Pictures at an Exhibition / Piano Concerto 3

On this CD:

1. Pictures at an Exhibition (Kartinki s vïstavski), for piano
Composed by Modest Mussorgsky
Performed by Vladimir Horowitz

2. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
Performed by Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra with Vladimir Horowitz
Conducted by Serge Koussevitzky

Tracks:

Concerto for Piano, Strings and Continuo No. 1 in a Minor BWV ... - Dora Milanova, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Piano, Strings and Continuo No. 1 in a Minor BWV ... - Dora Milanova, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Piano, Strings and Continuo No. 1 in a Minor BWV ... - Dora Milanova, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Piano, Strings and Continuo No. 4 in a Minor BWV ... - Dora Milanova, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Piano, Strings and Continuo No. 4 in a Minor BWV ... - Dora Milanova, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Piano, Strings and Continuo No. 4 in a Minor BWV ... - Dora Milanova, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Piano, Strings and Continuo No. 5 in a Minor BWV ... - Dora Milanova, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Piano, Strings and Continuo No. 5 in a Minor BWV ... - Dora Milanova, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Piano, Strings and Continuo No. 5 in a Minor BWV ... - Dora Milanova, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Two Pianos, Strings and Continuo in C Major BWV 1061: ... - Julia Ganev, Konstantin Ganev, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Two Pianos, Strings and Continuo in C Major BWV 1061: ... - Julia Ganev, Konstantin Ganev, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto for Two Pianos, Strings and Continuo in C Major BWV 1061: ... - Julia Ganev, Konstantin Ganev, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K.467 Elvira Madigan: Allegro - Vilmos Fischer, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K.467 Elvira Madigan: Andante - Vilmos Fischer, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K.467 Elvira Madigan: Andante ... - Vilmos Fischer, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K.453: Allegro - Vilmos Fischer, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K.453: Andante - Vilmos Fischer, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K.453: Allegretto - Vilmos Fischer, Vienna Mozart Ensemble

Tracks:

Piano Sonata in a Major K.331: Andante Grazioso: Thema/Variation 1 - Margarete Babinsky
Piano Sonata in a Major K.331: Menuetto - Margarete Babinsky
Piano Sonata in a Major K.331: Alla Turca (Allegretto) - Margarete Babinsky
Piano Sonata in F Major K.332: Allegro - Margarete Babinsky
Piano Sonata in F Major K.332: Adagio - Margarete Babinsky
Piano Sonata in F Major K.332: Allegro Assai - Margarete Babinsky
Piano Sonata in C Major K.330: Allegro Moderato - Margarete Babinsky
Piano Sonata in C Major K.330: Andante Cantabile - Margarete Babinsky
Piano Sonata in C Major K.330: Allegretto - Margarete Babinsky
12 Variations K.265: Ah, Vous Dirai-Je, Maman: Theme/Variation ... - Margarete Babinsky

Tracks:

Concerto in C Major for Piano and Orchestra: Allegro - Capella Coloniensis, Maria Luisa Tanzini
Concerto in C Major for Piano and Orchestra: Larghetto - Capella Coloniensis, Maria Luisa Tanzini
Concerto in C Major for Piano and Orchestra: Rondo - Allegro - Capella Coloniensis, Maria Luisa Tanzini
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G Major: Allegro Moderato - Nicolai Evrov, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G Major: Adagio Cantabile - Nicolai Evrov, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G Major: Rondo - Presto - Nicolai Evrov, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Concerto in C Major for Piano and Orchestra: Allegro Con Spirito - Ivan Drenikov, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto in C Major for Piano and Orchestra: Adagio E Cantabile - Ivan Drenikov, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble
Concerto in C Major for Piano and Orchestra: Presto - Ivan Drenikov, Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble

Tracks:

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5 in E Flat Major Op. 73 Emperor: - Anton Dikov, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5 in E Flat Major Op. 73 Emperor: - Anton Dikov, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5 in E Flat Major Op. 73 Emperor: - Anton Dikov, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Overture Coriolan Op.62 - Dresdner Philharmonic
Overture Leonore No.2, Op.72 - Dresdner Philharmonic

Tracks:

Op.13, No. 8 in C Minor Pathetique: Grave - Allegro - Di Molto E ... - Istvan Szekely
Op.13, No. 8 in C Minor Pathetique: Adagio Cantabile - Istvan Szekely
Op.13, No. 8 in C Minor Pathetique: Rondo - Allegro - Istvan Szekely
Op.27, No. 14 in C Sharp Minor Moonlight: Adagio Sostenuto - Istvan Szekely
Op.27, No. 14 in C Sharp Minor Moonlight: Allegretto - Istvan Szekely
Op.27, No. 14 in C Sharp Minor Moonlight: Presto Agitato - Istvan Szekely
Op.57, No. 23 in F Minor Appassionata: Allegro Assai - Istvan Szekely
Op.57, No. 23 in F Minor Appassionata: Andante Con Moto - Istvan Szekely
Op.57, No. 23 in F Minor Appassionata: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Presto - Istvan Szekely
Rondo a Capriccio Op.129: Die Wut er Den Verlorenen - Jennd

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op.11: Allegro Maestoso - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Sandor Falvai
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op.11: Romanze. Larghetto - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Sandor Falvai
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op.11: Rondo. Vivace - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Sandor Falvai
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op.21: Maestoso - Adam Harasiewicz, Warsaw Philharmonic National Orchestra Of Poland
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op.21: Larghetto - Adam Harasiewicz, Warsaw Philharmonic National Orchestra Of Poland
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op.21: Allegro Vivace - Adam Harasiewicz, Warsaw Philharmonic National Orchestra Of Poland

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op.35: Grave - Doppio Movimento [Liv - Ivo Pogoreuch
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op.35: Scherzo [Live] - Ivo Pogoreuch
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op.35: Marche Fune. Lento [Live] - Ivo Pogoreuch
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op.35: Finale. Presto [Live] - Ivo Pogoreuch
Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor Op.58: Allegro Maestoso [Live] - Garrick Ohlsson
Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor Op.58: Molto Vivace [Live] - Garrick Ohlsson
Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor Op.58: Largo [Live] - Garrick Ohlsson
Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor Op.58: Presto Ma Non Tanto [Live] - Garrick Ohlsson
Mazurkas Op.59: No. 1 in a Minor [Live] - Ivo Pogoreuch
Mazurkas Op.59: No. 2 in a Flat [Live] - Ivo Pogoreuch
Mazurkas Op.59: No. 3 in F Sharp [Live] - Ivo Pogoreuch

