Songs from Italy

1. Parlami d'Amore Marui

2. Italiano

3. Gloria

4. Tu Sei l'Unica Donna Per Me

5. Sharazan

6. Lacrima Sul Viso

7. Ti Amo

8. Per Elisa

9. O Sole Mio

10. Sara Perche Ti Amo

11. Maledetta Primavera

12. Santa Lucia Luntana

13. Volare

14. Arrivederci Roma

15. Torna a Sorriento

16. Funiculì, Funiculà

17. Santa Lucia

18. O Paese d'O Sole

19. Tu Ce Non Chiagne

20. 'O Marenariello

Tracks:

Caccini/Mercurio: Ave Maria
Mascagni: Sancta Maria
Gounod: Ave Maria
Schubert: Ave Maria
Franck: Panis Angelicus
Rossini: Cuius animam
Verdi: Ingemisco
Mozart: Ave verum
Wagner: Der Engel
Handel: Ombra mai fu
Niedermeyer: Pieta signore
Rossini: Dominus Deus
Schubert/Mercurio: Mille Cherubini in coro
Gruber/Mercurio: Silent Night
Wade: Adeste Fideles
Gloria a te, Cristo Ges

Amazon.com

When he was growing up, Andrea Bocelli recalls finding inspiration in a favorite recording of sacred music performed by tenor legend Franco Corelli. Bocelli--who in the meantime has come to inspire millions of fiercely loyal fans himself--returns to the genre as the guiding theme of Sacred Arias, the release of which coincides with the first English-language biography of the singer. These performances are filled with the singer's phenomenally well-known vocal signature: his flair for long, sweetly floating high notes and the gentle sense of cadence he brings to a melody. It's a mistake to compartmentalize Bocelli into a singer of "operatic" versus "popular" styles: in truth his approach is at heart the same. Lack of color and control in his phrasing remains a drawback, but the emotional empathy Bocelli evokes is never in doubt. The arias collected here sample some of the most famous devotional pieces: Schubert's "Ave Maria" and Mozart's transporting "Ave Verum," as well as an arrangement of "Silent Night" in which Bocelli tries out his English. There's also a decidedly odd choice of bedfellows for a program of "sacred" music, such as a song from Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder (whose "angel" is the object of an overpoweringly erotic attraction) and Handel's figurative ode to a tree, "Ombra mai fu." Still, Bocelli sings with an unfeigned directness that is sure to expand his already enormous following even further. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful music.......2007-01-12

This is my second copy of this CD, I burned the first one out!!
Andrea Bocelli has a very gorgeous voice that is a gift from above. His voice is not affected or braggadoccio but naturally magnificent. I could and do start my day listening to this spiritually uplifting CD almost everyday. It is a wonderful way to get off to a pleasant peaceful start, but also a nice way to come home in the evening if you have a CD player in your car. I highly recommend it to all.

Andrea Bocelli-Sacred Arias.......2006-08-25

Excellent listening. Voice quality and tone is superb. Brings tears to my eyes when I envision listening to this in a church setting.

An "experience" of sacred arias more than "listening" of sacred arias.......2006-04-28

I bought this CD's special edition with DVD, and I am impressed by bocelli's singing in this album. I have heard many voices singing sacred songs, and christmas songs, but very few singers can achieve the "sacred atmosphere" that bocelli devotes when he sings. He may not have a "strong" voice as opera singers, but I think singing these sacred songs, devoting the "sacred atmosphere" to the audience is much more important, the voice actually is just a tool that helps a singer to achieve the result. For real, I have heard some CD by some chorus that perform sacred arias, but they did not move me as much as this CD does, mostly not even close. Personally I like "O come all ye faithful", "silent night", all "ave maria"'s, "domine deus", "cujus animam" the most. When I listen Bocelli's singing I focus on what he tries to devote in singing more than his voice color, because in terms of voice color he surely cant be compared with pavarotti or domingo, so why compares? The way of listening him and listening real opera singers is different man. But the reason I gave only this CD four stars is that I have heard several sacred arias from this album performed by his voice teacher, the legendary tenor Franco Corelli. I tried not to compare both...but I cant, not because Bocelli sings bad, he is already excellent, just Corelli is TOO excellent that cant be described by human language (well I think even Pavarotti is not even close to Franco Corelli, but this is just my opinion). Anyway if you want to "experience" the true beauty of sacred arias, this CD is highly recommended. And this is also a very good sacred aria album for beginning listeners who want to broaden their musical taste to sacred arias.

