Russian Clarinet

On this CD:

1. Romeo and Juliet, ballet in 4 acts, Op. 64 Young Juliet
Composed by Sergey Prokofiev
Performed by Andrew Willis

2. Romeo and Juliet, ballet in 4 acts, Op. 64 Masks
Composed by Sergey Prokofiev
Performed by Andrew Willis

3. Romeo and Juliet, ballet in 4 acts, Op. 64 Montagues and Capulets
Composed by Sergey Prokofiev
Performed by Andrew Willis

4. Romeo and Juliet, ballet in 4 acts, Op. 64 Mercutio
Composed by Sergey Prokofiev
Performed by Andrew Willis

5. Nocturne for clarinet & piano, Op. 28/1
Composed by Alexander Goedike
Performed by Arthur Tollefson

6. Etude for clarinet & piano, Op. 28/2
Composed by Alexander Goedike
Performed by Andrew Willis

7. Sonata, for viola & piano in D minor (2 movements only), G. iv3 Allegro moderato
Composed by Mikhail Glinka
Performed by Andrew Willis

8. Sonata, for viola & piano in D minor (2 movements only), G. iv3 Larghetto ma non troppo
Composed by Mikhail Glinka
Performed by Andrew Willis

9. Symphony No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70 Waltz
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by Andrew Willis

10. Symphony No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70 Scherzo
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by Andrew Willis

11. Trio for oboe, clarinet & bassoon, Op. 17
Composed by Dmitry Mikheyevich Melkikh

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:

Fireworks, Op.4 - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Danse Infernale De Tous Les Sujets De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Berceuse (L'Oiseau De Feu) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Reveil De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Mort De Kastchei - Profonds Tenebres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Disparition Du Palais Et Des Sortileges De Kastchei, Animation Des Chevaliers Petrifies Allegresse Generale - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Opening - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Shrove-tide Fair - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Charlatan's Booth - Philharmonia Orchestra
Russian Dance - Philharmonia Orchestra
Petrushka's Room - Philharmonia Orchestra
Introduction - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Les Augures Printanieres (Danse Des Adolescentes) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Jeu Du Rapt - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Rondes Printanieres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Jeux Des Cites Rivales - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Cortege Du Sage - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Adoration De La Terre (Le Sage) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Danse De La Terre - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
I. Andante - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
II. Napolitana - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
III. Espanola - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
IV. Balalaika - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
Ragtime For 11 Instruments - Toni Koves
Marche Royale - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
Petit Concert - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
Piano Rag Music - Igor Stravinsky
Sinfonia (Ouverture) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Gavotta Con Due Variazioni - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
I. Sinfonia - London Sinfonietta
III. Allegro - Philippe Entremont

Tracks:

Part I. Exaudi Orationem Meam - London Symphony Chorus
IV. Capriccio - Cho-Liang Lin
Chant Sants Paroles - Israel Baker
Premiere Donne - Cleveland Orchestra
I. Tempo Giusto - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
III. Allegretto - London Symphony Orchestra
The Star-Spangled Banner - The Festival Singers Of Toronto
I. Intrada - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Circus Polka (For A Young Elephant) - CBC Symphony Orchestra
Scherzo A La Russe - Philharmonia Orchestra
III. Con Moto - London Symphony Orchestra
I. Allegro Moderato - Benny Goodman
Good People, Just A Moment - Colin Tilney
Tango - Columbia Jazz Combo
Greeting Prelude (For The Eightieth Birthday Of Pierre Monteux) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
II. Ma Tu, Cagion Di Quella - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Elegy For J.F.K. - Charles Russo
Fanfare For A New Theatre - Robert Nagel
II. Exaudi - Donald Gramm
III. Dies Irae - Donald Gramm
IV. Tuba Mirum - Donald Gramm
The Owl And The Pussycat - Robert Craft
Stravinsky In His Own Words - John McClure

Customer Reviews:

