Paris, France [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Product Description
Digitally Remastered Reissue of the Original Edition.

Paris, France,France Gall,Wea International,Brazilian,France,French,Int'l & World Music,Pop,World Music

Average customer rating: Upbeat Jazz If you like Pink Martini Highly entertaining, keeps you jumping Cool fusion continues, but start with one of their earlier CDs Witty, urbane, funky beats

Motifs Paris Combo Manufacturer: Drg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Hang on Little Tomato Sympathique Latenight Betty Living Room Hey Eugene! ASIN: B0006SSNPA Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

1. High, Low, In
2. Calender
3. Aquarium
4. Ennemis Siamois
5. Etoile Pale
6. Touriste D'une Vie
7. Baguee
8. Motus
9. Reflet
10. Prete A Porter
11. Baron De Chaise
12. Discordance
13. Aleas
14. Je Ne Sais Qui Fumer

Amazon.com

With a sound made up of equal parts bossa nova and classic chanson transported almost unchanged from the 1960s, plus American jazz, Argentinean Tango, bal musette and the Manouche swing made famous by Django Reinhardt, Paris Combo undeniably personifies that city's aesthetic. French music and film tend to share an elegant, humorless, surreal, coolly theatrical artificiality so ingrained that observed or remembered passion becomes more seductive than the real thing. Style-over-substance is merely a different reality, no less involving than daily life. The band's membership includes a guitarist from Madagascar, a keyboardist/trumpeter from Australia, a French drummer and a French-Algerian guitarist, each of whom contribute whimsical, cosmopolitan images from their own travels. Bandleader-singer Belle du Berry's lyrics are wry metaphors, in which estrangement, loss and desire are experienced in nightclubs under the light of pink lampshades and each carefully posed film-noir frame is wreathed in expensive perfume and cigarette smoke. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

Upbeat Jazz.......2007-06-24

Paris Combo is such a great upbeat jazz group that you can listen to liven up your day. Put this cd on and it is sure to put you in a good mood. A great combination to go along with anyone who listens to Pink Martini.

If you like Pink Martini.......2006-05-29

You'll love this CD. Obviously you don't have to know a language to enjoy music sung in it. The happy tune of this jazzy CD will make you want to dance in your car, as you make up words so that you can sing along.

Highly entertaining, keeps you jumping.......2006-05-20

I bought this CD on the basis that several reviewers indicated that if a listener liked the works of Pink Martini, that they would like this CD by Paris Combo. Well, they are right.

Many of the things I like about Pink Martini are present here. The work is delightful, playful, fun, and danceable. You will hear the influence of jazz, pop, swing, tango, and sophisticated lounge music. In one song you will hear Kurt Weil's influence and then in the next you hear the nightclub music found in 1940 gangster films. The range of music keeps you on your toes - but all in fun. Great for a cocktail party or to get yourself going on a Saturday morning.

Belle Du Barry, the vocalist, has great presentation. All the lyrics are in French.

Cool fusion continues, but start with one of their earlier CDs.......2006-03-23

They sound too satisfied and confident in their fusions here. The sharp edge of surprise I detect in their earlier work is absent here. This work is lighter, popper, loungier than earlier work, to its detriment. Still, the cool fusion continues-Hot club, boulevard, bossa nova, American swing.... Close listening reveals shifts from one style to another in almost every song, so they're still mixing it up. Maybe the edges are easier to see. Stand-outs: tr 7-Baguée (Big American driving beat subverted by quick trip-tongued French vocal, Gypsy finger-picked guitar). Très cool. tr 9- Reflet (Quick 30s Gypsy-viper instrumental). tr 14- Je ne sais qui fumer (Simple American blues with a cool, Parisian jaunt, swagger). [50:30]

Witty, urbane, funky beats.......2006-02-13

Paris Combo's latest album is a tour of another world, a forgotten era, when music moved your heart but was classy and seductive at the same time.

There is no one today producing a sound like this. Their music will stay with you; it is mesmerising.

