Organ Power!

Track Listings

1. Messiaen: Dieu parmi nous from La Nativit du Seigneur

2. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G Major BWV 541

3. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in B Major Op. 7

4. Widor: Andante sostenuto from Symphony No. 9 in C Minor("Gothique")

5. Widor: Allegro from Symphony No. 6 in G Minor Op. 42 No.2

6. Spong: Partita on Showalter

7. Dupr: Magnificat 1 from 15 Versets sur les Vspres de laVierge Op. 18

Editorial Reviews
Fanfare
"One of the most impressive-sounding organ recordings of the last thirty years"

Crescendo
An admirable disc which Alan Morrison may well be proud of and which continues the nearly impeccable reproduction style of DTR"

Album Description
Allen Morrison in a wonderful performance on the Heefner Memorial Organ at Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA.

Organ Power!

Customer Reviews:

txbjones.......2007-06-30

WOW - you have to listen to believe - my wife said she had not heard this music this good in some churches - channel separation is excellent - music is excellent - this is 1st SACD I have heard so I am in awe - all I can say is WOW

My Fav CD now.......2007-06-05

I have listened to this SACD several times in 2 days now, and it is my favorite now. On the Sony PS3, this SACD shows up as either a 2 channel or 8 channel from the XMB->Music->CD menu. I never listened to the 2 channel version, but listening the 8 channel version on my 7.1 Yamaha receiver just puts right there.

Absolutely incredible experience.......2007-05-22

Although I can't add much to the detailed reviews you'll read below, this ranks as the most amazing SACD I've had the pleasure of listening to. Sitting in the middle of my speakers, listening to the distinct sound of all four organs, was almost like a religious experience. Yes, it will indeed give your bass a workout, and should be a reference work for your system's bass performance. But I was equally amazed at the total musical range of these organs, and by the performer's dexterity in bringing out such a varied sound. Listen to the end of each piece as the last notes slowly fade away. The liner notes say that the hall's reverberation time is 6 seconds, but it seems even longer to me.

Bach: The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues.......2007-05-06

This CD is only worth junk to me as I do not have the advanced equipment on which to play it. I was ripped off by Amazon.

Beyond Fantastic.......2007-02-13

This is the most exciting and dramatic pipe organ recording I have ever heard. This recording has extremely low pedal tones that will rock the walls. My home theater system, which was primarily designed for music, has a Velodyne F 1500R sub-woofer, that is given a real workout by this marvelous recording. Guests who hear this recording in my home are astounded by the full range and drama of this truly unique pipe organ recording. (For that matter, I'm astounded by it.) Since I got this recording, I have become a fan of the Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564 which concludes the disc. One can see why Mr. Biggs saved this one for last.

This recording was originally made as a quadrophonic recording in October of 1973 at the Cathedral of Freiburg in Germany. With the advent of SACD, the full potential of the original master tapes can now be enjoyed in the home. This recording, however, has to be played on an SACD player.

The Cathedral has four pipe organs, that can be played from a central console. The recording gives each corner speaker it's own pipe organ, two in front, and two in the rear. The reverberation time of the Cathedral is six seconds which greatly enhances the feeling of spaciousness in this recording.

Those of you who are pipe organ fans should not miss out on this very special recording. If you do not have SACD yet, this recording alone is sufficient reason to make the move to SACD. If you are familiar with "Absolute Sound" magazine, then you know the name Harry Pearson. This recording was given Mr. Pearson's top rating, a "10", which is saying something.

Even if your not a pipe organ fan, and have a really great sub-woofer that needs a good workout, this is the way to go for an unequaled demonstration disc.