amazing talent.......2006-03-25

worth the price the songs are breathtaking and talent is indescribable

Perfect arias for the perfect voice.......2006-03-04

These are just terrific. How does Andrea acheive the range he does, and the power he has, without sounding too heavy or too light? His voice sounds like the perfect voice for these perfect arias.

I have noticed one concern with the CD. I have heard several clicks scattered here and there in the songs -- but the CD is clean and I feel confident it is not the machine. Has anyone else noticed this?

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

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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

Night And Day
So In Love
I've Got You Under My Skin
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Wunderbar
Begin The Beguine
Easy To Love
I Get A Kick Out Of You
I Love You
In The Still Of The Night
Blow, Gabriel, Blow
Malia
Occhi Di Fata
Non T'amo Piu
Serenata
Mia Sposa Sra La Mia Bandiera
E Canta Il Grillo
Visione Veneziana
L'Ultima Canzone

Customer Reviews:

A smooth voice in a smooth repertoire........2004-04-04

Cesare Siepi's bass voice is greatly underrepresented in the CD catalogue. This album lets us know what an artist he was. His interpretations are always just right, and never over the top. Only an occasional accent slips in. His English diction should be a model for all singers. I lost no more than 5% of the words. The wonderful way he caresses his way into "Night and Day" or sails through "Begin the Beguine" are wonderful examples of his artistry. Siepi includes the often omitted verses to each song, and that is a plus.

The sound quality is more than acceptable. It isn't digital, but here the fidelity comes from the artistry and not the sound itself. In fact the sound quality is a lot better than the 1955 recording date might indicate. I was not bothered in the least ... in fact I was pleasantly surprised.

There are unfortunately lots of typos in the notes that should have been corrected. Myto should review such things before putting them out on the market.

Siepi's way with the Italian songs is equally enjoyable. How nice to have someone sing them instead of bawling them to the rafters. This is a winner album, and it would be 5 stars if the sound were a little more modern.

Delightful collection of songs performed by great artist.......1999-05-24

Despite the inferior sound quality of this CD, it is pleasing to have this unusual collection available. Cesare Siepi is a great artist, with the best English diction of any classical Italian singer within memory. Although I remember him best as the most dashing and truly seductive Don Giovanni at the Met, he is equally convincing with a popular song. A rare achievement! Siepi, I love you as much today as I did when I was an infatuated teenager.

Old and New Fangled Tangos/Folk Songs Around the World

Average customer rating:

A Magical Musical Journey Around the World with Mantovani.

Old and New Fangled Tangos/Folk Songs Around the World

Manufacturer: Dutton Labs UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

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Solo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music

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Italia Mia/Verzauberter Klang Aus Germany
Concert Spectacular/American Scene
The Ultimate Tango
Collector's Mantovani, Vol. 1
Strauss Waltzes

ASIN: B0006840K2
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Tracks:

Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)
Blue Tango
Tango Delle Rose
New-Fangled Tango
Music Box Tango
Adios Muchachos
Besame Mucho
Hernando's Hideaway
Blauer Himmel (Blue Skies)
Takes Two to Tango
Rain in Spain
Orange Vendor
Folk Songs of America: Aura Lee/Skip to My Lou/The Streets of Laredo
Folk Songs from European Countries: Au Clair de la Lune/Fr Jacques
Folk Songs from the British Isles: Greensleeves/When Love Is ...
Two Guitars
Moon on the Ruined Castle
Hava Nagila

Customer Reviews:

A Magical Musical Journey Around the World with Mantovani........2005-02-23

The soaring strings of the original orchestra led by the late great Mantovani are once again presented in this brand new Vocalion release of two of the maestro's masterpiece recordings first released in 1964 (Folk Songs) and 1968 (Tango). Folk Songs from Around the World will charm and excite listeners with melodies as diverse as Aura Lee (what Elvis sang as Love Me Tender) and the sizzling sounds of Hava Nagila. The highly disciplined orchestra under the baton of Mantovani perform spectacular arrangements of "Two Guitars" from Russia and folk songs from Japan, Europe,and the British Isles arranged with such artistry that they will readily evoke from each listener intense emotions. The splendid orchestrations found on the Tango tracks also evoke a variety of emotions, with Whatever Lola Wants, Hernando's Hideaway and Takes Two to Tango, offering playful amusement, and such tracks as Blue Sky, Orange Vendor, and Tango Delle Rose combining captivating tango rhythms with time honored melodies made ever more delightful by the unique, cathedral sound identified exclusively with Mantovani. In an interview at the time of the Tango album's release, the ever perfectionist Mantovani expressed his delight with the musical outcome,noting that he tried "blending fine melodies with exciting rhythms to produce a sound that is stimulating.." Acquire this two CD-set, and new and old Mantovani fans will know the maestro was right on the mark in his assessment of this incomparable musical journey.

Average customer rating:

Italian Folk Songs of Naples
Italy-Folk Songs from Naples
Fun and Lively!
Folk Songs for everyone!!!

Italian Folk Songs from Naples
Ion Piso & Ludovic Spiess
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

4-for-3 International | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Italian Mandoline: Funiculi Funicula
Italian Love Songs
Italian Mandolins 2
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Eh, Paisano! 100% Italian-American Classics

ASIN: B000001VO3
Release Date: 1991-03-12

Tracks:

Oi Mari - Ion Piso
Lolita - Ion Piso
Carmella - Ion Piso
'A Vucchella - Ludovic Spiess
L' Ultima Canzone - Ion Piso
Santa Lucia - Ludovic Spiess
Tirtomba - Ion Piso
Dicitencello Vuie - Ion Piso
Suspirata D'Amore - Ion Piso
Marechiare - Ludovic Spiess
Musica Proibita - Ion Piso
Finestra Che Lucive - Ludovic Spiess

Customer Reviews:

Italian Folk Songs of Naples.......2007-03-27

I was so happy to find this recording on Amazon. A great collection.

Italy-Folk Songs from Naples.......2002-06-13

The tenors in this recording are very good. I am personally disappointed in this CD which is not what I was looking for: a collection of vocal and instrumental with accordians and mandolins, with lively music that inspires dancing. This was all vocal.

Fun and Lively!.......2001-02-21

One of the better folk CD's I've purchased. Lively music to keep you toe tapping!

Folk Songs for everyone!!!.......1999-02-28

This is one of the best italian "Folk Songs" collections I ever heard. It is not only for fans of italian folk.

Average customer rating:

Gleda: Songs from Scandinavia
Stefano Bollani
Manufacturer: Stunt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music
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Les Fleurs Bleues
Småt Småt
Happy Time
The Words And The Days
Piano Solo

ASIN: B0009I8QE0
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

Aldrig Som Aldrig
Den Allersidste Dans
Moder, Jeg Er Tr Nu Vil Jeg Sove
Armband
Dansen Og Valsen
Morgenlys Over Kavn
Kimer, I Klokker [Ring out, Ye Bells]
Glemmer Du
Gleda

The Wizard of Oz - Vintage Recordings from the 1903 Broadway Musical

Average customer rating:

A Collection of the Original Oz Stage Productions
Ain't it a Shame!
Why the 1903 "Wizard" was forgotten
A long overdue revisit to a classic American musical
Long-Forgotten Broadway Hit Gets First Rate Revival