Average customer rating: between swing and flamenco Dan Hicks if he had grown up on flamenco, gypsy, Hot Club The best album I own

Living Room Paris Combo Manufacturer: Drg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Paris Combo Motifs Sympathique Hang on Little Tomato Latenight Betty ASIN: B000AXWH9O Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

1. Living-room
2. Terrien D'eau Douce
3. Senor
4. Homeron
5. Je Suis Sourde
6. Pas A Pas
7. Ubiquite
8. Sous La Lune
9. L'avenir Incertain Du Titanic
10. Si Mon Amour
11. Chez Nous
12. Mobil 'Homme

Customer Reviews:

between swing and flamenco.......2006-11-06

It is a great fusion of various flavors, and as a result it is unexpected and entertaining all the way through.

Dan Hicks if he had grown up on flamenco, gypsy, Hot Club.......2006-03-23

Excellent! An updated European version of Dan Hicks, drawing on flamenco, gypsy, and Arabic strains rather than American roots to complement their Hot Club/cabaret. Exceptionally clean and crisp, to the point of irony. Stand-outs: tr 8-Sous la lune (sexy melancholy, deeply engaging, brooding). tr 9-L'Avenir incertain du Titanic (dark, spiky tango)

The best album I own.......2006-02-13

.

Admittedly, I'm not a music aficionado, but of the few dozen albums I own, this one far outshines the others. This is modern music at its best, a sensual melange of jazz, Latin, gypsy, cabaret, and North African/Arabic music.

Every Paris Combo output is simply a collection of brilliant artistry, but this one will be remembered most favourably by history.

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Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating: Splendid Hip, hot, rooted in tradition, cutting edge--and fun!

Paris Combo Paris Combo Manufacturer: Drg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Living Room Motifs Hang on Little Tomato Sympathique Hey Eugene! ASIN: B000AXWH9Y Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

1. On N'a Pas Besion
2. Moi, Mon Ame Et Ma Conscience
3. Je Reve Encore
4. Les Portes De L'ennui
5. Irenee
6. Interlude Potzi
7. Istanbul
8. Le Roi De La Foret
9. St. Exuberant
10. Si J'avais Ete
11. Ainsi Soit-il
12. Valse D'Amour
13. Obliques
14. Je Suis Un If
15. Berry-Bouy

Customer Reviews:

Splendid.......2006-08-03

I really like this CD. It's breezy, fun, acoustic (!), nostalgic... what more could one want?! If you are not familiar with Paris Combo, they are a jazz quintet from France. Belle du Berry supplies the singing, while the guys back her with an acoustic ensemble that blends American jazz and even a little swing with French chansons and even some Algerian / Moroccan music. To give you a little further idea, some of the guitar playing is in reminiscent of Django Reinhart. The sum total is an energetic, eminently listenable sound that will have you accompanying them, even if you don't know what she is singing because it is in French. This debut release is outstanding; in fact, I liked it so much I bought a copy for my brother, who liked it so much he, in turn, shared it with some co-workers. Buy it.

Hip, hot, rooted in tradition, cutting edge--and fun!.......2006-03-23

Quietly slick band with a fresh, inexperienced (that is to say, un-French, more American) vocaliste. Successful mix of Euro-pop, le Hot Club, and lounge. Serious boulevardiers take a big step back toward tradition from the Negresses Vertes and it works. Dramatic. Great fun. Stand-outs: tr 7-Istanbul (Arabic; play it with (1) Dan Hicks: I scare myself; (2) They Might Be Giants: Constantinople), tr 8-Le roi et le forêt (ska), tr 9-St. Exubérant (Spanish/Moorish); tr 15-Berry-Bouy (klezmer) [53:36]

Average customer rating: Jacques Brel 2006 production - terrific JACQUES BREL AND GAY MARSHALL Not the original... better Superb Well I don't know about the CD...

Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris Manufacturer: Ghostlight ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Belgium | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Fantasticks Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast) Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000JCETBK Release Date: 2006-11-21

Tracks:

1. Le Diable (Ca Va) - Gay Marshall
2. If We Only Have Love (Intro) - Gay Marshall
3. Alone - The Company
4. Jackie - Robert Cuccioli
5. My Childhood - Gay Marshall
6. Madeleine - The Company
7. Timid Frieda - Robert Cuccioli
8. Fanette - Robert Cuccioli
9. Le Moribond/My Last Supper - Gay Marshall
10. Sons Of - Gay Marshall
11. Amsterdam - The Company
12. Ne Me Quitte Pas - Gay Marshall
13. The Middle Class - Robert Cuccioli
14. Old Folks - The Company
15. Funeral Tango - Robert Cuccioli
16. My Death - Natascia Diaz
17. Marieke - Gay Marshall
18. Song For Old Lovers - Robert Cuccioli
19. Next - The Company
20. No Love, You're Not Alone - Natascia Diaz
21. Carousel - The Company
22. If We Only Had Love - The Company

Customer Reviews:

Jacques Brel 2006 production - terrific.......2007-05-19

The 2006 production of this show was excellent, and the CD is also excellent. Some thrilling and some very moving performances by a very talented group of singers.

JACQUES BREL AND GAY MARSHALL.......2007-02-15

I had heard of Jacques Brel, and I knew two songs from the show. But what made me buy the CD was the performer Gay Marshall who I had seen in Las Vegas when she performed the role of DIANA in A CHORUS LINE in the 1980's.
Surprise surprise! She was terrific, of course, and I fell in love with the rest of the show, which I will recommend to community theatres to produce here. I am also buying the DVD---break a leg, Gay! Teri

Not the original... better.......2006-12-11

It should be noted that this is NOT the original, or even a revival (though I believe they call it that). This is a reworking of the original. It has deleted many of the songs from the '60s version, including "Marathon". Now before you wail too loudly, the replacement will knock your socks off: the powerfully rendered "Ca Va" sets the tone with an even darker humor than the original. There are other additions and deletions, but I swear, you won't mind. And you won't have to decide which version is better, because they are different. Also having seen this production (the week before this recording was made), sitting in my living room in Kansas I was transported back to the Zipper Theatre and the magic created by this spectacular cast and their incredibly talented musical director (you hear him singing on the "The Middle Class"). Sit back, close your eyes and enjoy!

Superb.......2006-12-02

I may be slightly biased because i've seen this show with this cast seven times so far, but it is utterly magnificent. the cast album is beautiful and the vocal ranges are spectacular. Each song is a complete story, some dealing with love, despair, anguish, war, ageing, joy and just about all aspects of human emotion.

If you saw the show in the sixties or have the CD from that show, you will totally disregard it after you have heard this cast. These performers are so talented that they are thrilling. You owe it to yourself to experience the joy of this cast album.

Well I don't know about the CD..........2006-10-11

...but the off-Broadway revival of which it's a recording was fantastic. Like unbelievably fantastic. I was raised on Brel (a younger brother was named after him), and this is simply the finest I've ever heard. Buy it, but it, buy it.
Everyone involved should be very, very proud. Kudos!

Average customer rating: The Finest of Her Late Live Recordings Inconsistent sound, but one of the very best Piaf discs

At the Paris Olympia Edith Piaf Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Imports | Stores | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Pop | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Voice of the Sparrow: The Very Best of Edith Piaf Au Carnegie Hall 1956-1957 Olympia 1962 Edith Piaf: Her Greatest Recordings 1935-1943 Eternelle: The Best Of ASIN: B000006X53 Release Date: 2001-04-24

Tracks:

1. Milord (Live)
2. Heureuse (Live)
3. Avec Ce Soleil (Live)
4. C'Est A Hambourg (Live)
5. Legende (Live)
6. Enfin Le Printemps (Live)
7. Padam Padam (Live)
8. Hymne A L'Amour (Live)
9. L'Accordeoniste (Live)
10. Mon Manege A Moi (Live)
11. Bravo Pour Le Clown (Live)
12. Les Mots D'Amour (Live)
13. Les Flons Flons Du Bal (Live)
14. T'Es L'Homme Qu'Il Me Faut (Live)
15. Mon Dieu (Live)
16. Mon Vieux Lucien (Live)
17. Non Je Ne Regrette Rien (Live)
18. La Ville Inconnue (Live)
19. La Belle Histoire D'Amour (Live)
20. Les Blouses Blanches (Live)

Album Description

20 track collection of performances recorded at the Olympia Theatre in Paris, Edith Piaf's venue of choice. EMI Gold. 2003.