Tracks:

Nocturne in B Major Op.9, No. 3 [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Etude in G Flat Major Op.10, No. 5 [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Etude in B Minor Op.25, No. 1 [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor Op. 20 [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Scherzo No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op. 31 [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Waltz No. 1 in E Flat Major Op. 18 [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Four Mazurkas Op.24: No. 1 in G Minor [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Four Mazurkas Op.24: No. 2 in C Major [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Four Mazurkas Op.24: No. 3 in a Flat Major [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Four Mazurkas Op.24: No. 4 in B Flat Minor [Live] - Jean Marc Luisada
Four Mazurkas Op.30: No. 1 in C Minor [Live] - Kemal Gekic
Four Mazurkas Op.30: No. 2 in B Minor [Live] - Kemal Gekic
Four Mazurkas Op.30: No. 3 in D Flat Major [Live] - Kemal Gekic
Four Mazurkas Op.30: No. 4 in C Sharp Minor [Live] - Kemal Gekic

Tracks:

Piano Concerto in a Minor Op.54: Allegro Affettuoso - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Heidrun Holtman
Piano Concerto in a Minor Op.54: Intermezzo. Andantino Grazioso - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Heidrun Holtman
Piano Concerto in a Minor Op.54: Allegro Vivace - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Heidrun Holtman
Introduction and Allegro Appassionato Op.92 - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Heidrun Holtman
Concerto Allegro With Introduction Op.134 - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Heidrun Holtman

Tracks:

Rustle of Spring Op.32, No.6 - Jennd
Novelette in F Major Op.21, No.1 - Jennd
Songs Without Words: E Major Op.19, No.1 - Jennd
Songs Without Words: F Sharp Minor Op.30, No.6 - Jennd
Songs Without Words: Duetto in F Major Op.38, No.6 - Jennd
Songs Without Words: G Major Op.62, No.1 - Jennd
Songs Without Words: Spring Song in a Major Op.62, No.6 - Jennd
Intermezzo in a Major, Op.76, No.6 - Jennd
Intermezzo in a Minor Op.76, No.7 - Jennd
Intermezzo in a Major Op.118, No.2 - Jennd
Intermezzo in E Flat Minor Op.118, No.6 - Jennd
Lyric Pieces: Arietta Op.12, No.1 - Jennd
Lyric Pieces: Folkevise Op.12, No.5 - Jennd
Lyric Pieces: Butterfly Op.43, No.1 - Jennd
Lyric Pieces: To Spring Op.43, No.6 - Jennd
Lyric Pieces: Notturno Op.54, No.4 - Jennd
Lyric Pieces: Bryllupsdag Pa Troldhaugen Op.65, No.6 - Jennd
Saisons Op.37b, No. 6 Juin Barcarolle - Jennd
Chant Sans Paroles: Souvenir de Hapsal Op.2, No.3 - Jennd
Melody in F Op.3, No.1 - Jennd
Humoresque in G Flat Major Op.101, No.7 - Jennd

Tracks:

Impromptu in B Flat Major D.935, No.3: Theme: Andante - Jennd
Impromptu in B Flat Major D.935, No.3: Variation 1 - Jennd
Impromptu in B Flat Major D.935, No.3: Variation 2 - Jennd
Impromptu in B Flat Major D.935, No.3: Variation 3 - Jennd
Impromptu in B Flat Major D.935, No.3: Variation 4 - Jennd
Impromptu in B Flat Major D.935, No.3: Variation 5 - Jennd
Impromptu in B Flat Major D.935, No.3: Pito - Jennd
6 Moments Musicaux D.780: No. 1 in C Major - Jennd
6 Moments Musicaux D.780: No. 2 in a Flat Major - Jennd
6 Moments Musicaux D.780: No. 6 in F Minor - Jennd
4 Impromptus D.899: No. 1 in C Minor - Jennd
4 Impromptus D.899: No. 2 in E Flat Major - Jennd
4 Impromptus D.899: No. 3 in G Flat Major - Jennd
4 Impromptus D.899: No. 4 in a Flat Major - Jennd

Tracks:

Sonata in a Major D.959: Allegro - Michael Endres
Sonata in a Major D.959: Andantino - Michael Endres
Sonata in a Major D.959: Scherzo: Allegro Vivace - Michael Endres
Sonata in a Major D.959: Rondo: Allegretto - Michael Endres
Sonata in B Flat Major D.960: Molto Moderato - Michael Endres
Sonata in B Flat Major D.960: Andante Sostenuto - Michael Endres
Sonata in B Flat Major D.960: Scherzo: Allegro Vivace - Michael Endres
Sonata in B Flat Major D.960: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Michael Endres

Tracks:

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in B Flat Minor Op.23: ... - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Jennd
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in B Flat Minor Op.23: ... - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Jennd
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in B Flat Minor Op.23: ... - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Jennd
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in a Minor Op.16: Allegro Molto ... - Daniel Gerard, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in a Minor Op.16: Adagio - Daniel Gerard, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in a Minor Op.16: Allegro Molto E ... - Daniel Gerard, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major Op.83: Allegro Non Troppo - Dimitris Sgouros, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major Op.83: Allegro Appassionato - Dimitris Sgouros, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major Op.83: Andante - Dimitris Sgouros, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major Op.83: Allegro Giocoso - Dimitris Sgouros, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 2 in a Major Hungarian Fantasy: Adagio ... - Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Jennd
Piano Concerto No. 2 in a Major Hungarian Fantasy: Allegro Agitato ... - Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Jennd
Piano Concerto No. 2 in a Major Hungarian Fantasy: Allegro Moderato - Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Jennd
Piano Concerto No. 2 in a Major Hungarian Fantasy: Allegro Deciso - Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Jennd
Piano Concerto No. 2 in a Major Hungarian Fantasy: Marziale, Un ... - Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Jennd
Piano Concerto No. 2 in a Major Hungarian Fantasy: Allegro Animato - Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Jennd
Fantasy on Hungarian Folk-Tunes - Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Jennd
Polonaise Brillante (After Weber) - Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Jennd
Fantasy on Weber's FreischVilmos Fischer

