lanza is my favorite tenor and certainly he there is nothing on this CD that diminishes my opinion of him in that regard. The CD is a classic of course because of the classic movie. Nonetheless, this particular array of music is not my favorite demonstration of Lanza's talent. I'd recommend the 1949-1959 Historical Recordings CD most of all for the best of Lanza.

Wonderful voice, disputable arrangements, lack of texts.......1999-08-30

The best work of Lanza's life........1998-10-08

This piece is unquestionably the best work of Lanza's life. The CD, which takes its title from the movie of the same name, amply demonstrates the power for which Lanza is so famous. It is this CD, more than any other, to which you should refer when comparing the strengths of Caruso, Lanza and Pavarotti. It is a joy from beginning to end.

Le Mie Canzoni: The Best of Umberto Tozzi

Average customer rating:

A good album to introduce yourself to italian music
music from the past

Le Mie Canzoni: The Best of Umberto Tozzi
Umberto Tozzi
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of Laura Pausini: E Ritorno Da Te

ASIN: B0000074J9
Release Date: 1996-04-11

Tracks:

Io Camminero
Qualcosa Qualcuno
Ti Amo
Tu
Stella Stai
Notte Rosa
A Cosa Servono Le Mani
Gloria
Donna Amante Mia
Si Puo Dare Di Piu
Immensamente
Gente Di Mare
Gli Altri Siamo Noi
Se Non Avessi Te

Album Details

2002 Best Of.. Compilation from the Italian Vocal Superstar.

Customer Reviews:

A good album to introduce yourself to italian music.......2006-07-19

This cd is a collection. It really includes the best songs of Umberto Tozzi. The orchestrations make the songs really easy to listen to, and Tozzi's voice is really unique and appropriate for the sentimental songs he sings. I, particularly like, Nr.1 "Io caminero" Nr. 3 "Ti amo" Nr. 9 "Donna amante mia" Nr. 12 " Gente di mare" which means the people of the sea.

If you would like to listen to some Italian music this would be a good album to start with. A good thing is that the booklet of the cd contains the lyrics.

If you are in your late thirties you might be surprised that you have already heard some of these songs.

music from the past.......1999-05-17

this album features some of his greatest songs, like Gloria and Ti amo. These where all great succeses in Italy and in the rest of Europe. Although the songs are a bit old, from the seventies and eighties, the words and feelings are timeless. It's great music to listen to, it picks you up when you feel down. Just listen for yourself!!! You'll fall in love instantly.

Average customer rating:

More than Victorian sentimentality
Full of atmosphere and taste.
Ben Heppner Sings Paolo Tosti
Strongly recommended

Ideale: Songs of Paolo Tosti

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tchaikovsky Complete Songs 1
Renato Bruson sings Tosti

ASIN: B0000CGUZZ
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Ideale
Entra!
In The Hush Of The Night
Lasciami! Lascia Ch'io Respiri
Vorrei Morire!
L'alba Separa Dalla Luce L'ombra
'A Vucchella
Seconda Mattinata
Penso!
Chitarrata Abruzzese
Plaintes D'amour
Demain
Lo Ti Sento!
I Dare To Love Thee
Lasciali Dir!
Pierrot's Lament
Invan Preghi
Non T'amo Piu
Goodbye!

Customer Reviews:

More than Victorian sentimentality.......2006-08-30

It hasn't stood Tosti well that he was a favorite of Queen victoria's, or that his songs were a staple in parlors with potted palms. Ben Heppner here leads a one-man Tosti revival, accompanied by a salon ensemble that perfectly suits the sweet sentimentality of the songs. The singer clearly loves the music--he toured with this group and often adds Tosti to his encores. With his gleaming voice, Heppner lifts the gorgeous melodic lines into a higher realm. "Ideale" is the most famous and perhaps the greatest of Toosti's tunes, but there are a handful on that plane, and the rest bring nostalgic delight.

Full of atmosphere and taste........2005-01-12

Ben Heppner is a tenor of considerable ability, and he shows here that he is not simply a bang-up HeldenTenor. Several Tosti songs have of course been perennial favorites of tenors for generations, and a few of these are included here. His singing of A'Vucchella is very affecting, the tempo exactly what the tenderness of the text calls for. In whatever he sings, Mr. Heppner maintains a legato that sense of phrasing that is beautiful. I concur with a previous reviewer, that I would love to hear him do more of Tosti's songs; Luna d'Estate, Marechiare, etc. are simply great songs and I would be eager to hear Mr. Heppner apply his talents to these.
The chamber orchestra arrangements I found to be quite effective. It gives the entire disc a certain ambience of 'la belle epoque' that is wholly suited to the music. Very enjoyable disc indeed.