Album Details

This CD Contains Extractions from Five Concerts which Edith Gave at the Olympia Music Hall in Paris Between 1955 and 1962. 20 Tracks featuring Milord, Hymne a L'Amour, Mon Dieu and Many More.

Customer Reviews:

The Finest of Her Late Live Recordings .......2007-04-08

To the French, Edith Piaf is a source of great national pride, and continues to be an enduring icon nearly 50 years after her death. To Americans, she has unfairly been labeled by some as, "The French Judy Garland" more for the circumstances of their tragic life stories, their drug addiction, and the fact that both died at age 47, than because of any vocal similarity. Still, both were powerhouse singers of enormous strength and dramatic ability, especially for their uncanny ability to transform a song into heartfelt expressions of amazing intensity.

When it comes to Piaf, there are many different camps of opinion on the subject of her best recordings. I find that many fans who are fluent in French prefer her 1940's studio recordings to the more dramatic vocal beseeching of her live 1950's and early 1960's recordings, made shortly before her death. Conversely, her English speaking fans, many of whom understand little or no French, frequently prefer the later period, and the live recordings from that period in particular. I am among those who champion her late period, although lately I have found a new fascination for her earlier works.

As such, I believe there are few better introductions to Piaf than this collection, which contains my favorite versions of some of her biggest hits, in particular the songs Milord, C'est a Hambourg, Enfin L'Printemps, Padam...Padam, L'accordeoniste, Mon Manege a Moi, Bravo pour Le Clown, Hymne A L'Amour and Non Je Ne Regrette Rien. Piaf's voice was never stronger, and the appreciation of her audience (as heard in the abundant applause) never more heartfelt, than on these live tracks, all recorded at the Paris Olympia - her artistic home, and scene of some of her greatest triumphs during the last decade or so of her life.

There are also a few songs on this CD that I was previously unfamiliar with that I have also become quite fond of. Avec Ce Soleil and Mon Vieux Lucien (which has a rather bizarre false start that elicits quite a bit of laughter and applause) have added themselves to my list of Piaf favorites. And while I have one or two favorite live performances from the Olympia on vinyl that EMI has chosen to exclude from this recording, the list of my favorites is complete enough that I cannot hesitate to recommend this wonderful CD. I own about a dozen CD's of Piaf from various periods of her life; for me, this collection contains some of the most thrilling performances by this wonderful artist, a singer who had few equals in the 20th century.

Inconsistent sound, but one of the very best Piaf discs.......2004-01-15

Edith Piaf sang at the Olympia Theatre in Paris many times, making the venue so synonymous with her own name that eventually Jeff Buckely dreamed of playing there. EMI's AT THE PARIS OLYMPIA DISC contains material from five Piaf concerts from 1955, her first show there, until 1962, one of her last concerts, for a total of twenty tracks. These include truly stunning songs, such as the moving "Heureuse" and energetic "L'Accordeoniste", and fortunately there is only a few spots where Piaf sings in English, a style which alienates many fans.

In contrast to the myriad budget Piaf compilations, it is clear that care has been taken with AT THE PARIS OLYMPIA. The sound quality is better than one would expect from 1950's live recordings. There are detailed liner notes written by one Ralph Harvey which discuss each concert and the sungs performed there, speaking frankly about Piaf's ill health and drug dependency in her final days.