The Wizard of Oz - Vintage Recordings from the 1903 Broadway Musical

Manufacturer: Original Cast Record
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Shirley Temple Storybook Collection: Land of Oz/The Reluctant Dragon
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The Wizard Of Oz In Concert: A Benefit Performance For The Children's Defense Fund (1996 Lincoln Center Cast)
Shock Treatment (1981)
The Wizard Of Oz: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - The Deluxe Edition

ASIN: B00009MPYQ

Tracks:

Wizard of OzSelection (Arthur Pryor's Band)
The Bullfrog and the Coon (Ada Jones)
Pocahontas (Edward M. Favor)
Daisy Donohue (Harry Tally)
Down on the Brandywine (Collins & Harlan)
Come Take a Skate with Me Sung (Collins & Harlan)
I Love You All the Time (Harry Macdonough)
The Moon Has His Eyes on You (Ada Jones)
When You Love, Love, Love (Thomas E. Whitbred)
When We Get Whats a-Comin to Us
Mister Dooley Sung (Edward M. Favor)
Julie Dooley (J. W. Myers)
Meet Me Down at the Corner (Jones & Spencer)
Budweisers a Friend of Mine (Billy Murray)
Theres a Lot of Things You Never Learn at School (Bob Roberts)
Under a Panama (Billy Murray)
Good Bye Fedora (Collins & Harlan)
Sitting Bull (Collins & Harlan)
I Love Only One Girl in this Wide Wide World (Harry Macdonough)
Sammy (Harry Macdonough)
The Tale of a Stroll (Morgan & Stanley)
Cant You See Im Lonely? (Ada Jones)
Are You Sincere? (Byron G. Harlan)
Hurrah for Baffins Bay (Collins & Harlan)
Football (Dan W. Quinn)
Id Like to Go Halves in That (Burt Shepard)
Rejoice!The Wizard is No Longer King
The Traveler and the Pie
Must You? (Dan W. Quinn)
Thats Where She Sits All Day (Dan W. Quinn)
The Sweetest Girl in Dixie (Henry Burr)
Scarecrow Laugh (Fred Stone)

Tracks:

Sammy Mira (Music Box Disc)
Must You? (Mira Music Box Disc)
Opening Prayer
Phantom Patrol
Just a Simple Girl from the Prairie
Poppy Song
Love is Love
When We Get What's A-Comin' to Us
The Traveler and the Pie
When You Love, Love, Love
Rejoice! The Wizard is No Longer King
Phantom Patrol (Aeolian Piano Roll)
My Little Maid of Oz Aeolian Piano Roll
The Tik-Tok Man of OzSelection (Rythmodik Piano Roll)
The Tik-Tok Man of OzSelection (Piano Roll)
Ask the Flowers to Tell You (Macdonough & Dunlap)
My Beautiful Dream Girl (John Barnes Wells)
My Pretty Little Piece of Dresden China (Bessie Wynn)
Gay Paree (Montgomery & Stone)
Travel Travel Little Star (Montgomery & Stone)
A Scotch Moriah (Montgomery & Stone)
Hurrah for Baffins Bay (Dan W. Quinn)
Daisy Donohue (Trombone Solo by Arthur Pryor)
Mr. DooleyMedley (Xylophone Solo J. Frank Hopkins)
Down on the BrandywineMedley (Edison Military Band)
The Bullfrog and the CoonMedley (Six Brown Brothers)
Ill Take You Back to Italy (Ada Jones & Billy Murray)
Father Goose Songs (Sallie Osbourne)

Album Description

The Wizard of Oz a musical with book and lyrics by L. Frank Baum and music by Paul Tietjens premiered on June 16, 1902, at the Grand Opera House in Chicago. It was an instant hit and made stars of David Montgomery (the Tin Woodman) and Fred Stone (the Scarecrow). On January 21, 1903 the show opened at the Majestic Theatre in New York. It ran for nine months and set out on the road with a second company right on its heels. The show toured, came back to New York, toured, and returned to New York again many times until finally disbanding around 1911. Stock and amateur companies continued to present it into the 1930s when it was overshadowed by the classic MGM film starring Judy Garland.