A Fabulous Introduction to Igor Stravinsky!!.......2004-05-19

Sony Music's "The Essential Igor Stravinsky" truly lives up to its title. This double-CD set includes nearly every important piece of work (either in part or in whole) by the great Russian composer. The set also presents the pieces in chronological order beginning in 1908 with "Fireworks" and ending in 1966 with his final piece, the short but simple "Owl and The Pussycat". In between, there are excerpts from Stravinsky's most famous works including the first part of "The Rite Of Spring" and highlights from the "Firebird" and "Petrushka" ballets. There are also lesser-known works included as well as his harmonically rearranged version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (a rendition which caused a stir in the early 1940's). The entire collection concludes with a rare recorded interview with Igor Stravinsky himself in which he remembers the infamous premere of "The Rite Of Spring".
The CD booklet includes detailed liner notes as well as a written tribute by Trey Anastasio of the band Phish. The sound quality of the recordings is amazing (even on the historic 1934 recording of "Piano Rag Music"). All in all, this an excellent collection of works by the great Igor Stravinsky. In a sense, this compilation gives the composer the 'rock musician' treatment. It's a 'greatest hits' album and a career-spanning retrospective that serves as an ideal introduction to Igor's music. Even if your not a fan of Classical music, it isn't difficult to listen to the works of Stravinsky and not be stirred.
Definitely The Essential Igor Stravinsky!!!

Average customer rating:

Dissappointing
25 Sentimental Favorites

Sentimental Favorites (25)

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

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | 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
Similar Items:

25 Romantic Classics
25 Classical Favorites
Candlelight Favorites (25)
25 Tchaikovsky Favorites
25 Mozart Favorites

ASIN: B0000058ID
Release Date: 1996-08-20

Tracks:

The Skaters Waltz - Emile Waldteufel
String Quartet No. 2: III. Notturno - Alexander Borodin
'Thais': Meditation - Jules Massenet
Sleeping Beauty: Waltz - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
The Red Poppy Ballet: Phoenix - Reinhold Moritsevich Gliere
Artist's Life Waltz - Peter Falk
Piano Concerto No. 21 In C Major, K. 467: II. Andante - Walter Klien
Nocturne In E Flat Major, Op.9 - Abbey Simon
Ave Maria - Aaron Rosand
Liebeslied - Aaron Rosand
Pavane - Susan Jolles
Je Te Veux - Susan Jolles
My Lady Greensleeves - Elena Polonska
Suite Espanola: 1. Granada - Konrad Ragossnig
Concerto For Flute And Harp In C Major, K. 299: II. Andantino - Catherine Michel
The Nutcracker Suite: Waltz Of The Flowers - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan - Camille Saint-Sa
Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dance No. 8 - Alexander Borodin
The Marriage Of Figaro: Arr. For Winds: Sull'aria Che Soave Zeffiretto - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
3 Old Viennese Dance Melodies: III. Schon Rosmarin - Bronislaw Gimpel
Scheherazade: Arab Song - Bronislaw Gimpel
Pelleas Et Melisande: Sicilienne - Gabriel Faur
Wedding Day At Troldhaugen - Edvard Grieg
Clarinet Concerto In A Major, K. 622: II. Allegro - Jost Michaels
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - Pietro Mascagni

Customer Reviews:

Dissappointing.......2004-05-22

The recordings are fair at best. The performances poor to better.

I will dispose of this one.

25 Sentimental Favorites.......2000-06-19

I used to think that classical music is boring, but this CD has changed my mind. The first time I listened to this CD I said, its OK. Later every time I listen to it I discover a new beautiful music. I feel calm and relaxed. I mostly liked the Borodin, Mozart and Faure songs. It is really 25 sentimental favorites. Now, many titles of the 25 "?" Favorites are on my wish list....

Average customer rating:

Fantastic compilation
Stravinsky sorprendente
Wonderful - Especially The Violin Concerto!
A Great Compilation for Stravinsky Music!