Tracks:

Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade. Allegro Giusto, Nel Modo ...
Pictures at an Exhibition: Gnomus. Sempre Vivo
Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade. Moderato Commodo Assai E Con ...
Pictures at an Exhibition: Il Vechhio Castello (The Old Castle) . ...
Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade. Moderato Non Tanto, Pesamente
Pictures at an Exhibition: Tuileries. Allegretto Non Troppo, ...
Pictures at an Exhibition: Bydlo. Sempre Moderato, Pesante
Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade. Tranquillo
Pictures at an Exhibition: Ballet of the Chickens in Their Shells. ...
Pictures at an Exhibition: Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle. ...
Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade. Allegro Giusto, Nel Modo ...
Pictures at an Exhibition: Limoges. Le MarchThe Market Place) . ...
Pictures at an Exhibition: Catacombae. Sepulcrum Romanum. Largo
Pictures at an Exhibition: Cum Mortuis in Lingua Mortua. Adante ...
Pictures at an Exhibition: The Hut on Fowls' Legs - Baba-Yaga. Allegro
Pictures at an Exhibition: The Great Gate of Kiev - Allegro Alla ...
Three Intermezzos Op.117: Intermezzo in E Flat Major. Andante Moderato
Three Intermezzos Op.117: Intermezzo in B Flat Minor. Andante Non ...
Three Intermezzos Op.117: Intermezzo in C Sharp Minor. Andante Con ...
Piano Pieces Op.118: No. 1 Intermezzo in a Minor (Allegro Non Assai)
Piano Pieces Op.118: No. 2 Intermezzo in a Major (Andante Teneramente)
Piano Pieces Op.118: No. 3 Ballad in G Minor (Allegro Energico)
Piano Pieces Op.118: No. 4 Intermezzo in F Minor (Andante - Allegretto
Piano Pieces Op.118: No. 5 Romance in F Major (Andante - ...)
Piano Pieces Op.118: No. 6 Intermezzo in E Flat Minor (Andante, ...)

Tracks:

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in C Minor Op.18: Moderato - Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ivan Drenikov
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in C Minor Op.18: Adagio ... - Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ivan Drenikov
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in C Minor Op.18: Allegro ... - Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ivan Drenikov
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G Minor Op.40: Allegro ... - Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ivan Drenikov
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G Minor Op.40: Largo - Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ivan Drenikov
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G Minor Op.40: Allegro ... - Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ivan Drenikov

Tracks:

Prde Op.3, No.2 - Margarete Babinsky
Mdie Op.3, No.3 - Margarete Babinsky
Polichinelle Op.3, No.4 - Margarete Babinsky
Moment Musical Op.16, No.3 - Margarete Babinsky
Moment Musical Op.16, No.5 - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op.42 - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op. 42 (Continued) - Margarete Babinsky
Prde Op.23, No.5 - Margarete Babinsky

Tracks:

Rhapsody in Blue - Cle Ousset, , Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart
Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra: Allegro - Cle Ousset, , Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart
Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra: Adagio. Andante Con Moto - Cle Ousset, , Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart
Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra: Allegro Agitato - Cle Ousset, , Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart
American in Paris - Cle Ousset, , Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart

Album Description

This amazing 20-CD set truly is the ultimate piano collection! With over 20 hours of the greatest piano classics, from Mozart's priceless Piano Concertos and Sonatas to Gershwin's legendary Rhapsody in Blue, this set is a must have for everyone's collection. So sit back, relax and drift away on the beautiful melodic waves of classical piano at its very best.

Customer Reviews:

Ultimate music for every time of day and every mood.......2007-07-03

With 20 CDs in the collection, we have classical music for every mood and atime of day.

Would give 5 stars if sound quality where better.......2007-06-30

This Classical collection is one of great length and breadth ,and is well worth purchasing ,if you want an abundance of music at a low price.The sound quality is decent,however it is not great.This set will not provide you with the crisp,clear sound quality of a RCA,CBS or other well known label,so some classical aficionados may not appreciate it much.It all depends on what your looking for ,I guess.

Great collection for a great price.......2007-06-27

I did not expect much in buying this collection, but I was greatly surpeised. There were no reviews of the product at the time, and I bought the collection simply as a sampler of many great piano pieces. Most of the recordings are exquisite and of decent recording quality. This collection was well worth the price.

20 Fabulous Discs.......2007-06-08

I am surprised that this set has been out for 4 years and nobody reviewed it here yet. This is a lovely and occasionally amazing compilation. I was moved by many of the compositions. I really enhanced my classical music collection with this set. You have so many legends here to enjoy, from Bach to Brahms, Mozart to Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Gershwin, and more. If you love classical piano music and don't already have most of these works then this is a must buy for you. The price may go up, but I was fortunate to cash in on the $17.97 price. Quite a bargain for 20 fabulous discs.

Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

Average customer rating:

Waste of money
Great Music Compilation
If you like classical music don't buy this CD.
A must for anyone wanting the staples of classical music
A great compilation

Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

Manufacturer: Utv Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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Amazon.com

For those who want the most remembered passages of classical music's best-loved works, here's a package for you. On this bargain priced double-CD, you'll find music from 40 different classical composers; for the most part, the recordings excerpted here are some of the very best. Of course, you only get one Bach sampling (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, played by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra) and one Mozart (A Little Night Music conducted by Herbert von Karajan), but this is still a nice collection--perhaps the starting point for a budding collection of classical music. This set's downfall? Unfortunately, though the liner notes discuss the evolution of classical music chronologically, the tracks are programmed in alphabetical order by composer's last name. This makes for some startling transitions! Emil Gilels's reflective performance of the Adagio from Beethoven's "Moonlight" sonata is followed by the crashing cymbals and bombast of Carmen's "March of the Toreadors," a recipe for a heart attack if there ever was one. Still, there's something here for everyone and the liner notes even explain what movies this music can be found in. A nice touch. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Waste of money.......2006-01-12

Watch out for the volume leveling mentioned in another review. Surely the compliers could have come up with a better sort order than by composer. The change in tempo/volume between pieces makes it impossible to enjoy. My two CD's ended up in the trash.