The Power & The Majesty: Essential Choral Classics

Average customer rating:

Best of American Choral Singing!
A good album, but--
Awesome

The Power & The Majesty: Essential Choral Classics
Robert Shaw Festival Singers , and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Choruses
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Choral Masterpieces
Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration
The #1 Choral Album
Sea Shanties
O Magnum Mysterium

ASIN: B000003D10
Release Date: 1995-01-24

Tracks:

Dies Irae
Tuba Mirum
Pie Jesu
O Fortuna
Dies Irae
Rex Tremendae
Confutatis
Lacrimosa
Polovtsian Dances
Missa: Kyrie Eleison
Hallelujah Chorus
The Shepherd's Farewell
Sanctus
The Heavens Are Telling
'Va, pensiero' (Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves)
Nyne Otpushchayeshi (Now Let Thy Servant Depart)
Dies Irae

Customer Reviews:

Best of American Choral Singing!.......2003-02-08

This CD could be the cornerstone of your choral music library! Wonderful performances of all of the essential choral pieces give a wonderful introduction to choral music for someone new to it, and also give a nice sampler of the best pieces for someone already familiar with the music. Listening to each excerpt may inspire you to purchase the entire work!

As you would expect of performances by Robert Shaw's groups, these performances are really extraordinary and show the best of American choral singing.

A good album, but--.......2001-12-28

The three stars I have given this album are not for the performances, which are all tremendous and deserve five stars or more, but for the idea of releasing this sort of compilation. Every single one of these selections is part of a larger Shaw-recorded work already released by Telarc, and you are far better off seeking the complete recordings that all these pieces are from, than just buying a mere "sampler". (Shaw, however, never did get around to recording the complete " L' Enfance du Christ".) Of course, that can be very expensive for some people, and if one cannot afford all those recordings, I suppose this is the next best thing. One can't shake off the feeling, however, that because Shaw is no longer with us, Telarc is desperately trying to give the impression that "new" Shaw recordings are constantly being released by them, when the truth is that nearly all the new ones are mere recyclings. (The last complete Robert Shaw album released by Telarc was Dvorak's "Stabat Mater", a CD well worth buying.)

Awesome.......2000-04-04

This album is so up-lifting. As the music soars, so do your spirits.

Average customer rating:

Antiphonal Masterpiece
All-star brass
Instant playing
A VERY special album
I think Gabrieli would like this album

The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Music Of Gabrieli
Gabrieli · Monteverdi · Vivaldi - Venetian Church Music / Taverner Consort, Choir & Players · Andrew Parrott
The Chicago Principal: First Chair Soloist Play Famous Concertos
Glorious Sound of Brass
Gabrieli: The Canzonas and Sonatas from Sacrae Symphoniae 1597

ASIN: B0000029PE
Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Septimi Toni No. 2
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Duodecimi Toni
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon A 12
Giovanni Gabrieli: Sonata Octavi Toni
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Per Sonare No. 27
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Quarti Toni
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon A 12
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Per Sonare No. 28
Giovanni Gabrieli: Sonate Pian'e Forte
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Primi Toni
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Septimi Toni No. 1
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Noni Toni
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Per Sonare No. 2
Giovanni Gabrieli: Primo Tono
Giovanni Gabrieli: Secondo Tono
Giovanni Gabrieli: Terzo E Quarto Tono
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Per Sonare No. 1 La Spiritata
Giovanni Gabrieli: Ottavo Tono
Giovanni Gabrieli: Nono Tono
Giovanni Gabrieli: Decimo Tono
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Per Sonare No. 3 Intonazioni D'organo
Giovanni Gabrieli: Undicesimo Tono
Giovanni Gabrieli: Duodecimo Tono
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Per Sonare No. 4
Giovanni Gabrieli: Fantasia In The Sixth Tone
Giovanni Gabrieli: Tocata In D Minor
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Prima In G Major
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Seconda In C Major
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Terza In A Minor
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Quarta In G Minor
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Quinta In G Minor
Giovanni Gabrieli: Toccata In G Major

Amazon.com

Venice was a good place to be in the 17th century if you liked to hang out in church--not that you had much choice in those days. Gabrieli's reputation rests on his "polychoral" compositions: works for several choirs, a choir being any size group of voices or instruments. For example, a sacred composition for three choirs might have two brass groups and one chorus, or two choruses and one brass ensemble. The idea was to keep things flexible to allow for changing local conditions. The result, in any case, was a magnificent "question and answer" style of writing, in which great blocks of harmony challenged each other from opposite sides of San Marco Cathedral. If this sort of thing intrigues you, then you owe it to yourself to hear this terrific collection. It's a cosmic experience. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Antiphonal Masterpiece.......2007-05-16