Stravinsky: Symphonies and Concertos

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus)
Schumann: The 4 Symphonies
Bartók: Concertos
Stravinsky: Works for Piano
Alban Berg: Violin Concerto "To the Memory of an Angel" (1935) / Wolfgang Rihm: "Time Chant" Music for Violin & Orchestra (1991-92) - Anne-Sophie Mutter

ASIN: B0000041AF
Release Date: 1995-02-14

Tracks:

Symphony In C: Moderato alla breve - Tempo agitato senza troppo accelerare - Tempo I
Symphony In C: Larghetto concertante
Symphony In C: Allegretto - meno mosso - Tempo I - Piu mosso - Tempo I
Symphony In C: Largo - Tempo giusto, alla breve - Poco meno mosso
Symphony in Three Movements: Allegro
Symphony in Three Movements: Andante - Interlude (L'istesso tempo)
Symphony in Three Movements: Con moto
Symphonies for Wind Instruments

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In D: Toccata
Violin Concerto In D: Aria
Violin Concerto In D: Aria
Violin Concerto In D: Capriccio
Ebony Concerto: Allegro moderato
Ebony Concerto: Andante
Ebony Concerto: Moderato
Symphony Of Psalms: Exaudi orationem mea, Domine
Symphony Of Psalms: Expectans expectavi Dominum
Symphony Of Psalms: Alleluia, laudate Dominum

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic compilation.......2006-04-17

You won't be disappointed in this compilation ....all great
choices in the selection of numbers, although the highlight
does seem to be "Violin Concerto".

In terms of sound, it's also very clear, very well recorded,
and there's a balanced selection of moods on these 2 CD.

Stravinsky sorprendente.......2004-12-03

Que Stravinsky nos sorprenda no es algo nuevo, fue y sera para siempre un compositor innovador y sorprendente, pero al oir estas obras sabra que habia mas sorpresas en la cabeza del compositor ruso.
Comienza la audicion y nos encontramos con una sinfonia postmodernista en la linea clasica, brillante, genial; continua en esta linea la sinfonia en tres movimientos que es una obra extraordinaria, poco compleja para el genio rusa pero encantadora.
Sir Colin Davis se hace cargo de estas obras y al igual que como lo hace con Sibelius nos demuestra su versatilidad y manejo de la obrea sinfonica de cualquier autor.
Edo de Waart junto al conjunto de instrumentos de viento de Holanda se encarga de dos bellezas musicales de estructura casi camaresca son bellisimos, simples y originales.
Aparece ahora una genialidad, un concierto para violin cercano a Bartok si se quiere, solo para aproximarlo, grandioso, innovador, genial en la soberbia interpretacion del afamado Arthur Grumiax. Para este solista nada mejor que la orquesta del concertgebouw (de recio sonido)dirigidos por el prolijo Ernest Bour.
Finalizamos esta sorprendente coleccion con la Sinfonia de los Salmos, que es casi un oratorio,partes que podrian ser los tiempos de una sinfonia pero que, se acercan mas a momentos de una liturgia, son bellos simples, exultantes de luminosidad y reflexion. Igor Markevitch el director ruso de tomo y lomo, se une a la sinfonica de Rusia, a coros masculinos y otros solistas para entregarnos esta version generosa e impactante.

Wonderful - Especially The Violin Concerto!.......2004-05-28

This set is worth its modest price just to have Grumiaux in the Violin Concerto, with Ernest Bour and the Concertgebouw providing a virtual x-ray of this marvelous score. Grumiaux provides an object lesson for other violinists in how to combine extraordinarily crisp rhythm with soaring lyricism. Bour demonstrates once again how he was one of the 20th Century's most eloquent advocates of modern music. This is far and away the finest current reading - it very nearly eclipses my benchmark for this piece: Samuel Dushkin with the composer conducting in a 1935 Paris recording on DG.

A wonderful bonus is Markevitch performing the Symphony of Psalms. What a stunning reading! And such a glorious chorus! I actually prefer this reading to Stravinsky's own stereo account, and it comes close to the sheer ecstacy of the composer's antique 1931 recording.

Colin Davis is not one of my favorites, but I have to say he delivers crisp, no-nonsense accounts in both the Sym. in C and the Sym. in 3 Movements. Here, though, I still prefer the composer's various accounts in each work. Finally, the virtuoso Netherlands Wind Ensemble provides the best played versions of the Symphonies for Wind Instruments and the Ebony concerto I have had the pleasure of hearing. Once again, I marginally prefer the composer's mono accounts here: his version of the former was slower and more mysterious, and in the latter he had Woody Herman & Co. in full swing. But neither was as expertly played as these Dutch readings - and the sound here is simply terrific.