The show was legendary for its success and its impact on American culture. It was the Cats or Les Mis of the early 1900s--but the show has been swallowed by history. What made audiences of the early 1900s devour the show and return for more again and again? In this unprecedented 2-CD set—featuring over 145 minutes of vintage recordings and 64 pages of lyrics, photos, notes and synopsis—you can discover how The Wizard of Oz entertained the American public for the first two decades of the 20th century. And like the audiences of nearly a hundred years ago, you can hum along to "Budweiser," "Sammy," and "Hurrah for Baffin's Bay"—everyone's favorite songs from The Wizard of Oz! Also included in this comprehensive collection are recordings from later Oz musicals, The Woggle-Bug and The Tik-Tok Man of Oz written by Oz creator L. Frank Baum, as well as vintage non-Oz recordings by original "Wizard of Oz stars" Montgomery & Stone and Bessie Wynn

Customer Reviews:

A Collection of the Original Oz Stage Productions.......2006-12-07

This Double-Disk Collection contains music from the original and varied Oz Stage Productions: "the Wizard of Oz", "the Woggle-Bug" (based on 'Marvelous Land of Oz) and "the Tik-Tok Man of Oz" (based on 'Ozma of Oz'). There are plenty of "Wizard" songs and music, but there isn't a lot of "Woggle-Bug" and/or "Tik-Tok Man".
I often wondered how different the 1st & Original Production of 'Oz Wizard' was different to the book, and thanks to Mark Evan Schwartz's book "Oz: Before the Rainbow" I found out for myself (WORTH A READ!!). Later I got this CD to go along with the book's stage telling (more or less) and I listened in interest to the songs which, I read, were entirely different to the future Musicals of Oz. The songs are good, but not all of them are actually completely restored to perfection, so the singing may/will sound somewhat muffled. Also, due to the time it was made (for some reason), the songs don't actually fit into the story (even the stage's rewritten story) and sound distant/unrelated. But there are songs that sound similar to the original story ("Rejoice! The Wizard is No Longer King"). CD 2's Track 3 has music played during Silent Oz Film "His Majesty, Scarecrow" on the MGM 3-Disk DVD.
The best thing about this CD Collection is the two booklets packaged along with the disks: the first (entitled "The Records") has writing on "What the Wizard Was" with a synopsis of the stage production story and "About the Recordings", a listing of all the songs on CD 1 (which are helpful for "Selection" Tracks not specifically named on the back) and notes on the songs like their origins and background. Booklet 2 (entitled "The Lyrics") has the words to the songs (in case you can't make out the words/want to sing-along). BOTH CDs include b&w photos of the actors, performance (few of which can be seen in "Oz: Before the Rainbow" book) and even reprints of a few illustrations made for the stage. The pictures are the best part of this purchase.
The Entirely Different Songs may not fit with the story, original or rewritten, but there's nothing really wrong with the music when one enjoys to what they're listening to.
I know that there is also another 'Oz on Stage' CD Collection called "Before the Rainbow" . . . hmmm, I wonder if I should get that too?

Ain't it a Shame!.......2006-05-20

I think that this is a wonderful album of HISTORICAL value. Not too many people know this, but "the wizard of oz" was made into a smash hit in 1903, but because all the history was BARELY in obscurity, hungry tiger press wanted to educate the blockheads in the world about this remarkable piece of history. that being said, david maxine collected all of the old material, such as Piano rolls (my especial favorite of all of them is "the poppy song", i LOVE the bass notes: "nnn-ded-deh mmmm-ded-deh"), and music boxes, and cylinders, and records!
however, it is quite a shame that that CRAPPY movie with judy garland pushed this lovely musical into obscurity. i would have liked to see it in my day, but it was already lost in darkness, but thanks to the highly DIGNIFIED people in the world, this cd is available!! BUY IT!!!! I *ORDER* YOU!!! YOU CANNOT BE DIGNIFIED WITHOUT THIS REPLACING YOUR "RAP" GARBAGE WITH THIS JEWEL!!!!