Ken

Great Music Compilation.......2005-08-15

This is a great CD full of many songs that you will recognize and enjoy. If you are someone who likes classical music but doesn't necessarily know which songs or which composers you like, then this CD is for you. You will likely recognize many of the songs as the classical songs you would have picked out to be your favorites.

If you like classical music don't buy this CD........2005-03-11

Most of the tracks were chopped down to 3-4 minutes so some of the best parts of the compositions are missing. I don't know what I was thinking trying to buy 40 classical songs on two CD's. If you really want to enjoy the music you would do better to purchase a CD with fewer, but better quality tracks.

A must for anyone wanting the staples of classical music.......2005-02-23

In my years of experience teaching Fine Arts to high school students, I know that the majority, if not all, of the music included on this album is commonly used in collge music appreciation courses. This is an excellent sample of truly all the "greatest hits" of classical music. My students enjoy listening to the music and have later told me when take their required music apreciation courses in college that they "already know it all" because of this CD! The recordings are clear, the selections are passionate, and the listener will gain a familiarity with all of the most commonly heard classical music used in tv commercials, movies, etc.
I recommend this album, along with the boxed set, "Age of the Classics" for anyone who is interested in becoming familiar with the most famous staples of classical music.

A great compilation.......2005-02-09

This cd somes up some of the greatest pieces of instrumental (and is some cases choral) music ever written. It is a great starter for a beginning classical music lover or a quick and easy all-in-one for those of us who study classical music for a living. I highly recommend this cd to anyone who wants to love or already does love classical music.

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ASIN: B00012QLTQ
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Album Description

Music can be both calming and relaxing, or invigorating and passionate...this phenomenal 20-CD set is definitely the latter. This amazing collection brings together for the first time the most passionate music of all time, from Ravel's Bolero, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Wagner's Magic Fire Music to Ravel's La Valse, Orff 's Carmina Burana and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. This is a must have collection for every passionate music lover.

Customer Reviews:

A good gift for novice.......2007-05-12

This was a good gift for somebody learning about Classical music in Japan.

Average customer rating:

GREAT WEDDING MUSIC!
Good Music
A very complete selection of ceremony music!
Comprehensive Classical Selection
Just one note...

A Bride's Guide to Wedding Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Knot Collection of Ceremony and Wedding Music Selected by the Knot's Carley Roney
Bride's Guide to Wedding Music, Vol. II
The Ultimate Wedding Album
Bride's Guide to Wedding Music
25 Wedding Favorites

ASIN: B00005YD53
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Tracks:

Bach: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Vivaldi: Largo Winter
Bach: Air On A G String
Torelli: Trumpet Concerto
Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze
Handel: Let The Bright Seraphim
Handel: Pastoral Symphony
Boccherini: String Quintet, Minuet
Mendelssohn: On Wings Of Song
Liszt: Dream Of Love
Rachmaninov: Vocalise
Debussy: Claire De Lune
Satie: Gymnopedie No.1
Gluck: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
Debussy: Arabesque
Bizet: Intermezzo
Elgar: Salut D'amour
Debussy: Prelude A L'apres - Midi D'un Faun

Tracks:

Wagner: Bridal Chorus
Clarke: Trumpet Voluntary
Handel: Royal Fireworks Music, Overture
Gabrieli: Canzon V
Charpentier: Te Deum
Purcell: Trumpet Tune
Mussorgsky: Promenade
Pachebel: Canon In D
Handel: Larghetto
Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto In D Major, Largo
Handel: Water Music, Air
Macdowell: To A Wild Rose
Beethoven: Pathetique Sonata, Adagio
Melchior: Adagio
Gounod: Ave Maria
Schubert: Ave Maria
Franck: Panis Angelicus
Faure: Pie Jesu
Rachmaninov: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini
Schumann: Romance For Violin And Piano
Massenet: Meditation

Tracks:

Mendelssohn: Wedding March
Vivaldi: Concerto For Two Trumpets In B, Allegro
Telemann: Trumpet Concerto In D, Allegro
Vivaldi: Spring, Allegro
Telemann: Trumpet Concerto In B, Allegro
Handel: Concerto Grosso, Hornpipe
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.4, Allegro
Handel: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Schumann: Piano Quintet In E Flat Major
Widor: Toccata
Dubois: Toccata
Walton: Crown Imperial
Bach: Cantata No.51. 'Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen.' Alleluia
Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate, Alleluia
Handel: Water Music, Hornpipe
Chopin; Variations On A Theme From 'La Cenerentola'
Faure: Sicilienne
Offenbach: Barcarolle
Faure: Berceuse
Saint-Saens: The Swan
Brahms: Waltz In A Flat
Grieg: Wedding Day At Troldhaugen

Album Description

The process of choosing music for a wedding day can certainly be a daunting process for any couple. There are many choices and the questions can be endless. Traditional music or something off the beaten path? Will your Mom cry (and not in a good way) if you do not come down the aisle to the traditional Wedding March from Wagner, or are you eager to try something new? This collection is designed to give the bridal couple some key pointers to navigate the world of classical music for their wedding day. The package includes over 3 1/2 hours of music on 3 CDs for all portions of the wedding service, all from the Naxos classical label (known for high-quality recordings at inexpensive prices). Wedding day favorites are there, along with new discoveries and tunes you may have never considered for a wedding. All pieces are hand selected by professional wedding musicians and consultants. As a bonus, the 20 page booklet will lead you through the process of choosing music, from hiring musicians to sample programs. Everything you need to create your own unique personal wedding soundtrack.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT WEDDING MUSIC!.......2007-01-24

I used these CD's for my wedding, and I was so happy I did. You need to buy this CD if you like having a traditional wedding! :)

Good Music.......2006-07-05

I bought these CDs for my wedding, in ceremony and reception. Also, when I created my own wedding video, I used it as background music.