This recording unifies arguably the 3 best brass sections from American Brass orchestras in a performance of the antiphonal music of Giovanni Gabrieli. The Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cleveland brass sections are used here and they work together as groups as well as they ever did with their corresponding orchestras. This was recorded without conductor, rehearsal, or even a tuning note, however, this is irrelevant when looking at the result. Given performers of the caliber of Adolph "Bud" Herseth, Arnold Jacobs, and Gilbert Johnson it is little wonder that this fine quality could be achieved with minimum preparation. I have looked at a number of other examples of this music including recordings by the Empire Brass and the Canadian Brass (and friends) and neither comes close to the emotion and beauty of this performance.

The different groups played directed off the vocal and instrumental parts written by Gabrieli making any adjustment for transposition in their head on sight, thus allowing them all to be as much focused on the music as possible as they were not looking at 3rd generation arrangements which always tend to leave out markings. These possibly were the best brass performers in America at the time and their interpretations are unified through exceptional listening across the ensemble for intonation, style, and tempo. A slightly non-justifiable reason that I hold for this album's excellence is the raw energy and beauty of this unprepared collaboration. In the time of Gabrieli, rehearsals were rare, and musicians would, on a daily basis, sit down and perform music that they hadn't studied, and while these are not the original instruments for which Gabrieli wrote, the quick pacing of this production (one weekend) to me lends more on the positive side for the enjoyment of the listener.

In short, this is a remarkable collaboration of some of the best performers on fantastic Renaissance literature and worthy of owning merely for that fact, and when combined with live and engaging performances where the music is played expertly from one section to the next off of each individual, this album becomes a gem for anyone with an interest in the brass ensemble sound.

All-star brass.......2007-01-17

If you like antiphonal music or even just music, it doesn't get any better! With the best brass players in the world playing Gabrieli, you couldn't want more musically!

Instant playing.......2006-07-11

I very like the diversity of instruments used in this recording, and it is shure something special to have all the first brass of so many US orchestras together. But they play on first sight, without preparation, and this results in lack of precision, it is just not the right kind of music to do "ad-hoc". They would do very well with Jazz, but not with Gabrieli. Nevertheless the performance is by far better then the one of Empire Brass. Overall I would recommend the complete Gabrieli Works on Naxos played by London Brass. They lack diversity of instruments because they play on Trumpets and Trombones only, but there is the precision adn musicality.

A VERY special album.......2005-08-03

If you've been into brass for 40 years, you probably already know that this is a very unusual gathering of the top of the top!
My only complaint is with the web site sound samples being MONO !
This album is in STEREO and really portrays the placement of the 3 major antiphonal quintets! You won't be disapointed.

I think Gabrieli would like this album.......2005-04-28

The purists have a good point - this recording is not historically accurate. In Gabrieli's time most written music was for sacred events. I'm sure the church officials would have objected to the volume level and intensity of this recording. Composers in the Renaissance and Baroque periods were pretty much slaves to their employers. I think that if Gabrieli had present day instruments and full performance control he would have performed his works differently.
If you love quality brass music read the five star reviews and buy this album!

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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Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
What to Listen for in Music
Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin

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:

Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565: Toccata
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565: Fugue
The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Toccata
The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Fugue
The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Toccata
The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Fugue
The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Toccata
The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Adagio
The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Fugue
The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: We All Believe In One God
The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues: Jesus, My Joy
Fantasy In G Major, BWV 572

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-06-22

This is possibly the best recording made of classical music in history. The opening Toccata is backed by a number of excellent fugues, with the first track becoming extremely well known but usually not played in its entirety. What I really like is the futuristic gothic sound which is the look and feel I go for on a daily basis. The 1700s was right here right now but didn't date very bad at all. The sound is still modern and Bach is a lot better than Mozart. My social worker got me into some classical music, at least to the point where I wasn't shy to check it out at the library and rip it on my hard drive. Better than Handel's Messiah. I love it!

