| 1. Ragam Mohana |
| 2. Srigananadham |
| 3. Ragam Hindola |
| 4. Ragam Kalyan |
| 5. Nidichalasukhama |
| 6. Adigoalladigo |
| 7. Meera Bhajan |
| 8. Ayyappa Ashtakam |
| 9. Gandhamu Pooyyaruga |
| 10. Folk Song 1 |
| 11. Hindi Folk Song |
| 12. Folk Song 2 |
| 13. Purandaradasa |
| 14. Hindi Tune |
| 15. Siva Sthuthi |
| 16. Hanuman Chalisa |
| 17. Devi Slokam |
| 18. Wedding Bells I |
| 19. Wedding Bells II |
| 20. Vedam |
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Twenty tracks of pure (East) Indian bliss brought to you by Hallmark Music & Entertainment. Features a disc full of 'hypnotic rhythms & subtle melodies from the great sub-continent'.
I needn't have worried. This CD has leapt to the top of my commuting favorites, and I expect it will stay there permanently. The arrangements are sweet and varied and full of energy.
Sri Ram Chalisa is sung call as call and (sri Ram jai Ram) response - a boon to those of us who like to sing along but haven't mastered all the words.
Hallelujah Chalisa has a beautiful traditional flowing (when does he breathe?) arrangement.
Good Ole Chalisa is KD's traditional Chalisa tune, sung in a heart-warming choral style.
Nina Chalisa is a lilting, faintly medieval, all-female chorus.
Mountain Chalisa is another sweet, more traditional arrangement.
Bernie's Chalisa - my favorite - is a slightly slower, sweet, uplifting choral arrangement with phrasing that seems to make it easier to memorize the words (I'm six lines in).
The Ring Song is a great new arrangement of the charming story of Hanuman finding the kidnapped Mother Sita, given a slightly less "rock and role" treatment than the one recorded on "Pilgrim Heart," but still lots of fun.
The second CD has two spoken versions of the Chalisa for those of us who aspire eventually to learn the words - one a slow complete recitation, the other - even slower -has each line repeated twice. My only small complaints are (a) I would have liked a slow version set to music, which makes memorization easier and (b) Driving would be safer if each line (or pair of lines) had been recorded as a separate track. That would have saved a lot of trouble searching through the disc while practicing.
Music, inspiration, an (optional) "workshop" in chant, and bliss all packaged into one CD. Krishna Das has truly offered us a masterpiece of grace.
The vedic mantras in CD traces back to more than 5000 years Vedas, there is lot of valuable information over internet.
A true masterpiece in Indian classical music.
soul stirring
soul awakening
I highly recommend
that you sit down and take the time
to listen and enjoy.
Onto the review - I love the main intro as well as the intros to each of the ragas. The music is very good, and although the developments of the ragas are short, they adequately express the beauty contained within the ragas. There are, of course, better albums out there, but this is very good intro to the world of Hindustani Music. Buy this and you will be pleased. For a kick, buy it with Vidwan: Music of South India -- Songs of the Carnatic Tradition, so as to get a real feel of both the Hindustani and Carnatic traditions. Both of them were released in 1968, both are very classy, and both are available on this site.
Try it out, it'll take you far like it has me...
Disc 1: Out of the East (74:40)
Most of these tracks are ragas and are taken from his albums of the fifties and sixties. The most recent is "Dhun: Fast Teental" from 1967, the same year Shankar earned both the Billboard Recording Artist and Musician of the year honors. All tracks feature a small ensemble with Shankar accompanied only by tabla and tambura (and sarod on "Raga Palas Kafi)."
Disc 2: Into the West (78:29)
The tracks on this disc feature Shankar in collaboration with Western musicians. "Swara-Kakali" features famed violinist Yehudi Menuhin. "Discovery of India" is from the soundtrack album GHANDI, for which Shankar received an Oscar nomination for best score. There are two tracks from 1990's PASSAGES, which teamed Shankar with minimalist composer Phillip Glass. "Ragas in Minor Scale" features Shankar's ensemble playing a Glass composition, while "Offering" has Glass's ensemble performing a Shankar composition (the only track that Shankar does not perform on).