A very complete selection of ceremony music!.......2005-02-02

I am getting married in several months and we couldn't decide what music we wanted at our wedding ceremony. This three disk compilation reminded us of all the great ones- including new options we hadn't thought about. I really enjoyed hearing the organ and strings versions of the songs. If you're someone who hears a classical or baroque piece of music, but can't remember the name or the precise tune, this is a must-have to jog your memory and trigger the tear ducts!

Comprehensive Classical Selection.......2004-04-15

I searched all over for a CD set that had a somewhat comprehensive list of classical selections that are traditionally played at weddings. When I found this 3 CD set, I was very pleased. It contains 61 works from almost as many composers. This set might not contain the "best recording ever" of each of the selections, however it is very well done and the quality is very good. I used it primarily to choose the pieces that I wanted to have played by the church organist, and so the actual recordings were more for my consumption rather than for use in the ceremony/reception itself. However, I would not have hestitated to use the CD's in the wedding itself if needed. The book inside includes a list of suggested songs for various wedding styles (formal, outside, morning, etc.). From the classical neophyte to the seasoned classical music expert, this CD set will meet if not exceed expectations.

Just one note..........2003-06-07

I have not heard this album, so I cannot rate it as a whole. (The form made me include a rating, but disregard that.) However, I want to point out that track 36, the Pie Jesu from Gabriel Faure's Requiem is - well, from a requiem, a mass for the dead. The Pie Jesu is a lovely, gentle movement, and it has a beautiful and pure sound that does seem to fit the mood of a wedding. The Latin words, however, mean "Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them everlasting rest," where "them" refers to the dead.

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:

Requiem: Dies Irae
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
The Planets: Mars
The Ride Of The Valkyries
Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves
Fanfare For The Common Man
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1
Aida: Grand March
Summer - Four Seasons: Presto
Te Deum: Prelude
The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor
Symphony No. 5: First Movement
Spartacus: Adagio
Sabre Dance
Symphony No. 40: First Movement
Zadok The Priest
Turandot: Nessun Dorma

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathoustra
Romeo And Juliet: Dance Of The Knights
Requiem: Dies Irae
1812 Overture
Piano Concerto
Spring - Four Seasons: Allegro
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
The Royal Fireworks: La Ruissance From Music
Flight Of The Bumble Bee
Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold
Carmen: Overture
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Jerusalem
The Planets: Jupiter
Symphony No 9, 'Ode To Joy'
Swan Lake: Scene
Enigma Variations: Nimrod
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini [Variation 18]
Pictures At An Exibitions: Promenade
Symphony For Organ No 3: Finale, Symphony For Organ No 3

Customer Reviews:

perfect selection for commencement/ graduation.......2007-06-11

We were concerned after reading some other reviews that this version of Pomp and Circumstance wouldn't be the correct movement or the full length version. This selection has the song for graduation AND the extended length, so it gives plenty of time for processionals. If this is what you need, this is the CD to get.

Great Starting Point for Classical Music Novices.......2004-08-13

"Simply the Best Classicial Anthems" is exactly what the title indicates. This is a collection of what the CD says are "36 of the most powerful classics on Earth". My review of this CD comes from someone who is a Classical Music Novice. I'm familiar with some of the composers, musical styles, musical periods, and some of the terminology that is key to understanding Classical Music. By no means am I an expert. I have basically popped in this two CD collection into my player and have enjoyed the sounds it produces. If you are in the same category as I am or maybe just wanting to be introduced to Classical Music - this is going to be a very good CD to have in your collection. For the more seasoned Classical Music fan, this could be either enjoyable or overkill.

The CD contains 36 songs composed by the legends of Classical Music Composers from the past. The bulk of the works come from Composers in the the 19th and 20th century, but there are works from the Romantic and Classical eras of the late 18th and early 19th century (such as Beethoven and Mozart). In general you will find most of the major names of Composers you would expect to find - names such as Tchiakovsky, Handel, Verdi, Strauss, Elgar, and Bach are all there. The only major composer who I would have expected to see on this CD that I don't see is Frederic Chopin. The composers of the late 20th century are not included on this collection - so you won't see Leonard Bernstein or John Williams on this set. While these Composers are excellent, I do think style of the tracks on this collection pre-date their style.

The recordings themselves are done by the great Orchestras around the world. For the most part, European Orchestras were used to deliver the tracks. There are a few exceptions: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra delivers "The Ride of the Valkyries"; The Toronto Symphony Orchestra delivers "Dance of the Knights"; and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra delivers Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Some of the European Orchestras that are well known include: BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, Choeur Philhamonique de Strasbourg, and more. Also included are performances by well known names in the Classical space such as Marie-Claire Alain (Bach's "Toccate and Fogue in D Minor" and Saint-Saens' "Symphony for Organ No 3"), Piero Toso (Vivaldi's "Allegro From Spring - Four Seasons"), and Placido Domingo appears on Puccini's "Nessun Dorma".

The 2 Disc collection contains a total of over 2 hours and 6 minutes of music. The selections that are included in the set will sound very familiar to you when you play them. You probably have both heard and seen the names of tracks such as: Oref's "O Fortuna"; Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"; Beethoven's "First Movement from Symphony Number 5" and "Ode To Joy"; Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance", and Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". Many of the other tracks will also sound familiar, but maybe not so much by name - such as Wagner's "The Ride of the Valkyries", Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathoustra"; Grieg's "Piano Concerto", and "Dies Irae" (versions included by Mozart and Verdi - you can compare the two and judge for yourself). As for the Discs themselves, I think most of the casual fans will like the selections on Disc Two better, but Disc One is still very good. On a sidebar, the Israel Philharmonic's version of "1812 Overture" is by far the best you will hear - particularly at the end, the booming drums create almost a 3 dimensional vision of fireworks being launched into the air.

There one big negative on this collection is some of the recording quality. The clarity of the recording is there, but some of the recording levels leave a lot to be desired. On some of the softer parts, it is barely audible without significantly turning up your volume. This is very evident on "O Fortuna" where you will hear almost dead silence during from the 30 second to 1:30 mark of the track unless you crank your volume up. Same with the first few seconds of Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathoustra" and Tchiakovsky's "1812 Overture". When the volume is cranked up you will hear them - but then the other sections will be way too loud. I'm surprised with modern technology that this couldn't be addressed better.