Unfortunately, this compilation from four separate sources means that the audio quality is inconsistent. The opening "Milord", dating from 1962, is clear and distinct, but 1961's "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien", for example, sounds flat and uninspiring (though from the applause, the audience present certainly enjoyed it).

All in all, this is one of the best Piaf discs, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. I feel it would also make a better introduction to her work than her studio albums or any of the low-quality compiliations which mix studio and live material.

Average customer rating: Something lovely

Le Paris de Montand Yves Montand Manufacturer: Sony/Columbia ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Pop | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Les 100 Plus Belles Chansons d'Yves Montand Aznavour: Ses Plus Grands Succes The Voice of the Sparrow: The Very Best of Edith Piaf Les Feuilles Mortes Olympia '81 ASIN: B000006M13 Release Date: 1992-01-27

Tracks:

1. Paris Canaille
2. La Vie En Rose
3. Le Chevalier De Paris
4. L'Ame Des Poetes
5. Sous Le Ciel De Paris
6. Les Feuilles Mortes
7. C'est Si Bon
8. Sa Jeunesse
9. Mon Manege A Moi
10. A Paris Dans Chaque Faubourg
11. Marie Marie
12. A Paris

Album Details

Reissue of the Classic Album from One of the Most Famous French Singers.

Customer Reviews:

Something lovely.......2003-10-27

This is an interesting little record and one of my favourites. Ok: La vie en rose, Les feuilles mortes, Mon manége a moi, Sous le ciel de Paris... Sounds very familiar and safe. These are classics, so many times done. But here they are really beautifully sung, Montand's voice is so close to perfection as it can be: soft but strong, moving lightly and surely, a true professional and still very sincere.

There are at least two very good collections on Amazon, '36 titres' and live recording from Olympia 1981, but both collections - as well as most collections! - lack some highlights of Montand's career. C'est si bon, the alluring, very sexy song as done by Montand is here, so are the beautiful ballads Le chevalier de Paris, L'ame des poètes and Sa jeunesse. Nat 'King' Cole recorded Le chevalier de Paris ("Ah, the apple trees..."), but Montand was at least as good. Since I've always admired Cole's voice and a very similar way of singing, I don't want to say, which is better. Sa jeunesse is Aznavour's song and this time I have no hesitation: Montand did it better! Aznavour is a wonderful songwriter and singer, but Montand's voice and his skillful, tender way of singing really shines here. And of course, Les feuilles mortes is wonderful. He recorded it several times, this is a one of the best recordings, though I like most the live one done in Olympia 1981.

If you like French music, if you like Montand: this is a very good buy, though it may not seem like it, given the small number of songs. But they are very good, some of them even hard to find. Sa jeunesse is one of the hardest ones - and in itself worth the money. And to me Montand gave new life and meaning to songs like La vie en rose and Sous le ciel de Paris, usually heard by Piaf.

Average customer rating: Beautiful French Music Okay, but I'm not impressed

The Rough Guide to Paris Cafe Music Various Artists Manufacturer: World Music Network ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Continental | Europe | Compilations | International | Styles | Music Tango | Latin Music | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Rough Guide to the Music of France French Cafe Putumayo Presents: Paris The Rough Guide to Gypsy Swing The Rough Guide to the Music of Italy ASIN: B00005Y48O Release Date: 2002-03-04

Tracks:

1. J'Ai Un Trou Dans Ma Tete - Ramses
2. Coudes A Coudes - Jean Corti
3. C'est Un Rital - Michele Bernard
4. Lo Mometto - Didier Pauvert
5. Portrait D'un 78 Tard - Les Primitifs Du Futur
6. Mado - Emil Vacher
7. Avec Entrain - Le Denecheau Jase Musette
8. Vas-Y Mimile - Marc Perrone
9. La Der Des Der - Frehel
10. La Der Des Der - Les Hurlements D'Leo
11. Minor Swing - New Quintette Du Hot Club De France
12. La Roulotte - Louis Corchia
13. Paris, Oct. 61 - La Tordue
14. La Godasse - Michel Macias
15. Au Comptoir - Debout Sur Le Zinc
16. Petit Poucet - Garard Pierron
17. Joseph, Jospeh - Jo Privat
18. Je Ne Suis Qui'Un Attarde - Bell Ceil
19. Afro-Musette - Richard Galliano
20. Rue De Paname - Les Ogres De Barback
21. Para Lo Lop - Antonin Bouscatel
22. Mandlinette - Charles Peguri
23. L'Accordeoniste - Edith Piaf
24. Jeannette - Gus Viseur Et Son Ensemble
25. L'Orphelin De La Java - Francis Lemarque