This CD set is a wonderful introduction to the kaleidoscopic variety of Stravinsky's music. Be sure to hear that Violin Concerto - it's one of the great performances of ANY concerto.

A Great Compilation for Stravinsky Music!.......2000-05-18

I have to say that I'm not the biggest Stravinsky fan and in fact I have something of a dislike for a lot of 20th Century music if you even call some of the 20th Century works music. So, why did I buy this CD? I'll get to that in a second. You see, I have only truly cared for one of Stravinsky's masterpieces and that was his Symphony of Psalms.

The Symphony of Psalms has always appealed to me for some reason or another and I can never quite put my finger on exactly what that one thing or another is. Perhaps it's the haunting melody that begins the piece in "Exaudi orationem meam" due to its sort of sensation of being forced along at a tempo that never rests and only builds. Then again, perhaps its the amazing "Expectans expectavi Dominum" with it's constant fading in and out of the main melody and constant evolution on throughout the end. There is also a section in "Laudate Dominum" which sounds as if it belonged in a horror movie scene due to the chant which the choir sings and the pianos accompany. What ever the reason there was something about this piece and this piece alone that I simply clingged on to.

So, why buy this CD? More importantly why even dare buy anything but just that piece of music and that piece of music alone. Well, I thought that I might as well, get this CD even though I knew, I just knew, I would dread all the other pieces on it. I just knew that I'd regret that I couldnt just buy the sections of the 2CD set that contained the Symphony of Psalms tracks. I just knew it.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent chamber works worthy of a listen!.......2007-04-01

The Nash Ensemble is one of my favorite chamber groups, and the performers invariably produce an excellent effort in most of their many recordings. Saint-Saens was a long-lived composing genius and certainly understood the writing of chamber works well - several outstanding reviews have already been offered, so I will not go into details; however, I rated these discs 5* (probably would have done 4 1/2*, if possible) simply to counteract the underserved rating of 3* - not sure even how valid this opinion may be for someone who states that "My only quibble with that is it's what you could say about 95 percent of classical music CDs." I would likely agree that this high percentage might refer to current 'pop' music, but as an owner of nearly 2000 classical music CDs, the statement is a reflection of ignorance. Furthermore, the Amazon price of this 2-CD set is indeed ridiculous - 'new' sets can be obtained for less that half that price on the Marketplace (which I use often); in addition, check out the Berkshire Record Outlet which sells numerous Hyperion CDs at ridiculously low prices (sorry, Amazon). So, please read the good reviews only.

For Saint Saens devotees.......2005-11-05

Assuming you are a devotee of Camille Saint Saens, what chamber music have you heard by him? Was it written in his typical late Romantic style? Did some of it begin to sound like Poulenc and other French composers after his time? Was it serious? Jovial? Profound? Does it rank with the chamber music of Brahms?

If you buy this set you'll have the answer to some but not all of these questions. For my money this is two CDs of music that essentially repeats itself. Nothing herein is particularly well developed musically even though some of it is very pleasant and some incurs toe-tapping.

The Nash Ensemble seems to be half-hearted about some of this music also. The pianist seems to go in and out of tune, sometimes being the straw that stirs the drink and other times being the drink. The recording is agreeable but in no way outstanding, which I find a bit odd for chamber music recorded in this century.

There is nothing in this package that will grab you like the Violin Concerto No. 3 or the "Organ" Symphony. You won't find anything too profound herein. And, like other reviewers have said on this site, it is a couple hours of pleasant listening.

My only quibble with that is it's what you could say about 95 percent of classical music CDs. If you have unlimited space in your home to store them, and unlimited time to hear them, fine.

I think this is a Saint Saens completist set that will best be used by his fans. Everyone else should sample it before investing the substantial asking price or wait for it to drop to discont price, where it is probably headed in a few years.