The liner notes are pretty thin. You do get the Composers, Performers/Orchestras, and recording dates. There isn't any more details than that and you won't learn anymore insight on the tracks than this information. Despite some of the shortcomings of the liner notes and recording volume, I still think this is an excellent place to start and do recommend this CD if you are a novice to Classical Music and are looking for a great place to start listening to what the Classics have to offer.

**An Exquisite Album**.......2004-02-21

Simply The Best Classical Anthems

Simply The Best Classical Anthems is a compilation album of `36 of the most powerful Anthems on Earth'. But, it is also said to be something else. It is said to be a gateway. A gateway to another world. A world where our imagination can run free without being shackled down by any borders or boundaries or rules or limits. A world that we have all seen or perhaps more accurately have all heard of but for many of us a world that we have never dared to enter. Never dared to enter because of fear. The fear of being ostracised and shunned by our community.

THE MYTH
`Classical Music!', I can hear some of you cry. `That isn't another world. That's just music for the upperclass, the high-brow, and the pompous.' Surprisingly, I too felt this way for a long time until I accepted the invitation made to me by Simply The Best Classical Anthems. I always felt that Classical Music was nice to listen to as background music for a Levis ad or a Car ad but I would consider people strange if they chose to hear it on its own. However, after having listened to this album I realised how wrong I was in my assumptions.

THE TRUTH
Music as with all forms of amusement helps to take you away from where you are now. It helps to relax you when you are stressed with anger; it helps to give you strength when you are vulnerable; it helps to keep your spirits up when you have faced tragedy or loss. It helps. And, for me the type of music that best conjures up the most passionate emotions (love, hate, courage and anger) at our most testing times is Classical Music.
How? I don't know.
Why? I don't know.
I can only promise you that in my experience it does.

THE CHEST
The album, in visual terms, is very difficult to overlook amongst the plethora of records that may surround it. This is because the album has a very distinct purple sleeve cover. Not any kind of purple mind you but the Cadbury's kind of purple. The kind of purple that carries with it an invitation. An invitation that if accepted promises you a treasure inside.
And since, I have always enjoyed the treasure within the purple Cadbury's Dairy Milk wrapper, I asked myself why would an album carrying the same invitation promise to be anything different? Thus, I parted with my tuppence worth and went back home to open this purple chest of promised treasures.

THE PROMISED TREASURE
As you may have guessed, the contents of the album are somewhat different to the contents of a Cadbury's bar. When I opened the album, I was presented with two compact discs. At first glance, there did not seem to be anything special about them. They were just your average, everyday, run of the mill compact discs. To tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed because I suppose I had hoped for something more.
However, looks can be deceptive. (Afterall, a Cadbury's Dairy Milk does not seem very appetising until you taste it!) And, also come November each year, I am always bemused and surprised at how the shabby contents of a cardboard box can both light up the sky and light up the faces of the neighbourhood. Thus, I pushed aside my assumptions and I ignited the discs (not literally of course, I just pressed the play button on the CD player). And, I let the fireworks begin.

THE KEY
From the very beginning, you will feel like you have unlocked the doorway to something special. And, after a full two hours of listening to both discs, you will feel like you have been taken out of this world and transported to another. Welcome to the world of Classical Music.

GUIDANCE
In the beginning, continue to listen to both discs in one go (i.e. one after the other). After a while, you will know which tracks you enjoy listening to the most. For those tracks you enjoyed the most make a promise to yourself that you will listen to the whole of the piece from which that track came from.
Good Luck on your quest if you choose to accept it.
Ride amongst the Valkyries, listen to the Flight of the Bumblebees, and use The Planets to keep you on the path.

I am not a good reviewer because as with all of my reviews I refuse to comment too much about what is inside the product but rather more about what effect the product has had on me. (Me, me, me. Vain & Egotistic, I know, so my friends and family keep telling me). But, I just want to cause a raucous about the product, enough not to spoil but enough of a raucous to let you experience it for yourself.

So my final words are:
Simply The Best Classical Anthems is an invitation. An invitation to the world of classical music. A world where you can begin a never-ending quest of curiosity. A curiosity that will always be rewarded with fulfilment.

Do you accept such an invitation?

Hope you found this review helpful.

Samples.......2003-11-23

The samples are too short and the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Having said that the choices are wonderful and the price is great. If you're looking for a overview of the best of classical music then this is for you. However if it's quality you're looking for then spent the extra money and look at other choices.

Great Sampler!.......2002-03-20

This is a good sampler, since it covers what you would want in a classical music CD. Looking at the tracks, it has the classic hits, such as "Ride of the Valkyries," "Toccata and Fugue," "Fanfare for the Common Man," "'Jupiter' from `The Planets,'" "Eine Klein Nachtmusik," and "Hallelujah Chorus."

There are also some new pieces that I have fallen in love with, such as "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," "'Promenade' from Pictures at an Exhibition." The compilers did an interesting double take by including both Verdi's and Mozart's "Dies Ire." I'm not sure which is better.

This music is good for the brain and good for the soul. There is a power and passion that the blaring and glaring music that makes up most of the FM band. I'm reminded of the religious man who said that there is no music in hell. Probably because they wouldn't appreciate it there.

Tracks:

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro
The Nutcracker: Russian Dance
The Nutcracker: Dance Of The Toy Flutes
Flight of the Bumblebee
Cannon in D Major
Sabre Dance
Happy Farmer
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade (Excerpts)
Pictures At An Exhibition: Ballet Of The Chickens In Their Shells
On The Beautiful Blue Danube (Excerpts)
Fse
Trout Quintet In A Major (Theme & Variations) - Schubert
The Syncopated Clock
The Typewriter
Rhapsody in Blue (Excerpts)
Spring Song In A Major - Mendelssohn
Lullaby

Tracks:

Peter And The Wolf - Classics For Kids
The Toy Symphony - Classics For Kids

Customer Reviews:

My 3 yr old loves it!.......2007-03-17

This is one of my three year old's top requests for listening. She simply loves it; She hums along and can name most of the songs. I am vey pleased.