And, of course, it's only fitting that Shankar's most famous disciple be included. No fewer than three tracks feature George Harrison on autoharp: "Village Dance," "Memory of Uday" (Harrison also plays synthesizer on these two tracks), and "Friar Park." In addition, Harrison produced "Vandanaa Trayee."
This is a solid introduction to the music of India's best known musical ambassador. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
This CD, however, is truly made up of the best of Ravi Shankar. If you only wish to own one Ravi Shankar CD then this is for you.
Harrison declared Shankar the "Godfather of world music," as the back of the CD indicates, and this collection is a perfect testament to why that's true. While the form may not be to everyone's taste here in the West, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more affordable entree into--or a more skilled ambassador of--this beautiful musical heritage.
This two-CD set is actually more thoughtfully compiled than I imagined. Among my favorite recordings of his would be the 1990 album "Passages" - a true desert island recording - with Phillip Glass (1937). I assumed that album was too esoteric to be represented here, but it is, by two selections on disc 2. Disc 1, entitled "Out Of The East", features mostly ragas, spanning the decade from 1957 - 1967, from notable albums such as "The Sounds of India" (1954), "The Genius of Ravi Shankar" (1957) and "India's Master Musician" (1963.) "Into The West" is the title of disc 2 and it's 13 tracks, not surprisingly, feature Shankar performing with the likes of violinist Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999), George Harrison (1943-2001), guitarist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and minimalist composer Phillip Glass.
I happen to like the traditional ragas but also the newer, easier-to-digest material, such as the George Harrison collaboration "Village Dance" from 1987's "Tana Mana."
At the beginning of disc 1, Ravi Shankar narrates a 5 minute introduction to Indian classical music and at the end suggests best how western listeners can enjoy it.
What I like about the music on disc 2 is, I will shamelessly admit, the ease of remembering the music and being able to identify it during subsequent listens. Some of the tracks have taken on a soundtrack feel to them, which will not please those who prefer traditional ragas.
By and large, you don't listen to Indian classical music hoping to get the same experience as you would from most other forms of music, including European classical music. You let yourself get lost in the experience, the journey, and forget about repetition and familiarity. You can listen to a 15 minute raga and hear something new each time. The music is too rich to be absorbed in one listening and there's no way you can pick up your instrument of choice and repeat the entire raga that you have just listened to. For those with a fertile mind, the melodies are truly heaven sent.
I'm always skeptical when record companies package compilations since they are rarely completely satisfying with their obvious omissions and inclusions of new but usually weak material. Columbia has tackled Ravi Shankar with a liberal representation of his works, but it won't necessarily please everyone. For those with broad tastes who are not Shankar experts, it's a great collection to have. Included in the liner notes is a brief but enjoyable article by Hank Bordowitz.
This is a tour de force by one of the great Kirtan artists.
Krishna Das takes a very simple Mantra and he uses it to create a great many different moods. He never loses the reverence for the mantra, but he takes the listener through many different moods, ranging from great dignity and formality to isolation, to joy and playfulness. It's infectious and almost impossible to resist singing along.
This CD shows why Krishna Das is the greatest American Kirtan artist, possibly the greatest in the world.
Having gushed all over how wonderful this suite is, I now have to warn you that it is an hour of the exact same lyric:
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare
Some people may not groove on it. When I share KD with others, I get one of 2 reactions - either they love it, or they don't get it. I think it may be an acquired taste for some people.
I want to repeat a point another reviewer made: This is a GREAT CD for an energetic vinyasa or power yoga session! It starts you out slow and builds strongly.