Why the 1903 "Wizard" was forgotten.......2004-03-20

This truly remarkable 2-disc collection of old cylinders, discs, music boxes and piano rolls explains why the 1903 musical version of "The Wizard of Oz" did not survive the early thirties. It wasn't because it was before its time or even of its time, but simply because it was way behind the times. Its producers resisted composer's Paul Tietjens' attempts to write plot-driven numbers. His contribution survives only in the incidental music preserved on piano rolls (and the most interesting element on this collection) linking very disparate and even incongruous vaudeville acts by various authors and performers that graced the stage during the musical's multi-decade run. In other words, Baum was telling a story and the songs were telling another... As fascinating as they are for historical reasons, those numbers are commonplace, mostly uninspired flash-in-the-tin-pan ditties, with timid syncopation and a stong reliance on musical clichés. There is not a single standard among them and not even a decent lyric where "fine" doesn't rhyme with "mine" and "love you" doesn't rhyme with "I do"- or even "I know you know I know you do", as happens more than once. As an assemblage of shtick pieces and ephemeral sentimental or nonsensical ditties, this collection cannot be topped and it represents a monumental effort. Without it and its very generous and informative liner notes, I would not have the same appreciation for the absolute genius of Victor Herbert's operettas ("Babes in Toyland" came out the same year) where the more memorable songs are plot-driven and introduced and linked by the most luscious, inventive and varied incidental music ever heard outside an opera house. This sort of unified concept would culminate in Jerome Kern's "Show Boat" and it remains a truth today that the integration of plot and music - reminiscent of opera - is the true secret of successful and perennial musicals, whatever the current idiom. This collection also makes one appreciate the complete originality of the Hollywood film for actually going back to Baum's books, entrusting the songs, lyrics and music to Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg and Herbert Stothart and scrapping the musical's colourful but checkered history (except for casting ex-vaudevillians as the main characters, of course!). Highly recommended for its nostalgia value, its irreplaceable rarities and a better understanding of the history of American popular music.

A long overdue revisit to a classic American musical.......2003-09-30

Although it was one of the most financially successful stage musicals of the early 1900's, very little information is presently available on the 1903 production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. In what was obviously a labor of love, David Maxine has done much to correct this oversight by releasing a 2-CD set with over 145 minutes worth of extremely rare recordings of music from this and other OZ-themed musicals dating back to before World War I. Recorded materials include vintage acoustical disc and cylinder phonograph records, piano rolls, and music box discs, many of which go back almost a century. In addition, he has included two booklets worth of historical background information on the 1903 WIZARD OF OZ production, its stars, the individual musical numbers, and lyrics for the songs included on the CDs. (Lavishly illustrated with rare old black and white photos and artwork, these booklets, and the information they contain, are themselves worth the price of the set!) Several bonus CD tracks are included that offer rare recordings by Montgomery & Stone (the original Tin Woodsman and Scarecrow) and Bessie Wynn, who was also in the 1903 cast. Not just for dedicated Oz fans, this set is a "must have" for anyone interested in the history of American musical theater and American popular culture of the early 1900's.

Long-Forgotten Broadway Hit Gets First Rate Revival.......2003-09-17

One hundred and three years ago, author L. Frank Baum published the best-selling children's book of the 20th century, THE WIZARD OF OZ. Although the book was adapted several times as plays, silent motion pictures, animated cartoons, and radio shows in the next few decades, it is the 1939 MGM film that most people think of as THE WIZARD OF OZ. The success and popularity of that film completely eclipsed the memories of previous incarnations and even the book itself in popular culture. However, prior to the film's release, there was a successful stage version which premiered on Broadway in 1903 and delighted audiences for many years, making stars of Fred Stone and David Montgomery, the original Scarecrow and Tinman. As with the MGM film, chilren who saw THE WIZARD OF OZ on stage carried fond memories of the production into adulthood. Ray Bolger was so impressed with the Fred Stone's Scarecrow, that he remembered it vividly as an adult and based his own protrayal of the character in the movie on Mr. Stone's stage version.