My baby loves this CD!.......2006-11-05

Of all the many CDs we were given, this is my baby's favorite. Unlike most CDs of classical music for babies, this isn't just smooth, soft music. It does have some of that, but it also has more exciting pieces like the bouncy Nutcracker music, The Flight of the Bumble Bee, and The Sabre Dance. My baby bounces and dances to this music happily. And once she's a bit older, I'm sure she's going to love "Peter the Wolf," narrated by Jack Lemmon.

A Reasonable Collection.......2004-08-11

This is a reasonable selection of works to start with as a child's introduction to Classical music. There are two main flaws - a handful of the pieces are performed rather poorly and the sound quality is muffled. But keeping the intended audience in mind and the price, it's not a bad value.

Most Relaxing Classical Piano Music in the Universe

Average customer rating:

Solid collection of piano favorites

Most Relaxing Classical Piano Music in the Universe

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

Relaxation | New Age | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0002A2VIM
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Tracks:

BACH Goldberg Variations, Aria
SCHUMANN Piano Sonata in f# minor, II. Aria
CHOPIN Ballade No. 1
MOZART Piano Concert No. 24, II. Larghetto
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2, Adagio
BEETHOVEN Moonlight Sonata, Adagio Sostenuto
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition: The Old Castle
TCHAIKOVSKY The Seasons, October: Song of Autumn
BRAHMS Sonata for Two Pianos, Andante
BACH Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, Prelude 22

Tracks:

SATIE Gymnopedie No. 1
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1, Larghetto
DEBUSSY Claire de Lune
MOZART Sonata in a minor, Andante cantabile
BEETHOVEN Fse
MUSSORGSKY Rrie
TCHAIKOVSKY The Seasons, January: At the Fireside
BRAHMS Piano Sonata No. 3, II. Andante espressivo
DVORAK Piano Trio No. 3, III. Poco adagio
SCHUMANN Piano Concerto, II. Andante gracioso

Customer Reviews:

Solid collection of piano favorites.......2006-11-10

If you can gag your way past the album title, this is a most pleasant collection of beloved classical piano pieces that actually is relaxing, I suppose.

Average customer rating:

Only thing wrong is the title... Good classical collection!

Candlelight Favorites (25)

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Sentimental Favorites (25)
25 Romantic Classics
25 Classical Favorites
Symphony (25) Favorites
25 Concerto Favorites

ASIN: B0000058IB
Release Date: 1996-08-20

Tracks:

The Entertainer - Roger Shields
Nutcracker Suite (Chocolate) - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Water Music (Original No. 18) - George Frideric Handel
Concerto For 2 Oboes & Strings In D Minor, Op. 42 No. 2 (I. Largo) - A. Caroldi
Concerto For 4 Pianos In A Minor BWV 1065 (III. Allegro) - Bracha Eden
Symphony In G Major, K. 45a 'Lambacher - Sinfonie' (II. Andante) - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Trumpet Concerto In C (IV. Allegro) - Edward H. Tarr
Enigma Variations, Op. 36 (Beginning) - Sir Edward Elgar
Op. 289: Persian March - Johann Strauss II
Barcarolle - Susan Jolles
Concerto In D For Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Strings & Continuo (II. Largo) - Heinz Zickler
Prelude No. 6, Op. 28 - Walter Klien
Violin Concerto No. 1 In A Minor BWV 1041 (I. Allegro) - Susanne Lautenbacher
Suite For 2 Trumpets, 2 Oboes & Strings (II. Largo) - Heinz Zickler
Serenade No. 4 In D Major, K. 203 - Oscar Ravina
Violin Concerto No. 2 In B Minor, Op. 7 'La Campanella (II. Adagio) - Jean-Jacques Kantorow
Pictures At An Exhibition (I. Promenade) - Modest Mussorgsky
Variation On A Waltz By Diabelli, D. 718 - Peter Frankl
Water Music (Original No. 15) - George Frideric Handel
Le Coucou - Werner Simons
Plaisir D'Amore - Susan Jolles
Caucasian Sketches (IV. Procession Of The Sardar) - Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ippolitov-Ivanov
Salu D'Amour (Love's Greeting) - Sir Edward Elgar
Symphony No. 39 In F Major (II. Andantino) - Michael Haydn
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major, Hob VIIb/2 (II. Adagio) - Laszlo Varga

Customer Reviews:

Only thing wrong is the title... Good classical collection!.......2003-10-13

I've pondered the title of this fine classical collection for quite some time (far longer than is warranted, to be sure), and I've yet to come to a conclusion as to why this album is called CANDLELIGHT FAVORITES. While some selections are solemn (Enigma Variations), romantic (Variations on a Waltz), and intense (Concerto for 2 Oboes), far more pieces are bright (Water Music) and even whimsical (The Entertainer). Though it didn't exactly set the mood I was anticipating, this album will by no means be collecting dust on my shelf.

This collection surpasses many classical variety albums in its overall quality, regardless of the excellent price. The performances of the respective pieces are excellent as is the audio engineering, which is crisp and clear. What suprised me most, after a couple listens, was how well the widely varied pieces fit together as an album. The selections cross time from the early Baroque period into the 20th century, and they all have a certain continuity. This gives the album added value, as you'd have to purchase many albums to have the wide range of music represented here. CANDLELIGHT FAVORITES gives a mixture of instantly recognizable tunes with some "deeper cuts". It's essentially a classical "mix tape" of sorts, and it works well for both background and purposeful listening.