Two Hours' Worth of Chamber Music Pleasure.......2005-09-29

The Septet is probably Saint-Saens' most popular chamber work, so I tend to take it for granted. But listening to it again in the Nash's excellent performance, I'm struck by how wonderfully successful a work it is. Like Grieg's "Holberg Suite," it's a loving evocation of 18th-century music by an echt-Romantic composer. But unlike Grieg, Saint-Saens had a strong classical bent to his music making. When Gounod called Saint-Saens "the Beethoven of France," he gave cognizance to this fact; in an era when French composers spent most of their time trying to make it big in the opera world, Saint-Saens was a consummate master of all forms of music: orchestral, chamber, choral, and of course opera.

But back to that Septet. More than just a very attractive oddity, it contains one of Saint-Saens' most deeply felt slow movements and a minuet that is about as close to musical perfection as a composer can get whose name isn't Mozart!

In plain fact, this collection should be a reminder of just how much truly fine chamber music Saint-Saens crafted in his long life. Highpoints of the set are the Piano Quartet, one of the finest in the repertoire, and the Sonatas for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon written in the last year of the composer's life. Gentle and subdued as they are, autumnal works in the manner of Brahms's late chamber works, they still manage to gently exploit the comic potential of the clarinet and the bassoon. My favorite is the Clarinet Sonata, with its near-tragic slow movement and last movement in which the players seem to briefly lose their way harmonically in one recurring episode. Is this Saint-Saens' wry commentary on modern music circa 1920? Typical of Saint-Saens, the sonata is cyclic in nature, the opening allegretto returning at the very end of the sonata in the manner of a rondo--a rondo that covers four movements! A wonderful touch.

The Piano Quartet is another cyclic work; themes from the first and second movements return in the triumphant finale. That second movement, by the way, is one of Saint-Saens' most striking; highly contrapuntal, it proceeds at a processional pace that's haunting in its relentlessness.

The works aren't equally inspired of course. The precocious Tarentelle is derailed by a cloying Mendelssohn-meets-French-music-hall middle section, while the early Quintet starts out like a house afire only to be squelched, as is too often the case in Saint-Saens, by a less-than-sterling finale, with a superb melody that the composer doesn't quite know how to handle. But there are many more hits than misses among the works represented here.

It is a mark of the excellence of the performances by the Nash Ensemble that pieces I've taken for granted come up sounding fresh, especially the Caprice for flute, oboe, clarinet, and piano. A potpourri for sure, but a very gracious and beautifully crafted one. All it requires is lovely, assured playing such as we have here. Special praise is due Ian Brown, who is front and center in all these works, playing Saint-Saens' often-demanding piano parts with aplomb and with obvious relish.

Henry Wood Hall in London must be a great recording venue; at least the Hyperion engineers produce excellent results there. The sense of hall is palpable, and every instrument sounds natural and very "present." This package is two hours of real pleasure for chamber music lovers.

awesome!.......2005-09-28

This is a very enjoyable CD. I have found that everything the Nash Ensemble does is first rate. The first piece is an interesting septet including a trumpet. Especially in its middle sections, it is a wonderful piece. The piano quintet and quartet are quite different from each other and very satisfying. The woodwind sonatas which I had been familiar with from other versions are well done here. The aspect of Saint-Saens I found most enjoyable is the writing for the piano which is not simply supportive accompaniment but bubbly and virtuosic on its own. Just an excellent recording!
I had to go back and edit this to add a comment about the "Tarantelle"; a delightful piece with piano, clarinet and flute. This was the first piece to bring Saint-Saens to the attention of a wide audience and is available in its entirety as a preview at Hyperion's web site in their "listening room".

Average customer rating:

CLassical Clarinet Lovers Look Here!