Saathi and Rebirth are the highlights of this album - both are collaborations and the mix of instruments & styles is just right. This is in contrast to Karsh Kale (who is great as well) whose tracks often have too much going on - fortunately Midival Punditz keeps their tracks relatively uncluttered. But on a good sound system I find the bass is slightly overcooked in Raajan and a few other tracks.
I am eagerly awaiting their next album.
I immediately shared it with my friends from India and they LOVED it too. More likely I will acquiring another CD from them.
Midival Punditz have taken their game to a new level and this album is a masterpiece and a must have for any serious listener. You don't have to love this genre to love this music.
First, the sound recording and production quality is even better then the first album. You have to hear this album on a high end music system to understand the full power and impact of these songs. I don't know how they manage to pull off such high production values when other bands just screw this up.
Midival punditz have again seamlessly interwoven classical indian vocalists/instruments with some of the most cutting edge and pleasant sounding electronica sounds you can find.
Personally, I absolutely loved 9 of the 11 tracks (all the generally slow/mid tempo stuff which they absolutely nail), while I felt "Kesariya" and "Enemy" were somewhat more pedestrian attempts (and feel out of place).
I can't wait to share this CD with friends and I can't wait for more greatness from this band.
Twenty tracks of pure (East) Indian bliss brought to you by Hallmark Music & Entertainment. Features a disc full of 'hypnotic rhythms & subtle melodies from the great sub-continent'.
World of Music: India,Various Artists,Hallmark Records,Early Music / Chant,India,Int'l & World Music,Pop
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Flow of Grace
Krishna Das Manufacturer: Gemini Sun Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  India
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ASIN: B000LW9Q98 Release Date: 2007-05-08 |
Tracks:
- Sri Ram Chalisa
- Hallelujah Chalisa
- Good Ole Chalisa
- Nina Chalisa
- Mountain Chalisa
- Bernie's Chalisa
- Medley: Ring Song/Jaya Siya Ram
Tracks:
- Hanuman Chalisa
- Hanuman Chalisa
Customer Reviews:
A Krishna Das/Chalisa Lovers Delight In A Great Package .......2007-06-27
Music to Make Your Heart Happy.......2007-06-21
I needn't have worried. This CD has leapt to the top of my commuting favorites, and I expect it will stay there permanently. The arrangements are sweet and varied and full of energy.
Sri Ram Chalisa is sung call as call and (sri Ram jai Ram) response - a boon to those of us who like to sing along but haven't mastered all the words
Hallelujah Chalisa has a beautiful traditional flowing (when does he breathe?) arrangement.
Good Ole Chalisa is KD's traditional Chalisa tune, sung in a heart-warming choral style.
Nina Chalisa is a lilting, faintly medieval, all-female chorus.
Mountain Chalisa is another sweet, more traditional arrangement.
Bernie's Chalisa - my favorite - is a slightly slower, sweet, uplifting choral arrangement with phrasing that seems to make it easier to memorize the words (I'm six lines in
The Ring Song is a great new arrangement of the charming story of Hanuman finding the kidnapped Mother Sita, given a slightly less "rock and role" treatment than the one recorded on "Pilgrim Heart," but still lots of fun.
The second CD has two spoken versions of the Chalisa for those of us who aspire eventually to learn the words - one a slow complete recitation, the other - even slower -has each line repeated twice. My only small complaints are (a) I would have liked a slow version set to music, which makes memorization easier and (b) Driving would be safer if each line (or pair of lines) had been recorded as a separate track. That would have saved a lot of trouble searching through the disc while practicing.
Music, inspiration, an (optional) "workshop" in chant, and bliss all packaged into one CD. Krishna Das has truly offered us a masterpiece of grace.