Tracks:

Adagio
Air on the G String: Air on the G String, Excerpt
Brandenburg Concerto: Third Movement, Excerpt
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Excerpt
Tocatta & Fugue: Excerpt
Adagio for Strings: Excerpt
Synphony No. 5: First Movement, Excerpt
Symphony No. 9: Fourth Movement, Excerpt
Fse: Excerpt
Turkish March: Turkish March, Excerpt
Moonlight Sonata: Excerpt
Symphonie Fantastique: March Ot the Scaffold, Excerpt
Damnation of Faust: Excerpt
Carmen - Habanera: Habanera, Excerpt
Toreador Song [From Carmen]
Minuet: Minuet, Excerpt
Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dance No 17, Excerpt
Hungarian Dance No. 5: No 5, Excerpt
Lullaby: No 4, Lullaby, Excerpt
"Minute" Waltz: Excerpt
Grande Valse Brillante: Excerpt
Marche Fune: Marche Fune
Appalachian Spring: Excerpt
Fanfare for the Common Man: Excerpt
Clair de Lune: Excerpt
Prelude to the Afternoon: Excerpt
Lakm Flower Duet: Flower Duet, Excerpt
Symphony No. 9 "New World": Second Movement, "Going Home" Theme, ...
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Excerpt
Pomp & Circumstance: Excerpt
El Amor Brujo
Pavane: Excerpt
Rhapsody in Blue: Excerpt
American in Paris: Excerpt
Funeral March of Marionette: Excerpt
Piano Concerto in a Minor: Excerpt
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 - Morning: Morning, Excerpt
Messiah - Hallelujah Chorus: Hallelujah Chorus, Excerpt
Water Music - Hornpipe: Hornpipe, Excerpt
Symphony No. 94 "Surprise": Second Movement, Excerpt
The Planets - Mars: Mars, Excerpt
Sabre Dance: Sabre Dance, Excerpt
Pagliacci: Vesti la Giubba, Excerpt
Hungarian Rhapsody
Liebestraum No. 3: No 3, Excerpt
Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo: Intermezzo, Excerpt
Midsummer Night's Dream - Wedding March: Wedding March, Excerpt
Symphony No. 4 "Italian": Fourth Movement, Excerpt
Rondeau: No 1, Rondeau
Piano Concerto No. 21: Andante, Excerpt
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: First Movement, Excerpt
The Marriage of Figaro - Overture: Overture, Excerpt
Sonata in A - Rondo Alla Turca: Rondo Alla Turca, Excerpt
Symphony No. 40: First Movement, Excerpt
Night on Bald Mountain: Excerpt
Pictures at an Exhibition - Great Cave of Kiev: Great Gate of ...
Barcarolle: Barcarolle, Excerpt
Orpheus in Hades - Theme II: Excerpt (Theme)
Carmina Burana - O Fortuna: O Fortuna, Excerpt
Canon: Canon, Excerpt
Romeo & Juliet - Montagues & Capulets: Montagues & Capulets, Excerpt
Lt. Kije's Wedding: Lt. Kije's Wedding, Excerpt
Turandot - Nessun Dorma: Nessun Dorma, Excerpt
Piano Concerto No. 2: Second Movement, Excerpt
Symphony No. 2: Third Movement, Opening, Excerpt
Rhapsody on a Theme: Variation 18, Excerpt
Bolero
Flight of the Bumblebee
Concierto de Aranjuez - Adagio: Adagio, Excerpt
The Barber of Seville - Overture: Excerpt
The Barber of Sville - Largo Al Factotum: Largo Al Factotum, Excerpt
William Tell Overture - Theme II: Excerpt
Danse Macabre: Excerpt
Gymnope No. 1
Symphony N0. 8 "Unfinished": Excerpt
Ave Maria: Excerpt
Finlandia [Finale: Finale, Excerpt]
Valse Triste: No 1, Valse Triste, Excerpt
Stars & Stripes Forever: Excerpt
Semper Fidelis: Excerpt
Blue Danube Waltz: Excerpt
Tales from the Vienna Woods: Excerpt
Also Sprach Zarathustra: Fanfare, Excerpt
Firebird - Infernal Dance & Main Theme: Infernal Dance & Main ...
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers: Waltz of the Flowers, Excerpt
Swan Lake - Waltz: Waltz, Excerpt
Sleeping Beauty -: Waltz, Excerpt
Romeo & Juliet - Theme II: Theme LL, Excerpt
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Opening: Opening, Excerpt
1812 Overture - Finale: Finale, Excerpt
Fantasia on "Greensleeves": Excerpt
Alda - Grand March: Grand March, Excerpt
Il Trovatore - Anvil Chorus: Anvil Chorus, Excerpt
Requiem - Dies Irae: Dies Irae, Excerpt
Rigoletto - La Donna Mobile: La Donna Mobile, Excerpt
The Four Seasons "Spring" - Allegro: Allegro, Excerpt
The Four Season "Winter" - Largo: Largo, Excerpt
Lohengrin - Bridal Chorus: Bridal Chorus, Excerpt
Die WalkRide of the Valkyries: Ride of the Valkyries, Excerpt

Customer Reviews:

I can name that tune in three notes.......2005-02-19

My family likes to put this disc in on shuffle and play name that tune. I wish they made more discs like this, only with more obscure works.

A Fabulous CD.......2004-10-14

The Idiot's Guide to Calssical Music is an awesome Cd for those people who want to have a tiny sample of all the great classical compositions. Track 61 and 63 are my favorite.

Mega-Sampler! This really does have 99 tracks!.......2002-03-20

Yes, this CD really does have 99 tracks. How do they do it? Each is about a minuet long. Some are longer, some are shorter, but you get the micro-essential moments of the music.

If you like burning your own CDs, then this is a great source for intra-track fillers, along the lines of They Might Be Giants' "Apollo 18" album, which has all of those short tracks on the end. The idea is to put your CD player on shuffle, so the short tracks get mixed in with the bona fide songs. The result being a very unusual album.

The booklet gives an explanation of the track, where you heard it (i.e. the Warner Brother's Cartoons, or on famous films), and where you can get the full piece of music. So it's a mega sampler CD.

I can honestly say that this CD is a great gift for the friend who has everything.

Fun Sampler.......2001-11-09

For the beginner. You will be surprised at how many of the 99 themes you recognize here. It is an easy introduction to classical music. Nice booklet too.

Useful........1999-03-22

Take it for what it is, a clever and useful GUIDE to classical music. No, it is NOT an uncut rendition of Beethoven's 9th symphony. It IS a cd that will jog your memory. You have heard many of the tunes presented here, but not always knowing what the work was. This is your chance to catch up with all the great classical music you have been exposed to. Cheap too.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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