E.Power Briggs Organ playing Bach's best.......2007-03-16

This is simply the best recording of Bach's Toccata & Fugue D-minor on an organ; or, should I say organs, as this recording was made while Briggs played simualtaneously on the four antiphonal organs in the Cathedral of Freiburg Germany. The set-up was made possible by the ability of one organ keyboard to play all of the four organs in the cathedral at once. A totally unique organ system in all of the world I understand.
But this special set-up is just a great addition to the best recorded playing of this most famous (and best work in my view)of Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D- minor. I'm no expert...just a listener...but man, this guy Briggs could really play that thing.
Turn this up as high as the law will allow and engulf yourself in this best organ piece ever written, played by one of the best organ players ever and played on one of the best organ set-ups ever recorded.
You just won't find better.

The benchmark of the four tocatta's and fugue's.......2006-06-05

This has been, by far, my favorite album in my collection. This is the best way to experience Bach's true genius. By having available four instruments controlled by one console allowed Mr. Power-Biggs to let the listener hear what Bach wanted you to hear in his music. If he were alive today, I'm sure Bach would have been the greatest proponent of multi-channel recording. If only Michael Murray would go to Freiburg and re-create this great performance, perhaps adding the Passacaglia and Fugue in c, and the 'Great' Fantasia and Fugue in g, or the Prelude and Fugue in a (BWV543). What an awe inspiring album this would be, recorded in DTS!

Nothing can top this one!!!.......2005-04-27

This recording has a long history for me. It is the first album I ever ordered. I was 12 years old at the time (1977).
I had the stereo pressing and wore it out. I was thrilled when this album was finally issued on CD. Even though I don't have the Super Audio CD version, the original CD release can hold its own against any disc. The Chorale Preludes ("We all believe in one God" and "Jesus, my joy") and the Fantasy in G major - none of which appeared on the original LP release - are also quite enjoyable.

My only complaint is that the original 1974 album cover for "The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues" was not reproduced for the CD release. It does, however, appear on the Super Audio CD.

This is the CD by which I measure all other performances of these works, including earlier recordings made of them by E. Power Biggs. In some instances, I believe that once you're accustomed to hearing a piece performed a certain way, then you will use that approach as your yardstick to measure other performances of that same work. That hasn't applied to me in all cases. I replaced my first recording of Brahms' "Haydn Variations" with a version I heard by a different conductor and orchestra. I made the same switch with Haydn's "Surprise Symphony" a few years later.

Happily, I feel I have the definitive rendition of Bach's Four Great Toccatas and Fugues. Buy it, crank it up and enjoy it!!!

A great recording by a great organist.......2003-08-12

This recording of Bach's four great Toccata & Fugues is noteworthy for two reasons. First, Biggs' performance in all four is exceptional, leading me quickly from indifference to the two least-known to being a great fan of all of them. Second, this recording, heard in a good pair of headphones, gives you not only left and right stereo but an astonishing sense of forward and back. The way the engineers managed to create this effect, in a way that's easily reproduced without expensive audiophile equipment, is simply amazing.

At the time of this recording, the Freiburg Muenster boasted two large organs in the crossing, a choir organ, and a supplemental set of pipes (mainly trumpets and other ornamental stops) near the main entrance on the nave, all of which could be operated from one console. Biggs handles this awesome array of organ power superbly, choosing his stops for maximum musical -- and spatial -- effect. While the rare effect of playing four organs at once is apparent with speakers, the front/back effect is best heard through headphones.

Tracks:

Overture To The Marriage Of Figaro
Piano Sonata No. 15, K .545
The Sleigh Ride (From Three German Dances, K. 605)
Horn Concerto No.4, K.495
Variations On Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, K. 265
Violin Concerto No.4, K. 218
Piano Sonata No.10, K. 331- (Rondo Alla Turca)
Piano Concerto No.21, K.467
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - (Romance)
Serenade For Winds, K.3 75 - (Adagio)
Selections From The 'Marriage Of Figaro': Cavatina - ('Se Vuol Ballare, Signor Contino')
Selections From The 'Marriage Of Figaro': Aria - ('Non Piu Andrai')
Selections From The 'Marriage Of Figaro': Terzetto - ('Susanna Or Via Sortite')
Symphony No. 38, 'Prague' - (Andante)
Ave Vernum Corpus, K. 618

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable Classical Music.......2006-10-26

This cd is great because unlike other classical music cds made for babies, this one even adults can enjoy. Sometimes they change the song so that it sounds more like something a baby will appeal too, but this one just keeps the original song format which means even people without babies would be able to enjoy some of Mozart's classics.