Amazing!.......2007-05-24
Average customer rating: 
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Chants Of India: Ravi Shankar; George Harrison
Ravi Shankar , and George Harrison Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vocal & Song
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ASIN: B000002SMC Release Date: 1997-05-06 |
Tracks:
- Vandanaa Trayee
- Omkaaraaya Namaha
- Vedic Chanting (One)
- Asato Maa
- Sahanaa Vavatu
- Poornamadah
- Gaayatri
- Mahaa Mrityunjaya (Om Triambakam)
- Veenaa-Murali (Music Interlude)
- Geetaa (Karmanye Vadhikaraste)
- Mangalam (Tala Mantra)
- Hari Om (Music Interlude)
- Svara Mantra
- Vedic Chanting (Two)
- Prabhujee
- Sarve Shaam
Amazon.com essential recording
Mantram is Ravi Shankar's effort to set Sanskrit chants from ancient Hindu scriptures to music, and the result is a captivating mix of chant and music. Produced by George Harrison, this collection of mantras and prayers from the Vedas, Upanishads, and other scriptures powerfully transports the listener to a place of peace where it's possible to be one with the universe. It's as if a heavy, enveloping cloak of serenity falls from the dark, floating sounds of cello opening the CD. Shankar employs flute, tamboura, harp, and other instruments to accent the mighty "Om" thread that weaves itself through the cloth of this album, bringing together deep, ominous voices with delicate, earthly instruments. One looking for extensive Shankar sitar might be disappointed, but the beauty of this artist's creativity and spiritual vision sweeps one away into a larger, more meaningful listening experience. Highly recommended. --Karen KarleskiCustomer Reviews:
Soul of Indian classical music - True Gem.......2007-08-06
The vedic mantras in CD traces back to more than 5000 years Vedas, there is lot of valuable information over internet.
A true masterpiece in Indian classical music.
Classy Indian Chants.......2007-07-24
Authentic Hindu Chants.......2007-06-14
George and Ravi combine worship and melody for a one-of-akind experience.......2007-05-04
uplifting.......2007-04-06
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Greatest Hits of the Kali Yuga
Krishna Das Manufacturer: Karuna ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD India
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ASIN: B0002O06PI Release Date: 2004-09-07 |
Tracks:
- Bhajelo-ji Hanuman
- Namah Shivayah
- Ma Durga
- Hara Hara Mahadev
- Mountain Hare Krishna
- Hanuman Baba (Dub Farm Re-Mix)
- Shri Guru Charanam
- Devi Puja
- Mere Guru Dev
- Brindavan Hare Ram
Customer Reviews:
Listening to this CD over and over and over and over...etc........2007-07-05
Ram Ram Ram Ram .......2007-03-28
moving into peace.......2007-01-19
Beautiful!.......2007-01-10
greatest hits krishna das.......2007-01-10
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Rise
Anoushka Shankar Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD India
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ASIN: B000AV2G6A Release Date: 2005-09-27 |
Tracks:
- Prayer In Passing
- Red Sun
- Mahadeva
- Naked
- Solea
- Beloved
- Sinister Grains
- Voices Of The Moon
- Ancient Love
Amazon.com
There are prodigies and there is progeny. Anoushka Shankar is both. As the daughter of sitar legend Ravi Shankar, she's got bloodlines and a teacher who is one of the greatest to ever play sitar. While Anoushka has pretty good classical chops (not the best, but pretty good), Rise shows her versatility and growth as a composer, arranger, and producer. The nine-song album features her sitar along with a variety of traditional Indian and modern Western instruments. She orders the ragas logically, starting with morning and working toward the final one at the end of the night, each one capturing the mood of its particular time of day. For example, mellow opener "Prayer in Passing" would be the initial waking moments, while the mood soon gets more upbeat on "Red Sun" before the midday heat sets in for the middle tracks and brings down the tempo. Traditionalists will call it pop, but there is nothing light or disposable about Rise. --Tad HendricksonCustomer Reviews:
Sitar please.......2007-05-12
Anoushka rise CD.......2007-05-10
Wonderful music..........2007-04-30
soul stirring
soul awakening
I highly recommend
that you sit down and take the time
to listen and enjoy.