The Essential Emma Johnson

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Encores 2

ASIN: B00004GOWA
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Tracks:

Cl Con in A, K.622: First Movt: Allegro - Emma Johnson
Cl Con in A, K.622: Second Movt: Adagio - Emma Johnson
Cl Con in A, K.622: Third Movt: Rondo. Allegro - Emma Johnson
Cl Con No.2 in f, Op.5: First Movt: Allegro - Emma Johnson
Cl Con No.2 in f, Op.5: Second Movt: Andante Pastorale - Emma Johnson
Cl Con No.2 in f, Op.5: Third Movt: Rondo - Emma Johnson
Adagio in D flat ('Wagner's Adagio') - Emma Johnson
Cl Con No.2, Op.115: First Movt: Allegro Vivace - Emma Johnson
Cl Con No.2, Op.115: Second Movt: Lento - Emma Johnson
Cl Con No.2, Op.115: Third Movt: Allegro Non Troppo 'The Pre-Goodman Rag' - Emma Johnson

Tracks:

The Victorian Kitchen Garden - Ste: Prld - Skaila Kanga
The Victorian Kitchen Garden - Ste: Spring - Skaila Kanga
The Victorian Kitchen Garden - Ste: Mists - Skaila Kanga
The Victorian Kitchen Garden - Ste: Exotica - Skaila Kanga
The Victorian Kitchen Garden - Ste: Summer - Skaila Kanga
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: Flight Of The Bumble-Bee - Julius Drake
Vocalise, Op.34 No.12 - Julius Drake
Fant Pieces, Op.73: I. Zart Und Mit Ausdruck - Emma Johnson
Fant Pieces, Op.73: II. Lebhaft, Leicht - Emma Johnson
Fant Pieces, Op.73: Rasch Und Mit Feuer - Emma Johnson
Prlds Book I: The Girl W. The Flaxen Hair - Emma Johnson
Pavane For A Dead Infanta - Emma Johnson
Scaramouche - Ste: First Movt: Vif - Julius Drake
Scaramouche - Ste: Second Movt: Modere - Julius Drake
Scaramouche - Ste: Third Movt: Brazileira - Julius Drake
Gymnopedie No.1 - Julius Drake
Three Prlds: I. Allegro Ben Ritmato - Julius Drake
Three Prlds: II. Andante Con Moto E Poco Rubato - Julius Drake
Three Prlds: Allegro Ben Ritmato E Deciso - Julius Drake
To A Wild Rose - Julius Drake
Five Bagatelles, Op.23: I. Prld - Malcolm Martineau
Five Bagatelles, Op.23: II. Romance - Malcolm Martineau
Five Bagatelles, Op.23: III. Carol - Malcolm Martineau
Five Bagatelles, Op.23: IV. Forlana - Malcolm Martineau
Five Bagatelles, Op.23: V. Fughetta - Malcolm Martineau
The Snowman: Walking In The Air - Julius Drake
Jamaican Rumba - Julius Drake

Customer Reviews:

CLassical Clarinet Lovers Look Here!.......2000-06-13

This is a very good CD that covers a broad range of music. The Mozart Concerto for clarinet is especially good, as Emma is able to really make it sing. Other highlights on this disc are the Finzi Bagatelles and the "Victorian Country Gardens". Both are exceptional pieces of music. I had never heard Emma play before, but now I am hooked, and I can't wait to get another recording. I definetly reccomend this for the classical Clarinet lover.

Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music

Average customer rating:

Good, but not great selections given the title selected.
Worthy on any level
Humans Are Classically Stubborn
The title says it all.

Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | 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

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Classics: Greatest Hits
The Only Classical CD You'll Ever Need!
Beethoven: Greatest Hits
Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music
Tchaikovsky: Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000003FQB
Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

'Peer Gynt' Suite No. 1: Morning
Cantata No. 147: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - London Symphony Orchestra
The Four Seasons - Winter: Largo - English Chamber Orchestra
Clarinet Concerto : Adagio - English Chamber Orchestra
Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle
Lakme: Flower Duet - Richard Kapp
Clair de Lune
Tales From The Vienna Woods
Sabre Dance
The Nutcracker: Pas de deux - Fritz Reiner
Polovtsian Dance No. 17 ('Stranger In Paradise')
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini: Variation 18
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Classical Music For People Who Hate Classical Music
Piano Concerto No. 21: Andante - Vienna Symphony
Symphony No. 9 'New World': Going Home Theme - Various Artists
Rhapsody in Blue (Excerpt)

Customer Reviews:

Good, but not great selections given the title selected........2007-03-04

This CD contains some good pieces, but overall, the selections were not what I would have picked for a CD with this title. I used to think that I hated classical music, but now that I've sailed past 40 I have learned to enjoy it in almost every variety. Nevertheless, as a child of the Rock/Pop Music era, I can tell you most people today who think they hate classical music, think so because they've pretty much only heard the slower/less dramatic compositions. (I.e., "elevator" music.) The goal, of course, is to develop a real love for the genere, but in most cases, the introduction needs to be a "grabber." Perhaps I'm too skeptical, but while there is more than elevator music on this CD, I do not think it is on the whole upbeat or rythmatically appealing enough to sieze the interest of most of today's A.D.D. generation --- which is the presumable target audience.

Worthy on any level.......2002-01-23

I bought this cd for my father about 3 years ago. My father loved classical music. Actually, one might consider him quite the snob about classical music. Pop (was 83 at the time) and I (48 at the time) spent many an occasion listening to this wonderful cd. It has enough variety and familiar pieces (and yet, not the regular stuff) that we could let it play again and again and still be delighted with the pleasure that it brought to us both. I am listening to it even as I write this review. Buy, buy, buy! It is a PERFECT gift.

Humans Are Classically Stubborn.......2001-05-16

We humans are quite a stubborn bunch. Once we get something in our heads, it's hard to change our minds. I have been a life "shunner" of classical music. A pseudo snob, I couldn't waste time on music I couldn't.....A. Dance (poorly) to, or...B. Sing (horribly) along with. Yet in galleries, museums, or theatres, I would hear strains of truly beautiful music and would think "I just have to find out what that is!" Then, of course, I didn't. I finally forced myself to purchase this CD at the urging of my 12 year old and I fell in love. YOU know all of these pieces. YOU'VE heard them every time you cried during a tear-jerker or strolled through a museum. And YOU like them, you really, really like them. The CD has become one of my favorites and actually induced me to buy more classical music. The name of my new purchase? "MORE Classical Music For People Who Hate Classical Music." Hey -It's a start. Give this one a listen, it will seem like an old friend has come to visit. And you just might learn something.

The title says it all........1999-08-28

This CD is good for those who do not regularly collect classical CD's. If you don't really know much about classical music, but would like just a taste, this CD is for. This album is also good for those who love classical music, I bought it because it had all of my favorite classical works all on one CD. I can play a song at a get together and everyone there has heard the song some where at some point in their lives.

Average customer rating:

Histoire du Soldat (Suite); Renard

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Schoenberg: 5 Pieces for Orchestra: Cello Concerto; Brahms: Piano Quartet
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms
George Crumb: Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale)
Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire
Henri Dutilleux: Complete Solo Piano Music

ASIN: B000L42J90
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

Pastorale, Op.5
The Soldier's March
Music To Scene I
Music To Scene II (Pastorale)
Royal March (Pasadoble)
Little March
Three Dances: Tango-Waltz-Ragtime
The Devil's Dance
Petit/Grand Chorale
Triumphal March Of The Devil
I Sempre Piano E Molto Tranquillo: Quarter (Crochet)=52
II Quarter (Crochet)=168
III Quarter (Crochet)=160
Pour Picasso
Kornilo
Natashka
Colonel
The Old Man And The Hare
I
II
III
IV
Renard: Burlesque In One Act
The Flower
The Dove
Akahito
Mazatsumi
Tsaraiuki
Scherzo A La Russe, Original Jazz Band Version
Song Of The Volga Boatmen Arranged For Wind Instruments

Average customer rating:

Stravinsky the Composer, not Stravinsky the Conductor
Staggering! All the Stravinsky I'll ever need!
Magnificent!
Where's my Petrushka?
legendary

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Stravinsky: Chamber Works & Rarities
Arnold Schoenberg: Chamber Music for Strings
Stravinsky: Works for Piano
Original Jacket Collection: Vladimir Horowitz
Memories and Commentaries: New One-Volume Edition

ASIN: B000031X11
Release Date: 1999-12-07

Customer Reviews:

Stravinsky the Composer, not Stravinsky the Conductor.......2006-09-18

It is a pretty good collection, lots of music from Stravinsky's entire carreer, but one must keep in mind that Stravinsky was a brilliant composer, and not a commanding maestro. You will not necessarily be getting the best recordings of these works. For example, something like the Boulez/Cleveland Rite of Spring is far superior to those in this collection. He is a vastly better conductor, and is much more capable of making the orchestra perform Stravinsky's intentions than Stravinsky is. All in all, however, I am more than glad I own this set.