Beautiful Collection of Classical Music.......2006-08-07

This is a fantastic CD of beautiful music. It is uplifting and soothing at the same time. I have several good classic music compilations CDs, but this is my favorite and the one that gets played daily! When the littlest one is napping, it goes on. When I'm cooking, it goes on. When we have the TV off and the kids are playing games or making puzzles, it is on! It stays in my kitchen CD player so at a touch of a button, lovely music can fill the house.

Check out the samples above (my [...] especially likes #5, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). It is not "children's music," a disc of lullabies, or something to reserve for baby shower gifts. I cannot say enough good things about this disc! This is great music that makes you feel good - if it is building our brains too, all the better! Try it and enjoy :)

Build baby's brain with Classics Vol 2.......2006-07-25

I am a true fan of Classical music and this was purchased as a gift for a co-worker who is adopting a child from China. Therefore I did not open it nor listen to it. The recipient is now overseas picking up their daughter so I know they haven't had the opportunity to listen to it. I think it's a great idea, though.

Average customer rating:

Glorious
E.Power and Giovanni
An incredible recording
All I expected
CD of a classic LP

The Glory of Gabrieli

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gabrieli in San Marco
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ASIN: B000F6YW5S
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Tracks:

Intonation for Organ on the 1st tone
Plaudite, psallite, iubilate Deo omnis terra (Motet in 12 parts for three choirs)
Intonation for Organ on the 9th tone
In ecclesiis (Motet in 15 parts for three choirs)
Intonation for Organ on the 10th tone
O magnum mysterium (Motet in 8 parts for two choirs)
Intonation for Organ on the 11th tone
Hodie Christus natus est (Motet in 8 parts for two choirs)
Intonation for Organ on the 8th tone
Three Mass Movements; I. Kyrie Eleison I (Motet in 8 parts) - Christe Eleison (Motet in 8 parts) - Kyrie Eleison II - Motet in 12 parts
Three Mass Movements; II. Gloria (Motet in 12 parts)
Three Mass Movements; III. Sanctus (Motet in 12 parts)
Intonation For Organ On The 7th Tone
Deus, qui beatum Marcum (Motet in 10 parts for two choirs)
Sonata in the 9th Tone for 8 parts
Canzona in the 9th Tone for 8 parts
Canzona in the 7th Tone for 8 parts
Ricercare for Organ
Canzona in the 9th Tone for 12 parts
Canzona in the 7th and 8th Tones for 12 parts
Canzona in the 12th Tone for 6 parts
Sonata for Three Violins and Organ
Canzona in the 12th Tone for 10 parts
Canzona in the 1st Tone for 10 parts
Intonation for Organ on the 2nd tone
Angelus ad pastores ait (Motet in 12 parts for two choirs)
Intonation for Organ on the 3rd and 4th tones
Regina coeli laetare (Motet in 12 Parts for two choirs)

Customer Reviews:

Glorious.......2007-06-26

I accidentally purchased a copy of this record on vinyl at a Goodwill store a few years ago along with a stack of other classical albums. It sat idly next to my record player for some months before I played it and was stricken with utter awe and humility for the compositional prowess of Gabrieli. The sweeping, tall, broad cinematic sound of his writing are astounding for his day. This is a must-have recording for all who call themselves human.

I am overjoyed at its release on CD, as the sound quality is GREATLY improved, and the CD contains almost twice as much material as the original LP release in 1968.

E.Power and Giovanni.......2007-05-10

I also(too many years ago) had/have a vinyl copy of this performance and was absolutely carried away by the music. The digital re-mastering in this particular edition has been well done and fully captures that wonderful, distinctive, Venetian sound. Sure, the rendering is somewhat dated and ole' E. Power took some liberties with the instrumentation including the substitution of modern trumpets in some places for the original cornetti which have a much more mellow tone. I am sure, however, that Gabrieli would have done the same had a version of the modern trumpet been available. I would have liked most of the canzonas to have been all brass, and the substitution of strings for the higher brass in some of the choral works in my opinion is disappointing. I also wish that Biggs had been more forceful with the lower end of the brass (as in Paul McCreesh's "A Venetian Coronation 1595"). A little less dominant organ would have been nice, but hey, Giovanni WAS the organist at San Marco/St. Marks(if I remember correctly), and may have wanted that kind of emphasis. In any event, I give the performance an A+ for Biggs' pioneering effort and suspect that in spite of any supposed flaws, Giovanni would heartily approve the result! All in all, a superb recording.