Good choice!.......2007-03-26
Saw her live and then bought this....I can play it all day.......2007-01-03
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Teknochek Collision
Slavic Soul Party! Manufacturer: Barbes ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD India
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ASIN: B000NIIUU6 Release Date: 2007-04-03 |
Tracks:
- Ladies (And Gentlemen)
- Teknochek Collision
- Sisko's Blues
- Opa Cupa
- Occapella (Have A Beer)
- Rumenka Takes A Drive
- Iruchenista!
- Djelem, Djelem
- Vranje
- P At The River
- Never Gonna Let You Go
- Bonus Track 1
Amazon.com
Slavic Soul Party bills itself as the "No. 1 brass band for Balkan-soul-gypsy-funk." While the competition may be a bit thin in this niche genre, there is no argument about the validity of the tag. The band, made up of members of varying backgrounds from the U.S. and Japan, introduces the brash-but-intricate horn lines of the Balkans and adds some New Orleans grit and groove to the stew. On the Brooklyn-based group's third album, one can't help but marvel at the ensemble playing of knotty horn lines on tunes by leader Matt Moran (the percolating "Ruchenista!" stands out) or Slavic traditionals like the sadly romantic "Djelem Djelem," which features guest vocalist Eva Salina Primack. Those ready to party need look no further than the uproarious "Vrainje" or the title track. No matter which direction the nine-piece band goes, it easily takes the listener along for the ride. --Tad HendricksonCustomer Reviews:
This CD ROCKS........2007-07-26
Fun Music.......2007-07-07
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The Sounds of India
Ravi Shankar Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vocal & Song
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ASIN: B0000024SZ Release Date: 1989-07-20 |
Tracks:
- An Introduction To Indian Music
- Dadra
- Maru-Bihag
- Bhimpalis
- Sindhi-Bhairavi
Amazon.com essential recording
This 1960s classic is a perfect introduction not only to Ravi Shankar's brilliant work on the sitar, but also to classical Indian music in general. Shankar offers brief, informative explanations of Indian ragas, scales, rhythms, song structures, and time signatures to set the stage for each spiritual piece he, Chatur Lal (tabla), and N.C. Mullick (tamboura) perform. Though Western listeners may not be able intellectually to pinpoint the subtle purposes of the various ragas' rhythms and movements, unconsciously listeners will feel them vividly. For instance, the plodding tension created by the 2/3/2/3 rhythm in "Máru-Bihág" well reflects the raga's poetic metaphor of separated, longing lovers. The loose, playful improvisation on "Sindhi-Bhairavi" mirrors the passionate romance of lovers. Overall, classical Indian music is diverse and complex, but The Sounds of India simplifies it beautifully for those interested in exploring it and its greatest ambassador. --Karen KarleskiCustomer Reviews:
Classic Ravi Shankar.......2007-07-24
The Sounds of India.......2007-04-09
Mera Bharat...actually 4.73 stars.......2007-03-24
Onto the review - I love the main intro as well as the intros to each of the ragas. The music is very good, and although the developments of the ragas are short, they adequately express the beauty contained within the ragas. There are, of course, better albums out there, but this is very good intro to the world of Hindustani Music. Buy this and you will be pleased. For a kick, buy it with Vidwan: Music of South India -- Songs of the Carnatic Tradition, so as to get a real feel of both the Hindustani and Carnatic traditions. Both of them were released in 1968, both are very classy, and both are available on this site.
Try it out, it'll take you far like it has me...