Staggering! All the Stravinsky I'll ever need!.......2006-05-20

While I had heard some Stravinsky compositions prior to my purchase, this was the first (and only) Stravinsky material I have ever owned. As a young music enthusiast, the draw to me was to hear these pieces as Stravinsky conducted them and to get so many of them at such a great price, not to have the original jackets for the purpose of reminiscing. So, as someone who needed a good jump start into the works of Stravinsky (by Stravinsky), this set has proven totally invaluable. And while more information could have been packed onto these cds, I do appreciate how closely these discs have stuck to the original releases. I don't know about the portion of Petroushka which some reviewers claim is missing (as I don't know any other version), but I was totally blown away at hearing this version of Petroushka anyhow. In all, for whatever faults some sticklers may find here or there with this set, the value of this material collected in such a way (and at such a price) by far outweighs any possible faults.

Magnificent!.......2006-03-02

A great collection. There is simply no substitute for hearing Stravinsky as the great composer wanted to have his music played. Here is so much and also so varied a collection. I have been enjoying this set a great deal. One of the 20th century's greatest composers conducting his own compositions.

Where's my Petrushka?.......2003-08-01

The main reason I bought this box is because I was introduced to Stravinsky's Petrushka in the spring of 2003, and I loved it.
Along with Rite of Spring I think it's the most brilliant music Mr. Stravinsky ever wrote...so, I've been listening to the 34-minute long 1960 CSO recording of it at least once a day since I first heard it, naturally sort of memorizing it, but it didn't fit when I made this CD spin. The recording of Petrushka in this box is the VERY SAME RECORDING (1960) that I'd listened to, but it's cut to a suite! It's only 24 minutes long. You can tell it's obviously cut at certain points if you're familiar with the uncut version. 10 WHOLE MINUTES ARE MISSING FROM "PETRUSHKA!" I was (and still am) very disappointed by this.
Familiarizing myself with the rest of the discs was very fulfilling, though; I love the Ebony Concerto with the Columbia Jazz Combo featuring Benny Goodman...but the "suite-cut" of Petrushka made me paranoid...I can't be sure if anything else is edited or not...
There are 75 pages of notes in the booklet about the recordings but only 1/3 is in English.
The special multimedia feature disc is nothing much. With awful graphics it features the same notes as in the booklet, and there are lyrics for those who want to use the box for karaoke.
These 400 minutes of music (an average of 45 minutes per disc) could fit on only 5 CD's instead of 9, but it seems that this collection is made for nostaligs who will love watching and touching these tiny LP-jackets - after all, it is called the "Original Jacket Collection."
Incidentally, all of Stravinsky's recorded work which he conducted himself is not in this box. It is not at all complete; aside from the missing part of "Petrushka," his own reading of "Symphony in Three Movements" is missing (but available on CBS.)
Hats off to the man himself anyway. The music is brilliant, and considering that these recordings are 40+ years old, the sound quality is very good. Excellent stereophony on Rite of Spring!
It's a good thing that his music is still available and that people are offering refurbished products thereof. But if you love Petrushka like I do...buy the real thing...this just might disappoint you...
The 3 stars is a compromise of the music and the package; (5 stars for the music & its quality - 1 star for the package, choice of discs and--considering the price--somewhat weak linear notes.)

legendary.......2002-06-30

This 9 cd set is an historical one...more than half of Stravinsky's works are collected in this set. i clearly can say that there isn't any better recording for Stravinsky's works. especcialy first released USA's national anthem and a 12 tone work "Fanfare for two Trumpets" are remarkable.and we can also mention that some noises during the recording procces (i.e: Stravinsky's turning the page of the partition) gives a different taste to the listener. This is a real golden box of music.