Unfortunately, time and Judy Garland have pushed the once popular Broadway Smash into history. It has been all but forgotten...until now.

As the show moved from theater to theater and casts changed, so did the songs. Many of these were recorded on the primative equipment of the day: Wax cylinders, 78-RPM records, piano rolls, and music Boxes, and surprisingly many of these still exist. Now, thanks to those hard-working gents at HUNGRY TIGER PRESS, you can own these historic recordings on this awesome 2-CD set. THE WIZARD OF OZ: Vintage Recordings From The 1903 Broadway Musical contains over 145 minutes of terrific early 20th century music. You won't find "Over the Rainbow" or "Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead!" here. Instead, this WIZARD OF OZ contains tracks like "Budweiser's a Friend of Mine", "Sammy", "Hurrah for Baffin's Bay", and "Rejoice! The Wizard is No Longer King", each one a portal over the rainbow to the Broadway stage of a century ago.

Tracks:

O' Sole Mio
Va' Pensiero
Mazurka 'Campanelle'
Funiculi, Funicula
Leva Su Bela
Santa Lucia
Barcarola
Adagio
Aoi Giovanoti
L'avvelenato
Polesana
Vi Do 'I Bongiorno
Schiarazula Marzula
Mazurca Figurata
Chi Bussa?
Manfrina
Mazurka - Contravansa
Fratelli D'Italia

Richard Cumming: Silhouettes (for piano); Postcards from Italy ("Cartoline"), for narrator & piano; Five Pieces for piano four-hands "Holidays"; The Knights Page, for narrator & piano; 10 Songs

Average customer rating:

Looking for Gramm... Found a few surprises

Richard Cumming: Silhouettes (for piano); Postcards from Italy ("Cartoline"), for narrator & piano; Five Pieces for piano four-hands "Holidays"; The Knights Page, for narrator & piano; 10 Songs

Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Silhouettes: Five Pieces For Piano: Allegro giocoso
Silhouettes: Five Pieces For Piano: Lazy; As Slow As Possible
Silhouettes: Five Pieces For Piano: Vivace
Silhouettes: Five Pieces For Piano: Rubato; Undulating ('Serenade')
Silhouettes: Five Pieces For Piano: Not Slow
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Maggiore
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Capri
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Venezia
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Firenze
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Siena
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Ansedonia
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Spoleto
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Orvieto
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Sori
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Roma
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Tarquinia
Postcards From Italy (Cartoline): Positano
Five Pieces For Piano Four Hands: Prelude
Five Pieces For Piano Four Hands: Sarabande
Five Pieces For Piano Four Hands: March
Five Pieces For Piano Four Hands: Waltz-Musette
Five Pieces For Piano Four Hands: Lullaby
The Knight's Page
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: The Feast Of Crispian (Shakespeare)
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: To Whom Can I Speak Today? (Egyptian Circa 3000 BC)
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: Fife Tune
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: Here Dead Lie We
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: A Ballad Of The Good Lord Nelson
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: Going To The Warres
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: A Sight In The Camp
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: The End Of The World
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: Grave Hour
Ten Songs For Voice And Piano: The Song Of Moses

Customer Reviews:

Looking for Gramm... Found a few surprises.......1999-01-01

Since hearing Donald Gramm's warm bass-baitone on an LP of Rorem/Barber Songs in my school's music library, I have been on a search for recordings of this much missed voice. Every time I hear a recording I am saddened that I was too young to get to hear him in person. This recording of "We Happy Few," a work commisioned for him, is an incredible find. I'm so thrilled that it was reissued on CD. That said... The "Knight's Page" & "Postcards from Italy" with Abraham & Cumming are treats for the ear. Very pleasant surprises indeed. A heartfelt thanks for whoever decided to re-release this rare Donald Gramm gem, and for having the forsight to add such colourful pieces to the release.