Diesappointing.......2007-02-06
Much Talking on CD.......2006-08-22
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The Essential Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD India
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ASIN: B000AO4NL8 Release Date: 2005-10-04 |
Tracks:
- An Introduction To Indian Music
- Dadra
- Kafi-Holi (Spring Festival Of Colors)
- Raga Des
- Raga Palas Kafi (Excerpt)
- Sitar Todi
- Dhun: Fast Teental (Excerpt)
Tracks:
- Swara-Kakali
- Discovery Of India
- Vandanaa Trayee
- Village Dance
- Raga Minature
- Sandhya Raga
- Memory Of Uday
- Shanti Mantra
- Ragas In Minor Scale
- Chappaqua
- Friar Park
- Vaishnava janato/Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram
- Offering
Customer Reviews:
Solid Introduction to India's Master Musician.......2006-03-31
Disc 1: Out of the East (74:40)
Most of these tracks are ragas and are taken from his albums of the fifties and sixties. The most recent is "Dhun: Fast Teental" from 1967, the same year Shankar earned both the Billboard Recording Artist and Musician of the year honors. All tracks feature a small ensemble with Shankar accompanied only by tabla and tambura (and sarod on "Raga Palas Kafi)."
Disc 2: Into the West (78:29)
The tracks on this disc feature Shankar in collaboration with Western musicians. "Swara-Kakali" features famed violinist Yehudi Menuhin. "Discovery of India" is from the soundtrack album GHANDI, for which Shankar received an Oscar nomination for best score. There are two tracks from 1990's PASSAGES, which teamed Shankar with minimalist composer Phillip Glass. "Ragas in Minor Scale" features Shankar's ensemble playing a Glass composition, while "Offering" has Glass's ensemble performing a Shankar composition (the only track that Shankar does not perform on).
And, of course, it's only fitting that Shankar's most famous disciple be included. No fewer than three tracks feature George Harrison on autoharp: "Village Dance," "Memory of Uday" (Harrison also plays synthesizer on these two tracks), and "Friar Park." In addition, Harrison produced "Vandanaa Trayee."
This is a solid introduction to the music of India's best known musical ambassador. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
This is Perfect if You Want Just One Ravi Shankar CD.......2006-03-10
This CD, however, is truly made up of the best of Ravi Shankar. If you only wish to own one Ravi Shankar CD then this is for you.
The Sitar Master.......2006-03-04
Harrison declared Shankar the "Godfather of world music," as the back of the CD indicates, and this collection is a perfect testament to why that's true. While the form may not be to everyone's taste here in the West, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more affordable entree into--or a more skilled ambassador of--this beautiful musical heritage.
Excellent introduction to the legendary musician.......2006-02-04
This two-CD set is actually more thoughtfully compiled than I imagined. Among my favorite recordings of his would be the 1990 album "Passages" - a true desert island recording - with Phillip Glass (1937). I assumed that album was too esoteric to be represented here, but it is, by two selections on disc 2. Disc 1, entitled "Out Of The East", features mostly ragas, spanning the decade from 1957 - 1967, from notable albums such as "The Sounds of India" (1954), "The Genius of Ravi Shankar" (1957) and "India's Master Musician" (1963.) "Into The West" is the title of disc 2 and it's 13 tracks, not surprisingly, feature Shankar performing with the likes of violinist Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999), George Harrison (1943-2001), guitarist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and minimalist composer Phillip Glass.
I happen to like the traditional ragas but also the newer, easier-to-digest material, such as the George Harrison collaboration "Village Dance" from 1987's "Tana Mana."
At the beginning of disc 1, Ravi Shankar narrates a 5 minute introduction to Indian classical music and at the end suggests best how western listeners can enjoy it.
What I like about the music on disc 2 is, I will shamelessly admit, the ease of remembering the music and being able to identify it during subsequent listens. Some of the tracks have taken on a soundtrack feel to them, which will not please those who prefer traditional ragas.
By and large, you don't listen to Indian classical music hoping to get the same experience as you would from most other forms of music, including European classical music. You let yourself get lost in the experience, the journey, and forget about repetition and familiarity. You can listen to a 15 minute raga and hear something new each time. The music is too rich to be absorbed in one listening and there's no way you can pick up your instrument of choice and repeat the entire raga that you have just listened to. For those with a fertile mind, the melodies are truly heaven sent.