Ben Heppner Sings Paolo Tosti.......2004-08-19

Anybody who records Tosti songs today faces formidable competition from 100 years of recordings.Battistini, Caruso, Ponselle, Bjoerling, and Pavarotti---to name some Tosti interpreters I'm familiar with---set high standards in this material. In this august company Mr. Heppner fares very well indeed. His " A Vucchella" may be a bit slower than Ponselle's, and his "Ideale" slower than Bjoerling's, but Mr. Heppner finds in this salon music just about everything there is to find. His half-voice pp octave leap at the end of "Ideale" is thrilling and perfectly matched to the music. On this CD, Mr. Heppner exercises more than one ascending diminuendo in full voice without resorting to falsetto, and this alone justifies having this disc.He gets to the heart of this material without once lapsing into operatic overemoting or sentimentality. If he is more successful with the songs set to Italian texts than he is with the English- and French-language songs, that's very probably because Tosti himself seems to have been more successful in setting Italian words. And one has to be patient in listening to some of this material---particularly the English-language songs---especially if this CD is serving as one's introduction to the 19th-century salon style. We're not used to the salon style any more than we are with the silent-film style. We've grown up with different genres. On the other hand, Mr. Heppner's readings of the great songs "Non t'amo piu" and "Ideale" need no introduction and serve to demonstrate how good Tosti really is at his best. I hope Mr. Heppner makes another Tosti CD and includes "Serenata", "Luna d'Estate", "Marechiare", and the fourth of the set of four songs this composer set to Italian texts by Gabriele d'Annunzio. (Mr. Heppner sings three of that set on the present disc, in addition to "A Vucchella", the latter with a d'Annunzio text in Abbruzzese dialect. Both Tosti and d'Annunzio were born in the Abbruzzi.) Very sensitive accompaniments, clear recording, informative notes, full texts and translations. Don't miss this one.

Strongly recommended.......2004-06-16

While other tenors may have the name recognition, Ben Heppner has the goods. Heppner is no stranger to my CD collection, with numerous opera recordings as well as non-opera disks such as "My Secret Heart." What separates Heppner from the others is that he is ALWAYS at the service of the music. He approaches Tosti's songs in a manner that serves them, rather than imposing his voice/style on the music. This disc may not have the widespread appeal that "My Secret Heart" (should have) had for non-hardcore opera fans, but if you like this style of music, this is a fantastic recording.

Average customer rating:

Great job, but thank you, no.
Jordi Savall NEVER FAILS to deliver!
Excellent, as usual

Ostinato

Manufacturer: Alia Vox Spain
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Orient - Occident

ASIN: B00005QST4
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Tracks:

Gallarda Napolitana
Passamezzo antico: Zarabanda (Recereada V)
Passacalle
Passamezzo moderno (Recereada II)
Ciaccona
Ruggiero (Quinta pars IX)
Romanesca (Recereada VII)
Sopra l'Aria di Ruggiero
Passacalio
Canarios
Ruggiero
Tres Closas sobre Todo el mundo en general
Ciaccona
Sonata a 2
3 Parts upon a Ground
Kanon und gigue
Greensleeves To a Ground

Customer Reviews:

Great job, but thank you, no........2007-01-16

Excellent performances and recording. It demonstrates beautifully how an 'Italian Tenor' works. If you are interested in this period, it's a definite keeper. I found too many of the cuts to be uninteresting, but that's the composers' doings; not the performers. Just not my 'cuppa tea' as far as many cuts go. Five stars on the performances and the recording.

Jordi Savall NEVER FAILS to deliver!.......2006-05-01

This cd is no exception. After hearing track 10, Canarios, on public radio i immediately purchased the album. To my surprise each and ever cut is a jewel. Buy it ...let it take you to faraway sundrenched places filled with exotic perfume, spices, and the most beautiful sounds which will guarantee a spark of joy.... an artistic and gorgeous album!

Excellent, as usual.......2002-01-24

I have heard all of the Alia Vox releases and am hard pressed to recommend one over the other. "Ostinato" can proudly stand alongside the earlier releases; it's absolutely terrific with ingenious arrangements and more than exciting performances. My only complaint concerns Pachelbel's Kanon and Gigue. Perhaps I'm overly critical due to the overexposure this piece has been subjected in the last quarter century, but Savall and company take it at such a clip that it threatens (though doesn't quite succeed) in sapping it of its charm. Though I don't care for lethargic (read romantic) tempos where this piece is concerned, I also don't care for breakneck speeds in the guise of authenticity. However, this is too minor a complaint to even be taken into serious consideration. The recorded sound is ample and warm with just the right amount of reverberation to expand and not overwhelm these delightful miniatures.

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