Amazon.com

Cap at a rakish angle, Gitane hanging from the lip... as Guillaume Veillet's liner note points out, Paris's most indigenous music may seem a trifle cozy, but The Rough Guide to Paris Café Music shows the inaccuracies of that prejudice. The origins of French café music may lie in the Auvergne, whose musicians played the smallpipes, but the biggest influence that fed into the music came from Italy, with an organetto tradition traced to Nascente's Bar Italia (the other big influence came from the gypsy world). The Bal Musette café ballroom was the melting pot in which the smallpipes gave way to the accordion and stars began to emerge. Emile Vacher and Charles Peguri were the founding fathers of this tradition, and they're both present on this entrancing new Rough Guide installment. We also hear Jean Corti, who played in a military brothel in the 1940s, and the drug-addicted Fréhel, whose smoky tones are the authentic sound of the 1920s. The variety of styles in these 25 tracks is dazzling, as hot jazz alternates with modern cool. Django Reinhardt's son Babik beats up a lovely storm with the New Quintette du Hot Club de France; meanwhile, Edith Piaf sings a song called "L'Accordeoniste." And if you're hooked on this instrument, get a copy of Wergo's Global Accordion: Early Recordings, a marvelous cornucopia of vanished sounds. --Michael Church

Album Description

The Rough Guide To Paris Café Music conjures up the romantic image of accordion music floating through wisps of smoke from a Gitane, the voice of Edith Piaf and a moonlit Eiffel Tower. This style of music is known as bal-musette and grew from the music of the immigrant communities in Paris at the turn of the last century. This unique and comprehensive collection traces the music from its lowly roots in the café-charbons to its modern incarnations in modern jazz and rock-musette with tracks from its seminal artists.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful French Music.......2003-12-19

I picked this CD up because of a then upcoming trip to Paris and boy am I glad I did. It opened up a new world of beautiful music from beautful noir inducing waltzes to high spirited fist pumpers to slick jazz, this disc has all you need.
The music is mostly accordian driven with varios tempos and moods. Some of the tracks are older more traditional French musette and chansons that evoke images of wartime Paris and some of the tracks are more rock oriented not unlike a French version of the Pogues or Flogging Molly. This CD has something for everyone who enjoys new adventures in music and if youre a fan of world beat, cajun, french music or jazz, youre sure to enjoy this.
The standouts here for me ar Hulements D'Leo,Les Ogres Du Barback and Debouts Sur Le Zinc who mix punk spirit with this new style...

Okay, but I'm not impressed.......2002-07-26

Don't get me wrong-I love Paris Cafe music, mainly because I'm an accordionist myself. I also love Rough Guide music because they are usually able to get the most music from the best artists that represent the region well-and all on ONE cd! However, this one slips through, in my opinion. This CD is merely a hogpoge of any tune with an accordion and singing in the french language, and has no real direction or purpose. Another qualm I have about this album is that it really isn't that great for listening casualy too. To be able to just pop in a CD to create an atmosphere for a dinner or chatting with friends is one of the great aspects of REAL parisian cafe music-it serves as a background, yet it still is noticible and interesting to listen to with out taking all your attention. This CD on the other hand demands that you concentrate on it-it's more of a musical text book on all the different types of french music than a CD that is enjoyable to listen to. But if a musical text book is what you want, then go ahead and buy it, just remember that I told you so.