I'm always skeptical when record companies package compilations since they are rarely completely satisfying with their obvious omissions and inclusions of new but usually weak material. Columbia has tackled Ravi Shankar with a liberal representation of his works, but it won't necessarily please everyone. For those with broad tastes who are not Shankar experts, it's a great collection to have. Included in the liner notes is a brief but enjoyable article by Hank Bordowitz.
Average customer rating:
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All One
Krishna Das Manufacturer: Triloka Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD India
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ASIN: B000A1IOKC Release Date: 2005-08-23 |
Tracks:
- Calling From Afar
- Refuge in The Name
- Rock in a Heart Space
- Township Krishna
Amazon.com
A recording likely to delight enthusiasts and perplex the uninitiated, All One is a 54-minute, four-part suite rooted in devotional yoga and dedicated, as the liner notes explain, to the "Sacred Names...revealed to us by the Great Beings who manifest Truth." All One presents four essentially seamless tracks in which the Hare Krishna mantra is repeated over and over, yet with gradual fluctuations in musical context, ranging from a worshipful near-drone to a jangly, celebratory sort of pop. (Note: Absorbing so much lyrical repetition may require an especially enlightened state of mind.) Krishna Das, a native New Yorker born Jeffrey Kagel who embraced Indian spiritual pursuits in the late 1960s, is the production's unifying force, half-singing, half-groaning the names and eliciting joyful replies from a 70-voice choir in recurring call-and-response patterns. Among the recording's numerous participants are bassist and co-producer Walter Becker of Steely Dan, co-producer Jay Messina (who has worked with Aerosmith), and drummer Rick Allen of Def Leppard, though their contributions are transparent in the mix of many other musicians. Instead, the focus is on the repetitious chants of Das (who also plays harmonium) and the sense of connectedness and oneness they aspire to engender among all listeners. --Terry WoodAlbum Description
"All One" is Krishna Das' first new studio recording in two years. Featuring Walter Becker and Def Leppard's Rick Allen, "All One" is a Mantric suite in four movements. "All One" covers musical ground from western classical music to South African township music.Co-produced by Walter Becker, "All One" features a 20 instrument orchestra and 70 voices. Other musicians included on this recording are longtime Krishna Das sideman Ty Burhoe and guitarist/composer David Nichtern.
Customer Reviews:
KD: Variations on a theme - masterfully done.......2007-08-05
This is a tour de force by one of the great Kirtan artists.
Krishna Das takes a very simple Mantra and he uses it to create a great many different moods. He never loses the reverence for the mantra, but he takes the listener through many different moods, ranging from great dignity and formality to isolation, to joy and playfulness. It's infectious and almost impossible to resist singing along.
This CD shows why Krishna Das is the greatest American Kirtan artist, possibly the greatest in the world.
Having gushed all over how wonderful this suite is, I now have to warn you that it is an hour of the exact same lyric:
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare
Some people may not groove on it. When I share KD with others, I get one of 2 reactions - either they love it, or they don't get it. I think it may be an acquired taste for some people.
I want to repeat a point another reviewer made: This is a GREAT CD for an energetic vinyasa or power yoga session! It starts you out slow and builds strongly.