An incredible recording.......2007-03-21

Years ago I purchased this on a vinal record and was taken away by its incredible sound.... In its present CD it is even better than I remember. Having visited St. Mark's Basilica and seeing the actual place where the music was written for and hearing one of the only recordings ever made there in that magnificent space still inspires me.

This is a must for any one who enjoys renaissance polyphony.

All I expected.......2007-01-14

While some reviewers noted its being a bit dated, I found the sound on a good system all I expected: Gabrieli on his own stage!

CD of a classic LP.......2007-01-05

I purchased the LP recording back in the early 1970's and had been casually looking for a CD of this for a long time. The acoustics of San Marco are wonderful. Sony released an earlier set of Gabrieli choral works under the "Essential Classics" title with material that isn't nearly as good as what is on this CD.

Average customer rating:

Bach:Build Your Baby's Brain 4

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00003WGNV
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

Cantata No. 147: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Cantata No. 208: Sheep May Safely Graze
Cantata No. 140: Sleepers Awake
Orchestral Suite No. 3: Air on the G String
Aria 'Be Thou But Near'
Lute Suite in E Major: (Prelude)
Lute Suite in E Minor: (Bourree)
Flute Concerto In G Minor: (Largo)
Cello Suite No. 1: (Prelude)
Invention No.1 in C Major
Invention No. 4 in D Minor
Invention No. 8 in F Major
'Little' Fugue In G Minor
'Great' Fugue In G Minor
'Goldberg' Variations: Variation 30 (Quodibet)
'Goldberg' Variations: Aria
Orchestral Suite No.2: (Badinerie)
Cantata No. 156: Sinfonia
Cantata No. 34: Aria
'Alleluia' From Cantata No. 51
Cantata No. 207: March
Cantata No. 207: Chorus
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: I. (Allegro)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: III. Allegro

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The thesis that a child's brain can grow from listening to music is inarguable. The science is somewhat simple: for kids hearing music, the real meal of the sound is its connections and structures, both of which teach the brain how to organize phenomena. Johann Sebastian Bach's music is a stunning study in this regard, thanks at certain points to his keenly built, pristinely laid out musical architecture and at other times to the mix of intricate detail and delicate gloss. With this collection, drawn from Columbia Records' vast vaults, you get the best of the gentle scenarios, beginning with "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and extending to E. Powers Biggs's breathy organ on "Be Thou Art Near." Firecrackers pop a little more cracklingly as Lutz Kirchhof performs a pair of lute suites and Anthony Newman takes on a pair of the famed Goldberg Variations on harpsichord. At its most upbeat, this collection is still reserved and cautious, exciting enough to grab attention but not so much that the music takes over as its own isolated activity. It's strong but still fits nicely into one's routine. And even if a segment on this 78-minute disc isn't to your child's liking, it's easy to move on, as most episodes last less than 3 minutes. --Andrew Bartlett

Average customer rating:

Philadephia Brass BAD. New England Brass GOOD.
A fine, clean performance

Glorious Sound of Brass

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029X0
Release Date: 1997-07-01

Tracks:

Two Pieces: Almand
Two Pieces: Gaillard
Toccata 'Athalanta'
Brass Suite: Intrade
Brass Suite: Sarabande
Brass Suite: Intrade
Brass Suite: Sarabande
Brass Suite: Bal
Brass Suite: Courente
Brass Suite: Bal
Brass Suite: Sarabande
Brass Suite: Gigue
Providebam Dominum
Three Sonatas: Sonate No. 21
Three Sonatas: Sonate No. 24
Three Sonatas: Sonate No. 22
Renaissance Suite: The Marie-Golde
Renaissance Suite: Night Watch
Renaissance Suite: Patiencia
Renaissance Suite: The Choise
Renaissance Suite: Honie-Suckle
Renaissance Suite: Last Will And Testament
Renaissance Suite: The New-Yeres Gift
Three Pieces: The Prince Of Denmark's March
Three Pieces: Interlude
Three Pieces: King William's March
Two Ayres: Awake The Trumpet's Lofty Sound
Two Ayres: A Trumpet Voluntary From 'Ode For St. Cecilia's Day '
Two Pieces: Trumpet Tune
Two Pieces: Voluntary For Organ And Trumpets
Six Diverse Pieces: Fanfare
Six Diverse Pieces: Trumpet Tune 'Bonduca'
Six Diverse Pieces: Ayre For Organ
Six Diverse Pieces: Trumpet Tune 'Martial Air'
Six Diverse Pieces: Trumpet 'Tune Cebell'
Six Diverse Pieces: Voluntary In C Major
Overture From 'Der Gutreue Musikmeister'
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Honor
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Charm
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Bravery
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Quietness
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Vigor
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Love
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Vigilance
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Playfulness
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Gentleness
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Generosity
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Hope
Heldenmusik (Heroic Music): Joy

Customer Reviews:

Philadephia Brass BAD. New England Brass GOOD........2004-01-17

This CD is a combination of two recording sessions. The 1966 recording of the Philadelphia Brass rates maybe two stars. Not only does the recording itself have a dry, studio sound to it, but the performance of the Philadelphia Brass cannot be recommended. They stomp their way through the loud parts; and the expressive parts are done in a perfunctory manner. It all has a real mechanical, connect-the-dots feel to it. There is a significant amount of imprecision in the attacks. Without checking the original scores I can't say for sure, but I'm thinking that some pieces were transposed into more comfortable keys.

The 1962 recording of the New England Brass is vastly superior. It's a good recording technically (considering the year -- certainly better than the 1966 recording) and a good performance that I'll rate four stars; so the whole CD averages out to three stars. The New England Brass deliver elegant high notes, spirit, and artistic expressiveness that are missing in the Philadelphia boys. This might explain why they are featured second on the CD: Save the best for last! If you are a real stickler for accuracy in Historically Informed Performance (based on whatever definition happens to be in style these days), you might find a few things to criticize. But hey! This was 1962. Cut 'em a little slack and enjoy the show.

Since this is a budget price, I would suggest you look at it this way: You're paying a budget price, so you can ignore in good economic conscience the mediocre part of the CD done by the Philadelphia group and enjoy the part done by the New England group without feeling like you wasted any money.

A fine, clean performance.......1999-12-08

I bought this CD for track 13. Providebam Dominum by Lassus, and, while that track is a bit of a letdown, the rest of the CD is superb.

This CD offers a range of brass music composed in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The performance is very clean as far as intonation as well as phrasing and dynamics.

This is a remastering of a 1960's performance, although you can't tell that just by lsitening, as it is free from noise, pops, and hiss. The liner notes weren't updated since the original recording (they attribute the Trumpet Tune to Purcell and not Clark, as it has been discovered recently), but that's not much of a concern, as the recording pretty much speaks for itself.

I was very happy to find a brass recording of Providebam Dominum, but I was a little disappointed by the recording on this CD. Overall, the song is played beautifully and gracefully. However, toward the end of the song there are accented notes that I feel are unnecessarily harsh. The three or four blatted notes in this track is the only blemish on this otherwise great CD.

The rest of the tracks, however, are played very nicely and without any unusually harsh notes. The Purcell/Clark Trumpet Tunes are played especially well, and the addition of the organ for a few tracks is a nice touch.

Customer Reviews:

Somewhat disappointing.......2007-05

1. Messiaen: Dieu parmi nous from La Nativit du Seigneur
2. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G Major BWV 541
3. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in B Major Op. 7
4. Widor: Andante sostenuto from Symphony No. 9 in C Minor("Gothique")
5. Widor: Allegro from Symphony No. 6 in G Minor Op. 42 No.2
6. Spong: Partita on Showalter
7. Dupr: Magnificat 1 from 15 Versets sur les Vspres de laVierge Op. 18