Average customer rating:

Paris-Berlin Stereo Total Manufacturer: Kill Rock Stars ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: We Are the Night ASIN: B000SO7OES Release Date: 2007-08-21

Tracks:

1. Miss Rebellion Des Hormones
2. Ich Bin Der Stricherjunge
3. Plastic
4. Komplex Mit Dem Sex
5. Lolita Fantome
6. Baisers De L'Enfer De La Musique
7. Plus Minus Null
8. Mehr Licht
9. Ta Voix Au Telephone
10. Patty Hearst
11. Baby Revolution
12. Relax Baby Be Cool
13. Chewinggum
14. Moderne Musik

Amazon.com

Stereo Total is the decadent-pop brainchild of Berlin based musicians Françoise Cactus & Brezel Göring. The French and German duo make the ultimate dinnertime Euro melting-pot music. The group's recorded songs in at least six languages, and they just as easily mix and match from all manner of mannered, smartypants rock pop genres from the last forty years. Chiefly, though, they stick to an affable fusion of synth-pop, French chanson, and garage rock. Stereo Total was briefly affiliated with the ill-fated mini-movement "electroclash," but thankfully they had the pop smarts and sense of humor to escape that tag. On Paris-Berlin, "the lyrics are all about love, rebellion and nostalgia," according to the group themselves, while musically Stereo Total has expanded their stripped-down sound to adopt some of the hi-fi sounds of classic '60s cocktail pop. Paris-Berlin is smart as hell and very likely their best album yet. It's recommended for all people who like fun--especially adult, Continental-type fun. --Mike McGonigal

Average customer rating: Cheese, man. Cheese.

I Love Paris: 18 Sensuous French Classics Various Artists Manufacturer: Metro Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Continental | Europe | Compilations | International | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: C'est L'amour: Romantic French Classics French Cafe Something's Gotta Give French Kiss: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack The Voice of the Sparrow: The Very Best of Edith Piaf ASIN: B00005Y478 Release Date: 2002-03-26

Tracks:

1. C'est Si Bon - Les Halles
2. Pigalle - Cafe Accordien Du Paris
3. Under The Bridges Of Paris - L'Accordeoniste
4. She - Michael McLean
5. I Love Paris - Daniel Deauville
6. Un Homme et Une Femme - Nathalie et Guilloume
7. Boum - Guillaume LeLoup
8. Je Ne Regrette - Cafe Accordien Du Paris
9. C'est Magnifique - L'Accordeoniste
10. Chanson D'Amour - Paris Express
11. Gigi - Frederic Lombert
12. Milord - Cafe Accordien Du Paris
13. Petite Fleur - S B Players
14. Michelle - Michael McLean
15. Love Is Blue - Luc Montrose
16. Je t'aime (moi non plus) - Guillaume et Nathalie
17. The Summer Knows - Orchestre Cinema
18. La Mer - Guilllaume LeLoup

Album Description

Full title, 'I Love Paris 18 Sensuous French Classics'. UK budget-price compilation featuring 18 tracks, 'C'Est Si Bon' Les Halles, 'Pigalle' Cafe Accordien Du Paris, 'Under The Bridges Of Paris' L'Accordieniste, 'She' Michael McLean, 'I Love Paris' Daniel Deauville, 'Un Homme Et Une Femme' Nathalie Et Guilloume, 'Boum' Guillaume LeLoup, 'Je Ne Regrette' Cafe Accordien Du Paris, 'C'est Magnifique' L'Accordieniste, 'Chanson D'Amour' Paris Express, 'Gigi' Frederic Lombert, 'Milord' Cafe Accordien Du Paris, 'Petite Fleur' S B Players, 'Michelle' Michael McLean, 'Love Is Blue' Luc Montrose, 'Je T'Aime (Moi Non Plus)' Guillaume Et Nathalie, 'The Summer Knows' Orchestre Cinema & 'La Mer' Guillaume Le Loup.

Customer Reviews:

Cheese, man. Cheese........2005-10-24

This is not a compelling album. Try something else. Really.

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