Best of its Genre.......2007-07-07
One of the best yoga CD's.......2007-04-14
Review of Krishna Das.......2007-01-12
Very nice to listen to........2007-01-10
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Midival Times
MIDIval PunditZ Manufacturer: Six Degrees ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0007W7H8Y Release Date: 2005-06-20 |
Tracks:
- Morning
- Saathi (feat. Ustad Sultan Khan)
- Raanjhan
- 136
- Rebirth (feat. Anoushka Shankar)
- Khayaal (feat. Vishal Vaid)
- Piya
- Kesariya
- Ali (feat. Kailash Kher)
- Enemy
- Hold On (Thaarey Rahiyo)
Amazon.com
The music of India reaches back countless generations. Yet while some continue the old ways, the digital revolution has enabled musicians there, like everywhere else, to modernize and cross-pollinate at a rate that is nearly exponential. New Delhi's Midival Punditz, which is composed of Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, are at the leading edge. Even so, the two look back to ragas, Indian classical and Bollywood even as they move forward with some of the sharpest programming to come out of the ethno-techno genre. They get old school flavor by bringing in Anoushka Shankar, Ustad Sultan Khan and others for standout performances, but these strong turns are a tribute to the production, writing and programming of Raj and Raina--the music is timeless, panoramic, and always moving forward with beats and groove. The styles are seamlessly fused together throughout, but tracks like "Saathi" and "Raanjhan" have set the bar to a new high for the duo and the genre. --Tad HendricksonAlbum Description
The MIDIval PunditZ are producers extraordinaire from New Delhi, India. When Six Degrees Records signed them to a worldwide deal, they became the first-ever Indian electronica band to sign to an international label. The PunditZ morph at will into remixers or recording artists, live performers or club promoters as the occasion demands. They have performed as members of Bill Laswell and Zakir Hussain's super group, Tabla Beat Science and have toured around the world as DJ's and performers. The PunditZ first, self titled CD spawned the underground anthem "Bhangra Fever" which has been used in a major mobile phone television campaign in India and is played regularly at Indian soccer matches.MIDIval Times is the follow-up release that Asian Massive fans have been waiting for. Once again fusing classical Indian traditions with cutting edge electronic dance music, the PunditZ have created a masterpiece which transcends genres. The new release features guest performances from Ravi Shankar's daughter (and the heir to his musical legacy), Anoushka Shankar as well as Tabla Beat Science member and sarangi master Sultan Khan. The tracks range from beautiful, lush ambient moods to dance-floor monsters which are as influenced by such groups as Underworld and the Chemical Brothers as they are by Indian music.
Customer Reviews:
Best of Asian Massive.......2006-10-21
Saathi and Rebirth are the highlights of this album - both are collaborations and the mix of instruments & styles is just right. This is in contrast to Karsh Kale (who is great as well) whose tracks often have too much going on - fortunately Midival Punditz keeps their tracks relatively uncluttered. But on a good sound system I find the bass is slightly overcooked in Raajan and a few other tracks.
I am eagerly awaiting their next album.
delightfull music.......2006-06-07
I immediately shared it with my friends from India and they LOVED it too. More likely I will acquiring another CD from them.
album review.......2006-03-20
Technology meets Tradition.......2005-07-28
10 out of 10.......2005-04-20
Midival Punditz have taken their game to a new level and this album is a masterpiece and a must have for any serious listener. You don't have to love this genre to love this music.
First, the sound recording and production quality is even better then the first album. You have to hear this album on a high end music system to understand the full power and impact of these songs. I don't know how they manage to pull off such high production values when other bands just screw this up.
Midival punditz have again seamlessly interwoven classical indian vocalists/instruments with some of the most cutting edge and pleasant sounding electronica sounds you can find.
Personally, I absolutely loved 9 of the 11 tracks (all the generally slow/mid tempo stuff which they absolutely nail), while I felt "Kesariya" and "Enemy" were somewhat more pedestrian attempts (and feel out of place).
I can't wait to share this CD with friends and I can't wait for more greatness from this band.
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Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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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
Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12
Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20
Frank's view.......2006-08-19
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08
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.
World Music:
- World of Music: Israel [Import]
- World of Neue Deutche Welle [Import]
- World of Polka [Import]
- Album [Import]
- Alles Steht in Den Sternen [Import]
- Altai-Khangain-Ayalguu [Import]
- Ancient World [Import]
- Aniversario Do Tatu [Import]
- Aquela Loira [Import]
- Aquella Noche [Live]
World Music
Sunday Morning [CD-single] [Import]
Mussorgsky, Stravinsky, Balakirev: Works for Cello & Orchestra
La Muerta: Recordando a Chalino